KAOS

Left &

Found

Alvin Baltrop

He captured a clandestine gay culture amid the derelict piers. “Disintegration and rebellion dovetailed in a line of derelict shipping piers that stretched the Hudson River between Chelsea and Greenwich Village. Isolated from the rest of the city after the collapse of the southernmost section of the elevated West Side Highway, the piers became a preserve for gay sex and communion, and the primary subject of Mr. Baltrop’s surviving photographs.”

Too busy

Gay men seem so busy and stressed, why aren't straight men?

Fear factor

Is the fear factor at 55 a real phenomenon for gay men?

Male rape

How male rape survivors grapple with their masculinity. "From beefing up in the gym to pummeling drink and drugs, male-on-male assault creates specific ripple effects."

Alex's story

This is what it’s like to tell your mum you’ve been raped.

Depraved indifference

The last transgender teen suicide. "Making anti-LGBT parents responsible when their children die from suicide may be another step in ending this plague."

Flagged

Over 73 percent of LGBT content online flagged as "inappropriate".

TERFs

The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained. "Known as TERFs, trans-exclusionary radical feminist groups are working with conservatives to push their anti-trans agenda."

Jesus Christ!

The long shadow of hot Jesus. "The Christ of my youth was benevolent and handsome. So why was I treated like the ungodly temptation?"

Kids

One of the hugging toddlers from that adorable viral video has two dads.

Watch

One of these seven men is gay. Can they figure it out? Can you?

Equality

From ze and zir to they/them: here’s why you should respect gender pronouns.

The struggle for equality is real. The "woke police" are a myth. "How ironic that the rightwing culture warriors claim to support free speech. They seem to want minorities to shut up and stop complaining."

The complicated past and promising future of queer studies. "More students are interested in LGBTQ+ studies than ever before. But can the field keep up with our changing culture, and will universities invest enough into it?"

Free speech

The myth of the free speech crisis. "How overblown fears of censorship have normalised hate speech and silenced minorities."

The growing threat to journalism around the world. "In many countries, journalists are being targeted because of the role they play in ensuring a free and informed society."

Facts

Why can’t we agree on what’s true any more? "It’s not about foreign trolls, filter bubbles or fake news. Technology encourages us to believe we can all have first-hand access to the ‘real’ facts – and now we can’t stop fighting about it."

“Good taste”

It's all about class anxiety. "Having three kinds of kale in the supermarket and the rise of celebrity chefs can be traced back to our lack of social mobility."

Success

The myth of making it. "If the most financially and critically successful artists don’t feel successful, maybe there’s something wrong with how we think about success."

$$$

It turns out money can kind of buy happiness after all. "A new paper argues that, actually, winning the lottery totally does make you happy."

Moving

Constantly moving house is bad for you and the planet. "Like every other problem in your renter life, this is basically because of landlords."

Focus

How to focus on one single goddamn thing.

News

New York

Judge sentences gay former student Abel Cedeno to fourteen years for fatal stabbing of his alleged bully, ignoring pleas for leniency.

Enraged homophobe stalks gay Jewish man: "It’s an abomination… you’ll be murdered for it!"

Uber driver kicks couple out of his car because they’re gay.

Will luxury towers edge out the last of the working-class Chinese in New York’s iconic Chinatown? "One of the city’s few remaining neighborhoods for lower-income residents is fighting to preserve a way of life."

Boston

Holocaust-denial, religious bigotry and pepper spray: a damning account of what really happened at Straight Pride.

Maryland

This is Bailey Reeves. She is the the seventeenth trans person t0 be killed this year. The 17-year-old was shot in Baltimore on Labor Day.

Chicago

Jussie Smollett’s lawyers are blaming the police for investigating his “hate crime”.

Michigan

First LGBT credit union approved to launch.

Tennessee

This is 16-year-old Channing Smith. He committed suicide after sexually explicit messages to another boy were spread by classmates on Snapchat "to humiliate him".

High school teen Brandon Allen crowned homecoming royalty in stunning gold gown.

California

Meth predator Ed Buck evicted from his West Hollywood apartment and jailed as victim Gemmel Moore’s mother speaks out about police negligence.

He had at least ten victims and drugged unconscious men, complaint says. "Court records reveal disturbing details about how Buck allegedly targeted and assaulted homeless men struggling with addiction."

Disgraced Republican Aaron Schock showed up to West Hollywood gay bar and got an earful from an outspoken drag queen...

...oh, and he's officially off the hook from charges he defrauded the government.

Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus office in Oakland vandalised with the phrase “Die Fags Die”.

Do you know this trans woman murdered by serial killer Samuel Little in the 1970s?

Florida

Man arrested after beating and dragging an LGBT individual behind his car in an assault so graphic police won’t release the video.

Oklahoma

This is 23-year-old Sean Cormie. He was held down and punched by church congregants trying to "pray away" his homosexuality.

Kansas

Arsonist burns family’s LGBT Pride flag as they sleep inside home.

Louisiana

Gay radio host Seth Dunlap plans lawsuit over station’s "fag" tweet.

Texas

Sending unsolicited nudes now illegal in the state. “It makes electronic transmission of sexually explicit material a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 if the person who received it hasn’t given consent.”

Florida

Pulse survivors host Orlando march celebrating alleged "freedom" from homosexuality.

Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf delivers sobering account of Florida mass shooting to Congress while urging for gun reform.

San Francisco

America's lost street kids: the scapegoating of troubled youths.

Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg says LGBT media attacks him for being "wrong kind of gay".

tRump

Trump spews incoherent defense after damning "transcript" reveals he abused power of the Presidency.

On days when Trump tweets a lot, the stock market falls.

The cousin of Trump’s gay mentor gives a damning indictment of the president. "Roy Cohn was a mentor of Donald Trump, a lawyer, and was also a gay man who died at the age of 49 from AIDS-related complications in 1986."

US news networks have stopped talking about LGBT issues under Trump.

Trump, referencing his wife Melania and their son: "She’s got a son."

Trump blames energy-saving light bulbs for his orange skin.

Ben Carson warns of "big, hairy men" trying to infiltrate women’s homeless shelters in transphobic remarks to staff.

How Trump's attack on LGBT rights is escalating. "The Trump justice department is pushing to make it legal to fire people for being gay or transgender."

One Million Moms

The secretive antigay group that can't stop failing.

Milo Yiannopoulos

Vile troll cries poverty and "threatens" to retire from social media.

White wash

Downsizing the black middle class. "Government jobs helped thousands of Black families move into the middle class. Now, increasing calls for government privatization are pushing them back out."

Watch

Totally devastating Sandy Hook Promise PSA.

The mad rush to bulletproof schools. "Aggression sensors. Classroom barricades. How architects are transforming schools for the era of mass shootings."

News

The hidden epidemic of abuse, overdose, and death caused by the sex drug G. "In the first part of a major investigation by BuzzFeed News and Channel 4’s Dispatches, we reveal the hidden epidemic of sexual violence, drugging, and deaths caused by the drug G."

Pensioner fined £750 after hosting sex party where a man overdosed and died after taking G.

Gerald Matovu

Serial killer Stephen Port's drug dealer jailed for actor Eric Michels' murder.

Manchester

Police seek three men in connection with the rape of a 28-year-old man in the Gay Village.

Birmingham

School row: "This is made out to be just Muslims v gays. It’s not". "As the new term starts, and a court case looms, teachers, parents and demonstrators at Birmingham’s Anderton Park primary tell their side of the story."

Leicester

Man jailed for blackmail after threatening to leak nude photos of men he met on Grindr.

Asylum

Interviews with asylum seekers reveal why the Home Office rejects so many LGBT claims.

Brexit

Brexit could lead to a shortage of HIV-preventing PrEP drugs, experts warn.

Political commentator Brendan O'Neill, who said "there should be" Brexit riots, spent years demonising trans people.

Wally

Top Tory says Ben Wallace says only female soldiers can wear make-up.

Shocking

Gay man given electro shock therapy at Queen’s University Belfast in the 1960s to "cure" him of sexuality.

Birmingham

GoFundMe takes down fundraising page launched by campaigners against LGBT-inclusive education.

Interview

Talking to Anthony Ekundayo Lennon about being accused of "passing" as a black man. "All his life, people have assumed the theatre director is mixed race – and he was happy to embrace that identity. Then he was accused of faking it."

Scotland

Gay bakers sent hate-filled homophobic letter.

Wales

Google bans cafe’s advert for traditional faggots after deeming it "inappropriate and offensive".

Mumsnet

Mumsnet users don’t like the NHS LGBT rainbow badges.

Chester

Gay couple kiss in front of hateful street preachers.

Norton Malreward

Gay couple receive anonymous letter telling them the "consensus of the village" is that they should take their wedding elsewhere.

Buggery

Home Office failing to erase gay men's unfair convictions. "Scheme introduced in 2012 has wiped fewer than 200 historical offences from criminal records."

London

Westminster council accused of double standards over Pride charges. "Figures reveal organisers charged more than £150,000 in three years because it is not classed as a political march."

Homophobic hate crime reports soar but charges fall.

Meet the angels keeping London’s gay nightlife scene safe. "Run by the LGBT Foundation and Westminster City Council, Soho Angels volunteers help people to party and get home safely."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan gives his full, complete backing to LGBT-inclusive education in schools.

This is 15-year-old Perry Jordan Brammer, the latest victim of knife crime in London's capital.

How Camden Lock became a flashpoint for knife gang killings. "The area is at the heart of a brutal battle which has left vulnerable teenagers dead and whole communities in fear."

Can London's first black housing co-op survive the latest threat? "In the mid-90s, residents of Nubia Way defied racist attacks to become Europe’s largest black-led self-build scheme – but austerity has brought new danger."

Inside the colossal super-sewer being built under London. "We descended 60 metres below ground to see the vast new sewer system that will to transport Londoners' bowel movements for decades to come."

Balfron 2.0

How Goldfinger's utopian tower became luxury flats. "The selloff of Erno Goldfinger’s landmark building in Poplar is a central element of a new plan to transform London’s East End."

Boris Johnson

Extraordinary clip

Dad of sick child: "The NHS is being destroyed, and now you come here for a press opportunity."

Boris Johnson: "Actually there's no press here."

Dad: [Gestures to TV cameras] "Who are these people?"
pic.twitter.com/LIv4Ej2Dgm
— Matthew Champion (@matthewchampion) September 18, 2019

Repulsive homophobe and racist Boris Johnson held to account by the father of a sick child over the Conservative's destruction of the NHS.

World

News

Australia

Oil rig worker sues boss for sending nudes and saying he’ll "turn him gay".

Belarus

Filmmaker Nikolai Kuprich hospitalised after brutal anti-gay attack.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Thousands take part in first LGBT Pride in Sarajevo amid threats from far right extremists.

Brazil

Country's largest newspaper publishes massive Avengers gay kiss in defiance of Rio mayor.

Prosecutor orders five indictments over gay councilwoman Marielle Franco assassination.

A journey through Bolsonaro's Amazon inferno. "A 2,000km road and river odyssey in Brazil reveals consensus from all sides: Bolsonaro has ushered in a new age of wrecking."

Canada

Edmonton queer gym closes its doors over safety concerns after far-right threats.

Central African Republic

Two boys in need of a home, two parents mourning lost children. "Two children who walked into a village in the north-west of the Central African Republic earlier this year, after a long trek through forest and savannah, are symbolic of a growing problem: after years of civil war, thousands of children in the country have been orphaned. Could recruiting large numbers of foster parents be the answer?"

Chechnya

This is 27-year-old Amin Dzhabrailov. He has opened up about being arrested and tortured for being gay.

France

The filth and the fury: how Paris reacted to being labelled "the dirty man of Europe". "The Observer’s report on the French capital hit a nerve in the press and on social media – especially as an election looms.".

India

Teen boy rescued after being kidnapped by gang he met on Grindr.

Indonesia

New penal code criminalising consensual sex outside marriage is introduced.

Ireland

Gang attack Dublin man with steel bars for kissing his boyfriend goodbye outside his own flat.

Italy

Lovers of Modena skeletons holding hands were both men.

Madagascar

Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze. "Demand for ‘healing’ crystals is soaring – but many are mined in deadly conditions in one of the world’s poorest countries. And there is little evidence that this billion-dollar industry is cleaning up its act."

Rwanda

Rwandan gospel singer Albert Nabonibo, who came out as gay, says reaction has been "horrible".

Russia

Man "confesses" to murder of LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva – but her loved ones aren’t convinced.

Serbia

Far-right extremists fail to crash LGBT Pride parade attended by gay PM Ana Brnabic...

...And Xavier Bettel, the gay prime minister of Luxembourg, was pictured with Brnabic in this image of gay power; they met ahead of a state visit to discuss Serbia’s proposed accession to the EU.

Gay man left fearing for his life after carrying icon of the Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo.

Thailand

Tricked into slavery in the Thai fishing industry. "A survivor’s graphic memoir and a feature film reveal horrific exploitation and violence on the high seas – and the shame of the world’s complicity."

Did the heir to the Red Bull empire get away with murder? "In 2012, a member of one of Asia’s richest families killed a Bangkok police officer in a hit and run. Seven years later, he’s still free."

Ukraine

Photographer rescues boy from gang of violent anti-gay thugs in disturbing video.

Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe, former president, is dead. He was 95. "Final years in power were characterised by financial collapse, violent intimidation and vicious power struggle."

Robert Mugabe: obituary.

Zimbabwe's intellectual despot: how Mugabe became Africa's fallen angel. "A complex character who ruthlessly pursued his goals, Mugabe leaves a mixed legacy: an independence leader who built his country up, then helped destroy it."

I met Robert Mugabe in the late 1970s. What he told me still haunts me. "The Zimbabwean rebel leader wanted to be a different kind of African president. He was — just not the way I thought he meant."

Ghetto

Romance

Pumped

People are having more sex in gyms than you'd think. "After a Virgin Active health club emailed its members saying it would be sending in undercover police to check for "inappropriate behaviour", we spoke to some men about cruising in health clubs."

Demisexual

No lust at first sight: why thousands are now identifying as demisexual. "For those who are not asexual but not celibate either, the new label is helping to define their love lives."

Medicine

Ball

HIV

Boffins discover rare gene that gives people immunity to HIV.

HIV can be cured in mice.

This is what not to say to somebody who is HIV-positive.

A 100-year-old man living with HIV shares his secret to a long and happy life.

Watch

Panti Bliss heads to the HIV Garage for a regular service.

Healthy inside

Five ways to maintain healthy bowels. "Diet is crucial, but don’t forget to exercise, reduce your stress levels – and go when you need to go."

Pandemic

The next global pandemic could kill millions of us. Experts say we’re really not prepared. "We’ve got a bad habit of paying attention to pandemics only when it’s too late."

The five airborne pollutants in our bodies. "Fine particulate matter in polluted air enters the body via the lungs and affects our health in a variety of ways."

Face masc

Men are going wild for "masculinisation" fillers. "Non-surgical treatments to sculpt the face and jawline have never been more popular."

Face off

People are getting surgery to cure resting bitch face.

Under the dome

The mind, explained. "A guide to help you better understand your brain."

Are brain implants the future of thinking? "Brain-computer interface technology is moving fast and Silicon Valley is moving in. Will we all soon be typing with our minds?"

Left-handed DNA found...

...and it changes brain structure. "Scientists have found the first genetic instructions hardwired into human DNA that are linked to being left-handed."

Stress

Six ways to stay healthy when you're stressed. "Keeping on top of your mental health in today’s taxing world can be tough. But a few changes can help lift the burden."

Disquiet

Men deserve mental health media that isn't patronising. "Disquiet, a publication primarily focused around mental health, is crowdfunding to release a vital, candid collection of stories."

Planet

Earth

Oceans

This is exactly what will happen after the last fish in the ocean dies. "The devastation of the vast majority of the world's marine life is much closer than we think."

Plastic

It's dead. Here's what to replace it with.

The White

Heat of This Revolution

Pics

The war on (unwanted) dick pics has begun. "A web developer asked men to send her pictures of their genitals in order to build a filter that ‘recognises’ a penis and blurs it. Which raises the question: why haven’t tech companies taken this on yet?"

Protect yourself

How to erase your personal information from the internet (it’s not impossible!) "Your shopping habits, your family members’ names, even your salary is out there for anyone to see. But you can take back control."

Don’t want to read privacy policies? This AI tool will do it for you. "If you take a minute to teach this AI, it’ll teach you something in turn."

Peaked

Have we hit peak “tech” company? "It might not be as good a time to call yourself a tech company as it used to."

Bias

Social media is the perfect petri dish for bias. The solution is for tech companies to slow us down.

Branded

"Lesbians", "bisexuals" and "same-sex marriages" are being blacklisted as unsafe for advertisers.

Facebook

Facebook has made more than $500,000 promoting anti-LGBT hate groups since 2018.

Facebook and YouTube will keep letting politicians say what they want if it’s “newsworthy”. "Some social media companies have had a newsworthiness exemption for years, but they clarified this week that most political content is 'news.'"

Twitter

Graham Norton worries that Twitter is "destroying" young gay guys.

How to survive a Twitter storm.

TikTok

TikTok's local moderation guidelines ban pro-LGBT content. "Chinese-owned social media app bans such content even in countries where homosexuality has never been illegal."

Twitch

The amazing rise of Twitch. "How did a site that live streams people playing video games in their bedrooms become as big as YouTube?"

Amazon

The buried cost of Amazon’s next-day delivery. "Deaths and devastating injuries. A litany of labor violations. Drivers forced to urinate in their vans. Here is how Amazon’s gigantic, decentralized, next-day delivery network brought chaos, exploitation, and danger to communities across America."

More of the products you view on Amazon are coming from ads. "One out of 10 products pages you visit on Amazon comes from sponsored content, a 3 percentage point jump up from last year."

Etsy

Was Etsy too good to be true? "The people who built Etsy dreamed of remaking commerce with their bare hands. Fifteen years later, its sellers are being asked to compete with Amazon."

Uber

Uber wants to redeem itself. Does the public even care? "The ride-hailing company has reportedly spent half a billion dollars on 'image repair' campaigns."

Bugs

Your smart devices listening to you, explained. "Humans are listening to your conversations, but that’s not the same as spying."

Watch

Old gays try Grindr.

Watch

When a giant monster neodymium magnet collides with 1,000 tiny neodymium magnets.

Arena

Naked

Who’s naked and LGBT in ESPN’s latest Body Issue? "For 11 years, ESPN’s Body Issue has showcased athletes the network has dubbed the world’s greatest. And some of the world’s gayest, too."

Rugby

Rugby legend Gareth Thomas comes out as HIV-positive after blackmail threat.

Fired homophobic rugby star Israel Folau, who said hell awaits gay people, just got picked up by a new team.

Confusion reigns over Folau's return to rugby league. "At the nub of the issue is whether RLIF has veto power over Tonga’s selection of Folau."

UFC

Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens exchange anti-gay slurs in hotel lobby.

Boxing

Anthony Joshua says he’ll fight in Saudi Arabia despite death penalty for homosexuality, abysmal human rights record.

Football

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees appears in a new video for anti-LGBT group Focus on the Family.

Ryan Russell says being out will make him a better player.

How black quarterbacks defied a racist past to become the NFL's future. "As the NFL celebrates its centennial season, a rising vanguard of African American quarterbacks is shattering stereotypes at a position once considered off-limits to black players."

Soccer

Why homophobic incidents are scarring French football. "A standoff between ultras and authorities forms the backdrop to banners and chants that have brought games to a halt."

Big

The extreme lifestyle of a strongman. "Mikey Lane eats 8,500 calories a day and trains five days a week in his bid to become one of the strongest men in the world."

Wrestling

Out pro wrestler Anthony Bowens is out of the hospital.

Track

A shattering sexual assault led a gay athlete to confront his identity and seize control of his life. "After coming out as gay, Jonathan Vriesema is now dedicated to promote inclusiveness of LGBT people in athletics."

A coach and a sport helped a college runner come out as gay. "Jacob Grinwis fell in love with running and came out. He didn’t let homophobic comments stop him from attending his dream school, Boise State."

Volleyball

They’re gay, married and coach volleyball together on the same college team. "Coleman Lee and Garrett Case have found each other and their dream job coaching college volleyball in Missouri as an out, gay married couple."

Tennis

For this gay tennis player, reconciling his faith was a spur for him to come out. "College freshman Colby Grey grew up hearing his church condemn gay people, but he realized they were twisting the Bible and he stayed true to himself."

Art

Skool

Ban Marvel's gay kiss?

You might as well ban the Sistine Chapel. "The mayor of Rio de Janeiro’s attempts to censor an Avengers comic isn’t just bigoted. It ignores the fact that Christian artists pioneered same-sex snogging."

Joel Meyerowitz

Nine portraits from a pre-internet, more eccentric age of Provincetown. "Joel Meyerowitz's photos of Provincetown denizens from decades past are as captivating as the town itself.".

Berlin

My Gay Eye, Special Edition: Berlin Gay Metropolis, 1989 — 2019, in pictures.

Character

"Fancy gay art magazine" Character treats us to the work of sixteen gay artists.

Organise to resist

The radical posters of the Paddington Printshop. Operating from an old factory in north-west London, John Phillips and the Paddington Printshop revolutionised the promotion of squatters’ rights and housing campaigns throughout the 1970s and 80s."

Politics

This drawing explains a surprising amount about your political views. "The link between modern art and modern politics."

Bad times

Looking back on the Great Depression via art. "In a powerful new exhibition, photography and folk art are used to provide potentially relevant lessons on how to deal with economic hardship."

Japan

Ten of the best art museums in Japan. "Brilliant gardens and buildings, coupled with great art make these spectacular – and affordable – museums an absorbing visit."

List

The best architecture of the 21st century. "A flying roof, a bamboo airport, a marooned galleon and a park in the sky."

Word!

Edmund White

Edmund White to receive honorary National Book Award.

The Water Dancer

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a great writer. His new book The Water Dancer is not a great novel. "Coates’s debut novel has exquisite sentences and ideas, but the rest is a mess."

Felipe Neto

Brazilian YouTuber Felipe Neto gives away 14,000 LGBT books, after attempt to censor them.

Our stories

The migrant in the mirror. "In recent novels, Ocean Vuong and Nicole Dennis-Benn tell stories in which young queer characters affected by migration and displacement are worthy of seeing themselves reflected in others."

Reviews

Ziggy, Stardust and Me, by James Brandon. "Jonathan Collins, the hero of Ziggy, Stardust and Me, takes risks he never imagined possible, and encourages the reader to do the same. When violence erupts, when compassion is needed, Jonathan surprises the reader and himself. His example will inspire readers of any age."

Lord of the Senses (Stories), by Vikram Kolmannskog. "The collection and characters will have readers shocked, moved, smiling, enthralled, perplexed, gutted, intrigued, empathetic—but overall captivated by their stories and perspectives."

The History of Living Forever, by Jake Wolff. "Perhaps what’s most impressive about the novel is that most of the time it is able to address... lofty issues without losing its ability to entertain."

Going Dutch, by James Gregor. "A hilarious and relatable story that shows great promise for Gregor as a novelist."

Interview

Talking to Norwegian-Indian writer Vikram Kolmannskog about writing self, place and queerness.

Interview

Talking to David Ambrose Jackson. "Set in Philadelphia in the 1980s, State of the Nation explores how the bodies of young gay black men are pursued in a racist world, and the fierce, funny sense they make of that horrific pursuit."

List

The one hundred best books of the 21st century. "Dazzling debut novels, searing polemics, the history of humanity and trailblazing memoirs."

Out of print

The cult books that lost their cool. "From the self-indulgent to the tiresomely macho, Hephzibah Anderson chooses her picks of previously hip books that have not aged well."

Why do we love novelisations? "As a child in the lost age before video on demand, these screen-to-book stories drew me further into sci-fi – as well as many authors working today."

Escape

Top ten escapes in books. "Breaking free from confinement has been a driving theme for authors as diverse as Jane Austen, Henri Charrière and Geoffrey Household."

Writing

The three words that almost ruined me as a writer: "show, don’t tell".

Fan fiction

McDreamy, McSteamy, and McConnell. "Congressional fan fiction is real, it’s glorious, and it might be reshaping our political world."

Media

When American media was (briefly) diverse. "An economic downturn in 2008 shuttered numerous publications and further marginalized people of color in an already minimally integrated industry. But in the 90’s and early-aughts, multicultural publications flourished, providing an alternative model for journalism that bears remembering."

'zine

Sonic, Street Fighter and the "golden age" of gaming magazines. "Retro gaming is enjoying a surge in popularity with Nintendo, Sega and Sony all releasing mini versions of classic 1990s machines. The decade also spawned a boom for console magazines desperate to win the publishing war for pocket-money pounds."

On the rag

The month in gay mags. Week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4.

Shouting

At Night

From Beijing to Hampstead

How a tale of a HIV whistleblower rattled the Chinese state. "Officials pile pressure on family of crusading doctor whose exposure of a 1990s cover-up is now hitting the stage."

At It - And The Don't Care Who Knows!

Boys In The Band's Andrew Rannells and Tuc Watkins go public.

Oluwaseyi Omooba

Homophobic actress dropped from The Color Purple sues for religious discrimination.

List

The fifty best theatre shows of the 21st century. "A hip-hop history lesson, a dizzy Dahl musical and a continent-hopping barbershop."

Reviews

Torch Song. Pioneering gay drama still packs a punch. "Matthew Needham stars with tremulous assurance as the witty, sharp-tongued drag queen of Harvey Fierstein’s 70s drama."

My Beautiful Laundrette. An iconic movie cleverly reimagined. "Adapted from Hanif Kureishi’s 1985 film, this production retains its 80s ethos while speaking to today’s world with the racial and gender politics heightened."

Kathy Griffin

Comedian shares list of words that "offend the young gays" she promises to never say again.

Dave Chappelle

He once tore down the establishment. Now he represents it. "Being mad you can't use antigay slurs isn't an edgy (or funny) take, Dave."

Daphne Dorman

Daphne Dorman, the trans woman Dave Chappelle claimed he tested his transphobic material on, dies by suicide.

Interview

Talking to Julian Clary. "The comedian has spent more than 30 years outraging and educating straight audiences. He recalls his early fame, the infamous Norman Lamont gag – and his brief stab at heterosexuality."

Film

Skool

Kevin Spacey

Massage therapist who accused Spacey of sexual assault dies after trial terms are set.

John Wayne

Is it time to rename John Wayne airport? "The actor had secured a firm spot in American history until a controversial interview surfaced revealing his troubling views."

Watch

How these rocks became a Western movie cliché. "That stereotypical Western backdrop isn’t typical of the West."

Film... forever?

Cahiers du Post-Cinéma. "The movie theater was once a kind of lay church, with festivals like TIFF serving as annual religious holidays — until new houses of worship opened online."

Interview

Talking to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. "Nigerian actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was 'farmed out' to foster parents in 1970s Essex to improve his prospects. It did not go well, as he shows in his directing debut, Farming."

Scarborough

Actor defends film’s depiction of teacher’s affair with schoolboy. "Jodhi May says Scarborough, in which her character has a romance with a 16-year-old boy (played by Jordan Bolger), is supposed to be uncomfortable to watch."

Dare

Gay short film Dare is back for a sequel fifteen years later — with the same cast.

Judy Garland

Over-40 actors are still fighting the ageism that stymied Judy Garland. "Renée Zellweger’s Garland biopic is a powerful reminder of the attitudes that infect youth-obsessed Hollywood."

Is Hollywood still in love with the suffering gay icon? "A new biopic sees Renée Zellweger star as Judy Garland, an actor who revolutionised LGBT fandom."

Judy

In Judy, Renée Zellweger shines as Judy Garland. But the movie trades real tragedy for a Hollywood ending. "Judy faces Judy Garland’s tragedy head on — and then takes the easy way out."

Horror stories

IT's gay bashing scene serves no purpose except as porn for homophobes. "The gratuitous opening scene unnecessarily traumatises queer viewers already familiar with a constant threat of violence."

How we made A Nightmare on Elm Street. "The character has never left me. If I’m stuck in traffic in LA, I’ll do the Freddy voice and shout: 'Get out of my way!'"

Why this creepy melody is in so many movies. "This 13th-century song shows up everywhere."

Basic instinct

’90s erotic thrillers and the satisfaction of watching women burn the world. "These femmes fatales loved sex, put their desires first, and embodied men’s worst fears."

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at 50

Their charm lives on. "The 1969 western paired Paul Newman and Robert Redford to magical effect and remains one of the most undeniably entertaining westerns to date.".

Reviews

The Shiny Shrimps. A belly flop of a comedy. "A homophobic swimming coach has to mend his ways in a French film let down by crude caricature and leaden plotting."

The Last Tree. Tender tale of an uprooted childhood. "The story of a British-Nigerian boy growing up in rural Lincolnshire and inner-city London is told with compassion in Shola Amoo’s profoundly moving drama."

Scarborough. A naive morality tale about teacher-pupil affairs. "Barnaby Southcombe’s contrived film fails to humanise the illicit relationships between two students and their teachers."

Sprinter. Speedy sporting drama runs out of puff. "A Jamaican athlete’s career is jeopardised by problems off the track in this heartwarming tale of ambition and family ties."

Midsommar: Director’s Cut. Extended folk-horror tale is a survivor. "The flaws in this longer version of Ari Aster’s bucolic horror-comedy underline the strengths of the audacious original."

Is James Franco's starry Zeroville the worst film of 2019? "The actor-writer-director’s adaptation of Steve Erickson’s 2007 book on 70s Hollywood is a film of staggering incompetence."

Rambo: Last Blood. Stallone storms Mexico in a laughable Trumpian fantasy. "The grizzled warrior dusts off his crossbow to take revenge on sex traffickers in a creaking, cringeworthy fifth instalment."

Midnight Cowboy. A still potent stew of 60s sleaze. "Fifty years on, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman’s squabbling amid the squalor of low-rent New York remains a heartbreaking triumph."

The Third Man. Torn between heaven and hell, a classic noir. "Blustering, conceited, charming – Orson Welles is still spellbinding in Carol Reed’s compelling parable of guilt, now rereleased 70 years on."

Watch

John Waters' closet picks. Plus: trailers for Men of Hard Skin; The Third; and Gerontophilia.

The

Box

SNL

SNL hire Shane Gillis fired over racist, homophobic podcasts.

Twitter has absolutely no time for homophobic Shane Gillis’ response to being fired from SNL.

Joel Kim Booster

Gay comedian obliterates Dave Chappelle over jokes about trans people in Netflix special...

...And he's developing Trip, a gay Fire Island comedy series inspired by Pride and Prejudice.

Washout

Former Grey’s Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington says he’s leaving Democratic party after getting support from Trump.

Songs of Praise

BBC receives more than 1,200 complaints over Songs of Praise same-sex wedding.

Queer Eye

Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness comes out as HIV Positive.

Karamo Brown returns to social media, says he was threatened after Sean Spicer remarks.

Karamo Brown felt "betrayed" by his son's coming out — and then he evolved.

Drag Race

RuPaul claims his comments on trans people were taken "so out of context".

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK introduces its Pit Crew, er, "Brit Crew".

Interview

Talking to Graham Norton and Alan Carr about desire, camp and "cancel culture".

Amazing Race

Married two-spirit couple Anthony Johnson and James Makokis wins The Amazing Race Canada.

Gladiators

How Gladiators went from Saturday night fight club to eating mat. "With John Fashanu and several Gladiators departing, the show lost its grip on the nation’s heart."

Netflix

Blockbuster laughed at us... Now there's one left. "Marc Randolph launched the streaming service that would revolutionize TV and film, upend Hollywood and draw more than 150 million subscribers."

Has Netflix killed off the cliffhanger? "We used to agonise for weeks, months, even years over a sensational TV ending. Now, cliffhangers are a dying art – and we only have ourselves to blame."

Turkey

How Turkish TV is taking over the world. "Shows such as Magnificent Century have come to rival US TV for international popularity, sweeping through the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. What explains their global success?"

Pose

Billy Porter is Emmys' first gay black man to win for lead drama. "Porter quoted James Baldwin when he made history by winning the award for Best Actor in a Drama Series."

The Politician

Netflix’s The Politician is a mess. But it may be a deeply meaningful one. "The new comedy-drama marks Ryan Murphy’s Netflix debut and may be the Rosetta Stone we need for his work."

Is The Politician the most annoying TV show of 2019? "Ryan Murphy’s first show in his $300m Netflix deal is overstuffed with irritating excess from a grating Ben Platt performance to a wildly lurching tone."

Being queer is no scandal in The Politician, and that feels revolutionary. "Sexuality is no big deal for Ryan Murphy's cut-throat high school politicos — rather, being dishonest about it is the real transgression."

The Politician is an election for the social justice era. "Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix show is wildly addictive and surprisingly prescient."

The West Wing is 20 years old

Too many Democrats still think it’s a great model for politics. "On the classic White House drama, the best speech always won. That’s not how it works in reality."

ER at 25

A matter of life, death – and George Clooney. "In 1994, the doctors and nurses crashed through the doors of County General to save patient after bloody patient – and save the world from all the tedious TV that came before!" [Chicago Hope was better - Ed]

Lost

Still groundbreaking TV. "It might be the most significant show of the 21st century."

Babylon 5

How Babylon 5 went from space opera to space junk. "After almost being cancelled, the sci-fi show with heart and brains became a shadow of its former self."

Empire

Disgraced Jussie Smollett’s send-off was an imperfect – and quick – moment. "Shows have struggled with ‘cancelling’ their fallen stars; the Fox show marked the departure with a small throwaway line."

Special

Netflix star Ryan O’Connell says being gay is more accepted and understood than being disabled.

Soap

The fifteen most incredible soap storylines of all time. "It’s been suggested that soaps are in crisis because their ratings-chasing storylines have become too ridiculous. But it’s the unbelievable plot twists that we watch them for."

EastEnders

The women making EastEnders great again. "From drugs, affairs and vengeance to Bianca and Kat’s wild night out, gutsy women – on and off screen – are bringing the soap back to its glory days."

Emmerdale

Sacked soap star Asan N’Jie used homophobic slur in unearthed tweets.

Designing Women

Designing Women is on Hulu, but has it aged as well as The Golden Girls?

Seinfeld

Why Seinfeld is coming to Netflix. "Friends and The Office are leaving. Jerry and crew are coming. And streaming prices keep going up."

Friends is 25 years old

It’s still extremely popular — and polarising. "Was Friends homophobic and way too white? Yes. But arguing about the show is healthy."

Friends was a great show [if you happen to be a moron - Ed] — that just happened to ruin TV comedy. "The sitcom’s lucrative run led to copycat after copycat after copycat — even long after it had left the air."

List

The one hundred best TV shows of the 21st century.

TV writers on their best shows since 2000. "From Sharon Horgan and Sally Wainwright to Armando Iannucci and Julian Fellowes, the creators whose shows feature in our top 100 pick their favourite TV of the century."

Watch

A cinematic trailer for Doctor Who's Season 23 blu-ray release; and the return of Ace for the announcement of the season 26 set. Plus: the making of Daleks Invasion Earth 2150AD; and Josh Snares discusses his recreation of a lost episode...

Terrance Dicks

Terrance Dicks, the much-loved Doctor Who script editor and author, is dead. He was 84.

Terrance Dicks: obituary.

Beats, Rhymes

& Life

Bottom of the charts

Fans of country music and showtunes are more likely to be bottoms, study finds.

Ricky Garcia

Former boy band member and Disney star Ricky Garcia claims his manager raped him on "almost weekly basis".

Lil Nas X

Artist says he used to pray he would become straight.

"Comedian" Kevin Hart blasted for pretending to not understand homophobia after Lil Nas X described what he experienced growing up.

OFB

UK drill rappers OFB: "No one helps us round here. Music is the only way". "One of the collective is the son of Mark Duggan, whose death sparked the 2011 London riots. But the drill trio OFB are trying to move the genre beyond the violence for which it has been demonised."

Hair

Keiynan Lonsdale gets a new 'do.

Sinéad O’Connor

Sinéad O’Connor wears rainbow top with traditional hijab on Good Morning Britain.

Ric Ocasek

Ric Ocasek, lead singer of the ’80s band The Cars, found dead in his Manhattan townhouse.

Ric Ocasek: obituary.

Ric Ocasek: Cars frontman who drove new wave into the mainstream.

Sam Smith

Professional attention seeker Sam Smith now expects to be referred to as they/them.

Bowie's gnome and Dr Dre's hospital: musicians' embarrassing early songs. "Pop duo Tegan and Sara have re-recorded their high school songs – and they’re not the only songwriters to have started young."

The Beatles

The singles – ranked!

Meat

Market

Pirates

Porn doesn't suffer from a "piracy problem", it actively relies upon it. "Free sites like PornHub and YouPorn depend entirely on content stolen from performers and sex workers. But can anything be done about it?"

Galleries

Folsom Street Fair, in pictures.

Provincetown White Party, in pictures.

Labor Day Pool Party, in pictures.

Watch

Gazi Kodzo talks to Khi Lavene.

A Summers day

Ashton Summers and Hayden Lee do it.

Ashton Summers and Alex Riley do it.

Hands free

Johnny Hands and Pheonix Fellington do it.

Pheonix rises

Dillon Diaz and Pheonix Fellington do it.

No Payne go gain

Devin Franco, Steven Lee and Dakota Payne do it.

Arch Deacon

Deacon and Riley do it.

Alexander the great

Vincent O’Reilly and Dario Alexander do it.

Marc for life

Marc Ruffalo and Oliver Coogan do it.

Super Mario

Blake Mitchell is An American In Prague - with Mario Texeira, Yannis Paluan, Sven Basquiat, Andrei Karenin and Eluan Jeunet.

Kris offerin'

Kris Evans and Helmut Huxley do it.

Kris Evans flaunts it.

Kogan's run

Hoyt Kogan and Zac DeHaan do it.

Hoyt Kogan and Benoit Ulliel do it.

Kael smoothie

Kian O’Connor and Jon Kael do it.

Jack in the box

Jack Harrer And Joel Birkin do it.

Finding Nemec

Florian Nemec and Miguel Estevez do it.

Riff on it

Nate Donaghy, Riff Dornan and Tom Rogers do it.

The King and I

RJ Dumont And Judas King do it.

Youth of today

Bryce Beckett and Travis Youth do it.

Channing Rodd and Jayden Marcos do it.

Winwin for everyone

Arad Winwin, Edji Da Silva and Benjamin Gomez do it.

The Price is right

Roman Todd, Princeton Price and Chris Blades do it.

Rag Trade

Aussiebum

Slammed for "liking" several disgusting Trump tweets, Aussiebum claims it was hacked.

Suits

How the power suit lost its power. "The suit was once the uniform of the powerful and a requirement for every man. Now, people mostly wear suits when they’re in trouble."

Hell's

Kitchen

Half-baked

Chefs on their most hated ingredients. "From ‘horrible’ coconut to ‘stomach-turning’ turbot, top chefs reveal the foods they can’t stand."

Canned applause

Why tinned food isn’t just for Brexit. "From the expensive delights of Spanish anchovies to Jamaica’s humbler ackee or callaloo, some things actually taste all the better for coming in a can."

Zoo

Zoos

Have zoos had their day? "The architecture of zoos has come a long way from its barbaric beginnings. But, says our critic, not even mirrored pods and sci-fi islands can shake the feeling that these are relics from a bygone age."

People v mosquitos

What to do about our biggest killer. "These tiny pests adapt so successfully to changing conditions that they have become humankind’s deadliest predator. We might soon be able to eradicate them – but should we?"

Urban wildlife

How cities reshape the evolutionary path of urban wildlife. "If researchers can figure out how pigeons and rats evolve to thrive in hostile city habitats, it could help other beasts—including us—adapt to climate change."

Gallery

The month in wildlife, in pictures: week 1, week 2, and week 3.

Planes,

Trains & Automobiles

Down below

London's abandoned underground, in pictures. "London has been shaped by its railways, ever since the Metropolitan opened as the world’s first underground line in 1863. As the network grew, old stations, tunnels, entrances, passageways and shafts were left behind."

Up above

What really brought down the Boeing 737 Max? "Malfunctions caused two deadly crashes. But an industry that puts unprepared pilots in the cockpit is just as guilty."

This new airplane model will know when you’ve unbuckled your seatbelt. "It’ll also let you know how long the bathroom line is."

A brief history of airline worker strikes. "For an industry that relies on a specialised workforce, labour strikes can completely halt an airline’s operations."

At sea

Ship of horrors: life and death on the lawless high seas. "From bullying and sexual assault to squalid living conditions and forced labour, working at sea can be a grim business – and one deep-sea fishing fleet is particularly notorious."

And

This:

Yee-haw!

Black America saddles up to own its cowboy heritage. "African American artists are taking wild west style from the fringes to the cultural mainstream."

Vloglife

Andrew is rough, raw - and uncut. Plus: D'Angelo becomes an e-boy; Walter discusses Gazi Kodzo's interview with porn star Khi LaVene; and get to know sizzling couple ZednRay.

Life's A

Goddamn

Laugh Riot

Bowen Yang

Six videos showcasing the gay Asian SNL star's comedy.

Watch

Trump addresses the news of his impeachment; Michael on how to handle a breakup; another episode of Steam Room Stories; and Antoni reads thirst tweets.

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