Author Archives: Suzie Carter

Suzie Carter

About Suzie Carter

Suzie Carter is the Senior Women's Writer at KitschMix. Listed among her achievements are performing stand-up, graduating from London Met and writing for her favourite publications. She enjoys covering women’s topics, watching celebrities self-destruct and rising to any occasion.

Seeing Amber Heard As Queen Of Atlantis Just Made Our Day

The upcoming Justice League will be jammed packed with superheroes, and we can’t wait.

First, the film is set to introduce Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, Ezra Miller’s The Flash, J. K. Simmons’s James Gordon, Willem Dafoe’s Nuidis Vulko, and Julian Lewis Jones’s unnamed character.

That’s already a long list, but remember, the film also sees the return of Ben Affleck’s Batman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Amy Adams’s Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons’s Alfred, and Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor. Oh, and Snyder needs to resurrect Henry Cavil’s Superman.

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Along with all these characters, bisexual actress Amber Heard’s Mera will also debut in the film, and IGN has shared the first photo of Mera concept art (created by costume designer Michael Wilkinson and illustrator Ian Joyner), as well as a still shot of Heard in costume (complete with green scales and an elaborate headpiece).

While Heard as Mera is only expected to play a supporting role in Justice League, she will have a much bigger part in the upcoming “Aquaman” movie, directed by James Wan.

In Justice League – fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act – Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.

Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of meta-humans to stand against this newly awakened threat.

But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heros, it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League will hit theatres on November 17, 2017.

 

 

 

Kesha Makes An Emotional Plea For American Voters To Protect LGBT Rights (Video)

In the latest episode of Vevo’s Why I Vote series, Kesha explains reflects on bullies, struggling with sexuality and how her passion for gender equality motivates her to vote.

In this election especially, I feel like you’re choosing between someone who is promising to build walls and someone who is hopeful. If those are my two options, I definitely wanna go with hope.”

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Through her video, Kesha takes us from the childhood hardships of questioning her own sexuality to the recent privilege she had in officiating the same-sex weddings of two dear friends.

She also visits the Los Angeles LGBT centre in support of safe havens, and actively encouraging voters to use their power everywhere, but especially in states like North Carolina, which has recently passed laws discriminating against the LGBT community.

We as a country do not need to step backwards. We need to protect the groundbreaking laws that have been stepping in the correct direction.”

 

Kesha’s support of LGBT rights has been a lifelong passion, and as she put it in her own words, she is part of the fight.

Using your voice and your truth and standing up and talking about what you believe in and voting is your power. You need to utilize that.”

Vevo’s Why I Vote campaign aims to give artists a chance to share personal opinions on the key issues shaping the 2016 Presidential Election.

Previous episode focused on immigration, mass incarceration, and education opportunities.

Ground Breaking Korean Short Film Examines The Relationship Between Two Queer Woman

A Korean short filmDaymoon is breaking fresh ground in Korea for its portrayal of a bisexual character.

Directed by Han Sang-Hee, the film takes a poignant look at the relationship between Su-jin (a bisexual woman), and Se-in (the lesbian she is romantically involved with.

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The plot revolves around, Se-in confronting her feelings of mistrust and insecurity when Su-jin catches the eye of a man, Kyung-chul.

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You can catch a sneak peek below, and then head to Viddsee, an Asian site that curates and shares powerful short films, to view more.

 

Gal Gadot On Wonder Woman’s Sexuality: “She’s A Woman Who Loves People For Who They Are”

The Wonder Woman Movie doesn’t hit theatres until next year, but we’ve been buzzing about the upcoming action flick since DC debuted its trailer at San Diego Comic Con.

However, last month, our attention has been drawn once again to superheroine’s sexuality, and in particular, whether or not she has had relationships with women.

When quizzed about Wonder Woman’s sex life with her fellow female Amazons, DC comics writer Greg Rucka said that the superhero had “obviously” been in same-sex relationships.

When you start to think about giving the concept of Themyscira its due, the answer is, ‘How can they not all be in same sex relationships?’ Right? It makes no logical sense otherwise.”

Now, during an interview with Variety, Gal Gadot — who plays the Wonder Woman — was asked to respond to comments made by Rucka.

It’s not something we’ve explored. It never came to the table, but when you talk theoretically about all the women on Themyscira and how many years she was there, then what he said makes sense.”

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She went on to explain how the parameters of Wonder Woman’s sexuality are not defined by gender.

In this movie she does not experience any bisexual relationships. But it’s not about that. She’s a woman who loves people for who they are. She can be bisexual. She loves people for their hearts.”

Read more at Variety.com.

Woman Jailed For ‘Duping Friend Into Lesbian Relationship’ By Using A Male Persona, Has Conviction Quashed

An appeals court has turned over the conviction against Gayle Newland over allegations that the judge presiding over the case was not ‘properly fair and balanced’.

The defendant was originally found guilty of three counts of sexual assault over the 2013 incidents, while both her and the alleged victim were studying at the University of Chester.

Newland was accused of impersonating a man to have sex with her female friend, a feat she pulled off multiple times using a variety of disguises including a fake identity, a prosthetic penis, and a curve suppressing bathing suit.

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Her alleged victim – a woman who cannot be named for legal reasons – had told Chester Crown Court that she had embarked on a relationship with a man that she met on Facebook, who used the name Kye Fortune.

The woman told the court that when meeting up with Fortune in real life to have consensual sex, she was convinced to wear a blindfold at all times during sex sessions, because Fortune claimed to have insecurities about his appearance.

However, after meeting up on a number of occasions, the woman tore off the blindfold during a sexual encounter – and was shocked find not her supposed boyfriend, but Newland allegedly penetrating her with a prosthetic penis.

The woman claims that Newland had manufactured the fake identity, and disguised her appearance by binding her breasts and wearing a hat, in order to pass as the fictional man and trick her into sex.

A petition to release Newland corroborated her side of the story, arguing:

The truth is Gayle was nothing but loyal, caring and passionate towards her lover, who knew who she truly was. Gayle is a beautiful girl, she didn’t have any reason to hide behind a false identity in order to pursue the affectionate relationship she had with the claimant. Gayle is now open about her sexuality and has been for some time. However, this was not the case during the time she and her partner were together.

Both agreed to keep their sexuality and relationship secret in order to process the situation as well as their feelings towards one another, without outside judgement. Towards the end of their relationship Gayle eventually admitted to her partner that she wished to open up about herself to her parents.

This sparked an argument between Gayle and the claimant and a couple days later the police had gotten involved, hence the beginning of the case. It is obvious that the claimant was terrified that the truth about her sexuality would come out and, likely out of desperation, would go to extreme lengths to deny being sexually involved with a female.”

Newland was initially jailed for eight years, but challenged the conviction in an appeal.

Now, Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice King and Mr Justice Dove, have quashed her conviction and agreed to release her on bail.

Newland’s lawyer had argued the previous conviction was “unsafe” as the trial judge had neglected to be ‘properly fair and balanced’ while summing up the case for the jury.

A retrial has been ordered, though no date has been set.

DC’s ‘Batwoman’ Solo Series Will Honour Her Queer Identity

Batwoman is flying high in the pages of Detective Comics right now, but DC Entertainment announced that Kate Kane is getting her own solo comic once again – one that will honour her queer legacy.

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In an interview with Inverse, Dan DiDio says Batwoman’s identity as a lesbian has been a part of her character since she first appeared in a New 52 issue.

We introduced Batwoman back in 2006, and that was purely to introduce a gay character who was a part of one of our major franchises. It’s one thing to write a gay character in a book, but it’s another to make a player in a major franchise — Batman, Superman — gay. It brings a level of importance to the role, and it validates that character immediately.”

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Batwoman backstory is an important one. She was a highly competitive trained soldier who was dismissed from a military academy – despite being a top student – for being a lesbian.

After losing her military career, she fell into drug use and tried to escape her frustrations through risky behaviours. That’s where concerned father figure Bruce Wayne stepped in, and Kane soon became a vigilante beside him.

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DiDio insists that Batwoman’s creation, despite being for the explicit purpose of adding a gay character in DC’s books, was an organic one.

She’s not a throwaway, and she hasn’t changed one bit. She’s a hero who happens to be gay, which is no different than Bruce Wayne being a hero whose parents were murdered. She has a different point of view, and she stands unique among our pantheon of heroes.”

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DC has escaped much of the controversy that surrounds Marvel, though both publishers have made public decisions this year to value stories about non-white, non-straight, and non-male superheroes.

Fans seem particularly upset with Marvel swapping in new, diverse characters under existing titles — Riri Williams taking Iron Man’s position, or Jane Foster stepping in as the rightful Thor — and DC’s decision to showcase Batwoman seems to side-step that strategy.

After all, as DiDio points out, Batwoman has been a part of DC’s canon for ten years now, so her first solo series is only capitalising on a business strategy that began long before Marvel’s diversification movement took centre stage.

Miley Cyrus Talks Growing Up Pansexual: “I Always Hated the Word Bisexual”

Cyrus first came out as pansexual just over a year ago, expressing the fluid nature of her sexuality. Since then, she has be incredible out-spoken about her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality

In a recent interview with Variety magazine, Cyrus said she become more aware of her sexual orientation between the age of 10 and 12 – just before she started filming Hannah Montana.

The pop singer also described the moment she realised she was pansexual. and the realisation did not fit into one specific gender, explaining she had always felt equally aligned with both genders.

I didn’t understand my own gender and my own sexuality. I always hated the word ‘bisexual’ because that’s even putting me in a box”

She continued

I don’t ever think about someone being a boy or someone being a girl. Also, my nipple pasties and shit never felt sexualised to me. My eyes started opening in the fifth or sixth grade. My first relationship in my life was with a chick.”

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Cyrus explained she first figured out she was pansexual when she realised what it meant.

I went to the LGBTQ centre here in LA. And I started hearing these stories. I saw one human in particular who didn’t identify as male or female. Looking at them, they were both: beautiful and sexy and tough but vulnerable and feminine but masculine. And I related to that person more than I related to anyone in my life.”

Cyrus said she had felt involved in the LGBTQ community for the entirety of her life.

Even though I may seem very different, people may not see me as neutral as I feel. But I feel very neutral. I think that was the first gender-neutral person I’d ever met. Once I understood my gender more, which was unassigned, then I understood my sexuality more. I was like, ‘Oh – that’s why I don’t feel straight and I don’t feel gay. It’s because I’m not.’”

She also spoke of growing up in a deeply religious family in the deep South in Franklin, Tennessee, saying that despite the fact her parents didn’t understand her sexuality straight away, she knew they would learn to.

Cyrus explained that her mum had since apologised for not being more immediately understanding about her sexuality.

On The Voice this young girl started crying when she left, because I’m the reason she came out. My mom started crying. She was like, “I’m so sorry about the way I was when you were that age and coming out.” She never understood me until she saw that girl who couldn’t be herself. It was very cool.”

Cyrus first came out as pansexual just over a year ago, expressing the fluid nature of her sexuality.

18 ‘Subtle’ Ways She Tells You She’s Queer (Video)

What do you do if you are at a party and there is this woman you are really attracted to. You find her drop dead gorgeous, and you’re probably wondering if you have a shot. But how do you let her know you’re queer?

While the best way is to probably be direct, you sometimes just need to drop a subtle hint or too.

Kristen Stewart Speaks Out About Her Sexuality In Honest Interview: ‘I’m Not Ashamed And I’m Not Confused’

No big surprise here, but Kristin Stewart is one of eight stars to grace a cover of Elle magazine’ annual Women In Hollywood issue.

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Not only is she one of the most accomplished young actresses in the industry with a massive fan base, but she’s also a strong woman who’s not afraid to be herself and stand up for what she believes in.

But Stewart hasn’t actually made many recent headlines as a result of this talent. Instead, she has mostly been in the news due to her love life, and the fact she is now dating a woman.

While many people have questioned her relationship with girlfriend Alicia Cargile – which she confirmed in July – Stewart has no qualms setting the record straight.

I’m not ashamed, and I’m not confused. Things have changed. And not just with me—we’re really allowed to encourage this new acceptance to develop and be awesome.”

In fact, Stewart has unabashedly gushed over her relationship in the past.

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She told Elle U.K. in July,

Right now I’m just really in love with my girlfriend. We’ve broken up a couple of times and gotten back together, and this time I was like, ‘Finally, I can feel again.'”

Previously, the Twilight actress dated her co-star Robert Pattinson, but she felt the relationship was “trivialized.”

When I was dating a guy I was hiding everything that I did because everything personal felt like it was immediately trivialized, so I didn’t like it. We were turned into these characters and placed into this ridiculous comic book,” she explained. “And I was like, ‘That’s mine. You’re making my relationship something that it’s not.’ I didn’t like that.”

However, she feels her romance with Cargile has altered how the public perceives her, and in turn, how she perceives relationships.

It changed when I started dating a girl. I was like, ‘Actually, to hide this provides the implication that I’m not down with it or I’m ashamed of it, so I had to alter how I approached being in public. It opened my life up and I’m so much happier.”

Read Elle’s full Women of the Year issue here.

10 Quotes To Inspire (And Reassure) Anyone Worried About Discussing Their Sexuality

Today marks the 28th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

For some, coming out to even their nearest and dearest can feel like a scary task; for others, almost an insurmountable challenge.

But the last year has been an excellent one for LGBTQ visibility, with a number of high-profile figures speaking honestly and forthrightly about their sexuality and same-sex relationships.


1. Miley Cyrus

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My whole life, I didn’t understand my own gender and my own sexuality. I always hated the word ‘bisexual,’ because that’s even putting me in a box. I don’t ever think about someone being a boy or someone being a girl. Also, my nipple pasties and sh– never felt sexualized to me. My eyes started opening in the fifth or sixth grade. My first relationship in my life was with a chick.”


2. Ellen Page

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Being in the closet hurt my career way more than being out and being happy and feeling inspired again; being able to fuse my authentic self with my creative interests.”


3. Mara Wilson

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I used to identify as mostly straight. I’ve embraced the Bi/Queer label lately.

The LGBTQ community has always felt like home, especially a few years later when I, uh, learned something about myself.”


4. Kristen Stewart

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When I was dating a guy I was hiding everything that I did because everything personal felt like it was immediately trivialised, so I didn’t like it. We were turned into these characters and placed into this ridiculous comic book, and I was like, ‘That’s mine. You’re making my relationship something that it’s not.’ I didn’t like that.

But then it changed when I started dating a girl. I was like, ‘Actually, to hide this provides the implication that I’m not down with it or I’m ashamed of it, so I had to alter how I approached being in public. It opened my life up and I’m so much happier.”


5. Amanda Stenberg

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It’s a really, really hard thing to be silenced and it’s deeply bruising to fight against your identity and to mould yourself into shapes that you just shouldn’t in.

As someone who identifies as a black, bisexual woman, I’ve been through it and it hurts and it’s awkward and it’s uncomfortable…but then I realised because of Solange and Ava DuVernay and Willow [Smith] and all the black girls watching this right now that there’s absolutely nothing to change. We cannot be suppressed. We are meant to express our joy and our love and our tears and be big and bold and definitely not easy to swallow.”


6. Holland Taylor

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It’s awkward because if I talk about relationships in my life or people that have been in my life … I’d like to be able to just say that, without having to stop and say, ‘so have you come out?’ No, I haven’t come out because I am out. I live out.”


7. Eva Gutowski

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It’s awkward because if I talk about relationships in my life or people that have been in my life … I’d like to be able to just say that, without having to stop and say, ‘so have you come out?’ No, I haven’t come out because I am out. I live out.”

Just because you haven’t dated someone of the same sex does not mean you can’t be taken seriously as a bisexual. I am ready for myself to fall in love with someone, no matter who they end up being, and have been since I was 12. Boy or girl.”


8. Rachel Maddow

The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them.”


9. Bella Thorne

Not only today but all days we should celebrate acceptance of others. Be who you want to be and it will take you to being your happiest self! #bivisibilityday.”


10. Sarah Paluson

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Either you live your life in a very private way or you don’t, and I never have done that—ever—and I won’t do it going forward.

Behold, Your First Glimpse Of Ruby Rose in ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’

The man. The myth. The legend. John Wick is back; because, as Laurence Fishburne tells Keanu Reeves in the new trailer, he’s not very good at retiring.

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The film finds Keanu Reeves reprising his titular role as legendary hitman John Wick, who is forced once again out of retirement when a former associate plots to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild.

Ruby Rose is part of the new cast, and you can see her battling Wick in the trailer.

But according to director, she will be more seen than heard in the new movie.

I don’t know if she was expecting ‘Wick’ to be as kooky as it really is, but she’s mute in the movie, she does the whole thing in sign language. She was nervous for the first couple days, and then she just went for it.”

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Chapter 2 – which could potentially be a perfect date movie – drops this upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend.

Check out the new trailer:

 

Actress Sara Ramirez Comes Out As Bisexual And Queer In Powerful Speech

Sara Ramirez – who is best known for playing the proud bisexual character Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy – came out as bisexual while giving a speech at the 40 to None Summit in Los Angeles, this weekend.

So many of our youth experiencing homelessness are youth whose lives touch on many intersections—whether they be gender identity, gender expression, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, citizenship status.”

She continued

And, because of the intersections that exist in my own life: Woman, multi-racial woman, woman of color, queer, bisexual, Mexican-Irish American, immigrant, and raised by families heavily rooted in Catholicism on both my Mexican and Irish sides. I am deeply invested in projects that allow our youth’s voices to be heard, and that support our youth in owning their own complex narratives so that we can show up for them in the ways they need us to.”

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Ramirez, who has been married to husband Ryan DeBolt since 2011, is a member of the True Colors Fund board of directors and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights.

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Ramirez, 41, previously played the role of Dr. Callie Thorne, who also identified as bisexual, on the medical drama. On the series, she initially played the love interest and eventual wife to George O’Malley (T.R. Knight).

The actress left the hit ABC medical drama after 10 years this past May.

Watch her full remarks below.

Actress Sara Ramirez Comes Out As Bisexual And Queer In Powerful Speech

 

 

Sarah Paulson Raps Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Shoop’ to Perfection

As we all know, Sarah Paulson is a woman of great talent – (which was fianlly recognized in a big way when she received an Emmy for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story) – but apparently said talent is not exclusive to the dramatic arts.

Paulson appeared on The Tonight Show this week, where host Jimmy Fallon challenged her to bust out some old-school rap skills, by rattling off a verse of “Shoop” with The Roots.

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She was also their to discuss her Emmy win for The People v. O.J. Simpson, and hinted at the crazy twists in American Horror Story: Roanoke.

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Marvel To Debut New Comic With Queer Woman Of Colour Taking Centre Stage

So this just happened – Marvel announced (at New York Comic-Con) that Ms. America – a.k.a. America Chavez (a character who debuted in Young Avengers and A-Force (Marvel’s all-female Avengers initiative) – is going solo in 2017 with an ongoing Marvel title.

The series will be called America, and will also be Marvel’s first solo-run about a lesbian superhero.

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America – who was born on the planet Utopia (another dimension to ours) to her two mothers – has a set of badass superpowers; include flight, bulletproof skin, super strength, and inter-dimensional travel.

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And because her first name is America, she chose Ms. America as a crime-fighting identity.

What is great about America, is she is more confident, and outspoken than other Marvel heroes her age.

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America Chavez has already developed relationships with many of Marvel’s more well-known characters, including Hellcat, Squirrel Girl, and Loki.

Dolly Parton To Her Homophobic Fans: ‘Spread Love Not hate’

In an interview with Larry King, country music icon Dolly Parton tells him how she deals with the opinions of her homophobic Christian fans and suggested they best thing they could do would be to stop judging other people.

I keep saying, ‘If you’re the fine Christian that you think you are, why are you judging people?’ That’s God’s job.

We’re not God, we’re not judges, we’re supposed to love one another, we’re supposed to not judge.”

She also mentioned that she has too much to do to try and exact “vengeance,” which is part of God’s job description as well.

I just think that we should be more loving, more caring. We are who we are. If you’re gay, you’re gay. If you’re straight, you’re straight. And you should be allowed to be how you are and who you are”

Watch her speak on the LGBTQ community beginning at the 9:30 mark.

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Kristen Stewart Talks Nudity: ‘People Are A Little Too F**king Weird About It’

Kristen Stewart says she was unfazed by having to get naked on camera while filming scenes for French director Olivier Assayas’ indie film, Personal Shopper.

Talking to W Magazine, she said the attitudes towards sex and nudity on screen differ greatly in the US, where people are much more “weird” and “precious” about both.

I wasn’t apprehensive. I feel super great with director Olivier [Assayas], as well. The scenes in which I don’t have clothes on or the scenes that seem ‘risqué’ from an outsider’s perspective, there was no acknowledgement on his part.

They’re very f**king French. We are weirder about shit like that. You kind of have to take yourself personally out of it. My personal feeling about that is that I’m really unashamed. […] it’s kind of nice to see someone stripped and bare, totally bare. There’s a strength in it.”

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Stewart was pleased with the sex scene in the film, describing how its “rawness” only served to depict her character with more depth.

I think people are way, way, way too precious about that. It is precious, that’s probably the wrong word to use. I still want women’s bodies and the way they want to reveal them, it should be a precious thing, I don’t want to de-sexualise it in some way. But at the same time, I’m not weird about it. I’m pretty open. I think people are a little too f**king weird about it, to be honest, but that’s kind of why I was like, ‘I’ll do it.’”

In Her Own Words, Megan Rapinoe Explains Why She Knelt During National Anthem

U.S. women’s national team player Megan Rapinoe, has said she will continue to kneel during the national anthem “because I simply cannot stand for the kind of oppression this country is allowing against its own people.”

The out soccer star has chosen to kneel in support of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a passionate and occasionally ugly debate about injustice, race and patriotism when he sat for the national anthem during pre-season.

Kaepernick, who is objecting to police brutality and racial oppression, has seen his protest spread to the NBA and other sports, and high school and college players have also picked up the cause.

In a detailed post on the Players’ Tribune, Rapinoe explained her reasons for kneeling before her games.

She wrote:

I haven’t experienced over-policing, racial profiling, police brutality or the sight of a family member’s body lying dead in the street. But I cannot stand idly by while there are people in this country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache.

Rapinoe is one of the US women’s team’s biggest names. She helped her team to gold at the 2012 Olympics, and the 2015 World Cup, and is an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a charity that combats homophobia in sports.

She has chosen to kneel before USA international matches and games for Seattle Reign, her NWSL club.

Her protest has been met with support from soccer fans, but US Soccer, America’s governing body, has so far taken a lukewarm view.

Read the full post below

I’m kneeling because I have to do something. Anything. We all do.

I am the same Megan Rapinoe you have known for years now. I am the same woman who has worn the Stars and Stripes across her chest, proud and beaming. I am one of the women you have called an American hero, and not just once. I look like your sister, your friend, your neighbor or the girl your kids go to school with. I am the person sitting at your dinner table and coming to your holiday party.

I haven’t experienced over-policing, racial profiling, police brutality or the sight of a family member’s body lying dead in the street. But I cannot stand idly by while there are people in this country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache.

There is no perfect way to protest. I know that nothing I do will take away the pain of those families. But I feel in my heart it is right to continue to kneel during the national anthem, and I will do whatever I can to be part of the solution.

I can understand if you think that I’m disrespecting the flag by kneeling, but it is because of my utmost respect for the flag and the promise it represents that I have chosen to demonstrate in this way. When I take a knee, I am facing the flag with my full body, staring straight into the heart of our country’s ultimate symbol of freedom — because I believe it is my responsibility, just as it is yours, to ensure that freedom is afforded to everyone in this country.

I have chosen to kneel because in the time it has taken me to write this article, many more Americans have been lost to senseless violence. I have chosen to kneel because not two miles from my hotel in Columbus, Ohio, on the night before our USWNT match against Thailand, a 13-year-old boy named Tyre King was fatally shot by a police officer. I have chosen to kneel because I simply cannot stand for the kind of oppression this country is allowing against its own people. I have chosen to kneel because, in the words of Emma Lazarus, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.”

But this is about more than just raising awareness. I know that actions must be taken to help bring about real change. Right now, I am reaching out to community leaders, corporate partners and leaders within the Black Lives Matter movement to figure out all the ways I can best support the efforts already in motion.

While there may not be a perfect plan or solution in front of us, I encourage everyone reading this to join in the conversation. Together, we can listen to the people who are living this nightmare every day. We can try to empathize with their pain and start to understand a more complete picture of what is going on in our society. We can read articles, editorials, books and stories in order to peel back the layers of this centuries-old oppression.

Having these kinds of conversations can be difficult and complex, but so what? We should talk to our family members and challenge them, bringing these hard problems to the dinner table and persevering through uncomfortable conversations. This is not a “them” problem — this is an “us” problem.

And, if you are in a position of influence like I am, you can use your platform to elevate the millions of voices being silenced, and support them in the tremendous work already being done.

Even more simply, you can ask yourself this question: “Do I truly care about equality for all people in this country?”

If the answer is yes, then demand to be a better, more educated, more empathetic version of yourself. And demand the same of every single person you know — because, as Seattle-based writer Ijeoma Oluo put it so perfectly: When we as a nation put our minds to something, when we truly choose to care about something, change always happens.

I am choosing to do something. I am choosing to care.

Much love,

Pinoe

Rachel Maddow Disappointed That Mike Pence Wasn’t Challanged About Negative Views On LGBTQ Rights

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow was left – like many of us – frustrated that Tim Kaine didn’t challenge Mike Pence his terrible history of LGBTQ Rights, in the recent VP debate.

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I mean, I don’t think that because I’m gay I was looking to hear more of it than most people were, but I mean Mike Pence is really famous for having pushed the most aggressive pro-LGBT-discrimination bill in the country, [and] having to really embarrassingly walk it back.

When he was in Congress, he said that HIV and AIDS funding should not be disbursed unless it was also spent — federal dollars — spent to try to cure people from being gay. I mean, he’s got a really, really, really radical position and history and current positions on gay issues. It didn’t come up at all.”

Maddow placed much of the blame at the feet of moderator Elaine Quijano.

I think that the debate was essentially curated, it was essentially led as if it was refrigerator poetry. Honestly, I think the topics were alphabetical. You can’t have somebody who’s been a religious right warrior his entire public life and get to one question on what was described as social issues in the last three minutes of the debate and can think that you are actually having these guys engage on what they’ve fought about.”

She added that Kaine only brought up LGBTQ rights “in the context of Russia once, but didn’t bring it up in the context of Indiana.”

Watch Maddow’s comments below.

Number Of Britons Who Identify As Bisexual Has Soared By 45%

According to Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of people in Britain who describe themselves as bisexual has leaped by 45% since 2012.

The 2015 figures also show that London is the region with the highest proportion of people identifying themselves as Lesbian, gay or bi (2.6%).

The east of England has the lowest percentage (1.2%).

The figure for those aged 16-24 (3.3%) compares with just 0.6% of people aged 65 and over.
ONS statistician Pamela Cobb said:

In 2015, the majority (93.7%) of the UK population identified themselves as heterosexual or straight, with 1.7% identifying as LGB, the remainder either identifying as ‘other’, ‘don’t know’ or refusing to respond.”

The figures refer only to sexual identity and do not cover gender identity or necessarily reflect sexual behaviour.

Overall, more males (2%) identified as LGB than females (1.5%). Some 0.4% of the total identified as ‘other’ while a larger group of 4.1% either refused or did not know how to identify themselves.

More than two-thirds of the LGB population were ‘single, never married or hadn’t entered a civil partnership,’ the ONS said.

This is potentially due to the young age of LGB people compared with the population as a whole and the fact that same-sex legal unions are relatively new.

The figures were part of the ONS annual population survey and included respondents aged 16 and over.

The ONS suggested younger people could be more likely than previous generations to explore their sexuality and pointed out it was now more socially acceptable to express their sexual identity.

A spokeswoman for Stonewall, the charity which campaigns for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; added

It’s great to see that more [people] are comfortable coming out or identifying as lesbian, gay or bi than ever before. The spike in individuals identifying as bi could be due to more exposure of bi role models in sports, culture and the public eye. We would hope that individuals who had previously felt pressured to conceal their bi identity now feel safer and more empowered to be open about how they identify.”

One Million Moms Are Freaking Out Over H&M Including ‘Transgender’ Model (Who Isn’t Actually Trans)

The right-wing pressure group, One Million Moms – renowned for its ridiculous string of anti-LGBT boycotts – has got their knickers in a twist with H&M, and demanding a boycott of the fashion chain, after mistaking a Muay Thai fighting champ for a transgender woman in the stores latest ad She’s a Lady.

The ad (seen above) features a number of different women from various walks of life, and has received wide praise for it body positive stance.

However, the “family” group, which is a division of the American Family Association, is taking issue with its “skimpy lingerie” and a portion of the ad when two women kiss underwater.

The organization released a statement saying:

1MM is not sure of H&M clothing company’s thought process behind their new television ad, but if they are attempting to offend customers and families, they have succeeded.

H&M’s newest ‘She’s A Lady’ commercial includes what appears to be a man dressed as a woman in one segment, another woman wearing skimpy lingerie, and ends with two teenage girls kissing while underwater.

Parents find this type of advertising inappropriate and unnecessary especially since H&M’s target market is teens.

H&M Marketing Team may have thought this type of advertising was politically correct, but not only is it disgusting and confusing for children, it is pushing the LBGT agenda.

Let H&M know their new ad is irresponsible.”

The group encouraged its supporters to send a pre-written email complaining about the “disgusting commercial” that should be pulled “for our children’s best interest”.

However, as blogger JoeMyGod points out, the so-called “man dressed as a woman” in the ad is actually female Champion Muay Thai Boxer Fatima Pinto, who is not transgender.

Ironically, the ad does also fleetingly feature H&M model Hari Nef, who is transgender, but 1MM apparently didn’t notice.

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Despite their name, One Million Moms are an offshoot of the male-dominated evangelical American Family Association. They have just 3500 mostly-male Twitter followers.

Holland Taylor Discusses Her New Play, And Sarah Paulson’s Emmys Shout-Out

Sarah Paulson may have brought Marcia Clark as her date to the Emmys last month, but her real-life girlfriend Holland Taylor was ever present.

Taylor watched the award show on television in New York City where she is currently appearing on Broadway in The Front Page.

Talking NBC’s The Today Show Taylor was quick to praise Paulson

That whole Emmy night was so thrilling. She’s done six roles – different characters – in five years and been nominated for every one of them. For Marcia Clark, she has to win or the Earth is going to tilt on its fricken axis.”

When Paulson won she concluded her acceptance speech with,

And Holland Taylor, I love you. Thank you.”

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Taylor – a past Emmy winner herself – says of that gesture:

When she shouted out to me, I didn’t know she was going to do that. But the thing about Sarah is, long before she’s a brilliant actress – which she is – she is a real wonderful stand-up person of great quality and she stands on the right side of history.”

Paulson has a record from showing her feelings for her partner in public.

In 2005 she kissed her then-girlfriend Cherry Jones at The Tony Awards.

Jones was announced as the winner of best actress in a play for her performance as Sister Aloysius in Doubt.

Paulson told NOTOFU Magazine:

What am I gonna do, pat her on the back and say, :Good job, dude?” It didn’t occur to me to do anything but what I did.”

Michelle Rodriguez Says She Drew On Her Own Bullying Experience For New Role

Actress Michelle Rodriguez says she can sympathise with her new movie’s lead character, because she was targeted by bullies as a youngster too.

In her new film Milton’s Secret, she plays a teacher mentoring a young bullied student.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Rodriguez said the theme of the movie was something she knew all too well.

After moving to Jersey City, New Jersey at the age of 17, she quickly became an easy target as the outsider among her peers in her rough neighbourhood.

I was bullied as a kid, but I dealt with it a lot differently because I was at a different level growing up in Jersey City. If you didn’t adapt, you die, or parts of your soul would be crushed. People were just really mean in Jersey City. I had to learn to fight really early.”

Milton’s Secret, adapted from the 2008 Eckhart Tolle children’s novel of the same name, also stars Donald Sutherland and opened to mixed reviews at the Vancouver Film Festival last week.

Another of Rodriguez’s films premiered on the film festival circuit this year, the controversial (Re) Assignment, in which she plays a male assassin who is involuntarily given a sex change by a deranged surgeon played by Sigourney Weaver.

It was panned following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada last month, and has been heavily blasted for using gender-changing surgery as a sensational plot device.

Michelle attempted to defended the storyline and told viewers not to take it seriously because it is a “B-movie noir genre comic book take”.

She added

I’m bisexual. I do guys. I do girls. You can’t really argue with me because I’m you. So if I do a movie, I’d never do a movie with the intention of offending anybody in the LGBT community because I’m a part of it.”

The actress also told her critics to ‘lay off’ after she posted an image of herself in a full beard talking about the role.

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Some of the followers commented:

Just because you’re bi, doesn’t make it okay to be a d*ck and mock transgender people.”

Added another:

You know what makes me want to scream? People turning my identity into some sort of sick joke for the sake of cheap entertainment.”

Rodriguez addressed the pre-released criticism to THR stating:

It’s an action genre film, and we’re not psychological or deep about [being trans], so lay off. It’s an entertainment piece. Calm down, guys. I’m on your team.”

Slated to be released in theatres next year, the film is a proud achievement for the actress, despite the opposition.

She wrote on her post she believes the industry is ‘running low on edgy creativity’ and she expressed her frustration with being bored by ‘the status quo’ by shooting ‘crazy B movie indy.’

Ellen DeGeneres Named One Of The ‘Highest Paid’ TV Stars

Research by Variety has revealed LGBT actors and personalities are among some of the highest paid in television, it has been revealed.

It’s believed that for hosting her show, Ellen Degeneres makes around $20 million a year. Alongside her you have, The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons taking home around $1 million an episode.

Modern Family’s favourite gay dads – Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson – pick up around $250,000 per show.

Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow and Andy Cohen get about $11 million, $7 million and $5 million respectively.

Pansexual pop singer, Miley Cyrus took home between $13 and $15 million for appearing on The Voice.

Although Jeffrey Tambor isn’t LGBT himself, for playing the part of trans woman, Maura, in Transparent he picks up around $275,000 an episode.

The rest of the family takeaway about $100,000.

Other popular stars who have made the list include Judge Judy who is believed to make around $47 million and The Game of Thrones cast who make around $500,000 an episode.

Kevin Spacey also picks up around half a million an episode for playing scheming President Frank Underwood.

‘I Want A Dyke For President’ – Watch Mykki Blanco Recites Powerful Poem

Ahead of next month’s Presidential election, queer artist and musician Mykki Blanco has been enlisted by Dazed to recite legendary poem “I Want A Dyke For President,” written in 1992 by artist/AIDS activist Zoe Leonard.

Written nearly 25 years, the peom aggressively questions the violent banality of our elected politicians – remains as relevant and striking as ever.

Especially as we watch Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battle it out for control of America, as xenophobic politicians helped the United Kingdom leave the EU, and as Russian bombs drop on Syria

It begins:

I want a dyke for president. I want a person with aids for president and I want a fag for vice president and I want someone with no health insurance and I want someone who grew up in a place where the earth is so saturated with toxic waste that they didn’t have a choice about getting leukemia.

I want a president that had an abortion at sixteen and I want a candidate who isn’t the lesser of two evils and I want a president who lost their last lover to aids, who still sees that in their eyes every time they lay down to rest, who held their lover in their arms and knew they were dying.

I want a president with no airconditioning, a president who has stood on line at the clinic, at the dmv, at the welfare office and has been unemployed and layed off and sexually harrassed and gay-bashed and deported. I want someone who has spent the night in the tombs and had a cross burned on their lawn and survived rape.

I want someone who has been in love and been hurt, who respects sex, who has made mistakes and learned from them. I want a black woman for president. I want someone with bad teeth and an attitude, someone who has eaten that nasty hospital food, someone who crossdresses and has done drugs and been in therapy.

I want someone who has committed civil disobedience. And I want to know why this isn’t possible. I want to know why we started learning somewhere down the line that a president is always a clown: always a john and never a hooker. Always a boss and never a worker, always a liar, always a thief and never caught.”

Is Another DC Comic Book Hero Coming Out As Bisexual? Fans Think So

Last month, DC writer Greg Rucka established Wonder Woman’s queer identity, and although it hasn’t been explicitly stated in recent comic books, it does add Wonder Woman to the list of DC Comics’s current bisexual lead characters – Harley Quinn, John Constantine, Poison Ivy and Catwoman.

But, if Greg Rucka’s logic is followed through – regarding the likely sexual proclivities of Paradise Island (Wonder Woman’s Amazon home world) – that would mean that another new character could also be bisexual.

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Red Hood And The Outlaws is a three-person team title featuring Red Hood, Artemis and Bizarro.

Artemis is also an Amazon, from the same culture as Wonder Woman. She’s just a little more… aggressive.

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So will she be out? It’s been suggested that the writer would be more willing to go with Artemis, where Rucka is hasn’t, with Wonder Woman?

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Yes! Samira Wiley Just Got Engaged To ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Writer Lauren Morelli

Samira Wiley may have recently checked out of Litchfield, but Orange Is the New Black will still play a central role in her life, as the actress is now engaged to series writer Lauren Morelli, who she had been dating since 2014.

The pair announced the happy news on Instagram, posting a gorgeous photo of the happy couple smiling from ear to ear and Wiley sporting a shiny engagement ring.

Samira captioned the image with a simple, “Yes”.

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The pair fell in love on the set of the Netflix hit after Lauren split amicably from her husband of two years Steve Basilone.

Lauren says she realised she was gay on the set of OINTB after being peppered with questions from cast members about her marriage.

I was finally forced to consider a question that had never, ever occurred to me before: ‘Holy s–t, am I gay?’” she said.

We wish them all the happiness in the world!

Rachel McAdams Joins Rachel Weisz In Lesbian-Themed Movie ‘Disobedience’

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara has great success with the lesbian-themed love story Carol, and now two other big-tim hollywood actresses are taking up the Sapphic mantle.

Variety reports that Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz are set to star in Disobedience.

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Based on Naomi Alderman’s book (which was published in 2006), Disobedience centres around a Ronit (Weisz), a woman who returns to her Orthodox Jewish home following the death of her father. She then rekindles a romance with her best friend (McAdams), who is now married to her cousin. following the death of her rabbi father, of whom she had been estranged. Upon returning, Ronit rattles her quiet hometown when rekindling a formerly repressed relationship with her best friend (McAdams) – a woman who just happens to be currently married to her cousin.

It certainly looks like we’ll be back in the territory of forbidden desires, sexual angst and hidden passions.

Weisz will produce alongside Ed Guiney, and Sebastian Lelio is on-board to direct the film based on a script he co-wrote with Rebecca Lenkiewicz.

Production is expected to get under way in the first quarter of 2017.

McAdams previously starred in the lesbian-themed Passion, although that thriller, from director Brian de Palma, found little success.

Hopefully Disobedience will find a bit more of an audience.

Couple’s Epic Engagement Photos Prove Two Princesses Are Better Than One

This summer, Yalonda and Kayla Solseng wanted an unforgettable photo shoot to capture their love, and they have delivered – their own storybook romance in an epic princess-themed engagement shoot.

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Kayla dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, while Yalonda dressed up as Cinderella.

The couple – who also got married this month – met two years ago, one the website Plenty Of Fish, and soon connected over their obsession with the TV show Once Upon A Time 

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Talking Huffington Post, Kayla explained

That show rewrites fairytales and this was our modern-day fairytale,”

After dating for nine months, Yalonda proposed to Kayla while studying abroad in England. Kayla came to visit around the holidays and the pair planned a trip to Switzerland. After a day on the slopes, they came back to their hotel where Yalonda surprised Kayla with a fairytale book she had written and illustrated based on the couple’s own love story.

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Earlier this month, Kayla and Yalonda made it all official when they tied the knot at Romantic Moon Events Center ― the same venue where they had taken their engagement photos.

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Yalonda adds

Gay marriage has been legalized in the U.S. for over a year and we hardly have gay or lesbian characters in children’s movies ― let alone them being main characters. Kids want to be the characters they grow up with but when none of the characters represent you, then you feel alone. I want our photos to be shown to kids and families as a way of saying it’s okay to be who you are. It’s okay to be with the person you love.”


Image source SUN AND MOON PHOTOGRAPHY

Wonder Woman Writer Confirms She Is ‘Queer’

Wonder Woman has long considered by fans to be bisexual, but when quizzed about Diana’s life with her fellow Amazons – who are all female and live on the fictional island of Themyscira – DC writer Greg Rucka said that the superhero had “obviously” been in same-sex relationships.

He told an audience at Comicosity;

When you start to think about giving the concept of Themyscira its due, the answer is, ‘How can they not all be in same sex relationships?’ Right? It makes no logical sense otherwise.

But an Amazon doesn’t look at another Amazon and say, ‘You’re gay.’ They don’t. The concept doesn’t exist. Now, are we saying Diana has been in love and had relationships with other women? The answer is obviously yes.”

Even Diana’s own mother Queen Hippolyta has often been paired with her general Philippus.

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It’s supposed to be paradise. You’re supposed to be able to live happily. You’re supposed to be able — in a context where one can live happily, and part of what an individual needs for that happiness is to have a partner — to have a fulfilling, romantic and sexual relationship. And the only options are women.

But an Amazon doesn’t look at another Amazon and say, “You’re gay.” They don’t. The concept doesn’t exist”

The writer said he wanted to show Wonder Woman did not leave her home because a man somehow made his way to her land, as it may appear in previous versions of the character, but that it’s clear she had ‘several meaningful relationships on the island throughout her life’.

According to him, Diana leaves, because ‘she wants to see the world and somebody must go and do this thing. And she has resolved it must be her to make this sacrifice.

Wonder Woman is the latest superhero to come out as LGBT. In February, it was announced that Batwoman would stay true to her sexuality in an upcoming DC film.

 

 

Bella Thorne Says She Feels “Free” Since Coming Out As Bisexual

In August, the former Disney star, Bella Thorne shared a Snapchat video showing her playfully kissing another woman on the lips.

Almost immediately, fans started asking her about her sexuality on Twitter, and Thorne confirmed she was bisexual.

Since then, she has done her part to increase bisexual visibility by living open and honestly, and this past Bisexual Visibility Day shared a touching message of love and encouragement to her fans as about embracing your true self.

Happy Bisexual Visibility Day! My best friend Bella and I went camping and made life time memories. Not only today but all days we should celebrate acceptance of others. Be who you want to be and it will take you to being your happiest self! #bivisibilityday.”

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The actress shared many posts throughout the week to dispel myths about the bisexual experience ― like the idea those who identify as bi are “indecisive” or “confused.” She also encouraged her followers to “go kiss someone.”

Thorne also took over Galore magazine’s Snapchat feed for the day, where she was seen sharing a couple quick pecks with her female friends and urging her fans to embrace their sexuality.