Brighton celebrity and star of the cabaret world David Raven, otherwise known by his drag persona Maisie Trollette, has passed away at the age of 91.  During his long and distinguished career David performed in cabaret throughout the length and breadth of the UK, as well as many guest appearances abroad. He regularly starred in pantomimes with many A-list celebrities, whom he was proud to call his close friends. His alter ego Maisie, originally started out as one half of the legendary “Trollettes” drag duo with Jimmy Court. David worked tirelessly to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for AIDS charities in memory of his beloved partner, Don. Notably, in later years, he held the accolade of the UK’s oldest working drag artist. Revered within the LGBTQ+ community as drag royalty, his generosity, razor sharp wit, dynamic singing voice and lovable, cantankerous personality will be greatly missed. Born in 1933, David’s career began as one half of the drag duo The Trollettes with Jimmy Court. In 2023, David celebrated his 90th birthday with a special birthday gala event at the Brighton Dome, featured music from all nine decades of his life.  Drag Queen Scott Burey, who performed with David on a number of occasions, told Metro: ‘The word “legend” can be flippantly used at times, losing its connection to the remarkable and extraordinary. ‘I will truly miss him, and INCREDIBLY privileged to have been able to call him my friend.’

Comedian and former host of The View Rosie O’Donnell has revealed she relocated to Ireland following the re-election of President Donald Trump. In an emotional nine minute long video message the actress shared on Tiktok, she confirms that, in January of this year she moved to Ireland with her youngest child Clay, who she adopted with her ex-wife Michelle Rounds, just ahead of Trump’s inauguration. O’Donnell, whose grandparents hail from Ireland, had high praise for the country, revealing: “It’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say… the people are so loving and so kind and so welcoming. And I’m very grateful.” She also confirmed she is hoping to apply for citizenship given her Irish heritage. Despite her love for Ireland, the TV personality also lamented her home, admitting: “I was never someone who thought I would move to another country. That’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are.” “I miss my friends,” O’Donnell continued. “I miss many things about life there at home and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.” “I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through… and now as we’re getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what’s been going on.

The US Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to a Colorado law that bans so-called conversion therapy.  The justices agreed they will hear the case after a therapist from Colorado brought an appeal, arguing the state's restictions violate her free speech rights guaranteed under the US Constitution's first amendment. Conversion therapy - denounced by professional and health associations globally but promoted by some religious conservatives - aims to encourage lesbian, gay and transgender people to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. The highest court in the US previously turned away opportunities to rule on conversion therapy bans. More than 20 US states have banned conversion therapy for minors.  Kaley Chiles, a licensed counsellor and practicing Christian in Colorado Springs, Colorado, claims the ban in her state interferes with her ability to treat individuals with "same-sex attractions or gender identity confusion" who "prioritise their faith above their feelings". Ms Chiles, who is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian advocacy group, has said some of her patients seek out her counselling to resolve internal conflicts about their sexuality or gender identity. Colorado officials, however, have said the law does not regulate speech, it regulates conduct.

Sir Ian McKellen has offered his take on young gay actors who hide their sexualities from the public in 2025.  Speaking in a recent interview with The Times, Ian said: “I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it. I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they can’t come out. The Oscar nominee famously came out publicly in 1988, in protest of then-Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28. The clause prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities, effectively silencing discussions of LGBTQ+ issues in schools and public institutions.  Ian, 85, went on to co-found LGBTQ rights group Stonewall after coming out.  Ian, known for films like The Critic and Lord of the Rings, went on: “Being in the closet is silly — there’s no need for it. Don’t listen to your advisers, listen to your heart. Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine.” In an interview with Attitude last year, Ian said: “I think the most cruel directors I’ve ever worked with were gay. And therefore, I forgave them.” “One of them – I needn’t name them because it’s all history, but [he was] an extremely distinguished director, worked for the National Theatre and the Royal Court and on Broadway and the Royal Opera, had been imprisoned because of his sexuality,” he went on. The star  added: “It doesn’t necessarily surprise me that someone comes out of that sort of an experience with a bitterness and an acidity that is visited on other people.”

Andy Lee, the popular Irish OnlyFans creator, has spoken about his gratitude towards the gay community for supporting him, even going as far as to say they saved his life.  Speaking on the podcast All Out with Jon Dean, Lee can be heard telling host Dean that the success he found on the platform saved him from poverty after he found himself out of work during the pandemic.  “OnlyFans basically saved my life. The audience, the fans who’s watching me saved my life,” he explained. “Gay people saved my life.” Lee, who identifies as straight but mostly films content with other men aimed at a gay audience, spoke with reverence for the gay community. “[They] made me feel wanted and loved. Lee, who identifies as straight but mostly films content with other men aimed at a gay audience, spoke with reverence for the gay community. “[They] made me feel wanted and loved. The porn star, who says he is in the “Top 0%” of creators on OnlyFans, later revealed that he made over £100,000 from a video in which he received a blowjob from fellow OnlyFans star Josh Moore, and admitted that the best blowjob he ever received was on camera and from a man. The experience came about when he collaborated with the adult film star Oliver Hunt. Recalling the hot and heavy moment, Lee said: “I never experienced that like it. And I’m unapologetically honest about it to everybody.

Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang is set to appear in front of a live audience in London to deliver a talk about his career and new feature film The Wedding Banquet later this month  The event has been announced by BFI Flare as part of its upcoming 39th edition. The film festival, which is Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival, is due to open on 19 March with a screening of The Wedding Banquet, which also stars Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily Gladstone. Yang will take to the stage the following day on 20 March at BFI Southbank, to speak about his varied career which has seen him graduate from writer to on-air cast member on SNL, as well as featuring in major films including Wicked, the Billy Eichner gay comedy Bros, and the hit romcom Fire Island on which he first collaborated with The Wedding Banquet director Andrew Ahn. The comedian is also known to many as one half of the hit culture podcast Las Culturistas which he co-hosts with Matt Rogers. The popular podcast has grown exponentially in recent years, in part thanks to guest appearances from major stars such as Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga who is set to appear in an upcoming episode to speak about her new album MAYHEM.  Tickets to Yang’s ‘Screen Talk’ event on 20 March are available to purchase now via the BFI Flare website 

People have been coming together to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in a nationwide day of reflection. Emotional scenes were played out across the nation on Sunday as the bereaved and their communities hosted hundreds of events. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "As we mark five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I know for many there is deep grief and loss that may never be relieved." The annual day is one of the recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. In London, sobbing could be heard as bereaved relatives, led by a Highland piper, joined well wishers to walk beside the National Covid Memorial Wall. They passed 3,000 photographs of the faces of some of those who died, which represents just over 1% of the total death toll from Covid in the UK, organisers said. Choir song and a water cannon salute on the Thames from a London Fire Brigade fireboat brought the event to a close.  Well-wishers at the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton-on-Trent heard a new poem from the writer, poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, who spent time in hospital with Covid during the pandemic and was placed into an induced coma.  Across the UK, just under 227,000 people died who had the virus listed as a cause of death - with more than 16,000 in Scotland. Other events include a special prayer service at Manchester Cathedral

About 200 million viewers, 37 countries taking part and cries of "Nul Points" on the horizon.  Eurovision fever has been ramping up with Remember Monday announced as the UK's entry to the world's largest live music event. And with all three members of the group having a background in musical theatre, they know more than most about how to put on a show. "Our performance is theatrical," Holly-Anne Hull tells BBC Newsbeat, as Lauren Byrne adds: "We haven't shied away from it". Despite the pressure of years of disappointing results for the UK, the trio, completed by Charlotte Steele, have been busy in rehearsals and say they're "feeling good" about their chances in Basel, Switzerland. With the exception of Sam Ryder's second place in 2022, the UK's been stuck in the bottom half of the leader board for a decade - even the star power of Olly Alexander couldn't pull the country higher than 18th. It may be risky, but Remember Monday aren't the only ones feeling confident it could break them into the top half of the leaderboard. "I think all the evidence points towards a better result at Eurovision this year," Euro Trip podcast host, Rob Lilley-Jones, tells Newsbeat. With a country background, Remember Monday can bring something "a little bit different for the UK", he says.  "No other country is doing anything like this at Eurovision this year."

Brighton's i360 is back up and running two months after it closed amid financial problems.  The tourist attraction was bought over by Nightcap Ltd in February after Brighton & Hove City Council wiped the i360's £51m debt. Sarah Willingham, Nightcap Ltd founder and CEO, opened the tower's pod, gift shop and cafe at 11:00 GMT on Saturday but said there is more to come.  Former Dragons Den judge Mrs Willingham told BBC Radio Sussex ahead of the opening that she wanted the i360 to be "the heartbeat of the prom".  A pre-booked ticket for an adult over 16 will remain at £18.50 but the attraction has introduced £5 tickets for adults and £2.50 for children who live in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41 postcodes. A bar on the site is due to open in the summer, says Nightcap Ltd, and there will be further refurbishments.  Mrs Willingham said: "This is very much a phased opening." The original owners of the 531ft (162m) tower, which opened in August 2016, suddenly closed the viewing tower in December, making 109 staff redundant the week before Christmas.  In order to secure a sale Brighton & Hove City Council announced in January they would wipe the venue's £51m debt.  Brighton local Sarah Willingham's firm took over the tower in February in a deal which will see 1% of i360 tower ticket sales revenue go to Brighton & Hove City Council.

Emilia Peréz actress Karla Sofía Gascón has publicly thanked Madonna who she says has offered her ‘strength and love’ amidst the actress’s recent scandal. Gascón, who recently attended the Oscars where she was nominated in the Best Actress category for her performance in the musical drama, has been keeping a low profile following the resurfacing of a number of her old tweets which included racist and derogatory remarks about a number of different minority groups.  At the ceremony, she was the subject of jokes by host Conan O’Brien who said in his opening monologue: “A little fact for you, Anora uses the ‘F-word’ 479 times. That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.” Now, it seems, the disgraced actress has found a friend in none other than the Queen of Pop herself. Gascón shared a photo of the pair embracing on her Instagram story, writing: “Madonna, I want to thank you for all the love you have shown me, for your invitation to the party you gave after the Oscars and for your words of strength and love. I love you.” Madonna reshared Gascón’s words, before posting a story of her own which seems to alude to the furore surrounding the actress. “It breaks my heart to witness the pain of trans people who are not accepted by a society that fears them because they are different. How can we know what it feels like ? Have we walked in their shoes?,” she pondered.

KaJ are the winners of this year’s Swedish national selection that took place at Strawberry Arena, in Stockholm 

The night started with John Lundvik, a familiar artist to Melodifestivalen. With a classic Swedish performance, he set the perfect tone for the grand final. He was very good, but not enough to win this year’s Melodifestivalen. Dolly Style had a great time with their participation in this year’s Melodifestivalen, and it was clear to all of us. They danced, they sang, and they had a great energy while took the stage for the last time this year. No words needed. Mans is an incredible performer, and the entire presentation of his song was executed flawlessly. WiWi blogs readers voted it the winner. The Finnish-Swedish humour group and their entry “Bara bada bastu” got almost 50% of the nearly 5,000 votes cast in our poll, followed by the (still) bookmakers’ favourite Måns Zelmerlöw with “Revolution” in second place and Klara Hammarström with “On and On and On” coming in at third position. This year saw changes to the format of the ever changing contest. There were five heats with six songs competing for two spots in the final and one in the final qualification round held at the end of heat five.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has broken with many elected Democrats by saying he thinks it is "deeply unfair" to allow transgender women and girls to compete in female sports. Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender who leads one of the most liberal states in the US and has long been a trailblazer on LGBT rights, made the comments on his new podcast. "I think it's an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that," Newsom told conservative figure Charlie Kirk. "It is an issue of fairness, it's deeply unfair. We've got to own that. We've got to acknowledge it." Newsom's change of tone comes amid a debate within his party over the extent to which cultural factors played a role in their resounding defeat in November, when Republicans won the White House and both chambers of Congress. A number of Democrats quickly denounced the governor's comments. "We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks," a statement from California's LGBT legislative caucus read. On the debut episode of the governor's podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, his first guest was a pro-Trump activist whose Turning Point USA organisation advocates for conservative ideas on liberal-leaning college campuses. The two discussed why Democratic nominee Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump, and Newsom said his party was being politically "crushed" on transgender issues.

The Trump administration has been mocked after marking historic images and posts of Enola Gay, the plane which dropped the atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan during the Second World War, for deletion.  Images and posts of the plane are among 26,000 historical images and online posts marked for deletion by Trump, who has waged a far on DEI – diversity, equity, and inclusion – since his inauguration in January. A picture of the Enola Gay was flagged for deletion, apparently just because it has the word “gay” in its description. It has also been noted that several photos from an Army Corps of Engineers project in California that included an engineer whose last name was “Gay” were also marked for purging, as well as biologists’ records about fish because they include information about their genders. On social media, people mocked Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for deleting information about the plane because its name has the word “gay” in it. The order claimed DEI is akin to sex and racial discrimination and inadvertently “undermines leadership, merit and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality & force readiness”.  Trump wrote: “As chief executive and commander-in -chief, I am committed to meritocracy & to the elimination of race-based and sex-based discrimination within the armed forces of the United States. Hegseth had given the military until Wednesday, March 5 to “take all practicable steps” to “remove all DoD news & feature articles, 

Former Aston Villa and Everton footballer Thomas Hitzelsperger has called out the “hypocrisy” of footballers who publicly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community but also take money from countries where homosexuals are persecuted. Hitzelsperger spoke exclusively to Attitude as he was named a trailblazer in the Sports category at this year’s Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley. In his interview, he speaks about his journey to coming out, why he thinks so few players have followed in his footsteps, and recent controversies surrounding the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces initiative with Stonewall. As part of that conversation, he was asked about his thoughts on David Beckham‘s decision to work with Qatar Tourism during the 2022 World Cup despite his long history with the LGBTQ+ community and the country’s damning record on human rights violations. “Well, he’s a global superstar, and I think he’s really managed to make a lot of money for himself,” Hitzelsperger began. “I guess a lot of people want to do that, and along the way comes contradiction, or hypocrisy. I guess that’s the word for it.” “He knows how to make money,” said Hitzelsperger, who became the highest profile ex-player to come out as gay in 2014. “And for a while it was great to support the community, and then he got more money from  Qatar.” Hitzelsperger also drew parallels between Beckham Jordan Henderson who received criticism from many when he signed with the Saudi Arabian club 

Crawley LGBT Community Interest Company (CIC) has secured three years of dedicated funding from the National Lottery to elevate, support and celebrate Crawley’s LGBTQ+ community through project-based initiatives, outreach commitments and events.  Thanks to the National Lottery players, a community fund of £224,369 has been awarded to Crawley LGBT CIC to help progress and professionalise their grassroots Community Interest Company to further develop their services and company strategy. According to Crawley LGBT, “Crawley is a beautifully diverse town home to many communities, but since forming as a small community group back in 2019, we have been witness to an increased level of hate and unnecessary disruption. This only strengthens our ambition to be acknowledged as valued humans who are simply trying to help those who otherwise become invisible and silent. Building bridges and networks with other local communities is key and we believe living and working together is better than against each other.” This fund will enable important conversation across the town, restoring and creating refreshing networks and support for people of Crawley to confidently thrive. Volunteers, local groups and corporate organisations will be able to take part in various projects, events and training opportunities, allowing even more people to enjoy and play a part in Crawley’s LGBTQ+ development.

The UK's Eurovision entry for 2025 will be the female country-pop trio Remember Monday, the BBC has announced. The group, who previously reached the quarter-finals of The Voice, will head to Switzerland this May with a song called What The Hell Just Happened? Calling themselves "pop girlies with a little bit of yeehaw", the band was formed by school friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steel in 2013. In a press release, they said: "We're going to be the first girlband to represent the UK since 1999, which feels like such a crazy honour. We're going to bring loads of fun, energy and hopefully do something that you won't have seen before on the Eurovision stage." They'll be hoping to improve on Olly Alexander's performance at last year's Eurovision Song Contest. His song, Dizzy, took 18th place after receiving the dreaded "nul points" in the public vote. He was only saved from last place by the jury vote - where professional musicians and songwriters awarded him 46 points. But the former Years and Years star shrugged off the loss with typical good humour.  Remember Monday's song is markedly different from the decadent electro-pop of Dizzy. In fact, it's in an entirely different realm. Try to imagine, if you can, that Abba and Sam Ryder have teamed up with the cast of Six: The Musical, got blackout drunk and tried to recreate Bohemian Rhapsody from memory. (This is a compliment.)

The upcoming second season of Doctor Who is just around the corner and the BBC has just given us another reason to be excited for it with the casting of Freddie Fox as a new villain character. Fox will be appearing in one episode of the show, which earlier this week dropped a new trailer for the upcoming season, starring opposite Ncuti Gatwa who took over as the Doctor from David Tennant in 2023.  The episode will see Fox reunite with showrunner Russell T Davies who he previously worked with 10 years ago when he starred in Davies’ steamy queer Channel 4 dramedy Cucumber. Since then, Fox has gone on to appear in shows like The Crown, House of the Dragon and Slow Horses. “It’s been 10 years since I worked with Freddie on Cucumber, and this is a great way to celebrate the anniversary,” Davies commented on the casting. “He’s the most spectacular actor, and he comes to Doctor Who with fury, venom, cunning and a beautiful set of horns. Doctor beware!” In the past, Fox has spoken about his belief that having “a more rounded experience as a human being, whether it be through sexuality, or whatever” is an advantage to any actor. He had previously commented on his own sexuality, telling the Telegraph in 2015: “I’ve had girlfriends, but I wouldn’t wish to say ‘I am this or I am that’, because at some time in my life I might fall in love with a man.”

Wicked star and all-round icon Cynthia Erivo has been announced as the headliner for the WorldPride 2025 Street Festival and Concert. Set to take place on Saturday, 7 June, in Washington, D.C. , the triple Oscar-nominee will take the stage as part of the landmark celebrations marking 50 years of Pride in the US capital.  WorldPride 2025 is expected to draw millions of people from around the world, running from 23 May to 8 June with a stunning schedule of events. The closing weekend will feature two days of performances, culminating in Erivo’s appearance on the Capitol Stage following the Pride Parade. Will she be performing her beloved Wicked numbers such as ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘I’m Not That Girl’? There will be tears if not.  Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, told Metro Weekly: “Cynthia is someone personally who I have come to admire from shows she’s performed on Broadway to most recently in Wicked, and we’re excited to have her as a headliner.” Cynthia Erivo joins an already-stacked list of headliners for WorldPride, including Columbian pop goddess Shakira, Ms Jenny from the Block herself Jennifer Lopez, and former Attitude cover star Troye Sivan  WorldPride 2025 will be held in Washington, DC between 23 May and 8 June, marking the 50th anniversary of Capital Pride celebrations. Over 16 days, the city will host a dazzling array of events, including a massive march that follows the route of freedom fighters such as Martin Luther King Jr.

Manchester Pride is returning to the city later this year with a whole load of changes and a new venue as it unveils plans for its 'biggest and best' event yet.  Taking place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 22 to 25), the event is now regarded as one of the biggest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the country regularly attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year.  As part of its line-up this year, there will be a new event taking place - featuring two days of live performances, DJs and spectacular light shows. It will also raise funds to deliver safe city-wide celebrations for other events taking place during Pride and within the Gay Village.  Called Mardi Gras, in a nod to Manchester Pride’s roots, the event will take place at Depot Mayfield on August 23 and 24. Organisers have described the new event as a ‘game-changer’ for the festival and comes as a result of Manchester Pride’s 'Pride In Our Future' community consultation, where attendees were asked for feedback and suggestions. Organisers had also considered the likes of Platt Fields Park and Heaton Park for the new event, but Depot Mayfield was chosen for its proximity to the Gay Village. The space was previously used to host Manchester Pride in 2019 when the likes of Ariana Grande and Years & Years performed.  David McGovern, chair of the board of trustees at Manchester Pride, said: ”Manchester Pride has always been about pushing boundaries, creating new opportunities for people to come together, 

The United Kingdom’s act for Eurovision 2025 will be revealed on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show tomorrow morning. On the show today, radio presenter Scott Mills confirmed that he would be interviewing the artist that will represent the UK, and play their song for the first time, at 08:00 GMT. The BBC presenter previously revealed that he had listened to the United Kingdom’s next Eurovision entry, as well as remaining silent on who the next British act might be. Before immediately changing the topic, he described the song as “good”.  It had been announced previously that the United Kingdom’s selection process was already underway for several months with UK record labels, publishers, songwriters, BBC Music and BBC Introducing all playing their part in finding the UK act and song for Eurovision 2025. At the forefront of the selection process are leading UK music industry figure, David May – who was also Sam Ryder’s manager, as well as Executive Producer of BBC Studios North, Andrew Cartmell. Olly Alexander represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with “Dizzy”. He placed 18th in the final scoring 46 points. All of the United Kingdom’s points came from the juries, with the country scoring 0 points in the televote. The United Kingdom debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and holds the record for the most consecutive appearances in the contest. To date, the UK has won the contest five times

US pop star Olivia Rodrigo and British band The 1975 will headline the Glastonbury festival this summer, organisers have announced. They will be joined by five-time Brit Award winner Charli XCX - who will top the bill on the festival's second stage on Saturday 28 June. There will also be debut Glastonbury performances by Alanis Morisette, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young and US rap phenomenon Doechii, who will headline the West Holts stage. Returning favourites include Wolf Alice, Wet Leg, Fatboy Slim, Loyle Carner and Scissor Sisters. Rock legend Neil Young has already been announced as the Saturday night headliner, with Rod Stewart playing the Sunday afternoon "legend slot". Manchester band The 1975 are festival veterans, who have headlined the Reading and Leeds festival three times since 2016 - but this will be their first time at the top of Glastonbury's line-up. Balancing hooky dance-rock with more experimental forays into electronica and even ambient music, they pepper their lyrics with references to online relationships, chemical dependency and wry, self-aware humour Frontman Matty Healy is known for his provocative, and often divisive, actions.  More seriously, the band are being sued by organisers of a Malaysian festival, which was shut down after Healy kissed one of his bandmates on stage. The singer said he was protesting at the country's anti-LGBT laws, under which homosexual acts can be punished by 20 years in prison.

Organisers of San Francisco Pride have announced they’ve booted social media giant Meta from this year’s Pride, which has the theme Queer Joy is Resistance – seen as a direct response to the anti-LGBTQ+ policies of President Donald Trump. This will be the city’s 55th Pride celebration, aiming to highlight the LGBTQ+ community’s resistance to escalating political challenges. Speaking to ABC7, executive director of San Francisco Pride Suzanne Ford said: “I’m both proud and sad that we don’t have a relationship with Meta. Meta will not be included.” The tech giant, which owns Facebook and Instagram, recently ended its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Meta also scaled back on content moderation policies 

Additionally, Ford confirmed that companies like Google would still participate; however, their involvement will be scaled back. This forms part of the attempt to allow nonprofit groups, especially local organisations, to take centre stage at the parade. Ford commented that this change isn’t a new one. “In the last few years, we have pushed the corporations to the back of the parade,” Ford added. This year’s San Francisco Pride takes place in June

A protest is being organised to take place later this month against institutional homophobia in the Metropolitan Police, with a number of drag legends and queer stars set to participate. “We demand justice for Heklina and every person treated unfairly by London’s Metropolitan Police as a result of that force’s homophobia,” reads an Instagram post announcing plans for the protest. The body of Heklina, real name Steven Grygelko, was discovered by her friend Joshua Grannell in April 2023. The pair of artists were in London to put on a performance of their drag show Mommie Queerest at Soho Theatre.  Just last month CCTV footage was released by the Met of three men who may have “vital information” about what happened, nearly two years after the artist’s death occurred.  Grygelko recently told the BBC that he was assigned a family liaisons officer by the Met at the time and was told he would receive weekly updates on the investigation but they did not respond to any of his subsequent emails to them. “They just completely ignored us,” Grannell said. “I hate being the person who incorrectly would cry homophobia, if it’s not homophobia. But they have left me no choice.” A month before Heklina’s death, a review by Baroness Casey into the Met found a number of issues based in institutional homophobia, racism and misogyny.

A group of 10 MPs in Ghana have resubmitted a controversial bill that would impose some of the toughest restrictions on LGBT rights in Africa.  The bill prescribes a three-year jail term for people who identify as gay, and five to 10 years for promoters and advocates. The legislation was passed by parliament last year, but the former President, Nana Akufo-Addo, declined to sign it into law before leaving office in January, citing legal challenges. It has been widely condemned by both local and international human rights groups, with some describing it as draconian. At the dissolution of the previous parliament ahead of last December's general election, all bills that had not completed the legislative process, including receiving the president's signature, were dropped. It is unclear whether the speaker of the new parliament will admit the bill for consideration. Gay sex is already punishable by up to three years in prison in the conservative West African country. President John Mahama has said he would prefer the bill to be state-sponsored, ensuring broader support and consultation."I do think that we should have a conversation on it again so that all of us, if we decide to move that bill forward, move it forward with a consensus," he said. Supporters claim the legislation would help preserve what they consider to be Ghanaian culture and family values.

Matthew Mitcham, the first openly gay man to win an Olympic gold medal, has spoken out about the complications he’s dealt with since launching his OnlyFans channel. In an unseen clip from his recent appearance on the All Out podcast, Mitcham explains to host Jon Dean why he originally wanted to start the channel. “I spent 20 something years investing in my body so why not try and get some dividends out of that?” he can be heard saying in the clip, shared exclusively with Attitude. “It just makes complete sense, only going as far as obviously I’m comfortable with and not crossing any of my own boundaries.” The athlete also spoke about the balancing act he feels he has to play in order to maintain a profile in mainstream media whilst also producing OnlyFans content. “But the other issue is that because it is so stigmatised, The former Australian diver made history when he won a gold medal in the 10-meter platform event at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Despite his achievement, Mitcham also spoke to Dean about feeling as though he is not remembered in queer history, and spoke in particular about living in the shadow of British diver Tom Daley who came out years after him. “Right from the very beginning, [Tom] captured the hearts of not only the nation but the world,” Mitcham commented. “And he is just a really lovely guy that people can get behind,” he added

Popular porn star Tim Kruger, who founded the website TimTales in 2009, was found dead in his home after what has been described as a “tragic, yet simple accident” A post on TimTales social media channels, seemingly written by the late performer’s partner Grobes Geraet, reads: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share the news of the passing of our beloved Marcel, the man you all knew and loved as Tim Kruger. “To the public, he was the ultimate ginger pornstar; to me, he was a sweet, caring partner of over 20 years. He was also my best friend. He touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.” The statement takes care to note that the circumstances of the actor’s death are not suspicious, nor are they related to misuse of drugs or suicide. “I am very aware of the stigma that surrounds deaths in the porn industry, so let me make this very clear to hopefully cut down on the inevitable speculation: Tim’s death was a tragic, yet simple accident at home,” it reads.. “There were no drugs involved, nor was there any indication of foul play or suicide.”  Kruger, real name Marcel Bonn, has been working in porn since 2006. Three years into his career, he founded TimTales with Geraet who assisted him in filming and producing films. The actor also continued to appear in films for other studios whilst establishing TimTales as a brand. The actor was just 44 years old at the time of his death.

Anora was the big winner at the Oscars, winning five awards including best actress for breakout star Mikey Madison, and a record-breaking four prizes for its director Sean Baker. The whirlwind drama stars relative newcomer Madison as a New York stripper who falls in love with the son of a wealthy Russian. She held off competition from Demi Moore, and described winning the best actress Oscar as a "dream come true". Baker became the first person to personally win four Academy Awards for a single film - for directing, editing, writing and producing Anora. Other winners on the night included Kieran Culkin, Adrien Brody and Zoe Saldaña, while Flow won best animated film and I'm Still Here took home the best international prize. In her speech, 25-year-old Madison said: "This is very surreal. I grew up in Los Angeles but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here standing in this room today is really incredible." She added: "I want to honour and recognise the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally... the women I've had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this entire incredible experience." The best director trophy was presented by Quentin Tarantino, who previously cast Madison in a small role in his film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Accepting the trophy from Tarantino, Baker told him: "If you didn't cast Mikey Madison... there'd be no Anora."

Iowa could become the first US state to strip gender identity from civil rights protections after lawmakers passed a bill that would remove protections for the trans community despite dozens of protesters opposing the legislation.  If Iowa’s Republican Governor Kim Reynolds signs the bill, which aims to strip Iowa’s civil rights code of protections based on gender identity, into law it would become the first state to do so. The move comes amid continued attacks against the trans and non-binary communities in the United States, with President Trump signing several executive orders limiting transgender rights since taking over the White House on January 20. His orders aim to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs; demand government employees refer only to “sex” and not “gender;” and declare gender to be an “immutable biological reality” that precludes any change in gender identity. Civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocates say the Iowa bill would leave the transgender community vulnerable to discrimination.

The bill aims to abolish gender identity as a protected class and define female and male along with gender, which it says will be a synonym for sex. Demonstrators opposed the bill, chanting slogans like “say no to hate” and holding banners that read “trans rights are human rights.”

The family of pop star Liam Payne have criticised the media for causing "indescribable, lasting damage" through its coverage of his death. In a statement released on Sunday morning, the family said that persistent "attention and speculation" in the press had exacerbated their suffering, and that of Payne's young son, Bear, in particular. "The family has always wished for privacy to grieve and asks that they be given the space and time to do so," they added.  Payne died last October after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. He was 31 years old. The family's statement came after Argentinian authorities dropped manslaughter charges against one of Payne's friends, Rogelio "Roger" Nores, and two members of staff at the hotel.  Two other men still face charges of supplying drugs to Payne on the night he died. On Saturday, the Brit Awards paid tribute to the star, with an emotional segment led by Jack Whitehall, who was one of Payne's friends. "He achieved so much in the short time that he was on this earth, and was not only a supremely gifted musician but an incredibly kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he came into contact with," said the comedian. "We have so many amazing memories of Liam here at the Brits, so tonight we celebrate his legacy and look back and remember the remarkable Liam Payne."

Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men's Club (FoBGWMC) have set up what they are calling a "fighting fund" as part of the next stage of a campaign to save the at-risk LGBT-friendly venue in east London.  FoBGWMC said the fund would pay for a planning bid to persuade Tower Hamlets Council to save the club. About £7,000 has been raised, with the aim to raise £12,000 by 8 April. In June 2024, the club was given a two-month eviction notice. Equity, the actor's union, then launched an online petition to halt plans to close the venue. Equity's Nick Keegan said the venue, where some scenes from Netflix's Baby Reindeer were filmed, was a "crucial and irreplaceable fixture of London's cultural heritage". More than half of London's LGBTQ+ venues closed between 2006 and 2022, Greater London Authority data shows.  BGWMC has functioned as a community-owned social club since 1973, with a history of shared ownership that goes back to 1888. FoBGWMC said the money from the crowdfunding campaign would pay for a full chartered survey and valuation of the building, as well as cover the planning application costs. It added an extended target of £18,000 would allow the group to develop a robust business plan with financial projections and cover all consultancy and accountancy costs. The aim is to build an investment case for one of two preferred outcomes: for Tower Hamlets Council to buy the club and then lease it back to FoBGWMC or for the council to allow FoBGWMC to purchase 

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has confirmed that an NHS-funded trial into the potential benefits of puberty blockers is due to commence The trial, which was recommended in last year’s Cass Review, will be led by a team of researchers at King’s College London who will receive £10,694,902.24 in NHS funding to complete the study which will also look at other areas of children’s gender care.  The Cass Review found that existing studies into puberty blockers and their benefits were of “poor” quality, thus necessitating the need for new research to be carried out.   Under the trial, young people, with the agreement of their parents, will be given puberty suppressing hormones for a period of two years. Their physical, social and emotional well-being will be closely monitored for the duration of this period to understand what the benefits may be. The trial will also monitor children who attend NHS gender clinics but do not take puberty blockers. This new study aims to “fill some of the gaps in our knowledge about the outcomes of different interventions and address some of the uncertainty about the impacts and efficacy of puberty suppressing hormones,” according to Baroness Hilary Cass, who compiled the review. “This suite of research will examine the evidence for a range of clinical care, including the use of puberty suppressing hormones, following advice from the Cass Review,” said Professor James Palmer

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has banned the Budapest Pride March from taking place in the city’s streets, citing “child protection” as the reason.  The government’s announcement comes after days of speculation about what Orbán meant when he said in a recent speech that he would advise the organisers of the LGBTQ+ march “not to bother preparing their march for this year” as “it would be a waste of time and money.” “There will be no Pride in the public form in which we have known it in recent decades,” Gergely Gulyás, the minister in charge of Orbán’s office, clarified on Thursday, February 27. “We believe that the country should not tolerate Pride marching through the city centre.” Gulyás said at the press conference that banning the LGBTQ+ march is in line with a proposed constitutional amendment stating that “the right of children to physical, mental and moral development is irrevocable. Asked whether banning the parade would mean curtailing the basic right to freedom of expression, Gulyás said Hungary’s move “wouldn’t mean a deprivation of rights.” Responding to a question about why he claims that Pride marches are harmful to children, Gulyás said, “it’s common sense.” “A family man doesn’t usually go near Pride, he avoids that part of the city,” the minister said. Gay marriage is not recognised in Hungary

Organisers of Leeds Pride – one of the city’s largest festival weekends of the year – have announced the first wave of acts performing at the 2025 event, which takes place on Sunday, July 20.  Headlining the main stage will be chart-topping band Liberty X who will be performing their biggest hits alongside pop sensations the Cartoons and live from the West End, Queenz the show. Also joining them will be popular dance music artists Kelly Lorena and Booty Luv. Leeds Pride is gearing up for another huge celebration, after smashing records in 2024 with over 80,000 visitors – its biggest attendance to date, over 160 parade entries and support from 238 businesses. Plans are well underway to top that this year with a wider food offering, more fantastic parade floats, a bigger line up and a longer, prouder party across Leeds city centre. Now in its 19th year, Leeds Pride is one of the largest free one-day festivals in Yorkshire and is a major contributor to the local economy. The 2025 festival promises to once again showcase the vibrant culture and people of Leeds with a full calendar of events including fringe celebrations with two stages of artist performances on Millennium Square and Lower Briggate, the Pride Parade, Viaduct Street Party and new for this year, the Leeds Pride Ball. Terry George, Leeds Pride spokesperson, said: “Preparations for this year’s Pride are in full swing and we are thrilled to have Jet2holidays support Leeds Pride 2025 as headline sponsor again

Michelle Trachtenberg, who rose to fame as a child star in the 1990s and 2000s, has died aged 39, the New York Police Department told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. The American actreTrachtenberg made her film debut in Harriet the Spy in 1996, and she appeared in several Nickelodeon productions. ss was best known for playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer's younger sister Dawn Summers, and later took on the role of manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl - which ran from 2007 to 2012 - as an adult. Her death is not being treated as suspicious, police said.  BBC News has reached out to Trachtenberg's representatives for comment. Police in Manhattan said they responded to an emergency call on Wednesday morning, and they found Trachtenberg "unconscious and unresponsive". She was "pronounced deceased at the scene". "Criminality is not suspected. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing," the NYPD said in a statement. Trachtenberg got her start in acting at three years old on the Nickelodeon television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete.  In the early 2000s, she was nominated for several acting awards for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In 2021, Trachtenberg accused Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon of inappropriate behaviour on set after her co-star Charisma Carpenter said she had been left traumatised due to the treatment she received from Whedon.

For the 9th consecutive year, Malta has been named the most LGBTQ+ inclusive country in Europe, according to the 2024 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map & Index. Conversely, the UK has slipped from a score of 53.40% in 2023 to a score of 51.88% in 2024. This is grim reading for LGBTQ+ residents of the UK as the country scored a high of 86% in just 2015. The annual ranking which evaluates 49 European countries based on their LGBTQ+ rights and policies, assessing areas such as equality, family rights, legal gender recognition, freedom of expression, and protection from hate crimes.  According to statistics, Malta, which received a score of 87.84%, leads the way with progressive laws and strong protections. Following closely behind are Iceland and Belgium, both recognised for their continued commitment to equality and human rights. One major highlight this year is that Belgium officially banned conversion practices, taking a strong stance against these harmful and pseudoscientific “treatments” that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.  However, at the other end of the spectrum, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey have the lowest scores, reflecting severe legal restrictions, discrimination, and increasing hostility toward LGBTQ+ communities. The rankings highlight both progress and setbacks across Europe, urging governments to strengthen protections, combat discrimination, and ensure equal rights for all.

Stonewall has said it is trying to "meet the challenges of this new political era" after it was reported the LGBTQ+ charity could be forced to cut up to half of its staff in the wake of US President Donald Trump's overseas aid freeze.  The charity told the BBC "an organisation-wide consultation" has begun and said that "hard-won rights are being rolled back for marginalised communities across the world".  Only roles with dedicated funding would be safe, Stonewall's CEO Simon Blake told staff in a call on Thursday. When asked by the BBC how much foreign aid spending cuts related to their decision, Stonewall said there are "a number of reasons for the consultation".  Stonewall has 114 employees, according to the UK charity commission website,  The charity's largest funder in recent years has been the Global Equality Fund (GEF), which is overseen by the US state department. It has given Stonewall more than £500,000 between 2021 and 2025. Stonewall's accounts show the GEF granted it £137,254 in 2021-22, £204,442 in 2022-23 and £233,583 in 2023-24. The GEF is a pooled fund from several countries and private business, with a focus on "advancing LGBTI rights around the world". But, according to the Times, it has not published accounts since 2015. President Trump is a long-term critic of overseas spending and has said it needs to be brought in line with his "America First" strategy.

Carla Antonelli, a Spanish politician and LGBTQ activist, has delivered a rabble-rousing speech in defence of trans rights in her country’s parliament.  The moment was shared on Instagram on Friday (21 February 2025) in a collaboration post between Carla and Más Madrid, the left-wing political party she has been a member of since 2023. Addressing the room, the former actress said: “Trans people – we are everyone’s topic of conversation. Everyone has to have an opinion about us. If we are trans, what we are, what we are not.” The lawmaker continued: “Do we get surgery or not? Do we mutilate ourselves or not? Just leave us alone, for god’s sake!” Carla went on to address Vox, a Spanish nationalist party: “Members of Vox, today you came here to derogate my colleague Jimena [González, another Spanish politician who is trans], to derogate me. Honestly, don’t you feel ashamed? “Do you not feel any shame at all for trying to remove, to erase, to cut out of this society a historically persecuted group of people?” The 65-year-old then added: “People who are finally starting to life our heads, trying to find our place in this world? You are making our lives absolutely unbearable.” Carla made history as the first publicly transgender person elected to the Cortes Generales. She is also the first publicly trans person to serve in a regional legislature in Spain.

Euphoria actress Hunter Schafer has revealed that her passport now lists the incorrect gender, following the introduction of US President Donald Trump’s second administration last month. In an eight-minute video addressing the “harsh reality check” and posted on social media today (Friday 21 February 2025), the 26-year-old said the US State Department made the change without her consent or knowledge. “I felt it’s important to share with whoever is listening,” she explained.  This follows the star losing her passport in Barcelona last year, and visiting the Los Angeles Passport Agency this week to replace it. “I filled everything out just like I normally would,” Schafer told fans. “I put female. And when it was picked up today, and I opened it up, they had changed the marker to male.” As per Rolling Stone, Schafer’s gender has been marked as female since she first obtained her driver’s license as a teen. However, she never updated her birth certificate. “This has led me to believe that, I think, the agencies who are in charge of passports and this sort of thing are now required to cross-reference certificates,” she explains. “I don’t know exactly what changed, as far as the processing goes, but this is the first time this has happened to me since I changed my gender marker.” The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes actress went on: “We’re coming up on a decade now or something, and I do believe it is a direct result of the administration our country is currently under.”

A new telephone survey of 14,000 adults from Gallup has shown that nearly one in 10 US adults identify as LGBTQ. The data, released yesterday (Thursday, 20 February 2025), was triple what was found in 2021 and up by two-thirds since 2020.  The increase is due to an uptick in young people and bisexual women coming out publicly, and comes despite US President Donald Trump’s administration rolling back LGBTQ rights in 2025.  As per the findings, one-quarter of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ.   More than half of LGBTQ young adults identify as bisexual, reports the NYT, with 1.3 percent identifying as trans, up from 0.6 percent in 2020. Among Gen Z, 4.1 percent of millennials are trans, compared to 1.7 percent of millennials and less than 1 percent of the older generation. Some 5.2 per cent of those surveyed identified as bisexual, 2 percent as gay, 1.4 percent as lesbian and 0.5 percent as ‘other LGBTQ+’. Last month, Trump signed an executive order on gender just hours after he was sworn in. The order, titled ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’ states ‘woman means adult human female’. An executive order acts as an instruction from the President to federal government agencies on how to enforce laws or policies, without needing approval from Congress. As well as legislating in “the biological reality of two sexes,” Trump has attempted to reduce access to life-saving HIV medicine.

Australian soap drama Neighbours has been cancelled again, two years after it was saved by Amazon MGM Studios. Without specifying a reason, Amazon confirmed the series will finish at the end of 2025 - 40 years and more than 9,000 episodes after its television debut. It was first cancelled by Channel 5 in 2022, but revived by Amazon for its streaming platforms just four months after a star-studded farewell episode watched by millions. The soap - which helped launched the careers of Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie - has long been a huge hit with Australian and UK audiences, and last year received its first Emmy nomination. A statement on the show's social media said the soap would be "resting" from December. "Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years," executive producer Jason Herbison wrote. "We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future," Mr Hebrison added, hinting that the producers will again hunt for a new backer. New episodes will continue to air on Amazon Prime Video and Australia's Channel Ten four times a week until the end of 2025. In a statement, Amazon MGM Studios said it was "proud" to have played "a small part" in Neighbours history. "Forty years is an incredible milestone," a spokesperson said.

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, has delivered a new speech at a global gathering of conservative thinkers, politicians and businesspeople, in which she blasts both diversity policies and prime minister Keir Starmer.  As per The Guardian, the politician reportedly received cheers from the audience after she critcised the west’s “inheritance” as “the real poison of leftwing progressivism.”  “Whether it’s pronouns, or DEI, or climate activism, these issues aren’t about kindness – they are about control,” Badenoch said. “We have limited time and every second spent debating what a woman is, is a second lost from dealing with challenges.” “If we throw this opportunity away because of anger or self-doubt, or weakness, our country and all of western civilisation will be lost.” Badenoch also took aim at Labour party leader Keir Starmer for taking the knee in a nod to Black Lives Matter. The event was organised by the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC), an organisation funded by the likes of GB News co-owner Paul Marshall and private investment company Legatum. Other speakers included Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage and podcast Jordan Peterson.  Badenoch also likened her leadership of the Conservative party to US president Donald Trump’s second term and expressed her belief that “our country and all of western civilisation will be lost” should her party’s efforts to drive rightwing policies not be successful in the future.

Muhsin Hendricks, believed to be the first publicly gay imam, was shot dead in Gqeberha, South Africa on Saturday (15 February 2025), according to reports.  Hendricks, 58, was known for running a mosque for LGBTQ Muslims. He also founded the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation in Cape Town, where he served as executive director.  The motive for the killing is currently unknown, say police.  Police say the Islamic scholar was in a car with another person when then another vehicle stopped in front of them and blocked their exit, reports the Guardian. “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” said a representative for the Eastern Cape force in a statement. “Thereafter the fled the scene, and the driver noticed that Hendricks, who was seated at the back of the vehicle, was shot and killed.” Speaking to AFP, a police spokesperson added: “The motive for the murder is unknown and forms part of the ongoing investigation.” Another police statement reported on by CNN imparts said: “Hendricks and a driver was inside a gold-coloured VW TRoc in Haley Place, Extension 23, Bethsdorp when a silver-coloured Hilux double cab stopped in front and blocked them from driving off. They also cite unconfirmed reports claim that Hendricks was in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, to celebrate the marriage of a lesbian couple.

Football must confront the changing face of homophobia and recommit to tackling the root causes of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.  That is the message from the Football v Homophobia (FvH) campaign which has launched its annual Month of Action with a special event at Bolton Wanderers FC. In February, which is also LGBT+ History Month in the UK, clubs, leagues, county FAs and organisations across the game are encouraged to register as FvH Champions and support the initiative.  At the start of the month, more than 140 have already done so, including at least 20 professional clubs.  Premier League teams Chelsea and Leicester have pledged to amplify #FvH2025, while Leeds United, Sheffield United and Sunderland are among the Championship sides on board. At least 10 grassroots men’s leagues have so far signed up too, just weeks after the release of an FA grassroots disciplinary review showing a near 20% increase in reports of homophobia, and more proven charges for this type of abuse than for any other.  Meanwhile, analysis of social media at recent men’s and women’s major tournaments reflects high levels of anti-LGBTQ+ abuse directed towards players online FvH points to research that shows homophobic language and behaviour in wider society tends to go unreported, creating a “reporting gap”. Curiously, for grassroots football, Kick It Out received only 29 reports alleging discrimination linked to sexual orientation in 2023/24,

The Trump administration has scrubbed references to LGBT health, and information on certain vaccines from federal websites, including top public health agencies.  The move follows a Wednesday memo instructing agencies to end all "programs that use taxpayer money to promote gender ideology" and disable related information from websites by Friday afternoon. Trump has already issued executive orders that banned diversity, equity and inclusion in the government, as well as one that recognised two sexes, male and female.  Asked by reporters on Friday if websites would be shut down to remove diversity-related content, he said: "If they want to scrub the websites, that's OK with me." DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programmes aim to promote participation in workplaces by people from a range of backgrounds. Their backers say they address historical or ongoing discrimination and underrepresentation of certain groups, including racial minorities, but critics argue such programmes can themselves be discriminatory. On Saturday, leading public health agencies appeared to have culled webpages that discussed gender, sexually transmitted diseases, and LGBT health. Several web pages for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now display error messages.  The agency's website contains a yellow banner message that reads, "CDC's website is being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders".

A town's first pride festival will show it to be "inclusive" and "welcoming", the event's organiser has said.  Thame Pride, celebrating the Oxfordshire market town's LGBTQ+ community, is due to take place on 21 June. A so-called pride village will be erected in the town centre, complete with stalls and a main stage hosted by drag queens.  The event's director David Dawson said the "exciting" event would have "fun for all the family".  "We are an increasingly diverse town, we are a very inclusive town full of welcoming people.""The point of pride is to demonstrate that publicly and say 'yes, this is who we are as a town - we're a welcoming town to everybody, it doesn't matter who you are'," he added. The first group announced to play the event is the London Gay Men's Chorus (LGMC) - of which Mr Dawson is a member. 

The LGMC is the largest gay choir in Europe, and has previously featured on Comic Relief, The Graham Norton Show and Top of the Pops. Mr Dawson, who is a town councillor, added that local artists would also feature on the billing for the festival which will be free to attend. "Thame, and the surrounding villages as well, is just jam-packed full of really good talent," he said.

National Student Pride has today announced the line up for the 20th anniversary edition which takes place in London at the end of next month. The event kicks off on Friday with a new edition to the event called UpSkill Careers Afternoon and Researching the Rainbow Showcase, The event starts at 12:30 with Panel discussions starting from 13:00 and concludes at 17:00 before the National Student Pride awards kick off at 19:00. The Saturday daytime festival kicks off at 12:30 with Queer question time, Panel Discussion: Access Denied? Reclaiming the Right to Inclusive Care and a Headline Celebrity Interview which is to be announced. There is no events taking place on Sunday this year. But there are two parties taking place at G-A-Y as normal on the Friday and Saturday nights  On the Saturday daytime festival there is the music stage which is located right by the entrance to warmly welcome students as they arrive on Saturday 1st March. There will be a photographer capturing the performances, and all performers will be paid £50 for their set. For more details on how you could perform on the music stage you can contact   Kaze@studentpride.co.uk. g10 is an official media partner of National Student Pride again this year and we will bring you updates from the event all weekend together with coming live from the event on both days. 

According to a new YouGov opinion poll, commissioned by LGBTQ+ organisation Equality Network, two in three adults in Scotland support a ban on so-called “conversion therapy” where people seek to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.  Sixty-six per cent of those asked support a ban on “conversion therapy” related to changing sexual orientation and 67% support a ban on “conversion therapy” related to changing gender identity. Respectively, on sexual orientation only 13% were opposed to a ban (and 20% chose ‘I don’t know’), and on gender identity only 12% opposed a ban (21% chose ‘I don’t know’). Support for banning “conversion therapy” for both sexual orientation and gender identity was strong for both women and men, but women were slightly more likely to support a ban on both (68% of women support a ban on “conversion therapy” relating to sexual orientation compared to 64% of men, and 69% of women support a ban on “conversion therapy” relating to gender identity compared to 65% of men). According to the data, parents in Scotland were another group where support was strong for a ban on “conversion therapy.” Where a parent had at least one child younger than 18 years old, support was at 62% for a ban related to sexual orientation and at 64% related to gender identity. For parents who had at least one child aged 18 or older these figures were 66% and 67% in support.

A gay man has rejected a pardon from US President Donald Trump after his participation in the 2021 Capitol Riots.  Jason Riddle – who, according to Advocate magazine, identifies as gay – was one of thousands who stormed the home of US politics after Trump falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged against him.  Now, Jason Riddle, who ser ved a 90-day jail sentence for his part in the riots, has said he had an “epiphany” while behind bars.  “I did those things, and they weren’t pardonable,” Riddle told New Hampshire Public Radio. “I’m a recovering alcoholic,” Riddle explained. “At the time, I was not recovering. “I would combine alcohol with my politics, and I’d put it online too,” he went on. “I spent a lot of time on social media in the comments section arguing with strangers about nothing…  “Instead of trying to figure out what was causing these problems, looking at myself, I blamed other people and politics.” He went on: “People were smashing windows and breaking things, and I went in and spotted a liquor cabinet and, doing what a good alcoholic does, just poured myself a drink.” “I don’t need to obsess over a narcissistic bully to feel better about myself,” Riddle also told ABC News, adding, “Trump can shove his pardon up his a*s.”  Last year, Steven Miles – also known as gay porn star Sergeant Miles – was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the Capitol riots.

Madonna, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande have all taken the opportunity to speak out on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in the face of recent moves by the Trump administration. Trump’s second term in office is already proving as troublesome for the community as many feared in the run-up to last year’s election. In the short time since the President has re-entered office, he has signed an executive order to recognise only two genders (male and female), halted the supply of HIV drugs to poor countries, and removed all HIV information and resources from the White House website. And now, many stars and long time supporters of the community are expressing their compassion with those affected by these moves. Taking to X last night, Madonna wrote: “It’s so sad to watch our new Government slowly dismantling all the Freedoms we have been fighting for and WON over the years.” “Don’t give up the Fight!” she continued, adding a rainbow flag emoji to her post. Lady Gaga also spoke about the subject in a new interview with ELLE. When asked how she felt in the wake of Trump’s success, and the loss of Kamala Harris, who the singer had publicly endorsed, Gaga said: “The main thing is I have so much compassion and love for so many people who are afraid today. I want to acknowledge that I’m a very blessed person, and I feel grateful for so much in my life every day.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released new figures which show the number of people in the UK who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual has more than doubled in the space of five years.  As of 2023, one in ten (10.4%) people aged between 16-24 in the UK said they identify as LGB, which is a significant increase from just 4.4% in 2018. This increase is driven by a particular increase in young people identifying as bisexual, from 2.8% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2023. Within this demographic, women are driving the increase with 9.2% of women aged 16-24 identifying as bisexual versus 5.9% of young men.  The proportion of all adults identifying as LGB has also seen a significant increase, up to 3.8% in 2023 from 2.2% in 2018.  “These statistics are a timely reminder that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people are a growing part of UK society, with more LGB young people than ever before,” Simon Blake, CEO of LGBTQ+ rights organisation Stonewall said in response to the new figures. “The more than one in ten of 16-24 year olds identifying as LGB will be a crucial part of our workplaces, politics and lives. They will have colleagues, friends and families who support them, and they will deserve – and demand – equal rights and opportunities. “This data should be a wake up call to organisations and Governments who are rolling back on their commitments to LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion,