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Published by GB News Madonna has made a welcome return to social media to update her fans with how she's doing following her ICU dash last month. The 64-year-old singer's hospitalisation happened at the end of June, resulting in the postponement of her 40th anniversary tour. Her manager, Guy Oseary, admitted Madonna had endured “a several day stay in the ICU” after falling victim to “a serious bacterial infection”. She was discharged a few days later and told to rest up at home. Madonna clearly seems to be on the mend and in high spirits after sharing two new selfies less than a month after her initial hospitalisa… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Demi Lovato “took a while” to come out to her parents because of her family's Christian faith. The ‘Confident' singer – who decided to readopt she/her pronouns because explaining they/them to people was “exhausting” – waited until she was “comfortable” to tell her mother she was bisexual, which was when she was 25, before realising she is pansexual, someone who is attracted to all people, no matter their gender or gender identity. The 30-year-old star told SiriusXM: “I came from a Christian background and grew up queer and didn't tell people until I felt comfortable with it. “It took me until … Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday apologised on behalf of the government for the “horrendous” treatment of LGBT people in the military until they were allowed to serve in the year 2000. “The banning of LGBT people from serving in our armed forces until the year 2000 was an appalling failure of the British state,” the Conservative leader told parliament. “During this time, many have suffered the most horrific sexual abuse and violence, homophobic harassment, while courageously serving this country,” he continued. “Today, on behalf of the British state, I apologise,” Rishi Sunak sa… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kim Petras cries when she meets her trans fans. The ‘Heart to Break' singer, 25, underwent gender confirmation surgery at the age of 16, making her one of the youngest people to undergo the process, and says she is moved to tears when others look up to her. She told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1: “I've cried so many times when I meet young trans kids and they look up to me, and I just know that that means the world to them and so that makes it worth it, for sure.” Kim added about being accepted by music royalty including Madonna, 64, who mouthed to her “go get it b****” when she this year became … Read More View the full article

Published by Fadeaway World By Ishaan Bhattacharya There has been a recent rise in hate towards people that identify with other sexualities, as LGBTQ+ individuals have been dealing with outward aggression against them. Charles Barkley is not afraid to take a political stance and he emphatically declared his support for LGBTQ+ people, attacking the homophobic boycott of Bud Light. He used some strong words to illustrate his point, calling homophobes ‘a**holes'. “All you rednecks or a**holes who don't want to drink Bud Light… f**k y'all.” The video features a similar message from Barkley's recent viral moment, unabashed su… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Daniel Kline Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive Michel Doukeris has been in damage-control mode since the company decided to partner with the transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. That deal — which was not a major promotion — blew up in the company's face, leading to boycotts of its products. Bud Light, a brand led at the time by Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid, sent Mulvaney cans of the beer with her face on them to celebrate her first year living as a woman. That was a calculated business arrangement for the transgender influencer to promote the beer — which was then the t… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Daniel Kline Donald Trump didn't create the idea of us versus them in politics, but he embraced it with whole heart. The former president positioned himself as a political avenger protecting his fans (not the citizens as a group) against what he saw as the enemy. Those enemies might be people trying to cross the border or companies espousing values that Trump considered contrary to his world view. His style been embraced by right-wing media and a new generation of political candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. DON'T MISS: Anheuser-Busch CEO Pushes Back … Read More View the full article

Illustration created by generative AI with editorial input. Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, took center stage in the ongoing sexual assault trial of actor Kevin Spacey. The renowned singer-songwriter and his partner provided crucial testimony via video link from Monaco, shedding light on Spacey's alleged misconduct. As the trial unfolds, their involvement has become a focal point, further highlighting the high-profile nature of the case and the gravity of the charges against Spacey. During his testimony, Elton John was questioned about Spacey's attendance at a charity gala ball, “White Ties and Tiaras” held at his Windsor home. One of the complainants claimed that Spacey assaulted him while driving the actor to the event in either 2004 or 2005. John confirmed that Spacey had indeed attended the gala and stayed at his home afterward but could not recall any subsequent visits. In an intriguing remark, John mentioned his post-performance routine, stating, “When I come out of the theatre, it's always a mad rush to get into the car. Anyone who is on my periphery, I wouldn't notice them. It could be the Queen, and I wouldn't notice her,” according to CBS News David Furnish, John's husband, also gave testimony, recalling his interactions with one of the alleged victims. Furnish described the individual as having a “cheeky smile” and noted their playful banter. Both John and Furnish's testimonies provide insight into the events surrounding the alleged assaults, allowing the court to consider crucial details that may impact the outcome of the trial. Imagine: young men with “cheeky smiles” engaged in “playful banter” at a White Ties and Tiara party. Created by generative AI from few details A Spotlight on Elton John and David Furnish's Impactful Testimony Elton John and David Furnish's testimonies have cast an even bigger spotlight on the ongoing trial of Kevin Spacey. As major figures in the entertainment industry, their accounts might carry weight and influence public perception of the case. Alternately, the association could tarnish the fine reputations they have in place. Elton John's confirmation of Spacey's presence at the charity gala and stay at his home establishes a timeline that could be crucial to the case. Meanwhile, David Furnish's recollections of his interactions with one of the alleged victims shed light on their character and dynamics, providing additional context for the court. Unveiling Serious Allegations: How Elton John and David Furnish's Testimony Shaped the Trial These testimonies have unveiled serious allegations against Kevin Spacey, painting a disturbing picture of aggressive sexual behavior and assault, with specific incidents described by the alleged victims. One said Spacey grabbing his crotch “like a cobra” at a London event. Another accused the actor of assaulting him in a car, nearly causing an accident. View the full article

Originally published by The 19th We're telling the untold stories of women, women of color and LGBTQ+ people. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy wants to light a fire that calls transgender people to action. Now over 80 years old, the legendary trans activist has left Little Rock, Arkansas, her adopted hometown, to spread the word with trans people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and beyond: They need to wake up, stand up and realize just how perilous the current political moment is. As a rule, Miss Major hates traveling. She relies on motorized scooters or wheelchairs to get around, and the journey has already taken a toll. She took an Uber from Baltimore to New York City because of a diverted flight, and had to sit waiting in a bathroom stall for 20 minutes while her assistant found a wheelchair, when no other accommodations or help could be found at an Amtrak station on the way to Washington. But still, she pressed on. “It's just the beginning,” she told The 19th during an interview in her Washington hotel room. For her, the message that she needs to share is more important than the journey it will take to tell it. Seventy-seven anti-LGBTQ+ bills have passed into law this year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. She doesn't remember which one fueled her decision in late June to leave home, but she knows that she couldn't take it anymore. “I said, ‘Oh God, another law, they're out to get us.' And I went to bed, I couldn't sleep. I got up. I walked around the house, I sat down. And I said, ‘Well, this has fucked up my Fourth of July,'” she said. “And that's when I decided, well, someone's got to do something. And then it dawned on me, well, no one's going to do it but me.” On Thursday, she met with transgender community figures and activists in Washington on the second leg of her tour. The group conversation, and rare intimate gathering with Miss Major, took place at As You Are, a local queer bar. She sat underneath the bar's tribute to Marsha P. Johnson, whose constant refrain is captured in glowing green neon on the wall: “Pay It No Mind.” As she spoke, Black transgender women from her own generation looked on, as did young trans activists dressed down for a scorching summer day. The bar's owners — local fixtures in queer D.C. who have hosted most drag performers in the city as well as Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg — had brought everyone in soon after opening for the day. “We have the nerve to drive the conversation … when we're somewhere, we change that space forever,” she told them. “Just walk in and you change it, just by being there. And you will.” Miss Major fought back at the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City, at another gay bar in a different time. She wants people to know: That history is not far away. She sees efforts to restrict trans rights in the states, as well as rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights nationwide as seen in the Supreme Court ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, as part of a greater effort to force transgender people back into the 1950s. “I'm not going back,” she told The 19th. “These kids don't know what it was like then, what we had to go through, how we had to fight. Somebody's gotta light a fire under their ass and get them up and going.” She urged those gathered on Thursday to unite and take care of each other, to have each other's backs in the face of growing violence — because, she said, in the end, nobody else will. Miss Major poses for a group picture during an intimate gathering with transgender community figures and activists at queer bar ‘As You Are' in Washington, D.C. in July 2023. (Orion Rummler for The 19th)“Don't be complacent now,” she told the group. “Don't step back and be in the shadows … you've got to do it. You've got to, because I can't do it alone. And I decided to come around and let you know, you've got to stand up and you've got to move on this. We can't afford to not move.” The largest share of anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed this year aim to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth and restrict how LGBTQ+ subjects are taught in schools. Republicans in Congress have pushed the same legislation, although it currently can't pass a Democrat-controlled Senate. In Florida, transgender adults face mounting health care restrictions. Violence against transgender people and shootings targeting LGBTQ+ spaces have been on the rise, and ahead of the 2024 presidential election, most major Republican candidates have explicitly endorsed anti-LGBTQ+ views. Many transgender people across the country are living in a culture of fear — worried about access to health care and whether they will be safe in a time of rising anti-trans political rhetoric. But they cannot stay behind the scenes and hide, Miss Major urged. They have to join together. After Miss Major spoke to the crowd at the bar, a line formed to talk with her. Most knelt to speak on eye-level with her from where she sat, and she clasped their hands. For a few, it was a reunion — they had met her once before, or she had given them advice, mentorship. For others, this was their chance to meet one of the giants of transgender history, a woman that so many feel like they stand on the shoulders of. This was that opportunity for SaVanna Wanzer, who has been working to support trans people around D.C. for decades. Wanzer, a 61-year-old Black trans woman, is a prominent trans elder in her own right. She founded Capital Trans Pride in D.C. — a response to the capital city's gay Pride celebrations that aims to educate and empower trans people. “This was a special moment for me to meet royalty. Trans royalty. That's what it is,” she said. Bahsha Glass, another Black trans woman in her 60s in the crowd, said she felt overjoyed to be part of the moment — and to take away some of Miss Major's experience, and her hope. “I think that her visit here, at least to me, it just means so much because of what the transgender community is going through,” she said. “I look around and I see, as a Black transgender woman, I just see so many doors being closed. Doors that had been opened, being closed. It doesn't make sense. It's not fair,” Glass said. What especially infuriates her is watching school shootings continue to rise — and that politicians would rather spend time legislating the rights of LGBTQ+ people than to address gun violence. That is an emergency that actually needs to be addressed, she said, not kids being read to by drag queens or what transgender people are doing. Gabrielle Thomas understood what Miss Major meant by her call against complacency, especially for the younger generation — who, thanks to sacrifices made by their elders, have had more opportunities to be themselves, to live their lives and may not know how bad things can truly get. “I don't think they're complacent in the fight. I think that they don't see the fight,” she said. The younger generation is in some ways naive to the rights that people want to take away from them, because they've always had them — but the more that they learn about what's happening, she believes that more trans people will come together to act. “I think when more people like Miss Major come out and talk about things that happened to them in the past and show them what it was like in the past, then I think that more of the young people will be able to know the possibilities of the things that could happen, if we allow them to do this,” she said. Thomas, a 66-year-old Black trans woman, is the director of Shugg's Place in Washington, which connects trans and gender-nonconforming people to job coaching and social services. She said she felt totally seen by Miss Major as they met, as if she were connected with someone who shared her same vision about life and experiences. Miss Major wants everyone who joined her at As You Are to take the message with them to their other trans friends, to motivate each other. “I want them to take it from there and tell somebody that they're with, tell another trans person, that it's time to stop moping about this stuff, and don't hide this time. We've got to stand up and fight,” she said. Miss Major took her vision to the White House on Thursday, in a sit-down meeting with Hannah Bristol, senior advisor for the office of public management, and Jamie Keene, deputy director of racial and economic justice. She sat with them for about an hour and a half. At the meeting, organized by the National Center for Transgender Equality, she told them about how transgender people are hurting, trans women are being killed, and action needs to be taken. Miss Major visits the White House in July 2023. (Devon Ojeda/NCTE)“I told them that they have to do something. And so they listed what they're doing and stuff like that, and they can't concentrate on us per se, trans people. They have to generalize stuff, which I don't believe,” she said. The White House perspective was that it is difficult to target resources for a specific group as they're building programs for LGBTQ+ people, especially since doing so can incur backlash from the administration's political opposition, said Devon Ojeda, senior national organizer for the National Center for Transgender Equality, who also attended the White House meeting. Ojeda said they understand that view, since they are familiar with the kind of hateful rhetoric that is reserved for organizations fighting for transgender rights — and knows that it creates a target. But the White House needs to listen to more trans-led organizations, not just those serving the LGBTQ+ community as a whole, they said. “Quite frankly, President Biden and the Biden administration has been the most progressive in terms of trans rights, historically. I just think there's a lot that is going on, a lot of chaos that is happening,” they said. “We're trying to get them to listen more.” The White House officials sought insights from Miss Major on how they can reach more trans people to share resources and information from the administration, said Ojeda, who organized Miss Major's appearance at the As You Are bar. They wanted to know how they could work together. This was Miss Major's third visit to the White House. “It's just another building” full of people that don't care about trans people, she said — and that have to be convinced to care. Once she leaves Washington, her next stop is going back to Little Rock to get some rest. Then, she's off to the next city — although she doesn't know where, yet. In her hotel room, with her shoes off, the last of her to-go dinner on the table and a bouquet of flowers from New York draped on a side table, she reflected that she had started her whirlwind tour on a whim, and that she needs to come up with a more detailed plan. She knows that young trans people have the power to lead themselves. But they have to want to do it. And when it was her on the streets, and her fighting back at Stonewall, there was nobody there telling her what to do. She had to realize her own power. And the trans youth of today have to realize their own power, too — because it can be easily taken away. As she discusses in her book, for Black transgender women, it's as if Stonewall never happened. It didn't set the scales right for them, or undo the inequities that still hold them back today. “It didn't do nothing for me. Didn't help me at all. And then my friends started dying,” she said. Keeping their memories alive gets tiring, she said, because there are so many to remember. First you forget their face, then you forget how they sound, then you lose what they smelled like. “That's what they do. They take and take and take. So we gotta stop them. Got to.” More on Miss Major and Stonewall Quinn Dombrowski, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Is Brad Pitt the real life Benjamin Button — or did he have some help to achieve his youthful look? While the royal family, Ariana Grande and more A-listers attended day 14 of Wimbledon, all anyone could talk about was the Bullet Train actor's appearance at the London event. The movie star, 59, sat next to Guy Ritchie, 54, for the Sunday, July 16, tennis match, and enthusiastically cheered along with the crowd and enjoyed a few snacks. The dad-of-six looked better than he has in years, sporting lightened locks, aviator sunglasses, a blue button-down shirt, matching tee and white pants. Looking… Read More View the full article

Published by Socialite Life Rugged former Rugby player and longtime LGBTQ+ ally Ben Cohen makes his acting debut this summer in Patterns, a new LGBTQ+ series that will begin streaming exclusively on Dekkoo on July 27. In mini-narratives, the British camp comedy explores several unique themes that make up the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their allies, including family dynamics, coming out, dating, therapy, and surviving an existential crisis. Each episode tells its own distinct story, but all episodes take place in the same universe so that a minor character in one episode may reappear as the lead in another and vice-versa…. Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Daniel Kline You have to imagine that Anheuser-Busch executives would love to have a do-over for 2023. It's also nearly impossible to imagine that Bud Light, once the world's most popular beer brand, could see its sales tumble after a Twitter post from Kid Rock. In that post, Rock shot up cases of Bud Light, ostensibly because the Anheuser-Busch (BUD) – Get Free Report brand hired the transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a small marketing campaign. The beer company sent Mulvaney a Bud Light can with her face on it and paid the influencer to share posts about the beer with … Read More View the full article

Published by The San Diego Union-Tribune SAN DIEGO — San Diego's new Border Patrol Chief has several priorities stepping into her role, but the most important is the safety of agents and migrants. Patricia McGurk-Daniel, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, sat down with reporters on Friday morning to talk about her plans after she was tapped to move from the Yuma Sector to the San Diego Sector to take over for retired Chief Aaron Heitke. “One of my first jobs is going to the front lines and listening to my employees,” she said. “That includes my radio operators, that includes my mechanics, that includes agents on the front l… Read More View the full article

Published by Socialite Life Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to our weekly wrap-up of all things drag! This week, we were treated to the return of our eliminated all stars for a talent extravaganza, and we’ve got all the details. We also meet the 12 fierce Pinot queens fighting for the crown on Drag Race Philippines and the host of a spicy new international franchise. In addition, we have Ru-caps and Ru-views of last week’s episode of All Stars from some of your favorite alums. Trixie takes us back in time to the season 7 finale through the magic of makeup, Jaymes has us craving croissants in the Big Apple, and Honey Davenpo… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Ron DeSantis, currently Trump's top competitor for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, has reportedly fired 12 staffers and has plans to continue the trend. DeSantis, who was recently asked by GOP officials in a Florida county to ban a vaccine as a “biological weapon,” has now cut several “mid-level” staffers as a means to save money, according to NBC. “Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign has fired roughly a dozen staffers — and more are expected in the coming weeks as he shakes up his big-money political operations after less than two months on the campaign trail,” Matt Dixon, Allan… Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) “Welcome to the jungle!” It was these four words, uttered by a burly taxi driver picking me up at Rome's railway station, that greeted me to the Italian capital, where I decided to move for my PhD research two years ago. As an Italian by birth and Brit by upbringing, I'd returned to my homeland with giddy optimism, but with a clear warning – as any Roman will gleefully tell you, it's not a city for the faint-hearted. Social media would have you think otherwise. In everything from sun-drenched Tik Tok videos to Netflix rom-coms as sugary as gelato, Rome is depicted as the epicentre of the ‘dolc… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com The Brown Daily Herald‘s Pride Month poll for the Spring 2023 semester found that 38% of students at Brown University do not identify as heterosexual. According to a 2022 Gallup poll measuring LGBTQ+ identification, this number is approximately five times the national percentage for adults. For individuals aged 18 to 25, Brown's rate was approximately double. Although this is similar to other polls that show evidence for increased LGBTQ+ identification nationwide, the jump is especially significant at Brown. The poll was conducted most semesters since Spring 2016 as well as one performed in Fa… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Daniel Kline The word “inclusive” has become a loaded one, at least for some people on the right side of the political aisle. Chick-fil-A, for example, a company known for its owners' religious views and far-right beliefs when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues faced boycotts when it placed a job ad hiring a vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. DON'T MISS: Chick-fil-A Is Latest Target of the Bud Light Boycott Movement Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, has also made inclusive a negative word as part of his so-called “war on woke.” T… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lori Ewing MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – U.S. soccer veteran Megan Rapinoe raised the ire of retired tennis great Martina Navratilova when she said this week she would “absolutely” support a trans woman playing on the American squad. The inclusion of transgender athletes in women's events is one of the most contentious and divisive issues in sport with World Athletics and World Aquatics among global federations that have tightened their rules in recent months. The Women's World Cup which kicks off July 20 in Australia and New Zealand will feature some of the fiercest advocates for LGBT ri… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) -British-born actress and singer Jane Birkin, a 1960s wildchild who became a beloved figure in France, has died in Paris aged 76. The French Culture Ministry said the country had lost a “timeless Francophone icon”. Local media reported she had been found dead at her home, citing people close to her. Birkin had a mild stroke in 2021 after suffering heart problems in previous years. Birkin was best known overseas for her 1969 hit in which she and her then-lover, the late French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, sang the sexually explicit “Je t'aime…moi non p… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Since his indictment in May, New York GOP House Representative George Santos has managed to raise an unexpected $133,000 from primarily first-time donors, RadarOnline.com has learned. A significant portion of Santos' fundraising was made in just three days, between May 20 and May 22, totaling $101,861. According to his recent campaign finance report, these donations were made by several individuals with Chinese surnames, most of whom contributed the maximum allowable amount of $3,300. 26 of these donors had never previously given to Santos, and for 14 of them, this was their first-ever politic… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — The U.S. Virgin Islands is seeking at least $190 million in damages from JPMorgan Chase in a lawsuit alleging the bank benefited financially from disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking enterprise as well as neglected to report suspicious financial activity. In a filing in federal court in Manhattan, the territory on Friday demanded that JPMorgan Chase shell out $150 million in civil penalties and $40 million in fees and revenues that Epstein generated for the bank while he was a client there. The Virgin Islands government further requested the bank implement an indepe… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters MANAGUA (Reuters) – In a packed bar in Nicaragua's capital, Managua, on Friday night, more than 1,000 people gathered to see a group of drag queens battle it out to snatch the crown for best performance while representing several Central American countries. The Mix Imperial Central American Tropical Drag Royale provided a stage for drag performers in a region where LGBT people often face discrimination and economic hardship. “It's a form of catharsis,” said Alexa Evangelista, a drag queen from El Salvador and one of the night's performers, who lip-synched and danced for the adoring crowd. A ju… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com A since-closed super PAC that supported Donald Trump paid his wife, Melania Trump, $155,000 in 2021, according to a newly reported financial filing by the former president on Thursday, July 13. The super PAC, Make America Great Again, Again, paid Melania in December 2021 for delivering a speech. This date was around the same time as a fundraiser the super PAC hosted at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Tickets to the dinner were sold for $125,000 each. The super PAC's federal documents, which were released last year, do not say that the payment was made to the former first lady. They instead l… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Colin Salao Charles Barkley has always been candid. He's also long been a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. The NBA Hall of Famer and TNT (WBD) – Get Free Report analyst once again showed his support for the LGBTQ+ community, this time amid the Bud Light (BUDFF) – Get Free Report controversy. Bud Light has been attacked by the right for partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April. Barkley was recorded speaking in a bar on a video posted by TikTok user l._banana. “If you're gay, bless you. If you're trans, bless you. And if you have a problem with that, f*** you!” Barkley… Read More View the full article