A place at the table

[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

The father of the accused Club Q shooter has expressed relief that his child isn’t gay.Aaron Brink, the father of Anderson Lee Aldrich, gave a homophobia-filled interview to San Diego TV station KFMB. Brink, 48, who has worked as a porn star and mixed martial arts fighter and coach, said he wondered what his offspring was doing in a gay bar. Aldrich, 22, is accused of killing five people and injuring nearly 20 at the Colorado Springs nightclub Saturday night.When Brink heard from Aldrich’s defense attorney Sunday, “they started telling me about the incident, a shooting involving multiple people,” Brink said told the station Tuesday.

Like many, I woke up Sunday morning to the horrific, gut-wrenching news of yet another mass shooting — this time at Club Q in Colorado. A pit hardened in my stomach as I learned of the hate-fueled attack on my own community, in a place I used to go to feel safe as a young,queer college student living in Colorado Springs.Sadly, the feeling was all too familiar — it was the same one I felt after the tragedy at Pulse nightclub in Orlando: My achy queer heart spilling over in every direction with grief, with rage, with bewilderment, and more than anything, with love for my LGBTQ+ community.I went to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, a city where, as in many other places, there were forces — including radical antigay extremism — that made it challenging to be queer.

 (CNN) -- People take strange things on planes -- that's nothing new. And the suitcase checked for a journey from New York JFK to Orlando, Florida, on November 16 certainly contained some oddities.

GEMMA Collins has opened up about the terrifying moment she was robbed during a holiday abroad. The 41-year-old was in Mexico when she discovered her hotel room has ben ransacked while she was on a night out.

The Heritage Foundation, an anti-LGBTQ think tank, is reportedly spending $1.3 to air an anti-LGBTQ ad on TV and online during Thanksgiving weekend.

Ky Schevers, who once was a poster child for the “detransition” movement, now says she regrets embracing that.Schevers, assigned female at birth, came to identify as a trangender man and took testosterone to transition. She eventually stopped the treatment and spoke out about detransitioning. But then she saw that anti-trans bigotry was rampant among those who championed detransitioning, she recently told ABC News.“I never liked people who call transitioning mutilation or call trans bodies mutilated.

Filmmaker Cheryl Allison didn’t let the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic keep her from making a new friend — and forging a relationship that changed both their lives. No spoilers, but have some Kleenex handy.In March 2020, Allison and her wife, Natalie Murray, were on lockdown in Dallas. Unable to see any other friends or family, Allison began taking walks around Turtle Creek Park in their neighborhood.

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is on the defensive after many pointed out the correlation between her attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and this weekend's mass shooting at a queer Colorado nightclub near her district, where five people died and at least 18 were injured.Boebert, a gun fetishist narrowly reelected to Congress this month, has made a political career of villainizing minorities, including sexual and gender minorities. She often conflates transgender people with drag artists and has attacked both groups of people.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration and the Keith Haring Foundation awarded a team of geriatricians at Mount Sinai’s Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine in New York $1.25 million to expand their work with elderly HIV patients.This funding will support programs that will can be utilized by other health systems and hospitals to help older people living with HIV all across the country.AIDS-related deaths have significantly decreased over the years due to advancement in treatment and preventions.

CNN) -- The 22-year-old accused of carrying out a mass shooting inside an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, over the weekend is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for the first time since the attack that left five dead and more than a dozen injured.Anderson Lee Aldrich is expected to attend the initial court hearing via video conference from the El Paso County Jail.The hearing will include "the advisement of the arrest charges as well as advisement of bond conditions," according to Colorado's Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen.Aldrich is set to be held without bond, Allen added.Preliminary charges include five counts of first-degree murder and five counts of a bias-motivated crime -- elsewhere called a hate crime -- causing bodily injury, per El Paso County Court's online docket.Formal charges can be expected within about 10 days, Allen said.Ahead of the hearing, attorneys for Aldrich submitted a court filing stating the suspect identifies as non-binary."They use they-them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx.

(CNN) — Josh Cavallo, the only openly gay top-flight male soccer player in the sport, has told CNN that FIFA's decision to ban players from wearing "OneLove" armbands at the Qatar 2022 has made him feel "excluded."The captains of several European teams decided not to wear "OneLove" armbands at the World Cup due to the danger of receiving yellow cards.England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Wales were set to participate in the "OneLove" campaign to promote inclusion and oppose discrimination.But those countries' associations said in a statement on Monday that the armband — which features a striped heart in different colors to represent all heritages, backgrounds, genders, and sexual identities — would not be worn in Qatar."I'm disappointed in FIFA. They have made me feel excluded," Cavallo told CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday."You know, representation is so important and there's so many people watching these games, you know, that it just shows that FIFA's intentions are not to make ...

Legislation to ban ‘conversion therapy’ has been announced in Belgium, bringing an end to the cruel practice for all LGBTQ+ people.

A veteran who was instrumental in taking down the gunman in the Club Q shooting has spoken out about the tragedy in Colorado Springs.

Germany’s national team contested FIFA’s ban on pro-LGBTQ+ gestures at the Qatar World Cup in their first match of the tournament.

Huwelijken tussen mensen van hetzelfde geslacht die op een ambassade in het buitenland zijn gesloten, worden in Nederland erkend. Minister Weerwind voor Rechtsbescherming schrijft aan de Tweede Kamer dat de onduidelijkheid die hierover in de praktijk was ontstaan, moet worden weggenomen.

A local gay man was arrested on Tuesday for the recent brick attacks on a popular Hell’s Kitchen gay bar in NYC. Sean Kuilan, 34, was taken into custody and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon for three of the four incidents at the VERS gay nightclub which took place within the past two weeks, The Gothamist reports. Three of the incidents were caught on video, and Kuilan was identified with the help of tips to the Crime Stoppers hotline.NYPD chief of detectives James Essig said investigators do not believe the crimes were motivated by anti-gay hatred, but instead resulted from a personal dispute Kuilan’s female friend had with the VERS nightclub.“Basically, what he says [is] he knows a girl who had a problem with one of the guys in the bar and he was ‘exacting revenge,’” Essig was quoted by the NY Post. “As of right now we don’t have any reason to believe it is [a hate crime].”Video of the “perp walk” at the NY Post showed the muscled and handcuffed Kulian escorted to an awaiting unmarked police car.“I’m gay myself,” he quietly responded to reporters’ questions in the video.“Something personal,” he responded when asked why he allegedly threw the bricks.Kuilan, who reportedly goes by the moniker “Paper Kid” in the neighborhood, was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for a 2021 incident of menacing.

The founder of the anti-trans hate group Gays Against Groomers appeared on Fox News Tuesday night and put the blame on the mass shooting at Club Q on gender-affirming health care.Jaimee Michell spoke to Tucker Carlson and suggested that shootings like the one at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colo., would continue until the “evil agenda” of gender-affirming health care was put to an end.“You know, saying that ‘groomer’ is an anti-LGBTQ+ slur, that is doing irreparable damage to us as a whole, and it’s putting a really large target on our backs,” Michell told Carlson.Carlson and other pundits on Fox News have continued to target LGBTQ+ people in recent years, especially trans people and gender-affirming health care.Michell said her group saw the violence coming “from a mile away,” adding, “Sadly I don’t think it’s going to stop until we end this evil agenda that is attacking children.”Michell and her group argue that gender-affirming care for trans youth is child abuse, which goes against most medical associations' support for gender-affirming care as life-saving medicine.  NBC News’s Kat Tenbarge wrote on Twitter, “Fox News broadcast that mass shootings in LGBTQ spaces will continue unless we adopt laws that medically discriminate against transgender people. This is direct amplification of the threat of mass murder for political gains.” Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., that left 49 people killed and press secretary of LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Florida, wrote, “Here’s [Gays Against Groomers] founder on Fox with a crystal clear threat: “The mass murders will continue until you do as you’re told”He added, “My blood is boiling all over again.

A LOVE Actually star was forced to wear dead people's clothes in a care home after she was swindled out of her £65,000 life savings. Meg Wynn Owen, 82, had her savings raided by costume designer Brian Malam, 60, who had been made her power of attorney. Instead of transferring money to the home the actress was staying in, Malam helped himself to £53,000 in electronic payments.

Anderson Lee Aldrich and his mother, Laura Voepel, in July 2022

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Actor Lee Pace has criticised online debate over Heartstopper actor Kit Connor’s sexuality, comparing it to his own experience of Hollywood.

The foreign secretary James Cleverly has stated that Qatari officials have taken ‘real steps’ to keep LGBTQ+ fans safe during the World Cup in the state.

Olly Alexander performed an emotional rendition of the hit Years & Years song Shine alongside an inclusive new choir.

SINGAPORE: When it comes to investing in early stage companies, there are no high returns without the high risks involved, analysts told CNA after the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Attorneys for the suspected gunman in a mass shooting at a gay nightclub say their client is nonbinary.Anderson Lee Aldrich is accused of killing five people and injuring 19 others after entering Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday night.“Anderson Aldrich is nonbinary. They use they/them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx.

Purple Foundation Inc. on Nov. 19 announced its largest donation in a single year — a total of $200,000 to its three beneficiaries, Resource Center, AIDS Services of Dallas and Legacy Cares.

Jennifer Pizer

Josh Cavallo has slammed FIFA after it threatened teams with sanctions for wearing the OneLove armband. 

GEMMA Collins looked incredible as she showed off her shrinking figure while hitting the ski slopes. Earlier today Gemma, 41, revealed she'd  jetted off for a trip to the Austrian Alps with Gareth Malone and Melvin Odoom to film for a new show.

For the survivors of the Pulse shooting, the Club Q shooting this weekend delivered flashbacks of the worst kind.On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at the gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo. Five people were killed and 19 were injured.

, multiple European teams have walked back plans to wear rainbow armbands during the global soccer competition.The teams representing England, Wales, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands announced that they would no longer wear the OneLove armbands for “diversity and inclusion” shortly before their campaigns were scheduled to start on Monday, per . The gesture, small as it may seem, speaks volumes in Qatar, which has  since it was chosen to host the back in 2010, due to its harsh criminalization of homosexuality and mass exploitation of migrant workers. Although the teams said that they would be willing to accept a fine, FIFA told them just hours beforehand that any player wearing an armband would receive a yellow card, per .

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, Equality Texas, Transgender Education Network Texas, and others filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on Monday, alleging violations of Title IX.The ACLU is seeking an investigation of the Keller Independent School District (Keller ISD), which banned all books depicting or referencing transgender or nonbinary people earlier this month.The ACLU stated in its letter that the policy was intended to erase the existence of transgender and non-binary people.Three conservative school board members were elected to the seven-member Keller ISD board six months ago, resulting in Keller ISD’s anti-transgender policy.

Charli and Mark's Freestyle, falling back in love with dancing again.

Jeopardy! winner Amy Schneider has made LGBTQ+ history again with her Tournament of Champions win.

A transgender woman in Maine and her father have filed suit against the Department of Defense because military health insurance excludes gender-affirming surgical procedures for dependents covered by the government program.The Military Health System does not cover surgical treatments for gender dysphoria for dependents of service members under a federal law dating back 46 years. Despite the fact that active duty service members can receive this essential treatment, dependents cannot, highlighting an unacceptable double standard, according to the lawsuit.It was filed by Boston-based GLBTQ Advocates and Defenders, or GLAD, on Monday on behalf of the family.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner Christopher Biggins believes Matt Hancock could make the final of the show in a surprising turn of events.The former Health Secretary was tipped to be the first contestant to leave the jungle, but has so far avoided being voted off the show by the public. So far, the MP has proved to be a good sport by successfully completing his Bushtucker Trials.He has also told campmates he was looking for forgiveness after breaking his own social distancing rules last year. Speaking out on his antics, Christopher said: "He's doing everything brilliantly and however much you may hate him he is a player and he goes for it, he really does go for it he gets all the stars."He feeds the camp, he's charming and has won over the camp and I think is winning the audience over too."Scarlette Douglas ‘devastated’ by Jonnie Irwin's terminal cancer newsLike many others, the former winner thought Matt would be the first contestant to leave the show.However he is yet to receive the lowest amount of votes to kick him out by the public.So far, Charlene White, Scarlette Douglas and Sue Cleaver have been given the boot, leaving Jill Scott as the only remaining female in camp. Christopher added on the Mail Online's Jungle Confidential podcast: "Originally people thought the best thing would have been if he was first to go out.

Bouquets of flowers sit on a corner Monday, Nov. 21, near the site of the Nov. 19 mass shooting at a Club Q in Colorado Springs. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Drag Race star Courtney Act has slammed Liberal senator Alex Antic for accusing her of grooming children.

Speaking up. Meghan Markle discussed female sexuality on the latest episode of her “Archetypes” podcast — and she did not hold back when commenting on the “stigma” many women face when it comes to sexual exploration.

Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for U.S. senator from Georgia, is being blasted for delivering an anti-transgender speech and running an anti-trans ad the day after the mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs. The five people killed at Club Q included a trans man and a trans woman.Walker, who is up against incumbent Democratic Sen.

More gay men in NYC are coming forward to share stories disturbingly similar to those of two gay men who were drugged, killed, and had their bank accounts emptied after a night out drinking earlier this year.John Umberger, 33, of Washington D.C., was drugged, robbed, and killed after a night visiting gay bars in Hell’s Kitchen on May 28. He was last seen with a group of men exiting a taxi and his body was found on June 1.

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(CNN) – With a crippling freight rail strike looming in two weeks, leaders of four railroad unions and management of the major US freight railroads are due back at the negotiating table this afternoon.It will be the first joint negotiating session for the four unions, whose rank-and-file members rejected the five-year labor agreements similar to deals accepted by the eight other rail unions in recent months.The latest no vote came from the largest union, the transportation division of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail Transportation union, or SMART-TD, which represents 28,000 conductors, brakemen, and other workers. About 51 percent of those members voted against the deal reached in a 20-hour bargaining session in September, just hours before a previous strike deadline.“A strike could be averted.

Attacks on gay bars across America continue, with a New York City venue being attacked for the fourth time in a month.

(CNN) -- Some people attending 2022 World Cup matches have said they have experienced difficulties in Qatar when trying to enter stadiums wearing clothing in support of LGBTQ rights.At the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Monday, ahead of the United States Men's National Team's (USMNT) match with Wales, US football journalist Grant Wahl and former Wales captain Laura McAllister both said they had been told to remove rainbow-colored items of clothing by security staff.Wahl said he was detained and briefly refused entry to the match because of the "rainbow soccer ball t-shirt" he was wearing, posting on Twitter that security staff had told him: "You have to change your shirt. It's not allowed."The journalist wrote on his website that when he tweeted about the incident on his phone, "one guard forcibly ripped my phone from my hands.""One security guard told me that my shirt was 'political' and not allowed," Wahl wrote.

Most of us are devastated by the horrible tragedy perpetrated on our community at Club Q in Colorado Springs this weekend, with five people shot to death and nearly 20 wounded.While not all of us can go to Colorado Springs and hug every LGBTQ+ person we run into, we can help in other ways. We can take care of each other and reach out to LGBTQ+ people who are feeling isolated right now.

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