The Rise of Queer Line Dancing: “A Bit Like Going to Church”
Country dancing has long resonated with the LGBTQ+ community — and is currently experiencing a revival. Here’s why.
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Recent reporting and curated coverage across every beat we cover.
Ghanaian lawmakers approve anti-LGBTQ bill
Ghanaian lawmakers on Friday approved a bill that would, among other things, criminalize LGBTQ allyship. Reuters reported MPs approved the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, in a voice vote after parliament's Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee backed it. MPs in 2024 approved a
Man sues employer for not accommodating his "phobia" of rainbow flags & trans pronouns
A British evangelical Christian man who sued the U.K. government for "religious discrimination" after his government employer refused to accommodate his discomfort of LGBTQ+ symbols had his lawsuit dismissed by a tribunal, according to a Daily Mail article published yesterday. Mark Jennings accepted
Fox host Greg Gutfeld defends feeding maggots to ICE detainees: "Who cares…?"
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld yesterday defended maggots being fed to detainees at the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. A majority of the detainees there have not been convicted of any crimes but are being held as part of a "civil" legal p
Ohio Man Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Trans Woman at Amusement Park
The unnamed suspect was charged with four misdemeanors: public indecency, persistent disorderly conduct, obstructing official business, and resisting arrest.
Kim Petras regrets discussing her transition as a child
Transgender pop music star Kim Petras said in an interview published yesterday that she somewhat regrets discussing her gender transition with the press during her childhood. However, she explores this regret and the happiness she feels about her choices in “Brutalist,” a song on her recently releas
Trump admin bars federal employee insurance from covering gender-affirming care
Federal employees will now be fully barred from gender-affirming care under their health insurance programs, with no exceptions. The Trump administration has just updated their guidance for health insurance companies who want to provide plans to federal employees and have removed language that had p
Viral Strap-fluencer Answers All Your Burning Strap-on Questions
We asked Nae, known to her TikTok followers as The Strapfluencer, for her expert advice about purchasing, using, and cleaning your first strap-on.
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The Rise of Queer Line Dancing: “A Bit Like Going to Church”
Country dancing has long resonated with the LGBTQ+ community — and is currently experiencing a revival. Here’s why.
Pride returns to Budapest after dictator was voted out
Authorities in Budapest have given the green light for the Hungarian capital's Pride parade to march again this June, after last year's event was banned under authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán. Orbán's government was deposed in elections in April. Related Anti-LGBTQ+ Trump-backed Viktor Orbán loses
How this cabaret performer's musical idol helped her come out
LGBTQ Nation will be sharing your pictures of Pride throughout May and June. Submit your own if you want to be included! "I didn’t find Frances Faye," singer Terese Genecco tells LGBTQ Nation. "She found me." Genecco is the center of attention in her photo snapped by Fidel Lirio, just off the mainst
Federal court vacates ruling against people with HIV serving in the military & agrees to rehear case
After siding with the Trump administration to ban HIV-positive service members from the military, a federal appeals court has reversed itself and will hear the case again. In February, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit agreed with the Department of Defense (DO
‘The Stranger’ queers an existentialist classic
When Albert Camus published “L’etranger” (“The Stranger”) in 1942, he was living in Nazi-occupied France, so it’s no surprise that it became one of the most celebrated “existential” novels of all time. A fascist regime is great for inspiring thoughts of an indifferent and meaningless universe. It wa
White House official says James Talarico has less testosterone than a Black woman
A White House official continued with attacks on Senate candidate and Texas state Rep. James Talarico's (D) masculinity on Thursday evening, saying that he's "transitioning to a woman," that his blood is soy milk, and that he has less testosterone than Black Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). Re
Here's how we can break free from patriarchal Christian Nationalism
Thousands of people flocked onto the National Mall in Washington, DC for an all-day prayer rally on Sunday, May 17. The event was promoted as a “re-dedication of our country as One Nation under God.” The rally’s official title was “Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.”
RuPaul Would Like to Know If Ginger Minj Has Ever Been on ‘All Stars’
Thanks to a bout of forgetfulness, the Stop! That! Train! press tour has produced its first viral moment.
Nine Russian LGBTQ groups deemed 'extremist' banned
Nine LGBTQ groups in Russia have been banned so far this year after authorities deemed them as "extremist." Human Rights Watch on Thursday noted courts in seven regions between March and May banned Coming Out, the LGBT Resource Center, Parni Plus, the Moscow Community Center for LGBT+ Initiatives, I
Gay candidate calls out "homophobic" AI-generated pics in flyers
West Hollywood councilmember John Erickson and several LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations are condemning recent attack ads targeting his campaign for a California state Senate seat. In a joint statement, Equality California, Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Elected Officials, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and Honor
"Oh my goodness gracious!" CNN analyst shocked by just how much Trump is losing with key demographic
CNN data analyst Harry Enten was shocked when describing just how much ground Donald Trump has lost with a key demographic: men under the age of 30. Enten pointed out that Trump won men under 30 by one percentage point. While that's not a big margin, it was still surprising in 2024 to see a Republic
Right-Wingers Are Losing It Over a Trans-Inclusive Period Pride Event in Boston
Apparently the mere prospect of trans people having periods is too much for some to bear.
Ghana's Parliament to host conference about how LGBTQ+ rights are against African "cultural values"
The latest iteration of the African Inter-Parliamentary “Family, Sovereignty and Values” Conference is scheduled to take place in Ghana next week, the Ghanaian Parliament announced, and it's earning condemnation and controversy days before it starts. Like the gatherings that preceded it over the las
An entire generation of AIDS survivors is now struggling with a hidden epidemic
Tez Anderson decided to get tested for HIV after he moved to San Francisco in 1986 at the age of 25 and began dating his new boyfriend. When the results came back positive two weeks later, the doctor told Anderson he had 18 to 24 months to live. It was two days after his 26th birthday. Devastated by
Bad Bunny's gender-bending style isn't just fashion. It's a protest.
Immediately after Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime show performer for the 2026 Super Bowl, right-wingers began trying to "cancel" the cis-het ally by pointing out his refusal to sing in English and his past performances in drag. Bad Bunny — who grew up in a lower
Bari Weiss slammed during major awards show as she tears "60 Minutes" apart
Bari Weiss, the transphobic lesbian editor-in-chief of CBS News, was notably absent last night at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards in Manhattan, where a scholarship recipient told the audience that Weiss' leadership at the news network "stains the legacy" of one of its most famous journalists. The
D.C. Pride flag raising ceremony set for June 1
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs is inviting the LGBTQ community and friends to attend the city’s annual Pride flag raising ceremony scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, June 1, outside the John Wilson Building that serves as the D.C. City Hall. Like in prior years, members of the D.C. Cou
James Talarico’s Comments on Trans Rights, Explained
The Democratic senatorial candidate presents a sharp contrast to his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Cynthia Erivo Opens Up About Friendship with Ariana Grande Post-‘Wicked’
“I think that people didn’t really believe that we were actually friends,” she told Variety.
Still marching: Rev. Troy Perry and the ongoing fight for liberation
Long before tone-deaf Target swag and rainbow-scented hashtags lit up the very queer month of June, Rev. Troy Perry was helping the LGBTQ community create space where it did not yet exist, and he did so with little more than faith and perseverance. This Pride season, as communities around the world
Introducing Next-Generation Assisted Living & Memory Support.
We have good news for those seeking assisted living or memory support for a loved one: a fresh, hospitality-driven approach to care is now available in the heart of Tysons, Virginia. Kokua at The Mather opened in fall 2025 and provides residents with collaborative care as well as everyday possibilit
Trump’s Department of Labor Urges Employees to Narc on Each Other for Doing DEI
One DOL employee called it “pure witch-hunt territory.”
Cedric Neal on his juicy narrator role in ‘Pippin’
‘Pippin’Through July 26Signature Theatre4200 Campbell Ave.Arlington, Va.$47-$153Sigtheatre.org As Leading Player in Signature Theatre's revival of “Pippin,” Cedric Neal portrays the manipulative narrator who guides the title character, a young medieval prince, on a quest for meaning. Neal is also re
Dual endorsement for Independent Council-at-large: Patterson or Crawford
(Editor’s note: This column reflects the writer’s opinion and does not constitute a Washington Blade endorsement of any candidate.) The race for Independent Council-at-Large is interesting. There are three main candidates and I suggest making your choice easier by first eliminating Elissa Silverman
What I learned from Barney Frank and a bit of queer history
Since I started my activist career at the early age of 25, I feel incredibly blessed to have learned so much from many of the legends of our movement, including from Congressman Barney Frank. When I was just beginning OutRight International (then the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commis
Bushwick’s Trans Community Gathers for Vigil Honoring Slain Trans Woman Eryka Caldwell
The event included remarks from Taylor Brown, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs.
Stephen Miller Calls James Talarico the Democrats’ “First Transgender Senate Candidate”
Talarico is cisgender, heterosexual, and, contrary to popular Republican belief, a meat-eater.
Pattie Gonia: Patagonia Is Trying to “Bully” and “Erase” Her With Lawsuit
"This is a corporation trying to erase an activist," said the drag performer, breaking her silence on the tense legal battle with the outdoor apparel company.
‘How to Survive a Plague’ screens June 5
June 5 marks the 45th anniversary of the first report of AIDS. To commemorate the occasion, Whitman-Walker Health is sponsoring a screening of the film “How to Survive a Plague” on June 5 at 5:30 p.m. at GWU Lisner Auditorium (730 21st St., N.W.). The screening is free and you can register on Eventb
Strap On! Pornhub Launches New Lesbian Site for the “Female Gaze”
The popular adult film platform is creating a space for all of the steamy sapphic content.
Alan Cumming Says He Has Felt the Rise in Anti-LGBTQ+ Prejudice “Quite Palpably”
The Traitors host says he has mostly observed the trend online, but his staffers at Club Cumming have felt it in public.
CMAT Is the Pop Star She Always Dreamed of Becoming
The Irish singer-songwriter opens up about being a bisexual icon, sticking to her creative instincts, and achieving the fame that she wished for while blowing out her birthday candles.
Little Death Is Coming in the ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ Trailer
The first official trailer for Jane Schoenbrun’s meta horror film offers the clearest look yet at Jack Haven’s slasher villain.