Tim James, a Republican candidate for Alabama’s governor, has launched a new ad that directly harms LGBTQ youth. The subject of the ad is the Magic City Acceptance Academy, a public charter school outside of Birmingham that bills itself as an “LGBTQ affirming learning environment” and is known to be the only LGBTQ-focused learning academy in the entire Southeast. In his ad, James claims the school is perverse and is using taxpayer money to indoctrinate children. It’s been reported by AL.com that James has since doubled down on his claims, calling the school “perverse”. Sadly, according to CBS Birmingham, the…
Author: Keith Langston
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has gotten progressively worse over the last few weeks, with recent reports of the massacre in Bucha and the bombing of a crowded train station in Kramatorsk. The situation is even more dire for LGBTQ+ Ukrainians. Many are being forced to flee the country to surrounding nations, many of which are homophobic, like Poland and Hungary. Fortunately, there are ways you can help LGBTQ Ukrainians. PinkNews has started a campaign called LGBTQ Refugees Welcome. The news agency is asking readers to help support their new campaign which will donate money to two causes. First is OutRight Action…
Florida’s recently-passed “Don’t Say Gay” bill isn’t going as smoothly as Republicans had hoped. The party was hoping to pass blatantly bigoted legislation under the guise of “protecting children”, thinking it would stoke massive support from the ever-grown alt-right base. However, Americans, Hollywood, and even Disney have taken a massive stand in defense of LGBTQ people in an act of defiance the Republican party has never seen before. Now, conservatives and conservative news outlets are forced to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole in order to find “logical” reasons to justify supporting a bill that is widely hated…
As the battle between The Walt Disney Company and Florida continues, Charlee Corra Disney, the son of Roy P. Disney, has decided to speak up In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Charlee came out as transgender and has admitted that he historically hasn’t done enough to fight against discrimination, but is now ready to take a stand. Thirty-year-old Charlee told The LA Times, I feel like I don’t do very much to help. I don’t call senators or take action. I felt like I could be doing more.” Charlee continued saying, “I had very few openly gay role…
After the passing of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, New York City has come out swinging with a new ad campaign that will see billboards go up around Florida throughout the months of April and May. In a press conference, New York City’s newly-elected mayor, Eric Adams, stated, “I am the mayor of New York City, but I have a message for Florida’s LGBTQ+ community — come to a city where you can say and be whoever you want. Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is the latest shameful, extremist culture war targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Today, we say to the…
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and Jagermeister are sponsoring a contest to create a LGBTQ ‘Safe Space logo. The contest is to create a logo that public establishments can hang in their doorways or windows to show the LGBTQ+ community that they’re a safe space. According to the official release, “Through a 10-step process, entertainment venues, food and beverage locations, stores, businesses and other public venues, can become certified as a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ members of the community.” Stacy Lentz, CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative said, “Safe Spaces uplift LGBTQ+ people by providing a…
Lauren Boebert – the Colorado congresswoman who has famously praised Qanon conspiracy theories, claims Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and is in favor of making guns easier to access – has now taken to Twitter to say that she believes LGBTQ people should be at least 21 before they can come out. Her tweet states, “We require people to be 21 to purchase alcohol beverages, and 21 to purchase tobacco products. Why is it so unreasonable to require people to reach a certain level of maturity before making life-altering decisions about their sexuality and identity?” Naturally, your sexuality and…
Florida’s bigoted governor, Ron DeSantis, has signed the notorious “Parental Rights in Education” (dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) into law. The move comes after a month of scandal and media attention…all of which DeSantis loves as he continues to pander to Trump’s base. The bill will ban schools from talking about LGBTQ topics with kids, which makes activists worry the bill could be used to ban something as innocent as a children’s book that features a character with two dads. Republicans claim the bill is needed because LGBTQ topics should be discussed in the home and not at school,…
At last night’s Oscars celebration, Ariana DeBose made history by becoming the first queer woman of color to win an Academy Award. DeBose won Best Supporting Actress, thanks to her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the famed musical, West Side Story. According to CNN, DeBose took the stage and emotionally stated, “Even in this weird world we live in, dreams do come true. For anyone who has ever questioned their identity, there is indeed a place for us.” DeBose has been widely praised for her role in West Side Story, and her Oscar marks the fourth major…
As everyone has likely heard over the last few weeks, the Walt Disney Company has come under fire for a multitude of reasons regarding their response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Here’s a brief timeline of events: ~ Florida’s House and Senate passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and it went to DeSantis’ desk. ~ Activists noticed that Disney remained silent through the bill’s passing, and it was later revealed that Disney was even funding the Republican politicians who were pushing the bill forward. ~ Disney came out and claimed that they were “working behind the scenes” to enact…
Last night, Greg Berlanti received the prestigious Norman Lear Lifetime Achievement Award for his tremendous contributions to Hollywood throughout the decades, including his work as writer and producer for award-winning series like Dawson’s Creek, Riverdale, Political Animals, and more. According to Deadline, during his acceptance speech, Berlanti spoke of his experience growing up as a closeted gay man, and the ramifications homophobia has. He stated: I think you have to understand what it was like to be ‘other’ in the ’70s or the early ’80s. I was a deeply closeted gay kid, and the kind of vitriol we’re seeing now…
Guatemala has just pushed forward an alarming array of anti-women and anti-LGBTQ laws. Passed by the nation’s congress, the new measures would: ~ Give women up to 10 years in prison for having an abortion ~ Criminalize being a doctor who participates in abortions, with up to 50 years in prison ~ Bans same-sex marriage ~ Bans teaching that “anything other than heterosexuality is normal” in schools According to the BBC, Guatemalan conservatives are calling it the “Life and Family Protection Law”. Yahoo! News reports that out of 160 congresspeople, only 8 opposed the bill, meaning it has widespread support…
The Privy Court in London, which serves as the highest appeals court for many of the UK’s island territories, refused to challenge the courts in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, effectively saying the islands can interpret their constitutions how they see fit. There were ongoing legal battles in both countries to allow same-sex marriage, which ultimately made their way to the UK court. The decision came as a blow to many on the islands who are fighting for LGBTQ rights and were hoping the UK would help enforce same-sex marriage since the UK itself allows it. According to NBC News,…
At the popular South by Southwest festival (SXSW) over the weekend, singer Lizzo took the mic to condemn Texas officials for their anti-abortion and anti-trans policies. Recently, Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, told Texans to spy on their neighbors and report anyone they believed might be aiding their child with gender-affirming care. Telling people to spy on and report their neighbors is literally something that was happening in Nazi Germany. Over the weekend at the festival, Lizzo stood up for civil rights. According to NBC News, Lizzo said, “I’m proud to rep Houston, but I’m not proud to rep Texas politics…
Last week was an awful one for Disney. First, they refused to take a stand against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. Then, Disney’s CEO came out and self-congratulated himself for all the hard work he had put into civil rights…but claimed it was all “behind-the-scenes” so the general public just didn’t know it. He then said that Disney’s best weapon in fighting bigotry is the “inspiring content it creates”…However, Pixar then came out with a statement revealing that they have been trying to add LGBTQ characters into films, but Disney has been actively censoring all of Pixar’s films for years,…
In 2020, two men, Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, released a giant photo book titled LOVING: A Photographic History of Men in Love. The book was a collection of historical photographs that Nini and Treadwell had acquired over the years. All of them depicted men who seemed to be in love. Some held each other in a loving embrace, some looked longingly into the other’s eyes, and in one very special photo, two men are even seen holding a sign that reads, “Not Married But Willing To Be”. Nini and Treadwell call their unique photo collection an “accident”, meaning they…
According to Variety, employees from Pixar sent out a letter that said Disney has been forcing the censorship of LGBTQ content in Pixar films. The letter was first shared on Twitter by Judd Legum of the publication Popular Information. The letter (which can be read in its entirety below) contains many damning statements against Disney and its CEO, Bob Chapek, as well as former CEO Bob Iger. The employees say that Disney demanded vigorous cuts any time an instance of LGBTQ affection appeared in a Pixar film. In recent years, Disney has become known for including glimpses of LGBTQ characters…
Florida’s state senate has passed the “Stop WOKE Act”, a bill that would ban schools and companies from discussing topics regarding race, “ethnic heritage”, and sex/gender. Republicans claim that this is done in order to prevent people (white people) from feeling distressed and “blamed” for things like slavery and Jim Crow laws. According to NBC Tampa Bay, the bill would count discrimination as something that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such individual to believe any of the following concepts”: Members of one race, color, sex, or national origin are morally superior to members of another An individual, by virtue…
Late last week, the Utah state legislature put forth a bill that would ban trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in schools. The bill, which was pushed by Republicans, called trans girls “biological men” and claimed that they couldn’t compete on girls’ sports teams because they had an advantage and made girls feel uncomfortable. During the bill’s debate, Republicans attacked trans girls and made numerous offensive remarks, at one point even comparing trans people with animals. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Republican State Senator, David Hinkins, said, “Even in the equine industry, they don’t run fillies against…
According to LGBTQ Nation, Disney’s Board of Directors is encouraging shareholders to reject three anti-discrimination and pro-human rights resolutions. The three resolutions Disney wants rejected are: “The first suggests a diligence report evaluating the company’s human rights impacts. The second is a report on median and adjusted pay gaps across race and gender. The third is a workplace non-discrimination audit and report.” – It’s important to note that the human rights impact evaluation would heavily involve Disney’s pandering to China, despite the country’s various human rights violations. The publication received three screenshots as proof (seen below). It’s completely absurd that,…
Florida’s anti-democracy state senate has approved a Putin-inspired ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. However, a majority of Floridians don’t even support this legislation. A statement released by the Human Rights Campaign says, “According to the Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) at the University of North Florida, 49% of Floridians oppose the legislation while only 40% support it. Opposition for the bill is even stronger in younger populations. A majority of Floridians between the ages of 18 and 24 disapprove of efforts to erase LGBTQ+ people in classrooms.” Governor DeSantis, who supports the bill, is going against the bulk of his own…
Disney has a massive presence in Florida. The company’s largest theme park, Walt Disney World – which is located just outside of Orlando – employs an astonishing 77,000 people and attracts more than 58 million visitors each year. This means that Disney has immense political and financial power in the state. And yet, the company, which in recent years has tried to be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, has remained silent on the state’s bigoted new laws that target people of color and the LGBTQ community. Most notable is Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, which can ban classrooms…
According to a newly released Gallup poll, 7.1% of American adults now identify as LGBTQ. This is up from last year’s record-breaking number of 5.6%. According to The Washington Post, Gen Z is making up a bulk of the LGBTQ community, with 21% of Gen Zers identifying as LGBTQ. That’s about 1 in 5! This is a huge increase from a decade ago when Gallup’s polls showed that only 3.5% of Americans identified as LGBTQ. The study also revealed that: 10.5% of Millenials identify as LGBTQ 4.2% of Gen X identify as LGBTQ 2.6% of Baby Boomers identity as LGBTQ…
Jack Petocz, the student activist who organized Florida’s statewide school walkout over the state’s “don’t say gay” bill has been suspended indefinitely from his high school, Flagler Palm Coast. After the suspension, Petocz took to Twitter to share his story. https://twitter.com/Jack_Petocz/status/1499517610077085701 According to Petocz, the school initially supported his idea for a walkout (which ultimately saw thousands from across the state walk out in protest, including over 400 from his own school). However, shortly before the protest, the school’s principal decided he wanted to call off the walkout and school officials even began confiscating pride flags from students and around…
Calling all Roses, Blanches, Dorothys, and Sophias! A Golden Girls-themed cruise is setting sail from Miami on April 8, 2023. The cruise, officially titled Golden Fans at Sea, will embark on the Celebrity Summit and will launch from Miami on April 8th, taking cruisers to Key West and Cozumel before returning on the 13th.Throughout the cruise, various Golden Girls activities will be held, such as dance parties, trivia nights, and even costume parades. Plus, the ship will be loaded with special guest speakers, such as Melinda McClanahan, Rue McClanahan’s sister. Melinda will share stories, comedy, and even outfits from the…
The Legal Aid Society, a New York-based nonprofit that seeks to ensure that residents are not denied their right to equal justice because of poverty, has publically called on New York City’s newly-elected mayor to rescind his appointment of Erick Salgado to Assistant Commissioner of Outreach for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Mayor Eric Adams recently appointed Salgado to the position, however, as The Legal Aid Society points out in a press release that cited The City, “Mr. Salgado rallied against marriage equality in 2011 and then was endorsed by a nonprofit group opposed to same-sex marriage during…
As all LGBTQ people likely know, there are strict laws that prevent the community from donating blood, especially for men who have sex with men. The FDA’s policy used to be that gay men couldn’t donate at all, but has since been switched to allow a man to donate blood as long as he’s been celibate for three months – which greatly reduces the number of eligible donors. To challenge this, artist Jordan Eagles is launching his installation Our Blood Can Save at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Brooklyn, New York. The installation is on…
It’s been reported that a woman has been cured of HIV. She is only the third person ever to be fully cured of the virus, and the first woman. According to The New York Times, the woman was cured after receiving “a new transplant method involving umbilical cord blood.” She received the treatment to help with the cancer she was battling, but the blood came from a donor “with the mutation that blocks H.I.V.’s entry into cells”. As these transplanted cells multiplied and replaced her others over time, it ended up curing her of the virus. The way she was…
The state of Florida is currently doing everything it can to censor free speech and stop kids from learning the truth about America’s history and their fellow Americans. A wave of bills has begun flooding the Florida legislature that seeks to ban discussions of race, gender, and sexuality in schools. The “reasoning” behind this is that Republicans claim children’s feelings are being hurt and that parents deserve “parental rights” over their children and don’t want their kids being “indoctrinated”. The fact that many politicians consider learning about LGBTQ rights and racism as “indoctrination” says a lot about where America is…
The trucker “protest” in Canada has become a rallying cry for alt-right trolls and white supremacists. Now, Confederate and Nazi flags can even be seen being waved at the blockades. The rhetoric used by the “protesters” has also devolved into racist and homophobic slurs, as well as militant language, with many of these truckers now calling themselves “soldiers”. To fight back against the growing movement fueled by racism and homophobia, counter-protesters have been filling up alt-right chatrooms, video calls, and voice chats by blasting “Ram Ranch”. The song is a hardcore, death metal ode to life on a very gay…