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New York I.D. Cards Will Soon Feature X Gender Marker Option Janelle Monáe: The Queer Icon Has A Warning For The Future
Publisher/Executive Editor David Vandygriff publisher@jaxgay.com
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Is Will On Stranger Things Queer? Here’s What We Know
Dr. Harvey Carr editor@jaxgay.com
Miami Beach Police Rolled Out A Pride-Themed Squad Car, It Didn’t Go Over Well
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UNAIDS Calls Out Homophobic & Racist Coverage Of Monkeypox Traveling While Trans Gay Pride Month Unapologetically Us Married at First Sight Will Feature Its First-Ever Lesbian Couple Gay Iowa Teacher Forced To Resign From School After Blackmail Attempt Alaska Says Not Being Part Of All Stars 7 Made Her Feel 'Hurt & Sad' Sperm Donor With Genetic Condition Doesn't Tell Lesbians He Contacted 5 Reasons Miami Needs To Be At The Top Of Your LGBTQ+ Travel List
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New York I.D. Cards Will Soon Feature X Gender Marker Option By Brittany Joshlin
Nonbinary and transgender New Yorkers can now select an X gender marker on their state I.D.s. Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement on Friday that the new gender option will be available on driver’s licenses, learner permits, and non-driver I.D.s issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles across the state. The option is made available through New York’s Gender Recognition Act, which will go into effect June 24, according to a press release.
reflects who they are. My administration remains committed to ensuring that New York is a place of value, love, and belonging for members of the LGBTQ+ community.” Mark J.F. Schroeder, DMV commissioner said, “Perhaps more than any other state agency, New Yorkers directly engage with their government through the DMV, so offering identity documents that are representative of all New Yorkers is a significant milestone. We are thrilled to implement this new option that we know will have a positive The act will also make impact on the lives of so many changing names, sex of our customers.” designation, and birth New Yorkers can now change certificates easier, allowing nonbinary and trans people to the gender marker on their documents from M or F to X. have legal documents that Those applying for a photo I.D. reflect their gender identity. for the first time will have the “As we prepare to celebrate option to select X from the Pride Month in a few days, I am start. excited to announce this historic change that represents Those who cannot visit a DMV office to change their I.D. can another victory in our fight to do so online beginning in July, help ensure equality and according to the release. respect for the LGBTQ+ community,” Hochul said. Friday’s announcement came “Every person, regardless of about a year after nonbinary their gender identity or New York lawyer Sander Saba expression, deserves to have agreed to put on hold their an identity document that lawsuit against the state for not offering a third option other
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than male or female, according to Reuters. They agreed to do so as the Gender Recognition Act was signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Saba had sued the state in 2020. “It's my sincere hope that, as we move ahead, other transgender and non-binary New Yorkers will be able to live their lives with the respect and dignity they deserve in every facet of their lives, aided by accurate state-issued identification,” Saba said. “Every person should be able to access identity documents that reflect who they truly are without having to validate their personhood in court.”
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Janelle Monáe: The Queer Icon Has A Warning For The Future By Ashley Garner
The timing of Janelle Monáe's debut short story collection, The Memory Librarian, is eerily prescient. Texas has passed a law that restricts classroom instruction on controversial social and historical issues. School districts across the United States are asking that educators teach “both sides” on atrocities like the Holocaust. Politicians are knowingly lying, trying to make us doubt, even erase our memories, and Monáe has taken note. “One of the main points that’s super important is about the threat of censorship, memory censorship,” she says on the LGBTQ&A podcast. “Memories are essentially our stories that we tell ourselves to survive.” Expanding on the world created in her career-defining album, Dirty Computer, Monáe writes of a future where memories can be controlled and erased. Surveillance is everywhere and a courageous few seek to hold on to their “dirtiness.” It’s a dark yet plausible warning for the future, but the stories also offer profound moments of queer joy and romance. The first sex scene in the book is 08 www.jaxgay.com
between two women, one of whom is trans. “I’m always trying to represent the people that I think are just beautiful and need highlighting,” Monáe says. “This love story is just about love.” At the start of her career, like any young, unknown artist, Monáe knew she had a lot to prove. But this is 2022: she now has eight Grammy nominations, has been deemed a global fashion icon, and has starred in the Academy Award-winning, instant-queer classic, Moonlight. She’s not the same person she was 14years ago when she first signed to Bad Boy Records’ Monáe feels that seemingly universal love. “I’m being super present. I’m laughing more. I’m partying with my friends more. I’m more relaxed as an artist,” she says. That’s reflected in The Memory Librarian, and she predicts it will affect her music too. “My music is probably going to be, without giving too much away, less heady and less about fighting against opposition...I can do that in other ways, but in terms of what I want to listen to when I’m out with friends, I want to be able to curate that a little better than I have in the past.”
With the release of Dirty Computer in 2018, Monáe shared publicly for the first time that she identifies as pansexual. “Nobody tells me what to do. I knew that this was the time for me. I’d already talked to the necessary folks, and I was at peace. I’m still a super private person,” But what I did feel was important [was] that representation of what it meant to live in your truth, regardless of friends or family supporting it, regardless of people having opinions.” And when will it be released? “In my heart, according to my soul clock,” she says, laughing. “But I’m in such a good space. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited.” Until then, The Memory Librarian, while set in the future, urges readers to not ignore the messiness of our current moment, for it's the key to unlocking a better tomorrow. “We lived in a nation that asked us to forget in order to find wholeness,” the book says, “but memory of who we’ve been — of who we’ve been punished for being — was always the only map into tomorrow.”
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Is Will On Stranger Things Queer? Here’s What We Know By Drew Williams
Stranger Things thrives on mystery. Whether it’s unpacking the unknowns of The Upside Down or revealing worldwide conspiracies, the hit Netflix series is at its most thrilling when it’s teasing out answers and dark truths. But there’s one mystery that queer fans are especially interested in solving, and that’s the question of Will Byers’s (Noah Schnapp) sexuality. Speculation that Byers might be LGBTQ+ identified began in season three during an argument between Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Will over their changing friendship. At one point, a frustrated Mike shouts “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” at Will, who looks wounded and confused. At the time, Schnapp explained that what the writers intended had less to do with Will’s sexuality than with the impact spending time in The Upside Down had on him. “While all the characters were out developing and growing up, Will was in The Upside Down and he was alone there, not interacting with or connected to 12 www.jaxgay.com
his friends or the rest of the world. And when he got back, he expected everything to just go back to how it was before, how it was when he was normal and when he was a kid and he wanted to go back to the basement and play D&D... I just interpret it like he’s not ready to grow up and he doesn’t really want to move on to dating and relationships yet,” he told The Wrap in 2020. However, there’ve been a handful of moments in season four that have added fuel to the fire of speculation. For instance, in the premiere episode, Will is working on a project about a person they look up to and he selects Alan Turing, the gay World War II codebreaker hero who was also prosecuted and punished in the 1950s for his sexuality. And in the fourth episode, a conversation between Will and Mike further raised eyebrows (and hopes). “Sometimes, I think it’s just scary, to open up like that — to say how you really feel, especially to people you care about the most,” Will says. “Because what if — what if they don’t like the truth?” If this feels like a kid on the
verge of coming out, executive producer and director Shawn Levy told Entertainment Weekly that may indeed be by design. “Without getting into where we go later in season four [Volume II], I guess I’ll just say that there aren’t many accidents on Stranger Things,” he said. “There is clear intention and strategy and real thought given to each and every character. So, if you came away from Volume I feeling those bread crumbs of plot and character, it’s probably no accident.” Levy isn’t the only one fanning speculation. In a promotional video for the season, David Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper, teased (at about the 4:10 mark) that Will may have a love interest. “If you’ve been watching the show you should know that Will is not interested in [Eleven],” he said. “He’s interested in someone else in the group.” “Yeah, you’ll see soon,” Wolfhard added. “He’s interested...” “He’s very interested,” said Harbour. In an interview with Variety, Schnapp and Millie Bobbie Brown shared their thoughts on
Will’s sexuality and explained how the ambiguity is just as important as if he were to come out. “I feel like they never really address it or blatantly say how Will is,” Schnapp said. “I think that’s the beauty of it, that it’s just up to the audience’s interpretation, if it’s Will kind of just refusing to grow up and growing up slower than his friends, or if he is really gay.” Brown added, “Can I just say, it’s 2022 and we don’t have to label things. I think what’s really nice about Will’s character is that he’s just a human being going through his own personal demons and issues. So many kids out there don’t know, and that’s OK. That’s OK to not know. And that’s OK not to label things.” Schnapp added that the ambiguity resonates with kids still figuring out who they are. “I find that people do reach to put a label on him and just want to know, so badly, like, ‘Oh, and this is it,’” he said. “He’s just confused and growing up. And that’s what it is to be a kid.” Stranger Things season four, volume one is out now on Netflix. The second volume drops on the streaming service July 1.
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Miami Beach Police Rolled Out A PrideThemed Squad Car, It Didn’t Go Over Well By Michael Griffin
The police department in Miami Beach, Florida, covered one of its cars in stripes from the LGBTQ Progress flag and rolled it through the Miami Beach Pride Parade last month, as the department’s Instagram account proudly proclaimed at the time.
police car. “Feels extra performative because of that,” another person replied. “Actions speak multitudes louder [than] the pride flags.”
A third person wrote, “Short-circuit the state’s legislature when you call in a Comments on that Instagram ‘don’t say gay’ alert on the post reeked of homophobia, as police.” you might expect, with people saying the Pride-themed police Other people, meanwhile, noted the torturous history of car was “too much” or “a LGBTQ populations’ waste of taxpayers’ money.” interactions with law (Someone else called for a enforcement. “The first Pride “straight people parade,” as if that’s not every other day of the was an anti-cop riot,” one commenter wrote. year.) But on Reddit’s r/lgbt forum, a “Came to say this exactly,” another person said. “The photo of the car sparked a different backlash, considering police have never been on our the “Don’t Say Gay” law Florida side. This is empty performative gesturing.” just passed. “And cops will be the ones to “Surprised this is allowed in act if/when more anti-LGBT Florida,” one commenter said legislation is enacted at the of the MBPD’s rainbow-hued
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rate it’s going,” a third person chimed in. “Cops are not our friends. Rainbow patrol cars while arresting gender-affirming parents for child abuse.” Another Reddit user cited the “consistent statistics of U.S. police violence and sexual abuse against trans people,” while someone else said the sheriff of their hometown made a public statement “that if he ever saw a trans person in a bathroom, he’d ‘beat them so bad their mother wouldn’t recognize them in the hospital.’” And someone else speculated that the department might be using the car as “a joke, a hazing device, and an informal disciplinary tool.” “I hope I’m wrong,” that Reddit user added, “but I’ve known too many officers to not have this bias.”
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UNAIDS Calls Out Homophobic & Racist Coverage Of Monkeypox By Debi Wilson
The United Nations’ AIDS agency (UNAID) spoke out against homophobic and racist coverage of the recent outbreak of monkeypox in the UK and U.S. “Lessons from the AIDS response show that stigma and blame directed at certain groups of people can rapidly undermine outbreak response,” UNAIDS said in a press release. Multiple news outlets have reported on the outbreak by specifying the gender and sexuality of patients, and highlighting that queer men were the first victims. Outlets including the Associated Press reported on two events in Spain and Belgium that are considered superspreaders, including a Pride event in the Canary Islands and a gay sauna near Madrid. Monkeypox is caused by a virus and can initially present with flu-like symptoms that ultimately turn into lesions on the body. It’s similar to smallpox in how it presents, though often milder. The virus can be transmitted via contact with a person, animal, or surface who has been infected, but “researchers 16 www.jaxgaycom
believe that human-to-human transmission is mostly through inhalation of large respiratory droplets rather than direct contact with bodily fluids or indirect contact through clothes,” according to Rodney E. Rohde, a microbiologist writing for Scientific American.
epidemic. “Monkeypox is not a gay disease and neither are any other infectious diseases,” the article states. “It is unfortunate that this still needs to be said, highlighting how little we have learned from previous outbreaks.” As of Saturday, May 21, the Monkeypox is an emerging World Health Organization virus that may not even turn out (WHO) had confirmed 92 cases to be a wide threat to the U.S. and suspected 28 others; public. additional cases are likely to be “Stigma directed at a particular announced this week. So far, group of individuals fuels fear Belgium is the first country to and seriously impedes upon impose a quarantine for outbreak investigation, case monkeypox. identification and public health The World Health Organization interventions,” said the article (WHO) made it clear that it’s in Speaking of Medicine and too soon to determine whether Health. monkeypox transmission can be linked to sexual activity.
“While close physical contact is a well-known risk factor for transmission, it is unclear at this time if monkeypox can be transmitted specifically through sexual transmission routes,” they said in a monkeypox fact sheet online. An article tweeted out by the UNAIDS deputy executive editor, Matthew Kavanaugh, pointed out the similarities between homophobic coverage of monkeypox and news coverage around the AIDS
Traveling While Trans By Adam Bennett
The State Department last month announced that it will allow Americans to use the neutral “X” gender marker on passports, if they are nonbinary. The new change on transgender passports was also paired with other changes in travel for trans people as well. Specifically, the DHS is implementing four more major reforms. The first reform is to change enhanced screening technology to not target trans Americans with bodies and clothing pieces that stray from the norm. This means that if a transgender man is wearing a binder, that he will not be unfairly targeted. While DHS is taking a step in the right direction, it has yet to be seen if they will live up to their promise. Sometimes, security teams override new protocol in order to be as radical as possible in their attempt to safeguard a scene. DHS is also “expanding airline partnerships to enhance the overall travel experience” of trans and nonbinary people. This means that DHS will talk to airlines such as Jet Blue and United to make sure that travelers can use “X” in their booking systems. 18 www.jaxgay.com
Thirdly, DHS is removing gender standards when evaluating a traveler’s identity. They will take into account “X.”
agents how to appropriately search and talk to trans people, our experience might still be miserable at the airport.
Lastly, DHS is updating TSA During one body scan, I had to PreCheck to account for the “X” confess to a TSA agent that I marker. was a trans man, to which he While these reforms are a step confronted me and asked “so you’re a girl?” At other points in in the right direction, there is time, I’ve also had to beg TSA one more thing that DHS and officers to let a woman pat me the White House need to do. down, instead of a male agent, They need to train airport because I’m more comfortable personnel in gender sensitivity in that kind of scenario. Some of training. these female TSA agents Gender sensitivity training couldn’t understand why a man would involve coaching TSA wanted a woman to pat him agents in how to speak to trans down, and some of these and nonbinary people when female agents even refused. they are scanned, searched, DHS needs to come up with checked, and potentially protocol for which kinds of questioned. Agents will learn agents will pat down trans and about pronouns, and how to nonbinary people. We should address trans people in person have a choice in who pats us without being offensive. down. These interactions all Every trans guy I know has had took several minutes at a time and caught the attention of a horror story about TSA lines many passersby. and airport security. We both give each other a mutual look In order for the Biden and mutter the same complaints administration to fully over and over, knowing very accommodate trans people in well that our hands will be airports, they have to not only shaking and sweating for all the implement the X marker, which right reasons, except TSA will they did, but also change the interpret our righteous way TSA touches and searches nervousness as a red flag. trans people. Despite these new reforms from Doing so will make our lived DHS and the White House, if experience better. DHS does not teach TSA
Gay Pride Month Unapologetically Us By David Vandygriff
Recognizing and uplifting LGBTQ voices is important year-round, but Pride Month gives them a much bigger spotlight. Throughout the month, the LGBTQ community and its allies get together at parades, marches and other organized events in the U.S. and around the world. While it's certainly a cause for celebration, Pride Month is also a time to reflect on the history of the movement; remember the lives lost to violence and HIV/AIDs; and pay tribute to activists like Harvey Milk and Marsha P. Johnson who helped get us to where we are today. The parades and marches may get the most attention (and understandably so), but you can also show your support by shaping young minds with inclusive books or posting your favorite LGBTQ quotes on social media for all to see.
some of these special events on your calendar, so you don't miss a thing!
After being unofficially recognized for years, Pride Month was recognized on a June is Pride Month. Although federal level by President Bill it runs through June 30, Pride Clinton in 1999. Some of the Month typically wraps up with a following presidents carried on series of events scheduled on the tradition, as recent as President Joe Biden in 2021. or around June 28, the anniversary of the Stonewall What are some important Uprising. calendar dates during Pride Before Pride Month, there was Month? Gay Pride Day, which was first There are a number of celebrated on June 28, 1970. important dates to circle on Over time, the day turned into your calendar throughout the an entire month of celebrations month of June, including a and remembrances — and series of Pride Month thus Pride Month was born. Awareness Days. Here are the ones to know: The particular date in June marks the anniversary of the June 5: HIV Long-Term Stonewall Uprising, also called Survivors Day, honors and the Stonewall Riots. increases visibility around HIV During the early morning hours survivor issues and needs
of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City. In the days that followed, crowds gathered at the Stonewall Inn in protest, leading to violence and riots. No matter how you choose to The rebellion lasted for six observe Pride Month, one thing's for sure: You don't want days, resulting in increased awareness around LGBTQ to miss out on the important issues, along with the creation events and awareness days. Keep reading to find out when of advocacy groups to help fight inequalities and Pride Month is, plus why we discrimination against lesbian, started celebrating in the first place. Then make sure to mark gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. 22 www.jaxgay.com
June 12: Pulse Remembrance Day, a remembrance of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting victims June 19: Juneteenth, a commemoration of African American culture and the emancipation of African American slaves June 27: National HIV Testing Day, encourages individuals to be tested for HIV June 28: The Stonewall Riots Anniversary, commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising
June 30: Queer Youth of Faith Day, to celebrate and empower LGBTQ youth of different faiths Along with the U.S., other countries around the world observe and celebrate Pride Month in June including Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Of all the Pride celebrations and events, one of the largest is, unsurprisingly, in New York City, the place where the LGBTQ movement began in 1969. This year, after a month-long celebration with various events, New York will host its annual NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Local Pride Happenings:
June 3: Jax FOLX Cummer Museum June 4: Jacksonville Zoo Pride with Rainbow Events www.RainbowEvents.org June 4: JASMYN Pride Homecoming www.jasmyn.org June 9: Jumbo Shrimp Pride Night www.RiverCityPride.org June 11: Rainbow Awards Show at WJCT TV Studios www.RainbowEvents.org June 11: Fernandina Beach Pride will host a parade & Festival www.FernandinaBeachPride.com
June 19: InCahoots Fundraiser for River City Pride June 25: Big Gay Picnic in Willowbranch Park by Rainbow Events www.RainbowEvents.org
Married at First Sight Will Feature Its First-Ever Lesbian Couple By Melinda Davis
A lesbian couple is finally coming to Married at First Sight. At last, the U.K. edition of Married at First Sight will finally feature the show's first-ever lesbian couple. In 2021, the series made history by showcasing its first-ever gay couple, Matt and Daniel. Now, a lesbian couple will get their own journey on MAFS. An insider told Metro: “Married at First Sight had a male same-sex couple last year, and now they will have a female same-sex couple. Eve-
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ryone who works on the show is excited that it’s happening. It’s another small milestone for the series when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. The hope is that including a lesbian couple will break down some stereotypes.” So far, not a lot of details have been revealed about the duo that will be featured on Married at First Sight U.K. However, it is clear that this will be a landmark season for the series. In the past, mainstream dating competitions like Love Island have faced backlash in the
U.K. for not featuring LGBTQ+ cast members on the show. In response, many other dating competitions have thankfully been more inclusive in recent years by featuring queer storylines. Longtime fans of Married at First Sight are certainly excited about a sapphic love story getting highlighted in the upcoming season. Hopefully, other shows can also take that cue and feature more LGBTQ+ couples on TV. Married at First Sight U.K. season seven is coming soon to E4.
Gay Iowa Teacher Forced To Resign From School After Blackmail Attempt By Jimmy Rutherford
A gay music teacher was forced to resign from his job at a private Christian school in Cedar Valley, Iowa, after personal pictures hacked from his phone were posted to the school’s social media. Matthew Gerhold told the Iowa Capital Dispatch he went to administrators at Valley Lutheran High School in January to reveal he was being blackmailed over contents from a hacked phone. Not long after, pictures and other information stolen from the phone were posted to the school’s Facebook page. Gerhold said he told the school he was gay when he was hired last summer, but that their only concern at the time was he keep his sexual identity a “secret and not pursue a relationship” with anyone while employed. Despite their prior knowledge of his sexual identity, school administrators immediately placed Gerhold on administrative leave following the posting of the photos over his sexual identity. Later the same day he was told by the school’s pastor, who was also a school board member, that it would be in the best interest of 26 www.jaxgay.com
all involved to resign because the school board would terminate him at its next meeting. He resigned his position that evening.
want to listen to understand my story or background. They are only listening and waiting to respond to it with pick-andchoose theology.”
The school later unsuccessfully appealed the state's decision to grant unemployment benefits to Gerhold. Following a hearing held May 2, Administrative Law Judge Blair Bennett found the school’s “argument breaks down to (Gerhold) being told he would no longer have a job because of the actions of a third party, not controlled by (Gerhold), completely outside of work,” according to the paper. Bennett also noted the school had failed to show Gerhold committed any acts of misconduct that would justify the termination of his employment.
He also made clear he would not let this setback stop him from continuing with his career or his love of music. “My sexual identity has absolutely nothing to do with my career in music and my love for music,” Gerhold said. “If the church as a whole doesn’t want to use me for whatever they are striving to achieve, then I shall go somewhere else that would love to have me to live out my vocation for others.” Gerhold told the paper he reported the attempted blackmail incident to police, but was told they had too few resources to investigate.
Following the decision, Gerhold had sobering words regarding his experience with Valley Lutheran School. “They simply don’t see sexual orientation as involuntary attraction to one sex or another, they see sexuality as choices, whether they admit that or not,” Gerhold told the Dispatch. “I wasn’t the first gay man the church has done this to, and I won’t be the last because the church doesn’t
Alaska Says Not Being Part Of All Stars 7 Made Her Feel 'Hurt & Sad' By Leigh Smith
After hearing why Trixie Mattel, Bianca Del Rio, and Bob the Drag Queen weren’t on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7, fans have now finally learned Alaska’s reasons as to why she isn’t on the all-winners season. After being a finalist on Drag Race season five and winning All Stars 2 – considered by many fans as the best season of Drag Race ever – Alaska seemed like a shoo-in contestant for this long-rumored all-winners edition of the show. She is also arguably one of the biggest fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race to this day, so it was clear that she would’ve said “yes” to coming back if production gave her a call. But when it was announced that Alaska wasn’t cast on All Stars 7, numerous fans were puzzled as to why she wasn’t included in the season.
“I was very apprehensive going into [this season]. Because when I wasn’t asked to be on it, I was very, very emotional and I was very, very hurt and sad by that. So, I was like, ‘Is this going to be too hard? Is it going to be really difficult for me to even watch and talk about it?’ And I just have to say that it’s really so incredible, and I’m so glad that this is happening, and I’m so glad that this is happening with these girls. [With] the energy of ‘nobody is going home,’ everyone is just [delivering] f*cking home run after home run.” Whether she was being facetious or not, Willam offered a theory as to why Alaska wasn’t asked to be on this all-winners edition of the show:
They want to use your personal relationship. And they can’t do that right now, so that’s why you were not asked to be there.” With the huge success and growth of Race Chaser, Alaska and Willam have started the MOM (Moguls of Media) network of podcasts that includes shows from Jinkx Monsoon (Hi Jinkx!), Raja (Very That alongside Delta Work), and Jaida Essence Hall (Hall & Closet alongside Heidi N Closet). With Alaska being a producer on all of those shows, she was likely kept updated by her podcasting peers that they were cast on All Stars 7 while she herself didn’t get a call. It is clear that Alaska is happy for her sisters who did get on “You know what I’ve deduced, All Stars 7. As a former winner though? About them not asking and big fan of RuPaul’s Drag you to be on it? They want you Race, however, Alaska competing against Sharon undoubtedly wanted to be a Toward the very end of Race Needles, and Sharon Needles part of this all-winners season. Chaser’s review episode of the is not allowed on TV right now Nonetheless, fans now know All Stars 7 premiere, Alaska because people would scream what happened behind the finally broke her silence as to and protest. So, once she is scenes for Alaska not to get why she isn’t competing on this allowed on TV again, maybe in cast on All Stars 7. season. a few years, you’ll be back to compete with her. Because The All Stars 2 winner they want that personal explained: relationship between you two on display. They want to milk it.
www.TheMOSH.org
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Sperm Donor With Genetic Condition Doesn't Tell Lesbians He Contacted By Antonio Brown
A court in the U.K. has named a sperm donor who had offered his services on social media to lesbian women without informing them he had an inheritable condition. James MacDougall, 37, fathered fifteen children to these women knowing he had fragile-X syndrome. The genetic disorder causes developmental delays, learning disabilities, and social and behavior problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children with the condition may also have an intellectual disability. MacDougall’s name and actions were released Monday in family court. He had attempted to have access to four of the children he fathered. He had previously signed paperwork agree that he did not want to contact some of the children he fathered. Three mothers had opposed MacDougall’s attempts. The children, the tabloid reports, are between three years old to a few months old. On Monday, Judge Nathalie Lieven — known as Mrs. 32 www.jaxgay.com
Justice Lieven — ruled against MacDougall, deciding that he should not have parental responsibilities. Lieven also made the unusual move to name him, in what she said would hopefully make other women aware of what he’s done and stop them from using him as a sperm donor. She said naming him was “a very specific benefit in him being named in the hope that women will look him up on the internet and see this judgment,” according to The Guardian. “The usual approach of anonymity in the family courts should not be used as a way for parents to behave in an unacceptable manner and then hide behind the cloak of anonymity,” she said. During the court proceedings, lawyers revealed that MacDougall elected to be a sperm donor even though he could not go through a regular clinic due to his condition. In some legal agreements, MacDougall does list his condition, but without explaining it. “Although the agreement does refer to fragile-X, [MacDougall] took no steps to explain the
condition to [the women] and no steps to ensure they understood. [He] took advantage of these young women’s vulnerability and their strong desire to have children,” Lieven said in her ruling. “This failure to take responsibility for his own condition and to have any apparent concern for the long-term impact both on the mothers and potentially the children, is a factor in concluding that [he] should not be given parental responsibility for the children.” MacDougall was arrested for attacking one of the mothers whose daughter with him has developmental delays. In another court, MacDougall won a court order to have regular contact with one of the children he fathered, but the child was returned from MacDougall with nonaccidental bruises, the Daily Mail reports Lieven said. The judge has postponed the case until she receives a social services report. Additionally, Lieven ruled that MacDougall cannot apply to the court again for three years, saying that doing so would be a traumatic experience for the mothers.
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AxelBeach Miami is the ideal spot for queer travelers looking for a taste of Miami’s kaleidoscopic culture. 5 Reasons Miami Needs To Be At The Top It’s located on Of Your LGBTQ+ Travel List South Beach, By George Wilson or SoBe, the center of LGBTQ+ Miami. The Miami has flourished from a calming rooms here are airy mostly cis gay-friendly city over and crisp with nods to art deco, the decades to one where the which provide respite from the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ thrillingly fast-paced and culture has been integrated into pulsing city. the fabric of life. There’s also a modern The Floridian city has become restaurant, a lively gay bar one of the largest LGBTQ+ (complete with colorful dance communities in the world and floor), gym, hammam, beach attracts over one million queer house and swimming pool in visitors a year. the hotel grounds. While being queer doesn’t Events and pool parties are intrinsically change what frequently held here for the attractions we might be community and booking 30 interested in, Miami has a great days in advance come with a range of LGBTQ-inclusive 20 per cent discount. draws and destinations beyond The Thriving Art Scene the main sites and spots.
businesses here too, like R House restaurant which serves as a hub for the community. Check out the Wynwood Walls, a collection of life-size murals and drawings that are free to explore. Elsewhere in the city, there’s the World Erotic Art Museum in the Florida Art Deco District. The museum, library and education centre serve as a think-tank illustrating the history of erotic art. There’s A ‘Gaybourhood’
With the ocean on one side and stretches of pastel-colored art deco buildings on the other, South Beach is the epicenter for queer travelers. From beautiful beaches and It’s easy to spot when you’re in delicious food to a thriving art the area from all the rainbow scene and accommodation that flags, and beyond the two centers around the queer queer hotels in this stretch, experience, here are five there’s plenty of LGBTQ+ reasons why Miami should be businesses, restaurants, bars bumped up on your travel list. and clubs. A Home Away From Home The LGBTQ Visitor Center is a For LGBTQ+ Traveler great place to start, providing information, assistance, and advice for tourists as well as The Wynwood Art District is a locals. popular spot for the LGBTQ+ community. There’s a mix of art New additions to the scene galleries and eclectic street art include the Sky Bar at the AxelBeach Miami, located on here, with outdoor museums Washington Avenue, or its cosy and the Museum of Graffiti. lobby bar with a There are a lot of queer-owned 34 www.jaxgay.com
“hetero-friendly” philosophy. A Bountiful LGBTQ+ Events Calendar
From large parties to cultural events, there’s a wealth of queer celebrations available in the city throughout the year. Annual festivities start in February, with the one-day Gay8 Festival in Little Havana — a free art, music and food street festival which has grown into the largest Hispanic queer festival in the US. Winter Party Festival in March is a week-long celebration of community, music and dance with dozens of events, while April sees OUTshine Film
Festival, an internationally acclaimed queer film festival – both events, as well as Miami Beach Pride, are sponsored by AxelBeach Miami. Later in the year in October, Aqua Girl serves as a five-day celebration for queer women. There’s live music, parties, comedy shows and dining events throughout, with women travelling from across the globe for one of the biggest events
for queer women in the world. The Beaches For Queers One of the main draws to
Miami is its beautiful weather and coastline, and thankfully there are a couple of queer beaches complete with clear waters, white sand and blue skies. Twelfth Street Gay Beach is the most popular — as well as the most convenient. It’s in South Beach, close enough to AxelBeach Miami and plenty of LGBTQ+ hangouts. Find the beach at the intersection between 12th Street and Ocean Drive. A more remote option is Haulover Beach, north of the city. This one is the only legal clothing-optional beach in Florida — you’ll find it in between lifeguard towers 12 and 16, flanked with rainbow flags. Visit AxelBeach Miami to discover more about LGBTQ+ Florida, and to book your stay with 20 per cent off (when booked 30 days in advance).
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