PHILADELPHIA — Beyoncé’s South Philly Renaissance began with a prelude. Before darkness fell on Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday, an enormous video screen showed a TV test pattern, cleverly reworked to include colors of the Progress Pride Flag celebrating the LGBTQ community. That screen became an image of a cloudy blue sky, and then — as the anticipation of the sellout crowd turned into ecstasy — it was filled in with a stadiumwide image of Beyoncé herself. And then there she was, at 8:45 p.m. sharp. In a short black Givenchy dress, uttering the words that her mostly female, significantly…

Read More

View the full article

“I was ready to make this depressing breakup album, and here I was having the time of my life feeling just grateful for the people around me” — Troye Sivan to Vogue

Sivan also told British GQ he'd spent the previous few years discovering that he loves “people … community, and sex.” And, perhaps most importantly: “I really, really love to party.”

Troye Sivan's New Song “Rush”

Troye Sivan, the pop sensation, has recently released his latest single, “Rush”. The song is a prelude to his upcoming third studio album, “Something to Give Each Other”, set to release on October 13.

The Inspiration Behind “Rush”

“Rush” is a reflection of Sivan's time thorugh Covid, finding community in another country since moving to Australia and..

I was listening to a lot of Janet Jackson from the early 2000s. I wanted to make this kind of sweet, nostalgic pop, but was also super inspired by the idea of global pop. — Sivan to Vogue

This is actually a great album cover, Troye. pic.twitter.com/6J2qJXKqTF

— Mamo (@boomhyung) July 13, 2023

The Music and Lyrics of “Rush” — Freedom and Liberation

“Rush” is a celebration of freedom and liberation. It's a song that captures the essence of being lost in the music, of surrendering to the rhythm, and of embracing the joy of the moment, and the suggestion of a known brand of inhalant suggested, ok more than suggested by the title. Sivan says he currently does no drugs.

troye sivan said i'm selling SEX this era https://t.co/2juANhNOPS

— jack (@fkajack) July 10, 2023

The Role of the Queer Community in “Rush”

The song also pays homage to the queer community, portraying it as a space of unconditional love, acceptance, and camaraderie. It's a testament to the power of community and the strength that comes from being part of something bigger than oneself.

The Very Gay Video for “Rush” Is Modern and Nostalgic

The video portrays a version of love and community specifically for an attractive group that's been cast for a balance of ethnicity and diversity of hair styles among the young, universally thin, sexy pansexual queer and partying Aussie crowd who are coming of age, finding freedom, looking to escape realities of the world and who can master the snippets of next stage choreo.

The video for “Rush”, directed by Gordon von Steiner, is a visual feast. It focuses on non-verbal communication,  looks and movements rather than words.

I just wanted it to feel real. We had conversations where someone would be like, “Is this too much?” And I'd just be like, “God, no.” We go to parties with dark rooms every weekend, this is real life and it's what it feels like. –Sivan to Vogue

“…it's the feeling of endlessly being addicted to your friends and wanting to just have a really good time. I also spent a lot of time in Europe, and I'm super inspired by European party culture,” Sivan said.

Troye said "let me do a take for the tweakers" pic.twitter.com/VIKVm2JBZX

— ᶜᵒˡᵗᵒⁿ (@disgracedtwink) July 13, 2023

I moved away from my family when I was 18 and came to a different country, and finding queer community here, I just immediately felt at home. I'm so inspired. There's such an unspoken feeling of home and familiarity. It's a sense of humor, it's a sense of style, it's the coolest thing in the world to me. Community is a really important theme on the album—it's a huge part of what the album is all about, which is celebrating that and celebrating each other. –to Vogue

“Rush” to Judgement

Sivan's new album is called Something To Give Each Other, and it's coming out this fall. Since coming out with 2018's Bloom, he's released the 2020 EP In A Dream and singles like “Angel Baby,” “Trouble,” and “Wait.” Now, we get a brand-new single titled “Rush,” which comes with a video directed by Gordon von Steiner.

The pop star's sublime new anthem treats sex and partying as a practically religious act. — Pitchfork

If he's never going to be an arena artist, he might as well make things gayer, sexier, and weirder than they would. –Jason P. Frank in Vulture

“While I am in support of all twinks and sleazy summer music, my immediate response was revulsion. Here are the top things I hate about this song: The retro, clumpy high-house chaka-chaka beat; the '70s Village People backup chorus anthem singing; the overproduction of his vocals into pure Jocelynism; the whooshy club bridge sound effect. ” — Choire Sicha in Vulture

The Upcoming Album: Something to Give Each Other

“Something to Give Each Other” is a collection of songs that explore themes of heartbreak, freedom, community, sisterhood, and friendship. It's a deeply personal album that reflects Sivan's experiences and emotions.

… troye … xoxo …
troye sivan wears thom browne fall 2023 on the cover of vogue australia.@troyesivan @vogueaustralia #thombrowne #thombrownefw23 #troyesivan pic.twitter.com/1Aqj7XyjRT

— Thom Browne (@ThomBrowne) July 14, 2023

Sivan's Personal Connection to the Album

Sivan has described the album as his gift to his fans. It's a piece of his heart, a slice of his life, and a testament to his journey as an artist and as a person.

It's about, “community built off a common experience of dance music, partying, fashion, humor, and all of these things that I love so much about my life and about my friends.”

“Something to Give Each Other” is Sivan's first full-length release since “Bloom” in 2018. During the pandemic, he released the 7-track EP “In a Dream” and found an unexpected viral hit with his single “Angel Baby”.

View the full article

(Corrects story from June 29 to remove reference in paragraph 25 to aspartame being removed from PepsiCo products in 2020. A PepsiCo spokesperson corrected an earlier statement from an outside company spokesperson.) By Jennifer Rigby and Richa Naidu LONDON (Reuters) -One of the world's most common artificial sweeteners is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a leading global health body, according to two sources with knowledge of the process, pitting it against the food industry and regulators. Aspartame, used in products from Coca-Cola diet sodas to Mars' Extra chewing gum a…

Read More

View the full article

Margot Robbie says the ‘Barbie' film tackles the concept of a power “hierarchy”. The 33-year-old actress plays the beloved doll character in Greta Gerwig's new film on the Mattel firm's iconic creation, which has been hailed as a feminist take on the toy – which has recently been rebranded with a range of diverse models with different skin tones and disabilities since it was launched as a supposedly picture-perfect blonde ideal of beauty in 1959. Margot said at the European premiere of the film at Cineworld in London's Leicester Square on Wednesday (12.07.23) night: “To really do something une…

Read More

View the full article

Read More

View the full article

GENEVA (Reuters) – It is possible to end AIDS by 2030 if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt non-discriminatory laws, the United Nations said on Thursday. In 2022, an estimated 39 million people around the world were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program. HIV can progress to AIDS if left untreated. “We have a solution if we follow the leadership of countries that have forged strong political commitment to put people first and invest in evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment programmes,” UNAIDS said in a r…

Read More

View the full article

A hair dresser in Michigan told nonbinary customers they should seek the services of a pet groomer. Christine Geiger, the owner of Studio 8 Hair Lab in Traverse City, posted on Facebook that those who don't identify ashe or her aren't welcome, according to the Kansas City Star. “If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman, please seek services at a local pet groomer,” she posted. “You are not welcome at this salon. Period.” The business' Instagram profile says it “does not cater to woke ideologies,” the Star reported. The Facebook page had been deleted Tuesday. The Star said the p…

Read More

View the full article

Jeffrey Carlson, the actor from the soap opera All My Children, has died at the age of 48. He was known for playing one of the first transgender characters on a daytime television series. Actress Susan Hart shared the news in a Facebook post last week but a cause of death was not given. Time Out New York theater critic Adam Feldman wrote a statement on Twitter regarding Carlson's death. Carlson first started out as a theater actor with Broadway roles in Taboo, Tartuffe and The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? He also starred in films like Hitch and The Killing Floor, but his most prominent role was in A…

Read More

View the full article

By Liz Kimbrough If you stress out a rattlesnake, make sure it has a friend around. Much like humans, stressed snakes are calmed by a companion’s presence, according to new research. Stress can lead to increased hormone production, resulting in changes in the nervous system, immune response and behavior. Certain animals, like humans, can regulate their stress response when in the company of another animal of their species, which is referred to as social buffering. “We showed that when two snakes were together and experienced a stressful situation, they could buffer each other’s stress response…

Read More

View the full article

Dog the Bounty Hunter's estranged daughter Bonnie Champan is outraged by the remarks he made about transgender star Dylan Mulvaney and the LGBTQ+ community during an interview with online Christian ministry founder Sharell Barrera. “The comments made by Duane Chapman reflect prehistoric beliefs and do not align with true Christian values. Jesus loves everyone and would strongly denounce this non-accepting rhetoric,” she wrote in an Instagram message on Wednesday, July 12, the day after his chat. “It is utterly repulsive to advocate violence against our transgender community, and it is equally …

Read More

View the full article

A highly prized first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has been snapped up for £10,500 at auction, having been purchased second hand for just 30p. This copy of the first novel in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series was given an estimated value of £3,000 to £5,000. However, an online bidder in Los Angeles swooped in with a bid of £10,500 to take home the first edition. In 1997, Bloomsbury published a first batch of just 500 first edition first impressions and, of those, the book sold is one of only 300 set aside for libraries. An unnamed individual from Staffordhsire purchased t…

Read More

View the full article

North Carolina Republicans introduced legislation on Wednesday that would grant parents greater power over their kids’ education and make it easier to fire and even prosecute faculty members, the News & Observer’s Kyle Ingram reported. Senate Bill 90 “also requires schools to inform parents if their child begins identifying as a different gender — a measure that was already included in the legislature’s proposed Parents’ Bill of Rights,” Ingram noted. “Under the new bill, parents would be given a new legal recourse for encroachments on their ‘fundamental right to parent,'” Ingram explained, “w…

Read More

View the full article

By Jeffrey Quiggle It's been little more than three months since Anheuser-Busch (BUD) – Get Free Report engaged in a small social media advertising partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The advertisement featured Mulvaney discussing and showing a photo of a Bud Light can with her image printed on it. DON'T MISS: McDonald's Menu Finally Adding Beloved Global Favorite The backlash was immediate and fierce, as people began boycotting Bud Light and posting videos to social media showing them damaging Bud Light cans and cases by various means. The most notorious of these involved …

Read More

View the full article

The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards nominations have been announced, with HBO dominating with the most overall selections with their series Succession, The Last of Us and The White Lotus. HBO's shows represent a combined 74 nominations. Netflix led streamers with 103 nominations, but its showing was meagre in many of the top categories. The Crown a nod for best drama and, along with Wednesday's Jenna Ortega, Christina Applegate was nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for the third and final season of Netflix's Dead to Me. Netflix fared better in the limited series category, whe…

Read More

View the full article

Washington (AFP) – US health authorities on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the country, dramatically widening access to contraception for women in the United States where abortion rights are increasingly under assault. The medication, Opill, will become available in pharmacies and supermarkets as well as online early next year, the manufacturer Perrigo said in a statement. More than 100 countries already allow contraceptive pills to be sold over the counter. But in the United States approval comes after the Supreme Court last year scrapped federal abortion p…

Read More

View the full article

(Reuters) – Russia's lower house of parliament on Thursday unanimously approved on the second of three readings a draft law that would ban gender-affirming surgeries for transgender people. The bill would prohibit medical workers from “performing medical interventions designed to change the sex of a person”, though it exempts surgery to treat congenital anomalies in children. It would also bar people from changing their gender on official identity documents and would prohibit transgender people from adopting children. It would annul a marriage where one partner subsequently changed their gende…

Read More

View the full article

Paris (AFP) – The Threads app launched by Instagram as a rival to Twitter has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days, data tracking websites said on Monday, smashing the record of AI tool ChatGPT for fastest-growing consumer app. While ChatGPT took two months to hit the 100 million user mark and video-sharing app TikTok took nine months, Instagram itself took two and a half years to reach that mark after its 2010 launch. Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries on Wednesday and Thursday, though it is not available in Europe because parent company…

Read More

View the full article

Los Angeles Pride – June, 1991 – About a month after David Cooley opened it as a coffeehouse. Photo by Alan Light

The esteemed gay nightclub and eatery, The Abbey, situated in West Hollywood, is now open for acquisition, offering a distinctive opportunity for potential investors. The property, located at 686 Robertson Blvd., is being marketed as “a generational purchase opportunity to acquire one of the world's most iconic nightclubs and restaurants.”

The sale encompasses both The Abbey Food & Bar and the Chapel at the Abbey, an expansion that was added in 2016. The original establishment, which began as a coffee shop started by investment banker David Cooley in 1991, gradually morphed into a bustling restaurant and nightclub spanning nearly 10,000 square feet. It was reported by the WeHo Times that Cooley sold a majority stake to SBE Group for $10 million in 2006 but took back ownership in 2015.

Photo by 

John Duran, a former West Hollywood City Council member, recognized Cooley's vision for rejuvenating the historic Boystown and creating a globally acknowledged gay institution. Duran expressed, “As one generation of LGBT passes into memory and new generations arrive, it will be fascinating to witness the changes that may lie ahead for the historic district.”

Efforts to get a comment from David Cooley were not successful, and he has not yet made a statement about the sale. Earlier this year, in March, Cooley also put his Hancock Park home on the market for around $7.7 million.

The sale of The Abbey is part of a series of recent shifts in West Hollywood's nightlife. In May, reality TV star and restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump announced that she would not extend the lease for her restaurant, Pump, which is near The Abbey.

As this iconic gay nightclub in West Hollywood begins a new phase, the city is looking forward to the potential changes that may come to the historic district.

View the full article

You’ve seen drag queens face off in fashion challenges, comedy challenges and lip syncs for their lives, but have you seen them battle to rule the underworld? If the answer is “no”, head on over to Dropout to see four iconic and beloved queens from the Drag Race universe take on the world’s most popular RPG. On Dimension 20: Dungeons and Drag Queens, four questing queens embark on an otherworldly journey, descending into the depths of the underworld with sass, style, and sorcery that challenges everyone they encounter. Through fierce undead battles, fumbling encounters with mythical creatures,…

Read More

View the full article

Elon Musk wants to settle his war with Mark Zuckerberg by having a “literal” penis “measuring contest”. The Twitter chairman has been poking fun at the Meta CEO for some time now, with things intensifying after he launched a rival to the micro-blogging site called Threads last week. The pair are already said to be planning to battle it out in a cage fight, and now, Musk has joked that they should have their manhoods sized up to see who has the biggest. He commented under his previous insult: “I propose a literal dick measuring contest. (sic)” He had originally written: “Zuck is a cuck.” A cuck…

Read More

View the full article

Former clients of a medical spa in New Mexico have been urged to to get tested for blood-borne infections after another case of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, was linked to a vampire facial treatment offered at the now-shuttered business. The VIP Beauty Salon and Spa in Albuquerque was forced to close its doors in September 2018 after at least two clients tested positive for HIV following the facials, in which a patient's blood is drawn and then components of the blood — specifically the platelet-rich plasma — are injected back into the face using microneedles. In March, another for…

Read More

View the full article

Tom Cruise has faced his fair share of criticism over the years, but one of his biggest fans has always been Cher. The 77-year-old Goddess of Pop — who once had a brief fling with the Risky Business actor in 1985 after connecting at Sean Penn and Madonna's wedding — has been “down” since her breakup with ex boy-toy Alexander “A.E.” Edwards and turned her thoughts to helming a potential new project with Cruise to shake off the blues. “Cher has always loved acting,” a source spilled to an outlet in a recent interview. “She totally loses herself in the parts she plays — which is just what she nee…

Read More

View the full article

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Pop superstar Madonna said on Monday that all of the North American dates on her upcoming tour will be postponed while she recovers from a multi-day hospitalization for a serious infection. The “Celebration” tour had been scheduled to kick off this month in Vancouver. Now, the plan is to start the tour with the European leg in October, the “Vogue” singer said on Twitter. Tour operator Live Nation said new North American dates would be announced “as soon as possible” and encouraged fans to hold onto their tickets. Madonna, 64, spent several days in intensive care last mo…

Read More

View the full article

Lady Gaga does not have to pay the $500,000 reward to a woman who was part of a group convicted of stealing her French bulldogs in 2021. The ‘House of Gucci' star's beloved pooches Koji and Gustav were stolen from her dog walker, and after she offered the reward for their safe return but did not give the money to Jennifer McBride, she sued the Grammy winner. However, TMZ reports that the case was thrown out before it made it to trial. McBride didn't successfully sue the ‘Bad Romance' singer because of her conviction. However, she has the right to resubmit the case, though it's likely it will s…

Read More

View the full article

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy risks the wrath of hardline conservatives yet again as he tries to clear the $886 billion bill through the House this week, Politico reported. Hardline Republicans want the bill to address their pet issues that include culture war topics, but that would risk pushing away Democrats who would join Republicans in passing the National Defense Authorization Act. “Extreme measures that push domestic culture wars” could threaten the bill's passage, said Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee. “There could also be serious issues here…

Read More

View the full article