Ukraine LGBTQ+ community in fear after Russian assault

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. But in Ivanka Trump‘s case, that road is paved with grifts, oatmeal, and self-congratulatory videos posted to social media.Last week, the former first daughter announced plans to donate 1 million meals (meals, not dollars) to starving Ukrainian families.Related: Ivanka can’t even give food to the hungry without making it all about herOn Sunday, she posted a video on Instagram crowing about her generosity, saying she and her partner organizations had made good on that promise, before addressing the people living in the war-torn country directly.“You are in our thoughts and our prayers, and our heart breaks for what you are experiencing in this dire time,” Ivanka said.

GLAAD began reviewing Netflix and Hulu six years ago but this marks the first time that newer streaming services like Apple TV+ have been included in the yearly review.However, despite competition from the scrappy newbie streamers, Netflix still topped the charts with 155 queer characters, the runner-up was HBO Max with 77.“It is exciting to see quick progress made year-over-year with a new record high percentage of LGBTQ series regulars…as well as increases in underrepresented parts of the community including queer women, transgender characters, and LGBTQ people of color,” says Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis.“However, we continue to see that LGBTQ inclusion is often found in clusters from a concentrated number of creatives and networks who have prioritised telling our stories,” she continues.Talking about their increased reporting on streaming services, GLAAD highlighted the change in consumer habits during the pandemic, and the potential that an increase on streaming’s market share has to change the media landscape.However, not everyone is convinced that progressive changes by the likes of Netflix and Disney+ are purely altruistic.“Whether or not they [streaming platforms] allow for more diverse stories is ultimately down to their bottom line and whether they believe diverse stories will bring in revenue,” says Josh Rivers, head of communications for UK Black Pride and creator and host of the podcast ‘Busy Being Black’.“I would love to see streaming platforms – and media in general – take more risks when it comes to who is allowed to tell stories and what types of stories are told,” he continues.An increase in LGBTQ storylines and characters may appear to be on the up, but the

Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Oscars viewing party on Sunday evening, which many online have branded super awkward.The party took place in West Hollywood. In the clip, Jenner, 72, is seen approaching Gaga just before the red carpet procession into the party.Jenner asks the singer and actress, “Are you spending time around Malibu anymore?”Gaga simply replies, “Yes.”Jenner persists, saying, “I haven’t seen you at the Starbucks in a while.”Gaga looks briefly unsure how to respond, before saying, “Well, I’ve — I’ve switched baristas.” She then turns away.Caitlyn Jenner and Lady Gaga talking outside Elton John’s #Oscars viewing party.

A story of desire, love and death, the Spanish musical tragicomedy The Phantom of the Sauna is now available to watch online. Director Luis Navarrate describes his creation by saying that the movie “focuses on a love story between two misunderstood characters, with a bittersweet ending, not dissimilar to great stories like Moulin Rouge, West […]

Out Traveler we consider the impact of last chance travel, sharing some of the places we’re most driven to visit, stories of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, how to travel without endangering the people and animals who live there, alternatives to threatened locales, and yes, even the role travel plays in further threatening the places many of us long to visit.   At Out Traveler, we’re convinced that travel has the potential to do more good than harm especially when we learn to do good as we go (for example, in this issue we showed how tourists can help restore Mexico City’s precolonial canals or help save the Great Barrier Reef by only using authorized guides).We cover Mexico in depth this issue as our writers fanned out across the nation to explore different regions and a burgeoning foodie scene.Our cover queen Trixie Mattel tells us about bringing her retro-kitch, Barbie doll aesthetic to Palm Springs, renovating a California motel on the new Discovery+ show Trixie Motel.When you venture out again, we’ve got lots of inspiration, tips, and #IRL experiences of LGBTQ+ people, including yoga juggernaut Jessamyn Stanley and Grown-ish star Warren Egypt Franklin. Where ever you go, always look for the flowers after the fire.Jacob Anderson-Minshall Editor in Chief @outtraveler

HB 1557 into law yesterday afternoon. Known officially as the ‘Parental Rights in Education’ bill, it’s been dubbed by many the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.Aimed at schools, it seeks to ban the discussion of LGBTQ topics mainly at the primary grade level.

Oscar-nominated film career to coming out as transgender whilst in the public eye.Flatiron Books announced on 17 February that ‘Pageboy’ will be published next year."The memoir will delve into Page's relationship with his body, his experiences as one of the most famous trans people in the world, and will cover mental health, assault, love, relationships, sex, and the cesspool that Hollywood can be,”according to Flatiron.The 34-year-old Page is known for such films as ‘Juno’ and ‘Inception.’ He currently stars in the Netflix series ‘The Umbrella Academy.’A post shared by @elliotpagePage enjoyed a successful career prior to his transition, receiving an Oscar nomination for his turn as the eponymous pregnant teen in cult film ‘Juno’.Coming out as transgender in 2020 the actor wrote on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.“I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here.

Two men and a teenage girl have been sentenced to life for the homophobic murder of Dr Gary Jenkins.

Go Tae-seob, who goes by the stage name Holland, announced he has a romantic partner following a fan question during an online live stream.

Greg Abbott claims to care about the safety and well-being of transgender minors, but his recent policy of classifying gender-affirming care as "child abuse" only causes more suffering to some of Texas' most vulnerable children. This policy is not only harmful, but is based in ignorance and disregards medical standards.

Angela Rayner said “debate” over transgender rights needs to be taken “away from commentators” as it “debases the serious issues” at hand.

On Monday, March 28, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed the so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill into law. The legislation officially known as the Parental Rights in Education bill has been widely criticised for being anti-LGBTQ+ as it restricts “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” for students in kindergarten up to third grade.The bill also mandates that staff members out queer youth to their families, as they are required to notify parents of any change to a “student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being”.The Republican politician completed the final step in introducing the measure in a staged ceremony surrounded by a group of school children, some of whom held signs reading, “Protect children, support parents”.the don't say gay bill, which bans discussion of anything LGBTQ in schools, has passed i want to take the hand of every parent who rooted for and voted for this, and tell them lovingly that their queer child will be queer regardless of whether or not you let them talk about it— matt (@mattxiv) March 28, 2022Speaking ahead of the event, DeSantis stated that those who oppose the bill “support sexualising kids in kindergarten”, “support injecting woke gender ideology into second-grade classrooms”, and “support enabling schools to transition students to a different gender without the knowledge of the parent, much less without the parent’s consent”.He added that teaching students that “they can be whatever they want to be” is “inappropriate”.The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill was passed by the Florida Senate earlier this month, by a vote of 22-17.

Tim Gabriel is joining The CW’s superhero series Stargirl as the Green Lantern’s son Todd Rice who identifies as gay in the comics.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson declined to even define "woman" in her confirmation hearings last week. Her insistence that, because she was not a biologist, she was incapable of distinguishing between a male and a female makes one wonder how Judge Jackson will be able to make rulings about the hundreds of laws that acknowledge the differences between male and female—and specifically those meant to protect women.One such civil rights law is Title IX, which requires equality of educational benefits and opportunities for students, including in athletics, on the basis of sex—as defined in the difference between male and female.

Gemma Collins has announced she'll be appearing in Chicago the Musical.The star confirmed the news via Instagram on Tuesday morning, where she said she'd be taking on the role of Matron 'Mama' Morton on the Chicago UK tour later this year. Gemma wrote: "It’s official! I’m gonna be joining @chicagoonstage playing Matron ‘Mama’ Morton from Tues 31st May 2022! "Don’t miss your chance to see me at the following venues only #ChicagoUKTour.

Trixie Mattel has revealed what went into creating her new motel, which is set to open at some point this year.

Disney condemned Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill being signed into law and said its goal is for the legislation to be “repealed” or “struck down in the courts”.

As reproductive rights are increasingly under attack around the United States and are expected to possibly see substantial changes later this year when the Supreme Court issues a decision in a Mississippi case, California lawmakers are moving forward with several bills to expand or otherwise increase access to reproductive services.The high court heard oral arguments in the Mississippi case last December and a decision is expected by June. The Mississippi law would ban most abortions after 15 weeks, two months earlier than permitted under Roe v.

“Bridgerton” — Netflix’s hit period production about upper-class courtship in England’s Regency era — is a world populated with sparkling balls, intricate courtship rituals, extravagant attire, and insidious gossip. And, apart from the Julia Quinn novels, there’s a surprising inspiration for it: West Hollywood. 

A massive display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will take place in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park during Pride Month, officials of the National AIDS Memorial Grove, which oversees the tapestry, told the Bay Area Reporter.The news is set to be formally announced at a March 29 news conference at the San Leandro warehouse that houses the quilt.Meanwhile, the grove has received a grant from Mayor London Breed's office that will help cover some expenses for its new office space in the Castro, which it moved into earlier this month.The AIDS quilt display will be the largest ever in San Francisco and the biggest display anywhere in the U.S. in a decade — the last such showing was in Washington, D.C.

Release date: January 4What it's about: Barker bends time and genre for this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 2083 London that sees most of the population having time traveled forward and Juliet staying put while she awaits for Romeo to wake from his coma. Then time-traveler Ellis, one of the few able to travel back in time as well as forward, arrives from the future with a plan to wake Romeo, a necessity if he and his gang are to survive.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a law banning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, a step that critics say will hurt the LGBTQ community.

“Michael in the Bathroom” from the musical Be More Chill — viewed more than 5.8 million times on YouTube — inspired a fanatic following that helped prompt the show’s eventual Broadway transfer. Iconis returns with a new video release of “Masochist” from the lesbian rock romance Love in Hate Nation, and INTO obtained the exclusive first look.

Ron DeSantis signed a controversial bill into law on Monday prohibiting certain classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.The legislation, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics, has sparked nationwide debate as opponents argue the law will only harm LGBTQ children. President Joe Biden has called the legislation "hateful."The governor said during Monday's signing ceremony, where he was surrounded by school kids, that parents can now "send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination," according to the Associated Press.Conservatives have said that those who are opposed to the bill haven't read it in its entirety as DeSantis faces criticism."CAN ANY DEMOCRAT ACTUALLY READ??!!" tweeted Lavern Spicer, a Republican who ran for Congress in Florida last year.CAN ANY DEMOCRAT ACTUALLY READ??!! https://t.co/yvH37FsGsO"Read the bill," Rebecca Keltie, a Republican congressional candidate, wrote on Twitter.

WAGA she was uninjured.“A native of Illinois, Kathryn was most recently living with her family in Canton, Georgia. Kathryn was a Minecraft and UberSpire enthusiast, an advocate for trans rights, had a bright smile, enjoyed changing up her hairstyles, and attentive to world events,” Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents reported.“She enjoyed hiking and sightseeing.

The Biden administration once again is warning Florida about its widely-criticized and possibly unconstitutional “Don’t Say Gay” bill which Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday afternoon while surrounded by young children. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Monday afternoon warned he will be “monitoring this law upon implementation to evaluate whether it violates federal civil rights law.”

Florida and DeSantis, an emerging name in the Republican Party and a potential 2024 presidential candidate, to the forefront of the country's culture war.LGBTQ advocates, students, Democrats, the entertainment industry and the White House have denounced its aims.Mr DeSantis and Republicans have repeatedly said the measure is reasonable and that parents, not teachers, should be broaching subjects of sexual orientation and gender identity with their children.

Florida’s highly controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill has been signed into law by the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis.

ABOVE: Mirror, mirror ... NM, we know the answer.

South Australia has a new premier, and the Internet appears to have a new crush.Labor Party leader Peter Malinauskas, 41, took on the state’s top job last week, replacing Liberal leader Steven Marshall. But while there are certainly those who are happy to see Malinauskas ascend based on his policies — in Parliament, for instance, he voted in favor of marriage and adoption equality for LGBTQ people — many have taken to social media to praise his other attractive qualities.In February, Malinauskas appeared for a photo op at the Adelaide Aquatic Center and decided to take a dip in the pool.

Senator Lindsey Graham drew swift, bipartisan criticism Thursday after tweeting that the “only way” to end the violence in Ukraine is for Russians to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.“Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?” Graham tweeted.“The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out,” he added. “You would be doing your country — and the world — a great service.”Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out.

ABOVE: “Mom, I am on a magazine cover!”

In a State of the Union address front-loaded with calls to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for assistance from Congress in enacting his domestic agenda — and renewed his call for passage of the Equality Act to advance LGBTQ rights."And for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let's finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk," Biden said, making his strongest push yet for legislation that has been pending in the U.S. Senate for nearly a year despite Biden's campaign promise to sign it into law within his first 100 days in office.Not only was it Biden's first State of the Union speech, it also marked the first time that two women were seated behind the president as he delivered the traditional oration on the status of the country and of his own administrative priorities.

Transgender people in Ukraine are facing discrimination and transphobia as they try to flee from invading Russian forces.

Log Cabin directs ire at wrong personSomewhat predictably Log Cabin Republicans President Charles Moran blasts President Joe Biden as "feckless and weak" in his response to the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, an act for which the United States has few good options to respond to. Moran describes Russia's government under Vladimir Putin in the same press release as a "totalitarian regime."Perhaps Moran's ire should be directed toward former President Donald Trump, who even after the Russian attack had commenced, had described it as "genius" and "wonderful." Trump further praised Putin in the same interview as a "peacekeeper"? If Moran is so willing to condemn the sitting president for not coming to Ukraine's defense then perhaps he should also direct his anger at Trump, who held up military aid to the Ukraine on the condition that its government announce an investigation of Hunter Biden?Russia's intervention in the Ukraine does not affect the national security of the United States, and there are good reasons that the Biden administration should not escalate the conflict by sending American troops into Eastern Europe.

To the Editor: Re “Russia Batters Key Cities in Wider Attack; Biden Seeks to Rally World Against Putin” (front page, March 2): President Biden’s State of the Union address was just what the country and the world needed to hear. A profoundly beautiful tribute to the Ukrainian people. A message of support for them and a defiant stance against Vladimir Putin.

In a State of the Union address front-loaded with calls to challenge Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, President Biden on Tuesday called for assistance from Congress in enacting his domestic agenda — and renewed his call for passage of the Equality Act to advance LGBTQ rights.

low approval ratings — even among people who previously voted for him in 2020 — Biden attempted to use his speech as a reset for his presidency, decrying Russia and its power-hungry President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine while offering praise and support for the Ukrainian resistance, and seeking to clarify his (and by extension, his party’s) positions on various domestic issues by calling for programs and bills that would make Americans’ lives easier, fight inflation, get the country back to “normal” following a two-year interruption caused by the pandemic, and calling on states and cities to deal with rising crime rates by fully funding police using money appropriated by the American Rescue Plan.But as he went through the litany of various domestic concerns, Biden seemingly hit on many of the issues and promises he had run on as a candidate for president, even though much of his priorities have been killed in the U.S. Senate, due to the inability to gain 60 votes to overcome the silent filibuster (exacerbated by the refusal of traditionalists to change Senate rules to either eliminate or reduce the 60-vote threshold, or require the minority to actively filibuster pieces of legislation, thereby calling attention to their opposition) as well as political posturing by conservative Democrats like Sens.

“anti-gay purge” in Chechnya targeting members of the LGBTQ community with illegal forced detentions, torture and murder was killed Saturday during fighting in Ukraine.Magomed Tushayev, who served as a close advisor to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Pro-Putin leader of the Chechen Republic, was leading a regiment of the Chechnya National Guard when he was killed during a battle with Ukraine’s elite Alpha Group over control of Antonov Airport, also known as Hostomel Airport. The international cargo airport and testing facility near Kyiv has been an important landmark strategically throughout the conflict.Illia Ponomarenko, defense reporter with Ukrainian news outlet The Kyiv Independent, reported the news on Twitter and it was confirmed by a spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the Los Angeles Blade.Magomed Tushayev, one of Ramzan Kadyrov’s top warlords, has been killed in action in Hostomel.??Ukraine’s elite Alpha Group is reportedly fighting Chechens in the airfield.

ABOVE: Bobbing for Conrad.

Last year, Liz Harrington left her gig as editor-in-chief at War Room, Steve Bannon’s far-right website and podcast, to become Donald Trump‘s personal spokesperson. During her tenure at War Room, the site’s YouTube channel was removed for spreading false claims about the election.That should tell you everything you need to know about Harrington’s relationship with reality.This week, Harrington argued that there is “no need” for President Biden to deliver the State of the Union address, as the task was already completed when Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend.“There’s really no need for him to give a State of the Union [from] the fraud that’s sitting in the White House right now because President Trump summed it all up on Saturday at CPAC,” she said.In the same breath, she blamed Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on Biden.In addition to tirelessly promoting Tump’s big lie, Harrington has also repeatedly attacked the transgender community, opposing the rights of trans people to use the bathrooms of their choice, and lying about trans people in the military.Speaking in favor of former President Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military in 2017, Harrington told Tucker Carlson:Even the RAND Corporation admits that every transgender soldier who goes through transition will be out an estimated 238 days.

warlord who murdered LGBT+ people in what became known as the "gay purge" has been killed fighting in Ukraine. Magomed Tushayev was a military boss under the command of feared Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Anti-gay purges were first reported in Chechnya, now a constituent republic of Russia, in 2017 and involved secret abductions, torture and extrajudicial killings.

#LGBTQ #Ukraine #Stonewall pic.twitter.com/rXmvkGxQTM— @DRJessieNYC (@JessieNYC) February 26, 2022Activists gathered at the Stonewall Inn on Saturday, February 26, to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ Ukrainians facing persecution amid the Russian invasion, and in the shadow of a rumored Russian post-occupancy “kill list” that reportedly includes members of the queer community.Advocacy group QUA — LGBTQ Ukrainians in America led the anti-Putin protest, where Ukraine supporters made speeches and held signs including messages like “LGBTQ+ Ukraine we [heart] you” and “Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere.”Strong signs of queer solidarity at the #StopPutin #HandsOffUkraine rally organized by @QuaCommunity today at the Stonewall Inn. Thank you to @ebottcher and @bradhoylman for speaking up in support of Ukrainians – we are counting on your support as the refugee crisis comes to NYC.

< 1 min read LGBTQ+ activists across social media are calling for followers to share an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin in drag to showcase support for Ukraine and their rainbow community amid the invasion of their nation.

ABOVE: If you've never heard of Van Williams, here's your intro.

Ukraine has taken significant steps over the past decade to better the lives of its queer citizens. In 2015 it implemented anti-discrimination employment laws, and in 2016 it began allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood, all part of an effort to become a more equitable state.In contrast, Russia has moved in the opposite direction.

ABOVE: At CPAC, Trump was lobbed a softball question about whether he'd take up arms to defend the U.S. Even though a U.S. president would NEVER be in that situation, and he could have just said he would of course do it, Trump is such a fucking coward he couldn't even offer hypothetical bravery.

When U.S. President Joe Biden released the first wave of sanctions on Russia on Feb. 22, he vowed to make Vladimir Putin “a pariah on the international stage” for his aggression against Ukraine.