A high-profile Republican is calling out his party over its fixation on trans issues.

In an interview with Texas Monthly, former Texas GOP House Speaker Dade Phelan says Republicans are in serious jeopardy of losing their grip on the Lone Star State. “People are freaking out,” he said. “You see it in their faces.”

Republicans across the country are experiencing similar angst. This week, Politico spoke to five senior Republican lawmakers who all agree that the GOP is all but certain to lose the House.

To counteract the impending blue wave, Republicans are returning to a tired and desperate playbook: demonizing trans people.

Politics, but make it gay!

Stay woke with our briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

Phelan, who’s still in the Texas House but not running for reelection, says the attacks are falling flat. The intense GOP focus on trans athletes far outweighs the issue’s impact on people’s lives.

“We’re still running transgender ads. It’s just not resonating,” he said. “Let’s be honest. The 8 to 10% of voters in the middle who are going to decide this election, when they hear stuff about boys in girls’ sports, they don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

He continued, “This never happened in their communities, and they’ve been hearing about it for so many years, and so many other people have been accused of it. What Republicans are talking about is just not what the swing voter is really interested in.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Related

Sherrod Brown just masterfully turned the GOP’s anti-trans playbook against them
There’s another way to beat MAGA

Going against his party

Unlike most Republicans, Phelan occasionally goes against his party. Years ago, he pledged he was “done talking about bashing on the gay community.”

Now, Phelan’s actions haven’t always matched his words. As House Speaker, he allowed a bill to pass that restricts trans participation in school sports.

But in 2024, he did push impeachment proceedings against Ken Paxton, one of the most anti-LGBTQ+ pols in the country. The Texas House voted to impeach the Texas AG over allegations of bribery and abusing the power of his office to help donors. Around that time, allegations of an extramarital affair also came to light. (Last year, Paxton’s now-ex-wife, a state senator herself, filed for divorce on “biblical grounds”).

Despite Paxton’s depravity, the Texas Senate didn’t convict him. Afterwards, Phelan paid the price for his moral stand. He was censured by the state party on a near-unanimous vote and saw his support crater. Tr*mp endorsed his opponent in the 2024 primary, a race that Phelan narrowly won.

In the Texas Monthly interview, Phelan confirmed he’s not supporting Paxton in the state’s crucial Senate race against James Talarico. “There’s not a world in which I can vote for a Ken Paxton,” he said.

Anti-trans attacks failing

Phelan articulates why Republicans’ anti-trans attacks are desperate ploys: they have nothing else to run on. Tr*mp’s illegal war in Iran is deeply unpopular and has caused fuel prices to skyrocket. With his approval rating at a record low, Republicans are boxed in.

So, they’re fear mongering. When Tr*mp ran in ’24, his “Kamala is for they/them” ad was deemed one of the most effective of the campaign.

But if that ad did resonate, it’s because it spoke to the frustration that Americans felt over inflation and the economy under Joe Biden. With Republicans now in power–and in control of an even worse economic picture–the “they/them” line doesn’t work.

Given the lack of trans athletes (there are fewer than 10 in the NCAA), Republicans are the ones who seem crazy over their trans obsession.

But that’s what Republicans do. They reflexively fear-monger about LGBTQ+ people.

Look no further than their homophobic attacks on Talarico. Saddled with a horrible candidate in Ken Paxton, they’ve resorted to smearing Talarico.

JD Vance in particular likes to insulate that Talarico is gay. The VP made weird and uncomfortable remarks about Talarico’s sexuality on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Talarico remains up in every poll. If he becomes the first Democrat in Texas to be elected to the Senate since 1988, disenchanted Republicans like Phelan will be a big reason why.

Related

Kacey Musgraves vs. Kristi Noem, Chris Gallant shrugs off his leather past, Ivanka tries to exit the group chat
The midterms are less than three weeks ago and there’s a lot going on. Here are some of the gayest (and weirdest!) things happening in politics right now…

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

It’s a big day for Andrew Rannells fans, twenty-somethings, and every gay man who’s ever spent a night out in in Brooklyn: HBO’s hit sitcom Girls is coming back next year.

The Lena Dunham-helmed show, which ran from 2012 to 2017, was billed as the younger generation’s answer to SATC, following a group of friends traipsing through their 20s in New York City with sardonic comebacks and little-to-no safety nets.

And as Dunham revealed in an Instagram post yesterday, a limited, five-episode-long revival was just green lit by HBO, and her other girls — Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, and gay bestie Rannells — are all down for the ride.

Thank God!

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

Watch.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HBO Max (@hbomax)

To be fair, the show, while critically acclaimed, was not without its online critics during its initial airing.

Dunham, who not only worked as creator and showrunner but starred as Hannah Horvath, was often criticized for her overzealousness to appear clothes-free on screen and her character’s eye roll-provoking zingers, like “I think that I may be the voice of my generation. Or at least a voice. Of a generation.” LOL.

That said, the show has experiences a bit of a cultural reevaluation in the streaming era, thanks in part to projects like Girls Rewatch Podcast, a massive LGBTQ+ fandom around Dunham’s recent memoir Famesick, and the amount of goss its stars have spilled over the past few years.

(Namely, that Rannells’ apparent on-and-off flirtationship with Anderson Cooper at 25-years-old inspired his character’s Season 5 storyline with news anchor Dill Harcourt, portrayed by Corey Stoll. Our minds are still blown.)

“We always said we would only return to Girls if there was a specific story we were burning to tell,” Dunham told Variety in a statement.

“I’ve missed these characters, but for a long time, I couldn’t quite picture them in the present day. Then, right around my fortieth birthday, they started talking to me in the shower. And, as you may remember, once this fivesome starts talking, it’s pretty hard to get them to stop.”

The writer and director remarked how “rare” it is to “return to something that changed your life with the gift of hindsight and a whole new level of gratitude.”

Still, as she joked in the announcement video, the title Girls feels a little inappropriate, considering her and her cast mates are now “old as f*ck.” LOL.

There’s no word yet on a release date, though HBO confirmed production will start next year.

As of this time, it appears that neither Adam Driver nor his character, coincidentally named Adam, will be a part of the project.

That said, the mere announcement was enough to send Gay Twitter X reeling, between unsubstantiated predictions that this is proof the Tr*mp era is nearly behind us, wild casting ideas, and thoughts on where the characters are today.

Of course, the Girls reboot does face an uphill battle in the form of the shadow left by And Just Like That…, HBO’s last revival, and a certain queer character who left a bad taste in the collective internet’s mouth.

So, who do you think will end up dating Ché Diaz in the Girls revival, and why is it definitely Marnie?!

Below, check out the best reactions to the upcoming Girls revival.

I really hope they give Marnie’s mom in the Girls revival the tackiest phone case ever conceived please https://t.co/8wENlbdZ5M

— catalina (@fiImaker) October 13, 2026

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

History is surprising. When researching some of the first-ever published columnists in LGBTQ+ magazines, nobody expects to find a straight cis woman at the forefront of everything. But for one scholar, that’s exactly how it played out.

In 1970, a young mother desperate to break into queer publishing launched a column in The Los Angeles Advocate. Her name was Jeanne C. Barney, and she was here to tell queer people how to navigate their lives, without the usual homophobic judgment they might get from other publications. That column, “Smoke From Jeannie’s Lamp,” is now the subject of new scholarship.

“The Los Angeles Advocate started out as a 12-page paper clandestinely printed on an office copy machine in 1967. By 1975, it had grown into the most important nationally circulating gay newspaper in the United States,” writes Lucy Mulroney in a new article about Barney’s all-but-forgotten work. We know that Barney was prolific in the 1970s. Her column ran in the Advocate from 1970-75. That same decade, she started a leather magazine and a magazine directed toward LGBTQ+ readers who were incarcerated.

Your dose of fabulosi-TEA

Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

“She is said to have worn a size zero dress and enjoyed both cigarettes and Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’N Waffles,” Mulroney writes. “Mostly, she is a mystery.”

The fact that most of her work languishes in microfiche is partly to blame for this. The other reason is more obvious: an advice columnist is meant to be an everywoman. Her point of view must be clear, but historically speaking, the Dear Abbys and Advice to the Lovelorns of this world have tended to keep their private lives private while handing out sage wisdom to the masses.

Barney, however, had a distinct edge. She wanted to hear specific questions from queer respondents. Questions like: “Is there any way that I can stretch my an*s?” and “are golden showers healthy?” and “is there a gay Weight Watchers?”

And this intriguing question, presumably from a closeted trans woman. “I would like to get castrated,” they write, “But no one will help me.”

“The column eventually became a s*xy, strange, inspiring public square,” writes Mulroney, who works at the Yale Library where copies of Jeannie’s Advocate columns live. Barney was the rare advice writer who inspired readers to come out into the open with their deepest queries. At one point, she responded with an open mind to two brothers worried about their romantic relationship. “I do wonder if—being identical twins in love with each other—it does not mean that each of you is really in love with himself,” she wrote.

Though Barney died in 2018, scholars like Mulroney are now committed to preserving an archive of her work. After all, what better window is there into the past than the hundreds of pressing questions fielded by Barney, one of the few exclusively gay-cenric advice columnists out there—especially during a time when “homosexual activity” was still punishable by law in many states?

“Her archive, like her column, is filled with the heartfelt letters of even lesser-known individuals,” Mulroney says. “Tiny pieces of other people’s stories are still being saved and shared through her.”

The internet was supposed to be forever, but currently we’re learning how flimsy that promise is. Before you could head to Reddit in search of nonjudgmental answers to your most pressing questions, people like Barney were sitting at their desks, dealing with everything from twincest to twinks to f*reskin problems. The least we can do is remember them.

Related

Kacey Musgraves vs. Kristi Noem, Chris Gallant shrugs off his leather past, Ivanka tries to exit the group chat
The midterms are less than three weeks ago and there’s a lot going on. Here are some of the gayest (and weirdest!) things happening in politics right now…

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

At the 2020 RNC, Kimberly Guilfoyle stepped on stage and passionately declared that “the best is yet to come!” Six years later, it’s clear that the best came and went.

On Tuesday, Guilfoyle resigned from her cushy ambassadorship, amid revelations that she asked a GOP donor to wire her $100K to pay off her American Express debt.

Much like Don Jr. dumped Guilfoyle as his fiancée, D*n*ld Tr*mp jettisoned her from his administration.

“Serving as the United States Ambassador to Greece has been the honor of a lifetime,” she posted on X. “I will forever be grateful to President D*nald J. Tr*mp and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world.”

Politics, but make it gay!

Stay woke with our briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

While Guilfoyle says she represented the U.S. during her 12 months in Athens, it appears that she was mainly interested in padding her own depleted coffers.

In the end, Don Jr.’s ex was too shameless for the most brazenly corrupt admin in modern U.S. history.

What an embarrassing ending indeed…

Selling access, but not providing it

The Wall Street Journal exposé that ultimately ended Guilfoyle’s stint in MAGA World was largely predicated on incriminating text exchanges that Guilfoyle shared with a GOP donor named Eric Deters. In them, she begged Deters to pay down her 100K in Amex debt, which she thought could sink her Senate confirmation.

“Honey please I need you to get this done for me today,” she texted Deters in July 2025.

Deters ultimately refused to pay Guilfoyle’s Amex bill, saying the gross gesture would cost him his marriage.

Speaking to the WSJ, a clearly scorned Deters said that Guilfoyle promised to be his “Tr*mp ride or die forever and ever.” But she failed to deliver.

“She never came through on anything,” he said.

But that didn’t stop her from asking from making grandiose proclamations. In the wake of Tr*mp’s 2024 victory, she boasted to Deters that “every secretary of you know defense, transportation, treasury commerce IRS commissioner everyone gets right back to me.”

She sent a followup message that said she “forgot about cash Patel,” misspelling the FBI director’s first name.

Among Deters’ requests were the extradition of a Ohio doctor who fled to Pakistan after being charged with insurance fraud, a convo with the IRS chief about an investigation into his tax deductions and an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast (for whatever reason).

Guilfoyle struck out on all three requests. Still, she admonished Deters for communicating with her via text. “What a nightmare you’ll literally cost me my ambassadorship,” she wrote.

How did Guilfoyle rack up $100K in credit card debt?

Guilfoyle’s personal history is… interesting. She was married to Gavin Newsom in the early 2000s, just as the California governor’s political ascent began. The couple divorced in 2005, and proceeded to live on opposite coasts.

Over the ensuing decade, Guilfoyle worked at Fox News and took a hard right turn. She was one of the network’s most prominent personalities, earning millions of dollars annually. During that time, she started dating Don Jr., making her even more valuable.

Yet, her Fox career ended in disgrace. A female assistant accused Guilfoyle of persistent sexual harassment. Fox reportedly paid Guilfoyle’s accuser $4 million in court.

But in a family and GOP ripe with sexual deviants, Guilfoyle’s alleged harassment wasn’t a sticking point. Engaged to Don. Jr., she was on the cusp of A-list MAGA status.

That relationship ended in 2024, however. Guilfoyle was saddled with a $9.7 million Palm Beach mansion, which she failed to sell at a $30 million asking price (Don Jr. eventually bought her out for $7.6 million).

In addition to a multimillion-dollar mortgage, Guilfoyle owed between $100K and $250K on a boat and started a failed upscale vodka brand named Polished Rice.

Desperately in need of cash, Guilfoyle tried to court investors at Mar-a-Lago, an act that reportedly annoyed Tr*mp.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimberlyguilfoyle)

“Corruption for me, but not for thee”

It is objectively hilarious that Guilfoyle was ousted over allegations of corruption. Tr*mp has never seen a grift that he doesn’t love.

Since his re-election, Tr*mp has amassed at least $2.24 billion in wealth. Those riches have trickled down to Eric and Don Jr: they run a crypto company that’s generated over $500 million.

Not to be outdone, Jared Kushner runs a $2 billion investment fund, with the majority of his backing coming from the Saudis and other Persian Gulf monarchies.

Like a true mafioso, Tr*mp likes to keep it in the family. And Guilfoyle is on the outs–he shipped her across the Atlantic right after Don Jr. was spotted with his now-wife, Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson.

Now, Guilfoyle is being recalled. On Tuesday, she was effectively fired by new White House press sec. Katie Zacharia, who spoke in a halting monotone.

When asked about Guilfoyle, Tr*mp acted like he hardly knows her.

“She wasn’t a member of my family,” he said. “She I guess dated my son a long time ago.”

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

Need a boost to get over Hump Day? The Hot Sheet is Queerty’s midweek pop culture catch-up, highlighting the entertainment stories everyone’s talking about, the ones you might’ve missed, and the notable LGBTQ+ film & TV releases in the days ahead. Here’s everything you need to stay in-the-know:

What To Watch This Week

• Helluva Boss, Season 3 Part 1 — Now Streaming (Amazon Prime Video): The continued misadventures of demon assassins from Hell in VivziePop’s adult animated musical dark comedy.
• I Swear We’re Friends — Now Streaming (YouTube): The Blackening‘s Dewayne Perkins’ tribute to Black queer friendship in this “skitcom” where each episode’s inspired by a classic TV show.
• VisionQuest — Now Streaming (Disney+): Out bi actor Ruaridh Mollica finally gets the superhero turn he’s deserved in this Marvel series about Vision’s fight to regain his memories—and his family.
• 9-1-1, Season 10 — Oct. 15 (ABC/Hulu): This Ryan Murphy-created first-responder procedural has campy emergencies & bisexual firefighters. What more could a gay want in their television program?
• Crystal Lake — Oct. 15 (Peacock): Honestly, we don’t know if there’s anything gay here, but a Friday The 13th prequel series with Linda Cardellini as mad momma Pamela Voorhees? Slay!
• Kate Berlant: Parmesan — Oct. 16 (HBO Max): Your favorite comedian’s favorite comedian is back with a brilliant new hour of stand-up that may or may not be her “coming-out” special.
• La Bola Negra — Oct. 16 (Select Theaters): Los Javis’ grand, gay wartime epic tackles identity and legacy as it weaves together three stories of queer men across a century of Spanish history.
• Sense And Sensibility — Oct. 16 (Theaters): Out filmmaker Georgia Oakley delivers a fresh take on the Jane Austen classic, with queer rising star Esmé Creed-Miles as the middle Dashwood sister.
• Street Fighter — Oct. 16 (Theaters): The popular ’90s video game fighting series comes to the screen in all its colorful, *ss-kicking glory, with country crooner Orville Peck as masked villain Vega.
• Trust Me, I’m A Doctor — Oct. 16 (Theaters): Kal Penn stars in the true story of the doctor implicated in the passing of his friend & patient, the original reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith.

Culture Catch-Up

NEXT BIG THING: The rest of the world is about to learn what the gays have known for a minute now: Singer-songwriter Guitarricadelfunete is a big deal! With his acting debut in Los Javis’ buzzy gay epic La Bola Negra, Netflix has made him their cover star with a new profile all about his surprising career pivot. [Tudum]

WHO’S LAUGHING?: After stand-up Shane Gillis‘s sorry excuse for an SNL monologue involved tired old toxic jokes about women, Dan Levy is one of many voices speaking up, with the Schitt’s Creek star calling out the double-standard & making his point quite clear: “Men need to be defending women more.” [Queerty]

I’LL READ ANYTHING: Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney is making the press rounds to promote his new book about bringing the hit show to the screen, I’ll Believe In Anything, and while stopping by Andy Cohen‘s SiriusXM show, he didn’t hold back about the NHL’s failure to “meet the moment” with the series.

DREAM POP TEAM-UP: Midwest Princess Chappell Roan‘s got big “Expectations,” teaming up with Olivia Rodrigo on a new remix of the the fan-favorite you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love track out Thursday. The news came complete with some totally ’80s cover art—could a music video be on the way, too? [Billboard]

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Following up his acclaimed Dark Disabled Stories, out playwright Ryan J. Haddad‘s new Off-Broadway show Good Time Charlie is about a young man’s friendship with his gay uncle Charlie, played by stage vet Jonathan Raviv, who shares why the play will heal the theater kid in all of us. [GayCities]

WELCOME HOME?: After three seasons lost in the wilderness, the girls are finally set to make it home in the highly anticipated final season Yellowjackets (Nov. 20 on Paramount+). But if you know anything about this survival drama, you know it’s not that easy… get ready for one explosive homecoming! [The Wrap]

HAZEL LIES: Queer crooner Sam Smith‘s romantic album, Hazel Eyes, was inspired by the eye color of their fiancé, fashion designer Christian Cowan—cue the awwws! Only there’s one problem: The singer-songwriter got the color wrong, admitting they thought hazel was a shade of brown akin to hazelnut. Whoops! [Queerty]

SISTERS!: At the BFI London Film Festival premiere of his music world drama Behemoth!, Pedro Pascal had his trans sister Lux Pascal right by his side. Considering the tense conversation around trans rights in the U.K., the gesture does not go unnoticed, proving once again why Pedro’s the ultimate big brother ally. [Pink News]

RETURN OF THE SWAMP: Doechii’s already a globally renowned star and she hasn’t even technically put out her debut album yet! To tide fans over until then, she’s reviving her Swamp Sessions by sharing the short & fiery one-off track “BOMBS” with eyebrow raising lyrics like, “b*tch, I’m tea, I don’t need to tuck.”

ROCKIN’ MAMA: Brandi Carlile just shared the lineup for her 8th annual Girls Just Wanna Weekend female-centric festival in Mexico, but before she’s a headlining rock star, she’s a mom first, and the Grammy-winning artist recently shared how starting a family helped her feel more settled in her queer identity. [LGBTQNation]

RIP: The RuPaul’s Drag Race family is reeling from the loss of Lucian Piane, a regular presence on earlier seasons of the show, serving as both musical advisor & occasional guest judge. Though he reportedly struggled with sobriety & mental health issues, he leaves behind quite the legacy and will be sorely missed. [EW]

FULL-BODY CHILLS: From queer creator Quinn Shephard, The Body is Netflix’s devilish new thriller series (out Nov. 11) about the dance team at a Catholic girls’ school causing mass hysteria in their hometown. Co-starring the Gabby Windey & tons of exciting young talent, it feels poised to be your next TV obsession.

The Final Hump

Over the weekend, Queerty celebrated National PrEP Day with MISTR at The Abbey for a star-studded night that included a surprise performance from Charli XCX, plus DJ sets from Tove Lo, Leland, and none other than Chappell Roan, making her DJ debut at the very bar that inspired breakthrough hit “Pink Pony Club.” It was a party to remember, not least of which because we got to chat with many of the famous faces in attendance on the “blue carpet,” from Kesha to Cheyenne Jackson to our forever fave Ts Madison.

But one of our highlights came when we chatted with the stunning Plastique Tiara and the iconic Lushious Massacr, who both weighed in one the rightwing-fueled “womanface” controversy surrounding the former’s drag makeover of Tom Daley on her popular YouTube channel. “This is what you get for being so fish,” Plastique joked, taking it as an insult that she’s never been accused of womanface. Meanwhile, Lushious wasn’t afraid to spell it out plainly, calling out the bigots who need other things to complain about while out country’s veering off a cliff: “Don’t be worried about what’s going on with homosexual men who put makeup and some wigs on; leave the girls alone!” Check out the moment below with more to come on our Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Queerty (@queerty)

Related

Cue the accolades! Josie Totah is finally having her breakout moment in Carrie
Trans actress Josie Totah has put in the work. Now, she’s getting her flowers.

Count Jacob Tierney among those who’s unimpressed with the NHL’s opportunistic embrace of Heated Rivalry.

On Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show, Tierney pushed back against the notion that the NHL is living up to the inclusive ideals of the celebrated hockey romance, which follows three gay hockey stars coming to terms with their sexuality in the homophobic world of men’s pro sports.

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

The main stars, Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), keep their relationship secret for years–until they finally ride off into the sunset together.

But in the NHL, there hasn’t been a comparable moment of optimism. In response to Heated Rivalry, the league created a knockoff audiobook series, “Hot for Hockey,” without any romance or buy-in from players. The ill-fated project pleased no one, and was shelved after one week.

All the while, the league hasn’t cleaned up its toxic culture. Its handling of a high-profile SA case in Canada tells the story. Though all five players were acquitted of the charges, their suspensions on Team Canada were upheld, while the NHL reinstated them (two of the players currently have NHL contracts).

Tierney appeared to allude to that case.

“They just hired four r*pists to play for them,” he said. “The NHL is not meeting the moment.”

Correcting the record

At the start of the exchange, Andy Cohen asserted the NHL has “met the moment and capitalized on it.” Tierney was quick to correct the record.

“Have they?” he asked.

When asked to explain, Tierney highlighted the league’s blind eye to players’ misconduct towards women. “I think the NHL has a lot of ongoing work to do,” he added.

Gay hockey fans would know. A few years ago, the NHL capitulated to a smattering of players who didn’t wear rainbow regalia during their teams’ Pride nights, and banned specialty jerseys and tape outright. It didn’t take long for the league to get embarrassed: players defied the Pride tape ban and forced the NHL to reverse course.

The episode showed the league is more than happy to pander to LGBTQ+ fans with Pride night promotions, but unwilling to stand up for them when it counts.

Producing 90-second HR knockoffs and sexualizing unwitting players isn’t going to change the perception.

“It’s up to the NHL to actually convince anybody that this is a safe space for people,” said Tierney. “They are not doing what they should be doing to make their sport an inclusive place.”

There has never been an out player, active or retired, in NHL history.

Related

Who could’ve predicted the NHL forcing fake Heated Rivalry plots onto real-life players would backfire so badly? 
The NHL keeps trying to make “Heated Rivalry” happen. But it doesn’t seem like any of the league’s straight stars are interested

Disingenuous efforts

Nobody believes the NHL’s HR push is genuine. Earlier this month, Commissioner Gary Bettman admitted the league’s efforts are nothing more than a business ploy.

“Since it seems to be a cultural phenomenon, we figured why not get on board,” he said. (In an interview earlier this year, Bettman claimed he binged all six HR episodes in one night.)

As the hockey journalist and ally Sara Civian writes, the NHL “getting on board” with HR for shallow purposes ignores what makes the show and genre so popular.

“The NHL’s hapless, overdue ‘nod’ to the hockey romance genre failed before it even began the genre in itself is a nod to the brave folks in and around the league that the league wants nothing to do with,” she said.

Devising a marketing push is easy. Changing culture is much harder.

“They really need to deal with their own toxic culture,” said Tierney. “And they’re not.”

Until the NHL does the hard work, it will never build goodwill with queer and female sports fans. There’s a reason why Tierney never sought to partner with the league for Heated Rivalry.

It wouldn’t fit with the plot.

Related

Hot for hockey? NHL tries to jump on the Heated Rivalry bandwagon… but forgets the most important part
The NHL plans to pander to “Heated Rivalry” fans with something called “romantasy.”

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

The midterms are less than three weeks away, and there’s a lot going on. Here are some of the gayest (and weirdest!) things happening in politics right now…

WHAT PHOTO SCANDAL?: Former-leather-model-turned-congressional-candidate Chris Gallant thinks his record on public service will be enough to win over skeptical Republicans in NY’s 1st congressional district. [Washington Blade]

RESCUE OPERATION: Darline Graham has somehow turned a safe red seat into an alarm-bell emergency for Republicans in South Carolina. [Queerty]

DOG FIGHT: Country singer and longtime ally Kacey Musgraves was not having Kristi Noem’s nonsense after the fired Homeland Security secretary dragged her for snapping a selfie with James Talarico in Texas.

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

NICE TRY: Jared and Ivanka’s attempt to block a BBC libel investigation by using Secret Service agents at their Miami home completely backfired. [The Telegraph]

NEXT QUESTION, PLEASE: Scott Bessent on how the Iran war ends: “I don’t know…” [The Hill]

SELF OWN: JD Vance made a joke about James Talarico’s “gay” search history, forgetting his own Google Image results feature photos of the VP in drag.

@NewsWire_US Same person btw. https://t.co/gvSaQ6soew

— lola (@ThePickleQueeen) October 13, 2026

CONTENDER: Pete Buttigieg appears to be gambling on a different path for 2028. Will it pay off? [AXOIS]

COUNTERPOINT: Sherrod Brown masterfully turned the GOP’s anti-trans playbook against them in Ohio. [Queerty]

UMMM…: Fox News host Jesse Watters defended D*n*ld Tr*mp’s “gay” remarks about Senator Jon Husted’s amazing physique, arguing that he can “get away with it” because… he’s straight?

Watters: We’re talking about guys’ asses. Trump says a lot of stuff we all think and we don’t say. Sometimes it sounds a little gay. He can get away with it because he’s straight.. I saw John Thune in the locker room and… https://t.co/qzefX8Kw1G

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 13, 2026

Related

The best came and went: The epic fall of Kimberly Guilfoyle
Buh-bye!

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

Many happy returns to Matt Bomer! The handsome actor, who was born October 11, 1977, turned 49 over the weekend.

Bomer is in London at the moment for an upcoming guest role as King Herod in a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium. You can catch Bomer from October 16-31.

As part of his birthday celebrations, Bomer enjoyed a catch-up with fellow actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita.

Ferguson is also currently based in London for work-related reasons. He’s starring in a limited run of the play, Tru, in which he plays Truman Capote. It’s at the Menier Chocolate Factory for another month.

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler)

Ferguson posted a carousel of photos of an evening out with Bomer and Mikita. The other man in the photos is British singer Sam Ryder, who found fame with his 2022 Eurovision entry, “Spaceman”. Ryder is currently playing the title role of Jesus in the aforementioned Andrew Lloyd Webber production.

“Celebrating @mattbomer’s Birthday with dinner at @impala.soho & @erykahbadu at @bluenotelondon. ❤️ you Matt!” said Ferguson in a caption alongside the photos.

Jazz club Blue Note London opened in the UK capital’s West End just three weeks ago.

“Such a fun night- thank you for that amazing memory @jessetyler @justinmikita and @samhairwolfryder ! And @erykahbadu 👏”, Bomer replied in the comments.

Related

A free Freddie Mercury exhibition and 5 other reasons to visit London this winter
Freddie Mercury would have turned 80 this year.rn

Bomer and Ferguson are firm friends. Bomer appeared on the Modern Family star’s Dinner’s On Me podcast in April 2025. It’s a great listen, in which Bomer talks about Mid-Century Modern, blogs such as Perez Hilton speculating about his sexuality before he felt prepared to come out, and preparing to be an empty nester as his children reach adulthood.

Bomer married PR supremo Simon Halls in 2011 and the couple have three sons.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler)

Early life and breakthroughs

Bomer was born in Webster Groves, Missouri, and grew up in Spring, Texas. He was a classmate of fellow actor Lee Pace (who introduced Bomer to Halls years later).

Shortly after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, Bomer moved to New York City. His TV breakthrough came with a part on All My Children in 2000. He followed this with a role on the soap opera Guiding Light between 2001 and 2003. He made his big screen debut as a cabin crew member in the Jodie Foster movie Flightplan in 2005.

Bomer’s probably best known for the shows White Collar and the acclaimed queer historical drama, Fellow Travelers. He has also consistently acted on the stage, alongside his many TV and movie roles.

He will next feature in a recurring role in season 2 of The Day of the Jackal, alongside Eddie Redmayne, and a new boarding school set drama called Foster Dade. There are also talks about a return of White Collar.

Related

Matt Bomer’s reuniting with the Fellow Travelers team for a new TV show—here’s what we know so far
Bomer will play a “swoony” teacher in a boarding school mystery series that sounds like ‘The Secret History’ meets ‘Cruel Intentions’ & ‘Gossip Girl.’

Matt Bomer spills on cut scenes & wild improv, plus the mystery of those yellow short-shorts is finally solved
“There’s a whole other movie with Cameron [Diaz]and I, things that probably would have changed the rating,” Bomer says of filming the comedy ‘Outcome.’

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.

If you haven’t heard of Josie Totah yet, allow us to introduce you because we have a feeling she’s about to be everywhere…

The 25-year-old trans actress is currently starring as Tina Blake, the Regina George-lite villain of Amazon’s reboot of Stephen King’s Carrie.

As a child actress, she was racking up guest appearances on network shows including Glee, The Other Two, and New Girl before the age of 15. By 17, she was headlining in her own network sitcom, the Mindy Kaling-produced Champions.

In the midst of all of it, Totah was reckoning with her gender identity. Watching Jazz Jennings’ reality show I Am Jazz with her mom at 14, Totah understood that she needed to come out as trans. It was a career risk, but it didn’t matter.

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

“I looked over at [my mother] in the middle of the show and said, “This is me. I’m transgender. And I need to go through this,” Totah wrote in her 2018 coming-out essay for Time.

Totah’s talent was undeniable, and she had no trouble finding new roles after coming out. But those of us who have been following Totah’s career from the start have noticed something: despite so many show-stopping performances from Totah over the years, from the Saved By the Bell reboot to voicing Big Mouth‘s first out-trans character, the accolades have not been as forthcoming as one might expect.

This year, that might finally change. Totah’s mean girl role in horror maverick Mike Flanagan’s Carrie reboot, which dropped on Amazon October 7, has people talking, and remembering exactly how much excellence Totah has been serving all this time.

As the Gretchen Weiners send-up Tina Blake, Totah harnesses her flawless comic timing to undercut the show’s creepy, ever-building tension, and it’s nothing short of genius. Totah has been working in the industry for over ten years, and people are finally starting to notice exactly what a talent she is.

Totah’s Carrie turn also has people remembering an even juicier overlooked role of hers. As Mabel in the very gay Apple TV drama The Buccaneers, Totah shows up with sapphic intensity to burn. Who knew an Edith Wharton adaptation could be this saucy?

Coming out in the midst of an established Hollywood career shouldn’t be a risk, but unfortunately, it still is. But Totah has managed to do it masterfully.

Her onscreen work was always excellent, but her recent performances burn with a brilliance that only comes once an actor stops holding back. Hunter Schafer may be our first trans superstar, but Totah’s career is going places that most trans girls of any generation could only dream of. And we love seeing her finally get her flowers.

“I can only imagine how much more fun it’s going to be to play someone who shares my identity,” Totah wrote in 2018. “I’m going to g[o] for those roles, be it a transgender female or a cisgender female. Because it’s a clean slate — and a new world.”

Related

Ronan Farrow’s latest investigation is “for the gays” & targets Grindr’s controversial “gAI” feature
Ronan Farrows latest expose is “for the gays.”

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.