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.

Ellen Page Has Started Shooting For Her New Lesbian Film ‘Mercy’ With Kate Mara

Yes, Ellen Page and Kate Mara have just started shooting for film Mercy.

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Created by Tali Shalom Ezer, the romantic lesbian drama is sure to pull at our heartstrings, while also having more than enough substance to keep our interest.

According to Variety,

Page is portraying Lucy, the daughter of a man on death row falling in love with Mara’s Mercy character, a woman on the opposing side of her family’s political cause. As a result, Lucy’s value for truth is tested as her world begins to unravel.”

We can’t wait

Angelina Jolie Has Filed For Divorce From Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, TMZ is reporting, after two years of marriage and 12 dating (they got together in 2004).

In a statement, her attorney Robert Offer said

Angelina has filed for dissolution of the marriage. This decision was made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time.”

The couple have been together since 2004 and married in 2014.

Jolie has reportedly asked for physical custody of their six children, with Pitt allowed visitation rights.

She isn’t asking for spousal support. However, the date of separation is listed as 15 September.

Jolie was previously married to actor Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. She also dated model Jenny Shimizu – when the pair met on the set of their 1996 film Foxfire, when Jolie was only 20 years-old.

Jolie was very open about the relations saying;

I have loved women in the past and slept with them. I think if you love and want to pleasure a woman, particularly if you are a woman yourself, then certainly you know how to do things a certain way”

Sarah Paulson Finally Wins Her Emmy, Tells Girlfriend “I Love You” During Touching Acceptance Speech

It finally happened: Sarah Paulson has won her first Emmy, for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie, and ended her speech by telling her girlfriend, “Holland Taylor, I love you.”

Taylor has returned the love with this adorable tweet.

Paulson won for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in The People vs. OJ Simpson, an FX limited series on the infamous murder trial that made caused a media storm in the mid to late ‘90s.

Playing a real person while they are still living is a big responsibility. She is the mother to two children who were very young when the trial was going on, and were not really privy to a lot of what she was put through. I just kept thinking, I hope this doesn’t hurt Marcia any further. I hope the things that we are doing don’t inflict any more pain.”

During her acceptance speech, Paulson used her time onstage to publicly apologize to Clark—who was sitting in the audience—for misperceiving her, as much of the public did, during the O.J. Simpson trial. Afterward, Paulson told reporters why she brought Clark as her date and felt the public apology was necessary.

That wasn’t the only queer moment at this year’s Emmy Awards, with gay SNL and Ghostbusters actress Kate McKinnon winning the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

McKinnon appeared visibly moved, thanking her SNL boss Lorne Michaels and dedicating her trophy to her late father, who first introduced her to the NBC sketch staple at age 12.

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McKinnon wins on her third consecutive nomination for Saturday Night Live.

And it appears the television academy members aren’t the only ones who thought McKinnon deserved this award:

Jeffrey Tambor, a cisgender male actor who plays a transgender woman in Transparent, won best actor.

In a moving acceptance speech, he addressed the lack of authentic representation of trans people in Hollywood.

Please give transgender talent a chance. Give them auditions. Give them their story. Do that… I would not be unhappy were I the last cisgender male playing a female transgender on television. We have work to do.”

Jill Soloway won the award for Best Directing for a Comedy Series (Transparent), her second win in the category.

Thank you to the trans community for your lived lives. We need to stop violence against transgender women and topple the patriarchy.”

Just before exiting the stage, clutching her golden trophy tight, Jill cheerily quipped, “Topple the patriarchy!”

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Tatiana Maslany won the Emmy for best actress in a drama series for her performance in Orphan Black. The actress beat out Viola Davis in How to Get Away With Murder, Claire Danes in Homeland, Taraji P. Henson in Empire, Keri Russell in The Americans and Robin Wright in House of Cards.

And Clea DuVall joined her VEEP cast-mates for a Best Comedy Series win alongside Anna Chlumsky and Best Actress in a Comedy Series Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Keke Palmer’s New Song Highlights A Sexist Double Standard About Cheating

‘To change the thoughts of men, it takes a real woman to reverse his psychology’ reads the opening message in Keke Palmer‘s new video for Reverse Psychology.

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The track features a role reversal similar to Beyoncé’s If I Were a Boy, in which Palmer asks her cheating boyfriend how he would feel if she used the same excuses.

What if I told you I was out loving another man? What if I told you it didn’t mean a thing? / What if I told you that I loved you so, but these hoes, I can’t let go? / Could you handle all the things that you told me? / How about some reverse psychology?”

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Talking to Billboard, Palmer explained about the underlying meaning of the song.

I think for me, especially with the continuation of my shadow kids, it’s all about awareness.” She adds, “I think, while staying true to myself and whatever my current disposition is, it’s important for me to display consciousness or the process of being aware of your thoughts as a young person. Whether it be abstract or actual or both.” Her “shadow kids” were first introduced in her “Enemiez” video, which she says represents her conscience.

Watch Keke Palmer’s latest offering below.

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YouTube Star Gigi Gorgeous On Identity As A Transgender Queer Woman

TV and social media personality Gigi Gorgeous officially came out as a lesbian on her YouTube channel yesterday.

I fell in love with somebody, and that person happens to be a female.”

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Although she’s been open about her relationship with girlfriend Nats Getty, this is the first time she’s shared that she identifies as a lesbian.

I’ve found someone I truly love and I have fallen in love with her and that’s the truth. And you know, labels, can be labels, but I think at the end of the day, love is love.”

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I’ve been in several relationships with men and I’ve experienced a relationship and companionship with men, but I’ve never experienced this feeling until I met this girl, and that’s how i know that i’m a lesbian.” She also talks about how not only being in this relationship, but knowing this part of her, helps her to feel comfortable, saying “I would not have seen falling in love with a girl from a mile away, but now that I’m here and now that i’m telling everyone and officially letting everybody know, I feel super happy.”

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Gorgeous’ honest and outrageous YouTube videos have made her an internet star with nearly 2.4 million subscribers watching her every move. She has also appeared on Project Runway, Entertainment Tonight, E! Celebrity Style Story, numerous MTV shows and commercials, and won a LogoTV Trailblazing Social Creator Award in 2014 for her work with LGBT youth.

She came of age just as YouTube was starting to catch on. At first, she appeared in videos as a gay teenager sharing a love of makeup and talking about dating boys. Then in 2013, in real time as thousands of fans watched, she shared her struggle that she was in fact transgender.

Ellen Page Posts THE BEST Throwback Photo OF The Week

Before she was a lesbian icon, a Hollywood mega star, and creator of GaycationEllen Page was just a floral-wearing little kid like the rest of us.

And, like the rest of us, she’s got the school pictures to prove it.

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The floral? The bowl cut? We’re basically dying over here!

 

A Third Of Americans Wouldn’t Date Someone Who Is Bisexual

A new survey suggests Americans are more biphobic than you’d think.

Despite society becoming much more open and liberal about sexual fluency, almost half of adults wouldn’t date someone who is bisexual, according to new research.

A survey carried out by sex toy company Adam and Eve of 1,000 adults across the US found that 47% wouldn’t be open to having a relationship with someone who was attracted to both men and women.

Only 35% of respondents said they would be open to the idea, and 19% said they were unsure.

This could be a problem because earlier research has suggested that all women are either lesbian or bisexual.

When it came to the difference between men and women, the survey revealed that men were more open-minded about getting into a relationship with a bisexual person than women.

39% of men could entertain the idea of being with someone who swings both ways, compared with 31% of women; and 23% per cent of women were unsure, compared to 15% of men.

Sex therapist Dr. Kat Van Kirk said it was “encouraging” to see people open to broader forms of sexuality, but many still stigmatize bisexuality.

Bisexuality is defined as a sexual and/or romantic attraction to both males and females. It’s encouraging to see that people are open to the idea of sexuality encompassing more than the traditional male/female partnership.”

Stereotypes about bisexuals being unfaithful or confused are still rampant, leading most bisexuals to never come out.

While you might think Adam and Eve shoppers would be a little more sexually progressive, the survey was conducted by an independent third-party company.

If The Name Selena Forrest Sounds New To You, Then You’ve Not Been Paying Attention

One of fashion’s up-and-coming-it girls, Selena Forrest  — who is starring in DKNY and Proenza’s fall 2016 ad campaigns — initially made her foray into modelling via a one-off campaign with international fashion website Farfetch.

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Since then she’s walked in 28 shows from Rome to Paris, and is the subject of a feature article in New York Magazine’s The Cut this week, where she drops that she is queer.

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On the subject of sexuality, Forrest told The Cut:

I love girls. Or, you know what, I just love people. So, that’s what it is. I don’t really categorize it, but if there was a category, I would probably be bisexual. But I have never been with a guy.”

 

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She also talked to The Cut about what it’s like to be one of only a few models of colour on the runway:

If your clothes look good on everybody and if you’re that confident about your clothes, then you should put them on everybody. Did you see the shoot where I was in Balenciaga just mean mugging?” [pulls up photo] “See? Black people look good in their clothes …and I look amazing!”

 

‘Carmilla’ Season 3 Trailer Is Worth The Watch

Carmilla – the wildly popular Canadian vampire web series – is kind of like a queer-er Buffy, blended with Scooby-Doo, and little bit Veronica Mars style action.

It has attracted millions of fans around the world, and not just because of strong story, but it has a whole lot of queerness too.

And now it’s back for its third and final season this September 15th.

Carmilla (inspired by the infamous novella by J. Sheridan Le Fanu) is all about a girl called Laura (Elise Bauman), who has left her home town for the first time to attend Silas University, which boasts its own Gnostic Mathematics department, many clubs for the students to enjoy like the Alchemy Club, and an extensive library where the books will search for you.

But then things get weird when Laura’s roommate disappears without a trace one night, which no-one seems to notice or care about.

Laura decides to investigate herself, and with help from her dorm managers Perry and LaFontaine, and Danny the friendly TA, uncovers a similar string of disappearances and a seedy underbelly of danger lurking underneath Silas.Meanwhile, her new roommate Carmilla keeps stealing her chocolate! Oh, and she might be a vampire targeting Laura as her next victim.

Long Time Coming; Grey’s Anatomy’s Arizona Is Finally Going To Get Some Lovin’

Dr. Arizona Robbins (played by Jessica Capshaw) is getting a new lady love interest in Grey’s Anatomy.

According to the shows executive producer Shonda Rhimes, she’ll indeed find romance in season 13.

We’re absolutely going to see it. Jessica was very, very delightfully pregnant at the end of last year, and so she’s not in the first two episodes — which everybody brace yourselves for — because she’s taking a little bit of time off for kids, but then she’s back. I’m very excited to introduce a love interest for her, and to get to tell a story with her that lets her be who she is, and to see who she is post the relationships that she’s had.”

While Rhimes doesn’t share too much on who the love interest might be, the she does stresses that she doesn’t want to force the relationship.

You don’t want to just stick two people together. I want to do it organically and I want the audience to be rooting for it. So I think we’re going to have fun with it.”

The news comes in the wake of Callie (Sara Ramirez) leaving Seattle for New York, providing the opportunity for Arizona to really move on with her life — though that’s not to say Callie is out of her life for good.

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We’re playing that Arizona gets to go visit her daughter and her daughter gets to come see her. So it’s not this sense of loss. In our world, Callie still exists.”

Grey’s Anatomy returns this fall on ABC.

Creator Of ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ Says She Made A Mistake By Killing Off Lesbian Character

It was a sad day when BBC drama Last Tango In Halifax  killed off heavily pregnant Kate (Nina Sosanya) in a car crash last year, just after finally marrying partner Caroline.

At the time, the show’s writer Sally Wainwright said that it was a ‘myth’ that lesbians always get killed off and that “people get killed off all the time”.

Wainwright also explained that it was a “narrative” decision, which caused further backlash from the show’s fans as they didn’t feel like Kate’s death added anything to the plot.

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Many criticised the trend of killing off lesbians on TV – known mockingly as ‘Dead Lesbian Syndrome’ – the running joke in the queer female community is that if there’s a lesbian in a show, you can almost guarantee that she’ll be offed by the end of the season.

Wainwright said:

It was a shock. I didn’t realise how attached the audience had become to that relationship and to those two characters.

Of the criticism, she said: “I found it hard and I regretted it. I do think I made a mistake. I wished I had found a better story.”

Davies said:

It might be one of my least favourite things that you ever wrote, partly because it was off-stage… I think you were trying to make the point that death is random and off-stage, but it had the effect of it being an off-stage death.

It’s really unfortunate that you walked slightly into the world of those lesbian deaths, that extraordinary numbers of lesbian characters end up being killed off.

What people miss is that Caroline is alive and the heart of the drama and she’s a lesbian as well, but it’s tough getting criticism.”

He added:

You know, I could have told you that you were going to have that flack! [When I found out] you were doing that story… I gasped! Because I know the gays quite well, I thought ‘oh my god that’s going to be trouble!’

I’m kicking myself [for not warning you].”

Wainwright added:

I was on the cusp and wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. You worry afterwards if you could have worked harder or if it was a lazy choice because those were the criticisms.”

The fourth season of the show is expected to air later this year, so look out for more Last Tango In Halifax then.

As Women We’re Less Likely To Get A Pay Rise When We Ask, Study Says

We’ve heard it plenty, that part of the reason women are paid less than men is because they’re less likely ask for a pay rise,

However, a new study knocks that theory out of the water.

The University of London has surveyed 4600 women across more than 800 employers, and reached a different conclusion.

Women do ask for salary hikes, but sadly the research suggests, they just don’t get them.

The study, titled Do Women Ask?, found women asked for wage increases just as often as men, but when their male counterparts ask for more money, their requests were 25% more likely to be met.

The research claims to be the first “statistical idea test of the idea that women get paid less because they are not as pushy as men”, and found no support for the theory.

Co-author and Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Warwick, Andrew Oswald, said the research should force some acceptance that “there is some element of pure discrimination against women”.

Various ideas, including that women feared being less popular at work, have been offered to explain women’s apparent reluctance to ask for a pay increase, but fellow co-author Dr Amanda Goodall from Cass Business School said in study’s test of the “reticent-female theory”, the evidence just didn’t stack up.

When men and women were compared, controlling for hours worked and other variables, men were a quarter more likely to be successful, obtaining a pay increase 20% of the time. Only 16% of females were successful when they asked.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) director Libby Lyons explained that while previous studies have showed women tend to have less successful outcomes than men when it comes to pay negotiations, this new research suggested women’s appetite for negotiation is no different from men’s.

Lyons suggested “gender bias” was often to blame for women being routinely denied pay increases, and said employers could work to stop it.

Gender bias often underpins promotion, performance and pay decisions, For example, a perception that men are the family breadwinner and more deserving of a pay rise can influence pay decisions. By making criteria for pay increases and bonuses transparent, placing limits on managerial discretion and analysing pay decisions, employers can help address these inconsistencies.”

Lyons said the difference between women’s and men’s pay negotiation outcomes had “significant implications for gender equality in the workplace”, which was evidence in the lack of women in senior workplace roles and the persistent gender pay gap.

Only 27.4% of key management positions are held by women, along with just 15.4% of CEO positions, according to the WGEA’s gender equality scorecard released last year.

The fulltime gender pay gap is 16.2%


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Apparently, Ruby Rose Is single Again

The summer of love has experienced a little bit of heartbreak once again.

Ruby Rose has parted ways from her model girlfriend, Harley Gusman, after a three month relationship.

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The break up will no doubt come as a surprise as just last month Rose shared on social media how Harley had written her a love letter for every day they spent apart to help her get “through” her summer tour.

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Rose relationship with Gusman, who is the VP of marketing at skincare company Truly Organic, marked the first time she was linked to someone new after ending her engagement to Phoebe Dahl last December.

The pair’s breakup doesn’t appear to be messy as both Rose and Gusman have yet to delete their snapshots of one anotherfrom social media. And as an insider told E! News, the actress’s busy schedule was to blame.

 

Desiree Akhavan’s Bisexual Sitcom Coming To The UK

The UK television network, Channel 4, has handed out a six episode series order to The Bisexual, a comedy from Desiree Akhavan, Cecilia Frugiuele and Sister Productions which explores the difference between dating men and women from the perspective of a person who finds herself doing both.

The Girls alum and Appropriate Behavior writer/director, Akhavan, plays New Yorker Leila who is feeling lost in London.

Split from her girlfriend she moves in with a ‘stranger off the internet’ and discovers she’s swapped her luxe old life for a house-share with a British guy who’s only other female ‘flat-mate’ was his mother.

Their worlds collide in awkward and revealing ways as he becomes her unlikely wingman and helps her to navigate a new life dating men.

Akhavan said in a statement;

Getting to play in the sandbox with such intelligent collaborators at Sister Pictures and Channel 4 is an absolute dream come true. They’re the perfect partners in crime for a taboo sex comedy. And by that I mean they’re all perverts.”

 

Ruby Rose Has Signed On To Yet Another Action Movie

Rose has joined the cast of Meg, a sci-fi film based on Steve Alten’s 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror that is underway in Auckland.

Jason Statham will headline the deep-sea thriller, playing a former Naval captain and expert diver recruited to undertake a deep-sea mission to rescue scientists under attack from a terrifying threat: a Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 40-ton prehistoric kin to the great white shark.

Variety reported Rose would play Rose “an engineering genius and a member of the marine research team” alongside Statham, “a former Naval captain and expert deep-sea diver”

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Meg is due for a 2018 release and is directed by Jon Turtletaub. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing co-stars alongside Statham and Rose, and filming will also take place in China, Variety reports.

Rose began her career as an MTV presenter and dance DJ but has scored several major TV and film roles, including two seasons on Netflix hit Orange is the New Black.

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She has three films due for release in 2017: XXX: Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter Two and Meg.

Bella Thorne’s Coming Out Inspired By Kristen Stewart Recent Openness

Last week, actress and social media celeb Bella Thorne casually revealed that she’s bisexual via twitter.

When a fan asked if Thorne is attracted to women as well as men, Bella replied simply, “Yes.”

The news was met with an outpouring of support from fans from Thorne millions of social media followers.

Reports have emerged in the wake of Thorne’s coming out, indicating that Kristen Stewart may have played a role in Bella’s decision to come out.

According to source;

Bella was inspired by her contemporary Kristen to reveal her sexual preference.

While she doesn’t know Kristen personally, Bella admires her bravery and the way she has dealt with the media intrusion with her personal life,” the insider claims.

Like Kristen, Bella feels we live in a day and age now where who you hook up with is irrelevant when it comes to your career.”

The source adds that Thorne looks up to K-Stew in more ways than one:

Kristen has thrived in recent years, making some bold career choices professionally and Bella sees her as a role model.”

Jodie Foster Reinvent Britney Spears’ Toxic And It Is Pure Joy

Jodie Foster and Quantico actress Priyanka Chopra offer their own interpretations of Britney Spears’s Toxic – with a dramatic read of the lyrics.

While Foster, stonyfaced, solemnly reads out lines like “You’re dangerous / I’m loving it.” Let’s just says she isn’t impressed. Especially after she realises the chorus is essentially just the same question repeated over and over again.
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Queer Films You Should Watch: Dyke Hard

When swedish director Bitte Andersson originally set out to make fake trailers of films that she wanted mainstream moviemakers to produce films geared toward communities other than white, straight men.

After struggling for a year just to end up with a two-minute trailer, she thought ‘why not mesh them all together into one giant genre-bending film.

The result is a twisted, fantastic mess of comedy, superheroes, musicals and B-movie sci-fi. Not complex enough?

Hell no. It’s a simple story. Dyke Hard, formed as a band of outcasts, has touched bottom after a flash of success and one hit song, Payback, and now the washed-up band is deserted by Riff (Lina Kurttila), its nasty lead singer with a Courtney Love mop of hair. Riff pledges revenge, fueling a villainous sub-plot

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As the group journeys across Sweden to a battle of the bands, Dyke Hard exploits every gag in the book – vain resentful bitchy lead, bartenders who long to be prison guards, absurd efforts to curse in American accents, a lesbian glory hole at a petrol station in the hinterlands, and a house haunted by Morgana, a lesbian zombie (Yiva Maria Thompson), and that’s before the last 500 kilometers of road.

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After police catch the band with the body of Morgana, the group ends up in prison, on death row, the venue for a grand production number in orange jump sits – the new pink? – led by a cigar-chomping warden (Anitha Nygards) doing her twist on Helga, She–Wolf of the SS.

Andersson, who designed costumes and wrote many of the film’s songs, also appears in cameos, one of which shows her head being smashed to a bloody pulp. Scenes like that, not usual in such fare, should help the farce cross over to a young VOD crowd beyond the LGBT core.

Dyke Hard is an explosion of colour and uninhibited joy, matching Andersson’s vision of creating an empowering movie that makes viewers feel downright great about themselves.

Clea DuVall On Being Out: “I’ve Always Sort Of Lived My Life And Never Made A Huge Statement About It”

A familiar face for al of us – thanks to memorable turns in 1999 cult lesbian comedy But I’m A Cheerleader, that same year’s Oscar-nominated GirlInterrupted, Lifetime’s 2014 movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax and 2015 follow-up series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, and, in 2016, HBO’s Veep (as the secret-service agent girlfriend of First Daughter Catherine) – openly gay actress Clea DuVall has been talking with Out Magazine about, well, being out:

I’ve always sort of lived my life and never made a huge statement about it. It’s just, like, leading by example.”

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On paparazzi photos of her kissing her girlfriend:

But I was also like, ‘Who cares?’ It’s not like I’m Reese Witherspoon. I’m just a character actor. As a kid I would have really appreciated seeing that. That would have meant a lot to me. So the people it matters to, it matters for a positive reason.”

The Los Angeles–based DuVall made her onscreen debut in 1996’s Little Witches. She went on to appear in genre films likeThe Astronaut’s Wife and Ghosts From Mars, intense dramas 21 Grams, Zodiac, The Laramie Project, and Argo, and TV series Heroes, American Horror Story: Asylum, and Better Call Saul. While DuVall has taken on many queer roles over her career, she only opened up about her own lesbian identity (and having a girlfriend) while doing press for The Intervention’s release.

DuVall has now stepped behind the camera as writer/director of Sundance crowd-pleaser The Intervention, a The Big Chill-inspired dramedy. In the film, DuVall and Cheerleader co-star Natasha Lyonne reunite as girlfriends who, along with a fellow group of paired-off friends, stage an intervention for a dysfunctional couple that goes deliciously awry.

Ellen DeGeneres Says Usain Bolt Tweet Wasn’t Meant to Be Racist

Ellen Degeneres has come under fire this week for tweeting an edited photo that many are rightfully calling, “racist”.

The row cantered on a photo of Bolt taken during a 100-meter semi-final on Sunday, in which the Jamaican sprinter appears to smile as he glances back towards his competitors in the race.

The image his gone viral in recent days, with many different versions of it created for comic effect and shared widely on social media.

But it was Degeneres version, which has sparked outrage:

The post has evoked criticism from social media users

DeGeneres addressed the controversy in a message

This, however, isn’t the first time Degeneres has been accused of being racist. Last October, The Ellen Show created a sketch parodying Nicki Minaj’s early life, where a young version of Minaj was shown with a dramatically enlarged butt. This not only sexualized a young black girl, but also received backlash on Twitter for body shaming.

And although Degeneres is known for her generosity toward young viral stars, she’s still faced criticism for often promoting white privilege and neglecting popular black culture.

 

Queer Films You Should Watch: Suicide Kale

Dashed through your summer reading list already? Cried in devastation one too many times over Orange Is the New Black? Fear not: we have a queer movie for you.


Suicide Kale is a rich and juicy gem of a movie, and one of the most exciting new films on our collective gaydar.

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Making its rounds on the US film festival circuit since May, Suicide Kale has garnered attention for its vividly rendered, dark-comedy take on relationship troubles between women and the difficult conversations about mental health that happen in between bites of crisp kale at a seemingly perfect lunch party.

So why is it worth the watch? We all know Jasmine (Brittani Nichols) and Penn (Lindsay Hicks), the newly “one-month official” couple giddy in the throes of young love, and their counterparts Billie (Jasika Nicole) and Jordan (Brianna Baker), the five-years-married couple who throws cute salad parties in their adorable house.

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But when Penny finds an anonymous suicide note, it throws everything that the couples thought they knew about each other’s relationships into doubt.

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Featuring mostly women of color (with a background team of queer women), Suicide Kale treats its female characters as fully-formed beings for whom sexuality is a natural part of daily life, yet who deal with emotional angst as they grapple with the stresses of what it means to care for another person.

Check out Suicide Kale‘s official website or follow them on Facebook for up to the minute details about when and where you can watch the film.

LGBTQ Teens Face A Frightening Disadvantage In The Real World, According New Report

You’d think that the recent achievements for us in the LGBTQ community would somehow lower the discrimination suffered by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens. That however, isn’t the case.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that gay and lesbian teens face an astonishing amount of sexual and physical violence growing up.

The report also notes that this violence is actually growing, and LGBTQs are two to three times more likely than heterosexuals to experience some form of assault, either physical or sexual.

In some cases, the rate was as high as above 20% of all individuals, according to the first-of-its-kind report from the CDC.

Alarming, nearly 43% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens said they had thought seriously thought about committing suicide. That’s nearly three times the rate at which their heterosexual peers contemplated it.

And 29% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens made a suicide attempt, compared to 6% of their straight classmates.

LGBT youth face the same stresses as their peers, in terms of pressure at school and at home. But they also have an extra burden — “the reality of being a minority in places where it’s still acceptable to openly discriminate against them,” said David Bond, a social worker and vice president of programs at The Trevor Project, a crisis intervention program focused on LGBT youth.

The disparities are stark and go far beyond suicide. For instance, 18 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens reported being physically forced to have sex. Among their heterosexual peers, just 5 percent experienced this trauma.

Dating violence affected 23 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens, compared to just 9 percent of their peers.

And about a third of lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens reported being bullied at school or online — again, far more than their heterosexual classmates.

Not only this, but it was also reported that they are also at a much higher risk for HIV, syphilis and other sexually transmitted disease.

And that lesbians and bisexual females are more likely to have been pregnant than heterosexuals.

The one question the data cannot answer is why the disparities are so big, said Dr. Deb Houry, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

But other research suggests that LGBT youth may be at higher risk because of social isolation, lack of parental support, or not being perceived as being masculine or feminine enough.


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My Favourite Picks From Kitsch Kandy’s Summer Sale

I don’t usually get too excited about big sales (especially lately while I’m saving for my next big holiday, and making an effort to be especially frugal).

But when Kitsch Kandy has their summer sale, you just don’t ignore it. clothes

Kitsch Kandy is a web store that aims to cater for those whose style and personality does not conform to the traditional thoughts of society – women and femininity, males and masculinity.

They offer both home furnishings and fashion items that are aimed perfectly at lesbians and others in “marginalized” groups. While these gift items don’t scream “super gay”, they are designed to make you feel more comfortable in your own skin – whatever that means for you.

From jackets to underwear and T-Shirts to jeans and home goods, there are plenty of new items available at hugely discounted prices.

clothesWhen the sale event comes to an end, all items return to their regular prices. So these aren’t end-of-season or overstock items they’re trying to get rid of. They are brand new items on sale for a very limited time.

Plus they’re also offering a HUGE 20% extra off this week, which includes sale items too. Just use the promo code EXTRA20

It is, by far and away, the best time to snag new goodies at majorly discounted prices. And because I adore this sale oh so much, I decided to share it with all of you.

The items you see above are the ones I am specifically eyeing. Some are way out of my price range, but hey, I can still look at them, right?

I’m going to treat myself to a couple of the more realistically price items, although I’m still not able to completely narrow it down. I need to get on it though – I don’t want to miss out.

Who else is taking advantage of the best sale of the year? Any other Kitsch Kandy fans in the house?


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Same-Sex Hookups Are On The Increase

According to a new study, the rate of same-sex hook-ups has doubled over the past 24 years.

This data comes from research recently published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, which looked at survey data collected from 30,000 Americans between 1973 and 2014.

Between 1990 and 2014, the number of same-sex hook-ups doubled.

But, these increases didn’t appear to be driven exclusively by people who identify as gay or lesbian, but by people who have had sex with people both sexes, says study author Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of the book Generation Me.

In other words, they were experimenting.

Twenge explained,

What we’re seeing is this movement toward more sexual freedom. There’s more freedom for people to do what they want without following the traditional, often now seen as outdated, social rules about who you’re supposed to have sex with and when.”

According to recent data, only 2% of the American population identifies as gay or lesbian, and only 1% identifies as bisexual.

Overall, it suggests that our sexuality has become much more free and open, that Americans feel much more freedom to express themselves sexually in a way that they see fit. That’s why it comes down to this individualistic viewpoint: do what’s right for you.”

That attitude is not always on the side of tolerance for people’s differences, of course. But in this case, the upsides are clear: greater freedom, tolerance, equality and acceptance of fluid sexual behavior.

These more traditional rules around same-sex behaviour have faded away.”


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Women Resort To Feign Sexual Pleasure To End Unwanted Sex Sooner, According To Study

According to a new study, many women feign sexual pleasure in order to end bad or unwanted sex sooner.

Although the study had recruited women to speak about consensual sex, all of them explicitly spoke about problematic sexual experiences when asked about faking orgasms.

Researchers said they were “struck” by the number of women who reported faking orgasms due during unwanted sex.

Psychologist Emily Thomas explained

While some women spoke about faking orgasm in positive ways, for instance, as a pleasurable experience that heightened their own arousal, many talked about feigning pleasure in the context of unwanted and unpleasurable sexual experiences.

Within these accounts, we were struck by the degree to which women were connecting the practice of faking orgasm to accounts of unwanted sex.”

Analysis showed women did not use words such as “rape” or “coercion” when speaking about their experiences, though their descriptions of the events could be categorised as such.

Instead, the women were said to have described their sexual experiences as unwanted in more “indirect” ways, such as using the term “bad” to describe sexual encounters, which were both unwanted and unpleasurable.

Though faking orgasms is often seen as a joke, the study shows it is a complex phenomenon. Though it can be used as a useful coping strategy for women in unwanted sexual situations, the practice highlights the silencing of women who may want to reject sexual advances, but feel they can’t.

It suggests these women exist within a culture that discourages speaking up against unwanted sexual encounters, and where it may even be dangerous to do so.

It appears that faking orgasm is both problematic and helpful at the same time. On the one level faking an orgasm may be a useful strategy as it affords some control over ending a sexual encounter. We are not criticising faking practice on an individual level.

We want to focus on the problems with our current lack of available language to describe women’s experiences that acknowledges names and confronts the issues women spoke of in our interviews.”

Where Do The Presidential Candidates Stand on LGBTQ Rights?

America has made a lot of progress under President Barack Obama to improve the rights our LGBTQ community.

Last year marked the landmark Supreme Court ruling, which finally made marriage equality the law of the land in all 50 states.

This is a monumental achievement and it follows the growing acceptance of the LGBT community – something also signified by the fact that many straight allies and many companies have turned their social media icons ‘rainbow’ in support.

However, it’s not the be all and end all of the LGBT rights movements and much needs to be done.

For example, While President Obama did recently signed an executive order that banned federal agencies and contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity, that doesn’t include everyone.

But there have been set back. The fight over transgender bathroom access is still on-going, employees can still be fired for being gay in 27 states, and last month’s tragic shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando showed the nation that the battle for equality is far from over.

Both presidential candidates have attempted to paint themselves as champions of the LGBTQ community.

But where do they actually stand on the issues?

Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has been an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights for several years, and she has received the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy groups.

As secretary of state, she fought for greater benefits for LGBTQ diplomats at the State Department and greater recognition of gay rights around the world.

During a 2011 speech in Geneva, Switzerland, to mark International Human Rights Day, Clinton said

Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”

If elected, Clinton has already said she would support federal legislation to ban all discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, according to her campaign website.

She says she would also make it easier for people to change their gender on official documents, take measures to support LGBTQ elders and youth, and work to promote LGBTQ rights worldwide.

However, some gay-rights activists have criticized Clinton for coming around on the issue relatively late — neither she nor Obama fully supported same-sex marriage during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Others have questioned where Clinton stood on the issue when her husband, former President Bill Clinton, helped put two important anti-gay policies in place in the 1990s.

Her vice-presidential candidate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, has had a long evolution on gay rights.

Like Obama and Clinton herself, Kaine long opposed same-sex marriage, preferring rights for same-sex couples that fell short of full marriage.

But he his views have changed, and one of his first executive actions as governor of Virginia banned workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation (that part of the non-discrimination policy was later repealed by his successor, Republican Bob McDonnell).

Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, explains,

We’ve seen our own family and friends evolve around us, so it’s not out of context to see a politician evolve as well.”

Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin also added;

Having proven time and time again that they have the experience, determination, and leadership needed to move equality forward for all Americans, we are confident Clinton and Kaine will tear down the walls of discrimination that hold all of us back. The stakes for LGBTQ people in this election couldn’t be higher, and the choice for pro-equality voters couldn’t be clearer.”

Donald Trump

So now we move to Donald Trump – a man who is to the left of many Republicans on LGBTQ rights, but that doesn’t necessarily make him an ally of our community.

Since the horrific shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando last month, Trump has promoted himself as the LGBTQ community’s best hope in this election.

The shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, who was born in the United States, had been investigated by the FBI for ties to terrorism and pledged allegiance to an Islamic terrorist group during the attack.

In his speech to the Republican National Convention earlier this month, Trump said,

As your President, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology, believe me.”

However, many of Trump’s policy positions tell a different story. He’s said that if elected president, he would consider appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality.

Trump’s position on transgender bathroom access has shifted at different times in the campaign.

And he has a history of making questionable comments about LGBTQ people.

That leaves many feeling that Trump’s record on LGBTQ rights is mixed, at best.

As for his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, he signed anti-gay legislation that makes many kinds of discrimination legal across his state.

Full support there then – not really.

Here’s Why You Need To Stop Shaving Down There

Research has shown increasing numbers of women shave their pubic hair because they believe it is “more hygenic”, despite medical advice to the contrary.

In the past, studies suggested we as women felt compelled to remove their pubic hair for the purposes of sexual activity, but now new research now say we feel the need to shave down there for health reasons.

Not the case. New scientific evidence suggest it is exactly the opposite, and that we are actually putting ourselves at risk for doing so.

Dr Vanessa Mackay – a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists – said pubic hair was vital for preventing pathogens entering the vagina.

Pubic hair offers a natural barrier to keep things clean, to decrease contact with viruses and bacteria, and to protect the tender skin of the area.

While protecting against diseases and skin problems, pubic hair prevents foreign particles like dust and pathogenic bacteria from entering the body.

Pubic hair also helps to control the moisture of the area which decreases the chances of yeast infections.”

The new study, published the journal JAMA Dermatology, also says a majority of women of all ages “groom” their pubic hair to some degree.

62% of women surveyed in the USA said they chose to completely remove their hair, while 84% reported some kind of grooming or trimming.

Experts also explained how pubic hair also acts as a soft cushion for the sensitive skin of the labia and vagina.

Underwear which fails to protect the area, such as thongs and even pants that merely thread a string between the legs, cause particular pain and abrasions for women’s genital parts.

Other complications include vaginal and vulvar infections, inflammation of the hair follicles, abscesses, lacerations and allergic reactions.

Dr Mackay said that tiny “wounds” left by shaving, along with the warm and moist genital area, created a “happy culture medium” for bacteria to grow in.

If you shave your pubic hair, you are putting yourself at a higher risk of contracting genital warts.

Although pubic hair doesn’t completely prevent it, it helps avoid skin on skin contact with someone who may already have it.

Removing pubic hair also irritates and inflames the hair follicles left behind, leaving microscopic open wounds.”


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Kristen Stewart Talks Living Her Life Without ‘Hiding’

In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kristen Stewart got candid about her personal life and how she has “relaxed” her approach on exposing her relationships to the public eye.

The Twilight star is known for being fiercely private about her personal life, going out of her way to keep her relationships out of the public eye as much as possible.

However, as she has gotten older, the 26-year-old has become more relaxed about what does and doesn’t make it into the headlines, because people’s comments about her lifestyle don’t hold much weight with her.

Elaborating on her change of heart, the beauty explained:

I wouldn’t talk about who I [have sex with] and how I [have sex with them] unless I was friends with you. That’s weird. But then, at the same time, I’ve discovered a way to live my life and not feel like I’m hiding at all. And I think that’s pretty apparent for anyone who cares — not that everyone does. But I think that if you had been tracking it in any way, it’s more apparent that I’m more relaxed than I used to be.”

The comments come just a few days after Stewart was spotted smooching her longtime girlfriend Alicia Cargile in L.A.

While Stewart has been pretty open with her recent romances (how could anyone forget her whirldwind PDA tour with Soko?), she has never previously addressed her change in demeanour in such a specific way to the press before.

Somehow, as I got older, I reoriented my mind. I’ve gotten better at assessing people’s motivations. It’s not something I have to overtly think about – what I share and what I don’t share. It’s a natural thing. Whereas, when I was younger, I was like, ‘You’re gonna screw me over.’ Now I’m like, ‘Whatever. You can’t.'”

Famously Single‘s Somaya Reece On Dating Rapper Lady Luck

In a new video interview, Somaya Reece of the original Love & Hip Hop clan, and rapper Lady Luck talk about their relationship.

In the post, Reece explains that her relationship with Lady Luck is her first public same-sex relationship, but she has been in several long-term, same-sex relationships in the past.

https://www.instagram.com/somayareece/

Both women told DJ Vlad that they do not like labeling their sexuality as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, but there was no denying that they’re happy in their current situation.

During the conversation, Somaya also spoke about dating men, in particular, the late actor Paul Walker. She explained that they first met when William Morris Talent Agency was managing her, and she thought he was cute, so she decided to talk to him.

Afterward, Lady Luck said she couldn’t be mad at Somaya for dating Paul, whom she also thinks is cute.

More Than 70% Lesbian And Bisexual Women Feel They Need To Hide Their Sexuality At Work, Research Finds

According to new research, more than two thirds of lesbian and bisexual women have experienced discrimination in the workplace.

Conducted by the British LGBT Awards, the study interviewed 1,200 lesbian and bisexual women in the UK to analyse their experiences at work.

Sadly, 64% said that they had experienced some kind of negative treatment including sexual discrimination, inappropriate language, lack of opportunity, or bullying at work.

73% also said they were not fully out to colleagues, and 86% of those asked said there needed to be more visible lesbian and bisexual women in senior professional roles to help boost visibility and provide role models for other women.

In the past, we’ve been told that a ‘gay pay’ gap may exist in the workplace and lesbian women are meant to earn 9% more than heterosexual women on average.

It is thought this may be due to heterosexual women being more likely to take maternity leave and facing discrimination as a result, which lesbian women are less likely to encounter.

Research on how bisexual women’s pay is affected by their sexuality is inconclusive.

Some studies have suggested bisexual women may be less likely to be employed than lesbian or heterosexual women, however, it is not known if this is due to bisexual women being younger on average and this thereby affects employment rate indirectly.

Sarah Garrett, British LGBT Awards founder, said that the results show that while progress has been made for LGBT equality, work still needs to be made for LGBT women.

The results are startling and clearly show that in 2016 lesbian and gay women are still finding it hard to be themselves in the workplace and worse still, those who are out at work have had negative experiences including discrimination, bullying and reduced opportunities to progress compared to male counterparts.

The findings are worrying and show that a lot of work remains to be done to change attitudes and promote acceptance.”


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