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Republican who made anti-gay remarks says she won’t be ‘bullied’ into resigning – The Boston Globe

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Republican who made anti-gay remarks says she won’t be ‘bullied’ into resigning – The Boston Globe

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Her defiant stance came at the start of a contentious meeting of the party’s divided state committee, which has been roiled in recent weeks by the fallout from her anti-gay comments as well as a debate over a rules change that would undermine Baker and other elected officials.

Many in the party, including Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, have condemned Martell, calling her remarks abhorrent and out of step with the GOP’s embrace of individual liberty. But Martell has become something of a martyr to some social conservatives in Massachusetts, who claim she is being unfairly attacked for her religious beliefs.

Those divisions were on full view in warring rallies outside the meeting venue Wednesday evening, when Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette, the Republican congressional candidate Martell had written to and about, faced off with demonstrators who defended her.

Sossa-Paquette lamented that GOP Chairman Jim Lyons, who heads a more socially conservative faction of the party, has failed to defend him.

“How is he possibly running the Republican Party and saying that [it] is an inclusive party… while turning his back on bigotry and hatred and intolerance?” questioned Sossa-Paquette, who is running for the Second Congressional District.

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Sossa-Paquette was confronted on the sidewalk outside the meeting venue by several counter-demonstrators, including Rayla Campbell, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, and Dianna Ploss, a Donald Trump supporter and former radio host who called Sossa-Paquette a “fraud” and declared “tolerance is a two-way street.”

In a rebuke of Martell, the committee supported a resolution stating that bigotry and intolerance “have no place in the Republican Party of Massachusetts.” But the measure won support only after it was significantly watered down.

Written by State Representative Shawn Dooley, a Norfolk Republican, the resolution had originally stated that any member of the committee espousing hateful ideology should receive “swift condemnation,” and receive no endorsement or support from the state GOP. That language was stripped out of the resolution before it was approved.

Dooley said he was disappointed that the committee hadn’t gone further, though he said the party’s bylaws committee will look into adding penalties for offensive remarks in the future.

“A resolution without any consequence is nothing but words,” Dooley said in an interview after the meeting. “’We don’t believe in hate or racism or bigotry or anything like that, but if you do it, there’s no consequence.’ I don’t think that sends a strong message to anybody.”

The events have further split the party, which is already divided between social conservatives and establishment moderates, and also diminished the standing of Lyons among some of his fellow Republicans. Last week, as he stayed silent on Martell’s remarks, nearly the entire Massachusetts House GOP Caucus demanded he condemn her words or resign.

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Lyons ultimately acknowledged Martell’s comments were “offensive” but insisted that the party must be “unafraid to stand up against censorship and ‘cancel culture.’”

“Members of the Massachusetts House Republican caucus are demanding that I force a woman of deep Catholic faith to resign from the Massachusetts Republican State Committee,” Lyons said. “Party bylaws are clear: freedom of speech and religious liberty are values that are unbending and uncompromising.”

Party officials did not allow press into the meeting, citing restrictions from the venue, which according to its website can accommodate events of more than 600. When Vice Chairman Tom Mountain sought to allow others to enter the room, Lyons declared him “out of order,” according to multiple attendees. And Sossa-Paquette claimed that Lyons personally blocked Sossa-Paquette’s 19-year-old daughter from entering the venue.

Martell, who has not returned requests for comment from the Globe, was given the floor to speak on her own behalf at the start of the meeting.

The e-mails at issue were sent last month and reviewed by the Globe in full.

“I am a Catholic who loves God and His Ten Commandments. I wish the best for every person in the world, including you!” Martell wrote to Sossa-Paquette on May 19 “What sickened me was that you adopted children. . . . Children deserve a mom and a dad. That’s how God designed marriage and the family.”

Mountain, who called on Martell to resign — a step he said Lyons should have taken — said Martell’s remarks did not present a “free speech issue,” but rather a question of bigotry. He stopped short of calling on Lyons to resign.

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Several attendees said Lyons raised his voice at committee members during the Wednesday evening meeting, rebuking individual Republicans, calling one a “wise ass,” and complaining about allegations that he had discriminated against Asian-Americans in the process of filling a seat on the state committee.

“I am damn tired of being called a racist!” Lyons vented, according to multiple attendees. A spokesman for the party did not immediately return a request for comment about the meeting.

And the party committee did not take up a Lyons-backed proposal that would have stripped voting power from Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, and other elected officials who serve on the state party’s executive committee. That proposal — which could have cleared the way for the party to back a primary challenger to Baker — was tabled once it became clear Lyons did not have the votes to pass it.

Instead, the group expressed early support for shifting endorsement power from the smaller executive committee, of which Baker is a member, to the full 80-member body. That change requires two more rounds of approval before it would go into effect.

In a statement, Lyons praised the committee’s work.

“There are those that spend so much time trying to sow chaos within the Massachusetts Republican Party, as shown by recent media coverage, but I’m proud tonight to say that Massachusetts Republicans State Committee members found common ground on several positions that matter most,” Lyons added.

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Emma Platoff can be reached at emma.platoff@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emmaplatoff. Jasper Goodman can be reached at jasper.goodman@globe.com.

‘Sublet’ explores the US-Israel identity divide from a queer lens – The Jerusalem Post

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‘Sublet’ explores the US-Israel identity divide from a queer lens – The Jerusalem Post
Eytan Fox’s new film “Sublet” opens with a slow fade-up on travel photographs of Israel: red rocks in the desert, a young woman smiling with the mud of the Dead Sea on her face, two paddleboarders on clear turquoise water. As the image comes into focus, it becomes clear that we’re actually looking at tourism ads in an airport. The film’s protagonist, Michael (John Benjamin Hickey), glides past with a vague look in his eyes. He does not look at the images.
Exploring this cultural gap between Israelis and American Jews is new territory for Fox, who has been a major queer voice in Israeli cinema for nearly two decades. His films usually capture identity crises within Israelis: what who they love and how they choose to live says about them. This time he’s casting his gaze wider, across the ocean – even as most of the action unfolds in a single Tel Aviv apartment.
The protagonist is American, a travel writer for The New York Times. His arrival in Tel Aviv provides a chaotic first impression: His sublet is still occupied and messy due to a date mix-up. Its occupant, Tomer (Niv Nissim), a young film student who makes campy, awkward horror, is desperate for the money that Michael’s stay will provide. He pitches the neighborhood, bragging about its “sexiest” qualities, and convinces Michael not to switch to a hotel.
Through a chain of events Michael, who was supposed to have the place to himself, ends up sharing it with Tomer, and the two men forge a tenuous bond, trading their queer Jewish worldviews across generations and nations.
Fox’s landmark 2002 film “Yossi & Jagger” tells the story of two Israeli soldiers who fall in love during their mandatory military service. His 2006 film “The Bubble” also explores a gay relationship, this time across the Israeli-Palestinian divide.
“Sublet,” Fox’s eighth feature, represents a new chapter: It’s his first film in which the protagonists speak primarily in English. Hickey, the star, is a Tony Award-winning American actor.

Unlike in “Yossi & Jagger” and “The Bubble,” the aspects of gay identity that have historically anchored queer movies – coming out and societal rejection – are not the focus of the plot here. Instead, Fox has crafted a pensive, dialogue-driven movie about different modes of moving through the world as a gay Jewish man: American and Israeli, early 20s and middle age.
“Once every few years when I get a chance to make a film or a television show, I think, OK, what are the issues that have piled up on the desk in my soul? What needs understanding, examining, processing?” Fox told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
When he began writing “Sublet,” he said, “I had just turned 50 and I was thinking, how did I come to be the man that I am: Jewish, Israeli, gay, filmmaker, husband to my husband, childless? How do we take all these issues and put them into characters? I realized I needed an American 50-something man who tries to understand what Tel Aviv is all about through meeting this young guy.”
Fox said that as a younger man, he felt more like Tomer than Michael: He was known for documenting “young Israel.”
“When I did ‘Florentine’ [a TV show from the late ’90s about young Israelis living in Tel Aviv], I was one of the gang; the actors and I were [close to] the same age,” Fox said. “But making ‘Sublet,’ I’m not 20-something anymore. I really had to learn about young people and their lives, and try to understand it, and not be judgmental about it.”
Fox channeled his musings on aging as a gay Jewish Israeli into the rapport between his two leads, who debate each other on their respective places within the country and the Jewish world. It’s a dynamic that’s on the minds of many cosmopolitan Jews these days whether or not they are Israeli.
“We are in the Middle East,” Tomer tells Michael, “but we want to be treated like we are in the West.”
Tomer’s relationship to Israel, and Judaism, is fraught at times. When his bike is stolen, he doesn’t call the cops because “the police in this area are racist.” (The 2019 Oscar-nominated Israeli short film “White Eye,” directed by Tomer Shushan, coincidentally tells a similar story.) Side characters also discuss moving to Berlin, where they feel they have more freedom to protest and make art following a common modern narrative of Jews and Israelis reclaiming Berlin as a Jewish space that’s also present in the popular Netflix series “Unorthodox.”
Tomer also rebels against more “traditional” models of gayness in a challenge to Michael’s lifestyle. Michael is married, while Tomer claims never to want to be tied down to just one person. Tomer considers the AIDS crisis a depressing bit of ancient history, while Michael lived through it.
Queer life and cinema in Israel have changed drastically since Fox’s first film. When the director made “Yossi & Jagger” in 2002, the Israeli military did not support the film.
“They knew it wasn’t politically correct to say they wouldn’t support a gay film,” he said. “So they used this lame excuse: We can’t support a film that endorses relationships between soldiers of different ranks. After the film became the success it did worldwide, they came to me and said let’s show your film to soldiers.”
Thus, a film the Israel Defense Forces wouldn’t support was subsequently screened on army bases, and when Fox made the sequel “Yossi” in 2012, it was the army who approached him offering help. The change in attitudes mirrors a broader cultural acceptance of the LGBT+ community in Israel, which Fox is only too happy to witness.
“If you had told me in the early ’80s growing up in Jerusalem that one day we’d have openly gay members of Knesset – that we’d have a transgender woman as a referee in the tough, macho world of Israeli soccer – I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said. “It’s wonderful that we have this openness because there are other ways we’re far from being open enough.”
Israel has been accused of using this one brand of openness as a way to avoid discussing darker, more difficult subjects: publicizing LGBT+ acceptance in order to divert attention from the plight of Palestinians, a strategy often referred to as “pinkwashing.” And with his films so prominent in global queer culture, Fox is closer to those accusations than most.
“I can understand people accusing the Israeli government of using my films for pinkwashing – saying we’re so wonderful, we have a gay film director, gay films, everything you can dream of, so people don’t ask us questions about the Palestinians,” he said. “But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Israel, and Tel Aviv more specifically, have become the most loving and accepting cities for the gay community.”
Despite their generational and cultural differences, Michael and Tomer’s relationship develops into something meaningful and memorable. Their encounter helps both characters achieve some clarity. It resembles Michael’s ultimate description of Tel Aviv: “full of contradictions. Chaotic and tense, but at the same time completely laid-back.”
“Sublet” opened in Israel last week – the first Israeli film to play in cinemas since the coronavirus pandemic began.
“The film is about coming back to life,” Fox said. “And I think all of us are in the midst of coming back to life after this crazy year. I felt that in the theater: People from all over the country were coming to the premiere, and they wanted to be in a theater with other people to enjoy the film together.”
“Sublet” opens in theaters on June 11, followed by an on-demand release on July 9.

Tammy Bruce: Federal Request to fly gay pride flags at courthouses ‘reinforces tribalism’ – Fox News

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Tammy Bruce: Federal Request to fly gay pride flags at courthouses ‘reinforces tribalism’ – Fox News

The Biden administration reportedly requested that the General Services Administration seek to have United States Court Houses fly the gay pride flag on their grounds in honor of June being Pride Month, a move criticized Wednesday by “Fox News Primetime” host Tammy Bruce.

Internal emails obtained by Fox News showed the forwarding of this request to staff within the GSA – the federal agency that provides for and manages the basic support services, real estate and communications for the various parts of the federal government.

Bruce slammed the move, speaking as someone in the LGBT community, and saying that the omnipresence of the gay pride flag this time of year is more divisive than it is uniting.

“My feeling initially about this as a gay woman is, we see in June the gay pride flag is everywhere: I have always been concerned because I love the American flag, that this is a dynamic that reinforces tribalism,” she said.

“It reinforces this notion that well, there is the American flag — but here is who you are. This is your flag; it’s a separate entity within this framework.”

The request comes weeks after the Biden administration asked for the Black Lives Matter banner to be flown or hung at U.S. embassies abroad; which was met with mixed reviews by the public.

In response to the latest demand from the Biden administration, Independent Women’s Law Center director Jennifer Braceras claimed the move was even more egregious than the BLM order – in that it ran against the federal separation of powers.

“This particular request came from the executive branch to the judicial branch,” Braceras said. “I think it’s awfully bold that some bureaucrats at the GSA or political advisers in the Biden administration think they have the power to tell federal judges what flags to display.”

Braceras remarked that judges symbolically wear black robes to demonstrate that they are impartial and unencumbered by partisan or sectarian influences.

“The judiciary is a co-equal branch of government. They do not report to bureaucrats in the executive branch. And they don’t have to put out flags that they don’t want to,” she said. 

“Federal judges are supposed to be neutral arbiters of disputes – and federal courthouses shouldn’t be used as billboards to celebrate any particular cause or group or holiday, whether that’s breast cancer awareness month, whether that’s supporting the troops, or Black Lives Matter or the pride flag, or Saint Patrick’s Day.”

On May 25, leaked documents showed Biden’s administration issued guidance to all “Diplomatic and Consular posts” asking for them to fly the BLM flag to commemorate the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. 

In Congress, several Republicans including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina and Rick Crawford of Arkansas signed onto the “Only Old Glory Act,” a bill that would prohibit flying the pride flag at U.S. Embassies.

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Duncan, the bill’s sponsor, declared that “no other flag or symbol can portray our American values” than the Star-Spangled Banner.

Last week, when the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Vatican City affixed a pride flag on its exterior, Nebraska Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts called it a “political stunt” and wondered aloud on Twitter whether the White House would similarly hold the Catholic ideals of “family and freedom of conscience” in the same high regard, given the embassy’s location.

The Defense Department, however, will not allow the Pride flag to be flown at installations under its purview, Pentagon spokesperson Rear Adm. John Kirby, Ret., said last week. 

Why the Obscure ’90s Energy Drink Josta Makes a Cameo in ‘Loki’ – Thrillist

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Why the Obscure ’90s Energy Drink Josta Makes a Cameo in ‘Loki’ – Thrillist

Entertainment

The defunct beverage gets a sly shout-out in Disney+’s new Marvel series.

loki josta

Mobius loves his Josta | Disney+

Mobius loves his Josta | Disney+

The first time Tom Hiddleston’s Asgardian God of Mischief sits down opposite Agent Mobius in the new Disney+ series Loki, the Time Variance Authority investigator played by Owen Wilson cracks open a can of soda. At first glimpse, you can tell only that it’s not Coca-Cola or another familiar brand, but the product’s name is soon revealed: Josta.

While it’d be more than fair to assume that the drink is a creation of the Loki writers room or a deep-cut reference to the comic books, Josta is real. Or was. Like many discontinued products from the 1990s, it has a cult following. But what was it? And why does Mobius drink it? For answers, I boned up on Josta’s brief history and talked to Loki showrunner Michael Waldron about how the obscure beverage came to make a cameo on the show. (Without spoiling anything, Mobius also sips the carbonated drink in Episode 2.) Here’s what I learned.

First, some product background. In 1995, before caffeinated energy drinks like Red Bull became a nightlife staple, PepsiCo made its initial foray into this potentially lucrative market by test-marketing Josta in the Phoenix area, according to a 1996 AP story. The following year (coincidentally not long after Wilson made his acting debut in Bottle Rocket), the company did a wider roll-out of the red-colored carbonated beverage, touting a special ingredient, guarana, a caffeine-rich berry common in Brazilian drinks and now found in US energy drinks like Monster.

The AP story also noted that guarana had a reputation as an aphrodisiac, which a Pepsi spokesman assured the reporter was not part of Josta’s marketing plan. “Let’s just say people are drawn to guarana by its powerful image and mystery,” he said. Yet it’s not as if the company didn’t lean into this vibe. The Josta mascot was a panther. TV ads featured old guys ruefully talking about not partying harder when they were younger and then being interrupted by very ’90s-looking ravers who scream, “Coulda, woulda, shoulda!” The drink’s tagline was, “Better do the good stuff now.”

Josta, like youth, was also fleeting. A year after turning up as product placement in Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla, the drink was taken off the market. That hasn’t stopped a small but passionate Josta fanbase from pining for it. Online you can find recipes for how to make your own Josta (one involves obtaining Crystal Pepsi) as well as various campaigns that have attempted to preserve the memory of the drink or urge PepsiCo to bring it back officially.

loki
Mobius and Loki chat | Marvel Studios

When I asked Waldron whether he himself was a fan of Josta, he dodged the question. “You know, Josta, BoKu, anything that feels like a relic of the past is just a fun thing to get to drop into a show like this,” he said. “That’s part of the fun thing of anything to do with time travel.” Waldron has some experience with reviving interests in now-defunct products, thanks to another TV show he’s written for: Rick and Morty, which created a frankly terrifying frenzy around McDonald’s limited edition Szechuan Sauce from the ’90s, eventually brought back into stores in a fan-demanded campaign, because of a reference in an episode.

So, does including Josta here mean anything beyond a little wink to the audience? Maybe, and maybe not. “Look, Mobius is a guy who can go anywhere, go any time,” said Waldron. “Josta is a discontinued soda, so you’d imagine that maybe he’s encountered a timeline where Josta became the world’s Coca-Cola and that was a branch that had to be handled but maybe he developed a taste for Josta in the process and brought himself back a case or two. Again, that’s just conjecture on my part.”​​​​​​

When I pressed Waldron if Loki viewers should be solving puzzles and hunting for clues as they watch, he was once again cagey. “That’s part of the fun of the whole thing: The fans getting to identify these things and figure out what means something, what means nothing,” he said. “Either way, it’s fun to look and fun to engage about.”

So perhaps the mid-to-late 1990s will figure in significantly to Loki‘s narrative, or maybe it’s just fun to picture a time bureaucrat sipping on a soda meant for people who dressed like the characters in Go. Whatever it is, we now want to try Josta. Who has the hookup?
 

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Esther Zuckerman is a senior entertainment writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @ezwrites.

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DC restaurants, bars ready to celebrate Pride – Washington Blade

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DC restaurants, bars ready to celebrate Pride – Washington Blade

Capital Pride looks different this year as the city wakes from its pandemic closures. While official Pride events are mostly virtual in June, bars and restaurants will still have plenty going on to celebrate and commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride in DC.

Selected options for drinks, food, and events are listed below.

Food & Drinks

Aslin Beer Company (847 S Pickett St., Alexandria) made news this spring with an announcement of a planned second location on 14th Street where Dacha had sought to open a location. The brewery will again produce its “Now More Than Ever” beer, an 8.6% double IPA hopped with citra and sabro, in recognition of Pride month. It will be $20 for a pack.

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken (1308 G St., N.W.) is circling the Pride square with fried goodies. At all three locations, the Pride doughnut ($3.75) is a vanilla glazed with rainbow sprinkles – plus other decorations, including one with a non-edible rainbow ring that can be worn after the doughnut is enjoyed. A portion of proceeds go to SMYAL.

ANXO Cidery (300 Florida Ave., N.W.) is producing a Pride cider, with a portion of proceeds benefitting Casa Ruby. It will be a Northern Spy apple cider, fermented dry in in stainless steel. It is sugar-free and gluten-free, and will sold nationwide. The can will be decked out in rainbow colors.

Karma Modern Indian (611 I St., N.W.) is offering a special cocktail for the month of June: the Banyan Shade ($14). It’s made with Tito’s Vodka, Domaine Canton, and “Spinach Aqua” and has a garnish resembling a colorful flag. Karma will be making a donation to Casa Ruby from the proceeds.

Dirty Habit DC is having “Colors of the Rainbow,” a month-long series during which the restaurant will feature a different color themed food and beverage offering each week. A portion of sale of every “Colors of the Rainbow” signature item will be donated to the Human Rights Campaign and PFLAG.

As an LGBTQ-owned business, KNEAD Hospitality + Design is supporting the Capital Pride Alliance by donating a portion of proceeds on punch cocktails at all KNEAD restaurants: The Grill, Succotash, Gatsby, and Mi Vida, on June 12 and 13.

Foxtrot Market (1267 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.), the new upscale corner store and café in Georgetown, is partnering with Brooklyn artist Cute Brute to create a Confetti Cake Brownie for the month of June. Proceeds from sales of the brownie will go to Casa Ruby.

In keeping to its annual tradition, DC Brau Brewing is making its hops queer, with a limited run of a special PRIDE PILS. Proceeds will go to benefit SMYAL. DC Brau will do a second run of PRIDE PILS in October, benefiting The Blade Foundation, set for the weekend of National Coming Out Day.

El Tamarindo, the Mexican-Salvadoran restaurant more than three decades old, is serving a Walter Mercado cocktail ($11), garnished with an elegant orchid. The front window display is dedicated to Walter Mercado and his cultural influence. Proceeds from the drink go to Casa Ruby.

The eco-friendly plant-based fast-food joint HipCityVeg is mixing up its first-ever Pride drink: The Love Shake, served all June long. This strawberry shake is topped with rainbow and glitter sprinkles and gets a compostable rainbow straw. A percentage of sales go to SMYAL and Whitman-Walker. “We wanted something colorful and festive that would both raise spirits and raise funds for organizations that serve the community,” explains Director of Marketing Aviva Goldfarb. “We have tons of LGBTQ+ staff members and customers and knew this would also be meaningful (and fun) for them. Plus, we have seasonal strawberry shakes in stores in June so adding the colorful and glittery sprinkles and the rainbow straw made sense.” 

Events

Dacha Beer Garden (1600 7th St., N.W., and 79 Potomac Ave., S.E.) is hosting a Cause Tuesday fundraiser with Gay for Good on Tuesday, June 7, and a Dacha Beer Club with local brewery 7 Locks on Wednesday, June 8. The Beer Club event will showcase the 7 Locks Surrender Dorothy beer, part of the sour series Bitch Monkey. Dacha will have a Dorothy Drag surprise, and guests are encouraged to wear their Wizard of Oz best. Special Dacha brand tank tops will be on sale at both locations.

Via the Capital Pride Alliance is its official weekly mixer of Pride Season, Hooked on Capital Pride! It will take place at Hook Hall (3400 Georgia Ave., N.W.) in Petworth. Every Wednesday beginning June 9, there will be drink specials, music, and celebrations. A portion of the proceeds from this event will support the Capital Pride Alliance and partner Pride organizations through the GivePride365 Fund. Every reservation will include a bottle of Rose Bubbly, and a celebration kit. This event will take place on June 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 3-9 p.m.

Bark Social (935 Prose St, North Bethesda, Md.) is partnering with Montgomery County Council member Evan Glass to celebrate D.C. Pride with a PAWrade and canine costume contest on Saturday, June 12 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. This beer garden and coffee house for dogs and humans will create a rainbow-filled canine festival of pride + paws. The bar will pour a special Pride-inspired cocktail with proceeds donated to the Moco Reconnect Center to work with other local creating inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.

Capital Pride is hosting a citywide Sunday funday on June 13 to support local LGBTQ businesses with the first-ever city-wide Taste of Pride Brunch. Various local restaurants have made a commitment to support Pride and local LGBTQ+ charities, featuring food items, drink specials, and entertainment. The event will raise awareness and resources for the GivePride365 Fund, benefiting local LGBTQ+ charities, and help to ensure the return of a full-scale Pride in 2022.

The speakeasy-style back room at Capo Deli (715 Florida Ave.) rounds out Pride weekend parties with an post-brunch event Sunday, June 13, 2-5 p.m. The event, called Bubbles & Bass, features DJ Babbitt and DJ Chris Adam playing disco over rose, Champagne, and other drink specials.

Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Rd., Fairfax, Va.) and its dog-friendly patio is hosting an event for Pride on Saturday, June 19 with Beer Babes Drag. There will be two seatings (12 p.m. and 3 p.m.) and a portion of sales (including items sold) will support PFLAG and the National LGBTQ Task Force.

Celebrate PRIDE with a staycation, via Kimpton Monaco. This hotel is the Trevor Project’s “Premiere National Hotel Partner.” When guests make a reservation at Hotel Monaco D.C., Kimpton will donate $10/night to The Trevor Project, and guests receive 15% off the hotel’s “Best Flexible Rate.”

Yes! Jalen McKee-Rodriguez Is The First Openly Gay Black Man To Be Elected In Texas – 107.5 WBLS

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Yes! Jalen McKee-Rodriguez Is The First Openly Gay Black Man To Be Elected In Texas – 107.5 WBLS

This is amazing!

Jalen McKee-Rodriguez has made history in the state of Texas. He has become the first openly gay Black man to be elected in the state.

It has been reported that Rodriguez, 26 had defeated the incumbent, Jada Andrews- Sullivan with 63 percent of the vote. Rodriguez, who once worked for his opponent, had resigned from her office due to the “retaliation he faced after telling her about issues with another staff member’s treatment of him as an openly gay man.” 

McKee-Rodriguez made a statement about his win. “A lot of people said that District 2 wouldn’t be ready for a candidate like me. Would District 2 be ready for a young gay candidate? Is Texas ready for a gay Black man to be elected anywhere and to any position?” 

He continued, “And so I think what we proved is that everyone deserves representation and if you have the right motives and if you have the right passions and if you’re a good listener, the people will trust that. I hope this opens doors for a lot of people.” 

Congratulations Jalen! 

Life after Pulse: A generational roundtable about sexuality, being gay in Orlando – WESH 2 Orlando

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Life after Pulse: A generational roundtable about sexuality, being gay in Orlando – WESH 2 Orlando

Sheldon Dutes

Life after Pulse: A generational roundtable about sexuality, being gay in Orlando

QUEREMOS SABER SI LAS CONVERSACIONES HAN CAMBIADO CORAZONES Y MENTES, REUNIMOS A UN GRUPO DE LOS AUT IDENTIFICADOS PARA HABLASOR BRE ESO. >> NO SEREUNIMOS EN LA BARANDA, CENTRO DE ORLDO ¿CÓMO SER ABIERTAMENTE GAY O LESBIANA >> SÍ, ES UN REFUGIO PARA LOS INDIVIDUOS PARA LA COMUNIDAD LGBTQ. PULSE HA UNIDO AA LCOMUNIDAD MÁS QUE ANTES. DESDE LOS 80 HASTA AHORA. >> GRANDE DES DECINCO AÑOS, ES HERMOSO VER QUE DESDE PULSE LA COMUNIDAD SE HA UNID HA HABIDO GENTE E QUHA SALIDO DEO. E >> ORLANDO TIENE UNA TRAYECTORIA E INCREÍBLE DE DONDE VIENE HACIA DÓNDE VA, PERSONALMENTE NUNCA ME HE SEIDNTO MÁS CASA Y MÁS CÓMODA PUDIEN DOSALIR A LA CALLE Y TOMAR LA MANO DEMI PAREJA, HAY SITIOS DONDE NO ME SIENTO CÓMODA HIEACO ESTO. NO ME SENTÍA CÓMODA A PRINCIPIO DE L 9 CUANDO SE ENTIENDEN ASIMISMO Y LE ENTIENDEN AL MUNDO CONOR SU VERDAD. PIENSAN QUE YO ERA TRANSGÉNEROS, PENSABA QUE TENÍA QUE SER HOMBRE Y YO ERA U NA MUJER. ESCUCHé ELÉTÉRMINO LESBIANA Y ALLÍ DIJQUE E ESO ERA LO QUE ERA. ELLOS APRENDEN MUCHO Y HAY MUCHAS VECES DONDE ADMITO QUE ME SIENTO FRUSTRADA, ES UN REGALO PA ARMÍ A MI ED..AD NUNCA HUBO UN MOMENTO NDE YO NOSUERPIQUE A GAY, HABÍA UN SESGO CON TODAS LAS PERSONAS QUE ME IMPORTABAN. >> TUVIMOS QUE SUPERAR OBSTÁCULOS, PERO NO SERÍA GENUINO QUE HUBO MOMENTOS Y MU DESAGRADABLES, PERO LOS SOLUCIONOS.AM CUANDO SAÍ DEL CLÓSET NO FUE FÁCI L,VENGO DE UNA FAMILIA MUY CATóCÓ >> MI MAMÁ ME LLAMABA CASI TODOS LOS DÍAS, HASTA QUHUE UN MOMENTO QUE PUDIMOS RECONCILIAR NUESTRA RELACIÓN HACE 10 AÑOS Y ESO MOTIVA LO QUE SOY HOEL TRABAJO QUE HAGO, MI SALIDA FUE MUY OSCURA Y FUE HORRIBLE, HABÍA MUCHA GENTE QUE HA TENIDO ESCENARIOS MARAVILLOSOS Y SUS PADRES LOS AMAN, PERO EL MÍO NO FUE ASÍ. DESTRUYÓ EL MUNDO, TENÍA 18 AÑOS, TENÍA A UNRELACIÓN DE DOS AÑOS Y FUE HORRIBLENE EL MOMENTO, PERO AL MIRAR HACIA ATRÁ..S. AHORA HEMOS CRECIDO TANTO COMO FAMILIA, MIS PADRES SON MARAVILLOSOS, TRATAN A MI ESPOSA COMO TRAT AANL ESPOSO DE MI HERMANA. SALÍ DEL CLÓSET OFICIALMENTE A LOS 21, PERO HA SIDO UNA TRAVESÍA MARAVILLOSA DE ENCONTRARME A MÍ MISMO Y SER YO MISMO AUTÉNTICAMENTE Y SABER QUE SÓLO DEBIDO A QUIÉN SOY NO QUIERE DECIR QUE MEVEAN COMO R SEHUMANO NI ME AN.ME >> TENÍA 19 AÑOS CUANDO SALÍ DEL CLÓSET, ES UN MUNDO MUY DIFERENTE Y ES DÍCIL HABLAR DE LA COMUNIDAD PORQUE NO HABÍA COMUNIDAD PARA MUCHO DE NOSOTROS, NO HABÍA UNA COMUNIDAD Y ESTA BAEN OTRA PARTE DE FLORIDA, ASISTÍ A UNA ESCUELA CRISTIANA Y CUANDO LO AVERIGUARON YA NO PUDE IR Áá LOS MIEMBROS DE LA FAMILIA, GENTE QUE NO SE IDENTIFIE QU COMO LESBIANA O GAY CÓMO PUEDEN APOYAR? >> PIENSO INSTANTÁNEAMENTE EN MIS PADRES Y MI HERMANA, NO LO ENTENDERÁN Y NO LO PUEDEN ENTEER.ND UNO NO TIENE QUE ACEPTARL O,UNO TIENE QUE AMLO.AR USTED ME AMA Y ESA ES LA DIFERENCIA, SI PUEDO DAR CONSEJO A CUALQUIERA QUE ESTÉ ESCUCHANDO, SIMPLEMENTE ÁMENL ESCUCHAR Y ENTENDER ESO ES LO PRIMERO, PARA MÍ ES SER ALIA Y TENER LA DISPOSICIÓN… ESTÁ BIEN NO ENTENDER LA DIFERENCIA ENTRE EL GÉNERO Y LA ORIENTACIÓN SOCIAL, PERO ESTAR DISPUESTO A ESCUCHAR Y ENTENDER, LOS ALIADOS SERÍAN LAS PERSONAS QUE NOS AMARAN Y LUEGO HICIERAN PREGUNTAS CUANDO ESTÉN CONFUNDIDOS O SIENTAN L INFORMADOS, RAPA LOS ALIADOS ES IMPORTANTE QUE NO TENGAN MIEDO DE RESPONDER PREGUNTAS. >> PIENSO QUE ES PEOR

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Life after Pulse: A generational roundtable about sexuality, being gay in Orlando

Sheldon Dutes

The attack on Pulse June 12, 2016 brought an outpouring of love and support, but it also sparked some uncomfortable conversations.The conversations surrounded sexual identity, religion, ethnicity and weaving it all together in acceptance or a lack thereof.So in the five years since, we wanted to know if Pulse and those conversations had changed hearts and minds.WESH 2 brought together a group who identify as gay and lesbian to talk with WESH 2’s Sheldon Dutes.See the full round table in the video player below.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

The attack on Pulse June 12, 2016 brought an outpouring of love and support, but it also sparked some uncomfortable conversations.

The conversations surrounded sexual identity, religion, ethnicity and weaving it all together in acceptance or a lack thereof.

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So in the five years since, we wanted to know if Pulse and those conversations had changed hearts and minds.

WESH 2 brought together a group who identify as gay and lesbian to talk with WESH 2’s Sheldon Dutes.

See the full round table in the video player below.

Support for gay and lesbian rights hits resistance in Shasta County – Record Searchlight

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Support for gay and lesbian rights hits resistance in Shasta County – Record Searchlight

If not for the murder of two Shasta County gay men 22 years ago, Don Yost might not have stood in front of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors this week to stand up for all people who identify as gay, lesbian and transgender.

The board, on a 3 to 2 vote, passed a proclamation on Tuesday declaring June LGBTQ+ Pride Month, something that Yost said hadn’t been done at the county level before.

The 78-year-old Redding man said the murder in July 1999 of Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder led him to become an activist for gay, lesbian and transgender causes.

“That changed my world and gave me different priorities. Up until that point, I’d had gay friends, but I figured any kind of gay equality stuff was up to them,” Yost said.

“After Gary and Winfield were murdered, I decided that it was everybody’s fight to make sure that LGBT people had a right to everything else that anybody else has, that other citizens have,” Yost said.

“It was clear that gay people did not have the rights. And they became targets,” Yost said. “There are still places in this country where gay people can’t adopt (children). There are states where you can be fired from your job because you’re gay. And you’ve got no recourse to that.”

So on Tuesday, it was Yost who asked the board to pass the proclamation declaring June LGBTQ+ Month.

Yost said there have been other gay-rights proclamations issued by other public agencies in the county, but Tuesday’s vote was the first by the county Board of Supervisors.

Yost and his wife, Lee Macey, are both on the board of directors of NorCal OUTreach, an organization that advocates for the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people.

But there were many in the chambers who opposed the proclamation, including two members of the board. Venus Bontadelli of Anderson was one of those who spoke out against the proclamation.

Venus Bontadelli of Anderson addresses the Shasta County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, during a discussion on decorum at board meetings.

“Make it Pride Month. Be proud of who you are, not of what you’d be doing behind closed doors, because that should have nothing to do with what is put forth,” Bontadelli said.

Another woman who spoke to the board said the supervisors were acting against the will of the majority of county residents.

“This designation is out of step with our traditional family values and Christian beliefs that many people value and hold dear in Shasta County,” she said. 

Supervisor Patrick Jones, who voted against the proclamation, said that as a member of the board he took an oath to defend the U.S. and California constitutions and not discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, creed or sexual orientation.

“And that’s for all people and we respect all people. I guess I am disappointed with the political correctness that a resolution like this has come (forward). As a Christian, I do not support this behavior, while I will fight vigorously to defend and fight (for) your constitutional rights. Because of that, I will not support this resolution,” Jones said.

Newly elected Shasta County Supervisor Patrick Jones and Supervisor Les Baugh share a computer Jan. 5 in the county board chambers while the rest of the board attended the meeting online.

He was joined in voting against the issue by Supervisor Les Baugh, who said that as a “man of God and a pastor” he was not in a position to judge people who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender. 

But the board should not “proclaim sexuality,” he said.

“Would we present a heterosexual day? Would we represent, I’ll just say ‘fat white day?’ I don’t know. I don’t think those things should be considered from this board of supervisors. I don’t think they have anything to do with what we are called to do,” Baugh said. 

Supervisor Leonard Moty said it was odd Jones used the Constitution to explain the reason for his vote.

“I will just say that several people have said that we take an oath to uphold the constitutions of California and the United States. And yet they’ve turned around and wrapped themselves in that as a way to hide from being fair to all people and upholding their sworn duty,” Moty said.

Macey, 76, said she was at the board meeting when her husband, Yost, made his presentation Tuesday. She said the negative comments about people who identify as gay or lesbian upset her.

“I was feeling teary at the end because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. And I just felt that there was a lot of strong negative feelings being thrown around, and hurtful things. And you know, it was uncomfortable,” she said. 

Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

Young LGBT Scots feel more suicidal than rest of Britain – The Times

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Young LGBT Scots feel more suicidal than rest of Britain – The Times

Nearly 80 per cent of LGBT children in Scotland have had suicidal thoughts — more than 10 percentage points higher than their peers in England.

Research found 79 per cent of those aged 11 to 18 who identified as LGBT+ had thoughts of suicide in Scotland while in England the rates were 67 per cent and in Wales they were 73 per cent. Northern Ireland had the highest proportion, at 82 per cent. The data from charity Just Like Us comes as the LGBT community marks Pride Month.

The survey of 2,934 secondary pupils across the UK, of whom 1,140 were LGBT+, also found Covid disproportionately affected the mental health of LGBT+ young people. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans young people were more than

Biden Wants Biological Males Competing In Female Sports, Slams Efforts To Protect Women From Transgender Athletes – Christianity Daily

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Biden Wants Biological Males Competing In Female Sports, Slams Efforts To Protect Women From Transgender Athletes – Christianity Daily

President Joe Biden issued a presidential proclamation honoring LGBT Pride Month and criticizing government laws that ban biological males from participating in female sports.

“Some states have chosen to actively target transgender youth through discriminatory bills that defy our Nation’s values of inclusivity and freedom for all,” Biden said in his proclamation which was published Tuesday.

He was apparently alluding to state measures that require student-athletes to compete on sports teams that match their biological sex rather than their preferred gender identification. Florida was the latest state to enact such legislation following Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

As mentioned in a previous report, roughly 30 states have adopted the law that prevents young biological men from taking part in girls’ sports and are accountable for doing so since males have evident physiological advantages with regards to “speed, weight, and power.”

“When it comes to gender issues, conservatives won’t be able to count on sane policies coming out of the Biden administration,” said Ed Vitagliano, executive vice president of the American Family Association.

“States will have to go it alone when it comes to matters like protecting girls in sports,” he added.

“My administration is taking historic actions to finally deliver full equality for LGBTQ+ families,” Biden, whom former President Donald Trump described as “one of the most extreme and radical presidents” in the history of the United States, said.

“On my first day in office, I signed an Executive Order charging federal agencies to fully enforce all federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation,” Biden, who recently seemed to have suggested that people should stop praying despite being desperately branded by the White House as a “devout Catholic,” continued.

“As a result, the federal government has taken steps to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in employment, health care, housing, lending, and education,” Biden said.

The Equality Act has reportedly cleared the House of Representatives, but has thankfully been blocked in the Senate by Democratic and Republican opposition.

Critics of the bill contend that a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity would oblige schools allow boys who identify as females to participate in women’s sports despite their “inherent physiological advantage,” reports the Christian Post.

Biden also urged Americans “recognize the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high.”

Despite the objection of Christians and the Catholic Church, in particular, to homosexual marriage, the U.S. embassy decided to display the rainbow flag to mark “Pride Month.” Erick Erickson, a conservative pundit expressed his dissatisfaction in a tweet.

“Will the U.S. also fly the rainbow flag at its Saudi and Pakistani embassies or do they only virtue signal where no one will respond to their PR stunt?” Erickson asked.

Though the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See hoisted the LGBT Pride flag, Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur, pointed out that in Saudi Arabia “where being gay is punishable by death,” the embassy “did no such thing.”

Also in response to the government’s backing for the political movement, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York has sponsored the Stars and Stripes Act. This Act limits flags to the American flag, flag of the country where the diplomatic or consular post is located, the flag of a State, territory, or possession of the United States, a departmental or secretarial flag, the flag of an Armed Force, and a flag designed to honor persons who are classified as prisoners of war or missing-in-action.’

Gov. Tony Evers visits the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin in Racine during Pride Month – Journal Times

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Gov. Tony Evers visits the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin in Racine during Pride Month – Journal Times
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Gov. Evers visits LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin

From left, state Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine; Gov. Tony Evers; Carl Hubbard and Barb Farrar smile outside the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin, 1456 Junction Ave., on June 3. 

Courtesy Governor’s Office

RACINE — Gov. Tony Evers met with Barb Farrar and Carl Hubbard, leaders of the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin, 1456 Junction Ave., last week to discuss the center’s year-round work to making the community more safe and inclusive.

Basic LGBTQIA+ Terms to Learn in Honor of Pride Month. Every June, people around the world come together to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. The Stonewall Uprising, which occurred in Manhattan, was a tipping point for the United States’ Gay Liberation Movement. . In honor of this year’s Pride Month, here are some basic LGBTQIA+ terms to learn. . (L)GBTQIA, Lesbian, Women who are predominantly attracted to other women. L(G)BTQIA, Gay, People who are attracted to other people of the same gender. . LG(B)TQIA, Bisexual, People who aren’t exclusively attracted to people of one particular gender. LGB(T)QIA, Transgender, People who identify differently from the sex assigned to them at birth. LGBT(Q)IA, Queer, An umbrella term for the whole community. LGBTQ(I)A, Intersex, People born with sexual anatomy outside of the strict gender binary. LGBTQI(A), Asexual, People that experience little to no sexual attraction toward other people. . Ally, Someone who is actively supportive of LGBTQIA+ people. Coming Out, The process through which a person acknowledges, accepts and shares their sexual orientation or gender identity with others. . Pansexual, A person who experiences emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender. . Non-binary, A person who doesn’t exclusively identify with the male or female gender. Gender Identity, How a person perceives and identifies themself. This can be the same or different from the sex they were assigned at birth. . Gender Binary, Considered an outdated system by many, gender is assigned to two strict categories: male or female. . Gender Dysphoria, Significant distress that is caused when a person’s gender identity doesn’t align with their assigned birth gender. . Gender Expression, The external appearance of one’s gender identity which may or may not conform to socially-defined norms. . Gender-fluid, A person who has a fluid or unfixed gender identity

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State Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, who identifies as queer, joined the conversation at The Branch at 1501 in Uptown to speak on future endeavors to continue ensuring Racine County and Wisconsin are “places where we all can thrive.”

Since the lockdown began last year, the LGBT Center has been operating remotely, hosting all their events and meetings virtually through Zoom.

From left: Barb Farrar and Carl Hubbard of the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin speak with state Rep. Greta Neubauer and Gov. Tony Evers last week …

The center in a Facebook post expressed thanks to Evers for his support of the LGBTQ+ community; Evers is Wisconsin’s first-ever governor to have the pride flag flown about the Wisconsin State Capitol during Pride Month.

These events include “Free to be: a spiritual journey,” focused on queer people exploring their spirituality, “Parenting with Pride,” a meeting for parents with LGBTQ+ youth to connect with one another, and more.

Michigan’s Kid Rock doubles-down on anti-gay bar slur in Wednesday tweet – Deadline Detroit

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Michigan’s Kid Rock doubles-down on anti-gay bar slur in Wednesday tweet – Deadline Detroit

“Have a nice day.” (Photo: Facebook)

Kid Rock, who rarely misses a chance to prove critics correct, confirms what we posted Tuesday: He’s still a belligerent bigot.

A day after TMZ spread word of the 50-year-old’s homophobic outburst, he tweets defiantly and obnoxiously to 636,000 followers:

This latest self-humiliation began with an epithet during a performance at a place called the FishLipz Bar & Grill in Smithville, Tenn. The Romeo native was mad people were taping him and called them f*****s, according to TMZ.

“You f**king f*****s with your iPhones out!” to be exact.

He also reportedly pointed to his crotch and told the filming fans to post his junk.

Suze Orman: ‘Being gay has been the foundation of my success’ – New York Daily News

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Suze Orman: ‘Being gay has been the foundation of my success’ – New York Daily News

Orman, who never wanted to be known as the lesbian money lady, but “as the money lady who was also a lesbian,” will discuss her experiences as a gay woman conquering the finance industry: how she went from a 29-year-old waitress making $400 a month in the ’80s into becoming one of the country’s most recognized experts on personal finance.

Ruth Kuzub, 90, owner of the Silversmith, L.G.B.T. icon – The Village Sun

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Ruth Kuzub, 90, owner of the Silversmith, L.G.B.T. icon – The Village Sun

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | Ruth Kuzub, the longtime owner of the Silversmith on W. Fourth St., died on the first weekend of May. She was 90.

According to Bob Cooley writing in WestView, the cause of death was pneumonia and a long bout of cancer, which Kuzub attributed to exposure to toxins while helping people near Ground Zero on 9/11.

Originally from Milwaukee, Kuzub came to New York City in the 1950s to pursue her dream of performing on Broadway. She danced in clubs like the Copacabana and, according to Broadwayworld.com, played the role of the Living Statue in “Fanny.”

Ruth Kuzub back in her days as a Broadway chorus girl. (Courtesy the Kuzub estate and Michael Webb)

As Kuzub once recounted to this writer, she was dating a prominent club owner back then when she just decided that she preferred women, and left him. She would go on to become a committed L.G.B.T. activist in the Village.

W. Fourth St. used to have numerous jewelry shops. The hole-in-the-wall Silversmith space, at 184¾ W. Fourth St., was originally an open alleyway, out of which a homeless man ran a jewelry business, which was later enclosed. Kuzub started working at a shop at the location, eventually taking it over and going on to run it for 60 years. (A profile of Kuzub in Gothamist has some history on the location.)

Originally, she made her own jewelry but in her later years, as the work became more taxing for her, bought pieces from others, including Native American jewelry makers from out west.

Kuzub originally lived above the Silversmith before settling into a place on Perry St.

She loved to pop over to Marie’s Crisis, the historic Grove St. piano bar, to sing along and have a good time. If you visited her at the shop, she might tell you how much fun they were having that night at Marie’s Crisis.

Kuzub loved riding her bike around the Village. She loved animals. She dashed off concerned hand-written letters to the editor to the local newspaper — such as when birds were once threatened on the Village waterfront — rushing to hand-deliver them by bicycle.

She loved to laugh, heartily, and to smile. She spoke energetically and passionately. She was irrepressible.

Sara Kimbell, a member of the Village Independent Democrats, mainly knew Kuzub from the piano bar.

“We knew Ruth from the neighborhood in the ’80s,” she said. “We had some really wild nights together, including wild times dancing downstairs at the Monster.

“She was a fixture at Marie’s Crisis,” Kimbell said. “She was the mother of us all at Marie’s Crisis for as long as I can remember — many, many years.

A young Ruth Kuzub. (Courtesy the Kuzub estate and Michael Webb)

“I loved talking with her about the old days — she was a petite blonde dancer in the heyday of the nightclubs, like the Latin Quarter. She had stories to tell of the Mob all over the clubs — of course they ran all the places. She landed on Broadway as a dancer in Harold Rome’s ‘Fanny,’ starring Florence Henderson, Ezio Pinza and the handsome William Tabbert.

“When Encores! did their superior concert revival a few years ago, we all took Ruth to see it. She was a nearly nightly visitor at Marie’s. Just in the last year or two before COVID, she’d wait till almost everyone had left, then sit at the piano and sing a song or two in a delicate soprano. She was quite something.”

In a piece in Wussy several years ago, Evan Brechtel wrote, “Ruth and I met one night at Marie’s Crisis… . She usually comes in the early morning hours once the crowd around the piano starts to fade. The remaining customers always listen, rapt, every time she sings ‘Could I Leave You?’ in her soft soprano.”

People shared fond memories of Kuzub online.

Posting on Facebook, Mark Kane wrote, “I still have a silver necklace with a trade bead and silver caps that I bought in 1973. I brought it to her many years later and she told me it was very old and she barely recognized it, but acknowledged that it was hers.”

Bill Shamam wrote, “When my cat went missing Ruth combed the neighborhood until he was found (in the basement of Chase bank). West 4th won’t be the same without her.”

Get to Know Oak Lawn, Dallas’ Iconic Gayborhood – Thrillist

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Get to Know Oak Lawn, Dallas’ Iconic Gayborhood – Thrillist

Discover a place where Pride knows no bounds.

North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce

It still surprises many people that Dallas has such a large LGBTQ+ community. After all, Texas continues to make headlines for its conservative one-upmanship in the state capital, often directly taking aim at the rights queer folks have fought so hard to achieve. However, this very adversity may be the reason queer Texans have been forced to band together, becoming an influential force to be reckoned with for survival and instinctively knowing when it’s time to make our voices heard and take a stand. Openly LGBTQ+ leaders occupy several top elected roles in the community and have recently held positions as important as Chief of Police. Queer-owned and allied businesses are strong here, too, evidenced by our own well-established LGBT Chamber of Commerce. And when it’s time to play, watch out—you’ll likely find us partying it up at the Crossroads, AKA the intersection of Throckmorton Street and Cedar Springs Road at the heart of our own Oak Lawn gayborhood.

As a proud gay man (Happy Pride, y’all!), I’ve been part of the Dallas queer community for a long time. Like, a reallllly long time. We’re talking after mobile phones but before smartphones, back when a grinder was just a sub sandwich from Boston and the only “cancel culture” I encountered was desperate attempts to end my Crunch gym membership. Indeed, I was young and naive back in the mid-1990s, but despite being warned that some Dallas gays were snobs, I managed to find a tribe of lifelong friends and chosen family, a partner of two-and-a-half decades, and a running bar tab that’s probably hovering somewhere around $300,000 (and counting). In fact, wherever you find me in the ‘hood, I’m typically accompanied by a healthy dusting of glitter, the latest on-trend cocktail, and a soundtrack fueled by pop divas—and that’s just when visiting my chiropractor or dropping off shirts at the dry cleaner.

Dallas Gayborhood
Dallas Gayborhood

Sure, I’ve witnessed first-hand the changes Oak Lawn and the surrounding areas have gone through over the years, but at its core, much has stayed the same. Due to a variety of factors, the number of bars and other LGBTQ+ businesses have decreased. Rent increases, the pandemic, internet dating sites, and smartphone apps have all played a role, but we can’t discount the fact that we’re now able to be our authentic selves almost anywhere in town, thereby reducing the need for exclusively queer spaces. But that doesn’t make places owned by queer people and our allies any less important. Visiting Oak Lawn this past weekend for Dallas Pride, it was abundantly clear by the thousands of people packed into bars, restaurants, shops, and streets that we still need a central meeting place where we feel safe, respected, and loved. So whether you’re a lifelong resident, new to town, or planning an upcoming visit to Big D, here are the fab places you need to go, not only during June but throughout the entire rainbow-hued year.

Alexandre's
Alexandre’s

Toast to the Dallas queer community

At its peak, the Dallas nightlife scene had more than 30 bars and clubs, not including those in Arlington, Fort Worth, Denton, and other metroplex cities. Though we’re probably never going to see that same kind of hey-gurl hay day ever again, we still have 24 watering holes across North Texas with 17 scattered about the gayborhood. And while Oak Lawn’s bars are open to everyone (21 and over, of course), it’s still good to keep their specific niches in mind when picking a place to let loose in the ‘hood.

For dancing, head to Station 4 (also called S4), a large two-story club that includes the Rose Room Theater and Lounge, a world-class, high-tech drag showplace stashed upstairs. Across the street, country western dancing (including lessons) is the claim to fame of Round-Up Saloon & Dance Hall, a sprawling venue with multiple bars and a separate karaoke parlor near the entrance—not to mention once being voted the best gay country western dance hall in the entire US of A. Dallas Eagle, which remains temporarily closed, normally attracts the leather crowd with a high-energy dance floor and various theme nights. Sue Ellen’s two-story setting caters primarily to queer women with a big dance floor and stage for frequent live musical acts. And though they have smaller dance floors, TMC, plus Latin-centric Kaliente and Havana, all play their part. 

Great places to hang out with friends over cocktails include Woody’s sports bar, Hidden Door (with a famous Sunday beer bust), and Pekers Bar, all teeming with super laid-back vibes. For spots with quality eats to match the booze, check out Cedar Springs Tap House, Liquid Zoo Sports Bar & Grille, JR’s Bar & Grill, and Mr. Misster, which also offers a regularly-occurring drag brunch. Alexandre’s features live music and classic cocktails (plus it’s in the process of expanding), while the Tin Room is the top destination to catch male dancers. Two places that aren’t specifically LGBTQ+-focused but end up attracting a pretty even mix of folks from all orientations are the swanky Library Bar at the Warwick Melrose Hotel and the Grapevine Bar, which especially shines during Sunday Funday. Outside Oak Lawn’s boundaries—but well worth a pop-in—are friendly neighborhood joint Barbara’s Pavilion in Oak Cliff and the 1851 Club in Arlington as well as the Urban Cowboy Saloon, Club Changes, and Club Reflection in Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy of Roy G’s

Stuff your face with delicious cuisine

Whether you go before, after, or instead of hitting the bars, there’s never an excuse to go hungry in Oak Lawn. Hunky’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, dating to 1984, has been more recently joined by Mario’s Mexican and Salvadorian Restaurant, Ai Sushi Sake Grill, Crickles & Co Brunch + Brews, Orno, Taqueria La Ventana, Tacos y Mas, Thai Lotus Kitchen, Amico’s Exotic Pizza, Chef House (Chinese & Thai), Cosmic Cafe (vegetarian and vegan), Italia Express, Union Coffee, and Street’s Fine Chicken, plus relative newcomer Roy G’s, which gets its name from the acronym ROYGBIV that helps people remember the colors of the rainbow. Outside the gayborhood, out gay chef Abraham Salum’s namesake Salum Restaurant offers exquisite fine dining. Time to loosen that belt a notch or two.

Outlines
Outlines

When your credit card’s jonesing for some action, head to one of the boutique shops along the main strip, including thrift store Out of the Closet, which also features free on-site HIV testing and counseling, too. For a variety of queer-focused merch, Tapelenders has shifted from its original business plan of renting videos into a great little gift shop for all your queer trinket needs. Meanwhile, for men’s underwear, swimsuits, and other apparel, make sure to check out Skivvies, Outlines Men’s Wear, and the ES Collection.

Resource Center
Resource Center

Visit the Resource Center

One of the crown jewels of the Dallas queer community has long been Resource Center, which goes above and beyond your average YMCA-style neighborhood drop-in. The main building itself is architecturally impactful, built from the ground up to address the many diverse needs of LGBTQ+ people. With services tailored to everyone from youth to senior citizens, a variety of programs zero in on subgroups within the larger community, and local organizations can rent out space for meetings and other events, too. To learn more about all they do—not to mention how you can get involved—sign up for one of their popular Get Centered tours.

Focus on wellness & wellbeing

The health needs of LGBTQ+ folks can be unique and we’re lucky to have so many different options directly serving us, often with free and accessible services including PrEP and STI testing and treatment. Among the outposts in or very close to Oak Lawn are Nelson Tebedo Clinic, Resource Center’s primary care facility, and Prism Health North Texas, which recently partnered with LGBTQ+-focused medical practice, Uptown Physicians Group.

Atelier Barber Co
Atelier Barber Co

Look great while you’re at it

Throughout the gayborhood, you’ll find a variety of service providers focused on making you look as fantastic on the outside as you do on the inside. Coif your hair at Atelier Barber Co., Salon Aura, and Beauty Box Salon; treat yourself to manicures and pedicures at Onyx Nail Bar, the Nail Spa, and Fab Nail Bar; wink with more confidence after a visit to Dep Lashes; get bronzed at the Tan Bar; and feel better in your bod with help from iFusion Hydration and Aesthetics.

Read up on LGBTQ+ history

Years ago, the Oak Lawn branch of the Dallas Public Library partnered with the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Fort Lauderdale to create the second-largest collection of LGBTQ+ literature and reference materials in the world. And to add to the fabulous stockpile, the University of North Texas has created the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Archive, a vast digital archive for collecting and preserving the history of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Daisy Polk Inn & Dickason Cottage
The Daisy Polk Inn & Dickason Cottage

Stay the weekend on the strip

Whether you’re an out-of-towner visiting Dallas or a local looking for a gay old time with a close-to-home staycation, the Warwick Melrose Hotel and gay-owned bed and breakfast Daisy Polk Inn are both great options that sit steps from all the action. Imagine how nice it would be to stumble out of a bar—or waddle out of a restaurant following a big meal—and realize you’re a mere few minutes from a hot shower and a big, comfy bed.

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Steven Lindsey is a contributor for Thrillist. 

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