What is Drag Queen Story Hour and why are the events under attack?

In a statement published online today, September 28, Polish education minister Przemysław Czarnek formally apologised for homophobic remarks he made in 2020. The minister concluded his apology saying that he still stands “by his views”. Przemysław Czarnek became education minister in Poland in early October 2020. He is well-known for his opposition to LGBTQ+ rights […]

Herschel Walker made a big deal a couple of months ago about upping sticks from California and relocating to Florida.Related: Herschel Walker’s son uses Pride Month to remind everyone… he’s not gayThe rightwing influencer repeatedly took to social media to celebrate moving from a blue to a red state and praised Governor Ron DeSantis for introducing his notorious ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.Just last week Walker posted about how nice it was not to be walking the streets of Los Angeles.Moved to Florida from California not even two months ago, and dang… it feels nice to not have to worry about stepping in human poop on the street when I go for a walk.— Christian Walker (@ChristianWalk1r) September 23, 2022Last month he hung out with DeSantis and sang his praises.I moved across the country because of this man. Thank you Governor DeSantis for making sure kids are protected at schools. Thank you Governor DeSantis for protecting businesses and people’s jobs.

“Ladies Tea: Fall Edition,” a fundraising event, will be hosted on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. at Hank’s Oyster Bar Dupont Circle. 

The Congressional Black Caucus will host a screening of “Why Is We Americans” on Friday, Sept. 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Planet Word.

The race for the U.S. Senate seat in Nevada — which may decide control of that chamber of Congress in the upcoming election — is coming down to the wire as polls shows a tight race between Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) and the Republican challenger Adam Laxalt. If Republicans get their way, it will have everything to do with Cortez Masto’s defending her state’s ban on same-sex marriage as Nevada attorney general — and nothing at all to do with the long record against LGBTQ rights of her Republican opponent.

Semaj Billingslea, a 33-year-old Black transgender man, was shot to death September 21 just outside a motel in Jacksonville, Fla.Police found Billingslea at the Baymont Inn and Suites in the early evening, Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents reports. He had been shot multiple times but was still alive. He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his wounds.

A former prison guard in North Carolina faces up to 14 years in jail after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a transgender woman inmate in his custody last year.In a plea bargain agreement, Kyle Garrett Harris pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of felony sex by a custodian for his actions in the June 21, 2021, attack at the Mecklenburg County jail, according to a report in the News&Observer. He was given sentences of 20 to 84 months for each charge, with the sentences to be served consecutively.The sexual assault survivor went public last year with her story.“There was no way possible I could just sit there and allow somebody to get away with something like that,” the woman, who identified herself as Heaven, told the local ABC affiliate WSOC-TV.Following her arrest on federal identity charges last year, Heaven was taken to Mecklenburg County jail where Harris was employed as a guard.

As they always say, “after every storm, there is a rainbow” and it seems that the pandemic was a moment of inspiration for several queer artists. Across different music genres, there are new tracks out there from proud LGBTQ+ artists, that you should definitely know. From pop, folk, electronic, and synth-wave there is a lot […]

Éiru, a brand new music series featuring female and non-binary artists, launches at the Playground this Monday, October 3. For the first four Mondays in October, the Playground, a unique space for musical artists and creatives to connect and collaborate, will be transformed into a tranquil evening venue, with beanbags and blankets galore. Each evening […]

Real Housewife, Heather Gay jokes she's «beaten down.»«By life and by these b***hes!» the  OG cracks to ET over video call. «No, am I different? I just feel like I'm still the same sad sack I've always been, but now I just am richer and more famous.

A post shared by Anthony Bowens (@bowens_official)“I’m going to take a moment to share something I don’t really talk about much in front of the camera. And some of you know and some of you may not know, but I never thought I’d be able to have a moment like this.“I never thought that I would be able to live my dream because there was a time when I was very confused. And I didn’t know how to accept myself.

Indie-pop band Celestial Skies have announced the date their debut album, Songs For Blue Romantics will be released.

Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick has been forced to tightened up security at her Yorkshire home after being a victim to homophobic death threats.The 46-year-old, who plays vet Vanessa Woodfield in the long-running ITV soap, had to involve police recently due to concerns for the safety of her family. Michelle took to her Instagram account on Monday to thank a security company for increasing protection around their countryside home. "Anyone local to the Leeds/Wakefield area who needs any security solutions then look no further than @msc.security.solutions," she said.

Donald Trump often asked oddly personal questions about staffers’ sexuality and made homophobic remarks about those he perceived might be gay, according to a new book.

(Editor’s Note: One in four people in America has a disability, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Queer and disabled people have long been a vital part of the LGBTQ community. Take two of the many queer history icons who were disabled:  Michelangelo is believed to have been autistic. Marsha P. Johnson, who played a heroic role in the Stonewall Uprising, had physical and psychiatric disabilities. Today, Deaf/Blind fantasy writer Elsa Sjunneson, actor and bilateral amputee Eric Graise — Marvin in the “Queer as Folk” reboot — and Kathy Martinez, a blind, Latinx lesbian, who was Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy for the Obama administration, are only a few of the numerous queer and disabled people in the LGBTQ community. Yet, the stories of this vital segment of the queer community have rarely been told. In its monthly, year-long series, “Queer, Crip and Here,” the Blade will tell some of these long un-heard stories.)

For the first time I actually think Donald Trump and his family may get what they deserve. They have been screwing the country for so long it seemed no one could get to them. Donald Trump is like a mafia don, with his family, and others like Rudy Giuliani, being his soldiers. Like many mafia don’s we have seen, while not going down for the deaths he caused, he will likely go down for his financial shenanigans.

Harry Kane will join forces with nine other European captains by wearing a OneLove armband at the World Cup in Qatar.Same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar, which will host the World Cup from November 20.Kane will be joined in wearing the OneLove armband by Wales captain Gareth Bale, and with the captains of France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland.The move comes as part of a season-long OneLove campaign against LGBTQ+ discrimination in football and wider society.Here is what you need to know about OneLove campaign at the Qatar World Cup.The European captains are wearing the OneLove armband to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ discrimination in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalised.Qatari authorities have not given a specific guarantee that LGBTQ+ fans travelling to the country for the tournament will be safe.The Qatar Supreme Committee, the body in charge of organising the World Cup, said: ‘Everyone will be welcome to Qatar in 2022, regardless of their race, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.‘We are a relatively conservative society – for example, public displays of affection are not a part of our culture.‘We believe in mutual respect and so whilst everyone is welcome, what we expect in return is for everyone to respect our culture and traditions.’Speaking about the decision to wear the OneLove armband, Kane said: ‘I am honoured to join my fellow national team captains in supporting the important OneLove campaign.‘As captains we may all be competing against each other on the pitch, but we stand together against all forms of discrimination.‘This is even more relevant

The final two cities in the race to host Eurovision 2023 have been shortlisted. Next year’s song contest is confirmed to take place in the UK, with Glasgow and Liverpool being the last locations standing in the rigorous selection process. Although Ukraine was supposed to host next year’s competition after the country soared to victory […]

There’s a magical feeling to the mountainous desert landscapes, endless blue skies, and remarkable quality of the light in Scottsdale and Phoenix — something that has brought travelers back here for decades. The area boasts a plethora of high-end resorts and spas, and my husband and I decided to try out three popular ones during our recent trip to Arizona.Old is new againI’ve loved the Arizona Biltmore for years, and the iconic property with Frank Lloyd Wright vibes recently re-opened after a massive $70 million renovation that took more than a year.

Emmy-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby will produce and host a live stand-up special for Netflix titled Body of Work.

Virgin Atlantic have updated their gender identity policy to allow crew, pilots and ground team the choice of what uniform they wear.

Sam Smith has opened up about becoming confident enough to let their “freakiness out” and how this channelled itself into the making of Unholy.

Sam Smith has opened up about becoming confident enough to let their “freakiness out” and how this channelled itself into the making of Unholy.

Every now and again you come across a hotel located in a prime city location – one that makes you never want to leave; The Madrid EDITION is that hotel.

London, was recognised as the founder of Proud Voices, a network of LGBT choirs in the UK and Ireland.He told Metro.co.uk: ‘It was such a privilege and an honour to be present.‘I didn’t think I would be as moved as I was, as I didn’t have any relationship with the Queen at all other than her being there throughout my life as the only Queen I ever knew, but it was very emotional. ‘I only ever saw her on television so being invited to the funeral was a very great honour.‘I’ve been walking around Green Park the last couple of days and I have seen how deep people’s emotional connection to the Queen is and I just feel there are so many people who would have loved to have been here.

three months after their engagement.The former Jeopardy! champ, 43, made the announcement on her social-media accounts on Tuesday night as she said that she and Davis "couldn't wait" to tie the knot, though they will be having a traditional ceremony in 2023.Sharing photos of herself and Davis wearing simple white dresses and floral headpieces at their ceremony in Oakland, California, Schneider wrote on Instagram: "Genevieve and I are delighted to announce that on Monday, May 9, we were married in a small private ceremony at the Alameda County Recorder."We will be having a traditional wedding & reception next summer," Schneider added, "but our lives have been much too busy this year to get very far in planning it, and we couldn't wait that long to proclaim our love and commitment to each other. Thank you, everyone for your support!"Amid the flood of congratulatory comments was a message from the official Jeopardy! account, which simply read: "Love it!"Former software engineering manager Schneider, who shared the same message on Facebook, posted a slightly different caption on Twitter as she mentioned the start of her Jeopardy! journey."A year ago today, I was in LA, waiting to fulfill a dream," she said.

When Tony and Doug (names changed for privacy), a gay couple, who had lived interstate and overseas, moved to a small rural town in Southern Tasmania, they were looking forward to life away from the fast pace they were used to. What they did not bargain was for a year-long campaign of harassment and homophobic abuse directed at them by their next-door neighbour. A court in Tasmania recently held the woman guilty of anti-gay abuse and sentenced her to six weeks in prison.

Thousands of students in schools across Virginia participated in walkouts and rallies on Tuesday to oppose the revised “model policies” on transgender students released by the Virginia Department of Education.

LGBTQ Nation Celebrity who Made Us Proud nominees are teen pop sensation JoJo Siwa, who became one-half of the first same-sex pairing in 30 seasons of Dancing With the Stars; reality television host RuPaul, who used his platform to speak out for LGBTQ rights and became the Black entertainer to win the most Emmys ever; actor Elliot Page, who brought transgender inclusion to both Hollywood and state legislatures; comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster, who put gay Asian Americans front and center with his movie Fire Island; and actor Ariana DeBose, the first queer woman of color to win an acting Oscar after she wowed the world with her performance in West Side Story.The nominees for LGBTQ Nation‘s 2022 Celebrity who Made Us Proud have us shouting: “Hooray for Hollywood!” Vote now for LGBTQ Nation’s 2022 Celebrity who Made Us Proud.JoJo SiwaAt 10, little JoJo Siwa with the big ponytail Dance Mom’d her way into America’s hearts.At 18, she melted them by coming out on Insta with a family member’s support: her t-shirt read “Best. Gay.

Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider and her partner, Genevieve Davis, have gotten married.Schneider — the top-winning woman and top transgender contestant on the show — and Davis married May 9, but they just announced it Tuesday on social media. “Genevieve Davis and Amy Schneider are delighted to announce that on Monday, May 9, we were married in a small private ceremony at the Alameda County Recorder,” they said in a Facebook statement that they also sent to The Advocate. “We will be having a traditional wedding next summer, but our lives have been much too busy this year to get very far in planning it, and we couldn’t wait that long to proclaim our love and commitment to each other.” Alameda County is in Northern California and includes Oakland, where Schneider has lived for several years.They shared wedding pictures on Twitter.

Ustwo Games’ new 3D platformer Desta: The Memories Between is full of queerness, repressed memories, and balls getting thrown around.

UPDATE: In light of Harris’ new ‘Dad’ range of sweaters and sweatpants, what better time to revisit the (possible) inspiration?  A post shared by Neil Patrick Harris (@nph) Everyone knows it’s currently grey sweatpants season, and a photo of Neil Patrick Harris in a designer pair has met with approval on Instagram.Harris actually took to the platform to lament missing out on an annual tradition for his family. In recent years, the actor has narrated Disney World’s Candlelight Processional.

(CNN) – As Hurricane Ian made landfall in western Cuba early Tuesday morning, Floridians were keeping an anxious eye on the rapidly intensifying storm. That included the operators of Florida’s popular theme parks.Here’s a status report of where things stand as of 11 a.m.

Yeshiva University’s Pride Alliance offered to delay its efforts to gain university recognition on Wednesday, Sept. 21, after the school suspended all student activities rather than recognize the LGBTQ group.On Sept.

"Who’s up to no good?" That’s the question that users will receive when attempting to input data into a new database that will allow them to search for companies that support causes such as insurrectionists, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-choice, and anti-voting rights movements. The tool is particularly useful for those who want to see what companies who show their Pride in June do the rest of the year.As part of the Accountable for Equality Action, a watchdog organization that monitors organizations’ activities to measure corporate allyship and corporate donations, the Real Allies Database maintains information that tracks donations to extremist politicians.

The National AIDS Memorial has released the seventh film in its oral history project with their latest mini-documentary, The Black Community & AIDS.The film carries us through stories from nearly two dozen survivors as hey share their hopes and struggles around the HIV epidemic with a focus on the disproportionate impact on the Black community.The 17-minute film was produced by Jörg Fockele. Chevron, who’s been a long-standing partner of the National AIDS Memorial, is the presenting partner and provided major funding for the program over the last five years.Huma Abbasi, General Manager of the Health & Medical department at Chevorn, said in a press release, “Our long-time support for this program is part of our commitment to sharing the very human experiences that have shaped four decades of the AIDS epidemic.

A drag performer in Idaho is suing the blogger he says falsely accused him of exposing his genitals at the Pride in the Park event in Coeur d’Alene.Eric Posey, whose drag name is Mona Liza Million, performed June 11 at Pride in the Park. Right-wing Idaho blogger Summer Bushnell posted altered video of his appearance, blurring his groin “to make it appear as if he exposed himself,” says a press release from Stoel Rives, the law firm representing Posey.The edited video attracted 20,000 views on social media. People who’d seen it — none of whom had been at the event — contacted local police and urged them to investigate.

The queer community was shocked this week by the suddenly passing of beloved UK drag queen Cherry Valentine, and few moreso than her close Drag Race UK sister Tayce.The Queerpiphany star publicly shared in mourning and celebrating Valentine’s life on the day of her passing, posting moment after captured moment of the two hanging out and performing together. Now, she’s performing on her own, but clearly with her friend still in her heart.Tayce used the closing number of the final show in the her recent country-wide “Assassination Tour” to honor the late queen and their time together.She performed a rendition of “Memory” from Cats, the song that the pair emotionally lipsynced to against one another on Drag Race UK.The performance is enrapturing:such a beautiful tribute, cherry would love it pic.twitter.com/kgM2OAdPhT— molls ☂︎ (@doIIastore) September 26, 2022Related: Drag Race queen Kornbread reveals cancer diagnosisThis is just the latest in a line of heartfelt tributes to the late performer.After the sudden news of her passing on Sunday, fellow queens and admirers across the world shared their condolences and memories of her.At a loss for words.

Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick has called in extra security at her countryside mansion following a string of homophobic death threats.Michelle, who plays Vanessa Woodfield in the ITV soap, opened up about the horrific abuse earlier this year that took aim at her sexuality and left her fearing for her safety. The star admitted she had to call in police to ensure her and her wife, Emmerdale producer Kate Brooks and their two-year-old son, Edward, felt safe, in their own home.

A drag performer in Idaho is suing the blogger he says falsely accused him of exposing his genitals at the Pride in the Park event in Coeur d’Alene.Eric Posey, whose drag name is Mona Liza Million, performed June 11 at Pride in the Park. Right-wing Idaho blogger Summer Bushnell posted altered video of his appearance, blurring his groin “to make it appear as if he exposed himself,” says a press release from Stoel Rives, the law firm representing Posey.The edited video attracted 20,000 views on social media. People who’d seen it — none of whom had been at the event — contacted local police and urged them to investigate.

The most common myths around HPV debunked by doctorsWhere to get Kate Middleton's red coat - from her Holyhead visitCan triggering the Hero Instinct really make someone fall in love with you?Now, aged 19, I’m unsure what the future looks like, but I’m having a lot of fun and taking it one day at a time.I’m doing an exciting apprenticeship this summer, then heading to university to study Fashion and Merchandising, both of which are cool new adventures for me.One thing I am sure of is that, though one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, the greatest treasure for me has been being able to be accepted for who I truly am – second-hand high heels and all.Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. MORE : Canada’s Drag Race swiftly delete tweet declaring ‘crown is up for grabs’ amid Queen’s health concerns MORE : Transgender model walks the New York Fashion Week runway at just 10 years old MORE : Life as a transgender woman with dementia: ‘LGBT people face particular challenges’

Khloe Kardashian after a picture taken of the  actor and the star at the Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan went viral.  Morrone's rep said in a statement to, that the actor and the Good American founder simply just posed for a photo. «Dolce & Gabbana asked them to take a photo at the show,» Morrone's rep told the publication.

Kellyanne Conway‘s righteous indignation is off the charts, and nobody seems to be buying her latest outburst.The former Trump adviser has been hitting the campaign trail in an attempt to rally up enthusiasm among Republican midterm voters. On Monday night, she appeared on Fox News and attacked Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman for displaying a marijuana flag outside the State Capitol.Related: Donald Trump’s big plan to stall the DOJ comes back to slap him hard across the faceFetterman is currently the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate against Trump-endorsed Republican Dr.

Pete Buttigieg‘s recent takedown of Ron DeSantis reminded viewers that the Transportation Secretary can speak intelligently on many more issues than just our chaotic airline industry (though he can certainly do that, too).“Brilliant” was a common word in the thousands of comments on the DeSantis clip, and now one member of Team Pete has taken the opportunity to show just how articulate and insightful he’s always been.Related: Buttigieg roasts Rubio for calling same-sex marriage bill a “waste of time”Twitter user @chyeaok dug up a clip from Buttigieg’s freshman year in college, and it’s a far cry from most teenage discourse…or at least what we can remember of ours.During a 2001 forum on George W. Bush’s first hundred days in office at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, then 19-year-old Buttigieg stepped up to the mic to address a panel that included former White House Communications Director David Gergen and New York Times political correspondent Richard Berke.“Hi.

— Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese, who recently competed on RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race, talking to People about Darren Aronofsky’s controversial film The Whale, in which Brendan Fraser dons a “fat suit” to play a reclusive gay teacher.

Friday’s theatrical release of Bros, “the first gay rom-com ever made by a major studio.” But luckily, gay cinema is filled with other rom-coms that paved the way.While even gay rom-coms uphold problematic notions of heteronormative monogamy and physical attractiveness, these films were also a welcome break from the gloomy narratives about homophobia and HIV that marked the start of gay mainstream cinema. They also gave gay viewers a chance to laugh at the community’s quirks while also seeing themselves falling happily in love.Frightened by the HIV epidemic, Jeffrey completely swears off sex.

When Melissa Etheridge came out as a lesbian in 1993, she was just a few months shy of releasing her fourth album, Yes I Am. With singles like “Come To My Window” and “I’m The Only One,” Yes I Am became her mainstream breakthrough, going six-times Platinum and earning her a handful of Grammy nods.In other words, Etheridge was one of the most prominent, out LGBTQ celebrities at the time.

Big Mouth writer and sparkling Black queer personality Brandon Kyle Goodman has a trove of stories to tell. Thankfully, he’s got just the way with words to tell them.His new memoir You Gotta Be You: How to Embrace This Messy Life and Step Into Who You Really Are is as aptly titled as it is thoroughly subtitled. Through stories of being a queer child to a born-again Christian mother and a Black nonbinary person in America, Goodman both drives home the importance of being yourself and provides the tools to do so.It reads like a one-man show in parts — we can thank the Tisch theatricality for that — and ends up an accessible, engaging, read.