Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has always had perfect timing. Just 36 hours after an off-year election that saw Donald Trumps agenda universally repudiated, the Speaker Emeritus took a bow.On Thursday morning, the San Francisco Democrat, a longtime champion of LGBTQ+ rights, announced her coming retirement after six decades of public service. Related Out 55-year-old lawmaker Scott Wiener is running to replace 85-year-old Democrat icon Nancy Pelosi Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I have always honored the song of St. Francis, Lord make an instrument of thy peace, the anthem of our city, Pelosi, 85, said in a video addressed to her constituents. That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know: I will not be seeking reelection to Congress.With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative, Pelosi added. As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power. We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our Democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear. Pelosis exit from the arena marks the end of a what will be a 40-year career in Congress when she leaves office in 2027. She spent eight of those years as Speaker of the House, the first woman ever elected to the post.After Democrats narrowly lost control of the House in 2022, Pelosi returned to the House rank-and-file she first joined in 1987.Her support for the LGBTQ+ community in Congress began with her advocacy for those impacted by HIV/AIDS.In her very first speech on the House floor, Pelosi challenged colleagues and then-President Ronald to take up the fight against the epidemic then gripping San Francisco and the gay community nationwide. Now we must take leadership, of course, in the crisis of AIDS, Pelosi said. And I look forward to working with you on that. Reagan publicly acknowledged the epidemic for the first time just weeks later.Pelosi co-authored the Ryan White CARE Act, famously testifying alongside celebrity advocate Elizabeth Taylor during a hearing in 1990. President George H. W. Bush signed the bill into law later that year.The congresswoman was among the few members of the House and Senate to vote against the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, and later the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have amended the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. She shepherded the Respect for Marriage Act through the House near the end of her speakership in 2022. In answer to questions in 2012 about efforts to ban same-sex marriage, Pelosi cited her Catholic faith.My religion compels me and I love it for it to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider it a form of discrimination. I think its unconstitutional on top of that, she said.Pelosi is a longtime supporter of the Equality Act, which would expand the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She oversaw passage of the bill in the House. As Speaker, Pelosi helped pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the very first LGBTQ-affirming federal law, signed by President Obama in 2009. In 2010, she led Congress in the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, the militarys ban on LGBTQ+ servicemembers.Pelosi has been an ardent supporter of trans rights, joining colleagues hanging the trans standard in House and Senate office hallways in 2019 to protest Donald Trumps first ban on transgender service members. In 2020, she voiced her support for trans student-athletes.Pelosi has been one of Trumps fiercest critics since his earliest days in office. The two famously got into a shouting match at one Oval Office summit in 2018, and Pelosi shredded the presidents State of the Union message for cameras after his address in 2020. In June, Pelosi excoriated Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for erasing slain San Francisco Supervisor and LGBTQ+ icon Harvey Milks name from a Navy ship bearing it.Our military is the most powerful in the world but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the warrior ethos, Pelosi said. Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.Pelosis retirement has been long-anticipated, but she kept potential challengers guessing until today.California State Senator and San Francisco resident Scott Weiner (D-SF), who gently nudged the Speaker Emeritus for months before announcing his own candidacy for her seat last month, had kind words for his longtime U.S. representative.Thank you, Madam Speaker, Weiner posted to social after Pelosis announcement. In 1987, I was a closeted teenager terrified of a world that seemed determined to eliminate gay people. You used your platform in Congress to fight AIDS to fight for people like me.Your example gives me courage to confront the challenges & fight bigotry thats rising today. Well always be grateful, he added.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Sarah Paulson is once again joining the Ryan Murphy Cinematic Universe.The veteran actor is currently starring in Murphy's All's Fair on Hulu, was recently announced as part of the star-studded cast of American Horror Story Season 13, and is now joining the cast of the upcoming fourth season of Monster.Monster Season 4 will focus on Lizzie Borden, but will also apparently explore the lives of other female killers. Paulson will be playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the show. But who was Wuornos? Here's everything you need to know.Who is Aileen Wuornos?Aileen Carol Wuornos was born on February 9, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan. She had a difficult childhood, with her father being convicted of child molestation and killing himself in prison when she was young. Her mother then left Wuornos and her brother in the care of her grandparents, who were also allegedly abusive.At the age of 14, she gave birth to a son and gave the child up for adoption. She was kicked out of her home shortly after.In her later teen years and twenties, Wuornos lived as a drifter, working as a sex worker, and was arrested for numerous petty crimes, including assault and shoplifting. Throughout the 1980s, she continued working as a sex worker until she started committing murders in 1989.How many people did Aileen Wuornos murder?From 1989 to 1990, Wuornos murdered seven middle-aged white men. Their names were Richard Mallory, David Spears, Charles Carskaddon, Troy Burress, Charles "Dick" Humphreys, Peter Siems, and Walter Antonio. In 1991, Wuornos was arrested and confessed to several of the murders, saying it was self-defense after the men attempted to rape her.In 1992, she faced a trial for the murder of Mallory. She was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. Later that year, she pleaded no contest to the murders of Humphreys, Burress, and Spears, and eventually pleaded guilty to the murder of Carskaddon and Antonio. As Siems's body was never found, she was not charged with his murder.In total, she was sentenced to six death sentences.Wuornos was executed in 2002.Was Aileen Wuornos a lesbian?While Aileen Wuornos' sex work clients were men, she had relationships with women in her personal life.In 1986, Wuornos met Tyria Moore at a gay bar called Zodiac in Daytona Beach, Florida, and soon, the two formed a relationship. They dated until shortly before Wuornos was arrested in 1992.After Wuornos was arrested, police had Moore help convince her to confess. When Wuornos called Moore from prison, Moore said that the police were "coming after me" and urged Wuornos to confess."I'm not gonna let you go to jail. Ty, I love you. If I have to confess everything just to keep you from getting in trouble, I will," Wuornos said in the phone call, which was recorded.What actors have played Aileen Wuornos?Charlize Theron famously played Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster, opposite Christina Ricci as Moore. She was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. Lily Rabe played Wuornos in the fifth season of American Horror Story, titled Hotel. In her episode, a group of ghosts of serial killers, including Wuornos, Richard Ramirez, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer, meet in the hotel on Halloween night.Peyton List played Wuonros in the 2021 film Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman, and Hacks star Jean Smart played Wuornos in the 1992 film Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story.Why is Sarah Paulson playing Aileen Wuornos?Sarah Paulson is set to play Wuornos in the upcoming fourth season of Ryan Murphy's true-crime series Monster, according to Variety. The fourth season will focus on Lizzie Borden, played by Ella Beatty. Monster Season 3 star Charlie Hunnam will also star, along with Rebecca Hall, Billie Lourd, Jessica Barden, and Vicky Krieps.

Since starring opposite Kristen Stewart in Love Lies Bleeding, actor and former competitive bodybuilder Katy OBrian has been in high demand, putting her unique rsum to use in blockbuster action flicks like Twisters and Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning. And despite being a self-described homebody who hates to be on location because she has to leave her wife and dog, she doesnt seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. Her latest project, David Michds Christy, which stars Sydney Sweeney as the boxer Christy Martin and also showcases OBrians physical prowess, was filmed simultaneously with the upcoming feature Running Man, which also opens on November 7 and right on the tails of two other fall releases. It was literally this small little window that I was somehow able to get into to do the project, OBrian tells Out of juggling set schedules for Christy, Maintenance Required, Queens of the Dead, and Edgar Wrights latest.With her packed calendar, OBrian didnt have a ton of time to prepare for her turn as the boxer Lisa Holewyne in Michds biopic, which charts Martins ascent as a fighter during the 1990s and 2000s climaxing with the moment her life was almost cut short by her husband and trainer, whos played by Ben Foster. But the actor did have access to the real Holewyne, whose professional rivalry with the welterweight champion gave way over the years to a friendship and eventual romance that resulted in the two hall-of-fame boxers marrying in 2017. She told me a lot about herself, gave me a lot of pictures from that time, which was so helpful, OBrian says, explaining that, in addition to timing, there were other challenging factors, including a lack of footage of the Hawaiian-born Holewyne from her fighting days. And then, I wound up telling her, like, Look, Lisa, I dont have enough time to study how you move. I dont have a lot of time to learn how you speak. And I don't know that youll look at me and be, like, That's me. But Im hoping that I can at least just get your essence on screen. Sydney Sweeney as Christy Martin Black Bear PicturesHolewyne, who has often played a supporting role in Martins dramatic story over the years, had already tempered her expectations: She said, Oh, I dont care. This movies about Christy, and thats what I want to support, OBrian says. So at the end of the day, I think that was the whole mission of the character. And I did my best to at least honor any little Easter eggs that she could give me.Some of those Easter eggs informed minor plot points like a flashy necklace changing hands between Lisa and Christy by the end of the film while others shaped the tone of the biopic as a whole. Particularly valuable was Holewynes insight into what it was like to grow closer to Martin, whom she first met ahead of a title fight in 2001, at perhaps the most difficult time in the boxers life. After fighting her way out of rural West Virginia, the so-called Coal Miners Daughter spent nearly two decades winning knockout after knockout, often in fights organized by the legendary promoter Don King. But as the film portrays, Martins professional success was marred by a physically and psychologically abusive marriage and pressure to keep her sexuality a secret. Eventually, even her almost superhuman performance in the ring began to be affected, like in a devastating 2003 matchup against Laila Ali thats portrayed in the film. Then, the terrors of her private life suddenly became public in 2011, when she was brutally attacked by her husband, Jim Martin, barely escaping with her life after sustaining multiple stab wounds and being shot in the chest. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Christy Martin Promotions (@christymartinpromotions)OBrian drew on Holewynes stark and disturbing memories from that time, including the moment she saw news of the attack broadcast on TV and felt compelled to reach out a moment fictionalized in the film as Lisa visiting Christy in the hospital. She called, and the police answered, because it was all under investigation, they were still looking for Jim. It all happened that quickly, OBrian says, repeating Holewynes account. She said she just felt so stupid, but she was just so worried too.Knowing how much Holewyne wanted to be there, would be there for Martin, even though their relationship had only reached the level of sparring partners, gave OBrian a starting point for her character. And as filming progressed and she shot scenes where Lisa and Christy train together ahead of the Ali fight, another of Holewynes insights stayed with her and others on set.It was very clear to her that Christy should have been the happiest woman alive, OBrian says, relating Holewynes impression of Martin from years before the attack. She was very successful in her field, an icon, doing what she seemed to want to do for a living. And it was so weird to go train with her and see that she was just miserable. She just seemed so very miserable. Katy O'Brian in 'Love Lies Bleeding.' A24 OBrian may not have had much time to prepare for Christy, but its clear that she used what she did have to listen to and absorb Holewynes experience and maybe even her essence. In her albeit brief time on screen, Lisa grounds the film in a sense of reality, much in the way that Matt Bomers David Oppenheimer adds weight to Maestro or Julianne Nicholsons Diane Rawlinson adds a dose of sanity to I, Tonya. The character underscores just how brutally alone Christy is, despite having captured the worlds attention. And she shows off OBrians skill for subtlety, which in the past has often been overlooked because of her athleticism and extensive background in martial arts particularly before her breakout role in Rose Glasss Love Lies Bleeding, which exposed the actors acting skills along with her rippling muscles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katy OBrian (@thekatyo)You know, its easy to be typecast, and in a way, especially starting out, its very lucrative to be typecast, because you can build a rsum. But at a certain point you got to be like, OK, I want to play a human, or I want to play something else and expand my range, OBrian says, likely joking about her frequent appearances in sci-fi projects, including The Walking Dead, Westworld, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Mandalorian.Im still figuring out my voice and everything, but also Im just hungry to keep performing, and I dont necessarily always want to play a fighter, she says, qualifying that those roles are fun to do and she appreciates being able to show that someone with Crohns, which she was diagnosed with in 2020, can take them on. Katy O'Brian and Jack Haven in Tina Romeros Queens of the Dead.Courtesy of Shannon MaddenWhile her ability to go toe-to-toe with stunt professionals and enthusiastic actors like Sweeney who apparently insisted on throwing real punches and eagerly offered to let OBrian break her nose may not be the only thing the actor wants to be known for, as she says, its gotten her this far. And it seems that Hollywood is slowly getting the message that shes ready for more varied parts, even if theyre sometimes in action-adjacent films, like Tina Romeros campy Queens of the Dead. In the meantime, the uniquely physical actor seems ready to make the best of work-related injuries, which have recently included two shoulder tears and a blown-out back, and being away from home by finding something meaningful to take away from each new set. I mean, with Queens of the Dead, it was, like, an all-queer set, all-queer crew, and I think there's just an unspoken community kind of feeling through that. There's just some level of heart that pounds in a different way, OBrian says, comparing the experience to filming Glass's bodybuilding thriller with almost all women behind the camera.And then, with any of the big blockbuster sets, I always try to have fun no matter where [we are] or whats going on, she says, recalling bonding with her Twisters costars when they got stuck in Oklahoma because of actual tornadoes. So there's just such interesting things that I pick up from each little set, and its all been a learning experience.See Christy in theaters November 7. (And Queens of the Dead is still screening in select cities.)

Michigan State Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R), a transphobic MAGA Republican praised for his traditional family values, allegedly registered an account on Ashley Madison, a website for people seeking extramarital affairs, and two other websites for seeking sex. Posthumus was married at the time the Ashley Madison account was allegedly active, but his lawyer called reports of the accounts categorically false.The Detroit Metro Times reported that data leaks of users from Ashley Madison revealed an email address linked to Posthumus, a home address of a home that he and his then-wife purchased in 2011, and a credit card bearing his name. Data leaks also linked him to the pornographic dating site Fling.com and Adult Friend Finder, a website for finding sexual partners. Related Michigan Republicans are now pushing a total ban on pornography The Ashley Madison account reportedly accessed the websites chat and mail features in March and September 2012, at a time when Posthumus was married to his now-ex-wife. The account profile listed interests in threesomes, being dominant/master, being submissive/slave, and one-night stands.The Fling.com and AdultFriendFinder accounts both reportedly used the same password and his personal email address, which he included in his political candidate filings. The Fling.com account included his birth date, and the associate profile listed interests in fetish, group sex, online flirting, men, women, or couples. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Posthumus lawyer John C. Burns called the Detroit Metro Times reporting categorically false and called its article a hit piece and nothing more than a thinly veiled political attack masquerading as journalism.Posthumus previously made social media posts against transgender athletes. In September, he voted for a bill that would force trans students to use bathrooms that dont match their gender identity. In 2022, the Christian Coalition of Michigan gave Posthumus itsFriend of the Family Awardfor his strong defense of family values. Interestingly, isnt the first anti-LGBTQ+ Michigan State Republican who has been accused of having a Fling.com account.Rep. Josh Schriver (R) who recentlyintroduced a bill to ban all pornography apparently registered an account onFling.com. Schriver called reports of his account fake and forged, but extensive cybersecurity data contradicts his denial,according toThe Detroit Metro Times.A 2016 data breachof the websites users showed an account linked to Schrivers personal America Online email address. The website provided access to explicit photos, videos, and live sex webcams, the aforementioned publication noted. An archived version of the site also promised users they could find sex and get laid tonight. Schrivers alleged profile indicated sexual interests including fetish and groupsex. Schriver said the data records of hisFling.comaccount were forged, adding, This is fake. Ive never heard of this website or accessed it.However, the same email address and password appear in multiple other breaches linked to his verified personal accounts, including the social network MySpace, the homework assistance website Chegg, and the now-defunct cloud services website ZeeroQ,The Detroit Metro Timesnoted. Additionally, his birthday and IP address in theFling.comrecords align with his March 14, 1992 birthday and the time of his studies at Michigan State University.In February, Schriver introduced anon-binding resolution telling the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage rights.He said the courts landmark 2015 decision legalizing marriage equality nationwide has widened a portal where gays, queers, transsexuals, polygamists, minor attracted persons, and other perverts advance attacks on our children, echoing decades-old attacks demonizing LGBTQ+ people as pedophiles.Last year, Schriver said thatgay marriage should be illegal again,adding, This is not remotely controversial, nor extreme. He has admitted that he and other Republicans would like toban gender-affirming care for adults. In February 2024, he was stripped of his office staff, budget, and committee assignments aftersharing a social media post pushing a racist andantisemiticconspiracy theory.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration can prohibit the State Department from issuing passports that list the correct genders of transgender and nonbinary people. The case, decided on the courts emergency docket, will allow Trumps discriminatory policy to proceed while legal challenges against the policy proceed in lower courts.Lower courts had blocked the Trump directive for being rooted in irrational bias, but the Supreme Courts unsigned ruling concluded that Displaying passport holders sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth, adding, In both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment. Related These 5 trans celebs are speaking out against Trumps deadly passport policies Of course, the conservative-leaning courts decision is disingenuous since a persons gender isnt merely a historical fact but can change over a persons lifetime. Nevertheless, State Department Solicitor General D. John Sauer said that the lower court block on Trumps policyinfringed on Trumps constitutional authority over foreign affairs.A dissent written by the courts three liberal justices said the policy would lead to increased violence, harassment, and discrimination toward trans and nonbinary communities. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Trumps anti-transExecutive Order 14168, signed on his first day in office declared that the U.S. would only recognize two sexes, male and female, as determined by biology. The order directed federal agencies to only issue government documents, including passports, that reflect a persons sex assigned at birth. Consequently, theU.S. State Department suspended its previous policyallowing trans and nonbinary Americans to update the gender listed on their passports to reflect their gender identity including an X marker for nonbinary people. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued on behalf of seven trans and nonbinary individuals who said that the policy violates their First Amendment rights to freedom of expression. Their case will proceed while the discriminatory policy continues.This decision undermines the freedom of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people to have our IDS to reflect who we are, the ACLU wrote on Bluesky of the Courts decision, adding, This fight isnt over. Our case challenging President Trumps executive order will still move forward.In a statement Cathryn Oakley, the Human Rights Campaigns senior director of legal policy, criticized the ruling.The Trump administrations policy serves one purpose: discrimination. It exists to out our transgender friends and loved ones, to make their lives more difficult, to demean and embarrass them at the border, in the airport, and throughout their daily lives, Oakley said. The State Department had a process in place for decades that allowed trans and, more recently, non-binary people to have documents to present that identified them appropriately. These policies worked. There is no reason to change it other than malice.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

In this two-part interview feature with Kieron Moore, the actor discusses his personal life, career, and performances of 2025. Part I, already live on Out.com, centers the Netflix series Boots. In Part II, below, Moore examines his character in Elliot Tuttle's debut feature, Blue Film. Spoilers ahead.Kieron Moore turned to acting after a decade-long career in competitive boxing. And although he's felt fulfilled as an actor, he's had an itch to keep chasing performances that could pack a punch and make him experience a real sense of danger.While holed up in New Orleans waiting for Boots to resume production amid the WGA/SAG strikes of 2023, the script for Blue Film reached Moore's inbox, and it didn't take long for the actor to recognize that this was the "dangerous" role that he had been chasing: A cam-boy and sex worker in his mid-20s who presented himself as a hypermasculine, dominant, f*ckboy persona, but who actually craved queer love, care, and intimacy."This came through and my team was just like, 'Look, not many people are going to be bold enough to do this But will you?'" Moore tells Out. "And then I felt ready. I was terrified of it, but I was engrossed. I read it a couple of times and I was like, 'Oh, I'm more scared of someone else doing it.'"Fear not of the material itself, but of missing the opportunity inspired Moore to dive into the most challenging performance of his career. Playing Aaron Eagle in Blue Film couldn't be more different from playing Slovacek, the confident bully of Netflix's Boots. Aaron required him to be more vulnerable than ever, to act opposite of a legendary actor for the entire runtime of the feature, and to navigate some truly murky corners of human psychology.Moore's response was to go all-in. Reed Birney and Kieron Moore in Blue Film.Fusion EntertainmentBlue Film, the debut feature from queer filmmaker Elliot Tuttle, is an 90-minute movie that premiered at Edinburgh Film Festival after being reportedly rejected by film festivals like SXSW and Sundance. Overall, the movie has left audiences feeling stunned, uncomfortable, and/or deeply moved, as it centers on a cam-boy and sex worker named Aaron Eagle (played by Moore) who is hired by an older man named Hank Grant (played by Reed Birney) to spend the night. During their time together, several plot twists reveal who these people are, what brought them together, and which lies they've been telling each other and themselves.But the path to bring Aaron to life a character who's caught between personas, lies, and a desperate urge for belonging was anything but straightforward. "Reed was attached from the very beginning, so we did the [chemistry read via] Zoom together," Moore recalls. "It was arguably the best Zoom read of my life. We were both crying doing the last scene. It was really remarkable; I thought, 'Maybe I've got this.' And then they said, 'We thought you were amazing, but we're going with someone else.'"The rejection stung, and Moore convinced himself that it was for the best. "I was like, 'Oh, okay. Maybe I've dodged a bullet.'" But Birney did send Moore a very heartfelt email that read, "I will mourn the movie that we would've made together." And as time went on, the first-choice actor for the role "couldn't do it" anymore, prompting Birney to advocate for Moore to get the part instead. At that point, not only was this a complicated character to bring to life, but the actor had also gone through the process of letting it go.Moore's mind was changed by his acting coach, who cut to the heart of his artistic ambitions. "He was like, 'Look, I think this could be special. Do you want to be a famous actor, or do you want to be a dangerous artist?' And I was like, 'I want to be a dangerous artist.'" By the time that Moore's team asked if he was sure about doing the film, he did feel certain. "I do. I want to do it. I want to see what I'm capable of," Moore told them. "And if I do it well, no one's going to be able to put me in a box again." Kieron MooreRussell Baer (@russell.baer)Once Moore committed to the role, production on Blue Film hit hyper-speed mode. "Two weeks later I was in L.A. dyeing my hair blond. Five days later I was getting a full body wax ready for the shaving scenes. Like, we were in. It's even a blur now. It was all so intense."The entire film was shot in just 13 days. "Two days off in the middle, but non-stop," Moore specifies. "It was mad; very intense. I think it serves the movie, though." And he's right: That filming schedule clearly collaborated to the intensity of Blue Film itself, seeping into the film's DNA and creating an environment that's simultaneously claustrophobic, inescapable, and fascinating.Moore's performance is a masterclass in self-deception and the torturous enacting of masculinity. Deep down, this is a queer man in his 20s, named Alex, who's built an elaborate mythology about the webcam performer known as Aaron. "My main fascination with him is that thing of choosing to be bad. It's something that we have a lot of in the world right now: 'I'm a piece of shit, and I know that I am, and I say that I am, and I take full credit for it So that's okay,'" Moore observes. "And it's like, 'No, no, no! You have to do the work as well. You have to change that. You need to have that awareness.' Aaron/Alex is the embodiment of that."Moore candidly remarks that he also felt challenged by the physicality of the character. "Aaron loves being looked at, and loves to have his clothes off. Personally, I'm deeply not that. I'm always in my T-shirts or shorts. I don't mind having my top off, but other than that, I don't really enjoy it," Moore laughs. "Aaron loves to be admired, at least on a surface level. It's looking into him that he's terrified of. That's the beautiful thing of the movie: Seeing it's all a faade, and you just watch it crumble. It's deeply uncomfortable, but fascinating, I think." Kieron Moore in Blue Film.Fusion EntertainmentVarious taboos are tackled in Blue Film, and Moore is thoughtful even philosophical about the responsibility that comes with such material. "I'm inherently against anyone that harms or touches children For me, showing how dangerous and fucked-up that can be, made it a very real job."For Moore, the film isn't about excusing the inexcusable, but about examining the mechanisms of shame, responsibility, and self-awareness. "We talk a lot about shame and self-understanding. The one thing that Hank has is this ability to reflect on his natural desire and have an awareness of it, as well as the reform. He's trying to do that. And I think the one thing that Aaron doesn't have is any responsibility of what he does."Blue Film has a purposely confrontational approach to such stories, which feels refreshingly bold and shockingly effective. The actor asks, "If we want to touch on themes like shame, and resolve, and responsibility, and faith, and all these things, why not put one of the worst things in the world under the scope?""It's like arguing. Everyone thinks that someone must change their mind in an argument. No, you can just listen," he reflects. "A good debate isn't always a shift of opinion. It just means that you heard another perspective. You can walk away feeling exactly as you did before. You don't have to be convinced of anything just because you listened." Kieron MooreRussell Baer (@russell.baer)Moore doesn't hold back when praising Blue Film writer-director Elliot Tuttle, who penned the screenplay at just 23 years old. "I remember the first time I read the script, I was like, 'Wait, this man's 23, and wrote this?!'" Moore recalls. "Just insanely talented. He's going to make waves in the writing world."The script, Moore notes, required minimal improvisation. "We didn't improvise a lot. There were moments, like shifts of a monologue and stuff But it was all there. The script just had it already."The theatrical quality of Tuttle's writing has led many viewers to suggest the material would work as a play. Moore agrees, to a point. "It's been really fascinating because a lot of people say it would work better as a play, and I get that. If they do a play, I would love to have a go at it."But Moore stands by the cinematic medium that brought this material to life. "Our amazing cinematographer, Ryan Healy, said this fantastic thing at Edinburgh. He was like, 'It's written like a play, and it would make for a great play. The difference for the play is that you can't sit inside a character's head.' There's moments in this film where the camera's just on Aaron's eyes, while Hank's saying some of these things, and the movie's whatever you want it to be."That disturbingly intimate proximity to a character's face is better captured on film than it is portrayed in a play. Kieron Moore in Blue Film.Fusion EntertainmentWatching Blue Film at its Edinburgh Film Festival premiere was a baptism by fire for Moore. "It was the first time I've ever watched myself in a cinema, so that was insane. I sat next to my acting coach and watched the whole thing for the first time. I wanted to experience it like the audience. It was deeply uncomfortable, and remarkable, because no one even put popcorn in their mouth. Everyone was just like" Silent.That silence spoke for itself, Moore argues. "It was fantastic to see the audience's live reactions to it. People were just stunned. It was nice to see people being thankful that Edinburgh had put it on," he says. "I don't think it's a movie that you can say you like or don't like. It's more like, 'How did it make you feel?' That's a better question.""One of my managers really didn't want me to do it," Moore confesses. "And then he called me after seeing it. I was on the set for Boots. He goes, 'Bravo. I watched it. It's incredible. I'm so proud of you. I'm so glad you did it. This movie's insane.'"The feedback that Moore received from friends in the LGBTQ+ community has also been very meaningful. "My friend called me on Monday. He said, 'Well, I watched it five hours ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. I want all of my gay friends to watch it.'" At the NewFest premiere in New York, Moore brought his Boots costar, Miles Heizer, as his guest. "Miles was very complimentary. He was just like, 'Look, it's a difficult movie, but I just think it's so good.'" Kieron MooreRussell Baer (@russell.baer)Even as Moore and I go over-overtime in our interview, it's clear how much he still struggles with receiving praise and/or credit for his work. "It's hard to be proud of what you do, because you're kind of like, 'It's just me!'" he says, laughing. "But, with this one, I did impress myself in moments, and I think I've come away from it with such a bigger heart."Blue Film is the performance of a lifetime for Moore's still very early career. Tuttle's brilliant writing and precise directing would've been at risk if he had cast an actor who wasn't prepared to walk the tightrope that Aaron Eagle turns out to be. This performance could've easily been too big of a caricature, or so small that it disappeared into barely-there subtleties. But Moore found the perfect nuances to bring the character to life in a way that felt grounded and reactive to the world around him.Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl, Viola Davis in How to Get Away With Murder, Timothe Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name, Wagner Moura in Narcos, Zendaya in Euphoria, and Barry Keoghan in Saltburn are a few examples that come to mind when watching Moore in Blue Film. No matter how much audiences enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) those characters and those stories, it feels dishonest to deny the brilliant performances delivered by those actors.Between the physical and metaphorical four walls surrounding the set of Blue Film, Moore is both a builder and a bulldozer, a bright star and a dark shadow, a queer character standing in front of a mirror and the mirror itself. Kieron Moore in Blue Film.Fusion EntertainmentMoore is prepared and even eager for polarized reactions. "Elliot's the first to post the good and the bad. He's like, 'Good! That's what it is about.'"Perhaps inspired by the filmmaker, Moore feels more open to exploring range and embracing risk in 2025. "I want to make movies that are a bit more versatile and can reach different [audiences]. We need it, and we should be getting it," he says. "I'm very lucky that, this year, I got to play three very different characters: Liam in Code of Silence, Slovacek in Boots, and Aaron in Blue Film. I feel proud of their differences."As more viewers experience Blue Film in different screenings, Moore stands by his choice of pursuing dangerous art over safe stardom. "I just believe, from the bottom of my heart, that the right people will find it. And that others might see it for what it actually is; that it goes beyond where they thought it would go.""My mom deeply loves the film. She said she was proud of me," Moore recalls. "And she said, 'You can only meet this movie as far as you're willing to meet yourself.' And that's exactly it, isn't it? That's what the movie is."Blue Film is currently playing in film festivals and a wide release is expected for early 2026. The official poster for Blue Film.

Simon Dunn, the gay 37-year-old Washington, D.C., military veteran who became a symbol of the anti-Trump resistance after video circulated of him tossing a wrapped Subway sandwich at a federal officers chest, avoided a misdemeanor assault conviction when a jury decided on Thursday to acquit him of all charges.Viral video taken on August 10 showed Dunn, an Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan, yelling at Border Patrol Officer Greg Lairmore, saying, Why are you here?! I dont want you in my city! and calling Lairmore and his fellow agents fascists before hurling a Subway sandwich at Lairmore and running off. Lairmore and the officers then chased after him. Related Trumps authoritarian DC crackdown is hurting the districts LGBTQ+ nightlife Dunn was subsequently charged with a felony and fired from his job as a lawyer with the U.S. Justice Department. Coverage of the incident by right-wing media wasblatantly homophobic, with The New York Post accusing Dunn of throwing a hysterical hissyfit and gesturing wildly with his lunch meat. A witness who recorded video of Dunns actions claimed Dunn was drunk during the incident.The federal government sought felony assault charges against Dunn, but a federal grand jury failed to indict him. So instead, Dunn was charged with a misdemeanor charge of assaulting or impeding a federal officer. After athree-day trial, a jury found Dunn not guilty yesterday. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Lairmore told jurors that Dunns sandwich exploded all over his chest, leaving him with the scent of mustard and onions. But a photo of the sandwich showed that it stayed in its wrapper after it hit Lairmore in his bulletproof vest and landed on the ground, NBC News reported.Dunns defense attorney also noted that Lairmore received two gag gifts after the incident: a plush sandwich and a patch of a drawing of Dunn throwing the sandwich with the words Felony Footlong. Dunns defense attorney said the gifts demonstrated that Lairmore didnt consider the assault or its effects too serious. Dunns actions went viral, not only in video, but also in street art in D.C. and beyond, showing male figures preparing to throw the wrapped hero sandwich. The iconic and humorous image came to represent larger anger at the Trump administrations needless deployment of federal troops into generally peaceful and Democratic-led cities.I am so happy that justice prevails in spite of everything happening, Dunn told reporters after the verdict. That night I believe I was protecting the rights of immigrants.Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., said in a statement, As always, we accept a jurys verdict; that is the system within which we function. However, law enforcement should never be subjected to assault, no matter how minor. Even children know when they are angry, they are not allowed to throw objects at one another.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Elon Musks estranged trans daughter Vivian Wilson skewered the Christian Post for an op-ed that misgendered her, deadnamed her, and called her transition tragic. In a comment on Threads, Wilson called out the hypocrisy of those who use religion to justify their bigotry. Related Trumps Dept of Justice threatens gay congressman for calling Elon Musk a d**k The Christian Post just published an article calling me a Trans-Identified Son whos just a tragic little gay boy, she wrote. Love thy neighbour right. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The article, titled The tragic story of Elon Musk and his trans-identified son, makes several bizarre claims, including that boys turn gay when their fathers neglect them. The author, Joseph Sciambra, wrote that because Musk was an absent father, Wilson ended up gay, which in turn caused her gender dysphoria. Ive seen it hundreds of times, Sciambra wrote, some people would rather believe that their son was born gay, or even born in the wrong body, rather than admit to themselves that they were neglectful or abusive parents.He then went on a tangent to disprove a claim from Musk that Wilson was born gay and explained that straight boys can be gentle and like musical theater. Sciambra is an ex-gay man who has devoted his life to helping Christian men overcome all same-sex attractions and any persistent attachments to the homosexual or the gay orientation,' according to his website. He said in the Post article that he had a friend from his days as a gay man in 1990s San Francisco who used to dress up as Madonna and dance around his house to get his fathers attention, implying that this desperation for fatherly affection is what made him both rather flamboyant and gay. With Elon Musk and the story of his transgender son, he concluded, I see a confused and hurt father, who refuses to accept any responsibility, and an angry and injured son.Wilson has been estranged from Musk since 2022, when the billionaire failed to accept her transition. She has gained a substantial following on Threads in recent months, often gaining media attention for criticizing the actions of Musk, especially when he decides to insult Wilson.She previously pointed out that Musks viral claims about her in an interview with right-wing media icon Jordan Peterson are entirely inaccurate. This is entirely fake. Like, literally none of this ever happened, she said in response to claims that she was gay, loved musicals, and said fabulous. Ever. I dont even know where he got this from. My best guess is that he went to the Milo Yiannopoulis school of gay stereotypes, just picked some at random and said eh- good enough in a last-ditch attempt to garner sympathy points when he is so obviously in the wrong even in his own f**king story.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A Christian preacher is getting praise from the right online after he posted a video of himself harassing Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) on a sidewalk.Joseph Phillip Daniel is a conservative Christian preacher who was once featured in a segment on The 700 Club. He got media attention in 2019 again when he was working at an Illinois Mobil gas station and refused to serve a group of women because they were Mexican. He claimed that they were not citizens and that if they dont leave the country, ICE will come. He got fired. Related A Person With Parents: How Sarah McBride and her family stay strong in the face of transphobia Daniel posted a video of himself harassing Congresswoman McBride on his Instagram earlier this week, and its getting shared online. [Deadname] McBride! he says repeatedly in the video, shot from his point of view outside the Capitol building. Rep. McBride can be seen talking with another person. [Deadname] McBride! Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today A deadname is a transgender persons name from before they transitioned and is often associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Deliberately and repeatedly calling a trans person by their deadname is a form of harassment. LGBTQ Nation does not publish peoples deadnames.He gets close enough to her that she turns to look at him as he says her deadname again and extends a hand for a handshake. She refuses.Im Joseph Phillip Daniel, he said. Nice to meet you, she responds curtly, looking at a phone with someone else.Hopefully you dont have child porn on your phone, Daniel says. Better not be a pedophile. Gods watching you, man! Daniel says, as an assistant tells him to back away. What you do on Capitol Hill will all come back to you! Jesus is watching you, [deadname] McBride! You man! How dare you act like a woman out here! How dare you!The video has gotten over 30,000 likes on X and over 10,000 on Instagram. It has been shared by numerous rightwing accounts, with many giving Daniel compliments like legend and hero.McBride has not commented on the incident.On his ministrys website, Daniel claims to have received thousands of prophecies from God since 2009 and that they have all been fulfilled. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Chrishell Stause announced in an interview with Bustle on Friday that she will be leaving Selling Sunset after nine seasons. The Netflix reality star and 2025 Out100 honoree told the publication that she "vacillated back and forth with this decision in the past" and said, "I have to be honest having come from nothing, its really hard to turn something like this down.This past season seemed to be the toughest for Stause, who, over the seasons, had found herself in the middle of arguments with almost every one of her castmates. But not even pressure from the show's producers nor the show's creator himself, who she said has been calling and texting her nonstop, could get her to come back for a 10th season. "Ive gotten to a place where I dont need the show financially," Stause told Bustle. "Im lucky to have other forms of employment, because its no longer good for my mental health.Selling Sunset was the backdrop for Stause's personal coming out story. After breaking up with costar Jason Oppenheim at the end of season 5, she announced in that season's reunion that she was dating nonbinary rockstar G-Flip. The couple got married in 2022 and is working on starting a family together.One of Stause's biggest issues with this current season is the editing and the omission of crucial context, she says, "I get it, they want to make a light show. And if I was doing a show with less problematic people, I can totally see their point." But it was time for her to go, she explains, "I have no ill will toward the show. The show has given me so many opportunities, and I dont want to be bitter about it, even though Im leaving not in the way that I wouldve loved.Since appearing on the show, Stause has made appearances on a number of reality shows, including the wildly popular game show The Traitors, Dancing with the Stars, and Bling Empire. After wrapping up her time on the show, she does promise that she will be leaning into a more queer aesthetic, promising that her style will "probably become more gay."

A U.S. Court of Appeals just reversed a ruling made by a District Court judge in 2023, overturning his permanent injunction against Texas wide-reaching and vaguely worded drag ban, which the judge claimed infringed on First Amendment rights.The plaintiffs in The Woodlands v. Paxton issued a joint statement, saying, Todays decision is heartbreaking for drag performers, small businesses, and every Texan who believes in free expression. Drag is not a crime. It is art, joy, and resistance a vital part of our culture and our communities. We are devastated by this setback, but we are not defeated. [] We will not stop until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good. Related Someone tried to ban a book because it supports the ideology of coming out. They got shut down. Texas S.B. 12 was signed into law in June 2023 by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and was set to go into effect on September 1 of the same year. While the bill ostensibly made it a crime to provide sexually oriented performances in a commercial space, on public property, or in the presence of minors, the language of the bill and the rhetoric around it made it clear that it was intended to target drag shows in particular.The law was quickly challenged by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and drag groups, including The Woodlands Pride, Abilene Pride Alliance, and 360 Queen Entertainment. The case of The Woodlands v. Paxton went to U.S. District Court Judge David Hittner, who originally placed a temporary injunction on the law when plaintiffs arguments made it clear that the bill would impinge their First Amendment rights if it was allowed to go into effect. Hittner then doubled down by extending the injunction and then making it permanent in September 2023. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today At the time, Hittner wrote that the bill impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment and chills free speech, while making it clear that he felt the bill discriminated on point of view, was overly broad, and vague. Not all people will like or condone certain performances, Hittner continued in his original decision. This is no different than a persons opinion on certain comedy or genres of music, but that alone does not strip First Amendment protection.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit made a majority ruling today to reverse Hittners ruling and remanded the case back to his court. The justices declared that most of the plaintiffs in the case did not have the requisite standing to bring the lawsuit in the first place, as they found the performances of The Woodlands Pride and Abilene Pride insufficiently sexual to have a real risk of punishment under the laws wording. They now require that Hittner revisit the case, focusing only on the claims from 360 Queen Entertainment, whose performances include simulated sexual acts and include other features more likely to be targeted by S.B. 12. They are also requiring Hittner to make his new decision under the standard established in the Supreme Court case for Moody v. NetChoice, which set the precedent for First Amendment challenges to only be viable if the law is unconstitutional more than it is constitutional.One of the Appeals Court judges partially dissented, presenting concerns that the decision turns a blind eye to the Texas Legislatures avowed purpose: a statewide drag ban. In doing so, he highlighted the rhetoric used by Republicans during the bills passage, which clearly expressed their intent, regardless of the letter of the law.Both Texas and many of its cities already have laws on the books that protect minors from witnessing sexually explicit performances. Gov. Abbott shared on X/Twitter an article titled Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Drag Performances in Public, adding the words Thats right. Similarly, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said it was to ban childrens exposure to drag shows. The author of the bill, state Sen. Bryan Hughes (R), provided drag shows as an example of the sexually explicit performances that would be prohibited.Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Drag Performances in Public.That's right. https://t.co/eC7OqElsbU via @metroweekly Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 25, 2023 While the intent is clear from the comments of those involved, the bills original text demonstrates the motivations that underpinned it. An earlier version of the bill has a line under the definitions of features in sexual conduct that includes a male performer exhibiting as a female, or a female performer exhibiting as a male, who uses clothing, makeup, or other similar physical markers and who sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise performs before an audience. That definition would include everything from Tom Hollands Lip Sync Battle appearance to cosplayers.The House Committee report from May 26, 2023, shows the line removed. Instead, the definition of sexually oriented performances is edited to include exhibition of sexual gesticulations using accessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics, which clearly targets breast forms and packers common in drag shows.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Lady Gaga is officially the second most-nominated artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards only behind Kendrick Lamar with a total of seven nominations. Her hit studio album, Mayhem, also broke a personal record for Mother Monster at this upcoming ceremony.First and foremost, Gaga has just received her fifth nomination for Album of the Year. Prior to Mayhem, she was nominated in the category for The Fame, The Fame Monster, Born This Way, and Love For Sale (alongside Tony Bennett). Moreover, Gaga has been nominated in all three top-line categories she's eligible for: Album of the Year (Mayhem), Song of the Year ("Abracadabra"), and Record of the Year ("Abracadabra").To recap, Lady Gaga has been nominated in the following categories for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards:Album of the Year MayhemRecord of the Year "Abracadabra"Song of the Year "Abracadabra"Best Pop Solo Performance "Disease"Best Pop Vocal Album MayhemBest Dance Pop Recording "Abracadabra"Best Remixed Recording (Non-Classical) "Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)"The 68th Grammy Awards ceremony is schedule to air on February 1 on CBS and Paramount+.

Chrishell Stause announced in an interview with Bustle on Friday that she will be leaving Selling Sunset after nine seasons. The Netflix reality star and 2025 Out100 honoree told the publication that she "vacillated back and forth with this decision in the past" and said, "I have to be honest having come from nothing, its really hard to turn something like this down.This past season seemed to be the toughest for Stause, who, over the seasons, had found herself in the middle of arguments with almost every one of her castmates. But not even pressure from the show's producers nor the show's creator himself, who she said has been calling and texting her nonstop, could get her to come back for a 10th season. "Ive gotten to a place where I dont need the show financially," Stause told Bustle. "Im lucky to have other forms of employment, because its no longer good for my mental health.Selling Sunset was the backdrop for Stause's personal coming out story. After breaking up with costar Jason Oppenheim at the end of season 5, she announced in that season's reunion that she was dating nonbinary rockstar G-Flip. The couple got married in 2022 and is working on starting a family together.One of Stause's biggest issues with this current season is the editing and the omission of crucial context, she says, "I get it, they want to make a light show. And if I was doing a show with less problematic people, I can totally see their point." But it was time for her to go, she explains, "I have no ill will toward the show. The show has given me so many opportunities, and I dont want to be bitter about it, even though Im leaving not in the way that I wouldve loved.Since appearing on the show, Stause has made appearances on a number of reality shows, including the wildly popular game show The Traitors, Dancing with the Stars, and Bling Empire. After wrapping up her time on the show, she does promise that she will be leaning into a more queer aesthetic, promising that her style will "probably become more gay."

Stories of anti-trans vitriol dominate the media, which makes it easy to forget just how many folks out there give endless love and support to the trans people in their lives.Every day, hundreds of thousands of parents across the country fight with all their might to provide their trans kids with love, hope, and a community of support. They fight to shield their kids from pain and to make them feel proud of who they are. Related The media focuses on those who are tearing trans kids down. Lets celebrate those who lift them up. The November Issue ofLGBTQ Nationcelebrates the incredible parents uplifting their trans children at one of the most challenging times in history for the community. It highlights the passionate, furious, and exhausting behind-the-scenes work these unsung heroes do to give their kids the lives they deserve.LGBTQ Nation asked these parents a simple question: What do you wish the world knew or understood about your trans child? We received dozens of responses, and will publish some of our favorites every Friday this month (you can also still submit). Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In every single message, one thing became clear: These parents want nothing more than for the world to see the humanity in their kids, to see past the pronouns and body parts and understand that they are so much more than their genders.Here is what 10 of these parents, who we have allowed to remain anonymous, had to say. He is going to be a veterinarian I wish the world knew that my trans kid is just like everyone else. Hes funny, hes kind, he loves his family and his family loves him. He is going to be a veterinarian when he finishes school and hes a great student with life goals. He needs the world to see him as the generous young man he is because he is not a sin. He is the greatest gift and we are lucky to have him.Shes a loving big sister While people on the news are shouting about how trans girls are a threat to women everywhere, my willowy, soft-spoken daughter is here finishing up high school, making plans to study marine biology. She is kind, witty, wise beyond her years, passionate about the environment and human rights, and such a loving big sister. Our trans daughters are our hope for the future, not a threat to it. | Shutterstock They still give the same smilesThey are still my kids, the same smiles, the same giggles, the same dreams for their future. No one plans on having two trans children. Its the same way one plans on having a child prodigy in piano or a math genius. A parent adapts to the needs challenges and individuality of their children. Full stop. If you dont have a math genius, you may not understand the decisions the parents of a math genius would make. You dont know. Dont judge. He makes a mean candle I wish the world understood that his gender identity is the least interesting thing about him. He is intelligent, snarky, funny, loving, kind, generous, resilient, and so much more. He loves cooking, reading, fantasy sports, and, just like any other teen, hanging out with his friends. He speaks Mandarin, rolls sushi, and makes a mean candle.He is a community-builder He is funny, smart, brave, and caring. He is a community-builder, an activist, a listener, and a friend. He truly puts his whole heart into making the world a better place for everyone! | Shutterstock Its all for themThe most important thing I learned was that it wasnt about me. Loving them is easy I wish the world knew how hard it was for my child to tell me that they felt different inside and they were scared I wouldnt love them anymore. I wish the world knew that in that moment, I had never loved them more.She can sing She is incredibly talented. She can sing and play guitar. She is kind, witty, a brilliant mind and has so much empathy for others. She is just like any teenage girl. Thats the part thats most important. Shes just trying to get by and find her place in the world like everyone else. Being trans is only a small fraction of who she is. | Shutterstock She loves harder than anyone I wish people knew that she is wildly brilliant. She loves Taylor Swift, unicorns, mac and cheese and flared leggings. She hates brushing her hair and when her socks dont feel just right. Her favorite days are the days shes building legos, watching Spidey and his Amazing Friends or playing on the trampoline with her friends. She loves harder than anyone Ive ever met and is filled with so much silliness and joy. She is the best thing thats ever happened to me and I am so proud to be her mom. She leads & we follow That she is only ever been herself. She leads and we follow. Shes not a trans kid, shes a dancer, a lego master, a reader, an archer, a harpest, a mentor for english readers, a keen gardener. Shes a big sister, a little niece, a best friend, a granddaughter, my eldest child. Shes sensitive, funny, messy, clever, acrobatic, curious. Shes not a trans kid. Shes a kid, who happens to be trans.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Hello Out readers! Are you ready for a Miss Piggy movie???The news of a Miss Piggy Muppets film on its own would be fantastic news, but what we know about the upcoming movie makes us even more excited! Thanks to a recent episode of Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers's Las Culturistas podcast, we know that Jennifer Lawrence is working on a Miss Piggy film with Emma Stone co-producing, and Oh, Mary! creator and star Cole Escola writing!"I don't know if I can announce this, but I'm just going to. Emma Stone and I are producing a Miss Piggy movie and Cole [Escola] is writing it," Lawrence said.Later, on the Tonight Show, Lawrence spilled even more info! She said she wants to make a movie about a "feminist icon" like Miss Piggy, and that the idea came to her during lockdown."But Emma Stone is The Muppet-head," she added. "Also, Emma Stone is a shark. Emma Stone will turn around in a leather jacket with a cigar and be like, 'Hey kid, I'm gonna tell you a thing or two about Hollywood.' I'm like the ideas guy. So I went to her to be like, 'What do we do?'"Lawrence concluded, "So now Cole [Escola] is writing it, and they're perfect."She was also asked if she would make an appearance in addition to producing, to which the Oscar-winner replied, "I think so. I mean, I have to be. I mean, I wanna be."Who else would you like to see star in a Miss Piggy movie?Keep reading to find out all the best pop culture news and our Gayest Song of the Week.- Mey RudeChrishell Stause leaves Selling Sunset, says her style will 'probably become more gay'Who's afraid of Kieron Moore? 'Blue Film' breakout star bares allWho is Aileen Wuornos? Lesbian serial killer is Sarah Paulson's next big role'Real Housewives' star Kyle Richards seemingly comes out as bisexual FINALLYThis gay guy is 'so bad at cruising' that the internet had to come to the rescue with sexy tips10 queer slang words that defined the internet in 2025Raven-Symon shares her opinion on former co-star Bill Cosby6 historic gayborhoods you should visit in 2026 that are still thrivingIs marriage equality at risk? Understanding Kim Davis's Supreme Court appealGayest Song of the WeekR&B queen Kehlani is back with another super smooth song to rock to, "Out The Window!" This smooth new track is the latest great song by the Grammy-nominee!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!

Benito is about to make the MAGAs even angrier.Puerto Rico superstar Bad Bunny received a total of six nominations at the 2026 Grammys. Along the way, he's broken two all-time records for Spanish-language artists.For one, Bunny's studio album DeB TiRAR MS FOToS was nominated for Album of the Year. This is only the second time that a Spanish-language album has been nominated in that category. The first, you ask? Bunny's very own 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti.Benito's achievements didn't stop there! Deb Tirar Ms Fotos was nominated for Album of the Year, and the LP's title track, "DtMF," was nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. This means that Bunny just like Lady Gaga has been nominated for all three top-line categories he was eligible for.And yet, getting those three nominations means even more for Bunny and Latinos, given that the reggaetonero is the first Spanish-language artist in Grammys history to get nominated in all three categories in the same year."Too bad, so sad" is all we can say to any furious conservatives ready to attack Benito for being an incredibly popular and critically acclaimed musician.The 68th Grammy Awards ceremony is schedule to air on February 1 on CBS and Paramount+.

Marylands State Board of Education reversed a local book ban for the first time under the states Freedom to Read Act, allowing an LGBTQ+ title to be returned to middle and high school shelves in one district.As The Baltimore Banner and other outlets report, the state boards Tuesday decision comes after the Harford County school board banned author Mike Curatos semi-autobiographical young adult graphic novel Flamer last summer. The 2020 book details a teenage boys experience of being bullied for being gay and of experiencing his first crush at a Boy Scouts summer camp in 1995. Related Someone tried to ban a book because it supports the ideology of coming out. They got shut down. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today According to the American Library Association, Flamer was among the five most challenged or banned books in the country in 2022 and 2023, and among the top 10 last year. In addition to Harford County, in 2025 the book has been banned in school districts in Oregon and Alberta, Canada.According to the Banner, a formal request to have Flamer removed from Harford County schools was filed in November 2024 by a parent who argued that the book does not meet the values of the community and plants seeds in the heads of children that not only are trying to find themselves but could also be experiencing mental health challenges. As CBS News notes, during a sold-out discussion of the book in Harford County last month, Curato acknowledged that Flamer, which is recommended for readers 14 and older, is about suicidal ideation and prevention.Thats why I made this book, because I know that there are kids out there right now who are going through exactly what I went through in 1995, the author said.Marylands 2024 Freedom to Read Act requires school districts to develop their own protocols for reviewing books in their library systems and stipulates that materials cant be excluded from libraries because of the origin, background, or views of a person who created the material or because of a partisan, ideological or religious disapproval, and that books must remain available for students during the review process.Per Harford Countys procedures, parents can appeal the county review committees decision regarding challenged books to the districts school board, so while the review committee voted to keep Flamer in middle and high schools and the districts superintendent approved that decision, in June, the Harford County school board voted to ban the book. The board cited the review committees alleged failure to critically evaluate the book on its age appropriateness, its extensive profanity, sexual situations, and demanding observations of females. According to CBS News, Flamer was the first book to be banned under Harford Countys new book challenge process. However, the fact that the school boards vote took place during a closed-door meeting without community input drew criticism. Local progressive organization Together We Will Harford County appealed the decision to the State Board of Education. As the Banner notes, Maryland State Department of Education regulations stipulate that the State Board can overrule local board decisions if they are arbitrary, unreasonable, or illegal. We reverse the decision of the local board and find that the local Superintendents decision to retain Flamer in HCPS secondary school libraries stands, the Maryland Board of Educations November 4 decision read, according to the Banner. The state board also noted that the Harford County school board did not specify how the review committee had failed in its evaluation of the book, and advised the district to update its book challenge procedure to ensure members of the HCPS community have notice and an opportunity to participate in appeals of decisions regarding objections to school library materials.According to the Banner, Harford County school board president Aaron Poynton noted that the districts procedure does not currently allow for challenged books to be removed from middle schools while remaining in high schools. He told the outlet that the Harford school board is already working on updates that could come within weeks.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) appears to be having a bit of a change of heart lately, criticizing her own party for closing down the House of Representatives, calling them out for having no plan to improve health care access, and even criticizing House Speaker Mike Johnson for not swearing in Represetnative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), who was elected over a month ago.But her Democratic colleague, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), isnt going to accept Greenes new rhetoric without pointing out that Greene has been responsible for many of the problems she is criticizing now. Related Jasmine Crockett mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene with epic Trump or Trans game during hearing I dont understand why she didnt do the right thing when she had the chance, Crockett said on CNNs Laura Coates Live yesterday.Host Laura Coates played a clip from a CNN interview with Greene. During that interview, the Georgia congresswoman lambasted her fellow Republicans for not having a good solution for health insurance affordability and for closing the House of Representatives during the shutdown, something that isnt required. She also praised former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) because she accomplished more for her party than Ive seen our speaker accomplish for ours. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The rhetoric is surprising from the far-right congresswoman, but Crockett pointed out that Greene has a long way to go before her newfound populist rhetoric is believable. Crockett pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed earlier this year and includes cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act insurance. Hell must have frozen over, because we are agreeing more than were not, Crockett said of Greene. But I will tell you that while there is a new Marjorie Taylor Greene, as some people have said, the reality is that the Big Ugly Bill, it only passed with one vote. And if one more Republican would have defected which we had maybe two Republicans that defected if we would have just had one more, then we would not be talking about higher insurance premiums [now]. Marjorie Taylor Greene voted for this, point-blank period, Crockett continued. Her constituents were the ones that were on the receiving end of this. In fact, Im sure that we can find tape in committee of me going down and talking about how many people in their Republican districts how many children were going to lose health care because of that bill.Now maybe she didnt care about those on Medicaid and Medicare, and Democrats spent a lot of time talking about the fact that these 15 to 17 million were going to lose their health care, but they didnt fully understand that when you remove $1 trillion from the health care ecosystem, everybody else has to pay in, Crockett added.Crockett: Marjorie Taylor Greene voted for this point blank period. Her constituents were the ones that were on the receiving end of this. In fact, I'm sure that we can find tape of me going down and talking about how many people in their Republican districts were going to lose pic.twitter.com/gYqDdBxOUi Acyn (@Acyn) November 7, 2025Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

It's just a few short weeks away from the premiere of Wicked: For Good in theaters!As the November 21 release date for the musical sequel rapidly approaches, the press tour is in full swing. The latest event on the tour was a television concert, Wicked: One Wonderful Night.Wicked: One Wonderful Night featured the stars of the films (minus Jonathan Bailey), offered previews of Wicked: For Good, showcased songs from both films, and celebrated the cultural impact of Wicked.Here are five of our favorite moments!Wicked: One Wonderful Night aired on NBC on November 6 and is available to stream on Peacock.Bowen Yang and Ethan Slater's Fiyero-offWhile fans were sad to see Jonathan Bailey miss the event, two of his cast mates picked up where he left off. Bowen Yang, who plays Glinda's sassy friend Pfannee, came out on stage wearing a robe, only to reveal a Fiyero costume underneath, announcing that he was Fiyero's big screen understudy.After beginning Fiyero's big number from the first film, "Dancing Through Life," Yang was surprised by Ethan Slater, who plays Boq in the film. Slater joined Yang, claiming that he is Fiyero's actual understudy, leading to a Fiyero-off between the two stars.Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's 'Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again' (@) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (who play Elphaba and Glinda) didn't only sing songs from Wicked! At one point in the show, the pair teamed up for a moving duet of "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again."After Erivo said the world feels "divided," "as if we're reading from different pages and different books," Grande added, "We want you all to know that you're never alone, and you're safe with us, and we love you so much."The two co-stars then launched into a rendition of "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again" inspired by the iconic 1963 performance by Barbra Streisand and original Wizard of Oz star, Judy Garland.Marissa Bode's cut anti-dictator statement.See on InstagramOne of our favorite moments from the special is one viewers didn't get to see.While Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba's sister Nessarose, was introducing Cynthia Erivo's performance of "Defying Gravity," she spoke about the song's meaning.On the broadcast, Bode said the song "connected with so many people from all over the world. I'm talking, of course, about 'Defying Gravity,'" she continued. "The song is an ode to authenticity and about believing in yourself, no matter what obstacles the world puts in your way. Performing 'Defying Gravity,' please welcome the incredible Cynthia Erivo."However, according to Entertainment Weekly, when the show was recorded, Bode also said the song's messages were also about standing up to a "power-hungry dictator," but that part was cut from the live broadcast.Ariana Grande and Remy's adorable 'Popular' (@) Instead of Erivo, Ariana Grande performed Glinda's signature song, "Popular," in extra adorable fashion with a 4-year-old boy named Remington, who is a Wicked superfan! Remington had gone viral on TikTok earlier this year for singing "Defying Gravity" while visiting the doctor. Now, he got his chance to shine on stage opposite the real Glinda.Grande had to help Remington, whom she dubbed "Remy" for the night, up onto the bed before she began singing to him. The performance was both hilarious and bewitchingly precious.'For Good' (@) Erivo and Grande gave fans a preview of their duet of the Wicked classic, "For Good," with an extra special surprise! In the middle of singing the song, Erivo and Grande were joined in their tearful duet by the original Elphaba and Glinda from the musical Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

On Tuesday, nearly 70% of Texas voters approved Proposition 15, a state constitutional amendment granting parents the right to exercise care, custody, and control of decisions concerning their own kids upbringing.Though the proposition passed, critics call the new amendments language vague and worry that it could actually erode parental rights or even forbid the state from intervening in cases of child abuse. Related Greg Abbotts anti-trans order has helped destroy Texas child abuse agency The ballot measures lead sponsor, Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, said the amendment is necessary because of changing judicial standards.[Even though] over the last 100 years, federal case law has outlined specific areas in which parents have a constitutionally protected right to make decisions for their children, he said, Rights found in case law can change and disappear over time with the appointment of new judges. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Placing the rights of parents in the Texas constitution would ensure the longevity of these rights for future generations, he said, according to The Center SquareThe Parental Rights Foundation and the Texas Home School Coalition both supported Proposition 15. These parents rights organizations echo right-wing rhetoric about how parents should have the right to prevent their children from being exposed to controversial topics and instead learn pro-family values, respectively. Often, these rhetorical terms refer to any LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum or policies that anti-LGBTQ+ parents may object to.However, the conservative group Accountability Matters said the new amendments vague and broad language could open it to misinterpretation and misuse.Accountability Matters says that the amendments phrases about care, custody and control and decisions concerning the childs upbringing create ambiguity that courts or state agencies could exploit. For example, the amendments mention about protecting a childs upbringing could favor specific cultural or ideological norms of acceptable parenting, child rearing, and child well-being that could result in state government agents restricting parents who make unconventional choices, thereby undermining parental rights that already exist in federal and state laws, the group said. [The amendment] risks undermining parental liberty by introducing ambiguous terms that would invite state overreach, ideological bias, and unnecessary litigation, the group said in a statement. San Antonio Express-News opposed the new amendment, calling it performative and noting that theres no threat to existing parental rights in the state. If passed, this proposition will do nothing to enhance parental rights, and it fails to acknowledge that children also have rights, the publication wrote. Its wording is so vague that it could mean that in suspected cases of abuse or neglect, the parents rights would supersede the states right to intervene to protect the child.This proposition is unnecessary and written in language that lacks clarity, fails to make exceptions, and has the potential for unintended consequences that could be harmful to children, the publication added. While the Parental Rights Foundation asserts that Short of actual physical harm by abuse or neglect, it is the parents role to make decisions concerning the childs upbringing, the amendment contains no limits that would prevent a judge from using it to allow abuse or neglect.In fact, Texas own Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) have muddied the concept by claiming that gender-affirming care (GAC) for trans children is a form of child abuse. State child protective service workers have said that Abbott and Paxtons crusade against GAC has interfered with their ability to help victims of actual abuse by causing unethical secrecy, intradepartmental strife, and staff resignations.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Overly influential right-wing broadcaster Tucker Carlson responded to conservatives who criticized his recent softball interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, saying, Do your own interview the way that you want to do it. Youre not my editor. Buzz off.Carlson issued his response during a recent chat with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show. You want to go yell at Nick Fuentes? Ill give you his cell. Call him and go sit and yell at him and feel virtuous or whatever. Related Massively influential GOP group decides maybe its not a good idea to support neo-Nazis Fuentes hasreferredto Black people as n-words, said that the GOP is run by Jews, atheists, and homosexuals, describedAdolfHitleras really fu**ing cool, has cast doubt that the Holocaust happened, said perfidious Jews must be given the death penalty after we take power,and said, A lot of womenwant to be raped They want a guy tobeat the s**t out of them.Carlson conducteda softball interviewwith Fuentes in late October, which has since been viewed over 5.5 million times on YouTube. During his interview, Carlson neither brought up nor challenged any of Fuentes past inflammatory statements. Fuentes said he liked ruthless totalitarian leader Joseph Stalin, talked about the threat posed by Americas organized Jewry, and Carlson criticized Republican Christian Zionists who supportIsraelas being seized by this brain virus. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today I care about what my wife thinks, my children think, and God thinks. And thats it. I dont need to prove that I am a good person to you. Former Fox News host Tucker CarlsonSen. Ted Cruz (R) and anti-LGBTQ+ conservative commentator Ben Shapiro have both criticized Carlsons interview with Fuentes. Cruz accused Carlson of helping spread a poison that is profoundly dangerous, adding, If you sit there with someone who says Adolf Hitler was very, very cool, and that their mission is to combat and defeat global Jewry, and you say nothing, then you are [a] coward and you are complicit in that evil.At the Federalist Societys National Lawyers Convention in Washington D.C. on Friday, Cruz added, My [Republican political] colleagues, almost to a person, think what is happening is horrible, but a great many of them are frightened because [Carlson] has one hell of a big megaphone. Fuentes and Tucker and the rest of that ilk have a right to say what they are saying. Every one of us has an obligation to stand up and say it is wrong. Shapiro said of Carlsons interview, Tucker Carlson decided that it was important not only to host Fuentes but to smooth over his views, water them down and make them far more palatable to a normal audience. This is what Tucker Carlson does for a living, adding,[Carlson is] the most virulent super spreader of vile ideas in America.In response to such criticisms, Carlson said to Kelly, [Critics ask] Why arent you yelling at him? OK, why? So, I can show that Im a good person. I care about what my wife thinks, my children think, and God thinks. And thats it. I dont need to prove that I am a good person to you.You may think Im a terrible person. OK, Im just doing my thing, which is, I want to understand what people think, Carlson continued. And Im committed to that. And if you dont like it, dont watch. Thats my view. Numerous critics have said that by featuring Fuentes on his massively popular online show, Carlson has reaffirmed Fuentes as a legitimate political thinker whose ideas should be part of mainstream conservative conversation.Carlsons interview with Fuentes occurs amid numerous Republican antisemitism scandals, including Young Republican activistsproclaiming their love ofHitlerin a leaked chat, a MAGA congressmandisplaying aswastikainside his office, and the Department of Homeland Security featuring an anti-Jewish slur in one of their social media videos.I am no longer the radical on the outside, Fuentessaidon his own broadcast following his interview with Carlson. Im actually the leader on the inside.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A full panel at the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appealsruled this week that religious students in an Ohio school district can use whatever pronouns they like when addressing their fellow classmates. While the ruling opens the door to students misgendering each other (no matter their gender identity), trans kids are most likely to be harmed as a result.The case involved a religious conservative parents group, Parents Defending Education, who objected to an Olentangy School District policy that required kids to address trans students by their preferred pronouns. Related School district pays $45K to teacher who refused to use trans students pronouns The parents group said that their children are forced to use language affirming trans students identities, when they assert there is a two-sex-only binary and dispute the possibility of transition from one sex to another.A 2023 email sent by one of the four plaintiffs in the case to the school district noted that the parent had a devoutly Christian child who believes that only two biological genders exist (male/female) and that those genders are decided at conception by God. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The court sided with the religious parents in the 10-7 decision issued Thursday, stating the school district did not demonstrate that the use of biological pronouns to refer to transgender and nonbinary students would materially and substantially disrupt school activities or infringe on the legal rights of others in the school community.The court issued a preliminary injunction barring the district from punishing students for referring to transgender students however they like.Our society continues to debate whether biological pronouns are appropriate or offensive just as it continues to debate many other issues surrounding transgender rights, the courts majority opinion stated. The school district may not skew this debate by forcing one side to change the way it conveys its message or by compelling it to express a different view.Yet, the narrow majority decision overruling local policy appeared to do just that. Taken to its logical conclusion, any student can now address any other student with whatever pronouns they like, without fear of punishment from the school.Adding a layer of confusion for both sides, the court said the order doesnt stop the school district from enforcing its other anti-harassment policies that protect transgender students.Nothing we say here forecloses the district from enforcing its anti-harassment policies against the abuse of transgender students just as it enforces those policies against the abuse of all other students, the court wrote. Statistics show that misgendering young people is linked to harms includinghigher rates of bullying, poor mental health, and suicide attempts. Using a students preferred pronouns can reduce the risk of suicidal behavior by over half, according to the Centers for Disease Control.Parents Defending Freedom, which counts all four plaintiffs in the lawsuit as members of its group, opposes what it calls ideologically driven curriculum with a concerning and often divisive emphasis on students group identities: race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender.The group argued that the districts policy violates students rights under the First and 14th amendments, and claimed the school districts pronoun policy requires students to affirm the idea that gender is fluid, contrary to their deeply held religious beliefs.Parents Defending Education was joined in the lawsuit by numerous other groups, including the ACLU of Ohio Foundation. LGBTQ Nation contacted the ACLU for comment and will update this story if it responds.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Up to an estimated $879 million in LGBTQ+ household and business income has left Missouri in recent years, as queer residents flee a hostile political environment, according to a recent analysis by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP).The state lawmakers responsible for creating this financial drain were warned, the Missouri Independent reports. Related Republican AG sues cities for Christian counselors right to turn LGBTQ+ youth straight For years, business organizations, advocacy groups, and individuals cautioned officials pushing discriminatory laws that the economic fallout would be one deleterious result.Local officials and chambers of commerce raised red flags about impacts on workforce recruitment, employee retention, and the ability to lure businesses to the state. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Now, economic data is confirming those predictions.The new $879 million estimate on Missouris losses is based on asurvey conducted by MAP in collaboration with The Trevor Project, the LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit.When people feel unwelcome or uncertain about their future in a community, they often take their skills and their families elsewhere, Tracey DeMarea, executive director of the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce, told The Independent. That loss affects our workforce, our businesses, and our shared sense of community.A2023 Wells Fargo reportrevealed that states with bigger LGBTQ+ populations have higher rates of economic growth, while the inverse is also true.Multiple surveys and studies show that LGBTQ+ people young adults in particular have moved or are considering moving from states hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. An estimated 3% of cisgender young people and 5% of all trans people have already fled red states.The economic impact of ideological legislation on the broader community is often lost on the lawmakers pushing it, according to Naomi Goldberg, MAPs executive director. The responsibility of lawmakers is to represent communities across the state, and when they pass laws that target already vulnerable communities, they should consider their actions, she said. When families choose to leave the state, the loss is not only in the vitality and diversity of the community, but also in the economic power and resources that families provide.One example of the warnings came in 2024, during a marathon hearing on multiple bills, including proposed rules covering restrooms in private businesses. Lobbyists stayed up late explaining to lawmakers that the bills were a threat to free enterprise and business development.Businesses want to ensure that people feel comfortable and safe in their workplaces, Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told committee members. Their ability to recruit and retain talent is their top concern. Henry Eubank, governmental affairs coordinator for Greater St. Louis Inc., said that the discriminatory legislation before the committee depicted Missouri as unwelcoming.It sends a powerful negative signal to potential residents, investors, businesses, and workers, he told lawmakers, that the state of Missouri is not a place that they would want to visit, live, to do business, to start a business, or move their family.Missouri has passed a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation since, while the states attorney general has sued to uphold conversion therapy, gone after trans women in locker rooms, and targeted healthcare workers for assisting trans youth.The last was the final straw for St. Louis restauranteur Rob Connoley, who is gay. He was a newly awarded James Beard finalist for his Ozark cuisine when he was in London representing Missouri at an international food festival not long ago.It felt egregious and awkward to be promoting a state in a region that was actively working against my own personal interests, he told The Independent.So Connoley packed up his kitchen and headed to Oregon.It made more sense for me to take my entrepreneurial skills and go to a community that I think would be more supportive of what Im trying to accomplish, he said.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Anti-trans Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who regularly uses anti-trans slurs and calls herself a proud transphobe, is getting called totally befuddled and accused of having a sharp mental decline by many on her side of the aisle.Mace was a fairly middle-of-the-road Republican until last year, when she started acting out more and more in public. First, she began her scorched-earth campaign against trans Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), which included writing hundreds of posts on social media attacking her in a matter of days. Mace also gave speeches in the House, accusing her ex-fiance of sex crimes (hes suing) and making claims of people threatening and physically attacking her. She recently capped it all off by allegedly throwing a temper tantrum at an airport because security didnt meet her at her car. Related Nancy Mace falsely accused this doctor of child abuse & she lost her job. Shes running for Senate. Her fellow Republicans are calling her out for her erratic behavior. Even some members of her own staff are worried about her mental health.CNNs Jake Tapper reported that a former senior staffer in her office said, It went from kind of funny to devastatingly sad in terms of her not getting help and displaying this behavior on a national stage. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Tapper said that an anonymous House Republican said that her colleagues are totally befuddled and that her actions are a big question within the conference.The general feeling is that there is something unwell about her, the House Republican said. Shes really going through a crisis. Its sad. Clearly, there is something going on with her.Maces former consultant, Wesley Donehue, who has traded barbs with Mace in the past, told Tapper: Over the past two to three years,Nancy Mace has been having asharp mental decline. Im nodoctor, but thats what Ibelieve.Shewent from being a very reasonableperson to being someone whocannot control her emotions, he continued.The House Republicantold me that there isnt anyreal infrastructure for theHouse Republican leadership todeal with this type ofsituation, Tapper said. GOP lawmaker: Rep. Nancy Mace's House colleagues "totally befuddled" with her recent behaviorWatch the video here: https://t.co/vawJ6o2lBl pic.twitter.com/PmxbpSDa8W The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) November 6, 2025Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

In the column Straight Nonsense, columnist Moises Mendez II takes a queer eye to the insanity of straight culture.Celebrities will disappoint us, and no one is immune to that not even Beyonc or Taylor Swift. But some disappointments are easier to see from afar than others. And one thing we need to do as a society is believe the people who are showing us exactly who they are and take them at their word and not try to explain it away. In the past week, weve become inundated with idiocy from three celebrities (well, two celebs and a D-list reality star): Sydney Sweeney, Nicki Minaj, and Emma Hernan.Their antics filled my feed this week, and I couldnt get away from their stupidity. Most recently, Sweeney graced a cover of GQs Men of the Year issue. Here, she had the opportunity to stave off the accusations of being a white supremacist after the backlash to her American Eagle jeans ad, which some critics clocked as containing right-wing, white supremacist dog whistles. Its no shock that President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance applauded the ad and its messaging (it seemed to have reached the right audience). But even after fielding softball questions, Sweeney dug her heels in. In the print version of the interview, the writer says Sweeney declined to answer questions about the controversy. But that didnt stop the interviewer from asking about the public reaction to the ad, including praise from the president and vice president, as well as the private moments of dealing with the fallout in the public eye. The actress categorized the recognition from the White House as surreal but remained relatively tight-lipped about the backlash throughout the rest of the interview.Sydney Sweeney on the reaction to her American Eagle campaign: It was surreal. https://t.co/nXrhkNTGcz pic.twitter.com/deqbdN9bD5 GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) November 4, 2025 Sweeney was asked if she was surprised about the reaction to the ad. And instead of tackling the issue head-on, Sweeney skirted around the opportunity to clear things up and stood firmly on the stance that she only did a jean ad and the reaction was definitely a surprise, but I did a jean ad. The interviewer then plainly asked if she had anything she wanted to say about the ad. Sweeneys response: I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.The public got hints of Sweeneys alleged ties to the right after her family was pictured wearing MAGA hats at her moms birthday party in 2023 (the height of her Euphoria fame). She explained it away by telling people to stop making assumptions and scolded critics for turning an innocent celebration into an absurd political statement. When she said this, I just know the Euphoria casts group chat was popping off on her.But Sweeneys showed us countless times over the past few years, as her celebritys grown, her true political colors; her refusal to denounce the Republican cosign speaks volumes. The same could be said about Nicki Minaj, who has been scribbling Im a bigot on the walls for years. Weve seen it in the form of her anti-vax standpoint that she casually dropped the night of the Met Gala in 2021 (hope her cousins testicles are OK). There were also her decisions to marry a man accused of sexual assault and stand by her brother who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for child rape. Additionally, she routinely weaponizes her fanbase to harass and dox her detractors, encouraging them to do her bidding online and rewarding them with scraps in the form of likes, retweets, and replies.If calling another womans Black children roaches or monkeys wasnt enough to hold a mirror up to the Barbz [her fanbase] to make them see what theyre dealing with, what will? What about harassing a woman like Megan Thee Stallion, who lost both of her parents and her grandma. (Minaj claimed she she lied about getting shot, and her fans threatened to deface her deceased relatives resting place.) Yeah, the Barbz will play it off as, Well, she started it, when in reality, Minaj is always at the scene of the crime, throwing rocks and then hiding her hands.Nope, its Trump. Weve suspected Minaj has terrible politics, and it was bound to come out sooner or later that she was a Trump supporter. This week, it finally happened. In one of her more concerning rants on X, she frantically writes about not being able to fully be open about her Christian faith (which is just an excuse religious people take when theyre asked to not force their beliefs onto others, but whatever). She shared a screenshot of the presidents Truth Social post about the persecution of Christian Nigerians. (Fact check: A representative from the countrys ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that a Christian genocide is taking place in an interview with Al Jazeera.) Then she got giddy about the White House partaking in the Beez in the Trap/Whats Up trend that every celebrity attempting to maintain relevancy on social media is doing.This last act finally prompted backlash from the Barbz, who apparently are able to look past the support of a child rapist, the incessant bullying of another Black woman who was shot, and the overuse of AI (for the love of God, stop killing the planet for a made-up Gag City bit that people havent cared about in years!), but they draw the line at Trump. A decent line to draw, but its not like this is the first time were hearing of Minajs loathsome political stances. But explaining someones shitty behavior online is the most pick-me behavior, and it devalues you as a person and your credibility about quite literally anything moving forward. Take our last subject for this weeks column, Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan. She was a fierce ally to the only queer woman on the show, Chrishell Stause, especially when she faced homophobic remarks from Amanzas stylist or Nicoles ignorant comments online. But something seems to have clicked (off) for Hernan in this new season when she stood 10-toes down behind a man, Blake Davis, who said guacamole looks like baby throw-up and didnt know where Boston was. Not only did he make racially insensitive jokes, he blasted his ignorance across his social media channels in the form of ableist and fatphobic jokes, along with praising tech companies for changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and also posted a video of himself pushing Hernans head into his crotch as a joke.At first I was like damn Chriselle is tripping. Why is she being so controlling? But it's so much they leave out! Now Emma! This mf is doing this bullshit and you're defending him, STILL!?!? Emma was a bad ass bih. This is disappointing for sure #SellingSunset pic.twitter.com/y9uxCqkUli Pri (@ChinkyBrwnRound) November 5, 2025 But still, Hernan is going on an apology tour for this man and trying to explain his immaturity by saying that she feels like she can change him and that they have the opportunity to grow together.Interviewer: "You said you don't agree with his beliefs, so how do you navigate that?"Emma: "I can change him"Pick-me-sha the builder got her tool kit READY!#SellingSunset #SellingSunsetReunion pic.twitter.com/jo1G945rgy APPAULLEDDD (@appaulleddd) November 6, 2025 We all know sometimes, a friend dates someone questionable. And the only course of action is to let them experience it, and then be there for them when they start to see the light. But Stause was done taking the high road, and I fully support her in that.If I have to pick a side, I am team Chrishell and Chelsea. There is no defending Emmas boyfriend and him saying the N word. She staying with him is a choice #SellingSunset pic.twitter.com/dVOxjZ5QUH TV & Movie Addict (@TVMovieAddict) November 6, 2025 The question then becomes, how do we engage with artists whose work we enjoy? This really only applies to Minaj and Sweeney (I did see Christy and genuinely enjoyed it); Im OK with never seeing Hernan again. Do we separate the art from the artist? In my opinion, its all intertwined the artists intention for picking certain projects and what they do with the art they create. In these three cases, theyve been careless with the way theyve gone about being in the public eye, and I think karma will take care of them.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.

It's time to start binging Maxton HallThe World Between Us. The hit young adult romance drama series just premiered its second season on Amazon Prime Video and the show's leading man, Damian Hardung, is already going viral.In the first episode of the series, the sexy actor shows a lot of body, including his ripped abs and impressive biceps. One clip that's making the rounds on social media shows Hardung getting drenched after popping a champagne bottle.Naturally, fans went feral in the comments once the pics hit the internet, so check out some of the highlights below. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

The flood of anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation continuesThe deluge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the state level has continued in 2025, with 616 bills introduced, by the American Civil Liberties Unions count. Only 71 have passed into law so far, while 248 have been defeated, and 285 are advancing, while the remainder have seen no action. Even when these bills dont pass, they do harm, as they give rise to homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. Here we look at the states that have passed the most this year and how locals are fighting back.IdahoIdaho has seen seven anti-LGBTQ+ bills become law in 2025. House Bill 264 requires state prisons and jails, colleges and universities, and domestic violence shelters to designate multi-occupancy restrooms, changing rooms, and dorm rooms for the exclusive use by either females or males, as assigned at birth. Atlas Jones, a transgender male student at Boise State University, and Sophie Smith, a pseudonym for a trans woman regularly on the University of Idahos campus, have filed a federal suit against the law. A judge has declined to issue a preliminary injunction blocking its enforcement while the suit proceeds, but the case remains pending.HB 239 requires parental consent for students to study human sexuality. HB 352 bans instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-12. SB 1198 prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at universities. HB 59 allows health care workers to opt out of procedures that violate their religious or moral beliefs. SB 1027 protects employers who refuse to facilitate gender transition treatments or abortions. HB 41 bars public schools from displaying flags that represent a political viewpoint, including but not limited to flags or banners regarding a political party, race, sexual orientation, gender, or a political ideology.WyomingWyoming tied with Idaho by passing seven anti-LGBTQ+ laws so far this year. House Bill 0032 defines sex as unchanging and exclusively male or female. HB 0164 bans the off-label use of medications for abortions or for a minors gender transition; gender-affirming care for minors was already banned in the state. Senate File 0044 expands the transgender-exclusionary sports law to the college level; Wyoming already barred trans girls and women from female teams in eighth through 12th grade. SF 0077 bars the state and its subdivisions from requiring use of preferred pronouns. SF 0062 requires public schools to designate restrooms, changing rooms, and other single-sex facilities based on sex assigned at birth. HB 0072 places the same regulation on public colleges and universities, prisons, and other government buildings. HB 0207 is a religious freedom law that could allow discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.ArkansasArkansas has passed six anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year. Senate Bill 486 allows the filing of lawsuits by people who encounter someone of the opposite sex, including trans people, in certain restrooms, changing rooms, or sleeping areas. House Bill 1615 bans government discrimination against people acting on a religious belief about marriage or gender. SB 444 exempts medical workers from participating in procedures they oppose, including abortion and gender-affirming care. HB 1916 allows for malpractice suits by minors whove received gender-affirming care. HB 1669 prohibits the state from requiring that faith-based adoption and foster care agencies place children in households that conflict with the agencies religious beliefs, including anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs. HB 1307 bars state institutions from investing in any fund involved in fighting climate change, promoting DEI, facilitating abortion or gender-affirming care, or limiting firearms access.MontanaMontana ties with Arkansas at six. House Bill 121 codifies male and female genders and bars trans people from using government buildings restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters that align with their gender identity. Five Montanans sued to challenge the law, and a judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking it while the case is heard. HB 300 classifies trans peoples use of school facilities that align with their gender identity as unlawful discrimination against cisgender people. It also says allowing a male to participate in girls or womens school sports is discriminatory. HB 682 requires that Medicaid and other insurance plans cover detransition treatment, and Senate Bill 218 allows those who regret transitioning to sue their doctors. HB 690 says it is not abuse if parents or guardians refuse to affirm a childs gender identity. HB 819 bans LGBTQ+ flags at government buildings.UtahUtah has passed five anti-LGBTQ+ laws so far this year. HB 77 bans non-approved flags, including Pride flags, at public schools and other government buildings. It was the first state with such a law. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox let the bill become law without his signature; he called it divisive and expressed love for LGBTQ+ Utahns despite his frequent disagreements with them. Some observers thought this law and the states overall conservatism led to the Sundance Film Festival's plan to leave Utah for Colorado, although Sundance officials said that was not the reason. HB 283 allows anti-LGBTQ+ parents to foster or adopt LGBTQ+ children, HB 252 restricts gender-affirming care for incarcerated people, SB 74 creates strict requirements for legally changing one's sex, and HB 269 bans trans college students from dorm rooms that align with their gender identity.TexasTexas has passed five anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year. The latest one, Senate Bill 8, requires the segregation by sex assigned at birth of restrooms in government buildings including schools, universities, shelters, and prisons. Democrats in the Texas legislature delayed the passage of the bathroom bill when they fled the state in August, a move primarily motivated by the attempt to stop the redrawing of Texass congressional districts. But the bill passed in September with Republican support, and Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law. Four laws passed earlier in the year. SB 12 bars teachers in public schools from assisting students with social transitioning and says public schools and open-enrollment charter schools may not authorize or sponsor clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity. HB 229 requires government entities to classify people as only male or female sex as assigned at birth. HB 18 bars trans minors using a Texas rural health care program from accessing mental health services that affirm their identity. and SB 1188 requires electronic health records to list a persons sex as either male or female, although they can list gender identity as well.KentuckyKentucky has passed four anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year over the opposition of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. HB 4 bans DEI initiatives in public colleges and universities, and HB 495 bans Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. The Republican-dominated legislature overrode Beshears veto of these bills. HB 501 clarifies the Medicaid funding restriction, and SB 2 bans gender-affirming care for incarcerated people; Beshear let both become law without his signature.West VirginiaWest Virginia has passed four anti-LGBTQ+ laws. SB 299 removes an exception in the existing ban on gender-affirming care for minors, passed in 2023, that allowed young people considered at risk for suicide or other self-harm to receive the care. It also redefines sex as the state of being either male or female as observed or clinically verified at birth, spells out types of banned care, and places restrictions on telehealth providers. SB 154 prohibits instruction on LGBTQ+ identities in public schools and forces teachers to out trans students. SB 456 bars trans people from single-sex facilities that don't align with their sex at birth when those spaces are in public schools, state colleges and universities, domestic violence shelters, and prisons. SB 474 bans DEI initiatives in public institutions.IowaIn 2025, Iowa became the first state to remove antidiscrimination protections for trans people from its laws. The Iowa Civil Rights Act had included gender identity since 2007, when the state had a Democratic governor, Chet Culver, and Democratic majorities in both legislative houses. But this year, the Republican-dominated legislature passed Senate File 418 to strip the language, and GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it into law. The measure also prohibits gender changes on birth certificates and bans school instruction on sexual orientation or gender theory through sixth grade. Iowas trans residents and allies fought hard against the bill, with 2,500 protesting at the capitol as the state Senate considered it. State Sen. Tony Bisignano, a Democrat, strongly rebuked his Republican colleagues. Most of you dont even know somebody whos transgender, he said on the Senate floor. You dont even know em, but you hate em. You have to hate em because you cannot do what youre doing today if you didnt.The state also enacted two other anti-LGBTQ+ laws. House File 1049 bans Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for adults, and HF 856 bans DEI programs at public institutions.https://www.advocate.com/politics/breaking-transphobic-discrimination-legalized-iowaOklahomaOklahoma has passed three anti-LGBTQ+ laws this year. SB 658 says prospective foster or adoptive parents cannot be disqualified because of their religious or moral beliefs about sexual orientation or gender identity. SB 418 bars incarcerated trans people from facilities aligning with their gender identities, and HB 1688 requires biological sex to be listed on birth certificates and bans nonbinary designations. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt let the last one become law without his signature, but he signed the others.

I know The Gilded Age is supposed to be about railroads, rivalries, and rigid social hierarchies. But between corsets, cravats, and just the right amount of dcolletage, the cast is positively dripping with off-screen hotness that will have any old aunt fanning herself in the parlor.These actors serve face, body, and vibes worthy of Newports grandest lawns. And I'm here to celebrate the gilded and the gorgeous: because, after all, beauty is one inheritance everyone can flaunt.Carrie CoonSee on InstagramMy fierce, scheming duchess of the nouveau riche! On-screen, shes building empires with her glare alone; off-screen, shes a vision in anything she wears. Carrie Coon is a masterclass in quiet luxury. If capitalism ever needed a face, it would be hers but make it feminist and devastatingly hot.Louisa Jacobson (Marian Brook)See on InstagramAh, young love and lady-like rebelliousness never looked so good. Louisas posts give us ingnue meets downtown cool. She may play the wide-eyed girl next door, but off-camera shes giving Vogue-ready sensuality. We see you, Marian, and so does everyone else.Christine Baranski (Agnes Van Rhijn)See on InstagramIf elegance had a patron saint, her name would be Christine Baranski. The cheekbones, the posture, the martini energyI am weak! Shes the kind of woman who could destroy you with a single raised eyebrow and then console you with a glass of champagne. A true MILF of manners.Morgan Spector (George Russell)See on InstagramLets be honest: this man could read me like a balance sheet. 'Railroad daddy' Morgan Spector has the looks of a gentleman, but that devilish smirk that reads 21st-century badboy. Sharp eyes, soft suits, and thick thighs. The perfect storm.Cynthia Nixon (Ada Brook)See on InstagramFrom Sex and the Citys Miranda to Gilded Ages sweet spinster, Cynthia has aged like top-shelf whiskey: complex, bold, and utterly intoxicating. Her off-screen looks carry quiet queer sophistication: crisp, elegant, and the confidence of a woman who knows exactly who she is.Dene Benton (Peggy Scott)See on InstagramNow this is how you redefine Black excellence. Dene isnt just radiant; shes luminous. She glows with purpose, joy, and enough fashion moments to fund an entire Met Gala theme. From Broadway brilliance to 2024 Out100 honoree, we salute her as both muse and movement.Harry Richardson (Larry Russell)See on InstagramBoy-next-door? More like boy-you-accidentally-married-in-a-rom-com-because-hes-too-charming. Harrys jawline could cut diamonds, and his energy is pure golden retriever in a three-piece suit. He gives the kind of smile that could end a social season.Taissa Farmiga (Gladys Russell)See on InstagramSoft glam, doe eyes, and understated danger: Taissa serves heiress with secrets both on-screen and off. Her looks are pure 21st-century debutante chic: a little moody, a little mysterious, and entirely mesmerizing.Blake Ritson (Oscar Van Rhijn)See on InstagramAh, the dandy of your dreams. Blakes got that scandal at the opera face, all smirks and shadowed glances. He could monologue about moral decay, and I'd still blush. Somewhere between villainous and irresistible: just how we like it.Audra McDonald (Dorothy Scott)See on InstagramSix Tony Awards and somehow still underrated in the hotness department, Audra is divine in every frame. Glowing skin, powerful presence, and the kind of grace that makes you sit up straighter. Shes the very definition of regal sensuality.Donna Murphy (Mrs. Astor)See on InstagramThe grande dame herself! Donna exudes timeless poise with just enough sass to keep the diamonds sparkling. Every photo says: Yes, I invented elegance, and no, you may not speak until I finish this sip. I can't help but give a deep curtsy. Kelli OHara (Aurora Fane)See on InstagramThe golden soprano herself! Kelli's Mrs. Charles Fane always had a place in my heart. Off-screen, Kellis every appearance is a masterclass in refined beauty and Broadway poise. She glows like chandeliers envy her.Ben Lamb (The Duke of Buckingham)See on InstagramBritish. Brooding. Ben plays an English aristocrat on-screen, but still has the looks of a gentleman who could ruin your reputation with a glance and have you thank him for it.Ward Horton (Charles Fane)See on InstagramOh, Mr. Fane! We got to see Ward's character play somewhat scandalously in the third season. But I can forgive a man with a nice jawline, a smile, and the ability to pull off a good suit.Jordan Danica (Dr. William Kirkland)See on InstagramAunties diagnosis? Smoldering with a pulse of intellect. Jordan is Prince Charming personified in the latest season of Gilded Age. And with a voice to match? Auntie's reaching for her smelling salts.Sullivan Jones (T. Thomas Fortune)See on InstagramMr. Jones, Mr. Jones! Powerful, principled, and fine enough to start a Gilded era newspaper. Do you know where I can subscribe?! Taylor Richardson (Bridget)See on InstagramBright, bold, and joyfully self-possessed, Taylor gives "it girl with purpose." On-screen, she's the cheerful spark "below the stairs"; off-screen, she's still the youthful spark that keeps the Gilded glow alive. Ashlie Atkinson (Mamie Fish)See on InstagramThe life of every soire! Ashlie's Mrs. Mamie Fish is bold, brilliant, and brimming with wit. We love a woman who can serve chaos and confidence with pearls attached.Claybourne Elder (John Adams)See on InstagramAwwww, Roadkill Daddy our dear Mr. Adams! Claybourne, as the "out and proud" (in the 19th-century sense) love interest of Oscar Van Rhijn (Ritson), met a tragic ending in the third season. But even out of costume, he's still giving us daddy vibes! Auntie sees you, and she approves enthusiastically.Amy Forsyth (Carrie Astor)See on InstagramYouthful glam with impeccable taste, Amy's Carrie Astor is a remarkable addition to the ensemble cast. Off-screen, her socialite energy is aspirational: equal parts debutante and disruptor.Hannah Shealy (Charlotte Astor)See on InstagramAn addition to the series in the third season, Hannah gave us a surprising, unruly New York socialite. Off-screen, she's fresh-faced, fearless, and radiantly modern. Hannahs charm is the kind that makes even Old Money blush.Ben Ahlers (Jack Trotter)See on InstagramLast, but certainly not least! We love a Cinderella story, and Ben's Jack Trotter fully embraces it in the third season. Off-screen, he has that all-American handsomeness: soft jaw, soft eyes, and abs that were absolutely built to lift heavy boxes and hearts alike. We see you, 'Clock Twink!' From schemers to saints, each of these stars brings a little heat to HBOs frostiest drawing rooms. And if you catch yourself clutching your pearls mid-scroll, dont worry, darlings, I'm right there with you. If theres one thing The Gilded Age taught us, its that wealth fades, but beauty stays eternal.

Here are this weeks most popular positive stories, with some fun social media posts tossed in too. Like seeing uplifting content like this?Sign up for our Good News email.We had a great election night this week and lots of other fun surprises for our Good News roundup! But before we dive in, did you hear about the community that rallied against MAGA councilman who tried to ban the pride flag? Did you check out the heartwarming article about what parents wish folks knew about their trans kids? How about the folks who stood up for the right of students to read a book about coming out? Related He got attacked while defending a trans woman. Now strangers are helping fund his healing. Lets start by enjoying coffee WAY TOO MUCH with Lauren Bacall View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jessica Starr Model London (@starrjessica_) Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Netherlands is close to electing its first gay prime minister38-year-old Rob Jetten is taking his hockeyhunk fianc with him to the prime ministers residence. Pennsylvania elects its first out trans mayorThis victory isnt about one person, said Mayor-elect Erica Deuso, its about what happens when people come together to choose progress over fear.Jonathan Bailey is the first gay man to be named Peoples Sexiest Man AliveComposer Stephen Sondheim once literally stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes, put his hand on his chest and said, Be still my beating heart.' Youll never Lord of the Rings the same way again View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alyssa (@dontcallmelys) Zohran Mamdanis victory speech pledges to defend trans people against TrumpYour struggle is ours, too, he told trans people.Republicans tried to make Virginias elections all about trans people. They lost everything.Democrats swept the 3 statewide elections yesterday and picked up more seats in the state legislature. Democrats sweep in historic races across the country: This is as big as it getsA rattled Donald Trump raged on Truth Social over GOP losses. Playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow with your tongue?!?? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jojo Wills Jest (@jojowillsjest)This mom had no resources when her trans son came out. So she launched a global support network.A rattled Donald Trump raged on Truth Social over GOP losses. An incredibly proud mama asked for help renaming her trans daughter. The internet melted.Moms (and people) like you are so very needed in the world and this makes me so happy. Hearts are melting at this surprise proposal in the middle of a trans wrestling matchTwo competitors got engaged in the ring, and the queer internet is here for it.And lastly, enjoy dancing at Club Trash on Sesame Street! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pietrogiliberti (@pietrogiliberti.76) From our sibling sites:INTO: Active Mormons are abandoning their anti-gay views, with good reasonGAYCITIES: A look inside Casa Cecilia, NYCs new home for trans and gender-expansive youthQUEERTY: Youll love The Gaps new holiday ad, but MAGA snowflakes wont oh well!OUTSPORTS: Trans fighting games pro Usagi makes history at esports event

Music superstar Chappell Roan has announced the launch of her organization devoted to supporting trans youth. The Midwest Princess Project a nod to her album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has already raised more than $400,000 through fundraising efforts at Roans recent pop-up shows. Related An incredibly proud mama asked for help renaming her trans daughter. The internet melted. Those funds will be donated to incredible organizations making a positive impact for trans youth in their communities, Roan wrote on social media when launching the project in late October. View this post on Instagram A post shared by : * Chappell Roan *: (@chappellroan) Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The post named six organizations to which it has already donated: The Ali Forney Center and The Center in New York City, the GLO Center and The Center Project in Missouri, and the TransLatin@ Coalition and Trans Wellness Center in Los Angeles. The TransLatin@ Coalition and The Ali Forney Center are some of the first beneficiaries. The projects website says its goal is to uplift trans youth and LGBTQ+ communities through action, care, and connection. The projects launch is in keeping with Roans pledge to donate a portion of ticket sales from her tour to trans organizations. During a red-carpet interview at the Grammy Awards in early February,Roan acknowledged the state of transgender rightsin the U.S. in just the first month of the current presidential administration.Its brutal right now, Roan said, but trans people have always existed, and they will forever exist, and they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away, and that has to be protected more than anything.I would not be here without trans girls, she added. So, just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you. And Im trying my best to stand up for you in every way that I can. During a live show in October, she also opened up about how she struggles with fame but that its all worth it to be able to spread queer joy.She said she has questioned why she continues in her career when it makes her feel so left out in public and so awkward all the time, but that the tour helped her realize exactly why she keeps going.I always felt, actually, Why am I putting myself through this? If this is taking so much away from me, what is this for? Then I started doing shows again and it all made sense, it was to literally bring queer people joy, she said. There [are] so many things in the world that are so F**k you, she continued, and then there is this. Its the only thing that matters is joy anymore to me, and protecting that, and peace and safety. So, I hope you know that when you are here, you are safe, and I want you here. You can be whoever you are tonight. Youre cherished for everything that you are.She said protecting that joy is one of the most important things, and even if youre not queer, I hope you know that I include you.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Footage from a speech last month by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has recently gained traction on social media for his bold, unapologetic words against Donald Trump.President Trump and his bootlickers have torn down the U.S. Dept. of Education from the inside, Pritzker told the Illinois Federation of Teachers on October 19. Instead of helping to improve math and reading scores like you all are doing and supporting our educators, theyre making it harder for students to get ahead. Related Trump mocked for apparently making up a Democrat to get mad at Books are being banned. History is being erased. Republicans want to take billions away from public schools and pump it into private institutions. The crowd booed. They want to punish teachers for telling the truth, Pritzker continued. They want to criminalize educators for supporting LGBTQ students. They want to turn classrooms into cultural war battlegrounds. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today And Im sorry to be vulgar, but Donald Trump and his cronies can f**k all the way off. At that, the crowd went wild, holding up signs and cheering as they began chanting, JB, JB! This is how you call out fascism, journalist Brian Allen posted on social media, along with a clip of the moment.Pritzker has made it clear sinc Trumps first term that he is not afraid of the former reality TV star. He has stood strong for his progressive values and expressed determination to protect marginalized communities in the state.Recently, he has been speaking out vehemently against the Trump administrations assault on the city of Chicago, in particular the vicious and racist behavior by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, which has made many Hispanic people terrified to leave their homes.In October, he made it clear he is not afraid of the president. When asked on ABC about Trumps recent Truth Social Post calling for him and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) to be jailed for failing to protect the ICE officerswho have been terrorizing the city, Pritzker responded, Am I afraid? I am not afraid As Ive said before, come and get me.His words echo what he said about the threat during an interview on MSNBC, during which he called Trump unhinged, insecure, and a wannabe dictator.And theres one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump, Pritzker said. If you come for my people, you come through me. So, come and get me. He has also stood staunchly for LGBTQ+ rights. In August, he announced a landmark free hotline for LGBTQ+ people in Illinois. Offered in both English and Spanish, the first-of-its-kind service provides legal advice regarding housing, safety, health care access (including gender-affirming care), discrimination, identity documents, and more.At a March Human Rights Campaign dinner, hevowed to stand upto anti-LGBTQ+ bullies and spoke directly to transgender youth to tell them they are not alone. I know that there are transgender children right now looking out at this world and wondering if anyone is going to stand up for them and for their simple right to exist, he said. Well, I am. We are. We will. In April,he criticizeddo-nothing Democratic politicians who want to blame our [election] losses on our defense of Black people, of trans kids, of immigrants instead of their own lack of guts and gumption. He encouraged Democrats to fight the current presidential administration everywhere and all at once, even endorsing mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption.In 2023, hesigned a landmark billmaking Illinois the first state to bar libraries from banning books.Here in Illinois, we dont hide from the truth, we embrace it,said Pritzker in astatement.Young people shouldnt be kept from learning about the realities of our world; I want them to become critical thinkers, exposed to ideas that they disagree with, proud of what our nation has overcome, and thoughtful about what comes next.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels took the witness stand in Donald Trumps hush money case yesterday, describing an alleged coerced sexual encounter between her and the former president while Donald Trump cursed her so loudly the judge had to tell his lawyer to get him to knock it off.While Donald Trump denies that he had a sexual relationship with Daniels while he was married to his third wife, Melania Trump, his niece out clinical psychologist Mary Trump pointed out one detail in Danielss testimony that was particularly damning. Related Donald Trumps niece says hes short-circuiting from having no control during his trial Donald Trump faces 34 felony charges in New York related to payments he allegedly made through his lawyer to Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair as he ran for president in 2016 and the allegedly falsified business records used to conceal the payments. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Daniels described how she met Donald Trump at a golf event in 2006, how he complimented her and invited her to dinner, and how he cornered her in his hotel suite that night in order to have sex with her. She said that he didnt threaten her directly but that she knew his bodyguard was outside the suite and that Donald Trump was bigger and blocking the way to get out. She said that Donald Trump told her that his wife wasnt sharing the room with him and shared a picture of her.After the sexual encounter, Daniels testified, It was really hard to get my shoes because my hands were shaking so hard.He said: Oh, it was great. Lets get together again, honeybunch, she continued. I just wanted to leave.That detail stood out to Mary Trump.Based on some of what she shared under questioning by the prosecutor, I suspect much of it was incredibly humiliating for Donald as Daniels shared some intimate details, Mary Trump shared on her Substack. Donald told Daniels that he reminded her of his daughter, Ivanka, Mary Trump continued. And he called her honeybunch.'I can reveal this to you now: honeybunch is my familys preferred term of endearment.As Daniels testified, Donald Trump audibly and visibly reacted so much that Judge Juan Merchan had to call his lawyer, Todd Blanche, to the bench to discuss proper courtroom behavior.I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and thats contemptuous. It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that, Merchan said, according to the AP. I am speaking to you here at the bench because I dont want to embarrass him.I will talk to him, Blanche said. Daniels testified that Donald Trumps fixer, attorney Michael Cohen, approached her during the 2016 campaign and worked out a deal to pay her $130,000 to keep quiet about her relationship with Donald Trump, which lasted until 2012. She talked about the emails she saved that showed them working out aspects of the alleged deal.This was shortly after the Access Hollywood tape where Donald Trump bragged about how he felt he was allowed to sexually assault women and grab them by the pu**y dominated the news cycle, and his campaign didnt want another story of Donald Trumps sexual misdeeds to get media attention.The AP reports that the jury appeared riveted during Danielss testimony. Donald Trumps lawyers asked for a mistrial after Daniels testified, arguing that it was the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from and not fair to President Trump. Judge Merchan rejected the motion and chided Donald Trumps lawyers for not raising more objections during the testimony if they actually felt that her testimony was prejudicial.

Frederick Crist Trump Jr. (Fred Trump Jr.) was born on October 14, 1938, in Queens, New York City. The eldest son of Mary Anne MacLeod Trump and real estate developer Fred Trump Sr., as well as the older brother of Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) and sisters Elizabeth and Maryanne, Fred Trump Jr. became an airline pilot rather than enter his fathers business like his younger brother, Donald Trump.Fred Jr. struggled most of his life with the disease of addiction, largely with alcohol, a condition that contributed to his fatal heart attack at the young age of 43. On several public occasions, Donald Trumprelatedthe tragic story of his brothers life as an alcoholic. Related Rachel Maddow details stunning Trump disapproval ratings: Were gonna need a bigger boat He said in a 2017 speech that his brother had a tough life and told him many times not to drink or smoke. And to this day, Ive never had a drink, he said. I have no longing for it. I have no interest in it. To this day, Ive never had a cigarette. The president seemed to believe that in heeding his brothers advice, he has escaped thedestructiveeffects of addiction. But as we know from medical and psychological research, the disease of addiction expresses itself in many ways. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today As one definition of the word makes clear: Addiction is when you have a need or urge to do something or use something, even if it causes harm. If continued over time, addictions cause long-lasting changes in brain structures, thus making the disease of addiction both a brain disorder and a mental illness.The types of addiction include substance addiction (such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and food) and non-substance addiction or behavioral addiction (such as compulsive shopping, gambling, sex, social media, or video games). The risk of developing an addiction depends on a combination of genetic, environmental, and developmental factors. The more factors a person has, the greater the chance of developing an addiction.Signs of an addiction include obsessive thoughts and compulsive use or engagement in the rewarding stimuli (substances or behaviors) for immediate gratification. It is also characterized by increasingly continued use or engagement, even after experiencing negative consequences.What is power?In a 1968 speech given to striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. defined power as the ability to achieve purpose and effect change.A dictionarydefinitionviews power (a noun) in general as: The ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something. In this definition, capacity is seen as a synonym of power.Another definition of power is as a great or marked ability to do or act;strength;might;force. In this definition, energy is a synonym.A third definition is the possession of control or command over people, with the synonyms ofauthority and influence.A final definition for our purposes here defines power as the political ascendancy or control in the government of a country, state, etc. by overthrowing the legal government with the synonymssovereignty,rule,sway,and ascendancy.We can place how leadersusetheir power on a spectrum from With on one side to Over on the other. Power With refers to a leader or leaders utilizing their power collaboratively to empower those they lead. It involves a mutual appreciation and respect for autonomy to accomplish shared goals. For the leaders, getting it right has priority over being right.By contrast, Power Over refers to an undemocratic or authoritarian approach where the leader or leaders exert their dominance by dictating the actions to be taken, often using coercion or fear in which power is gained at anothers expense. Leaders give the orders, and they expect to be obeyed without challenge. For the leaders, being right has priority over getting it right.Power as addictionHistory has shown a vast array of leaders and ordinary people who have become addicted to power. While people are initially attracted to power for a variety of reasons like promoting social change, seeking personal admiration, or wanting to control others as they accumulate power, some experience euphoria or a sense of fulfillment.Over time, as in all forms of addiction, people develop dependency, with a need to maintain and even increase their power. This dependency dominates other aspects of life, including personal relationships and previously held values. Addictions in general, and in the case of power addiction, often lead to unethical behaviors, isolation, and even paranoid thoughts that others are coming to take what is yours. Enabling the addictEnabler is the term given to those who fail to act to help addicts and stop them from harming themselves and others around them. Passive bystander or bad Samaritan is the name for someone who is conscious of bad actions developing around them but fails to intervene.Enabling and passively standing by take many forms, including literally offering an addict substances, conspiring with an abuser in a sinister plot, contributing to denial by asserting that they dont have a problem, downplaying the seriousness and making excuses for their behaviors, translating for others what the person really meant, downright lying, and so on.How many times have we heard, He didnt mean it that way. What he really meant to say was and You are misunderstanding her or I got this black eye by walking into a door. The Trump enablers Though Donald Trump has followed the warning of his elder brother to refrain from addictive substances like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, one can make a strong argument by observing his behaviors that he certainly displays the classic signs of addiction in Trumps case, non-substance addictions.These include wealth, power, and sex. He stakes his personal value on the amount of wealth and power he can accumulate, and by how many notches he can carve on his bedpost representing his sexual conquests.Trumps enablers include members of the Republican Party in Congress and Republican politicians in state governments, in addition to the six Republican-nominated Supreme Court justices who seem to have relinquished their constitutional roles to serve one man.They have, therefore, aided and abetted Trumps need to consume as much power as he can and to act on his compulsive paranoid need to persecute his supposed enemies. An all-consuming lust On January 9, 1961, then-President-elect John F. Kennedy addressed a joint convention of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In his speech, he presented a touchstone by which history should evaluate a leader.Beginning with his now-famous statement that For of those to whom much is given, much is required (a paraphrase ofLuke 12:48),Kennedy enumerated four essential criteria in assessing a leader.And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each one of us, he stated, recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state our success or failure, in whatever office we may hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions. First, were we truly men of courage.the courage to resist public pressure, as well as private greed?Secondly, were we truly men of judgment.with enough wisdom to know that we did not know, and enough candor to admit it?Third, were we truly men of integrity. men whom neither financial gain nor political ambition could ever divert from the fulfillment of our sacred trust? Finally, were we truly men of dedication with an honor mortgaged to no single individual or group, and compromised by no private obligation or aim, but devoted solely to serving the public good and the national interest?I have enough conclusive evidence to rank Trump as a true danger to our nation and to the world community in his all-consuming lust for material riches and sexual conquests over the common good of the people who trusted him with their vote.How do you judge him? How do you think history will judge him?Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Republican candidates were annihilated in Tuesdays off-year elections, and the party has been scrambling to explain itself often illogically ever since.Ron DeSantis, for example, claimed it was because all the Republicans have moved to Florida. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI), said Republican voters were just too happy with how things are going to get to the polls. But one columnist says the explanation for the blue wave is quite simple: Woke won. Related Republicans tried to make Virginias elections all about trans people. They lost everything. In an op-ed for the SF Gate, Drew Magary explained that voters spent eight months living in a woke-free America and collectively decided, We dont want this.' Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today He spoke directly to red states and warned, Amid the fiery embers of a self-immolating democracy, woke staged an electoral renaissance, and now its coming for you.He proceeded to ruthlessly mock what conservatives see as the hellish future of an America run by liberals. Money once used to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement will now be used to give millennials free avocado toast. More public office positions will be held bypeoplewith names that are only hard to pronounce if you dont spend 20 seconds learning how to pronounce them.Democratic representation will be grantedto people this country usually treats like dirt. Poor people will be granted access to more affordable housing, and expanded mass transit will allow them to freely go anywhere they please, evenyourcul de sac in Almaden Valley! OMG PRONOUNS! He acknowledged that the battle is far from over, that the unwokes still have Republican control, and that establishment Democrats and Silicon Valley CEOs are still thwarting progress. But Im gonna use this day, this moment, to state the obvious, he said, F**k these people. Because this time a year ago, I watched as American voters handed the country over to acriminal enterpriseheaded by a broken television set. I have spent thenear entirety of 2025 watching that enterprise eat its way throughthis countrys federal workforce, itsmilitary, itslegacy media, and eventhe White House itself. Woke was felled by this onslaught, and outright bigotry had become the new order, he said.But now, Americans have voted to just be left the f**k alone, Magary said. Woke, he explained, is about being left alone, about doing things like driving down the street without fear of being pulled over by a gun-happy cop, and about identifying as trans without protestors showing up at your school board meeting. Woke, in other words, is good, Magary wrote, and finally, Americans have begun to realize it. He concluded: Thats why they voted the way they did Tuesdaynight, and why they might be inclined to continue doing so. It was a wonderful, unifying moment in a decade nearly barren of them. He said he hopes wokes comeback Ieaves conservatives triggered, and I hope no one offers you sympathy for it.The election results are indeed being seen as a massive rebuke to the current administration, especially considering just how unpopular the president is with the American people. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow recently explained that his disapproval rating is higher than it was in the immediate aftermath of January 6th.Democratic candidates swept in everything from gubernatorial and mayoral races to judicial retention votes to state legislative elections to commission races, as well as in a historic, unprecedented ballot measure.Analysts have said the Democrats could not have had a better night, as candidates across the country not only won their elections but, in many cases, made history. And in many races, Democrats won by such large margins that news organizations declared winners within minutes of polls closing.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Wicked costars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were officially nominated for a couple of awards at the 68th Grammy Awards scheduled to air in February 2026 on CBS and Paramount+ and the fans couldn't be happier!While attending the Paris, France stop in the Wicked: For Good press tour on Friday, November 7, Erivo and Grande were caught completely by surprise upon hearing the news that they had been nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award.The two multihyphenate artists first found out that their Wicked movie version of "Defying Gravity" a song that centers Erivo's character, Elphaba, but also features plenty of vocals from Grande's character, Glinda has been nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2026 Grammy Award.But wait, there's more! Erivo was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella category for "Be Okay," one of the standout tracks from her sophomore studio album I Forgive You.The Wicked: For Good actors, along with director Jon M. Chu, lost their minds even more as they celebrated not only "Defying Gravity" getting nominated, but also Erivo's other nomination for her album. You can watch their adorable and emotional reactions in the two videos below. See on Instagram Erivo also shared a live-reaction video from a different angle, which she shared on her own Instagram page."I don't really have any words," Erivo wrote in the caption. "These last couple of years have been beyond the dream, and I'm just really grateful. Thank you. @recordingacademy @republicrecords @ververecords." See on Instagram Erivo and Grande's "Defying Gravity is up against the following Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nominees:"Golden" Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami (KPop Demon Hunters)"Gabriela" KATSEYE"Apt." Ros and Bruno Mars"30 for 30" SZA and Kendrick LamarEven though this is one of the most stacked categories at the 2026 Grammy Awards, "Defying Gravity" is still a massive song, and it was reawakened by the Wicked movie's version featuring vocals from Erivo and Grande. It wouldn't be wise to count them out from winning this category.Cynthia Erivo's Grammy Awards track record. Cynthia Erivo's overall Grammys track record.Grammy.com Cynthia Erivo has been nominated for a total of four Grammy Awards overall:2017 Best Musical Theater Album The Color Purple (New Broadway Cast Recording) album2020 Best Song Written for Visual Media "Stand Up" from the Harriet biopic2026 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Defying Gravity"2026 Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella "Be Okay"Erivo's sole Grammy Award win thus far came from her first-ever nomination in Best Musical Theater Album for The Color Purple (New Broadway Cast Recording).Ariana Grande's Grammy Awards track record. Cynthia Erivo's overall Grammys track record.Grammy.com Ariana Grande has been nominated for 19 Grammy Awards:2015 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj)2015 Best Pop Vocal Album My Everything2017 Best Pop Solo Performance "Dangerous Woman"2017 Best Pop Vocal Album Dangerous Woman2019 Best Pop Solo Performance "God Is a Woman"2019 Best Pop Vocal Album Sweetener2020 Album of the Year Thank U, Next2020 Record of the Year "7 Rings"2020 Best Pop Solo Performance "7 Rings"2020 Best Pop Vocal Album Thank U, Next2020 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Boyfriend" (with Social House)2021 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Rain on Me" (with Lady Gaga)2022 Best Pop Solo Performance "Positions"2022 Best Pop Vocal Album Positions2022 Album of the Year Planet Her (as a featured artist and songwriter on Doja Cat's album)2025 Best Pop Vocal Album Eternal Sunshine2025 Best Dance Pop Recording "Yes, And?"2025 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "The Boy Is Mine" (with Brandy and Monica)2026 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Defying Gravity" (with Cynthia Erivo)Even though casual pop music fans assume that Grande has a shelf full of Grammy Awards, that is shockingly, we know! not true. The pop stars has received a whopping 19 nominations, but only won two Grammys: In 2019, with Sweetener, for Best Pop Vocal Album; and in 2021, with "Rain on Me" (featured artist in the Lady Gaga song), for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.We will continue to hold space not only for the lyrics of "Defying Gravity," but also for phenomenal recording of this powerful Broadway anthem from Erivo and Grande.Wicked: For Good opens Friday, November 21 in theaters. The 68th Grammy Awards ceremony broadcast is scheduled on February 1, 2026 on CBS and Paramount+.

Pro-LGBTQ+ Democrats sweep off-year elections across the country & show that anti-trans rhetoric can failKey wins:Republicans tried to make Virginias election about trans people and lost everything: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and at least 13 state House seats.Democrat Mikie Sherill beat an anti-LGBTQ+ Republican for New Jersey governor.Democrat Zohran Mamdani won the race for New York City mayor and promised to support trans people in his victory speech.Democrat Erica Deuso became the first out trans mayor elected in Pennsylvania.Democrats won a supermajority in the New Jersey Assembly.Why it matters: Not only do these wins help secure LGBTQ+ peoples rights in their districts and states, theyre also a sign of voters increasing frustration with the current MAGA federal government and bode well for Democrats in 2026. Democrats sweep in historic races across the country: This is as big as it gets Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Supreme Court allows the administration to ban trans people from getting the correct passportDid the conservative justices even explain the decision?: No, they used the shadow docket. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote a dissenting opinion, though, and was joined by the two other Democratic appointees, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. According to them, the conservative justices once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really,any) justification.Why it matters: Trans people could face harassment, discrimination, and even be kept from traveling because they cant get a passport that matches their identity, their presentation, and their other documents. Supreme Court allows Trumps anti-trans passport order to continue The Netherlands will soon have its first gay prime minister with Rob JettenIs he taken?: Rob Jetten is engaged to field hockey player and Olympian Nico Keenan, and they proudly post pics together to Instagram.Why it matters: LGBTQ+ people are underrepresented among world leaders and in elected office. Netherlands is close to electing its first gay prime minister LGBTQ+ rights champion Nancy Pelosi announces her retirementKey quote: As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power. We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our Democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.Why it matters: Representative and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has championed LGBTQ+ equality throughout her career, including when she was first elected to Congress in the 1980s and fought for those impacted by HIV/AIDS. Know your power: History-making Rep. Nancy Pelosi announces retirement from House Uganda considers law that could send people to jail for 10 years if they identify as LGBTQ+What this would change: The bill would make it illegal to even identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer in a country that already has harsh anti-gay laws.Why it matters: LGBTQ+ people in Uganda are severely oppressed, and this would make it harder for them to even advocate for themselves. Such laws also tend to put a target on LGBTQ+ peoples backs and increase violence against them. New bill would send people to prison for 10 years for identifying as LGBTQ+ in Uganda In picturesPalm Springs, California, celebrated Halloween last week and, perhaps unsurprisingly for the very queer city, some came dressed in LGBTQ+ costumes. Here, resident Brad Elsberry dressed as a rainbow Calavera Catrina. | Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK TJ Wilkinson dressed as Frank N. Furter of Rocky Horror fame. | Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORKThis person wore a Keith Haring-inspired look. Haring was an out gay pop artist whose work often dealt with the AIDS crisis. | Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK And here are some interesting queer and trans readsLGBTQ Nation editor Molly Sprayregen talked to Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) along with her parents about growing up transgender and how parents can support their trans children in LGBTQ Nations November Issue cover story. A Person With Parents: How Sarah McBride and her family stay strong in the face of transphobia LGBTQ Nation editor-in-chief Alex Bollinger discussed how anti-gay jokes are still anti-gay even if theyre made by liberals. A liberal comedian called JD Vance a queer-eyed freak show. LGBTQ+ people arent a punchline. LGBTQ Nation contributor Greg Owen talked to an organization that supports parents of trans youth. A liberal comedian called JD Vance a queer-eyed freak show. LGBTQ+ people arent a punchline. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A 47-year-old anti-LGBTQ+ youth pastor in California has been arrested on charges of sexual abuse in connection with allegations that he abused a minor.Joshua David Kemper of Coarsegold, California, is accused of sexual acts that occurred between March and July 2025 with a 15-year-old girl who was a member of his church. Investigators say that the acts occurred at the church, in the victims home, and in Kempers car, and that they have evidence, including messages, pictures, and video clips that Kemper and the victim sent each other. Related At least 188 Christian & Republican leaders have been accused of child abuse this year The investigation into Kemper started on July 28 after officials at his church filed a report with police. They say that Kemper used a VoIP phone number and burner social media accounts to try to obfuscate his communications with the victim. Kemper was arrested at his home on October 27.Police havent released the name of the church he worked at and said that they believe he may have had more victims. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today A Facebook account belonging to Joshua Kemper is still active and is mostly full of innocuous Christian and 90s nostalgia memes. He did post one meme earlier this year, on July 1, that implied that its LGBTQ+ people in churches who make them unsafe for women.He posted some about women submitting to men, which may be, if the allegations are true, why he sought to sexually abuse a minor. One video he posted was a sketch that involved God telling a woman to submit to her husband. He also posted a meme saying that teachers are turning kids transgender behind their parents backs, which isnt happening.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Presidential historian Alexis Coe has predicted a perilous four years for the Trump administration, as well as the GOP as a whole. In an op-ed for MSNBC, Coe said former President Grover Clevelands second term which she described as a tragedy in four years should serve as a cautionary tale for Donald Trump. Related Who owns the truth? GLAADs Sarah Kate Ellis on resisting the second Trump administration In 1892, Cleveland, like Trump in 2024, was resurrected byunwavering party loyaltydespitelosing the previous election, Coe wrote. Both men, separated by time but united in their disdain for the establishment, demanded fealty with the fervor of medieval kings suffering from lead poisoning. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today But both leaders, she explained, proved to be incapable of handling national crises. For Cleveland, a Democrat, it was the Panic of 1893, a severe economic depression triggered by railroad overbuilding and shaky financing, which set off a series of bank failures. Within months, unemployment skyrocketed to nearly 20%, over 15,000 companies and 500 banks failed, and farmers in the South and Midwest faced ruin as crop prices plummeted. She explained that he made it all worse with his inflexibility, refusing to part from the gold standard and fiscal conservatism. Trumps version of this crisis was COVID-19, she said, which he faced with a mix of self-absorption and pseudoscience that would make snake oil salesmen blush. For his next term, she predicted domestic and global chaos due to his erratic policy shifts on tariffs, immigration and foreign relations, adding that while Cleveland stubbornly refused to change and Trump changes far too frequently, both habits risk the same disastrous end: a party in disarray. She explained that the midterm elections during Clevelands second term saw the largest House of Representatives swing in U.S. history, with Republicans gaining 130 seats. Senate Republicans also ended up with a 10-seat majority.If Trumps second term is a disaster right out of the gate, his party may take a beating in the 2026 midterms, she said, adding that conditions in the country are ripe for a third party to potentially gain popularity right now. Comebacks can be pyrrhic victories, triumphs that contain the seeds of their own destruction. Clevelands presidency imploded in a shower of broken promises and shattered alliances. So, too, might Trumps and with it, the future of a party that has hitched its wagon to a reality star that may well be a supernova in disguise. The stage is set for a performance that could reshape not just Trumps legacy, but the very foundations of the Republican Party.She concluded by reminding readers that in the theater of American politics, the most tragic plays are often those weve seen before.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Trump hopped onto Airforce One during his first regime on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, traveling to Yuma, Arizona. Once there, his caravan (composed primarily of white people) journeyed due south in front of reporters and cameras from around the country and the world to expose his erection of a large 200-mile-long protrusion across the southern border with Mexico; some of it a replacement, some a new extension of pre-existing barriers.Good fences make good neighbors, says the proverb that Robert Frost embedded in his famous poem Mending Wall. However, Donald Trump has misinterpreted and exploited the concept for his own distorted means to attain his end goal of keeping as many people of color out of the United States as possible. Related Presidential historian foresees disastrous end for Donald Trump His campaign slogan of Make America Great Again served as a not-so-subtle dog whistle for Make AmericaWhite Again, which the nation never was from its very beginning, as Europeans killed First Nation peoples and stole their land.Robert Frosts poem was a polemic arguingagainstbuilding fences (walls) that separate us from our neighbors. Opening with the line, Something there is that doesnt love a wall, the poem describes the narrators efforts to convince his neighbornotto construct a fence. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today Frost quoted the proverb as an ironic ploy to express his deeply held view that physical and figurative boundaries separate people from one another and from themselves.Walls, in the literal and metaphorical sense, however, have stood and continue to stand as the foundation of Donald Trumps campaign and of his entire presidency. In fact, walls define the focus of his entire life. Tearing down the house, erecting obstaclesMost recently, without even submitting his proposed plans to the National Capital Planning Commission to renovate the White House, which other presidents have done voluntarily, Trump ordered the construction of his crystal-chandeliered, gold-plated, extravagant Louis XIV-style ballroom to serve as his walled bunker for protecting the ultra-rich and powerful and keeping out the underclass barbarians from his gates.During his first term, he walled off peaceful protesters in front of the White House with a high mesh fence and an irritating plume of mustard gas set off by armed officials so he could conduct a photo op holding a bible upside down in front of a church.Trump was actually even holding the bible UPSIDE DOWN.[image or embed] ianneilschmidt1.bsky.social (@ianneilschmidt1.bsky.social) September 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM With his America First declaration, Trump has placed a figurative diplomatic concrete wall around the United States by imposing arbitrary tariffs on our trading partners, by weakening our commitment to and engagement with NATO allies and the World Health Organization, and by pulling out of our treaty obligations with Mexico, Canada, and Iran.Trump placed young immigrant children in tightly confined cages, separating them from their dear parents and scarring them for life.He has symbolically positioned the U.S. in a cage by divorcing us from the Paris Climate Accords and by shutting his mind even to the possibility of human-related climate change.His administration has locked out qualified trans personnel from military service, and entered a legal brief to the Supreme Court in attempting to prevent sexual orientation and gender identity from categories protected against employment discriminationHe continually places access barriers around the Constitution and particularly the First Amendments free speech clause, rights to assembly, and redress of grievances by attacking, lying to, and restricting the media, peaceful demonstrators, law firms, and universities.Trump supports impediments to the voting booth with measures like gerrymandering and other suppression campaigns by reducing the number of polling stations in primarily minoritized racial communities, by opposing mail-in voting, and by limiting days and times for pre-election-day voting.If his unqualified support for Republican attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act eventually succeeds, an estimated 30 million lower-income people will find themselves surrounded by impenetrable obstacles to quality healthcare. Trumps incarnation of Nixon and Reagans law and order refrain can be translated as let us lock up more people, and particularly people of color, behind high walls and razor wire, as we have witnessed time and time again in his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and by his National Guard troops on U.S. streets.His administration has locked out qualified trans personnel from military service, and entered a legal brief to the Supreme Court in attempting to prevent sexual orientation and gender identity from categories protected against employment discrimination, as interpreted under sex in Title VII of the Civil Rights Law of 1964.Donald Trump has dedicated his entire life to erecting walls so he can divide and conquer, to win for himself at any cost to his now non-existent sense of dignity, integrity, and empathy.Trump and his administration have worked with the Supreme Court to toss Dreamers over onto the south side of the border, by reversing former President Barack Obamas executive order under the DACA program.Donald Trump cares nothing about physical or symbolic barriers effectiveness or cost because he constructed the idea of a wall as political bait in the minds of the electorate to rile and hook people into supporting him. In this way, he sufficiently distinguished himself in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential campaigns.Though the U.S. border with Canada is literally twice the length as that with Mexico, and several suspected and known terrorists infiltrated down from the north, Trumps total focus has been to stop supposed terrorists, drug and human traffickers, criminals, gang members, and illegal aliens from the south. Trump is well-versed in the notion of walls (in all their guises)Donald Trump gives a speech at Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, Wisconsin on Saturday, September 7, 2024. | Gabi Broekema/USA TODAY NETWORK- Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORKTrumps familys wealth and privilege walled him off from having to serve in the U.S. military during a mandatory draft. He and his father lost a lawsuit charging them with racial discrimination by locking out people of color from renting and purchasing apartments in their properties.Donald Trump, arguably the more prominent of the so-called birthers, attempted to wall off President Barack Obama by continually arguing that he was born outside the United States, even well after President Obama released his official birth certificate. This along with Trumps supposed investigations into Mr. Obamas time spent in Indonesia as a child and inquiries into his African roots on his fathers side coexist as not-so-veiled xenophobic and racist rants.Throughout his runs for the White House, Trump has threatened to restrict the access of all Muslims into the United States.Donald Trump has dedicated his entire life to erecting walls so he can divide and conquer, to win for himself at any cost to his now non-existent sense of dignity, integrity, and empathy.He has assembled a self-imposed blockade to keep out information, facts, and truth.The only things permeating his self-described artistically-designed steel slats embedded in the reinforced concrete of his border wall are feelings and conclusions that he reaches by gut intuition alone. Walls break down. So do controlling regimes.The Chinese constructed, repaired, reconstructed, and extended their Great Wall for over 2,000 years. It ultimately reached the length of 3,700 miles by the end of the 17thcentury, after which it eroded to its current state of decay. With all the effort and expenditure of resources going into the Wall, it never functioned as it was meant to since enemies of the great Chinese dynasties found ways of breaching this intended grand barricade.Though the Soviets fortified their Berlin Wall with armed guards who shot anyone attempting to scale its heights in either direction. An estimated 5,000 people, nonetheless, escaped its confinement between its construction in August 1961 to its demolition in early November 1989.The Soviets did not keep detailed records, but estimates range from 136 people shot by guards to upwards of 240 killed in shootings, accidental falls, and in suicides following failed attempts at escape through the Berlin Wall.Trumps attempts to construct 15th-century barrier technology, which did not work even in the 15thcentury, will certainly drain and waste valuable resources that could be used effectively for other national projects, such as rebuilding and replacing the nations crumbling infrastructure.The word bridge, however, is simply not in Trumps meager vocabulary.Sigmund Freud once quipped that Sometime a cigar is just a cigar. Well, to Trump, usually a wall is much more than just a wall.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Washington area residents and visitors to the Capital are voting with their wallets in a referendum on President Trumps Golden Age in Arts and Culture.And hes losing badly. Related Trump publishes lame list of woke Smithsonian exhibits that all feature brown & queer people A new analysis by theWashington Postdescribes half-empty halls and plummeting ticket sales at the Kennedy Center, which Trump took over as chairman earlier this year, vowing to end woke programming.In his purge of the once-revered arts and culture institution, Trump fired staff, replaced advisory boards, and installed a new team headed by out administration official Ric Grennell. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Kennedy Center would be hot again, Trump crowed.The numbers defy the boast.Ticket sales for the Kennedy Centers three largest performance venues the Opera House, the Concert Hall, and the Eisenhower Theater are the worst theyve been in years, with tens of thousands of seats left empty since Trumps takeover.43 percent of tickets remained unsold for the typical production at the venue in the new fall season.From a pool of 143,000 seats during September and October, more than 50,000 remained vacant. During the same period last year, only 7 percent of seats on average were available for a typical production on the day of the performance.Patrons spent half as much money on tickets in September and the first half of October 2025 as during the same period in 2024, the analysis shows.Given the unprecedented takeover of a nonpartisan arts institution combined with the inexperience and rhetoric of the new management, I expected a decline in sales, said a former staff member who spoke on the condition of anonymity. These numbers are likely more dire than they appear, as they dont account for canceled productions or shows moved into smaller theaters due to weak ticket sales. A current staff member, who also spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal, said the drop is all about Trump.This downturn isnt just about pricing or programming it feels directly tied to the new regimes leadership shift and the broader political climate, the staffer said.Ive heard from ticket buyers who say theyre choosing not to attend because of what the Kennedy Center now represents. The brand itself has become polarizing, which is unprecedented in my experience.In March, a National Symphony audiencebooed Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, when they appeared with a Secret Service detail in a box overlooking the hall.You ruined this place! one attendee shouted at Vance. By June, the sales trend was already clear.With the new fall season, balconies have been closed for performances, and ushers are encouraging patrons to fill the front rows of orchestra sections at poorly attended shows.Grenell moved a production of the Tony-winning musical Parade from the 2,364-seat Opera House to the Eisenhower Theater, with 1100 fewer seats. The end of its run saw a nearly half-empty auditorium. Just 45 days into the season, poorly attended shows are leaving millions on the table, according to the Post analysis, while potential lifelines for the ailing arts center wont be making an appearance in 2026.The producers of Hamilton withdrew from the Kennedy Center schedule after Trumps purge and promise in February of NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA at the venue.Hamilton was proudly performed at the Kennedy Center in 2018 during the first Trump administration, show producer Jeffrey Seller said in March. We are not acting against his administration, but against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover. Grenell called the ghosting a sign of political intolerance to conservative audiences.The American people need to know that @Lin_Manuel is intolerant of people who dont agree with him politically, Grenell posted to social. Its clear he and Sellers dont want Republicans going to their shows.Trumps preferred audience will have plenty of other available shows to choose from.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Several anonymous sources close to the White House have opened up about the problems with Donald Trump that led to Tuesday nights massive losses for the GOP. People dont think hes lived up to his promises, one source told Politico. You won on lowering costs, putting more money back into peoples pockets. And people dont feel that right now. Related Zohran Mamdanis victory speech pledges to defend trans people against Trump Another said the president hasnt talked about the cost of living in months.People are still hurting financially and they want to know the White House is paying attention and trying to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today A third source said the off-year elections delivered exactly the results youd expect when a president has too much focus on foreign policy while people are hurting at home. But James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff and political director for Trumps 2024 presidential campaign, thinks the problems the GOP faces are overcomeable with a lot of resources in the right districts for the right candidates. Youll see the president talk a lot about cost of living as we turn into the new year, Blair told Politico. The president is very keyed into whats going on, and he recognizes, like anybody, that it takes time to do an economic turnaround, but all the fundamentals are there, and I think well see him be very, very focused on prices and cost of life.That turnaround would have to be massive to save the presidents approval ratings. Earlier this week, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow detailed just how unpopular Trump is with the American people, exclaiming that his disapproval rating is higher than it was in the immediate aftermath of January 6th.Citing an ABC/Washington Post Poll, Maddow added that Americans disapprove of him on everything, including massive disapproval for his handling of the economy, where hes at minus 25 points. The numbers no doubt explain what happened in Tuesday nights elections, where Democrats swept in races across the country.The November 4 off-year elections saw Democrats annihilate their Republican and independent opponents in everything from gubernatorial and mayoral races to judicial retention votes to state legislative elections to commission races, as well as in a historic, unprecedented ballot measure.Analysts have said the Democrats could not have had a better night, as candidates across the country not only won their elections but, in many cases, made history. And in many races, Democrats won by such large margins that news organizations declared winners within minutes of polls closing.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

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Donald Trump commuted the sentence of a transgender woman who was convicted in federal court and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for her role in helping organize the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Jessica Watkinswas among the 1500 people he pardoned or commuted the sentence of for participating in the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election that resulted in five deaths. Watkins, a military veteran from Ohio, was part of the far-right militia Oath Keepers. Prosecutors argued that she helped recruit and train people to go to the Capitol in an attempt to keep Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election, which Trump had lost. She was part of a group of Oath Keepers that went to the Senate to stop Mike Pence from ceremonially presiding over the certification process but was deterred when police used a chemical spray on the mob. Related Trans Jan 6 rioter is begging Marjorie Taylor Greene to get her into a womens prison On his first day in office on Monday, Trump issued a blanket pardon for over 1500 people who were charged with crimes related to the attack. Many of the people he pardoned or whose sentences he commuted attacked police officers. One hundred thirty-eight police officers were injured that day. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today It is wrong to pardon individuals convicted of violent crime, especially when many of the victims of their violence were law enforcement officers, said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS). Trump had previously said that he would examine the rioters requests for pardons on a case-by-case basis, and J.D. Vance had said that those who committed violence on that day obviously shouldnt be pardoned.It is shameful that the President has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in a statement. Despite the Presidents decision, we must always remember the extraordinary courage and valor of the law enforcement heroes who stood in the breach and ensured that democracy survived on that dark day.Trump himself didnt seem to realize that he had pardoned people who attacked police officers, telling a reporter when asked about whether a person who used a stun gun on a police officer deserved a pardon, I dont know Well, well take a look at everything. He then rambled about unrelated topics. REPORTER: You would agree it's never acceptable to assault police officers?TRUMP: SureREPORTER: Among those you pardoned is a guy who used a stun gun on a police officer. Why does he deserve a pardon?TRUMP: Well, I don't know[image or embed] Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 21, 2025 at 11:40 PMThe Oath Keepers, to whom Watkins was a dues-paying member, is based on a set of baseless conspiracy theories about the federal government working to destroy the liberties of Americans, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Prosecutors believe that the 11 Oath Keepers who participated in the insurrection were more serious in their attempt to overthrow the government.Shortly after the November 2020 election that Trump lost and Biden won, Watkins texted invitations to training for people she called recruits, saying, I need you fighting fit by innaugeration [sic].In December 2020, Watkins texted another member of the group: We plan on going to DC on the 6th and used the messaging app Signal to assign roles to a small group on January 2, 2021. This was while Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and the other Oath Keepers were stocking up on thousands of dollars worth of weapons and gear in preparation for the attack and promising their members a bloody, massively bloody revolution. On January 3, Watkins allegedly told another member of the group that weapons are ok now as well. Sorry for the confusion. She also told that person to wear khaki or tan pants.On the day of the insurrection, Watkins allegedly was part of the group of Oath Keepers going to the Senate wherePencewas ceremonially presiding as it received the results of the election from the states and prosecutors said that others in the group called her captain and cap.Yall, were one block away from the Capitol right now. Im probably gonna go silent when we get there, because Im gonna be a little busy, she allegedly said in a channel on the walkie-talkie app Zello. She and her group forced their way through the doors of the Capitol. Despite her worry that she would go silent, she kept talking on Zello, saying where she was in the Capitol.Get it, Jess. Do your f**king thing. This is what we f**king [unintelligible] up for. Everything we f**king trained for, someone responded to her.She and her group made their way to the Senate. Watkins told people in the crowd around her to Push, push, push and Get in there, get in there as the mob tried to get past a line of law enforcement officers.They cant hold us! Watkins said.Officers then used a chemical spray on the mob, and they retreated. Watkins and her fellow Oath Keepers left the Capitol. Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today, she wrote on Parler that day. Teargassed, the whole 9. Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even. The news is lying (even Fox) about the Historical Events we created today.Several days later, Watkins messaged someone on Facebook: Weve been organizing a bugout plan if the usurper is installed Something like 20+ Oathkeepers going to Kentucky mountains on hundreds of acres apparently.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

President Donald Trump issued a full, complete and unconditional pardon for anti-LGBTQ+ lawyer John Eastman and others who aided Trumps attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential elections. Eastman, who served as chairman of the board for the anti-LGBTQ+ group the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), was never charged with a federal crime for his role in Trumps attempt, but Trumps pardon pre-emptively prevents any future prosecutors from pressing federal charges against his co-conspirators.Trumps undated pardon, reported on by numerous media outlets over the weekend, named Eastman as one of five who tried to overturn Trumps 2020 election losses in seven key swing states using a proposed slate of alternate presidential electors willing to vote for him in the Electoral College. The other pardoned co-conspirators include Eastman and fellow attorney Kenneth Chesebro; Trumps chief of staff from his first term, Mark Meadows; longtime Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn; conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell; and dozens of Republican activists who faced state charges for signing paperwork falsely claiming to be legitimate presidential electors,Politicoreported. The president is unable to pardon people charged with state-level crimes. Related Donald Trumps lies are just getting more blatant. Here are the worst. Though the proposed alternate electors had no legal authority to claim themselves as 2020 Electoral College voters, Eastmans drafted strategy said that their votes wouldve allowed Trump to claim hed won more electoral votes than the actual winner, Joe Biden. This would have left Trumps then-Vice President Mike Pence free to allow the Republican-controlled House chamber to declare Trump as the winner through a majority vote, effectively overturning the will of the over 81 million Americans who voted for Biden.The main thing here is that Pence should do this without asking for permission either from a vote of the joint session or from the Court, Eastman wrote in his memo suggesting his plan to overturn the election, which was revealed amid a 2023 indictment accusing him and his aforementioned co-conspirators. The fact is that the Constitution assigns this power to the Vice President as the ultimate arbiter. We should take all of our actions with that in mind. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Eastman reportedly sent the memo to Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani with the hopes that both men could convince Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) of widespread election fraud, according toPeril, a 2021 non-fiction recounting of the last days of Trumps presidency written byWashington Postjournalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. However, both Lee and Graham rejected Eastmans plan.Trump reportedly told Pence, You really need to listen to John. Hes a respected constitutional scholar. Hear him out. But Pence decided against following Eastmans plan after consulting with the Senate parliamentarian. The parliamentarian, whose role is to interpret Senate rules and procedures, told Pence that he had no authority to certify the elections results beyond counting the votes in the chamber on January 6.Woodward and Costa wrote in their book, Lees head was spinning. No such procedure existed in the Constitution, any law, or past practice. Eastman had apparently drawn it out of thin air.The aforementioned 45-page indictment from 2023 alleged that Eastman had also called Arizona State House Speaker Russell Bowers (R) to decertify the states legitimate electors for Biden and let the courts sort it out. Bowers refused. Eastman also spoke at the January 6, 2021, Stop the Steal rally alongside Trump, Trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani, and others. At the rally, Eastman falsely said, We know there was fraud. We know that dead people voted. Anybody that is not willing to stand up to [declare Trump as the winner] does not deserve to be in the office. It is that simple.After the rally, Trumps followers rioted at the U.S. Capitol. Five people died because of the insurrection, and roughly 140 police officers were injured. The injuries included a broken spine, a lost eye, lost fingers, brain damage, and multiple cases of PTSD. While ransacking the Capitol, the rioters chanted Hang Mike Pence, shattered windows while trying to access congressional chambers, smeared feces in a hallway, and stole computer equipment, potentially constituting a national security breach.For years, NOM campaigned against any expansion of LGBTQ+ civil rights, particularly same-sex marriage. The group was instrumental in helping pass state-level marriage equality bans, pushed for a national constitutional ban, and helped orchestrate the victory of Californias 2008 Proposition 8, which invalidated thousands of same-sex marriages statewide. Eastman became NOMs board chairman in 2011 and compared marriage equality to slavery in 2014, saying that courts had illegitimately decided on the issue and that voters should decide instead. He also tried to get NOM to defend several states same-sex marriage bans in courts, though a federal judge ruled that NOM lacked the legal standing to do so.He has supported Ugandas criminalization of homosexuality, called homosexuality an indicator of barbarism, called same-sex marriage evil and despotic, and claimed that the LGBTQ+ equality movement promotes pedophilia,according to Right Wing Watch.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

By any measure, last weeks election results were a blowout for the Democrats and a repudiation of Donald Trump and his policies. Republicans lost across the board in every important race and suffered embarrassing losses in red states like Mississippi and Georgia. Races that were supposed to be tight, particularly the New Jersey governors race, turned out to be landslides for the Democrats. The results were a useful reminder that Trump won re-election by a very narrow margin: 1.5%. He declared this sliverthe smallest margin since the 19th centuryto be a resounding mandate and has acted accordingly. It turns out that what a lot of voters thought Trump was promisinga better economy and a crackdown on violent immigrants who are here illegallywasnt what he was promising at all. (And if you listened closely, which a lot of voters dont, hes doing exactly what he said he would do.) Related The rights disdain for science is part of their strategy to attack LGBTQ people Three big issues emerged from this years results that should worry Republicans about next years midterms, if not cause them to outright panic. The first is that Democratic voters are incredibly energized. They may well hate their party leadership, which is why the party looks so bad in polls. But when it comes time to vote, they still line up with the party and against Republicans. Polling indicates that Democratic voters are much more enthusiastic about voting in next years midterm elections. By contrast, Republicans arent nearly as keen on going to the polls.That leads to the second issue: Democrats look at elections as a referendum on Trump. A lot of Republican voters turn out for Trumpand only Trump. They say that I wasnt on the ballot was the biggest factor for Republican losses, Trump said last Wednesday. While Trump never takes responsibility for anything, in this case, he is partly correct. Trump is very good at getting people who dont always vote to vote for him. But in typical Trump fashion, all he cares about is himself, not his party, so his power over turnout doesnt translate to anyone else. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today The third issue is that key voting blocs that helped Republicans in the past turned against them this time. This was especially true with Latino voters. In 2024, Trump won 46% of the Latino vote. In New Jersey, districts with large Latino populations saw swings of 15% to 40% in favor of Democrats compared to last year. Some of this may be from voters who sat out the 2024 election, but a sizeable portion is from voters who think Trumps immigration policy is an excuse to target Latinos. Trumps success in 2024 was in convincing Latino voters who resent undocumented immigrants that he would get rid of the criminals. Instead, hes embraced a policy of terrorizing Latino neighbors and arresting American citizens based on their skin color. These three issues combine to present a big problem for Republicans. They have limited options ahead. They can (and no doubt will) return to cultural issues to attack Democrats. However, one takeaway from the 2025 election is that anti-trans ads dont work. Theres ample evidence that they arent the silver bullet that Republicans think they are, but the Virginia governors race showed once and for all that spending money on anti-trans ads is the equivalent of setting fire to a pile of cash. They will also try to tie Democrats to New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, who is a Democratic Socialist and thus a bogeyman to the right.So what are Republicans to do? They cant run away from Trump because the partys base will exact vengeance for the betrayal. They control all three arms of government, so they own everything bad that is happening. Politically, there are no good options.But they can cheat. State legislatures in GOP states are rewriting Congressional maps to give the party an unfair advantage. Democratic states are looking to counter that advantage by rewriting their own maps. California voters gave a proposition to allow the state to do so an overwhelming victory last week. But if its a landslide for Democrats, the party will still win control of the House. The more frightening scenario is that the White House will undermine the elections. That work is already well underway. Trump has targeted ActBlue, the Democrats main fundraising arm, for investigation. He has issued an executive order demanding proof of citizenship to vote and an end to mail-in ballots and electronic voting machines. (Trump has no authority to do any of that.)But the worst possibility is armed troops at polling places. With ICE and the National Guard deployed in Democratic-run cities, Trump has his own army that he can use to intimidate voters. But it could get worse. Election experts are worried that Trump will call out the armed forces to patrol polling places. Perhaps next years elections will turn out to be much like any other. But the odds of that are pretty low. As long as Trump is involved, elections will always be fraught with danger. He wont be on the ballot next year, but he wont take kindly to the prospect of Democrats winning one or even both chambers of Congress. That will mean investigations into his actions. And to prevent that, theres every reason to think Trump will stop at nothing.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Jonathan Bailey has set the record straight (well) on his recent "retirement" quote, recalled how it felt like to grow up with "shame," and dropped very interesting tidbits about Fiyero's journey in Wicked: For Good particularly as it impacts the two main characters of the story: Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande)."One thing Fiyero feels strongly is that Elphaba needs to be protected. So he leaves Glinda," Bailey told Esquire (UK). "His inability to make a decision on his own is what 'Dancing Through Life' is about, until he meets Elphaba and something is awakened in him. In the stage show it's brilliant and moving, but it's also kind of comedic and light. In this film [Wicked: For Good] it feels quite brutal and dark."The actor, who's also known for his roles in Jurassic World Rebirth, Bridgerton, and Fellow Travelers, added: "The characters in Wicked are all entirely fallible and there's no good or bad. Fiyero makes decisions that are based not just on his human relationships, but also on what he feels is right. He's so moved by Elphaba, who steps outside of a power system, who has independent thought and sees the world and communicates that clearly. And it's an interesting character arc, because once he's activated and has that sense of meaning, there's no going back."Bailey commented on how "entirely nihilistic" the lyrics of "Dancing Through Life" can be. "He [Fiyero] is like, 'We're going to die anyway, so let's create chaos wherever we go,' presumably to match the chaos in his mind. But there's a dull ache, I think, in Fiyero." Jonathan Bailey in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).Universal PicturesBailey elaborated that Fiyero was deeply "yearning for something" prior to the events of the first Wicked movie. After meeting Elphaba at Shiz University, those feelings of yearning were brought to the surface. Nonetheless, the actor argued that this isn't just about Elphaba."I hope people yearn for a time when life was easier for the characters," Bailey noted. "As much as I feel like that about growing up sometimes, [these characters are] having to take responsibility and decide who they are during a time when people are controlling narratives.Jonathan Bailey clarifies his 'retirement' quote. Jonathan Bailey at a Wicked: For Good premiere event in Brazil.Mauricio Santana/Getty ImagesSo, is Bailey taking a break from acting, or even fully retiring? No, not exactly."I was at the end of Richard II [play], and I was going on the [Jurassic World Rebirth] press tour, and there were two films I could have gone on to do," the actor recalled from the time when that quote made headlines. In the first few months of 2025, Bailey notes that he had been workshopping ideas to "scale up" his organization, The Shameless Fund, back then. Thus, he "stepped away from doing those two films," but his quote was limited to just those projects.Bailey noted, "I then did an interview with a magazine when I was cycling between Rome and Pisa on the way to a friend's wedding, and the internet kept cutting out. As a result, there was an unfortunate misquote that said I'd stopped acting for a bit. My intention was to say, 'Next year I'll be back.'""But the ripple effect was extraordinary," the actor said. "My sister, who I'm close to and lives in Australia, called me and said, 'Wow, is everything OK? You've given up?' By Monday, the headlines were 'Jonathan Bailey has quit acting.' I learnt at that moment that you can't control [narratives]."The Shameless Fund came from Bailey's own relationship with 'shame.' Jonathan Bailey and his Fellow Travelers costar, Matt Bomer, wearing 'drink your milk' T-shirts from The Shameless Fund. Instagram (@theshamelessfund/@jbayleaf); Elias Tahan Bailey argued that every person in the world has their own relationship with the concept of shame, though he acknowledged his own position in the world. "Of course, there is this huge triangle of privilege within it, and I'm fully aware that I'm right at the top of that. I'm also a massive benefactor of everyone who came before me. If, in the short time that I'm here, I can be a benefactor of the plight and the fight of a community that created a world in which I can play a Winkie prince [Fiyero in Wicked].""The truth about shame is that it can be completely debilitating, painful and dispiriting, and it can be really dangerous. It can literally be a matter of life and death," the actor observed. "But if you've felt shame in your life, my god, do you feel joy. The opposite of shame is freedom, right? For me, joy is being in the right place, with the right people, and getting to a place where you feel like, 'Yes, I'm meant to be here.' Or actually, 'I feel really awkward, I'm going to go.' Getting to that point feels good."Wicked: For Good opens November 21 in theaters. See on Instagram

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) is urging the Pensacola City Council to shut down a Christmas-themed drag show, which he has deemed demonic and harmful to children, despite how it is exclusively for adults over the age of 18.The citys Saenger Theatre plans to host A Drag Queen Christmas on December 23. The website says fans should expect a fabulous remix of classic Christmas hits, dazzling themed variety performances, and interactive moments to share your Christmas cheer. Related Federal appeals court revives Texas drag ban and lifts injunction A letter from Uthmeier claimed the show openly mocks one of the most sacred holidays in the Christian faith and expressed horror that some of the queens evoke satanic imagery in their outfits or characters. He also decried the fact that it will be playing at the same time as the citys family-centered Winterfest. So, while Penscola children are taking pictures with Santa, men dressed as garish women in demonic costumes will be engaged in obscene behavior mere feet away, he ranted, even though the drag show will take place inside a theater where the children at the festival wont be able to see it. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Pensacola city attorney has reportedly refused to cancel the show, saying it would violate the drag show production companys First Amendment rights and the citys contract with the theaters management company.Uthmeier, however, said the city which owns the theater has a legal right to supersede the management companys decision to put on the show if it deems a performance detrimental to public health or safety. He said the drag show meets this criterion because it will be taking place near children at Winterfest, even though they wont be able to see it. While the First Amendment safeguards freedom of expression, it does not require a city to platform and endorse disgusting, obscene content that denigrates its residents religious beliefs, Uthmeier concluded. He claimed it may even amount to religious discrimination and could cause legal issues for the city, especially if one of the deranged performers were to expose themselves to the kids nearby. The perposterous idea that LGBTQ+ people are inherently a danger to children has long been used by the right to fearmonger and stir anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.Two days before Christmas, Pensacola will host a demonic, sexually explicit drag show at the city-owned Saenger Theatre.Pensacola shouldnt platform obscenities that denigrate its residents and expose kids to harmful content. They should cancel the event. pic.twitter.com/5ToERM9Jk0 Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) November 7, 2025 The letter comes after a group of churches in the city launched a campaign to pressure the Pensacola City Council to cancel the drag show. The controversy has caused an uproar in the community, the Pensacola News Journal reported, where pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ residents continue to clash over whether the drag show should be permitted to go on.At a packed and contentious city council meeting in early October, resident Jermaine Williams called out the hypocrisy of those claiming to oppose the show on religious grounds. I mean, we see how yall vote, Williams said. Half of these people that spoke today wouldnt know Jesus if they stared him in the face.Another resident, Stephen McCollum, gushed that drag queens are more than entertainers.Theyre small business owners. Theyre advocates and theyre educators who use creativity to uplift others and welcome all. They welcome all, demonstrating that this art form is more than just a performance. Its a form of connection, and its a form of community, and its a form of hope. Uthmeier has long used his position to vilify and terrorize LGBTQ+ people. Earlier this year, he launched a crusade against a Life Time Fitness in Palm Beach Gardens after discovering that the private business had a trans inclusive policy. State law requires people use facilities aligned with their sex assigned at birth, but that does not apply to private businesses. Uthmeier, however, claimed otherwise in a letter sent to the gym. He falsely claimed that trans inclusion leads to assaults, exploitation, and fear and that he was merely doing this to protect women and girls.Even after Life Time said it would comply with his demands, Uthmeier posted a video in which he visited the gym in person to make sure they are not allowing trans women into womens bathrooms, not in Florida, and actually following the law. It appears they are, he reported to followers, though its unclear how he could have confirmed this without major privacy violations of the individuals entering and exiting the locker rooms there.This past October, Uthmeier also filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a parental rights activist who dubiously claims her childs middle school helped her child secretly transition. She has now petitioned the Supreme Court to take her case.Uthmeiers briefclaimsgovernment officials across the United States are fundamentally altering the upbringing of children and keeping parents in the dark with secret transition policies. These policies do not involve schools encouraging students to be trans or transition, but rather to support any students who willingly communicate that their gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth and to allow the student to choose when to share that private information with their parents. For some students with anti-trans parents, telling them could be dangerous.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A conservative activist in Florida was outraged that a teacher shared brownies with his class and mentioned that it was his husband who baked them. She even read a passage from the Bible that called for drowning people in a tense school board meeting.What public school have hired that man to come and teach that to those innocent children? she said, probably referring to the fact that the male teacher had a husband. Related This teacher was outed by his husbands obituary. Then he was fired for being gay. Donning an American flag vest, Margie Massoudi offered comment at the November 4 Duval County, Florida, Public School board meeting during a time when people could speak for one minute on any topic they wanted the school board to know about. Jacksonville is located in Duval County.Massoudi opened her speech by saying that she has knocked on thousands of doors to support conservative school board candidates while wearing an American flag vest. She then sternly warned the two liberal members of the school board that she would knock on 20,000 doors to unseat them in the next election, since shes so upset by a situation that happened at a school. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Massoudi read Matthew 18:6 from the Bible about drowning people who, presumably, disagree with her about education matters: But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.To that teacher that he said, Im weird, and I bring brownies to my class, and say, My husband makes this, Massoudi said angrily as she got to the point of her comment. I have gay family members, and they, they saw that and say, Hes crazy. He shouldnt be in that school, in that class.What public school have hired that man to come and teach that to those innocent children? she said as a timer sounded and she had to stop speaking. @heyitstwig26 Woman upset because a gay teacher brought brownies made by his husband?#jacksonville #schoolboard #florida #brownies #lgbtq original sound heyitstwig2 Massoudis social media accounts include plenty of Christian and conservative content but offer no explanation of the brownie situation.Floridas Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as the Dont Say Gay bill, passed in 2022 and banned instruction in classrooms about LGBTQ+ people. While the state has not said that the law prohibits LGBTQ+ teachers from mentioning their spouses, the law has already been used to justify firing a teacher for being nonbinary and to ban a trans teacher from using the correct pronouns. Immediately after the laws passage,LGBTQ+ teachers in Orange County, Florida, were toldnot to display pictures of their spouses.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The Supreme Court will not hear Kim Davis latest appeal in her case about marriage equality. Her appeal asked the Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized marriage equality in all 50 states.The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied, the Courts order list says in a line about Davis appeal. It doesnt explain why. Related Justice who wrote Obergefell opinion shares surprising reason he thinks it wont be overturned BREAKING: The Supreme Court DENIES former county clerk Kim Davis's request for the justices to take up her longshot bid to overturn 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges marriage equality decision. No justice even writes about the request. Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2025-11-10T14:34:18.230ZLGBTQ+ advocates hailed the decision.Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what we all know: marriage equality is the law of the land, said Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings in a statement. This is a victory not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for everyone who believes in our Constitution and the rule of law. The Courts decision reaffirms a simple fact: equal protection of the law applies to all, not just some.Davis was a county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, in 2015 when she refused to give a marriage license to a same-sex couple, citing her religious beliefs. In the past 10 years, she has been sued, jailed, lost her case, and appealed numerous times. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Her latest appeal, filed this past summer, was widely considered a longshot by legal scholars. It asked the supreme Court to review her First Amendment argument to overturn a decision against her. Her lawyers at the hate group Liberty Counsel said that they also asked the Court to consider overturning Obergefell since it did significant damage to the historic definition of marriage, to states rights, to religious freedom, and to the rule of law.This is similar to an argument that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito made in 2020 that the mere existence of married same-sex couples is a violation of Christians religious freedom because seeing married same-sex couples encourages people to judge Christians as bigots. (That opinion was delivered in the context of a different Kim Davis appeal). SinceObergefell, parties have continually attempted to label people of good will as bigots merely for refusing to alter their religious beliefs in the wake of prevailing orthodoxy, Thomas wrote at the time.While her appeal received significant media attention, legal experts believed it was a poor vehicle to overturn marriage equality, if the Court is looking to do so at all. Alito and Justice Amy Coney Barrett both recently denied that there was any plan to do so.The Supreme Court receives about 10,000 petitions a year asking it to hear various cases the Court agrees to hear only 75 to 85 of them,according to The Judicial Learning Center. Even Bill Powell, the lawyer representing the same-sex couple in Davis case, was optimistic the Supreme Court would not hear her case.Not a single judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals showed any interest in Davis rehearing petition, and we are confident the Supreme Court will likewise agree that Davis arguments do not merit further attention, Powell said.Even if the Supreme Court had taken the case, Chris Geidner, the gay publisher and author ofLaw Dork,toldLGBTQ Nationin Januarythat he didnt think a case like Davis would provide sufficient legal reasoning to overturn same-sex marriage entirely.Rather, he said that a successful religious freedom or free speech challenge toObergefellwould do other bad things, like hollow out civil protections or public accommodations for same-sex couples, essentially inconveniencing or endangering them, but not outright denying them the right to a marriage license.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear the appeal of former Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, the onetime county official who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the landmark 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.By denying review, the Court let stand lower-court rulings that found Davis personally liable for violating the constitutional rights of same-sex couples she refused to serve after Obergefell was decided. The move leaves marriage equality intact, marking a quiet but significant moment in a decade-long legal battle over the scope of religious exemptions in public office.Related: Breaking: U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether to revisit marriage equalityDavis, who rose to prominence for her defiance of the 2015 ruling, had asked the Court to revisit not only her liability but Obergefell itself. GLAD Law legal director Josh Rovenger, whose organization helped argue the original case, said the petition was always unlikely to succeed. It would really be anomalous for the Court to take a case with such a narrow fact pattern and use it to revisit Obergefell, Rovenger told The Advocate before the court's announcement.He described the legal questions in Daviss appeal about emotional-distress damages and qualified immunity as technical and disconnected from the broader constitutional right at issue. Even so, Rovenger said advocates had remained prepared: Were ready for all possibilities, he said.Related: Jim Obergefell warns, People should be concerned about Supreme Court considering marriage equality caseFor Jim Obergefell, whose case made history nearly a decade ago, the Courts refusal to hear Daviss appeal is cause for relief but not complacency. Theyve turned the idea of freedom on its head, he told The Advocate ahead of the announcement. Unless we stand up for what it truly means, we risk losing the very promise of equality itself."This is a developing story.