Warning: This column mentions violent activities.
NATIONAL
The U.S. Education Department formally revoked the Biden-era Title IX guidelines that gave sex-based discrimination protections to LGBTQ+ students, The Hill reported. Schools now must revert to the Title IX code as held under the previous Trump administration in 2020, which the department claimed will protect women’s sports. National Women’s Law Center Senior Director of Education Justice Shiwali Patel objected, saying, “Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the Trump administration have decided to ignore what survivors need, instead weaponizing Title IX to attack trans students.”
In Ohio, a new campaign ad from Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur drew criticism from Lucas County Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates over its messaging on transgender athletes in school sports, WTVG noted. The ad features Kaptur saying, “I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools, because parents know what’s best for their kids.” Equality Toledo’s Brent Rabie called the ad “really irresponsible.”
Interestingly, Equality PAC—the “political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus”—endorsed Kaptur and other Democrats with anti-trans views as part of its “pro-equality” slate, according to the Substack Erin in the Morning. Furthermore, it announced it had distributed $200,000 to candidates in competitive “frontline” races.
The family of Renee Good—the LGBTQ+ woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent—filed two civil lawsuits related to her death, CNN noted. ICE agent Jonathan Ross killed Good on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge—causing national outrage. The Human Rights Campaign created a webpage that allows people to send messages of hope to Good’s partner, Becca.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) sent a press release slamming what it called a “disrespectful” attack on openly gay organizational Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta. During an event at a Pennsylvania restaurant, Republican state Rep. Aaron Bernstine reportedly hurled slurs while spreading lies about Kenyatta’s health. DNC Chair Ken Martin and all of the DNC’s officers jointly said, in part, “[Rep.] Bernstine should be held fully accountable for his harmful, disgraceful, and unacceptable actions. He should resign from office or be censured by the State House.”
Talking with The Advocate hours before she was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign’s National Dinner in D.C., Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer talked about her record regarding LGBTQ+ rights. In part, she said, “Michigan is a very swing state, and I’ve never wavered on these issues—and, politically, I’ve been successful.” Asked about calls from some Democratic political consultants to distance themselves from transgender rights, Whitmer said, “This is about fundamental freedoms. This is about dignity for people, no matter who you love or how you identify.”
Thanks to efforts led by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ youth have resumed after the Trump administration removed the program last year, Gay City News noted. The Trevor Project, which previously played a role in the program, said its proposal to rejoin the services was rejected, per The Advocate. However, Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black praised the restoration of the services.
Two LGBTQ+ student groups asked the full Fifth Circuit to block Texas A&M policies barring them from holding drag shows at university venues, Courthouse News noted. Senior U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal, a George H.W. Bush appointee, ruled last year that the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council was likely to succeed on its claim that the ban violates the First Amendment. Also, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Donald Trump appointee, upheld a separate decision by the president of West Texas A&M University to block the queer student group Spectrum WT from hosting a drag show at a university venue known as Legacy Hall.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted out gay Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten in a roundtable discussion with queer youth at The Center’s National History Archive, Gay City News noted. Also, Lou McCarthy—the director of archives at The Center—presented photos completed by students, as well as decades-old books about the LGBTQ+ communities in New York and Amsterdam. Jetten also visited the Stonewall Inn, per Instinct.
Also in New York City, lawmakers approved a resolution on Sept. 24 designating August as Black Pride Month in New York City, Gay City News noted. The resolution was passed a month after New Yorkers gathered for the 29th annual edition of NYC Black Pride.
Two men, ages 19 and 20, have been charged with felony assault and hate-crime enhancements for allegedly attacking a San Jose State University student, KGO reported. Prosecutors allege the victim and two female friends were walking on campus when the suspects approached them, asked the student if he was gay and shouted anti-gay slurs; when the group attempted to walk away, the suspects reportedly attacked the student, punching and kicking him. The suspects are scheduled to return to court on Oct. 7-8.
A 22-year-old Alabama man pleaded guilty to murdering 17-year-old transgender teen Tayy Dior Thomas in 2024—dashing the hopes of the teen’s family, who hoped for a trial, The Advocate noted, citing WALA. Carl Mitchell Washington Jr. received 25 years in prison as part of a plea deal. News reports deadnamed Thomas and used he/him pronouns, but WALA reported that Thomas began identifying as female in seventh grade and went by Tayy.
On Nov. 20, Ft. Lauderdale’s Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library will launch its new historical exhibit, Death by AIDS: Eternity Through Art—reflecting on the creative minds lost during the AIDS epidemic and showcasing various works, a press release noted.
Saginaw, Michigan-based Family First Credit Union said that CEO Jane Smith is no longer with the company, “effective immediately,” after she posted an AI-generated photo of herself and family members wearing “Lake America” sweatshirts, The Detroit News noted. “We weren’t trying to make a political statement,” Smith told ABC 12. “However, we were, you know, kind of poking fun at the fact that, you know, one of the Great Lakes’ names [was] getting changed.”
A Boston Globe feature about a COVID-conscious lesbian bar in Massachusetts has garnered interest—from Hollywood, PinkNews noted. The article focused on Last Ditch Bar in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and the fallout after it changed its rules requiring KN-95 masks.
WORLD
In Australia, a coalition of 100 organizations (including Equality Australia) wrote to federal MPs. urging them to reject any move to redefine “sex” in the country-continent’s Sex Discrimination Act, per PinkNews. The coalition warned that it would undermine protections for trans and intersex people and weaken safeguards for women.
The Polish government granted same-sex couples who married abroad and had their wedding certificates transcribed into the Polish registry the same tax rights as other married couples, according to Notes from Poland. The decision followed a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union requiring Poland to recognize same-sex marriages contracted in other EU member-states.
The Church in Wales has changed direction from plans to allow same-sex weddings in churches, per Christian Today. The Bench of Bishops announced plans last November to make the liturgy for the blessing of those in same-sex marriages or civil partnerships permanent, and to allow gay weddings in churches—but now has decided that “a longer period of time is now needed to assess the best way forward in enabling Governing Body to consider equal marriage.”
An LGBTQ+-related shortcoming in China’s new civil code hasn’t stemmed demand for queer films, although explicitly LGBTQ+ Chinese movies have no commercial prospects, according to Variety. After six decades in limbo, China passed its first civil code—but lawmakers declined to add a provision allowing same-sex marriage. China has an uneven stance on same-sex relations, which are not criminalized but also not legally recognized.
The queer-themed Nigerian web series Living in Colors has returned to YouTube—although the country’s National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has vowed to shut it down, per Erasing 76 Crimes. Spanning seven episodes, Living in Colors attracted more than 90,000 views of each episode during its brief online run. By Sept. 2, the series was no longer available on the Prism House Studio YouTube channel, but it has since been resurrected, with four episodes streaming.
The film Dorothy—directed by Karthik Subbaraj and featuring Keerthy Suresh in the lead role—reportedly encountered obstacles regarding its theatrical release in Malaysia, per Zoom. The reports indicate that the potential restriction is linked to the film’s inclusion of LGBTQ+-related themes. TheHindu.com called Dorothy “the most important Indian film of the year.”
The IGLTA Foundation named Afrigay Travel as the recipient of the 2026 Impact Award, presented in partnership with Destination Toronto, a press release noted. Michael Gladwin, founder of Afrigay and All Stay, will accept the award at the IGLTA Global Convention in Seville, Spain on Nov. 19. The annual award recognizes a travel business in the IGLTA network that is effecting positive change for travelers, local communities and the destinations they impact.
Social worker Felix Ngole appeared before a London appeals court for arguments in his second legal battle regarding his Christian beliefs, per WNG. Ngole previously won a lawsuit against his university after it classified him unfit to work due to his beliefs on marriage and sexuality.
Georgian judo fighter Akaki Japaridze has been banned for life by the German Judo Bundesliga after he put his opponent, gay Olympian Timo Cavelius, in the hospital with a broken jaw in a vicious post-match league attack, according to Outsports. Japaridze—who defended his assault because Cavelius celebrated the victory in the match by pointing to his teammates—is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Germany.
Japanese volleyball star Rui Takahashi came out as gay, according to Out, citing the Manila Standard. Takahashi posted on Instagram that he’s struggled with his sexuality since he was a boy. The athlete, 26, plays in Japan’s top professional volleyball division for Suntory Sunbirds Osaka, and has a younger brother, Ran—a former teammate who is now a popular player on Japan’s national volleyball team.
Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio headlined the 2026 NFL Rio Game’s halftime show on Sept. 27 with the live debut of their new song, “Pikito, Pikito,” Billboard noted. “Pikito, Pikito” means “quick kiss”—and, on the field, Sampaio gave a little peck to Martin on the cheek.
Queer Australian model/actress Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) said that she found herself at the center of a murder investigation at 15, EW noted. On the podcast Off the Vine, Rose said that she and her friends found a younger child hanging, with Rose adding, “I ran to the child, picked him up, and I thought I’d saved his life because there was a big deep breath.” Because “no one knew” what transpired, the police questioned Rose; she then said she was called a “baby killer” at school. Eventually, the late child’s older brother came out of “dissociative amnesia” and told the truth, according to Rose.
Spanish filmmakers and Cannes Film Festival 2026 Best Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (who are behind the award-winning queer drama La bola negra) are executive-producing a new original drama series in development in Spain with HBO Max, per a press release. The drama is inspired by the story of Tor—a remote mountain community where tragic events took place that remain unsolved to this day. Goya Award winners Fran Araújo and Eduard Sola are the writers.
SHOWBIZ
GLAAD held a reception for the opening of Nemesis: Remember, a visual art exhibition featuring original works by members of the Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative (EMEI) 2025-2026 cohort, per a press release. The exhibition, presented by Gilead Sciences and with support from Publicis Groupe as contributing sponsor, is open through Oct. 4 at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York. Nemesis: Remember is the first-ever exhibition for EMEI since the initiative launched in 2022 and celebrates the bold creativity, storytelling, and cultural impact of 10 Black Queer visual artists.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is releasing a collection of bobbleheads based on the characters from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, per a press release. A related Kickstarter is slated to run through Halloween (naturally) with the goal of raising $15,000; however, the campaign hit the goal on its first day and is currently at more than $23,000. Fans can sign up to contribute $30 for a bobblehead of any character from Rocky Horror, with Frank-N-Furter, Rocky, Brad, Janet, Magenta, Riff Raff and Columbia available—with Eddie being added if the goal of $30,000 is reached.
New Orleans-based Blue Roses Project—an artist’s retreat dedicated to supporting emerging queer playwrights formed by Tony-nominated Gideon Glick and director/producer James Will McBride—has formed its inaugural artistic advisory board, Broadway World noted. The board members include Billy Eichner, Bryan Batt, Eva Noblezada, Paula Vogel, Lisa D’Amour, Noah J. Ricketts and Raúl Esparza.
Life Jacket Theatre Company—the creator of the new musical The Gorgeous Nothings—has teamed with the Making Gay History organization and its podcast (of the same name) for an in-depth look at the forgotten queer history behind the new musical, a press release noted. The Gorgeous Nothings uncovers the hidden history of the Fag Ward—a wing of the men’s penitentiary on Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island) where queer men were imprisoned in 1930s New York City. It will premiere at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in February 2027.
New York City’s Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, which is next to the Stonewall Inn, welcomed queer music artist Brandi Carlile for an event that was a benefit for the visitor center and a celebration of Carlile’s recent album release, Gay City News noted. Carlile’s wife, Catherine, and their two children were among those who attended, in addition to leaders from the visitor center and the inn.
Spanish Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem is among those asking for Pink’s removal as an ambassador for UNICEF—the UN agency that helps children and mothers—after she criticized rapper Macklemore for the pro-Palestinian comments and images during Ed Sheeran’s tour, per The Times of Israel. “I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it,” Pink posted. “And this week a whole lot of people decided what I believe without asking me, without checking a single thing I’ve ever said or done, because a repost and the word ‘Jew’ were apparently enough to fill in the rest.” She added that she didn’t ask for Macklemore to be dropped from the tour.
Legendary actress, dancer and director Debbie Allen talked with Out about her connection with the LGBTQ+ community. She said, “It’s so rewarding! It’s more rewarding than any award. I’ve been working a long time, so to have an impact across the board and for every generation is so great. That’s my community! It’s a community that deserves respect and deserves to live well. You’re part of the family!”
Damn Yankees will return to Broadway this spring with a star-studded revival led by openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris and helmed by LGBTQ+ Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, Playbill noted. Dancing With the Stars co-host Julianna is slated to play Lola in her first Broadway musical. Damn Yankees will begin previews at the Marquis Theatre on March 24, 2027, with an official opening night of April 20, 2027.
Out gay saxophonist Dave Koz and onetime American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart are launching the season with a version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” which Darlene Love first performed in 1963, per a press release. Koz and Reinhart will be performing the song on the 2026 Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour.
Chicago’s Open Space Arts announced that Flesh and Fuel, the new French-Polish queer drama from director Pierre Le Gall, will screen Monday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. at FACETS Film Forum as part of the year-round Queer Expression Film Fest, per a press release. The film stars Alexis Manenti and Julian Świeżewski as two long-haul truck drivers whose chance meeting develops into an unexpected romance complicated by distance, demanding schedules and life on the road.
Queer musical act La Roux (now with just Elly Jackson, known for the hit “Bulletproof”) announced headline tour dates in the UK, Europe and North America for 2027, per NME. The London artist will tour in the new year to showcase her fourth studio album, Old Flames, which will drop Nov. 6. U.S. stops will include Boston, D.C., Brooklyn, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles, among others.
Bisexual actress Hayden Panettiere’s ex-fiancé, former Ukrainian world-champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, filed an urgent petition to be their 11-year-old daughter’s temporary rep in California court to protect her inheritance after the death of her mother, CNN noted.
Lesbian singer/songwriter King Princess took to TikTok to clarify things regarding her sexuality, which has included sleeping with men, according to Them. In a 2024 podcast interview, King Princess said that they had “taken a lot of dick” in response to a question about a “bi phase.” Recently, she said, “I have never been in love with a man. I have never dated a man. I have simply slept with them because, why not? This is ridiculous. You think that I’m less of a lesbian because I’m not a gold star? Insane—and, quite frankly, homophobic.”
And Them also noted that Nikki Glaser apologized for a joke she reportedly made at a comedy show about Briel Adams-Wheatley, a disabled transgender content creator. After finding out from someone else about Glaser’s joke, Adams-Wheatley posted, “@nikkiglaser Why are you making comments about what is or is not in my pants?” Celebrity news site JustJared said that Glaser responded, saying, “Hey girl. I’m so sorry this got back to you like this. I should have reached out to you. I never meant to hurt your feelings at all. This is not an accurate portrayal of the joke, but I’m sure it’s still not fun to hear you’re in my act.”
Openly gay Dancing With the Stars pro Ezra Sosa voiced his dismay at the shock elimination of Taylor Hanson and pro partner Britt Stewart, according to Page Six. On TikTok, Sosa commented, “I’m so pissed.”
Bisexual actor Wayne Brady withdrew from the upcoming off-Broadway production of Ms. Blakk For President due to a vocal polyp and the need for rest, Deadline noted. “I’m heartbroken to leave a show and a family that I love so deeply,” Brady said, in part. The production, taking place at the Vineyard, is about Joan Jett Blakk—the first (and only) Black drag-queen candidate for president of the United States.
Hyperallergic reported that unionized workers at New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art are preparing to strike Monday, Oct. 5, if they don’t reach a fair contract with the venue ahead of the blockbuster Roy Lichtenstein exhibition.
Slipknot fans criticized the band’s decision to recruit Marilyn Manson as support for dates on their newly announced 2027 “(sic)est Stadium Tour,” NME noted. There have been several allegations of sexual and domestic abuse made against Manson (real name: Brian Warner) by, among others, bisexual actress Evan Rachel Wood. Manson has denied all claims.