Author Archives: KitschMix.com Staff

KitschMix.com Staff

About KitschMix.com Staff

KitschMix was founded with a clear objective – to give women within the LGBT community better representation and to cover stories with that matter to them. Be it articles on lifestyle, dating and coming out; to celebrity news, interviews, film reviews, TV recaps; or politics, religion and community news from around the world.

Oscar-Nominated Elliot Page, Start of ‘Juno’ and ‘Umbrella Academy’, Comes Out as Transgender

Elliot Page, the Oscar-nominated star of Juno and Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, has announced he is transgender.

Elliot, formerly known as Ellen Page, addressed his social media followers saying:

“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society,”

He continued: “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society” he wrote.

The actor also spoke of his fear in coming out and highlighted the difficulties faced by less privileged people who have done the same. “I also ask for patience. My joy is real, but it is also fragile. The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the “jokes” and of violence. ‘To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture.’

“The statistics are staggering. The discrimination towards trans people is rife, insidious and cruel, resulting in horrific consequences. In 2020 alone it has been reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latinx trans women.

“To the political leaders who work to criminalize trans healthcare and deny our right to exist and to all of those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community: you have blood on your hands. You unleash a fury of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community, a community in which 40% of trans adults report attempting suicide. Enough is enough. You aren’t being “cancelled,” you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won’t be silent in the face of your attacks.”

Page concluded: “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”

Page uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, and describes himself as transgender and non-binary, meaning that his gender identity is neither man nor woman.

Page broke out from his native Canada in 2005 with the revenge thriller Hard Candy. Two years later, he starred in Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s landmark indie Juno, for which Page received an Academy Award nomination among other accolades.

Prior to transition, Page was one of the most visible out gay actors in Hollywood. The Tuesday announcement further enriches his legacy, and adds him to a small but growing number of out trans creators and stars in Hollywood.

Page has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights over the past decade and in January 2018 married the dancer and choreographer Emma Portner.

Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media, said “Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people. He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.”

Lesbian Couples Are More Likely Than Gay Men To Get Divorced.

According to new data from the Office for National Statistics published female same-sex couples make up just over half of same-sex marriages in England and Wales, yet they account for nearly three-quarters of same-sex divorces.

Five years on from the introduction of equal marriage in England and Wales, there were 822 divorces among same-sex couples in 2019, nearly twice as many as reported in the previous year.

Of these, 589 were female couples and 233 were male couples.

The ONS says that the overall increase of same-sex divorces “reflects the increasing size of the same-sex married population since 2014”, though divorces among same-sex couples still make up less than one per cent of all divorces.

Unreasonable behaviour, which includes adultery, was the most common ground for divorce among same-sex couples this year as almost two-thirds of couples divorced for this reason.

2020’s divorce stats, which will not be published until late 2021, are likely to be turbulent reading, with lockdown believed to have pushed many couples to the brink.

There is no clear statistical explanation for why divorce rates among lesbians and gay men diverge so significantly, though female couples are more likely to get married at younger ages.

Stonewall co-founder Lisa Power previously told The Economist that the number of lesbian couples getting divorced might have something to do with the tendency to move very fast and quickly invest in a relationship, otherwise known as U-hauling.

Power added: “We all used to move in with each other at the drop of a hat.”

Jameela Jamil among stars On 2020 ‘Out100’ List

Actress Jameela Jamil, singers Lizzo and Janelle Monae and Apple CEO Tim Cook have made Out magazine’s 2020 Out100 list.

Pride Media announced that its annual list honouring the 100 most influential LGBTQ+ people of the year also includes and US news anchor Rachel Maddow, comedian Wanda Sykes, fashion icon Andre Leon Talley, the creators of Queer Eye, and actors Wilson Cruz, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Pope and Joe Mantello.

Early in 2020 Jameela Jamil announced she was “queer” after receiving criticism for being cast in a new LGBT-interest show. US broadcaster HBO announced that the actress and model would be a judge on its new unscripted voguing contest Legendary.

The news prompted an online backlash from people who said The Good Place star was not representative of the black LGBT community.

Opening with “Twitter is brutal”, she explained that she identified “as queer” and had previously struggled to discuss the topic because “it’s not easy within the south Asian community to be accepted”.

She mentioned that nobody in her family was “openly out” and that “it’s also scary as an actor to openly admit your sexuality, especially when you’re already a brown female in your thirties”.

The term queer is both embraced and frowned upon. Having been seen as derogatory, it is being reclaimed by some non-heterosexual people who say they don’t identify with more traditional categories of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Jamil went on: “This is absolutely not how I wanted to come out,” adding that she was logging off Twitter for the time being “because I don’t want to read mean comments dismissing this”.

She told critics: “You can keep your thoughts.”

She went on to clarify why she believed she was an appropriate fit for the programme.

“I know that my being queer doesn’t qualify me as ballroom. But I have privilege and power and a large following to bring to this show… and its beautiful contestants and hosts.”

Sarah Paulson talks about the inspiration behind her role in the film ‘Run’

Sarah Paulson’s latest thriller Run was recently crowned Hulu’s most-watched movie ever during its opening weekend.

Run was previously going to come to theatres on Mother’s Day weekend back in May to fit in, ironically, with the movie’s plot line about the twisted relationship between a mother (Paulson) and her homeschooled and wheelchair-bound teen daughter (Kiera Allen).

Now that movie has come out just in time for quality time on edge with family. Sarah Paulson shared the incredible (and jump scare-like surprise) for the Hulu film.

Elsewhere on Paulson’s agenda, she admitted back in September that returning to American Horror Story for season 10 felt “intimidating and nerve-wracking” after numerous TV and movie productions stopped or altered production schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also praised her colleagues for the “extraordinary” consideration they gave, so that everyone could return to filming as safely as possible.

Hulu also has another big release coming with Happiest Season, a holiday rom-com that was recently picked up for streaming instead of going to theaters. The movie starring Kristen Stewart, MacKenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza could very well make for another big win for Hulu coming hot off Run, but we’ll have to see, of course.

Transgender Day Of Remembrance 2020

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Our community began marking this day in 1999 in response to the brutal killing of Rita Hester, a Black Trans woman.

Hester was a member of the Boston LGBTQ+ community who worked locally on education around trans issues and nurtured many of the city’s LGBTQ+ youth. She was killed in her home on November 28, 1998, a few days shy of her 35th birthday. Twenty-two years later, her murder has not been solved.

On the first anniversary of Hester’s death, trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith organised a vigil to commemorate Hester and all transgender people lost to violence since her death. That vigil began the tradition that is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

“When the Transgender Day of Remembrance first began, trans people were nameless victims in many cases,” Smith wrote in 2014 for The Advocate. “Our killers would do their best to erase our existence from the world. And law enforcement, the media, and others would continue the job.”

Researchers have documented 350 homicides of trans and gender-diverse people around the world from October 1, 2019, through September 30 of this year have been brutally killed.

That’s a 6 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, and the researchers have recorded 3,664 homicides since the effort began in 2008. The yearly total has gradually increased since then.

This number is likely higher; victims are, to this day, often misgendered in local police statements and media reports, which can delay awareness of deadly incidents.

Trans women or those who identify as transfeminine made up 98 percent of the victims in the 2020 report. Eighty-two percent of the deaths were in Central or South America, and 43 percent in one country in that region, Brazil. Sixty-two percent of those killed were known to be sex workers.

The majority of these victims, like Hester, were Black transgender women living at the intersection of racism, homophobia, and transphobia.

“Behind the statistical representation of numbers and percentages, there are people whose lives we value and who we, as societies, failed to protect,” the release says. The group blames social stigma and criminalisation of sex work for exposing trans sex workers to exploitation and violence, while adding that the COVID-19 pandemic has put the lives of trans people at even greater risk, especially the young, the poor, sex workers, migrants, and people of colour. Racism and police brutality are contributing factors as well.

“At the same time, those groups are repeatedly silenced and underrepresented within our communities and societies,” the release concludes. “Although COVID-19 affects us all, social differences and inequalities are deepened by the pandemic, emphasising gaps in lack of legislation and systemic protection of trans and gender-diverse people.”

We must do better by continuing to condemn all acts of violence against transgender people. Vigils and celebrations will look different this year due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, today we pause to recognise the lives of those we have lost.

The following organizations are fighting for that change.

This Animated Film Celebrates a True Story of a Lesbian Couple Who Matched During the Pandemic

Tinder released an animated sweet short film featuring the true Swipe Story of a lesbian couple who matched earlier this year.

The film explores how they formed a connection over shared digital experiences on zoom, introducing their pets to each other, planning for a post pandemic world and discovering virtually, just how much they like each other.

The film has been created as a collaboration between queer singer-songwriter GrapeGuitarBox and Deepti, a queer illustrator and animator for The Museum of Queer Swipe Stories, in partnership with Gaysi Family. 

The short is a reminder of the resilience of human connection, regardless of the nature of it, to remain hopeful while navigating a time of uncertainties (apart, yet) together, and whatever the circumstance, forming connections is enduring and Tinder members will always find a way to sustain them.

COVID has accelerated a generational shift in the way we date and shows that a connection formed entirely digitally is as valid and meaningful as one formed in person. The pandemic continues to dissolve the fading line between our digital and physical lives and more so than ever, we know anything is possible and Tinder has been a gateway to all kinds of connections.

With its candy-like art style and soft, breezy melody, the track coupled with the visual evokes the universal experience of meeting someone new, who you know you’re going to really, really like. The release signals an increasing representation of South Asian trans and queer voices in the audio-visual medium.

The UK’s School LGBT Bullying Projects Axed by Government

The UK’s government-backed projects tackling bullying of LGBT students in England’s schools has had its funding pulled.

The decision came despite an earlier pledge to continue investing in school programmes targeting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

The Government Equalities Office had funded several well-received programmes costing at least £4m, which specifically targeted LGBT bullying, since 2014. Many had been extended and given further government support.

Initially called The Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Challenge Fund, the government programme was not compulsory for schools, but it allowed teachers, staff and students to receive free training and workshops.

Providers of workshops, as well as parents, students and teachers, had been expecting the funding to continue.

The government acknowledges the serious impact anti-LGBT bullying can have on educational attainment, absence levels, emotional wellbeing and mental health.

But they say the funding was always due to come to an end.

The Government Equalities Office said: “The anti-bullying grant fund, which provided 2,250 schools across the country with materials and training, was always due to end in March 2020.”

However, this is the first time that the funding has not been extended since it was originally announced in October 2014 by the then Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan.

There was shock among providers of workshops, as well as parents, students and teachers who had expecting the funding to continue.

One provider of LGBT inclusion workshops, who wanted to remain anonymous as they feared that speaking out would jeopardise any future possible funding, said schools and programme providers had been expecting a further extension.

Her organisation was waiting for another funding announcement at the beginning of November, inviting new applications for grants.

She said she felt “sick” that schools would not be able to continue their work, and claimed her organisation had been “ignored” and “shut out” by the government, even though its programmes were well-received.

“This decision will only serve to further marginalise LGBT young people,” said Tulip Siddiq MP, shadow minister for children and early years.

“The government itself has admitted that young people who identify as LGBT have higher risk of bullying and long-term harm to their education, health and wellbeing, so to be pulling away financial support from those fighting this abuse is especially callous.”

The equalities charity Stonewall noted that the news had emerged during anti-bullying week, and a day after the anniversary of the repeal of section 28, a notorious clause in the Local Government Act 1988 that banned local authorities from “promoting homosexuality”.

Nancy Kelley, the chief executive of Stonewall, said that young LGBTQ+ people still face significant problems in England’s schools and the organisation’s 2017 School Report had revealed that nearly half of LGBTQ+ pupils (45%) were still bullied for being themselves.

“We know LGBT people are disproportionately affected by poor mental health, and some of this is because of the way they were treated at school,” she added. “This is why it’s crucial this government invests money in funding anti-LGBT bullying programmes across England. We can’t leave students to suffer in silence.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Bullying is never acceptable in any form, and we must all take a stand against bullying to create a safe place for all children in the classroom and online.

“Our new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance and training resources will give schools the confidence to construct a curriculum that reflects diversity of views and backgrounds, whilst fostering respect for others and the understanding of healthy relationships.”

Nevertheless, the release of messages to mark anti-bullying week and a video in which the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, spoke about the issue were met with criticism by others who took issue with the ending of the LGBTQ+ funding.

The Conservative party’s 2019 manifesto for government included a pledge to continue to help teachers tackle bullying, including homophobic bullying. Civil servants were evaluating the grant fund programme “to increase our evidence base on what works in schools,” according to the Government Equalities Office.

Metro, a charity that delivered training in schools and colleges under the fund, tweeted that its work to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying funded was “hugely impactful” but added that continued funding was needed.

Marielle Franco’s widow elected to Rio city council

The widow of a bisexual Rio de Janeiro councilwoman who was murdered in 2018 was elected to the city’s council on Sunday.

Brazilian media reports indicate Mônica Benício ran for the Rio City Council as a member of the leftist Socialism and Liberty Party.

Benício finished 11th among the candidates who ran with 22,999 votes. She noted her support of LGBTQ rights ahead of Sunday’s election.

“We are elected. The City Council will have an openly lesbian councilwoman! I am very grateful to the more than 22,000 people who voted for a future feminist and anti-fascist mandate for the Rio City Council! Let’s transform this city together!”

Benício’s fiancée, Marielle Franco, a woman of African descent who identified as bisexual, was a member of the Rio City Council when she and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were murdered on March 14, 2018.

Franco was a rising political star known for defending Rio’s black, LGBT and favela communities.

Franco’s murder sparked outrage throughout Brazil and around the world. The Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Watch are among the organisations that condemned the killing.

Brazilian authorities in March 2019 arrested two former policemen in connection with Franco’s murder.

One of the men was arrested at his home in the same condominium complex in which President Jair Bolsonaro lived when he represented Rio in Brazil’s Congress.

Bolsonaro—a former Brazilian Army captain who took office as the country’s president nearly two years ago—continues to face widespread criticism over his rhetoric against LGBTQ Brazilians, women and other underrepresented groups.

Bolsonaro last fall strongly denied Brazilian media reports that linked him to the two suspects in Franco’s murder. Bolsonaro’s sons, Flávio and Carlos Bolsonaro, who are members of the Brazilian Senate and the Rio City Council respectively, have also faced questions over their potential involvement in the killing.

Watch Kate Mckinnon Being a Relatable Gay Icon for 5 minutes

Get ready to laugh out loud, because today we’re all about Kate McKinnon!

Throughout her career the Saturday Night Live star has made fans laugh and cry at her funny skits and epic characters. From her time on The Big Gay Sketch Show to her SNL years, Kate Mckinnon has won us over through jokes and wit and we are so grateful that she has.

In addition to her TV work, the comedian has proven herself as a movie star as well over the past few years with small roles in movies like Sisters to big roles in hits like Ghostbusters.

As her name has become bigger and bigger in Hollywood, McKinnon has lived up to her hype and made fans all over the world smile and break into laughter thanks to her killer comedic timing and spot-on accents.

So sit back and watch an icon deliver.

Kate Winslet And Saoirse Ronan Romance ‘Ammonite’ Opens In Theaters

Written and directed by Francis Lee, Ammonite is set in the 1840s and follows once-acclaimed paleontologist Mary Anning (Winslet), who works alone on the Southern English coastline of Lyme Regis.

With the days of her fame behind her, she’s stern and doesn’t exactly like the company of others. She spends her time digging up common fossils to sell to rich tourists to support herself and her ailing widowed mother (Gemma Jones).

Mary receives an unwelcome visit from fellow scientist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle), who hopes to accompany her on one of her daily excavations. Beside him – but not really with him – is his troubled wife, Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan).

Murchison asks Mary to keep his wife company who is recuperating from a personal tragedy. The two are from totally different worlds Mary struggles while living on the poverty line while Charlotte comes from privilege — but opposites attract. Realising their bond, the two eventually enter a passionate — and forbidden love affair.

Some of Mary Anning’s living relatives have disputed the movies portrayal of her relationship with Murchison, arguing that Anning’s sexuality was unconfirmed.

However, director Lee has defended the storyline on social media, writing in part: “After seeing queer history be routinely ‘straightened’ throughout culture, and given a historical figure where there is no evidence whatsoever of a heterosexual relationship, is it not permissible to view that person within another context…?”

He added: “As a working class, queer film maker, I continually explore the themes of class, gender, sexuality within my work, treating my truthful characters with utter respect and I hope giving them authentic respectful lives and relationships they deserve.”

Ammonite is currently scheduled for release in November, and on demand December.

Watch: Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)

This new queer film revolves around high-schooler Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw) who has a crush on her friend and classmate Abbie (Zoe Terakes) and must summon the courage to both come out to her mother and ask Abbie to the school formal.

Luckily for Ellie, the ghost of her dead lesbian aunt Tara (Julia Billington) shows up to dispense sage advice. Tara is quick to take exception to the label of “ghost,” stating that she prefers to be thought of as a fairy godmother, which becomes one of many recurring gags delivered skillfully by the instantly likeable Billington.

Ellie and Abbie debuted at the Mardi Gras Film Festival in February, and won the Audience Award for best feature.

It’s also proved a hit at film festivals with screenings around the country, and is opening in select cinemas next in November 19.

Filmmaker Monica Zanetti has adapted the movie from her own stage play of the same name.

Speaking to QNews.com.au  Zanetti discussed the lack of same-sex rom-coms when she was growing up, particularly family-friendly films.

“My experience of coming out was similar in some ways to Ellie’s experience. I realised I liked someone, and I was so excited about that. I had this wonderfully supportive experience from my parents at the time. But as much as I wanted to write a really simple lesbian rom-com – because their really aren’t any in Australia – I couldn’t without acknowledging the people that have come before.”

Zanetti incorporated that history through the character of Tara, played by Billington. She said her openly gay uncle partly inspired the character.

“He lived openly my whole life, but he came out in the 1950s or 60s. He lived very true to himself in a time when I know how incredibly hard that would’ve been. Tara is fictional but she’s based on that knowledge that I had an easier time because of those who forged this path.”

Heartfelt performances from a mostly-LGBTQ cast lend the film a sense of immediacy and warmth. The real key to the film’s success, however, is director Zanetti’s compassion and empathy, which allow her to deliver a film that is light-hearted without being dismissive, and poignant without being preachy. In Ellie & Abbie, she skillfully weaves together comedy and drama to tell a beautiful, affirming story of young love.

WATCH: Kristen Stewart New LGBTQ Christmas Rom-Com ‘Happiest Season’

Happiest Season is an LGBTQ Christmas rom-com that follows Abby stars (Kristen Stewart), who is so excited to meet her girlfriend (Mackenzie Davis ) Harper’s family over the holidays and propose. However, Abby soon learns that Harper hasn’t come out to her family yet.

The first LGBTQ+-focused holiday rom-com (which was backed by a major studio) was directed by Clea DuVall and written by her and her writing partner Mary Holland. The movie co-stars Holland, Dan Levy, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Ana Gasteyer.

It’s a full-on same-sex romantic comedy with all of the holiday fixings. And it also features a soundtrack featuring all LGBTQ+ musicians.

Hulu bought Happiest Season from Sony in late October amid the continued shuttering of movie theaters. Now, audiences everywhere can watch the romance unfold over Thanksgiving week when it drops on Nov. 25. 

Happiest Season starts streaming on Hulu on Nov. 25

Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig’s podcast ‘PANTS’ is a must

Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig have been hosting a weekly podcast where they chat about everything from first concerts to celeb encounters to what it was like to audition for Ilene Chaiken.

Moennig and Hailey met each other while filming Showtime’s 2004 series The L Word, where they played main characters Shane McCutcheon and Alice Piecseki, respectively.

While Moennig and Hailey played best friends on a TV series (and continue to do so in the reboot), they’ve also developed a close friendship in real life.

Pants the podcast came to fruition when Rachel Shelley (who edits and produces it) suggested Moennig and Hailey start one of their own after they appeared on PodDiva this past May.

In the first episode of their podcast, the duo said they became so close while filming the series that co-star Mia Kirshner began to describe them as a pair of pants because “You can’t have one leg without the other.”

With not much else to do in a global pandemic, the two decided to give it a go. Now featuring a host of excellent guests, PANTS has become the highlight of our week.

Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez star in Miranda July’s Quirky Con Story ‘Kajillionaire’

From acclaimed writer and director Miranda July comes a profoundly moving and wildly original comedy,

The story centres on the struggling Dyne family, headed by Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins), who have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to swindle, scam, and steal at every opportunity.

Old Dolio, named after a homeless man who won the lottery, is a ticking timebomb of repression, masked by a low monotone and a curtain of hair. Her parents control every facet of Old Dolio’s life, but their situation has already grown unsustainable, with their kooky landlord giving them a week to make rent or else they’re out on the street.

Fortunately, the Dynes have trained Old Dolio well — “she learned to forget before she could read or write,” her father beams — and she quickly proposes a solution: One speedy roundtrip flight to New York and back yields a stolen luggage scheme and travel insurance to get them out of their jam.

But in the midst of their absurd plot, the family’s tight-knit routine gets complicated when Old Dolio’s parents meet the kooky Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) on their flight and decide on a whim to bring her into their clan.

Her mother rations affection as she does money, insisting her daughter “doesn’t know anything about tender feelings”. And so Melanie tenderly takes it upon herself to introduce her new friend to pancakes, dancing, pet names and intimacy. The tremors that Old Dolio grits her teeth through suggest an internal shift is taking place.

Watch the trailer below.

Black Lives Matter: It’s Time To Step Up

To us, strength has no identity, and solidarity should have no race.

We can’t continue with business as usual. This week, we’re suspending our regular schedule to focus on content related to this struggle, the fight against white supremacy and the fight for Black lives and Black futures

We’re working hand-in-hand with our team to shape our plan for better representation, not just for now, but for forever.

It’s on us – all of us – to learn about racial prejudice, to develop the understanding of those who don’t, and to take time to self-educate on the challenges under-served communities face. Not just in America, but across the world.

This week all our channels will be used to educate and encourage others to fight for a positive change – we will work to support our local communities and develop further initiatives.

We’re utilising our internal education platform to circulate – and give access to – a library of resources, in order to increase the awareness of equal rights.

This initiative aims to provide a deeper understanding of the injustice and inequality that millions still face.

It’s time to donate

Black Lives Matter pioneer in the movement to fight for freedom, liberation and justice. Leading the way in providing a voice for Black people, BLM provide the resource for further understanding of racial prejudice, opening the eyes of the world to the challenges many people face, whilst offering an opportunity to make change.

With hundreds of charities helping communities, we understand that it can be difficult knowing where to direct your charitable donations.

By no means a comprehensive list, here is a short index of organisations that you can donate to right now to make an immediate difference.

  • Black Lives Matter – a global organisation which creates space for Black imagination and innovation, whilst providing an educational platform.
  • Black Visions Collective – a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organisation and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
  • The Bail Project – a nonprofit that aims to mitigate incarceration rates through bail reform.
  • We love Lake Street – an organisation helping to rebuild the Lake Street community in Minneapolis which has been affected by recent riots.

Ways You Can Help

As well as the educational resources below, being vocal is a crucial step in gaining awareness and promoting the need for change. 

Here is a list of petitions and further ways you can help.

Educate yourself

There is no guidebook to eradicate racism. There are however, multiple insightful resources and learnings that have been published to help educate you, and your community on the history behind the movement. 

Below, a variety of non-fiction, and fiction works by authors that help paint a visual representation of both pain and injustice, which aim to unite all races in the fight for equality and freedom.  

NETFLIX

BOOKS / AUDIBLE

Rebecca Black Comes Out As Queer

Rebecca Black, who shot to fame in 2011 after her original song “Friday” went massively viral, has come out as queer.

While appearing on podcast Dating Straight, the influencer and singer, told hosts Jack Dodge and Amy Ordman of the split and insisted she previously made a conscious decision not to ‘come out’.

“People started asking and I stopped not responding. I’m still in the process, it feels like.”

Asked how she identifies now, Black said she’s comfortable with the label queer.

“It’s like the f**king quarantine, every day is different. It’s something that over the past few years I’ve obviously been having a lot of conversations with myself about. To me, the word “queer” feels really nice. I have dated a lot of different types of people, and I just don’t really know what the future holds. Some days, I feel a little more on the “gay” side than others.”

Still, while she’s happy to speak about her sexuality, she’s not about to capitalise on the attention by jumping back into dating any time soon.

“I don’t really want to date right now, but even if I did, I have no choice,’ she said. ‘Unless I want to get on Raya and Skype date them? No.”

The star had recently said she saw herself on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, after she was asked in a YouTube video in January whether she was a member of the community.

While not specifying what she was comfortable labelling herself as, she said:

“I definitely see sexuality as being on a spectrum You can definitely be on one end of the spectrum or the other, you can be very gay or very straight, it is super cool. But of course, with there being a spectrum, there is this huge middle ground where everybody else falls in.”

Kristen Stewart Talks Sexuality, Indie Films and Staying True to Herself

In a recent interview, Kristen Stewart talks about how she was previously warned to hide her sexuality to further her career, being told: “If you just, like, do yourself a favour and don’t go out holding your girlfriend’s hand in public, you might get a Marvel movie.”

In a new interview with Style, Stewart revealed why she chose to go public, despite the potential impact on her career.

I’ve felt a responsibility to not be this fake thing who’s only putting out what people want to hear, but at the same time not wanting to leak details about my private life. I was in the situation where hiding the fact that you’re with a girl is different from hiding your being with a particular guy, and that’s why I decided to say it openly.

But today’s generation doesn’t attach that much importance to gender roles. We don’t believe in those big distinctions and reducing everything to one kind of identity vs another. There’s so much more going on in the inside and a lot of young people today assume that naturally.

Stewart says she stays true to herself and now is able to skilfully handle the gossip and news

It’s usually a losing battle to get involved with that. All you’re doing is adding to the bull … even when you’re trying to be honest and doing your best to address a situation. And when you’re dealing with something like a break-up, usually you’re only going to make things worse and keep the story going. Just like I’ve never planned out my career in a specific way, I don’t try to control the perception of me or make people think a certain way about me … I don’t know how people do that.

Despite her recent blockbuster appearances Stewart supports indie projects with as much passion, and as a director she’s on the lookout for untold stories about sexual minorities.

As time goes by, I realise that there are many outstanding stories to be told. I’m always looking for stories and often when I watch a period film, I wonder where the gay characters are because gay people have always existed. But those stories were being very narrowly told and it’s only been lately that we’ve started to tell those stories.

During my own journey of self-discovery, I’ve been able to play gender-fluid characters and I’m happy to be able to defend and tell those stories as a director. I don’t see a big difference between being an actor and a director – the two activities overlap and complement each other.

She’s currently planning on directing a feature film, The Chronology of Water, based on the autobiography by the American bisexual swimmer Lidia Yuknavitch.

Phyllis Lyon, LGBTQ Rights Pioneer, Dies at 95

She and her wife, Del Martin, were activists and mentors before there was a movement or community, said a longtime friend

Pioneering lesbian activist and civil rights giant Phyllis Lyon died Thursday, officials said. She was 95.

Lyon, who was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, moved to San Francisco. There, she was was a journalist who met her lifelong love, Del Martin, while working at a magazine in Seattle. The couple moved to San Francisco in 1953.

They co-founded with other lesbian couples the Daughters of Bilitis, a political and social organisation for lesbians. They published a national monthly for lesbians and in 1972, a book called Lesbian/Woman.

Lyon and her longtime partner, was among the first same-sex couples to marry in California when it became legal to do so in 2008.

Lyon lived her life with “joy and wonder”, said Kate Kendell, a longtime friend and former executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. She said Lyon and her wife Del Martin were activists and mentors long before there was a movement or community.

“Before cell phones they always had their phone number listed in the phone book in case any young or terrified LGBTQ person needed help or support. And they fielded dozens of calls over the years.”

California’s governor Gavin Newsom, who granted the couple the city’s first same-sex marriage license in 2004 while serving as mayor of San Francisco, called her a “dear friend”.

“Phyllis – it was the honor of a lifetime to marry you & Del. Your courage changed the course of history.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also a former mayor of San Francisco, recalled Lyon as a fearless trailblazer who worked at the city’s first gay political organization, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, and successfully advocated for an anti-discrimination ordinance in San Francisco.

The law, which banned workplace and housing discrimination against gays and lesbians, was the first of its kind in a major U.S. city, Feinstein said.

Imani Rupert-Gordon, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, called Lyon a “giant,” adding:

“Her activism changed what we thought was possible, and her strength inspired us. Her vision helped forge our path and made organizations like NCLR possible. And although the path is lonelier without her, we know the way because of her.”

Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant on Portrait of a Lady on Fire

The co-stars of Céline Sciamma’s sumptuous period romance discuss the intimate – and political – nature of the film.

Noémie Merlant & Adèle Haenel are interviewed for their movie Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) which is written and directed by Céline Sciamma.

Spoilers follow.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is the story of two young women in 18th century France.

Héloïse is an aristocrat whose mother is trying to marry her off to a stranger in Milan. Marianne is an artist who has been hired to paint Héloïse’s portrait as a gift for Héloïse’s would-be suitor.

But since Héloïse refuses to sit for the portrait, Marianne employs a subterfuge: She tells Héloïse that she is there only to be her walking companion.

During the day, Marianne attempts to memorize Héloïse’s features as they take walks along a windy beach. At night, she commits them to canvas.

It’s a potent premise for a love story.

Before too long, Marianne and Héloïse are in love, and then in bed together. But all the time, there remains a certain precise and minimal distance between them, and that distance is all wound up in the French word vous.

After they sleep together, Marianne and Héloïse continue to use the word vous to address one another. They continue to use it after they declare their love for one another. They use it during what they know will be their last night together, as they admonish one another to stay awake and recount which moments from their brief, bittersweet romance they will carry with them after they part. They continue to use vous all the way up until their very last second together.

Then Marianne runs out of the house in tears. And Héloïse, in her wedding gown, comes flying down the stairs after her.

“Retourne-toi!” Héloïse calls. She’s saying, “Turn around” — and she’s saying it in the informal mode.

Marianne turns around and looks at Héloïse. And for this single, shining moment, for just a breath, they are intimates and equals, and they know each other in a way that no one else ever will.

And then Marianne leaves, and Héloïse never sees her again. But French speakers in the audience now know the true depth of their intimacy. It goes all the way into their grammar.

Will Batwoman be Cancelled? We Could Have a Long Wait for Season 2

Batwoman may have just arrived here in the UK but the future of season 2 looks uncertain.

It’s safe to say that the TV series Batwoman has not had the easiest starts in its short lifespan to date.

Now fresh doubt seems to be creeping into the show’s fanbase as many are now starting to ask is ‘Batwoman cancelled?’

Batwoman first arrived on TV screens in the US back in October 2019 and now, in April 2020 has finally made its way onto UK screens courtesy of E4.

After just half of Batwoman’s first season had aired in the US, the show was renewed for a second season with production scheduled to take place during 2020.

However, production on the show’s second season has stopped, thanks to the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus which will likely mean a delay to the original release, although no date had been confirmed.

Rumours are now circulating that the show may be panned.

Ruby Rose takes on the character of Batwoman, known to us originally as Bruce Wayne’s cousin, Kate Kane.

While most comic book-based shows like to plunge us right into the action, dealing with the whys and wherefores later, Batwoman went back to the beginning, laying out the superhero’s original story.

After months spent travelling the world and learning survival skills, military school dropout Kate Kane returns to Gotham, where Batman has long vanished under mysterious circumstances.

In his absence, her father founded a private security firm to keep the city’s criminal gangs in check, but shuts her out of his operations in a misguided attempt to keep her safe. Taking matters into her own hands, Kane soon discovers a certain secret belonging to her missing cousin: Bruce Wayne.

Admittedly, Ruby Rose gives an uneven performance as the title character.

Q26 Launches QTYPE Magazine With Its Fashion Issue

QTYPE is a LGBTQ+ magazine that showcases queer talent with a focus on queer creatives of colour in the fields of fashion, film, and music in Los Angeles.

Most digital media companies focus on queer people and POC as a sidebar to existing content, in order to add a little colour to a monochromatic space. That’s why Q26 creating a new palette.

QTYPE is unique in that its first focus is queer creatives of colour and offers a new way for all creatives to learn more about each other and expand their networks.

“QTYPE does something that other publications don’t,” Camille Ora-Nicole, Creative Director at Q26. Queer folx and people of color don’t have their own section attached to an existing publication. Our magazine starts off by being inclusive, representing everyone.”

As a part of this issue, Q26 also filmed an interview with fashion designer and cover feature Timeekah Murphy, the founder of the Alani Taylor brand.

Features and benefits of QTYPE include.

  • Inspirational stories from local artists, focusing on fashion, film, and music
  • A diverse take on the creative world by people of color and queer folx
  • Articles that explore topics from a unique point of view

QTYPE is now available on Issuu, at $20 for a year’s subscription. For more information on QTYPE, visit https://issuu.com/theq26/docs/qtype_issuu 

31 Seriously Badass Women Who Will Make You Proud To Be A Woman

It might be 100 years since the first British women won the right to vote – even if only women aged over 30 who owned property could vote in 1918 – but the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements serve as a reminder of how much further there is to go in the fight for equality.

Perhaps that’s why this year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Press For Progress – all about remembering which hurdles women still have to overcome to achieve parity.

Here is a list of strong women who did their part, both big and small, to make the world a better place.

1. Amelia Earhart Was The First Female Aviator To Fly Solo Across The Atlantic Ocean (1928)

2. Margaret Heafield Was A Director Of Software Engineering For Nasa’s Apollo Space Program (1969)

3. Russia-born Valentina Tereshkova Became The First Woman In Space Aboard The Vostok 6 (1963)

4. One Of The Onna-Bugeisha, Female Samurai Warrior Of The Upper Bushi (Samurai), Class In Feudal Japan (Late 1800’s)

5. This Woman Hitting A Neo-Nazi With Her Handbag In Växjö, Sweden (13 April, 1985)

6. Jeanne Manford With Her Son Morty, Foreground, Marching In The New York City Gay Pride Parade (1972)

7. Marie Curie Was A Polish Physicist And Chemist Famous For Her Work On Radioactivity And Twice A Winner Of The Nobel Prize

8. Kathrine Switzer Was The First Woman To Run The Boston Marathon (1967). When Organizer Jock Semple Realised A Woman Was Running He Tried To Tackle Her

9. Komako Kimura, A Prominent Japanese Suffragist Marched On Fifth Avenue In New York City Demanding The Right To Vote (27 October, 1917)

10. Rosa Louise Mccauley Parks – Civil Rights Activist

11. Anne Frank Was A Jewish Diarist And Writer

12. Women’s Liberation Coalition Marching For Equal Pay (1970)

13. Marina Ginestà Was A French Veteran Of The Spanish Civil War. This Is Her Most Famous Picture At The Top Of Hotel Colón In Barcelona (21 July, 1936)

14. Mary Winsor Holding Suffrage Prisoners Banner In Washington D.C. (1917)

15. Jane Goodall, Leading Primatologist And Conservationalist

Jane with Uruhara pant-hooting, 1996.

16. Nadia Comaneci – The First Women To Score A Perfect 10 In Gymnastics At The Olympic Games

17. Maud Stevens Wagner Was The First Known Female Tattoo Artist In The United States (1907)

18. Annette Kellerman Promoted Women’s Right To Wear A Fitted One-Piece Bathing Suit (1907). She Was Arrested For Indecency

19. Bertha Von Suttner – First Woman Peace Activist And First Woman To Be Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

20. Suu Kyi (burma) Was Under House Arrest For 15 Yrs For Her Pre-democracy Campaigning.

21. Voting Activist Annie Lumpkins At The Little Rock City Jail (10 July, 1961)

22. Gertrude Caroline Ederle Became The First Woman To Swim Across The English Channel (1926)

23. NASA Astronaut Anna Lee Fisher Became The First Mother In Space (1984)

24. Maria Teresa De Filippis, First Female Formula 1 Driver (1958)

25. Ellen O’neal, One Of The Greatests Female Freestyle Skateboarders In The World (1970)

26. A Female Lockheed Employee Works On One In Burbank, California (1944)

27. Ada Lovelace – First Programmer In History

28. These Four Female Pilots Leaving Their Plane At The Four-Engine School At Lockbourne AAF (Early 1940s)

29. Leola N. King, America’s First Female Traffic Cop, Washington D.C. (1918)

30. Angela Davis (b. January 26, 1944), American Political Activist, Scholar, Author & Feminist.

31. Billie Jean King. Us Tennis Legend & Became The First Prominent Female Athlete To Come Out.

London Queer Fashion Show Returns For its Third Instalment

Marking its 3rd year, the annual London Queer Fashion Show gives visibility to new talent and helps to break down gender norms in fashion.

This Friday, London’s most diverse and inclusive fashion show returns to the V&A Museum of Childhood in East London.

The London Queer Fashion Show stage is home to established and emerging fashion designers and is the show within season to spot new queer talent. The purpose of the show is to express all identities in order for every individual to be recognised and acknowledged.

With dancers, voguers, hula hoop acts, the evening is full of surprises, live and electric energy to split and divide to mainstream catwalks whilst championing up and coming queer designers, with queer models.

Designers for the 2019 show consist of: Gzell, Ellise Lawrence, Plus Equals, Duygu, Insantible Lust, Sophie Cochevelou, Paula Herrera, Vanessa Nicholson, Annam, and The Avenue.

This year the event will be hosted by Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Celebrity Big Brother star x, and walking the stage are models of all identities. From Tess Holiday, Rain Dove and Saara Aalto to leaders and influencers from London’s community like Jamie Windust, Stefan Howste, Kenny Jones, Asttina Mandella, Char Bailey, Helen Scott and Jason Kwan, this event is championing gender-fluid fashion and inclusivity to the core.

Founder of London Queer Fashion Show, Robyn Exton, comments:

“The London Queer Fashion Show is completely unique – we’re bringing together the phenomenal power of both the fashion and queer communities in an explosive experience. This is what real representation and inclusivity should look like, not the tokenism we’re seeing far too often. A stage for all those who exist in our community, real identities, real voices and real people.”

Gates open at 6.30pm for drinks and entertainment at V&A Museum of Childhood forecourt, with doors to the venue open at 7.30pm, where attendees can explore the Selling Floor with over 20 LGBTQ+ vendors.

Show begins at 8.30pm. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

Showtime Releases First-Look Teaser for THE L WORD: GENERATION Q

So showtime just dropped the new L Word trailer and we can’t cope.

Showtime just dropped the first teaser for “The L Word: Generation Q”, featuring original stars Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, and Katherine Moennig, and introducing a few new members (Arienne Mandi, Micah Lee, Jacqueline Toboni, Rosanny Zayas and Sepideh Moafi) to the party for the eagerly anticipated sequel.

According to the pay TV channel’s official description, “The L Word: Generation Q” continues to follow the intermingled lives of Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals), Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey) and Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig), along with new characters Dani Nùñez (Arienne Mandi), Micah Lee (Leo Sheng), Finley (Jacqueline Toboni), Sophie Suarez (Rosanny Zayas) and Gigi (Sepideh Moafi) as they experience love, heartbreak, sex, setbacks and success in L.A.

Guest stars include Brian Michael, Stephanie Allyne, Olivia Thirlby, Fortune Feimster and Latarsha Rose.

“The L Word: Generation Q” is executive produced by showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan (“The Four-Faced Liar,” “6 Balloons)”, along with with series creator Ilene Chaiken, Kristen Campo, Steph Green (pilot), and original series stars Beals, Moennig and Hailey.

The new series THE L WORD: GENERATION Q premiering on Sunday, December 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. 

Sarah Shahi Will Be in New ‘The L Word’ Sequel

Sarah Shahi is set to return for Showtime’s upcoming The L Word sequel series!

Carmen de la Pica Morales for two seasons and was a fan favourite on the series.

“It was discussed [that] my involvement [would be] very heavily [that] I would be in it. I intend to keep it that way, and so does Showtime,”

Shahi played fan-favorite Carmen — a DJ and love interest for Moennig’s Shane — for two seasons.

“[The L Word] was my first big gig. And to be a part of that, I don’t think I ever really knew what I was stepping into until after and I started speaking with women and getting letters. Just the amount of information that was sent my way about how impactful it was, it put me on this thing where it’s like, everything I want to do from now on, I want it to have meaning and I want it to touch people. That was something I tried to do in Reverie and in Person of Interest and it’s something I’m going to do in City on a Hill. To be a part of that sisterhood was so momentous for me. I’m more than honored that I can go back and re-create it.”

Shahi also opened up about what she thinks Carmen is up to now.

“Whatever she’s doing, I feel like she’s definitely still pining away for Shane. For Shane, Carmen would be the one that got away. But I think that was a big game-changer for her. I’m not sure if she’s still DJing or not but definitely something in the music-art world.”

One thing that’s still to be determined is just how big of a role Shahi will have in the eight-episode revival. Showtime declined comment on Shahi’s involvement.

Playwright and screenwriter Marja-Lewis Ryan will serve as showrunner and executive produce alongside original series creator Ilene Chaiken.

Stars Jennifer Beals (Bette), Katherine Moennig (Shane) and Leisha Hailey (Alice) are also on board to exec produce and will reprise their roles from the original series while also introducing a new ensemble of self-possessed LGBTQIA characters experiencing love, heartbreak, sex, setbacks and success on the east side of Los Angeles.

The reboot, first announced in July 2017, arrives nearly 10 years after the original wrapped its six-season run. It is considered a sequel to the original. Lewis-Ryan was selected following an extensive search for a writer with ties to the LGBTQIA community to document how relationships, lives and experiences have evolved — as well as what has and hasn’t changed since the show launched in 2004. Other characters from the original series — which included fan-favorite Erin Daniels (Dana), Laurel Holloman (Tina), Mia Kirshner (Jenny), and Pam Grier (Kit) — may also appear in a potential new version.

A new season of ‘The L Word’ will arrive on Showtime by the end of the year

Now, after a year of rumours, cable network Showtime has announced the rumoured The L Word revival will be back by the end of the year. 

After much speculation and hints over the past few years, The L Word is finally returning to the air.

When you scream… Showtime says the end of this year! 

While this new series will expand beyond the central group of existing characters, Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, and Leisha Hailey will all reprise their roles.

Showtime says those fan favourites will appear “alongside a new generation of self-possessed LGBTQIA characters experiencing love, heartbreak, sex, setbacks, and success in L.A.”

The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken is also returning as an executive producer, while Marja-Lewis Ryan will take over showrunning duties.

The L Word originally ran for six seasons from 2004 until 2009, and followed the relationships, careers, sex lives and journeys into parenthood of group of friends in L.A.

The revival will act as a sequel, following on from the sixth season which ended in jail time and death for some of our most loved/hated characters.

And, according to Hollywood Reporter, some of the other stars from the original series could potentially return.

Either way, we’ll be watching.

Multi-Fandom Convention For LGBT+ Women To Be Held In London For The First Time

ClexaCon, the largest multi-fandom event for LGBTQ women & allies, took place in London this past weekend and it was awesome.

Building from the massive success of ClexaCon in the states – which has taken place in Las Vegas for the past two years – the event brought a host of actors, directors, journalists and fans to discuss female representation in the film and TV world.

Focusing on a more curated experience for its European attendees ClexaCon London was committed to raising awareness about the differences in creative spaces and support for LGBTQ women in the UK.

Ashley Arnold, Danielle Jablonski & Holly Winebarger the masterminds behind ClexaCon, are actively working to shift conventional thinking by continuing to advance the conversation about female representation in the film & TV world.

In attendance were Kat Barrell aka Officer Haught, Olivia Hallinan (Sugar Rush), Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis (Camilla, Almost Adults), Jamie Clayton (Sense8), Kat Mandahla Rose (Forever Not Maybe, All About E), producer Hanan Kattan, and novelist-filmmaker Shamim Sarif.

The event also featured panels, meet and greets, and workshops from an elite community of LGBTQ game changers, industry tastemakers, media and influencers.

‘Freelancers Anonymous’ is being released soon! Be sure to watch the trailer here

Freelancers Anonymous is a refreshing change to the typical narrative.

Freelancers Anonymous is a quick-paced comedy, which rallies an all-female team, and has lesbian lead.

The film is about a woman named Billie (yes, Billie is her real name) who quits her job just months before her wedding and starts a tech company with the group of unemployed freelancers at her local church. The film is directed by award winning Spanish filmmaker, Sonia Sebastian (De Chica en Chica / Girl Gets Girl), and is written by Amy Dellagiarino and Lisa Cordileone.

It stars Lisa Cordileone, Natasha Negovanlis, Alexandra Billings, Jennifer Bartels, Mouzam Makkar, Megan Cavanagh, Amy Shiels, Cassandra Blair, Jamison Scala, Grace Rex, Jennie McNulty, Haviland Stillwell.

The gap in the market for the LGBTQ community and women in STEM industries pales in comparison to our male counterparts. Gender parity has become a hot button issue over the past several years in Hollywood and we are passionate about creating content that fills this gap! Our team’s unique vision is to integrate a narrative across several platforms and create a transmedia company that can engage audiences in new and exciting way. We are eager to create strong and positive representation for the LGBTQ community, as well as women in comedy, women in STEM industries, and female-driven stories.

 

New Picture of Ruby Rose in Batwoman Costume Gets Us Hyped About ‘Elseworlds’ Crossover

Ruby Rose is set to make her Batwoman debut in this December’s Arrowverse crossover, and this week we received another sneak behind-the-scenes at her in action.

Director James Bamford has shared a new image on Instagram featuring the red-haired heroine.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpcBJ9oH-uO/?utm_source=ig_embed

He captioned it:

“@rubyrose and myself kickin’ it crossover style….Episode 709….ARROW….#Elseworlds………watch out for this woman…..she’s a force! What an absolute pleasure to work with this human!”

The new crossover rapidly approaching – bringing together the likes of The Flash, Superman, Green Arrow, Supergirl and Batwoman – this new glimpse of Ruby’s character has predictably thrilled legions of fans.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bot3iS6n1zh/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpBTY8RHpYN/

Stars Urge Women to Vote in Midterm Elections #BecauseItMatters

The ad, which was directed by Jodie Foster, encourages women to vote during the midterm elections on Nov. 6.

A star-studded group of female entertainers — including Cher, Lily Tomlin, Ellen Pompeo and Olivia Munn — are urging other women to vote in next week’s midterm elections as part of a Jodie Foster – directed PSA.

The ad, titled Because it Matters, names a number of hot-button issues on their minds, including equal pay, immigration reform and gun control and encourages women to vote during the midterm elections on Nov. 6.

“If somebody asked you ‘What do you care about?,’ what would you say?” actress Tea Leoni asks the camera in the video.

Foster said in a statement announcing the ad’s release.

“Women’s voices are being listened to in a way that they haven’t been before. And it’s not just women candidates. It’s women voters and women activists. We hope that this campaign, featuring familiar faces in the entertainment industry, will inspire others to share their views and more importantly take action on Election Day. It really matters.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU09-XS05jQ