The Sin City Classic, the world’s largest annual LGBTQ sporting event, will return to Las Vegas on January 16th and will run through the MLK holiday weekend until the 19th. This year, there will be 24 sporting competitions with an estimated 8,000 competitors heading into Las Vegas. The sporting events are varied, including everything from basketball, dodgeball, and hockey, to e-sports, bridge, and billiards. Each of the events will take place in different venues and arenas around town. Aside from sports competitions, there will be nightly social events and parties, including a welcome party and closing celebration at the Brooklyn…
Author: Keith Langston
According to a newly released Gallup poll, 7.1% of American adults now identify as LGBTQ. This is up from last year’s record-breaking number of 5.6%. According to The Washington Post, Gen Z is making up a bulk of the LGBTQ community, with 21% of Gen Zers identifying as LGBTQ. That’s about 1 in 5! This is a huge increase from a decade ago when Gallup’s polls showed that only 3.5% of Americans identified as LGBTQ. The study also revealed that: 10.5% of Millenials identify as LGBTQ 4.2% of Gen X identify as LGBTQ 2.6% of Baby Boomers identity as LGBTQ…
Tobi, a 16-year-old transgender student at Siegel High in Murfreesboro, was harassed and threatened while using the boy’s bathroom at their high school. According to the Daily News Journal, while Tobi was using one of the stalls, a group of boys entered the bathroom yelling slurs and began banging on the stall door. At one point, Tobi had to press against the door with all their weight in order to keep it from opening. When help finally arrived, Tobi was in the stall crying and shaking with fear. Tobi was given permission to use single-person bathrooms in the school, however, on…
Club Cumming, the popular East Village lounge founded by the legendary Alan Cumming himself, will be opening “Club Cumming on the Coast” in Kennebunkport, Maine this summer. The seaside village is home to intimate resorts, stunning ocean views, and endless acres of New England charm. This summer though, Club Cumming will be turning the town into a red hot piano bar and cabaret. The Manhattan lounge is famous for its Broadway singers, jazz bands, drag performances, burlesque shows, and more. Now, the troupe will bring all that excitement to the Maine Coast. Anchored at the Kennebunkport Inn, the show will…
Netflix’s new limited series, Halston, explores the fascinating and complex life of famed fashion designer, Halston. Playing the titular role will be Ewan McGregor in what’s sure to land him an Emmy nomination, and potentially a win. Halston was a high-profile fashion designer and dressed many famous faces throughout the 70s and 80s. He was friends with elites in both Hollywood and Manhattan, including Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli, and built a fashion empire that dominated high society. Unfortunately, Halston was a complicated figure. To him, enough was never enough. This bravado helped him reach the top of the fashion…
For the first time in Olympic history, three transgender athletes are competing. They are among a total of 160 LGBTQ athletes competing this year, the largest group of LGBTQ athletes in Olympic history. The three trans athletes are Chelsea Wolfe from the USA, competing in BMX Freestyle biking; Quinn from Canada, competing in women’s soccer; and Laurel Hubbard from New Zealand, competing in women’s weightlifting. Laurel Hubbard has caused the biggest controversy, as many conservatives claim that she has an innate, unfair advantage against other women because she was biologically male at birth. CNN lays out the two sides to…
On Friday, July 30th, New Zealand’s ruling party introduced a bill that would make conversion therapy (the process of trying to change one’s sexual orientation because it’s believed to be “wrong”) illegal. The nation is going a step further and is even aiming to make the practice punishable by up to five years in prison. According to The Washington Post, Kris Faafoi, New Zealand’s justice minister, stated, “Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand. They are based on the false belief that any person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression is broken and in need of fixing.”…
On December 10th, 2019, Sanna Marin, who previously served as the Transport and Communications Minister, was elected as Prime Minister of Finland with a 99-70 vote. She is now the world’s youngest sitting head of government at 34 years old. Marin is known for her liberal policies and down-to-earth demeanor, which many people relate to and want in their Prime Minister. Furthermore, Marin grew up in what she calls a “rainbow household,” and was raised by two women. Earlier this year, Finland made huge strides in its government. A new female-powered government took control over the summer, promising to lead…
Costa Rica, the Central American nation known for its gorgeous beaches, lush jungles, and abundant wildlife, is about to be known for something else: The first Central American nation to legalize same-sex marriage. Back in August 2018, the country voted to implement same-sex marriage, and that ruling is set to go into effect at the end of this month on May 26th. Despite widespread acclaim for the ruling, some conservatives are trying to delay the implementation of the law. In fact, recently, two members of Costa Rica’s National Liberation Party (PLN) got into a physical altercation over the matter. David…
At midnight on May 26, 2020 same-sex marriage became law in Costa Rica, making it the first Central American country to legalize it. As we stated in our previous article, this moment has been a long time coming. The country set the parameters for gay marriage back in 2018, but set the date far in the future in order to give the population time to adapt and adjust. Throughout those two years, the measure was challenged, but at midnight the moment finally arrived and gay marriage is now legal in Costa Rica. Couples around the world held celebrations overnight, but…
Calling all Roses, Blanches, Dorothys, and Sophias! A Golden Girls-themed cruise is setting sail from Miami on April 8, 2023. The cruise, officially titled Golden Fans at Sea, will embark on the Celebrity Summit and will launch from Miami on April 8th, taking cruisers to Key West and Cozumel before returning on the 13th.Throughout the cruise, various Golden Girls activities will be held, such as dance parties, trivia nights, and even costume parades. Plus, the ship will be loaded with special guest speakers, such as Melinda McClanahan, Rue McClanahan’s sister. Melinda will share stories, comedy, and even outfits from the…
Karine Jean-Pierre has been chosen by President Biden to become the first openly-LGBTQ White House Press Secretary. Pierre’s background is as a lecturer at Columbia University and a political analyst for both NBC News and MSNBC. She was then named Biden’s Principal Deputy Press Secretary. Her new role as Press Secretary marks two historic firsts. She is the first Black woman to hold the position and the first openly-LGBTQ person to hold the position. Jean-Pierre is an open lesbian and is partnered with former CNN host, Suzanne Malveaux. https://www.instagram.com/p/CdNmDSLqO8i/ According to NBC News, President Biden said in an official statement, “Karine…
A new ad that was posted to YouTube by Congressman Eric Swalwell features the hit Taylor Swift song, Only the Young. The ad, which according to Rolling Stone, had Swift’s full permission to use the song, features prominent moments that have shaped the last four years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VO2_KG6g-Q&feature=emb_logo It shows moments from the COVID pandemic, the #MeToo movement, ICE raids, the Black Lives Matter protests, the Women’s March, the wildfires that have deviated California, attacks on the USPS, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more. The ad asks younger viewers what kind of country they want to live in and…
According to a joint release from the Campaign for Southern Equality and Equality NC, new protections for LGBTQ people have gone into effect in four different North Carolina Communities. The cities of Asheville, Durham, Greensboro, and the county of Buncombe have all seen new protections go into effect as of today. These new measures help protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity while in spaces of private employment and in places of public accommodation (such as restaurants and stores). In addition to the four ordinances taking effect today, other measures have already been adopted…
According to LGBTQ Nation, Disney’s Board of Directors is encouraging shareholders to reject three anti-discrimination and pro-human rights resolutions. The three resolutions Disney wants rejected are: “The first suggests a diligence report evaluating the company’s human rights impacts. The second is a report on median and adjusted pay gaps across race and gender. The third is a workplace non-discrimination audit and report.” – It’s important to note that the human rights impact evaluation would heavily involve Disney’s pandering to China, despite the country’s various human rights violations. The publication received three screenshots as proof (seen below). It’s completely absurd that,…
The stories, experiences, and history of LGBTQ people have often been suppressed in society. However, despite hundreds of years of oppression, the community has managed to mobilize, fight for equal rights, and usher in a new era that includes greater acceptance and inclusion. Now, The American LGBTQ+ Museum is set to open in New York City and will be located inside an expansion of the New York Historical Society on the city’s Upper West Side. While the physical museum isn’t set to open until 2024, online programming is already underway. The museum will showcase LGBTQ+ history, as well as New…
Billy Porter has just added director to his growing list of talents, which already includes singing, dancing, and acting. Next month, on July 22nd, Porter’s debut film, Anything’s Possible, will premiere globally on Amazon Prime. Anything’s Possible is a coming-of-age film that follows Kelsa, a high school senior who is trans. One of her classmates, Khal, falls in love with her and decides to ask her out. The duo then must deal with the pressure put on them by their classmates, teachers, and family for embarking on a relationship that some still find to be taboo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20WlagB4vFU The trailer reveals…
This week, it was announced that San Francisco will honor transgender people during the month of August. The city’s mayor, London Breed, stated that San Francisco will create the nation’s first Transgender History Month, which will be celebrated every August. Though it’s nearing the end of the month, the city still has some events planned, including the ‘Riot Party’ block party that will be taking place in San Fransisco’s famously queer Tenderloin District. This is also the neighborhood where much of the trans rights movement began, after a group of trans women decided to fight back against police brutality. According…
Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, is bringing back a new “reimagined” version of the hit series, Queer as Folk. The series first launched in the UK in 1999 and was groundbreaking for unapologetically portraying life within London’s queer scene. A year later, America got its own version of the series, airing on Showtime from 2000-2005. Now, it’s been announced that a reboot is in the works. However, the series is set to take more influence from the original UK version than its American counterpart. The setting has also changed. No longer will the show take place in London or Pittsburgh, but…
OUTFEST, the world’s premiere LGBTQ entertainment festival, has partnered with the Colin Higgins Foundation to secure grants worth $15,000 to be awarded to young LGBTQ filmmakers. The Colin Higgins Foundation is named after acclaimed LGBTQ screenwriter and director Colin Higgins, who wrote hit films (and queer classics) like Harold and Maude, 9 to 5, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Sadly, Higgins was diagnosed with AIDS in 1985. After receiving his diagnosis, he was determined to help the future of the LGBTQ community in whatever way he could. He then established the Colin Higgins Foundation, which would be used…
Lewis Freese is the first gender-fluid person to become a finalist for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Sports Illustrated has long been a prominent force in the modeling industry. After all, they gave birth to the careers of Heidi Kulm, Brooklyn Decker, Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen, and more. Last year, the publication made headlines after including its first trans model, Valentine Sampaio, in their swim issue, and this year is marking another first for the sports magazine. Each year, Sports Illustrated holds an open search for anyone who wants to be considered for the issue. Freese is among 15 finalists who might…
This year, the National LGBTQ Task Force will put on their 23rd Gala in the heart of Miami Beach at the gorgeous Fountainbleau Resort on Saturday, October 19. Seeing as this is the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, this year’s theme will be Fifty Years of FIERCE! According to the organization, “Fierce describes the activists, drag queens and kings, the leather daddies and biker babes, the gender-queer fashionistas and transgender stars. Fierce is the power in which we live our lives and the progress we’ve made in the fight for our rights to exist as we choose!” The event will begin with…
Believe Out Loud is one of the largest digital spaces for religious LGBTQ+ people in the world. The organization works internationally to provide services and a sense of community to LGBTQ people of faith and their allies. Among the long list of services and activities provided by Believe Out Loud, participants can attend live-streamed affirming religious services, digital social events, and they can also find information on mental health and community justice resources. Recently, Believe Out Loud was acquired by the Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ. Located in Dallas, the Cathedral of Hope is one of the largest…
On Monday, a new ad campaign from Cathay Pacific titled “Move Beyond” was meant to showcase the airline’s dedication and commitment to its customers. Part of this campaign includes diversity. Cathay Pacific, being one of Asia’s earliest global carriers, knows the importance of diversity as it has been flying passengers of all genders, races, and sexualities for decades. The new ad (image featured above) was swiftly banned from appearing on Hong Kong’s various forms of mass transit for being “immoral, and offending the generally accepted standards of public decency and the social or cultural standards of the society,” said a…
The European Parliament has voted to make the entire 27-nation European Union an ‘LGBTQ Freedom Zone’. The motion passed by a vote of 492 to 141. While the motion is largely symbolic, it will add political pressure on certain EU countries that are leaning into radical and hateful conservativism, such as Poland, Hungary, and Latvia. In recent years, parts of Poland have been declaring themselves as ‘LGBTQ-free’, and Hungary has passed anti-LGBTQ legislation. The EU wanted to send a strong message about these new policies. According to Politico, the resolution states, “Rather than discriminating against LGBTIQ persons, the authorities at…
One of the most anticipated films of the holiday season is West Side Story. The Disney-backed, Spielberg-directed powerhouse is already getting massive Oscar buzz. However, in the Arab world, the movie has caused intense backlash and has since been banned in numerous countries. The nations of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait have all banned the new adaptation of West Side Story from screening due to its portrayal of a transgender character. The character in question is Anybodys. In the original film, Anybodys was a tomboy who often hung around the Jets. In more recent years, as…
The parliament of Hungary has passed legislation that effectively bans LGBTQ content in that country. The measure, which passed by a vote of 157-1, makes it illegal for LGBTQ issues to be taught in school, for media to portray LGBTQ people, and it even bans advertisements that have LGBTQ themes. According to Hungary’s extremist, far-right ruling party, the measure is aimed at preventing pedophilia, which doesn’t make any sense because LGBTQ people are not pedophiles. So how exactly does banning LGBTQ content from minors stop pedophilia? This is beyond any rational reasoning, but sadly in Hungary reasoning means nothing. Similar…
Larry Kramer died at age 84 today, leaving behind a body of work that changed not only the LGBTQ community, but the world as a whole. Kramer came to prominence in 1969 when he was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie Women in Love. Almost a decade later, Kramer would make waves again for his shocking and controversial 1978 novel, Faggots, which was based on his own life. The novel focuses on a young man trying to make it in New York City, all while feeling alienated by his fellow gays who partake in the hyper-sexualized, drug-obsessed nightclub…
Today, the Supreme Court delivered two rulings in favor of religious freedom over civil rights, moving America further backward in the quest for human rights. Unfortunately, these decisions shouldn’t come as a surprise. After June’s big Supreme Court wins for civil rights, Republicans have been on a fervent crusade to tarnish the reputation of the Supreme Court justices. The court’s conservative justices (which is most of them) have been under extreme pressure to “be more conservative”, and unfortunately, today’s rulings show that they’ve listened to the pressure coming from republican media. First off, there was the ruling of Our Lady…
To celebrate Gay Pride Week in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, Burger King has launched a new ad that features The King and Ronald McDonald kissing. A caption of the bottom of the ad reads, “Love Conquers All.” The head of Burger King’s Finnish marketing divison, Kaisa Kasila, stated, “Burger King has always stood for equality, love and everyone’s right to be just the way they are.” The ad was designed to show that The King is even willing to show love to his biggest competitor, Ronald McDonald. https://twitter.com/fer_machado123/status/1304040445866053635 Fer Machado, the Marketing Director for RBI (the company that runs…