Switzerland’s National Council has approved equal marriage this morning by an overwhelming majority.

The issue will now be put before the Upper House of Swiss Parliament, the Council of States, or potentially be voted on via referendum.

LGBT+ organizations said they were ‘delighted and relieved’ by the approval after campaigning for decades.

The National Council passed fully equal marriage by 132 votes to 52 votes with 13 abstentions. The bill guarantees full equality, including access to sperm donation and parenthood recognition.

Not Confirmed, but Positive:

While Switzerland has offered queer couples civil partnerships since 2007, this doesn’t give same-sex couples the same rights as to if they were married.

“Children of same-sex couples would have the same rights as children of heterosexual couples.

“Finally, it would no longer be necessary to go through absurd, long and expensive adoption procedures until the child has two parents and during which the child is completely without protection when the birth mother dies,” said Salome Zimmermann, president of the Marriage for All committee.

[Related: The UK Moves to Ban Conversion Therapy]

While the new legislation is not yet confirmed, National Councilor and LGBT+ rights campaigner Kathrin Bertschy is positive:

“As parliamentarians, we have a duty to finally recognize the reality of same-sex families and to provide them with legal protection. I am very happy with this positive decision by the National Council and I expect the Council of States to also vote in favor of real equality.”

Do the Swiss support marriage equality?

The Pink Cross commissioned a survey in February this year and found that independent gfs group found 81% support same-sex marriage with 63% saying they strongly support it. Against 18% opposing the idea, and 10% strongly opposing.

Adding to that ost major parties have a majority vote in favour of passing the new bill.

The post Switzerland Council Say “I Do!” to Same-Sex Marriage appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

Last week two more black trans women were brutally murdered, both in the middle of the Black Lives Matter movement and Pride month.

Riah Milton of Liberty Township, Ohio, was lured into a park where three men shot and killed her. According to Advocate:

Kaleb Marshall Tooson, 18, has since been charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Tyree Jeffery Cross, 25, currently has a warrant out for his arrest for Milton’s murder. A third assailant, an unidentified minor, was charged with complicity to aggravated robbery, murder, and tampering with evidence. He is currently being held by police.

A friend of Rhia’s has set-up a GoFundMe page to help pay for her funeral and other arrangements. she wrote: “She was an amazing person who was loved by everyone.”

Rhia’s biological sister is also a trans woman.

Meanwhile, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, was found along the banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

Her legs had been dismembered, and serious injuries sustained to her face and head.

“As thousands take to the streets to proclaim that Black Lives Matter, it is critical we remember that this includes Black trans lives,” Celena Morrison, a Black trans woman who leads the city’s office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, said in a statement.

“Dominique Rem’mie Fells’ life mattered. We are reminded with this, and countless other painful losses — especially within our transgender communities — that there is much left to do until we achieve full equality, respect, and support for us all. The murder of transgender people — especially those of color — is truly an epidemic and a crisis that we cannot afford to allow to persist any further. Let us uplift her memory together.”

“Black transgender women live at the deadly intersection of transphobia, sexism and racism,” Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement, “The police are failing Black transgender people. We must come together to enact meaningful reforms to ensure that transgender people can live their lives as they are without fear of violence in their communities or at the hands of the police.”

He added, “For every headline we see, we know that there are countless incidents of violence that go unreported because Black transgender people are afraid to go to the police. Dominique’s life mattered. Riah’s life mattered. We need to say their names and remember their lives.”

Listen to stand-up comedian, model, and trans activist Arisce Wanzer discuss the importance of fighting for black trans women in these extremely tough times:

#BlackTransLivesMatter 

The post Two More Black Trans Women Were Brutally Murdered Last Week appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

Honestly, we need to start wearing oven mitts to work because it seems like people are constantly spilling hot tea in the name of justice.

Adult film star Tanner Reed has come out swinging against adult content streaming/hosting platform JustForFans, accusing the owner, Dominic Ford, of sexual assault. On Sunday (14th June), Reed posted a lengthy account of his version of events to social media…

In the posts, Reed says that he had been speaking to Ford before an event in California which he was also attending. At the time Reed had found himself in “a difficult position and had a debt that urgently needed paying off”.

Ford “graciously” offered to pay and at the Cali event they met and hooked up. Reed admits he “felt no sense of being taken advantage of, only taken care of”.

Three months later, they met again over an XBIZ event, and it’s this time that Reed alleges Fords pressured him for sex. “He wanted to fuck me, and I told him no, and he continued pressuing me trying to convince me over and over, saying how he wasn’t that big, it would only be the head, just for a second, etc”, he wrote.

Reed continues, “after repeatedly telling him I didn’t want to do anal, he slid the head into me anyway. At that point I stopped fighting and let it happen”.

Later that night Reed alleges that a group of gays headed out bar-hopping, and on his way home he messaged a model he’d been flirting with in the daytime to come over, which is when Ford attitude “completely changed”. (Although some could argue that occurred when began to apply sexual pressure).

Ford apparently caused a tense atmosphere on the way back to the hotel (presumably Ford and Reed were staying in the same one), and sent both young men “extremely upset” messages, scaring the model away due to his position in the industry.

Reed helped Ford set up his JFF table at the event after he was really apologetic the following day. After Ford left, Reed claims he suffered anxiety attacks after what was one of his first visits to a bar after turning 21.

Ford – who appears to have his own JFF account – has posted a number of videos with younger models, although as of this morning (Tues 16th) only one more has come forward to accuse him of mental abuse, and also pressuring him into having sex.

Justin Stone weighed in…

Ima say this. Dominic Ford is a abusive piece of shit, both mentally and psychally, when I lived with him he was always talking down to me because of my disabilities, always would pressure me into having sex and when I wouldn’t anymore he sent me off.

— King Justin Stone (@justinstonexxx) June 15, 2020

Mickey Taylor has also ditched the platform claiming that they are not taking the reporting of racist performers seriously. Taylor – who recently got caught in a heated exchange with JFF on Twitter – claims JFF said he had a “personal vendetta” against the performer, while JFF have denied this saying it is their “responsibility” to check these accusations.

Got more on this story? Contact us: anthony@cocktailsandcocktalk.com

The post Porn Star Tannor Reed Accuses Dominic Ford, Owner of JustForFans, of Sexual Assault appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

This Pride Month our friends over at Mr. Man are counting down the top ten sexiest gay scenes in television history! Whether gay or straight, these actors shed their inhibitions (not to mention their underwear) to bring the most explicit, influential, and iconic gay scenes ever filmed for the small screen. You’ll literally NEVER believe which A-list duo nabbed the number one spot…

10- Brian Jordan Alvarez and Ryan O’Connell in Special

This groundbreaking series about O’Connell’s real-life experiences as a gay man thriving with mild cerebral palsy includes one of the most realistic and awkwardly sexy gay sex scenes ever when he hires a smoking hot escort played by Alvarez.

9- Dyllon Burnside and Billy Porter in Pose

Producer Ryan Murphy assembled one of the most diverse casts in TV history for his 80s ballroom drama Pose. In the show’s most shocking scene, living legend Billy Porter has passionate sex with the openly gay actor Dyllon Burnside! Category is: Anal.

8- Dylan Vox, Josh Collins, and More in Dante’s Cove

No show has reveled in its unabashed smuttiness quite like the supernatural gay series Dante’s Cove. But this show is more than just cheeky… It’s penis-y!

7 – Andrew Rannells and Corey Stoll in Girls

Sure it’s called Girls, but this HBO series was all about the boys when gay actor Andrew Rannells took hilariously strict orders from bossy bottom Corey Stoll.

6 – Jack Falahee and Niko Pepaj in How to Get Away With Murder

No network show has delivered more graphic gay content than ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, and we have the gorgeous star Jack Falahee to thank. Thanks for turning network TV into netWERK TV!

5 – Russell Tovey and Jonathan Groff in Looking

During their wildly hot sex scene, Groff pounds out Tovey until both men explode in sweaty moan-filled ecstasy! It’s so real, you’ll feel like you’re really there bare.

4 – Omid Abtahi and Mousa Kraish in American Gods

This show made headlines when Mousa Kraish, playing a fire-eyed god, topped Omid Abtahi with his huge CGI penis in a gay sex scene lasting over four minutes!

The post Happy Pride! The Top 10 Gay TV Scenes of All Time appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

Last week, a man named Alonzo Jordan, made headlines in the queer media after a photo of his 2019 Pride outfit went viral on Twitter. I use the term “outfit” extremely loosely considering it was nothing more than a hanky and some hope.

Speaking as somebody that frequently attended Pride in an ‘outfit’ skimpier than a Victoria Secret model (although nowhere near as glamorous), the primary reason – consciously or not – for dressing this way, is attention. Whether you’re low-key looking to ‘shock’ people, want men to desire you or straight girls to scream “YAAS!” while wagging their index finger in your face.

You can say that how one’s appearance or how they present themselves is an expression of identity until you’re blue in the face, but that doesn’t change the fact that dressing flamboyantly garners a certain amount of attention from the far tamer masses. Of course, I enjoyed slipping on a pair of hot pants and whatever accessories I was using to try and make it more than just a pair of girl-boxers from La Senza.

I used to do it on weekend nights out, not even Pride, but part of the package of dressing like a slut is that a) everyone can’t help but pay attention – sometimes that was good, and other times it wasn’t, And b) everyone thinks you are one. But I’d have much rather been gagging on validation than an actual dick.

But I digress, during these times I’d never worn anything less than underwear (actual underwear: nothing crotchless, backless or made of mesh) and so indecency wasn’t really a question. We all know that the gay man’s desire for validation has only multiplied over the last decade and thus we have twinks “expressing themselves” by standing on street corner in a jockstrap drinking Tescos own-brand vodka from a plastic cup.

And if they feel fierce, more power to them, but at least try and make it look like an outfit. So personally it’s more an issue of taste levels for me than the nudity, but then again, I don’t take my family to Pride. And the presence of families is a huge critique toward exhibitionists.

But as one commenter on my Instagram wrote: “Being considerate takes nothing away from one’s identity”.

And it’s true: you can wear whatever you want, just don’t put your cock or your hole on show. The fact is that there are families present at Pride and we don’t want to discourage that; the earlier children can learn that being gay is normal and that Pride is – for the most part – happy queer people celebrating in the street, the better.

A number of people have criticized the idea of covering up for the comfort of families, and while it certainly isn’t gay people’s responsibility to tone themselves down to conform to some heterosexual’s fragile feelings, we all know that families aren’t just made up of heterosexual parents. They have just as much right to attend as the outfit sluts.

There are a number of occasions that gay men can dress like a slut; Pride’s after-parties, Halloween, White Party, Black Party, anytime they go on holiday, or any other weekend of the year, but there’s only one day where we can show heterosexual people and young children than being queer is about love, acceptance, and equality.

The post Op-Ed: You Can Still Be the Centre of Attention and Be Considerate appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

We hate to celebrate in people’s misery, unless those people are transphobes, and then we’re ecstatic.

Stacey Dash – who played a lead in Clueless and then stopped working – is getting divorced from her fourth husband. Clearly, the men in her life can’t tolerate her ignorant bullshit either.

You may remember that Dash said trans people should “pee in the bushes” and that Obama was responsible for the massacre at Orlando gay nightclub Pulse. She also thinks Black History Month should be abolished and praising toxic masculinity. Back in 2016, Dash said that she fully supports Trump telling the Guardian “he’s representing the people that I want to represent” while in the same breath stating she wants radical change to a largely Latino and black district in LA.

And she thinks TRUMP Proving she does what she says on the tin… Clueless!

She also claims that because of her political stance, she’s been “blacklisted” from auditions. Isn’t that just devastating?

In the words of Kim Woodburn, “Trash and scum, and I say that with no regret”.

Furthermore, in documents obtained by TMZ, Dash has no property that she can steal from the man, and her earnings are a mere $2500 a month. Which is a substantial drop from when she worked at FOX four years ago.

Dash announced the separation via her Instagram page saying that, “after much prayer” it still hadn’t worked out. Perhaps she should try praying for some human compassion instead.

Dash was arrested last September for reportedly slapping and hitting her husband after his daughter called her a “bitch”. And she was being polite!

The post Queue the Violins: Transphobe Stacey Dash to be Divorced, Blacklisted and Broke appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

It’s Father’s Day today, and like many offspring across the nation, you might have been doing some last-minute searches on Amazon for what to get your father… That designer watch which he’ll never wear ’cause he’s already got one that’s sentimental. Or those hair trimmers he’ll be reluctant to use because his 20-year-old one works “perfectly fine”.

But there’s one thing which isn’t listed on any lifestyle website’s wishlist: forgiveness.

Most of us have some kind of issue with our parents – especially our fathers – no matter how much of a good job they did. Yes, even the ones that sought to protect you and love you, fuck you up to some extent.

I always felt lucky with the dad I was dealt; he was seldom aggressive, never chucked me out for being gay and later, supported me when I suffered from panic attacks and depression. But until a few years ago I was still mad at him for not doing enough. 

It’s almost inherent that at a certain age, we realise that our parents aren’t perfect and our fathers certainly aren’t the invincible superheroes like we’d hoped. But it’s impossible for parents to perfectly raise a child in an ever-changing world solely equipped with an education from decades older than that. And more often than not those dads who stuck around did their best with the knowledge they had at the time.

These men deserve forgiveness for being as closed-minded as the times they were born in, for not fulfilling the father-job criteria in a way which we needed, and for – in one way or another – succumbing to fear. Many of us have niggling grudges that we hold on to, even on a more subconscious level but when it comes to actions of the past, ruminating serves zero purpose apart from damaging your relationships with him, others, and yourself.

Related: An Open Letter to the Mum I Lost Too Soon

Perhaps your father didn’t do a great job, perhaps he didn’t even try, perhaps he cheated on your mother, abused substances, neglected you, got violent: becoming exactly what he wanted to be, a man that you wanted nothing to do with. So you may question: why does my ‘dad’ deserve to be absolved from that? The answer is, he doesn’t. But you do. And that’s the beauty of forgiveness, is that it’s not a one-way gift.

Resentment towards a villain-figure will only make you bitter and form obstacles that prevent you from being happy. While holding a grudge only permits you to hold onto your trauma too. It’s easier said than done, but once you can get your head around the idea that feeling a certain type of way about things you can’t change only leads to unhappiness.

It’s difficult, even on smaller scales, to let go of things that you view as unforgivable, but challenge yourself. You deserve to be happy, so its time to let go of anything which still possesses power over you so that you can move towards your full potential in life and love.

So, for the ones who failed trying, forgive them. And for the ones that didn’t try, forgive him – for yourself.

The post Op-Ed: The Best Gift to Give Your Dad This Father’s Day? Forgiveness. appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

Ding Dong the witch is dead racist! And finally banned from Twitter!

Members of the UK rejoiced this weekend as racist and transphobic wench Katie Hopkins was finally booted off the platform where she spewed hate and abuse to over a million followers.

Hopkins first became known as a contestant on The Apprentice, and she took that unfiltered, ignorant mouth all the way to the bank. Hopkins frequently aired offensive and hurtful speech on topics such as Black Lives Matter, Brexit, Trump, and immigration. She also mocked a day which was dedicated to the trans lives taken each year.

Countdown’s Rachel Riley began a campaign against the internet troll, and had her account frozen in January. While there is no confirmation on what prompted the permanent ban Twitter have said this:

“Keeping Twitter safe is a top priority for us – abuse and hateful conduct have no place on our service and we will continue to take action when our rules are broken. In this case, the account has been permanently suspended for violations of our Hateful Conduct policy.”

Naturally, Twitter were ecstatic:

a lot of shit has happened in 2020 but katie hopkins being blocked from twitter is one of the rare highs

— gabriella (@velvetgh0st) June 20, 2020

Katie Hopkins was the architect of her own demise. Didn't know where the lines of decency were drawn and, despite losing her newspaper column and radio show, still didn't spot the trend and arrogantly pushed on with her hateful agenda. Good riddance. #KTHopkins

— Ｉ, Ｒｏｂａｒｔ (@FromRoy) June 20, 2020

I was debating whether it was too early to have a beer. . . . Browsed through twitter and I am now officially celebrating so im straight to the fridge. Happy Friday everyone! #katiehopkins #twitter pic.twitter.com/bHsR004Me8

— Iain (@iainmassingham) June 19, 2020

katie hopkins on
a bigoted rant at home her kids
now she has no
platform pic.twitter.com/LcebXfravh

— ً (@jxeker) June 19, 2020

The post Transphobe and Racist Katie Hopkins Permanently BANNED From Twitter appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

YouTuber turned amateur porn star Chris Crocker has apologised to his fans after accidentally pooped during sex that was being live-streamed.

Posting a video to his Twitter account Crocker said: “It’s one thing to have an accident in private. It’s another to do it in a live chat.”

“He knows that I didn’t mean to poop on him… I did prepare, but I think it just goes to show no matter how much you prepare before a scene, things can happen.”

My sincerest apologies. This won’t happen again. pic.twitter.com/KzBwxAhWRp

— Chris Crocker (@ChrisCrocker) June 20, 2020

We do question why Crocker didn’t just mass-message his OnlyFans followers to apologise rather than posting to his Twitter.

But with the wild and unpredictable content that Crocker has posted on his social media pages before, (including being involved in a raceplay blackmail threat and bizarre tweets about going to rehab), we wouldn’t be surprised if this was another ploy for promotion. Although we’re not sure scat is the way to promote your content most efficiently.

It did however spark a number of warm, comforting responses from followers telling him… you guessed it, “SHIT HAPPENS”.

*

Get access to OnlyFans exclusives, NSFW quizzes and monthly virtual cocktail hours with C&C members.

The post Chris Crocker Pooped During an OnlyFans LiveStream appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

Former professional footballer Thomas Beattie has come out as gay after a long battle with his mental health.

“My name is Thomas Beattie,” he opens up ESPN. “I’m a brother, son, friend, former professional footballer, entrepreneur and annoyingly competitive lad. I’m a lot of things, and one of them is gay.”

In the interview, Beatie divulged how carrying the secret of his sexuality led to behavioural changes.

“I’m usually super social, but I was becoming antisocial to avoid scenarios that might expose me,” he recalls. “This was a pattern that had also taken me all over the world. I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling like the loneliest lad in the world. Tears welled; a paralyzing flood of emotions engulfed me. My whole body was burning; my arms tingled and my heart raced, like a thousand beats per minute. I prayed that I would wake up and this would all disappear, although deep down I knew I was praying for the wrong thing.”

“I needed to ask for the strength to accept myself.”

Beattie continues by calling out the homophobia in sports.

“Being gay and having a career in football never felt like an option. Society told me my masculinity was linked to my sexuality — something we of course know is a false assumption — but I felt as if I couldn’t be a footballer and accept who I was.

“Everything around me suggested these two worlds were pure enemies, and I had to sacrifice one in order to survive. It doesn’t feel that way in other industries. In music, we love Freddie Mercury and Elton John. It’s accepted in film. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is gay, and these things are all OK.”

“But in football,” he adds, “there’s still fear a gay teammate might disrupt the team environment.”

And really it all goes back to this perverse idea that we’re all just ogling for dick in the locker room; we got past that after our teenage hormones ran out of steam.

Appealing to other young sportsmen who are feeling lost, Beattie says: “I want you to realize that the one specific moment you can learn to embrace and truly understand who you are, that’s the moment you become powerful. I ask that you be kind to yourself because the thoughts you speak to yourself become words and words become actions.”

While simultaneously challenging those in charge of the games to “become compassionate”.

“What is it you truly believe about diversity, inequality and social injustice? Be conscious of the environment you are creating and try to decipher whether it is conducive for all groups of people to feel included. Do not fear the day where a gay athlete is wearing the badge on your shirt. Fear the prolonged period of time when there isn’t.”

We stan this part of the letter particularly. Homophobia is constantly spoken about in sports, as it has been for the last decade (or more?) and yet here we are still… What actions are being taken?! 

As for Beattie’s coming out…

The post British Footballer Thomas Beattie Comes Out as Gay appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

We’re not sure this trend is one that will quite catch on… well, definitely not on a family-friendly TikTok.

But if swarms of men will rush to balance shampoo bottles of their dicks there’s still hope on Twitter.

The video, which is recorded in the style of many TikToks, sees two guys – presumably straight (wouldn’t they be hard otherwise?) – facing each other and touching themselves, gradually moving closer the idea is not to break eye contact.

Long as we’re still allowed physical contact we think we’d be in for a WIN!

It reminds of us of playing “chicken” at school when two boys (or girls) gradually touch each other more intimately until one cries “chicken”… or you have sex.

Check out the video below and see more NSFW TikToks here.

Is this challenge a thing? pic.twitter.com/140IBQQPWI

— The Late-Night Blog (@late_night_blog) June 24, 2020

The post NSFW: The “Don’t Break Eye Contact” Challenge Needs to be a Thing appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

A conversion clinic that encouraged its members to pray the gay away for the last 20 years is closing its doors after realising you can’t actually do that!

Hope for Wholeness, which was formed in 1999, began to fall apart when McKrae Game came out as gay last year and two other directors quit abruptly more recently.

“It has been a tumultuous several years for us,” the ministry’s board wrote in an email to supporters. “After much prayer and discussion, we have made the difficult decision to dissolve the organization. This was not an easy decision. But we do believe it is the right decision.”

It’s funny how all that prayer still didn’t help… bit like Stacey Dash praying for her marriage to work.

Speaking to the Post and Courier, Game said:

“I was a religious zealot that hurt people. People said they attempted suicide over me and the things I said to them. People, I know, are in therapy because of me. Why would I want that to continue?”

Well, ‘because… God?’ is the answer most devout conversion-believers would throw his way.

He added, “I want all ex-gay ministry dismantled. We have harmed generations of people I hope they just give me the chance to talk to them so I can hear them out and apologize.”

All remaining finances will be donated to Abba’s Delight, another conversion clinic based in Kentucky.

Sooo… you’ve got an “ex-gay” brand and decided to name it after the campest pop group in history? Ok, Jan.

[H/t: Queerty]

The post Conversion Clinic Shuts Down One Year After Founder Comes Out as Gay appeared first on Cocktailsandcocktalk.

A peaceful protest over Pride weekend in NYC ended in a violent confrontation with police, who arrested and pepper-sprayed queer people marching for equal rights. 

Videos shared on social media show police officers shoving bystanders to the ground, hitting them with batons and unleashing pepper-spray on crowds. 

Things reportedly began to escalate when one protestor was arrested at 5pm – by police officers who had their badge numbers covered – and crowds began demanding they were released.

Eliel Cruz, who posted his footage of the day to Twitter told BuzzFeed News it was “very chill” initially.

“Then I saw 20 cops on bikes and a few cop cars speed up right away, so I walked a little quicker.”

He added: “We were demanding the police release the protester, and they started to beat people… There were more cops running toward the crowds and pushing people.”

Organisers of the protest slammed NYC’s mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement which read:

“At the exact moment that Mayor de Blasio tweeted about honouring Stonewall and the LGBTQIA+ rights movement, the NYPD completely overreacted with unprovoked physical violence — including pepper spraying their own colleagues.”

“Using pepper spray against the Black and queer community, beating LGBTQIA+ protestors with batons and bicycles, and intimidating our right to peacefully assemble, reflects the wanton disregard that the mayor, along with the NYPD, have for the lives and safety all Black and queer New Yorkers.”

The incidents are a disturbing echo to the first ever Pride riot at Stonewall in which a number of LGBTQ were injured in a raid on the venue.

If you were to interview actor Paul Rudd there might be a slew of questions on your mind: what was it like working on Friends? How has he completely stopped the ageing process? Is he rich and hung? 

Those last two seemed to be something that interested fellow Marvel actor Chris Evans. 

Evans – who plays Captain America – sat down with Rudd for Variety to discuss his role as Ant Man and the upcoming third film.

After prying a little too much about the potential project, Rudd tells Evans “I’m not going to be able to say anything, you know how it is.”

“You’re right,” responds Evans, “I might as well ask what your paychecks are. Paul, what’s your penis size?”

Rudd laughed off the joke before informing, “It’s even bigger than my paychecks”.

While nightclubs are still shut in the UK, apparently in Atlanta it’s safe to sweaty your tits off in a confined space for hours on end. 

A video of the circuit party at Heretic went viral last week showing DJ Dan Slater playing to a packed club partying with no PPE. 

(We can’t bear another 10-minute apology video)

The club’s owner Alan Collins initially said the club would remain open (why is this still legal in America?!) despite reported cases of COVID-19 at his venue… but has now – finally – backtracked and cancelled all future events.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” Collins wrote, “we have decided to postpone all scheduled events until further notice so we can continue to gather more information and adjust our operation accordingly.”

Surely just basic-level of caution would have been closing the club from the beginning?

Collins had previously said it was a “very confusing and difficult time for nightlife [owners]”. OK – so let’s break this down simply…

If your non-essential business involves hundreds of people in close-proximity, all sweating and kissing… STAY CLOSED.

Needless to say, cases of COVID-19 in Atlanta has soared since easing lockdown restrictions in April.

Not the First Time

At the start of the epidemic, a number of attendees to the Winter Party in Miami contracted the virus, with at least three of them dying. 

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington may be used to getting his *ahem* Kit off on camera, but his latest role sees Paris Hilton’s ex fiancé Chris Zylka going down on him.

 The Death & Life of John F. Donovan sees Harington play a closeted celebrity who takes his own life after being outed in a sex scandal. 

The film sees him makeout with Zylka in a sweaty club scene, and we can see why they’re sweating… it’s hot AF. 

This isn’t the first time Zylka has pleased his gay fans, the actor previously went full-frontal in his role in The Leftovers.

The scene was actually filmed the same year that Zylka and Hilton broke up, which we’re sure has absolutely nothing to do with their Heiress’ ignorant comments about gay people back in 2012. 

In these dark times, we could all use a little dose of love – queer love especially! And that’s exactly what we got when ABC Foreign Correspondent James Longman proposed to his boyfriend, Alex Brannan last week.

Brannan’s mother was in on the gag and at hand to capture the moment on video at her home in the Cotswolds, England.

What’s even cuter is Brannan’s nephew excitedly asking what the pair are up to before his gran explains.

Longham kept his caption short and sweet exclaiming: “We’re engaged!”

“I asked Alex in the garden while his mum filmed, trying to stop his nephew from running over to us. And then the rest of the family came over. There was quite a lot of crying.”

In another post, Longham said he was “overwhelmed” with the support and love, adding, “I asked him with a pair of bracelets – which apparently are a symbol of loyalty. Also any excuse to have more jewellery.

“I have however just found out Alex hasn’t seen most of Absolutely Fabulous which is going to have to be properly rectified before we make any firm plans.”

Congratulations lads!

RuPaul may have built a multi-million dollar empire by putting drag queens into the mainstream, but that’s the thing about working with drag queens: they aren’t afraid of the drama!

Season 11 winner Yvie Oddly is the latest to – erm, drag – her mentor on the show, claiming that RuPaul “never made contact unless he smelled an Emmy moment”. The quote comes as Oddly congratulates her season-11-sister Brook Lynn Hytes on the launch of Canada’s Drag Race, of which she’s a host.

“Except for [Brooke Lynn ]… she was waaaaay too relatable and sweet and stunning for my approval.”

At which point a viewer of the show chimed in:

Maybe I’m just biased because our host never made eye contact unless she smelled an Emmy moment

— Yvie Oddly (@OddlyYvie) July 3, 2020

Oh. The shade lept OUT.

You’d think that as an alum of the show, Oddly – who very recently returned for an appearance on All Stars 5 – may tread more carefully, but she probably feels quite secure in her ability to bring an Emmy moment at this point.

Everybody Say “Rude”?

Just recently Tyra Sanchez has been on the war-path, tweeting that she “wants nothing to do with [Drag Race’s] toxic community”. Furthermore, she has branded the show and racist, before posting RuPaul’s phone number to Instagram, encouraging fans to call him in regards to her alleged unfair treatment.

Back in 2018, Pearl said in an interview: “I turned to RuPaul and said, ‘Oh my god, thank you so much. It’s such a honour to be here, such a pleasure to meet you, you have no idea.”

“She turned to me and she said: ‘Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling.’” She also referred to the encounter as “heartbreaking” and “disrespectful”.

Divina Di Campo seemed to confirm this rumour when in a chat with the Drag Race UK queens, she revealed: “if the cameras aren’t rolling, you don’t speak”.

Model and actress Arisce Wanzer has opened about her experience growing up as a black trans woman, saying that “if you didn’t pass [as cis], you didn’t live”. 

Speaking to Cocktails & Confessions podcast, the Strut star told us: 

“A black trans woman is killed every two weeks in [America]. And it’s because she’s black and trans, not for any other reason.” 

“Marriage equality was just one step. We still have to fight for our right to live, because if somebody calls gay panic or trans panic we don’t get a fair trial in court if they murder us”. 

The terms gay panic and trans panic – which are used to legitimize and excuse violent and lethal behavior against members of the LGBTQ+ community – are still accepted as a defense tactic in 42 states, offering aiding homophobes in reducing their hate-crime punishments. 

“When they murder someone in cold, they’re like: ‘Oh, well, I found out she was trans, and she was walking down the street, and I felt threatened by it,’ Arise continued. 

“I’m like what do you mean? The bitch was getting groceries! She was minding her own business, you can’t just kill people because you feel like it!”

She then went on to explain how cis men are afraid of their attraction to trans women, and why some trans women conform to passing; a term which is used to describe trans people who are perceived as being cis in the gender they identify with.

“Trans women in the US are mostly presenting as women, and a lot of it is because of safety. I knew how important it was to pass when I transitioned because I didn’t want to be harassed every day all day. I didn’t have a car at the time, I walked everywhere. And I thought ‘Oh my God, if I don’t pass, I’m the target of violence, I could be killed or beat up…”

“Something could’ve happened to me, and I have parents who care about me, I have friends, and I have to look out for them as well.”

Wanzer, as somebody who liked to blur gender boundaries with her fashion, notes how Gen-Z have more freedom when it comes to their presentation:

“They’re like: ‘I’m non-binary, and I don’t have to pass as anything’, and you know, that’s amazing. ‘Cause when I came out, if you didn’t pass, you didn’t live. Those were the rules. I didn’t make the rules, but they were them!”

Why be Racist When You Can Just be Happy? is available to stream on Apple and Spotify.