Writer-Director Alex Song-Xia On How They Turned Their Unique LGBTQ+ Experience Into A Driving Lesson — HollyShorts Film Festival

Need a boost to get over Hump Day? The Hot Sheet is Queerty’s midweek pop culture catch-up, highlighting the entertainment stories everyone’s talking about, the ones you might’ve missed, and the notable LGBTQ+ film & TV releases in the days ahead. Here’s everything you need to stay in-the-know:LITERARY GAYS: The Daniel Craig-starring Queer only just premiered, but director Luca Guadagnino is said to be hard at work on a new project: An adaptation of the book Leading Men—about Tennessee Williams and his partner—reportedly being scripted by Red, White & Royal Blue‘s Matthew López. [World Of Reel]MEOW!: As if Trump didn’t take enough of a beating during the debate, self-proclaimed “childless cat lady” and mega-pop star Taylor Swift dealt a final blow, endorsing Kamala Harris for president last night and continuing to champion LGBTQ+ rights in the process.

and potentially last) debate yesterday night, presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and convicted felon Donald Trump had a chance to address America — and each other — while sharing their stances on the most pressing issues in the election.Well, that was the intention, at least.Despite the best efforts of moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, Trump spent nearly the entirety of his allotted airtime rambling, ignoring questions, looking orange, and lying.Stay woke with our briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!That said, no one-liner was as bizarre, disturbing, or hilariously wrong as his assertion that Harris “wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison.” Yes, that’s an actual thing he said.“Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison." – Donald Trump on Kamala Harris during the presidential debate pic.twitter.com/K31GDQPBoeWhile the 78-year-old convicted felon ranted, Harris watched with amusement and a facial expression that said, “This man is so wrong, and we are going to debunk him.”According to the New York Times, Trump was trying to reference Harris’ responses to a 2019 American Civil Liberties Union survey in which she voiced support for “policies ensuring that federal prisoners and detainees are able to obtain medically necessary care for gender transition.” You know, an expansion for LGBTQ+ rights.Still, it’s a pretty irrelevant statement to spin, considering the response was written during Harris’ campaign for the 2020 Democratic primary. Furthermore, her communications director said she is not “proposing or running on” the stance.Most importantly, how are aliens involved in any of this?! It seems Trump’s entire sentence was concocted by the far-right to spark outrage, fear, and anti-wokeness without any context or importance.

Once a rarity, Black LGBTQ+ characters are now more visible, commanding the screen in groundbreaking, unapologetically bold ways. Earlier this summer, we wrote about the hottest couples across television and film. As Hollywood enters the fall television season, it’s time to celebrate some of the Black gay characters of the past and present who broke ground, made history, and are redefining what it means to be authentic, proud, and visible on TV.

Christina Cranshaw, left, and Nadia DeWolf in Undermain Theatre’s ‘Athena.’ (Photos by Paul Semrad)

Kamala Harris used the debate for exactly what she needed to do. She told the American people what her goals were, and how they would benefit from them. She showed how smart she is, and looked and sounded presidential. Trump, on the other hand, often appeared certifiably insane. We will shortly know whether independents will see that. Will young people, African Americans, and women, grasp how frightening Trump really is for their future health and safety. Harris managed to goad him into what often sounded like gibberish.