There has to be a Guinness World Records entry for fastest career demise in recorded history; some of those contenders would be Milli Vanilli lip-syncing or James Charles admitting to soliciting nudes from minors. How about I raise you the Ned Fulmer/Try Guys cheating scandal from 2022? Don't remember it? Well, a group of BuzzFeed employees made a name for themselves as a group of friends who would try things for the first time together. The group, which included Fulmer, Keith Habersberger, Eugene Lee Yang, and Zach Kornfeld, spun off from the digital media empire to create their own company in 2018.Things were going well as they built their own brand and created content as a group Fulmer had a reputation of being "the wife guy" and talked about how much he loves his partner, Ariel. But in 2022, he was caught hanging out with a junior employee, leading to him being ousted from the company and edited out of forthcoming Try Guys videos. Following the social media firestorm that ensued, the remaining three members addressed the controversy head-on. They released a video statement sharing that they did not condone Fulmer's actions and that he would no longer be a part of the Try Guys group moving forward.Earlier this week, Fulmer decided to slowly creep his way back into the public eye with the announcement of a new podcast called Rock Bottom, which features his now ex-wife, Ariel, in the first episode. In an exclusive interview with People, he shared that he felt ready to make his return to the internet after taking time away following the cheating scandal. People also confirmed that the two are now separated, but that didn't stop them from putting out a deeply uncomfortable episode of their podcast that I have no other way to describe than as Straight Nonsense. Before the show, the video opens with a message from Fulmer apologizing to his fans for his lapse of judgment. His cheating "became a national public scandal that caused a lot of pain to a lot of people," he said. "I betrayed my spouse, coworkers, friends, family, and I betrayed you." He continues on with his pity party (three years too late) as he tries to curry public favor before getting into the episode.Ned and Ariel gathered in a well-lit studio, a lot more smiles than most people would expect from a couple dealing with extramarital affairs. But the parents of two seemed to be in a much better spot in their relationship after a good deal of therapy. Ariel shared that she did not forgive him for what's done and that the two have been separated since the scandal. Ned's ploy to try and get people to like him again is as transparent as ever, but the person I (and the online community) feel bad for is Ariel. She found out about the implosion of her marriage on social media fans sent her the photos of Ned with his employee, and Ariel said she was so blindsided, she didn't even know what she was seeing.Ariel said that she knew about the photos when he picked her up from the airport and confronted him about the cheating, which is when he admitted to the affair. After he admitted it, she made him turn the car around and take her back to the airport. Up until that point, Ned reveals that he wasn't aware just how much he had been harming Ariel with his actions. Throughout the episode, he does a lot of awkward apologizing, and the entire thing is just an uncomfortable watch from start to finish. The comments section proves that too."This video should be titled 'exploiting my ex wifes trauma to make myself feel relevant again,'" one person commented. Someone else wrote, "Him calling it 'the scandal' and her saying 'your affair' is all you need to know." Since the Try Guys became popular, Ariel has built a fanbase of her own, which has only gotten stronger since Ned's affair. The comments section is filled with her supporters saying that they watched only to see what she had to say and were incredibly disappointed by Ned's flaccid response to everything discussed.It's also clear what Ned's motives are with the bio of the podcast channel itself: "Everyone makes mistakes. Some of us - really big ones." Those who refuse to take accountability call their actions a "mistake" or a lapse in judgement take Kendra Licari, from Netflix's Unknown Number: The High School Catfish documentary, which inspired this column. She sent her daughter hundreds of text messages, many of them sexually explicit or telling her go and kill herself. But in her testimonial during the film, she called what she did a mistake and compared it to drunk driving, which also is not a mistake that's a decision you make.His decision to come back to the internet after being enemy number one since the scandal became national headlines (and was even spoofed by Saturday Night Live) is, in my opinion, one of grimiest moves a straight man can make. He's deflated. And all of the energy that once emanated through the screen now is just as small as his career opportunities moving forward at least that's how I see it. However, given the political climate we are currently in, it seems that the worse you are to women, the more highly respected you become. If Ned wants to fall down the canceled influencer to right-wing martyr pipeline that so many white content creators go down, he could have a real future. As much as he doesn't deserve to have a platform given what he did with the last one, anything can happen: We have a felon as president, a homophobic political commentator getting commemorated with a national holiday, and Chris Brown is still selling out arenas even after physically assaulting multiple men and women. Who needs morals anyways? It seems like Ned tried it out and wasn't a fan.Moises Mendez II is a staff writer at Out magazine. Follow him on Instagram @moisesfenty.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.

The following Q&A is part of Outs Dating PrEP Season 4, where prominent LGBTQ+ figures share dating tips and insights for finding self-love and romance. Watch the full series on Out.com/DatingPrEP.These days, dating can feel like an endless audition. We curate, filter and perform all in the hope that someone will click on our carefully crafted dating app profile. But what if love, and life, were more about showing up sweaty, awkward and unapologetically real?Kevin McDonald a Los Angeles-based personal trainer, influencer and self-described philosophy bro is on a mission to remind us of exactly that.McDonald has built a devoted following as @yourfriendkevin_ by sharing everything from unfiltered gym fails to messy, hilarious date confessions. Equal parts fitness coach and big-hearted friend, he believes connection starts with embracing the cringe and learning to laugh at ourselves whether panicking over first-date outfits or screaming on roller coasters.Beyond the workout selfies and dating mishaps, McDonalds message is simple: focus less on perfection and more on community, curiosity and finding joy in the chaos. For him, confidence isnt sculpted in the gym its built one honest, vulnerable moment at a time.We sat down with McDonald to talk about his most chaotic date stories and what it really means to show up as your authentic self cringe and all.OUT: Whats your most iconic or chaotic first date story?Kevin McDonald: I went on a date with a now very prominent comedian and I ruined it at every single turn. He was sober, so naturally I cracked open a bottle of wine. I was living in this apartment that faced an alley. So I set up two chairs thinking it would be like, We're outside! How fun! Just sitting him in an alley, talking to me for an amount of time. I was boring. It was terrible. I was trying so hard to be cool to impress him that I think I wasnt even focused on what he wanted. I was just zeroing in on what I needed to project and it makes complete sense they didnt text me back.How do you typically meet people today?I love to scope out a friend group. I love to get a group together either at my place at a game night or at a bar, trivia, and then just meet people from there. I think a lot of people are afraid of just introducing themselves. It can just be slowly easing your way into an already established group of people. I love the safety of a herd to introduce myself and weave in and out of those interactions.What advice do you have for people struggling with the fear of being cringe when communicating their relationship desires upfront?When youre dealing with fears of being judged in dating, I think your mindsets already in the wrong spot. If youre thinking about what youre doing that could possibly be perceived as cringe, youre thinking about yourself and not the person youre with.Acting in that selfish way is holding you back. You gotta stare in that mirror. You gotta say I am cringe and I am free. You just gotta be yourself.Whats the importance of authenticity from the start?I find a lot of people struggling with where to find authenticity. Instead of focusing on the word authentic, I think you should focus on why you want to impress a person. What about you yourself currently is not good enough for them? And is that even a fair thought to be putting on yourself? Its usually not. So I think in order to be authentic you have to step back and wonder why these people youre trying to impress are looking for a different version of you.How do you know if someone is interested online?When it comes to judging people online, I think that of any superpower I have, this is where my anxiety flourishes because I am obsessed with finding out people who I think are phonies, which is entirely unhealthy. Please dont do this. However, if I think that someone online is portraying themselves in a way that I cant justify, like they just held their camera like that and they posed in that way, why? Who are they trying to impress? Immediately a red flag goes off in my head and I will dismiss them as someone whos probably not going to be completely honest with themselves or with me. My incredibly judgmental and rude mindset has aided me in being able to weed out and not waste time with genuine connections online. What challenges do you see in queer relationships when it comes to seeking validation or appearing perfect to others?I think a lot of pitfalls that queer relationships can fall into is the aspiration to validity, to be perceived as like a normal, cool relationship. That can lead people to push things in a way that might be inorganic. If your goal is to find someone you love, that seems like a very difficult project. While instead, if your goal is to just find someone to be affectionate with, that seems a lot more obtainable.What advice would you offer to queer folks who feel like love might be harder to find for them?If youre looking for love, youre looking for the wrong subject. You should be looking for support, affection, and people that like you. If you surround yourself with independent, strong, unique people, youre just naturally going to be surrounding yourself with compassion and with love, and a relationship might fall into place there.How has the queer community helped shape your fitness journey?My fitness journey has been shaped a lot by queerness and the community. I am inspired the most when I have people around me, whether that means group fitness, a class with friends, or going to the park and doing somersaults. The concept of community has changed the way that I view fitness. Fitness does not have to be lifting weights by yourself in the dark. Its so much more than that. How did you build your confidence over time?Building my confidence was definitely not a quick journey. I was a really late bloomer when it came to coming out. I had spent a lot of time lying to myself, saying once this one thing is fixed, then it'll be fine. Thats never really how it works. Once I started to tone and see myself in the mirror as an image that I liked a lot more, it was much easier to step back and see what else I could improve. It all started with physically getting up and doing something for myself. The steps that you need to take in order to better yourself are necessary to build that confidence, self-esteem, and project that to others.What advice do you have for staying safe and protecting yourself physically and sexually while dating?Protection goes both ways. You have to stay healthy, eat a vegetable every once in a while, and also trust the partners you're with. Take the proper medicine, make sure that if you're sexually active, you're doing it safely. You have to know that you're worth it, know that people around care and want the best for you, and you should also have that same respect for the people around you.What other challenges do you see within the queer community that impact dating?This may sound harsh, but I think a huge issue in the queer community is that a lot of people are selfish and think they know everything. We achieve nothing alone. Often, we forget the intricate systems of support that have led us here. When you focus only on yourself, youre putting yourself at a disadvantage, whether that's with dating, spending time in the gym, or trying to fix a toilet.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

In the spring of 2013, I took a class called "Sex and Love in Modern US Society." It was my junior year, and I was excited to be enrolled in something that felt radical simply because of its title. I couldn't wait to dive into the readings and discussions with my peers, who were mostly seniors. Now that more than ten years have passed, I don't particularly remember what we read in that class. And no offense to the lecturer, I don't really remember what she told us. The experience that remains crystal clear in my memory, however, was being in the presence of one of the most powerful individuals I have ever met.Alok Vaid-Menon, my fellow classmate.I thought Alok was incredible, always dressed in such a chic way and possessing a balance of elegance and force each and every time they opened their mouth to speak. When Alok added to the discussion, I paid close attention, ready to hear whatever wisdom they were about to share. I could tell I was in the presence of greatness, of someone who would change the world. For me, Alok expanded my thinking, which was previously committed to gender and race equity. I didn't realize, up until that point, that I was still operating in the confines of American patriarchy. American patriarchy exists because it relies on the colonial invention of the gender binary that replaced fluid and indigenous understandings of gender with a strict man/woman dichotomy.Alok has now become a famous poet, comedian, speaker, and author, spreading the insight they shared in class all those years ago with the world. The insight is both plain and profound because it flies in the face of so much of what we have been taught is true and is based on Alok's own experience and their human desire to live freely. Why might this basic desire that we all share become something world-changing? Well, as I show in my latest book, Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden From Us, only some people are allowed the right to live freely according to the social order the founding fathers implemented. American patriarchy doesn't just rely on power; it depends on categories. For it to function, it must reduce the vastness of human identity into two rigid roles, assigning power to one and subjugation to the other while excluding whole groups of people if they cannot conform. Furthermore, this exclusion relies on erasing people who do not fit the categories to maintain the illusion that the binary is the only option we have available to us.Therefore, as a person who is a gender-nonconforming South Asian American who identifies as transfeminine, Alok is seen as a foil to the foundation upon which the United States is built.American patriarchy tells us that Alok and others, as fantastic as they are, are not supposed to exist. And if they somehow do, they will certainly not be treated as human beings but instead will be judged and punished. Even worse, those making the judgment and doing the punishing will often be applauded and avoid any consequences.Many fear that they will lose something if gender-expansive people are treated with dignity and are allowed to live without fear of persecution or harassment. In following Alok's epic journey, it is distressing to witness how many people try to tear Alok down. Comments on social media are one thing, but Alok faces even more danger as they walk down the street and people yell slurs and statements like "You are disgusting!" and might try to get physical.It is in the face of such violence, where the need for Alok's world-changing work becomes obvious, that you realize that their fight to live freely as themselves is a fight on behalf of all of us; a fight we must be willing to join if we aim to dismantle American patriarchy once and for all.Alok made me realize how much of our feminist scholarship and politics has relied on living comfortably within the two categories of the gender binary. One of patriarchy's most cunning moves has been co-opting feminism to protect cis womanhood as the only legitimate womanhood. However, this isn't liberation; it's just another form of gatekeeping. A feminist revolution will never succeed if it doesn't also consider femmes who challenge the binary. If it excludes women who were not identified as women at birth, and disregards people who are feminist but who do not identify as men or women. And if it furthers the exclusion of many women of color who have historically been villainized and objectified when they were represented as not feminine enough.The intricacies of American patriarchy trap even those of us who think we are radical: we can easily fall back into reproducing the system because it can feel more comfortable to do so.We must push ourselves to ask just how far our belief in equity extends and where we still need to grow, because it became evident to me over 10 years ago that until people who see themselves in Alok V. Menon can walk down the street safely, unafraid of what others might do to hurt them, the work would not be complete. Until I could let go of my own attachments to the meaning of clothing, hair, and pronouns, I was no better than what I wanted to change.While we may be against American patriarchy, we are often afraid of what it means to leave it behind, and we cling to the things that allow it to persist. Yet the bravest among us are those who do not fit it at all and who have concluded that they will choose to live freely in a country that tells them they cannot.Anna Malaika Tubbs is a scholar, advocate, and bestselling author of Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us, a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. 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.

The traditional folk ballad Silver Dagger is central to the love story between young men in Oliver Hermanuss gay romantic tearjerker, History of Sound. A shared love of music draws Paul Mescals Lionel and Josh OConnors David together in a bar at the New England Conservatory of Music, where they meet, and where David plays lost folk ballads on the piano. Eventually, their passion for the stories of star-crossed lovers and tragedy set to music lands them in bed and an epic love affair.I think there's nothing more attractive [than] when somebody expresses an interest or a passion for something. It's the most attractive thing to witness somebody passionate about, Mescal tells Out.Based on a story by Ben Shattuck, History of Sound spans from approximately 1910 to the mid-1920s, and follows Lionel from his humble farm in Kentucky to college in Boston, where he and David meet and fall in love. Following a years-long separation while David fights in World War I, the men embark on a journey to excavate and preserve the word-of-mouth folk ballads embedded in the culture in the far corners of Maine. A voiceover from elder Lionel (Chris Cooper) informs the viewer of Lionels synesthesia, his ability to experience sound through all of his senses.I think it turns Lionel on so creatively to see David and share this kind of thing that he feels is niche and only kind of belongs to him. He's like, from Kentucky, comes to Maine, doesn't feel like he can necessarily connect to anybody on this, Mescal says. And then lo and behold, one night he's sitting in a bar and it's David playing this song. If you put yourself in that position, it must have been the most exciting thing for him to hear this song through a bar and then see David and fall in love. Josh O''Connor and Paul Mescal in History of Sound Courtesy MUBI While Lionel is the wide-eyed country boy in the big city, David, an orphan, hails from Newport by way of a stint in England, where his uncle taught him to preserve the ballads. Back from the war and masking PTSD, David arranges the song-collecting trip for the pair.Initially, there's a creative and intellectual attraction, and then obviously a physical one and everything else, OConnor says. But I think what's so gorgeous about David and what I loved about him when I first read the short story and then read the script, was that ultimately he's sort of curating this experience for them in a way that as obviously we later discovered that it wasn't necessarily as he described, but he's doing it out of love, like pure love for Lionel and for their shared interests and their shared creative passion.I think that was the thing that broke my heart the most in a weird way for sure, of he was creating this little world for them both to go and explore. It's such a gift. Deeply moving, OConnor adds. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in History of Sound Courtesy MUBI Mescal and OConnor have starred in queer love stories before. Andrew Haighs All of Us Strangers (2023) starred Andrew Scott and Mescal in a romantic, sexy love story that feels as though it takes place at the end of the world, and OConnor starred opposite Alec Secareanu in Francis Lees film about gay sheepherders, Gods Own Country (2017). At a time when fewer studios are producing queer-themed projects, Mescal reflects on the responsibility that accompanies telling queer stories.Its so much harder to get those stories made. The society is polarized to an extent that we haven't seen before, especially in the world that we operate in. But we've just come from Telluride Film Festival, and it was kind of remarkable. I was there with Andrew Scott, and the impact that these films, All of Us Strangers and this film [have], Mescal says. It's such a remarkable privilege to get to act in these stories, but also to be having the responsibility to tell these stories at the time that we're telling them.Watch the full interview with Mescal and OConnor above. History of Sound is in theaters now.

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’ve probably noticed that “gender-affirming healthcare” gets talked about a lot. And let’s be honest—the conversation can get pretty heated. Some people see it as essential, life-saving care, while others treat it like some kind of radical new idea. Here’s the thing: when you strip away the...

Teddy Sandoval was a pioneering, yet underrecognized, figure in Los Angeles Chicanx and queer art scenes. His work, which continues to resonate for its wit, irreverence, and formal innovation, is finally getting its first museum retrospective, Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art. As part of its U.S. tour, the exhibit is currently on view at The Contemporary Austin, where it will stay until January 2026.A Renaissance man of sorts, Sandoval worked in an expansive array of mediums from painting to performance art, ceramics, prints, mail art, and window displays. Active from the 1970s up until his death from AIDS-related complications in 1995, Sandoval created subversive works that queered spaces, reimagined Chicano masculinity, and forged artistic connections across local and international avant-garde networks.Born in L.A. in 1949 to Mexican immigrant parents, Sandoval trained in printmaking and Chicano activism at California State University, Long Beach. His early artwork captured Long Beachs vibrant gay scene, centered on bars, beaches, and cruising spaces. In Granada Beach (1976), Sandoval features a male sunbather, an early example of his signature use of faceless, mustached silhouettes.Sandoval was able to turn societal changes and repression into artistic opportunities. At a time when gay bars and discos often excluded people of color and Chicanx artists were missing from view in museums and galleries, Sandoval created imaginative ways to distribute their work, including through his fictitious organization the Butch Gardens School of Art, which gives name to the exhibition.Between 1972 and 1975, the L.A. gay bar Butch Gardens advertised itself with a bold tagline: Are You Butch Enough for Butch Gardens??? For many in the queer Chicanx community, the answer was a resounding yes. Butch Gardens became a rare and vital space where Brown queers could gather without judgment. Among the bars regulars were Sandoval and his friends and future collaborators, including the Chicanx artists Gronk and Joey Terrill. For Sandoval, Butch Gardens was more than a watering hole, it was a source of inspiration. He borrowed the bars name to create the Butch Gardens School of Art, a made-up organization that blurred the line between a parody operation and actual art academy. Then, Sandoval took his daring idea to the next level. He embraced mail art as an alternative and democratic means of circulating subversive works. Acting as if it were an official institution, Butch Gardens School of Art issued flyers and postcards and organized exhibitions that blended humor with queer eroticism. Sandovals mischievous drag persona, Rosa de la Montaa, often cohosted the events, while Terrill and other Chicanx artists contributed work. Confronting a climate hostile to both their sexuality and their art, Sandoval and his peers invited recipients of the mailings to imagine themselves as students newly enrolled in this fictitious academy. In essence, they built a social network of queer connection, creativity, and resistance decades before Instagram and other social media platforms would be used to do the same.Beginning in the mid-1970s, Sandoval developed a striking visual language: faceless male silhouettes marked only by a bold mustache. Stripped of individuality, they became the artists unmistakable motif an endlessly adaptable icon that he used in every medium.Sandovals artistic breakthrough occurred at a moment of seismic cultural change marked by the sexual revolution, gay liberation, and the Chicano civil rights movement. He depicted the so-called gay clones who flourished in San Francisco, New York, and L.A. Wearing tight Levis, flannel shirts, cropped hair, and full mustaches, they rejected any association of gay men with effeminacy by projecting a macho sensibility that both spoofed and embraced working-class archetypes.Sandovals faceless figures heighten the gay clones uniformity, exposing their masculinity as a kind of performance akin to drag. While it may be tempting to view these images and his collaborations with Terrill on the zine Homeboy Beautiful through a nostalgic lens, their impact at the time was radical. By defiantly eroticizing East L.A.s homeboy aesthetic, they disrupted and queered the patriarchal, often homophobic, Chicano visual culture.In 1978, Sandoval teamed up with fellow Chicanx artist Gronk for La Historia de Frida Kahlo, a photo-performance that playfully reimagined the lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Borrowing from Mexican films and fotonovelas melodramatic antics, Sandoval donned gowns and high heels to portray Kahlo, while Gronk played Rivera.Sandoval and Gronk used Kahlo as a tool to explore gender fluidity, queer identity, and the politics of performance, reframing one of Mexicos most relevant figures as a mirror for their own irreverent, boundary-pushing art. The photographs circulated as mail art and inspired the collage Dos Fritos (1978), which honors and mocks Kahlos The Two Fridas.One of Sandoval's most emblematic paintings, Las Locas (circa 1980) features Sandoval on the right and his partner, Paul Polubinskas, in the center. From 1981 to 1994, the couple ran a unique ceramics company, Artquake, which produced works that regularly represented the male figure. A striking example is a porcelain wind chime featuring a naked mans spread legs as a base that suspends dangling pairs of underwear. Sandoval and Polubinskas also used Indigenous images as an assertion of cultural pride, featuring the Macho Mayan a Mesoamerican warrior flexing his strong bicep while wearing underwear and a feathered headdress as a key symbol in their ceramics.This figure is echoed in one of Sandovals most famous works, the print Angel Baby, which was produced in 1995, the year the artist died. The portrayal of a muscular angel in boxing gloves epitomizes Sandovals world a combination of popular imagery, Catholic and Mesoamerican motifs, cholos and male beauty. The figures bicep features a flaming Sacred Heart, symbolizing hope, while the brand name Everlast appears prominently on his shorts and glove. Sandoval explained in an interview, This image is about the concerns I have regarding violence, AIDS, war, and discrimination. We must change our thoughts within our hearts and souls if we want to live in peace and harmony. In the print which is as vibrant and poignant as when Sandoval created it three decades ago the boxer becomes a guardian angel who inspires resilience during the AIDS pandemic. The retrospectives cocurators, C. Ondine Chavoya and David Evans Frantz who were also behind the groundbreaking exhibition Axis Mundo: Queer networks in Chicano L.A expand the idea of the Butch Gardens School of Art by including works from 25 multigenerational queer, Latinx, and Latin American artists who share striking affinities with Sandoval. Placing their works alongside Sandovals underscores his enduring relevance, revealing how his playful experimentation and probing of identity and queer spaces continue to resonate across the Americas today.Sandoval typed in one of his flyers: Art only exists beyond the confines of accepted behavior. We can imagine him smiling, delighted in seeing the exhibition reveal how his reach across time and space has transformed him, much like his own revered Kahlo, from a gender outlaw into a queer icon.An interview with artist Joey TerrillTeddy Sandovals close friend and collaborator Joey Terrill spoke with Out about their work together, which spanned nearly two decades. During that time, the two worked together on projects such as Terrills satirical, faux-lifestyle magazine Homeboy Beautiful, published from 1978 to 1979, which critiqued American racism and aimed to erase homophobia in Chicano culture.One of the most important Chicano artists of our time, Terrill, who was born in 1955, has worked at the intersections of queer and Chicanx identity, popular culture, and activism for over five decades. Since testing positive for HIV in 1989, Terrill has focused on personal narratives about the AIDS epidemic in his work.How did you meet Teddy Sandoval?JT: I had seen a small collage Teddy created showing a female nude with male genitalia at the Chicanarte show. It blew me away. Remember, this was the early 70s. Soon after, I happened to sit next to him at an event. I told him how much I liked his work. We started chatting and continued to chat for 20 years. He was very easygoing. I loved him as a collaborator and friend. His energy and creativity stimulated me. How did it feel going into the Butch Gardens bar?JT: I remember walking into it and being surrounded by Latinos and cholos, hardcore hombres who loved each other. It was such a turn-on to me. I was blown away when I saw homeboys slow dancing with each other; same with homegirls. It was so romantic, especially since we had very few spaces where we could touch each other because of the machismo involved in Chicano culture.How did your collaboration with Teddy on the Maricon series come about? JT: We were very invested in taking the maricon [faggot] slur, which Teddy and I got called as young men, and subvert[ing] it into an indication of pride and identity. It was a similar strategy to reclaiming the word Chicano, which was a slur before activists turned it into a term of Brown pride.Teddy introduced me to the mail art phenomenon coming out of Ray Johnson in New York. We created postcards using our imagery and sent them to people all over the world. Im sure that many of the recipients didnt know what maricon meant.I was working at Sears at that time and I took advantage of a promotion that allowed people to iron letters on T-shirts. I made a T-shirt with a big MARICON sign on [it]. Teddy took pictures of me wearing it, smiling alluringly, the opposite of a stereotypical macho pose. Then, I did a series of T-shirts saying maricon and malflora [lesbian]. Me and my friends wore them at the 1976 Christopher Street West Pride parade. It was such a blast. Teddy took a remarkable photo of us.You shared with Teddy a fascination with gay clones and, in your case, the erotization of homeboys.JT: Teddy and I started poking fun [at] the clone phenomenon in our art in a good-natured way. We realized that there was a cultural shift where, instead of men coming out and proclaiming their individuality, they started adopting the same look. It was initially subversive because the heterosexual community saw a mustached man wearing a plaid shirt and they assumed it was a brawny heterosexual. Meanwhile, we could recognize each other, with codes that denoted our sexual preferences. My mother was blown away when I explained to her that, just like pachucos and zoot-suiters would wear specific clothes to proclaim their identity, so did we.How were your collaborations for Homeboy Beautiful?JT: I created the satirical zine Homeboy Beautiful as an extension of the Maricon aesthetic. Teddy collaborated with me on that. I printed and stapled the pages in an edition of 100 issues, which sold in stores like A Different Light. I liked this because it had a rebellious punk feeling, along the lines of people I admired, like John Waters [or] Monty Python, or Mad magazine. We received thank you letters from readers saying they saw hope in it. Chattertons [bookstore] even organized a queer salon where people expressed their emotions and sexuality the equivalent of what we now find so ubiquitous on social media. You reframed the idea of same-sex activity in the Chicano community as male bonding. JT: The idea that having man-to-man sex was a kind of male bonding and a vehicle to build community was in the air. It was part of the celebratory nature of going to bathhouses, which was the first time it happened in our lifetime. Up until then, we cruised each other in public spaces. Going into a bathhouse, where we could know and have sex with each another, made us feel like our own brotherhood, not just a reflection of the heterosexual diaspora. We were always told we were different; here, we were celebrating that in a way that seemed like a political act.Tell me about the print Remembrance you did in Teddys honor.JT: The original painting evoked our communitys grieving during the AIDS crisis. It was a very personal image for me. The scene takes place in a cactus garden because I wanted something specifically L.A. and Chicano. I show myself wearing a shirt created by my friend Arnie Araica; I used it so his design would live on. My partner at the time, Robert, stands behind me as support; he was nine years younger than I and none of his friends had yet succumbed to AIDS. I turned the image into a print honoring Teddy and Arnie. How do you think Teddy would feel about all the hoopla around this exhibition?JT: He would be thrilled. But that would mean that he would be alive and, consequently, the exhibition itself would be totally different, because he would have had 30 more years creating art. The exhibition would have been even more magnificent.

The overall RuPaul's Drag Race franchise is expected to have fewer crowned winners in 2025 than in recent years.For one, diehard fans of the show spent a few years complaining about a so-called "Drag Race fatigue." Globally, this year has also been an odd one, as several countries face anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, censorship, transphobic rhetoric, and a very conservative push against anything fabulous and queer.Thankfully, most Drag Race shows are still on the air around the world, and many of them are even launching their own All Stars-like seasons. The push for Drag Race in more countries also continues, with never-ending rumors, theories, and subsequent announcements of brand-new spinoffs in countries where Mama Ru's queendom has never been before.Keep scrolling to see the RuPaul's Drag Race queens who have won crowns in 2025 so far.The Virgo Queen 'Canada's Drag Race' Season 5It was an absolute delight to kick off 2025 with The Virgo Queen as this year's first crowned winner.Despite having an evened-out track record of two maxi challenge wins and two bottom placements, The Virgo Queen was a force to be reckoned with who snatched the crown of Canada's Drag Race season 5 without needing to prove anything else to the fans and the judges. A lovely addition to the select group of Canadian winners.Onya Nurve 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17Onya Nurve was a clear frontrunner from the very beginning of Drag Race season 17, and this multihyphenate queen was indeed able to Ru-define what "Nurve" meant on the show.As other queens went overboard trying to be everything, everywhere, all at once, Onya kept to her talents and instincts and snatched the crown without having to do a single reveal in the finale lip sync. Overall, a well-deserved victory that also felt like a much-needed cultural reset for the U.S. flagship series.Ginger Minj 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 10Fourth time was the charm for Ginger Minj, who competed in a Tournament of All Stars against 17 other queens and emerged victorious as the latest drag superstar to enter the Drag Race Hall of Fame.Over the course of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 10, Ginger won four maxi challenges: the design challenge, the girl-groups challenge, the improv challenge, and the Snatch Game.Mami Watta 'Drag Race France All Stars' Season 1The first edition of Drag Race France All Stars had a sickening top 4 consisting of Mami Watta, Elips, Misty Phoenix, and Piche.Just like the Drag Race season 17 finale, the top 2 queens of France All Stars also had to lip sync for the crown to "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga. Ultimately, Mami Watta outperformed Elips and was crowned the first-ever winner of France All Stars.Ruby Nox 'Drag Race Brasil' Season 2Ruby Nox won three maxi challenge wins the choreography challenge, the comedy roast challenge, and the makeover challenge and never had to lip sync for her life as a bottom-two competitor.Upon reaching the grand finale of Drag Race Brasil season 2 alongside Mellody Queen, Melina Blley, and Poseidon Drag, Ruby was crowned as Brazil's Next Drag Superstar.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show wasn't popular when it was first released back in 1975. It wasn't until the movie found a new audience as a midnight movie, where viewers would make jokes, throw toilet paper, and sing along to the movie, that it became a cult classic. Now, on its 50th anniversary, Linus O'Brien (son of Richard O'Brienthe original creator of Rocky Horror) is releasing a documentary film, looking back at how this small movie in the 70s became a worldwide phenomenon.In a 2017 interview with Milwaukee Magazine, the drag queen explained that she grew up with an abusive stepfather who would call her "Trixie" when she was acting too gay or feminine. "Fast forward to when I was 19 years old doing the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Oriental Theatre. It was a drag role, and the name of this character was Trixie."The world-famous drag queen expanded on this story a bit more in the documentary and said she got her drag name after performing in Rocky Horror and was called Trixie. "It went from like the worst thing I could think of to a name given to me by my first chosen family," she says in the clip. "I feel like my drag name got picked for me by Rocky."Mattel credits her life now to this culturally important musical. "Every Halloween, I reflect on like 'Wow, so much of what I have came from my experience of finding this film in a Shopco in Marinette, Wisconsin, for $5." According to the official logline, the documentary plans to traverse the "joyful and wild ride through the tale of the cultural juggernaut that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show." It continues, "From its humble origins as a London fringe theater play, the documentary tracks its meteoric rise, fall and resurrection to become the biggest cult film of all time. With intimate access to its creator Richard OBrien and other major players such as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Lou Adler, the documentary explores what makes the play and film so singular: Its groundbreaking and transgressive themes, iconic performances and epic songs that took over popular culture."

This story is brought to you by our partners at NewFest.NewFest has unveiled the full slate for the 37th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The hybrid event runs in person from October 9 to 19 at SVA Theatre, The LGBT Community Center, BAM, and Nitehawk Prospect Park, with a virtual program available across the United States from October 9 to 21.This years lineup features 130 films representing 29 countries. The program includes new narrative and documentary features, episodic work, legacy screenings, and more than ten shorts blocks.Celebrating queer stories is an act of rebellion, one that challenges erasure and insists on visibility, said Executive Director David Hatkoff. This festival is a space for resistance, celebration, and community.This years wide ranging lineup centers triumphant LGBTQ+ stories and embraces films that defy easy categorization, said Director of Programming Nick McCarthy. We are excited to engage artists and audiences in conversation around the best in queer cinema.Spotlight Screenings:Opening Night: Blue Moon, directed by Richard Linklater, starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott.Closing Night: Christy, directed by David Michd, starring Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O'Brian, and Ethan Embry.Centerpieces:Documentary: Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White, about poet Andrea Gibson.U.S.: FUCKTOYS, written and directed by Annapurna Sriram.International: Night Stage, directed by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon.New York: A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint, directed by Oriel Peer.Additional HighlightsNew York City premiere of Kristen Stewarts directorial debut The Chronology of Water.North American premieres of Dustin Lance Blacks documentary Rock Out and Elliot Tuttles Blue Film.World premieres include Drew Dennys Second Nature, narrated by Elliot Page, Stephen Winters Jason and Shirley Revisited, and Alan Browns Other Peoples Bodies.On the episodic side, NewFest hosts a screening and conversation for Netflixs Boots with star Miles Heizer, showrunners, and creative team.Legacy and specialty events include the 40th anniversary of My Beautiful Laundrette at the fifth annual Film Feast, a 75th anniversary Best Actress Trifecta with Born Yesterday, Sunset Boulevard, and All About Eve, Donna Deitchs Desert Hearts, and a 30th anniversary screening of The Celluloid Closet.By the NumbersThis year, 62 percent of titles are directed by women, nonbinary, trans, and Two Spirit filmmakers. Eighty seven percent of the lineup is by or about underrepresented voices, including Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, trans, nonbinary, intersex, bi, and disabled communities.Tickets and MaterialsAll access passes and individual tickets for in-person and virtual screenings are on sale now at NewFest.org.About NewFestFounded in 1988, NewFest is New Yorks leading LGBTQ+ film and media organization. The nonprofit presents the annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival each October, year round programs like NewFest Pride and Queering the Canon, and artist development initiatives including the Black Filmmakers Initiative and the New Voices Filmmaker Grant. Learn more at NewFest.org.

Happy Monday, Out readers!Are you a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show? The cult classic turns 50 this year, and for many queer people, it remains an eye-opening film and experience! I know that when I was in college, Rocky Horror screenings were some of the first places I went and felt like I could let out the real me.I'm far from the only one. In a new documentary, RuPaul's Drag Race star Trixie Mattel reveals how the movie helped her to find her identity and name. Mattel had previously revealed that when she was young, her abusive stepfather would call her "Trixie" when she was "acting too feminine or gay or being emotional."Then, when she was older, she joined a cast for performances of the movie, and would dress in drag and go by the name Trixie."It went from like the worst thing I could think of to a name given to me by my first chosen family," she says. "I feel like my drag name got picked for me by Rocky."Mattel tells her story in the new documentary, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, directed by Linus O'Brien, the son of Rocky Horror creator Richard O'Brien.Keep reading to find out all the best pop culture stories of the week and our Man Crush Monday!- Mey RudeHere's how a queer classic inspired Trixie Mattel's drag career (exclusive)Are you butch enough for Teddy Sandoval's queer, Chicanx, mustachioed art?All the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' queens who won crowns in 2025 (so far)Every 'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner in chronological orderThe 'Sleepaway Camp' remake might be the trans horror film the world needsPaul Mescal and Josh O'Connor on their shared 'turn-on' in History of SoundThe day I realized Alok would change the worldStraight Nonsense: Ned Fulmer needs to mind his own affairsNew Music Friday: Miley Cyrus enlists Fleetwood Mac in ode to her dadKevin McDonald wants you to embrace the cringe, at the gym & in loveMan Crush MondayThe Last of Us star is standing up for free speech and Jimmy Kimmel on social media! Pascal recently posted on Instagram that he is standing with Kimmel after the late-night host was suspended indefinitely following comments he made about Charlie Kirk's murder. Not only that, but when he started getting hate for it, Pascal commented on his own post saying, "Yay Gay!"Get Out / The Advocate in your physical mailbox too!Get print issues of Out Magazine / The Advocate in the mail for just $9.95 a year!

Out actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by youth honorary chair Iris Mogul. Books are an essential foundation of democracy, Takei said. Our government of the people, by [...]The post George Takei to Lead Banned Books Week 2025 first appeared on GLAAD.

Former Vice President Kamala Harriss upcoming memoir, 107 Days, out Tuesday, arrives at a moment when transgender rights have become a central battleground in U.S. electoral politics. In it, Harris confronts not just her own record but the broader cultural storm swirling around trans athletes and the politics of fear.According to Politico, Harris writes that she understands concerns from some parents and players about fairness in girls athletics, especially in contact sports where biological factors such as muscle mass may produce what some consider unfair advantages. She insists that these challenges can be resolved with goodwill and common sense without vilifying and demonizing children.Related: Kamala Harris reveals why she didn't pick Pete Buttigieg as her running mate in 2024Research shows transgender athletes make up an exceedingly small share of competition; NCAA President Charlie Baker testified in 2024 that there were fewer than 10 transgender student-athletes among more than half a million nationwide. Medical experts note that puberty blockers, often prescribed to transgender youth, suppress sex hormones and delay physical changes like voice deepening, body hair growth, or breast development, which can reduce or prevent physiological differences that critics cite as unfair. A 2022 review in the Journal of the Endocrine Society found that when transition-related care, including puberty suppression and hormone therapy, begins around puberty, measurable athletic advantages over cisgender peers largely diminish, while testosterone suppression in trans women has been shown to decrease muscle mass and strength over time. See on Instagram Harriss reflections extend beyond sports. According to Politico, she characterizes President Donald Trumps rhetoric toward transgender people not simply as adversarial, but dangerous: He was painting a bulls-eye on their backs and putting them in peril. She defends having told the American Civil Liberties Union during her 2019 presidential campaign that gender-affirming care should be provided to incarcerated and detained people if medically necessary, arguing that U.S. law requires that kind of care.Harris grounds her commitment in identity and values. This is a community with which I have a deep connection, she writes, adding, There was no way I was going to go against my very nature and turn on transgender people.Related: Kamala Harris: Our One-on-One With the Vice PresidentHarris insisted in an interview with The Advocate in 2023 that attacks on abortion access, on trans rights, and on free speech in schools are not separate skirmishes but interconnected threats to bodily autonomy and dignity. She described her role in politics as one requiring empathy and courage, especially toward people forced by policy or prejudice to uproot their lives, or who are silenced under laws that erase or misrepresent them.In 107 Days, she also opens up about internal campaign deliberations. Harris reveals that her first choice for running mate in 2024 was Pete Buttigieg. She writes, I love Pete. I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends, but adds that combining a Black woman and an out gay man on the same ticket felt too big of a risk, even though she confesses part of me wanted to say, Screw it, lets just do it. Ultimately, she selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a decision she describes as done to our mutual sadness.Related: Pete Buttigieg responds to Kamala Harris not choosing him as her running mate because hes gayThe climate Harris writes in is one shaped by a torrent of transphobic ads unleashed by Trumps campaign, especially in the final stretch of the 2024 election. These ads misrepresented Harriss positions on trans rights, claiming she supports biological men competing against our girls in sports, and twisting her support for gender-affirming care, particularly for incarcerated people, into exaggerated or false claims.Despite acknowledging that Trumps messaging had political impact, the ad declaring Kamala is for they/them. I am for you was, in her words, a winning message, Harris insists it was no knockout punch.

No one wants to be involved with a sex crime charge in Texas. But if you have found yourself embroiled in a difficult legal situation, youll want to know the right steps to take. Fortunately, youve come to the right place. In this guide, well explore the typical steps in the process, from the investigation to the trial. Keep reading to learn the best strategies as you navigate a sex crime case in Texas.Starting with an InvestigationGenerally, a sex crime starts with a police report. An individual will make a claim to the police, and theyll move forward with essential steps, like gathering evidence, that can support the claim. Phone records, text messages, and other communication records are among the most critical pieces of evidence. Being asked to hand over a smartphone or provide details about a difficult experience can weigh heavily on anyone. It may be necessary for anyone involved to work with a support group or therapist. During these steps, especially if you identify as LGBTQ+, its also imperative that youre treated with respect by officers, attorneys, and others involved.Filing Formal ChargesAfter gathering evidence and statements, the police may decide that there is enough evidence to merit moving to the next steps. In this situation, the prosecutor will take over and look into filing formal charges. That means youll find out which law youre being accused of breaking.Be aware that this part of the process can include revealing sensitive and potentially disturbing details. The judge may decide to keep some records hidden from public view. This is also the point in the process where its essential to have a trusted attorney at your side. Turn to a League City sex crimes lawyer to be your advocate in Texas.Appearing at the ArraignmentThink of the arraignment as your first court appearance. Youll hear the charges at this time and enter your plea. Its important to check legal resources and talk with your lawyer before you enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest. Theyll be able to advise you on the best strategy.Then, during the pretrial phase, both sides of the case will present evidence and witness interviews. A good lawyer will scrutinize evidence against you to try to get anything questionable excluded from consideration. This process can last months, so be prepared to be patient.Preparing for the Trial or a Plea BargainFollowing the pretrial phase, your lawyer may attempt to negotiate a deal through a plea bargain. In this situation, you may have to agree to plead guilty, but to a lesser charge. This scenario can be favorable when youre hoping to avoid more significant charges and sentences.Sometimes negotiation doesnt work, however. If a plea bargain doesnt lead to a deal, the case will go before a judge or jury through a trial. This process may be public, too, which can leave you more vulnerable to public opinion.Dealing with the FalloutDepending on evidence and other factors, you may be found guilty. This can lead to a prison sentence or probation. You may need to register as a sex offender, as well. Its also possible to file an appeal, though its best to consult with your legal team first. You may need additional emotional support during this time from trusted family and friends, or a therapist.Understand the ProcessA sex crimes case can feel overwhelming, especially if youve not faced legal charges before. Having a clear understanding of the basic process can help you prepare, emotionally and financially. Youll need a seasoned attorney at your side to advocate for your needs and help guide you through the process. Youll also want to seek out emotional support so you can handle whatever comes your way. The post What Happens in a Sex Crime Case in Texas appeared first on LGBTQ and ALL.

Ollie King surprised 'I Kissed a Boy' fans over the weekend.Ollie King was introduced to the general public on I Kissed a Boy season 1, the U.K.'s first-ever dating show featuring gay men seeking love. The BBC series as a huge success, resulting in a second season renewal and even the I Kissed a Girl spinoff.One can confidently state that King emerged as one of the biggest stars from that original season. Similarly to Love Island, a couple was crowned as the winners of the show which, in season 1, were King and Dan Harry. The couple continued dating after the show, but eventually ended their relationship around two years ago, in 2023.While filming I Kissed a Boy, as the series aired on TV, and even after his run ended, King was considered a pretty chaotic, entertaining, and progressive person. For instance, King attempted to audition for Love Island and disclose that he was gay while being in the villa, in an act of defiance against the show's historic exclusion of LGBTQ+ islanders.Alas, King shared a (since-deleted) TikTok video over the weekend that had I Kissed a Boy fans scratching their heads. Here's a timeline of standout quotes from King's video of nearly 30 minutes.Ollie King emphasizes that he identifies as a 'gay man' not as 'queer.'King, a fan-favorite contestant on I Kissed a Boy season 1, disclosed how he really feels at least at the moment about the LGBTQ+ community."I have strong views and support for gay men and women, like the LGBT community, yeah, I'm a spokesman for and I stand up for it," King explained. "It is people just like me, who are quite more masculine-presenting I'm talking boxers, chippies, brickies, scaffolders, all people whether it be in the sports, athletes, whoever it might be, [but] who can't come out. They don't feel they can come out because all they see is these lot of fannies that they don'tcan't relate to."King went on, "You've got these people coming to me saying, 'Oh, as a queer man' Let me tell you something now: If you want to identify or call yourself 'queer,' that's fine. That's big respect to you if youbut me personally, I'm not a queer man; I'm a gay man.""'Queer' has already got a meaning: It means abnormal. If you don't know that, go to the dictionary, look up what queer means. It had a meaning long before the gays wanted to reclaim it."I'm not abnormal," King declared. "I'm just a standard average run of the mill lad, who just so happens to be gay."To be clear: The term "queer" has been used in relation to LGBTQ+ people for at least a century, as demonstrated in the lyrics of "The Lavender Song" by Das lila Lied, recently re-recorded and released by Broadway star Jinkx Monsoon.Ollie King describes nonbinary people as some of 'the most problematic, argumentative people' he's ever met."And that's the other thing, 'Oh, you hate nonbinary people. You're this. You're that.' I don't hate anyone. I'm a lover, not a fighter," the I Kissed a Boy season 1 star said. "If you want to claim you're nonbinary or whatever, that's up to you, right?""On my dating profile, as previous, have I put 'no nonbinary'? Yes, I have," King added. Over time, however, that stance seems to have changed. "I've found to be that the nonbinary people I've chatted to Personally, I'm a gay man. It's my dating preference, just like you get straight people don't want to date gay people, and gay people don't want to date straight people."King declared:"To be quite honest with you, I've found a lot of nonbinary people to be the most problematic, argumentative people who just want a problem with the world. They don't want to claim to be a man; they don't want to claim to be a woman. That's fine. Live and let live. But my personal preference? No, I don't want to date someone who's nonbinary. If you've got a problem with that, I'm not going to dictate to you, 'Oh, why don't you want to date me?''Ollie King tries to expose Dan Harry, his 'I Kissed a Boy' costar and ex-boyfriend.King's TikTok video also attempted to expose his I Kissed a Boy costar and showmance, Dan Harry, with whom King broke up with two years ago."As for my ex Dan piping out and putting a video on there, maybe we should tell people, Dan, and expose you, as to why I left you, last September, two years ago. Maybe we should tell them, cos you're the most rude, arrogantest[sic] turd I've ever met. That's why."King continued, "When you barge into our women on cruise ships, [Harry allegedly saying,] 'They shouldn't be in my way.' Because you think you're from London, you can barge into people. Do you know how embarrassing it is when we go and visit my folks on holiday and you barge into them and you think it's OK. And I say, 'You don't do that, Dan.'"King alleged that Harry was bothered by King getting more recognition and success following I Kissed a Boy: saying: "You see the jealousy that the ex gives you because you seem to get more attention than them maybe. You were the most game-playing, fakest fellow I know, honestly.""In the comments on your video, you say, 'Oh, there's a reason why I've not spoke to my ex in two years,'" King added. "You might not have spoke to me in two years, Dan; I couldn't give a fuck because you're bitter. But you seem to view my every time I post. It's funny that I don't follow you you follow meI screenshot it every time you view my story, I find it hilarious.""You don't want to talk to me, and I'm this vile thing, and this vile person. Why do you keep viewing my Story? Like, do you know what I mean? Mate, you're the most fakest gameplay, arrogant, rude turd I fucking know. So fuck off; keep talking about me."Even 'I Kissed a Boy' fans are catching strays in Ollie King's new video.King said, "You've got these people, 'I Kissed a Boy is not about this. This show didn't represent this,' and try and make him paint me out to be this vile person, right? But listen, the support I have and the followers on my account are there because of the life experiences that they recognize along with me and have faced with me. Some of the things I stood up for and believe in. They relate 'cause I'm real.""I wasn't on that show for brand deals, followers, likes, attention," King insisted. "I was just there as me. But what you find with these other little fannies is, they're all there, gameplaying, trying to get a fucking recording contract, fucking boohoo deal, and all the fucking rest of it. So I will continue to be real, and if you ask my opinion, I don't push my opinion or my agendas on people, they're mine. But if you ask me, I'll tell you exactly what's what."Somehow, Little Mix singer Jade Thirwall also gets criticized by Ollie King."That Jade from Little Mix," King brought up. "Oh my god, 'If I had a ladder, I'd pull that St. George's cross down off that angel of the north.' Would you babe?" he asked.The I Kissed a Boy alum added, "If you've got so much disrespect for where you live and what the flag is? Along with all these other little fucking lunatics, if you don't like this country, and you don't like the flag and what it representsfuck off. Simple as that."King made a recommendation for Thirwall to "go live in a country where you want to live, that you like, that you're patriotic for. Go. This isn't a prison. Go, cause it would seem there's a lot of people that want to come here and appreciate, Great Britain for what it is and what it what it represents."Most of Ollie King's video is about politics, even though teased the video by bringing up his 'I Kissed a Boy' showmance, first."So here we are," King started the TikTok Video. "I ain't one for silly videos. Or, you know, toing-and-froing on social media, 'cause I'm just not into it. I don't use social media like that. I don't have any care for the likes, the fame, the follows, and all the rest of it. But some people, as the videos increase, and they get thick and fast, and even your ex decides to jump on and chip in put his 50 pence worth in I feel it's now my prerogative to tell you exactly what I said and exactly what my views are. So [that] there's a video out there, so it's plain and clear what I think and what I've said."King argued that people can "manipulate things in a way and take snippets of what you've said" that prompt others to draw inaccurate conclusions of what he's said. As a result, the I Kissed a Boy season 1 star underscored that those fans "make their own interpretationsthen try and paint you out to be a cunt, or a racist, or all the rest of it." To avoid such misunderstandings, King promised to "give as much details as I can" in the video.Ollie King accuses a drag queen of 'playing the victim' for warning queer people about this conservative protest.King went on, "A drag queen posted on Facebook last week, some time, mentioning no names said, along the lines"(He briefly paused on that point to say, "My messages are out there, screenshots are out there. Read them, please. Use them fully against me. I support what I've said.")The I Kissed a Boy alum resumed the story alleging that this drag queen's Facebook post read: "Oh, everyone out there today, be careful of the Tommy Robinson march going on. These people are going to want somewhere to drink after. Everybody stays safe."The actual statement shared by that drag queen obtained by Out through a source read:"Today is the Tommy Robinson march in London. Starting in Southwark at 11:30 a.m. and finishing at Whitehall Protesters are being asked to use Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge, and Blackfriars stations. To my drag sisters, fellow artistes, and all LGBTQ+ people going about their day be aware, careful, and safe. This is advertised as being peaceful but we've seen in the past that doesn't always happen. And once this march finishes those people will need somewhere to go afterwards."This drag queen was "playing the victim," King declared, "as if all of them hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people" in the Tommy Robinson march were "supposed to be monsters," adding: "They are hardworking British people that have had fucking enough of the government and the system they pay into. That's why them people were there."Who is Tommy Robinson and what are these conservative protests in the U.K. about?Tommy Robinson has been described as an "anti-Islam campaigner" who's also a "convicted criminal and one of the UK's most prominent far-right activists," per The Irish Times.Robinson's latest "Unite the Kingdom" rally the gathering that King references in his TikTok video took place recently in London. According to police estimates shared by BBC News, the protest ranged "between 110,000 and 150,000 people."While these protests were seemingly about "freedom of speech" and "standing up for being British," the same BBC News report underscored that the British public perceives Robinson as a "far-right thug" and a "racist with dangerous views.""It has been a week since more than 100,000 people marched on the capital for Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march," Zoe Beaty wrote for The Independent. "But when much of the rhetoric echoes that of the National Front marches of the 1970s, why are so many still too hesitant to call it what it is?""Much of the messaging scrawled on placards denouncing 'illegals' could have been lifted straight from the pro-fascist movements of nearly half a century ago," the op-ed read. "Back then, the National Front and the British Movement a white supremacist organization founded in the late 1960s openly attempted to stir racial hatred against immigrants and Black Britons."According to Beaty, these recent rallies are still being motivated by "an old trick to tell the disenfranchised that their neighbor is to blame, rather than chronic underinvestment and neglect, in order to redirect otherwise effective anger."Ollie King says that Tommy Robinson rallies aren't 'white supremacist' or 'racist' protests."You don't see the interviews of all the people of color and different backgrounds that were at that march," King claimed in the TikTok post."I'll save some of these videos, so I'll send them to you. If it was just a 'white supremacist fucking racist march' [However,] it was full of people, hardworking British peoplethere to show a protest against the government that they don't fucking want in office anymore."King admitted that this recent "Unite the Kingdom" rally had "a handful of fucking 'cranks' and 'divs,'" but justified that all protests have extremists, not just this one. "So when I said I'll go and show my support for the British public meaning as a gay British man yes, I would've been up there," he continued.The reality TV star declared that everyone he knew at the rally were "people I know ain't racist. I'm talking men, women, Black, white, gay, straight, that were there cause they're sick to the back teeth of what the fucking government are doing." That's why I would have shown my support."Ollie King claims that he has Black friends who support his political views.One of the most perplexing parts of the video came with King disclosed that he didn't even actually attend this new "Unite the Kingdom" protest that he just spent several minutes defending. But why didn't King attend the event? "Because I was working at a Pride event. Funny that, innit?" he says.Yet, because he "would have been there" nonetheless, King took all negative comments about Tommy Robinson personally."To be called a racist I really want to address this. I've had my Black, brown all kinds of friends of mine from different backgrounds message me privately," the I Kissed a Boy star argued. "People I've worked with, people I used to date, have messaged me and said, 'Ollie, we know you're not racist, we completely agree with you. Don't give people [critics] the time." But I will not sit here and be called a racist for my views, my opinions, and the freedom of speech."

Netflix has released the first trailer for its upcoming show Boots, which centers on the life of a closeted teen Marine."Its 1990, youre fresh out of high school and not sure what to do with your life, so, obviously, you follow your buddy blindly into the US Marine Corps... What could go wrong?" reads the trailer's caption on YouTube.Based on the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White, Boots follows a closeted teen named Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer) who, along with his best friend, joins the Marines. The series is set in the 1990s, when being openly gay in the military was illegal.In addition to Heizer, Boots stars Liam Oh as Cameron's best friend Ray, Vera Farmiga as Cameron's narcissistic mother Barbara, and Max Parker as Sgt. Sullivan, as well as Cedrick Cooper, Ana Ayora, Angus O'Brien, Dominic Goodman, Kieron Moore, Nicholas Logan, Rico Pairs, and more. It comes from showrunners Andy Parker and Jennifer Cecil. The trailer shows scenes of enlistment and boot camp from the upcoming hour-long dramedy series, set to the tune of George Michael's "Freedom! '90."Boots debuts on Netflix on October 9. Watch the trailer below.

Former Vice President Kamala Harriss upcoming memoir, 107 Days, out Tuesday, arrives at a moment when transgender rights have become a central battleground in U.S. electoral politics. In it, Harris confronts not just her own record but the broader cultural storm swirling around trans athletes and the politics of fear.According to Politico, Harris writes that she understands concerns from some parents and players about fairness in girls athletics, especially in contact sports where biological factors such as muscle mass may produce what some consider unfair advantages. She insists that these challenges can be resolved with goodwill and common sense without vilifying and demonizing children.Related: Kamala Harris reveals why she didn't pick Pete Buttigieg as her running mate in 2024Research shows transgender athletes make up an exceedingly small share of competition; NCAA President Charlie Baker testified in 2024 that there were fewer than 10 transgender student-athletes among more than half a million nationwide. Medical experts note that puberty blockers, often prescribed to transgender youth, suppress sex hormones and delay physical changes like voice deepening, body hair growth, or breast development, which can reduce or prevent physiological differences that critics cite as unfair. A 2022 review in the Journal of the Endocrine Society found that when transition-related care, including puberty suppression and hormone therapy, begins around puberty, measurable athletic advantages over cisgender peers largely diminish, while testosterone suppression in trans women has been shown to decrease muscle mass and strength over time. See on Instagram Harriss reflections extend beyond sports. According to Politico, she characterizes President Donald Trumps rhetoric toward transgender people not simply as adversarial, but dangerous: He was painting a bulls-eye on their backs and putting them in peril. She defends having told the American Civil Liberties Union during her 2019 presidential campaign that gender-affirming care should be provided to incarcerated and detained people if medically necessary, arguing that U.S. law requires that kind of care.Harris grounds her commitment in identity and values. This is a community with which I have a deep connection, she writes, adding, There was no way I was going to go against my very nature and turn on transgender people.Related: Kamala Harris: Our One-on-One With the Vice PresidentHarris insisted in an interview with The Advocate in 2023 that attacks on abortion access, on trans rights, and on free speech in schools are not separate skirmishes but interconnected threats to bodily autonomy and dignity. She described her role in politics as one requiring empathy and courage, especially toward people forced by policy or prejudice to uproot their lives, or who are silenced under laws that erase or misrepresent them.In 107 Days, she also opens up about internal campaign deliberations. Harris reveals that her first choice for running mate in 2024 was Pete Buttigieg. She writes, I love Pete. I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends, but adds that combining a Black woman and an out gay man on the same ticket felt too big of a risk, even though she confesses part of me wanted to say, Screw it, lets just do it. Ultimately, she selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a decision she describes as done to our mutual sadness.Related: Pete Buttigieg responds to Kamala Harris not choosing him as her running mate because hes gayThe climate Harris writes in is one shaped by a torrent of transphobic ads unleashed by Trumps campaign, especially in the final stretch of the 2024 election. These ads misrepresented Harriss positions on trans rights, claiming she supports biological men competing against our girls in sports, and twisting her support for gender-affirming care, particularly for incarcerated people, into exaggerated or false claims.Despite acknowledging that Trumps messaging had political impact, the ad declaring Kamala is for they/them. I am for you was, in her words, a winning message, Harris insists it was no knockout punch.

No one wants to be involved with a sex crime charge in Texas. But if you have found yourself embroiled in a difficult legal situation, youll want to know the right steps to take. Fortunately, youve come to the right place. In this guide, well explore the typical steps in the process, from the investigation to the trial. Keep reading to learn the best strategies as you navigate a sex crime case in Texas.Starting with an InvestigationGenerally, a sex crime starts with a police report. An individual will make a claim to the police, and theyll move forward with essential steps, like gathering evidence, that can support the claim. Phone records, text messages, and other communication records are among the most critical pieces of evidence. Being asked to hand over a smartphone or provide details about a difficult experience can weigh heavily on anyone. It may be necessary for anyone involved to work with a support group or therapist. During these steps, especially if you identify as LGBTQ+, its also imperative that youre treated with respect by officers, attorneys, and others involved.Filing Formal ChargesAfter gathering evidence and statements, the police may decide that there is enough evidence to merit moving to the next steps. In this situation, the prosecutor will take over and look into filing formal charges. That means youll find out which law youre being accused of breaking.Be aware that this part of the process can include revealing sensitive and potentially disturbing details. The judge may decide to keep some records hidden from public view. This is also the point in the process where its essential to have a trusted attorney at your side. Turn to a League City sex crimes lawyer to be your advocate in Texas.Appearing at the ArraignmentThink of the arraignment as your first court appearance. Youll hear the charges at this time and enter your plea. Its important to check legal resources and talk with your lawyer before you enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest. Theyll be able to advise you on the best strategy.Then, during the pretrial phase, both sides of the case will present evidence and witness interviews. A good lawyer will scrutinize evidence against you to try to get anything questionable excluded from consideration. This process can last months, so be prepared to be patient.Preparing for the Trial or a Plea BargainFollowing the pretrial phase, your lawyer may attempt to negotiate a deal through a plea bargain. In this situation, you may have to agree to plead guilty, but to a lesser charge. This scenario can be favorable when youre hoping to avoid more significant charges and sentences.Sometimes negotiation doesnt work, however. If a plea bargain doesnt lead to a deal, the case will go before a judge or jury through a trial. This process may be public, too, which can leave you more vulnerable to public opinion.Dealing with the FalloutDepending on evidence and other factors, you may be found guilty. This can lead to a prison sentence or probation. You may need to register as a sex offender, as well. Its also possible to file an appeal, though its best to consult with your legal team first. You may need additional emotional support during this time from trusted family and friends, or a therapist.Understand the ProcessA sex crimes case can feel overwhelming, especially if youve not faced legal charges before. Having a clear understanding of the basic process can help you prepare, emotionally and financially. Youll need a seasoned attorney at your side to advocate for your needs and help guide you through the process. Youll also want to seek out emotional support so you can handle whatever comes your way. The post What Happens in a Sex Crime Case in Texas appeared first on LGBTQ and ALL.

Plainclothes star Russell Tovey spilled some Hollywood secrets on Sunday, when he and costar Tom Blyth went on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen to talk about their new film.In the movie, Blyth plays a young, closeted police officer tasked with going undercover in gay cruising spots and arresting men who try to have sex with him. Tovey plays a kind, older man whom Blyth is supposed to target, but ends up falling for instead.On WWHL, an audience member had a spicy question for Tovey: Who's been his favorite onstage or on-screen kiss?"You and Tom do pretty well yes but besides Tom," Cohen jumped in to add, after the two actors shot each other a look. "So I can't say Tom?" Tovey replied, which prompted Cohen to ask if Blyth was a good kisser. "It's beautiful very soft lips. Yeah, he looks after me."Then, Tovey gave his real answer."I quite enjoyed kissing Jonathan Groff in Looking," the actor said. "We did a lot of kissing in Looking, and we had a very nice time on that. I've been very lucky, I've kissed a lot of very attractive people, all genders." - YouTube www.youtube.com In a recent interview with Out, Tovey said he used his role in Plainclothes to embrace his new "Daddy" image as a veteran actor."Yeah, I embrace Daddy," Tovey said. "I mean, Pedro Pascal says, 'Daddy is a state of mind,' but also I think realistically, I'm a dad age, so state of mind and state of play."Laughing, he added, "I've been doing this [acting] for years. I think we sort of transition into all these other roles, and now I've got children on-screen children, not off-screen, [that] I know of."Plainclothes is in theaters now.

One of the NFL's first male cheerleaders has no time for recent critics of the Minnesota Vikings' cheerleading squad.Earlier this year, conservatives were freaking out over two male dancers, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn, joining the Vikings cheerleading squad."Imagine you buy front row season football tickets and when you sit down there's some man girating [sic] right in front of you," InfoWars host Owen Shroyer said on X."I just threw up in my mouth," said another commentator.Now, one of the NFL's first two male cheerleaders, Napoleon Jinnies, has spoken out."I'm rolling my eyes," Jinnies tells People. "They're not saying anything new."Jinnies made history when he and Quinton Peron became the first male cheerleaders in NFL history when they joined the Los Angeles Rams cheer squad in 2018.Jinnies says that during that first year, he would hear criticisms, but by that point in his life, he could block them out."The comments from people who were from my childhood to preteen to college were the exact same comments from these random adults," Jinnies says. "And they're not saying anything about what I'm putting out as an artist."He adds that "as outrageous as the haters were, the support was even louder."Now, Jinnies says he's proud to see these new male cheerleaders carrying on his legacy and rising above the hate they are receiving."Maybe I could see their point if they were bad cheerleaders," he says. "But they're beat-for-beat, step-for-step killing it with the girls. I'm looking at them like a dance judge, like, 'Well, they shine. Sorry if that ruffles your feathers.'"

Rightwing personality Charlie Kirk's memorial service took place in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday. And, surely by complete coincidence, Grindr experienced outages in the area around the same time.Reports claim that tens of thousands of people attended the memorial for the controversial podcaster, with high-level MAGA politicians and other public figures flying in from across the country to attend. Republicans were quick to try to pin Kirk's killing on trans people and "trans ideology" before a suspect was even in custody, and Kirk himself had made plenty of negative remarks about the LGBTQ+ community during his life.In completely unrelated news, there were over 168 reports of Grindr outages on Sunday evening, a staggering increase from the baseline number of two. A heat map showed a large concentration of those problems taking place in the Glendale area. The outages have continued through Monday morning, at one point reaching over 200 reports. (@) Despite these two events clearly having absolutely nothing to do with one another, social media users are, for some unfathomable reason, drawing a link between them. (@) (@) (@) (@) One TikToker also shared a screenshot allegedly from the Sniffies app at State Farm Stadium shortly before Kirk's memorial began. @hopeisforpeopleReplying to @rae.rae.red You cant make this stuff up lol #charliekirk #phoenix #arizona #statefarmstadium #fypIt's so weird, how there appears to have been a gathering of mourners at the stadium AND a gathering of gays looking for hookups in the same place at the same time. You'd think the stadium would have been better about not accidentally double-booking such a monumental event, televised live on ABC wait, sorry, I meant YouTube.Anyway, surely none of this means anything at all. Coincidences are so much fun! from chaoticgood (@) from lgbt from lgbt from lgbt from chaoticgoodIn all seriousness, obviously Republicans can be LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ can themselves be homophobic and/or transphobic and support policies & people who work against their own well-being. Some people think calling out an uptick in Grindr usage in areas where Republicans are gathered is somehow in and of itself homophobic, but there's a difference between pointing out this visible absurdity versus just saying "haha, this specific homophobe is probably a closet gay." The latter absolves straight people of responsibility for doing harm to the LGBTQ+ community with a repetitive "joke" insinuating that the call is always coming from inside the closet, while the former points out real, visible hypocrisy.Or, you know, it's just all one big old coincidence.PRIDE reached out to Grindr for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.

A moment that should've been about sisterhood turned sour when videos from the close of the 2025 Miss International Queen pageant started being shared across social media. At this year's Miss International Queen, a pageant for transgender women, a Black woman named Midori Monet, who was representing the U.S., was left to celebrate her win alone as the other contestants consoled the runner-up, Miss Cuba. In clips shared to TikTok, Monet can be seen standing by herself as the other contestants cheer and dance off to the side without her. The moment was seen by many as racially charged, with some viewers claiming that the other contestants were racist for not embracing Monet after she was announced as the winner. @reyahthelastdragon #missinternationalqueen #missusa #misscuba #tiktokbuzzcontest #tiktokhottakescontest After she solidified second place, Miss Cuba, Olivia Lauren, was asked in an onstage interview for her thoughts on getting first runner-up and expressed her disappointment about being passed over during a year when the theme was "beyond beauty, open possibilities.""Throughout this competition, to say the least, I've been bullied, and I have been told I look like a man. I have been pushed. I have been thrown rocks at. And, well, it's a bit of a shock to see what's happened," Lauren said. "It is what it is, and we have to move forward."In response to being asked for her "sentiments about the new winner," she added, "I think the organization is going to have a lot of work to do, if that's what they choose. But I'm so confused because this was 'beyond beauty.'" @wpressofficial Vietsub phn 2 Drama Hoa Hu Cuba Olivia Lauren t thng 2 ngi ng cnh mnh - Hoa Hu M Midori Monet v Hoa Hu Vit Nam H Tm Nh sau Chung kt Miss International Queen 2025 - Hoa Hu Chuyn Gii Quc T 2025 v mn ng x thm sau ca Tn Hoa Hu "Karma is real!" #Vietsub #HoaHau #HaTamNhu #Transgender #MissInternationalQueen In a separate onstage interview, Lauren spoke out about the alleged mistreatment she said she faced specifically at the hands of Monet and the second runner-up, Miss Vietnam. "The two that you see standing next to me have made it impossible for me to enjoy 100% of it," she said, adding that her fellow contestants made the experience a "very sour" one. "They have tortured me throughout the whole thing, as well as my other sisters, making fun of us each and every single day."Monet responded to this and said, "There is so much hate going around. There is so much envy, bitterness, jealousy all of these different emotions that plague this world. I want you to know that its okay to believe in yourself." She added, "Karma is real. Love is real. It's not about what you do, but your actions are about how you make people feel."When videos of the contestants' comments were circulated, Lauren caught flack on social media and was accused of being the real bully in the situation. "I really think Cuba was the bully, probably with micro aggressions, one TikTok user wrote in the comments section of a video. "And Miss USA and the 2nd runner up was not having it. So, why not be the victim."

Wayward, Netflix's newest thriller series about a teen academy with dark secrets, was inspired by a childhood friend of creator Mae Martin. The comedian revealed the connection at an intimate screening in Los Angeles on Saturday. Abbi Jacobson, Clea DuVall, Natalie Morales, Bobby Berk, and Atsuko Okatsuka were just a few of Martin's friends who attended alongside series star Sarah Gadon. Before screening episodes 1 and 2, Martin talked about the show, which has been in development for six years, being "very personal.""I have been thinking about it since I was a teenager," they said. "My best friend when I was 16, she was a stoner, not in need of any radical intervention, and she was sent to a troubled teen institute. She was gone for two years and ended up escaping and hitchhiking. The stories that she had about her time there were so crazy, so I've always been interested in that industry." Wayward follows two "troubled" best friends, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), who get shipped off to Tall Pines Academy an institute run by a spiritual yet controlling director (Toni Collette) whose rehabilitation techniques are, let's say, unconventional. The town's secrets start bubbling to the surface when a sharp-eyed cop named Alex (Mae Martin) moves to town with his pregnant wife (Sarah Gadon), and things quickly get bloody. While Alex is on the case, the codependent besties delve deeper into the underbelly of the school greatly reducing their chances of escaping unscathed. The series really takes time to focus on the relationship between Abbie and Leila, and both of their toxic relationships with their families, which Martin addressed at the screening. They explained that they feel "strongly about how we pathologize young people when they might be just reacting to a sick world and how those labels that we give them affect the way they view their own potential." And they described the show as being about "the world that we're handing to the next generation," in addition to intergenerational trauma."As we get older, I feel like we have to suppress so much of our empathy, or critical thinking, just to participate in the world and the systems that govern the world," Martin said. "I feel protective of young people. I feel like we should listen to them, and also we should tap into our inner rebellious teenagers. We're gonna have to, I think, in order to have the kind of conviction and imagination that we need to imagine a different world."Wayward premieres on Netflix on September 25. - YouTube www.youtube.com

Brooklyn, NY On Thursday, September 11th, nearly 1000 expertly-clad fashion aficionados gathered at the Brooklyn Museum to attend the DapperQ 10th Annual Queer New York Fashion Week Show, an LGBTQ staple of the iconic sartorial event. While mis- and disinformation about the LGBTQ community continues to proliferate, this celebratory event offered a look back [...]The post Over 1000 Attendees at Annual LGBTQ Fashion Show During New York Fashion Week first appeared on GLAAD.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No and it's not Drake, either.2025 has been a roller-coaster of emotions, and the online gays had to navigate some intense thirst after stumbling upon what appeared to be a very steamy and revealing mirror selfie from Drake.In the end, the viral picture didn't feature Drake at all, though the discourse surrounding the confusion is still hilarious. In addition, Out can now confirm who the actual man seen in that viral thirst trap is With a few details!Which alleged Drake thirst trap went viral? (@) This chaotic discourse seems to have started with X user @Redismybae, who wrote: "Oh Drake I wasn't familiar with your game."Given that it took a full 24 hours for a "Community Note" to be added clarifying that this was not Drake in the picture the steamy mirror selfie went completely viral with Gay Twitter. In just two days, this X post alone is about to reach 4 million views, plus 36,000 likes, and nearly 2,500 reposts.Many other X posts gained attention from thirsty fans who, for the most part, seemed to be legitimately convinced that this was a sexy thirst trap from Drake indeed.@BelovedBaje:"Thought Drake turned the stove up on you hoes." (@) @ABeardedHero:"Wait why Drake wearing his panties like Britney Spears." (@) @BadBitchCarta:"He wants to be Britney so bad." (@) @prmade313raised:"October Scorpio Men are something else [laughing emoji]." (@) @ITSBCHRIS:"Aubrey pls [crying emoji]."(For context: Aubrey is Drake's actual, legal name.) (@) But this diabolical mirror selfie didn't stop at just X/Twitter. Instead, it spread across social networks.One Reddit thread started with an Instagram selfie from Drake all dressed up to attend Oktoberfest in Germany, prompting fans to joke about the situation. Even though this had been true for some time, Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" popularized the notion that Drake explores different cultures that aren't his even further. from popheadscirclejerkAs such, the Reddit thread had "My culture is NOT your costume" as its title.In the comments, a Reddit user added to the joke by sharing that steamy mirror selfie allegedly featuring Drake, writing: "This culture vulture has crossed all limits." The comments received more than 300 upvotes as of this writing. from FauxmoiThe selfie also made an appearance in a thread within r/Fauxmoi titled, "The ongoing humiliation ritual that is Drake's selfie game."A commenter attached the alleged thirst trap and wrote, "Y'all are forgetting this pic."Why did so many people believe the theory of this being Drake?See on InstagramDrake has been rocking "similar" cornrows for some time now, as evidenced by photos shared on his official social media profiles. Even though the hair looks very different in the alleged thirst trap, it seems that most people quickly glanced at the photo and just drew conclusions right away.The Canadian rapper is, indeed, known for loving and perfecting the art of taking a mirror selfie. Unlike most other rappers who aren't known to take selfies in this manner fans have seen Drake in several similar thirst traps specifically taken as mirror selfies.Thus, it was definitely believable that this new image could've been from Drake.On the other hand, Drake has a few very specific tattoos that weren't showing on the new mirror selfie certainly the biggest and clearest tell that this was someone else.Once established that this wasn't Drake, fans turned their attention to figure out who, then, this man was. (The thirst continues, after all)Who is the actual person in the alleged Drake thirst trap?The actual person that fans confused as looking like Drake in that thirst trap is Arthur Neves a Brazilian man from a large metropolis in the Amazon forest called Belm. (The writer of this article, Bernardo Sim, was born and raised in Manaus another large city in the north of Brazil that is very close to Belm.)Upon reaching out to Neves via Instagram, Out confirmed that Neves is the man who appears in that thirst trap. It is also ironic that the image went. Viral now, in September, given that Neves shared it all the way back in July.However, while discussing the situation with Out, Neves had a great sense of humor about it and commented on how the chaotic nature of the internet can often make him laugh.Readers who still appreciate the thirst trap even if it doesn't contain Drake can keep scrolling to see more pictures of Arthur Neves shared on Instagram (@arthnvs).See on InstagramSee on InstagramSee on InstagramSee on InstagramSee on InstagramSee on Instagram

Ariana Grande has revealed a piece of insider information about the upcoming Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, which will introduce new versions of classic characters, including Dorothy Gale. And it's a good reminder that Glinda may be good, but that doesn't mean she's nice.In a new interview with Empire, Grande, who plays Glinda, revealed that she took a particular approach to the dynamic between her character and Dorothy, who audiences are familiar with from The Wizard of Oz. "I love the little bit of shadiness that Glinda has towards Dorothy," Grande said in reference to Glinda's iconic advice for Dorothy, "follow the yellow brick road." "There's a lot going on, and she doesn't really have time to deal with this. She could have told her to take the Emerald City train! But she didn't. That's a little shady, Glinda!" she added. "So I leaned all the way into Glinda sort of having an eye roll for Dorothy whenever she has to deal with her."Grande's costar Cynthia Erivo also weighed in on how Dorothy will be portrayed in the new film, specifically addressing the fact that, although the character' presence will undoubtedly be felt, she will mostly be shown from behind or at a distance."I think that's such a wonderful thing to do," Erivo, who plays Elphaba, told Empire. "Because then everyone gets to keep the Dorothy that they know."Wicked: For Good premieres in theaters on November 21. Watch the teaser below.

Our hearts stop at the thought of Kit Connor.The bisexual actor is one of the biggest names in the industry thanks to his fan-favorite role of Nick Nelson in the critically-acclaimed Netflix series Heartstopper.As fans gear up for the highly anticipated Heartstopper movie to come out in 2026, photographer Samuel Dore dropped a new production still from season three of the hit show that has fans going feral online. Check out the highlights below! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

At this years NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Convention, GLAAD and PEN America a civil society organization that aims to safeguard free expression came together to lead a critical conversation on digital safety. The session, De-dox Yourself on Meta: Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, explored how LGBTQ journalists can better protect themselves from [...]The post How LGBTQ Journalists Can Protect Themselves Online in an Era of Platform Rollbacks first appeared on GLAAD.

Between Nexstar and Sinclair the two media conglomerates that own a combined 66 affiliate television stations Sinclair has already announced that they do not plan to broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live! after Disney reinstated the show. Last week, Kimmel's show was suspended "indefinitely" after the host's comments about the death of the conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during his monologue.In a statement published to X, Sinclair wrote, "Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the shows potential return."Jimmy Kimmel Live! is preparing to make its return to television tonight, and according to CNN, he plans to address the controversy in his monologue.Kimmel's show was pulled from the air "indefinitely" last week due to comments the host made about the death of the conservative political commentator. "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them," Kimmel said during his monologue. He also poked fun at the President by sharing a clip of Trump being asked about Kirk's death, but after answering, he directed the press to the construction being done for the White House's new ballroom.The late-night talk show was announced to be returning on Monday, following an uproar from entertainment unions, as well as hundreds of actors who signed an open letter released by the American Civil Liberties Union. Some of the signees include: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Selena Gomez, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.Not too soon after, Disney announced that the show would return this week and issued a statement that reads:"Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs a new episode this Tuesday, September 23, on ABC. See on Instagram

The age of AI censorship is here.Moviegoers in China have reported that a scene in the horror movie Together has been altered from its original version to make a gay couple straight, according to Bloomberg News.Viewers in China who saw the film, directed by Michael Shanks and starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie, said that one scene was digitally altered to make a gay male couple into a heterosexual couple. According to reports, in one scene featuring a same-sex wedding between two men, one of the men's faces was altered to be a woman's, seemingly using AI.The scene is used to reveal plot points in the film, meaning that the change to a heterosexual wedding makes the plot more confusing.Some heterosexual sex scenes were also removed from the film, according to Yahoo! News. (@) Users on Douban, a Chinese site similar to IMDb, immediately complained.Thats great! one wrote. We can re-release Brokeback Mountain, God's Own Country, Lan Yu, and Happy Together, and use AI to remake them into heterosexual romances with just one click. Thats faster and better than taking Chinese medicine! We're so beautiful here! We have hope!Backlash to the change has continued to grow, leading to the film's Chinese distributor delaying its wide release just a day before it was scheduled to premiere last week.China has long maintained strict censorship rules for films and has previously censored them. In 2016, the country's censors banned "abnormal sexual behavior" in films and TV.In 2019, the Chinese version of the Freddy Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody edited out about two minutes of content, including gay kisses, a short discussion of Mercury's sexuality, and a scene featuring the "I Want to Break Free" music video where the band dresses in drag.

Rachel Maddows Monday night MSNBC show brought a rare political moment: a candid, searching conversation with Kamala Harris, her first national interview since the 2024 election and her departure from office.For nearly an hour, Maddow pressed the former vice president on the themes of her new memoir, 107 Days, which dissects the shortest modern presidential campaign in American history. But one exchange stood out: Maddow confronted Harris about why she did not choose Pete Buttigieg as her running mate in 2024, despite calling him her first choice.Related: Kamala Harris discusses trans athletes & why she wouldnt turn on transgender peopleHarriss explanation in the book, that pairing a Black woman married to a Jewish man with a gay man on the ticket was too risky against Donald Trump, has already provoked intense debate inside the Democratic Party. Maddow confronted the issue bluntly. Id ask you to just elaborate on that a little bit. Its hard to hear, with you running as youre the first woman elected vice president, youre a Black woman and a South Asian woman elected to that high office, very nearly elected president, to say that he couldnt be on the ticket effectively because he was gay. Its hard to hear, Maddow told the former vice president. (@) Harris pushed back. No, no, no thats not what I said, she insisted. It made me very sad, but I also realized it would be a real risk, no matter how Ive been an advocate and an ally of the LGBT community my entire life. It wasnt about any prejudice on my part. ... I think Pete is a phenomenal, phenomenal public servant, and I think America is and would be ready for that."Related: Pete Buttigieg responds to Kamala Harris not choosing him as her running mate because hes gayIn the end, Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whose Midwestern background and military service fit the mold of what strategists considered a safe running mate. She praised his wife, Gwen, as a hidden asset, calling her a secret weapon. But the decision still haunts the campaign that nearly unseated Trump a race Harris lost by the narrowest margin of the century."Maybe I was being too cautious, Harris told Maddow.Buttigiegs rebuttalSpeaking to Politico before Harriss Maddow interview, the former transportation secretary countered that Americans deserved more credit than Harris gave them.My experience in politics has been that the way you earn trust with voters is based mostly on what they think youre going to do for their lives, not on categories, Buttigieg said at a ribbon-cutting in Indiana. Politics is about the results we can get for people and not about these other things.He pointed to his reelection as mayor of South Bend after coming out as gay, and former President Barack Obamas unexpected 2008 victory in Indiana, as evidence that voters can transcend identity-based assumptions. Harris wrote that she and Buttigieg shared a mutual sadness about the risks associated with such a ticket. Buttigieg, however, told Politico they never discussed it.Both Harris and Buttigieg are again considered possible contenders for 2028, and the disagreement highlights a recurring dilemma for Democrats: whether to prioritize electability calculations rooted in Americas prejudices, or to test whether voters are ready for a more comprehensive reflection of the countrys diversity.A book of reckoningThe exchange with Maddow captured the bluntness that runs throughout 107 Days. Maddow called it unputdownable, noting that Harriss candor sets the book apart from the anodyne memoirs typical of presidential also-rans. Harris includes not just anecdotes but verbatim notes from calls she made when Biden stepped aside Bill Clinton exclaiming, Im so relieved. Send me anywhere, Jim Clyburn responded immediately, Lets go. California Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to call back but never did.Harris is unsparing toward Bidens inner circle, which she describes as reckless in allowing him to delay his withdrawal. She applies the word to herself as well, admitting she feared urging Biden to step down would look self-serving. The stakes were simply too high, she writes, for the decision to hinge on one mans ego.Maddow pressed her on that, too. Harris admitted, As much as anything, Im talking about myself. There was so much at stake, and I thought it would come off as completely self-serving if I suggested it wasnt a good idea for him to run again.Warnings about capitulationThe larger theme of 107 Days is not only Trumps authoritarianism but the weakness of American institutions in the face of it. Harris accuses billionaires, law firms, universities, and media outlets of capitulation. She expected elites to serve as guardrails. Instead, she says, they groveled.I thought those guardrails would be stronger. I was wrong, Harris told Maddow. Its not like theyre going to lose their yacht or their house in the Hamptons. Democracy sustains capitalism. And right now these titans of industry are not speaking up.She cited the controversy over ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel after Trumps threats, only to reinstate him following widespread outrage over government censorship. Harris joined the chorus of protests, calling the suspension an outright abuse of power. Maddow called it proof of Harriss campaign slogan: When we fight, we win.Refusing Trumps baitMaddow also highlighted Harriss account of refusing to dignify Trumps most inflammatory attacks. When Trump questioned her racial identity, advisers urged her to respond with a major speech on race. Harris refused. Are you f***ing kidding me? What next? Hell say Im not a woman and I need to show my vagina? she wrote.On air, Harris explained: The stakes were too high. You cant get in the gutter with that guy because thats how he distracts. He promised to bring down prices, and he lied. I wasnt about to fall for that bait.A careful non-answerMaddow closed the interview with the inevitable question: Would Harris run again in 2028? Harris demurred. Thats not my focus right now, she said, though she is embarking on a 15-city book tour that she describes as an exercise in listening as much as promoting.When asked whether she would run for governor of California, Harris said no, praising the crowded Democratic field. But she left the larger door open, carefully refusing to rule out another campaign.

This story is brought to you by our partners at Advocates for Youth. Photo Courtesy of Advocates for Youth In Washington, D.C., more than 100 young activists came together for Advocates for Youths annual Youth Activist Institute (YAI) - a five-day gathering that has become a cornerstone of youth advocacy and leadership development. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Institute, underscoring decades of commitment to equipping young people with the tools to fight for sexual health, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. Photo Courtesy of Advocates for Youth A Week of Training and ConnectionOver the course of the week, participants attended trainings in community organizing, political activism, media engagement, storytelling, and reproductive justice. They collaborated in program councils including YWOC, ECHO, Youth Resource, Abortion on Campus, Student Organizing, Free the Pill, and the Muslim Youth Leadership Council. Each council hosted peer-led sessions, allowing youth to learn directly from one another and share strategies from their own communities.For many, the Institute was their first opportunity to engage face-to-face with fellow activists from across the country. The trip, fully funded by Advocates for Youth, also provided networking with national movement leaders and allies in Washington. Photo Courtesy of Advocates for Youth Celebrating CommunityThe Institute balanced strategy with joy. This years social events included a Y2K craft night where attendees burned and bedazzled CDs, a drag performance and dance party, and a movie night screening KPop Demon Hunters. These moments of celebration gave space for activists to build friendships and recharge, reminding participants that advocacy thrives in community. Photo Courtesy of Advocates for Youth Honoring 25 Years of ImpactSince its founding, YAI has been a launchpad for thousands of young leaders. Past Institutes have seen youth rally on the steps of the Capitol, meet with elected officials, and speak out for transgender rights. Alumni continue to shape reproductive health policy, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and grassroots organizing nationwide.The 25th anniversary highlighted that legacy while looking ahead. The next generation of activists left D.C. ready to return to their communities with new skills, strategies, and a network of support to drive campaigns on issues like abortion access, HIV prevention, LGBTQ+ rights, and comprehensive sex education. Photo Courtesy of Advocates for Youth About Advocates for YouthAdvocates for Youth partners with young people and their allies to champion youth rights to bodily autonomy and build power to transform policies, programs, and systems for sexual health and equity. The organization supports a network of 75,000 youth activists on 1,200 campuses and in more than 120 countries.Learn more at advocatesforyouth.org and follow on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn @advocatesforyouth.

Designer Conner Ives, who runs a fashion brand named after him, announced in February that he would sell the now-famous "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt. As reported in April, the shirt raised $70,000 in preorders in less than two months, and before it was even available for sale.As of September 2025, the "Protect the Dolls" shirt has raised nearly 10 times more than that previous figure."I have never been more proud of my team, the supporters of this wider movement, and the countless people that bought this tee," Ives wrote in the caption. "This t-shirt has changed my life, and Im hoping it will in due course change so many others.The designer added, "In times like these where every day feels more perilous than the last, I am moved by the humanity of this movement and what it has made possible. This is only the beginning. Protect the dolls forever."How much money did the 'Protect the Dolls' T-shirt raise so far? See on Instagram Kai Alivar Horton, Executive Director of Trans Lifeline, wrote an incredible update on how much money the organization has received from Ives' T-shirt so far."Since February 26, we have raised and donated over $600,000 so far to Trans Lifeline from the sale of the "Protect the Dolls" t-shirts," Horton revealed. "This money will be used by Trans Lifeline to fund their lite-saving services, as well as mobilizing funds through micro-grants to trans people all over the United States for the first time since 2023.""There are no words for the gratitude we feel for each of you," Horton's statement concluded. "Thank you for your solidarity, belief, and hope in our work. Be safe, keep fighting, another world is possible."What's the origin story for the 'Protect the Dolls' shirt? Troye Sivan; Conner Ives; Honey Dijon and Pedro Pascal Instagram (@troyesivan; @connerives ives; @pascalispunk) The "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt was introduced in Conner Ives' Autumn/Winner 2025 fashion show, worn by the designer himself. It didn't take long for customers to ask Ives to actually sell the shirt on his namesake brand's official website.By popular demand, Ives did eventually release the "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt on the brand's website. However, no one could've predicted the massive wave of support received by this clothing item that became a symbol of resistance.On a more specific note, the "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt is "made of a 100% organic cotton and is printed in the U.K." Moreover, it is sold on ConnerIves.com though the product is currently sold out in all sizes (extra small, small, medium, large, XL, and XXL.Which organization has received proceeds from the 'Protect the Dolls' T-shirt? See on Instagram From the very start, Ives stated that all proceeds from the "Protect the Dolls" shirt would be donated to Trans Lifeline "a trans-lead U.S.-based charity that delivers life-saving services to those who need them most. The hotline connects trans people to a wider community, offering support and resources they need to survive and thrive."A resource like this has been particularly important in recent years given the dismissal and erasure of trans people under President Donald Trump's second term in the White House."

NBCs Oliver Sacksinspired drama Brilliant Minds returns for its second season, continuing to explore complex patient stories, queer love, and the importance of embracing difference. Ahead of the premiere, stars Zachary Quinto and Teddy Sears spoke with Communications Associate Yolanda Lenge about the shows impact and why its storytelling feels especially vital now. Quinto emphasized [...]The post WATCH: Zachary Quinto and Teddy Sears Explore Healing, Identity and Storytelling in Season 2 of NBCs Brilliant Minds first appeared on GLAAD.

Two members of KATSEYE, the rising global girl group seemingly destined for superstardom, have come out as LGBTQ+, and the teenage idols know the impact they're having on their fans.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!Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae stopped by the Teen Vogue Summit in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 20, 2025, and reflected on their journey so far. They haven't even released their first album yet and the girls already have a hit Netflix documentary series, a GAP ad that made international headlines, global notoriety, "Gnarly" becoming a song of the summer and their first Hot 100 hit, and a Coachella 2026 slot secured. But for many LGBTQ+ fans, KATSEYE's openness about their individual identities isn't it's groundbreaking."The response has been so heartwarming and welcoming. I just felt so loved the second that I decided to come out as bisexual," Megan said, as the crowd erupted into cheers. "I could not be more grateful for the response that we've both gotten from everyone, from the eyecons, from the internet. I was definitely scared, especially like what you said, in the industry, you don't really see it as often, but everyone was so so loving and I couldn't be more grateful and thankful for every one of you guys."When did KATSEYE star Megan Skiendiel come out? (@) Megan, 19, came out as bisexual in June 2025 in a Weverse livestream."Should I just do it?" she wondered out loud in the video. "Guys, Im coming out: I'm bisexual."When did KATSEYE star Lara Rajagopalan come out? See on Instagram Lara, also 19, came out on a livestream in March 2025. She casually told fans that she was "half fruitcake" and shared a similar sentiment. "I felt like it was important to share that part of myself. I think that there isn't enough representation, especially in the space that we're in, especially being brown, like everything adding on to it. It was something that I really, really, really felt like I wanted to and kind of needed to share at some point."Lara explained that she's happy that her experience can inspire her fans. "Being queer and liking women has always been a very, very big part of my identity and something that I've been very proud of and like very sure of my whole life, so I feel like it was kind of necessary to share that and help people. So many of you guys have told both of us that, since like you've been able to come out to your families and come out in general, and that just warms my heart. That's all we wanna do is help you guys and inspire you to be yourselves. I love you."Where does KATSEYE stand in terms of LGBTQ+ allyship? See on Instagram KATSEYE has reiterated their love for trans people, which was originally expressed in the girl group's track "Mean Girls." The track contains lyrics that read, "God bless the T girls," a doting nod to trans women. "Our team is very diverse too," said Manon on stage. "We work with a lot of people in the queer community. We love everyone. We don't think it's there's any shame about anything. We wanna represent everyone. We wanna make everyone feel represented and know that they're OK just the way they are. Love is love."

Singer, songwriter, and rapper Dominic Fike, who's also known for playing Elliot on HBO's Euphoria, appeared in a rare interview this week in which he discussed a wide range of topics music, acting, dating, sobriety, and beyond for more than an hour.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 asked about the third and final season of Euphoria, Fike confirmed that he is, indeed, in it. "I actually just did some of it," Fike told Armchair Expert cohost Dax Shepard. Like many other Euphoria fans, Shepard was clearly unsure if season 3 was happening at all. "Yeah, they're filming it," Fike replied. "I was just talking to Hunter [Schafer]. She's filming it."Fike and Schafer met on the show and dated for quite some time. And, given that they were an onscreen couple who also developed an offscreen relationship, it came as no surprise that Euphoria fans were very excited about it.In 2024, Schafer said that she was still healing from her breakup with Fike and didn't feel ready to enter a new relationship. Nonetheless, Schafer confirmed during that same interview that she briefly dated Rosala.In case you didn't know, Rosala has also been cast in the HBO series. So, yes, Schafer and two of her real-life exes will star in this final season of Euphoria. How fun!Fike, who revealed during this Armchair Expert interview that he is very much single at the moment, also admitted that he didn't really entertain an acting career prior to getting cast on Euphoria."I never considered acting at all. I actually didn't want anything to do with acting," he explained. "I was doing a Triple J performance called 'Like A Version,' where you have to perform another artist's song. I performed a Clairo song, but what I did was I wore a wig, because I was like, 'I'm a girl' I was also just high as fuck."For context, Fike's iconic performance wearing a wig and singing "Bags" by Clairo dropped in April 2019 on YouTube, and is still considered one of the singer's most popular live performances of all time."I guess one of the casting agents for Euphoria her name was Jennifer Venditti saw that video, was apparently intrigued, and called me," Fike elaborated on the podcast. "I didn't know what Euphoria was. I didn't know it was this big fucking TV show. [At the time,] I don't know who Sam Levinson is. I don't know who fucking even Barbie or Zendaya or any of the girls are."Fike recalled being "beyond fucked up" when he arrived at his first-ever Euphoria audition. He had "stayed up all night with this girl; drinking whiskey, taking shrooms." As the audition process started, Fike said that he was "just laughing at [showrunner] Sam [Levinson], and everyone's laughing at me, because I'm just laughing at them. And I'm like, 'What is this script?' I'm like throwing shit around."It is Fike's recollection that he really messed up during that first audition and was subsequently told by his agents that he was "never doing anything in Hollywood again, ever." Fike believes that his change in behavior and a social media post talking about not being defined by past mistakes contributed to his eventual casting on Euphoria, as people could see that he was "trying to buckle down" in life.A year after that not-so-great audition, Fike met with Levinson once again, and found out that the showrunner had "rewritten this character that I showed up to read, but he wrote it with the qualities of the guy he saw show up.""So [Levinson] writes this guy that's like half his character, half the dude that showed up that day," Fike explained. "And then I was honest with him, and he had a meeting with me. He's like, 'Okay, I know that you get fucked up, obviously. You have some problems. I have those problems, too. We can get someone to help you, but you have to do this. You sign a five-year contract; it's just a formality.' But he's like, 'I need to know that you're not going to like fuck me on this.'""I was like, 'Brother, I got you,'" Fike recalled, despite the fact that he was still "not understanding the stakes of this show. And then we get into filming it, and you find out real quick when you see that budget."Shepard and his Armchair Expert cohost, Monica Padman, gushed over the scene in season 2 of Euphoria when Fike sang an original song, loosely titled "Elliot's Song," to Zendaya's character, Rue. "Did you write that song?" Padman asked."No. Labrinth wrote that song," the actor explained. "Sam had asked me to go write a song, and I wrote one. I mean, I had like overdubs, and I didn't know what he meant."Fike continued, "[Sam] was saying, 'Write a song on the guitar. So then I get this song Labrinth makes, and it's gorgeous I was like, 'I'll sing that!' [laughs]"The Armchair Expert cohosts were shocked to hear from Fike that many fans didn't really enjoy that scene at least within the context of the episode where it was placed, to be fair. "People hated that scene!" Fike said. "You didn't see me get roasted on the internet for that? The whole internet just blew up about me doing that."Fike noted that audiences were "just like, 'Why is this guy singing? I'm trying to see the rest of the character's arcs,' because it was kind of at this point when everything was like culminating, and imploding." Thus, between watching him playing the guitar vs. waiting for the other characters to attack one another, fans were eager to get to the drama.Fike became an even bigger name after his performance as Elliot on Euphoria, but is now able to look back and understand how things played out at the time. "All this money, this is a temporary fix for something that I need to actually go and heal," the actor explained, adding that he "would kind of be better about going on camera super fucked-up.""I would space it out. My weed would be like 50 minutes. I'd put eye drops in," Fike added. He then commented on news reports that made allegations concerning his behavior while filming the show. "The thing about getting fucked-up on set was like People imagine that I'm just constantly talking to Sam and Zendaya and Hunter fucked-up. But I was in my trailer all the time!"The actor continued, "You fucking know It's insufferable! You're in [the trailer] all day. And then, at the drop of a you got to be there. That was the funny part: When you are in the middle of doing something and they're like, 'You're on in five.'"Fike admitted that while he's been busy with music, he "would love to act more." On the other hand, it can be challenging to also maintain an acting career when he's "away for months at a time."When asked about meeting and working with Zendaya on Euphoria Fike didn't hesitate for even a second. "Zendaya's great. She's very much Michael Jordan." Shepard, who's also open about being a recovering alcoholic, asked Fike if he ever felt triggered by and/or insecure around Zendaya like getting in his head, perhaps, and imagining that "she thinks I'm a piece of shit.""That's so funny; that is why I really just wanted to skip over this part of it," Fike said, shyly, but with a sense of humor. "I was like, I already know any mention of [Zendaya's] name I don't know if she sees it. She would look at me, I already know. [laughs] I knew who I was on that set. And I think that kind of affected the way people felt about me too."Last but certainly not least, Fike revealed that he's gotten to hang out with Tom Holland, the actor currently starring as the beloved Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2021, Holland has also been Zendaya's partner as they worked together in the recent Spider-Man films from Sony."I actually like him; he's funny. We've hung out a couple of times," Fike said. "One night, I'm not even fucking with you I go out to this bar, and I'm with Tom Holland for some reason, and Tobey Maguire's there. It's just me, Tobey Maguire, and Tom Holland."Shepard, Padman, and Fike all get giddy at the thought of him hanging out with two of the three actors who starred as Spider-Man in blockbuster movies (and had a Spider-Verse reunion in one of the latest installments of the franchise).See on InstagramFike recalled telling Holland and Maguire that the night was "awesome" and eventually asking the actors, "Can you guys do the meme?""And they both did the Spider-Man meme!" Fike revealed. "It was awesome."Dominic Fike's episode of Armchair Expert is available on all podcast streaming services. HBO's Euphoria season 3 is currently in production, and the two first seasons of the show are streaming on HBO Max.

Hey Alex,I met my partner just under two years ago. We started monogamous, but recently opened up our relationship. The main reason for this was that our sex life seemed to drop off a cliff, and I was curious whether this was because my boyfriend was no longer getting the excitement he got from spontaneous and anonymous fun. I was always the one instigating sex, and he often would find an excuse as to why he didnt want to engage in any sexual activity for numerous reasons (tired or not prepared were the top excuses). I put the idea to him of opening up, and he was hesitant to start, then quickly seemed to enjoy getting back into anonymous fun, including hosting glory holes, getting loaded by several guys in one night, and cruising in public areas, like parks. Most, if not all, of this happened when I wasnt home either. I find the idea of him with somebody else hot. I think it might be a bit of a cuck fantasy/kink of mine. But one of my open requirements was the need to talk about things hes doing again, mainly because I find it hot to hear, but also because it alleviates some anxiety knowing hes comfortable talking about things with me. One of the issues we had early on was that I felt like he was ashamed about these things hes into, and Im a big advocate for celebrating the thrill and joy of sex as long as everyones consenting and emotionally, physically, and psychologically safe. I always try to encourage him not to feel ashamed about this stuff and just to enjoy himself and explore as much as he wants. As I said, one of the conditions we set was to talk proactively about things hes doing, to almost bring me into it, even if Im not there. It helps both sexually and practically. Recently, I went away on my own and noticed he wasnt as responsive as hed usually be on a day off. I checked his location on my phone, which we both have access to, and found he was at a cruising spot he likes to go to. When he goes there, I feel like hes solely focused on his own needs and almost disassociates or disconnects from me emotionally and isnt responsive. Ive raised this to him previously when he went out cruising for hours in the middle of the night, and I woke feeling panicked for his safety and not knowing what was happening I always wonder if hes been picked up by the police or beaten up.When it comes to me, hes expressed not being interested in hearing what I get up to. Im a little less adventurous than he is and prefer some good group bedroom fun and find the public stuff too scary. But Im pretty open-minded. So I keep my own activities to myself, and he never asks, so I never tell him anything. My question is, Im struggling with the idea of him cruising. It feels scary to me, and I also get so jealous that hes not told me or instigated it with me. I also wish I could see it or be there or be involved in some way. I feel like this is tearing our relationship apart, and its becoming a recurring nightmare for me that I wont be able to tolerate this in the years to come if we continue our relationship. I love him so much, and I want to accept every part of him, particularly his deepest darkest desires and all his kinks included!What should I do to keep us together and keep us strong? Can we make this work, or should I cut and run? All the best,J.Hey J., There are not many dealbreakers in love hurdles that cant be overcome but one I firmly believe in is the fundamental incompatibility of two people wanting different kinds of relationships. To have a successful relationship, both parties must agree to the same terms, the same rules, the same amount of disclosure, or else be flexible and willing to bend to their partners needs. It sounds like youre willing to bend you already have and hes not done his part to do the same. Hes not met your need for full disclosure. Neither of you is wrong, but it sounds like you might want different kinds of relationship you might be at the dealbreaker. Your version of open relationship and his version might be two different things. It seems like the practice of sharing what youre both doing sexually is something you need, and he might be one of the (many) guys who would rather not do this. In this regard, I admit, Im on his side here. Why be open if youre both not free to pursue your own sex without the other persons involvement? Needing a play-by-play of his activities doesnt sound very open to me the sex is still with each other, even if the other person isnt actually there. It is kind of like forcing him into your cuckold fantasy, which he just might not be into. You dont really sound that comfortable with an open relationship. You sound like you want to watch him have sex with other guys, or at least hear all the juicy details about it, which is not the same thing. Why permit freedom if youre going to do the creepy stalker-boyfriend thing and check his live location when hes not immediately responsive to your texts? What if he was just busy mowing the lawn? Do you expect the same degree of responsiveness every time? Doesnt your reaction seem a little problematic? Why give him the liberty of going cruising if you need text updates as it happens? Im sorry, but if he really did that, it would probably ruin the experience for him. When I go cruising, Im not on my phone Im cruising. Public cruising is fun in part because its a welcome break from screens and the increasingly digital world of gay sex. Youre forcing yourself into an experience that isnt about you by design. When hes there, its for his pleasure, his own private sex life, and why shouldnt it be? Hes cruising for himself, not you. Open relationships work best when both parties agree that everyone deserves their own private sex life. To really be open, you need to trust him trust that hell be safe, and that hell tell you when you need to get checked for an STI or something. If you cant do that if you cant surrender him to his own sexual autonomy, his own privacy then I dont know if Id recommend an open relationship for you. And thats OK! Many guys dont want open relationships, and open relationships are not the gold standard of gay love theyre just one version of it. Many guys arent comfortable with it. In fact, many reading this will be entirely on your side. Many like the idea of going open, but to assuage their fear and jealousy, they want all the details. This gives them a sense of involvement and (lets call it what it is) control over their partners sex life. Interestingly, many find that when they get these details, they feel more jealous, not less. Thats because they dont actually want an open relationship they just like the idea of their partner banging (or getting banged by) other hot guys. Thats a separate kink, a separate fantasy and a different kind of nonmonogamy. You can chalk his resistance up to shame or whatever psychoanalysis you want to project onto him, but he just might not want to tell you this stuff.Regardless of why hes resisting, its still a valid need something you require in order to feel secure in your relationship so your options are the same. You both must agree to the terms and keep them, or one of you must adjust to the other, or you should split. Youve already tried the first, and hes not followed through hes not kept to the terms. You can try option two adjustment which should come from both of you. You might have to adjust to not getting every detail, and he might have to adjust to supplying some information. But if that doesnt work, you should break up. I dont say that lightly, but its true. To be compatible, its not enough for both people to be nonmonogamous. You have to both agree to the same kind of nonmonogamy. So-called open relationships vary. Some are what I call free-range, fully open ones, where both partners are free to pursue their own sex lives with or without the other persons knowledge or involvement. At the other end of the spectrum are partners who sometimes pick up a third at a bar and play together, or make various special allowances and permissions: They only allow sex with others while on vacation, or they allow blowjobs but no penetration, or they permit one-time sexual encounters but no repeats things like that. The advice columnist and my friend Dan Savage calls this latter group monogamish. These couples allow outside sex within specific parameters but are not fully open. Open is at least in my mind without rules like these, where both are free to do what they want, when they want, with or without telling each other. You sound like you want something closer to monogamish, and thats OK. He can either agree to that or not. You can either adjust to the way he does things, or you cant. And if neither of you is willing to bend to the other or agree to the same terms and follow through with them, youre at the dealbreaker, because that means you want two different kinds of relationships. You need to talk to him honestly about all this, and if hes unwilling to do that if he really is too closed-off and ashamed even to discuss his needs cut and run.Every week, Alexander Cheves answers a personal question in Go Ask Alex. A writer and former sex worker, he spent more than a decade in adult businesses from writing about pleasure products to directing (ahem) videos. He also writes the sex and culture column Last Call in Out. Cheves is the author of My Love Is a Beast: Confessions, an award-winning erotic memoir told through a series of literary essays, weaving explicit personal experiences with meditations on identity and the body. Kirkus Reviews called it not for squeamish readers. Cheves has spoken at the International AIDS Conference, SXSW, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and has appeared on numerous podcasts. To send a question, email askbeastly@gmail.com.

Comedian and actor Guy Branum is reporting on what it's like to "fly while fat."In a video posted on Instagram last week, Branum, who isn't afraid to speak his mind, opened up about an experience he had on a recent Delta flight with an angry passenger.Branum said that when he has the money, he likes to fly business class, "because I'm a big guy and I don't want to be in anybody else's space." This time, however, he got a comfort plus ticket, which he was worried about. "I've had people freak out at me before," he said.The actor then relayed how he was sitting in a middle seat when a "white guy in his 60s" came down the aisle and started harassing a female passenger "because she was putting something in the overhead compartment near his seat." Then, as soon as the man sat down, Branum said, "he immediately was just pissed off at me." After Branum told his seatmate that he couldn't scoot over any more, the man "elbowed" him "as hard as he could."See on InstagramBranum shared footage he took on the plane, showing the man sitting next to him laughing and smiling."This man elbowed me because he believes that I'm too fat to be sitting next to him," Branum says in the video."Well, who wouldn't believe that?" the man responds, still smiling."Sir, how do you think I should solve this problem?" Branum asks after some back and forth. "Also, let's be fair, you are hardly svelte yourself.""I'm a member of Weight Watchers," the man replies, telling Branum he can "show it" on his phone. "And that is how I lost the weight. Have you ever?""You really think I am a fat person in this country and I have never tried to lose weight?" Branum asks.Branum described how a flight attendant came by, followed by several other people who were asked to weigh in on the disagreement. Eventually, a woman across the aisle switched places with Branum's seatmate, after she was offered airline miles which the comedian requested as well."Fat people shouldn't be waiting for some future moment when we'll be worthy of traveling and living our lives," Branum then said, concluding the video.In a statement obtained by People, Delta Air Lines responded to the incident. "Delta sincerely appreciates the actions of our crew and customers for de-escalating this situation prior to departure," the airline said. "We are in touch with the customer and continue to look into his claims."Branum later showed a bruise on his stomach to TMZ and said he's looking into filing charges. "You can't hit somebody because you think they're fat," he told the outlet.

British actor Oliver Stark, best known for playing the fan-favorite character Evan "Buck" Buckley on the ABC series 9-1-1, shared a sweaty workout video this week to celebrate Bisexual Day of Visibility and reaffirm that he feels "proud" to play a man still figuring out his bisexuality ultimately expressing his desire to share positive representation of people in the LGBTQ+ community on television.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!Stark has played Buck for all eight seasons of 9-1-1. The first six seasons aired on Fox, and the last two season have been on ABC. With season 9 premiering this fall, the actor wants fans to feel like Buck is a symbol of positive LGBTQ+ representation on television, once again expressing how important this is for him as a person and as a performer."I just wanted to come on here and make a quick video because it is Bisexual Day of Visibility, and one of my biggest joys is playing Buck over the past eight, nine seasons," Stark said in an Instagram Story. "He's getting to tell the story of him discovering his bisexuality And I hope, truly, that we have offered up some kind of positive representation.""I'm really, super proud of getting to be a part of this storyline," Stark added.See on InstagramStark went on in the since-expired Instagram Story video, "I know there are a lot of people that think things like, 'Bisexual men are just too scared to come out as gay,' or whatever it is. And, obviously, that's not the case. I really hope that we get to hammer home that point this season.""I'm excited to delve deeper and deeper into it," the actor concluded. "It's just such an honor to get to be a part of telling this story. So, thank you guys."9-1-1 season 9 premieres this fall on ABC.See on Instagram

These 'Wicked' stars brought our favorite characters to life.The first Wicked movie and its sequel, Wicked: For Good set to premiere on Friday, November 21 in theaters brought beloved characters like Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero to the big screen with a dazzling cast of actors like Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jonathan Bailey on board to play them.As Ozians from around the world wait for this Wicked Part Two installment to open in theaters, it feels like the perfect time to look back on the Broadway icons who originated these roles in the hit musical production by Stephen Schwartz, all while noting how different they are from the Hollywood stars who turned this story into an even bigger pop culture phenomenon through the movies.Elphaba Idina Menzel vs. Cynthia ErivoElphaba Thropp, otherwise referred to as the Wicked Witch of the West, is the main character of Gregory Maguire's Wicked novel, Stephen Schwartz's hit Broadway musical, and the Jon M. Chu-directed live-action films. Unlike the classic 1939 The Wizard of Oz film that portrays this character as a nameless, green, evil witch, Wicked reframes the story and explains why she's become this way.The wickedly talented Idina Menzel originated Elphaba on Broadway and transformed the green witch into one of the most beloved fictional characters in history. In the movies, Elphaba was played by another creative powerhouse, Cynthia Erivo, who brought her own experiences and perspectives to the characterization.Idina MenzelBesides originating the character of Elphaba on Broadway, Idina Menzel is also a legend for playing Maureen Johnson in Rent and voicing Elsa in the hit Disney animated franchise Frozen.In 2022, the Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and Broadway icon was officially named a "Disney Legend." This year, Menzel also graced an Out cover star in the "Broadway Divas" issue alongside other powerhouse performers.Cynthia ErivoBefore starring as Elphaba in the Wicked movies, Cynthia Erivo had already won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony for her work in The Color Purple musical on Broadway. Erivo is only an Oscar away from EGOT-ing, and was also named Icon of the Year on the 2024 Out100 list.Erivo released her latest studio album, I Forgive You, earlier this year. She also made headlines for playing Jesus Christ in a Hollywood Bowl run of Jesus Christ Superstar. As this era of her career comes to an end following Wicked: For Good, Erivo is already set to play Dracula and 22 other characters in a new stage production of Bram Stoker's Dracula on the West End.Glinda Kristin Chenoweth vs. Ariana GrandeThe Wicked books and musical first introduce this character as Galinda Upland. Over the course of the story, however, she finesses her way into high society, renames herself as Glinda, and rebrands as the Good Witch.Kristin Chenoweth originated Glinda on Broadway's Wicked, and the challenge of turning her into a likable character despite her eccentric quirks and frivolous aspirations cannot be understated. Ariana Grande took on that challenge for the Wicked movies, and clearly also brought to life a three-dimensional character that audiences will connect with for years to come.Kristin ChenowethFrom stage productions likeYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown to TV shows like Pushing Daisies, Kristin Chenoweth is the winner of a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. She is also a legitimate Broadway icon who's brought to life a long list of iconic characters throughout her career, including Wicked's very own Glinda a role that she originated on Broadway alongside Menzel's Elphaba.Ariana GrandeAriana Grande has been one of the world's most popular (pun intended) and successful pop stars for the past couple of decades.Between releasing Billboard Hot 100 no. 1 songs like "Thank U, Next," "7 Rings," "Yes, And?," and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," Grande has publicly declared her deep love of Wicked numerous times. She's also reiterated how much it means to her to play Glinda in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).Fiyero Norbert Leo Butz vs. Jonathan BaileyFiyero Tigelaar is the gorgeous, hilarious, and wealthy heartthrob of the Wicked universe. He isn't really a studious man, but he loves to have fun and feels his emotions very deeply.Norbert Leo Butz originated the role of Fiyero when the Wicked musical opened on Broadway. In subsequent years, Butz won two Tony Awards for his performances as Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and as Carl Hanratty in Catch me If You Can.The Wicked movies cast Bridgerton and Fellow Travelers star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and it's hard to think of a better actor to bring this character to the big screen. As an out gay actor, Bailey also brought even more queerness to the Wicked universe, which feels correct.Norbert Leo ButzThe bulk of Norbert Leo Butz's career has been in theater. Of note, the actor received critical acclaim for his performances in 2002's Thou Shalt Not, 2005's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 2011's Catch Me If You Can, and 2018's My Fair Lady. He was nominated for a Tony Award in all of those four productions.In the last few years, Butz has gained attention for his work beyond theater as well. For instance, his performances as Bill Belichick on American Sports Story and as Alan Lomax in the Timothe Chalamet-starring biopic of Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown, were well received by critics and fans alike.Jonathan BaileyJonathan Bailey is one of the biggest Hollywood stars on the planet. He's come a long way from his breakout role on Netflix's Bridgerton, and certainly gained some critical acclaim for his performance on Showtime's Fellow Travelers.Besides playing the most irresistible and charismatic version of Fiyero we've ever seen, Bailey was also cast as a main star in Jurassic World: Rebirth alongside A-listers like Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali. No big deal, ya know? With his imminent return to Oz through Wicked: For Good, the actor is redefining what it means to be an out actor who can still play all kinds of characters just like his straight counterparts.Nessarose Michelle Federer vs. Marissa BodeEven though Nessarose Thropp Elphaba's sister goes through very drastic changes between the original Wicked novel and the Broadway musical, this character is still a young woman who has a disability and needs Elphaba's assistance from time to time.Michelle Federer originated Nessarose in the original Broadway cast of the Wicked musical. In the movies, it was up to newcomer Marissa Bode to embody the role as an actress who also uses a wheelchair for mobility in her day-to-day life. This is a character with a much more significant presence in Wicked: For Good, and fans are excited to see Bode showing this very different side to Nessa.Boq Christopher Fitzgerald vs. Ethan SlaterBoq is a much more significant character in Maguire's Wicked books. Overall, Boq is a dedicated student at Shiz University who hails from Munchkinland and develops a serious crush on Galinda. Even if his fate is ultimately the same in both the novels and the musical, readers get to know Boq much more than they do on the Broadway show.The stage musical version of Boq was originated by Christopher Fitzgerald. Over the course of his career, Fitzgerald received Tony nominations for his roles in Young Frankenstein, Finian's Rainbow, and Waitress.Ethan Slater, who was also known for his Broadway credits such as SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical and Spamalot before starring in Wicked, reprised his role as Boq in Wicked: For Good and will definitely be featured more heavily in the sequel due to what happens at this point in the story.Madame Morrible Carole Shelley vs. Michelle YeohMadame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, is well, horrible! There are many layers to this character building a connection with Elphaba, being linked to powerful people in the Land of Oz, and pushing her own self-interests over the course of the story.The late, great Carole Shelley originated Madame Morrible in the stage production of Wicked. She was also well known for her performances in productions like The Elephant Man, Stepping Out, and Billy Elliot.To pull off such a grandiose and wonderfully sneaky character in the Wicked films, producers went all out and cast Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Everything Everywhere All At Once) in the role. Talk about a perfect choice!The Wizard of Oz Joel Grey vs. Jeff GoldblumThe truth, fantasy, and mythology surrounding the Wizard of Oz has been built for 125 years since L. Frank Baum's original novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was published.Joel Grey played the Wizard of Oz in the original Broadway cast of Wicked. At the time, the actor was best known for his performance as the Emcee in Cabaret in the stage musical and in the film adaptation which earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award.Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz in the Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025) films has turned out to be another pitch-perfect casting choice for the character, and the sequel has even more chaos and screentime for the actor to let loose.Doctor Dillamond William Youmans vs. Peter DinklageWilliam Youmans has had an incredible Broadway career. Over the years, the actor originated roles in various productions ranging from John Jacob Astor in Titanic: The Musical, to Alcindoro in La Bohme, to Sir Richard Bingham in The Pirate Queen, to Mr. Bascombe in Carousel, to the original Doctor Dillamond in the Wicked musical.Even though the Wicked movie featured an animated version of Doctor Dillamond, casting producers made an inspired choice by casting Peter Dinklage as the voice actor behind the Animal professor at Shiz University. Dinklage, one of Hollywood's most beloved actors since starring as Tyrion Lannister on HBO's Game of Thrones, carried over all that goodwill into Dillamond, making it easy for viewers to connect with the character right away.

Academy Award nominees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are reprising their roles as Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked: For Good, the highly anticipated sequel set to premiere in theaters on November 21 to the first Wicked movie directed by Jon M. Chu and released last year as a box office smash hit and critical darling.This sequel, which has been informally referred to as Wicked Part Two, was officially titled Wicked: For Good as a nod to one of the most iconic songs ("For Good") of the hit Broadway musical that's served as the source material for the films. After many months of clips, teasers, first-look previews, exclusive shots, interesting soundbites, and cryptic social media posts, the Wicked: For Good promo cycle has officially entered its endgame era by releasing the film's final trailer today.Wicked: For Good release dateSee on InstagramThe Wicked: For Good release date is set for Friday, November 21, 2025, only in theaters.Less than two months are left until showtime, and this Ozian countdown has already begun!Wicked: For Good length / total runtimeThe total Wicked: For Good length/runtime is 2 hours and 18 minutes.For context, the sequel is 20 minutes shorter than the first Wicked movie.Wicked: For Good tracklistThe Wicked: For Good tracklist in the movie's official soundtrack consists of the following songs:"Every Day More Wicked" Wicked Movie Cast, Cynthia Erivo feat. Michelle Yeoh, Ariana Grande"Thank Goodness / I Couldn't Be Happier" Ariana Grande, Wicked Movie Cast feat. Michelle Yeoh"No Place Like Home" Cynthia Erivo [NEW SONG]"The Wicked Witch of the East" Marissa Bode, Cynthia Erivo, Ethan Slater"Wonderful" Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo"I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)" Ariana Grande"As Long As You're Mine" Cynthia Erivo & Jonathan Bailey"No Good Deed" Cynthia Erivo"March of the Witch Hunters" Wicked Movie Cast, Ethan Slater"The Girl in the Bubble" Ariana Grande [NEW SONG]"For Good" Cynthia Erivo & Ariana GrandeWicked: For Good trailer (final trailer coming this Wednesday)See on InstagramRejoicify, Ozians! the final trailer of Wicked: For Good is dropping later today.Wicked: For Good premieres on Friday, November 21 only in theaters. For more information and tickets, visit WickedMovie.com. Wicked: For Good poster

This story is brought to you by our partners at Easterseals South Florida.On September 25, Miamis Jungle Island will transform into a haven for food lovers during the 35th Annual Festival of Chefs, a world-class culinary experience that raises vital support for the Easterseals South Florida Culinary Arts High School. From 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., guests will embark on a tasting adventure highlighting the best in gourmet food, fine wine, and craft spirits.The signature event brings together South Floridas culinary talent for an evening of indulgence and impact. Guests are invited to savor and judge the best savory and sweet creations, with winners revealed live at the event. Alongside the competition, the Festival offers a chance to connect with chefs, community leaders, and fellow food enthusiasts in a vibrant Miami setting.Proceeds directly benefit the Easterseals Culinary Arts High School, a program designed to empower students with special needs by equipping them with essential skills for future independence and career success. By attending, guests dont just enjoy an unforgettable evening, they also help sustain a program that uplifts young people through education, training, and opportunity.Festival of Chefs isnt just a tasting event, its a way to invest in our students futures, said an Easterseals South Florida representative. Every bite supports our mission of preparing youth for meaningful careers and greater independence.The Festival is presented by Lorient Capital, whose sponsorship helps make the event possible.The celebration takes place at:Jungle Island Miami1111 Parrot Jungle TrailMiami, FL 33132 5:30 pm - 9:30 pmThis is an in-person event, and registration is open now.For tickets and details, register here or contact development@sfl.easterseals.com. Photo Courtesy of Easterseals South Florida

Hello Out readers, are you ready to return to Oz?The final trailer for the upcoming movie Wicked: For Good has just been released! Here at Out, we absolutely loved the first Wicked movie and can't wait to see the second. The cast of the first film is back for round two, and it's almost time to see how Elphaba and Glinda's story ends.Fans of the musical will surely be looking forward to classic songs like "For Good" in the sequel, but will also be happy to learn that Cynthia Erivo has a new song, "No Place Like Home," and Ariana Grande has a new song, "The Girl in the Bubble!" Will one of them challenge "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters for the Oscar for Best Song?One thing we can't wait to see is how Grande's Glinda interacts with iconic character Dorothy Gale! The second film will feature the Wizard of Oz character, and Grande has revealed the secret of her character's dynamic with Dorothy."I love the little bit of shadiness that Glinda has towards Dorothy," Grande said in reference to Glinda's iconic advice for Dorothy, "follow the yellow brick road.""There's a lot going on, and she doesn't really have time to deal with this. She could have told her to take the Emerald City train! But she didn't. That's a little shady, Glinda!" she added. "So I leaned all the way into Glinda sort of having an eye roll for Dorothy whenever she has to deal with her."Wicked: For Good premieres in theaters on November 21.Keep reading to find out our Woman Crush Wednesday and all the best pop culture news!- Mey RudeMiamis Festival of Chefs celebrates 35 years of culinary excellenceWicked: For Good trailer, release date, movie length, and tracklist'9-1-1' stud Oliver Stark celebrates Bi Visibility Day with sweaty gym videoGo Ask Alex: I opened my relationship and now I feel left out. Help!Sinclair ABC stations still won't air 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for nowA bruised Guy Branum says he was elbowed on an airplane for being 'too fat'China turns gay couple straight with AI in Dave Franco film 'Together'Rachel Maddow confronts Kamala Harris on not picking Pete Buttigieg as her running mate because hes gayWoman Crush WednesdayMegan and Lara from Katseye are our Woman Crush Wednesdays this week! The two girl group members recently opened up about their journeys to coming out!Get Out / The Advocate in your physical mailbox too!Get print issues of Out Magazine / The Advocate in the mail for just $9.95 a year!

Log Cabin Republicans heckled guitarist Yasmin Williams after her performance at the Kennedy Center. She said its because Ric Grenell, the President Donald Trump-tapped executive director, invited them to boo her politics.Im certain that these folks have no interest in my music at all (or art itself), so why would they come? Williams posted on Facebook.The answer became clear, she said, when she saw a weekly newsletter sent out by the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans. It showed the chapters monthly meeting had been moved to the rooftop terrace of the Kennedy Center. It mentioned a special performance at the Hall of States.The artist, liberal guitarist Yasmin Williams, will be giving a free performance prior to the meeting, the newsletter states. She is apparently a vocal critic of President Trump and The Kennedy Centers decision to hold a vigil for Charlie Kirk. Lets make sure the audience is filled with patriots.Related: Trump taps gay MAGA loyalist Ric Grenell as interim head of Kennedy CenterThere are no comments about Turning Point USA founder Kirks September 10 death visible on Williams social media. She told The Washington Post she shared a post about a vigil being held at the Kennedy Center for Kirk, but offered no commentary.She addressed some controversy among her own fans earlier this September on why she would even perform at the Kennedy Center under Grenells tenure and said she wanted to support the union workers still working at the venue and fighting to maintain the institutions integrity. She addressed that at the close of her show from the stage before having to be escorted out by security.Shoutout to the good people who are still here. Shoutout to the people who got fired and lost their jobs unnecessarily, she said on stage. Shoutout to every good person here who wants to hear live music and have good artists still here at the Kennedy Center. Huge F. you to Ric Grenell, F. you to Trump. Ric Grenell, you suck. Im not a fan.Related: Who are the Log Cabin Republicans, the LGBTQ+ conservative group?She said Grenell set aside 50 tickets for people to boo the show, but her supporters outnumbered critics at the show. She was particularly struck by the Log Cabin Republicans' email, which promoted an open bar to attract hecklers.The staff who were working my show had no idea of this until right before the show started, she wrote. This is why I had to get escorted out of the building by several security guards. This is clearly a calculated attempt to intimidate and harass me at my own show, as well as the staff working the show. This is completely unacceptable and I will not allow this to go unnoticed. I will not be harassed and intimidated by anyone, especially these folks.Before the show, Williams publicly shared a series of emails with Grenell. That came after she emailed him with questions about the centers operation after several artists said they would not perform at the center and said his responses were absolutely insane.After asking if Williams would boycott shows because Republicans were in attendance, he wrote to the artist, and said, among other unprompted rants, that changes were happening at the venue because the programs are so woke that they havent made money.

Sick Humor Supply Co., a lifestyle brand founded by Candy Parker, today announced its extensive range of thoughtfully designed products including apparel, accessories, mugs, phone cases, and more aimed at raising awareness and fostering community for people living with chronic illnesses.Unlike traditional brands, Sick Humor Supply Co. uses humor as a powerful tool to connect, empower, and support the chronic illness community through high-quality sustainable products.Parker, the companys founder and CEO, brings over 40 years of business experience in consulting and the retail sector. She was also the founding Editor of Lesbian.com and the author of The Daily Glimmers Journal A Guide to Enhancing Gratitude, Improving Mindfulness, and Raising Your Vibration, lending unique insight and authenticity to the brands mission. As a queer woman living with chronic illness, Parker created Sick Humor Supply Co. to reflect the humor, resilience, and honesty she wished existed in the chronic illness space.My mission is to empower and unite those living with chronic illnesses through apparel that speaks their truth with a wink and a laugh, said Parker. I believe humor helps us cope with the daily realities of chronic illness, and through our designs, Sick Humor Supply Co. is creating more than just clothing were building a community where people feel seen, heard, supported and entertained.Since launching just weeks ago, the store has expanded to over 340 products and has already built an engaged following across social media, with growing interest from the chronic illness community.In addition to its product offerings, Sick Humor Supply Co. is actively seeking partnerships with nonprofit organizations and charities. The company offers bulk discounts and collaborative opportunities to groups interested in raising awareness and supporting their members with apparel and accessories.The full range of products is available exclusively online at www.sickhumorsupplyco.com.About Sick Humor Supply Co.Founded in 2025, Sick Humor Supply Co. creates inclusive apparel, gifts, and accessories that celebrate and support the chronic illness community with humor and authenticity. A portion of every sale from their premium Good Shirt Series is donated to nonprofits serving the chronic illness community. The brand is committed to accessibility, advocacy, and community connection.The post Sick Humor Supply Co. Launches Inclusive Chronic Illness Lifestyle Brand first appeared on Lesbian.com.

YouTube announced yesterday that it would allow permanently banned accounts to apply for reinstatement of their channels. According to a letter from Daniel Donovan, a lawyer for Alphabet (Google's parent company), to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, this new policy will give channels that were previously taken down for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the 2020 election the chance to get their platforms back."Today, YouTube's Community Guidelines allow for a wider range of content regarding COVID-19 and elections integrity," the letter reads. "Reflecting the Company's commitment to free expression, YouTube will provide an opportunity for all creators to rejoin the platform if the Company terminated their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect."The letter also says, "No matter the political atmosphere, YouTube will continue to enable free expression on its platform, particularly as it relates to issues subject to political debate. Political debate and discussion are in the public's interest, which is why YouTube expanded its approach to educational, documentary, scientific, and artistic content on the platform." (@) YouTube shared a post on X Tuesday addressing the concerns that people have regarding this policy reversal. "We've had a lot of questions about a pathway back to YouTube for some terminated creators to set up a new channel," reads the post, which also teases the imminent launch of the reinstatement program. "This will be a limited pilot project that will be available to a subset of creators in addition to those channels terminated for policies that have been deprecated."According to CNBC, among the channels that were taken down for violating the platform's policy combatting the spread of misinformation and which now may apply to be reinstated are some tied to Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.Toward the end of the letter from Alphabet, Donovan writes, "YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse. The Company recognizes these creators are among those shaping today's online consumption, landing 'must-watch' interviews, giving viewers the chance to hear directly from politicians, celebrities, business leaders, and more."

Social media was set ablaze when an account on X uploaded a post the day after Charlie Kirk's memorial service that read: "BREAKING: Charlie Kirk's memorial caused a SEVERE Grindr outage in Arizona." The post also included screenshots of a heat map that was concentrated in Phoenix close to Glendale, where the memorial was held and a website called Downdetector, which provides real-time reports of outages for various websites.The post quickly garnered thousands of likes and reposts, spreading to other platforms like Reddit and Facebook. (@) In response, the fact-checking website Snopes noted, "Downdetector's information is crowdsourced and any user can report an outage," adding that Grindr itself did not report an outage. A representative for Grindr echoed those points in a statement for Out, which reads, "As noted on Grindr's status page, there were no outage reports on September 21." The app's status page reports when the platform has issues and notifies users when they get resolved. But there was no report for September 21. @hopeisforpeople Replying to @rae.rae.red You cant make this stuff up lol #charliekirk #phoenix #arizona #statefarmstadium #fyp Around the same time that the X post was uploaded, a TikToker shared a video that included an apparent screenshot of the Sniffies map at the stadium where the memorial took place. In the video, he claims that the screenshot, which appears to show several Sniffies users lurking on the app, was taken around the time of the service.Like the claims about a Grindr outage, insinuations about Sniffies users congregating at the service were unverified. But that didn't stop rumors spreading across social media like wildfire. (@) The memorial service, which was attended by top political officials like President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, was said to have drawn tens of thousands of people. It started at around 11 a.m. and lasted for approximately five hours.

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang went "Day Drinking" with Late Night host Seth Meyers and introduced him to the "gay uniform."The Las Culturistas hosts joined Meyers for a new edition of the segment of his show where he takes guests to a bar to enjoy cocktails, play drinking games, and unwind. In this case, the bar was Passerine in New York City.In one clip from the segment, which aired on Tuesday, Meyers asks Yang and Rogers if they coordinated their outfits so they'd both be wearing undershirts with unbuttoned dress shirts.See on Instagram"This is a gay guy way to dress," Rogers says."That's the gay uniform," Yang adds."If you did an undershirt and a button-down" Yang begins."...Change lives," Rogers finishes.The two then paraphrase the Britney Spears classic "Work Bitch," asking Meyers, "You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You gotta wear a tank under an open shirt, bitch."After that, the best friends take off their dress shirts, showing off their arms to Meyers. "Did this just become different for you?" Rogers asks."But like, different and better?" Meyers responds."Two guys in undershirts is one Dua Lipa," Yang tosses out as he and Rogers scoot closer to each other, prompting Meyers to ask why they are only touching shoulders now that they took their shirts off."Because we love it," Yang says."Because without our bare skin, what's the point?" Rogers adds.Watch the entire segment below!

Nicholas Alexander Chavez has been steadily building his rsumand his fanbaseover the past few years. Soap audiences first fell for him as Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital, a role that earned him a Daytime Emmy and cemented him as one of daytimes brightest young stars. From there, he jumped to Netflixs buzzy Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, where he transformed into Lyle Menendez opposite Cooper Koch. The role marked his most significant mainstream crossover yet, putting him on red carpets and awards shortlists while introducing him to a much wider audience.Now, Chavez is trading TV scripts for high fashion, fronting a new Jacquemus campaign that has fans spiraling. Shot by acclaimed fashion photographer Oliver Hadlee Pearch, the campaign leans more toward a sensual art piece than a standard brand rollout. In the images, Chavez bends, stretches, and lounges across a sunlit gymnasium, his torso on full display. Whether standing with cropped white trousers hanging loose around his waist or arching back against the floor, he radiates raw, sculptural energy. See on InstagramThe shoes might technically be the product, but youd be forgiven for missing them. (@) Fans didnt hold back in the comments. (@) This is proof he would look good in a trashbag, one joked, while another admitted, tell me why I just unconsciously spread my legs. (@) Other fans said this made them crave a chance to feel his bulging muscles. (@) On Instagram, the thirst got even thirstier: Now THIS is how you sell us shoes!! wrote one fan. Others went straight for blunt declarations, with one fan calling him the sexiest man in the world.Even actress Rose McGowan had something to say, commenting Ces chaussures ont vraiment fait leur boulot in French, which translates to these shoes really did the job.Its a natural evolution for Chavez, whos gone from daytime heartthrob to Netflix breakout to bona fide fashion fantasy in the span of just a few years. And if his timeline is any indication, the world isnt just watching his risetheyre drooling over every second of it.

In today’s digital world, social media is the public square, the town hall, and the café where people gather to connect, share, and discover community. But for LGBTQ+ people, mainstream platforms often fail to provide the safety, representation, and community-building opportunities they need. Hate speech, algorithmic erasure, and lack of inclusive features create an environment...

The internet never needed an excuse to flex, but apparently, September just got one.BICEPtember is the latest made-up internet holiday to gain traction online, and thanks to a viral tweet that simply asked the world to define it, people are responding in droves. (@) At its simplest, BICEPtember is exactly what it sounds like: an excuse to post photos of your biceps and turn September into a month-long gun show. (@) People, mostly men, responded with pictures of themselves flexing in the gym, casually bulging under a T-shirt, or glistening poolside, which quickly turned the trend into a rolling slideshow of arms. Think Movember, but with more protein shakes and fewer mustaches. (@) Others also responded with the biceps of their favorite celebrities. (@) On Reddit, users have been attempting to pinpoint the origins of the term. One thread suggested it was primarily done by furries, while others argued its more about showing off muscle than any connection to bisexuality. from bisexualHere I thought it was gonna be about bi people flexing their biceps, one commenter joked. from bisexualAnother added, We can hijack this campaign, suggesting the bi community claim the trend for themselves.Comment byu/The_User96 from discussion inbisexualThat crossover isnt entirely random: September is also Bisexual Awareness Month, and the tweet asking people to define it was posted on Bisexual Visibility Day (September 23), which has given rise to playful attempts to merge the two. (@) Whether its about pride or just a good pump, the hashtag is filling timelines with flexed arms of all shapes and sizes. (@) So, what is BICEPtember, really? A queer-coded internet in-joke? A fitness thirst trap parade? A happy accident of wordplay? Maybe all of the above. But one things for sure: if your sleeves are feeling a little tight this month and youre owning your identity, congratulationsyoure doing BICEPtember right.Here are a few more pics, you know, to observe the holiday. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)