On August 30, 2024, former President Donald Trump claimed at a Moms for Liberty press conference that schools are pushing transgender youth through surgeries without parental consent. He alleged this occurs on campus in the span of a few days.But uh, the transgender thing is an incredible thing your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation, he said. The school decides whats going to happen with your child and you many of these childs [sic] 15 years later say what the hell happened, who did this to me? Related Fact check: Does Donald Trump support marriage equality? LGBTQ+ conservatives insist that Donald Trump supports same-sex marriage rights. But has he ever shown such support? This wasnt just a one-off claim, either. Hes repeated it multiple times in places like Wisconsin and Arizona during campaign rallies. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today LGBTQ Nation evaluated the truthfulness of this claim and whether it has any grounds to stand on. LGBTQ Nation emailed the Trump campaign for comment, however they did not respond before publication of this article. Claim Schools are performing gender-affirming surgeries on students without parental consent. Fact Check LGBTQ Nation rates this claim: False What Are Trans Surgeries & GuidelinesWhile there are a multitude of surgeries that trans people might choose to undergo, there are two particularly common types of surgeries that trans people may receive top and bottom surgery. Top surgery refers to procedures that either remove breasts and breast tissue, such as mastectomies and breast reduction surgeries, or surgeries that enhance the size of breasts. Bottom surgeries, on the other hand, refer to surgeries that alter the genitalia, with the most common involving the removal of testicles (orchiectomy), construction of a vagina (vaginoplasty) or the construction of a penis (phalloplasty, mastoidoplasty, etc.).Minors scarcely receive any form of gender-affirming surgery. In 2019, a study found that only 85 minors in the United States received any form of gender-affirming surgery at all. Of these minors, 96.4% received some type of top surgery, most commonly breast reductions. Almost all of the surgeries conducted were on minors between the ages of 15 and 17, and none were performed on minors under the age of 12. This same study found that cisgender boys with gynecomastia, a condition that leads to unwanted breast development, were more likely to get gender-affirming surgeries at a rate of 146.This low prevalence is in part due to the stringent guidelines protecting minors from receiving any type of care, especially that of surgeries. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health is currently the leading organization advising transgender healthcare across the globe, including in the United States. Their latest rendition of their standards of care, SOC8, details what types of care are deemed acceptable for minors to receive. For any type of gender-affirming care, WPATH emphasizes that parents should be involved every step of the way. WPATH also insists that, as long as it can be done legally and feasibly, parents should be consulted for giving adolescents any form of gender-affirming care. They write: We recommend when gender-affirming medical or surgical treatments are indicated for adolescents, health care professionals working with transgender and gender diverse adolescents involve parent(s)/guardian(s) in the assessment and treatment process, unless their involvement is determined to be harmful to the adolescent or not feasible.In fact, they actively encourage parental involvement, as it can be very helpful for youth. Parent and family support of TGD youth is a primary predictor of youth well-being and is protective of the mental health of [transgender and gender-diverse] youth Therefore, including parent(s)/caregiver(s) in the assessment process to encourage and facilitate increased parental understanding and support of the adolescent may be one of the most helpful practices availableAs for the surgery, they start with top surgeries, writing, Chest masculinization surgery can be considered in minors when clinically and developmentally appropriate as determined by a multidisciplinary team experienced in adolescent and gender development. As for bottom surgery, the answers are mixed. For vaginoplasty and related procedures on youth born with a penis, they write, While the sample sizes are small, these studies suggest there may be a benefit for some adolescents to having these procedures performed before the age of 18. Factors that may support pursuing these procedures for youth under 18 years of age include the increased availability of support from family members, greater ease of managing postoperative care prior to transitioning to tasks of early adulthood (e.g., entering university or the workforce), and safety concerns in public spaces (i.e., to reduce transphobic violence).In describing phalloplasty and related procedures, theyre much more conservative on such a procedure, writing,Given the complexity of phalloplasty, and current high rates of complications in comparison to other gender-affirming surgical treatments, it is not recommended this surgery be considered in youth under 18 at this time. For all types of surgeries, they emphasize that given the complexity and irreversibility of these procedures, an assessment of the adolescents ability to adhere to post-surgical care recommendations and to comprehend the long-term impacts of these procedures on reproductive and sexual function is crucial.These statements only apply to adolescents who have begun puberty. No such surgeries are done on those who have not started puberty, with instead social transition being the primary goal. They only recommend starting these conversations when children approach puberty so they can have a few years to prepare for what type of interventions they may want.The SOC8 doesnt mention schools as decision-makers when it comes to trans youths bodies.Its not just the WPATH but most mainstream medical organizations including the American Medical Association, the Endocrine Society, the American College of Physicians, the American Psychological Association, the World Medical Association, and many other organizations that support affirming trans youths gender identities. Notably, none of these organizations mention schools providing or facilitating gender-affirming care, and many often refer to WPATH for information regarding this care. Are schools breaking these rules and operating on students?Dr. Jack Turban, pediatric psychiatrist and author of the book Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity, told LGBTQ Nation via email: Under medical guidelines, adolescents must have a comprehensive mental health assessment prior to any gender-affirming medical intervention being considered. This assessment includes work with parents or legal guardians, who must also provide consent for any medical interventions being considered.Brandon Wolf, the National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement: Its negligent, immoral, and dangerous to spread disinformation like this about our schools. Medical decisions involving young people including young trans people should be and are made in a doctors office, alongside their families, and in accordance with best practice medical standards. Trumps lies are nothing more than a distraction, a bad-faith effort to keep people from noticing that he has no solutions, no vision for our country only fear-mongering, chaos, and division.LGBTQ Nation reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but did not receive an answer. CNN asked the Trump campaign for any examples of of schools operating on students behind their parents backs and the campaign could not produce any.Other media organizations were also unable to find any instance of this happening.Snopes investigated this claim and ultimately concluded there is zero evidence for it. They wrote, We uncovered no evidence of children going to school to receive any sort of sex-change operation or gender-affirming surgery. For this reason, and another well mention shortly, we rated this claim as False. NBC News similarly found no evidence for this, writing There is no evidence that a student has ever undergone gender-affirming surgery at a school in the U.S., nor is there evidence that a U.S. school has sent a student to receive such a procedure elsewhere.CNN also concluded that Trumps claim is false. There is no evidence that US schools have sent children into gender-affirming surgeries without their parents knowing or performed gender-affirming surgeries on site.However, in a press release sent to LGBTQ Nation, Moms for Liberty disagreed with CNN. Co-founder of the organization Tiffany Justice claimed that Trump was right to make the statement because, she insisted, schools are the ON-RAMP for gender transitioning of minor children. She said that schools are letting students SOCIAL TRANSITION OF THEIR GENDER which leads to MEDICAL TRANSITION with hormone therapy, and then SURGICAL TRANSITION with gender reassignment surgery. In other words, she chose not to defend Trumps claim or provide evidence of it and instead defended a different claim. Moreover, there is no evidence for this claim within the peer-reviewed literature either, with the only sources for this being other far-right organizations. Justice also claimed that Minnesota is transitioning children without parental consent, something that LGBTQ Nation has previously debunked. Finally, her and the representative from their organization pointed to five lawsuits filed concerning schools where children were allowed to socially transition. However, none of these lawsuits concern medical transition procedures, and simply filing a lawsuit doesnt mean that the claims put forth are true. As of right now, they are only allegations. ConclusionBased on the above evidence, LGBTQ Nation rates this claim as false there is no evidence that schools are helping children undergo medical transitions without parental consent. This claim does not come from a dispassionate review of the facts but rather one that seeks to discredit a widely accepted medical practice for the sole purpose of getting Trump elected.

Two thousand people marched in the Gender Liberation March on Washington D.C. last Saturday, ending up right in front of the conservative Heritage Foundation, the organization responsible for Project 2025.Marchers voiced their opposition to Project 2025, the conservative plan to reduce personal liberty and consolidate executive power if Donald Trump wins a second term. Marchers demanded bodily autonomy, from access to gender-affirming healthcare to reproductive justice. Related Thousands protest after a 200-person mob chased a trans couple out of a film festival The mob hurled bottles at the couple, and one of them was punched in the face. Earlier this afternoon as the inaugural Gender Liberation March made its way past the Supreme Court after rallying against the ultra conservative-controlled court. pic.twitter.com/jrDMSzxmuc Talia Jane (@taliaotg) September 14, 2024 Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today TheWashington Bladereported that attendees chanted, Abortion rights are trans rights as they passed the Supreme Court. When the march arrived at the Heritage Foundation, the party began. DJ J Griffin Maxwell Brooks performed a set and voguedwhile a dance party began. Marchers held signs that said Gender liberation for all, Our bodies, our futures, and Why are you so obsessed with our bodies?!Actor Elliot Page spoke at the march, as did comedianJulio Torresand author Geena Rocero. Transgender rights activists are mobilizing and walking in the Gender Liberation March in Washington, DC. Organizers are protesting prospective legislative action, such as #Project2025, that would restrict rights of the Trans Community. #GenderLiberationMarch#GenderLiberation pic.twitter.com/OvmeWEB42R DCnewsvideo (@DCnewsvideo) September 14, 2024the gender liberation march vogues outside the heritage foundation here in DC. @genderlib4all pic.twitter.com/4NTYwzKFlj Madison Swart (@swartmadison) September 14, 2024It was important for us to have that moment in front of the Heritage Foundation as a way to bring our queer joy right to their offices and show that no matter what they have planned, they will not win, they will not break us or our spirit, co-organizer Eliel Cruz said in a statement. Our communities are resilient and we will always come together and fight back against these attacks to control our bodies and decisions about our healthcare.Queer rights and abortion rights are at risk now more than ever. According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, 658 anti-trans bills have been introduced nationwide in 2024. Meanwhile, the Center for Reproductive Rights reports that 14 states have implemented near-total abortion bans following the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Gender Liberation March on DC pic.twitter.com/T3EYIY0DRu Little Miss Anthropy (@yeahitslyte) September 16, 2024 pic.twitter.com/P4cqZ5x8Ek Little Miss Anthropy (@yeahitslyte) September 16, 2024Gender Liberation March broke out in a dance circle a throwback to the Stonewall protests created by Qween Jean in 2020 in front of the Heritage Foundation, a far-right thinktank behind Project 2025 which seeks to push the U.S. into a christofascist dictatorship. pic.twitter.com/boQ0wz7sZB Talia Jane (@taliaotg) September 14, 2024Thank you to everyone who came out to the #GenderLiberation march yesterday! Keep following us & sign up for emails on our website to hear about future actions, & please donate to help us grow our movement.Join and find more info https://t.co/iKZ8SXoFmN pic.twitter.com/XGymgvB11O GENDER LIBERATION MOVEMENT (@genderlib4all) September 15, 2024

Just recently, I was sharing my fantasies and potential bisexuality in what was supposed to be a safe, queer space when a lesbian shut me down. She told me that I had no right to claim bisexuality because Ive never been with a woman. According to her, I was bi-curious at best.I was livid. How dare she tell me what my sexuality is? When I insisted that I was bisexual and that she was behaving inappropriately, she didnt back down. In fact, she doubled down. This encounter wasnt the last time she would attempt to speak to me about my sexuality, but it was the last time I dignified her with a response. I wasnt going to be bullied by someone I didnt know or care to know, especially not someone from my own community. Related 27 must-read books for bisexual people and allies These books represent some of the finest insights into bisexuality ever written. Once upon a time, the LGBTQ+ community was on a quest to introduce and normalize bisexuality. Nowadaysbased mostly on discussions onlineit appears that some members within the community are more focused on gatekeeping bisexuality. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today Up until recently, I never cared to engage in any discourse on bisexuality. Why would I? Im a trans woman whose orientation swings heavily toward men. What does the validity or invalidity of certain peoples bisexuality have to do with me?But as the years have gone by, and my attraction to women grew to the point of me questioning my orientation, I wondered Is a person only bisexual if theyve been sexually or romantically involved with a member of the same sex? Do you have to be the perfect bisexual to be bisexual?I was 13 when I had my first crush on a girl. Bethany was a pretty 14-year-old girl of Asian descent who attended the same church as my family. By that age, I had already had several crushes on male WWE stars, as well as a couple of boys in my grade, so my sudden attraction to a girl came as a massive surprise to me. Sure, I had made out with a girlfriend of mine, but just like Katy Perry, I only did it to try it. And sure I found the kiss pleasant, but I was acutely aware of the fact that it didnt mean anything to me other than that it was fun.As for my crush on Bethany, I didnt know how or why it came to be. Nor was I aware of the existence of the concept of bisexuality then. All that I knew was that I was experiencing feelings for her that were previously only reserved for members of the XY gang.My crush on Bethany persisted until I stopped attending church at around 14. When my romantic feelings towards Bethany subsided, so did my feelings towards girls in general. The momentary mutation in my orientation was gone and never to be experienced againor so I thought. Fast forward five years. Im walking through town, doing a little thrift shopping when I see what appears to be the most handsome man I have ever seen across the street. The light turns green and we both make our way across the street. The closer we get, the more pronounced their chest area becomes until it finally becomes clear as day: the person I believed to be the most handsome man I had ever seen turned out to be a masc-presenting woman.My attraction to this woman didnt fade upon this revelation. She was still incredibly hot, and as a Libra, Im no stranger to appreciating beauty irrespective of gender. But my attraction to her also didnt make me question my orientation. After all, I mistook her for a man.Up until this point, I had only found two women attractive, with men leading by at least a thousand. Surely this wasnt enough of a reason for me to question my sexuality. Fast forward another nine years, and I am now a 27-year-old whose attraction to women has evolved from party lesbianism to full-on fantasies that include women every now and then. I still havent been with a woman romantically or sexually, but I am significantly more open to the experience now than I have ever been in my life.You would think that this is a good thing and that my newfound bisexuality would be embraced and celebratedespecially by members of the alphabet gang. But, it turns out people like myself are often dismissed and seen as opponents by members of the LGBTQIA+ community.In a brief chat, Jordan, 25, a cisgender bisexual man whos mostly attracted to women, shared how his bisexuality has been dismissed. Every now and then I fantasize about sleeping with men, but I have no desire to be in a relationship with one, he said. I dont know why I have the desire to sleep with men and no desire to date them but I guess thats just me. When I told my queer friends about this, they said I was either gay and struggled with internalized homophobia or that fantasies dont really count because everyone has them from time to time.Mpumi, 24, a cisgender bisexual woman who has only been intimate with men, also shared her experience.Even though Ive only dated men, I still consider myself bisexual, she said. I find women attractive, but in a way thats completely different to the way I find men attractive. I dont know if I could ever date a woman but Ive definitely fantasized about being intimate with one. Its something my man and I are both open to exploring. I get told Im not really a bisexual all the time. Some people have even told me that the only reason I want to be intimate with a woman is because my man wants to. Other than our lack of experience dating or being intimate with the same sex, theres one other thing Jordan, Mpumi, and I have in common: the guilt that comes with identifying as bisexual when youre not the perfect bisexual. This guilt is accompanied by feelings of shame, confusion, and feeling like you dont really belong.According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Bisexual people have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidality, and substance use compared to both the general population and to lesbian or gay individuals.This is due to the constant erasure of bisexuality and the experiences of those who identify as bisexual. In this case, the gatekeeping of bisexuality. When asked why people gatekeep bisexuality, Tim Lagman, a certified sex educator, said, Certain people within the LGBTQ+ community take it upon themselves to set certain standards for what they believe can qualify as bisexual enough. They feel that there is a need to preserve the bisexual image and prevent it from falling into a heteronormative trap. In other words, bisexuals wont allow straight people who simply think or feel bisexual to call themselves bisexual.As distasteful as this form of gatekeeping is, its important to note that it isnt always done with bad intentions. Plenty of members of the LGBTQ+ community have had their hearts broken by people (usually straight) who claimed to be bisexual, thus gatekeeping the term has become a way to shield themselves from this.Something that gatekeepers of bisexuality tend to neglect is that ones attraction to different genders doesnt have to be equal, nor does one have to act on ones feelings of attraction to qualify as a bisexual.According to Zach Zane, sex and relationships expert at Fun Factory and author of Boy Slut: A Memoir and Manifesto, Most people arent equally attracted to men and women, most tend to have a preference and that preference may change over time.Alfred Kinsey/"Sexual Behavior in the Human Female" (1953) The Kinsey Scale If we look at the Kinsey Scale, named after sexologist Dr. Alfred Kinsey, we can see the validity of the first part of Zanes statement. The scale consists of five bisexual variants ranging from heterosexual with incidental homosexual tendencies to homosexual with incidental heterosexual tendencies.As for attraction vs. behavior, Zane states in his book, Some bi people have never slept with the same sex or gender, and theyre still bisexual. Bisexuality is about attractions, not behavior. Thats why monogamous people are still bisexual despite the fact that theyre only sleeping with one person. Thats why virgins can still be bisexual, gay, or straight. Not only is it not necessary for you to have previously been with a member of the same sex to qualify as bisexual, but you also dont have to have equal amounts of feelings for both sexes. In other words, the perfect bisexual doesnt exist.This revelation has helped me resolve the guilt I had regarding my bisexuality. Up until recently, I identified as heteroflexible to keep the peace. But now I not only know Im bisexual, but that my particular brand of bisexuality is valid.I am bisexual, and no amount of gatekeeping from within or outside of the community will ever change that.

They can be hard to find, but male bisexual characters do exist!!Although the number of bisexual male characters has been slowly increasing over the years, it can still be hard to find a bi guy on TV. Luckily for us, these 33 shows have some love to all the bi men out there by actually including them in their character lineup.9-1-1 Evan "Buck" BuckleyThe fifth season of Ryan Murphy's 9-1-1 finally confirmed something fans had long hoped that "womanizer" Evan Buckley (Oliver Stark), aka Buck, was actually bisexual. A kiss between him and Tommy (Lou Ferigno Jr.) set the exploration in motion, and Stark confirmed in an interview that even he felt like it had been "a long time coming."Where to watch: HuluThe Magicians Quentin ColdwaterQuentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) was the main protagonist of Syfy's adaptation of The Magicians before it morphed into more of an ensemble show. The handling of his love triangle with Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and Eliot (Hale Appleman) was controversial for reasons that would require a major spoiler warning, but there's no question that what he had with each of them was genuine.Where to watch: Apple TVLegends of Tomorrow Gary GreenLegends of Tomorrow had no shortage of queer characters among them, lovable disaster of a Time Bureau agent Gary Green (Adam Tsekhman).Where to watch: Prime VideoThe Summer I Turned Pretty Jeremiah FisherAmazon Prime's The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah Fisher, where plays one of the brothers involved in a love triangle on the show. Between the two, Jeremiah is unabashedly bisexual and brings some much-needed representation to the small screen. Where to watch: Prime VideoInterview with the Vampire LestatThe television series of Interview with the Vampire did what the film did not, which is make Lestat (Sam Reid) unabashedly bisexual, at last, just as it is in canon with the books. They also finally gave us some sexy sex between Lestat and Louis (Jacob Anderson) and we were all totally here for it.Where to watch: Prime VideoTrue Blood Eric NorthmanEric Northman (Alexander Skarsgrd) was revealed as bisexual on True Blood when he tries to seduce and assassinate fellow vampire Talbot Angelis (Theo Alexander). He admits it's "been a long time" since he's "done this" and all of the man-on-man action we see from there is totally hot.Where to watch: HuluHeartstopper Nick NelsonNick Nelson's (played by bi actor Kit Connor) journey to discovering and embracing his bisexual identity on Heartstopper is the kind of moving and wholesome story we need to see more of.Where to watch: NetflixGood Trouble Gael MartinezGael Martinez (Tommy Martinez) is an artist, a hunk, a good brother and an out and proudly bisexual in the series Good Trouble. Where to watch: HuluThis Is Us William HillWilliam Hill in This Is Us is the kind of bi visibility we need more of now! Not only is it shamefully rare to get Black bi visibility but also elder bi visibility, reinforcing we are here and we not a phase! Where to watch: HuluLoki LokiLoki the god of mischief turns out to be the god of bisexuality as well. In the first season of the hit Disney+ series Loki he alludes to being attracted to both men and women during a conversation with his multiverse, gender-flipped self. Listen, its complicated, OK?Where to watch: Disney+Crazy Ex Girlfriend Darryl WhitefeatherWas a there a sweeter or more relatable coming out than Darryl Whitefeather's in Crazy Ex Girlfriend? We can't help but think the world would be a better place if we could all come out in song.Where to watch: Apple TVSchitt's Creek David RoseDavid Rose is either bi or pan depending on how you read his coming out to Stevie after their surprise hook-up in season one of Schitt's Creek. As he explains it, it's not the wine label that matters, it's what's inside. Same, David. Same.Where to watch: Hulu & FreeveeHarlem EricEric in Harlem is the kind of groundbreaking bi-visibility we crave. All too often bi men get the label, but do not get to show the fullness of their romantic identity, instead being defaulted to gay. In Harlem his romance with Angie blossoms in a realistic and refreshing way!Where to watch: Prime VideoBlack Sails James FlintAhoy matey, we have a bisexual pirate! Honestly, who wouldn't want to sail away with a swashbuckling hunk like Captain James Flint, who just might romance you and your spouse on the side, as he did with Thomas Hamilton and his wife in Black Sails.Where to watch: Prime Video & StarzBlindspot Rich DotcomShameless flirt, major cutie, and excellent beard-haver Rich Dotcom is definitely our bisexual crush on Blindspot.Where to watch: Prime VideoHalt and Catch Fire Joe MacMillanLee Pace. Period.Where to watch: AMC+Revenge Nolan RossWhen exacting revenge on a family who wronged you, there is no better bisexual bestie to have on your vengeful side than Nolan Ross from Revenge.Where to watch: HuluRoswell, New Mexico Michael GuerinMichael Guerin is the hottest bi boy in Roswell who romanced both Alex and Maria onscreen. Also that man can wear the hell out of a cowboy hat! Where to watch: Prime VideoSupernatural CastielCastiel is one of our favorite angels, and his journey to figure out what it meant to be human was compelling. The character made a homosexual declaration for main character Dean Winchester toward the end of the series, which affirmed a gay ship that ravaged for almost a decade and cemented Castiel as part of the LGBTQIA+ fam.Where to watch: Spectrum13 Reasons Why Charlie St. GeorgeCharlie St. George was introduced as a recurring character in season 3, then as a main character in season 4 of Netflixs 13 Reasons Why. The character himself is outright bisexual, and he provided a breath of fresh air as soon as he came onto the show.Where to watch: NetflixTorchwood Jack HarknessWho can resist the charm of Jack Harkness? He was the first Doctor Who character to be openly anything other than heterosexual, and after being a major character on the series, wound up as the main protagonist on Torchwood. Hes sexy, charming, and British, and we love to watch his relationships unfold.Where to watch: MaxDegrassi Miles Hollingsworth IIIAfter developing a crush on a male character named Tristan, Degrassi's Miles (who has been in multiple relationships with women in the past) embraces his sexuality and comes out as bisexual.Where to watch: MaxCucumber Freddie BaxterFreddie Fox, the actor who plays Freddie Baxter in the British drama-comedy, confirmed his character's bisexuality in a 2015 interview with i-D.Where to watch: FreeveeAmerican Dad! RogerThe hilarious, wig- and costume-loving alien from the animated series American Dad! is unabshedly himself at all times, and has often expressed attraction to people of many different genders throughout the show's history.Where to watch: HuluLucifer Lucifer MorningstarThe titular ruler of hell from FOX's DC Comics-based show Lucifer has had many relationships with men and women throughout his life. Where to watch: NetflixFamily Guy StewieThroughout Family Guy's long run, our fave evil toddler Stewie has expressed interest in and has had relationships with both girls and boys. Where to watch: HuluRiverdale Moose MasonThe bisexual Riverdale character often hooked-up with gay character Kevin Keller. He later dates a girl named Midge Klump.Where to watch: NetflixSkins Tony StonemBefore his X-Men days, Nicholas Hoult played Tony on the UK cult favorite Skins. Although Tony was in a committed relationship with a lead character named Michelle, he did have a one-night hookup with gay character Maxxie.Where to watch: HuluShadowhunters Magnus BaneFreeform's popular Shadowhunters features an immortal, bisexual warlock named Magnus Bane (left, played by Harry Shum Jr.). He has had relationships with men and women throughout his life, but his love for Alec Lightwood (right, played by Matthew Daddario) is what drives fans crazy. (Malec for life!)The Magnus character is also notable for being an actual, good representation of bi men.Where to watch: Hulu Teen Wolf Jackson Whittemore & Brett TalbotAlthough the show has been accused of queerbaiting, MTV's popular Teen Wolf had two notable bi male characters in the form of Jackson and Brett. At the beginning of the show, Jackson (played by Colton Haynes) was dating Lydia (Holland Roden), but towards the end of the series, he is with Ethan (Charlie Carver). Brett (played by Cody Saintgnue) is Teen Wolf's resident bi, lacrosse hunk.Where to watch: Prime & HuluConstantine John ConstantineThough his sexuality was never explored in his own solo NBC series, when he joined The CW's Arrowverse, specifically Legends of Tomorrow, queer DC fans finally got to see Constantine's bisexuality confirmed!Where to watch: Prime VideoGame of Thrones Oberyn MartellThe fan-favorite prince (played by Pedro Pascal) from HBO's queer AF fantasy epic GoT, had plenty of relationships with both men and women during his time on the series and, as Bitch Flicks points out, his sexuality was never mocked or shamed, making for an actual, positive portrayal of a bi man of color.Where to watch: Max

Everyone is attracted to different qualities in a potential partner......but I think we can all agree that there are some general ones that most of us love and. The qualities vary, but what stays the same is that they all make us swoon a little.Here are 20 of some of the biggest turn-ons in a guy.When he supports youIt doesn't matter what you do, and you can be totally crazy for whatever venture you're after. He's going to support you through it all, so long as you're not hurting anybody.When he shares and shows his love language(s)Maybe it's cooking for you, maybe it's actual communication or physical touch. Whatever it is, he's open about his love languages with you and shows them with his actions with the hopes you'll do the same.When he befriends your friends and familyThey don't have to like each other, but it's always a bit of a bonus when your man gets along with your friends or family. The family can be chosen or blood, but if he's even making attempts, keep him.When he checks up on youIt's always nice to get a little "how's your day going?" message. Granted, there are times when this can be overdone, but if you're actually developing or in a relationship, this is totally sweet. When he's funnyAnd I don't mean ha-ha funny, I mean really, truly funny. If you can make me laugh, you're already halfway to my heart. I don't know anyone on Earth who doesn't like funny people. It's like people saying they don't like music.When he knows how to handle his alcohol or doesn't drinkSloppy men aren't cute. I don't know anyone (aside from sexual predators) who sees a guy who can barely talk or stand and thinks, "Wow, that guy is extraordinary." Men who can keep themselves together, know their limits, or don't drink at all, stand high above the rest.When he's a goofballI don't mean Dane Cook style, over the top goofball. I mean silly, doesn't take life too seriously goofball. Life is too short not to joke around and laugh things off (within reason, of course).When he's got an intersectional mindI literally melt out of my chair if a guy understands intersectionality. I immediately want to take them home, get them right in the bedroom, and talk ideologies and politics with them all night long.When he's genuinely empatheticMen who care about animals and other people are the hottest. Empathy can be immensely painful and heavy, and men who oppose the toxic masculinity that tells them emotions are weak, are rare and beautiful gems that must be protected. There are few traits, either romantically or platonically, that are as important as empathy.When he's Mr. IndependentI turn-tail if a guy is too controlled by his friends and family. I'm all for people loving and valuing their friends and family, but sometimes it's a little too much. I don't want to mess around with someone who might not like me tomorrow because his bitter friend or close-minded parents decided I'm no good. People who take charge and do their own thing are monumentally more attractive. Plus, independent thinkers allow you to more easily create healthy spaces away from one another as well.When he's passionate, driven, and motivated"I love men who have no plans with their life and are completely okay with where they're at right now," said no one ever. I'm not saying men have to be obsessed with work, but a little interest might be nice. Partners are supposed to push each other to be better and it's hard to do that with someone who has no fire for themselves.When he's open-mindedOpen-minded guys are the best because the possibilities are endless. Whether that be eating new food, watching new TV shows, traveling to new places, or even trying new things in the bedroom.Conversely, with men who are close-minded, you may not get them to try anything new.When he's NOT femmephobicLittle is more attractive than a man who couldn't care less about masculinity or how his gender is perceived by others. The oppositei.e. men who fear doing anything that society labels as feminineare so sensitive and fragile that they quickly lose any charm that they had in the first place. No one should care what people think about their gender, nor should men be perpetuating femmephobia when it has done and continues to do incalculable damage to the world. At the end of the day, men who are themselves without fear are more attractive.When he teasesTeasing is one of the hottest things a guy can do. I'm not talking about sexual teasing, at least not specifically. I'm talking about when a guy reads you or makes fun of you in a coy and playful way that's just asking for a sassy remark in return. There's just something about a guy that knows how to tease that really revs my engine.When he knows how to communicateEveryone knows communication is the key to any good relationship, but not everybody knows how to communicate. Whether its actually sharing stories instead of giving one word answers or really bringing up every time he has an issue, theres nothing sexier than a guy who knows how to communicate.When he shows you he's thinking of youSometimes its nice to be thought of. Sometimes we also dont realize what hes paying attention to, so when he gives you a book you mentioned you wanted or cooks a meal youd noted was your favorite, it just reminds you how special you are to him.When he takes care of you when you're sickNo one likes to be alone when theyre not feeling good, and sometimes people leave you high and dry because they dont want to get sick themselves. While thats understandable, especially after COVID, its still cute when he makes you soup or walks your dog for you, just to help you out.When he does something spontaneousRelationships can get boring, and sometimes its fun to spice things up and try something different. Maybe hell plan a weekend getaway behind your back or pick you up from work to take you to your favorite dinner place. Its always fun to find someone who likes to go with the flow, at least some of the time.When he wants to see the worldTheres so much to learn from traveling and experiencing other cultures is a great way to grow as a person, and any man who wants to go out and do that as much as possible is a man who turns me on. It serves intellect, adventure, and life experience all at the same time, and it will always give you something to talk about.When he knows how to compromiseSometimes arguments are silly and unavoidable. If he (and you!) know how to compromise, its just sexy.BONUS: When he has an accent or speaks a different languageThis is just a bonus, but, I mean who isnt turned on by this?

Actor Marlon Wayans, who is a parent to a transgender child, went after billionaire Elon Musk for his transphobia against his own daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson.Wayans told the podcast Club Shay Shay that hes about to drive his Tesla off a cliff because of Musks behavior towards Wilson. Musk has deliberately misgendered Wilson, claiming she is dead and was killed by the woke mind virus. Related Marlon Wayans defied haters by posting Pride pics honoring his trans son The In Living Color and Scary Movie alum counts a trans son among his three kids. Wayans told the podcast host Shannon Sharpe, I dont like what he be saying about his trans child. You dont treat them babies like that, you dont disown your baby. Love your child! Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today He continued in calling for more love for trans children from their parents. lm sad to say some parents, some family members, and some people itll take them a lifetime, he said. Theyll never get to that magical place that Im at which is just acceptance. Still my child. Thats my baby.He then spoke of his trans son, Kai, and his transition, saying being the last to know was hard on me.But as hard as it was, I think that its not important. Its important what you went through; the five steps of grief, but I think its important that you get to acceptance. And Im proud to say it took me a week but it felt like forever, Wayans said.Wilson called out Musk for treating her as a villain in his biography. You just wont stop lying about me in interviews, books, social media, etc, said Wilson. Thank God youre absolutely terrible at it because otherwise this would be significantly more difficult. Wayans has supported his trans child since the day he came out, proudly posting images on proudly posting images of themselves on Instagram decorated in rainbows for Pride. Wayans called out a bunch of haters as well, saying they have repressed feelings and were taking it out by hating on innocent people.The actor is known for starring in widely regarded classics in the modern comedy genre, including White Chicks, Scary Movie, and Norbit. His career goes back to the 1990s, where he started in a comedy duo with his brother, Shawn Wayans. Hes also starred in numerous comedy TV shows, including one named after him, Marlon.Wayans had previously said of LGBTQ+ youth, As a parent, I just want my kids to be free. I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves. The more you live your truth, the happier your existence.

Nicky Jam, a reggaeton singer who is one of YouTubes most-watched Latin artists of all time, recently deleted his online endorsement of former President Donald Trump after Trump introduced him as a hot woman during Trumps weekend rally in Las Vegas, Nevada.Trump introduced Latin music superstar, Nicky Jam at his rally. Do you know Nicky? Shes hot Wheres Nicky? Related Elton John is grateful Donald Trump is a fan: Good on you, Donald! The singer said he was thankful for the former presidents support while urging Americans to vote the right to choose, the right to be who you are. Oh, look, Im glad he came up, Trump then said, correcting himself. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Once face-to-face with Trump, the half-Puerto Rican and half-Dominican singer said, Its an honor to meet you, Mr. President. People that come from where I come from, they dont meet the president. So Im lucky.Jam, who wore a red MAGA cap, then addressed the crowd in Spanish, saying, Its been four years and nothing has happened. We need Trump. Lets make America great again. After Trumps gaffe, the singer posted an Instagram image that referred to himself, in Spanish, as a hot woman, and added a caption with 22 crying-laugh emojis. However, numerous commenters criticized his endorsement, and Jam deleted the post by Sunday.Numerous commenters pointed out that, in 2018, Jam collaborated with the Spotify music streaming service to create a video supporting DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an Obama-era program that protected immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and provided them with possible pathways to citizenship.Trump tried to end DACA in 2017, though the Supreme Court blocked his attempt. The program is currently not accepting new applicants.In the video, Jam said, When I heard the first things that came out of Trumps mouth, I said, Oh, my God, this sounds ugly. Its obviously a racist situation. Adrian Escrate, a former DACA recipient who appeared in the Spotify video, criticized Jams endorsement.Im in the video below where I shared w/ @NickyJamPR the fears that thousands of #DREAMers w/ #DACA like myself had about our protections taken away by Trump, Escrate wrote via X. Fast forward to now where it seems Nicky Jam used me to promote his music + sellout our community. Thanks for nothing. Im in the video below where I shared w/ @NickyJamPR the fears that thousands of #DREAMers w/ #DACA like myself had about our protections taken away by Trump. Fast forward to now where it seems Nicky Jam used me to promote his music + sellout our community. Thanks for nothing https://t.co/eIyo9Dwiv4 Adrian Escrate (@AceOutWide) September 14, 2024Escrate wasnt alone in his criticism of Jam. Even after Jam deleted his endorsement, other Instagram users went into the comments of his most recent post to blast him.Update: Nicky Jam deletes post supporting Trump, disables comments on last post, after Man removes their collab in wake of endorsement. Even Im surprised how hard theyre going at him in comments section of his second to last post pic.twitter.com/wJamdeZo14 Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) September 16, 2024 Man, a Mexican pop-rock band that collaborated with Jam on the 2016 song De pies a cabeza, removed the song from all of its digital platforms. In an Instagram post, the band wrote, Man does not work with racists.For the last 30 years, Man has supported and defended the rights of Latinos around the world, the posts Spanish caption read. There is no business or promotion that is worth more than the dignity of our people.Man has supported U.S. migrants for two decades, the Associated Press noted. When receiving the2018 Latin Recording Academys Person of the Year award,the bands vocalist, Fher Olvera, said, We will continue to fight for the rights of migrants who have made this country great; in the last century, they were the difference for this country to be as great as it is. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Man (@manaoficial)

We've still got a long way to go......but nowadays, there's so much amazing LGBTQ+ representation in animated children's shows, giving a whole new generation of young, queer kids the much-needed representation and visibility they need!Kipo and the Age of WonderbeastsGah, we're still hoping and praying for a sequel series to this incredible queer-inclusive animated adventure. The show follows Kipo Oak a young girl who leaves the safety of her underground bunker into a world of massive animals to find her father and along the way learns a shocking secret about herself and makes friends with a whole bunch of lovable weirdos including Benson who is not only proudly gay, but gets a really sweet love interest. Star Trek: Lower DecksStar Trek has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to representation and exploring queer themes. So no surprise that even its animated series Below Deck is serving when it comes to queer inclusivity. One of the series leads Beckett Mariner, is bisexual, and just as chaotic and lovable as you could ask for. Beam us up another season! The Second Best Hospital in the GalaxyThink ER then put it in space, make it super weird and super gay and you'll get The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy. The show follows besties Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak as they face down bizarre intergalactic medical mysteries and romance. Gay romance.Scott Pilgrim Takes OffIt has been known that Ramona Flowers is a bisexual queen, but in the animated series that backstory finally got its due! This time when Ramona and Roxie face-off we get to see more of their romantic history and even get some closure. Harley QuinnOk so this one isn't so much for the kiddies, but grown folks deserve great, animated queer representation, too! The series focuses on Harley Quinn making her way in the big city after finally dumping Joker for good. A little healing and a few crime sprees later she's ready for love again, this time with Poison Ivy. Steven UniverseSteven Universe may be the queerest kid show on TV (though some of these shows are giving it a good run for its money!). Centered around the adventures of Steven and his adopted family of female warrior aliens called the Crystal Gems, the show isnt shy about the fact that most of the gems are queer. Steven Universe deftly touches on very complicated topics such as homophobia, anxiety and domestic violence, making them approachable for children. Magic Girl Friendship Squad: OriginsMagic Girl Friendship Squad: Origins has had a run on SyFy since 2020. The show features Daisy, an adult in her mid-20s that was chosen by Nut to save the universe alongside her roommate, Alex. Daisy, played by bisexual actress Anna Akana, who also voiced the character on the main Magic Girl Friendship Squad show, caused some debate when one of the writers said they hadnt identified Daisys sexuality (yet) in November 2020.However, since the script of the show lays the groundwork for Daisy to be interpreted as a trans lesbian, some fans werent having it. After attacking Akana online, she addressed the controversy, saying, I agree trans actor should play trans characters, but the fact that people have tried to erase Daisys bisexuality is equally maddening. I rarely get to play a character true to my sexuality. Please dont get your info off of random Twitter comments.HoopsHoops is another short-lived series that only lasted for one season on Netflix. It follows a foul-mouthed high school basketball coach who wants his team to hit the big leagues and believes he has the option to turn his terrible team around.Among the team is Scott, the number 9 jersey who is revealed to be gay in the first season. Part of his storyline follows people teasing him for being straight, but also depicts a relationship between himself and his boyfriend Neil. Scott is the main character throughout the 10-episode show, and his character is among the most compelling.Crossing SwordsCrossing Swords was a short-lived animated series on Hulu that followed a peasant who dreamt of knighthood, and thus became a squire at the royal castle. The knight, Patrick, has a brother named Ruben whos revealed to be gay in the first season. Throughout the second season, he pursues a relationship with Holden, the son of another king.Adventure TimeThe surreal, dadaist Adventure Time is always...well, an adventure! While the show started as strange shorts, it has developed into a much deeper plot as Finn and his shapechanging dog brother Jake explore the post-apocalyptic world of Ooo. While censorship laws outside the US where the show is distributed stop Adventure Time from using specific terminology, they arent shy about the past (and current) feelings shared between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, nor other queer nods sprinkled throughout.Sailor Moon CrystalWhile the original adventures of this sailor-suited soldier of justice was many in the millennial generation's first brush with canon gay characters, the new Saillor Moon Crystal reboot is polished up and condensed down to a make for a more action-packed show. Now that its modern day, theres no push to cover-up the queer storylines, like what happened in the '90s, US dub of the first show.Keep in mind, however, that Japan has a slightly different idea of what kid-friendly is. (This show might be best for your older kiddos!)Gravity FallsThis show about two kids stuck in their great uncles Mystery Spot tourist trap for the summer is the perfect show for your kids if they keep trying to stay up late to watch Twin Peaks and The X-Files with you! While its not the only queer nod in the show, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durlands loving reunion in the last episode confirmed what fans had assumed for a long time about the towns dorky (but loveable) police force.Star vs. the Forces of EvilThis fu, little sister show of Sailor Moon finally treats LGBTQ+ characters like theyre no big deal. Girls confess crushes on girls like its no different than boys, same-sex couples snog in the background at school dances, and while main character Marco Diaz is a cishet dude as far as anyone knows, he certainly has no issues challenging the stereotypical boys role, loving cooking and happily dressing up as a princess when needed on their many magical girl adventures.Danger & EggsThis show, aimed at a slightly younger demographic then those before it on our list, is a brightly-colored romp through creativity. The show is centered around D.D., a child daredevil, and Phillip, a safety-oriented mutant egg. The first cartoon created by a trans woman, Shadi Petosky, the show is stuffed full of good morals and all sorts of queer characters. Most are even voiced by queer actors in this talent-filled cast, such as Stephanie Beatriz and Jasika Nicole.Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear CardIf you never caught the original, Cardcaptor Sakura follows the adventure of elementary student Sakura as she tracks down a series of magical cards she accidentally released. The show is bursting with cute and doesnt shy away from queer crushes! Whether its Tomoyo and Sayorans childish crushes, or the more mature relationship between Sakuras older brother and his boyfriend, the show's sequel, Clear Card, explores all levels of love.The Loud HouseThe Loud House is a Nick show focused on the adventures of the massive Loud family. The show focuses on Lincoln, the middle child and only boy in his family of eleven. Like many of these shows, The Loud House is diverse across the board. His best friend Clyde is an adopted child of an interracial gay couple, and at least one of his sisters crushes as easily on girls as boys.ClarenceFrom the same creators as Adventure Time, Clarence follows the (slightly more mundane) adventures of elementary school student Clarence and his BFFs Jeff and Sumo. The more pedestrian setting doesnt rob the series of any charm or excitement compared to its more magical Cartoon Network peers on this list. Clarences buddy Jeff has two moms, and the ladies are often involved in the boys adventures.The Legend of KorraThe Legend of Korra, and its predecessor, Avatar: The Last Airbender, broke ground in many ways. The show tackled, both within its world and ours, subjects from sexism to the ethics of weapons of mass destruction. One of the most groundbreaking parts of it was becoming the first childrens show to star a canonly queer lead, with the last shot showing Korra and Asami gazing lovingly into each others eyes, confirming the long, developing love between them.ArthurThe premiere episode of Arthur's 22nd season, entitled"Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone," revealed that everyone's fave teacher/cake fiend Mr. Ratburn is openly gay. His wedding to his hubby Patrick in the episode was literally one of the cutest things we've ever seen on TV!DuckTalesIn an April 2020 episode of Disney XD's DuckTales reboot, it's revealed that a character named Violet has two adorable dads! When we meet them for the first time, they're both wearing shirts that read, "I'm With Dad" with arrows pointing at each other.She-Ra and the Princesses of PowerWhile there's too many amazing, badass queers in Netflix'sShe-Ra and the Princesses of Powerto count, in the second season of the beloved series,it was revealed that Bow, one of Adora's best friends, has two dads! We already knew She-Ra was queer AF, but seeing two loving, openly gay parents on a popular animated show made our hearts swell! And speaking of She-Ra and how awesomely LGBTQ-inclusive the animated series is, in the show's fifth and final season, Adora and her best-friend-turned-enemy-turned-friend-again-turned-girlfriend Catra confirmed their queerness when they confessed their love for each other and kissed in one of the entire series most emotional and raw moments! We have to stan forever!SpongeBob SquarePantsDuring Pride Month 2020, Nickelodeon tweeted a series of rainbow-colored portraits of the network's LGBTQ+ actors and characters that included Michael D. Cohen, a trans actor fromHenry Danger, Korra, our fave bi hero from The Legend of Korra, and the square yellow seas sponge himself, officially confirming SpongeBob SquarePants' status as a long-running LGBTQ+ character and icon.Scooby-Doo! Mystery IncorporatedAlthough the show is already completed (it ran from 2010-2013), in July 2020,Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated co-creatorTony Cervone confirmed on Instagram that Velma was canonically intended to be a lesbian."Velma in Mystery Incorporated is not bi. Shes gay," he wrote. "We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character while she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why. I dont think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post-reset, they are a couple."The Owl-HouseThis Disney channel series (from the same creative minds behind Gravity Falls) confirmed lead character Luz Noceda's (Sarah-Nicole Robles) queerness in the episode "Enchanting Grom Fright." Though Luz previously had crushes on male characters in the series, she asked by her female friend Amity (played by Avatar: The Last Airbender and Good Girls legend Mae Whitman) to be her date for their school's prom. This made history since Luz, a 14-year-old Dominican-American high schooler, can now be considered Disney Channel's first LGBTQ+ lead character."I'm bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit!" The Owl House creator Dana Terrace said in a tweet following the airing of the episode. "Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am VERY supported by current Disney leadership."Adachi and ShimamuraAdachi and Shimamura depicts a budding romance against lesbian women, and also examines the realities of what its like to be LGBTQ+ in Japan. Its a yuri light novel that centers around Hougetsu Shimamura and Sakura Adachi, two classmates who meet at their school gym and grow their relationship from there.This show has cultural impact seeing as how Japan is historically hostile toward the LGBTQ+ communities and that Japanese government offers no legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. This is partially examined in the show by never outright confirming the characters sexualities throughout the show.

Not that its anyones damn business anyway, but Sarah Paulson had some clarifying remarks about her relationship with fellow actress Holland Taylor. The couple have been together since 2015, getting together when Paulson was 40 and Taylor was 72. After confirming their relationship, people would not leave the actresses alone, bothering them constantly with their thoughts on a relationship with a 32-year age gap. Paulson has never been bothered, having told Elle Magazine in 2016, I didnt choose to fall in love with the person I fell in love with. But I think why its interesting to people is that on paper, its unconventional."People also have much to say about the pair's living situation. While they're as smitten as can be, they still choose to live apart. After having been together for nearly a decade, Paulson divulged their secret to such a happy and healthy relationship together on an episode of the SmartLess podcast this past May. She said, "We don't live together. That's the secret. Holland and I spend plenty of time together, but we don't live in the same house."See on InstagramThis seems like a perfectly reasonable way to exist, and enviable in many ways! Not only are these two infatuated with one another, but they can afford not one, but TWO mortgages. Talk about relationship goals.However, many seem to have heard that Paulson and Taylor live apart, and assumed the two were estranged long lost lovers, or perhaps some sort of erotic pen pals. Whatever it was people were thinking, Paulson had clearly had enough of explaining herself and settled things once and for all. Taylor and Paulson were at the 76th Annual Emmy Awards this past Sunday where Taylor was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Morning Show. On the red carpet, the couple were asked by Entertainment Weekly, "Now, I heard that you two, your favorite thing to do is hold hands, but you live seperately. Explain-" Our interviewer is cut off. "I mean, I have to clarify this, because I said this," interjected Paulson. She continued, "We don't live together meaning we don't own a home together, but we are together more often than we are not." Holland added, "In one home or the other, back and forth." Paulson finished clarifying, "So it's like we live together, but we don't live together."The two seem happy with this arrangement, with Taylor having added. "Variety, a lot of variety. Variety is the spice!"This situation is what I and I'm hoping most others had been assuming was the case the whole time. It's not like these two are inventing living apart from your partner, or splitting your time between two homes, but Paulson seemed a little fed up at this point, understandably so. She added, "I think they thought they meant like, we saw each other once a month or something, it's not like that."The interviewer said, "I was like, 'Do they hold hands through a window or something?'" a thing no one else thought was the case at all."We hold hands wherever we can, whenever we can," Paulson said, gracefully responding to a truly outlandish statement before the interviewer turns back to asking Taylor about her work you know, the reason the actresses are there.Whatever their living situation is past, present, or future it still is really truly no one's business. And I don't know about Taylor's home, but if I lived in even just Sarah Paulson's cozy cabin in Malibu, I wouldn't give that up for anything either. True love be damned!

JoJo Siwa is already talking kids with her latest flame and apparently, they're on the same page.The Dance Moms alum has previously been open about her plan for becoming a mom herself. Not only does she know she wants to have kids, she's already decided exactly how many, their names, and how she wants everything to go down.Freddie, Teddie, and Eddie will be born via three different surrogates when the time comes, making them "like triplets, but, like, not," as she told Cosmopolitan in July.Of course, this is all just part of a theoretical future Siwa has also stated she wants to have kids when she's 23, meaning she somewhere between 18 months and 2.5 years to go. But she recently told Us Weekly that she's already broached the topic with her new girlfriend, Dakayla Wilson."She is on board. Obviously, were both very young and shes even younger than I am shes just about to turn 19," Siwa said. "I always bring up the Freddie, Eddie and Teddie conversation right away in a relationship."The topic of kids came up back when she was dating Kylie Prew in 2022 as well. A clip from Siwa's docuseries, JoJo Goes, featured the two of them discussing the idea of their own future children coming to play on the beach.It's hard to say whether things are moving at the same speed with Wilson. The two just made their relationship public in August, although it's unclear how long they've been dating. But clearly they're already making some time to look towards the future."She was always like, 'Oh, yeah, kids are going to be so fun to have,'" Siwa said. "That was when we were first talking, and now obviously that were more serious, it is definitely a more serious conversation. Im like, 'Well get married and then well visit that.'"

For two seasons (and a movie) Looking gave us a fascinating and sexy glimpse into the lives of three gay best friends, Patrick (Jonathan Groff), Dom (Murray Bartlett), and Agustn (Frankie J. Alvarez) as they navigate their lives in San Francisco. The story follows the complexities of their relationships with an intimate and honest portrayal of the life of a gay man. Unified by their journey, they also explore different paths of intimacy, which gave us some steamy, relatable (and sometimes uncomfortable) sex scenes between 2014 and 2016.Here's a look at all 11 sex scenes from Looking (including the movie), ranked from most meh to most memorable. Before you come for us in the DMs these are our opinions! That being said its definitive! Some minor spoilers are bound to happen, so if you have yet to see the show, proceed at your own risk.11. S1.E1 Cruise in the woodsRight off the bat, this show opens up with the primary main character, Patrick going to town on someone in the woods. Although the clothes stay on the whole time and a phone call interrupts the interaction, this quickie represents hooks ups that are forgettable and slightly uncomfortable.10. S1.E1 Threesome with Scotty, Agustn, and FrankThe second saucy scene from the pilot episode depicts a threesome between Agustn, his boyfriend, Frank (O-T Fagbenle), and Scotty (Tanner Cohen), who hes hired as his assistant. This interaction sets up a major plot point for the first season and raises the discussion about open relationships. Although there, again, was no nudity, but the oral sex implication and the fantasy is good enough.9. S2.E1 Oral from the clubIn the season premiere of Season two, we get to enjoy watching Dom give head to someone he's just met from the club. Dom is in a relationship for himself at the time, and when the hook-up inquires, it opens another discussion about what it means to be in an open relationship, and also how it feels to be the third.8. S1.E2 Grindr hookupHere's something we can all relate to opening up Grindr, finding the closest person, and having a good romp. That's exactly what happens with Dom after he has a run-in with an ex in the second episode of season one and has some extra sexual aggression to let out. We get a nice side butt shot from Dom, lots of moaning, and a great "O face" that makes us wish we were the cause.7. S1.E5 Oral finishAmong the more graphic sex scenes in season one comes in the fifth episode when we can almost see Patrick's erect penis in his partner Richie's mouth as he gives him head. Richie (Richie Donado Ventura) then moves down further for an off-screen rim job, and Patrick's face tells us everything he's feeling. 6. S2E3 Versatile experienceAs the secret relationship between Patrick and Kevin (Russell Tovey) grows (more on that later), so do their desires for each other. In the third episode of season two, while Kevin is in the middle of having sex with Patrick, he asks for Patrick to take the top position for once and allow for their first versatile experience. This scene is longer than usual for the show, but there isn't much in the nudity department. The two do get off together at the end, though, which is always fun to watch.5. S2.E1 Patrick and Kevin in the woodsKevin may be naughty for sneaking around behind his boyfriend's back in the season two premiere, but when Patrick calls him into the woods for a late-night rendezvous, he can hardly say no. What results is another passionate scene between the two, and a butt shot from Kevin when he rams Patrick up against a tree and Patrick slowly opens himself up more to the experience.4. S2E8 Agustn gets an eye-opening surpriseThroughout season 2, Agustn develops a relationship with a man named Eddie (Daniel Franzese), whom he met on the woods excursion in the premiere episode. Although Eddie struggles with some self-image issues due to his size, Agustn always assures him of his attraction. In the eighth episode, the two are having sex, and we see Agustn sitting on top of Eddie as they do so. Eddie, who is also HIV positive, takes off his condom to cum at the end, and some of it gets in Agustn's eye. We get a full frontal off Eddie afterward, and Agustn ends up going into a spiral about whether or not he'll now contract HIV.It's also important to note that, though the discussion around HIV transmission was still handled delicately, it came before many of the recent advances made in HIV treatment and prevention. Nowadays, undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U), and PrEp is more widely available (which it wasn't in the show.) These are just added methods of protection to help you have safe sex, which the show didn't have a chance to address.3. S1.E6 Filming with a sex workerAlthough this wasn't as common when the show aired -- hard to believe it happened before OnlyFans and the popularization of PrEP one of the most relatable scenes happened in season one episode six, when Agustn wants to film Frank having sex with a sex worker, CJ (TJ Linnard). Although the scene itself is sexual without having any nudity, the consequences from the interaction are dire when the subject of how much money was spent comes into the equation. 2. S1.E8 Kevin and Patrick bone at lastThe entire first season revolves around the sexual tension building between Patrick and his boss, Kevin. Although Kevin has a boyfriend and Patrick is with Richie when they meet, the two finally end up getting together after Patrick gets single again. When Patrick and Kevin finally come together, we have one of the longest, best, and most passionate scenes in the series, as well as some nice nudity with Kevin's butt. He also discusses Patrick bottoming, and we see Patrick's facial expressions move from pain to pleasure before the two finally succumb to each other.1. Movie - Patrick hooks up at a weddingThe most over and graphic sex scene, thus landing in the No. 1 spot, came from the movie. Ironically, with all of the love and relationship realness throughout the show, the most intense sex scene is also a hookup, when Patrick takes someone home from the club. Patrick then moves inside the man, where we get the most nudity and actual "sex" from anywhere else in the series. The two end up finishing off together at the end and the sex scenes for the series come to a close.Looking, we will miss you. Hey HBO, how about a reboot?

The Georgian Dream Party has made good on its pledge to outlaw LGBTQ+ identity in the European country with a sweeping set of bills approved by Parliament.Legislators approved the measures following a third and final reading of the proposed laws under the cover of family values and the protection of minors. Related Georgia moves forward with bills to outlaw Pride events & trans people The legislation would ban LGBTQ+ rights on multiple fronts, including adoption, marriage, and civil IDs. The legislation, modeled on Russian laws erasing LGBTQ+ identity, would impose draconian curbs on LGBTQ+ rights and provide a legal basis for Georgian authorities to outlaw Pride events, the rainbow flag and public displays of affection, and also to impose censorship of films and books. It restates an existing ban on same-sex marriage and outlaws gender-affirming surgery in the country. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Georgian Dream party leaders say the legislation is critical to safeguarding Georgia from degenerate moral influences exported from the West. Its passage is one more indication the country is tilting its allegiance toward Vladimir Putins Russia. With it, the former Soviet republics bid to join to the European Union looks ever more unlikely.Opponents say the bill and timing of the measure are aimed at whipping support for the far-right government ahead of the nations October 25 elections. Georgian Dream is looking to increase their majority with their fourth turn at the polls.This law is the most terrible thing to happen to the LGBT community in Georgia, Tamara Jakeli, director of campaign group Tbilisi Pride, told Reuters. We will most likely have to shut down. There is no way for us to continue functioning. Under Georgian Dreams leadership and with the complicity of the Orthodox Church, Georgia has become ever more hostile to LGBTQ+ people. Polls show broad disapproval of same-sex relationships, and the constitution already bans same-sex marriage.Tbilisis annual Pride marches have repeatedly come under physical attack by right-wing mobs, with reports some of those individuals have traveled from Russia to inflame tensions.In addition to outlawing public gatherings promoting same-sex relationships, the legislation would also limit adoption to heterosexuals, ban gender changes on official identification, and outlaw LGBT propaganda in education. Georgian Dream parliament members have also proposed introducing genetic requirements in establishing legal marriage, whereby marriage would be a union of a genetic woman and a genetic man.Georgia enjoyed decades of progress on human and LGBTQ+ rights following the Rose Revolution in 2003, as a majority of citizens supported a pro-Western turn and integration into the European Union and NATO.The rise of the Georgian Dream party in the last 10 years, however, has seen the government reorienting toward its former colonizer, with the Church encouraging the rapprochement.The introduction of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation follows the Georgia Parliaments passage of another Russian-inspired law tolabel Western NGOs as foreign agents,teeing up a harassment campaign aimed at expelling human rights and other groups that far-right conservatives and the Orthodox Church have accused of infecting Georgia and other countries with degeneracy.

A recent poll from the Human Rights Campaign shows that, among LGBTQ+ voters, the Harris-Walz presidential ticket is 67 points ahead of the Trump-Vance ticket.The poll shows that, out of a sample of 2,500 LGBTQ+ adults, 74% are leaning towards voting for the Harris-Walz ticket, while only 7.5% are voting for the Trump-Vance ticket. The rest are voting third party or are abstaining from voting. Related Dislike both candidates? Thinking of sitting this election out? Consider this I sat out the 1972 election between Nixon and Humphrey. Many sat out 2000 and 2016 elections. Here are the consequences Among the 95.8% who are voting, the lead is up to 70 points, with 77.2% voting for the Democrats and 7.8% going towards the GOP. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today This is in line with an additional report from the HRC that shows that 95% of LGBTQ+ adults are registered to vote and are planning to vote in the upcoming election, a much higher rate than the general population. 73% of the sample indicated they were very motivated to vote.60% of Gen Z LGBTQ+ adults are ready to vote, compared to 72% of millennials and 91% of Gen X.The issues that were most important to LGBTQ+ voters include LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights, SCOTUS reform, the cost of living, and Project 2025. Project 2025 is the Heritage Foundation-backed conservative megaplan to enact far-right policies should Donald Trump win another term. This plan includes heavy restrictions on transgender rights.This survey first began data collection about two weeks after President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and just three days after Harris announced she was selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. It started just before the DNC and before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he was dropping out and endorsing Trump. Shoshana K. Goldberg, Director of Public Education & Research at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement, These findings underscore the power of LGBTQ+ voters. Virtually all LGBTQ+ Americans are registered and motivated to vote in this election. The LGBTQ+ community is diverse, with a wide range of issues, from the economy to civil rights to democracy, that bring the community to the polls. Without a doubt, LGBTQ+ voters will continue to use the ballot box to fight for our right to live and thrive free from discrimination in this election and beyond.The poll was conducted between August 8 and August 18 with Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) overseeing recruitment. They drew respondents from their broader LGBTQ+ Research Panel, a representative sample of 50,000 LGBTQ+ adults across the United States. Ten respondents were directly recruited to represent hard-to-reach communities.2,432 respondents were eligible for inclusion after demographics and analysis variables were accounted for. The survey was weighted based on population characteristics to account for any potential biases in how representative the sample might be. Results have a margin of error of +/- 4.6%.

Gotta love Ricky Martin!See on InstagramIts no secret that Ricky Martin likes to show some skin and explore his sexiness from time to time. This week, the popstar shared an old transition video from 2011s Msica + Alma + Sexo World Tour where he appears completely naked.The Msica + Alma + Sexo Tour, otherwise referred to as the M.A.S. Tour, was the first tour that followed Martins coming out as a gay man. As expected, the singer didnt hold back from exploring his sexual identity during the tour after having hidden in the closet for so many years. In this particular video re-shared on social media, Martin is seen taking a shower and having body paint splattered all over him and the end result is just as sexy as that sounds!Scroll through to see the sexiest moments from Ricky Martins video.

If you thought Chappell Roan has had a meteoric rise to fame, she has nothing on a tiny baby hippo who is quickly taking over TikTok.Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippopotamus from Thailand who has quickly become a viral sensation, has been booked, busy, and racking up views all over social media.But who is this adorable creature who has wormed her way into the hearts of millions?The two-month-old pygmy hippo was born on July 10 and named by 20,000 children and tourists on Facebook who chose Moo Deng, which translates to bouncy pig or pork patty a fitting name for the exuberant pink-cheeked, chubby baby hippo. After being born, Moo Deng has experienced the kind of fame stars like Madonna and Taylor Swift experience, with a video of the hippo eating and having its cute little butt patted by a zoo keeper garnering over 33 million views on TikTok.@khamoo.andthegang #hippo #Peoples obsession with Moo Deng has inspired a flurry of memes and fan art, and videos taken of her at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province in Thailand have racked up millions of views.The videos, many of which are shot by her handlers, feature the pygmy hippo eating, playing, and getting a bath. Not only is she so adorable that shes giving us cute aggression but shes also a joy to watch because you can already see her personality in her videos. Shes playful but also has a tendency to be bitey with her handlers and loves to romp around, causing chaos. Honestly, this is the kind of chaotic lesbian representation weve been looking for! (@) Shes become so popular that Sephora Thailand is selling blush by using the slogan, Wear your blush like a baby hippo, alongside a picture of Moo Deng and her rosy cheeks. Maybe shes a femme?Moo Dengs rise to fame hasnt come without pitfalls. Shes become so popular that the zoo recently had to reduce viewing hours for the little hippo because guests behavior has gotten so out of control. There have been reports that visitors have been throwing shellfish, water, and other objects at Moo Deng, according to Time Magazine. See, Chappell Roan was right when she called fans out for being weird after people got aggressive and overstepped normal boundaries.Now, visiting hours for Moo Deng have been limited to five minutes for each viewing and only on Saturday and Sunday. (@) These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous, zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi said, NBC News reports. We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.Moo Deng is a Pygmy hippo, which means she looks like a miniature version of a regular hippo, but according to the San Diego Zoo, pygmy hippos are less aquatic than their larger counterparts, which means that she has a longer neck and rounder head and her eyes arent on top of her head, all of which help to give Moo Deng her signature adorable look. Pygmy hippos also have thin skin that dehydrates quickly so they ooze out a pink fluid. See, even her goo is lesbian-coded!Sadly, they are also an endangered species, and less than 3,000 remain in the wild. But thats even more reason to love and learn more about his silly and cute baby hippo.Keep scrolling for some of our favorite Moo Deng memes! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

A word to the wise: do NOT schedule any plans with the lesbians in your lives for June 6, 2025, as that date has already been booked for talking, laughing, loving, breathing fighting, fucking, crying, drinking riding, winning, losing, cheating, kissing, thinking, dreaming, and most importantly, reading.Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, who starred as Alice Pieszecki and Shane McCutcheon, respectively, in The L Word have sent gay groupchats everywhere into an absolute frenzy this morning by announcing they have co-authored a new book together. Their new book, aptly titled SO GAY FOR YOU: Friendship, Found Family, & the Show That Started it All, is set to be released by Macmillan in June of next year. See on InstagramThe two have been incredibly close for over 20 years, having met during production for The L Word in 2004. They described the birth of their friendship in the announcement post on Instagram for SO GAY FOR YOU. They said, This book has been a very special project for us this past year and in some ways, for the past two decades. Thats when we first met while auditioning for the role of Shane on an unknown little show that we weren't quite sure would even see the light of day. Needless to say, it did, and it changed our lives forever.The story goes that the rest of The L Word cast used to joke that they were like a pair of pants, you couldnt have one leg without the other. Thats also how they got the name of their hit podcast, PANTS with Kate and Leisha, which has been downloaded over 20 million times since beginning in 2020.See on InstagramIt's now come full circle, with Hailey and Moennig not sharing pants, but tangling their jackets together on the cover of their new joint memoir. What says youre my platonic lesbian life partner more than buttoning your Canadian tuxedos together, entwining them to become one? Absolutely nothing, thats what. Their description of the project does read like the theme song to The L Word in a lot of ways, but much more sincere. In SO GAY FOR YOU, we write about our journey from being closeted queer kids to actors on The L Word, and beyond. This is the story of our friendship, which has defined our lives for the past 20 years, and has been a consistent anchor through our highs and lows, loves and losses, their announcement continued. They close with a heartfelt commendation of all their fans, and the community theyve built along the way. Moennig and Hailey said, And most importantly, this book is a love story to our relationship with our community, our chosen family, and all of you. We hope you love reading this book as much as we loved writing it, because we are SO GAY FOR YOU!See on InstagramMark your calendars, SO GAY FOR YOU will be released June 6, 2025, and is available for preorder now.

An official season three trailer for Netflix's queer teen drama Heartstopper dropped today, and it's just as full of teen angst and steamy moments as we were hoping.Plus, it gives us a sneak peek at the super gay celebrity guest appearance we've been dying to see!Now 16 years old, best friends-turned-boyfriends Nick (Kit Conner) and Charlie (Joe Locke) are navigating mental health issues, your love, sex, and where to go to college in the new trailer.We see Charlie struggling with an eating disorder that was hinted at last season while Nick tries to comfort him, Charlie tries to get up the courage to tell Nick he loves him, and Elle and Tao attempt to take their relationship to the next level but things get derailed when Elle's gender dysphoria sadly rears its ugly head.Amidst all the struggle are steamy moments between Nick and Charlie that have us dying to see what the new season brings as the characters navigate their budding sex life. But the most exciting part of the trailer was definitely getting a short clip of Fellow Travelers star Jonathan Bailey's guest role author, Jack Maddox, who catches Nick's eye at a book signing. "Yeah, he's really hot," Nick says to Charlie as the two walk away from the encounter.So, while we wait for the new season to drop on Netflix, let's take a look at the steamiest moments teased in the trailer!The eight episode third season of Heartstopper premieres on Netflix on October 3, 2024.Teen loveNick and Charlie are dripping wet on the beach and sharing a moment? Swoon! The romance is heating up!We get a quick peek at Charlie on top of Nick in one of their bedrooms right before a scene of some of the boys in their friend groups learning to put condoms on in sex ed. We can't wait to see where this goes!Major PDAThe trailer has two passionate and very public makeout scenes between the two boys. Could they be any cuter?Steamy shower sceneAfter Charlie admits he wants to tell Nick he loves him, we see him knock on the bathroom door while Nick is in a steam-filled shower. Sweet momentsThe season looks like it's going to be full of teen drama, but the sweet and intimate moments between Nick and Charlie have us swooning.Will they, won't theyThis trailer makes us think this will be the steamiest season of the series yet, and we're not mad about it!Jonathan Bailey!One of our fave sexy gay stars joining the cast as Nick's celebrity crush?! We've never identified with Nick as much as we are in this moment because we, too have a crush on the bespectacled Bridgerton and Fellow Travelers star.Watch the full trailer below.

Valentina Gomez, an anti-LGBTQ+ provocateur and failed Republican candidate for Missouri secretary of state who made Dont be weak and gay her campaign slogan, has had her account on X demonetized after repeatedly using anti-gay slurs. Shes now ranting about the restriction, especially since she purchased a Cybertruck, an electric vehicle designed by Tesla, the company owned by Xs billionaire Republican owner Elon Musk. @elonmusk I dropped 100k on your Cybertruck and now you demonetize me, the gun-toting, flame-throwing loser tweeted on Monday. I should have bought another Prius, she added, referencing Toyotas hybrid gas-and-electric vehicle. Related Failed GOP candidate says Kamala Harris wants to kill babies & gays purchase children Valentina Gomezs new conspiracy theory says that this is all connected to having more wars. Just the day before, Gomez was literally platforming the massive and ostentatious utility vehicle. Her video showed her standing on her Cybertruck roof and invoking a conspiracy theory, claiming the first assassination attempt of Donald Trump in July was an inside job. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today This is a slanted roof and I can definitely hit a target from 500 yards, she said toting a fully loaded AR-15. This was an inside job and we must protect President Trump at all costs. 2 Assassination attempts 34 felony counts 4 indictments. And Trump is not backing down pic.twitter.com/HYMimD8HPH Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForUSA) September 15, 2024The day before, Gomez was once again on the roof of her truck firing an Elon Musk flamethrower with a music remix of Trumps outrageous debate claimthat Haitian migrants are eating Ohio pets.She captioned the video, Hide your cats, hide your dogs, and buy guns. Hide your cats, hide your dogs, and buy guns pic.twitter.com/UZAKrGjIdq Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForUSA) September 14, 2024Gomez apparently bought her new rig in August, tweeting at the self-entitled fellow conspiracy theorist and worlds richest man, The CyberTruck is not weak and gay. @elonmusk I approve.But days later, X sanctioned Gomez after she posted another video, since blocked from the platform, using a gay slur. The post was restricted for violating Xs Hateful Conduct guidelines, and Gomezs account was demonetized.One user replied to Gomezs complaint to Musk, I dont think its Elon. I think theres someone at X that is targeting accounts that are Pro Trump.In response, she posted Elon needs to fire that p**sy.While shes mad about the X slap, Gomez, who used another flamethrower to burn a pile of LGBTQ+-themed books early in her campaign, doesnt seem to harbor any resentment for the Tesla company owner.Im not that mad at Elon tbh, she posted after the fact.

Vice President Kamala Harris just scored the last pop girlie infinity stone, with Billie Eilish endorsing the Democratic presidential nominee today!We kid, we kid. But seriously, Eilish is just the latest female pop star to put the weight of her fame behind the Harris/Walz campaign. Beyonc, Charlie XCX, and Ariana Grande have all endorsed the Vice President, with Taylor Swift joining the group and ruffling Republican feathers in a hilarious way by not only endorsing Harris and urging people to register to vote but signing her letter Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.In a joint video made with her brother and frequent collaborator Finneas, Eilish urged her fans to vote to protect their reproductive freedom and against extremists.We are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet, and our democracy, the What Was I Made For? singer said in a video posted to her Instagram account.Finneas added, We cant let extremists control our lives, ours freedoms and our future. The only way to stop them and the dangerous Project 2025 agenda is to vote and elect Kamala Harris.The passionate video ends with Eilish saying, Vote like your life depends on it, because it does."Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Demi Lovato, Kesha, Pink, and Maren Morris are all supporting Harris bid for the presidency, alongside OG divas like Barbra Streisand, Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, and Patti LaBelle.Now, with Eilish joining the fight, Harris has collected the fifth infinity stone, and hopefully, shell be unstoppable!

Want to know how to please a top? Here's what they wish bottoms knew.Bottoms, I would first like to start by expressing our deep gratitude for your existence. Without you, anal sex would be impossible, and we would all be very depressed and celibate gay men. I also want to thank you for existing in abundance. I seldom have the issue of running into another top. For that, again, my sincere thanks. But that said, there are a few ways that you can make sex even better. There are a few things you might not be aware of, considering youre being filled up, and not doing the filling. So here are 10 things all tops want bottoms to know.1. We want you to movePlease dont just lie there. We dont want to feel like were having sex with a dead fish. Were not necrophiliacs. Please be an active bottom. We dont even mean power bottom, we just want you to actually move when were having sex with you.2. We cant power drill foreverAlas, were not porn stars. (Unless if you actually are a porn star. If so, please ignore.) If we power drill for two minutes straight, then youre going to end up with two minutes of sex. Because the vast majority of us will either orgasm or tire ourselves out.3. Let us know if your ass isnt clean (before we eat it)Sometimes youre not sure how clean you are. Honestly, this is fine for anal penetration. (While many guys will disagree with me, I think its worth the risk). However, if youre not 100% clean, please dont encourage us to eat your ass, and please stop us from doing so.4. Signal to us you want something not on the menuEspecially for casual encounters, where the sexual acts werent pre-negotiated, please convey to the top if you want something that hes not doing. If you want something rougher or kinkier. You can (and should) be directly verbal and say, choke me, but if youre not comfortable with saying something, take his hand, put it around your neck, and squeeze it. That way he knows its okay. Be clear about what you want, especially if its outside the norm.5. Let us know where you want us to orgasmAs youre very well aware, we often arent thinking clearly the seconds before finishing, so please tell us where you want it to go. Otherwise, who knows where it will end up. And theres nothing worse than a waste of semen on the sheets or on the walls.6. Squeeze your anus when were inside of youFor some reasons, few bottoms think to do this. Squeeze your anus when were inside you. The pressure feels really, really good.7. We need breathersWe cant go forever. So please, take control. Ride us for a little bit so we can get a break from doing doggy. Switch to positions that require more exertion from the bottom than the top.8. Just because you're on PrEP doesnt mean were not wearing any condomsWe know PrEP works. However, we dont know how well you adhere to your meds, and we dont want to acquire other STIs. Gonorrhea sucks. Taking antibiotics sucks. Also, bottoms are at higher risk for contracting HIV than tops. So please, please respect our decision to use a condom if we so choose.9. Dont assume we bottom because we're fem or shortTops come in all shapes and sizes, including short guys and feminine dudes. There are so many drag queens out there who are tops. Dont assume someone is a top or a bottom because of the way they present or because of their size.10. We have a refractory period You know this. You are a man too! So please, dont ask us to have sex again 60 seconds after we orgasm. Give us 15 minutes and (most of us) will be ready to go again.

A shadowy Republican political action committee (PAC) running an anti-Semitic ad campaign seemingly has ties to Richard Grenell, a gay man Republican National Committee advisor who served as the acting director of national intelligence for about two months under then-President Donald Trump. Grenell hasnt responded to inquiries from The New York Times, the publication that first noted his connection.The ads all tout Vice Presiden Kamala Harris support of Israel and her marriage to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, a man who would become the first Jewish presidential spouse if shes elected president. The Super PAC has aired the ads online around Dearborn, Michigan, a heavily Arab-American Muslim area that birthed the Uncommitted Movement, a protest campaign to pressure Harris and the Biden Administration to end their continued support of Israel amid its ongoing attack on Palestinian civilians. As such, the ads are intended to anger Muslim and Arab-American voters into not supporting Harris. Related Only gay speaker at RNC says Donald Trump doesnt care about peoples gender or sexuality Other speakers at the RNC dont appear to have gotten the memo. One ad states, Vice President Harris has chosen a side, the right side. She stands with Israel and the Jewish people. She has, again and again. So when (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu came to DC, Harris hosted the prime minister at the White House. And when supporters of a free Palestine stood up for Gaza, Harris put them in their place. And supporters of free Palestine? They hate her. Because Kamala Harris gets it. We can trust shell always support Israel. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Another ad says, This November, lets make history. Together, we will put a real pro-Israel president in the White House. And joining Kamala will be her husband and top advisor, Doug Emhoff, who would be the first Jewish presidential spouse ever.The Future Coalition PAC has spent around $83,000 broadcasting seven similarly themed ads online, resulting in over 4.2 million views collectively, according to the Google Ads Transparency Center. While the ads seem pro-Jewish and pro-Israel, theyre being used to inflame anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiment among the tens of thousands of Muslim and Arab-American voters as well as voters who disagree with the current U.S. policy favoring Israel. These voters could collectively help former President Donald Trump win Michigan if they decide not to support Harris.The Future Coalition PAC is not associated with The Future Coalition, a youth-activist organization that has denounced the PACs anti-Semitic and hateful advertisements.Google Ad Transparency Center An image showing six of the Future Coalition Super PACs ads as well as the money and viewing statistics behind them. The Future Coalition PAC was formed in July, according to Federal Election Commission records. The groups assistant treasurer, Cabell Hobbs, also served as the treasurer for a super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential bid, CNN reported.The Future Coalition PACs website links to the YouTube page of a different group called Protecting America Initiative. That group is led by Richard Grenell, according to The New York Times. Grenell hasnt publicly commented on his ties to either group. Who is Richard Grenell?In 2018, when then-President Trumpappointed him as the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Grenell became the highest-ranking LGBTQ+ person in the Trump administration. German officials opposed Grenells ambassadorship andlargely shunned himas a conservative meddler. When Trumpnamed him the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI)in 2020, Grenell became the first out gay man to hold a Cabinet-level position.Although Grenell claimed in August 2020 that President Trump is the most pro-gay president in American history, nothing backs up that claim. During his time in the Trump administration, Grenell said he worked with Trump ona campaign to end the criminalization of homosexualityaround the world, but the campaign seemingly accomplished nothing. Around the same time, Trump officials said it wouldviolate religious freedomto pressure countries to repeal their anti-LGBTQ+ laws.Since Trumps re-election loss in 2020, Grenell has repeated Trumps lie that the election was stolen due to an unprecedented nationwide conspiracy of voter fraud that only occurred in the states that Trump lost. He has also opposed the Equality Act, legislation that would provide federal LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination protections, claiming it would be an attack on religion. The tension between pro-Palestinian voters, Kamala Harris, and the pro-war movementBoth Harris and Biden have called for a cease-fire deal that would return Israelis and Israeli-Americans taken hostage during last Octobers Hamas-led attack on Israel. Harris has also said that Palestine must have its own state alongside Israel as well as rights to security and sovereignty. However, pro-Palestinian activists and the Uncommitted Movement want Harris to end all arms sales to Israel and to explain how her administration would significantly differ from Bidens on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Israeli attacks have killed over40,000 Palestiniansand wounded over 92,400, according to Gazas Health Ministry. Human rights groups have accused Israel of attacking unarmed individuals, children, vital civilian infrastructure, schools, hospitals, refugee camps and foreign aid workers. Abbas Alawieh, co-founder of the Uncommitted Movement, said his organization is working to build a mass antiwar coalition between key Democratic voting groups, including unions, youth-led, black-led, Jewish-led and Arab-led organizations that can continue to pressure Harris and Biden.Its clear that the pro-war side in our country has a whole lot of power when the first time Vice President Harris is speaking as the Democratic Partys nominee, she talks about wanting the most lethal military in the entire world, Alawieh told Jacobin. The pro-war side is working overtime, and theyre achieving this type of maximalist language from Democratic Party leadership that is out of touch with the pro-peace sentiments of the majority of Democratic voters. Theyre spending more money than they ever have trying to obfuscate this issue and trying to eliminate any champions of peace or of Palestinian human rights.

Meet the Queens of Drag Race Thailand season 3!At last, the sickening cast of the long-awaited return of Drag Race Thailand has been Ru-vealed!Its been five long years since Angele Anang snatched the title in 2019 (wow, her step-down will be epic) and fans have been clamoring for more. Now we are getting our wish.Also making a grand return is host and main judge Pangina Heals. The drag legend has certainly kept busy in in her time away from the show, including her own stint competing on Drag Race UK vs. The World, touring the globe, and starring in both RuPauls Drag Race Live in Las Vegas and Tongue Thaid on WOW Presents Plus. Now shell be back where it all began, behind the judges table!While Pangina may be a familiar face, there are plenty of changes coming to the new season of Drag Race Thailand, including a brand new stage and a glowed-up Werkroom. Also new, of course, are all the incredible drag artists competing for the title of Thailands Next Drag Superstar!Speaking of which, lets meet the queens!Watch the Meet the Queens of Thailand season 3!Are you obsessed? Well, same. Well be counting down the days until the series premieres on October 16, exclusively on WOW Presents Plus worldwide.Keep scrolling for a closer look at queens about to snatch your heart, and in one case, the crown! Benze Diva, 42 - Samutprakarn, ThailandLadies and gentlemen, step aside, because the Mama Queen is coming and her name is Benze Diva! A fairy godmother of drag with over 20 years of experience, Benze Diva has mentored many Thai drag stars. Benze Diva has already won the hearts and respect of the new drag generation, exuding the wisdom, enlightenment and joy that only decades in the spotlight can bring. Get ready, Benze Diva is here to prove that true royalty is timeless. And remember, in her own immortal words, "Age is just a number, Darlings!"Instagram: @benzediva_officialBenze DivaFrankie Wonga, 30 - Bangkok, ThailandFierce, freak and fantasy, Frankie Wonga is about to revolutionize the drag scene! With her background in special effects makeup, Frankie Wonga brings an otherworldly flair to the drag scene in Thailand. Since her first day in that scene, her looks and performances have been more than just shows; they're breathtaking spectacles that challenge reality and amaze audiences. Get ready for an out-of-this-world experience that will redefine your expectations of drag. Frankie Wonga is here, and she's going to take the world by storm!Instagram:@frankie.wongaFrankie WongaGawdland, 22 - Chiang Mai,ThailandIn less than two years, Gawdland has transformed Thailand's drag scene into her era. She's not just a rising star she's a supernova in stilettos. Gawdland is the voice of the new generation, a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights in Thailand. She serves us sexiness with confidence. She's known for her striking looks, charismatic performances and unapologetic attitude. Gawdland has the ability to challenge societal norms and represent the vibrant, diverse future of Thai drag culture.Instagram: @gawdlandGawdlandGigi Ferocious, 28 - Bangkok, ThailandPrepare to experience the meteoric rise of Gigi Ferocious. From the world of dance to the dazzling world of drag, Gigi Ferocious isn't just stepping into the spotlight she's conquering it with a ferocity that lives up to her name. This fashion-forward phenomenon is more than just a pretty face; she's a whirlwind of talent, confidence and pure, unadulterated star power. Don't let her newcomer status fool you. Gigi's extensive performance experience has equipped her with an arsenal of skills that seasoned queens can only dream of. In a world of glitz and glam, Gigi Ferocious shines brighter than a diamond in the rough.Instagram: @gigiferociousGigi FerociousKara Might, 27 - Ratchaburi, ThailandAs the prodigious drag daughter of the legendary Bunny Be Fly from Drag Race Thailand Season 1, Kara Might isn't just stepping into the spotlight she's claiming it as her birthright. With a remarkable talent for fashion design that has queens all over Thailand and beyond clamoring for her creations, Kara sweetens the show with her pink drag persona. So buckle up, Kara Might is here to prove that the world of drag isn't just about clothes, it's about transformation. Get ready to witness the birth of the sweet Kara Might.Instagram: @karamightNane Sphera, 33 - Chiang Mai, ThailandNane Sphera is the undisputed Queen of the North with a presence that commands attention and a talent that demands respect. As the proud owner of the sensational 6ixcret Show Drag Bar in Chiang Mai, Nane Sphera is set to revolutionize the drag scene in Thailand like never before. She has an impressive decade of performing experience and her lip-syncing skills are simply exceptional. Nane creates every single piece she wears herself from head to toe. Keep your eyes open and your senses ready, because the Northern Queen is here and shell reign supreme!Instagram: @nane_spheraNane SpheraSiam Phusri, 34 - San Francisco, USAFrom L.A. to Thailand, Siam Phusri is the only Thai drag star to thrill audiences far from her homeland. Her name alone is a masterpiece "Siam"," the ancient name of Thailand, combined with "Phu" (land) and "Sri" (glorious) and trust us, she lives up to every syllable. While she represents Thailand in L.A., Siam is a chameleon of unpredictability. Her costumes are handcrafted and she puts a lot of love and passion into them. Watch out, world Siam Phusri is coming, and she's bringing the heat!Instagram: @siamphusriSiam PhusriShortgun, 22 - Chiang Mai, ThailandShortgun, the alternative drag queen from the north, whose looks are as fascinating as they are unforgettable. With her first-class make-up skills and a style that defies convention, Shortgun describes herself as strange yet iconic. She proves that drag isn't just about doing a split, dip or stunt it's about making a lasting impression. She's a creative queen with a strong presence. Shortgun's unique brand of drag can be summed up in four words: weird, spooky, camp, and unexpected.Instagram: @theshortgunnShortgunSpicy Sunshine, 30 - Bangkok, ThailandSpicy Sunshine has been a backup dancer in Singapore since the age of 18 and lives up to her name by heating up the Thai drag scene with her sizzling dance moves. It wasnt long before she found her true calling in the drag community, believing it was the perfect stage to showcase her talents. With shows at the Drag Bar in Bangkok, she has proven that she is a star. Her fighting spirit is getting stronger by the day, making her a force to be reckoned with on every stage she sets foot on.Instagram: @spicy.sunshineeeSpicy SunshineSrirasha Hotsauce, 27 - Bangkok, ThailandWith a background in theater, Srirasha channels her artistic flair and theatrical experience into her performances. She has found her perfect expression in Japanese anime aesthetics, which now influences every look she creates. While she might not be flipping or splitting on stage, she holds the audiences emotions in the palm of her hand and delivers each performance with remarkable precision and intensity. Her ability to capture every emotion in her performance has made her a standout force in the drag scene, earning her widespread recognition and acclaim.Instagram: @srirashahotsauceSrirasha HotsauceZepee, 29 - Phrae, ThailandA stunning transgender showgirl from Phrae, Zepee has taken the stage by storm. Her talent is second to none, especially when it comes to her performance. She has made a name for herself on Thai television with a role in the popular series "Matalad. Although she auditioned for Drag Race Thailand season 2 and didnt make it, she didnt give up. Instead, she used this as an incentive to improve her dancing, sewing, performance skills and come back stronger than ever. With her fun-loving personality and likable charm, her lip-syncing skills are not to be underestimated.Instagram: @ze_peeZepee

Vice President Kamala Harris discussed attacks against the LGBTQ+ community while speaking to the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon.During her discussion, the NABJ interviewers asked Harris if she felt safe with Secret Service protection following the two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump. She replied, I do, and added, but you can go back to Ohio not everybody has Secret Service, a reference to the bombing threats and violence that have occurred in the city of Springfield following lies repeated by Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) about Haitian immigrants eating local pets and spreading disease. Related Joe Biden: Gay people tend to have more courage than most people Its not what your sexual preference is, its what your intellectual capacity is and what your courage is, the president said. And there are far too many people in our country who are not feeling safe, she added. I mean, I look atProject 2025, and, you know, theDont say gaylaws coming out ofFlorida, and members of the LGBTQ+ community dont feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background dont feel safe right now. Women dont feel safe right now. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Yes, I feel safe, she continued. I have Secret Service protection, but that doesnt change my perspective on the importance of fighting for the safety of everybody in our country and doing everything we can to, again, lift people up and not beat people down so they feel alone and made to feel small and not a part of it or us. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GLAAD (@glaad)Harris has repeatedly linked Trump to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations blueprint for a second Trump presidency, which would replace nonpartisan federal workers with Trump loyalists and roll back civil rights protections for pregnant people, workers, and LGBTQ+ people. While Trump has repeatedly disavowed any knowledge of or involvement with Project 2025, over 140 of his former staffers helped write it and many of its provisions are part of his platform.While Floridas Dont Say Gay law forbids any classroom instruction on LGBTQ+ issues in public schools, congressional Republicans have introduced a national Dont Say Gay bill that would go far beyond Floridas Dont Say Gay law. The bill, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, would cut federal funding to libraries, school districts, hospitals, government entities, or other organizations for hosting or promoting any program, event, or literature involving sexually-oriented material, including any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related topics. A 2023 survey found that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, including attacks on gender-affirming care, is making 66% of queer youth more anxious and suicidal.The 2024 Democratic National Platform pledges to passthe Equality Act, a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal anti-discrimination laws. The platform also pledges to prohibit anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination among federal government contractors, to ensure that federally-funded senior programs are LGBTQ+-inclusive, to ban conversion therapy for queer youth, to end violence against transgender Americans, and to prioritize the investigation of hate crimes against trans and non-binary people. Comparatively. the Republican National Platform pledges to cut federal funding to schools with push radical gender ideology and sexual content onto children, to ban transgender athletes from playing competitive sports, to end all federal funding of gender-affirming surgery, to oppose Title IX and Title VII protections for trans students and employees, and to provide legal protections for Christians who discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.When Trumpspoke with the NABJ, he claimed to be the best president of all time for Black people, even better than Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves, and Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed civil rights protections outlawing racial discrimination. Trump also told the NABJ that Harris didnt always identify as Black, a lie that ignores her biracial Black and Indian ethnicity.

Joe Saunders, candidate for Florida House District 106, has been through this before.In 2012, the University of Central Florida graduate jumped into the race to represent a new legislative district centered around his alma mater and won handily. He was just 29 at the time.Two years later, Democrats suffered a wave of losses in Florida and Saunders, who was considered a rising star in the party and had quickly risen in leadership, lost his seat in a squeaker, by just 714 votes.Now 41, Saunders is back on the campaign trail and relocated to Miami, where hes taking on incumbent Florida state Rep. Fabin Basabe, a candidate who could charitably be called colorful his resume includes a starring role in the reality show Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive and charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and multiple allegations of sexual harassment by male legislative aides. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Since Saunders election loss in 2014, his own resume has grown to include multiple roles at Equality Florida, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization where he first worked after college, and political consulting for Florida Democrats and in the U.K. for out gay former Minister of StateSimon Hughes bid to return to Parliament.Saunders spoke from his home in South Beach, where he was hopeful about the future and predicted the world will change with the coming election.Just like Kamala is saying, Saunders forecast, were not going back, and some very, very powerful things are possible because of it.LGBTQ Nation: You graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida in 2005, and after college you joined Equality Florida, where youve worked in different capacities on and off since that org was started in response to the election of Jeb Bush as Florida governor 1996 and a broader right turn in state politics. What are the biggest challenges that the LGBTQ+ community has faced in Florida since then?Joe Saunders: Today, its really about Gov. Ron DeSantis war for censorship and government intrusion into peoples private lives, and thats shown up as the Dont Say Gay or Trans law, which Equality Florida has led on we named the Dont Say Gay law three years ago, and have seen multiple iterations of it since then here and in other states. What really just radicalized me around the necessity of engaging in politics was George W. Bushs campaign for reelection, and the fact that he centered his belief that there should be a federal marriage amendment in the United States Constitution. I mean, to me, that was just so offensive that he would run another Southern state strategy of culture wars and wedge issues.Its so interesting because it feels like in Florida, we always have nationalized politics here. Like were either informing national politics or informed by it. It always feels like its a call and response. And so our fates here in Florida are often tied to whats happening on the national landscape.So, you can answer that question in a lot of ways. You could name a bunch of different, separate policy fights that were in the middle of, but what were really dealing with is this attempt to turn the community against LGBTQ people, parents, and LGBTQ kids, and were fighting for the soul of the state right now. What is it about Florida thats pushed young people to the front of so many issues? Youre an example with your advocacy in college, and Im thinking of students who led walkouts over Dont Say Gay like Zander Moricz, and then David Hogg following the mass shooting in Parkland. What do you think accounts for that?Oh, such a good question. Ill answer it in this way: when I think about the tragedy in Parkland and the response from students who managed to pull off in a red state what nobody else had which is commonsense gun safety law reforms what I see is that people like David and the students that organized that response, they had been traumatized and affected by the tragedy at Pulse just two years earlier, right? And folks like Zander, too. You have to go back in time and see this series of events that have led to young people understanding their power in this state in response to the tragedy of Pulse nightclub, where 49 people lost their lives.We saw a global response, not just from the LGBT community, but from a broader community. So when tragedy struck in Parkland just two years later, students from the gay-straight alliances were some of the first to come forward, not just with grief, but with a policy agenda. It was like within days, they were organizing rallies, and they had very clear, sharp feedback for the state legislature, which was meeting at that time. When you see how Parkland students got on a bus in the middle of the night from Broward County and drove nine hours to Tallahassee by the way, it was Equality Floridas public policy team that was there to meet them and train them and tell them about how to navigate the halls of the Capitol and chase Republicans up and down stairwells when they needed.And just a few years later, again, you saw young people who had been following along after Parkland say, Okay, the Dont Say Gay or Trans law has been passed. This is a direct attack on our schools, on our community and our families, on our parents, and you saw advocacy come from it. These things build on themselves.One of your jobs at Equality Florida was as program director for Equality Means Business, which was the countrys first state-level Corporate Equality coalition. That effort helped catalyze corporate support for LGBTQ+ people and issues nationally, but there was a backlash in 2023 with the Bud Light boycott and controversy over Targets LGBTQ+-friendly products and branding. What do you think accounts for that backlash at that time with those companies? I think we have to understand that there is movement on the right in politics in the United States, and I actually think this is a global thing the rise of far-right populism, the rise of strong men like Ron DeSantis and Trump and Brexit in the U.K. Strong men come to power because they identify communities that are weaker and more vulnerable. They turn those into boogeymen that allow them to galvanize some base of an electorate and say, Look at these bad people over here. Only I can save you from them.And so the attacks on DEI and the attacks on diversity and inclusion programs, both in corporate America, but also in academic spaces across society, across civic society, its all sort of stemming from the same source. To me theyre all sort of born from a belief that the growing diversity of the United States the fact that were inches away from being a minority-majority country, where there is no single racial majority that all of those tensions, added on top of economic tensions from COVID, have led to the possibility of folks coming in and trying to identify bad people that they need to save you from. Trumps obsession with migrants and immigrants is one example of that.So what I think were seeing in the corporate space is that companies that are operating at a global level, across lines of difference and culture and time zones and language and race and gender, that is in direct tension with the politics that I just described. But I also think that those tensions are shallow like, I think that at the end of the day, the market is the market, and there is a very legitimate, real reason why companies need diversity and inclusion programs. DeSantis signed the Dont Say Gay legislation into law in March 2022. Describe the real-world effects of that law and the expansion that followed on both LGBTQ+ and straight students, as well.It was a moment of sweeping censorship, and it was always shallow and inauthentic. But it goes to the narrative around LGBTQ people being groomers because of their advocacy for LGBTQ youth. Thats always been a part of the discourse around LGBT rights in the United States, but for a long time, there was no place for it. Even Republicans, even conservatives, wouldnt stand next to that frame. But it was our advocacy against the Dont Say Gay or Trans law that I think created room for Gov.DeSantis, specifically, for that to be their response to our critique of the censorship, right? And it swept the country. I think thats important to say out loud, because it was all born from the same source. What they would originally say is, the law was only about K through 3rd grade, and they said, Why are you so mad about this? Its only about K through third grade. We said, Well, first, the way that your law is written, its very clearly not just for that. It clearly made room for the censorship to stretch above 3rd grade.The very next year, they came back and expanded it from 3rd grade to 8th grade, and three months after that, the State Department of Education passed a rule not a lot of law, but a rule that extended the Dont Say Gay or Trans law all the way up to 12th grade. So it was never really just about that. It was always about a toe in the door before they could kick it open.Whats happened since then, though, was Equality Florida convened a bunch of parents who were horrified by the way that stories about LGBTQ people were being censored out of schools and we filed a lawsuit and we won against the Dont Say Gay or Trans law in court. We reached a historic settlement with the DeSantis administration where they had to admit that the censorship was happening and that it shouldnt and so in many different ways that litigation has since gutted the law. Some claim DeSantis is moderating his homophobia following the collapse of his presidential campaign and the Dont Say Gay settlement. Is there evidence of that?His presidential campaign was a complete flop, and I think he limped back to Florida, but I dont believe that were seeing Governor DeSantis moderate. In fact, I think were seeing him doubling down. Does he have the same influence that he did as he was building his presidential campaign? I think thats a different question.Just one example of how he keeps doubling down on the extremism is he made the decision when finalizing last sessions budget to veto all funding from arts and cultural organizations in the state. Weve never seen a governor veto all every single line item for these grants. And after the backlash from the arts community begins, his response to why he vetoed it was that there were sexual festivals in Orlando and Tampa that gave him the belief that this funding was going to woke organizations. Now, these are theater festivals that are predominantly LGBT, that have a lot of LGBT content. I think hes doubling down on everything, but there are signs that legislative leaders here in the state, that business leaders like Disney and the business coalitions that they work with are done with the war on woke and theyre ready to go back to a state that they recognize.It just sounds like DeSantis is vindictive.Oh my gosh, yeah. We became the poster child for anti-LGBTQ extremism after years of being what a lot of people thought of as the hope for the South. We had a moderate Republican coalition that I worked with every day, had businesses that were supporting LGBT rights and non-discrimination, and then Ron DeSantis decides he wants to run for president. But the very next year after Ron went to Iowa and three out of four voters in Iowa rejected him and his terrible retail politics and terrible story, we saw almost every anti-LGBT bill in the following session die. Last week DeSantis removed the LGBTQ+ pages from the Florida tourism site.LGBTQ tourism generates millions of dollars in economic development in Florida, especially in my district, which includes Miami Beach, a major LGBTQ tourism destination. He is actively hurting businesses and our economy, and for what? This is just more of the same from a governor who cares more about manufacturing culture wars than solving real problems. People are done with a version of politics in Florida that puts us to the right of Alabama.In your first race in 2012 you faced a fairly conventional Republican in your Orlando district. Now youre up against a very unconventional Republican in Miami, Fabin Basabe. Were not even sure if this guys gay or straight. Hes married to a woman, but hes faced multiple charges by male staffers of sexual harassment. He calls himself a fiscal conservative, but a social liberal. How do you describe him, and whats your strategy to defeat him? Well, my opponent has never once voted out of alignment with Gov. DeSantis agenda. Fabin voted for the Dont Say Gay or Trans expansion law. He voted for the anti-trans bathroom bill. He voted for the license to discriminate bill, which allows people to call in a strongly held religious belief as a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card for non-discrimination laws in the state. He famously campaigned as a champion for womens reproductive freedom and then voted against over 50 amendments that were brought by Democrats to Ron DeSantis six-week abortion ban. Fabian voted against every one.Then when it came time to vote yes or no on the six-week abortion ban, he took a walk, just walked on the vote, and then posted a crazy video, that I think is still available, where he blames the Democrats and the super minority for the six-week abortion ban.What I say a lot about him is that people in this district need to be very, very wary of politicians who will go to Tallahassee and attack you and your family and then come home to pander to you at Pride. Another headline that you maybe caught was where he was told by Miami Beach Pride that he wasnt welcome to march with them because they thought he was a safety concern, because the community would protest him so aggressively whenever he would show up to LGBT things, and he threatened to sue them in federal court. Its like he wants his cake, and he knows that he cant win a district like this, voting to the right of Attila the Hun, voting as if hes an Alabama Republican. But hes only ever voted like hes an Alabama Republican, and I think thats been about him going to Tallahassee and reading the room and knowing you get more power if you stay on the team of leadership, but leadership this cycle has been some of the most conservative weve ever seen in Florida.A lot of what my campaign is about is about showing people the balance that we need in the Capitol, reminding them that this is a Democratic seat thats been held by Democrats for 50 years, and weve got somebody who may show up and promise you the Moon, but what hes promising doesnt match his votes.What is the single most important thing the world should do to address the climate crisis? We have to pivot to an economy that is not just accommodating for renewable energy sources but is centered around renewable energy like solar, which here in the Sunshine State we should be leading on, and instead, we are often fighting against.Would you support mandatory national service for young people in the military, or some other form of public service of their choosing like the Peace Corps or Teach for America?I think I would want to understand that proposal a little bit more before I would weigh in on it. I havent talked about anything like that so far on the campaign trail. You and your husband, Edison Aguilera, live in Miami Beach in the district youre running from now. What can you tell us about him, how did you meet, and who proposed to whom?Oh, no! I dont know if Im allowed to tell parts of these stories. I didnt ask him yet.We met during Wilton Manors Pride, up in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, and we actually got married during COVID. Eddie is from Bogota, Colombia, hes a doctor, and his dream is to transition his medical license here to the United States. Today hes doing clinical research on different forms of brain cancer at the University of Miami, so hes much smarter than all of us and doing much more important work than all of us.But our marriage story really was always about COVID. He was staying with me and traveling back and forth to Colombia, and then when the airports started closing, we knew we had some fast decisions to make to be able to stay together, and Im so glad we did. And is there a proposal involved?Someday, Im going to have to rent a plane and parachute down to the Eiffel Tower and land on one knee and give him a ring in front of the world. That is still an expectation, but honestly, it was much more raw than that. It was much more like waking up one day after talking about what our options might be to stay together, and to stay in this little bubble that we had. The Broward County Clerk of Courts closed, and the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts closed, and we realized that the only opportunity we had was to drive down to Islamorada in Monroe County, right near Key West, and just go for it. That was three years ago. Someday well do a big wedding. Thats the dream.Are there kids in your future?Oh, girl. Who can have the time? Right now, were trying to decide if were getting a dog thats the debate today.Ive got some hypotheticals. Its Halloween eve, and you and Edison are heading to a costume party dressed as Gov. DeSantis and First Lady Casey. Whos wearing the cape and whos wearing the lifts?I think we would probably rethink that and show up as Mario and Luigi. I think we do that instead. Bridget and Christian Ziegler invite you and Edison over for game night and Bridget texts beforehand that you should bring something wet. What do you show up with?Oh, my God. Um, I think I would show up with the list of all of the Moms for Liberty school board candidates that Equality Florida is kicking out of office in the 2024 election cycle.Its New Years Eve at Mar-a-Lago and youre seated at a table with Ye, formerly known as Kanye, along with avowed antisemite and white supremacist Nick Fuentes. How did you how did you end up there? A) Trump won the election, and hes reaching out to the LGBTQ+ community, B) Trump lost, and youve been asked to join a truth and reconciliation commission, or C) You ate too much Key Lime pie at your own New Years Eve party and youre having a terrible nightmare.Yeah, its C, and theres still a lot of yelling. Predictions!I think Kamala Harris is going to be president, and I think the world is going to change. Im going to give you a hopeful prediction, because it is how I feel today. I think the country is going to find itself out of what feels like a really dark, confusing period, and just like Kamala is saying, were not going back, and some very, very powerful things are possible because of it.What are you looking most forward to if you win election to the Florida House representing District 106? Sleeping immediately. Right away, a nap.

The Republican candidate for North Carolina superintendent of public instruction falsely claimed this week that the + in LGBTQ+ indicates support for pedophilia.On Monday, Michele Morrow took to social media to attack her Democratic opponent, Mo Green, for having accepted the endorsement of LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality North Carolina. Related GOP campaign staffer freaks out after seeing a socialist rainbow flag in a school She said the flag is proof that liberals want indoctrination camps for kids, but community members dont see what the problem is. Mo Green has stated that the Parental Bill of Rights Does more harm than good and he states he is proudly endorsed by Equality NC, whose mission statement is to promote LGBTQ+ power, Morrow wrote in a September 16 X post. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today NEWSFLASH she added, the + includes PEDOPH*L*A!! Mo Green will NOT keep our children safe!Of course, Morrows claim is categorically false. As Jazmynne Cruz, a spokesperson for Equality North Carolina, told WRAL, the + in the widely used acronym indicates the inclusion of people whose sexual orientation or gender identities dont fit neatly into categories like lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer/questioning those who are asexual, nonbinary, intersex, etc.Cruz said that Equality North Carolina aims to ensure that every North Carolinian sees themselves reflected in this movement for equality, working together to create a safer, more equitable world for all marginalized individuals.The organization, Cruz said, does not support pedophilia.Setting aside the truly Kafkaesque fact that a mainstream news outlet even felt it had to source something like this, WRAL also pointed to fact-checking site PolitiFact, which in May 2023 debunked the false claim, proliferated online and in far-right media, that LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations were incorporating pedophilia advocacy into their work. As PolitiFact noted in a separate post debunking the false right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ grooming narrative, according to Zero Abuse Project, an organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and exploitation, credible research indicates that sexual abuse of children is associated with power, not sexual orientation, and most molesters identify as heterosexual. In a statement to WRAL, Greens campaign said that Morrows post proves that she is unfit to lead out public schools.Every child deserves to learn, and every staff member deserves to work, in an environment that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive, Green said. Politicians like Morrow use schools as battlegrounds for their culture wars, and its simply unacceptable.Cruz told WRAL that Equality North Carolinas political action committee endorses Mo Green for many reasons, including his public commitment to ensuring that all students are safe at school and have access to education that prepares them to be the driving force in their future. According to a recent WRAL poll, Green, a former superintendent of Guilford County Schools and administrator in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and Morrow, a former nurse-turned-homeschooling advocate whose children have never attended North Carolina public schools, are in a virtual tie in their race for state superintendent.Since winning the Republican primary in March, Morrow has faced scrutiny for her past social media posts spreading the QAnon conspiracy theory and calling for the execution of former President Barack Obama and then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Morrow has claimed that those posts were taken out of context and that her past comments were made in jest.During her 2022 bid for a seat on the Wake County Board of Education, Morrow described public schools as socialism centers and indoctrination centers. This past March, Sloan Rachmuth, a spokesperson for Morrows campaign, posted a photo of a Progress Pride flag, which she claimed was hanging in a Charlotte elementary school. Yet another example of the socialist indoctrination camps @MicheleMorrowNC talks about, Rachmuth wrote.

Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would have created a right to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) and required insurance companies to cover IVF. Republicans accused Democrats of pushing the bill as a political move, as IVF has proven to be a contentious topic in this election cycle.Both Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), have said that they support IVF, with Trump even saying that he wants the government or insurance companies to be required to cover the procedure. After the vote, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote on X, Despite Donald Trumps claims that he wants IVF to be covered, Senate Republicans just blocked my Right to IVF Act for the second timelegislation that would have done exactly that. Related A couples fight over frozen embryos could upend IVF access in Texas The case is no doubt part of the predicted domino effect stemming from the Alabama Supreme Courts ruling declaring embryos as legal children. The Right to IVF bill failed in a 51-44 vote, with all Republicans voting against advancing the bill. This is the second time an IVF vote has failed due to Republican lawmakers. Sixty votes were needed to overcome the filibuster. 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 Sens.Susan Collins (R-ME) andLisa Murkowski(R-AK) voted with every Democrat and independent. Sens.Cory Booker (D-NJ),Joe Manchin (I-WV),Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) did not vote. Neither, notably, did Vance.Campaign manager for the Harris-Walz campaign Julie Chvez Rodrguez said in a statement, Donald Trumps running mate couldnt even bother to show up for todays Senate vote. While Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are off spreading conspiracy theories or taking another opportunity to insult childless women and couples struggling with fertility, Kamala Harris is fighting for all of our freedoms, all of our families, and our access to healthcare.GOP senators said that the vote was simply a show vote, accusing Democrats of misrepresenting Republicans views on IVF.Lets be clear there is not a single senator in this chamber on either side of the aisle who wants to ban IVF, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on the floor ahead of the votes. Their official platform would ban IVF and abortion nationwide, and their record tells the same story, Chvez Rodrguez said. J.D. Vance insults women struggling with fertility, voted against IVF access the last time it came to the floor, and Donald Trump appointed an anti-IVF extremist to the federal bench. If they win this November, theyll go even further to rip away Americans choices and freedoms.IVF is an important form of family health for queer people, many of whom cannot build their families without the assistance of reproductive treatments. A 2024 Family Equality Council survey found that 77 percent of LGBTQ+ millennials are either already parents or considering becoming parents, and a significant number rely on assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF.

The Harris-Walz battle cry Were not going back could have been borrowed from the Michigan Democratic Party playbook. In 2016, Democrats in this battleground state suffered a devastating defeat when Donald Trump eked out a statewide win by a mere 10,704 votes or about two per precinct.In the elections aftermath, the success of citizen initiatives in the 2018 election cycle created an independent redistricting commission and expanded access to voting, two wins of many that would set the state on a progressive path for the first time in decades. Gretchen Whitmer was elected governor that year; two years remain in her final term in office.At present, Michigan has a Democratic majority in the state House and Senate, an all-Democratic executive branch, and a 4-3 Democratic majority on the Supreme Court.Michigan is one of six states identified by the Human Rights Campaign for a $15 million strategic investment to leverage the equality vote 75 million registered LGBTQ+ and ally voters who prioritize inclusive policies at the ballot box. As election day nears, LGBTQ Nation takes a closer look at the down-ballot issues impacting queer lives in the countrys most contentious battleground states. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Michigans LGBTQ+ rights, decades in the makingMichigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during the final day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Photo: Jasper Colt USA Today. Just last year, the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Michigan culminated in the passage of an amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include LGBTQ+ residents. While that required more than 40 years of activism and advocacy by pro-equality legislators and the community, the fight accelerated around 2014. Before that, with the passage of Michigans so-called Marriage Amendment (an effort to ban same-sex marriage) in 2004, the queer community fought hard but made few gains.State Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) first ran for the Michigan legislature ten years ago. He is now the senior member of the states LGBTQ legislative caucus, which more than doubled after the successes of 2022 and now comprises seven diverse lawmakers. Moss summarized the turnaround.Once we finally got this Democratic majority in place, the amendment to our civil rights law passed with bipartisan support, Moss told LGBTQ Nation. And, you know, back in 2014, this was the issue that Republicans used as a litmus test to their party. And now, ten years later, after weve gotten it done, weve been able to welcome Republicans into our pro-equality fold.Michigan state senator Jeremy Moss. Photo courtesy of Sen. Moss.Its been a long journey of pushing for LGBTQ rights and watching this virulent opposition to LGBTQ rights form, Moss said. I just think the population in Michigan couldnt sustain one more election cycle where the Republican Party was neglecting real issues, economic issues, democracy issues, issues of freedom and autonomy.But the balance of power in the state House is nearly equal, and Moss fears a Republican majority wouldnt take up pro-equality legislation.At the top of the ticket, Moss maintains Trumps win here in 2016 wasnt a mandate. Trump lost to Biden by 154,000 votes, a still narrow but much wider margin. From what Moss has seen, Trump and Trump supporters overplayed their hand, assuming the majority of voters would jump on the extremism bandwagon.Currently, the Uncommitted Movement in Michigan continues to focus on the Israel-Hamas war, and some have already decided to vote third party or not vote top of the ticket. Add to the mix Robert Kennedy Jr.s ongoing attempts to remove his name from the ballot in the state, another element that could affect the Michigan vote. Beyond Detroit, the Great Lakes States biggest concernsConcerns for Michigan voters run wide, including labor laws, international conflicts, and abortion rights. Photos: Getty Images.While Democrats currently enjoy a trifecta in state government, Michiganders remain a diverse group with a unique geography.Concerns for Michigans 10 million residents, who live in two peninsulas surrounded by five Great Lakes in rural, urban, and suburban communities, include the environment, climate change, clean water, well-paying jobs, and good quality of life, all the way down to ensuring that our civil rights are protected and folks have the ability to live life as they choose and love who they want to love, Denzel McCampbell, managing director of Progress Michigan, told LGBTQ Nation. I really see Michigan as that type of place where all these issues come into play.Sometimes residents outside of Detroit, the states most populous city, dismiss a given issue as only affecting Detroit. Its like, Oh, thats a Detroit problem, said McCampbell, who ran for Detroit city clerk in 2021.And the fact of the matter is that without Detroit, theres no progress. So goes Detroit, so goes Michigan in that way. Were the largest city in the state. We are the economic and cultural center of the state. McCampbell also sees Detroit as a city whose issues are visible. He pointed to a recently established food co-op to address a lack of food access and efforts to create a more equitable public transit system as city priorities.Progress Michigan managing director Denzel McCampbell. Photo courtesy of Denzel McCampbell. The housing crisis, which disproportionately affects the queer community, is also top of mind for LGBTQ+ Michiganders.There is a need to have more affordable housing, and that disproportionately impacts LGBTQ folks, especially queer people of color, McCampbell said.As we think about increasing public transit and increasing access to mental health services those are things that impact everyone but we really see a disproportionate impact on our community, and we need folks to be raising the alarm and also putting forth robust solutions to tackle those issues.McCampbell stressed that communities of color exist across the state, in places like Saginaw, Flint, Grand Rapids, everywhere in between and outside of that. Michigan also has significant Latinx, Asian American and Indigenous communities as well as a large Arab American community. Michigans LGBTQ+ population is estimated at six percent of adults. While McCampbell does see certain voting blocs within the state, he believes Michiganders transformed the state because communities are now showing up for each other at the ballot box.While anticipating whether that will play out again this November, LGBTQ+ Michiganders are mobilizing and hoping to build on the recent wins. Following the ELCRA amendment of 2023, Michigan also banned the practice of conversion therapy on minors and banned the use of the gay/trans panic defense. Related Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs bill banning gay or trans panic defense The state becomes the 20th in the nation to ban the anti-LGBTQ+ criminal defense. Michigans key downticket racesQueer Michiganders have reason to focus on electing pro-equality candidates at all levels, but Moss and McCampbell highlighted a few. For one, Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin is polling well ahead of her challenger in the race to replace retiring U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.U.S. representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI 7th District). Photo courtesy of Rep. Slotkin.Its very important for us to send pro-equality members to our congressional delegations so that they can pass the Equality Act federally, Moss said. Elissa Slotkin is just a longtime ally to the community. Slotkins mother, a lesbian, was very involved in Michigan politics.Democrats have nominated Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Thomas for the two available seats on the Michigan State Supreme Court. Last year, this court established a rule to ensure the use of preferred pronouns in courtrooms across the state. Not too long ago progress was hampered by a conservative, highly politicized court.Its very important for us to send pro-equality members to our congressional delegations so that they can pass the Equality Act federally, Moss said. Elissa Slotkin is just a longtime ally to the community. Slotkins mother, a lesbian, was very involved in Michigan politics.Democrats have nominated Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Thomas for the two available seats on the Michigan State Supreme Court. Last year, this court established a rule to ensure the use of preferred pronouns in courtrooms across the state. Not too long ago progress was hampered by a conservative, highly politicized court.The Supreme Court of Michigan is a backstop to ensure that the policies that I talked about, McCampbell said, with the expansion of civil rights, ensuring that our LGBTQ Michiganders are treated fairly under the law, that we have the protections that we need. But also as we see various issues go through the courts, whether its workers rights, environmental aspects, down the line, it is crucial that we have advocates on that bench that will treat folks fairly under the law. Related The Supreme Court betrayed LGBTQ+ folks, but Michigans progressive victories reveal a path forward Michiganders have moved to address rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment by exercising their civic rights. And its working. Across Michigan, volunteers and field workers for organizations like the Human Rights Campaign are getting out the vote. HRC Rising, the organizations largest grassroots expansion in its history, re-established a presence in Michigan beginning with the 2018 election cycle. For the 2024 election, HRC has invested $15 million in battleground states including Michigan.Equality Michigan reports that volunteers and paid workers knocked on 18,000 doors by mid-summer and connected with 5,000 voters as part of their pilot canvassing program. The organization is reaching voters not just in metro Detroit but in places like Grand Rapids in west Michigan and north in Traverse City, where Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten live with their two children. The nonprofit LGBT Michigan is organizing for the political interests of LGBTQ+ people and their allies as well via digital outreach.In Michigan, it really does feel like democracy is on the line.Progress Michigan managing director Denzel McCampbellAt present, some legislators and stakeholders are looking at ways to strengthen Michigans hate crimes statute and consider whether Michigan could be the next trans refuge state, among other initiatives.We still have a lot of work to do, McCampbell said. We are, in some places, going backward, especially when it comes to the attacks on the trans community. Hed like to see a concerted effort for lawmakers at all levels to push back on a narrative that hurts the most marginalized.As extremists continue to fearmonger over drag queen story hour, censor library books, and ban Pride flags, Michigan residents are tiring of manufactured issues only meant to rile a conservative base. In another sign of hard-fought progress, gun safety advocates cheered when the state finally passed a gun safety package last year. And with the passage of a pro-choice ballot initiative in 2022 and a 1931 ban repealed in 2023, abortion is safe and legal once again.This is a state thats gone through a lot of fights and trauma over the last several years, Moss said. In Michigan, it really does feel like democracy is on the line. So we are on guard every day to protect our progress.

(@) From false (but HILARIOUS) rumors that he once used a couch to pleasure himself to being extremely awkward at a donut shop to admitting to CNNs Dana Bash that he has to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention when asked about Donald Trumps claim that immigrants are eating peoples pet is in Ohio, JD Vance has made a fool of himself over and over again this election cycle.And yesterday, he did it again, this time by claiming a politician who is very much alive is actually dead. Oopsie. At a rally inside a barn in Sparta, Michigan, Vance gave a speech and answered reporters questions in front of a crowd he claimed was 500 people strong, repeated xenophobic Republican talking points about immigrants stealing American jobs and destroying the economy, and saying that Kamala Harris is shipping jobs off to China leading the U.S. down a path to slavery. Yikes. However, it was his comments about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that had the internet roasting the vice presidential hopeful. Toward the end of the rally, Vance was asked about the most recent assassination attempt against Trump, and he proceeded to make an embarrassing flub. Were very proud on our side to have the support of Bobby Kennedy Jr. and hes a great guy, and Ive gotten to know him very well over the last few weeks, he said. But I think in many ways this country never healed from the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Despite a worm eating his brain and repeated bizarre run-ins with wild animals, as far as we know, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is still alive and kicking. Did Vance mean to say Robert F. Kennedy who was assassinated in 1968 while running for the Democratic presidential nomination and accidentally said RFK Jr. instead? Possibly. But the blunder led to the internet dunking on him for getting it so very wrong, and we cant stop laughing. People took to X to ask if maybe the bear or one of the other animals RFK Jr. has admitted to carving up came back for revenge, while other people suggested maybe the Kennedy curse struck again, and someone else correctly pointed out that as a country weve not healed from knowing you bang couches. That joke will never not be funny.Keep scrolling to see the funniest reactions to JD Vance being so dumb he forgot that RFK Jr. is still alive! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

Whatever we can think and imagine, we can make it a reality. All we have to do is keep at it. I was born in a small country called Latvia in Eastern Europe. My single mom raised me and did everything to protect and provide for her children. I will forever feel enormous gratitude for everything my mom taught me and the example she set. I'd never be where I am today without learning some essential skills that helped me stay on track from my mother hard work, persistence, determination, kindness, sacrifice, and, of course, boundless love.At the time, people were lucky if they could earn enough to have food on the table to survive, let alone chase dreams, and my family was no exception. Only when I moved to the United Kingdom did I get a taste of possibilities. I also learned the freedom of loving whoever your heart desires and the equal passion of making music. It's like I lived on a different planet before.Music has one language: the language of the heart. It can heal, soothe, restore, excite, motivate, inspire, and help get us through our days. Like medicine of the soul, music soothed me through good and bad times.During my travels, I've been inspired by different music styles and rhythms, from Exotic Pop to Soul, Reggae, Reggaeton, Afrobeats, and Cinematic. These genres inspire me, and I often try to fuse several of them in my work. But I especially love writing songs for the LGBTQ+ community.Music that inspires us in our times of joy and pain. Songs that empower us in our time of need.I know how scary it can feel to follow a seemingly impossible dream. Still, if our shared LGBTQ+ history shows, we can do anything. We can lay out our paths, create our own rules, and change the paradigm in our making. We are all so unique, and we all have a gift that we can share with the world. Keep looking, and you will find yours.I've found it hard to move to another country, be alone far away from my family and friends, learn a new language, and try to participate in music competitions. But I'm also excited and thrilled to discover new places, learn new cultures, and meet new people!We all have beginnings, but all it takes is a single and proud step. I wish you the best and send you love, light, and music!Keeana Kee is a musician based in New York. Like and follow her on social at @KeeanaKee. Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ and Allied community. Visit pride.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 PRIDE.com or our parent company, equalpride.

LGBTQ+ young people who were subjected to conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report attempting suicide in the past yearSeptember 18, 2024 The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ+) young people, celebrated the Kentucky governors signing of an executive order to protect LGBTQ+ young people from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy across the Commonwealth.As a proud queer person who grew up in Kentucky, I am thrilled to see the governor take action to protect LGBTQ+ young people from conversion therapy an abusive practice that has harmed too many of us, for too long across the Commonwealth, said Tanner Mobley (he/him/his pronouns), Manager of State Advocacy and Conversion Therapy Campaigns at The Trevor Project. I have been working in coalition with others in Kentucky to end this dangerous and discredited practice in Kentucky for the past 8 years, and seeing this executive order signed into law is so meaningful. While awful in its own right, conversion therapy is also a strong risk factor for suicide; research shows that LGBTQ+ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide in the past year. Thank you to the governor for fighting to end conversion therapy, and showing us that LGBTQ+ young people are welcome in this state, exactly as they are.Conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, refers to any of several dangerous and discredited practices aimed at changing an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite being denounced by every major medical and mental health association in the United States, conversion therapy is administered in many communities nationwide. In Kentucky, 21% of LGBTQ young people reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.The Trevor Projects research has consistently found that conversion therapy is associated with higher odds of considering or attempting suicide. A peer-reviewed study, published in The American Journal of Public Health, found that LGBTQ+ young people who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year.As we continue to witness a historic wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced in states across the U.S., this executive order serves as a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ youth have allies and leaders who support them in every corner of our country, said Jaymes Black (they/she/he pronouns), Chief Executive Officer at The Trevor Project. We are grateful to see this monumental step forward for protecting the health and safety of Kentuckys LGBTQ+ young people, and for the years of tireless advocacy from The Fairness Campaign and our partners and advocates on the ground in Kentucky. Together, we will continue to build the safe, inclusive world that LGBTQ+ young people deserve.A peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Pediatrics found the practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ youth, and its associated harms such as substance abuse and negative mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts cost an estimated $9.23 billion in the United States annually.For journalists looking to learn more about how to cover the issue of conversion therapy, here is a guide on best practices.If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Projects trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.The post Kentucky Governor Signs Executive Order Protecting LGBTQ+ Young People from Conversion Therapy appeared first on The Trevor Project.

LGBTQ+ young people who were subjected to conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report attempting suicide in the past yearSeptember 18, 2024 The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ+) young people, celebrated the Kentucky governors signing of an executive order to protect LGBTQ+ young people from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy across the Commonwealth.As a proud queer person who grew up in Kentucky, I am thrilled to see the governor take action to protect LGBTQ+ young people from conversion therapy an abusive practice that has harmed too many of us, for too long across the Commonwealth, said Tanner Mobley (he/him/his pronouns), Manager of State Advocacy and Conversion Therapy Campaigns at The Trevor Project. I have been working in coalition with others in Kentucky to end this dangerous and discredited practice in Kentucky for the past 8 years, and seeing this executive order signed into law is so meaningful. While awful in its own right, conversion therapy is also a strong risk factor for suicide; research shows that LGBTQ+ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide in the past year. Thank you to the governor for fighting to end conversion therapy, and showing us that LGBTQ+ young people are welcome in this state, exactly as they are.Conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, refers to any of several dangerous and discredited practices aimed at changing an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite being denounced by every major medical and mental health association in the United States, conversion therapy is administered in many communities nationwide. In Kentucky, 21% of LGBTQ young people reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.The Trevor Projects research has consistently found that conversion therapy is associated with higher odds of considering or attempting suicide. A peer-reviewed study, published in The American Journal of Public Health, found that LGBTQ+ young people who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year.As we continue to witness a historic wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced in states across the U.S., this executive order serves as a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ youth have allies and leaders who support them in every corner of our country, said Jaymes Black (they/she/he pronouns), Chief Executive Officer at The Trevor Project. We are grateful to see this monumental step forward for protecting the health and safety of Kentuckys LGBTQ+ young people, and for the years of tireless advocacy from The Fairness Campaign and our partners and advocates on the ground in Kentucky. Together, we will continue to build the safe, inclusive world that LGBTQ+ young people deserve.A peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Pediatrics found the practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ youth, and its associated harms such as substance abuse and negative mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts cost an estimated $9.23 billion in the United States annually.For journalists looking to learn more about how to cover the issue of conversion therapy, here is a guide on best practices.If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Projects trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.The post Kentucky Governor Signs Executive Order Protecting LGBTQ+ Young People from Conversion Therapy appeared first on The Trevor Project.

Bisexual men and gay men have different ideas of a satisfactory physique, according to a new study, a difference researchers say indicates coupling the two groups together in research leads to false conclusions when it comes to bi mens body satisfaction.Psychologists at Nottingham Trent University in the U.K. interviewed 370 gay, bisexual, and straight cisgender white men and found that bisexual men share more in common with straight men when it comes to opinions about body satisfaction than they do with gay men. Related Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong says its f**king cool to be a bisexual icon He called out the erasure that comes with being bi and married to the same woman for 29 years. When it comes to height, penis size and capability, however, the results were consistent among all sexual orientations. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Traditionally, bisexual men have been grouped in the same category as gay men when it comes to body image research, said Dr Liam Cahill, lead researcher for Tackling bisexual erasure: An explorative comparison of bisexual, gay and straight cisgender mens body image.Our findings show they are unique in how they experience differences in their body image, he said.That means that while there is a perceived ideal among men of all three sexual orientations that is muscular or lean with low body fat, bisexual mens dissatisfaction with their physique is only compounded when bi and gay men are classified together.While the research indicates straight and bisexual men are less dissatisfied with their muscularity than gay men, that same ideal and societal pressures still influence all three groups, regardless of their sexuality. Bi, straight, and gay men all experience the same motivation to gain muscle and lose fat, the study authors suggest, but gay men are typically more dissatisfied with the results.When it comes to increased pressure and dissatisfaction related to muscularity, previous studies have found that gay mens stronger preference for muscular partners may contribute to their higher levels, Cahill said. This is a pressure that bisexual men may only experience when they are integrated with the gay community, hence their dissatisfaction is lower.Nevertheless, Bisexual people often face increased marginalizationand exclusion, even from sources inside the LGBTQIA+ community, the authors conclude. Due to this, bisexual men may be subjected to more adverse mental and physical health (including body image concerns).As of the most recent review of this issue, they add, only a small number of studies have explored bisexual and gay mens body image differences.Our findings contradict the view that bisexual and gay men experience similar body-image concerns concerning their drive for leanness and muscularity dissatisfaction.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) got into a heated exchange last night after Senate Republicans blocked a bill aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF).Cotton attempted to correct Collins lead-in to the segment, where she correctly stated that Republicans just voted down the very thing that a lot of them say they support and the very thing that we have heard from DonaldTrumpsay that he supports. Related 74% of LGBTQ+ voters back Kamala Harris while only a tiny minority support Donald Trump LGBTQ+ voters are highly motivated and theyre supporting Harris. Democrats tried and failed again to pass the measure to guarantee access to IVF nationwide, she said. 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 Cotton responded testily, saying that the vote was a Democratic attempt to pressure Republicans to pass legislation that would protect reproductive healthcare. Tonight they are using this vote to hammer Republicans who said, No,' said Cotton.He continued, Well Kaitlan first off I have to correct almost everything you said in the lead-in there, almost none of which was accurate about this bill.Cotton said that there is no risk in this country to IVF, despite multiple state laws defining fetuses and even fertilized embryos many of which are destroyed, frozen, or fail to implant during IVF treatments as people going into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Cotton said that the bill as about a lot more than IVF, claiming that it would have mandated experimental, controversial procedures such as cloning, gene editing, or providing fertility treatments for men who think theyre women, whatever that means. Cotton attacked the bill for, he said, infringing on religious liberties asserting he supports allowing Christian hospitals to operate as they see fit Collins tried to cut him off.Ok, senator, but can we lets just stop you there, she said, trying to politely get her guest to pause. Cotton got angry, saying, No, Kaitlan, youre not going to stop me there! Because youre misrepresenting what the bills about!Collins pointed out that the issue Democrats are worried about is what happened in Alabama, where the state supreme court ruled that embryos have the same rights as children, leading several IVF clinics to shut down due to legal concerns. Unfazed, Cotton doubled down, arguing that Alabamas case supported his stance. He described the courts decision as an update to an old law, claiming the state felt constrained by a law. In response, the legislature passed a new law protecting medical practitioners who provide IVF without addressing the question of whether fertilized embryos are children with rights.Cotton later reiterated his claim that Democrats are the party infringing on religious liberty, accusing them of wanting to harass and persecute nuns and investigate Catholics for attending traditional masses.Collins responded, This is something that was put up there and wouldve guaranteed access to IVF. The legislature acted promptly to change what was an old law to ensure access to I[VF] , he tries to say, only for Collins to interject and ask him, Why did they have to act if it wasnt in peril, senator?Because of theSupreme Courtdecision, Cotton responds, referring to Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the case that overturned Roe. Collin replied that it was the Supreme Court decision that imperiled access to IVF.Cotton: IVF is not at risk. The Alabama example proves the point. The legislature acted promptly Collins: Why did they have to act if it wasnt in peril? Cotton: Because of the Supreme Court decision Collins: That imperiled access to IVF pic.twitter.com/xViSNvv8IU Acyn (@Acyn) September 18, 2024

Warner Brothers Studios has just released a new trailer for their upcoming sci-fi film, Mickey 17, which may or may not include a gay sex scene fans of its source material thirst over.Obviously, potential Mickey 17 spoilers ahead. The film, which stars Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter, Twilight), is based on a 2022 novel by Edward Ashton called Mickey7. The plot revolves around Mickey Barnes, whos an expendable employee sent on a human expedition to colonize an ice world called Niflheim.See on InstagramSound dangerous? It is. Fortunately (and sort of unfortunately) for Mickey, anytime he dies, a new body is regenerated that keeps most of his previous versions memories in tact. However, things get a little...tricky, to say the least, when his regenerated bodies start to make multiple copies of themselves.While the trailer looks like the black comedy will be wildly entertaining in and of itself, fans of the book are also keen to see if it explores a scene in the text where one version of Mickey has sex with another, well technically its a threesome with his girlfriend. But still, double Pattinson action? Yes, please. In the trailer, a brief glimpse of two shirtless Pattinsons has eagle-eyed fans honing in on that scene from the book. The trailer shows the Mickeys kneeling on what appears to be a bed in front of Nasha Adjaya (Naomi Ackie), who grabs their faces and says, This is so exciting.If it goes down the way fans think it will, then yes, exciting it is, indeed.Little else is known about the inner workings of the film, but the trailer does remind us that some epic talent is on the cast list, including Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers) as Hieronymous Marshall, Toni Collette (Hereditary) as Gwen Johansen, and Steven Yeun (Beef) as Berto.Additionally, Bong Joon-ho, the South Korean filmmaker known for writing and producing such hits as Parasite and Snowpiercer, also takes the directors chair for the film.Mickey 17 is currently slated to hit South Korean theaters on January 28, 2025, with the global release a few days later on January 31.Check out the trailer below, then keep scrolling through for some of our favorite fan reactions to the potential sex scene between two Pattinsons. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

"You should know better," someone told me at a birthday party. That moment is engrained in me like it happened yesterday. I was introduced to a mutual friend and began making small talk like at any party. He asked me if I had a boyfriend, to which I responded no, but I did have a girlfriend.The look of shock on his face was evident, "what do you mean you have a girlfriend?" he asked. For the next few minutes, I had to deal with what all bisexuals have to deal with: shock at our existence, an endless list of pointless questions to answer, and the notion that a stranger thinks they know more about my sexuality than I do.But this time was different. After years of being worried about my sexuality, I finally knew who I was. I was finally a confident bisexual, and no stranger at a party was going to make me feel otherwise.So I went for it. I told the fellow partygoer that he was in the wrong. That he shouldn't be so shocked at encountering a bisexual man in an LGBTQ+ venue and that, yes, as a gay man, he should know better. I told him of the speculations - the stigma - that bisexual men eventually come out as gay. I asked him why he thought he deserved to be treated equally and respected if he wasn't willing to give that to others. That bisexuality wasn't just a cover for gay men in the closet; in fact, I couldn't be more proud of all the wonderful men I've been with. I told him I've probably slept with more men than him, so if I were gay, I would be gay. But that's not the way my hormones are wired.That's when things got interesting.I was so convincing and made such good arguments that he changed his mind. Not just that, he felt that more people needed to hear what I had to say and, perhaps, others might benefit from someone like me who could articulate the 'B' in LGBTQ.It wasn't something I'd done before or considered. It was one thing to stand up for myself in a bar. But to go public? To make myself open to biphobia from all around the world? To risk having internet trolls come after me?In hindsight, I probably should've given it more thought. But at that time, I was unapologetically bisexual, and I wanted to change the world for bisexual people. To evolve past having to explain their very existence to strangers in bars.So, I took him up on his offer.A few weeks later, my first article was live. I felt good after writing my piece. Within a few weeks, editors from national news sites reached out. They wondered if I could do something similar for them. I wrote it as 10 questions bisexuals are tired of hearing, which really cut through to all of the stigma bisexual people face. It summarized all of the ridiculous questions that bisexual people are asked to answer again and again, giving sarcastic answers. The mix of humor, along with very real points that bisexuals shouldn't have to keep answering, genuinely cut through and resonated with people.Since then, article after article, interview after interview, I've chipped away at the stereotypes of the bisexual experience.The more I wrote, my inbox became fullwith offers for opinion pieces from editors and other bi people worldwide. Sometimes it was just a thank you, other times a challenge to something I'd written, but most of the time asking for help.That's when I had the idea to write an advice column, publish some of the letters I received, and give my responses in a column. People who weren't confident enough to reach out might also find some perspective. I spoke to one of the leading bisexual websites, bi.org, and they loved the idea. And just like that, Ask a Bi Dad was born.In the three years since, I've responded to as many letters as possible from people looking for advice, ranging from how to come out and how to deal with their partner's bisexuality to issues like not feeling bisexual enough. It has been an absolute privilege to be a source for people who feel comfortable turning to me. An incredible privilege! At the same time, the volume of questions speaks to the gaps missing in the bisexual experience.I hope that I've contributed to a better world for bisexual people. I hope that more bisexual individuals can use the tools at their disposal to talk about their experiences and inspire others. Whether you're a songwriter, a comic book writer, or love a good argument, I want a world where bisexual people use their talents to change the world's perceptions and make it better for bisexual people as a whole.You might be a scared bisexual in a bar, but if you can lean into your strengths, remember what motivates you, and look out for your community, some monumental things might happen.Lewis Oakley is a bisexual columnist, dad, and author based in the U.K. His upcoming book, Bisexuality the Basics: Your Q&A Guide to Coming Out, Dating, Parenting, and Beyond, will hit stores this May. Like and follow Lewis on social media at @lewyoaks.Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ and Allied community. Visit pride.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 PRIDE.com or our parent company, equalpride.

The Right Squad, a collection of far-right homophobes on the Republican propaganda organ Newsmax, all agree that the new gay-friendly Disney+ series Agatha All Along from Disneys Marvel Studios is a threat to children.Its a recruiting video, claimed host Chris Plante. Related One of the most viciously anti-LGBTQ+ political groups is imploding Multiple board members have resigned over the past few months and half of the staff has left due to their leaders alleged groping of male staffers. The stars of the hit Disney+ series are flaunting and flailing with joy that the show is the gayest Marvel series ever, Plante offered, thrilled that the Marvel Universe isnt just for straight men anymore. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Its evidence the shows creators, and by extension Disney, are targeting the kids.Weve seen it in the schools and the books and the libraries and the genderqueer and the graphic novels, Plante said of an alleged LGBTQ+ cabal preying on kids, and its always the children.Panelist Jason Nichols said he didnt need to see gay people on screen to know they exist. In fact, he said he hadnt even seen the show but opined that its inappropriate for children and that Disney should make sure that people know that its inappropriate for children. You dont have to act like they dont exist in film, Nichols said of gay people, referring to actor Joe Lockes statements of support for Agatha All Alongs inclusiveness. I dont know exactly what they mean.The most revealing take came from Mercedes Schlapp, wife of alleged groper Matt Schlapp, whose once-powerful anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy group, the American Conservative Union, imploded last year after young male staffers assigned to Herschel Walkers doomed Senate campaign came forward accusing the groups chairman of fondling them.Schlapp grabbed my junk and pummeled it at length, and Im sitting there thinking what the hell is going on, that this person is literally doing this to me, one staffer said in a video recorded after the incident. Another employee accused Schlapp of trying to kiss him without consent, and a third man has reported an unwanted physical advance.Without a trace of irony, Mercedes Schlapp denounced Disney for this obsession with sexuality and sex, just children in general, and then putting that in front of the children.I mean, its just sick, she ranted. Go back to storytelling, go back to the innocence of children. Thats really where they should focus on.Obviously, theyre more focused about men, Shlapp added, sputtering, and, you know, gay men and straight men. Agatha All Alongs Joe Locke, best known as smitten Charlie Spring in the hit gay teen melodrama Heartstopper, plays a gay character in the Marvel show called Teen.It was really important for Teen to be out and authentic as a queer character, Locke told SFX Magazine, but just as important that it doesnt define him.The MCU and any Marvel project has this weird ability to unite the whole world. No matter where youre from, who you are, everyone knows about the new Marvel series, the new Marvel film, which is a really great way to progress social issues in the world, he said.The cast and creators of the WandaVision spin-off, premiering tonight on Disney+, have embraced fans pre-release characterization of the show as the gayest Marvel has ever made.I would agree with that, Jennifer Kale, who plays witch Sasheer Zamata told Variety. Youll see when you watch.Witches are queer, inherently, just because we are outcasts and set aside for many reasons. This show shows a really good representation of different types of people and that we can all use the power we have within to go forward and be great.

On Sunday, out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Donald Trumps association with far-right wing whack job Laura Loomer is a reminder of what the twice-impeached felon will bring back to the White House if hes reelected, which Buttigieg summarized in two words: exhausting chaos.Buttigiegs dead-on observation came on NBCs Meet the Press following an appearance by Trumps embattled VP running mate J.D. Vance, who was questioned earlier in the program about Loomers racist assertion that the White House will smell like curry if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected president. Related Bonkers Trumper Laura Loomer called Lindsay Graham gay for pointing out how racist she is Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks the latest advisor to Donald Trump is a toxic and losing influence on the former president. Vance told host Kristen Welker he makes a mean chicken curry and I dont think that its insulting for anybody to talk about their dietary preferences or what they want to do in the White House. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Buttigieg wasnt buying it.Were not having a serious policy debate about immigration or any other issue, if you got J.D. Vance on your program, basically debating exactly how racist it is to talk about the things that Laura Loomer is talking about, Buttigieg rebutted.This is the kind of sideshow that they want to take the main stage so that they dont have to talk about anything serious, and its a reminder of just how exhausting it was to deal with all this the first timeDonald Trumpwas president, the transportation secretary added.America would be in for another four years of this exhausting chaos every time we check the news if they come back into power. On X, Buttigieg wrote: Cats! Dogs! Geese! Laura Loomer! Look, now hes attacking Taylor! He was referring to just a few of Trumps outrageous moments from the past week, like when he accused Haitian immigrants in Ohio of eating pets and when he posted I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT to social media several days after Swift endorsed Harris.Like the last season before a show gets canceled for getting over-the-top and, at the same time, boring, Buttigieg wrote. This election is about jobs, wages, climate, health care, abortion. Not his show. Your life. Cats! Dogs! Geese! Laura Loomer! Look, now hes attacking Taylor! Like the last season before a show gets canceled for getting over-the-top and, at the same time, boring. This election is about jobs, wages, climate, health care, abortion. Not his show. Your life. Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 15, 2024Loomer, a failed Florida Congressional candidate and an avowed 9/11 conspiracy theorist, has spent years hurling homophobic slurs and antisemitic tropes from her internet perch. Lately, the 31-year-old bomb-thrower has latched onto the former president in the waning days of his third bid for the presidency.Last week Loomer accompanied Trump to the presidential debate in Philadelphia and joined his entourage at events commemorating 9/11. Shes also spent nights at the former presidents Mar-a-Lago club, while the former First Lady has retreated to Trump Tower in New York.The cozy relationship has prompted criticism from even some of the presidents most ardent and feckless supporters, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Grahams public disdain for Loomer prompted her to call out the senator over rumors that hes gay.When is Lindsey coming out of the closet? Loomer posted soon after Graham dared to disparage her. We all know youre Gay, Lindsey.Its just the kind of exhausting chaos that Buttigieg is so over. Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC has never been loyal to President Trump. He got booed in his own state at a TRUMP RALLY and was booed off stage because he is DISLOYAL to Trump and the American people. He probably shouldnt be giving out advice to Donald Trump.In the words https://t.co/VK1Pf1LF66 pic.twitter.com/1B3RZwGY3k Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 12, 2024

These hump day hunks are smoke shows!When youre in the middle of the longest week known to humankind, you need a hump day pick me up to get you through until Friday at 5 p.m. Thats where these hunky men come in.So before you quit your job the next time your boss piles on more work or your coworker insists on microwaving fish in the break room, take a little mid-week respite to peek at these ridiculously hot men truly, this is all thats standing between us and a complete nervous breakdown. From Jonathan Baileys chest hair to gay fitness influencers flaunting their muscles, there is a hump day hunk to brighten your week!Taylor Zakhar Perez (@) This pic of Red, White & Royal Blue hunk Taylor Zakhar Perez has us dying for Amazon Prime to get busy making the sequel so we can get more of those washboard abs and cute bubble butt.Jonathan Bailey (@) Just when we thought Fellow Travelers and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey couldn't get any hotter, he goes and leaves his silk shirt partially unbuttoned. Is anyone else imagining running your fingers through his chest hair, or is that just us?Aaron Taylor Johnson (@) This old picture of actor Aaron Taylor Johnson in his underwear is having a moment again on X, and we couldn't be more thankful.Tessa Testicle (@) We would gladly give up electricity if it meant doing our laundry on those abs!Matt BomerSee on InstagramFellow Traveler's star Matt Bomer stunned in his royal purple suit for the Emmys, where he presented the Governor's Award alongside actor Joshua Jackson. Who knew a cummerbund could be so sexy?Juice Boxx (@) Drag Race Canada's Juice Boxx is showing off her bod and ahem package in a par of tiny gym shorts that have us very grateful for leg day.Dayan Kolev@dayan.koleBig as the whaat...?If you're anything like us, fitness influencer and king of the thirst trap Dayan Kolev's jump rope videos will have you drooling and thinking naughty thoughts.Brian Jordan Alvarez (@) The new comedy series The English Teacher has us cracking up, but star Brian Jordan Alvarez in a low-slung towel is the real reason we keep watching.Kit Connor (@) Bisexual Heartstopper star Kit Connor looking all grown up and sexy as hell on the cover of the UK's Hero Magazine. Eva Le Queen (@) We wholeheartedly endorse wearing the teeniest of swimsuits if it means we get photos like these!Carson TwitchellSee on InstagramGay fitness influencer Carson Twitchell did a sponsored post for a spa showing him getting a facial and massage, and the video which gives you a sneak peek at the muscular torso shows off all of his gorgeous skin. We'd gladly watch more ads if they all looked like this!Riley JoeSee on InstagramNot only is gay fitness influencer Riley Joe a good person he ran in the Ultimate Hawaiian Trail Run to raise money for a nonprofit supporting underprivileged kids in Kauai but he's also stupidly hot. Those muddy shorts leave nothing to the imagination!Andrew Scott@enews#AndrewScott was quite the handsome devil in his #EMMYs glambot. All of Strangers star Andrew Scott showed out at the Emmy's where he was up for two awards for his role in Ripley in this black suit and ruffled shirt. Add in the sexy way he handled those sunglasses, and we are swooning!Scarlet Envy (@) This gym selfie has us seeing Drag Race star Scarlett Envy in a whole new light!Shawn Mendes (@) This photo from Shawn Mendes' 2019 Calvin Klein ad campaign has us thanking the photographer for this very creative angle. Ros (@) Drag Race star Ros posted another sexy selfie that has us wishing we were hanging out poolside with her all summer long. Durand Bernarr (@) Singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr, as photographed by Dorian Wilson, proves that he's more than just his pretty voice...so much more.Ross Lynch (@) Petition for actor and musician Ross Lynch be the next face (or butt) of Calvin Klein!Ryan FaucettSee on InstagramWe may have stared at this mirror selfie of Bros star Ryan Faucett's for longer than we'd care to admit!Tyler James WilliamsSee on InstagramAbbott Elementary's Tyler James Williams brought the gun show to this year's Emmys. Between the biceps, tattoos, and narrow waist, we get why people are saying he's bi-awakening personified.

Yesterday, an Indiana judge found that the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) was violating the law in failing to provide a trans woman inmate with gender-affirming surgery. They have been ordered to provide her surgery as soon as possible.The case,Cordellion v. Commissioner, Indiana Department of Corrections, concerned the IDOCs denial of Autumn Cordellions request for a gender-affirming surgery due to Indianas 2023 law,H.B. 1569, which restricts public funds from being provided for gender-affirming surgeries, including in prison. This bill went into effect in July and is still in place for all transgender individuals. Related Trans prisoners in Idaho can get hormone therapy again after major win in federal court A state law banned gender-affirming care in prisons and elsewhere. A judge shut that down. Judge Richard Young of the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Indiana, however, mandated that Cordellion specifically receive such care, concluding that it was an Eighth Amendment violation for being cruel and unusual punishment by denying essential health care and a Fourteenth Amendment violation by denying equal protection under the law on the basis of sex. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The court finds, however, that the widespread medical consensus is that gender-affirming surgery is a medically necessary form of care for some individuals with gender dysphoriait is appropriate for the court to order at this point that this surgery be provided to her at the earliest opportunity. This relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the violation of Ms. Cordellions constitutional rights, and is the least intrusive means available and necessary to correct this ongoing violation. There is no evidence that this preliminary injunction will have any adverse impact on either public safety or the operation of the criminal justice system.Much of the legal battle in this case concerned whether Cordellion could demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of gender-affirming care, while the IDOC aimed to call it into question.The IDOC cited individuals like Dr. Stephen Levine, a psychiatrist who often campaigns against gender-affirming care and for restrictions on trans people. Levine, among other statements, tried to discredit the World Professional Association for Transgender Healths (WPATH) Standards of Care for transgender people as being biased and not relying on evidence. The judge did not agree and accepted the WPATH Standards of Care. Given the widespread acceptance of WPATHs Standards of Care by other professional medical bodies as well as the National Commission of Correctional Health Care, the court finds that the Standards of Care are credible and reliable and will rely on them in reaching its conclusions in this matter, Young wrote.Much of Levines testimony was struck from the record or given very little weight, and other experts and evidence given were not deemed sufficient in comparison to the vast amount of evidence that Cordellions side gave in support of the necessity of gender-affirming surgeries.Cordellion has been on hormone replacement therapy and initially sought a gender-affirming surgery in 2022. She has attempted suicide while in prison due to being denied essential care and has been the victim of much mental anguish owing to gender dysphoria.While this case only concerns Cordellions care, it may have the additional impact of being cited in support of future litigation that may overturn such care bans in Indiana or in other states.ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk said of the ruling in a statement, Today marks a significant victory for transgender individuals in Indianas prisons. Denying evidence-based medical care to incarcerated people simply because they are transgender is unconstitutional. We are pleased that the Court agreed.LGBTQ Nation reached out to the IDOC for comment and to ask whether they plan to appeal this ruling and was told the IDOC does not comment on pending litigation.

I told a friend recently that if I'm not getting love from someone with the energy of a cartoon wolf seeing a hot lady, I don't want it. I want heart eyes, steam coming out of the ears, and an anvil sound to play as their jaw drops to the ground. Is that too much to ask for? No, it's not! And I know it's not because time and time again Katy O'Brian and her wife Kylie Chi show me that true love is out there.Katy O'Brian, who you'll recognize from Love Lies Bleeding, Twisters, and she's starring in an upcoming queer zombie movie Queens of the Dead that has an absolutely stacked cast. She's also a former MMA fighter and past, present, and future smoke show. Oh, and one of PRIDE's inaugural Grand Marshals.No one is more aware of her hotness than her wife, fellow actress Kylie Chi. Chi credits herself in her social media bios as "wife to sex on a stick @thekatyo". She routinely posts some of her thirstiest thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), even crossposting screenshots of them to her Instagram to make sure the people know how down bad she is for O'Brian.Yesterday, Chi posted this: (@) The post had it's intended impact, and then some. We are now all wide awake, no longer sleeping on the hotness of Katy O'Brian's hands. Now there was a new problem.This then created a real If You Give a Mouse a Cookie situation. You see, if I start thinking about Katy O'Brian's hot hands, I'm going to start thinking about all the other hot queer women with remarkably hot hands. We didn't want any of those in O'Brian's excellent company to continue to go underappreciated, so here are 40 queer women with sexy, sexy hands for your appreciative viewing pleasure.Katy O'Brian, obviously.See on InstagramTowa BirdSee on InstagramJulien BakerSee on InstagramKerri ColbySee on InstagramRenee RappSee on InstagramAlyssa Thomas and DeWanna BonnerSee on InstagramBoscoSee on InstagramKristin KishSee on InstagramLena WaitheSee on InstagramCarrie BrownsteinSee on InstagramLaverne CoxSee on InstagramJinkx MonsoonSee on InstagramAmber WhittingtonSee on InstagramJacqueline ToboniSee on InstagramKali ReisSee on InstagramTegan and SaraSee on InstagramHayley KiyokoSee on InstagramDominique JacksonSee on InstagramJamie Lee RattraySee on InstagramBritney GrinerSee on InstagramMelissa KingSee on InstagramDoechiiSee on InstagramAdore DelanoSee on InstagramTess HolidaySee on InstagramBrandi CarlileSee on InstagramMegan Thee StallionSee on InstagramChappell RoanSee on InstagramSasheer ZamataSee on InstagramDevery JacobsSee on InstagramHunter SchaferSee on Instagramk.d. langSee on InstagramThandiwe NewtonSee on InstagramSarah PaulsonSee on InstagramMidori FrancisSee on InstagramMargaret ChoSee on InstagramJasika NicoleSee on InstagramSee on InstagramTracy ChapmanSee on Instagram

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Wednesday signed an executive order outlawing conversion therapy in the state, with an admonition to Republicans who fought tirelessly against a ban: Hate is not who we are as Kentuckians.Beshear signed the historic order after similar legislation repeatedly fell to Republican opposition in the state legislature in previous years. Related Over 1,300 conversion therapists are still torturing LGBTQ+ people, despite state bans Ex-gay therapists are getting better at hiding, but one group wants to create a coalition to end the harmful practice. The executive action outlaws the discredited therapy for minors and prevents state or federal funds from being used to pay for it. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Lets be clear: Conversion therapy has no basis in medicine or science, and it has been shown to increase rates of suicide and depression, Beshear said in a statement. This is about doing what is right and protecting our children. Hate is not who we are as Kentuckians.The debunked practice has been banned in 23 states. Conversion therapys proponents claim an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed through a process of reparative therapy, including various psychological and/or physical therapies which victims of the practice have likened to torture.Several states not only allow conversion therapy, but actively encourage the practice, despite every major U.S. medical organization denouncing the treatment.In Indiana, where former governor and Vice President Mike Pence seemingly promoted the practice, local governments are banned from outlawing it, according to data published by the Movement Advancement Project. Thank you to the governor for fighting to end conversion therapy, and showing us that LGBTQ+ young people are welcome in this state, exactly as they are, Manager of State Advocacy and Conversion Therapy Campaigns Tanner Mobley for the Trevor Project said in a statement.I have been working in coalition with others in Kentucky to end this dangerous and discredited practice in Kentucky for the past eight years, and seeing this executive order signed into law is so meaningful, he continued. While awful in its own right, conversion therapy is also a strong risk factor for suicide;research shows that LGBTQ+ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide in the past year.About 21% of LGBTQ+ youth in Kentucky say they theyve been threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy, according to the Trevor Project.Republicans in the state legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, have banned gender-affirming care for minors and instituted a Dont Say Gay law for all grades in Kentuckys public schools, overcoming vetoes of both measures by Gov. Beshear.With those veto-proof majorities, lawmakers in state House and Senate could put Beshears conversion therapy ban in jeopardy.

A special needs educator in California is suing her former school district employer, alleging she was harassed and demoted because she is a lesbian who opposed the boards reported anti-LGBTQ policies, local ABC affiliate KGTV reported.Rose Tagnesi filed the lawsuit against the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego Superior Court last month. Tagnesi was employed by the district as an educator and administrator for over 13 years until earlier this year.I want justice, and I want accountability, but most of all, I want it to stop, and I want there to be some awareness that its happening, Tagnesi told KGTV.In her suit, Tagnesi alleges multiple instances of harassment because of her sexual identity as well as retaliation for her opposition to the conservative school boards anti-LGBTQ agenda.Tagnesi alleges school board trustee Jim Kelly called her and a female underling witches who were members of an LGBTQ coven. She also claims Kelly called the staffer hot and that she was not qualified for her position.In another incident, Tagnesi alleges she was told to keep a low profile regarding her sexual identity.Kelly denied the allegations.Anyone can allege anything in a complaint, regardless of how false, Kelly wrote in an email to KGTV.He also expressed confidence he and the district will be vindicated during litigation.Tagnesi was placed on paid administrative leave in August of 2023 pending the outcome of an investigation into her conduct and performance.Ive never been told what I did, Tagnesi said. Ive never been told what I was accused of doing. Ive never been even asked a question.Tagnesi resigned her position shortly after a contentious school board hearing with the family of a special needs student who was the victim of sex trafficking.Tarynn Finn was 16 when she went missing on Jan. 10, 2021. At the time she was a student at Santana High School in Santee where Tagnesi was a special education director.Rodolfo Emmanuel Ledesma, an East San Diego County homeless person, pleaded guilty in 2022 to luring Finn to an RV in a homeless encampment under a freeway underpass. He kept her there for five days during which time she was the victim of sex trafficking. Ledesma was sentenced to over 13 years in jail in a plea bargain, although he is expected to serve only four years of that sentence.At a school board meeting in February reported by East County Magazine, Finns family and their supporters blamed Tagnesi and Santana High principal Timothy Schwuchow, vice-principal Larry Oedewaldt, and fellow special education director Amiee Sag for the ordeal, saying they failed to protect Finn. They also claimed the actions of an administrator and student at the school directly contributed to Finn being lured to the RV by Ledesma, and that the board engaged in a coverup of their involvement.

Baz Luhrmann is a director whose work always gets us buzzing. From Romeo + Juliet to Moulin Rouge, and The Great Gatsby, his films are the definition of a visual feast and there is an innate queerness that runs through them all. They are a spectacle, in the best sense of the word. So when news dropped that his next project, Jehanne dArc, would focus on the famed historical heroine Joan of Arc, well let's just say we went into a bit of a sapphic spiral.Jehanne dArc according to Warner Bros. will focus on a young French peasant girl who comes to believe that she has been chosen to save her country during the Hundred Years War. You know, the story of Joan of Arc, who successfully led her army to victory in 1429, and would later be burned at the stake as a heretic and for crossdressing (wow, bigotry really hasnt changed in 600 years has it?).The question is who can bring this iconic character to life now? The casting call has gone out and the studio is reportedly looking for a young female lead for the ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years War." Already names are being bandied about including Jenna Ortega who once called Joan of Arc her dream character to play as well as Cailee Spaeny who is having a MOMENT with her roles in both Civil War and Alien: Romulus this year.Listen, we love them both, but Joan of Arc has long been claimed as a Sapphic icon and we are not ready to give her up!Baz if you're reading this, this is our open letter to you to keep the casting in the family. After all, there are SO MANY incredible queer women and nonbinary actors working right now that could absolutely eat this role up. No crumbs. And no hets.Need some inspo? Good news, we have lots of thoughts and feelings regarding who wed love to see don Joans armor. In no particular order here are 15 queer actors wed let lead us to war well ok, not to WAR, but definitely to the box office. Hunter SchaferHunter Shafer is a modern it-girl and her roles in both Euphoria and Cuckoo prove that she has the acting chops for the role and the charisma to lead an epic film. Amandla StenbergAmandla Stenberg will always make us swoon. Not only did they rule a galaxy far, far away in The Acolyte, but their roles in My Animal and Bodies Bodies Bodies have us excited to see whatever they do next. Bella RamseyBella Ramsey has already shown they can lead an army to victory in Game of Thrones and they remain one of the most poignant and talented actors working, just look at The Last of Us for proof. Jasmin Savoy BrownScream and Yellowjackets star Jasmin Savoy Brown is one of the most compelling up-and-coming stars in Hollywood. She exudes old soul energy making her perfect for Joan. Dove CameronDove Cameron's ethereal beauty would inspire stained glass windows! But her innate strength would make for a great Joan, plus she could sing the theme song. Ruby CruzRuby Cruz served up tomboy warrior energy in the all-too-short-lived series Willow and we'd love to see her back in the armor as Joan. Myha'laMyha'la is currently busy crushing her role as Harper Stern on Industry, but we'd love to see her clear her busy schedule to bring a new vision of Joan to life. Brianna HildebrandBrianna Hildebrand first stole our hearts as the angsy, queer teen superhero Negasonic Teenage Warhead in the Deadpool movies and now we're ready to see her take her heroism to the next level as Joan. I mean, look at those cheekbones, they were made to rock a chainmail coif. Alice KremelbergAlice Kremelberg has been climbing our girl crush ranking with roles in Orange is the New Black, The Sinner, and most recently Renegade Nell (still not over that cancellation!) so we would love to see her blow up as Joan next! Malia PylesThere is nothing "mousey" about Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin star Malia Pyles. She's not only out, proud, and talented she's got chops to really eat up the role of Joan! Lee RodriguezNever Have I Ever star Lee Rodriguez got to explore the rollercoaster of being a teen on that beloved show, which will come in handy in this coming-of-age tale now we want to see her kick some ass, too. Isabella FerreiraIsabella Ferreira has proven to be incredible in supporting roles in Love, Victor and Grey Matter now we wanna see her step into the spotlight she deserves in a true leading role! Midori FrancisMidori Francis is already making waves in hit series like The Sex Lives of College Girls and Grey's Anatomy, but we want to see her enter action girl era. We can, and want to see her in a full suit of armor leading a charge on horseback. I mean, wouldn't you? Aleyse ShannonAleyse Shannon has the kind of eyes you get lost in which when you're trying to get a bunch of dudes in 1400s France to follow you into bloody battle, couldn't hurt. The actor is best known for her roles in Black Christmas and Leverage: Redemption but now we want to see her on the biggest screen possible. IMAX minimum, please. Is there something bigger? If so, that. Isabelle McCallaIsabelle McCalla is a bit of a dark horse pick, as she best known for her Broadway performances, but honestly, she's such a star we'd love to this become her big break-out cinematic role!

A recently unveiled artwork in Londons Trafalgar Squares Fourth Plinth portrays a large cube consisting of plaster faces of hundreds of trans people thatll eventually be washed away over the next 18 months due to rain and wind.The artwork, made by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles, is called Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant). It was unveiled on Wednesday to a large crowd, many of whom were from Margolles trans community back in Mexico. Related These 7 history-making LGBTQ+ Latinx artists were all honored on stamps These larger-than-life queer Latinx artists all ended up immortalized in miniature. The artwork is a 3.3-metric-ton (3.6 U.S. ton) cube covered in face masks of 726 trans and gender-nonconforming people from the UK and Mexico. Its meant to be a Tzompantli, a type of rack used predominantly in some Mesoamerican civilizations up to around 1200 CE. In their original usage, they displayed the heads of captives of war or those who were sacrificed. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today This imagery was evoked in tribute to a friend of Margolles, Karla La Borrada, a 67-year-old trans woman who was a singer and sex worker. She was murdered in Ciudad Jurez, Mexico in 2015. Her case remains unsolved.We pay this tribute to her and to all the other people who were killed for reasons of hate, Margolles said in a statement. But, above all, to those who live on, to the new generations who will defend the power to freely choose to live with dignity.This collective sculpture stands not only as a display of resilience and humanity from the trans plus/non-binary community but also as a reminder of the murders and disappearances that still occur in Latin America, she continued.The work is meant to naturally age as time goes on, gradually decomposing the faces in the weather.The Fourth Plinth is a stand erected in the 1800s for a never-completed statue. Since 1999, it has been used to host various artworks that will be filtered in and out over an 18-month period. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan funds it with additional backing from the Arts Council England and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Artists receive a 30,000 ($39,400) fee and a further 140,000 ($155,631) to cover the costs of creating their works. Previous works of art depicted at the Fourth Plinth included a drone plane and a giant fly, 2,400 members of the public on a rotating schedule, and a giant bronze thumb.Tabby Lamb, who participated as one of the faces in the project, said, At a time when the trans community is more under attack than ever, it feels radical to be part of a sculpture celebrating not only our existence but also our vast diversity.Ekow Eshun, the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chair, told The Art Newspaper that the work evokes the world we want to live in, adding, It is fitting that we have contemporary art that speaks to our times.When asked to elaborate, he said this piece represents connection and humans.

Sometimes the straights are the ones doing the coming out...While a straight person confirming their heterosexuality is definitely not the same as a closeted queer person building up the courage to finally announce who they are to the ones they love (in a world that doesn't always accept them), sometimes there are circumstances where straight people find themselves having to talk about their sexuality and, for lack of a better phrase, "come out as straight." And these straight celebrities had to do just that...Nicholas GalitzineSorry gays but our No. 1 baby girl is tragically, officially, straight. While speaking with GQ the Mary & George star discussed playing gay roles. I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories, Galitzine told GQ. I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether Im taking up someones space, and perhaps guilt. At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality.Michele MorroneFans of 365 Days got very excited when its star posted a very steamy photo of himself cozied up poolside with his costar Simone Susinna. The photo quickly went viral with fans assuming that the photo's caption, "I'm a liar," was code for coming out. This all prompted the actor to come out out as straight on his Instagram stories. "I woke up with my team calling me saying, 'There's a lot of articles saying that you came out,' because of the picture I took with Simone," Morrone wrote in an Instagram Story. He went on to explain the photo: "He became a very good friend of mine, we're like brothers. We're shooting a movie together. It was just a picture. Nothing more.""So, I'm so sorry for the confusion," he continued. "As I said, I'm a big supporter of the LGBT community."Noah BeckTikToker Noah Beck may have recently sent the gays into a panic by getting cozy with a male friend at Coachella, but they were in fact, just friends.In July 2023 Beck opened up about his sexual identity, setting the record straight during a YouTube interview with Zach Sang. The two were discussing a video of him during a burlesque performance where a performer referred to him as gay. People were like, Is this a coming-out video? And I was like, no, its just a funny video, Beck recalled.I grew up with two sisters, I grew up playing soccer, and I grew up in a very female-dominated household and Im just not afraid to be in touch with my feminine side, he further clarified.Austin VictoriaThe current season of Selling the OC is pure bisexual chaos, thank gawd, but it also led to one of its stars coming out straight, straight, straight.The drama began with out bisexual castmate Sean Palmieri alleging that costar Austin Victoria had propositioned him. Victoria denied it on camera and followed up with a statement on Instagram. "Love is Love! I agree with this 100%. I love my LGBTQ+ friends and I have and always will support them. Period," he wrote. "Lastly, I'm a straight man." he continued in his statement. "I love my wife and we have never and will never 'experiment.' I can care less what you do in your personal life. Zero judgment here, do what makes YOU happy!"Meek MillRapper Meek Mill would like you to know that he is very straight and to prove it he is sharing TMI.Following speculation about his sexuality, in connection with the lawsuit filed against Sean Diddy Combs Mill took to X to clarify his sexuality. When I got a girl around me Im f#%king her twice a day lol ask some of ya favorites pussy dont control me but its like a high, he wrote on X. One love to gay people, but that juicy p#%sy do it for meeeeeee. I done ran red lights to get that feeling yall weird on here like devils lol.Well ok then. Go off sis, we guess.AdeleSinger and icon Adele came out as straight during one of her Weekends with Adele shows in Las Vegas, when a queer fan asked the "Hello" singer proposed. You cant marry me, Im straight, my love, she said. And my husbands here tonight. Hes here.Ooop did Adele also just come out as married to her longtime boyfriend sports agent Rich Paul?When the queer fan suggested that perhaps Adel ive it a try the singer joked, No, I dont want to try. Im with Rich, Youre crazy, leave me alone!Tyler James WilliamsAbbott Elementary star Tyler James Williams came out as straight during a powerful message of allyship to kick off Pride Month. Confused? Keep reading.The actor took to his Instagram stories to address rumors about his sexuality and to point out how dangerous it can be for actual queer people to engage in this kind of speculation. Usually I wouldnt address stuff like this, but I feel like it as a conversation is bigger than me. Im not gay, but I think the culture of trying to find some kind of hidden trait or behavior that a closed person let slip is very dangerous, he wrote in his Instagram Story.Overanalyzing someones behavior in an attempt to catch them directly contributes to the anxiety a lot of queer and queer-questioning people feel when they fear living in their truth, he continued. It makes the most pedestrian of conversations and interactions in spaces feel less safe for our gay brothers and sisters and those who may be questioning."It also reinforces an archetype many straight men have to live under that is oftentimes unrealistic, less free, and limits individual expressing, he added. Ive been very clear about the intentionality I try to put into my platform to push against those archetypes every chance that I get. Being straight doesnt look one way. Being gay doesnt look one way. And what may seem like harmless fun and conversation may actually be sending a dangerous message to those struggling with real issues, he explained. I refuse to inadvertently contribute to that message.Happy Pride to all of my queer and questioning brothers, sisters, and individuals, wrote Wiallms I pray that you feel seen in ways that make you feel safe in the celebration that is this month.As an ally, I continue to be committed to assisting in that where I can and helping to cultivate a future where we are all accepted and given permission to be ourselves.Brandon RouthDuring the press tour for Superman: Returns Brandon Routh addressed comments about the sexual identity of both himself and the Man of Steel. Speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald Routh said he is prepared for fame: It will be different. Every day I am learning how to deal with it and make it work for me I dont have any secrets so it will be fine. That includes his sexuality. You find whatever message you want. Everybody is going to interpret the film differentlyPeople will see the movie and realize that Superman is certainly not gay. And I am not (gay) as well, but people will have that discussion as much as they want it is a topic for people to talk about.Straight and unbothered. Daniel RadcliffeMr. Harry Potter himself discussed rumors of his sexuality to MTV News back in 2010 while filming an announcement for The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that focuses on preventing LGBTQ+ youth suicide. The actor also said gay sex was really f**king painful when he filmed a gay sex scene for the film Kill Your Darlings.I was talked through it by the director, he said. He would be telling me what I would be feeling in each take.Zac EfronZac Efron burst onto the scene with High School Musical in his teens and has continued to be a rising star ever since. He had his first gay press interview with The Advocate in 2012, where he said all the attention from the gay community was very flattering.After High School Musical and Hairspray, I've always felt embraced by the gay community, and I feel incredibly grateful and honored," he said. "This is actually a very special interview for me. I'm extremely aware of the support I've gotten from you guys over the years, and it's amazing that it's taken this long to sit down and actually discuss it, but please know that it hasn't gone unappreciated. I'm so excited to be talking to you."Eric StonestreetEric Stonestreet is one half of our favorite Modern Family gay couple, but the actor himself is openly straight. His onscreen hubby, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who is gay, jokes that Stonestreet is gay-for-pay, nodding to the times they have to kiss onscreen.Stonestreet started dating pediatric nurse Lindsay Schweitzer in 2016, and the couple became engaged in 2021.Misha CollinsThis Supernatural fan-favorite had a long-running joke on the show between his character, Castiel, and one of the main brothers, Dean, in a ship often known as Destiel.After seemingly coming out as bisexual himself, Collins took to Twitter in 2022 to clarify that his intentions were misspoken. "I want to deeply apologize for misspeaking this weekend. At a fan convention in New Jersey, when I was talking with the audience I said that I was 'all three' things: an introvert, an extrovert, and a bisexual," he wrote. "My clumsy intention was to wave off actually discussing my sexuality, but I badly fumbled that and understand that was seen as me coming out as bisexual."He added that, even though it was not his intention to misspeak, hes still a fierce LGBTQ+ ally.Taron EgertonAfter posting a photo of his male friend with the caption "Cutie. My boy to Instagram in October of 2018, many fans thought that the Robin Hood and Kingsman star had come out as queer. Unfortuntely that wasn't the case, and in an interview the following month with the Radio Times, he cleared up rumours about his sexuality, telling people he isn't gay."One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said, 'Look at this cutie,' and a million outlets reported I was coming out as gay," he said. "Im not gay but two of my mates came out when I was 15 and it was a joy to support them because, as a group, we are all secure in who we are.""Im certainly not going to stop calling my mates cuties and gorgeous because they are cuties and they are gorgeous."Ansel ElgortThe Baby Driver actor set the record straight on Twitter back in 2014 after rumours of his sexuality started circulating. "Just in case it isn't clear...I like girls. A lot," he tweeted. "Also let me say if I was gay I wouldn't hide it. Being gay or straight isn't bad or good it just IS. U are who you are. Be true to yourself."Just in case it isn't clear... I like girls. A lot. Ansel (@AnselElgort) December 18, 2014Also let me say if I was gay I wouldn't hide it. Being gay or straight isn't bad or good it just IS. U are who you are. Be true to yourself. Ansel (@AnselElgort) December 18, 2014Kendall JennerDespite internet rumors that the reality TV personality turned fashion model was queer, Kendall Jenner set the record straight about her sexuality in a March 2018 interview with Vogue."I think its because Im not like all my other sisters, who are like, Heres me and my boyfriend!" she said when asked why fans on the internet think she's gay. "So it was a thing for a minute because no one ever saw me with a guy. I would always go that extra mile to be low-key with guys, sneaking around all the time. You dont want to, like, look crazy."She continued:"I dont think I have a bisexual or gay bone in my body, but I dont know! Who knows?! Im all down for experiencenot against it whatsoeverbut Ive never been there before. Also, I know I have kind of a...male energy? But I dont want to say that wrong, because Im not transgender or anything. But I have a tough energy. I move differently. But to answer your question: Im not gay. I have literally nothing to hide."Darren CrissThe Emmy-winning actor who played gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story spoke about his sexuality in a 2011 interview with OUT. (Questions about Criss' sexuality surfaced soon after he got the breakout role of Blaine (Kurt's love interest) in FOX's popular musical series Glee.)"I think it's more empowering to everybody, including myself, if I'm articulate about identifying myself as a straight male playing a gay character," he said when asked about being comfortable playing gay characters. "Ultimately, that's more powerful for both communities." Jake GyllenhaalDuring a 2013 appearance on Inside the Actors Studio, Jake Gyllenhaal addressed the rumors of him being gay that followed him after his iconic role in Ang Lee's 2005 Oscar-winning, queer-themed film Brokeback Mountain. "It's a huge compliment," he told host James Lipton about people thinking he's gay. Jack FalaheeHow to Get Away with Murder star Jack Falahee, who plays a gay character on the show, came out as a straight ally to LGBT people on Twitter following Donald Trump's election in 2016. "While Im not gay, on HTGAWM I play a character whos in an interracial relationship with an HIV positive man," he wrote. "However, in the past Ive declined to discuss my own sexuality in an attempt to try and dismantle the closet. Opponents to my ambiguous answers to questions surrounding my sexuality argued the importance of visibility. Ultimately, I think that my stance has been unhelpful in the fight for equality. I feel that Ive sacrificed my ability to support the community for a more theoretical discussion about sexuality. Now more than ever, I want to offer my support to the community as an ally."(1/2) sorry for the small font, but I wanted you all to read this. pic.twitter.com/9BAKHJMTdJ Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) November 15, 2016Andrew GarfieldIn response to controversy that was sparked when The Amazing Spider-Man actor said he was "gay, just without the physical act," Andrew Garfield confirmed his heterosexuality in July of 2017 during an interview with BBC's Newsbeat.Garfield has made headlines before for kissing other celebrity men, the likes of which include Stephen Colbert and Ryan Reynolds. Cory Booker"I'm heterosexual," the New Jersey senator and former 2020 presidential candidate told The Philadelphia Inquirer in a December 2018 interview. "Every candidate should run on their authentic self, tell their truth, and more importantly, or mostly importantly, talk about their vision for the country."According to The Advocate, Booker has been asked questions about his sexuality before because of his (at the time) single relationship status. He is currently dating actress Rosario Dawson.Shawn MendesPop singer Shawn Mendes has had to "come out" as straight multiple times. After already addressing the rumors of him being gay back in 2016, he had to, once again, reiterate his heterosexuality in a November 2018 interview with Rolling Stone and a April 2019 interview with The Guardian."I thought, You fucking guys are so lucky Im not actually gay and terrified of coming out," Mendes told Rolling Stone, speaking about he was accused of being "too feminine." "Thats something that kills people. Thats how sensitive it is. Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if Im gay?"He continued:"Maybe I am a little more femininebut thats the way it is. Thats why I am me."Mark RonsonThe Oscar-winning music producer and Lady Gaga collaborator made headlines in September of 2019 when he seemingly came out as sapiosexual during an appearance on UK morning talk show Good Morning Britain, but in a follow-up interview with Rolling Stone, the DJ clarified that his comments were not a coming out. "I do not consider myself part of any marginalized community and I apologize if anybody misunderstood or took offense to it," Ronson said, admitting he was not totally informed about what exactly it means to identify as sapiosexual, which Psychology Today defines as "someone who finds intelligence and the human mind to be the most sexually attractive feature for a potential sexual relationship."He continued: "It sounds like I went on a TV show to be like, Guys, I have some big news! And the fact that I would go on and sort of declare myselflike as a heterosexual white malepart of any marginalized community was terrifying to me, or just embarrassing."Pradhyuman MalooRumors about the artist and designer's sexuality started circulating online after he appeared in Netflix's addictive (and very problematic) reality dating series Indian Matchmaking in July 2020. Shortly thereafter, Maloo took to Instagram to confirm that he is not part of the LGBTQ+ community. "And for those of you who are curious, I am not gay nor bisexual," the Indian Matchmaking star wrote emphatically.Nicki MinajAlthough she had previously told fans that she identified as bisexual in the early days of her music career, hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj confirmed that she now identifies as straight in May 2020 after rapping about it in her verse for the remix of Doja Cat's viral track "Say So.""Tell Mike Jordan send me my Retros," Nicki raps in the song. "Used to be bi, but now I'm just hetero." Eric TrumpAfter an on-screen gaffe during a September 2020 appearance on Fox & Friends where he said he was "part of" the LGBTQ+ community, Donald Trump's third offspring Eric (thankfully) had to clarify to The New York Post that he is, in fact, not gay or bisexual. "To clarify, many of our close friends are part of the LGBT community, which was the intent of my statement the left has taken that vote for granted for a long time and support from the gay community for my father is incredible. As to me personally, as I think you know, I am a happily married man to my wife, Lara," Eric, whose father's administration has a long and horrible anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ political track record, told The Post.

We all have to learn somewhere...... and even for tops, those lessons can come the hard way (no pun intended). Everyone starts from the bottom (if you're brave) and learns how to be a better top with practice, so don't be too self-conscious. So whether this is your first time topping, don't now how to top for the first time, you're just looking to improve as a top, this list might be just the thing for you!Thinking it's the easier role.You may think that being a top is "easier" than being a bottom because you don't have to clean out and there isn't (usually) any pain. That said, being a top has plenty of its own problems, from being unable to get/keep it up or finishing too early. We'll talk about all of these more later on, but for now, just remember that being a top isn't "easier."Rushing into topdom.Being a top seems like a good role. They're low supply, and high demand, so you're always bound to find sexual partners. But there's plenty of responsibilities and requirements that come into play as a top. If it's not for you, that's totally okay.Shoving it right in.If youve never been on the bottom, you dont know how it feels. Plain and simple. If all youve ever done is watch porn, it might behoove you to remember that most guys dont like it when you shove it straight in. Slow and steady wins the race at first.Getting too excited.It happens, and its similar to performance anxiety. If getting it up isnt your problem, finishing too quick might be. Just remember to focus on your breathing, and its okay to edge it out and pause the penetration just to make the most of the experience. Staying in one position the whole time.This comes with experimenting, too, but once youre in, dont just stay in the same position the whole time. Especially because its likely that position is doggy. Flip him around a bit! Find a spot that makes him moan and go to town.Saying the wrong thing.And then making it awkward. Maybe he knows its your first time. Maybe he doesnt. Just keep it cool, because you dont want to ruin your chances right at the last minute. Assuming tops automatically get boys.Remember how we said tops are high demand but low supply? Well, you still have to put the work in to get a bottom. But don't worry. Whether it's hitting up clubs or going on dates, persistence is everything.Refusing to exercise.A good top is a physically active top. Sure, you don't have to go all out every day, but you should be getting physical exercise regularly to build the stamina and muscles you need to pleasure your bottom.Not taking safe sex seriously.Use a condom. Not just for your safety, but for your partner's, too.Not being open to learn.Like it or not, tops need to learn how to be an enjoyable top through practice and experience. The less open-minded a new top is with their partner, the more likely they are to struggle to please whoever they're sleeping with at the time.Not coming prepared.It's important to make a list of supplies you need, including for both before, during, and after sex. This includes: condoms, lube, mouthwash, wipes, and towels, just to name a few. Missing any part of the equation for, say, anal or oral can turn a fun first-time out into a frustrating experience.Forgetting to wash up."Tops don't need to clean up after themselves," the saying goes. Well, that's not entirely true. You should make sure your junk is nice and clean. No bottom wants to be hit with a pool of sweat when they're going down on you.Photo: PixabayPerformance anxiety.Topping isn't a performance. It's not an attempt to show you're the best, the hottest, or the most domineering. It's just a way to describe how two or more people interact with one another sexually. Don't pressure yourself to perform; just have fun!Skimping out on foreplay.How are you going to get your man all worked up and ready for you if you don't tease him first? Never underestimate the importance of foreplay.Or preparation.If he wants to do anal, both of you need to be prepared. That means doing more than just flipping him around and going in. Play with him, tease him, finger him, eat him out from behind. Again, read up on what you want to do before going all in.Taking on too much.Be honest about your shortcomings, and don't get overambitious. There's no shame in admitting if you're inexperienced with a certain act or position, but diving head-first into something you know nothing about is not just foolish, it's dangerous.Not picking up on cues.We always reiterate this point whenever we're talking about sex: communicating with your partner is vital. If he suddenly goes silent, or seems rather uncomfortable, check in with how he's doing. Anal can be uncomfortable for a bottom's first time, for instance, which is why a first-time top should definitely be making sure that his partner is feeling okay.Making assumptions.It's easy to assume that you know how your bottom's body works if you've read or watched a lot of smut. But real life is more complicated than fantasies. Walk in with an open mind, because you're going to need one if you want to top well.Thinking your bottom is experienced.Your bottom may be just as new to bottoming as you are to being a top. Be prepared to talk things out with him and learn each other's boundaries. You'll need to if you want to have fun together.Going somewhere too daring.There's a time and a place for bathroom sex. Your first time as a top is probably not it. Why? You're more likely to be clumsy, nervous, unprepared, and get nervous. Start somewhere comfortable, like the bedroom.Relying on alcohol.It's nice to loosen up now and then with alcohol, but your first time is best enjoyed sober. Plus, for some people, it takes more than one drink to cool nerves; a second drink can even heighten them.Going way too fast and intense.It's important to go at the pace and intensity that your bottom wants. Intense and fast isn't always fun for everyone.Not experimenting.Every top should experiment a little bit. Whether that's kink or roleplay, a new position, or a new makeout move, a standard routine eventually becomes a stale routine.Getting cocky.Everyone likes a confident top. But a cocky top? Unless you're doing some dom roleplaying, cockiness can come off as rude and annoying. It's a running theme in this list, don't get overconfident. In the same way, don't be too cocky, and if you feel the urge to be so, try to curb it.Stopping once you're all done.Don't leave your bottom hanging. Make sure your bottom has had his share of fun and is all set to rest before taking a break.Not checking in after sex.Cuddle next to each other. Ask if he liked it, say if you liked it too, let him know if you had fun. No need to hold back or act coy, the best sex is always open and honest.Not realizing there's different ways to top.Stereotypically, we think of tops as leaders during sex. But tops can be gentle, passive, kinky, shy, new, or experienced, just to name a few varieties. Check out our list of different tops types to see what we mean.Still learning to laugh.Sex is awkward, funny, and silly. It has its moments where two partners start laughing or teasing one another. Sex might seem super serious to a top first learning, but just one or two times together with a partner will quickly teach you to have a bit of fun.Taking the role too seriously.Tops and bottoms are roles that everyone plays during sex, but, at the end of the day, there's a lot of stereotypes attached to the roles. Don't take the roles too seriously; they're just landmarks to begin to understand and explore your sexuality.Black and white thinking.The truth is, there's probably some things you're great at as a top, other things that need some work. No harm in that. It's important to reflect on what you want to improve on while celebrating your accomplishments.

In an interview for Variety, songstress extraordinaire and collaboration queen Dolly Parton also had some thoughts to share about fellow singer Beyonc.The interview was with Parton and her sister, Rachel Parton George, about their new cook book, Good Lookin' Cookin', and their line of ready to make meals from HomeChef. The HomeChef meals are all George and Parton's recipes as well, including Family Favorite Meatloaf with Southern-Style Green Beans" and Fried Chicken & Gravy With Dolly and Rachels Mashed Potatoes," which were tested during the interview. Not tested, but just as tantalizing, include the "Country Fried Trout with Purple and White Slaw," and "Hot Wing Flatbread with Blue Cheese and Celery."It's a fascinating look into Parton's relationship with her sister and why they decided to write a cookbook together. It's also an absolutely agonizing read if you're on an empty stomach.See on InstagramIn addition to being pressed about why they decided to write a cookbook together, or what Parton's favorite pie (it's chocolate), she was also asked about her feelings toward some modern musicians and goings on in the industry.Interviewer Meredith Woerner asked Parton, "Dolly, there are so many new artists breaking into the country music scene. What do you think about Post Malone and Beyonc making country records? Is country becoming more accepting of new artists from other genres joining?"Parton responded, "Ive been fortunate enough to be on both those albums. Well, Jolene was in Beyoncs, and I thought that was a great album." Parton is of course talking about Beyonc's latest record, Cowboy Carter. An album which made Beyonc the first Black woman to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. She continued, "Shes a country girl in Texas and Louisiana, so she grew up with that base. It wasnt like she just appeared out of nowhere. Post Malone has loved country music his whole life, and then I got to do the duet with him on his album, and I think its a fantastic album. I thought both those albums were great."See on InstagramWoerner followed up and asked Parton her thoughts about Beyonc's apparent snub at the CMAs. The 76th Annual Country Music Awards (which will take place on November 20th) and the Country Music Association have noted Beyonc's prowess, talent, and success in the country music industry by recognizing her and Cowboy Carter with zero nominations. "What do you think about Beyonc getting shut out of the CMA nominations?" asked Woerner.Parton delivered a somewhat tempered response. She said, "Well, you never know. Theres so many wonderful country artists that, I guess probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we cant really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that. But I didnt even realize that until somebody asked me that question. But it was a wonderful album. She can be very, very proud of, and I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good. So I dont think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose. I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album."See on InstagramParton can recognize her own blind spot here, in admitting than Beyonc's snub wasn't immediately obvious to her and that it was someone else who pointed it out. But to say that it wasn't on purpose, that to not see a single nomination for an album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 was some sort of oversight is giving too much credit to a music industry that still consistently fails to give Black women their flowers across every genre.It is also feels worth pointing out that Post Malone who, like Beyonc, also released his first country record this year, and also has made a career for himself in a very different genre of music, and is also from the South as a first time nominee has received four Country Music Award nominations this year. This makes Post Malone tied for the third most nominations for an artist at 76th CMAs.Parton obviously recognizes Beyonc's talent, and has spoken very highly about the opportunity to collaborate together. When Woerner followed up Parton's response about the CMAs by asking, "Would you ever duet 'Jolene' live with Beyonc?" Parton gave an enthusiastic "Oh yeah," and added, "I'm open to anything."Here's hoping that in year's future the Country Music Association takes a note out of Parton's book and develops an "oh yeah, I'm open to anything attitude," about the artists they're willing to nominate for the CMAs.

Hell is a teenage girl! Once (unfairly!) critically panned, the now cult-classic feminist horror movie Jennifers Body turns 15 today, and it also just so happens to be Bisexual Awareness Week. This feels like kismet, considering the film acted as a bisexual awakening for the main character and audience members alike.For those who have never seen Jennifers Body, the horror flick directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Lisa Frankensteins Diablo Cody is about popular girl Jennifer (Megan Fox) and her needy best friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried). While out at a local bar, Jennifer is kidnapped by an indie pop-rock band who try to sacrifice her to the devil, but it goes wrong because Jennifer isnt a virgin. Instead of getting the fame and fortune they were promised, Jennifer is turned into a succubus who spends the rest of the film devouring young men.Although its been reevaluated in recent years, when the film first premiered it was a called a flop, in large part because movie reviewers didnt understand its feminist take on horror and because it was marketed to horny straight men who were hoping to see scantily-clad Megan Fox hot off of Transformers fame making out with a girl. So when they actually saw the movie and got whip-smart dialogue, a kiss shot from the female gaze, and a sexually active teen girl killing men, they were loudly disappointed. But the film is deeply feminist and a potent exploration of bisexual attraction. While many horror movies from earlier decades punished women for being sexually active, Jennifers sexuality becomes the source of her power. How the fact that this was a feminist horror film went over peoples heads at the time is baffling. And there is no mistaking the bisexual themes. Throughout the film, Needy struggles with her attraction to her best friend an almost universal experience for queer people and the bloody horror and her battle with Jennifer becomes a metaphor for all of the unrequited feelings.Thankfully people are finally recognizing Jennifers Body for the smart, feminist, and bisexual-coded film that it has always been!1. The waveWhen Needy waves at Jennifer while she's performing her color guard flag routine, Jennifer stops and waves back. The sweet moment introduces the pair's dynamic, and got us thinking about them being more than friends.2. Kyle Gallner's guy linerWe were attracted to Jennifer and Kyle Gallner's emo character Colin and his guyliner!3. The casual touchJennifer's Body does a great job of showing that moment in a female friendship where you'e not sure if you wish you could be just like your best friend or you desperately want to kiss them. Casual touches like this moment at school when Jennifer strokes Needy's hair are a perfect encapsulation of that familiar feeling.4. THE kissWhile this kiss was used to attract young straight men to a movie that wasn't for them, it is a peak bi-awakening moment!5. The final battleAt the end of the film (spoilers!), Needy and Jennifer fight while flying through air clutched together. Then, when they land back on the bed, Needy straddles Jennifer and stabs her through the heart. I mean, C'mon. You definitely don't need a degree in film studies to know what the movie was trying to say!

Gay relationships are too often either fetishized, demonized, or totally ignored by society, and thats even more true for Black queer couples. But when someone made a post on X saying, I love seeing black gays in a relationship, followed by Met the cutest lil gay couple last night and it triggered something in me, tons of Black gay couples flooded the comment section with adorable photos documenting their love.These Black gay couples are living loud and proud and celebrating their love for everyone to see. While it shouldnt take an act of bravery to post a simple adorable couples pic in 2024, the division in this country and the hateful rhetoric spewing from the Republican Party means Black queer joy is still an act of resistance.It is such a blessing that we are finally in a moment in time where we feel free as a community to openly celebrate Black Queer love and connection. There are many ancestors who came b4 us who hid and fought so we can, commented actress Dalila Ali Rajah who created the @BlackQueerJoy Instagram account, which catalogs moments of Black joy captured in photographs. From couples who just got together back in January to men who have been in love for a decade, the sweet and loving couple photos will bring a smile to your face. By showcasing Black gay love stories, these couples are bringing more joy into the world and proving the skeptics (and bigots) wrong one photo at a time.Keep scrolling to see the gay couples showing us what Black queer joy looks like! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

15 Movies with Bisexual Guy CharactersWe know finding bisexual male characters in TV shows can be pretty hard to do, but finding bi guys in movies can also be extremely difficult. Sometimes characters who might be bisexual are largely marketed as gay, while other characters fall into harmful stereotypes.These 15 bisexual movies arent always perfect representations, but they do feature three-dimensional bi guys as major characters...PassagesRepresentation matters and even messy bisexuals deserve representation, too! Passages follows a married bisexual man whose life and marriage gets rocky when he enters into a romance with a young woman. It's a fresh twist on the bisexual trope that typically sees the "straying" or "illicit" element of the triangle being the same-sex romance.Where to watch:Y Tu Mama TambinThis incredible and steamy film introduced much of the world to not only Gael Garcia Bernal but Diego Luna as well and we've never looked back! The film sees two best friends heading out on a road trip with a beautiful older woman and embarking on an adventure of self-discovery that leads to them, well, discovering each other. Where to watch: IFC The Fourth ManPaul Verhoeven has made a career of telling stories about dangerous and complicated bisexuals and one of his earliest, The Fourth Man remains one of his best. In this neo-noir Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbe) is a novelist and an alcholoic who is seduced by a widow (very Verhoeven) only to find himself caught up in a web of murderous steamy intrigue.Where to watch: Internet ArchiveDeadpoolIf there are two things that the "merc with the mouth" is gonna with maximum effort is cause bodily harm and relentlessly flirt with every buff dude in sight. Do we see him actually hook up with any of them, no, it's a Marvel movie after all, but no character is more gleefully and unappologetically into both girlies and guys than Deadpool.Where to watch: MaxChallengersThe churro scene that launched a thousand bisexual boners! Luca Guadagnino knows how to reach and grab his audiences by the libido like no other, case and point his latest film, a twist on the traditional bisexual love triangle that sees so much heat on and off the court between its two male leads Art and Patrick. Between this and the sheer existence of Zendaya, there is no way that this movie won't be sighted as a bisexual awakening film to a whole new generation of bis. Where to watch:The Craft: LegacyThis semi-sequel, semi-remake of the iconic Wiccan '90s fave, The Craft: Legacy may not live up to the original's charm but there is one aspect that this film got right, its surprise bisexual character. While normally we don't love someone's sexuality being treated like a big twist, it's done so sweetly and so powerfully here, we are happy to make an exception. When the girls join forces to cast a spell on the class bully Timmy (Red, White & Royal Blue's Nicholas Galitzine) they end up entering into a heartfelt friendship with the reformed troll, who one night opens up in a moving monologue about his bisexuality, and his struggles with his identity. It's heartfelt and beautifully real. Where to watch: Prime VideoSunday Bloody Sunday Sunday Bloody Sunday was a groundbreaking 1971 British drama that follows a middle-aged doctor, Daniel Hirsh, and a woman in her 30s, Alex Greville, who are both involved in a love triangle with bisexual artist Bob Elkin. John Schlesingers previous film, Midnight Cowboy, portrayed a character struggling with his sexual orientation, but the characters in Sunday Bloody Sunday are relatively well-adjusted and successful. Where to watch: TubiThe ComedianThe Comedian follows Ed, a call-center operator who moonlights as a stand-up comedian. He falls for a man he meets on a night bus, but their relationship is complicated when Ed starts to develop feelings for his female roommate. Where to watch: NetflixKinseyAlfred Kinsey definitely did some personal research to develop his famous sexual expression scale. The 2004 biographical drama is interspersed with flashbacks from Kinseys childhood and young adulthood and stars Liam Neeson as the adult Kinsey. Where to watch: Prime VideoThe Mysteries of PittsburghFor some reason, Michael Chabons novels are never really that well adapted for film. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh movie isnt nearly as good as the book, but there are two bisexual characters in the filmArt and Cleveland (though Cleveland was straight in the book)so if you just want to watch a movie where theres actually more than one bi guy, its worth streaming.Where to watch: Prime VideoLove SongsLove Songs (Les Chansons damour) is a moody French musical directed by Christophe Honor with music by Alex Beaupain, and basically everyone is bisexual. The film starts by introducing Julie, Ismal, and Alice who are in a polyamorous relationship (though Julie seems less than okay with their arrangement).Spoilers ahead! When Julie suddenly dies, Alice and Ismal are left to grieve, and eventually, move on with new partners. Ismal is still grieving, but when he meets Erwann, the fog starts to lift. Where to watch: PlexCabaretWhile Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey might steal the show in Bob Fosses 1972 Cabaret, Michael York plays a bisexual teacher and writer (based on Christopher Isherwood) who navigates two complicated relationships that intersect. Where to watch: Prime VideoBehind the CandelabraThis 2013 drama directed by Steven Soderbergh dramatizes the last ten years of Liberaces life, and the rocky relationship he had with his bisexual partner, Scott Thorson. The film is based on Thorsons memoir of the same name.Where to watch: MaxGlueGlue is a 2006 Argentine movie set in a small, Patagonia town. Lucas plays in a punk band with his friend Nacho. When they meet Andrea, the three teenagers try to escape boredom with sexual exploration and drug use. Where to watch: Not currently streaming online. Mary Queen of Scots The 2018 period drama (that was led by our faves Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie) featured Jack Lowden as Lord Darnley, Mary's second husband. Although he met a very sad, unfortunate fate, the film does showcase his bisexuality, since he had relationships with men and with Mary. Where to watch: Prime Video