David Hockney’s funeral has already taken place in private, with only his partner and great-nephew present, his publicist Erica Bolton has confirmed in a statement.

As per The Independent, Bolton said: “The funeral has already taken place.” She added: “We would like to clarify that it was David’s clear wish that his funeral should be attended only by his partner, JP, and his great-nephew Richard; and that their privacy would be respected.”

Bolton also said: “The vast majority of his works will be given to foundations in furtherance of his legacy, as well as to public institutions throughout the world.”

Hockney died at his home in London on 11 June, aged 88, it was confirmed.

Memorials planned for 2027

Bolton said the first memorial service in celebration of Hockney’s life and work will take place in London in spring 2027, with memorials in Yorkshire, Paris and Los Angeles to follow.

Tributes have continued to come in from across the art world. Dame Tracey Emin described Hockney as: “A proud chain-smoking homosexual, who flew the flag higher than any other British artist.”

David Hockney’s life and legacy

Born in Bradford in 1937, Hockney became one of Britain’s most influential post-war artists, associated with pop art and later celebrated for bold colour, draughtsmanship and experimentation. His Los Angeles swimming-pool paintings and intimate portraits helped define a modern, sunlit visual language that became instantly recognisable in global popular culture.

He was an early, high-profile British artist to be openly gay, and his work frequently explored desire, intimacy and domestic life with men without euphemism, including art made before gay intimacy was legal. In later decades he embraced new tools including iPhone and iPad drawing, championing technology as a serious medium for art-making.

An exhibition of Hockney’s work is running at Serpentine Galleries in London until August, it has been announced.

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Speaking on On The Mend with Matt Willis, the 47-year-old singer-songwriter said the crisis followed a tough break-up while he was appearing in the West End revival of Cabaret.

“I just had a breakdown, and I did this experimental course which I won’t name as I don’t want anyone to do it as I don’t think it’s very good, it was a bit dangerous,” Young said.

He recalled speaking to director Rufus Norris during the run, telling him: “Rufus I don’t want to panic you but I am having an emotional breakdown,” adding: “I think I will make it through.”

Will Young on trauma and misdiagnosis

Young said he began dissociating during the show’s run, describing it as a protective response to what he was going through.

“It’s a protective mechanism, and I just left my body and suddenly I couldn’t recognise my face in the mirror,” he said. “It was horrific and I felt like a walking ghost.”

Young also described trying to explain what he was experiencing while being prescribed medication. “I was completely misdiagnosed as bipolar and I wasn’t bipolar – I had trauma,” he said.

‘For the last 14 years I haven’t really been living’

Young said he remained dissociated “until fairly recently”, and that it made life “difficult” for many years. Reflecting on the impact, he said: “For the last 14 years I haven’t really been living if I am honest, I actually don’t know how I’m still here, I really don’t.”

Young won the first series of Pop Idol in 2002 and became one of the UK’s defining early-2000s pop stars. He is openly gay and has been a prominent LGBTQ+ public figure in British entertainment for decades, with hits including ‘Leave Right Now’, as well as theatre work including West End roles. He has also spoken publicly in the past about mental health, grief and personal wellbeing.

Young said being in a happy and loving relationship has helped him recover.

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NHS England’s Pathways Trial for puberty blockers has introduced minimum entry ages of 11 for trans boys and 12 for trans girls, alongside revised safeguards ahead of its planned start date.

The changes were set out in an update on the Pathways clinical trial published on 19 June.

The £10million, two-year study was launched late last year, but was put on pause by officials in February of this year over concerns for safety and welfare. It is scheduled to commence on 1 August 2026 under the updated guidance.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: “The modified protocol includes strengthened safeguards including the introduction of minimum ages of entry to the trial and more clearly defined discontinuation measures.”

The revised protocol also gives clearer guidance on when treatment should be stopped, including monitoring “safety for bone health, cognition, and vaginal bleeding”, as well as providing more detailed information for participants on fertility preservation.

What participation will involve

Young people taking part will undergo more than 13 hours of medical assessments and complete around 50 forms before accessing treatment, alongside physical examinations. Half of participants will receive puberty blockers immediately, while others will wait one year.

Children must have parental consent and must meet eligibility requirements to take part, including “demonstrating a good understanding of the intervention and its possible benefits and risks”.

Debate and reaction

In 2024, the UK introduced restrictions on prescribing puberty blockers to under-18s outside research settings, intensifying criticism of NHS gender services.

The Cass Review has remained a major reference point in political and clinical debate, including when the British Medical Association said they no longer opposed it, apart from the ban on puberty blockers.

LGBT+ Conservatives said they oppose the trial, writing on X: “If we are willing to restrict social media to protect young people, we should be even more cautious about medical interventions with lifelong consequences,” adding: “We support Kemi Badenoch in putting children’s wellbeing first.”

From the perspective of trans advocacy groups, Chay Brown, health director for TransActual, said: “It breaks my heart when I think of the young people affected.”

Brown added: “This research is not about the safety of these medications, which have been used for this very purpose since 1989. It is the result of an ideological view at the very top of the NHS that being trans is a ‘less desirable outcome.’”

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On Monday morning (22 June), Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation as leader of the Labour party. He will remain as the prime minister until a replacement is found in the coming months.

Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary in May, was among the names expected to run for the Labour leadership, alongside LGBTQ+ ally Andy Burnham. However he has now confirmed his intention to support Burnham in an “inclusive” party.

Streeting published a statement on his official X account, which said Starmer “has made the right decision to stand down as the Leader of the Labour Party that he saved”.

He went on to praise Burnham for his victory in the Makerfield by-election, which he said “has proven that Labour can still win if we have the courage to change”. “It was a victory for unity and hope over division and hatred,” he added.

Streeting continued: “Andy has shown what Labour can be when we are inclusive, united, and in touch with the lives of the people this Party was founded to represent.”

He said that he quit his Government position as the party was “losing the fight to nationalists in every corner of the country”. Since then, he has been speaking to former councillors, activists and local voters in constituencies which Labour lost in the May 7 elections.

‘I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too’

“I’ve also been setting out ideas to change our country: a plan for Britain to grow again and grow together, with a progressive capitalism focused on wealth creation as much as wealth distribution; to lead the world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and protect people from its risks; to modernise our public services; to give Britain energy security; to build stronger alliances with democracies around the world and a new Special Relationship with Europe; and to change the culture of our Party so that it is more inclusive and open to ideas,” he wrote.

Streeting went on to say that he is “convinced that there is a place for those ideas” under the leadership of Burnham, adding: “He is committed to building an inclusive party that draws on the best of our political traditions; and that he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism.”

He finished the letter by signing off: “We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our Party and our country needs. That is the choice that I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too.

“We were elected to change our country, to show that politics can be a force for good, and to spread opportunity for everyone. With Andy, we still can.”

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The line-up of girls heading into the Italian masseria to find love at first kiss was announced last week, with more to come throughout the series.

Sadly, it has already been confirmed that this will be the last instalment in the I Kissed A… franchise, which launched in 2022 with I Kissed A Boy. The BBC axed the franchise in March, citing “funding challenges”, despite backlash from countless people who signed a petition demanding its return.

Thankfully, the second series of I Kissed A Girl was filmed last year, before the show got the chop, and it will debut on 23 June.

How can you watch I Kissed A Girl season 2?

The show returned to BBC iPlayer and BBC Three on 23 June.

The first four episodes of the series will be available to stream on iPlayer from 6am, while the first two will air on BBC Three from 9pm. Episodes three and four will then air on BBC Three on 24 June, also from 9pm.

After this, two new episodes will be available each Tuesday for the next three weeks from 6am on iPlayer, or 9pm on BBC Three.

How many episodes are there in I Kissed A Girl season 2?

The series will premiere with four episodes, with two new episodes coming for three weeks in a row after that.

That means fans can enjoy 10 episodes.

Previous seasons have included nine episodes, followed by a special Reunion episode.

Who is hosting I Kissed A Girl season 2?

Returning to front the show is pop icon Dannii Minogue, who has also hosted the previous three seasons of the I Kissed A… franchise.

Charley Marlowe is back again as the narrator. Marlowe is also set to make a special appearance in Italy.

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The post How to watch I Kissed A Girl season 2 – start date, time and how many episodes appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Mace took to X to promote her “TRANS MICE Act,” alongside an image of a mouse and the slogan “NO TRANS MICE.”

“Animals should not be used for radical transgender experiments. This is not science. This is ideological cruelty paid for by the American taxpayers,” she wrote, adding that “no federal funds may be used to conduct, support, or fund research aimed at altering an animal’s biological sex”.

The post was quickly hit with a community note on X pointing out her apparent confusion.

It explained that “trans mice” in scientific contexts refers to transgenic mice, animals that have had foreign DNA inserted into their genome, widely used to study diseases such as cancer, and have nothing to do with transgender people.

Critics piled in, with several scientists noting the research underpins major medical advances.

“As someone who works with transgenic mouse models for cancer research, this is objectively one of the funniest things I’ve seen a real life politician post,” one wrote.

Mace pushed back, insisting she had not made an error. “This post is not about transgenic mice. It is about federally funded transgender-related experiments on animals,” she wrote.

She did not point to any specific examples of the experiments she says the bill would ban.

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Andrade, who has previously won six Olympic medals for Brazil, shared a sweet picture of her girlfriend kissing her cheek to her Instagram stories this week.

A caption, originally written in Portuguese, reads: “Thank you for supporting me and being here at this important moment in my life! I love you.”

A number of fans shared their delight at the news in the r/gymnastics subreddit. “I just shrieked ‘REBECA ANDRADE GAY?!’” one user wrote.

“What a recruit for Team [rainbow emoji]’s WAG (Women’s Artistic Gymnastics) team!” said another. “She’s already one of the ultimate inspirations in the sport, but now she’s even more of an inspiration!”

‘Another win for us LGBT gym fans’

Another simply shared: “OUR TEAM STAYS WINNING!”

Several fans also referenced Jade Carey, another gymnastics Olympic medalist that came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community last year when she shared that she was dating her girlfriend, Aimee Sinacola.

“Yay, with her and Jade, I love that we’re seeing more and more gymnasts being openly out with their partners during their careers!” one user wrote. “Anyways, another win for us LGBT gym fans.”

“QUEEN I love her even more! Also this means that the last two WAG Olympic floor champions have both been LGBTQ+, slay representation!” said another.

Andrade is the most decorated Brazilian and Latin American gymnast of all time, and the most decorated Brazilian Olympian in any discipline.

She has won six Olympic and nine World medals, including Olympic gold for vault in 2020 and floor exercise in 2024. She also earned the title of World Champion for all-round in 2022 and for vault in 2021 and 2023.

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On 22 June, Starmer announced he would be resigning as leader of the Labour party but would remain as prime minister until a replacement is found this summer. Nominations for his replacement will open in the coming weeks.

Among the names expected to go for the job – and tipped to get the role – is Andy Burnham, who was the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until earlier this month. He has previously held a number of other positions, including as Secretary of State for Health under Gordon Brown, between 2009 and 2010.

Despite being Catholic, Burnham has a strong history of being a vocal ally to the LGBTQ+ community – something he previously told PinkNews damaged relationships with members of his own family.

In fact, during the 2015 leadership contest, Burnham urged Pope Francis to support same-sex marriage and bring the Catholic Church “into the 21st century”.

But before then, before he even entered politics, he joined a march against Section 28 in 1988, when he was a student.

Later, from 2003, he voted almost completely in favour of a number LGBTQ+ policies, including to repeal Section 28, the Civil Partnership Act in 2004, outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation when providing goods or services in 2007, giving IVF rights to lesbian couples in 2008, and for same-sex marriage in 2013.

He also supported a review into rules regarding blood donation from gay men in 2015, saying “sexuality really shouldn’t be the issue”. Instead, he said the issue should be anyone “living a lifestyle that is risky”, regardless of someone’s sexuality.

During his time as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, in 2018 he appointed Carl Austin-Behan, who had been let go from the RAF for being gay, as the city’s LGBTQ+ adviser. The same year he launched the LGBTQ+ Equality Panel for Greater Manchester, to help issues faced by the city’s queer residents.

In 2019 he supported the reform of the Gender Recognition Act, as well as the simplifying of the process trans people went through for legal recognition.

He showed support for ending conversion therapy for all LGBTQ+ people in 2022, and last year formally apologised for the “shameful” treatment of LGBTQ+ people from Greater Manchester Police.

Andy Burnham’s views on trans rights

Burnham has been a vocal ally of trans people too, defending the rights of trans women to use women’s toilets in 2022 despite backlash from gender-critical campaigners.

However, he has also drawn some criticism. In 2020, he met with the LGB Alliance to discuss reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. The group is regularly criticised by other members of the LGBTQ+ community for their views on trans rights. But a statement released said Burnham had “made his support for the trans community very clear over the years”.

This year, after the 2025 Supreme Court ruling which defined sex as “biological sex” only, Burnham said the EHRC guidance should be introduced “in the fairest and most compassionate way possible”.

He went on to say that single-sex spaces should be protected, but without “marginalising already marginalised communities”.

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On 18 June, the court ordered the South Asian country’s government to ensure equal marriage rights for queer and trans people. The ruling makes Nepal the 40th country worldwide to legally recognise equal marriage.

Equal marriage was previously recognised in Nepal following an interim ruling in 2023 from the Supreme Court, when a group of nine LGBTQ+ activists sued the country’s marriage laws that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The lawsuit led to the court ordering Nepal’s government to create a new marriage register for couples from gender minority communities.

This month, the court’s new ruling will provide certainty and security for Nepali LGBTQ+ couples wishing to marry in the future.

Speaking to Nepali non-profit Pahichan on 19 June, human rights activist, monk and former politician Sunil Babu Pant said: “This landmark ruling marks a historic milestone for equality, dignity, and human rights in Nepal, while providing crucial legal clarity and protection for the rights of same-sex couples.”

They continued: “The verdict reaffirms the constitutional principles established in Sunil Babu Pant vs Nepal govt, and strengthened through later cases, including Maya Surendra’s first-ever legal registration of non-traditional heterosexual marriage in Nepal.

“It confirms that gender and sexual minority couples are entitled to equal protection of the law and reinforces Nepal’s commitment to inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination.”

The Blue Diamond, an LGBTQ+ rights organisation based in Nepal, also celebrated the decision.

“The ruling is now the fourth Supreme Court decision over nearly two decades that makes clear: the freedom to marry the person you love is a guarantee under Nepal’s Constitution, and LGBTQIA+ couples and their families must be afforded the dignity, respect, and protections that only marriage can provide,” the group shared in a statement on Instagram.

“With this victory, a counter-writ petition filed by advocate Yuvraj Paudel aiming to block these rights was decisively dismissed by the court,” it continued.

“We, the Blue Diamond Society team, welcome this important milestone from the Supreme Court of Nepal towards ensuring marriage equality provisions in Nepal and are excited to witness the next steps from the Government in translating this ruling into practice.”

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Starmer announced his decision on 22 June, saying outside 10 Downing Street: “I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.” He will remain as the Prime Minister until a new leader is found, with nominations opening on 9 July.

As he finished his announcement, Starmer said he would be spending time on “the most important job” of “being the best husband” to his wife Vic, and “being the best dad” to his children.

Calls emerged for Starmer to resign following the 7 May local elections, which saw a sharp decline of more than 1,220 councillors for Labour. Meanwhile, more than 1,300 new Reform UK councillors were voted in.

At the time, Starmer held firm that he would be going nowhere, however last week reports emerged that he was preparing to resign.

Before he became Prime Minister in 2024, there was hope that his appointment would be a huge positive for the LGBTQ+ community.

He said at the 2019 PinkNews Awards, at which he was a guest of honour, that his “proudest” work was with the Human Dignity Trust, who “challenges laws across the Commonwealth which penalise people for being LGBT+”.

Speaking to The Guardian the same year, he said he wanted “trust to be restored in the Labour party as a progressive force for good”.

Starmer also had a track record of voting in favour of LGBT+ equality after becoming an MP. He backed a proposal to make LGBT-inclusive education mandatory in the curriculum in 2019, and during his time as a barrister was involved in the legal battle to secure the right for LGBTQ+ people to serve in the military.

He also told PinkNews in June 2021: “Trans people are one of the most discriminated groups in our society. Labour knows how much work there is to do… We’re committed to updating the [Gender Recognition Act] to introduce self-declaration for trans people.”

Starmer pledged to make hate crimes against LGBT+ and disabled people carry the same gravity as racist hate crimes, too. This came into law in April 2026.

However, Starmer caused controversy in 2024 around the time he became Prime Minister, telling The Times that trans women who had not had gender affirming surgery “don’t have the right” to be in female-only spaces.

“They shouldn’t,” he said. “That’s why I’ve always said biological women’s spaces need to be protected.”

‘A woman is a biological woman’

He also appeared to step back on his previous support for LGBT-inclusive education and trans rights, saying, as per The Independent: “I’m not in favour of ideology being taught in our schools on gender.”

Following the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling that the Equality Act’s definition of woman was only “biological woman”, Starmer said he did not believe trans women were women, saying: “The Supreme Court judgement has made clear that when looking at the Equality Act, a woman is a biological woman.”

Under Starmer’s government, as of February 2026, there is no way for trans youth to get new prescriptions for puberty blockers, either.

In 2024, Starmer told PinkNews that Labour was committed to a “full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices” should they be elected into government. As of May 2026, so-called “conversion therapy” has not yet been banned in the UK.

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But with multiple weddings and plenty of will-they-won’t-they romance, some have been left wondering if Toy Story 5 actually has an LGBTQ+ storyline.

Disney, in more recent years, has included some queer relationships, like in Zootopia 2, but for Toy Story 5, it could be a bit more open to interpretation.

Of course, spoilers for the movie follow. Well, kind of, as it’s teased in the poster for the movie.

Does Toy Story 5 have an LGBTQ+ plot?

One of the opening scenes, when viewers return to the toys we all know and love, sees a wedding between Forky and Karen Beverly.

Karen was introduced in the Toy Story 4 post-credits scene, and is a DIY toy made from a plastic knife. She has long, yellow yarn for hair, a purple flower decoration and a green dress with sequins on it.

Forky, similarly made from a plastic fork, is seen to be completely lovestruck by Bonnie’s new toy, and it seems in the time between Toy Story 4 and Toy Story 5, their romance has blossomed.

Erik Hall from The Telegraph has argued that, because they are married as “husband and knife”, rather than husband and wife, that Karen Beverly is “gender neutral”, and therefore the wedding is LGBTQ+.

The character, who most agree is designed to look female, is voiced by actress Melissa Villaseñor, of Saturday Night Live fame. She also has two names which are more feminine leaning.

Many fans have since disagreed with the read that Forky and Karen are a queer couple, saying they “did not see an LGBTQ+ wedding”.

Now, I saw the movie on Saturday as a proud, self-confessed “Disney Adult”, who is also very gay, and I did not take it as an LGBTQ+ wedding, either.

Of course, you could argue that toys are neither male nor female, and children will play with and give them the identities they choose. And if you, the viewer, wants to see it as an LGBTQ+ wedding, then absolutely go for it.

But, unfortunately or not, there is no obvious suggestion that Karen Beverly is not a female knife.

Instead, at least to me, “husband and knife” was just a fun (yet rather obvious) pun from the writers.

Toy Story 5 is in cinemas now.

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For years, I thought Pride belonged to other people. People who were free to be themselves. People who weren’t carrying a secret so heavy that it shaped every decision they made.

The truth is that I didn’t understand Pride until I understood shame.

I am a Brown immigrant, transgender Muslim woman. Growing up, I learned very quickly that being trans wasn’t simply viewed as different. It was viewed as something that brought shame. Not just to you, but to your family, your relatives and your wider community.

The message I absorbed was simple: hide who you are or prepare to lose everything.

Long before I had the language for it, I knew.

What followed were years of trying to suppress those feelings and convince myself they would disappear.

They never did.

“The hardest part wasn’t becoming myself. It was spending years pretending not to be.”

When I arrived in the UK at 16, I wasn’t simply starting a new life. I was trying to find out whether there was a version of the world where I was allowed to exist as myself.

But you don’t leave shame behind at the airport.

People often assume being trans is the difficult choice. For many of us, the difficult choice was spending years trying not to be.

“Nobody chooses rejection. Nobody chooses loneliness. Nobody chooses losing people they love. What we choose is honesty. What we choose is survival.”

My sister was already living in the UK when I arrived. Looking back now, I think she always knew, but knowing and saying something out loud are two very different things.

The reality wasn’t perfect. We drifted apart, and what followed became the darkest period of my life.

I was afraid of judgement. Afraid of disappointment. Afraid of changing the relationship we had always known.

My mental health deteriorated severely. I experienced profound loneliness and suicidal thoughts. There were days when I genuinely struggled to imagine a future for myself.

At my lowest point, friends became family.

At 16, I desperately needed a visible trans Muslim role model to tell me things would get better.

“I couldn’t find a trans Muslim role model. So, I survived long enough to become one.”

One of the greatest blessings in my life arrived when I met my husband online more than 11 years ago. At a time when I struggled to see any worth in myself, he reminded me that I deserved to occupy space.

For much of my life, I had internalised the lie that being a trans woman somehow made me less deserving of love, happiness and stability. My marriage shattered that lie. My greatest achievement isn’t my transition. It’s building a life I once thought was impossible.

Over the years, my sister and I found our way back to one another. Today, I am proud of who I am, and my sister is proud of me too.

When people see us laughing together online, they see two sisters. What I see is proof that families can grow, people can change and love can be stronger than fear.

Today, when a young Brown trans or queer person messages me to say they finally feel seen, I think about the version of me who spent years feeling invisible.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Faye Kingston | فاي (@fayekingstonx)

That is one of the reasons I wanted to celebrate Pride differently this year.

I recently collaborated with celebrity makeup artist Anna Lingis on a Pride photoshoot inspired by the colours of the trans flag.

For me, it wasn’t just about makeup.

It was about visibility.

For so long, I felt pressure to shrink myself. Standing in front of that camera felt like freedom.

During the shoot, Anna said something that stayed with me: “True allyship isn’t passive. It means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with trans women, especially when the world tries to make them invisible. Faye’s beauty, faith and strength represent the very core of what Pride is about.”

Those words resonated deeply because Pride, for me, has never been about perfection.

Pride is the freedom to exist without shame.

“The shame was never mine. I was just carrying it for other people.”

For years, I worried about what relatives thought, what strangers thought and what people might say. Now I understand something much more important: their opinions cannot define my worth.

My relationship with Allah is deeply personal. It isn’t decided by strangers, headlines or comment sections.

“Nobody gets to tell me who I am in the eyes of my Creator.”

This Pride Month, I keep thinking about the young Brown trans or queer person reading this in secret. The one lying awake at night wondering if life will ever get better. The one terrified of losing their family. The one who feels caught between family, culture, faith and identity.

I know that feeling because I lived it.

If I could sit beside 16-year-old me today, I would tell her to hold on. I would tell her that one day she will stop surviving and start living. I would tell her that one day she will become the person she spent years desperately searching for.

And I want every young person reading this to know the same thing:

You are not broken.

You are not a contradiction.

You are not alone.

“I thought being myself would cost me everything. Instead, it gave me my life.”

Faye Kingston can be found on Instagram and TikTok at @fayekingstonx.

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The 139th edition of Wimbledon begins on Monday, 29 June. Here are some LGBTQ+ tennis players who have served at Wimbledon…

Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King is perhaps the most famous out tennis player. She has won a record 20 career titles at Wimbledon – six in singles, 10 in women’s doubles, and four in mixed doubles.

The tennis star was married to fellow tennis player Larry King for over two decades and was publicly outed in 1981 when Marilyn Barnett, a woman with whom she had been involved while still married, filed a palimony lawsuit against her. King refused to return to the closet and has since remained a proud and legendary advocate for equality.

She has repeatedly used her voice for the LGBTQ+ community, from calling out Ron DeSantis’ ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to urging people to listen to trans athletes. In 2020, King was among more than 170 current and former athletes in women’s sports who signed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of trans girls and women playing sports.

Daria Kasatkina 

In 2022, Daria Kasatkina came out as a lesbian. In October of the same year, she ranked eighth worldwide in women’s singles. 

The Russian-born Australian player was the highest-ranked openly gay player on the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tour, as of last year. Furthermore, Kasatkina’s best Wimbledon performance was reaching the 2018 quarterfinals.

Now playing for Australia, Kasatkina has previously said it was “not possible” for her to return to her homeland. She now splits her time between Spain and Dubai.

Soon after she came out, she announced her relationship with figure skater Natalia Zabiiako. Zabiiako and Kasatkina announced their engagement in June 2025. The pair also run a YouTube vlog channel together about their relationship and life on the tennis circuit.

Greet Minnen and Alison Van Uytvanck

Belgian duo Greet Minnen and Alison Van Uytvanck made gay history at Wimbledon in 2019. They became the first same-sex couple to compete in a doubles match together at Wimbledon.

The pair met and fell in love as teenagers, revealing their relationship when they kissed after Van Uytvanck won a match at Wimbledon in 2018. “We had so many people following us and retweeting this kiss and everything,” Minnen shared about the kiss. “For us it was a really big surprise. We didn’t even know there was a picture from it.”

The couple even competed against each other at a doubles tournament during a World Tennis Association (WTA) Tour event in Karlsruhe in 2019. In a sweet moment after the game, Minnen and Alison Van Uytvanck kissed at the tennis net. 

The pair got engaged, but their relationship ended in late 2021. Both women are now married to other people.

Gottfried von Cramm

Gottfried von Cramm, a legendary German tennis player who reached world number one in 1937, was the men’s singles runner-up at the Wimbledon Championships for three years straight. He lost to Fred Perry in 1935 and 1936, then to American Don Budge the following year. Though he won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with German-Danish star Hilde Krahwinkel in 1933.

Homosexuality was illegal in Germany under Paragraph 175 of the criminal code, so von Cramm had to hide his sexuality.

Having been arrested, and despite being married to Baroness Elisabeth Lisa von Dobeneck at the time, he admitted having a three-year relationship with Manasse Herbst, a male Jewish actor and opera singer in his twenties.

Martina Navratilova

Eighteen-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova is another out gay player who has competed on the courts of Wimbledon. Additionally, her nine Wimbledon singles titles are an all-time record.

Navratilova came out as bisexual in 1981 during an interview with New York Daily News, revealing she was in a relationship with feminist writer Rita Mae Brown. She asked the publication not to publish the interview until she came out publicly, but the New York Daily News went ahead and published it anyway. Navratilova later came out as a lesbian.

However, her views on trans women competing in elite sporting categories have been routinely criticised. She claimed it is a form of “cheating” for trans women to compete in women’s sports in 2019, several groups said they were “devastated” to hear of the athletes’ views.

Mika Brunold

Like many sports, the number of out women athletes is significantly higher than in the men’s game. The 21-year-old Swiss player Mika Brunold became the second male tennis player to openly come out as gay while competing as an active player in the sport.

Simultaneously, Brunold became the highest-ranked active openly gay male player and showcased his talent at the Wimbledon qualifying rounds. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of world number. 289.

Brunold came out in 2025 in an Instagram post. “I feel it’s time for me to open up and share with you that I’m gay,” he wrote. “I’m sharing this with you to take a step for myself, but also because I think it’s not talked about enough in sports.”

Nadia Podoroska

Argentine tennis star Nadia Podoroska came out publicly in 2022. Podoroska is a regular in the Wimbledon singles draws and competed for Argentina at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The former French Open semi-finalist, who has been ranked as high as number 36 in the world, confirmed her relationship with fellow Argentinian tennis player Guillermina Naya. Shared on Naya’s 26th birthday, Podoroska’s post consisted of images of the couple hugging and kissing, with the caption: “Today I celebrate you from afar, but I feel you by my side every day of my life.”

Her Wimbledon statistics are strong, having got through the second round in 2021 and 2023. Furthermore, she has a career-high WTA singles ranking of number 36.

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A sequel to the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas is currently in development by Universal and Imagine Entertainment, with both Jim Carrey and director Ron Howard in talks to return. The original film dominated the box office upon its release, earning over $350 million, so it’s no surprise that a sequel could be on its way.

Talks are ongoing, and nothing is set in stone yet, but if all goes well, the sequel will have a script written by Curb Your Enthusiasm vets Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel. The three writers also worked on The Cat in the Hat, a Dr Seuss adaptation that failed to reach the same heights as the Grinch.

Carrey has taken a step back from acting in recent years, although he has starred as Dr Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog films, and will be returning to the role for the franchise’s fourth instalment in 2027. However, he has said that he would be open to returning as the Grinch in another film, albeit using motion capture instead of the gruelling makeup process he underwent for the original film.

He told ComicBook.com in 2024: “Oh, gosh, you know, if we could figure out the Grinch. The thing about it is, on the day, I do that with a ton of makeup and can hardly breathe. It was an extremely excruciating process. The children were in my mind all the time. ‘It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids.’ And now, with motion capture and things like that, I could be free to do other things. Anything is possible in this world.”

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Jennifer Jenkins posted to Facebook to advertise a Tall Hall as part of her campaign challenging Republican Florida Rep. Mike Haridopolos. In response to the post, the Space Coast Young Republicans posted a photo of Mulvaney to the comments.

A former North Carolina candidate for Congress, Austin Ayers, jumped on the bandwagon by later posting to his own Facebook page about Jenkins. In his post, he used an image of Dylan Mulvaney with the text “Jennifer Jenkins For Florida is CANCELLING her bid for Congress to pursue other career choices!”

‘Just the same tired obsession with transgender people’

Jenkins responded to the comment and post on X saying: “Imagine being so desperate to defend Mike Haridopolos that your big political strategy is… calling an opponent ‘Dylan Mulvaney.’ That’s it? That’s the joke?”

She continued to say: “No thoughts on housing costs. No thoughts on insurance. No thoughts on healthcare. Just the same tired obsession with transgender people that Republicans drag out whenever they don’t want to talk about their record.”

Jenkins also called out the fact that people around Haridopolos seem so comfortable with this kind of rhetoric and that he “never seems to have a problem with it”, before ending her post saying: “Brevard deserves leaders, not people who think bigotry is a substitute for a platform.”

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Roselle police chief Stacey Williams was fired and had his law enforcement license suspended in 2024.

An investigation at the time by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that he had used offensive language, including an anti-gay slur, while referring to other officers in an on-duty conversation in October 2022. Williams was also accused of “abusive, retaliatory, and bizarre behaviour” by the local Policemen’s Benevolent Association union.

Williams challenged his termination, and in May 2025, a judge threw out the majority of the disciplinary charges against him. His punishment was then reduced to a 30-day suspension.

While it was found that Williams had used the F-slur during the October 2022 conversation, Administrative Law Judge Thomas R. Betancourt found in a January 2025 hearing that the use of the word was “overstated” and that it was “neither discriminatory nor targeted toward another officer or specific individual in such a manner exhibiting homophobia or disapproval of those who identify as homosexual”, reported the New Jersey Monitor.

This decision was then upheld by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission.

As a result, the New Jersey Police Training Commission reinstated Williams’ license earlier this month and, as of 9 June, he was able to return to his position as police chief.

Lawyer for the Roselle Policemen’s Benevolent Association, Peter Paris, told NJ.com in February that allowing Williams’ return to duty would be a “travesty”.

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Writer-director Adrian Chiarella’s feature debut had a triumphant premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Now out in some countries, the film sheds new light on conversion therapy as a trope.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the release of Leviticus…

What is the movie Leviticus about?

Leviticus follows high school classmates Naim and Ryan as they develop feelings for each other in a deeply religious community.

When they are discovered, the church forces them to experience an exorcism, a form of so-called conversion therapy. Then, a violent entity is unleashed that shape-shifts into the person they love most. 

Chiarella’s film then follows the pair as they navigate young love and this alternative coming-of-age experience nestled in a deeply hostile small town.

The official synopsis reads: “Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most – each other.”

Is the Leviticus movie LGBTQ?

Yes, Leviticus is certainly a queer film, with its central gay romance between two teenage boys in a small Australian town. 

The central premise of Leviticus is a metaphor for the queer experience and internalised homophobia.

The shape-shifting supernatural entity appears in physical form as each teenage boy, relying on their forbidden gay desire. In turn, these teenage doppelgängers are a terrifying depiction of repressed sexuality. 

Additionally, Leviticus also offers a timely perspective on conversion therapy. The film follows recent explorations of conversation therapy – including Boy Erased and The Miseducation of Cameron Post – but takes a distinctly horror approach.

Furthermore, Leviticus is named after the Old Testament chapter, often cited as justification for anti-LGBTQ+ perspectives.

“The genre of horror movies has operated as this secret code amongst queer people,” Chiarella said of his film.

“We are so drawn to horror movies because we’re watching not just the heroes in these films be terrorised by monsters – but there’s also this sense of what it means to be the monster. What it means to be demonised and to be pushed to the fringes of society.”

Who is in the cast of Leviticus?

The leads, Naim and Ryan, are played by Talk to Me’s Joe Bird and Thrash’s Stacy Clausen, respectively. 

Elsewhere, Bergman Island’s Mia Wasikowska plays Arlene, Naim’s mother.

The Nightingale’s Ewen Leslie is Rod, Hunter’s father, while Davida McKenzie is Izzie, Hunter’s sister.

When is Leviticus coming out?

Leviticus is out Friday (19 June) in Australia and the US.

Though, sadly, there is currently no UK release or streaming date for the film.

The post Everything you need to know about the gay supernatural horror Leviticus appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The districts are Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools and Chippewa Valley Schools.

According to a department press release, Ann Arbor allegedly allowed a transgender student to compete on the girls’ volleyball team, Monroe required its girls’ team to play against and share locker rooms with a team including a transgender student, and Chippewa Valley permitted a female athlete to use a male-only locker room.

“The convoluted practice of allowing students to participate on sex-segregated athletic teams and make use of locker rooms based on ‘gender identity’ is not only known to be unsafe for students, but is a direct violation of federal law,” assistant secretary for civil rights Kimberly Richey said, as per Chalkbeat Detroit.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools, which the Trump administration has used to target protections for transgender students.

A spokesperson for the Chippewa Valley district said it had not yet received the complaint and learned of the investigation through the media, adding that it would cooperate fully and remained “committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment for all students.” The Ann Arbor and Monroe districts did not immediately respond.

Trans athletes in school sports

Criticism of trans athletes competing against girls at school level is nothing new, and AB Hernandez has felt much of the brunt of it. Trump targeted her in a Truth Social post after a previous track and field event in California.

Hernandez is permitted to compete against cisgender girls under the California Interscholastic Federation’s (CIF) guidelines.

The guidelines mean that, if she qualifies to advance or gets a medal or spot on the podium, she will share the achievement with a cis girl who was behind her.

Her mother Nereyda has spoken in defence of her daughter, saying in August 2025: “My daughter is not the problem … This has nothing to do with fairness in sport and everything to do with erasing transgender children.”

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The British star, 43, made an appearance at the horse-racing event, looking dapper in a top hat and tails, accessorising with an umbrella and a flashy watch.

And it was thanks to said watch that the internet got some eye-popping new content to thirst over.

Instagram account “Italian Watch Spotter” shared a video of the actor, which focused on his timepiece – a 1926 Longlines with a monopusher chronograph, their post said.

However, it wasn’t the watch most people were looking at, with the video giving a zoomed-in shot of his very prominent bulge.

The clip soon went viral on social media, with users gushing over Cavill.

“I spy with my little eye,” one user wrote. Another said: “Girl nobody looking at that bracelet.”

Someone else said: “You saw it, I saw it, we all saw it.” Another added: “Alright cameraman… I see what you did.”

‘Aren’t the stallions meant to be in the stables?’

Even Drag Race star Phoenix got involved, writing: “Um, does anyone know if the cameraman has Venmo ’cause he deserves a donation.”

Meanwhile, others focused on the, ahem, position, with one joking: “I checked the time and it’s more like 6ish.” As someone else commented: “It’s 6:30.”

Another said: “Aren’t the stallions meant to be in the stables?”

Cavill’s Royal Ascot appearance comes after his latest film, In The Grey was released to very little attention, despite some critics noting it appeared he was playing gay alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

The film was released on 15 May and made around $3million at the box office over its first weekend.

It had very little promo before its release, so you’d be forgiven for never having heard of it.

As of now, after 59 reviews, it has a score of just 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a more favourable rating of 83% on the site’s Popcornmeter, based on user-submitted reviews.

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The 33-year-old British singer-songwriter told Rolling Stone that she is “in the worst place mentally” that she’s ever been. The declaration comes on the heels of the backlash to her “Rock Music” track.

The upcoming album has a lot to live up to after Brat‘s viral and global success. Charli’s album developed a life of its own, and so fans’ expectations are high.

“The discourse is loud, and sometimes that can be very overwhelming,” Charli said. 

“I have actually been a lot more offline,” she also shared. “I don’t really look as much anymore. It’s just better for my brain. I know people probably won’t believe me, because I am inherently, at least in the past, a very online artist.

“But I recently have been really struggling with my mental health to the point where, if I’m being real, I’m in the worst place mentally that I’ve been in my life.”

Speaking about the new album, Charli noted that her albums have always been very distinctive.

“All of my albums work in opposites,” the artist shared. “They repel against each other, and that’s the connective tissue.

‘I was never going to make that record again’

“I knew when I was making it that I was never going to make that record again,” she said. “It’s not creatively rewarding for me to make the same thing twice.”

“Rock Music” is the first release from Music, Fashion, Film. The album cover artwork features John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese as represeations of music, fashion and film, respectively.

The track “Rock Music” departed from Brat’s dance-pop beat and leaned into auto-tuned hyperpop. On the track, she declares: “The dance floor is dead. Now we’re making rock music.”

“I’m of this mindset at the moment that my life will end, as will all of our lives,” she continues. “I want to live my life exactly the way that I want to live it, because I don’t get a redo.”

Legendary gay filmmaker Gus Van Sant was the photographer for XCX’s Rolling Stone cover shoot.

“Gus’ vibe is so calm,” XCX says of Van Sant, who is best known for the films My Own Private Idaho and Milk.

Music, Fashion, Film is out July 24.

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The council heard from more than 30 residents on overturning the 1988 ordinance, which prohibits venues where consenting adults can engage in sexual activity.

Several LGBTQ+ activists spoke in favour, saying the ban originally targeted same-sex relationships and people with HIV and AIDS.

Jay Orne, a researcher with the Aliveness Project, argued (as per MPR News) that driving sex into hidden spaces does more harm than good: “Research has shown that pushing sexual activity into less visible spaces does not eliminate the risk. It makes outreach and education more difficult.”

Supporters also pointed to potential benefits for tourism and safer-sex practices. Mayor Jacob Frey has indicated he would sign a repeal if passed – though it isn’t a priority.

He said: “We need to have a laser focus right now on public safety, on economic development, and housing. And so, am I supportive of the general direction that the council is going on this, I am. It’s just not the first thing that I want to be working on.”

The council will vote on the ordinance next week.

It would not mean that bathhouses would immediately become legal and open up, but it would contribute to a longer process which may permit venues for sexual activity in the future.

Minneapolis previously had three adult bathhouses. One, the Locker Room Baths, was raided by police in 1979 – it became the largest raid of an adult bathhouse in American history.

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The star shared a carousel in honour of her eldest child, full of cute family photos and snaps of Flo taking steps in his acting career.

Tamzin wrote in the caption: “Happy 18th birthday to my incredibly first born @floellisouthwaite who deserves all the goodness this world has to offer, and all the joy coming to him!

“I could not be more proud of you. You inspire, surprise and astound me daily. Your kindness, heart, dedication, determination, resilience, humour, courage, talent, work ethic, passion, grace, positivity… (I could go on) are a joy to behold!

“What you have already achieved in these first 18 years is AMAZING. I love you SO MUCH.”

She finished: “Here’s to YOU my darling. May adulthood bring you peace, happiness and the success you so deserve.”

In the comments section, Flo wrote: “Love you mother,” adding a red heart emoji.

Who is Flo Ellis Outhwaite?

Flo is the son of Tamzin Outhwaite and her ex, actor Tom Ellis.

Tamzin largely keeps her kids out of the public eye, but spoke of Flo’s transition last year on the Parenting Hell podcast.

She said: “I’ve got two kids, and I did have two daughters and now I have a son and a daughter, and that’s quite easy for me to say now, but it wasn’t maybe six or seven years ago.

“To see him thriving is just nothing but relief and joy for me, really, because there were some dark times.”

She went on to say that Flo being trans is “not the most interesting thing about him”.

Tamzin gushed: “He’s an incredibly funny intelligent boy, and I’m watching him grow into a wonderful human who’s very talented.

“To see him thriving is just nothing but relief and joy for me really because there were some dark times.”

In recent years, Flo has taken a step into the acting world, like his parents.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

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The 26-year-old Australian actress is starting her press run as Supergirl; the heroine’s real name is Kara Zor-El.

The DC Studios movie Supergirl follows Kara, the young cousin of Superman, celebrating her 23rd birthday by travelling across the galaxy with her dog Krypto. On her journey, she meets Ruthye (Eve Ridley) and embarks on a murderous quest for revenge.

Alcock was all smiles when Narrativa Feminina asked about her feelings that Supergirl is regarded by fans as a queer icon.

“I have many queer friends. So, honestly, I’m kind of honoured,” Alcock shared. “I’m honoured that that’s happening.”

She also continued: “I think because she doesn’t live inside the binary of what we think a woman should be. That is what makes her so special and so exciting and so new.”

‘She’d do what she’d want to do in that regard anyway’

Then, Alcock added that she also read the character as a queer figure. “I kind of thought that as well,” she said. “I was like… She’d do what she’d want to do in that regard anyway.”

Though there were some in the comments pushing back against Alcock’s sentiment, most were applauding the actor’s answer.

Supergirl has been an important character for women and LGBTQ+ fans. Kara’s story of forging an identity separate from Superman and learning to be her true self is rendered relatable.

Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, Supergirl is adapted from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Subsequently, the film will lean in to portraying Kara as a young, independent woman taking on her own battles.

Early reactions to Supergirl were mixed. 

“Supergirl is everything I wanted it to be. Girls can be messy and that rules! Kara isn’t her cousin and I really loved how this movie makes that clear. She’s a different kind of hero and perfect in every way,” one viewer shared.

Another noted: “Unfortunately Supergirl is a mixed bag for me. As a fan of the comic, I was (perhaps) overly excited for the film adaptation. While Jason Momoa’s Lobo & Milly Alcock shine, some adaptation choices and a bland villain keep it from greatness. It’s, simply put, just fine.”

Supergirl is in UK cinemas on 25 June.

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The professional team was set to play against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on 18 June, for its 11th annual Pride Night. The club had arranged for players to wear special uniforms with rainbows on the sleeves, but some refused.

However, the night still went ahead as “a free and fun celebration of recognition and inclusion”, just without the game happening.

In a statement, the team said that the Pride event would still go ahead, but anyone with tickets could use them for a future game.

“This decision was not reached lightly,” the team wrote. “Unfortunately, several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game.”

The statement continued: “To be clear; this action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision as the Most Welcoming Place in York.

“As a small token of our regret for the last-minute change of plans and support for our LGBTQIA+ representing partners we are making a $10,000 donation to the Rainbow Rose Center to support and further their work in making sure the York community is as inclusive as we strive to make WellSpan Park in York, Pennsylvania.”

In an Instagram post, the team said they were “deeply troubled and profoundly disappointed by the decisions” of the players who would not wear the Pride jersey.

The event was set to go ahead with fans able to “enjoy community, music and batting practice on the field”.

Pride in baseball

The York Revolution decision comes off the back of an incident in Major League Baseball on 12 June, when some San Francisco Giants players wrote Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night.

Pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker each wrote a reference to Genesis 9:12-16 on their caps, overlapping the rainbow Giants logo worn for the occasion. The passage refers to God creating the rainbow as the sign of a covenant. Meanwhile, another, Sam Hentges, refused to wear a rainbow cap at all.

Subsequently, a number of MAGA personalities, including Rob Schneider and Kevin Sorbo, offered to pay the fines of any players involved if any were handed to them.

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The presenter underwent a lie detector on his Hits Radio Breakfast show, which he hosts alongside X Factor legend Fleur East and comedian James Barr, who is gay.

While the questions started off fairly innocent – does he fancy Fleur, does he think James’ comedy is good – Barr soon asked a question that got lots of people talking.

He said: “Do you secretly wish you were gay?” Without missing a beat, Best replied: “Sometimes, yeah.”

Singer East gasped and put her hand to her mouth, as the lie detector operator said: “Wow. Yeah. He’s telling the truth.”

Barr burst out laughing too, as Best added: “I think everyone does sometimes, don’t they? Sometimes.”

In the comments to the video on Instagram, Barr wrote: “Happy pride @iamwillbest,” adding a Pride flag emoji.

Someone else echoed this, writing: “Well well well Mr Best… happy pride to our ally!”

Another said: “Happy pride month @iamwillbest.”

As someone else, sharing the thoughts of us all, said: “I think many wish Will was gay.”

In recent years, despite a length presenting career, Best has cemented himself as a gay pin-up thanks to his time on Big Brother.

He has regularly been seen in very little or quite revealing outfits on the show, which always sends the gays absolutely feral.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

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The FTC, along with Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas, filed the lawsuit in the latest move by the Trump administration to limit access to gender-affirming care. The suit alleges that not only were deceptive claims made by WPATH, but that the association profited from those claims.

An FTC spokesperson said in a post on X: “Parents have a right to make informed decisions about their children’s health. The FTC will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organisations and providers who are prioritising profit over children’s health and safety.”

The lawsuit follows the FTC’s investigation into WPATH, which was not completed as a federal judge ruled in May to temporarily block it. The association sued to block the probe, claiming that the FTC was violating First Amendment rights.

This isn’t the only investigation that the FTC has launched. It also started probes into the Endocrine Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics over the guidelines they set for gender affirming care. Both of these groups also sued to block the investigations.

WPATH has been providing medical standards for gender-affirming care, which are widely accepted, for over 50 years. According to the association, their standards are based on “established scientific standards, expert consensus, and patient-centered values.”

Addressing the lawsuit in a statement, WPATH said: “WPATH is in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organisations.

“We expect the same result when we oppose this latest attack on WPATH and its mission to promote evidence-informed care and guidance for doctors and their patients.”

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Or, if you’ve seen the viral clip of comedian Ashby Florence on RuPaul’s Drag Race star Maddy Morphosis’ podcast, in which she is confused by what it means, then hopefully we can help.

LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and “plus” represents all other sexual identities including pansexual, asexual and omnisexual – amongst many others. In the clip, Florence goes through the acronym, saying she loves “lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people, queer people, intersex individuals and asexual people” and then falters at the plus, adding: “And I love plus size people… what does the plus stand for?”

It’s the accepted and inclusive way to refer to the queer community, who can be grouped by one common theme: the fact they don’t identify as straight or cisgender, and the “plus” signifies that all other sexualities are also included, not just lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning.

It is, of course, good practice to become well-versed at understanding each of the subsects of sexuality and gender, so you can be prepared socially for people who identify as something other than lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

What does the “plus” in LGBTQ+ stand for?

The “plus” is the least obvious part of the LGBTQ+ initialism, and stands for those who aren’t questioning their sexuality, but identify as part of a group that might not be so well known or understood.

We’ve outlined the definitions of some of the “plus” terms below.

GLAAD, or the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has explained why we needed to add the plus at the end of LGBTQ.

“Coverage of LGBTQ issues has moved beyond simplistic political dichotomies and toward more fully realised representations, not only of the diversity of the LGBTQ community, but also of LGBTQ people’s lives, their families, and their fundamental inclusion in the fabric of… society,” the organisation states.

And this has made a tremendous difference, GLAAD adds.

“Today, LGBTQ people’s stories are more likely to be told in the same way as others — with fairness, integrity, and respect. Journalists realise that LGBTQ people have the right to fair, accurate, and inclusive reporting of their stories and their issues.

“Fair, accurate, and inclusive news media coverage has played an important role in expanding public awareness and understanding of LGBTQ people”.

A run through of some key LGBTQ+ identifiers covered by the “plus”:

Pansexual

Somebody who identifies as pansexual experiences feelings of attraction (physical, emotional or sexual) towards more than one gender identity. Similarly, omnisexual people can be attracted to all genders, although they can tend to date a higher percentage of one certain gender.

Sometimes, pansexual people will refer to themselves as “gender-blind”.

Asexual

A person who identifies as asexual typically experiences little or no sexual attraction to anyone else. The asexual scale can differ from those who have a low sex drive, to those who don’t desire sex whatsoever.

Pomosexual

If you are pomosexual, it means you refuse, avoid, or don’t fit into any particular sexual orientation label that we already have. The idea is that pomosexuality (or being pomoromantic) aims to challenge strict categorisations of who you love or are attracted to and aims to show that the world is full of many people that you may want to be with.

Abrosexual

Abrosexuality is when you have different levels of sexual or romantic attraction to various people and genders throughout your life.

The strictest dictionary definition for someone who is abrosexual is someone who has “a fluid sexual orientation”. For example, you could be gay one day, asexual the next, then polysexual the day after that.

Intersex

A person who is born with variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals that don’t fit the typical ‘male’ or ‘female’ definitions. This can include genital ambiguity. Intersex people, like everyone, can identify as any gender.

Genderfluid

People who are aware of the flexibility of their own gender, and may change their gender throughout their life.

A brief history of the LGBTQ+ acronym

The term ‘LGBTQ+’ aims to be as inclusive of as many groups of people as possible. However, the ways we describe the kaleidoscopes of sexual and gender orientations are always changing and evolving.

The sexual revolution of the 1960s gave birth to a train of thought which insisted that those who identified as non-straight should have their own term. The upshot of that was the term gay, which was positively adopted by the community in the 1970s. It was paired with the term “lesbian” and the two gendered terms became the norm.

The term LGBT came to the fore in the late 1980s, as activist groups rallied for an inclusive description of all those who identified as non-straight. In the 1990s, the term was accepted by those inside and outside the community.

However, tension between various factions of the community has sprung up over the use of the term.

To some, LGBT no longer seems representative of one community, with people identifying as identities which couldn’t be defined within the LGBT mould.

This thought led us to our current incarnation of LGBTQ+, which importantly includes those questioning their identities, as well as a ‘plus’ for the raft of others who feel different in a variety of ways. However, a debate still rages over how we should define our community, and whether or not we are truly one “community” after all.

The academic Eleanor Formby has even said: “I’m not sure that community is a very suitable word for such a diverse group of people.”

Eleanor’s research, conducted at Sheffield Hallam University, studied 600 responses about the phrase “LGBT community”.

She insists that “the concept is important but when it is used in the singular, which it so often is, this is not helpful to many LGBT people, not least because not all feel, or wish to be, included within a singular uniform community”.

“The word community is rarely, if ever, used for people identified as part of majority groups, for example, white community, able-bodied community or heterosexual community, so why do we use it for so-called minority groups?”

What other variations of LGBTQ+ are there and what do they stand for?

The ever-evolving term LGBTQ+ has two common variants, although we can expect these to grow and evolve.

One is LGBTQIA, coined at the University of California, which introduced intersex and asexual to the fold.

There is also the even heftier LGBTTQQIAPP – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally, pansexual – but there has been an inevitable backlash to that super long name.

For now though, it’s pretty safe to assume that LGBTQ+ is an inclusive and respectful term for all those who don’t identify as straight, although it’s important to respond to the requests of minority groups who may prefer to be called by another, more specific name.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

The post What does the plus in LGBTQ+ stand for – and no, it’s not ‘plus size’ appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Willis, Radebe and Widdicombe were confirmed as the new Strictly hosts in May, following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of 2025’s series.

The celebrity line-up for Strictly 2026 is slowly filling up, with Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer and Delta Goodrem confirmed so far, with more to come.

So as we prepare to dust off our dancing shoes and grab our glitter and sequins, we thought we’d take a look at the times Emma Willis proved she was the ultimate LGBTQ+ ally.

Big Brother grilling

When she was host of Big Brother on Channel 5, Willis had a no-holds-barred approach and was quick to grill housemates on their behaviour in the house.

That included in 2016, during Celebrity Big Brother, when evictee Winston McKenzie’s past comments disagreeing with gay parents adopting children was brought up.

In 2012, he was reported to have said: “To say to a child, ‘I am having you adopted by two men who kiss regularly but don’t worry about it’… that is abuse. It is a violation of a child’s human rights because that child has no opportunity to grow up under normal circumstances.”

His fellow housemates questioned him on his words, and so did Willis when he was evicted.

She said: “It’s not that people think you shouldn’t have opinions. It’s comparing adoption to child abuse – that’s very offensive.” When he tried to bring his Christianity into it, Willis shut him down.

McKenzie said he still agreed with what he’d said in 2012, saying: “I’m not going to change my mind, or the way I am.”

Willis pushed him for an answer, saying: “So you still agree with it. It’s sad people still think that it’s OK. You’re discounting such a large part of the population.”

She later branded the interview “infuriating and frustrating”, saying she stood by her approach despite admitting she could have been more impartial as a host.

“I have my beliefs, and I am not homophobic,” she said. “If you can give a child a home and love then it doesn’t matter if the parents are gay or of different races or whatever. Children just need love. That’s why Winston’s comments offended me so much.”

Celebrating the community

Emma Willis often uses her platform to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2024, she presented her Big Brother co-star Rylan Clark with the “LGBT+ Celebrity” award at the British LGBT Awards.

This year, she’s set to host the 2026 PEUGEOT Attitude PRIDE Awards Europe, on 3 July. The event will honour 10 inspirational people from the LGBTQ+ community in the UK and Europe.

She told Attitude: “These are people doing extraordinary things for the LGBTQ+ community, often without expecting any recognition at all. Getting to stand up and celebrate them feels like a genuine privilege, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Fighting gender norms

Emma Willis and her Busted star husband Matt Willis are often praised for the way in which they raise their children.

While the couple keep their kids out of the public eye, they have in the past shared glimpses of their family life.

In 2021, Emma shared a photo of her then-nine-year-old son Ace, who could be seen with long hair, and wearing a pink crop top.

While some followers were confused by the image, Willis spoke out to praise Ace.

She said: “He is very individual, he dresses the way he wants and he’s really happy doing that. Why would I try to suppress that?

“The response was a big eye-opener, because for me, it’s just Ace, he’s my son and that’s the way he’s always been. So it did massively make me start thinking about stereotyping and how bonkers it is that a boy, just because he has long hair and is wearing pink, is mistaken for a girl.”

She added to The Sun: “t is absolutely fascinating… and shocking. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole to be honest, and because of Ace it’s ignited something in me… You should come to the Willis household – I’m the one changing light bulbs and Matt’s the one mopping!”

The following year, she told Fabulous magazine: “Children should be encouraged to express themselves, to play and to experiment with colour and clothes. What harm are they doing?”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

The post Emma Willis’ LGBTQ+ allyship as she steps in to host Strictly 2026 appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The 44-year-old, from the Surendranagar district of the western state of Gujarat, was allegedly befriended through an app called “Polo”.

When he arrived at an abandoned house behind Surendranagar Medical College, he allegedly found seven men waiting.

The group is said to have surrounded and assaulted him, forcibly stripped him and recorded obscene photographs and videos.

The gang allegedly extorted Rs 31,000 in cash and threatened to circulate the footage on social media if he failed to comply or told anyone.

The man later approached the police and lodged a complaint.

Officers said they tracked down and arrested all seven accused using technical surveillance and local intelligence, and recovered the full amount allegedly extorted.

One of the accused was described as a repeat offender previously booked in two serious “honeytrap” related cases.

The post Gay dating app used to lure and extort Indian man in ‘honeytrap’ attack appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The television host and comedian said in a California court that he wanted documents from Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and Threads, to help identify the person behind the page Westminster Wire.

According to the Irish Independent, Norton alleged the Facebook page had been publishing a series of false claims, such as reports of his mum’s death, or his own ill health. He has also been the target of fake, AI-generated images, and falsely attributed to “offensive, racist, or otherwise deeply objectionable views and conduct”.

Meta asks that AI-generated imagery should be labelled as such, and deceptive AI-based content is removed or penalised. It’s likely that the offending account would be banned due to Meta’s “Inauthentic Behaviour and Misinformation” guidelines.

Norton said the fake posts have been causing “very significant alarm, distress, and anxiety”.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK judge Norton told the court: “My 94-year-old mother uses Facebook and has been confronted with reports of her own death.”

‘My professional reputation is of the utmost importance to my career and livelihood’

He has since been forced to spend time proving the stories as fake after friends read about the “ill health” of him and his husband, Jonathan McLeod. The Eurovision narrator also told the court that he has not been hospitalised, donated money or held “racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant or otherwise divisive and hateful” views which the account linked to him.

Norton is now aiming to launch a legal challenge in the High Court in England against whoever is behind Westminster Wire.

Court documents show the account operates anonymously, and posts multiple times each day, according to Norton.

He wants to find out the operator’s identity as without it, he is “unable to bring [his] claim or obtain the injunctive relied [he] urgently needs to stop the ongoing harassment”.

Norton said: “My professional reputation is of the utmost importance to my career and livelihood. I rely on my reputation as a broadcaster and public figure whose views are well-known to the public, my employers, and my commercial partners.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

The post Graham Norton wins US court case forcing Meta to name person behind deepfake posts appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.