Oh wow, I had such a fun weekend celebrating LA Pride. Dyke Day, Pride Fest, the Resistance March, brunches and parties and so many lesbians! I feel Proud AF. But I also took a moment to remember that one year ago yesterday, 49 of our brothers and sisters lost their lives in Orlando. Thousands of people are expected to show up to the memorial in Florida tonight, while others around the world honored the victims with moments of silence, balloon releases and other tributes over the weekend. This online gallery from The Orange County Regional History Center offers a way to reflect and remember the tragedy, so that we can make sure it never happens again. RESIST!
RESIST WITH CHARLIZE THERON! Apparently she was at the LA Resist March and it’s very distressing to me that I didn’t see her, especially after watching this clip from “Atomic Blonde.”
LGBTQ history podcasts are all the rage RN, and I have so much listening to do! So many queer people doing really cool things and I still haven’t watched the new season of “Orange is the New Black.”
I don’t ever want to drink again, but I also really want one of these gender neutral beers.
Ani DiFranco might want a sip, too. She just released a video for her new track “Binary.”
Kylie Jenner is totally gay now because of this LESBIAN kiss.
Out lesbian Lorrie Ann Diaz, who works for the Miami Heat, penned an essay for the Miami Herald about what it’s like to be super gay and part of the NBA. (Spoiler: She loves the Heat and makes sure they are always inclusive and giving to the LGBT community.)
Lesbian bars are dying all over, but Denver’s Blush and Blu is determined to stay in business. Owner Jody Bouffard tells the Denver Post she thinks “social media has killed the bars.” “Come in here on a Friday night at 7 o’clock, you’re going to see half the girls on the bar doing this (she plays with her phone) instead of, ‘Hey, how you doing? How was your week?’ ” Bouffard said. “I saw how your week was online.” But she still believes in cultivating a physical space for LGBTQ women. “At the end of the day, we’re all just searching for a family or a sense of belonging,” Bouffard said. “So if that’s not something you find here, may you find it somewhere else out there. But I try to provide that at least. This is my big living room, even if it’s at a bar.”
Valentina Sampaio is the first trans woman to appear on the cover of Vogue, and the Brazilian model totally slays. She told Buzzfeed: “Transgender people need more opportunities. It’s not the gender of a person that determines your character or whether you’re good at something or not. Many times transgender women find the doors are already closed for them professionally, which only marginalizes us further — but everyone has something to show.” She shared that a jeans company once refused to have her in a campaign because they didn’t want to upset conservative customers. EYE ROLL GOAN BITCH BUY YOUR DENIM ELSEWHERE.
More Color, More Pride is a new movement to add black and brown stripes to the Rainbow Flag, and the City of Philadelphia is helping elevate the conversation.
More women (200!) and LGBTS (45!) were elected into Parliament than ever before in the recent election, including Education Secretary Justine Greening and shadow defense secretary Nia Griffith.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio created the city’s first-ever LGBTQ Health Care Bill of Rights, detailing LGBTQ-specific protections on “local, state and federal levels for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and will be distributed on posters, wallet cards and in the city’s health centers and clinics.” Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
Congrats to Cynthia Nixon on winning Best Featured Actress in A Play for her role(s) in “The Little Foxes.” She shouted out her wife and kids and Laura Linney, and then did a political mic drop I was here for.
Jane Lynch has gotten yet another hosting gig. This time, she’s sharing the job with Phil Keoghan for National Geographic’s “Earth Live.” Get that money, Jane!
Keep the Pride going all month long.
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