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.

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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.

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

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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.”

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Each year in June, the queer community comes together to march through city centres and further afield, honouring the diversity of our people – often, by waving or dressing themselves in flags.

Some of these flags may not be familiar to everyone, so PinkNews brings you a look at the many wonderfully bright and diverse designs, and what it all means – and don’t worry, we won’t be included the cynically-made ‘Straight Pride’ flag.

LGBTQ+ or Gay Pride flag

Let’s start with a familiar one.

The rainbow flag is seen at Pride events all around the world and is often used as a collective symbol for the entire LGBTQ+ community.

However, the design we are most familiar with has changed slightly from the original designed by Gilbert Baker in 1977.

Baker, who died in 2017, said each colour in the flag represents something different.

According to Baker, pink is for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for serenity and purple for the spirit.

“I like to think of those elements as in every person, everyone shares that,” he said to ABC7 news in 1972.

“Flags say something. You put a rainbow flag on your windshield and you’re saying something.”

Although the six-stripe flag we are all most familiar with was caused by difficulties in getting pink and turquoise fabric, that doesn’t mean the flag has finished changing.

In 2017, campaign group More Color More Pride added two extra stripes of black and brown to the traditional flag in order to tangibly include people of colour.

The new flag sparked controversy, but it has a large host of supporters, including Lena Waithe who fabulously wore a cape version of the inclusive flag to the 2018 Met Gala.

Bisexual Pride flag

The bisexual Pride flag was designed by Michael Page in 1998 in order to give bisexual people a wider sense of community and visibility.

Page said that the message of the flag was the idea that the purple blends into both the blue and pink in the same way that bisexual people often blend unnoticed into both gay and straight communities.

The flag is reflected in the phenomenon of bisexual lighting.

Bisexual lighting is when producers use pink, purple and blue hues to make their stars shine, and has been spotted in a series of your favourite films.

The meme has appeared in several blockbusters including Black Panther, Atomic Blonde and Logan, as well as the wonderful music video for Janelle Monáe’s song “Make Me Feel.”

Trans Pride flag

The transgender Pride flag was created by Monica Helms, a navy veteran who came out as trans in 1987.

Helms came up with the trans flag in 1999, after she met Michael Page, and he told her “the trans community needs a flag too”.

The idea for the design came to her quickly, with the blue for trans men, the pink for trans women and the white stripe in the centre representing the non-binary community.

She carried the flag everywhere with her for years, including to over a dozen colour guard Pride parades, but it didn’t start gaining popularity until 2013.

Progress Pride flag

In 2018, a designer began a campaign to “re-boot” the LGBTQ+ Pride flag to make it more inclusive by adding a five-coloured chevron to represent queer people of colour as well as the trans community.

Daniel Quasar, who identifies as queer and non-binary, recently made-over the six-coloured rainbow flag, saying they added a five-striped arrow to reflect “all aspects of our community.”

Lesbian flag

It has to be said that you might not find many lesbian Pride flags out at marches, however, it is an important symbol for many lesbians online.

The flag celebrates the ‘L’ in the LGBTQ community with the beautiful hues of pink, though many lesbians opt for other symbols including the interlocking venus symbol, or the rainbow flag.

You might see this flag adapted somewhat, either mixed with other flags or with a bright red kiss in the corner to represent lipstick lesbians.

Intersex Pride flag

Intersex means 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.

Designed by advocacy group Intersex Human Rights Australia in 2013, the intersex Pride flag intentionally stays away from traditionally gendered colours of blue and pink to celebrate the intersex community.

Explaining the meaning of the flag, the group states: “The circle is unbroken and un-ornamented, symbolising wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities. We are still fighting for bodily autonomy and genital integrity, and this symbolises the right to be who and how we want to be.”

Pansexual Pride flag

Many people see pansexuality as either an attraction regardless of gender or an attraction to all genders.

The creator of the flag is unknown, but it began to be used on the internet in 2010 and has since become a frequent sight at Pride events all around the world.

Pansexual people describe the flag as showing the attraction to men with the blue stripe, women with the pink and people of other genders with the yellow.

Asexual Pride flag

Asexuality is a term used by people who have limited or no sexual feelings or desires.

According to the Asexuality Archive, the flag was created by a member of the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) as part of a contest in 2010.

As with many other flags, the four stripes each have their own specific meaning.

The black stripe stands for asexuality, the grey stripe for grey-asexuality or demisexuality, the white for allies and the purple for the asexual community as a whole.

Polysexual flag

Polysexual is a term used for people who are attracted to two or more genders, but not necessarily all of them.

It can also be used as an umbrella term for identities such as bisexual and pansexual, but many use polysexual as an identity in itself.

The pink stripe is said to represent attraction to women, the blue attraction to men and the green as attraction to people of other genders.

Polyamorous Pride flag

Polyamory is the term for people who have open sexual or romantic relationships with more than one person at a time.

Many polyamorous people also identify with another label within the LGBT+ community, and so it’s common to see polyamorous Pride flags.

The latest polyamory flag features a tricolour design which was created by Red Howell. The heart within aims to “reminds us that love in all forms is the core of non-monogamy”.

White on the flag symbolises a blank canvas, while magenta stands for desire, love, and attraction, blue stands for openness and honesty, gold represents the energy and perseverance and purple represents a united non-monogamous community.

Prior to Howell’s flag there was one designed by Jim Evans, which aimed to represent honesty with the blue stripe, love with the red, and the fight against discrimination with the black stripe.

The pi symbol in the middle of the flag is used because it is the first letter in the Greek word for polyamory, and also represents emotional attachments to other people.

Non-binary flag

Non-binary is both a term to describe a gender identity that isn’t exclusively male or female, and an explicit identity label for many people.

Created in 2014 by 17-year-old Kye Rowan, the four stripes of the Non-binary Pride flag each represent a different part of the non-binary community.

The yellow stripe is for gender separate from the gender binary, white for those with multiple genders, the purple stripe is for those who are a mix of male and female, and black is for people without a gender at all.

Genderqueer Pride flag

Genderqueer is one form of non-binary identity that has its own flag, which was created by artist and filmmaker Marilyn Roxie in 2011.

The three stripes of the flag each have their own meaning, with androgyny represented with lavender, agender people represented with the white, and non-binary identities with the green.

Genderfluid flag

Genderfluid is the term for people who find that their gender identity can shift, and the identity is often included under the non-binary umbrella.

The five stripes of the genderfluid Pride flag each have their own meanings, with the pink and blue for femininity and masculinity, the purple stripe for both masculinity and femininity.

The black stripe in the flag represents a lack of gender, and white is there for all genders.

Twink Pride flag

This might not be a flag that you see on the streets of LGBTQ+ Pride events in London or New York, but the twink Pride flag is used online.

Twinks are one of the largest – and arguably most sexualised – gay subcultures.

A twink is often a young man (teens to early 20s) or one who looks younger than their age, who is typically attractive, lacking in body or facial hair and of a slim build.

Although there is no concrete definition of the flag, many see the pink as a celebration of the effeminate nature of many twinks, alongside the central interlocking symbol a well-known sign of male sexuality.

Leather Pride flag

Leather is a gay subculture heavily associated with kink and the BDSM community, with leather bars typically frequented by ‘bears’ and older gay men.

The flag was designed by prominent leather community member Tony DeBlase in 1989, presenting the flag at the International Mr Leather Convention in Chicago.

It is now commonly used in Pride parades by the leather subculture, as well as partially being embraced by the BDSM community.

Bear flag

In the gay community, a bear is a man who is hairy and/or has facial hair, often with a ‘cuddly’ body.

Like leather and twink, the bear subculture has its own flag that is regularly seen at Pride events.

Prominent Washington, D.C. bear Craig Byrnes introduced the flag in 1996 following several years of development.

The flag was later distributed, with the colours representing the nationality and different hair – or fur – colours of bears around the world.

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

The post Every LGBTQ+ flag you might see this Pride and what they all mean appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Speaking on Paul C Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast, where he also revealed he exclusively slept with married men before coming out as gay, Underwood explained he was struggling with his sexuality and felt the dating show could force him to be with a woman.

Before coming out as gay in 2021, Underwood felt the opportunity to star on The Bachelor came to him for a bigger purpose.

He said: “Why else would an opportunity like that fall into my lap, if not put there to sort of help me? What I was telling myself is, like, this is going to force me.

“I’m going to be so publicly straight that I will never be able to be gay again.”

Underwood went on: “On one hand, it was like even if it doesn’t work, this conversion therapy way doesn’t work, I’m so trapped because I’m so publicly known now from being The Bachelor that I can never do gay things again.”

On the show, Underwood became known as the “Virgin Bachelor”, something he said was down to his faith – whereas it was actually because of his struggles with his sexuality.

He added: “I think there was always, like in the back of my mind, a little guilt of, why would I do that? Why would I go down that path with a woman if I know in my heart that I’m gay?”

Who is Colton Underwood?

Colton Underwood, 34, is a former professional football player and more recently a reality television star.

He first starred on the 14th season of The Bachelorette, before becoming The Bachelor in its 23rd season. After, he became the first lead star of The Bachelor to come out as gay, in 2021.

Since coming out, Underwood has been with Democratic strategist Jordan C Brown, with the pair marrying in May 2023. They welcomed their son, Bishop, in September 2024.

Underwood has also appeared on his own Netflix series, Coming Out Colton, as well as The Masked Singer and The Traitors.

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

The post Colton Underwood saw The Bachelor as ‘conversion therapy’ before coming out appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

According to the lawsuit, the student endured repeated threats, harassment and physical intimidation at Payson Junior High School between 2022 and 2024 because of her LGBTQ+ identity.

The family claims both the girl and her mother repeatedly reported the abuse to school administrators and, in 2024, warned staff that another student had threatened to attack her after school. Despite the alleged warning, the assault went ahead later that day.

The complaint states that the teenager suffered a concussion, a bloody nose, head and neck contusions, and emotional trauma as a result of the attack.

“This was not an isolated incident,” attorney Zachary Myers said in a statement. “There was a clear pattern of bullying and harassment, repeated warnings to school officials, and a specific warning that the assailant was planning to attack our client.”

Her family says they were ultimately forced to withdraw her from the school for her own safety.

The family is seeking accountability from the school district and has argued that stronger intervention from staff could have prevented the alleged assault and its lasting impact on their daughter.

Nebo School District did not respond to local ABC affiliate KTVX‘s request for comment.

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

The post Utah family sues school district over bullying and assault of LGBTQ+ child appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Taking place on Saturday, 30 May 2026, at the United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles, the ceremony was pre-recorded and later broadcast on Bravo and Peacock on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

The pair, who star together in thriller series The Hunting Wives, locked lips and danced together during the ceremony hosted by comedians Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, prompting cheers from the audience and a flood of reactions online.

One attendee took to social media and wrote: “MALIN AKERMAN AND BRITTANY SNOW JUST MADE OUT AND DANCED ON STAGE IN FRONT OF MY EYES.”

Another person posted a clip of their dance with the caption: “WHO IS DOING IT LIKE THE HUNTING WIVES?”

Based on May Cobb’s bestselling novel of the same name, in the series Snow plays Sophie O’Neil, a newcomer to an affluent East Texas community who becomes captivated by Akerman’s glamorous socialite character, Margo Banks.

The series premiered in the US in July 2025 and landed on ITVX in the UK in December 2025 and has already earned a devoted sapphic fanbase for the chemistry between their characters.

But while their awards performance has got sapphics hot and bothered, it’s likely just on-screen chemistry, as Akerman is married to British actor Jack Donnelly.

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Yaqoob Benshabir, 20, whose uncle was Khaled Sharrouf, one of Australia’s most notorious IS members, pleaded guilty over an attack on a gay couple at Wynyard Walk in Sydney’s CBD in February 2024.

The group reportedly shouted homophobic slurs after seeing the pair kiss, before one of the men was repeatedly punched. A co-offender is alleged to have filmed the attack and shared it online.

Benshabir was originally sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment but successfully appealed the severity of that sentence in April and was released on a conditional release order after roughly eight months in custody. Prosecutors had sought supervision orders to give authorities additional powers to monitor him, but those were not granted at that stage.

According to Australia’s Daily Telegraph, court hearings heard that police had allegedly found material on his phone said to express support for Islamic State.

Benshabir was charged by the Australian Federal Police with a violent extremism-related offence, but the charge was later withdrawn. He currently faces no terrorism or extremism charges, and an application for an extended supervision order remains before the courts.

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Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning it affects people in different ways. Autism is not an illness or disease, but means the brain works differently to others, as noted by the NHS.

A few of the disorder’s traits may mean people find it harder to communicate and interact with others and take longer to understand information. 

To mark Autistic Pride Day, here are five LGBTQ+ celebrities who have spoken publicly about autistic. 

Wentworth Miller 

Prison Break star Wentworth Miller revealed in 2021 that he was diagnosed with autism as an adult. 

The gay actor shared his diagnosis with his 1.7million Instagram followers, saying it came as “a shock, but not a surprise”.

“Right now, my work looks like evolving my understanding,” Miller wrote at the time. “Re-examining five decades of lived experience through a new lens. That will take time.

“Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room. The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for. I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (without realising it).’”

Miller acknowledged his privilege in being able to access a diagnosis, recognising this is something a lot of people are not able to enjoy.

Bradley Riches 

Heartstopper and Emmerdale star Bradley Riches opened up on Celebrity Big Brother about being autistic and the importance of being himself.

Riches, who was diagnosed as being autistic at the age of nine, said the opportunity to be on Celebrity Big Brother enabled him to push himself. 

In an interview with the Metro he explained that he hopes to provide representation for young autistic people. 

“I never saw an actor who was openly autistic, but we’re getting towards the right place with more autistic actors playing autistic roles, which should always be the case, otherwise it’s not truthful representation,” he told the outlet in 2022.

Hannah Gadsby 

Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby became a household name after the release of their ground-breaking comedy special Nanette, and first opened up about their autism diagnosis in the acclaimed 2018 comedy special.

They told PinkNews in 2023: “There’s a lot of outside chaos that I’m trying to put together.

“The diagnosis helped enormously because I now know that I’m probably not seeing the entire picture all the time, so there’s humour to be mined there.” 

Josh Thomas 

Gay comedian and actor Josh Thomas was praised by the LGBTQ+ community for his portrayal of gay millennial life, with a focus on mental health issues, in his acclaimed comedy series Please Like Me. Then came 2020’s Everything’s Going To Be OK, a series about a gay entomologist who is diagnosed with autism. 

Speaking to The Guardian about his diagnosis with autism, at 33, he said: “I was more aware of the fact that [I’m] bad at some stuff … getting people to feel comfortable and talk about themselves – I wouldn’t say I’m the frontrunner for that job. Which I think got us interesting interviews because I’m so direct, and nobody sounds like they’re bullshitting or being performative.”

Sheldon Riley 

Australian singer Sheldon Riley represented Australia at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest with his song “Not the Same”, which touches on his experience growing up autistic and queer.

The singer was diagnosed with autism at when he was six, nine and 12. 

Speaking to SBS News, he shared: “I was told for a long time that I wouldn’t be able to execute myself as a normal functioning human being, to get work or have friends or have a partner.”

He said being chosen to represent Australia at Eurovision was great validation. 

“I’m not just the reality TV person or someone who dresses up because they love to dress up, I’m a musician. I write my own music, I am completely independent.” 

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Straight out of Central Casting, he’s moisturised, emotionally available and free at all hours, especially when the heroine needs someone to tell her she looks amazing in a (quite frankly) awful/desperate dress.

He never loses it or sulks. There are no money worries, bad moods or complex mother-son relationships. He doesn’t cut his toenails on the toilet. Nine times out of 10, he has no sex life to speak of, unless it happens off-screen, shared with his “bitches” over bottomless brunches.

He exists to carry multiple shopping bags, pour wine, say something devastating about his ex, then disappear until the next emergency.

The Gay Best Friend has been ticking diversity boxes in mainstream romcoms for decades, smiling through other people’s up-and-down love stories. He’s waspishly funny, sharp and never messy, big on pearls of gay wisdom – but God forbid he gets to make a catastrophic romantic decision of his own.

This bothers me more now because romantic fiction is having a moment. UK romance and saga sales hit £69million in 2024, up from £24million in 2019, which is delicious. A genre dismissed as frothy, silly or seriously uncool is doing what it’s always done: giving readers emotional satisfaction, hope, chemistry, jokes and the pleasure of watching people make awful decisions before finding their happy-ever-after.

Romcoms understand something a lot of literary fiction claims to be above. Life is ridiculous. Love is ridiculous. People lie, panic, flirt with the worst person in the room, get inappropriately drunk, and build entire identities around avoidance.

Straight characters get all of that. They get to be selfish, horny, jealous, generous, neurotic, embarrassing and adored. They’re granted all-you-can eat buffet access. Queer characters are still handed a side plate and told to keep their hands off the good stuff.

I don’t want every gay character to be noble. In fact, I’m pleading with writers and publishers to let more of us be an absolute liability.

That was on my mind when I wrote Lisa Doyle Is Absolutely Fine. Lisa is heading for 40 and anything but fine. Her best friend is getting married, everyone else seems settled, and after four glasses of not great wine she tells Instagram she’s engaged too. To a man called Brian. The problem, apart from everything, is that the only Brian under 60 in her life happens to be her boss.

Her actor flatmate Andy is gay, funny and loyal, but he’s no cocktail-slurping cliché. Andy is part of the engine. He makes things worse. He’s vain, brave, insecure, generous and borderline deranged.

That version of a gay man feels truer to me than another frictionless best friend in a statement jacket.

I grew up hungry for funny stories where queer people weren’t treated as a lesson, a tragedy, or evidence of the main character’s broad-mindedness. I didn’t always need a coming out story – though they do matter. I didn’t crave trauma served with tasteful restraint. Sometimes, I just wanted the queer character to get the big entrance, the bad idea, the best line and the fallout.

There’s still a strange hierarchy around LGBTQ+ stories. Serious suffering is respected. Literary pain is welcomed. If a queer character is miserable in a beautifully described room, the author is invited to sit at the Booker Prize table. Put queer people in a funny book and suddenly it’s “beach read froth”. As though laughter is a lesser form of truth.

I don’t buy that for a second.

Comedy has always been one of the sharpest tools queer people have. We’ve used it to survive bad dates, family Christmases and the cruelty of school PE changing rooms. We understand timing. We know about masks. We know the difference between being seen and being stared at.

So yes, let the gay best friend be funny. Let him be stylish if he wants. Let him arrive with good wine and a devastating opinion about someone’s shoes. I’m not a monster.

But let him want things. Let him get things wrong. Let him be bored, jealous, horny, skint, petty, pretty, brilliant and kind. Let him push the plot instead of decorating it.

Romance is booming. It would be a shame if, in all that abundance, queer characters were still expected to stand politely by, waiting for the heroine to need a gay-boy pep talk. Give us the messy crushes, the obviously terrible decisions and the grand finale. After decades of helping everyone else get there, we’d quite like a happy ending of our own.

Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine by Mo Fanning (Spring Street Books) is out 18 June 2026.

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Lil Nas X has shared an Instagram video telling fans he spent “a few months” in rehab, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, feels he’s “smelling the roses”, and has new music on the way.

In the clip, posted on Wednesday (17 June), the 27-year-old said he has been trying to feel grounded again since treatment.

“I’ve been in rehab for a few months, and since then I’ve been back at home, whether that’s in Atlanta with my family, or in Los Angeles with myself and friends or what not and trying to ground myself down to earth and get out of my head,” he said.

Lil Nas X added: “I have a therapist now and a psychiatrist which has been really helpful.”

He said he had suspected the diagnosis for years, but didn’t want to accept it because he didn’t want to take medication or have people think differently of him.

He also spoke about stigma through the lens of identity, saying: “I’m already Black and gay, like damn, God, come on, Black, gay, bipolar, I’m living life on extreme hard mode,” before adding: “On a serious note, I’m doing much better, I’m feeling better,” and: “I’m smelling the roses.”

Turning to what comes next, he told fans: “Speaking of music, I wanted to let you know there’s new music on the way,” adding that he is “not getting completely to that just yet”. He also said he has been making music for seven years.

In the same Instagram video, he thanked supporters for sticking with him and said he’s excited for “this next chapter” as he prepares to return to releasing music.

Arrest and court case

Lil Nas X was arrested in August 2025 after being spotted on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City wearing underwear and white cowboy boots, and he pleaded not guilty to charges including battery and resisting a law enforcement order.

In April 2026, a judge said the charges would be dropped if he complied with a treatment plan and obeyed all laws for the next two years, under a mental health diversion programme.

Montero Lamar Hill broke through with ‘Old Town Road’, which became a record-breaking global hit and a major pop-culture flashpoint. Openly gay, he has been a high-profile figure in mainstream music for queer visibility, and has spoken candidly about his sexuality and the pressures that come with fame.

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Daveigh Chase, the actress best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and playing Samara Morgan in The Ring, has died aged 35 after being hospitalised in Los Angeles.

Chase voiced Lilo in the 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch, as well as its spin-off TV series and 2003’s Stitch! The Movie. She also played the ghostly Samara Morgan in 2002’s The Ring, a role that made her a defining horror image of the era.

Roy Hernandez, who claims to have been Chase’s boyfriend since around 2019, confirmed her death to TMZ. Hernandez said she died after developing sepsis linked to meningitis and an infection in her blood. She had been hospitalised for malnutrition, and was admitted to an LA hospital earlier in June before her condition deteriorated.

Daveigh Chase’s life and career

Chase’s two major 2002 roles made her a rare pop culture touchstone, tied both to childhood comfort viewing and to one of the most enduring horror villains of the 2000s.

Lilo & Stitch has had a long afterlife as a Disney franchise, keeping her voice work in circulation for new audiences.

She also worked in live-action film and television beyond her breakout roles, but became far less visible in the 2010s.

Her final roles were in 2016, on the video game Let It Die and in the movies Jack Goes Home, and American Romance.

After retreating from the public eye, Chase was involved in a handful of legal issues. In February 2017, she was detained and questioned by the LAPD after taking an unresponsive man, who was later pronounced dead from a suspected drug overdose, to a hospital.

Then, in November 2017 she was arrested in LA for a felony after she was found riding as a passenger in a vehicle which was reported stolen.

In August the following year, she was arrested on for a misdemeanour relating to drug possession. In November of the same year she was officially charged with two misdemeanours for possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Fundraising appeals and doubts

Hernandez launched a fundraising appeal in the weeks before Chase’s death. In one, he wrote: “Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life… But behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship.”

He added: “Recently, everything changed. Daveigh was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections. Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left. All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together, feel safe, and be happy.”

However, reports from TMZ claim friends were suspicious of Hernandez. Chase’s former manager told the outlet: “A man claiming to be Daveigh’s boyfriend has launched a GoFundMe page purportedly on behalf of Daveigh and her family. Neither her family nor her close friends know who this person is.”

He added that Chase had a “SAG trust account with more than enough funds to cover all medical and related expenses”.

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Pedro Villareal was arrested after reports were made that he had shouted antigay slurs at Eric Reed and Juan Olvera outside a restaurant before chasing them to nearby railroad tracks and beating them.

The couple who were assaulted spoke to KTVB about the attack, which left Reed requiring six stitches in his lip. Olvera said about the attack: “I literally felt they were going to kill us for being gay. It’s a scary thing to live through, and I never would wish this on anyone.”

The police arrested Villareal but have said that he can only be charged with a misdemeanour, as the state’s hate crime law apparently doesn’t apply. Although law officials have said they want to pursue hate crime charges, the law in Idaho doesn’t consider crimes that are based on gender identity or sexuality as being acts of hate.

Lt. Jeffrey Peterson, spokesperson for Caldwell police, told the broadcaster: “We’re here to serve the citizens of Caldwell and Idaho, and unfortunately, when we’re unable to give them the justice that they feel that they need, under the application of the law, it is frustrating.”

Idaho’s state law has previously prevented hate crime allegations from being pursued. In 2023, Matthew Alan Lehigh was arrested and charged with malicious injury to property, aggravated assault, and arson following a series of crimes. These included allegedly attempting to drive into a gay couple after vandalising a Pride flag at their home and at a local LGBTQ+ centre.

Hate crime charges against Lehigh could not be levied, despite the clear anti-LGBTQ+ motives behind his actions, until federal prosecutors stepped in.

Currently, hate crimes in Idaho only cover the targeting and harassment of people based on “race, colour, religion, ancestry or national origin”.

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During Friday’s game (12 June) against the Chicago Cubs, 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.

A fourth pitcher, Sam Hentges, declined to wear the rainbow cap at all, saying it was “something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it”.

MLB issued a warning over its uniform policy. And while no fines have been issued, the warning triggered backlash from MAGA figures.

Vice-President JD Vance posted: “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore.”

Actor Rob Schneider offered to “pay the fines for any MLB Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform,” calling the league “ANTI-CHRISTIAN”, with actor Kevin Sorbo replying: “Happy to chip in with you on this.”

Missouri senator Josh Hawley accused the league of “anti-Christian bigotry”.

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