Philadelphia murder suspect remains at large
Police seek the public’s support in finding a suspect wanted in connection with three Philadelphia shootings, including two murders, who may have targeted his victims because they were gay. All three
More stories from our newsroom
Recent reporting and curated coverage across every beat we cover.
Why is the right so obsessed with banning Pride flags?
"Bring back the ‘60s. I don’t give a s**t who you love, but don’t shove your ideology down my throat and tell me that I need to use pronouns." Rose Milner, Canadian far-right activist Last October, on a Sunday evening, workers from the Florida Department of Transportation bulldozed and sledgehammere
Ken Paxton Loves the Bible and His Country So Much He Took His Alleged Mistress to England on July 4th
Apparently, when Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton isn’t busy attacking his political opponents for supporting transgender people, coming after gender-affirming medical care, and suing out-of-state companies for selling binders, he likes to summer in Europe. Everyone
Dutch prime minister scheduled to open World Pride human rights conference
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten is scheduled to open this year’s World Pride Human Rights Conference in Amsterdam. Organizers in a July 1 press release said Jetten will open the conference on Aug. 5. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema; South African Deputy Minister for Women, Youth, and People with Disab
Queer journalist Lyra McKee was shot to death while covering a riot. 3 suspects were just acquitted.
A judge in Northern Ireland found three men not guilty of murdering queer journalist and author Lyra McKee. The 29-year-old McKee was struck by a bullet while covering an April 2019 riot in Derry. While the actual gunman has never been identified, Irish republican paramilitary group the New IRA clai
Pretty Sure Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Just Confirmed Zuko Is Bi
A new trailer for Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender seems to have put rumors about a beloved character’s sexuality to bed. Released on Tuesday, the trailer for the upcoming animated film, which takes place after Aang brought warring nations together in peace, finds Team Avatar encountering a mysteriou
Court issues major blow to DeSantis's "Stop WOKE Act" & calls it "a breathtaking assertion of power"
Florida's so-called Stop WOKE Act, championed by anti-LGBTQ+ Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), received a major blow on Tuesday, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit upheld a 2022 injunction against applying the law to colleges and universities. In the 2-1 decision, the judges called the law "a
"My goodness gracious!" Analyst shows surprising evidence that Democrats will have "historic" wins
CNN data analyst Harry Enten showed a promising sign that Democrats will take back the House in November's elections. Enten showed data from primaries held so far this year, which shows that more Democrats have been turning out to vote in their primaries than Republicans have in theirs. Related Anal
Philadelphia murder suspect remains at large
Police seek the public’s support in finding a suspect wanted in connection with three Philadelphia shootings, including two murders, who may have targeted his victims because they were gay. All three shootings took place near Hunting Park Recreation Center between May 29 and June 26. The suspect is
Conservative pundit called out to his face over "hypocrisy" about Graham Platner vs. Trump
CNN host Laura Coates called out a conservative pundit who was raging against Democrats who supported Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign prior to a woman he dated publicly accusing him of raping her. Now Democrats are calling for Platner to drop out of the race, while Republicans are gloatin
Mary's House founder, CEO retires
The board of directors for Mary’s House for Older Adults, DC’s first official home dedicated to providing affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors, announced on July 7 that its founding president and CEO, Dr. Imani Woody, has retired. Woody, who holds a PhD in Human Services, is credited with playing a
We Broke a One Wish Willow and Now Inde Navarette and Ethel Cain Are Friends
We’re deep into dream blunt rotation territory with this. Inde Navarette, the openly bisexual star of the summer box-office horror sensation Obsession, made a recent appearance in an Instagram story posted by none other than Ethel Cain. In the story, posted to Cain’s social media on Tuesday, Navaret
Trump celebrates Pride Month by raging against "transgender insanity" in official statement
The White House called transgender people "insane" in an official press release on the last day of Pride Month. Donald Trump did not issue a proclamation celebrating Pride Month this year or last year, breaking from his predecessors. The press release, intended to celebrate the Supreme Court's decis
Va., Md., advocates brace for next fight after Supreme Court sports ruling
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states to enforce laws barring transgender students from participating on school sports teams consistent with their gender identity, a decision LGBTQ advocates say could encourage additional restrictions across the country. While neither Marylan
Eastern Shore school board wants an 18-and-over rule for young adult books
By LIZ BOWIE | Somerset County’s school board is considering barring students under the age of 18 from reading any young-adult literature in school libraries, essentially restricting all but 12th graders from checking out books written for teens and tweens. The proposed policy also calls for the sup
Gay teacher, LGBTQ-supportive parent win $1 million in Fairfax County defamation lawsuits
Juries in two separate civil trials in Fairfax County, Va., last month awarded a gay teacher and an LGBTQ-supportive parent a combined total of just over $1 million in damages from a conservative group and its leader accused in their lawsuits of falsely and maliciously linking the two to a “child ab
Remember when a trans influencer bullied by Nancy Mace got the last laugh?: She’s “losing it”
A transgender influencer refused to let Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) have the last word after the anti-trans congresswoman publicly bullied her. Sabre, who goes by Bottleneckloser on Instagram, recently posted side-by-side photos of herself on X depicting her pre- and post-transition. "God I love estrogen
A teacher allegedly called LGBTQ+ people "mentally ill." His punishment is gonna sting.
A 60-year-old history teacher was banned from teaching for six years yesterday after he allegedly made comments calling LGBTQ+ people "mentally ill" and claiming that "billionaires are the cause of transgenders." Neither of his claims are true. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) within England's D
Trump's dance mocked by Belgium World Cup team after U.S. loss following red card scandal
Belgium's World Cup soccer team mocked the two-handed fist pump dance of U.S. President Donald Trump while celebrating on-field in a Seattle stadium after the team defeated the U.S. men's team with a score of 4-1 on Monday evening. The U.S. men's team defeat followed a scandal in which Trump persona
Far-right political leader defaces a rainbow crosswalk in viral video
A far-right political party leader in British Columbia, Canada is facing criminal charges after he and another man defaced a Pride crosswalk in the city of Surrey, south of Vancouver. On May 30, Amrit Birring, leader of the Freedom Party of B.C. and a perennial and losing candidate in the province,
He threatened to shoot up a Pride event. Now he's paying the price.
The FBI arrested 44-year-old New Mexico resident Michael Thompson on June 28 for allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at Lubbock Pride Fest in West Texas. He has now been federally charged with interstate threatening communications, though it's unclear if he had concrete plans to actua
Police are searching for suspect who allegedly shot 3 men & killed 2 for being gay
A man accused of shooting two people to death because they're gay – and trying to kill a third as well – is at large in Philadelphia. Police are looking for 21-year-old Jahylin Melchur, who is a suspect in the three shootings. In the first, which took place on May 29 at 9:50 p.m., the suspect shot a
As Washington shifts right, Democratic Socialists gain ground
As President Donald Trump's second administration has pushed the federal government further to the right on issues ranging from immigration to LGBTQ rights, a different political movement has been gaining momentum inside the Democratic Party. From industrial communities in upstate New York to Colora
Remember when Trump’s State Dept. nominee said lesbian union leader should get death penalty?
Jeremy Carl, President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, deleted thousands of social media posts before his nomination. One was a May 2023 post calling for the killing of Randi Weingarten, the lesbian president of the American Federation of Teachers, a
"Terrified": Gay Asian man surrounded by white supremacists on train in viral picture speaks out
The gay Filipino man photographed on July 4 surrounded by masked members of Patriot Front on the DC Metro is speaking out about the terrifying incident. DC resident Roswell Encina was on his way to an Independence Day celebration in Maryland on Saturday when his train filled with members of the desi
ACLU Sues JD Vance Over Progressive Cat-Themed Activist’s “Purr-tected Speech”
The creator of a popular cat-focused Instagram account devoted to trolling JD Vance filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that she was denied entry to a public-facing event featuring the vice president over her political views.“The government can’t exclude me from official vice-presidential events just b
Fired EEOC commissioner drops lawsuit after SCOTUS expands Trump's power over federal agencies
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last week handing broad authority to fire heads of independent agencies to the president, former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) member Jocelyn Samuels has dropped her lawsuit challenging her termination by President Donald Trump. The presid
Susan Stewart could make history as Rehoboth’s first openly gay mayor
(Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a three-part series profiling the candidates for mayor of Rehoboth Beach, Del.: Commissioners Suzanne Goode, Susan Stewart, and Craig Thier; a fourth candidate, William Raak, filed to join the race but has not responded to Blade inquiries.) Residents
Kevin McCarthy claims with a straight face that the GOP walks away from "bad candidates"
Amid calls for Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to drop out of the race after a sexual assault allegation, one Republican's take on the matter has sent social media into a frenzy. During an appearance on Fox News, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) declared, "The one thing I
Like Something Ripped Out of a Fanfic, Maya Hawke and Victoria Pedretti Are Gay Together in The Non-Actor
If you’re sapphic and love cinema, this is not a drill: Maya Hawke and Victoria Pedretti starred in a steamy sapphic short film together and it’ll soon be available for streaming.The Non-Actor, which garnered high praise during its festival run in 2025, is an 18-minute short during which Eliot (Pedr
Silky Nutmeg Ganache talks sex and dating, gender, politics, weight loss journey
Uncloseted Media published this interview on July 7. By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON, ISABEL STOKES, and BELLA SAYEGH | After appearing on the 11th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World,” the sixth season of “RuPaul’s All Stars” and now the 11th season
Fellas, Is It Gay to Watch Love Island Alone? Controversial Streamer DDG Thinks So
During a livestream on Sunday, YouTuber and artist DDG spoke about feeling unable to watch Love Island alone because he is single. “I haven’t watched Love Island,” he said. “You know why? Cuz I don’t have anybody to watch it with.” He continued, “I think it’s gay to watch Love Island by yourself. If
Plaintiff from gay rights case 26 years ago writes moving letter to support trans plaintiff
A gay activist who lost a landmark 2000 Supreme Court case has penned a moving letter to the 16-year-old trans plaintiff at the center of the Court's recent ruling that schools can exclude trans girls from playing on teams for “biological females.” On June 30, the Court released its decision that "T
Madonna roundup: Reviews, sales, and love for ‘Danceteria’
Madonna isn’t just back, she’s ubiquitous. From a Times Square takeover to Graham Norton’s couch, the pop legend is busy promoting her new album, “Confessions II,” a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” that is earning rave reviews. “Madonna’s back in peak form with a fresh and honest da
Senegal amends Constitution to ban same-sex marriage amid crusade to "eradicate" gay people
Amid a widespread crackdown on homosexuality, the National Assembly of Senegal amended the country's Constitution to officially ban same-sex marriage and define the institution as "the union between a man and a woman." The assembly made the decision in a unanimous vote on June 29th. An anonymous Sen
Three overlooked court rulings limited White House anti-trans policies
While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J. continues to dominate headlines about transgender rights, three recent federal court cases produced significant rulings that limited or temporarily blocked Trump-Vance administration policies attacking trans Americans. Talbott v. USA
DOJ, HHS, FTC, FDA: The Alphabet Soup of Efforts to Restrict Gender-Affirming Care
This story was originally published on The 19th.The United States is using the full power of the federal government to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The American Psychological Association has accused the Trump administration of ignoring science and undermining mental health t
Vera Drew’s Found-Footage Horror Comedy Trandemic Could Be Our Next Indie Horror Obsession
If you’re a fan of the audacious, award-winning film The People’s Joker, then buckle up. Director Vera Drew, who helmed the aforementioned satirical trans Batman parody film despite facing legal threats over rights to the character, has been announced as the first recipient of the Transgender Film C
Remember when Pete Hegseth ended a decorated Navy doctor’s career after she was targeted by trolls?
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth joined forces with one of social media's most vitriolic anti-trans campaigners last week to drum a Navy Commander out of the service over her support for transgender healthcare. It was a one-two punch from Hegseth in service of the president's crusade against "woke"
Turkish authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
Turkish authorities have refused to allow a gay cruise to dock in the country. The Scarlet Lady, a Virgin Voyages ship that Atlantis Events chartered, departed Athens on Sunday. The 10-day cruise is scheduled to end in Trieste, Italy, on July 15. The ship had been scheduled to dock in Kusadasi, a Tu
Trump mocked for basically admitting he hadn't heard of the Strait of Hormuz until he attacked Iran
In a recent press briefing, Donald Trump was speaking about the war in Iran when he mentioned the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping waterway that Iran has used as a bargaining chip in retaliation for the U.S. attacks, sparking a massive disruption in the global oil supply chain. Trump seemed