This beauty pageant in northeast India celebrates transgender life, creative expression

On the 15th vote, Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California has finally been elected speaker of the House.McCarthy won a majority of votes cast shortly after midnight as Friday segued into Saturday.

Maura Healey is now officially the first out lesbian governor in the U.S.Healey, a Democrat, was sworn in Thursday as governor of Massachusetts. She is also the first woman to be governor of the state, and she and Healey and Lt. Gov.

A Missouri Democrat announced Friday in a captivating campaign ad that he would run to take Republican Sen. Josh Hawley's U.S. Senate seat away from him in 2024. Lucas Kunce hits Hawley for his record of running away from danger, selling Missouri for parts, and being super creepy about bedroom issues and masculinity.The nearly two-and-a-half-minute-long video has been viewed more than 2.5 million times on Twitter and has gained tens of thousands of likes.

Charli XCX loves you!

Strathaven Academy is to receive a £5,000 cash injection for a progressive diversity and racial equality project.

Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance to pay tribute to her friend Leslie Jordan on Thursday night’s episode of Call Me Kat.Jordan, 67, died in October in a car accident in Los Angeles. Authorities said he may have had a health episode that caused him to lose control of the car, which crashed into a building. The gay actor was beloved for his many TV and movie roles and for the Instagram videos he posted during the pandemic.The Thursday episode of Call Me Kat also gave “a happy ending,” in the words of star Mayim Bialik, to Jordan’s character Phil, a baker at the show’s cat-themed café.

When I worked on the Hill, I gave tours of the Capitol building to visiting constituents. I was a press secretary, so it was a little out of my realm of responsibilities, but I grabbed the opportunity every time I could.I never took for granted that a boy from Pittsburgh worked in Congress and had the opportunity to pass through that grand structure each day. I knew the building like the back of my hand, and though that was 30 years ago, I still remember every nook and cranny.The Washington Post reported this week, sadly, that the official tours of the Capitol do not include any reference to the insurrection of January 6, 2021.

ABC television series The Parent Test returns tonight. The unscripted series looks at different perspectives of parenting through 12 families that are followed.Hosted by Ali Wentworth and Adolph Brown, the families share their experiences in parenting as camera crews film the highs and lows of being a parent.

Instead of keeping a low profile after admitting to lying about significant portions of his biography, New York Republican Congressman-elect George Santos has put himself front-and-center in photos from the floor of the House of Representatives, including one in which he appears to flash a white power symbol.On Thursday evening, the incoming lawmaker gestured as he stood to cast a vote for Kevin McCarthy in the tenth round of votes for Speaker of the House.Waiting to be called, the incoming lawmaker stood in the aisle of the House chamber listening for his name to be called for the tenth time.“Santos,” the clerk called out.With his right hand raised and his left hand across his midsection, he made a sideways “OK” gesture by making his index finger and thumb meet. Rep.-elect George Santos making what appears to be a white power gesture while voting on the floor of the House of Representatives.“McCarthy,” Santos said, revealing the gesture briefly as he waved his other hand before turning around, walking away, and moving both hands back down to his sides.C-Span video of the incident shows that Santos had pre-positioned his hand along his body in an unusual way to create the gesture.Far-right extremists, mainly white supremacists, have coopted the gesture to symbolize a “W” and “P” for white power, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The Southern Poverty Law Center also categorizes the gesture as a white power gesture but explains that on the right, the gesture is often used to troll liberals.Because the gesture is similar to the innocuous “OK” symbol, context matters, the hate-group monitoring group says.When groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Front conduct their activities, they have been photographed flashing

Arizona’s new governor, Democrat Katie Hobbs, has issued an executive order aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ state employees and contractors from job discrimination.Hobbs signed the order shortly after being sworn in Monday. Arizona is one of nearly 30 states without an LGBTQ-inclusive antidiscrimination law.Hobbs’s order directs the Arizona Department of Administration to establish policies to be used by all state agencies to assure there is no discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, in addition to race, sex, religion, pregnancy, disability, veteran status, and other factors.

A central Texas LGBTQ+ bar's owner abruptly fired all employees on New Year's Day and shuttered the business, leaving a community devastated and without a safe space for LGBTQ+ people.Staff and management of the Stonewall Warehouse in San Marcos, a college town between San Antonio and Austin, were told by owner Jamie Frailicks on Sunday that they no longer had a place to work, former manager Lena Jacobs tells The Advocate.After arriving 30 minutes early to meet the owner without a care in the world, she says the two exchanged initial pleasantries and light-hearted banter before heading upstairs when Frailicks's demeanor changed."He told me that this was about to be a hard meeting and that he was shutting the bar down," Jacobs, who had been managing the Stonewall Warehouse for five years, says. "It just blindsided me out of nowhere."She continues, "I sat there, and he talked to me for ten minutes.

After weeks of climbing the chart, RAYE has secured her first UK No.1 single on the Official Singles Chart.

German pop star Kim Petras, who broke a record with collaborator Sam Smith to become the first trans and non-binary artists, respectively, to hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, will headline Sydney’s WorldPride’s closing concert.Sydney WorldPride runs from February 17 to March 5, and will feature an official opening ceremony, a human rights conference, and a First Nations Gathering. The seven-hour Rainbow Republic closing concert, which will be hosted by G Flip and out Australian actor Keiynan Lonsdale, will pass the WorldPride baton to the next host city for 2025 — Washington, D.C.“I’m so excited to be back in Sydney this year,” Petras says in a video posted on her own Twitter account. “So exicted to be back in Sydney.

Registration for the Dallas Pride Music Festival, Teen Pride, Family Pride Zone and the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade will open at 8 a.m. on Jan. 15.

It’s official: a second season of the beloved supernatural series is on its way to Netflix!

A Florida college student is under arrest after he allegedly used the popular instant messaging and social media platform Discord to threaten a mass shooting at Florida State University.Sean Michael Albert, 19, of Winter Park, and a student at Full Sail University was arrested on Tuesday and charged with making an interstate communication to threaten to injure another person. The criminal complaint alleges that on December 16 of last year Albert posted a picture to a Discord server showing an AK-47 with the following text:“600 W College Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32306.

Living authentically!

More than 1.5 million people identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, according to England and Wales’ first-ever sexuality and gender census.

A man who worked for Herschel Walker’s failed Senate campaign has accused Republican political activist Matt Schlapp of making “sustained and unwanted and unsolicited” sexual contact with him, the Daily Beast reports.The alleged incident happened after the staffer said he was driving Schlapp back from a bar in Atlanta on October 19.Schlapp is the chair of the American Conservative Union as well as a leader in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). He’s married to conservative political consultant Mercedes Schlapp.While CPAC has been criticized for hosting anti-LGBTQ+ speakers, Schlapp has welcomed LGBTQ+ conservatives to attend.The staffer told the Beast that Schlapp “groped” him against his will after Schlapp had bought him drinks at two bars.The staffer told the Beast that he wanted his identity concealed as he started a new political job.

Patti LuPone accepts the award for best featured actress in a musical for “Company” at the 75th annual Tony Awards last June. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Have an event coming up? Email your information to Managing Editor Tammye Nash at nash@dallasvoice.com or Senior Staff Writer David Taffet at taffet@dallasvoice.com by Wednesday at 5 p.m. for that week’s issue.

While appearing on Fox News Thursday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shut down a Fox News host's line of questioning and highlighted the host's hypocrisy when it comes to same-sex couples.During Special Report with Bret Baier, for what Fox News billed as an exclusive interview, Buttigieg criticized the host for asking a question that implied he had misused a government jet to take his husband, Chasten, on a trip to Europe in April."You also brought your husband Chasten on a military aircraft to attend a sporting event in the Netherlands," Baier began as Buttigieg interjected, "That's quite a spin to put on it!"Baier continued, "No. No.

CASEY WILLIAMS | Auto reviewerAutoCasey@AOL.com For some of you, the idea of a five-door Ford Mustang galloping with el

The fight at the Texas State Capitol continues

State Reps. Jessica Gonzalez, in the black jacket, and Julie Johnson, in the red jacket, are two members of the LGBTQ Caucus from DFW who will be fighting anti-LGBTQ bills in the 2023 Texas Legislature

Jessica Chastain has said shared she would be interested in playing Celia St. James in Netflix’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo movie.

GREGG SHAPIRO | Contributing WriterGreggShapiro@aol.com It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve only read two of prol

Sam Smith has unveiled details of their 27-date tour in support of their upcoming fourth studio album, Gloria.

Meet Nessie, a female domestic shorthair mix who is almost 3 years old and weighs in at a light 6 pounds. She has a coat of gray, tan and white fur and big eyes. Nessie is a bit on the shy side, so she will be looking for a family who can provide her with a calm and serene home as she acclimates to a new environment. It would be ideal for Nessie to go to a home where there is already a friendly cat ready to show her the ropes. Nessie loves treats and likes to play with toys. She gets a bit nervous around small humans, so she would prefer a home where all the people were at least 15 years old.

LEO CUSIMANO | Courtesy of News Is Outnewsisout.com

Happy New Year, Dallas Voice readers! I am super excited to start a new year with all of you, and I want to welcome to my first Woof column of 2023. I am hoping that the symbolism of a new year brings us new and amazing memories.

STRANGER Things star Noah Schnapp has come out as gay in a candid video on TikTok. The 18-year-old - who plays closeted gay teenager Will Byers on the Netflix series - said he was "scared and in the closet" for years.

Stranger Things star Noah joked that he shares more similarities with his closeted gay onscreen character, Will Byers, than anyone had first thought.His eyes shining with tears, the emotional star took to TikTok to film an emotional and intimate video while lying on his bed at home.The actor captioned his clip: "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know'!"Relieved-looking Noah combined the statement with footage of himself mouthing a woman's words saying: "You know it never was that serious, it was never that serious, quite frankly we will never be that serious!"He then quipped: "I guess I'm more similar to Will Byers than I thought!"The multiple award-winning supernatural drama series - which also features the likes of Winona Ryder - tells the story of mind control, psychokinesis and a secret scientific research lab using human subjects.Alongside the sci-fi subject matter, there's a more conventional storyline within the show too - Will's romantic feelings towards his best friend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).However, Will's feelings are not reciprocated by Mike, who is in love with telepathic teen Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown).Following the season four storyline, Noah has made it clear that the character is "100% gay"."Obviously, it was hinted at in Season 1," he revealed to Variety magazine."It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends?"Now that he's gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing."He added: "Now it's 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike.

Content warning: This story may include topics that could make some readers feel uncomfortable.

Noah Schnapp, best known for his role as Will Byers on Stranger Things, has come out as gay.

David Martindale says the players can decide amongst themselves who’s taking the next penalty as they search for spot-kick success.

The post Scene • 01-06-23 appeared first on Dallas Voice.

The lives of six prominent gay men will be put on display in MTV's new reality series The Real Friends of WeHo.MTV released the first trailer on Thursday, revealing the six main cast members - MTV's The Real Friends of WeHo trailer follows the lives of beloved gay icons Brad Goreski, Todrick Hall, Curtis Hamilton, Dorión Renaud, Jaymes Vaughan - who married Jonathan Bennett in March - and Joey Zauzig in West Hollywood.The cable network also announced the show will debut Friday, January 20 at 9PM ET/PT following RuPaul's Drag Race.  Trailer: The lives of six prominent gay men will be put on display in MTV's new reality series The Real Friends of WeHo Cast: MTV released the first trailer on Thursday, revealing the six main cast members - MTV's The Real Friends of WeHo trailer follows the lives of beloved gay icons Brad Goreski, Todrick Hall, Curtis Hamilton, Dorión Renaud, Jaymes Vaughan - who married Jonathan Bennett in March - and Joey Zauzig in West Hollywood Debut: The cable network also announced the show will debut Friday, January 20 at 9PM ET/PT following RuPaul's Drag RaceThe trailer begins with Goreski telling the camera that West Hollywood is, 'the epicenter of the gay world.'A narrator says the show will take fans, 'into the real lives of six fierce West Hollywood friends.' The trailer also showcases a number of different scenes with Goreski, a well-known celebrity stylist, who adds, 'It's hard being a public person and being a good example.' Epicenter: The trailer begins with Goreski telling the camera that West Hollywood is, 'the epicenter of the gay world' Positive: The trailer also showcases a number of different scenes with Goreski, a well-known celebrity stylist, who adds, 'It's hard being a public person

I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. They feel like a set up for failure to me. They tend to be far too ambitious and are most commonly made in far too high a number. Instead, I prefer to c

Cambridge Dictionary has updated its definitions of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ to make the words inclusive of transgender people.

Normal People producer Element Pictures has acquired film and TV rights to Bellies, the highly anticipated debut from Nicola Dinan.

A suspect in the stabbing of a trans woman in November has been charged with hate crimes in New York, prosecutors announced last week.Alshon Williams, 49, has been charged with second-degree assault as a hate crime, first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree menacing as a hate crime.Williams allegedly misgendered the victim and shouted antigay slurs during the attack.“As alleged, this defendant hurled hateful words and slurs before this violent attack. It is a miracle that the victim was not severely injured – or even killed – and we wish her a speedy recovery,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L.

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC’s decision to include two transgender activists on a list celebrating successful women has proved divisive among journalists at the UK broadcaster.

Transgender athletes in New Zealand will be able to participate in community sport without having to prove or justify their gender identity, according to new guidance released by Sport New Zealand (SNZ).

Day Rodas

Acclaimed novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is once again voicing anti-transgender views.Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian who lives part of the time in the U.S., went into trans issues in a recent interview with The Guardian in conjunction with her delivery of a Reith Lecture for the BBC. She received much criticism for a remark she made five years ago — “When people talk about, ‘Are trans women women?’ my feeling is trans women are trans women” — and has written about it a great deal.In her Reith Lecture, she denounced self-censorship and recounted a conversation with an American at a book reading, with the American advising her that certain things should remain unsaid even if they’re true.

In HOLDING SPACE: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens (Princeton Architectural Press, 223 pp., $29.95), Ryan Pfluger captures the beauty and essence of queer love in all its complexity and spectrums. When I first saw the images, I was drawn to the bold, unapologetic displays of love — love that is often stereotyped or kept secret.

Hunter Schafer will star in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel.