June 30th will mark the eighth anniversary of Give OUT Day, an annual event where generous donors are encouraged to give to local, grassroots LGBTQ organizations. On the day, hundreds of groups participate, including organizations like the AIDS Project of East Bay, the American Trans Resource Hub, and the Center on Halsted, among many others. The event was created by the Horizons Foundation as a way to help grassroots LGBTQ groups raise funds that are desperately needed in order for them to better serve the community. 2021 is an even more important time to give to these nonprofits because many…
Author: Keith Langston
Carl Nassib, a defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, has become the first active NFL player to come out as gay. Nassib made the announcement in an Instagram post that has since received more than 600,000 likes. He began by stating, “What’s up, people? I’m at my house here in Westchester, Pennsylvania. I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life, I’ve got the best family, friends,…
Releasing on July 23rd, Joe Bell is a film that will chronicle the true story of Joe and Jadin Bell. In 2013, Jadin Bell attempted suicide by hanging himself on the jungle gym of a local elementary school. He was rushed to the hospital and put on life support. However, as it became clear that Bell wouldn’t be able to survive without the equipment, he was removed from life support, dying only a few weeks after the incident. It was revealed that Jadin Bell was experiencing extreme bullying for being gay, both at school and online. To honor his son’s…
Today, the Columbia City Council passed a law banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth. Columbia is now the first city in South Carolina to create such protections. Kimmah Dozier-Burt, President of the Board for the Harriet Hancock Center, stated: The sad truth is that young LGBTQ people who endure ‘conversion therapy’ are at an immensely higher risk for steep mental health challenges – including depression and suicide – than those whose identities are affirmed. This is just one reason that we must do everything possible to protect LGBTQ young people from being subjected to this dangerous pseudoscience. I’m grateful that…
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…
Orbitz has long been an ally to the LGBTQ community, and in recent years they’ve really increased their commitment by launching their own LGBTQ Travel webpage. However, Orbitz has now gone one step further, creating an LGBTQ-inclusive travel tool for visitors to use in order to find lodgings that have expressively committed to being safe and welcoming properties for all. The best part is that after announcing the campaign, Orbitz saw more than 35,000 properties opt-in to the initiative. Everyone from large resort chains to independent and boutique hotels have joined the effort to commit themselves to diverse and inclusive…
In a somewhat surprising move, the Senate has unanimously voted to designate the Pulse Nightclub as a National Memorial. The move comes just days before the 5th anniversary of the horrific shooting that left 49 people dead and led to a standoff with the police. It was the deadliest mass shooting in American history until the Las Vegas shooting just a year later. What’s really surprising is that every horrifically anti-LGBTQ Senator voted to commemorate the Pulse Nightclub, which is perplexing considering that these same senators are currently propagating fear and hatred against the LGBTQ community and are trying to…
The bicycle company, Trek, is organizing a national Pride Ride for Sunday, June 27th. On that day over 78 bike shops around the country will host individual Pride Rides for their local communities in order to foster more diversity and inclusion in the world of biking. “Bikes are for everyone and we want to create a community and a sport where all people feel welcomed, supported, and celebrated,” said Eric Bjorling, of Trek Bicycle. “This event is for everyone who shares a passion for riding and enjoys one of the best things on earth—a bike ride with friends on a…
Jalen Mckee Rodriguez has won his city council seat in San Antonio’s second district. Rodriguez is the first Black, openly gay candidate to ever be elected to any office in the state’s history. He is also an extremely young candidate, being just 26-years-old. According to the Gay Times, Rodreguez was quoted saying, “A lot of people said that District 2 wouldn’t be ready for a candidate like me. Would District 2 be ready for a young, gay candidate? Is Texas ready for a young, gay Black man to be elected anywhere into any position? And, so I think what we…
CMT and openly gay country musician, Ty Herndon, have teamed up once again to produce another Concert for Love & Acceptance. The show, which will air on CMT’s social media channels at 8 p.m. ET on June 30th, is a celebration of two worlds that have seemingly been at odds in the past…country music and LGBTQ equality. However, in recent years, more and more country artists have come out as LGBTQ, including Ty Herndon, Brooke Eden, and T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne, just to name a few. This has led the country music scene to become more inclusive, granted,…
Kat Cunning, who shot to fame with hit singles like “King of Shadow” and “Birds” has just released a new song titled “Boys” to kick off Pride month. On the surface, the song is a personal love letter to the first transmasculine person they ever met and fell in love with. However, the song also has a deeper meaning and explores Kat’s self-recognition as well. According to Cunning, “Since writing ‘Boys’ three years ago, I have come out as non-binary – transmasculine-leaning – and I use they/them pronouns. Unknowingly, I wrote the song as a letter of acceptance to myself, and…
This Pride season, the streaming platform Spotify is launching a new queer-centric campaign called Claim Your Space. The campaign aims to create safe spaces for the LGBTQ community and to promote the music of emerging queer musicians. Throughout the month, Spotify has various activations taking place, including: Pride Hub: A dedicated editorial hub that will promote LGBTQIA+ artists, podcasters and playlists as well as showcase exclusive Spotify Clips video content from artists including Kehlani, Hayley Kiyoko, Hope Tala, Claud, Urias, ILOVEMAKONNEN, Princess Nokia, Leland, and Kaydence all month long. Pride Singles: Continuing the Pride Singles program launched last June, Spotify is working with queer…
Ultra-conservative Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, is clearly doing everything he can to send a message to the LGBTQ community. Previously, he’s gained notoriety for spreading Trump’s lies about election fraud and making it illegal for companies to request vaccine verification (Florida also has one of the highest numbers of COVID deaths in the country) Now, DeSantis is continuing his mission to disenfranchise the people of his state. On June 1st, the first day of Pride month, DeSantis signed into law a ban on transgender girls playing sports in schools. The Miami Herald even revealed that in the last six years,…
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…
To celebrate Pride month (June 1 -30), United Airlines is teaming up with their credit card partners, Visa and Chase, to help reward those who donate to LGBTQ+ nonprofits. Eligible United Visa Cardmembers can receive five miles for every dollar donated to select nonprofits (up to $1,000 per card). The eligible nonprofits are The Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, and StartOut. In a statement, Suzi Cabo, United’s managing director of global community engagement, said, “This Pride Month, United is celebrating our year-round mission of advocating and supporting our LGBTQ+ employees and customers by spotlighting organizations that share our commitment…
Fashion retailer, Banana Republic, has launched a new line of Pride-inspired pieces to coincide with June, which is the official month of Pride. Banana Republic’s sister brand, Gap, has also launched a pride collection, but the two are quite different. Gap’s collection uses bright colors, bold patterns, and has an overall youthful glow. Banana Republic’s collection on the other hand has a more mature and refined look. Comfy, muted tones combine with the occasional splash of color to create pieces that are perfect for not just Pride month, but year-round. The collection includes t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, athletic wear, and even…
Legacy fashion brand, Gap, has launched a new limited collection to help celebrate Pride. The collection, titled GAP x PRIDE features colorful and uplifting images and was designed by Gap’s own LGBTQ employees. Better yet, to help the LGBTQ community, Gap has committed to donating $50,000 to GLAAD, an LGBTQ nonprofit dedicated to making media more inclusive, safe, and welcoming. Check out some of the artists and and their designs below: Artist: Star Casimir, Senior Manager, Product Engineering, Athleta “I am excited to design for Pride because working for Gap Inc, it’s the first time I haven’t had to hide who…
For Pride this year, queer-owned cookie delivery company Wunderkeks is teaming up with the LOVELOUD Foundation, the LGBTQ nonprofit founded by gay ally and Imagine Dragons frontman, Dan Reynolds. During the month of June, Wunderkeks hopes to raise $30,000 for LOVELOUD’s circle of charities, which include Encircle, The Trevor Project, and the Tegan and Sara Foundation, among others, through cookie sales. To make this happen, the two have partnered together to launch the Wunderkeks x LOVELOUD Pride cookie box. This fabulously festive box comes adorned with all the confetti, sparkles, and shine that Pride month deserves. Inside are some of the…
Nikki de Jager, best known for her popular YouTube channel, NikkieTutorials, has become the first openly transgender celebrity to host the Eurovision Song Contest. Jager began YouTubing over a decade ago, and shot to global fame from her make-up videos. She has even had the honor of doing make-up for celebs like Jessie J and Lady Gaga. In 2019, Jager was even hired by Marc Jacobs Beauty to be their global beauty advisor. However, in early 2020, Jager became the victim of blackmail. Her 14 million+ fan base didn’t know that she was trans, and an unknown assailant threatened to…
On June 1st, LEGO’s brand new “Everyone is Awesome” set will go on sale. The 346-piece set presents a rainbow backdrop with a group of friends standing proudly in front of it. The set was designed by LEGO employee, Matthew Ashton, who said he designed the set to be a symbol of positivity and inclusivity for everyone. The rainbow flag combines both the traditional Pride flag with the BLM colors to symbolize the intersectionality of race and sexuality. The product even includes the colors of the trans pride flag, creating an epic backdrop of eleven colors. According to Ashton, while…
Paris City Hall has announced a plan to officially declare Paris as an “LGBTQ+ Zone of Freedom”. The proposal is set to be presented at the next Paris Council, which will be held in early June. The move honors the declaration voted by the EU earlier this year and is intended to serve as a stark contrast from Poland’s “LGBT Free Zones” which have been created to silence gay people and purge out any LGBTQ residents by making them afraid to live in their hometowns. According to RFI, the move isn’t purely symbolic. Paris will actively work to help make…
The city of San Francisco has announced that they will be creating the country’s first Queer and Transgender Asian and Pacific Islanders (QTAPI) Week May 22 – May 29. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to support the Queer and Trans API community amid the recent spate of anti-AAPI violence. The resolution details the rich history of San Francisco QTAPI community leaders like Margaret Chung, the first American surgeon of Chinese descent who wore “mannish attire” and had several romantic relationships with women, and Vince Crisostomo, a gay Chamorro HIV-activist who became the first publicly out HIV-positive Pacific…
Ric Weiland was a gifted, yet haunted man. He was extremely intelligent and his knowledge of computers led to him work at Microsoft alongside Bill Gates. Soon after, Microsoft turned into a technology empire and Weiland earned a large fortune. As a gay man, Weiland felt called to help his community at the onset of the AIDS Crisis and became one of the top donors to LGBTQ and HIV research organizations. However, Weiland also suffered from his own inner demons. Intense depression and anxiety held him back from ever truly enjoying life. Tragically, like so many other gay men of…
At this year’s Brit Awards, Elton John teamed up with singer Olly Alexander, who performs under the name Years and Years. The duo recreated the controversial and highly popular song “It’s a Sin” which was originally released by the Pet Shop Boys in 1987. The song was written by Pet Shop Boy’s lead singer Neil Tennent and tells of his time growing up in a Catholic school, being told that the way he was is a sin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk4eMIswunQ The video uploaded to YouTube doesn’t show what happened before the performance, but according to Vulture, Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, came…
Queer legend and dance hall staple, k.d. lang, has just released a remix of her 1995 hit song “If I Were You”. The single was released in anticipation of her upcoming album, Makeover, which will feature tons of remastered and remixed hits from k.d. lang’s song library. Included in the album will be songs originally released between 1992-2000, including, “Sexuality,” “Miss Chatelaine,” “Theme from the Valley of the Dolls,” “Summerfling,” “Lifted By Love”, and more. Makeover will release on May 28th in preparation for Pride month and pre-orders are now available. The album’s cover is a never-before-seen image taken of…
Country singer Brooke Eden became a star a few years ago after releasing her hit song, “Act Like You Don’t”. Since then, Eden has been taking time to find herself and hone her skills as a musician. Part of her journey has been to take her once-secret relationship and make it known to the world. In an interview with People, Eden stated, “How is an artist supposed to be an artist and be completely open…if you can’t be completely open?” Now, Eden is releasing a trilogy of singles that chronicle her relationship and the love she shares with her girlfriend.…
Sherry Vine is a drag legend who was been in the industry for decades. She’s one of the reigning queens from the pre-Drag Race era and knows the industry inside and out. She’s now used her knowledge and talent to assemble a cast of drag superstars for an epic variety show like no other. The Sherry Vine Variety Show harkens back to retro variety shows from the 70s, and on May 25th, Vine will be joined by an all-star cast, including Alaska Thunderfuck, Bob the Drag Queen, Bianca Del Rio, Jackie Beat, Peppermint, Tamie Brown, and more. The broadcast is…
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…
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.…
President Joe Biden announced his nominee for the assistant secretary of defense of readiness, a key role as the pentagon embarks on new strategies concerning China, Russia, and Afghanistan. Biden’s nominee, Shawn Skelly, is a highly respected former naval officer and national security expert. Not only has she served in the armed forces, but she also worked in Obama’s administration and was part of Biden’s transition team. She has decades of experience within the US military and defense departments. In Biden’s official message announcing his nominees, he listed off Skelly’s long tenure in the armed forces, stating, “Shawn Skelly served over…