LGBTQ news and entertainment
An 8-5 majority in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Florida’s law restricting children from attending “sexually explicit” drag shows does not violate the First Amendment. Continue reading “Appeals Court Rules Florida’s Anti-Drag Law Doesn’t Violate 1st Amendment”
Happy Monday! Some news items for you as we head into the new week:
• BayNews9: The steps of City Hall in St. Petersburg, Florida, have been transformed into an art installation showcasing the colors of the rainbow flag for Pride Month (above).
St. Pete Pride worked with the mayor’s office for months brainstorming ideas after the rainbow crosswalk in the city’s grand central district was painted over last summer.
• New Music: Madonna has released the official music video for “Bring Your Love,” her duet with Sabrina Carpenter. Continue reading “St. Pete Honors Pride Month + New Madonna/Sabrina Carpenter Video + More”
Republican-led redistricting games continue this week in several states in advance of the mid-term elections this fall with some good and bad news.
• NBC News: The GOP-led South Carolina Senate has voted against a new congressional map, ending the last-minute redistricting effort in the state for now. The failed vote was a surprise rejection of Donald Trump, who wanted lawmakers to pass a redrawn map that would eliminate the state’s one majority-Black district. Continue reading “Redistricting Games: South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is exerting pressure in his state to undermine surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF), attacks that threaten reproductive freedom and the ability to start a family.
Uthmeier, a Republican appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis, has inserted himself in a routine case attempting to argue that surrogacy violates the 13th Amendment’s prohibition on slavery, and that the state constitution bars biological parents from transferring parental rights at all. Continue reading “Florida AG Equates Surrogacy And Adoption Rights With ‘Slavery’”
Some news stories for you as we close out the weekend:
• OUT: Writer/director Elliot Tuttle, and stars Kieron Moore and Reed Birney, discuss their riveting indie drama, Blue Film (above), which is pushing the boundaries of queer storytelling.
• Queerty: Sydney James Harcourt, currently featured in Broadway’s 9-time Tony nominated CATS: The Jellicle Ball, dishes on the revolutionary revival & making “Rum Tum Tugger” a softer sex symbol. Continue reading “‘Blue Film’ Pushing Boundaries + Broadway’s New ‘Rum Tum Tugger’ + More”
Gainesville city officials and residents celebrated the opening of the newly-renovated City Hall Plaza that will provide more functional community space and accommodate more than 2,000 people.
The renovation incorporates rainbow bricks salvaged from the downtown crosswalks that were removed last year after state official ordered communities to remove rainbow crosswalks. Continue reading “Gainesville Repurposes Removed Rainbow Crosswalk Bricks For New City Hall Plaza”
Yesterday I reported that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had quickly signed into law a new aggressively gerrymandered electoral map following last week’s Supreme Court ruling that kneecapped the Voting Rights Act.
Experts say the new map makes it likely that four districts currently held by Democrats would flip to Republicans.
As expected, several pro-voting and civil rights groups have filed lawsuits over the new map alleging it violates the Sunshine State’s constitution. Continue reading “2 Lawsuits Filed Challenging Florida Redistricting”
Happy Star Wars Day! Some news stories for you as we head into the week:
• Variety: Disney’s star-studded sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 scored over $77 million in U.S. theaters in its opening weekend, and over $233 million worldwide.
• Philadelphia Gay News: Author Tom Vellner opens up about his new novel, 30 Love, dubbed “Heated Rivalry for tennis.” Continue reading “‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Scores $233 Million + More News”
Yesterday I saw reports coming out of Florida that Palm Beach County denied a funding request to repair the air conditioning at a city-owned building that houses the Compass Community Center, South Florida’s oldest LGBTQ nonprofit.
The county pointed to a new state law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 23, that prohibits funding for DEI programs. In other words – no help for the gays. However – the law doesn’t go into effect until 2027.
County officials have now reversed their decision and will now fund the repairs at the city-owned building. Continue reading “Palm Beach County Reverses, Agrees To Repair A/C At City-Owned LGBTQ Center”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved legislation to eliminate local diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The new law bans local governments from funding or supporting Pride events. Continue reading “Florida Bans Local Governments From Supporting Pride Events”