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The photography project DRAG is a vibrant visual exploration of the diverse makeup styles within drag culture from high glamour to punk and everything in between. Shot with an editorial beauty lens, the series pulls in close to capture the intricate artistry and technique behind each look.The project features a star-studded cast including Luxx Noir London and Robin Fierce from RuPauls Drag Race, Jay Kay and La Zavaleta from Dragula, along with a wide range of NYCs top drag talent.In this project, photographer Jason Kim and creative director Missleidy Rodriguez have come together to spotlight drag performers in a way that feels elevated, intimate, and powerful positioning drag not just as performance, but as high fashion and art.See photographs from DRAG ahead as well as a short film to accompany the project.Creative Director: @missleidyrodriguez @jimi_urquiagaPhotographer: @jasonkimstudio Producer: @citrinecash Stylist: @katj.nyc Production Assistant: @chanceybridges Casting: @jimi_urquiaga Studio: @pier59studios Makeup Sponsor: @maccosmetics @macpro Tight + Glove Sponsor: @welovecolors Talent:@missleidyrodriguez @jazzmint.dash @la.zavaleta @herecums.trouble @luxxnoirlondon @therobinfierce @vickyveenyc @itsangelau @jaykay.bk @pleaseryyy @jaxona_lee Jay Kay@jaykay.bkMissleidy Rodriguez@missleidyrodriguezLuxx Noir London@luxxnoirlondonTrouble@pleaseryyyPleaseryVicky Vee@vickyveenycJazzmint Dash@jazzmint.dashAngel Au@itsangelauRobin Fierce@therobinfierceJaxona Lee@jaxona_leeLa Zavaleta@la.zavaleta

Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space and she was a groundbreaker and trailblazer, paving the way for many women after her but that was only one part of her story. In the National Geographic documentarySally, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker [...]The post Sally Docu Filmmakers Cristina Costantini and Lauren Cioffi Talk Ambition, Sacrifices of Trailblazing Queer Icon first appeared on GLAAD.

World Pride 2025 in Washington, D.C. was many things: a global celebration, a political statement, a joyful rebellion. But through the music, the panels, the parades, and the rooftop laughter, one truth stood out clearly for us, Ty Ballard and Alexander King, Junior Associates on GLAADs Communities of Color and Media team: Black queer women [...]The post DC World Pride: A Black Queer Womens Perspective first appeared on GLAAD.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday observed every June 19 that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Here's a look at how it came to be.Why is Juneteenth celebrated on June 19? Photo of handwritten record showing General Orders, Number 3, issued by United States Major General Gordon Granger, June 19, 1865. The date of Granger's issuance of the order is now celebrated as Juneteenth.Photo courtesy of National Archives/Getty ImagesThat was the date in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that slavery had been abolished. Texas was the last state where it was being practiced, and communications being what they were at the time, word had not reached there until then.President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation September 22, 1862, and it took effect January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in all states that had seceded and joined the Confederacy not that it was possible to enforce it universally, as the Civil War would continue nearly two and a half years longer. Gen. Robert E. Lee, the top Confederate commander, surrendered in April 1865, but Confederate forces in the west kept on fighting, finally surrendering on June 2. By then, many Southerners had brought the people they held in slavery to Texas, considered out of the reach of the Union Army.Granger "had no idea that, in establishing the Union Army's authority over the people of Texas, he was also establishing the basis for a holiday, 'Juneteenth' ('June' plus 'nineteenth'), today the most popular annual celebration of emancipation from slavery in the United States," historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. wrote in an essay published a few years ago on The Root and PBS.org.How was Juneteenth initially celebrated? Black History posters in Kelly Ingram Park for the Juneteenth Celebration in June 2008 include posters for Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr, the Black Panthers, BB King, and Fannie Lou Hamer.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesLife remained brutal for formerly enslaved Black people in Texas and elsewhere long after the end of the Civil War. In Texas, some slaveholders didn't deliver the news to the people they held in bondage or simply failed to treat them as free, even though Granger's proclamation said former slaves should be considered "hired labor" and paid wages. African Americans who left their former masters were often hunted down and killed. The post-Civil War era known as Reconstruction allowed African Americans to exercise some political and economic rights, including voting and running for office. But the end of Reconstruction in 1877, with the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, meant there was no longer enforcement of any laws conferring those rights. Black people were disenfranchised, and many had to work as sharecroppers on the plantations where they had been enslaved. Racism was enshrined in laws, and lynching the murder of Black Americans for any perceived transgression became common.But Black Americans persevered. In 1866, those in Texas celebrated the first anniversary of Juneteenth. The observances became a fixture in Texas over the succeeding years, with celebrants dressing in their finest clothes and gathering for a feast along with games, religious services, speeches, and political organizing. When white officials banned access to certain public parks, Black residents established their own spaces.African Americans in other parts of the U.S. sometimes celebrated emancipation on other milestone dates September 22 or January 1 for the Emancipation Proclamation, January 31 for Congress's passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, abolishing slavery throughout the nation (a few states that allowed slavery had not seceded and were therefore not affected by the Emancipation Proclamation), or a few other dates. But as Black Texans migrated to other states, they brought the Juneteenth tradition with them plus the date was one that usually promised good weather for outdoor events.Juneteenth observances waned somewhat by the mid-20th century, as a romanticized, hugely inaccurate view of the antebellum South had spread through the nation, and racist laws and attitudes endured. But interest in the date was renewed in the 1960s with the civil rights movement. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had been planning a Poor People's March, highlighting class inequality, at the time of his assassination in April 1968. His colleagues went ahead with the plan, but the march was not as large as they had hoped, so they ended it ahead of schedule on June 19, 1968. That brought new attention to the date's significance, and since then Juneteenth has been celebrated widely.How did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? A nine-foot statue of former Texas Rep. Al Edwards, who proposed the 1979 legislation to make Juneteenth a paid Texas State holiday, is erected on the grounds of Ashton Villa.Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty ImagesIt was a state holiday first. Texas passed a bill in 1979 making it a state holiday; the bill's champion was Rep. Al Edwards, who became known as "Mr. Juneteenth." More than 40 other states and the District of Columbia went on to give Juneteenth some form of recognition, but few had made it a paid holiday.Then in 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. The bill's leading sponsors included Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts. Before Kamala Harris became Biden's vice president, she had championed the action as a U.S. senator. Support for making Juneteenth a federal holiday had gained momentum after the widespread outrage over the murder of Black man George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.Biden said signing the bill was "one of the greatest honors I will have as president." He noted that Opal Lee, an activist who had pushed tirelessly for the move, was present at the ceremony, and he pointed out that establishing the holiday was merely a step toward equality. "We can't rest until the promise of equality if fulfilled for every one of us in every corner of this nation. That to me is the meaning of Juneteenth," Biden said.

Erik Shoji has spent a decade spiking balls on the worlds biggest stages for the US men's volleyball team, and now hes sharing something even more personal. In a video posted to both his Instagram and TikTok pages, the 35-year-old libero sat beside his snoozing labradoodle and said plainly, Im here to tell the world today that I am queer.Shoji admitted the moment felt scary, but freeing at the same time, noting that self-acceptance took longer than he expected. Im stronger, more confident, and more sure of myself than Ive ever been, he added, eyes shining. Given who I am and the platform that I have, this is my moment, and Im so excited to move forward after this.The Hawaii native has captained the U.S. mens national team since 2025, but has racked up Olympic bronze medals in Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, plus two FIVB World Cup golds. Off-court, hes a TikTok influencer known for wholesome roommate bits and behind-the-scenes vlogs from pro stints in Germany, Russia, Italy, and, most recently, Polands powerhouse ZAKSA.Support for his announcement poured in within minutes. USA Volleyball commented, Proud of you, Erik were honored to stand with you, always. Fellow Olympian Merrick McHenry, himself an out gay athlete, wrote, Thank you for being you! Volleyball Nations League, Mizuno, and a roster of international stars echoed the love.Outside of McHenry, Shoji also joins the ranks of Kyle Friend, Tim Brewster, and Justin Lui as one of the out professional gay volleyball players.Shoji hopes the news shows younger players they can thrive without hiding. Moving forward means feeling completely free and myself, he said. I want my life to feel like I have one life, and saying this brings it all together.See on InstagramThat next chapter starts on June 25, when the U.S. hosts China in Chicagos VNL leg, Shojis first match since coming out. Expect the crowd to roar a little louder when No. 22 jogs onto the court as a world-class defender, now playing wide open.

Wet Hot Sniffies SummerWelcome to "Wet Hot Sniffies Summer."Sniffies, the popular queer cruising platform, has released its summer collection with this theme. From a release: "Because nothing says 'queer joy' like mesh, sweat, and horny cruising confidence.""This summers drop pays tribute to the sun-soaked chaos of early-2000s queer magsthink XY energy, poolside bravado, and DL surf bro realness. Shot by photographer James Emmerman, the campaign delivers summertime nostalgia through a lens thats playful, provocative, and proudly unfiltered.""The collection includes everything you need this summer; cropped jerseys, bro board shorts, muscle tanks, and our signature Sniffies caps letting dudes know youre ready to shoot your shot and game for whatever." "This gear was built for: 1) Locker rooms, not laundry day; 2) Beach paths, backrooms, and everything in between; 3) Looking hot while playing hard (or hardly playing).""Whether youre grinding it out in a cropped jersey or glistening poolside in board shorts, one things for sure: This summer will be the horniest on record."Live in NYC? Sniffies merch will be available at ANIMALs Queer Market on Sunday, June 22 from 27 p.m. at 307 Meeker Ave, Brooklyn.Otherwise, find the Summer 2025 collection at www.sniffieshush.com. And check out Sniffies at sniffies.com.

This story is brought to you by our partners at Matchmaking.comI couldnt help but wonder In a world of dating apps, algorithmic soulmates, and commitment-phobes disguised as brunch dates, was there still room for offline, old-fashioned matchmaking?Enter Cheryl Maida, a passionate, professional matchmaker in the business of love longer than most of us have kept a relationship alive past cuffing season. For 16 years, Maida has built relationships from the ground up no swipes, no catfishing, just deep conversations, highly customized matches, and an uncanny ability to see past the curated selfies and into the heart of what someone really wants.From her early days interviewing strangers in Florida Starbucks to now directing a national team at Matchmaking.com, Maidas love story with love itself is as real and rich as the matches she creates.I caught up with her to talk about gay dating pitfalls, first date faux pas, and why being too picky might be the one thing keeping Mr. Right (or Mr. Big) from ever showing up. Cheryl Maida, Matchmaking.com's Director of MatchmakingPhoto Courtesy of Matchmaking.comOUT: Lets start at the beginning. How did you go from recruiting for jobs to recruiting for love?Chery Maida: It started organically. I was a corporate recruiter right out of college. I loved helping people find jobs especially those who were stressed, burnt out, or in a rut. Then after raising my three boys, I needed something more, and my dad gave me the idea: Why not become a matchmaker? I started on my own 16 years ago literally with business cards. It was just me. A boutique business. I have gone to every Starbucks from Miami all the way to Jupiter, and I would meet people there, interview them, and they would come into my database.Thats an incredible origin story and now youre leading Matchmaking.com. What does your role look like today?I do thorough interviews with each client. The most important thing is to really learn who your client is, what theyre looking for, so we can make the appropriate matches.With over 16 years in the business, how has matchmaking evolved, especially for gay clients?When I started, the apps were just coming out. People were embarrassed to say they were on one. Now? Apps like Grindr are full of scammers or people looking for one-night stands. A lot of my gay clients are looking for longevity. They want something serious and they cant find that on an app.Theres a myth that youll just magically meet someone. What do you think about that?No single person is just going to come knocking on your door like, Hey, I heard youre single! Its equivalent to looking for a job. You dont sit at home and expect one to land on your doorstep. You get your resume out there. You start talking to people. Thats what its like to be single. You have to take steps.What challenges do you see gay men face in dating today?The biggest challenge seems to be finding men who are serious about finding something real. Thats what I think. Where do you find them? The answer is here Matchmaking.com. We recruit for every individual. No two clients want the same exact man.What makes a gay man ready for matchmaking and whats the process like?When someone fills out a profile, takes my call, sits down for the interview theyre ready. If someones just divorced or widowed, maybe they need more time. I want clients to go on that first date with a clear head and a full heart.Then, when we sign them up, its game on. We do a 45-minute interview. I ask very intimate questions age range, religion, political views, hobbies, sexual preferences. And yes, I ask if theyre a top, bottom, or vers, because chemistry matters and I want to save time. Then they get a professional photo shoot, and we begin recruiting. Within a week or two, Im already presenting matches.How do you help your clients manage expectations?I always say, if you wait to check everything off your list, youll be single forever. Its okay to have standards Im all about that but be realistic. You may think you want someone who is 65 with six-pack abs who makes X amount of money, but do you need that? Once people open up, thats when the doors start opening.Favorite success story with a gay client?I had a client who was a doctor very old-school and didnt sign up at first. But we stayed in touch. Eventually, he signed up, but was very selective. I said, Just trust me. Well learn from the first match. That first date? One and done. They hit it off, and theyre still together. If he didnt trust me, Id still be sending him people.Any first date advice for our readers?Dont be late. If youre meeting at 7, be there at 6:50. Put your phone away. Make eye contact. Be a good listener. Dress for the date the way you want someone to dress for you. And be a gentleman. Even if its not romantic, Ive had clients who became lifelong friends, business partners, travel companions. You can always get something out of a date.Final words for our single gay readers?There are so many more avenues than just the bars or the apps. Go to concerts or events. Get involved with the communities that align with your interests. And if youre really serious find a matchmaker who specializes. We will open you up to more than you think is out there. And its so promising.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a breakthrough medication that reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 96 percent.Gilead's Yeztugo, generic name lenacapavir (LEN), has been approved after highly successful trials in September found that it nearly eliminated the spread of the virus among patients, showing a 96 percent relative risk reduction versus bHIV (background HIV diagnosis rates).The drug is meant to be given as an injection by health care workers in clinics every six months. It is currently priced at $14,109 per injection, or $2,352 per month, according to NBC News. It remains unclear whether or not it will be covered by insurance."The approval of LEN is a much-needed boost for HIV prevention, given the strength of the science and the simultaneous disruption in HIV programs globally," Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, said in a statement. "But U.S. FDA approval is just one in a series of steps needed to ensure that injectable LEN can help reduce the 1.3 million new HIV infections that occur each year.""LEN for PrEP is poised to re-shape the HIV response, but only if today's approval is accompanied by bold, strategic, effective and equitable rollout that reaches the populations that need access," Warren continued. "Otherwise, the world risks squandering this PrEP opportunity, as it has with other PrEP options too often over the past 12 years."Lenacapavir's trials, known as Purpose 1 and Purpose 2, examined the frequency at which patients contracted HIV without the use of PrEP. Purpose 1 took place in June and measured the effectiveness of lenacapavir among cisgender women in sub-Saharan Africa.Purpose 2 included cisgender and transgender men, trans women, and nonbinary individuals who engage in sexual relations with partners assigned male at birth in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and the U.S. To compare effectiveness, 2,180 participants used lenacapavir and 1,087 participants used Truvada, another recent preventative drug from Gilead. There were only two reported incidents of HIV in the lenacapavir test group versus nine in the Truvada group.Ian L. Haddock, Founder and Executive Director of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, participated in Purpose 2 as a trial subject. He said in a statement that he is "honored to be part of this journey, and even more excited to help our communities navigate what comes next.""Being a part of the PURPOSE 2 trial was about more than just my own health, it was about opening a door for others like me," Haddock said. "In a region where stigma and systemic health inequities too often limit access to care, this injectable PrEP has the potential to transform how people protect themselves and reclaim agency over their sexual health."This story has been updated with additional information.

Are straight people taking another gay term and misusing it? Or are they simply expanding the boundaries of heterosexual sex?The Gilded Age star Morgan Spector is once again stirring up discourse about straight people (and tops and bottoms) with comments he made in a recent interview with GQ Hype. Spector was asked about accusations of queerbaiting he faced last year when he said he is "very much creatively a bottom" in a Los Angeles Times roundtable."Straight guys can't bottom?" Spector replied. "I mean, people can play with dominance and submission in heterosexual relationships. We're living in a moment now where we're exploding ideas of gender. We deconstruct, these things are not fixed. It's theater, baby. We're all playing in the same sandbox in a way."Ignoring the fact the real people can't queerbait, some in the queer community are questioning what exactly he meant by this. Spector could very well mean top and bottom in the way the gay community has long used the words, and if he does, good for him! However, his full quote indicates he might be conflating being a bottom with being submissive.His original comments also indicate this. "I'm very much creatively a bottom. Tell me what to do and just let me obey," he said.Many in the queer community are all too familiar with power bottoms and bossy bottoms who are the ones who do the telling what to do, and service tops who are more than happy to obey.We don't know how Spector meant the words, and we aren't here to speculate on the details of his sex life, but his comments do feel like a part of a recent trend of straight people taking "top" and "bottom" and conflating them with "dom" and "sub." (@) An example is a recently viral post on X where a woman is asked where her top is from. "Dress is from amazon and boyfriend is from hinge she replies.Girl, that is not a top. That is your straight boyfriend who is having straight sex with you. Have the straights gone too far? Has the word bottom lost its meaning?Like many queer terms, the words top and bottom are becoming more mainstream, and it's good to see straight people challenging heteronormative rules for sex. Still, I ask, is divorcing the terms from their gay origins and context a form of gay erasure?There is some definite crossover with BDSM and the gay leather scene in the origins of using bottom and top to denote sexual roles. However, bottom and top are not synonymous with submissive and dominant.According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "bottom" in a sexual context was first recorded in the 1970s in the context of gay BDSM relationships. There, it designated "the person who takes the more passive role in (esp. homosexual or sadomasochistic) sexual activity." Passive is defined here as "esp. the receptive partner in homosexual anal" sex.Another definition given is "the partner who is or prefers to be penetrated in intercourse between homosexual men."A straight man who is submissive and is penetrating his female partner in PIV sex, even if she is physically on top of him, is not a bottom. A straight woman having PIV (penis-in-vagina) sex with her male partner is not a bottom.By the '80s, the terms began to be more widely used in the gay community outside of BDSM contexts. In a 2020 Vice article, Ben Weil, who has a doctorate in social science, pointed out that during the AIDS crisis, top and bottom became more widespread identities in the gay community when each act was seen as having different risks associated with it."Many individuals disavowed bottoming entirely in order to identify as a top and therefore be relatively safer during the crisis," he said. "The logical outcome of this is that you had people identifying as bottoms as a counterpoint. So, that kind of HIV/AIDS risk discourse really helped to crystallize top and bottom as identity categories."The AIDS crisis was also a time when bottom-shaming was happening within the gay community, as it was seen as a riskier lifestyle for gay men. In many papers and studies examining how bottoms have been criminalized and shamed by culture and society, the word is defined as the receiving partner in gay anal sex.Joo Florncio, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and author of Bareback Porn, Porous Masculinities, Queer Futures said that, "historically, gays were the bottom. The top was not gay, they were men and just like all other men.""BottomsGay men who prefer to be penetrated, sexuallyare more stigmatized than other gay men, and may develop and experience identities differently than other gay, bisexual, or heterosexual men," write Craig M. McGill and Joshua Collins in their paper The Experience of "Bottoming": Considerations for identity and learning."Bottoms, or men who prefer to have receptive anal intercourse with other men, who may be gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men (GBMSM), are routinely stigmatized within and beyond LGBTQ+ communities," Richard Vytniorgu and Jaime Garcia-Iglesias write in their paper Bottom Shaming, Anxiety, and Sexual Wellbeing. "The major reason for this stigmatization is usually attributed to a perceived deficit in social and cultural standards of masculinity."Bottom is unquestionably not a slur, but for thousands of years men who receive anal sex have been oppressed for being bottoms. Going back to one infamous ancient Roman law, the lex Scantinia, Roman men were permitted to have intercourse with people of all genders, as long as they were from "less respectable" classes like sex workers, the poor, slaves, and foreigners, and as long as "he was the insertive partner."More recently, when a gay man is called a bottom, it is often meant in a derogatory or stereotyping way. It implies that a person is a sexual deviant, is effeminate, or is doing something "more gay" than their penetrating partner. Now, straight people are using the terms to make their relationships sound more interesting.The fact is: For gay men, bottoming is still illegal in many parts of the world. A man being submissive to his wife or a woman having PIV sex with her husband is not.The term bottom, meaning receiving partner in gay sex, doesn't only have negative baggage though. Within the gay community, the terms top and bottom have also long been used to signify that gay sex is different from straight sex. When a gay couple is asked, "Which one of you is the girl?" the answer is neither. If one partner is penetrating and the other is receiving, there isn't a boy and a girl; there is a top and a bottom.It is also a way for gay people to identify, communicate with, and relate to one another.Much like the Hanky Code or the gay slang language Polari, gay men could use the terms top and bottom to talk about sex openly in a way that they understood.Nowadays, we can also point to the existence of terms like "side," which means a gay man who prefers to have non-anal sex, and "oral top" and "oral bottom," which are similar to top and bottom, but in the context of oral sex. Those words back up the idea that bottom is referring, at least mainly, to anal sex.For many queer people, the word bottom has a lot of strong feelings associated with it, including Pride and history. To separate the word from those meanings is to do a disservice to the gay bottoms who have come before us (or after us, or at the same time, depending on the type of top involved).So the next time you use the word bottom, I hope you think of the thousands of years of anal sex that have led us to this moment.Mey Rude is a staff writer for Out.Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit out.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of Out or our parent company, equalpride.

Editor's Note: This interview took place before Kevin Aviance's hospitalization. We are delighted that he has recovered and look forward to sharing his journey at every bright moment!When Kevin Aviance speaks, he carries the electric vibrancy of someone who's seen the depths of the dance floor and returned brighter, bolder, and fiercely resilient. His voice and music have echoed across the clubs of New York City for decades and resonated deeply with queer audiences. Now, with the release of his newest single, "Beautiful," Aviance is celebrating an extraordinary revival and reaffirming the joyful connection he has long shared with his listeners. "People have such a connection with me, with the past, and I wanted to bring them back to that moment," Kevin reflects, describing the inspiration behind the new single. "Beautiful," an uplifting anthem affirming self-worth, was birthed almost effortlessly after initial hesitations and unexpected setbacks. "I am beautiful," he repeats like a mantra, a line spilling forth with heartfelt spontaneity during the creative process. Within half an hour, Aviance explains how he created a chorus that felt not only magical but deeply necessary. This recent moment of triumph is just one in a long career marked by memorable highs and challenging lows. One of those highs came in 2022 when Beyonc sampled Aviance's "Cunty" on her track "PURE/HONEY." "I passed out on the floor," he admits with a laugh, remembering the overwhelming response and embracing this profound moment of acknowledgment.Aviance is also no stranger to navigating tumultuous emotional landscapes. Parts of his story carry the scars of violence following a hate crime in 2006. Painful as it was, he highlights that not everyone is so lucky to survive these incidents: "Two other attacks happened right after mine. They were killed," he remembers. Part of his recovery led him to briefly reside in Florida, where a group of Jamaican women significantly contributed to his healing journey, imparting wisdom and strength to him. Returning to New York after several years, Aviance confronted a city transformed. With this shift comes the shifting landscape of the city's queer community, something he has embraced, noting the migrations to the Bronx and Brooklyn as the costs of living rise and cultural shifts reshape neighborhoods once central to queer life. Aviance remains firmly rooted in Manhattanspecifically, Harlemenjoying the simple pleasure of one of New York's enduring symbols: the bodegas. "I'm a real New Yorker," he proudly declares. But I also read something that lies underneath his declaration: a refusal to detach from the vibrancy that has defined his being.At the heart of this experience is someone who possesses deep self-awareness and firmly believes in the importance of radical self-care. "Every day for me is radical self-care," he declares. "I have to make an effort every day to look at myself in the mirror[tell myself] 'you're gonna have to press forward, and you're gonna have to not let things get to you.'" It's a conscious act whose existence within a Black queer body presents daily challenges and oppressive norms in today's environment. Still, Kevin makes the shift as a testament to survival and empowerment. At 56, Kevin is warmly embracing his evolving role as an elder in the community, later noting the loss of peers and mentors to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Today, he fills that void, providing wisdom and guidance to a younger generation. "I definitely don't have the handbook," he humorously admits, though fully aware of the decisive role he plays. Nevertheless, he hopes he can bring "the children" out over the coming weeks during his festival appearances and upcoming performances. Although an elder, this artist continues to embrace his craft with renewed passion and purposeand shows no signs of slowing down. As he continues to perform and release music, Kevin Aviance remains a fierce beacon of radical joy and resilience, passionately serving and playing for our community with heart and unwavering belief in the power of beauty, authenticity, and music. With every beat he drops, every song he sings, and every space he occupies, he vibrates with a message clear and profound: You are beautiful, powerful, and deserving of joy.

A beloved queer web series is coming back after seven years.Bloomers, created by Matt Palazzolo, is a web series that ran for two seasons, from 2012 to 2013, about a group of friends navigating sexuality and success in downtown Los Angeles. The show followed a group of seven friends running an underwear company, and garnered fans for its funny and heartfelt take on queer life and young adulthood.Sadly, before the third season was released, Palazzolo, who also starred in the show and was an LGBTQ+ activist, passed away unexpectedly while hiking in Australia. The series sat fully written and filmed, but unedited and unfinished, for nearly seven years before executive producer Evan Monheit finished the job.Now, it's coming back."I quit my day job and made it my mission to finish the series in Matt's honor," Monheit says. "I didnt realize it at that moment, but over the course of making the show, I was able to finally grieve for Matt and find some sort of closure. I had never gotten to say goodbye to him he was gone so fast and now I had an opportunity to spend all this time with him. Ive spent the last one and a half years serving as the entire post team (editor, composer, mixer, colorist, everything) to bring it to completion as faithfully as possible."Palazzolo starred in the series alongside Fernanda Espndola, Jay Ali, Nathan Frizzell, Swati Kapila, Kristin Barker, and Holly Holstein.Bloomers season 3, titled Bloomers The Lost Season, will release one to two episodes weekly on YouTube starting June 25.Check out the exclusive trailer for the third season below!

Black queer people have always been central to the fight for Black liberation. Though often omitted from mainstream historical accounts, their identities have informed their radical visions and sharpened their resistance. From the period immediately following emancipation to todays grassroots and digital movements, Black LGBTQ+ leaders have consistently redefined freedom, not just for themselves, but [...]The post Freedom Is Ours Too: Black Queer Visions of Liberation Since 1865 first appeared on GLAAD.

When Michael Rowlands Jr. was rushed into emergency surgery in January 2023, doctors discovered colorectal cancer that had silently advanced without symptoms. You know its cancer, right? he remembers the doctor saying at 5 a.m. Days later, the 26-year-old music teacher left a Texas hospital with a colostomy, 30 pounds lighter, and a cancer journey just beginning.Today, at 29, hes cancer-free, visibly transformed, and sharing his journey back to health and fitness with the kind of candor and wit thats made his social media presence resonate far beyond the LGBTQ+ community. I hated my body through chemo, he says. I hated looking in the mirror. So yeah, part of this is flipping the bird to cancer. I got a second chance.That second chance included six months of chemotherapy, two surgeries, and a colostomy reversal attempt that initially failed. Through his Instagram account @dressy.fitsfitness, he documented it all catheters, tubes, scars, setbacks and now shares his physical recovery and the tools that helped him rebuild emotionally and spiritually. Michael Rowlands Jr.courtesy Michael Rowlands1. Start slow. But start.The first thing that helped me was walking, Rowlands says. Not running, not lifting just walking. Movement matters. It got me out of bed and reminded my body we were still in this.Once his surgeon cleared him, he returned to the gym, picked up weights again, and rebuilt the strength chemotherapy had zapped over time. I was 205 when I entered the hospital in 2023, left after seven days at 175, he says. Finished chemo at 180. After the colostomy reversal, he bulked back up to 230 pounds. Then I slimmed down back to 180 on a cut, he says, chuckling. Muscle is hard to gain!2. Mindset isnt optional. Its the work.Rowlands credits his Pentecostal upbringing with shaping a powerful internal dialogue, even as hes moved away from organized religion. On his way to work every morning, he prays aloud in his car blessings, affirmations, rebukes against cancer and fear. Its my daily decree, he says. Even when I didnt believe it, I said it anyway. Because words have power.He encourages others to embrace whatever version of faith or mindfulness speaks to them. Speak life over yourself. Every day.3. Dont wait to get involved in your care.Rowlands knows his anatomy better now than he ever wanted to. I knew nothing before. Now I read every lab report, research my medications, and ask questions. I dont just say OK I want to know whats happening inside me.Theyre touching your insides, so you should know what theyre up to, he adds. He encourages young people to fight for early screenings. Lie to your doctor if you have to, he says half-jokingly. Tell them youve had blood in your stool. Get the colonoscopy. You cant assume youre fine just because youre young.4. Survival comes with scars. I still hated my scars, Rowlands says, pointing out the deep colostomy mark and port sites on his torso. They dont go away. People stare. But I had to reframe my mindset: These are my proof. This is my testimony. My victory.That reframing applies to dating too. Girl, my DMs stay full, he laughs. But most of those people wouldnt have messaged me two years ago. So Im focusing on self-love. Healing. Getting certified as a personal trainer. Im not looking for love Im building a life.5. Take photos, especially when you absolutely dont want to.Rowlands forced himself to take pictures even when he hated what he saw in the mirror. Take the photo, he said. Even if you feel like you look like shit. Youre going to want something to compare. It wasnt about vanity it was survival. He explained that progress is invisible in the mirror, but it shows up over time in your camera roll.For Rowlands, those photos became evidence of recovery and resilience. 6. Build your circle. Then trust it.Rowlands credits a small group of friends, especially his best friend, Cindy, for showing up. She lived across the street and would just come over and sit with me. We didnt always talk. But she was there. And that meant everything.His advice to others: Show up. Put the phone down. Be present. Thats what matters most to someone going through it.7. And finally: Yes, you can laugh. Whether its joking about his colostomy bag filling and making noise mid-sentence or crying over Ariana Grandes No Tears Left to Cry after ringing the chemo bell, Rowlands says humor helped him survive. I needed to find joy again, even in the middle of the worst year of my life. Do that.8. His message for others in the thick of it? Everythings going to be OK, he says. Youre not alone. Youll find your way out of this. And youll be stronger than you were before.This article is part of Out's July/Aug 2025 issue, which hits newsstands July 1. Support queer media and subscribe or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting June 19.

A Playful Post Sparks OutrageIt started, as so many 2025 stories do, with a post on social media.The multifaceted Angelica Ross posted a playful throwback selfie with Michael B. Jordan. The caption? An unmistakable wink: "To be clear you had no idea it was a date, but I was in Lalaland with you." Within hours, the likes climbed into five figures100,000+ likes as of this writingwith more than a million views, and Ross's DMs and comments turned into a minefield ranging from praise to jokes, smirking disbelief, and some death threats.Why? Because some could not believe a Black trans woman could ever be a source of attraction, especially as a supposed paramour of one of Hollywood's leading men. View this post on Instagram A post shared by A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross)Navigating Online Backlash To be clear, and reiterating for those in the proverbial back, Ross has and will continue to claim that this was all a fun, light-hearted throwback post. But for one reason or another, folks piled on her as fast as a sample sale. "I'm in the thick of it," she exhaled, equal parts weary and wickedly amused as she was still answering emails as we prepped for our interview. "I voluntarily assume the appropriate karma, as we say in Buddhism."Ross's calling and the karma that accompany her have not always been calm. From her breakout on Pose to her congressional flirtations and laser-focused advocacy, she has become a lightning rod for conversations that America can't decide whether to have or to ignore.But even she was stunned by the ferocity unleashed over one post."I didn't really know it was a thing until it was a thing," she stresses. "There were people that were in my DM saying, 'This is how you girls end up dead. You're next.'" What shook her most wasn't the predictable troll chorus; it was the swift rally by some Black queer folks to protect a cis, straight heartthrob they'd never met. "They felt like I was doing something that could harm Michael B. Jordan and his career," she remembers.The Complexities of AllyshipThat bias, Ross believes, is the tip of a very grim iceberg, reflecting the continued policing of Black trans bodies: our dreams, our determinations, and our desires. And while we may think it's the usual suspects, some of the sharpest daggers come from inside the (LGBTQ+ and Allied) house.Cue the receipts: she ticks off Democratic strategists who urged trans activists to "quiet down" during election season to those pundits and podcasters expressing a range of disdain from pronoun uses to drawing the line between the 'LGB' and 'T.' Most recently, reality TV grand dame Nene Leakes declared on her show in conversation with TS Madison that she'd never date a man who'd been with a trans woman. "Again, it's [sic] goes back to me saying, 'What is an ally?'" she muses. "Because Nene would consider herself an ally, right?" At the same time, Leakes and those like her teach audiences how to internalize transphobia, going so far as to question the sexuality of men attracted to trans women.A quick tip: Many don't identify as gay.Allyship to the community doesn't stop with the 'B,' and Ross refuses to let the word "ally" float by unchecked. Real support, she insists, is measured in risk and receipts: showing up when the optics get messy and funneling dollars directly into trans-led projects when corporate sponsors turn their backs.Community Resilience and Action She has recent evidence of what that looks like. After being quietly dropped from a booking this spring, Ross used Delta miles to fly herself to New York so her animated series Captain Zero wouldn't premiere without her at Tribeca, curated by Whoopi Goldberg. Fellow activist Daniella Carter housed her during the visit. Meanwhile, the Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) Collective underwrote a marathon day of podcast tapings featuring prominent trans New Yorkers. A scattering of individual trans and queer donors filled gaps left by backers.Time and time again, when trans folks are left out of rooms and opportunities, we don't wallow in the dust. We get up, turn inward to our fellow queer and trans siblings, and get things done. "And when you see what we were able to produce together, this is going to show you what community is," Angelica asserts.When asked if Michael B. Jordan or his team had reached out since the post, sadly, there was no response. Angelica hoped they would have at least made light of the matter as well, affirming the joke of it all. But, more importantly, to showcase allyship in practice. "Pride Month would have been a perfect moment for a little ally magic." She paused, giving a slight shrug, a mix of diva and student of Dharma. And even if he remains silent, the lesson still lands. Everyone who clutched pearls exposed their own bias, and maybe next time, they'll read the caption before they demean, bemoan, and threaten a Black trans woman's life.Think the Unimaginable; Dream the ImpossibleIn the meantime, Ross will continue to post, dream, and, most crucially, keep fighting. "The fight is here," she reminds me. "We won't win without everybody on board." Angelica has, and forever will, always be centered, whether the skies are clear or the trolls are circling.It seems like those within and beyond our community are determined in some form or fashion to police trans bodies now more than ever. And, for some, that impacts us to the point that we may minimize our aspirations. But what if the most radical thing we could do is keep dreaming in public? To keep celebrating our physical and emotional transformations at every stage, not just when society (or we) think our journey is complete. To post our partnersand, occasionally, the tradewithout emojis or pixelating their faces in fear of how society will see them.Do we not have the right to dare, dream, and fall in love in the daylight?Angelica Ross offers the answers, not just in theory but in action. Think big, post the selfie, and let whatever karma comes your way be your guide. Because the revolution, like the perfect date, always starts with an invitation to imagine more.

Twenty years after its original television debut on Logo, the groundbreaking series Noahs Arc is back with a brand-new movie and it feels more relevant than ever. Created by Patrik-Ian Polk, the iconic story follows Noah (Darryl Stephens), Alex (Rodney Chester), Ricky (Christian Vincent), and Chance (Doug Spearman), four Black men living and loving in Los Angeles but they arent so young and carefree anymore. Noahs Arc: The Movie sees the men juggling their elevated careers with fatherhood, mortality, grief, and the ever-changing political climate. Its interesting to be revisiting Noahs Arc during this current administration, star Darryl Stephens says. LGBTQ+ folks are fraught with lots of challenges at the moment. What Noahs Arc did in 2005, I hope it is able to do again in 2025.The legacy of Noahs Arc today is significant. Its a beloved and foundational text for many Black LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., who rarely see themselves and their community represented on TV with so much compassion, joy, and laughter. For many, it was a pivotal chapter in their own coming-out stories.People have told me that they used to hide in the closet with the TV and watch the show, or they would sit with the remote in their hand on the last channel buttons so if anyone walked in, they could very quickly click away, Polk says.Its return speaks to Noahs vital place (and need) in culture. Weve never lost faith, and certainly the fans have never forgotten the show, Polk adds. Thats been the most amazing thing, to see our original fans are still around and they love the show, but then younger people just continue to discover it. In Noahs Arc: The Movie, Stephens reprises his role as Noah, and Rodney Chester, Christian Vincent, Doug Spearman, Jensen Atwood, and Wilson Cruz all return to their roles. And reality TV stars Ts Madison and Kennedy Davenport join the cast alongside sitcom royalty Jasmine Guy (A Different World) and T.C. Carson (Living Single). Rodney Chester dons drag in 'Noahs Arc: The Movie.'Matt Miller/Paramount+Polk was pinching himself to have these icons of my childhood in the movie and has long felt an affinity for Carsons queer-coded Living Single character, Kyle. I know he had his whole relationship with Max, but it felt familiar to me, like kin to me, Polk says. I always appreciated the character. Getting to know the actor outside of Living Single, hes just so amazingly talented.And Stephens says he and costar Atwood, who plays Noahs husband, Wade, could not contain themselves while working with Guy. A Different World was biblical for me, he says.In the film, Noah and Wade struggle to balance their careers with fast-approaching fatherhood (theyre expecting twins), especially when an opportunity to work with the worlds biggest pop star comes into the picture. And Alex and Treys relationship with their teenage daughter, who is transgender, isnt as easygoing as expected.You might assume that the relationship between a trans teen and her gay dads would be harmonious, but its just as turbulent as every other family, reflects Polk. You think she would love having a fabulous drag diva parent, and she completely hates it. She completely rebels against it. She thinks drag is insulting to her trans identity. I just think its hilarious how it shows how universal parenthood is no matter who the child is, no matter who the parents are, what their sexuality or gender.The film also incorporates perhaps the most prominent Black gay story of 2020s pop culture. When Beyonc released her album Renaissance in 2022, she shared with the world the story of her Uncle Johnny, who introduced her to house and disco music and even worked on some of her costumes. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1998, just when her career with girl group Destinys Child took off.There are many Uncle Johnnys men who died of AIDS-related complications, whose stories were forgotten or even erased. Beyonc allowed others to honor and celebrate their legacy through music and community. And its tender to watch Noahs Arc interact with the story, with Polk hoping that Beyonc and her mother, Tina Knowles, see its reverential intent.Weve never seen that story told, says Polk. Weve seen white stories from A to Z, everything from The Normal Heart, An Early Frost, theres just a shit ton of theater, film, TV, every which way. Arguably, it affected our community more than anybody. Its almost a travesty that we have not seen it portrayed. For me, someone who lost an uncle to AIDS, I had my own Uncle Johnny. I was just so moved by the whole story.As Stephens points out, Noahs Arc was talking about HIV and AIDS and the way it was affecting us disproportionately back in the day. We were not pulling any punches around that conversation in 2005, he says. Even though Alex is no longer running the Black AIDS Institute and hes now running a drag bar, it felt like we really needed to continue talking about the legacy or the impact that that has had on us as a culture.These stories our stories feel more important to tell now more than ever, when the current administration is actively trying to erase LGBTQ+ identities and cut lifesaving funding to HIV services. The political landscape has shifted for the worse, says Stephens. Were standing on the shoulders of generations before us, and we hope that we are helping to teach the generations after us how to support each other and love each other through all of the shit we [are] about to go through, because its happening again. He hopes the film can remind people of the joy and importance of community and friendship. Obviously, its all over-the-top and camp and silly as hell, but theres also heart to it. I hope people appreciate it in this era of heartlessness.Meanwhile, Stephens is just so proud to be in something thats so Black and so gay that people cant stand it.Perhaps this isnt the end? The movie ends with a question mark and plenty of material to drive the story forward. Fans Polk and Stephens included are keeping their fingers crossed for more.Noahs Arc: The Movie premieres June 20 on Paramount+.This article is part of Out's July/Aug 2025 issue, which hits newsstands July 1. Support queer media and subscribe or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting June 19.

In a new interview with the Daily Mail, JoJo Siwa discussed her new relationship with her Celebrity Big Brother co-star, Chris Hughes, and the world's reaction to her dating a man after coming out as a lesbian.Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!Siwa told another contestant on Celebrity Big Brother UK that she felt "queer" was a better fitting label than lesbian as her and Hughes grew closer. Looking back, she clarified how she currently identifies."When I came out at 17, I said, 'Im pansexual, because I dont care [about gender].' But then I kind of boxed myself in and I said, 'Im a lesbian.' And I think I did that because of the pressure." When the interviewer asked her where that pressure came from, she said, "In a weird way, I think it came a little bit from inside the [LGBTQ] community at times. From people I know, from partners Ive had. You just get put in this world where you feel like, because you now have said, 'Oh, I'm a lesbian,' you have to be a lesbian. And the truth is, sexuality is fluid." See on Instagram Siwa and Hughes' relationship grew out of an interaction they had on Celebrity Big Brother after Hughes defended her against a homophobic interaction from actor Mickey Rourke. After that, their bond grew closer and blossomed into an on-screen romance that garnered thousands of comments on their relationship for days. Now, the two share photos of themselves cuddling together on vacation and declaring their love for one another.Some find her relationship hard to believe due to her over-the-top antics and her most recent attempt to shed the "child star" label. After coming out in 2021, she said she felt that her former television network, Nickelodeon, "made the conscious choice to forget about [her]," and she redirected her focus to making music.In 2024, Siwa released her song, "Karma," and called herself the "CEO of gay pop." She said during the interview that this era of her life was all "nonsense." Siwa admitted that she "faked being naughty for a year" and "faked that I was screwing people left and right," saying she "wanted attention." (@) After reflecting on the most pivotal moments of her career and what she's had to deal with, Siwa tells the Daily Mail that she would do everything the same way again if given the chance. "Ive already thought about it, and Im beyond happy with it all. If I could go back in time, I wouldnt change a thing. Really. Zero. I would change nothing," she said.

Its been 13 years sincePitch Perfectwas in theaters and what followed was two sequels, a television series and a lifelong friendship between actors Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp. The two star in the action comedyBride Hard as Sam and Betsy, respectively and they happen to be you guessed it best friends! Its [...]The post WATCH: Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp Talk Reuniting For Bride Hard, Their Real-Life Friendship, and Finding Support in the LGBTQ Community first appeared on GLAAD.

Can straight guys bottom?That's the question the internet has been asking this week after The Gilded Age star Morgan Spector was asked about comments he made last year, saying he was "creatively a bottom."In an interview with GQ Hype, Spector was asked what he meant by the comment.I just made a joke, thats really what it is!" he told the magazine. I like being able to use my intuition and my intelligence to plug into somebody elses ideas, learn their language, learn their way of communicating, figure out what the thing is that theyre trying to make, and then deliver that."I guess its more of being a service top, creatively, than being a bottom," he added.When asked for his response to some people's claims that the comments were queerbaiting, Spector replied, "Straight guys cant bottom? I mean, people can play with dominance and submission in heterosexual relationships."His comments ignited a firestorm online of people debating what "bottoming" means and if straight people can do it."There is some definite crossover with BDSM and the gay leather scene in the origins of using bottom and top to denote sexual roles. However, bottom and top are not synonymous with submissive and dominant," I wrote in an opinion piece for Out."A straight man who is submissive and is penetrating his female partner in PIV sex, even if she is physically on top of him, is not a bottom. A straight woman having PIV (penis-in-vagina) sex with her male partner is not a bottom."What do you think?Plus, keep reading for all the best pop culture news and our Gayest Song of the Week!- Mey RudeJoJo Siwa says she felt 'forced' to come out as a lesbianNoah's Arc is back! Here's why its Black queer representation matters in 2025Inside the fury over Angelica Ross's throwback pic with Michael B. JordanHow one gay man recovered from cancerin 8 stepsExclusive: Beloved queer web series 'Bloomers' returns 7 years after creator's passingKevin Aviance's 'Beautiful' return to lifeDear straight people: Stop identifying as tops and bottoms12 pics of Wet Hot Sniffies Summer merchGayest Song of the WeekWe wish we were dancing in the club to Kito, Cakes da Killa, and Born Dirty's exuberant and exciting new track "ECHO"!Subscribe to Out / The Advocate!Did you know you can get Out / The Advocate delivered to your door for just $9.95 a year? Sign up now!

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, June 18, issued a decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti, a closely watched case concerning the constitutionality of state-level bans on health care for transgender people. The ruling upholds such bans, allowing states to prohibit medical treatments for transgender people, even when those same treatments remain legal for people who [...]The post Supreme Court Upholds Tennessees Discriminatory Ban on Transgender Health Care for Youth in Skrmetti Ruling first appeared on GLAAD.

Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend. 1.) The acclaimed feature debut from lesbian writer-director Fawzia Mirza, The Queen of My Dreams hit theaters today! Produced by GLAADs Senior Consultant Andria Wilson, the pic follows [...]The post The GLAAD Wrap: The Queen of my Dreams in Theaters, Enigma and Jeanette Streaming, New Music by Joey Miceli, Wrabel, and More! first appeared on GLAAD.

Betrayal is a team sport!The production company behind lite has unleashed its new Netflix series, Olympo, which somehow manages to be even hornier and more chaotic than the show set in Las Encinas.Olympo centers on Spain's top athletes all living and training together at CAR (Centro de Alto Rendimiento Pirineos, which translates to Pyrenees High Performance Center in English). Between swimmers and wrestlers, this queer-inclusive series has quite a cast of gorgeous, sexy, and charismatic actors.Scroll through to learn more about the cast of Olympo, which is now streaming on Netflix.Agustn Della CorteSee on InstagramAgustn Della Corte, born in Paysandu, Uruguay, is 27 years old. He's a model, actor, and former rugby player who actually competed in the Men's Rugby World Cup in 2019. By 2020, however, he officially retired from the sport and focused on his acting career.Though he's still new to acting, Corte's breakout role came in the critically acclaimed Netflix film Society of the Snow, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2023. He played the character of Antonio "Tintn" Vizintn. Otherwise, Corte starred in movies like Linda and Papeles, and is making his TV debut as an actor on Olympo.Corte has 126,000 followers on Instagram (@agustindellacorte) as of this writing.Agustn Della Corte's character on Olympo.Agustn Della Corte plays Roque Prez on Olympo.Juan PeralesSee on InstagramWhile some fans might recognize Juan Perales as Bernat in the final season of lite, he didn't have as big of a presence as other lite alumni who have been cast in Olympo. Otherwise, the actor only had a brief appearance on 4 estrellas.Nonetheless, Perales is incredibly popular on social media: 39 million likes and 641,000 followers on TikTok, as well as 94,200 followers on Instagram.Juan Perales's character on Olympo.Juan Perales plays Sebas Senghor on Olympo.Nuno GallegoSee on InstagramNetflix audiences might recognize Nuno Gallego for his role as Hctor Krawietz in the eighth and final season of Netflix's lite. The actor, who's 23, also starred in TV shows such as UPA Next and Gangs of Galicia.Gallego is extremely popular on social media as well, with a total of 311,000 followers on Instagram (@nuno.gallego).Nuno Gallego's character on Olympo.Nuno Gallego plays Cristian Delallave on Olympo.Clara GalleSee on InstagramFrom Pamplona, Spain, Clara Galle is a 23-year-old actress with a huge Instagram following of 4.9 million fans keeping up with her through @claaragalle.Galle is best known for playing Raquel, the lead character in the Through My Window trilogy of films. She's also been on TV series like The Boarding School: Las Cumbres, Raising Voices, The Head, and Msticas.Clara Galle's character on Olympo.Clara Galle plays Amaia Olaberria on Olympo.Gleb AbrosimovSee on InstagramGleb Abrosimov was one of the biggest heartthrobs featured on lite, and he's now coming back to Netflix to star in Olympo. The actor also has an astonishing social media presence 198,000 followers on Instagram (@gleb.abrosimovv).Gleb Abrosimov's character on Olympo.Gleb Abrosimov plays Diego on Olympo.Nira OsahiaSee on InstagramNira Osahia is one of the newer actresses featured in the Olympo cast, and this could very well be her big break. As of this writing, Osahia has 5,600 followers on Instagram (@niraosahia).Nira Osahia's character on Olympo.Nira Osahia plays Zoe Moral on Olympo.Mart CorderoSee on InstagramBorn in Granollers a municipality within Barcelona, Spain Mart Cordero is one of the most experienced stars in the Olympo cast. The 23-year-old actor has been on TV series like 4 estrellas, Las invisibles, and Fcil. He's also starred in films such as Quin es quin? and Viaje de fin de curso: Mallorca.As of this writing, Cordero has 20,700 followers on Instagram (@marti_cordero).Mart Cordero's character on Olympo.Mart Cordero plays Charly Lago on Olympo.Najwa KhliwaSee on InstagramMore than 26,300 fans follow Najwa Khliwa on Instagram (@najwakhliwa). The actress is best known for appearing on projects from writer/director Carlos Cabero. In 2024, she also starred in a film titled Menudas piezas, in which she played Claudia.Najwa Khliwa's character on Olympo.Najwa Khliwa plays Ftima Amazian on Olympo.Nico Furtado, a.k.a. Nicols FurtadoSee on InstagramNico Furtado has 2.3 million followers on Instagram (@furtadonico). At age 37, he's starred in projects like Goyo, El marginal, Felices los 6, Bandidos, and Somos Famlia.Nico Furtado's character on Olympo.Nico Furtado, a.k.a. Nicols Furtado, plays Hugo Teixeira on Olympo.Andy DuatoSee on InstagramAndy Duato is known for her performances on shows like A qu ests esperando?, HIT, and Bellas Artes. The 26-year-old actress currently has 8,900 followers on Instagram (@andyduato).Andy Duato's character on Olympo.Andy Duato plays Renata Aguilera on Olympo.Jess RubioSee on InstagramBetween starring in movies like The Quiet Maid, The Key Game, and Cuando florezca el cerezo, Jess Rubio was also featured on TV shows such as Zorras and ByAnaMiln. On Instagram (@jesus.rubio.act), Rubio currently has 4,700 followers.Jess Rubio's character on Olympo.Jess Rubio plays Iker Delallave on Olympo.Laura UbachSee on InstagramLaura Ubach is an up-and-coming actress who played Telma on The Girl in the Mirror and Laura in Terribilit. On Instagram (@lauraubach), Ubach is followed by 2,700 fans at the moment.Laura Ubach's character on Olympo.Laura Ubach plays Clara "Peque" Casals on Olympo.Juan Lpez-TagleSee on InstagramJuan Lpez-Tagle's career includes TV shows and movies like Pequeas coincidencias, The Warning, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, and Wrong Side of the Tracks, among others. At this time, the actor has 3,800 followers on Instagram (@juanlopez_tagle).Juan Lpez-Tagle's character on Olympo.Juan Lpez Tagle plays Jacobo Fuentes on Olympo.Mara RomanillosSee on InstagramAt just 21 years old, Mara Romanillos has had an impressive career that includes projects such as Queer You Are, Paraso, The Consequences, Antidisturbios, 13 Exorcisms, and Staring at Strangers, to name a few.Romanillos currently has 9,300 followers on Instagram (@maria.romanillos).Mara Romanillos's character on Olympo.Mara Romanillos plays Nuria Brges on Olympo.Mario de la RosaSee on InstagramFans will recognize Mario de la Rosa from various memorable roles over the years, like Esteban Ruiz in 2019's Hellboy, Surez on Money Heist, Mario in A Sudden Case of Christmas, Toti Cuervo in El cuartito, and Manuel on Welcome to Eden.The actor has 181,000 followers on Instagram (@mariodelarosa.act).Mario de la Rosa's character on Olympo.See on InstagramMario de la Rosa plays Javier Montes on Olympo.Melina MatthewsSee on InstagramMelina Matthews's best-known roles include Sister Shannon on Warrior Nun, Nria on Iron Reign, Juana on La peste, and Elena on El mal invisible. She's also been in films such as More the Merrier and The Room Next Door.On Instagram (@melmtthws), Matthews has over 11,000 followers.Melina Matthews's character on Olympo.Melina Matthews plays Jana Castro on Olympo.Alexandra ProkhorovaSee on InstagramOriginally born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Alexandra Prokhorova has been living and working as an actress in Spain for many years.With just over 4,300 followers on Instagram (@alexandra_prokhorova_actress) right now, Prokhorova is best known performances include projects like 70 Big Ones, Siclia sense morts, In From the Cold, Valeria, Mercado Central, and Segunda Muerte, to name a few.Alexandra Prokhorova's character on Olympo.Alexandra Prokhorova plays Svetlana on Olympo.Watch: Official trailer for OlympoOlympo is now streaming on Netflix.

Happy New Music Friday!It's Friday, and we've been blessed with a fresh batch of new music by our favorite LGBTQ+ (and adjacent) musicians. Cardi B is back "Outside" with a vengeance on her new diss track, JADE doesn't want to know about a lover's past on "Plastic Box," KATSEYE whips out Spanglish for their scandalous new track, and Lorde feels more free than ever before on "Hammer."Meanwhile, kwn has released a gorgeous EP for the grown and sexy sapphics, SOPHIE has released another posthumous album more experimental than the last, and Keke Palmer just dropped an entire visual album for her vulnerable new EP Just Keke.Scroll through to listen to this week's best new bops!"back of the club" - kwnR&B star kwn's debut album with all due respect is out now, and "back of the club" is a sensual song for a lover. "Hammer" - LordeLorde's experimental new era continues to push boundaries and "Hammer" is some of her most vulnerable work yet. "Just Keke" - Keke PalmerKeke Palmer has released a visual album for her new EP Just Keke featuring Issa Rae, Tayla Parx, and her family."Plastic Box" - JADEJade calls this "happy-sad pop song" one of her "favourite songs I've ever written.""Gabriela" - KATSEYEEscandalo! KATSEYE brings the telenovela drama to their new Spanglish song "Gabriella" with a music video featuring Jessica Alba. "Outside" - Cardi BCardi B returns to the streets on her new diss track for all the f-boys out there."future" - WRABELWrabel is imagining a "future" with a lover in his fateful new ballad. "GET HIGHER" - SOPHIENew posthumous music from hyperpop pioneer SOPHIE is deliciously chaotic."Papasito" - KAROL GKarol G's bisexual summer continues with "Papasito.""Ghosts" - YUNGBLUDYUNGBLUD's epic rock opera album IDOLS has arrived."Attention" - Kesha, Slayyyter, Rose GrayDo they have your attention? Kesha, Slayyyter, and Rose Gray bring the heat on "Attention.""Easy" - Bonnie McKee, DreamkidPop songstress Bonnie McKee is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of her Bombastic EP with a special edition and remixes to her songs."Come With Me" - Ricky AschRicky Asch's here to lure you to the dark side in his glossy pop boy era.Here's the playlist!

Last week, GLAAD released its 2025 Studio Responsibility Index study, which maps the quantity, quality and diversity of LGBTQ characters in films released by ten top major motion picture distributors during the 2024 calendar year. Alarmingly, only two animated/family films counted in 2024 were LGBTQ-inclusive, just eight percent of total animated/family films this represents [...]The post Inclusion in Family Films Dropped in 2024; These Stories Illuminate a Path Foward first appeared on GLAAD.

Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Marvel is emerging from its period of inundating audiences with superhero fatigue. It slowed down on bombarding people with multiple movies and television shows a year, giving people a moment to catch up on all the alternate universes and major plot points. Now, the entertainment behemoth is ramping up the storylines with new projects, including Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts (which introduced the New Avengers), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!Adding to the exciting crop of new material from Marvel is the long-awaited television series, Ironheart. The show, centered around Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne), has had a long journey on its way to our television screens, but it's finally arrived. Audiences are getting a deeper look into Williams's story after being introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.The show was created amid multiple changes at Marvel the company was re-evaluating its content output, and Jonathan Majors's domestic violence trial and subsequent ousting from the franchise threw the entire entertainment behemoth for a loop. Marvel was set to release the show in 2023, but they reduced the number of live-action shows from three to two per year, and Ironheart was not included in the initial release. Instead, the series was pushed back to the following year. The 2023 Hollywood writers' and actors' strike was another obstacle for the show, delaying its premiere even more to June 2025.On top of this, Majors (who played the MCU's central villain Kang the Conqueror) was dropped from Marvel after being convicted on two misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment. This meant that instead of the timeline leading up to an Endgame-level war with Kang (and all his variants), the story had to be restructured. Audiences are given glimpses of what's to come with hints in each Marvel project, but the timeline is starting to take shape with the events that have already taken place.And yet, may get a nice, neat bow with Ironheart as it serves as the conclusion of Phase Five of the MCU. Here's everything you need to know, or remember, before watching Ironheart, which hits Disney+ on June 24.Who is Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart?Riri Williams was first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the MIT student attempting to build her own version of the Iron Man suit. She was recruited by Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), who assumes the role of Black Panther following the death of her brother T'Challa (played by the late Chadwick Boseman).Shuri and the Wakandans are up against the Talokan, led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who has discovered that the U.S. government possesses technology that can locate a vibranium deposit deep in the ocean. He suspects that the Wakandans must have been involved and asks them to hand over the scientist who aided the expedition team in crafting the technology used to find the vibranium.Shuri learns that the scientist was Williams, who was in the middle of her time at MIT. Namor proposes that the Wakandans and Talokans forge an alliance against the world, and says he will destroy Wakanda if they refuse. They do, and Namor attacks. Williams played a crucial part in the fight against the Talokan after she built an Iron Man-like suit. This is the last we see of Williams in the MCU until her standalone show is released.What do we know about the plot and cast of Ironheart so far?Marvel is notoriously secretive about the plot points for their projects, so with the two trailers that were released, we have an idea of what to expect.In the two trailers, we see Williams being recruited by a mysterious man who wears a hood, played by Anthony Ramos. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ramos is portraying Parker Robinson, also known as The Hood. In the comics, this character wears a cloak that grants him access to the dark arts, and it appears that he and Riri combine their powers: His magic and her new suit (built after she left her former suit in Wakanda). It's unclear exactly what the two are working on together, but they seem to be driven by their ambition.In addition to Ramos, there are a few other exciting cast members to note: RuPaul's Drag Race legend Shea Coule plays a character named Slug; Manny Montana from Good Girls is set to play Robinson's cousin John; Alden Ehrenreich is playing a character named Joe McGillicuddy; and Lyric Ross joins the cast as Natalie, Riri's best friend.Sacha Baron Cohen is also a part of the show in an undisclosed role, which many are guessing to be the long-awaited rival of Mephisto. In the comics, he is the father of Wanda's (the Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen) two children, Tommy and Billy, who are later known as Speed and Wiccan the latter of whom was introduced in Agatha All Along and portrayed by Joe Locke.What are the Young Avengers and how do they fit into the MCU?Speaking of Ironheart and Wiccan, we should briefly discuss the Young Avengers. There's so much talk of team-ups in the MCU we just got the anti-hero group in Thunderbolts* turn into the New Avengers, the next Marvel movie due out in July is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and there's talk of the X-Men franchise being introduced to the MCU. Nonetheless, a group is already starting to form, with all its members introduced, and that's the Young Avengers.In the comic book, they are a group of teenagers who are either directly related to (or inspired by) the original Avengers, and who team up to defeat villains. At the end of 2023's The Marvels, we see Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) tell Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) that she wants to form a team and it's pretty clear that it will be the Young Avengers. That team will likely come together for 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, or 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars.In addition to those two characters, we have already introduced to the other members in other projects: Kid Loki in Loki, Cassie Lang in Ant-Man, Hulkling in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Wiccan in Agatha All Along, Eli Bradley (who seems to be gearing up for the role of Patriot) in Falcon and the Winter Solider, America Chavez in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and now Ironheart with her standalone show.

Just shy of one year since his arrest, Justin Heath Smith the adult film performer known professionally as Austin Wolf pleaded guilty Friday in a Manhattan federal courtroom to a felony charge of enticing a 15-year-old boy to engage in sex.Smith, 43, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer nearly a year after his June 28, 2024, arrest following an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation operation. Prosecutors say Smith used electronic communications in late 2023 and early 2024 to lure a minor to New York City for sexual activity, according to court documents. They allege he acted in concert with another adult and knowingly crossed a legal threshold meant to protect minors from predatory conduct.In late 2023 or early 2024, I induced a 15-year-old to engage in a sex act, I dont remember through text or [social media], but phones were definitely used. I know what I was doing was wrong, an emotional Smith told the courtroom, reports the New York Post.I apologize. I knew it was wrong when I did it. I dont blame anyone else for my conduct. [although] It was another person engaging in the conduct. I take full 100 percent responsibility for my actions and I am prepared for the consequences, he added.For years, Smith was one of the most prominent figures in gay adult entertainmentcommercially successful, widely followed, and carefully branded.The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. Engelmayer has scheduled Smiths sentencing for September 29 at 11 a.m. in the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in lower Manhattan.As part of the plea agreement, Smith consented to the forfeiture of more than two dozen electronic devices seized from his home during an April 2024 raid. That list includes smartphones, hard drives, and multiple Mac computers, which federal investigators say were either used in the commission of the crime or contain evidence of it.Since his arrest, Smith has been held at MDC Brooklyn without bond. The investigation revealed what prosecutors described as hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse material, including content involving prepubescent children and infants. Much of the material was allegedly exchanged via the encrypted messaging platform Telegram.At sentencing, Smith will face federal prison guidelines that start from a high baseline for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of minors. In addition to prison time, he may be ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty under a federal anti-trafficking law that supports services for survivors.

In the theater world, there is an exclusive club of legendary actors who have won both the Olivier (highest award in British theater) and Tony Awards for the same role. Helen Mirren, who won an Olivier in 2013 and a Tony in 2015; Lea Salonga, who received an Olivier in 1990 and then a Tony in 1991; and Angela Lansbury, who took home the Tony in 2009 and then the Olivier in 2015, are all on this list. But now, so is Jak Malone, an actor from London's West End who currently performs the incredible feat of playing Hester Leggatt and close to 30 characters in Operation Mincemeat on Broadway. - YouTube youtu.be At the 78th annual Tony Awards earlier this month, Malone won the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Operation Mincemeat, which originated in the West End. Last year, he picked up the Olivier Award for the same role. He delivered an emotional speech about staying true to oneself and celebrating his achievement of a "lifelong dream." A little over a week later, he's still riding that same high after hearing his name announced and delivering an important speech."The reception in the room was so joyous, celebratory, and loud," he says. "I'm really glad I got to say my speech," telling Out that it took him a month to write it from the moment he was nominated.Malone carefully considered the thoughts he hoped to share about his character and the blurring of the gender binary. "I'm so angry all the time," he says. "I'm just so angry at the state of the world and how trans and queer people are being othered and being scapegoated to prop up these hapless politicians." He adds, "They're very good at getting us riled up, but they are no good at any actual governing." See on Instagram That fire that he feels inside is part of the motivation to continue bringing his best to the mind-bogglingly hilarious and complex show that he performs eight times a week and has been doing for six years. The hit musical is the comedic retelling of a covert World War II British military mission called Operation Mincemeat, in which the British army used a corpse to deter the German forces from invading Sicily. Its a dizzying production featuring only five actors who all play multiple characters, seamlessly.Though Malone subjects his body (and mind) to demanding performances eight times a week, it's easier to do with fervent supporters. After receiving his nomination, fans at the stage door told him that they booked tickets for the Tuesday after the Tonys to celebrate with him because they were so sure he was going to win, he says.Sure enough, that's what happened. After his delightfully heartbreaking standout number, "Dear Bill," he was met with uproarious applause and a standing ovation. "The atmosphere was completely electric," Malone says. After the show, his castmate and one of the cowriters on the show, David Cumming, made a speech at curtain call, handing him his Tony and giving him space for another energized round of applause.Malone is a part of history and joins an elite crop of individuals who have made their mark on the theater community in the West End and on Broadway. Operation Mincemeat runs through February 2026, and until then, Malone will continue to deliver stupendous performances. However, he has already thought about what may be next after Operation Mincemeat. As a writer, he says he finally has an idea for his musical, but emphasizes that he is "very excited to declare myself open to all possibilities."

Looks like Corporate America is officially over the rainbow.The former editor in chief of Out published a guest essay in The New York Times Opinion column Friday, addressing the growing number of corporations that are discontinuing their Pride campaigns and withdrawing their financial support for parades and LGBTQ+ media. See on Instagram Hicklin served as Out's editor from 2006 to 2018, and in his essay, he recalls the glory days where the Pride issue was "thick with ads" and editorial offices were "cluttered with vodka bottles emblazoned in Pride flags, sneakers in rainbow hues, underwear so festively gay that it might as well have come with a parade permit.""That deployment of marketing budgets to support the gay community became known as rainbow capitalism, and for a time, it became a good business," Hicklin recounts. "The forces that once propelled corporate America into the arms of LGBTQ+ America have pivoted, retreating under the weight of political backlash and the calculus of risk aversion." The former Out editor says rainbow capitalism hasn't gone away entirely "but the Trump administrations assault on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has turned Pride from a brightly colored bandwagon for brands to jump on into a possible liability or worse, a political statement."As Hicklin recounts, the beginning of the end began in 2023 when Bud Light partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a sponsored post tied to the end of March Madness. After the partnership, the right-wing cohort took to social media to denounce the brand and call for a boycott. Singer Kid Rock took a rifle and shot up some packs of Bud Light, President Donald Trump wrote about the boycott on Truth Social saying, "Its time to beat the Radical Left at their own game. Money does talk Anheuser-Busch now understands that," and Ben Shapiro took up 12 minutes of his show to rant about the brand.Hicklin echoes the argument that other activists have yelled about every year since corporations began commodifying Pride. "This backing off underscores what some critics have long argued: that multinational brands have flattened queer identity into bland consumerism." He says that corporations ending their support at this crucial moment in history is "salt in the wound."However, Hicklin sees this moment as an opportunity to remind the community what Pride is for and a return to what he says Pride was like in the 1990s. "They felt messy and urgent and ours. Nice though it is to be courted, it felt pretty good back when Pride was more explicitly political and even radical, and when having one anothers backs was the point of it all, not flaunting our corporate bedfellows. Now theres an opportunity to reclaim that spirit."

Just shy of one year since his arrest, Justin Heath Smith the adult film performer known professionally as Austin Wolf pleaded guilty Friday in a Manhattan federal courtroom to a felony charge of enticing a 15-year-old boy to engage in sex.Smith, 43, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer nearly a year after his June 28, 2024, arrest following an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation operation. Prosecutors say Smith used electronic communications in late 2023 and early 2024 to lure a minor to New York City for sexual activity, according to court documents. They allege he acted in concert with another adult and knowingly crossed a legal threshold meant to protect minors from predatory conduct.In late 2023 or early 2024, I induced a 15-year-old to engage in a sex act, I dont remember through text or [social media], but phones were definitely used. I know what I was doing was wrong, an emotional Smith told the courtroom, reports the New York Post.I apologize. I knew it was wrong when I did it. I dont blame anyone else for my conduct. [although] It was another person engaging in the conduct. I take full 100 percent responsibility for my actions and I am prepared for the consequences, he added.For years, Smith was one of the most prominent figures in gay adult entertainmentcommercially successful, widely followed, and carefully branded.The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. Engelmayer has scheduled Smiths sentencing for September 29 at 11 a.m. in the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in lower Manhattan.As part of the plea agreement, Smith consented to the forfeiture of more than two dozen electronic devices seized from his home during an April 2024 raid. That list includes smartphones, hard drives, and multiple Mac computers, which federal investigators say were either used in the commission of the crime or contain evidence of it.Since his arrest, Smith has been held at MDC Brooklyn without bond. The investigation revealed what prosecutors described as hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse material, including content involving prepubescent children and infants. Much of the material was allegedly exchanged via the encrypted messaging platform Telegram.At sentencing, Smith will face federal prison guidelines that start from a high baseline for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of minors. In addition to prison time, he may be ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty under a federal anti-trafficking law that supports services for survivors.

Keke Palmer has cracked her chest wide open with the release of a new visual album, titled Just Keke, which is easily her rawest and revealing work yet. The project dives deep into Palmer's relationship with Darius Jackson, with whom she has a son, and doesn't shy away from the "Ripples," the "Amnesia," and the "Tea, Boo" of it all which are actual titles of songs in the album.Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!The music and its visuals deliver a cinematic experience, while still making you feel as though you are watching Palmer process heartbreak and healing in real time. Just Keke isn't just an album, it is Palmer's way of showing up for herself, out loud, and in stunning, colorful visuals that hit just as hard as the lyrics.Each intentional frame, word, costume, and reference underscores that this isn't a pop star trying to mask the pain she's using that pain to propel herself forward as a woman who's done hiding or trying to explain herself. She's ready to stand 10 toes down in her truth.In a conversation with Out, Palmer discusses how the Just Keke visual album helped her recover from her breakup with Jackson and taught her a lesson about herself. The multihyphenate, who identifies as queer, also shares some advice to those who might be struggling to understand where they land in the sexuality spectrum.Out: You really opened up about your relationship with Darius Jackson on songs like 'Off-Script.' One line that really hit was, 'Even when I let you get me pregnant / How else can I prove it?' How did it feel to say that out loud, on your own terms? Did that moment give you any sense of release, or taking back your power?Keke Palmer: There wasn't a time where I wasn't being genuine on this album, just as I'm genuine on every project that I've put out. But anytime you change and evolve as a person, it impacts your music. I feel closer to myself, in a sense.Any time you own your story, you gain power, and that's how I felt with this project. It was also cathartic. I felt safe working with Tayla Parx, and I was able to uncover things I hadn't processed. Once it was released, I was able to see myself clearer and it brought a sense of strength.What's the biggest lesson you've learned about yourself from being with Darius Jackson?From that relationship, I recognized it's fine to let go of things you can no longer carry. Sometimes we want to hold onto things, but sometimes letting [things] go is for the best. I learned boundaries are important. If you can't love yourself, how can someone love you?As for myself, I learned how shy I can be, especially when it comes to vulnerability and love. There's a particular way that I am comfortable with expressing my vulnerability. I was so excited to own it and share it through the music. When you see the visual album, you see that this is a tender spot for me, through a vehicle I feel most comfortable with, which is my art. You're a queer icon in your own right. Who is your favorite queer icon of all time?I would have to say RuPaul!You've talked about embracing your sexuality, but there are people who may not even know where to begin. What would you consider a good starting point for someone who may need help with exploring their sexuality and desires?A lot of times, people feel like they need to make a choice about something, which is why I love queerness: It can be whatever you want it to be. I would say, 'Feel free to experience yourself and what feels right to you.' That's what I've been taught and learned in my own experience. Just trust yourself, and don't judge yourself.You are the queen of manifesting and making it happen, so what's something you are manifesting right now that you want to come true?I love Jamie Foxx so bad. We're manifesting myself and Jamie Foxx in a movie, and it's going to be because of you, Ty!See on InstagramYou're a business woman, a mother, an actress, and an artist all of these accomplishments involve taking chances and taking risks. What's the next risk you're wanting to take?Continuing to pursue entrepreneurialism, and to pursue things outside of entertainment as well. Me, as a performer, it's what I'm very excited about.Keke Palmer's new album, Just Keke, is now available on all music streaming services. The full visual album is also available for free on YouTube, as seen below.

P0LO-GAMYAre you ready for the heat? Because another early 2000s trend (that took off in the 1980s) is back on the rise. And this time, its the double polo shirt that has crept out of your Abercrombie & Fitch/Hollister coffins and returned with a vengeance. If you were a prep in the early noughties, you are all too familiar with the struggle of layering your favorite polos popping not one, not two, but maybe even three collars. TikTok has been raving about this trend for a while now, and I have received news from L.A. and New York that this look has been spotted out in public. It even appeared on the spring/summer 2025 runways of Rhude, Craig Green, and Balenciaga. If you do want to try this trend, I suggest you begin with a lighter fabric polo as your base to ease the layering (and heat) of another polo or two. Rhude layered polo lookcourtesy Rhude LUST FOR LINENIs it just me, or does anyone else think of linen as a fabric that belongs to an older clientele? That familiar khaki linen almost screams Tommy Bahama and a fold-out beach chair. Well, if you do, its time to snap out of it. Not only is this fabric the most breathable in warmer days, but designers have honed in on pushing this lightweight, breathable cloth down the runways. Brands like Dior, Zegna, and Dunhill have sent down models in khaki linen suits, whereas Magliano opted for black linens, and Dolce & Gabbana sent out a slew of white linen looks. Walking down Fifth Avenue recently, I spotted linen suits in black and white at many of your well-known retailers. So sit back, relax, and feel the summer breeze in an easy linen suit because its cool to dress like your dad again. Dolce & Gabbana white linen lookcourtesy Dolce & Gabbana BET ON BOXERSThe debate of boxers versus briefs has riddled the menswear community for decades. Of course, your comfort matters. In our community, its not limited to boxers or briefs! However, the trend report has been showing an increase in boxers being worn and shown as midriffs as temperatures rise. High-end brands such as Gucci, Versace, and Dior have been making boxers with their illustrious logos on the waistband, so why wouldnt you want to show that off with a little sneak peek? ERLs spring/summer 2025 collection showed us the sexy Marky Mark way to do this, but you can always opt for just feeling the breeze and not letting anyone know whats going on down there. ERL exposed boxers lookcourtesy ERL THE SUMMER OF LABUBUThese cute little plush dolls, hailing from Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, arent just for your girlfriends purse anymore. The Labubu craze has taken full effect on everyone in the U.S., ranging from kids to grandparents and anyone in between (even straight teenage boys). The handbag charm craze has been taking the world by storm, but its time to make (even more) room for these soda can-sized dolls. They come in every color of the rainbow, and some have cute little outfits! Attach them to your man purse, messenger bag, or even your backpack as these dolls are heading toward a collectible and maybe unattainable category. Labubu handbag charmsRaimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty ImagesMartin Gregory Jerez is a stylist and lover of vintage fashion and upcoming designers. Learn more @martin_gregory and martingregoryjerez.com.This article is part of Out's July/Aug 2025 issue, which hits newsstands July 1. Support queer media and subscribe or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting June 19.

I still remember my first night out on Hurst Street, the heart of Birmingham's queer district in the U.K. I was seventeen, thrilled and slightly terrified by the prospect of entering my first gay bar. Escorted by a group of queer friends a few years older than me, I felt transported: the music, the energy, and the fact that men were casually, freely kissing other men without fear of reprisal, all under a cascade of lights in a room redolent of Jean-Paul Gaultier and poppers. It felt like coming home.Twenty years later, I have spent a significant portion of my life frequenting establishments in Birmingham's Hurst Street, Manchester's Canal Street, and London's Soho. There is nothing quite like a goodor even a slightly naffgay bar. They were once the only places where LGBTQ+ people could find fellowship. Now, at a time when queer culture seems to be simultaneously mainstreamed and marginalized depending on where you live, these spaces remain preciously, imperfectly ours.My favorite of them all was the Village Inn. However, in March 2025, news broke that the developers had won, and shortly after, the Village closed its doors for good. But the story isn't quite over: while the original building has been closed down, the bar owners have relocated the business to a "shiny, brand new cabaret venue in the heart of Brum:" it now occupies a floor in the Nightingale club, just up the street. On the one hand, this is a happy ending, showing the resilience and adaptability of a community that will always find places to gather and ways to thrive. But it's also bittersweet. Hurst Street, as I and countless others remember it, will never be the same.While the acquisition of real estate to convert into luxury flats (read: soulless, overpriced white boxes) is merely a symptom of capitalism's indifferent sprawl, it's hard not to be concerned by its side effects. The folding of the Village Inn into Nightingale's super-venue leaves the rest of the street looking stripped bare, with remaining holdout venues more vulnerable to the same creeping developers, not to mention noise complaints from the people moving into these brand-new apartment complexes. Birmingham's gay quarter was already limited to a street and a half. Still, it was a street and a half where same-sex couples could kiss and hold hands publicly and where trans and nonbinary people could enjoy a night out without fear of harassment. Where we could be loudly, visibly ourselves. I fear that confining queer revelry to vanishingly fewer buildings will shrink the city's queer scene even further. There'll come a time when even that slight stretch of road no longer feels safe.And it's not just Birmingham; this is happening all over the country. In January, it was announced that the iconic G-A-Y Bar in London was going up for sale. In December 2024, Bar Plus, the only LGBTQ+ bar in Chelmsford, closed down. Further afield, New York City's iconic Barracuda Lounge closed its doors earlier this year. On their podcast, RuPaul's Drag Race stars Trixie and Katya recently mourned the closure of This Is It!, the oldest gay bar in Trixie's home state of Wisconsin, with Katya aptly stating: "Gay bars can be sanctuaries."In the era of social media and dating apps, you might say that the need for queer nightlife has abated. These spaces are no longer the only avenues the LGBTQ+ community has to meet people, form friendships, and initiate romantic relationships. But that would fail to acknowledge the joy of being in a room filled entirely with people like yourself, the feeling of coming home that I treasured when I was 17 and that future generations of baby gays also deserve.I just hope we're not left in a state where those things can only be found in the pages of fiction.Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit out.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists and editors, and do not directly represent the views of Out or our parent company, equalpride.

David Archuletas latest era? Love.Its fitting, considering the singer-songwriters beginnings. His career began in 2008, when he was just 17, with a run on American Idol, where he placed second. As a teen heartthrob, he released his debut single, Crush, which still echoes in his life today and its not just the onstage reverb.The song that pined I know this crush aint going away reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. Yearning. Budding first love. Fear of acting on his true feelings. Those youthful themes of Crush have come full circle for Archuleta. Why do I keep running from the truth? he croons on the track. All I ever think about is you.The song always felt like it was gonna be very special, Archuleta says. I didnt think of how it would be such a moment for the rest of my career up to this point. As a young man, Archuleta never allowed himself to feel crushes. Even for girls, like even if I had feelings for them, I felt like if I let my feelings come out, my gay feelings would come, my same-sex feelings would come, he says. In 2021, the singer came out as queer, and he left the Mormon Church in 2022. In the years since, hes dated men, gone to raves, and even pierced his ears something he was always afraid to do. Given that Archuleta is no longer hiding, the song that launched his career hits differently. Nick SpanosComing out has been an awakening, he says. Its been a sexual awakening. It almost feels like Im going through puberty now rather than as a teenager. By suppressing everything, he felt detached from feelings of sexuality. Because of that fear, I never allowed myself to fully experience it, he says. I was so afraid [that] if I let too much of [my] sexual feelings come out, then I would turn gay, or I would unleash the monster in me, or I would lose self-control.His latest EP, Earthly Delights, is just how I feel, he says. Its a grounding of David. At 34, hes settling into his life nicely, but hes still reflecting: What does it mean to be queer as David? It still comes with playing, exploring, experimenting. As an artist, you always experiment and explore. Thats the beauty of being an artist is always creating a story and creating a world for the audience and the listener to step into.Look at Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Bruno Mars. They have these eras of who they are, Archuleta says. Im in a grounded era where I want it to feel a little more chill but still sexy. And I dont know what will come after that. Im excited to share this side of me.Archuleta performed at WorldPride in Washington, D.C., in June, and the love and support of the global LGBTQ+ community means the world to him. We all have a shared experience, he says. His friends, especially his transgender friends like RuPauls Drag Race star and American Idol alum Adore Delano, with whom he recently reconnected, have taught him how to really live boldly and courageously.This is what Pride is all about, says Archuleta. Being proud of how far youve come, whether its individually or just in the LGBTQ+ community as a whole is powerful, he says. There was a time when it was illegal, and you could be punished for simply being queer and allowing yourself to be in a relationship with someone. The progress weve made you can marry the person you love, start a family, and start a life together, and create goals and dreams together.David Archuletas EP Earthly Delights is now available, and his tour kicks off this fall. This article is part of Out's July/Aug 2025 issue, which hits newsstands July 1. Support queer media and subscribe or download the issue now through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.

After meeting each other on Survivor 45 as two fellow competitors, Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick have now hard-launched their relationship which makes them the first-ever Survivor couple consisting of two Black queer women.Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!Topps and Broderick first saw each other on the plane ride to Fiji to compete on Survivor season 45. Beyond that first impression of each other, "Our first meeting was on a trip to Cape Cod with our cast after filmingbefore our season aired," Topps tells Out. "We'd talked on the phone for a bit [prior to the trip], but this was the first time we saw each other in person and the true beginning of our friendship."Topps recalls, "We realized that our friendship being 'besties' who talked every single day was turning into something more last fall, around August 2024, and we decided to explore it casually. But, by January of this year, we knew we needed to make it official."On Sunday, June 22, Topps and Broderick shared a joint Instagram post officially hard-launching their relationship with a carousel of adorable pictures and videos. The caption reads:"On Survivor, we both struggled with fire. I couldn't make it, and she went a week without it.But what we've built together?That's a fire that finally lit itself! [heart emojis].From Players to Partners, from Castmates to Co-dreamers Meet Survivor's FIRST Black Queer Woman Couple. #SurvivorLoveStory #GrillMasterAndHerGirl #OutwitOutlastOutlove #pride #survivor #wlw #blacklove #realitytv.""[Broderick] asked me to be her girlfriend on January 20 a day when we definitely needed more joy in the world," Topps tells Out with a laugh, subtly referencing Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration date.But what prompted the Survivor 45 costars who are now girlfriends to go public with their relationship now? "We just celebrated our 6-month anniversary on June 20. Plus, it's Pride Month," Topps explains. "After making sure our foundation was solid, we're finally ready to share this love with the world."Katurah and Sabiyah's introductions to 'Survivor' fans.Sabiyah Broderick was introduced on season 45 of Survivor as a truck driver from Locust Grove, California. She had since relocated to Jacksonville, North Carolina, and talked about her love of basketball, painting, and exploring new restaurants for dates. In turn, Broderick described "laziness" and "I-can't attitudes" as some of her biggest pet peeves.Katurah Topps described herself on Survivor 45 as a civil rights attorney from St. Louis, Missouri who had moved to Brooklyn, New York. Her pet peeves? "Slow walkers, slow talkers, and people who ooze privilege." Her favorite hobbies? "Hot yoga, eating delicious food in gorgeous locations, and countering systemic racism."While the two competitors were featured in the same season, Broderick and Topps were in two different tribes and didn't get the chance to interact that much on the show. Topps started the season on the Belo tribe, whereas Broderick was in the Lulu tribe.Broderick was ultimately eliminated in the third episode (seven days into the competition) of Survivor 45. On the eighth day of season 45, the show did a full tribe switch-up between all the remaining players, prompting Topps to ironically! join the Lulu tribe Except that Broderick had just been sent home the night before.Thankfully, their paths did cross after Survivor, and fans can now celebrate this gorgeous and history-making couple who found love after meeting on the long-standing CBS reality series.Alexa, play "Love" by Keyshia Cole!You can watch Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick's time on Survivor 45, as well as every other season of the show, via streaming on Paramount+.

Law Roach is so booked and busy, he must have the power to bend space and time. The celebrity stylist and self-described image architect is constantly adding to his rsum and A-list clientele. This year at the Met Gala alone, he dressed six luminaries Zendaya, Jeremy Pope, Angela Bassett, Cardi B, Andr 3000, and Tyla and consulted on styling choices for the Burberry table at the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute. On top of his stylist work, Roach has made a name in the television world as a judge on reality show competitions like RuPauls Drag Race and HBOs ballroom show, Legendary. As if hes not busy enough, the celebrity stylist was announced as a judge on season 21 of Project Runway, which is set to premiere July 31 on Disney+, Freeform, and Hulu.It is fitting that one of Hollywoods premier fashion consultants is now a judge on a show centered around finding the next prominent designer alongside Heidi Klum, Christian Siriano, and Elles editor in chief, Nina Garcia. Aside from forming a tight-knit friendship with Siriano and working with Garcia professionally, Roach says he was excited about the opportunity to join the seasoned fashion veterans. Nina Garcia and Law Roach are judges on Project Runway season 21Disney/Spencer PazerIt just felt like the right time to enter a space that felt really familiar because I grew up watching that show, he says. I remember watching Christians season when he won, so it felt like a full-circle moment to be invited to be a judge.Being a stylist is what makes Roach a captivating judge on these panels. But its not only his impeccable eye for beauty that makes him a fan favorite; hes also funny. His critiques arent crass or shiftless, and they come with his signature charm. When Im on television, I get to show a small part of myself that is quick-witted and sassy, things I dont do in my professional life, Roach says. This gives me a chance to be expressive in a different way.Whether its critiquing on Project Runway or Drag Race, his approach is the same. RuPauls Drag Race is a talent show that includes fashion, and Project Runway is a fashion show with great talent, the stylist explains. What makes me excited about Project Runway is that Im looking at the next generation of Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs and being able to meet those talents at the ground level. The foundation of his career, he says, was built on working with newer talent and emerging brands, so getting to share his experiences and give real-world advice is something hes proud to do. EASTON SCHIRRAThe connections Roach has formed over the past decade of working in the fashion industry are why he cut his retirement short. In March 2023, the image architect announced in an Instagram post that he had retired from styling. But at the 2025 Fashion Trust Awards in April, Roach revealed he was making his foray back into styling with his new muse, actress Ryan Destiny. Hes spoken in various media appearances about his focus on working with his two main clients, Zendaya and Dion. But it was his love for fashion that brought him back to the styling world. I just had so much FOMO seeing these beautiful new collections by designers that I call my friends, Roach explains. Not being able to touch, see, or use the clothes outside the fashion shows made him feel like he wasnt living up to his true potential, using his only God-given talent.With an achievement list as long as his, its hard to wonder what else Roach is striving for but he says theres still much more he wants to do. One of his biggest goals is doing more scripted television. Earlier this year, he had a cameo as himself in the Kate Hudson Netflix series Running Point, and he says he wants to continue flexing that muscle. As for future celebrity clients, Roach believes the universe determines which people and opportunities come into his life and when, so theres no point in forcing anything. Everything happens organically, and I hope to keep it that way.This article is part of Out's July/Aug 2025 issue, which hits newsstands July 1. Support queer media and subscribe or download the issue now through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.

In Living Color A Celebration of Black Queer Elders NEW YORK, NY June 23, 2025 On June 19th, in a fitting tribute to Juneteenths legacy of Black liberation, Surface Level Podcast launched its vibrant and dynamic Pride Month 2025 campaign: In Living Color. In partnership with SAGE and proudly supported by Procter [...]The post In Living Color: Surface Level Podcast Launches Vibrant Pride 2025 Campaign Honoring Black Queer Legacy first appeared on GLAAD.

My name is Alexander Cheves. I write about sex and culture with a focus on gay and queer men. For many years, I was a gay escort. Now I write about sex, relationships, and nightlife. You can read my sex-and-culture column Last Call in Out Magazine, and my book, "My Love Is a Beast: Confessions," an erotic memoir from Unbound Edition Press, but be warned: Kirkus Reviews says the book is not for squeamish readers.Why sex? Because its important. For gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning men, sex is often a subject mired in shame and misinformation. This story aims to counter that, with sex-positive, shame-free advice from my own experience along with words and tips from various expertsresearchers, therapists, sex workers, and other professionals.I dont love the word "blowjob." A serious job deserves a serious description, and blowjob sounds a bit silly. But for better or worse, its the term people use the most. "Giving head" sounds more adult, more cool. The phrase is subtle enough to slip into a Leonard Cohen lyric ("Chelsea Hotel No. 2") but still explicit, still dirty. It is, after all, something given, a service rendered.Regardless how you describe itblowjobs, giving head, sucking someone offthis slideshow is about how to do it better and enjoy it.Pro-level headmasters will tell you the only prerequisite to great blowjobs is enjoyment. You have to love it. Thankfully, some of them have shared their secrets, and various experts have weighed in: here are tips for giving great head.1. Dont stress. Youre doing great, sweetie.Giving head is hotfor giver and recipientbut it can be awkward and tricky too, especially if its big.Dont expect to be perfect in the beginning. Sex educator Gigi Engle explains that good oral sex takes practice and self-trustnobody is a natural. Everyone improves with time, experience, and open communication.The experts at BetterHealth, an Australian one-stop-shop for health news and articles, write: Oral sex, like all types of sex, takes practice. Sex should be enjoyable. Being intimate in your sexual relationships may make you feel vulnerable and can take time. You need to be able to trust each other and discuss openly what your needs are.I had a lot of anxiety about the quality of my blowjobs until many years into my sex life. To learn, I did what anyone can do: I talked to my sex partners and asked for tips, techniques, and feedback. Some talented guys with great head skills taught me how its donevia live demonstration. As legendary queer sex coach Marla Renee Stewart says: Sex is an educationand good sex happens when people show each other what they like.2. Slow down.Draw it out. Dont just dive onto a dick and try to take it all the way to the base. That can cause injury to your throat, and it rushes the slow, tantalizing thrill of oral sex.People tend to rush into sex because of nervousnessand because porn has convinced us since the 1970s that sex happens quickly, methodically, with regular pacing and step-by-step coordination. According to gay porn, sex goes like this: you make out, take off your clothes, give each other head, and try three or four different penetrative sex positions before everyone orgasms (ideally at the same time or close to it) with a big, splattery load on someones face or in their buttthe money shot. Thats porn, not life. Slow down. 3. If you're getting sucked, some anxiety is normal.Most penis-bearers have insecurities about their size and performance. Our culture glorifies big penises and erections that last hours. Porn has changed all our expectations about how the body works.In truth, erections are fickle. Anxiety, age, depression, hormonal changes, certain health conditions, and various medications can make erections difficult or impossible to achieve and sustain. Dr. Emily Jamea has worked as a sex and relationship therapist for over a decade. She writes in Psychology Today that most people who call her office are men struggling with performance issues. Men (and women) put a lot of pressure on male partners to easily attain an erection and sustain it for a long period of time, she writes. These kinds of expectations create immense anxiety for men that theyll let their partners down if, say, they dont live up to the standard depicted in movies or (worse) pornography. Often she can identify a health issue or medication that may be contributing to the problem. Other times, she simply explains the role that external stress (like pressure at work) has on the bodys ability to respond sexually.So, what to do? Talking to a doctor is always a good idea, but talking to your partner is important, too. Sex should be talked about. It will not be perfect every time and its best to acknowledge those imperfections as they come. Good sex requires practice, feedback, an open mind, and a playful, adventurous spiritand, most importantly, honesty. Dr. Jamea also suggests a common, hidden cause of erection struggles: feelingspositive ones (deepening connection, love) and negative ones (doubt, uncertainty about the relationship). An erection struggle might be a cue to examine how you feel about someone. Or, it might just be a sign you should talk to your doctor. Dont feel bad if you cant stay hard during oral sex. Its good to be vulnerable: tell your partner how you feel. 4. Foreplay is great, but stop thinking of it as "foreplay.""Foreplay" describes erotic acts that arouse and titillate you and your partner prior to some kind of penetrative sex. Various sex acts, including oral sex, are often put in this category, as if they are somehow not real sexnot complete sex acts on their own.Sex therapist Vanessa Marin says: Foreplay is sex. It counts. It matters. And for a lot of people, its the most pleasurable part. Some people can't have penetrative sex, due to various health conditions. For others, penetrative sex is not pleasurable. Side is a term that emerged in recent years to describe gay and queer men who enjoy sex, just not anal sex (its now the third option next to top and bottom). The term side was coined in 2013 by sex therapist and author Dr. Joe Kort, who has championed the words use and pushed gay dating and hookup platforms like Grindr to include side as an option. (In 2022, Grindr did.) The now-widespread prevalence of men identifying as sides tells us that warmup sex is sex. A good blowjobor a nice cuddle session, or simply making outis sex. Its a complete sexual experience. 5. Get in the right headspace.The best head-givers are those who move on a mission. Sex coach Gigi Engle writes on her kinky advice site, Oral sex is not just physicalits mental. You have to want to do it to enjoy doing it.Headspace is everything. I do some advanced stuff for fun, like fisting and heavy BDSM, and Ive learned that the most essential part of my preparation for these more extreme sex acts is getting in the right mental space for thema step that can be overlooked with all the physical preparation that can be involved. Regardless if I have all the accoutrementsall the lube, all the toys, all the gearif my mind isnt in there, its not happening.Ive learned this is true for less extreme sex, too. Even when a man just wants to cuddle, I have to get in cuddle mode. If my mind resists it, its not the right time, and we should reschedule.If you want to get better at giving head, explore what dick-sucking mode feels like for you. What changes in your body? What images play in your mind? What memories do you recall? Its always good to check in and see if youre really in the mood. 6. Try dirty talk.If youre sucking dick, you might not be talking very much, but some dirty talk can make any sexual experience better. Many people feel awkward trying dirty talk, but like any sex skill, you will improve with practice. Read this helpful guide on dirty talk in Verywell. 7. Every dick has its own natural flavor -- don't be afraid of it.The person receiving a blowjob should wash their penis beforehand. But no matter how much they clean, every dick has a natural smelland a natural taste, too. Healthline notes that you can use a wet paper towel or unscented wipes if you want to freshen up on the fly, but you should avoid perfumes and deodorants in the area, since these are generally not genital friendlyor necessary. 8. Start with the clothes on.Taking off clothes can be one of the hottest parts of sexdon't rush it. Touch everywhere except intimate areas. When you finally rub the crotch, you know you're doing it right when you hear that audible gasp.Relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman explains: Sensuality builds best through anticipation. Slow reveals create intense psychological arousal. Massage the dick through the pants for a little bitgently. Make a show of pulling it out. Do this slowly, and if there is an elastic waistband, make sure you don't accidentally release it while pulling down the underwearthis can hurt your partner and interrupt the moment. Look at the dick before you dive. Study it. Pro tip: Give it a little kiss. 9. Flick the frenulum.A classic trick. The frenulum is the underside of the penis head, usually the most sensitive part of the penis. The Kinsey Institutes Dr. Justin Lehmillerauthor of Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Lifesays: The frenulum is one of the most erotically charged areas of the penis, and stimulating it can produce a rapid and intense response. I always start by kissing the tip of the penisthe headthen moving down to the underside with my tongue. I'll move up and down the shaft with a series of light, gentle kisses before licking the rest. This helps me get an idea of its size, texture, and smell (the hottest part for me) and gives me a little time to build up some saliva.When you're ready, start with gentle flicks on the frenulum with the tip of your tongue. Flick it back and forth, up and down, slowly creeping your lips up over his head, then backing off. The heat from your mouth and your breath will build anticipationthe dick will practically be begging you to slide it in your mouth.10. Pay attention to how their body responds.Just like all sex, good head happens best once you've reached that post-language space where words fall away. Talking becomes irrelevant, clumsy. Animal soundsgroans, gasps, moans, and growlstake over.In his book Sex Outside the Lines, sex therapist (and my personal friend) Dr. Chris Donaghue, who identifies as queer, writes, The most erotic experiences often happen beyond languagethrough attunement, touch, and unspoken feedback. Keep talking to a minimum. If your partner tells you they like something, keep doing it, and you can always ask things like, Does that feel good? But this is not the time to make a big, heavy confession or talk about the rent. Talking takes us out of our bodies and back into our headsand right now, you want to do the opposite. Don't ask your sex partner to say when they are getting closethat makes it seem like you're waiting for them to cum, and that can create performance anxiety. Remember: If someone is enjoying themselves, they may not say anything. They may just be breathing deeply, moaning, and enjoying it. The dick will tell you what feels good. If it jumps and throbs, it's happy. If it's leaking precum, it's very happy. Don't have a countdown clock in your head. Just enjoy it, and don't worry about time.11. Suckers: blowjobs are for your pleasure, too.All sex is for pleasureeven sex that involves submission and domination, in which one person surrenders control to another.Good sex is about doing what feels good, and for some people that means surrendering control. Clinical sexologist Dr. Megan Stubbs affirms this: Pleasure should always be mutual, and your own enjoyment enhances the entire experienceespecially in oral sex. Don't frame dick sucking in your mind as something solely done for your partners pleasure. Even if you submit controleven if you attempt more heavy, extreme oral sex, like face-fuckingthis is still your time to intimately enjoy dick. Relish in the experience of it, and if it stops being enjoyable, stop. 12. Consent always matters.Planned Parenthood outlines five aspects of consent that must be present for it to be considered consentwhat it calls the FRIES model.Freely given. Consenting is a choice you make without pressure, manipulation, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.Reversible. Anyone can change their mind about what they feel like doing, anytime. Even if youve done it before, and even if youre both naked in bed.Informed. You can only consent to something if you have the full story. For example, if someone says theyll use a condom and then they dont, there isnt full consent.Enthusiastic. When it comes to sex, you should only do stuff you WANT to do, not things that you feel youre expected to do.Specific. Saying yes to one thing (like going to the bedroom to make out) doesnt mean youve said yes to others (like having sex).For oral sex, this means that consenting to oral sex can be rescinded at any timeyou are always free to stop. 13. Use lots of spit!Spit is great! Sex educator Gigi Engle, who writes sex advice for Refinery29, writes that saliva is natures lube. Dont be afraid to get messyits part of the turn-on.Heres a fact: At some point, your mouth will dry out. A nice guy will add their saliva and contribute to the store of spit you have at your disposaleither by spitting in your mouth or spitting on his dickbut these (appreciated) moves are not guaranteed. For this reason, you cannot stay on the dick the whole time. Take breaks. Rub it on your face, lick or suck the balls (one of my favorite things to do), change positions, or just take a pause. These little breaks give you a chance to build up some saliva and breathe a bit before starting again.14. Don't expect something in return. Sex isn't a trade-off.Oral sex is not a chore you have to get through in order to get something back. Therapist and author Dr. Alexandra Solomon at Northwestern University says: True intimacy happens when we let go of sexual scorekeeping and embrace presence over performance.Many people see oral sex this wayas a cursory, prescribed action that generates an equal return, either reciprocal oral sex or some kind of penetration. This mentality will make you rush through it to get to the "main event." If that's your outlook (it's perfectly fine to simply not enjoy oral sex), skip it and focus on what you really want to do.15. Use your tongue...You may be limited as to how well you can lick the dick once it's inside your mouth. The size of the dick and the size of your mouth will determine how much you can doa larger dick will make you less able to maneuver your tongue around it. That's fine. Your tongue can still feel great. Licking the head, shaft, balls, and taint (the space of skin between the butthole and testicles) can be just as intense as sucking dick. As Dr. Ian Kerner notes: Tongue movement is a key part of oral stimulationcircling, flicking, and pressure all create layered sensations.16. ... and your breath.Practice sucking in air. Doing this pulls your cheeks against your teeth and tightens the space inside your mouth, creating a kind of vacuum suction that feels great.Obviously you cannot hold your breath for a nonstop inhale. That's not possible and would not be pleasurable. Practice breathing, particularly out of your nose, while the dick is in your mouth and slowly get comfortable doing so. If you have to stop, pause, and just breathe while keeping it in and getting adjusted, do soit'll be hot for you, and hot for your partner to watch you adjust to it. Breath matters in other ways too. Paying attention to your partners breath during any kind of sex is a great way to gauge their pleasure. Research published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior highlights the importance of paying attention to nonverbal cues like someones breathing patterns during sex. These subtle cues can communicate arousal and engagement better than words can.17. It's OK if you have a gag reflex. Most people do.As things start to go into our throat, most people have a gag reflex that makes us close up our throat. This is how we choke. Start gentle and practice breathing with his dick inside your mouth. As it moves to the back of your mouth, try to keep breathing normally. You'll know where you start to feel uncomfortable.18. You don't have to deep throat -- but it can be fun.It's fun to push the limit of how far you can swallow a cock. I think it's hot to choke on someone's dickand your sex partner will probably think so, too. But there is a safety limit.Don't push it too much or you might hurt yourself. Deep-throatingsliding a cock past the larynx into the throatshould not be seen as the ideal version of oral sex or a goal you must move toward. Not everyone can deep-throat, and not everyone should. Tissue trauma can cause problems back there, so don't be too rough. While deep-throating can be pleasurable, its essential to approach it with caution. The posterior pharynx (back of the throat) is sensitive, and excessive friction can lead to irritation or soreness, and pain after oral sex is likely due to friction, not size. Be gentle.19. Avoid commercially advertised oral sex sprays.I generally don't recommend people using any of the oral sex throat sprays, which are essentially chloraseptic sprays. Most are filled with some kind of topical anesthetic that numbs the skin at the back of the throat for a few minutes, allowing you to deep-throat.Numbing the skin will mask pain, but pain isn't something you necessarily want to avoid. Pain is often a sign of injury or skin trauma. I steer clear of these products for the same reason I dissuade people from using desensitizing anal lubebecause you don't want to power through your body's natural limits. That's how people get hurt. 20. Use your hands, too.Stroke the base of his dick while licking and sucking the tip. I use a method that combines a handjob and a blowjobwrapping my fingers around the dick and keeping my lips close to my hand, creating one fluid sleeve between my lips and my fingers. When I drop my mouth downward, to the base of the cock, my fingers splay outward in a kind of downward stroke, and as I suck back up the shaft, my hand follows, stroking upward. Its a magic blowjob method that was taught to me by a progive it a try.Additionally, a simple handjob is a great way to vary up the sensation and give your mouth a rest. And ball playgentle tugging, sucking, and touchingcan feel great. The only thing you really need to be wary of is your teeth, but more on that later.21. Don't focus entirely on the blow job.Mid-blowjob, I often get worried about my performance and skill. Clinical psychologist and sex therapist Dr. Nazanin Moali says: When you shift focus to your own pleasure, performance anxiety fadesand partners feel more connected and arousedTo refocus and get out of my nerves, I focus on my own pleasure, my own mouth, and how this experience feels for me. Letting go and letting my body and my mouth simply explore him will create better sex. Trusting my own sensation may mean that I at some point stop sucking and migrate to a rim job, or I may want to focus on his balls for a bit. The focus is pleasuremineand not the specific sex act.22. Be cautious with teeth.When youre new to giving head, avoid teeth altogether. Ill never forget the worst blow job of my lifethe next morning I had purple teeth marks on my dick. As sex coach Kenneth Play advises, Always create a soft seal with your lips. Teeth should never touch skinunless its consensual and negotiated.Usually, when youre too eager, aggressive, or suck too hard, your teeth may come into contact with the skin of the penis, and this can hurt. The skin of the penis is very thin, delicate, and extremely sensitive. Hard objects like teeth can cause pain and even leave marks. Its sometimes hard to avoid teeth, especially if its a big one. Try wrapping your lips around your teeth as a barrier, or focus on the tip, around the head, where its easier to avoid teeth-to-skin contact, and let your hand take over at the base. (Here is more info on this technique.)23. The easiest positions are usually best.Sorry, sixty-nine fans. Sixty-nining (when you both are sucking each other) looks hot in porn, but in reality it is very uncomfortable and very difficult to do. Sex educator Gigi Engle says that mutual oral looks better than it feels for most people. Its OK to prioritize comfort over visuals.Every time I try sixty-nine, I have a hard time concentrating on what I'm doing and call it quits. And if there's a substantial height difference between you and your playmate, it will probably not work.Sometimes even being on your knees is hard. When in doubt, let him lie on the bed, ideally with his head and shoulders propped up on a pillow, and take over. Lie on the bed between his legs, take his dick in your hand, and start playing with it. This Mens Health guide outlines the various oral sex positions that are popular and notes that some are easier than others.24. There's no rule saying you have to reach orgasm.Blow jobs aren't about orgasm. I rarely orgasm from a blowjob. If you don't want to let him to cum in your mouth or don't want to swallow it, don't.And if you want to make your partner orgasm and swallow his load, great! If you dont, thats no problemmany people simply dont like the taste of cum. Communicate your boundaries and limits with your sex partner. You never have to do something you don't want to do, and you won't be a failure if you don't. Blow jobs are not about making someone cumthey're about creating pleasure for both parties. That's it.25. There is a time limit.You'll know when you've reached your limit. Again, most guys can't stay hard forever, and you can't suck forever. Certified sex educator Luna Matatas says: Its perfectly fine to pause, break, or stoppleasure isnt a performance.With oral sex, its important to take frequent breaks, and when it's done, let it be done. There's no defeat in enjoying each other, even if that's only for a few minutes.26. Never shame someone for their inability to stay hard.Many men struggle to maintain erections for long periods of time, for a number of reasons. Many see their worth, sexiness, and dignity tied to their ability to hold an erection. The fact is, all men and all penis-wielders have body issues and body insecurity.There's so much more to sex than having an erection and putting it somewhere. Sex is a buffet table of countless different intimate, powerful experiencesmany of which do not involve erections or ejaculation. Explore the rest! 27. Make noises.Ideally without words. Moans, groans, grunts, and gasps are the language of sex and desire. Emitting sounds of pleasure tell him you're loving it.28. Try the more intense stuff -- with caution.In power exchange, the one getting sucked naturally has the position of power, while the one giving head has the submissive role.Sometimes it's really, really hot to increase that power exchange and let him fuck your facethere are a variety of positions to do this in. Face-fucking is objectifying, intense, degrading, and sexy, but since it can be a bit rougher (and obviously involves deep-throating) it is not without some risks. If at any point you see blood, stop. Legendary sex educator and Shibari bondage master Midori writes: Erotic surrender isnt about passivityits about trust, control, and letting your partner fully inhabit their desire.29. Try some role reversal.I usually focus on dick sucking as an act of submission (I'm a natural sub). But sucking is for dominant folks tooespecially when it's combined with kinks like edging, milking, and cum control.Having someone please your dick orally is intense, especially when you're bound. Edging is the popular fetish of tying someone up and pleasing their dick with your mouth, hands, and maybe some toys like vibratorsbut delaying the orgasm, sometimes for hours on end, at which point the withholding becomes a form of pleasurable torture. Milking is the practice of making a man (or anyone with a prostate) orgasm via prostate stimulationmassaging the prostate, located a few inches inside the anus, until they blow a load. This kind of orgasm is very intense and hands-freemany say it's the strongest orgasm they experience, which is why so many sex toy companies have started manufacturing prostate-play toys. 30. Play smart to prevent STIs.Compared to other kinds of sex, the STI risk associated with oral sex is relatively low, but all sex contains some risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outline all ways you can contract an STI from oral sex along with ways to prevent them. Risk-aware, informed play is smart play.

Dan in Green GablesA new reimagining of Anne of Green Gables hopes to make the world a little better for LGBTQ+ young people.The graphic novel Dan in Green Gables, from author Rey Terciero and illustrator Claudia Aguirre follows 15-year-old Dan Stewart-lvarez after he finds himself abandoned by his mother in rural Tennessee with his grandparents, whom he had never met before. Dan must chart a new life working the farm and starting high school within a conservative religious community.The original Anne of Green Gables was written in 1908 by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery and its story of an orphan girl who helps run the farm of estranged family members has remained a children's classic ever since. The story resonated with Terciero, who wanted to adapt it for a new generation (and political climate)."Right now, it feels like our whole world is falling apart," Terciero says. "Books are getting banned, my Brown people are being rounded up by ICE, my trans friends are scared to travel because of gender identity fraud bills trying to be passed in places like Texas, where I was born. It's so gross and so terrifying, especially for our LGBTQ+ community.""As a writer of literature for young readers, I've made it my life's mission to create stories full of diverse characters, messages of compassion and kindness, and encouragement to maintain hope in the darkest of times," he continues. "As a boy, Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables kept me company in a lonely time of my life and taught me that sometimes we have to build the home we want to find for ourselves. So I wrote Dan in Green Gables as a love letter, not only to the stubborn red-headed orphan Anne Shirley, but to my dad's religious family who rejected me as a boy on account of my queerness. Yes, the world feels like it is falling apart. But through stories, I'm hoping to instill the next generationand maybe my own peerswith a little love, to let them know they are not alone, and they too can help to build a better world and a better home."Order Dan in Green Gables today from Penguin Random House. And preview an excerpt ahead from Dan, which depicts his confrontation of bullies on that first day of school.This slideshow was assembled by equalpride's digital photo editor, Nikki Aye.

The Men of Elska TaipeiThe latest book in the Elska series, a project dedicated to exploring the world and its men through a gay lens, has put its spotlight on Taipei. Inside, readers can get to know a selection of ordinary, local Taiwanese men through a blend of intimate photography and personal storytelling. Walter J.When I heard Taipei described as the gay capital of Asia, that was all the convincing I needed to book a trip here, says writer and chief photographer of Elska, Liam Campbell. "The country was the first in Asia to adopt same-sex marriage, it holds the continents largest Pride parade, and its the home of recent Drag Race winner Nymphia Wind. I quickly booked flights and then spent a week meeting local men, photographing them, and getting to know them and their city.Joe F.Taiwan was the first Asian country to get the Elska treatment, and this new second edition of the book we made there honors that fact continues Liam. Since that first trip, weve since highlighted nine other Asian cities out of our collection of 52 books. This new second edition features loads of new photographs, new stories, a new cover, and even some men who werent included in the original first edition.Joseph W.The narrative in Elska Taipei is a combination of diaries and recollections by Campbell along with stories contributed by some of the men met in Taipei, presented in their original languages. Each of these men was also photographed by Liam, in their citys streets and at home, dressed in their own style or sometimes not dressed at all. The result is diverse, transportive, and totally honest.Joi D.Elska Taipei is available in a collectible print format or in a downloadable e-version. In addition, the companion e-zine Elska Ekstra Taipei is available, containing three more men and their stories, plus hundreds of outtake images of each Taiwanese subject. The publications are available for order online as well as from a select group of shops around the world. More information and details of the subscription service can be found on the Elska website at elskamagazine.com.Rhenz T.Justin L.Toto S.Temelalj C.Gemi Sakinu Z.Walter J.

Chicago could be the first city in the U.S. to have a gay bar in its airport. The idea originated from restaurateur Germn Gonzlez, who pitched the concept of bringing Chicago's most popular queer bar, Sidetracks, to O'Hare International Airport. He told the two owners, Art Johnston and his husband, Jos Pepe Pea, about the idea, and they loved it so much that they teamed up with Gonzlez to make it happen.The all-queer team feels that starting this project during Pride Month is a powerful statement to make, especially during the Trump administration's assault on LGBTQ+ rights. They initiated the process earlier this month, on June 5, by submitting a proposal to the city, in which they shared that Gonzlez's Somos Hospitality Group would oversee day-to-day operations, and Johnston and Pea would be the establishment's primary investors, sharing the licensing for the brand.Johnston, who is a longtime activist and philanthropist, told the Chicago Tribune that he feels adding the gay bar to the airport would "create ways for people to see gay people and see that not only have we done well in Chicago, we have thrived in Chicago." He added, "We have made this a better city, a stronger city, and why not show that to the world?For those who don't live in Chicago, Sidetracks has been operating for over four decades, opening its doors in 1982. Since then, the two-story bar has been a place for the LGBTQ+ people of the city to have fun on weekends, and also, as the Tribune writes, a community center for meetings, fundraisers, and celebrations, where powerful politicians, community leaders, and activists gather.According to the Tribune, the bar would be located in Terminal 1 at the airport, which served over 80 million people in 2024 alone. Johnston told the publication that he and his husband believe adding the bar is a step in the right direction, not just from a business perspective, but also for LGBTQ+ advocacy. "Pepe and I, were just blown away by the notion, knowing the number of people who pass through here every day who could see that there are (gay) bars here, where the people there dont have horns and tails, and were not trying to steal anybodys children," he said. "Were trying to live our lives and make life better for all of us."The city's decision is still months away, but for now, they will continue to make their case.

Hello, Out readers, are you fans of Survivor? The long-running reality show has given us plenty of reasons to love it in the past, and now, there's a new Survivor couple that is reminding us why the show is one of our favs!Survivor 45 costars Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick have hard-launched their relationship, making them the first-ever Surivor couple consisting of two Black queer women!The two started as friends when they met on the plane ride to Fiji for their season of Survivor, but feelings soon developed between them."We realized that our friendship being 'besties' who talked every single day was turning into something more last fall, around August 2024, and we decided to explore it casually. But, by January of this year, we knew we needed to make it official," Topps says.This new couple is just one of many great queer reasons to love Survivor! Bisexual White Lotus creator Mike White is returning to compete on Survivor 50, where he'll join other queer contestants and favorites.We've also been loving Survivor Croatia winner Luciano Plazibat, who first went viral with his "Abracadabra" video, and now is talking about his DMs being flooded with requests and compliments!If Survivor isn't your thing, keep reading to see all the best pop culture news, including our Man Crush Monday!- Mey RudeLaw Roach returns to the runway Project RunwayKaturah & Sabiyah are dating'Survivor's 1st Black queer female coupleDavid Archuleta hits gay puberty in his new musicThe 'Last Call': Why losing our bars guts gayborhoods and mutes queer nightsTrend alert! Here are the menswear summer styles catching fireKeke Palmer's advice to queer people: 'Don't judge yourself'Jak Malone blasts 'hapless politicians' demonizing LGBTQ+ people after Tony winFormer Out editor: Rainbow capitalism is over'Ironheart': A guide to the MCU series starring Shea CouleMan Crush MondayIn an exclusive new interview, American Idol star David Archuleta opens up about growing up, his new music era, and more! He's our Man Crush Monday!Subscribe to Out / The Advocate now!Did you know it only costs $9.95 to have every issue of Out / The Advocate send directly to your home?

Is that a lot of emotion for safe?From the moment Ginger Minj was announced as a competitor on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10, a pretty intense discourse was ignited over this being her fourth time vying for the crown on RuPaul's Drag Race.While there have been other queens who competed four times in the franchise, that intense reaction came from this being Ginger's fourth time competing in the U.S. series (one flagship season and three U.S. All Stars seasons).Some fans and queens are also claiming that "production" is "favoring" Ginger though she just happens to be excelling at the maxi challenges in this third bracket of All Stars 10 and/or that Ginger shouldn't have won the lip sync to Miley Cyrus's "See You Again" against Denali.A flood of social media posts reacting to this discourse has taken over the internet. Some shady posts had Ginger literally tagged in them. Other posts from fellow All Stars 10 queens are sharing their points-of-view from "being there" while filming.There are also queens who shared shady reactions and later claimed that they weren't necessarily reactions to Ginger. Last but not least, there are also queens who are either defending Ginger or pointing out the fact that this is "a lot of emotion for safe."Keep scrolling to see the good, the gagged, and the gooped reactions to Ginger Minj winning the maxi challenge and lip sync of episode 8 on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 and make sure to watch new episodes of the season every Friday on Paramount+.Eureka (@) Eureka who also competed on Drag Race four times between season 9, season 10, All Stars 6, and Canada vs The World season 2 wrote (and literally tagged Ginger Minj in the X post):"Congratulations on winning All Stars Season 10 youve deserved it for while. I guess Ill watch Ginny and Georgia @TheGingerMinj."Eureka (@) Eureka subsequently replied to a fan, writing:"What are you even saying. No one bullied anyone. Get off my page baby."Amethyst (@) Amethyst responded to Eureka's X post, writing:"Girl save it."Scarlet Envy (@) Drag Race season 11, All Stars 6, and UK vs the World season 2 star Scarlet Envy wrote:"Imagine being FAVORED on drag race cannot relate."The Macarena (@) Drag Race Espaa star The Macarena wrote:"Drag Race is not a God damn sports events, you dont win just for doing flips and kicks. Jesus fucking Christ y'all hate drag."Tatianna (@) Drag Race season 2 and All Stars 2 star Tatianna wrote:"Oh they are just playing RIGHT in our faces"Sagittaria (@) Drag Race Espaa star Sagittaria wrote (translated into English):"Let's see, Denali has done a lot of splits? Maybe, even so, Ginger has done the same thing as always and honestly it's also tiring to see 40 splits in a row, for that I would have given it to Denali who at least worked on a choreography and such, I don't know."Brooke Lynn Hytes (@) Drag Race season 11 star and Canada's Drag Race host Brooke Lynn Hytes wrote:"Are y'all ok?"Trixie Mattel (@) Drag Race season 7 star and All Stars 3 winner re-shared Brooke Lynn Hytes's X post and wrote:"But for real!"Kandy Muse (@) Drag Race season 13 and All Stars 8 finalist/runner-up Kandy Muse wrote:"Girl, I'm not finishing bracket 3 call me back when the merge happens"Alyssa Hunter (@) Drag Race season 14 star Alyssa Hunter who's competing with Ginger Minj in the same bracket of All Stars 10 wrote in response to Kandy Muse's post:"GIRL Watched it in person and now on screen, still giving the same energy."Alyssa Hunter (@) Alyssa Hunter also replied to a fan, writing:"It's not about behavior, I'm only talking about the lip sync. thats all, Let me be clear: I'm not coming for any of my sisters. Outside of this produced show, I respect them all. Let's not take this personal, my loves. We all have the same right to share our opinion."Kandy Muse (@) Kandy Muse replied to a fan who observed that Kandy hadn't mentioned anyone by name, suggesting that people were wrong to assume that the X post was about Ginger Minj. Kandy wrote:"!!!!!! NO BC CLOCK IT."Mistress Isabelle Brooks (@) Drag Race season 15 finalist and All Stars 10 competitor Mistress Isabelle Brooks commented in the thread of X posts that included Kandy Muse and Alyssa Hunter with the "frowning face with open mouth" emoji.Kandy Muse (@) Kandy Muse subsequently clapped back at fans alleging that she was also favored during her two Drag Race seasons. Kandy re-shared one of those posts and wrote:"People keep saying this as if I didn't deserve every challenge win I got! try again [cigarette emoji] (I was also put in the bottom every single time I fumbled a challenge) because RuPaul genuinely liked me doesn't mean its favoritism!"Suzie Toot (@) Drag Race season 17 star Suzie Toot wrote:"Ginger is a superstar and you bitches wish you could do what she can."Willam (@) Drag Race season 4 Willam posed a question to Ginger Minj:"Question since we all here and wondering do u think you won those lip syncs too? u were there. what's your take?"Willam (@) Some fans pushed back on Willam asking that question. She wrote in response to one of them:"So i can't ask questions or smoke meth? can i smoke the grass or just touch it? it's not mean to ask a question. i wanted her first hand knowledge. i'm working with Jorgeous your other fave tonight Rigo. i'm gonna tell her you said hi."Willam (@) Another response from Willam read:"Don't say we like you speak for everyone. we don't hate ginger. you might. but the world doesn't. a lot of people love her and that's why she has been employed in this industry for two decades."Meatball (@) The Boulet Brothers' Dragula and Sloppy Seconds podcaster Meatball wrote:"Leave her alone."Morphine Love Dion (@) Drag Race season 15 star Morphine Love Dion shared the following reactions to watching the episode:"Oh""All I'm gonna say is [that] I'm mad that Cucu [Cynthia Lee Fontaine] wasn't in the top."Plane Jane (@) Drag Race season 16 finalist Plane Jane wrote:"Wtf did RuPaul keep laughing at??? Ginger just standing there tickles her brain tumor so fiercely."Aja (@) Drag Race season 9, All Stars 3, and All Stars 10 star Aja wrote:"I actually think she won this one."Aja (@) A fan agreed with Aja in regard to the lip sync between Ginger Minj and Denali. Aja replied:"I just feel like the performance was way more energy than the song called for and wasn't in the same vibe."Kori King (@) Drag Race season 17 star Kori King agreed with Aja and wrote:"WAKE IT UPPPP."Ginger Minj (@) Amid the chaotic discourse surrounding her winning streak on All Stars 10, Ginger Minj wrote:"While I have everyone talking about me, why not just advertise some stuff."Ginger is referencing a new production that she's in, Hokus Pokus Live, premiering later this year.RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 drops new episodes every Friday on Paramount+.

JoJo Siwa is no longer performing at the Back Lot Bash 2025 event taking place during Chicago's Pride weekend. The former Dance Moms and Nickelodeon star was originally scheduled to perform on Sunday, June 29. According to Back Lot Bash's website, however, Siwa is no longer taking the stage this upcoming weekend due to "scheduling conflicts."Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!On Sunday, June 22, event organizers updated the Back Lot Bash 2025 lineup with a new slate of performers which was then shared across the event's website and social media pages. Though "scheduling conflicts" were cited as the reason for the change, this update omitting Siwa's name from the event comes not too long after she discussed feeling pressured into coming out as a lesbian, as well as publicly sharing her relationship with her Celebrity Big Brother UK costar Chris Hughes (best known for his reality TV debut on Love Island.Because Siwa's relationship with Hughes started on a reality show like Celebrity Big Brother UK where contestants are even more exposed to audiences than they are in any other reality competition series their relationship was immediately put under a microscope. In fact, it's one of the most talked-about celebrity relationships right now. See on Instagram In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Siwa spoke about her new partner and revealed that she felt "pressured" to identify as a lesbian. Siwa also clarified that she identified more as a queer person. "When I came out at 17, I said, 'I'm pansexual, because I don't care [about gender].' But then I kind of boxed myself in and I said, 'I'm a lesbian.' And I think I did that because of the pressure."The interviewer asked where she felt that pressure coming from, and Siwa said, "In a weird way, I think it came a little bit from inside the [LGBTQ+] community at times. From people I know, from partners Ive had. You just get put in this world where you feel like, because you now have said, 'Oh, I'm a lesbian,' you have to be a lesbian. And the truth is, sexuality is fluid."As of this writing, Siwa hasn't addressed the cancelation of her performance at the Back Lot Bash 2025 taking place during Chicago's Pride weekend.

Filmmaker and historian Zackary Drucker still remembers the first time she heard the name Amanda Lear. She was 18 and had just moved to New York, where she made a trans friend who was obsessed with disco. Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment delivered three times a week straight (well) to your inbox!When her friend told her about Lear, Drucker looked her up and thought she was "the most beautiful woman that ever has lived.""It was this image of her, it appears in the film, it was her modeling headshot from 1965 or six, mid-60s. She has drawn-on lashes," Drucker recalls. "And I hung it up on my wall, and as I started my journey as a woman, she was my archetype. She's my original archetype for being who I am today."Now, Drucker gets to share that archetype with the world.In a new documentary, Enigma premiering on HBO this Tuesday, June 24 Drucker explores the lives of two women: Amanda Lear and April Ashley. The two started their careers at the same trans cabaret, Le Carrousel, in Paris, but their lives took completely different paths from there.While Lear was able to keep her trans status a secret and build a successful long-term career in entertainment, Ashley's gender became the focus of a high-profile court case in England, and she was no longer able to get modeling and performing gigs. Lear would become one of the most beloved disco singers in all of Europe, while Ashley became one of the faces of trans rights in the U.K.While Lear is still alive (Ashley sadly passed away in 2021), this isn't recent history. The two of them first became famous in the 1950s, over 70 years ago.For Drucker, the movie is proof positive that trans people have always been here and will always be here."The only offset to the notion that we just popped up 10 years ago is to dive into the archives and to show through tangible examples of these people lived these incredible lives, and they withstood incredible opposition and legislation and police violence, and in many cases, incarceration, mental, being committed to institutions," she says. "And yet nothing will stop us from being born into the world. Drucker says that she, like many trans people, battled depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. However, in her thirties, she made the conscious decision to "stay in this game of life for as long as I possibly can." Connecting with trans elders has helped her to feel more grounded in her survival."At a young age, I realized, okay, these old people are going to teach me how to survive, and it's been a balm for me," Drucker says. "It's like the way out is through gratitude and just trying to collect wisdom. And so that's what's motivated me. And you realize, 'Oh wow, the obstacles that I've navigated are not as extreme as decades ago, as other parts of the world, other parts of the country.' And doing so, we fortify ourselves beyond each other because to be a witness, to listen, to hear, to turn a person's story into a work of art, it's undeniable, and I think that it's why we're here."Drucker hopes her new film can help form some bridges between generations of trans people, which she says will only make the community stronger as a whole."We owe it to ourselves and to each other, to our predecessors and our successors, to celebrate and to create joy and to be confident in our interconnectedness, knowing that in the most dire circumstances and the most devastating, awful circumstances, we can create joy, but joy will never be taken from us," the filmmaker says. "And it feels more important to me personally than ever before, too. I think that there are so many benefits to these times that we can't see right now or that we won't experience until time has passed. Maybe it's greater solidarity with each other and putting aside our small disagreements for bigger goals. You know?"Enigma premieres Tuesday, June 24 on HBO Max.

Noah's Arc might've originally premiered 20 years ago, but star Jenson Atwood knows he's still our "No. 1 Daddy."The actor played Wade in the iconic Logo series that defied the odds to premiere in 2005, and was thrilled to return to his role in the new 2025 film and he couldn't help but prepare to show off his body. On the Noah's Arc red carpet premiere in Los Angeles, Out asked Atwood how it felt to see the same reaction (thirst) over his character Wade all these years later. "I would like to think it's a little bit better, not the same body," Atwood smiled. "I mean, I worked hard. I knew what the production date was. I knew I had a goal, and I did what I could to make sure the audience would enjoy what they saw."Atwood stars in the film alongside the titular character Noah, played by Darryl Stephens. Created by Patrik-Ian Polk, the beloved story follows Noah, Alex (Rodney Chester), Ricky (Christian Vincent), and Chance (Doug Spearman), four Black men living and loving in Los Angeles. Noahs Arc: The Movie sees the men juggling their elevated careers with fatherhood, mortality, grief, and the ever-changing political climate. The film features guest appearances from Ts Madison and RuPaul's Drag Race star Kennedy Davenport, as well as sitcom legends like Living Single's T.C. Carson and A Different World's Jasmine Guy. See on Instagram Atwood says working on a scene with Guy was a "phenomenal" experience."She helped shape my sexuality as a kid," he reflects. "I remember seeing Jasmine Guy on TV for the first time and feeling a certain kind of way. This is all full circle for me."Atwood also took the time to reflect on the 20-year legacy of Noah's Arc. "As an actor, I didn't really think about the impact my work could have on society in a positive way," he says of the original 2005 series. "It just was for entertainment at first, and you know, to be able to make that gear change early in my career, you know, it means the world to me. Noah's Arc will live on even before I'm dead and gone, and that makes me feel good.""I still get emails, DMs, to this day from people who are just seeing it for the first time, and I'm blessed," says Atwood. "Twenty years ago, Black men who looked just like me would tell me, 'because of this show I didn't kill myself.' It's impactful. Noah's Arc is is more than just a show."Noah's Arc: The Movie is now streaming on Paramount+.

The internet has a new boyfriend!The online girls, gays, and theys have a new heartthrob in sight: Agustn Della Corte, the hunky actor playing Roque Prez on Olympo. Not only is Roque the lead male character in this new Netflix show, but he's also gay, and charismatic, and lovable, and nuanced, and has the physique of a Greek deity from Mount Olympus.Olympo Spain's latest original series for Netflix comes from Zeta Studios, the same production company behind the long-running hit show lite. Though some fans quickly described Olympo as "lite, but with athletes," the new show manages to be stronger, faster, sexier, and more elevated than the beloved series set at Las Encinas. Instead of the social pyramid dynamics within a high school, Olympo tells the story of top-tier athletes who live and train together at a High Performing Center in Spain. It's less Gossip Girl and more I, Tonya, if you catch our drift.Fans became quickly invested in the Olympo universe, with standout characters like Amaia Olaberria (Clara Galle), Sebas Senghor (Juan Perales), Zoe Moral (Nira Osahia), Renata Aguilera (Andy Duato), and Charly Lago (Mart Cordero), to name a few. Two fan-favorite actors from the final seasons of lite were also brought into Olympo and embodied new roles: Nuno Gallego (Hctor on lite; Cristian Delallave on Olympo) and Gleb Abrosimov (Eric on lite; Diego Sorokov on Olympo).Nonetheless, Olympo fans are clearly gravitating more toward Roque, brought to life by Agustn Della Corte, and learning more about the actor's life and career.Scroll through to learn more about Agustn Della Corte and make sure to watch Olympo, now streaming on Netflix.Agustn Della Corte's early life and professional rugby career.Corte was born in Paysand, Uruguay, on September 11, 1997. He spent most of his early years in his hometown and joined the Trbol Rugby Club at an early age.By 2017, 20-year-old Corte was a professional rugby athlete who had ascended to play for the Uruguay national rugby union team, and was described as the captain of the team in interviews. This served him well during the casting process for Olympo given that his character, Roque, also plays rugby professionally and happens to be the captain of the team.Competing at the Rugby World Cup and retiring from sports.Corte eventually made his debut at the Rugby World Cup in 2019, set in Japan, and competed on an international scale with some of the best rugby players from around the world.In real life, Corte continued his career as an athlete after the 2019 Rugby World Cup and even signed a contract with a new team, Pearol Rugby, in 2020. However, he ended that year choosing to retire from sports.Agustn Della Corte's breakthrough performance in 'Society of the Snow.'In 2021, Corte auditioned for the film Society of the Snow a coproduction between Uruguay and Spain that told the real story of the rugby team aboard the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 back in 1972. As the airplane crashed in the Andes Mountains, this group of people had to survive in the coldest temperatures they ever faced.Corte's audition process for the film started in February 2021, as lockdown guidelines were still in place. "We were asked to send some photos, material, and information about usA few months later, we were asked to send some self-taped scenes," he told Popternative in an interview. "At the time, I didn't realize what the project was aboutA few months later, I had some Zoom auditions with the casting directors that were from Argentina."The actor continued, "The final stage was in Montevideo, so when they called me, I was in Paysand, my [hometown], at the north of Uruguay. So I traveled to Montevideo and did my audition in front of J.A. Bayona, the director. It wasn't until [I was] there that I realized that the project was, like, a really big project. After a few auditions there in Montevideo, [they] confirmed our participation."The film, based on the 2008 novel by Pablo Vierci, made its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and was eventually released by Netflix in late 2023 (in theaters) and early 2024 (on streaming).Society of the Snow was ultimately nominated for two Academy Awards that year: Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.Corte's performance as Antonio "Tintn" Vizintn in Society of the Snow catapulted his acting career to new heights. He was now also recognized as a dramatic actor featured in an Oscar-nominated film not just a former professional rugby player in pursuit of a new career.Other acting roles, modeling collabs, and the path to 'Olympo' on Netflix.Following the filming, production, and release of Society of the Snow, Corte starred the 2024 film Linda (as a character named Blas) and the 2025 movie Papeles (as Yago). He also worked as a model with various brands including a commercial for Acqua Di Gi Homme for Giorgio Armani Beauty.Corte's audition process for Olympo was, ironically, not very different from landing his life-changing role in Society of the Snow. He was also in Uruguay at the time, and also did preliminary casting calls via Zoom, which he explained in an interview (in Spanish) with LOS40 along with his Olympo costars Clara Galle and Nuno Gallego."I did a couple of casting stages on Zoom, and then I was able to come to Madrid, and [the three of us] met there," Corte said, highlighting that the three of them met for the first time that day.Galle added, "It was April 3rd; I remember the date exactly."Corte's Olympo character, Roque, is best friends with both Amaia (Clara Galle) and Cristian (played by Nuno Gallego). In real life, the three of them certainly seem very close as well, to the point that Galle can easily recall the exact day when she met the two actors while they were all still auditioning.Amaia and Cristian are established as a couple very early on Olympo. In turn, Roque is an out gay man (and his teammates don't have issues with it), but he's still forced to navigate the politics of courting sponsorships as an athlete. Moreover, Roque also has to face the realities of dating among other male athletes, who are either fully straight or deep in the closet.Olympo is now streaming on Netflix.

Labels can help shape our view of ourselves in a world that tries to fit us into categories and boxes. At the same time, labels have the potential to limit our capacity for growth and understanding, especially in the dating world. So what happens when labels start to feel old and outgrown?Thats the delicious dilemma at the center of Hinges third annual LGBTQ+ D.A.T.E. Report D.A.T.E. stands for Data, Advice, Trends, and Expertise. I sat down with Moe Ari Brown, Hinges resident "love whisperer" (a marriage and family therapist by trade), to unpack the data trends and forecast the next great romance revolution.Label fatigue is here because our desires refuse to stay in one boxLabel fatigue is a moment when once-empowering tags feel tight at the seams. People are wanting to shift an identity label or date someone outside their typical type, and theyre feeling pressure to confirm, Brown explains, noting that fear of side-eye often keeps folks frozen in the wrong lane. In other words, love is calling, but the label printer is jammed.Queer daters have always had to learn on the fly: Our stories rarely make it into mainstream relationship science. Thats why Hinge celebrates its third annual report. LGBTQIA+ people have not always been centered in conversations around love, Brown reminds. By quantifying our quirks, triumphs, and heartbreaks, the app hopes to turn anecdotes into actionable advice.Gen Z is swiping past the binary: no apologies, no seatbeltsIf millennials cracked the closet door, Gen Z kicked it open and redecorated. According to the report, queer Gen Z daters are 21 percent more likely than millennials to date across gender expressions and 39 percent more likely to reconsider their sexuality label after an unexpected spark. Translation: Theyre remixing identity and attraction like a DJ, and culture is finally catching the beat.Brown credits a fluid zeitgeist and the visibility apps provide: They see each other daters living authentically, living openly, he smiles. For this generation, another persons pronouns are an invitation, not a riddle.Radical authenticity is the new relationship escalatorSo, how do you claim your truth without limiting yourself? Browns therapist-approved mantra is radical authenticity: Being yourself regardless of whos watching, even if theres a threat to belonging. He urges daters to turn the light all the way up because signaling your attraction (and quirks!) is how your people find you.Practical tweaks? Swap the laundry list of Must love dogs, brunch, and obscure 90s references for prompts that showcase vibe over vital stats. On first dates, lean into humor and play; shared laughs soften the armor we wear when venturing beyond a type.Nearly four in 10 Gen Z queer daters have reconsidered their label after an unexpected spark. Browns gentle reframe: Who you like is not who you are. Identity may anchor you, but relationships are surfboards riding shifting waves. His advice for handling nosy friends and family? Share only when youre ready to inform, not ask permission. Your love life isnt a group-project Google Doc.The tech that lets us stop explaining ourselves on repeatHinges expanding gender and orientation menus, along with its new Match Notes feature, aim to keep marginalized users from getting yanked out of their romantic reverie. Brown remembers the first time someones Match Note greeted him with his correct pronouns and a dash of swagger. It was a moment of recognition, he sighs, still smitten. Digital tools that bake respect into the user experience means less emotional labor and more flirtatious banter.Looking ahead, Brown craves features that foster vulnerability past day three: We know what we want. Now, how do we cultivate it? How do we delete this app? he laughs.Micro-moves that build major intimacyForget grand gestures; Brown says intimacy blooms in the details:Eye contact. In a world of sideways glances at selfie cameras, a sustained gaze feels downright electric. Eyes are the window to the soul may be clich, but evolutionary psychology agrees.Open body language & genuine smiles. Our nervous systems are co-regular, and a relaxed posture with real laughter signals safety before the first sip of Pinot.Active listening. Reflect, empathize, and resist the urge to pivot back to yourself too soon. Emotional ping-pong beats 20-question lightning rounds any day.Another great tip? Avoid the token trap. When someone reaches beyond their usual gender attraction, the line between curiosity and collection can blur. Red flag number one: a laser focus on one identity facet. The antidote? Treat dates as whole humans: Chicago upbringing, plant-dad energy, and all. If someone reduces you to a bullet point, cherish the block button as quickly as you would buy a new Telfar bag during a flash sale.Where the love story goes nextBrowns dream for the fourth annual report is a deep dive into the vulnerability paradox and how we crave being known but fear being seen. Understanding those roadblocks could finally shepherd more daters from Just matched! to We deleted the app for good. In the meantime, he champions community-led research, more safety tools, and tech that prioritizes joy over just-in-case disclaimers.After an hour of laughter, therapy nuggets, and mutual fangirling over Match Notes, one truth remains: love, especially queer love, thrives in radical authenticity. Whether youre a Gen Z free-spirit replacing she/they with they/them or a millennial who is masc Tuesdays and femme Fridays, the D.A.T.E. Report says the heart wants what it wants. And, hopefully, the app algorithms are finally catching up.So the next time you feel that familiar itch to edit your bio or your life, remember Browns mic-drop wisdom: Turn your light all the way up. The right eyes will meet yours, the right laughter will echo back, and the right label will feel less like a straitjacket and more like your favorite vintage tee: soft, lived-in, and unmistakably you.

Venezuelan-born, Los Angeles-based photographer Ricardo Diaz has worked with numerous celebrities over the years names Dua Lipa, Amanda Lepore, Kylie Jenner, Gottmik, Christina Aguilera, and Usher, to name a few and previously collaborated with Out for a vintage pin-up photo shoot featuring Fantasia Royale Gaga.In a new photo shoot shared exclusively with Out, Diaz explores the code-switching tactics that people in the LGBTQ+ community must adhere to in their professional lives. Due to recent events, Latinos are now also code-switching more intensely than ever for their own safety.Diaz's new photo shoot, titled Code-Switching With Style, was also made by an all-queer team of professionals in front of and behind the camera.Check out the photos and narrative of Code-Switching With Style by Ricardo Diaz (@officialricardodiaz) below."This shoot speaks a lot to how our community has to dilute themselves in professional daytime settings," Diaz tells Out. "The idea of having to play within the bounds of a censored heteronormative culture while still rebelling a bit through style is what pushed me to create this series."The photographer elaborates, "The story we worked on centered around the expectation of normalcy among queer professionals (while at work) in order to establish oneself as serious and deserving of respect from coworkers.""This push for 'professional homogeneity' tends to be at odds with the nature of being queer (which, by its very definition, means 'strange' and 'odd')," Diaz observes."So our model starts the series in a well-groomed and polished professional look in the daytime," he explains. "Slivers in the styling hint at an underlying edge, as seen through his work pants with a slit."According to Diaz, this series was meant "make a statement through fashion, which tends to be a place of solace for us in these bland times.""As the day progresses, so does our model," he adds.The narrative advances, and "the model is seen walking the streets in a professional but more stylish and daring outfit.'"Queer code-switching with style, for me, meant going from 'groomed and preppy' during the day to more 'edgy' and 'explorative' at night," Diaz says."Once the sun has set, our model is no longer tied to the constraints of his 9-to-5 job," the photographer explains."This allows his true, exploratory self to come out in the form of a daring and flowing black look set against the Vessel in Hudson Yards," Diaz says."The series concludes as our model dons an open top," he comments."Our model is now free to revel in the night embracing his skin," Diaz says, "standing as a stark contrast to his completely covered form earlier in his day." View this profile on Instagram RICARDO DIAZ (@officialricardodiaz) Instagram photos and videosPhotographer RICARDO DIAZ @officialricardodiazModel COLLIN ROBINSON @collin_robinson22Stylist APOLLO BUAL @apollobualStylist assistant MIA ROSE @i.am.missmiaroseStylist assistant CHIBUEZE ACHEBE @bezachebe

Dear Alex, I would like to ask you for your opinion. I live with a boyfriend and I hope we get married soon. But during the last year, my boyfriend lost interest in sex. I am a very sexual person, and I miss sex a lot. We talked about it a lot and we agreed that I could go out alone to have sex with others. On the one hand, I really would like to go, because I need to release pressure inside me. On the other hand, I'm not sure if it's good for us. I believe that he will restore his sexuality, and I want to help him. M.Hey M.Heres the thing about feelings: They only happen in you, in your body. You are the only one responsible for them. And it's the same for everyone else.In arguments, people say things like, You made me feel or That made me feel But that's not really how it works. Feelings, like thoughts, arise and exist entirely within the self, and this is arguably what our minds do best. Our minds are thought machines, emotion generators. We have little control over these things, but, with patience and mindfulness, we can relate to them healthily and respond to them more gently.Sorry if all this sounds a little zen, but here's the real-world application: You can support him on his sex journey as a good boyfriend, but his sex drive his thoughts and feelings around having sex with you are not ultimately your responsibility. They're his.This is his mystery, his journey, his puzzle to figure out. And while it's happening, you need to take care of yourself. That means sex with others.His sex engine seems to be turned off. That is probably as troubling for him as it is for you. Thankfully, hes being self-aware and acknowledging that your needs are not being met, and hes doing the next best thing: giving you freedom to meet and play with others a grownup response to a tough (but very common) situation. That's a good sign, a testament to his character.He probably wishes he could do better for you and satisfy you. How can I say that? Because, in romantic relationships, my sex engine goes cold pretty quickly, even with men I love deeply (often because I love them deeply). Therapy has helped me understand why this is so and what I can do about it (look up avoidant attachment style), and understanding helps, but it doesnt fully erase the guilt I feel lying next to a man I love who wants me sexually and not wanting him back not like that. I know how much that hurts him.It's great that he was able to talk to you about this a difficult subject for any couple to discuss. Sure, he may find a way to reignite the spark, but again, that's his journey, not yours. You can keep that as a hoped-for possibility in your mind. But that does not seem to be happening now, so its not the solution now. Right now, you need sex. Even if its uncomfortable at first and brings up feelings of guilt and betrayal, you should absolutely, no-question, take him up on his offer and when those uncomfortable, guilty feelings come, share them with him. Talk through it. Make these feelings part of your relationship, part of your sexual journey together because they are.Even if you two were having sex, your needs would not be his responsibility. They never were. Your needs, your emotions, and your arousal are your stuff, not his. In monogamous relationships, people choose to let one person (their partner) be their main source of pleasure. In non-monogamous relationships, people choose to satisfy their needs with more than one person. But the power of choice is still only yours. The captain of the ship, in both (and all) types of relationships, is you.Captain, you need to take care of the ship. Man your own turf. Manage your own pleasure. More than threatening your bond with him, it's far likelier this will make you more present and less anxious in your relationship, and better able to support him.I understand feeling conflicted about this, but in my view, the only thing that could be truly detrimental for your relationship is doing nothing. If you let all that desire, that pressure, bottle up, you might one day find it has turned to anger and resentment, and then youre in trouble. Ethical non-monogamy is, in essence, a way of doing relationships that does not sever sex from love but allows these things to live separately and be satisfied with different people in order to keep the relationship going. This requires honesty, emotional transparency, patience, and understanding the same things all healthy relationships need.Humans need sex. You need sex. When we are denied sex too long, we eventually act out often without knowing why we are upset. Eventually, the beast comes out. You might cheat. You might start having fights about things that, on the surface, have nothing to do with sex you might not even know why you are fighting. I promise: Its because a fundamental human need is being cut off.The smarter thing to do: Try sex with others. Agree beforehand how much you want to talk about it and how much disclosure is expected. Do not let him backtrack or change his mind after he feels that first pang of jealousy. Hold your ground and tell him this is what you need to stay together (it is).The fact is, sexual neglect is a justifiable reason to end a relationship. Sex with others can save it.Hey there! Im Alexander Cheves. Im a sex writer and former sex workerI worked in the business for over 12 years. You can read my sex-and-culture column Last Call in Out and my book My Love Is a Beast: Confessions, from Unbound Edition Press. But be warned: Kirkus Reviews says the book is "not for squeamish readers.In the past, I directed (ahem) adult videos and sold adult products. I have spoken about subjects like cruising, sexual health, and HIV at the International AIDS Conference, SXSW, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and elsewhere, and appeared on dozens of podcasts.Here, Im offering sex and relationship advice to Outs readers. Send your question to askbeastly@gmail.com it may get answered in a future post.

This story is brought to you by our partners at Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Photo Courtesy of Motto by Hilton New York City Times SquareI couldnt help but wonder: In New York City, can you really have it all the buzz, the beauty, the Broadway without the burnout?For OutTravelers chasing both a little glamour and a good nights sleep, the answer might just be yes if you check into Motto by Hilton New York City Times Square.Here, Broadway is literally outside your window, but inside, everything feels muted, modern and intentionally calm. Its the kind of place that whispers, Youve made it, whether youre in town for Pride, a pitch meeting or a post-breakup reset. Photo Courtesy of Motto by Hilton New York City Times SquareNestled right in the heart of Times Square, the Motto Hotel offers a front row to all the city that never sleeps has to offer, said Mary Schwager, senior executive producer of programming for The Advocate Channel. Its steps from Broadway theaters, a short walk to Central Park and all the excitement of New York City. If you like chocolate, the M&M, Hershey and Max Brenner shops are all within a block. If youre lucky, you can get a room with the Wicked sign right outside your window. How New York is that? Photo Courtesy of Mary SchwagerPart of Hiltons lifestyle-forward brand, Motto properties stretch from Peru to Philadelphia, each tailored to the local vibe with cleverly compact rooms. The Times Square location is a blend of Roaring 20s glamour and 2020s mindfulness complete with natural tones, minimalist decor and sound-softening ceiling panels to keep the Midtown mania at bay.Motto Times Square is sleek, smart and perfectly efficient no fluff, just focus, said Chris Go, equalprides chief of staff. It was the perfect place for our team to stay while celebrating our Pride cover party. In a Pride season where LGBTQ+ orgs are doing more with less, it felt fitting to be in a space that values intention over excess. Photo Courtesy of Chris GoConnected rooms make Motto ideal for chosen families, couples or solo travelers looking to spread out. Theres even a Bunkie room with a queen bed and a twin overhead a multitasking dream for party planners, parents or anyone who packs in layers.And of course, no queer-friendly stay would be complete without a chic spot to caffeinate or celebrate. The Alderman, Mottos lobby-level bar and coffee lounge, blends vintage tavern charm with modern cocktail culture perfect for pre-show espresso or post-Pride debriefs.The Motto was our portal to Broadway and Pride! said Daniel Reynolds, editor in chief of Out. What a joy to experience New York City in the heart of it all. Also, dont miss Lulla in the Chelsea location. Great bites and vibes! (L-R) Chris Go & Daniel ReynoldsPhoto Courtesy of Daniel ReynoldsMottos sustainably focused features like under-bed storage, refillable aluminum water bottles and premium bulk amenities make it a conscious choice with a cool factor.So whether youre coming for Broadway, brunch or your big queer love story, book your stay at Motto Times Square HERE now and make the city yours one fabulous night at a time.