Drag Race UK's Cheddar Gorgeous Auctions Iconic ACT UP Look for Charity

Brittney Griner was released today from Russian custody after President Vladimir Putin’s government reached a deal with the United States that included a prisoner swap. While one family is sure to experience immense relief, a second family remains hopeful to soon be reunited with a loved one detained in Russia.After nearly 10 months in captivity as a geopolitical prisoner in Russia, the 32-year-old WNBA player was released from Russian custody and flown to the United Arab Emirates when the Biden administration announced her release.Griner was arrested and charged in Russia in February for having a vape cartridge in her luggage with less than 1 milligram of cannabis-derived oil.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the amended version of the Respect for Marriage Act on a bipartisan vote of 258-169, clearing the way for the legislation to head to President Joe Biden for his signature. The vote came early today (Thursday, Dec. 8).

Marriage equality is one step closer to being codified into federal law. The House of Representatives voted 258-169 in favor of the legislation.

US basketball star Brittney Griner is finally free.⁠

and undone have been center stage for a minute, but it's time again for straight hairstyles to shine. If the and taught us anything, it's that this early aughts look is not to be overlooked.Our favorite celebs have put their own spin on straight hair, like who went edgy at the Emmy's and the models at the who paid homage to the Y2K look with long, pin straight layers.To help jog our memories on how to nail straight hairstyles (without the dreaded un-straightened pieces you missed in the back–millennials will remember), we asked celeb hairstylist and mane man, to share some of his favorite looks.Whether you already have some fringe going on or you want to try it out, Fox shows that a straight, blunt style with bangs is the way to go.

Brittney Griner plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. She was released in a prisoner exchange this morning after having been detained in Russia since Feb. 17.

US basketball star Brittney Griner is finally free.⁠

WNBA Star Brittney Griner is free from the Russian penal system according to U.S. officials.Griner was released in a prison swap between the U.S. and Russia as has been expected.

The founder of Russia’s only LGBTQ+ museum said he was forced to close its doors on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin signed a law expanding restrictions against what lawmakers call “gay propaganda”.

Jen Shah lashed out at Heather Gay for continuing to be friends with Angie Harrington on Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City.The 49-year-old reality star was outraged that Heather, 40, invited Angie, 40, to her choir auditions despite the fact that her husband was behind creating the fake Instagram account '@shahexposed.''This is what I don't understand,' Jen said during the group trip to San Diego. 'If you know someone did something so f***ed up and evil to me and my family, are you okay being friends with them? That's what I need to know.' Group trip: Jen Shah lashed out at Heather Gay for continuing to be friends with Angie Harrington on Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City'If they are accountable and apologize, yeah,' Heather said.Jen said Angie's husband only called her to apologize because he got caught.

The post Violet Chachki and Gottmik: Drag’s divine duo on defying expectations appeared first on GAY TIMES.

After Herschel Walker’s defeat in Georgia in the tightly contested run-off vote for a U.S. Senate seat, his son, Christian, whom earlier in the year supported his father, tweeted the following:“Don’t beat women, hold guns to peoples heads, fund abortions then pretend your pro-life, stalk cheerleaders, leave your multiple minor children alone to chase more fame, lie, lie, lie, say stupid crap, and make a fool of your family… And then maybe you can win a senate seat.” Christian Walker, once considered a “Warrior for the Right” by the New York Times, and a self-described “free speech radicalist,” is a conservative social media star and staunch Trump supporter.

NICOLA McLean has reignited her feud with Kim Woodburn by wading into her recent transphobia row. The women famously didn’t get along during their stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 – and it seems they still don’t see eye to eye.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia has won reelection.Warnock, who first won the office two years ago in a special election to fill the last two years of Johnny Isakson’s term, beat Republican challenger Herschel Warnock in a runoff Tuesday.

It’s Election Day in Georgia for the runoff between U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat and strong LGBTQ+ ally, and Republican challenger Herschel Walker, who has run a campaign marked by anti-LGBTQ+ and specifically anti-transgender hate, along with general ignorance.

(CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law a bill that expands a ban on so-called LGBTQ "propaganda" in Russia, making it illegal for anyone to promote same-sex relationships or suggest that non-heterosexual orientations are "normal."The ban was rubber-stamped by Putin just days after a harsh new "foreign agents" law came into effect, as the Kremlin cracks down on free speech and human rights as its military operation in Ukraine falters.The new laws significantly broaden the scope of a 2013 law which banned the dissemination of LGBTQ-related information to minors. The new iteration extends the ban on promoting such information to adults as well.The new laws make it illegal to promote or "praise" LGBTQ relationships, publicly express non-heterosexual orientations or suggest that they are "normal."The package of amendments signed by Putin include heavier penalties for anyone promoting "non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences," as well as pedophilia and gender transition.

If there is one person responsible for Tuesday’s midterms election runoff in the U.S. state of Georgia that will decide the final Senate seat it is Chase Oliver.

Some of the world’s most famous drag queens, including RuPaul’s Drag Race alums, have increased their security in the wake of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs.“We’re trying to smile and make people happy for the holidays, and in the back of our heads we’re thinking, I hope I don’t get shot,” Jinkx Monsoon told NBC News.Monsoon, who won Drag Race season 5 and Drag Race All Stars season 7, had already been taking precautions given that drag performances have been attacked by right-wing groups. But after the November 19 shooting, in which five people were killed and more than 20 injured, she hired armed guards.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch appeared angry and even hostile at several points throughout Monday’s oral arguments in a case brought by a Colorado right-wing evangelical Christian website designer who is suing the state because she wants to be able to discriminate against same-sex couples who are getting married.

Emily Grace Rainey (Screen cap taken from a video of an interview Rainey did with WRAL in 2021)

President Vladimir Putin has signed a law expanding Russia’s ‘LGBT propaganda’ restrictions to all adults.

Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Yvie Oddly and Alaska are among the Drag Race alumni increasing security after the mass shooting in Colorado Springs.

At the same time that families of victims in the Club Q shooting were being notified about their dead, U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker decided to attack transgender people in a bid to lift his troubled campaign.

Tia Kofi and Priyanka have tapped into the holiday spirit with their brand-new cover of Britney Spears’ hit single My Only Wish (This Year).

 (CNN) -- The family home of Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi has been demolished, according to the pro-reform news outlet IranWire, after she rose to international prominence this fall for competing with her head uncovered.Rekabi competed without her hijab in South Korea in October, just as anti-regime protests swept Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.Some Iranian demonstrators saw Rekabi as a symbol of the national uprising calling for greater freedoms for women. However, human rights groups expressed fears for her safety when she returned to Tehran.Footage obtained by CNN from IranWire shows a destroyed structure and medals on the ground. The man filming the video clip describes what has happened to the house.

Drag Race UK star Victoria Scone made franchise history on the latest episode of Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs The World. 

(CNN) -- Soccer pundits on Qatar's Alkass Sports channel mocked the German soccer team following its World Cup exit -- by mimicking the players' protest over human rights.A video on the channel's Twitter page posted on Thursday shows former Kuwaiti soccer player Jamal Mubarak covering his mouth with his left hand and waving goodbye with the right, then calling on former Egyptian goalkeeper and fellow analyst Essam El-Hadary to join him.Soon after, El-Hadary and other pundits then cover their mouths and wave goodbye -- apparently in celebration of Germany's exit.The gesture mimics what the German players did to protest against FIFA's decision to ban the "OneLove" armband that many European captains had been hoping to wear in Qatar in support of LGBTQ rights.Ahead of Germany's first match on November 23, the team's starting lineup posed with their right hands in front of their mouths, a gesture to oppose what they saw as a clampdown on free speech.Germany lost that game to Japan in a shocking upset.

Yvie Oddly revealed that they hated re-watching their All Stars season, because they felt their presentation was “lobotomised”.

Hola!! Welcome back to my Woof column, and guess what: Holiday season is here! Many of us have been waiting for this time of the year, for a lot of different reasons. Our furry loved ones will be enjoying these holidays with us, but remember to make sure the holidays are as safe for them as possible.

Disney’s returning CEO Bob Iger has expressed the importance of LGBTQ+ stories after the company’s high profile ‘Don’t Say Gay’ controversy. 

(CNN) -- Every year, as the days grow colder and Christmas draws nearer, "Love Actually" quickly becomes a festive favorite on people's television screens.But nearly 20 years on from the release of the 2003 romantic comedy, the movie has faced scrutiny over its story lines and lack of diversity."There were things you'd change but thank god society is changing. So my film is bound, in some moments, to feel, you know, out of date," the movie's writer and director Richard Curtis said earlier this week.He was speaking to Diane Sawyer as part of a documentary on ABC News titled: "The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later.""Love Actually" features interweaving story lines, following several romantic relationships.

Ribbon cutting at La Maison. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)

In the 1960s, a sociologist, Harold Garfinkel, and a surgeon, Robert Stoller, led a clinic for the study of gender at the University of California, Los Angeles. The clinic performed some of the first gender confirmation surgeries that were available to intersex or transgender people in the United States, and as part of the team’s medical research, Garfinkel interviewed the patients. The documentary “Framing Agnes” uses these patient interviews to reflect upon the history of transgender people.

Ella Vaday teased the “utter carnage” fans can expect from her upcoming Christmas tour with Kitty Scott-Claus and why she wants to start “breaking away from Drag Race” as she explores new opportunities.

Cheddar Gorgeous is auctioning off her ‘Tickled Pink Runway’ from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK for World AIDS Day.

When Kira learned that her partner Elvira Shchemur had died in a missile strike on Ukraine, the loss hit her doubly hard.

(CNN) – An honorary member of Buckingham Palace has resigned and apologized after a Black charity founder said she was questioned about whether she was really British at a royal reception on Tuesday.The guest, Ngozi Fulani, is the CEO of Sistah Space, an organization that provides specialist services to women of African and Caribbean heritage affected by abuse.Fulani was attending a royal function on domestic abuse organized by the Queen Consort on Tuesday evening when she said a member of staff began a line of questioning that the palace called “unacceptable and deeply regrettable.”Fulani said that the person persistently asked about her heritage and would not accept that she was a British national.Sistah Space shared a rough transcript of the conversation on Twitter on Wednesday. Fulani said that, after identifying herself as British-born, the person asked her “where do you really come from;” “where do your people come from;” and “when did you first come here?”When Fulani answered she was from the London neighborhood of Hackney, the household member insisted: “No, what part of Africa are YOU from?” as quoted on the Sistah Space Twitter account.

Even though I work in fashion, I’m not that interested in cool things, and I don’t have many friends in the industry — not even other designers. When I host a party, it’s usually a casual affair, not exactly Instagrammable. This was no exception.

Russian lawmakers in the government’s upper house chamber unanimously passed a bill furthering restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights in the country.Under the new proposal that was passed by the lower house last week, the bill expands on the 2013 ban against spreading "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors. The new bill extends the ban to adults, too. It's the latest in the Russian government’s efforts to suppress the country’s battered LGBTQ+ community.The bill will now go to President Vladimir Putin who is expected to sign the legislation into law.The new legislation does away with all advertising, media and online resource books, films, and theater productions that are deemed to contain such "LGBT" propaganda, the Associated Press reports.The bill also bans information on gender transitions from being shared with minors. Fines for violating the law range from 100,000 to 2 million Russian rubles — the equivalent of $1,660 to $33,000.Violators not from Russia could be expelled for breaking the law.The 2013 law has been used as a tool to crack down on LGBTQ rights, groups, and activists.The new measure does not make violations a criminal offense, according to the AP.A separate bill would have to pass to do that.

This is President Joe Biden’s statement following passage of the Respect for Marriage Act:

Richard Curtis has spoken with regret over the lack of diversity in his cult Christmas classic, Love Actually.

Heartstopper star Kit Connor has challenged the lack of bisexual representation in TV, describing it as “shockingly low.”

The drag queens are coming!Three drag legends are back for a third go-around as We're Here drops new episodes on HBO Max.Shangela, Eureka O'Hara, and Bob the Drag Queen are hitting small towns throughout the United States and bringing a high level of drag to communities that need it most."To be a part of a show like We're Here and give an opportunity to tell the stories of these people around our country, it feels right. It feels right and it feels purposeful. I say that this season is going to be the best season of We're Here so far," Shangela tells The Advocate.

Taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of getting HIV, so GAY TIMES worked with London’s leading sexual health clinic, 56 Dean Street, to answer some of its most frequently asked questions about the drug.

By a vote of 61-36, the Senate has passed the Respect for Marriage Act.

LGBTQ+ politicians, civil rights activists, and allies are thrilled with the U.S. Senate’s passage Tuesday of the Respect for Marriage Act, which will write marriage equality into federal law and protect it from being rescinded by the Supreme Court.The House of Representatives has already approved the bill, but since the Senate amended it with a religious freedom provision, it has to go back to the House for another vote.

The U.S. Senate voted 61-36 Tuesday to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which will write marriage equality into federal law, maintaining it even if the Supreme Court overturns its 2015 ruling that established equal marriage rights nationwide.The bill has already been passed by the House of Representatives, but the Senate added an amendment to it aimed at protecting religious freedom, so the new version needs to be voted on by the House before it can go to President Joe Biden for his expected signature.“Today, after many rounds of bipartisan talks and after many doubts that we could even reach this point, we are taking the momentous step forward for greater justice for LGBTQ Americans,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.He said the first person he would call after the vote would be his daughter Alison, who is in a same-sex marriage."What a great day," he added after the vote finished.The push for the Respect for Marriage Act came after Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the Obergefell v.

By Brody Levesque | Washington Blade Courtesy National LGBT Media Association (Washington Bl