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Pride season is finally upon us! Now that our favorite time of year is finally here, its time to start organizing your calendar so you can fit in as many parades, parties, and protests as possible. Pride Month has always been about protest as much as celebration, but with the LGBTQ+ community under attack from the Trump administration and conservative politicians all over America, it is more important than ever for us to stand together, show our strength, fight back against an oppressive government, celebrate our collective queer joy, and party the night away. Yes, we need to fight, but Pride Month is also about coming together in community to have fun together and forget your worries for a while surrounded by other queer people. So lets all come together in solidarity, demand our civil rights, and celebrate with a month-long party! Not only do we have every Pride celebration in the U.S., but weve also go you covered if youre looking for Black Pride events or Dyke Marches. Don't see an event you're excited about? Email us at news@equalpide.com and we'll add it to the calendar.Keep scrolling to see every Pride event across the country so you can start planning your own personal Pride calendar!World Pride (May 17 - June 8)To mark 50 years of Pride being celebrated in Washington, DC, World Pride is coming to the U.S. Capitol. The festivities kicked off with Trans Pride on May 17 and will continue for the next three weeks where there will be LGBTQ+ rallies, seminars, parties, after parties, and after-after parties, including Black Pride, Latin Pride, and AAPI Pride. It all culminates in a two-day closing festival with a parade, rally, and concert where Doechii and Cynthia Erivo will perform.More details at World Pride.WEHO Pride (May 30 - June 1)WEHO Pride weekend begins with the Friday Night with OUTLOUD music festival, and will continue with a Pride Street Fair, Women's Freedom Festival and Dyke March, and the WeHo Pride Parade.More details at WEHO Pride.DC Veteran and Service Pride Weekend (May 29 - 31)Modern Military is celebrating Pride Month this year by honoring the fight for LGBTQ+ rights while working toward a more inclusive future. The DC Veteran and Service Pride Weekend will have a Military Veteran Mixer and Drag Show, an LGBTQ+ Veterans Stories of Joy and Resistance event, and the DC World Pride Military & Veterans Field Day.More details at Modern Military.Pittsburgh Pride (May 30 - June 1)Not only is there a march and parade at Pittsburgh Pride, but Pennsylvania-based weekend will also have an Emerald City Kiki Ball, the second annual Bigger Gayer Picniq, a Pride Prom, and celebrity headliners like David Archuleta, Drag Race alum Willam, Lil Mo, and J Howell.More details at Pittsburgh Pride.Ferndale Pride (May 31)Ferndale Pride may not be one of the biggest celebrations in California, but the city is going all out this year with a Pride parade, performance stage that will host local bands and drag performances, a dance stage with a live DJ so you can dance the day away, a Reading with Royalty drag queen story time, 200 slots for venders, and a childrens area perfect for keeping your kiddos entertained.More details at Ferndale Pride.Sonoma County Pride (May 31 - June 1)Sonoma County Prides theme this year is Fierce and Forty to celebrate its 40th year hosting a Pride parade. The festivities will start with a Shady Sassy Scarlet kick off party before the parade and festival with headline performances by Australian singer Betty Who, drag queen Ruby Red Munro, indie band Gloomy June, DJ Rotten Robbie, and Cheer SF.More details at Sonoma Country Pride.Santa Cruz Pride (June 1)This year, Santa Cruz, California, is celebrating its 50th Pride parade. The parade will start downtown, and there will also be a Pride Week Festival with 100 booths, two stages for live entertainment, a beer garden featuring Santa Cruz Pride beer, and admission is free.More details at Santa Cruz Pride.Philly Pride (June 1)The City of Brotherly Love is celebrating Pride with a parade and festival that will have drag, DJs, and community talent, along with youth and family programming, Queerwomencentered showcases, including a ballroom competition in the Sapphic Zone, and even a Sensory Friendly Zone for people who need a calm and quiet space.More details at Philly Gay Calendar.Jersey Pride (June 1)The 33rd annual Jersey Pride will take place is Asbury Park, New Jersey, and will have a parade, rally, and festival that will have a food court, a family zone, and live entertainment.More details at Jersey Pride.St. Petersburg Pride (June 1 - June 28)Floridas largest Pride celebration will kick off with a street party, and will continue all month with a Youth Pride and Family Day and a stonewall Reception to honor LGBTQ+ history, before culminating in a parade and festival on June 28, that will be attended by hundreds of thousands of people and headlined by rapper Saucy Santana.More info at St. Pete Pride.Pride Fest Milwaukee (June 5 - 7)PrideFest Milwaukee is going big this year. The festival will have a Red Light District, a Main Stage, a Dance Pavillion, and a Childrens stage. There will be live performances, including a Ru Queens Drag Show starring Adore Delano, Raja Gemini, Nina West, Willow Pill, and Jan Sport, and a showcase of hot men with the Homme Fatale: All Male Show. Then, the weekend will close out with the 21st annual Milwaukee Pride parade.More details at PrideFest.Springfield, MA Pride (June 5 - 7)The fourth annual Springfield Pride Parade Weekend will bring thousands of people from across New England to Springfield, Massachusetts, for the LGBTQIA Flag Raising and Youth Community Panel, the YOU Ball Fundraising Gala, a Pride Parade, and Pride Block Party with profits going to fund the LGBTQ+ youth organization, the Safe Space Program.More details at Springfield Pride Parade.Provincetown Pride (June 6 - 8)Provincetown, known for LGBTQ+ inclusion, always goes big in June. This year, P-town will kick off Pride with a party headlined by none other than Lady Gaga and Beyonc. There will be Pride Bingo hosted by drag queen Paige Turner, a Pride market, Pride rally that will end in a Sashay to Tea dance party, a quer comedy showcase, and the annual Lobster Roll event.More details at P-town.Catskills: Mountaintop Pride Weekend (June 6 - 8)This three-day celebration is the perfect Pride Month getaway, featuring live DJs, handcrafted cocktails, garden parties, and entertaining events at spots like the Scribners Lodge and Deer Mountain Inn. Then, venture out to grab a cup of joe at the queer-owned Two Queens Coffee, go hiking on Overlook Mountain, and grab a drink at one of the local breweries.More details at Great Northern Catskills.Kansas City Pride (June 6 - 8)To celebrate the 50th year, Kansas City PrideFest kicks off with an opening night celebration before a Pride Parade on Saturday and festival with multiple stages for live entertainment, vender, and food trucks, and a Family and Community Day on Sunday.More details at KC Pride.Pride CLE (June 7)Last year, Clevelands Pride CLE broke attendance records and organizers are hoping to do that again in 2025. There will be a parade and a festival where Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute band 45 Ballerinas will be headlining alongside drag queens Anhedonia Delight and Ariyah Fuego, the Cavaliers Dance Team, the Cleveland Pride Band, and the Cleveland Transgender Choir.More details at LGBTQ Cleveland.Albuquerque PrideFest (June 7)Albuquerque, New Mexico is being taken over by PrideFest on June 7. This year, the theme is Empower, Unite, Fight, Thrive and the festival will be in a brand new location at Civic Plaza. The PrideFest will feature social events, candlelight vigils, and a main event at Balloon Fiesta Park, and will culminate in a Pride parade with colorful floats, dancers, and classic cars.More details at ABQ Pride.Middletown Pride (June 7)Connecticut is celebrating! Middleton Pride is a local organization in Middletown, Connecticut that provides resources, education, services, grants, scholarships, and free events for the LGBTQ+ community year-round, but on June 7, they are also putting on the 7th annual PrideFEST. There will be a street festival, activities for all ages, a Pride March, a Pride Rally, a Pride Showcase Concert, and a Tea Dance.More details at Middletown Pride.Utah Pride (June 7 - 8)Utah Pride Fest is a two-day long event that rivals the largest Pride festivals in the country. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Utah Pride Parade which will bring in approximately 150,000 spectators and participants to the streets of downtown Salt Lake City.More details at Utah Pride.Motor City Pride (June 7-8)Motor City Pride is Michigans largest Pride event with over 65,000 participants. The weekend will have a Pride festival and parade in downtown Detroit with performances on four unique stages, hundreds of vendors, community groups, artisans, and local food trucks.More details at Motor City Pride.Long Island Pride (June 8)Long Island Pride is celebrating their 35th anniversary this year with the theme Defiant Joy. There will be a vibrant Pride Parade, a beer and wine garden, a family zone, food trucks, vendors and exhibits, and a concert featuring performers like Shye Roberts, Dan Kiernan, Ryan Cassata, and Drag Race stars Kori King and Tina Burner.More details at Long Island Pride.LA Pride (June 8-9)The 50th anniversary of Baltimore Prides theme for 2025 is 50 Shades of Pride and will feature a Pride Parade, Pride in the Park Festival, and a Pride Block Party that usually features drag acts, guest DJs, and live performances.More details at Baltimore Pride.Baltimore Pride (June 8 - 15)The 50th anniversary of Baltimore Prides theme for 2025 is 50 Shades of Pride and will feature a Pride Parade, Pride in the Park Festival, and a Pride Block Party that usually features drag acts, guest DJs, and live performances.More details at Baltimore Pride.Stonewall Columbus Pride (June 13 - June 14)The first Stonewall Columbus Pride was in 1982 and only had around 200 people in attendance, but in the decades since it has grown to welcome 700,000 visitors. Not only will it have a PRide March and festival, but its the organization's largest fundraiser.More details at Stonewall Columbus.Bisbee Pride - Arizona (June 13 - 15)Bisbee Pride is celebrating their 21st year in 2025 with the theme Party with a Purpose. The three-day celebration will have a Pride parade and festival that will be headlined by Crocodile Rockster, a popular Elton John impersonator and tribute artist.More details at Bisbee Pride.Brooklyn Pride (June 14)Brooklyn Prides epic day-long celebration will have a street festival, entertainment stage, family fun zone, twilight Pride Parade.More details at Brooklyn Pride.NOLA Pride (June 14)New Orleans residents and visitors will celebrate Pride Month on June 14 with NOLA Pride. There will be a community festival with live performances and delicious food, a Pride Parade through the famed French Quarter, and a PrideFest with live entertainment and vendors.More details at NOLA Pride.Boston Pride for the People (June 14)Boston Pride for the People brings around one million people to Boston for a Pride parade, festival, and block party.More details at Boston Pride for the People.Dallas Pride (June 14-15)This year, Dallas Prides theme is Pride is My Right. The vibrant two-day event will feature a Pride Music Festival at Fair Park, which will have teen and family vendors, a Pride Parade, a teen pride event, a Pride festival, and a Family Pride Zone.More details at Dallas Pride.Indy Pride (June 14-15)Indy Pride kicks off with a Pride parade that is regularly attended by at least 60,000 people, and where you can expect to see floats, marching bands, performers, and community leaders marching through downtown Indianapolis. Natasha Bedingfield, Coco & Breezy, Tinashe, Big Wild, and Snow Wife will all be performing over the course of the weekend.More details at Indy Pride.Sacramento Pride (June 14-15)The capital of California celebrates Pride with a march and festival that includes entertainment stages where Drag Races Shea Coule is set to perform, an arts pavilion, a health & wellness zone, the Q-Spot youth area, and exhibitor booths featuring local businesses, community groups, and community partners.More details at Sacramento Pride.Central Alabama Pride (June 15)Central Alabama PrideFest will have food and drink and a huge lineup of entertainers ready to perform on the mainstage. From singers and musicians to a DIY drag show to performances by Drag Race stars Sapphira Cristl, Darienne Lake, India Ferrah, Deja Skye, and The Widow Von Du, there is something for everyone.More details at Central Alabama Pride.Portland Pride (June 21)The Portland, Oregon Pride parade and festival will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with elaborate floats, drag queens, community organizations, good food, and entertainment.More details at Pride Portland.FLoatarama South Florida (June 21)Want to celebrate Pride, but sick of doing it on land? Well, youre in luck because FLoatarama is Americas biggest on-the-water fundraiser that features a yacht party and brunch cruise before leading to the waterfront where there will be a T-Dance with DJs.More details at FLoatarama.Kentuckiana Pride (June 21)Natasha Bedingfield, Saucy Santana, The Scarlet Opera, Tanner Adell, Molly Grace, and more are all performing at this years Kentuckian Pride parade and festival.More details at Kentuckian Pride.Santa Monica Pride Fabulous Fables (June 21)Santa Monica Pride has a full day of Pride programming for the whole family to enjoy, including Fabulous Fables at the Santa Monica Pier, a free event for children 10 and under with drag queen storytelling, colorful face painting, poetry, lively performances, and a Pride parade that everyone can join in on.More details at Santa Monica Pier.Rhode Island Pride (June 21)Rhode Island Pride is New Englands largest Pride celebration. The festival starts at 11:30 am and will feature a Beer, Wine, and Spirits Tent, more than 20 vendors, a PrideFest Kid Zone so that even the kiddies are entertained, and live performances from Grammy Award-winner Thelma Houston, RuPauls Drag Race superstars, and American Idol sensations. Then, the night will end with the states famed Illuminated Night Parade.More details at Pride RI.Key West Pride (June 23-30)Gay mecca Key West, Florida, is celebrating our favorite month of the year with a week-long Pride festival with an event for every taste. From a Leather & Gear Fetish Event to a Pride Brunch Sail & Swim to a pub crawl to a queer comedy night, and so much more, there is something for everyone.More details at Gay Key West.Cincinnati Pride Festival (June 22)The Cincinnati Pride Festival is a fun event perfect for the whole family. The biggest draw is the three stages, each with full lineups of fantastic performers from DJs, drag queens, and musician, and will be headlined by The Aces and Drag Races Priyanka.More details at Cincinnati Pride.Nashville Pride (June 27 - 29)Nashville Pride not only has an exciting Pride parade, there is also a Friday Concert hosted by Drag Races The Princess, with performances by Kim Petras, Estelle, Empress Of, and All Star winner Kylie Sonique Love.More details at Nashville Pride.Newport Pride (June 28)Newport Prides festival and Pride Parade bring in thousands of visitors and participants every year and is fun for the whole family, then once it gets late, the Pride After Dark Party will be a blast for adults who want to party the night away.More details at Newport Pride.Anchorage (June 28)Alaska's biggest Pride Parade takes over downtown Anchorage on June 28 for an unforgettable day filled with colorful floats, lively music, rainbow flags, bold outfits, and an atmosphere of joy and acceptance.More details at Alaskans Together.NYC Pride (June 28 - 29)New York City is the birthplace of Pride Month and host the largest Pride parade in the world. There will be the iconic Pride March that is not only a celebration but a civil rights demonstration too, a Youth Pride event, and the PrideFest street fair that combines exhibitors, food, and activities for a day of fun and celebration.More details at NYC Pride.San Francisco Pride (June 28 - 29)San Francisco is home to one of the oldest and largest Pride celebrations in the country, attracting over a million people to the city every year. The weekend is full of parties and celebrations, including the huge and exciting Pride parade full of elaborate floats, drag queens, and community organizations, and a festival that will have live entertainment, vendors, and good food and drink that everyone can enjoy.More details at SF Pride.Denver Pride (June 28 - 29)Over 500,000 people gather in Colorado every year for Denver Pride, with a huge Pride parade with colorful floats, marchers, and music. PrideFest also boasts more than 250 exhibitors, 30 food vendors, and captivating live performances, and a there is a Pride 5K which raises money to provide free essential services, programs, and activities to LGBTQ+ individuals and allies year-round.More details at Denver Pride.Twin Cities Pride (June 29)Twin Cities Pride not only has a huge parade and festival with live performances, vendors, and food, but Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be this years Grand Marshal. There will also be the 2025 Twin Cities Pride Rainbow Run 5k & Kids Rainbow Dash, where participants are encouraged to have a blast and dress as colorfully as possible.More details at TC Pride.Oakland Pride (Sept 7)Oakland may be just across the Bay from the huge San Francisco Pride event, but Oakland Pride has its own unique flavor and reasons for visitors to attend with a big Pride parade, diverse and colorful festival, and live music all celebrating the local LGBTQ+ community.More details at Oakland Pride.

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Pride Month is just around the corner, and a somewhat surprising contender has entered the race for pink dollars Target.Many LGBTQ+ people have wondered what the retail giant might do to acknowledge Pride this year, or if they would at all. The company has been sliding into the past in recent years after first bowing to bigots who spent the summer of 2023 threatening employees and toppling over displays until Target abruptly took down a lot of its Pride merch across U.S. stores.In 2024, the store followed up its cowardly decision with even more cowardice, only stocking Pride merch in about half its U.S. locations. When it became one of the first companies to announce a rollback of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives after Donald Trumps January inauguration, it became clear that any previous claims to support the LGBTQ+ community had been empty.Of course, that decision had consequences. Target has been struggling in recent months, with a May report from Fortune noting the company has not only had 11 weeks straight of declining traffic in stores, but also fell short of its earning predictions this past quarter by almost half a billion dollars.Perhaps thats why Target decided a Pride collection was a good idea after all. While we dont have any insider information regarding whether this was always part of the plan (as it admittedly has been in the past), it certainly feels rushed. Viral videos and images taken by in-store shoppers show multiple Pride items with tags featuring placeholder text. (@) Some folks have also pointed out that the online listings for Target's Pride collection are explicitly marketed towards adults. Every single piece of clothing is marked for "Adults," without a single item made for kids. Even the accessories, which could easily be more broadly inclusive of all ages, have "Adult" written into the listings.This shouldn't come as a surprise, considering that homophobes have previously thrown viral temper tantrums about anything kid-related at Target that had even a whiff of rainbow to it regardless of whether it had anything to do with Pride or not. God forbid children wear anything colorful, lest someone think theyre, you know.We have to wonder whether this conservative backlash also played a role in the way Target is approaching rainbows in general with this years collection. Theres usually something fun about taking some creative licensing with rainbow merch, but Target seems largely determined to push things just far enough that most people may not even recognize the color scheme as rainbow at all.Some of their items use too many colors, like this "All Are Welcome Here" welcome mat that technically features some ROY G. BIV while still managing to not look rainbow-adjacent whatsoever. Others just conceal the rainbow really, really well, like this confusing black top with a teen tiny bit of color at the very bottom that could easily be mistaken for an image glitch.Most of Targets Pride collection, though, just goes extremely hard on beige. (@) Some of these items including the beige sandals and beige bag look like they could be sold at any point in the year without any sort of Pride bent. (@) The beige dishes, at least, feature a rainbow theme that actually manages to look like rainbow coloring. But there's something about them that still screams "we really, really hope the wrong people aren't going to notice this!"Then there's the issue of what's actually present in stores vs online. On TikTok, @underthedesknews pointed out that a number of the more blatantly Pride-themed items appear to only be sold online. And an in-store display shared by one X user offers a glimpse into the blink-and-you'll-miss-it reality of what Pride Month may look like in some Targets across the country this year. (@) The whole collection is about as underwhelming as one might expect, considering Target's actions over the past few years. But that doesn't make it any less disappointing or any less pathetic. As much as many LGBTQ+ folks have scoffed at corporations for pulling out the rainbow merch during June as a cash grab, it still meant something to see those bold displays in parts of the country where such a thing would have been unfathomable even five to ten years earlier. If Target wants to try to both appease the bigots while cashing in on Pride, based on what they've got going on here, it doesn't seem likely to be much of a success. But if literally nothing else, I guess at least they gave us these weird gay birds. (@)

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2025 is the year of the bush!Ok, so we all have pubic hair, but what to do about it has been a hotly debated subject for decades. From the big bush of the 70s and 80s to the landing strips of the 90s to the rise in popularity of the Brazilian wax, pubic hair styles are ever-evolving. But now there is a new term in town: bushmaxxing. A viral trend in pubic hair styling that has taken TikTok and Gen Z by storm.So, read on to find out what bushmaxxing is, and why you might want to jump on this bandwagon. Pubic hair may be a taboo topic, but were diving right in!What is bushmaxxing?@oliviafignewtonjohn@BABYGWY Bushmaxxing is exactly what it sounds like. Its a term that originated on TikTok and is used to describe women choosing to grow out their pubic hair. So instead of waxing, shaving, or trimming, women who are bushmaxxing are going full 70s Sigourney Weaver in Alien-level bush. They want it to be so luxurious and long that CGI would have to be used to edit it out.Thats right, the bush is making a comeback! Women have taken to BushTok the pubic hair-centric side of TikTok in droves to talk about letting their hair grow out.Look, its youre body, youre choice, but if youve been waxing yourself dolphin smooth since you hit puberty, it may be time to try something different!Why has the trend in pubic hair changed?@gar1icparmesan#gwylationsAlthough its unclear exactly why the tides seem to be turning in favor of the bush, it could be a response to the styles of the 2000s and 2010s. Starting in the early 2000s low-rise jeans were so low that shaving or a Brazilian was a must, waxing was talked about on TV (were looking at you Carrie Bradshaw), and hairless women in internet porn became commonplace.What about straight women?But queer women arent the only ones talking about bushmaxxing, the straight ladies are growing their hair out too. Lesbians being on board with bushmaxxing makes perfect sense. Sapphic have always eschewed cultural norms, and dont cater to the males gaze. But bushmaxxing is catching on across the sexuality spectrum with straight women growing their pubic hair out as well.Are women really going full bush in a bikini?@faeriebby4everYupAlong with bushmaxxing, the phrase full bush in a bikini has also gone viral on TikTok. It started with a video by artist Sujindah that has more than 14 million views where she repeated the phrase over and over again after seeing someone modeling a bikini on Etsy with a full bush and she couldnt stop thinking about it.Since then, the video has inspired countless others, including women proudly wearing bikinis while sporting obvious bush. Whether youre a fan of taking it all off or letting your jungle grow, its usually seen as taboo for any of it to be peeking out of the sides of your swimsuit, which is why full bush in a bikini isnt just a style choice, but feels like a radical rallying cry.Women, queer women included, constantly deal with having their bodies policed and judged. From your breast size to your weight to the way you dress (dont wear anything too revealing! No, now youre too covered up) to what hair you should remove from your body. Talking about bushmaxxing is fun and the term is a little silly, but letting your pubic hair grow out when society tells you that its gross, is a radical act of defiance as much as it is personal expression.So, we say go for it! Let your bush flag fly.Should you join in on the trend?Why not? What have you got to lose? You can always shave it off again later. And were not saying you should ever groom yourself based on other peoples opinions, but queer women on TikTok seem to be into it. And if the lesbian side of Reddit is anything to go by, sapphics are pretty open to any pubic hairstyle you can think of, including going au naturel.At the end of the day, whether you prefer to be cueball bald, like having a cheeky little landing strip, or want to look like a 70s porn star, its your body so you get to curate your pubic hair any way you please. French braids are also always an option.And if youre someone who cant grow a full luxurious bush, you never know, the merkin could finally make a comeback because the bush is back baby!

Get ready to swap concrete and clubs for conifers and cabarets in the Catskills.Drag Me to the Catskills returns June 1315, 2025, for a glitter-soaked weekend of LGBTQ+ celebration, electric performances, and unapologetic self-expression. Hosted at the picturesque Forestburgh Playhouse, the three-day festival brings some of drags most celebrated names to the Catskills for a one-of-a-kind experience that blends camp, comedy, music, and mountains.The crown jewel of the weekend is Wigstock in the Catskills, taking place on Saturday, June 14, and hosted by drag icon Lady Bunny. Reviving the legendary East Village festival in the very region that inspired its name, Wigstock in the Catskills is a high-octane, open-air variety show unlike any other.Actually, Wigstocks name was inspired by the 1960s rock festival called Woodstock, which was located in the Catskills where well perform, Bunny explains. There will be all kinds of performers doing their thing from Drag Race alums like Thorgy Thor and Mrs. Kasha Davis, to stars of NYC drag like Joey Arias, and chart-topping dance diva Inaya Day.The Saturday night spectacle features an all-star cast that includes Bunny, Thorgy Thor, Mrs. Kasha Davis, Joey Arias, New Zealands Drag Race Down Under winner Spankie Jackzon, downtown performance queen Ambrosia Salad, Rochester legend Aggy Dune, and the dynamic and versatile Jada Balenciaga. Topping it all off is a special musical performance by international house music star Inaya Day, whose hits like Horny (All Night Long) and Movin Up have lit up pride stages and dance floors around the globe.The party continues under the stars with an outdoor afterparty, where Lady Bunny takes to the turntables for a DJ set full of classic bangers and filthy fun, joined by surprise pop-up appearances from cast members and special guests.The weekend kicks off on Friday, June 13, with Comedy Queens of the Catskills at 8 p.m., hosted by the ever-fabulous Mrs. Kasha Davis. Joining her on stage are UK drag comedy sensation Lady Bushra and New Yorks quick-witted queen Selma Nilla, promising a night of razor-sharp humor and over-the-top antics.On Sunday, June 15, the weekend closes with the beloved Drag Me to Brunch, featuring a lively and hilarious lineup of Mrs. Kasha Davis, Thorgy Thor, Spankie Jackzon, Ambrosia Salad, and Aggy Dune. As an added treat, Sullivan Countys own Jonathan Charles Fox will make his drag debut in a one-time-only performance, with all brunch tips benefiting the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association.Drag Me to the Catskills is the perfect blend of drag, nature, and celebration, says producer Tim Evanicki, co-owner of Drag Me to the Stage. The Catskills have long been a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ people, and this event proves that queer culture can thrive far beyond city limits. Were creating something magical in the mountainswhere community, creativity, and joy flourish.For those traveling from New York City, roundtrip party bus packages are available, hosted by the hilarious Kiki Ball-Change. Onboard entertainment includes live drag performances, karaoke, trivia, and surprises to kick off the weekend the moment you board. Accommodations are available at Resorts World Catskills, the festivals official hotel partner, offering a luxurious retreat complete with gaming, dining, and 24-hour fun.Whether youre a longtime drag fan or new to the scene, Drag Me to the Catskills invites you to celebrate pride, performance, and community in one of the most beautiful settings in New York. As Lady Bunny puts it, I feel right at home in a barnand so will these other heifers!Drag Me to the Catskills takes place June 1315, 2025. Tickets and hotel packages are available now at dragmetothecatskills.com.

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by Jeremy Kohler ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Across the country, Republican lawmakers have been working to undermine or altogether undo the will of the voters by making it harder to pass amendments and laws through citizen-led initiatives.In Missouri, the 2025 legislative session was dominated by Republican lawmakers trying to reverse two major measures that voters had put on the ballot and approved just months before; one made abortion in the state legal again, while the other created an employee sick leave requirement. GOP lawmakers in Alaska and Nebraska also have moved to roll back sick leave benefits that voters approved last year, while legislators in Arizona are pushing new restrictions on abortion access, despite voters six months ago approving protections. At the same time, Republican leaders in Florida, Utah, Montana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Ohio, North Dakota and South Dakota have approved efforts to restrict citizen-led ballot initiatives or are considering measures to do so, essentially trying to make it harder for voters to change laws outside legislatures.In some cases, legislators arent just responding to measures that voters approved; theyre acting shortly after citizen-led efforts failed but came too close for comfort, such as an abortion-rights initiative in Florida, which in November fell just short of the 60% of votes needed to pass and loosen the states ban on the procedure.Republican elected officials across these states make strikingly similar arguments: They say the initiative process is susceptible to fraud and unduly influenced by out-of-state money. Whats more, they say that they, as elected officials, represent the true will of the people more than ballot initiatives do. In his opening speech on the first day of Utahs legislative session in January, Senate President Stuart Adams urged lawmakers to push back against citizen-led ballot initiatives, warning that unelected special interest groups outside of Utah were using the process to override our republic and cast aside those who are duly elected. Utah lawmakers then passed a law tightening the process. They required initiative sponsors to detail how their proposal would be funded and, if it makes the ballot, pay for costly publication of the ballot language in newspapers across the state potentially adding $1.4 million in expenses. They also voted to put a 2026 measure before voters that would require a 60% supermajority for any tax-related initiatives.The battle between direct democracy and representative government isnt new, and it hasnt always been the domain of just Republicans. Democrats have done the same thing, although perhaps not with the same frequency, when voters have taken steps they had campaigned against. Whats different now, political observers say, is that the tension has reached a new level. State lawmakers, primarily Republicans the past few years, are routinely trying to undermine voter majorities.This is very much connected to the rise of authoritarianism that weve seen across the country, said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a nonprofit that tracks and supports ballot measures across the 26 states and the District of Columbia that allow some form of direct democracy. They cant win fairly, so theyre trying to rewrite the rules to get their way no matter what a majority of folks in their state wants.In Missouri, overturning the will of voters has almost become the legislatures main business. Lawmakers wasted no time moving to undo a constitutional amendment that legalized abortion up to fetal viability, advancing a new measure to place another amendment on the ballot that would ban it again. They also moved to repeal a sick leave requirement and portions of a minimum wage increase, which had also passed through the initiative process but which Republicans have said are harmful to businesses. The bill has gone to Gov. Mike Kehoe, who has indicated that he will sign it.In addition, Missouri lawmakers passed, and the governor signed, a new law that limits the ability of courts to intervene when the legislature writes ballot language for proposed constitutional amendments. Critics say the law opens the door to misleading ballot language, giving politicians and partisan officials more power to frame initiatives in a way that could mislead voters. Kehoe said in a statement that the law streamlines complex procedures while protecting the rights of every Missourian.State Rep. Brian Seitz, a Republican from Branson, has supported multiple failed efforts to change the states initiative process hed prefer a 60% threshold rather than a simple majority, as it is now and backed the sick leave repeal and the amendment to restore Missouris abortion ban. Weve been elected in a representative republic to see to the needs of the people, he said, and thats exactly what were going to do. Missouri State Rep. Brian Seitz reviews a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion at the state Capitol in April. (David A. Lieb/AP Photo) State Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City and the House minority leader, recalled that one of her first fights as a lawmaker was over the expansion of Medicaid, which voters approved in 2020 but Republican lawmakers refused to fund the following year.They thought they were being clever and of course, the courts told them they are not clever. They had to fund it, Aune said. But Ive seen this nearly every year Ive been here, and this year has been the absolute worst.In response to lawmakers efforts, a new campaign called Respect Missouri Voters is recruiting volunteers to collect signatures for a statewide ballot measure in November 2026. The measure would bar lawmakers from overturning voter-approved initiatives or undermining the citizens ability to use the initiative process.In several states, Republican legislators are trying to change the initiative petition process by imposing stricter rules on who can collect signatures and how petitions are submitted and raising the threshold for passing amendments. They are also trying to limit out-of-state funding, shorten signature-gathering windows and give themselves more power to rewrite or block voter-approved measures.Arkansas is one example of where this is playing out. Last year, abortion rights supporters turned in more than 100,000 signatures for a ballot measure that would have loosened the states near-total abortion ban. But the state Supreme Court upheld a lower courts ruling blocking the proposal from making the ballot, deciding that organizers had made a technical error in how they submitted paperwork for a portion of the signatures that had been collected by paid canvassers.This year, state Sen. Kim Hammer, a Republican from Benton, led a push to pass a series of laws aimed at the ballot initiative process. They place requirements on petition circulators and signers, including mandates that the signer read the ballot title in the presence of a canvasser or have it read to them, that canvassers ask signers to show photo ID and that they inform signers that petition fraud is a crime. They also expand state oversight, giving officials more power to disqualify petitions.The League of Women Voters of Arkansas has filed a lawsuit challenging some of the new laws, along with existing restrictions, arguing that they violate the U.S. Constitution. Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester said in a statement that they were basic, commonsense protections, and we look forward to fighting for them.Hammer said hes concerned that outside groups are using Arkansas as a testing ground for policy changes, and he wants to prevent that by keeping the ballot process as pure as possible. They drop the rock in the state, and it just ripples out from there, he said in an interview. So its to the benefit of abortionists and to the benefit of the marijuana industry and others to be able to do whatever they have to do to get a foothold. Republican Sen. Kim Hammer, left of center, answers questions about proposed laws that would alter the citizen-initiated ballot measure process during an Arkansas Senate committee hearing in February. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Dan Smith, a political scientist at the University of Florida who studies direct democracy, said it wasnt long ago that voters might punish a candidate for opposing a popular policy like raising the minimum wage or expanding health care. But that connection has largely been severed in the minds of voters, he said. Today, many voters experience a kind of cognitive dissonance: They support abortion rights or paid sick leave at the ballot box but continue voting for politicians who oppose those policies. They dont see the contradiction, he said, because partisanship has become more about team loyalty than policy.Smith said the disconnect is reinforced by gerrymandered legislative and congressional districts, which are drawn to favor Republican candidates and help maintain their supermajority control. They can override or ignore voter-backed initiatives with little political risk.Direct democracy in the United States took root during the Progressive Era of the late 1800s and early 1900s, especially in the West and Midwest, where newer states had less entrenched political structures and were more open to reform. These regions were often skeptical of centralized power, and reformers pushed for tools like the initiative and referendum to give citizens a way to bypass political machines and corporate influence. The first state to adopt the initiative process into its constitution was South Dakota in 1898. Now its one of the states where legislators are trying to undermine it.Most East Coast and Southern states never adopted initiative processes at all. Their constitutions didnt allow for it, and lawmakers have shown little interest in surrendering power to voters through direct legislation. Some academics have argued the process is barred by Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which requires states to produce governments by electoral processes. While efforts to override or undermine voter-approved initiatives are now almost exclusively driven by Republicans, Democratic-controlled legislatures have also tried to rein in direct democracy when it clashed with their priorities.After California voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978 to limit property taxes and later Proposition 209 in 1996 banning affirmative action Democrats sought ways to blunt or undo their impact through legislation and legal challenges.In the mid-2000s, Colorado Democrats began pushing to restrict the initiative process after a wave of conservative-backed measures passed at the ballot box. A key example was Amendment 43, a 2006 initiative placed on the ballot by citizen petition, which amended the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It passed with 55% of the vote and effectively banned same-sex marriage in the state until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned such bans in 2015.In 2008, Colorados Democratic-controlled legislature placed a referendum on the ballot that would have made it harder for people to petition to change the state constitution. The measure, also backed by some Republicans, failed at the polls. But in 2016, voters approved a citizen-initiated measure that raised the bar for constitutional amendments by requiring signatures from every state senate district and a 55% supermajority to pass. More recently, Democrats have sought to overturn Colorados taxpayer bill of rights, which voters enacted through initiative petition in 1992. The measure prohibits tax increases without voter approval. Democrats have argued the law may be unconstitutional because it strips the legislature of its budgetary authority.But most of the states that allow citizen-led ballot initiatives are Republican-controlled, which means the fight over direct democracy is often playing out in red states. At the center of the GOP argument is the claim that voter initiatives are driven by outside influence and funding. Smith called it hypocrisy.If you ask lawmakers to not take any outside contributions when they are running for office, they would find every reason under the sun to oppose it, he said.Efforts to change the initiative process have themselves drawn heavy outside funding. In August 2023, Ohio voters decisively rejected Issue 1, a Republican-backed proposal to raise the threshold for passing constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. The measure also would have made it harder to place initiatives on the ballot by requiring signatures from at least 5% of voters in all 88 counties.Backers claimed the changes were needed to protect the constitution from out-of-state special interests but the campaign itself was funded mostly by $4 million from conservative Illinois billionaire Dick Uihlein.Just three months later, Ohio voters returned to the polls and approved a new Issue 1 this time a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights up to fetal viability. It passed with nearly 57% of the vote.In 2006, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment to raise the threshold for future amendments to 60% but the measure itself passed with just 57.8% of the vote, a margin that wouldnt meet the standard it created.That irony came into sharp focus in 2024, when a ballot measure to protect abortion rights received 57% of the vote more support than a similar measure in Missouri, which passed with just under 52% yet failed in Florida due to the supermajority rule.After the election, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers began pushing for even tougher restrictions on the process, pointing to a report issued by the governors administration alleging widespread petition fraud in the push for the abortion rights measure. The governor signed a law prohibiting felons, non-U.S. citizens and non-Florida residents from serving as petition circulators; limiting the number of signed petitions a volunteer can collect before being required to register as an official canvasser and requiring signers to write either the last four numbers of their Social Security or drivers license number on petitions.In response, several groups have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the new restrictions. Florida Decides Healthcare, which is working to place a Medicaid expansion initiative on the 2026 ballot, has argued that the law imposes vague and punitive restrictions that chill political speech and civic engagement. The state has not yet responded to the lawsuit; the lead defendant, Secretary of State Cord Byrd, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.I think that what happens here is being watched and copied, Mitch Emerson, executive director of Florida Decides Healthcare, said in an interview. And if these attacks on democracy work in Florida, theyll spread.

by Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica; Perla Trevizo, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune; Melissa Sanchez and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica; Ronna Rsquez, Alianza Rebelde Investiga; and Adrin Gonzlez, Cazadores de Fake News Leer en espaol. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Sign up for The Brief Weekly to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues. Its also co-published with Alianza Rebelde Investiga (Rebel Alliance Investigates), a coalition of Venezuelan online media outlets, and Cazadores de Fake News (Fake News Hunters), a Venezuelan investigative online news organization. The Trump administration knew that the vast majority of the 238 Venezuelan immigrants it sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in mid-March had not been convicted of crimes in the United States before it labeled them as terrorists and deported them, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security data that has not been previously reported. President Donald Trump and his aides have branded the Venezuelans as rapists, savages, monsters and the worst of the worst. When multiple news organizations disputed those assertions with reporting that showed many of the deportees did not have criminal records, the administration doubled down. It said that its assessment of the deportees was based on a thorough vetting process that included looking at crimes committed both inside and outside the United States. But the governments own data, which was obtained by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and a team of journalists from Venezuela, showed that officials knew that only 32 of the deportees had been convicted of U.S. crimes and that most were nonviolent offenses, such as retail theft or traffic violations. The data indicates that the government knew that only six of the immigrants were convicted of violent crimes: four for assault, one for kidnapping and one for a weapons offense. And it shows that officials were aware that more than half, or 130, of the deportees were not labeled as having any criminal convictions or pending charges; they were labeled as only having violated immigration laws.As for foreign offenses, our own review of court and police records from around the United States and in Latin American countries where the deportees had lived found evidence of arrests or convictions for 20 of the 238 men. Of those, 11 involved violent crimes such as armed robbery, assault or murder, including one man who the Chilean government had asked the U.S. to extradite to face kidnapping and drug charges there. Another four had been accused of illegal gun possession.We conducted a case-by-case review of all the Venezuelan deportees. Its possible there are crimes and other information in the deportees backgrounds that did not show up in our reporting or the internal government data, which includes only minimal details for nine of the men. Theres no single publicly available database for all crimes committed in the U.S., much less abroad. But everything we did find in public records contradicted the Trump administrations assertions as well. ProPublica and the Tribune, along with Venezuelan media outlets Cazadores de Fake News (Fake News Hunters) and Alianza Rebelde Investiga (Rebel Alliance Investigates), also obtained lists of alleged gang members that are kept by Venezuelan law enforcement officials and the international law enforcement agency Interpol. Those lists include some 1,400 names. None of the names of the 238 Venezuelan deportees matched those on the lists. The hasty removal of the Venezuelans and their incarceration in a third country has made this one of the most consequential deportations in recent history. The court battles over whether Trump has the authority to expel immigrants without judicial review have the potential to upend how this country handles all immigrants living in the U.S., whether legally or illegally. Officials have suggested publicly that, to achieve the presidents goals of deporting millions of immigrants, the administration was considering suspending habeas corpus, the longstanding constitutional right allowing people to challenge their detention.Hours before the immigrants were loaded onto airplanes in Texas for deportation, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, declaring that the Tren de Aragua prison gang had invaded the United States, aided by the Venezuelan government. It branded the gang a foreign terrorist organization and said that declaration gave the president the authority to expel its members and send them indefinitely to a foreign prison, where they have remained for more than two months with no ability to communicate with their families or lawyers. Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney in the American Civil Liberties Unions legal fight against the deportations, said the removals amounted to a blatant violation of the most fundamental due process principles. He said that under the law, an immigrant who has committed a crime can be prosecuted and removed, but it does not mean they can be subjected to a potentially lifetime sentence in a foreign gulag.White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in response to our findings that ProPublica should be embarrassed that they are doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens who are a threat, adding that the American people strongly support the presidents immigration agenda. When asked about the differences between the administrations public statements about the deportees and the way they are labeled in government data, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin largely repeated previous public statements. She insisted, without providing evidence, that the deportees were dangerous, saying, These individuals categorized as non-criminals are actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gang members and more they just dont have a rap sheet in the U.S. As for the administrations allegations that Tren de Aragua has attempted an invasion, an analysis by U.S. intelligence officials concluded that the gang was not acting at the direction of the Venezuelan government of Nicols Maduro and that reports suggesting otherwise were not credible. Tulsi Gabbard, Trumps director of national intelligence, fired the reports authors after it became public. Her office, according to news reports, said Gabbard was trying to end the weaponization and politicization of the intelligence community. Our investigation focused on the 238 Venezuelan men who were deported on March 15 to CECOT, the prison in El Salvador, and whose names were on a list first published by CBS News. The government has also sent several dozen other immigrants there, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who the government admitted was sent there in error. Courts have ruled that the administration should facilitate his return to the U.S. We interviewed about 100 of the deportees relatives and their attorneys. Many of them had heard from their loved ones on the morning of March 15, when the men believed they were being sent back to Venezuela. They were happy because they would be back home with their families, who were eager to prepare their favorite meals and plan parties. Some of the relatives shared video messages with us and on social media that were recorded inside U.S. detention facilities. In those videos, the detainees said they were afraid that they might be sent to Guantanamo, a U.S. facility on Cuban soil where Washington has held and tortured detainees, including a number that it suspected of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Trump administration had sent planes carrying Venezuelan immigrants there earlier this year. They had no idea they were being sent to El Salvador. Among them was 31-year-old Leonardo Jos Colmenares Solrzano, who left Venezuela and his job as a youth soccer coach last July. His sister, Leidys Trejo Solrzano, said he had a hard time supporting himself and his mother and that Venezuelas crumbling economy made it hard for him to find a better paying job. Colmenares was detained at an appointment to approach the U.S.-Mexico border in October because of his many tattoos, his sister said. Those tattoos include the names of relatives, a clock, an owl and a crown she said was inspired by the Real Madrid soccer clubs logo. First image: Colmenares mother, Marianela Solrzano, and sister at their home in Venezuela. Second image: Photos of Colmenares as a child in Venezuela. (Adriana Loureiro Fernndez for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune) Colmenares was not flagged as having a criminal history in the DHS data we obtained. Nor did we find any U.S. or foreign convictions or charges in our review. Trejo said her brother stayed out of trouble and has no criminal record in Venezuela either. She described his expulsion as a U.S.-government-sponsored kidnapping.Its been so difficult. Even talking about what happened is hard for me, said Trejo, who has scoured the internet for videos and photos of her brother in the Salvadoran prison. Many nights I cant sleep because Im so anxious.The internal government data shows that officials had labeled all but a handful of the men as members of Tren de Aragua but offered little information about how they came to that conclusion. Court filings and documents we obtained show the government has relied in part on social media posts, affiliations with known gang members and tattoos, including crowns, clocks, guns, grenades and Michael Jordans Jumpman logo. We found that at least 158 of the Venezuelans imprisoned in El Salvador have tattoos. But law enforcement sources in the U.S., Colombia, Chile and Venezuela with expertise in the Tren de Aragua told us that tattoos are not an indicator of gang membership.McLaughlin, the DHS spokesperson, said the agency is confident in its assessments of gang affiliation but would not provide additional information to support them.John Sandweg, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said, for political reasons, I think the administration wants to characterize this as a grand effort thats promoting public safety of the United States. But even some of the governments own data demonstrates there is a gap between the rhetoric and the reality, he said, referring to the internal data we obtained.The government data shows 67 men who were deported had been flagged as having pending charges, though it provides no details about their alleged crimes. We found police, court and other records for 38 of those deportees. We found several people whose criminal history differed from what was tagged in the government data. In some cases that the government listed as pending criminal charges, the men had been convicted and in one case the charge had been dropped before the man was deported. Our reporting found that, like the criminal convictions, the majority of the pending charges involved nonviolent crimes, including retail theft, drug possession and traffic offenses. Six of the men had pending charges for attempted murder, assault, armed robbery, gun possession or domestic battery. Immigrant advocates have said removing people to a prison in El Salvador before the cases against them were resolved means that Trump, asserting his executive authority, short-circuited the criminal justice system.Take the case of Wilker Miguel Gutirrez Sierra, 23, who was arrested in February 2024 in Chicago on charges of attempted murder, robbery and aggravated battery after he and three other Venezuelan men allegedly assaulted a stranger on a train and stole his phone and $400. He pleaded not guilty. Gutirrez was on electronic monitoring as he awaited trial when he was arrested by ICE agents whod pulled up to him on the street in five black trucks, court records show. Three days later he was shipped to El Salvador.But the majority of men labeled as having pending cases were facing less serious charges, according to the records we found. Maikol Gabriel Lpez Lizano, 23, was arrested in Chicago in August 2023 on misdemeanor charges for riding his bike on the sidewalk while drinking a can of Budweiser. His partner, Cherry Flores, described his deportation as a gross injustice. They shouldnt have sent him there, she said. Why did they have to take him over a beer? Jeff Ernsthausen of ProPublica contributed data analysis. Adriana Nez and Carlos Centeno contributed reporting.

By Nicholas Turton I didnt always know where I belongedor even if I did. I was born in the early 90s in the small military town of Abilene, Texas. My father, a 22-year-old U.S. Airman of Irish and Polish descent, crossed paths and quickly fell in love with a strikingly beautiful Filipino woman [...]The post Learning to Belong: My Journey as a Gay Multiracial Filipino Man first appeared on GLAAD.

This summer, were getting a bold, new podcast. HIGHKEY!, the latest offering from Spoke Media and iHeartPodcasts is not just a podcast, its a cultural reset. Launching today, May 30 on iHeartMedias Outspoken Podcast Network, HIGHKEY! brings together three unapologetic, culture-shaping voices: political strategist and producer Ben OKeefe, entertainment host and critic Ryan Mitchell, and [...]The post HIGHKEY! Is the New Unfiltered, Culture-Shifting Podcast You Didnt Know You Needed first appeared on GLAAD.

Shepherdstown, West Virginia is preparing for an extravagant Pride parade on June 1. What makes this one so special and important? Its a Shepherdstowns first. GLAAD Media Institute Alum or a person whose completed a GLAAD Media Institute training Joan Joanie Moossy spearheaded the organization of the Pride parade, which would take on [...]The post In a Theme of Historic Firsts West Virginia Town Hosts First Pride Parade, Organizers Say GLAAD Inspired them first appeared on GLAAD.

It's getting spicy in here!Bravoholics everywhere are rejoining as the 12th season of Below Deck is premiering just as Pride Month begins!Fraser Olender returns as the fan-favorite Chief Stew and he's letting loose more than ever before. With steamy make out sessions and gay adult entertainers coming onto the yacht, there's plenty of shenanigans in store for the new season."Life is too short! What's the point in doing your job if you cannot have fun along the way? Yes, we get a bit saucy. I feel like everyone shares a piece of everyone's pie, but sharing is caring! There's lots of kissing going on. I don't regret any of it," Olender tells PRIDE. See on Instagram This season is particularly extra wild as notable gay adult performers such as Cade Maddox, Jkab Ethan Dale, Tony Genius, and others crash a charter and bring all of the chaos fans would expect."I was excited to meet them all, but I grew very fondly of Cade Maddox. We got along really well! He was a massive flirt and that's always nice to have on a charter. I do sometimes have a soft spot for my guests, but I didn't cross any boundaries this year. I just applaud them and I love them!"The sexy moments aren't just limited to the guests this season. Fans will also get to see the crew loving on each other more than any season prior."The fact that our crew this year is so LGBTQ+ friendly and it's watched by so many people, I think, is going to be fantastic. Sure, there's going to be people that come for us, but we've got to fight the good fight and we always will."Olender also had no problem letting his hair down more than ever before as he's now a recently single man and looking to find the right partner."I need someone who's nothing like me! I just really love authenticity. I find it really refreshing when I meet a normal guy with good values. I'm ready for love! I feel like I really am. I think this is my summer of love!"Below Deck premieres Monday, June 2 on Bravo. To see the full interview with Fraser Olender, check out the video at the top of the page.

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This Pride Month, New York City audiences will have the chance to experience one of the most celebrated and moving solo shows to come out of the UK in recent years. The Olivier-nominated My Sons a Queer (But What Can You Do?) arrives at New York City Center for a limited run, from June 1215, [...]The post Rob Madges My Sons a Queer (But What Can You Do?) Arrives in NYC This Pride Month for a Joyful and Heartfelt Limited Run first appeared on GLAAD.

Mother has arrived!Sapphira Cristl served one of the best runs ever seen on season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race as she secured four main challenge wins and dominated nearly every aspect of the competition.Although she barely missed snatching the crowd after an epic lip sync battle against Nymphia Wind during the finale, Cristl says she'd be open to entering the werkroom again in the near future."Of course I want to compete on an All Stars one day! I was this close to getting that crown. All Stars crown... I would love to have it. I'm going to work my ass [off] for it. I would love another chance at the crown and to be on y'all's screens again," Cristl tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Cristl may have just fallen short of victory last year, but her career has been nothing but a slew of wins since her time on the show.The talented queen is the latest star to join the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race LIVE! in Las Vegas and her newest album, The Cristl Ball, is officially out today on all platforms."It's always been a dream of mine to be on the Vegas Strip! This is just the beginning of that dream. It's a wonderful show to be in! I love music, so there's something for everyone on this album. The Cristl Ball is mostly about self-love and really enjoying one's own space."Besides her wide array of talents, Cristl is also considered a beloved Drag Race alum for her motherly energy and wisdom that's inspired her fellow queens and fans around the world."No matter what people tell you, never forget to truly love and accept yourself. If you don't have anybody else, you've gotta be your number one cheerleader. You have to remind yourself that you're worthy of love and no one can love you the way you can."The Cristl Ball is available everywhere now. To see the full interview with Sapphira Cristl, check out the video at the top of the page.

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Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend. 1.) I Was Born This Way, an upcoming documentary that chronicles the life of Archbishop Carl Bean, who performed the titular gay disco track in the 1970s, released [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: I Was Born This Way trailer, Hacks Renewed, New Music from Betty Who, The Beaches, and more! first appeared on GLAAD.

Hello and welcome to the latest Creepy Kiki, PRIDEs weekly dissection of all things that go bump in the (gay) night. Were officially halfway through 2025 and just a few months away from spooky season, and already this has proven to be a really exciting year for the horror genre in general, but especially for queer horror. That said, this week I thought it would be the perfect time for a mid-year horror binge, and playing a little game of catch-up by focusing on the seven queer horror films that dropped this year that you may have already missed shocking, I know! From haunted houses to haunted minds, queer obsession, and coming-of-age, 2025 is already proving to be a year for thought-provoking, transgressive, hilarious, and chilling horror. So, without further delay, here are the queer horror films you may have missed and where to watch them.Dead Mail Dead Mail is a true oddity of a film, and I mean that in the very best way possible. It feels less like a movie that was released and more like one that was discovered somewhere, tucked away on a dusty, hidden shelf. It follows a host of characters and revolves around a bloody piece of mail that shows up in the lost mail department of a small town post office. Jasper (Tomas Boykin), the post offices investigator, begins tracking down leads. If hes successful in putting the pieces together, theyll lead him to a grisly discovery set in the world of competitive synthesizer building. Yes, competitive synthesizer building. It's a story about loneliness and obsession, and its queer in every sense of the word. The definition of a hidden gem.Dead Mail is currently streaming on Shudder.FrwakaFrwaka is another wonderfully unique film. This folk horror outing from writer-director Aislinn Clark, delivered largely in the Irish language, follows a lesbian named Shoo (Clare Monnelly) who, fresh off the passing of her mother, takes a job caretaking for an ailing woman (Brd N Neachtain) whos convinced that the fae folk are trying to break into her home. While at first adversarial, the two women grow closer, bonding over their shared history of trauma. As such, when Shoo begins to suspect that there might indeed be something ancient and evil in the basement trying to get in, its not immediately clear if this is a supernatural horror or a case of folie deux. Lesser films would leave the answer frustratingly ambiguous, while this one blessedly chooses a side and leaves audiences with a haunting climax that is equal parts chilling, aching, and inevitable.Frwaka is streaming now on Shudder.Clown in a Cornfield Proving once again that queer horror can also just be a ton of fun, Clown in a Cornfield is a classic teen slasher thats both nostalgic and surprisingly queer. This film is based on the first volume in the popular book series by Adam Cesare and follows Quinn (Katie Douglas), a teen who moves from the city to the small town of Kettle Springs, Missouri. Once there, she begins making new friends and is excited for a fresh start in the flyover states. Things take a turn, however, when she and her friends find themselves the target of Frendo the Clown, the town's former mascot, whos picking off teens in a string of gruesome killings. You know, classic slasher stuff. Why is it on this list? Well, it features a queer twist that I won't be spoiling, but I can confirm that it's meaningful to the plot of the film! Clown in a Cornfield is currently in theaters and heading to digital on June 10.CompanionCompanion made waves when it hit theaters in January, and if you missed it, nows a great time to circle back on this darkly funny take on modern dating. The film centers on a group of friends spending a weekend together at the lake house of one of their rich (and shady) pals. Following a fatal incident, it quickly becomes clear that no one there is quite who they seem and the love stories between each of the couples are tested and their truths revealed. The film stars Harvey Guilln and Lukas Gage as one of the couples and, frankly, they steal the show.Companion is streaming now on Max. The ParentingThe Parenting proves that the only way introducing your partner to your parents can be any more terrifying is to have the proceedings crashed by a thousand-year-old demon. In this star-studded (Im talking Edie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, and Parker Posey) horror comedy, Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn star as a couple who invite their respective parents for a weekend of getting to know one another.Think Meet the Parents but make it gay and add a lot more ectoplasm and a naked Brian Cox and what you end up with is The Parenting.The Parenting is streaming now on Max.There's a Zombie OutsideThere's a Zombie Outside may have flown under your radar, but this very queer textually and subtextually film focuses on a gay filmmaker (Ben Baur) whose reality begins to blur as a monster from his film begins creeping around at the edges of his reality, while he and his boyfriend and their friends are away at a cabin retreat.Metaphors for queerness, identity, and artists' struggles abound in this indie horror film. So if you like horror packed with theme and symbolism, this is a must-see. Plus, it features a cameo from drag legend Peaches Christ!There's a Zombie Outside is available to rent on Prime Video. Bloody Axe WoundOK, I admit it, this last selection is a bit of a cheat. Not because it isn't queer (it is very queer) and not because it isn't a solid horror comedy (it is), but because it technically hit Shudder on December 27, 2024. But Im making the call and including it here anyway because it's just over the line and likely got lost in the holiday season shuffle. It's also great, and sapphics deserve nice things, too!Bloody Axe Wound follows Abbie Bladecut (Sari Arambulo), the daughter of a slasher killer (Billy Burke) who, as dads health begins to fade after one too many resurrections, has been tapped to take his place. There's just one problem: she's already fallen in love with Sam (Molly Brown), one of the nubile teens shes tasked with killing as part of her initiation. It's quirky and sweet and perfectly blends the queer coming-of-age genre with a supernatural slasher. Its a strange combo, but it just works.Bloody Axe Wound is streaming now on Shudder. And with that, this weeks Creepy Kiki is adjourned! Ill be back with more highlights on queer horror next week. In the meantime make sure you like and follow us on YouTube for more queer news and pop culture content.

British canoeist Kurts Adams Rozentals says Paddle UK has sidelined him from the World Class Programme due to his work on OnlyFans, forcing him to choose between Olympic ambition and financial survival.Rozentals, 22, won a place on UK Sports lotteryfunded scheme in 2022 and claimed a C1 silver at the World Under23 Championships in 2023, but was suspended in April pending investigation under Paddle UKs Athlete Disciplinary Policy. While the governing body did not publicly detail the allegations at the time, Rozentals posted on his Instagram that he believes they relate to the explicit videos he has been posting on his subscription-based OnlyFans channel since January.See on InstagramRozentals has now publicly addressed the controversy, telling BBC Sport, Ive been posting videos that are consciously made to be edgy in order to drive conversions to my spicy content page to fund this ultimate dream of going to the Olympics. He said the 16,000 ($21,552) annual grant he received from Paddle UK is certainly not enough to cover rent, travel, and living costs for a fulltime athlete based in London.Rozentals estimates he has earned more than 100,000 ($134,704) in under six months on OnlyFans, where he posts uncensored footage and selfpromotional clips on Instagram to steer followers toward the platform. I did whatever it took to never be in that position, he told Sky News. Was it unconventional? Sure. But to ban me from racing thats f**king insane.See on InstagramAccording to Sky News, Paddle UK said the interim action was taken to safeguard other athletes, staff and volunteers due to the nature of the allegation and is a neutral measure, not a disciplinary sanction. The policy cites offensive use of social media and indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour as potential grounds for action. The investigation has been passed to Sport Integrity, an independent service.Rozentals insists he should not have to choose between making ends meet and pursuing his sporting career. When youre thinking about how to pay the rent at the start line, thats not very conducive to performing well, he told BBC Sport. This is the hardest decision that Ive ever faced in my life.He added that without a change to the way athletes are funded, he sees no future collaborating with Paddle UK. Unless something changes in the way athletes are paid, I dont see a way of working with Paddle UK, he said, as he awaits the outcome of the investigation.

Jojo Siwas much-talked-about relationship with her fellow Celebrity Big Brother star Chris Hughes has raised eyebrows, and now The Traitors winner Gabby Windey is sharing her two cents.Never one to mince words, Windey skewered Hughes while talking to Trisha Paytas on Thursdays episode of the Just Trish Podcast.Windey explained that shes been watching Hughes since he was first on Love Island and doesnt have a good feeling about his new relationship.The 34-year-old former Bachelorette star said that not only is there a 10-year age gap between Siwa, 22, and Hughes, 32, but the pop star feels young and is "kind of like a kid still.Not only does Windey think the age gap is too big, but also that Hughes intentions arent pure.When Paytas asked if Windey thought Hughes was in it for the clout, Windey agreed.@spillsometeawithme1#trishapaytas #fyp #gabbywindey #jojosiwa #oliviaattwood #chrishughes #justtrish #trishlikefish88Yeah. Hes so desperate. He has a face full of filler, Windey said, because you can always count on to speak her mind.Watching the clips on social media, which I know it's kind of hard to get the full context, but I'm like, this feels creepy, she explained.Watching and seeing it like it felt like you were at work and like Darren was coming up behind you, giving you a massage, and youre like Im sending you to HR, she continued.Paytas agreed, saying that shes for Jojo but that shes obviously stunted" from being a child star and that people are always clout chasing and it feels like Hughes is using her.Windey was also careful to put the blame squarely on Hughes shoulders.And she was in a lesbian relationship, and now it's straight, and it's like, with an older guy, like, it's very different, not saying it's right or wrong, Windey said. Like, she can explore sexuality, and it's not personal with her. I think he's the one at fault, of course, but she needs to be careful.Watch the full episode below.

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Swifties are celebrating after Taylor Swift revealed that she finally regained ownership of her masters after six years of drama.Rumblings that the original recordings of Swifts first six albums were up for sale once again started earlier this month. On Friday, the "Anti-Hero" singer confirmed that her team had negotiated a deal for her to buy them back from Shamrock Capital."I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening," she wrote in a letter shared to her website. "I really get to say these words: All of the music Ive ever made now belongs to me. And all my music videos. All the concert films. The album art and photography. The unreleased songs. The memories. The magic. The madness. Every single era. My entire lifes work." (@) Swift losing the opportunity to purchase her masters has been a major plot point in the narrative of her life ever since Scooter Braun swooped in and purchased Big Machine and the masters for $330 million back in 2019.The two already were already known to have a contentious relationship, and his new ownership led to Swift re-recording four of the six albums to encourage fans decision to boycott streaming the original recordings. Even Brauns decision to sell the masters to Shamrock in 2020 didnt end the standoff, as one of the conditions of the sale was that he continue to profit from them.In her letter, Swift expressed gratitude to Shamrock for how they handled the recent sale, calling their dealings "honest, fair, and respectful," and joking that "my first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead." (@) Despite the joyous turn of events, its clear that any bad blood between her and Braun still remains. Page Six previously claimed Braun was the one encouraging Shamrock to sell to Swift, but a source told People that he had absolutely no involvement in the deal."This moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him," they said.Its given the celebration on Swifts behalf a delightfully petty bent to it, as fans simultaneously cheer on her success and Brauns continued slide into irrelevancy. (@) "taylor got all her masters back and scooter got fired by all his A-list clients... THE WORLD IS HEALING." (@) "taylor swift owning her master while justin bieber had to sell his, kanye at his lowest, kim irrelvant, and scooter braun going broke taylor swift always wins in the end" (@) "and one last FUCK YOU to scooter braun and scott borchetta !!!!!!!!" (@) "wishing scooter braun + scott borchetta an absolutely horrible day as always may everything continue to go wrong in your miserable lives for what you did!! xx" (@) "me going to add again the original versions of all Taylor Swift albums to my Spotify library"At the time of purchase, Swift still has two more albums for which she intended to release re-recordings her self-titled debut and 2017's Reputation. She also shared an update on where both of those currently stand, telling fans that her debut has been fully re-recorded but that she's barely gotten through a quarter of Reputation.And unfortunately for fans clamoring for the latter, it doesn't sound likely that's going to change any time soon."The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it," she admitted. "To be perfectly honest, its the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldnt be improved upon by redoing it So I kept putting it off."However, Swift did hint that she may still share the unreleased tracks that didnt make the original album cut, and that fans shouldnt fully give up hope on hearing Taylors Version of either her debut or Reputation just yet."Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when they time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about," she said. "But if it happens, it wont be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish i could have. It will just be a celebration now."

by Anjeanette Damon and Mollie Simon ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. The former operator of one of the largest HomeVestors of America franchises has agreed to plead guilty to federal wire fraud in connection with a sprawling Ponzi scheme targeting people who believed they were investing in his real estate empire.Federal prosecutors in Texas identified 80 victims defrauded of nearly $40 million by Charles Carrier since 2018. Though Carrier agreed to plead guilty to only one count of felony wire fraud involving one $200,000 transfer, he admitted to the broader scheme as part of the deal and agreed to pay restitution the amount of which has yet to be determined. The charge also carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence and the possibility of millions of dollars in fines. A federal judge will decide the sentence.Carrier owned Dallas-based C&C Residential Properties, one of the most successful franchises in the HomeVestors chain, which is known for its We Buy Ugly Houses slogan. HomeVestors terminated Carriers franchise in October 2024, after receiving a tip that he had been defrauding investors. It has since sued him for infringing on the companys assiduously protected trademark. Carrier has not yet responded to the lawsuit.In a story published this month, ProPublica detailed how Carrier bilked millions of dollars from scores of investors across Texas, including both wealthy businesspeople and older adults of more modest means who depended on the investment income for daily expenses. According to new court documents, losses to individual investors range from $35,000 to $11.6 million. The plea agreement was filed in court two weeks after the article was published. Carrier took loans from investors to finance his house-flipping business, initially using the money to buy and renovate older houses to sell for a profit. Carrier promised each loan would be secured by an ownership interest in a house and that he would pay 8%-10% interest in monthly installments over the course of the loan.For many years, investors received reliable monthly payments. In 2018, however, Carrier started taking out multiple loans on individual properties, sometimes providing investors with deeds he never recorded and racking up debt far beyond the value of the houses, according to court documents. Carrier also admitted to forging signatures and notary stamps so he could sell properties without notifying the investors or paying off their notes, according to court documents. Carrier admitted to using investor money to pay personal credit card balances, business operating expenses and interest obligations to earlier investors, according to court documents.The fact that Carriers plea deal contains only a single charge left some victims even more angry.Thats ridiculous, said Ron Carver, who lost $300,000 and whose father lost $200,000 before he died. They will let him plead out and he might get a slap on the wrist.A spokesperson for the U.S. attorneys office said they cant comment on a pending case.Carriers lawyer, Tom Pappas, said it wasnt Carriers intention to defraud anybody of their money.Pretty much all of his money was put into his business to try and make it successful so investors would be successful, Pappas said, adding that Carrier didnt fund a lavish lifestyle. Without providing details, Pappas said changes in the real estate market overtook Carrier and the thing just got away from him.Although Carrier agreed to plead to only one count, the entirety of the fraud identified by prosecutors will be considered by the judge during sentencing.Pappas said Carrier is committed to repaying every investor every dollar he can to make them whole. Pappas said he expects the restitution will likely be much lower than the $40 million in losses identified by prosecutors, as the lawyers are wrangling over the value of the investors losses. In February, Carrier signed an asset liquidation agreement allowing prosecutors to oversee the sale of his remaining properties, with the proceeds going toward restitution.Pappas said he expects Carrier will serve time in prison.Depending on the amount of the loss, theres a strong possibility he may go to jail, he said. But again, we are doing everything we can to make everybody as whole as we can.

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Don't say gay? Nice try.Even in Florida, the LGBTQ+ community is gearing up for a very crucial Pride season to prove that queer visibility can't be erased.Known as the largest LGBTQ+ Memorial Day celebration held in North America, Pensacola Pride drew in thousands of tourists as they slapped on Speedos, mingled on the beach, hit up electric circuit parties, and supported local gay bars.Although people correlate many of the major Pride events with the month of June, Johnny Chilsolm's Memorial Weekend Pensacola truly feels like the proper kickoff to all of the queer festivities that take place throughout the summer. See on Instagram This is the third year in a row I've flown down to Florida's panhandle to reunite with my chosen family and every visit reminds me just how lucky I am to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.There's nothing quite like bonding and socializing with countless amounts of queer people on the gorgeous white sand beaches each day of the long weekend.Beyond the gorgeous weather and sunny skies, the party really begins in the evening once all of the gays come together and dance the night away at Chilsolm's iconic circuit parties.As someone who's traveled solo to Pensacola Pride each year I've attended, I finally found myself staying at the stunning Portofino Island Resort with a group of my queer peers thanks to Joshua Hecht, the CEO and Founder of Dance With Pride. For a few years now, Hecht's mission as a Pensacola local is to help tourists enjoy a comfortable visit and fully immerse into all of the fun activities happening at Pride."I've been in Pensacola since 2016. The thing that's always made me happy is just seeing other people happy. If someone's having a good time, then I'm having a great time. It's really been for them!" See on Instagram Although he's built an incredible business helping queer travelers enjoy Pensacola Pride every year, Hecht is now taking things up a notch by becoming an official event partner for WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C.Hecht's company, Dance With Pride, is producing eight exciting events ranging from circuit parties and drag brunches to tea dances happening all weekend in the nation's capital."We're really trying to capture the entire Pride community and make sure that everyone has something available to them that they love. We have ultimate pregames, rooftop socials, and the thing that I love is that they're not overpriced. Tickets start at only $10. We want to make everything as accessible as possible. It's important to show up and show out!"There's certainly plenty of activities to explore through Dance With Pride, but there's also many other thrilling options available for tourists hoping to make the most of their time at WorldPride. See on Instagram Many queens from the latest season of RuPaul's Drag Race are making their way to Washington, D.C. for two special events that fans will absolutely gag over.On Sunday, June 8, Kori King is joining the top five of RuPaul's Drag Race season 17, except for Lexi Love, at the 9:30 Club for WorldPride's closing party... the Season 17 Extravaganza.Earlier in the day, other season 17 contestants Lana Ja'Rae, Hormona Lisa, and the season's Miss Congeniality Crystal Envy will be performing two shows at the WorldPride Drag Brunch at Throw Social DC. See on Instagram WorldPride may be the main festival that has all of the gays talking this year, but there's still plenty of exciting things happening leading up to the global Pride celebration.West Hollywood's Pride officially begins today and between marches, street parades, the OUTLOUD Music Festival, and a bustling bar scene, queer people from around the world will be hitting up the popular gayborhood for the first weekend of Pride Month.There's no better way to kick off the gayest month of the year than to attend the GlamCocks Metallic*nt circuit party happening tonight at Catch One in Los Angeles. Tickets are nearly sold out, so be sure to grab yours before it's too late!Pride season is truly in full effect and this is the year to be out, loud, and proud. To learn more about Pride events happening in your area, click here.

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There is a new drag competition in town, and for the first time, its all about the kings!Starting on June 22, LGBTQ+ network Revry is bringing audiences the first-ever weekly competition show dedicated to drag kings. Iconic drag king Murray Hill is hosting the new show, King of Drag, where 10 drag kings will compete for a place on the throne while celebrating gender diversity and gender expression. The judges table is stacked with talent, too with drag king extraordinaires Tenderoni and Wang Newton, Drag Race icons Sasha Velour and Gottmik, as well as Revry co-founder Damian Pelliccione as the permanent judges.This king-sized drag series will feature mind-blowing performances, eye-catching costumes, and drag transformations that will leave your jaw on the floor. All 10 contestants will represent drag while promoting inclusion, authentic self-expression, and diverse gender identities as part of their acts, Revry CEO Damian Pelliccione said in a statement. "We cant wait to give the drag competition format a run for its money with something fresh and original.But who exactly will be competing for the crown? PRIDE did a deep dive on each of the kings, and here's everything we learned! King of Drag premieres on June 22 at 22 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Revry.Alexander the GreatAustin-based drag king Alexander the Great is a trans man who plans to use his time on King of Drag to show off his aerial acrobatic skills and conquer the gender binary. Not only is he an internationally recognized drag king who has performed in festivals all over the U.S. and Europe, but he also uses his platform to promote trans visibility and inclusion. Alexander was Mister Austin Entertainer of the year 2023, Mister Austin Pride 2022, a finalist for Austin's Best Drag Performer by the Austin Chronicle, and was named Top 25 Drag Kings in the World by DragKings.net in 2017. When hes not on the stage performing in drag, Alexander teaches pole dancing to a trans and gender diverse crowd at the Austin Academy of Burlesque.Why we're excited: With so many wins under his belt, Alexander seems like one to beat! We also can't wait to see his acrobatic and pole dancing skills put to work.Alexander the GreatSee on InstagramBig DBig D is the drag king equivalent of your fave comedy queen, who loves to blend humor with theatricality when performing on stage. A self-described comedy clown, he plans to show off his unique blend of silliness and creativity on the show. As the oldest contestant in the competition, Big D may be comedic, but he also has the kind of experience that could make him hard to beat.Why we're excited: We stan a comedy king!Big DSee on InstagramBuck WyldeBuck Wylde is a smooth Latin drag king who is dedicated to bringing drag to a wider audience. From dressing like a mustachioed lothario to the hottest devil youve ever seen, Buck is known for combining style, comedy, and advocacy. He founded Buck Wyldes Sausage Party, a monthly drag brunch that gives seasoned vets and emerging kings a platform to express themselves. Before coming into his own as a powerful drag king, Buck ruled the skating rink as Tigger Mortis for the Assassination City roller derby team.Why we're excited: Buck Wylde's costumes are going to be hard to beat, and we can't wait to see all that sex appeal on our screens.Buck WyldeSee on InstagramCharles Galin KingLA drag king Charles Galin King uses facial expressions to bring creepiness and sex appeal to the stage, and plans to use their time in the competition to expand the idea of drag and celebrate masculinity in all its forms. Not only is Charles a successful drag king, but hes also an aspiring actor and director. Why we're excited: Weird and sexy? Sign us up!Charles Galin KingSee on InstagramDick Von DykeDick Von Dyke started life as a band kid before he discover the world of drag. Now hes a high-energy king who looks just as good performing in a suit as he does shirtless. Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dick loves performing with a theatrical flair and smutty humor that keeps audiences on their toes. Hes a true provocateur who challenges gender norms with his drag.Why We're excited: Dirty jokes and no shirt make a lethal combination.Dick Von DykeSee on InstagramHenlo BullfrogFrom dressing up as the drag version of the Babadook, the gayest horror monster around, to putting their special FX skills to work creating original characters, Henlo Bullfrog is a drag king superstar in the making. Not only has his work appeared on Skin Wars and RuPauls Drag Race, but hes also the drag son of Sapphira Cristl, the runner-up of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 16.Why we're excited: With this much drag and special FX experience under his belt, our money is on Henlo getting far in the competition.Henlo BullfrogSee on InstagramKing MolassesKing Molasses is a non-binary Black drag king who continues the legacy of Black and Latinx queer performers who pioneered drag and ballroom culture. For King, his drag is about mindfulness, a return to the spirit, and self-liberation. What is surreal about my Black body in drag is that I can feel liberated in the context of a world that would rather see me dead at any given moment, King told The 19th. To be in the practice of doing drag is to be in connection with so many different art forms that represent the diaspora of the Black body.Participating in the brand-new competition show isnt the first time King has been on TV. The Nigerian-born drag star has been on Good Morning America and contributed to the Vox documentary Drag Kings, Explained by Drag Kings.Why we're excited: King speaks passionately about his craft and is incredibly talented. But if we're honest, we're also here for the muscles.King MolassesSee on InstagramKing Perka $exxxKing Perka $exxx has been doing drag since 2018 and is now a nationally touring performer who is known for social commentary and the perfect dad jokes while exploring gender expression. He has headlined the Austin International Drag Festival, the Hostess City Hoedown in Savannah, and performed at Oaklash in San Francisco. He was also voted Best Drag King and Best Alternative King in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is based. King is also the drag brother of fellow King of Drag competitor Pressure K.Why we're excited: King Perka is a seasoned professional who knows how to work a crowd.King Perka $exxxSee on InstagramPressure KAtlanta, Georgia drag king Pressure K doesnt follow the trends, he sets them. Pressure K is charisma personified and is the drag brother of King of Drag competitor King Perka $exxx. Not only is he a high-energy drag performer, but he also performs comedy under the name KB2funny.Why we're excited: Because we love to laugh!Pressure KSee on InstagramTuna MeltFrom a smooth-as-silk, mustachioed heartthrob to a rose-hat-wearing singer, Tuna Melt can do it all. Hes the king of theatricality, belting out lyrics, and rapping to a rapt audience. Tuna Melt was the runner-up in the NYC Glam Award-nominated Cake Boys #TakestheCake competition, has a professional background in music technology, and is a loud and proud advocate who fights for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and fair compensations for trans and queer artists.Why we're excited: We know Tuna Melt will melt our hearts, and we can't wait!Tuna MeltSee on Instagram

It's 2025, but it seems like some people still have plenty of opinions about Rene Rapp first identifying as bisexual and then coming out as a lesbian as she grew her career as a pop star and actress. Thankfully, the "Leave Me Alone" singer isn't one to mince words.The Mean Girls (2024) star delivered an impassioned speech on Instagram live on Thursday, May 29. Since then, fans have been sharing clips of Rene Rapp clapping back at critics who are still discussing her sexuality and how it's evolved over the years."Whenever I talk about changing my identity from publicly bisexual to publicly a lesbian, I usually am pretty good about letting it go," she says in one clip.Rapp says that people are welcome to write their "think pieces" about her sexuality. However, one particular piece of commentary "pissed [her] the fuck off."See on Instagram"This one was like, 'Well, that's not fair to lesbians, if you said that you felt more like a lesbian in that moment, because that invalidates people who have always liked women,'" Rapp is seen explaining in a video. "Did you not fucking hear me when I just said I'm a lesbian? Did you decide to stop listening in that moment? Shut the fuck up."Rapp continued to say that she's "pissed" because this line of thinking is why people feel unsafe to come out. It's a hindrance to the community not to allow people to "change and to evolve and grow and grow into themselves."The pop star also got teary-eyed at one point, discussing her experiences growing up in the South, and recalling how there weren't many opportunities for her to just be herself. "I felt like, for so long, I had to be bisexual because I had to assume closeness to a sexuality that could lead me to being with a man," Rapp explained. "But that is something that I struggled with for such a fucking long time."She went on, "So for you to get in your fucking comments, and my fucking comments, and say that it's 'not fair' that I decided to start identifying as a lesbian because you didn't like the fucking way I went about it Fuck you."Rapp ended her speech saying that it was too close to Pride Month to start making her feel mad. And we know that's right!@reneerappwriting this then coming out as a lesbian i contain multitudesFor context, Rapp identified as an out bisexual person at the beginning of her career, and many songs on her first album were about attraction to men.In February 2024, however, Rapp came out as a lesbian in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She then posted a TikTok video with her song, "Tummy Hurts," with a caption that read: "Writing this, then coming out as a lesbian, I contain multitudes."Rene Rapp's upcoming album, Bite Me, is scheduled to drop on Friday, August 1.

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Subscribe nowWorldPride DC officially began on May 17, but the big party starts later this week and will culminate with a Parade and Street Festival on June 7 and 8. As many as three million people are expected to descend on the nations capital for the ninth ever WorldPride.The theme is The Fabric of Freedom, which some may find ironic with the backdrop of the White House and the Trump administration, which has waged unprecedented and relentless attacks against the transgender and nonbinary community.The hostile political environment has caused several European countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, to issue official cautions for LGBTQ travelers visiting the U.S. Many international LGBTQ folks have decided to skip WorldPride or cancel their travel plans due to safety concerns. And in April, WorldPride organizers cautioned transgender travelers from abroad, telling them to make an informed decision about whether to attend.So should people feel safe attending WorldPride DC this year? We called up Linda Lindamood, the director of health, safety and security for the Capital Pride Alliance, to find out.Subscribe nowWatch the full interview above or read the transcript here:Spencer Macnaughton:Hi everyone. I'm here today with Linda Lindamood, she's the director of health, safety and security for WorldPride DCs Capital Pride Alliance. Linda, thank you so much for chatting with me and Uncloseted Media today.Linda Lindamood:Thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity.SM:A lot of people are concerned about going to WorldPride in D.C. this year, with the backdrop of the Trump administration. Should people feel safe to go into WorldPride this year?LL:When we started this planning, we didn't have the administration we have now. So as soon as that happened, we shifted [things] a little bit more. You know, I would say a lot of the things that we had accomplished in the previous administration, we still have in place. The Department of Homeland Security they are participating in all of our meetings and their network of individuals that are helping in the planning.SM:How are folks supposed to trust liaising with the Department of Homeland Security when it's run by somebody like Kristi Noem, who's been vitriolic toward the LGBTQ community?LL:I will tell you, I've been doing this now in the nation's capital for 22 years, and I've been working with the same agencies, and believe it or not, even with this new administration, I have not seen any change in their posture. None. Public safety is their number one goal, we hear directly from the National Fusion Center, who is tied into any type of security threats.SM:Last month, Ryan Bos, the executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, told regional leaders they're considering a travel advisory for trans folks in response to the Trump administration's policies, several other countries, including Denmark, Germany and Ireland, have issued travel advisories warning trans and nonbinary folks that attending WorldPride might be at their own risk. Where does the Capital Pride Alliance stand now, going into WorldPride, about whether or not trans and nonbinary people should feel safe there and should travel there?LL:I cant speak for Capital Pride Alliance, or Ryan, or that leadership team, but what I can say is that the fear is real. Folks are coming to a place that they've never been before. There's all kinds of outside influences and rhetoric that's out there that sometimes scares folks. We want the trans community to come. We want everyone to come and make their voices heard. Washington, D.C., is where people come to make their voices heard and to be seen. What we don't want to do is scare people so bad to keep them away, or anything along those lines. If Linda Lindamood was giving the advice, I would say, Do what you feel comfortable with. The fear is out there. In all of the conversations that I've had with local government and Homeland TSA, [which] is a part of Homeland Security, it has not been an issue that has been brought up when I'm in the room.SM:If you had a trans sister, you would tell her that she should feel safe going to WorldPride?LL:Yes. Yes, absolutely. You know, I have a lot of friends in the trans world, as well as in many other communities, and I want people to come, not only if you're a part of the LGBTQ+ community, but if you're a family member or friends that are here to celebrate with your loved ones. Please come. Please know that we are making every effort to make people feel comfortable, to keep them healthy and safe and to communicate and work on the thingsbehind the scenes that won't elevate to get to a point where people [say], Oh, my God, what's going on?Subscribe for LGBTQ focused, accountability journalism.SM: There's been a lot of articles about Australians, and we interviewed somebody from London, who say they've been at every WorldPride, but they just can't go to this one because of the Trump administration and their rhetoric related to all of this. What are your thoughts to all those kind of folks who are deciding not to come?LL:I'm saddened. It is very sad. I don't even know what to say to that. Honestly, I don't want anybody to do anything that would put them in jeopardy or make them feel like they're going into an unsafe situation. So, you know, everyone has to make the choices for themselves, and it's unfortunate if they're not able to make it to this wonderful celebration, because to do this in the nation's capital [in] celebration and in protest and in all the things that make our community what it is. It saddens me that some folks are not able to enjoy that.SM:Your job must be crazy busy and so complicated. What do you do to prepare for an event of this magnitude, from a security perspective? Walk us through some of the things you have to do that an ordinary person like me, who's just going to go to the march, would have no idea you had to think about beforehand. And then you made an interesting point, that you did have to change some things with the new administration. What were those things that you had to change?LL:When we were with the old administration, we didn't have our phones blowing up. We didn't have people calling us going, Is the government going to shut you down? Are they going to close WorldPride? We didn't have that worry. So the things that changed in our world [were] us preparing to respond to the public and people that are traveling from abroad, in a way that they could digest, that's not overwhelming them with all of these security measures and yada yada yada, but in a way that speaks directly to them.SM: And how do you do that?LL: It's not always the easiest thing, because when you have so many different interests, certain things, like the trans community, you know, they're very concerned. The Black Pride community is, you know, concerned about other things. Fortunately, with the Capital Pride Alliance team, it is so unbelievably diverse. I have never been on a team that is so diverse. We have representation from every LGBTQ+ community, and we have focus groups, so if we start to see something that's happening, we sit down and we have that conversation. We want to make sure that our city agencies are aligned with the messaging that we're putting out. I've worked with Mayor Bowser and her office for many, many years, and the commitment that she has to this community is extraordinary. She even in her office has a special division for the LGBTQ+ affairs, and they are a part of all of those messaging. Their LGBTQ affairs department is actually sharing an office right now with the Capital Pride Alliance team. And so if the conversation comes up or an action needs to be taken, we look across the desk and we talk about it.SM:So interesting and so amazing that the D.C. mayor is so on board. But I guess, you know, God forbid something were to happen, and the D.C. mayor's on board, but then you have the Trump administration, you know, instituting laws saying that in the eyes of the federal government, trans people don't exist. How do you navigate that from a safety perspective, when you think about the D.C. mayor being so on board, but the federal government, who might need to come in for backup, God forbid something happens, feeling this way and saying that, right? How can people feel safe in that instance? And are you confident that the federal government would come in for backup if it did come to that?LL:The efforts that we have made, and that may be one of the changes that we made, we have very few events on any federal land. Everything we have is D.C. proper. The one area that we are on the National Mall is the International March and Rally that's taking place on Sunday, June 8, that is a First Amendment rally and all First Amendment rallies have the right, it's the freedom of speech, they have the right to do whatever they need to do. We also have a contingency plan if something, God forbid, something was going to happen and the federal government stepped in and said, you can't be here, we already have a contingency plan that's literally across the grass to go on to D.C. proper streets.SM:That sounds wild, though, to have to have a contingency plan for if the federal government doesn't want an event on federal land.LL:It's not even that. We have contingencies for our contingencies, trust me, that is not a really big concern for us in all of our planning. I will tell you, the federal government has not been, they have not been, they haven't rattled uslet's put it that wayin a way that makes us shake in our boots. We are warriors. We are warriors, and we're going to keep on going.SM: And what is top of mind for you in terms of planning? When I think of safety, I think of, okay, making sure all the barricades are here, and that kind of thing. But what is it really for you?LL: Well, communication. Communication is a huge thing. We're communicating through our website. We're communicating through all of our social channels. The city, they have activated an app that you can text to, so it's called Nixle. And for WorldPride, you text the words World Pride D.C. to 888-777, and then you get all the alerts. We also, internally, have built out work groups in some more secure apps that we're able to communicate with each other, if there were any types of emergencies or anything like that. We also, from the D.C. Emergency Operations Center (EOC), have the capabilities of sending messages out to everyone within that geofence of our footprint.SM:You have the capability, if there was, God forbid, a threat or something like that, people should, A, download that app, it sounds like, but B, should get it anyways, some push notification to their phone.LL: Absolutely. So you know, my number one concern is making sure that we have done everything in our power to make sure that people can communicate with each other. And then, you know, the security of things with world facing events like this. You know, we have to have road closures. We have to have the place to celebrate. So working with all of the local agencies, you may not see them when you're in the middle of the festival or on the parade route, but if you bounce out two blocks behind you, you'll see that there's no cars on the street, and at this opening of those two blocks out on either side, you'll see these big dump trucks that are there that are blocking the way. And then our local law enforcement, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), has actually invested in some other anti-ramming devices that they're putting along those sidewalks and things, because, you know, with certain things, we've seen some vehicles go past those blocking vehicles onto the sidewalk. Well, we're taking precautions against that as well.SM: Of course after New Orleans and New Year's Eve, I'm sure that's top of mind for you as well.LL:Absolutely, absolutely. And we go as far as we have to notify the buildings that are within our footprint, and we close access to those buildings down within our footprint. So, making sure that those parking garages are secured and that MPD is in place for all of that. So there's a lot of paddling under the water.SM: Ive covered a lot of far-right extremism before. You know, been with the Michigan Militia, the Boogaloo Bois, the Ku Klux Klan. And I'm deeply aware of how many groups there are like this in the United States, and that world definitely does intersect with MAGA world a lot and the same rhetoric toward the LGBTQ community. How do you guys safeguard against having so many fragmented far-right groups who do feel a lot of animus toward the LGBTQ community, and therefore could see WorldPride as kind of lightning in a bottle for an attack?LL:As event organizers, while we can prepare as much as we possibly can, a lot of our reliance is on those law enforcement agencies that are going to protect us, the National Fusion Center that is, you know, watching everything. A lot of the things that are happening that are supporting us behind the scenes are those geofences, if there are words, or if there's something on some of those other black sites and things like that, they're monitoring all of that.SM: The encrypted apps, they're monitored?LL:Oh, absolutely, they're monitored. And then the other piece is, it was interesting, we had, it wasn't for WorldPride, but we had another event where we were working with the local government, and they had a geofence around our footprint, and somebody had posted that there was going to be a bomb that went off at 8:30 in the site, and I will tell you, within two minutes, we had an hour to get ready. Within two minutes, we had locked down all of our gates. It is amazing at how quick we can respond when we're included in the room.SM:And you feel like, ahead of WorldPride, you've been included in every room you need?LL:Oh my gosh. I mean, we have daily calls every single day, at 9:30 every morning, we hear from the National Fusion Center, [about] what's going on. What are the threats? Where's it going, and you know, if I had some wood here, I'd be knocking on it, saying, you know, it's been great so far. We have access to traffic cams all over the city. We have surveillance that we can pop into within minutes, with the law enforcement, of course, they have, you know, drones and all other types of surveillance that they can use. I am certain, as sure as I'm sitting here, that there's a lot more police officers that are deployed that I don't even know about on rooftops and garages, just to make sure we keep them safe, that they keep us safe. So I don't want to be overconfident, but I feel really good about where we are. You know, sometimes there's a rub between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community, [but] in Washington, D.C., we met with the chief of police just two weeks ago, and she is so committed to supporting our community, keeping people safe. She also in her Metropolitan Police Department has an LGBTQ division as well. So, I feel pretty confident and pretty comfortable with the efforts that all of the agencies have been put forth.SM: And if it does get to a threat level where you would need something like the FBI with Kash Patel, or with folks who you know the Trump administration has appointed who have been very, you know, anti-LGBTQ, filled with animus. Would it get to a level where you need their support? Or do you think you have enough with the kind of agencies you listed to be okay?LL:I was talking with some of the leadership in the Metropolitan Police Department. They feel pretty confident in the staffing levels that they have one of the largest police departments in the nation, but they also have a memorandum of understanding with other agencies outside of D.C. that are local and state agencies, so we have a lot of support from those agencies to come in. And I will say, as a department, you know, as the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI is, you know, part of these EOC meetings, we haven't had any kind of pushback from them. And, you know, I'm not sure it would elevate to a Kash Patel or anybody from the Trump administration's level of concern at the local level, the FBI folks have been supportive of what we're doing.Subscribe nowSM: So practical question for me and the many other folks going to WorldPride very soon, what can they do to prepare from a safety perspective?LL: You know, I would say, just be aware. You know, if you're going into a place that you're not familiar with. You know, observe your surroundings. If you see something, say something. We've been hearing that campaign for 25 years, or 24 years now, since 9/11, really, truly, if you see something that's out of the ordinary, while it may not impact you, it's worth elevating it to the police officers or to an event staff if you're there. If it doesn't look like it's supposed to be there, it probably isn't. So I would tell folks to trust their gut if they walk into a situation where they feel like it's not a safe situation, I would not go in.SM:For queer or LGBTQ people who don't feel safe going to police officers. What's the best alternative for them to report something?LL: They can dial 911, but I would say for folks that you know, the folks that are coming in, you're going into a place where there's a ton of staff. I can tell you, we have hundreds of private security folks that are supporting this, as well as hundreds of law enforcement agencies who are supporting this, along with hundreds of volunteers, thousands, probably, volunteers that are supporting this. So, anybody that has a WorldPride shirt on that says staff or safety committee or safety team, please go up to them. We all have communication devices, and we can elevate things to the appropriate levels that need be. Please do not ever take anything into your own hands. If there are people out there that are trying to disrupt, report it, let us handle it. We don't want anybody getting hurt. Our whole goal here is that you come to Washington, D.C. to celebrate, and that you have an extraordinary experience, and you go home safe and sound, happier than you got here. Truly let us, let us handle that from either an event perspective, if we can handle it at our level, or we'll elevate it to the people who can.SM:Linda Lindamood, thank you so much for keeping all of us safe. You are doing the Lord's work. So super grateful to you and everything you're doing with your team as we head into what is sure to be a historic WorldPride in Washington, D.C.LL: Thank you so much.Additional reporting by Sam Donndelinger and Emma PaidraIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted MediaSubscribe now

JoJo Siwa has been at the center of one controversy after another and the subject of harsh criticism for most of her career. From her messy dating life to claiming she invented "gay pop to changing the way she identifies, Siwa has faced it all. But shes now spent more than a month in the headlines after she and Chris Hughes sparked rumors about their age-gap relationship on Celebrity Big Brother UK. Fans tuned in every week to watch their chemistry grow, experienced Siwa having an identity crisis, and then ultimately ended her relationship with nonbinary actor and content creator Kath Ebbs to seemingly date Hughes.So much has happened, but who are the stars at the center of all of the speculation, and are they really dating?Who is JoJo Siwa?JoJo Siwa got her start as a 9-year-old child star in two seasons of Abbys Ultimate Dance Competition, a spinoff of the hit reality show Dance Moms. After she shot to stardom on the show, she was cut from the competition and then joined the cast of the fifth season of Dance Moms.While on the show, her YouTube channel reached 12 million subscribers, and from there she went on to star in a slew of Nickelodeon shows before launching her career as a pop star.The 22-year-old Boomerang singer came out as a lesbian back in 2021, but has since changed how she defines her sexuality. Siwa has dated a series of people including So You Think You Can Dance star Dakayla Wilson, TikTok star Avery Cyrus, and Kylie Prew, before entering a relationship with Ebbs, who she broke up with after meeting Hughes on Celebrity Big Brother.Who is Chris Hughes?The 32-year-old UK reality TV star started his career as a model before appearing on the third season of Love Island where he came in third place. After leaving the show, he collaborated with Kem Cetinay, who won that season, on the spin-off series You vs. Chris and Kem and Chris & Kem: Straight Outta Love Island. Hughes then became a correspondent for ITV Racing and starred in the 2021 movie Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins. Hes also appeared on a slew of game shows and even released a single.What happened on Celebrity Big Brother UK and after the show?See on InstagramHughes and Siwa both entered the Celebrity Big Brother UK house for the 24th season of the hit reality TV Show without having met before, but the pairs instant chemistry was apparent to everyone who was watching. While on the show, Siwa was harassed by actor Mickey Rourke, who was kicked off the show for his homophobic remarks. She also seemed to struggle with her sexual identity and came out as queer after having identified as a lesbian for years. But the real controversy started when fans started noticing the intense chemistry that she shared with Hughes. Rumors immediately started swirling as the two were seen touching, sleeping in bed together, and snuggling while on the show. This all went down while Siwa was still dating Ebbs, who said in a video posted to Instagram that prior to leaving for England to film the show, they were told that they were the love of Siwas life and that the Karma singer was planning to propose. Ebbs said they flew out to the UK to be there to support Siwa before the filming of the finale, but Siwa ended up breaking up with them at the after party. Siwa told U.K.s This Morning on April 28, while appearing alongside Hughes, that the breakup was not supposed to happen like that.Are Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa dating?See on InstagramAfter facing controversy and backlash for breaking up with Ebbs and seemingly starting a relationship with Hughes, the two started gushing about each other during interviews and posting cute and cuddly photos on Instagram. However, they had still not confirmed they were dating until recently. Although the stars still hadn't confirmed their relationship status themselves, the rumors and speculation were essentially put to bed on May 22 when The Sun published candid paparazzi photos of the couple kissing while Siwa straddled Hughes as they sat on a pool floaty in a hotel swimming pool. Then, on May 28, Hughes was answering online questions from fans for the clothing brand House of Cavani when he was asked about his current relationship status, and he answered, Happy. He continued, Thats my relationship status. Its happy. Im just happy. Thats good. Im happy with that. He also called Siwa his favorite topic of conversation and his favorite human.That same day, Siwa took to Instagram after performing in London, where she changed the lyrics to Betty Davis Eyes to "Chris Hughes eyes to post about how content and happy she is there, alongside photos of her show and her and Hughes embracing. Theres no way to quite explain how content and how happy I have been feeling personally and professionally, she wrote. "I dont feel the need to convince anyone because for the first time since I was 17 Im not trying to convince myself of that.

We are witnessing drag herstory. Just when we feared perhaps All Stars was losing its luster, along came season 10 with its fresh new format and a cast of queens who are not only giving us drag excellence on the mainstage, but giving us that old-school untucked oh-ahh-ahh sensation.From Ilene the Alien and Aja cutting up in the Werk Room, to Nicole Paige Brooks existing, the entertainment value is through the roof. But perhaps no queen is more responsible for providing gag-worthy moments, so far, than Mistress Isabelle Brooks who is always up to some kind of shenanigans.Whether it's mixing it up with Tina Burner over an infamous rainbow wig post, snatching points right from her other drag sisters in the most nervy and chaotic way, or simply keeping the girls on their toes with a bevy of effortless reads and reactions, she is reminding us exactly why she is one to watch and why she is the heavyweight champ of making stellar television. While it remains to be seen who will be crowned the Drag Race All Stars Winner this season, the true winners this time around are in reality the audience who are watching and getting their absolute lives.PRIDE caught up with Mistress to talk about her many moments, so far, including her sparring match with Tina (which Ms. Burner has sense posted some receipts for), the points heist with Jorgeous, and why she was pink pussy pissed in the first episode. We also dig a little deeper about why she isn't afraid to stir the pot, and where that comes from, and we ask what's the tea with that spicy moment she shared with Alexis Michelle at the premiere party. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mistress Isabelle Brooks (@mistressisabellebrooks)PRIDE: How are you feeling about your time on the show? Do you feel like it's giving what you thought it was going to give?Mistress Isabelle Brooks: I go into everything with no expectations, I think that's what always makes my run on Drag Race enjoyable for me. Im a little bit shocked at how real I am. On the first episode when I saw how mad I was I didn't get to lip sync. I could tell I'm hot pussy pissed. I love it. I always tell people if I was not Mistress, I would be Mistress's number one fan, that bitch is fucking crazy.I want to talk about one of the nerviest moments I have seen in a very long time. The points heist. I assume you were maybe the architect behind this move, but is it hard to get Jorgeous on board?That is a move that only the HBIC could make so I am the creator. However, I think people are giving me too much credit and thinking that I strategize. My strategy with anything competition-based is to have no strategy because I'm a very impulsive, in-the-moment person. I think that's what makes these things work, to the best of my abilities. People misread how I got there because people were thinking that I was only mad that I didn't get to lip sync the first week. That was true to some extent, but I wasn't only upset about that. I was thinking about moving on and moving forward, because the thing is, especially after my fight with Tina [Burner], I think the girls were already seeing the energy in the room shift, and they were thinking, Oh, we cannot fuck with this bitch like that. So I knew if I was gonna get these points, I had to snatch them myself. If you want it, you gotta go out and get it.From the very get-go, Ive been very close with Jorgeous, We basically grew up together. Jorgeous knew whatever I said she was going to do because she knew I would not mislead her. She knows I will not lead her down the wrong path. So in the moment, I right away was like, 'Girl, give me the point.' I was shocked. She listened. If Jorgeous was smart, she would have also taken my point. She wouldn't have given me the point, because I would have put her over the edge. She could have given her point to someone else. If I was her, that's what I would have done. I would have done an even bigger switcheroo, but that's my little sister that I love. I told her I would make sure we made it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RuPaul's Drag Race (@rupaulsdragrace)There was a moment when Nicole Paige Brooks clocked where you two kind of exchanged a look. What was the communication happening at that moment?Jorgeous' vocabulary is, [imitates Jorgeous's voice] 'Oh, my god, Mary.' So all you got to do is give that bitch a look because we are communicating telepathically. I gave her that look, of 'bitch, trust me', and trust me, she did. When I'm actually close with people, I can communicate just by looking at them. That's how you know I'm really friends with a bitch. If I can look at you and you know exactly what I'm thinking, then that's how I know we're locked in.Well, I will say Nicole looked like she was mad, mad at that moment. Was it tense?Honestly, I was so mad about not winning the first week that I did not give a fuck who I pissed off because we all know what we're here to do. I think the advantage I had in my group was everyone was trying so hard to be sweet and be friends. And I was like, 'Y'all not realizing we're here to play the game. I think I set the tone for the bracket... I shifted the energy. I don't regret anything I've done. I don't regret what I did. I was sad that I had to, like, remove Nicole and Kerri [Colby] from it. But honestly, I know some people might not believe it, my goal was not to fuck over Kerri. I really did mean the Texas Girl Alliance. I really enjoyed Kerri. I love Kerri as a competitor and as a friend, and if given the opportunity, I was going to give her a point later on down the line. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mistress Isabelle Brooks (@mistressisabellebrooks)Okay, that makes sense. I will say I feel like you get away with a lot. What is it about you that makes you able to slide through that way?I think a lot of people get mad at me because I do have nerve. But everything I do is correct. You never have to guess. You never have to guess how I feel. I'm going to tell you exactly how I feel, and everything I do is never with ill intent. I think I get away with it, because at the end of the day, I'm your favorite villain, but I'm also a good person, and I think I live my life, you know, I live my life as a good person. I'm nice to everyone. I do my thing. And you know, if someone gets hurt along the way, it's just, it's just a part of the game. We know what we're here to do.Do you feel like this part of your personality emerged with your drag? Or have you always kind of been someone to stir it up? I have always been a pot stirrer. People cannot take me seriously when I say this, but I like drama. I don't like being in drama. I like to be the person off to the side. I'm going to add my ingredients to the pot and I'll stir it up, but I'm never the one actually starting off the recipe. And I think that's why I get away with so much. Because there's a fine line to walk.You have gotten the nickname of the instigator. Do you wear that badge with pride? Or do you or do you decline? I'll wear the badge as long as it has some rhinestones on it. I definitely am the instigator. But it's because a big part of me being the instigator is so many bitches are so fake. Just say how you feel if you don't like someone, say how you feel. If you feel like they did you dirty, say how you feel. I never will fault someone for showing their feelings or saying how they feel, because I'm'a always do that. Just like the first week, baby y'all saw I was hot pussy pissed on that runway. I walked right out. I was over it. And [they asked] were you mad? Hell yeah, I was mad! When you are upfront about how you feel and what you're thinking, people have no choice but to respect you. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mistress Isabelle Brooks (@mistressisabellebrooks)I want to talk about your dynamic with Tina Burner as well, which was hilarious. Every moment with the two of you in the workroom is just like instantly iconic. I'm curious what you think about her dropping the receipts this week about DM gate.Tina thought she did her mic drop, but why all my fans were reading her? Girl, Tina is so silly, and I think that I also have to keep in mind Tina's more in Nicole Paige Brooks' age bracket. So I think we just have a little bit of a gap between us. I think Tina Burner is so funny and Tina actually was one of the ones who surprised me the most. I think Tina Burner is a really solid drag queen. With our fight, to me, it was a kiki and it was a joke, but to her, she was taking it very serious, which is why, when I posted the picture and I saw that she was upset before we were even on Drag Race together, I did DM her, and I was like, Hey, girl, hope, like we're fine like it was just a joke. She left me on read and she was in her feelings. But, you know, take it off Getty Images, baby. I can't help how you look.I am a person of taste and sophistication, so I watch "Mistress Mondays." So I did watch the premiere episode, and you and Alexis Michelle had a little bit of a moment at the premiere party. I'm curious when we can expect the hard launch?Oh my God! She is so funny because I am just getting to meet everyone in the Drag Race stratosphere because there's so many of us. When I met her, I felt the energy shift. I was like, this woman wants to have me like she is trying to fuck! The thing is, I'm scared. I've already dated one drag queen. I can't do another one. I can't open my body to that. My body's a temple. So, I'm gonna keep my distance, but I'm sending her my love. Maybe she'll be the one I slide in the DMS. I felt like there was chemistry there. I don't know. I'm kind of manifesting and rooting for you crazy kids to find love.Not Mistress Michelle.