NATIONAL
Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles has banned residents from changing their gender markers on state identification documents, The Advocate noted. The bureau added a small notice to its website stating that it will no longer accept court orders or medical documentations recognizing transgender residents’ gender changes. Only three states—Florida, Tennessee and Texas—completely ban residents from updating their gender markers on state IDs, according to the Movement Advancement Project; 10 other states require proof of surgery and a court order.
More than 1,000 people flooded the area surrounding Lower Manhattan’s Christopher Park in Greenwich Village after the Trump administration ordered the Pride flag removed from the Stonewall National Monument—as activists reraised the flag, The Advocate noted. Eventually, the crowd succeeded in binding the rainbow flag to the U.S. flag so that both flew together. The gathering followed days of condemnation from city, state and federal leaders (including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani) who denounced the removal, which the National Park Service said was done to comply with a federal flag policy that attempts to erase LGBTQ+ history from the nation’s capital for queer memory.
Gay former New York City Council member Erik Bottcher (D) easily defeated Republican opponent Charlotte Friedman in a recent special election for New York state senator, LGBTQ Nation noted. Bottcher will replace the 47th district’s most recent state senator, gay Democrat Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who stepped down after being elected Manhattan borough president. Bottcher was originally running for Congress but changed plans when Hoylman-Sigal resigned.
Openly gay journalist Don Lemon has hired former federal prosecutor Joseph H. Thompson to defend him from federal charges stemming from his in-person coverage of a Jan. 18 protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that interrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, LGBTQ Nation noted. Thompson and several other prosecutors in the office recently quit after the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) told them to drop their investigation into the legality of an ICE agent’s killing of Renee Good, a queer mother of three. Federal agents with the DoJ arrested Lemon on Jan. 29; he was later released on his own recognizance.
In Virginia, openly gay Albemarle County Board of Supervisor Mike Pruitt—a Navy veteran and civil-rights attorney—dropped his Congressional bid and endorsed fellow Democrat Tom Perriello, according to CVille Right Now. Pruitt cited the new redistricting maps as the driving force behind his decision. In an official statement that Windy City Times received, Pruitt said, in part, “I want to thank everyone who believes in our campaign’s vision for a stronger, more just America.”
GLAAD announced the third cohort of its award-winning Equity in Media & Entertainment Initiative, powered by Gilead Sciences, a press release noted. This year, the program shines a spotlight on Black queer visual artists—a group of creators redefining culture through painting, photography, mixed media, sculpture, writing and digital art. Each of the 20 selected artists will receive $10,000 in funding to support a new creative project, alongside mentorship, professional development, and access to leaders across the art, media, and entertainment industries.
LGBTQ+ media brand Them announced that Editor‑in‑Chief Fran Tirado would debut a new weekly column and companion newsletter called FERAL that explores themes of love, identity, desire and the evolving conversations around sexuality at the intersection of pop culture and trends, a press release noted. The inaugural edition that launched on Feb. 13 highlighted Tirado’s reflections on the 20th anniversary of the cult‑favorite anime Ouran High School Host Club.
WORLD
A Ugandan court dismissed the first case brought under the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. The accused, a man who was 20 when he was arrested in August 2023—only three months after the law was enacted—had spent nearly a year in detention before being released on bail. He was initially accused of “unlawful sexual intercourse” with a 41-year-old man and charged with “aggravated homosexuality”—which is punishable by death. In dismissing the case, the court ruled that the accused was “mentally unstable and [did] not understand the trial process.”
In Uganda, voters rejected re-election bids of three prominent anti-LGBTQ+ members of parliament, per Erasing 76 Crimes. Among the politicians who were rejected were David Bahati, Asumani Basalirwa and Sarah Opendi. Bahati introduced the 2013 Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA)—known as the “kill the gays” bill—to parliament. In her submission regarding the 2023 version of the AHA, Opendi called for the “castration” of LGBTQI+ persons, alleging that imprisonment would not stop them from practicing homosexuality. Basalirwa introduced the AHA 2023 as a private member’s bill, and it was seconded by Opendi.
In the Philippines, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples can be considered co-owners of property acquired during their relationship, per LGBTQ Nation, citing the Philippines Star. The ruling came about based on a lesbian couple that is not interested in getting married. The case came about because the partner who officially owned a house and lot signed an “acknowledgment” confirming that the other had paid for about 50% of the purchase and renovation costs of the property—but she then reneged on the deal.
Canadian authorities identified the shooter who recently killed eight people, mostly children, at a school in British Columbia, The Advocate noted. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) named 18-year-old Tumbler Ridge resident Jesse Van Rootselaar as a suspect, believing she died by suicide. Rootselaar’s identity has been used to vilify the trans community, although conservative figures were blaming trans people for the tragedy even before a suspect was named. Rootselaar was assigned male at birth but began transitioning six years ago, according to Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, although the RCMP is not identifying her as transgender.
Ralf Schumacher—the legendary German former F1 driver who came out as gay in 2024—announced that he and his partner, Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne, will wed over three days in Saint-Tropez in May, Out noted. Schumacher’s ex-wife, Cora Schumacher, told Bild that she’s happy for the couple, saying that she and her new husband Steven “wish Ralf and Étienne all the best and much happiness.” Schumacher is one of only four out LGBTQ+ Formula One drivers, including Mike Beuttler (who died “semi-closeted”), Mário de Araújo Cabral (who came out as gay at 75 in 2009) and Maria Grazia “Lella” Lombardi (the most successful woman driver in F1).
Bisexual German soccer referee Pascal Kaiser was recently attacked outside his home by three men—shortly after a video of him proposing to his boyfriend went viral, according to Out. Kaiser stole the hearts of millions after he proposed to his fiancé in Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion during a match in front of 50,000 people. Kaiser was attacked while smoking a cigarette in his garden, which resulted in an injury to his right eye. Spanish politician and queer-rights advocate Carla Antonelli uploaded a post to Instagram in support of Kaiser and shared a photo of his bruised face, captioning, “Terrible message: If you make yourself visible, we’ll put you in the closet.”
Queer actress/entertainer Sandra Bernhard joins previously announced cast members such as Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Coogan, Chris Messina and AJ Michalka in the France-set installment of the fourth season of the HBO vacation dramedy The White Lotus, per Variety. As Variety exclusively reported in January, season four will shoot primarily at a 19th-century palace-turned-luxury hotel called the Château de La Messardière in Saint-Tropez on the Côte d’Azur.” (This marks the first season to be housed at a non-Four Seasons resort.)
Athletes at the Milano Cortina Games raced through their free condom supply to leave dispensers empty before Valentine’s Day, per Reuters. About 10,000 prophylactics were distributed across the city and mountain accommodation sites. The organizers ran out with more than a week of the global sporting event still to go, adding Milan to a long list of Games where demand has surpassed supply.
Singer Robyn announced a massive world tour in support of her upcoming album, Sexistential—marking her first major global run since 2019, per Parade. The album drops March 27, and singles “Dopamine,” “Talk to Me” and “Sexistential” have been released. The Sexistential tour will travel across the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia throughout this year, starting with a 10-show run in Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff Arena in May.
SHOWBIZ
Focus Features announced that the Hayley Kiyoko film Girls Like Girls will be in theaters on June 19, per a press release. Directed by Kiyoko and based on her hit single of the same name, the movie is described as “a heartfelt coming-of-age story set over the course of one sun-drenched summer, where new-girl-in-town Coley falls in love for the first time while learning to accept herself along the way.”
Queer actor and Tony winner Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Take Me Out) is set to star as gay literary legend Truman Capote in the first New York revival of Tru, Variety noted. The solo show by Jay Presson Allen earned Mad Man actor Robert Morse a Tony for his performance when Tru ran on Broadway in 1989. Tru—which will be directed by Tony, Emmy, and Olivier Award winner Rob Ashford—will run March 6 to April 12, with an opening set for Thursday, March 19, at House of the Redeemer (7 E. 95th St).
Chappell Roan and Orville Peck are leaving the Wasserman Agency “in light of the recent findings regarding Casey Wasserman”—the founder and CEO whose name has been brought up in new documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, according to Out. Hollywood insiders predicted that Roan’s exit would likely start a chain reaction among musicians who worked with Wasserman.
The annual Palm Springs lesbian event The Dinah will continue, according to Q Voice News, citing The Advocate. Longtime Dinah team members Bella Barkow and Rose Garcia—through their company, BellaRose Productions—purchased The Dinah from creator/producer Mariah Hanson. Barkow has been with The Dinah’s team since 2018, rising from pool party stage manager to operations manager; Garcia is an entrepreneur and reality-TV star, leading the Garcia Real Estate Group and having appeared on The Real L Word.
S&S Presents announced the daily lineups for Kilby Block Party 2026, which will take place May 15-17 at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, a press release noted. The seventh annual edition of the event will feature performances from 70 artists, including Lorde, The xx, Turnstile, Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, drag artist Pattie Gonia, Modest Mouse and Hayley Williams, among others.
Britney Spears sold her song catalog and an unclear number of other rights to Primary Wave, Variety confirmed. TMZ estimated the deal to be in the low nine figures. Spears has songwriting credits on almost 40 of the songs in her catalog, although few of them were major hits apart from the ballad “Everytime” and fan favorites like “Me Against the Music,” and others.
Out Grammy-nominated music artist and Broadway performer Claybourne Elder will release his debut solo album, If The Stars Were Mine, on April 3, per a press release. Produced by Elder and Andrew House, and co-produced by Bryan Perri, the album has a track list that includes covers of songs by Whitney Houston to Sondheim, and it has tunes from the Great American Songbook. To celebrate the release of his upcoming debut album, Claybourne will perform a series of album release concerts at New York’s legendary cabaret venue 54 Below on April 3, 4 and 15.
Anderson Cooper is reportedly set to exit CBS News‘ 60 Minutes after nearly 20 years of contributing to the program, according to Variety. It’s the latest setback for the Sunday-night newsmagazine after it has been undermined repeatedly by management at Paramount Skydance and its predecessor company. Cooper was said to be in negotiations with CBS about a renewal; however, he chose to focus more on activities at CNN.
Rock the Country—Kid Rock’s country-music festival that critics have labeled a “MAGA fest—has been canceled in South Carolina several artists dropped out, per The Independent. The multi-city festival was slated to run for two days per venue in eight states from May 1 through Sept. 21. Rock band Shinedown, rap star Ludacris, country musicians Morgan Wade and Carter Faith, and Christian-inspired rock band Creed all dropped off the bill.