Drag Race UK fans react to “very classy and edgy” season four cast reveal

Adrian Shanker, executive director of the Spahr Center in California, has been appointed senior adviser on LGBTQI+ health equity in the office of the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Shanker has been serving in a voluntary capacity in the Biden-Harris administration as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS since 2021.

This spring, prior to the departure from her talk show, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Ellen DeGeneres about her life, the end of her talk show, and that groundbreaking moment when she came out on her sitcom Ellen almost 25 years ago. She took a bullet for our community because being queer at that time was a detriment.

If you’re like most people, the image that comes to mind is most likely cowboys, bandits, lassos, and straight people doing very straight things. But certainly, the idea of people of color dressing in clothing for the opposite gender doesn’t pop into the imagination of most individuals. However, many would be surprised to hear that they’d be wrong to count transness out of what had made up America’s new frontier.

James Gunn‘s attempt 20 years ago was shot down. Clips from the upcoming movie, which hit digital on Tuesday, show Velma, voiced by Kate Micucci, swooning over costume designer Coco Diablo (Myrna Velasco of “DC Super Hero Girls”) — her glasses steam up — and getting an enormous, goofy grin when Coco touches her shoulder.

The Hallmark Channel has just announced the next 40 Christmas movies they will be releasing this holiday season. One of these movies, The Holiday Sitter, will make Hallmark history by being the first holiday rom com to centre around a gay couple. The Hallmark channel is known for their cheesy Christmas movies they release every year during their annual Countdown to Christmas event where they release 31 movies in the leadup to Christmas.

The “Material Girl” and “Baddest B*tch” of rap have teamed up for the ultimate voting track, and you’ll have to hear the lyrics to believe them.Presented by Black dating app BLK, Saucy Santana and Trina have collaborated on a song letting the boys know that not voting is red flag number one.  On “No Voting No Vucking”, this duo makes one thing clear: you need a ballot to get in their boxes.As BLK describes, here’s “the new election banger you didn’t know you needed!”:Related: LGBTQ leaders in battleground states plead with voters because local elections make a big differenceLet’s dissect some of these instantly iconic lyrics.First and foremost, Trina ending her verse with “gerrymander this coochie”? That needs to be taught in Government courses across the country. PoliSci, even.Santana coming in with “This midterm is for all the single cuties/Wanna hit this booty? Gotta do your civic duty” really hits at the heart of the message in a succinct and meaningful way.

Gilead Sciences discovered two “kingpins” thought to mastermind the ongoing counterfeit HIV medication scheme.The pharmaceutical company scored a big win in their fight to stop the distribution of counterfeit bottles of HIV drugs produced under their name. On September 28, U.S.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Billy Eichner’s “Bros” made history as the first gay rom-com to be given a wide theatrical release by a major studio, as well as the first with an all-openly LGBTQ cast. From the nightclub where Eichner’s Bobby meets and falls in love with Luke McFarlane’s buff Aaron, to the LGBTQ+ Museum grand opening, the Big Apple love story features several amazing sets — as well as a carefully curated DVD shelf. While production for “Bros” was originally meant to take place in Buffalo, N.Y, the pandemic thwarted plans, and with a new tax credit incentive, New Jersey became the stand-in for the rom-com (with a few scenes shot on the streets of New York and Provincetown). Sitting down with Variety, writer-director Nicholas Stoller and production designer Lisa Myers share insight into the film’s key sets.

Below are our picks for some of the most fun and creative things to do this week in the DMV that are of special interest to the LGBTQ community.

Bros underperformed at the box office this past weekend.Billy Eichner‘s big, gay rom-com is hilarious, heartfelt, and features a massive ensemble of LGBTQ actors—it’s the exact kind of movie we should be supporting and making a major blockbuster!But if you’ve been holding out on seeing it for whatever reason, allow us to convince you to rush to the theater immediately…Exhibit A: Ryan Faucett.  A post shared by Ryan Faucett (@tryanfaucett)In Bros, Faucett starsas Josh, a very sexy distraction in the burgeoning relationship between Eichner’s museum curator Bobby and Luke Macfarlane’s hunky lawyer Aaron.Related: Hunky gay ‘Bros’ star Luke Macfarlane was the straight man—literally—in a dozen Hallmark moviesOn an early date at the movie theater, Bobby and Aaron run into Josh and his girlfriend. Aaron used to play hockey with Josh, and admits to harboring a crush on him back in high school—no big deal.

pulling off their masks at the end of each episode. But now, a new revelation just might be the most seismic in the animated show’s 53-year history. Lead character Velma Dinkley is a lesbian in the new Warner Bros.

Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! have been circulating among social media users discussing what is seemingly a confirmation that Velma Dinkley is a lesbian.GLAAD, the prominent LGBTQ advocacy organization, celebrated the news in a statement to Newsweek."It is equally exciting and validating for audiences to see Velma, a character from such a beloved and long-running franchise, finally get to be her true self in Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!" Anthony Allen Ramos, Vice President of Communications & Talent at GLAAD, said.In a scene from the animated Halloween feature, which was digitally released on Tuesday, Velma is seen encountering Coco Diablo, a new character to the series. The nerdy Velma reacts by becoming speechless while admiring different traits she picks up on about Diablo, including her fashion sense and her love of animals.Many fans were as enthusiastic as GLAAD was about Velma coming out."OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON CANON IN THE MOVIES LETS GOOOOOO," wrote one Twitter user.OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON CANON IN THE MOVIES LETS GOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/0ilx2uid1qRamos wrote to Newsweek about the importance of a main character in a cartoon showing the normalcy of same-sex attraction.

The new “Scooby-Doo” movie is finally setting the record straight — so to speak — about the sexuality of one of the beloved cartoon’s key characters.

Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! is the latest animated Scooby movie and it is available for digital download in some markets starting today.

Brazil voted in the first two transgender members of its Congress in Sunday’s election, while the nation’s anti-LGBTQ+ president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been forced into a runoff as he seeks reelection.Erika Hilton won a seat representing the state of São Paulo, and voters in the state of Minas Gerais elected Duda Salabert, the Washington Blade reports. Both women are currently members of the municipal councils in their respective cities, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.“We are going to get off the street corners, we are going to get out of jails, we are going to get off crack corners and prostitution and start to think about public policies and legislation,” Hilton said after the vote, according to The Guardian.

At Hamilton High School in Arizona last week, more than a hundred students joined others at several schools across the state to skip class.Students there staged a walkout at several schools to protest two laws that took effect in the state, which critics say target LGBTQ+ young people.The GOP-controlled state legislature passed a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year, prompting hundreds of Arizona high schoolers to walk out of their schools, Phoenix New Times reports.Armed with bullhorns and their own feet, students marched out of classes on Thursday to show their solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community."These bills are killing us," 16-year-old Chandler, Ariz., student Dawn Shim said, according to the Phoenix New Times. "We aren't out here missing our school day and interrupting our education because we want to.

This piece, made up of an innocuous pile of brightly wrapped candies, is likely one of the most recognizable works of queer American art. Its iconic status made it all the more surprising for folks in the queer community to discover that, for a time, all mention of homosexuality and the piece’s subject had been removed from the installation’s label.Cuban-American artist Félix González-Torres created “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) in 1991 to represent the body of his partner, Ross Laycock, whose own body was deteriorating throughout his battle with AIDS.

Bros, tweeting that “straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up” for the movie during its opening weekend.The Universal film — marketed as the first gay romantic comedy released by a major Hollywood studio — took in a disappointing $4.8 million on its opening weekend, with ticket sales being especially low in the Midwest and the South, reports The Hollywood Reporter.“That’s just the world we live in, unfortunately. Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, an A CinemaScore etc, straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros.

The latest Kanye West fashion abomination is tapping into white supremacist notions — and he’s lashing out at critics who dare call him out on it, going so far as what we’d call bullying.

EastEnders after the soap aired an “unacceptable” scene involving a major character’s LGBT storyline. Fans recently saw Eve Unwin confess to Stacey Slater that she had engaged in a passionate kiss with Suki Penesar, who no one on in the square knows to be gay.Stacey vows to keep it a secret, while Eve continues to worry about Suki.READ MORE: Sarah Jayne Dunn's sexiest ever snaps – bum flash, topless display and bondage outfitLater on, protective of her friend, Stacey confronts Suki about Eve after learning of her poor behaviour towards Eve.She then threatens the owner of the Minute Mart with her worst fear - exposing the kiss if she dares to hurt Eve.But the dramatic scenes left viewers outraged, with many saying threatening to out someone’s sexuality is a big no no.“Stacey threatening to out our Suki…not her finest hour!! Who write this!!” said one viewer.A second blasted: “I love Stacey but threatening to out someone is unacceptable.”While a third penned: “not stacey threatening to out someone thats a little out of character #EastEnders.”A shaken Suki then has a frosty exchange with Eve after her conversation with Stacey.Eve guesses correctly that Stacey must have said something and rushes over to her to confront her.Suki has struggled to be honest about her sexuality in the past.Before being involved with Eve, she was seen kissing Honey Mitchell before tormenting her in an attempt to make sure she would keep their kiss a secret.Eve and Suki shared a passionate kiss back in July after the shared a fun night out together.

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Swedish bisexual scientist Svante Pääbo. He is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.Pääbo won the award for his studies into the genetic makeup of extinct humans, including that of the Neanderthal.

mood."There are hints about the why in that episode with the mermaid, and if you follow the entire Marcie arc it seems as clear as we could make it 10 years ago," Cervone wrote. "I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post reset, they are a couple.

The long-circulating rumor is true: HBO Max’s new movie Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! acknowledges that the franchise’s Velma is LGBTQ.

After decades of speculation surrounding her sexuality, Scooby-Doo's Velma Dinkley has finally been confirmed as lesbian in the latest animated film Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!Clips from the new flick show Velma crushing on a new female love interest named Coco Diablo.The move comes two years after James Gunn, who penned the live-action Scooby-Doo films, revealed he wrote Velma as 'explicitly gay' before it was 'watered down' by the studio and ultimately removed. It's officially canon! Scooby-Doo's Velma Dinkley was finally unveiled as lesbian in the newest Trick or Treat film Velma is shown becoming instantly infatuated by Coco when she first meets the glamorous woman.In the clip, Velma stops in her tracks at the sight of Coco before blushing profusely.

The political nature of Pride and its commercialization are ideas hotly contested each time Pride month comes around. At its origins, Pride had no choice but to stand as a protest.Among the loudest of those protesters in the United Kingdom was Tom Robinson, a singer from Cambridge who would come to write what some consider Britain’s “national gay anthem”.Robinson had originally written a song called “Good to be Gay” in the ’60s, which possessed the same underlying messages as its successor, but without the necessary bite.

Easy Tiger, a gay Belgian drama from filmmaker Karel Tuytschaever.The film tells the story of a psychologist (Mickaël Pelissier) whose “seemingly perfect” city life is upended by an unexpected moment with a client, a deaf man who awakens a desire deep within him.Their charged encounter has a ripple effect on the psychologist’s life. Per Easy Tiger‘s official synopsis, his “inescapable desires for his male client force the [him] to look at who he does not want to be, in order to find out who he actually is.”Though the French and Englishes languages are used sparingly throughout the film, its narrative largely unfolds through International Sign Language as Tuytschaever explores physicality and the body itself as a storytelling device.

Why you should read it: This is a Regency fantasy romance that will surely bring a smile to your face. Half a Soul has intrigue, comedy, and lots of pining. The story starts with Dora, our protagonist, who has lost half of her soul. From a very young age, she has lived with only half a soul, which has created specific problems for her, especially in society.

I started dancing when I was two years old. Well, if you can call twirling around until dizzy and falling over ‘dancing’.As I got older, I became part of an all-girls dance group and it was nothing but joy each time we danced together.

Velma is proudly out!

Related: We need to talk about Olympic swimmer Soren Dahl living his best gay lifeOver the weekend, Krzikalla told the German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag, “Today I can say it very clearly here: I’m gay, I have a boyfriend whom I love, and I’m very happy about it.”“I’ve been thinking about this for a year: why not just take that step and say you’re gay?” he added.  “How much longer will the constant deception, the lying, and for whom anyway? There will always be idiots who say stupid things. I want to stand for what I do and not be defined by my sexuality.”Outsports notes that the team’s supportive, managing director was instrumental in Krzikalla’s decision to come out.Related: Record-breaking college runner Nico Young comes out in powerful Instagram post“Our manager asked me where Chris and I met.

Minnesota’s Republican candidate for governor is refusing to comment on a super embarrassing video that shows him warning people about school children peeing in litter boxes after being told they can identify as anthropomorphic cats.Dr. Scott Jensen, a Trump-loving, science-denying, conspiracy theory-peddling former state lawmaker, made the remarks while speaking to supporters at an outdoor event last week, according to a video posted to social media.“But what about education?” the 67-year-old said.

A number of major medical associations wrote to the Justice Department on Monday, requesting a probe into threats against health care providers and institutions that offer gender-affirming care to young people who are transgender.According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Children’s Hospital Association, the DOJ needs to investigate the entities, individuals, and organizations who coordinate, provoke, and carry out bomb threats and threats of personal violence against children’s hospitals and physicians across the country, the groups wrote. Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee, and Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio have received threats on social media as far-right influencers like Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok, and Jaimee Michell of Gays Against Groomers have condemned their gender affirmation programs. Boston Children’s Hospital has been the target of a faux bomb threat made by a Massachusetts woman who was subsequently arrested.

For many years now, October has become a special month for the international queer community. And no, this is not about Halloween… it’s about remembering, sharing and discovering LGBTQ+ history through LGBT History Month! Established in 1994, LGBT History Month is celebrated internationally with the goal of sharing and teaching queer history, since it is […]

A post shared by Peach PRC (@peachprc)This profile is part of Queerty’s 2022 Out For Good series, recognizing public figures who’ve had the courage to come out and make a difference in the past year, in celebration of National Coming Out Day on October 11.Name: Peach PRC (Sharlee Curnow), 25Bio: The Australian singer-songwriter impressed judges on Australia’s Got Talent, The X Factor, and The Voice before blowing up on TikTok in 2020. But it’s been far from an easy road for the artist who counts Britney Spears and Katy Perry among her top influences. Years before working with Spears and Perry collaborator Bonnie McKee, Peach PRC was having a rough adolescence.Midway through high school, she dropped out of school due to troubles at home.

For the first time ever, the federal congress in Brazil will have Trans politicians as part of its cohort – Erika Hilton from Sao Paulo and Duda Salabert from Minas Gerais. According to the Associação Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais, the latest election in Brazil, which took place on Sunday, October 2, had 80 Trans politicians […]

Coach’s latest campaign sees their new ambassador Lil Nas X star in the inspiring short film, Courage to Be Real.

The post “What like, it’s hard?”: Why Legally Blonde made me want to be an LGBTQ+ lawyer appeared first on GAY TIMES.

To foreign leaders conducting official business with the U.S., Rufus Gifford is the face of America — or, at least, the first face they see.As chief of protocol at the State Department, Gifford is the first point of contact for those leaders. It’s the second-highest-ranking position in the department — behind only Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It makes Gifford, who is gay, the top-ranked out official at State, and it’s ambassador-level.Ambassador is a position Gifford’s familiar with.

Erotic-horror-movie-actress-turned-antigay-GOP-gubernatorial-candidate Tudor Dixon posted a new campaign ad to her social media pages this week, but based on the people’s reactions, it’s not going to win her any new supporters.The 60-second spot features a gang of elderly bikers bitching about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, complaining about everything from her COVID response to her plans to “keep killing babies” to the potholes in Michigan’s roads, which apparently she’s personally responsible for.“Fix the damn roads!” the bikers gripe at the end of the video after plugging Dixon, who they refer to as “the other chick”, for governor.These great folks know exactly what @gretchenwhitmer has done to all of us.

The poster-child of “booked, busy, and bi” has decided it’s her turn to start doing the booking. With a team of Black creatives already assembled, Keke Palmer is assuming her place at the top of the ladder.The star has paid her dues a good few times over; she made her big break at just 13 years old in Akeelah and the Bee, carried that momentum with beloved DCOM Jump In!, and has been hustling ever since.After all that grinding, fans are elated to see her unveiling her most ambitious project yet: a full-scale digital television network of her own.Welcome to KeyTV:Introducing @KeyTVNetwork, a new digital network from me, for you.

A transgender teen in Ohio who was elected sophomore homecoming princess as a supposed joke by her schoolmates instead used the title to promote acceptance.Cassie Steiner, 15, was voted in last week at Mariemont High School, Cincinnati newspaper The Enquirer reports. Mariemont is a suburb of Cincinnati. Steiner came out as a trans girl in April and began her social transition in June.A school guidance counselor called Cassie’s mother, Kat Steiner, and told her Cassie’s election was a “mean-spirited joke,” The Enquirer reports.

shooting on 25 June in the nightlife district of Norway's capital.A total of four suspects have now been arrested, including the suspected gunman, a 43-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin.The two latest suspects — a man in his 40s with Somali citizenship and a Norwegian national in his 30s — were arrested on Sunday and were known to the authorities.On Friday, Oslo police also announced that they had issued an international arrest warrant for a 45-year-old "Islamist", who they believe is in Pakistan."To ensure the best possible cooperation with the Pakistani authorities, we had Oslo police officers in Pakistan a short time ago," a police spokesperson said.

A federal court in Florida dismissed a challenge to the state’s “don’t say gay” law last week, but left open the possibility the case could be refiled in the future.In a 25-page opinion issued last Thursday, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, found the plaintiffs Equality Florida, Family Equality, and a group of teachers, students, and parents had not established standing to file the case.“The principal problem is that most of plaintiffs’ alleged harm is not plausibly tied to the law’s enforcement so much as the law’s very existence,” wrote Winsor, noting no injunction issued by a court could resolve that issue.The ruling came in response to motions filed by Equality Florida and Family Equality requesting discovery in the case filed in April.

(CNN) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer maintain a country-by-country list of travel advisories related to Covid-19, the agency said Monday.“As fewer countries are testing or reporting Covid-19 cases, CDC’s ability to accurately assess the Covid-19 THN [Travel Health Notice] levels for most destinations that American travelers visit is limited,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Travel.Starting October 3, a notice will only be posted for a country if there is a concerning Covid-19 variant or other situation that would change the CDC’s travel recommendations.The agency said that regardless of their destination, international travelers should stay up-to-date on their Covid-19 vaccines and follow CDC guidance for international travel.Being “up-to-date” means having all doses from the primary vaccination series as well as any boosters for which you are eligible.The CDC issued its first Covid-specific travel notice for China in January of 2020. The agency has long been updating its advisories list each Monday. ‘People need to make their own decisions’CNN Medical Analyst Dr.

Glenn Youngkin's proposed policies on how schools will handle transgender students.Youngkin, a Republican elected in 2021, proposed an overhaul to rules that would affect transgender students' ability to use the bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity and require schools to receive parental approval before using a transgender student's changed name or pronouns.Youngkin found himself at odds with many voters and elected officials in the state that—despite his surprise victory—has trended Democratic in recent years.Critics of the changes, which are set to go into effect October 27 following a 30-day comment period, accuse Youngkin of targeting an already-vulnerable population to score political points with conservatives.Supporters of the "parental right" policies argue that parents have a right to know what their children are doing in school, including if they identify with the LGBTQ community.The Richmond school board voted Monday night to reject Youngkin's policy changes, instead passing their own Transgender Protection Resolution."Transgender students deserve to learn and thrive in an environment free of bullying, intimidation, and fear," the board's resolution reads. "Therefore, be it resolved that the Richmond City Public School Board rejects Governor Youngkin's model policies and affirms its commitment to providing protections for all students regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression."The resolution, introduced by board member Liz Doerr, passed 8-1, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Ethan Shanfeld Velma is officially a lesbian. Clips from the brand new movie “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!,” which show the Mystery Inc. member googly-eyed and speechless when encountering costume designer Coco Diablo, have gone viral on Twitter, confirming suspicions held by the “Scooby” fan base for decades. “OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY,” reads one tweet, which has over 100,000 likes. It’s long been an open secret among fans and “Scooby-Doo” creatives that Velma is gay. Even James Gunn, who wrote the early live-action films, and Tony Cervone, who served as supervising producer on the “Mystery Incorporated” series, have confirmed the character’s sexuality, but they were never able to make it official onscreen.

Drag Race UK is making herstory with the cast of its highly anticipated fourth season, which is set to be released in just a few weeks.

Halt! Drop everything, stop what you’re doing etc: the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season four is finally here.