WEST HOLLYWOOD SEPI SHYNE FIRST LGBTQ IRANIAN WOMAN ELECTED TO OFFICE Sepi Shyne and John M. Erickson were sworn in to the city council of West Hollywood during a teleconference council meeting last month, in adherence to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. Councilmember Sepi Shyne made history when she was elected to the West Hollywood…
Rainbow Railroad Support LGBTQI individuals living in fear and isolation due to government and police supported persecution and violence. Can you imagine living in fear of persecution, torture or murder? Can you imagine going to jail for who you are or who you love? That is a reality for so many LGBTQI individuals around the…
A staunch family values Hungarian member of the European Parliament was caught “fleeing along the gutter” to escape Brussels police during the raid of a gay orgy [which violated Belgium’s strict lockdown rules]. RAYS OF HOPE FROM SCOTUS? Last month, I spared you the recap of a lawsuit that pitted Indiana against two married women…
STAYING GRATEFUL We asked these clean and sober individuals with various lengths of recovery time how they stayed thankful through a year that gave us a pandemic, a quarantine, high unemployment rate and a nail-biting election MY FAMILY “I’m grateful I kept my sanity and peace of mind during the pandemic. I have to say…
The Year In Review A look back at the artists featured over the past year.
SAN DIEGO TODD GLORIA BECOMES FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF COLOR Todd Gloria is now the first openly LGBTQ+ person and first person of color elected mayor of San Diego. The new mayor is Native American, Filipino, Puerto Rican and Dutch. He vows to create opportunity for people of color like himself when he takes…
POLAND IS BURNING One of the most homophobic countries in Europe is in a tizzy over a documentary claiming their national icon had (gasp!) male lovers People in Poland—one of the most prominent anti-LGBT countries in Europe—are smarting after a Swiss documentary claimed that their national icon, the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin , had male…
ALL IS BRIGHT Justin Utley brings much-needed cheer to the year with his new holiday single Out Music Award winner Justin Utley is out this holiday with his first original seasonal single, “All is Bright.” In it, Utley sings how even during these dark and tumultuous times, there’s still a silver lining. “The pandemic has…
QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT PRESIDENT I just reread my last column, written in the wee hours of November 4, and relived the intoxicated stress of election night. All I can say is I’m glad that’s over. Yes, we now face nearly two more months of dodging bullets from Trump and the crazies he has…
STAYING SOBER We asked three individuals with different lengths of recovery time, how they stayed clean and sober throughout the year amid the insanity of the coronavirus pandemic, the lockdown and stress over the 2020 elections REINVENT MYSELF “I remained willing to have my sobriety be my number one priority. Being part of the No…
BACK TO SCHOOL Educator of the Year trans teacher Tray Robinson on his expectations for the coming administration Transgender San Jose, California high school teacher and GLSEN’s 2020 Educator of the Year Tray Robinson spoke to LGBTQ Nation last month about his expectations for the coming administration. “Besides taking away Betsy Devos and everything she’s…
DAKOTA NOOT A Los Angeles-based artist and curator, Dakota Noot uses drawings, paintings, and installations to create animal-human hybrids that explore rural yet fantastical, queer identities. Originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, he continues to show in both North Dakota and Los Angeles, including solo and two-person shows at Highways Performance Space, MuzeuMM, and PØST. Noot has…
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 PALM SPRINGS PRIDE WEEK Various locations. Info: visit www.pspride.org Pride Week is November 6-8 in Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Pride organization is encouraging the community to come together in solidarity, in the spirit of activism, and to demonstrate resilience under the theme Exist. Resist. Persist. A combination of social distance,…
WEST HOLLYWOOD TRANSGENDER AWARENESS MONTH TO BE COMMEMORATED WITH ONLINE EVENTS The City of West Hollywood and its Transgender Advisory Board recognize November as Transgender Awareness Month. Kicking-off events this year, the City presented the Transgender Awareness Month Awards via Zoom. This year’s honorees included Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media & Representation. Awards…
ENTRY DENIED Horrific Anti-LGBT Persecution in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras. United States blocks path to asylum The governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have failed to effectively address violence and entrenched discrimination LGBT people, leading many to seek asylum in the United States, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Yet policies by…
Unfortunately, “winning” seems to include living in a country where half our fellow citizens are becoming a cult and would rather see a neo-fascist strongman in charge than a capable executive. JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL Readers, I’m writing on election night at about midnight East Coast time. Why? Because I wanted my column to reflect…
FRESH OUT OF REHAB We asked these clean and sober individuals in early recovery what it’s like—after completing a rehabilitation program at the Van Ness Recovery House—moving into a sober living space. Life With Tools “Getting out of rehab is fabulous. I now have a life with tools. Being in the house was very uncomfortable…
TRANS ELECTION VICTORIES Sarah McBride has become the highest ranking trans legislator in the country Trans candidate Taylor Small of Vermont, has made history as the new representative-to-be for two districts in the state legislator, reports LGBTQ Nation. In the Midwest, Stephanie Byers becomes the first transgender person of color in a state legislature by…
CALEB BOYLES Cutedirtydog, also known as Caleb Boyles, is a queer illustrator based out of Los Angeles. As a full-time freelance artist he spends his days working out of his apartment alongside his boyfriend and their bichon poodle named Milk. His work embodies his own personal experiences of queerness and the emotions that come with…
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 OUT UNDER THE STARS DRIVE—IN: BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER 5PM-8PM Parking Garage @1400 Ivar Ave. Behind The Cinerama Dome. The Los Angeles LGBT Center and Lionsgate host the ultimate socially distanced outdoor movie night benefitting the Center’s vital programs and services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 TRANSLOUNGE: REDEFINING MASCULINITIES—EXPLORINGMASCULINITY…
