2022 Oscar nominations honour LGBTQ+ talent but snub worthy contenders

At Babi Yar no memorials preside."Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko wrote that line in a 1961 poem in a reference to to the ravine in the suburbs of Kyiv where, starting on Sept. 29, 1941, and continuing into the following day, over 33,000 Jews were murdered by Nazi forces and their Ukrainian collaborators.On March 1, 2022, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Russian strike against a TV tower in Kyiv killed five people and damaged the nearby site.“What is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar?” Zelenskyy asked in an anguished tweet, using the Ukrainian variant of the name.But silence and Babi Yar have a long history together.

Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones broke down in tears as the controversial “don’t say gay” bill was debated on the Senate floor.Florida’s first out senator, he shared his personal struggles in coming out in 2018 at age 34.

JAMA Pediatrics, the direct annual cost of SOGICE amounts to more than $650 million for services such as health insurance reimbursements and payments to religious organizations for performing the conversion therapies. Indirect costs associated with the therapies, which include treatments for depression and substance abuse as well as suicide attempts, bring the total estimated economic burden to $9.23 billion.The study comes as some states have banned gender-affirming medical care and introduced legislation addressing transgender youth's participation in sports.

Ron DeSantis's press secretary caused a stir on Friday with controversial tweets taking aim at critics of the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill.Introduced in the Florida state legislature last month, the "Don't Say Gay" bill would require schools to inform parents if their child identifies with an LGBT orientation, even in cases where the information would lead to "abuse, abandonment, or neglect" of the child. It would also prohibit the teaching of certain gender identity and sexual orientation topics.Since its introduction, the bill has faced severe backlash, particularly from left-wing and progressive voices.

Ron DeSantis, who supported the legislation. DeSantis previously said that the bill was actually about preventing sex-ed in classrooms with young children, saying: "Do you really want them being taught about sex?"A number of protesters urged Disney, which has numerous properties in the state, to speak out against the legislation.Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who is the grandniece of company founder Walt Disney tweeted on March 3: "When laws are being passed that are this hateful and dripping with prejudice, there is no neutrality. Not saying anything is saying a lot.

Benedict Cumberbatch is coming to the defense of the LGBTQ+ community after Sam Elliott shared some seriously bigoted comments about the Oscar-nominated film The Power Of The Dog.

Liberty Poole turned heads as she attended the Pride of Birmingham Awards on Monday evening. The former Love Island star, who recently gave herself a 90s inspired hair makeover, worked her angles as she took to the red carpet at the University of Birmingham in a perilously plunging black jumpsuit. Liberty's stunning one-piece showed off her cleavage as well as her trim midriff thanks to its corset bodice with lace-up detailing that was also featured on her sleeves.

“Naked and Afraid.”“People like me don’t get chosen for things like this,” said Terra, 37, who was assigned a male gender at birth but began transitioning four years ago because she had “always felt female” growing up, the Daily Mail reported. The trailblazer appeared on Sunday night’s episode of the Discovery Channel series, which took place in Zambia, Africa.

Tweet out your support with #LetFreeFloridaSayGay pic.twitter.com/C2a55Zmxal— David Hogg ? (@davidhogg111) March 7, 2022In it, the students chant “We say gay” in protest of the bill, which would prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, or in any grade if it is “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”Here’s another video, shot by student and protest organizer Will Larkins:WE SAY GAY pic.twitter.com/XJkQJzAer5— Will Larkins (@ProudTwinkie) March 7, 2022Opponents of the bill argue it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face higher rates of bullying and increased suicide risk compared to their straight, cisgender peers.Related: DeSantis press secretary tweets vile take on ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and the Internet just can’t with herThe walkouts come as the state Senate prepares to discuss the legislation. It already passed in the state House, and Gov.

Florida TV station WTVJ. He had been under investigation following complaints that he hired and promoted individuals by what the station called an “improper minority-first approach.”Scirotto formerly served as the assistant chief in Pittsburgh.

Olivia Bowen looked radiant at the Pride of Birmingham Awards on Monday 7 March as she showed off her baby bump. The former Love Island star, 28, who recently shared a sneak peek inside her eagerly awaited baby's nursery, cut a stylish figure as she posed on the red carpet. She wore a black bodycon dress with ruching detail across her bump, with glittery sheer detail on the neck and shoulders.

Florida’s first openly-LGBTQ state senator choked up and was momentarily unable to speak as he described his personal experiences growing up gay, during debate over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

A copyright lawsuit has been filed against pop singers Sam Smith and Normani over their 2019 hit track "Dancing With a Stranger."

Oscar-nominated actor and star of The Power of the Dog Benedict Cumberbatch has fired off an epic clap back toward actor Sam Elliott, defending the film’s depiction of the American Old West and calling out Elliot’s homophobia.Last week, Elliott tore into The Power of the Dog during a podcast appearance, calling the movie a “piece of sh*t” and criticizing director Jane Campion’s decision to film in New Zealand rather than in the United States.“All these f*cking cowboys in this movie looked like [chippendale dancers],” Elliott ranted. “They’re running around in chaps and no shirts.

The saga surrounding Wendy Williams has taken another turn. Sources close to the fired TV host say she is furious about Sherri Shepherd taking over her show, and that she’ll never endorse the comic as a successor.Williams has missed the entirety of the latest season of her talk show due to undisclosed health problems. Producers for the show finally opted to fire her and selected former The View co-host Shepherd as her full-time replacement.

This just in: Donald Trump‘s latest business venture is an even bigger dumpster fire than anyone predicted.According to the Daily Beast, the rollout for the ex-president’s new social media platform, Truth Social, is not going well:In recent weeks, sources have heard the former president on the phone swearing gratuitously and asking things like, “What the f*ck is going on” with Truth Social.”He’s repeatedly groused about the negative press and the less-than-stellar optics of the rollout, these sources said. And he’s demanded to know why more people aren’t using it—why the app isn’t swiftly dominating the competition.The Daily Beast also notes that a preliminary report by SimilarWeb, which tracks website traffic from public and private sources, shows the site is doing “either worse or the same” as several other MAGA social media sites, including Gab, a pro-Trump competitor website popular among neo Nazis, and Gettr, a right-wing platform created by former Trump aide, Jason Miller.According to SimilarWeb’s estimates, Truth Social, which is being overseen by former dairy farmer/GOP congressman Devin Nunes, saw a sharp uptick of roughly 2 million daily visits when it first launched, but traffic quickly nosedived to approximately 300,000 daily visits shortly after that.

let go last year after it became known that he had advised then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on response to sexual harassment accusations against Cuomo. David had been the governor’s in-house counsel before joining HRC.

The post Exclusive: Blu Hydrangea ‘loved the attention’ after shocking Drag Race UK vs the World elimination appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Wunderkeks employs a different business philosophy and sees making a difference as an essential ingredient.Hans Schrei and Luis Gramajo are more than just bakers and business partners. The couple immigrated from Guatemala to Austin to live their dreams of getting legally married and proudly running a queer-owned bakery.

If two shirtless guys casually work out with a bear in the woods and there’s nobody there to film it, did it even happen?Luckily we don’t need to answer that, as the bizarre moment was captured on video and has since gone viral.Related: Ripped man rescues stranded dog by stripping down to underwear and plunging into freezing cold lakeIn the clip, one man hangs from a branch doing leg raises while the other man punches him in the stomach. Fun! Behind them, a bear appears to be doing its own workout.The video was shared by Twitter user @platini954, and has been viewed more than 28 million times.??? pic.twitter.com/u2o7fSf9xF— Certified Vakabon (@platini954) March 4, 2022It’s unclear where (or why) the clip was shot, but some commenters seem to think it’s from Alaska… or Tahoe… or Russia… or Wisconsin.Here a few of the many, many responses:I sense a lot of sexual frustration in this video— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) March 5, 2022I’m telling people this is Florida— Bob Walker (@rwalker1072) March 5, 2022And herein lies the problem.

rapidly moves closer to becoming a reality, Disney has come under increasing scrutiny for its history of donating to the politicians behind the bill and its apparent intention to continue doing so.Under the mounting pressure, Disney CEO Bob Chapek affirmed to employees today that the company “unequivocally” stands with its LGBTQ+ workers and says that there’s more the company needs to do in that regard. At the same time, Chapek made his case for why the company isn’t speaking out more in a memo sent to Disney staff.“On Friday, I met with a small group of Disney LGBTQ+ leaders to discuss controversial legislation pending in Florida that would impact their communities,” Chapek wrote.

From left: Rep. Bruce Skaug, sponsor of the Idaho bill, and Rep.

USA Today reports that, following  Russia's attack on Ukraine, Stoli has said it will engage exclusively with "Slovakian sources to further ensure 100% non-Russian alpha grade spirit."The brand will officially drop the Stolichnaya name in favor of Stoli.In a statement to the press, Stoli Group Global CEO Damian McKinney  the company's employees, partners and distributors are asking the brand to take a stand. "This is one actionable, meaningful thing we can do to make it clear that we support Ukraine," McKinney said in a statement.Since at least 2010 the brand has supported the queer community with ads and packaging that celebrated Pride, LGBTQ+ people, and icons like Harvey Milk.

Liberty University Jerry Falwell, Jr. kicks off his week with some dreaded news.

The Hocus Pocus sequel was already long-awaited by the masses, but when we heard that Drag Race star Ginger Minj was set to join the witchy ranks, we just about flooded our basement. The Instagram account @hocuspocusguide has been following the production of the newest instalment of the beloved 90s movie, as well as detailing […]

Katy Perry has had some pretty memorable moments during her time as a judge on American Idol, but a recent one allowed her to finally clear some things up regarding one of her biggest hits.MORE: Katy Perry taken aback by very surprising audition during American Idol premiereThe singer had a conversation with fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as they talked about artists often adding too many unnecessary flairs to their singing.WATCH: Katy Perry's Chocotopia adventureLuke then started singing to Katy's hit Firework by performing the lines in the chorus as "up, up, up," and then "ah, ah, ah," to her annoyance."It's not 'up, up, up' and it's not 'ah, ah, ah'," she said, to which Luke retorted: "Well what is it then, because I've been dying to know all these years?"MORE: Katy Perry looks unreal in all-leather outfit"It's 'awe, awe, awe' everybody, get it right!" she said. Luke even questioned: "Is that a word in the dictionary?" to which Katy responded: "It is!"She even added on to the career-long debate about her song, saying: "It's not Fireworks, it's Firework."A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry)Katy cleared up what the lyrics for Firework really were for LukeKaty posted the clip on her Instagram with the caption: "FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD • it is AWE not UP • it is FIREWORK not FIREWORKSSS.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez has been honored as one of Time’s Women of the Year for making history as the first trans actor to win a Golden Globe and to have earned an Emmy nomination in the category of leading actor, for her turn as Blanka Evangelista on Pose.In an interview with the publication, Rodriguez opened up about what seeing someone like her, an Afro­Latina trans woman, on the list would have meant to her growing up.“When I was younger, I didn’t have representation for anyone of color in the LGBTQI community,” she said, adding that now she wants to be that example for others. “I want to show them that it’s possible.”Rodriguez’s first big role was in an off-Broadway production of Rent, followed by her breakout star turn on Pose.

HOW SELF CARE CAN HELP YOUWhen we're physically and emotionally exhausted, we're less equipped to handle the challenges that life throws at us. Or, to put it another way, when we are physically and emotionally at our best, we are more robust and capable of handling life's stress. A massage, a hot bath, or some other type of pampering rejuvenates you on the inside and out.

invasion of Ukraine is because of Western values, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church said in a sermon on Sunday.Patriarch Kirill said that the war is about “which side of God humanity will be on:” the Western governments that allow or support Pride marches or their opponents, reports The Moscow Times.“Pride parades are designed to demonstrate that sin is one variation of human behavior. That's why in order to join the club of those countries, you have to have a gay pride parade,” Kirill said.He added that Pride parades were a “loyalty test” to the West, which has been “fundamentally rejected” by the separatist republics in Ukraine.

Ethan Shanfeld In the wake of controversy over Disney’s quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney CEO Bob Chapek expressed the company’s “unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community” in a company-wide email obtained by Variety.“In terms of our communities, we are and will continue to be a leader in supporting organizations that champion diversity,” the memo reads. “In 2021, we provided nearly $3 million to support the work of LGBTQ+ organizations.

Today marks the anniversary of iconic drag performer Divine’s death. The larger-than-live queer personality passed away on March 7, 1988 at the age of 42, just three weeks after the nationwide release of her film Hairspray.In addition to appearing in over a dozen movies during her lifetime, Divine, whose real name was Harris Glenn Milstead, released a number of studio albums and singles, as well.Her 1984 song “You Think You’re A Man” was written by Geoff Deane, who would later write the 2005 film Kinky Boots, which would then be turned into a Broadway musical by Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein in 2013.

Defending his art. Benedict Cumberbatch is taking ownership over his work in The Power of the Dog after Sam Elliott criticized the film’s “allusions of homosexuality.”

Related: ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill is passed by Florida’s HouseThe bill prohibits any discussion about sexuality or gender between kindergarten and third grade “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Opponents argue it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face higher rates of bullying and suicide risk compared to their straight, cisgender peers.Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is gay, called for Pushaw’s resignation.“DeSantis’ spokesperson openly accused opponents of #DontSayGay of being ‘groomers’— aka PEDOPHILES,” Smith tweeted. “Bigoted attacks like this against LGBTQ people are the worst of the worst.

Kym Marsh hosts the Pride of Birmingham awards tonight honouring the unsung heroes of Birmingham, which include an eight year old burns victim – and you can watch the winners announced live here.The 45 year old will lead the show, held in partnership with TSB, at the Great Hall at Birmingham University, where citizens will be recognised for their brave efforts following incidents of tragedy, illness and violence. Numerous celebrities will appear at the show alongside Kym, including Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden, Ben Shepherd, Liberty Poole, Olivia Bowen, Beverly Knight, Lady Leshurr, and many more.

The cute Island Fox is native to the Channel IslandsBack at my campsite later that afternoon, I was able to get acquainted with the diverse group of human residents at the campground. The 15 sites were filled with several obviously partnered couples, two surfers, several nature lovers, and two other single campers (both women). The best site was taken by two older gay men who told me they and their friends had been coming to the island for years, and rarely stayed for anything less than a week.

“Texas students push back against book bans for censoring LGBTQ, racial justice issues” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

On Wednesday, March 9, MPOWER and HIV Ireland bring us a hybrid event launching the EMERGE report and hosting an expert panel discussion on all things post-Covid sexual health. “As we EMERGE from the Pandemic,” the event details read, “we ask how Covid-related restrictions impacted the sexual health and wellbeing of gay and bisexual men.” […]

Last night, the online platforms of several media channels in Bulgaria were hacked and, instead of broadcasting their own content, they ended up showing an LGBTQ+ caricature of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The caricature appeared on the streams of media outlets Nova TV, the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Bloomberg, and Bulgaria On Air. While some […]

Kristen Stewart in “Spencer,” left, and Driana DeBose in “West Side Story,” right, are among the the 94th Annual Academy Awards nominees. The queer-inclusive cowboy film “The Power of the Dog,” center, also was nominated. Photos: from left to right, courtesy of Neon Pictures, Netflix, and 20th Century Studios.

Oscar-nominated LGBTQ talent: Kristen Stewart in Spencer (Pic: Pablo Larraín), Ariana DeBose in West Side Story, and the film Flee

Spencer, while DeBose has earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her portrayal of Anita in the remake of West Side Story.Two openly LGBTQ+ actors being nominated in acting categories in the same year has prompted praise and joy from fans.Stewart identifies as openly queer, telling InStyle in 2020: "Living in this world, being a queer person, there are things that hurt constantly."While many fans have pointed out on social media that if DeBose wins in her category, she will be the first queer woman of color to take the prize.The stars join only a handful of other openly LGBTQ+ actors who have received a nomination in an acting category at the Oscars.Ian McKellen, who is gay, was nominated for his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 20 years ago.Two queer-identifying actors who have been nominated for Oscars since then are Lady Gaga and Angelina Jolie, who are both bisexual.Jeremy Blacklow, director of entertainment media at GLAAD said many actors are not out when they are nominated because "LGBTQ+ actors have long faced blatant employment discrimination and have felt forced to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity if they hoped to work at all."He added to Vanity Fair: "Once they come out, lesbian, gay, and bisexual actors have rarely been considered for straight leading roles and they haven't been cast for leading lesbian, gay, or bisexual roles either."Fans of both stars have been reacting to their nominations today."With Ariana DeBose & Kristen Stewart this year we have two queer icons nominated for acting Academy Awards!" reads one tweet.With Ariana DeBose & Kristen Stewart this year we have two queer icons nominated for acting Academy Awards!

Leslie Jordan announced the nominations with the help of “movie fans” in several cities around the US. Some major snubs and surprises kept the announcement interesting, and will no doubt make for some interesting campaigns ahead of the March 27 ceremony.Related: Oscar predictions: Queerty’s top picks for the 2022 Academy Awards nominationsMost notably, the Academy snubbed director Denis Villeneuve for a Best Director nomination, despite Dune landing 10 nominations.Lady Gaga also missed a spot in the Best Actress category for her no-holds-barred performance in House of Gucci, as did previous winner Jennifer Hudson, for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect.

Princess Diana in Spencer. Her snub by the SAG awards and the BAFTAS put that in question this year.Fellow out actor Ariana DeBose scored a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story.

This combination of photos shows promotional art for the films nominated for an Oscar for best picture, top row from left, Belfast,CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, bottom row from left, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story. (Focus Features/Apple TV+, Netflix, Janus Films & Sideshow, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Netflix, 20th Century Films via AP)

last year’s record heights, the highlights include four Black actors being recognized along with LGBTQ and deaf actors, as well as female and Asian filmmakers in the Best Director race. In the Best Actor race, Will Smith is considered a major contender to become only the fifth Black actor to win the award for his performance as Serena and Venus Williams’ father Richard in the inspirational sports film “King Richard.” If he wins, he would join a list that includes the late Sidney Poitier, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Denzel Washington, the latter of whom also earned his ninth acting Oscar nomination this year for “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” The Best Supporting Actress race also sees Smith’s “King Richard” co-star Aunjanue Ellis among the list of contenders, along with Afrolatina star Ariana DeBose for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” DeBose is also an LGBTQ actress, making it the first time ever that more than one openly queer actor has been nominated in a single year as Kristen Stewart, who identifies as bisexual, was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in “Spencer.” To date, only nine Black women have won acting Oscars, with the first being Hattie McDaniel in 1939 for “Gone With The Wind” and Regina King the most recent in 2018 for “If Beale Street Could Talk.” Eight of those winners were for supporting roles, with Halle Berry being the only Black woman to win for a leading role with “Monster’s Ball” in 2001.

As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the nominees for the 2022 Oscars on Tuesday (Feb. 8), the LGBTQ+ community was greeted with some good news: for the first time since Sir Ian McKellen was nominated in 2002 for Best Supporting Actor in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, an openly queer-identifying performer was nominated in an action role. Actually, twomembers of the Alphabet Mafia were nominated Tuesday morning: Ariana DeBose, who scored a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story; and Kristen Stewart, who was nominated for Best Lead Actress for her turn as Princess Diana in the historical fiction drama, Spencer.

The nominees for the 94th annual Academy Awards have been unveiled and LGBTQ+ stars are in the spotlight.

Lady Gaga is not among this year’s Oscar nominees for her role in House of Gucci, which were revealed on the morning of 8 February.