“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 […]
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 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 […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Dorian Theater Awards recognize best of Broadway and Off-Broadway in 2023-24
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics celebrated the finest achievements in theater with the second annual Dorian Theater Awards, honoring Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of the 2023-24 season. The awards, presented by the theater wing’s 39 members, highlighted an array of productions from mainstream hits to LGBTQ+ narratives. The standout winners of the night […]
Posted inSports
First WNBA expansion since 2008: Golden State Valkyries unveil brand
There’s a new WNBA team in town. The Bay Area’s Golden State Valkyries have officially unveiled their brand, drawing inspiration from Norse mythology. The Valkyries, known as a band of fearless warrior women, embody strength, boldness, and fierceness—qualities that the new franchise aims to represent, according to a press release by the WNBA. https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790360287725674855 This […]
Posted inCulture
As Target pulls back on its Pride line, here are 5 places to get Pride merchandise instead
After the viral backlash last year against its Pride line, Target announced late last week that its Pride line would only be available in select stores and online. Also, only adult apparel will be available this year. Which stores will carry Target’s Pride line has not yet been announced. According to a media response received […]
Posted inCommunity
Give Out Day 2024: A nationwide push to support LGBTQ+ organizations
Give Out Day kicks off this week and is the only national event specifically focused on raising funds for LGBTQ+ nonprofits across the United States. Organized by California-based LGBTQ+ organization Horizons Foundation, the month-long event provides an opportunity for LGBTQ+ organizations to engage with their supporters and gain visibility. This is especially crucial for smaller […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Diversionary Theatre: San Diego’s sanctuary for queer expression and community engagement
Located in San Diego’s University Heights neighborhood, Diversionary Theatre has been centering the stories of the LGBTQ+ community for nearly 40 years. Founded in 1986, it opened in part as a response to the AIDS crisis, offering a place for the community to gather during a frightening time in our history. “It gave the LGBTQ+ community a […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
GLAAD’s annual “Where We Are On TV” report shows a troubling trend in LGBTQ+ representation
GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, has released its annual “Where We Are On TV” report and confirmed what many television viewers had suspected: there were fewer LGBTQ+ characters and storylines on broadcast television and streaming in 2023 than in 2022. Last year at News is Out, we covered the trend of “Cancel Your Gays” in […]
Posted inTravel
Report reveals how anti-LGBTQ+ state policies are influencing tourism
The IGLTA Foundation, the philanthropic branch of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association and Community Marketing and Insights, has released a new report on the state of LGBTQ+ travel. The report, made with the input of over 2,300 community members, examines the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ policies on LGBTQ+ travel, with a particular focus on Florida. It […]
Posted inChangemakers
The impact of The Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents: Championing LGBTQ+ voices with Sue Kerr
You don’t get the title “Unofficial Lesbian Correspondent of Pittsburgh” for nothing. If you ask Sue Kerr where the nickname came from, the Founder and Publisher of The Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents says the title started as a joke but has evolved into something special. “That name was given to me by a local radio host […]
Posted inNews
Biden administration announces changes to Title IX and protections for LGBTQ+ students
On Friday, April 19, the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education issued its final rule revising Title IX, a federal civil rights law originally passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. While Title IX is often associated with high school and collegiate athletics, its reach is much broader. It influences any […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Tribeca Film Festival 2024: Spotlight on LGBTQ+ films and TV shows in this year’s lineup
The Tribeca Film Festival has revealed its lineup for the 2024 festival, and there is considerable LGBTQ+ representation. Started in 2022 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, the film festival is one of the country’s most prestigious and provides opportunities for independent films to find distribution. This year’s lineup includes screenings of […]
