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Published by Benzinga This article was originally published on Weedmaps and appears here with permission. Just like the LGBTQIA+ community, Pride contains multitudes, and cannathusiasm is definitely among them. Cannabis and Pride go way back, woven beside each other in a counterculture tapestry generations in the making. Now, the future of America is queer, proud, and stoned to the absolute bone. But big gay stoner or not, celebrating queer canna-culture is a way all cannasuiers can express allyship this month. Pride is celebration, but it’s foremost a protest. Maintain that energy by skipping the corporate rainbow… Read More View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune Mark Brandt, 26, and Wes Conkling, 30, got up at 7 a.m. CT to make it to Chicago from Aurora for Sunday’s Pride Parade. They sat on a corner waiting for the procession to start, holding hands. ”I love the oneness of it all,” said Brandt. “I come from a family that’s pretty homophobic, if I’m being honest. I haven’t always been able to be open with myself and who I am.” Brandt and Conkling said they are in a “throuple” but the third member of their relationship wasn’t there. Conkling met Brandt’s boyfriend on Tinder, and the three of them have been together since February. Conkling donned rainb… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Mayor Matt Diaz of Baker City, Oregon, is facing backlash from citizens after comparing those who support LGBTQ+ pride to Nazis, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reports. The local leader recently shared Facebook post featuring “an image of four Pride flags positioned to look like a swastika,” along with the caption: “When you join four pride flags you become ultra pride.” Per OPB, Diaz's “post came only a few days before Baker City's third annual Pride Walk, an event meant to celebrate the local LGBTQ+ community,” which is led “by Baker County Safe Communities Coalition and New Directions Nor… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Madonna has hailed her twin daughters “Kweens” at their elementary school graduation. The Queen of Pop, 64, marked 10-year-old Stella's and Estere's big day by sharing a photo of the pair on her Instagram stories showing them grinning and holding two bouquets of flowers. Madonna captioned the image of her girls wearing blue caps and gowns: “2 Kweens!!!! Happy Graduation!” Stella and Estere are the ‘Material Girl' singer's youngest children, who she adopted from Malawi six years ago. She also has daughters Lourdes, 26, and Chifundo, 17, and sons Rocco, 22, and 17-year-old David. Madonna adopted… Read More View the full article

Published by Socialite Life Kesha and Dr. Luke have settled their long-running legal battle and released a joint statement about resolving the latter's defamation lawsuit. “Only God knows what happened that night,” Kesha's statement reads. “As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.” Luke adds, “While I appreciate Kesha again acknowledging that she cannot recount what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain that nothing happened. I never drugged… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen and Hannah Beier DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – On May 12, the library coordinator for Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District sent an email to colleagues that some conservative parents and Christian advocacy groups had long prayed to see. The email instructed school library staff to remove all copies of two books within 24 hours: “Gender Queer”, a graphic memoir by Maia Kobabe that includes cartoons of sexual encounters; and “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, a guidebook with illustrations intended for LGBT students who feel overlooked by standard sex education cu… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a number of important rulings during its current term that began last October and is expected to decide its remaining cases by the end of June including disputes involving race-conscious college admissions practices, President Joe Biden's student debt forgiveness plan and LGBT rights. Here is a look at some of the rulings issued by the court this term. VOTING RIGHTS The justices on June 8 handed a major victory to Black voters who challenged a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama, finding the state violated a landmark law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and paving the way for a second U.S. House of Representatives district with a Black majority or close to it. The court elected not to further roll back protections contained in the Voting Rights Act as it had done in two major rulings in the past decade. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION The court on May 25 further limited the regulatory reach of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, embracing a stringent new test for declaring wetlands protected under a landmark federal anti-pollution law in a ruling favoring an Idaho couple who challenged the EPA. The new test could leave wide swathes of sensitive wetlands and tributaries unprotected by the Clean Water Act, the landmark 1972 anti-pollution law. IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT The justices on June 23 gave the Biden administration the green light to move ahead with guidelines shifting immigration enforcement toward countering public safety threats, handing the Democratic president a victory in a legal battle with Texas and Louisiana. The guidelines reflected Biden's recalibration of U.S. immigration policy after the hardline approach taken by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. ENCOURAGING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A federal law that makes it a crime for a person to encourage illegal immigration does not violate constitutional free speech protections, the court ruled on June 23, upholding the decades-old measure defended by the Biden administration. A lower court had ruled that the law was overly broad because it may criminalize speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. PROTECTIONS FOR INTERNET COMPANIES The court on May 18 left legal protections for internet and social media companies unscathed and refused to clear a path for victims of attacks by militant groups to sue these businesses under an anti-terrorism law. In both cases, families of people killed by Islamist gunmen overseas had sued to try to hold internet companies liable because of the presence of militant groups on their platforms or for recommending their content. NATIVE AMERICAN ADOPTION The justices on June 15 upheld decades-old federal requirements that give preferences to Native Americans and tribal members in the adoption or foster care placements of Native American children. The court found that the plaintiffs, including the state of Texas, did not have legal standing to challenge parts of the law they claimed were racially biased against non-Native Americans. LABOR UNIONS The justices on June 1 made it easier for employers to sue over strikes that cause property destruction – handing another setback to organized labor – in a ruling siding with a concrete business in Washington state that sued the union representing its truck drivers after a work stoppage. FEDERAL AGENCY POWER The court on April 14 made it easier to challenge the regulatory power of federal agencies in rulings backing Axon Enterprise Inc's bid to sue the Federal Trade Commission and a Texas accountant's gripe with the Securities and Exchange Commission. CORRUPTION PROSECUTIONS The court on May 11 further restricted the ability of federal prosecutors to pursue corruption cases, overturning the bribery conviction of Joseph Percoco, an ex-aide to Democratic former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and former construction company executive Louis Ciminelli. ANDY WARHOL ARTWORK Andy Warhol's estate lost its copyright fight with celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith when the court on May 18 faulted the famed pop artist's use of her photo of Prince in a silkscreen series depicting the charismatic rock star. INTERSTATE COMMERCE The justices preserved a California law banning the sale of pork in America's most-populous state from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces in a May 11 ruling that rejected an industry challenge. PROPERTY TAXES The court on May 25 curbed state and local governments from seizing and selling the homes of people with unpaid property taxes and keeping the proceeds beyond the amount owed, deeming the practice unconstitutional in a ruling in favor of a 94-year-old woman who battled tax authorities in Minnesota. (Compiled by Andrew Chung and John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by The Street By Danni Button Oakland, California resident Roscoe Rike has been picking up his prescriptions from the Walgreens on Telegraph Avenue for the last three years — including his HRT medication, short for “hormone replacement therapy,” usually taken by transgender men. So when a pharmacist he didn't recognize asked him what the medication was for, he said, in a now-deleted Reddit post, a red flag went up in his mind. “I told him I was pretty sure that it wasn't any of his business,” Rike relayed to the local news network KRON. He says that the pharmacist responded, saying he would be unable to gi… Read More View the full article

Published by The Charlotte Observer Yosemite National Park became the latest target of boycott threats after hosting a Pride parade for park staff. Here's what happened. Popular drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia posted a TikTok showing a Pride parade for park staff on June 8 that quickly went viral. “Hello, in case you didn't know, gay people are literally taking over the National Park System,” they say in the video, which shows participants hiking through the park with pride flags and attire. Pattie Gonia then describes how they helped throw Pride at Yosemite for the third year in a row. “As you can see, there are li… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked a Florida law that he says is aimed at limiting the rights of drag performers. U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell of Orlando wrote in his order that “this statute is specifically designed to suppress the speech of drag queen performers.” “In the words of the bill's sponsor in the House, State Representative Randy Fine: “ … HB 1423 … will protect our children by ending the gateway propaganda to this evil — ‘Drag Queen Story Time,'” Presnell's ruling said. Fine, a Republican from Brevard County, declined to comment. The court ba… Read More View the full article

Published by The Sacramento Bee SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An unofficial but near-complete print archive of a pioneering LGBT newspaper from Sacramento is spread between two libraries in the region. The paper, Mom Guess What was founded Nov. 1, 1978 by Linda Birner and published until around the end of 2009. Birner approached the Center for Sacramento History around late 2021 to donate some copies of her publication and other items, telling staff not long thereafter that file cabinets with voluminous copies of the paper had been taken and destroyed. The center followed up on her claim by seeking to rebuild the archive for Mom Gue… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John is adamant he won't do another American residency. The 76-year-old singer won't give up performing completely when his three-year ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour comes to an end this summer because he's interested in being based at one venue, but he's vowed when the time comes, he won't be in the US. He told Radio Times magazine: “I said when I announced the farewell tour that maybe I would do a residency like Kate Bush did at Hammersmith [in 2014]. But not in America. I will not do it in America. “But that's in the long term. I don't want to think about the stage – I've been … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Hundreds of same-sex couples and transgender people in Mexico City celebrated weddings and the completion of administrative processes to change their gender on Friday, in a mass ceremony a day before the city's annual gay pride march. Some 120 couples met the requirements to get married under the slogan “Hand in hand, we march with pride,” the city government said in a statement. Marriage helps to regularize a couple's civil status and provides them with legal benefits. Keila Espinoza, a 38-year-old who married her partner Vaneza Garcia, said it was very emotional to th… Read More View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by BANG Showbiz English Carly Rae Jepsen has always been attracted to “the quieter person in the room”. The 37-year-old singer has opened up about the inspiration behind her single ‘Shy Boy', which centres on her attraction to men whose secrets remain “hidden behind closed doors”. She told the BBC: “I've always been attracted to the quieter person in the room. “The one who has all the secrets that are hidden behind closed doors and, as you get to know them, they become more fascinating. Unlike, say, the loudest person at the party.” Carly has likened ‘Shy Boy' to some of her early pop hits. The ‘Call Me Maybe' hitmak… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Jeffrey Quiggle When country music legend Garth Brooks weighed in on the Anheuser-Busch (BUD) – Get Free Report turmoil, he was bound to get some reaction to his remarks. The beer brand has been the subject of controversy ever since it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a social media advertising campaign in early April. DON'T MISS: Garth Brooks Answers Bud Light Fallout With ‘Woke' Message Critics of transgender advocacy erupted in anger, staging a massive boycott of Bud Light. From a business perspective, the boycott has been successful, impacting its sales. In fact, … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Natasha Lyonne thinks her fame and success is “tenuous”. The 44-year-old actress has enjoyed significant success during her career, starring in movies such as ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ and the ‘American Pie’ franchise – but Natasha believes that her recent run of success remains very fragile. Speaking to The Independent, the actress explained: “I can no longer claim outsider status. I claimed it for so long, but reality is reality, you know … that’s over now. “I know how special all of this is, but having been on the other side of it, I also know how tenuous it is, too. “In the … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kim Petras goes on dates “every now and then” in order to “stay sane”. The 30-year-old singer insists she's happily single – but Kim still thinks it's good for her to go on dates from time to time. She told PEOPLE: “I try to find boys that like me and go on dates and all of that, but that is such a backseat priority for me right now. “I mean, I'm very happy, but I've got to go on a date every now and then to stay sane.” Kim is currently focused on her pop career and insists she's “never been this busy”. The singer became the first openly transgender solo artist to reach the number one spot in … Read More View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Randy Rainbow has released his latest parody video, his third in as many weeks. “Donald in the John With Boxes” takes on President Trump's second set of federal indictments, this time for the classified documents. He's “interviewed” Trump many times and has mastered the form “welcoming” the former President as “twice indicted Republican front-runner fresh off his latest arrest,” diving right in to the discovery of classified documents at Mar-A-Lago, with Trump of course claiming they were just “newspaper stories and magazine articles.” Doesn't Take Much to Make Trump a Parody Rainbow is ready with the incriminating tapes and “confronts” the ageing TV reality show star with his own taped boasts about having classified documents. “Look at me, I have classified documents, these are definitely not declassified, look at me, look at me, I'm a big boy, Daddy please love me.” “Look at me, I have classified documents, these are definitely not declassified, look at me, look at me, I'm a big boy, Daddy please love me.” It's All About the Lyrics And then we're into the parody of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” as always making it seem as if these were the original lyrics and those others were just hacks making mediocre personal versions. “Picture his ass in a bright orange jumpsuit, Bangin' on bars with a rusty tin cup.\ Thought he'd be cute and just take what he wanted, but looks like it's time to pay up.” It's not all bathroom humor, but he is reading those documents like “old golf magazines” and is “just within reach of his diapers and Pepsi.” Duller DeSantis “Welcome to DeSantis! is set to the tune of “Welcome to the 60s” from the musical Hairspray. De Santis is introduced as “the worst thing to happen to Disney since the ‘It's a Small World' ride and the most boring Governor Ron DeSantis.” Rainbow asks if DeSantis has ever met a gay person before. “I deal better with regular people.” DeSantis is “the worst thing to happen to Disney since the ‘It's a Small World' ride and the most boring” Nicknames for Ron Desantis Rainbow lists many of the candidate's nicknames, including “Rhonda Sanctimonious,” “Meatball Ron,” “Dull-as-Dishwater DeSantis,” and “Trump Lite” and then counters with a clip of DeSantis incredibly saying “You can call me whatever you want, just as long as you also call me a winner.” Right. The lyrics nail it, focused on DeSantis' retro focus on a time that never existed but is pegged to around 70 years ago, “Hey MAGA, y'all take note, he's the Trump alternate if he wants your vote,” and “Let's go retrogress to 1953, last call for all your bodily autonomy.” Randy Rainbow for President In a Third Video, Rainbow tosses his hat in the Ring… confiding that it's for the “likes” and to promote his tour. And why not? “You don't need another breeder. What you need's a solid leader who can lip-sync for his life.” And tickets for his tour — October – February events at Tickets for the Randy Rainbow for President Tour Use code presale code: RALLY. DENVER, CO — October 11 PHOENIX, AZ — October 12 TUCSON, AZ — October 13 SAN DIEGO, CA — October 14 RIDGEFIELD, CT — October 19 WASHINGTON, DC — October 20 MEDFORD, MA — October 21 ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — October 27 STORRS, CT — October 28 TORONTO, ON — November 3 ANN ARBOR, MI — November 4 ST. PETERSBURG, FL — December 1 ATLANTA, GA — December 2 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — December 3 DAYTON, OH — December 8 MILWAUKEE, WI — December 9 NEW YORK, NY — December 29 LOS ANGELES, CA — January 19 SAN FRANCISCO, CA — January 20 SANTA ROSA, CA — January 21 LAS VEGAS, NV— January 26 CHICAGO, IL — January 27 PORTLAND, OR — February 2 SEATTLE, WA — February 3 View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – The crew of the Ocean Race's Team JAJO endured several heart-stopping minutes on their approach to the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday when their boat came under attack from a pod of orcas. Video footage shows the orcas, also known as killer whales, circling the Dutch yacht, before accelerating towards it, ramming into it, and biting the rudders, while the crew bangs on the hull in an attempt to drive them off. “This was a scary moment,” Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek said. “Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful a… Read More View the full article

Published by Socialite Life If you love music, this is the summer for you. Among the many artists taking their talents on the road this season is Terri Nunn. Terri and her band Berlin are joining 80s legends Howard Jones and Culture Club for The Letting It Go Show. The tour kicks off its 25-city run on Thursday, July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with stops across North America in Atlanta, Nashville, Toronto, Chicago, Austin and more before wrapping up on Saturday, August 20 in Concord, California at Concord Pavilion. Terri began her career as an actress, appearing on TV shows including… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Tragic Liza Minnelli is locked in a desperate and losing struggle with dementia, friends fear. The 77-year-old Cabaret legend has not been seen publicly since she stepped out for dinner in September last year, 294 days ago, appearing frail and needing to be held up by two individuals. Multiple sources close to the Oscar-winning songbird told RadarOnline.com that they fear Minnelli has begun to lose her cognitive abilities. They said Minnelli — the daughter of Judy Garland — now receives “round-the-clock” care from a nurse at her home in Los Angeles. “Liza often fidgets, her hands shake, and sh… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A longtime spokesperson for a school district that had been attacked by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 gubernatorial campaign was acquitted today of a perjury charge brought by Virginia's Republican attorney general at Youngkin's request. “The jury took only about two hours to deliberate before acquitting Loudoun County Public Schools Public Information Officer Wayde Byard on the sole perjury count lodged against him by a special grand jury,” the Associated Press reported. “The perjury case was the first prosecution to go to trial from the special grand jury's probe, commissioned by Republica… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Multi-platinum recording artist, Broadway superstar and dance floor goddess Deborah Cox is back in New York City this weekend to celebrate Pride among her loyal and multi-generational LGBTQ fan base. For nearly 30 years, the Canadian-born singer has been a source of joy to queer people around the world. With her unmistakable sound, unparalleled dramatics and some of the gayest lyrics in the biz — “Should I dress myself up in Chanel?” — Cox has been a constant presence in the lives of LGBTQ clubgoers ever since a remix of “Who Do You Love” hit the top of the dance charts in 1996. Tod… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet The Associated Press (AP) and Reuters both use the term “gender-affirming care” when reporting on transgender matters. But Fox News,according to Media Matters, has been replacing that term with “sex change” or “sex reassignment” when using the wire services' material — and is misleading viewers in the process. Media Matters' Mia Gingerich, in an article published on June 23, explains why replacing the term “gender-affirming care” with other terms in AP or Reuters articles is problematic. Gingerich slams Fox News' “demonization of trans people and the medical professionals who provide medically… Read More View the full article