LGBTQ+ organizations and advocates responded to Tuesday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding Idaho and West Virginia’s laws that bar transgender students from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity, warning the decision will deepen discrimination and harm transgender youth. Across the country, advocacy groups called for continued legal challenges, policy action […]
Author Archives: Dana Piccoli
Dana Piccoli is an award winning writer, critic and the managing director of News is Out, a queer media collaborative.
Dana was named one of The Advocate Magazine’s 2019 Champions of Pride. She was also one of Curve Magazine’s 2017 Pridelist for her work in LGBTQ media. Dana is an inaugural recipient of the Curve Award for Excellence in Lesbian Coverage.
Posted inTop Stories
As corporate Pride pulls back, Point of Pride takes its message inside the workplace
After years of growing corporate support for Pride and LGBTQ+ initiatives, many companies and LGBTQ+ organizations are navigating a new period of uncertainty. Recently, many big corporations have been pulling back their support for Pride events and LGBTQ+ programming, leaving funding gaps for LGBTQ+ organizations. Instead of walking away from these connections, nonprofit Point of […]
Posted inTop Stories
Cancellations, reductions & redirections: Pride looks different this year for many across the country
For the LGBTQ+ community, June is our month of celebration. Pride events happen across the country from big cities with hundreds of thousands of attendees, to tiny community potlucks in public parks. There has been discourse for many years about the involvement of corporate sponsors in parades and festivals, in particular for larger Pride events […]
Posted inTop Stories
This summer is packed with queer cinema releases – including a sapphic slasher
Queer cinema is having quite a summer. From a star-studded disaster comedy packed with Drag Race royalty to a sapphic teen romance making its debut at Frameline, a supernatural thriller rooted in conversion therapy horror, and a sapphic slasher that’s already got us buzzing. Plus, two beloved classics are back on the big screen for […]
Posted inTop Stories
Queer-owned perfume brands to support this Pride season
Perfumes are having a moment right now, especially indie and niche fragrances. What was once a nearly impossible industry to enter, has blossomed in recent years thanks to more accessible information and peer to peer knowledge sharing. Among the companies making waves at events like Fumed Chicago, are several queer-owned brands, some that only launched […]
Posted inTop Stories
Levi’s goes full throttle for Pride 2026 with the “Together, We Ride” collection
Levi’s 2026 Pride collection, “Together, We Ride,” draws its inspiration from an often-overlooked chapter of LGBTQ+ history: the queer motorcycle clubs that rode together, protected each other, and built chosen families. This includes groups like the Satyrs Motorcycle Club (founded in 1954), San Francisco’s Rainbow Motorcycle Club (1971) and Dykes on Bikes (1976) and New […]
Posted inTop Stories
LGBTQ+ safety and privacy policies declined across major platforms, according to new GLAAD report
The GLAAD Social Media Safety Index & Platform Scorecard for 2026 was released this week and, according to the organization, found continued declines in policies related to LGBTQ+ safety, privacy and expression across major social media platforms. The report and scorecard evaluate and rank “platform policies regarding LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression” and include TikTok, […]
Posted inTop Stories
Four LGBTQ+ movies that should be in the National Film Registry but aren’t (yet)
Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films for preservation in the National Film Registry — movies deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” to American cinema. While the registry has made meaningful strides in recent years to include more diverse voices, LGBTQ+ stories remain underrepresented in its nearly 900-title collection. These four films changed […]
Posted inTop Stories
LGBTQ+ youth mental health improved slightly in 2025 — but anti-LGBTQ+ policies are still taking a toll
Content warning: This article discusses suicide, self-harm, and mental health challenges affecting LGBTQ+ youth. The Trevor Project, which describes itself as the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, just released its seventh annual National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. The Trevor Project surveyed more than […]
Posted inTop Stories
Ash Perez leans into love, laughter and queer storytelling with “Speak Now”
If you’ve been missing the kind of rom-com that actually makes you laugh out loud in between moments of real tenderness, Ash Perez is making a case for its return. Best known for his BuzzFeed work and recent projects with The Try Guys, Perez is stepping into fiction with Speak Now, a queer rom-com about second chances, first […]
Posted inTop Stories
Beyond the obvious: 5 underrated LGBTQ+-friendly cities
When you think of LGBTQ+ friendly cities, there are the obvious answers that come to mind. Places like San Francisco, New York City, Portland, Philadelphia, Palm Springs and Chicago often top the list. But there are cities all around the country that are stepping up and out for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors. These five cities […]
Posted inNews
Florida’s “Anti-Diversity” legislation, explained — And why it matters beyond Florida
If you don’t live in Florida, you might be tempted to scroll past this. Don’t. Florida has a habit of road-testing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — and watching it spread. The state’s 2022 “Don’t Say Gay” law is the most famous example. At least a dozen states introduced similar laws, including Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and […]
Posted inTop Stories
Queer perfumers behind Domestica turn everyday memories into scent
It’s happened to all of us: you’re out and about and suddenly you catch a whiff of something that brings a memory flooding back and the emotions connected to it. Not only does scent travel from our noses to the olfactory bulb in our forebrains that is directly connected to memory and emotion, but scent […]
Posted inTop Stories
PFLAG brings the topic of LGBTQ+ book bans to SXSW EDU
This week, PFLAG hosted a panel at SXSW EDU examining the growing wave of book bans and the impact on LGBTQ+ stories in schools and libraries. The session, “Beyond Bans: Defending LGBTQ+ Stories & Literary Freedom,” took place March 11 and streamed live on SXSW EDU’s YouTube channel. The conversation focused on the increasing censorship of books, authors and […]
Posted inOpinion
The Pride flag was removed from Stonewall. That matters.
The Pride flag has been an enduring symbol of the LGBTQ+ community since 1978, when the first design by Gilbert Baker debuted at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Over the decades, the flag’s design has evolved from the original nine colors to six to versions including brown and black stripes to honor the […]
Posted inTop Stories
GLSEN changes its name to Glisten as the organization marks a new chapter
Founded in 1990, GLSEN, which stood for the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, began as a network of educators responding to anti-LGBTQ+ bullying in schools. More than 30 years later, the organization says it represents 1.5 million youth, families, educators, and advocates, with work that extends beyond school buildings into broader community support. CEO […]
Posted inTop Stories
The Map of Us podcast puts real voices behind the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project
What happens when you take a national research project and hand the microphone to the people living it? “The Map of Us,” a new seven-episode podcast from News is Out, brings the findings of the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project to life through candid conversations with the journalists and publishers doing the work. All episodes are […]
Posted inNews
Organizations respond to the arrest of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort
On Friday morning, federal authorities arrested independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with a protest that disrupted a January 7 service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, officials said. Lemon and Fort maintain they were there as journalists covering the event, but authorities say the arrests are tied to the protest. […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Philadelphia, Frida and The Hours among 25 films added to 2025 National Registry
LGBTQ+-inclusive films were among the 25 films added to the 2025 National Registry. The registry comes out of the United States National Film Preservation Board, started in 1988, to “ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s film heritage.” Among this year’s inductees, are several films that feature prominent LGBTQ+ characters and storylines. […]
Posted inTop Stories
5 things queer people notice immediately in a “welcoming” space
Queer people read a space quickly. Before a word is spoken, certain signals tell us whether we belong or should stay guarded. Here are five things LGBTQ+ people notice when determining if a space is truly welcoming. 1. Pride messaging outside, not just inside Are there any Pride flags flying outside or in the window? […]
