🎄THE 1st GAY OF X-MAS 🏳️‍🌈 TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY 🎁

 

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year….” – and it can be. Most of us are fortunate enough to have every reason for happiness during the festive period, with no real, major crisis factors to face – we can eat, we have a roof over our heads, we have love or companionship. And yet more than 60% of us report elevated or somewhat elevated levels of stress during the holiday periods – most of it self-inflicted.

Fortunately, there are simple ways to help curb your festive stress, so that you can have a happy, mindful, conscious holiday which truly does feel like a celebration.

1 – Have a Green Christmas

HAPPY 🎅🏽 CHRISTMAS 🎄 DAY‼️

 

Happy Christmas Day to all my fabulous readers! 🎄✨

Today is not just a day for gifts and glitter, but a time to celebrate love, diversity and the beauty of being true to oneself. As we gather in this festive season, let’s remember to spread joy and acceptance, embracing the warmth of our community.

May your day be as bright and colorful as a rainbow, filled with laughter, love, and the company of those who cherish you for who you are. Here's to a merry and bright holiday, wrapped in the comfort of being seen and loved.

With all the jingles and joy,

🌟🏳️‍🌈 Happy Christmas Day! 🏳️‍🌈🌟

LIL NAS X CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH SCANDALOUS FAUX PLAYBOY COVER

Lil Nas X loves a scandal, and his latest birthday photoshoot gives the gays everything they want.

The "Industry Baby" singer celebrated his 24th birthday on Sunday, which just so happened to be Easter this year. He celebrated with an Instagram photoshoot, captioned, "hbd thee batty boy".

The photo shoot is for a fake magazine spread in Battyboy, which is a pejorative term for gay men in Jamaican Patois and a parody of the iconic Playboy brand. On the cover, X is glammed out in wigs and high heels while showing off his *ahem* assets.

It's a direct homage to Playboy's January 1986 Cover Girls cover. In the following slides, a more masculine presenting X is almost salivating over the spread while looking into an open magazine. If you look carefully, that cover looks like X as well.

The posts have over a million likes on Instagram and 100k on Twitter. Fans are obsessed with the photos. "Idk something about this man," one female fan tweeted. "I love the confidence. Love the style. Love the authenticity. Love the not caring what others think. You confusing me idk if I want you, want to be you, or want to hangout with you."

SOURCE: PRIDE DOT COM

'9-1-1 LONE STAR' ACTOR QUICKLY BECOMES ICON FOR THE TRANS COMMUNITY

Ryan Murphy has been at the forefront of queer representation on television for the past few years. Pose. American Horror Story. Glee. Currently 9-1-1 Lone Star has shattered stereotypes of how transgender people are viewed. Carrying that flag on his sturdy shoulders for his community is Brian Michael Smith. The 40-year-old actor plays Paul Strickland on the hit Fox television series.

 

Smith has always used his celebrity for the greater good, just this week alone presenting Michaela Jaé Rodriguez with the 2023 Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Los Angeles dinner. He also discussed making the decision to transition as a young adult and embracing his identity during Dotdash Meredith’s From Invisibility to Trans Visibility Week panel, which was moderated by writer and actor Scott Turner Schofield. The discussion also featured ACLU Deputy Director for Transgender Justice Chase Strangio, Olympian Chris Mosier and actor Vico Ortiz. (People magazine.)

 

The actor, who was also in Queen Sugar discussed in his own words how he felt when he realized he wasn’t alone in the world.

 

“I spent my 20s doing what everybody does in their 20s but I just took a different journey with mine and by the time I was able to actually access the care, I had discovered that there are other people like me. When I was 19, I was in college in the middle of Ohio, and I didn’t know what I was going to do about that I just felt so good to know that I wasn’t the only person, that, historically, there were other people, that there were standards of care that have already been established. There was a process. There were clinics, there were places to go. And there were actually other people to meet, who were further down the road than I was.”

 

*on starting hormone therapy

 

“I was able to see myself expressed on the outside physically in a way and really be inside my body for the first time and be visibly seen and taken into the world as myself for the first time. I really just wanted to enjoy that. I am myself and the person that I’ve seen in my mind’s eye for so long is looking back at me in the mirror, is out on the streets.”

 

*on publicly coming out as transgender after his career was established

 

*on the current hatred towards the Transgender community from Republican lawmakers

 

“I feel like that’s something I have a really hard time navigating. We have these sort of arguments and these debates where people are trying to tell me about something, and I’m like, ‘I’m the one living the experience. I’m here, I’m telling you, I’m a trans person. You’re not, that’s okay. You don’t have to be trans. I am. Let me live.'”

 

*on living an authentic life

 

“I could be out and then take the sort of crumbs of bad trans representation that was available. Or I could just define who I am as a person and as what I want to explore now. And then, when the moment comes, I can share this part of myself. Around, 2015 or 2016, I was like no, I distinctly want to take ownership of this full part of my identity.”

 

“We’re trans people. We’ve been trans the whole time. So I never was a woman who became a man. I was me the whole time. You know, you just thought I was but we are who we are. And just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean that we’re not real.”

9-1-1 Lone Star airs Tuesday nights on Fox.

 

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

U.S. REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH IN OUT ELECTED OFFICIALS & THEY'RE READY TO FIGHT BACK

“Not only are more LGBTQ+ people serving in office than ever before, they are more unified, determined and diverse than ever,” says a new report from the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.

At a time of record anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the state level and attacks from other government officials, there’s also some good news: LGBTQ+ people are serving in elected office in record numbers, and they’re helping to counter the hate.

The number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S. increased by 68 percent over the past five years, rising from 698 to 1,174, according to a new report from the LGBTQ Victory Institute, the educational and training arm of the LGBTQ Victory Fund. This was helped along by rainbow waves in recent elections.

“In 2018, LGBTQ+ people hit the campaign trail in record-breaking numbers — and with their victories, ensured 2019 saw the highest levels of LGBTQ+ representation in U.S. government at that time,” says the report, “Leading Out Loud.” “The numbers have only risen since this inaugural Rainbow Wave. More out candidates have hit the campaign trail since. And they’ve kept winning, shattering rainbow ceilings across the country.” At least 436 out candidates, almost all Democrats, won their races in the 2022 midterm election.

“Not only are more LGBTQ+ people serving in office than ever before, they are more unified, determined and diverse than ever,” the report notes. They are indeed diverse in many ways.

LGBTQ+ elected officials are more racially diverse than ever. The proportion of LGBTQ+ people of color serving in the U.S. increased from 22 percent in 2019 to 32 percent in 2023, according to Victory Institute. Examples, pictured above, include 2022 winners U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (far left), who was born in Peru and is the first out gay immigrant in Congress; Connecticut Treasurer Erick Russell (second from left), a gay man who is the first Black LGBTQ+ person to be elected to a statewide office in the U.S.; and Minnesota State Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (third from left), a Two-Spirit person who is of Indigenous and Latinx heritage.

Women from the LGBTQ+ community have made great progress as well. They saw a saw a 60 percent increase in representation, rising in number from 287 to 459 over the period covered by the report. Among those elected in 2022 are U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (pictured, far right), a lesbian who is the first woman to represent Vermont in Congress, and the nation’s first two out lesbian governors, Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Tina Kotek of Oregon.

LGBTQ+ elected officials are more gender-diverse than ever. Representation for nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people increased by 300 percent over the past five years, according to the report. Representation for transgender women increased by 173 percent and for trans men by 80 percent. Examples include Kozlowski, who is nonbinary, and Minnesota House colleague Leigh Finke, a trans woman who was also elected in 2022, making them the first nonbinary and trans people in Minnesota’s legislature. Montana also elected its first trans and nonbinary state representatives in 2022 — Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell, respectively.

LGBTQ+ elected officials are more diverse in terms of sexual orientation too, with queer, bisexual, and pansexual representation growing more than 200 percent since 2019.

The increase in representation goes across all levels of government. There are 13 out LGBTQ+ members of Congress now, the most ever, and many of them are countering the far right’s attack on the LGBTQ+ community and all things progressive. Garcia, for instance, is making good on his promise to be a thorn in the side of Republican Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert.

State legislatures saw historic increases too. The number of out LGBTQ+ state lawmakers increased by 55 percent, from 147 in 2019 to a record 228 in 2023. They are fighting back against anti-LGBTQ+ moves as well. Minnesota’s Finke, for example, is behind legislation to make the state a sanctuary for trans youth seeking gender-affirming care that they can’t get in their home states. Among states banning such care is neighboring South Dakota, but its first out gay male legislator, Kameron Nelson, spoke out against it, calling it “reprehensible.”

LGBTQ+ representation in local government saw the greatest increase since 2019. It increased by 83 percent, from 394 to 721.

“The momentum of the LGBTQ+ community’s political power has not gone untested,” the report notes “Bigoted legislators, who detest growing LGBTQ+ acceptance and representation, are unleashing an agenda of hate that would push our community backwards. These attacks, however, have lit a fire under the LGBTQ+ community, inspiring more LGBTQ+ people to run.

“These record-breaking numbers signify progress is still very much possible, and LGBTQ+ Victory Institute remains committed to supporting LGBTQ+ leaders called to public service. Because we will not — cannot — stop until we achieve equitable representation. Our rights depend on it.”

SOURCE: ADVOCATE

⚧️ WHY WE OBSERVE TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY 🏳️‍⚧️

Every March 31st we observe Transgender Day of Visibility, one of the most important days on the calendar is perhaps now even more important than ever. Trans people are still facing terrible discrimination and persecution all across the globe. Before we can hope can achieve truly equality for all of us in the LGBTQ community, we must first make sure trans people are fully visible. But the reality is, trans folks still face a ton of discrimination and violence on a daily basis.

Transgender Day of Visibility is all about celebrating the amazing contributions and accomplishments of transgender people, while also raising awareness about the challenges they still face. It's a day to show our support, our love, and our solidarity with our trans siblings.

But why is visibility so important, you ask? Well, for starters, representation matters. Seeing trans people in media, in politics, in business, and in our everyday lives helps to normalize their existence and combat harmful stereotypes.

Visibility also helps to combat the isolation and loneliness that many trans folks experience. When you see someone who looks like you or shares your experiences, it can be incredibly empowering and validating. It reminds you that you're not alone, and that there's a whole community of people out there who have your back.

But perhaps most importantly, visibility saves lives. Trans folks are disproportionately affected by suicide and self-harm, largely because of the stigma and discrimination they face. By celebrating trans visibility and fighting for trans rights, we can help to create a world where trans folks feel safe, supported, and loved.

So, my fabulous friends, let's take this Transgender Day of Visibility as an opportunity to educate ourselves, to show our support, and to fight for a world where trans people are not just accepted, but celebrated. Because when one of us shines, we all shine brighter.

SOURCE: ANDREW CHRISTIAN

👑 RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE 🎤 SEASON 1️⃣5️⃣ EPISODE 13 “TEACHER MAKEVERS” 💄

Are you ready for a recap?

The mini-challenge

It was a “vote for each other in various categories” kind of quiz which was entertaining to watch.

Loosey won.

Do mini-challenges count as wins? It appears not.

The maxi-challenge

This week was the make-over challenge.

The make-over subjects were teachers.

As the winner of the mini-challenge, Loosey got to match up the pairs.

The challenge was to create a family resemblance and deliver a runway presentation that demonstrated confidence and connection.

I’m not clear how much time was involved in this challenge – the suggestion seemed to be that everyone pretty much made outfits from scratch for this challenge – and all the outfits looked great. But, if that’s the case, it seems weird not to sort of make more of that – they did a full make-over and made outfits in how long? These queens are phenomenal.

No one messed up this challenge – everyone delivered a great result and a great performance. The judging comes down to storylines, but we are making a TV show – that’s how it goes.

·         Sasha: Sasha gave us two Hawaiian MILFS, with exaggerated padding and big hair. Job done.

·         Loosey: Loosey said she was giving us Aunt and Neice at the beach. I’m not sure that that’s exactly what translated on stage but the outfits were cute. Job don.

·         Luxx: Luxx was criticised for not achieving family resemblance. Given the physical differences between her and her assigned teacher, it was never going to be easy. The dress she constructed for her teacher was fantastic. Luxx also looked gorgeous but it was clear she didn’t have a lot of time to construct her own outfit.

·         Mistress: Mistress successfully created a mini-me. Job done.

·         Anetra: Anetra created one-legged bodysuits in ying/yang colour contrasts. One-legged bodysuits are normally a curse in this competition, but Anetra has broken that..

The Judging

Sasha and Mistress were declared safe, and Anetra was declared the winner. No arguments there. I’ve lost track of the wins but if we’re spreading the wins around the finalists, I think you would have given this win to Mistress? I’m not clear what the plan is.

That left us with a Bottom 2 of Luxx and Loosey.

This was satisfying – from an audience perspective – in that this confrontation was heavily flagged in last-week’s episode when Luxx made it clear why she thought Loosey should be sent home.

The Lip-sync

The song was Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko.

This is a cute song, upbeat with a bit of angsty energy but not the easiest to perform.

We got quite different styles from Loosey and Luxx. Neither felt hugely connected to the track, but the song has a difficult energy to convey on stage.

Loosey gave us musical theatre, whereas Luxx gave us a club performance working for tips. Both approaches were valid but Luxx was a lot more dynamic, using all of the stage, delivering lots of variation of moves. Head to head on the stage, it was impossible not to focus on Luxx.

Luxx stays, Loosey goes home. That feels correct.

Top 4?

So, we’ve got a Top 4. Normally, we’d expect a Top 4 to go through to the grand finale and battle it out for the crown.

However, in the preview for next week, we get a clip saying that someone is going to be eliminated because only three are going to the finale. That seems (deliberately) confusing.

I guess we’ll have to tune in next week to find out what it’s all about.

Episode 13, done!

SOURCE: MEANS HAPPY

UFC FIGHTER JEFF MOLINA COMES OUT AS BISEXUAL

The flyweight fighter made the announcement after an intimate video of him with another man was leaked.

Jeff Molina, a 25-year-old UFC flyweight fighter, came out Friday as bisexual. He made the announcement after a leak of him and another man being intimate was leaked to social media.

“Not the way I wanted to do this but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken away from me. I’ve tried to keep my dating life private from social media,” Molina wrote on Twitter. “I’ve dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school being on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC.”

He shared, “The thought of my buddies, teammates, and (people) I look up to looking at me different let alone treating me different for something I can’t control was something I couldn’t fathom.”

Molina said he wanted to be “known for [his] skills” and his dedication to his sport and “not the ‘bi ufc fighter’ that I’m sure would just be translated to ‘gay UFC fighter.’”

He’d previously supported the LGBTQ+ community by wearing Pride Month shorts during a fight in June 2022.

"I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of sh*t. But I guess I was wrong," Molina said after he received some backlash for wearing the shorts.

On Friday, the fighter also called out the person who posted the video.

“To the awful disturbed person that decided to post this…I hope it was worth it,” Molina wrote.

He has been suspended from fighting by the Nevada Athletic Commission after he allegedly bet on a UFC fight, CNN reports.

“At the end of the day I know my character, morals, and who I am as a person. As much as I'm getting hated/sh**ted on I'm getting an equal amount of support & it means a f*ck ton,” Molina wrote.

SOURCE: ADVOCATE

ZAYA WADE JUST LANDED HER 1st MAGAZINE COVER

You go, girl!

Give Zaya Wade a round of applause!

The fifteen-year-old daughter of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union is already a fashion icon, human rights advocate, and cultural leader, and now, she’s a cover star! Wade made her magazine cover debut on the latest issue of Dazed, where she covers the Fashion issue.

The interview covers a wide range of topics, including high school, working in fashion, her relationship with her mother, what makes her feel empowered, and setting boundaries as a young person in the spotlight.

“I am my own person and I have my own experiences, but for me, as a role model, I try to use my personal experience to broadcast the positives and also the negatives in life, because a lot of LGBTQ+ youth go unrecognized in every way,” Wade tells the magazine. “I think I am here to share those experiences: to voice them, but also to enhance them. So the world can know, ‘We are here, we are queer, we are here to stay, and we aren’t going anywhere.’”

She also shared that she’d love prom dresses designed by Prada and Valentino, and if she could have her dream artist sing at her upcoming Sweet 16 birthday party, it would be SZA.

“There is so much in the future that can be done, so much that can be changed,” Wade said at the end of the interview. “It’s inspiring to know that we are a new generation. Gen Z is so special. As I am getting older and I’m realizing more about this world, I think this generation that’s up and coming is everything. Being able to educate the next generation so they can educate the next generation. We can make strides to normalize acceptance through education.”

Wade first came out three years ago when she was just 12 years old, and just recently granted a legal name and gender change from the courts. Her parents have been incredibly supportive and affirming of her whole journey, changing the way we look at parents of trans youth.

SOURCE: OUT DOT COM

👑 RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE 🎤 SEASON 1️⃣5️⃣ EPISODE 11 “TWO QUEENS ONE JOKE” 💄

The Drag Race fever-dream continues – Season 15 is (finally) getting towards the business-end of proceedings.

Are you ready for a recap?

This mini-challenge

It was a ballroom vogue-off.

Putting to one side any discussion of appropriation and exploitation of ballroom culture, this was possibly one of the best mini-challenges we’ve seen in the history of the entire franchise.

It was funny, it was entertaining, and it showcased some great dancing from talented performers.

Anetra was declared the winner – which was fair enough – but it was the audience who won this time around.

The maxi-challenge

Stand-up comedy is always a tough ask in this format.

Everyone was in pairs, except Marcia who was working solo.

As the winner of the mini-challenge, Anetra got to decide the running order.

It’s a bit hard to make any objective comment on these performances, because obviously the way you edit them is crucial in the storytelling and how each performance is perceived.

Marcia: Good energy but there didn’t seem to be any jokes.

Luxx and Loosey: The energy was good and the “so white” jokes was a smart direction to take.

Anetra and Sasha: This felt like it had potential but just needed more jokes and tighter delivery.

Salina and Mistress: This was good storytelling but not really any jokes.

The Runway

This weeks category was Rip Her To Shreds.

Not the easiest category – tricky to come up with an original concept that also has runway impact.

Marcia: Marcia gave us a pageant queen who had been attacked by the runners-up. This was solid, but we have seen versions of this in various formats, so it didn’t feel hugely original.

Loosey: Loosey gave us Miss Havisham as a vampire queen. It met the assignment but I wasn’t excited by this.

Luxx: Proving, once again, that she is one of the most intelligent and well-studied queens to have tackled Drag Race, Luxx gave us a reinterpretation of a RuPaul look from the 80s. Absolutely smashed it. Luxx truly has cracked the code.

Sasha: Sasha gave us denim and diamonds. She looked stunning. This wasn’t hugely original but it met the assignment, was well-executed, and she looked gorgeous.

Anetra: Anetra looked great. Her inspiration for this look was the emergence of a lotus flower. I’m not sure I would have got that just by looking at the outfit, but I liked hearing her explanation. I love Anetra.

Salina: Salina looked gorgeous and I loved her inspiration for this look – it was a tribute to her mother who was a refugee from Mexico.

Mistress: Mistress looked put-together, as always. She was diamonds-are-a-girl’s-best-friend Marilyn, but distressed and singed by fire. It met the assignment but I didn’t understand why Marilyn had encountered a fire. It was probably the weakest storytelling on the runway.

The Judging

Safe were Mistress and Salina. I was glad that Salina was safe, it would have felt cruel to put her in the Bottom again. It seems fairly clear that we’re guiding Mistress through to the Top 4.

 

The winners were Luxx and Loosey. The win was well-deserved, but it feels a bit of an unsatisfying end to the “Loosey is desperate for a win” storyline that the production team has been building for weeks. Luss seems a certainty for Top 4, but I’m not sure where else that Loosey can go in this competition.

That left us with a Bottom 3 of Sasha, Marcia, and Anetra. Given what we saw of the performances, it made sense that Sasha was safe, giving us a Bottom 2 of Marcia and Anetra. Okay, I can follow that logic.

The Lip-sync

The song was Boss Bitch by Doja Cat.

This is not an easy track – it’s high-energy and powerful but there’s not a lot of levels and there are a lot of lyrics. A lot.

We know that Marcia is a good dancer, but this is obviously not her genre. Having said that, she did a good job. The outfit wasn’t helping her but she didn’t look lost, she delivered a respectable performance.

But let’s focus on Anetra. Anytime that Anetra takes to the stage, we’ve got – justifiably – very high expectations. Anetra did not disappoint. Sure, given how much we’ve seen Anetra lip-sync on this series, we’ve seen a lot of these moves so there’s not that shock value. But her level of performance is so exciting and engaging that it’s just a joy to watch her do her thing. I love Anetra.

Anetra stays, Marcia goes home.

Episode 11, done! 

SOURCE: MEANS HAPPY

👑 RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE 🎤 SEASON 1️⃣5️⃣ EPISODE 9 “THE CRYSTAL BALL: EPISODE 200” 💄

The Drag Race fever-dream continues – Season 15 is underway and it has our attention.

Are you ready for a recap of Episode 9?

The mini-challenge

Celebrating the 200th episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race – which, objectively, is an incredible achievement – this week’s mini-challenge was the quick-drag photo-bomb challenge, with iconic moments from Drag Race as the target.

This was cute and it was fun to watch. Luxx had a good concept for her bomb of Vivacious, but Anetra seemed liked the clear winner with her bomb of Willow Pill.

The maxi-challenge

This was a ball. Three looks, including one made in the work-room.

Look 1 was a reinterpretation tribute to RuPaul’s red racer jumpsuit.

Look 2 was a tribute to a sewing challenge ball concept from previous seasons – for example, the Money Ball, the Hair Ball, the Bag Ball, the Sugar Ball.

Look 3 was the sewing challenge and the theme was the Crystal Ball.

I love the runways and the ball episodes are my favourites. I’d have liked to have seen a bit more of the walk-throughs during the construction process – Carson was doing these and it feels like he gives quite helpful guidance – but overall the pacing of this all worked well.

·         Mistress: Mistress had a very good ball. Her jumpsuit was fairly straight down the line but looked good. Her second look was The Ball Ball, and she was a giant beach ball – it was well done. Her third look was a glamorous gown that looked well-constructed. Smashed it.

·         Spice: None of this was terrible from Spice. She’d reimagined the jumpsuit concept into a mini-skirt and made it a look that made sense for her – the boots were particularly eye-catching. Her second look was The Ball Ball, but it looked like every other outfit that she’s had made for this competition so didn’t feel very fresh. Her third look showed her lack of sewing skills – she had a bodice and then a shapeless bit of fabric as the skirt.

·         Luxx: Luxx smashed this. She’d reimagined the jumpsuit concept into a motor-cross mini. Her second look was the Hair Ball and she looked super-model stunning. Her third was a crystal butterfly construction that looked stunning.

·         Marcia: Solid work from Marcia. Her jumpsuit was in pastel colour-block and she looked gorgeous. Her second look was the Bag Ball and she’d make a milk-maid costume out of hessian. The third look was a gorgeous play on Marie Antoinette.

·         Salina: Salina struggled a bit this ball. Her jumpsuit popped in bright blue and matched her streetwear style. Her second look was the Money Ball and she’d made a Los Angeles palm tree out bank-notes – which didn’t look great. Her third look was a gown – she looked pretty but she didn’t have time to get the fit right.

·         Malaysia: Solid work from Malaysia. Her jumpsuit was pastel pink. Her second look was the Hair Ball and it hit the assignment. Her third look was a glamorous gown that did what it needed to do.

·         Loosey: Loosey wanted to do really well in this challenge but she didn’t. Her jumpsuit was a cute cos-play version of Princess Peach. Her second look was the Bag Ball but it looked a bit basic – a white skirt dress with some plastic bags stuck to it. Her third look was a gown but the silhouette didn’t quite work.

·         Sasha: This wa s a great ball for Sasha. She’d reimagined the jumpsuit concept into a sporty and sexy gown. Her second look was Bag Ball and a celebration of marijuana. Her third look was gold – fabric and accessories that she seemed to glue together but somehow all worked.

·         Anetra: Giving frontrunner energy in every category, it was a good night for Anetra. Her jumpsuit was neon yellow and was put together. Her second look was the Sugar Ball, which hit the brief. Her third look was a stunning gown with a crystal spine. Fashion.

The Judging

In the bottom were Salina, Spice, and Loosey. No surprises there. Loosey was safe, leaving Salina and Spice as the Bottom 2. I might have been tempted to put Loosey in the bottom against Spice, but I guess by putting Salina against Spice then there was some certainty about what the outcome would be.

In the top were Sasha, Mistress, and Anetra. I think Luxx must have been a little very gagged not to be in the top. I would have had Luxx ahead of both Sasha and Mistress.

Out of the three in the top, I’d have given the win to Anetra – that gown was incredible. It was a bit of a surprise when Sasha picked up the win. I mean, love Sasha but her third look didn’t have the construction that both Mistress and Anetra had delivered.

The Lip-sync

The song was That’s What I Want by Lil Nas X.

I love this track but it’s an odd choice for a lip-sync battle between drag queens. It’s boppy angsty pop.

We know that Salina can lip-sync and we know that Spice can’t. So this was a bit of a foregone conclusion.

I heard Thorgy Thor talking about last week’s lip-sync battle and she was explaining that if you’ve only ever performed on social media – in your room and to a camera – it’s a totally different experience to suddenly be on a stage with lights and production. It takes a fair bit of experience to learn how to fill a stage with your body and your movement – to own the space. I think this lip-sync between Salina and Spice really illustrated that point. It was a relatively subdued performance from Salina but she confidently moved around the stage, dragging the emotion from the song, owning the space. Whereas Spice was fairly static and didn’t seem to have a plan – it was just a series of moves that she did as she thought of them. Bottom line, Thorgy was right.

Salina stays, Spice goes home.

Episode 9, done!

SOURCE: MEANS HAPPY

JONATHAN MAJORS RESPONDS TO 'EFFEMINATE' COVER STORY BACKLASH

"It's always good to make a ruckus."

Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors is a cover boy on the latest issue of Ebony Magazine, and the photos went viral for... obvious reasons.

Majors just appeared as Kang in the latest Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania movie as well as opposite Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan in the upcoming Creed III film, so he's clearly a hot ticket right now. He's had a steady rise over the last few years that many would consider odd for a leading Black man, even appearing as the young gay activist Ken Jones inWhen We Rise.

"What I’m trying to do with my work is show nothing is monolith," Majors told Ebony. "Not Blackness, not maleness, not comic-book villains."

His photos certainly reflect that, a soft and colorful palette juxtaposed to his substantial muscles and presence.

But not everyone loved the shoot, particularly some people who felt like Majors was being "emasculated."

“Uh…..so I guess I’m the only one who sees this cover as kinda effeminate???” one comment read. "What happened to masculine hot straight men. Pathetic," said another. Another person tweeted, "Sad your rag does this to men. No one likes it."

That's certainly not true. We like it! But some folks death grip on heteronormativity and traditional masculine roles have them determined to be upset about it. Also, they're clearly forgetting it's Ebony's Valentine's Day issue. And his stylist Alexander-Julian Gibbson also said Majors' look was inspired by basketball player Allen Iverson and the anime One Piece, particularly the character Doflamingo.

Majors responded to the drama on the Ant-Man red carpet. "It's always good to make a ruckus."

Some folks are just determined to have a bad time. We'll turn up the volume on Ebony's behind-the-scenes footage over their whines.

Did Jonathan Majors go to Yale?

Yes, Jonathan Majors attended the Yale School of Drama and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2016.

Who is Jonathan in Marvel movies?

Majors plays Kang the Conqueror in the newest Marvel movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

How old is Jonathan Majors?

Majors was born on September 7, 1989. He currently 33-years-old.

SOURCE: PRIDE DOT COM

PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD OFFICIALLY END PROP. 8

Despite being overturned, the proposition’s hateful language remains in the California Constitution.

California Assemblymember Evan Low and State Senator Scott Wiener have teamed with Equality California and other LGBTQ+ advocacy groups to help voters protect marriage equality in the state via the ballot box.

The group on Tuesday unveiled Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5. The amendment would remove discriminatory language from the California Constitution placed there in 2008 by the controversial Proposition 8, which declared “only marriage between a man and a woman” was legal in the state. Low, Wiener, and the amendment’s supporters hope to place the proposed amendment before voters in the 2024 election.

“Repealing Proposition 8 is the right thing to do to ensure that marriage equality is protected now and for future generations,” Low said in a joint statement with Wiener. “California leads the way in LGBTQ+ protections and cutting-edge pro-equality legislation and our constitution should reflect those values.”

“Repealing Prop 8 is an essential step in protecting the freedom to marry for millions of LGBTQ Californians,” Wiener said. “This scar on our Constitution is unconscionable, and it needs to be removed, especially with extremist Supreme Court Justices threatening to overturn marriage equality. It’s time to send this issue to California voters to right this wrong.”

Prop. 8, which is officially known as the California Marriage Protection Act, was approved by voters in 2008 with 52.24 percent of votes cast. The law was later ruled unconstitutional by a state court and marriage equality was further protected on a federal level with the historic 2015 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges. However, both Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have expressed an interest in overturning that decision, and advocates fear they may have been emboldened with the rejection of Roe v. Wade.

“The overwhelming majority of Californians — 71 percent, an all-time high which includes people from across the political spectrum — support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples,” Tony Hoang, executive director for Equality California, said. “Equality California is committed to continue addressing the pressing issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, including the alarming increase of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks against the trans community while advancing this constitutional amendment.”

The proponents of ACA 5 cited recent developments at the Supreme Court as motivating their actions, saying it is important to remove Prop. 8’s language from the state’s Constitution once and for all.

“While LGBTQ+ Californians enjoy some of the strongest legal protections in the country, vestiges of discrimination still linger in our Constitution and our culture,” said Carlos Marquez III, executive director, ACLU California Action. “The repeal of Prop 8 is one critical step toward ensuring lived equality for all.”

ACA 5 must now pass both chambers of the California legislation with a two-thirds vote before it would be put before voters next year. It does not require Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature to advance, although he could call for a special election. The proposed amendment would require only a simple majority of votes to become law.

“Especially when LGBTQ+ people are under attack in so many states across the country, it is more essential than ever that California leads the way in affirming the equal dignity of every person, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, ability, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity,” Imani Rupert-Gordon, executive director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said. “Repealing Prop 8 is an important part of a much larger battle.”

SOURCE: THE ADVOCATE

👑 RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE 🎤 SEASON 1️⃣5️⃣ EPISODE 7 “THE DAYTONA WIND 2” 💄

Are you ready for a recap of Episode 7?

The Main Challenge

This week’s challenge was an acting challenge – a reworking of The Daytona Wind daytime soap format. Was that only last season that we did that? It feels like a lifetime ago.

Last time around, the twist on this was that they added in fart noises in post-production which came as a surprise to the cast when they watched it back.

This time around, I’m not really sure what the twist was. They used a laugh-track and were going for more of a sit-com feel (mashing up sit-com with daytime soap) but there was also some reference to surreal moments that I didn’t get and didn’t seem to work.

The filming process was fine, although we’re painting in very broad strokes in terms of storyline development. The finished product was fine, with Mistress and Malaysia doing the most with the best parts.

The Runway

This week’s category was Puffa.

I don’t think we’ve had this before? It’s an interesting challenge to see how you take the material and the concept and make something drag-fashion out of it. However, in a world where every queen is working with a designer to create these looks, this is very project runway – it would be interesting to hear from the designers about how the concepts and the construction of the looks.

·         Loosey: This was a very strong look from Loosey. She gave us the puff-marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. It was a clear concept, it hit the brief on two levels, and it was very well-executed. Top marks.

·         Spice: Spice looked good, and it was a slightly different look from what we’ve seen her in previously. It was Insta-girl goes to the snow. Job done.

·         Sasha: Another gorgeous look from Sasha. She was head-to-toe in bumblebee black and yellow stripes, with a puffer jacket and a puffer vest – stripped it all down to show body, giving us the parachute coat effect that Salina tried to construct in the sewing challenge.

·         Luxx: Another great look from Luxx. Hot pink with accents of black, this was a Jackie O look reimagined for the Jetsons. Smashed it.

·         Malaysia: This was a cute look from Malaysia – head-to-toe in a lemonade theme that all made sense. It was slightly more duvet than puffer-jacket, but it worked.

·         Aura: This was a gorgeous look from Aura, she used puffer material to make a dramatic kimono. Nice one.

·         Jax: This is one of the better looks that we’ve seen from Jax – giving us bumblebee in black and yellow and embodying the bee silhouette. Good job.

·         Mistress: This was a good concept from Mistress – it was puffer chaps in a custard swirl of pink and yellow. It would have been a lot stronger if she’d rethought the pants – they looked a bit diaper.

·         Anetra: Anetra looked gorgeous but – given what we saw from everyone else – this was a bit underwhelming. It was hot pink minidress with a fur-lined red puffer jacket.

·         Marsha: Marsha gave us an all-white look and explained that it was her character going to the snow and not realising that it was cold so she got frostbite. It was pretty basic.

·         Salina: This was a cute look from Salina. It was a white puffer jacket covered in clear-plastic pockets, with things in them. Job done.

The Judging

Mistress was declared the winner, which was fair enough. It must have been a close call between Mistress and Malaysia, but this gives Mistress her first win which is probably helpful from a storyline perspective.

The bottom three were Spice, Jax, and Aura. I thought Spice was going to be lip-syncing for sure, but no – it was Jax and Aura that ended up in the Bottom 2.

The lip-sync

The track was Sweetest Pie by Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa.

Lip-syncing to rap is a tough ask.

Aura is a very strong performer, but in this format Jax is very hard to beat. Jax throws her stunts in so effortlessly, that it feels a very natural performance that’s great to watch.

It was no surprise when Jax was safe and Aura was eliminated.

Episode 7, done!

SOURCE: MEANS HAPPY