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☆ Opinion: Trump gives Biden one big lift
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Former President Donald Trump’s favorability ratings are only slightly better. The bipartisan legislation to control the flow of migrants across the southern border was blown up by opposition from Trump. One thing that is going right for Biden is Trump himself. “I want to vote for Donald Trump in November, wrote Marc A. Thiessen in the Washington Post. … Just like office holders have released their tax returns (up until former President Donald Trump), I would like to see more candidates release their physical and mental health assessments,” Schurman observed.

Persons: Oscar, ” Ramy Youssef, hungers, Max McCandles, Godwin Baxter, “, Frankenstein, Willem Dafoe, McCandles, Baxter, who’s, ”, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump’s, Biden, Clay Jones, Trump, Ruth Ben, Ghiat, “ Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Viktor Orban, Adolf Hitler, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Saddam Hussein, —, — Donald Trump, ‘, ” Ben, Donald Trump, Marc A, Thiessen, Will, that’s, Dana M, Peterson, Erik Lundh, Will RFK, Mary ’, Aaron Rodgers, Julian Zelizer, Kamala Harris, Andrey Spektor, Hunter Biden, Andrea Hailey, We’re, Frederick D, Dennis Aftergut, Bill Bramhall, Hilary Krieger, Gary Schmidt, ” Bradley Schurman, …, Schurman, Robert Hur, Jack Ohman, Patrick T, Brown, Hur, Republicans “, Biden’s, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Willis, Fani Willis, Willis ’, Nathan Wade, Wade, Norman Eisen, Danya Perry, Joshua Kolb, Scott McAfee, Wade’s, ” “, ’ Biden, ” Jose Antonio Vargas, “ It’s, ” Dana Summers, Garry Pierre, Pierre, Ariel Henry, Henry, America sneezes, Frida Ghitis, TikTok, ” Ghitis, Catherine, Princess, Kate, George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, ” Rosa Prince, Louis ’, William, ’, ” Prince, Ekaterina Kotrikadze, Jonathan I, Fareed Zakaria, Carrie Sheffield, Noah Berlatsky, Kristen Stewart’s, queerness, Doug Heye, MAGA Trump, Dean Obeidallah, Katie Britt’s, Amy Hanauer, Naomi Walker, Robert Downey Jr, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Arturo Holmes, Jeff Yang, Jack Palance, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, they’d, ” Yang, Cord Jefferson, Lily Gladstone, “ Gladstone, she’s, Leonardo, DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Emma Stone’s, Bella, ” Stone Organizations: CNN, Trump, Hamas, GOP, Washington Post, Mar, Hungarian, ”, Conference Board, Will RFK Jr, White House, American Enterprise Institute, Biden, Union, Republicans, Twitter, Pew Research Center, Content Agency Haiti, Haitian Times, Haitian, America, Kensington Palace, AP, Reuters, Agency, North, Hollywood Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ohio, Washington, Ukraine, Afghanistan, America, Georgia, Fulton County, Fulton, he’s, Florida, Texas, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Maryland, China, Wales, Kensington, North America, La, American

☆ Opinion: Kristen Stewart thriller is also a reminder of what queer kids are up against
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The biggest threat to queer kids is too often their own homophobic parents. Noah Berlatsky Noah BerlatskyRose Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding” wrestles with issues of queerness and parental cruelty with unusual and admirable directness. The couple at the center of “Love Lies Bleeding” are Lou (Kristen Stewart), a chain smoking, depressive gym manager and Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a would-be bodybuilding champion. Writer-director Rose Glass and actor Kristen Stewart in discussion on the set of "Love Lies Bleeding." Lou Sr.’s abuse is analogous to homophobic abuse and parallel with homophobic abuse, but it isn’t quite actually homophobic abuse.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky Rose, doesn’t, Lou, Kristen Stewart, Jackie, Katy O’Brian, Lou Sr, Ed Harris, That’s, Rose Glass, Anna Kooris, It’s, Beth, Jena Malone, JJ, Dave Franco, Jackie’s, David Lynch’s, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert’s, ”, Tofilska Organizations: CNN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Locations: Chicago, Jena

☆ Osman Yousefzada: Queer Feet at Charleston House is bringing working class stories to upper class spaces
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Nicole Mowbray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Countless creative ideas have been born in the kitchen of Charleston House, the bohemian modernist farmhouse inhabited from 1916 by painters Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell in a rural part of southern England. Courtesy Osman Yousefzada“What I do is try and tell working class stories in highbrow institutional spaces,” Yousefzada told CNN in a phone interview. “Even now, generations on, Charleston is still a very aspirational and very privileged space, but I try and subvert that.., to open the space for working class voices,” said Yousefzada. “A warning, caution.”"Unless you're signposted that having a creative life is OK, it's not an easy path to take," said Yousefzada. I grew up in a restricted monoculture and so it took me a long time to find those (artistic) spaces.

Persons: Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, Grant, Bell —, Virginia Woolf, Forrester —, —, Osman Yousefzada, Lee Robbins, ”, Emily Hill, Yousefzada, Osman, “, ’, Duncan Grant’s, it’s, we’re, there’s Organizations: CNN, Charleston House, Bloomsbury, Charleston Trust “, Charleston Trust Locations: Charleston, England, Virginia, British, Birmingham, Iran, India, Turkey, London

☆ Ludovic de Saint Sernin makes New York Fashion Week debut with polished BDSM-inspired collection
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images“Robert has always been a huge inspiration to me — in discovering his work, I discovered myself,” de Saint Sernin told CNN backstage. Ludovic de Saint Sernin backstage at his New York debut. De Saint Sernin explores gender with a sense of freedom in his clothes. Actor Hunter Schafer attended the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a creation by Ludovic de Saint Sernin for Ann Demeulemeester. Arturo Holmes/Getty ImagesDe Saint Sernin wanted to capture the energy of a late night out in New York.

Persons: Robert Mapplethorpe, Ludovic de Saint Sernin —, Raf Simons, Robert Mapplethorpe's, Arturo Holmes, Robert, ”, Saint Sernin, wispy, Kim Kardashian, Kim Petras, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Sierra Pruitt, Olivia Rodrigo, Sivan, Oscar, Hunter Schafer, Saint, Schafer, Jules, Ann Demeulemeester, Leon Bennett, Singer Olivia Rodrigo, Jeff Kravitz, de Saint Sernin, Olivier Rousteing, he’s, “, Mapplethorpe’s Organizations: CNN, New York, Saint, Arca, New, MTV, Getty, de Saint, Balmain Locations: Cincinnati, Paris, Belgian, New York City, New York, Mapplethorpe’s New York, LA

☆ I was the artsy kid who hated sports growing up. But as an adult, I'm now athletic and finding happiness in cycling and hiking.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Mike De Socio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Growing up, I was the opposite of a jock; I was an artsy kid with a limp wrist. But in my adult life, something shocking has happened: I've become one of the most athletic people I know. But what started as a casual interest in hiking and cycling has reached athletic proportions in recent years. I've since turned to cyclingWhat allowed me to claw out of that rut was, again to my surprise, an athletic activity: cycling. I'm not sure how many mountains I need to summit or miles I need to ride before it feels right.

Persons: I've, I'd, I'm, It's Organizations: Service, Little League, Business, Boy Scouts, Scout, Scouts, Scouting, Philmont Scout, 46er Locations: New Mexico

☆ TikTok's Lunden and Olivia Stallings are straight people's favorite lesbian couple. What do they owe queer fans?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Lunden and Olivia told me their mission as influencers was to "represent and inspire others to be their authentic self." Advertisement"I did feel represented by them," Asia said, but the tweets "showed me that they are still white women." "We are especially confident in our sexuality and the way that we feel and who we are," Olivia told me. Lunden and Olivia told me they want to advocate for all LGBTQ+ people, including those who don't look like them. It's a chance, the couple told me, to combat the hate and negativity LGBTQ+ parents face.

Persons: Lunden Stallings, Olivia Bennett, Monique Lhuillier, Lunden, Taylor Swift, Stallings, David Yurman, preppy, Olivia, TikTok, Kendrick Brinson, who's, you've, Madison Mathews, sunnies, peck, they'd, Brooklynites, Remington, Zeta Tau, Olivia DMed Lunden —, Justin Bieber, snapbacks, haven't, Lunden's, Ellie Goulding's, Olivia couldn't, Caroline Bayne, Lunden's TikTok, Zara, Mercedes, Sophie, It's, Jackie J, Jackie, There's, Bud Light, Dylan Mulvaney, influencers, They've, KenzKustomz, Krysten Stein, Black influencers, Stein, Hill, millennials Organizations: Naylor, People, Business, Alabama, Chevrolet, New York Post, Daily Mail, Madison, University of Central, Jacksonville State University, Zeta Tau Alpha, University of Alabama's, University, Minnesota, BI, Braves, Rover, Pride, Nielsen, Saks, University of Illinois Locations: Roswell , Georgia, Asia, Olivia, Charleston, LoveShackFancy, Powder Springs , Georgia, Atlanta, Blytheville , Arkansas, University of Central Arkansas, Alabama, Roswell, Austin, RushTok, Alpharetta, Charleston , South Carolina, Southern, Publix, Fayetteville , Arkansas, University of Illinois Chicago

☆ The designer of the ‘Bushwick Birkin’ is rewriting the rules of fashion
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

By contrast, even the most expensive Shopping Bags often cost less than $300. Telfar Clemens at the CFDA x Vogue Fashion Fund 'Americans in Paris' event, Paris Fashion Week, France in March 2018. Maker of the ‘Bushwick Birkin’“This Telfar bag imported. The Covid-19 pandemic sent the popularity of the Shopping Bag to new heights — new bag releases announced online sold out in minutes. ‘For everyone’In 2015, Telfar had an unusual partner at New York Fashion Week: fast-food chain White Castle.

Persons: Bella Hadid, Alexandria Ocasio, “ Abbott, they’re, Birkin, ”, Telfar Clemens —, ” Clemens, Clemens, He’s, Telfar, Telfar Clemens, Hagop Kalaidjian, Clemens “, Lois Sakany, Beyoncé, Gonzalo Marroquin, Patrick McMullan, Solange Knowles, David X Prutting, Bushwick Birkin, —, Adrienne Jones, Samia Laaboudi, Edward Berthelot, Chanel, Laticha Brown, ’, Robert F, Kennedy, Babak Radboy, “, It’s, Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, ” Sakany, Sakany, Pratt’s Jones, Radboy, ” Telfar, DiCianno, Jones, ” Jones, it’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Rep, ABC, Brooklyn, tote, Gay Times, Fund, Paris, CNN, Liberian, New York’s Pace University, Breakfast Club, of Fashion Designers of America, Vogue, Guggenheim Museum, ” Pratt Institute, Security, New York, Reuters, Analysts, Bag Security, Fashion Institute of Technology, White, Kennedy Human Rights Liberty, Justice Fund, Old, Fast Locations: New York, Alexandria, Cortez, Bushwick, Brooklyn, Paris, France, New York City, Liberian, Queens, Liberia, United States, USA, . Clemens

☆ Thom Felicia, member of 'Queer Eye' cast, believes that donating bone marrow to his brother was the best thing he has ever done
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ten years ago, he donated bone marrow to save his brother, who had blood cancer. AdvertisementMy brother was diagnosed with a rare blood cancerMy brother, Jules, is about five years older than me. I think everyone should consider bone marrow donationThe donation process was no problem for me. I've found there's a big difference between what people think bone marrow donation is, and what it really is. I am still a registered donor, and I would donate bone marrow to anyone.

Persons: Thom Filicia, —, I'm, Jules, He's, I'd, they'd, I've, Jules hasn't Organizations: Service, Straight, GSK Locations: New York City

☆ Michael Stipe Is Writing His Next Act. Slowly.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Jon Mooallem | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

entered its epoch of megasuccess, beginning with the explosion of “Losing My Religion” in 1991, Stipe had learned to manage his limitations. posted a video online in which Stipe read a stilted press release. When Rolling Stone asked if he planned to make a solo album, he answered, “It’s unfathomable to me right now.”“I just folded my hands and sat for a while,” Stipe told me. Around 2015, Stipe stepped in to produce a record that his friends in the band Fischerspooner were struggling to finish. In 2019, Stipe started sporadically releasing singles, four of them over the course of five years, all to benefit climate groups.

Persons: Stipe, R.E.M, “, ”, Rolling Stone, ” “, ” Stipe, Aaron Dessner, ” That’s, ’ Organizations: Red

☆ My First Trip to ‘Rubyfruit Jungle’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Trish Bendix | Scott Heller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The precocious and fearless protagonist of Rita Mae Brown’s 1973 novel “Rubyfruit Jungle” has served as a model of possibility for generations of young women, lesbians and outsiders of all kinds. Both of its time and ahead of it, “Rubyfruit Jungle” has inspired countless lives, works of art and Sapphic-themed spaces. Maybe just the first one toward whom I was evenly split between wanting and wanting to be — a category that only grew over time, and included heartthrobs of all genders. I read “Rubyfruit” over and over, starting around 11 or 12, still a couple of years out from my first kiss with a girl. I, too, wanted to hitch to New York where the other artists were, where the other queers lived.

Persons: Molly Bolt, Holden Caulfield, Rita Mae Brown’s, ”, Melissa Febos, Molly, Huck, Holden, Pip Organizations: Bantam Locations: New York

[1/5] San Francisco drag queen Khmera Rouge performs onstage during the GAYPEC event hosted at Beaux Night Club in the Castro District of San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. San Francisco is known for its large and politically active LGBTQ population, and its myriad gay bars, including the venue for Wednesday's event, Beaux. Most at the event, as it turned out, were not APEC delegates. Stephanie Wong and Khoa Tran, founders of San Francisco tech startup reverylab.com, said they came because they were curious -- and they thought it would offer networking opportunities. Mark Anthony Catalan, a university student and a volunteer at the APEC summit, said he was sceptical.

Persons: Khmera Rouge, Brittany Hosea, frocks, Rafael Mandelman, Castro, Evan Low, Stephanie Wong, Khoa Tran, Mark Anthony Catalan, Ann Saphir, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Beaux Night, Castro District of, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Asia Economic Cooperation, Reuters, Pew Research, APEC, San, Thomson Locations: Francisco, Castro District, Castro District of San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco, . California

☆ Little-known life of Moomins creator Tove Jansson explored in new exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Aurore Laborie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Paris CNN —The Moomin characters may be internationally famous, but a new exhibition in Paris shows a lesser-known side to the Finnish artist who created them. The show takes an intimate look into the life of Tove Jansson, both as a prolific artist and an advocate for female independence. Courtesy The Community and Moomin Characters Ltd. Using illustrations, cartoons, photography, music, writings and letters, the exhibition shows Jansson as a multifaceted character who could — and did — make art out of almost anything. Tove Jansson's Moomin character "Little My" paper doll.

Persons: Tove Jansson, ”, Sini, ” Tove Jansson's, Jansson, “, Thomas Zambra, —, Signe Hammarsten, Viktor Jansson, Tove Jansson’s, Tove Jansson's, Summers, Hitler, Stalin, “ Garm, Lewis Carroll’s, Alice, Tuulikki Pietilä, Tuukka Laurila, Pietilä, Zambra, Tove Jansson ”, Louis Organizations: Paris CNN, CNN, des Beaux Arts, Nature, Espace Mont Locations: Paris, Finnish, Kanto, Tuukka, Stockholm, Scandinavia, Finland, “, Helsinki, Wonderland, Espace

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the first few minutes on the phone with The Associated Press, Chappell Roan shared a revealing fact about herself. Born and raised in Missouri, Roan left the state for Hollywood not long after being discovered on YouTube by Atlantic Records. Roan, like Rodrigo, has a knack for candor in theatrical, cheeky pop songwriting — even when the truth is embarrassing — emphasized by her vocal range. ROAN: It's evolving constantly, but more recently it’s been more of a drag project, especially now that I’m (on) tour. I'm really uncomfortable by sex scenes in movies, or when people flirt with me.

Persons: Chappell Roan, “, Roan's, ”, Roan, Olivia Rodrigo's, Dan Nigro, Rodrigo's, Rodrigo, Rose Amstutz, it's, ROAN, I'm, Chappell, —, It's, Karen Carpenter, Stevie Nicks, don’t, I’ve Organizations: ANGELES, —, Associated Press, Hollywood, YouTube, Atlantic Records, Island Records, Spotify, AP Locations: Missouri, LA, Midwest, Manhattan, “ California, ROAN

A federal judge has ruled that a university in the Texas Panhandle did not violate the constitutional right to free speech when the school's president canceled a drag show earlier this year. Notably, federal courts have blocked drag show bans in Florida, Montana, Tennessee and a separate federal judge in Texas from being implemented. Yet in his decision, Kacsmaryk argued that drag shows are “sexualized content” and therefore can be more regulated than other forms of free speech. The ruling sparked a legal firestorm, but didn't go into effect because a separate federal judge essentially ordered the opposite in a different case in Washington. Meanwhile, drag shows across the country continue to be targeted by right-wing activists and politicians, with Republican lawmakers in several states, including Texas, proposing restrictions.

Persons: Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, ” Kacsmaryk, Walter Wendrell, —, Trevor, WT, wasn't, “, ”, JT Morris, Spokespeople, Donald Trump, didn't Organizations: Texas Panhandle, U.S, District, West Texas, M University, WT, Foundation, Rights, FIRE, Republican Locations: United States, Florida , Montana , Tennessee, Texas, Canyon, Amarillo, Washington

☆ Quil Lemons Wants to Be the Robert Mapplethorpe of His Community
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Ruth La Ferla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Growing up in South Philadelphia, Quil Lemons first trained his lens on family and friends, his photographs of cousins and neighbors snaring the art world’s attention. By the time he was 20, he was focusing on young Black men as the subjects of “Glitterboy,” a series that highlighted, as its title suggests, adolescents slathered in glitter and colorful grease. Lately, Mr. Lemons has expanded his range. “Quiladelphia,” his new group of highly provocative, radically intimate photographs, on view through Nov. 4 at the Hannah Traore Gallery on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, is billed as an exploration of Black manhood. Speaking by phone from his apartment in Brooklyn, Mr. Lemons, 26, said that his portraits, paradoxically raw and refined, were meant to dissolve calcified notions of Black masculinity, family, queerness, race and beauty.

Persons: Quil Lemons, “, Lemons, Hannah Traore Locations: South Philadelphia, Side, Manhattan, Brooklyn

LOS ANGELES, July 5 (Reuters) - When actress Stephanie Hsu realized there were no limits to how outrageous she could be in the film "Joy Ride," she was confident it was going to be a "good time." "Joy Ride" follows childhood friends Audrey and Lolo, who are joined by Lolo's cousin Deadeye and Audrey's former college roommate Kat as they embark on a wild journey to China to find Audrey's birth mother. It features an all-Asian main cast with queer and non-binary actors that introduce multi-faceted characters who reach beyond racial or gender stereotypes. We definitely throw the patriarchy around in a way that is awesome," said Wu, who is non-binary. Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross; Editing by Mary Milliken and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stephanie Hsu, Adele Lim, Rich, Hsu, Oscar, Audrey, Lolo, Lolo's, Deadeye, Kat, Emily, Ashley Park, Audrey Sullivan, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu, Wu, Danielle Broadway, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Lionsgate, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, China, Southwest, Paris

☆ Opinion | Should Gay People Seek to Be Seen as ‘Normal’?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “As a Gay Man, I’ll Never Be Normal,” by Richard Morgan (Opinion guest essay, nytimes.com, June 25):Mr. Morgan just reinforces the concept of normalcy. Young people today don’t care so much about the “who is normal/abnormal” space that the author writes about. We should not retreat from the many hues in our “rainbow” of people, including all those who dwell in the borders. We should neither spend too much time separating out the colors (as the author does), nor dig our heels into concepts of “true” or “pure” queerness. Young people aren’t normalizing queer; they are finding newer and braver ways of being themselves.

Persons: Richard Morgan, Morgan

☆ The secret queer history of flowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Many of these flowers have deep connections to queer icons or are echoed in other queer symbols. (Even more complex emotions like, say, bashfulness, were associated with their own flowers, which surely wasn’t confusing at all.) It makes sense, then, that queer communities would find both beauty and belonging by continuing this interesting tradition. Today, the lavender flower still appears in newer symbols of queerness. The Japanese word for rose is pronounced “bara,” and experienced a resurgence in queer media in the 1960s and 1970s.

Persons: CNN —, Lavender, Sappho, Betty Friedan, Violet Violets, “, violets, Lesbos ”, Renée Vivien, Edouard Bourdet, Pansy “ Pansy ”, pansy, ”, Paul Harfleet, Rose, Japan’s, Oscar Wilde, Windermere’s Fan, ” Wilde Organizations: CNN, Stonewall, National Organization for Women Locations: Europe, New York City, Lesbos, Paris, British, ”

☆ Opinion: What Germany’s most famous trans woman could teach us about queer joy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Opinion Samuel Huneke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Talking about queer persecution in the past gave activists a language with which to combat queer persecution in the present. But the relentless focus on queer persecution — while politically necessary — often has the unfortunate effect of shunting to the side an equally important history of queer joy. In my own research on sexuality in modern Germany, queer joy also appears in the unlikeliest of places. Reports from the Gestapo, the Nazis’ feared secret police, chronicled monthly fetes attended by hundreds of Berliners: queer women and trans men sporting elegant evening coats, queer men and trans women dressed to the nines in flowing gowns. Understanding how and why trans, queer, gay, bi and lesbian people were and are persecuted is vital to recognizing and combating oppression of all sorts today.

Persons: Samuel Huneke, Huneke, Samuel Huneke Hugh Ross, ’, Harvey Milk, revel, ”, John Boswell, George Chauncey, Germany —, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, Sally Bowles, fetes Organizations: George Mason University, Democracy, State, CNN, Pride Month, Briggs Initiative, Initiative, Gay, Stasi, Gestapo, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Europe, States, Liberation, Cold, Germany, Nazi Germany, York, East Germany, Nazi

☆ Saudi Arabia says LGBTQ visitors are now welcome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —As Saudi Arabia continues its drive to attract tourists, authorities in the country appear to be reaching out to a particularly lucrative section of the market: LGBTQ travelers. “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details,” is the website’s response to the question on its FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”It is not known exactly when the website was updated. Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia, according to Human Rights Watch. LGBTQ+ travelers are a lucrative market, according to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and of Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform. Human rights researcher Nora Noralla told CNN that the kingdom is following Qatar and Dubai in its bid to attract LGBTQ+ travelers.

☆ ‘Queens of the Qing Dynasty’ Review: Secret Soul Mates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Beatrice Loayza | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The pair make an odd couple, and yet their bond is intuitive, electric. The story kicks off in the aftermath of Star’s suicide attempt, the film’s tone at once bleakly clinical and deadpan absurd. Star, a neurodivergent foster kid with a sardonic sense of humor, clearly doesn’t register the gravity of her actions. Eyes glazed, she seems out of touch with her own body, and she’s not one for rules, like when she’s kicked out of an apartment for opening it to partiers. Walker, captivatingly raw, makes Star both charming and frustrating in her aloofness.

☆ I'm a drag queen in Tennessee and scared the new law banning cabaret performances will hurt the drag community and leave me without a steady income
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Bella DuBalle, a Memphis-based drag queen, said this law will hurt both her and small businesses. DuBalle has been doing drag for a decade and working as a full-time drag queen in nightclubs and other venues for three years. However, a new law in Tennessee that takes effect on April 1 threatens her business and that of fellow drag performers in the community. DuBalle believes the law will harm the income and livelihoods of both drag performances and the local businesses that feature them. Building a full-time career took perseveranceBella DuBalle has been a full-time drag queen for three years.

As with castmates Michelle Yeoh, nominated for best actress, and Ke Huy Quan, nominated for best supporting actor, Stephanie Hsu’s name drew particular applause during her category’s announcement. Notably, after Campion became just the third woman to ever win best director at last year’s ceremony, not a single female director was nominated this time around. Overall, the lesbian power-trip flick made a lesser showing than the Daniels’ queer kung-fu film. But its six nominations included spots in the evening’s biggest categories, including best picture, best cinematography, best original screenplay and, predictably, best actress. But an Oscar for best actor would be the ultimate prize in what has been a victorious comeback tour for the former heartthrob, following his decadelong, virtual exodus from Hollywood.

When it comes to queer books, the loudest headlines may be about bans and censorship, but a quieter truth about the state of LGBTQ books reveals the resilience of their authors and commitment of their readers. The queer titles debuting in 2023 are as full of joy as they are examples of resistance, and those in the industry say LGBTQ writers are only getting more ambitious. And while queer young adult books are often the target of book-banning efforts, these titles drove the highest gains in the category, the report found. When it comes to considering a queer future, and what’s next for queer books, that’s something that’s been on the mind of Suzi F. Garcia, the editor of Lambda Literary, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ books and authors. She described the book as having a “queer core” and a sense of hope while discussing issues critical to LGBTQ and Black communities.

Once considered taboo in film and television, gay entertainers and characters will be hard to miss at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. Some of the evenings most nominated films — including sci-fi dramedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and psychological thriller “Tár,” — and TV series that include “The White Lotus” and “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” — star LGBTQ actors or feature fictional queer characters. And to top off the evening, the Golden Globes will honor gay television writer and producer Ryan Murphy, perhaps best known for co-creating “Glee,” “Pose” and the “American Horror Story” franchise, with a lifetime achievement award. While this year’s pool of Golden Globe nominees ups the awards ceremony’s queer factor, many of the most anticipated wins involve seemingly straight actors playing queer characters. The Golden Globes airs on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.

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