Antigay Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida had his ass handed to him yesterday (on Fox News, nonetheless!) for that spectacle he made at the nation’s capital last month when he wore a gas mask to mock the coronavirus hysteria during an emergency floor vote.
On March 4, Gaetz made a big show of wearing a gas mask during a floor vote for an emergency spending bill to combat the virus. Two days later, one of his constituents, a man in his 70s, died of COVID-19. Less than a week after that, Gaetz himself entered self-quarantine after potentially being exposed to the virus at CPAC.
Reviewing the coronavirus supplemental appropriation and preparing to go vote. pic.twitter.com/wjJ4YY4VZz
Yesterday, 37-year-old Gaetz, who doesn’t believe in same-sex marriage and was once arrested for drunk driving, appeared on fellow homophobe Laura Ingraham’s show, where he was taken to task by Democratic strategist Chris Hahn.
During the heated exchange, Hahn criticized Gaetz for accusing Democrats of politicizing coronavirus after the stunt he staged with the gas mask. As the two agued, Hahn yelled, “I hope you lend [the mask] to your constituents so they can show up and vote, Matt!”
Gaetz replied by foolishly accusing Democrats of voter suppression in Wisconsin because they tried to postpone the state’s primary, as many other states have been doing, to limit the potential spread of coronavirus.
As soon as Gaetz said this, Hahn responded, “Buddy, you shouldn’t be talking about people dying. Because people in your district saw you making fun of [the coronavirus] and took this less seriously and may have been infected as a result.”
“You are responsible,” Hahn raged. “You should be resigning from Congress, sir!”
Netflix announced the details of its much-anticipated follow-up episode to Tiger King.
It will be a talk show-style episode titled The Tiger King & I and will hosted by comic Joel McHale.
McHale interviews characters from the documentary series, including John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman and Jeff & Lauren Lowe.
Tiger King is based on the life of Joe Exotic, a self-described redneck, gay, gun-loving man who also owned more than 100 tigers in a private zoo, which eventually got him convincted on charges of animal abuse.
The series recounts Exotic’s run for president, his rivalry with fellow big cat lover Carole Baskin, and the tumultuous details of his personal life, which included a polygamous marriage.
The Tiger King & I arrives on Netflix April 12.
The Tiger King and I — a Tiger King after show hosted by Joel McHale and featuring brand new interviews with John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman, and Jeff and Lauren Lowe — will premiere April 12 pic.twitter.com/8fbbNdaiDA
The moment Samaritan’s Purse set up the tent hospital in New York’s Central Park to care for people with COVID-19 it came under fire for its association with the notorious right-wing Graham. The criticism intensified when reports surfaced that the organization requires volunteers to sign a “morality pledge” that defines marriage as “exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.”
“All of our doctors and nurses and staff [are] Christians,” Graham told the CharlotteObserver. “We believe it’s very important that — as we serve people and help people — we do it in Jesus’ name.
“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” Graham continued. “That’s part of who we are. So we have a long list of things we want people to understand and agree with before we take them to work with us. I don’t want a person who is going to be on the job and drinks; that’s not a good witness. I don’t want a person who’s going to be using drugs to be part of our team. I don’t want someone who’s going to be swearing to be part of our team. I don’t want someone who is trying to pick up girls, and using this as an opportunity to do those kinds of things. So, we try to screen the people that work with us. And we want men and women who believe the way we do and have the same core values that we have.”
Volunteers for Samaritan’s Purse have previously expressed concern that the hospital could potentially turn away or mistreat queer patients in dire need of care. Despite demands by lawmakers such as Senator Brad Hoylman that the group provide anti-discrimination assurances, neither Samaritan’s Purse nor Franklin Graham had done so. And now Graham has simple reiterated the group’s policy.
Here's your chance to play Insta voyeur as celebs are allowing peaks at the creative (and not so creative) way they are spending their time during the pandemic.
We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped police in North Georgia from using Grindr to conduct bogus sting operations on gay men.
Our friends at Project Q Atlanta report that the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office arrested nine men during a three-day sting operation last month, charging them with a string of misdemeanors and felonies, some without any merit whatsoever.
Police accused at least one of the men of offering drugs in exchange for sex to an undercover cop, though screenshots of the conversation included in the man’s arrest warrant don’t support the allegations at all.
Last month, Sgt. W. Dereck Johnson, using the Grindr screen name “Charlie[looking for]420″, initiated a conversation with the man online. Johnson asked if he had any pot. When the man said yes, Johnson asked, “U share?” The man said he would and the two arranged a meet-up.
“I want to get high and f*ck,” Johnson wrote.
“Nothing wrong with that,” the man replied.
When the man showed up at the designated meeting spot, police arrested him on misdemeanor charges of pandering, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, and criminal attempt.
In his report, Johnson wrote, “[The suspect] did solicit SSGT D. Johnson to perform an act of prostitution in exchange for marijuana.” This, however, never happened. At no point during the conversation did the man offer pot in exchange for sex.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office also went after eight other men, between the ages of 23 and 50, over the course of three days in early March.
The arrests included a slew of random misdemeanor charges, including pandering, obstruction, and marijuana possession, as well as more serious felonies, ranging from criminal attempt to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine, to the use of a communication device to facilitate a felony.
The men’s names and mugshots were then leaked to a local newspaper, where they were then published for everyone to see. The newspaper made no mention of the sting operation, but it did include the names of each of the men’s employers.
When reached for comment, Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson declined to say anything, but Greg Nevins, senior counsel at Lambda Lega’s Southern Regional Office in Atlanta, called the entire sting operation a “cataclysmic failure” on the part of law enforcement.
“It used to be that they would always say we have to stop these hookups in parks because our children are in parks,” Nevins told Project Q Atlanta. “Well now you’re on Grindr looking for a problem.”
He continued, “Where does the protect and serve baseline actually come into my this?Where is any appreciation for not over incarcerating people who aren’t doing anything harmful and looking out for situations where real harm is going on? It’s a cataclysmic failure.”
Kayleigh McEnany says trans rights will lead to women getting attacked in bathrooms, that marriage equality will close down religious institutions, and that Mike Pence "loves" LGBTQ people.
Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our series, Queerantined: Daily Dose. Every weekday as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a binge-able title to keep you extra engaged.
The Twisted: The Valhalla Murders
For anyone who enjoys a police procedural, a great mystery or a dark and brooding thriller, look no further than The Valhalla Murders. The Iceland-set series plays like an episode of Law & Order: SVU set in Hell. A pair of detectives, Kata and Arnar, investigate a series of bizarre murders set around the island nation. Though the killings seem unrelated at first, further investigation reveals some strange connections to a home for troubled boys.
More than that we’ll not reveal here, as the eight-episode series is best left to unfold in all its frigid northern European gloom. Watching it, we couldn’t help but think of the dark tones and vistas of another classic Scandinavian mystery, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. The Valhalla Murders also features more than a few queer twists and turns. Inspired by a true story, the show channels Mindhunterwith its cerebral and unrelenting gaze into the darkness of the human mind.
I remember it like it was yesterday: The first time I walked into a 24-hour gay club in Atlanta Georgia in 1998. A senior at Boston College, I was down South visiting my dad, and my new gay friends from the club scene had graciously agreed to show me what a “real” night out partying looked like.
By 5 am, the 50,000-square-foot, 3-level club at the corner of Peachtree and 6th was pulsating with energy, hundreds of shirtless men sweating and dancing together under the disco ball. Drag queens and edgy queer girls rounded out the crowd. Backstreet felt like a palace of hedonism, community, and fun designed just for me, especially when compared to my conservative Catholic college and the hetero expectations of my upbringing.
I was greeted not just by my new friends, but the new friends of my new friends, welcoming me like they had known me for years. The mood was jubilant. I instantly felt I had found my “home,” with a sense of belonging I’d never felt among my heterosexual friends in college or even with my biological family.
But what would this 21-year-old have done had places like this not existed? That is the age when we make friends for life, when we find our place in the community and the larger world. It’s when we often come out, and finally experience the freedom of not having to hide who we are.
How much would it have set me back? It’s hard to say, but I’m guessing a lot. “Social distancing” is imperative these days, but for LGBTQ, the cost could be even higher than it is for our straight allies.
In the age of Grindr and Facebook, we are less dependent on bars and clubs. But socialization is still especially vital for us, no matter how we meet.
In his book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, the sociologist Robert Putnam says the larger (hetero) community has degraded in recent decades because people are working two jobs just to keep up, and have swapped participating in the local for watching TV. “Most Americans watch Friends rather than having friends,” Putman writes.
However, this cannot be said of us. Community is where we chose our family, especially if our biological families are not accepting. Not only do we not “bowl alone,” we’ve actually created flourishing LGBTQ bowling leagues all over the nation. We’ve moved to urban areas to be closer to people like us. Many of us were made to feel “less than” just for being who we are, and community institutions heal the trauma and allow us to finally love ourselves.
Heeding the orders of public health officials needs to be our top priority right now. That said, as queer people, we need to be mindful of the costs to our emotional well being.
Most of us will survive, even thrive in isolation, since queer people are connected digitally like few other communities. However, for some, isolating can cause those traumatic feelings from youth to come roaring back–reminding us of when we were bullied, cast out, or just felt “different” and alone. For HIV positive folk who were alive during the AIDS crisis, being told to stay away from others might bring back traumatizing feelings from their days being treated like lepers. Without the intricate support systems most of us have had to put in place, we may experience depression or low self-esteem all over again.
Some of us will feel down and reach for unhealthy coping strategies like drinking or drugs. Even hooking up, a healthy way to connect and enjoy our sexuality (and make friends), has become a dangerous transmission route. Before the pandemic, one-quarter of our community had at least moderate alcohol dependency compared to 5 to 10 percent of the general population. This may be due to the trauma of feeling alone, isolated or “less than” in society, which can sometimes take years to overcome. So we now need to be aware of these risks more than ever. For the sober among us, isolation can be a great danger to our physical and mental health as well, without physical meetings to attend.
What should we do?
For me, there’s a desire to simply “give in” to the isolation, and hibernate until we’re allowed to slowly emerge, like a raccoon being let out of a cage into the blinding morning light. But that would be a mistake. Instead, we have to be more vigilant than ever before to maintain a sense of connection to our LGBTQ peers.
I’m using FaceTime or Zoom instead of just picking up the phone to call friends (or even family members). My gay tennis group has started an email thread as a place for all of us to process our feelings about everything from not playing our matches, to the debate on wearing masks and gloves to the grocery store, to potential job and dwelling loss (and of course the latest eliminated queen on Drag Race). There are online support groups and classes galore, many of them free, including the LGBTQ-friendly circuit-training class I used to love.
Twelve-step meetings have moved online to Zoom, and psychotherapy can be done through telehealth. We must get more creative about how to remain connected–we’ve come too far as a community to scurry back into the shadows.
This also may be a time where social media can actually make us feel more connected, since most of us are feeling the same fears and anxieties, and no one’s trying to “outpost” each other to showcase how wonderful their lives are. In fact, being online can provide some much-needed humor and relief in an anxiety-producing time.
That said, we need to go beyond that.
Believe it or not, the image I remember most about that first night at Backstreet wasn’t being in the middle of the dance floor in a grinding sea of Southern boys. It was being over at the side of the bar area, chatting with various people who were coming up to say hi, laughing and being flirty with new acquaintances, and talking about my life with other people who “got me.”
During this dark time, support one another as much as possible, beyond our sexual compatibility. I’d love for guys like me to think of social distancing as “social physical distancing,” but not distancing from each other in other ways. Reach out to someone you might not even normally call B.C. (“Before Corona”), and ask them how they are doing. Wave to your neighbors in the street or on their balconies. Think about your friends? Who is likely to feel left out and alone? Who has fewer resources to rely on. Offer them comfort and even help.
The community is air and water for queer people. It’s our life sustenance. Coronavirus may have changed the landscape of society, but we’ve always been able to adapt and overcome hardships.
Let this be another challenge, ultimately making us stronger and more connected than ever.
Jake Myers is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in LGBT Affirmative Psychotherapy.
The show earned wide praise for its depictions of queer characters, especially that of David (played by series co-creator Dan Levy) and his boyfriend Patrick (played by Noah Reid). During the special, Reid read aloud a letter from “Serendipity Do Dah for Moms,” a Facebook group for mothers of LGBTQ children. Their letter praised the show and thanked the crew and cast–Levy in particular–for its depiction of LGBTQ people. 1,800 people signed the letter of thanks.
“Your commitment to represent love and tolerance in your show is so important to families like ours,” the letter read. “Your willingness to explore, inform and educate about LGBTQ people and their relationships in an entertaining but respectful and positive manner sets a tone that is often missing.”
It continued: “You have created new ways for queer viewers to see themselves represented, and in its own way, that is just as important as the battles we are still fighting. Therefore, the work you have all done on Schitt’s Creek has encouraged us greatly and given us hope about the future for our kids.”
a group of moms with LGBTQ kids wrote a truly beautiful thank you letter to the cast of #SchittsCreek & I couldn't stop crying as it was read aloud to the actors pic.twitter.com/2oULXjliT9
“We sincerely believe,” the letter went on, “that shows like Schitt’s Creek will serve as a catalyst to help change the world into a kinder, safer more loving place for all LGBTQ people to live, and because of that, we will remain forever grateful. You’ve made a lot of mamma bears happy and as a result, you have a whole bunch of fans forever.”
Dan Levy broke down in tears after taking just one look at the letter. By the time Reid had finished reading the letter, everyone sitting around the table had teared up. We did too.
The finale of Schitt’s Creek earlier this week. The show is available to watch on Netflix.
As Tiger King continues to beguile and bewilder viewers with its tale of murder, arson, animal trafficking, polygamy, rivalry and mullets, series star Joe Exotic has filed a $94 million lawsuit claiming he’s the victim of homophobic discrimination.
So yes, the story just got weirder.
Exotic (real name Joseph Maldonato-Passage), launched the lawsuit while serving his 22-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of his big cat rival, Carole Baskin. The Associated Press reports that, among other allegations, the suit claims that Exotic was convicted “based on false and perjured testimony.”
The defendants listed are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted him, and several witnesses in the case.
Exotic claims he was persecuted as “an openly gay male with the largest collection of generic tigers and crossbreeds.”
Prior to his murder conviction, Joe Exotic gained notoriety as a would-be country music and reality show star, living in a private zoo in Oklahoma where he kept hundreds of pet tigers. He also raised eyebrows with campaigns for President and the Governorship of Oklahoma, as well as for his polygamous marriage to two men.
Queer ghosts. Dolly Parton. Gay pulp fiction. Conspiracy theories. When it comes to LGBTQ podcasts, there’s something for everyone out there. While we’re all stuck at home with nothing to do and nowhere to go, we thought we’d compile a list of podcasts you might be interested in listening to as we ride out this coronavirus.
Here are 15 amazing queer podcasts to help pass the time. (Share more recommendations in the comments section below!)…
Shane McClelland and Lori Gum of the Queer Ghost Hunters reality series delve into the highly strange and weirdly unknown. Each week, they bring listeners along on their supernatural adventures as they explore the people, places, and phenomena outside of popular consciousness.
Funnyman Bowen Yang and sidekick Matt Rogers, along with a slew of special guests, gab about the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that have turned them into “culturistas” in this Queerties Award-nominated podcast.
Embark on a fascinating 9-episode journey into the Dollyverse. The country legend and her closest friends speak candidly about some of her most personal moments, career ups and downs, mistakes and regrets, and her enduring legacy as one of America’s greatest musical icons.
Move over Suze Orman! Husbands/co-dads David and John, a.k.a. the Debt Free Guys, talk all things money and finance, teaching listeners how they, too, can be debt-free, make more money, and live abundantly.
New York Times culture writers Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham cover everything from the new “High Fidelity” reboot on Hulu to gentrification in New York, Lil Nas X‘s influence on country music to BBQ, through the lens of two queer Black millennials
BFFs Kathy Tu and Tobin Low are super queer, super fun, and super ready to share their provocative stories and have frank conversations about the LGBTQ modern experience. Because everyone’s a little bit gay, right?
From confederate monuments to suburban culture, the alleged “War on Christmas” to violent video games, this podcast takes a deeper look at all of the fantastical thinking, conspiracy theories, and irrational fears of average everyday Americans.
This weekly podcast aims to preserve the long out-of-print gay pulp novels of the pre-Stonewall era by giving them dramatic readings in a style of an audiobook. New episodes every Monday morning!
James Barr (gay) and Dan Hudson (non gay) host the U.K.’s #1 award winning LGBTQ podcast, offering up their different perspectives on everything under the sun, including homophobia, coming out, mental health, and… douching?
Queerty contributor Steven Wakabayashi discusses life, love, and mindfulness through from the gay Asian-American perspective. Every episode features personal stories–sometimes serious, sometimes lighthearted–as well as special guests and tips on how to live a more mindful, fabulous life.
Brush up on your LGBTQ history by listening to these intimate, personal portraits of both well-known and long-forgotten champions, heroes, and witnesses to history curated from rare archival interviews by host Eric Marcus.
A “bi-weekly” podcast led by Sasha Fernandez and Rin Ryan who literally drink tea while they pontificate on all things bisexual, from dating horror stories to love stories to current events and more. Each episode features a different general topic, with the occasional special guest, and lots and lots of tea.
Andrew Gurza talks disability, sexuality, and everything in between in this Queerties Award-nominated podcast. Each week, he hosts honest conversations about the queer disability experience, shining a light on issues that are too often kept in the dark.
Vampire aficionados Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo discuss and dissect Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one episode at a time. Each episode also includes a new original song about Buffy (and Willow and Spike and Angel and Xander).
Each week, standup comic and author Cameron Esposito talks with some of the brightest luminaries from the LGBTQ community, offering humorous but thoughtful insights about things like identity, personality, and the shifting cultural matrix around gender, sexuality, and civil rights.
A controversial Reddit thread poses an interesting and hotly contested question: Are gay men who flirt with and/or try to seduce straight guys creeps?
“It’s creepy when a straight man tries to convert a lesbian,” a user by the name of LifeAsAGayMan writes. “It’s just as a creepy when a gay man tries to convert a straight guy.”
He continues: “Yeah, it sucks that 90% of men you see are straight and have zero interest in the male body. But that doesn’t give you the right to be creepy and ‘nice guyish’ to them.”
“All this does is give gays a bad name and makes us all look like creeps.”
Naturally, the post sparked an avalanche of varying responses.
“It’s creepy to try to convince/convert someone who isn’t interested in you and stated not being interested,” one commenter replies.
“It’s a form of sexual harassment and no on deserves to feel unsafe,” another adds.
“I see no harm in having the crush,” someone else remarks. “But it’s when it crosses the line from a crush to stalkerish behavior that it becomes a problem. And trying to push the boundaries of anyone else’s sexual orientation is manipulative and, yeah, creepy.”
Not everyone agrees, however.
“I don’t see any problems,” one commenter writes.
“I don’t try to ‘convert’ anyone,” another adds, “but if they come onto me and are clearly flirting and dropping hints, I won’t say no to an encounter.”
“Shut up, scamming on straight guys is our divine right,” a third person jokes.
And then there are those who don’t think it’s quite such a black-and-white issue.
“I’m really bored of these posts who expect all people to be binary/100% straight or gay,” one person writes. “Yeah, most people effectively are, but lots and lots are not.”
“Being on the receiving end of an unwanted seduction attempt can be awkward, but it’s not some kind of traumatic ordeal,” another says. “And whether the unwanted attention comes from a man or woman shouldn’t really make any difference.”
“A gay guy who falls for a straight guy is no more of a ‘creep’ than a straight woman who falls for a guy who’s not into her,” a third person writes.
Then there’s this comment, which we think is a pretty good rule of thumb: “In my opinion, it is perfectly acceptable to flirt with him. Then if he says he’s not interested, move on.”
What do you think? Is it creepy when gay guys try to seduce straight guys? Share your opinions in the comment section below…
We already missed Heath Ledger. Now we miss him even more.
In a new interview with Another Man, Ledger’s Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal recalls Ledger’s protectiveness over their work in the film, a love story between two ranch hands. In short, Ledger wouldn’t allow any jokes about the movie.
“I remember they wanted to do an opening for the Academy Awards that year that was sort of joking about it,” Gyllenhaal recalls. “And Heath refused. I was sort of at the time, ‘Oh, okay… whatever.’ I’m always like: it’s all in good fun. And Heath said, ‘It’s not a joke to me – I don’t want to make any jokes about it.”
Gyllenhaal’s recollection echoes Ledger’s sentiments he shared while doing press for the film. Ledger didn’t mince words with reporters who wanted to make homophobic jokes or poke fun at the film.
Heath Ledger's response to calling the relationship in "Brokeback Mountain" disgusting pic.twitter.com/CF71NGDvmD
“I think it’s a real shame – I think it’s immature, for one,” Ledger said of the jokes surrounding the film. “I think it’s an incredible shame that people go out of their way to voice their disgust or their negative opinions about the ways in which two people love each other. At least share your opinions about how two people hate and show violence and anger toward one another. Isn’t that more important? I think so.”
“The pure fact of it is that it transcends a label. It’s human. It’s about two human beings, two souls in love. Get over the fact that it’s two men. That’s the point.”
Ledger concluded, “We’re showing that love between two men is just as infectious and emotional and strong and pure as heterosexual love. If you can’t understand that, just don’t go see the movie.”
Brokeback Mountain received immense critical acclaim upon its release, landing eight Academy Award nominations, including nods for Ledger and Gyllenhaal. The film would ultimately win three: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Score. For Ledger and Gyllenhaal, the film marked the end of their teen idol days and reestablished both men as serious actors. Ledger died of an overdose in 2008, and would ultimately win a posthumous Academy Award a year later for The Dark Knight.
Larry Kramer is planning to take his epic battle and chronicling of the AIDS pandemic to a new one: the COVID-19 crisis.
At 84, Kramer already begun work on An Army of Lovers Must Not Die. The writer told The New York Timesthat the plot deals with “gay people having to live through three plagues.”
The three plagues are COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and the decline of the human body: in other words, aging. True to form, Kramer intends the play as an indictment of US government complacency.
“The government has been awful in both cases,” Kramer told the Times. “They were terrible with AIDS and they’re terrible with this thing. One wonders what will become of us.”
Kramer was an outspoken critic of the Reagan White House’s inaction on the plague in the early 1980s. Although the disease was identified in 1981, Reagan refused to mention it publicly until a news conference in 1985 and then in speeches in 1987. By then, thousands already had died and preventable transmissions spread like wildfire. At least 30 million human beings have lost their lives since then, with the vast majority resulting from heterosexual transmissions. It took Reagan’s Christian conservative Surgeon General, C. Everette Koop to battle the disease almost single-handedly from his bully pulpit, refusing to give in to the inaction of antigay activists within the White House who saw the disease not as a virus but as God’s punishment for gay sex.
The world has had the misfortune of two pandemics falling under Republican Administrations who prioritize politics over public health.
In response to Reagan’s inaction, Kramer founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis to provide services to those hard hit by AIDS as well as ACT UP, a street protest group that demanded prevention and treatment for the disease.
Kramer is also known for his novel Faggots about queer culture in the 1970s and The Normal Heart, a play about the toll of AIDS.
This year he published volume II of American People: The Brutality of Fact. Volume I, American People: Searching for My Heart was published in 2015.
Tiger King star John Finlay recently spoke with Australian radio hosts Kyle and Jackie O from KIISFM and, honestly, it was pretty bad.
The 12 minute interview, which aired last week, was laced with homophobic undertones, biphobic jabs, jokes about addiction, and general mockery on the part of the DJs.
During the interview, Kyle and Jackie grilled Finlay, a recovering addict, on whether he was “still on meth.” They also interrogated him about his sexuality, despite the fact that he repeatedly told him he identifies as straight and is in a committed relationship with a woman.
“You’re not on meth anymore, are you John?” Kyle asked. “You’ve given up the meth?” To which, Finlay replied by saying he has been clean for six years.
And that’s when Kyle asked, “Do you find him attractive even though you’re not gay anymore?” When Finlay replied in the affirmative, Kylie joked, “Hmmm, I’m not sure how straight you are.”
Kyle then asked, “Are you bi now, or straight?” To which John once again said he identifies as straight, before Jackie jumped in with even more questions about his sexuality.
“What came first?” she asked. “Were you straight in the beginning and then turned gay and then went back to straight?”
Nicole Maines once offered lessons in becoming herself. Now, she becomes someone else for a living.
The Maine native first made headlines as an anonymous student who sued her school district in 2013 over bathroom discrimination. School officials had barred Maines, who is transgender, from using the women’s bathrooms. She won her case, and eventually went public to describe the experience in the family memoir Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family.
Maines’ activism also led to on-camera appearances in television and film discussing her experience as a transgender American. Her natural charisma also led to acting opportunities, including appearing as the first transgender superhero on American television with her role as Dreamer/Nia Nal on The CW series Supergirl, produced by Greg Berlanti. Last year, she also earned acclaim (and a Queerty Nomination) for her work as a vampire in the indie horror film Bit.
With her star on the rise, Queerty snagged some time to chat with Maines about the unusual trajectory of her life, her newfound acting career, and her survival lessons for the COVID-19 lockdown. Supergirl airs Sundays on The CW.
So, I must say, with everything going on I feel obligated to ask: how are you right now? Are you ok?
Thanks for asking. I’m really good. I came down to Austin; I’m staying with my parents. I try to keep myself busy any way I can. I’m playing lots of video games. I just re-downloaded Skyrim.
Oh yes.
I’m doing a playthrough. Always fun. I got Disney+, and they released the final season of Star Wars: Clone Wars, which was a big show when I was a kid. I love it, so I’m rewatching. It still holds up. It’s amazing. And I’m doing art with my tablet. I sit in bed and doodle away.
Maines as Dreamer in ‘Supergirl’
Sweet. So you’re one of the most prominent trans actors on television. I don’t want to call you a trans action hero; that makes you sound like an ATM.
[Laughter]
Trans superhero, yes.
What kind of responsibility is it to play a character like Dreamer, the first transgender superhero on TV?
I feel like being the first for anything has a certain amount of pressure. You’re setting where the bar is going to be. You want to set it as high as possible because you don’t want to be the one that messed up. It’s like oh, she messed up. No more trans superheroes!
[Laughter]
Right.
So I want to do so well so we can continue to have trans superheroes. Fortunately, the response has been responsible. People love Nia, the character. People who aren’t trans love the character, which is almost cooler than hearing that trans people love Dreamer. I was pretty sure that the response from the trans community would be very positive. My own reaction was so excited, so I knew the community would love it. But the number of cisgender people that come to me and say “Dreamer is my favorite character. She’s my favorite superhero.” Aside from her transness, she’s a really special character. She’s just awesome, and its been amazing to see people love her as much as they do.
It’s true. In looking at the show, what strikes me—you’re right—is that it’s not about her being trans. It’s about a woman in an extraordinary situation, who happens to be trans. It’s her relationships with characters like Kara and Brainy that are so relatable. She’s a woman finding her purpose.
Absolutely. It’s a true coming of age story. Her transness isn’t the biggest part of her story. Coming into Season 4, the biggest problem on her mind wasn’t her transness. It was seeing the future in her dreams and not knowing how to handle it.
She’s just trying to get through the day, yeah. It’s so simple that way. Nia has obviously been a huge part of defining your career. And you’re not even old.
Can that please be the headline?
[Laughter]
I’ll keep it in for sure. But this role, by the way, will follow you for the rest of your life. You will be forever associated with her. Is that daunting?
I mean, I think it’s exciting. It’s very exciting to craft this original character and see her thriving among all the major DC players. Crisis [a storyline that crossed over on The CW superhero shows] was so crazy for me. To watch it and see Dreamer, the first trans superhero, up there with Batwoman and Supergirl and The Flash. That was so cool. So I’m excited to have this character follow me. I’ve had so much fun. And I’m so attached to the character personally. I’m protective of her. She’s my baby.
That’s wonderful. You’re an actress who specializes in playing characters with extraordinary gifts. I want to ask about another character you played in a film called Bit.
Yes! Let’s talk about Bit.
It’s a cheeky, fun comic book horror film that you carry as the lead. You were nominated for Best Performance at the Queerties. I hope you are aware…
Yes, and I was so shocked, first of all, because it’s a genre film. So often, genre films don’t thrive in that kind of environment.
It took me by surprise at Outfest last year. I talked to Brad Michael Elmore, the director.
He’s one of my favorite people ever. He’s so smart and talented. He did such an amazing job writing this script. It’s so special. He’s very aware—and will be the first person to say–”I’m not the person who should be telling this story. I’m the straightest, cis guy out there. But I don’t see anyone else telling this story, so I’m going to.” And he did. He’s using his platform and privilege to lift people up. And he did a f*cking cool movie starring queer women.
Totally.
We had a female DP, which is huge. The whole movie was so amazing. The script was brilliant. Instantly, reading it, I fell in love. I hope people get to watch it soon. It’s just cool.
Nicole Maines (right) with Zolee Griggs in ‘Bit’
It’s cheeky fun. It’s kind of a female version of The Lost Boys, and I really related to the characters.
Yeah.
So it’s your first movie.
My first and only movie. I’m always on the phone with Brad. “Bradley, when are we making another movie? I’m getting bored.”
[Laughter]
So was it intimidating carrying the whole movie your first time out?
Terrifying. Dreadfully terrifying. I don’t know if anyone knew this, but I have no idea what I’m doing up here. I don’t have formal acting training. I’m not a Julliard actor. I haven’t been doing this for years. I show up and it’s like playing dress-up, you know? And on Supergirl too, I’m acting with juggernauts. It’s my first major [job] and I’m doing scenes with David Harewood. Cool, no pressure.
[Laughter]
I have to live up to something. I have to keep up with that. All of it is very scary. With Bit, trying to keep up with Diana Hopper and James Paxton. Most of my scenes are with them, and they are both so phenomenal. Acting is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever had to do. I have virtually no control over anything. I just try my best. And I’m really happy with Bit, and the response has been better than any of us could have asked for.
That’s marvelous.
It was supposed to be coming out soon, but the virus sort of threw that. I hope people get to see it soon, and I hope they get to see it in theatres.
It’s a film that I think will have a following. When I talked to Brad, he mentioned that he had read your book and consulted you doing research for the part. Then he decided he should cast you in the lead.
Yeah.
Nicole Maines in ‘Bit’
Were you at all reluctant to appear in a very queer film written by a cis straight man?
I didn’t really think much of it. The writing spoke for itself. It was phenomenal, well written, well researched. He’d talked to trans folks and read books. He knew what he was writing; he’d done his research to make sure it’s done well. And he made a movie where the trans character, like Nia, where her transness is not the only interesting thing about her. Brad knew: queer people are more than who we sleep with or where we use the bathroom.
Yes.
I found that very refreshing.
Well, and I’m not sure I should say this, but I did tell Brad: the first time I saw the movie I didn’t even catch that she was a trans character. I just thought Laurel was a woman played by an actress who happens to be trans, and that was it.
And that’s the beauty of it. It’s not something a lot of people are going to catch unless they’re looking for it. You catch it in certain places. It is there, and if you know to look for it, you understand. But otherwise, it’s not really pertinent to the situation. When we first meet her, with Laurel driving to Los Angeles, she’s passed a point in her life where her transness is her biggest issue.
Exactly.
Her biggest issue is her selfishness, and that now she has to kill people. She doesn’t want to kill people. It’s a story of a sort of amoral teen trans lesbian vampire.
I love it. When I talked to Brad, it was obvious he had this world very defined in his mind. Have you talked about doing another one? He hinted…
Yeah. It’s a possibility. Of course, I’m like yes, let’s do a trilogy. I want Bit Part II. I want to do all the movies. I have a running joke with him and James that Brad will be like 80 in a wheelchair, and James and I will be in Bit 16. We’ll never stop.
I think it has the makings for a sequel, but first we need it frigging released.
So what else do you have coming up? I know Supergirl is coming back for Season 6. Are you part of it?
I believe that I can say I am, yes. I’m not going anywhere.
Beyond that? Other movies?
My life has just been Supergirl and Bit the past couple years. It’s funny: I see other folks doing other projects while they’re a regular on a series. And I’m like how do you have the time? It’s all I can do to get a night’s sleep. So right now it’s Bit coming out and Supergirl Season 6. I talked to the showrunner, and he told me what the plan is. I’m really excited. It’s a cool concept.
And I’m sure you can’t tell us what that is.
I can’t say anything.
It figures. Anything else you’d like to add?
Stay indoors. I feel like this could all be over sooner if people would just. Stop. Going. Outside. For stupid reasons.
Ah, the ’90s. Many call it queer cinema’s Golden Age. It was a decade of profound change when it came to how audiences viewed LGBTQ people in film. Hollywood started depicting queer characters and stories, sometimes more successfully than others. Often this was done through comedies, since laughter tends to be the easiest way of connecting with people.
We’ve compiled a list of 13 queer comedies from the ’90s that you might be interested in revisiting while you’re stuck in quarantine. Some of these films have aged better than others. Almost all of them contain a gay stereotype (or five). And there are plenty of jokes that would never fly today. (Also, many of the actors in them don’t identify as LGBTQ.)
Still, it’s important not to separate these films from their time. It was the ’90s, after all, and people were still trying to figure out how to talk about queer issues. But at least they were trying. Also, without these movies helping to push LGBTQ characters into the mainstream consciousness, we wouldn’t have the infinitely better queer films that we have today, many of which feature actual queer people both in front of and behind the camera.
Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd star in this adaptation of gay writer Stephen McCauley’s bestselling novel about two roommates–one straight and one gay–whose relationship is complicated by an unplanned pregnancy. The film includes an A-list supporting cast, including Allison Janney, Alan Alda, and Nigel Hawthorne.
Kevin Kline plays a closeted high school drama teacher from Indiana who is outed by a Hollywood actor who thanks him during an award acceptance speech. Chaos ensues. At the time of its release, the film was widely noted for its 12-second kiss between Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck. It was also one of Hollywood’s first attempts at a big budget gay rom-com.
What happens when a beautiful coed with a gender neutral name is accidentally assigned to a dorm room with two guys? A threesome, of course! Lara Flynn Boyle, Josh Charles, and Stephen Baldwin star in this dramedy about college life, love triangles, and what happens when the boundaries of friendship become blurred. Brace yourself for some serious melodrama.
OK, OK, so this one isn’t gay, per se, but it’s still pretty damn queer. (It’s the Spice Girls, after all!) Made at the height of their fame, this musical comedy follows the five British pop stars, who all play themselves, as they prepare to perform a major concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall. It’s cheesy. It’s campy. It’s colorful. And it remains the highest-grossing movie of all time by a musical group.
Set in Sandusky, Ohio in 1984, this coming-of-age tale follows Eric, a naive 17-year-old teenager figuring out his identity at the same time gender-bending pop stars like Boy George and Annie Lennox are flaunting androgynous images. It also features an early career performance by Lea DeLaria, who plays Eric’s butch lesbian boss at the amusement park restaurant where he meets his first boyfriend.
Two drag performers and a trans woman embark on a journey across the Australian Outback to perform a four-week stint at a cabaret in Alice Springs. To get there, they ride a tour bus named “Priscilla” and encounter an unforgettable cast of characters along the way. Need we say more?
While not explicitly gay, the protagonist is a sexually-curious young woman named Cher (pretty gay), who’s obsessed with fashion (also pretty gay), and who’s a terrible driver (also also pretty gay… kidding!). There are also tons of cute guys in the movie, lots of crass jokes, and some funny gay characters, albeit very stereotypical by today’s standards.
Steven Weber plays Jeffrey, a gay guy who becomes so disenchanted with sex that he takes a vow of celibacy. No sooner has he sworn off sex than he meets hunky, sensitive Steve. Passion ignites and hilarity ensues. The film features a strong supporting cast queer actors and icons, including Olympia Dukakis, Nathan Lane, Camryn Manheim, Sigourney Weaver, and Christine Baranski, just to name a few.
Christina Ricci stars as a pregnant, oversexed teenager who chain smokes cigarettes, steals dead people’s ashes, and sleeps with her brother’s boyfriend. Not all of the jokes have aged well (like Lisa Kudrow’s cringeworthy gag about bi guys), but the film still tackled issues that a lot of Hollywood still wouldn’t touch back then, including HIV/AIDS and the idea of sexual fluidity.
Another one that isn’t gay, per se, but it still spoke to an entire generation of queer teenagers. Not only is the film all about exploring taboo things, but Ryan Phillippe shows his butt, Josh Jackson has a gay sex scene, and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair share that infamous strand of saliva kiss. Plus there’s the whole underlying theme of challenging the patriarchy and not subscribing to society’s expectations. And the soundtrack is pretty dope.
Two college roommates meet up five years later at their former housemates’ straight wedding. Sparks fly as the ex-roommates try to navigate their new romance in this screwball comedy staring Alexis Arquette, Guillermo Diaz, and Tuc Watkins.
Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo star as three New York City drag queens who travel cross-country until their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The film features cameos by RuPaul, Naomi Campbell, Candis Cayne, and Julie Newmar herself, to name a few.
We couldn’t put together a list of queer movies from the ’90s and not include this classic. If you haven’t seen it, you should. The film follows a flamboyant, middle-aged gay couple from South Beach whose straight son brings home his fiancé and her ultraconservative parents for the first time.
