'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

"I WOULDN'T HAVE A CAREER IF GAY PEOPLE ONLY PLAYED GAY ROLES" – EVANS

Well, once again, Daddy Luke has spoken. And he is speaking straight  facts. Luke Evans, famously known for his starring roles in productions such as The Hobbit and Nine Perfect Strangers (and also for starring as the muscle stud in skimpy swimwear posts on Instagram) — has given his opinion on the very exhausting debate as to whether gay actors should only be allowed to play gay roles.

The 43-year-old Welsh actor had some firm beliefs in contrast to that of Russell T. Davies, the show runner for Doctor Who, who said that gay people should play gay roles.

Evans in-fact, alluded to his beliefs that “talent” should be the top consideration for casting.

“I’m not sure about that. Gay people have definitely missed out on gay roles, for sure…

But from my perspective: firstly, I wouldn’t have had a career if gay people played gay roles and straight people played straight roles. I’d have played two roles out of the 36 projects I’ve worked on, or whatever [the number] is…

The right person gets the job. Talent and ability, and a bit of luck and timing … That should be the reason why you get a job. It shouldn’t have anything to do with anything else.”

-Luke Evans, The Daily Telegraph

But it should also be noted that Luke Evans wouldn’t be a sex symbol, if gay people didn’t lust over him internationally. The years of public adoration and social media support has certainly catapulted Evans to gay sex symbol status. That doesn’t mean his roles should only be targeted towards a LGBTQ+ audience. Because talent transcends that, as long as inclusivity is being discussed broadly. But it’s refreshing to see talent in this day and age not rest on their laurels. You shouldn’t get a role strictly off of being typecasted, social media following or nepotism.

Evans is absolutely right when he says the best talent should absolutely be the most qualified for the job. The role. the gig. Whatever you want to call it. If you’re the best actor, you should absolutely get that part. If you’re the best hairstylist, you should certainly be the one on-set getting these bitches together behind the scenes. And if you’re the best d*ck-sucker, than you should absolutely be on set of an adult film production receiving that money shot. But bitch you know how that goes these days, it may be a couple of you bottoms gathering around for a spurt.

Nonetheless, Luke Evans was speaking truth. Again, out of the 36 major projects he’s been cast in, only two has been gay roles. I think that’s the point of an actor, to show their range in productions. And that goes for straight, gay and trans actors. While there should be visibility, inclusiveness and representation — there also has to be truth, a real unbiased truth.

Shout outs to daddy Luke Evans. And here are some images of him that just makes us want to stan him even more.

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

💄 SHEA COULEE′ & ANGELICA ROSS 🏳️‍⚧️ TAKE ON THE SMALL SCREEN 📺 & BROADWAY 🎭

Two of the entertainment world’s freshest and most buzzed about names both announced brand new projects this week. One “Enchantress of Excellence” just finished a run on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7 (finishing in the Top 4) and released a killer new single “Let Go”. The other dynamic performer capped off a run on American Horror Story: Double Feature with a stunning summer anthem “Only You”. Now, they both are heading towards the conclusion of the summer with two very exciting projects ahead of them. 

As she departed the RuPaul’s Drag Race runway, Shea Couleé revealed to me exclusively that she had some “really cool things down the pipeline” and the project that she was speaking about is truly, “super”. Deadline reported late this week that the Chicago queen is joining the Marvel galaxy. Shea will be appearing in the upcoming Disney + series Ironheart in a yet undisclosed role. The series stars Dominique Thorne as Marvel character Riri Williams, who while also a genius inventor, is also is the creator of the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man himself. Thorne’s character is poised premiere in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as a supporting character, performing spinning off into her own series.

Shea’s obvious exuberance over the new Marvel role was evident, as she said on Instagram “Stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been like stepping into OZ. ‘Ironheart’ is top to bottom going to be an absolutely STUNNING experience for the viewers, and I’m so humbled everyday that I get to work on set with some of the best and most dedicated artists in the industry”.

Whether on-screen as the beloved Candy Ferocity in Pose or behind the scenes as the CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, everything Angelica Ross seems to do breaks fresh new ground for both her and those that come after her. Now, following in the footsteps of Gwen Verdon, Christie Brinkley, and Pamela Anderson, Ross is about to hit the Great White Way in a legendary role. Playbill announced that Ross is about to step into the role (and the pumps) of Roxie Hart in Chicago, starting September 12th at the Ambassador Theatre (running through November 6th). This announcement makes Ross the first trans performer to headline the legendary Kander & Ebb/Bob Fosse musical production and Ross spoke about her casting on Instagram, saying in part  “Can’t wait to meet the whole cast and create magic with them! See you all on #Broadway soon”!!!

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

SEASON 2️⃣ OF 'RuPAUL'S SECRET 🤫 CELEBRITY DRAG RACE' DROPS AUGUST 1️⃣2️⃣th

The first season of RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race showed superstars like Vanessa Williams, Nico Tortorella, and Phoebe Robinson hitting the main stage in their highest drag (courtesy of ‘Drag Mentors’ like Asia O’Hara, Monét X Change and Alyssa Edwards) and showing fans globally how transformative drag truly can be. As Season 2 of Celebrity Drag Race arrives on VH1 on August 12th, expect nine brand new celebrities who are ready to jump in fully and embrace the art of drag. 

This time around, Secret Celebrity Drag Race will be filmed in front of a live studio audience, with each celebrities identity kept a secret until the moment they are asked to “sashay away”. Week after week, the celebrities will get into stunning drag courtesy of their ‘Queen Supremes’-(more on that later) and will compete in the ultimate lip sync showdown based on a brand new category. Ultimately, one of them will be crowned ‘America’s Next Celeb Drag Superstar’ and will be awarded $100,000 for their favorite charity. 

As for the ‘Queen Supremes’, Secret Celebrity Drag Race has recruited Canada’s Drag Race judge and ‘Queen of the North’ herself Brooke Lynn Heights, along with ‘All Stars’ Jujubee, and Monét X Change to mentor these celebrities as they enter the world of drag. Other queens will be making some special appearances during Season 2, with queens like Eureka, Gottmik, Katya, Morgan McMichaels, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Violet Chachki all stopping in. RuPaul will of course, return as host alongside resident Drag Race judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews.

But who will be on Season 2 for the secret celebrity stars? Hmmm, we haven’t the foggiest, BUT… there are some wish lists out there like this one below. Some of these, yeah, my jaw dropped as they would be great to see! Let us know in the Facebook comments as to who you want to see strut their stuff on the runway. Maybe even give them a tag.  Who knows, maybe if not for Season 2, maybe your wish will come true for Season 3. 

‘RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race’ premieres Friday, August 12th at 8:00pm ET/PT on VH1

Follow ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ on Instagram

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

🏳️‍🌈 CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, IF YOUR NAME IS INEQUALITY 👎🏽

I can’t speak on the experience of being black in America, though I know racism still exists, but I can acknowledge that it must be difficult to be black AND gay. Over the years, I’ve heard several celebrities comment that they have to work twice as hard to be half as accepted as white cisgender celebrities. Singer and rapper Lil Nas X is highlighting this struggle in a series of since deleted Tweets. 

Earlier this week, the list of 2022 BET Hip Hop Award nominees were announced by the media and the ‘Old Town Road’ singer was notice-ably absent from the entire ballot. The ENTIRE ballot.

To recap the last 14 months in Lil Nas X’s career, he released the critically acclaimed Montero album via Columbia Records in September – which debuted at #2 and is currently platinum. It was predated by the title track ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ and includes ‘Industry Baby’ featuring Jack Harlow. Both singles hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and are certified 4x platinum. It also includes the top 10 hit ‘That’s What I Want.’ 

While the Grammys have been notoriously more faithful to Nas X, with 11 nominations and 5 wins throughout his career – the BET Awards have not been so kind. Despite his landmark career and being one of the biggest artists of the last four years, BET has only given him 4 nominations and 2 wins. So, it’s really not surprising that he was missing from the 2022 ballot. 

Again, with all respect to the black community, I’ve read that it’s still struggle for queer members of that group to be accepted by their friends and family due to cultural or religious reasons. It goes without saying that the promotional roll-out for Montero and its following singles were very, very gay themed and perhaps that was the deciding factor as to why Lil Nas X was basically blackballed from the BET Awards. It appears that the show is not ready to champion black, gay artists and Nas X not-so-subtly hinted at this in his deleted 

Peep some of the Tweets below. 

It’s worth noting that BET Network was more favorable of Nas X during his 7 and ‘Old Town Road’ era… when he was still in the closet. 

What do you think of this controversy? 

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

FIRST OUT GAY MAN IS WORLD WRESTLING CHAMP

Last week pro wrestler AC Mack made history by becoming the first out gay man to win a world championship.

At the end of the night, Mack shared a moment with his partner, pro wrestler Rico Gonzalez, who he kissed in the middle of the wrestling ring.

Mack defeated Alex Shelley in Tyrone, GA, picking up the title as IWTV Independent Wrestling World champion in “Southeast Fist”. According to Outsports, the win marked the end of a six-month challenge to get an IWTV Independent Wrestling World title. 

Mack joins a very short list of out LGBTQ+ world champions, which include Trish Adora, Susan Green, Paige, Sandy Parker, and Nyla Rose.

After the championship, Mack addressed fans saying:

I started wrestling in 2016. And plenty of people told me, ‘You ain’t gonna never make it out of this state. Not with the way you look, not with the color of your skin, not with who you like to sleep with.’ They dubbed me Georgia’s finest. Don’t clap for that, because I am so much more. For those of you who still don’t understand how big of a deal this is, we did the research. We found out that now AC Mack goes down in the history books — not just the indies, not just the major leagues, not Japan, not anything — all of pro wrestling now has its first openly gay male world champion. This championship, the IWTV World championship — Iris — is staying here.

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

"RuPual's DRAG RACE UK VS. THE WORLD" REVEALS INTERNATIONAL CAST

With every new city announced for RuPaul’s Drag Race, we are treated to a brand new crop of stunning queens, each ready to showcase their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to the world. Now, nine of the most recognizable and dynamic names in the Drag Race herstory books will be battling each other, as RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus the World makes its equally monumental premiere. 

The cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World stacks three now-legendary UK dolls vs. six queens from various international iterations. From the UK franchise, Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, and Cheryl Hole are representing Great Britain. Battling out favorite British bombshells for the crown will be Janey Jacké (from Drag Race Holland), and entering the workroom as a contestant for the first time is Pangina Heals, who served as a judge for Drag Race Thailand. Canada’s Drag Race standouts Lemon & Jimbo both represent the North, while the United States home base franchise is represented by Mo Heart (formerly Monique Heart) and a queen who has headlined everything from the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race to All Stars 5 to Queen of the Universe, Jujubee!

The judges panel of Drag Race UK (RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, and Graham Norton) will be overseeing this global battle royal, and will be joined by guest judges Melanie C, Jade Thirlwall, Clara Amfo, Daisy May Cooper, Jonathan Bailey, and Michelle Keegan. Checking in with special appearances throughout the season will be Johannes Radebe and Katie Price. 

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus the World’ premieres Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m. ET on the WOW Presents Plus streaming network. 

Follow RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Vs The World on Instagram 

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

🏳️‍⚧️ TRANS ACTOR BRIAN MICHEAL SMITH IS AMONG PEOPLE'S SEXIEST ALIVE ⚧

It was a celebratory, historic moment for transgender men and Paul Rudd fans alike last Thursday, when actor Brian Michael Smith became the first transgender man featured in People’s annual ‘Sexiest Men Alive’ issue. With success on the hit show 9-1-1 Lone Star, Smith plays a popular character — firefighter Paul Strickland. He originated the role in 2020, but even then he was no television rookie.  His past TV appearances include Girls, Homeland, and The L Word: Generation Q.

On the L Word, Smith portrayed political strategist Pierce Williams. He broke ground for his performance on that show, becoming the first out trans male actor in a recurring network TV role.

As for this newest accolade from People, Smith took it in stride, stating he was incredibly honored. He celebrated with an Instagram post, writing, “I’ve been called many things,” but “this is a first.” 

The timing couldn’t be more perfect as this week marks Trans Awareness Week. The entertainment industry more commonly celebrates trans female performers, however trans men don’t often receive that same visibility in media. That is what  makes Smith’s recognition all the more important. Hopefully it signifies more to come.

Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s associate director of Transgender Representation, shared with Yahoolife the significance of People inclusion of Smith in the iconic issue,

“Trans men should be recognized alongside other men, and People’s Sexiest Man Alive issue is sending a powerful and inclusive message by including the very worthy Brian Michael Smith this year. While trans men still remain largely underrepresented in media, especially Black trans men, Smith continues to use his personal and professional platforms to drive visibility and expand representation for other trans men to see greater possibilities for their lives.”

Instinct Magazine congratulates Brian Michael Smith on his continued success in Hollywood and for being a shining example of the power we all can claim when we live authentically in our truths. 

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

🤬 ATTACKERS DISFIGURED VICTIM'S PENIS THEN SET HIM ON FIRE 😡

An 18-year-old gay man is hospitalized in critical condition after three men ambushed him in a phony gay dating app hookup where they robbed him, disfigured his penis and set him on fire.

The teen told police officials in Jamaica he had connected with a man on the app and agreed to meet him in Flankers, a neighborhood in Montego Bay, St. James.

But when he arrived, three men ambushed him taking his phone and wallet, according to local newspaper The Sunday Gleaner.

Keeping the victim captive, the assailants attempted to use his bank card at an ATM to withdraw money. But they were unsuccessful.

A police officer told The Gleaner the men then forced the teen to transfer money into an account.

The incident then took a horribly violent turn as the men, who were reportedly drinking, poured alcohol on the young man and partially severed his penis before setting him on fire.

Left to die, the victim somehow made his way to a security checkpoint in the neighborhood at which point he was taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition.

The Gleaner reports that this kind of calculated attack using gay dating apps isn’t new to Jamaica.  

In January 2020, Allie Jackson, 43, was killed during a similar dating app meet-up. His body was found in a shallow grave a week after he’d gone missing.

Just last week in Dallas, Daniel Jenkins, 22, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for his part in a conspiracy to target gay men using Grindr.

Jenkins and three other men lured men to an apartment complex where they would force their victims to withdraw cash from a nearby ATM at gun point. Among the nine victims, some were physically assaulted and one had his car stolen.

LGBTQ Jamaicans have been vulnerable to sexual and physical violence for years according to reports from the Human Rights Watch.

In 2014, the group released a report documenting how queer people in Jamaica are often “taunted, threatened, fired from their jobs, thrown out of their homes, or worse: beaten, stoned, raped, or killed.”

Making matters worse, the government still has so-called “buggery laws” on the books which outlaws all male homosexual conduct.

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

👊🏽 NETFLIX DROPS TRAILER FOR ‘DEAR WHITE PEOPLE'S’ LAST SEASON ✊🏽

The full trailer for Dear White People’s final season is out!

Last week, Netflix dropped a teaser trailer for the fourth and final season of the series Dear White People. They also dropped the fact that the season is partly a musical, which hasn’t gone over well with the fanbase.

And now, a full trailer has been released. Though, the trailer hasn’t eased fans’ worries. Previously, we’d heard this season would be “set against the backdrop of senior year at Winchester as well as a not-so-distant, post-pandemic future.”  The final chapter will see the cast “looking back at the most formative (and theatrical) year of their lives.” The trailer then shows just that.

At the trailer’s start, we see Samantha White (played by Logan Browning) and Lionel Higgins (DeRon Horton) in a “not-so-distant, post-pandemic future.” Sam visits Lionel at a signing of his most recent volume of a Dear White People book series. The two then reminisce about their senior year at Winchester University.

The trailer then reveals that the musical angle is centered around a Variety Show taking place on campus. Discussions over having a musical part to the show begin before transforming the characters and campus around them. ‘90s hits then take over the video. Though, not before we get a glimpse of Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown!

Thankfully, it looks like some of what originally made Dear White People popular is still there. Characters are wrapped up in drama and social commentary. Talk of politics and activism also folds in with the show’s quirky humor.

But will that mixture of serious topics with quirky personality mix well with dance numbers? Will this final season be able to break through the large confusion fans have over this musical theme? We’ll see when Dear White People Vol. 4 premieres on Netflix on September 22.

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

🔝 LIL NAS X TOPS DABABY AS SPOTIFY'S TOP MALE RAPPER 🏳️‍🌈

Congratulations to Lil Nas X!

The Grammy-winning rapper and singer has just earned a new achievement. Lil Nas X has officially reached over 52 million+ listeners on Spotify. And even better, he has dethroned DaBaby as the most popular male rapper on the music streaming platform. As of August 10, Lil Nas X had 52.01million monthly listeners, while DaBaby had 51.88million monthly listeners. Not only is Lil Nas X now the most popular male rapper on the platform, but he’s also the 12th most listened-to artist in the world.

After hearing the news, Lil Nas X tweeted, “Wow, this is insane. This is the most I’ve ever had in my career. Thank [you] to everybody listening.”

wow this is insane. this is the most i’ve ever had in my career. thank u to everybody listening.  https://t.co/JbCmp8QFN3

— nope  (@LilNasX) August 10, 2021

For LGBTQ fans, Lil Nas X’s win is a success for several reasons. Not only is it exciting to see the momentous success of an openly gay Black man, but he’s also overcome an artist who made recent controversial comments. While performing at last month’s Rolling Loud music festival in Miami, DaBaby made comments that furthered stigma around people who live with HIV and were also homophobic.

“If you didn’t show up today with HIV/AIDS, any of them deadly sexual transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in 2-3 weeks, put a cell phone light in the air,” he said. “Fellas if you ain’t sucking a ni—a dick in the parking lot put yo cell phone lights in the air.”

DaBaby’s stage DJ then added, “Some of y’all ni—as suspect as a motherfucker, let’s be real.”

DaBaby then doubled down on his statement by releasing a music video where he held a piece of paper with “AIDS” printed on it. The artist then rapped the lyrics, “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”

the irony in you beating DaBaby outta all people pic.twitter.com/eFVX5umzCL

— thor  (@ThorGodONothin) August 10, 2021

While DaBaby has apologized, he’s only done so after several celebrities came out to condemn his words and several companies/festivals dropped their connection to him. Plus, he deleted the apology this past weekend.

One celebrity who publically criticized DaBaby’s words was Dua Lipa (who identifies as bisexual).

“I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments,” Lipa said in an Instagram Story. “I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV and AIDS.”

Dua Lipa’s criticism is important as she’s a large reason why DaBaby was at the top of Spotify’s list. DaBaby featured in Dua Lip’s “Levitating” remix. The song has since hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus, Dua Lupa is the fourth artist with the “most monthly listeners” on Spotify. This is why DaBaby has received so many listeners.

While DaBaby has apologized, he’s only done so after several celebrities came out to condemn his words and several companies/festivals dropped their connection to him. Plus, he deleted the apology this past weekend.

One celebrity who publically criticized DaBaby’s words was Dua Lipa (who identifies as bisexual).

“I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments,” Lipa said in an Instagram Story. “I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV and AIDS.”

Dua Lipa’s criticism is important as she’s a large reason why DaBaby was at the top of Spotify’s list. DaBaby featured in Dua Lip’s “Levitating” remix. The song has since hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus, Dua Lupa is the fourth artist with the “most monthly listeners” on Spotify. This is why DaBaby has received so many listeners.

While DaBaby has apologized, he’s only done so after several celebrities came out to condemn his words and several companies/festivals dropped their connection to him. Plus, he deleted the apology this past weekend.

One celebrity who publically criticized DaBaby’s words was Dua Lipa (who identifies as bisexual).

“I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments,” Lipa said in an Instagram Story. “I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV and AIDS.”

Dua Lipa’s criticism is important as she’s a large reason why DaBaby was at the top of Spotify’s list. DaBaby featured in Dua Lip’s “Levitating” remix. The song has since hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus, Dua Lupa is the fourth artist with the “most monthly listeners” on Spotify. This is why DaBaby has received so many listeners.

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

WILL YOU SEE FRANK OCEAN @ COACHELLA IN 2023?

It’s official. Frank Ocean will be headlining Coachella. It only took an extra three years from when it was supposed to happen.

Back in 2019, it was announced that R&B singer Frank Ocean would be headlining the popular music festival. Ocean was originally slated to headline in 2020 alongside Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott. But, of course, the coronavirus pandemic got in the way of that.

But now, according to the LA Times, Ocean will finally take up that headlining gig. Just in 2023.

Paul Tollett, a co-founder of Coachella, shared that Ocean’s headlining gig has been rescheduled for 2023. While he and Coachella’s organizers had initially tried to reschedule Frank Ocean for the weekends of April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022, Ocean isn’t available for that time. As such, he’ll be pushed back another year. While Tollett says he would normally never confirm an artist so early in advance, he wanted to reassure fans “after the chaos and uncertainty of the last year and a half.”

For LGBTQ fans and fans of LGBTQ content, Frank Ocean’s headlining announcement is welcome news. Ocean has been openly bisexual since he came out in 2012. Since then, the artist has explored and discussed his sexuality in his music. Though, he also received pushback after he hosted an ill-planned PrEP+ party in 2019. The artist then apologized and quietly faded out of the spotlight. Part of that was due to his work on a new album, part of it was due to the coronavirus pandemic, and part of it was due to the untimely passing of his younger brother.

So, it seems that 2023 will be a restart for Frank Oceans’ music career. Though, should LGBTQ fans be excited about this particular event? As often happens whenever Coachella comes up, we have to acknowledge the music festival’s ties to anti-LGBTQ legislation. Coachella’s other co-owner Philip Anschutz is known for donating to anti-LGBTQ politicians like Paul Ryan, Scott Tipton, and Mike Coffman. Fader released an exposé in 2018 that revealed Anschutz gave $187,300 to such politicians and Super PACS in 2017. Billboard then wrote last year how Anschutz is still donating to organizations supporting anti-LGBTQ policies. Their report said that between December 2017 and November 2018, Anschultz gave $1,020,000 to the Colorado Christian University and the Sky Ranch Christian Camp organization.

That said, Paul Tollett spoke to the Washington Times last year. He argued that not only does he run the actual organization of Coachella, but people would be hard-pressed not to find a music festival/venue owner who isn’t a Republican.

“Most billionaires are Republicans,” he said. “The billionaire attached to Live Nation is a Republican Trump supporter. Ticketmaster, same thing. Madison Square Garden? Billionaire Trump supporter. I know Mr. Anschutz isn’t a Trump supporter. None of it matters to me. I run a show 365 days a year, making all the decisions.”

“He’s given hundreds of millions to charity and made some mistakes, and he’s addressed it. He made a very strong statement about his beliefs and people’s rights to their sexuality,” Mr. Tollett said. “He made a million-dollar donation to an AIDS charity that specializes in added discrimination in Africa. I’ve seen it here at AEG: He’s good to all of us. There’s no discrimination.”

“Anyone who knows me and the Goldenvoice staff, they know we have a very colorful public history,” he continued. “They see our 1,400 shows a year. They know our well-balanced staff, diverse from the beginning. Currently more women than men, all races, all sexual orientations. We never had a plan to do it that way; it’s just what all of us are. We book our shows that way too.”

Booking Frank Ocean certainly shows that commitment to diversity and inclusion. But, will it matter to LGBTQ fans in the long run? We’ll see when 2023 finally comes around.

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

LIL NAS X TALKS ABOUT UPCOMING ALBUM & CHILDHOOD IN NEW INTERVIEW

It’s amazing to see how much things change over time.  When Lil Nas X performed at the BET Awards on June 27, he unapologetically kissed another guy during his performance.  While there was outrage from the homophobes that night, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported it only received three complaints on the same-sex kiss.   

In 2009, when Adam Lambert kissed one of his back-up dancers at the American Music Awards that year, it was reported that the FCC received around 1,500 complaints. Lambert gave his approval on Lil Nas X’s kiss in an interview recently saying the moment was hot.

In the cover story for the July 11^th issue of The New York Times Magazine with photos by artist and filmmaker Shikeith, Lil Nas X talks about the moment that his pants ripped while performing on Saturday Night Live, which, as NY Times’ Jazmine Hughes writes, is not the worst thing to happen to him that night:

Aside from the wardrobe mishap, the show felt amazing. He had performed on freakin’ “S.N.L.”! He felt great. He felt like hitting on someone. So he shot his shot, sending a message to someone he had been chatting with online. The target respectfully knocked that shot out of the air: This person was so flattered by the attention, but they had a boyfriend. Nas respected the honesty; a lot of people just throw themselves at him. “I was like, Damn, you’re that loyal?” he told me. “I love it. You forget sometimes that people are, like, really loyal, and it’s like, I want to do that.”

Lil Nas X also talked to Hughes about his childhood, the origin of his hit song, “Old Town Road,” and his upcoming album, Montero. Hughes also talked about Lil Nas X getting his license back in May.

Over on his Tik Tok account, Lil Nas X posted a video of the new car he bought, and then, in a separate video a day later, he posted a video of him pulled over with the police behind him.

Both videos, plus two other videos, have audio from a song from his new album called “Industry Baby.” Last month, Nas also shared a clip from the new season of the cartoon, Rick and Morty, where a character mentions the rapper, which he considered “the best thing ever in my entire life.”

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

‘CARL NASSIB THANK YOU FOR OWNING YOUR TRUTH’

It’s been an exciting, uplifting time in the hours since Carl Nassib, defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, came out as gay in an Instagram post on Monday.

In a video message Nassib shared, “I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest.”

The 6’7” five-year veteran of the NFL added that he knows “representation and visibility are so important.” He also announced a $100,000 donation to The Trevor Project.

In less than a day, Nassib’s Instagram account grew from around 27K followers to over 245K followers. Fun fact: the 28-year-old doesn’t follow anyone on the Gram of Insta.

But it’s hard to not think of Michael Sam in this heady time.

Sam, as many remember, famously came out as gay in advance of the 2104 NFL draft.

After a stellar season for the University of Missouri in 2013, he was a first-team All-American and named the Associated Press co-defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference. Teammates voted him Missouri’s most valuable player.

At that time, only one player who had earned that honor had been selected outside the top 33 picks at an NFL draft. When Sam came out the New York Times noted that he was “projected to be chosen in the early rounds of the N.F.L.” 

But months later, Sam sweated through hours and hours of the draft until finally, in the 7th and final round, the St. Louis Rams made him their next to last pick. Sam was number 249 out of 256 at that NFL draft.

In the end, Sam was cut by the Rams before the regular season. He was picked up for the Dallas Cowboys practice squad but a month later he was released. He never made it to a 53-man roster in the NFL.

Conor Orr, of Sports Illustrated, writes, “Sam, essentially, gave up his dream of playing football to be the league and media’s crash test dummy, as everyone in football’s orbit pinballed through ways to have thoughtful and productive conversations about sexuality and acceptance in the locker room.”

In 2015, Sam was signed by the Montreal Alouettes and on August 7, 2015, he became the first out gay player to play in a CFL regular season game. He announced his retirement from football a week later due to mental health reasons. He currently shares his experiences as a motivational speaker.

Still a class act, early this morning Sam tweeted his congratulations to Nassib.

“Carl Nassib thank you for owning your truth and especially your donation to the @TrevorProject,” wrote Sam. “LBGTQ people are more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals. I hope and pray people will take note to this. Thank you again Carl and look forward to seeing you play on the field.”

Less than an hour later, Sam followed that with another message – this time to victims of bullying:

“To anyone young or old, black or white, straight or gay are being bullied by others please know this, I stand with you in your time of need and in your hour of triumph, I am your friend and your brother,” tweeted Sam. “Even though I may never see you, hug you, or even kiss you, I love you.”

Some wonder if Nassib might experience some of what Sam saw during his short time in the NFL. But there are big differences between the two scenarios.

One, Nassib is already a veteran NFL player with five seasons under his belt. His team, coaches and front office already know him.

And, last year he signed a three-year $25 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s hard to imagine Nassib’s value to the Raiders suddenly taking a dive.

Plus, we’re 7 years past Sam’s NFL experience. In that time, marriage equality has become the law of the land. And while LGBTQ equality isn’t quite there yet, we are making progress forward thanks in great part to that increased visibility Nassib mentioned in his coming out.

Folks in the Twitterverse did take some time to recognize Michael Sam and his journey as “the first.”

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

REALDOLL'S MAKING DOLLS WITH SEXUAL PREFERENCES

Pretty soon, sex robots will have programmed sexualities.

Matt McMullen is the CEO of RealDoll, a sex doll production company. In a recent Instagram video posted by company rep Brick Dollbanger (yes, that’s really the name he goes by), McMullen explained that the company is working on new artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

In order to expand on the experiences customers enjoy, the company wants to give their machines new dimensions. One aspect of that is having more interest in men or women based on a set “sexual preference.”

“Not only do we need to create a different gender, we also need to create a sexual preference in the profile – and this would be something that would also propagate to the female platform as well,” he said.

Harmony AI, the company’s own AI tech, was originally created to give the robots “bisexual flavour, but not defined as one or the other.” But now, RealDoll is trying to go beyond that.

But creating sexual preferences isn’t the only thing the company’s working on. They’re also developing new functions like “self-heating” and the “self-lubricating” of “erogenous zones.”

Matt also talked about the male robot he was showcasing, named Henry. Matt McMullen joked that Henry may soon get a “bionic penis” that is powerful enough to “lift trucks.” But, that strength will need to be tweaked to make sure it’s safe for the specific “purposes” of the robot.

But, how exactly will this “sexual preference” program affect the robot-to-customer experience? What difference will it make in how the AI interacts with the customer? We’ll see when RealDoll gets further in development.

Would you buy a sex doll with sexual preferences?

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG

“DID SOMEONE ORDER A GLOW-UP?” - ‘ALL STARS 6’ ARRIVES ON PARAMOUNT+

Paramount + is now the new home to RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6, premiering Thursday June 24th. The newly minted cast of All Stars showcases queens from both recent seasons as well as earlier seasons of the reality show juggernaut, bringing together an eclectic mix of queens from different Drag Race eras. The dolls will be battling it out for a cash prize of $100,000 dollars and a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame 

The returning queens for All Stars 6 are: A’Keria C. Davenport (Season 11) Instagram: @mizakeriachanel, Eureka! (Season 9, 10) Instagram: @eurekaohara, Jiggly Caliente (Season 4) | Instagram: @jigglycalienteofficial, Jan (Season 12) | Instagram: @janjanjan, Pandora Boxx (Season 2, All Stars 1) Instagram: @pandoraboxx, Ra’Jah O’Hara (Season 11)| Instagram: @therajahoharashow, Scarlet Envy (Season 11) Instagram: @scarletenvy, Serena ChaCha (Season 5) Instagram: @myron.morgan; Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Season 11)  Instagram/Twitter: @SilkyGanache; Kylie Sonique Love (Season 2) Instagram/Twitter: @XOSonique; Trinity K. Bonet (Season 6) | Instagram/Twitter: @TrinityKBonet; Yara Sofia (Season 3, All Stars 1) Instagram/Twitter: @YaraSofiaPR ; Ginger Minj (Season 7, All Stars 2) | Instagram: @gingerminj,

World Of Wonder also revealed the exact date that they will globally premiere Queen of the Universe (Thursday, December 2). The brand-new show, inspired by other international singing competitions where countries go head to head with their best drag queens, the release details the show as “this first-of-its-kind singing competition brings together drag queens from all around the world to compete for global domination.” Queen of the Universe will also premiere on Paramount +

‘Drag Race All Stars’ premieres Thursday, June 24th;

‘Queen of the Universe’ is slated for Thursday, December 2nd, both exclusively on Paramount+

SOURCE: INSTINCT MAG