Historically, much of LGBTQ culture has been centered around nightlife. Dark, smoky, and with little to no windows, bars were one of the safest places for LGBTQ people to feel like they could be themselves without being seen or judged by the bigoted societies around them. Since then, the “gay bar” has been an integral part of many LGBTQ people’s social lives. To celebrate Pride and reveal the LGBTQ community’s unique history with nightlife, Miller has teamed up with historian new New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Eric Cervini, to create the book Beers & Queer History. The book explores…
Author: Keith Langston
The popular ABC show What Would You Do? returns with a special episode guest-starring Olympic skater Adam Rippon. The show centers around putting real people in extreme scenarios to see what they do. Do they stand up to bigotry? Do they defend the oppressed? Or do they just stand there and watch? Or partake in the harassment? In the episode with Adam Rippon, a coach is put to the test when a young athlete comes out to her as LGBTQ. The show seeks to find out how she’ll respond, and also aims to help educate the viewer about why inclusivity…
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced today that Twitter will be banning all political ads, globally. In true twitter form, the announcement came via tweet. In it, Dorsey stated: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1189634360472829952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1189634360472829952&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2019%2F10%2F30%2Ftechnology%2Ftwitter-political-ads-ban.html For anyone out there wondering why this is, here is a great example. Political ads can come in various forms. Political ads can be harmless, such as this ad by Elizabeth Warren: But political ads can also be extremely divisive, offensive, hurtful, and untrue. Here’s an advertisement that has recently popped up on a popular movie website. Many say that allowing ads like this to be spread around the country, simply…
Lauren Boebert – the Colorado congresswoman who has famously praised Qanon conspiracy theories, claims Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and is in favor of making guns easier to access – has now taken to Twitter to say that she believes LGBTQ people should be at least 21 before they can come out. Her tweet states, “We require people to be 21 to purchase alcohol beverages, and 21 to purchase tobacco products. Why is it so unreasonable to require people to reach a certain level of maturity before making life-altering decisions about their sexuality and identity?” Naturally, your sexuality and…
The UK is implementing new laws as lockdown measures begin to ease up. In certain parts of the country, retailers are allowed to open back up at limited capacity, schools will begin to reopen, and certain people will be going back to work. To “keep citizens safe” during the easing of the coronavirus lockdown, however, the UK government has implemented some rather strange policies. Now, groups of up to six people from different households are allowed to gather outside, but no two people from different households can congregate together inside (unless it’s for special circumstances like a funeral). The law…
The international Imperial Court System (IICS) is teaming up with the National LGBTQ Task Force to launch a campaign asking the United States Postal Service to collaborate in creating a new stamp collection that will honor LGBTQ heroes like Bayard Rustin, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and José Julio Sarria. The IICS and National Taskforce previously joined forced back in 2014 to call upon President Obama to commemorate the life and work of Harvey Milk by issuing a commemorative stamp in his honor. The campaign was a success and the White House unveiled the stamp on what would have been…
The Trevor Project has long been known as a group that’s dedicated to helping LGBTQ youth and young adults. To help raise awareness of acceptance and diversity during September’s Suicide Prevention Month, the organization has created fun outfits in their signature orange color, accented by the rainbow flag design for Animal Crossing players. According to Mashable, The Trevor Project’s lead designer, Jonathan Silberman, stated, “Our research has found that LGBTQ young people who have a space where they feel affirmed in their identity are significantly less likely to attempt suicide. All of these factors contributed to our decision to design…
Famed designer, Jean Paul Gaultier, can add a new title to his resume, that of a museum curator. With his new exhibit, CinéMode at the Cinémathèque Française museum in Paris, France. Gaultier has long been a fan of film, loving their stories, soundtracks, cinematography, and of course, the costumes. In fact, Gaultier himself has done costuming for numerous big-budget films, such as The City of Lost Children and The Fifth Element, among others. His new exhibit celebrates the movies that have influenced him, the films he’s been a part of, and cinematic experiences that changed Hollywood forever. Just a few of…
English soccer player, Jake Daniels, who is currently 17 and plays for the second division club Blackpool FC, has just announced he’s gay. When speaking to the UK’s Sky News, Daniels said, “I’m ready to tell people about myself, about my story. I want them to know the real me…and lying all the time just isn’t what I want to do, and that has been a struggle, but now I just do feel like I’m ready to be myself, be free, and be confident with it all.” It’s a big moment because openly-gay athletes (especially male athletes) are still rare,…
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…
Canada’s women’s soccer team will be heading for the final match against Sweden on Friday, August 6th. Not only was this a monumental win because Canada beat the US team (which was favored to win) but also because one of the teammates on Canada’s team is trans. Quinn, who plays midfielder for the Canadian team, came out last year and began using they/them pronouns. Because Canada is moving on to the final game, it means the team is assured at least a Silver medal, and if they win, they’ll be awarded the coveted Gold medal. This means that regardless of…
The documentary film A Secret Love tells the story about professional female baseball player Terry Donahue and her wife Emma Marie Henschel. The two had to keep their love a secret for decades due to homophobia from both their family and the public. In fact, despite being together for almost 70 years, the couple didn’t actually get married until 2015, when it was finally legal to do so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghv3-lpFOcc Donahue played for the Illinois-based women’s baseball teams the Redwings and the Admiral Music Maids back in the 40s. Though Donahue played almost every position in the game, she was most commonly…
The other week we featured five streaming services with LGBTQ collections, but seeing as binge-watching is at an all-time high due to the lockdown, we thought we’d bring you five more great places to watch all the queer content you want! From Sasha Velour to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, here are five more great streaming platforms with LGBTQ+ content! PLUTO TV Pluto TV is determined to change the future of streaming. They want to provide live television as well as on-demand movies and TV shows, all for free. Their current library is astonishingly large, and their LGBTQ section…
Jeff T. Green, the richest person in Utah, said in a letter: “I believe the Mormon church has hindered global progress in women’s rights, civil rights, racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.” As CEO of the tech company, The Trade Desk, he’s worth an estimated $4.9 billion. The Salt Lake Tribune published a long letter he sent to the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), the main branch of Mormonism in America, which criticized the church’s bigotry and hollow displays of piety. LGBTQ rights were a big portion of Green’s letter, in which he pledged to donate $600,000 to Equality Utah, a…
Sprinkles is one of the most famous names in cupcakes. During the cupcake craze of 2010, the brand exploded in popularity and even became known for their cupcake vending machines. Now, Sprinkles is using its platform to help the LGBTQ community. In honor of pride month, Sprinkles has teamed with popular Austin BBQ joint, la Barbecue. Helmed by LeAnn Mueller and her wife Alison Clem, the BBQ spot has become famous in every corner of Texas for producing some of the state’s most badass brisket, ribs, and house-made sausages. For Pride Month, the ladies have partnered with Sprinkles to bring the…
The world went wild after Bernie Sanders attended President Biden’s inauguration in what many are calling a stunning “grumpy chic” look. But what some don’t realize is that his outfit was also very much a local celebration of his home state. His jacket is Burton, which is based in Burlington, and his mittens are handmade by a LGBTQ woman named Jen Ellis. Ellis lives in Essex Junction, Vermont, and made the mittens as a gift for Sanders back in 2016. On Twitter, Ellis revealed that the mittens are made from repurposed wool sweaters and fleece made from recycled plastic bottles.…
Elon Musk’s trans daughter recently turned 18 and legally changed her name and gender. Now going by the name, Vivian Jenna Wilson, she told the court, “I no longer live with, or wish to be related to, my biological father in any way, shape or form.” (via NBC News). Publications are currently scrambling to reach out to Jenna for comment, but she has yet to respond and so far, her exact reasonings for disavowing her father remains unknown. However, what is known is that in recent years Musk has become more and more conservative, aligning further and further with Republican…
Argentina has just made a change to their national identity documents to show support and acceptance to Argentinians who are nonbinary. According to NBC News, during the ceremony unveiling the new document option, Argentinian President, Alberto Fernández, said, “There are other identities besides that of man and woman, and they must be respected…there are a thousand ways to love and be loved and be happy.” https://twitter.com/ZonaFALGBT/status/1417887280719663104 This move is a first in South America. However, as CNN reports, various other countries around the world already allow gender-nonconforming people to change their gender marker. Such countries include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In…
Last week, the Trump administration rolled back yet another Obama-era law. This time, they attacked the protections granted to trans people in the Affordable Care Act. In what is known as the Health Care Rights Law, groups were protected from discrimination based on things like sex, race, and gender. The trans community was included in this list. However, last week, the Department of Health and Human Services claimed that there was no authority to create such protections, and so they will now, “enforce Section 1557 by returning to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of…
UPDATE (March 4, 2020) This just in from the Wahington Blade! U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday released from its custody a Washington Blade contributor from Cuba who won asylum in the U.S. The Board of Immigration Appeals, which is overseen by the Department of Justice, on Feb. 28 dismissed an appeal of Judge Timothy Cole’s ruling that granted Yariel Valdés González asylum last September. Thanks to everyone who worked to secure the release of Yariel Valdés González! ——————————————— Background report published in February 2020. The Washington Blade is renowned as one of America’s leading sources for LGBTQ news.…
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and Jagermeister are sponsoring a contest to create a LGBTQ ‘Safe Space logo. The contest is to create a logo that public establishments can hang in their doorways or windows to show the LGBTQ+ community that they’re a safe space. According to the official release, “Through a 10-step process, entertainment venues, food and beverage locations, stores, businesses and other public venues, can become certified as a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ members of the community.” Stacy Lentz, CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative said, “Safe Spaces uplift LGBTQ+ people by providing a…
In yet another blow to civil rights during the Trump era, members of the Supreme Court are now declaring that gay marriage is an attack on “religious liberty” and is “hurting people’s lives”. The anti-gay opinions came from justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. after the court declined to hear the case of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis (who was famously jailed for refusing to do her job after gay marriage was legalized.) While the two supported not hearing Davis’ case, they followed up by stating, “Davis may have been one of the first victims of this court’s cavalier…
Florida’s anti-democracy state senate has approved a Putin-inspired ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. However, a majority of Floridians don’t even support this legislation. A statement released by the Human Rights Campaign says, “According to the Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) at the University of North Florida, 49% of Floridians oppose the legislation while only 40% support it. Opposition for the bill is even stronger in younger populations. A majority of Floridians between the ages of 18 and 24 disapprove of efforts to erase LGBTQ+ people in classrooms.” Governor DeSantis, who supports the bill, is going against the bulk of his own…
Target is one of the biggest names in retail; not just in America, but across the globe. In honor of Pride Month, the brand has unveiled a huge selection of products, all themed around Pride, acceptance, and diversity. From clothing to accessories, home decor, books, and even gifts for your pets, Target has something for everyone. This year’s collection was designed by LGBTQ designers, like TomboyX and Humankind, giving the community a voice and providing the products with an authentic touch. According to an official statement from Target, the company stated, “We teamed up with LGBTQIA+ designers, entrepreneurs, and Target…
According to a recent Gallop poll, 5.6% of responders now identity as LGBTQ+. This is up from 4.5% a few years ago. However, the findings also state that an additional 7.6% refused to respond to the question, meaning the true number could be as high as 13% of the American population. Surprisingly, the largest sector of responders identified as bisexual. Out of the total LGBTQ+ responses, a whopping 54.6% claimed to identify as bisexual. 24.5% identified as gay, 11.7% identified as lesbian, 11.3% identified as trans, and another 3.3% percent claimed other non-hetero identities. The study had one profound error,…
The tango, Argentina’s national dance, is seeing a resurgence in an unlikely place…the LGBTQ community. Historically, the tango is an extremely heteronormative and male-controlled dance. Traditionally, a woman could only dance the tango with a man, and the man must be the one who approaches the woman, and the man must be the lead in the dance. In the 90’s, however, a new underground movement formed within Buenos Aires, Queer Tango. Groups of LGBT people, and even tango lovers who simply didn’t want to follow the strict rules, secretly came together to dance and have fun, without the pressure of…
The temporary field hospital being built in Central Park to help people affected by the Coronavrus in New York City is going to be staffed by volunteers of Samaritan’s Purse, a religious organization whose President and CEO is evangelical fanatic Franklin Graham. Graham has, to date: Thought the world was coming to an end in 2011. Claimed Obama was a Muslim and part of the Muslin Brotherhood. Thinks God helped Trump get elected. Is in favor of gay conversion therapy. Opposed gay marriage. Called Pete Buttigieg a sinner. Praised Putin’s anti-gay positions. And now, Graham’s organization, Samaritan’s Purse, will be…
Tony and Grammy winning actor and singer, Billy Porter, is set to be honored at this year’s 38th annual Black Tie Dinner. The Black Tie Dinner is one of the largest LGBT events in the country, and previous years have seen the likes of Connie Britton, Maya Angelou, Lilly Tomlin, Dustin Lance Black, and many more. The event is set to take place November 2nd in Dallas, Texas. The night’s theme is, “Be.” The Black Tie Dinner has grown tremendously over its lifetime. The first event, held back in 1982, raised $6,000 for charity. Last years event raised over $1,000,000! Throughout…
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has enlisted 503 companies as part of its Business Coalition for the Equality Act. According to the nonprofit, the coalition “is a group of leading U.S. employers that support the Equality Act – federal legislation that would provide the same basic protections to LGBTQ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law.” Among the hundreds of member companies in the coalition are Abercrombie & Fitch, American Express, CVS, General Motors, United Airlines, and Verizon, among many others. Wilma Wallace, the Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer at REI (another coalition member), said…
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…