What that booty do?!Between male bare asses on TV shows and gay sex scenes in movies, 2025 was a landmark year for male celebrity butts. Because we are manifesting a 2026 that is just as plentiful in terms of male ass representation in mainstream media, it's only right to celebrate a year marked by buns out and all over place like 2025.Jack Cameron Kay 'Boots'Jack Cameron Kay was one of a few breakout stars from Netflix's Boots, and it's interesting to consider how much of the character development at least initially was nonverbal. Between Kay's flirtatious faces and skin-showing scenes, the fans were all-in from the start.Where to watch: Boots is streaming on Netflix.Benito Skinner 'Overcompensating'Benito Skinner is body-ody-ody on Overcompensating, and we're here for it. Make gay shows horny again!Where to watch: Overcompensating is streaming on Prime Video.Sachin Bhatt 'Boots'Sachin Bhatt played Max Parker's love interest on Boots. Despite being mostly removed from the present-day continuity kicked off in episode 1, Bhatt played a very significant role on the show overall and looked great in his intimate scenes with costar Parker.Where to watch: Boots is streaming on Netflix.Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney 'Twinless'Both Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney went all out for their sex scenes in Twinless. Asses were intensely clapped, let's just say that!Where to watch: Twinless is available for rentals and purchases on Apple TV+.Agustin Della Corte 'Olympo'We're still grieving that Olympo wasn't renewed by a second season on Netflix. With its cancelation, we will never be reunited with our beloved Roque, played by Agustn Della Corte. Anyway, the first season is there for all to see.Where to watch: Olympo is streaming on Netflix.Terrell Carter 'Beauty in Black'Some people are still unaware of the rather significant presence of queer characters on Beauty in Black, and Terrell Carter is certainly one of the biggest stars from the series.Where to watch: Beauty in Black is streaming on Netflix.Connor Storrie 'Heated Rivalry'Connor Storrie played Ilya Rozanov, a stoic Russian with a heart of gold, on Heated Rivalry. As one of the two main characters, fans got plenty of ass and sex scenes from the actor.Where to watch: Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO Max.Max Parker 'Boots'2025 had a lot of bombshells entering well, not a villa, but the overall queer zeitgeist. Boots was particularly transformative for actor Max Parker, who was one of the biggest breakout stars on this Netflix series.Where to watch: Boots is streaming on Netflix.Hudson Williams 'Heated Rivalry'Our dear Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, showed off his ass (probably) dozens of times throughout this first season of Heated Rivalry, and we love him for it.Where to watch: Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO Max.Russell Tovey 'Juice'The gays love Russell Tovey, and he loves them back! The actor has had quite a string of high-profile appearances as of late, and his role on Juice season 2 was another fantastic moment for his fans.Where to watch: Juice is streaming on BBC iPlayer (unavailable in the U.S. as of this writing).Ryoma Takeuchi '10 Dance'Heated Rivalry was all the rage this year, but don't sleep on this other queer love story between two very competitive men who go on a pretty similar rivals-to-lovers journey on Netflix's 10 Dance.Where to watch: 10 Dance is streaming on Netflix.Glen Powell 'The Running Man'Glen Powell rappels down the side of a building wearing nothing but a towel in The Running Man. And then that towel falls off. Enough said, we think.Where to watch: The Running Man is now playing in theaters.Chuku Modu 'Juice'Chuku Modu had the Juice audiences hypnotized by what he was showing them in this second season. A win/win, innit?Where to watch: Juice is streaming on BBC iPlayer (unavailable in the U.S. as of this writing).Adam DiMarco 'Overcompensating'Adam DiMarco plays a truly chaotic human being on Overcompensating, but it's quite challenging not to feel like this is an endearing guy as well. Oh, and he's very handsome, of course!Where to watch: Overcompensating is streaming on Prime Video.Jason Fernandez 'Fate'The gays might know Jason Fernndez as the actor who plays the younger version of Sheriff Jake (Ethan Hawke) in Strange Way of Life. On this TV show titled Fate, Fernndez yet again gives the gays plenty to look at.Where to watch: Fate is streaming on Disney+.Kieron Moore 'Boots'Kieron Moore plays a homophobic bully on Boots who insults the main character of the series (played by Miles Heizer) in the first freaking episode. Between the character's arc throughout the season and the actor's charisma, though, it was hard not to root for him to right his wrongs and become a better person toward the end.Where to watch: Boots is streaming on Netflix.Arnas Fedaravicius 'The White Lotus'It's no wonder the gays were blowing up Arnas Fedaravicius's DMs after seeing his performance on The White Lotus season 3. Just look at the guy!Where to watch: The White Lotus is streaming on HBO Max.Henry Golding 'Another Simple Favor'Henry Golding has been loosening up in performances that followed his posh character in Crazy Rich Asians. In this wild sequel titled Another Simple Favor, Golding literally takes a shower that plays out for quite some time. Zero complaints.Where to watch: Another Simple Favor is streaming on Prime Video.Gleb Abrosimov 'Olympo'Gleb Abrosimov, previously known as an lite heartthrob, made waves in the first few episodes of Netflix's Olympo.Where to watch: Olympo is streaming on Netflix.Jackie Kay 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story'Queer people have a complicated relationship with the Monster franchise, and for good reason. However, many things can be true at the same time, and Jackie Kay's scenes in The Ed Gein Story give fans quite a view.Where to watch: Monster: The Ed Gein Story is streaming on Netflix.Brett Dalton 'Boots'Best known for playing Grant Ward in the MCU and having a large role on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Brett Dalton was a recurring character on Boots who just casually walked around a room with his buns out.Where to watch: Boots is streaming on Netflix.Sterling K. Brown 'Paradise'The always handsome but typically buttoned-up Sterling K. Brown gave his gay fans a view so good, some would describe it as looking at Paradise. That's the name of the series, too, if you're still able to watch things for the plot!Where to watch: Paradise is streaming on Hulu.Patrick Schwarzenegger 'The White Lotus'Speaking of walking around naked, Patrick Schwarzenegger's performance on The White Lotus season 3 as the douchey Saxon Ratliff ran the gamut of emotions for viewers some of whom were turned on, some of whom were creeped out, and even others who were both.Where to watch: The White Lotus is streaming on HBO Max.Richard Fleeshman 'Riot Women'Another great onscreen view in 2025 came from actor Richard Fleeshman starring in the U.K. series Riot Women. He even had a scene on all fours, which had the gays going full feral.Where to watch: Riot Women is streaming on BritBox.Xavier Mills 'Chad Powers'Even though this was a very brief moment, Xavier Mills's shower scene on Chad Powers had the gays shook (and happy).Where to watch: Chad Powers is streaming on Hulu.Timothy Olyphant 'Stick'Timothy Olyphant has been showing it all off on Stick, in case you didn't know.Where to watch: Stick is streaming on Apple TV+.Will Sharpe 'Too Much'You probably watched and loved Will Sharpe on The White Lotus season 2, and the actor returned to star in the Meg Stalter-starring show Too Much. Yet again, Sharpe didn't disappoint when it came to showing some skin.Where to watch: Too Much is streaming on Netflix.

As the clock ticks toward midnight tonight, some people are drawing up resolutions for the new year. Others are making revelations. For psychic-medium Travis Holp, that moment came years ago. Known for his disarming warmth and uncanny accuracy, he's built a devoted following by reminding people that intuition, like identity, isn't something you discover. It's something you remember.In this conversation, Travis reflects on growing up queer in a conservative household, realizing his spiritual gifts weren't just a party trick, and the readings that transformed grief into release.As one year draws to a close and another begins anew, his message is simple: You don't need permission to be luminous.When you were playing Ouija, at what moment did you realize, "Oh girl, I'm not just having fun; I see something," and how did you choose to stop hiding that gift and start owning it?Funny is, when I was growing up and using the Ouija board with my granny, I was about six. I would tell her I could see or hear things, and then when we used the board, things got louder. But I didn't connect that. That was me having a connection to spirit, because it's something that I always remember having; it's kind of like being gay. I don't know what it's like to be straight.I don't know what it's like not to have this connection. And it wasn't until I was older and then looking back at things, where it's like, oh, that's why I could hear these things, or that's why I'm super sensitive to energy. It wasn't until I was really in my early 30s that I decided to own this part of me. After leaving a 17-year career in the beauty industry, I wanted to start giving readings and help people with this ability.You call yourself the internet's "gay uncle." How did your queer identity, growing up in a conservative household, shape not only your spiritual path but the way you show up now for others in the medium-space?I was creating a video for Instagram or TikTok. It was a channeled-message video I had been making for a while. Still, there was this one day where I was like, you know, maybe if people don't believe in mediums, they'll consider me their gay uncle. And I have two beautiful nephews whom I feel so blessed to have. And so when I'm creating videos, what's the thing that maybe, if they were coming to me for a reading, that I would channel for them? Or what's the answer that might come through? And so now I have an interwebs full of nieces, nephews, and nibblings that I feel so, so blessed to have.Growing up in a conservative household as a queer person shaped my spiritual identity because it taught me how to come home to myself. I had always felt like an outsider. I always felt like I didn't belong, or that there was something wrong with me. It wasn't until I really fully embraced myself. I learned to connect with my own inner magic and spark, and when I came home to that, I really felt aligned with my path. It's made me a better medium because I can show up for others and help guide them to their own connection. I know what it's like to feel that loneliness or to feel that separation, and so it's only made me better at what I do, and I'm so grateful.When you first began doing tarot readings for fun, what was the single reading that made you realize it was something bigger?I was giving the tarot readings for fun. Please keep in mind, I was a bad drinker. I had a bad drinking problem, and so I would be drinking. Then I'd be giving tarot readings to my friends, which I do not recommend drinking and divining. But you know, it was something I just did for fun.I started reading a girlfriend's tarot cards, and then one of her departed family members came through. They gave her some solid advice on just where she was in her life. She was dealing with things that I had no idea she was going through. And so not only was it there in the cards, but it's also there in the message that's coming through from her loved one. That's when it made me realize this is something way bigger than me, and it was before I started doing readings professionally or anything like that. But when I saw her just release the weight of that burden she'd been carrying, and her energy shift as she received those messages, I was like, God, there's something to this.In the book, you share stories of clients connecting with loved ones on the other sidetear-jerkers, miracle-moments, you name it. Can you pick one that still haunts you with wonder, and tell us how it shifted you as a person, not just as the medium in the room?The one reading that comes to mind with this question is the first time I ever gave a reading to a mom whose son had committed suicide. And up until this point, you know, I'm reading for people. I'm delivering messages from the other side. It was mostly psychic reading I was doing at the time; I hadn't gone complete medium yet. I was still kind of on my way there. I start the reading, and I just feel this anxiety in my chest, and I feel this, almost this feeling of panic, and I just blurt out. I was like, I have this gentleman here, and here's how he passed. And it was her son. What happened in that moment was in the reading a story about an argument that they had before he had passed started to come up and this was the burden that she had carried with her. She felt the guilt of their last conversation, which had been an argument, before he departed this Earth.In that reading, he was very clear about forgiving her and wanted to see her release the burden. Her body language changed. She felt lighter. That's when I knew this work was sacred.Not everybody can say Spotify slid into their DMs to help bring a project to life. What was it like collaborating with them? And how did having that kind of creative partnership shape the way your voice, literally and spiritually, comes through in the final production?Yes, honey, when Spotify slid into my DMs, I was so excited. When it comes to narrating an audiobook and sharing your story, for me, the story is so personal, and I wanted to have as much control as possible. From how a certain syllable sounds, to being able to re-record things if I wanted to. They were such great partners. I went into the studio, and they told me to do what feels best for you. They let me do whatever I needed to do to feel good about the work that I was putting out by narrating this audiobook. I'm so grateful for that, because creatives and spiritual people have a magic that we all share, and Spotify didn't want to dampen it. They wanted me to just be me. I'm so grateful for that, and it was such a great experience.Finally, my love, for the folks in our queer communitymany of whom carry trauma, secrecy, fearwhat's one bold exercise from your life and book that you want them to try tonight (yes, tonight) so they can start stepping into a more luminous version of themselves?One of the exercises I outline in my book is called a sitting-in-the-power meditation. This is a meditation technique that is often used by mediums. However, anybody can use it. The whole point of this exercise is to connect to your own personal power and to build that power.You get into a lovely, cozy space. Sit or lie back. Set your phone timer for 10 to 15 minutes and close your eyes, however long you want to sit and be present for this. Take a couple of nice, long, slow, deep breaths. After relaxing, envision a light emanating from the center of your chest. Envision this light gently growing and expanding outward, going beyond your body into the cosmos, and just feel this expansion of your light.Hold it for as long as you can: 10 to 15 minutes is great, but if you only do five, that's okay too. Just practice that presence of shining that light.I think people in the queer community have this brilliant light that they often feel like they have to dim or dull...If you do this consistently, you are going to be amazed at how you show up in the world differently. I can say this with complete honesty because it worked for me. It's helped me show up so much more fully. Not only does it help me connect to spirit more easily, but it also helps me show up whole and authentic, not afraid of my own light.

It turns out that Lydia B Kollins wasn't just boogying her way through RuPaul's Drag Race season 17, starting a relationship with Kori King in the werk room, making herstory with her All Stars 10 casting, and clawing her way to a top 4 spot in the first-ever Tournament of All Stars. Kollins was also working on a book that documented her unrivaled breakout year alongside creative partner Ava Grace, a Pittsburgh-based photographer who's exploring a new chapter of her own through this collaboration.Together, Kollins and Grace have created a photography book titled Lydia Lydia Lydia: A Collection of Photographs, which outlines each step in the Drag Race star's gagworthy rise to fame throughout 2025, and that was somehow fully published before the year ended. This isn't a series of social media pictures, carousels, and/or vertical videos which are fabulous in their own right but a physical document that feels deeply intimate to existing fans and dazzlingly ambitious to casual observers who might be experiencing this level of world-building within the art form of drag for the first time.In an exclusive interview with Out, Lydia B Kollins and Ava Grace discuss the creative process behind Lydia Lydia Lydia, which contains over 300 photos documenting nearly every single runway look in Kollins's journey competing in two back-to-back Drag Race seasons plus never-before-seen design sketches, sewing notes, conceptual drawings, and personal journaling-style entries written by both Kollins and Grace throughout this unparalleled collaborative experience."I had heard murmurings that Lydia was away at 'summer camp,'" Grace tells Out, alluding to the famously secretive filming process surrounding a new season of Drag Race. "In my mind, I was like, 'I just want one shoot with her, just one shoot!' We had only worked together at drag shows before, so I thought it would be really cool to just get a shoot with her for one of her looks or something."Kollins, looking as peaceful and relaxed as ever, says that the collaboration came together pretty organically. "It started as soon as I got back from Drag Race, because we started to plan photo shoots, and the creative package, and the rollout of my Drag Race package," Kollins tells Out. "It started when we did that first photo shoot at the park, for the first runway, and the rest of it was really spearheaded by Ava."Such murmurs reached Grace as someone who's been "in the drag scene, in some sense or another, since 2011-2012, in Pittsburgh." She adds, "I used to do drag, which Lydia loves to""Ava Lunch, honey!" Kollins blurts out before Grace finishes that sentence. "Bring it back.""There's still some videos in the depths of YouTube that Lydia loves to remind me about," Grace says, though not as thrilled as Kollins, who has the joyous smile of a little kid who just got to tease their sister in front of other people. "But yeah, I came up back in the day, at the Blue Moon, which became a really well-known bar. It's where Alaska and Sharon [Needles] came up through.""And then I started my transition, so I took a step back" from drag, Grace recalls. It wasn't until the 2020 lockdown that Grace picked up a camera and taught herself photography for the first time. "I was like, 'You know what? I miss going out. I miss my queer friends. I miss being surrounded by queer community.' At that point, I was trying to live pretty under the radar. I wasn't even out at my job. But I just missed queer people, so I started taking my camera to drag shows."Even though she loves photography, Grace is not interested in pursuing it full-time. "That would be exhausting, and I'm not into hustle culture," she says in a way that is so fiercely candid that it makes us all giggle. "I like having a 401(k) and health insurance." Amen, sister!"My day job is working in LGBTQ+ healthcare, and I'm getting my master's in public health right now," Grace adds. "Photography is just a passion project for me."Yet, upon hearing that Kollins was back in Pittsburgh, Grace made her move."Lydia was like, 'I have some ideas,'" Grace recalls. "We got together, she had made me a mood board. And here we are now: A photo shoot of almost every single runway look she's worn on the show."Kollins recalls her thought process before any work on the book actually started. On the one hand, "it might seem a little early to come out" with something like a memoir, she considered. On the other hand, this was an "insane" enough year worth documenting "to just memorialize it all on page," as Kollins puts it. "My own personal scrapbook, or memoir of the year that we've had together, and the year that we've had in general."The decision to create something physical does, indeed, feel intentional for a year like 2025. "I love digital media. I love film. I love podcasts, and all of the sort," Kollins says. "But in a world where A.I. is on the rise, it's very cool to have this physical memory in front of you that can't be erased.""Unless you have a paper shredder in front of you," Kollins teases. "But the children yearn for the libraries! We can't help it."Grace's attachment to physical media runs deep, too. "I grew up with a family that always had a camera around. My grandma always had one. My mom always had one. So we were very much a photo album type of family, and we still have all of those.""I love flipping through photo albums. I love physical media," Grace says. So, when it came to creating Lydia Lydia Lydia as a physical book, there was simply no hesitation. "I was like, 'I want this. I want to hold this in my hands this whole year.'"Looking back at this wild transition period from Drag Race season 17 into All Stars season 10, Kollins still feels like it was all a "complete blur" and "whirlwind." To that end, she credits Grace for pushing her to look deeper into the archives. "She would say, 'We should have some behind-the-scenes in this as well. Do you have any clips, or any screenshots, or stills, or outfit-creating images, or anything that we can include in the book?' I had forgotten how much I had documented from the process, and it's now all included in the book. It was a trip down memory lane for me, too."All things considered, what is Kollins's favorite shoot in the entire book?"It would have to be the one that I was eliminated on: the black and white Ball look," Kollins says, without hesitation. "The shoot was very, like, Giallo [film genre] and German Expressionism inspired, in this massive barrel A full pipe. It looked so massive on Ava's camera. The way that it was edited, and the way that it was shot, it just scratches the deepest itch of my smooth little brain. I love that shoot."For context: The shoot in question came to life as a video, too, shared by the Drag Race star on YouTube as, "The Scissoring of Lydia Kollins."Grace is once again hilariously candid when asked about her experiences capturing Kollins's favorite shoot, referencing a passage in the book in which she [Grace] writes:"When Lydia originally told me about her inspiration for this photoshoot, she kept talking about some bizarre 1920s film called The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Because I'm a 37-year-old woman and not a turn of the century suragette who survived the sinking of the Titanic, I had never heard of nor seen the movie."While researching the German Expressionist aesthetic that Kollins had referenced, Grace kept seeing "these Germanic expressionist, brutalist, tall, cold structures, with big shadows and very stark contrast."Grace tells Out that she immediately thought of a "sewer pipe," but told Kollins that she didn't "want to wade through poop." The solution? "A skate park!" Grace reveals.What's next for Kollins? Well, the All Stars 10 finalist is determined to star in a horror film."If the director of Smile 3 [Parker Finn] is reading this, put me in your movie," Kollins declares. "I went to school for film. My first love, creatively, is filmmaking. I've always imagined myself behind the camera, but growing up, I would make countless movies that are just stored on my hard drive, and I would be the only person who could star in them. So I've basically been preparing my entire life to be in a horror movie, one way or another."Grace praises Kollins's filmmaking talents by referencing the aforementioned skate park shoot."Just hearing the way her brain works was so wild. I'm like, 'How is she conceptualizing this from her brain and being able to say it?'" Grace gushes. "So, truly, anyone would be lucky to have her behind the camera, in front of the camera, or whatever. Someone put her in a horror movie!""I would not complain," Kollins adds.Lydia Lydia Lydia: A Collection of Photographs is available for sale on Amazon.For tickets and more information about the upcoming live event cohosted by the two authors, visit QBurgh.com.

Christmas came early for Canadas Drag Race winner Priyanka and her longtime partner, tattoo artist George Skaruz: the couple got engaged earlier this month in front of family and friends at a festive get-together.On Tuesday, December 9, Priyanka shared a video on Instagram of the sweet moment when she popped the question on the couples fifth anniversary. Related Drag Race finalist Lexi Love announces engagement with heartwarming photos Were celebrating out five years today, she reminded the assembled loved ones, standing next to Skaruz as a Yule log video played on the TV screen behind them.I know that all of you want us to get engaged, Priyanka teased. And we are! Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today She then pivoted to face Skaruz, who appeared genuinely shocked, before kneeling to present him with a ring as everyone around them cheered.Of course, Skaruz said Yes, embracing his fianc and adding, Im so shocked!Were engaged! Priyanka wrote in the posts caption. 5 years together and now were getting married! I love you so much and i never in my life thought Id be doing things like this, you make everything and anything possible! its magic! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Priyanka (@thequeenpriyanka)Since winning the inaugural season of Canadas Drag Race in 2020, Priyanka has released her debut album, 2024s Devastatia, and appeared in the first season of Canadas Drag Race: Canada vs. the World and the eighth season of RuPauls Drag Race All Stars. Last year, she starred alongside Jaida Essence Hall, Sasha Velour, and Latrice Royale in the fourth season of HBOs docuseries, Were Here. The first season of her restaurant make-over reality show Drag Brunch Saved My Life premiered on Canadas Crave network earlier this year.After Priyanka posted the big news about her engagement, Drag Race alums from the franchises various international iterations flocked to her Instagram to offer congratulations to the happy couple including Canadas Drag Race Season 1 runner-up Rita Baga.OH MY MY, Baga commented. Congrats my love this is magical!CONGRATS YOU LOVE BIRDS, Priyankas Were Here co-star Latrice Royale wrote.IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH, RuPauls Drag Race UK alum Cheryl commented.This is so cute! Love you big, wrote RuPauls Drag Race UK Season 1 runner-up Divina De Campo. Congrats to you both!Yes lady! Peppermint. Congrats you two lovebirds!My heart!!!! Its happening ahhhhhhh!!! Congratulations my loves!!!! RuPauls Drag Race UK Season 2 runner-up Tayce enthused.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The 2026 telecast of New Year's Eve Live on CNN was once again cohosted by BFFs Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. And, as it is the case every single year, Cohen took every single chance he had to tease his friend and cohost, who tried to keep up while also drinking just as much as the Bravo executive and talk show host.For years now, Cohen and Cooper have proven to be a hilarious pair of actual BFFs who tease each other mercilessly and are ready to argue over silly nonsense at any given time. Well, it turns out that this rather humorless 2025 ended with one of the funniest NYE broadcasts for the cable news network in recent years.Perhaps even more shockingly, one particular topic was top of mind all night long, getting referenced at least four times by the cohosts of this New Year's Eve Live broadcast to ring in 2026: Heated Rivalry.Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper discuss who's the Ilya and Shane between them.As the drinking kept going all night, Cooper told Cohen that there was "something about sleeping in your bed It just, I don't know," suggesting that he felt odd about it."The bed frame," Cohen argued. "I didn't give you the mattress."Cooper insisted, "Well, I know. But I don't know. I just""I thought that it made us like closer," Cohen interrupted, teasing Cooper. "Like better brothers, or something."Cooper laughed. "This isn't Heated Rivalry," he added."Oooh, Heated Rivalry!" Cohen teased. The mere mention of the popular gay hockey show was enough to fill his head with hundreds of ideas about how to tease Cooper about it. Cohen put on a soothing voice, "Ilya" as he jokingly caressed Cooper's arm.But an even better idea occurred to him just then. "Who's the two of us?!" Cohen asked, who then immediately answered his own question. "You're Ilya, and I'm Shane.""What?!" Cooper reacted, adding: "I'm not either of them. I'm Kip."You've heard it, folks (and here's a video re-shared by an X user to prove it): Cooper identified himself as a Kip Grady, who was played by actor Robbie G.K. on the Heated Rivalry TV show. Banana smoothies, anyone?Do lesbians care about Heated Rivalry? Andy Cohen asks Brandi Carlile, and Anderson Cooper loses his mind.The 2026 telecast of New Year's Eve Live on CNN went on to feature lesbian singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile in a segment flippantly called "Do! Lesbians! Give a damn?!" helmed by Andy Cohen. As expected, Anderson Cooper only laughed harder every time that the back and forth between Cohen and Carlile got more chaotic."Do lesbians care about Heated Rivalry, or is it just the strictly dickly?" Cohen quizzed Carlile.Carlile deadpanned her response, "It's all I can think about. I can't even sleep at night without thinking about it.""Really?!" Cohen actually asked. "Really?" Cooper did, too.Carlile laughed, which got Cooper started and then some.An X user shared a video of this moment between Cooper and Carlile, which prompted Cooper to just keep laughing, and laughing, and laughing for the rest of their interview. (Carlile even answered Cohen's next question, about Katy Perry, while Cooper was still laughing out loud in the background, to Carlile's amusement.)Stephen Colbert is a 'bossy bottom,' which gags Anderson Cooper beyond belief: 'Is this the Heated Rivalry effect?!'Perhaps the best interview of the 2026 telecast of New Year's Eve Live on CNN was with The Late Show host Stephen Colbert. Their conversation covered a wide range of topics from politics, to the holidays, to You guessed it: Heated Rivalry! But it didn't start there, to be fair.As Evelyn McGee-Colbert Stephen's wife joined the interview, Andy Cohen teased Anderson Cooper saying that Evelyn "is the top of their relationship, I found out.""Oh my god, what is that What?" an earnestly confused Cooper asked."It's true," Stephen Colbert replied, "but I'm a bossy bottom."Cooper reacted by putting his hands up, as if giving up.Cohen loved the response and repeated it enthusiastically: "Yes! Stephen Colbert is a bossy bottom." Cohen then faked-covered his mouth, looked at the camera, and pointed at Cooper, saying: "You're not the only one""Has Heated Rivalry made everybody insane?!" Cooper asked, perhaps literally, but also rhetorically. "Is this the Heated Rivalry effect?! What's going on?!"Colbert replied, "I guess so."Cooper talked about another mind-blowing scenario running through his head: Colbert speaking to him in Russian (as the Heated Rivalry character Ilya Rozanov does). A video of this moment was re-shared via X.Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper chime in on Connor Storrie's ass. (@) Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen subsequently played a game of "agree/disagree," and one of the questions was whether they could work out hard enough to have an ass like a hockey player particularly a Russian one from Heated Rivalry.Both Cohen and Cooper immediately raised the "disagree" signs and shook their heads while admitting defeat that they couldn't possibly have an ass like actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.During the game, the cohosts were joined by actor and writer B.J. Novak (The Office), who also held up the "disagree" sign. When asked about his answer, Novak noted that he didn't know the exact reference but was familiar enough with the topic to know that this was an impossible feat.For context, this question referenced a scene from Heated Rivalry episode 1 in which actors Connor Storrie (as Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov) and Hudson Williams (as Canadian hockey player Shane Hollander) took a horny side by side shower in the locker room and exchanged their first few glances while cruising each other.While both Storrie and Williams were praised for their behinds, Storrie's ass was intensely re-shared on social media and went on to break the internet with lust, fascination, and wonder.Heated Rivalry is an original production from Crave Canada and is available for streaming on HBO Max for U.S. viewers. Despite only having one season so far, this is undoubtedly one of the most successful queer TV shows of all time, going on to break several records for HBO Max, Crave, and the original Game Changers novels by Rachel Reid that inspired the TV adaptation.With Jacob Tierney a showrunner, Heated Rivalry season 2 has already been confirmed by Crave and will see the return of lead actors Williams and Storrie reprising their roles as Shane and Ilya.A live feed of CNN is available for streaming on CNN.com. Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO Max.

With every passing year, new celebrities come out as queer and new relationships begin, but also, some beloved stars pass away.These actors, entertainers, activists, writers, and celebrities will be dearly missed as we move into 2026 without them. Here are the queer stars who passed away in 2025.Related: Remembering the icons and celebs who passed in 2024Jiggly CalienteSee on InstagramBianca Castro-Arabejo, better known as the drag queen Jiggly Caliente, passed away at the age of 44 in April."A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity," her family stated on her Instagram page. "She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism, and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world."Miss Major Griffin-GracyMiss Major Griffin-Gracy, a transgender activist and speaker who had been involved in the queer rights movement since Stonewall, died at the age of 78 in October.Griffin-Gracy participated in the 1969 Stonewall uprising and had a long life fighting for trans rights.Giorgio ArmaniGiorgio Armani, an iconic fashion designer, passed away this year at the age of 91. Armani is considered one of the great fashion designers of all time.Andrea GibsonGisbon, a celebrated spoken word poet known for her pieces about identity, life, and love, passed away at the age of 49 on July 14 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021."Not long ago, Andrea wrote a poem titled 'Love Letter From the Afterlife.' In it, they offered this line: 'I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.' Today, and all days forward, we hope you feel Andreas enormous spirit and immense presence beside you," a post on Gibson's Facebook page reads.Jill SobuleBisexual musician Jill Sobule passed away in a house fire at the age of 66 in May. She was best known for the 1995 sapphic anthem, "I Kissed a Girl."Anthony GearyGeary, known for playing Luke Spencer on the popular soap opera General Hospital, passed away at the age of 78 in December due to complications from a scheduled operation three days earlier. He began playing Luke on General Hospital in 1978 and was nominated for 16 Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, winning a record eight times.William FinnTony-winning writer and composer of the musicals Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, William Finn, passed away in April at the age of 73. He is survived by his life partner, Arthur Salvadore.The VivienneSee on InstagramThe Vivienne, who won the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, passed away in January in their home in Chester, U.K. They died from the effects of ketamine use, causing a cardiac arrest.Chad SpodickSpodick, who starred in the gay reality series Finding Prince Charming, passed away in December at the age of 42. He was one of 13 contestants on the 2016 Logo TV reality show. Spodick was one of the final five men on the show and left of his own accord after week 6."Our hearts are shattered as we share the devastating news of the loss of our beautiful, kind, and generous son, brother, and friend Chad," a fundraiser organized by his friend stated.Mr. X-ToonInfluencer and artist Mr. X-Toon, known for his popular NSFW animations depicting male Disney characters in romantic and sexual pairings, passed away in August.Jasmine InternationalJasmine International, also known as Jasmine Jimenez, was a Puerto Rican trans icon and beloved drag entertainer. She passed away at the age of 46.Scott FinnRhett Douglas Messerly, known by his fans as Scott Finn, was a popular adult film star. He died at the age of 27.Wenne Alton DavisSee on InstagramQueer actor Wenne Alton Davis, known for appearances in shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Normal Heart, and Rescue Me, was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 60 in December.Boss in DramaSee on InstagramBoss in Drama, also known as Peppa Oliveira, was a beloved and prolific Brazilian pop music producer. She was reported dead on February 1 at the age of 37.AJ BediakoSee on InstagramAJ Bediako, one of the original Pit Crew members from RuPaul's Drag Race UK, passed away in May.Colton FordColton Ford, also known as Glenn Soukesian, passed away on May 19 at the age of 62. He was a legendary adult film star.

In my celebration of what a brilliant queer anti-hero Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) is in Apple TV+'s hit show Pluribus, I noted that she is now, presumably, the last lesbian on earth.Carol is one of about a dozen people around the world who resisted "the joining," when an alien virus infected most of the world and connected them through a single hivemind that refuses to harm any living creature and wants to spread to the last remaining humans.Now, it's up to Carol to save the world. If only she weren't so damn lonely.According to a 2025 Gallup poll, lesbians only make up 1.4 percent of the American population, compared to over 9 percent identifying as any label in the LGBTQ+ spectrum.The HRC says this means that there are around 4.8 million lesbians in the US, compared to 6.8 million gay people and 17.7 million bisexuals.In Pluribus, there is only one lesbian in the United States, and fittingly, her name is Carol.Lesbianism is already incredibly lonely, but in Pluribus, that loneliness becomes a weapon that might take over the world.I adore my friends who are attracted to men and who are men, but I have to admit, I can't always relate to them. Whenever discussions come up about how great it is to lean into manhood or which male actors are the most "babygirl," I often feel like I'm outside looking in.The way Carol looks at the members of the hivemind when they all talk or work in unison, that's how I feel when I'm at a party, and everyone is talking about the bare chests of Pedro Pascal and Orville Peck.Thankfully, I have lesbian and women friends I can talk to, so I don't feel so disconnected. Carol doesn't. She's utterly alone.The Others use this loneliness as a weapon. After Carol's wife, Helen, dies during the joining, they send the one person on earth most like Carol's dream woman to go be her "chaperone." This chaperone isn't a lesbian or a woman, or any kind of person with a personal identity at all. She's a representative of the global hive mind, using the body of someone who was once named Zosia (Karolina Wydra).At first, Carol is violently reluctant to get to know Zosia and the Others. She knows the situation is dire, she knows the world needs saving, and she knows she has to save it from them.Unfortunately, the hive mind knows exactly how to hit Carol where it hurts.In the fourth episode, "Please, Carol," Carol reveals that when she was 16, her parents sent her to a gay conversion therapy camp called Freedom Falls. She tells Zosia that the others remind her of the counselors there always smiling and pretending everything was okay, even though they were trying to destroy her."We're so sorry, Carol. As for us, we accept all beings equally," Zosia says."If you're so accepting, then what about what you're trying to do to me now?" Carol responds. "Make me just like you, even though you know I do not want that."Carol has a great point. The Others want to erase people's individuality until everyone thinks the same and has the same values. It's exactly like conversion therapy.In the same episode, when Carol handcuffs herself to Zosia and tries to get her to tell her how to stop the hivemind, the Others use another tactic straight out of the conversion therapy book: social isolation.One common punishment at conversion therapy camps is solitary confinement. People are social creatures who need human contact to survive and be healthy. Take human contact away, and you can convince most people to do anything to get it back.After Carol's handcuff encounter with Zosia, the entire hivemind leaves Carol, emptying the nearby town and interacting with her only through an answering machine and drones. The Others have the memories of everyone on Earth, so they know what was done to Carol at Freedom Falls, and they're not afraid to use the same tactics.After 40 days of this isolation, the same kind she probably dealt with as a scared teen, Carol breaks and asks the Others to come back.By the final episode of season one, Carol has fully given in to Zosia. She and Zosia are living as a lesbian couple, having lesbian sex, and traveling the globe like a happy queer couple. Only Zosia isn't a lesbian.The Others don't have individual genders, sexualities, or identities at all. When Carol asks about Zosia's previous partners, both use "they" pronouns to spare Carol's feelings about finding out the real Zosia's sexuality.While Carol is attached to Zosia as her chaperone, Zosia is perfectly happy to go with any of the other survivors, including sleeping with them and forming the same "bond" she has with Carol.As Zosia tells a confused and betrayed Carol, the Others love Manousos, another survivor who has rejected all contact with the hivemind and whom they don't know at all, just as much and in the same way they love Carol.Just like a family who agrees to "not talk about politics" with their queer kid, only to keep voting for politicians who take their rights away, the hive has been secretly working behind Carol's back to turn her the entire time Zosia is living a lesbian life of luxury with Carol. Zosia isn't queer at all; she's not even human. She's just placating Carol to buy time so they can figure out how to make her join them."Carol, please understand we have to do this because we love you," Zosia explains to Carol, probably echoing the words her parents said right before they sent her to conversion camp.Overall, the Others' main goal is to erase all individuality and culture from the world. We see an example of this in the final episode of season one when Kusimayu, one of the last immune people on Earth, joins the Others. Before her joining, the Others around Kusimayu kept her village running exactly as it was before, speaking Quechua and practicing her culture. They dropped this act as soon as Kusimayu joined.The same thing has probably happened with queer culture.After the joining, there's no reason for drag shows, gay bars, or queer clubs at schools. There's no reason for queer couples to stay together.Is there even a reason for trans people to keep taking hormones after they've joined? Does their dysphoria go away? Presumably, the Others have canceled all gender-affirming surgeries to save resources.When Carol joins, she and Zosia won't have any more lesbian sex. Carol won't have any more lesbian thoughts. She won't even be Carol. It's exactly what the counselors at Freedom Falls wanted.Season one of Pluribus is streaming on Apple TV+Mey Rude is a staff writer for Out. Find her on Instagram @Meyrude.Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit out.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of Out or our parent company, equalpride.

The world is not kind to queer folks. And in many ways, it isnt kind to birds eitherThe post Are Birds Gay? appeared first on Autostraddle.

We've got a new Star Trek series, that queer Bridgerton season we've been promised, new seasons of Tell Me Lies and Traitors and a whole bunch of gay returning TV for you!The post January 2026: Whats New, Gay and Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, BET+ and Paramount+ appeared first on Autostraddle.

Theres good reason to think things will get better in 2026, but it wont happen overnight, and it will be a fight to get there.So long to 2025. As far as years go, this one has been horrifically bad politically (and for trans people, our daily lives are political). As we walk into 2026, theres a light at the end of the tunnel and good reason for hope. But were going to have to walk through a dark tunnel to get there. Related Democrats should kick the three transphobes who voted for MTGs bill out of the caucus Looking back to last January, its hard to believe how much nonsense was crammed into just one year. Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term. He signed executive orders, one hoping to legislate trans people out of existence, and another to legislate them out of the military. He and his Cabinet have ruled by executive orders and policy changes that stretch the limits of legality, and they have gotten away with it because the checks and balances are falling apart as Congress bows to Trump.The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a ban on gender-affirming care in Tennessee, opening the legal door to more like it. They also allowed Trumps trans & nonbinary passport ban to go into effect while the ACLU still argues against it. Perhaps were supposed to be grateful that they didnt actually take up the case against same-sex marriage on the tenth anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today While LGBTQ+ protections have been rolled back, cities have been obsessing over removing rainbow sidewalks. Although some cities are pushing back against federal attempts to remove support for the LGBTQ+ community, different rainbow street art only goes so far.As we close the book on 2025, its no wonder that trans people and their families have been relocating out of red states, or even out of the United States altogether. It has become painfully clear that, unless there are some real changes, surviving four years of this, followed by the work that will have to be done to repair the damage afterwards (where it can even be fixed), doesnt feel doable. But 2026 is the year that might bring those changes, and Im not just talking about the midterms in November.Of course, there are some dramatic possibilities that could change what is happening in Washington, D.C. As the Epstein files reveal so much of Trumps misdeeds, theres a chance for consequences to come home to roost. Do we think that Congress might successfully impeach and remove Trump if theyre shown undeniable evidence that hes guilty of horrific sex crimes? I dont know if Im quite that hopeful.Additionally, there are more and more reasons to be concerned about Trumps health, which means its entirely possible that he might leave the White House before the end of his term. Experts are watching how his mental health is regressing, and there are questions about how much hes actually fulfilling the role of president at this point. While Vice President J.D. Vance might not be a solution, without Trumps cult following, he might be a more manageable problem. But all of that is seismically big political stuff. When it comes to hope for the future, its the equivalent of playing the lottery in order to get rich quick. The real hope comes in the political winds were seeing shift: in how people vote, how they speak, and how politicians in D.C. present themselves as we head into a whole new year.The midterms in November seem set to realign political power in the capital. The elections that have happened this year have shown a big swing away from Trump Republicans, with anti-trans campaigns failing to win votes. The House is already balanced on a slim majority, and even with Trump pushing Texas to gerrymander him five more seats, its a safe bet that Democrats will take the House, at least.With that, Speaker Mike Johnson will be out of power, and the checks and balances that the House of Representatives is supposed to provide might be restored, mitigating the excesses of the Trump administration. Not only can they determine which legislation gets a vote, but they can also wield the power of the purse and more to tell Trump no, as Johnson should have done dozens of times this year. But before we get anywhere near the midterms, that balance of power is already shifting. Republicans are fed up with Trump and Johnson, and theyre making moves for what comes next.Most obvious of those is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who announced that shell retire in January, halfway through her two-year term. And word from inside the party is that shes not alone, with others talking about resigning, rumors that Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) denies that she plans to follow suit she has announced her gubernatorial campaign in her state and suggestions that there may be a mass exodus of GOP reps. Trump and Johnson only need to lose a few seats to lose the House, and an empty seat contributes to that as well.Republicans are splitting from Trump, and their grasp on the country is weakening, but the Democrats are also standing up and taking action. Thats been most apparent in Rep. Sarah McBrides (D-DE) shift over the past year. Thefirst openly trans person elected to Congress, McBride initially backed off on trans issues and drew significant heat for not standing up to Greene and Mace as they attacked her and helped to instigate a bathroom bill in the Capitol. But after taking a more active role on social media during the government shutdown, she has stopped holding back and is taking the fight to Republicans.Where those two aspects of the House collide is in the vote on Greenes anti-trans bill, which she managed to bargain onto the floor. Four Republicans broke with Trump and the Party on the bill and voted against it. Those Republicans were lobbied by the more active McBride. It wasnt enough to stop the House from passing it, but it shows a softening of the partys hold on its members votes that is worth watching.While Trump holds power and a majority for now, the support among his blockade is crumbling, and the Democratic vanguard seems to be finding its footing at long last. If the Republican grip continues to falter, Trumps sway over the politicians continues to weaken, and Democrats remember how to stand up and fight, then it wont take an 11-month wait for midterms to see a difference. 2026 will give us reason for hope before then.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

This final season was its gayest yet.The post In Stranger Things Season 5, Being Gay Saves the Day appeared first on Autostraddle.

Kim Petras rang in the New Year at The Abbey with a message about sexual health.The "Unholy" singer thrilled a packed crowd at the West Hollywood gay bar Wednesday night by performing a selection of her hits. And when the clock struck midnight, Petras officially began her tenure as a MISTR Ambassador, supporting the national telehealth platform and its efforts to expand access to PrEP, DoxyPEP, and STI testing.The New Years Eve celebration also headlined by Grammy-nominated producer Margo XS marked the beginning of a partnership that, through 2026, will see the transgender icon starring in a major brand campaign for MISTR along with select appearances. Additionally, MISTR will support Petras's hotly anticipated third album, Detour, with fan events. Detour is expected to launch in early 2026.MISTR is changing the way we talk about sexual health by making it open, accessible, and real," Petras said in a statement. "Were celebrating together on New Years Eve at The Abbey and continuing that momentum into 2026. Sexual health should be normalized, not whispered about, and MISTR is leading that shift.Kim is fearless and unapologetically sex-positive, said Tristan Schukraft, founder and CEO of MISTR (and owner of The Abbey). Her confidence, playfulness, and stigma-free approach to life align perfectly with our mission at MISTR to make sexual healthcare accessible and free. With her new album, Kim is entering a freer, more powerful chapter, and were excited to celebrate this new era together.MISTR provides free PrEP, which has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV by 99 percent if taken as a daily tablet, to both insured and uninsured patients. The telehealth platform (and its sibling brand SISTR) also provides free testing and DoxyPEP, a treatment that can reduce the rate of other STIs.Previously, Petras appeared at another MISTR event at The Abbey, the launch of National PrEP Day, which used the star power of surprise performer Dua Lipa to help boost awareness and enrollment. Learn more at heymistr.com. And see Petras lead the countdown to a sexually healthier 2026 ahead.Rang in 2026 with @kimpetras at @TheAbbeyWeHo! pic.twitter.com/liC9fzIxn8 Daniel Reynolds (@dnlreynolds) January 1, 2026

Like many trans people, Jennifer Trefzger credits gender-affirming care with saving her life. Only this time, its in more ways than one.As the 31-year-old recently told Pride, routine blood work that was part of her transition-related care led to a diagnosis of colon cancer, which had likely gone untreated for nearly a decade. Related Trumps gender-affirming care ban is why we need Congress to grow a spine Its kind of scary, Trefzger said. Had I not transitioned, who knows when I would have been diagnosed. It was already stage 4. The symptoms started before my transition. So, I cant imagine what would have happened if I didnt transition.Well, I can, she said. Id likely be dead. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Long before transitioning, Trefzger sought medical care as a teenager for persistent rectal bleeding. At just 16, she had never had sex, but according to Pride, her doctor assumed that the bleeding was the result of anal sex. Traumatized by her doctors invasive questions, she spent years ignoring her symptoms.That experience made me dismiss my symptoms and never talk about it again, she explained. I dont even know how often I was bleeding. I just stopped checking. After Trefzger came out as trans, she began hormone replacement therapy, and in 2017, her endocrinologist noticed abnormally low iron levels and red blood cell morphology in her routine bloodwork. Her doctor ordered a colonoscopy, which detected a tumor. Trefzger was told the cancer had advanced to stage 4 and that she had a 15 percent chance of survival. But after undergoing a colectomy and 12 rounds of chemotherapy, she was declared cancer-free.But the cancer had metastasized something Trefzger didnt find out until she survived a stroke during facial feminization surgery. Subsequent scans showed cancerous nodules in her lungs, and she underwent further surgeries and chemotherapy before once again being declared cancer-free in 2021.Trefzger told the outlet she knows of other trans people who were diagnosed with cancer only after starting gender-affirming care. Were a marginalized community. Intentionally or not, doctors will dismiss us. Just like other marginalized communities, she said. People will die. Whether its cancer, autoimmune, or other serious conditions. LGBTQ+ people, and transgender people in particular, are disproportionately likely to experience stigmatization and discrimination when seeking medical care. Pride cites a 2024 Kaiser Family Foundation survey that found LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adults to report negative experiences while receiving health care. Those experiences can discourage queer and trans people from seeking out routine medical care.We know that transgender and gender diverse patients often avoid routine primary and preventive care due to prior discrimination or dismissal, Dr. Anne Marie OMelia, a pediatrician, child and adolescent psychiatrist, and eating disorder specialist, told Pride.But OMelia explained that trans patients receiving gender-affirming care are more likely to have a doctor who respects their identity, pronouns, and body, leading them to be more forthcoming about worrisome symptoms.Routine gender affirming care does more than adjust hormone levels, Dr. OMelia said. It creates a consistent, trusting relationship with the health system, and that is often what allows other medical and psychiatric conditions to be recognized early.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A collection of 50+ gay first date question prompts to get the conversation flowing.The post 50+ Gay Questions To Ask on a First Date appeared first on Autostraddle.

MSNBCs Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough was in hysterics while discussing Attorney General Pam Bondis explanation for why a full minute is missing from the surveillance tape outside the cell of the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein on the night he died.A newly released memo from the Department of Justice said a recent investigation concluded Epstein took his own life and was not murdered, claiming video footage from a camera outside his cell confirmed no one entered that night. The memo then linked to the footage, and people were quick to notice that a full minute is missing between 11:58 pm and midnight. Related Rachel Maddow eviscerates Trump administration for lying about Jeffrey Epstein investigation When asked about this, Bondi claimed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said that every night, the surveillance cameras reset, and thus the same minute should be missing each evening. She said they are looking for another video to release showing that a minute is missing every night. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Im not a surveillance expert, Scarborough said, but they set up a system that has a minute missing every night? Ill tell you what were going to do, he mocked, I got this great new system were going to set up in the prison, because we want to make sure that nothing really, really bad happens. So this system is great, and its going to go all 24 hours, but like, like late at night when bad sh*t can really go down, what were going to do is, were going to have a minute missing so it can reset. Im curious, would you go to this surveillance company to set up your home security cameras? My understanding is, for 23 hours and 59 minutes, its the safest prison you could want, replied co-host Jonathan Lemire, adding that Bondis explanation defies reason. You know, that last minute, you take your chances, I guess and certainly it is remarkable on just the shift in tone here. Scarborough could not stop laughing as he pointed out the massive security issues BOP would have if every camera skipped the same minute every day. Since everybody knows that you have that minute that skips, I mean, thank God, thank God they know that because theyll make sure not to do anything bad during that minute when the film doesnt work Whos ever heard of a prison surveillance camera that was set up to not record the same minute every day?Lemire also discussed how the administrations sudden resolve to shut down conversations about the Epstein files is extremely contradictory to its previous messaging on the topic. Thats why were seeing a bit of infighting in Trump world, in MAGA land right now, because theyve been promised for so long to get the goods, he explained. Indeed, many of Donald Trumps supporters are angry that the memo stated there was no incriminating client listfollowing an exhaustive review and that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.Conspiracy theories regarding the existence of this client list have circulated for years. After taking office, the Trump administration fueled those rumors and even promised to release the list, along with other files from the Epstein investigation. In response, folks on social media have been sharing a clip of Bondi telling Fox News viewers that an Epstein client list was sitting on my desk to review.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spun the flip-flop to reporters on Monday, claiming that when Bondi said the client list was on her desk, she was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork, all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epsteins crimes.But the MAGA world, which has been obsessed with Epstein conspiracy theories, is not happy about this. Rightwing activist Robby Starbuck called the flip-flop unacceptable.Was she lying then or is she lying now? he wrote on X. We deserve answers.Conservative commentator Rogan OHandleysaid the DOJ memosymbolizes a shameful chapter.Trump whowas found liable for sexual abuse by a juryin the past has also been accused of sexually abusing girls brought to him by Epstein.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The Trump administration brought its international crusade against woke to the United Nations this month in two back-to-back votes that left it standing alone among all the worlds nations.In preliminary meetings and votes on two resolutions concerning the protection of humanitarian workers and the provision of humanitarian aid for natural disasters, representatives of the United States blasted the language and goals of the texts and the UN members promoting them. Related Trump taps lesbian conspiracy theorist & Fox News personality to serve at United Nations This text reads as nothing more than a globalist wish list of divisive cultural causes including climate, sexual and reproductive health, gender, and the perverse donor-recipient industrial complex. It is completely at odds with the Trump Administrations bold and pragmatic foreign policy, said Jonathan Shrier, a deputy U.S. representative to the U.N., of the disaster assistance resolution.He called it another example in a growing list of performative resolutions that detract from the United Nations core mandate of maintaining international peace and security. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In an earlier session drafting text of the resolution, which has been adopted by consensus by member states for decades, another U.S. representative rejected terminology around sexual and reproductive healthcare, claiming the language carries highly controversial meanings conflating this term with notions of abortion, LGBTQ and other sexual rights.She also attacked what President Trump regularly calls the green new scam, saying the UN has gone wildly off-track exaggerating climate change into the worlds greatest threat. Both resolutions were widely expected to pass by consensus after language acceptable to all member states was adopted beforehand, but for both documents, the United States demanded a vote and denounced the measures publicly before the world body.The United States is concerned with the myriad controversial new meanings that sexual and reproductive health terminology has acquired in some UN policies and programs, including abortion rights, transgender ideology, and sexual autonomy for children, Shrier said, adding that the U.S. wouldnt abide a blanket endorsement of those new meanings.Many colleagues across the UN system, including the sponsors of this resolution, have become obsessed with the green new scam, gender insanity, and other terrible ideas. There is a notion that slightly reducing instances of this absurd language is somehow enough to remedy the affliction. It is not. We must remove all of this insanity from our work. Of the humanitarian workers protection resolution, the U.S. rep said, The Trump Administration has been clear that efforts to advance radical gender ideology in the UN will not be supported, and, in fact, distract from and directly undermine the real work to protect and promote the rights of women and girls around the world.The only reference to gender in that document read, We recognize gender equality as fundamental to equitable and gender-responsive humanitarian assistance, and therefore, we commit to ensure the full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of female humanitarian personnel.When the votes were tallied, the resolutions passed 161-1 and 153-1, respectively. The United States cast the lone dissenting votes.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

What are the rules for plus ones contributing to wedding expenses? Also is there any point in confessing your feelings to a long-distance crush?The post Help Me Lord I Cant Afford All These Weddings appeared first on Autostraddle.

President Trump on February 22, 2018 the second year of his first term hosted a listening session discussion at the White House on the critical issue of firearms violence. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos attended.Also attending were several surviving students and parents of deceased students from the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which occurred in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018 and killed 17 people and injured another 18. Related I Call BS on VP JD: The US wasnt founded as a Christian nation Immediately after learning of the shooting, President Trump publicly offered his prayers and condolences to the victims families, writing, No child, teacher, or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school. Two days later, he and First Lady Melania Trump flew on Air Force One to the site of the tragedy, where they spoke. They also visited the hospital where eight of the injured had been admitted.Opening the White House listening session, Trump asked participants for suggestions on how to make our countrys schools safer in the future. One student asked for more active shooter trainings as well as a more coordinated response by agencies and individuals. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today In a poignant and emotional comment, another student expressed, I was born into a world where I have never experienced safety and peace. Other students nodded in agreement.The Trump administrations assault on firearms safety and violence prevention has weakened the countrys overall public safety. A parent who lost his daughter shouted in rage toward the president, There should have been one shooting and we should have fixed it! And Im p**sed. My child isnt here. Shes in North Lauderdale at King David Cemetery!During the session, Trump said he would ask Congress to strengthen background checks on firearms purchases and to raise the gun-purchasing age to 21. He also proposed arming teachers, saying, If you had a teacher who is adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly.Trumps plan included arming up to 20% of the teachers to stop maniacs from attacking students. The following day, he called a gun-free school a magnet for criminals and tweeted, Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive.A photo illustration of a classroom lecturer holding a gun in his hand. | Shutterstock Over the past several decades since the 1990s, gun violence has increased exponentially. Presidents from Clinton to Bush, Obama, and Biden have stepped up by showing our country their compassion and empathy for the victims, their families, friends, and for a frightened nation that demands an end to these senseless deaths and injuries that weaken our entire body politic.While Trump did suggest a few policy changes to improve school safety and mental health community resources, he is not particularly known for his consoler-in-chief skills, unlike , for example, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and before them Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.Close-up pictures of Donald Trump at the session revealed a handwritten cheat sheet written in bold black letters and printed on official White House stationery, which he carried into the room listing five points to cover and the precise language to use.President Trump issued an executive order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights, which targeted All Presidential and agencies actions to end past policies aimed at lowering gun crime and improving safety policies.First on the list was a reminder to ask, What would you most want me to know about your experience? The list also had a note asking participants for ideas on resources needed to curb gun violence.Two scripted responses on the list in particular I hear you and What can we do to help you feel safe? triggered themost outrage by political pundits and many others throughout the U.S. because it showed Trumps absolute inability to express sympathy to thosemost needing support and comfort during a traumatic time.His suggestion to arm 20% of school personnel also prompted outrage over concerns that educators are already saddled with too many mandated responsibilities with so few resources to adequately fulfill their duties, and because the idea of bringing gunsintoschools could easily give rise to even more fatalities and injuries.While President Trump issued an executive order banning bump stocks in 2017 following the mass shooting at an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas the Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional by a vote of 6-3 in June 2024, under the Biden administration. Thoughts & Prayers are all Trump & congressional Republicans offerPro-Trump protester with Christian cross seen during the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol | ShutterstockWhile running for the Republican Partys presidential nomination in 2016, Donald Trump made a radical claim. At a campaign rally, he talked about his overwhelming popular support, saying, I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose any voters, OK? Its, like, incredible.During his candidacy and time in the Oval Office, no reports have yet surfaced proving that Trump has literally pointed a firearm and shot a bullet into anything, let alone another person. Figuratively, however, his policies by intent and omission have substantially contributed to the countrys clear, present, and deadly epidemic of gun violence.The Trump administrations assault on firearms safety and violence prevention has weakened the countrys overall public safety. According toEverytown, an advocacy organization for gun safety, law enforcement officials now have fewer means of solving gun crimes. It is now legal to attach gun accessories that convert firearms into machine guns. In addition, firearms suppliers are legally protected from prosecution rather than being held accountable for gun crimes.Trump, in 2017, proposed cutting 16% (accounting for millions of dollars) from the National Criminal Records History Improvement Program and theNational Instant Criminal Background Check System Acts Record Improvement Program. These programs give states federal grants to improve reporting to the national background-check database. Everytownhas listed many of gun safety rollbacks enacted under both Trump administrations:They have shut down the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which had been tasked with coordinating the federal governments response to gun crime and gun violence.President Trump issued an executive order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights, which targeted All Presidential and agencies actions to end past policies aimed at lowering gun crime and improving safety policies. They repealed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Zero Tolerance policy, which revoked the licenses of gun dealers who knowingly violated federal law. This action has, thereby, reduced oversight and accountability.They created a Second Amendment Task Force to advance the gun lobbys guns everywhere goal to place more guns into the hands of more people in more places.The Trump administration cut grant funding for domestic violence prevention organizations and community-based violence intervention programs. In addition, they terminated Department of Education grants equaling $1 billion for student mental health support. The administration settled a case brought by the National Association for Gun Rights challenging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives previous policy that bannedforced-reset triggers. The settlement allows the sale of these devices which automatically return forward (or reset) after being pulled. This action, thereby, enables semi-automatic firearms to function as fully automatic illegal machine guns.The Trump administration and Republican Congressional so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act made some of the most dangerous and highly regulated weapons less expensive and easier to access. These items include silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and other easily concealable firearms.Today in the United States, there are approximately 120 firearms per 100 people. Our country ranks high when compared with 22 other wealthy industrialized nations in per capita gun-related deaths, with 4.054 per 100,000 residents compared with, for example, the United Kingdom at 0.047, Japan at 0.003, Germany at 0.065, Indonesia at 0.08, and Oman at 0.066. A study byThe American Journal of Medicinefound that though the U.S. has half the population of the other 22 nations combined, it accounted for 82% of all gun deaths and90% of all women killed by firearms worldwide. Also, 91% of youth under the age of 14 who died by gun violence, and 92% of young people between ages 15 and 24 who were killed by guns both lived in the United States.New and longtime gun safety advocates have been calling for and pleading with lawmakers across the country to pass common-sense regulations on the manufacture, purchase, and ownership of firearms. In numerous instances, local, state, and national legislators have heeded the call by paradoxically and callously making iteasierfor people to get their hands on these dangerous weapons of mass destruction.Recently, a male shooter killed two Brown University students and seriously injured another nine. He then traveled north to Brookline, Massachusetts where he killed a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The shooters reign of terror sent shock waves throughout the nation, especially within the communities of Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. President Donald Trump, in his supposed war on drug traffickers, has initiated lethal strikes on small boats operated by alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean without showing any evidence or providing due process under U.S. and international law.On the other hand, President Trump has either loosened or eliminated firearms safety policies and government agencies, all while reputable studies confirm that making firearms more accessible increases gun deaths and worsens public health in our country.Our nation and its leaders must stop this insanity of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results and Donald Trump must be held accountable for his complicity.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

It has been an especially tumultuous year for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are so proud of the LGBTQ Nation team for covering 2025s events with finesse, poignancy, and intellect.While breaking news often dominates our coverage, we take every opportunity we can to explore the issues that matter to our community in depth. As the year wraps up, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of the outstanding long-form work our writers did on everything from trans rights to family building to political violence. Related These 5 amazing good news stories from 2025 will warm your heart & give you hope Here are six of the best long-form LGBTQ Nation pieces published this year.Conservatives want to separate trans & reproductive rights. Trans men are uniting the movements. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Photo by Ale Pedraza BuenahoraZane McNeills moving piece for our summer issue on the lessons trans men teach us about masculinity spotlights the challenges trans men face navigating a medical system that has made little effort to understand their needs, especially when it comes to reproductive health care.McNeill also writes that the attacks on trans and reproductive rights are inexorably connected, quoting one expert who declares, These fights are deeply connected and intertwined. When abortion access is under attack, so are trans people. What the sperm banks wont tell you: Inside the shocking world of donor conceptionKyle Neal In this riveting and at times haunting piece, LGBTQ Nation Deputy Editor Molly Sprayregen exposes sperm donation as a shockingly corrupt and unregulated industry that often takes advantage of desperate families who feel they have nowhere else to turn to make their dreams of parenthood come true.The piece also spotlights the activists in the space who are fighting tooth and nail for stricter regulations and greater transparency. No, I wont be shedding any tears for Charlie Kirk BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThis poignant piece by LGBTQ Nation senior editor Daniel Villarreal became one of our sites most read pieces ever in the aftermath of Charlie Kirks shocking murder. Villarreal expertly taps into the emotional turmoil so many LGBTQ+ people felt as they watched mourners paint Kirk an ardent LGBTQ+ extremist as a symbol of compassion while Republicans called for those who said otherwise to have their livelihoods destroyed. With nuance, the piece masterfully gives readers space to both condemn Kirks killing (alongside other forms of political violence) while still abhorring the man he was and the hate he spewed. Phones, COVID, & fascism have pulled us apart. The growing queer bar scene could reconnect us.LGBTQ NationGreg Owens cover story for our March issue expertly addresses the loneliness crisis plaguing the queer community and explores the reemergence of the gay bar as the center of LGBTQ+ life (though reimagined as a more inclusive space and primed for protest, he writes).Owen expertly taps into the isolation so many queer folks have felt since the pandemic ripped apart our social lives, as well as the role technology has played in limiting our ability to authentically connect with one another. But Owen writes that the anti-LGBTQ+ tensions in the country are forcing queer people back out to find community that loves them. As one club king put it, No one parties like the oppressed. Grief mixed with sunshine: A trans kid & her family fled the U.S. to find hope & home in UruguayShutterstockIn this touching piece, Faefyx Collington describes what life has been like for a family with a trans child that fled the United States after Donald Trump was elected to a second term. Collington flawlessly hits on the familys conflicting feelings of grief for the lives they gave up and also their happiness at building a new one in a welcoming community that feels so much safer.Collingtons piece beautifully highlights the unending resolve of the parents of trans kids to do whatever it takes to keep their children not only safe, but happy amidst the administrations crusade against their very existence. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.