Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for the season 2 finale episode 9, titled "Red Light Green Light" of Squid Game: The Challenge, now streaming on Netflix.Dajah Graham competed as a Black lesbian player (No. 302) on Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 one of 456 players vying for the life-changing cash prize of $4.56 million at the end of this wild and treacherous game. By the end, she made it to the prestigious top 5 finale of the hit Netflix reality series alongside fellow competitors Perla Figuereo, Vanessa Clements, Steven Jones, and Trinity Parriman.Dajah also went on to finish the season as runner-up a remarkable milestone not only for the competitor, but for the Netflix reality competition itself, which is already holding auditions for season 3. See on Instagram Viewers first met Dajah as a competitor in season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge as Player 302. Over time, Dajah opened up about being 29 years old, being a lesbian, coming all the way from North Carolina, and working as a detective for four years in law enforcement.As this second season of Squid Game: The Challenge reached its gag-worthy conclusion, Out interviewed Dajah about her life prior to the show, her experiences in the competition, and what message she'd send to people in the LGBTQ+ community who may feel uncertain about their strengths not only in competition settings like this Netflix series, but also in their day-to-day lives. Dajah Graham (Player 302) on Squid Game: The Challenge season 2.NetflixOut: You watched the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge and felt like you could compete on the show. Was there any moment, competitor, or situation that sealed the deal for you to apply to be on season 2?Dajah Graham: When I saw Mai doing well, I knew I could do it. We have similar skill sets.Squid Game: The Challenge is a pretty brutal competition. Mentally, it tests your resilience, patience, emotional intelligence, and ability to socialize/strategize. Which strengths of yours came into play during this experience?All of these factors came into play, and I think I was able to utilize the "people skills" I picked up during my service in law enforcement.Which weaknesses of yours the ones that you knew about even before the show that indeed affected your gameplay?The only weakness I can say is being so empathetic. I attached easily to my alliances. It hurt to lose them. See on Instagram Did you surprise yourself competing on Squid Game: The Challenge? Any strengths and/or weaknesses you didn't even realize you had?I knew that I read people well, but watching it all play back on TV surprised me. They left out quite a few other times of me clocking someone.What was your favorite moment from competing on Squid Game: The Challenge?The bonds I built, and being able to play the games that we see in the original drama TV series in real life.What was your least favorite moment in this entire experience?Being away from my son And the food! The top 5 finalists dressed for the grand finale dinner of Squid Game: The Challenge season 2. Netflix The first season of Squid Game: The Challenge had two out LGBTQ+ finalists in the top 3 finale. How does it feel to be the first out lesbian competitor in the series to make it to this top 5 finale?It feels amazing to represent my community. And represent it well.What were your experiences growing up, identifying yourself as a lesbian, and coming out?I don't have a coming-out story. I've always been the person to do what makes me happy, whether I'm supported or not. So, one day I just popped out with a girlfriend. [Laughs.]Did you have any celebrity crush over the years that felt like your "lesbian awakening"?Coco Jones, Lori Harvey, Angela Bassett, Rihanna, Sanda Bullock, Lupita Nyong'o, Beyonc, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sarah Paulson, Regina Hall. I mean, It would take me days, maybe even weeks, to name them all [Laughs.] So here's a few! Vanessa Clements (Player 017); Perla Figuereo (Player 072); Steven Jones (Player 183); Dajah Graham (Player 302); Trinity Parriman (Player 398) on Squid Game: The Challenge season 2. Netflix Season 3 applications are now open. What would you say to other Black lesbians, or even POC LGBTQ+ people in general, who feel insecure about applying to the show and just assume they couldn't possibly get far?To the future POC LGBTQ+, don't ever make yourself smaller to fit inside the box that this world wants you to be in, force them to make room for you. Don't let anyone dismiss you or count you out. They are going to hate regardless.Keep up with Dajah Graham by following her on Instagram at @queen_daj95 and make sure to watch Squid Game: The Challenge season 2, now streaming all episodes on Netflix. See on Instagram

Justine Lindsay says she was fired from the Carolina Panthers cheer squad because of her gender identity.Lindsay, who became the NFL's first out trans cheerleader when she joined the Carolina Panthers TopCats cheer team in 2022, had previously announced that she wouldn't be returning to the team after three years there. Now, she's opening up about what happened."I was cut because Im trans," Lindsay said Saturday in an Instagram Live with Gaye Magazine. "I dont wanna hear nobody saying 'She didnt wanna come back.' Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that Ive been a part of for three years?"I was devastated. It stung. I was hurt, she said.Lindsay clarified that she's "not throwing shade at the organization," adding, "I love them down. I appreciate everything that theyve done for me, but I feel like I was done wrong."Lindsay said she had a hard time letting down kids who said they were excited to see her next season, and that the team wasnt even looking at the bigger picture as far as who I was changing lives for. "It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth," she said. "And this was right after Trump became president."Lindsay isn't done. She's working on a documentary, campaigning for trans pageant Miss International Queen 2026, and still has "a lot of great connections within the NFL."While there are several out gay cheerleaders in the NFL, there are no other out trans cheerleaders.In August, Lindsay confirmed to Outsports that she wouldn't be returning to the team."For now, Im focusing on my pageantry work and community involvement, striving to be recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times," she said at the time."Being in the NFL was a stepping stone to get me where I need to be, and God is blessing me each and every day, giving me the breath to do the work and change lives. My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals. Don't let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals, whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc."

Florida police arrested 25-year-old Shanoyd Whyte Jr. for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, 21-year-old transgender wig-styling social media influencer Girlalala (aka. M. Harrison), following an argument in Whytes car on Friday, November 14. Video captured Whyte having a physical encounter with Harrison moments before her death.Cisgender rapper JT donated $5,000 to a crowdfunding campaign to pay for Harrisons funeral costs and made a social media post alluding to domestic violence that Harrison may have faced. Harrison was a fan of JT and rapped along to some of her music in several of her social media videos. Related Police are more likely to mistreat LGBTQ+ people, a disturbing new study finds Officers from the Broward Sheriffs Office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida said that Whyte allegedly shot and killed Harrison in the passenger seat of his car after a verbal argument which turned physical, near 7 p.m. local time. Video recorded from a Tesla vehicle reportedly showed Whyte exiting the drivers side of his sedan, approaching Harrison as she tried to exit the passenger side, and grabbing her by the hair and forcing her back inside the vehicle, WPLG reported. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Police reportedly found the murder weapon and arrested Whyte near the scene of the crime, WTVJ reported. Emergency medical workers transported Harrison to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.Whyte reportedly dated Harrison for several years and formerly played as a defensive lineman for Bethune-Cookman Universitys football team. He is now in the Broward County jail on a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm without bail. Harrison who has over 291,800 followers on TikTok, 43,800 on Instagram, and 4,720 on YouTube amassed fans through her fun and stylish videos showing her work and love of hip-hop. Following her death, fans noted that Harrison had once posted a video where she appeared with a cut on her nose and mentioned fighting with her boyfriend.A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign for Harrisons funeral raised $28,712 by the early morning hours of Wednesday, topping its initial $25,000 goal. Florida-based rapper JT (birth name Jatavia Shakara Johnson) donated $5,000 to the campaign.On a since-expired Instagram post, JT wrote, NOTHING is funny about a (domestic) violence story. She added that many people do not take intimate partner abuse seriously in the queer and straight communities, instead treating such abuse like reality show drama.In a statement, Harrisons family said, As a family, we appreciate every prayer, kind thought, and gesture during our time of bereavement. Now, we are just praying that justice is served to the fullest degree. Harrisons brother was shot and killed last August. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @_girlalalalaBlack transgender women made up nearly half of the 36 known murders of trans and gender non-conforming people over the last year, according toa report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The number of such murders has risen over the past few years, and transphobia and anti-trans policies have made these groups even more susceptible to poverty, social isolation, illness, and violence, the HRCs report said.The more recent murders have occurred amid a political climate where Republicans introduced over 700 anti-trans bills in state legislatures nationwide this year alone. Furthermore, right-wing influencers have weaponized anti-trans rhetoric to spread hateful, dehumanizing anti-trans messages on social media, which encourages attacks against trans people.The number of gender identity-related hate crimes against trans and nonbinary individuals may actually be much higher than realized since not all such crimes get reported to police. Furthermore, police, media, and victims families sometimes misgender victims, essentially erasing their true gender identities in the process.According to the 2017-2022 Transgender Homicide Tracker, 73% of all confirmed homicides against Black trans women involved a gun. Approximately 54% of trans and non-binary individuals have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetimes, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).Thats higher than the 41% of women and 26% of men in the general population who have experienced such violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.A2024 HRC reportfound that 75% of transgender people murdered in the prior year were people of color, and 50% were Black trans women 30% percent knew their attackers.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Earlier this summer, I announced the launch of the Bernadine Casseus Transgender Laureate program. Named after my lovable trans auntie, this program celebrates trans individuals who lead with grace and strive to make a difference in their communities. And after receiving and reviewing 30 fabulous applications, I'm proud to announce that Philadelphia's own Naiymah Sanchez has been named as the inaugural Trans Laureate.In this conversation, Naiymah revisits the moment discrimination pushed her into advocacy, the urgent threats facing Black and Brown trans women, and the spiritual grounding that keeps her going.Marie-Adlina de la Ferrire: Congrats, Naiymah! One of the things that stood out to me the most is how you've constantly used your voice not only to speak, but to shake tables. What first lit that fire in you to stand up for our community?Naiymah Sanchez: Honestly, it's hard to pinpoint a single moment because, for as long as I can remember, I've always resisted any attempt to deny me the right to be myself. But there was a turning point when I realized I couldn't just advocate for myself; I had to speak up for others who were facing the same inequities in silence, often forced to accept bigotry hidden behind outdated state laws.I was terminated from a job I had held for three years because I checked "female" instead of "male" on my application after sharing my identity more openly. I was told I had misrepresented myself, even though my state-issued ID reflected my truth. That experience taught me firsthand how at-will employment laws and outdated non-discrimination laws could be weaponized.I knew this was targeted discrimination because of my gender identity. That moment solidified my commitment to making sure others would not have to endure the same. I joined efforts to modernize Pennsylvania's laws to clearly define protections based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Since then, my commitment to community liberation has expanded beyond policy work to include direct service and support because actual change requires both structural reform and care for the people living through it.Every trans story starts somewhere tender. Who or what gave you the courage to live out loud growing up? And how does that foundation still carry you through your work today?Now, I love the opportunity to share stories from my life, and the most tender moment was the first time someone saw me "dressed up": my grandmom, in a wedding gown.I was 11, and her reaction was priceless. I was scared, caught, and anticipated a whooping. But I was met with intentional love. She first said, "Go take that dress off and be careful", then she made me a turkey sandwich with Doritos chips and a cola. She invited me to sit down as she pulled out a chair at the kitchen table, saying, "You looked beautiful." Even though the harmful experiences that followed were encouraged by other family members, including conversion therapy and abuse. It was the experience of that moment with my granny that affirmed me in the first moment of "being seen" I take into my work today. That we must treat each other with care and understanding.You've been part of the Out100, now you're Transgender Laureate #1. What does this honor mean to you?Both opportunities are a reminder to me that my voice is being heard and my visibility is necessary, as we continue the essential work of liberating our people. When I learned about my induction to Out100 in 2023, I was shocked. Never did I imagine being recognized by a national outlet for my contributions through education and advocacy, and being 1 of 100 LGBTQ+ people working to advance our rights in America. Now, as the 2025 Trans Laureate, this is another opportunity as a possible model for other Black and Brown trans folx through a different lens.It's an honor to know my community trusts my leadership, and accepting it is my commitment to moving us forward.What does "Laureate" mean to you, especially in the context of trans life, survival, and the art of resilience?To me, it represents both honor and responsibility. Not just recognition of one's artistry or voice, but a call to carry our stories forward. Being the Trans Laureate means holding space for the beauty that comes from struggle and transformation. It's about turning pain into purpose, memory into movement, and visibility into liberation. A trans laureate reminds the world that trans people are not just surviving, we are creating, dreaming, and shaping culture in ways that expand what it means to be human.You've been doing the work for some time now. What changes have you seen in how our communities care for one another over the past decade?Over the past decade, I've seen our communities grow in our visibility and stronger in how we show up for one another. In Philly and beyond, mutual aid and community care have become more intentional, shifting from charity to focus on solidarity. We've learned that liberation work isn't just policy or protest; it's feeding each other, finding housing for those in need, and ensuring people feel seen and loved.At the same time, I've seen more collaboration across movements, recognizing that our struggles are connected. There's still a lot of healing to do internally and across identities. Still, our sense of collective care has deepened. We're learning to move from survival toward building systems of care that can sustain us all, returning us to the roots of organizing.Progress is real, but so are the roadblocks. What challenges still keep you up at night when it comes to safety, visibility, and opportunity for trans folks, especially Black and Brown trans women?For Black and Brown trans women and girls, visibility can still mean vulnerability to violence, discrimination, and systems that were never built to protect or support us or our entire community. The barriers to stable housing, affirming healthcare, and fair employment remain far too high. What worries me most is how policy and politics continue to strip away basic rights and acceptance, forcing so many of us to fight not just against the targeted attacks but to exist in our communities and neighborhoods. But even in that fear, I hold on to hope, because our communities have always turned pain into power, and that resilience continues to guide us forward.Advocacy can take a toll on the body as much as the mind and spirit. How do you fill your own cup?Wow, filling my own cup. To start, I'm very spiritual, and turning to my beliefs helps me ground myself. Outside of community movement efforts, I'm also a caregiver to two aging parents, so scheduling time for me has to be strategically planned. At the very least, I appreciate a long, hot bubble bath and a nice, slow jam mix from the early to mid-90s. On retreat, I love a waterfront bench, silence, a short fictional book, a glass of sparkling ros, and a smooth cigar, not altogether, but that would be great too.When I do have a chance to get away, I appreciate traveling to a beachfront location, turning my phone off, and taking a moment to celebrate myself, hugging trees, and connecting to nature. I do have a therapist to help me in moments in which I need professional support. I love the connections with my friends and my bio/chosen family, which allow me the privilege of feeling loved and of loving unconditionally.The Bernadine Casseus Transgender Laureateship is grounded in hope. So what gives you hope right now? And where do you see that guiding light coming from in our community?What gives me hope right now is us. The way our communities continue to show up for one another, even when the world feels heavy and politics are pitting us against each other. I see hope in the young people who are unapologetically themselves, in the organizers who continue to build through limited resources, and in the elders who remind us that we've been here before and still found ways to thrive. Our light comes from that shared commitment to care, creativity, and survival.It's the reminder that no matter how hard things get, we keep finding ways to love, to build, and to imagine something better together.If you could grab the mic and speak directly to the next generation of trans activists and artists, what would Auntie Naiymah say? And what would you tell your younger self in that audience, too?If I could grab the mic and speak to the next generation of trans agents of change and artists, I'd say, "Baby, don't rush your becoming. The world may try to make you prove your worth, but you remember your existence is already powerful. Lead with love, protect your joy, and remember that rest is part of the work."To my younger self sitting in that audience, I'd say: "Keep holding on, young person, you don't have to shrink or hide your truth to be safe. The very things you are told to hide will one day be your superpower. Keep dreaming, keep living, and keep creating. Trust that your voice will find its rightful place. When it does, open the door for others.Equalpride, the publisher of Out, is a proud media sponsor of the Bernadine Casseus Transgender Laureate program.

Rabidly anti-LGBTQ+ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently claimed that a top LGBTQ priority is putting porn in elementary schools. And to prove her point, she posted a video of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) speaking against book banning at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Numerous commenters called out Greene for lying.The Democrats have made p*rn in elementary schools a top LGBTQ priority, Greene wrote Wednesday via X. When theyre caught, they claim we want to ban books. Democrats are the party of pedophiles. Related LeVar Burton & 175 other artists denounce white supremacist book bans Her comment re-posted a similar claim from Chaya Raichik, who goes by Libs of TikTok on social media. Raichiks posts vilifying LGBTQ+ people and allies have led to numerous death threats against children and childrens hospitals. 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 Heres your daily reminder that when [Democrats] accuse us of banning books theyre referring to graphic p**n books that are available to kids in schools across the country, Raichik wrote in a post that included a video of Gov. Shapiros recent DNC speech, in which he said, Its not freedom to tell our children what books theyre allowed to read.Raichiks post included images of several LGBTQ+ booksincluding Gender Queer, This Book is Gay, Flamer, and Lets Talk About It. All four books include explicit discussions of sex and images of nudity; some recount personal experiences and others have educational purposes. The Democrats have made p*rn in elementary schools a top LGBTQ priority. When theyre caught, they claim we want to ban books.Democrats are the party of pedophiles. https://t.co/0bT0vF6Zu7 Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) August 22, 2024In a follow-up post, Greene wrote, Democrats cant read the pornographic books they want in elementary schools at the DNCif they did, all networks would IMMEDIATELY halt coverage or else theyd be fined.Democrats cant read the pornographic books they want in elementary schools at the DNCif they did, all networks would IMMEDIATELY halt coverage or else theyd be fined. https://t.co/uFksiS9Zih Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) August 22, 2024 Numerous commenters called out Greene and Raichick for spreading anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation. In reality, most book bans in the U.S. have come from a small number of conservative groups, and the bans mostly target books that discuss race or LGBTQ+ issues, including historic works like The Color Purple and The Diary of Anne Frank.Some reactions to Greenes posts pointed out that the president she supports so much, Donald Trump, has his own sexually explicit past that is inappropriate for children to read about. Others pointed out that Greene had extramarital affairs while married, showed sexually explicit pics several times in a congressional hearing, that Nazis burned sexually educational books and that the Biblea book beloved by conservative Christiansis sexually explicit and violent..@mtgreenee What a SICK comment! First, the claim that Democrats prioritize pornography in elementary schools, especially as a "top LGBTQ priority," is a baseless vile lie. There's zero evidence to support this outrageous accusation. Second, the use of terms like "pedophiles" Human (@4HumanUnity) August 22, 2024Literally none of that is true They're so desperate now that they're gonna lose. And listen to Marge about morality She only cheated openly on her husband multiple times And that's a fact. Mike (@MikeRunsMiles) August 22, 2024Weird take, especially when the vast majority of convicted pedophiles are republicans, and especially MAGA. And they are not drag queens (although many are closeted queens. Why yes, I am talking about Matt Schlapp!) tinkingbell (@tinkingbell1) August 22, 2024https://twitter.com/WhiteRabit300/status/1826452552638181610.@mtgreenee Theres something deeply wrong with you. You were best buddies with Matt Gaetz!Claiming that Democrats are placing "pornographic books" in elementary schools is a blatant lie. There's zero evidence of any school libraries stocking pornographic material, LGBTQ+ Human (@4HumanUnity) August 22, 2024This you? Not one, not two, but at least 3 times you subjected your colleagues to unwanted porn.That's sexual harrassment. They complained, yet they're obsessed with porn? You can't even lie very well. I guess the shared single MAGA brain cell skipped you tonight. pic.twitter.com/GygnRPnJHE Fookin Chookay (@slayergoddess69) August 22, 2024 pic.twitter.com/UMHtTULz5Y American Woman (@Liberal_Lady5) August 22, 2024https://twitter.com/Choanoke258/status/1826601006186332328https://twitter.com/PattiGoke/status/1826583650101534723

Even though both chambers of Congress voted Tuesday to release government files on deceased child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) accused gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of hiding other files that could reveal more vital information about Epsteins crimes and his accomplices.On Tuesday, the House voted 427-1 in favor of a bill to release the files, and the Senate supported the bill by unanimous consent later that day. The vote followed months of the president repeatedly calling the files a Democratic hoax even as he pressured Republican Congress members to oppose their release. Related Gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatens to punch colleague in the fu**ing face In a series of posts published on Bluesky on Tuesday evening, Wyden wrote, Let me tell you about the other Epstein files the [current] administration is STILL HIDING records that arent affected by the bill Congress passed today. The Treasury Department has its own Epstein file containing thousands of bank records. My investigators reviewed a portion of those records last year, Wyden continued. Ive demanded the Secretary Bessent produce the file for further investigation. He has refused repeatedly. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Wyden said that the Treasury records would help reveal where Epstein got his money, how he acquired and controlled his victims, who he trafficked them to, which individuals and banks enabled Epsteins misdeeds, who else had control of Epsteins accounts, and what crimes they committed.Bessents not only hiding these docs, he bizarrely claimed Treasury has no role investigating them at all, Wyden continued. Its a lie. Its impossible someone with his background doesnt know about Treasurys extensive role investigating the kinds of fnancial crimes Epstein must have been committing. Wyden said that Attorney General Pam Bondi must now comply with the congressional bill requiring the Department of Justice to release its Epstein files, but added, But our work cannot stop there. We need to force the Treasury to release the Epstein bank records too. I have a bill to make that happen.FOLLOW THE MONEY, Wyden concluded.The Treasury Department has its own Epstein file containing thousands of bank records. My investigators reviewed a portion of those records last year. I've demanded the Secretary Bessent produce the file for further investigation. He has refused repeatedly. Senator Ron Wyden (@wyden.senate.gov) November 18, 2025 at 5:12 PMPersonal emails from Epstein uncovered by Democrats in a House Oversight Committee have revealed unflattering details about the presidents relationship with Epstein.The president previously referred to Epstein as a terrific guy and signed a birthday letter to Epstein, which the presidentlater claimed was fake. While the two men reportedly had a falling out in 2004, the current administration repeatedly refused to publicly release government files on Epstein. Critics said the president may be worried that the files would implicate himself and other high-profile conservatives in Epsteins crimes. One of Epsteins emails said that the president knew of his crimes and even spent hours with one of Epsteins now-deceased victims.Though the president has promised to sign the bill authorizing the DOJs release of its Epstein files, numerous commenters have voiced concerns that the released files may be heavily redacted or altered to hide any potentially embarrassing information about the president and other high-profile conservatives who had associations with Epstein.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Editors note: This article contains spoilers from the Wicked books and both acts of the Broadway musical.After the gravity-defying success of the first Wicked movie and its highly anticipated Wicked: For Good sequel, fans are wondering: Is another sequel, such as Wicked Part 3, in the works?Even though the 2003 Broadway musical has a pretty conclusive ending, Wicked author Gregor Maguire did publish several sequels to his first Wicked novel, and so did L. Frank Baum author of the original 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .Bowen Yang enters the chat on more Wicked films. Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James in Wicked For Good poster.Universal Pictures Bowen Yang, who played Pfannee in both Wicked movies, was asked if he thinks this Ozian franchise helmed by Jon M. Chu could continue with a third film."I think we leave it here," Yang told Variety. "I'm going to pitch a 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern' Are Dead' story with my and Bronwyn James's characters, [Pfannee and ShenShen].Here's what Gregory Maguire said about more Wicked movies. (L) The cover art for Gregory Maguire's 2025 novel Elphie: A Wicked Childhood; (R) Gregory Maguire, author, poses for a photo.Willam Morrow; Helen Maguire NewmanDuring an interview with Out to promote his latest novel, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, Maguire was asked about potential new sequels and/or spinoffs to the Wicked movie."If there are conversations and I'm not saying that there aren't if there are conversations, they're not conversations that involve me directly. So I don't know, really. I don't know," Maguire told Out."To date, I have sold the rights to one novel and one novel only.""I understand that there's a lot of interest in Universal about the magnificent property they've developed," the Wicked and Elphie author went on. "You probably saw there's notions of a Wicked area of Universal theme parks. And god knows there's been enough Wicked merch. To date, I have sold the rights to one novel and one novel only, and that's Wicked."Maguire added, "And if I never sell the rights to anything else, so be it. The truth is, of course, as you know, the novel of Wicked ends very differently from the play and from the movie. All the characters are in different places at the end of my novel than they are at the end of the play."But would Gregory Maguire be open to more Wicked sequels based on his books? The Grimmerie in Wicked For Good.Universal Pictures"For one thing," Maguire explains, "there's this 14-year-old boy named Liir who is the love child of Fiyero and Elphaba, and that sure doesn't happen on the stage by the end of Wicked. And so, therefore, all the trajectories of my characters will have to be different from the characters that might conceivably be spawned from a Universal interpretation. But if they were my characters originally, then you can't write another sentence about Madame Morrible and invent something about her, because she's under copyright. And you can't do Elphaba again, and call her Elphaba, because she's under copyright."The Wicked novelist remarks, "What I gave were the rights to use my original novel as inspiration for their project, and they've used that.""You can't write another sentence about Madame Morrible and invent something about her, because she's under copyright."If approached by the studio and producers to expand the Wicked franchise on the big screen, would he be open to it?"I might be," Maguire tells Out. "But a) I'm not greedy; and b) I'm frugal. I don't need anything more. And what if I didn't like what was being proposed? Or if I thought, 'Why? Will this dilute this moral tale? Or is it just money-grabbing?'"The novelist concludes, "I wouldn't say I am absolutely closed to it. But I wouldn't say I am hanging around the phone hoping that somebody rings, either."What did Wicked musical creators Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman say about a third Wicked movie? Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked For Good. Universal Pictures Wicked composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, along with screenwriter Winnie Holzman both of whom originated the Broadway musical and had direct involvement in the two movies had a different answer when asked about the potential to grow a Wicked cinematic universe.During the promo cycle for the first Wicked movie, Oz Historian Ryan Jay asked Schwartz and Holzman if they would consider more sequels beyond what was then still named Wicked: Part Two and is now officially titled Wicked: For Good in an interview for The Morning Blend TMJ4.We already got a franchise, Jay pointed out. What will it take to get Wicked part three, and four?Schwartz replied, Were actually talking about something. Its under wraps, and we cant say [much].But its not Wicked part three or four, Holzman noted.Schwartz agreed. But there is something were talking about, the composer and lyricist teased.Wicked: For Good opens in theaters on November 21.

A funeral home worker in Florida is out of a job after video of him attacking a Pride flag at a Starbucks was shared online, and he was arrested.Imade some poor decisions that led to my rightful arrest and termination from my career at the funeral home, he wrote in a handwritten appeal to a judge, requesting permission to leave the county to seek employment elsewhere. Related Rainbow-flag bearing vandal sprays anti-gay cult onto churches in the dead of night Tucker Alden Kemp, 31, of St Petersburg, made national headlines last month when he told the manager of a Starbucks that the coffee shops Pride flag should be replaced by an American flag, saying the rainbow is offensive to him. The manager refused to redecorate, so Kemp, according to his arrest affidavit, decided to take matters in his own hands.According to The Smoking Gun, he threw his tea at the rainbow flag, ripped it off the wall, and put it in a trash can.Kemp was arrested and is facing a charge of criminal mischief. Police believe he caused $210 worth of damage to the flag and wall. After his arrest made headlines, he lost his job at Dignity Memorial, a funeral home, where he had worked for over a decade.Kemp is a registered Republican whose Facebook page used to say: Priorities: 1.God 2.Family 3.Business. Now most posts have been deleted from his Facebook page, and his account name was changed to Patriott Tucker.

This articlefirst appeared on Mother Jones. It has been republished with the publications permission.The Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission (EEOC) was established by the 1964 Civil Rights Act to enforce anti-discrimination laws in workplaces across the country. But under the Trump administration, the federal agency tasked with helping workers who experienced hostile work environments became a hostile work environment itself, according to one judges recent ruling. Related How the right uses gender ideology to blame trans people for everything EEOC Director of Information Governance and Strategy Marc Seawright was forced to resign because EEOC leadership engaged in discrimination against transgender employees, including the claimant, Mary Shea, an administrative judge for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, wrote in arulingthis month, determining Seawright had good cause to resign in June. As a result, Seawright is eligible for unemployment benefits while his formal discrimination complaint remains under review by the EEOC.Before hisresignation, the information technology specialist had spent the last eight years working on projects that enabled the EEOC to carry out its core mission: preventing and fighting workplace discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy status, disability, and genetic information. Among Seawrights proudest contributions was an app he developed that enabled colleagues to display their pronouns across agency systems. Seawright, who identifies as a queer trans man, has also served as an employee-elected board leader of the agencys LGBTQ+ employee resource group; that is, until the Trump administrations newly appointed EEOC chair, Andrea Lucas, disbanded it in January. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Being forced to create the information technology that would systematically erase all EEOC references to transgender, non-binary, or other LGBTQ+ people, given that I am a queer transgender man, was personally devastatingMarc Seawright, former EEOC director of information governance and strategyThe same month, EEOC staff were instructed that any recognition of transgender and non-binary people needed to be systematically erased in both the EEOCs internal and external materials, Seawright explained in aformal complaintagainst the agency in March, before his resignation.What made it more disturbing, he wrote, was my forced involvement in making it happen.Specifically, Seawright was instructed thathehad to develop a technological process for the EEOC to scan and censor any mention of transgender, non-binary, or sexual orientation from agency materials.Being forced to create the information technology that would systematically erase all EEOC references to transgender, non-binary, or other LGBTQ+ people, given that I am a queer transgender man, was personally devastating and contributed to a hostile work environment, he said in his complaint. Seawrights complaint is not only about what he was instructed to do at work, but also about what he was prevented from doing amid the EEOCs efforts to marginalize me and my role. Among other things, he says he was booted from network systems he needed to do his job and left off meeting invitations about initiatives he was supposed to be leading.The conditions of my employment have continued to deteriorate and I expect they will become worse as Acting Chair Lucas takes further steps to discriminate against transgender employees, his complaint said.Meanwhile, elsewhere at the agency, EEOC staff were instructed to stop processing complaints from workers alleging LBGTQ+ discrimination.As I previously reported,the EEOC even moved to dismiss its own active lawsuits against companies that had been credibly accused of discriminating against trans and non-binary workers. Seawrights complaint says that the EEOCs internal non-discrimination and inclusion policy regarding gender identity and sexual orientation, which has existed since at least 2009, was also rescinded by Lucas. These changes arent just ironic, given that they occurred at the government agency tasked with fighting discrimination; they are also at odds with a 2020 Supreme Court decision. InBostock v. Clayton County,conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch (a Trump appointee) concluded that discrimination based on transgender identity or sexual orientation is inherently discrimination based on sex, and therefore prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.Andrea Lucas actions refusing to process charges of gender identity discrimination and harassment is directly contrary to the Supreme Courts interpretation, says Rebecca Peterson-Fisher, a lawyer representing Seawright.Before Seawright can sue in federal court, he has to give the EEOC until December to finish reviewing his complaint. After that, his attorneys can ask a jury to decide whether the EEOC was a hostile work environment. But for now, at least one judge in the US has said just that.The totality of evidence supports the finding that the claimants working conditions were so onerous as to constitute a threat to the physical wellbeing of the claimant, concluded Shea, the California unemployment appeals judge. The claimant had no alternative but to quit for the sake of his own health and safety.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Proud transphobe Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) made a sad confession on Newsmax yesterday: She has no friends.Her soliloquy started out as a fairly standard pitch from a politician, claiming not to be part of an elite even though, like all federal elected officials, she is: Im not part of the powerful, Im not part of the elite, Im an island of one Related Nancy Mace proudly shouts slur while praising Iowa for discriminating against trans people Mace, who has gotten a lot of attention this past year for her increasingly erratic behavior, didnt stop there. She kept on going, and her speech got sadder and sadder. I dont get invited to parties, she told host Rob Finnerty. I dont have any friends.I have a dog, she concluded.Nancy Mace: "I don't have any friends" pic.twitter.com/321HCjp5Uv Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 19, 2025Independent journalist Aaron Rupar posted the clip to social media. Mace noticed, and she acted like she took it in stride. And you thought you cooked with that too, she told Rupar.But many people didnt think her comeback was all that great.Girl why are you in people's replies like this? Don't you have work to do? The Wreck of the Ella Fitzgerald (@StoicalSophist) November 19, 2025He literally just quoted you weirdo Transphobes eat sh*t (@neverpilled) November 19, 2025You thought you cooked with this? demon lord gigi, rimuru's bestie!! (@Ggover9000_) November 19, 2025And you thought that was a strong comeback? FuckyoMamma (@fuckTrolls422) November 19, 2025

When Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) began threatening to take trans children away from their parents, Sarah began coaching her daughter on how to advocate for herself.Since she and her husband had never used the word transgender with their daughter, Sarah had a lot to explain about what was happening. I didnt go into a lot of detail, but I was like, some people think this. Related You said that to the wrong damn mama: How one moms fight for her trans son became a movement Then her daughter turned to her and said, Mom, I can try not to be transgender.Ive just never been more angry in my whole life, says Sarah. At that moment, if Ken Paxton had been in the room, I mightve caught a charge because I was so mad. And I told her (this is not very sweet mom of me), Ill fight every motherf**ker in this state. You will be you. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today When their daughter first came out, Sarah and her husband werent familiar with trans identities. But they knew early on they did not have a son. From the time she could talk, she was telling us who she was, Sarah told LGBTQ Nation. They took their daughter to a psychologist who encouraged them to follow her lead. We love you, and you tell us whats right, they told their daughter. And that was our life for a long time.But that wasnt to last. In 2022, Paxton announced a policy that labeled gender-affirming care as child abuse and threatened to remove children from their homes. That was when they knew they had to leave Texas. I dont hate anyone, but I hate that man, Sarah said of Paxton. We had to have talks and have laminated cards [with information to respond to the Department of Family and Protective Services] in her backpack.When Texas passed bills against trans inclusion in school sports or against gender-affirming care for minors, Sarah and her family figured they could still make things work, even if that meant crossing the border to Mexico for healthcare. But in Sarahs words, The idea that she could be taken from us, that was the line. I cant live in a world where its even feasible that somebody would want to take her from me.It took them over a year to get out. At first, we were going to go to a safe state, and by the end of that time, my soul was like, There is no safe state, its going to happen. [Trumps] going to win again.Sarah and her husband had never even used the word transgender with their daughter, and now, they were trying to figure out how to explain the rise in anti-trans hate across the country.I dont want her to live in fear, Sarah thought as the 2024 presidential race gained speed. What is she going to see the next political cycle? What billboards are going to be up? We were already starting to get really hateful mailers. This is going to ramp up, and then shes going to be seeing that at this developmental age thats so important for building your sense of self. Finding homeOnce they decided to leave the country, the next question was obvious: Where do we go? I was doing searches. I was very diligent about checking legal protections, cultural attitudes, healthcare availability, all of that. Sarah is keen to highlight that different factors are key for different families.So why Uruguay for them? We already spoke Spanish, so we wanted to move to an English or Spanish-speaking country. Sarah had been told Uruguay would fit her approach to life. People there are extremely laid back and they just dont care what anybody else is doing, she explained. Its just the most live-and-let-live kind of place.Protesters demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 4, 2024 | Megan Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images When it comes to trans rights and access to healthcare, especially for trans children, Uruguay easily sounds like a paradise compared to the United States. Uruguays constitution views healthcare as a human right and also protects children, recognizing them as people with rights independent of their parents.The country passed an extremely progressive trans rights law in 2018, which protects access to gender-affirming care for trans children even if the adults in their lives dont agree. The (translated) bill asserts that the country should guarantee trans people life free from discrimination and stigmatization. Crucially, while many countries that have passed progressive trans rights bills have seen a conservative backlash in the aftermath, Uruguay has not. The anti-trans contingent there couldnt even amass enough votes (10% of the electorate) to trigger a national referendum to roll back the bill.That atmosphere around trans people in Uruguay seemed perfect to Sarah, who doesnt want her daughters life to be irrevocably connected to advocacy a trend that is becoming more common with younger trans people.The diversity pride parade was this past weekend, and she didnt want to go because it was movie night. I think she was accepted so young that she just doesnt think of it as a thing. [This countrys] been progressive for so long that people dont really care. We made the right choiceOf course, theres always bureaucracy and a complex process involved in moving internationally, especially for two working parents with multiple kids.Uruguay is one of the easiest countries to immigrate to, though, as you can do so on a travel visa and then apply for residency there. Still, Sarah had to explain the move to her daughter. I did not want to tell her were moving because of [anti-trans politics]. I didnt want her to feel responsible in any way. The family had always talked about traveling when their kids were old enough to appreciate it, so they framed it as a chance for the kids to learn Spanish and travel around South America. Its going to be fun! Sarah said.Despite these efforts, anti-trans policies and language are pervasive, and Sarahs daughter is no fool. The day after Trump won, when the kids woke up and I told them. She said, So were never going back now. She knew. But I tried to protect her. As parents, we dont want to tell them how horrible the world is.Establishing gender-affirming care for their daughter in Uruguay was simple. She had seen only a therapist in Texas and wasnt ready for medical interventions, but in Uruguay, the doctor wanted to see her regularly to establish a rapport so that difficult conversations would be easier down the road. That healthcare is covered by taxes. | Shutterstock Recounting the difficult process of moving and the stressful six months before, when they had to say goodbye to friends and give away belongings, Sarah also highlights the positive. We had good experiences right away with people here that made us feel like, Okay, good, we made the right choice. As Trump took power and anti-trans policies became federal rather than just state-level, Sarahs doubts about whether she was overreacting subsided. Everybody in our lives who thought we were crazy is like, No, you were right. Im like, I didnt want to be, I would have loved to be wrong. A thriving group of queer immigrants Sarahs move didnt just help her own family. In Uruguay, Sarah found other immigrant families with LGBTQ+ members, and they have formed a supportive, welcoming, and thriving community.When she and the small group of other immigrants she knew started to see an influx of people from the U.S, particularly after the election, they wanted to help. So we just created a group on a messenger app and said, If you meet someone from the U.S. who moved here, they have to live here already and somebody in their family has to be LGBTQ+. Thats it. Those are the two rules. And we have now like 90 people in the group. The group helps people settle into everyday life, make new connections, and process any trauma they may carry from fleeing the U.S. They have a spreadsheet of English-speaking realtors, dentists, furniture salespeople, and other resources needed to get settled. They have a poetry group, a Dungeons & Dragons group, and are trying to set up a softball group. Their support extends to all kinds of situations, like when someone has to go to the emergency room or needs emergency childcare.Sarah explains that it is not necessary for newcomers to find a strictly LGBTQ+ group. You could just be a part of your community, and nobody cares. But what we found is that those of us who have been here for longer than a year or so know that, but when youve just escaped somewhere like the U.S., youre terrified and you dont trust thats possible. People just need a little bit of time for that to really sink in.Sarah says the group is small enough to prevent it from becoming insular, and that life in Uruguay requires you to speak Spanish and make friends outside your immediate circle. Even some of the events within the group are more integrated: Our D&D group is having a half Uruguayans and half USians group thats going to play in Spanish and English. We have board game nights in both languages. Grief mixed with sunshineFor Sarah and her family, Uruguay has been a wonderful solution to a horrific problem. But as wonderful as it is, fleeing their home for the safety of your family has been far from all sunshine and rainbows. Theyve landed on their feet, but they had to sacrifice so much to get there.Moving meant closing Sarahs independent business and starting a completely new career. Her husband gave up a high-paying job in one industry and started lower down the ladder in another. Sarahs family lived on a homestead in Texas; leaving meant saying goodbye to their chickens, ducks, rabbits, fruit trees, gardens, and wide-open spaces where their kids could run. In Uruguay, theyve been living in a smaller, 700-square-foot apartment with two bedrooms and one bath while they get themselves reestablished financially.Salt Lake City, Utah USA June 2nd 2024: Utah Pride Parade Person Holding Trans Rights are Human Rights Sign | Shutterstock Sarah is very aware of the things that you cant simply replace. We had a really tight-knit community [in Texas] and we all took care of each other. Our kids had grown up together in our church. I had a really hard time. Nobody else will have held you as a baby and then get to watch you grow up. Thats a really special thing that you cannot just start over.Despite all that they lost and anger over the reasons they had to give it up, Sarah and her family still recognize that leaving was the right choice. We gained safety, and honestly, everything else pales in comparison.That safety isnt just about Sarahs daughter being trans. Another family arriving from the U.S. asked her daughter what her favorite thing about living in Uruguay was, and her answer had nothing to do with gender. My daughter said, We dont do shooting drills at school.Again, Sarah is keen to point out that Uruguay isnt for everyone. Things move more slowly, and for some, itd be a very difficult adjustment: Clothes dryers are rare, and Amazon doesnt exist there. But Sarah compares it to living in the 90s, in a positive way, when you could just send your kid over to another house, or have to work out whose kid had turned up at yours.One thing Sarah notices every time someone new arrives is that they go through the same emotional pattern. They feel great at first, and then they have a big decline, and then they even out. She sees people focused on the minutiae of moving, but many people dont focus on the emotional part and are not ready for that downturn. Youre escaping persecution, so theres a certain part where youre just trying to get out no matter what. But then you need to know its going to be really hard, and it will probably be worth it, long term, but youre going to have a year when its horrible.Sarahs community has set up a grief group with a therapist to help people with that process, but also to move on from their trauma and establish new lives in Uruguay.Day-to-day peaceIn Uruguay, Sarahs daughter is not completely isolated from anti-trans news. She helps to greet new families to the area and hears about what is happening from them. Sarah knows shes absorbing it but hopes that she can compartmentalize and know shes safe where she is.The important thing is that Sarah knows that harmful messaging isnt being reinforced every day in Uruguay as it might be in the States. Shes not getting any message over here that theres anything wrong with her Theres no politicians saying that, theres no billboards, theres no teasing. Thats just not a thing.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Justine Lindsay, the NFLs first out trans cheerleader, has revealed that she was fired this year from the Carolina Panthers because of the organizations transphobia.I was cut because Im trans, Lindsay said in an Instagram Live with Gaye Magazine that is no longer available. I dont wanna hear nobody saying She didnt wanna come back. Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that Ive been a part of for three years? I was devastated. It stung. I was hurt. Related Trans darts player vows not to let new anti-trans ban ruin her love of the sport Lindsay became the NFLs first out trans female cheerleader back in 2022, when she announced that she had become a member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats cheerleaders.After three successful seasons with the TopCats, Lindsay revealed this past August that she would not be returning for a fourth. In a statement to LGBTQ Nation sibling site OutSports, Lindsay did not discuss being forced out. 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 For now, Im focusing on my pageantry work and community involvement, striving to be recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times, she said. My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals. Dont let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals, whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc.In August, she provided some more context in an interview with The Gay Times, suggesting that the decision was not based on her merits as a cheerleader. People around me were like, You were the best one out there, she said. But, I didnt make it to the final round. I didnt always feel like I belonged [] So yeah, I was hurt. Everybody knew that I wanted to come back. I didnt always feel like I got the backing I was supposed to. In her conversation with Gaye Magazine, Lindsay highlighted her love for the organization behind TopCats, but felt that the decision was short-sighted and likely tied to the results of the November 2024 election. It was like a big slap in the face to not only me but for the youth, she said. And this was right after Trump became president.Lindsay has continued to make it clear that while she might be departing cheerleading on someone elses terms, thats not going to be the end of her story in the public eye. She is now developing a documentary and has started a campaign for trans pageant Miss International Queen for 2026.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Americas first-ever diplomat to come out as transgender has come to terms with the fact that she may never return to the United States.As the 2024 presidential election ramped up, 71-year-old Robyn McCutcheon saw the writing on the wall. The retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer applied for permanent residency in Kazakhstan, where she had served for many years and still had friends. Related Under Trump, federal workplace anti-discrimination agency engaged in workplace discrimination Then she watched Donald Trump declare on day one of his presidency that the official policy of the United States government [is] that there are only two genders: male and female. A few months later, she bought an apartment just outside Astana, Kazakhstans capital city. I think Ive lost my country, McCutcheon told The New York Times, recalling the thoughts that swarmed as she watched the presidential inauguration. This is not the America I thought I had represented or that I grew up in. 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 McCutcheon did not come out to State Department colleagues until she was in her fifties. The courage it took cannot be exaggerated. There was no precedent for a transgender diplomat, no way to know how anyone would react or if she could even keep her job.In fact, when rumors of her identity began to swirl, she lost an assignment in Moscow. Her superiors felt information on her gender identity (which was available in her recent divorce filings) would make her vulnerable to Russian blackmail. But in 2010, while stationed in Romania, she learned that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had added gender identity to the State Department nondiscrimination policy. So she decided it was time to be herself professionally. Her colleagues even conservative ones were unwaveringly supportive. One whom she had worked with before, Duane Butcher, assembled a group to support McCutcheon that became known as the Gender Transition Committee. Butcher called the moment McCutcheon entered the embassys Marine Ball in a blue gown transcendent. A Marine handed her a rose, and everyone wanted to give her a hug. McCutcheon became a huge advocate for LGBTQ+ rights both at home and abroad, even becoming president of the State Departments LGBTQ+ employee group, glifaa.Its hard to overstate how important Robyn is and will continue to be in the story of this countrys march toward progress, former federal official Sharon McGowan told the Times.McCutcheon had always assumed the trans rights movement would continue to blaze forward. She was dumbfounded when Trump began furiously signing executive orders to erase trans people from public life. I tumbled into a very dark spot very quickly because it seemed so unexpected to me that this could happen so fast,she said. She knew she had to get out, even though it meant leaving behind her son and her boyfriend. Now, she isnt sure if shell ever return to the United States. Ive left before, Ive gone off on long trips before, but I always knew Id be coming back, she said. This is the first time theres a chance I wont.McCutcheon is far from the only trans person who has left or considered leaving the country in the wake of the Trump administrations anti-trans hostility, along with the continued rollback of trans rights in red states. Some, like Veronica Clifford-Carlos, are trying to make asylum claims, though a Dutch court just rejected her request.Shespoke toThe Worldin September from a Dutch refugee camp, where she explained, It feels like the U.S. doesnt see me as human. I am not seen as a woman in the eyes of the government, and because of my transition, I am technically not a man either.She said the thought of returning to the U.S. gives her more dread than I have ever experienced in my entire life.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A third Mamma Mia! movie is officially happening though its not in production yet and the plot for that project still remains under wraps. But that isn't stopping Amanda Seyfried from ruminating on ideas for who she'd want to star with her in the next installment. In the past, Seyfried who costarred with Meryl Streep in the 2008 musical film and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again in a leading part, Sophie brought up pop star Sabrina Carpenter as a potential name to appear in a new production inspired by the hit ABBA jukebox musical. At the Governor Awards on Sunday, the Mean Girls star added Sydney Sweeney's name to the mix when she was asked about Mamma Mia 3. See on Instagram There's been some fan speculation that Carpenter, 26, might play the daughter of Seyfried, 39. But in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Seyfried said that she could see the "Please Please Please" singer as a different family member. "I love portraying a mom, so I would love to see Sophie with her kids," the actress said. "Maybe she has a cousin she hasnt seen in a while, and that could be Sabrina Carpenter. And then Sydney Sweeney could show up. Theres a bunch of girls that really want to be a part of it, and Im all for it.The details of the script, which producer Judy Craymer has confirmed exists, are being kept under lock and key. However, Seyfried gave fans a few hints for what they could maybe expect from the third movie. "I just know the three dads are going to come back, and we still wont know who the dad is because it doesnt matter. Meryl [Streep] is a ghost, obviously, so shell be around," she continued. "And Julie [Walters] and Christine [Baranski] will be back singing and looking hot and were all going to be somewhere tropical. And ABBA will be playing.The team is still remaining tight-lipped about what to expect in terms of a release timeline and when production could be expected to begin.Seyfried's remarks come in the wake of a series of box-office flops for Sweeney, whose film Christy, a biopic about the queer boxer Christy Martin, made headlines last week for its dismal numbers. Ruby Rose, who was up for the part, even said Sweeney "ruined" the production in the wake of controversy caused by an American Eagle ad, in which the Euphoria star was lauded for her "great jeans." The ad became a flashpoint in the culture wars, with some critics saying it smacked of eugenics and President Trump praising it. Sweeney's refusal to directly address the controversy in interviews has also sparked public frustration.

It's Wicked week, Out readers!Wicked: For Good officially releases in theaters this week (check out our review here!), bringing the saga of Glinda and Elphaba to an end. Or is it?Wicked: For Good hasn't even hit theaters yet, and already Hollywood is buzzing with rumors that director Jon M. Chu and the stars of the Wicked films could be coming back for a third film!In an interview with Oz Historian Ryan Jay, Wicked composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and screenwriter Winnie Holzman said they were "actually talking about something" when asked if there'd be a Wicked part three or four."It's under wraps, and we can't say [much]," Schwartz said."But it's not Wicked part three or four," Holzman added.Are you holding space for another Wicked movie?Maybe you're looking for a movie that's a little more... extreme. You won't have to wait long, as one of 2026's most anticipated movies is Harry Lighton's BDSM leather gay motorcycle romance Pillion!If you haven't heard of Pillion, it follows a shy and unassuming gay man named Colin (Harry Melling) who meets a handsome and commanding gay biker named Ray (Alexander Skarsgrd) who takes him under his wing. Check out our slideshow of 20 hot pics of the cast to find out more!Keep reading to find out our Woman Crush Wednesday and all the best pop culture news!- Mey RudeTo the West and beyond: Is Wicked For Good getting a Part 3 sequel?From fired to fearless, how this Out100 alum became the worlds first Trans LaureateSquid Game The Challenge's lesbian finalist Dajah: 'Don't let anyone dismiss you'NFL cheerleader Justine Lindsay says she was fired 'because I'm trans'One year of Holding Space: How a 'Wicked' meme changed the world'Pillion': 20 hot pics of the cast and crew of your new gay obsessionReview: 'Wicked: For Good' reaches for the sky, doesn't quite flyFraser Olender & Matt Rogers confirm their new relationshipWoman Crush WednesdayReal Housewives of Salt Lake City star Bronwyn Newport is our Woman Crush Wednesday! She spoke to Ricky Cornish at BravoCon, where she said this instant classic quote: "Nobody gets more gender-affirming care than the Housewives, so if your favorite Housewife is not standing up for the community, especially the trans community, you need to DM them and push them to stand up for your rights, especially now."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!

Multiple cisgender women have turned down spots on a list of the top female cyclists in the U.K. because the organization compiling the list banned trans women.If they dont want to ride with all women, then its not the kind of ride I want to be part of, Claire Sharpe told the BBC of Cycling U.K. Related Sports organization bans trans women & tells them to get therapy instead According to the outlet, the cycling charitys 2025 100 Women in Cycling list is its first in nine years to exclude transgender women. The decision reportedly came in response to the U.K. Supreme Courts ruling earlier this year that the legal definition of a woman under the countrys 2010 Equality Act is based on biological sex.For our awards to comply with the law we have to limit who can be considered for an award to biological women only, Cycling U.K. chief executive Sarah Mitchell told the BBC. This change to the awards doesnt alter our strong commitment to including and supporting all those who cycle, including transgender and non-binary people. We truly believe cycling is for all, and well keep working towards that goal. 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 Sharpe, a cycling guide and coach from Bristol, said that excluding trans women flies in the face of the lists intent.[The list] was originally set up to celebrate women who inspire, encourage and empower people to experience the joy of cycling, she said. By excluding trans and non-binary people, its just not doing what I think it was set up to do. It excludes people that have helped create the community that I was nominated for.Sharpe told the BBC that she is one of four women from the Bristol cycling community alone who declined to be ranked on the organizations 2025 list. As Scene reports, endurance cyclist Dr. Sarah Ruggins and Herne Hill Velodrome womens development lead Megan Joy Barclay are also among those who have turned down spots.I always saw these awards as a celebration of grassroots and community power in the face of gender marginalization hateful laws have no place here, Barclay wrote in an October 28 Instagram post. Riding bikes is my safe place in this sometimes devastating world and everyone should be welcome to that experience. I hope Cycling UK will reconsider their position next year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Megan Joy Barclay (@meganjoybarclay)Barclay told Cycling Weekly earlier this month that turning down the honor felt like an amazing opportunity to be an ally.This isnt something I feel I can represent and be a part of, because it goes against everything I believe in and stand for, she explained. It felt so shocking to see, when theres already so much hate in this space.In a letter to Cycling U.K. posted to Instagram earlier this month, Ruggins wrote that she would not accept recognition from a committee that has chosen to align with the U.K. Supreme Courts decision to define womanhood by sex assigned at birth.This stance excludes trans women and other minorities, denying them the dignity, inclusion, and opportunity they deserve, she wrote. Trans women are women. Their exclusion from womens categories and spaces sends a message that undermines the very principles of fairness, respect, and unity that sport is meant to uphold. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah Ruggins (@sarah_ruggins)Cycling U.K.s Mitchell, meanwhile, told Cycling Weekly that the organization plans to review the overall format of our 100 Women in Cycling Awards ahead of the tenth anniversary next year as there may be new and better ways to champion diversity and inclusivity in cycling.But as Sharpe said in a November 5 Instagram video, Thats not good enough for this year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Claire Sharpe (@clairesharpe)This week, cycling clubs All Terre Adventures, Loop Bikepacking, Lunar Cycles, and Roll Models the founders and organizers of which all declined their spots on the 2025 list as well announced a December 14 Solidarity Ride in response to Cycling U.K.s decision.Theyre not a reflection of the communities that weve built and certainly in Bristol, there are so many options to go out and ride with people who arent taking this stance, Sharpe told the BBC of Cycling U.K.Her message to trans women cyclers: Youre very welcome.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Veteran news anchor David Shuster isnt worried about the possibility of the Trump administration doctoring the Epstein Files to remove any incriminating references to the president. Now that both chambers of Congress have passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Shuster wrote on social media that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel will be jammed by their own incompetence. Related Trump demands ABC lose its license because a reporter didnt ask him about Epstein nicely There are nearly 1,000 FBI/DOJ staff who looked at the files in March with no compartmentalizing, limits, or controls, Shuster explained, referencing the fact that Bondi ordered DOJ staff to scour the more than 100,000 pages multiple times earlier this year, according to a July report from the New York Times. I get the concerns that AG Bondi and FBI Director Patel may try to scrub all Trump references and images in the Epstein files before they are released. Well, there are nearly 1,000 FBI/DOJ staff who looked at the files in March with no compartmentalizing, limits, or controls. https://t.co/YTODqQQWUO David Shuster (@DavidShuster) November 18, 2025That report explained how three former FBI and Justice Department officials said the employees were directed to find something, anything, that could be released to the public to satisfy the mounting clamor from the angry legions of President Trumps supporters. That scramble, Shuster explained, will be the countrys saving grace. Because if the AG and FBI director try to scrub Trump references now, there will be more than a few FBI/DOJ whistleblowers who will notice the removals and alert Congress. Check mate.Yes, Bondi and Patel will be jammed by their own incompetence. Because if the AG and FBI director try to scrub Trump references now, there will be more than a few FBI/DOJ whistleblowers who will notice the removals and alert Congress. Check mate. https://t.co/jqs3o1BdFW David Shuster (@DavidShuster) November 18, 2025

Out CNN anchor Anderson Cooper slammed Donald Trump for his recent repeated outbursts at reporters, fueled in part by the presidents anger over questions about the Epstein Files.Cooper played a clip of Trump snapping at Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One when she tried to ask a question. Quiet, quiet, piggy! the president barked in response, while pointing a finger at her. Related Trump rages at wacky Marjorie Taylor Greene. Now shes getting death threats. 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 Cooper then brought up a moment last month when a reporter was asking Trump a question, and he turned to Vice President JD Vance to say, I just like to watch her talk. I know diversity and actually treating people with decency and human kindness is not, you know, whats popular today in some quarters, Cooper said. But I just dont understand how somebody acts like this time after time, and everyone just pretends like, Oh, thats just what this guy does. Weve grown numb to it, and I think we have to fight that urge to normalize it, CNN commentator Ana Navarro replied before calling on other journalists around the president to express solidarity with the people that are getting berated because you never know who he will come for next.This is something that if your children did, you would scold them for, she emphasized. Cooper added that perhaps these are all things that he has been called as a child at some point in his life. I just dont understand how somebody acts like this. Anderson Cooper torches Donald Trump, is flabbergasted by how casually Trump insults reporters. pic.twitter.com/BX2cjQGFd2 Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 19, 2025Peoplenotesthat Trump has used the insult piggy towards women he doesnt like for years, potentially as a result of him thinking that women exist only to please men with their physical appearances. He once referred to Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado as Miss Piggy because she gained weight after winning the title.On Tuesday, Trump also snapped at an ABC reporter who asked him about the Epstein Files and said ABC should lose its license because she didnt ask him nicely.Why wait for Congress to release the Epstein files? Why not just do it now? the reporter said, likely referring to the fact that the president recently posted to Truth Social, claiming he supports Congress voting to release the files. As president, Trump could independently authorize the files release.Its not the question that I mind. Its your attitude, Trump replied. I think you are a terrible reporter. Its the way you ask these questions You could even ask that same exact question nicely.He did not say how the question could have been worded differently to make him feel better.Youre a terrible person, and a terrible reporter, Trump repeated, claiming he has nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.I think the license should be taken away from ABC, he said, because your news is so fake and its so wrong.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The White House admitted in a recent immigration court filing that it inadvertently deported a mentally incompetent transgender woman, Britania Uriostegui Rios, to Mexico even though she said shed likely face torture or murder there for being trans. Her lawyers now say they have grave concerns for her life and safety as the U.S. government seeks to bring her back while finding another foreign country to deport her to. However, Rios is suing to be released from government custody into the United States.Rios, a Nevada resident, lost her permanent resident status in 2023 after pleading guilty to a felony assault with a deadly weapon, for which she received a suspended criminal sentence and placement into deportation proceedings, The Guardian reported. Related Judge orders release of trans asylum seeker wrongfully detained in a mens facility An immigration judge ordered her deportation earlier this year, but forbade the U.S. from deporting her to Mexico over fears she might be tortured there, citing her protections under the United Nations Convention Against Torture (DCAT), an international agreement to which the U.S. is a party. The U.S. placed her in a male immigrant detainment facility.Nevertheless, on November 11, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) placed her on a bus from Louisiana to Mexico without any of her belongings, necessary medications, or a phone and only admitted the mistake once Rios lawyers began inquiring. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today ICE confirmed that your client was removed to Mexico inadvertently, a DOJ attorney wrote in a November 12 email filed in federal court. ICE stands ready to remedy the inadvertent removal by allowing your client to voluntarily reenter the United States if your client wishes to do so. The email noted that it had also unsuccessfully tried to deport Rios to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador.Rios attorney, Bridget Pranzatelli, told CNN she is a trans woman who has been through extreme trauma, including being sexually trafficked by cartels [at] as young as 12 years old, adding, As a result of these experiences, she has significant mental health issues. There are many actors in Mexico who want to hurt her, which is why an immigration judge found it more likely than not that she would be tortured or killed if forced to return. Pranzatelli said Rios has been staying with a family member in Mexico but has been forced to hide her trans identity out of fear that the relative will kick her out if she admits her true gender identity.Mexico is one of the deadliest countries in the world for trans people, according to theTrans Murder Monitoring Project.In response to Rios deportation, her lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) noted that the DOJs error was only discovered because shes one of the few deportees fortunate enough to have a lawyer, Politico reported. Rios is the fifth known case of the current administration wrongfully deporting someone protected by court orders or special status, CNN reported. If [the DOJ] had not been caught by counsel red-handed, violating the judicial decree at issue, [Rios] would be just another casualty (the number of which at this juncture remains unknown) of a mass deportation campaign running roughshod of the law at innumerable turns, her lawyers court filing reads. [Now, the DOJ] will allow [Rios] to reenter the United States if she happens to make it to a port of entry without dying, [and the DOJ will not] offer no additional aid whatsoever.Inadvertent removal cannot be tolerated and it absolutely cannot be tolerated a second time as it places [Rios] life in the very danger the DCAT order sought to protect, the filing adds, calling the DOJs promise to follow the DCAT an empty promise lacking any force of law. The fact that Defendants unlawfully removed [Rios] to Mexico, despite a court order, makes clear they cannot (and, apparently, will not) ensure they do not violate [her] DCAT protection, the filing continues. They also argue that the U.S. government has already held her for months, stretching the constitutional limit for pre-deportation detainment, and that she shouldnt be placed back into DOJ custody since it incorrectly deported her.The administration says that the immigration courts ultimately are the final arbiters on these issues and decisions. Yet they still flagrantly violated it, said Nora Ahmed, legal director for the ACLU of Louisiana. There can be no excuse for that. Its not an oops. How can you oops if someone dies?Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The New York Post just ran what is perhaps the dumbest opinion piece about LGBTQ+ issues of the year.The op-ed gravely warns New Yorkers that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is going to force gay men to get bottom surgery and hormone therapy to make them into straight women, based on what appears to be little other than the authors own fever-induced nightmares. Related The conversion therapy case shows the right wants to talk to kids about sex but only to shame them The piece is by Ben Appel, the author of a book with the title and Im not making this up Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic, where, according to the books Amazon description, he describes growing up in a conservative Christian community and then becoming a transphobe, all while bravely refusing to join the Cult of Queer.The Appel doesnt fall far from the tree, so to speak. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today Anyway, in his NY Post op-ed, he describes how some gay men are forced to transition in Iran because of homophobia, which is horrific, but also is not occurring anywhere in the U.S. or likely anywhere else in the world. Somehow, Appel uses this claim to insist that Mamdani is going to impose the same practice on gay New Yorkers because Iran is a Muslim-majority country and Mamdani is Muslim. Appel is very hand-wavy about the connection to Mamdani, writing, Suppress a boys puberty, inject him with estrogen, get him on the operating table, and voil youve transed the gay away And guess who wants to expand access to these regressive practices? Zohran Mamdani, whose mayoral campaign was fueled by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Yes, the same CAIR linked to Iran-backed Hamas.Sure, Ben.I have worked for decades in LGBTQ+ media and I have never heard of a single case in the U.S. of a cis gay person being forced by the government to transition to make them straight. I have heard of trans people being denied access to gender affirming care by their parents, by doctors who refuse to believe them, by insurance companies, by state governments, and because of pressure from the current president. And thats also horrific, right? Because the horror of cis gay men being forced to transition is that they are denied control over their bodies in an extreme way, the same as trans women being denied access to health care for nothing more than political reasons.The bottom line is that if Appel is actually worried that Mamdani is going to force him to transition, he should seek therapy for his paranoia, not write about it in the U.S. newspaper with the third-highest circulation.Of course, the U.S. is a very big country, and if some fantasy can be dreamed up, someone out there will believe it. Instead of wondering why Appel is scared of something that will definitely never happen, the better question is why the Post is publishing such an idiotic screed. Sure, the Post is conservative, but pushing the idea that an overwhelming majority of queer New Yorkers voted for someone who has a secret plan to force them to transition is, really, beneath even them. What it is, though, is part of a larger issue of LGBTQ+ people with terrible opinions on LGBTQ+ issues running to straight media to get their opinions published. Opinions that LGBTQ+ media would never publish because LGBTQ+ media is usually run by people who actually understand a thing or two about how the world works and how LGBTQ+ people are treated in this country. We also arent invested in giving straight people permission to treat our population like a political football that neatly fits into someone elses worldview.And it happens on all parts of the political spectrum, not just the right, with its token LGBTQ+ commentators like Caitlyn Jenner and Dave Rubin. Take, for example, this article published by the progressive The Nation just weeks before the 2024 election, where Charlie Markbreiter argued apparently earnestly that Kamala Harris wouldnt be much different from Donald Trump when it comes to access to trans healthcare.While that might sound absolutely bonkers now, I assure you that it was also quite obviously incorrect in October 2024. Their argument was that Harris was unwilling to use her magic wand to force Congress to pass single-payer health care, which meant that the 19% of trans Americans without health insurance would have difficulty accessing gender-affirming care. Markbreiter refers to the other 81% of trans people as white bourgeois trans people and says not to worry about them; theyll be able to access and afford whatever care they want, even if their health care is taken away and banned.Regardless of who is elected, however, the system of private healthcarewhich bourgeois trans patients access through employers and private wealthwill remain intact, Markbreiter promised on behalf of Donald Trump. Just as the movement for a free Palestine finds both candidates guilty of genocide, we should see liberal and conservative anti-transness, represented by both Harris and Trump, as two different levers of the same anti-trans machine, they concluded. Its hard to see the point of an essay like this other than to assuage the guilt of leftists who didnt vote for Harris but may have genuinely cared about their transgender friends. Markbreiter didnt go to LGBTQ+ media with their piece since its unlikely that LGBTQ+ publications would have published something so transparently false Trump made his opposition to trans rights one of his top campaign issues and LGBTQ+ people overwhelmingly voted for Harris since we knew what was at stake.Its a similar phenomenon to those articles from different parts of the Democratic coalition published in 2019 and 2020 about Pete Buttigiegs presidential campaign, like the one in The New Republic written by a gay man named Dale Peck that called him Mary Pete and speculated about what sexual positions he prefers in an overt attempt to degrade Buttigieg for being gay.The point was to give straight people permission to be openly homophobic. Or when the LA Review of Books published an essay by queer and trans studies professor Greta LaFleur that called Pete Buttigieg and his husband an image of heterosexuality without women because they didnt have sex on the cover of Time magazine. LaFleur dropped a lot of academic language about capitalism and whiteness while mocking Buttigiegs clothes repeatedly, saying that he wasnt dressed in an obviously queer way (queerness is an aesthetic to people like LaFleur) and concluding that our first gay first family might actually be a straight one despite the fact that she was talking about two dudes who were married to each other.Another queer writer running to straight media with an opinion about LGBTQ+ issues that would be derided as homophobic if a straight person said it, and the point was to portray gay people as not queer enough to be deserving of basic respect, like being seen for who they are. Like Pecks essay in The New Republic, but woke. I would also include in this phenomenon the regular articles that appear in tabloids about out gay people married to straight people of the opposite sex (usually out gay men with straight women). The Daily Mail this week published one where the gay man, Jacob Hoff, claims his fears [about sex with a woman] melted away after he and Samantha Greenstone decided to become a couple. Then they got married and had a kid, and he insists that hes not bisexual.Tabloids constantly return to this particular theme. Hoff and Greenstone, in particular, have appeared in at least half a dozen mainstream publications, fulfilling some need of theirs but, more importantly, a need of those publications audiences, which may be to imagine that gay people could stop being so gay all the time if they just met their right woman or man.This isnt about diverse or bizarre LGBTQ+ people seeking representation in the media. When an LGBTQ+ person with an odd perspective or story goes to straight media and presents themselves either as representing the whole LGBTQ+ community or as someone rejected by the LGBTQ+ community, its not about them anymore. Theyre presenting an image of us. When editors at these publications greenlight these essays, its because they want to invite their cisgender and heterosexual audiences to look at LGBTQ+ people a certain way, and thats usually about giving them permission to be homophobic or transphobic.Mamdani isnt going to force gay men to transition, Trump was clearly worse on trans rights than Harris, Buttigieg is obviously gay, and a gay man who is truly happy to be married to a straight woman doesnt constantly need attention for doing so. None of this is actually complicated.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Dear Beautiful Community, On this upcoming Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to speak directly to you — the dreamers, the fighters, the creators, the chosen family members, the quiet healers, the loud advocates, and every soul who makes this community vibrant, powerful, and endlessly inspiring. Before anything else, it’s important to acknowledge the Indigenous peoples...

President Donald Trump admitted on Wednesday that hed love to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not doing more to lower national interest rates. While speaking to the U.S. Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., Trump said, [Ill] be honest, Id love to fire his a**. Trump then said that gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is preventing him from firing Powell, but then added that hed fire Bessent if the matter doesnt approve, CNBC reported. Its unclear if Trump was serious. Related Gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is hiding evidence of Jeffrey Epsteins crimes, senator says The only thing Scotts blowing it on is the Fed, Trump said. The rates are too high, Scott, and if you dont get it fixed fast, Im gonna fire your a**. Bessent is reportedly assisting Trump with searching for Powells eventual replacement.Trump on Jerome Powell: "I'd love to fire his ass. He should be fired. The only thing Scott [Bessent] is blowing it on is the Fed. The rates are too high, Scott. And if you don't get it fixed fast, I'm going to fire your ass." pic.twitter.com/s653VB3MI1 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 19, 2025 The Federal Reserve recently decided against cutting interest rates, despite the presidents wishes to lower borrowing costs, Politico reported. Members of the Federal Reserve reportedly worry that cutting interest rates would add to the risk of inflation amid rising prices and a gradually weakening labor market.

After months of defections by renegade school boards from affirmative state policies for transgender students in Maine, the Maine Human Rights Commission is suing five school districts for violating state law.The first school district to revolt broke with state policy in April, denying transgender student-athletes the opportunity to participate in school sports. The superintendent of the district in a rural area in Northeastern Maine was explicit at the time, stating the school board sought to align itself with the presidents executive orders Keeping Men Out of Womens Sports and Defending Women From Gender Ideology, issued in the first weeks after his return to the White House. Related Parents demanded that a trans child be banned from sports. The town rejected their request. Four other school districts followed suit through October, all of them urged on by a right-wing parents rights coalition, the Maine Education Initiative. The group stalked school board meetings and provided sympathetic board members with cut-and-paste policy proposals, social media posts, and workshops promoting their discriminatory anti-trans objectives.All of the new policies parrot the administrations order recognizing only two sexes: biological male and biological female, according to the court filing. 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 lawsuit, filed on Monday in Kennebec County Superior Court, asks a judge to order the districts to repeal what the commission describes as discriminatory policies, the Bangor Daily News reports.The school board revolt against the states inclusive policies followed Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) very public confrontation with the president at the White House in February over trans student-athletes in her state. Citing the Maine Human Rights Act, Mills said shed see him in court. A lawsuit by the Department of Justice challenging Maines inclusive interpretation of Title IX, which conflicts with the administrations own definition, is scheduled for trial in April.Maine Human Rights Commission Executive Director Kit Thomson Crossman didnt say in a statement if there were specific allegations of discrimination against trans students before the commission, but the suit alleges the school districts discriminatory policies have led to threats of harm for students.In one case, the commission said it received a copy of an email in which an adult expressed the desire to make an example out of a piece of sh*t tr***y in the third grade, and wished the child and his parents would get in a car fire, according to the complaint. School board meetings have been rife with discriminatory and threatening language from speakers about students they believe are competing on sports teams that dont align with their biological sex, the lawsuit states. One meeting descended into chaos when anti-trans protesters stripped to their underwear.The recent policies create a hostile educational environment for gender-nonconforming students in each of their respective public school districts and throughout the State of Maine, two lawyers for the commission wrote in the filing. The commissions argument over the legality of the school districts policies relies in part on a 2014 ruling by Maines Supreme Judicial Court that states schools cannot prevent transgender students from using a restroom that matches their gender identity because it would violate the Maine Human Rights Act. The commission holds that this same nondiscrimination applies to sports teams, as well. While the suit points to the school boards actions inflaming tensions among the broader community of school districts in the state, Maines anti-trans animus has slowed recently.The Maine Education Initiative failed to flip several school boards in Novembers elections, while just days later, the select boardin St. George, Maine, voted against banning a trans student-athlete from competing with a girls recreational basketball team.The Maine Education Initiatives next target is the 2026 election ballot, where they hope to place an initiative erasing transgender student rights statewide.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Drag Race memes have ruled queer culture for nearly two decades.RuPaul's Drag Race has given us some of the most iconic and hilarious memes in reality TV herstory. From dramatic scenes to shade-throwing remarks to unforgettable catchphrases, the queens of Drag Race have given us a lot of meme-able moments that fans love to collect and keep like precious gems.While recent seasons have definitely contributed to the overall Drag Race meme canon, there's no denying that the first decade of the show was jam-packed with even more moments that we're still referencing and obsessing over. Either way, let's take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the best memes, GIFs, and reactions that have been brought to life in the Drag Race franchise.'Back rolls?!' Alyssa EdwardsMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 Episode 5 (Untucked), "Snatch Game"Alyssa Edwards delivered an infamously bad impersonation of Katy Perry in the Snatch Game of Drag Race season 5, but was saved by her "immunity" that week from winning the previous maxi challenge.But little did the judges know that even more drama was happening in the Untucked lounge, as Alyssa engaged in another argument with Jade Jolie and was accused of having "ball rolls."The reaction shot of Alyssa in a confessional looking back and around the room to then ask the camera, "Back rolls?!" is one of those visuals that Drag Race fans can hear even without any sound.'I can't wait to see how this turns out.' RuPaulMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 Episode 4, "Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black?"RuPaul used her iconic opera glasses for the "Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black" challenge that included the highly anticipated collaboration between Alyssa Edwards and Coco Montrese dancing together on stage"I can't wait to see how this turns out," Mama Ru declared right before the maxi challenge started a legendary Drag Race meme was born.The return of the opera glasses. RuPaulMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Episode 11, "Drag Race Gives Back Variety Extravaganza"The Variety Show episode All Stars 7, otherwise known as the all-winners season, featured Mont X Change serving what's considered one of the greatest singing performances in Drag Race herstory. During the werk room section of the episode, Mont teased RuPaul and asked if the opera glasses from season 5 could make a returnAnd they did! Before Mont started her mind-blowing performance singing opera, Mama Ru pulled out a pair of opera glasses and gave the meme a sickening update. You have to stan.'Not today, Satan. Not today.' Bianca Del RioMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 Episode 12, "Sissy That Walk"Bianca Del Rio was the queen of throwing shade on Drag Race season 6, but it's hard to compare anything to her incredibly memorable line delivery of "Not today, Satan. Not today."A classic, timeless meme!'I feel very attacked!' Laganja EstranjaMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 Episode 8 (Untucked), "Drag Queens of Comedy"Laganja Estranja felt like she wasn't shining as bright as her peers throughout season 6, and was instead being "attacked" by her Drag Race costars and the panel of judges.This entire drama culminated in a legendary Untucked moment where Laganja literally yelled out, "I feel very attacked!" Though it wasn't exactly hilarious to see a queen going through something this intense, the meme has lived on to take many other meanings and we love it (in the right circumstances).'Do I have something on my face?' PearlMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7 Episode 5, "The DESPY Awards"Fans have seen queens fighting back critiques from judges like Michelle Visage and Santino Rice, but never had a contestant faced off against RuPaul the way Pearl did in season 7.During a casual conversation in the werk room, Pearl and Ru engaged in a face-off that ended with Pearl awkwardly asking, "Do I have something on my face?"Mama, the drama!'You're perfect, you're beautiful, you look like Linda Evangelista You're a model.' AjaMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 Episode 3, "Draggily Ever After"Aja has admitted over the years that she started feeling insecure about her spot in the competition around episode 3 of Drag Race season 9. Up until that point, Valentina had received nothing but rave reviews in all three episodes, which prompted Aja to unleash the most iconic Untucked monologue of the entire VH1 era of Drag Race."You're perfect, you're beautiful, you look like Linda Evangelista You're a model. Everything about you is perfect. Did you stone those tights? Oh, you're smiling! They eat her up every single time she's on that damn stage. She could walk out there in a fucking diaper, and they'd be like, 'Valentina your smile is beautiful.' The eat hear up every single time."'Facts are facts!' Mo Heart (ne Monique Heart)Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10 Episode 6, "Drag Con Panel Extravaganza"Mo Heart, who was then still under the drag name Monique Heart, delivered her signature "facts are facts!" catchphrase in episode 6 of Drag Race season 10.The season aired in 2018, as the world was still learning how to navigate the dangerous surge of "fake news" now being spewed by authorities, politicians, and pundits. So not only was Mo Heart's line hilarious, but it also felt like a go-to reaction GIF and motto for anyone facing the "fake news" phenomenon in their lives.'I'd like to keep it on, please.' ValentinaMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 Episode 9, "Your Pilot's on Fire"Here's the tea: Valentina didn't know the words to "Greedy" by Ariana Grande upon landing in the bottom two and having to lip sync for her life against Nina Bo'nina Brown. But this queen did attempt to conceal the faux pass by keeping the mask on that she had for the runway.This was a lip sync, however, which meant that the judges and the viewers obviously had to see Valentina's mouth lip syncing. After a few minutes, RuPaul stopped the lip sync and told her to take the mask off. Valentina replied, "I'd like to keep it on, please."This dramatic Drag Race moment gained a new life during the lockdown of 2020, as it was included in numerous jokes about the (very real) need to wear a mask. Even Ru himself joked about it in an episode filmed during the lockdown, teasing that Valentina turned out to be right all along.'Miss Vanjie' Miss VanjieMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10 Episode 1, "10s Across the Board"Nine seasons later, Drag Race fans had seen quite a few funny and iconic exit lines from queen. But the bar for creating a memorable exit particularly if you happened to be the first-eliminated queen of a season was upped to impossible heights by Vanessa Vanjie Mateo's backward-walking-while-chanting moment in the first episode of season 10."Miss Vanjie" she said, looking at the judges and all around, while walking back toward the end of the stage. "Miss Vanjie" she continued, now with a somber twist. "Miss Vanjie," she concluded, in a way that almost made us feel like she had just woken up from a deep slumber and was attempting to remember who she was.This one's it: Drag Race's best, most impactful, and most memorable exit line of all time on Drag Race.'Protect queer art, but is she giving us anything worth protecting? That's the question.' Plane Jane (@) Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 16 Episode 2, " Queen Choice Awards"Megami's Variety Show number involved holding up a sign that read, "Protect Queer Art." While the performance could've been adjusted for the sentiment to really strike the judges and the fans, the sentiment itself has (unfortunately) aged well particularly as attacks directed at the LGBTQ+ community continue to intensify.In season 16, however, Plane Jane's reaction to the performance went ultra-viral on social media for being underwhelmed at the performance she had just seen. "Protect queer art, but is she giving us anything worth protecting? That's the question," the shady lady known as Plane Jane said in a confessional.'Don't joke about that.' Sasha VelourMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 Episode 5, "Reality Stars the Musical"To be clear: Sasha Velour was absolutely right when she called out Eureka in season 9 for cracking jokes about other queens for being too thin, which led to several of them sharing stories about eating disorders.Even though the reason for this meme to exist is not fun (or funny) at all, the meme has absolutely become a joke within the Drag Race fandom and is used as a reaction GIF for pretty much anything that a person doesn't want to talk about. And, within that context, the line is pretty hilarious indeed.Jimbo holding a lipstick to eliminate X/Twitter from the competition. FAN EDITMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 Episode 9, "Carson Kressley, This Is Your Gay Life!"Jimbo's first lip sync win on All Stars 8 followed many episodes of the Canada's Drag Race fan-favorite losing every single lip sync for your legacy she had been in. Finally, in episode 9, dressed as her signature Casper the Baloney Ghost character and performing to "Freak-A-Zoid" by Midnight Star, Jimbo won the lip sync and got to hold up a lip sync to eliminate one of the queens.On the actual show, Jimbo sent Alexis Michelle home. In this viral fan edit, Jimbo asks X/Twitter itself to sashay away.RuPaul holding up her middle fingers to Utica Queen's roast jokes.Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 12, "Nice Girls Roast"The "Nice Girls Roast" comedy challenge of season 13 was pretty rough, OK? That was the first U.S. flagship season to be filmed during lockdown, which meant that restrictions were stricter than ever. The cast also didn't have several queens who were great at comedy And one of them was Utica Queen.During her comedy set in this challenge, Utica made remarks not jokes that were rather mean. And a roast is a safe space to be mean, yes, but you've gotta be funny for that to work. Utica didn't succeed. In one of the jokes, Utica claimed that Mama Ru wasn't fully dressed in drag behind the judging panel, and literally told the host to stand up to prove her point.RuPaul did not stand up. He gave Utica the middle finger. Both of them, actually. Iconic!Roxxxy Andrews crying in drag language. FAN EDITMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 Episode 7, "RuPaul Roast"Both Roxxxy Andrews and Alyssa Edwards bombed in the first-ever roast challenge of Drag Race, which happened in season 5. As both of them fell in the bottom two but earned a Double Shantay from Mama Ru, Roxxxy broke down in tears and revealed the story of how she was left at a bus stop by a family member.The image of Roxxxy crying, in context with the story she told, is absolutely heartbreaking. But, like other memes on the list that gain new meanings over time, this fan edit of Roxxxy "crying in drag language" is a fan-favorite within the fandom.Alyssa Edwards wears a face mask.Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 2, "All Stars Snatch Game"Despite the fact that Alyssa Edwards was just trying to wear a "beauty mask" for her skin, one couldn't help but notice that she was low-key giving Hannibal Lecter realness wearing that thing with her big eyes and thick lips. For a beauty mask, it was giving "BEAST!" Nonetheless, the fans couldn't do anything else other than laugh at the moment and re-use this meme hundreds of times for the past nine years since All Stars 2 aired on Logo TV.'Oh, at all.' Coco MontreseMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 1, "All Star Talent Show Extravaganza"There are two types of fans in the online Drag Race multiverse: The type of fan that struggles to remember this quote given how much was going on in episode 1 of All Stars 2 And the crazier stans, like yours truly, who have repeated Coco Montrese's "Oh, at all" line almost daily.For context, Coco was the first-eliminated queen from All Stars 2 which means that she was the first queen to hear about the twist that could bring one of them back into the game. When asked by producers (but staying on camera) how fiercely she would do if she could return to the competition, Coco said that she wouldn't hold anything back "Oh, at all."Denali's reaction face while sitting in the Porkchop Loading Dock.Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 1, "The Pork Chop"Denali was one of the queens who lost their very first lip sync at the premiere of Drag Race season 13 and had her fate decided at the Porkchop Loading Dock that honored first-eliminated queens of past seasons. As more queens entered the space and they all waited for further instructions, episode 1 ended with Denali's facial expression saying everything you needed to know.'I smell a stunt.' Alyssa EdwardsMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 5, "Revenge of the Queens"Alyssa Edwards wasn't fooled by the "buffoonery" and "shenanigans" of her competitors of All Stars 2, and went as far as saying that she could "smell a stunt" upon talking to certain eliminated queens like Ginger Minj and Jaremi Carey (F.K.A. Phi Phi O'Hara) in her episode returning to the All Stars 2 competition.'A sensible 74.' JujubeeMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5 Episode 5, "Snatch Game of Love"Picture it: Jujubee comes back for her third season, All Stars 5, and impersonates a kitty-coded Eartha Kitt in the franchise's first-ever Snatch Game of Love challenge. While discussing her ideal scenario with a romantic partner, an in-character Jujubee declared how heavenly it would feel to reach for the thermostat and set the temperature to "a sensible 74."RuPaul couldn't stop laughing at the line, and Drag Race fans around the world lost their minds, too.'They got me, gal!' Ginger MinjMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 3, "HERstory of the World"One could say that Ginger Minj's most iconic line in Drag Race herstory was "they got me, gal!" during her elimination in episode 3 of All Stars 2.A few years later, Ginger returned to compete on All Stars 6 and finished as one of four finalists. Then, many years after that, Ginger returned for her fourth Drag Race lap and won All Stars 10.'Party!' KatyaMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 7, "Family That Drags Together" As All Stars 2 frontrunner Alaska fell in the bottom and was eligible for elimination for the first time in her entire Drag Race odyssey fans forget that Alaska never landed in the bottom throughout season 5 and freaked out over the prospect of being eliminated by another competitor for having too good of a track record, Katya was in a very different mindset of having fun and knowing what she'd do.The tea is that Katya wasn't going to eliminate Alaska anyway, and assumed that Alaska knew that. Alaska did not know that, however, which led to her very intense reaction to Katya jokingly saying "Party!" in their werk room deliberations about choosing a lipstick to eliminate a queen on All Stars 2.'I understand your concern, but I do not have the same concern.' Gigi GoodeMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 Episode 6, "Snatch Game"Gigi Goode decided to play an android named Maria the Robot for the Snatch Game of season 12. Besides the lack of familiarity with a robot who wasn't a celebrity in the traditional sense, RuPaul also warned Gigi that the character might come off Well, a bit robotic.But Gigi stood her ground and told RuPaul in the werk room, "I understand your concern, but I do not have the same concern." And that is NERVE, right there, isn't it? Plot twist: Gigi won the Snatch Game.'Fuck my drag, right?' Kennedy DavenportMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3 Episode 3, "The Bitchelor"Kennedy Davenport fell in the bottom two on All Stars 3 episode 2 alongside Thorgy Thor. In the end, Shangela won that lip sync for your legacy and sent Thorgy not Kennedy home. This situation was brought into the werk room of episode 3, which featured Milk mourning Thorgy's loss and suggesting that Thorgy, not Kennedy, had a lot more to show in the competition."Fuck my drag, right?" Kennedy said in a confessional. This iconic queen was not pleased, let's just say that.'Is she gonna jump from there?' Milk, featuring Morgan McMichaelsMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3 Episode 1, "All-Star Variety Show"Milk asked, "Is she gonna jump from there?" in the first episode of All Stars 3 as Morgan McMichaels looked extremely concerned and perhaps even had her hands together as if in a prayer. They were both gagged and gooped about seeing Aja on top of a box during the Variety Show performance.Thankfully, Milk's question was promptly answered: Yes, Aja did jump from there, and it was freaking legendary.'This is not RuPaul's Best Friend Race!' Lashauwn BeyondMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 Episode 1 (Untucked), "RuPocalypse Now!"Justice for Lashauwn Beyond.Despite this queen's short run on Drag Race season 4, she gave the series one of its most-used catchphrases in herstory: "This is not RuPaul's Best Friend Race!''I could not believe it.' RavenMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 1 Episode 1 (Untucked) "It Takes Two"The (unrehearsed and unexpected) roasting of Mimi Imfurst in the first episode of All Stars 1 in the Untucked portion of the program was a Hall of Fame-worthy reality TV mess. There's simply too much to recall and reference from this episode, but Raven's "I could not believe it" is easily one of the most hilarious and meme-able lines from this multiverse of madness that felt like Mimi Imfurst vs. the world.Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 1 Episode 1 (Untucked) "It Takes Two"Besides Raven not believing that Mimi Imfurst had gotten enough fan votes to come back and compete on All Stars 1, one could never forget about Tammie Brown's contributions to this epic and messy episode.At one point, Tammie turned to the fellow queens and yelled out "Well, c'mon, Teletubby! Teleport us to Mars!" Did it makes sense? No. Did have to make sense? Nope. Planet Tammie Brown is a stunningly complex place that we love to visit.'I've HAD IT, officially.' DetoxMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 Episode 2, "Lip Synch Extravaganza Eleganza""I've HAD IT, officially" is one of Detox's most popular catchphrases in Drag Race herstory. The sentence and the feelings that led to it had the fans shaking in their boots. With that said, the phrase was delivered to Serena ChaCha in season 5, who was indeed being quite difficult as a costar to a room full of veteran drag performers.'Life's not fair.' Naomi SmallsMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 4 Episode 9, "Sex and the Kitty Girl"Even though Manila Luzon's shocking elimination by the hands of Naomi Smalls happened in episode 8, "RuPaul's Best Judy's Race," the iconic "life's not fair" delivered by Naomi came in the following episode ("Sex and the Kitty Girl") as the queens tried to understand and discussed what had just happened.Yes, Naomi Smalls really did eliminate the frontrunner of the competition up until that point. And, yes, life's not fair.Moment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 3 Episode 2, "Divas Lip Sync Live"Trixie Mattel couldn't deal with the very emotional Milk in the "Divas Lip Sync Live" episode of All Stars 3. As Milk cried about not landing in the top and being praised by the judges, Trixie pointed out in a confessional that Milk was well, safe!"I think that's a lot of emotion for safe" is a line with endless potential, and we're all glad that Trixie introduced it to the Drag Race lexicon.'LOVE Pink.' Thorgy ThorMoment in herstory: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7, via The Pit StopBob the Drag Queen hosted The Pit Stop for the all-winners season of Drag Race, otherwise known as All Stars 7. In one episode, Bob reunited with her fellow NYC and season 8 sister, Thorgy Thor. As the conversation turned to them expressing their feelings about Pink, Thorgy uttered the "LOVE Pink" sentiment heard around the queendom.This is easily one of the most popular Drag Race memes in recent years, and we love to see it.

For months, buzz has been building for the steamy gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry, based on the erotic gay novel by Rachel Reid and following the rivals-to-lovers journey of superstar hockey players Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). But one glaring question has remained unanswereduntil today: How will American audiences be able to watch the show?Today, HBO announced that the highly anticipated seriesoriginally created for the Canadian streaming service Cravewill also stream on HBO Max beginning November 28. The series will debut with a two-episode premiere, followed by weekly episodes, with the finale airing on December 26.For the uninitiated, the series chronicles the nearly decade-long romance between rival players Shane and Ilya, whose relationship begins as a secret fling during their rookie year. Their love story unfolds against the backdrop of their personal ambitions and pursuit of glory on the ice, leaving them torn between their desire for each other and their first love: the sport that brought them together.The series also stars Franois Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nlisse, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.Watch the trailer below.

Jeremy Allen White has done it again!After going viral last year for his sexy Calvin Klein campaign, the handsome actor is stripping down once again in a new photoshoot for Vanity Fair.BTS shots went viral on social media and fans were quick to share their feral reactions in the comments. Check out the highlights below! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

We all want to have amazing sex lives, but if youre bored with your current routine, or want even better orgasms (who doesnt?!), then you need to learn all of your bodys secret erogenous zones.Youve probably mastered stimulating the clitoris either yours or your partners and the G-spot, but what about the more elusive A-spot?The A-spot, or anterior fornix erogenous zone, is a sensitive area located deep in the vagina, where the vaginal wall meets the cervix. Youll find this mysterious zone past the G-spot, behind your belly button, and it can usually be stimulated with deep penetration from toys or fingers. In contrast to the G-spot, which is a spot with many sensitive nerves in a small area, the A-spot doesn't have the same concentration' of nerves as they are more spread out, so one should think of it more as a zone than a spot, Sofie Roos, a bisexual licensed sexologist, relationship therapist and author at relationship magazine Passionerad, tells PRIDE.The orgasms from stimulating the G-spot are often described as being more pulsating than the quick burst you get from a clitoral orgasm, but an A-spot climax gives you an even more full-body orgasm that lasts longer than the shorter explosions of pleasure you may be used to.Finding and learning how to stimulate the A-Spot can be challenging, but whether you're sapphic, bisexual, trans, or nonbinary, if you have a vagina or your partner does its worth giving it a try.Everyone with a vulva can, in theory, reach an A-spot climax, but that doesn't mean that everyone whos trying succeeds in getting there, as its quite an advanced orgasm to reach," Roos explains. "But if you put in the time, energy, and passion, youll have a good chance of getting to know your A-spot climax as long as youre not giving up!1.Warm up firstBefore you start trying to locate the mysterious A-spot, make sure you and your partner are warmed up first. This means taking the time for foreplay and touching the external parts of the body first. Have a long foreplay and warm-up session as you need to ensure that the vulva is blood filled and relaxed, which not only makes it more pleasurable to reach the A-spot, but also makes it easier to find it, Roos says.2.Finding the A-spotThe A-spot can be found between the cervix and the bladder at the end of the vaginal canal, and can be about four to six inches past the G-spot. One of the best ways to find it is to move inch by inch deeper into the vaginal canal until you find the sensitive zone. The a-spot is smooth but quite solid, and youll notice when you find it as it gives a very strong and unique pleasure that [isn't reminiscent] of anything else, Roos says. 3.Try different positionsReaching the A-spot can be tricky, so if youre having trouble locating it, try different positions and angles. Bel Di Lorenzo, a womens sexual health advocate and the author of the bestselling book, The Gohddess Method, which helps women master vaginal gymnastics, recommends trying a bunch of different positions until you find one that works best for you. And if youre trying to find the A-spot on a partner, dont be afraid to move them around to get the best angle possible. According to Lornezo, you should try missionary with your hips elevated, doggy style with your chest down, on your back with your legs on both sides of [your partner's] shoulders, or even the Pone Bone position where you lie on your stomach with a pillow underneath your hips.4.Try a toyChances are your fingers arent going to be long enough to reach you or your partners A-spot, so youre best bet is grabbing the right toy for the job. The A-spot can be quite difficult to find by using only your fingers, and if you really want to have great chances of finding it, you should use a curved G-spot wand, Roos recommends. Even though a wand makes it easier, it can still be quite hard to find, but dont give up!5. Lube is your friendThis is great advice for any type of sexual activity, but when you are trying to stimulate the A-spot, dont forget the lube. Roos recommends using more than you think youre going to need and then using either clean fingers or a wand toy to press against the A-spot with lots of lube in any way that feels great. You can also try using a vibrating toy, which may help to increase natural lubrication, too!6.Use light pressureStimulating the tissue that deeply in the body can be overwhelming so go slow and start with light pressure. Softly do the 'come here movement, and use a light pressure, Roos says. If instead using a wand, then try to move it up and down against the a-spot!7.Pelvic floor trainingLorenzo says that if you have trouble with experiencing deeper penetration without pain or sometimes feel like there is a disconnection between your brain and your vaginal muscles, then its probably time to talk to your doctor about pelvic floor therapy.Trauma, stress, and tension can all get stored in your pelvic floor tissues, and youll need to learn how to release that to experience more pleasure. The body adapts by tightening, guarding, and numbing itself to keep you safe, she explains. Over time, this can create patterns of chronic tension that live in the muscles around the cervix and deep vaginal canal. That tension can block sensation, blood flow, and even arousal itself.8.Pay attention to your cervixYoure not only going to want to experiment with positions and toys, but also the time of the month you attempt to stimulate the A-spot. Your cervix changes position throughout your cycle, Lorenzo warns. It tends to be lower and firmer during your luteal phase right before and sometimes during menstruation so you may find deep penetration more uncomfortable at that time.9.CommunicateMuch like lube, communication is always a key part of having good sex with another person. Trying to stimulate the A-spot, especially for the first time, can be emotionally and physically intense so make sure you are checking in, and if it's painful, stop. As the A-spot is close to the cervix, it can feel unpleasant with too deep or intense stimulation, and if it feels that way, youre doing it wrong, so communicate with your partner, give feedback and explore this kind of stimulation in a slow and steady way," Roos says.10.Go slowlyDont rush things! Not only do you want to make sure you and your partner are warmed up and turned on, but you also want to take things really slowly, especially the first time, because of how intense the sensations can be. Lastly, make sure to take it bit by bit and dont push yourself too hard, Roos advises. You might find it very uncomfortable to stimulate so deep the first time, or wont be able to find the right spot, and thats okay. The road to A-spot orgasms is a journey and it takes time for most, so go slowly and be kind to yourself if it doesn't go the way you hope!Sources cited:Sofie Roos, a bisexual licensed sexologist, relationship therapist and author at relationship magazine Passionerad. Bel Di Lorenzo, a womens sexual health advocate, and the author of the bestselling book, The Gohddess Method.

The Professional Womens Hockey Leagues season is starting on November 21, and it got us wondering: how many queer athletes are playing this year?Womens sports are gayer than theyve ever been. The WNBA had a record number of LGBTQ+ players last season, womens soccer is famous for producing sapphic power couples, and 54 queer athletes competed in the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.And hockey is no different. There were already dozens of sapphic players last year, but this season, there may be even more. The entire league is expanding, with two new teams the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes being added. Now, instead of six teams, there are eight, and seven of them have multiple queer players. The Boston Fleet has the league beat, though, with seven sapphic players on the team.So get ready to become a huge hockey fan so you can cheer these queer players on this season!Emily Brown Seattle TorrentSee on InstagramEmily Brown was drafted during the inaugural season of the PWHL in 2023 and played for Boston until the newly formed Seattle Torrent picked her up during the expansion draft.Carly Jackson Seattle TorrentSee on InstagramWhen shes not posting thirst traps on TikTok, goalie Carly "CJ" Jackson is stopping shots in the PWHL. She played for the Toronto Sceptres, and after the 2024-25 season, she signed a one-year deal with the Torrent for 2025-26Hilary Knight Seattle TorrentSee on InstagramForward Hilary Knight has been to the Olympics four times, winning a gold medal in 2018. Knight played for Boston where she was named the teams inaugural captain until she was hired by the Torrent in the expansion draft. She is currently dating USA speed skater Brittany Bowe.Alex Carpenter Seattle TorrentSee on InstagramAlex Carpenter, daughter of three-time Stanley Cup winner Bobby Carpenter, played for the New York Sirens until she signed with the Seattle Torrent ahead of the 2025-26 season. In January 2022, she got engaged to girlfriend Steph Klein, an assistant equipment manager with the Toronto Marlies. Emma Greco Vancouver GoldeneyesSee on InstagramDefenseman Emma Greco won the inaugural Walter Cup while playing for Minnesota and then signed with Boston before ending up on the Vancouver Goldeneyes. Greco met girlfriend Michela Cava while the two were playing for Minnesota, but while trades usually split couples up, both women were picked up by the Goldeneyes.Michela Cava Vancouver GoldeneyesSee on InstagramCenter Michela Cava was drafted by Minnesota back in 2023 and played for the team until she was nabbed by the Goldeneyes. Cava is currently dating her Goldeneyes teammate Emma Greco, who she started dating back in 2022 when they were both playing for Minnesota.Emerance Maschmeyer Vancouver GoldeneyesSee on InstagramGoalie Emerance Maschmeyer played for the Ottawa Charge before landing on the Vancouver Goldeneyes for the 2025-26 season. She married her former Team Canada teammate Genevive Lacasse in 2023, and the two now share a son named Beckham. Hannah Miller Vancouver GoldeneyesSee on InstagramForward Hannah Miller was drafted by the Sceptres in 2023, and last season she managed to record 10 goals and 14 assists in 29 regular season games. In June 2025 she signed a three-year contract with the Goldeneyes as a free agent.Kristen Campbell Vancouver GoldeneyesSee on InstagramStar goalie Kristen Soupy Campbell is a member of Canadas national team and was the first woman to win the Frozen Four championship without conceding a single goal. After playing the 2023-24 season with the Toronto Sceptres, Campbell was named the PWHL Goaltender of the Year. During the 2025 PWHL draft, she was traded to the Goldeneyes. She is currently dating Team Canada Softball Olympian Emma Entzminger.Amanda Pelkey BostonFleetSee on InstagramAmanda Pelkey signed with the Boston Fleet during the PWHLs inaugural season and has been a forward with the team ever since. Pelkey married two-time Olympic hockey medalist Venla Hovi in August 2023, and the pair welcomed their first child in 2024. Jill Saulnier Boston FleetSee on InstagramJill Saulnier has been a star forward with the New York Sirens since 2023, when she was drafted in the seventh round. She finished the inaugural season with a goal and an assist in 18 games. Early in 2025, Saulnier was traded to the Boston Fleet.Abbey Levy Boston FleetSee on InstagramThe 2025-26 season will mark goalie Abbey Levys first with the Boston Fleet. She signed a one-year contract with the team in June 2025 after having played for the New York Sirens since being drafted in 2023.Jamie Lee Rattray Boston FleetSee on InstagramHockey star Jamie Lee Rattray is a three-time World Champion, Team Canada gold medal Olympian, and has been a Boston Fleet forward since 2023. Rattray married wife Whitney Rattray in August 2024, and the two welcomed a son in June 2025. Liz Schepers Boston FleetSee on InstagramFormer Minnesota Frost forward Liz Schepers, won her second consecutive Walter Cup championship with the team before signing a two-year contract with the Boston Fleet in June 2025. Schepers and her girlfriend are the proud owners a golden doodle named Rookie. Chlo Aurard-Bushee Boston FleetSee on InstagramChlo Aurard-Bushee played two season with the New York Sirens before signing a one-year contract with the Boston Fleet for the 2025-26 season. Aurard-Bushee got engaged to girlfriend Ella in 2024 and the two married and hyphenated their last names on October 2025.Zoe Boyd Boston FleetSee on InstagramDefenseman Zoe Boyd popular among her fans for her skill on the ice, her game day fits, and sexy biceps joined the Ottawa Charge in 2023, but has signed a one-year contract with the Fleet for the 2025-26 season. Marie-Philip Poulin Montral VictoireSee on InstagramStar center Marie-Philip Poulin is not only the captain for the Montral Victoire, but she is a three-time gold medalist who scored the game-winning goal in three on the four Olympic Games shes been to, earning her the nickname Captain Clutch. She is also a player development consultant for the NHL team Montreal Canadiens and was International Ice Hockey Federations Female Player of the Year in 2025. Poulin got started dating Laura Stacey, her Canadian Womens National Hockey Team and Montral Victoire teammate, back in 2017 and the pair tied the knot in September 2024. Laura Stacey Montral VictoireSee on InstagramOlympic gold and silver medalist Laura Stacey has been with the Montral Victoire since she joined the league in 2023. She is the great-granddaughter of Hockey Hall of Famer Francis "King" Clancy and wears the jersey number 7 in his honor. In 2024, she married her Canadian Womens National Hockey Team and Montral Victoire teammate Marie-Philip Poulin.Erin Ambrose Montral VictoireSee on InstagramErin Ambrose was drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft and has been with the Montral Victoire ever since. Ambrose came out as queer in 2020 in a piece she wrote about her mental health for Hockey Canada.Amanda Boulier Montral VictoireSee on InstagramDefenseman Amanda Boulier was drafted by Ottawa in 2023, but was traded to the Montral Victoire in 2024. She won the PWHL Intact Impact Award in 2025. Boulier married Harvard Womens Hockey heard coach Laura Bellamy in July 2025. Kennedy Marchment Montral VictoireSee on InstagramKennedy Marchment was drafted by the Victoire in 2023. She is currently on injury reserve for the team, so it is unclear whether or not shell be playing this season. Jade Downie-Landry Montral VictoireSee on InstagramForward Jade Downie-Landry was signed to the New York Sirens in the 2023 inaugural draft and scored her first hat-trick for the team in 2024. She signed a one-year contract with the Victoire in June 2025. Downie-Landry married her wife, Lyndee Flanagan, on September 14, 2024.Shiann Darkangelo Montral VictoireSee on InstagramShiann Darkangelo was traded from the Boston fleet to the Ottawa Charge in the middle of the 2024 PWHL regular season, which could have spelled disaster for the forward, but she quickly found her footing on the new team and managed to rack up 8 goals and 9 assists in 29 games. Then, in June 2025 she signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Victoire. Darkangelo is currently dating Toronto goalie Elaine Chuli.Micah Zandee-Hart New York SirensSee on InstagramStar player Micah Zandee-Hart was signed to the Sirens when it was created in 2023 before being named the first-ever captain of the team. Zandee-Heart also helped lead Canada to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, where she recorded four assists. Savannah Norcross New York SirensSee on InstagramForward Savannah Norcross has had a stressful journey to getting to play for the Sirens this season. She wasnt selected in the 2023 draft, but ended up signing with the team later that year. Unfortunately, she only recorded one assist in 20 games and ended up leaving to play for Lule HF before signing a one-year contract with the Sirens for the 2025-26 season. lizabeth Gigure Ottawa ChargeSee on InstagramRight wing lizabeth Gigure was drafted by the Sirens in 2023 when the league was first started before being picked up by Ottawa in June 2025. She has been married to her wife Claudia Duffy since August 2022.Emily Clark Ottawa ChargeSee on InstagramForward Emily Clark helped lead Team Canada to a silver medal at the 2018 Olympics, years before joining the PWHL. Clark was signed to Ottawa in 2023 and was named assistant captain. Last season, she managed to rack up 9 goals and 10 assists in 30 regular-season games and signed a two-year contract extension with the team in August 2025.Brianne Jenner Ottawa ChargeSee on InstagramBrianne Jenner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been playing with the Ottawa Charge since she joined the league in 2023, the same year she was named the teams captain. Jenner is married to her longtime partner Hayleigh Cudmore, a former teammate with Cornell and the Calgary Inferno.Allie Munroe Toronto SceptresSee on InstagramAllie Monroe has been playing defense for the Sceptres she was drafted by the team in 2023. In 2024 she was named alternate captain and signed a new two-year contract extension with the team.Elaine Chuli Toronto SceptresSee on InstagramGoalie Elaine Chuli started out her career in the PWHL playing for Montreal, but signed a one-year contract with the Sceptres in June 2024. Chuli is currently dating Montreal Victoire forward Shiann Darkangelo.

As a lesbian who cares infinitely more for stories about women than stories about men (sorry), I've had to suffer through the last two decades of television. Ever since Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad came out in 2008, every request I have for complex characters on TV comes with the suggestion to watch that show and its spinoff, Better Call Saul.Finally, there's a show like that for us.Gilligan is back with another prestige TV show, one that's leaping to the top of Apple TV's streaming charts: Pluribus, and this time, the main character is a lesbian.Pluribus is a twisty sci-fi mystery about jaded romance author Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), who is one of only about a dozen people left unaffected by an alien virus that joins nearly every person on Earth into a single, optimistic-to-a-fault, hive mind.Obviously, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are great shows with top-notch writing, superb acting, and all-time great characters. But they're not for me. And I know I'm not alone in that.For every lesbian who's been champing at the bit to have this titan of TV give us some good food, Pluribus is here.Lesbians love morally complex characters. We love toxic relationships and toxic women.Traditionally, flawed heroes are a male-dominated field. Now, they can add Carol Struka to that list. (Does this officially make Carol an all-time iconic lesbian name?)Carol is, for lack of a better term, a bitch. She's condescending to her readers, she bickers with her partner, she's rude to everyone she meets, and once the world becomes a hive mind, her negative energy literally kills thousands of people. And that's just how the sapphics want her.After meeting up with the rest of the unaffected humans and learning that they don't mind the new hive-mind world, Carol takes it upon herself to be the last chance for humanity.Of course, it takes a lesbian to save the world.Carol is as no-nonsense as lesbians get. When she and Helen (Miriam Shor), her manager/partner, go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights, Carol can only complain that the bed, like everything else in the hotel, is made of ice. When all wars, crime, violence, and suffering stop, all Carol can do is wish things were back to the way they used to be. But if anyone can put their foot down and make people listen, it's a lesbian.If only Carol had been in charge of releasing the Epstein files, they would've been public months ago.Not only is much of Carol's motivation based on her long-term partner, the only person on earth that she even kind of liked, dying when the virus spread but the way the virus reacts to her also hilariously hinges on her gayness.In the second episode, viewers see a Moroccan woman climb out of rubble, hop on a plane, and fly to New Mexico, where she becomes the Others' representative to Carol. Why did they pick her out of the billions of people on earth? They looked into Helen's memories and found the one person on Earth who most closely matches the fantasy lover Carol originally imagined when she was writing her book as a lesbian story.Of course, the tragedy is that, even though Carol's dream woman is standing in front of her and knows all her favorite things, that person is actually all six billion people on earth.In many ways, Carol is the last lesbian alive (as far as we know). If everyone on the planet shares the same mind, that means no one is unique, no one has their own sexuality, and no one has their own gender. Carol is utterly alone.Carol isn't the first flawed lesbian lead (look at Love Lies Bleeding, Yellowjackets, Bottoms, and Work in Progress for other recent examples), and she won't be the last. But now that TV's most esteemed showrunner is focusing on them, studios may realize this is what the people want.Pluribus is only three episodes in, with the fourth coming out this Thursday, and it's already one of the most talked-about shows on TV, with an order for a second season.After Breaking Bad, shows centering male anti-heroes like Barry, Narcos, BoJack Horseman, The Knick, Succession, Peaky Blinders, and Bosch have become the norm. Hopefully, Plurubis will help usher in a new era of wonderfully problematic lesbian leads next.Mey Rude is a staff writer for Out. Find her on Instagram @Meyrude.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.

Jim Verraros wants you to be a "Good Boy."The American Idol alumnus has released a new kink-inspired single of the same name as well as a steamy music video to match.Debuted exclusively with Out, the video shows a suited Verraros being cruised (and cruising) from the subway to the workplace. Lights flicker, and other dressed-up men suddenly appear dressed-down with exposed chests and leather attire.Verraros, whose previous albums include Rollercoaster and Do Not Disturbed, made TV and music history in 2002 when he became the first out gay contestant on American Idol season 1. With "Good Boy" and his new EP Explicit, he stressed the ongoing importance of queer visibility in uncertain times."Im thrilled to present the exclusive look at the video for my single, 'Good Boy,' directed by Brad Hammer," Verraros told Out. "Its the first video of my entire career, off of my new EP, Explicit, available on all platforms now. In a time where our voices are being silenced, its more important now than ever that we put our art into the world with unwavering confidence and strength. I hope you enjoy it!"Watch "Good Boy" ahead, and stream Explicit today.

What do a farm of gay sheep, a legendary designer, and a dating app have in common? On November 13th, Grindr partnered with Rainbow Wool, a nonprofit organization and farm that rescues gay sheep, and acclaimed artist and designer Michael Schmidt to debut the world's first truly gay fashion collection featuring wool sourced from these fabulous animals.I Wool Survive is a collection of 36 handcrafted looks made entirely from Rainbow Wool's yarn, with each piece reimagining gay identity through art, humor, and pride.At Grindr, connection has always been our core, said Tristan Pineiro, SVP of Marketing & Communications at Grindr. Rainbow Wools story mirrors the experience of so many LGBTQ+ people, cast aside for being different, yet thriving through community. Together, were proving that connection can transform exclusion into celebratory expression.I Wool Survive Fashion Show.Its been a pleasure to create this light-hearted collection of pieces that also address a very serious topic, said designer Michael Schmidt. The mistreatment of animals that exhibit same-sex attraction is a painful reminder of the prejudice that continues to affect LGBT communities worldwide. Hopefully, by illustrating that homosexuality exists throughout the animal kingdom, we can help put to bed the false and damaging notion that being gay is a choice."I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. Scientific studies have shown that around one in twelve rams naturally prefer other males, and while many of these animals are typically sent to slaughter, our farm offers them a different fate, said farm owner and shepherd, Michael Stcke.This collaboration with Grindr proves that being gay is part of nature itself, and Im proud our sheep can help people see love and diversity in a new way. The wool from these rams isnt just material, its a message spun from animals who live freely and are loved.I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show. I Wool Survive Fashion Show.

A Texas grand jury indicted 57-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez on Monday for allegedly murdering gay 59-year-old Native American actor Jonathan Joss. Joss husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said Alvarez shot Joss to death in front of the couples burned-down home in San Antonio on June 1. Despite the murder charge, its unclear whether Alvarez will face hate crime charges. While Kern de Gonzales accused Alvarez of shouting anti-gay slurs at the couple before the shooting, Alvarezs lawyer denies the accusation. Alvarez is currently out of jail on a $200,000 bond. Related Rapper donates $5,000 to bury trans influencer killed in shocking murder In early June, Kern de Gonzales wrote via Facebook that he and Joss had visited the site of their home (which burned down in February) in order to obtain a victims fire fund check from its still-standing mailbox. While visiting, Joss saw the skull and harness of one of their three dogs who perished in the fire, causing both men severe emotional distress.We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw, Kern de Gonzales wrote. While we were doing this, a man approached us. He started yelling violent, homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today [Joss] was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other. Jonathan and I had no weapons, Kern de Gonzales added. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.Gay Native American actor Jonathan Joss (L) and his King of the Hill character, John Redcorn (R). | YouTube screenshots Police arrived on the scene around 7 p.m. local time and found Joss lying near the roadside,Peoplemagazine reported. Though medics appeared and tried to resuscitate him, Joss died at the scene, and police quickly arrested Alvarez, who allegedly drove over Joss body before fleeing,TMZreported. TMZ said the two men had allegedly engaged in verbal and physical fights in the past.San Antonio police initially said that no evidence indicated that the shooting had any connection to Joss sexual orientation. But San Antonio Police Chief William McManus later called that statement premature and said Joss sexual orientation remained part of the investigation. Police and prosecutors have declined to offer additional details at this time, The Hill reported. However, under Texas law, a murder conviction can enable prosecutors to pursue enhanced hate crime penalties during the sentencing phase of the court proceedings. Joss voiced Native American character John Redcorn in the Texas-based comedic cartoon seriesKing of the Hilland also portrayed Native American tribe leader Ken Hotate in the comedy TV seriesParks and Recreation. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. left even a right-wing Fox host stunned with his wild declaration about waning testosterone levels in American teenagers. During an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime, Kennedy spoke about his efforts to eliminate food dyes and said one of the consequences of having them in our food is that a teenager today, an American teenager has less testosterone than a 68-year-old man. Related Supreme Court could let RFK decide whether your insurance company covers PrEP Watters was so shocked he needed Kennedy to repeat the claim, which he did not back up with any evidence. 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 Wait, wait, a wait, an American teenager has less testosterone than a 60-year-old man? Watters asked, looking skeptical. Thats right, Kennedy replied, because the testosterone levels have dropped 50% from historic levels. And you know and that is a problem, and its an existential problem. But its only that is only when we have obesity that is off the charts. Throughout the interaction, Watters looks like he is trying desperately to hold back from sharing his thoughts on the outlandishness of Kennedys claim. Its saying a lot, considering the anti-LGBTQ+ Watters once claimed people were starting to identify as seasons. RFK Jr: An American teenager today has less testosterone than a 68 year old man. Sperm counts are down 50 percent. WATTERS: Wait an American teenager has less testosterone than a 68 year old man? RFK JR: That's right pic.twitter.com/JKwhxikivh Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2025A 2022 study in the Human Reproduction Update journal found that sperm counts in people worldwide have dropped more than 50% over the past 50 years, but some experts disputed the findings since the way sperm is counted has changed dramatically throughout the decades.Regardless, its not clear that an overall drop in sperm count among the global population would result in teenagers having lower sperm counts than older adults. Folks on social media brutally mocked Kennedys claim, with many questioning how the secretary could possibly have this kind of private information about teenagers. Others pointed out the hypocrisy of Republicans, who accuse liberals of being obsessed with childrens genitals by supporting trans youth. One X user wrote: RFK Jr. is out here worried about young boys testosterone and sperm counts Its wild how everything conservatives say about liberals always ends up being more true about themselves. How does no one ask him for sources, or data, or studies, or science? This is all "Trust me bro" stuff. GrimmGreen (@GrimmGreen) April 23, 2025 Thats my boy!!Love me some RFJ Jr!Just spouts of nonsense on national tv.To be so comfortable with being an absolute fool.Amazing. Chris Moore (@ChrisMoore15915) April 23, 2025RFK's claim about teen testosterone being lower than a 68-year-old's is baseless. No data backs this up, and his history of spreading misinformation, like on Covid, makes him unreliable. Fox amplifying this nonsense is just reckless. We deserve better from our Health Secretary. Richard Angwin (@RichardAngwin) April 23, 2025 is that why old men are all buying viagra? LOLRFK is a total lie not even close to the truth. N (@007_nch) April 23, 2025I dont know where the data is coming from from because the clowns never actually cite real evidence.However I am very curious on why @RobertKennedyJr feels the need to collect sperm data from children to compare to 68yr old men. Im actually trying to figure out what paper he https://t.co/a1Rldx56D7 CranberryClock (@cranberryclock) April 23, 2025 stopping Walz from calling these people weird was political malpractice https://t.co/q7nyla085R Ryan Thomas (@ryanjthomas83) April 23, 2025Is there a problematic database we need to discuss? How could this information accurately exist? https://t.co/QqBS06RAuX Mike Krumrei (@MikeKrumrei) April 23, 2025 The party of don't tread on me small government is so weirdly obsessed with everybody's reproductive systems. Likeit's a fixation and it is alarming. https://t.co/cEJBhbhsAF fooler initiative (@metroadlib) April 23, 2025If RFK Jr. offered you Advil for a headache you'd get a second opinion. https://t.co/mLwJPMd9gN Mike Lupica (@MikeLupica) April 23, 2025Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Trans people can not afford to wait for anyone else to save us. We take up the mantle and burden of championing this fight both individually and collectively because the absence of institutional courage has forced us to find our own. We reach further. We dare more audaciously. We exist more brazenly. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) in 2025 is no longer just a memorial for lives lost; it is an acknowledgment of the strength of our numbers and the urgency of our resistance in an era where lawmaking has become one of the central weapons used against us.The anti-trans bills, the speeches, the slander, and the hearings are not idle talk but accelerants poured onto a house that has been burning for years. Legislative hate is not speech; it is complicity in murder. By now, it is no secret that Congress has become a theater of cruelty where mockery and legislative warfare merge into a single show. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has become one of its most visible performers, not because she is uniquely hateful but because she is uniquely willing to say aloud what others keep coded. Related The U.S.s first out trans diplomat was once considered a hero. Now she may never come home. During a House Oversight hearing in February, Mace repeatedly used a well-known anti-trans slur. When challenged by a Democratic colleague, she laughed and replied, I dont really care. The pattern did not begin there. In April, she used the same slur on stage in Iowa, asking, Can I say tr***y? Can I say it three times? Also in April, while at the University of South Carolina, she dismissed a trans students attempt to explain the harm of that language and then returned to mocking the concern. LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD now maintains a public profile of her ongoing use of anti trans rhetoric and the policy agenda that accompanies it. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today These are not slips of the tongue. They are deliberate political choices. When a sitting member of Congress turns trans people into a punchline, the impact does not stay within the hearing room or auditorium; it ripples into streets and schools and workplaces. Trans people already navigate fear, harassment, and isolation in these spaces, and now, the people there who wish us harm can hear her clearly. Candles tacked with photographs of those lost illuminate during a candlelight vigil held at the Haynies Corner Fountain hosted by Trans and Queer HOPE on Transgender Day of Remembrance in Evansville, Ind., Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. | MaCabe Brown / Courier & Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesWords spoken by lawmakers are not inert. They set the cultural tone. They signal who is valued and who is expendable. When hateful language is reinforced by policy, the rhetorical violence becomes state-sanctioned violence. Civil rights analysts told NPR in 2024 that many of the anti trans bills moving across the country had no purpose other than discrimination, a conclusion echoed by Human Rights Watch, which warns that the escalation of anti LGBTQ+ legislation in the United States is producing measurable harms in safety, healthcare, and civil rights.The numbers bear this out. Advocates for Trans Equality reported that in the 118th Congress (which took place during the final two years of the Biden administration), more than one hundred federal bills were introduced to restrict gender affirming care, dismantle nondiscrimination protections, and curtail public participation by transgender people, a pattern documented in their Congressional Champions Report. Even the bills that never became law mattered. The federal Defining Male and Female Act of 2024, which ultimately did not pass, was one of the clearest examples of how symbolism becomes strategy. The bill would have rewritten federal civil rights protections by collapsing sex into a biological category observable at birth, language spelled out in both the House version, H.R. 9218, and the Senate version, S. 5356. The bill would have upended gender-inclusive interpretations across education, healthcare, housing, employment, and public accommodations. Even in failing, the bill did its work. It became a blueprint. It told states exactly how to circumvent Title IX, the Affordable Care Act, and equal protection frameworks without directly invoking discrimination.By 2025, that blueprint became a national model. The so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act has passed the House multiple times since 2023, including once earlier this year. The legislation seeks to amend Title IX to define sex as reproductive biology and genetics at birth and threatens federal funding for schools that allow trans girls and women to compete according to their gender identity.The End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act, introduced in 2024 and reintroduced in 2025, seeks to bar all federal dollars from supporting gender-affirming care through Medicaid, federal employee health plans, and other programs. And in Texas, where legislators wasted no time converting congressional fantasies into enforceable law, H.B. 229 was enacted in spring 2025, defining sex exclusively in biological terms and instructing every state agency to classify Texans accordingly on identification documents and administrative records.State legislatures nationwide escalated in tandem. The American Civil Liberties Union has tracked more than 600 anti-LGBTQ+ billsintroduced in 2025 alone, with a heavy focus on gender-affirming care, documentation, education, and public participation. Independent trackers like the Trans Legislation Tracker and TransLashs legislation dashboard indicate that the actual number of anti-trans bills introduced in 2025 may exceed 1,000. Journalist Erin Reed, whose work is widely relied upon by policymakers and attorneys, documented over 850 anti-LGBTQ+ bills by mid-year and produced a national legal risk assessment showing that many states are now legally dangerous for trans adults as well as trans youth.Judah Clayton speaks during the Transgender Day of Remembrance service at King Avenue United Methodist Church on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images All of this has unfolded publicly, and none of it has happened by accident.Supporters of Mace and others like her often claim constitutional protection for their speech under the Speech or Debate Clause, but that clause was never written to absolve the intentional creation of hostile environments for targeted groups. When lawmakers use their platform to spread falsehoods about trans people, to mock our existence, to propose legislation that strips away our healthcare, our documentation, our participation in public life, they are not participating in legitimate debate. They are weaponizing public office. We must name that reality for what it is, legislative violence, a form of political harm that runs parallel to physical violence and often prepares the ground for it. Because words from lawmakers influence courts, school boards, police departments, healthcare systems, and hateful individuals, who believe those words are a personal invitation for them to police our existence themselves. It is no longer enough to condemn hateful rhetoric in the abstract. We must name those who spread it. We must understand that for every trans person murdered or driven into despair, there are policies and politicians who made their lives more precarious than they had to be.This TDOR, we remember our dead, but we also remember our living, and we vow to fight until no new names are added to this day of mourning. For the dead, we honor. For the living, we defend. For every trans person erased or maligned or legislated out of public participation, we stand together. The fight is not over. The fire is still burning.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The wait is over: Wicked movie fans can finally watch this story's epic conclusion in Wicked: For Good, opening in theaters this Friday, November 21. It's been a full year in between movies, however, and some fans could benefit from rewatching the first Wicked movie from the comfort of their homes. Starring Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jeff Goldblum (the Wizard of Oz), Marissa Bode (Nessarose), and Ethan Slater (Boq), the first Wicked movie covered the events of Act One in the Broadway musical of the same name. Now, Wicked: For Good will explore and expand Act Two of the musical.Good news! Fans can watch Wicked online before heading into a movie theater to see Wicked: For Good.Can I watch Wicked online?Yes, you can watch Wicked streaming from the comfort of your own home in preparation to see Wicked: For Good.Thankfully, there are a few options to see Wicked online, which depend on what streaming services you're currently subscribed to, if you want to get another experience of seeing it in theaters, and/or would like to purchase the film.Where is Wicked streaming?Amazon Prime Video subscribers can watch the Wicked movie for free on Prime Video. Yes, you read that right: If you have an active Amazon Prime membership, you can see the 2024 film on Prime Video at no additional cost.If you don't have a Prime Video membership at the moment, the prices to sign up for the streaming service are as follows:Amazon Prime membership: $139 (annual price) or $14.99 (monthly price).A Prime Video-only tier, supported by ads, is also available for $8.99 per month.Editor's note: Wicked was first available via streaming on Peacock an obvious home for the film given that Universal Pictures and Peacock are under the same parent company NBCUniversal. However, Wicked is currently not available to watch on Peacock.Is Wicked available for rentals and purchases?Rentals and purchases of Wicked are available on the usual digital media retail platforms.Wicked can be rented for $3.99 or purchased for $9.99 on both Apple TV and Prime Video.Can I still watch the Wicked re-release in theaters?Yes, the Wicked movie re-release is now playing in motive theaters, so consider this another method of seeing the first film.According to ticket-selling platforms, the Wicked re-release will run between November 14 and 20, 2025. For tickets and more information, visit WickedMovie.com.

Two women were injured in an attack on two LGBTQ+ bars in San Diego this past weekend, attacks that involved someone shooting the bars from a car with a pellet gun before fleeing the scene.It hurts more than anything because it takes the peace away from the patrons who seek this as a safe space, SRO Lounge bartender Pedro Lomeli told KGTV. Related San Diego declares August Transgender History Month The attacks occurred at around 1 a.m. on November 15 at the SRO Lounge and Flicks. About a dozen people were hanging out in front of the SRO Lounge when the shooter drove by and opened fire. Loud plops. Pop, pop, pop, Lomeli said. Lomeli was inside behind the bar when the shooting happened. I heard that and saw everyone scramble outside. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today First thing I see when I run outside is one of the girls holding her hand, and shes bleeding a lot, he continued. I know shes a vet, looking really shaken, saying, like, I havent felt like this since I was overseas. Like this is really messed up.He said that the other victim went into the bar after being hit. Inside, she took her hand off, and she had a big welt on her shoulder, Lomeli said. Lomeli added that both of the injured women are transgender.Witnesses said that between five and ten shots were fired from a pellet gun. While pellet guns which use compressed air to fire pellets are often thought of as safer than real guns, they can be result in death if they cause injuries to the chest or abdomen. People use them to hunt small game. The witnesses also said that the car they saw driving away from the scene was an old black Ford F-150. The second shooting occurred later at Flicks in Hillcrest, San Diegos LGBTQ+ neighborhood. No one was injured in that attack.The shootings come a year after several other pellet gun attacks against LGBTQ+ bars in Hillcrest. Four 19-year-olds have pleaded guilty in those attacks. One of the attacks where a victim was shot in the eye in May 2024 remains unsolved.Its not a prank, the victim of that attack said. This is a targeted attack on the LGBT community.San Diego Police said in a statement that it takes the attacks seriously.At this time, SDPD has limited details and is working to gather more information. We urge any witnesses or victims that may know something to please contact us at (619) 531-2000, the statement said. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Former FBI employee David Maltinsky filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the FBI, and the Department of Justice, alleging that he was wrongfully and unconstitutionally terminated in October for displaying a Progress Pride flag at his work desk. Maltinsky says the firing violated his rights to free speech and equal protection under the law; he wants the court to restore his job with the FBI.Maltinskys18-page complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleged that the aforementioned plaintiffs dismissed him three weeks before he was set to graduate from the FBI academy for displaying the flag at his workstation. Related FBI employee fired for putting a Pride flag on his desk The flag, which had been given to him to recognize his support of the FBIs diversity initiatives, was approved for display by his supervisors and was similar to a larger Progress Pride flag flown by the FBI in front of the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles earlier in the year.Maltinskys lawsuit alleges that a co-worker shared a concern about the flag with Maltinskys direct supervisor. Maltinsky says the Chief Division Counsel for the FBIs Los Angeles field office assured Maltinsky that the display of the flag didnt violate any policy, rule, or regulation. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Nevertheless, on October 1, Patel wrote a letter to Maltinsky that said, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment at the Los Angeles Field Office. Pursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States, your employment with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is hereby terminated.Patels letter didnt specifically mention the flag, but multiple sources familiar with the matter told both CNN and MSNBC that it was the reason behind Maltinskys dismissal. David joined the FBI to protect Americans and enforce the rule of law. He believed in the principles of our Constitution and our democracy. And in his career he has also bravely stood up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, wrote one of Maltinskys lawyers, Kerrie Riggs. This administrations unlawfully firing him is part of a larger campaign to rid federal agencies of employees who may have different viewpoints, or are from marginalized groups, or who dare speak out against discrimination. Davids fight is not just about him, but about securing the rights and freedoms of all federal employees, Riggs added.Christopher Mattei, another of Maltinskys lawyers, said, Kash Patels and Pam Bondis continued unlawful attacks on the FBI and skilled public servants like David endanger the American people more and more every day. This case is about far more than one mans career, Mattei continued. Its about whether the government can punish Americans simply for saying who they are. Thanks to Davids courage, Patel and Bondi will be held to account for their unconstitutional assault on Americans who simply want to serve their country as they are. CBS NEWS EXCLUSIVE: David Maltinsky, a 16-year FBI employee who was weeks away from being elevated to the position of agent, filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired because he had a Pride flag draped near his desk. "I knew I was on a list," he told CBS News' @MacFarlaneNews. "There pic.twitter.com/v5v93ca1cM CBS News (@CBSNews) November 19, 2025Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is observed annually on November 20 to honor transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people whove been killed as a result of anti-transgender hatred and violence. The Trans Day of Remembrance serves as a memorial for those lost; a call to raise awareness about the ongoing violence, discrimination, and stigma that trans and nonbinary people face worldwide; and a way to advocate for transgender rights, safety, and justice, so that all people may live safely and authentically, free from fear and prejudice.The Trans Day of Remembrance this year commemorates the estimated 365+ trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people who lost their lives due to suicide and violence. Its also especially essential to mark this years Trans Day of Remembrance since transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people have come under unprecedented political attacks from the president and his political party, with orders denying any legal recognition of non-cisgender people, policies pushing them out of all public life, and disinformation meant to foster violence against them. Related Boston unveils new park honoring slain trans woman who inspired the Trans Day of Remembrance As such, now more than ever, commemorating the Trans Day of Remembrance is a revolutionary act of solidarity that gives our community a memorial to honor our fallen, reflect on what weve endured, and advocate for a better future together.What is Trans Day of Remembrance? 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 Trans Day of Remembrance began in 1999 in response to the murders of Rita Hester,Chanelle Pickett and Monique Thomas: three Black transgender women inMassachusetts. A small group of trans activists including Gwendolyn Ann Smith (a former LGBTQ Nation contributor), Nancy Nangeroni, and Jahaira DeAlto spearheaded the Remembering Our Dead project and held local vigils so that their deaths werent forgotten.The Trans Day of Remembrance has since expanded into an international day of mourning and solidarity, marked in many countries and cities around the world. Common observances include candlelight vigils, reading the names of those killed in the past year, marches, worship services, art and photography exhibits, and educational events such as talks or panel discussions. Many schools, universities, community centers, faith communities, and various LGBTQ+ groups now hold Trans Day of Remembrance events or integrate it into a broader Transgender Awareness Week leading up to November 20. Sadly, trans and gender-diverse people face persistently high rates of violence and deaths internationally. The likelihood of such violence increases in conservative areas or settings where anti-trans hostility is socially, religiously, or politically sanctioned. As such, the Trans Day of Remembrance highlights the ongoing oppression that trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people face, a time to grieve those whove lost their lives to such hate, and a chance to foster a strong and united community of survivors, dedicated to elevating and protecting trans lives and dignity for a better future.2025 in review: 365+ lives lost, including many women of colorA collage of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-variant people who were killed or died of suicide during the last year. | Remembering Our Dead Below is a full list of known trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people who have died from murder or suicide since the 2024 Trans Day of Remembrance. The 365+ names come from the community-sourced data at Remembering Our Dead, which collects data from theTrans Murder Monitoring Project,TGEU, and theTrans Violence NewsFacebook group, as well as reports from individuals via different social media platforms.While the estimated number of lives lost since the last Trans Day of Remembrance is 365, the + added to the number acknowledges that the actual total may actually be much larger since some deaths go unreported and police, media, and victims families will sometimes misgender victims, erasing their gender identities in the process. The names of transgender people lost in 2025:Mayte Lpez RegaladoHonee WalkerJill Heathers BouvierName WithheldRynn Azerial WillgohsKaile Villar PonsMegan Jordan KridliFlorencia Luna Reinaldi (Floppy)Name UnknownName UnknownLionel Gerardo Monteverde MercanoCris Chirinos AlvarezAyub AliPhoenix CassettaRaven SyedRick Alastor NewmanSarithaPriscilaKaris SaldarriagaSan ColemanNaira Victria NerisAmanda Eduarda RiosAllyson Ketchum (Alex)NazakSalmanayLuane Costa da SilvaSoraya RuzEvellyn Marcelly (Evinha)Jay FlorisFridaDbora Myrante SilvaDylan Amaya CardonaLeah JoLaisa CamachoSerenity BirdsongJuana CastaedaYumikoCal ShearerSpencer James KastlIsabela dos SantosGrecia SandovalRosario SansoneFidy ShaikhSydney Leigh Phillips (Syd)Rita Pilar AlmirnName UnknownAlejandra MWendolyn Peligrino AbellanaQuanesha Shantel (Cocoa)SantrosaKyla Jane WalkerDisneys BorreroLeia Sampson-GrimblyCamila Vsquez GuzmnSonakshiKajal (Coca Cola)Name UnknownHasiniSanjana KunwarJhessyka Loren Loran Bezerra de LimaRalasia WrightMau HijraGeminis AparicioAshli WoodgateE. Nascimento de LimaPtala Esprito Santo MonteiroName UnknownAlana de Jesus (Alana do Uber, Lanna Alana)Name UnknownName UnknownRayra RiosThitikarn Dulikanon (Dr Sammy)ErikaPreta GilName UnknownRoy MoraBerinjelaRafaela Lorena Soares da RochaMonalisaTamara Zuiga AzconaNeuritnia PachecoAziza Barnes (Z)Mayla GomesCam ThompsonJ. HermesBianca Castyel (Bia)Pari BibiThayla AyllaMeka ShabazzRoberta Guimares da Silva (Rogria)AnjaliMirella AlbuquerqueRiver TrevinoGanga KinnarJota Nogueira OliveiraRafaela de Sousa OliveiraMicaela ArvaloAndrena Garca GarcaNikhole SouzaJonny AdamowJeane Lui (Jeje Sucesso)Eliarlan dos SantosGabriela Arajo SantosGiorgioName UnknownParker SavareseNatalia SantodomingoZulma Hernndez MendozaGabriela Rojas (La Rorra)Adige ShashankBetsy MarielAlejandra Jimnez Susan (Khloe)Diany RuizC. Hernndez CutioSarang PunekarRen TampusStephanie Francesca (Steph)Name UnknownPamela MirellaBlake Wava QuinlanName UnknownCarolinaPaula Nascimento BatistaAndreaChila CaguaElisa Rae ShupeKendra OlivaJully Roberta Santos de VilhenaAyla Pereira dos SantosThayla da Costa VieiraAubrey DameronName UnknownChidia/ChiriyaCansuShilaDaniela MuttisLarissa Patrcia Polianna (Buiu a Bonita)Tahiry BroomGulalaiSam NordquistSofiaName UnknownErvianna JohnsonPmela Nunes ValadaresJ. Rodrigues da SilvaAmyri DiorShalani DolinaJennifer Michaell Chvez RamosArina Nefs DemchukLinda Becerra MoranPaola BrattchoName UnknownSheik Oliveros QuintanaTailyn ValenciaJordan JJ MayeSabaKildery Dionny Dourado PereiraAna PaulaIndira DeepaDavide GarufoCharlene CookDandara VickName UnknownKatelyn Rinnetta BenoitAlice Serov/Alisa SerovaDegaiAliciaKaitoria LeCynthia Bankz (Kai)Mara Paula PelezRebeca de PauloBabalShaguftaMa Zur Gutirrez RamrezMarcela ValentinaFaith RobertsSara MillereyJenniferNorah HorwitzShakira Pereira GuajajaraBablu/TalhaArchitaValeriaJ. Jady de Souza OliveiraRobson Brendo da SilvaAlexandra RuizTanushreeFrancisco CadavidIvanna PrezEris PalmSarutKelsey ElemLucy FoxWaranan PannachaKira SalimDahlia Supelanas (Ka Dahlia)Lesley StormSophiaDanielly RochaFinnelaSophie SheehanTania Monserrat Mrquezngel Jacinto Reina Garca (La Fideo)Name UnknownName UnknownHillary PerptuoShyParius DupreePalwashaMarcial Eustaquio Paucara CoraBayron Jhoel Rodrguez TejadaCatalina Espinoza (La Osa)Lorena Irisbell Salazar LuisaNawar JimnezSoumyaWafaKarmin WellsCharlotte FosgateName UnknownQudsiyah MahmoodPhuwanon KamonphardJonathan JossKayraPaulinaName UnknownTessa JuneJax GrattonLaura SchuelerHope Lyca YoungbloodDorothy Khas WasteRakhiEmma SlabachCarmen de Oliveira AlvesJimenaZaibi MalikSogand PakdelEnileidis Quintero BritoChabela RodrguezCarlaName UnknownJJ GodbeyChristina HayesBabaGabrielle Nguyen (Cam)Lily-Dawn HarkinsAli Jejhon MacalintalChayene Pereira LimaKierra ApostolEzra HulettJessy BeltrnKia-Leigh Tabitha RobertsRenpolygonKamora WoodsMarion Lapo MorochoValeria (La Vale)Arty Cassidy Beowulf GibsonVivia PaivaNathaniel Pabn Cruz (Nata)F. F. Lpez (El Baito)Robyn PreciousTitliAlexis No Velzquez DelgadoAli KhanAlice CarrierDream JohnsonChioCarolAsadyName UnknownKameelaLiam MarinLuanaJadiclecia SilvaName UnknownRosario Blanco (La Charis)Bruna Santos FranaSamylla Alves Guimares de JesusGiovani Fortes da SilvaName UnknownName UnknownDudaFernanda DomicName UnknownToni AsikJoanangelo PossoLeyla Alejandra ParraNida NazlerTrish DollName UnknownRosaClaudia Dayansy AcostaAnnuDaira MartinezElizabeth Snchez (Eli)Katia Daniela MedinaMoisa Reyes CastilloKajalName UnknownBlair A. SawyerRosa MachucaMa Yi Yi SanMa Khin Moe ThanName UnknownGouriName UnknownRavenaJericho ElliorateMnica Hernndez (Moni)Joselinne PezWendelly GabriellyKas Rhea (Kaeyy Holmes)Onyx CornishAurora Pellegrina (Alexa, Luna)Michelle IturbeRobyn James PostMonserrat Martnez (La Monse)Guadalupe Arias (Lupe)Name UnknownNubiaMichelle TrchezSolange Rodrigues da SilvaLynn SpencerCintiaRubi VienaPaula RadaDr Leighley Leli DarlingBlake SturmKakay BrittoSabirChurris ArasmeAmanda Falco RochaLillia HollandMadhu SharmaMaria del Mar PerdomoAny SLa MonseGrampolaRaquelly LetciaBruna da Conceio SouzaNatasha Alvarenga FerreiraRebecaJessica Olive CashValeriaShantalBlaze Aleczander Balle-MasonMia RaselliNachoRayane Pimenta da SilvaAineeAsmaSaminaCarolScarlettKaren (Mariana)Kendra CabezaChristineKetlenSamanthaTiara Love Tori JacksonKikaShaira PatioVanesa Jazmn Quiroga/Yuliana Aguilar Torres (Yaya)Maria Clara AzevedoRuby GuajajaraVictoria StraussTGEU noted that 68% of murders against trans, nonbinary, and gender-variant people occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil leading the regional countries for the 18th consecutive year, with 30% of total murder cases. The organization also points out that 90% of reported victims this year were trans women or transfeminine people. 88% of victims were Black or Brown trans people, an estimated 34% were sex workers, an estimated 14% were activists and movement leaders, and 44% died due to gun violence.Non-cisgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to experience violent victimization, including rape and sexual or physical assault. Furthermore, an estimated 63% of trans people experience significant discrimination that impacts their quality of life, including in workplaces, public spaces, and healthcare settings. Such discrimination makes non-cisgender people far more likely to experience unemployment, houselessness, mental illness, substance abuse, as well as have insufficient access to gender-affirming healthcare and other social support systems.Anti-trans, anti-nonbinary, and anti-gender-variant discrimination stems from demonizing rhetoric and state-sanctioned hostility, which weakens human rights protections and legitimizes violence against non-cisgender people, according to Transgender Europe (TGEU). Anti-trans legislation combined with societal stigma and socioeconomic marginalization leaves non-cisgender people increasingly exposed, unprotected, and vulnerable to violence. How you can take action beyond the Trans Day of Remembrance | ShutterstockSupporting trans orgs/mutual aid Trans LifelineTrans Lifeline isa grassroots hotline and non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis for the trans community, by the trans community.Point of PrideA group that helps trans youth and adults access necessary, life-saving health and wellness services, including access to compression shapewear and gender-affirming care like surgery, hormone therapy, electrolysis, and more. The Okra ProjectA group that provides food and housing security, safe transportation, and mental health support to Black trans people across the United States. Sylvia Rivera Law ProjectThe Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to improve access to respectful and affirming social, health, and legal services for our communities, including legal programs to assist immigrants, prisoners, low-income transgender people, and transgender people of color.Queer Trans ProjectA Black- and Trans-led force that provides gender-affirming items and flight support to reach critical gender-affirming care to queer and trans people nationwide. Advocacy and policyRecent violence against non-cisgender people has occurred amid a political climate where Republicansintroduced over 700 anti-trans billsin state legislatures nationwide this year alone. Many of these bills seek to deny non-cisgender people the right to obtain government-issued documents that reflect their true gender identity, block trans people from receiving gender-affirming care, end trans-inclusive school and social policies (like bathroom or locker room access), or ban trans female athletes from playing on girls and womens sports teams.You can track anti-trans legislation nationwide through The Anti-Trans Legislation Tracker and contact your political representatives to let them know that hateful policies harm individuals and communities alike, regardless of ones own gender identity. Everyday allyship beyond the Trans Day of RemembranceEducate yourself and others about the trans communityIn addition to tracking anti-trans legislation, you can use the internet, books, and documentaries to learn more about the social and personal challenges non-cisgender people face as well as the importance of guaranteeing their access to gender-affirming care, social support, public facilities, and educational and work opportunities (including the right to hold political office and the need for media that respectfully depicts trans people and their experiences).Discuss these issues with your friends especially when they arise in conversation and online. You can also use your social media accounts to follow non-cisgender activists and organizations, trans-inclusive publications, and allies who can expand your knowledge of trans issues and ways of showing allyship. Challenge anti-trans viewpointsRight-wing influencers have mainstreamed and weaponized anti-trans rhetoric to spread hateful, dehumanizing anti-trans messages on social media, which encourages attacks against trans people.As such, its important to speak up against discriminatory remarks or oppressive policies at school, work, or in social situations. Respond when your friends, family, or associates make offensive comments, even when there are no LGBTQ people around, by asking how they reached their opinion, what they know about non-cisgender people, and by correcting their misinformation with facts and experiences that humanize transgender people. Uplift non-cisgender voicesAs an ally, its important to speak up for the marginalized and oppressed, especially if people in positions of power are trying to silence them.However, its also important to let non-cisgender people advocate for themselves and tell their own stories in public forums. Passing the mic to trans, nonbinary, and gender-variant people who may feel afraid to speak or who arent usually given the opportunity to do so helps ensure that the focus remains on their real-life experiences and needs rather than cisgender peoples concerns.Elevating non-cisgender voices also helps raise their visibility and other peoples social awareness, so that more people know which trans, nonbinary, and gender-variant people or organizations to refer to whenever important issues come up. Support trans activism and eventsIts important to ensure that trans, nonbinary, and gender-variant people have dedicated community spaces and programs exclusively dedicated to helping them safely connect and share their experiences and resources. You can support these spaces by donating funds and volunteer time. However, it can also be useful to show up to pro-trans protests and social events. Theres strength in numbers, and your presence can show your non-cisgender community that theyre not alone, reminding them of the supportive friends, neighbors, and allies that exist in their own communities. The Trans Day of Remembrance is for reflection and engagementTDOR is a solemn time to reflect on the gravity of the 365+ lives lost in 2025. Too many trans, nonbinary, and gender-variant people still fall prey to hatred and violence, and their passing should sadden and anger anyone who values human life.However, TDOR also shows the importance of building community connections, strengthening support networks, and actively engaging one another to help end anti-trans hostility throughout the world. Its a weighty task for such a small and marginalized community, but together we can dismantle the hate and create more opportunities for non-cisgender people to thrive.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The reason why Cole Escola's show Oh, Mary! has found success at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre isn't solely because it's the perfect catnip for queer audiences, but the casting changes for each role have been pitch-perfect each time. Every new actor who takes on this production an absurdist take on the events leading to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln brings something new to the show, inviting audiences back to see it in repeat viewings. In the latest iteration of the play, 30 Rock alum Jane Krakowski is donning the bratty curls of Mary Todd Lincoln opposite her fellow sitcom actor Cheyenne Jackson, who is taking on the role of Mary's Teacher (a.k.a. John Wilkes Booth) from now until January. The part a teacher for the first lady with ulterior motives was originated by James Scully.Jackson is a devilishly handsome actor who cut his teeth on stage in shows like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Aida, All Shook Up, and more, before appearing on television shows like Glee, Ugly Betty, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He is no stranger to the stage and took on the role of Sir Harry at the New York City Center production of Once Upon a Mattress last year. Before that, he joined the Into the Woods company as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince at the Hollywood Bowl in 2019 and returned to the roles for his late friend, Gavin Creel, when the show was revived on Broadway in 2022. It took him a while to find the right show to return to Broadway for, but when the show's Tony-winning director, Sam Pinkleton, called to offer him a role in Oh, Mary!, he and his team immediately knew he had to say yes. (L-R): Cheyenne Jackson and Jane Krakowski in "Oh, Mary!"Emilio Madrid"I've flirted with coming back to New York many times, at least once or twice a year," Jackson tells Out. "I still get asked to come back and do Broadway shows, but nothing has been enough actually to let me leave my kids for this long." He goes on to say that he's a particular type of performer, and he sees himself as very malleable. Still, if he were to sink his teeth into a new role, he needs it to be in a show where he can "show all your crayons in your crayon box." And there's no doubt the actor used a handful to create his version of the part.Jackson said he worked with the show's director to map out his iteration of Mary's Teacher. "We wanted him to look like a horny Disney character I wanted the pants to be a little tighter than I'd seen and I wanted him to be a little more physically in your face, so that when there's the unravelling later, it can be all the more shocking," he said. The actors are given free rein to add some new physical elements (which Krakowski does not skimp on) and a few quips. The production team gave them the parameters for the scene's blocking (where the characters move and end up), but Jackson says, "As long as we say the words, we can do what we want." Jane Krakowski as Mary Todd Lincoln in "Oh, Mary!"Emilio Madrid His contemporary and friend, Michael Urie, was the last full-time person in the role, and he left Jackson with a word of advice: Learn the Shakespeare parts right away. As some people know, Mary's lines for the Shakespeare scenes are in the book she's holding on stage (they auctioned one of the prop books with the cheat lines to raise money for Broadway Cares at the performance I went to) but not the teacher's. And funnily enough, Urie left the show to star in the off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's Richard II. But Jackson really attributes the ease with which the words flow and the fun he has onstage to his co-stars, Krakowski and John-Andrew Morrison, who is currently playing Mary's Husband (Lincoln). He says that the show is "so beautifully written" and "dramaturgically solid" that even though he's heard it performed countless times, whether on stage or in rehearsals, he never gets tired of it.On December 8, on one of his days off, Jackson will be taking the stage at the legendary Carnegie Hall for a solo show, where he will be inviting his Oh, Mary! costar and Broadway veteran Jessica Vosk to make appearances. His performance is an expansion of a prior cabaret act he wrote and performed at 54 Below, where he invited Vosk to perform the Indigo Girls song "Ghost" with him. Her agent brought one of her good friends, who turned out to be a booker for Carnegie Hall. The booker asked if he'd be interested in building out the show. He quickly said yes.Previously, Jackson has done two guest shows at Carnegie Hall, but this is his first chance to do his own production (directed by Tony-winning director Warren Carlyle, to boot). The show, he says, is going to be autobiographical; the story is about him as a tall, queer kid from the red state of Idaho, and his journey from living in the woods with no electricity and an outhouse to Carnegie Hall. Attendees can expect him to sing songs from Xanadu, which he starred in on Broadway in 2007, as well as some pop hits from singers like Chappell Roan and a few other surprises. He and Vosk plan to reprise their duet and sing "Ghost," and Jackson will be performing "Somethin' Stupid" with Krakowski, which Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams once sang together.In addition to his famous friends, Jackson's mother and his sister will be invited to join him on stage because they used to sing together when he was growing up. He felt it was fitting for them all to sing Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton's "Oh, The Pain of Loving You" because, as he puts it, the family has had a rough time the last couple of years. A few years ago, he lost his dad, and politically speaking, the gay actor and his mom were on opposite sides of the aisle. "They definitely had to mourn their idea of what they thought my life was going to be, and I had the wherewithal to let them do that," Jackson explained. "We all kind of took a little sabbatical, then came back together." He added that they are healing their relationship, and one way to show that is to invite them to sing on one of the most iconic stages in New York City with him.Jackson will be onstage at the Lyceum Theater as Mary's Teacher through January 25, which means he gets a chance to play alongside Jinkx Monsoon when she returns to the titular role for a limited run in the new year. Jackson who is raising twins, Willow and Ethan, with his husband Jason Landau admits that leaving his kids for this production was difficult. But he wants to show them that chasing your dreams can be a reality: "I want them to see me doing stuff that scares me."

Kevin Spacey says his financial situation is not great in the wake of the accusations of sexual assault that effectively ended his career eight years ago.In a fawning profile published in The Telegraph this week, the 66-year-old actor claims he lost his Baltimore, Maryland, home because the costs over these last seven years have been astronomical. Related Kevin Spacey endorses Robert Kennedy for president for the most selfish reason Ive had very little coming in and everything going out, Spacey said.The Oscar-winner was fired from his starring role in Netflixs House of Cards and his scenes in director Ridley Scotts All the Money in the World were reshot with Christopher Plummer in 2017 after Spacey was accused by multiple men of sexual harassment and assault. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Several men, including out actor Anthony Rapp, alleged that Spacey had sexually harassed or assaulted them as children or teens, offenses that allegedly took place as far back as the 1980s. A court laterfound Spacey not liablefor damages sought by Rapp. All the other U.S. charges against Spacey were either dropped by prosecutors, dismissed by courts, or withdrawn by his accusers.In 2020, Spacey was ordered to pay $31 million to MRC, the studio that produced House of Cards, for allegedly violating its sexual harassment policy after crew members accused the actor of sexual misconduct. Spaceys appeal to have the $31 million payment overturned was denied on August 4, 2022. A 2017 investigation by London theater The Old Vic, where Spacey served as artistic director from 2005 to 2011, turned up 20 allegations of abuse or misconductagainst the actor. Following the theaters investigation, multiple criminal and civil proceedings against Spaceybegan taking place in various jurisdictions. In 2023, a British jury found Spacey not guilty of nine counts of sexual assault after four men accused him of forcing himself on them between 2001 and 2013. Nine additional men accused the actor of sexual misconduct in a two-part documentary that premiered last year.Spacey has appeared in several films produced outside the U.S. in recent years and has recently performed a one-man cabaret show in Cyrus, Greece. But he has been largely shunned by Hollywood.I feel Im back to where I first started, which is I just went where the work was. Everything is in storage, and I hope at some point, if things continue to improve, that Ill be able to decide where I want to settle down again, he told The Telegraph. Im living in hotels, Im living in Airbnbs, Im going where the work is. I literally have no home, thats what Im attempting to explain. Spacey compared himself to writers, actors, and directors who were blacklisted during the McCarthy era, and said he believes his cancellation will come to an end any day now.My feeling is if Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino call Evan [Lowenstein, Spaceys manager] tomorrow, it will be over, he told The Telegraph. And I believe its going to happen.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has a message for American travellers just before the holidays: stop dressing like shlubs on planes.Be nice, say please, say thank you, Duffy said on Fox News today. Bringing civility back, I think, enhances the travel experience for everybody. Related Pete Buttigiegs replacement threatens unpaid air traffic controllers for not being patriotic And so sometimes you just have to ask people, hey, lets maybe go back to an era where we didnt wear our pajamas to the airport. We actually might dress up a little bit. And if somebody needs help putting their luggage up in the overhead bin, help them out!Trump's Transportation Secretary on how to improve air travel:"Sometimes you just have to ask people, Hey, let's go back to an era where we didn't wear our pajamas to the airport. We actually might dress up a little bit" pic.twitter.com/t0C9gozqFe FactPost (@factpostnews) November 19, 2025 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 This is part of a new initiative announced today by the Department of Transportation (DOT) called The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.In a press release, DOT cited an increase in unruly passenger behavior since 2019, something that out former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke out against as well.DOT lists things people should be thinking of when traveling by plane, which include Are you dressing with respect? and Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?Duffy discussed the initiative on Fox Business today as well. People dress up like theyre going to bed when they fly, he said. Be nice, be courteous, and so we want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up. Bring civility back to travel, and I think everyones experience is going to be that much better. Trump's Transportation Secretary on how to improve air travel:"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up" pic.twitter.com/Y2gCyKKOR1 FactPost (@factpostnews) November 20, 2025Duffy has spent the past year blaming the massive problems air travel in the U.S. has faced this year on his predecessor, saying that Buttigieg didnt work hard enough to modernize air traffic control equipment and was instead focused on frivolous problems, like climate change. Buttigieg, though, did not have the DOT roll out an initiative telling people to stop wearing pajamas on planes.Its unclear if the president is aware of the initiative. Just this week, while on a plane, the president snapped, Quiet, piggy! at a woman. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Earlier this year, Spains trailblazing activist and legislator Carla Antonelli issued a sobering reminder that while many in the Global North congratulate themselves on legal progress, trans women across Latin America, especially in countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, continue to die in staggering numbers. She named what too many still refuse to say aloud: that there exists a machinery designed to destroy us, to erase trans women from the world and from memory.Every November on the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), the names of our siblings echo across vigils in the United States. In candle-lit circles, in church basements, in city parks, and in community centers, we gather to speak them into the night, promising not to forget the lives lost to hate. But as each name trembles through the air, another question haunts the silence: How many names are missing? How many lives have slipped quietly through the cracks of language and geography, unrecorded, unspoken, unloved by a world still unwilling to see us? Related Happiness looks fantastic on her: Heres what parents wish folks knew about their trans kids In Brazil, local activists with the Associao Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais (ANTRA) document hundreds of murders each year. The organization reports that Brazil remains the country with the highest number of trans people killed worldwide, a pattern reaffirmed by the Pulitzer Center. Many of these victims are Black, many are sex workers, and nearly all are treated as disposable; marginalized twice, first by society and then by the systems that deny even their deaths the dignity of recognition.In Mexico, grassroots networks such as Casa de las Muecas Tiresias (founded by trans activist Kenya Cuevas) maintain their own lists of the dead because the state refuses to recognize anti-trans violence as a distinct category. Mexico is consistently ranked the second deadliest country in the world for trans people, behind only Brazil, according to global monitoring data compiled by Transgender Europe. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today In the Philippines, trans women face violence rooted in the enduring power of colonial Catholic morality. A study from the University of Washington shows that religion and colonization have deeply shaped the health and social inequities faced by trans Filipinas. Research on pre-colonial gender roles reveals that Indigenous gender-fluid identities such as the babayln were erased by Spanish conquest and Catholic moral frameworks, leaving a legacy of stigma that persists today.In Kenya, and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, violence against trans people is compounded by criminalization. A baseline study by Kenyan researchers documents how trans people face widespread exclusion, harassment, and discrimination; many disowned by families and denied housing, employment, and even the right to bury their dead in peace. Another report from Human Rights Watch details how LGBTQ+ individuals, especially trans women, are forced into hiding as police harassment and legal threats persist.According to the global Trans Murder Monitoring Project of Transgender Europe (TGEU), at least 350 trans and gender-diverse people were reported murdered between October 2023 and September 2024, the highest total since records began. Ninety-four percent of victims were trans women or transfeminine people, and ninety-three percent were Black or Brown. Nearly three-quarters of all reported murders occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil alone accounting for nearly one-third of the global total. This imbalance is not coincidence. It is the consequence of colonial power; of whose deaths are counted, whose grief becomes visible, and whose suffering is translated into global empathy. The candles burn brightly in New York and Los Angeles, but their light too often stops at the border. The silence that follows is not neutral; it is a form of colonial violence in death that mirrors the erasure trans people endure in life. When we examine how these lists are assembled, we begin to see the problem. In many countries, identifying a victim as trans can endanger surviving friends or family. Police reports often misgender victims. Journalists lack the vocabulary (or the courage) to call transphobia by its name. English-language media rarely translate stories published in Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, or Swahili. The result is that when TDOR arrives, we recite only a fraction of the truth.To remember fully, we must understand how remembrance itself can reproduce harm. Reporting gaps, linguistic barriers, and media bias all contribute to a deadly cycle of invisibility. Remembrance without reflection risks becoming a performance of empathy rather than an act of solidarity.Mexico City, Mexico; June 25 2022: pride march, person protesting the murders against lgbtq+ people in mexico city. | Shutterstock Across the Global South, remembrance has always been resistance. In So Paulo, activists with ANTRA release annual reports naming every trans person killed in Brazil, refusing to let the state erase them. In Manila, the Philippines Capital, local groups combine queer resilience with Indigenous ritual, insisting that mourning itself is sacred rebellion. In Nairobi, small collectives gather quietly to honor the dead, even when public vigils are too dangerous to hold. These acts of memory say: We were here, we mattered, we still do. The trans movement in the Global North owes these organizers not only admiration but solidarity. Their courage sustains the global record of our struggle. Their persistence ensures that the dead are not erased by imperial neglect. If TDOR is to mean anything at all, it must transcend borders, languages, and colonial frameworks. It must become a global act of communion that acknowledges the interconnectedness of our survival. That means listening differently, not only to English-speaking advocates but to those fighting in Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Swahili. It means amplifying grassroots documentation rather than just repeating Western narratives. It means funding translation, data collection, and memorial efforts that make local stories visible. It means recognizing that trans liberation is bound up with struggles against racism, poverty, imperialism, and the enduring scars of colonial religion and state violence. We must also confront the structural violence that persists beyond murder: incarceration, forced displacement, police brutality, exclusion from employment, and the criminalization of gender variance. Studies, such as one from the International Drug Policy Consortium, show that trans women (especially those of color) are disproportionately criminalized and imprisoned across multiple regions. These laws, often remnants of colonial penal codes, make gender nonconformity itself a crime. The result is a global system that deems trans life expendable.As Carla Antonelli reminds us, the violence inflicted upon trans women in the Global South cannot be separated from the systems that profit from our marginalization. Whether through the criminalization of sex work, denial of healthcare, or silencing of trans voices, every institution that benefits from our invisibility participates in this cycle. Remembering our dead without confronting these systems turns mourning into moral theater. | Shutterstock When we light candles this November 20, we must remember that the flame is not a metaphor for grief alone but it is also a call to action. From candle-lit streets in Mexico City to quiet homes in Nairobi, from Manila to Medelln, from So Paulo to San Francisco, trans people are remembering, resisting, and rebuilding. Each name we speak aloud becomes an indictment of global indifference. Each vigil becomes a manifesto for a world where trans people live, not merely remembered but free. To honor the dead is to fight for the living. We must build an international network of care that refuses to let borders define whose lives matter. We must insist that remembrance be translated and multiplied so that no life (and no death) depends on the language a person spoke, the passport they held, or the government that failed to see them.The future of TDOR depends on our ability to transform grief into global solidarity. The movement that began as a vigil on a cold November night must now become a worldwide uprising of memory, one that rejects colonial limits and imagines a liberated future where every trans person is honored in life, not only in loss. Because solidarity that stops at borders is not solidarity at all.As Carla Antonelli says: No nos van a volver a los mrgenes. And we wont.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Jeffree Star has been making headlines recently for spewing harmful rhetoric about nonbinary people and discounting their existence, amid sharing his support for the slain political commentator Charlie Kirk. Earlier this week, he appeared on a podcast called The Skinny Confidential: Him & Her Show, where he continued to weigh in on gender and sexuality discourse. In the episode, the beauty influencer says that he is "not gay" and is "just open and very me," right before saying that the LGBTQ+ acronym should not include "Q" and "T." The makeup artist said, "LGB, that is your preference for what you are attracted to and what you like. Your identity issues and who you think you are is so separate. I don't agree that they should be together." Star is known for an abrasive online personality, controversial takes, and getting himself in the middle of controversy and drama. For years now, he's been open about his disapproval of the nonbinary community, saying that he's not into all the other "they and them bullshit," that he says was made up during the pandemic because people were bored in their houses. He staunchly stated that he identifies as a man and does not believe that nonbinary people exist. Following the death of Kirk, he used the opportunity to attack "they/thems," telling people in a TikTok livestream that was recorded and shared on social media that if they believe in nonbinary people, they are "part of the problem."In this most recent podcast appearance, Star took aim at trans people, particularly parents of trans kids, saying, "Why are we encouraging our kids to be a different gender and feed them false information when they're so young?" He continued, "When I grew up and started looking different, my mother encouraged me to just be myself. When I started wearing makeup, being more feminine, and wanting to do certain things it wasn't like, 'Oh my God, Jeffree needs, what do they call it now gender-affirming care?'" He also spread the harmful narrative that trans women are "just men with beards going into the women's bathrooms." (@) Star went on to say that parents who are supportive of their trans kids are "fucking weirdos." The video was applauded by anti-trans folks in the comments, including, "Jeffree is so sane. It's sooooo refreshing to have somebody speak the truth without hesitation or fear of cancellation. He is so right. People are dead inside." And, "As a straight white male, I fucking love it...thank you for standing for the kids. Some people need to take a sanity test before they have children, and sir, you are definitely not one of them."Star's remarks occur in a political climate where the Trump administration has led a campaign to attack, erase, and disparage transgender people. These attacks have had cultural impact, with, just last week, rapper Nikki Minaj sharing a post from the White House touting anti-trans actions.

Leaked, unpublished guidance from the U.K.s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recommends policies that would exclude trans people from public single-sex spaces such as restrooms. It would also encourage those running public spaces to question peoples gender identity and exclude them if they suspected they were trans.According to The Times, which obtained the leaked guidance, Under the new guidance, places such as hospital wards, gyms and leisure centres will be able to question transgender women over whether they should be using single-sex services based on how they look, their behaviour or concerns raised by others. If there is doubt they are telling the truth about their sex, they could be banned from using those services once those running them had considered relevant factors. Related Over 60,000 women sign a letter in support of trans women & calling out false feminism The EHRC reportedly first delivered this guidance document to U.K. ministers three months ago. The minister for women and equalities, Bridget Phillipson, has not yet officially published the guidance. The documents were leaked to The Times by anonymous political figures who claimed the Labour Party was delaying publication to avoid political backlash.Under the new guidance, a persons sex remains their biological sex, whether they have a GRC [gender recognition certificate] or not. A trans man with a GRC is a woman and a trans woman with a GRC is a man, for the purposes of the Act. That would mean that allowing a trans person to access a single-sex space based on their gender identity could be considered unlawful sex discrimination. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today While this guidance would be harmful to trans people, it would also cause problems for those who do not fit societal expectations of men and women. One example described by The Times says that a trans man could be excluded from a womens space because he presents as a man and women could reasonably object to his presence, despite the guidances requirement that he use spaces consistent with his sex assigned at birth.Trans rights advocates denounced the new guidance. Astonishingly, the U.K.s human rights watchdog is attempting to mandate that staff at cinemas, hospitals, bars, and cafes must try and judge whether users are trans or not based on appearance alone, said a spokesperson for the organization TransActual in a statement. This is a license to discriminate based on looks, plain and simple.Weve seen this before people trying to make our society into a place that is only safe for normal ladies. Not just loos, but sports centres, changing rooms, and more. We know from experience that women of colour and butch lesbians are more likely to be seen as unfeminine by strangers, so this policy would have racist and homophobic impacts as well as being obviously incredibly harmful for trans people.We cannot believe that government would be so foolish so hell-bent on shooting itself in the foot as to go along with this. We therefore trust that Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson will treat it with the contempt it deserves and reject this costly, cruel, and unworkable guidance, sending it back to the EHRC to be completely rewritten. The controversy around EHRC guidance on trans access to single-sex spaces began in force back in April after a U.K. Supreme Court ruling. For Women Scotland brought a case to challenge the governments policy of allowing trans women with a GRC access to services, protections, and roles designated for women. The Supreme Court ruled that for such purposes, trans people should be considered their sex assigned at birth (which they refer to as biological sex).In response to the ruling, EHRC released interim guidance in late April for how public and government spaces should treat trans people. That guidance was unclear and internally inconsistent, leading to significant confusion, and was eventually pulled from the EHRC website in October. It was recently revealed in court that the interim guidance was drafted in less than a day.The document received by The Times appears to be the guidance that would have replaced that interim guidance had it been published when it was received. Phillipson has suggested that the months passing by are standard for such considerations. The code of practice that the EHRC are bringing forward applies only to adults, she said (although it is unclear how it would avoid being applied to minors). Ill go through that thoroughly and carefully. While Phillipson said that trans people deserved dignity and respect, her comments implied that trans women were not included in her own definition of women. This is an important area and we want to make sure that women have access to a single-sex provision. Thats incredibly important for domestic violence services, rape crisis centres, so that women are able to heal from the trauma theyve experienced. But, of course, trans people should be treated with dignity and respect.The EHRC was recently taken to court by theGood Law Projecton behalf of several plaintiffs over its initial guidance. The judge has reserved their decision while they consider the case.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Orville Peck has shared a new video in which he is heard flirting with a very shirtless and quite sweaty Zane Phillips and let's just say that the teaser to promote the gay country singer's new EP, Appaloosa, is very much giving a "cruising" fantasy between Peck and Phillips.Peck asks, "So you like to work out?""Yeah," Phillips replies.Peck goes on, "You work out a lot, huh?""I don't know, like, most days.""Nice," Peck says. "Do you listen to music when you work out?" Phillips nods. Peck asks, "What kind of music do you listen to?""Country," Phillips answers.The clip ends with "Drift Away," the second track in Peck's new EP. See on Instagram Peck wrote in the Instagram Reel caption, "Nothing comes between me and my Appaloosa."We know that's right!Orville Peck's brand-new EP, Appaloosa, is now available on all music streaming services.

Whether youre shopping for your partner, your family, or that one friend who somehow already owns everything, this holiday season is all about giving gifts that connect, literally and figuratively. From smart tech to sensory indulgence, these picks are designed to bring a little luxury, creativity, and human connection into every home.This year, weve teamed up with Verizon to spotlight gifts that bridge style, innovation, and meaning. Nothing says I care about you quite like something that makes their day-to-day brighter, their home cooler, or their digital life a little smoother.So grab some cocoa, open a few tabs, and get ready to shop smarter for your people, and maybe a little for yourself, too (we listen, we dont judge).1. Verizon Apple BundleOver-stuff their stockings (and maybe yours) with Santa-sized savings on Verizons exclusive Apple Bundle. Featuring the all-new iPhone 17, iPad, and Apple Watch Series 11, this trio is the ultimate tech flex for families to live life seamlessly synced. Whether theyre FaceTiming from the airport, tracking workouts, or streaming their latest obsession, this bundle keeps every part of their world connected in classic Apple style. Smart, sleek, and seriously giftable, its everything they didnt know they needed, all in one box.2. Xreal One Pro AR GlassesBring the future straight to their face in the chicest way possible. These augmented reality Xreal One Pro AR Glasses deliver crisp visuals, immersive streaming, and multitasking magic that feels straight out of a futuristic sci-fi flick. Whether theyre gaming, watching, or working from a coffee shop thats entirely a vibe, the Xreal One Pro turns every space into a personal cinema. Currently retailing for $649.3. Rick Martinezs CookbooksFor the foodie, the traveler, or the one who treats dinner like an art form, Rick Martinezs cookbooks (Mi Cocina and Salsa Daddy) serve up pure culinary joy. His storytelling is as flavorful as his recipes, blending queer identity, Mexican heritage, and gorgeous photography. Each dish feels like an invitation to the tablepreferably with a mezcal cocktail in hand. Books start at $32.4. Bokksu Snack BoxSnacking, but make it global. The Bokksu Snack Box delivers authentic Japanese treats sourced directly from small family businesses. Think yuzu gummies, mochi puffs, and matcha-coated everything. Its an edible postcard from Japan that hits all five senses and makes a perfect gift for anyone who loves surprises (or just loves snacks). Subscriptions start around $29.15 per month.5. Aura Digital FrameFor the sentimental type who still screenshots texts for the memories, the Aura Digital Frame is a sleek way to share lifes highlights. Upload photos instantly via the app and watch them come to life in stunning HD. Whether its vacation pics, pet selfies, or chosen-family candids, its a modern keepsake that keeps everyone connected with no printer required. Frames retail for $229.6. Oura RingWellness meets style in the Oura Ring, the sleek piece of smart jewelry that tracks sleep, readiness, and recovery with scientific precision. Its perfect for the health-obsessed or anyone curious about leveling up their self-care routine. Discreet enough for everyday wear, its the most fashionable way to say I take my REM cycles seriously. Prices start at $349.7. Retrolife Transparent Record PlayerFor the aesthete who insists vinyl just sounds better, the Retrolife Transparent Record Player brings nostalgia into the 21st century. The acrylic design is clear, cool, and irresistibly modern, turning their favorite records into both dcor and conversation. Its Bluetooth-enabled, too, so they can also stream playlists, proving analog and digital really can live in harmony. Currently priced at $399.8. Arcade1Up Infinity Game BoardForget Monopoly night. This Arcade1Up Infinity Game Board is where the real fun begins. Packed with over 100 digital board games and classics, its perfect for gatherings, game nights, or cozy nights in with your competitive partner. Touchscreen gameplay means no lost dice, no setup stress, and endless rounds of laughter. Currently retailing for $499.9. Flamingo Estate Seasonal Subscription BoxIf farm-to-table but make it sensual is their vibe, the Flamingo Estate Subscription Box is a botanical dream come true. Each season brings artisanal productsfrom olive oils and herbal honeys to garden-grown body care, candles, and soapsourced from regenerative farms. Its like gifting a wellness retreat in a box, complete with that signature Flamingo Estate scent that screams good taste. Seasonal boxes start at $275 quarterly.10. Brick Smart Alarm ClockMeet Brick, the sleek little device helping people take back control of their digital lives. By connecting your phone to the Brick, you can intentionally block out distractions, whether its during work hours, family time, or when you just need a break from the scroll. Its customizable modes make unplugging simple, tangible, and even a little satisfying: connect to lock, disconnect to unlock. Designed for balance, not restriction, Brick turns mindfulness into a daily habit youll actually keep. Currently retailing for $59.11. Gs Go-To Italian Gift BoxFrom Giada De Laurentiis Giadzy, the Go-To Italian Gift Box brings a taste of Italy straight to your kitchen. Think authentic tomato spread, hand-crafted pasta, and olive oil so good it could end arguments. Its the ideal present for your favorite foodie, carb lover, or anyone who knows the best love language is I made you dinner. Gift boxes start at $87.30 for members, $97 for non-members.From sleek tech to thoughtful indulgences, these gifts are all about connection to your people, your passions, and to the small luxuries that make everyday life shine a little brighter. However you celebrate this season, give something that sparks joy, starts a conversation, or simply says, You matter to me.

Where is the line between teaching and advocating?That was the question posed by a faculty member to Texas A&M Universitys Board of Regents last week at an overflow meeting on the schools Austin campus. Related GOP pressures university to remove dean after student records professor discussing gender identity Regents left it to a group of appointed administrators and AI to answer, robbing faculty of their academic freedom.The board unanimously voted on Thursday to approve a new policy that will require each campus president to sign off on any course that could be seen as advocating for race and gender ideology or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity, The Texas Tribune reports. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today An adjacent policy now prohibits faculty from teaching material inconsistent with the approved syllabus for each course, while regents imposed new rules and procedures to audit all course content in the systems 12 statewide schools every semester.The board also mandated that each university in the A&M system feed syllabi and course details into a database, which will then be examined by artificial intelligence for content not aligned with approved course materials. Rounding out the new package of censorious policies, students will have access to a 24/7 hotline to report what they consider inaccurate or misleading course content. Together, the proposals invite unlawful censorship, chill academic freedom, and undermine the core purpose of a university, said Robert Shibley, special counsel for campus advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).Hiring professors with PhDs is meaningless if administrators are the ones deciding what gets taught, Shibley said. Faculty will start asking not, Is this accurate? but Will this get me in trouble? Thats not education, its risk management. Crackdown follows conservative uproar over students secret recordingsThe crackdown follows a firestorm ignited over the summer when a disgruntled Texas A&M student confronted her teacher in a childrens literature class, stating she didnt want to promote something that is against our presidents laws, as well as against my religious beliefs.The teacher was discussing gender fluidity in middle-grade books featuring LGBTQ+ characters. Such discussions dont violate any state or federal laws.According to our president, theres only two genders, the student told the teacher, referring to Donald Trump and his gender ideology executive order. The student also recorded a conversation with the university president in which the president defended the professor and refused to fire her.The student recorded her protests, and the videos plunged the school into controversy.Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison (R) reposted the recording in a 23-part social media thread, excoriating the teacher and school officials.CAUGHT ON TAPE, Harrison wrote. TEXAS A&M STUDENT KICKED OUT OF CLASS AFTER OBJECTING TO TRANSGENDER INDOCTRINATION and A&M President defends LGBTQ Studies. Thursdays gender ideology crackdown was the result.Earlier this semester, Melissa McCoul, the teacher ambushed in her childrens literature class, was fired by Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III, who originally defended her. He then demoted the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the head of the English department. Welshs actions werent enough. He was also forced to resign shortly after. McCoul is appealing her termination. Regents Chair Robert Albritton denied that political pressure played a role in the universitys handling of the gender ideology meltdown, and expressed frustration with lawmakers pressure on the school.We have one individual who, who I would call a moron, who is an absolute classified megalomaniac, who is insatiable with his desire to feed his ego, Albritton told reporters, in an apparent reference to state Rep. Harrison, a Texas A&M alum.And do people like that solve problems? They dont give you solutions other than: Fire this, do this, do thatAnd I will say one wonderful thing about the Board is that we dont listen to that, Albritton added.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Republican Michigan gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson says he had a massive change of heart when it came to Muslim Americans: He went from organizing an Islamophobic march to sympathizing with the Islamophobia many Americans face. The change was fast too it took him just a few visits to mosques to change his mind.But his use of anti-LGBTQ+ slurs raises questions about the sincerity of his change. Related School board meeting descends into chaos as protestors demand book bans Earlier this month, Hudson said that he would organize a march through Dearborn a Detroit suburb with the proportionately largest Muslim population in the U.S. to protect Americans from Sharia law. Sharia law is the religious law of Islam, and many on the right have, for years, falsely claimed that Democrats and Muslims want to force Americans to follow it.Hudson, a trucker who ran for Congress in 2024, wrote on X on November 3 that he wanted the U.S. Marine Corps and the National Guard to come to his PEACEFUL march for TRUE PATRIOTS to RESTORE ORDER, adding, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. THE WORLD IS WATCHING. 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 ButtheDetroit Metro-Timesreportedon Monday, November 17, that Hudson had a change of heart just two weeks later. Hudson reportedly visited three mosques during this time and had face-to-face meetings with Muslim Americans.I can tell you in good faith right now today, standing at a pulpit in a mosque, that Sharia law does not exist in Dearborn, Michigan, nor do I believe it exists anywhere in the United States, he said in a video posted from a mosque in Dearborn. You have all been lied to with the propaganda thats going on about Dearborn, Michigan, he continued. I can tell you with absolute faith that everything youve been told or taught about Dearborn is a complete fabrication of the truth. Dearborn is a very quiet community. There is a lot of hospitality. Ive been extremely welcomed here.Hudson apologized for spreading Islamophobic conspiracy theories and even said that he would be the first to put out the fire if he ever saw someone trying to burn the Quran. He did say that the march was still on, but that he didnt know what its purpose would be yet.But apparently his change of heart doesnt extend to all historically oppressed minorities. The Metro-Times ended its article on Hudson with: Were still going to be there, Hudson says. I hope twice as many people show up.Hudson then called this reporter a f**king lesbian and used a homophobic slur.The reporter is Steve Neavling, who is a man. Neavling said on X that the slur starts with an f.'Lovely gentleman, Neavling concluded.Tell them the entire story you washed up fake media journalist! Hudson responded on X. Tell them the entire story you washed up fake media journalist! Youre a fraud! Anthony Hudson (@Hudson4Governor) November 18, 2025Hudson also cast doubt on his own change of heart. On Tuesday, November 18 one day after the Metro-Times article was published he posted about the march and said, WE WILL NOT ALLOW SHRIA [sic] LAW IN THIS COUNTRY!THERE WILL BE NO MUSLIM TAKE OVER AND YOU WILL NOT HIDE YOUR HEINOUS AGENDA UNDER FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND TRY TO MANIPULATE OUR LAWS!Someone in the responses asked him about his visits to Dearborn mosques, and he responded: Think chess not checkers! You have to outsmart your opposition! Have a lil faith and give me 48hrs please. Think chess not checkers! You have to outsmart your opposition! Have a lil faith and give me 48hrs please Anthony Hudson (@Hudson4Governor) November 18, 2025Hudson ran for Congress in 2024 in Michigans Eighth Congressional District and lost in the primary to Paul Junge, and Junge later lost the general election to Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet. Hudson got just over 10% of the vote in the primary.Hudson is one of several Republicans running to replace outgoing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who is term-limited.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

With Heated Rivalrys premiere just around the corner, one thing is on all of our minds: what are the sex scenes going to be like?The show, based on Rachel Reids rivals-to-lovers gay sports romance, follows hockey stars Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) as they are pitted against each other by the media and fight it out on ice while spending years having secret sexual rendezvous every time their teams compete against each other. The novel is extremely smutty and is full of hot gay sex, but its been unclear just how spicy the show would be until now. Speaking to Teen Vogue, director Jacob Tierney opened up about filming the sex scenes between Ilya and Shane, just how gay the show is, and how many of those horny scenes from the book are going to end up on our screens.1. Gayer than 'The Hunting Wives' (@) While the novel is extremely gay Ilya is a closeted bisexual who is comfortable with his sexuality but is worried it will destroy his career, and Shane is grappling with the fact that he is gay it has been unclear just how queer the show would be. But according to Tierney, there is no reason to worry despite how much TV execs love to water down queer media.I would vacillate between comparing it to Normal People, Friday Night Lights, and eventually The Hunting Wives, he told Teen Vogue, before explaining that Heated Rivalry is gayer than all of them, even Hunting Wives.2. They filmed a sex scene on the first day (@) Teen Vogue says the show will contain almost all of the sex scenes from the book and on the first day of shooting Storrie and Williams filmed a racy Las Vegas hotel room scene involving tequila.3. Expect lots of sex (@) The book Heated Rivalry is based on is full of countless graphic scenes depicting hot gay sex, but fans have been dying to know how much of the eroticism on the page is going to wind up on the show. Turns out, quite a lot.According to the magazine, there were three sex scenes in every episode. Considering the show has a planned six-episode first season, it sounds like fans are going to be treated to 18 sex scenes!4. Consent was key (@) Before sleeping with Ilya, Shane had never slept with a man before, and so while Ilya is the dominant partner in their sexual relationship, it was important for Tierney to show depictions of Ilya getting consent and practicing safe sex. Consent was huge for me, and more so, just concern. Its a huge part of Ilyas character, Tierney said. He may seem like a carefree playboy, but really hes a very sensitive and empathetic lover. It just adds to how much we learn about these guys from the sex they have.5.The sex isnt gratuitous (@) With three sex scenes per episode, it could start to feel like too much (although we beg to differ), but Tierney assures fans that the sex scenes are also in service of the characters learning more about each other over the course of the years they are secretly hooking up. Because of the way the story is laid out, it takes place over eight years, and these are people who learn about each other through f*cking, so the sex didnt feel gratuitous, Tierney said. This is how they communicate: They meet up three times a year and have sex until they hit a point where theyre like, Oh God, we keep doing this. We must have feelings for each other.

This story was originally reported by Orion Rummler of The 19th. Meet Orion and read more of his reporting on gender, politics and policy.As The 19th makes plans for 2026, we want to hear from you. Complete our annual survey to let us know your thoughts.Decades of progress in HIV treatment and prevention in the United States is being derailed by the Trump administration, public health experts say and without reversing course, the damage will be devastating. Threats to key federal programs are unfolding just as science has significantly advanced how easily patients can treat and manage HIV leaving experts deeply frustrated. The development of a vaccine, which researchers believed was closer than ever to becoming a reality, is now dead in its tracks. A twice-yearly dose of PrEP to prevent HIV, approved by the Food and Drug Administration this year, is expected to have significant benefits but experts are concerned about who will be able to afford this drug. Millions of Americans are expected to lose health care coverage due to Trumps federal spending cuts.Employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reportedly been tasked with dismantling their own work at the agency's HIV prevention division. Researchers at the state level are also struggling. At one of the countrys oldest and largest historically Black medical schools in Tennessee, $2 million in federal HIV research funding has been scrapped. Federal programs funding the countrys pivotal HIV services are in danger of being defunded or eliminated completely. On top of these cuts, Medicaid, the single largest source of insurance coverage for adults with HIV in the country, has been slashed creating a dire situation for HIV-positive Americans. About four in ten Americans living with HIV rely on Medicaid. New paperwork requirements go into effect in 2027, which advocates expect will keep many people from renewing their coverage or enrolling at all. For HIV-positive people right now, I think this is a very depressing moment, said Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. All of the energy and all of the excitement weve had about bringing an end to the AIDS epidemic that has just completely had the wind taken out of its sails.Health experts are watching with fear and confusion as Republicans are undermining the countrys baseline HIV prevention infrastructure. Without key federal programs, they say, the system will collapse. In particular, the CDC performs certain functions that cannot be replaced or replicated anywhere else like monitoring for new HIV cases on a national scale, getting funds to state health agencies, and promoting HIV testing on a large scale. If these services lose funding, then outbreaks will go unchecked, experts say. There will be more consequences. There will be people who get diagnosed later, perhaps already with opportunistic infections and showing up into emergency rooms already sick, harkening back to a much darker and more visible and more deadly version of the epidemic, and that will be directly because these services have been cut, said Jeremiah Johnson, executive director of PrEP4All. It really threatens to undermine everything. Opportunistic infections target people with weakened immune systems, including those with HIV. These conditions can lead to an AIDS diagnosis, the most serious stage of an HIV infection. Some of the most common opportunistic infections are thrush, lung infections and tuberculosis. The White House has proposed shutting down HIV prevention and surveillance at the CDC as part of its federal budget proposal. In Congress, House Republicans have gone even further. Their budget proposal would eliminate the federal program launched during President Donald Trumps first term that has strived to significantly reduce new HIV infections. House Republicans also want to axe core parts of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which is considered the fallback option when people with HIV lose access to their healthcare coverage. The breadth of these proposed cuts, which would strip the countrys most foundational HIV programs of nearly $2 billion, have shocked longtime advocates and experts. The vitriol and hostility they have towards HIV prevention work is unprecedented," said Matthew Rose, senior public policy advocate at the Human Rights Campaign. It is breaking with a time-honored Washington consensus that HIV is a bipartisan issue.During his first term, Trump struck a deal to get free PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, to uninsured Americans living with HIV. At his State of the Union address in 2019, he pledged to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030 largely through the program that House Republicans are currently looking to shutter. Now, these promises seem to be forgotten. Some attribute this abrupt change to the stark difference in staffing between Trumps first and second terms. There are more loyalists, more newcomers to government, and less of the old conservative guard. During his first term, Bush-era staffers who cared about this issue were still around, Rose said; but in his view, that same compassion is just not evident in the MAGA crowd. They are sort of scarred and hostile towards public health after the whole COVID situation, said Rose, who has worked as a health equity and HIV patient advocate for over a decade. There's not a nicer way to say it, they just seem to be hostile to the concept of public health.The Trump administration is also newly fixated on rolling back the rights of transgender people and immigrants in ways that will hurt health care access across the board, Rose and other experts said. Trans and gender non-conforming people are at a high risk of acquiring HIV and are disproportionally impacted by the virus, due to economic discrimination that leaves many without health care. But trans people are being excluded and erased from government websites, from health grant research, and now from official communication about groundbreaking HIV prevention. The CDCs endorsement of a new PrEP drug, which is available in a twice-yearly dose instead of a daily pill or an injection every three months, does not mention transgender people at all. This absence struck Lindsey Dawson, director of LGBTQ health policy at KFF, as odd. Clinical trials for this drug included trans and nonbinary people to ensure that it would be tested by those most likely to use and need it. Now that context is missing. This exclusion is likely a result of the White House executive order stating that the government recognizes only two sexes, Dawson said. That order signaled the Trump administrations opposition to gender diversity and tasked federal agencies with excluding trans people from laws that protect against sex discrimination. The order also equates being transgender to an ideology, or belief system, instead of an identity that is protected by state and federal law. The twice-yearly PrEP drug has a lot of potential to expand access to HIV prevention, Dawson said, but the CDCs endorsement could thwart that access by limiting it for a high-risk group. The White House is creating an environment of fear for transgender patients and their doctors, experts say and if trans people are too afraid to be honest with their doctor, then they wont access the treatments they need. Politically, the communities that we serve are under direct attack on so many fronts, Johnson of PrEP4All said. At the same time, public health is facing unprecedented trust issues and politicization, he said. Ending the HIV epidemic is still possible, he said, but amid all these factors, so is the likelihood of a resurgence of the epidemic. You dont really appreciate just how protected you are, so long as you have the infrastructure there, Johnson said. We dont want to learn the hard way what happens when you take that away. Americans living with HIV face high medical costs which most cant afford. One 2021 study estimated the average lifetime HIV-related medical costs for a single person to be over $420,000. Without lifelines like the Ryan White program or Medicaid coverage, HIV-positive people will be on their own; and nonprofits and state programs will have to fill in the gaps where they can.Lyndel Urbano, senior director of public policy and government relations at Amida Care, a Medicaid health insurance plan in New York, has already felt some of this pressure. His job has been especially hard this year. Mounting pressures threaten how Americans are able to access health care overall, he said, including how they can access HIV treatment and prevention which is the main focus of his organization. Not that long ago, HIV was really a death sentence, Urbano said. Weve gotten to the point where you can treat HIV, you can prevent HIV relatively easily with medical and behavioral interventions. We have right now the kind of tools that can get us to the end of HIV the challenge is, people need to access those mechanisms. Without that access, experts expect more Americans to suffer and get needlessly sick, despite readily available treatments and preventative measures that could help them.