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…
Author: Keith Langston
Scapegoating is the typical M.O. for many politicians who wish to remain in power without actually helping their constituents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the January 6 riots, Republicans have been very busy doing everything they can to not address those issues. Instead, they’ve found an easy victim to blame for the world’s problems: trans people, with a focus on trans women and girls in particular. The excuses they’ve been throwing around sound more like fearmongering, stating that trans women in women’s bathrooms would result in “Peeping Toms” and that trans girls playing on girls’ sports teams would actually…
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…
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…
As we get closer to graduation season next month, numerous LGBTQ students will be attending their graduations. Some, however, might not feel comfortable, safe, or accepted at their schools and may be wishing they had a space to celebrate their achievements amongst other members of the queer community. That’s why Lavender Graduation was founded in 1995 at the University of Michigan. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), “The Lavender Graduation Ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish Lesbian, who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation.” Sanlo…
For decades, Flight 001 has been the pinnacle of what a travel store should be: useful gadgets and fun travel accessories, all with a quirk and charm that make them extra special. It’s the kind of travel store you’d image Richard Branson opening. Recently, I was able to sit down with Flight 001 co-founder Brad John on a gorgeous morning near Madison Square in Manhattan to discover the story behind such a fascinating business. Keith: Naturally, my first question is going to be, how did all of this get started? Brad: Well, me and my business partner were both business…
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…
Lambda Literary, the premiere LGBTQ nonprofit for literature, needs your help. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the organization was forced to cancel many of their high-profile events, such as the Lambda Literary Awards ceremony, their program that brings LGBTQ authors to schools, and numerous public events. In a statement, the organization said, “For over thirty years, Lambda Literary has centered and celebrated LGBTQ writers because books affirm, validate, and save lives. And we must continue to champion LGBTQ voices and stories.” However, with the cancellation of many of their biggest events, the nonprofit is now in need of funding. Lambda…
After the passing of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, New York City has come out swinging with a new ad campaign that will see billboards go up around Florida throughout the months of April and May. In a press conference, New York City’s newly-elected mayor, Eric Adams, stated, “I am the mayor of New York City, but I have a message for Florida’s LGBTQ+ community — come to a city where you can say and be whoever you want. Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is the latest shameful, extremist culture war targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Today, we say to the…
Out of the Blue, the a capella group of Oxford University, is celebrating the holiday season by doing their own rendition of Elton John’s popular Christmas hit ‘Step Into Christmas’. The group has performed numerous Christmas songs in the past, including Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, ‘I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday’ by Wizzard, ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham, and many more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuDVzqtJmb8 Their new version of ‘Step Into Christmas’ is a charity single that’s raising money for the Helen and Douglas House, a nonprofit that cares for terminally ill children and their families. Out of…
Singer, actor, activist, and living legend, Lady Gaga, has just launched a new video on YouTube to help inspire everyone around the country to vote this year. As she makes clear in the video, 2020 is a pivotal election that will change the course of this country forever. Where you stand on issues right now will define how this country continues, not only for you and your loved ones, but for generations to come. And, in natural Lady Gaga style, she does the entire video while making countless wardrobe changes. She dons her pink hat from the Joanne album, the…
A new experimental HIV vaccine has shown some promise in very early-stage trials. The new trials were run in partnership between Scripps Research and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. The potential vaccine works by stimulating extremely rare immune cells in the body, which can help target the notoriously elusive HIV virus within the human body. Because of the way HIV is structured, and the way it can mutate, it’s been infamously difficult to try and make a vaccine to prevent it. However, this new experimental treatment (though only tested on less than 50 people) has shown a 97% success rate.…
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…
The typical rom-com formula will get turned upside down on September 30th when the new movie Bros hits theaters. The movie stars (and was written by) gay comedian Billy Eichner, who many will already know from his hit reality series Billy on the Street. He teamed up with comedic powerhouses Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) to serve as producer and director. In the film, Billy plays Bobby Lieber, a “typical” gay New Yorker who finds himself falling in love with a masculine, “straight-acting” guy named Aaron. The two initially judge each other based on…
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…
Late last week, the Utah state legislature put forth a bill that would ban trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in schools. The bill, which was pushed by Republicans, called trans girls “biological men” and claimed that they couldn’t compete on girls’ sports teams because they had an advantage and made girls feel uncomfortable. During the bill’s debate, Republicans attacked trans girls and made numerous offensive remarks, at one point even comparing trans people with animals. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Republican State Senator, David Hinkins, said, “Even in the equine industry, they don’t run fillies against…
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…
Queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race came together in a new motivational and inspirational video to tell viewers that being LGBTQ is not only ok, but is something to be celebrated. The video was released on the official Drag Race YouTube page and is titled, “Everybody Say Gay!” Four queens – Gigi Goode, Kerri Colby, BenDeLaCreme, and Nicky Doll – came together to share their experiences of identifying as LGBTQ and the wonderful lives they’ve been able to live. In the video, Nicky Doll proclaims, “No matter how you look like, no matter who you are, no matter who you love…
Jack Petocz, the student activist who organized Florida’s statewide school walkout over the state’s “don’t say gay” bill has been suspended indefinitely from his high school, Flagler Palm Coast. After the suspension, Petocz took to Twitter to share his story. https://twitter.com/Jack_Petocz/status/1499517610077085701 According to Petocz, the school initially supported his idea for a walkout (which ultimately saw thousands from across the state walk out in protest, including over 400 from his own school). However, shortly before the protest, the school’s principal decided he wanted to call off the walkout and school officials even began confiscating pride flags from students and around…
Sadly, after a few years of Pope Francis signaling that the Catholic church was modernizing and becoming welcoming to all, the Vatican has released a damning message to the LGBTQ community. According to the AP, in a message written by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the Vatican’s orthodoxy office), and approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican will not recognize same-sex marriage, claiming that God “cannot bless sin.” This came as a complete shock to many after Pope Francis has spent the last few years trying to be more inclusive to LGBTQ people. However, in the last year,…
NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, has premiered the documentary Right to Try, which centers around the fight to cure HIV. The movie, which was produced by Academy Award-winning actress, Octavia Spencer, follows longtime casting director, Jeffrey Drew, who shares his experiences taking part in experimental HIV treatments, all with the hopes of finding a cure for AIDS. According to Variety, Octavia Spencer said of the film, “We are thrilled our film Right to Try will be seen on Peacock. Though Jeffrey Drew’s heroic journey is singular, his story is universal. This is an important film and with Peacock, we have a…
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…
On Thursday, the New York City Council claimed to make a tough decision: They decided to put forward legislation that would reverse the city’s ban on gay conversion therapy. What are they thinking? This is a decision based on fear, and the law must not be repealed. So why would NYC want to allow gay conversion therapy? As the New York Times puts it, “The City Council fears that if a federal lawsuit challenging the ban were to reach the Supreme Court, the panel could issue a ruling that protected the practice.” In essence, the City Council is worried about…
Due to the hundreds of cancellations of pride celebrations around the world, a new online pride event will be taking place on June 27, 2020, called Global Pride. The event will live-stream performances, speeches, and keynote addresses from famous figures around the planet. The massive event is being put on by pride groups from every continent, including InterPride and the European Pride Organisers Association. They will be spearheading the campaign and getting organizers from all over the globe to help make the event a reality. In a statement, J. Andrew Baker, Co-President of InterPride, said, “We need community and connection…
Axel Hotels is launching a new contest that could take you around the world. If you book hotel stays through their website between November 1st, 2020 and April 1st, 2021, you’ll be entered to win a very unique prize… Each month, for 7 months, a winner will be named. This person (along with a plus one) will get a 5-night stay in seven Axel hotels around the world. That’s 5 nights in Barcelona, Madrid, Miami, Berlin, Ibiza, San Sebastian, and Maspalomas. Walk the beaches of San Sebastian, experience the delicious Cuban food of Miami, marvel at the architecture in Barcelona,…
Netflix recently released the Dave Chappelle stand-up special, The Closer, in which the comedian mocked trans women and the LGBTQ community as a whole (a topic he’s brought up in numerous specials now). Netflix has stood by the comedian and says they support his right to free speech and won’t take action. For many Netflix employees, this was the final straw. Now, employees will stage a walkout on Tuesday, October 20th to show Netflix how serious they are about their concerns for Chappelle’s stand-up film. Now, Bloomberg has revealed that employees had actually made internal concerns about The Closer before…
It’s a historic moment for Bangladesh. In the town of Trilochanpur, Nazrul Islam Ritu was just elected mayor. Ritu is a trans woman and is now the nation’s first transgender mayor in history. Making the event even more powerful is that Ritu won in a landslide victory, gaining 9,569 votes, compared to her opponent’s 4,517 votes. Even more historic is that the town of 40,000 people is majority Muslim. During her campaign, Ritu ran on a social issues platform that vowed to rid the community of corruption and drug abuse. Bangladesh as a whole is also heavily Muslim, and trans people…
At the end of May, a whopping 23 queens will partake in a very special live digital drag festival titled DIgital Drag Fest. The event, put on by PEG, is set to include Drag Race newcomers, like Tina Burner, and veteran All-Stars like Sharon Needles and Trixie Mattel. Throughout two weekends, May, 21-23 and May, 28-30, each queen will perform a set of between 45-60 minutes. The performers will all showcase their top talents, including singing, dancing, lip-syncing, comedy, and more. Each performance will have a very limited attendance, allowing for the audience to engage and interact with the performers.…
James Hormel served an important role in political history as America’s first openly gay diplomat. During his tenure, he served as the US Ambassador to Luxembourg, and before that, he was part of the US delegation to the United Nations. His rise to the position was tumultuous, as Senate Republicans refused to accept him as Bill Clinton’s nomination as Ambassador on the grounds of Hormel being gay and being pro-gay rights. His confirmation process began in 1997, and it wasn’t until Bill Clinton decided to use his executive powers to sidestep Congress in 1999 that Hormel was able to begin…
The popular San Fransisco LGBTQ+ film festival, Frameline, returns this June in partnership with the Castro Theatre. Because of lockdown restrictions, the event will mostly be digital, with a special premiere taking place at a drive-in. This year, Frameline44 will take place June 25th-28th. The organizers have teamed up with filmmaker HP Mendoza (known for the popular movie Fruit Fly) to work as a creative partner and bring life to the digital festival. The main highlight of this year’s event will be the screening of Ahead of the Curve, which is set to have its premiere at the West Wind…