One Writer’s Love Letters to the Forces That Shaped Him

Three leading charities have come together to warn the newly appointed Health Secretary, Thérèse Coffey MP, that dealing with monkeypox needs to be a top priority.

State representatives in Pennsylvania have introduced a more restrictive version of Florida’s highly-criticised ‘Don’t Say Gay‘ law.

I was at a watch party last month, waiting excitedly for the expected announcement that Singapore would finally decriminalize consensual sex between gay men. Section 377A of Singapore’s Penal Code, a holdover from British colonial times, has loomed as a barrier to queer rights, setting the tone for discrimination in broader areas like housing, health care and employment. Although the government had years ago stopped enforcing it, repeal gave gay Singaporeans like me hope that we might finally be accepted, and cheers went up when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered the news.

Former Real Housewives star Meghan King revealed she’s “somewhere on the gay spectrum” and admitted she’s “hooked up” with women in the past.

For much of the past decade, Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party has served as the dependable linchpin of wobbly crisis cabinets, delivering responsible – if uninspiring – government. As the country heads to the polls on September 25, the party’s inability to capture the imagination of Italian voters is hobbling its efforts to prevent a right-wing landslide.

For the second year running, Queensland Police Force officers will not march in uniform in Brisbane Pride. In a joint statement, issued with Brisbane Pride, the police have committed to issuing an apology to the LGBTQI community in early 2023.The joint statement was issued days before Brisbane Pride, which is scheduled to be held on September 24, 2022. The statement said that the delay in finalising the apology was the reason for asking police not to march in uniform in the Pride parade. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll.Police commissioner Katarina Carroll, who is leading the preparations for a formal apology, said she was committed to delivering it in consultation with community members, including serving LGBTQI police officers. The Queensland Police Force had in 2015 lifted a 25-year-old ban on its officers marching in uniform in the Brisbane Pride Festival.

Chaselyn Wade Vance presents the premiere of her first feature film, Dr. Kim and the Apparition, on Thursday, Oct, 13, from 7-10 p.m. at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas, 10110 Technology Blvd. Part-Time Justin from the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show (106.1 KISS FM in Dallas) hosts the evening, which will benefit Legacy Cares.

Juan Carlos Maldonado — and he is BEAUTIFUL — is one of the latest additions to Mr. Man. If you sign up, BoyCulture.com gets a little somethin'.

Elska is a project centered on traveling around the world, meeting some everyday local gay guys, and introducing their city to our readers through honest photography and personal stories. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it! The latest issue documents a trip to Singapore.Below, photographer Liam Campbell shares exclusively with GayCities a selection of photos along with a bit of behind-the-scenes commentary about each.‘Elska Singapore’ is the 39th edition of my project, which so far has seen me travel to various cities on every continent of the world (apart from Antarctica), including seven cities in Asia.

After being outed and blackmailed, who wouldn’t need to let off a little steam?Mexican actor Polo Morín is ramping up for his next role — fighting fires in Mexico City and lighting a few for the viewers at home.Here’s how Netflix teases its scorching new series, High Heat:“When clues to his brother’s murder lead Poncho to a fire brigade, he joins it to investigate further and finds romance, family – and a serial killer.”The drama!But since we’re here…  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)  A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin) A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin) A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin) A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin) A post shared by Polo Morin (@polo_morin)

Welcome to Curtain Call, our mostly queer take on the latest openings on Broadway and beyond.Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns and contemporary actor Alan Cumming converge in Burn, a dance theater piece co-created with acclaimed director-choreographer Steven Hoggett. The result is a decade-spanning dive into the poet’s trials and tribulations, from an impoverished childhood to multiple love affairs and a life-long struggle with what today’s researchers might diagnose as bipolar disorder.

We’ve seen Tom Hardy duking it out in Warrior and popping his pectorals as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. After a surprise entrance in a Jiu-Jitsu contest in Milton Keynes, England this week, fans are happy to learn that the actor is still taking guys to the mat.The Venom star entered the competition under his given name, “Edward Hardy”, leading to a bit of shock when he arrived.

Pennsylvania state representatives have introduced a bill regulating classroom instruction that is more restrictive than Florida’s infamous “don’t say gay” law.“It is patterned after the Florida bill, but mine goes further,” Republican Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, the legislation’s lead sponsor, said at a rally at the state capitol Tuesday, Harrisburg’s Patriot-News reports.Her bill, House Bill 2813, would stipulate that public and charter schools “may not offer instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to a student in kindergarten through fifth grade.” The Florida law, which went into effect this year, bans instruction on these topics in grades K-3 and says any lessons in higher grades must be age-appropriate.Borowicz said she ideally would like the prohibition to go through 12th grade.

Since season 13 of Rupaul’s Drag Race aired, rumors have flown about one particular queen’s problematic behavior behind the scenes. Now, two of the season’s top finalists have all but confirmed what the fandom has long suspected.Gottmik, who is a trans man, recently spoke out on his No Gorge podcast with Violet Chachki about a cast mate who was directly transphobic to him during filming.In this clip, he states that this queen would call him a transphobic slur to his face:He also states that this queen referred to season winner Symone and her iconic durag look as “ghetto”.The problematic comments were apparently so frequent that Gottmik had to reach out to Drag Race‘s “Queen Care” therapy program during filming for support.Related: Gottmik made history by crashing the “cis-tem” and showing the world that drag isn’t binaryMany fans suspected it to be one specific cast member in the comments.

It’s mid-September and Melania Trump is already getting into the holiday spirit by settling old scores with ex-staffers whilst plugging her new line of Christmas ornament NFTs on Twitter.The ex-FLOTUS/Christmas witch posted a statement today about her new line of Christmas ornaments and corresponding NFTs that are currently for sale at $35 a pop and can only be purchased with cryptocurrency through her personal website.“While I was serving as First Lady of our country, Stephanie Wolkoff secretly recorded several of our conversations,” Melania said in a tweet. “Wolkoff then spitefully edited and released our conversation to create the perception that Christmas is not significant to me.”Related: Melania says she felt “violated” by FBI agents going through her closet and the Rose Garden would like a wordThe statement continued, “I will personally set the record straight because the mainstream media has failed to provide context for these misleading exchanges.

The National Center for Transgender Equality and the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey team are seeking volunteers to assist with outreach efforts for the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey, which is, they say, the largest survey of trans people in the U.S. and the U.S. Territories.

A strip search of a Muslim prisoner involving a transgender male guard violated his religious beliefs, a federal appeals court has ruled.The trans guard supervised a strip search of Rufus West, an inmate at the Green Bay Correctional Institution in Allouez, Wis., in 2016. The searches involve one guard actually performing it while another observes.

Billy Eichner‘s upcoming gay rom-com Bros represents a major breakthrough moment for out gay actor Luke Macfarlane. But he’s no stranger to playing the romantic lead.As one of the stars of Bros‘ historic, all-LGBTQ cast, Macfarlane finds himself in the limelight after working steadily in theater, film, and television for the better part of the last two decades.Born in London, Ontario, the 41-year old, Juilliard trained (Jessica Chastain, Oscar Isaac, and Michael Urie were his classmates) actor’s biggest break came in 2006 when he joined ABC drama Brothers & Sisters for a multi-season arc.

2021 law barring transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity is unconstitutional. On Sept. 14, Gallatin County District Judge Rienne McElyea issued an injunction permanently barring the state from enforcing a provision in the law that prohibits transgender athletes from participating on collegiate-level women’s sports teams.McElyea found that, in passing the law, the state’s Republican-led Legislature infringed on the constitutional authority of the Montana Board of Regents, which is allowed to make its own policies governing college campuses.The ruling does not overturn part of the law prohibiting transgender athletes in grades K-12 from competing in sports that match their gender identity.In her ruling, McElyea rejected the state’s argument that the Board of Regents had no existing policies regarding athlete participation, finding that the board’s decision to comply with NCAA regulations on transgender participation was in itself a policy, reports the Helena Independent Record.“Contrary to the state’s characterization, the Board’s policy is not a delegation of the Board’s constitutional authority to a non-governmental body [NCAA], but an exercise of the Board’s authority to ensure the eligibility of Montana athletes and to protect the [Montana University System’s] substantial financial investment in its athletics programs,” she wrote.Current NCAA policy on transgender athletes allows each individual sports’ national governing body to determine its own criteria for eligibility.

(Image © Andrew Caulfield/AUGUST/www.augustimage.com)

online. The teacher, identified as Kayla Lemieux, went viral for wearing synthetic boobs with protruding nipples in class at Oakville Trafalgar High School in Canada.

Jon Hamm is a fine actor, but even Stanislavski would agree that it’s hard to avoid the “Hammaconda” in the room when he’s in front of a crowd.The 51-year-old actor’s southern district has been the topic of much conversation over the years, including a rumor that the Mad Men wardrobe department once forced him to wear underwear to keep viewers from getting too distracted.Intrepid reporter Howard Stern recently asked Hamm to set the record straight, and also got an answer to the age-old question of “boxers or briefs?”Related: WATCH: Jon Hamm asked point-blank about his “Hammaconda”Asked about those rumors, Hamm said, “I have worn underwear every single day of my life. Who doesn’t wear underwear?”“I love a comfy boxer brief,” he added.

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, just in time for Bisexual Visibility Week, a diverse group of 15 bisexual and pansexual activists met with officials from the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including Melanie Fontes Rainer, the director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS. 

Ever wondered which breakfast cereals would be queer? This TikTok has the answers.The video from Jacob Ryan Carlew, a choir teacher with 2.2 million likes on his account @mrcarlew, shares a slideshow made by one of his students for an activity he calls "PowerPoint(less) Friday," where students are allowed to present on any topic they choose.This student, Carlew shared, decided to assign sexualities to cereals, and the results are hysterical."I think that Froot Loops are gay obvy," the student declares.Other exmaples include Fruity Pebbles, which are "gender queer they are just gender queer," as opposed to Marshmellow Fruity Pebbles, which are "lesbian and probably dating someone who is nonbinary."Carlew added that while the PowerPoint was lighthearted and comedic, the student was also informative about different sexualities and their distinctions.They wrote in one slide: "I think that crunch berrie is bicurious meaning they are experimenting with bisexuality."After receiving 2.4 million views, a popularly demanded sequel was made by the same student.As one TikTok user commented, "What this ACTUALLY tells me is how safe students feel in your classroom."Another posted, "I'm not sure if this is a graded assignment but this kid gets a 100 percent so informative and entertaining."Around the U.S.

Technology companies have been under pressure for months to stop enabling the spread of anti-transgender hate and targeting LGBTQ+ people by online trolls. As a result of terms of service violations, a popular anti-trans hate group was banned from a major internet service for the second time this week. Gays Against Groomers, founded by Florida political operative Jaimee Michell who identifies as gay, was banned from using Google's subscriber services late Tuesday evening, the group said on social media.Shortly after Michell appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox News program to complain to the far-right pundit about the news that Venmo and PayPal had banned the group, Gays Against Groomers took to Twitter.

OTTAWA (CTV Network) – The federal government plans to drop its COVID-19 vaccine border requirements by the end of September and make the ArriveCan application optional, sources confirmed to CTV News.The government is expected to make this policy change by the end of the month, and the sources indicated the Liberals would also end the outstanding random COVID-19 testing for travelers.The federal government said in late June that existing border restrictions, including showing proof of vaccination to enter the country, would remain in place until at least September 30. The latest news suggests the federal government may simply choose not to extend these measures any further.Also in June, the government began allowing unvaccinated Canadians to board planes and trains heading to either domestic or international locations, but they were still required to follow the current testing and quarantine requirements upon re-entry from international destinations.

Welcome To Chippendales reminds us that no empire is built without a little bloodshed—not even an empire of chiseled dancing men!When you hear “Chippendales” you probably picture it right away: The man, the bowtie, the six-pack, the cufflinks. Founded in 1979, this all-male revue was created with female audiences in mind (but we know the gays turned up, too), titillating the looky-loos with erotic, crotch-forward dance routines.Soon enough, the burlesque show was a smash hit, eventually expanding with performances across the globe, and was credited with helping legitimize stripping as a form of entertainment in the public eye.

For the first time in perhaps forever, it’s a great day to be Tiffany Trump!New York Attorney General Letitia James just filed a 222-page civil lawsuit with the State Supreme Court in Manhattan against Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.The suit accuses the Trump family business of “grossly” inflating the ex-president’s net worth by billions–yes, billions–of dollars and giving cheating false and misleading financial statements to lenders for at least a decade.Related: Mary Trump predicts uncle Donald Trump’s next move as his downfall accelerates“We found that Mr, Trump, his children, and the corporation used more than 200 false asset valuations over a ten-year period,” James, who interviewed more than 65 witnesses, said this morning at a press conference announcing the charges.Among the allegations made by James are:“The examples I laid out barely scratch the surface,” James said. “Claiming you have money you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal.

(CNN) -- Ten European football teams — the Netherlands, England, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales — will participate in a season-long "OneLove" campaign promoting inclusion and opposing discrimination.Every country except Sweden and Norway has qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and each captain of these eight nations will wear a distinctive OneLove armband — which features a heart containing colors from all backgrounds — during the tournament.The Netherlands FA, which is spearheading the campaign, chose the colors to represent all heritages, backgrounds, genders, and sexual identities; the armband will be worn in Qatar where same-sex relationships are a criminal offense.Sweden and Norway will participate in the initiative during the upcoming Nations League matches, while England will also wear black armbands during both its UEFA Nations League matches to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II."This is an important message which suits the game of football: on the field everybody is equal and this should be the case in every place in society. With the OneLove band we express this message," said Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands captain."On behalf of the Dutch team I have been wearing this band for quite a while now.

It’s only natural to lose your senses when a hot guy is around. After all, science tells us the blood flow to the brain gets diverted elsewhere… right? (Don’t fact-check that.) But some gay guys have surprised themselves with their lecherous behavior, and they’re sharing their stories on Reddit.The confessionals kicked off after one user asked, “What is the skeeziest thing you have done, that you felt was out of character for yourself, to get a good look at a hot guy?”The original poster coughed up his own story: “I once followed a really hot dude walking his dog because I knew he would have to bend over to pick up his dog’s business at some point.

I feel for NY1 meteorologist Erick Adame, who was outed for performing sex acts on a cam site and fired from his job over the indiscretion.

Grand Slam, which the company promises will be one of its largest events of the year.Ahead of the show that takes place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, AEW founder, president and CEO Tony Khan spoke with Newsweek about coming into WWE's backyard, as well as how AEW has become viewed by many as the more open and diverse wrestling promotion.AEW made an immediate impact on the professional wrestling scene when it launched in 2019, and it has been threatening WWE's stranglehold on television ratings ever since. While AEW adheres to the same policy as most wrestling companies—and many entertainment entities—of not discussing politics, the promotion has stood out for its open embrace of talent from the LGBTQ+ community.

Strictly Come Dancing star Richie Anderson has revealed he was allowed to choose if he wanted to dance in an all-male partnership.

Kim Saira, a queer Filipina immigrant, has made it her mission to raise awareness of mental health issues and how helpful therapy can be.“I would suppress so much of my emotions because I didn’t know how to communicate them effectively to other people, and I was lost because I didn’t feel like I was American enough, so that’s when I knew that I needed to go to therapy,” Saira says in a video for The Advocate’s Love, Me seriesSaira grew up in a Catholic household where, whenever she was feeling emotionally troubled, she was encouraged to pray. “Maybe this helps others, but it definitely didn’t help me, and I knew I needed professional help,” she wrote recently on Instagram, where she uses her presence to address mental health issues and anything that relates to the Asian American-Pacific Islander community.Because of the stigma around mental health in her home, Saira didn’t get support from her family and waited until she was 20 to seek professional treatment.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” Somewhere over the rainbow, indeed! Kenya Barris tells me that LGBTQ representation will be featured in his “Wizard of Oz” remake. “The original was an allegory and a reflection of the way the world was at the time with things like the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl,” says Barris, who will write and direct the reimagining for Warner Bros. “Now we’re going to turn a mirror on where we’re at right now and take disparate characters from the LGBTQ community, from different cultural communities and socioeconomic communities, and tell a story that reflects the world. I think this is the best time to do that.”

Warning: this story contains spoilers for episode five of House of the Dragon.Just one week after House of the Dragon fans celebrated Westeros' first black — and gay — dragon rider, they are now calling the show out and accusing it of homophobic tropes.In the most recent episode of the HBO series, viewers were introduced officially to Laenor Velaryon's (Theo Nate) male partner, Joffrey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod) and witnessed the deep love the pair had for each other.But by the end of the episode, Joffrey would be dead in one of the show's most gruesome murder scenes yet.The premise of the most recent episode saw King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) arrange a politically strategic marriage between his daughter and heir, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Laenor.Both youngsters are not so interested in marriage to each other because Laenor's heart is with Joffrey and Rhaenyra has her own paramour, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).The pair come to an agreement that they will marry and have an open relationship where they keep their current lovers.Criston, who also serves as Rhaenyra's protector, seethes at the prospect of her marrying someone else and tries to encourage her to run away with him, but becomes enraged when she does not agree.Later, at the welcoming dinner for Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding festival, Joffrey works out that Criston is the princess' lover.He approaches him with a proposal, saying they could work together to protect their loved ones during their marriage and that way ensure they would always be near them.But a clearly upset Criston lashes out at Laenor and viciously attacks him in the middle of the reception beating his face to a bloody pulp.It was this scene that lead to outrage amongst the show's

A jury in California convicted a man for threatening out state senator, Scott Wiener, via email earlier this year.Erik Triana, 51, was convicted on seven of eight counts related to an email he sent to Wiener’s web portal shortly after the senator introduced a bill that would have allowed minors 15 years of age or older to obtain a vaccine without the consent of a parent or guardian. Triana, a father of three, was also convicted on multiple weapons charges.“Vax my kids without my permission and expect a visit from me and my rifle,” Triana wrote to Wiener in an email sent on January 22nd.

Matthew Rettenmund wrote the book about Madonna. No, seriously.

ABOVE: Foot-long?

Officials with Dallas Southern Pride announced this week that they have cancelled Black Pride Weekend events traditionally scheduled each year at the end of September/first of October due to concern over increasing monkeypox infections in Dallas County.

Fancy a pair of tickets to see a new Irish-made LGBTQ+ film? Look no further! We have two tickets to see Pure Grit in cinemas on its opening night in the Irish Film Institute on September 30 at 6:30 pm. Spanning over the course of three years, the film follows the life of a young […]

The U.S. Department of Justice settled their lawsuit against a town in Indiana, filed this April, that denied a qualified applicant for a Clarksville Police Department position due to the individual's HIV status.

(Image by Matthew Rettenmund)

too gay!The press conference was held outside the Michigan Department of Education building Tuesday morning. Dixon, who is running against incumbent Democratic Gov.

Botswana’s LGBTIQ+ community will be celebrated and visiblised at Gaborone Pride 2022, set to take place on Saturday the 1st of October.

"It's all new...

Related: Ask and you shall receive: Lil Nas X invites fans to “a big orgy” at his concertIn other Lil Nas X news, he played Radio City Music Hall in NYC last night. One of the VIP guests was Madonna.

A powerful adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s acclaimed novel The Blackwater Lightship will make its unmissable world premiere during Dublin Theatre Festival 2022. As the play powerfully describes: “It’s ’90s Ireland and HIV/AIDS is still a terminal diagnosis. A sister, a mother and a grandmother, along with two gay friends, have come together to tend to […]