A new expanded edition of Maia Kobabe’s award-winning graphic memoir “Gender Queer” will be released next year.
Oni Press has announced that “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” will be available in May. The special hardcover edition of the seminal LGBTQ+ coming of age memoir includes commentary by Kobabe as well as other comic creators and scholars.
“For fans, educators, and anyone else who wants to know more, I am so excited to share ‘Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition,’” Kobabe said in the news release. “Queer and trans cartoonists, comics scholars, and multiple people who appear in the book as characters contributed their thoughts, reactions, and notes to this new edition.”
The new 280-page hardcover will feature “comments on the color design process, on comics craft, on family, on friendship, on the touchstone queer media that inspired me and countless other people searching for meaningful representation, and on the complicated process of self-discovery,” the author added.
Released in 2019, “Gender Queer” follows Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, from childhood into eir young adult years as e navigates gender and sexuality and eir understanding of who e is. The books is a candid look into the nonbinary author’s exploration of identity, chronicling the frustrations and joys and epiphanies of eir journey and self discovery.
A page from “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” by Maia Kobabe.
(Oni Press)
“It’s really hard to imagine yourself as something you’ve never seen,” Kobabe told The Times in 2022. “I know this firsthand because I didn’t meet someone who was out as trans or nonbinary until I was in grad school. It’s weird to grow up and be 25 before you meet someone who is like the same gender as you.”
In addition to commentary by Kobabe, “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” will feature comments from fellow artists and comics creatives Jadzia Axelrod, Ashley R. Guillory, Justin Hall, Kori Michele Handwerker, Phoebe Kobabe, Hal Schrieve, Rani Som, Shannon Watters and Andrea Colvin. Sandra Cox, Ajuan Mance and Matthew Noe are among the academic figures who contributed to the new edition.
“It’s been almost seven years since I wrote the final words of this memoir; revisiting these pages today, in a radically different and less accepting political climate, sparked a lot of new thoughts for me as well,” Kobabe said in the news release. “I hope readers enjoy this even richer text full of community voices.”
A page from “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” by Maia Kobabe.
Conservative politician Bill Berrien has been exposed for following NSFW accounts – including a non-binary adult film star – despite his “family values” political stance.
Back in July, the Pindel Global Precision CEO entered the 2026 race for Wisconsin governor.
However, the 56-year-old’s right-wing “values” were recently called into question when theMilwaukee Journal Sentinelshared a surprising report regarding his online activity.
According to the news outlet, Berrien followed numerous sexually explicit accounts on the publishing platform Medium, including Polyamorary Today and Sexography.
His following list also included sex positive writers Octavio Morrison and Emma Austin, as well as non-binary author and adult film star Jiz Lee.
In a statement to the aforementioned publication, a spokeswoman from Berrien’s campaign brushed off the revelation, stating: “It is absurd to suggest that Bill would know about a particular author’s personal choices or by reading one article by an author would agree with everything else they wrote.
“It is also absurd to suggest that reading articles about sex as a happily married adult man with three children is in any way out of line with conservative Catholic values.”
According to the news outlet, 23 profiles – including the majority of the NSFW ones mentioned above – were removed from Berrien’s Medium following list, following their inquiry into his online activity.
“When you brought this up, he logged in on Tuesday and started messing around, which resulted in some folks being deleted,” another spokeswoman from the campaign told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In addition to his representatives, Berrien shared a statement to The Associated Press downplaying the news.
“There are a lot of important issues that are affecting our state and nation,” he said. “But what is the mainstream media focused on right now? Some stupid articles I read years ago, not the plans I have to reindustrialise our state, turn the economy around, and bring prosperity for all through work.”
Berrien also targeted “mainstream media” in a post on X/Twitter, describing the coverage as “garbage political hits” and exclaiming that it won’t keep him out of “this fight.”
On 23 September, Lee shared their reaction to the news, slamming Berrien for his hypocritical behaviour.
“It’s okay to follow trans porn stars. It’s okay to read articles about sex and relationships,” they wrote.
“What’s not okay is the hypocrisy of backing forceful legislation that restricts what people, trans and otherwise, can do with their own bodies. That is shameful.”
It’s okay to follow trans porn stars. It’s okay to read articles about sex and relationships. What’s not okay is the hypocrisy of backing forceful legislation that restricts what people, trans and otherwise, can do with their own bodies. That is shameful.
San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert doesn’t generally agree with political parties redrawing congressional maps to gain power.
But after President Trump persuaded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to redraw his state’s maps in order to improve Republican chances of retaining control of Congress in 2026, Von Wilpert said she decided California’s only option was to fight back with new maps of its own, favoring Democrats.
There’s too much at stake for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized Californians to do otherwise, said Von Wilpert — who is bisexual and running to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, a Trump ally whose district in San Diego and Riverside counties will be redrawn if voters approve the plan.
“We can’t sit on the sidelines anymore and just hope that the far right will play fair or play by the rule book,” said Von Wilpert, 42. “If we don’t fight back now, I don’t know what democracy is going to be left for us to fight for in the future.”
San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, whose Southern California district would be redrawn if voters approve the redistricting plan of California Democrats.
They are running to counter those efforts, but also to resist other administration policies that they believe threaten democracy and equality more broadly, and to advocate around local issues that are important to them and their neighbors, said Elliot Imse, executive director of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.
The institute, which has trained queer people on running for and holding political office since 1991, has already provided 450 people with in-person training so far this year, compared with 290 people all of last year, Imse said. It recently had to cap a training in Los Angeles at 54 people — its largest cohort in more than a decade — and a first-of-its-kind training for transgender candidates at 12 people, despite more than 50 applying.
“LGBTQ+ people have been extremely motivated to run for office across the country because of the attacks on their equality,” Imse said. “They know the risk, they know the potential for harassment, but those fears are really overcome by the desire to make a difference in this moment.”
“This isn’t about screaming we are trans, this is about screaming we are human — and showing that we are here, that we are competent leaders,” said Josie Caballero, voting and elections director at Advocates for Trans Equality, which helped run the training.
Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) at the DC Blockchain Summit in Washington on March 26, 2025. The summit brings together policymakers and influencers to discuss important issues facing the crypto industry.
(Kent Nishimura / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Across the country
Queer candidates still face stiff resistance in some parts of the country. But they are winning elections elsewhere like never before — Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware became the first out transgender member of Congress last year — and increasingly deciding to run.
Some are Republicans who support Trump and credit him with kicking open the political door for people like them by installing gay leaders in his administration, such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ed Williams, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBTQ+ organization, said his group has seen “a surge in interest” under Trump, with “new members and chapters springing up across the country.” He said that “LGBT conservatives stand with President Trump’s fight for commonsense policies that support our schools and parents, put America first, and create opportunities for all Americans.”
Ryan Sheridan, 35, a gay psychiatric nurse practitioner challenging fellow Republican incumbent Rep. Ann Wagner for her House seat in Missouri, said Trump has made the Republican Party a “more welcoming environment” for gay people. He said he agrees with Trump that medical interventions for transgender youth should be stopped, but also believes others in the LGBTQ+ community misunderstand the president’s perspective.
“I do not believe that he is anti-trans. I do not believe he is anti-gay,” Sheridan said. “I understand the fear might be real, but I would encourage anybody that is deeply fearful to explore some alternative points of view.”
Many more LGBTQ+ candidates, however, are Democrats or progressives — and say they were driven to run in part by their disdain for Trump and his policies.
LGBTQ+ candidates and prospective candidates listen to speakers at an LGBTQ+ Victory Institute training in downtown Los Angeles in September.
(David Butow / For The Times)
JoAnna Mendoza, a bisexual retired U.S. Marine, said she is running to unseat Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) because she took an oath to defend the U.S. and its values, and she believes those values are under threat from an administration with no respect for LGBTQ+ service members, immigrants or other vulnerable groups.
Mike Simmons, the first out LGBTQ+ state senator in Illinois, is running for the House seat of retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and leaning into his outsider persona as a gay Black man and the son of an Ethiopian asylum seeker. “I symbolize everything Donald Trump is trying to erase.”
Texas state Rep. Jolanda Jones, who is a lesbian, said she is running for the House seat of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), in a historically Black district being redrawn in Houston, because she believes “we need more gay people — but specifically Black gay people — to run and be in a position to challenge Trump.”
Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, who is running for Colorado treasurer, said it is critical for LGBTQ+ people — especially transgender people like her — to run, including locally. Trump is looking for ways to attack blue state economies, she said, and queer people need to help ensure resistance strategies don’t include abandoning LGBTQ+ rights.
“We’re going to be extorted, and our economy is going to suffer for that, and we’re going to have to withstand that,” she said.
Rep. Brianna Titone speaks during the general assembly at the Colorado State Capitol on April 23, 2025.
(AAron Ontiveroz / Denver Post via Getty Images)
Jordan Wood, who is gay, served as chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County before co-founding the Constitution-backing organization democracyFIRST. He’s now back in his native Maine challenging centrist Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.
Collins, who declined to comment, has supported LGBTQ+ rights in the past, including in military service and marriage, and has at times broken with her party to stand in Trump’s way. However, Wood said Collins has acquiesced to Trump’s autocratic policies, including in recent budget battles.
“This is a moment with our country in crisis where we need our political leaders to pick sides and to stand up to this administration and its lawlessness,” Wood said.
Candidates said they’ve had hateful and threatening comments directed toward them because of their identities, and tough conversations with their families about what it will mean to be a queer elected official in the current political moment. The Victory Institute training included information on how best to handle harassment on the campaign trail.
However, candidates said they also have had young people and others thank them for having the nerve to defend the LGBTQ+ community.
Kevin Morrison, a gay county commissioner in the Chicago suburbs who is running for the House seat of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who is running for Senate, recently had that experience after defending a transgender high school athlete at a local school board meeting.
Morrison said the response he got from the community, including many of the school’s alumni, was “incredibly positive” — and showed how ready people are for new LGBTQ+ advocates in positions of power who “lead from a place of empathy and compassion.”
Maebe Pudlo, 39, is an operations manager for the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition and an elected member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council. She is also transgender, and running for the Central and East L.A. state Senate seat of María Elena Durazo, who is running for county supervisor.
Pudlo, who also works as a drag queen, said that simply existing each day is a “political and social statement” for her. But she decided to run for office after seeing policy decisions affecting transgender people made without any transgender voices at the table.
“Unfortunately, our lives have been politicized and trans people have become political pawns, and it’s really disgusting to me,” Pudlo said.
Like every other queer candidate who spoke to The Times, Pudlo, who has previously run for Congress, said her platform is about more than LGBTQ+ issues. It’s also about housing and healthcare and defending democracy more broadly, she said, noting her campaign slogan is “Keep Fascism Out of California.”
Still, Pudlo said she is keenly aware of the current political threats to transgender people, and feels a deep responsibility to defend their rights — for everyone’s sake.
“This whole idea of rolling back civil rights for trans people specifically — that should be concerning for anybody who cares about democracy,” Pudlo said. “Because if they’ll do it to my community, your community is next.”
Former Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton speaks at a training event for LGBTQ+ candidates and prospective candidates in L.A. in September. Also in the photo are, from left, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President Evan Low, West Hollywood City Councilmember Danny Hang, Culver City Councilmember Bubba Fish and Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem.
(David Butow / For The Times)
Juan Camacho, a 44-year-old Echo Park resident also running for Durazo’s seat, said he feels a similar responsibility as a gay Mexican immigrant — particularly as Trump rolls out the “Project 2025 playbook” of attacking immigrants, Latinos and LGBTQ+ people, he said.
Brought to the U.S. by his parents as a toddler before becoming documented under President Reagan’s amnesty program, Camacho said he understands the fear that undocumented and mixed-status families feel, and he wants to use his privilege as a citizen now to push back.
Veteran California legislative leader Toni Atkins, who has long been out and is now running for governor, said the recent attacks on LGBTQ+ and especially transgender people have been “pretty disheartening,” but have also strengthened her resolve — after 50 years of LGBTQ+ people gaining rights in this country — to keep fighting.
“It’s what it’s always been: We want housing and healthcare and we want equal opportunity and we want to be seen as contributing members of society,” she said. “We have a responsibility to be visible and, as Harvey Milk said, to ‘give them hope.’”
NEW YORK — Social justice advocates are creating a queer history archive that celebrates Bayard Rustin, a major organizer in the Civil Rights Movement and key architect of the March on Washington.
The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice will launch a digital archive this fall featuring articles, photos, videos, telegrams, speeches and more tied to Rustin’s work. Sourced from museums, archives and personal accounts, it’s designed as a central space where others can add their own stories, creating a living historical record.
“There’s this hole in our history,” said Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber, the center’s founder and chief activist. “And there are great resources about Bayard, but they’re all spread out, and none of it has been collected and put together in the way that he deserves, and more importantly, the way the world deserves to see him.”
Rare footage of Rustin speaking at a 1964 New York rally for voting rights marchers who were beaten in Selma, Ala., was recently uncovered and digitized by Associated Press archivists. Other AP footage shows him addressing a crowd during a 1967 New York City teachers’ strike.
“We are here to tell President Johnson that the Black people, the trade union movement, white people of goodwill and the church people — Negroes first — put him where he is,” Rustin states at the 1964 rally. “We will stay in these damn streets until every Negro in the country can vote!”
Rustin mentored Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The legacy of Rustin — who died in 1987 aged 75 — reaches far beyond the estimated 250,000 people he rallied to attend the March on Washington in 1963, when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech. Rustin also played a pivotal role behind the scenes, mentoring King and orchestrating the Montgomery bus boycott.
And his influence still guides activism today, reminding younger generations of the power the community holds in driving lasting change through nonviolence, said David J. Johns, a queer Black leader based in Washington, D.C.
“Being an architect of not just that moment but of the movement, has enabled so many of us to continue to do things that are a direct result of his teaching and sacrifice,” said Johns. He is the chief executive and executive director of the National Black Justice Collective, which attributes its advocacy successes in the Black queer space to Rustin’s legacy.
Rustin was born into activism, according to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. His grandparents, Julia Davis and Janifer Rustin, instilled in him and his 11 siblings the value of nonviolence. His grandmother was a member of the NAACP, so Rustin was surrounded and influenced by leaders including the activist and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson, who wrote “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Rustin was expelled from Wilberforce University in 1936 after he organized a strike against racial injustice. He later studied at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s first historically Black college, then moved to New York during the Harlem Renaissance to engage more deeply with political and social activism. He attended the City College of New York and joined the Young Communist League for its stance against segregation.
Rustin served jail time and was posthumously pardoned
Rustin was arrested 23 times, including a 1953 conviction in Pasadena, for vagrancy and lewd conduct — charges commonly used then to criminalize LGBTQ+ people. He served 50 days in jail and lost a tooth after being beaten by police. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a posthumous pardon in 2020, acknowledging Rustin had been subjected to discrimination.
Rustin and figures such as Marsha P. Johnson, a prominent transgender activist during the gay rights movement, continue inspire the LGBTQ+ community because they “were super intentional and unapologetic in the ways in which they showed up,” Johns said.
“I often think about Bayard and the March on Washington, which he built in record time and in the face of a whole lot of opposition,” Johns said.
Walter Naegle, Rustin’s partner and a consultant on projects related to his life and work, said it’s important for the queer community to have access to the history of social movements.
“There wasn’t very much of an LGBTQ+ movement until the early 50s,” said Naegle. “The African American struggle was a blueprint for what they needed to do and how they needed to organize. And so to have access to all of the Civil Rights history, and especially to Bayard’s work — because he was really the preeminent organizer — I think it’s very important for the current movements to have the ability to go back and look at that material.”
Rustin had to step away from leadership for several years
Rustin’s sexuality and his former association with the Young Communist League forced him to step away as a Civil Rights leader for several years.
In 1960, New York congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. threatened to spread false rumors that Rustin and King were intimately involved, weaponizing widespread homophobia to undermine their cause, according to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.
But Rustin resumed his work in 1963 as chief organizer of the March on Washington, which became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and paved the way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In 2023, Netflix released the biopic “Rustin.” Filmmaker and co-writer Julian Breece, who is Black and queer, grew up in the ’90s when, he said, being gay still correlated with the spread of AIDS, leading to shame and isolation. But he learned about Rustin’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement and found a peer to admire.
“Seeing a picture of Rustin with King, who is the opposite of all those things, it let me know there was a degree to which I was being lied to and that there was more for me potentially, if Bayard Rustin could have that kind of impact,” Breece said.
“I wanted Black gay men to have a hero they could look up to,” he said.
The version of “Elio” that hit theaters on June 20 is not the same movie that Adrian Molina, the film’s original director, intended to put out.
Pixar removed LGBTQ+ elements from the animated feature after receiving negative feedback from test screenings with audience members and executives, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The film follows an 11-year-old boy named Elio who is mistaken for Earth’s ambassador by aliens and is beamed up to the Communiverse — an intergalactic organization — to represent the planet.
Trouble began in the summer of 2023 during a test screening in Arizona. After the film was over, audience members were asked to raise their hand if the movies was something they’d pay to see in theaters. No one did, causing Pixar executives to worry.
According to THR, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter informed Molina after a separate screening for company executives that storyboard artist Madeline Sharafian would be promoted to co-director. Molina, who is gay, was given the option to co-direct the film with Sharafian but chose to exit the project instead after his original vision was changed. Shortly after, Docter announced internally that “Turning Red” director and co-writer Domee Shi would join “Elio” as co-director.
Changes to the film included getting rid of a scene in which Elio shows off a pink tank top made out of beach litter to a hermit crab, as well as removing picture frames from Elio’s bedroom wall that displayed a male crush. Executives also asked him to make the main character more “masculine.”
“I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made,” former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who was a member of the company’s internal LGBTQ+ group and provided feedback during the production of “Elio,” told THR.
Ligatich added that a number of creatives working behind the scenes left after the new directors went in a different direction.
“The exodus of talent after that cut was really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work,” she said.
Actor America Ferrera was originally attached to the project as the voice of Elio’s mother, Olga. Following Molina’s departure, the “Barbie” actor left the production because the film lacked “Latinx representation in the leadership.” The character was later changed to be Elio’s aunt and was voiced by Zoe Saldaña.
In March 2025, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger announced Molina would return as co-director for “Coco 2,” a follow-up to the 2017 film he co-wrote and co-directed.
“Elio” earned Pixar its worst domestic opening after it premiered on June 20. he film made $21 million at the box office and currently holds a “fresh” 83% critics rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
“The Elio that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original,” a former Pixar staffer who worked on the film told THR.
“[The character] Elio was just so cute and so much fun and had so much personality, and now he feels much more generic to me,” added another Pixar staffer.
In a 2018 interview with the Huffington Post, Molina said he was “all for it” when asked what it would take for an animated studio to green light a story with a queer protagonist.
The Times reached out to Pixar for comment, but the studio did not respond.
June is Pride month, and what better thing to throw on your screen than some of the best LGBTQIA+ series out there, from reality shows to period dramas and romance?
07:00, 18 Jun 2025Updated 07:42, 18 Jun 2025
If you’re looking for bingeable LGBTQIA+ series to celebrate Pride with, look no further (Image: Ben Blackall 2019)
Pride month is officially here, and for those days you’re not spent celebrating with friends at festivals and parades, you can still embrace the moment while cosied up at home. Turn on your TV, tuck into your blanket and allow these queer shows to add a touch of magic to your month.
Whether you’re wanting to see some familiar queer faces in a reality TV show or fall in love on screen, there’s so much great LGBTQIA+ storytelling waiting to be shared. To make life a little easier, we’ve compiled a quick list of what there is on offer, across all genres, that you may not have seen just yet.
Killing Eve is an award-winning show with LGBTQ+ themes(Image: BBC America,BBC America/David Emery)
Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
This new addition from Amazon Prime is the talk of the town this month, as the comedy drama sees a guest appearance from Charli XCX. Not to mention, a whole load of cameos from online queer comedians, including the creator and lead actor, Benito Skinner, better known as Bennydrama.
Viewers can watch him star as a high school jock, fresh into college at Yates University, grappling with his sexuality. The popular kid is a closeted gay guy and finds himself in all kinds of situations to mask his true identity and fit in with his heterosexual classmates.
Feel Good (Netflix)
Feel Good is a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama created by and starring Mae Martin. The non-binary actor plays a fictionalised version of themself as they struggle to cope with addiction and their attachment to their girlfriend George.
Charlotte Richie, known for her roles in Fresh Meat and Call The Midwife, stars as Mae’s complicated partner whom they live with. In a series of hilarious, quintessentially British and awkward moments, George struggles to come out to her loved ones but falls madly in love with Mae. The touching TV show also stars none other than Friends actress Lisa Kudrow, who plays Mae’s over-the-top Canadian mother.
Queer Eye (Netflix)
The 2018 reboot of an old reality show saw Queer Eye turn into an impressive nine-season run, with its all-LGBTQ+ hosts gaining traction worldwide. Five experts in their fields – fashion, grooming, interiors, cooking, and lifestyle – transform the lives of everyday people in an attempt to improve their lives, using their years of experience and knowledge.
Travelling across the US, the Fab Five team are met with people from all walks of life, including those that may even have views against the queer community, where they face an even bigger task. It is emotional and heartwarming as you see people who don’t take the time for themselves be given the gift of compassion, care and, of course, a whole new makeover.
Queer Eye has over 80 episodes (Image: Netflix)
It’s A Sin (Channel 4)
One short series packs in a strong punch in what is a highly acclaimed show with an outstanding cast. It’s a Sin is set in 1980s London, during the AIDS crisis, and follows the lives of young men, who moved to the city in search of a new life and were met with tragedy.
While the series is a celebration of the queer community in the 80s, it retells a vital and heartbreaking story of the young homosexual men that lost their lives to AIDS. Not only that, but it deals with the prejudice the community faced as a result of the HIV virus at the time.
Killing Eve (BBC iPlayer)
Killing Eve is an unstoppable spy thriller that follows an investigator tasked with capturing an insane assassin, Villanelle. As she chases down her latest case, her obsession becomes stronger, and Villanelle enjoys the thrill of being wanted. Each episode sees their unusual connection grow into toxic mind games that leave you questioning what is genuine and what is all one big mind game.
The first two series were critically acclaimed, starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, who went on to win numerous BAFTA Awards and Golden Globes for their roles. The obsessive pair’s violent, emotional and sexual relationship grows and flows throughout the four seasons of the show, and all of them are available to binge-watch on BBCiPlayer and Netflix.
Heartstopper (Netflix)
Olivia Coleman appears in the award-winning series (Image: Samuel Dore/Netflix)
This is a heart-warming coming-of-age show, based on a teen fiction novel with the same name, that tells the touching story of two young boys falling in love. It deals with a group of teenagers as they face coming out, friendship struggles, first times, sexuality and identity.
Heartstopper gained critical acclaim and high praise for its tasteful portrayal of LGBTQ+ people and went on to receive a number of Emmy nominations. Within just a few days of its release, it became one of the top ten most-watched English language shows on Netflix and remains a staple queer show for many TV fans.
Gentleman Jack (BBC iPlayer)
A period drama based around a 19th-century lesbian love affair, Gentleman Jack is seeped in history and makes for the perfect binge-watch. Set in the Yorkshire hills during the 1830s, it follows Anne Lister, an industrialist and landowner, whose real-life diaries helped to build the plot of the show.
Decades upon decades later, the diaries were discovered, many of which were written in a secret code that details a lifetime of the businesswoman’s lesbian relationships. Each episode takes you on a journey, based on these stories, in what becomes a sensual and steamy romance.
Never let someone else’s narrative define who you are.
People will try their hardest to discourage you from being yourself, but you must prevail – no matter what. Never, ever listen to haters; they are always wrong. It gets easier, and you’ll care less and less as time goes on.
You are incredibly strong – even if you don’t always feel that way, it’s true. Being trans is one of the hardest journeys anyone can face, and yet you are becoming the beautiful woman you’ve always wanted to be, with such grace.
Every day, you will grow more into the person you truly are and want to be. One day, you’ll feel fully like yourself – I promise. You’re going to achieve everything you dream of, and so much more. Just stay focused on you. Enjoy the process.
There will be challenges along the way, but don’t let them change who you are. Never forget where you come from or who you are. Let that knowledge empower and motivate you.
You are so special. Never forget that.
Love,
Bel x
Vanity Milan
To my younger self,
I know you’re scared. I know you’re confused. I know you’re constantly checking to see if the world has figured out your secret. You try to blend in, not stand out, and silence parts of yourself that are begging to shine.
But here’s the truth: you were never meant to shrink. There will come a day when you stop apologising for who you are. When you realise that Pride isn’t just a month or a parade. It’s a daily act of showing up for yourself, exactly as you are. You’ll learn that softness is strength. And your queerness? It’s not a burden. It’s your superpower. You’ll meet your people. You’ll fall in love. You’ll laugh, really laugh, without worrying about how you look or who’s watching. And the things you once tried to hide will become the things you’re most proud of.
It took time, but now, when I remove my makeup, I’m not erasing anything. I’m revealing everything. The confidence. The joy. The journey. The Pride. Every wipe is a reminder that I no longer need to hide because being me is worth celebrating.
Removing my makeup doesn’t strip anything away. It brings me closer to myself. Closer to truth. Closer to Pride.
With love, Your older, prouder, unapologetic you
Charley Marlowe
To my younger self,
If I were to tell you one thing, it would be that there’s a reason you’ll feel the way you do.
There’s a reason you feel different. You’re gay and in hindsight you should have realised that a lot sooner.
I wish you’d been surrounded with more education and acceptance. But you always had a laugh regardless. And that’s made you who you are today. You’re still learning. And you’ll use your platform to advocate for the other members in your community. You are so loved, and I wish I could tell you that there’s nothing to be afraid of. It’ll all be okay.
Love,
Charley
Way of Yaw
To my younger self,
It’s okay not to totally understand yourself right now. It is a beautiful journey of self discovery.
Some people in your life won’t accept you, but you will find amazing people that totally embrace every part of you.
You will try to fit into the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity, but realise you are the best of both. You will see that your outward appearance does not define you.
Don’t allow people’s opinions of you to define you. Instead, let your confidence and authenticity guide you to your true self.
Love,
Yaw
Mitchell Halliday
To my younger self,
Instead of wondering why people aren’t accepting you, start thinking about why you aren’t accepting yourself.
The world might not see it right now, but as soon as you feel it, that will become infectious. Stand in your power, your power is yourself.
Love,
Mitchell
Jason Kwan
To my younger self,
You’re going to realise that not fitting in is your greatest strength. They’re going to say you’re too loud, too expressive, and too much. But all these things will make you the unique creative that you are.
People will soon embrace your expression and celebrate your creativity. So, give yourself time and patience to explore who you are. Have fun with it! You’re going to find an incredible chosen family who will uplift you and support you.
Don’t let those who doubt you define who you are. Keep breaking free and stomping forward. Trust me, it’s so worth the ride.
LICK is currently the biggest club event in London for WLW, hosting nights “for women, by women”. With regular events in the capital, they have decided to take their sapphic army global for the second consecutive year.
The LICK Weekender brought partygoers to the Greek island of Crete for a weekend of new friendships, blossoming relationships and unforgettable memories. With 500 attendees from around the world – from the UK to Japan, Kenya to Australia – guests brought some (much-needed) POC queer joy to the island.
As hosts of the event tell Gay Times, “LICK is for all queer women, but running a truly diverse event requires intention.” With a focus on de-centring whiteness in queer culture, LICK is committed to putting diversity at the forefront.
Below, founder Teddy Edwardes reflects on the landmark event and shares her thoughts on the importance of intentional diversity in the queer nightlife space.
Firstly, how was the event? Tell us about any standout moments or highlights from the weekend?
The entire weekend was a 10/10 from start to finish. Everyone was glowing with joy! So many new friendships, relationships and lifelong memories were made. It felt really special.
Do you know how many people were in attendance?
500 people attended! And there were women from all over the world. The top ten list of countries included the United Kingdom, United States, Tunisia, Kenya and Australia, but there were also women from The Caribbean, Egypt, Canada and Japan!
What bans? ‘Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition’ due in 2026
A new expanded edition of Maia Kobabe’s award-winning graphic memoir “Gender Queer” will be released next year.
Oni Press has announced that “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” will be available in May. The special hardcover edition of the seminal LGBTQ+ coming of age memoir includes commentary by Kobabe as well as other comic creators and scholars.
“For fans, educators, and anyone else who wants to know more, I am so excited to share ‘Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition,’” Kobabe said in the news release. “Queer and trans cartoonists, comics scholars, and multiple people who appear in the book as characters contributed their thoughts, reactions, and notes to this new edition.”
The new 280-page hardcover will feature “comments on the color design process, on comics craft, on family, on friendship, on the touchstone queer media that inspired me and countless other people searching for meaningful representation, and on the complicated process of self-discovery,” the author added.
Released in 2019, “Gender Queer” follows Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, from childhood into eir young adult years as e navigates gender and sexuality and eir understanding of who e is. The books is a candid look into the nonbinary author’s exploration of identity, chronicling the frustrations and joys and epiphanies of eir journey and self discovery.
A page from “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” by Maia Kobabe.
(Oni Press)
“It’s really hard to imagine yourself as something you’ve never seen,” Kobabe told The Times in 2022. “I know this firsthand because I didn’t meet someone who was out as trans or nonbinary until I was in grad school. It’s weird to grow up and be 25 before you meet someone who is like the same gender as you.”
Since the publication of “Gender Queer,” the political climate has been increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community. Right-wing activists and politicians have pushed for legislation to restrict queer and trans rights, including how sexual orientation and gender identity can be addressed in classrooms. Caught in the crossfire of this conservative, anti-LGBTQ+ culture war, “Gender Queer” has become one of the most challenged and banned books in the United States.
In addition to commentary by Kobabe, “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” will feature comments from fellow artists and comics creatives Jadzia Axelrod, Ashley R. Guillory, Justin Hall, Kori Michele Handwerker, Phoebe Kobabe, Hal Schrieve, Rani Som, Shannon Watters and Andrea Colvin. Sandra Cox, Ajuan Mance and Matthew Noe are among the academic figures who contributed to the new edition.
“It’s been almost seven years since I wrote the final words of this memoir; revisiting these pages today, in a radically different and less accepting political climate, sparked a lot of new thoughts for me as well,” Kobabe said in the news release. “I hope readers enjoy this even richer text full of community voices.”
A page from “Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition” by Maia Kobabe.
(Oni Press)
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Anti-trans Republican candidate followed sexually explicit accounts – including a queer porn star
Conservative politician Bill Berrien has been exposed for following NSFW accounts – including a non-binary adult film star – despite his “family values” political stance.
Back in July, the Pindel Global Precision CEO entered the 2026 race for Wisconsin governor.
Since then, Berrien has run on a campaign centring around conservative “family values,” which includes aligning with convicted felon and US president Donald Trump, “pushing back on the left’s radical agenda,” and, of course, spewing anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric that refers to trans people as a “radical social experimentation.”
However, the 56-year-old’s right-wing “values” were recently called into question when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shared a surprising report regarding his online activity.
According to the news outlet, Berrien followed numerous sexually explicit accounts on the publishing platform Medium, including Polyamorary Today and Sexography.
His following list also included sex positive writers Octavio Morrison and Emma Austin, as well as non-binary author and adult film star Jiz Lee.
In a statement to the aforementioned publication, a spokeswoman from Berrien’s campaign brushed off the revelation, stating: “It is absurd to suggest that Bill would know about a particular author’s personal choices or by reading one article by an author would agree with everything else they wrote.
“It is also absurd to suggest that reading articles about sex as a happily married adult man with three children is in any way out of line with conservative Catholic values.”
According to the news outlet, 23 profiles – including the majority of the NSFW ones mentioned above – were removed from Berrien’s Medium following list, following their inquiry into his online activity.
“When you brought this up, he logged in on Tuesday and started messing around, which resulted in some folks being deleted,” another spokeswoman from the campaign told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In addition to his representatives, Berrien shared a statement to The Associated Press downplaying the news.
“There are a lot of important issues that are affecting our state and nation,” he said. “But what is the mainstream media focused on right now? Some stupid articles I read years ago, not the plans I have to reindustrialise our state, turn the economy around, and bring prosperity for all through work.”
Berrien also targeted “mainstream media” in a post on X/Twitter, describing the coverage as “garbage political hits” and exclaiming that it won’t keep him out of “this fight.”
On 23 September, Lee shared their reaction to the news, slamming Berrien for his hypocritical behaviour.
“It’s okay to follow trans porn stars. It’s okay to read articles about sex and relationships,” they wrote.
“What’s not okay is the hypocrisy of backing forceful legislation that restricts what people, trans and otherwise, can do with their own bodies. That is shameful.”
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LGBTQ+ candidates step up amid threats to queer rights
San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert doesn’t generally agree with political parties redrawing congressional maps to gain power.
But after President Trump persuaded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to redraw his state’s maps in order to improve Republican chances of retaining control of Congress in 2026, Von Wilpert said she decided California’s only option was to fight back with new maps of its own, favoring Democrats.
There’s too much at stake for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized Californians to do otherwise, said Von Wilpert — who is bisexual and running to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, a Trump ally whose district in San Diego and Riverside counties will be redrawn if voters approve the plan.
“We can’t sit on the sidelines anymore and just hope that the far right will play fair or play by the rule book,” said Von Wilpert, 42. “If we don’t fight back now, I don’t know what democracy is going to be left for us to fight for in the future.”
San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa, whose Southern California district would be redrawn if voters approve the redistricting plan of California Democrats.
(Sandy Huffaker / For The Times)
Von Wilpert’s challenge to Issa — who did not respond to a request for comment — makes her part of a growing wave of LGBTQ+ candidates running for office at a time when many on the right and in the Trump administration are working aggressively to push queer people out of the American mainstream, including by challenging drag queen performances, queer library books and an array of Pride displays, and by questioning transgender people’s right to serve in the military, receive gender-affirming healthcare, participate in sports or use public restrooms.
They are running to counter those efforts, but also to resist other administration policies that they believe threaten democracy and equality more broadly, and to advocate around local issues that are important to them and their neighbors, said Elliot Imse, executive director of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.
The institute, which has trained queer people on running for and holding political office since 1991, has already provided 450 people with in-person training so far this year, compared with 290 people all of last year, Imse said. It recently had to cap a training in Los Angeles at 54 people — its largest cohort in more than a decade — and a first-of-its-kind training for transgender candidates at 12 people, despite more than 50 applying.
“LGBTQ+ people have been extremely motivated to run for office across the country because of the attacks on their equality,” Imse said. “They know the risk, they know the potential for harassment, but those fears are really overcome by the desire to make a difference in this moment.”
“This isn’t about screaming we are trans, this is about screaming we are human — and showing that we are here, that we are competent leaders,” said Josie Caballero, voting and elections director at Advocates for Trans Equality, which helped run the training.
Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) at the DC Blockchain Summit in Washington on March 26, 2025. The summit brings together policymakers and influencers to discuss important issues facing the crypto industry.
(Kent Nishimura / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Across the country
Queer candidates still face stiff resistance in some parts of the country. But they are winning elections elsewhere like never before — Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware became the first out transgender member of Congress last year — and increasingly deciding to run.
Some are Republicans who support Trump and credit him with kicking open the political door for people like them by installing gay leaders in his administration, such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ed Williams, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBTQ+ organization, said his group has seen “a surge in interest” under Trump, with “new members and chapters springing up across the country.” He said that “LGBT conservatives stand with President Trump’s fight for commonsense policies that support our schools and parents, put America first, and create opportunities for all Americans.”
Ryan Sheridan, 35, a gay psychiatric nurse practitioner challenging fellow Republican incumbent Rep. Ann Wagner for her House seat in Missouri, said Trump has made the Republican Party a “more welcoming environment” for gay people. He said he agrees with Trump that medical interventions for transgender youth should be stopped, but also believes others in the LGBTQ+ community misunderstand the president’s perspective.
“I do not believe that he is anti-trans. I do not believe he is anti-gay,” Sheridan said. “I understand the fear might be real, but I would encourage anybody that is deeply fearful to explore some alternative points of view.”
Many more LGBTQ+ candidates, however, are Democrats or progressives — and say they were driven to run in part by their disdain for Trump and his policies.
LGBTQ+ candidates and prospective candidates listen to speakers at an LGBTQ+ Victory Institute training in downtown Los Angeles in September.
(David Butow / For The Times)
JoAnna Mendoza, a bisexual retired U.S. Marine, said she is running to unseat Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) because she took an oath to defend the U.S. and its values, and she believes those values are under threat from an administration with no respect for LGBTQ+ service members, immigrants or other vulnerable groups.
Mike Simmons, the first out LGBTQ+ state senator in Illinois, is running for the House seat of retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and leaning into his outsider persona as a gay Black man and the son of an Ethiopian asylum seeker. “I symbolize everything Donald Trump is trying to erase.”
Texas state Rep. Jolanda Jones, who is a lesbian, said she is running for the House seat of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), in a historically Black district being redrawn in Houston, because she believes “we need more gay people — but specifically Black gay people — to run and be in a position to challenge Trump.”
Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, who is running for Colorado treasurer, said it is critical for LGBTQ+ people — especially transgender people like her — to run, including locally. Trump is looking for ways to attack blue state economies, she said, and queer people need to help ensure resistance strategies don’t include abandoning LGBTQ+ rights.
“We’re going to be extorted, and our economy is going to suffer for that, and we’re going to have to withstand that,” she said.
Rep. Brianna Titone speaks during the general assembly at the Colorado State Capitol on April 23, 2025.
(AAron Ontiveroz / Denver Post via Getty Images)
Jordan Wood, who is gay, served as chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County before co-founding the Constitution-backing organization democracyFIRST. He’s now back in his native Maine challenging centrist Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.
Collins, who declined to comment, has supported LGBTQ+ rights in the past, including in military service and marriage, and has at times broken with her party to stand in Trump’s way. However, Wood said Collins has acquiesced to Trump’s autocratic policies, including in recent budget battles.
“This is a moment with our country in crisis where we need our political leaders to pick sides and to stand up to this administration and its lawlessness,” Wood said.
Candidates said they’ve had hateful and threatening comments directed toward them because of their identities, and tough conversations with their families about what it will mean to be a queer elected official in the current political moment. The Victory Institute training included information on how best to handle harassment on the campaign trail.
However, candidates said they also have had young people and others thank them for having the nerve to defend the LGBTQ+ community.
Kevin Morrison, a gay county commissioner in the Chicago suburbs who is running for the House seat of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who is running for Senate, recently had that experience after defending a transgender high school athlete at a local school board meeting.
Morrison said the response he got from the community, including many of the school’s alumni, was “incredibly positive” — and showed how ready people are for new LGBTQ+ advocates in positions of power who “lead from a place of empathy and compassion.”
In California
LGBTQ+ candidates are running across California — which has been a national leader in electing LGBTQ+ candidates, but never had an out transgender state representative.
Maebe Pudlo, 39, is an operations manager for the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition and an elected member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council. She is also transgender, and running for the Central and East L.A. state Senate seat of María Elena Durazo, who is running for county supervisor.
Pudlo, who also works as a drag queen, said that simply existing each day is a “political and social statement” for her. But she decided to run for office after seeing policy decisions affecting transgender people made without any transgender voices at the table.
“Unfortunately, our lives have been politicized and trans people have become political pawns, and it’s really disgusting to me,” Pudlo said.
Like every other queer candidate who spoke to The Times, Pudlo, who has previously run for Congress, said her platform is about more than LGBTQ+ issues. It’s also about housing and healthcare and defending democracy more broadly, she said, noting her campaign slogan is “Keep Fascism Out of California.”
Still, Pudlo said she is keenly aware of the current political threats to transgender people, and feels a deep responsibility to defend their rights — for everyone’s sake.
“This whole idea of rolling back civil rights for trans people specifically — that should be concerning for anybody who cares about democracy,” Pudlo said. “Because if they’ll do it to my community, your community is next.”
Former Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton speaks at a training event for LGBTQ+ candidates and prospective candidates in L.A. in September. Also in the photo are, from left, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President Evan Low, West Hollywood City Councilmember Danny Hang, Culver City Councilmember Bubba Fish and Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem.
(David Butow / For The Times)
Juan Camacho, a 44-year-old Echo Park resident also running for Durazo’s seat, said he feels a similar responsibility as a gay Mexican immigrant — particularly as Trump rolls out the “Project 2025 playbook” of attacking immigrants, Latinos and LGBTQ+ people, he said.
Brought to the U.S. by his parents as a toddler before becoming documented under President Reagan’s amnesty program, Camacho said he understands the fear that undocumented and mixed-status families feel, and he wants to use his privilege as a citizen now to push back.
Veteran California legislative leader Toni Atkins, who has long been out and is now running for governor, said the recent attacks on LGBTQ+ and especially transgender people have been “pretty disheartening,” but have also strengthened her resolve — after 50 years of LGBTQ+ people gaining rights in this country — to keep fighting.
“It’s what it’s always been: We want housing and healthcare and we want equal opportunity and we want to be seen as contributing members of society,” she said. “We have a responsibility to be visible and, as Harvey Milk said, to ‘give them hope.’”
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A Bayard Rustin archive aims to preserve his legacy as a queer Civil Rights activist
NEW YORK — Social justice advocates are creating a queer history archive that celebrates Bayard Rustin, a major organizer in the Civil Rights Movement and key architect of the March on Washington.
The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice will launch a digital archive this fall featuring articles, photos, videos, telegrams, speeches and more tied to Rustin’s work. Sourced from museums, archives and personal accounts, it’s designed as a central space where others can add their own stories, creating a living historical record.
“There’s this hole in our history,” said Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber, the center’s founder and chief activist. “And there are great resources about Bayard, but they’re all spread out, and none of it has been collected and put together in the way that he deserves, and more importantly, the way the world deserves to see him.”
Rare footage of Rustin speaking at a 1964 New York rally for voting rights marchers who were beaten in Selma, Ala., was recently uncovered and digitized by Associated Press archivists. Other AP footage shows him addressing a crowd during a 1967 New York City teachers’ strike.
“We are here to tell President Johnson that the Black people, the trade union movement, white people of goodwill and the church people — Negroes first — put him where he is,” Rustin states at the 1964 rally. “We will stay in these damn streets until every Negro in the country can vote!”
Rustin mentored Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The legacy of Rustin — who died in 1987 aged 75 — reaches far beyond the estimated 250,000 people he rallied to attend the March on Washington in 1963, when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech. Rustin also played a pivotal role behind the scenes, mentoring King and orchestrating the Montgomery bus boycott.
And his influence still guides activism today, reminding younger generations of the power the community holds in driving lasting change through nonviolence, said David J. Johns, a queer Black leader based in Washington, D.C.
“Being an architect of not just that moment but of the movement, has enabled so many of us to continue to do things that are a direct result of his teaching and sacrifice,” said Johns. He is the chief executive and executive director of the National Black Justice Collective, which attributes its advocacy successes in the Black queer space to Rustin’s legacy.
Rustin was born into activism, according to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. His grandparents, Julia Davis and Janifer Rustin, instilled in him and his 11 siblings the value of nonviolence. His grandmother was a member of the NAACP, so Rustin was surrounded and influenced by leaders including the activist and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson, who wrote “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Rustin was expelled from Wilberforce University in 1936 after he organized a strike against racial injustice. He later studied at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s first historically Black college, then moved to New York during the Harlem Renaissance to engage more deeply with political and social activism. He attended the City College of New York and joined the Young Communist League for its stance against segregation.
Rustin served jail time and was posthumously pardoned
Rustin was arrested 23 times, including a 1953 conviction in Pasadena, for vagrancy and lewd conduct — charges commonly used then to criminalize LGBTQ+ people. He served 50 days in jail and lost a tooth after being beaten by police. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a posthumous pardon in 2020, acknowledging Rustin had been subjected to discrimination.
Rustin and figures such as Marsha P. Johnson, a prominent transgender activist during the gay rights movement, continue inspire the LGBTQ+ community because they “were super intentional and unapologetic in the ways in which they showed up,” Johns said.
“I often think about Bayard and the March on Washington, which he built in record time and in the face of a whole lot of opposition,” Johns said.
Walter Naegle, Rustin’s partner and a consultant on projects related to his life and work, said it’s important for the queer community to have access to the history of social movements.
“There wasn’t very much of an LGBTQ+ movement until the early 50s,” said Naegle. “The African American struggle was a blueprint for what they needed to do and how they needed to organize. And so to have access to all of the Civil Rights history, and especially to Bayard’s work — because he was really the preeminent organizer — I think it’s very important for the current movements to have the ability to go back and look at that material.”
Rustin had to step away from leadership for several years
Rustin’s sexuality and his former association with the Young Communist League forced him to step away as a Civil Rights leader for several years.
In 1960, New York congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. threatened to spread false rumors that Rustin and King were intimately involved, weaponizing widespread homophobia to undermine their cause, according to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.
But Rustin resumed his work in 1963 as chief organizer of the March on Washington, which became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and paved the way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In 2023, Netflix released the biopic “Rustin.” Filmmaker and co-writer Julian Breece, who is Black and queer, grew up in the ’90s when, he said, being gay still correlated with the spread of AIDS, leading to shame and isolation. But he learned about Rustin’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement and found a peer to admire.
“Seeing a picture of Rustin with King, who is the opposite of all those things, it let me know there was a degree to which I was being lied to and that there was more for me potentially, if Bayard Rustin could have that kind of impact,” Breece said.
“I wanted Black gay men to have a hero they could look up to,” he said.
Green writes for the Associated Press.
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Pixar’s ‘Elio’ reportedly stripped of queer representation
The version of “Elio” that hit theaters on June 20 is not the same movie that Adrian Molina, the film’s original director, intended to put out.
Pixar removed LGBTQ+ elements from the animated feature after receiving negative feedback from test screenings with audience members and executives, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The film follows an 11-year-old boy named Elio who is mistaken for Earth’s ambassador by aliens and is beamed up to the Communiverse — an intergalactic organization — to represent the planet.
Trouble began in the summer of 2023 during a test screening in Arizona. After the film was over, audience members were asked to raise their hand if the movies was something they’d pay to see in theaters. No one did, causing Pixar executives to worry.
According to THR, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter informed Molina after a separate screening for company executives that storyboard artist Madeline Sharafian would be promoted to co-director. Molina, who is gay, was given the option to co-direct the film with Sharafian but chose to exit the project instead after his original vision was changed. Shortly after, Docter announced internally that “Turning Red” director and co-writer Domee Shi would join “Elio” as co-director.
Changes to the film included getting rid of a scene in which Elio shows off a pink tank top made out of beach litter to a hermit crab, as well as removing picture frames from Elio’s bedroom wall that displayed a male crush. Executives also asked him to make the main character more “masculine.”
“I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made,” former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who was a member of the company’s internal LGBTQ+ group and provided feedback during the production of “Elio,” told THR.
Ligatich added that a number of creatives working behind the scenes left after the new directors went in a different direction.
“The exodus of talent after that cut was really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work,” she said.
Actor America Ferrera was originally attached to the project as the voice of Elio’s mother, Olga. Following Molina’s departure, the “Barbie” actor left the production because the film lacked “Latinx representation in the leadership.” The character was later changed to be Elio’s aunt and was voiced by Zoe Saldaña.
In March 2025, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger announced Molina would return as co-director for “Coco 2,” a follow-up to the 2017 film he co-wrote and co-directed.
“Elio” earned Pixar its worst domestic opening after it premiered on June 20. he film made $21 million at the box office and currently holds a “fresh” 83% critics rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
“The Elio that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original,” a former Pixar staffer who worked on the film told THR.
“[The character] Elio was just so cute and so much fun and had so much personality, and now he feels much more generic to me,” added another Pixar staffer.
In a 2018 interview with the Huffington Post, Molina said he was “all for it” when asked what it would take for an animated studio to green light a story with a queer protagonist.
The Times reached out to Pixar for comment, but the studio did not respond.
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Seven ‘brilliant’ queer shows to binge-watch this Pride month
June is Pride month, and what better thing to throw on your screen than some of the best LGBTQIA+ series out there, from reality shows to period dramas and romance?
07:00, 18 Jun 2025Updated 07:42, 18 Jun 2025
Pride month is officially here, and for those days you’re not spent celebrating with friends at festivals and parades, you can still embrace the moment while cosied up at home. Turn on your TV, tuck into your blanket and allow these queer shows to add a touch of magic to your month.
Whether you’re wanting to see some familiar queer faces in a reality TV show or fall in love on screen, there’s so much great LGBTQIA+ storytelling waiting to be shared. To make life a little easier, we’ve compiled a quick list of what there is on offer, across all genres, that you may not have seen just yet.
Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
This new addition from Amazon Prime is the talk of the town this month, as the comedy drama sees a guest appearance from Charli XCX. Not to mention, a whole load of cameos from online queer comedians, including the creator and lead actor, Benito Skinner, better known as Bennydrama.
Viewers can watch him star as a high school jock, fresh into college at Yates University, grappling with his sexuality. The popular kid is a closeted gay guy and finds himself in all kinds of situations to mask his true identity and fit in with his heterosexual classmates.
Feel Good (Netflix)
Feel Good is a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama created by and starring Mae Martin. The non-binary actor plays a fictionalised version of themself as they struggle to cope with addiction and their attachment to their girlfriend George.
Charlotte Richie, known for her roles in Fresh Meat and Call The Midwife, stars as Mae’s complicated partner whom they live with. In a series of hilarious, quintessentially British and awkward moments, George struggles to come out to her loved ones but falls madly in love with Mae. The touching TV show also stars none other than Friends actress Lisa Kudrow, who plays Mae’s over-the-top Canadian mother.
Queer Eye (Netflix)
The 2018 reboot of an old reality show saw Queer Eye turn into an impressive nine-season run, with its all-LGBTQ+ hosts gaining traction worldwide. Five experts in their fields – fashion, grooming, interiors, cooking, and lifestyle – transform the lives of everyday people in an attempt to improve their lives, using their years of experience and knowledge.
Travelling across the US, the Fab Five team are met with people from all walks of life, including those that may even have views against the queer community, where they face an even bigger task. It is emotional and heartwarming as you see people who don’t take the time for themselves be given the gift of compassion, care and, of course, a whole new makeover.
It’s A Sin (Channel 4)
One short series packs in a strong punch in what is a highly acclaimed show with an outstanding cast. It’s a Sin is set in 1980s London, during the AIDS crisis, and follows the lives of young men, who moved to the city in search of a new life and were met with tragedy.
While the series is a celebration of the queer community in the 80s, it retells a vital and heartbreaking story of the young homosexual men that lost their lives to AIDS. Not only that, but it deals with the prejudice the community faced as a result of the HIV virus at the time.
Killing Eve (BBC iPlayer)
Killing Eve is an unstoppable spy thriller that follows an investigator tasked with capturing an insane assassin, Villanelle. As she chases down her latest case, her obsession becomes stronger, and Villanelle enjoys the thrill of being wanted. Each episode sees their unusual connection grow into toxic mind games that leave you questioning what is genuine and what is all one big mind game.
The first two series were critically acclaimed, starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, who went on to win numerous BAFTA Awards and Golden Globes for their roles. The obsessive pair’s violent, emotional and sexual relationship grows and flows throughout the four seasons of the show, and all of them are available to binge-watch on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
Heartstopper (Netflix)
This is a heart-warming coming-of-age show, based on a teen fiction novel with the same name, that tells the touching story of two young boys falling in love. It deals with a group of teenagers as they face coming out, friendship struggles, first times, sexuality and identity.
Heartstopper gained critical acclaim and high praise for its tasteful portrayal of LGBTQ+ people and went on to receive a number of Emmy nominations. Within just a few days of its release, it became one of the top ten most-watched English language shows on Netflix and remains a staple queer show for many TV fans.
Gentleman Jack (BBC iPlayer)
A period drama based around a 19th-century lesbian love affair, Gentleman Jack is seeped in history and makes for the perfect binge-watch. Set in the Yorkshire hills during the 1830s, it follows Anne Lister, an industrialist and landowner, whose real-life diaries helped to build the plot of the show.
Decades upon decades later, the diaries were discovered, many of which were written in a secret code that details a lifetime of the businesswoman’s lesbian relationships. Each episode takes you on a journey, based on these stories, in what becomes a sensual and steamy romance.
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This Pride, queer and trans icons write letters to their younger selves
Bel Priestley
To my younger self,
Never let someone else’s narrative define who you are.
People will try their hardest to discourage you from being yourself, but you must prevail – no matter what. Never, ever listen to haters; they are always wrong. It gets easier, and you’ll care less and less as time goes on.
You are incredibly strong – even if you don’t always feel that way, it’s true. Being trans is one of the hardest journeys anyone can face, and yet you are becoming the beautiful woman you’ve always wanted to be, with such grace.
Every day, you will grow more into the person you truly are and want to be. One day, you’ll feel fully like yourself – I promise. You’re going to achieve everything you dream of, and so much more. Just stay focused on you. Enjoy the process.
There will be challenges along the way, but don’t let them change who you are. Never forget where you come from or who you are. Let that knowledge empower and motivate you.
You are so special. Never forget that.
Love,
Bel x
Vanity Milan
To my younger self,
I know you’re scared. I know you’re confused. I know you’re constantly checking to see if the world has figured out your secret. You try to blend in, not stand out, and silence parts of yourself that are begging to shine.
But here’s the truth: you were never meant to shrink. There will come a day when you stop apologising for who you are. When you realise that Pride isn’t just a month or a parade. It’s a daily act of showing up for yourself, exactly as you are. You’ll learn that softness is strength. And your queerness? It’s not a burden. It’s your superpower. You’ll meet your people. You’ll fall in love. You’ll laugh, really laugh, without worrying about how you look or who’s watching. And the things you once tried to hide will become the things you’re most proud of.
It took time, but now, when I remove my makeup, I’m not erasing anything. I’m revealing everything. The confidence. The joy. The journey. The Pride. Every wipe is a reminder that I no longer need to hide because being me is worth celebrating.
Removing my makeup doesn’t strip anything away. It brings me closer to myself. Closer to truth. Closer to Pride.
With love,
Your older, prouder, unapologetic you
Charley Marlowe
To my younger self,
If I were to tell you one thing, it would be that there’s a reason you’ll feel the way you do.
There’s a reason you feel different. You’re gay and in hindsight you should have realised that a lot sooner.
I wish you’d been surrounded with more education and acceptance. But you always had a laugh regardless. And that’s made you who you are today. You’re still learning. And you’ll use your platform to advocate for the other members in your community. You are so loved, and I wish I could tell you that there’s nothing to be afraid of. It’ll all be okay.
Love,
Charley
Way of Yaw
To my younger self,
It’s okay not to totally understand yourself right now. It is a beautiful journey of self discovery.
Some people in your life won’t accept you, but you will find amazing people that totally embrace every part of you.
You will try to fit into the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity, but realise you are the best of both. You will see that your outward appearance does not define you.
Don’t allow people’s opinions of you to define you. Instead, let your confidence and authenticity guide you to your true self.
Love,
Yaw
Mitchell Halliday
To my younger self,
Instead of wondering why people aren’t accepting you, start thinking about why you aren’t accepting yourself.
The world might not see it right now, but as soon as you feel it, that will become infectious. Stand in your power, your power is yourself.
Love,
Mitchell
Jason Kwan
To my younger self,
You’re going to realise that not fitting in is your greatest strength. They’re going to say you’re too loud, too expressive, and too much. But all these things will make you the unique creative that you are.
People will soon embrace your expression and celebrate your creativity. So, give yourself time and patience to explore who you are. Have fun with it! You’re going to find an incredible chosen family who will uplift you and support you.
Don’t let those who doubt you define who you are. Keep breaking free and stomping forward. Trust me, it’s so worth the ride.
Love,
Jason
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Queer women transform Crete into a sun-soaked, sapphic celebration
LICK is currently the biggest club event in London for WLW, hosting nights “for women, by women”. With regular events in the capital, they have decided to take their sapphic army global for the second consecutive year.
The LICK Weekender brought partygoers to the Greek island of Crete for a weekend of new friendships, blossoming relationships and unforgettable memories. With 500 attendees from around the world – from the UK to Japan, Kenya to Australia – guests brought some (much-needed) POC queer joy to the island.
As hosts of the event tell Gay Times, “LICK is for all queer women, but running a truly diverse event requires intention.” With a focus on de-centring whiteness in queer culture, LICK is committed to putting diversity at the forefront.
Below, founder Teddy Edwardes reflects on the landmark event and shares her thoughts on the importance of intentional diversity in the queer nightlife space.
Firstly, how was the event? Tell us about any standout moments or highlights from the weekend?
The entire weekend was a 10/10 from start to finish. Everyone was glowing with joy! So many new friendships, relationships and lifelong memories were made. It felt really special.
Do you know how many people were in attendance?
500 people attended! And there were women from all over the world. The top ten list of countries included the United Kingdom, United States, Tunisia, Kenya and Australia, but there were also women from The Caribbean, Egypt, Canada and Japan!
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