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    Amanda Palmer breaks silence after ex-husband Neil Gaiman was accused of sexual assault
    After Vultures bombshell expos detailing sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman came out earlier this week, the best-selling authors ex-wife Amanda Palmer finally made a public statement.The explosive report describes in detail the disturbing allegations made by eight women of the sexual assault, coercion, and abuse they suffered at the hands of the Good Omens writer. The Vulture article, written by Lila Shapiro, also includes accusations that Palmer had knowledge of his actions and that some of the women met Gaiman through Palmer.Scarlett Pavlovich, who began working as a nanny for Palmer in 2022, claims Gaiman sexually assaulted her in an outdoor bathtub and further alleges that he assaulted her again in a hotel room while his son was present. Pavlovich also claims that she told Palmer about what Gaiman did to her, including the bathtub incident, but didnt describe it as sexual assault at the time.Palmer broke her silence yesterday when she took to Instagram to post a statement asking for privacy because of the former couples custody battle.As there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings, I am not able to offer public comment. Please understand that I am first and foremost a parent. I ask for privacy at this time, she wrote.See on InstagramThe singer-songwriter and former Dresden Dolls member also made a statement to NME, calling the allegations against Gaiman, who she divorced in 2022, disturbing.While Ms. Palmer is profoundly disturbed by the allegations that Mr. Gaiman has abused several women, at this time her primary concern is, and must remain, the well-being of her son and therefore, to guard his privacy, she has no comment on these allegations, her statement read. Palmer and Gaiman met in 2008 and got married in 2011. They have one son together.
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    Lesbians reveal what 'dove effing' is and if it's the new scissoring
    In the pantheon of lesbian sex acts from oral to strap-ons to scissoring (Myth or real? You decide!) to the thigh thing most people are familiar with the mainstays, but what about dove f**king?This cutely named Sapphic sex act involves one woman using her nipple to stimulate her partners vulva and then having her lick your breast clean for added fun. Hot!While the term has been around for years the Urban Dictionary definition was added in 2009, and a quick Google search proves there is plenty of porn out there featuring this spicy lesbian sex move its not one that comes up in everyday conversation. One person was so curious to know if other lesbians do this in the bedroom that they took to the r/actuallesbians subreddit to ask, Is this a common sexual practice among WLW?While some were surprised (and delighted) to learn of dove f**king for the very first time, the comment section proves that the sex act is more common than you think, and lesbians love it. The responses are so steamy you may need to defog your reading glasses! The comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity.What is "dove f**king?""Yes!!! This is called dove fucking no idea where the name came from. Not sure if its a super common thing, but iykyk lol. You can also add to it by rubbing your nips all over her vulva, getting it wet, then having her kiss/lick the wetness off you (assuming shes ok with her own taste). Or vice versa of course." Electrical-Cake-6529"I call it tiddy fucking." GreenG0blnIf you know, you know""Eh? I thought it was a common sexual practice . Actually something that I love doing ... it feels amazing!" ashleykhan7"Lol didnt know it had a name! Never thought of it as an "uncommon practice". I thought everyone did this . cecileett"OH MY GOD IT HAS A NAME. I have been searching for porn of this nature for only god knows how many years, and tried all possible and impossible word combinations in my searches, but to no avail, and I have been teetering on the edge of madness about how utterly impossible it seemed. From a porn producer's perspective, I simply could not wrap my head around how 'Tits AND pussy at the same time!' was not an all time top blockbuster category. Like, at this point I didn't even care about the practicality of it, or if it was blatantly made for male appealing aesthetics, if the common type of fucking acrobatic scissoring is a major porn category, how in the world could this not be? I have been so confused." ElisaKristiansenYou're not alone if you've never heard of it"LMAO shoving a balloon down a water slide how did i never hear of this?!" skippy51"Woah, first time hearing of this I'm intrigued." Relative-Policy5887"Never heard of, am very curious." grey_hat_ukNow I have to try it!"This is new to me, but I'd try it." Remote_Bluebird4040"Lmao I wanna try. Scissoring is old." Bit-Jungle"I'll add it to the agenda." natzielSo whether you're new to "dove f**king" or you're very familiar with it, tonight might a good time to add it into your bedroom escapades!
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    Sphere in Vegas: Anyma's residency is EDM's new frontier
    EDM festivals are all the rage these days, but Sphere in Las Vegas is truly in a league of its own.Sin City's latest venue quickly took over everyone's algorithms when it opened at the end of 2023. Headliners like U2, Phish, Dead & Company, and the Eagles went viral for their unbelievable visuals that complimented their upbeat music in the immersive arena.Although each of those bands made their mark at Sphere, nobody was prepared for the first EDM performer to take the stage. Afterlife Presents Anyma: The End of Genesys serves as the inaugural residency to feature a DJ and predominantly dance music.A groundbreaking immersive experienceWhen it comes to creating a experience that taps into everything Sphere can offer, Anyma certainly understood the assignment. It's no wonder that all of his shows sold out, including the new dates that were added following a very high demand.Anyma performs his electric set on the top of a gorgeous riser surrounded by glowing cords that put him on the pedestal he deserves. Although his platform is impressive, it's the visuals behind him that really transport audiences into a whole new world. See on Instagram Not a bad seat in the houseThe best part about seeing a show at Sphere? There's not one bad seat in the house.Securing a ticket for the pit at the front of the venue is never a bad choice, especially if you're surrounded by friendly people who are ready to dance the night away with you.However, if you decide to opt for an actual seat in one of the higher sections, then get ready for a 4D experience like none other. Every seat has surround sound speakers that really brings the music to life. Plus, the chairs shake and rumble along with the base, so there's a good chance you won't even want to stand up throughout the exhilarating show.There's truly something for everyone at a Sphere residency. If you'd like to enjoy the show as if it were a movie, then sitting higher up and taking in all of the unbelievable visuals is a real treat. On the other hand, if you're hoping to bust a move with your crew and everyone around you, then the pit is the way to go.One thing to brace for... get ready to put your neck to work as you'll be looking up multiple times throughout the night. The very large and grand LED screen will have you turning your head in every direction to absorb all of the mind-blowing visuals in front of you.A game-changing showSphere has changed the game when it comes to escapism through EDM. How will visuals at any other festival or show live up to Anyma's residency? Only time will tell. It would be incredible to see other DJs eventually perform at the stunning theater down the road.Although Anyma's residency has sadly come to an end, the demand is still very much alive for his grand return. Until then, there's plenty of thrilling shows and concerts scheduled throughout the year at Sphere. Learn more by visiting the official website here.
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    Pete Buttigieg reveals first thing hell do now that hes out of a job
    Outgoing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has revealed the first things hes looking forward to doing as a civilian now that President-elect Donald Trump will soon install his replacement. While Buttigieg is proud of the things he accomplished as the first out gay cabinet member ever to serve throughout a full presidential administration, he also shared some of his regrets in a recent exit interview with Politico.Buttigieg said he has spoken with his incoming replacement, Sean Duffy, and believes he can do a good job; though he adds that his positions effectiveness was largely put in the hands of state or local or tribal or regional authorities who are overseeing projects funded by President Joe Bidens $1.2 trillion infrastructure law. Many of these authorities arent necessarily Republican, Buttigieg notes, and the secretary is expected to deal with them equally. Related 10 times Pete Buttigieg proved he is a great Transportation Secretary Petes tenure has been marked by significant achievements and innovative leadership. Im absolutely convinced that we are leaving Americas transportation system in much better condition than we found it, Buttigieg told the aforementioned publication, noting that the infrastructure law helped get 72,000 projects underway, 22,000 of which are now complete. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Biden recently complained to USA Today, We wouldve been a hell of a lot better off had we been able to go much harder at getting some of these projects in the ground quicker.Buttigieg said he thought Biden was getting at is an impatience we all feel about the recognition and credit that this work deserves, adding, The nature of the beast with this infrastructure work is that it takes longer than a political cycle to get it done.He noted that one the biggest transportation projects that hes responsible for, the tunnels between New York and New Jersey, wont be completed for anywhere from three to five presidential terms (roughly 12 to 20 years). He compared the benefits of the infrastructure bill to those of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the massive health insurance overhaul spearheaded by President Barak Obama in 2010. Think about the political life of the ACA, to go from being an albatross to being our winning issue in eight years, Buttigieg said, mentioning how the ACA is now touted as a Democratic achievement and used against Republicans who have repeatedly sought to repeal it (even though millions of GOP constituents and voters depend on it). And even then you have to do all the finessing for folks who dont think of the ACA and Obamacare as the same thing. Theres a lot of that here with this stuff.Buttigieg also said that news of his departments accomplishments rarely ever made headlines or viral waves on sociala media because we were competing with a lot of other things for attention and, Good news is no news: That [is,] unambiguously and uncontroversially good things command less attention.After lamenting the problem of viral disinformation on social media something he called a massive challenge, noting that it makes governance, conversations, and good decision-making much harder he mentioned his pride at helping reduce roadways deaths by over 5.6% since 2021. Buttigieg then discussed his next plans now that hell be out of his old job. He said hes looking at possibly enrolling into Northwestern Michigan College, a local community college, to get his pilots lisence under its flight program.I got what I asked for for Christmas, which is a splitting maul and a new axe. So Ill be chopping a lot of wood and being outside a little more, he said. I want to spend more time engaged with ideas and with students. Im looking at ways to make that possible. The biggest thing, obviously, the family pays a pretty big price when youre involved in politics and public life. Looking forward to making up for some lost time.He said he hopes that, in the future, hell be able to point out different pieces of infastructure to his children that resulted from his work, that his children will benefit from their construction and that hell tell them, I worked on that, and thats one of the reasons why I was working so hard back when you were really little and we were getting to know each other.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    Hail to the Cheeto: Full list of performers at Trump's 2025 inauguration
    Donald Trump's second term as U.S. president is about to begin and a list of music stars are scheduled not only to attend his inauguration ceremony, but also celebrate the occasion and perform a few songs.During the election, most celebrity endorsements went to Vice President Kamala Harris, with big names like Beyonce and Taylor Swift endorsing her over Trump. Still, there are some music stars who support Trump.With Trump's numerous pledges to curtail trans and gay rights, many queer fans have called for artists with queer fanbases to boycott the inauguration. However, some artists have still decided to participate.Keep scrolling to see the full list of musicians who will be performing at different events during Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.Carrie UnderwoodAmerican Idol winner and country music star Carrie Underwood is probably the biggest name to be performing, and the announcement that she would perform was met with the biggest pushback.Underwood has long had a large contingent of LGBTQ+ fans and was considered an ally to the community. Back in 2012, she even spoke out in favor of gay marriage, saying, "as a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry," she said at the time. "I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."She is set to perform "America, the Beautiful" at the ceremony."I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event," Underwood said in a statement, per NPR. "I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future."Village PeopleTo many, Village People are considered queer icons with their flamboyant, hyper-masculine personas and costumes and songs like "YMCA," "Macho Man," and "In the Navy." However, the group has distanced themselves from that image, with Victor Willis, who plays the cop in the band, saying, "I will sue the next media organization, or anyone else, that falsely suggests Y.M.C.A. is somehow about illicit gay sex."During the 2024 election, Willis also defended Trump's usage of the song in his campaign."Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost," the band posted in a statement shared on Facebook. "Therefore, we believe it's now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump."Jim Newman, a former member of the band, made a video on Threads saying that the version of the band performing "is a new and entirely separate entity than the long-storied Village People I had the honor of being in for 8 years.""The Village People that were around for about 40 years had a strong, loyal gay following," he said. "There was a lawsuit about four years ago, they took away the name Village People from our band, the band that had been around forever, a lot of originals still in the band, and they gave it to an ex-member who was fired a couple years in. And he started a new group, and that is the Village People that performs. Or Village People would never ever perform at a Trump rally, we would never give him the right to use those songs, and we would never slap the face of the strong, especially gay audience that made us who we are today."Kid RockKid Rock has been one of Trump's most vocal celebrity supporters and will once again lend his support at the Make America Great Again Victory Rally.Billy Ray CyrusWhile Cyrus' daughter Miley Cyrus has been critical of Trump, the singer known for his song "Achy Breaky Heart" and his feature on the remix of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" will be performing at the Make America Great Again Victory Rally.Jason AldeanCountry singer Jason Aldean is most recently best known for political controversies surrounding his song "Try that in a Small Town" (which was called a "modern lynching song") and his wife, Brittany Aldean, who made a transphobic comment on social media, thanking her parents "for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase." Aldean will perform at the Liberty Ball.Rascal FlattsCountry Trio Rascal Flatts, known for their cover of "Life is a Highway" from the Cars soundtrack, will perform at the Commander in Chief Ball.Gavin DeGrawSinger-songwriter Gavin DeGraw is most known for his song "I Don't Want to Be," which was used as the theme song for One Tree Hill. He will perform at the Starlight Ball.Lee GreenwoodCountry singer Lee Greenwood will be performing his popular patriotic song "God Bless The U.S.A." at the swearing-in ceremony and the Make America Great Again Victory Rally."I am humbled and honored to be asked to perform for our 47th President Donald J. Trump during his inaugural events," Greenwood said in a statement (via NPR). "The President has been a friend of [my wife] Kim [Payne] and I's for many years and this is one of the most historical moments in our lifetime. I look forward to celebrating this special day with proud Americans everywhere."Parker McCollumParker McCollum is another country singer who will perform at the Commander in Chief Ball.Liberty Univesity's Praise ChoirThe Praise Choir from private evangelical Christian college Liberty University founded by conservative stalwart Jerry Falwell Sr. will be performing at the Make America Great Again Victory Rally.Christopher MacchioChristopher Macchio is a classical Tenor who will perform the national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony.
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    Montana Republicans Pass Bathroom Ban Despite Pleas from Trans Lawmakers
    Montana Republican lawmakers in the states House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a controversial bill that would ban transgender people from using restrooms in public buildings that align with their gender identity. The bill, which now heads to the state Senate, passed by a 58-42 party-line vote.Introduced by Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R), the bill specifically targets public facilities, including schools, prisons, jails, and domestic violence shelters. It would prevent transgender individuals from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity in these places. Additionally, the legislation allows anyone who encounters a transgender or nonbinary person in a restroom to file a lawsuit against that person or the facilitys administrators, up to two years after the encounter.Lawmakers Speak OutDuring debate, Democratic Reps. Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell, both transgender, expressed their deep concern about the bills potential impact on their lives and the transgender community. Zephyr, who has been a vocal advocate for trans rights, said the bill would exacerbate the challenges already faced by transgender people in Montana. Trans people walk through the state of Montana afraid enough already, Zephyr said. Leave trans people alone. Let me be the woman Im happy to be. Let me live my life.Zephyrs impassioned plea for understanding was met with little support from Republican lawmakers, who argued that the bill is necessary to protect the privacy and safety of women. Seekins-Crowe, who has previously made inflammatory statements about transgender people, argued that the bill is a response to cultural trends threatening womens rights. She claimed that the legislation would help protect womens privacy, although there is no evidence to suggest that transgender women pose any threat to cisgender women in public restrooms.Controversial Arguments for the BillIn addition to concerns about privacy and safety, some Republican lawmakers presented another argument for the bathroom ban, claiming that certain transgender womenspecifically lesbiansshould be excluded from womens restrooms. State Rep. Jedediah Hinkle (R) pointed to a trans woman he knew who was attracted to women, suggesting that her presence in a womens restroom was somehow inappropriate because of her sexual orientation.So we have an individual who is dressing like a woman, changing [their] name to a woman but is also at the same time attracted to women, Hinkle said during the debate, misunderstanding the concept of lesbianism, which is the sexual attraction between women. Hinkles comments seemed to conflate transgender identity with voyeurism, invoking an example of a cisgender male janitor who allegedly misused womens restrooms in the past. This remark appeared to be a misguided attempt to frame transgender people as potential threats, despite there being no evidence of such behaviors among transgender individuals.The bills supporters argue that its vital to safeguard womens spaces, but critics contend that it unfairly targets transgender people and could lead to increased discrimination and harassment.Next Steps for the BillThe bathroom ban bill is not yet law. After passing the House, it must be voted on once again in the state House before moving to the state Senate, where Republicans hold a majority. If the Senate passes the bill, it will be sent to Governor Greg Gianforte, who has yet to publicly state his position on the measure.In December, Montana lawmakers had already voted down a proposed amendment that would have banned transgender individuals from using appropriate restrooms in the state Capitol. However, the latest bill represents a significant step in a broader trend of anti-trans legislation sweeping several U.S. states.Backlash and Community ReactionsThe bill has sparked widespread backlash from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, who argue that it is part of a broader effort to roll back trans rights. Montanas transgender community, along with national civil rights organizations, have condemned the bill, calling it discriminatory and harmful to vulnerable individuals.Trans people already face significant barriers in accessing public facilities and services, said a representative from the Montana LGBTQ+ advocacy group. This bill will only further marginalize an already vulnerable community and make it harder for transgender people to live their lives safely and authentically.As the debate continues in Montana, the outcome of this bill could have wider implications for other states considering similar legislation. Activists vow to continue fighting for transgender rights and protections in Montana and beyond.The post Montana Republicans Pass Bathroom Ban Despite Pleas from Trans Lawmakers appeared first on Gayety.
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    Chrishell Stause reveals why she left Tom Sandoval out of post promoting 'The Traitors'
    Chrishell Stause just confirmed a suspicion fans have had for months about her feelings towards fellow reality star Tom Sandoval, and she did so in the most hilarious way.Back in November, Stause shared a series of promotional images for season three of The Traitors to her Instagram. The main photo was of her, the second slide in the carousel was a trailer for the show, and the remaining three entries showcased all this season's cast members' individual promo pics.All of the cast, that is, except for Sandoval.In the spot where Sandoval could have been, Stause instead superimposed an image of the castle where The Traitors takes place.See on InstagramWe live in a world where everything on celeb social media is picked apart and analyzed for our own entertainment, so obviously her exclusion of Sandoval didn't go unnoticed."omg if you blocked off Sandoval's face in the last slide... ICONIC BEHAVIOR," one person commented at the time.During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, a fan finally had the opportunity to ask Stause if she left Sandoval out on purpose, and the Selling Sunset star did not pull her punches with her response."Yes, I did," she confirmed without hesitation. "I don't want him on my page. I hate him.""Hate's a strong word," fellow guest Lisa Barlow replied."Exactly," Stause said.While she didn't elaborate on her reasons for hating Sandoval, the general assumption has been that it stems from her friendship with his ex, Ariana Madix. The two were together for nine years before calling it quits in 2023after Madix discovered Sandoval was cheating on her with his Vanderpump Rules costar, Raquel Leviss.Stause admitted she wasn't sure what interactions between her and Sandoval made the final edit, but we already know she wasn't playing nice with him for the cameras, either."The Traitors have to be able to lie and cheat and deceive easily," she said during a recent episode, addressing Sandoval. "And since I know that you possess all of those skills, I voted for you."
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    David Lynch, Iconic Director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, Dies at 78
    Legendary filmmaker David Lynch, renowned for queer classics like Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive, has passed away at 78. His death was confirmed via a statement on his official Facebook page.Family Statement Reflects Lynchs Unique PerspectiveIt is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch, the statement reads. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. Theres a big hole in the world now that hes no longer with us. But, as he would say, Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole. Its a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.Related | Comedian and Actor Tony Slattery Dies at 65 After Heart AttackA Career Defined by Surrealism and LGBTQ+ ThemesLynchs work left an indelible mark on cinema, especially within the queer community. His 2001 film Mulholland Drive earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and remains celebrated for its LGBTQ+ themes. Other notable works include Blue Velvet (1986), a film lauded for its homoerotic undertones, and the original 1984 adaptation of Dune. While the latter received mixed reviews at the time, it cemented Lynchs reputation as a boundary-pushing visionary.Lynchs Legacy in Queer RepresentationAs the co-creator of Twin Peaks, Lynch brought LGBTQ+ representation to mainstream television with the character Denise Bryson, a transgender DEA agent portrayed by David Duchovny. The series, including its 2017 revival Twin Peaks: The Return, remains a cultural touchstone for its surreal storytelling and inclusive casting.Health Struggles in His Final YearsIn a 2024 interview with Sight and Sound, Lynch disclosed that he had been diagnosed with emphysema due to a lifelong smoking habit. Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me, he reflected. It was part of the art life for mebut it was killing me, so I had to quit.Celebrating an IconDavid Lynchs influence on queer cinema and art will endure, inspiring generations to embrace the surreal, the unconventional, and the beautifully strange.More Stories: David Lynch, Iconic Director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, Dies at 78Massachusetts First Nonbinary Elected Official Takes Hiatus Citing Transphobia and Toxic City Council CultureMontana Republicans Pass Bathroom Ban Despite Pleas from Trans LawmakersWinter Party Festival Returns to Miami Beach for 32nd Year, Raising Funds for The National LGBTQ Task ForcePro Handball Player Villads Raahauge Jensen Comes Out as GayThe post David Lynch, Iconic Director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, Dies at 78 appeared first on Gayety.
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    Massachusetts First Nonbinary Elected Official Takes Hiatus Citing Transphobia and Toxic City Council Culture
    Worcester City Councilor Thu Nguyen, Massachusetts first nonbinary elected official, has announced they are taking a month-long hiatus from their duties, citing an ongoing pattern of transphobia and a discriminatory and toxic culture within the city council. Nguyen made the announcement on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, stating that they would take time off to prioritize their mental and emotional well-being.Nguyen, who was elected in 2021, shared the decision in a statement sent to LGBTQ Nation, explaining that they have formally filed a complaint with the citys Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EOE). In the complaint, Nguyen outlined their experiences of being misgendered by fellow councilors and the citys mayor, Joseph M. Petty (D), during council sessions, further alleging that District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson had referred to them as it on multiple occasions.These hateful acts are unbecoming of a legislative body whose duty is to serve our communities and honor anti-discrimination laws, Nguyen wrote in the statement. I have formally requested for the City of Worcesters Chief Equity Officer to open an immediate investigation and create an action plan to address this matter.Nguyen, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, emphasized that the complaint aims to hold public officials accountable and ensure that Worcesters government aligns with legal and moral standards regarding the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals. The city councilor stressed that their decision to speak out stems from the broader context of increasing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, particularly toward transgender people, across the nation.LGBTQ+ folks are facing more physical threats, violence, and hate all over the nation, Nguyen said. Many look to Massachusetts as a safe haven, but here in Worcester, our safety is compromised by government leadership that does not hold the same values of dignity and humanity for the LGBTQ+ community.Nguyens announcement follows a contentious debate at Tuesdays city council meeting, where the topic of remote participation was discussed. Nguyen expressed frustration with a recent order filed by Petty asking the Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee to review remote participation rules, a policy that Nguyen felt unfairly targeted them due to their own frequent remote attendance.During the meeting, Nguyen addressed the council, saying, Under your leadership, I have felt unsafe around this council body. I have faced transphobia with being misgendered and recently learned that I have been dehumanized to the point where Im being referred to as it by my colleagues.I wish to have felt safe on this council floor, but I dont, Nguyen added.In response to Nguyens statement, Councilor Kathleen Toomey acknowledged that she had misgendered Nguyen when they were first elected, describing the incident as an honest mistake. Toomey apologized to Nguyen, adding that she did not intentionally misgender them after that point.Theres never, ever been any attempt on my side to misgender them, Toomey said. If I did, I apologize.Massachusetts LGBTQ+ advocacy group MassEquality has called for immediate action, urging the city to address Nguyens claims with greater transparency. In a statement released on Wednesday, the organization demanded a formal public apology and requested that Worcester implement comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for all city councilors and officials.MassEquality stands with Councilor Nguyen in calling for lasting change, the group stated. This should include DEI training and structural changes to ensure that marginalized individuals, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community, are not subjected to discrimination or bigotry.Worcester, the second-largest city in Massachusetts, is known for its progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights, with a reputation for being a sanctuary for queer individuals in the state. However, Nguyens experience has underscored the challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender and nonbinary people, continue to face within political structures, even in cities that are widely regarded as inclusive.In their statement, Nguyen called on the public to advocate for a political reimagination that includes a holistic commitment to the care and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals.We hope that by speaking up against transphobia and hate, many of you will join me in pushing for a government that truly serves everyone, which rightfully includes the LGBTQ+ community, Nguyen wrote.As Nguyen takes time off to focus on their personal well-being, the city of Worcester now faces pressure from both local and statewide organizations to address the allegations and ensure a more inclusive and supportive environment for all public officials and residents.The post Massachusetts First Nonbinary Elected Official Takes Hiatus Citing Transphobia and Toxic City Council Culture appeared first on Gayety.
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    Queer Snubbed by BAFTAs: Daniel Craig, Omar Apollos Callout & More
    Drew Starkey, Omar Apollo and Daniel Craig star in Queer, Luca Guadagninos steamy adaptation of William S. Burroughs novella. But despite critical acclaim, the film was completely overlooked by the 2025 BAFTA nominations. Fans are questioning whether ongoing stigmas surrounding LGBTQ+ storytelling contributed to the snub.A Risky, Raw Story Left UnrewardedCraig plays William Lee, an addict grappling with loneliness in 1950s Mexico, while Apollo portrays a bar patron who sparks an intimate and explicit moment on screen with Lee. Apollos first film role brought the singer to Instagram with cheeky behind-the-scenes snapshots, but his celebration wasnt without controversy.After posting a censored still from the film, Apollo called out homophobic reactions from followers. Unfollow me if ur a homophobe, he wrote. I will never make myself palatable. This isnt my life, I AM life.Craig, who received Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for his performance, previously reflected on playing a gay character, noting, The movies not defined by [Williams sexuality]. It has universal themes that appeal to everyone.BAFTA Snub: An Industry Blind Spot?Despite receiving international recognition, Queer was ignored in all BAFTA categories. This stands in stark contrast to the success of Emilia Prez, another queer-focused film that dominated with 11 nominations. The snub reignited conversations about the industrys uneven support for LGBTQ+ stories, particularly ones that explore themes of intimacy and identity outside mainstream expectations.Craigs limited BAFTA historyhe has only been nominated once, for Casino Royale in 2006adds to the frustration of fans, many of whom argue that the actor delivered one of his most vulnerable performances in Queer.Known for pushing boundaries in queer storytelling, Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name) has injectedQueerwith his signature style and lush visuals. From steamy club scenes to tense jungle encounters, the film is as atmospheric as it is provocative. But its Daniel Craigs performance that is stealing the spotlightdelivering a portrayal thats raw, unhinged, and unforgettable. Craigs Lee is a man driven to the edge of his own sanity by love, in a quest thats both romantic and deeply flawed.Omar Apollo and Daniel Craig Push BoundariesFor Apollo, embracing an explicitly queer role felt natural. I got the call, and they told me about the scene and how explicit it was. I instantly just said yes, he said in an interview. Its not something thats new to me.Whats Next for Queer?The BAFTA snub may sting, but fans and critics continue to celebrate Queer as a bold, necessary addition to LGBTQ+ cinema. With its provocative themes and standout performances, the film underscores the importance of visibility and the ongoing fight for recognition in the industry.The BAFTA Film Awards will air on February 16, 2025, on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and on BritBox in the US and Australia. Whether Queer finds its redemption in other awards shows remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: its unapologetic story wont be forgotten anytime soon.More Stories: Queer Snubbed by BAFTAs: Daniel Craig, Omar Apollos Callout & MoreDavid Lynch, Iconic Director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, Dies at 78Massachusetts First Nonbinary Elected Official Takes Hiatus Citing Transphobia and Toxic City Council CultureMontana Republicans Pass Bathroom Ban Despite Pleas from Trans LawmakersWinter Party Festival Returns to Miami Beach for 32nd Year, Raising Funds for The National LGBTQ Task ForceThe post Queer Snubbed by BAFTAs: Daniel Craig, Omar Apollos Callout & More appeared first on Gayety.
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    David Lynch made Fix your hearts or die! a motto for trans empowerment
    Visionary director David Lynch died on Thursday at the age of 78. Though renowned for crafting darkly surreal films, like his homoerotic 1984 adaptation of the sci-fi epic Dune and the 2001 lesbian noir Mulholland Drive, his beloved drama series Twin Peaks helped popularize the slogan, Fix your hearts or die! a phrase that has since become an empowering pro-transgender cry against bigotry.In 1991, during the second season of his groundbreaking and supernatural-horror TV drama series Twin Peaks, Lynch featured cisgender actor David Duchovny playing the role of transgender FBI Agent Denise Bryson one of the first trans women ever to be portrayed on TV. Her appearance was all the more notable because Twin Peaks was one of the top-rated prime-time TV series on a major broadcast network in an era of sparse LGBTQ+ representation. Related Meet Kuina: a stunning example of positive trans representation on television Kuinas story in Alice in Borderland is a refreshing celebration of a transgender woman as a complex and empowered human being . The series lead character, FBI special agent Dale Cooper, initially expresses surprise at Brysons appearance, since he first knew her before her transition. But he treats her with respect nonetheless, even as the local sheriffs department jokes about her surprise appearance and fashionable choice of color. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Lynch portrayed Bryson heroically. She helps clear Coopers name when the FBI suspends him for drug trafficking accusations. Bryson learns Cooper was framed, and when Cooper is taken captive in a hostage standoff at a farm by the men who framed him, Bryson walks to the farmhouse posing as a waitress who has brought the men food. Once inside, she reveals a revolver in her stocking that Cooper then uses to escape his captors. Lynch brought her character back in 2017 for the fourth episode of the shows third season, entitled Twin Peaks: The Return. At this point, Bryson had become the FBIs chief of staff. While talking to FBI Deputy Director Gordon Cole (a character played by Lynch himself), Cole informs her that he stood up for her after her transition. Before you were Denise, and you were Dennis, and I was your boss, when I had you working undercover at the DEA [Drug Enforcement Agency], you were a confused and wild thing sometimes, Cole says as Bryson nods her head, smiles and lets out a small chuckle. I had enough dirt on you to fill the Grand Canyon, Cole continues, and I never used a spoonful because you were and are a great agent. And when you became Denise, I told all of your colleagues, those clown comics, to fix their hearts or die.Hearing his words, Bryson says she has told Cole many times that she can never repay him for his kindness. She then approves of an operation to retrieve Cooper from a South Dakota federal prison after he goes missing for 25 years.Brysons depiction isnt perfect. She first recognizes her trans identity while cross-dressing during a sting operation, and her secret firearm reveal in season two potentially reinforces harmful stereotypes of trans women as deceptive and dangerous. Over the last decade, trans TV characters have become much more numerous and nuanced.However, the phrase Fix your hearts or die has since been remembered as both a life philosophy delivered by Lynch personally as well as a slogan for trans empowerment. The phrase appeared on numerous social media posts noting Lynchs groundbreaking TV character, on a badge sold to raise money for the National Center for Transgender Equality, and has been repeated by some trans people as a defiant motto against bigotry.In a 2020 essay, trans British horror writer Alison Rumfitt mentioned the mottos personal significance, writing (emphasis hers), Is there any better phrase to say to a bigot than fix your hearts or die? Thats what I wanted to shout at the writer I saw on the street, the one I knew to be horrifically transphobic. Its what I wanted to tell my Mum when she was crying, asking me what was I doing and why was I doing it to her. Fix your heart or die. Fix your f**king heart. In a recent essay for Them, trans writer Lex McMenamin wrote, The line has becomeatrans rallying crycirculating on social media every few months since it aired an increasingly necessary injunction as state governments seek to legislate us out of existence.Fix your heart or die was the reminder I needed: that for a just outcome, we eventually have to tell some people to either get with the program or go to hell. The scene hadnt yet ended when I decided to get the line tattooed, McMenamin added. What a perfectly succinct reminder how to respond to the fascists, to the TERFs and homophobes and reactionaries, to those who would let our world end rather than change for the better.In a 2017 essay Zach Vasquez called the phrase one of startling empathy, writing, His films and his art often ugly, brutal, frightful; always strange and wonderful are large enough to encapsulate the experiences of thousands of people that he has never even met. We should all strive to discover and inhabit such spaces within ourselves, even if,especiallyif, the price of admission is that we must either fix our hearts, or die.Like Kafka, like Bacon, he dedicated his life to opening a portal. He was the first to show me another world, a beautiful one of love and danger I sensed but had never seen outside sleep. Thank you David your gift will reverberate for the rest of my life. https://t.co/pK2GDycV1Y Jane Schoenbrun (@sapphicspielbrg) January 16, 2025 In a Thursday social media post commemorating Lynchs passing, Jane Schoenbrun the trans director behind the haunting 2024 coming-of-age allegory I Saw the TV Glow wrote, Like [existential absurdist writer Franz] Kafka, like [grotesque modern painter Francis] Bacon, [Lynch] dedicated his life to opening a portal. He was the first to show me another world, a beautiful one of love and danger I sensed but had never seen outside sleep. Thank you David your gift will reverberate for the rest of my life.I cannot overstate just how many queer and trans people I know love David Lynch and for him and Mark Frost to have featured a trans character like Denise in a show as prominent as Twin Peaks speaks to that. We are literally always quoting fix your hearts or die https://t.co/LhofoVemev pic.twitter.com/Gsp22gWh36 gregor samsung (@slimjosa) January 16, 2025Fix your heart or die is still the best response to someone being transphobic, thank you David Lynch Twunk in Training (@AceHainley) August 12, 2022 literally saved one of his greatest of all time lines for himself and it could have meant anything but literally in the context of the show its the battle against transphobia not figuratively not abstractly he said fix your hearts (transphobes) or die hes my hero https://t.co/7CiZQvhuJH taylor d jean (@sherwudforest) January 16, 2025David Lynch including lgbtq+ rights before they became a part of mainstream media. Fix your hearts or die. pic.twitter.com/23aKCHK4Bp valeria (@Bowtiedino) January 16, 2025"And when you became Denise, I told all your colleagues, those clown comics, to fix their hearts or die."David Lynch said trans rights in the most David Lynch way possible. pic.twitter.com/leqk2z7OvS Comhairle Shomhairle (@SomhairleMag) January 16, 2025Some of the heterosexual directors other best-known films include his debut 1977 feature-length parental nightmare Eraserhead and the dark 1986 suburban mystery-thriller Blue Velvet.The circumstances behind Lynchs passing havent been publicly released, though he suffered from emphysema and recently fled his Los Angeles home to escape the recent wildfires. He is survived by four children.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    Sarah McBride named deputy whip for policy for House Democrats
    Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first transgender person elected to Congress, has been named deputy whip for policy.Im thrilled to be named a Deputy Whip for Policy in the 119th Congress, advising House Democratic Leadership on policy priorities and plans for our caucus, she wrote in a post on X. Just as I was in the State Senate, I remain focused on lowering the cost of housing, health care, child care, and helping. Related Pete Buttigieg praises Sarah McBrides masterful response to Nancy Mace Secretary Pete offered insight into how Democrats can win back the electorate over the next four years. On Bluesky, she explained that she wants Democrats to get legislation passed for paid family and medical leave, to lower the cost of childcare, and to restore the child tax credit. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today My number one priority in Congress is helping to lower costs facing Delawareans and American families. We can do this by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, lowering the cost of childcare and restoring the child tax credit. Congresswoman Sarah McBride (@mcbride.house.gov) January 16, 2025 at 10:51 PMA whip in Congress is someone who gets rank-and-file party members to vote the same way on legislation. The current Democratic whip in the House is Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA). The chief deputy whip is the whips primary assistant and serves as a vote counter for the party. There are several Democratic chief deputy whips a list that includes out Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and senior chief deputy whip is Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). The whip is voted in by party members while deputy whips are appointed by the leadership.Other deputy whips, a list that now includes McBride, serve in an advisory role to Democratic leadership. McBride will help shape the partys legislative priorities, especially on the issues related to economic issues.McBride made history last year when she was elected to the House, becoming the first trans person elected to Congress. She explained how she won in November on MSNBC. I think this victory is a testament to Delawarians, she said, that in our state of neighbors, we are fair-minded, that we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities. And I think voters across the state of Delaware Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike responded to our message of building a government that respects all of us, that respects all of us across all of our different backgrounds and of course across all of our different beliefs.In contrast to the GOPs anti-trans ads, McBride pointed to her own record in the Delaware Senate fighting for working families as the source of her appeal to the states voters.I was really singularly focused on bringing down costs facing workers, their families, and retirees. I helped pass paid family and medical leave, I helped secure the largest investment in our states Medicaid program since the Affordable Care Act passed, and I was able to do all of that with bipartisan support, she explained. We put forward a positive, inclusive message during the course of this year-and-a-half-long campaign, and I think voters really responded to that.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    10 sexy pics of gay handballer Villads Raahauge Jensen to celebrate his coming out
    Earlier this week Villads Raahauge Jensen, a professional handballer and host of the Hndbold - mere end bare en sport (Handball - more than just a sport) podcast from Denmark took the brave step of coming out in a post on Instagram.I am gay. Three words that should, in reality, be easy to say, but for many years, Ive been afraid to be open about it, he began in the emotional posts, he began in the caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)His decision was a long one in coming, and one that Jensen, who plays for Lugi HF in the second-tier Swedish Allsvenskan league, once feared was at odds with his role as an athlete. Those who know me also know that handball has always been my first priority in all aspects of my life. But the thought that the entire narrative about who I am as a person would change solely because of my sexuality has been something I didnt dare take a chance on, he continued. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)n part, his struggle to come out was against the culture of professional sports itself. Being gay in sports is, in many ways, still a taboo, without me really knowing why. I just know that, for me, it has been very difficult to be open about who I am, he wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)Thankfully when he did decide to share his truth with his teammates he was met with positivity and acceptance. When I told the club and my teammates last week, it was, of course, received entirely positively, he recounted. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)While this is news to the world and his team, there have been some in his life who have previously known his truth. And even though my closest friends have known for some time and my family has always known, it is still scary to share something youve kept secret for so long, he wrote. Hiding a big part of who you are from almost everyone makes it so that you can never truly be 100% yourself. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)Hiding a big part of who you are from almost everyone makes it so that you can never truly be 100% yourself. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)ltimately, Jensen writes that he hopes by being open and and honest with who he is, he can make space for others who are struggling to following his footsteps. I hope that with this post, I can help others, and perhaps be a role model that shows that it is okay to be gay in the world of sports, he wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)He adds, At the same time, I sincerely hope that you will all still see me exactly as the person I have always been. Because yes I am gay, but also so much more than that. I'm still just Villads, he concludes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)Welcome to the family Villads, were glad youre here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Villads Raahauge Jensen (@villads_raahauge)You can read the full post here (if you speak Danish).
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    Marjorie Taylor Greene is outraged that a trans man got top surgery because hes disabled
    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) raged against what she called the criminal action of a transgender college student getting top surgery while disabled.Micah Leroy is a University of Minnesota student who has gotten some attention on Instagram as he documents his transition on social media. Leroy also has cerebral palsy (CP), a movement disorder that commonly affects the muscles and the skeletal system, makes eating more difficult, and can affect a persons spoken language abilities. Cognitive issues are possible with CP, but many people with CP dont have problems with cognition. Related Marjorie Taylor Greene rages at Sarah McBride for reading to kids: Child predator! Greene, who has threatened to beat up McBride, lobbed baseless accusations at her while sharing her deadname on X. Leroys videos show that he uses a wheelchair for mobility and has trouble communicating with spoken language but he can communicate fine with written language and with the help of a speech-generating device. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today He posted about getting top surgery last month.Hey everyone, I am one week post-op! he wrote in a December 28 post. I am starting to be really annoyed with the binder since I havent taken it off yet. But Im mostly back to normal. Bye! Afficher cette publication sur Instagram Une publication partage par Micah Leroy (@disabled_trans_boy)Yesterday, he posted a video shirtless, something a lot of transmasculine people do on social media to show off their chests after top surgery.Despite understanding none of this, a sitting member of Congress attacked him. Anti-trans activist Oli London who used to be trans and had surgery to appear more like a Korean girl posted a couple of videos from Leroys account without any of their accompanying text. London said that doctors cut off the breasts of [a] disabled woman with cerebral palsy to turn her TRANS, misgendering Leroy. Londons implication was that Leroy, an adult college student who had been on testosterone for over a year and had been posting to social media about his upcoming surgery for months on Instagram, didnt have the capability of advocating for his own medical care. London then said that Leroy is wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy to imply that he couldnt make the decision on his own. Greene shared Londons post and added: This is criminal! What doctor did this? What hospital allowed this? Who paid for this?There is no indication that any laws were broken here.I am making my own decisions, Leroy told the Daily Mail. I am my own legal guardian. And people dont understand that.He said that he was glad that his videos created a reaction on the right. I want to blow up the internet because I want to help other people who are trans and disabled know that its okay, he said. I want people to keep their minds open and not be bigots. People with disabilities are able to do whatever they f**king want.The infantilization of disabled people involves treating individuals as if they were infants or children, regardless of their age or cognitive abilities, according to neuroscience student Hari Srinivasan in an article in Psychology Today. I am left to walk away feeling I am worth less than the ant crawling on the ground near my feet, Srinivasan wrote about being treated like a child in public because of his disability. Disabled autistics like me face these types of microaggressions every day from all manner of folk. This cognitive dissonance between our capability and how society treats us affects our mental health and hinders our personal development and potential for growth.Greene is one of the most anti-trans politicians in the United States. She has introduced legislation to ban gender-affirming care for transgender teens with a bill that would also make it harder for transgender adults to access gender-affirming care. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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  • Transforming The Trevor Project
    By Jaymes Black (they/she/he pronouns), CEO of The Trevor ProjectTo The Trevor Project Community:I grew up in a traditional, religious family in South Texas, which was hard for me as a young queer person. I was lonely, awkward, afraid, and grappled with my identity; I desperately needed a support network like The Trevor Project, but it didnt exist yet. I came to lead The Trevor Project because I am deeply, personally invested in its work to support LGBTQ+ young people in crisis. Today, Id like to share my observations and vision for the future of our vital organization.The Trevor Project will be operating in an extremely complex environment for the foreseeable future: ever-growing demand for our work; an increasingly challenging political environment; a shifting cultural landscape contributing to attacks on LGBTQ+ youth; and continued fundraising headwinds that are limiting resources for many nonprofits like ours. To be able to consistently meet the needs of our community, it is imperative that we adapt accordingly. This entails a number of solutions that will reinforce our services within the context of constrained resources.This week, I announced to our staff that The Trevor Project will begin a transformation of our organization. This will focus primarily on optimizing our U.S. Crisis Services accessed 24/7 across phone, text, and web chat. We will better resource and increase the number of staff directly interacting with LGBTQ+ youth, as well as continue to prioritize timely, high-quality care. We will also assess staffing, structures, processes and operations across the organization. The goal of this transformation is to fortify our organization and ensure that we can meet this moment of demand from LGBTQ+ youth, as we have been for nearly three decades.On November 6, 2024, the day after the presidential election, The Trevor Project experienced a nearly 700% volume increase from LGBTQ+ youth in need of our direct services compared to the weeks prior. This staggering increase signaled a tremendous need for The Trevor Projects services; it also reinforced an urgent need to improve our operating model. Our lines and counselors were stressed, and so were the LGBTQ+ young people desperately trying to access support.Along with The Trevor Projects leadership team and Board, we conducted a deep analysis of our operations and pressure tested our planned transformation. There will be select roles that will be eliminated as part of this process. There will also be new roles, and we will prioritize moving impacted staff into them. Ill repeat that one of our top priorities is to increase the number of staff providing direct support to LGBTQ+ young people on our lines some folks have felt understaffed, and we are planning to fix that. We have notified the union representing our staff of our plans and will continue discussing with them as we move through this process.We will also be exploring new technology solutions to enhance the day-to-day flow on our crisis lines and overall operations. We will continue advancing our stigma reduction and suicide prevention work to garner more support to end the public health crisis of LGBTQ+ youth suicide. And we will, as we always have, continue to work, day-in and day-out, to be there for LGBTQ+ young people in their darkest moments.Change is never easy or straightforward. An organizational transformation will take patience, compassion, and extensive communication with our staff and partners. I am passionate and optimistic that the changes were planning over the next several months will make us the strongest, most reliable, and most resilient support network for LGBTQ+ youth that we have ever been.Serving as this organizations first Black, nonbinary CEO is truly the honor of my lifetime. And I am determined to see our organization reach its fullest potential. We need to be functioning at peak capacity so we can continue to work steadily to end the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.I appreciate your support as we meet the challenges and opportunities of today to be there for all LGBTQ+ youth, wherever they are and whenever they need us.In Community,Jaymes Black, former LGBTQ+ young person and CEO of The Trevor ProjectThe post Transforming The Trevor Project appeared first on The Trevor Project.
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    Alejandra Caraballo explains Donald Trumps fundamental miscalculation
    The president-elects mass deportation plans along with the vicious anti-immigrant hysteria he has provoked will no doubt destroy countless lives, but according to trans activist and civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo, it wont stop peoples dogged pursuit of a better life across the border.Theres almost no depth of cruelty that will deter immigration, Caraballo, who has worked extensively with LGBTQ+ immigrants and asylum seekers, told LGBTQ Nation. The conditions in a lot of countries are so dire Its life or death for them, and a life of fear and tolerating cruelty is still one where you have a life. Trumps fundamental miscalculation, she said, is ignoring that drive to survive. She pointed to the Darin Gap, an extremely inhospitable and remote region connecting North and South America that many immigrants must cross on their journey to the United States.It is hundreds of miles of the most remote, densely forested rainforest with no civilization anywhere nearby. And people are trekking through this, constantly dying. To put yourself through that and then travel thousands of miles more, oftentimes on foot, to get to the border just to have a hope that you might get in The level of precarity in the countries they are coming from has to be so dire. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Caraballo is currently a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, but she spent much of Trumps first term as an attorney at the LGBTQ Law Project at the New York Legal Assistance Group. There, she mainly worked with undocumented Trans Latina women, assisting with asylum applications, T Visas for survivors of human trafficking, and U Visas for victims of crime.While there were significant challenges to doing this work under an administration overtly hostile to both immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, Caraballo predicts the second time will be far worse.The guardrails are completely off, she said. We now have many more judicial decisions from the Supreme Court that basically give Trump a carte blanche to do whatever he wants in terms of immigration. The so-called adults in the room are gone. The explicitly cruel policies are a feature, not a bug. Normalizing the unthinkableMigrants living on the north embankment of the Rio Grande hold hands during a prayer as they await to be processed by Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, Texas. Photo: Omar Ornelas/ El Paso Times / USA Today Network.Caraballo predicts the second Trump administration will commit a slew of atrocities, from the building of actual camps to house migrants to immigration raids in classrooms, churches, and other sensitive areas that are typically off-limits.I wouldnt be surprised if they try to carry out immigration raids during a class like hauling students out in front of their classmates. Because the goal is to instill fear, to instill a sense of, you are not safe anywher, and we are coming to get you. also to kind of shock the public consciousness and normalize the once unthinkable.Whatever Trump and his cronies inflict, it will certainly be harsher for LGBTQ+ people, especially trans folks. LGBTQ+ people already face outsized risks of abuse and harassment in immigration detention, and they are also more likely to be denied critical medical care. Related Donald Trump is targeting trans rights. Sydney Duncan is fighting back. The senior counsel for Advocates for Trans Equality gets real about the future for trans Americans. A recent report from Immigration Equality found significant medical neglect for detainees with HIV, and Caraballo said many of the clients she worked with who were detained by ICE were denied essential HIV medication. LGBTQ+ detainees also reported rampant verbal abuse and threats of violence.The Center for American Progress found that in 2017 (while Trump was president), LGBTQ+ people in ICE custody were 97 times more likely to endure sexual abuse than non-LGBTQ+ people. The organization described the numbers as staggering and far greater than the already high rates of abuse against LGBTQ+ inmates. The report also detailed how ICE disproportionately placed trans women either in solitary confinement or mens facilities, as well as the agencys pension for detaining trans people significantly longer than other immigrants, concluding that the Trump administration rejected policies meant to protect vulnerable populations from abuse in detention.In some especially tragic cases, like that of transgender Honduran Roxsana Hernandez, detained LGBTQ+ migrants have died in ICE custody. Hernandez came to the U.S. seeking asylum and died of an AIDS-related illness after she was denied antiretroviral medication despite the fact that Customs and Border Control knew she was HIV positive.Conditions for detained LGBTQ+ immigrants have remained dire under the Biden administration. Last year, a group of trans and nonbinary people detained at Colorados Aurora Contract Detention Facility filed a civil rights complaint alleging medical neglect and dehumanizing treatment. I think it is intentionally bad here, said one complainant, Victoria. It is a way to get people to give up on themselves.With Trumps threat to somehow deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States, checks on the system are likely to deteriorate even more. Combine that with the unmitigated anti-trans hatred the Trump campaign injected into the American psyche, and the more than one million queer and trans immigrants and asylum seekers become one of the most vulnerable populations in the country. Method over madnessThe ties between Donald Trump and tech giants like Elon Musk could further threaten LGBTQ+ rights. Photo: Jasper Colt/USA Today.Trumps first term also included a base level of incompetence that allowed Caraballo to maneuver through the system and still help several of her clients. This time, she predicts the administration will ditch the chaos and become much more methodical.Theyve had four years to plan this stuff out. Theyve been methodically planning out their executive orders, the rules, how theyre going to go about this, whereas previously, in the first Trump administration, they didnt necessarily have that apparatus in place.But these tactics will no doubt meet resistance.At a certain point, people are not going to tolerate immigration raids on elementary schools, like hauling seven-year-olds out of class This is the era of the smartphone. You cant hide this stuff.Alejandra Caraballo, trans activist and civil rights attorneyAt a certain point, people are not going to tolerate immigration raids on elementary schools, like hauling seven-year-olds out of class to put in detention and put into a camp, she said. This is the era of the smartphone. You cant hide this stuff as easily.Technology, however, is a double-edged sword. Now that Trump is returning to the Oval Office, social media giants X and Meta have eliminated the last vestiges of protections for marginalized groups on their platforms. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have given a free pass to hate speech and misinformation, both of which can cause extremely dire consequences in the real world.All it takes is a single viral rumor that a trans person or immigrant committed a crime to incite a violent mob,Caraballo points to the violent anti-immigrant riots that broke out in the U.K. over the summer after the spread of online misinformation.Thats whats going to be in store in the next four years. Weve already seen kind of isolated lone wolf attacks, but this kind of stuff metastasizes on social media. The genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar, she added, was very much catalyzed by content spread on Facebook and WhatsApp in 2016.Weve already seen armed Proud Boys showing up to library events and drag shows. I really worry in this kind of atmosphere where people are emboldened, and there is no societal accountability or check on them, that its going to lead to more violence.Jan 6, 2024; Columbus, OH, United States; Members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group clash with groups who had gathered to speak out against them outside of the Ohio Statehouse, January 6, 2024. Photo: Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network. She continued, Ultimately, thats the fundamental evil at play here Even when theyre not always fully enforced, policies can serve as a deterrence, and by removing that deterrence and the friction of it, theyre going to accelerate this stuff.With a slew of tech giants, including Meta, announcing $1 million donations to Trumps inaugural fund, its clear that their interest is solely in protecting their bottom lines.Theyre supposed to have beyond f**k you money, Caraballo said, and the point of that kind of money is youre not beholden to anyone, and theyre just cowards. They are spineless, immoral cowards. The increasingly hostile social media climate will not only incite hate against LGBTQ+ people but will also cut them off from their own communities.Caraballo lamented the incalculable amount of community lost on these platforms. She worries about the isolation many will feel if they choose to leave social media platforms that have become too hostile to them. Theyve built up communities on those platforms over decades and you cant replicate that. Bluesky is promising, but its not the same, and itll never be.The next four years wont be pretty, but Caraballo does believe there may be some light on the other side. I fundamentally believe our society is at an impasse. I dont think this kind of far-right populist authoritarianism is durable. In the meantime, Caraballo suggests finding community and holding it tightly.Community and each other is how were going to get through all of this, and having empathy and loving other people is the most important value in the face of fascism. Related Civil rights leader David Johns is fighting to reclaim the future for Black & queer America Culture wars are manufactured to spur misinformation, says the CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    Dylan Efron 'nasty' back arch pic gives 'The Traitors' gays something to root for after, you know
    Warning: The following post contains spoilers through Episode 4 of Traitors US season 3 The third season of The Traitors: US is underway, and we have already had many goops, gags, a live murder, and an unexpected new obsession for the gays in the form of Zac Efron's younger brother, Dylan.For those unfamiliar with the Emmy-award-winning show hosted by the legendary Alan Cumming, it goes a little something like this: The contestants are split into two groups, the Faithfuls, and the Traitors. Every night, the Traitors -- which usually number between one to four -- gather together to decide who they'll "murder" to eliminate from the show. The following day, the entire group embarks on a mission to add to an overall prize fund, and following the mission, they sit together at a round table and decide who they think is the traitor. Whoever receives the most group votes is "banished" from the game. In the end, if any traitors remain standing, they take it all, while any remaining faithful split the money.Efron started relatively quiet in his season, but he was (rightfully) immediately onto Bob the Drag Queen. During a confrontation at the round table between Efron and Bob in the fourth episode, Bob made a comment about how Efron's brother wasn't "a good actor," which collectively sent the internet into a spin.It also wound up getting Bob eliminated. (@) Bob was iconic for this moment. (@) That, however, isn't what has the internet so interested in Efron. It also has nothing to do with the newfound obsession the gays have to protect him at all costs and somehow get him to the finale of The Traitors, even though filming has already wrapped.The reason Efron's getting so much attention is because of his ability to post an incredible thirst trap.Take, for example, this:See on InstagramOr this, which, you're welcome, shows his bum:See on InstagramIn fact, a selection of photos have started to circulate involving this cutie, including a photo of him lying on the beach and arching his back with his butt up in the air from a photo dump he posted last August.See on InstagramThe discovery of these photos, for better or worse, have very much captured our attention. (@) For once, people focused less on the six back and more on the backline body: (@) To be fair, as of now, Efron hasn't fully addressed his sexuality and has mostly lived his life as a recluse prior to the show. In the past, he was rumored to have dated Stella Hudgens (Vanessa's sister) and model Courtney King, but no one has ever confirmed or denied these rumors.Even if he has dated women, there's always hope he's bisexual, but one can dream.Take a look at some of the other reactions to these sexy photos: (@) "dylan efron knows EXACTLY what he's doing" (@) "the third pic" (@) "THAT ARCH IS NASTY" (@) "And we all know what we exactly would do" (@) "Happy Friday to my newest bf, Dylan Efron!" (@) "hird photo is giving this" (@) " would be faithful to Dylan Efron" (@) "emme start rooting for Dylan Efron, hold up." (@) "Kim K or Dylan E?" (@) (@) "Now, Dylan Efron. What is going on here sir?" (@) "I am in love with Dylan Efron. Whoever cast him gets an A+++" (@) "Zac who??? DYLAN EFRON is the new sexual awakening." (@) "Ive decided that from this point on I will be an unapologetic Dylan Efron stan for the bit" (@) "I dunno but count me IN!" (@) "dunno but I keep trying to press play to see how this clip ends" (@) " have so many questions about this one And btw these dimples tho" (@) "The ass pic always gonna kill me"
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    45 LGBTQ+ movies we cant wait to see in 2025
    Sure, its still 2024, but we can't help but already be looking forward to 2025, and especially all the amazing queer stories that will be heading to our screens, big and small.What do we have to look forward to? Honestly, a lot! From major blockbusters like Jurassic World Rebirth, to queer romances like Swift Horses and The Wedding Banquet, and even some spooky thrillers and horror like Mother Mary and Queens of the Dead. Oh yes, this year is already stacking up to be a very entertaining one. So, with that in mind, here is everything currently on our radar! All film descriptions are courtesy of their respective studios and networks.Lady Like - January 3The pages of RuPaul's Drag Race season 14 runner-up, Lady Camden's fairytale story are filled with growth, discovery, and a passion for performance in this vivid personal portrait. A student of dance, Camden performed ballet across many international stages before lip syncing on the Drag Race catwalk. When Camdens professional ballet career unexpectedly ends, she discovers drag as a way to find joy and community. It catapults her to stardom - and the glittering highs and challenging lows of life as an international drag celebrity. Born in the UK, Camden (aka Rex Wheeler) recounts a difficult childhood, and explores how Lady Camden helped Rex deal with his past traumas and embrace the joys of life. Narrated by fellow Drag Race star, Nina West. Where to watch: On VODEat the Night - January 10 (Limited)The queer French romance-thriller follows Pablo (Tho Cholbi), a small-time drug dealer, and his teenage sister Apolline (Lila Gueneau) have forged an unbreakable bond through their shared obsession with the online video game Darknoon. When Pablo falls for the mysterious Night (Erwan Kepoa Fal), he gets swept up in their liaison, abandoning his sister to deal with the impending shutdown of their digital haven alone. As Pablos reckless choices provoke the wrath of a dangerous rival gang, the end of their virtual life draws near, upending their reality.Where to watch: In theaters limited Peter Pans Neverland Nightmare - January 13 (Limited)The newest entry into the Poohniverse follows Wendy Darling as she strikes out in an attempt to rescue her brother Michael from the clutches of the evil Peter Pan who intends to send him to Neverland. Along the way she meets a twisted Tinkerbell, who is hooked on what she thinks is fairy dust.Where to watch: In theaters limitedOne of Them Days - January 17Best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are about to have One of Them Days. When they discover Alyssas boyfriend has blown their rent money, the duo finds themselves going to extremes in a comical race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact. Where to watch: In theatersJimpa - January 23 (Sundance premiere)Hannah takes her nonbinary teenager, Frances, to Amsterdam to visit their gay grandfather, Jim lovingly known as Jimpa. But Frances desire to stay abroad with Jimpa for a year means Hannah is forced to reconsider her beliefs about parenting and finally confront old stories about the past.Where to watch: Sundance Film Festival, further release details TBA Twinless - January 23 (Sundance premiere)Two young men meet in a twin bereavement support group and form an unlikely bromance.Where to watch: Sundance Film Festival, further release details TBA Presence - January 24A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they're not alone. Starring newly out Julia Fox! Where to watch: In theatersStar Trek: Section 31 - January 24In this new original movie, Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh reprises her Star Trek: Discovery role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who joins a secret division of Starfleet. Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, she also must face the sins of her past.Where to watch: Paramount+Kiss Of The Spider Woman - January 26 (Sundance premiere)Valentn, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver-screen diva, Ingrid Luna.Where to watch: Sundance Film Festival, further release details TBA Plainclothes - January 26 (Sundance premiere)A promising undercover officer assigned to lure and arrest gay men defies orders when he falls in love with a target.Where to watch: Sundance Film Festival, further release details TBAPeter Hujars Day - January 27 (Sundance premiere)A recently discovered conversation between photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda Rosenkrantz in 1974 reveals a glimpse into New York Citys downtown art scene and the personal struggles and epiphanies that define an artists life.Where to watch: Sundance Film Festival, further release details TBA Touch Me - Janurary 28 (Sundance premiere)Two codependent best friends become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien narcissist who may or may not be trying to take over the world.Where to watch: Sundance Film Festival, further release details TBA Companion - January 31New Line Cinemathe studio that brought you The Notebookand the unhinged creators of Barbarian cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love storyWhere to watch: In theatersLove Me - January 31Long after humanitys extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love. K-Stew, so we are seated. Where to watch: In theatersStockade - February 21 (theaters) & February 15 (Digital)Stockade tells the story of Ahlam, a struggling Lebanese artist in New York City who takes a job delivering a package upstate, only to open a Pandoras box. In this updated meditation on the pursuit of the American dream, Ahlam finds herself in dire financial straits and desperate to come by the funds to extend her artists visa. When she is offered a job to deliver a mysterious package upstate, Ahlam believes she has found a solution. Upon her arrival in the Hudson Valley, Ahlam encounters shady characters and quirky neighbors as she is unwittingly drawn into the world of ancient artifact trafficking. Where to watch: On VOD A Nice Indian Boy - April 4Self-effacing doctor Naveen Gavaskar meets Jay Kurundkar, a white man adopted by two Indian parents, when Jay takes his picture at the hospital. Despite initial skepticism on Naveens part, the two quickly fall in love. Naveen avoids telling his traditional familyparents Megha & Archit and sister Arundhathiwho accepted his sexuality years earlier and are close to him but increasingly dont know much about his life. Eventually, inevitably, Jay, with no family of his own, has to meet the Gavaskars, who have never met a boyfriend of Naveen's. What follows is the comedic & heartfelt collision between the family, Jay and Naveen, caught between the versions of himself his family and Jay know.Where to watch: In theatersMickey 17 - April 18The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job to die, for a living.Where to watch: In theatersLilies Not For Me - AprilIn 1920s England, a young novelist (Fionn OShea) has been institutionalized because of his sexuality. As he tells his story to a sensitive nurse, he reveals the love he shared with a handsome doctor who became convinced their shared condition could be cured. Writer/director Will Seefrieds bleedingly romantic debut feature shines an unflinching light on a dark and mostly unknown period of gay history. Evoking a handsome Merchant Ivory-esque production with a dash of gothic flair, Lilies Are Not For Me is a reminder that despite the many attempts throughout history to change queer folks at their very core, passion and love have always persevered.Where to watch: TBALilo & Stitch - May 23A live-action reimagining of Disneys 2002 animated classic, Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family. Where to watch: In theatersM3GAN 2.0 - June 27The next installment in the "M3GAN" franchise.Where to watch: In theatersJurassic World Rebirth - July 2Five years post-Jurassic World Dominion, an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.Where to watch: In theatersFantastic Four: First Steps - July 25Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvels First FamilyReed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet.Where to watch: In theatersFreakier Friday - August 8Years after Tess and Anna endured an identity crisis, Anna now has a daughter and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might strike twice.Where to watch: In theatersOn Swift Horses - Sept 7Muriel and her husband Lee are about to begin a bright new life, which is upended by the arrival of Lee's brother. Muriel embarks on a secret life, gambling on racehorses and discovering a love she never thought possible. Starring Jacob Elordi, Diego Calva, and Will Poulter.Where to watch: In theatersAn untitled sequel to Downton Abbey: A New Era - September 12No plot details have been released. Where to watch: In theatersThe Running Man - November 21The futuristic United States of 2025 when the world has become a dystopia.Where to watch: In theatersWicked: For Good- November 21Follows Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.Where to watch: In theatersDead Mail - TBDOn a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him. The note makes its way to the county post office and onto the desk of Jasper, a seasoned and skilled "dead letter" investigator, responsible for investigating lost mail and returning it to its sender. As he investigates further, Jasper meets Trent, a strange yet unassuming man who has taken up residence at the mens home where Jasper lives. When Trent unexpectedly shows up at Jaspers office, it becomes clear he has a vested interest in the note, and will stop at nothing to retrieve it...Dope Queens TBAAn action-packed romantic thriller where three remarkable friends navigate San Franciscos fluorescent Tenderloin District and quickly find themselves trapped in a prison of their own making.Fear Street: Prom Queen - TBDIn this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the schools wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of 88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.Where to watch: Netflix The History of Sound - TBDTwo young men during World War I set out to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen.The Housekeeper - TBADanni, a housekeeper at Manderville Halla house owned by the wealthy and widowed Lord DeWithersfalls prey to the glance of a young and beautiful visitor, the novelist Daphne Du Maurier. For one, their affair is an all-consuming love, for the other, an intoxicating realization of her secret longingWhere to watch: TBAHowdy, Neighbor! TBAWhen former child actor, Benjamin Caldwell, is recognized by his new neighbor, the lines between friend and fan are blurred, turning his number one fan into his number one nightmare.I Dont Understand You - TBD 2025I Dont Understand You is a pitch-black horror comedy featuring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells as a couple on the verge of adopting their first child. The two set off to Italy to celebrate their babymoon/anniversary, but the language barrier soon leads to a series of very unfortunate events, plunging them into a waking nightmare.I Want Your Sex - TBAWhen fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder.Where to watch: TBAI Wish You All The Best - TBDBased on Mason Deaver's novel, the film follows Ben DeBacker, a non-binary teen who is thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas. Struggling with anxiety, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their art teacher, Ms. Lyons, while trying to keep a low profile at their new school. Ben's attempts to survive junior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. With the help of Nathan, and his friends Sophie and Mel, Ben discovers themselves and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.Lesbian Space Princess - TBAA space princess is thrust out of her sheltered life and into a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from the Straight White Maliens.Where to watch: TBAMother Mary - TBDFollows the relationship between a fictional musician and a famous fashion designer. Starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel as lovers. Hunter Schafer costars and David Lowrey directs.Where to watch: In theatersThe Parenting - TBAA couple rents a countryside house for a weekend with their parents and then discovers its inhabited by a 400-year-old poltergeist.Where to watch: TBAPonyboi - TBDUnfolding over the course of Valentines Day in New Jersey, a young intersex sex worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past.Queens of the Dead - TBDDrag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during a zombie outbreak at their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against the undead threat.The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo - TBDFollows Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo, who chooses an unknown reporter to tell her life story. Evelyn recounts her time in the Golden Age of Hollywood and her seven marriages. Directed by Leslye Headland.Untitled Christy Martin Biopic - TBDSee on InstagramTells the story of Christy Martin, the most successful female boxer of the 90s.Where to watch: In theatersWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery - TBD (@) No plot details have been released. The Wedding Banquet - TBDWai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese-American, agrees to marry Wei-Wei for a green card. When their parents visit for the wedding, Wai-Tung's homosexuality is revealed, leading to eventual acceptance. Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese-American, agrees to marry Wei-Wei for a green card.
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    Biden administration warns against forced surgeries on intersex children in historic report
    The Department of Health and Human Services has released a first-of-its-kind report on health equity for intersex individuals, citing the lasting harm surgical interventions inflict on infants and others subjected to nonconsensual procedures.Titled Advancing Health Equity for Intersex Individuals, the groundbreaking paper was issued by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, led by Adm. Rachel Levine, the first out transofficial confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Related Queer intersex youth at heightened risk of conversion therapy & suicide attempts, new study finds Forced genital surgeries on intersex youth lead to an increased risk of suicide. There is growing evidence that surgical interventions on intersex infants can cause lasting harm, including stigma and medical mistrust, the report details. Historic and current medical practices have often focused on surgical interventions on infants to change their sex characteristics to conform with a single sex, rather than the health care needs of the intersex individual. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Research and advocacy from intersex individuals has documented that non-consensual, medically unnecessary interventions for intersex infants can cause lifelong harm. These interventions impact people into adolescence and adulthood, and intersex adults face significant barriers in accessing high-quality care that affirms and meets their needs.The report defines intersex as an umbrella term to refer to people born with differences or variations in their sex characteristics or reproductive anatomy. An estimated 5 million people in the U.S., or about 1.7% of the population, fall within the definition, displaying 40 identified variations.Those variations are most commonly identified at birth or during puberty, but it is also not uncommon for adults to discover they have intersex traits while seeking fertility care or through unrelated medical procedures, the report states. While many intersex individuals may require specialized health care, for many intersex people, their variations in sex characteristics are a healthy part of human diversity and do not pose any threats to overall health. Nevertheless, many intersex individuals report facing medical interventions because their variations in sex characteristics have been treated as a medical disorder. Surgical interventions can lead to a host of negative physical and mental effects for intersex individuals, including significant scarring, loss of sexual function, urinary or vaginal complications, chronic pain, and early-onset osteoporosis. Intersex people suffer disproportionate rates of trauma and mental health issues due to lack of affirming care, the report noted.Despite those risks, medical practitioners still encourage parents to have surgeries on intersex infants, citing potential stigma for the natural differences in sexual anatomy a child may display.The report recommends a set of guiding principles to address intersex health equity, including protecting the civil rights of intersex people, affirming the role of parents in supporting their intersex children, and promoting bodily autonomy and informed consent. The report also notes the importance of self-acceptance among the intersex population. Discussions about intersex variations can also enable many intersex adolescents and adults to appreciate their body, improving overall self-acceptance and mental health.Over the past decades, a growing body of evidence and advocacy by intersex people has demonstrated that current medical practices for intersex patients, especially children, can cause lifelong harm and must be reevaluated, the report states. Even as this report acknowledges the pervasive barriers intersex people face in our society and health care system, it makes clear that, when intersex people are affirmed and receive high-quality care, they can thrive.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban
    This articlefirst appeared on Mother Jones. It has been republished with the publications permission.The Supreme Courton Friday allowed a ban on TikTok to take effect. Last year, President Joe Biden signed a law that would ban the platform unless its Chinese parent-company, ByteDance, sold it. In handing down its ruling, the court rebuffed an effort by the platform, some of its users,numerousfree-speechadvocates, and President-elect Donald Trump to halt the ban from taking effect.The casepittedCongress national security concerns against the free speech rights of TikTok and its users. The court released an unsigned majority opinion, along with two separate concurring opinions but no dissents. Related Users rush to RedNote as TikTok ban looms. But is it LGBTQ+ friendly? TikTok refugees have flocked to Chinese-owned Red Note out of spite while expressing dissatisfaction with Metas Reels. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The majority held the ban passes constitutional muster because any potential free speech implications would be overridden by serious threats tonational security. There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community, the court held. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikToks data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary. It concluded that the law does not violate petitioners First Amendment rights.The court took the case on an expedited basis, with just nine days between last weeks oral arguments and the deadline for the ban to take effect. As a result, the justices stressed their decision is narrow and declined to reach significant questions such as whether the First Amendment was indeed implicated and, if so, how much.In spring 2024, Congresspassedthe law requiring ByteDance to sell US-based TikTok, or else the platform would go dark. TikTok sued to halt it, as did several content creators. The federal government has warned that ByteDances ownership puts the Chinese government in a position to use the app to spy on Americans by vacuuming up their personal data, and that it could enable China to manipulate the algorithm to further geopolitical goals. The court found TikToks data collection activities to be a significant national security concern that alone justified the law. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a concurring opinion, stressed that social media algorithms, as the court recently held in a separate case, are a form of protected speech. TikTok engages in expressive activity by compiling and curating material on its platform, she wrote.Along with TikTok and some users, Trump mounted his own campaign to keep the platform online,askingthe justices to halt the law until after his inauguration, on the premise that he alone could broker a deal to preserve the app while alleviating the governments national security concerns. This was not exactly a legal request, but more of a request for an extralegal action.The courts decision to let the law take effect does not preclude Trump from trying to negotiate a sale of TikTok that would allow the platform to remain online, including by brokering a deal involving a political supporter. Trump is also reportedly mulling an executive action to halt the lawalthough legally, that is unlikely to succeed because presidents cannot overturn laws by fiat. During his first term, Trump sought to ban TikTok, but he made an about-face, apparently after determining that the appand his newfound vocal support for itwould help his 2024 presidential campaign. While the sell-or-ban law was passed on a bipartisan basis, a number of Republicans have recently followed Trumps lead in walking back support for the measure. Democrats, too, have begun to change course. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)saidyesterday that he would work with the new administration to find a solution, and the Biden administrationannouncedthat it would defer implementation to the next president. It seems that without bipartisan support, there is little political will to implement what Congress said it neededand what the Supreme Court just green-lighted.Whatever happens, the platforms future is no longer in the courts hands, but back in the realm of politics.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    LGBTQ+ activists revive Stonewall Democrats after it shut down over a decade ago
    Facing a financial deficit and a shortage of dues owed by local chapters, theNational Stonewall Democratic Federation, founded by retired out Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) in 1998 to unite StonewallDemocratic clubs across the U.S., closed the doors at its Washington office in 2013 to go on an indefinite hiatus. They never reopened.Now, in the face of an openly anti-LGBTQ+ second Trump administration, the group has been revived under a new banner, the National Federation of Stonewall Democrats. Related Democrats are at each others throats over the role of trans issues in Trumps victory But experts say we can find our way through. The challenges facing LGBTQ+ Americans today underscore the need for a bold and unapologetically progressive action, especially given the uncertainty we face with the incoming Trump administration, said President Jeremy Comeau in an announcement of the new groups formation on Friday, just days before Trumps inauguration. We are united in our mission and we are unapologetically committed to that work. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The new federation aims to amplify the voices of the 19 million LGBTQ+ Americans and drive progress within the Democratic Party and across the nation, the statement read.Founding organizations include local Stonewall Democratic clubs and LGBTQ+ Democratic Party caucuses from 21 states. Out members of Congress Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Sarah McBride (D-DE) praised the groups mission.Together, were going to build on our work to create a Democracy big enough for all of us, said McBride.Comeau told Politico the federations priority will be holding Democratic electeds and candidates accountable for their votes and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people.Our job is to continue to push for the Democrats who are elected to make sure that theyre speaking up, said Comeau, a Democratic activist from Massachusetts. If they just let the Republicans steamroll these issues through the Congress without providing the words of support for the community were doomed. Democrats face a Republican trifecta in the White House and Congress thats outwardly hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. After a Republican campaign that spent $215 million attacking transgender people, Trump reiterated his commitment to undermining those rights in a speech in December.With the stroke of my pen on Day One, were going to stop the transgender lunacy, Trump told an audience of MAGA faithful in Phoenix. And I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military, and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools.Trump also claimed he would make it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders male and female through executive orders. Keeping Democrats united in the face of those challenges includes addressing those who have blamed the partys losses in November on its support for LGBTQ+ rights, among them Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face, Moulton said after Democrats lost control of the White House and Congress. The rep said he didnt want his own daughters getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat Im supposed to be afraid to say that.The congressman is absolutely out of his mind if he thinks that thats the reason why we lost the election, said Comeau. The new group will call out Democrats when they are using our community as a reason that we lose elections, he added.One way theyll do that is by taking a page from the MAGA playbook, primarying candidates they believe are backsliding on LGBTQ+ rights. The group has formed an independent political action committee dedicated to recruiting and raising money to field a new generation of out Democratic leaders.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    LGBTQ+ friendly social media alternatives to TikTok, X, Meta & more
    Continuing to post on TikTok right now feels a lot like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, but it may finally be time to abandon ship. This morning, the Supreme Court voted in favor of upholding the law banning TikTok unless Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance sells the site to American owners. At the very least, it's time to look into backups (and speaking of backups, you should download all your favorite content from TikTok while you still have the chance, here's how).Facebook and Instagram (and Threads, if for some reason you decided to use Threads) aren't much better. The apps aren't going anywhere, but Mark Zuckerberg has made it abundantly clear that Meta is growing more intolerant of LGBTQ+ people and content by the day. X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) is...I don't even know where to start with X. Let's just call it not an option.So where do we gays go now?How do we keep up with friends, disseminate information, or build communities? There's no replacement for IRL community building, and there's much to be said for knowing your neighbors and the people you share a real-life, in-person place with, but the internet and social media are a vital part of our social ecosystems too. We shouldn't have to give that up just because the people who own the most prominent social media websites are hateful, bigoted, billionaires or at the very least willing to carry water for them.Good news, there are alternatives. We will find ways to continue connecting and thriving. But it's hard to imagine going through the process of setting up a social media profile only to have the platform turn out to be a dud or a total pain to use. We have weighed all the options and compiled a list of the most LGBTQ+ friendly websites to start getting set up on.Instead of TikTok, try LoopsLoops is a part of the Fediverse. Brief intro on the Fediverse: the Fediverse isn't a social media platform, but a bunch of platforms all interconnecting, all existing on an open-source protocol called ActivityPub. It's very interesting, and really well explained in this article from The Verge. Many TikTok users have flocked to the Chinese app RedNote in anticipation of TikTok's ban. Joining RedNote may seem like an "eff you" to the fascist censorship of the ban, but here's the rub: Not only is the app nowhere near a 1:1 replacement for TikTok, but given its both from China but operated from there, is subject to censorship and/or removal of content and users who violate the countrys numerous laws on speech particularly anything anti-communism non-hetero gender expression, and, well, you get the idea. Whats more, the app falls squarely in the definition of the law being used to ban TikTok and could itself be blocked from U.S. users if and when lawmakers get around to it.So in lieu of, well, all that, Loops is a smart option to set yourself up with. It's still in development, but if you've got an iOS device, you can download the app on TestFlight. First, because as part of the Fediverse, you can host your account on an instance that is as pro-LGBTQ+ as you want. Second, Loops won't use your videos to train AI. Say no more, I'm in.Instead of Instagram, try PixelfedPixelfed is another Fediverse venture and is run as a part of Pixelfed. Pixelfed has a similar interface to Instagram, but instead of the whole website existing on one server like with all the big-name social media sites, each Fediverse account can be hosted on a server of the user's choosing, which the Fediverse calls "instances." You can even create your own if you're inclined to do so and a bit tech-savvy!Instagram is arguably my favorite social media platform and the one I've been most stressed out about finding a substitute for. I will personally be trying out Pixelfed because Pixelfed's feed is CHRONOLOGICAL. YEAH. I really buried the lead, didn't I?! Pixelfed's got the #1 thing that users have been begging Instagram to bring back for years. That alone makes the app worth trying out.Instead of X or Threads, try BlueskyOf all the big social media alternatives, you're probably most familiar with Bluesky. Bluesky is the clear frontrunner for an X substitute, which isn't surprising given that it started out as a research project under former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. In 2021, Bluesky went from a research project to a fully fledged, decentralized social media platform.It's not perfect, but it's incredibly promising. The big draws? It's a similar experience to X but with the distinction of not being owned by Elon Musk, not being infested with neonazis, and having community guidelines prohibiting harassment based on gender identity, sexuality, or race. That, and it seems to be the X alternative that adult content creators are choosing to use, should you like to keep it spicy on main. Instead of Facebook, try Trust CafeTrust Cafe is a new spin on what was once WT Social, a social media company from Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales. Pros: Trust Cafe's mission, according to their FAQs, is creating a social network "where honesty and authenticity are valued above all else." They're looking to create a "non-toxic social media platform" and are "against hate speech, harassment, and misinformation." It also has a somewhat old school interface, which is a welcome respite from the chaos and clutter of so many websites.Cons: There is a lot of AI generated content. There are entire sections dedicated to it. While it is at least clearly marked, one of the biggest issues with Facebook is how unescapable AI has become, and a movement against AI would make Trust Cafe a significantly better option. It is still way better than Facebook though, and worth trying and helping to work out the kinks.Instead of Facebook Messenger, try SignalIf you don't make any other swaps, even if you still use Meta-owned services like Facebook and Instagram, stop using Messenger. Messenger collects more of your data than any other messaging app and more than any of Meta's other apps. Messenger isn't just collecting a massive amount of information about your messages, or the device you have Messenger installed on, oh no. It's collecting that massive amount of data from every device that's on the same wifi network as the device you have Messenger installed on. And that's happening on every time you connect to a new wifi network. There's more, a lot more, but that's the factoid that got me to switch to Signal. While Signal is not explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly, privacy and data collection is undeniably a queer issue. It has a high level of encryption keeping your messages secure, and the only data it collects is the data you use to sign up with. If you were considering WhatsApp as an alternative to Messenger, now's a good time to remember that WhatsApp is also owned by Meta, and has had its own data collection issues. TL;DR Delete Messenger, get Signal. Please.
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    AOC urges Democrats to 'throw a damn punch' if they want to beat back Republican LGBTQ+ hate
    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took the GOP to task for passing a bill that would effectively ban transgender women and girls from school sports and told Democrats they will only start winning on LGBTQ+ issues if theyll throw a damn punch.On Tuesday, despite Democrats presenting a fairly unified front with only two members, Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar both of Texas, voting in favor of the anti-trans sports bill, the bill passed with widespread Republican support, something that AOC said liberals needed to counter if they were going to support marginalized communities.When we tell the truth about what Republicans are doing, and when were unafraid to do that, it generates momentum, AOC told Semafor political correspondent Dave Weigel at a press briefing after the vote, Them reported. When we lean into that momentum that we generate, and when Democrats arent afraid to throw a damn punch, then we can see that we can yield results.If Democrats want to push back against Republicans, the party cant cower in the face of tough issues, she said.The reason why I think some folks in the Democratic Party have felt like trans issues are hot water, or immigration issues are hot water, is because they havent felt confident or the ability to confidently throw a punch on solid ground that is persuasive and uniting people, AOC explained.The so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports bill passed with a vote of 218-206 and threatens to withhold federal funding from schools that dont comply with keeping trans girls from participating in school sports. The bill is one of several that the GOP has pushed forward that would amend Title IX the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in government-funded schools and education programs to enforce rules impacting trans peoples access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and protection from discrimination, based on biological sex without ever defining it. The Congressional Equality Caucus said the bill could force any student to answer invasive personal questions about their bodies & face humiliating physical inspections to prove that theyre a girl because it defines sex as based solely on a persons reproductive biology and genetics at birth.AOC pointed out that to stand up against this kind of discrimination, Democrats have to be strong if they want to garner support and create change.I think people smell blood in the water. They can understand weakness. And where they see weakness, thats when everything kind of falls apart, the congresswoman explained. So we have to be strong about these things. And I think projecting strength attracts support.
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    The GLAAD Wrap: One of Them Days in Theaters, Trailers for Clean Slate and Prime Target, New Music by Crys Matthews, Trousdale, 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.) Todays the day to catch One of Them Days in theaters! The buddy comedy stars Keke Palmer and SZA as best friends and roommates, Dreux and Alyssa, [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: One of Them Days in Theaters, Trailers for Clean Slate and Prime Target, New Music by Crys Matthews, Trousdale, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.
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    In Defiance of Existential Threats, These Queens Crank Up the Music
    By Malavika Kannan, The EmancipatorThis story was originally published in The Emancipator, a nonprofit newsroom aimed at leveraging the power of journalism to turn public opinion against racist policies and ideas.Mary Kang for the EmancipatorSubscribe nowOn a freezing December night the backstage room of Brooklyns Red Pavilion was warm and smelled sweetly of hairspray.The dressing room was lively. Drag queens came and went, bearing elaborate dresses and wigs. Someone pulled down their pants to reveal a ribbon-wrapped butt cheek.The holiday party drag show would start in an hour.The nights party had a mission: raising money for Trans Lifeline, a hotline offering direct support to trans people in crisis. Queer nightlife has a radical history, as a space where Black and Brown people love freely and express themselves. Now, a new surge of queer artists, partygoers, and DJs are using nightlife to fundraise for its most marginalized. The 2024 post election-holiday party was also an interlude before a new president took office, one whose campaign vilified trans adults and children. Theres a shared sense that hard times lie ahead, but many find refuge in queer nightlife.Mary Kang for The EmancipatorObviously our communities are going to really be put to the test in the coming years of the new administration, with trans people having the lowest life expectancy of many minority groups, Kanika Peach told The Emancipator in an earlier phone call.Luckily, in the Red Pavilion, Kanika has a captive audience. When you have the mic, she said, its your responsibility to speak power and provide space.The Red Lantern District, an all-Asian drag show, was founded by drag queen Felicia Oh to resist the racial tokenization she experienced in the drag scene. Theres always danger when trans people gather the performers commute in groups for safety but in 2024 we learned we cant take anything for granted and to hold our chosen family close, Felicia said.Mary Kang for The EmancipatorThe holidays can be an emotional time for queer people who are isolated from their families of origin, or excluded from religious traditions. Her chosen family includes Kanika and Kekoa, fellow Asian American drag queens who perform by her side at the Red Lantern.This show is gonna remind queer people that we have to take care of each other, Kekoa said. Were worried about people in red states. We live in a much safer bubble. We dont need the money here, but other people do.Nightlife has long been a staple of queer culture and resistance. During the height of the pandemic, however, gatherings halted. There was a slow burn of pent-up emotion, particularly amid Americas racial justice reckoning of 2020.The next year, Black and Brown nightlife returned with a vengeance, giving people space to revel and shake off the isolation. Uncloseted Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.For example, the Body Hack parties which raise money for the Black trans mutual aid program G.L.I.T.S., or Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society had its long-awaited return in 2021.These young people understand our community from every angle from the art world to the gaming world to the nerdy world. All the elements to create this utopia for our community called Body Hack, said Ceyenne Doroshow, legendary trans mother and founder of G.L.I.T.S. In just one week, Ceyenne raised $1 million for G.L.I.T.S. and purchased a 12-unit property in Queens where she now presides over an intergenerational housing unit for trans youth, adults, and elders.In October 2023, following the Hamas attacks and Israels retaliatory violence against Palestinians, some queer organizers felt a call to action. Hundreds of nightlife workers formed DJs Against Apartheid. The groups mission statement points out that queer nightlife was founded with the clear intention to uplift the marginalized.As of July 2024, theyd raised $34,000 in support of Palestinians, as well as NYC-based Fund the Inside, which provides commissary relief to incarcerated QTBIPOC. For many, overlapping advocacy for Palestinians and trans people is instinctive.Queer people understand what it means to be silenced, to be ostracized. Our bodies are the sites of people enacting their rage and their violence, says Thanushka, a Sri Lankan DJ and 15-year veteran of queer nightlife. Were in a really apocalyptic time and nightlife has a hard time being separate from that. She described a moment of one after another collective crisis that shes felt since 2020, from the pandemic to Trumps reelection to numerous climate-related disasters. The vibes are not good.Mary Kang for The EmancipatorTo lift the vibes connecting a desire for community, shrinking communal spaces, and a thirst to get involved organizers host everything from thrift swaps for Gaza to Queer Comedy for Gaza to techno nights. Its not always an easy stand to take publicly some party organizers declined The Emancipators interview request for fear of exposure. But others are loud: Body Hack requests partygoers donate $20 per person at the door, more if youre White or cisgendered. In the traditional nonprofit world, most funds are raised through expensive galas, auctions, tables and celebrity guests, but the mutual aid playbook is different. Two nights before their December party, the Body Hack Instagram posted: I dont care how cold it is Imma need you to shake that ass for mutual aid. Someone dutifully comments, Shaking my ass for mutual aid with my drains in, meaning that he will show up even recovering from his top surgery, no questions asked.Lucas Hilderbrand, a scholar of queer nightlife, said that while early nightlife activism centered around protesting police harassment and discrimination at bars, the AIDS epidemic created a new strategy.Bars become ground zero for activism of fundraising, he explained. The earliest, and most common, strategy was the drag benefit show. These functions were viewed as a community-building practice, as opposed to just writing a check.Mutual aid too, Hilderbrand explained, has always existed in some form, but post-2020, the very grassroots concept is now in the language, people know what it means.Mutual aid [has] been ingrained in us as queer people to be there for each other, but after 2020 we really needed to push the envelope even more, Kanika said.Kekoa called it spotlight mode: the way her body aligned when shes performing, shoulders pushed back and chin high with pride.Mary Kang for The EmancipatorIts sink or swim, she said. She is determined to put on a good show. When people start making out, I know its good.When Felicia explained that the show is a fundraiser for Trans Lifeline, she had to pause for the cheers to quiet down. Trans Lifeline does it all without the help of police, she said, then added, because fuck the police. The room erupted again.When the show started, Kekoa didnt hold back she was regal, towering in her 4-inch heels and a satin floor-length dress, smiling and waving as she swept through the room. By 11:30 pm, the room was packed.And sure enough, people were making out.Next, Felicia brought the house down with a sexy rendition of Sabrina Carpenters A Nonsense Christmas. Kekoa and Kanika enacted making love onstage. The mood was heightened, otherworldly. Nobody leaves without a wet pussy, Felicia vowed into the mic.Subscribe for accountability journalism.Coats came off and were piled on chairs as the room warmed. By this point, nobody was sitting, everybody was on the floor. Between songs, the queens coterie gathered the cash off the floor. Thats not counting, of course, the money that poured in on Venmo. We are 21st century hookers! the girls insisted.By the end of the night, theyve raised a thousand dollars.The drag show ended, and devolved into a free-for-all on the dance floor. Kekoa, finally out of spotlight mode again, gave out high-fives and hugs like Oprah. Outside, people gathered to smoke and chat as the first snow of the winter fell, lit up by the neon club entryway.Kekoa, normally all smiles, grew serious at the mic: Our community is under attack and its in spaces like this that we can come together and love together, she said. I want to thank you guys for being our chosen family this holiday season. I want you to know you always have a place at Red Lantern District.And then the girls hugged: We will keep us safe and keep us protected, Kanika promised. I want you to take this power you feel right now out these doors into your community.If 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 Media
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    Fox News pleads for boycott of Ethel Cain here's why it backfired spectacularly
    Fox News is calling for a boycott of Ethel Cain over recent comments she made on social media, but the way things have played out has been absolutely priceless.Earlier this month, Cain reacted to the killing of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson with a series of Instagram posts that suggested people should "#KillMoreCEOs.""corporations giggle at protesting. why would anyone ever willingly come down off their throne that theyve spent years building off the suffering of their fellow man?" she asked. "nobody is getting visited by the ghost of christmas future, no one is having a change of heart."its simple, you make them fear for their lives and hit them in the only place they hurt or nothing will ever get done. i dont even see how thats an incredibly radical idea. it seems quite straightforward to me. 'violence is never the answer' wrong. sometimes it is." (@) Fox News shared select quotes from her statement and clutched their pearls on air, bemoaning a society in which anyone would ever advocate killingyou know, something right wing politicians and Fox News pundits have definitely never done.Just moments after claiming Cain is facing "backlash" for her comments, they also pointed to surveys that suggest younger Americans are more sympathetic to Luigi Mangione, the suspect in Thompsons murder, than Thompson himself. And, despite making no mention of the political makeup of those polled, of course they jumped at the opportunity to blame "woke" for it. (@) "Youre talking about Gen Z kids who are going to college, and theyre studying woke curriculums, and theyre telling them capitalism is bad, free markets are bad, CEOs and companies are bad," Jackie DeAngelis lamented. "And theyre condoning killing people in cold blood when you dont like a policy versus having a conversation about it, writing to a lawmaker about it, trying to affect change in a different way."That, she claimed with a straight face, is to blame for why "this country has gotten so polarized and so unable to have a conversation."Its beyond parody to see people on Fox News point the finger at literally anyone outside of their studio for a political divide so deep that rationality and reaching across the aisle has gone out the window. But what really makes this so delicious is that they appeared to be completely clueless that Cain is trans."I think she might be singing a different tune if there were people out there saying, 'Well, you know whats really harming society? Singers who call for murders. Maybe they should be killed in the streets,'" Guy Benson chimed in. "If youre willing to call for the murder of one group because you think it will help society improve things, then theres no way to cordon off yourself from another mob deciding youre the problem and saying maybe you should be killed out there."Regardless of anyones personal stance on murdering CEOs, the ignorance (and hypocrisy) on display is positively staggering once the larger context of Cains identity is taken into consideration. Because as we all know, if theres one group out there who has absolutely no idea what its like to have people constantly calling for an end to their existence for the alleged benefit of society, its trans people. (@) "love the part where theyre like 'can you imagine if she were part of a group that that was harassed as badly as shes harrassing ceos' and its like lol" (@) "that they are asking ethel cain to 'imagine' being a part of a group that people 'inciting violence against like she is with CEOS'(?) is crazy... surprised they were even using the right pronouns? makes me think they don't know she's trans" (@) "them counter arguing saying 'what if we turned the tables and said we should kill her' as if trans people arent one of the most vulnerable populations for being hate crimed and killedand also they can always tell yet if they knew u know they would misgender her." (@) "Funniest part about this is they DEFINITELY dont know Ethel Cain is trans. Theyre making all these arguments like She says its ok to kill CEOs what if someone called for the death of all SINGERS??? instead of, yknow."Also, its just funny. (@) "No one talking about her being trans is so satisfying somehow. Stealthel Cain.""'We can always tell crowd' cannot, and also doesnt do any research lol." (@) "I know they were absolutely fuming once they realised they were gendering her correctly. This is hilarious." (@) "Correctly gendering Ethel Cain, calling her a woman, and fear mongering what she said so much that it makes it seem cool to any viewer rocks so hard. Fox News incompetence >>>>>>>>>" (@) "they so caught up in defending corporations they don't even know my girl is trans."And anyway, whatever Fox News was throwing down didnt land with younger Americans, who have spent much of their lives being told that the fear of being shot in cold blood is just something everyone has to live with in this country, who have learned firsthand that conversations arent possible when misinformation and fearmongering is constantly being forced down the throats of their parents and grandparents, and who have seen time and time again that lawmakers either dont or cant enact change supported by the majority of Americans. (@) "hey guys so 'young americans' are now mentally unwell for not siding with the billionaire who basically made money off of people with illnesses and ailments being exploited. anyways hi ethel x" (@) "It is fascinating how out of touch these people on Fox News are and cannot begin to understand why people sympathize with Luigi Mangione, or the underlying reasons for poor Americans rage towards healthcare CEOs. Protect Ethel Cain." (@) "Venn Diagram of Luigi sympathizers and Ethel Cain listeners is a circle idk who they think is about to boycott her ajdjjsjdjsjsjs." (@) "You can tell how stupid they are when they bring up the whole 'have a conversation/write to your lawmakers' bullshit. That shit DOESNT WORK. Its ridiculous (not surprising) how out of touch this idiots are" (@) "'i hope she gets called out for this' the calling out in question:" (@) "'singer ethel cain is facing major backlash' everyone who knows who ethel cain is agrees with her so is the backlash in the room with us" (@) "This is only making Ethel cooler, actually. Negative press for her is like Gatorade; it replenishes her electrolytes." (@) "maybe Im biased but you can just feel how hard theyre trying to warp near unanimous hatred of our healthcare system into being a terrorist issue. Its very off-putting to see them trying so hard."If only Americans could come together instead of demonizing entire groups of people, right? Right?
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    Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar: Bold, artistic, bulging
    We had to crop the *ahem* full-length version of these buff and bulging bartenders here's how you can see everythingBoxers NYC, the ultimate LGBTQ+ sports bar, is ringing in the New Year with the release of its daring, artistic, and meaningful Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar for 2025.This calendar is so daring, artistic, and meaningful that we had to crop out the truly daring, artistic, and meaningful parts. But don't worry, we have the links to where you can see these bold and buff bartenders in their full glory.This is the 15th anniversary of the Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar, and this years edition benefits Out My Closet, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the urgent needs of under-resourced and unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth and adults. You can learn more at www.outmycloset.org.At Boxers NYC, we are incredibly proud to partner once again with Out My Closet, says owner Bob Fluet, who opened the first Boxers NYC location in Chelsea in 2010 with Rob Hynds. This years calendar is a bold step forward, not only artistically but in its mission to raise awareness and funds for a cause we deeply care about. By leveraging the power of this provocative initiative, we hope to make a meaningful impact in the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.Billed as Americas Gay Sports Bar, Boxers NYC offers pool tables, beer on tap, 2-for-1 happy hours, large outdoor spaces, and sporting events broadcast on the big screen, but also shirtless bartenders, diverse theme and club nights, and some of the biggest stars from the LGBTQ+ community.Lucky for us, those shirtless bartenders were kind enough to drop their trousers and more for a good cause in the Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar for 2025, and we have the ultimate sneak peek.The Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar for 2025 is available for purchase at both New York City locations and online at boxersnyc.com, but keep scrolling to get those juices flowing with our sneak peek of the Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar for 2025.Learn how you can see the full calendar at boxersnyc.com.Follow Boxers NYC on X Twitter and Facebook @boxersnyc.Follow Boxers NYC on X Twitter and Facebook @boxersnyc. Purchase the Boxers NYC Bartender Calendar for 2025 and learn more at boxersnyc.com. And see more photography from @btscenesbody ahead.Learn how you can see the full calendar at boxersnyc.com.Follow Boxers NYC on X Twitter and Facebook @boxersnyc.
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    Kameron Michaels dishes on the spicy content on his OnlyFans & his passion for fitness (exclusive)
    Our favorite muscle queen is ready to bare all.For years, fans have considered Kameron Michaels to be the ultimate trade from RuPaul's Drag Race. Now, the season ten finalist is expanding his empire by finally stepping into two sexy industries... fitness and OnlyFans.Michaels has been very vocal on his passion for the gym, so the handsome model decided to become a certified personal trainer and start his own program titled Kameron Michaels Fitness.While no official launch date has been announced, people can start signing up for individualized workout regimens with the Drag Race star very soon."It's such a long time coming! I wanted to do this from the very beginning. I know that fitness has changed my life over the years and I want to share that with other people," Michaels tells PRIDE. See on Instagram Although his latest business venture is a huge milestone in his career, Michaels is taking things up a notch by also launching his own OnlyFans account. The best part? The star will be posting full frontal content beginning February 14. Talk about the ultimate Valentine's Day package!"I've had the URL for about four years. It's been waiting in the wings this entire time. 2025 is the year that I do exactly what I want to do, regardless of what people think. I'm having fun so far! You are getting things that you are not going to find anywhere else on the internet."OnlyFans has become more accepted in society with many other celebrities joining the popular website over the years. With so many people thirsting over Michaels since his debut on Drag Race, now felt like the right time for Michaels to create his own profile."I should have done it back then, but I was worried about the impact it would have on my career. In 2025, we're not really caring for opinions that don't serve me! There's going to be a lot of stuff that you wouldn't expect me to post. It is getting spicier as we go." See on Instagram Michaels isn't the first Drag Race alum to join OnlyFans. Gothy Kendoll, Tessa Testicle, Jade Jolie, and many other queens have posted spicy content on the steamy website in recent years. So, that begs the question... would Michaels collab with her fellow sisters?"People have asked! As of right now, there are no plans for that, but never say never. Who knows? I might be willing to explore that down the road."Fans can learn more about Kameron Michaels Fitness and subscribe to his OnlyFans here. To see the full interview, check out the video at the top of the page.
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    MAGA 'alpha male' Andrew Tate's hairline inspires a brutally funny new meme
    (@) Mysogynistic alpha male influencer Andrew Tate may have just been released from house arrest by a Romanian court, pending the outcome a criminal investigation, but hes been unable to escape the brutal and emasculating memes on social media.The anti-LGBTQ+ manosphere personality is facing allegations of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, and money laundering. Combine those charges with the toxic brand of masculinity Tate peddles to young men, and the internet seems to delight in cutting him down to size.Thats exactly what happened yesterday when an intrepid X (formerly Twitter) user posted a meme featuring side-by-side photos of Tate and a lollipop covered in hair with the simple yet effective caption, Alpha. This is especially funny considering how much stock he puts into being a so-called alpha male.The meme quickly went viral its been viewed close to a million times at the time of publication with people running to the comment section to dunk on Tate. From people joking that their balls have better coverage to saying he looks like a mid-transition werewolf to someone quipping that Bro looks like hes going backwards through evolution, the jokes were coming in fast and furious.Keep scrolling to see the funniest reactions to Tates bald head being compared to a hair-covered sucker. (@) (@) "No wonder he shaved his head. My balls have better coverage." (@) "Nonceferatu." (@) "One's his head and the other is his testicle?" (@) "Looking like a mid-transition werewolf" (@) "Bro looks like hes going backwards through evolution" (@) "The lolly pop has a better chin" (@) "The Pubesicle" (@) "Alpha" (@) ". he makes woman moist?" (@) (@) "Alfalfa" (@) "The hairy lollipop still looks nicer than that 'alpha'" (@) "It's uncanny" (@) "Whoever posted this was being very generous" (@) "Alpha; An early version of a program or application, typically unstable" (@) "I cant spot the difference" (@) "Uncanny resemblance " (@) "Too much hair on the lollipop" (@) "Looks like the missing link" (@) "Why did you post separate pictures of two testicles total?" (@) "I didn't need to see either of Andrew Tate's testicles in full HD colour." (@) "Why is there just two pictures of the same person?" (@) "Thanks i cant unsee this now" (@) "Last thing I wanted to see today was a pubepop."
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  • GAYETY.CO
    Omar Apollo Shares Full Frontal Queer Scene Shuts Down Homophobes
    Omar Apollo, the Grammy-nominated crooner behind hits like Evergreen, isnt here for homophobiaor shrinking himself to appease followers. The 27-year-old artist recently shared a provocative still from his film Queer featuring co-star Daniel Craig, and the internet had opinions.But instead of shying away from the backlash, Omar served a masterclass in self-assurance.The Post That Sparked It AllOmar posted a steamy, nearly-nude image from Queer, where he and Craig share an intimate moment. The caption? Queer available on streaming now for all the DLs that didnt wanna go to the theater.Fans and celebrities alike flooded his comments with praise. Troye Sivan even cheekily asked, What platform? But not everyone was thrilled. As followers trickled away, Omar noticedand clapped back in style.Unfollow Me If Youre a HomophobeOmar addressed the exodus in an Instagram Story that oozed confidence: Im losing followers for posting this. Unfollow me if ur a homophobe. Youre not my target audience.The singer doubled down, adding, I will never make myself palatable. This isnt my life; I AM life. Stupid.Yes, Omar! Normalize authenticity over approval.The Queer BuzzDirected by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name), Queer explores themes of love, loneliness, and self-discovery. The film has earned rave reviews, with critics applauding the raw performances.However, it hasnt received the critical acclaim it undoubtedly deserves. But thats a story for another timequite literally.Related | Queer Snubbed by BAFTAs: Daniel Craig, Omar Apollos Callout & MoreOmars Unapologetic EraThis isnt the first time Omar has made headlines for his boldness. The singer has built his career on authenticity, blending vulnerability with an edge that resonates deeply with LGBTQ+ fans.So to the followers who bailed? Your loss. Omars too busy being iconic.Catch Omar Apollo and Daniel Craig in Queer, now streaming. You can buy or rent it on Prime Video, iTunes, and other digital platforms.More Stories: Omar Apollo Shares Full Frontal Queer Scene Shuts Down HomophobesQueer Snubbed by BAFTAs: Daniel Craig, Omar Apollos Callout & MoreDavid Lynch, Iconic Director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, Dies at 78Massachusetts First Nonbinary Elected Official Takes Hiatus Citing Transphobia and Toxic City Council CultureMontana Republicans Pass Bathroom Ban Despite Pleas from Trans LawmakersThe post Omar Apollo Shares Full Frontal Queer Scene Shuts Down Homophobes appeared first on Gayety.
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    Will TikTok go dark? Will Trump enforce the ban? Here's what to know
    The Supreme Court has upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States. As of Jan. 19, U.S.-based users will no longer be able to download or use the popular short-form video platform, though TikTok and President-elect Donald Trump have stated they are currently discussing a solution to keep the app operational. Here's everything you need to know about the TikTok ban. And here's everything you need to know about finding an alternative. Why is TikTok being banned? The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a law that requires ByteDance, TikToks China-based parent company, to sell the app or face a nationwide ban. Passed in Congress with bipartisan support and signed by President Joe Biden, the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" requires ByteDance, TikToks China-based parent company, to sell the app or face a nationwide ban. ByteDance has said it will start the process of shutting down TikToks U.S. operations on Jan. 19. Lawmakers have argued that the app poses national security risks because of its foreign ownership, but opponents of the ban argue the move infringes on the First Amendment right to free speech.What did the Supreme Court say about the TikTok ban?The Supreme Court wrote in a unanimous decision that the ban does "not violate [TikTok's] First Amendment rights," as it "further[s] an important government interest unrelated to the suppression of free expression and do[es] not burden substantially more speech than necessary to further that interest.""There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary."Is TikTok really a national security threat? While lawmakers have claimed they cannot release much of their evidence proving TikTok's threat to security due to it being classified, experts say that the app isn't any more invasive than other social media platforms. A 2021 study by the University of Torontos Citizen Lab found that TikTok's data harvesting is nearly identical to that of Facebook or Instagram, and an investigation into the app by the C.I.A. found no concrete evidence of Chinese authorities using users' data, according to The New York Times. Notably, other China-based apps have not been subject to the same scrutiny, including Shein, Temu, and RedNote. Can TikTok be used after the ban? ByteDance plans to completely shut down TikTok in the U.S. once the ban takes effect on Jan. 19, Reuters reports, even though the app could have theoretically remained operational on personal devices that had already downloaded it. However, the app would not have been able to continue indefinitely without updates, which ByteDance would have no longer been able to deploy. What did Donald Trump say about the TikTok ban?Trump voiced support for the decision on Truth Social while simultaneously stating that he had not yet made a "decision on TikTok.""The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it," Trump wrote. "My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!"President Joe Biden's administration said it would not be enforcing the ban for the one day it is in effect during his term, stating: "Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday."What did TikTok say about the ban?TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video message posted to the platform that he and Trump were working on a solution to keep the platform operational in the U.S. On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States, Chew said. This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process," he continued.What do TikTokers think of the ban?Many TikTok creators have raised concerns about the effect such a ban has on their right to free speech. Others have highlighted the law's troubling legal journey. V Spehar, the nonbinary journalist behind Under the Desk News, recently told The Advocate that the ban "isnt just about TikTok, its about the government setting a precedent that platforms can be shut down without evidence or due process.The case relied on secret evidence documents that werent even shared during discovery, they said. And the court ruled, We dont even need to see the evidence because Congress says so. That kind of deference to government say-so over a trial or hard proof is terrifying.Losing TikTok isnt just losing an app; its losing a platform that amplifies voices traditional media often ignores, Spehar continued. Its a place where queer people, women, and people of color hold the most power right now.
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    The controversy surrounding out actress Jasmin Savoy Brown's return to 'Scream 7' explained
    After being plagued by controversy and cast upheavals for more than a year, filming is finally underway for Scream 7, but cast member Jasmin Savoy Brown has reignited the debate over whether the beloved horror franchise should continue after agreeing to return to play fan-fave character, Mindy Meeks-Martin.After Melissa Barrera stirred up controversy and was unceremoniously fired last year, rumors started spreading about Browns role in the upcoming sequel. Now that its been announced that shes returning for Scream 7, fans have taken to social media to express their feelings, of which there are a lot.Scream 7 controversy explainedSee on InstagramIt was rumored that Brown had pulled out of Scream 7 last year in support of Barrera after she was fired for pro-Palestine social media posts. Barrera was dropped from the film after the Scream production company Spyglass Media Group claimed the posts she made in support of the Palestinian people, where she called Israel colonized land, were antisemitic.Spyglass stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech, a Spyglass spokesperson tells Variety.Barrera denied these claims, writing on Instagram, First and foremost I condemn Anti-semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people, Barrera wrote in an Instagram story upon getting fired. As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, she said. Therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need.In the fallout from Barreras firing, costar Jenna Ortega officially dropped out of the film due to scheduling conflicts, Variety reported, but there were rumors that she left in solidarity with Barrera. Then Brown was rumored to have left the cast in support of Barrera, though this was never confirmed.What are fans saying about Jasmin Savoy Brown returning for Scream 7? (@) (@) Some fans were thrilled to find out the Brown would be reprising her role as one half of the Meeks twins, who became instant fan favorites after their first appearance in Scream 5. "Honestly, Jasmin Savoy-Brown returning is more important to me than Patrick Dempsey. it really makes it feel like a more natural transition from Scream 6 to Scream 7. im so fucking happy rn, a fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) (@) (@) While others were disappointed because they believed that Brown left the production in full support of Barrera and by extension, the plight of the people in Gaza. (@) So yesterday when Variety reported that she has signed on to return to play Mindy Meeks is Scream 7, some fans felt betrayed. After the news broke, fans took to X to call Brown a performative fake woke loser and voice their disappointment that someone who pretended to have morals, integrity and a social conscience turned out to be a liar.But Savoy Brown is far from the only familiar face headed back for the Scream sequel.Who else is returning for Scream 7?Kevin Williamson, who wrote the scripts for Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4, is returning to the franchise to direct the seventh installment, a role originally filled by Christopher Landon before he left the film. Veterans Neve Campbell who left the sixth film because she felt she was being underpaid and Courtney Cox are also returning to play Sydney Prescott and Gale Weathers. What character does Jasmine Savoy Brown play? Mason Gooding, who played Mindys twin brother Chad in Scream 5 and 6, is also returning.Who is Mindy Meeks-Martin?Brown plays Mindy Meeks-Martin, the first queer character in the franchise. In Scream 5, we find out that Mindy is the niece of the original Scream character Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), best known as the horror movie expert who teaches the rest of the characters the rules of slasher films, a mantel that Mindy takes over in the fifth film. The production of the film may have been steeped in controversy and frequent cast changes, but now that filming is underway and it's been confirmed that OG and new fan faves are returning if you're a fan of the series it's time to start getting excited for Scream 7!
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  • WWW.PRIDE.COM
    'XO, Kitty' is out, proud, and in its unapologetic bisexual era in season 2
    The most special moment is getting to hear how this show has impacted people's real lives, gushes Anna Cathcart, who stars as the eponymous Kitty Song Covey in XO, Kitty, to PRIDE. I've had many people, even personally, who I've known in my life, or who I went to elementary school with, or someone that I haven't talked to in a long time, reach out and say Kitty's experience with her sexuality and how she discovered that and how she went through it, is so reflective of something that they'd gone through in their own lives. Just hearing that this could help them feel prouder of who they are is something that, honestly, I will never take lightly, and it just means so so much.It could sound trite, but in 2025, when a real and pervasive feeling of anxiety is moving through the queer community about their continued safety, let alone visibility, these bright spots of representation, connection, and empathy just hit differently. Theres a reminder of the power of seeing and being seen that can easily be taken for granted. But for Cathart, and her costars Anthony Keyvan, Gia Kim, and Regan Aliyah Dennis-Jones, who regularly hear from fans who are moved by their characters and performance, it's impossible to ignore the show's impact.For the uninitiated, the series is a spin-off of the massively popular To All the Boys Ive Loved Before films. It sees the movies lead characters youngest sister, Kitty, heading off to an elite school in Seoul, South Korea in pursuit of both a relationship with her longtime boyfriend and to learn more about the mother she lost as a child and who attended that same school at her age. She discovers a lot: Secrets about her classmates and even the school faculty, that the road to romance is never as smooth as it is in our fantasies, and that her romantic desires are a bit more complicated than she realizes when she ends up falling for her rival turned friend, Yuri (Kim).The first season ends with Kitty realizing she has strong feelings for Yuri, but isnt quite ready to fully act on them particularly since, with her help, Yuri has reunited with her girlfriend Juliana (Dennis-Jones). Its all very dramatic in the ways you would expect from a teen drama, but it's also incredibly sweet, wholesome, heartwarming, and, if youve ever had a crush on a friend, relatable. This is due in large part to its charming and charismatic cast, led by Cathcart, who was enthusiastic about leaning into Kittys bisexuality in season two. Honestly, it's one of my favorite parts of the season, favorite parts of the show, she says. I love that we get to explore this part of her and do it in such a way that it just shows her being so, so comfortable with who she is, which is not something that's easy and something that requires a lot of bravery. That's something I admire about Kitty a lot.Despite Yuri being happily committed to Juliana, Kitty is determined to strike out on her journey of self-discovery and even begins dating a new girl in school. Whats refreshing to see is what a nonissue this pursuit is for Kitty, her family, and her schoolmates.Getting to see her so determined and so excited to jump into this part of who she is, which I know can be a very, very scary thing, but she's diving in head first. It's so lovely to see on screen, and to see a teen in that space, says Cathcart. There's a lot less uncertainty this time, and there's a lot more power in her identity. I loved getting to explore that. It was so special.This newfound confidence is bolstered by a cast of queer characters including Kittys closest friend Q, played by Love, Victors Keyvan who has plenty of romantic drama of his own, but who, like Kitty, grows a lot in this sophomore season. Q had an interesting choice in season one. I think his heart was there, though, and I think there was love there with Florian. He definitely made some choices that kind of caused a rift and made the entire school feel a certain way about him, Keyvan tells PRIDE. With season two, we're seeing him being able to explore love on his own, instead of with the assistance of Kitty. We love Kitty being a matchmaker and all, but sometimes it has to happen organically.There are many lessons in the series, not that it's by any means didactic. It's more that the show is a reflection of how love and the pursuit of personal identity can be messy and there are plenty of bumps in the road along the way. But thats what makes it relatable, and its that connection with the audience that Kim is repeatedly blown away and moved by. Honestly, it's been such a rewarding journey, she tells PRIDE, adding that getting to portray queer love in a way that continues to normalize it has been a powerful experience. I feel like it's so normal that I forget that they're queer love lines. It's just love. You know, love is love, is love, she says. I do get personal DMs from fans who watch the show, and they tell me about how this show has impacted them specifically, even in their lows. And it's so touching.For Dennis-Jones, who plays Yuris onscreen love, this is even more personal. I live my life very out, proud, and loud. So I think it's really cool to be on a show that's also very out and loud and proud about it as well, she tells PRIDE. Were not trying to sneak those storylines in. No, this is what it is. You're gonna accept it, and you might learn something about yourself or learn something about the people around you.I know when I was young and trying to figure out, am I a lesbian? I'm not. Am I this? Am I blah, blah, blah. I would have loved to see these characters figuring out love, Dennis-Jones continues. This probably would have helped me, and I probably would have come out a little bit sooner, because I saw myself being reflected on screen in this.That sentiment is something the cast as a whole comes together around, and sees as the show and their work in particular having the power to not just entertain, but also help those whove struggled with similar situations in their lives.It is the number one reminder that I love what I do, Cathcart concludes. I'm so grateful I get to do this, because even if it's just a few people, if you can make them feel more loved and understood, it's such a powerful thing that I do not take lightly.
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  • GAYETY.CO
    Rep. Sarah McBride Appointed Deputy Whip for Policy in 119th Congress
    Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress, has been appointed Deputy Whip for Policy in the 119th Congress. The announcement marks a significant milestone in McBrides political career as she continues to advocate for policy changes that directly impact the lives of working families, particularly in the areas of healthcare, housing, and child care.Im thrilled to be named a Deputy Whip for Policy in the 119th Congress, advising House Democratic Leadership on policy priorities and plans for our caucus, McBride wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Just as I was in the State Senate, I remain focused on lowering the cost of housing, health care, child care, and helping families thrive.McBrides appointment as Deputy Whip for Policy is a reflection of her growing influence within the Democratic Party, as well as her unwavering commitment to pushing forward progressive policies that prioritize the well-being of American families. McBride has made it clear that she intends to work on legislation aimed at reducing the financial burdens many families face, particularly in terms of affordable healthcare, housing, and childcare costs.My number one priority in Congress is helping to lower costs facing Delawareans and American families. We can do this by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, lowering the cost of childcare and restoring the child tax credit. Congresswoman Sarah McBride (@mcbride.house.gov) 2025-01-16T21:51:06.364ZOn the social media platform Bluesky, McBride also shared her goals for the upcoming legislative session. I want to make sure we pass bills that provide paid family and medical leave, lower the cost of childcare, and restore the child tax credit, she stated, emphasizing her dedication to securing policies that provide economic relief to struggling families.Understanding the Role of a Whip in CongressIn the U.S. House of Representatives, the role of a whip is essential for ensuring party discipline and unity when it comes to voting on legislation. A whip is responsible for rallying party members and ensuring they vote according to the partys stance on important bills. The current Democratic whip is Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), and McBrides new position as Deputy Whip for Policy will see her assisting in the development of key policy initiatives and working with Democratic leadership to shape the legislative agenda.As Deputy Whip for Policy, McBrides primary role will involve working closely with leadership to ensure that Democratic representatives are aligned on critical votes. She will also help drive discussions on policy priorities, particularly in areas that are close to her heart, including economic justice, healthcare access, and policies aimed at helping working families.McBrides Historic Election and Legislative PrioritiesMcBride made history in November 2022 when she became the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress. Her election to represent Delawares 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives was widely seen as a victory for LGBTQ+ rights and a testament to the power of inclusivity in politics. In an interview on MSNBC after her win, McBride reflected on the significance of her historic election.I think this victory is a testament to Delawarians, she said. In our state of neighbors, we are fair-minded, that we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities. And I think voters across the state of Delaware Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike responded to our message of building a government that respects all of us.McBrides campaign focused on policies aimed at supporting working families, regardless of party affiliation. I was really singularly focused on bringing down costs facing workers, their families, and retirees, she said. During her tenure in the Delaware Senate, McBride championed policies such as paid family and medical leave and led efforts to secure a substantial increase in the states Medicaid program. Her ability to work across the aisle, gaining bipartisan support, was a key aspect of her legislative success.In contrast to the GOPs anti-trans messaging, McBride ran a campaign centered on unity and inclusivity, focusing on practical solutions for everyday Americans. We put forward a positive, inclusive message during the course of this year-and-a-half-long campaign, and I think voters really responded to that, she added.McBrides Continued Advocacy for LGBTQ+ RightsAs the first openly transgender member of Congress, McBride has also become an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights on the national stage. Throughout her career, she has fought to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals have access to the same rights and protections as everyone else. Her historic election was seen as a step forward for LGBTQ+ representation in politics, and her role as Deputy Whip for Policy will undoubtedly amplify her voice in future policy discussions.McBrides rise to leadership within the House Democratic Caucus is not only a victory for the LGBTQ+ community but also an indication of the growing influence of progressive voices within the party. Her advocacy for economic policies that benefit working families, combined with her commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, positions her as a key figure in shaping the direction of the 119th Congress.As McBride begins her role as Deputy Whip for Policy, all eyes will be on her as she works to help pass vital legislation that addresses issues such as paid family leave, the cost of childcare, and healthcare access. Her leadership promises to be a powerful force in the ongoing fight for economic and social justice in America.Rep. Sarah McBrides appointment as Deputy Whip for Policy in the 119th Congress is a significant step in her political career and a testament to her unwavering commitment to progressive values. From advocating for affordable healthcare and housing to pushing for paid family and medical leave, McBride is dedicated to improving the lives of American families. As the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, McBrides rise to leadership underscores the importance of diversity and inclusivity in shaping the nations legislative priorities.The post Rep. Sarah McBride Appointed Deputy Whip for Policy in 119th Congress appeared first on Gayety.
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  • GAYETY.CO
    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizes Disabled Transgender Students Top Surgery Decision
    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has sparked controversy by criticizing the decision of a transgender college student, Micah Leroy, to undergo top surgery despite having cerebral palsy. Leroy, a student at the University of Minnesota, has garnered attention on social media for documenting his transition, including his journey with top surgery, a procedure often sought by transgender men to remove breast tissue.Greene, known for her vocal opposition to transgender rights, made the comments after anti-trans activist Oli London shared videos from Leroys Instagram account. London, who previously identified as trans and later detransitioned, misgendered Leroy and insinuated that Leroys disability, coupled with his use of a wheelchair, made him incapable of making his own medical decisions.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Micah Leroy (@disabled_trans_boy)Leroy, who also experiences difficulty communicating through speech due to his condition, uses a speech-generating device to help with communication. Despite these challenges, Leroy has clearly advocated for himself in his transition process, which includes undergoing hormone therapy for over a year and actively engaging with medical professionals about his top surgery. Leroy, 23, posted on Instagram on December 28, 2024, celebrating one week post-op, and later shared a shirtless video showing the results of the surgery.In response to the video, London criticized Leroys choice, saying, Doctors cut off the breasts of [a] disabled woman with cerebral palsy to turn her TRANS. Londons comments, which were shared by Greene, implied that Leroy, due to his disability, lacked the agency to make his own decisions regarding his transition.Greene, amplifying Londons remarks, took to social media to declare: This is criminal! What doctor did this? What hospital allowed this? Who paid for this? There is no evidence to suggest that any laws or medical ethics were violated in Leroys decision to undergo surgery, nor is there any indication that Leroy was coerced or unable to make decisions for himself.Leroy responded to the backlash, telling The Daily Mail, I am making my own decisions. I am my own legal guardian. And people dont understand that. He expressed frustration with the idea that his disability was being used as a reason to question his autonomy. Leroy further stated that he hoped his videos would spark a broader conversation about the rights of disabled and transgender individuals. I want to help other people who are trans and disabled know that its okay, Leroy said. I want people to keep their minds open and not be bigots. People with disabilities are able to do whatever they f**king want.Leroys experience highlights the harmful stereotype of infantilizing disabled individuals, treating them as incapable of making informed decisions about their lives. According to neuroscience student Hari Srinivasan, the infantilization of disabled peopletreating them as if they are children regardless of their actual abilitiescan have negative consequences on their mental health and hinder their personal development. In an article in Psychology Today, Srinivasan reflected on how disabled people often face microaggressions that diminish their agency, even in adulthood.The controversy surrounding Leroys surgery has sparked a wider conversation about the intersection of disability and transgender rights. Many advocates argue that disabled individuals, like all people, should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and their medical care. By undermining this autonomy, Greene and other critics risk perpetuating harmful narratives that disabled people cannot be trusted to make decisions for themselves.Rep. Greene has been a staunch critic of transgender rights, particularly when it comes to gender-affirming care for minors. She has introduced multiple pieces of legislation aimed at banning gender-affirming care for transgender teens, as well as making it more difficult for transgender adults to access such treatments. Greenes comments about Leroys surgery are part of a broader pattern of her opposing the medical and personal rights of transgender individuals.Leroys public documentation of his transition is not only a personal journey but also an act of resistance against the discrimination faced by transgender people, particularly those with disabilities. Leroy has repeatedly emphasized that he wants to normalize the visibility of disabled trans individuals and challenge the prejudices that often go unchallenged.Leroys supporters, including LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, have rallied behind him, condemning the attacks from Greene and London. MassEquality, a leading LGBTQ+ organization in Massachusetts, issued a statement expressing solidarity with Leroy and urging lawmakers to focus on issues of equity and inclusion instead of attacking vulnerable communities.As the debate continues, Leroys story serves as a powerful reminder that all individuals, regardless of their disability status, deserve the right to make choices about their health and identity without fear of judgment or discrimination. While Greenes remarks reflect a deeply polarized political climate surrounding transgender rights, they also highlight the growing need for increased awareness and acceptance of disabled transgender people in both the medical and social spheres.The post Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizes Disabled Transgender Students Top Surgery Decision appeared first on Gayety.
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  • WWW.LGBTQNATION.COM
    Pete Buttigieg admits some secrets about his post-cabinet life
    Here are this weeks most popular positive stories, with some fun social media posts tossed in too. Like seeing uplifting content like this?Sign up for our Good News email.Wedding bells and love songs are playing in this weeks good news round-up as we see politicians proposing, the pope opening up the priesthood, and some powerful expressions of queer solidarity! Why prolong the pause? Lets stop alliterating and jump right in!All aboard at the slay station! View this post on Instagram A post shared by PARALLEL (@parallel.fbx) Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Pete Buttigieg reveals first thing hell do now that hes out of a jobMayor Pete, the outgoing transportation secretary, will be hitting the friendly skies, using his Christmas gift and making up for some lost time.And talking about queer people who have tried to better the community, rememberthe activist who has spent his life making sure the Black LGBTQ+ community gets their due? How aboutthe hometown heroconnecting LGBTQ+ elders with younger people? And do you recall whenthePaw Patrol introduced its first non-binary character? Democrat introduces bill to block Donald Trumps trans military banRep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) has a trans sibling, and is trying to protect the estimated 15,000 trans people in the military. Brian Sims marries his partner of four years at incredible weddingHe got married in a historic building and had a warm reception, despite the chilly weather.We havent seen a gay gang like this since West Side Story View this post on Instagram A post shared by Diego Badaracco. (@diebadaracco) Karine Jean-Pierre shows her daughter love at final White House briefingShe made history as the first out, Black press secretary ever to serve a U.S. president. Gay lawmaker surprises everyone by proposing to boyfriend after taking oath of officeEveryone cheered as he got down on one knee.A lesbian princess just helped end a bad Lithuanian lawThe stunning high court decision all began with a story about a magical princess and a shoemakers daughter. If you feel like your goose is already cooked this year, be like this wise bird View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hipsters Of New York (@hipsters_of_ny) Pope Francis gives blessing, allowing gay men to train for the priesthoodTheres just one BIG catchAmericas first gay rights group formed a century ago this yearBefore Stonewall and before the Mattachine Society, there was this groundbreaking group that youve probably never heard of. Oregons first LGBTQ+ treasurer sworn in by nations first lesbian governorElizabeth Steiner wants to double the percentage of kids in the state with college savings plans. Treat yourself to some golden-age quality Neopolitan ice cream! View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@1920aesthetic)From our sibling sites:OUTSPORTS:83% of NBA teams are hosting a Pride NightQUEERTY:This queer shepherd & his gay sheep are spinning gold on social mediaINTO:This 60-year-old photo of a lesbian near-kiss is part of Beatles historyGAYCITIES:Pittsburgh activists seek historic designation for former gay barSubscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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  • WWW.UNCLOSETEDMEDIA.COM
    As Biden Enters His Final Days in Office, Heres The Presidents Complete Track Record on LGBTQ Issues
    Photo by Adam SchultzSubscribe nowSenator Biden(The Morning News)Sept. 25, 1973Joe Biden is sworn into office at age 30 as the third youngest Senator of all time. When asked about gay rights by an activist, he responds, My gut reaction is that they are security risks.Biden and Helms (Office of Senator Joe Biden)Oct. 14, 1987Biden joins a majority of 94 to 2 to approve an amendment written by Senator Jesse Helms to prohibit the use of sexually explicit materials to promote AIDS education.(CSPAN)Nov. 17, 1993Biden votes with a majority of 77 to 22 to uphold an effective ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The ban remains in effect until President Obama signs its repeal in 2010.Uncloseted Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Sept. 10, 1996Bidenvoteswith a majority of 85 to 14 to pass the Defense of Marriage Act proposed by President Clinton, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman and specifies that states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.June 5, 2006Biden defends the Defense of Marriage Act in a TV interview, stating that marriage is between a man and a woman.Vice President Biden(CBS News)Oct. 2, 2008At the vice presidential debate against Sarah Palin, Biden reaffirms that he and Obama do not support redefining, from a civil side, what constitutes marriage, including recognizing gay marriage. However, he does voice support for civil rights for unmarried gay couples.(CNN)Nov. 19, 2010Biden says he and President Obama are pushing as hard as [they] can for a repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, which forbids non-heterosexuals from revealing their orientation while serving in the armed forces. This is a reversal of the position he took in 1993.(NBC News)May 6, 2012Biden becomes the first member of the Obama administration to reverse his stance on gay marriage, voicing support for it on live television. Many viewed this as Biden putting pressure on President Obama, who followed his vice presidents lead three days later.Biden FoundationScreenshot via Scripps NewsFeb. 1, 2017BidenlaunchesThe Biden Foundation, a nonprofit that supports progressive political goals, including LGBTQ rights. Biden and his wife Jill say the foundation will work to ensure that everyoneno matter their income level, race, gender, age or sexualityis treated with dignity and gets a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.(The Biden Foundation)President Biden(LA Times)Jan. 20, 2021On his first day in office, Biden signs an executive order outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A few days later, he overturns Trumps ban on transgender people serving in the military.(NBC News)Feb. 2021Biden appoints Pete Buttigieg as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Dr. Rachel Levine as the Assistant Health Secretary, making them the first openly gay cabinet member and first openly transgender senate-confirmed official, respectively. He later chooses Karine Jean-Pierre as the first openly gay press secretary.(PBS NewsHour)March 1, 2022At his second State of the Union Address, Biden tells trans children, Ill always have your back.(USA Today)June 15, 2022Bidensignsan executive order that tasks the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with writing model legislation to counteract the anti-LGBTQ bills moving through legislatures across the country. The order also directs HHS to determine whether federally funded programs can be required to stop performing conversion therapy.(CSPAN)Dec. 2022Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, overturning the Defense of Marriage Act he voted for 26 years earlier. As he signs the repeal, Biden declares, Marriage is a simple proposition: Who do you love?April 6, 2023Bidens Department of Education proposes a Title IX rule change that would block blanket bans on transgender athletes. However, the proposal contains exceptions that do not protect transgender athletes from being banned in many cases. These loopholes attract criticism from trans activists, who argue Bidens decision betrayed the trans community. The rule would later be delayed.(NBC News)May 11, 2023Bidens Food and Drug Administration ends a 38-year ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis praises the new policy as the beginning of the end of a dark and discriminatory past rooted in fear and homophobia.Jan. 10, 2024Bidens HHS overturns a Trump-era rule that allowed doctors to discriminate against LGBTQ patients. HHS Director Xavier Becerra calls the new policy another promise delivered by President Biden.(CBS News Texas)April 19, 2024Biden passes a Title IX rule change, expanding protections for LGBTQ students from discrimination in school. Advocates for Trans Equality call the changes a huge step forward and say they were desperately needed. Unlike the previous Title IX proposal, this change does not address student athletics.July 2, 2024In a statement to The 19th News, a White House spokesperson says that gender-affirming surgeries should be limited to adults but that they continue to support other forms of gender-affirming care for minors, including Hormone Replacement Therapy and prepubertal blockers.Sept. 18, 2024Biden sits down with Christopher Kane of the Washington Blade, an LGBTQ news outlet based in D.C. Biden is the first sitting president to be interviewed by an LGBTQ news organization, and he praises the community for the gains it has made since the Stonewall riots.Subscribe nowDec. 4, 2024Biden awards a grant to a first-of-its-kind program for LGBTQ people with eating disorders.Dec. 24, 2024Biden signs a nearly $900 billion defense bill that contains provisions restricting gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. Biden signed the bill while saying he strongly opposes the restrictions within.Jan. 14, 2025In Bidens final week in office, a Gallup poll finds that LGBTQ rights were the only issue where most Americans said they believed more progress had been made than lost under the four years of his administration.Additional reporting by Nico DiAlesandroIf 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 Media
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    Churches come together to celebrate love at Big Gay Wedding event
    Three Unitarian churches in Rochester, New York, came together last weekend to host the Big Gay Wedding event, a free opportunity for LGBTQ+ couples, many of whom are fearful that marriage equality will be in jeopardy under the next administration and are rushing to get married before inauguration day. The event was hosted by the First Universalist Church of Rochester, the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua and bolstered by donations of cake, photography, and flowers from local vendors. Related Gay couple dressed as Disney princes get engaged in heartwarming fairy tale proposal Sorry Belle and Jasmine, these boys are taken. Headlines and state legislatures are looking to repeal same-sex marriage and marriage equality, Unitarian Church of Rochester lead minister Shari Halliday-Quan told Spectrum News. We thought, great. One of the things churches do really well is rites of passage like weddings. And so thats the thing that we, the Unitarian Universalist congregations, can offer. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Rev. Lane-Mairead Campbell, Minister of the First Universalist Church of Rochester, told WXXI that the event was a way that we could provide some certainty for our community and be able to provide some space to be able to get married legally, safely, quickly, inexpensively.Caliana and Angeles Rolon Torres are one couple who were married at the event. Caliana said being able to marry without financial burden means the world. The fact that we can do something like this, and theres any organization doing something like this that enables people to get married, not only for free, but also before people are worried about it and things like that, is incredible. Like, outside of the marriage itself, the fact that this is happening is an amazing concept.Halliday-Quan told WXXI that creating safe and affirming spaces matters deeply. Were helping couples secure rights that theyre worried will be taken away. We all hope that that wont be the case. But what I want folks to know, and what I think today really celebrates and uplifts, is that queer and trans people have a place in our community, that you are loved and worthy.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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    Darkness has always been a part of our story. But so has light.
    A major tenet of liberation is having the freedom to define oneself and not be defined by others. This includes the ability to live freely, unencumbered by a societys hegemonic attitudes of who deserves to be accorded rights and privileges based primarily on social identities or adherence to dominant ideologies.Societies construct isolated and often dangerous places referred to as closets in some cases for those who are marginalized because they do not conform to social mandates. Related The modern presidency includes being Consoler-in-Chief. Donald Trump cant handle that. Trump is more interested in pitting people against each other than uniting the nation in hard times. Individuals and organizations have employed religion to justify the marginalization, harassment, denial of rights, persecution, oppression, and murder of entire groups of people based on their social identities. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today At various historical periods, people have applied religious texts to establish and maintain hierarchical positions of power, domination, and privilege over certain individuals and groups.We have seen this throughout the Christian world, from Roman Emperors Constantine I and Theodosius to the Spanish Inquisition to Queen Elizabeth I of England to Colonial America to Nazi Germany to the present.Living openly and proudly as a queer Ashkenazi Jew (one of eastern European heritage), I am aware of my minoritized social status in the United States both from personal experience and from my understanding of history and also through what authorShelby Steelerefers to as enemy memory or oppression mentality, an intense awareness by traditionally marginalized peoples that this oppression can surface again at any time, regardless of how good conditions may appear at any given moment in history. Each year for a series of eight nights, as Ilightthe candles on my Hanukkah menorah, an image of another time comes to mind: a photo of a menorah at a window with a view of a Nazi flag waving across the road. Taken by Rachel Posner, wife of Rabbi Akiva Posner, in Kiel, Germany in 1931, the picture portends the eventual destruction of European Jewry.According to Jewish tradition, we place our menorahs in the window to share publicly thelightand hope of the holiday and to symbolically reenact the miracle of light. It shows a declaration of our faith to wider communities.The menorah holds significant historical roots dating back to ancient times. Deriving from the Temple in Jerusalem, the menorah is a multi-branched candelabrum used for ceremonial purposes and not only during Hanukkah. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival ofLights, celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. During this joyous remembrance, families gather tolightthe menorah, adding one candle each night for eight consecutive nights.Just over one year after Rachel Posner snapped her iconic picture, the Nazi Party won a majority of seats in the German Reichstag (Parliament) by a plurality of votes, and Adolf Hitler became Chancellor. He then took the title ofFhrer und Reichskanzlerin 1934.Increasingly throughout Germany, and eventually within its conquered occupied territories, the Nazi regime took many rights from Jews, including the right to safely display their faith through their cherished symbols like menorahs. The Nazis extinguished this traditional beacon of resilience, hope, faith, and the triumph oflightover darkness. Looking over the enormously expansive history of anti-Jewish oppression the longest hatred, as writer Robert S. Wistrich calls it a recurring pattern emerges from conversion (you cannot live among us as Jews), to expulsion (you cannot live among us), to extermination (you cannot live).We see this cycle clearly in Medieval Spain. The Catholic Church forced all Jews to convert in 1391 c.e. These converted baptized Jews were referred to as Marranos (meaning swine). The Church accused them of secretly remaining true to their Jewish faith and practicing their traditions underground, including lighting their sacred menorahs.Spanish Christian theologians devised the doctrine ofLimpieza de Sangre(purity of the blood), whereby baptized Jews remained Jewish in the view of the Church and therefore were considered a danger to society. Thereafter, the Church forbade baptized Jews from practicing medicine, surgery, or pharmacy because they believed they would attempt to murder Christians.In 1412 in Spain, Bishop Pablo de Santa Maria introduced theLaws of Valladolid, where he decreed that Jewish districts were to be enclosed and placed under strict control. Jews were forced to wear certain patches on their clothing distinguishing them as Jews.The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition (Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicin) was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Thomas de Torquemada was the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. The Church saw theMarranosas a problem, and it burned many to death in what the Church justified as anauto da f.Theauto da f (in Medieval Spanish, act of faith) represented the ritual of public penance of condemned heretics and apostates during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions.King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella drove the last Jews from Spain and Portugal since Jews were no longer needed for the economic roles they once filled. Jews were expelled from Spain on July 31, 1492, when the Alhambra Decree took effect.Christopher Columbus departed from the port of Palos rather than the port of Cadiz, which was filled with ships evacuating Jews from Spain. Much of the funding for his voyage was money the Spanish monarchy confiscated from the Jews. In Spanish-controlled Mexico, historians found 61 volumes of manuscript records on Inquisition trials. One trial involved Miguel Hernandez de Almeida on the charge of Judaising Heresy in 1590. Another involvedMariana de Carabejal, who was accused and convicted of Judaising Heresy, and burned in anauto da f.Historians have located more than 9,000 trials of Judaising Heresy brought against so-called Marranos between 1500 and 1700. Many of the accused were found guilty and burned.As a side note: the term heresy is taken from the Greek, , (hairesis)meaning choice. It was used in the early Roman Christian Church as a crime against the empire, and aheretic was a person who opposed established beliefs or customs. Today, I have the privilege of safety to forthrightly and proudly display my menorah at my windows edge. I know that the Jewish people have not always had this right and privilege, as many may still not have today.I hope, however, that we all join together to uphold andextendthelightduring these times of eclipse attempted by the political and theocratic right by working to empty and dismantle all remaining closets where religious minorities, LGBTQ+ people, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, seniors, and so many other socially marginalized people are often forced to hide.Let the sun return fully to our lives and to our countries.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
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