“People come to my show in a Toyota, and they leave in a Rolls Royce, because I put on a great show,” says Luann de Lesseps, aka Countess Luann. Yes, ladies and gentlemen (and everyone in between) – this is the countess speaking. We have arrived. It’s been more than 15 years since the reality
Arts
The pageant celebrates Thai-national trans women. (Getty) A trans flight attendant has been crowned Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2024 in Pattaya, Thailand. Saruda “Pimai” Panyakham won the coveted title in the beauty pageant on 4 February, which celebrates Thai-national trans women. She was announced as the winner of the 25th Miss Tiffany pageant at the Tiffany
Rivera was well-known for her work in West Side Story and Chicago. ( John Lamparski/WireImage/Dennis Clark/Getty Images) Broadway legend Chita Rivera has died at the age of 91, her friend and publicist Merle Frimark has confirmed. Frimark made the statement on 30 January, sharing the sad news on behalf of Rivera’s daughter. “It is with
Some of our greatest LGBTQ+ celebs, change-makers and allies died in 2023 – people such as singer Tina Turner, adult-actor Sophie Anderson, and TV legend Paul O’Grady. But they left behind fantastic legacies, filled with moving music, creativity, joyous laughter and lasting memories for the LGBTQ+ community. As another year draws to a close, we
British actor, broadcaster, writer and comedian Stephen Fry. (Getty) Stephen Fry says he’s ready to return to work, three months after he suffered a shocking six-foot fall from the stage at London’s O2 Arena. On Saturday (9 December), the BAFTA-winning British actor, broadcaster, writer and comedian spoke about his recovery for the first time to
Scott Mills. (Getty) Scott Mills has left Radio 1 after a mammoth 24 years entertaining the nation – and needless to say, it got emotional. Mills and his co-host Chris Stark hosted their final ever Radio 1 show on Thursday (25 August), with Stark also leaving the station after a decade on air. The final
Red Cross worker and St Petersburg activist Daria Apakhonchich was arrested for taking part in a “vulva ballet” street performance in support of Yulia Tsvetkova. (Darya Apakhonchich/ Facebook) An LGBTQ+ feminist activist in Russia has been acquitted of pornography charges in a rare win for queer rights in the country. Yulia Tsvetkova was arrested in
Queer|Art is a New York-based nonprofit. (Queer|Art) For the queer community, “art helps us see that we are not alone and that there are others who understand what it is to feel the way we do”. That’s according to Travis Chamberlain, executive director of the New York-based Queer|Art. “Art, in this way, truly does have
Members of the BOSS collective in 2019. (Instagram/blackobsidian_soundsystem/@lifethroughmylense_pro) A queer art collective nominated for the Turner Prize are criticising the Tate, the prize’s main sponsor, for laying off workers during the pandemic and for its handling of sexual abuse allegations against a prominent donor. Black Obsidian Sound System (BOSS) is one of five nominees for
The Vagina Museum team Florence Schechter, Zoe Williams and Sarah Creed (Photo by Angus Young) London’s Vagina Museum is set to reopen this month with an exhibition dedicated to the history of menstruation. The Vagina Museum, which started as a pop-up in 2017, opened as the world’s first museum dedicated to vaginas, vulvas and gynaecological
A man has described his humiliation after gym staff complained about his Tom of Finland bag. (Stock photograph via Elements Envato) A gay man was left “humiliated” after taking a Tom of Finland bag to a gym in Adelaide, South Australia, only to receive complaints from pearl-clutching gym-goers. Jeff Trahair explained to the Star Observer,
Amanda Cotton unveils ‘Inexorable’ a statue depicting Anne Bonny and Mary Read at Execution Docks, London. Their story is told in the new Audible podcast Hell Cats (Audible) An eight foot statue of lesbian pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read has sparked outrage among locals in Devon. The statue, created by artist Amanda Cotton, was
The company behind the Lady Boys of Bangkok will get more than £1 million from the government’s emergency arts funding. (Twitter/TheLadyBoys) The Lady Boys of Bangkok has secured emergency government arts funding as part of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. Gandey Productions, which stages the Chinese State Circus and the Lady Boys of Bangkok,
Untitled drawing, c.1946-1959, Duncan Grant (1885-1978), The Charleston Trust © The Estate of Duncan Grant, licensed by DACS 2020. More than 400 “lost” paintings depicting gay sex by the British painter Duncan Grant have been discovered under a bed years after they first went missing. Grant was a painter and designer and was famously a
One of the earliest portraits of William Shakespeare from 1623 (GraphicaArtis/Getty) William Shakespeare was “undeniably bisexual”, according to new research on the language of his love sonnets by two leading scholars. The legendary playwright’s sexuality has long been the subject of speculation and debate, but Professor Sir Stanley Wells and Dr Paul Edmonson believe their
Margaret Atwood (Leonardo Cendamo/Getty), Luca Guadagnino (Frazer Harrison/Getty), Judith Butler (Agentur Gmbh/Getty) Margaret Atwood, Ed Harris, Judith Butler and Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino are among more than 70 cultural figures who have condemned rising anti-LGBT+ sentiment in Poland in a powerful open letter. Poland’s LGBT+ community has been targeted by a
Kae Tempest. (Jim Dyson/Getty Images) Kae Tempest – poet, rapper, author and all multi-genre talent – revealed Thursday afternoon (August 5) that they have changed their name and pronouns in a heartfelt message to fans. The author and rapper, known for their work that examines the steely agonises of the modern world, took to their
Pabllo Vittar strips off for Clavin Klein. (Twitter/Calvin Klein) Pabblo Vittar, Tommy Dorfman and Chella Man are among the stars who’ve stripped off for Pride in Calvin Klein’s latest campaign. Pride month may be cancelled this year, but Calvin Klein is still celebrating the LGBT+ community. Today Calvin Klein released a new campaign, featuring nine
Non-binary poet Gray Crosbie performed their spoken word poem for BBC Scotland’s The Social. (BBC Scotland) Piers Morgan has claimed the BBC is “pumping out gender nonsense” for giving a platform to a non-binary poet speaking out about the struggles of getting a simple haircut. The difficulties LGBT+ people face receiving gender-affirming services like haircuts
Queer the Pier curator EJ Scott. (Rosie Powell) An unprecedented exhibition that delves deep into Brighton’s queer history has been put together by curator EJ Scott. Scott, known for his work with the Museum of Transology, led a process through which LGBT+ Brighton residents sent in objects, stories and images to be included in the