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…
Author: Keith Langston
The 2000s was a decade filled with groundbreaking LGBTQ television and cinema. From Eating Out and Latter Days to Queer as Folk and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But no piece of media was quite as absurd, offensive, and hilarious as Another Gay Movie. The film set out to parody popular teen comedies like American Pie, but flipped the script, and, unlike your average teen comedy, focused on a group of gay friends instead. The cast included the then-unknown Michael Carbonaro, and supporting roles were filled by some of the queer community’s favorite stars, like Graham Norton, Lypsinka, and…
A few days ago, Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney did an interview with 60 Minutes. Throughout the segment, many difficult topics were discussed, including Trump’s control over the Republican party, the January 6 insurrection, and Afghanistan. However, in one remarkable moment of the interview, host Lesley Stahl asked Cheney, “How do you defend what you did?” in reference to the fact that Cheney was still vocally against same-sex marriage in 2013, despite having a gay sister. Shockingly, Cheney immediately responded with, “I was wrong.” She then went on to say, “I was wrong. I love my sister very much. I love…
Over the weekend, at the New York installation of DragCon, RuPaul had a very special announcement to make at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning: Drag Race is becoming a live spectacle and will be housed within the historic and flamboyant Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The show will feature a rotating cast of some of Drag Race’s biggest Queens, including, Aquaria, Kim Chi, Kameron Michaels, Asia O’Hara, and more. The performances begin January 2020, and pre-sale tickets go on sale tomorrow, September 10th at Drag Race Live, and a traditional pre-sale begins on Ticketmaster the following day, September,…
Deb Price, who wrote for The Detroit News, pitched an idea for an advice/opinion column written for the LGBTQ community. It was picked up and was syndicated, making it the first nationally syndicated LGBTQ column in America. Price rose to prominence in the early 90s when America was a very different place for the LGBTQ community. Gay men were in the middle of the AIDS crisis, words like transgender weren’t even understood yet, and the entire nation was drastically more homophobic than it is today. With her column, she was able to shine a light on the LGBTQ community that…
The adult entertainment website Mr. Man collects the hottest images and clips of male celebrities from movies and TV. Each year, the site also puts out a ranking of the most searched celebrities, based on page-clicks on their site. And now, as the decade came to a close, Mr. Man is releasing the top-searched steamy, dreamy male celebs of the decade. Can you guess who made the list? 5.) Michele Morrone ~ 147,797 searches Steamy Projects: 365 Days The movie 365 Days, which was released last year, was bashed by critics as being…quite bad. Variety even called it, “Thoroughly…
In yet another shockingly discriminatory move by the Trump administration, the Department of Justice has just sent a brief to the Supreme Court, asking them to allow organizations to discriminate against LGBTQ people because it’s part of their “religious freedom.” The Background This all has its roots in a 2018 case in Philadelphia: Fulton vs. City of Philadelphia. The case centered around the city of Philadelphia contracting a group, Catholic Social Services, to handle issues of adoption and fostering. The city discovered that the organization was breaching its contract of non-discrimination and was denying LGBTQ parents from fostering and adopting.…
Released in 2019, the book Gender Queer has become a lightning rod for controversy in America. The illustrated novel by Maia Kobabe talks about their experiences wrestling with and discovering their true self, while questioning gender and not fitting into the binary of gender. Recently, however, the book has gained ample amounts of controversy. The debate began because a few of the book’s illustrations depict teenagers engaging in sexual acts (the book is written for teenagers) and others make references to sexual fantasies. Confusingly, a page discussing the author struggling with their first period also became part of the debate,…
A new organically-made soda brand, Mixwell, isn’t shying away from showing its values. In their new ad, they blatantly make fun of the MAGA crowd by starting their commercial with a burly man in a truck complaining about needing to make America more manly again. The ad finishes by revealing that the man has a husband, and the two then embrace for a long kiss. The spot concludes with the words “If Real Freedom Offends You, Please Don’t Buy Mixwell.” The ad is quick, witty, fearless, and completely hilarious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7esCe-LhtSY&t=60s The commercial very clearly mocks Trump-era America, which has…
Although New York City’s live, annual pride parade and celebration was cancelled because of the coronavirus, the event will continue on TV and online. On June 28th, from 12-2 pm ET, ABC New York will air a special star-studded broadcast celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first pride parade that took place in 1970. Grand Marshal’s will include Dan Levy (star of Schitt’s Creek), The Ali Forney Center, which provides services to the LGBTQ+ community and vital support for homeless youth, Yanzi Peng (rights activist), and Victoria Cruz (LGBTQ and anti-violence advocate). Along with the Grand Marshals, there will be…
According to the South China Morning Post, a Judge in Hong Kong just deemed it unconstitutional for the government to deny public housing to same-sex couples. Previously, the government had barred same-sex couples from getting public housing because it wanted to “protect traditional family formations.” The government used the excuse that the parameters for public housing units larger than single-person dwellings are for “husband and wife, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild.” The government also claimed that by allowing same-sex couples to apply for public housing would hurt the chances of “traditional families” from receiving housing by adding more names…
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…
Earlier this year, it was announced that Hulu is rebooting the horror cult classic, Hellraiser. Originally released in 1987, the movie was written and directed by LGBTQ filmmaker, Clive Barker, who adapted it from his novella, The Hellbound Heart. The story tells the tale of the Cenobites, a group of multidimensional beings who blend together pleasure and pain, usually leading to disastrous consequences to whomever they encounter. The story is inherently queer, as it was inspired by Barker’s youth spent as a male hustler, and also his visits to BDSM bars, where he saw both pleasure and pain being interwoven…
On the state level, 2021 has been a devastating year for the LGBTQ community, with numerous bigoted laws being passed around the nation, many of which specifically target the trans community. However, on the city level, progress has actually been made. In fact, according to the Equality Index, a yearly survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign and The Equality Federation, a record-breaking 110 cities achieved the index’s top score of 100. Cities earning the top marks include Cleveland, Ohio; St. Louis, Missouri; Hoboken, New Jersey; Lexington, Kentucky, and more. The Equality Index looks at municipality-level laws, policies, public services,…
According to NBC News, this year, 77 commercials will air during the Super Bowl, bringing in a whopping $400 million dollars in profit for FOX. The Super Bowl is the most expensive time-slot of the entire year, with each commercial costing companies millions of dollars. But this year, a new trend is taking place in a very unlikely space…Inclusivity at the Super Bowl. That’s right, this year’s commercials are filled with LGBTQ personalities and famous females. Here are eight #superbowl commercials you’ll must see! SABRA HUMMUS Starring Miz Cracker and Kim Chi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ex5xnVm2po RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Miz Cracker…
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.…
In a historic moment for equality, the Sapporo District Court in Japan declared that sexuality, like race and gender, isn’t a choice, and therefore discriminating against people because of it goes against the Japanese Constitution. According to the AP, “Judge Tomoko Takebe said in the ruling that not allowing same-sex marriages violates Article 14 of the Japanese constitution, which prohibits discrimination “because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin.” While the ruling doesn’t have any immediate legal impact, it does mark a significant change in the mindset of Japan, a country that has long been fueled by traditionalism and…
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…
The Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is believed to be the largest LGBTQ library in the world. The archive is made up of more than six million pages of LGBTQ history. If all the books were stacked up on top of each other, they would equal the height of two Empire State Buildings. However, the Stonewall National Museum and Archives also understands the critical need to enter the digital age and create an online database that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere. Hence how the new In Plain Sight exhibit was born. https://www.stonewallnma.orgThe digital exhibit can…
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…
Back in 2017, California enacted a law, known as Assembly Bill 1887, that bars state-sponsored travel for state employees to any state that discriminates on the basis of sexuality and gender identity. One of the eleven states on that list is Texas, who has decided that it’s wrong and illegal to discriminate against states that discriminate against citizens. According to The Hill, Texas is claiming that California isn’t respecting their “religious beliefs” and (almost hilariously) claiming that California “demonstrates a disregard for the safety and well-being of Texas children.” The irony here is almost too much to handle. Conservatives regularly…
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…
Revry, the 24/7 queer network, has just launched their new show Versus, hosted by comedy sensation Deven Green (who many will recognize as Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian). In each episode, two contestants face off in a series of bizarre challenges, from having to remember their own tweets from years ago, to having to answer bonkers questions like, “which animal breeds faster, bunnies or goats?” It’s also a quick program, with each episode running only around 5-7 minutes in length, making it the perfect way to pass the time in the subway, while cooking, or while on a quick…
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…
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…
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…
According to the US Mint, the American Women Quarters Program is, “a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women to the development and history of our country.” It will run for four years, celebrating a new group of women each year. 2022 will be the inaugural launch of the campaign, and the original lineup of women selected to be honored are: Maya Angelou – celebrated writer, performer, and social activist Dr. Sally Ride – physicist, astronaut, educator, and the first American woman in space Wilma Mankiller – first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation Nina…
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…
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…
The 2022 Golden Globes have proven to be groundbreaking for the trans community. MJ Rodriguez, who has shot to fame playing Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on FX’s hit series POSE, has just won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Drama, marking the first time in history a trans performer has taken home a Golden Globe in the award’s 78-year history. POSE recently concluded over the summer after a successful run of 26 episodes that spanned three seasons. First airing in 2018, POSE was a groundbreaking representation of the Ball scene which was made famous by the documentary, Paris is Burning.…