lgbtq
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Alabama Police Officer Rehired After Mocking Nigel Shelby’s Suicide: ‘We Feel He Will Be a Good Addition to the Department’
In April, we learned of Nigel Shelby—the 15-year-old Huntsville High freshman who allegedly took his own life after relentless homophobic bullying drove him to despair. His tragic fate became headline news as mourners throughout the world struggled to come to grips with this devastating loss. Madison County, Ala., sheriff’s deputy Jeff Graves felt otherwise, however,…
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'Why Does My Truth Need a Label?': Jaah Kelly, Daughter of R. and Drea, Talks About Coming Out
Coming out is, in and of itself, a journey. When you’re the child of a famous father multiply accused of sexual abuse and predation, one can only imagine how much more difficult that journey becomes. For Jaah Kelly, child of embattled R&B star R. Kelly, confusion and fear marked her coming out experience, which she…
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'I’m Exercising My Freedom': Janelle Monae Talks Liberation in InStyle's Badass Women Issue
What does a free black woman look like? After the coming out party that was Dirty Computer, she might look like Janelle Monáe, who liberated herself and countless fans with not only a stellar album in 2018, but the admission that she considers herself pansexual. And as the cover star of the 2019 edition of…
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Stonewall Activist and Trans Matriarch Miss Major Recovering From Stroke
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a rabble-rousing, bad-ass warrior woman who is ever liberal with the word “motherfucker,” and has been instrumental in demanding dignity and resources for black trans women, suffered a stroke on July 4 but is recovering in a rehab center, according to spokespersons for her Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center. Last week,…
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Lil Nas X Has One Thing to Say to Everyone Trolling Him About His Sexuality
You know by now that Lil Nas X is better than 99 percent of the population at creating the kind of viral hit that’s catnip for children (so good in fact, you’d think he was also behind the monsters who created “Baby Shark.”) Well, just know that Lil Nas X is (way) better than you…
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Access Denied, Okurrr? Cardi B Turned Down for a Trademark on Her Signature Phrase
Cardi B may have brought the catchphrase “okurrr” into the mainstream (and even into the Super Bowl ad echelon, via Pepsi), but like Madonna and voguing, she did not originate the concept—a fact recognized by Bronx natives, members of the drag and ballroom communities, and now, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. As reported…
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So Much to Be Proud About: New York City Hosted a Star-Studded Celebration for World Pride 2019
New York City knows how to throw a party—and for World Pride Weekend, the city gave a rainbow-fueled celebration for its LGBTQ community, who were out in force to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, widely considered the start of the modern queer liberation movement. Starting with the anniversary of the riots on…
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Lizzo Tosses Her Hair, er, Hat in the Ring to Play Ursula in Little Mermaid as Melissa McCarthy Said to Be Disney’s Pick
Upon hearing the news Friday that Disney had someone else in mind to play the sea witch Ursula in the highly anticipated live-action version of The Little Mermaid, Lizzo quickly made it known for one and all to see that Disney should surely, “Pick me!” After taking to Twitter to attach a sad emoji face to…
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Protecting Pride: Safe Spaces Are Crucial to the Existence of the LGBTQ Community
Pride Month is a time of celebration. A time where same-gender-loving men get together to celebrate love, liberty, and the occasional Beyoncé. During these celebrations, it is imperative for us to feel safe in the spaces we inhabit. Our mere existence can be viewed as a threat to some, and therefore, many of us have…