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Former NBA player Charles Barkley says trans women shouldn't play in WNBA

Former pro-basketball player and sports commentator Charles Barkley criticized the transgender athlete debate unfolding in the WNBA, saying, "Under no circumstances do I think men should play against women," in his interview with radio host Michael Smerconish published Monday on ...

LGBTQ NationAug 26, 2026

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The Lesbian Space Princess Discourse, Explained

This article contains spoilers for Lesbian Space Princess.Another day, another internet debate embroiling queer people at the discourse factory. If you’re on lesbian or sapphic TikTok, it’s likely that your For You Page has been dominated with recent criticisms of Lesbian Space P...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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Judge Cites Dolly Parton’s Bosom in Ruling Blocking Texas Drag Ban

This story originally appeared on The Advocate.A federal judge cited Dolly Parton’s bosom as he blocked Texas’ drag ban, proving that even in death, the LGBTQ+ icon can still defend the rights of queens.U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that a 2023 state law criminalizing “...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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Kansas school district caves to Trump & agrees to out trans kids to their parents

A Kansas school district has agreed to the Trump administration’s demands that officials out trans kids to their parents, ending a yearlong investigation into so-called “gender ideology.” In its Tuesday, August 25, announcement, Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. ...

LGBTQ NationAug 26, 2026

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Luke Evans Shares Touching Tribute to Tim Curry: "A Bright Fierce Flame"

This story originally appeared on Out.Luke Evans is sharing his heartfelt message to Tim Curry following his death.Curry is a theater icon known for originating the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Earlier this year, Evans stepped into the stiletto heel...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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After Saying He Stands With Trans People, Rupert Grint Joins Harry Potter Play

Well, Rupert Grint certainly figured out how to use the invisibility cloak on his trans allyship.The actor will join the cast of Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for 17 weeks beginning in February 2027, per The Hollywood Reporter. Grint will reprise the role of Ron We...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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J.K. Rowling Torched for Tone-Deaf Tribute to Dolly Parton: "A New Low"

This story originally appeared on Out.When J.K. Rowling joined the world in mourning the legendary Dolly Parton and celebrating her legacy, her post on X generated an online backlash that drew a stark contrast between the Harry Potter author's controversial "gender critical" view...

them.Aug 26, 2026

health

Tim Curry, eccentric "Rocky Horror" actor, dies at age 80

Tim Curry, the beloved British actor best known for playing eccentric villains, died Tuesday at the age of 80 in his Los Angeles home. His cause of death has not yet been publicly revealed, though he suffered a major stroke in 2012. He was unmarried, had no children, and publicly...

LGBTQ NationAug 26, 2026

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Tim Curry, Broadway Icon, Dies at 80

Tim Curry has passed away.Following a decade of serious health complications, the Broadway star died Tuesday night at his home in Los Angeles.After originating the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show in London and Los Angeles, Curry led the original Broadwa...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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Federal judge shuts down Texas drag ban: If you don't like drag "just don't go"

A federal judge in Texas ruled this week that the state’s drag ban is an unconstitutional restriction of free speech in violation of the First Amendment. US District Court Judge David Hittner’s Tuesday decision strikes down S.B. 12, a 2023 law signed by anti-LGBTQ+ Gov. Greg Abbo...

LGBTQ NationAug 26, 2026

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Delaware fines Rehoboth bar $15,000 for discriminating against trans woman

The Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission voted to fine Hideout Arcade Bar & Grille $15,000 last month due to a discrimination complaint filed by a trans woman over her use of the bathroom. Katie Sorber, a transgender woman, said that on April 5, 2023, she was stopped by emp...

Washington BladeAug 26, 2026

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Music icon and dear LGBTQ friend Dolly Parton remembered

I don’t want to say goodbye. To be honest, my first impression of music icon Dolly Parton was similar to the scathing look the demur Jane Fonda gave the boss’s secretary in one of my favorite funny feminist films ever, "9 to 5." Fonda’s aghast up-and-down scrutiny was pure unspok...

Washington BladeAug 26, 2026

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Everton Blair becomes Georgia's first out gay man elected to Congress

Democrat Everton Blair has become the first out gay man elected to Congress from Georgia. Blair won a special election Tuesday evening to replace the late Rep. David Scott (D-GA), beating Scott's daughter, Marcye Scott, with 53 percent of the vote, compared to her 47 percent. Rel...

LGBTQ NationAug 26, 2026

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Push to elect more LGBTQ ANC members yields results

A 2026 list of candidates released by the D.C. Board of Elections shows that 31 of the 43 known LGBTQ candidates who won election in 2024 as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners have filed the required petition signatures to be placed on the ballot this year to run for re-election...

Washington BladeAug 26, 2026

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Chris Van Hollen says the Democratic Party needs change. Is he the one to lead it?

By LEE O. SANDERLIN | The Democratic Party is having something of an identity crisis — losing to President Donald Trump twice in three elections will do that. Should the party embrace anti-establishment figures who espouse progressive policy ideas like Medicare for all and rhetor...

Washington BladeAug 26, 2026

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New data shows record-high LGBTQ population amid Trump attacks

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC Foundation), the public education, research, and policy arm of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the United States, has released new data showing that there are more LGBTQ+ identifying people than ever before...

Washington BladeAug 26, 2026

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Where Are All the Gay People in Tony’s Provincetown?

“In 1972, my feeling was that this was a gay town and that I was here at the pleasure of somebody else, which is sort of the opposite of everywhere outside of here at that time.”That’s how late chef, author, and television host Anthony Bourdain described his first summer in Provi...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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Brandi Carlile Says Dolly Parton “Took a Risk” Accepting Gay Artists Like Her

In a heartfelt tribute to the late Dolly Parton, who died today at age 80, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile said that she had “felt her leaving all week” and had been “asking folks to pray every day,” proceeding to share a series of touching thoughts on faith and LGBTQ+ inclusion...

them.Aug 26, 2026

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Dolly Parton dies at 80

Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at a Nashville hospital. She was 80. Her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said Parton passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center "after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer." Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced his aunt's death in a video...

Washington BladeAug 25, 2026

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Every WNBA Player Who Has Spoken in Support of Trans People

Don’t let the Sophie Cunninghams of the world fool you: the WNBA is filled with players who have openly supported transgender inclusion in sports for years.It should be no surprise that a league that has historically been early on for LGBTQ+ inclusion— and is currently 25% queer,...

them.Aug 25, 2026

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10 Times Dolly Parton Cemented Her Status as an LGBTQ+ Icon

This story originally appeared on The Advocate.Dolly Parton, the country music legend whose singular songwriting, towering hair and rhinestone-studded wit made her an American institution, died August 25 at 80.Across a career spanning nearly six decades, Parton wrote an estimated...

them.Aug 25, 2026

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Dolly Parton Remembered by LGBTQ+ Celebs and Allies: "I Will Always Love You"

This story originally appeared on Out.The world is paying their respects to Dolly Parton.As one of the most iconic artists in music history, the singer and songwriter has touched millions of lives throughout her fabulous life. Following the news of her passing, LGBTQ+ celebrities...

them.Aug 25, 2026

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Pete Hegseth blames "tra**ies" for US military troubles in bizarre speech line

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth uttered a transphobic slur during his speech yesterday at Oshkosh Defense, a military vehicle and technology company, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It's his latest use of the slur. "Every dollar squandered on redundancy or bureaucracy or waste is an ins...

LGBTQ NationAug 25, 2026

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Country star & LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton dies at age 80

Country music icon and LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton died at age 80, her family announced on Tuesday via a video posted on her Instagram account. Her cause of death has not yet been revealed; however, last May she reported troubles with her immune and digestive systems following issue...

LGBTQ NationAug 25, 2026

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Dolly Parton, Country Music Legend and Gay Icon, Dies at 80

This story originally appeared on Out.The one and only Dolly Parton has passed away.As one of the most beloved artists in the entertainment industry, Parton's campy aesthetic and consistent positivity resonated with LGBTQ+ fans all around the world. Since her humble beginnings as...

them.Aug 25, 2026

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Gay cop alleges he was suspended for documenting years of harrassment by supervisor

A New Jersey detective says he was sexually assaulted by a supervisor amid years of anti-gay harassment. Last week, Russell Kingsland, a detective with the state’s Division of Criminal Justice, filed a notice of tort claim, a formal written notice of allegations required in New J...

LGBTQ NationAug 25, 2026

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7 Drag Queens Who Could Bring Natalie Harp’s Twisted Trump Devotion to Life

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery … sometimes. Special Assistant to the President Natalie Harp has become the subject of intense media scrutiny in the past few weeks given her uniquely devoted relationship with Donald Trump. Several of Harp’s letters to the pre...

them.Aug 25, 2026

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Watch Spider-Man punch a racist & anti-LGBTQ+ MAGA protestor in the face

Jake Lang — a racist and anti-LGBTQ+ Republican former candidate for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat who was jailed for allegedly assaulting Capitol Police officers during the January 6, 2021, riots — held a hate rally outside of City Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during which he he...

LGBTQ NationAug 25, 2026

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Monument to LGBTQ Canadians officially unveiled

A monument that pays tribute to LGBTQ Canadians who suffered government-sanctioned persecution and discrimination officially opened in Ottawa on Aug. 21. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Louise Arbour, and Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez are...

Washington BladeAug 25, 2026

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25 Drag Queens Break an “Unofficial, Official” Hot Air Balloon World Record

For a brief moment, the sky got a lot more glamorous.Drag queens in Oregon broke an “unofficial, official” record for the most drag queens in a hot air balloon at the same time on Monday, according to a report in Portland CBS affiliate KOIN. All together, 25 queens packed themsel...

them.Aug 25, 2026

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The fight to save one of Baltimore's last gay bars

By JULIE SCHARPER and WESLEY CASE | Soon after Jim Becker came out as gay in 1967, he ducked into a Mount Vernon bar called Leon’s. In the dark, smoky bar, men used pseudonyms for fear of being outed, as homosexual acts were illegal in Maryland. Bartenders, wary of vice squad rai...

Washington BladeAug 25, 2026

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When home becomes a journey: migration, memory, and the African diaspora

Sometimes I wonder whether home is a place or a feeling. I have lived in places where I never imagined I would stay. I have crossed borders I never expected to cross and spent years in refugee communities where people wake up each morning wondering what the future will bring. I h...

Washington BladeAug 25, 2026

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Is Wattpad Banning Smut? The Company Says No, But Creators Are Concerned

Queer smut lovers everywhere, many of whom likely developed their sexual identities by reading erotic fan fiction on Wattpad, were sent into a panic this week after the online publishing platform updated its terms and conditions, leading some to believe it would be banning sexual...

them.Aug 24, 2026

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Gay-owned pizzeria in Dupont Circle burglarized

Gay activist Randy Downs said he and his business and life partner Ricky Bennett are grateful for the support they have received from the Dupont Circle community after they released a video showing a suspect breaking into their recently opened pizza shop and taking money from a c...

Washington BladeAug 24, 2026

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Advocates honored at Engendered Spirit Awards

The 2026 SaVanna Wanzer Engendered Spirit Awards ceremony took place at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in D.C. on Saturday. The ceremony was held at the conclusion of the day-long Trans Pride DC: Encore. Honorees included D.C. Mayor's Office of Community Affairs Dep...

Washington BladeAug 24, 2026