Queer Vulturing
October 15, 2026
The heated rivalry between Romeo Beckham and Paul Kircher on the tennis court melts in a kiss in the steamy Forty Love trailer. Does anyone really care that JD Vance is straight? A critic takes exception to La Bola Negra. And the Red, Hot and Royal Blue sequel gets a R rating.
Romeo Beckham takes his tennis rivalry into kissing territory in Forty Love
Daily Mail — October 15 | UOL — corroborating coverage
The trailer for Romeo Beckham’s acting debut turns a tennis rivalry with Paul Kircher’s character into a volatile attraction, complete with a kiss and hints of violence. Pierre-Ange Carlotti directs Forty Love, opening in France November 25; the Beckham family’s latest career change comes with considerably more sexual tension than a fashion campaign.
Texas school pulls Little Shop after a girl earns the role of Seymour
South Grand Prairie High School’s Little Shop of Horrors was canceled after senior Ana Mota was cast as Seymour, with the district citing compliance with Texas SB 12 and concerns about the musical’s themes. Mota says she earned the part; Audrey II may eat people, but apparently a girl playing a boy is what frightened the administrators.
Raven-Symoné has a question about JD Vance’s unprompted straightness announcement
Guest-hosting The View, Raven-Symoné challenged Vance’s insistence that he is not gay after his joke at James Talarico’s expense: “No one asked.” The segment turns the scrutiny back onto a vice president who made male affection a political punch line.
Walter Jenkins’s downfall exposes the queer history that coming-out stories miss
Slate — October 15 — paywalled
Historian Timothy Stewart-Winter revisits the 1964 restroom arrest that ended the White House career of LBJ’s trusted aide Walter Jenkins, drawing on research for Outed. His sharper argument concerns who gets remembered: men who never publicly identified as gay still shaped queer history, and their silence cannot simply be rewritten as waiting for liberation.
La Bola Negra’s gay historical sweep leaves one critic unconvinced
Steve Erickson finds Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s three-timeline epic overextended, politically evasive and unable to bring its stories into a satisfying whole. His review argues that its glossy treatment of desire and tragedy softens the difficult history it sets out to recover—a distinctly chilly verdict amid the film’s growing prestige.
New York bathhouse advocates ask Hochul to retire an AIDS-era rule
Gay City News — October 14 updated October 15
New Yorkers for a Modern Health Code is petitioning Governor Kathy Hochul and the state health department to replace the 1985 rule used to close sex venues with regulations allowing bathhouses to operate. Founder Joe Hickerson argues that modern HIV prevention and treatment have overtaken the old approach, and that agency action could move faster than pending legislation.
Shy’Keil Robinson recounts a bottle attack at a queer skate celebration
There Skateboards rider Shy’Keil Robinson says he was struck over the head with a beer bottle during a fight at San Francisco’s Unity Fest, after reports of homophobic and racist remarks. Speaking to skater Lamont Holt, he said he did not know whether the men involved were festival attendees; the account remains his description of the incident.
Red White and Royal Wedding earns an R and sets the fandom speculating
The sequel has received an R rating for sexual content, nudity and language, sending Alex-and-Henry fans into a familiar state of anticipation. PinkNews supplies the useful cold shower: the original was also rated R, so the classification alone does not establish how explicit the new film will be.
Chick-fil-A’s CEO serves hospitality while sidestepping equality
Asked on Today about Chick-fil-A’s anti-LGBTQ history, CEO Andrew Cathy repeatedly emphasized welcoming customers without directly addressing equality. Andy Cohen and Ross Mathews were among those unimpressed: being allowed to buy a chicken sandwich does leave a few civil-rights questions unanswered.
Big Brother puts Rob and Twinks on the eviction block and viewers revolt
Gay housemate Rob and bisexual housemate Twinks received six nominations apiece and face Friday’s eviction vote alongside Yasmin. Viewers objected to the lineup, while the nomination explanations included complaints about Twinks’s feminism and use of “queer”—quite a lot of politics for people complaining about politics.
Heated Rivalry creator says the NHL has not earned its inclusive image
Jacob Tierney pushed back when Andy Cohen suggested the NHL had embraced the moment created by Heated Rivalry, arguing that the league still needs to confront its toxic culture and demonstrate that LGBTQ+ people are safe there. A hit gay romance may sell hockey to the gays; it cannot do the league’s cultural repair work for it.
Kendall Jenner addresses lesbian rumors with Cara Delevingne
In the October 15 episode of The Kardashians, Jenner tells Cara Delevingne she is not a lesbian and says her longtime friend would know. Their conversation addresses how the friendship itself has fed the speculation: the internet’s sapphic casting department has once again worked without consulting the cast.