All posts tagged: LGBTQ

Muslim teacher banned after telling pupils gay and transgender people are ‘mentally ill’ | UK | News

Muslim teacher banned after telling pupils gay and transgender people are ‘mentally ill’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A teacher has been handed a prohibition order after a misconduct panel ruled he told pupils that gay and transgender people are “mentally ill.” Supply teacher William Garwood, 60, made the comments during a Year 11 history lesson at St Mary’s Menston Catholic Voluntary Academy in West Yorkshire on October 5, 2023. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel found the allegations proven following a hearing in May 2026. The incident came to light after multiple pupils submitted statements detailing the lesson. Pupil witnesses reported that, when asked about “just wars”, Garwood replied in the affirmative before launching into an unprompted discussion about Vladimir Putin. One pupil recalled the teacher saying he was “happy” that Putin was killing “satanic Nazis” in Ukraine and claimed the world was run by billionaires who created “evil Ukrainians”. Multiple pupils recalled him stating that Ukrainians were “Nazis” or “satanists” funded by big banks. In the same lesson, the panel found Garwood told pupils that “gay and transgender people are mentally ill” and corrupt. He allegedly expanded on this …

18 Must-Read New LGBTQ Books Out in July 2026

18 Must-Read New LGBTQ Books Out in July 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

Pride Month is over, but the new LGBTQ books keep coming, and there are some excellent ones out in July that deserve a spot on your TBR. The biggest new LGBTQ book out this month is Heartstopper Volume 6 by Alice Oseman, the long-awaited conclusion to the YA graphic novel series. Also out in July is Heartstopper Forever, the movie conclusion to the TV adaptation. I have been in full Heartstopper hyperfixation for the past few months, so I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rewatched and reread the series in anticipation of its finale. I had a hard time narrowing down my picks—it was supposed to be a top ten list—because there are so many intriguing new queer books out in July. We have gay literary fiction set during political turmoil in India, sapphic fiction about a “messy friendship-feud-unrequited-love-affair,” short stories for perverts, F/F paranormal romance, M/M cozy folk horror, a trans retelling of a Portuguese folktale, a bunch of queer horror titles, and so much more. New LGBTQ Books: July 2026 How …

What Ever Happened to ‘X-Men ‘97’ Showrunner Beau DeMayo?

What Ever Happened to ‘X-Men ‘97’ Showrunner Beau DeMayo?

Published by Sam Flores

As a kid, DeMayo was a textbook example of “best little boy in the world syndrome,” striving to distract his family and friends from his latent homosexuality. He began to embrace that side of his identity as an undergrad at the University of Central Florida, though that was fraught too. DeMayo said he survived “a lot” of sexual abuse while at school—something he was reluctant to talk about. “That’s why people are like, ‘Oh, your life is X-Men.’ I would always run to superheroes to deal with that pain and deal with feeling different,” he said. After college, DeMayo went to film school at Florida State, then got his first gig at Marvel by cold-calling the conglomerate and begging for an internship. He worked his way up, eventually turning his internship into a full-time assistant gig for Khaki Jones, then a vice president of current series at Disney Television Animation. He left Marvel, wrote on the CW series The Originals, and then spent two seasons writing for Netflix’s The Witcher series, starring former Superman Henry …

Melania Trump calls for US to support both transgender athletes ban, LGBTQ+ rights

Melania Trump calls for US to support both transgender athletes ban, LGBTQ+ rights

Published by Sam Flores

First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday supported the ban on transgender athletes playing sports in categories different from their sex assigned at birth, but also said she supports LGBTQ rights, comments that came after a Supreme Court ruling on transgender athletes. “America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities… Source link

Luca Guadagnino, Gregg Araki, Gus Van Sant, Kimberly Peirce, and Jamie Babbit On How Queer Filmmaking Has Changed

Luca Guadagnino, Gregg Araki, Gus Van Sant, Kimberly Peirce, and Jamie Babbit On How Queer Filmmaking Has Changed

Published by Sam Flores

Their films went on to transform not only queer cinema, but American culture itself: expanding who could be visible onscreen and exposing stories that mainstream audiences could only imagine. Cult Classics But I’m a Cheerleader follows Megan (Natasha Lyonne), a girly teenage cheerleader whose family and friends send her to a conversion therapy camp because they suspect she’s a lesbian. Instead of being “cured,” she falls in love with another camper (Clea DuVall). “I really wanted to make something that spoke to me as a young queer person. I grew up in Ohio, and I never saw femme lesbians on TV or in films,” says Babbit. “In the ’90s, when I came out to my mom, she was really confused. I said, ‘Why are you confused?’ And she said, ‘Well, you were terrible at sports.’” The film’s concept came during a pivotal point in history. The AIDS crisis had reached new peaks and the government was suppressing many advocacy groups that were demanding justice. Federal policymakers had stalled on passing proactive legislation addressing AIDS and …

RuPaul Answers the Proust Questionnaire

RuPaul Answers the Proust Questionnaire

Published by Sam Flores

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being alone. Which living person do you most admire? Judith Sheindlin. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Nothing. What is your greatest fear? Ignorant people. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Holding grudges. What is your greatest extravagance? My car collection. What is your favorite journey? The drive to my current creative project. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Sex appeal. On what occasion do you lie? Whenever it suits my objective. Which living person do you most despise? All of them. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Fucking cunt.” What is your greatest regret? Chasing affection. When and where were you happiest? Yesterday’s creative brainstorming meeting. Which talent would you most like to have? Ballroom dancing. What is your current state of mind? Disgusted. Exhausted. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? To be able to truly forgive. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Perseverance. If you were to die and come …

Feeling alienated from queer and Sephardic spaces, LGBTQ Jews build their own communities

Feeling alienated from queer and Sephardic spaces, LGBTQ Jews build their own communities

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (RNS) — For years, Daniel Cayre felt conflicted about his place in Jewish communal and spiritual life.   On holidays like Yom Kippur, he’d go the first evening to a Reconstructionist synagogue that felt welcoming of his gay identity. On Yom Kippur day, he returned to the traditional Sephardic synagogue of his upbringing, where the melodies, spirituality and liturgy reflected his Syrian Jewish heritage.  Neither space felt complete: Most liberal synagogues followed Ashkenazi liturgical traditions, and Sephardic synagogues often leaned more conservative in terms of gender and sexuality. “I started thinking there had to be a space for Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews seeking LGBTQ inclusion while still wanting traditional liturgy and community,” he said. Sephardic Jews are a diaspora group whose ancestors were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula 500 years ago by the Christian monarchy. Many Sephardic Jews migrated in exile across the Ottoman Empire. A related group, Mizrahi Jews, are those who trace family roots to Arab and Muslim lands; some identify as Sephardic, while others do not. Today, estimates for global …

US judge blocks Trump subpoenas into transgender care at New York hospitals | LGBTQ News

US judge blocks Trump subpoenas into transgender care at New York hospitals | LGBTQ News

Published by Sam Flores

The Trump administration has called for a probe into transgender healthcare, leading it to subpoena private medical records. By Reuters and The Associated Press Published On 24 Jun 202624 Jun 2026 A United States federal judge has blocked the Department of Justice (DOJ) from issuing subpoenas for the medical records of transgender patients who received gender-affirming care as minors from providers in New York. On Wednesday, District Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued a temporary restraining order to prevent access to the confidential files. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Her decision comes after a hospital disclosed that it had been subpoenaed by Justice Department officials, and several families and patients filed a lawsuit in response. Failla noted that the subpoenas, undertaken by the administration of President Donald Trump, could constitute a violation of patient privacy. “Whether by accident or by design, the administration’s policies vis-a-vis transgender persons embody a concerted effort to obtain deeply private information about an entire class of individuals without their knowledge or consent,” the judge said in her ruling. …

Romeo Beckham set to make his acting debut in ‘deeply moving’ gay tennis romance

Romeo Beckham set to make his acting debut in ‘deeply moving’ gay tennis romance

Published by Daniella Wilson

After finding success as a model and following in his father’s footsteps as a footballer, David and Victoria Beckham’s 23-year-old son Romeo Beckham has revealed a surprising career pivot.  Romeo is stepping into the world of acting, making his debut in an upcoming LGBTQ tennis romance film. Variety shared the announcement and a first look at Romeo in the film, which is titled Forty Love and directed by renowned fashion photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti. Romeo stars opposite French actor Paul Kircher, 24, who is best known for his role in The Animal Kingdom. According to the publication, the film follows tennis player Sascha Gallo, who is training to win a trophy in Paris. Romeo stars as the tennis player’s on-screen rival who shakes things up. In the first photo still from the movie, which is being produced by Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi Productions and co-produced by Studiocanal, Romeo is sporting a buzzcut with his tattoos on display as he looks over at his co-star Paul.  © Getty ImagesRomeo Beckham is making his acting debut “For the first …

What does it mean to be LGBTQ+ and Orthodox?

What does it mean to be LGBTQ+ and Orthodox?

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — “The kid is a feigele!” I can still hear my relative saying the derogatory phrase, used to refer to a gay man or boy, aiming his ugly remark at a young man at a bar mitzvah celebration. In Yiddish, “feigele” literally means a little bird, but became a popular, if distasteful, euphemism for a male who did not quite cut it in the masculinity department. It might be used to refer to the boy who was insufficiently athletic, too artsy or good at theater. I’m reminded of the phrase during Pride Month, for which I want to recognize the amazing work of Eshel, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusive Orthodox Jewish communities. An eshel was the tree under which Abraham sat when he welcomed the strangers. It fits. Eshel builds these inclusive Orthodox communities for LGBTQ+ Jews and their families through education, advocacy and programming — including holding annual retreats for both LGBTQ+ individuals and Orthodox parents, support groups, Shabbatons and Pride Month events. It has engaged more than 300 Orthodox synagogues …