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GLAAD.ORGThe GLAAD Wrap: Trailers for Pee-wee as Himself and Fear Street: Prom Queen, Peabody Award Winners Announcement, New Music by Burry, chlothegod, and More!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.) Meet the man behind the infamous character Pee-wee Herman in the trailer for HBOs posthumous documentary Pee-wee as Himself. The two-part special explores the legacy of Paul [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: Trailers for Pee-wee as Himself and Fear Street: Prom Queen, Peabody Award Winners Announcement, New Music by Burry, chlothegod, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGMSNBCs The Weekend Anchors a New Era: Eugene Daniels Talks Representation, Reporting, and ResilienceThis weekend, Eugene Daniels steps into television history. As co-anchor of MSNBCs brand-new morning news program The Weekend, airing Saturdays and Sundays from 710 a.m. ET, Daniels becomes one of the first openly gay Black men to host a cable news showjoining fellow anchor Jonathan Capehart and journalist Jackie Alemany. View this post on [...]The post MSNBCs The Weekend Anchors a New Era: Eugene Daniels Talks Representation, Reporting, and Resilience first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGRemembering Jill Sobule: The I Kissed A Girl Singer-Songwriter and Activist Broke Ground For the LGBTQ CommunitySinger-songwriter and activist Jill Sobule passed away on the morning of May 1 in her home in Minneapolis after a house fire. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President & CEO shared touching words for the artist, advocate, LGBTQ community member, and her friend: Jill Sobule wasnt just a trailblazer in musicshe was a beacon for queer [...]The post Remembering Jill Sobule: The I Kissed A Girl Singer-Songwriter and Activist Broke Ground For the LGBTQ Community first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 9 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGRuPauls Drag Race All Stars Season 10 Ru-veals 18 Queens, Celebrity Guest Judges in Inaugural Tournament of All StarsIts the 10th season ofRuPauls Drag Race All Starsso it has to be big! The upcoming two-episode premiere is set to premiere on Paramount+ on May 9 with 18 queens the largest cast in the franchises herstory. The 18 queens returning to compete were announced in a livestream. It was also ru-vealed that this [...]The post RuPauls Drag Race All Stars Season 10 Ru-veals 18 Queens, Celebrity Guest Judges in Inaugural Tournament of All Stars first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGTrans Voices in the Conversation: GLAADs Shane Diamond Talks Georgias Trans Sports BanShane Diamond (he/him), GLAADs Director of Communications and Transgender Advocacy, joined 11Alive, the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, to discuss the The Riley Gaines Act, a law signed this week by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The law bans transgender student-athletes from participating in sports and from using the correct restroom and locker room that aligns with [...]The post Trans Voices in the Conversation: GLAADs Shane Diamond Talks Georgias Trans Sports Ban first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGTony Awards 2025: Cole Escola, Conrad Ricamora, Paul Tazewell, Jonathan Groff Among LGBTQ NomineesThe nominations for the 78th Tony Awards were announced today by Tony Award winners Sarah Paulson and Wendell Pierce with a healthy roster of queer nominees throughout. This years ceremony will return to Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 8 with GLAAD Media Award honoree and Oscar-nominated Wicked star Cynthia Erivo [...]The post Tony Awards 2025: Cole Escola, Conrad Ricamora, Paul Tazewell, Jonathan Groff Among LGBTQ Nominees first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGVote Your Shares! Big or small, if you have investments you can send a loud and proud messageBy Christina OConnell If you own stocks in your retirement or investment accounts, annual meeting notices will fill your inbox each spring and if youre like most of us, you likely dont pay them much attention. These notices or proxy statements are pretty dense documents, providing financial results and more but they are also [...]The post Vote Your Shares! Big or small, if you have investments you can send a loud and proud message first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGMust-See LGBTQ TV: May Premieres & ReturnsIts a new month, which means new opportunities for queer TV! GLAAD is bringing you some highlights from LGBTQ TV premieres and returns throughout May. Check back on the first of each month for up-to-date coverage of LGBTQ-inclusive programming on television. May 1 The Four Seasons (Season One Netflix) Based on Alan Adas 1981 [...]The post Must-See LGBTQ TV: May Premieres & Returns first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGAiryn De Niro Talks with Them for First-Ever Interview on Her Transition, Celebrity Parents, and Being the Next It GirlAiryn De Niro: model, voice actress, future counselor, andThems newest cover star!Daughter of legendary actor Robert De Niro and model and actressToukie Smith, Airyn sat down with Them reporter Ava Pauline Emilionefor her first-ever interview since starting her gender transition. She spoke about how for much of her life, her parents tried to keep her [...]The post Airyn De Niro Talks with Them for First-Ever Interview on Her Transition, Celebrity Parents, and Being the Next It Girl first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGUnleashing Hope Filmmakers Talk Working on Autism Documentary with Rosie ODonnellHulus documentary special Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children With Autism with puts the spotlight on a special program by Guide Dogs of Americas (GDA) through the lens of many families and their children on the autism spectrum one of them being Rosie ODonnell and her child Clay. Co-directed by Zeberiah [...]The post Unleashing Hope Filmmakers Talk Working on Autism Documentary with Rosie ODonnell first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORG!Ojo! River Gallos Long Awaited First Feature Ponyboi, The US Premiere of Most People Die on Sundays, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical on Broadway, and More!Ojo! Latine media, art & cultural happenings to keep your eye on. Bringing you a selection of new and notable LGBTQ media curated by GLAADs Spanish-Language & Latine Media & Representation team. Younger Latine people are more likely to identify as LGBTQ, and with over 62 million Latines in the US alone, it is crucial [...]The post !Ojo! River Gallos Long Awaited First Feature Ponyboi, The US Premiere of Most People Die on Sundays, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical on Broadway, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGIsabela Merced Joins Last of Us Co-stars To Discuss Latino Representation and Cultural Impact of ShowAs HBOs adaptation of the groundbreaking video game The Last of Usgets deeper into the lore and characters with season, cast members Isabela Merced, Gabriel Luna, Danny Ramirez, Tati Gabrielle, and Ariela Barer gathered for a screening of episode 3, which follows a huge change in the narrative. The cast was joined by Complex host [...]The post Isabela Merced Joins Last of Us Co-stars To Discuss Latino Representation and Cultural Impact of Show first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGTrump 47s First 100 Days Focused, and Failed, in Implementing Unprecedented LGBTQ TargetingBefore returning to the White House 100 days ago, Donald Trump was already the president with the most anti-LGBTQ actions to his name in United States history. His first administration was marred by: arguing and losing at the U.S. Supreme Court for the right to discriminate against LGBTQ employees; signing laws that undercut anti-discriminatory protections [...]The post Trump 47s First 100 Days Focused, and Failed, in Implementing Unprecedented LGBTQ Targeting first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGGeorgia Governor Signs Anti-LGBTQ Law Restricting Transgender Students from Sports, Despite Zero Trans Athletes Participating in StateOn April 28, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed The Riley Gaines Act, effectively banning the participation of transgender student-athletes from participating in sports and from using the correct restroom and locker room that aligns with their gender. The new law, which was championed by conservative state lawmakers as a top priority at the start of [...]The post Georgia Governor Signs Anti-LGBTQ Law Restricting Transgender Students from Sports, Despite Zero Trans Athletes Participating in State first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGCountry Star Miranda Lambert Celebrates 20 Years of Kerosene with a Miranda-Themed Drag Show!Thursday, April 24th was a wild night in Austin, Texas! To celebrate 20 years since the release of country iconMiranda Lambertsdebut studio album Kerosene, Mirandas brother Luke threw her a Miranda-Themed Drag Show! Texas based queens Vylette Ward, Cinda Block, Maeve Haven, and Basra took the stage at AustinsRain on 4th St.and performed all of [...]The post Country Star Miranda Lambert Celebrates 20 Years of Kerosene with a Miranda-Themed Drag Show! first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGPBS NewsHour Presented with 36th GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Live TV Journalism SegmentAt the 36th GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD honored journalists who cover LGBTQ people and issues with nuance, empathy, and perspective. This years news awards feature LGBTQ people from the halls of Congress to every day leaders and changemakers. PBS NewsHour won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Live TV Journalism Segment for their post-election interview [...]The post PBS NewsHour Presented with 36th GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Live TV Journalism Segment first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGGLAAD Honors Black Queer Musicians at Year 2 EMEI Cohort Final Showcase at CAAIn a celebration of artistry, identity, and advocacy, GLAADs Communities of Color and Media Department, in partnership with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and supported by Gilead Sciences, hosted the culminating event for the second cohort of the Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI) at CAAs headquarters in Los Angeles on April 16th, 2025. Held [...]The post GLAAD Honors Black Queer Musicians at Year 2 EMEI Cohort Final Showcase at CAA first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 6 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGNPR Presented with 36th GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Online Multimedia JournalismFor the the 36th GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD honored journalists who cover LGBTQ issues and people accurately and inclusively. These stories feature LGBTQ people in all walks of life and around the world, from the streets of Dallas, Texas, to the townships of South Africa. NPRs The Picture Show won the GLAAD Media Award for [...]The post NPR Presented with 36th GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Online Multimedia Journalism first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGThe GLAAD Wrap: On Swift Horses in Theaters, Heartstopper Film Announcement, Sneak Peek of Below Decks, New Music by Ezra Furman, Staci Gruber, and More!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.) Daniel Minahans On Swift Horses hit theaters today! Adapted from Shannon Pufahls 2019 novel, the queer romance pic is set in the 1950s, following Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: On Swift Horses in Theaters, Heartstopper Film Announcement, Sneak Peek of Below Decks, New Music by Ezra Furman, Staci Gruber, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGGLAAD EXCLUSIVE: Conor James to Perform Pink Pony Club Monday Night on NBCs The VoiceConor Jameshas already won over the hearts of millions with his show-stopping performances on NBCs The Voice. James started the show off with a bang when all four judges turned around for him during the Blind Auditions, now he is headed to the Playoffs Round! James, who is competing on Team Adam Levine, spoke with [...]The post GLAAD EXCLUSIVE: Conor James to Perform Pink Pony Club Monday Night on NBCs The Voice first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGWATCH: Hacks Star Mark Indelicato on Hilarious LA Gay Episode with Deborah Vance; Talks Finding Family with Queer Cast-MembersFans first got to know the hilarious Mark Indelicatoon ABCs iconic GLAAD Media Award winning series Ugly Betty.From there, Indelicato went to star in PrimesWith Loveand now MaxsHacks.To talk about his character Damien on Hacks,Indelicato joined GLAADs Anthony Allen Ramos for a chat! My bruise has healed! Indelicato proclaimed, referring to when he and fellow [...]The post WATCH: Hacks Star Mark Indelicato on Hilarious LA Gay Episode with Deborah Vance; Talks Finding Family with Queer Cast-Members first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGBillie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Doechii Among LGBTQ Nominees at 2025 American Music AwardsThe nominations for the 2025 American Music Awards have been announced! Hosted by Jennifer Lopez, the AMAs are set to take place live in Las Vegas on May 26, 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan lead the LGBTQ nominees, landing in the top five [...]The post Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Doechii Among LGBTQ Nominees at 2025 American Music Awards first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGDr. Jon Paul Higgins on Black. Fat. Femme.: A Bold Testament to Identity, Joy, and AudacityDr. Jon Paul Higgins is daring to go thereand claiming the space they so rightfully deserve. In their memoir, published last month, they share their truth with vulnerability, humor, and an unwavering commitment to self-love. Its a story about what it means to fully exist in a world that often tries to shrink your brilliance. [...]The post Dr. Jon Paul Higgins on Black. Fat. Femme.: A Bold Testament to Identity, Joy, and Audacity first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGTender, Urgent, and Unflinching: Experience All the Worlds a Stage Before It Closes on May 10 in NYCIn the heart of Manhattans Theatre Row, a new musical is making waves far beyond the stage. All the Worlds a Stage, the world-premiere production from acclaimed composer and lyricist Adam Gwon, is not just a piece of theater its a rallying cry. Set in a small town in 1990s America, the story follows [...]The post Tender, Urgent, and Unflinching: Experience All the Worlds a Stage Before It Closes on May 10 in NYC first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGEducation La Carte: Legal and Anti-Censorship Experts, Authors, and Students on the Stakes of the Supreme Court Book Ban Case Mahmoud v. TaylorToday, April 22, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case brought by six parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, seeking to opt out their children from the presence of LGBTQ-inclusive books in public education. This case is about whether public school education can be a la carte, allowing parents to pick and choose [...]The post Education La Carte: Legal and Anti-Censorship Experts, Authors, and Students on the Stakes of the Supreme Court Book Ban Case Mahmoud v. Taylor first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGLGBTQ Leaders Talk Pope Francis LegacyToday, April 21, 2025, Pope Francis passed away. Pope Francis has repeatedly urged acceptance of LGBTQ people and considered how best the Roman Catholic Church can support and minister to them. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said: Pope Francis was a transformational leader who included LGBTQ people in historic ways. Having had the [...]The post LGBTQ Leaders Talk Pope Francis Legacy first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGThe GLAAD Wrap: The Wedding Banquet in Theaters, Trailers for And Just Like That and Four Seasons, New Music by Sasha Allen, BODHI, and More!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.) The Wedding Banquet hit theaters today! Ang Lees reimagining of the 1993 classic is a joyful comedy about a chosen family navigating the disasters and delights of [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: The Wedding Banquet in Theaters, Trailers for And Just Like That and Four Seasons, New Music by Sasha Allen, BODHI, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGHeroes of the Resistance: Standing Up for LGBTQ Rights in Employment, the First Amendment, Health Care, Marriage Equality, and More.Much has happened this week in positive changemaking for the LGBTQ community at this time of challenge and uncertainty. Heroes in government, law, and in faith communities, are standing up to enormous pressure by the Trump administration and those emboldened by anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Standing Up for LGBTQ Protections in Employment At the Equal Employment Opportunity [...]The post Heroes of the Resistance: Standing Up for LGBTQ Rights in Employment, the First Amendment, Health Care, Marriage Equality, and More. first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGGay Venezuelan Asylum Seeker With No Criminal Record Detained in El Salvadors Mega-PrisonIn his first 100 days in office, President Trumps administration has deported or detained nearly 48,000 migrants in the United States. Of these individuals, many are legal residents and asylum seekers. Part of Trumps crusade in his second term is to eradicate members of a Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua. In doing this, [...]The post Gay Venezuelan Asylum Seeker With No Criminal Record Detained in El Salvadors Mega-Prison first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGCoachella 2025: Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish, Trixie Mattel, VINCINT, Anitta, Japanese Breakfast, Clairo, and More LGBTQ Artists Take the Desert StageFor two consecutive weekends the desert town of Indio becomes an epicenter for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. And this year, LGBTQ artists are commanding the stage for both weekends of festivities. It was hard to miss the buzz around Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga and her elaborate and heartfelt return, this time [...]The post Coachella 2025: Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish, Trixie Mattel, VINCINT, Anitta, Japanese Breakfast, Clairo, and More LGBTQ Artists Take the Desert Stage first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGLeslye Headland and Rebecca Henderson Talk Cult of Love and Impact of LGBTQ Stories: Speaking From Personal Experience is PowerfulCult of Love is a bookend to Leslye Headlands series of plays based on the seven deadly sins. Headlands deadly sins series started with her lust play Cinephilia.From there, she createdBachelorettewhich explored gluttony and would adapted into Headlands feature film debut. Rounding out the cycle of plays were Assistance(greed),Surfer Girl(sloth),Reverb(wrath), and, of course,Cult of Love. [...]The post Leslye Headland and Rebecca Henderson Talk Cult of Love and Impact of LGBTQ Stories: Speaking From Personal Experience is Powerful first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMLGBTQ+ inclusion in mainstream movies reaches 3-year low, study findsLGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media keeps plummeting year-over-year, and a new study from GLAAD shows concerning results when evaluating the queer-inclusive projects from Hollywood's top 10 studio distributors released in the 2024 calendar year.Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!GLAAD's 13th annual Studio Responsibility Index study took into consideration the top 10 studio distributors in Hollywood, as well as their "subsidiary distribution labels and majority-owned streaming services." For context, this list includes A24, Amazon, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery.The GLAAD study outlines alarming statistics regarding studio films released in 2024. Of note, LGBTQ-inclusive movies now only account for 23.6 percent of all releases from major Hollywood studios in 2024. This is a three-year low that follows 27.3 percent in 2023 and a record-high 28.5 percent in 2022.The report also includes findings such as:Only two films (less than 1 percent of all films tracked) featured transgender characters, and both included either harmful stereotypes or inauthentic casting.LGBTQ characters of color made up just 36 percent of all LGBTQ characters, down from 46 percent in 2023 the lowest since 2019.A24 was the only studio to receive a "Good" rating, releasing the highest percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive films and breaking its own box office record in the process.Overall, GLAAD reports that the "10 distributors tracked in this study released 250 films in 2024." Only 59 films within that total of 250 releases contain an LGBTQ+ character.Keep scrolling to discover how each of the top 10 Hollywood studios were rated in this new GLAAD study.Editor's note: All information below provided by GLAAD. Studios listed in alphabetical order.A24Total films: 16LGBTQ-inclusive films: 9Percentage: 56 percentRating: "Good"AmazonTotal films: 25LGBTQ-inclusive films: 8Percentage: 32 percentRating: "Fair"Apple TV+Total films: 4LGBTQ-inclusive films: 1Percentage: 25 percentRating: "Insufficient"LionsgateTotal films: 44LGBTQ-inclusive films: 8Percentage: 18 percentRating: "Poor"NBCUniversalTotal films: 25LGBTQ-inclusive films: 4Percentage: 16 percentRating: "Fair"NetflixTotal films: 49LGBTQ-inclusive films: 14Percentage: 29 percentRating: "Poor"Paramount GlobalTotal films: 16LGBTQ-inclusive films: 3Percentage: 19 percentRating: "Insufficient"SonyTotal films: 33LGBTQ-inclusive films: 4Percentage: 12 percentRating: "Insufficient"The Walt Disney CompanyTotal films: 23LGBTQ-inclusive films: 5Percentage: 22 percentRating: "Poor"Warner Bros. DiscoveryTotal films: 15LGBTQ-inclusive films: 3Percentage: 20 percentRating: "Insufficient"0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGTony Awards 2025: Cynthia Erivo Hosts, Harvey Fiersteins Lifetime Achievement Award, Paul Tazewell and Cole Escola Make HistoryThe 78th Tony Awards took place on June 8 in New York and provided a glimmer of hope and joy amidst the cloud of despair happening on the opposite coast. Naturally, the night was very LGBTQ friendly and was hosted by Tony Award-winning and Oscar nominated actress Cynthia Erivoas she started the night with a [...]The post Tony Awards 2025: Cynthia Erivo Hosts, Harvey Fiersteins Lifetime Achievement Award, Paul Tazewell and Cole Escola Make History first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGMeet the Spellman Twinz: Queer Joy, Twin Power, and the Sound of SummerTheyre bold, theyre brilliant, and theyre bringing Brazilian funk straight to your summer playlists. Identical twins Clinton and Calvin Spellmanaka the Spellman Twinzare not just viral sensations. With over 1.2 million followers on TikTok, a thriving YouTube channel, and a growing legion of Instagram fans, theyre redefining what it means to be queer, Black, and [...]The post Meet the Spellman Twinz: Queer Joy, Twin Power, and the Sound of Summer first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGGLAADs 13th Annual Studio Responsibility Index Finds LGBTQ Inclusion at Three Year LowThe Index arrives amid escalating political and cultural battles targeting LGBTQ people, particularly the transgender community and people of color.The post GLAADs 13th Annual Studio Responsibility Index Finds LGBTQ Inclusion at Three Year Low first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGWATCH: Hacks Episode Gives a Shout Out To GLAAD Media Awards While Deborah Correctly Uses the Term QPOCHacks,which is currently in its fourth season, recently won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series after winning Outstanding New TV Series in 2022. The critically acclaimed comedy continues to deliver the funny and queerness with its characters, narratives and dialogue. In a recent episode ofHacks,beloved frenemies Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah [...]The post WATCH: Hacks Episode Gives a Shout Out To GLAAD Media Awards While Deborah Correctly Uses the Term QPOC first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGSam Williams Talks Melodic and Unapologetically Queer New Song No Problem, Teases Upcoming Project, and Reveals His Dream Collaborators2025 is the year of queer country! Country music star Sam Williams is back with an all-new single and accompanying music video. No Problem is the second track to drop from Williams upcoming project Act II: COUNTRYSTAR. The single is a melodic country song about the beauty of young, queer love. Williams tells his partner [...]The post Sam Williams Talks Melodic and Unapologetically Queer New Song No Problem, Teases Upcoming Project, and Reveals His Dream Collaborators first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMI'm 42, gay, never had a bf, and hate apps. What do I do?I am 42 and have been out as gay for 25 years. But I have never been in a relationship. I seem to only attract women and I cannot figure out why. I have tried using gay dating apps but I feel very uncomfortable doing so. I have met a ton of shady characters on them, fake profiles, men hitting me up for money after a week, and guys asking me to webcam without even meeting me in person. What do you think I should do differently? Name WithheldHey cowboy. So, youve tried apps and websites. Yes, they suck. Everybody knows they suck, but few of us can imagine alternate ways to meet others and, to be fair, for gay and queer men who live in remote places, apps and websites may be the only option. Yes, there are fake profiles, scammers, and shady folks on all of them. I have lived in cities across the United States and now live in Berlin, and while the etiquette of German Grindr differs a bit from American Grindr, the overwhelming sense, despite stark cultural and linguistic differences, is of sameness and hegemony: the same tired chatter, meaningless exchanges, and pictures from 20 years ago (or heavily edited). Its all the same. I chose to forego the apps. If you do the same, you must get creative, and your options for meeting men for sex, dating, or just friendship will vary widely based on where you live. Even with all our technology, there are still few good, easy, reliable ways to meet men offline. There are old-school ways like bars, clubs, bathhouses, cruising zones (certain parks, certain toilets), and so on. In most cases, these spaces need a guide, a friend, to go with you especially cruising zones, which are insider knowledge, spaces known only by the men who frequent them (and the police who may, at any time, check them out and make arrests that risk is real and ever-present).Even in a hedonistic city like Berlin, I struggle to find dates. Living without apps means going to a gay bar on a Saturday night instead of staying in. It means going to events, parties, and places where I can expect to meet guys. Crucially, it means talking to strangers. It means joining a gay book club, a queer writing circle, a queer film group. It means I have to sometimes make the first move and face rejection something that, as with everything else, gets easier with practice. But heres a great fact of life: If you make contact with enough people and expand your social life by doing more of literally anything, you increase your odds of meeting men in the wild because gay and queer men are out there doing things like everybody else. They are at the supermarket. Theyre volunteering at the local homeless shelter. Theyre walking dogs in the park. Theyre at the gym. Go be among people. That is where we live. I also sense that youre asking about signifiers ways to let people know youre gay and looking. My dear, if I knew the cheat codes of personal style and behavior that beamed a signal directly into the minds of gay men nearby Im a nice guy and also a piece of meat, come get me! Id have a lot more money than I do now. Sadly, there are no such codes. Theres no right way to be gay. You are gay. Gay is you. However you are, that is what gay is. I assure you there are many men out there who like what you have, what you are. You just have to find them. And, yes, thats the hard part. Thats the work. That, in the end, is the objective of anyone in a minority populace: Find others, find family, find home. That is your sacred mission, and thats why the gay and queer spaces that facilitate these connections are sacred, too. So Fuck Grindr and get out in the world we are waiting for you. P.S. Read the book Analog Cruising by Leo Herrera a useful and inspiring guide to meeting men IRL. Hey there! Im Alexander Cheves. Im a sex writer and former sex workerI worked in the business for over 12 years. You can read my sex-and-culture column Last Call in Out and my book My Love Is a Beast: Confessions, from Unbound Edition Press. But be warned: Kirkus Reviews says the book is "not for squeamish readers.In the past, I directed (ahem) adult videos and sold adult products. I have spoken about subjects like cruising, sexual health, and HIV at the International AIDS Conference, SXSW, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and elsewhere, and appeared on dozens of podcasts.Here, Im offering sex and relationship advice to Outs readers. Send your question to askbeastly@gmail.com it may get answered in a future post.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMWho gets to tell the story of Flix Gonzlez-Torres?A minimalist pile of candy in a Smithsonian gallery has sparked a firestorm over memory, censorship, and who controls the legacy of one of Americas most famous queer artists.In January, Out published a blistering opinion piece accusing the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Foundation of sanitizing the queer identity of the late artist whose legacy it represents. The article ignited a flurry of online debate and became the magazines most-read story that month. A deeper investigation felt necessary.A Candy Pile Goes ViralIn December, queer art scholar Ignacio Darnaude visited the Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., to see "Always to Return," an exhibit of Flix Gonzlez-Torres's work, now on view through July 6. Known for his hyper-minimalist conceptual installations a string of lightbulbs hung from the ceiling, a pile of candy in the corner of a room Gonzlez-Torres died in 1996 from an AIDS-related illness. His works, which are recreated anew for each exhibition according to his detailed instructions, are now managed by the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Foundation, led by his former gallerist, Andrea Rosen.When Darnaude toured the exhibit, he was disturbed. There appeared to be no reference to Gonzlez-Torress identity as a queer man, nor to his HIV-positive status. Daranude was deeply upset by one piece in particular: "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), a pile of multicolored candy meant to weigh 175 pounds the ideal weight of Gonzlez-Torress lover, Ross Laycock, before he died of AIDS-related illness in 1991.In this installation, viewers are invited to take pieces of candy. As the candy pile diminishes, it echoes, in Darnaudes view, the physical decline from AIDS wasting. Curators replenish the candy endlessly, which means Ross can live forever, Darnaude says. He later wrote in his opinion piece, By not explaining what Portrait of Ross in L.A. truly means, the National Portrait Gallery has turned his work into an esoteric cypher. They turned a deeply personal and emotionally charged work into a neutral, depoliticized sculpture," Darnaude says.The Meaning of RossJoey Terrill, a longtime HIV activist and visual artist whose own still-life tribute to Gonzlez-Torres was recently acquired by the Smithsonian sees something else in this piece. You approach 175 pounds of candy Ross and take something away, he says. To me, that was a metaphor for how the virus was transmitted. You engage, you take something, you walk away carrying it. Guests attend the private view for Damien Hirst and Feliz Gonzalez-Torres' 'Candy' at Blain Southern on October 15, 2013 in London, England.Nick Harvey/WireImageUntil recently, Terrill served as director of global advocacy at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the controversial Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides HIV treatment and prevention around the world. (AHF has come under fire in the past for describing PrEP as a party drug and for running billboard campaigns some have called stigmatizing to sex workers and people with STIs.) Terrill shares Darnaudes feelings. You have artists like me who lived through the holocaust of AIDS, and we know Flixs work belongs in that tradition, he says. Id argue that its precisely because it references Ross and HIV that its so compelling.Dr. Jonathan Katz, the founding curator of the 20152016 exhibition "Art AIDS America" who is widely regarded as the leading scholar of queer art, believes the foundation has spent years pressuring institutions to omit the artists biography including his queerness, his relationship with Ross, and his death from AIDS from wall texts. They refuse to acknowledge that the Ross of Portrait of Ross in L.A. is a real person, Katz says. They treat it as a kind of metaphor, not a biography. That is a political act.When Katz curated "Art AIDS America" which included works by David Wojnarowicz, Chloe Dzubilo, Hugh Steers, Hunter Reynolds, Kia LaBeija, Martin Wong, and others he says his efforts to include Gonzlez-Torress work were repeatedly blocked. I saw Flix as the gravitational center of the show, he says. The foundation would not even return my calls. Eventually, a colleague at a major museum (who would not speak on the record) told him the foundation had issued an ultimatum: If you lend this work to the AIDS show, well never authorize any future loans.Katz is emphatic: They tried to prevent Flix being in an exhibition because it was about AIDS. After what Katz describes as a series of very hostile emails with Rosen, he threatened to release their correspondence to The New York Times if the foundation did not relent. The works were eventually included, but only after months of what he calls fighting.To understand this more clearly, Out asked curators to explain how artwork is typically shown in an exhibition. In essence, artist foundations and legacy estates loan artwork to exhibits and can rescind or approve a loan at their discretion, which means they have final say over where and how artwork appears. These foundations have to authorize a display, says Dr. Joo Florncio, professor of gender studies at Linkping University in Sweden. No one can do anything about the artist if they dont sign it off.The Claims of ErasureThis criticism of the foundation is not new. In 2017, The Village Voice published an article noting that a Flix Gonzlez-Torres exhibitions at the prominent David Zwirner Gallery failed to mention AIDS.Also in 2017, Poz Magazine highlighted how galleries were editing HIV/AIDS from his legacy. In 2023, Spanish art magazine A*Desk speculated on the foundations politics in a piece titled Private Happiness, Public Cancellation.The most high-profile incident came in 2022, when the Art Institute of Chicago quietly altered its label for Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), removing reference to AIDS and Laycock and instead describing the pile in terms of average weight. Katz believes the foundation was behind the change. After backlash on social media, the original label was restored. Out reached out to the FGT Foundation to ask about these claims. The foundation sent a 1,600-word letter disputing Darnaudes article and defending its curatorial philosophy. It declined to be interviewed or to allow any excerpts from its email correspondence to be published. However, in February, the foundation seemed to address the controversy indirectly with a post on Instagram. In it, the organization states that Gonzlez-Torres aimed to trust the viewer and avoid direct explanation of his works in exhibition contexts. The post includes multiple quotes by the artist that seem to support this. (The post appeared to backfire the comments largely express outrage. You have reduced this work to nothing more than free candy on the floor, one commenter writes. Another: Why does this post not mention HIV/AIDS at all?)What Did Flix Want?The foundation maintains the artist intended his work to be open-ended not about AIDS or his lover, but about the visitors singular experience. Its website states that the organization upholds the artist's intentions to let viewers reflect on the work in the present moment and defends the artists belief that all audiences have the ability to encounter the work on their own terms. It maintains that all works can have shifting, multiple meanings depending on context and interpretation. Upon examination, this seems at least partly true with caveats. Both sides of this debate those certain that Gonzlez-Torress biographical data is essential to reading his work and those who feel it must be open-ended base their views on statements made by the artist during his lifetime, and Gonzlez-Torres contradicted himself. In various interviews before his death, he both insists on the specificity of his work specifically its connection to Ross and rejects authoritative interpretation, suggesting meaning is up to the viewer. Saxony's Science and Arts Minister Eva-Maria Stange of the Social Democratic Party (SPD, l-r), art patron Erika Hoffmann and general director of the Dresden's art collection Marion Ackermann stand around Felix Gonzalez-Torres' piece 'Candy spills' at the Albertium, Dresden, Germany, 2018Oliver Killig/picture alliance via Getty ImagesIn a 1995 interview with Robert Storr for ArtPress, Gonzlez-Torres speaks of the joy he felt watching a security guard hand candy to children at one of his installations, saying the work functioned even if the viewer didnt know its deeper meaning. In that interview, he says: When people ask, Who is your public? I say honestly, without skipping a beat, Ross. The public was Ross. The rest of the people just come to the work.Gonzlez-Torres even describes "Untitled" (Placebo) as a way to cope with Laycocks death: First and foremost its about Ross, he says. He further notes, I wanted to make artwork that could disappear, that never existed, and it was a metaphor for when Ross was dying. So it was a metaphor that I would abandon this work before this work abandoned me.In a 1990 interview, Gonzlez-Torres says about his work: It is all my personal history, all that stuff...gender and sexual preference, it's all that. I can't separate my art from my life. However, in another interview, he says, Ive become burnt out with trying to have some kind of personal presence in the work. Because Im not my art. He adds, I made Untitled (Placebo) because I needed to make it and there was no other consideration involved.Katz feels this mixed messaging was intentional: At every point, he said you can get out of his work what you want. This was how he displayed work during the Helms Amendment, which made it illegal to represent AIDS or queerness. The Helms Amendment, passed in 1987 as part of a federal appropriations bill, prohibited the use of U.S. federal funds in AIDS prevention programs to "promote or encourage, directly or indirectly, homosexual sexual activities" also a powerful deterrent for publicly funded museums and arts institutions during the height of the AIDS crisis. According to several art scholars, Gonzlez-Torres used ambiguity in his work to reach audiences in a time of extreme censorship, homophobia, and AIDS panic.Theres a reason Flix was successful during his lifetime, unlike other gay artists at the time making art about sexuality and AIDS, Florncio says. He played with the Trojan horse thing making art that is about something but looks like it could be about anything in order to infiltrate the art world.A now-famous, oft-quoted line by Gonzlez-Torres, from a 1993 interview with artist Joseph Kosuth, supports this: At this point I do not want to be outside the structure of power. I want to be like a virus that belongs to the institution. So if I function as a virus, an imposter, an infiltrator, I will always replicate myself together with those institutions.These shifting quotes raise the question: How much should curators depend on the words of the artist? Opinions vary. We hold Felix on too high of a pedestal if we think everything he said once, he stood by forever, says Shawn Diamond, a lecturer on art history. It makes sense that some days hed be missing Ross and say something like, This is all for Ross. And other days hed say, Well, the work can be taken any way.Censorship or Strategy?Katz believes that instead of honoring the artists wishes, a darker, financial-based motive drives the foundations approach one he insists runs counter to what Gonzlez-Torres wanted for his work. Katz notes that, in the high art world, labels of AIDS art and even queer art can limit where work can be shown and its commercial value to collectors.They believe that the more this work is associated with queerness or AIDS, the smaller the potential audience, Katz says. That impacts money. Terrill agrees: In my opinion, the foundation is concerned with maintaining high value and prestige. I dont hear anything from them about empathy or the community. I think theyre motivated purely by money. (In May of last year, the piece "Untitled" (America #3) a single string of lights hung from the ceiling was sold on auction at Christies for $13.6 million). Darnaude also points to a 2021 Zoom event helmed by the FGT foundation to mark the 25th anniversary of the artist's death from an AIDS-related illness; he calls the presentation a "smoking gun" about the nonprofit's intent to downplay the role of AIDS and Laycock in Gonzlez-Torress work. After the 17:50 mark, historian Robert Hobbs cued up a slide called "Subjects Important to Gonzlez-Torres" that was "put together" by Rosen. The slide attempted to show "how few works really deal with Ross" and AIDS by counting the number of pieces with Ross and "loverboys" in the titles. "There are under 50 works that deal with this," Hobbs stressed, as compared with say, the subject of politics, which numbered over 80 on the slide.In fairness, this seems to be at least one function of an artist foundation: to increase awareness, spread, and commercial value of art. Its worth noting that the Warhol Foundation isnt the same as the artist who created the work. Rather, it exists to legitimize the artwork and advance its reputation. Artist estates both protect and exploit legacies. They dont create with the purity or vision of the original artist. In one sense, it seems the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Foundation is just doing its job, even if seemingly irresponsibly. However, various reports by those who have worked with the foundation in the past seem to support Katzs view and lend credibility to his claims of antigay, AIDS-phobic erasure.For this article, multiple individuals who worked with the FGT Foundation previously curators, gallerists, researchers were contacted. Speaking anonymously, all described pressure to display the work in accordance with the foundations view that it should be open to the viewer and depoliticized. However, none would speak on record; many refused to engage further when the foundation specifically was mentioned. Katz calls this a conspiracy of silence in the art world. Guests at a private viewing of Damien Hirst And Felix Gonzalez-Torres's exhibition "Candy" at Blain Southern on October 15, 2013 in London, England. They know theyre going to want to show [Flix Gonzlez-Torress work] at some point, so they dont do anything that will trouble the relationship, he says.Additionally, Katz claims Rosen ignored some of Gonzlez-Torress dying wishes regarding his archives, including his love letters with Ross Laycock. Felix wanted their [love letters] read and seen, Katz says. She has refused to give these materials to institutions he promised them to.Shawn Diamond seems to corroborate this. Diamond studied the work of Gonzlez-Torres for over 10 years. In his thesis about the artist, Diamond writes, Wall texts and gallery guides have largely abandoned context and biography, promoting a sanitized and aestheticized form of engagement. In his research, Diamond was troubled by how the foundation appeared to restrict access to certain documents in particular, those that are explicit about the artists sexual relationship with Laycock. Diamond found a quote from Gonzlez-Torres expressing his wish for the couples letters to be donated to Bard College upon his passing. Even so, Diamond writes that the foundation retained the original copies and later donated a copy of these letters to Bard College but restricted access to them. The Politics of InterpretationThis renewed debate over Gonzlez-Torress legacy comes at a moment of rising cultural tension in the arts. In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," directing Vice President JD Vance to eliminate "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from Smithsonian institutions, including museums and research centers a development that feels darkly similar to the Helms Amendment. This is 2025, Terrill says. Were facing a fascist takeover in the United States. The arts are under attack. Trump probably thinks the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Foundation is doing the right thing, but I dont.Florncio agrees: In the current American political climate, it may be important to [the FGT Foundation] that the work is not seen as gay art. In the exhibition "Kinderbiennale - Trume & Geschichten" in the Japanese Palais, a museum staff member arranges sweets in golden foil as part of Felix Gonzalez-Torres' work of art "Untitled", Dresden, Germany, 2018Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty ImagesGiven the responses from the FGT Foundation and others, the idea of whether art is fixed in time or open to evolving interpretation seems central. Among those we spoke with, opinions are divided and heated.Saying 'Untitled' (Portrait of Ross) is just open-ended art is like displaying the AIDS Memorial Quilt and saying its a modern interpretation of quilt-making, Terrill says.Patrick Davis, a queer publisher who has studied the quilt as an act of biography and material storytelling, counters: "It is indeed a modern interpretation of quilt-making. It is a domestic art historically practiced by women to provide comfort. Men making them for their dying loved ones is subversive. The quilt panels are, essentially, the size of a grave."Florncio says, The work of Flix Gonzlez-Torres is no longer the same work if the idea is not present. He adds, The idea behind the work is the work.Davis similarly disagrees: Does Van Goghs The Starry Night not stand on its own artistic merit? Art lives beyond the artist. Limiting Gonzlez-Torress work to its original spark of brilliance restrains it.Patrick Moore, former director of the Andy Warhol Museum, writes in his book Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality, If the art of Felix Gonzlez-Torres is truly meant to be open to interpretation, then I propose one such interpretation. I propose claiming Felix as a gay man who died of AIDS and relating his legacy to that powerful experience. The entirety of the authorized body of work by Gonzlez-Torres was created while he watched his lover die and discovered that he too was dying. The work is not about formal concerns; these are only the medium in which they were created. The work speaks of trying to grieve for another person even as you watch your own death approaching.In The Painted Word, Tom Wolfes acerbic 1975 critique of the modern art world, he notes, Modern Art has become completely literary: the paintings and other works exist only to illustrate the text. Citing this, Davis adds,: Gonzlez-Torress work remains true even if meaningful text does not accompany it.Florncio notes that even the artists contemporaries accused him of being too coy, too vague, and too beautiful in his approach. Many said he was not gay enough or AIDS-y enough, he says. But if the work had screamed gay art from the beginning, he wouldnt have been the artist he became.Florncio says Gonzlez-Torres was indirect by design, so embracing that uncertainty is part of the work. Terrill similarly compares Gonzlez-Torres to other artists of the time. His work was such a contrast to the art about AIDS I was familiar with, like the agitprop from ACT UP, Gran Fury, General Idea, even Robert Mapplethorpes photographs. Gonzlez-Torress work was more subtle, less angry. It carried the undertone of grief and loss.Andrew Hibbard, a curator who has worked with several contemporary art institutions and who worked with the FGT Foundation in 2018 to curate a Gonzlez-Torres exhibit, says, As an artist, he was open about some things and also very cagey. You dont see many photographs of him. He didnt want that. Its worth noting that Hibbard is the only past curator who worked with the FGT Foundation who would speak on the record; he has since left the art industry and now works for a tech company.The board members of the FGT Foundation themselves seem to have shifting views. Julie Ault, a MacArthur Fellow and editor, curated the exhibit "Afterlife: A Constellation" (2014), which rejected monolithic AIDS narratives and emphasized subjectivity in how artists like David Wojnarowicz and Martin Wong are viewed. During his lifetime, Gonzlez-Torres named a work after her Untitled (Portrait of Julie Ault) and she later published a volume on his work. Curators Elena Filipovic and Ann Goldstein helped shape some of the artists major exhibitions, like the controversial David Zwirner show in 2017, which received accusations of AIDS erasure. These exhibitions stressed evolving, open-ended interpretations of Gonzlez-Torress work while still acknowledging its roots in illness and loss.Curator Miwon Kwon has similarly argued that Gonzlez-Torress work avoids specific meaning and instead centers on singular, unrepeatable viewer experience. Nancy Spector, who curated a major Guggenheim show while the artist was alive, once emphasized Gonzlez-Torress political and queer dimensions, but later, after the artists death, curated exhibitions that seemed to downplay them.Musing on the board members, Hibbard says: Theyre mostly straight women. And it seems like the people pushing this critique are not straight women. Its clear the tension isnt just about wall text or curatorial choices its about how queer artists are remembered and who should define that memory. Must a legacy foundation of a queer artist be run by queer people, like the Tom of Finland Foundation (an organization not without its own controversies)? At the same time, it seems necessary to let multiple interpretations of art exist.In her 1964 essay Against Interpretation, Susan Sontag famously writes, Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art. She argues that interpretation in our time is more often reactionary, stifling and that the role of criticism should be to show how it is what it is, even that it is what it is, rather than to show what it means.Hibbard muses on this. The question of biography is tricky, he says. The issue of not alluding to HIV and AIDS in didactics makes sense to me. If you look at things Gonzlez-Torres said, he was interested in AIDS not as a biological factor but as a kind of social ill. Framing it as a single issue could alienate an audience. He adds: I think Flix would bristle at any effort to hammer down one meaning.,The Current ExhibitIn the current Smithsonian exhibit which juxtaposes Gonzlez-Torress work with selections from the National Portrait Gallerys permanent collection the main text at the entrance makes no mention of the artists identity as a queer or HIV-positive man. It reads, His work refuses to convey history in a singular authoritative voice or through linear narratives of progress. Instead, Gonzalez-Torress practice questions and exceeds binary thinking, such as past and present, public and private, major and minor, or collective and individual.Notably, the exhibit omits accent marks in the artists name though these appear elsewhere in published material. The FGT Foundations website also omits them. However, there is a reference to the artists Cuban heritage on wall text for "Untitled" (Portrait of Dad) (1991). "Untitled" (Leaves of Grass) (1993) notes the works allusion to Walt Whitman but does not mention Whitman or Gonzlez-Torress sexuality, though Whitmans queerness is referenced elsewhere in the exhibit. Finally, along one wall sits "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), a pile of shimmering, multicolored candy laid flat, like a body. Its label reads: Ideal weight: 175 lb. The wall label does not explain who Ross was. "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) in present day at the Smithsonian National Portrait GalleryCourtesy Ignacio DarnaudeOn another spot in this room, separated from the "Untitled" work, there is a wall label that reads, "Gonzalez-Torres cared for his partner Ross Laycock, named in the candy works title, who died from HIV/AIDS in 1991." (Darnaude, when he viewed the exhibition, doubts many visitors will make the connection to truly understand the context of the work.)Speaking on the exhibit, which presents Gonzlez-Torres as one of the 20th centurys greatest portraitists, Terrill says, When I think of Flix Gonzlez-Torres, I dont think portraitist. Say portraitist and I think of Grant Wood, John Singer Sargent, Romaine Brooks not a pile of candy.But, he adds, if 175 pounds of candy is a portrait, who of? Its Ross. That makes the piece compelling. To say the 175 pounds is just the ideal weight of the piece seems counter to the Portrait Gallerys mission. Portraits are of people, and this one is of Ross. (Its worth noting that the artist himself defined the untitled piece as a portrait.)Hibbard still urges restraint. Id be generous to the foundation, he says. There are always a lot of interpretations. I dont think theyre stifling anyones vision. Hes a hard artist to show because of the very nature of the work.Theodore Kerr, coauthor of We Are Having This Conversation Now: The Times of AIDS Cultural Production, writes, As confused as I might be with the foundation's actions, I do think it is worth noting, celebrating, and continuing to organize around the fact that for so many of us, Flix Gonzlez-Torres' work is about many things, including how we learned to and continue to process the ongoing HIV crisis.Kerr goes on, Every time I go to a friend's house and I see that they, like me, have an Untitled"(Portrait of Ross) candy that they have saved for years, I get emotional. Those candies are memorials for our friends, the loved ones we lost, and the people we never had a chance to meet. No amount of attempted censure can take that connection away from us.Davis, who publishes queer books and queer art through his journal Revel, says, This gets to a bigger debate. Can we separate art from the artist? Some want to cancel Picasso because he was a sexual predator. That criminality does not erase Cubism. Art requires nuance.Diamond feels this debate mostly amounts to a request to see more from the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Foundation especially from those who survived a dark chapter in American history that the artist did not. The loudest voices calling for change are those who lived through the devastation of AIDS and fear its greatest voices being lost or, worse, intentionally erased.If anything, Diamond says, I wish they would put out a specifically queer exhibit on Flix or at least agree to always acknowledge who Ross was. Because Ross represents everyone we lost.He adds, They dont have to take a stance on how the work must be read. But presenting more biographic information at exhibits would give viewers another lens through which to view it not the only one, but another one. That would be enough. That would matter.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMJune 11, 2025The art world is debating over a minimalist pile of candy, and for good reason.One of queer artist Flix Gonzlez-Torres' most famous works is "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)"Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), a pile of multicolored candy that initially weighs 175 pounds the ideal weight of Gonzlez-Torres' lover, Ross Laycock, before he died of AIDS-related illness in 1991. Viewers are invited to take pieces of candy, resulting in the pile shrinking and eventually disappearing, much like the physical decline from AIDS wasting.However, when the piece was recently displayed in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., there appeared to be no references to Gonzlez-Torres' queer identity or his HIV-positive status. Now, some in the art world are suggesting that this was a deliberate action taken by the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Foundation, which is led by the artist's former gallerist, Andrea Rosen.Some people, including Dr. Jonathan Katz, a leading scholar of queer art, believe that the foundation has spent years deliberately omitting details about the artists life when his art is displayed."They refuse to acknowledge that the Ross of Portrait of Ross in L.A. is a real person," he says. "They treat it as a kind of metaphor, not a biography. That is a political act."In February of this year, the foundation posted on Instagram that Gonzlez-Torres trusted his viewers and wanted to "avoid direct explanation of his works in exhibition contexts."While the foundation insists it's only trying to uphold the legacy of the artist, others, including Joey Terrill, a longtime HIV activist and visual artist, say that it's censorship."In my opinion, the foundation is concerned with maintaining high value and prestige," Terrill says. "I dont hear anything from them about empathy or the community. I think theyre motivated purely by money.The issue is obviously complex; read our entire story to learn all the details.Keep reading to find out our Woman Crush Wednesday and all the best pop culture news!Who gets to tell the story of Flix Gonzlez-Torres?I'm 42, gay, never had a bf, and hate apps. What do I do?LGBTQ+ inclusion in mainstream movies reaches 3-year low, study findsQueer TikTok rallies around anti-ICE L.A. protests with support and resourcesThe ultimate guide to New York City Pride 2025VIDEO: A man living with HIV discusses his journey to fatherhood'Another Simple Favor' star Alex Newell's fashion tip for Pride? 'Wear deodorant'NeNe Leakes dragged for 'transphobic' remarks in Ts Madison interviewProtester stands up to National Guard: Trump 'laughs at you'Woman Crush WednesdayWe already loved Jen Richards for her acting, writing, and all-around awesome trans activism, but now, we have a crush on her for a new reason! Richards was at the current anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles when she was hit by flashbangs and rubber bullets fired upon the crowd by police and the National Guard."I'm a rather fragile, sensitive, fight-with-my-words type," Richards said. "But sometimes shit goes too far and you gotta stand up for truth, liberty, and empathy."Want Out Magazine in your physical mailbox?You can get every print issue of Out Magazine / The Advocate delivered to your house for only $9.95 a year! Sign up now!0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGEverything You Need to Know About Bostons Big Queer Food Fest!Foodies rejoice! Bostons first-of-its-kind Big Queer Food Fest is right around the corner, andas an official non-profit partner,we have all the details you need to know. This weeklong celebration of the LGBTQIA+ and culinary communities comes to Boston and runs from April 28th May 4th, hosting events across the city. Co-presented by Meet Boston, [...]The post Everything You Need to Know About Bostons Big Queer Food Fest! first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORG150+ Anti-LGBTQ Incidents Targeted Religious Communities in the US, According to Newly Released Data from GLAADs ALERT DeskSince June 1, 2022, GLAADs ALERT Desk has tracked 150+ anti-LGBTQ incidents targeting affirming faith-based communities in the US. These include 54 cases of vandalism, 38 cases of threats and harassment, 37 protests, 7 attempted arsons, 3 assaults, and 2 bomb threats. For the access to the full dataset, please contact press@glaad.org. This is an [...]The post 150+ Anti-LGBTQ Incidents Targeted Religious Communities in the US, According to Newly Released Data from GLAADs ALERT Desk first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGThe Last of Us Season 2 Premiere Gives Near-Identical Recreation of Historic Kiss From Video Game SeriesSPOILER ALERT: This article contains details about the season 2 premiere of The Last of Us. From the moment fans of The Last of Usvideo game see the strung lights above Ellies (Bella Ramsey) head in a church with music playing while people dance in the background they immediately know what is about to [...]The post The Last of Us Season 2 Premiere Gives Near-Identical Recreation of Historic Kiss From Video Game Series first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGHow Targeting PrEP Could Negatively Impact Preventive Healthcare for Millions of AmericansOn Monday, April 21st, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc., a case that could strip away a critical piece of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which mandates insurance companies cover preventive healthcare services at no out-of-pocket cost. Braidwood Management, Inc. originally initiated the case stating [...]The post How Targeting PrEP Could Negatively Impact Preventive Healthcare for Millions of Americans first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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GLAAD.ORGGLAAD Exclusive: Hear Javontes Inspiring Story on PBSs The ClassIts hard to believe its already been 5 years since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 2020, on top of all the fear and uncertainty of a world on lockdown, the students of Deer Valley High School, just like many students all over the world, were on a mission to achieve their dreams of [...]The post GLAAD Exclusive: Hear Javontes Inspiring Story on PBSs The Class first appeared on GLAAD.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMSam Rockwell talks 'White Lotus' monologue prep, S.F. sex club, and meeting Harvey MilkA lot to unpack here!Sam Rockwell, who played Frank on The White Lotus season 3, appeared in a new interview where he got to discuss his character's wild and iconic monologue, his collaborative process with showrunner Mike White, his personal relationships with certain costars in the HBO series, and his upbringing in San Francisco which included living in the Castro and meeting Harvey Milk at a very young age.In this new Armchair Expert interview a podcast cohosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman Rockwell recalled a time when he visited a "sex club," shared his perspective on the "combative" relationship between Walton Goggins (Rick Hatchett) and Aimee Lou Wood (Chelsea), and explained how his wife, Leslie Bibb (yes, the actress who played Kate Bohr in season 3!), helped him memorize Frank's infamous monologue on the show.Here's how Sam Rockwell prepared for that 'White Lotus' monologue.Sam Rockwell had been reportedly filming Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die a new movie directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Matthew Robinson in April 2024, which was shot in South Africa, per Deadline. Even though he had to memorize a 10-page monologue for the Verbinski movie, Rockwell was nervous about the wild monologue he'd have to deliver on The White Lotus."I actually went to [actor] Billy Crudup, who I had gone to before, to get help on that monologue," Rockwell said in the Armchair Expert interview. "I was a little tuned up, but I was then I was worried I wasn't gonna be able to get off-book in time."The actor also credited his wife, Leslie Bibb (who played Kate Bohr in the third season of The White Lotus), for helping him work through that monologue.Rockwell "pitched some things to Mike White" related to The White Lotus monologue. And even though the showrunner "went for some of it," the actor clarified that "Mike's too good a writer; you don't want to mess with it."Sam Rockwell filmed his iconic 'White Lotus' scene in just one take.When asked about the actual filming of The White Lotus monologue, Rockwell noted that he "just went in there and did it," adding that he had "shaved my head, put a tattoo on, some scars, and that was it" in terms of changes to his appearance.Rockwell also revealed that he filmed the infamous monologue in just one take."They had an earwig, and I said, 'Prepare an earwig just in case I get in trouble,' and then I didn't need it. I did it in one take," he said in the interview. "And then I think we continued to do one-takers, you know? And not break it up too much. Mike's just amazing; he's like a Paddy Chayefsky kind of writer."For context: Paddy Chayefsky, a critically acclaimed screenwriter, is one of only three writers to win Oscars for both original screenplays (1972's The Hospital, 1977's Network) and adapted screenplays (1956's Marty).The surprising story of how Walton Goggins and Sam Rockwell met and became friends.As Shepard expressed how happy he feels about seeing Walton Goggins getting this new momentum in his career, Rockwell not only agreed, but also added: "You know, we had done Cowboys & Aliens together.""You met him there?" Shepard asked."Yeah, we met on that. I don't know if I've ever worked with a friend that closely," Rockwell explained. "So when we did White Lotus, it was really cool to have a shorthand with somebody like that."The Armchair Expert host asked Rockwell if filming such a wild scene with a close friend made the experience easier or harder."It definitely helped because we had to play friends," the actor replied. "I could just make him laugh, and he could make me laugh."Tensions between Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood? Sam Rockwell shared some thoughts.Rockwell recalled that Goggins was "having a great time" filming The White Lotus, and was "so happy to have somebody [like Rockwell] there" with him."[Goggins] had been kind of, you know" Rockwell continued. "He and [Aimee Lou Wood], they had a different thing. Their thing was more combative."Shepard noted, "He probably needed a fucking break from that. It can't be fun to be a dick to your co-star in every scene for months.""He was definitely having a tough time. And Walt gets very serious," Rockwell said.Sam Rockwell once visited a "sex club" in San Francisco.The Armchair Expert host recalled, "I remember you telling me about a time in your youth that you went to a sex club in San Francisco, [which had] this guy on roller skates, bare-naked [laughs]. You said you got to this club and you're like, 'Whoa, there's a lot going on.'""Yeah, that's a true story. He was just roller skating," Rockwell replied. "There was a person with a little tiny hammer and a chisel."When asked why he had ended up visiting a "sex club in San Francisco," Rockwell explained matter-of-factly that he had just "bumped into a friend from elementary school," adding:"He said, 'I'm doing this thing. [You should] check it out.' And I said, 'Oh, that's kind of cool.' It was just not what I imagined, really. I thought it would be kind of sexier. And it wasn't so sexy. I was just like, 'Yeah, no, this is not for me.'"Sam Rockwell's upbringing in San Francisco, having actors as parents, and meeting Harvey Milk."OK, Bay Area, 1968, you arrive. November 5th?" Shepard asked.Rockwell replied, "November 5, 1968. Nixon was elected.""On that day?!" Shepard reacted.Rockwell said, "Yes."(He's right: Richard Nixon won the U.S. presidential campaign of 1968 on November 5, as noted in the Britannica.)Both of his parents pursued careers as actors, though Rockwell clarified that they both eventually gave up. "My dad dropped out kind of early. My mother became a painter," he explained. "My dad did a lot of jobs. We moved to San Francisco in the Tenderloin. I don't know if you know what the Tenderloin is? Kind of a sketchy""Gnarly, right? In the 70s and 80s," Shepard added."Yeah," Rockwell said. "My dad had a couple of weapons pulled on him, and was mugged."Rockwell went on to say that his father "was a union organizer for a while" and also "drove a cab" over the years. This meant that Rockwell and his family lived in several different places in San Francisco, such as the Castro District, the Fillmore District, and the Haight-Ashbury District.The actor even "met Harvey Milk in San Francisco when I was like 8," he recalled.The White Lotus season 3 is streaming on HBO Max. You can watch and/or listen to Sam Rockwell's full interview on the Armchair Expert podcast below.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMOrville Peck cast in live-action 'Street Fighter' film with Jason MomoaOrville Peck already has his next career moves lined up after he steps off the Broadway stage for his run as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Spoiler alert: He's coming to the big screen!Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!The masked country singer is set to play a character in a new live-action adaptation of the beloved Capcom video game Street Fighter. Peck's costars in the movie include Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I've Loved Before), as reported by Deadline. Also included in the cast are Andrew Koji and WWE wrestler Roman Reigns.Plot specifics for this new Street Fighter film are currently under wraps. Production in its early stages, though Kitao Sakurai has already been attached to direct this live-action adaptation expected to be released in 2026.This is not the first time a Street Fighter movie has been made. The first one came out in 1994 and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ral Juli, Ming-Na Wen, and Kylie Minogue. There was a second attempt at making the movie in 2009 with Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, but it failed to perform critically and at the box office.The first thought on Peck's fans' minds is: Will he be wearing a mask in the movie? Unclear. During his current stint on Broadway, he does perform without the mask, a creative choice he told The New York Times. "The mask is part of my expression personally as an artist, and a very big personal part of me," he said during the interview. "But I'm here to play this role and to bring respect and integrity and hopefully a good performance to it. It's not about me. I'm not trying to make it the Orville Peck show."0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COMGet the best bang for your buck at these Las Vegas nighttime hotspotsThis story is brought to you by our partners at Visit Las Vegas.No city lights up at night quite like Las Vegas, Nevada.After all, the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World is considered the brightest city on Earth and theres so many incredible places to explore while vacationing at the iconic destination.As an out and proud gay man whos lived in Las Vegas the majority of my life, Ive found quite a few hotspots that I love to frequent without having to worry about spending too much cash.Check out some of my favorite attractions below thatll make your trip even more memorable and special at an unbelievable value.The Las Vegas High Roller Observation Wheel at The LINQ Hotel + Experience on the Las Vegas StripLets start this list with one of the most recognizable excursions on The Strip. The Las Vegas High Roller Observation Wheel at The LINQ Hotel + Experience opened back in 2014, so this notable Ferris wheel has offered stunning rides to visitors and locals for over ten years.As a destination that offers fabulous views of the entire Las Vegas valley, theres nothing quite as romantic and intimate as this attraction. Its quite literally the second tallest Ferris wheel in the world, so that fact itself is a big enough reason to check it out.With tickets starting around $27 for adults and nearly $12 for kids, the High Roller gives tourists of any age the opportunity to experience breathtaking views at a very affordable price. While the High Roller is open both day and night, theres nothing quite like riding it after dark. Las Vegas is truly one of the most beautiful destinations in the world to observe once the sun goes down.Ive rode the High Roller a few times and its always a blast, no matter who I go with. Recently, I hopped on the Ferris wheel with the top six from season 17 of RuPauls Drag Race to celebrate one thousand shows at RuPauls Drag Race LIVE! at Flamingo Las Vegas. You really never know who youll run into at this popular activity!Netflix Bites @ MGM Grand Hotel and CasinoWho doesnt want to step inside the set of a movie or TV show? Netflix Bites at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is the ideal restaurant to quite literally get a taste of your favorite program!The impressive menu features food and drinks based on many of the legendary original shows and movies youve likely binged in a day or two. From chicken and waffles inspired by Stranger Things to a tea set straight from the set of Bridgerton, theres something for everyone whos indulged in their favorite movie or show on Netflix.Be sure to also check out meals based on Queer Eye, Big Mouth, Ginny & Georgia, Selling Sunset, Squid Game, Sex Education, and so many more.My personal favorite dish is the Korean Short Rib Galbi. The succulent meat is paired with Charred Bok Choy and Nori Rice, so the entire meal is mouthwatering, juicy, and tender. Every bite was absolutely delicious! Dinner items start at just $9, so theres certainly a tasty option waiting for you.Mon Ami Gabi @ Paris Las VegasTrying to find a luscious spot with a gorgeous view of the Bellagio Fountains? Look no further than Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas. This delectable French establishment is perfect for a date night as its located right on The Strip and directly across the street from the iconic landmark.The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, so theres many opportunities to make a reservation and secure your table on their wide, patio with spectacular views. Ive checked out this eatery a couple of times and I already cant wait to go back.During my most recent visit, I ordered the salmon salad with extra avocado and my taste buds are already missing all of the juicy flavors that make this dish so delicious. My good friend Shamus said this was one of his favorite dinner dates that hes ever gone on in his life, so thatll hopefully entice you to take a loved one on a romantic date at this extraordinary establishment.Piranha NightclubPiranha Nightclub is the go-to destination for LGBTQ+ locals and visitors any weekend (or even weekday) of the year. With some of the fiercest queens in the entire city performing nightly, many drag queens from Piranha have gone on to compete on RuPauls Drag Race. Ive had to pick my jaw up off the floor way too many times watching the shows at this place. Located off The Strip and by the airport, Piranha Nightclub also features everything you could want in a Las Vegas nightclub.Made up of three themed rooms and an outdoor patio, theres different music playing in each room that will fit your style. You never know who youre going to meet at Piranha as visitors pop up every weekend ready to live it up. Ive danced the night away with Lil Nas X, Kevin McHale, Sam Smith, queens from RuPauls Drag Race like Anetra, Mirage Amuro, Sasha Colby, Alexis Mateo, and many members of my chosen family. If theres just one spot you have time to visit, let this be the place.Zouk Nightclub @ Resorts World Las VegasIt wouldnt be a complete trip to Las Vegas without hitting up one of the best nightclubs! Zouk Nightclub is the ultimate state-of-the-art destination where you can dance the night away to some of the biggest DJs from around the world.Located on The Strip and right inside Resorts World Las Vegas, visitors can get tickets as low as nearly $25 for women and $36 for men to see electrifying sets from headliners such as ILLENIUM, Kaskade, MEDUZA, DJ Snake, Lil Wayne, Nelly, and more. Ive not only created lifelong memories with my best friends at this gorgeous club at night, but Ive also met people from all over the world celebrating special milestones such as birthdays, wedding bachelor/bachelorette parties, and more.Theres nothing like mingling with visitors who love the same music as you and Zouk Nightclub creates an amazing environment thats inclusive for everyone. Also, Resorts World Las Vegas is still one of the freshest and newest properties to explore in the entire valley.Traveling on a budget is needed to make the most out of any vacation, so consider these top destinations when planning your dream trip to Las Vegas. To plan the perfect trip for yourself, head over to VisitLasVegas.com/Value.0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews
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WWW.OUT.COM10 fantastic portraits of queer vanity & vice from Romain BergerThe vanity and vice of Romain BergerRomain Berger is a 37-year-old photographer and visual artist who explores universal themes such as vanity, desire, vice, obsession, and superficiality, while blurring the lines between reality and fiction.Each image is crafted like a cinematic scene, where saturated colors, strong symbolism, and meticulous composition come together to captivate the imagination and spark reflection.Make Me Famous (2024)Influenced by artists such as James Bidgood, David LaChapelle, and filmmaker Wong Kar-wai, his work draws from pop art and homoerotic aesthetics, reflected in his use of codes, symbols, and representations. However, his creations go far beyond this singular lens. By addressing themes rooted in the broader human condition, his images speak to all people regardless of gender or orientation and invite a wide range of personal interpretations.Ainsi Soit-il (2025)Berger embraces a kitsch, provocative, and exuberant visual style that challenges the excesses and contradictions of contemporary society, holding up a mirror to modern behaviors.i am a fucking star (2024)Through his work, Berger invites each viewer into a world where conventions are tested, offering both a visual and emotional experience.Tribute To Tom (2023)In 2022, he published his first book, Lifes a Cabaret, with Men On Paper Art, a retrospective of three years of creative work. He also contributed to the book Sex Utopia, alongside renowned artists such as Pierre et Gilles and Bruce LaBruce.american flouze (2024)Regularly exhibited and published internationally, his work is available in limited editions through his online store, accessible via his website romainberger-photography.com.Fraternite (2022)Le Peche (2023)Playboy (2024)0 Comments 0 Shares 7 Views 0 Reviews