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Conservative donor David Koch dies at 79
Conservative billionaire David Koch—who became a household name through the policy and political empire he created with his older brother, Charles—has died at 79, media outlets reported. David retired from the conglomerate Koch Industries and the ...
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SHOWBIZ Tituss Burgess, IMDb, Halsey, Stephen Colbert, 'Queer As Folk'
Quibi has greenlit Dishmantled—described as "a high-octane cooking competition that will literally blow your socks off," with Tituss Burgess ( Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; 30 Rock ) set to host, Deadline reported. Hosted by Burgess, each episode ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Ghost Photographer
By Julie Rieger $25; Enliven/Atria Books; 243 pages You know how they do it. It's a snap, really. A little bit of computer imagery, film cells inserted here, a half-screen there, and you've got a movie ...
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MOMBIAN Pushing for inclusivity in children's books, one publisher shows how
Orca Book Publishers of British Columbia, Canada, is an independent publisher with the goal of offering "reading material that represents the diversity of human experience to readers of all ages." Among other titles, they have produced ...
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Goldie Goldbloom on new book, being a queer Chasidic Jew
Chicago author and queer Chasidic Jew Goldie Goldbloom's newest book is On Division. It centers on the life of Surie Eckstein in Brooklyn, New York and what happens to her when she becomes pregnant but decides ...
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HRC releases HEI; 16 Illinois hospitals cited as leaders
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation ( HRC ) released its 12th annual Healthcare Equality Index ( HEI ), which scores healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ ...
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NATIONAL Trans death, ACA, 1957 gay wedding, serial killer
Several bridges and the city hall building in Houston were lit in transgender flag colors to honor the memory of Tracy Single, 22—a Black transgender woman who was found dead in a possible homicide in July, ...
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Reports: Wachowski back in the Matrix
Transgender filmmaker and Chicago native Lana Wachowski announced Aug. 20 that she would be directing a fourth Matrix film, according to Variety. Wachowski directed the three previous films in the series—The Matrix ( 1999 ), The ...
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Powerful AIDS group may be examined for use of federal funds
California state Sen. Ben Hueso ( D-Chula Vista ) has asked state Attorney General Xavier Becerra to investigate if the AIDS Healthcare Foundation ( AHF ) is fraudulently misusing savings from 340B—a federal drug-discount program designed ...
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NEH awards $29M to 215 humanities projects
The National Endowment for the Humanities ( NEH ) announced $29 million in awards for 215 humanities projects across the country. Grants were awarded in several categories, including Collaborative Research; Digital Humanities Advancement; Institutes for Advanced ...
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SAGE endorses aid-in-dying laws
Patient-rights organization Compassion & Choices issued a press release praising SAGE, dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders, for endorsing medical aid-in-dying laws. Medical aid-in-dying laws give mentally capable, terminally ill adults the option to ...
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Billy Masters
"I don't know if you noticed or not, but there's a bit of an age difference between the two of us. But on this cruise, nobody gives a shit."—Katharine McPhee's quip about her marriage to David ...
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LGBT neighborhoods favor Buttigieg, then Harris
Heavily LGBT neighborhoods' dollars go to Democrats
This may not be a surprise, but it is news: Openly gay presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has outraised his Democratic competitors in most heavily LGBT neighborhoods around the country. And he is now the third most ...
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Log Cabins endorse Trump for 2020 election
The Washington Blade has reported that—in a stunning reversal from 2016—the LGBT group the National Log Cabin Republicans has endorsed President Trump for re-election, asserting he "met his commitments" to LGBT people. Robert Kabel and Jill ...
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Study finds older transgender men who are pregnant risk depression, lack of care
Older transgender men who become pregnant need better mental health care than female counterparts Transgender men who become pregnant are at increased risk for depression and difficulty getting medical care due to a lack of knowledge ...
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10 Questions with Vic Featuring Xabiani Ponce de Leon
It's hard to stand out as an actor during a film festival such as Outfest where over 150 films are screened within nine days. But Xabiani Ponce de LeÃ"n did just that with director Hari Sama's ...
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New HRC president to go on national tour
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) announced that new President Alphonso David will embark on a national tour of seven key cities ( #WeAreHRC tour ) to meet with and rally HRC members, advocates, voters ...
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NCAVP Reports on Anti-LGBTQ Violence During Pride Season
August 14, New York, NY- A special report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs ( NCAVP ), Pride and Pain: A Snapshot of Anti-LGBTQ Hate and Violence During Pride Season 2019, outlines incidents and trends ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Elm Street,' 'Crime Story,' Tab Hunter, Lady Gaga
Gay actor Marc Patton is returning to the big screen, as himself, with the documentary Scream, Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street, The Washington Blade noted. The film tells the story of how his "big break" ...
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Proposed rule change would reduce ACA nondiscrimination protections
( Washington, D.C., August 14, 2019 ) — Yesterday, Lambda Legal submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services objecting to a proposed rule change that seeks to roll back the protections under ...
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Rothaus, Swisher, Vincenz named to LGBTQ Journalists Hall of Fame
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists announced that longtime Miami Herald reporter Steve Rothaus, Recode co-founder Kara Swisher and LGBTQ pioneer Lilli Vincenz are the 2019 inductees in the LGBTQ Journalists Hall ...
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Biden, Castro, Sestak, Williamson to speak at LGBTQ presidential forum
[Cedar Rapids]— Former Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, former Pennsylvania representative Joe Sestak and author Marianne Williamson will speak at a September 20 forum on the lives of ...
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AMA Condemns Effort to Remove Nondiscrimination Protections for Patients
CHICAGO — In formal comments today, the American Medical Association ( AMA ) spoke out against the Trump administration's misguided proposal to remove anti-discrimination protections related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and the termination of pregnancy ...
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NATIONAL Trans march, Danica Roem, cannabis company, lesbian tech event
A National Transgender Visibility March on Washington originally planned for March 31 will now take place Saturday, Sept. 28, The Washington Blade reported. D.C.-based transgender activist and leader organizer Marissa Miller said the march will begin ...
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First Pride Summit held in West Hollywood
The publications The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard hosted their first-ever Pride Summit ( #PrideSummit ) at The 1 Hotel West Hollywood on Aug. 8. The event—in conjunction with Billboard's annual Pride issue—featured panels and conversations: bringing ...
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Trans ex-student prevails in restroom case
In Virginia, U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen ruled Aug. 9 that a school board's transgender bathroom ban discriminated against former student Gavin Grimm, multiple media outlets reported. In 2015, the Gloucester County School Board's policy ...
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Reports: Would-be Vegas bomber targeted Jewish, LGBTQ communities
A man who authorities say worked as a security guard was arrested and accused of plotting to firebomb a Las Vegas synagogue or a LGBTQ-centered nightclub/bar, CBS News reported. An FBI-led anti-terrorism task force arrested Las ...
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Study Looks at Adolescent Experiences for Transgender Women of Color
Boston, MA, August 7, 2019—A groundbreaking study published in the most recent issue of Transgender Health finds that young transgender women of color hit several developmental milestones significantly earlier than their white peers. These milestones include ...
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Billy Masters
"But at the same time, my God, if you're 3 years old and you're saying you're feeling a certain way, or you think you're a boy or a girl or whatever the case may be, I ...
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TRAVEL Driftless and daring: Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Thousands of years ago when the glaciers razed the Midwest and flattened the landscape, they left certain areas untouched, unmarred. These areas—known as the "driftless" areas—abound with lush, green, rolling hills and timeless natural splendor. Meander ...
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We need to talk about the 'Pose' hospital episode right now
The TV show Pose, on FX, is nothing less than astounding to me. So much could have gone wrong, with the era, the themes, the characters, and—the aspect of the show closest to my heart and ...
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Author Toni Morrison dies at 88
Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison has died at 88. Morrison was the first Black woman to receive the Nobel literature prize, awarded in 1993. Her novel Beloved—in which a mother, Margaret, makes a tragic choice to ...
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NATIONAL Consent decree, Lyft, AOC, priest, Univ. of Michigan
After more than three years of litigating, a North Carolina federal judge approved a consent decree that would protect the rights of transgender citizens in the state to access public accommodations like restrooms and locker rooms ...
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SHOWBIZ Comic-book heroes, Cara and Ashley, Chris Pine, Pride Summit
The animated character Aquaman was confirmed to be LGBT+ on the latest episode of Young Justice: Outsiders—the DC Universe's animated show about teenage superheroes, PinkNews reported. The latest episode, "Quiet Conversations," saw the iconic DC superhero ...
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MillerCoors' 'Tap Into Change' running all summer
MillerCoors is celebrating Pride all summer long in Chicago through the "Tap Into Change" program, which will direct a portion of the proceeds from every MillerCoors product sold at select accounts toward non-profit organizations. The program ...
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'Trailblazer" confirmed to federal district bench in Illinois
The U.S. Senate, last week, confirmed lesbian magistrate Mary Rowland to a U.S. district court judgeship in Illinois, prompting U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to express appreciation for the Trump administration's "willingness to work ...
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Immigration activist reflects on long road to the United States
New York City-based activist Uchechukwu Onwa, who is gay, said that he came to the United States from his native Nigeria "to be someplace where I could be free, someplace where I did not have to ...
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Chef Iliana Regan Tells All in Memoir Burn the Place
Iliana Regan, the chef behind beloved Chicago restaurants Elizabeth and Kitsune, as well as Bunny Bakery, divulges her origin story in her new memoir Burn the Place, released by Agate Publishing in Evanston Tuesday, July 16. ...
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Judge rejects Smollett request regarding special prosecutor
On July 31, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin rejected a bid from Jussie Smollett to reconsider his decision to appoint a special prosecutor in the controversial case against the embattled actor, The Chicago Tribune reported. Toomin ...
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Women's soccer coach Ellis to retire
On July 30, U.S. Soccer announced that Jill Ellis—who won her second Women's World Cup as head coach of the U.S. women's national team for the second consecutive tournament—is stepping down from her post. Ellis has ...
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SHOWBIZ Lil Nas X, classic TV shows, Janelle Monae, NFL player
The country-trap smash "Old Town Road" ( by out rapper/singer Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus ) has broken the record for the longest-running number-one song on Billboard's singles chart. And faced with the task ...
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NATIONAL Citizenship case, anti-LGBTQ companies, Buttigieg, gay bars
A gay U.S. couple is reportedly suing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for discrimination after the State Department denied citizenship to their daughter, who was born in the United Kingdom with the help of a surrogate, ...
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Rapinoe book coming out in 2020
Penguin Books announced that openly lesbian U.S. women's soccer team co-captain Megan Rapinoe's as-yet-untitled book will be published in the fall of 2020, CBS News reported. Penguin said the book will be a "perfect vehicle" for ...
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Military Experts, Medical Groups, HIV Advocates Oppose Discharge Policy for HIV-Positive Airmen
New York, NY — July 26, 2019 ) — Military leaders, medical associations, public health groups, and HIV advocates joined three friend-of-the court briefs filed yesterday in support of a federal lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's discriminatory ...
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Rainbow pylons become city landmarks
The rainbow pylons dotting the Halsted Street landscape —and are the basis of the Legacy Walk outdoor museum—are officially city landmarks. The City Council approved a recommendation July 24 that the pylons be given landmark status. ...
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Puerto Rico governor to resign Aug. 2
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello now plans to resign Aug. 2 after almost two weeks of protests following the leak of misogynistic and homophobic chats between him and some of his advisors, Politico reported. Addressing the ...
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Microsoft reevaluates political contributions, Zero for Zeros campaign responds
( WASHINGTON, DC )—The Zero for Zeros campaign issued the following statement today, after learning that Microsoft has suspended its political action committee contributions and is creating employee advisory councils. "Microsoft is an iconic brand worldwide. ...
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NATIONAL Torres' run, tribe OKs marriage, Bernie Sanders, Netflix
New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres made history when he announced his bid for a seat in New York's House of Representatives, Queerty noted. The 31-year-old Democrat from the Bronx is the first openly gay man ...
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SHOWBIZ Indya Moore, Janet Jackson, Cazwell & Miss Peppermint, Andy Cohen
CAA has signed actor, model, writer and social activist Indya Moore, Deadline reported. The transgender, non-binary, Haitian-Dominician actor is part of the FX series Pose, co-created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, and which ...
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Billy Masters
"I have had sex—and Jesus still loves me. And with how you feel, me fucking in a windmill, you probably want to leave. I didn't just go to the Fantasy Suite. I fucked in a windmill. ...
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Volumes of racism, xenophobia on blast
The first time I heard the racial trope "Go back to where you came from," I was getting off of a school bus in a white section of town in Brooklyn. Little did I know then ...
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Justice John Paul Stevens, early supporter of LGBTQs
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery this week, was one of the first members of the nation's highest court to express support for LGBT people. He ...
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Puerto Rico governor now expected to resign
After a week of protests in Puerto Rico's capital city, San Juan, the commonwealth's governor is expected to resign, CNN.com reported. Thousands have jammed the streets of San Juan calling for Gov. Ricardo Rossello's resignation after ...
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BOOK REVIEW On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Book by Ocean Vuong. $26; Penguin Press; 256 pages One quote on author Ocean Vuong's website refers to him as "the Walt Whitman of Vietnamese-American literature." Vuong's poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, was a ...
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Puerto Rico guv won't resign but won't run for re-election either
On July 21, embattled Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello stated he will not seek re-election and will step down as head of his party—but will not resign his post as leader of the island, CNBC.com reported. ...
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Minimum wage raise would increase earnings for 1.5 million LGBT adults
On Thursday, the US House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Raise the Wage Act. The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law estimates that 1,450,000 LGBT adults would see an increase in earnings ...
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Rupaul's Drag Race and Billy Porter among Emmy nominees
RuPaul's Drag Race was among the television programs the Television Academy announced as having earned Emmy nominations for 2019, according to the Academy's July 16 announcement. The VH1 competition-reality show received nine nominations. Pose's Billy Porter ...
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Groping case against Kevin Spacey dropped
On July 16, Massachusetts prosecutors dropped the groping case against Kevin Spacey, CBS Boston reported. Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe said in a court filing that he was filing a nolle prosequi ( a ...
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SHOWBIZ Jennifer Lopez, 'Toy Story 4,' Rosie, Darren Criss, John Waters
Jennifer Lopez had a surprise for a gay teen who was barred from giving the valedictorian speech, PinkNews noted. The superstar surprised Nat Werth backstage at her show in Milwaukee on July 3. The teen was ...
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NATIONAL Miss Major ailing, NAACP, crime items, Puerto Rico governor
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy—a Stonewall Riots veteran and staple in transgender activism for nearly 50 years—suffered a stroke July 4, Out.com reported. News about the 78-year-old's condition was first shared via House of GG's: Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat ...
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Planned Parenthood suddenly announces new leadership
On July 16, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America ( PPFA ) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund ( PPAF ) boards of directors announced that Dr. Leana Wen is departing her role as president and ...
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U.S. House condemns Trump tweets as racist
On July 16, the U.S. House formally condemned President Donald Trump's recent tweets telling four Democratic congresswomen of color that they should "go back" to where they came from as racist—in a vote split largely along ...
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Trump Administration Moves to End Asylum Protections for Central Americans
( Washington,DC ) Today, the Trump administration announced the publication tomorrow of an interim rule that would end asylum protections for most Central American migrants by providing that asylum seekers who pass through another country first ...
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House passes Military Non-Discrimination Amendment
WASHINGTON July 11, 2019 — By a vote of 242-187, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a non-discrimination amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) that would make eligible for military service ...
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SHOWBIZ Lance Bass, trans actor, Miley Cyrus, 'Queer Eye'
In California, Lance Bass is a co-owner of Rocco's WeHo—the latest iteration in a small chain of establishments that mixes a traditional sports bar with an Italian-American eatery, Advocate.com noted. However, this queer spot also includes ...
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NATIONAL Court briefs, flag burned, Amazon books removed
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ), Lambda Legal, Out & Equal, Out Leadership and Freedom for All Americans announced that 206 major corporations have signed a "friend of the court" brief that will be filed ...
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Billy Masters
"Do you know what? I've been giving that some thought recently because a couple of other parents said that to me as well. I think, you really don't start thinking about that until you are a ...
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Larry Kramer gives us one more chance to wake the f*ck up
Our friend Larry Kramer, the godfather of the AIDS activism movement, hasn't lost his edge. That should surprise no one. In his speech at the Queer Liberation March on June 30 ( at the Queer Liberation ...
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LGBT report looks at U.S. territories
The Movement Advancement Project ( MAP ), in partnership with Lambda Legal, released a new report, "LGBT Policy Spotlight: LGBT Equality in the U.S. Territories," that focuses on the status of LGBT equality for the more ...
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10 Questions with Felix Maritaud
Audiences were still talking about Felix Maritaud's performance in the 2017 hit French film, '120 Beats Per Minute', about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1990s France, when another critically acclaimed film, 'Sauvage' premiered at the Cannes Film ...
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Handyman arrested in gay ex-actor's death
Oregon authorities arrested a man in connection with the death of actor Dennis Day, an original member of Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, Deadline noted. The former Disney star was 76 when his husband, Ernie Caswell, ...
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Renee Taylor lives her Life on a Diet
Renee Taylor will always be remembered as Sylvia Fine, the mother in the TV series The Nanny, but her accomplishments are many. She created 22 plays, four films and nine TV movies and series with her ...
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Cubs affiliate calls out Kaepernick, draws flag
The Tennessee Smokies—a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs based in the town of Kodak—deleted and apologized for a tweet in which the team showed a "Betsy Ross flag" design on their infield dirt and ...
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Small Illinois town holds inaugural Pride parade
In Ford County, Illinois, the small town of Paxton recently held its inaugural Pride parade, The Ford County Record noted. More than 150 people participated in the event, gathering at Pells Park for an hour of ...
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High court workplace cases affect LGBTQ veterans, military families, national security
WASHINGTON — Today, the Modern Military Association of America ( MMAA ) — the nation's largest non-profit organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer ( LGBTQ ) military and veteran community — and the ...
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