I never thought I would see Lea Michele caption a post about her literacy, ‘LOL.'”
Men Strip Down in Teaser for ‘Welcome to Chippendales’
True crime just got an upgrade. If you’re a fan of the genre, but thought to yourself “this needs more Magic Mike,” you’re in luck. Welcome to Chippendales tells the story of Somen “Steve” Steve Banerjee, an Indian entrepreneur, and the founder of Chippendales. His dream for a male-stripping enterprise will play out in a series coming to Hulu this November.’
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A World of Luxury
The “sprawling true-crime saga” has it all. Played by Kumail Nanjiani, Banerjee is “an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire.” Nanjiani appears primed to deliver an outstanding performance as Banerjee, who will “let nothing stand in his way” in the show. It seems unlikely that Nanjiani will take his shirt off at any point which, as many of you will agree, is a real shame. For most of the teaser, Nanjiani wears a tan suit, bespeckled in a pair of 80s glasses. The setting is quintessential 80s, as are the strippers.
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The series contains a lot of familiar faces, including Emmy award-winner Murray Bartlett. You may also recognize Dan Stevens, Quentin Plair, Andrew Rannells, and tick, tick… BOOM!’s Robin De Jesús. Bartlett, best known for his roles as Dom in Looking and Armond in The White Lotus, will play Nick De Noia. De Noia is a closeted gay choreographer at Chippendales at the center of the rise (and subsequent fall) of the business.
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Happy Endings
The show isn’t all jock straps and choreography, and things take a turn. Robin De Jesús will play Banerjee’s right-hand man, Ray Colon who plays a pivotal role in the controversy that surrounded Chippendales in the late 80s. Without spoiling anything, this is not one that you’ll want to miss. Other cast members include Annaleigh Ashford, Spencer Boldman, and Juliette Lewis. Welcome to Chippendales premieres on Tuesday, November 22.
Watch the teaser below.
This Artist Is Reimagining Your Favorite Superheroes Turned Gay
Queer representation in mainstream media is rare. But what if your favorite superheroes turned gay? Sometimes you have to create (or recreate) the representation you want to see in the world. Most people could count the amount of canonically queer superheroes they know on one hand. The number shrinks down, even more, when you restrict it to canonically queer on-screen heroes. Even that is being generous and relies on you including passing references and subtle hints.
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Need A Hero?
The truth is we gays are not exactly known for our subtlety. Also, more to the point, some of us are getting kind of tired of it. With that in mind, let’s talk about Zach Brunner. You may remember Brunner from his illustrated series on gay homelife. Well if you haven’t followed him yet, please take this as our social media wake-up call. Luckily for you, this intervention has yassified superheroes.
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Superheroes Tuned Gay
So, whether it’s scantily clad men, gender-bent heroines, or super queer depictions of canonically gay heroes, this is the story for you. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek of your favorite superheroes turned gay. Follow Zach Brunner on Instagram for more.
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Lil Nas X Trolls Anti-Gay Protesters With Pizza
Lil Nas X is a blessing in this world. His talent, humor, sense of style, and personality have had far-reaching effects on LGBTQ+ youths today. Lil Nas X has reshaped the media’s understanding of what the music industry can look like, and in turn, made it better. He’s also incredibly busy right now. In true Lil Nas X style, the rapper has been getting a lot of attention recently. Most recently Lil Nas X had a run-in with anti-gay protesters.
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The 23-year-old is currently on his Long Live Montero tour and documenting it all along the way. Meanwhile, Riot Games recently came forward to name him president of the League of Legends multiplayer battle game. “I’ve left my mark on pop culture in so many ways,” said Lil Nas X. “Now it’s time to take on the world of gaming.” Hilariously, the Grammy-winner’s first “decree” as president was to announce that “bottoms are no longer allowed to play” League of Legends.
as the new president of league of legends, bottoms are no longer allowed to play.
— SAFFA (@LilNasX) September 15, 2022
Let Them Eat Pizza
But making headlines just once in a week is not Lil Nas X’s style and, for him, every challenge is an opportunity. Most recently he decided to take advantage of a group of anti-gay protesters outside his Sunday night concert in Boston. The rapper reposted a video of the protesters on Twitter with the caption, “Just told my team to send them pizza, this is really good promo!”
just told my team to send them pizza, this is really good promo! https://t.co/ZUyh9peQuG
— SAFFA (@LilNasX) September 19, 2022
Sure enough, Lil Nas X later shared a video of his team offering free pizza to the hate group. Unfortunately for them, they declined, but something even more unexpected happened. Lil Nas X wasn’t ready to fall in love with an anti-gay protester outside his concert, but as you know the heart wants what it wants. The video captures a protester wearing a shirt that reads, “Christ’s Forgiveness Ministries,” over which Lil Nas X played Sufjan Stevens’ Mystery of Love. “Sadly one of the homophobes was really hot,” read the text on the screen.
@lilnasx♬ star walkin out now – lil nas x
Honestly, every day it becomes clearer. Lil Nas X is the blueprint. The answer to at least some small part of the mess that is homophobia. Next time you’re confronted with a homophobe, let them eat it.
First Confirmed Gay Characters Come to ‘House of the Dragon’
This article contains spoilers for S1E5 of House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon finally got its first confirmed gay couple! After quite a bit of teasing, we finally got the gay relationship we were waiting for. Laenor Velaryon and Ser Joffrey Lonmouth make a handsome couple, but it’s not all Pride flags and rainbows at House Targaryen. The Game of Thrones franchise doesn’t have the best history regarding lasting LGBTQ+ representation. LGBTQ+ characters are few and far between on the show for a world as deep and rich as the one George R. R. Martin created. When we do see them, they rarely get the treatment they deserve. Five episodes into House of the Dragon, it seems this Game of Thrones prequel will be equally disappointing.
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Finally Confirmed Gay
Fans of Fire & Blood, the book House of the Dragon is based on, may be familiar with the gay rumors surrounding Laenor Velaryon. While never confirmed in print, the show took the leap and even gave Laenor a partner. There are some complications, however. You see, Laenor is betrothed to Rhaenyra Targaryen, Princess of the Targaryen. This is a marriage of convenience, intended to merge two powerful families and strengthen Rhaenyra’s claim to the iron throne. Martin’s books draw a lot of inspiration from European history, and this kind of arrangement is all too common.
The couple is expected to maintain a sense of relative normalcy, upholding their marital duties to one another and their families. They can, however, continue to “dine separately,” which here means they can each maintain their own separate love affairs. For Rhaenyra’s part, she is secretly in a relationship with Ser Criston Cole. A gay love affair within a marriage of convenience would be disappointing on its own. If you ask us, it’s a trope that has already been played out. We wish the disappointment ended there.
House of the Dragon: Bury Your Gays
You knew where this was going. The Game of Thrones franchise is notorious for killing people off, but this couple didn’t even make it past one episode. Not long Rhaenyra and Laenor’s married, Ser Joffrey told Ser Criston that he knew about their love affair. He implied that both he and Ser Criston should vow to keep one another’s interests private. Ser Criston eventually responds by brutally beating Ser Joffrey to death. Honestly, that has to be some kind of “bury your gays” record.
For those uninitiated, the “bury your gays” trope is a long-standing tendency for media to kill off queer characters. It’s especially egregious when the circumstances surrounding the death hold relatively less emotional weight. A good example of that is when there has been little or no time taken to develop the characters or provide any real meaning to their death. There are lots of reasons this trope exists, but make no mistake, this is a well-documented phenomenon. Then there is also the matter of the “gay panic” in this storyline. It could be argued that Ser Criston responded in this way to keep his secret safe, but that falls apart when you consider how publicly he lashed out. This all smacks of homophobia and, in all honesty, it’s boring and painfully disappointing.
There is simply no excuse for giving your LGBTQ+ audience crumbs, while everyone else has full bellies.
Demi Lovato Says This Will Be Her Last Tour
“I can’t do this anymore,” Demi Lovato wrote on Instagram.
Susan Sarandon Confirms She is Bisexual … Again
Susan Sarandon just said she’s bi. It’s a great day to be gay.
13 of Your Favorite Superhero Hunks Depicted Like Gods
We live in a world that has gone into a superhero frenzy, and there are no signs of that changing any time soon. Who can blame us? Superheroes often represent the best, and worst, in all of us. They take the complicated moral issues we all face and magnify them on a fantastical scale. Whether you’re a DC-lover or a Marvel fanboy, there’s a little something for everyone in superhero stories. And for some people, there’s a lot of something. For some of us, there are superhero hunks.
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Art Worthy of A God
Take Carlos GZZ for example. The artist, graphic designer, and illustrator, certainly has an appreciation for everything super. So much so that he himself cosplays as them from time to time. But when he’s not cosplaying them, he’s illustrating them. Carlos has a keen eye for the superhuman form. After creating a stunning image of Thor entitled Thor Love and Thunder, Carlos had an idea. The artwork in question depicts Thor with rippling abs and surrounded by lightning, looking appropriately God-like. But what if all superheroes received this divine treatment? Carlos decided to make it a series.
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Most of his pieces depict existing superheroes, shirtless with nothing but a length of sheer fabric to protect their modesty. Some of his pieces depict gender-swapped superheroes or lesser-known heroes depicted by hunky celebrities. Each and everyone gets the same treatment. A dramatic background, a heroic pose, and a well-placed item of clothing. Hot tip: consider joining Carlos’ Patreon account if you’d like to see the uncensored versions.
Keep scrolling to take in the heroic majesty and follow Carlos GZZ on Instagram for more.
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Haven’t had your fill of superhero hunks just yet? It’s worth knowing that Carlos himself has the body to go with his body of work. We can see now why his inspiration isn’t that hard to find.
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Evan Peters Plays Gay Serial Killer in Disturbing New Series
The story of Jeffrey Dahmer is notoriously horrific. Also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, Dahmer gruesomely murdered seventeen people between 1978 and 1991. He took them from their families and their loved ones. His actions left a scar on their lives and struck a lasting fear in the heart of Milwaukee’s gay community. Now, almost 28 years after his death, director Ryan Murphy is telling this story on Netflix. The first trailer for DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story dropped today, and it is deeply disturbing.
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A Very Dark Place
Portrayed by Evan Peters of American Horror Story fame, Murphy’s Dahmer is a chilling depiction of this infamous murderer. The series promises to expose Dahmer’s crimes while centering on the victims (most of whom were not white) and their communities. The story of Dahmer illustrates a catastrophic failure by local police, and the unanswered warning cries of marginalized people. Speaking about his role as Dahmer, Peters said he was “very scared” going into it. “Trying to commit to that was absolutely going to be one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life,” said Peters. “In order to do that I was going to have to go to really dark places and stay there for an extended period of time.”
Peters said he has the crew to thank specifically for keeping him on the guardrails. “I could not have done any of this role without them,” he continued. Beyond this, there was one rule from director Ryan Murphy. That is that they would not tell this story from Dahmer’s point of view. “It’s called The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, but it’s not just him and his backstory,” said Peters. “It’s how society and our system failed to stop him multiple times, because of racism, homophobia.” The cast and crew knew the importance of telling everybody’s side of the story. “The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is so much bigger than him”
A Story Untold
With that in mind, let’s talk about Glenda Cleveland. Although you may be intimately familiar with Jeffrey Dahmer and the victims, it’s very possible you don’t know her name. Portrayed by Emmy award-winning Niecy Nash, she was a neighbor of Dahmer’s. Cleveland lived in the, now leveled, apartment building where Dahmer carried out twelve of his seventeen confirmed murders. “Hers is a story that I did not know,” said Nash. “Glenda was one of his victims too, and her story has been told the least of these.”
Cleveland tried several times to call attention to Dahmer’s suspicious behavior. The serial killer could have been stopped two months earlier if authorities took her seriously. Cleveland advocated for 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, who came tragically close to escaping Dahmer’s clutches. Drugged and disoriented, Sinthasomphone was led back into Dahmer’s house after he convinced police officers that Sinthasomphone was his 17-year-old partner. Cleveland knew something wasn’t right, but appallingly, her cries were ignored. Five of Dahmer’s seventeen murders, including Sinthasomphone, could have been prevented that night.
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Niecy Nash told the story of her performance surrounding this story, and how it shaped her view of that terrible night. “The police were right there, and they walked him right back into Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment,” she said. Nash explained that she believes that happened for one of two reasons. “One, because it was a Black woman complaining and calling them to do something,” she started. “And two, because they believed what they stumbled on what a same-sex couple.” Ultimately, she said, it was “homophobia on one hand, and not having that much respect for a Black woman on the other hand.”
Dahmer’s Hateful Legacy
Glenda Cleveland’s story underscores the real hateful legacy of Jeffrey Dahmer. There is so much more to it than a gay serial killer. “The theme of this entire piece is timeless,” said Nash. “You still have communities and people crying out for change to be heard by the police, by the powers that be.” The victims of Dahmer were mostly queer, mostly Black, and mostly lived in an underserved and overpoliced part of Milwaukee. For all that policing, so many entirely preventable murders occurred.
Nash recalls filming the moment Cleveland went to Sinthasomphone’s funeral and faced his grieving parents. “The pain of that moment,” Nash started, getting visibly upset, “it was a lot.”
“It’s too late. Y’all came too late,” Cleveland cries at the end of the chilling trailer. Yet here we are, almost three decades later, with the voices of Black women still largely ignored. “We all know, or have been, or will be a Glenda Cleveland in this life,” said Nash. “That’s for sure.”
Watch the first trailer for Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story below.
Stay tuned for the second trailer, debuting on September 20.
Bob The Drag Queen Drops This Year’s Hottest TikTok Bop
You ain’t never met a b**ch like Bob The Drag Queen. The alter ego of non-binary actor, comedian, and musician, Caldwell Tidicue, “Bob The Drag Queen” is drag royalty. She is best known for winning the 8th season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Hot off of her rise to TikTok stardom, Bob’s new single Bitch Like Me dropped today. The video itself draws inspiration from her popular “interrupting” series, with seamless TikTok transitions. The video was shot on iPhone and pays homage to this new art form.
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Where You See A Void, You Fill It.
“I really genuinely just love TikTok,” says Bob. “Even if I had no followers, I’d still probably spend a lot of time on there scrolling and double tapping.” The season 8 Drag Race winner forged a path of her own by filming entirely in a vertical aspect ratio. “I remember googling if there was a ‘vertical music video’ or a ‘TikTok music video’ and I hadn’t seen one yet.” Rather than becoming discouraged, Bob thought, “Where you see a void, you fill it.”
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The song draws from a long history of Drag anthems but turns up the energy, flexing Bob’s rapping skills. Bitch Like Me is at once drag, rap, unapologetically queer, and the perfect fit for a TikTok-inspired music video. Bob worked with producer/songwriter Ocean Kelly, songwriter Christopher Caldwell, and director Assaad Yacoub to realize his vision. “I wrote all of my own lyrics,” said Bob. “But being in a studio you really confer and converse with everyone there.”
The Queen of TikTok
Bob stole the hearts of 2.7 million TikTok fans with a series where she interrupts the transitions of her fellow Drag Race alum, Plastique Tiara. The series continued to grow until no one was safe. Not even the Drag mother herself, RuPaul.
Earlier this month, Bob created a TikTok encouraging the girls, gays, and theys to show off their rap skills. “Somebody tried to tell me the girls, gays, and theys don’t got bars,” Bob explains over a familiar backtrack. “I was like, explain this,” says Bob as he offers the mic to the camera, encouraging folks to duet. Hundreds of girls, gays, and theys joined the trend, including Drag Race fan favorite Alaska Thunderfuck. The video finishes off with a bar from Bitch Like Me, cleverly teasing the upcoming release.
Now that you’ve been primed, it’s time to meet that b**ch, Bob The Drag Queen. Check out the music video below, and follow Bob for more effortlessly viral moments.
@bobthedragqueen Replying to @bobthedragqueen ♬ original sound – Bob The Drag Queen
