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Hungary gay and LGBTQ advocates staged a 30-foot high protest across from the nation’s parliament on Thursday, filling the landscape with a 10-meter heart displaying the Progress Pride flag on the same day the country’s latest anti-LGTQ legislation went into effect. Organized by Hatter Society, Hungary’s largest LGBTQ activist organization, the action was the first in what was described as a continued civil disobedience campaign against the Hungarian government’s efforts to criminalize and dehumanize LGBTQ people under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “We think that the only path we can pursue is civil disobedience, and we will not change anything about our activities,” Hatter Society spokesperson Luca Dudits told the Associated Press. Advocacy group Amnesty International Hungary participated in Thursday’s demonstration as well, stating, “We protest at Hungary’s Parliament and stand with the 100,000 LGBTQ youth who will face the terrible consequences.” The law that went into effect Thursday outlaws showing content depicting homosexuality or trans identities to minors. It also requires government approval for an organization to hold an educational program discussing sexual orientation in Hungarian schools. “[The law] stigmatizes LGBTQ people and actually puts LGBTQ youth more … in danger of bullying and harassment in schools and in their families as well,” Dudits said. European Union officials continued their decrying of the homophobic and transphobic law in the leadup to its enacting Thursday. EU executive Commission head Ursula von der Leyen called the law a”disgrace” in a speech to the European Parliament Wednesday, stating, “This legislation uses the protection of children as an excuse to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.” The EU adopted a resolution Thursday condemning Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ legislation “in the strongest possible terms” for its “intentional and premeditated example of the gradual dismantling of fundamental rights in Hungary.” Amnesty International Hungary director David Vig lauded the EU’s support for their fight. “We expect EU institutions to act firmly and the European Commission to start an infringement procedure,” Vig told the Associated Press. “This is in clear contradiction not just with EU values, but also with binding EU law and the commission’s LGBTQ strategy.” Hungary Gay: Previously on Towleroad Hungary Gay and LGBTQ Activists Protest Latest Anti-LGBTQ Law with 30-Foot Rainbow Heart Brian Bell July 10, 2021 Read More Dutch Prime Minister Tells Hungary’s Orban to Respect LGBT rights or leave EU Michael Goff June 25, 2021 Read More League Forbids Rainbow-lit Munich Stadium For Hungary Match to Protest Anti-Gay Laws. So Fans, Other Stadiums Put Rainbows Everywhere Brian Bell June 24, 2021 Read More Hungary LGBTQ Crisis: Leader Has Wiped Out Marriage, Adoption, Gender Rights; Now, Ties to Paedophilia, ‘Morally There is No Difference’ Umut Korkut, The Conversation June 18, 2021 Read More Hungary Bans Same-Sex Adoption, Passes Constitutional Amendment Defining ‘Family’ as ‘Man-Woman Marriage’ Days After Lawmaker is Busted in 25-Person Gay Orgy Andy Towle December 15, 2020 Read More Anti-LGBTQ Hungarian Lawmaker Resigns After Getting Busted at COVID Lockdown Orgy in Gay Nightclub Andy Towle December 1, 2020 Read More View the full article

San Francisco Gay Men’s ChorusThe San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus temporarily closed its office and sent all staff home on Thursday after receiving a bevy of death threats and doxxing attempts from members of various alt-right communities, including followers of Alex Jones and QAnon. Death threats and baseless accusations of pedophilia appeared shortly after the video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube The wave of hate spawned from the release earlier this week of a performance titled “A Message From the Gay Community.” The clearly tongue-in-cheek bit of musical satire and empowerment from the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus speaks to the changing societal attitudes toward the LGBTQ communities, highlighting the acceptance of queer identities at all ages, salted with just a little turning of terms used frequently to demonize LGBTQ people. There’s really no escaping it ’cause even grandma likes Rupaul And the world’s getting kinder Gen Z’s gayer than Grindr “The far-right conservative media found our ‘Message…’ video and have taken it as their cause,” the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus said in a statement Thursday. “They have taken the lyrics out of context to support a narrative that suits their intolerant and hateful needs.” But the use of the phrases “We’ll convert your children” and “We’re coming for your children,” a clear reclamation effort to turn societal critiques of the gay community back on homophobes in the context of the song, was all the bigots latched onto. Death threats and baseless accusations of pedophilia appeared shortly after the video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube, and it quickly spread to other pockets of the internet. [This post contains video, click to play] TLRD ACTION San Francisco Gay Chorus Teach Your Children Not To Hate This video embed is from one of the opposing entities. These are the folks leading others to purposefully interpret the song not as education about prejudice but as a threat to turn kids gay. Not only does the other side have the richer history of coming for our kids, forcing them to act and live false lives of heterosexuality, they are the ones backed by evangelical organizations with explicit missions that include coming for and “saving” our kids who don’t need conversion or saving. If they care about groups organized to secretly protect members in a seeming mission to abuse and rape young people, pass them over to the Catholics, or Congressional Republicans. Help push back against this by speaking out on the video, in the comments and at minimum registering a comment and thumbs up for the video to piss them off. “We have received emails, phone messages, threats across all of our social media platforms — not just the chorus, but the staff, as well as the soloists who were featured in the song,” Chris Verdugo, executive director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, told SFist. “The [Youtube] comment that continues to stick out in my head is the one that said ‘We’re going to put lead in your head.'” “We have received emails, phone messages, threats across all of our social media platforms — not just the chorus, but the staff, as well as the soloists who were featured in the song,” Chris Verdugo, executive director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, told SFist. “The [Youtube] comment that continues to stick out in my head is the one that said ‘We’re going to put lead in your head.'” Verdugo also revealed that a Twitter user created a spreadsheet of chorus members based off screenshots taken from the video and began calling their workplaces, claiming they were employing pedophiles. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus responded by privateing the original video and has been working to scrub any unauthorized versions of the video from the internet. Verdugo and the chorus’s leadership decided to close its headquarters Thursday night in an effort to protect its staff. According to The Advocate, the fervor around the video seemed to catalyze after alt-right disinformation peddler and seller of subpar “supplements” Alex Jones devoted a hate-filled segment of his InfoWars program to the matter. The death threats and other hate speech soon followed. The strain of pedophilic accusations falls in line with actions taken by followers of the QAnon conspiracy. The Q community co-opted the slogan “Save The Children” over the last year to the extent that the actual charity Save The Children was forced to publicly disassociate itself from the #SaveTheChildren hashtag multiple times. Social justice is a mantle we take up, and we take it up loudly. We won’t back down. Chris Verdugo, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus executive directorWrapping the conspiracy theory’s false beliefs in the flag of simply fighting child sex trafficking has been an effective way to bring people into the community, though conservative figures convicted or accused of actual child sex crimes avoid persecution from its members. Some have even erroneously claimed that chorus members in the video are registered sex offenders. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus stated that it has been in contact with local and federal law enforcement regarding the deluge of intimidation. Verdugo didn’t disclose when the chorus’ offices will reopen, but he remains steadfast in the chorus’ mission of activism through artistic expression in the face of the alt-right’s barrage. “For us, it’s not only about the artistic product that we put out, but also about our being activists. Social justice is a mantle we take up, and we take it up loudly,” Verdugo said. “We won’t back down.” San Francisco Gay: Previously on Towleroad QAnon, Alex Jones Threats Force San Francisco Gay Chorus Office to Close; Insist Clever Song About Coming to ‘Teach Your Kids Not to Hate’ As Proof of Pedophilia Brian Bell July 9, 2021 Read More Homophobic Chant Nets Mexico Soccer Fans Ban From World Cup Qualifiers; LGBTQ Fans Sue Soldier Field Over Chants Brian Bell July 8, 2021 Read More League Forbids Rainbow-lit Munich Stadium For Hungary Match to Protest Anti-Gay Laws. So Fans, Other Stadiums Put Rainbows Everywhere Brian Bell June 24, 2021 Read More In Parts of Africa Gay Arrests, Inappropriate Probes, Detainment, Belief in ‘Demonic Spirit’, Murder Keep LGBTQ Lives At Risk Brian Bell June 9, 2021 Read More As Japan Olympics Begin, Local Groups Say Anti-Trans, Anti-Gay Remarks ‘Less-than-Equality’ Bill Violate Games’ Charter Brian Bell May 25, 2021 Read More Kansas City Christian School Reportedly Tells Teachers to Oust Out LGBTQ Students or Find Another Job Brian Bell May 10, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Pax Ahimsa Gethen/Creative Commons View the full article

Come on, season six, let’s get Sharkening! If there was any gripe remaining about the talent of this cast, this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars certainly erased any lingering concerns. A slam dunk of a maxi challenge, a beautiful runway and runtime dedicated more to performance than pettiness, helped showcase just how fierce these queens really are. While most got a chance to shine either in the challenge or runway, this week’s episode really revolved around Jan. We have some fun here at Jan’s expense, mostly due to her inability to hide her intense need to win, even as she is swearing, no, really, she is totally chill now. Gentle ribbing aside, Jan is an unquestionably talented, hard working queen. It’s just our queer duty to take the piss out of anyone taking something so seriously, especially drag. Jan’s journey is the crux of the episode around which all other parts rotate, even if it forces some story beats. Regardless, this was a delightful challenge, maybe one of the franchise’s best. Everybody off the field! Let’s dig in. Catch up with all of our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars coverage. OK, is it reductive to make a bunch of jokes about queer people being bad/disinterested in sports? Hmmm, maybe. But, there’s also an undeniable kernel of truth there too, isn’t there? RuPaul, of course leans into it, but the real joke is how this challenge will be using songs generously donated by an artist waving all publishing fees — the great RUPAUL. But these are RuPaul tracks like you’ve never heard them before! On the radio! At a Dave and Buster’s! Reimagined in the style of some of pop’s all-time biggest divas and artistes. Instead of the singular artist Rusical we’re used to, this allows the queens to embody a wide variety of styles, and it’s surprisingly delightful to hear Ru’s songs through these different musical lenses. It’s a refreshing, TikTok-inspired spin on a lip sync challenge. The gals all choose their icon, and there are some really good options in the mix. Kylie takes a bold swing at Steven Tyler; Scarlet is Katy Perry in full Left Shark; Ra’Jah embodies Ru favorite Diana Ross; and Eureka picks Madonna. For most of the prep and rehearsal with Jamal Sims, we barely so much as check in with this group. They’re all fine! Ra’Jah as Diana Ross on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 6. The bulk of the episode focuses on the other half of the queens. Pandora takes what I consider to be a pretty risky move choosing the first Super Bowl halftime entertain-ter (and first-ever Snatch Game favorite), Carol Channing. It might feel a little “been there, done that,” but seeing it live, truly no one else could’ve done it justice. Yara also sticks to her comfort zone, taking on Shakira (an act she does regularly in Vegas) and even overruling Jamal’s choreo. Ginger gets sidled with portraying Fergie, the least distinct of all the available characters. She looks the part, and she does her best to infuse the performance with energy, but it’s got the least to work with, both in inspiration and script. (I want to personally speak to Ru’s writers for failing to include a “Let’s play some basketball!” reference here.) A’Keria is out to re-establish herself after last week’s bottom showing by showing her bottom as Prince. It’s another daring risk, but there’s potentially big reward. However, the whole ep focuses on Jan’s Jandetta. Will she be able to Janslaughter her “safe” curse once and for all? She chooses Lady Gaga to emulate, which almost feels like an unfair advantage. Jan relishes all the ways she’s similar to Gaga, and she’s not wrong. They both have a theatricality and, truly, “live for the applause.” Jan is singularly focused and seems unstoppable … … Until Trinity. Good golly. Trinity has her own history to avenge. Remember when she said she wanted to be Beyoncé in Vegas, and Bianca said she looked more like Sammy Davis Jr. in a wig? It’s ok if you don’t. For me, it was just one of dozens of Bianca’s barbs, but to Trinity, it really hit hard. She’s determined to close the show and — finally! — give Drag Race a Beyoncé performance worthy of Queen B. AND BOY DOES SHE DELIVER. I say this completely honestly: Trinity’s performance gave me actual chills! On Drag Race! During a Super Bowl parody! To a RuPaul song! That’s how good it is. She looks flawless, dances better than most B-level pop stars (looking at you, Dula Peep) and doesn’t just close the show; she destroys it. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six gives us a glimpse at gay heaven. Unfortunately, as Valentina sort of said: a Trinity win does not make sense with this episode’s Jantasy. It’s a close call between them, but the judges ultimately go with Jan for the much-delayed win. I personally would’ve went with TKB, or maybe even a split win! But that’s not the only odd judging call. Joining Trin and Jan in the top is … Eureka? Um, ok. It’s not that Eureka wasn’t good, but so many other performers were more memorable. Both Pandora and Kylie deserved recognition more than the Elephant Queen. The bottoms are all over the place, too. Ginger’s nondescript Fergie makes sense here, but she’s joined by Yara and A’Keria. The judges’ beef with Yara is her lackadaisical facial expressions, and they find fault with the lack of funk in A’Keria’s Prince. There definitely could’ve been a little more oomph in both performances, but less compelling than Scarlet’s Katy Perry? I think not. Ultimately, Ru puts A’Keria and Yara in lipstick contention. Jan faces off against season two’s Jessica Wild to lip sync to (#free)Britney Spears’ Circus banger “Womanizer.” Jan really commits to a spastic robot routine, but it doesn’t heighten or have any real payoff. (I did like the “fall for you” jump-split fake out.) Jessica doesn’t need any gimmicks, just a head on an absolute swivel, swinging around her wig in some most impressive hairography. Ru picks her as the winner, adding another $10k to next week’s pot. Jessica pulls out the lipstick to reveal it’s Yara’s time to go. (Or is it?!! We’ve got a few more weeks until the halfway point, which is when this “game within a game” should come to a head.) Next week the girlies sit down for some serious chat on Pink Table Talk (#ifkyk). For now, let’s take stock of where each queen stands in our rankings. Trinity is pulling ahead of the pack, both as a performer and a personality. We’re seeing a lighter, more mature Trinity, and it’s impossible not to root for her on and off the runway. The judges poo-poo’d her frilly runway, but that seems like cheap justification to fulfill the Proph-Jan-cy. (OK, enough, I promise.) Now that Jan got her win, we can go back to Trinity’s season-long redemption arc.Ra’Jah had an understated week, but still came correct. To do Diana Ross and get no notes is actually a pretty big deal, considering she’s Ru’s No. 1 diva. Ra’Jah did Diana right, and her runway was elegant and polished. She already staked her claim at the top earlier this season with a big win and a strong lip sync. She’s very much in the running.The judges love Eureka, and there’s a lot of reasons why. She’s dynamic, she wears her heart on her sleeve, she’s not afraid to be foolish and she can deliver glamour. I thought her halftime performance was worthy of safety, at most, and the runway was cute, but not stunning. Still, there’s a lot of potential here, and we’ve yet to see Eureka fully unleash. If this is Eureka at an 8, imagine when she cranks it to 11.Jan has dug her heels in to the top tier of this group, and she is not going to slide back easily. She arrived with some seriously elevated outfits, including this week’s frilly Westworld fantasy. Maybe having finally secured her first Drag Race win, she can unclench a little.How has Pandora been so underrecognized this season? She’s been great in these challenges, particularly the variety show, commercial and this week’s Carol Channing performance. Her runway this week was absolutely one of her best. What gives?Kylie belonged in the top this week, full stop. She absolutely crushed it as Steven Tyler, doing a faithful impersonation with a touch of humor. She nailed his mannerisms, and there was some real artistry in both the performance and presentation. She also had one of the most beautiful, striking frills runways. Next week’s preview foreshadowed a struggle with standing out, which hopefully signals a hurdle for her to overcome (and not a final nail.)As gorgeous as she consistently is, Scarlet is getting lost in the shuffle. Katy Perry isn’t the most compelling pop star (sorry!), so she was at a bit of a disadvantage. However, Scarlet needs to prove she’s more than just a beautiful clothes hanger.Ginger is slipping, y’all. Fergie was maybe the toughest pop star to portray, and Ginger really did all she could. But now she’s spent a couple weeks in the bottom. We’ve had a few performance/musical/comedy challenges, and if Ginger hasn’t made her mark with those, I worry if her chance to make a splash has passed.I’m really at odds with the judges when it comes to A’Keria. For starters, I enjoyed her Prince. I see the judges’ qualms, but they seem really small, comparatively. Certainly none of their notes could ever steal any shine from that flowering runway. I mean, just wow. I’m hoping she can steady herself and stick around.Yara definitely wants to win, but she seems to want to win purely for being Yara and not for playing all the little Ru-eindeer games. She was more interested in phoning in her usual Shakira routine than learning from Jamal. Her runway was neither a direct hit being on theme, nor did it leave much of an impression. Her reluctance to demonstrate her desire to stay was ultimately her undoing. You gotta be in it to win it. Yara is an unquestionably fierce queen and established star. She really doesn’t need this win to prove anything. Apparently, not even to herself.How would you rank the queens? View the full article