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NATIONAL 'Drag Fest,' eating disorders, journalist attacked, NCLR event
Political activist/New York City drag staple Marti Gould Cummings and The Only Productions announced the largest digital drag festival during Pride 2020, a press release noted. More than 100 performers are scheduled to appear during "Pride ...
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SHOWBIZ Rufus Wainwright, LGBTQ films, Billy Porter, Janelle Monae
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright unveiled the latest single from his eagerly anticipated new pop album, Unfollow the Rules, a press release noted. "Alone Time" is available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official companion ...
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Billy Masters
"Hate and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people started long before Trump and Pence took office. Defeating them will not solve the problem, but it is an essential first step in order to resume our march towards equality."—Joe ...
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Planning your legacy: VA benefits for LGBTQ veterans and servicemembers
Dear community: The Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) stands strong in supporting our LGBTQ servicemembers and veterans. As members of the LGBTQ community, we understand you may face many challenges. The last thing you ...
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LGBT giant Larry Kramer dies at 84
The groundbreaking writer and outspoken LGBT- and AIDS-rights activist Larry Kramer died May 27 in New York at age 84. His husband, David Webster, said Kramer died of pneumonia. Kramer co-founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis ...
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Chita: A Legendary Celebration to stream May 29
Chita: A Legendary Celebration , Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' one-night-only evening of song and dance celebrating the legendary Chita Rivera , returns this Friday, May 29, 2020, in an exclusive stream benefiting Broadway Cares and its ...
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MAP releases report on LGBTQ equality in the South
The nonprofit think tank The Movement Advancement Project ( MAP ) has released a report, "LGBTQ Policy Spotlight: Mapping LGBTQ Equality in the U.S. South." The report is being released in partnership with a new PBS ...
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NCLR honors SF 49ers Offensive Assistant Coach Katie Sowers, comedian Gina Yashere
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The National Center of Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) today announced that they will be honoring San Francisco 49ers Offensive Assistant Coach Katie Sowers with their Trailblazer Award, presented by pro-athlete and ...
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U.S. Supreme Court backs Idaho trans woman's reassignment surgery
The United States Supreme Court denied Idaho's application to stop a transgender inmate's reassignment surgery, East Idaho News reported. The court order said that two justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, would have granted the request ...
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Trevor Project releases report on mental health of trans, non-binary youth
The Trevor Project's research team has published a new peer-reviewed article titled "Understanding the Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Youth" in the Journal of Adolescent Health ( JAH ). Among the key findings: —When accounting ...
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Report shows impact of pandemic on LGBTQ communities of color
The Human Rights Campaign ( hRC ) Foundation—the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign—released new data outlining the economic impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ communities of color. "This new data, showing that LGBTQ communities of ...
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Roe v. Wade plaintiff said she was paid for anti-abortion stance
Norma McCorvey, the anonymous plaintiff in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, came out against abortion in 1995, stunning the world—but a deathbed documentary reveals that she only switched sides for money, The Chicago Tribune reported. ...
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Lola Lennox lives a legacy
At the age of 29, singer Lola Lennox is finally ready to release music and show listeners what she's all about. She was raised in the perfect environment for that to happen. Her mother is singer ...
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Ruby Rose leaving lead role in 'Batwoman'
Ruby Rose—the openly lesbian actress who starred in the CW's freshman drama series Batwoman—is leaving the Warner Bros. TV/Berlanti Prods. drama after one season, Deadline reported. The series, which already has been renewed for a second ...
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Report: HHS rule will negatively affect 1.5M transgender Americans
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to announce a final rule in the coming weeks that reverses federal protections prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in health care. The Williams Institute ...
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VIEWS LGBTQ discrimination is a disgrace
Named plaintiff in landmark Supreme Court gay marriage case talks cases now before court
Re the New York Times article, "Aimee Stephens, 59, Plaintiff in Transgender Rights Case" ( obituary, May 14 ): Our world has long been gripped by questions of mortality and legacy, perhaps more than ever in ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Idol' alum, PBS series, LGBT film, concert series, Bad Bunny
Openly gay American Idol alum David Hernandez has premiered his new song—"Sorry"—and the accompanying music video, a press release noted. "Sorry" is described as "a metaphoric letter to those David has hurt in the past as ...
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NATIONAL Harvey Milk, trans woman killed, 'Queer the Census,' NYC Pride
LGBTQ-rights icon Harvey Milk would have turned 90 on May 22—and San Francisco is coming together ( virtually ) that day, a press release noted. Openhouse, SF Queer Nightlife Fund and the Tenderloin Museum will present ...
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Navy grants first waiver for trans service member
The U.S. Navy granted a waiver allowing a transgender service member to serve "in their preferred gender" for the first time since the military enacted an anti-transgender ban, CNN.com reported. "The acting Secretary of the Navy ...
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Coalition of progressive groups slam Ruban Diaz Sr. for anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ record
NEW YORK — As New York grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, a broad coalition of progressive groups — including Planned Parenthood Action Fund, LGBTQ Victory Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Latino Victory Fund, and the Congressional Hispanic ...
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Melissa Etheridge's son dies at age 21
Beckett Cypher—the son of Melissa Etheridge and her former partner Julie Cypher—died, according to media reports. He was 21. Etheridge, on Twitter, said, "Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ...
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MOVIE REVIEW 'A Secret Love' shines for a new generation
Netflix's new documentary A Secret Love is the story of a relationship between two lesbians named Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel that began in the late '40s. For almost seven decades, even some of their family ...
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Billy Masters
"Billy, you are a new find of mine. I'm now your biggest fan."—Paul Shaffer—yes, THAT Paul Shaffer—after showing up to surprise my guest, the legendary Darlene Love. Yet another typical episode of "Billy Masters LIVE!" I'm ...
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Biden camp gears up for 'unprecedented' campaign
A representative from former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign told supporters from Illinois' LGBT community they'd be running "a campaign that nobody has ever seen before" as they pivot to general-election strategies to unseat incumbent ...
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Wis. Supreme Court strikes down state's stay-at-home order
Voting along party lines, the Republican-led Wisconsin Supreme Court, on May 13, struck down the state's stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic as "unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable" after finding that the state's health secretary exceeded her ...
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BOOKS New book explores life of astronomer-turned-activist Kameny
Dr. Eric Cervini—a Harvard and Cambridge-trained historian sometimes known as the "Hunky Historian"—reveals the secret history of the fight for LGBTQ rights that began a generation before Stonewall in his new book, The Deviant's War: The ...
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NATIONAL Early release, Zara settlement, arrests in Puerto Rico, D.C. gay bars close
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Timothy J. Shea, the city's lead prosecutor, informed his office's Hate Bias Task Force that he objected to a decision by a judge to grant the early release of ...
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Trans-rights advocate Aimee Stephens dies
Aimee Stephens—the Michigan transgender funeral home worker whose firing led to a U.S. Supreme Court case that could decide the employment rights of millions of transgender and gender-nonconforming people—has died at age 59. According to NBC ...
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SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, Quibi shows, Alexandra Billings, 'Queer Eye,' podcasts
Lady Gaga announced that her sixth studio album, Chromatica, will be released Friday, May 29, via Interscope Records, a press release noted. The album features collaborations with Ariana Grande, Elton John and Blackpink, and is executive-produced ...
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MOVIES Young gay filmmaker debuts LGBT romantic drama
A gay Massachusetts-based filmmaker will release his new LGBT-themed feature film, which he produced for the unheard-of sum of $400, to YouTube in late May. Director Josh Cox, 20, based the new film, Summer of Mesa, ...
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Comedian Cameron Esposito's new memoir digs into queer liberation, Catholic upbringing
Catherine Buck
Cameron Esposito's new memoir, Save Yourself, is the story she needed when she was younger. The lesbian comedian tracks the story of her Catholic upbringing and queer liberation, including an early interest in the priesthood and ...
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PASSAGES Roy Horn, of Siegfried & Roy, dies at 75
Roy Horn, of Siegfried & Roy—the duo whose magic tricks with big cats astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by Montecore, one of the act's famed white tigers—has died of coronavirus complications, media ...
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PASSAGES Rock icon Little Richard dies at 87
Little Richard—a founding father of rock 'n' roll who was known for his flamboyant style and pompadour as well as hits such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally"—has died at age 87. People.com said that ...
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Sexual minority adults twice as likely to have experienced homelessness
A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds an estimated 17% of sexual minority adults in the U.S. report having experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, compared to 6% ...
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NCLR denounces Dept. of Education rule making LGBTQ students less safe at school
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Center for Lesbian Rights strongly condemns the United States Department of Education for releasing a new rule that weakens Title IX protections, making schools less safe — particularly for LGBTQ students. ...
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Lambda Legal condemns push for anti-healthcare nominee Walker to DC Circuit
In response to the decision of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham to schedule a hearing tomorrow on the nomination of Justin Walker to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Lambda Legal ...
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NATIONAL Lawsuit against ICE, election items, Rufus Gifford, Puerto Rico killings
A coalition of LGBTQ and immigration activists filed a class-action lawsuit demanding the immediate release of all transgender detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) detention, NBC News reported. The suit alleges that. because ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Homecoming' series, virtual concerts, Janet Jackson, Jeffree Star
The critically acclaimed series Homecoming returns for its second season Friday, May 22, on Amazon Prime Video with a new mystery and a new star: Janelle Monae, a press release noted. Her character wakes in a ...
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Shout! releasing all 11 seasons of 'The Carol Burnett Show'
Shout! Factory TV announced that, on June 1, all 11 seasons of The Carol Burnett Show will be made available for viewing on streaming platforms. The show is one of the most acclaimed and influential TV ...
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Hillary Clinton endorses Joe Biden
Hillary Clinton endorsed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during a virtual town hall on April 28. Clinton touted Biden as a "friend" and a figure who has been "preparing for this moment his entire life," ...
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Billy Masters
"Wow. OK, that's really ignorant!"—Anderson Cooper's response when Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said, "This isn't China. This is Las Vegas, Nevada." In her defense, Las Vegas has an Eiffel Tower, but it sure ain't Paris. ...
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10 Questions with Vic
Even with two back to back hit singles, 'Ladies Night' and 'Countdown,' Hollywood Holland is still a midwestern girl in a big city. Holland earned the nickname "Hollywood Holland" after packing up everything she owned in ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 Southern exposure: Gay man running for U.S. Senate in Kentucky
U.S. Senate candidate Jimmy Ausbrooks stands out for several reasons in his Kentucky, whether it's because of his mental-health background—or because he's the only openly gay person running in a Democratic primary field of 10. ( ...
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MOMBIAN: COVID-19 pauses family-building for many LGBTQ people
Nina Willbach and her wife, a Philadelphia couple, have been trying to get pregnant since last June via assisted insemination. In March, they were told that their most recent attempt didn't work—and they couldn't try again ...
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Autobiography reflects on heyday of Chicago LGBT media
Fort Lauderdale-based author Rick Karlin, a native Chicagoan who for many years wrote about food and entertainment, among other topics, for LGBT papers in the Windy City, said that the machinations of the local gay media ...
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Supreme Court decisions in Title VII cases will impact millions
US Supreme Court decisions in employment discrimination cases will impact millions of LGBT workers. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce its decisions in the coming weeks on three cases that address whether Title VII ...
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Anne Steele, Kelli Carpenter raise funds for meals. Online concert April 29
Lesbian singer/ songwriter Anne Steele decided to start online concerts to lift the spirts of her fans, friends and family. While playing the "couch concerts" every Wednesday on Facebook Live, her wife, Kelli Carpenter, a travel ...
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One in four LGBT people experienced food insecurity in the past year
Nearly 27% of LGBT people, an estimated 3,029,000 adults, experienced food insecurity in the past year, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Women, people of color, young adults, and those with low ...
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SHOWBIZ Elton John, TV actor comes out, Adam Lambert, 'Queer as Folk'
Sir Elton John postponed the remaining North American dates on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour due to the coronavirus, Rolling Stone noted. John's farewell trek previously postponed its tour dates from March 26 through May ...
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TELEVISION Laura Dreyfuss, Rahne Jones on season two of 'The Politician'
The quirky Netflix dark dramedy The Politician teems with scandalous satisfaction from the moment rich kid Payton Hobart ( Ben Platt ) invites viewers into his Santa Barbara, California, mansion. Born into a poor family and ...
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NUNN ON ONE TELEVISION Trans actress' dreams come true on 'Supergirl'
Actress Nicole Maines represents a new generation of transgender activists who are growing both artistically and publicly. Maines was assigned to being male at birth and at three years old showed that was incorrect. Later in ...
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GLAAD digital event raises $225,000
On April 26, GLAAD hosted a digital event to highlight the LGBTQ response to COVID-19 and to raise money for CenterLink and local LGBTQ centers affected by COVID-19. "Together in Pride: You are Not Alone", hosted ...
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NATIONAL Colorado governor, Texas judge, trans woman killed, Indiana, festivals
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis defended his decision to lift some restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus and permit some businesses to reopen, Politico reported. In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, ...
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OP-ED The media needs to stop reporting about Queen Latifah's sexuality
Does the media's cat and mouse game of chase with Queen Latifah lead many of us—especially in the LGBTQ+ community—to another "Gotcha!" moment of her coming out- that ain't!? A recent Zoom version of Red Table ...
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Report: Trump aiming to remove protections for LGBTQ patients
The Trump administration is moving to remove an Obama-era policy that protected LGBTQ patients from discrimination, Politico reported. The health department is close to finalizing its long-developing rewrite of Obamacare's Section 1557 provision, which barred healthcare ...
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NUNN ON ONE TELEVISION Tim Gunn on his new show that's a 'Cut' above
Television personality Tim Gunn continues to take over the world of reality shows with a brand-new offering on Amazon Prime Video called Making the Cut. Many will recognize the openly gay fashion advisor from Project Runway, ...
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Transgender adults with underlying health conditions at risk for COVID-19
An estimated 319,800 U.S. adults who identify as transgender have one or more medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or HIV, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. The Centers for Disease ...
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LGBTQ+, allied groups issue second open letter on Covid-19 discrimination
Washington, DC — One hundred and seventy national, state and local LGBTQ+ and allied organizations have joined in a second open letter to health and policy leaders highlighting the importance of measures to prohibit discrimination in ...
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COVID-19 New York City Pride cancelled
Heritage of Pride, in partnership with the City of New York, announced that the NYC Pride 2020 roster of events, originally scheduled for June 14-28, will not take place as planned. Due to the collective concern ...
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SHOWBIZ Global concert, TV doctors, Sean Hayes, GLAAD event, 'Circus'
Some of the world's top stars helped to raise nearly $128 million for the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic by performing in a concert broadcast globally, CNN.com noted. Dozens of celebrities and musicians—including Lady ...
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NATIONAL Trans students, HIV+ men released, LGBTQ judge, centers, Joe Biden
North Carolina's transgender students are worried that their privacy and safety are being put at risk as schools switch to teaching students online during the coronavirus pandemic, The Herald reported. North Carolina's public schools use a ...
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COVID-19 World of Wonder, Stonewall hosting all-star concert April 23
World of Wonder Productions and the official 501( c )( 3 ) of The Stonewall Inn, The Stonewall Gives Back Initiative, announced that on Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m. CT, the partnership will present a ...
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MOVIES About Face co-founder writes, directs 'Netuser'
Eric Rosen—a co-founder of Chicago's About Face Theatre who was also its first artistic director—wrote and directed the LGBTQ short film Netuser, which will be released online Friday, April 24. In the movie, Tony winner and ...
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Hamilton's Cervantes new addition to April 19 concert
Miguel Cervantes ( Hamilton ) will perform live during the April 19 Chicago Offstage! Live from Home virtual concert benefiting Season of Concern, the emergency fund for Chicago's theater artists. Cervantes is a late addition to ...
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COVID-19 San Francisco Pride cancelled for first time
San Francisco's 2020 Pride Parade and Celebration, which had been scheduled for June 27-28, has been officially cancelled amid coronavirus concerns, according to media reports. This year was to mark the celebration's 50th anniversary—and it is ...
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Against Me! cancels May U.S. tour
Against Me!—the punk-rock band that is fronted by transgender singer/guitarist Laura Jane Grace—is cancelling its May 2020 North American co-headline tour with prog-metal act Baroness because of the coronavirus pandemic. The run was to visit parts ...
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Medical professionals urge overturning of blood-donation ban
GLAAD released an open letter penned by more than 500 medical professionals responding to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's ( FDA ) revised recommendations on gay and bisexual men, and other LGBTQ people, from donating ...
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BOOK REVIEW An Indefinite Sentence: A Personal History of Outlawed Love and Sex
Coming out was difficult enough. Even if everyone supported you and very little changed, you changed; still, though you had doubts and fear, it was something you had to do. Now read the new book An ...
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THE AMAZON TRAIL A giant
"We lost a giant today," tweeted California state Sen. Scott Weiner, who is chairman of the LGBTQ caucus. A giant is exactly what the ninety-five-year-old Phyllis Lyon was, along with her partner Del Martin, who died ...
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BOOKS Jen Manion talks 'Female Husbands' and writing process
In their new book, Female Husbands: A Trans History, Jen Manion illuminates the stories of people assigned female at birth who transed gender to live as men and also marry women in the United Kingdom and ...
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Billy Masters
"If you're gonna wear a mask—and you MUST wear a mask — it better say something."—Original "Dreamgirl" Sheryl Lee Ralph makes her entrance on "Billy Masters LIVE" wearing a black mask encrusted with crystals that spelled ...
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Idaho anti-trans law challenged
A lawsuit was filed April 15 challenging Idaho's recently passed law that bans women and girls who are transgender as well as many women and girls who are intersex from participating in school sports, according to ...
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NATIONAL Virginia's pro-LGBTQ moves, trans teen, Dr. Fauci, AIDS Quilt
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a law requiring the state's Department of Motor Vehicles to offer a non-binary option on driver's licenses, according to The Washington Blade. The governor signed Senate Bill 246, which now offers ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Call Me by Your Name,' Heath Ledger, superheroes, gay singer
Director Luca Guadagnino confirmed that a sequel to his 2017 film Call Me by Your Name is in the works, although the project is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, NewNowNext.com noted. "Before coronavirus, ...
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Barack Obama backs Joe Biden for president
On April 14, former President Barack Obama offered a video endorsement of his close confidant and friend, former Vice President Joe Biden. "Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ...
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