In the run up to Pride, companies need to learn how to really be allies

Downtown Merced is making a dramatic comeback and LGBTQs are helping to lead the way. With a population of nearly 90,000, the Central California city's downtown was once its crown jewel. Now it appears to be on a roll to reclaim some of its past glory.Earlier this month, I made the trip to Merced on Amtrak from San Francisco.

Facebook. He was responding to a tweet Lake sent Friday. "They kicked God out of schools and welcomed the Drag Queens," Lake wrote.

Russel T Davies’ landmark series for today’s audiences, Peacock’s celebrated Queer As Folk revival centers on a diverse cross-section of New Orleans’ LGBTQ community, one that feels much more representative of our modern understanding of queerness.Of course, some things never change, and we were delighted to find that, yes, this version of Queer As Folk still includes lots and lots of hot, hot sex.Related: 7 surprising and somewhat problematic observations I made rewatching Season 1 of ‘Queer As Folk’In one of its earliest scenes, Johnny Sibilly‘s Noah and Chris Renfro’s Daddius aren’t shy as they go to town on one another in a scene that features plenty of muscle, sweat, and finely sculpted butt. But things get interrupted when Daddius’ friend Brodie (Devin Way)—also Noah’s ex—gives them a ring to announce he’s on his way over.

of course he is mannerisms. In dramas, they showed up in crime or legal series, the (offscreen) homosexuality serving as fulcrum for the week’s plot – blackmail, revenge over unrequited-love, mental instability – with a correlation seemingly drawn between gay and aberrant.But then TV began to become more real in the 1970s, in large part due to the arrival of “All in the Family” in 1971.

Scots icon Lulu joined stars from the world of showbiz, music, sport and reality TV as she celebrated The Pride of Scotland Awards in Edinburgh.

For the most part, celebrity interviews are the epitome of fluff and prescreened questions. But too often when the conversation turns to sexuality and gender identity, an interviewer will come up with questions that are invasive or downright queerphobic.

Apartheid fortune heir Elon Musk doesn’t have to go to space to be alone; his personality has been enough to do the trick.After being left by his long-term girlfriend Grimes earlier this year, Musk’s own daughter has petitioned for a name change — first and last — as both part of her transition and to distance herself from the multi-billionaire.According to leaked records from the Los Angeles County Court, she gave the following reason for the change: “Gender Identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”Related: Elon Musk’s trans daughter no longer wants to be related to her father “in any way, shape or form”Musk has made multiple derisive public statements against “pronouns”, doubtlessly more a dig at the trans community than the actual part of speech itself.If one specific public exchange from 2020 is anything to go by, his transphobic attitude may have even contributed to his split from Grimes.Grimes calls out partner Elon Musk after he tweeted “pronouns suck”:“I love you but please turn off ur phone or give me a call. I cannot support hate.

Mayor London Breed has nominated pink triangle co-founder Patrick Carney to the San Francisco Arts Commission, according to a June 21 release from her office.Carney, a gay man, helped start the LGBTQ Pride art installation more than 20 years ago. Situated atop Twin Peaks, this year's edition is lighted at night, as was the case in 2021.The 15-member arts commission is charged with approving the design of all public structures and any private structures that extend on city property, the release stated.

Colton Haynes looks, Hollywood quickly decided that he was a leading man. He was typecast as a dumb jock, a jerk, the boyfriend of the beautiful singer in a music video — roles he was told that meant he couldn't be gay.Forced back into the closet, he set about changing his voice and mannerisms.

wrote last week to Buttigieg requesting $33.1 million through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program for a bridge in Glenwood Springs, Colo.“With Rural Surface Transportation grant funds, Glenwood Springs will construct a new bridge connection that will provide a critical second emergency route/evacuation access between State Highway 82 and the western side of the Roaring Fork River in the City’s South Corridor,” she wrote.Congress passed the infrastructure bill in late 2021 and Biden quickly signed it into law. Boebert opposed the bill, calling it “wasteful” and “garbage,” and she said the Republicans who supported it were “RINOS,” that is, Republicans in name only.She had criticized Buttigieg for taking parental leave when he and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, welcomed twin babies last year.

A post shared by Salah Czapary for Ward 1 (@czapary) Meet Salah Czapary. He’s a former officer for the Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. who is now running for D.C.

transgender daughter has petitioned to change her name to fit her gender identity.In the request, she also wrote that she wanted the name change because “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form,” Reuters reports.The request was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Santa Monica back in April. Only recently has it made the news, with several media reports about the request being published.The petition, reported first by TMZ, looks to legally change her gender to female as well as her name on a new birth certificate.Her mother is author Justine Musk.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation and HIV services provided by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, as reported by POZ magazine. This broke the previous record of $16.7 million raised in 2019. “The contributions of thousands of people who are part of the AIDS/LifeCycle community — riders, roadies, staff and donors — provide the resources necessary to continue this fight,” said Joe Hollendoner, the LGBT Center’s new CEO, in a press release.

Different From The Others, a short film created in protest of the country’s Paragraph 175, which made homosexuality a criminal offense. Through its story of a violinist (Conrad Veidt) who falls in love with his student (Fritz Schulz), Oswald’s work is often cited as the the world’s first pro-gay film.Related: Strangers By The Lake: 10 sexy, queer lakeside stories perfect for a summer watchOver 100 years later, the impact of Different From The Others on global cinema cannot be overstated, especially in Germany, where it paved the way for a number of sexy, thought-provoking, and boundary-breaking queer-themed movies.

The Supreme Court voted 6-3 that it’s unconstitutional for a state government to withhold taxpayer funds from religious schools.

Gay and bisexual men in Scotland who are considered at higher risk of catching monkeypox are set to be offered a vaccine.

“You’re a free man”

Texas embarrassment Ted Cruz has a lot of concerns for America’s children recently.Kids at apparently at danger of seeing drag, being exposed to “lesbian toys”, and most recently, being coerced into “addictive” gambling by video games.On the latest episode of #Verdict, @michaeljknowles and I talk loot boxes in video games. @AsmongoldCatch the full episode on YouTube!https://t.co/sacHSkD2J3 pic.twitter.com/2mKBfGmyOQ— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 21, 2022In the wake of last month’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Cruz & Co.’s recent uptick in concern for children’s welfare from every possible angle except gun violence is more than a little convenient.Related: Ted Cruz responds to Texas school shooting in the worst possible wayEven in a debate on something as small as video game currency, Ted Cruz couldn’t find a consistent viewpoint.

name its theater after him due to student backlash over transphobic remarks he has made over the past several months. During a dedication speech at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Northwest Washington, D.C., the comedian told the audience that he didn’t want his name to distract students from their art.The announcement came as a surprise to the crowd assembled Monday night for the ceremony.

Lightyear.The 89′er Theater in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, initially posted a sign indicating to customers that it would be fast-forwarding through the short scene early in the film, which hit theaters on Friday. As of Tuesday, a local Fox affiliate, Fox 23 News, reported that the sign had been taken down and that the theater intended to play the film all the way through.Starring Chris Evans in the lead role, Lightyear is a new spin-off of Pixar's Toy Story series, presented as the sci-fi adventure film that the Buzz Lightyear toyline in the previous films is based on.

This family feud is really beginning to show!

A permitting snafu may sink the Pink Saturday fashion show and dance party planned for the Castro June 25. A separate daytime event being produced by the Castro Merchants Association, featuring drag contests and a petting zoo, will go on as scheduled.Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday morning that he's doubtful the other event, called A Touch of Pink, will occur. He told the B.A.R.

“gender inclusion” policy was approved on Sunday during FINA’s extraordinary general congress in Budapest following a report from a task force — comprised of medical, legal, and sports figures — that examined the issue of transgender participation and the physical advantages that trans female athletes enjoy compared to cisgender women. After hearing the report, 71.5% of FINA members from 152 delegations voted in favor of the 24-page policy, which effectively bars most, if not all, trans females from competing in women’s events if they have undergone male puberty, reports the Australian Broadcasting Company.FINA also set up a working group that will spend the next six months crafting a policy that would allow transgender athletes, and others, to compete in a third “open” category not designated for a specific gender.The new policy comes after the International Olympic Committee issued a “framework” around transgender participation, but left eligibility criteria to be determined by individual sporting bodies.Under the newly approved FINA policy, transgender or intersex females athletes may only compete in women’s events if they can provide evidence that they experience “complete androgen insensitivity and therefore could not experience male puberty” or are “”androgen sensitive but had male puberty suppressed beginning at Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12, whichever is later.”Transgender and intersex females will also be required to produce evidence they have continuously maintained their testosterone levels below 2.5 nanomoles per liter since transitioning.

Topics: Aaon, Church/State, Class, Education, Religion, Supreme Court, World More Posts About: John Roberts, Reuters, Separation of church and state, Sonia Sotomayor, Transgender

The first visitor center within the national park system dedicated to L.G.B.T.Q. history will honor and explore the history of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, a galvanizing moment in the fight for equality, the center’s managers announced on Tuesday. When it opens in 2024, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center will occupy a vacant storefront in Greenwich Village in Manhattan next door to the Stonewall Inn bar, which was designated a national monument in 2016.

Durban Pride 2019 (Pic: Joy Khumalo)

We’re used to our Twitter feeds overflowing with hot takes about Drag Race—who should’ve sashayed away, who was robbed, who deserved the lead role in the Rusical—but these days it seems like everyone has opinions about drag. And, as usual, no one has any idea what they’re talking about.Case in point: There’s a wave of conservative politicians who want you to believe that drag is dangerous, “perverted,” and harmful to young audiences.

Madison Cawthorn appears to have been thoroughly humbled and humiliated by his embarrassing primary defeat last month. So much so that he’s begun distancing himself from his old buddy Donald Trump.The disgraced, outgoing, single-term congressman now believes the ex-president created a “dangerous setting” outside of the U.S.

READ NEXT: Michael Owen's 'hot' wife Louise's life - bikini snaps, bond with Gemma and 'jealousy'As celebrate show star Chris Pratt's 43rd birthdays, let's take a look at what everyone has been up to since the show wrapped, from sex symbol status to a major Me Too movement fall out.After moving on from her local government role as lovable Leslie Knope, Amy continues to make her mark on the big screen starring in a string of TV and movie hits.She currently serves as co-host of NBC's craft competition series Making It with her fellow Parks and Rec alum Nick Offerman. She also created and voiced the characters Duncan and Annie Harris in Fox's animated series Duncanville.

A study examining the experiences of people using HSE mental health services, with emphasis on the experiences of LGBTQ+ people, has released its report. The research revealed disparities in levels of satisfaction with the services between LGBTQ+ mental health service users and non-LGBTQ+ mental health service users. The study used survey questions to compare general […]

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petitioned a California court to change her name and gender, according to reports.Vivian, 18, who was born Xavier, announced her decision to change her gender and famous surname in order to lose any association with the Tesla and SpaceX founder.The official reason stated by Vivian in the petition, which was shared online, is: “Gender identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.Musk, 50, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is the world’s richest person with an estimated net worth of $214 billion.The teenager is changing her full name from Xavier Alexander Musk to Vivian Jenna Wilson, taking her mother’s last name, and that “she wants to be recognized as female,” TMZ reported.The teenager’s hearing is scheduled for Friday. Vivian Wilson, born Xavier Musk, is Elon Musk was born in 2004, she has a twin brother, Griffin Musk.Vivian and Griffin have an older sister, Nevada Alexander Musk, born in 2002.

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Protecting her family — and the crown. Royal expert Katie Nicholl explained that Queen Elizabeth II won’t release anything about the bullying report filed against Meghan Markle because the sovereign wants to shield the monarchy and her loved ones from the negativity.

Not putting themselves in a box. As LGBTQ+ representation in media becomes more common, some celebrities have pushed back against the expectation that they have to define their sexuality.

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). This designation is open to any business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated, managed or controlled by a person identifying as LGBT+.

Tarzan ... BOY! (GIF via GIPHY)

South Dakota’s gay-hating, God fearing governor Kristi Noem is absolutely giddy over the last abortion clinic in her state putting a pause on abortion procedures.Related: Kristi Noem’s chances of ever being president were just flushed down the toilet“Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here,” Noem, who opposes same-sex marriage, hates trans people, and is a champion for religious freedom laws, tweeted. “Now, we must redouble our focus on taking care of mothers in crisis.

Outitude is a recent documentary that explores the incredible history behind the Irish lesbian community. The award-winning film covers everything from lesbian activism, collectives, community, politics, and academia from the 1970’s to today. The documentary also includes powerful messages and personal statements from several individuals including Nell McCafferty (who was slapped by a man who […]

RTÉ will not appear before the Oireachtas tomorrow, June 22, to address the anti-Trans discussions that took place for several days on Joe Duffy’s Liveline show. The Oireachtas Media and Culture Committee invited them to address the occurrence after the enormous repercussions surrounding the radio show, including Dublin Pride’s decision to terminate its partnership with […]

Singer and rapper Ashley Gray has come out as transgender via a video posted on his personal TikTok account. 

Mayor London Breed on Tuesday announced $6.5 million in her proposed budget for a plan to end trans homelessness in San Francisco by 2027.Breed is expected to unveil her proposed two-year budget June 1.According to a news release from her office, the plan to end trans homelessness will be a collaborative effort between the Mayor's Office on Housing and Community Development, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the Department of Public Health, the Office of Transgender Initiatives, and nonprofit organizations serving transgender and gender-nonconforming people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.The proposal makes San Francisco the first city in the U.S. to commit to ending homelessness for TGNC people, the mayor's office stated.

A brand new £2.4million centre in Manchester aimed at providing LGBTQ+ people with community groups and support workers has opened.

Jussie Smollett has launched his directorial debut with BET+ "B-Boy Blues." The LGBTQ+ centered show will debut on the streaming network June 9, just in time for Pride Month. This project marks the first for Smollett since he was found guilty of making false reports on what he alleged to be a hate crime.

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.

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.

DC fans think that Bruce Wayne has been confirmed as bisexual in the latest issue of Batman: The Knight.

John Mulaney is facing backlash online after welcoming Dave Chappelle to the stage at his show this weekend.