AZ Creative Fund set to award another £5,000 to Black LGBTQ+ creatives

Natsumi Yamada, 36, has been the co-president of Tokyo Rainbow Pride since October 2019. The group organizes parades, panel discussions and various online activities to connect with the LGBTQ community in Japan — many of which will take place in June, which is Pride Month around the world.1. How did you get involved with Tokyo Rainbow Pride? In 2012, a friend of mine invited me to join as a volunteer.

Pride officials in San Diego have reached a compromise with law enforcement that will allow officers to march in uniform at its in-person parade in July. It remains unclear, however, if they will be able to do so in future years.While the organizers of the Southern California city's LGBTQ celebration are still encouraging law enforcement officers not to march in their uniforms, they are not requiring them to wear their civilian clothes.

Twenty-seven months after he set fire to a dumpster behind a Seattle gay bar, Kalvinn Garcia has pleaded guilty to one count of committing a federal hate crime. According to a news release issued May 26 by the United States Department of Justice, on February 24, 2020, Garcia, 25, of Sedro Woolley, Washington, set fire to the contents of a dumpster behind Queer/Bar, a popular club in Capitol Hill, Seattle's LGBTQ neighborhood.

Talented Irish artist Niamh Barry is re-launching her No Queer Apologies exhibition at the new Hen’s Teeth studio on Mill Street today, May 26. The exhibition will remain open to the public until May 28 and it has also been made into a beautiful photobook. The original exhibition of No Queer Apologies happened in February […]

To say our movement has lost a giant is an understatement.  NCLR has had the honor to work beside and follow the larger-than-life lead of Urvashi Vaid for decades and, for this, we are always better and forever changed.

Ten days after Oregon's primary election former Santa Clara City Councilmember Jamie McLeod-Skinner was declared the winner of the closely watched race for the Beaver State's newly drawn 5th Congressional District. The progressive ousted from office moderate Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-Canby)."I'm honored to be elected as Oregon's Democratic Nominee for Congress in OR-5," tweeted McLeod-Skinner.

Pride Month, where millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual and queer people will gather at parties and parades to celebrate LGBTQ rights and the transformational impact these communities have made.From London to New York, the celebrations are held the world over.The main symbol of Pride is a rainbow flag, with the vibrant colors reflecting the movement's diversity and denoting the sheer spectrum of gender and sexuality.Read on to learn more about the month-long celebration, and the different aspects of the LGBTQ+ community.Acronym LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender, while increasingly, a Q is included for Queer and/or Questioning.An "A" for Asexual, an "I" for Intersex and/or a "2" for Two-Spirit is also sometimes included in the acronym.A lesbian is defined as a woman who is mainly romantically, emotionally and physically attracted to other women.A gay person is usually denoted as a man who is exclusively attracted to other men, although this term is occasionally used to refer to lesbians.Bisexuality refers to a person who is drawn to members of both people born male and female.Transgender broadly denotes anyone who does not identify with his or her assigned gender, and as an identity, the term refers those who transgress either the traditional sex and gender characteristics or expectations.Dr. Trevor A.

CHICAGO — As drag brunch came to a close at a Mexican restaurant here last Sunday, the performers conga-lined their way through the crowd of about 40 party people who were just this side of tipsy on Brunch Punch. But this was no standard drag brunch; it was a Taco Bell Drag Brunch. And that wasn’t a microphone in the lead queen’s hand; it was a Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito.

I was thoroughly on board with Everything Everywhere All at Once based solely on the crazy trailer and the movie having Michelle Yeoh as the lead. What I wasn’t expecting was a surprise queer influence on the story. Spoilers ahead for those who have watched the movie. Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, a Chinese-American woman […]

KTVU. “However, if the Pride Board does not reverse its decision, I will join our city public safety departments that are not participating in the Pride Parade.“Let’s be very clear about who we are talking about: brave women and men who not only have the courage to put on their uniforms and go out and risk their lives every day to serve our city, but who also have the courage to do so as openly out women and men in uniform,” she added.Breed’s decision to opt out of the parade highlights a growing controversy regarding Pride events held in many major cities, where organizers have either sought to ban LGBTQ officers from marching in the parade altogether or to ban them from wearing uniforms while at Pride events.

Cross Border Xpress in San Diego, which I recently became aware of when some friends and I used it to enter the country for a destination wedding.  Mountaintop view of Puerto Vallarta skyline Initially opened in 2015, the entry point was designed by pioneering Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretta, and its main feature is a 390-foot enclosed pedestrian skybridge that quickly and easily connects travelers to the Tijuana International Airport. In its first five years, more than 10 million travelers crossed the U.S.-Mexico border using CBX, with a record 2.9 million travelers crossing in 2019 alone.CBX has gained more attention during the pandemic, since American citizens are now required to provide proof of a negative COVID test before flying back to the States.

Kalvinn Garcia, 25, of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, admitted to committing a hate crime because seeing the word “queer” angered him.

Martha Wash

Jolanda Jones, left, and Venton Jones

Diana portrait mysteriously vanishes from EastEnders set before Charles visitCoronation Street star going to bed early amid cost of living crisisThe Guiding Light and Broadway star Lee Lawson dies‘I was doing this way before I started on Corrie. I’ve been doing this for years and years and talking about it. Where I’ve been shopping for years, British Heart Foundation in particular was a place I went to because it was local to me and they ended up saving my sister’s life.

More than half of LGBTQ+ adults have felt isolated from their family due to their sexuality or gender identity – but some did feel better after coming out, a study has found.A poll of 500 LGBTQ+ adults found 57% felt they had no-one to turn to after coming out, with 49% also feeling isolated from their friends.As a result, despite 38% feeling relieved and 32% feeling happy after disclosing their true feelings, over a quarter (26%) were left feeling vulnerable, while 17% felt alone.Worryingly, 16% feel unable to reach out to friends or family when they need to speak about personal problems.For some, their relationship has only worsened since they came out as LGBTQ+ with their family (14%) and friends (30%).But 25% said their relationship is now better than it was before.It also found 63% feel a lack of kindness at the time made a difference to how they felt after coming out.The stats emerged in a study by Fairy and Ariel, to mark its #SpreadTheLove campaign in partnership with youth homelessness charity akt, ahead of Pride Month.A spokesman for the laundry and washing up brands said: “Things have not been easy over the past two years, so it’s important we don’t underestimate how valuable a simple act of love and support can be to someone who may need it.“This survey shows inclusivity, acceptance and kindness go hand-in-hand with one another – and the simple act of showing someone you care can really help brighten up someone’s day.“Our family, be that blood relatives or our chosen family, play an important role in our happiness, and showing them you care about them goes a long way.“This might be as simple as having an open conversation at home, which can seem more relaxed over dinner or even while doing the household

You’ve got one weekend left this year to “travel back in time” with the cast, crew, performers — such as the amazing Moor of Dundee (aka Leza Mesiah), pictured here — and vendors of Scarborough Renaissance Festival, so make the best of it. The festival, located at 2511 FM 66, just off I-35 in Waxahachie, is open Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 28-30, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Head on out this weekend for one more joust, one more show and one more turkey leg until next year.

Pride Month, and the history and achievements of LGBTQ communities will be celebrated across the TV landscape with series and specials, including live streaming coverage of Pride parades in Los Angeles and New York.In addition to a slew of new content tied to Pride month, older titles centered on queer people and characters will become newly available in June. For one, after being out of the streaming world for about six months, all six seasons of “Glee” will debut on Hulu and Disney+ on June 1.

Loki director Kate Herron has defended the show’s LGBTQ+ representation in response to Russell T Davies’ criticism.

Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.

Conservatives are railing against Arizona's Department of Education for providing resources for LGBTQ+ students.In their latest attack, right-wing activists point to the state education department's website, claiming that LGBTQ+ people groom children for sexual exploitation.The department provides dozens of links to local and national resources for LGBTQ+ students, educators, and families in its resources section. In addition, there are two chat rooms, Gender Spectrum and Q Chat Space, where young people can interact with one another and with trained moderators to discuss essential matters to that particular community.It's here where conservatives have sought to make something harmless sound nefarious. As part of CenterLink's Q Chat Space initiative, young people can join scheduled conversations on various topics.

Beverly Tillery is the executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, an organization that works to address and end all forms of violence through organizing and education and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy. She is an experienced thought leader, advocate, and national organizer with nearly three decades of experience working in social justice movements. AVP runs a 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline for LGBTQ and HIV-affected survivors of violence.

Caitlin Quinlan “I don’t think you ever have to be fearful when you’re writing a film,” says Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani ahead of the premiere of her second feature “The Blue Caftan” in Un Certain Regard.Following the relationship between husband and wife Halim and Mina who have kept Halim’s homosexuality a secret for many years, the film takes an important stand against the homophobia of Morocco and its anti-LGTBQ laws. “In Morocco, homosexuality is illegal and I don’t have words to describe how it makes me feel.

GenderCool Project, an organization that promotes LGBTQ inclusion through speaking events, mentorship programs, consulting, and advising for parents of transgender children, to provide a collection of three books — A Kids Book About Being Transgender, A Kids Book About Being Transgender, and A Kids Book About Being Non-Binary — for libraries and community centers to put on their shelves. The book initiative was touted as an effort to “replace misinformed opinions” about transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming youth with positive depictions of the community in the hope of promoting positive real-life interactions between readers and LGBTQ youth they may encounter. The books in question are written promote the idea of inclusion and explain who LGBTQ people, especially transgender and nonbinary individuals, are.“The project’s goal is to increase representation of LGBTQ+ books and support our communities in having challenging, important and empowering conversations with children age 5+,” an email from Jose Soto, State Farm’s Corporate Responsibility Analyst, which was sent to all of the company’s agents in Florida, reads.

Prism Health North Texas’ Free World Bound program has been awarded the Reentry and Integration Division Award as part of the Texas Governor’s 2022 Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Awards.

Representatives from Belong To, Foróige, Youth Work Ireland, and the National Youth Council of Ireland as well as 70+ youth workers have all signed a letter calling for action to be taken to correct the current healthcare crisis Irish LGBTQ+ youth are facing. The letter was addressed to Ministers Stephen Donnelly TD (Minister for Health) […]

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Laverne Cox is getting her very own Barbie doll.Mattel is celebrating the actor and LGBTQ activist with a new doll made to her likeness, just in time for her 50th birthday.

... or two! (Image by Jeffrey Thurner for Esquire; cover used by fair use)

The possibility that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade has set off alarm bells in the LGBTQ community. Activists and legal experts are warning that the 1973 landmark decision could have severe consequences for LGBT Americans’ mental and physical health, socioeconomic status and right to marriage. Brian and Colman sat down with attorney Caleb Patterson to unpack some of the legal implications we face at both the state and federal level.

For the first time, the rainbow flag has been flown on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.

Talented Irish artist Niamh Barry is re-launching her No Queer Apologies exhibition at the new Hen’s Teeth studio on Mill Street today, May 26. The exhibition will remain open to the public until May 28 and it has also been made into a beautiful photobook. The original exhibition of No Queer Apologies happened in February […]

In a video shared on Twitter by blogger and activist Hemant Mehta, Shelley addresses the Arlington City Council, where a meeting was being held about acknowledging Pride month, telling them that he's "horrified and ashamed" that the city decided to "promote and solicit Pride." Amid loud boos, Shelley continues, saying there's nothing to celebrate about Pride, and that in fact "it's an abomination" according to the Bible."According to God we should hate Pride, not celebrate it," Shelley said as the audience got louder. "I don't understand why we celebrate what used to be a crime not long ago.

violently jumped after being asked why he was ‘wearing a girl’s jacket’ and called a ‘f**king f*g’.The 22-year-old suffered a bleed on the brain and needed surgery after being attacked in Manchester in the early hours of April 10.He was left with three smashed teeth and broken bones in his nose, cheek and around his eye socket.Morgan – a support worker for adults with learning difficulties – moved to Manchester from the small market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, for work more than a year ago.His family previously revealed he made the switch because he felt he would be less likely to experience homophobia in a larger city with a thriving LGBT+ scene.Parents Paul and Dawn Fevre rushed from their hometown to be by his side at Salford Royal as he fought for his life.Morgan is now out of hospital and continuing his recovery but the search for his attackers goes on.Greater Manchester Police have released images taken from CCTV following the incident in Charlotte Street at about 1.35am.Detectives say they want to speak to the man and woman visible in the footage.Detective Constable Lucy Hatton said: ‘This was an unprovoked attack in the street that the victim can remember very little about.‘Morgan was punched in the head and then fell to the floor, and spent 10 days in hospital being treated for head and face injuries.‘He has now been discharged from hospital but is still suffering from the after-effects of the incident.’Last month, his father revealed his son had no memory of the attack but recalled receiving homophobic abuse and negative comments about his sequin jacket before it happened.He said: ‘Morgan would go into town on his own and make new friends while he was out, he’s that kind of chap.‘But now, I went to see

supports HTML5 videoTay claims she then heard the staff member talking about her with another customer – discussing Tay’s gender identity and saying she ‘lied about being disabled’. The couple went to complain to a different staff member who called someone else.

Why is budget makeup still failing ethnically diverse people?9 breathing exercises that help you cope with anxietyRemember when Glossier leaked a discount code? Here's another oneI hope that more companies and brands will start using their influence to positively represent underrepresented communities — and that they will do so in a committed, involved and meaningful way.We still have a long way to go in terms of trans rights, and in raising awareness of queer families in general. Pregnant trans men are a part of reality, whether some people on social media like it or not.

Prince William tweeted that he hoped it would give other people the confidence to be open about their own sexuality. Yesterday, the 17-year-old Blackpool forward became the first male professional footballer in England to come out as gay in 32 years, in an interview with Sky.He made his senior debut for the club last month and decided it was the right time to speak publicly about his orientation. ‘Now is the right time to do it.

London artist and activist Dominique Holmes, it is inscribed with the words protest, visibility, unity, and equality – Pride in London’s key values.The coin won’t enter general circulation, but will be available to buy in a range of metals this summer.It comes weeks before Pride month, a time dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities across the world.It is held in June as this was the month the Stonewall riots erupted in New York, triggering the rise of LGBTQ+ rights movement across the world.Asad Shaykh, director of marketing and communications at Pride in London, said it was ‘a privilege to visit The Royal Mint and see our coin being made’.‘It humbles me greatly that the words that I coined for the brand … will be on an actual coin, opposite the Queen’, he said.‘This queer brown immigrant has come a long way, powered by hope, love and this city.’Clare Maclennan, director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint, named the 50th anniversary of Pride UK ‘a milestone celebration’.She said: ‘This is the first ever UK coin dedicated to Britain’s LGBTQ+ community, with colour printing technology capturing the spirit of Pride UK with its iconic rainbow colours.‘It was an honour to host representatives from Pride in London at The Royal Mint recently to strike their own coins as part of the launch and discuss with them our commitment to diversity and inclusion within the business and show how we are reinventing for the future.’Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.For more stories like this, check our news page.Not convinced? Find out more »

Ricky Gervais can't be a trans ally while he continually makes lazy 'jokes' about usRicky Gervais vows he supports trans rights after packing Netflix special with cruel jokesChurch of Scotland will allow same-sex marriages for first timePride month is in June because this is when the Stonewall riots erupted in New York, triggering the rise of LGBTQ+ rights movement across the world.In a similar sign of solidarity, the Royal Mint has unveiled a rainbow-coloured 50p coin.

Real Time With Bill Maher, it feels like 1993 all over again, although this time it’s different and even more frightening.On last Friday’s Real Time With Bill Maher, Maher said the number of youth identifying as LGBTQ+ is rising because it's “trendy,” while he spewed other harmful, homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. Maher continued his vitriolic commentary by taking several more potshots at LGBTQ+ youth, including claims that society was “experimenting” on children through the use of puberty blockers and genital surgery as a means to perpetuate culture wars.

May 20, 1961 — April 30, 2022Robert Dean Reiter died April 30, 2022. Service will be at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, in Oakland on Saturday, May 28, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at the Bancroft Hotel in Berkeley.

After being delayed by a year due to the COVID pandemic, San Francisco's LGBTQ community recently came out to support mental health services as the nonprofit Queer LifeSpace celebrated its 10th anniversary.The gala, held May 7, also premiered the organization's new Emerging Queer Artists in Their Youth program, EQUARTY, with a silent auction of 13 works from seven emerging artists.The organization's executive director, Ryan MacCarrigan, told the Bay Area Reporter the event raised close to $40,000 for the San Francisco LGBTQ mental health and substance abuse services organization. About 150 people attended the outdoor daytime reception in Lower Nob Hill while another 100 people who could not attend nevertheless made donations.The funds will help QLS's 163 clients and work toward expanding the organization's in-person and virtual counseling services.

The Queer Chorus of San Francisco performed during the city's observance of Harvey Milk Day Sunday, May 22, in Jane Warner Plaza in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood. Other groups that participated included Rise Up 4 Abortion, in which people donned costumes from "The Handmaid's Tale" to protest in support of reproductive rights.

May 14, 1974 — May 3, 2022Gerry "Mary" Manzo passed on May 3, 2022, surrounded by friends and family after a valiant fight with cancer.For a number of years, Gerry was a popular bartender at the SF Eagle and The Hole in the Wall bars. More recently, he harnessed his great passion for the outdoors to create enchanting outdoor spaces around the San Francisco Bay Area.Gerry was an enthusiastic, frequent explorer of wilderness areas, mountain forests, beaches, lakes, and rivers. The more time he spent outdoors, the happier he was.

Appalled at SF Pride decision on policeI am totally appalled at the disrespect of the San Francisco Pride committee board banning our dedicated police and fire teams from the parade ["LGBTQ first responders won't march in SF Pride parade," online, May 23]. These are the people on the streets every day protecting us, caring for us. This, and other decisions, like voting down security cameras from the Castro (which SF Pride was not involved with) help precipitate the condition of San Francisco — once the great city to live in and welcome visitors and now a disgrace and embarrassment to say the least.

The National AIDS Memorial Grove has announced that panel-making workshops will be held over the next couple of weeks ahead of the historic AIDS Memorial Quilt display set for San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in June.The AIDS grove, which took over stewardship of the quilt in 2019, stated that the free workshops will be held June 1 and 8, from 3 to 6 p.m., at its offices at 543 Castro Street in San Francisco.As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, a massive display of the quilt is set for June 11-12 in Robin Williams Meadow, with some panels being displayed in the AIDS grove, which is also located in Golden Gate Park. The San Francisco installation will include 350 blocks of the quilt, which contain almost 3,000 panels, according to Kevin Herglotz, a gay man who is chief operating officer for the grove.

Eleven bills related to LGBTQ rights survived votes in their house of origin this month in the California Legislature. They run the gamut from bolstering health care services for LGBTQ individuals to protections for LGBTQ youth.One bill, however, failed to advance out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee by the deadline to do so last week.

There are numerous local races on the ballot in Bay Area counties outside of San Francisco where qualified LGBTQ candidates are seeking election or reelection in the June 7 primary.

Irish diplomats came out to the Castro earlier this month to mark the opening of a new exhibit exploring the history and influence of the LGBTQ Irish diaspora.The traveling exhibit, "Out In The World," shows the importance of, and sheds light on, the untold history of Ireland's queer diaspora and queer Irish people's impact on the world. The exhibit, at the GLBT Historical Society Museum in San Francisco's LGBTQ Castro District, explores six themes of the diaspora: exclusion, community, love, defiance, solidarity, and return.