The Lesbian Writer and Her Flamboyant Gay Husband

An amendment added to the Florida “Don’t Say Gay Bill” will require schools to out LGBT students to their parents. The amendment to Florida House Bill 1557, filed by the Bill’s co-sponsor Representative Joe Harding (R) last Friday, would require schools to out sexually and gender diverse students to their parents within 6 weeks of discovery. The original bill still required disclosure but had an exemption if the disclosure could lead to “abuse, neglect or abandonment.” This exemption was removed in the current amendment. Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Candidate for Governor, Nikki Fried (D), tweeted, “This backwards cruelty must stop. Speak out against targeted hate legislation and support those leading the charge to protect civil rights like [Equality Florida] before it’s too late!”This backwards cruelty must stop.

A new amendment to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill would require schools to inform parents of their child’s sexual orientation within six weeks of learning the student isn’t heterosexual, NBC affiliate WFLA reported on Monday.

Governor Gavin Newsom slammed Florida’s far-reaching and dangerous “Don’t Say Gay” bill, urging Sunshine state lawmakers to stop pushing the legislation which he called “nothing short of a state-sponsored intimidation of LGBTQ children.”Newsom, who has a long history of standing up for LGBTQ people and same-sex marriage, rightly noted that the Florida legislation “will put kids – who are already navigating stress – in physical and psychological danger.”Indeed, the bill’s sponsor in the House is pushing a dangerous amendment to his own bill. Currently, the bill says schools must tell parents if their children exhibit mental or physical changes, which would include coming out as or even talking about possibly being LGBTQ.

ABOVE: A night in Christopher Atkins.

Last week we learned about the #RamRanchResistance, a counterprotest campaign in Canada using a very gay, very explicit, song about gay cowboys to troll anti-vaxers.The song is “Ram Ranch” by Grant MacDonald, and while it did make us laugh, it’s admittedly a bit hard to listen to.No disrespect to MacDonald, but we’d probably leave it off our gay country playlist. That got us thinking…what would go on that list?We’ll start with the latest from the mysterious cowpoke himself, Orville Peck.

looking into adoption, the pair learned that many siblings get split up, with families often only wanting to adopt younger children.With this in mind, they prepared themselves to adopt two or three siblings, but their fate was sealed when they saw the photograph of their soon-to-be children.They fell in love with the six smiling faces who had been in the foster care system for almost five years. The Anderson-McLeans matched with their kids in June 2018 and in less than a year, the adoption was official.“I think they felt at home pretty early on,” said Rob.

The sponsor of Florida’s highly controversial and dangerous “Don’t Say Gay” bill is doubling down on the “outing” provision of his legislation, which is expected to get a vote by the full House Tuesday.

The Lesbian Lives Conference returns this march for its 25th edition, taking up residency in University College Cork (UCC) for the first time. We take a look back at the origins of the conference and why Cork is the perfect place to host it. Lesbian Lives History Lesbian Lives was first established in University College […]

The showrunner for Hannibal opened up about the surprising queer love story between the show’s main characters.

ABOVE: Everyone's in Puerto Vallarta or Tulum or Hawaii. Instagram says so.

America Chavez is about to break into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s number one lesbian superhero, America Chavez has long been a fan favorite in the comics, and it’s about time we get to know her on the big screen. Soon we’ll get that chance as she appears in the upcoming film “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” coming out May 6.

Ricky Gervais is ready to shock when he goes back on tour.He has written new material on taboo subjects, including near-the-knuckle jokes about dwarfs, the disabled, Muslims and gay people.Other gags tackle controversial topics such as rape, the migrant crisis and climate change.And he will poke fun at big names including Game Of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage and the late Stephen Hawking.The comic wants to take risks because it is one of the few things that gives him a thrill now he’s in his 60s.He said: “It gives me an adrenaline rush. I think, ‘Can I say that?’.

Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a re-watch.What actors can boast a career as long and varied as that of Paul Winfield? The classy method actor flourished in a career that spanned forty years, and that saw him perform in such varied fare as the films Cliffhanger, Huckleberry Finn, and The Terminator, and in TV series including Julia, The Simpsons and as the title role in the Martin Luther King, Jr. miniseries King.

As the number of LGBTQ-identifying people continues to grow year after year in the real world, and that trend is also increasingly showing up on TV screens, with a record number of queer characters appearing during primetime.Media watchdog group GLAAD just released its 17th annual Where We Are on TV report, which tracks the diversity of primetime scripted series regulars on broadcast networks as well as the number of LGBTQ regular and recurring characters on primetime scripted cable programming and original scripted series on all major streaming services.Related: Elliot Page is about to spill some major Hollywood teaThis year’s data comes from shows that premiered or are expected to return between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022. It found nearly 12 percent of series regular characters on scripted broadcast primetime programming are queer, representing an increase of 2.8 percent over the previous year, and marking a record high.Additionally, GLAAD reports there are 49 LGBTQ recurring characters on the platform, for a total of 141 LGBTQ characters on broadcast television.In another first since the group began tracking the data, lesbian characters are more represented than gay characters.Lesbian characters increased six percentage points from the previous season to rise to a total of 40 percent of LGBTQ characters, compared to 35 percent for gay characters, which is down five percentage points.Bisexual characters make up 19 percent of regular and recurring broadcast LGBTQ characters, up one percentage point after two years of decreases.Trans people are represented with 42 regular and recurring characters across all three platforms: broadcast, cable and streaming, up from 29 last year.

Hoping to draw attention to the death of a gay man nearly two years ago, the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance is planning a vigil in front of San Francisco City Hall next weekend. Meanwhile, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told the Bay Area Reporter that he would personally like to meet with the man's parents, who have called on authorities to reopen their investigation.

Philadelphia.“I would not be standing here if it weren’t for two very important men in my life,” he began, saying later, “Mr. Rawley Farnsworth, who was my high school drama teacher.” He then cited a classmate and added, “Because they are two of the finest gay Americans, two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to be associated with, to fall under their inspiration at such a young age.”Hanks had called Farnsworth, who he hadn’t spoken to in 20 years, before the Oscars and asked his permission to mention the fact he was gay, and Farnsworth agreed.Hanks’s revelation about his drama teacher spawned a movie, In & Out, in which closeted drama teacher Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is outed by his former student Cameron Drake, played by Matt Dillon, during Drake's Oscar acceptance speech.And NBC’s drama Rise was inspired by the true story of closeted high school drama teacher Lou Volpe and based on a nonfiction book about him, Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town and the Magic of Theater.

pic.twitter.com/3k2VqzEYvm— K Hole Ocasio-Cortez from Bushwick, PhD (@smartbitch_69) February 15, 2022Here’s what folks are saying:“I just hate the taste of tap water” he’s still drinking tap water it’s just tap water from Norway pic.twitter.com/DM4G4PQgsC— Wild Geerters (@steinkobbe) February 16, 2022buy a damn brita— (@Skarlet_Starlet) February 17, 2022*guy who regularly has dozens of gallons of individual serving water bottles hand-delivered to his house voice*I’m trying to be more eco-friendly— Chris (@Tinznasty) February 15, 2022You know, I think the “carbon neutral” water bottles might be a bit offset by the energy costs of FOUR FUCKING REFRIGERATORS— Surplus Cornbread (@SurplusCornbre1) February 16, 2022Would love to make this guy take a blind taste test for water— Havana Burger (@AJamesHidell) February 16, 2022It’s giving- pic.twitter.com/uZl4lEKjLt— Chucho E. Quintero (@Chucho_Q) February 16, 2022Has anyone tried giving him tap water in the voss bottle to see if he can taste the difference? Like have we done the science here— silently housed replica (@bringurownbaby) February 16, 2022Everyone who gets water pumped into their kitchens.

The situation for LGBTI asylum seekers in a number of European countries is fraught with difficulties with many facing double discrimination, a new report has warned.They face "specific difficulties and injustice" even in countries that rank high for positive LGBT legislative change, according to an annual review by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).ILGA-Europe says LGBTI asylum seekers face double discrimination in Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.In Denmark, activists have documented cases of trans asylum seekers without access to trans-specific healthcare or being harassed, while NGOs in Spain have warned of the underreporting of discrimination and violence that LGBTI asylum seekers endure, and a lack of access to social and healthcare services.Germany was flagged for "the unsafe practice of conducting investigations of asylum seekers in their home countries and outing them".Several countries including France, Malta and Greece were decried for adding nations -- thought by some as being unsafe for LGBTI people -- to their list of "safe countries" that asylum seekers could be sent back to if their applications were unsuccessful.Greece now considers Turkey safe for LGBTI asylum seekers to be sent back to, but ILGA-Europe ranks the country as among the three worst countries in Europe for LGBTI rights and protection.France's Council of State, which acts as a supreme court for administrative justice, ruled in March that LGBTQI+ asylum seekers coming from a country that criminalises or persecutes LGBTQI+ people, should not be automatically given refugee status.Malta and Sweden were meanwhile flagged for new

DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD | Contributing WriterTwitter: @DavidElijah At a mere 52 minutes long, Lester Alfonso’s new documentary Circus Boy is short and s

Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill has continued to make its way through state legislature, bringing it even closer to reality.

In this month’s GAY TIMES issue, we’re putting the climate conversation front and centre.

New Delhi – Critically-acclaimed Indian filmmaker Onir wanted to direct a movie inspired by a gay army major who resigned and came out in a blaze of publicity — but despite the country’s democratic status the military stopped it from being made.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government has been repeatedly accused of ramping up censorship in a systematic attack on dissent — including clampdowns on human rights activists, journalists and NGOs — since coming to power eight years ago. In 2020 it issued an order advising filmmakers to seek prior clearance for any military-themed script, a decision described by free speech campaigners as both Orwellian and unconstitutional in the world’s largest democracy.Onir, who uses only one name, is gay himself and was among the first major Bollywood figures to openly acknowledge his sexuality.He is known for his movies about the lives of socially marginalized groups, and his creative eye was caught by the case of Major J.

website.The annual Progress Pride Flag Raising Ceremony to mark the start of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival will take place at 6pm Friday March 18.The flag will be raised at Sydney Town Hall.Other events for the Sydney Mardi Gras include Laugh Out Proud.Laugh Out Proud is a comedy event on February 25 showcasing rising stars in the Australian queer comedy scene.As COVID-19 restrictions ease across NSW just in time for Mardi Gras, many pubs and nightclubs will be hosting events.Singing and dancing will be back on the cards.Other events include the Mardi Gras Film Festival exhibiting more than 110 films, all "unabashedly and proudly queer".It is currently underway until March 3.Lifesavers with Pride have teamed up with Surf Life Saving Clubs along the east coast of Australia to bring the spirit of Mardi Gras to the country's iconic beaches on Sunday February 27.Lifesavers with Pride have marched in the Mardi Gras parade for over a decade.Surf clubs up and down the coast are dressing up and decorating in rainbow to celebrate Mardi Gras.Beach patrollers, nippers and swimming clubs are adding colour to their equipment and fluro zinc to their sun protection.Clubs hosting Rainbow Beaches celebrations include Bronte, Tamarama, Coogee, Bondi, Dee Why, Bigola, Avalon and Queenscliff, Byron Bay, Brunswick and Yamba.Rainbow Beaches first started in 2021 to celebrate diversity and including among Surf Live Savers.Ivan Power from Lifesavers with Pride said: "Surf Life Saving has evolved to become far more diverse and inclusive since it was formed over 100 years ago to make our beaches safer.""The more diverse, inclusive and welcoming we are as a community, the stronger and more effective our movement can be."

More and more Americans consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community, so much so that the number has doubled in the last decade, according to a new poll.A poll released Thursday by Gallup found that the percentage of U.S. adults identifying as other than heterosexual has risen to a new high of 7.1 percent—double the percentage the polling company recorded when it first asked the question in 2012.

A Pennsylvania couple adopted six brothers and sisters who spent 1,640 days in foster care.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was bursting with pride after his players produced a remarkable 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in their own backyard.

Popular Information reviewed campaign contributions from 2020 onward to the bill’s sponsors in the Florida House and Senate, the senators who voted for the bill in committee, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not officially committed to signing it into law but has indicated support for it.

Deadline first reported the news about the biopic, which looks to chronicle her ascension and eventual downfall as the face of a billion-dollar fraud investigation in 2002.“Claiming to be a shaman from Jamaica, Miss Cleo’s charisma and famous imperatives enabled the Psychic Readers Network, a pay-per-call service, to charge callers seeking answers over $1 billion for advice,” XTR said. “But in 2002 it all came crashing down when the Federal Trade Commission accused the network and its owners of deceptive advertising, billing, and collection practices, bringing Miss Cleo’s reign as queen of clairvoyance to a dramatic end.”Harris came out in The Advocate as a lesbian in 2006 after being encouraged to do so by her godson.

Park City Gay Ski WeekPark City, UtahFebruary 23–27 (utahgayskiweek.com)   Telluride Gay Ski WeekTelluride, ColoradoFebruary 26–March 5 (telluridegayski.com)   Gay Ski Week HakubaHakuba, JapanMarch 4–13 (gayskiweekhakuba.com)   Mammoth Gay Ski WeekMammoth Lakes, CaliforniaMarch 16–20 (mammothgayskiweek.com)   European Snow Pride: TignesTignes, FranceMarch 12–19 (europeansnowpride.com) European Gay Ski Week: Les ArcsLes Arcs, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, FranceMarch 19–26 (europeangayskiweek.com) SWING Gay Ski WeekLenzerheide, SwitzerlandMarch 19–26 (gayski.ch)   Jasper Pride & Ski FestivalJasper, CanadaApril 1–10 (jasperpride.ca)   Queenstown Winter PrideQueenstown, New ZealandAugust 26–September 4 (winterpride.co.nz)   Gay Ski Week AustraliaFalls Creek, AustraliaSeptember 2–11 (pointsofdifference.com) Initially titled Swerving on the Slopes, this article originally ran in the Winter 2022 issue of Out Traveler, which is available on newsstands now.

Good Morning America.Initially, the couple thought they would adopt two or three children; however when they found six siblings on a foster care website — Carlos, Guadalupe, Maria, Selena, Nasa, and Max — Steve and Rob knew in their hearts they could provide the children, who’d been in the foster care for nearly half a decade and had been subjected to abuse prior to that, a better life.“We instantly fell in love,” recalled Steve.“I’d say our kids have brought a great kind of crazy to our lives. It’s heartwarming and so exciting to see how they connect with us,” added Rob.The couple was paired with the children in June 2018, and the kids moved into their home the following month.

LGBTQ+ portrayals include (from left) Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson on Dickinson and Vincent Rodriguez III and Mark Indelicato as Henry and Jorge on With Love.It’s a good year for LGBTQ+ representation on TV — indeed, a record one, according to GLAAD’s annual Where We Are on TV report.The report, released Thursday morning, found that 11.9 percent of series regular characters scheduled to appear on broadcast scripted prime-time TV this season are LGBTQ+ — an increase of 2.8 percentage points from last year and a record-high percentage in the history of the report, now in its 17th edition.“The growing state of LGBTQ representation on television is a signal that Hollywood is truly starting to recognize the power of telling LGBTQ stories that audiences around the world connect with,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a press release. “At a time when anti-LGBTQ legislation and violence continues to increase, it is cultural institutions like television that take on the crucial role of changing hearts and minds through diverse and inclusive storytelling.

Harry Hamlin has opened up about starring in the groundbreaking gay romance Making Love, and how the film almost destroyed his career.Hamlin spoke to People as part of the 40th anniversary of the film, which debuted in 1982. It followed a Los Angeles writer, Bart (Hamlin), who falls for a closeted man named Zack (Michael Ontkean), who is married to a powerful TV executive named Claire (Kate Jackson).The film hailed from romance master Arthur Hiller (Love Story), and gay writers Barry Sandler and A.

LGBTQ+ portrayals include (from left) Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson on Dickinson and Vincent Rodriguez III and Mark Indelicato as Henry and Jorge on With Love.It’s a good year for LGBTQ+ representation on TV — indeed, a record one, according to GLAAD’s annual Where We Are on TV report.The report, released Thursday morning, found that 11.9 percent of series regular characters scheduled to appear on broadcast scripted prime-time TV this season are LGBTQ+ — an increase of 2.8 percentage points from last year and a record-high percentage in the history of the report, now in its 17th edition.“The growing state of LGBTQ representation on television is a signal that Hollywood is truly starting to recognize the power of telling LGBTQ stories that audiences around the world connect with,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a press release. “At a time when anti-LGBTQ legislation and violence continues to increase, it is cultural institutions like television that take on the crucial role of changing hearts and minds through diverse and inclusive storytelling.

A gay man was the victim of an alleged hate crime after a night out at Heaven nightclub in Charing Cross, London.

Dollface. But the show’s second season also features a thoughtful queer love story for Shay Mitchell’s Stella, who was conceived of as queer from the start.In season 2, which kicked off last week, fun party girl Stella, who’s grappling with whether or not she wants the career in finance that she seemed destined for, makes her way into a bar run by out actor Lilly Singh’s Liv.

MPs in the French parliament have unanimously approved a new law banning so-called gay conversion therapy.The new law will introduce prison sentences and fines for any citizen who attempts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT+ people.The draft bill was supported by MPs on Tuesday, with 142 voting in favour and 0 against. The law had already been supported by France's Assembly in October and was also passed by senators in December.Those found guilty of so-called gay conversion therapy could face two years imprisonment and a €30,000 fine.

Singer-songwriter Dove Cameron has shared a full-length version of her TikTok hit Boyfriend after LGBTQ+ fans turned it into a viral trend.

A gay police officer in San Francisco will receive a $225,000 settlement after alleging harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

Earlier this week we caught the European premier of queer play Steve, written by Mark Gerrard and directed by Andrew Keates, which debuted off-Broadway in 2015 and earned itself a Critic’s Choice from the New York Times. Towards the end of the evening, our protagonist, the titular Steve (David Ames) started to ponder philosophically whether just enough is ever actually really quite enough. We came away from the 7 Dials Playhouse wondering the same – there’s plenty in the show that we enjoyed, but did it give us everything we wanted?

a new poll released by Gallup. That’s 1.5 percentage points higher than last year and double the percentage Gallup reported in 2012. The pollster asked Americans if they identified as straight or heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender as part of demographic information it collects on all of its U.S. telephone surveys, Gallup said in a news release Thursday. The respondent also had the opportunity to say another sexuality or gender identity than the categories provided by Gallup.More than 12,000 adults participated in the surveys conducted last year.Besides the 7.1 percent identifying as LGBTQ+, 86 percent said they identified as straight while 6.6 percent didn’t offer an answer.Gallup found that one in five Gen Z adults identified as LGBTQ+ with older generations identifying less so.

The ABC has announced a “diverse and talented family of presenters” to host this year’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, live from the Sydney Cricket Grounds. “What better excuse for us all to get together and have a big ol’ party!?” Macdonald said. “I’m thrilled and honoured to be hosting the Mardi Gras for the ABC.

A gay RAAF veteran was surveilled and grilled over his sexual history and visits to gay bars, before being hounded out of the air force. Trigger Warning: This story discussed homophobia in the Defence Force and suicidal ideation, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support, call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.According to the Daily Mail, Liversidge was shown photos of himself outside a gay bar in Prahran and was asked about the type of people who frequented the establishment. Liversidge said it was his “Oh! sh*t moment.”“They then had a series of dates and times that they had known that I’d gone to gay bars.

Coronation Street, said she did not feel she could come out as gay during her time on the show.The star revealed she felt she wasn’t allowed to be her authentic self for two decades in a candid interview on Loose Women. Amanda, 86, starred in Coronation Street from 1981 to 1982, and again from 1988 to 2001. Throughout that time, the actress refused to confirm her sexuality in public and did not reveal her lesbian identity until after her time on the soap had come to an end. Amanda appeared on Loose Women today with her wife Hilary Bonner and was asked by the panel what it was like having to keep her sexuality hidden for so long. “There was no camo of any kind at that time,” Amanda explained. “There were various people in charge of the show, so they called the tune.

Sweet Magnolias. I immediately assumed it was a sequel to the classic film Steel Magnolias, so I clicked on it and started to watch. I quickly learned that Shelby, Ouiser, and Truvy were not making a comeback and that this show had its own set of adorable characters.If you haven’t seen it, the show is what some might say a “lite read” — but in a good way. It doesn’t require you to think too hard or follow plots that twist and turn and cause confusion.

Anyone needing a bit more gayness in their daytime soaps, take heed: Will and Sonny, the beloved Days of Our Lives gay power couple, will return to the long-running show on February 21.Will and Sonny, played by Chandler Massey and Freddie Smith, made history as the first gay male couple to get married on a daytime soap opera way back in 2014. Of course, as characters on a soap, they had their fair share of relationship woes.

The Bay Area Reporter.Mannix filed his suit in 2018 in San Francisco Superior Court. He claimed that at the city’s Central Station, he was subjected to frequent antigay insults from Sgts. Patrick Tobin and Lawrence McDevitt.

Flee is the Oscar-nominated film about Amin and his journey from one city, Kabul, to another, Copenhagen. It is 1996 and, as the Taliban forces their way into the capital and takes control, people start to leave. Amin’s family is one of them, but it seems only to be the start of his journey of terror.Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s documentary is an animated feature interspersed with real footage of Afghani refugees and victims.

Meet Christopher-Aaron Felker. He’s an openly gay candidate currently running for Burlington City Council in Burlington, Vermont.