The top national and world news since last issue you should know
BY CRAIG OGAN
Same-sex weddings pump $5.9 billion into U.S. economy
Over the past decade, wedding ceremonies of same-sex couples have contributed an estimated $5.9 billion to state and local economies, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Of the estimated 823,000 same-sex couples in the U.S., more than 591,000 have married, and about 80 percent of those — roughly 473,000 couples — celebrated with a wedding or related event. With average spending at $8,546 per wedding, celebrations have generated approximately $4.9 billion. An additional $1 billion came from out-of-state guests traveling for the events. Samesex weddings also produced an estimated $432.2 million in state and local tax revenue and supported around 41,300 jobs for one year. Interestingly, the financial impact wasn’t confined to LGBTQ+ hubs. The South saw the highest spending at $2.3 billion, followed by $1.7 billion in the West, $1 billion in the Midwest, and $900 million in the Northeast — regions not typically considered LGBTQ+ strongholds. Them Southern Belles know how to party.
LGBTQ+ pay gaps persist
In 2024, LGBTQ+ households earned just 85 cents for every dollar made by non-LGBTQI+ households, according to a report from the Center for
American Progress. The disparities deepen when broken down by identity. Gay male couples tend to earn the most among LGBTQ+ households, with a median income of $141,900 — higher than both heterosexual couples ($124,900) and lesbian couples ($113,000). But transgender and nonbinary households face the steep wage gaps, earning $24,800 less per year. LGBTQ+ women-headed households average a little over $100,000 per year. Workplace discrimination was reported by 25 percent of LGBTQI+ respondents, compared to 16 percent of non-LGBTQI+ individuals.
She showed them
Transgender swimmer Anne Isabella Coombes, 67, protested Swim England’s revised competition rules by swimming topless in the men’s division at a Masters swim meet. Coombes, who fully transitioned, wore men’s trunks after being barred from competing as female under new regulations aimed at preserving competitive fairness. Coombes had previously competed as a woman and placed second in a 2023 Masters event. Swim England introduced “female” and “open” categories, restricting transgender athletes from the female division unless born biologically female, causing Coombes not to compete for two years. Her 2025 race was a protest against what she described as exclusionary policies, which tend to exclude transgender athletes. Swimming in the women’s category, she would have worn a “female” swim costume. Swim officials ruled that even in the men’s category, she had to wear a “female” costume. Her breasts have enlarged due to transition hormones, and the club thought a 67-year-old woman’s breasts would be salacious. The club relented and told her to wear what she wanted to. She chose a “male” swim costume as a protest and let it all, or at least both, hang out.
Suicide hotline
Since its 2022 rollout, the federally funded 988 Lifeline has offered LGBTQ+ youth specialized support by routing calls through a “Press 3” option to nonprofits like The Trevor Project. This summer, that option will be removed, ending $33 million in federal grants to those organizations. The 988 Lifeline itself will remain fully operational and available to anyone in crisis. The decision prompted intense criticism. Despite the uproar, the change does not eliminate services. The Trevor Project will continue operating its independent LGBTQ+-focused hotline, just not federally funded. The 988 Lifeline will remain open to all callers. While LGBTQ+ advocates worry about loss of tailored outreach, federal officials stress that support remains intact and accessible. The debate highlights ongoing tensions over how best to serve vulnerable populations within the national mental health infrastructure. One critic asked, “Is cruelty the point?” Some wags replied, “With this administration, it’s not the point, but a welcomed side benefit.”
Cops Pride, unrequited
Members of the New York City Police Department’s LGBT organization, GOAL, have again been prohibited from marching in the NYC Pride parade. Originally kicked out of the Parade as a result of the defund police movement in 2021, parade leadership, Heritage Pride, said letting them march in uniform would be in violation of the parade’s no weapons policy. No mention of whether “breasticles” were allowed or not. The NYPD provided traffic and overall security for the late June parade, with most officers in full uniform. There are an estimated 4,000 LGBTQ+ members of the NYPD. Jessica Tisch, NYPD police commis-
sioner, said, “My hope is that they will come to their senses because this March is not about hiding who you are. It’s about being visible. And so many of our GOAL officers are just as proud of being a cop as they are about being LGBTQ+. Those things are never in opposition.” GOAL President Det. Brian Downey echoed that sentiment, saying the policy “does not create safety — it creates friction and fiction.” GOAL members rallied on the parade route on West 20th Street and 5th Avenue, where they later put on GOAL’s Annual Block Party into the evening.
Marriage 10 years later
Opponents to marriage equality predicted the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision for marriage equality would lead to a “parade of horribles” like legalized incest, polygamy, or bestiality, pastors jailed for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings, and heterosexual marriages falling apart. In the 10 years since Obergefell legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, many of these predictions have proven unfounded. But some anxieties persist, and in some cases, they’ve been codified. In Mahmoud v. Taylor, decided in June 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that parents may opt their children out of reading books featuring LGBTQ+ characters. Justice Alito wrote that these books “unmistakably convey a particular viewpoint,” asserting that exposure to such themes could conflict with parents’ religious teachings. Justice Sotomayor, in dissent, warned that the ruling invented “a constitutional right to avoid exposure to ‘subtle’ themes” that contradict a family’s beliefs. In those 10 years, LGBTQ+ visibility remains legally optional in public education, but marriage equality hasn’t led to societal collapse any more than society was already collapsing.
UN LGBTQ+ expert reupped
The United Nations Human Rights Council voted to renew the mandate of its Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for another three years. The current expert, South African scholar Graeme Reid, investigates global violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, advises governments on human rights protections, promotes legal reforms, and condemns harmful practices.
The U.S. has had a fluctuating relationship with the UNHRC, first withdrawing in 2018, rejoining in 2021, and withdrawing again in early 2025 following renewed criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. The current administration has not issued a statement on the SOGI mandate renewal. However, it continues to support the global decriminalization of homosexuality, opposes forced conversion therapy, and promotes free
speech on LGBTQ+ issues, even as it rolls back federal protections for transgender individuals.
Disney de-gays cartoon
Disney’s once-sharp instinct for audience trends seems to be faltering. Recent Marvel films and live-action remakes like Snow White have received lukewarm responses. Pixar’s Elio, released in 2025 after delays and reworking, also underperformed at the box office. Originally directed by Adrian Molina, Elio was intended to include a “coming out” subplot. Molina reportedly left the project after the storyline was revised to tone down LGBTQ+ themes. The final version removed hints of the protagonist’s queerness, including a male crush, and recharacterized Elio to appear more traditionally masculine. The film cost $150 million to produce, but its opening weekend ticket sales fell far short of projections.
Iran-Israeli war deadly for transgender prisoners
Iran is paradoxically one of the most prolific providers of gender-affirming surgery because it criminalizes homosexual relations and often coerces individuals into transitioning as a form of state-sanctioned “correction.” Transgender Iranians can still be imprisoned under laws banning public cross-dressing. Evin Prison in Tehran, notorious for housing political dissidents and LGBTQ+ detainees, held the country’s largest population of transgender inmates. During the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, Israeli missiles struck the facility. Israel’s Defense Minister described the attack as an effort to “cripple Iran’s tools of repression.” Iranian officials reported at least 79 deaths, and human rights advocates say the prison’s transgender ward was “flattened.” About 100 transgender inmates are missing and presumed dead.
Baylor returns a check
Baylor University, a Baptist institution in Waco, Texas, announced it will return a $643,000 grant awarded to study the inclusion of women and LGBTQ individuals in the Baptist church. Baylor explained that the research itself was not the issue, but the required advocacy in the grant conflicted with Baylor’s Statement on Human Sexuality, which affirms the Baptist belief that heterosexuality is the prescribed biblical norm and homosexual behavior is deviant. The Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, known for supporting progressive faith-based initiatives expressed disappointment, saying Baylor’s decision, “Is a missed opportunity for research and institutional courage,” urging other faith-based institutions to pursue the work Baylor abandoned. Heads up, BYU. Q
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LGBTQ+ media outlets and organizations are being urged to stay vigilant following a sophisticated scam that recently compromised Gay Parent Magazine’s Facebook page and attempted to infiltrate the Washington Blade. The scam, which appears politically motivated, involves right-wing actors posing as progressive podcast hosts to gain admin access to Facebook pages, then locking out owners and deleting their accounts.
Gay Parent Magazine, a long-standing publication serving LGBTQ families, announced that its Facebook page with more than 30,000 followers and a five-star review rating was hacked and ultimately shut down in late June. Publisher and editor Angeline Acain believes the attack was targeted and deliberate.
“We have strong reason to believe our Facebook page hacking was politically motivated. We were targeted by people who don’t support LGBTQ parents,” Acain said. “They posed as podcast hosts, invited me for an interview, then used that as a pretense to take over our Facebook page.”
According to Acain, the impersonators claimed to be hosts of a liberal, LGBTQ-friendly podcast and asked her to join a live-streamed Facebook interview. Once she agreed, they manipulated her into providing access, then swiftly deleted the page’s followers before removing the page entirely.
This attack follows a wave of coordinated trolling that began earlier in the year. After hateful commenters swarmed Gay Parent Magazine’s posts, just weeks into the current federal administration, staff spent weeks moderating, reporting, and blocking users.
“We thought we’d gotten past the worst of it,” Acain said. “But this is more insidious and dangerous.”
In response, GPM created a new Facebook page: Gay Parent Magazine-original, and is asking the LGBTQ community to help rebuild its audience.
“We are starting a campaign to rebuild the audience on our new page and are asking the community for assistance. Please help us rebuild by following our new page, writing a review, and spreading the word. We are grateful for any support,” Acain added.
The scam has also targeted at least one other LGBTQ outlet. Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff shared his own experience of nearly falling victim to the same scheme just last week.
In an internal alert email, Naff described receiving a message from someone claiming to be Jennifer Welch of the I’ve Had It podcast — a real progressive show with LGBTQ content. After agreeing to the interview, Naff was invited to a Zoom call for “prep.” On the call, Welch’s camera remained off while a man posing as a technical assistant instructed Naff to log into the Blade’s Facebook admin page and share his screen.
“I became suspicious and declined. I immediately ended the call,” Naff said. “But it was clearly an attempt to gain access. Please spread the word to your teams and anyone else in LGBTQ media that this is a right-wing attack targeting queer media outlets.”
Both Acain and Naff are urging LGBTQ media professionals, nonprofit leaders, and social media managers to be on high alert. The attackers are using real names and brands to build trust and appear legitimate before executing their plan.
RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR:
• Invitations to appear on unfamiliar or loosely familiar podcasts, especially via Facebook Live.
• Requests to join Zoom calls with hosts who stay off-camera.
• Unusual tech support instructions asking you to log into Facebook or share your screen during the call.
• Pressure to move quickly or bypass normal security steps.
• If you suspect a scam:
• End the call immediately.
• Report the account to Facebook.
• Change your passwords and review your page roles and permissions.
• Notify others in your network and local LGBTQ media.
“This isn’t just about a Facebook page — it’s about silencing queer voices,” Acain said. “But we won’t let that happen. We’ve been here before. We know how to rebuild, and we will.” Q For updates and to support the rebuilding efforts, follow Gay Parent Magazine-original on Facebook.
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Trump Administration cuts LGBTQ+ suicide prevention services from 988 crisis line
In a move that has sparked national outcry, the Trump administration has announced it will discontinue specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth on the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — services that were co-designed and championed by Utah lawmakers.
Set to end July 17, the LGBTQ+ youth pilot program within 988 was launched in 2022 to address the disproportionately high suicide risk facing LGBTQ+ young people. Since its inception, the service has logged nearly 1.3 million calls, texts, and chats.
Mental health advocates say the loss of these dedicated crisis counselors, many with lived LGBTQ+ experience, could have devastating consequences. “These services save lives,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The move hits close to home in Utah, where the original idea for a national mental health crisis line was born.
Utah State Senator Daniel Thatcher, then a Republican and longtime mental health advocate, first introduced the concept of a three-digit crisis line after a desperate call from a father whose suicidal son was turned away from an ER. “That experience started my push to increase mental health awareness and resource accessibility in Utah,” Thatcher said in a public reflection on the effort.
After early setbacks to start a Utah crisis line, Thatcher worked with the late Senator Orrin Hatch and former Utah Congressman Chris Stewart, also Republicans, to elevate the idea to the national level.
The bipartisan push helped usher in the creation of 988, which officially launched nationwide on July 16, 2022.
Thatcher told QSaltLake that specialized services for LGBTQ+, first responders, and veterans were part of the plan for 988 from its inception.
He minced no words at the policy change.
“This decision is wrong-headed and foolish. It’s as irresponsible as forcing a hospital to remove a burn unit because not all patients have burns,” he said. “It ignores scientific data and recklessly endangers those who need treatment the most.”
“It feels like a deliberate attack against the LGBTQ+ community,” he continued.
LGBTQ+ youth advocates say the administration’s decision undermines that mission. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, one of the nonprofits administering the LGBTQ+ crisis line, called the decision “devastating” and “incomprehensible.”
SAMHSA, the federal agency overseeing 988, said in a statement that LGBTQ+ youth will still have access to “culturally competent” counselors, but it will no longer offer services tailored specifically for them.
Dr. Benjamin Miller of Stanford University warned the rollback sends a dangerous message: “That message is more like, you’re on your own.”
Advocates are urging youth in crisis to continue reaching out for help through The Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678-678), as well as through the general 988 line, even as specialized services disappear. Q
Equality Utah enters its 25th year of ‘A Crazy Idea’
BY MICHAEL AARON
Nearly a quarter-century ago, Jim Dabakis had what he called a “crazy idea.” At a time when LGBTQ rights were virtually nonexistent in Utah, and political acceptance was minimal at best, he dared to ask: What if queer Utahns had real political power? What if they could elect allies, influence legislation, and claim their rightful seat at the table?
That question became a movement. On July 12, 2001, with the support of fellow community leaders Doug Wortham and Michelle Turpin, and seed funding from philanthropist Bruce Bastian, Dabakis co-founded Unity Utah, the state’s first LGBTQ Political Action Committee. Today, that organization is known as Equality Utah, and it just entered its 25th year as Utah’s leading LGBTQ political advocacy organization.
To mark the occasion, Dabakis recently returned to Equality Utah headquarters for a visit with staff and supporters, reflecting on the history that shaped the movement—and the movement that reshaped Utah.
“When we started, the goal was simple,” Dabakis told the group. “We needed fair-minded people in office, and we needed them to know we existed.”
In 2004, after voters passed Amendment 3, a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and legal recognition of same-
sex relationships, Unity Utah evolved into Equality Utah, launching two new arms: a Political Action Committee and a Foundation. The move allowed the organization to broaden its mission from elections to education and lobbying.
In 2012, Dabakis became a newly elected state senator and brought that mission directly into the Utah Capitol. He helped broker one of the most unlikely victories in LGBTQ political history: the Utah Compromise of 2015. The law, passed with bipartisan and backing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, granted nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ Utahns in housing and employment while preserving certain religious liberties. Utah became the first Republican-led state to pass such legislation.
“That moment proved that progress is possible, even here,” Dabakis said.
Dabakis’ activism is rooted in personal loss. He came out publicly during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, a time when misinformation, stigma, and indifference were rampant. After watching friends suffer, and sometimes die alone after being turned away from care, he made a promise to himself and to their memories: Never be silent again.
“I owe it to all of my friends and all the people I care about to not live quietly,” Dabakis said. “We’re not crawling back
into little holes. We’re not going away.”
That spirit still drives Equality Utah today, from its early fights for nondiscrimination ordinances and marriage equality to more recent victories like banning conversion therapy for minors, helping pass Utah’s first comprehensive hate crimes law, and inserting explicit LGBTQ protections into a 2024 religious freedom bill.
During his visit, Dabakis reminded Equality Utah’s current team that building political power in a conservative state requires not just confrontation, but also connection. His ethos has always been about turning adversaries into allies. Whether knocking on doors, debating colleagues, or negotiating with church leaders, he’s found success by engaging with people across ideological divides.
“Change happens when you sit down with someone who thinks differently, and you share your story,” said Dabakis. “And if you can do it with a sense of humor and a little charm, even better.”
The meeting was part history lesson, part strategy session, and part pep talk. Dabakis recounted how many of Equality Utah’s biggest wins didn’t start in the Capitol building, but with a phone call, a conversation, or a commitment to show up.
As Equality Utah reflects on its past, its team isn’t just looking backward. Today, the organization maintains a full-time presence at the state legislature, working year-round to influence bills that affect the LGBTQ community.
What began as a “crazy idea” in 2001 is now one of the most effective and respected LGBTQ advocacy organizations in the nation. Made in Utah, for Utah.
“Thanks for the blueprint, Jim. We’re not stopping now,” said Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams. Q For more information, visit equalityutah.org.
Utah store manager suing for being fired for refusing to use transgender pronouns
A former Bath & Body Works store manager in Layton, Utah, has filed a federal discrimination charge after she says she was fired for refusing to use a transgender employee’s pronouns based on her religious beliefs.
Jocelyn Boden, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worked at the store for three and a half years before her termination in May. Her complaint, filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleges that she was “chastised and alienated” by co-workers after she declined to use male pronouns for a transgender employee who was assigned female at birth. While Boden says she used the employee’s chosen name, she refused to use pronouns aligning with their gender identity, citing what she described as deeply held religious convictions.
“Ultimately, team members complained about Ms. Boden’s religiously motivated decision to the human resources department,” the filing states. “This complaint led to an interrogation into Ms. Boden’s use of pronouns. Ms. Boden indicated her religious objection to Bath & Body
Works’ pronoun policy, including during a discussion with her district manager just two days before the district manager terminated Ms. Boden’s employment.”
The termination notice cited “unwanted conduct directed at an individual based on their sex, which includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or transgender status.”
The case, supported by First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based conservative legal group that frames its mission around defending religious freedom, argues that Bath & Body Works violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws by terminating Boden without first offering a religious accommodation.
In a press release, First Liberty’s Senior Counsel Stephanie Taub stated, “No one should be forced to choose between their job and their faith.” The group claims Boden was fired without prior warning, despite her supervisor being aware of her religious objections.
Bath & Body Works has not publicly responded to the filing. The EEOC will now determine whether to investigate the claim.
The case touches on the ongoing national tension between religious accommodation and LGBTQ+ workplace protections, an issue particularly sensitive in Utah, where both sides are navigating a complex legal and cultural landscape shaped by the 2015 Utah Compromise and beyond.
LGBTQ+ advocates argue that refusing to use a person’s correct pronouns or gender identity at work is a form of discrimination that can contribute to unsafe and hostile environments. Legal experts note that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employees are protected from both religious discrimination and gender identity discrimination, which courts must balance when conflicts arise.
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“I read today that Chip and Joanna Gaines are featuring a gay couple in their new series. If it is true, it is very disappointing ... God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.”
—Hateful Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse
“Does Chip Gaines really think he can spend years courting a Christian audience, do a switcheroo, suddenly marketing sexual depravity and baby trafficking to us as family-friendly, and then just whine and quote Bible verses until we’re manipulated into watching it?
—Abby Libby, @_Alternatively. host
“Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never ... It’s a sad sunday when ‘non believers’ have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian”
—Chip Gaines in response to several such messages on X.
Log Cabin Republicans have blood on their hands
MARK SEGAL
Log Cabin
Republicans — and others who continue to support this administration — were warned that its policies would bring real harm to our community. That warning has now come true: the Trump administration has cut funding for LGBTQ+ suicide hotlines, effective July 17.
This isn’t hyperbole, anti-Trump rhetoric, or “fake news.” Even Fox News reported it: “The Trump Administration announced on June 18 that it has directed the national suicide
prevention hotline to stop offering specialized support to LGBTQ+ callers.”
The stakes could not be higher. The Trevor Project estimates that 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. between the ages of 13 and 24 consider suicide each year — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.
I ask those in the Log Cabin Republicans: how many of you, in your youth, considered suicide? How many of you reached out for help? No matter where we stand politically — left, right,
or center — there is one experience nearly universal in our community: the fear and panic of realizing who we are and the anxiety of telling our families and friends. Some young people — faced with rejection, abuse or hopelessness — decide they can’t go on. Others simply feel they have nowhere to turn.
Those are the young people this hotline was saving. This is deeply personal to me. At 19, as a member of Gay Youth in New York, I ran a suicide hotline out of my apartment. I spoke to countless kids in pain — bullied, beaten, abandoned, institutionalized. One call I’ll never forget came from a girl whose parents had her committed after catching her kissing another girl. She escaped and called us. She told me how unbearable the
institution was and how she couldn’t go home — she felt she had no future.
That was in 1970. And until June 18, young people like her could call someone who would not only listen, but help them find shelter and discover a community that would embrace them.
Thanks to Trump and those who enabled him, including the Log Cabin Republicans, we are back in 1970.
And when LGBTQ+ kids die because they have no one to turn to, those who stood by and did nothing — or worse, applauded these actions — will have blood on their hands. Q
Mark Segal is an American journalist. He is the founder and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News and has won numerous journalism awards for his column, “Mark My Words,” including Best Column by the National Newspaper Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.
I’veThe U.S. Supreme Court
BY DANNE WITKOWSKI
had the song “Jesus He Knows Me” stuck in my head for a few days now. The song, originally by the British band Genesis, came out in 1992, though I’ve been playing the 2023 cover by Ghost.
“Jesus He Knows Me” is a takedown of for-profit evangelical preachers. You know, the ones who tell their followers that they can get closer to God by giving up their life savings. Meanwhile, the preacher gets closer to God in a private jet.
I just watched the Genesis video for the first time in probably 20 years on YouTube (preceded without irony by an ad urging men to trade porn for the Bible). It is much tamer than the Ghost video for the song, which is NSFW and most definitely intended to be offensive.
The song was timely in 1992, and it is timely now. One could argue it’s even more so now with evangelical Christians who have embraced fascism, happily running the U.S. government and dismantling it at the same time. But in 1992, the Christofascist takeover was already underway.
In 1992, George H.W. Bush was president after spending eight years as vice president under Ronald Reagan. It was Reagan who fully opened the door for evangelical Christians, giving them unprecedented governmental access and power. Prior to this, the whole “separation of church and state” thing was, well, more of a thing. Under Reagan, it became much less of a thing, though only for Christianity.
One of the lines from the song is, “I believe in the family with my ever-loving wife beside me. She doesn’t know about my girlfriend or the man I met last night.” This perfectly sums up the hypocrisy of Christofascism, which is so blatant and so obvious. And yet, millions of people either don’t see it or pretend they don’t see it, based, in large part, on
whether it personally benefits them.
And who benefits? White, heterosexual, cisgender men, mostly. White, heterosexual, cisgender women benefit, too, though indirectly. They are protected by existing under the umbrella of white male power. Whether that protection is real or perceived does not seem to matter when it comes to white, heterosexual, cisgender women voting against their own interests, such as abortion rights, or when it comes to voting for men for president who proudly commit sexual assault. It’s a form of Stockholm Syndrome, really.
Nowhere is this more clearly on display than in the Supreme Court, which holds a 6 to 3 Christofascist majority. This means they can, and do, rule however the fuck they want regardless of pesky things like law or legal precedent or even basic human decency.
Take, for example, their recent decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor to allow parents to opt their children out of having any books with LGBTQ+ characters or themes used in their public school educations.
“One very likely consequence of Mahmoud is that schools will be very reluctant to teach any lesson that mentions homosexuality, transgender people or anything else that touches on queer sexuality or gender identity,” reports Vox. “Mahmoud is likely to impose a Florida-style ‘Don’t Say Gay’ regime on every public school classroom in America.”
In case you need a refresher, the “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibits teaching about LGBTQ+ stuff in Florida’s public schools.
The kicker is that parents can sue if their kids are exposed to the dangers of two people loving each other and/ or living authentically. The Mahmoud decision will allow parents to sue even in states that don’t have Florida’s bigoted and restrictive laws on the books.
Justice Samuel Alito based his de-
cision on some quite tortured logic.
“Alito argues that the books at issue are objectionable, not just because they feature LGBTQ+ characters, but because they suggest that certain aspects of queer culture should be ‘celebrated,’” reports Vox. “One of the contested books is a medieval fairy tale about a prince who marries a knight. According to Alito, this book is objectionable not because it includes a same-sex wedding, but because it portrays this wedding as a good thing.”
In other words, seeing gay love portrayed as positive is harmful to a child’s fragile psyche. Now, if, after the prince and the knight said “I do,” someone burst into the venue with an assault rifle and murdered everyone, that would presumably be a fine celebration of both first and second amendment rights.
Using this method, we could make a book like “And Tango Makes Three” palatable to conservatives by having the two male penguins who want to have a baby together suffocate in an oil spill. Or how about rewriting “Mommy, Mama and Me” to be about social services “rescuing” a child from lesbian parents and placing that child into an overcrowded foster home like God intended?
At the end of the day, the Supreme Court “has decided that in order to accommodate one identity group — religious conservatives — schools should be hypercautious about teaching books that feature members of another identity group — LGBTQ+ people,” reports Vox.
And while the plaintiffs included Muslim parents, make no mistake, the same people who want to erase LGBTQ+ people want to erase Muslims, too. You don’t get spared by partnering with Christofascists. You just make them stronger just in time to come for you, too. Q
D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
pastThisHappy Father’s Day, dumbass
BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS
Father’s Day, I was scrolling through my social media when I saw a posting from an organization that advocates for electing progressive politicians. It was a photo of a young man next to a homemade sign thanking his gay dads for adopting him and expressing his love for them. I found it very touching.
I don’t follow this group, so the site’s algorithm determined that I’m a progressive voter, I’m gay, and I’m a dad. I saw it as a nice little Father’s Day gift from the universe. As a sign of my appreciation, I commented on the post. I simply mentioned that after wishing us a happy Father’s Day, our oldest added a very thoughtful “thanks for being my dads.”
Now, I usually know better than to put myself in the cross hairs of people who feel confident enough to say something negative to total strangers, but I did it anyway. This is what those compelled to flaunt their ignorance and homophobia had to say about a son expressing his love for his two dads.
Naturally, there were the grotesque innuendoes that we participated in horrific activities with our sons. One guy opined, “It’s always the boys.” Never mind that we didn’t ask for sons, or that girls are 5 times more likely to be abused than boys, and by perpetrators disproportionately straight.
Then there was the lady who sent me a link with information on how Jesus could cure me of my homosexuality. Beyond the fact that nearly 30 states and over 100 municipalities around the country have banned the incredibly harmful practice of conversion therapy, imagine the uproar that would’ve ensued had the roles been reversed, and on Mother’s Day, I offered her a link to resources about becoming a lesbian?
Probably one of the strangest comments came from a guy who conde-
scendingly argued that I need to study science. With all of the shopping and adult content available online, people forget that the original purpose of the internet was for scientists to share data and research. The problem is that it’s now populated with all kinds of socalled “science” – like this guy’s study claiming gay men have female brains. I don’t know if lesbian women have dude brains; I didn’t read the study.
But perhaps my favorite comment was the shortest. Some guy simply called me a dumbass. Now, honestly, I can’t dispute that accusation. I mean, I’ve been called one plenty of times in the past, so there must be some degree of truth to it. Why exactly my comment about our son thanking us for being his dads elicited such a barb remains a mystery.
I’m secure enough in myself not to give much credence to internet trolls. I really don’t care what they think about me as a father, especially since they’ve never met me nor seen me in a parental role. But we currently live in increasingly divisive and dangerous times for LGBTQ+ people, especially for queer parents.
You may remember that I’ve written for the national publication Gay Parent Magazine. Recently, their Facebook account was hijacked by some pretty aggressive homophobes. These creeps started posting incredibly hateful remarks about LGBTQ+ parents on the page, then removed it completely. (You can read what happened in QSaltLake.) The magazine’s publisher, Angeline Acain, will not be cowed. She’s created a new profile, Gay Parent Magazine-original, follow it!
In spite of a handful of wackos, my comment about the posting was well received – over 100 people supported it. What they were really supporting is a kid who’s grateful for his two dads, even if one of them is a dumbass. Q
positive thoughts
HIV community leaders agree it’s critical to take time for yourself
BY MATHEW RODRIGUEZ
DylanBoyer recently decided it was once again time to get into his art studio. The 32-year-old Minnesota resident, who also happens to be the director of development at The Aliveness Project , the state’s largest HIV/ AIDS social service agency, needed a creative outlet. Returning to his practice as a maker of stained glass, after three years away, was the answer.
“I haven’t had the time or energy for it,” he told TheBody. But, during this particularly hostile political climate, he’s found that creating art is now an even more essential tool in his routine. “That’s what rest looks like. It has nothing to do with the outside world—it has everything to do with me.”
Boyer’s definition of rest is in line with the origins of the idea of “self-care,” a term that gets thrown around more than lightly nowadays. However, self-care has much less to do with consumerist tendencies, such as purchasing face masks or going to an expensive spa, than one might think from current discussions of the topic. Much of its origins lie in civil rights and feminist organizing.
“Anyone who is interested in making change in the world also has to learn to take care of himself, herself, theirself,” Black feminist activist and philosopher Angela Davis said in a 2018 interview with AfroPunk.
In that same interview, Davis mentioned that many famous civil rights activists were engaged in a form of generative and restorative self-care. Former Black Panther Ericka Huggins taught herself yoga and meditation, and, just recently, a picture of icon Rosa Parks engaged in a bow pose made the rounds in traditional media.
“The fact that she did yoga does not at all contradict the other things that I know about her,” Brenna Greer, associate professor of history at Wellesley College, told CNN in response to the picture. “She was often taking care of herself.”
In these acts of self-care, some might hear resonances of Audre Lorde’s infamous decree — written in her book “A Burst of Light,” a series of essays and journal entries “discussing her struggle with breast cancer — that “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
PEOPLE ARE PUSHED TO BECOME ACTIVISTS
That sense of preservation is one that many in the AIDS community feel now as the Trump administration has already demolished an infrastructure for global AIDS relief that took decades to build and maintain. Every day, a new news story about potential cuts to lifesaving social safety-net programs such as Medicaid sends many organizers, activists, people living with HIV, and people of marginalized identities into a panic.
That right-wing strategy is known as “flood the zone” — an attempt to overwhelm activists, as well as everyday Americans, into a stunned inactivity. The tactic began early in Trump’s presidency, as he unleashed a flood of executive orders that ended birthright citizenship, banned gender transitions for people under the age of 19, and pardoned the Jan. 6 insurrectionists.
Several people in the AIDS community have felt overwhelmed by the strategy, including PrEP4All executive director Jeremiah Johnson. He said in an email to TheBody that Shel Silverstein’s poem, “How to Eat a Whale” — “She took little bites and she chewed very slow,” the poet writes—has served as a reminder for how to approach such a feeling. “I have to remain focused on what I can achieve on any given day,” he said.
Activist and TheBody contributor Mark S. King even wrote about this feeling on his award-winning blog, “My Fabulous Disease.”
“The trauma — there’s no other word for it, really — of the last few months continues to weigh heavily on my psyche and my energy level,” he wrote. “Just as
this administration clearly planned, the events are happening faster than I can process them. I have been thrown back on my heels.”
King also wrote about feelings of “self-conscious guilt” he has felt while staying on the sidelines as people he knows have taken to the streets.
Of course, taking to the streets is not the only way to be part of activism. While going out and marching is intense for the body, there are many areas of activism that require even more labor. Organizing is hard; it requires navigating social and emotional relationships, corralling people together, scheduling, working with government officials, working against government officials, spreading the word about gatherings, and more. It can be an unpaid full-time job, on top of any other paid work a person might do.
“Activism is work — and many people don’t understand that,” said Beto Pérez, a visual artist and organizer living with HIV in Tlaxcala, Mexico. “You need to be available all the time.”
Thinking about activism as work often contradicts people’s conceptions of reformers and protesters. They do it, in popular lore, because they believe in a higher cause. And while activists often do work to enact change for a larger purpose, that doesn’t mean that activism is not hard work.
“People don’t want to be activists,” Pérez said. “People are pushed to be activists because situations are hard and they need to do something to make it better.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF REST
For those engaged in traditional forms of work, the weekend exists. Even this two-day respite was only won by (unpaid) organizing
by labor activists. For people who are currently a part of the response to the Trump administration’s attacks on the AIDS infrastructure or trans rights, many must find places to rest or recharge within already-packed schedules.
Just as Silverstein’s poem gave Johnson a model for how to take on the overwhelming amount of news, Johnson says that he has the same approach to rest. “What works for me is pacing myself throughout the day and having firm boundaries between when I’m ‘on’ and when I’m ‘off,’” he said. “I try to make my evenings and most of my weekend about fully letting go of the battle. That means avoiding emails, news, and any other kind of activation during my off hours and tapping into meditation and time spent with good friends to help my mind let go.”
Being able to navigate the current political landscape will require rest. As Tricia Hersey, the powerhouse behind the Nap Ministry, so succinctly puts it: Rest is resistance.
“Grind culture has normalized pushing our bodies to the brink of destruction,” Hersey wrote in the book “Rest Is Resistance”. “We proudly proclaim showing up to work or an event despite an injury, sickness, or mental break. We are praised and rewarded for ignoring our body’s need for rest, care, and repair.”
For Boyer, maintaining the distinction between time for working and time for resting is crucial for the next four years. “We need to realize when is the time to clock in, and when is the time to fight,” he said. Q
Mathew Rodriguez is a contributing editor at TheBody. This column is a project of THEBODY, PLUS, POSITIVELY AWARE, POZ and Q Syndicate. Visit their websites for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.
Ogden Pride cannot be silenced
Ogden Pride is turning up the volume this summer with its 11th annual Pride Festival, taking place Sunday, August 3, at the Ogden Amphitheater and adjacent Municipal Gardens. With the powerful theme “Pride Cannot Be Silenced,” this year’s celebration isn’t just a party — it’s a statement.
The main event caps off a full weekend of activities running August 1–3, all organized by Ogden Pride, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for and supporting Utah’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community. More than 6,000 attendees are expected for Sunday’s festival, which will include over 150 vendors, food trucks, entertainment, community resource booths, and plenty of ways to celebrate out loud.
A Weekend of Pride and Purpose
The festivities kick off Friday, August 1, with an all-ages QUEER PROM , offering young people and families a space to express themselves joyfully and safely. Saturday, August 2, brings the OGDEN PRIDE RALLY — a high-energy gathering centered on solidarity, activism, and visibility.
GLITTER IN THE AIR: THE ULTIMATE P!NK EXPERIENCE brings the powerhouse energy of P!NK to life in a dazzling, full-production tribute unmatched in its artistry and creativity. Originating from Denver, this six-piece ensemble features lead vocalist/aerialist/ pianist Michelle Cottrell, who channels P!NK’s raw vocal power, choreography, and signature aerial skills. Backed by seasoned musicians covering drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, and harmonies, the show spans three decades of hits from “Missundaztood” to “Just Give Me a Reason,” delivering a high-octane stage performance that blends musical fidelity with visual spectacle . A sensory celebration of rebellion and empowerment.
Then on Sunday, August 3, the spotlight shifts to the heart of downtown Ogden, where the amphitheater will transform into a kaleidoscope of flags, families, and fierce performances. This year’s entertainment lineup will feature mistresses of ceremonies Regent Empress XXIV LADY DELISH and Emperor XXIV J’LEE .
Utah’s Queer, all-trans glam-punk band SHECOCK WITH A VENGEANCE , led by Sofia Scott, is known for their fierce riffs and in-your-face energy, they debuted with A Taste of Something Sweet to Put In Your Mouth in 2018 and returned in 2023 with the hard-hitting EP Trannosaurus.
Ogden’s premier drag cast FUSION PRODUCTIONS , founded and led by IRCONU Empress 22 ERICKA
LEE DAAE’ RILEY AIRE CHANEL
DIAMOND DE’LYNN , brings electrifying shows to life to Junction City. Blending high-glam artistry, theatrical flair, and fierce inclusivity, they elevate the drag experience with, charisma, unapologetic pride, nerve, and talent, continuing to inspire and uplift audiences throughout the region.
‘Pride Cannot Be Silenced’
In a year marked by increasing political rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the nation, Ogden Pride’s 2025 theme hits with particular resonance.
“Now more than ever, our community needs to be seen, heard, and supported,” said organizers in a statement. “Ogden Pride stands firm in our belief that Pride is not just a celebration—it’s an act of resistance, resilience, and radical love.”
Community Roots and Ongoing Programs
Ogden Pride’s impact goes well beyond the festival weekend. The organization operates year-round programs like Youth OUTreach, which offers safe spaces and mentorship for LGBTQ+ youth; STARS in Action, which supports youth-led advocacy and leadership; and Queer Connections, which helps build social support networks for adults in the community.
All of these programs are funded by generous donations, sponsorships, and volunteer efforts — many of which are still being accepted through July 6 at ogdenpride.org.
“We rely on our community to help make this happen,” said Ogden Pride staff. “Whether it’s through volunteering, sponsoring, or simply showing up, everyone plays a part in keeping this momentum alive.”
Free and Family-Friendly
Ogden Pride 2025 is free and open to all ages, with a focus on creating a welcoming and inclusive space for people of all identities and backgrounds. Attendees
are encouraged to bring their friends, chosen family, and full selves for a day of joy, empowerment, and community. Vendor, volunteer, and sponsorship opportunities are available now at ogdenpride.org, and those wanting to stay in the loop can subscribe to the Ogden Pride newsletter or follow YourOgdenPride on Facebook. So mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate loud — because in Ogden, Pride cannot be silenced. More information at ogdenpride.org
Ogden Pride stage schedule
Friday, August 1
THE MONARCH – 455 25th Street, Ogden, UT
PINK PONY PROM | A QUEER PROM FOR ALL, 5–9PM
Free for youth 20 & under, $5 suggested donation for 21+
Queer Prom gallops into Ogden to kick off Pride Festival weekend with a night of glitter, fantasy, and fierce celebration. This all-ages event features DJ HighIntensions, free youth carriage rides, a prom photo booth, tasty food vendors, and endless magic. Whether dressed as a pastel cowpoke, neon unicorn, or prom royalty, guests are invited to saddle up, shine bright, and dance proudly at this unforgettable celebration of freedom and fabulousness.
Saturday, August 2
PROCTOR AND GAMBLE MAIN STAGE
Ogden Amphitheater, 343 E 25th St, Ogden
OGDEN PRIDE RALLY, 6pm Transgender advocate and president of Ogden Pride, SEAN CHILDERS-GRAY
Guests TBA
CONCERT, 7pm
GLITTER IN THE AIR – THE ULTIMATE P!NK EXPERIENCE – A Tribute Band
Get ready for a high-flying, heart-pounding tribute like no other as Glitter in the Air – The Ultimate P!NK Experience takes the stage at Ogden Pride. Led by powerhouse vocalist, pianist, and aerialist Michelle Cottrell, this six-piece band doesn’t just cover P!NK, they embody her. With jaw-dropping aerial silk performances, choreographed dance, and pitch-perfect vocals, Cottrell and crew deliver a show that’s as bold and fearless as the artist herself. Fans will rock out
to three decades of hits, including “Just Give Me A Reason,” “So What,” “Raise Your Glass,” “Try,” and the iconic “F**kin’ Perfect.”
Fueled by genuine admiration and emotional connection to P!NK’s empowering music, Glitter in the Air isn’t just a concert—it’s a full-blown celebration of strength, individuality, and unapologetic joy.
Sunday, August 3
PROCTOR AND GAMBLE
MAIN STAGE , 11am – 8pm
*Ogden Amphitheater, 343 E 25th St, Ogden, Times subject to change 11 AM
Welcome and Festival Kickoff with the OGDEN PRIDE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
11:15 AM
J’LEE & LADY DELISH
Introduction to Ogden Pride’s Mistresses of the Mic, emcees
J’Lee and Lady Delish, Imperial Rainbow Court of Northern Utah Emperor XXIV and Regent Empress XXIV
11:30 AM
CHEER SALT LAKE
Cheer Salt Lake is a spirited team composed of members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies, united by a mission to support LGBTQIA+ causes through charitable cheerleading. As founding members of the Pride Cheerleading Association, they are part of a larger network of squads committed to activism
and inclusion. Together with their sister teams, Cheer Salt Lake has helped raise nearly $20,000 locally and an impressive $1.4 million globally for LGBTQIA+ organizations and initiatives. CHEERSALTLAKE.ORG
11:50 AM
THE HAUS DANCE
The Haus Dance Agency fosters a supportive community where dancers grow artistically and emotionally. Through a blend of technical training and personal expression, students develop their unique style and confidence, preparing them for success both on and off the stage. From local performances to the World of Dance stage, they love sharing their art with you. THEHAUSDANCE.COM
12:30 PM PHARAOH
Pharaoh, Mr. Gay Idaho 42, is a drag king, writer, cosplayer, and Vtuber whose heart guides his journey. Living in Idaho, he brings creativity, charisma, and pride wherever he goes. LINKTR. EE/PHARAOHCALX
12:50 PM TRIBALOVEDANCE
TRIBALovedance, led by Deja Mitchell and Sierra Vashro, brings dynamic West African dance and drumming to life. With over 30 years of experience, Mitchell empowers dancers of all levels through culturally rich, high-en-
ergy classes that celebrate movement, artistry, and community. They are dedicated to celebrating uniqueness, inclusivity, and love in all its forms. TRIBALOVEDANCER.ORG
1:15 PM DOVE DANIELS
Dove Daniels is a genderfluid drag artist blending small-town grit with big-stage flair. Originally from rural Pennsylvania and now based in Utah, Dove is the future of drag a force of genderfluid drag artistry, with a flair for the unexpected and a commitment to keeping things queer.
1:50 PM
JAYROD GARRETT
Jayrod P. Garrett (they/them) is a storytelling educator with a Creative Writing MFA from the University of Nevada, Reno. As a child, they came to Utah on a three-week vacation that became over 40 years to bloom into a nonbinary, Black, atheist, U.S. veteran with PTSD and ADHD. They tell stories as an educator with RISE Virtual
Academy, Nubian Storytellers of Utah Leadership, and as the Belonging Coordinator of Superstars Writing Seminars. They live in northern Utah with their spouse and their three children. JAYRODPGARRETT.COM
2:20 PM
PERFECT STORM
Perfect Storm is the solo project of transgender singer-songwriter Sammy, blending raw, emotional lyrics with rock-driven guitar. With 22 years of guitar experience and roots in ’90s and 2000s rock, blues, and classical styles, Sammy brings powerful authen-
ticity to every performance. Two original albums are currently in the works. INSTAGRAM.COM/ PERFECTSTORM.BAND
3:00 PM
FUSION PRODUCTIONS
Ogden’s premier drag cast, Fusion Productions, founded and led by IRCONU Empress 22 Ericka Lee Daae’ Riley Aire Chanel Diamond De’Lynn, brings electrifying shows to life in Junction City. Blending high-glam artistry, theatrical flair, and fierce inclusivity, they elevate the drag experience with charisma, unapologetic pride, nerve, and talent, continuing to inspire and uplift audiences throughout the region.
3:40 PM LEXY
Young and ready to take on the world, Lexy has been performing as a youth entertainer since her parents began volunteering with
the IRCONU when she was just six. She believes that youth have a place to show that even the youngest have the potential to be who they are through expression. She was on the Ogden Pride Youth OUTreach Council, and has participated in Ogden Pride festivities since 2017.
4:00 PM
IMPERIAL RAINBOW COURT OF NORTHERN UTAH
Now in their 25th Reign and celebrating 32 years of service, the IRCONU is the longest-running LGBTQ+ organization north of Shepard Lane. Founded in 1993 and elevated to Imperial status in 2000, this all-volunteer nonprofit raises funds year-round for local, national, and international causes, from the Christmas Box House to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. While they’re known for their dazzling drag performances,
the IRCONU is more than glam and glitter, they’re a creative force for good. IRCONU.ORG
4:50 PM
UTAH GAY RODEO ASSOCIATION
The Utah Gay Rodeo Association celebrates LGBTQ+ pride through rodeo and Western culture. Founded in 1979 and revived in 2016, UGRA promotes community, inclusion, and country-western fun. Open to all 21+, UGRA brings rodeo spirit, and a little dust, back to Utah with heart, grit, and pride.
UTAHGAYRODEO.COM
5:25 PM
ANYA BACON
Anya Bacon is Salt Lake City’s favorite nonbinary breakfast! A fierce plus-size drag queen who was born and raised in Logan, Utah, with a heart as big as her heels. Advocating for everyone who is “othered” and forgotten,
she is on a mission to spread empowerment and self-love. She is a Disney pin collector who grew up Mormon, but prefers moscato to judgment these days. Aspiring functional adult, lover of Broadway, and always ready for snacks! INSTAGRAM.COM/ THEANYABACON
5:50 PM
HOLLY RANCHER
Get ready for the Holly Rancher Experience. Please welcome to the stage, local bio queen, Holly Rancher.
6:15PM
JAZI KAT
Since her debut in 2016, Utahbased producer and performer Jazi Kat has delivered high-energy music inspired by EDM, Eurodance, and bubblegum pop. Known as your Hottest Pink Idol, she creates empowering, joyfilled spaces on stage and online, where everyone is encouraged
to live boldly and dream big.
JAZIKATXOX.COM
7:00PM SHECOCK
Shecock is a fierce three-piece rock band from Salt Lake City, known for its electrifying sound and intense performances. The trio blends punk, grunge, and hard rock with elements of glamour. Delivering raw riffs and catchy hooks, showcasing their bold style and themes of resilience. Get ready to rock out with yer Shecock out. shecock.band Q
More at ogdenpride.ord
Regional Prides
Here’s a chronological guide to the regional Pride events yet to happen this year.
Trans Pride-N-Joy Fest
AUGUST 9, (SALT LAKE COUNTY)
Celebrate and uplift Utah’s transgender and nonbinary community at the 6th annual Trans Pride-N-Joy Fest, hosted by Genderbands on Saturday, August 9, 2025. This vibrant, all-ages festival centers trans joy and visibility with live entertainment, local vendors, food trucks, and a welcoming, affirming atmosphere. The event also features a sensory-friendly Chill Zone, ASL interpretation, and accessibility measures to ensure everyone feels included. Tickets are $5, with volunteer opportunities available for those unable to pay. After-parties, including a family-friendly show, a 21+ drag event, and a Trans Pool Party, will follow the main festival.
GENDERBANDS.ORG/TRANSPRIDE
Logan Pride Festival
SEPTEMBER 6 (LOGAN)
Northern Nevada Pride
SEPTEMBER 6 (RENO, NEVADA)
Reno brings the LGBTQ+ community of northern Nevada together for a Pride at Wingfield Park and a one-mile parade along Virginia Street from Under the Arch to Over the River.
NORTHERNNEVADAPRIDE.ORG/
Pride of Southern Utah
SEPTEMBER 27 (ST. GEORGE)
Pride in the Park, Southern Utah’s largest LGBTQ+ festival, returns Saturday, Sept. 27, at JC Snow Park in St. George. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., enjoy live performances, food vendors, and a vibrant queer marketplace. This free, family-friendly event celebrates love, identity, and community. Everyone’s welcome!
PRIDEOFSOUTHERNUTAH.ORG
Las Vegas Pride
OCTOBER 10 (LAS VEGAS)
Logan Pride is in the planning stages for its upcoming festival. Details regarding the date, location, and activities will be shared soon. The festival aims to bring together the community in celebration of diversity, inclusion, and love.
LOGANPRIDE.ORG
Boise Pride
SEPTEMBER 6 (BOISE, IDAHO)
Boise Pride is gearing up for their biggest festival yet. Ann Morrison Park ffers more space for bigger crowds for a powerful celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, visibility, and community. Get ready for an unforgettable weekend. BOISEPRIDEFEST.ORG
Las Vegas starts with its nighttime parade and block party on October 10 in Downtown. The next day is the Festival, which begins as a family-friendly PG-rated experience until the clock strikes 7, when PRIDE After-Dark takes over with plenty of R-rated entertainment. .LASVEGASPRIDE.ORG
Salt Lake Leather Pride
OCTOBER 19 1– 8PM
Celebrate Salt Lake City’s Leather, Kink, and BDSM community at this vibrant indoor/outdoor festival with vendors, entertainment, auctions, food, drinks, giveaways, and the Mr. Leather Slut 2025 contest. Free entry (21+) with complimentary ticket. SLCLEATHERPRIDE.COM
QSaltLake Lagoon Day returns Aug. 10: A sea of red, joy, and queer community
Each summer, Utah’s LGBTQ+ community claims a day of joy, connection, and roller coasters at Lagoon Amusement Park. This year, QSaltLake Lagoon Day is set for Sunday, August 10.
The annual gathering draws hundreds, sometimes up to 2,000, queer Utahns and allies to the iconic Farmington amusement park. Attendees are encouraged to wear red to stand out in solidarity
and celebration. The Honey Locust Pavilion will once again serve as the community’s home base as an all-day hangout for picnics, rest, and meeting new friends. A group photo is scheduled for 4 p.m.
“Seeing two young guys holding hands, laughing, and wearing matching red shirts … It changed something in me,” shared Tyler Bennett, a past attendee. “It was a simple moment, but I’ll never forget how free they looked.”
While the event is not exclusive, since general visitors will also be in the park, the energy on QSaltLake Day is unmistakably queer and welcoming.
Lagoon, Utah’s largest
amusement park, boasts ten major coasters, dozens of games and rides, a water park, and the historic Pioneer Village. Opened in 1886 and still family-owned, the park also carries a legacy of civil rights. Under the leadership of Robert Freed, Lagoon formally desegregated in the 1940s, ahead of many public venues in the state, a move that earned Freed recognition from the NAACP.
The discount ticket code 20QSALTL25 goes live 7/25 at SHOP.LAGOONPARK.COM saving $23 per person. Q
For more information about the park, go to LagoonPark.com. For more information about the QSaltLake Lagoon Day, see our Facebook Event.
Transgender UofU alum Jae XO drops ‘Fabulous’ — a queer anthem of joy, power, and rebirth
This Independence Day, University of Utah alum Jae XO dropped a declaration of freedom unlike any other — one not made in fireworks, but in fierce beats and brass horns. Their new single, “Fabulous,” released July 4 across all streaming platforms, is a bold summer anthem celebrating queer joy, radical self-love, and the sheer audacity of living out loud. Jae XO (they/she), a revolutionary transgender artist, performer, and activist, poured a year’s worth of grief, growth, and glitter into the track. After losing their mother in 2024 to
a long struggle with addiction, Jae refused to let sorrow define them.
“I wrote Fabulous because I needed to remind myself how fucking fabulous I am,” they said. “This was my vow to step beyond depression and reclaim joy.”
Born in Kentucky, sharpened in New York City, and classically trained at the University of Utah’s musical theatre program, Jae’s path has never been conventional. Their career began with performances at Salt Lake Acting Company and working with Pioneer Theatre Company, growing into Broadway blockbusters (Back to the Future, Some Like It Hot),
television (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), and the electric cabaret scene of NYC. But with Fabulous, Jae turned the dial all the way up.
The idea sparked during a chaotic late-night Uber ride from a Cheesecake Factory in New Jersey. “Out of nowhere, I sang, ‘me and the dolls on the West Side Highway,’ and the whole car lost it,” Jae recalled. That lyric became the song’s fiery opening line. What followed was a Gwen Stefani-meets-drumline banger, full of swagger, brass, and even a surprise rap verse. “It’s a love letter to the band geeks, the drama kids, the queer kids who never got to march proud.”
Produced by Velvet Code and recorded with Grammy-winning engineer Denise Barbarita at MONOLisa Studios, Fabulous is Jae’s most unapologetic statement yet. But beneath the playful bravado lies a message of defiance. “Being openly trans and queer in today’s climate is revolutionary,” Jae said. “Visibility is protest. Glam is protest. And this song is a celebration of that.”
The single follows their 2023 debut Spinning, a dreamy ballad about anxiety and self-worth. But with Fabulous, Jae leapt into a new era, where genre rules crumble and reinvention reigns.
“This song showed me I can be any type of artist I want. And if that changes next year? That’s fabulous too,” they said.
Jae will be performing throughout the Northeast this summer, including a hotly anticipated show at Brooklyn’s iconic 3 Dollar Bill on August 21. Their creative team includes queer fashion talent like Evan Nicholas, nail artist Sammy Daoud, and the visual collective Lone Ace Design, who helped bring the track’s eye-popping imagery to life.
“It takes a village to make a pop star,” Jae said. “And mine is loud, proud, queer — and fabulous.” Q
Follow @jaexo.music on all platforms to stream Fabulous and witness the rise of one of the queer music scene’s fiercest new voices.
the bookworm sez
REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
‘Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search
had left Capehart’s mother long before Capehart’s birth, and though the man visited afterward, “he didn’t stay long….”
for Home’
by Jonathan Capehart
C.2025, GRAND CENTRAL, $30, 272 PAGES
One hand over the other.
That’s how you climbed to where you are now. One rung at a time, hand over hand until you reach the intended goal. Yes, sometimes you went backward before you ascended again or you had to move sideways past a barrier. And sometimes, as in the new memoir, “YET HERE I AM” BY JONATHAN CAPEHART, you got a hand up. His mother refused to talk about it. When little Jonathan Capehart inquired about his father, who died just months after Capehart was born, he was met with a look that told him not to ask again. He didn’t learn the truth until he was well out of childhood: his father
q
scopes
AUGUST
BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS
ARIES March 20–April 19
Momentum is building, and you’re ready to charge ahead. But before you sprint, take a moment to map your route. Focused energy will take you further than scattered effort. Trust your instincts, but sharpen your strategy.
TAURUS Apr 20–May 20
Security is comforting, but growth often asks for a little risk. This month invites you to step slightly outside your comfort zone. Small, intentional changes now can open the door to unexpected joys later.
GEMINI May 21–June 20
Your mind is buzzing with possibilities, but not every spark needs to ignite. Focus on the ideas that stir your heart, not just your curiosity. Clarity
The loss stung but things turned out well anyhow. Capehart had many father figures throughout his life, paternal relatives who kept him in the family loop, and his maternal grandpa who played a big part of Capehart’s upbringing. Young Capehart spend his summers in Severn, North Carolina, playing, visiting, gathering lessons and wisdom from his mother’s parents and aunts. In Severn, extended family was everywhere, and it’s where many of Capehart’s best childhood memories spring.
He also has many cherished memories of his mother, and books. He was always a reader, and schoolmates recognized it. They also “knew I was a little ‘funny’,” he muses because, at ten years old, he knew he was gay. His mother had had to teach him the hard truths in “how to be Black in white spaces” but college friends gave him safety for “self-discovery.”
Also at the tender age of ten, Capehart became fascinated with electronic media, and decided that he wanted to work at NBC, later interning at the Today show for two summers. At nineteen, he met a mentor who demanded excellence,
comes when you quiet the noise and listen to your inner voice.
CANCER June 21–July 22
Connection is calling. Reach out to those who make you feel safe and seen. Emotional nourishment will strengthen you for the road ahead. Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s your secret source of power right now.
LEO July 23–August 22
Your natural charisma shines brighter than ever this month. However, it’s not about applause; it’s about purpose. Lead with kindness and generosity, and you’ll leave a lasting impact far beyond the moment.
VIRGO August 23–Sep 2
Details demand your attention, but don’t get lost in them. Step back and see the bigger picture. Trust that everything doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes, progress looks like patience.
and who shaped Capehart’s career. Twelve years later, that same mentor offered Capehart his own MSNBC show…
As memoirs go, “Yet Here I Am” is a solid okay.
It’s not earth-shattering, nor is it wildly fascinating. It’s not exciting or heart-wrenching or even all that emotional, but it’s not terrible, either. Overall, it’s smack-center, a “5” on a one-to-ten scale, and there we are.
Moving from his middle-class childhood in which he vaguely understood the racism present in his mother’s hometown, to a wildly successful career in media and the mentors who helped him get where he is, author Jonathan Capehart shares his story with a casual tone that’s calm and matter-of-fact. Readers get a nice look at the workings of journalism and what it’s like to win a Pulitzer Prize, but if you’re expecting the kind of excitement you want in a deadline-racing newsroom, it’s not here; instead, Capehart writes in a decidedly unruffled manner that’s really pretty tame.
Still, Capehart fans will absolutely want to read this memoir for its thoughtfulness and its satisfactory ending. Not a fan? Then “Yet Here I Am” could be a long climb. Q
LIBRA Sept 23–October 22
Relationships take center stage now, but remember, harmony begins within. Focus on your own needs before trying to please everyone else. When you honor your truth, balance will naturally follow.
SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21
This month stirs deep reflection. You’re being called to examine your desires and motives. Transformation is close, so let go of old patterns that no longer serve you. Step into the next version of you.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov 22–December 20
Freedom isn’t just physical, it’s mental too. Clear out limiting beliefs that hold you back from your full potential. When you release outdated narratives, you’ll find new doors opening all around you.
CAPRICORN
Dec 21–Jan 19
Your determination is admirable, but don’t forget the power of rest. This is a time to recharge and recalibrate. Slowing down now will prepare you for the leaps you’ll take later. You have some good times ahead.
AQUARIUS Jan 20–Feb 18
Your originality is your strength, but this month calls for collaboration. Working with others could spark surprising breakthroughs. Share your ideas freely, as you never know who will help bring them to life.
PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19
Creativity flows effortlessly now. Let your imagination wander without judgment. Whether through art, music, or daydreams, trust that your visions are guiding you somewhere meaningful, even if you don’t see it. Q
FRANKIE GRANDE IS READY TO BE THE GAYEST POP STAR ON EARTH
WHEN FRANKIE
Grande bounces into our Zoom meeting, he seems to radiate enough energy to power a small city. The self-proclaimed “gayest person on earth” is about to release his debut album and he’s turned all the way up — dimmers be damned. It’s a moment that’s been “brewing and churning and bubbling” for years, and now that it’s here, Grande is doing what he does best: going all in, unapologetically queer and completely unfiltered. At 42, the performer and activist — who previously captured our attention on “Big Brother” in 2014, as the flamboyant Frankini on Nickelodeon, and through his advocacy work with GLAAD — has finally found his sound. Drawing from the icons who shaped his childhood dance parties — Madonna, Whitney Houston and Donna Summer — and his musical-theater background, Grande has crafted a collection of pure, resilience-building dance music with “Hotel Rock Bottom.”
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
GRANDE CHANNELS
The album’s first two singles, “RHYTHM OF LOVE” and “BOYS,” turn up the heat with unapologetic queerness — sweaty bodies, sexual energy — offering a bold invitation to celebrate the pleasures of queer joy. The accompanying videos, which he describes with unflinching honesty, function as both artistic expression and personal catharsis, revisiting scenes from his wilder, pre-sobriety days through the freer, more grounded perspective of who he is now.
During this current Pride season, as conservatives continue their legislative assault on LGBTQ+ rights, Grande sees his album as more than entertainment — it’s activism on the dance floor. During our conversation, Grande opens up about sister Ariana’s emotional reaction to his music, his surprising journey from EP to major-label signing, and why he believes supporting the trans community should be every gay man’s priority this Pride season.
Congratulations on your upcoming debut album! How long has this been in the making? It is really surreal to be talking about it, and I guess this has been brewing and churning and bubbling under the surface for many, many years. I think once the button was pressed, everything poured out of me. This album wrote itself almost, and so quickly, and it was because I had all these stories under the surface that I have been telling through moments on social media or working toward a novel one day and writing in my journal and talking at sober meetings in order to share my experience, strength and hope. And then all of a sudden there was this new medium available to me, which was music, which I just never ever gave the opportunity that it deserved, I guess. So as soon as I started writing, the whole album fell out of my mouth fully developed — JK! — but it was really exciting and I’m really happy it’s happening.
ence on there, but there’s also a tremendous amount of David Bowie. He was my North Star growing up. When I saw him in “Labyrinth” as the Goblin King, I was like, “What the fuck is that? And how do I become that immediately? That’s me.”
“As the world falls down, falling…” — I just wanted to be David Bowie so badly. And George Michael, another huge, huge influence in my life growing up. My mom loves George Michael, so he was
What’s the earliest memory of you wanting to create music? My mother really just had me dancing around the living room when I was a little boy. She was a single mom. [My parents] got divorced when I was 2 years old. And so it was really just me and my mom. And she loved Madonna, she loved Whitney, she loved Donna Summer. She loved Barbra Streisand. And so as I was growing up, it was a dance party 24/7 in mommy’s bedroom, and I remember spinning the “Speed of Sound” and Donna Summer’s “MacArthur’s Park” and “No More Tears.” And then of course, once I got my hands on Madonna’s “Immaculate Collection,” it was over, honey. So I think in that moment I was like, “Maybe this is something that I can do one day.”
Were these pop inspirations on your mind as you were working on this album? Absolutely. I pull from ’70s, ’80s and ’90s throughout the album sonically, but then vocally, there’s a lot of Madonna influ-
on my screen constantly. And so vocally, I wanted to also capture that unique male tone that raised me that you don’t necessarily hear so much these days on the radio. The biggest hurdle for me was figuring out what my sound is going to be on a record coming from musical-theater training, coming from these heavy ’80s male rock influences. How do I do that on a dance-pop record in 2025? And we got there, and I’m very proud of it. But it was a journey. It was an exciting one. How did you get there? I know someone close to you — your younger sister, Ariana — has made the transition from musical theater to pop and back again. Do you ever talk with her about how she navigates those shifts between genres? Oh yeah. Ariana was my advisor throughout the entire process. It is so cool. Finally, we are speaking the exact same language. I mean, obviously there was musical theater and Broadway, and we’ve followed in each
other’s footsteps throughout both of our careers on and off. But she’s the shepherd. I am learning directly from her, and it’s been just an incredible experience. And finding my sound, I actually did on my own because I didn’t let her in on the process until I had something to share. And even then, I was terrified. I was so scared to play it for my sister just because, what if it sucked? Do you know what I’m saying? Come on. That would’ve been really horrible. I want to throw up just thinking about it. What if it was terrible? It wasn’t terrible. She started crying as soon as she heard the first song and immediately was like, “You need to keep going. This is remarkable and unbelievable and holy shit, and what a unique sound and perspective you have, and this needs to be out in the world.”
From that point moving forward, I sent her everything in real time, but I had almost an entire EP recorded by the time that she even heard it. And so what was that process like? It was basically just playing in the studio and figuring out what sounds good, with some coaching from producers and vocal coaches. Some of the best parts of me that I found was really dropping into a character inside the studio based on the song that I’m singing and using that character as a device to tell the story. I jump around my entire life in this album process. It’s not all being recorded from Frankie today. There’s some drunken, debaucherous Frankie from 20 years ago. And so dropping into that character in the studio really helped solidify the sound. How far back to former Frankie are you taking us on this album? Great question. The first song was called “I Don’t Remember It.” It was produced by Gregory Dillon, and it’s on an EP but not on the album. This was the EP that I ended up bringing to Republic,
expecting them to be like, “Oh, there’s this queer indie label that we know. Go over there. We have a friend, we will set up a meeting.” But instead, they signed me on the spot, which was crazy. But we’ve recorded a whole new album since that EP, so hopefully songs from that will come out into the world.
But the first song is “I Don’t Remember It,” and that was my answer to “Heartstopper” season two, which actually had very few queer artists represented in their music. Season three, they completely fixed that, by the way. Season three was Troye Sivan’s entire album. So good job.
Obviously I wasn’t the only one having an issue when these two boys took to the dance floor for prom and they danced to Carly Rae Jepsen. Love Carly Rae Jepsen. It should be a huge homosexual. [But the music] should be like a big, cocksucking, faggot homosexual they should be dancing to. And I was happy to provide a service.
So I went into the studio and recorded a song for that moment. It’s like an ’80s gay prom song and there is a song on the album that I feel is perfect for that moment. I ended up recording a gay wedding song in my mind. It’s called “Bound to You,” and it has a play on…. maybe it’s bound to marriage, maybe it’s bound to you in leather daddy form. But regardless, it’s a song about my marriage. The video for “Rhythm of Love” is unabashedly queer. Was it your idea to shoot this in a queer club and make out with a guy in the bathroom? Of course. And if you think that is queer, wait till you see “Boys.” It is just fucking in the steam room. The premise of “Boys” is, I’m going to the gym, but then I see a hot man played by Laith Ashley, and I decide to skip the gym and go straight to the steam room. So anyway, I’ve never been in better shape. I’ve never been more naked. I am so excited for you to see “Boys.” But yes, let’s go back to the beginning. The beginning of time, “Rhythm of Love,” my debut single where I really wanted to be unapologetically queer. I’m on the board of GLAAD, and I think that the unique position that I find myself in is, I am already the gayest person in media. I’m not having a conversation with
myself about, “Ooh, how gay do I want to be as a recording artist?” I am already the gayest person on earth. So now I get to be the gayest person in music. That is so important right now for our LGBTQ+ community to have unabashedly, homosexual, free, sexually liberated human beings for them to look up to. And this is my time, this is my moment. This is why I did it. This is why I was like, “I want the beginning of ‘Rhythm of Love’ to be me going down on a man in a bathroom stall at The Box [in New York City].” Also, because that was me for many, many, many years. He actually represents drugs in the music video. So the way that I was using drugs in that bathroom stall, that exact bathroom stall actually, but I wanted it to be more universal. So we decided to use obsession over a relationship, obsession over that guy that you just met at the bar who you don’t give a shit about, but you’re out with your friends. But the whole time you’re still thinking, “Where is that guy? What is he doing? Is he with somebody else? Should I go back to the bathroom?” And it’s like, “Bitch, just enjoy your fucking friends. Just have a good night.” But my obsession with men, with drinking, with using was so strong that I lost the ability to do that, even though I knew
that there was a community around me that was so beautiful and loving. And so that’s the story of “Rhythm of Love.” I’m up on the stage with my best friends who I was in “Mamma Mia!” with; there’s actual people in that video who were with me during that time.
And you’re in the bathroom at the club you used to frequent? Yeah, that’s where I drank and did all my drinking and using and fucking when I was in the clubs.
You’ve changed a lot since, so how did it feel to return to a place as a different person? So in that space, since I have gotten sober, I’ve gotten married at The Box. I shot galas for GLAAD and had parties there in sobriety. So coming back for this music video was really beautiful and full circle. Also dropping into that character of who I used to be, but then getting the director to say cut and then being me again, oh, how powerful. How liberating to not be controlled by drugs and alcohol, but still get to have that kind of fun. And that also spills into the “Boys” music video. I am just fully getting triple penetrated in a steam room. And then the director says cut. And I’m back to being a married man with a puppy. It’s cool. It’s liberating. It’s cathartic. Life imitates art. And then I get to tell the story to the world of a time in my life that I’m no longer in.
Pride is heavy this year, given the current federal administration’s attacks on LGBTQ+ people. How’re you feeling as you prepare to perform at several Pride events? Going back to that point of me being the gayest person on earth, us just existing right now is a form of protest. But luckily, I also am an activist. So I would say the reason that this Pride is more important than ever is for our trans siblings. The whole thing, everything for me, even this launch, is just to make sure that the trans community also feels loved and represented and wrapped in our rainbow. All of the colors of the rainbow are especially referred to the trans community now, during this time. I think there’s still a big group of gay — I’m a gay man, so I’ll speak for gay men — who feel like, “That’s their problem, and it’s not my problem.” And that’s not true. If anything happens to the trans
community, it is our problem. It is gay men’s problem. We need to fight for them. So that’s going to be my message throughout this Pride. And the reason why I’m so excited to release this album is because in my life when the community has been under attack, I’ve always run to the dance floor. And that is not going to change. I feel like the dance floor is our safe place. It is where we come together as a commu-
nity. It’s where we fucking recharge, which we need to do so that we can go back into battle, which we need to do.
Given your platform and the importance of visibility, why do you think the character Frankini on Nickelodeon’s “Henry Danger,” and then the movie released earlier this year, has been a significant step forward for representation on the network? I mean, it was the best thing ever. Frankini
is 8 years old now, maybe 9 at this point. And so that amount of representation on TV back then is just crazy for live-action children programming. To my knowledge, it is the first. For a long time, it was the only. I don’t know of any other live-action queer characters on kids programming, but I hope there are more. I really do. And it was such an honor to get to play him and also get little boys coming up to me in theme parks being like, “I get to wear nail polish because Frankini wears nail polish.” I’m like, “I’ll throw myself off this ride. I’m so emotional.” But yeah, it was just a huge gift and a gift that keeps on giving. I was so lucky I got to play him in the movie, and he got to make gay jokes. It was fun.
Another seminal moment for you and representation was you just being yourself on “Big Brother.” How do you reflect on that chapter now? I was a badass, man. It was so fucking cool to be, again, the gayest person on earth and the one that everyone feared and the one that everyone was scared is going to win the show, is going to win every competition. “You can’t beat him. He’s unbeatable” I was beaten, but it was just because Derek was a fucking undercover cop. But you know what I’m saying? It was really cool to be the gayest person and also the most feared on a very difficult reality TV competition.
I was actually sprinting in Barry’s boot camp, and have you ever been to Barry’s? You’re right in front of the mirror and you’re just staring into your fucking soul and you’re like sprinting at 12 mph, and you’re like, “I can go faster.” And I literally looked at myself in the mirror and
I said, “You are one of the greatest competitors that has ever competed on ‘Big Brother.’” I gagged myself. And then I was like, “Faster.” So do whatever you need to do to motivate yourself. But yeah, no, I’m fucking incredible. What’s one moment in your activism over the years that you’re especially proud of? I’m very proud of this new chapter with GLAAD, WHERE I PARTNERED WITH PEPPERMINT to pen a letter to the reality TV industry. I’m demanding that they have more fair and inclusive casting for the LGBTQ+ community because we’re still in a place of tokenism on shows like “Big Brother” and even “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race.” “Traitors” is doing much better recently, but we want even more.
Having one letter in the rainbow on one season is not OK. You can’t be like, “Oh, we hit our LGBTQ+ quota with this one cast member.” You can’t do that. So do better. And I’m proud that I’ve shone a light on this, because I don’t think people think about it, to be honest. They’re like, “No, there’s that gay guy. The gay guy’s on it.” Let’s put four gay men on a fucking single season. And a trans woman and a lesbian. You know what? Maybe it’s OK to show two men making out in the “Big Brother” house. Maybe that’s what we need. Maybe we need the next marriage out of “Big Brother” to be a homosexual one. I’m ready. Q
Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
A Bubble of ‘Siblinghood’
How
St. Petersburg, Florida defies the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ reputation
Personal connections and community warmth challenge Florida’s political narrative
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
It’s easy to dismiss Florida as merely ground zero for anti-queer legislation; after all, the state earned an ADVISORY WARNING from Equality Florida in 2023 — this before similar federal actions against the LGBTQ+ community followed. Yet my arrival in St. Petersburg revealed a surprising contrast: I landed in the heart of the city during the inaugural WINTER PRIDE , a weeklong celebration held in February openly embracing the LGBTQ+ community in full force. Checking into the adults-only MARI JEAN HOTEL, I soon found myself amid
a boisterous crowd of LGBTQ+ revelers enthusiastically flinging bologna slices at “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Jimbo’s cartoonish figure within the hotel’s popular poolside bar, COCKTAIL. When one slice smacked against her breastplate like some absurdist game of pin the tail on the donkey, the cognitive dissonance struck me: Was this really Florida, the birthplace of “Don’t Say Gay” legislation? The answer, as I discovered, is that even the reddest states harbor vibrant pockets of bologna-tossing rebellion.
The Mari Jean, which opened in 2023, occupies a prime corner lot in the Grand Central District, St. Pete’s unofficial gayborhood. This vibrant area has served as an LGBTQ+ cultural hub since the 1980s and ’90s, organically growing with LGBTQ-owned businesses, bars and community spaces. Given its decades of colorful history and celebration, this district has undoubtedly witnessed its fair share of outrageous antics.
In this unexpected enclave of acceptance, I didn’t feel like I was living inside the troubling headlines about
Florida. Instead, I was being warmly embraced by a community that defied the state’s reputation — on my first night, I was even led to the GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE across the street by two kind locals in their 60s who insisted I try their coffee stout.
All down Central Avenue, rainbow flags adorn shops and restaurants. The Mari Jean Hotel stands as a bold statement itself, with an unmissable mural on its exterior depicting two men intimately cozying up in a pool — a public celebration of queer identity that feels both defiant and perfectly at home in this progressive Sunshine State haven.
For co-owner David Fischer, the multiplex, which includes Cocktail and a new lounge called THE BALL (featuring dancers in showers, it truly lives up to its “pop art paradise” description), is an extension of not just who he is but where he came from. Being raised by Catholic conservative parents who “would much rather tell you I’m gay than tell you I didn’t vote Republican” — plus, not coming out until he was 31 — was partly
the catalyst for turning an old building previously used as a nursing home into something meaningful for the community: “I want to give people that space that I didn’t have,” Fischer tells me.
In his nine years as a full-time resident of St. Pete, Fischer has seen the city develop considerably — his Mari Jean property was one of the earliest renovations on that corner of Central Avenue. Down toward the pier is his home decor shop, ZAZOO’D, now located at 633 Central Ave.
“I can even think back to 12 years ago when we opened ZaZoo’d down at 500 block and Central: It was pretty bad and pretty desolate from businesses being there,” he recalls. “It was just starting to come back down that way. We were on the front end of developing down there. And once we started with the Mari Jean and the place across the street, Grand Central Brewhouse and LALA Karaoke started to build. That helped the resurgence of the whole neighborhood.”
Something ‘magical’ about St. Pete
For Rachel Covello, finding a wedding ring on the ground near a parking meter on her first night in St. Pete made her feel like she’d landed in a special place. “I picked it up,” she says, keeping it until returning later to the meter. There, she met its tearful owner. “He was emotional and crying when I showed him the ring. “That was my first impression of St. Pete,” Covello says, calling the city “magical.”
That feeling — of connection, of belonging, of things somehow falling into place — is what draws so many LGBTQ+ people to St. Pete. In a state where queer and trans communities are increasingly under political attack, this city stands as a sanctuary of inclusion and joy. Like a lost treasure discovered unexpectedly, St. Petersburg offers the acceptance many have searched for their entire lives.
Covello moved from Pennsylvania to St. Pete seven years ago. She runs OUTCOAST.COM, an LGBTQ+ travel and fashion blog, and OutCoastTV on YouTube. During a recent talk she hosted with St. Pete’s LGBT Chamber, she said “one of the things we all agreed on was that St. Pete’s like a playground for adults.”
“It was the best way to summarize what it really is, because I feel that way,” she says. “There’s always something to do, whether it’s a museum or dining out or art. The art community here is huge. I feel like I found my place here, like I
can fit in here regardless of who I am.” Evelyn Long, 24, feels she’s already built the kind of life that would make her younger Ohio self gasp with envy.
Working as the social media manager and executive assistant for Fischer’s businesses, Long escaped what she calls the “pretty depressed and constricted” suburbs of Dayton eight years ago. Now she’s living her best cottagecore-meets-queer fantasy in Gulfport — a “gay town” bordering St. Pete that she lovingly characterizes as full of “old lesbians” — complete with her own chicken and turkey as housemates.
Even though she acknowledges feeling acceptance and support from her family, “I absolutely hated it,” she says about living in Dayton, her voice tinged with the lingering memory of those confined days. “I grew up really resenting where I lived, and I was really happy to move away. I had never really been in a bigger city before and I couldn’t really believe how beautiful it was here. The weather, people. It was a culture shock, for sure, but in a good way.”
The vibrant tapestry of St. Pete’s LGBTQ+ community has given Long profound insights into what makes this coastal haven so magnetic for those with similar backgrounds. “I think St. Pete, in general, attracts transplants and people who have come from different places. And the fact that it’s a queer hub just kind of generates this community among people where there’s this understanding that most of you have probably come from rural areas out of state and have chosen to live here.” She describes the community feel in St. Pete as a “siblinghood.”
In a political era that demands community mobilization, Long has seen a remarkable shift in how community members show up for those who need the most support. When she first arrived in St. Pete, much of the LGBTQ+ visibility and resources centered around gay men. Now, she’s witnessing an inspiring surge of support networks specifically created for gender non-conforming and transgender individuals. The community isn’t just adapting — it’s meeting the moment with extraordinary initiative.
“I think people’s resourcefulness is incredible,” she says. “For example, yesterday someone I know peripherally from different queer events started a trans femme social group just out of nothing.
And just a couple months ago, the same thing happened with a trans group.”
The contrast with her early days in the area is striking. “When I moved here, there was no such thing as even a lesbian group that was doing this. It was very much like, you could go to Enigma and you could hang out with the gay men who may or may not frankly want you there, you don’t really know.”
Recently, Long has witnessed the community rallying in response to not just Florida’s anti-queer legislation but federal policies, as LGBTQ+ individuals contend with targeted laws under the Trump administration. She also observes that St. Petersburg has experienced a demographic shift, with more conservative transplants choosing the area during the pandemic given its lack of lockdown restrictions. “So many conservative people fled here during Covid and Ron DeSantis’s reign,” she says. Gov. DeSantis, who has enacted a record-breaking number of DISCRIMINATORY MEASURES AGAINST LGBTQ+ PEOPLE into law, has only strengthened St. Pete’s sense of queer community. “I do live in my gay bubble, and that makes me want to stand my ground,” Long says, acknowledging gratitude for a job that allows her to unite community members with joyful experiences and connection. “People have fought to build queer community here, and the idea that people would move here and that would change that, it’s like, ‘Absolutely not.’ So even though there’s this big push against queer people right now, I feel like it’s only given people
more motivation to band together and create their own resources together.”
Covello is part of that grassroots organizing, as she looks ahead to SAPPHIC ST. PETE, a series of events taking place Nov. 1–9 that celebrates queer women, as well as nonbinary and trans people. Prior, on June 1, the city will host what has become one of the biggest PRIDE festivals in the Southeast, according to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. In June 2023, the TAMPA BAY TIMES reported that over half a million people attended local Pride events. Stanley Solomons, St. Pete Pride treasurer, told the Times, “It’s like we put on Woodstock every year.”
What impresses Long most is how the community continues to respond to political attacks with even stronger solidarity. Rather than retreating in the face of hostility, she’s seen people come together to create vital support systems. She marvels at how community members have “pulled together their resources,” establishing not just social connections but also mutual aid networks.
“The queer community is so resourceful here,” she emphasizes. “They are being attacked from all angles, and yet, the only thing that generates from it is more community.”
LGBTQ+ tourism remains vital to St. Pete’s queer community
Despite the warm embrace of its local community, St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ+ businesses still depend heavily on tourism to thrive. As rainbow-painted storefronts and Pride flags line the Grand Central District, these establishments represent more than just commercial ventures — they’re cultural anchors in a state increasingly hostile to queer expression. St. Pete tells a different story than what we hear on the news given its local government, Fischer tells me.
“That our crazy governor has mandated stuff against the LGBTQ+ community is sad, but a lot of that we don’t feel in the cities because this local government embraces us so well,” he says. “It’s a culture of acceptance around here, and it’s very bizarre to see the exact opposite be felt from the outside.”
Each visitor who chooses St. Pete as their destination contributes to a delicate economic ecosystem that allows these spaces to remain open and vibrant. “It’s
tough on businesses, for sure, that are gay-oriented and gay-owned. Because you’re fighting that constant battle with the outside world, thinking one thing because that’s what they see on the news and then feeling something totally different if you can get them here.”
The city’s unique position as a progressive enclave within Florida creates both opportunity and vulnerability. Events like Winter Pride don’t just celebrate identity; they provide crucial revenue streams that help businesses weather slower seasons and political headwinds. For bar owners, hoteliers and shop proprietors like
Fischer, each booking at the Mari Jean or each cocktail purchased at The Ball represents a vote of confidence in St. Pete’s continued role as a queer-friendly city.
Tourism dollars enable these businesses to expand their community programming, hire more LGBTQ+ staff and maintain spaces where both locals and visitors can experience the freedom of authenticity.
“And so that’s the key message that I know groups like Visit St. Clearwater have been working on: how we get that message out and make it not so scary to come and visit and realize how accepting it is,” Fischer says.
The contrast between St. Pete’s reality and Florida’s reputation, which he admits is “pretty scary for people from the outside who only see one-sided views of it,” couldn’t be clearer when Fischer reflects on his choice to settle here: “St. Pete is the most gay-friendly city I’ve ever lived in, and I’ve lived in Philadelphia. I’ve lived in some cool places and traveled to some cool places, and I would tell you it’s a very accepting city, and one of the biggest reasons I chose to retire here.”
Beyond Fischer’s gay paradise of
entertainment and nightlife lies businesses such as The Garage, described as a “DIVE WITH PRIDE,” and ENIGMA, a popular bar during the day and a full-on dance club at night. Both are located along Central Avenue, as is Lucky Star Lounge, a laid-back bar with a retro vibe. If you visit, the morning after your night out, grab a cold brew and pastry at Black Crow Coffee Co., just a few blocks from Central Avenue.
Walking there from the Mari Jean Hotel, I was immediately struck by its welcoming atmosphere. Door signs proudly proclaimed “Here We Say Gay” and “We Sell Banned Books,” while inside, rainbow flags decorated the space alongside a powerful message: “We Cannot Stay Silent in the Face of Racism.” A barista told me that everyone there is “a little bit queer” when I mentioned that I was writing this assignment. In that moment, this progressive refuge made me forget I was in Florida, reminding me of what a manager at Teak, a popular restaurant overlooking the pier (worth a
visit for the skyline view alone), proudly mentioned during my visit: that St. Pete is “the exception to the Floridian rule.”
“It’s super LGBTQ-friendly, the whole region is,” Covello says. “If you go to Gulfport, that’s super LGBTQ, or if you go to Central Avenue from 31st down to the waterfront, you’re going to find a huge community there.” At the same time, Covello, who is queer and married to a woman, acknowledges that what feels friendly for her isn’t necessarily true for someone else. “My life here is much easier than someone who might be trans,” she adds. “I’m also white. So I don’t want to minimize people that don’t want to move here because they’re truly afraid of living here as a transgender person. Everyone needs to do what feels safe for them from a traveler’s perspective.”
Long suggests LGBTQ+ travelers interested in going to St. Pete skip the car trip down. “Personally, I wouldn’t advise somebody who’s visibly queer to road trip down to Florida because you’re traveling through many cit-
ies that are not as queer-friendly as St. Petersburg is,” she says.
She acknowledges the “precarious” nature of traversing landscapes where your identity as a queer person hangs in delicate balance, but insists that “ultimately the truth is that we do need queer people to visit. We need queer people to move here.”
Long reveals the soul of St. Pete, which shimmers beyond its queer-friendly storefronts and the lunchmeat sometimes being flung at drag queens — it lives in the heartbeat of its people, bound together by a shared narrative: “St. Petersburg as an escape from a situation that was bad for them.”
“I want St. Pete to continue being that,” she adds, her words a gentle invitation to a sanctuary that refuses to dim its light. Q
Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE
James Dean and the closeted boyfriend
Any bit of personal information about James Dean is instantly fascinating to his fans even 70 years after his death. Enter “Willy and Jimmy Dean,” starring Brandon Flynn, queer cast member of the series “13 Reasons Why.” It’s a mini-biopic of sorts, about a little-known relationship in the short life of the actor, and it’s based on the late William Bast’s 2006 memoir, “Surviving James Dean.” The two men were roommates at UCLA and in time became lovers, but as Dean’s film career took off their relationship was forced to remain secret out of 1950s necessity. (Dean died in an auto accident, age 24, in 1955). Guy Guido, director of the documentary, “Madonna and The Breakfast Club,” will co-write and direct the project, of which we know little else, including further casting information. Stay tuned.
Edmund White’s ‘Own Story’
Gay literary legend Edmund White died recently at age 85, and he spent a lifetime writing books that chronicled queer experience during eras that were distinctly unfriendly to that kind of work. His 1982 novel, “A Boy’s Own Story,” is a classic of gay lit — the first in a trilogy of books — and in 2023 it was transformed into a graphic novel by Brian Alessandro and Michael Carroll (White’s widower). Now it’s coming to TV as a limited series from director John Krokidas ( “Kill Your Darlings”) and it’s likely that if it’s well-received, more may follow. The project is in the early stages — no cast, no word on plot, no production timeline — so as news drifts in we’ll report back. The best news is that it’s happening, a wonderful development in building the larger cultural legacy of White’s work.
‘Sense and Sensibility’ through a queer lens
British filmmaker Georgia Oakley made her acclaimed indie feature debut a few years ago with “Blue Jean,” about a closeted lesbian living in Thatcher’s
deep inside hollywood
conservative UK during the oppressive 1980s. Now the lesbian director is taking on the world of Jane Austen in a fresh remake of “Sense and Sensibility.” With a script by Diana Reid and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones ( “Twisters,” “Normal People”), the story is familiar to Austenphiles: impoverished sisters and their widowed mother navigate romance and economic stress among the 18th-century upper classes. Nothing more is known at the moment, as it’s just been announced, and it’s unlikely that there’ll be drastic changes made to the beloved story (Jane Austen devotees can be as hilariously unyielding as any Batman fanboy), and, let’s be real, no one needs a new adaptation of anything Austen. But we want it, we always want it, and we want queer filmmakers along for the ride, so we’ll be happily buying tickets.
Queer casting calls: Orville Peck, Billy Porter, Jasmin Savoy Brown
Remember the ’90s movie “Street Fighter” with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Kylie Minogue? Well, they’re remaking it, which is messing with perfection, obviously, but we’ll allow it because of these co-stars: alt-country masked man Orville Peck, Jason Momoa and Noah Centineo. Billy Porter, meanwhile, has joined the cast of the upcoming “Hunger Games: Sunrise on The Reaping” (whatever that means) as villain Glenn Close’s
estranged husband. That pairing alone will get us into a theater seat. And as we get closer to “Scream 7,” we’ve learned that the cast list includes recently-out Anna Camp ( “True Blood”) and “ Yellowjackets” star Jasmin Savoy Brown. We’re hoping they both live through it, but that’s never a given with Mr. Ghostface. And finally, queer character actor Cory Michael Smith ( “Mountainhead,” “Saturday Night”) has been turning in amazing supporting performances for years now (he’s a Todd Haynes regular) and will now take on his first leading role in the upcoming Halloween-based A24 thriller “October,” a film with a plot fully under wraps. Consider it a mysterious autumnal gift of horror.
A very not-exactly-merry
Pedro Almodóvar Christmas
Does “Amarga Navidad,” aka “Bitter Christmas,” sound like your kind of arthouse offering for the holidays? Good, because that’s what you’re getting next from the legendary gay Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. It’s the follow-up to his English-language debut feature “The Room Next Door,” and he’s returning to Spain — specifically the Canary Islands, where it’s currently shooting — for the story of a woman who separates from her partner, and whose mother dies, during one unhappy December. Bárbara Lennie from Almodóvar’s “The Skin I Live In” stars alongside regulars from the director’s earlier films: Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Milena Smit (“Parallel Mothers”), and Victoria Luengo (“The Room Next Door”). The current release date is sometime – probably fall – of 2026, which gives you plenty of time to get in the mood by listening to Joni Mitchell’s “River” over and over.
The ‘Strange Journey’ of ‘Rocky Horror’ heading to cinemas
Do you remember your first big screen lips? Getting pelted with toast? Learning “The Time Warp”? Then you’re the target demo for “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror,” a documentary currently making the film festival rounds. From filmmaker Linus O’Brien, son of
“Rocky Horror” creator Richard O’Brien, the doc wraps its arms around the weird history of the stage musical that became the movie musical that flopped that became the most enduring cult film in history. (It’s still in theaters 50 years later.) Participants include everyone you’re hoping for: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell and Patricia Quinn, and a few surprises like superfans Jack Black and Trixie Mattel. It hits UK movie theaters this fall, and North America eventually. Dressing up for a screening is optional but you know you want to.
‘Dog Day Afternoon’ looks for bank on Broadway
In the early 1970s in New York, a strange bank robbery took place, one where everything went wrong and all of it wound up on television. That moment became “Dog Day Afternoon,” the Oscar-winning 1975 Sidney Lumet crime thriller starring Al
Pacino and the late John Cazale. Now the story — which was in part inspired by one of the robbers’ need to fund surgery for his trans girlfriend — is coming to Broadway in a new play from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis (“Between Riverside and Crazy”) and twotime Olivier Award winner Rupert Goold (“King Charles III”). Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher”) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (“The Bear”) will make their Broadway debuts in the production set to open spring of 2026. Do your homework first: watch the movie. Yes, that means spoilers, but it’s fantastic.
The telekinetic television series called ‘Carrie’
Filmmaker Mike Flanagan is deep in the Stephen King business these days. His new feature “The Life of Chuck” – based on an unusually heartwarming Stephen King story -- has opened to positive reviews and good word of mouth, and his
next project is going back to classic King material: “Carrie.” Prime Video is picking up Flanagans’ limited series television adaptation of King’s original novel, about an abused teenage girl with a psychotically religious mother, a rotten high school prom experience, and a special power that allows her to move objects with her mind. If you saw the enormously successful 1976 film with Sissy Spacek, then you know what happens next and it ain’t pretty. The eight-episode series features “Curse of Chucky” actress Summer Howell as Carrie and Samantha Sloyan (“The Fall of the House of Usher”) as the mad mother. It also co-stars Matthew Lillard, Amber Midthunder (“Legion”) and trans actor Josie Totah (“The Buccaneers”). We’re excited for this one, and as long as we’re daydreaming about it, we’d like to see Betty Buckley or maybe Amy Irving pop up in a cameo. Doesn’t hurt to ask. Q Romeo San Vicente is gonna laugh at you.
Kyle’s Bed & Breakfast by
Greg Fox
45 Mohawk, to some butch types
“The Falcon”
Home of Bloody Mary’s mom
Lorca’s room
“The Advocate,” briefly
End of the quote
“Hold your horses!”
Start of what it means to be Latina and lesbian, to 49Down
Like a South American chain
Drag queen Hedda 25 Sex at the end of a date, in slang
Disney canine
Kazan, whose desire was a streetcar
Targets of men who make passes
Zellweger of “Chicago” 63 Brad, who was once with Angelina
Peter by the piano 65 Make changes to
It makes watching porn harder
Govt. agent
“Tell me everything!”
First words of “Satisfaction”
“God loves everybody,” at Metropolitan Community Church
LGBTQ+ meetings: Sun. 3p Acceptance Group, All Saints, 1710 Foothill Dr
Tues. 7p Live & Let Live, Mt Tabor Tues. 7p Pride in Recovery, Narcotics Anon. UPC, 68 S Main
Wed. 7p Sober Today, 1159 30th St , Ogden
Wed. 7p Bountiful
Men’s Group, Am. Baptist, 1915 Orchard Dr, Btfl
Fri. 7p Stonewall Group, Mt Tabor Lutheran, 175 S 700 E
Crystal Meth Anon
crystalmeth.org
USARA, 180 E 2100 S Clean, Sober & Proud Sun. 1:30pm
Leather Fetish & Kink Fri. 8pm
Genderbands
genderbands.org
EQ @genderbands
LifeRing Secular Recovery
801-608-8146
liferingutah.org
Weds. 7pm, Sat. 11am
How was your week?
First Baptist, 777 S 1300 E
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild
lgbtqtherapists.com * robin@lgbtqtherapists.com
YOUTH/COLLEGE
Encircle LGBTQ Family and Youth Resource Ctr
encircletogether.org
EQ @encircletogether
91 W 200 S, Provo, 190 S 100 E, St. George 331 S 600 E, SLC 81 E Center, Heber City Gay-Straight Alliance Network
gsanetwork.org
OUT Foundation BYU
theout.foundation
fb.me/theOUTfoundation
Salt Lake Community College LGBTQ+
slcc.edu/lgbtq/ UofU Student Pride Ctr Q uofupride
USGA at BYU
usgabyu.com
fb.me/UsgaAtByu Utah Valley Univ Spectrum
linktr.ee/spectrumqsa
uvu.edu/lgbtq/ * lgbt@uvu.edu
801-863-8885
Liberal Arts, Rm 126
Youth Discord Virtual Hangout
6p Wednesdays
Open to all youth 14-20. Email jay@ utahpridecenter.org to get access
Utah Pride Center Weekly Programming
MONDAYS
QUEER WOMEN’S PEER SUPPORT GROUP, 7-8pm
Peer-led support group for queer women and fem-identifying people 18+.
TUESDAYS
GAY MEN’S SUPPORT GROUP, 6:30-8pm
Gay Men’s Peer Support Group is open to men ages 18+ who identify as gay, bisexual, or questioning. It is a peer-led support group with discussions guided by volunteer facilitators.
PRIDE IN RECOVERY, 7-8pm
Weekly Narcotics Anonymous recovery meeting for LGBTQ+ adults 18+.
WEDNESDAYS
GAY MEN’S SACK LUNCH, noon1pm
Bring your lunch and enjoy lively conversations with other guys in the community. Open to gay men 18+.
YOUTH DISCORD VIRTUAL HANGOUT, 6-8pm
A welcoming, virtual space where LGBTQ+ youth can come together to talk, share experiences, and support each other. Open to youth 14-20. Email Jay at jay@utahpridecenter.org to get access to the UPC Youth DiSCORD.
THURSDAYS
YOUTH IN PERSON DROP IN HOURS, 4-8pm
Looking for a place where you can curl up with a good book? Check out the UPC History Library! Need a place to catch up on some homework? Check out our Computer Lab! Just wanna hang out with some friends…then UPC on Thursdays is the place to be!
Reoccurring
Programming:
SIT & STITCH, 6-8pm 1st & 3rd Mondays
Get your stitch on with friends! Bring your knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, or any other craft you’re working on. Meet new people, give/ receive crafting tips, and enjoy snacks, movies, and music in a safe, welcoming space.
GET
CONNECTED TO HEALTH INSURANCE, 4-6pm (every-other Tuesday, 7/8, 7/22, 8/5, 8/19)
Utah Health Policy Project will help get you connected to an affordable health insurance plan no matter your current economic situation. Open to queer folx and allies. No appointment required.
THE PASTOR IS IN, 6-8pm, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays
LGBTQ+ affirming Pastor Curtis has been a long-time friend and advocate for our community. In his own words: “I am here to talk with you. To listen mostly, but to affirm who you are; to tell you that God loves you just the way you are.”
Monthly Programming:
GAME NIGHT (with Switch & VR): Wed. 7/9, 6-8pm
Bring your friends, games (board or video), snacks to share, or just your fabulous self. Join us for an all-ages, social game night at the new Utah Pride Center. We’ll have board games, card games, Nintendo Switch, VR games, new friends to meet, and a whole lotta fun. No registration required.
FULL MOON RITE: Fri. 7/11, 7-9pm
Gather with other LGBTQ+ people under the full moon for a personal empowerment ritual at the Utah Pride Center. Our friends from Cat & Cauldron metaphysical store will lead the full moon rite. Beginners and allies welcome and encouraged. No registration required.
QUEER D&D NIGHT: Wed. 7/23, 6-8pm
A fabulous night of Dungeons & Dragons and other role playing games. No experience, equipment, or registration required.
WATER WALKABOUT AT RED
BUTTE GARDEN Tue. 7/29, 6-8pm
Stroll through the Garden and dive into the wonders of water conservation! Celebrate Utah’s most precious resource with hands-on activities like crafting your own rain catcher and propagating a drought-friendly succulent to take home. Enjoy the sounds of live music as you explore and connect with local organizations dedicated to sustainable, water-wise living. It’s a fun and refresh-
Our Vision is to reduce social isolation and loneliness, improve the health and well-being of older adults and to empower them to lead meaningful and connected lives in which they are engaged and participating in the community. Our Mission is to reimagine aging by empowering older adults to live life to the fullest potential guided by these five pillars:
• Cherish the Journey
• Encourage the Body
• Inspire the Mind
• Nurture the Spirit
• Empower the Future
Find us at
SeniorsOutAndProudUtah.org and Facebook.com/SOAPUtah
Recent events: Snowshoeing, Bingo, Valentines Pot Luck & Dance, Movie Night, Walking Groups, Theater groups A home for
We are a social/service group for those that identify as men, organized to support and promote diversity, inclusion, foster positive involvement in our community, and provide opportunities which enhance the personal growth of our members, the Bear community, and the LGBT community as a whole.
Utah LGBTQ+ Economic Summit & Expo returns with business awards, job fair, resources for growth
The Utah LGBTQ+ Economic Summit & Expo is set to return Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, bringing together LGBTQ+ and allied business owners, professionals, and job seekers for a day focused on economic empowerment, networking, and inclusion.
Held at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the annual event is hosted by the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and is expected to draw hundreds of participants from across the state.
The day kicks off with an Awards Luncheon and Keynote from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where the Chamber will recognize standout LGBTQ+ and allied businesses with its 2025 Business of the Year awards. Nominations are currently open through Aug. 22. A keynote speaker is ex-
pected to be announced soon.
Following the luncheon, the Expo, Market & Job Fair will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., offering a mix of business development resources, vendor booths, and employment opportunities. Attendees can expect access to expert-led sessions on growing and maintaining a business, networking with industry peers, and learning about certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE)—a program of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce that can connect LGBTQowned businesses to supplier diversity opportunities.
The Summit is part of the Chamber’s ongoing effort to support economic resilience and inclusion for Utah’s LGBTQ+ community.
Registration and more information is available at UTAHLGBTQCHAMBER.ORG
Matrons of Mayhem drag bingo to raise funds for pet rescue organization in August
A lively evening of drag, bingo, and family-friendly fun is set to support a local animal rescue nonprofit next month. The Matrons of Mayhem will host their next Drag Bingo night on Friday, August 15, at First Baptist Church, located at 777 S 1300 E in Salt Lake City. Proceeds from the event will benefit Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue. Founded in 2018, Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue serves the canine and feline populations of Utah County, contributing to the broader “No-Kill Utah” initiative. The organization focuses on adopting out spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped pets and also runs a pet pantry for families in need.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with bingo starting around
7:00 p.m. and continuing until about 9:00 p.m. Admission is $5 per bingo card, covering seven rounds of play. Additional fundraising options include “Party Foul Insurance” and the “Flamingo Hat of Shame,” each priced at $5. For $50, attendees can nominate a friend for a lighthearted “Drag-in-a-Bag” makeover during intermission.
The evening will also feature kitchen concessions of hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, and soft drinks for purchase. The event is alcohol-free and ATM-free, so guests are encouraged to bring small bills. The event is open to all ages. Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue is at CELESTIALZOO.ORG. Matrons of Mayhem at FACEBOOK.COM/ MATRONSOFMAYHEM
Thethe perils of petunia pap smear
Extended tales of The Love Boat
BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR
road to the Love Boat is fraught with danger and excitement.
By now, you’re probably all seasick from the ongoing tales of my Caribbean cruise adventure. But wait! There’s more!
The ship was heading towards our final port. I again sat on my balcony and watched a school of flying fish jumping out of the water as if trying to race the ocean liner. The gentle rolling of the ship on the waves lulled me to sleep. I had a vivid dream that I was a Viking warrior, and I had performed a makeover of the ship, with a Flamingo figurehead on the bow to proudly sail the Seven Seas, with my breasticles mounted on the front of the ship where the anchors hang. I renamed the ship, Her Majesty’s Ship, the HMS Pap Smear.
One of my main desires for taking this trip was to see the Mayan ruins. I had scheduled two different shore excursions in two separate ports which were to include tours of some ruins. BUT, and this ‘but’ was even bigger than my own ample buttockus maximus, the problems with my bedazzled mobility scooter, Queerteenie’s flat tires had thwarted both of them and prevented my deepest desires. It was now the second-to-last day on the cruise, and the ship docked in our final port. Even though I had been able to reinflate the tires on Queerteeny in Cozumel, I had all but abandoned any aspirations of seeing some pyramids.
As I got off the ship in Costa Maya, Mexico, there were many festive souvenir shops. Yay, I can shop till I drop! I stopped shopping to watch a troupe of scantily clad acrobats performing death-defying twirls and somersaults while suspended high up in the air, clutching only long streams of fabric without safety harnesses. It was truly a terrifying display. I felt that I was becoming lightheaded. It was then that I realized that I had been holding my breath from the
suspense. I looked down and found that I had also been clutching my pearls almost to the point of breaking them.
Just then, my friend Scott touched my shoulder, startling me out of my trance, to tell me that he had located a tour that would take us to see some Mayan ruins. My heart was all a twitter with excitement at finally being able to realize my deepest desire. We quickly loaded Queerteeny into their tour van, and they drove us many miles deep into the Yucatan jungle. As the van drove farther into the dark and ominous jungle, we saw no other people or vehicles by the wayside. My mind began to wander, and I imagined that we were being taken to be robbed or worse, to be sacrificed in a Mayan ritual on top of one of those pyramids.
The van arrived at the site of an ancient ruin, where we were met by a very handsome guide who offered to lead us even further into the jungle to see the ruins. Again, there were no other people around. I was nervous, yet very excited. I unloaded Queerteeny from the van, and while getting ready to follow the guide, Scott noticed that a critical bolt had fallen out of Queerteeny, such that I would not be able to ride her to view the ruins. My heart sank to my stomach. After all this, I was again to be thwarted from achieving my goal. I told the rest of our group to go on without me, I would just wait until they returned. But Scott, being very resourceful, found a plastic zip tie and fastened it on Queerteeny to hold the loose part. So, I leaned the majority of my substantial weight away from the missing bolt, so as not to break the zip tie, and I followed the hot tour guide into the jungle.
Behold! At long last, a Mayan pyramid! I sat at the base of the grand structure, taking in the beauty of the surrounding jungle and marveling at how complex it must have been to construct this
monument. I also wondered if I applied similar construction techniques, might I be able to apply these principles to creating new breasticles? I couldn’t help but think of the possible activities that could occur on top of the pyramid.
I suddenly had a fantasy that our Tarzan-like tour guide, after rescuing me from a jungle panther attack, swept me away in is tanned, strong arms to the top of the pyramid, laying me carefully on the sacrificial stone, gently wiping some of my beehive wig out of my eyes, raising a dagger high above his head, screaming something in the Mayan language at the top of his voice and plunging the dagger just inches above my breasticles. He then splashed some red paint on me to simulate blood, gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead and helped me down. Sending me breathlessly on my way back to the ship.
This story leaves us with several important questions:
1. Could one of my breasticles act as the bulbous bow on the front of the ship?
2. Is my voluptuous, gravity-enhanced body too heavy for the average strapping young man to carry me to the top of a pyramid?
3. If so, should I begin to sacrifice strapping young men on the tips of my breasticles?
4. Would my breasticles be sufficient protection to prevent my heart from being cut out in a Mayan ritual?
5. Is constantly leaning on Queerteeny to avoid tire problems going to eventually make me walk funny?
6. Is a simulated ritualistic execution on top of a Mayan pyramid a little too extreme for the average Grindr hookup?
7. Will simulated ritualistic execution hookups make me walk funny?
These and other eternal questions will be answered in future chapters of The Perils of Petunia Pap Smear.
