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EDGE is the largest network of local Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) news and entertainment publications in the world, serving 8+ million dedicated readers from a variety of metropolitan areas around the United States and beyond on the web, mobile web and native apps.
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"RuPaul's Drag Race" found its Season 13 villain on Friday night (if only for one episode) in the person of Utica Queen, the Minnesota-based drag queen who idiosyncratic personality defied being categorized up to last week's episode. The lanky queen, whose wide smile and broad style brought to mind a hippie version of Carol Burnett, had stayed afloat in the competition thanks to his shrewd fashion sense and by simply defying being categorized. But what did him in on this week's episode was his seeming just mean in this week's challenge, a "Nice Girls Roast" that included contestants Nina West, Valentina and Heidi N Closet. By their nature roasts push the boundaries of taste, but Utica took it to a new level as she ignored the suggestions by judges Michelle Visage and Loni Love to bring down the meanness with his roast jokes. Instead Utica ratcheted them up, resulting in one of the most uncomfortable sequences on the show this season. After being sent home, she seemed oblivious to criticism, but tweeted an apology after the episode aired on Friday for her size-shaming jokes. "I want to apologize for my performance in this ep of DR. Especially to @ LoniLove, @ michellevisage, and @ NinaWest, the jokes were in bad taste and my attempt at roast humor was for the lack of better words, horrible. Making fun of people's size is not okay. I'm truly sorry." Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?? (?: Utica / Instagram / @queenutica, ?: @trevorbeatyphoto, Suit Stoning/Nails: @nessie.nails , Makeup inspired by @thearseniek )
Lil Nas X is stepping out to collaborate with New York-based art collective MSCHF, and footwear powerhouse Nike is seeing red. The out singer and rapper is launching limited-edition satan shoes β unofficially modified Nike Air Max 97s that feature a pentagram, inverted cross and a drop of human blood. Nike released a statement to CNN, declaring, "We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF. Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them." Only 666 pairs of shoes were manufactured and will be sold for the biblical price of $1,018, referencing Luke 10:18, which reads, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Lil Nas spun the controversy into a promotional opportunity, releasing a new YouTube video to his 12.1 million subscribers titled "Lil Nas X Apologizes for Satan Shoe," only to show several seconds of the singer posing with the shoe followed by a quick cut to his latest music video, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)." Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?οΈβ??? (?: Lil Nas X / Satan.Shoes / Website)
If you think Grindr is solely for "social networking" (aka hooking up), think again. The 11-year-old app is reinventing its place in the queer cultural landscape with a new series of artist collaborations available in its merch store. Debuting March 27, Grindr x Pol Anglada will feature Spanish-born, Paris-based artist Pol Anglada and include limited-edition shirts and prints. Future artist collaborations will be featured in Grindr's merch store throughout the year. Anglada focuses on "the male form, queer activism and the vulnerability of sensuality," according to Grindr's recent announcement. Past collaborations have included work with fashion brands such as JW Anderson, Phipps International and others, and also co-founded the independent zine "Free Time." The Grindr x Pol Anglada collection will feature limited-edition shirts and prints that celebrate the queer community's diversity while also calling out many of the issues and stigmas LGBTQ people face, including body shaming, HIV stigma, transphobia, racism and ableism. "An image beats a thousand words, and that's how I aim to express myself through drawing," said Pol Anglada of the collaboration. "I grew up listening to punk music, and I draw huge influence from punk's subversive messages and its power as a medium of expression. The T-shirt is a really basic way to tell the world who and what you are." "We are so excited to spotlight queer talent and connect amazing artists like Pol with our community," said Grindr's Patrick Rogers. "Fashion is such an integral part of self-expression as a queer person, and we can't wait for our users to see what Pol has in store for them." Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?? (?οΈ: Matthew Wexler / @wexlerwrites, ?: @Grindr)
A majority of Republicans now support same-sex marriage, The Hill reports. A new poll from Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), released on Tuesday, shows 51 percent support for marriage equality, which is up from 47 percent in 2019. The numbers rose for those who identify as Independent, currently at 72 percent β in recent years, The Hill notes, that figure was around the mid-60s. Of course, Democratic support for marriage equality remains high, at around 75 percent. In the same survey, a majority of all three groups support nondiscrimination policies protecting the LGBTQ community β in housing, the workplace, and public accommodations β with 62 percent Republican, 85 percent Democrat, and 79 percent Independent. As The Hill notes, last month the House passed the Equality Act, "which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in areas including education, housing, employment and more." Whether the split GOP-Democratic Senate will also vote to pass the Act is a little less certain. Those opposing pro-LGBTQ rights and protections are more likely to identify as Republican, and most with a favorable perspective of ex-President Trump. The study found that only one in four of those particular respondents held unfavorable views of Trump. The PRRI study drew from 50,334 bilingual telephone calls last year, between Jan. 7 and Dec. 20, 2020. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?οΈβ??? (?οΈ: Kevin Schattenkirk @kschatt13, ?: Getty)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that an infrastructure plan expected soon from President Joe Biden will offer a "once in a century" opportunity to remake transportation in the United States, where cars and highways are no longer king. Speaking at the Austin, Texas-based South by Southwest conference, which is being held virtually this year, Buttigieg compared the new possibility to the creation of an interstate highway under President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s and a transcontinental railroad under President Abraham Lincoln a century before that. "We start with something unglamorous, which is fixing and improving what we're already got β there's been a trillion dollar backlog just in the roads and bridges we already have," he said. "But I'll add there are some things that need to be reduced ... sometimes roads need to go on a diet." He said the U.S. can no longer follow a 1950s mentality of building roads and communities based on moving as many cars as possible, but must adapt to the reality of climate change and ensure the safety of growing numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians on the streets. "The design choices we make, how fast cars move, whether there's bike lanes and sidewalks ... green space even, all of this is part of that view," Buttigieg said. "Sometimes we do need to add a road or widen one. Just as often, I think we need to subtract." Buttigieg's remarks came after a report on Wednesday forecast that global gasoline demand has peaked and is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels due to shifts in consumer behavior, such as increasing telework and people moving to electric vehicles. People also are shifting to other modes of transportation, such as bicycles or scooters, for shorter trips. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?οΈβ?????(?: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg / Instagram)
It's been a year of sanitizing, and while our hands may be raw from so much washing, there's a new crop of products for tech-savvy consumers who would appreciate a nudge from modern technology to keep their houses in order. Here's a look at some of our favorite recent finds. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ??? (?οΈ: Andrew Villagomez / @veetravels - ?: Getty)
As disparities in access to the COVID-19 vaccine continue to reverberate throughout the world, one Brooklyn pharmacist decided to take matters into his own hands. Ambar Keluskar, a pharmacist at Rossi Pharmacy in New York, noticed a decline in vaccine takers despite the location's supply. Advertising on social media didn't help either, so Keluskar took to the streets, vaccines in hand. According to The New York Times, Keluskar received a tip from an employee at State Senator Jabari Brisport's office about Stonewall House, the newly opened affordable housing complex for LGBTQ seniors. George Berry, a Stonewall resident, helped organize the effort to reach the many home bound residents who had yet to be vaccinated. According to The Times, one resident had been unsuccessfully trying to schedule an appointment for weeks until receiving an on-site vaccine. Keluskar's efforts come at a vital time as recent reports indicate alarming health disparities for LGBTQ seniors. According to the collaborative project between AARP and SAGE, 23% of LGBTQ New Yorkers of all ages point to inadequate insurance coverage as the most significant barrier to healthcare, and 21% of LGBTQ people aged 50 and up β have provided friends with care, which is three and a half times that of non-LGBTQ people. Resilience continues to prevail, though. As EDGE previously reported, LGBTQ senior organizations around the country have advocated for greater healthcare access, mental health awareness and social programs to support queer elders. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ??οΈβ? (?οΈ: Matthew Wexler / @wexlerwrites / Ambar Keluskar / Facebook)
In July 2020, San Francisco lifted restrictions that had effectively barred gay bathhouses from operating there for over three decades. For owners of public sex venues, would-be patrons, and anyone who considers that San Francisco is literally the gayest city in the country, the legislation was historic. Its timing, of course, could not have been more curious. The bygone regulations, which prohibited locked doors and unmonitored play spaces, had been in place since 1984, as HIV/AIDS decimated the queer community, paranoia was near a fever pitch, and reliable information remained scarce. As public health measures, the rules were incredibly misguided. Bathhouses, and other businesses that facilitate sexual contact, have since proven to be pivotal vectors for disseminating health information and facilitating screening and prevention measures for HIV and other STIs. That San Francisco's reversal came as another epoch-defining virus circled the globe seemed like a cosmic course correction. There was some confusion at first. A few critics were outraged at the idea that public sex might be happening in person while public school was not. The July legislation has simply allowed for new bathhouses to potentially break ground and operate in the future, however, once coronavirus conditions allow for other types of businesses to open as well. The pandemic has been disastrous for LGBTQ businesses, which are weathering dire straits like much of the economy, from bars and hotels to retail. Many nightlife venues have thrown in the towel or are relying on the life support of crowd-funding campaigns. COVID-19 has only accelerated an alarming trend; research suggests that the number of bars serving LGBTQ patrons has declined by nearly 40% since 2007, due in part to gentrification, the rise of digital means for social and sexual connection, and broader overall acceptance lessening the need for queer safe spaces, particularly in urban areas. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ???οΈβ? (?οΈ: Naveen Kumar / @nevymarie, ?: Getty)
When Steve Rogers handed Sam Wilson his Captain America shield at the end of Marvel's massive 2019 event "Avengers: Endgame," Wilson tried it on for a beat. "How does it feel?" the wrinkled Rogers asked. "Like it's someone else's," Wilson responded. That reluctance and skepticism is front-and-center as Wilson's story continues in "The Falcon and the Winter Solder," a new six-episode Disney+ series that promises an exploration of patriotism and race alongside its shootouts and soaring chase scenes. The series launches Friday. While "Endgame" appeared to promise a quick transition for Anthony Mackie's Falcon to take up the Captain America mantle, as he has in the comics, the creator of "Falcon" promises only complications. Malcolm Spellman said the series will explore "the conflict for a Black man confronting those stars and stripes." He said the Wilson/Falcon character is set to "emerge from this story as a hero of the times and a hero of the people today. And that journey of whether it's even appropriate to deal with the symbol, the Stars and Stripes, to me, felt super, super relevant and timely." So will there be a Black Captain America by the time the final credits roll in April? Mackie, steeped in Marvel's renowned secret-keeping after playing Falcon since 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," will only say this: "I'm very happy with the end of 'Falcon,' and I feel like I have one of the most unique, coolest characters in all of comic book movies." Unlike the mostly insular "WandaVision," the first Marvel series launched after "Endgame," "Falcon" promises a larger scope of globe-trotting adventure with implications for multiple characters in upcoming series and films. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ? (?: Anthony Mackie, left, and Sebastian Stan in a scene from "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," streaming Friday March 19 - Disney Plus via AP)
Conor McDermott-Mostowy, a rising star in speed-skating, has come out... but in a more subtle way than perhaps what we might be accustomed to from public figures: By just being himself. McDermott-Mostowy told Outsports that he's never had to hide who he is, comes from a supportive family and, yet, has never felt like he had to wear his sexual orientation on his sleeve. Instead, there are hints on his Instagram posts β though McDermott-Mostowy himself might shrug off the idea that he's suggesting and instead say he's just being himself. In fact, Outsports explains that when the topic of being an openly gay athlete comes up, "he's instead been happy to answer any questions, just be who he is, and always figured that if a reporter asked him about it, he'd tell the truth." But where the sports world is concerned, misconceptions about gay athletes are partly why he held his tongue. The misperception that gay athletes aren't as good sportsmen as straight cisgender men was somewhat of a hindrance, as McDermott-Mostowy explains, "I think I've kind of always had that at the back of my mind. "I don't want to talk about being gay, because there's a stereotype that gay guys aren't athletic, and I don't want that to be held against me or used to justify a bad result. "I've been uncomfortable with that. But I feel like at this point, no one can say anything." Emerging as one of the top speed skaters, McDermott-Mostowy was the United States national champion in both the 1000-meter and the mass start at the U.S. Open National Championships earlier this month. He earned a bronze medal and set personal records in the 1500-meter and the 1000-meter. He said he was so excited about the latter, in which he bettered his previous personal-best time, that he unexpectedly let out the "F-word," which rang throughout the arena as he crossed the finish line. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?οΈβ??βΈοΈ (?οΈ: Kevin Schattenkirk @kschatt13, ?: Conor McDermott-Mostowy / Instagram / @conor.mm)
It was 15 ago that Piers Morgan crossed the Atlantic to become a personality in the United States as well in Britain. Now the man who helped push him off morning television wants to follow in his footsteps. " 'Good Morning Britain''s Alex Beresford hopes to make it big in America after winning over numerous A-listers, including Oprah Winfrey, following his tense confrontation with Piers Morgan," reports the Daily Mail. Morgan became an American media celebrity when he first appeared as a judge on "America's Got Talent" in 2006, followed by his victory on "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2008 where he was called "ruthless, arrogant, evil and obnoxious" by host Donald Trump. Nonetheless, they became close friends according to Morgan. He landed his own CNN show in 2011, which he hosted for three years. Now the tabloid The Sun reports "that Alex has already received multiple lucrative offers from American news shows and major radio opportunities - there's even a book deal on the table, too." EDGE reported last week that the ripped 40-year-old's Instagram workout pics were picked up by Men's Health Magazine after his row with Morgan. In addition to his workout IG, Beresford has an active social media presence in which he often shares pics of Cruz, his ten-year-son with ex Natalia Natkaniec. The row between Morgan and Beresford occurred last Tuesday when, as the New York Times reported, "the strife came to a head" when Beresford "admonished Mr. Morgan for his frequent sniping at Meghan. Mr. Beresford told Mr. Morgan that he had an ax to grind with Meghan because he previously had a rapport with her and she cut him off. 'She's entitled to cut you off if she wants to,' Mr. Beresford said. 'Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don't think she has, but yet you continue to trash her.' " At that point, Morgan stormed off the set. "This is absolutely diabolical behavior," Mr. Beresford commented. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ??? (?: Alex Beresford / Instagram / @alexberesfordtv)
A Belgian bishop has lashed out at the Vatican over its decree that the Catholic Church won't bless same-sex unions since God "cannot bless sin." Antwerp Bishop Johan Bonny wrote in an opinion piece Wednesday that he feels "shame for my Church" and "intellectual and moral incomprehension" after Pope Francis approved the "negative" response to a question about whether Catholic clergy have the authority to bless same-sex unions. The official response said God "does not and cannot bless sin." Bonny, who was part of a Vatican 2015 synod on marriage and family, said: "I want to apologize to all for whom this is painful and incomprehensible." The Vatican's position has pleased conservatives, disheartened advocates for LGBT Catholics and thrown a wrench into a debate within Germany's Catholic Church, which has been at the forefront of opening discussions on hot-button issues such as Catholic teachings on homosexuality. Bonny said he was disappointed by the level of argument that ran through the note from the Vatican's orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "I am angry because these kind of pieces don't even reach the intellectual level of high school. The simplicity of arguments is jarring," he told Belgian broadcaster VRT. The Congregation's note distinguished between blessing same-sex unions and the church's welcoming and blessing of gay people, which it endorsed. It argued that such unions were not part of God's plan and that any sacramental recognition of them could be confused with marriage. The Vatican holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that gay sex is "intrinsically disordered." Catholic teaching says that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman that is part of God's plan and intended for creating new life. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?οΈβ?βοΈ (?: AP/Andrew Medichini)
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