The title of Nashville singer/songwriter Fimone’s debut EP, “The Fight in the Farmer’s Daughter,” isn’t hyperbole. Fimone was born and raised on an 80-acre farm in rural Minnesota and thrived on a steady diet of ’90s country radio. “Johnny Cash, your Willie Nelson, you know, Eddie Rabbit, if you’re familiar with him,” said Fimone in […]
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 inCulture
Queer Cannabis: A guide to LGBTQ+-owned dispensaries and brands nationwide
Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in 26 states and U.S. territories. Voters in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota will also have their chance to vote for the legalization of recreational marijuana this November. The legal cannabis industry is on track to generate around 40 billion dollars in revenue in 2024. There are LGBTQ+ cannabis brands […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
How Matthew Schueller and Michael Lindsay are creating a community-driven queer travel experience
Before he became one-half of a popular influencer and content-creating couple with close to a million followers on social media, Matthew Schueller was bitten by the travel bug in a unique way. He fell in love with an exchange student while in high school. “I never left the country until I graduated high school,” said […]
Posted inNews
Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community
Few things have been as highly anticipated this year as Kamala Harris’ pick for her vice presidential running mate. This morning it was announced that Tim Walz, current governor of Minnesota, would join her on the ticket. Walz, a former U.S. Army non commissioned officer, high school teacher and football coach who entered politics in […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
“Wynonna Earp: Vengeance” gets a trailer and a new life thanks to fans and Tubi
Fandoms are known for going to bat for their favorite shows. However, some fans have gone above and beyond to save the shows they love. “Wynonna Earp” premiered in 2016 on Syfy Network and quickly became a beloved series for its complex female characters and centering queer love between two of the show’s main characters. The titular […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
20,000 show up to support HRC’s “Out for Kamala Harris” virtual event
Since President Joe Biden announced he was no longer running for re-election on Sunday, July 21, there have been significant gatherings dedicated to supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. The first was a Zoom call for Black women voters, with an estimated 40,000 participants who raised over $1 million on Sunday. The following day, “Win with Black […]
Posted inNews
Kamala Harris’ stance on LGBTQ+ rights: A history of advocacy and action
Since President Joe Biden announced on Sunday, July 21, that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, all eyes have been on Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden gave his full support to Harris to run in his place for the highest office in the nation, and since then, Harris has broken records […]
Posted inSports
25 LGBTQ+ athletes competing for Team USA at the Summer Olympics
As the Olympic torch makes its final leg before the opening ceremony this Friday, we’re thinking about the incredible LGBTQ+ athletes representing the United States at this year’s games. Here are 25 athletes to cheer for as the games begin. Tierna Davidson and Jane Campbell. Photo: US Soccer Women’s Soccer Tierna Davidson: (Defender) Davidson is […]
Posted inNews
GLAAD imagines a country under Project 2025 in new video
GLAAD has unveiled their latest advocacy effort with a video focused on Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. GLAAD’s “Project 2025 Exposed” page features a video called, “The Pledge,” where school children recite a new pledge of allegiance – one to the President of the United States. In the video, which takes place in September 2025, a […]
Posted inPolitics
Here’s where the Republican VP pick J.D. Vance stands on LGBTQ+ issues
On Monday, July 15, former President Donald Trump announced his vice-president pick. His selection was J.D. Vance, a Republican Ohio senator elected in 2022. A former Marine and bestselling author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance is relatively new to politics, being only the second Ohio senator in history to have no prior political experience. The news […]
Posted inTravel
Traveling with Brand g: A unique and intimate LGBTQ+ vacation experience
“I feel like I’m in that scene from ‘Under the Tuscan Sun,’” my wife whispered to me as we boarded the Brand g Vacations bus in Bordeaux, France. She’s not wrong. It does hearken to the scene where Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) takes her best lesbian friend’s place on a queer European adventure. We are […]
Posted inPolitics
What is Donald Trump’s Agenda 47 and how could it affect the LGBTQ+ community
Queer media has been covering Project 2025 since last year, but the Heritage Foundation’s playbook is now making headlines across mainstream media. Last week, the president of the conservative think tank, Kevin Roberts, appeared on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” to discuss Project 2025. In the interview, Roberts, who wrote the foreword to Project 2025, talked […]
Posted inScience
New report reveals successes and roadblocks for LGBTQ+ people in STEM fields
This month, Northwestern University Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing released a report highlighting challenges and offering recommendations for improving the representation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The report coincides with the Biden administration’s 2022 Executive Order calling for workforce data on LGBTQ+ people. The […]
Posted inNews
Biden Administration to issue pardons for LGBTQ+ service members wrongfully dismissed
Today, President Joe Biden’s administration is righting a wrong that has affected upwards of 100,000 LGBTQ+ service members. The White House just released “A Proclamation on Granting Pardon for Certain Violations of Article 125 Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” which extends pardons to LGBTQ+ service members who were dishonorably discharged from the military for being gay […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
8 LGBTQ+ walking tours you can take year-round
Just because Pride month is nearly over doesn’t mean we have to stop celebrating and learning about our community. These walking tours all around the country offer a look into the lives and fascinating history of LGBTQ+ people from Boston to San Francisco. Learn about artists and activists who changed the world, events that rocked […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Queer Tours France explores the hidden LGBTQ+ histories of Paris
“I’m sorry for the rain!” is the first thing my tour guide, Doina Craciun, says when we meet just steps away from the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It’s been raining nonstop since arriving in the French capital, and I look and feel like a wet chien. However, my mood changes quickly upon meeting […]
Posted inNews
Bill to honor Stonewall with NYC subway stop is in the works
Just in time for Pride month, the New York Senate has approved Bill S7974, which would rename a famous West Village subway station in honor of the 1969 Stonewall uprising. The proposed new name, “Christopher Street-Stonewall National Monument Station,” would replace the “Christopher Street-Sheridan Square” stop. The bill has passed through the New York Senate and […]
Posted inTop Stories
LGBTQ+ advocate Eboné Bell on the importance of allyship
LGBTQ+ advocate Eboné Bell recently appeared on Comcast Newsmakers to discuss the importance of allies in the continuing fight for LGBTQ+ equality. Bell is the founder of Tagg Magazine and also a founding member of News is Out. Bell travels the country speaking on college campuses and to companies about LGBTQ+ issues, including how allies […]
Posted inTop Stories
Planning your perfect Pride weekend
It’s Pride month, meaning cities nationwide have their parades, festivals and celebrations. Here’s a handy guide on preparing, dancing the day and night away and decompressing after the festivities. Gear up The “Leather Daddy Tee” by Hey Beefcake 2024 has been another complicated year for Pride. After the anti-LGBTQ+ backlash in 2023 to companies like […]
Posted inTop Stories
LGBTQ+ ally Cyndi Lauper’s life story soars in “Let the Canary Sing”
The ’80s became a lot more unusual, and wonderful, when singer/songwriter Cyndi Lauper came on the scene. The new Paramount+ documentary, “Let the Canary Sing” explores the life and continuing legacy of one of pop music’s greatest artists. Born Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper in 1953, Lauper grew up in a tumultuous household, finding an escape […]