CBS News has adopted a new term and an old dog whistle to address sex assigned at birth: biological sex at birth but without the quotes.On Tuesday, after a months-long internal debate at the network over how to address transgender people in its coverage and the terminology associated with them, Tom Burke, senior director of standards and practices at CBS News, issued a memo to staff about the change, The Wrap reports. Related Queer anti-woke journalist Bari Weiss is now CBS News editor-in-chief. Thats troubling. Effective immediately, the news division will use the term biological sex at birth with no quotes needed.CBS Evening News used the term in its coverage of oral arguments the same day at the Supreme Court in two cases challenging bans on trans student-athletes in school sports.Its a switch overseen by Bari Weiss, the queer and controversial new editor-in-chief at CBS News installed by Trump ally David Ellison, following his purchase of Paramount Studios last year. CBS is owned by Paramount. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Weiss has a history of transphobic public stances, which she describes as moderation. The editorial change is an about-face for CBS News standards department.In November, Burke recommended following style guidance from the Trans Journalists Association (TJA) in an email conversation about a story covering the Trump administrations efforts to erase trans identity from U.S. passports.The TJA style guide states, outside of medical literature,assigned sex at birthis preferable overbiological sexwhen describing a persons anatomy at birth.Burke agreed with that terminology, with exceptions for quoting individuals or documents in a story. We should not alter what they say or write, he wrote in an email chain reported by The Guardian. Jan Crawford, the networks chief legal correspondent, disagreed with the TJAs guidance.We have had this discussion multiple times before, and I continue to believe we should refrain from adopting terminology advocated by the movement and continue to use biological sexwithout putting it in quotes,she wrote.Setting aside the question of whether we as a news organization should be adopting TJA style,she claimed use of the term by the U.S. court system, including the Supreme Court, was justification enough. Nicole Cutrona, a CBS Evening News producer, took issue with the use of biological sex, previously describing it as a transphobic dog whistle.I continue to believe our continued use of the term biological sexillustrates our organizations ignorance about topics involving sex and gender,she wrote.Burke then responded that the standards team would review the guidanceand determine what, if any changes need to be addressed.Tuesdays memo was the result.Weiss, who has no television news experience, quit The New York Times in 2020 claiming left-leaning bias at the publication, then started a Substack newsletter called The Free Press to counter what she called progressive groupthink. She earned millions in funding from libertarian Silicon Valley investors in the process. Shes had a bumpy first few months in her new role as legacy media Trump stalking horse, taking hits from both sides of the media echo chamber.Weiss hosted a December 13, 2025, town hall with Charlie Kirks widow Erica Kirk, who has taken over her deceased husbands role leading Turning Point USA. The interview and Erica Kirks takeover of the organization earned derision from both the left and the right.Bari doesnt know anything about Erika. Bari Weiss has never been to a Turning Point event, Megyn Kelly said of the televised event. Kelly accused Weiss of trying to play both super-important VIP executive and super-fabulous star anchor at her new network, CBS. Weiss earned bipartisan derision for her rollout of new CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil, with a 10-day tour reporting from red and blue states that was plagued with technical difficulties and burdened with a statement by Weiss of five simple values delivered by her new anchor andmocked by critics.Most notoriously, Weiss pulled a segment from CBS investigative news program 60 Minutes just hours before air that examined torture at the CECOT prison in El Salvador, where the Trump administration has sent hundreds of detainees rounded up in the administrations immigration sweep.While the biological sex change aligns with Weiss transphobic history and tenure, CBS staffers say she hasnt been around much in the newsroom, and thats fine with them. We dont hear from her very often, one said. She rubs people the wrong way, said another person in the liberally biased newsroom.There was agreement on that point from the other, antisemitic side of the political spectrum. Im not too worried about Bari Weiss taking over the world, Tucker Carlson said on a recent episodeof his streaming show, criticizing her support for Israel. I dont care how many billionaires hand her news organizations because shes obedient to their preferred country. Shes still an idiot sorry. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

There was technically no reason for Colton Underwood to go on The Traitors season 4, a reality competition series notorious for clashing a wide range of fanbases rooting for their faves based on wildly different shows, experiences, and background stories.Alan Cumming's treacherous Scottish castle isn't a Survivor-style endurance series like Beyond the Edge (which Underwood won), a playful talent show like The Masked Singer (which he finished as a semifinalist), or a brand-new dating show for virgins like Are You My First? (which he cohosted with Bachelor Nation star Kaitlyn Bristowe)."Well, obviously, I've watched [The Traitors], I love competition, and I just wanted to compete," Underwood tells Out. "And I think it was like the perfect show balance for me returning to television, where the drama is for the most part the gameplay, and the strategy, and what you do. So it was, in my opinion, a safe way for me to return to television without really having to put myself back into the vulnerable position of having to share my life."Underwood's biggest priorities in recent years have been his family and his mental health, he says, adding that he "had a blast shooting" this season of The Traitors. That tracked, from a viewer's perspective, until episode 5 when Michael Rapaport arguably insinuated that Underwood's closeted years were evidence that he was good at keeping secrets, so he might as well be a Traitor. (No, Rapaport didn't make any sense. And, yes, it spectacularly backfired.)In the Traitors universe, Faithfuls and Traitors have various rounds of "banishment ceremonies" held at a giant roundtable. Much like Survivor's "tribal councils," the contestants can discuss, dissect, debate, and perhaps even dissociate from the intense arguments that come up in these ceremonies. But even within this pressure cooker, Underwood recognized that Rapaport crossed a line."Of course I was caught off guard a little bit," Underwood admits when asked about Rapaport's remarks. "You know, in the rules of the game, there's sort of an unspoken truth of like, 'Let's not make it personal.' And I think you sort of see that with how I went about my gameplay even with Tiffany [Mitchell] and people who I sort of questioned."The Coming Out Colton star adds, "When it became personal, you know, I tried to just stay level-headed, and stay in the game; to focus on gameplay and what was best for that. I didn't really sit in that emotion very long. I just wanted to get back to the gameand what we were doing." But Underwood does remember how Rapaport's remarks played out in the room. "Pretty much all the air in the room got sucked out," he explains. "Everybody, for the most part, took it how it was intended. Anybody who hears that and then says, 'Well, I didn't mean it that way.' It's like 'I mean, yeah, you did.'""That's a conversation that is bigger than like you and The Traitors," he considers. "It's something that still goes on in our society."Episode 5 ends with Rapaport staring at the camera and telling viewers that he didn't mean it that way, which could be true, at least in hindsight. Nonetheless, the insinuation was on the table that Underwood's closeted years made him a potential Traitor as if struggling to accept one's sexuality as a teen and early 20s is the same as being a grown man competing on a TV show that parodies murders and banishments among reality stars.The real surprise, I tell Underwood, now 33, was seeing how he handled Rapaport. He didn't shut down and sit in silence, a la various moments in Coming Out Colton. He didn't jump fences and run away, a la his season of The Bachelor. He sat there, listened, and responded. He was then supported by every other queer player even Kristen Kish, who planned on voting out Underwood prior to the banishment ceremony and most of the other contestants, like Natalie Anderson, Rob Rausch, and Maura Higgins."I took care of myself. I have a family, and a kid, now," Underwood says, reasoning how these factors play a role before he commits to any new endeavors. "A hit show like The Traitors, you get thrust back into the spotlight. I'm a polarizing figure, I know that. I'm self-aware to know people either really, really love me or really, really hate me, and that's just part of my journey through reality television."Underwood reflects, "Going into the show, of course I've grown over the years, and I've changed. Not that I had anything to prove on this television show, but I'm tired of being a punching bag. I'm not going to sit there and take it. I'm going to hold my own.""It was challenging, and hard," Underwood adds. "I was terrified of the [players with] big personalities because I didn't want to have those conversations and confrontation. But it happened, and I think you sort of just get to see me stand up for myself, and not just sit there."Underwood's stardom is specific to different audiences. On the one hand, lots of people, including some on The Traitors, had never watched The Bachelor and had no idea he was even in it. As his Traitors cast mate Natalie Anderson summed up for the uninformed in the castle (and the audience) at the beginning of episode 5, "He was on The Bachelor, and he hadn't come out, and he was dating 30 women." Real Housewives star Dorinda Medley seemed astounded. Later that day, Rapaport told Underwood, "Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you."On the other hand, his reality TV debut in Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette, his follow-up run on Bachelor in Paradise, and his eventual leading role on The Bachelor were some of the most-viewed seasons in modern-day Bachelor history. (Underwood, a Christian who was closeted at the time, was dubbed "The Virgin Bachelor" during his run as he openly discussed his sexual inexperience.) Everything he has ever said or done on TV has been canonized by the so-called warriors of Bachelor Nation. And many of these warriors have not forgiven him for the fallout over his ex Cassie Randolph, whom he met on The Bachelor. The pair dated from 2018 from 2020. And after the breakup, Randolph filed a temporary restraining order against Underwood over stalking allegations, which she later dropped.The entire premise of The Traitors, though, is based on this wild crossover casting of people from various different reality shows, thus exposing each contestant to a more diverse audience than ever before. Some viewers meet them for the first time in the castle, but others bring a longer history of fandom (and sometimes, hard feelings) to the table."I think that's what makes people like me, and the show, so polarizing, you know?" he says. "Some people really like you. They've gone along the journey with you. They've been at the lows. They've been paying attention to see how you handle those lows. And they're rooting for you to come out on the other side, and to get better, and to grow, and to learn, and to hold me accountable."Underwood continues, "And then there's people who will never understand. Not that I have anything to prove, or need them to understand, but there's just people who are either mean-spirited or don't want to see me succeed. And, you know, those aren't my people. I don't want to pay attention to those types of commentsIt doesn't fulfill my happiness. It doesn't help me or my family in any way. They don't know, and they don't understand."So why did he return to reality TV? "I was ready for it, and I have a support system now," Underwood reasons. "Like, my life has changed so much, where I have an incredible professional team around me, and I have an incredible husband and partner, and family. Life has changed so much." View on ThreadsOne lighthearted discourse regarding Underwood's run on The Traitors concerns his fashion, aesthetics, and lewks. Beyond the standard formal attire that leads wear on The Bachelor, the football player turned reality TV star is best known as a "jock" who's fine wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Did Underwood become a fashionista leading up to The Traitors, or is he still getting help from stylists?"I'm actually in a fitting right now as I'm doing this interview," Underwood says, with a chuckle. "It's something new. But also, I'm in a phase in my life where I want to have fun. I want to try new things. I wore suits on Bachelor. I am, of course, more 'jocky,' casual training clothes. But if I'm going to do an Alan Cumming show, a hit show, an Emmy-winning show, The Traitors, why not go for it?"Underwood, who credits stylist Kristie Harrison in many of his social media posts, says that he aimed for "campy, fun, funny, and self-aware," adding: "Would I ever wear a blue cardigan with bedazzled button clips? Absolutely not. But if you tell me I'm going to be shooting a show with Alan Cumming in Scotland, and this is the premise, I will go all out. I'm a 100 [percent] type of guy."The Traitors season 4 is streaming on Peacock.

Conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musks 14 children, is suing the billionaires artificial intelligence (AI) company, xAI, over sexualized images she claims its Grok chat bot created of her and disseminated on the social platform X.As NBC News reports, St. Clair filed her lawsuit on Thursday, January 15. In it, she alleges that Grok created and disseminated altered, deepfake images of her on X, the social media platform also owned by Musk, that depicted her as a child stripped down to a string bikini, and as an adult in sexually explicit poses, covered in semen, or wearing only bikini floss. Related Elon Musk wants custody of child because its mom might turn the kid trans The complaint alleges that after St. Clair reported the images to X and requested their removal, Grok promised her that it would refrain from creating further sexualized images of her without her consent. However, St. Clair claims that xAI instead retaliated against her by canceling her Premium X subscription, banning her from purchasing another, and demonetizing her X account while leaving the images on the platform and continuing to allow Grok to create sexualized images of her.St. Clair claims she has suffered psychological trauma, loss of privacy, reputational harm, and fear of continued dissemination as a result of xAIs negligence and accuses the company of intentional infliction of emotional distress and of financially benefitting from exploiting her image without her consent, among other claims. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today As NBC notes, St. Clairs lawsuit was filed in a New York state court and was transferred to the federal Southern District of New York following a request from xAI. The same day, xAI filed a lawsuit against St. Clair claiming she is in breach of the Terms of Service she agreed to when she signed up for X, which stipulate that any legal action against the company must be filed either in federal court in the Northern District of Texas or in state courts in Tarrant County, Texas.St. Clairs lawsuit comes amid recent backlash over Groks creation of nonconsensual sexualized AI-generated images of real people as well as of children. According to NBC News, the chatbot created thousands of such images per hour last week. While Musks company has since blocked Grok from creating nonconsensual sexualized deepfakes on X, as of Thursday, it can still do so on the Grok app, website, and X tab, NBC News reports. Musk is nowfacing legal probesin Europe, India, and Malaysia over Grok. St. Clair, who welcomed a son fathered by Musk in September 2024, has been a vocal critic of Groks sexualized deepfakes.Can someone explain how 0.26% of the population potentially playing womens sports is a threat worthy of executive order from the president but the twitter mechahitler robot that makes child sexual abuse material + distributes it publicly is not, she wrote in a January 10 X post, apparently referring to President Donald Trumps executive order banning transgender women and girls from participating in womens and girls sports.St. Clair, who published a transphobic childrens book in 2021, has also recently expressed immense guilt for her role in spreading anti-trans propaganda. In a response to another X users comment on January 11, St. Clair wrote that she feels even more guilt that things I have said in the past may have caused my sons sister more pain, likely referring to Musks estranged daughter Vivian Wilson, who is trans. [I dont really know] how to make amends for many of these things but I have been trying incredibly hard privately to learn + advocate for those within the trans community that Ive hurt.In response, Musk wrote in a January 12 comment on X that he intends to file for full custody of his and St. Clairs son, given her statements implying she might transition a one-year-old boy.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Late-night talk show hosts, political pundits, and web commenters are making fun of President Donald Trump for accepting the Nobel Peace Prize medal belonging to Venezuela opposition leader Mara Corina Machado. Machado gave her medal to Trump on Thursday at the White House after he dismissed the idea of her leading Venezuela following Trumps illegal January 3 arrest of the countrys President Nicols Maduro.Numerous web commenters have noted the irony of Trump recieving the peace prize after illegally invading Venezuela; repeatedly threatening to take over Greenland; using Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to kill innocent Americans in the U.S.; bombing Iran, Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia, Syria; and largely encouraging Israel to commit genocide against Palestinians. Though Trump claimed to have ended eight wars, fact-checkers call that claim exaggerated. Related This is pathetic: FIFA awards fake peace prize to Trump Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Late Night Host Jimmy Kimmel joked, You know [Trumps] in the Oval Office sucking on it like a pacifier, and said that Machado left the White House with a Make America Great Again mug. He also offered Trump one of his past awards including a Daytime Emmy, a Cleo Award, or his 2015 Soul Train Award for White Person of the Year if he promises to pull ICE out of Minneapolis.Stephen Colberts audience booed when he announced that Machado had given her award to Trump. But Colbert said the award could possibly cheer Trump up seeing as Trump recently sent his followers a money beg email proclaiming, Im alone and in the dark. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said that Machados giving her prize to Trump violates Nobel rules, as a Nobel Prize can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others, AlterNet reported.Economist and former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman mocked Trump in a Friday Substack post in which he wrote, Its a Nobel medal, a symbol of the honor, not the honor itself. Only a vain, insecure fool would imagine that blackmailing someone into handing their medal over adds to his stature.MS NOW host and former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, He behaves like a petulant toddler who cries and whines because some other kid got a trophy and he didnt The winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize literally had to hand that prize over to our butthurt president in order to try and secure the future of her own country. And it was not just some gesture that Machado came up with to flatter Trump, Psaki added. Trump has been incredibly vocal about the fact that he felt he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize last year.Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) noted that Trump said Machado gave him her medal in recognition of the work I have done, and assed, Well, if somebody gives [Trump] a Super Bowl ring, hell be convinced he was the greatest football player who ever played in the NFL.Everybody is tiptoeing around the king, and nobody wants to say the emperors got no clothes, whos in his immediate vicinity, Raskin said. So theyd rather, you know, turn over their peace prizes and try to lure him into doing the right thing. @Number10cat, a commenter on the social media platform X, clowned Trump by tagging Riley Gaines, a transphobic activist who has accused biological men (transgender women) of stealing sports trophies from cisgender female athletes.Showing a picture of Trump taking the framed medal from Machado, @Number10cat wrote, @Riley_Gaines_ A disturbing example of a man claiming a medal that belongs to a woman; you must be furious.@Riley_Gaines_ A disturbing example of a man claiming a medal that belongs to a woman; you must be furious https://t.co/UlQVpKwwXj Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) January 16, 2026Various Norweigian political figures called the transfer of the prize disrespectful and pathetic, with one calling it incredibly embarrassing and damaging to one of the worlds most respected and important prizes.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Its been great to see the way queer media has gotten so popular in recent months with Heated Rivalry becoming a cultural phenomenon, but were still lacking in sapphic shows. Thats where queer creator Quinn Shephard and Netflixs upcoming series The Body come in!While the streaming giant has yet to release details about how explicitly queer the characters are going to be in this raunchy teen psychodrama, people on social media have already heralded it as the next sapphic drama.But what we do know is that there are going to be famous queer women behind and in front of the camera including sapphic queen and The Traitors star Gabby Windey and that it will be campy and focused on girlhood. Ive always been interested in the idea of girlhood as a religious experience. This story is definitely my way of putting a playful spin on all the nightmares of my own teenage-dom, Shephard told Tudum when the show was announced last year. Tonally, I would describe the show as gritty camp. Its a raunchy teen psychodrama with a dash of Catholic horror. What is Netflixs The Body about?The eight-episode series is created by Shephard, the writer-director of Emmy-nominated (lesbian) mystery Under the Bridge, and follows a dance team at an all-girls Catholic high school.After a dance-team initiation goes wrong, a group of badly behaved Catholic school girls begin having prophetic visions that set off mass hysteria in their town, the official synopsis reads. The body is a love letter to all the 90s and Y2K teen movies and erotic thrillers, which Shephard loved growing up and also features religious and historical references throughout. I was also a teen with an embarrassingly intense fixation on The Crucible and the Salem witch trials, she said. Its been very interesting to revisit that with the shading of our current political climate!Who is starring in 'The Body'?See on InstagramThe Bachelorette and The Traitors star Gabby Windey, who is married to comedian Robby Hoffman in real life, will be playing the dance teams coach, Coach Miller.The series also stars a long list of up and comers, including, Kristina Bogic (Playing Gracie Darling), Sara Boustany (Hello, Beautiful), Geena Meszaros (The Order), Nnamdi Asomugha (The Knife), Louisa Krause (King Kelly), Shirley Chen (Slanted), Jackson Kelly (The Pitt), and Sofia Wylie (The Map that Leads to You).How queer is 'The Body' going to be? (@) Its unclear which characters, if any, are going to be explicitly queer, but both people behind and in front for he camera definitely are. Windey starring alone is enough reason for lesbians everywhere to tune in.Plus, Shephard is acting as the showrunner, writer, and director of the series, and her last project, Under the Bridge, featured queer actor Lily Gladstone as a queer cop in a relationship with Riley Keough's Rebecca. Quinn has also said that she was inspired by Carrie, Jennifers Body, Heavenly Creatures, and Mean Girls. And its set in an all-girls Catholic school. At this point, it would be shocking if it wasnt extremely sapphic.When will 'The Body' be released?Netflix hasnt revealed a release date yet, but it will probably premiere toward the end of 2026.

Vinnie Hackers photos have us feeling euphoric.The TikTok star went from the Hype House to the runway, and now hes joined the cast of Euphoria. One look at this tatted-up hunk, and we could not be more excited for this new chapter.After years of anticipation, Euphoria is finally headed back to our screens and will pick up with our characters five years after the events of season two. But if you thought high school was tough on Rue (Zendaya), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Jules (Hunter Schafer), and Nate (Jacob Elordi), things arent looking any easier for the crew, who face new messy challenges and poor life choices. But then, what else would we expect?For those unfamiliar with the handsome influencer, model, and actor, he started his career with thirst traps on TikTok, which earned him a spot in the Hype House reality series on Netflix. From there, he became a full-time Twitch streamer and model, starring in advertising campaigns for Hugo Boss, Yves Saint Laurent, H&M, and more. Hes now breaking into acting, first with a voice role in Netflixs anime adaptation of Sakamoto Days. Next up hes making the leap to HBOs hit series. As for who Hackers character is and how he will fit in when the show returns this spring remains to be seen. But why not build some anticipation and a little, ahem, tension by scrolling through some of the actors steamiest pics?Euphoria returns for season three on HBO on April 12, and be sure to follow Vinnie Hacker on instagram @vinniehacker View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by HUGO (@hugo_official) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@vinniehacker)

Alexander Skarsgrd is bringing the heat!The handsome actor is turning heads in his leading new role in the erotic new film Pillion. Skarsgrd tackles his sexiest character yet as he portrays a gay leader of a motorcycle club.The movie contains many incredibly spicy scenes focused on BDSM culture, public play, and so much more. Some of the photos from the film are already going viral on social media, so check out the highlights below. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

Hockey player Jesse Kortuem, who recently came out as gay after being inspired by Crave/HBO Max's hit hockey romance Heated Rivalry, has spoken out about what life has been like since his big announcement with Out this week went viral."Did I ever expect this level of attention? Not at all," Kortuem says, adding, "I just felt it was finally my time to share my truth, to share my story.""It's been overwhelming, but honestly, in the best way possible," he tells Out. "What inspired me really to post after Heated Rivalry, for me, it was the fact that there are a lot of Shanes, Scotts, Ilyas out there currently in the hockey world that are feeling alone. This stirred up a lot of emotions for myself, and I'm sure a lot of other people that are still in the closet playing hockey. I wanted to let them know you're not alone, you'll get through this, you'll find your tribe. They're fictional characters, but it's real life at the same time."Kortuem never played in the NHL, but played in several leagues, and said he was inspired by the show to come out."I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry's success," he previously told Out. "Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport. I've struggled the last few weeks to put these emotions into words, fearing the impact on team dynamics, etc."Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams as Canadian hockey star Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, his Russian rival-turned-lover. While there have been no out players in the NHL, the league's commissioner said that he "binged" the show, and the league has said the show is a "unique driver for creating new fans."Watch Kortuem's statement ahead.

The one-year mark of Donald Trumps second term is quickly approaching, and Americans are not happy with what they see. A large majority 58% say that his first year was a failure.The new CNN poll, conducted from January 9 to 12 with 1,209 U.S. adults participating, found his approval rating was very low too. Only 39% of people approved of how he is handling the presidency, compared to 61% who disapproved. Related Survey finds LGBTQ+ people deeply hurting after a year of Donald Trump Approximately 39% approved of how he is handling the economy, the top issue for Americans in the poll. But respondents also rated him poorly on the rest of the major issues asked about in the poll, including health care policy (36% approval), immigration (42%), foreign affairs (39%), the role of commander-in-chief (41%), tariffs (37%), management of the federal government (39%), and the situation in Venezuela (42%). The poll did not ask about LGBTQ+ equality issues.When it came to personal qualities, few Americans were willing to say that they were proud of having him as president (35%) or that they think hes in touch with ordinary Americans (32%). His best rating came to the question of whether he has the stamina and sharpness to serve effectively as president, but even there, only 46% of people agreed, and 53% disagreed.

This second term of the Trump administration has been brutal in so many ways. For the LGBTQ+ community, it has meant a year of relentless legal and social attacks scapegoating transgender people, pushing laws meant to strip us of our rights, and attempting to erase us altogether. The daily weight of it all can feel overwhelming.As an older lesbian, its heartbreaking to witness such a coordinated and malicious effort to undo decades of progress progress I saw, fought for, and experienced us win firsthand. And yet, the more I sit with whats happening, the clearer the bigger picture becomes. No matter how desperately this administration and its supporters try to keep us down, they will fail. We have endured before. We will endure again. And it will continue, overall, to get better. Related We deserve wrinkles: The fight for trans youth is a fight for a future with trans elders in it But before I lean too hard into optimism and play the role of Pollyanna, its worth sharing a bit of my background.I grew up as a deeply closeted lesbian in the late 1970s, a time when the thought of two people of the same sex showing even the smallest public affection was unimaginable. Visibility came with real consequences: Ridicule was almost guaranteed, and few dared to be publicly out and proud. Before 1973, the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) actually considered homosexuality a disorder. It wasnt completely removed until 1987. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today I remained firmly in the closet through most of my youth and well into young adulthood, finally coming at age twenty-six. I learned to perform to talk about boys, to act interested, to play a role that never, in a million years, fit. During those years, fear was my constant companion. I lived in a state of vigilance, terrified that someone might uncover my secret.But even worse was the loneliness, the crushing, suffocating loneliness. Any attraction I felt for other girls had to be carried in silence. There is a special kind of heart-wrenching pain that comes from living a lie. Even into my mid-twenties, I kept trying to convince myself that maybe, just maybe, I could be normal, like everyone else, and not a gross lesbian, a phrase Id heard echoed for years. I told myself that my attraction to women was just some strange hormonal phase, something that would eventually pass.Yet no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, each night still ended the same wayin tears. I ached to be loved and accepted for who I was, not judged for who I was drawn to. It was a quiet, grinding isolation, the kind that wears you down day by day, and one I wouldnt wish on anyone. Dark thoughts lingered at the edges of my mind, tempting me with the idea of escape. I had no one to talk to, no one I felt I could trust during that time, and the loneliness was exhausting. More than once, I came dangerously close to giving in to the darkness.It wasnt until college in the 1990s that I met my first love, and everything began to change. I came out, found community, and slowly started shedding years of internalized homophobia and self-hatred. For the first time, the pain I felt no longer came from within; it came from the world around me. I realized then that I wasnt the problem, and neither was my LGBTQ+ community. We were whole and worthy exactly as we were. The real harm was the homophobia and transphobia imposed from the outside. Over the next couple of decades, I lived out and proud, continually fighting for equality and basic rights while witnessing both progress and fierce backlash. I lived through the AIDS crisis, watching President Reagan dismiss it as the gay plague and largely ignore the devastation. I watched the nation grapple with the horror of Matthew Shepards torture and death; Oregons Ballot Measures 9 and 13thinly veiled as No Special Rightswhich attacked our community under the slogan Protect Our Children; and the rape and murder of Brandon Teena, a transgender man, in 1993.Yet alongside the setbacks, there has been remarkable progress: the first gay pride parade in 1972; ACT UPs fearless activism in the 1980s; and the Clinton administrations executive order barring discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal workplace. In 1997, I watched Ellen come out on national television and felt, for the first time, publicly seen. The first Transgender Day of Remembrance followed in 1999. In 2004, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon became the first same-sex couple married in San Francisco, and in 2015, marriage equality was finally recognized nationwide. In 2020, the Supreme Court affirmed federal employment protections for LGBTQ+ workers, and in the years since, LGBTQ+ leaders have continued to break barriers in public officeincluding in my home state of Oregon, which elected the nations first openly lesbian governor in 2022.So many positive momentssome monumental, others quiethave unfolded over the years. Taken together, they form a clear trajectory forward. Even when the pace slows, we are still moving in the right direction. Which brings me to the present moment. Under the Trump administration, the barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric has been relentless, clearly aimed at dragging us backward. Decades of hard-won progress, both legal and cultural, are being challenged with a deeply unsettling speed and aggression.History feels as though it is repeating itself, as backlash once again follows progress. Transgender rights are being rolled back at an alarming pace as some lawmakers urge the Supreme Court to reconsider same-sex marriage. At the same time, LGBTQ+ people are being pushed out of public life removed from government webpages, targeted by Dont Say Gay legislation, and even erased symbolically, as seen in the removal of all references to trans people at the Stonewall National Monument.Make no mistake: This administration is determined to force us back into the closet and to criminalize our existence, both subtly and overtly. But despite this coordinated effort, I remain confident that the public will not accept a return to the past. Most Americans do not see LGBTQ+ people as the enemy, no matter how aggressively that narrative is pushed. Progress may slow. Backlash may grow louder. But the direction of history has not changed, and it will not stop here. There was a time when I truly believed I would not survive what I was going through those painful, lonely years spent in the closet, followed by coming out into a world that was still deeply unaccepting of LGBTQ+ people. But decades later, my life tells a very different story. I am a successful business owner, surrounded by a strong and loving community of friends and family. In my youth and ignorance, I never could have imagined that life could get this much better. But it did.For younger queer generations who have not yet experienced years of being treated as abnormal or less than, I want you to know it does get better. You are not alone. You have a community, even if right now its just one or two people you trust. Find them. Confide in them. Talk about what youre feeling. And if you cant find someone you feel safe talking to, there are organizations and online resources created to support you and help guide you through difficult moments.Since I cant go back in time to offer comfort to my younger self, I offer it now to todays younger LGBTQ+ generation. There is nothing wrong with you. You belong here. This is your country too, and you deserve to live openly and safely within it. I know how dark it can feel when those in power try to convince you otherwise. But even now, I believe that despite the backlash and the fear, it will get better. Because we are still here, and we always have been.Shaley Howard is the author of Excuse Me, Sir! Memoir of a Butch, which received the IPPY Silver Award for excellence in 2024. Shes a small-business owner and an award-winning activist in Portland, Oregon.If this story affected you, just know you are not alone. TheTrans Lifeline Hotlineoffers support to trans/nonbinary people struggling with mental health from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. PST Monday-Friday. Call (877) 565-8860 to be connected to a trans/nonbinary peer operator and receive full anonymity and confidentiality. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth ages 24 and younger, can be reached at (866) 488-7386.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.