The President has executed quite an order today that has angered many American citizens. The month of June is Pride Month and many in the LGBTQIA+ community are not only protesting alongside Black Lives Matter advocates, but they're celebrating Pride, as well. Today (June 12) is especially sensitive to the LGBTQIA+ community as it marks the fourth anniversary since Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was terrorized by Omar Mateen. The 29-year-old stormed the nightclub and killed 49 people while injuring 53 others. As the LGBTQIA+ advocates remembers those who lost their lives, President Trump revealed that he's "rolled back an Obama-era policy that protected LGBTQ patients from discrimination," according to Politico.
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During his administration, Obama unveiled a policy that stated health care providers couldn't discriminate against women who inquired about abortions, transgender patients, or any patient that the medical professional doesn't want to treat because they don't align against the provider's personal or religious beliefs. It was reportedly a way of protecting people in an anti-discrimination clause, but Trump has nixed it. There has been public outrage at the timing of this announcement, while some have stated it's purely coincidental.
"These actions demonstrate how little this Administration values the life, health and safety of LGBTQ people," said Sharita Gruberg of the Center for American Progress. "It’s even more of a disgrace to do so on the anniversary of the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in US history." Check out a few responses about the political move below.
Brandy Loves Seeing LGBTQIA+ Artists Making Waves In Hip Hop
Brandy recently chatted with “The Advocate” about LGBTQIA+ representation in hip hop, and she’s happy to see the progression in today’s culture.
For the first time in hip hop history, multiple LGBTQIA+ artists are finding chart-topping success. While there have been gay or queer artists in hip hop in the past, never has there been a time in the genre’s history where rappers are coming forward, unapologetically, about their sexuality. Artists like Lil Nas X, Big Freedia, Taylor Bennett, Kehlani, ILoveMakonnen, 070 Shake, Saul Williams, Syd the Kid, Kevin Abstract, and depending on who you ask, Tyler, The Creator, have all openly shared their personal lives with fans. There has been an unprecedented amount of support shown to these artists, and singer Brandy is happy to see the progression.
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“I feel like love is the most important magic that we have in life, and wherever there’s love, that’s where I want to be,” she recently told The Advocate. “I feel like it’s important for everybody to feel loved and everybody to feel like they are accepted and they have a family of people, that we can all come together and be one person. I feel so positive about that. I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for the love that we all can share together.”
“I feel like this is a great time to be yourself and to be accepted,” Brandy added of the shift that hip hop is experiencing with the visibility of LGBTQIA+ artists. “I just love that we’re all celebrating in that.” Watch Brandy chat with The Advocate in full below.
Lil Nas X Never Planned On Coming Out, Was Ready To "Die With The Secret"
Lil Nas X made waves when he shared that he was gay, but coming out to the world was never apart of his plan.
His coming out story was one for the history books as there aren’t many chart-topping, record-breaking rappers who openly admit to being homosexual. As much as Lil Nas X has relished in being an icon for others who share similar obstacles, the young rapper revealed that “coming out” wasn’t apart of his plans. “The honest truth is, I planned to die with the secret,” he shared with The Guardian. “But that changed when I became Lil Nas X.”
The are other LGBTQIA+ artists out there who openly write lyrics about their sexuality including Kevin Abstract and Frank Ocean, but Lil Nas X hasn’t yet entered that sphere in his artistry. “I 100 [percent] want to represent the LGBT community,” he told the publication. Yet, just because he shared his private life with the world doesn’t mean he encourages everyone to take that step. Coming out can be difficult, and Lil Nas X recognizes that not everyone’s family is accepting.
“I don’t want to encourage them to do something they don’t 100 [percent] want to do. Especially in, like, middle school or high school. Because it’s just super hard,” he said. Even with the fame and notoriety, the rapper admits to still struggling with discussing his personal life with his loved ones. “My family knows now. But it’s not something that’s ever brought up or we speak about. We’re quiet on it. Nobody’s like, ‘Oh, you got a boyfriend?’”
Da Brat Is Nervous Speaking About Sexuality: "It Wasn’t Cool Back In The Day"
Da Brat recently confirmed her romantic relationship with Jesseca Dupart and shared why she decided not to speak on her personal life before now.
After decades of rumors about her personal life, Da Brat has recently confirmed that she’s in a relationship with Miracle Drops mogul Jesseca Dupart. The pair have shared that they weren’t necessarily hiding their romance from the masses, but for the first time, Da Brat has revealed intimate details of her relationship. While speaking with her co-hosts on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Brat said she just held back for so long because when she came onto the scene, people weren’t as accepting as they are today.
“I guess I should say something about it since this is the show that I’m on and everybody else talking about,” Da Brat said. “I’ve always been an advocate for privacy, pretty much to protect the interest of the other party, because if you’re not used to this life and the scrutiny that come with it, it can break you. I’ve been talked about for way over 20 years so I’m kinda conditioned for it and my coat of armor is pretty thick so I’ve learned what to say and what not to say in the battles that I decide to choose to fight, which most of the time I just stay silent and let people speculate.”
“I’ve never confirmed anything because you know in the ’90s it wasn’t cool back in the day,” she continued. Brat said she was nervous because she’s not very public with her personal life and it’s the first time she’s talked about her sexuality so openly. “But when you get blessed and somebody, when you wasn’t even looking for nobody, love you like you never been loved before, it’s like a whole different experience… She love me from my hair follicles down to my toenails. She inspire me. She believe in me. She motivate me. She accept me for who I am. My past, my faults, my mistakes. We can talk about any and everything… and on top of that, she spoil me.” Listen to Da Brat speak about her relationship in full below.
Rosario Dawson "Comes Out" But Has "Never Had A Relationship In That Space"
Rosario Dawson and Corey Booker are happily in love, and in a recent interview, the actress cleared up rumors about her sexuality. Sort of.
There look to be wedding bells in the future for Rosario Dawson and Cory Booker. The actress and her Senator boyfriend have been quite candid about their budding romance, especially when he had his hat in the ring to become the Democratic candidate in the forthcoming presidential election this November. Following Booker’s exit from the race, Rosario chatted with Bustle about her relationship with Booker along with policies that she stands behind. During the talk, the reporter brought up Dawson’s ongoing support of the LGBTQIA+ community, referencing an Instagram post back in 2018 when she wrote, “Happy pride month! sending love to my fellow lgbtq+ homies.”
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The public thought that was Rosario’s way of “coming out,” but the actress said that wasn’t’ her intention. “People kept saying that I [came out]… I didn’t do that,” she says. “I mean, it’s not inaccurate, but I never did come out come out. I mean, I guess I am now.” She then switches things up to say that she doesn’t feel as if she should be included because, “I’ve never had a relationship in that space, so it’s never felt like an authentic calling to me.”
Now, while there have been a few reports stating that she’s come out as bisexual, Rosario didn’t actually say that during her interview. Cory Booker has her heart for now and we’re sure that’s her main concern. Check out her 2018 post below.
"The Eternals" Set To Feature First Openly Gay Superhero In MCU
“Atlanta” star Brian Tyree Henry will star as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first openly gay superhero in “The Eternals.”
Marvel gave many African Americans a new generation Black superhero back in 2018 with the beloved film Black Panther, representing the culture proudly in his own standalone film. In 2020, it looks like a new demographic will get proper representation in the MCU now that it’s been officially unveiled that a gay superhero will be one of the stars in the highly-anticipated film The Eternals.
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The news was revealed by Little America star Haaz Sleiman during a recent interview with Logo’s NewNowNext. Sleiman will star as the love interest of Brian Tyree Henry, the comedic actor famous for his role on FX’s Atlanta that stars in The Eternals as openly gay superhero Phastos. Haaz says of the historic movie couple, “we represent a gay family and have a child,” even confirming that the two will 100% share an onscreen kiss.
Read Haaz Sleiman’s full quote about filming a gay kiss for The Eternals, Logo:
Everyone cried on set. For me it’s very important to show how loving and beautiful a queer family can be. Brian Tyree Henry is such a tremendous actor and brought so much beauty into this part, and at one point I saw a child in his eyes, and I think it’s important for the world to be reminded that we in the queer community were all children at one point. We forget that because we’re always depicted as sexual or rebellious. We forget to connect on that human part.
Marvel will release The Eternals on November 6, 2020. Let us know your thoughts on this revolutionary revelation after checking out a preview of the cast and their characters below:
YG Apologizes To LGBTQ Community: "My Old Views On Life Was Ignorant"
YG wants to set the record straight.
Like most of us, it looks like YG wants to start the new year off with a fresh start and a clean slate. In his case, that means addressing certain claims that have been made about him in order to move forward. YG took to Twitter just ten minutes after the ball dropped and 2020 began, to pen an apology to the LGBTQ community (or, as he spelled it, "kommunity"). In his tweet, he wrote, "it’s been brought to my attention that my old views on life was ignorant. i apologize to the LGBTQ kommunity for ever komin across like i was anything but respectful and accepting. Live. Love. Ya Life. Gang!"
Though he does not point out which specific homophobic or transphobic comments or actions he's been called out for, it seems that YG would merely like to address any and all instances in which he expressed anti-queer sentiments in order to clarify that those were not his intentions and that he respects and accepts the queer community. Many responded to the tweet praising YG for this move...
...while others felt it was nothing but an attempt to try to win back or get the attention of rumoured ex-girlfriend, Kehlani, who identifies as queer.
YG and Kehlani were head over heels for each other this year, until a cheating scandal had Kehlani second-guessing their relationship. Could this tweet be YG's way of trying to prove to Kehlani how much he's grown? Or does he feel genuine remorse and want to offer a sincere apology to the LGBTQ community?
