| |
Polis marriage marks first same-sex wedding of sitting governor
On Sept. 15, Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wed longtime partner Marlon Reis—marking the first same-sex marriage of a sitting U.S. governor, NPR reported. Polis keeps making history. In 2018, Polis became the first openly gay ...
|
| |
| |
HHS awards $48M to health centers to expand HIV prevention, treatment
On Sept. 16, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded more than $48 million to 271 HRSA-supported health centers across 26 states, Puerto Rico and ...
|
|
| |
| |
USWNT national soccer team slams contract offer
The United States Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) is calling the U.S. Soccer Federation's offer of identical contracts for its women's and men's national teams a publicity stunt, according to Yahoo! Sports. On S ...
|
| |
| |
National groups kick off #BiWeek to celebrate bisexuality+ visibility
Sept. 16 marks the start of #BiWeek, an annual digital campaign to accelerate acceptance for the bisexual+ (bi, pansexual, fluid, queer, unlabeled, etc.) community, according to a joint press release from the organizations The Bisexual Resource ...
|
| |
| |
Brittany Devon meets a 'Platonic Girlfriend'
Queer, genderfluid actor Brittany Devon has created a brand new project to explore with Platonic Girlfriend. It is the story of a relationship between straight woman Alice and a queer, nonbinary person named Dev. Devon stars ...
|
| |
| |
Gavin Newsom wins Calif. recall election
On Sept. 14, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom defeated a GOP-backed effort to remove him from office, media outlets reported. Speaking from Sacramento, Newsom thanked Californians for rejecting the recall effort, according to CNN.com. He also ...
|
| |
| |
Catholic theologians urge protections for LGBTQ+ people
More than 750 of the nation's leading Catholic theologians, church leaders, scholars, educators and writers have joined New Ways Ministry in voicing support for nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, according to a New Ways press release. ...
|
| |
| |
'Homophile' organization New Gay Liberation Front launches
The New Gay Liberation Front—which described itself in a press release as a "homophile organization"—has launched. "Homophile" is a term that was used by some gay and lesbian groups in the 1950s. According to the University ...
|
| |
| |
Former HRC President Alphonso David accuses organization of racism
Former Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Alphonso David opened up about the fallout from the investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) that eventually led to his own firing—and accused the HRC of racism, ...
|
| |
| |
TELEVISION 'Drag Race,' 'Queer Eye,' 'Pose' among Creative Emmy winners
Three 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies took place Sept. 11-12—and Netflix's The Queen's Gambit led the way with nine wins going into next weekend's Primetime Emmys, Deadline reported. LGBTQ+ individuals and shows also scored se ...
|
|
| |
| |
Billy Masters
"If you want the most dramatic season ever, do an LGBT version. I think maybe it's the time for The Bachelor to do a gay Bachelor."—Lance Bass pitches his idea to ABC. You may recall that ...
|
| |
| |
MUSIC Lil Nas X wins top award at MTV VMAs
The MTV VMA Awards took place Sept. 12—and an LGBTQ+ artist took home one of the night's top awards. Lil Nas X won Video of the Year for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," besting Cardi ...
|
| |
| |
NATIONAL Teachers, GLAAD talks HRC, 9/11 items, Dr. Rachel Levine
In North Carolina, a former teacher won a lawsuit against Charlotte Catholic High School and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte after he lost his job following an announcement on Facebook that he planned to marry ...
|
| |
| |
SHOWBIZ 'Boy Meets Boy,' Jennifer Hudson, 'SVU,' tennis honor, ABBA
Ariztical Entertainment is releasing the German movie Boy Meets Boy on DVD and VOD on Oct. 26. According to a press release, the plot of the 70-minute movie is as follows: "Harry has been partying for ...
|
| |
| |
TV Rory O'Malley lands his second gay cartoon role with 'Chicago Party Aunt'
Inspired by a popular Twitter account, Netflix's latest adult cartoon, Chicago Party Aunt, takes the Windy City to a whole new level. Superstore star and Second City alumna Lauren Ash plays the titular character, Diane Dunbrowski. ...
|
| |
| |
MOVES Talking about 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'
The new movie Everybody's Talking About Jamie tells the inspiring story of Jamie New, a young drag artist who overcomes hardship and homophobia in Sheffield, England. Out actor Max Harwood stars as New, who gets by ...
|
| |
| |
Britney Spears' dad petitions to end conservatorship
In a huge win for pop star Britney Spears, her father and the conservator of her estate, Jamie Spears, filed a petition to end the arrangement on Sept. 7, media outlets reported. Jamie cited his daughter's ...
|
| |
| |
One in ten LGBT workers experienced discrimination at work in the last year
LGBT employees of color were more likely to report being denied jobs and verbal harassment A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds an estimated 46% of LGBT workers have experienced ...
|
| |
| |
Constand breaks silence about Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand is breaking her silence to NBC News about the comic/actor's release from prison two months ago, Deadline noted. In a brief clip, Constand tells Kate Snow she "was really shocked — ...
|
| |
| |
HRC fires its president, Alphonso David
On Sept. 6, the national LGBTQ+ organization the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) fired its president, Alphonso David, for advising now-former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) during his sexual-harassment scandal ...
|
|
| |
| |
WNBA names 25 greatest players in history
On Sept. 5, the WNBA commemorated its landmark 25th season by announcing the selection of "The W25"—a collection of the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history, according to a press release. The unveiling ...
|
| |
| |
Billy Masters
"I'm so happy to know I have a fan in Maine!"—Joan Rivers in a letter to yours truly sometime in the mid-80s. Massachusetts had just begun using the MA abbreviation instead of Mass! She may have ...
|
| |
| |
HRC president refuses to resign, despite co-chairs' reported request
Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has refused to resign in the midst of controversy—even after the organization's co-chairs reportedly requested that he do so. According to NBC New York, David is ...
|
| |
| |
LGBTQ+ exhibit removed from Missouri Capitol
Kansas City Sen. Greg Razer, the only openly gay member of the Missouri Senate, demanded an explanation after an exhibit on the LGBTQ+-rights movement in Kansas City was removed from the state Capitol (in Jefferson City) ...
|
| |
| |
SHOWBIZ 'Idol' alums, Zendaya, Gaga, 'Queer As Folk,' women rappers
American Idol alum David Archuleta said that God urged him to come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, NBC News noted. The Nashville resident told Today.com he wasn't sure if the community would embrace ...
|
| |
| |
NATIONAL Calif. bill, lawsuits, Billy Porter, 'Southern LGBTQ Experiences'
The California legislature okayed a bill that would launch a pilot program to better track the gender identity and sexual orientation of victims of fatal violence, Gay City News noted. Under AB 1094, or the Sexual ...
|
| |
| |
Lil Nas X receives inaugural Trevor Project award
The Trevor Project announced that "Old Town Road" rapper Lil Was X was the recipient of its inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award. On its website, the organization stated, " Lil Nas X has ...
|
| |
| |
Pappas reintroduces expanded SERVE Act to guarantee LGBTQ+ veterans VA benefits
--From a press release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Equality Caucus, alongside Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49), Kathleen M. Rice (NY-04) ...
|
| |
| |
Baseball player Bryan Ruby comes out as gay
Bryan Ruby has become the only active professional baseball player at any level to be publicly out, according to USA Today. He's a professional baseball player—a member of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, an Oregon team that's a ...
|
| |
| |
Controversial rapper DaBaby meets with Black HIV advocates
On Aug. 31, Black leaders from nine HIV organizations across the country announced they held a virtual, private meeting with rapper Jonathan "DaBaby" Kirk to discuss HIV facts and share personal stories of living and thriving ...
|
|
| |
| |
Get Out! LGBTQ travelers show how to travel safely this fall
By Ed Salvato, courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association
Just when we thought it was safe to hit the road, we were walloped by the Delta variant, the latest plot twist in the 18-month-and-counting pandemic story. The surprising data that fully vaccinated people could transmit ...
|
| |
| |
The U.S. of Gay
Must sees and dos for out-and-proud wanderlusters
51 ab-fab road-trip destinations and pit stops—one in each state and the District of Columbia—that are must sees and dos for out-and-proud wanderlusters There are a million things to love about traveling the United States—from our ...
|
| |
| |
Gender-affirming care associated with lower suicide risk for transgender people
--From a Williams Institute press release
A summary of current data on suicide risk and prevention among transgender people in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month Transgender people who need and receive gender-affirming medical care have a lower prevalence of suicide thoughts and ...
|
| |
| |
HOCKEY Canada edges U.S. to win women's championships
Marie-Philip Poulin scored the golden goal at 7:22 of the first overtime period to give Canada a 3-2 win over the United States, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) website. It was Canada's first ...
|
| |
| |
Law banning abortions after six weeks is now set in Texas
Legislation banning abortions after about six weeks is now the law in Texas, effectively ending Roe v. Wade protections in the state, NPR reported. Late on Sept. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the law. ...
|
| |
| |
MUSIC Local band Glad Rags releasing 'All of Them' on Oct. 15
Chicago-based queer psychedelic orchestra band Glad Rags will release the LP All of Them on Oct. 15. The six-member band began recording the record in late 2018 at Jamdek Studio, and spent 2019 tracking overdubs and ...
|
| |
| |
Hacks, I May Destroy You, Pose rule LGBTQ Critics' Dorian TV Awards
--From a press release
AUGUST 29, 2021—HOLLYWOOD, CA—Venerable actress Jean Smart; Saturday Night Live wit Bowen Yang; rising satirist Ziwe; Pose co-creator Steven Canals; teen heartthrob Michael Cimino, of Hulu's Love, Victor; and revered ...
|
| |
| |
Billy Masters
"I wasn't looking forward to this conversation. But you and your questions and your reintroduction to some of my past enlightened me [and] inspirited me, and I eagerly took the bait."—Ed Asner on Billy Masters LIVE. ...
|
| |
| |
GLAAD releases '2021 State of HIV Stigma' study
GLAAD recently released its second annual State of HIV Stigma Study, a national survey among U.S. adults with the sample supplied by research firm Cint. The survey, funded by Gilead COMPASS Initiative, measures U.S. attitudes toward ...
|
| |
| |
SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, 'Death Drop,' Brandi Carlile, vintage films, Gaga
Billy Porter will direct a queer teen comedy feature titled To Be Real for Amazon Studios, which is being helmed by Gabrielle Union's I'll Have Another Productions, NME.com noted. Porter, who is currently working on his ...
|
| |
| |
NATIONAL Marsha P. Johnson, Utah, five-year study, Pride fests cancelled
In New York City, visitors to Christopher Park have been greeted by the bust of the late trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, ActionNewsNow.com reported. The bust was erected on what would have been Jonhson's 76th birthday—and ...
|
| |
| |
HOCKEY U.S. women's team routs Japan to advance to semis
In Canada, the defending champion United States scored five first-period goals en route to a 10-2 quarterfinal thrashing of Japan on Aug. 28 in Calgary, IIHF.com noted. U.S. scoring leader Hilary Knight led the way with ...
|
| |
| |
TENNIS U.S. Open to celebrate Pride on Sept. 1
Rainbow flags will be flying at the USTA (United States Tennis Association) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Wed., Sept. 1, as the USTA celebrates and welcomes the LGBTQ+ community to the first-ever Open Pride ...
|
| |
| |
Virginia school district settles with Gavin Grimm
A Virginia school district that discriminated against a transgender individual by making him go to the bathroom in a converted supply closet will have to pay $1.3 million in attorney's fees and other costs accrued over ...
|
| |
| |
TV 'Dancing with the Stars' to feature first same-sex partnership
ABC's Dancing With the Stars will be breaking new ground in the upcoming 30th season—with its first same-sex partnership. According to Deadline, on Aug. 26, host Tyra Banks and executive producer Andrew Llinares revealed that the ...
|
| |
| |
The National Black Justice Coalition mourns death of Pooh Johnson
--From a press release
SHREVEPORT, LA — The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the loss of Pooh Johnson, a 25-year-old Black gender-nonconforming person. Pooh was found shot to death inside a car early in the morning on August 23, ...
|
| |
| |
Mental health of Black and Latinx LGBQ people worsened after the 2016 presidential election
--From a Williams Institute press release
A new study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that the mental health of Black and Latinx LGBQ people declined in the 17 months following the 2016 presidential election of Donald ...
|
| |
| |
Quigley, Equality Caucus ask Biden to emphasize LGBTQ+ rights when Ukraine president visits
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois), along with 20 members of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to emphasize the importance of LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine during Ukrainian President ...
|
| |
| |
MUSIC R.E.M.'s 'Hi-Fi' set for 25th-anniversary reissue
Craft Recordings is celebrating the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.'s 10th studio album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, with a special reissue, currently available for pre-order and set for release Oct. 29. The bonus-filled 2-CD/1-Blu-ray Deluxe Edition offers ...
|
| |
| |
COVID FDA grants full approval to Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
On Aug. 23, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older, media outlets reported. This is the first coronavirus vaccine approved by the ...
|
| |
| |
Billy Masters
"When I heard it was going to be done again, it was supposed to be Will Smith and Beyonce, I thought, that's interesting. … I thought that was a great idea. So, I was surprised when I saw how alike it ...
|
| |
| |
NATIONAL Ann Arbor ban, Buttigieg, NYC settlement, Gloria Allred
Using gay conversion therapy on minors to try to change their sexual orientation or gender identity is now officially banned in Ann Arbor, Michigan, according to MLive.com. "So-called conversion therapy is, of course, an abomination," Mayor ...
|
| |
| |
SHOWBIZ RuPaul, GALECA toast, Elliot Page, 'Chippendales,' bi model
RuPaul revealed a new wax figure at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, a press release noted. The all-new Rainbow Runway experience invites guests to "meet" and take cues from the most commercially successful drag queen of all ...
|
| |
| |
Biden nominates Emanuel to be Japan ambassador
President Joe Biden is nominating former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be "ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary [diplomat with full powers]" to Japan, according to a White House press release. Emanuel also "previously served as Chief of ...
|
| |
| |
Nat'l Black Justice Coalition, James Baldwin Legacy Awards honor Black elders
--From a press release
On Saturday, August 21, 2021, at 12:00pm ET, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and AARP, will host a virtual celebration entitled the James Baldwin Legacy Awards in honor of the invaluable contributions of Black men ...
|
| |
| |
GLAAD, RespectAbility highlight at least 23 out LGBTQ Paralympic athletes, a new record
--From a press release
(August 18, 2021) GLAAD is highlighting the participation of out LGBTQ athletes in this year's Paralympic Games in Tokyo. This year, the number of out LGBTQ athletes (23) is nearly double the amount that competed (12) ...
|
| |
| |
PFLAG National mourns passing of past president Paulette Goodman
--From a press release
WASHINGTON—PFLAGers everywhere mourn the death of Paulette Goodman, who served as PFLAG National President from 1988 until 1992. Goodman was born in a Jewish family, ...
|
| |
| |
Billy Masters
"It's wonderful so many have supported Britney! I've just heard the news! Wonderful things can happen when we stand together … but not too close because I have just learned that some of you do not ...
|
| |
| |
NATIONAL DC attack, NC law, conversion therapy, trans woman shot
A gay Asian man and his parents were beaten in Washington D.C. near Vice President Kamala Harris' home by a man shouting slurs, LGBTQ Nation reported. Patrick Joseph Miller Trebat was arrested at the scene on ...
|
| |
| |
SHOWBIZ Ben Platt, Billie Jean King, Megan Thee Stallion, 'Horror Stories' series
Queer Grammy, Tony and Emmy-winning artist Ben Platt has dropped his new album, Reverie, via Atlantic Records, per a press release. Platt will mark the arrival of Reverie with his biggest North American headline tour to ...
|
| |
| |
Report details healthcare disparities for North Carolina LGBTQs, especially Black, transgender
--From a press release
ASHEVILLE, NC — The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) and Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS) released a new report about LGBTQ health in North Carolina, as a supplement to The Report of the 2019 ...
|
| |
| |
James Hormel, the first LGBTQ U.S. ambassador, dies
James Catherwood Hormel—the first openly gay man to represent the United States as an ambassador—died Aug. 13 at age 88. ...
|
| |
| |
CDC confirms COVID boosters for immunocompromised people [UPDATE]
On Aug. 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave final approval to start administering COVID-19 booster shots to Pfizer and Moderna vaccine recipients. ...
|
| |
| |
Report: 92% of LGBTQ people have been vaccinated against COVID
CMI's (Community Marketing & Insights') 15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey results have been released—and there are some intriguing results. The report, released in July, focused on the data for 15,042 ...
|
| |
| |
GLAAD highlights how Olympians used Tokyo Games to call for LGBTQ acceptance
--From a press release
(August 11, 2021) GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is highlighting how this year's historic number of out LGBTQ athletes repeatedly stood ...
|
| |
| |
National LGBTQ Redistricting Project launched; new census data out
--From a press release
Washington, DC — LGBTQ Victory Fund — the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office — launched a first-of-its-kind national effort to ensure LGBTQ communities ...
|
| |
| |
U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS moves to virtual
--From a press release
Aug. 10, 2021 - NMAC today announced that the 2021 US Conference on HIV/AIDS will move from an in-person conference to a virtual meeting due to the continued spread of the Delta variant of the Covid ...
|
| |
| |
Andrew Cuomo resigns amid allegations
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced he is "stepping aside" from his office, according to CNN.com. After a news conference by his lawyer addressing sexual assault allegations, Cuomo said that he takes "full responsibility for ...
|
| |
| |
HRC launches probe of president after Cuomo report is released
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and its foundation have hired a prominent law firm to investigate the organization's president, Alphonso David, in helping New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo respond to accusations of sexual harassment, according to ...
|
| |
| |
Billy Masters
"Did you see my Apple interview (with Zane Lowe)? I think I look damn good. I could still play Mama Rose."—Barbra Streisand in an interview to promote her new CD, Release Me 2. It sounds like ...
|
| |
| |
SHOWBIZ Frank Ocean, NPH, Playboy-era film, Vogue model
Miranda Lambert video below
Frank Ocean will headline Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2023—three years after he was originally supposed to, according to co-founder Paul Tollett, Billboard noted. The Goldenvoice CEO broke the news in an interview with ...
|
| |
| |
NATIONAL Biden nominees, San Diego crime, HRC, Fox News contributor
President Joe Biden reappointed out lesbian Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum as a commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which is an advisory post pertaining to issues of religious freedom, Gay City News reported. ...
|
| |
| |
Olympics roundup for Aug. 7-8: U.S. women set the gold standard
At the Tokyo Olympics, the United States ended up edging China for the most gold medals won during the event (39 to 38). Below are a few reasons why, courtesy of how U.S. women performed Aug. ...
|
| |
| |
HRC president implicated in Cuomo report
The report finding New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo violated the law by sexually harassing as many as 11 women on his staff has ensnared Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Alphonso David, The Washington Blade reported. Although ...
|
| |
| |
Olympics roundup for Aug. 6
—Hoop, there it is: The U.S. men's basketball team captured the gold medal with a tight 87-82 victory over France, avenging an earlier loss in the tournament. Kevin Durant (who, hours before the game, had agreed ...
|
| |
