Queer Vulturing
September 4, 2026
Ben Cohen recalls his surprise at becoming a queer icon. Dolly called a ‘fake Christian’ for her queer support. Young queers aren’t drinking. Ranking Lee Pace’s career. And learn the dangers of queer apps.
How England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup Winner Became an Unlikely Gay Icon
Ruck
Straight rugby star Ben Cohen recalls discovering in 2007 that tens of thousands of gay men had turned him into an unexpected icon. Rather than retreat from the attention, Cohen embraced allyship and later founded the StandUp Foundation to fight bullying and homophobia.
Milla Jovovich and Kevin Zegers join Heated Rivalry season 2 as more key roles confirmed
PinkNews
The queer hockey phenomenon keeps expanding its bench. Milla Jovovich joins season two as Ilya’s Russian-speaking therapist Dr. Galina Molchalina, while Kevin Zegers takes on the important role of Coach Wiebe; Paul Gross is also among the newly confirmed cast.
Joe Locke goes missing after weekend with teacher in Black Church Bay first look
PinkNews
First-look images have arrived for the queer mystery-thriller starring Heartstopper’s Joe Locke opposite Weekend actor Tom Cullen. Directed by queer filmmaker Rhys Marc Jones, the film follows a teacher dealing with the disappearance of one of his students and is headed to the London Film Festival.
Freddie Mercury’s ex-girlfriend recalls helping him come out: ‘Freddie, I think you’re gay’
PinkNews
Mary Austin revisits her relationship with Freddie Mercury while discussing A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury. She recalls Mercury telling her he thought he was bisexual and her responding that she believed he was gay.
PinkNews
A Texas street preacher filmed himself raising a post-office flag that had been lowered in Dolly Parton’s memory. His complaint was explicitly tied to Parton’s support for LGBTQ+ people, transgender people and same-sex marriage, turning a memorial gesture into another culture-war skirmish.
Chicken Shop Date’s gayest moments as Amelia Dimoldenberg confirms end
PinkNews
With Amelia Dimoldenberg announcing the end of Chicken Shop Date after more than a decade, PinkNews raids the archive for the series’ queerest encounters. Billie Eilish, Jonathan Bailey and Trixie Mattel are among the guests in the farewell victory lap.
How Connor Storrie inadvertently kickstarted a push for more male locker room nudity
Queerty
Queerty uses Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie as the springboard for a broader look at changing attitudes toward male nudity in locker rooms. The piece considers privacy, surveillance, body anxiety and the strange cultural retreat from communal nakedness.
Drag Race star Denali marries handsome husband in gorgeous ceremony
OUT
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 favorite Denali, aka Cordero Zuckerman, married longtime partner Alexander Montgomery in Chicago. Fellow Drag Race performers joined a celebration the couple described as an embodiment of chosen family, dancing, queer culture, music and love.
22 states sue Trump admin over ‘unprecedented’ attack on gender-affirming care
LGBTQ Nation
A coalition of states is challenging a federal rule that would block Medicare and Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for minors and CHIP coverage for patients under 19. The lawsuit argues that the administration is exceeding federal authority and intruding on states’ control over medical care.
PinkNews
The Justice Department is suing Kansas City Public Schools over guidance allowing transgender students to use their chosen names and identities without automatic parental disclosure. PinkNews notes that the complaint does not allege that schools secretly provided medical transitions, despite administration rhetoric describing such transitions as widespread.
Right-wing forces tried to stop these archivists from preserving LGBTQ+ history. They failed.
LGBTQ Nation / Alabama Reflector
Invisible Histories has spent years collecting and preserving Southern LGBTQ+ history, work that became a political target after a presentation at Alabama’s state archives. The resulting attacks and attempted defunding only underline the organization’s argument that preserving queer history is itself an act of resistance.
9 of Lee Pace’s sexiest acting roles, ranked
OUT
OUT performs the solemn public service of ranking queer actor Lee Pace’s most alluring screen appearances, from The Hobbit to Foundation. Practical Magic 2 provides the excuse, but the real subject is Pace’s long-running transformation from ethereal leading man to six-foot-five screen heartthrob.
Here’s the wild & forgotten story behind New York’s first public gay marriage ceremony
LGBTQ Nation
A dive into a remarkable 1968 New York ceremony, decades before marriage equality became law. The wedding was officiated by Yayoi Kusama, billed as the “High Priestess of Polka Dots,” at her Church of Self-Obliteration, placing queer marriage inside the era’s collision of art, protest and sexual liberation.
Young Queer People Are Drinking Less. New York City Gay Bars Are Feeling It
Them
New York gay bars are adjusting to a generation that drinks less, stays out earlier and is increasingly comfortable ordering nonalcoholic drinks. Owners say changing habits, rising costs, hookup apps and THC products are all reshaping the economics of queer nightlife.
Our Honorary Gay Friend Miley Just Dropped Her Famous Last Name
Instinct Magazine
Miley has unveiled “Bass Persuades,” the title track from her upcoming tenth album, while quietly dropping “Cyrus” from some social-media and public-facing branding. The new era also includes October dates at the Hollywood Bowl and a video stuffed with pop-history references.
Know the Data Dangers of Using a Gay Dating App
OUT
Alexander Cheves looks at the privacy risks built into queer dating apps, from the collection of sensitive health and location data to the history of misuse by advertisers, police and bad actors. Newer platforms such as Meetmarket, Goose and Hank Social are pitching themselves as community-minded alternatives to Big Tech’s data economy.
Top OnlyFans Creator Banned From TikTok After Controversial Gay Comments
PinkNews
Jake Andrich, better known as Jakipz, lost his TikTok account after saying during a livestream that he did not “in particular” support LGBTQ+ people despite having a sizable gay following. He later said the clip was misleadingly edited and added that he is attracted to both men and women.
Vivian Wilson Encourages Queer People to ‘Disobey’ as Midterms Approach
OUT
Vivian Jenna Wilson fronts Desigual’s “Born to Disobey” campaign while urging LGBTQ+ people to organize, vote and build community ahead of the midterms. She argues that queer and trans people are being used as political scapegoats and says solidarity and support networks are increasingly essential.
‘Queer Edward II’ Review: Intimate Derek Jarman Documentary
IndieWire
Theo Rollason’s documentary draws on unseen footage shot during the making of Derek Jarman’s radical 1991 Edward II, linking the film set to the era’s gay-rights battles and AIDS activism. The result is both a lively behind-the-scenes portrait and a reminder of how insistently Jarman fused queer art with political resistance.