How I Do It: ‘I love being LGBTQ+ in 2022 – I’m grateful to be enjoying my sexuality now’

Once upon a time, TV premieres were the province of fall, and there was something exciting about seeing all the new titles unveiled. In the streaming era, of course, new shows debut all year long – but we think there’s still a special excitement surrounding the ones that come out at this time of year. Call us old-fashioned.

Despite indications the U.S. Senate would soon take up legislation seeking to codify same-sex marriage into law, the legislation now appears to have to wait until after the mid-term elections.

When Megan Carter moved to Colorado several years ago, her partner at the time was an avid climber and tried to throw her into the sport. Carter found herself atop a teetering stone arch in the wilderness. She wanted to cry.“I was super afraid of heights, totally mortified,” recalls Carter, who is now a climbing coach and the brainchild behind Queer Climbing Night at her local gym, Eagle Climbing + Fitnessin Eagle, Colorado.

(CNN) -- The Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote declined on Wednesday a request from Yeshiva University to block a lower court order that requires the New York university to recognize a "Pride Alliance" LGBTQ student club.In an unsigned order, the Supreme Court noted that the New York state courts had yet to issue a final order in the case, and that Yeshiva could return to the Supreme Court after the New York courts have acted."The application is denied because it appears that applicants have at least two further avenues for expedited or interim state court relief," the court said.Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, dissented from the court's order, noting that the lower courts could take "months to rule.""I see no reason why we should not grant a stay at this time," he said.Noting that the school objected to recognizing a group that would have implications that are not consistent with the Torah, Alito said, "The First Amendment guarantees the right to the free exercise of religion, and if that provision means anything, it prohibits a State from enforcing its own preferred interpretation of the Holy Scripture.""The upshot is that Yeshiva is almost certain to be compelled for at least some period of time (and perhaps for a lengthy spell) to instruct its students in accordance with what it regards as an incorrect interpretation of Torah and Jewish law," Alito continued.He said that a state's imposition of its "own mandatory interpretation of scripture is a shocking development that calls out for review," and added that "it is our duty to stand up for the Constitution even when doing so is controversial."Justice Sonia Sotomayor -- who has jurisdiction over the lower court

President Joe Biden on Friday will meet with the family of WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Grindr has a new boss daddy with big ambitions.George Arison will assume the role of CEO for the  “dating” app, ahead of a plan to take the company public.That’ll be to the tune of a  $2.1 billion valuation range, and that’s a lot of zeroes.Arison is gay and will be one of the few gay men leading a public company (we see you Tim Cook).NBC News reports Arison “led a taxi-hailing app before he started his own company nearly a decade ago, has been on Grindr’s board of directors since May.”Related: How to get unbanned from Grindr“Arison will take over on Oct. 19 as Grindr prepares to go public by merging with a special purpose acquisition company,” NBC News added.

SpunOut, the Irish youth information service, has announced the details of a new campaign which highlights the need for more informative sex education in Ireland which is also inclusive of LGBTQ+ young people. Under the Sheets focuses on the experiences young people have had with sex education in Ireland, highlighting the gaps in learning and […]

NewFest said Thursday that HBO’s upcoming Mama’s Boy, the documentary about the life of Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, will be the opening-night film for the New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The fest, which also announced its full lineup, kicks off its 34th edition October 13.

the real-life drama facing transgender kids in Texas and turned it into a playable narrative experience that they hope will change hearts and minds.Lookout Drive Games worked with trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming creators to create “Portrait of a Texas Family: A free slice of life game about love and resilience,” now available for free on Mac and PC.In the roughly 30-minute visual novel (kinda like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story), you play a parent of Sofia, a trans 14-year-old. Along with your partner Martín, your family must collect family keepsakes to place inside of a “safe folder” that will serve as proof of Sofia’s insistent gender identity and her supportive family, just in case the state’s child abuse investigators come calling.In the game, players can customize their character’s skin tone, hair length, body type, and pronouns.

EJ Panaligan editor NewFest, a New York-based LGBTQ+ film festival, has announced the full lineup for its 34th iteration. The 2022 edition will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 25. With world, North American, U.S. and New York premieres for more than 130 films from 23 countries, the festival will be headlined by the world premiere of HBO documentary “Mama’s Boy” from Laurent Bouzereau as the opening night screening. Additionally, the festival will hold an advance screening for the Season 2 premiere of popular HBO series “The White Lotus.” Other high-profile screenings through the festival’s run include Michael Grandage’s love triangle film “My Policeman,” starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin, and the stop-motion horror comedy “Wendell & Wild,” from writer-director Henry Selick. Jordan Peele co-writes, while also featuring in a lead voice role. Keegan-Michael Key inhabits the film’s other lead voice role, marking a “Key & Peele” reunion on the animated stage between the two longtime collaborators.

Related: Cheyenne Jackson posts a sweet photo and words of tribute to his sonIn his posting, Cheyenne said, “Happy 8th wedding anniversary, babe. My life changed forever when I met you ten years ago at a little 12-step meeting in WeHo. We’ve weathered life’s storms side by side, moment by moment.

somewhat creepy.A leaked phone call to a former aide also caught her slamming her treatment at the hands of the media. Talking to Stephanie Winston Wolkoff in 2018, Melania said she’d been working her “ass off” on the White House decorations, despite it not being of much interest to her: “Who gives a f**k about Christmas stuff and decoration” she ranted.Related: Melania says she felt “violated” by FBI agents going through her closet and the Rose Garden would like a wordAccording to Fox News, Melania’s new range of “handcrafted” ornaments is accompanied by animated NFTs.

The prestigious Cardiff-based Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Festival 2022 returns for the first in-person festival since 2019 with an incredible lineup of gorgeous new short films. Now in its 16th year, the Iris Prize aims to highlight LGBTQ+ stories through the medium of short films. Among this year’s filmmakers battling it out for the Best British […]

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in a 5-4 vote declined a request from Yeshiva University in New York to block a New York County Supreme Court order that requires the university to recognize the “Pride Alliance” LGBTQ student club.

At Signature Theatre in Arlington, the fall season has already kicked off with Ethan Lipton’s “No Place to Go” (through Oct. 16), a commentary on the sad state of working in America starring Bobby Smith backed by a cool trio of musicians. In a stunning performance, Smith plays George, a writer/musician juggling artistic pursuits and a day job as an information refiner. When the unfeeling company decides to streamline, George must decide whether to remain in the city that never sleeps or follow his “permanent part-time job” to Mars.

My So-Called Life and Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery has opened up about his struggles of being a gay man many times.

In the 1960s, a legend was on the rise in Los Angeles. An exotic dancer, singer, comedian, drag performer, and Black trans woman by the name of Sir Lady Java was a star of the L.A.

Colorful foliage, colorful openings: While the dining industry has struggled under the weight of the pandemic, staffing shortages, supply chain crises, inflation, and a spate of closings over the summer, the spirit of colorful creativity in the District hasn’t slowed. This fall, we look forward to visiting brand-new ideas, creative concept changes, additional spots from beloved chefs, an ever-expanding Wharf, and more. Note that some of these restaurants have opened already, while others have planned opening dates through the rest of the year.

Fox’s new musical nighttime soap opera “Monarch” is to country music as the network’s “Empire” was to hip-hop. Complete with over-the-top characters, familial intrigue, infidelity, and tragedy. Oh, and a few queer characters, too. Among those characters is hair and makeup artist Earl, played by out actor and singer Kevin Cahoon. In addition to occasionally being the much-needed source of comic relief, Earl also plays the irreplaceable best friend of country music queen Dottie Roman, played by none other than Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon. Fortunately for us, Kevin was kind enough to make time in his schedule to answer a few questions.

One of the first things I remember watching on television other than the “Howdy Doody Show,” was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. I remember the “Howdy Doody Show” because my mom once took me to be in the peanut gallery. The coronation was a spectacle hard to forget even for a six-year-old.

CAGLIARI, Sardinia — Giorgia Meloni, the hard-right leader of a party descended from post-Fascist roots and the favorite to become Italy’s next prime minister after elections this month, is known for her rhetorical crescendos, thundering timbre and ferocious speeches slamming gay-rights lobbies, European bureaucrats and illegal migrants. But she was suddenly soft-spoken when asked on a recent evening if she agreed, all caveats aside, with the historical consensus that the Fascist leader Benito Mussolini — whom she admired in her youth as a “good politician” — had been evil and bad for Italy.

5-4 decision Wednesday evening the U.S. Supreme Court opted to not block a state court’s ruling ordering a faith-based private university to recognize an LGBTQ students’ organization, but the order is quite likely temporary.Yeshiva University, which has four campuses in New York City, was ordered by a state court to recognize Y.U.

Izzy Dieker, who spoke out and instigated reforms after she punished at school for saying she’s a lesbian; the Pendleton Heights Gay-Straight Alliance, which won sued their school – and won – when they were forced to keep a low profile; school board chair Kelsey Waits, who did what she needed to do to protect her trans daughter who was outed and harassed; the PFLAG v. Abbott plaintiffs, who stopped the state from investigating the supportive parents of trans kids as child abusers; and Charlee Corra, a teacher and one of the heirs to the Disney fortune who came out to speak out against the Don’t Say Gay law.These five nominees defended LGBTQ kids’ rights and made the future a better place.

“I’m so tired of all this political correctness,” Pete says.We are at the Eagle in New York City.“Why do they have to come here? Can’t we have one place that is just for us?”They are a group of young guys, early 20’s, dressed in bright colors, one carrying a purse and wearing high heels, dressed in a leather Tom-of Finland style hat, carrying a leather paddle, another in a skirt and a leather harness.“They’re making a mockery out of the leather scene, out of being a man.”“They’re just having fun,” Chris says. “It’s no big deal.”“Right, cuz you’d hook up with one of them?”“I don’t know, the one in the harness is pretty hot.”Remember when former Dragula contestants on tour in the UK were turned away from the Manchester Eagle because they had a woman in their group?And across the globe, a popular LA party for “Dads” and muscle bears refused entry to a trans man because his ID stated his gender as female, even though he presented as male.I’ve received countless emails and comments on my blog from people who have experienced discrimination for not being “masculine” enough.Here are just a few:“I was recently turned away at a gay bar in San Francisco because my boyfriend was in a dress.

Chrys Dee Lemon, who practiced law as a partner for the D.C. law firm McIntyre & Lemon for the past 26 years specializing in banking and insurance law and who provided both financial and legal support for numerous LGBTQ organizations, died on Aug. 27 at the age of 64.

Casa Ruby, the Washington, D.C., LGBTQ+ organization beset by a variety of financial troubles, should be dissolved, and there is also evidence of “potential criminal misconduct” there, says a report from the foundation appointed to be its receiver.The nonprofit had provided housing and social services to D.C.’s most vulnerable LGBTQ+ residents — youth, transgender people, people of color, and others — since its founding in 2012. However, last year it lost a city grant due to mismanagement of funds.

Legislation seeking to codify same-sex marriage may be cued up as soon as this week in the U.S. Senate after lawmakers returned from August recess, although reaching the 60-vote threshold to end a filibuster is unassured.

In simple terms, digital money can be defined as a form of currency that uses computer networks to make payments. Breathless media coverage of the future potential of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin has made digital money a hot topic.

During a radio interview, the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, confirmed that free gender-affirming surgery is part of their LGBTQ+ rights reform. To date, the government has legalised marriage equality, criminalised conversion therapy, added non-binary as a gender option on official documents and more. On One Radio, Abela discussed the promise of free gender-affirming […]

A private Christian university in Washington that admits to discriminating against LGBTQ+ job applicants is being sued by dozens of current and former students, faculty, and staff.Seattle Pacific University has been under investigation by the state since May after Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson received multiple complaints from students, staff, and faculty regarding the hiring policies at SPU. In June, the university responded to an inquiry from Ferguson by filing a suit in federal court requesting protection from the Washington state investigation due to its exemption as a religious institution.

Musician Tommy Lee has already proven he’s not camera shy, and apparently he has a lot more to share with the world… for a fee.The Mötley Crüe drummer announced he’s launching an OnlyFans page during the group’s final reunion performance in Las Vegas for their Stadium tour.The move comes one month after Lee shirked Instagram’s nudity rules and posted a full-frontal photo. It remained up for several hours before the app removed it — it’s still on Twitter if you’re one of the few people who hasn’t seen it. But we understand if you’d like to keep it that way.Related: 8 male celebs on OnlyFans you can following right nowHe later provided the messy context to a crowd of fans in San Antonio, Texas, attributing his overshare to being on a “mother f*cking bender.”“A couple of weeks ago, we had like a two-week break off the tour, and I went on a mother f*cking bender, bro,” Lee, 59, said.

CBS Sports’ Beyond Limits returns with three new episodes including one featuring OJ Jenkins, our local LGBTQ community women’s football champion. The episode airs on Saturday, Sept 17 at 1 p.m. Central Time on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

Vampire Academy stars Rhian Blundell and Mia McKenna-Bruce speak with GAY TIMES about the new series, playing LGBTQ+ roles and their characters “sexually charged” romance.

GAY TIMES teamed up with London’s most well-known LGBTQ+ sexual health clinics to show you how easy it is to get checked.

It was early on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, when the first rumbles came across the pond about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s health. “Keep calm and carry on” kicked in until her children arrived in Scotland. Nothing screams imminent death in Britain more than the arrival of close family.

The Wanda Alston Foundation, which a D.C. Superior Court judge named last month as the city’s receiver for the LGBTQ community services center Casa Ruby, issued a preliminary finding in an interim report filed in court on Tuesday, Sept. 13, declaring that “Casa Ruby should be dissolved in an orderly manner pursuant to D.C. Code.”

Joseph C. “Joey” Phalin, who worked from 2002 to 2021 as a bartender at the 17th Street gay bars Cobalt and JR.’s and who became a beloved figure to his customers and friends near Dupont Circle, died unexpectedly on Sept. 8 in Rochester, N.Y., where he had moved last year, according to a social media post by his brother, James Phalin.

Lady Morgana says she’s “forever grateful” for her time on the first season of Drag Race Philippines.

Serbian police have officially banned the EuroPride march route due to mass anti-LGBTQ+ protests and apparent “security concerns”.

Out in Colombia, a gay-owned tour company that won the 2021 Impact Award from the IGLTA Foundation, in recognition of its dedication to responsible tourism development. We’ve teamed up with Out in Colombia and came up with a few ideas to inspire your next trip.A picturesque colonial port city on the Caribbean coast, Cartagena has long been a top draw for tourists, thanks to its historic walled downtown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates to 1533.

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Two popular gay contestants from The Great British Bake Off (known as The Great British Baking Show in the U.S.) say the show needs to do more for LGBTQ+ inclusion.The competition show has “embraced gay men very comfortably and highlighted them a lot,” but the “rest of the queer community has been slightly sidelined,” David Atherton, who won the program’s 2019 season, recently told PinkNews.His season, in which fellow gay contestant Michael Chakraverty placed sixth, marked a “turning point” for inclusion, he said. After downplaying LGBTQ+ visibility in previous seasons, in their season the show’s staff “let us wear T-shirts that were pro-LGBTQI+, and right at the end of the whole series is me and Nik [his fiancé] kissing,” he explained.But it’s time for the show to have a transgender competitor, Chakraverty told PinkNews.

As Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT), continues his push for broader adoption of electric vehicle use, he was again targeted with homophobic attacks online.  

Officials from EuroPride and Belgrade Pride commemorated the start of EuroPride 2022 in the Serbian capital with a ceremonial flag raising Monday as the event gets underway this week.

The Disney-themed drag brunch scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 11 was abruptly cancelled last week after an onslaught of threats of violence to the venue, the Cool Beans Bar and Grill, an LGBTQ+ friendly establishment.

Maybelle Blair, the 95-year-old baseball player who was an inspiration for A League of Their Own who came out this year; Solomon Bates, the second minor league baseball player to come out and was signed by the Sioux City Explorers; Lia Thomas, who came out and stood up to her Republican lawmaker dad; Megan Rapinoe, who educates her followers about wildlife and whose emu stole the show; his followers on TikTok and Instagram about life as a trans dad and promoted protests against anti-trans laws; and Justine Lindsay, who uses her large platform on to show what it’s like to be Black, queer, and Muslim.The nominees for LGBTQ Nation’s Sports Hero of the Year 2022 confirm that what counts, win or lose, is how you play the game. Vote now for LGBTQ Nation’s 2022 Sports Hero. Maybelle BlairIn June, Maybelle Blair, who inspired the character played by Madonna in Penny Marshall’s 1992 comedy A League of Their Own, came out as gay.The occasion was the premiere of a new Amazon series based on the film.

The pandemic is over (in award show world anyway,) and glitz and glamour have returned. That is the prevailing impression from this year’s 74th annual Emmy Awards. The show was stunning and exciting from the outset, but even with the pomp and loud noise of celebration, a queer presence was not to be drowned out.

Malta’s prime minister confirms that the country will have free gender affirming surgery for trans people, under reformed laws.