What does LGBTQ+ mean? A helpful breakdown of identity terms

Cynthia Erivo has come out as bisexual as part of a cover story for British Vogue.

J. Kim Murphy The stars of Netflix’s “Heartstopper” were determined to keep the party going at the Pride in London March Saturday afternoon, joining in the celebration and giving the finger to anti-LGBTQ+ protesters standing on the sidelines of the parade.Series leads Kit Connor and Joe Locke were joined by their costars Kizzy Edgell, Corinna Brown, Tobie Donovan and Sebastian Croft at the march, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Releases: July 19What It's About: Sasha Laurens's sophomore YA novel follows Kat Finn, a teenage vampire living in poverty with her mother. Like all vampires, Kat and her mother drink a synthetic blood substitute called Hema to survive, and it's expensive, causing the two to struggle to make ends meet living among humans.

Note: The post contains a mention of suicide.—lww"If I was straight, we would likely be married."—jeremycady"Even last year when I broke my leg, they were the ones there supporting me and helping me get back to health." —Anonymous, 29, New York—area51official"We share our time, energy, and resources in such a selfless way. I am infinitely grateful for my chosen family.

Anti-LGBTQ protesters aren’t going to bring down Pride if the cast of “Heartstopper” have anything to say about it.

get into drag to entertain children. A lot of MY performances are lewd, suggestive or downright filthy.

Read more:LGBTQ+ on screen: We've come a long way but there's more work to doPride parade has become 'overly corporate', says one of UK's leading LGBTQ+ rights activists'There's still a danger to this community'Earlier, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned there was still a "danger" to the LGBTQ+ community in London, telling people not to be "complacent" at the event.He said: "We're back after the last two-and-a-half years or so. This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride, celebrating this community, celebrating the progress made, but also continuing to campaign and never be complacent."We saw this time last week an attack in Oslo just hours before that parade, where two people lost their lives and more than 20 were injured."So, we've got to be conscious of the fact that there's still a danger to this community of discrimination, bias and violence.

From left: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey; photos courtesy of the governors' officesFlorida is getting all the attention with its heinous “don’t say gay” law taking effect, but several other states have major anti-LGBTQ+ laws that came into force Friday.Prominent among them is Alabama, which has its own version of a “don’t say gay” law.

British Vogue is celebrating Pride in a big way.

London Pride parade to raise awareness for prostate cancer. Dan and Matt shot to fame on the hit Channel 4 show Married at First Sight after becoming the first gay couple to take part.

Read more:LGBTQ+ on screen: We've come a long way but there's more work to doPride parade has become 'overly corporate', says one of UK's leading LGBTQ+ rights activistsPlease use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player'There's still a danger to this community'Earlier, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned there was still a "danger" to the LGBTQ+ community in London, telling people not to be "complacent" at the event.He said: "We're back after the last two-and-a-half years or so. This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride, celebrating this community, celebrating the progress made, but also continuing to campaign and never be complacent."We saw this time last week an attack in Oslo just hours before that parade, where two people lost their lives and more than 20 were injured."So, we've got to be conscious of the fact that there's still a danger to this community of discrimination, bias and violence.

#ItsAPeopleThing So is closing your account with Halifax apparently! It’s about time people started pushing back on this utter nonsense. Hopefully other companies will heed the warning of Halifax’s virtue signalling.

Martin Short is not one to shy away from playing eccentric and flamboyant characters, from the queeny wedding planner Franck in the 1991 rom-com Father of the Bride to his latest role as the ever-so-stylish but struggling Broadway director-turned-true-crime-podcaster Oliver in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. As such, it’s easy to see why Martin Short is often mistaken for as gay. Here, we take a look at some of Short’s most iconic queer-coded characters and whether the actor actually identifies with them.RELATED: How many comic geniuses does it take to solve a murder?Martin Short is a veteran comedian and actor who made a name for himself creating timeless characters for sketch shows like Second City Television (SCTV) and Saturday Night Live. Short joined the cast of SCTV in 1982 after years of working with The Second City’s improv troupe in Toronto, Canada.

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supports HTML5 videoHarry Styles has become known and loved by fans for supporting the LGBTQ+ community, and he delivered a heartfelt speech while on stage in Oslo following a shooting during Pride celebrations.Two people were killed in a mass shooting outside a gay bar in the early hours of Saturday morning after a gunman opened fire in Oslo’s nightlife district. More than 20 people were wounded in what was described as an ‘Islamist terror act’, leading to thousands of protestors coming together for a rally, defying requests from Norwegian police to cancel a Pride event amid fears for a reprise attack.Pride flags have come as synonymous with Harry Styles concerts as flared trousers and feather boas, and the Watermelon Sugar hitmaker raised one on stage last night to show solidarity with the community.The 28-year-old took to the stage at the Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway as part of his Love On Tour shows, telling the crowd that he is ‘very sorry’ following the awful incident.‘I am well aware that, right now, this means more to you than it ever has before,’ he began, holding the rainbow flag above his head.Harry continued: ‘I just wanna tell you that I’m very sorry and I hope you all feel safe in here with each other.‘The thing that I am most proud of in my life is getting to play in front of such an incredible, loving group of people every night.

Joyful pictures show gay and lesbian couples tying the knot in Switzerland, where same-sex marriage officially became legal from today.The weddings took place nine months after the country voted in favour of same-sex unions on September 26 last year.More than 64% of Swiss voters backed the ‘Marriage for All’ law during a nationwide referendum.  Same-sex couples will also be able to convert their registered partnership into marriage from today.They can also apply for joint adoption of children and to inherit a partner’s pension when they die.One of the first couples to tie the knot on Friday morning, Laure and Aline, revealed how they had spent 21 years waiting for this day to arrive.Laure told Euronews: ‘We sent out the invitations at the last minute.‘Our family will be there, and some friends too.‘It’s very exciting and we are happy to be able to represent marriage for all.’The couple, both native to Geneva, became registered partners in 2014.They later had a son, now four, carried by Laure during a medically-assisted pregnancy.But Aline faced a long wait to be recognised as the boy’s other parent.‘I’m the biological mother so Aline had no rights in relation to him,’ Laure said.‘So then you have to wait until the child has lived together with you as the couple for a year.‘And then you have to go through the adoption process, and that takes about two years.’Now they finally are both legally recognised as the boy’s mothers, she said.Luca Morreale and Stefano Perfetti were also among the couples who attended a registry office in Zurich today to convert their registered partnership into marriage.

imminent arrival of drag queen character Tara Misu as ‘iconic’ and ‘exciting’ – with some previously lost viewers proclaiming that they are ‘going to start watching again’. The soap confirmed the casting of its first ever regular drag queen character, who is the alter-ego of newcomer Felix Baker (Matthew Morrison).

Lesbian Visibility Week earlier this year.I could joke it’s because us lesbians only get seen for one week a year, but I’m also genuinely wondering: is the word ‘lesbian’ in danger of becoming invisible?It’s an issue that’s close to home for me, because I want my young kids to hear the word first in a positive context but, to many, it is a contentious word due to its toxic connotations through misuse as a pejorative slur.My wife and I are of the same generation and had pretty similar upbringings culturally, but she has little love for the word. Growing up it was carelessly used by some of her peers as an insult, something associated with freakiness, ugliness, total social shame.And she isn’t the only one who is hesitant.

London parade, organisers have said.The move comes after LGBTQ+ campaigners called for them to be barred due to Scotland Yard’s ‘homophobic’ handling of the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port.Human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell has said the investigation, which the independent police watchdog is investigating, showed ‘institutional homophobia is alive and kicking in the Metropolitan police’.Speaking to The Guardian, he said the case, as well as other recent revelations of homophobia, racism and misogyny within the force, meant Pride in London needed to take a stand on police officers’ participation in the event.‘While there are many good officers, and they are welcome to march in civilian clothes, Pride needs to challenge the police as an institution, otherwise they will never reform,’ Peter said.In a statement to the newspaper, Pride in London said: ‘We work hard to strike a balance between the very real and legitimate concerns from members of our community, and being as welcoming as we can.‘We agree that the police uniform undermines that balance, and as such we are aligned that it should not feature in our parade.’The move does not prevent individual officers from marching out of uniform.The Gay Liberation Front, which organised the first Pride march in 1972, has also signed an open letter calling for an end to not only police taking part in the parade but also patrolling the event.The letter, organised by Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants, states: ‘Due to our deep-rooted concerns with policing – and the history of Pride itself as resistance against police violence – it is time to end the practice of police participation in Pride each year.‘It is time to end the presence of police banners.‘The

Pride founder Lady Phyll, the LGBTQ+ community has always been jam-packed with pioneers and those ready to blaze a trail.As they wield their game changing vibe, these are the people who have been vital in creating progress over the last five decades – and beyond – whether it’s through entertainment, words or activism. And not only have they helped shine a light on LGBTQ+ rights, but through their much-needed visibility, they’ve made others realise they are not alone. Their courage has also paved the way for the future voices of the community, who continue to work hard to allow others to be seen.Here we meet just four of those rising LGBTQ+ stars, from the world of music, modelling, sports and literature.When I came out, I became a tomboy because that’s what I thought I had to doSlovenian-born pansexual singer-songwriter July Jones, 23, has had a meteoric rise to fame, having written tracks for Zolita, Girli, Nasty Cherry and BTS as well as carving out a space for herself with her razor sharp and unique electro-pop sounds. ‘Growing up in Slovenia was amazing, but the opportunities for doing music were quite limited.

Theresa May has called on Boris Johnson to ban transgender conversion, four years after she vowed to make the practice illegal.Conversion therapy refers to any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or to suppress a person’s gender identity.It is based on an assumption that being lesbian, gay, bi or trans is a mental illness that can be ‘cured’.In 2018, Ms May announced plans to ban conversion therapy, adding ‘No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love’.But plans never came to fruition and conversion therapy remains legal in the UK.In late March, Boris Johnson dropped plans to ban any conversion therapy, but U-turned within hours following backlash.The Government later outlined legislation – the Conversion Therapy Bill – in the Queen’s Speech which would ban conversion therapy intended to change someone’s sexual orientation in certain scenarios.But it said that, due to the ‘complexity of issues and need for further careful thought’, the legislation would not ban transgender conversion therapy.Huge protests were held outside Downing Street following the news.Writing in the i for the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Pride, Mrs May has now urged her successor to end conversion therapy once and for all.She wrote: ‘Few people, reading of accounts from trans people, would disagree that they still face indignities and prejudice, when they deserve understanding and respect.‘We need to strive for greater understanding on both sides of the debate.

As the event marks 50 years in the UK, Sky's arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer and arts and entertainment producer Jayson Mansaray take a look at the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on screen.In the 1970s comedy greats like Larry Grayson graced the country's television screens, but the camp presenter never officially came out, likely due to attitudes towards homosexuality at the time. Fast-forward to the present, and popular television has come a long way when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation.From the wildly successful Russell T Davies series It's A Sin, through to Bake Off winner John Whaite and dance partner Johannes Radebe becoming the first male same-sex couple on Strictly Come Dancing, it is hard to deny we are in far more progressive times.But when it comes to dating on the reality show Love Island, ITV producers have cited "logistical difficulties" in diversifying the format to include LGBTQ+.

When exploring your sexual orientation, it can be challenging to pick a label that suits you. Fortunately, there are many terms you can use to describe your attraction toward other people. If you think you might be polysexual or know someone who identifies that way, this guide will tell you everything you need to know.RELATED: How Straight Are You Based on Your Taste in Men?Polysexual is an orientation that describes someone attracted to people of multiple genders.

Homoco is a queer-owned swim brand founded by designer Daniel DuGoff. They use recycled plastic and sustainably-harvested Tencel in their summer-ready apparel.Get it from Homoco for $69 (available in sizes XS–XXL).Plus, 10% of all Pride candle proceeds will be donated to the LGBTQ Freedom Fund.The Sisters Stoned is a Chicago-based, queer-owned shop founded by two best friends who love to make candles.Get it from The Sisters Stoned on Etsy for $25+ (available in two sizes).Common Dear is a queer- and woman-owned shop based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

a lot of new sex toy companies and small businesses that are inherently queer- and trans-friendly, such as New York Toy Collective, Cute Little Fuckers, Wet for Her, Honey Play Box, and even on Etsy like Fantasticocks, Form Function LLC, MaMa Leather, and Twisted Mountain Toys! Because a lot of toys literally can be enjoyed by all bodies with a little imagination!Just a heads-up: Some of these toys use binarist and cis-gendered language in their product descriptions that some folks may not identify with (which, boo! but hopefully one day that changes). For more info and insight on all types of dysphoria (including body dysphoria), check out Eli Erlick's video "You Don't Need Dysphoria to Be Trans." For more sex toys and products from queer-owned shops, check out this 2021 Pride Month sex toy post and this roundup of queer-owned sex shops!We hope that this is only one of many LGBTQ+ specific sex toy posts to come in the future, and that this helps prompt the creation of more products designed specifically for trans people and their pleasure in the future.

Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, Equal Pride.Today, Florida's "don't say gay" law goes into effect, and school districts will begin implementing policies to limit discussions about LGBTQ+ people, experiences, and topics in public schools. This is tantamount to erasure.

The short film ‘Veils’ screens at this year’s Asian Film Festival of Dallas. (Courtesy photos)

Four in 10 (40%) LGBTQ+ people experienced a hate crime in the past 12 months because of their sexual orientation, a joint survey from GAY TIMES and Channel 4 News found.

Pedro Almodovar’s upcoming Western.Ríos will join actors Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal for the film. Hawke and Pascal will play the cowboys at the heart of the half-hour short, which is currently titled Strange Way of Life, according to Variety.Almodovar told IndieWire, “It could be like my answer to Brokeback Mountain.”The director had the chance to direct the iconic queer film but passed on it.“I think Ang Lee made a wonderful movie, but I never believed that they would give me complete freedom and independence to make what I wanted,” Almodóvar explained to IndieWire.

Green Bay Press Gazette reports. After Koss crawled from the fire and attempted to fight back, Nolan strangled her while others tried to restrain him before he fled the scene, according to the police and witness accounts.

The congregation of a 106-year-old church in Michigan that was ordered to rescind the ordination of an LGBTQ+ deacon is appealing the decision by its denomination's leadership.The Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids is imploring the Christian Reformed Church of America not to remove her. The deacon is in a same-sex marriage and has expressed her desire to continue serving on the deacon board of the church, according to the Religion News Service. The small 165-year-old Dutch Calvinist denomination's annual synod gathered earlier this month. During the meeting, it decided the Michigan church should reverse course.The vote over the deacon came as the denomination examined its theology on human sexuality.

Despite living in a nation with laws against the very existence of queer organisations, the LGBTQ+ community of Nigeria held a Pride festival in Lagos last week, touted as “the first of its kind in terms of reach, registrations, impact, and size.” Events at the week-long celebration included art shows, a Pride village featuring local […]

Out & About Hikers is a Belfast-based hiking and walking group for the LGBTQ+ community and their friends. This year is a big year for all involved as it marks the 20th anniversary of the walking group! Founder member, Neil Lester, set the group up in 2002 with the assistance of Queerspace Belfast, and the […]

Amazon has restricted search results for LGBTQ+ related products like books and rainbow flags on its website in the United Arab Emirates.The online retail giant took the step after pressure from authorities in the Gulf state, the New York Times reported. Same-sex sexual relationships are illegal in the UAE – one of 69 countries in the world that still has laws criminalising being gay.An Amazon spokesperson said that, as a company, ‘we remain committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we believe that the rights of LGBTQ+ people must be protected’.

A Newsmax host on Thursday celebrated the end of Pride Month, declaring anti-LGBTQ attacks, marginalization, discrimination, and bullying in the past, claiming Americans were required to display the LGBTQ Pride flag or risk getting “in trouble,” while lamenting the concept of “pride” as exclusionary and “a negative thing.”

Ukraine can get their genders changed on official documents but they have to have been taking hormones for a certain period of time. They also have to make their case to the authorities and provide a medical certificate with a doctor verifying their trans identity.

Booking.comBook Now AxelBeach Miami South Beach – Adults Only in Miami Beach provides adults-only accommodation with a garden, a fitness centre and a bar. The property is LGTBIQ oriented but hetero-friendly.Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi.

On June 24, the United States Supreme Court overturned the Roe vs Wade case. This historic case was the foundation for the abortion legislation that was effective in the entire country for almost 50 years. The LGBTQ+ community has been protesting the decision and emphasising that many queer folks are severely affected by the removal […]

Norma McCorvey, left, with her partner Connie Gonzalez in 1994 when her memoir, I Am Roe, was published. (Tammye Nash/Dallas Voice)

PLAC’s Drag Queen Story Time over spring break went off without any problems. (Courtesy of Tina Biffle)

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.

Jump into this post — the water's fine! (Image via Gay Harem)

tickets to see the LGBTQ+ theatre shows. Whether you’re craving some magic from The Cher Show or Cabaret, or if you want some timely grit in The Convert, there is something for everyone. Nothing touches the bones more than live theatre, making it an excellent way to celebrate Pride with class.

On 1 July, the UK marks 50 years since its very first Pride event took place on the streets of London.

As part of the brand new clan around Mitch (Roger Griffiths), Felix will arrive with brother Finlay (Ashley Byam) and dad Avery (Omar Lye-Fook, MBE). And before long, we will meet his glam persona Tara Misu.

Buy them £45 from From Our PlaceThe Body Shop is a long-time supporter of MindOut, a mental health charity for the LGBTQ community. The brand’s Out For Love liquid highlighters celebrate Pride in three shades.Vegan, and with a watermelon scent, the formula can be dabbed on to lids, cheekbones and lips, encouraging creativity and self-expression.Buy it for £10.50 from The Body Shop.Activewear brand Fabletics is making a £20,000 donation alongside the launch of its United With Pride collection to support the Glaad organisation’s work to amplify LGBTQ+ community voices.

Through coming out, I also discovered a chosen family. A community of queer people and allies who accepted, mentored and guided me with so much compassionIt was terrifying and it was painful. Some people are lucky to know who they are from an early age. Some are even lucky enough to be able to be themselves freely and unapologetically.

Halifax tells customers who don't like staff pronoun badges to close accountsEastEnders reveals newcomer Felix Baker's drag queen persona Tara MisuPride in London map reveals where the march will take place this weekend‘I have a thick skin and the letters haven’t deterred us from working here. In fact, it has pushed us to carry on and we have received so many messages of support this morning.‘This has now become nothing about us.