Busy Philipps opened up about a recent conversation with her 12-year-old child Birdie, who said they are gay and prefers using “they/them” pronouns.
“So Birdie, my out kid, prefers they/them,” Philipps shared in a Dec. 30 episode of her podcast “Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best,” adding she loves “that kid” and feels “like I finally just really understand a lot of bigger things, life-wise.”
The actress, 41, said she and Birdie had recently been having a “pretty intense” conversation about life, during which Philipps acknowledged she hadn’t been using Birdie’s preferred pronouns when speaking about them publicly, but would do so going forward now that Birdie had given her permission to.
“I said, ‘You know Bird, I’ve been doing a bad job with the pronouns,’ because Birdie said that they would like their pronouns to be they/them and I haven’t been doing it, I said, because I have this public persona and I want Birdie to be in control of their own narrative and not have to answer to anybody outside of our friends and family if they don’t want to,” Philipps said. “And then Bird was like … ‘You can talk about that I’m gay and out. You can talk about my pronouns. That would be cool with me. That’s great.’ ”
Philipps and her husband, 49-year-old screenwriter Marc Silverstein, have two children: Birdie and 7-year-old daughter Cricket.
“Birdie opened one of my gifts tonight. It was this blue suit, which was excitedly and immediately put on and it felt like I won Christmas two days early,” Philipps wrote. “And then I managed to get this picture and now I feel like I won all of it because OH MY GOD I get to know this person and THAT is the magic of being a parent.”
During their conversation, Philipps advised her child that they didn’t have to live a life that fits within existing world constructs.
“It doesn’t have to look like anything anybody has ever seen or anything that’s ever been modeled for you, because maybe it doesn’t exist,” Philipps said. “You get to choose what will make you feel fulfilled and happy.”
I first heard about Clubhouse through word of mouth. One Friday a few weeks ago, feeling officially Zoomed-out and longing for a weekend that extended beyond grocery shopping and binge-watching Euphoria, a friend WhatsApped me, asking if I had an invite to get on to the new audio app, described on its website as “a new type of social product based on voice.”
I hadn’t, and fearing that I was late to the party, I immediately began sleuthing, impatience and severe FOMO fueling me to download the latest technological trend that might simultaneously quell my boredom and quench my thirst for a semblance of ‘normality’ (a laughable notion in 2020, I know). I was disappointed to receive a message stating I was on the virtual waitlist. Frustratingly, you can’t see anything about the app unless you’re invited to join — or you’re a celebrity, such as Drake, Ashton Kutcher or Virgil Abloh.
Drake. Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Haute LivingJohn Parra
What does the Clubhouse app look like inside?
After finally obtaining an invite through a friend, my first port of call was exploring rooms. The app appears on your phone like all apps and once you’re in, Clubhouse feels both chaotic and exciting. You’re greeted with a pretty plain-looking homepage that lists the discussions that are happening at that time, as well as chats scheduled for later.
Your algorithm corresponds with both your address book and who you choose to follow — so, depending on your field of work/interest/friends, you’ll see chat rooms hosting talks on music, film, culture, race, tech and beauty. I was instantly hooked: names of celebrities who were normally out of reach were suddenly a click away. Scheduled panel talks were being queued on my feed and fellow peers were virtually moderating rooms.
“For those of you who are my friends listening at home, this is the first you’re hearing that Birdie is gay and out,” said Philipps, 41, per Just Jared. “Birdie told us at 10 years old and we immediately… I mean obviously, I knew that Birdie knew.”
The star shares both Birdie and her daughter Cricket Pearl, 7, with her husband, filmmaker Marc Silverstein.
Busy Philipps has revealed that her 12-year-old child is gay and prefers they/them pronouns. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Center for Reproductive Rights)
Additionally, Philipps shared that rather than she/her pronouns, Birdie prefers to go by they/them pronouns, which has been an adjustment for the actress.
“I said, ‘You know, Bird, I’ve been doing a bad job with the pronouns,'” said the “Cougar Town” actress.
She continued: “Because Birdie said that they would like their pronouns to be they/them, and I haven’t been doing it, and I said because I have this public persona and I want Birdie to be in control of their own narrative and not have to answer to anybody outside of our friends and family if they don’t want to.”
Young Birdie had no reservations about her mother sharing the information.
Busy Philipps (center) with her kids Cricket Pearl Silverstein (left), and Birdie Leigh Silverstein (right) in 2017. (Rich Fury/Getty Images for MGA/L.O.L. Surprise!)
“Bird was like, ‘I don’t give a f–k. You can talk about how I’m gay and out; you can talk about my pronouns. That would be cool with me. That’s great,'” Philipps explained. “So I said, ‘OK, I can talk about it on the podcast.'”
A gay party boat sank in the ocean waters of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico near 5 p.m. local time on New Year’s Eve. Video footage shows the boat’s passengers being rescued. Meanwhile, social media commenters have criticized Americans vacationing in the coastal town despite reports of local hospitals being near full capacity with COVID-19 patients.
The boat, which belonged to the gay cruise company PV Delice Party Cruise, reportedly had 60 passengers on board and was headed back to shore when it began to sink.
“I think the crew just didn’t know how to maneuver the catamaran very well, the sea was not very rough nor was it too windy,” Chicago visitor Emilio Blanco told Out and About PV, a local gay entertainment publication. “I saw at least 10 small boats coming to help. I jumped in a private boat whose owners were graceful enough to send their captain to help out. It was quite a scary situation!”
Video footage of the sinking vessel and rescued passengers appeared on Twitter on January 1.
The PV Delice Party Cruise advertised an open bar aboard the boat and a clothing-optional secluded beach party, with a live DJ and gogo boys and admission running from $120 to $150.
Newsweek contacted the PV Delice Party Cruise for comment.
Video footage has reportedly captured the rescue of attendees of the PV Delice Party Cruise, a gay Puerto Vallarta boat party, after their catamaran sank. In this July 22, 2018 photo, the sun sets over a boat in Puerto Vallarta’s waters. Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty
The Washington Blade, an LGBTQ publication from D.C., has criticized gay circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker for organizing a “super-spreader” New Year’s Eve weekend party in Puerto Vallarta. Commenters have called the event organizers and attendees “COVIDIOTS!,” with comments such as, “So many selfish people,” and, “You are the reason thousands are dying a day.”
Local health authorities have instructed people not to hold gatherings of more than eight people and local bars have been instructed to close at 7 p.m. local time. Sanker had said he would cancel the event and offer refunds, but he later announced that the party would proceed, albeit in a nearby region.
On December 25 day, Puerto Vallarta Daily News reported that all local public and private hospitals were nearing full capacity with COVID-19 patients.
The publication reported that Puerto Vallarta Regional Hospital, the Guadalajara Regional Military Hospital and the Zapopan Military Infirmary were all at 100 percent occupancy. Four other public and private hospitals were between 78 to 98 percent capacity for COVID-19 patients.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has assigned Mexico a Level 4 “very high” COVID-19 designation, and said that “all travel” to the country should be avoided.
“Busy Philipps gay” is trending on Twitter after the actress revealed her 12-year-old daughter Birdie is homosexual. Likewise, Busy Philipps also revealed her daughter would prefer to be addressed by the they/them pronoun moving forward. Now, there is a lot of information to digest in what Busy Philipps has just made public about her daughter Birdie. And, truthfully, the internet isn’t sure how they feel about it.
The Actress Gets Candid About Birdie’s sexuality
Busy Philipps got candid with the followers of her podcast. During an episode of Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best on December 30th she revealed her 12 year old came out to her and her husband Marc Silverstein. And, she explained this happened a few years ago.
For those of you who are my friends listening at home, this is the first you’re hearing that Birdie is gay and out. Birdie told us at 10 years old and we immediately…I mean obviously, I knew that Birdie knew.”
She continued to explain: I said, ‘You know, Bird, I’ve been doing a bad job with the pronouns. Because Birdie said that they would like their pronouns to be they/them, and I haven’t been doing it, and I said because I have this public persona and I want Birdie to be in control of their own narrative and not have to answer to anybody outside of our friends and family if they don’t want to.”
Did Birdie Give Her Mother Permission To Reveal This Info?
One of the biggest topics of conversation on social media is whether Busy Philipps was in the right to talk about her daughter being gay. Was this the kind of information she should be broadcasting to the world? She, however, proceeded to comfort those concerned. Busy made it clear she had permission to discuss her daughter being gay.
“Bird was like, ‘I don’t give a f–k. You can talk about that I’m gay and out. You can talk about my pronouns. That would be cool with me. That’s great.”
Busy admits that while she “f*cks up” sometimes with the pronouns…. She’ll try to do better.
Busy Philipps Gay Trends: Internet Has Mixed Feelings
Now, as we mentioned previously “Busy Philipps gay” is trending across Google and social media at the moment. This is a lot of information to digest and the internet seems to have mixed feelings. For starters, a lot of people don’t seem to understand the pronoun information. Secondly, some think Birdie is too young to know what them/their sexuality is. Third, some just feel like this isn’t information that needed to be made public.
I totally accept anyone’s sexual preference/orientation. But I don’t understand the ‘they/them’ label. To me, those words mean more than one. I honestly don’t get it, but would like to. Multiple personalities? I know that’s not it, but it doesn’t make sense. Continued…
— Kat (Read bio before attacking) (@maekat77) January 1, 2021
In response to the news on Twitter, some admit they fully accept someone’s sexuality. But, the pronouns confuse them. And this is mostly because “they/them” usually refers to more than one person. And, some people are having a hard time digesting a single person referring to themselves in that way.
So, what do you think about Busy Philipps revealing her daughter Birdie is gay. Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Trisha Faulkner has been a freelance writer for a decade with a focus on news/reporting for the last three years. She enjoys writing about the Showtime series Shameless, CBS’s Survivor, Netflix, TOWIE, and some entertainment/celebrity news. In her spare time, she enjoys raising awareness about autism and spending time with her two children.
You don’t have to ‘burn off’ food consumed over Christmas. Getty
Women’s Fitness magazine apologized for a tweet encouraging people to “burn off those Christmas calories” with exercise.
The tweet was condemned by health professionals for promoting the “damaging” notion that movement should be punishment for eating.
“Because exercise is too often portrayed as a way to burn off food, it’s not seen as an enjoyable part of life and therefore long-term health outcomes aren’t often achieved,” registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told Insider.
Women’s Fitness did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for further comment.
A British fitness magazine apologized after posting a tweet encouraging people to “burn off those Christmas calories” with exercise.
On December 27, Women’s Fitness tweeted: “Are you getting out for a run, walk or cycle today? It’s a great day to burn off those Christmas calories… post your pics here!”
But the suggestion that exercise should be about “burning off” food was met with a strong backlash.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Sarah Vohra described the language as “hugely concerning and problematic.”
She wrote: “We shouldn’t be ascribing moral labels to food and exercise or encouraging people to adopt an earn and burn mentality; it’s the fall out from these damaging marketing campaigns that I see only too well in clinic.
“As a mainstream fitness magazine, why not use the opportunity to promote the positive mental and physical health benefits to be gained from going outdoors/ exercise; improved mood, better sleep, more energy etc. Disappointing.”
The magazine replied to Vohra’s tweet saying: “Sorry to hear you’ve seen some distressing examples of food issues. We weren’t saying people had to burn off calories.
“The reality is that some people will have eaten more than usual and may be feeling that they want to do something about it. Or some people may feel OK with it.”
Other health and fitness professionals also condemned the magazine’s stance.
“Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate!” registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert tweeted.
Others said they found the tweet tweet “triggering,” “toxic,” and “awful.”
“Sorry to anyone upset by our recent post about getting out and burning off Xmas calories,” the tweet read. “We were trying to encourage you to exercise, share your pics and to not to wait until January if you have fitness or weight-loss goals. We know that not everyone exercises for weight loss.”
Health professionals are fighting the idea of exercise as punishment for eating
Most qualified health professionals are anti the notion that exercise should be about offsetting food.
Izy George, a personal trainer and the co-founder of online strength-training studio Grndhouse, told Insider: “We train to strengthen our physical and mental health, weight loss or ‘calorie burn’ should be considered a subsidiary to these benefits. Exercise is also proven to improve sleep quality, increase energy levels and brain function as well as reducing stress and risk of disease.”
Yes, weight loss comes down to being in an energy deficit, but it’s generally advised to achieve that through your diet, because formal exercise actually only makes up about 5-10% of your overall daily energy expenditure, personal trainer and nutrition coach Graeme Tomlinson previously told Insider.
Movement is important for health, but a fitness regime is rarely sustainable if your only incentive is “burning off” food – which also encourages food guilt, often leading to a binge and restrict cycle.
A much better approach is to find a form of movement you actually enjoy and set performance-based goals.
Lambert, the nutritionist, told Insider: “Because exercise is too often portrayed as a way to burn off food, it’s not seen as an enjoyable part of life and therefore long-term health outcomes aren’t often achieved.
“Food and exercise are seen by many as a form of gluttony and punishment respectively – we need to start seeing all food as acceptable, and we’ll then have a the healthier relationship we’ll have with food in the long-term. Calories aren’t that simple, and every body works differently.”
Personal trainer Max Lowery previously told Insider he encourages his clients to focus on how exercise makes them feel on the inside: “Once they start to focus on that, they then do feel immediate difference from being active and exercising. And that gives them motivation to continue.”
Women’s Fitness did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for further comment.
I’m trying to do Mother Nature a solid when I have my period by using reusable period underwear, menstrual cups, and menstrual discs. All of the menstrual cups I’ve tried are pretty much the same, but when Flex Cup ($35) sent me one to try, I noticed it had two features that made it totally different. Keep reading to find out what they were and why those two unique features are the reason my period was the easiest it’s been in years. This is hands down the best menstrual cup I’ve ever used!
Over the past year, many of us have watched family and friends recover from the virus that ripped through our bodies. We have seen politicians who mocked mask mandates quickly recover after receiving experimental antibody treatments, even as many people were denied any treatment at all when they first became ill.
We are angry. We are scared. We are grateful to be alive. But many of us are still in the battle of our lives.
When you are fighting a serious illness for a long time, it can be a hard and lonely place. But at least once in their lives, most people will find themselves in a soul-shaking season of trauma, tragedy or loss. It could be a sickness or a shooting, an accident or the loss of a great love, a betrayal, the death of a child. When you are in your darkest winter, you’ll find strength from the people who are willing to go to the hard, messy places with you until you come out on the other side.
This year, many people have walked through that season with me. Some had been friends since before we were old enough to drive. Others I had never met before.
They pushed me to keep going in those moments when I wanted to give up. They prayed with me, and cried with me, and checked in on me. They coaxed me into taking up yoga, a form of exercise that I had long resisted but that has done for me what many medications could not. They cooked my favorite foods. They walked me to the emergency room. They made sure my prescriptions got to me, which in one case involved a boat. They stood with me in the middle of the street when I stopped to catch my breath.
Among my favorite possessions now is a hot pink hand-painted card made for me by Chelsea, my college roommate, and her 3-year-old daughter, Maya. Chelsea also happens to be a health care worker, and is a huge support. “Tía Mara,” the card says. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
You don’t have to wear scrubs to bring encouragement and hope to someone who is suffering.
One day this summer, I was sitting alone in a frigid Manhattan emergency room when I saw a man standing in the hallway outside, waving at me through the glass.
Nguyen Trong Hung opened a café in Son La in northwestern Viet Nam to serve as a meeting place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and to offer HIV testing.
While in middle school, realizing that I was gay, the only thing I could do was to torment and blame myself. My father left, my mum passed away, I was transferred from one relative’s house to another and suffered from both physical and mental harassment. This pattern repeated as I grew up. I wandered a lot as a way to avoid my family and all the memories that come with them.
One time when I returned home, I noted down everything about my daily life in a diary. I pretended to have forgotten it and left it on purpose in a place where I hoped a family member could find it read my story. Perhaps everybody read it, but no one said a thing. I was walking in limbo for a while, deciding whether to come out or not.
UN Women/Nguyen Minh Duc
Nguyen Trong Hung’ s café provides a rapid HIV test to customers.
In 2013, a friend invited me to work in a coffee shop in Son La. For the very first time, I discovered my true voice and a community that I belonged to. I do not have to run away anymore!
Later, I opened my own coffee shop and turned it into a gathering place in Son La for the LGBT community, and for men who have sex with men. We even have a quick HIV testing service there. I want to help to change people’s behaviors, and to give people with HIV access to treatment.
Before coming out, I felt that my life was drenched in sorrow and pressure. With all the pressure taken off my shoulders, my life has now become an open book.
If I had a second chance, I would not have intentionally ‘forgotten’ the diary, hoping that somebody would read it. With all the knowledge that I have now, I would proudly come out to my family as gay.
Before getting stuck into this retrospective (and look-backs aside, you’ll probably be glad to see the back of 2020), I’m going to get introspective.
Everyone’s reflected on their emotional state at some point this year, and for those in our community of LGBT+ people and allies in sport, that self-analysis is often intense. Many of us are conditioned to keep our monologues internal – we fear being judged, we worry about accusations of ‘navel-gazing’, and we talk ourselves out of talking out loud. It just feels safer that way.
It also seems that when we most need to declutter our brains, we discover that we’ve hoarded certain emotions for so long that we can’t let go of them – a mental health conundrum that even Marie Kondo would struggle to sort out.
Josh Rudd
I thought about this a lot in August when chatting to Josh Rudd, the founder of Pride in Water, the LGBT+ network for aquatic sports. Josh is a performance lifestyle advisor who noticed his chats with athletes during lockdown were opening up – with the Olympics bumped to 2021, and training on hiatus, parts of the athletes’ lives that previously felt out of sync started to fall into place. “These conversations became far more philosophical, and often about life beyond sport,” said Josh. “Identity was a big piece.”
I’m sure everyone involved with Sports Media LGBT+ will agree when I say the creation and evolution of other LGBT+ networks in sport felt like one of 2020’s big successes. Several were launched; in motorsport, our partners Racing Pride began to accelerate; and we know more groups are already in the pipeline for 2021.
Crucially, what they offer is a space to connect. We often dwell on how niche it is in sport to be lesbian, gay, bi, and trans for an athlete, coach, administrator, or journalist – but that might just be because it feels so tough to find an ‘appropriate time’ to even hint at sexuality or gender identity. Usually the pause button has to get hit first, and sport is so full-on and helter-skelter that we all tend to get stuck on ‘play’. The disruption caused by the pandemic produced more time for dialogue, at least.
So here, month by month, and picking out key moments and choice content along the way, is my rainbow-themed sports review of 2020.
It’s got a British focus – yet with Pride flags waved more than the Union Jack – and some of my selections might be considered self-indulgent (a lot of the links are taken from our coverage on Sky Sports), but I hope it sparks a little inspiration as we go into shiny and new 2021.
Few sports felt the side-effects of the coronavirus crisis as acutely as ice hockey. The most-watched indoor sport in the UK, Elite League average attendances were up nearly 7% before the 2019-20 season was shut down. The EIHL’s first-ever Pride Weekend in late January was well supported by the clubs and popular with fans; Luke Fisher, the league’s media manager, deserves to take a lot of credit for the organisation.
Zach Sullivan
When Manchester Storm defenceman Zach Sullivan posted to his social media accounts on a matchday morning to share that he is bisexual, and how proud he is to wear a rainbow-coloured jersey, the initiative’s impact was obvious. An outstanding ambassador for hockey and for being his authentic self, Sully’s story resonated throughout the year. Hockey fans can’t wait for the rinks to re-open and for their teams to get out on the ice again.
After a distinctly uneasy feeling around the Cheltenham Festival towards the start of March, the suspension of sporting events due to COVID-19 followed swiftly. Either side of Britain going into lockdown on March 23, both Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics were postponed.
A wedding photo taken on the other side of the world, in Queensland, caught my attention. World Cup-winning England cricketer Lauren Winfield married Courtney Hill, the reigning Woman of Steel who led Leeds Rhinos to the title in 2019. The couple spoke to Vithushan Ehantharajah about love and life, with Lauren explaining how her self-confidence had grown over time through being with Courtney – “it took me four years to build up the courage to be more open”.
The interview ran in The Independent in March and the couple would return to the UK three months later, with Lauren going on to skipper the Northern Diamonds to the final of the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, and Courtney – who was a fast bowler before switching sports – helping out in a coaching role after women’s rugby league had failed to restart.
On Sports Media LGBT+, we published approximately 50 website articles across the course of 2020 (a big increase on the previous year’s output) and two of the most popular went out in April – a Q&A with the BBC’s Jo Currie about working in sports media, put together by her fellow network member Zoe Vicarage; and a deep dive into visibility in women’s football by contributor Sophie Lawson. Sophie made several pertinent points – as could be seen, coincidentally, by the name of an England player being exchanged post-publication for that of a different sportswoman on a DIVA list titled ‘Visible Lesbian 100’. The list’s compilers had only good intentions; we again pondered personal privacy and its boundaries in the age of Instagram.
In May, a spate of articles about ‘secret gay footballers’ started up in The Sun newspaper, inevitably stirring up speculation over who the players might be (I’ll come back to this later). The need for more understanding about the knock-on effects of such stories was referenced by Coronation Street actor Nathan Graham in a Sky Sports article about a major storyline for his character in the soap. “Breaking the silence is about feeling supported,” he said. “When you’re ready, you’re ready. There should be no timeframe put on anybody to come out and nobody should feel pressured to do so.”
Jay Lemonius
Graham was speaking to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, alongside the FA’s diversity and inclusion officer and Stonewall FC captain, Jay Lemonius. The “disconnect” between school and academy – there’s often an acknowledgement about what it means to be LGBT+ in the former, but it’s rarely if ever mentioned in the latter environment – is part of the ongoing cultural challenge in men’s football, says Jay.
In mid-May, and as lockdown lurched on and on, Mental Health Awareness Week focused our minds on how to look out for ourselves and one another. In a Q&A on our website, sports reporter Jak Ball explained how making connections with other LGBT+ people on social media and eventually coming out had been hugely beneficial for his wellbeing. I really relate to Jak’s journey – partly, perhaps, because I’m a Devon boy like him – and I’m sure it gave others confidence too.
Our great friend Michael Gunning kicked off a series of Sports Media LGBT+ interviews called My Pride in Sport. As always, his joie de vivre and passion for swimming shone through, but his call to fight for true equality and social justice was the overriding message. It’s still uppermost in our minds – we vow to keep listening, learning, and appreciating the real-world meaning of Black Lives Matter. Four of Michael’s fellow Stonewall Sport Champions – John Dickinson-Lilley, Amazin LeThi, and Lizzie Williams – also gave us their interpretations of Pride.
Sports Media LGBT+ proudly accepted an invitation to support Wales legend Jess Fishlock’s short film that played with the animation ‘LaGolda: Game Changer’ – thank you to creator George Valencia. The Covid situation around world soccer meant some big plans had to be shelved but there’s a timeless quality to the cartoon and we’re sure it will only grow as an educational asset.
Towards the end of June, the former footballer Thomas Beattie wrote an essay for ESPN titled ‘My hidden journey: A professional soccer player reveals he is gay’. An Englishman abroad, he emerged as a vital new voice to aid the game’s understanding of LGBT+ mental health, and how gay male athletes in particular can become subsumed in sport to such a degree that it ends up causing confusion and unhappiness.
I’ve saved Jack Murley’s BBC LGBT Sport Podcast for this point in proceedings, because his July episode with British gymnast Luke Strong was one of my favourites of the year. Having spent my university days in Liverpool, I have a great affection for the city and for the authenticity of its people. Luke’s honesty about his confusion around growing up bi and how he’d never done ‘the whole coming out thing’ was refreshing. “My coach asked me about my sexuality in 2010 [when Luke was 17] and I remember crying but not knowing why,” he explained.
Luke Strong
There were several milestones for Jack and the pod this year – the 100th episode with a great guest in Chris Mosier, a BBC Five Live special, an SJA British Sports Journalism awards nomination – and consistently, enthralling conversations. Along with Luke and Chris, my favourites included UFC fighter Molly ‘Meatball’ McCann and wrestler Cassius. Those guests and more are all included in the two-part ‘Best Bits of 2020’ edition, which is out now to conclude the year.
Outsports and International Gay Rugby worked together on a significant series of articles which profiled trans women players such as Grace McKenzie, Isabella Macbeth and Shoshauna Gavin. Later in the year, when World Rugby issued ‘guidelines’ about the ban, several unions – including the RFU in England – rejected the recommendations, at least at a community level, insisting robust research is required.
At the start of the month, in the slipstream of the Athletics Pride Network, and also mentioned in my introduction, Pride in Water was launched with the backing of British Swimming. Former world champion Mark Foster joined Michael Gunning in supporting the initiative – “I know for me as a swimmer, this would have been helpful,” he said – and for founder Josh Rudd, the growth potential in a network that also includes diving, water polo, synchronised swimming, and triathlon (crossing over with the APN) is huge.
Having splashed a story about a mystery gay footballer all over their front page on a Saturday in July, The Sun ran a similar article inside the paper in September. The sources were said to be open letters from closeted players provided to the tabloid by the Justin Fashanu Foundation charity, working with a media consultancy firm to obtain coverage.
Sports Media LGBT+ responded with an open letter of our own, arguing that publishing sensationalised, anonymised tales of anguish and suffering only served to create guessing games on social media and did little to further the cause of inclusion in the men’s game. We struck a chord – over 200 individuals and organisations signed in agreement, including the FA, the PFA and Kick It Out.
Thomas Hitzlsperger
We echoed the wise words of Thomas Hitzlsperger in saying that nameless narratives of secrets and fear, which failed to reference the many efforts that are being made to make the game more welcoming, are ultimately unhelpful. Will the letters that ran in The Sun be somehow verified publicly in the future? Will we hear again from the players purported to have written them? Who gained what from this exercise?
When Hitzlsperger came out publicly in 2014, the news made the Sun’s front page – and there will again be major media interest when a male pro player who’s gay or bi shares his truth in the future. Human curiosity means LGBT+ stories about celebrities and sports stars are often money-spinners for tabloids. When this searchlight culture is manipulated by parts of the media, the prospect of coming out in men’s football becomes ever more daunting. With the support of our members, friends and followers, we’ll continue to draw strength from empowering stories, and not tales carried with pictures of silhouettes and shadows.
Thomas Beattie was among the panellists for a SoccerEx Connected event I hosted in September – watch in full here
Authentic new voices
Our #AuthenticMe events in 2019 and 2018 were important in-person gatherings that helped our community-building efforts. As October approached, it became clear that we’d only be able to meet virtually this year – fortunately, our friends Lou and Jen at Pride Sports rode to our rescue to assist with two Zoom webinars that have had a combined 1,800 views on Facebook at the time of writing.
In the build-up to Coming Out Day, we offered advice and support to cyclist Emily Bridges, culminating in her decision to come out publicly as trans via a first-person article on Sky Sports. Beth Fisher’s interview with Emily that followed on ITV Wales was sensitive and informative. We wish Emily every happiness in university life and for the future.
Meanwhile, I was thankful for Thetford Town FC player-boss Matt Morton agreeing to be introduced to a national audience for the first time (he had previously shared his story of being gay in football in an interview with Bury Free Press sportswriter Liam Apicella). Like with Tom Beattie earlier in the year, learning about Matt’s journey was enlightening – both men have, commendably, embraced further opportunities to educate others about their experiences of being LGBT+ in football.
And last but by no means least, one of Sports Media LGBT+’s core network members chose our website for his own coming out story – British Athletics’ comms and content manager Gareth Burrell, also of the Athletics Pride Network, wrote beautifully about how seeing others displaying the confidence to be themselves inspired him to find his own voice. It was awesome to see the blog attract so much interest and praise for Gareth.
Then, for the eighth year, Rainbow Laces was back – and leading into it, there was a lot of uncertainty. With Britain in a second lockdown, what would the annual activation of the Stonewall campaign look like?
A new range of identity laces helped to inject enthusiasm and soon we were up and running – the first trans woman to work in the Premier League, Sophie Cook, won a British LGBT Award; while darts referee Huw Ware, boxer Kristen Fraser, and racing’s Victoria Smith all spoke about the impact of inclusion in their respective sports.
The LGBT+ in sport content just kept on coming in December for Rainbow Laces. For Goal, Emma Smith interviewed trans women footballers Alba Palacios and Sammy Walker; while in League Two, Exeter City’s media officer Craig Bratt and Cheltenham Town’s Danyal Khan produced an impressive range of content, speaking to players and fans connected with their clubs and showing why it’s important that inclusion is integral.
Our Sky Sports digital content for Rainbow Laces in November and December brought in over 1m hits, well up on the same period in 2019. Stonewall’s polling also delivered improved numbers. Even though coronavirus made it more challenging, the campaign connected with the public once again, with one clear example being Tom Allen’s appearance alongside Mark on Soccer Saturday – it even got a mention on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show!
Final thoughts! Among your Christmas movie screenings, many of you will have settled down to watch Happiest Season – the romantic comedy by writer / director Clea DuVall was a festive hit, and helped to make the yuletide gay.
When Abby (Kristen Stewart) gets frustrated by her girlfriend’s struggle to come out to her parents, her friend John (Dan Levy – essentially playing another version of David from Schitt’s Creek, which is no bad thing) reminds her how each LGBT+ person is unique but what binds us as a community is a universal emotion…
Everybody’s story is different. There’s your version and my version, and everything in between. But the one thing all of those stories have in common is that moment right before you say those words. When your heart is racing and you don’t know what’s coming next. That moment’s really terrifying! And once you say those words, you can’t un-say them. A chapter has ended, and a new one’s begun. You have to be ready for that. You can’t do it for anyone else.
John in Happiest Season
Our New Year resolutions? Try to make good decisions. Encourage others to do the same. And help more people write new chapters in their lives.
2021 – we’re ready for you!
Sports Media LGBT+ is a network, advocacy and consultancy group that is helping to build a community of LGBT+ people and allies in sport. We’re here to help. Learn more about us on our About page; to get in touch, Contact Us here.
SHELBY CO., Tenn. (WMC) – Shelby County’s health directive has been in effect for a few days and will be for the next few weeks. One local gym manager said the changes have not been difficult to adjust to.
Shelby County’s newest health directive requires gyms to be at 50 percent capacity. All staff members and customers must wear masks.
General manager of Club Pilates Cora Pitt said it will not require much change for them.
“We have required masks for staff and clients since we opened in June,” said Pitt.
Inside the studio Tuesday morning, there were hand sanitizing stations, social distancing markers, and a handful of clients breaking a sweat on Pilates boards.
Pitt said things have run smoothly since reopening.
“We’re doing really well and I’m very grateful for that because I know a lot of studios and other gym facilities may not be doing so great,” said Pitt.
She feels that people have a newfound interest in fitness that she is sure will spill over into the new year, especially for those making resolutions.
“People are bored they’re trying out different stuff,” said Pitt, “And they do want to work out at facilities that are practicing safety measures.”
Pitt feels that if this year is any indicator, then the business will thrive and people will continue to feel safe working out at her studio.
“The world shut down, especially here in Memphis. You got to see a community figure out a way to make it better,” she stated.
Shelby County’s new health directive will be in effect until Jan 22.
NUEVO VALLARTA – Ending one of the deadliest months in the nearly year long coronavirus pandemic, as well as the year 2020 itself, gay circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker’s Palm Springs based White Party Entertainment is throwing a New Years Eve weekend bash- in Mexico, despite recommended Mexican public health guidelines and COVID-19 mandates.
The event has drawn massive mostly negative reaction and condemnation in social media posts, and online as well prompting authorities in Puerto Vallarta in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where the White Party was originally advertised as being held, to strongly remind partygoers and organisers that the city and the surrounding region were observing COVID-19 restrictions that would prohibit any type of mass gathering.
“Per the current state government mandate related to COVID-19, all private and public events of more than 8 people are strictly forbidden. All public festivities in the state of Jalisco have been cancelled, including the previously promoted White Party Weekend at Mantamar Beach Club & Sushi,” an official wrote on behalf of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board in an emailed statement to the Blade.
“Local authorities are aware of all previously planned events and are prepared to respond in a timely manner should any activity take place that is in opposition to local mandates.”
The Vallarta Daily News reported last week on Christmas Day that the Puerto Vallarta Regional Hospital had reached 100% total bed capacity, overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, as the state of Jalisco’s health officials reported a 65% positivity rate in coronavirus testing.
Mexico has experienced more than 126,000 deaths from COVID-19 and is also currently experiencing a new rapid surge. Nearly 13,000 new cases were reported Wednesday with 990 deaths. The state of Jalisco which has a population of 8 million reported 456 new cases and 52 additional deaths.
Seemingly undeterred, Sanker’s company has shifted the event to the town of Nuevo Vallarta in the neighboring state of Nayarit after Jalisco authorities forbade the event.
As of Wednesday the state of Nayarit is under the orange status of Mexico’s “Traffic Light” monitoring system. All businesses, and organizations continue to operate at 50% capacity with social distancing, which includes the hotel industry, beaches and tours. The state of Nayarit which has a population of 1.8 million, on Wednesday reported 19 new cases and 7 new deaths.
The Blade spoke with authorities in Nayarit Wednesday evening who indicated that while technically not running afoul of the health orders, they were aware of the event and would be “closely monitoring” it.
The New Years Eve weekend long bash, which was originally advertised on Sanker’s company’s Eventbrite listing of events, as well as its Instagram, Facebook and Jefferysanker.com pages, asked that attendees not to share photos or video of the event on social media.
The Blade spoke with a staff member of Evento Palmerias in Nuevo Vallarta, which is located approximately 45 minutes from the original venue at the Mantamar Beach Club, Bar & Sushi. The source, who spoke on the condition of remaining anonymous, confirmed that the event will proceed in that location.
“The event is sold out and we will be reminding everyone that it’s polite to wear a mask and stay 6 feet away during the party. If they have a temperature we intend to suggest they go home, but we can not force them to stay at home. Nayarit allows gatherings and there are no restrictions here,” the staffer told the Blade.
One reveler, also spoke to the Blade on the condition of anonymity claimed that the venue did not change and had always been privately advertised as Nuevo Vallarta, however there are numerous parties throughout the weekend and many others are planned.
“The best party with the hottest sex will be held at an estate in Puerto Vallarta and I’m going. I don’t have Covid. Like, I can’t infect someone with something I don’t have,” he said. “If I get it I’ll let you know, but who cares. I’m 23 years old and a girls gotta live,” he said.
Since many of those traveling to the event are from California, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told the Blade that especially with the looming threat of a Christmas holiday-fueled surge, public health officials had amended health orders now requiring that travelers returning to the Southland must quarantine.
“Because of the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19 while traveling outside of L.A County, for everyone that traveled or are planning to travel back into L.A. County, you must quarantine for 10 days. If you start to experience any symptoms or have a positive test, isolate for 10 days and until you are fever-free for 24 hours.”
The Blade scanned the “Nearby Friends” app feature on Facebook and counted more than two dozen West Hollywood and Los Angeles area residents whose locations revealed they are currently in Puerto Vallarta.
In a Wednesday evening phone call, law enforcement officials in the state of Jalisco told the Blade that there will be random checkpoints set up targeting rideshare and private vehicles especially to ensure that COVID-19 restrictions are being kept for any vehicle returning from the state of Riviera Nayarit.
Matthew Olshefski and Paul Castle (Photo courtesy of the couple)
SEATTLE – The never-ending war by LGBTQ+ creators to protect their accounts against bullies who manipulate the automated fiefdom that is Instagram, has once again claimed another casualty as two gay Instagrammers had their account disabled with no apparent hope of appeal.
The reason is that the social media company, owned by Facebook, is built on a system that makes it nearly impossible to restore an account, have a fair hearing with human interaction, or even receive email communications to dispute the company’s seemingly arbitrary decisions to disable or delete an account.
This allows the anti-LGBTQ+ trolls who target LGBTQ+ people nearly free reign.
There is a long history of the Instagram “systems” targeting LGBTQ people, based on the ability of online trolls to be able to manipulate those systems. In May of 2017, Joe Putignano, the author of the bestseller “Acrobaddict” and a gay man who is also a Cirque du Soleil performing artist, model, and a Broadway performer wrote in the Huffington Post,
“We have learned that Instagram does not investigate pictures or accounts that get removed; it is based on an algorithm and bot from a number of reports that deem the account to be either inappropriate or unfit. Instagram claims to take their harassment and bullying seriously; however in a world where LBGTQ people are still considered “inappropriate” where anything we do is considered “adult content” or “pornographic,” then this raises the question “Is our community actually truly safe from discrimination and harassment?”
He then added, “My own account, @joeputignano, had 264.2K followers and disappeared last week when Instagram decided to delete it without word or warning. I woke up in the morning, and it was gone. I was someone who had been harassed since the inception of my account and had been very public about that harassment because I was trying to get help to stop it. It wasn’t a minor harassment either; it was an army of people with fake accounts using homophobic slurs and remarks to report every photo I posted.”
Like most people caught up in the never-ending vortex of non-communications and auto-response, Putignano, also received no answers. However after a concerted campaign of Facebook posts and publicity the social media company relented and reactivated his account.
For husbands Matthew Olshefski and Paul Castle, not unlike Putignano, they now also face the never-ending battle with the social media giant trying to regain access and reestablish their account disabled due to the anti-LGBTQ forces that bully the community at large and Instagram which makes no allowances to stop this scenario from repeating.
Matthew Olshefski and Paul Castle (Photo courtesy of the couple)
Shortly after Matthew and Paul went on their first date in 2016, they started sharing their stories and talents on the internet.
Paul is an artist with a rare form of blindness, and Matthew is a classical violinist who survived a cult in his childhood years. Bonded by their love of the arts, and a shared understanding of “overcoming the odds”, not only did Matthew and Paul become social media influencers: They fell in love and got married.
Along the way, their combined creative forces garnered 100,000 instagram followers, 150,000 TikTok followers, 200,000 Facebook followers, and over 15 million YouTube views.
Matthew shared his beautiful violin music; Paul shared his paintings and illustrations; and together they shared a love story built on unconditional support and a deep admiration for each other.
When the pandemic forced the world indoors last March, Matthew and Paul started their own podcast called “His and His” which touts itself as a “conversation between husbands.” Each week, Matthew and Paul discuss different topics relating to their experiences as gay men. From coming out, to dealing with homophobia, to getting married.
“We had no idea our podcast would resonate with so many people around the world. We have received countless messages from listeners thanking us for giving them the courage to be themselves,” says Paul. “We were so humbled.”
At the launch of their podcast, Matthew and Paul also started a joint Instagram page simply called “Matthew and Paul” where they shared daily pictures along with essay-style posts about their lives together.
“I was stunned by the reaction to our Instagram page,” says Matthew. “I had no idea our stories would bring hope to so many people. Every day we received hundreds of messages from people around the world, thanking us for being so open about our lives and experiences.”
Within a handful of months, the Instagram page grew to 33,000 followers.
“We’ve been creating social media content for over 4 years. This was the fastest growth we’ve ever seen. Something was really connecting with people,” says Paul. “We were thrilled to be representing a same-sex relationship in such a positive way.”
Matthew and Paul’s social media presence began to shift from hobby, to part-time work, and finally to a full-time job. By May of 2020, social media influencing was their primary source of income.
Then, on the morning of December 20, 2020, Matthew and Paul logged onto their shared Instagram account only to find…nothing.
It was gone.
A single message appeared onscreen informing them that their account was disabled for violating Instagram’s terms of use. A second window revealed the “violation” in question.
“Your account has been disabled for pretending to be someone else.”
Matthew and Paul were stunned. Pretending to be someone else? For the past 4 years, all Matthew and Paul had aimed to do was be their most authentic selves. It was, in fact, the most frequent comment from their fanbase.
“It’s ironic that we were accused of being someone else,” says Paul, “when our fans and followers thank us for being ‘real’ on a daily basis.”
The next window prompted Matthew and Paul to submit photo identification and await an email from Instagram within 24 hours. An email never came.
“While we waited for the email, we did some research online and discovered people in similar situations waited over 2 months to hear back from Instagram” says Matthew, “and others never heard back at all.”
Meanwhile, their many fans were concerned and confused. What happened to the daily pictures and stories of love that had provided them with so much hope?
“We love bringing this kind of content to the world,” says Paul. “But it’s more than just a bunch of pictures and posts; it’s a message of equality and representation in a world where homophobia still thrives.”
They have been left wondering: Was the takedown an act of discrimination?
“We want answers,” adds Matthew, “but more importantly, we want to get back to what we were doing, being our most authentic selves.”
This is not an issue that occurs in isolated circumstances either it is widespread on the Instagram platform. Adding to the frustrations of LGBTQ users who have lost access to their accounts is the fact that like most of the IT/Internet companies in the San Francisco Bay area which have gone remote as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its continuing grip on California and elsewhere, Instagram is not staffed except remotely.
A source knowledgeable of the company’s operations but not authorized to speak to the media told the Blade that almost complete reliance on the automated systems and next to no human oversight as a result of the remote virtual work environment has developed into a backlog of disputed decisions on accounts that have been disabled- as a direct result of the algorithms being tripped by repeated so-called ‘complaints’ over content in particular.
The Los Angeles Blade has reached out to Instagram for comment but has not received a response.
The inaugural Attitude 101 issue is here, and we’re shining a rainbow-coloured spotlight on 100 LGBTQ trailblazers – and one Person of the Year – whose contributions to their fields are changing the world as we know it.
After a difficult year, it’s time to look firmly to the future as we celebrate queer accomplishments from across a range of sectors.
Attitude 101 consists of 10 categories, each containing 10 individuals, and importantly forgoes any kind of ranking; instead highlighting the collective power of our community’s individual achievements.
The categories are as follows: Science, technology, engineering & mathematics; Fashion and design; Sport; Third Sector & Community; The Future (25 and Under), supported by Clifford Chance; Media and Broadcast; Financial & Legal; Arts & Entertainment. Plus a very special Person of the Year, whose achievements in 2020 have set a new precedent for what’s possible for LGBTQ people.
Announcing the inaugural Attitude 101 February issue, Editor-in-Chief Cliff Joannou says: “I know they say you shouldn’t wish your life away, but I’m not alone in saying it feels good to leave 2020 behind.
“So, for this issue we decided to look to the future; elevating and celebrating LGBTQ+ voices by shining a light on the unsung heroes who are making great strides for our community’s visibility just by being themselves.
“These are people who simply by walking into their place of work – be it an office, laboratory, studio, or other – show that sexuality or gender identity is no barrier to success.
“By making the choice to be out at work, each person becomes the best ambassador our community could ask for – a proudly authentic one.”
NUEVO VALLARTA – Ending one of the deadliest months in the nearly year long coronavirus pandemic, as well as the year 2020 itself, gay circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker’s Palm Springs based White Party Entertainment is throwing a New Years Eve weekend bash- in Mexico, despite recommended Mexican public health guidelines and COVID-19 mandates.
The event has drawn massive mostly negative reaction and condemnation in social media posts, and online as well prompting authorities in Puerto Vallarta in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where the White Party was originally advertised as being held, to strongly remind partygoers and organisers that the city and the surrounding region were observing COVID-19 restrictions that would prohibit any type of mass gathering.
“Per the current state government mandate related to COVID-19, all private and public events of more than 8 people are strictly forbidden. All public festivities in the state of Jalisco have been cancelled, including the previously promoted White Party Weekend at Mantamar Beach Club & Sushi,” an official wrote on behalf of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board in an emailed statement to the Blade.
“Local authorities are aware of all previously planned events and are prepared to respond in a timely manner should any activity take place that is in opposition to local mandates.”
The Vallarta Daily News reported last week on Christmas Day that the Puerto Vallarta Regional Hospital had reached 100% total bed capacity, overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, as the state of Jalisco’s health officials reported a 65% positivity rate in coronavirus testing.
Mexico has experienced more than 126,000 deaths from COVID-19 and is also currently experiencing a new rapid surge. Nearly 13,000 new cases were reported Wednesday with 990 deaths. The state of Jalisco which has a population of 8 million reported 456 new cases and 52 additional deaths.
Seemingly undeterred, Sanker’s company has shifted the event to the town of Nuevo Vallarta in the neighboring state of Nayarit after Jalisco authorities forbade the event.
As of Wednesday the state of Nayarit is under the orange status of Mexico’s “Traffic Light” monitoring system. All businesses, and organizations continue to operate at 50% capacity with social distancing, which includes the hotel industry, beaches and tours. The state of Nayarit which has a population of 1.8 million, on Wednesday reported 19 new cases and 7 new deaths.
The Blade spoke with authorities in Nayarit Wednesday evening who indicated that while technically not running afoul of the health orders, they were aware of the event and would be “closely monitoring” it.
The New Years Eve weekend long bash, which was originally advertised on Sanker’s company’s Eventbrite listing of events, as well as its Instagram, Facebook and Jefferysanker.com pages, asked that attendees not to share photos or video of the event on social media.
The Blade spoke with a staff member of Evento Palmerias in Nuevo Vallarta, which is located approximately 45 minutes from the original venue at the Mantamar Beach Club, Bar & Sushi. The source, who spoke on the condition of remaining anonymous, confirmed that the event will proceed in that location.
“The event is sold out and we will be reminding everyone that it’s polite to wear a mask and stay 6 feet away during the party. If they have a temperature we intend to suggest they go home, but we can not force them to stay at home. Nayarit allows gatherings and there are no restrictions here,” the staffer told the Blade.
One reveler, also spoke to the Blade on the condition of anonymity claimed that the venue did not change and had always been privately advertised as Nuevo Vallarta, however there are numerous parties throughout the weekend and many others are planned.
“The best party with the hottest sex will be held at an estate in Puerto Vallarta and I’m going. I don’t have Covid. Like, I can’t infect someone with something I don’t have,” he said. “If I get it I’ll let you know, but who cares. I’m 23 years old and a girls gotta live,” he said.
Since many of those traveling to the event are from California, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told the Blade that especially with the looming threat of a Christmas holiday-fueled surge, public health officials had amended health orders now requiring that travelers returning to the Southland must quarantine.
“Because of the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19 while traveling outside of L.A County, for everyone that traveled or are planning to travel back into L.A. County, you must quarantine for 10 days. If you start to experience any symptoms or have a positive test, isolate for 10 days and until you are fever-free for 24 hours.”
The Blade scanned the “Nearby Friends” app feature on Facebook and counted more than two dozen West Hollywood and Los Angeles area residents whose locations revealed they are currently in Puerto Vallarta.
In a Wednesday evening phone call, law enforcement officials in the state of Jalisco told the Blade that there will be random checkpoints set up targeting rideshare and private vehicles especially to ensure that COVID-19 restrictions are being kept for any vehicle returning from the state of Riviera Nayarit.
