NATIONAL
New York state Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to issue emergency guidance to make sure gender-affirming care continues to be delivered at the three private hospital systems where nearly 15,000 nurses have been on strike, Gay City News reported. The nurses are striking at NewYork-Presbyterian, Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals, which have spent more than $100 million to hire temporary nurses and put them in hotel rooms, according to the New York Times. Rosenthal wrote a letter to Hochul amid concerns that hospitals and clinics could opt to delay and/or cancel gender-affirming care surgeries or related treatments due to staff shortages stemming from the strike.
The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame announced 10 new inductees for 2026—with tennis icon Billie Jean King and former NBA player Jason Collins being honored for their contributions to sports and advocacy, PinkNews noted. The inductees include Maybelle Blair, the inspiration for the 1992 film A League of Their Own; trans and non-binary Olympic distance runner Nikki Hiltz; referee Bill Kennedy; rugby player Phaidra Knight; high-school basketball coach Anthony Nicodemo; former NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan; GMA’s Robin Roberts; NBA exec Rick Welts; WNBA player Sue Wicks; and activist/author Dan Woog.
CVS is now covering long-acting injectable PrEP, per Gay City News. Gilead’s lenacapavir—marketed under the brand name Yeztugo (which costs $30,000 per year, according to Reuters)—is just one of multiple forms of PrEP that includes oral and injectable options. A different form of injectable PrEP, cabotegravir, which ViiV Healthcare offers under the name Apretude, is administered every other month.
USA Today reported that when first responders reached queer mother Renee Nicole Good after she was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Jan. 7, she had an “inconsistent, irregular” pulse, was not breathing and had suffered up to four gunshots. Good was shot by ICE officer Jonathan Ross while in her SUV in Minneapolis. A week after Good was shot, another federal agent shot a Venezuelan man who federal officials said was fleeing a traffic stop and attacked an agent.
In Virginia, the King George County School Board unanimously adopted a sweeping new anti-trans policy while simultaneously continuing to block a proposed middle school Gender and Sexualities Alliance, The Advocate noted. Among other things, Policy JBB requires school staff to refer to students only by the name and pronouns on the student’s record, without discussing the matter. The new policy closely mirrors the controversial “Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools” issued by now-former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2023, which drew backlash and legal challenges from civil-rights groups.
Donald Trump’s estranged niece, Mary Trump, revealed in her Substack column that she secretly married her wife last October during a ceremony surrounded by their closest family and friends, according to People. “Today, I continue to be stunned by my greatest good fortune,” Mary wrote. “I am married not only to the love of my life but to my best friend.” During a panel at the Hay Festival in May 2025, she said, “[President Trump] is the only person I’ve ever met who’s never evolved, which is dangerous by the way,”per The Guardian. “Never choose as your leader somebody who’s incapable of evolving; that should be one of the lessons we’ve learned, for sure.”
A man said that Virginia ICE agents nabbed his Panamanian husband at a routine check-in, The Advocate noted. Elias Perez-Zuazo, a Panamanian national, was taken into ICE custody in December after arriving at an agency office in Chantilly, Virginia, for a scheduled appointment he had attended without incident in prior years, his U.S. citizen husband, Jonathan Blanco Gallegos, told WRC. Perez-Zuazo entered the United States in November 2021 and was processed at the southern border before being released to pursue his immigration case. The couple married in February 2024 and had begun applying for a green card, which Blanco Gallegos said they believed would allow his husband to remain in the country legally.
Bisexual former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) is being sued by Heather Ammel—the ex-wife of a former congressional aide who is accusing the onetime politician of breaking up her 14-year marriage through “intentional and malicious interference,” per The Hill. Ammel is accusing Sinema of seducing her ex-husband, Matthew Ammel, who was a member of her security detail beginning in April 2022 and then as a salaried member of her Senate staff as a defense and national security fellow, according to a complaint.
The person who has been throwing bags of dog feces at Mi SELA, a Latine LGBTQ+ youth center in Los Angeles, has been found—but authorities aren’t charging him, per The Advocate. Because the offender’s actions have been deemed a littering offense, he isn’t being charged; apparently, an officer would need to witness the act to issue him a citation. “While we’re deeply saddened by the targeted vandalism at our Mi SELA center, we refuse to let hate define our community,” said Latino Equality Alliance Executive Director Eddie Martinez.
Maryland resident Shibritney Colbert was arrested and could face hate-crime charges for an incident captured in a viral video recorded on Christmas Day, according to Them. An unnamed man was shopping at the Giant grocery store in Alexandria, Virginia, when Colbert allegedly attacked him; cellphone footage showed Colbert pushing the victim, hitting him with a grocery cart and throwing groceries at him while making derogatory comments about his sexuality. “Just got hate[-]crimed in the grocery store for being gay, [Merry] Christmas,” the man wrote to social media when posting the video.
WORLD
For queer people in Cameroon, the desire to have children encounters legal, medical and community obstacles, Erasing 76 Crimes noted. A new study conducted by Femmes Debout Research and Documentation Center (CRD) documents these invisible realities and maintains that starting a family is also an act of resistance. A recent CRD survey of 41 queer Cameroonians revealed that all expressed a desire for offspring, but social and familial pressures weighed heavily on them. For example, Law 2022/014 on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) explicitly excludes queer couples; moreover, the costs of medical techniques are prohibitive.
A new African Human Rights Coalition (AHRC) report reveals how lesbian, bisexual and queer women experience systematic violence on several fronts, per Erasing 76 Crimes. Authored by Melanie Nathan, From Home to Hostile Host: Structural Violence Against LBQ Women Across African Contexts draws on the coalition’s work in 20 African nations to expose patterns of sexualized violence, forced marriage, family expulsion and state-enabled harm frequently excluded from both women’s rights and LGBTQ+ protection frameworks. Among other things, the report asks for urgent accountability and concrete reforms across humanitarian, asylum and human-rights systems.
In the UK, Dr. Hilary Cass has been accused of contradicting her own report’s rhetoric after urging the government to ban social media for those under 16 as soon as possible, PinkNews reported. Cass’ comments were criticized by those arguing that they contradicted her rhetoric surrounding puberty blockers for trans youth, as part of her controversial review into trans youth healthcare provision for those under 18. Gender Plus nurse consultant Paul Carruthers said it was “interesting to see Dr. Cass take such a proactive stance on preventing the harms associated with social media without the evidence base” when her approach to puberty blockers appeared to be the “direct opposite.” More than 60 Labour MPs called for the prime minister to follow Australia by heavily restricting platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter for UK youngsters.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) currently has 30 openly queer players, including engaged players Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen—who are set to compete on different teams in the 2026 Olympic games, according to Them. Kjellbin plays for the Toronto Sceptres while Savolainen plays for the Ottawa Charge; after dating for five years, they announced their engagement in 2024. “I’m usually the one who goes home as a winner,” Savolainen told the Ottawa Citizen in 2024. “I don’t care who’s in front of me. … If it’s going to be her, I’m going to hit her. … When you play, you just play. You don’t really think about who’s there. You’re friends after. On the ice, she’s my enemy. That’s how it goes.”
Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani—the man behind the Valentino label—has died at 93, CNN noted. In 1960, he met his longtime business partner (and, for 12 years, romantic partner) Giancarlo Giammetti, then a young architecture student; together, they turned Valentino SpA into an internationally recognized brand. Elizabeth Taylor, Zendaya, Carey Mulligan, Audrey Hepburn, Joan Collins and Jacqueline Kennedy were just a few famous individuals who had or have worn Valentino’s designs.
The Cynthia Erivo–led production of Dracula in London’s West End—where she will be playing every role in Bram Stoker’s classic tale—has delayed the start of its preview period, per Playbill. Previously scheduled to begin performances at London’s Noël Coward Theatre on Feb. 4, the production will now start Feb. 7. To make up for the three cancelled performances, additional performances have been added for Feb. 28, March 14 and March 17. The Feb. 17 opening night remains in place, and the production is scheduled to run through May 31.
SHOWBIZ
Transgender musician Cavetown (aka NYC resident and UK-born artist Robin Skinner) has released his new album, Running With Scissors, out now via Futures Music Group, a press release noted. Released alongside the album is the lead single and music video for “Cryptid”—a song and short film that explore Skinner’s experience as a transgender person at a moment when the trans community is threatened on several fronts. According to the release, “Running With Scissors is shaped by two profound life shifts: falling in love with the person Skinner wants to build a future with and the birth of his first sibling, 26 years his junior, which prompted a deep reckoning with family history, masculinity and responsibility.”
LGBTQ+ actors Joe Locke (Heartstopper) and Andrew Scott (Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery) are together in Elsinore, a new biographical drama about the life, talent and bravery of legendary gay Scottish thespian Ian Charleson (Chariots of Fire), per Instinct. Scott is set to star as Charleson, with the film focusing on a particularly heavy chapter of his life as he prepared to take on Hamlet at London’s National Theatre. Charleson was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 and continued working despite being seriously ill; he died of AIDS-related causes in 1990 at the age 40—just eight weeks after finishing his run as Hamlet.
National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman recently shared his admiration for the HBO show Heated Rivalry, revealing that he binge-watched the first season in one night, according to Out. “It’s a wonderful story,” Bettman told The Hockey News. “The content—particularly for young people—may be a little spicy, so you have to balance that out.” However, he added, “I could see where they were picking at things we [as a league] had done in the past, whether or not it was being in Sochi or the All-Star Game in Tampa. It was very well done.”
And speaking of Heated Rivalry, show actor François Arnaud responded to online harassment he’s endured amid rumors he’s dating co-star Connor Storrie, according to Page Six. “In general, fans have been incredibly positive and respectful,” Arnaud told the Toronto Star. “For the ones [who] aren’t, I think it’s a lot of younger fans who don’t really understand the difference between reality and fiction,” he said of the harassment, which is said to have included death threats. Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter in the hit series, encountered the harassment after being photographed jetting out of JFK airport with Storrie following their press week in NYC.
Trans model Vivian Wilson—the estranged daughter of anti-trans billionaire Elon Musk—is one of the faces of the new campaign for Savage X Fenty’s 2026 Valentine’s Day collection, per LGBTQ Nation. Recently, the lingerie brand unveiled the first images from its “Love So Savage: A Modern Ode to Aphrodite” campaign, featuring founder Rihanna as the Greek goddess of love as well as Wilson alongside others. Wilson—who has walked the runway for designers Chrishabana, Prabal Gurun, and Alexis Bittar, according to The Cut—was in Savage X Fenty’s Sinful Rose Printed Lace Balconette bra paired with a matching skirt and red tights, People noted.
There has been backlash regarding trans actress/TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney being cast in Broadway‘s Six the Musical, per PinkNews. Mulvaney will star as Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII—but many on social media called the casting decision “woke,” with others saying a cis woman should be in the role. Following the backlash, Six the Musical’s X account was made private; on its Instagram account, comments have been turned off.
Queer Eye co-star Karamo Brown pulled out of interviews to promote the show’s latest season, USA Today noted. Brown released statements to the shows CBS Mornings and Today to explain his absence, with the talk-show host saying he was withdrawing from the show’s press activities to preserve his mental health. CBS Mornings host Gayle King read a statement from Brown, noting that Brown’s assistant said the TV personality was “worried about being bullied.”
On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, the host/executive producer announced the core cast for Bravo’s milestone event, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th (working title), that will bring together seven franchise-defining women from across the Housewives universe, a press release noted. Franchise stars Porsha Williams, Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lesseps, Teresa Giudice, Kyle Richards, Gizelle Bryant and Lisa Barlow are all taking part in the series, which will air later this year. The series will also feature appearances by dozens of additional Housewives with stops in Orange County, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, Miami and New York City.
Queer musician Karel has released the single “I Dance Because,” per a press release. The single is available on all streaming services, with 12 remixes by people like Leo Frappier, Dirty Disco, Matt Moss, Rafael M and Robbie Carrigan. It is released on LGBTQ+ dance label Swishcraft Music, under the guidance of Matt Consola. Karel added, “The cover art for the single is an homage to Tom of Finland and features my late friend, Lorenzo, and my late husband, Andrew, as well as a very AI version of a younger me!” The video is here.
Right-wing “transvestigators” have supposedly convinced themselves that Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney is secretly transgender, according to Them. In a January 10 X post, user p8stie posted two photos of Sweeney with the caption “Why is Sydney Sweeney’s neck so much wider than her head ? I’m starting to get really worried that she’s actually a man.” (Sweeney gained weight to play boxer Christy Martin in the biopic Christy last year.) “Transvestigation”—the transphobic conspiracy theory that claims many celebrities are devil-worshipping “inverts”—has been on the rise after surfacing online around 2017.
Magic Mike Live—the live stage show created and directed by Channing Tatum that was adapted from his male exotic-dancer film franchise—is heading to New York, per Deadline. The show will open this fall in a newly renovated multi-function and custom-built spot near Times Square. Magic Mike Live New York will begin preview performances Oct. 8, with an official opening on Oct. 22.And War of the Worlds (a new take on the H.G. Wells story starring Ice Cube) and Disney’s Snow White (a live-action version of the fairy tale with Rachel Zegler) lead the field with six nominations each at the 46th Golden Raspberry Awards aka The Razzies, per USA Today. Two members of the queer community—Rebel Wilson (Bride Hard) and Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (Love Hurts)—are up for Worst Actress. The Razzies annually “honor” the year’s worst films and hand out their trophies the night before the Academy Awards; this year’s “winners” will be announced March 14.