According to NBC News, a man who had recovered from the COVID-19 infection was in the perfect position to donate antibodies for a new experimental immunotherapy treatment. However, since the man was gay, he was turned away from donating, despite a doctor saying he had a “robust” number of antibodies in his system. This all goes back to the AIDS epidemic when many feared that by receiving blood from a gay man, they’d be at risk of contracting HIV. However, in 2015, that rule was slightly modified by saying gay men could donate blood as long as they had been…
Author: Keith Langston
We’ve all heard the story of those pivotal events that took place at a New York City gay bar in the summer of 1969. What you might not know is the surprising events that took place after the notorious Stonewall Riots. As you can imagine, shortly after the riots the Stonewall was closed. A mafia-owned bar that was home to an uprising against cops wasn’t bound to last long. Flash forward fifty years to the present day. I’m standing in Christopher Park with three members from the National Parks Conservation Association. It’s pouring rain and I’m completely soaked because I…
A New York Christmas, which has just been released on Netflix, puts an LGBTQ twist on the famous film It’s a Wonderful Life (which itself was adapted from the short story, The Greatest Gift.) The story follows a woman about to be wed to the man she loves…until she stumbles across her guardian angel late one night in Central Park. Her angel allows her to see what her life could have been if she had the courage to remain with her first true love, Gabrielle. The movie was written, directed, and produced by first-generation filmmaker, Otoja Abit, who even has…
Equaldex is a user-generated “knowledge base,” as founder Dan Leveille put it during our interview. Leveille works for a marketing company by day, and his education background is in web development, but he has a passion for LGBTQ rights and wants to use his skills to help the cause, thus, Equaldex was born. When he founded the website, he had a tall order to fill. He wanted to create an easy-to-use website that informed readers of LGBTQ rights in every country across the globe. As time went on, the website generated traction and has been featured in publications like AirBnb…
On Friday, December 18th, Switzerland passed a bill in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, an initiative that’s been seven long years in the making. Registered partnerships have been legal in the country since 2007, but now the Swiss House and Senate have passed a bill in favor of allowing same-sex marriage as well. Along with allowing marriage, the bill also made it legal for transgender people to legally change their names. Activists are saying this is a huge milestone for LGBTQ rights and is one step closer to making the entire continent of Europe a welcoming place for diversity and…
On October 9th, Academy Award-nominated director, Leslie Iwerks, will release her new short documentary, Selling Lies. The film, which was an Official Selection at 11 film festivals, looks at 2016’s rampant spread of fake news through social media and the people of Macedonia who produced the content. The movie is a shocking yet sobering experience. It’s angering to know that people from other countries were directly manipulating America’s election in order to make a profit. However, the film also digs into other aspects that we as Americans need to think about, such as the fact that much of the “information”…
Once again, the party that is so intent on “saving kids” has turned to harassing and threatening them instead. In the most recent incident, a group of “Proud Boys” stormed into the San Lorenzo Library in California during a Drag Queen Story Hour event. Story Hours are intended to be fun ways for kids to engage with the LGBTQ community. Drag queens dressed in sparkly and colorful outfits read stories to children while also making jokes, asking questions, and having activities. They’re simple, family-friendly events. Republicans wouldn’t know that, however, since they’re too busy barging in and screaming, rather than…
Opera singer Lucas Bouk used to be a mezzo-soprano before transitioning. He was worried about making the transition because there was a chance the hormones could impact his voice and singing career in the world of opera. However, Lucas decided to follow his truth and now lives openly as a trans man. He’s also continued singing, sharing his talents with the world. However, on August 14th, Bouk will perform for the first time as a baritone instead of a mezzo-soprano. On August 14 and 15, Bouk will take part in the On Site Opera, an opera pop-up taking place in…
Trixie Mattel is one of the most famous drag queens on the planet…behind only RuPaul herself. Mattel starred on the seventh season of Drag Race and then came back for All Stars 3 – a season she ended up winning. Since then, Mattel has become a huge social media star, amassing millions of followers on Instagram and YouTube. She’s even launched her own cosmetic line and a soon-to-be-opened Palm Springs resort called Trixie Motel, which is also the title of her new reality on Discovery+ about purchasing and remodeling the property. On top of all that, Mattel is a talented…
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…
Suburban Toronto has a new bus taking residents to wherever they need to go… it’s a giant pink bus, with images of famous LGBTQ Canadians on its side. Inside, the bus is filled with facts, information cards, and words of encouragement, all meant to educate people on the LGBTQ community, as well as to inspire LGBTQ riders to feel comfortable being themselves. https://twitter.com/blogTO/status/1145470835018350593 The idea for the bus began with the nonprofit LoveisLoveisLove, after famed Canadian philanthropist Kathryn E. Langley Hope gave the organization a hefty donation to make it happen. The goal was to operate the bus during Pride…
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…
Disney has a massive presence in Florida. The company’s largest theme park, Walt Disney World – which is located just outside of Orlando – employs an astonishing 77,000 people and attracts more than 58 million visitors each year. This means that Disney has immense political and financial power in the state. And yet, the company, which in recent years has tried to be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, has remained silent on the state’s bigoted new laws that target people of color and the LGBTQ community. Most notable is Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, which can ban classrooms…
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…
Pantene, the renowned beauty company known especially for their Pro-V products and their famous advertisements from the ’80s which featured supermodel Kelly LeBrock saying, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” is now being known for something else…their inclusivity. Earlier this month, the beauty company launched their Home for the Holidays video series, along with the hashtag #BEAUTIFULGBTQ. The series highlights different members of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. Watch the opening trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsJWzXtNlgw The trailer begins with “137 million Americans will travel home this holiday season…” Followed by, “44% of LGBTQ people feel they can’t come home as their…
A new campaign, “Deutschland fliegt nicht” translated to ‘Germany Doesn’t Fly’ is aiming to curb carbon emissions by encouraging Germans to rethink their domestic and short-haul flights. The first goal is to try get as many people as possible not to fly during the week of February 10 -16, 2020. According to the group, “The nationwide campaign ‘Germany doesn’t fly’ is much more than a normal protest. Simply not flying is more effective than waiting for bans, regulations and laws.” The goal is to get Germany (and the rest of the world) to recognize and understand the immense amount of…
Netflix is bringing the hilarious 2018 Broadway musical comedy, The Prom, to homes across America this December with their film adaptation. The movie is set to premiere on December 11th. The story follows Emma Nolan, a teenager in Indiana, who has just been barred from attending prom with her girlfriend. Meanwhile, in New York, two Broadway stars have just launched a new musical that has turned out to be an epic flop. After hearing about the controversy of a lesbian student at an Indiana high school, they decide to put on a show stopping publicity stunt and head to Indiana…
Florida’s state senate has passed the “Stop WOKE Act”, a bill that would ban schools and companies from discussing topics regarding race, “ethnic heritage”, and sex/gender. Republicans claim that this is done in order to prevent people (white people) from feeling distressed and “blamed” for things like slavery and Jim Crow laws. According to NBC Tampa Bay, the bill would count discrimination as something that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such individual to believe any of the following concepts”: Members of one race, color, sex, or national origin are morally superior to members of another An individual, by virtue…
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…
Religious leaders within the Catholic faith in Germany are planning to hold mass blessings of same-sex couples around the nation in protest of the Vatican’s recent anti-gay proclamation. In March, the Vatican’s office of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a memo announcing that God “does not bless sin”, referring to same-sex marriage. Despite becoming known as the “progressive Pope”, it was later revealed that the memo was released with the blessing of Pope Francis. Since then, many LGBTQ organizations and religious leaders have come out in protest against the Vatican’s message, and it has even led some…
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 Washington Blade, America’s oldest LGBTQ news outlet, has just become the first LGBTQ publication in history to receive a seat in the prestigious White House Briefing Room. Blade reporter Chris Johnson will serve as the White House reporter for the publication. In an article, the Washington Blade says that it will be sharing a seat with the Boston Globe, one of America’s most notable and historic newspapers. Sadly, that seat is right next to The Daily Caller, an alt-right publication so riddled with controversy that it has no place in the White House, and EWTN, a homophobic, anti-LGBTQ right-wing…
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.”…
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…
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…
Rolling Stone has reported that Cyndi Lauper is set to receive the first-ever High Note Global Prize. The award, created through a collaboration between the United Nations and the High Note Global Initiative, is designed to celebrate musicians who use their talents to help further human rights around the world. Lauper will receive the award during the 9th annual Home for the Holidays benefit concert, being held at the Novo in Los Angeles on December 10th. The event features a star-studded line-up of musicians, comedians, and entertainers, including, Brandi Carlile, Billy Porter, Lily Tomlin, Marilyn Manson, Margaret Cho, and many…
On October 10, the Fort Lauderdale edition of the OUTshine Film Festival will return to the sunny coast of Florida. This year, the festival has 33 feature-length films and 18 shorts from 13 countries around the world. The event is being sponsored by Gilead, Broward County, and Culture Builds Florida. The festivities kick off October 10 with a screening of the comedy Adam by Rhys Ernst. The film has stirred up much controversy and praise over some of its themes, and is sure to be a hot talking point at this year’s festival. https://www.instagram.com/p/B096c97l1X0/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet After the screening, an opening…
This last decade was a tremendous one for gay rights. The USA became the most populous nation to legalize gay marriage so far, same-sex marriage finally became legal in an Asian country (Taiwan), and now, over one billion people live in countries where same-sex marriage is legal! 2020 is also off to a great start, with one more country being added to the list. Gay marriage is now legal in Northern Ireland, with the first ceremonies expected to take place in February. Social acceptance in the UK has changed drastically in the past 10 years. Some people have been swayed…
Norway’s postal service is celebrating 50 years since the nation decriminalized same-sex relationships with a new ad featuring Santa Claus. The ad, titled “When Harry Met Santa” (a play on When Harry Met Sally) starts off with Harry, a man who catches a glimpse of Santa one year. It’s clearly love at first sight, and year after year, Harry eagerly awaits the arrival of Santa every Christmas Eve. The ad finishes with Santa finally being able to spend a night with Harry, thanks to Posten (the postal service) taking care of delivering presents. The video finishes with a long kiss…
On Sunday night, Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race. After winning the Iowa Primary, and coming in a close second in New Hampshire, Buttigieg’s numbers quickly dropped when primaries in more diverse states took place. In Nevada, he picked up only 14.3% of the vote, and in South Carolina, he only picked up 8.2% of the vote. His lacking numbers are believed to be the cause of his dropping out, as well as a campaign that was understaffed. With Super Tuesday around the corner, it was becoming more and more apparent to Buttigieg and his campaign that there…