The hit BBC Three dating series is back and this time, it’s the girls’ turn. Ahead of the new sapphic spin, we chatted to host Dannii Minogue about all things I Kissed A Girl.

Words by Hollie Wong
Photography by BBC

I Kissed A Girl is finally here and for sapphics everywhere, this is something to celebrate – the WLW community is being spotlighted like never before on Britain’s most iconic TV channel. And let’s just say, it makes for messy, authentic and downright obsessive viewing!

The queer female equivalent of last year’s I Kissed a Boy, which memorably made history as the UK’s first-ever same-sex dating series, the show premieres on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer from Sunday 5 May. In the same vein as its predecessor, the first episode of I Kissed a Girl introduces 10 contestants who will be matched up and, upon meeting each other for the first time, share a kiss.

Throughout the course of the series, the contestants will decide whether they want to stay with their current partner via a series of “kiss-offs” or match with someone new. Australian pop icon Dannii Minogue returns to her role as Cupid, while TikTok star and comedian Charley Marlowe replaces Layton Williams as the narrator.

This year’s 10 sapphics, as well as a short teaser trailer, were unveiled during Lesbian Visibility Week. To find out more about the series, we sat down with Dannii Minogue, hostess with the mostest, to discuss this sapphic new era in the dating genre and how she prepared for her new role in the WLW history books.

Dannii, we loved last year’s I Kissed A Boy. Was it always the plan to come back for year two with I Kissed A Girl?

We didn’t know straight away when we were making I Kissed a Boy, that it was gonna go on to the girls. But as soon as we found out we’re like, ‘Yes!’ This is really important, to go straight in with the girls and give them a chance to be seen. Even more important, there’s just not a lot of [queer female] representation, not as much as the guys get.

How excited were you to come back this year and do the series all over again with a bunch of queer women?

It felt fresh and new. I love the casting. They’re so different. The conversations that come up are just wild. It’s especially noticeable with the girls that are from smaller towns where they don’t have a queer community that they can really reach out to, very different from living in London and having access to bars and clubs and places. I love hearing the different accents. There’s different emotional reactions from the girls, in the same way from the boys like Gareth, from season one, and Cara, for the girls, from Northern Ireland. There’s definitely a different pull on their personality.

The cast is great representation for the entire sapphic community. There are lots of deep chats about identity and labels, were you always wanting to spotlight those conversations?

As I’m in and out of hosting but kind of on the sidelines, it was great not to feel stupid or like, ‘I don’t know what that is!’ when I saw the girls talking. I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re asking each other questions. This is great!’ Even little things like that, just to kind of open up the conversation. Because they’re so much younger than me, they’re way more open to everything. This is unscripted, so whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen. The main [hope] is, ‘I hope a real relationship comes from this. That’d be cool.’ We know so much comes through the friendships from the cast, from when the boys did it. When you’re in it, there’s only a small group of people who knows what that feels like. We wanted to open people’s minds. I was thinking more of the audience, but then when I watch it back I’m like, ‘These girls left in a completely different headspace than when they arrived.’

It's a lot of fun, there are a lot of laughs to come from the girls!

Do any moments with the girls really stick out in your mind when you think back on filming?

I was just continually surprised about their confidence, being fearless and brave. I mean, I looked at [the show] and said, ‘I couldn’t do that.’ Firstly, I don’t even sit around the pool in my swimwear in front of my boyfriend. They’re in Italy by the pool, having private conversations that will end up in a TV show and it’s just wild to me. I felt very inspired and empowered from watching them. Just as a woman I felt like, ‘Oh man, these girls have got it,’ you know?

From The X Factor and Australia’s Got Talent, to now the I Kissed series, you’re a bastion of reality TV. How does this show compare to your previous experiences?

With The X Factor, the main thing for me was I loved mentoring. Of course, you’re trying to have your team win. You’ve got limited time where you try and impart some skills and strength to them so that when they leave, they can then go on and do stuff. With this, I don’t get to flex that mentoring muscle. But I do feel like what happens in the production meetings and how we wanted to make the show, that’s my way of mothering and looking after them. We have a care team, and we all have access to that – even me as the host, for the first time in my life. This is the first show that’s ever offered that to me. So it’s groundbreaking in all sorts of ways, just as someone working in the industry. This part that I do now, I’m just trying to let people know about it. The more eyeballs that we can get on it, the better. We just want to keep coming back. We want more girls to have the opportunity to do this.

Did you prepare differently for this season? For instance, did you watch The L Word?

I had a glossary of words given to me and I was like, ‘Yep, no, don’t know.’ There were lots of conversations. I listened to a podcast called the Lesbian Supper Club. I feel like I know them, they give you their life. So that was really, really cool. And I guess just walking back into it feeling like this is totally fresh and new, being more open-minded, more curious. I feel like the audience in general will be, too. If you’re not in the community you will be like, ‘What does the lesbian look like? And what are they going to be like?’ and you have all these questions. Also, if you are in the community, you’re asking the same questions, ‘Who are they going to cast? What do they look like? Do they look like me? What are they going to say? What am I going to be surprised about?’ I think we can all approach it with curiosity. And it’s a lot of fun, there are a lot of laughs to come from the girls.

This is a BBC Three show and their other biggest series is of course Drag Race UK. Can we expect to see you on the judging panel any time soon?

The weird thing is, when they film, I’m not here. And my friend who wrote the theme tune to our show, he does work on that as well, Ian Masterson. I would love for it to happen, I’m just very strict about my work in what drags me away from family.

The Minogue sisters really seem out for all out gay domination, what will your next big gay move be?

I don’t know! I wish someone could tell me, I don’t know. But I’m open and I’m excited!

We can leave it on a cliffhanger!

You can watch the trailer for I Kissed a Girl here or below. 

The post I Kissed a Girl: Dannii Minogue on “fresh” series and being “empowered” by the cast appeared first on GAY TIMES.

You know them as the face of the TikTok trend, “The craziest thing about being creative…” Here, in conversation with GAY TIMES, artist Vita Kari shares how they developed the viral moment and the inspiration behind their experimental art.

WORDS BY HOLLIE WONG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARIANNE OLDER
WEB HEADER BY ANISA CLEAVER

A TikTok video as a piece of art? You may be able to hear the boomers roll their eyes from space, but for artist Vita Kari, this is the reality of their work. Accruing a following of over 1.5 million, the LA-based non-binary visual artist is using the social video platform to tease viewers through crafty artforms to trick and enthral. With 56 million views, and counting, on their TikTok alone, their series “The craziest thing about being creative…” has captured the imagination of millions and ushered in a new era for the platform as visual artists flock to their FYPs to create the same hype for their own art.

For those who haven’t seen the trend, it sees Kari say into the camera, “The craziest thing about being creative…” and then reveals something in the shot that is actually a meticulously crafted paper replica, whether it be their hand, the text on screen or even their dog. Designed to grab the attention of the average TikTok user, Kari says they put themselves in the position of the scrolling person to develop the idea: “I really was excited to try to think, ‘What would stop me in my tracks?’ Right? What type of moment would get me to really pause? And I love an illusion, I do.”

While Kari’s first foray into virality continues to trend, the visual artist is hard at work completing their MFA at Otis College of Art and Design and continuing to break the fourth wall through illusion-centred art. Take their December live performance piece at Art Basel, which saw them ‘trapped’ in a plexiglass container while passersby were encouraged to pour water into the container and allow a ‘thirsty’ Kari to drink. Described by one viewer as “David Blaine stuff”, Kari says it’s this “glitching in reality” which offers them to disrupt space and make an impact. To dig into their queering of the visual arts space, GAY TIMES caught up with Kari over video, where there were luckily no paper replicas in shot.

 

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A post shared by Vitawood 💜 Vita Kari (@vitakari)

Your art is super experimental. Where do you get your inspiration from?

A lot of what I’m working on right now is about ironically, gay times. But it’s about being able to queer spaces, disrupt the fold, whether it’s digitally. Like the Doom scroll and interrupting that moment, or presenting an alternative glitching in reality, whether it’s a billboard or on a can or somebody’s trapped on a can, aka me, also in a body and what it means to be in a body. The idea of shifting or queering spaces is something that a lot of queer art theorists have talked about in a lot of ways, so that’s something I’m really interested in. It’s definitely what I’m leaning into right now.

You’re probably one of the prime artists right now using social media in your work, what inspired you to engage with short-form video content, specifically on TikTok?

I’m just really inspired by, first of all video art in the 80s and 90s video artists, like Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy and that realm of video artists from that time. Not only was their work super experimental and incredibly bizarre in the best way, it was also really discredited at a time people were like, ‘What do you mean, you can take a video camera and do that? That’s crazy, don’t tell me that.’ But now we look at it and it’s forever cemented in the canon of art so seriously that no one questions it. And I think that’s kind of the moment we’re having now. People aren’t seeing the value of short form video and social media as a participatory art space. To make it less nerdy, it’s an underutilised space for a really great piece of work that everyone can participate in. And I think that in 10 years everyone’s going to look back and take it very seriously. But right now, we’re just doing the work, the uphill battle to make it be seen as a serious platform for that.

I would say that art simply is incredibly subversive, which in turn makes it queer, would you agree?

Definitely, I’m really interested in the idea of queer migrations, or what it means to shift from the binary, especially within the academic sense of that. I’ve been queer my whole life. It’s only until I dove this year into the more academic space of what that looks like and what that means, that it really goes hand-in-hand with so many amazing people who have done so much work in the art world to create incredible spaces and projects beyond my belief. So it’s really fun to be a part of that and be able to kind of create maybe an alternative to what we’re looking at in social media.

It’s only natural for you to bring your queerness into your art and your work, what does that process look like for you?

I think ultimately any time I do anything, it’s going to be brought in a way. I don’t go into it super intentionally, sometimes it’s just going to be in the work. I think any person of any community, that is the backdrop in a way.

Let’s talk about your hugely trending TikTok series, “The craziest thing about being creative…”, did you expect it to go so viral?

I really was excited to try to think like, ‘What would stop me in my tracks?’ Right? What type of moment would get me to really pause? And I love an illusion, I do. Especially the text video, where I knew that the text was going to be the reveal. I had a feeling that that might be really exciting for some. Because, when you’re watching a creator, there’s no reason that they would lie to you that the text is fake. There’s no reason for that. So I was hoping that it would maybe shift the moment, and so I was really happy. I definitely think high play, high-pitched is absolutely my aesthetic. I love to lean in, 1000%.

I think that in 10 years everyone's going to look back and take [viral video art] very seriously.

You’re studying for your MFA right now. For young queer artists just getting inspired today, what’s your best advice for them?

When it comes to navigating different mediums, there is no limit to how to do it. Just really push the boundary because you can back it up with enough academic credible sources to do basically anything. So don’t confine [yourself] to one medium. Whatever it is, whether it’s short form video, aka TikTok, or whether it’s any type of mixed medium. There’s one artist I know, Marley White, she literally makes pieces out of pig intestines. Pretty crazy town, that is so cool. Anything goes, you know?

As someone who has newly found the spotlight on the internet, how do you look after your mental health in light of the millions of eyes on your work?

Honestly, I used to talk really openly on social media about my mental health, like one of my old pieces was really inspired by some mental health struggles. And I found that the best way sometimes to protect myself is to limit what I share at times, which I know sounds counterintuitive, but that’s just what I found to be most helpful. I know it’s not maybe an answer that’s exciting, but that’s what I found has worked for me. Having a strong community is everything. Whether that means like offline, online, whatever that means to you.

What will 2024 look like for you?

The next year will look like making experimental projects, hanging out with my nieces and nephews, and pushing the boundaries of a glue gun.

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In a small win for LGBTQIA+ rights, a ban on public drag performances has been temporarily blocked in the American state of Texas.

Senate Bill 12, which restricts “sexually oriented performances” was set to go into effect on 1 September and was originally passed back in April.

Though the bill’s text does not directly refer to drag performances, local politicians have previously described how the bill would target such activity.

For instance, Texas’ Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick previously said in a statement the bill would prohibit “sexualized performances and drag shows in the presence of a minor.”

READ MORE: First US drag show ban stokes fears of violence

Plaintiffs including drag queens and local venues, represented by the ACLU of Texas, had launched a lawsuit against the legislation, with hopes to prevent its implementation.

“The Texas Drag Ban is stunningly broad in scope and will chill entire genres of free expression in our state,” said Brian Klosterboer, attorney at the ACLU of Texas, in a statement.

Testifying in front of U.S. District Judge David Hittner earlier this week, news broke of the bill’s blocking on 31 August, with @ACLUTx tweeting the update.

BREAKING: A federal judge just granted our request to temporarily block Texas’ drag ban from taking effect Sept. 1.

Drag performers and LGBTQIA+ allied businesses belong in our state — and Texas politicians have no right to censor our free expression.

— ACLU of Texas (@ACLUTx) August 31, 2023

Texas is one of six states that had passed restrictions on drag performances, including Tennessee, Montana, Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota. Several of these policies however have been blocked due to federal court orders.

READ MORE: Federal judge rules Tennessee’s drag ban as “unconstitutionally vague and overbroad”

Tennessee was the first state to restrict drag performances in public, but this legislation was also blocked and ruled unconstitutional in June.

The post Judge temporarily blocks Texas’ ban on public drag performances appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Nigeria’s annual Pride celebrations, Pride in Lagos, returned for a second year in June as the highly-anticipated event put on a week’s worth of queer fun.

WORDS BY HOLLIE WONG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAUS II GALLERY & ARCHIVES, LAGOS

In a week-long celebration, Pride in Lagos celebrated LGBTQ+ identities from 12 to 16 June in many forms.

From an exhibition space to a ball and a rave that closed the celebrations, Nigeria’s queer community experienced a euphoric event that saw hundreds take part.

The reported numbers of LGBTQ+ Nigerians have grown in recent years, though they tend to remain behind closed doors due to safety concerns.

Homosexuality remains illegal in Nigeria and is generally not accepted as the country’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act restricts both same-sex relationships and public affection, with punishments of up to 14 years in prison.

With Rainbow Railroad as its main sponsor for 2023, the event aimed to challenge stereotypes, combat discrimination and foster unity within Nigerian society.

In a public statement about the event, Pride in Lagos said it “represents a significant milestone in the journey towards a more inclusive and accepting Nigeria.

“By celebrating diversity and promoting equal rights, the festival aims to create a society where every individual can live with dignity, respect, and freedom to be themselves.”

Take a look at some of the week’s celebrations in the photos below and donate to Pride in Lagos here.

The post Pride in Lagos: Photos from Nigeria’s 2023 LGBTQ+ celebration appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has officially signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBTQ+ laws, drawing criticism and threats of sanctions from countries around the world.

Among it’s rulings, the Anti-Homosexuality Act includes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and a 20-year sentence for “promoting” homosexuality.

Originally passed on 21 March, the bill was then returned to Parliament by Museveni who demanded that it be made even harsher. On 29 May, Museveni then signed the final version of the bill into law.

Homosexuality and same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, but the new Anti-Homosexuality Act sets a precedent for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the country.

READ MORE: LGBTQ+ Kenyans and Ugandans hide from wave of homophobic abuse

US President Joe Biden has called for the “immediate repeal” of the legislation, describing the move as “a tragic violation” of human rights.

“We are considering additional steps, including the application of sanctions and restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption,” Biden said.

The UN Human Rights Office described “the draconian and discriminatory” new act as “a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people” as well as the wider population.

#Uganda: We are appalled that the draconian and discriminatory anti-gay bill is now law. It is a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people & the wider population. It conflicts with the Constitution and international treaties and requires urgent judicial… pic.twitter.com/cD7Gnwap95

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) May 29, 2023

Also in the UK, the country’s international development minister Andrew Mitchell also condemned the Act.

“This legislation undermines the protections and freedoms of all Ugandans enshrined in the Ugandan constitution.

“It will increase the risk of violence, discrimination and persecution, will set back the fight against HIV/Aids, and will damage Uganda’s international reputation,” Mitchell said.

READ MORE: Here are the countries where same-sex marriage is legal

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who voted against same-sex marriage in the US and has previously attacked transgender access to bathrooms, also tweeted in criticism of the Act.

This Uganda law is horrific & wrong.

Any law criminalizing homosexuality or imposing the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” is grotesque & an abomination.

ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse.#LGBTQ https://t.co/tTIMR8VtqW

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 29, 2023

After the bill was signed into law, the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, a local Ugandan organisation, as well as 10 individuals, filed a complaint against the Anti-Homosexuality Act at the constitutional court, petitioner Busingye Kabumba told Reuters.

LGBTQ+ activists on the ground and around the world have been campaigning to quash the bill ever since its passing in March, with Moud Goba, Chair of the Board of Trustees at UK Black Pride and National Manager, previously telling GAY TIMES that “Ugandan LGBTQI people are living in fear”.

The post World leaders condemn Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation as it’s signed into law appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Mexico has issued its first ever non-binary passport.

⁠Unveiled at an event hosted by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, the ceremony held on 17 May, which is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in the queer calendar, was attended by a number of representatives, including Salma Luévano Luna, one of Mexico’s first trans federal legislators.⁠

Magistrate and activist Jesus Ociel Baena was the first person to be given the passport.

In a statement, Ebrard said, “All rights must be guaranteed for all identities,” describing the event as a “great leap for the freedom and dignity of people”.⁠

Mexico now joins 15 other countries that include non-binary identities on documents at a national level, having previously handed out its first birth certificate with a non-binary gender marker back in February 2022.⁠
⁠
The change now means an ‘X’ appears under a person’s gender marker on passports and other official documentation, including driving licences.⁠

Alongside the recent ruling, Mexico has also taken steps to protect the transgender community within its laws.

Currently, half of the country’s 32 states have gender identity laws that make it easier for trans individuals to change their gender legally.

In 2019, Mexico’s Supreme Court also ruled that transgender people must be issued new birth certificates after undergoing gender-affirming procedures.

“As the Supreme Court has argued in other cases, everyone has the right to define their own sexual and gender identity, and it is the state’s responsibility to guarantee this decision, which is reflected in different documents, mainly in the birth certificate,” the court said.

The post “Diversity enriches and flourishes”: Mexico issues its first non-binary passport appeared first on GAY TIMES.

LGBTQ+ activists and groups have gathered in London to protest Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

On 25 April, tens gathered holding a peaceful demonstration outside the Uganda House in Trafalgar Square, London to demonstrate their opposition to the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Amongst the bill’s punishments for “homosexual activity”, the legislation imposes the death penalty for being gay, threatens up to 14 years for what it describes as “attempted” homosexuality, and 20 years for “recruitment, promotion and funding” of same-sex “activities”.

Despite the bill’s cruel threats to criminalise LGBTQ+ activity, Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni has returned the bill back to Parliament, refusing to sign it and instead demanding that the bill be made even harsher.

With the bill in motion, LGBTQ+ activists and groups from Uganda and around the world are campaigning for international allies to apply pressure through political, diplomatic, economic and public means on the Museveni administration to “kill” the bill.

@gaytimes Protesters gather to fight Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 #uganda #ugandantiktok #lgbtqnews #lgbtqpolitics #ugandagaylaw #protest #gayrights #lgbtrights #lgbtqrights ♬ [News coverage] Inorganic: Flat: 12(1011945) – 8.864

Gathering to apply such pressure in London on 25 April, organisations including UK Black Pride, Rainbow House, Rainbow Migration, Peter Tatchell Foundation, and Living Free UK, gave speeches for LGBTQ+ freedom in Uganda outside the country’s embassy.

GAY TIMES spoke to two activists at the protest, Moud Goba, Chair of the Board of Trustees at UK Black Pride and National Manager at Micro Rainbow, and Dan Yomi, Founder and Director of Living Free UK and Director at House of Rainbow.⁠

“We need this bill to be killed,” Goba told GAY TIMES. “Ugandan LGBTQI people are living in fear, they are being persecuted. This bill needs to go.”

Discussing the dual action of protestors around the world, including in New York City, Yomi said groups are “sending a message to President Museveni to do the sensible thing and speak up for one of the most marginalised communities in Uganda.”

Hollie Wong

The post LGBTQ+ activists and groups gather in London to protest Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Trans sensation Dylan Mulvaney talks to GAY TIMES about passing 365 days of girlhood, life on TikTok, and heading into the hills of Hollywood.

Words by Hollie Wong
Photography by Tati Bruening

The trans journey is many things. It’s exhilarating. It’s validating. But it’s also terrifying. No one knows this more than TikTok star, actor, singer, and activist, Dylan Mulvaney. Just over a year ago, Dylan decided to capture her journey into girlhood daily and on screen. And so, what started as a “happy accident”, as Dylan describes, has blossomed into an honest and joyous portrayal of one person’s journey of gender discovery. And joining Dylan on this journey? Over 11 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, and a legion of inspired LGBTQ+ people.

Dylan’s positive attitude and optimistic look on life has been seen by many as the antidote to the near constant anti-trans rhetoric happening around the world. Just scrolling through a few of Dylan’s videos, her excitement in every step of her journey is infectious. Whether it’s her latest outfit obsession, an electrolysis update, or an interview with US President Joe Biden about trans rights, Dylan’s videos have not just engaged millions of people on the internet, but touched them too, as her accessible and human diaries about key moments in her transition have seemingly paved the way to empower and educate so many.

The star’s very public transition has also caught the attention of some cruel online and right-wing trolls. An unfortunate side effect of being a public LGBTQ+ person, Dylan describes how those trying to “steal” her joy and “twist it into something ugly” are very much out there, but she simply won’t let them stop her; “If I can keep that little bit of innocence and joy that I have left, then I think that is a very powerful tool.” Just a week after Dylan marked “365 days of being a girl” with a one-off variety show in New York, GAY TIMES caught up with her to find out how this past year has shaped her transition and what’s next for one of the internet’s most followed trans voices.

Congratulations on marking 365 days of girlhood! It’s been so incredible to watch your journey, how does it feel to have reached this landmark point?

It feels like the biggest sigh of relief because I think I had a lot of pressure on myself to create content for this year, to really show up. And I think I kind of used it as a bookmark of this like trajectory that I was going on. And in a funny way, doing that show last week and then getting to day 366 was like, ‘Oh okay, I think I can slow down a little bit.’ I think I can reassess what my goals are and how I can help elevate the community while also making sure that my mental health is good. Honestly, it’s been a huge sigh of relief.

Let’s go back to the start, can you tell us why you started documenting this journey on TikTok?

Well, I started it as a very happy accident. I was doing standup comedy and I had made this serious coming out video the day before. And then I was like, ‘Well, I want to lighten the mood a bit.’ So I made that day one video with no assumption that I would continue the series. And it really turned into something a lot more vulnerable and powerful than I could have ever imagined. ‘Social media influencer’ was not on my radar of something that I wanted, but I am still finding my way in what that means. And I also feel like I’m trying to redefine what that means because there’s such a stigma against influencers. And I want to help direct people in what that actually means for me and when they follow me.

What’s something that you wish you could go back and tell Dylan before this journey started?

Oh gosh, I would say, ‘Have regular therapy appointments booked and ready to go.’ If I could go back, I would write a list of my most important goals and dreams and desires and really stick to those things. Because I think what happened this past year was that I was given a lot of opportunities that seemed like a good idea because they sounded shiny or exciting, but they were actually very different from what my initial dreams and goals were. And I feel like now I’m getting back to what I really intended and wanted to do, which was acting and performing. I got to use day 365 as a way to say, ‘Hey, I sing, I dance.’ This is what I really want to be doing rather than, you know, this really higher level of activism or brand deals. I think that it’s been the most amazing thing to create this platform to now take what I built and really do other things with it.

You have become such an inspiration to trans people of all generations, did you ever expect this level of love from the public?

No, never. I think the crazy part to me is that I’m only a year in and people were willing to see me as this woman from day one. You know, there are a lot of people out there that still do not see me as a woman and God love them, we’re trying to win them over, which I feel sometimes is this constant struggle that’s not even worth it. But I then look at everyone who did accept me, and I think it just goes to show that you can, no matter where you are in your transition and what you’ve done or haven’t done, express who you are. And there are people that are ready to welcome you and to celebrate it. 

Like anything, there have probably been highs and lows to your transition, what has been your biggest high?

I’m still riding the high of my show last week because I didn’t know I was capable of putting on a production and leading the ship and having difficult conversations with the trans ensemble members. I am proud that I don’t think I’ve changed all too much. I’ve been able to keep my energy, my spirit, my joy. I think that a lot of humans are trying to steal that joy from me right now, and mangle it, and twist it into something ugly. And if I can keep that little bit of innocence and joy that I have left, then I think that is a very powerful tool.

And in terms of the lows, I love that you don’t let the negatives, or the trolls, or the criticism get you down, so let’s talk about a low that maybe helped you in the long run or turned into a high?

I think a certain low that I had was facing criticism from certain women in the trans community that made me feel like I was not welcome or I was not accepted, or that I was doing a poor job of representing us as a community. And then I had this realisation, what I learned from that is that, just because we’re trans, it does not mean that we’re going to see eye to eye on every subject. And really, it’s such a small part of who we are, there are such a multitude of other things to connect on, but also to not see eye-to-eye on. And that has made me realise that just because someone’s trans does not mean… It’s like when you say, ‘Oh, I’m trans,’ and they’re like, ‘Oh, do you know so and so?’ There’s such a diversity within the community itself that I think that it really opened my mind. I specifically want the trans community on my side, but I have to make peace with the fact that I’m not going to have the same experience as everyone else.

Totally, and that intersectionality is important. I’m non-binary and I definitely understand that pressure of, ‘How do you represent an entire community?’ But I definitely feel that in your content you are speaking from your perspective.

Thank you, that is always the goal because I’ve really tried to never say, ‘This is what it’s like… This is how it is being trans.’ I identified as non-binary for a year before coming out as a trans woman. I went by they/them pronouns and I think even being non-binary at that time was even more challenging because there was a lot less information about the community. But also it’s even more faceted because you’re no longer being held to these gender norms or stereotypes and it really blows the lid off of everything. So, I can relate to you in that way. Every one of us is so different that it would be crazy to try to group us all together.

100% and that intersectionality is something we notice in the GAY TIMES audience all the time. So like you, we have an audience looking for guidance and hope. What’s your message to queer readers at home?

I would say: hold on to any piece of joy that you have in your life right now, because there’s a lot of people trying to take that from us and they’re being really, really loud. And we need to be equally loud and proud and accepting, especially our allies out there, being vocal towards the support of our community. As well as really making sure that we are not exhausting ourselves. If we need to be in this for the long haul and if this is a battle that we’re going to be fighting for some time, we need to make sure that we are not fatigued and that we are taking time for ourselves and that we do not need to feel guilty about having a moment of joy or selfishness. I think that sometimes in our community, like any time we spring into doing something for ourselves, it’s seen as this enemy moment, and I think we have to be able to fill our lives with other things than just this darkness that’s happening. So yeah, just keep fighting and I really think it’s going to get better soon. I just think we’re in the thick of it right now.

Right now, as you’re likely very aware, anti-trans legislation is sweeping a number of US states. What’s your message for those outside of queer bubbles, who are being told negative things about gender-affirming healthcare and don’t know what to believe?

I think if someone was to hear something negative towards a gender identity or journey, I would ask, ‘Think about who’s saying that to you? Who’s telling it? Is it somebody that you trust in this category, in this field?’ Because I have a lot of family members that don’t fully understand transness and I love them and I know that they support me, but I also know that they don’t have the information necessary to be creating this sort of factual advice. Sometimes I’ll listen to these haters and I’ll start to go, ‘Oh god, maybe they’re right.’ And then I think about all the people that I love and admire and that are role models to me. And I’m like, ‘Oh, maybe those are the people that I should be listening to.’ So I would just always go back to: who is this person that’s saying this thing and are they credible? Do they have the knowledge to back it up?

So 365 days is one thing, you’ve got a lifetime to look forward to, what’s next for you?

I am now starting to write some books. I am hoping to pitch a TV show in the near future. I would love to get back on Broadway and on the stage. I’m now ready to show the world that transness can supersede TikTok and enter the mainstream in bigger ways. I really want to now tackle Hollywood and everything that comes with that to really cement that we are here and deserve to show our stories. A lot of people can also learn through scripted content and sometimes having a little bit of that fictional element actually helps people better relate. And I want to see a trans girl in a rom-com. I want to see trans people finding love and success and not just playing prostitutes or victims on TV. So that’s my goal right now, going forward this next year. Also, it’s going to be about taking a second before I post or maybe not throwing so much vulnerability out on the screen, but making sure that I am ready and that I think it needs to be told. Because I’m now in learning mode, I want to absorb as much information as I can.

The post Dylan Mulvaney won’t let transphobes “steal” her joy appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Heartstopper fans, we have good and bad news.

Writer and creator of the beloved comics, Alice Oseman, has given a major update on the future of the series.⁠

Netflix’s highly-anticipated queer teen romance, Heartstopper, is based on Oseman’s championed webcomic and graphic novel of the same name.

Following the love story between the openly gay overthinker Charlie Spring (Joe) and buoyant rugby player Nick Nelson (Connor), the series is a light and joyous watch featuring little in the way of trauma and conflict, and that’s exactly what young queer people coming to terms with their sexuality or gender identity need to see.

In a tweet shared on 5 April, Oseman wrote, “Heartstopper Volume 5 will be released on November 9th 2023 in the UK/Ireland/Australia/New Zealand.. and there will be a Vol 6, the final Heartstopper volume!”⁠

SOME NEWS!
Heartstopper Volume 5 will be released on November 9th 2023 in the UK/Ireland/Australia/New Zealand.. and there will be a Vol 6, the final Heartstopper volume!

Pre-order: https://t.co/1mUV0KQE6P
More info about Vol 5’s release in other countries coming soon!
🍂🌈🐶🏉 pic.twitter.com/1g2PHOYp1C

— Alice Oseman Updates (@AliceOseman) April 5, 2023

That’s right, we know when Volume 5 is finally on the shelves, but Nick and Charlie’s journey as we know it is coming to an end with Volume 6!⁠

In a video released on their Instagram, Oseman says Volume 5 will “see the Heartstopper gang looking towards the future” as summer approaches, with Charlie “working really hard on his mental health” while Nick is “having a little bit of a crisis” about university.⁠

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alice Oseman (@aliceoseman)

The post Heartstopper’s Alice Oseman announces Vol. 5 release date and series end appeared first on GAY TIMES.

From multiverse dimension jumping, and an ‘everything’ bagel, to cognisant rocks, and butt-plug shaped trophies for tax auditors, to describe the plot of the breakout 2022 film Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO) is a feat in itself.

Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as Daniels), the drama-comedy-sci-fi-martial-arts epic dominated box offices in the summer of 2022 and is continuing its takeover via the 2023 awards circuit. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, 10 BAFTAs, 13 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and five SAG Awards, EEAAO has been lauded by critics and audiences alike for its fantastical plot and heartwarming performances of its main cast of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and James Hong. If you haven’t seen the film yet, now’s your chance as this is about to get spoiler heavy.

The film follows Evelyn Quan (Yeoh), a Chinese-American immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husband, Waymond Wang (Huy Quan). The film’s chaotic opening sees Evelyn, Waymond and their teenage daughter Joy (Hsu), prepare for the arrival of Evelyn’s father, Gong Gong (Hong), ready the laundromat for a Lunar New Year party, and travel to an IRS audit meeting with intense inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Curtis). While all of this is happening, we also learn Waymond is trying to serve Evelyn divorce papers and Joy is desperately trying to get her mother to approve of her relationship with her non-Chinese girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel). I did warn you that a lot happens.

Then, upon the family finally making it to their IRS meeting, Evelyn is contacted by Alpha-Waymond, a Waymond from the Alpha-verse (another universe), who alerts Evelyn to a multiversal catastrophe that threatens her universe and all that link to it. Still with me? Good, because that’s not the half of it. Evelyn must now work with Alpha-Waymond and all of her multiverse selves, through a method of verse-jumping, to defeat Jobu Tupaki, who *spoiler alert* is the Alpha-verse version of Joy. We learn that in the Alpha-verse, Alpha-Evelyn pushed Alpha-Joy to such extensive verse-jumps that she has become an all powerful manipulator of matter. Broken by her mother’s ambitions, Alpha-Joy has created an ‘everything’ bagel, a black hole of sorts, which holds all matter and life on one ringed, breaded surface – but also has the potential to destroy the multiverse.

It’s here where our story begins, as though the Daniels’ multiverse epic seems to be about *everything*, and how life itself no longer matters to the nihilistic Alpha-Joy. Evelyn, along with Waymond who preaches kindness even when life doesn’t make sense, must save Joy from the lie she’s told herself; that nothing matters. One of the ways in which Evelyn does this is by telling Gong Gong of Joy and Becky’s relationship. It’s just one wrong that Yeoh’s character rights, but it’s a fundamental pillar that allows Joy/Jobu to once again recognise the value in life.

To the untrained eye, Joy’s queerness and her relationship with Becky could be seen as any old plot device. But to queer viewers, it’s much more than that. Because to me, it was the most forward thinking and profound representation of the queer experience seen on screen in recent years – maybe ever.

When I saw a preview of the film with GAY TIMES Entertainment Editor Sam Damshenas, we had no idea what to expect – and that was after watching the trailer and listening to a Q&A with the Daniels. There was no indication of anything LGBTQ+, shall we say (not even a cliche campy side character!). So, when Joy appears on screen with Becky, mine and Sam’s eyes met with raised eyebrows in surprise. Evelyn’s reluctance to acknowledge Joy’s queerness, sees her deliberately misgendering Becky as “he” and reminding Joy that she is  “very lucky” her mom is “open to you dating a girl”. Wounding Joy with her disapproving attitude, it’s only later in the film, when Evelyn is trying to get through to Jobu/Joy, does she understand how important it is to love Joy for who she is – queerness and all.

The Daniels actually developed their multiverse story over a decade before it finally reached cinemas. And its queer storyline emerged early on in the writing process after Daniel Kwan spoke to his queer friends who grew up with immigrant parents and discovered that many had actually come out to their families multiple times. “Each time, it’s almost brushed over or ignored, or the parents are waiting for the ‘phase’ to end,” Kwan told USA Today. “There’s no big screaming match. They just end up having to come out every couple years, every time they introduce their partner. They have to basically fight for the chance to be seen – it’s like this slow-motion erasure of who they are.” 

Kwan’s understanding of how a person’s queerness intersects with every relationship – and part of – their life is what makes the queer storytelling in EEAAO so powerful. It’s an omnipresence in Joy’s life that impacts all of her multiversal selves. Just like Evelyn’s love for Waymond and Waymond’s capacity for kindness, it’s treated as something embedded into Joy’s very fibre. And yes, as queer people we know that to be true, but to see that represented so fiercely in a mainstream piece of cinema really transcends any other first queer kiss, sapphic yearning, or coming out scene I’ve seen on screen.

And that’s not me pitting one piece of queer cinema against any other – because every bit of representation matters (yes, even the bad kind) and will always help some queer kid somewhere in the world realise that everything will be okay. But it’s the seamless queerness in EEAAO that stands out to me as the future of LGBTQ+ storytelling – one where our identities are wrapped in all the other messy feelings and experiences we have in our lives, but most importantly, one where the non-LGBTQ+s we know and love also understand that.

To the untrained eye, queerness in Everything Everywhere All At Once seems like any old plot device. But looking deeper, it’s an example of the most profound representation of the queer experience seen on screen in recent years – maybe ever.

WORDS BY HOLLIE WONG
HEADER IMAGE DESIGNED BY ANISA CLEAVER

From multiverse dimension jumping, and an ‘everything’ bagel, to cognisant rocks, and butt-plug shaped trophies for tax auditors, to describe the plot of the breakout 2022 film Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO) is a feat in itself.

Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as Daniels), the drama-comedy-sci-fi-martial-arts epic dominated box offices in the summer of 2022 and is continuing its takeover via the 2023 awards circuit. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, 10 BAFTAs, 13 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and five SAG Awards, EEAAO has been lauded by critics and audiences alike for its fantastical plot and heartwarming performances of its main cast of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and James Hong. If you haven’t seen the film yet, now’s your chance as this is about to get spoiler heavy.

The film follows Evelyn Quan (Yeoh), a Chinese-American immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husband, Waymond Wang (Huy Quan). The film’s chaotic opening sees Evelyn, Waymond and their teenage daughter Joy (Hsu), prepare for the arrival of Evelyn’s father, Gong Gong (Hong), ready the laundromat for a Lunar New Year party, and travel to an IRS audit meeting with intense inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Curtis). While all of this is happening, we also learn Waymond is trying to serve Evelyn divorce papers and Joy is desperately trying to get her mother to approve of her relationship with her non-Chinese girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel). I did warn you that a lot happens.

Then, upon the family finally making it to their IRS meeting, Evelyn is contacted by Alpha-Waymond, a Waymond from the Alpha-verse (another universe), who alerts Evelyn to a multiversal catastrophe that threatens her universe and all that link to it. Still with me? Good, because that’s not the half of it. Evelyn must now work with Alpha-Waymond and all of her multiverse selves, through a method of verse-jumping, to defeat Jobu Tupaki, who *spoiler alert* is the Alpha-verse version of Joy. We learn that in the Alpha-verse, Alpha-Evelyn pushed Alpha-Joy to such extensive verse-jumps that she has become an all powerful manipulator of matter. Broken by her mother’s ambitions, Alpha-Joy has created an ‘everything’ bagel, a black hole of sorts, which holds all matter and life on one ringed, breaded surface – but also has the potential to destroy the multiverse.

It’s the seamless queerness in EEAAO that stands out to me as the future of LGBTQ+ storytelling

It’s here where our story begins, as though the Daniels’ multiverse epic seems to be about *everything*, and how life itself no longer matters to the nihilistic Alpha-Joy. Evelyn, along with Waymond who preaches kindness even when life doesn’t make sense, must save Joy from the lie she’s told herself; that nothing matters. One of the ways in which Evelyn does this is by telling Gong Gong of Joy and Becky’s relationship. It’s just one wrong that Yeoh’s character rights, but it’s a fundamental pillar that allows Joy/Jobu to once again recognise the value in life.

To the untrained eye, Joy’s queerness and her relationship with Becky could be seen as any old plot device. But to queer viewers, it’s much more than that. Because to me, it was the most forward thinking and profound representation of the queer experience seen on screen in recent years – maybe ever.

When I saw a preview of the film with GAY TIMES Entertainment Editor Sam Damshenas, we had no idea what to expect – and that was after watching the trailer and listening to a Q&A with the Daniels. There was no indication of anything LGBTQ+, shall we say (not even a cliche campy side character!). So, when Joy appears on screen with Becky, mine and Sam’s eyes met with raised eyebrows in surprise. Evelyn’s reluctance to acknowledge Joy’s queerness, sees her deliberately misgendering Becky as “he” and reminding Joy that she is  “very lucky” her mom is “open to you dating a girl”. Wounding Joy with her disapproving attitude, it’s only later in the film, when Evelyn is trying to get through to Jobu/Joy, does she understand how important it is to love Joy for who she is – queerness and all.

The Daniels actually developed their multiverse story over a decade before it finally reached cinemas. And its queer storyline emerged early on in the writing process after Daniel Kwan spoke to his queer friends who grew up with immigrant parents and discovered that many had actually come out to their families multiple times. “Each time, it’s almost brushed over or ignored, or the parents are waiting for the ‘phase’ to end,” Kwan told USA Today. “There’s no big screaming match. They just end up having to come out every couple years, every time they introduce their partner. They have to basically fight for the chance to be seen – it’s like this slow-motion erasure of who they are.” 

Kwan’s understanding of how a person’s queerness intersects with every relationship – and part of – their life is what makes the queer storytelling in EEAAO so powerful. It’s an omnipresence in Joy’s life that impacts all of her multiversal selves. Just like Evelyn’s love for Waymond and Waymond’s capacity for kindness, it’s treated as something embedded into Joy’s very fibre. And yes, as queer people we know that to be true, but to see that represented so fiercely in a mainstream piece of cinema really transcends any other first queer kiss, sapphic yearning, or coming out scene I’ve seen on screen.

And that’s not me pitting one piece of queer cinema against any other – because every bit of representation matters (yes, even the bad kind) and will always help some queer kid somewhere in the world realise that everything will be okay. But it’s the seamless queerness in EEAAO that stands out to me as the future of LGBTQ+ storytelling – one where our identities are wrapped in all the other messy feelings and experiences we have in our lives, but most importantly, one where the non-LGBTQ+s we know and love also understand that.

The post Why Everything Everywhere All At Once is the future of LGBTQ+ storytelling appeared first on GAY TIMES.