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Deconstructing the Ellen DeGeneres cover up of Kevin Hart’s latent homophobia

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TV host Ellen DeGeneres and comic Kevin Hart love each other, as they made perfectly clear in the special hour-long “Ellen” show that aired Friday, Jan. 4.

“I love you,” DeGeneres said after they each proffered a lengthy rant on Hart’s withdrawal as host of the Academy Awards show this February 24.

“I love you more,” Hart replied.

The love fest appeared designed with two primary objectives: 1) to publicize Hart’s latest movie; and 2) for the world’s best known and popular lesbian on TV to absolve Hart of any and all past homophobia.

“I believe in forgiveness. I believe in second chances. And I believe in @KevinHart4real,” DeGeneres tweeted Thursday night as video clips of the interview were released.

But what the interview did, at least in some corners of the LGBT community, was cast a bucket-load of shade on DeGeneres’ like-ability without rehabilitating Hart’s admittedly flawed personality.

Hosting the Oscars was a life-long dream, Hart told DeGeneres, who noted that she suggested he pursue the hosting gig at a dinner with him after her second Oscar hosting turn in 2014 (the first in 2007 was also a lifelong dream of hers ). He was elated when the Academy Awards offered him the job—only to become quickly deflated after posts in social media dredged up anti-gay comments Hart made on Twitter and during his stand-up comedy routine. One from 10 years ago, in particular, was deemed extraordinarily harsh, when he joked about beating his son to prevent him from becoming gay.

Hart’s apparent affection for the anti-gay “F***king F*g” slur also came to the fore:

 

Twitter and Instagram exploded on Dec. 6 after Hart adamantly refused to apologize for the tweets—which were deleted after the Oscar announcement—saying he had repeatedly apologized when they were first brought to light years ago.

Out “Billy on the Street” comic Billy Eichner’s responses to the ongoing saga Dec. 6 reverberated throughout the Twitterverse.

 

“Many of us have jokes/tweets we regret. I’m ok with tasteless jokes, depending on context. What bothers me about these is you can tell its not just a joke-there’s real truth, anger & fear behind these. I hope Kevin’s thinking has evolved since 2011,” he tweeted.

Eventually, Hart stepped down and issued an apology: “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.”

To which Eichner responded, as if the matter was now drawn to a close and the choice of new host became the focal point, including black lesbian comedienne Wanda Sykes.

But then came the DeGeneres interview in which the TV host pushed the comic to reconsider the job after expounding on Hart’s talent and announcing that she called the Academy and asked them to have him back.

“I have no idea if he wants to come back and host but what are your thoughts,” DeGeneres said she told the Academy. “And they were like, ‘Oh my god! We want him to host! We feel like maybe he misunderstood or it was handled wrong or maybe we said the wrong thing. But we want him to host. Whatever we could do, we’d be thrilled and he should host (applause) So the Academy is saying what can we do to make this happen?”

DeGeneres did not identify the Academy person with whom she spoke, nor did an Academy spokesperson immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment. But Hart seemed buoyed by the adulation.

“Leaving here I promise you I’m evaluating this conversation,” Hart said. “This is a conversation I needed to have, I’m glad I had it here. I’m glad it’s as authentic and real as I could’ve hoped it would be.”

But how authentic was it, really? Let’s look at six minutes of the hour-long effort to get Hart’s job back.

Hart spent several insight-free minutes explaining how he would not be the victim of social media, deciding at first to ignore the critical tweets to not “fuel the fire.” And to anyone who has been the subject of relentless criticism or bullied on social media, his complaint rings true. “I know I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body,” Hart said, adding he doesn’t look at life through the same lens as that guy who was “just looking for stupid laughs. I don’t do that any more.”

Once again Hart apologized “if those words hurt,” adding that a person “can’t move forward without mistakes….So I don’t know the perfect person society is looking for – it’s not me.… I have made several mistakes and I embrace them all because I am a better man today because of them.”

Finally, Hart said he walked away from hosting the Oscars because “I’d rather just say I’m sorry again and walk away because I’d much rather be done with the conversation. I don’t want to have this conversation anymore because I’m not that guy.”

The thing is—Hart has said almost these exact words about his admission of cheating on his pregnant wife—which he turned into a stand up joke —and considering domestic violence—on top of making fun of hitting women in his stand up act.

“Lying ruined my marriage,” the Washington Post reported Hart as saying in 2017.   “That’s a lie, I cheated,” Hart said in his 2013 stand-up special “Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain.” “Yes, people, I cheated. Am I ashamed of it? No, I’m not,” he joked. “Do I wish I could take it back? No, no I don’t. Let me tell you why. You can’t evolve as a man if you never make a mistake. The only way that you can be perfect is to not f‑‑‑ up. I did it, I f‑‑‑ed up. Don’t cheat!”

Hart’s pronouncement seems to have a pattern: first complain on social media about rumors about him – in this case about being with a woman-not-his-wife in a sexually suggestive video. He then posted a meme on Instagram of him laughing at his phone captioned, ‘At the end of the day, you just gotta laugh at the BS.’”

Then go public, appearing to accept responsibility while still claiming to be the victim. Here Hart claimed he was being extorted—a claim disputed by the woman with him in the hotel room, represented by attorney Lisa Bloom. “I’m in a place in my life where I feel like I have a target on my back. And because of that, I should make smart decisions – and recently, I didn’t,” Hart then said, confessing to the affair and apologizing for something more than had been initially revealed.

BET noted in June 2017 that Hart is “known to be Hollywood’s most loyal family man, even when it comes to his divorce from ex-wife Torrei Hart” but admits that “he went through some pretty dark times with Torrie, including fights that turned violent.”

In an interview promoting the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with Power 105.1 FM show The Breakfast Club. Kevin admitted: “Me and my ex wife. When it got violent where we’re fighting — Am I really fighting? Am I holding my hands up as if she’s a man right now? Oh my God. This is…I’m out. I’ve really got my hands up to not defend, but counter. Like, I’m waiting for you to throw a punch. ‘Cause I’m about to counter the s**t out of you. Like, I’m really that upset to where I have to get in a stance. When you get in a stance, that’s when I checked myself.”

Hart told the radio show that “he’s had “thick skin” about the negative media coverage surrounding the scandal,” but he told the radio show he was “upset” by some of the suggestions that his current wife allegedly breaking up his previous marriage.

So Hart is familiar with the machinations of internet trolls and social media rumor mongering. But somehow the current social media backlash over his history of homophobia is worse than those who went after his family—at least that’s what he appears to describe to Ellen DeGeneres.

There are always two sides to a story, Hart said, taking responsibility then asserting a conspiracy against him, telling DeGeneres:

“On my side, openly, openly, I say I’m wrong for my past words. I say it. I said it. I understand that. I know that. My kids know that when their dad messes up, I’m in front of it because I want to be an example so they know what to do.

In this case, it’s tough for me because it was an attack. This wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t a coincidence that the day after I received the job, that tweets just somehow manifested from 2008. Now, I don’t know who follows me and who doesn’t – I’m on social media everyday. I’ve got over 40,000 tweets. To go through 40,000 tweets to get back to 2008 – that’s an attack.

That’s a malicious attack on my character. That’s an attack to end me. That’s not just an attack to stop the Oscars. That’s what I want people to understand. That’s an attack to end me. Now I’m not going to get too emotional, but when you witness this, and you stand in front of it and you heard that these things exist – I’ve never experienced it – I’ve heard about it – this is my first time in the fire. I’ve seen it.

Oh my god, this was to destroy me. This was to end all partnerships, all brand relationships, all investment opportunities, studio relationships, my productions company and the people who work underneath me – this was to damage the lives of people who’ve been invested in me. It’s bigger than just the Oscars. It’s about the individuals that are out there now that are finding success and damaging your “celebrity.”

Now if you go back – and I don’t have a word or a bond – if I don’t have anything to stand on, I’m now going right back into the place where the people who came after me want me to go. Somebody has to take a stand against the “trolls” – you have to.”

But instead of asking questions about – as Billy Eichner pointed out – the “real truth, anger & fear” behind his anti-gay jokes and comments, DeGenerous chimed in about internet trolls and not letting “them” win. DeGenerous said:

“[T]hey’re going to win if you don’t host the Oscars. (Audience applause.) Then they win. So for you to stand up and say, ‘No, whoever you are, the trolls – and who knows who this person is or people – who cares? And you can’t let them destroy you and they can’t destroy you because you have too much talent. No one can do that.

And for them to stop you from your dream, from what you want to do and what you have a right to do – what you should be doing – that’s why they haven’t found another host. I think they were secretly hoping that you would come back and I’m praying that this happens.”

Then she appeared to remember, oh, yeah, she introduced the original film “Trevor” about gay teen suicide that led to the Trevor Project. And hate crimes and stuff:

“I think, as I said to you earlier, it’s perfect that all this happened because there has to be a conversation about homophobia, and whatever brought up and whatever they did and whoever’s trying to hurt you, it brought up you reminding people that you’re a bigger person. That you’ve already apologized. You’re apologizing again. (Applause) So, I mean, so as a gay person, as someone who actually

(Hart interrupts, pretending to be shocked: “What?”)

Yeah. (Laughs) – I’m so sorry to break this to you – I know. I didn’t tell you before….I didn’t want you to know. I thought maybe you wouldn’t like me. (Laughter)  Um. I mean really, I am as sensitive to all of that and I talked to you about this and you’ve already expressed that’s it’s only – it’s not being educated on the subject. Not realizing how dangerous those words are. Not realizing how many kids are killed for being gay (Hart nods) or beaten up every day. You have grown. You have apologized. You’re apologizing again right now. You’ve done it. Don’t let those people win. Host the Oscars.”

Hart said he stepped away to not become the focus of the Oscars when so many people had worked so hard to get there. But DeGeneres would have none of that:

The night should be about you….What we’re going to get to see on stage with you hosting the Oscars is sophistication, class, hilarity, and you growing as a person because most people would say, ‘you know I’m walking away, I’m not coming back because I’m going to go back and forth.’ But for you to be the bigger man, for you to say ‘I understand’ and to not pay attention—there are so many haters out there. Whatever’s going on on the Internet, don’t pay attention to them. That’s a small group of people being very, very loud. We are a huge group of people who love you and want to see you host the Oscars.” (big cheers)

Why didn’t DeGeneres ask: it’s 2019—why do you still need to grow and be educated about homophobia? Have you ever heard of the It Get’s Better Project? Even President Obama did a video.

A backlash ensued immediately on websites and social media.

 

That DeGeneres is sometimes tone deaf is not new. During the fight against Prop 8, the California initiative that took away the right to marriage equality for same sex couples in that state in 2008, DeGeneres contributed $1 million to an animal-related initiative but nothing to the battle to fight Prop 8. That while tabloids reported on the sale of those images of her wedding to Portia de Rossi that August.

The expose in IN Los Angeles magazine prompted a backlash, including three groups that formed on Facebook encouraging her to donate and several celebrity contributions.

“It’s not as if DeGeneres has not been out there stating her opposition to Proposition 8. She has on her blog, and in an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.’ She has talked about her marriage to Portia de Rossi on her daytime show, which perhaps did more to positively present the idea of same-sex nuptials to ‘traditional’ households than a thirty-second spot could have done,” Variety’s Ted Johnson wrote at the time.  “What is perplexing is why, given the hubbub, she doesn’t just write a check. It may be a testament to why stars employ political and philanthropic consultants — to avoid these types of pitfalls in the public sphere.”

In this case, it looks like DeGeneres and Hart just had dinner together and decided that her forgiving him publicly on behalf of the LGBT community would get him reinstated. Maybe. But the two millionaires might have considered who the real “victims” are here, in this age of rising hate crimes inspired by the anti-LGBT world of Donald Trump. Now that really is bigger than the Oscars!

“From when this news first broke, GLAAD said Kevin Hart should not step down from the Oscars, he should step up and send an unequivocal message of acceptance to LGBTQ youth that matches the force and impact of his initial anti-LGBTQ remarks,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, who is scheduled to appear on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Friday night to discuss the situation in more detail.

A nerve has been struck. Has Kevin Hart changed and if he has—where’s he been when so many could be helped, not hurt, by his voice?

 

 

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Philippines

Philippines Supreme Court rules same-sex couples can co-own property

Advocacy group celebrated landmark decision

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(Bigstock photo)

The Philippines Supreme Court in a landmark ruling said same-sex couples can co-own property under the country’s Family Code.

The Philippine News Agency on Tuesday notes the court issued its ruling in the case of two women who bought a house in Quezon City, a suburb of Manila, the Filipino capital, before they broke up.

The two women, according to the Philippine News Agency, “agreed to sell the property” after they ended their relationship, “and the registered owner — the respondent — signed a document acknowledging that the other partner paid for half of the purchase and renovations.” The Philippine News Agency notes “the registered owner” later “refused to sell the property and withdrew her earlier acknowledgment of co-ownership, prompting the other partner to file a complaint.”

A Regional Trial Court and the Philippines Court of Appeals ruled against the plaintiff.

The Supreme Court in a 14-page ruling it issued on Feb. 5 overturned the decisions. The Supreme Court published its decision on Tuesday.

“Considering that there is co-ownership between petitioner and respondent, then each co-owner may demand at any time the partition of the thing owned in common, insofar as her share is concerned,” said the Supreme Court in its ruling, according to the Philippine News Agency. “Having rightful interest over the subject property, petitioner has the right to demand the division of the subject property.”

The predominantly Catholic country’s Family Code defines marriage as “a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.” It also states in Article 148 that “in cases of cohabitation” outside of marriage, “only the properties acquired by both of the parties through their actual joint contribution of money, property, or industry shall be owned by them in common in proportion to their respective contributions.”

“In the absence of proof to the contrary, their contributions and corresponding shares are presumed to be equal,” it reads.

The BBC reported the Supreme Court ruling states this provision “applies to all forms of co-habitation,” regardless of the couple’s gender. A Supreme Court press release indicates the decision notes lawmakers and the Filipino government “must address same-sex couples’ rights, as courts alone cannot resolve all related policy concerns.”

“This court does not have the monopoly to assure the freedom and rights of homosexual couples,” it reads. “With the political, moral, and cultural questions that surround the issue concerning the rights of same-sex couples, political departments, especially the Congress must be involved to quest for solutions, which balance interests while maintaining fealty to fundamental freedoms.”

LGBT Pilipinas, a Filipino advocacy group, welcomed the ruling.

“This ruling marks a monumental step forward in the legal recognition of LGBTQ+ families and relationships in the country,” it said in a statement.

LGBT Pilipinas added the ruling “lays a crucial legal foundation for broader recognition of same-sex relationships and strengthens the push for comprehensive anti-discrimination protections.”

“This is a win not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for fairness and justice in Philippine society as a whole,” said the group.

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New York

Pride flag removed from Stonewall Monument as Trump targets LGBTQ landmarks

The new NPS policy targets Pride flags amid consistent efforts from the Trump administration to minimize LGBTQ history

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(Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

A rainbow Pride flag flying at the Stonewall National Monument in New York was removed at the direction of Trump administration officials at the National Park Service, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to the Blade on condition of anonymity.

The source said the move had been in the works for weeks and is part of ongoing efforts by the Trump-Vance administration to erase LGBTQ identity from federally controlled landmarks.

In response to the Blade’s request for information about the new flag policy, the National Park Service provided the following statement:

“Current Department of the Interior policy provides that the National Park Service may only fly the U.S. flag, Department of the Interior flags, and the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag on flagpoles and public display points. The policy allows limited exceptions, permitting non-agency flags when they serve an official purpose. These include historical context or reenactments, current military branch flags, flags of federally recognized tribal nations affiliated with a park, flags at sites co-managed with other federal, state, or municipal partners, flags required for international park designations, and flags displayed under agreements with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for Naturalization ceremonies.”

The statement also included official guidance on the display of non-agency flags issued by Trump-appointed National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron.

The Blade reached out to other organizations to confirm the status of the Pride flag last week, including the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the National Parks Conservation Association. None were able to provide details about whether the flag was still flying at that time but it has since been removed.

This action aligns with other moves targeting and erasing LGBTQ history. In September, the Blade reported that three organizations originally slated to receive more than $1.25 million from the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant Program would no longer receive funding: In Washington, D.C., the Preservation League had been awarded $75,000 to document LGBTQ+ historic resources. In Providence, R.I., the Preservation Society was slated for $74,692 to conduct an LGBTQ+ survey and prepare a National Register nomination. And in New York, the Fund for the City of New York, Inc., had been awarded $32,000 to nominate the residence of Bayard Rustin — the iconic civil rights and LGBTQ activist — as a National Historic Landmark. 

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Florida

Disney’s Gay Days ‘has not been canceled’ despite political challenges

GayDays is moving forward with its planned LGBTQ meet-up

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(Photo by Ben Gingell/Bigstock)

Gay Days in Orlando is preparing for its 2026 gathering though organizers have yet to release full details.

Concerns emerged about the status of the annual meetup of LGBTQ people at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., after social media posts and multiple news outlets reported the event would not take place this year.

In response to inquiries from the Blade, Josh Duke, co-owner of Gay Days, clarified that an update would come this week.

“At this time, I’d like to clarify that Gay Days Orlando has not been canceled,” an email to the Blade said. “We are currently finalizing details regarding our plans for 2026 and will be making an official announcement later this week.”

Earlier this week, Gay Days posted about a pause in their plans for the annual meeting, which quickly gained traction online.

In an official statement on social media, Gay Days organizers cited several factors behind what had initially appeared to be a cancellation of their 2026 event.

“Changes to our host hotel agreement, the loss of key sponsorship support, and broader challenges currently impacting LGBTQIA+ events nationwide made it impossible to deliver the experience our community deserves,” organizers wrote. However, the statement added, “This is a pause — not an ending.”

In a longer message shared with supporters, organizers elaborated on that now-reversed decision.

“Gay Days Family — it is with very heavy hearts that we share Gay Days 2026 will not take place this year. This was an incredibly difficult decision and one that was only made after every possible option was explored.

“Gay Days has always been more than an event — it is community, family, and a place where so many memories are made. While this pause is painful, it also gives us the opportunity to step back, listen, and begin shaping a stronger and reimagined GayDays for the future. Thank you for your continued love, patience, and support. This is not goodbye — it’s a reset, and we look forward to creating the future of GayDays together.”

GayDays, which began in 1991, encourages queer Disney fans to visit the Orlando theme park while wearing red shirts to identify one another. Originally focused on gay men reclaiming the childhood joy often denied due to homophobia, the event has expanded over the years to include LGBTQ+ families on summer vacations and queer couples honeymooning in the Magic Kingdom.

Disney made history in 2019 by holding its first-ever official Pride event at its European park, Disneyland Paris. In 2023, Disneyland California hosted the first U.S. official Pride event.

Concerns about the potential cancellation had arisen amid broader challenges affecting LGBTQ events nationwide. These include changes in hotel agreements, sponsorship support, and Florida’s increasingly restrictive anti-LGBTQ policies under Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida currently has an equality score of -3.00 out of 49 from the Movement Advancement Project, which evaluates states based on policies affecting relationship and parental recognition, nondiscrimination, religious exemptions, LGBTQ youth, healthcare, criminal justice, and transgender identity documentation.

Recent legislation in Florida has included prohibitions on hormone replacement therapy for transgender minors, restrictions on adult access to treatmentbans on drag performances for those under 18, bathroom bans for transgender people in state buildings, and expansion of the Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly called the “Don’t Say Gay” law. These measures limit public school instruction or discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Gay Days Anaheim is scheduled to take place at Disneyland Resort in September.

Disney has also maintained a focus on Pride, reporting in 2022 that proceeds from Pride merchandise benefited numerous LGBTQ organizations, including GLSEN, PFLAG, The Trevor Project, Zebra Coalition, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the LGBT Center Orange County, the San Francisco LGBT Center, and the Ali Forney Center. Pride merchandise sold internationally supports local LGBTQ organizations in those regions.

More details about this event are expected to be released on Friday.

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Italy

Olympics Pride House ‘really important for the community’

Italy lags behind other European countries in terms of LGBTQ rights

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Joseph Naklé, the project manager for Pride House at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, carries the Olympic torch in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Naklé)

The four Italian advocacy groups behind the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics’ Pride House hope to use the games to highlight the lack of LGBTQ+ rights in their country.

Arcigay, CIG Arcigay Milano, Milano Pride, and Pride Sport Milano organized the Pride House that is located in Milan’s MEET Digital Culture Center. The Los Angeles Blade on Feb. 5 interviewed Pride House Project Manager Joseph Naklé.

Naklé in 2020 founded Peacox Basket Milano, Italy’s only LGBTQ+ basketball team. He also carried the Olympic torch through Milan shortly before he spoke with the Blade. (“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie last month participated in the torch relay in Feltre, a town in Italy’s Veneto region.)

Naklé said the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights in Italy is “actually our main objective.”

ILGA-Europe in its Rainbow Map 2025 notes same-sex couples lack full marriage rights in Italy, and the country’s hate crimes law does not include sexual orientation or gender identity. Italy does ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, but the country’s nondiscrimination laws do not include gender identity.

ILGA-Europe has made the following recommendations “in order to improve the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in Italy.”

• Marriage equality for same-sex couples

• Depathologization of trans identities

• Automatic co-parent recognition available for all couples

“We are not really known to be the most openly LGBT-friendly country,” Naklé told the Blade. “That’s why it (Pride House) was really important for the community.”

“We want to use the Olympic games — because there is a big media attention — and we want to use this media attention to raise the voice,” he added.

The Coliseum in Rome on July 12, 2025. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Naklé noted Pride House will host “talks and roundtables every night” during the games that will focus on a variety of topics that include transgender and nonbinary people in sports and AI. Another will focus on what Naklé described to the Blade as “the importance of political movements now to fight for our rights, especially in places such as Italy or the U.S. where we are going backwards, and not forwards.”

Seven LGBTQ+ Olympians — Italian swimmer Alex Di Giorgio, Canadian ice dancers Paul Poirier and Kaitlyn Weaver, Canadian figure skater Eric Radford, Spanish figure skater Javier Raya, Scottish ice dancer Lewis Gibson, and Irish field hockey and cricket player Nikki Symmons — are scheduled to participate in Pride House’s Out and Proud event on Feb. 14.

Pride House Los Angeles – West Hollywood representatives are expected to speak at Pride House on Feb. 21.

The event will include a screening of Mariano Furlani’s documentary about Pride House and LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports. The MiX International LGBTQ+ Film and Queer Culture Festival will screen later this year in Milan. Pride House Los Angeles – West Hollywood is also planning to show the film during the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Naklé also noted Pride House has launched an initiative that allows LGBTQ+ sports teams to partner with teams whose members are either migrants from African and Islamic countries or people with disabilities.

“The objective is to show that sports is the bridge between these communities,” he said.

Bisexual US skier wins gold

Naklé spoke with the Blade a day before the games opened. The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will close on Feb. 22.

More than 40 openly LGBTQ+ athletes are competing in the games.

Breezy Johnson, an American alpine skier who identifies as bisexual, on Sunday won a gold medal in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, on the same day helped the U.S. win a gold medal in team figure skating.

Glenn said she received threats on social media after she told reporters during a pre-Olympics press conference that LGBTQ+ Americans are having a “hard time” with the Trump-Vance administration in the White House. The Associated Press notes Glenn wore a Pride pin on her jacket during Sunday’s medal ceremony.

“I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking ‍about being decent — human rights and decency,” said Glenn, according to the AP. “So that was really disappointing, and I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this.”

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Puerto Rico

Bad Bunny shares Super Bowl stage with Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga

Puerto Rican activist celebrates half time show

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Bad Bunny performs at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 8, 2026. (Screen capture via NFL/YouTube)

Bad Bunny on Sunday shared the stage with Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl halftime show in Santa Clara, Calif.

Martin came out as gay in 2010. Gaga, who headlined the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show, is bisexual. Bad Bunny has championed LGBTQ+ rights in his native Puerto Rico and elsewhere.

“Not only was a sophisticated political statement, but it was a celebration of who we are as Puerto Ricans,” Pedro Julio Serrano, president of the LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico, told the Washington Blade on Monday. “That includes us as LGBTQ+ people by including a ground-breaking superstar and legend, Ricky Martin singing an anti-colonial anthem and showcasing Young Miko, an up-and-coming star at La Casita. And, of course, having queer icon Lady Gaga sing salsa was the cherry on the top.”

La Casita is a house that Bad Bunny included in his residency in San Juan, the Puerto Rican capital, last year. He recreated it during the halftime show.

“His performance brought us together as Puerto Ricans, as Latin Americans, as Americans (from the Americas) and as human beings,” said Serrano. “He embraced his own words by showcasing, through his performance, that the ‘only thing more powerful than hate is love.’”

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AIDS and HIV

Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduces new resolution for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

H.Res.1039 supports more funding, resources and awareness for Black American communities, who are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS.

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters has introduced a new resolution that highlights Black American struggle against HIV/AIDS. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Advocates established this day of awareness on Feb. 7, 1999, and nearly 30 years later, Black communities in the U.S. continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV. 

On Wednesday, California Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced H.Res.1039, a resolution that supports the goals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and calls for a collective commitment to address disparities Black people with HIV face. Waters represents the state’s 43rd congressional district, a majority Black and Brown population comprising South L.A. cities like Hawthorne, Gardena, and Inglewood. 

In the resolution, Waters urges state and local government officials, as well as their public health agencies, to acknowledge the importance of this awareness day and encourage their constituents to get tested for HIV. The resolution also requests that the Secretary of Health and Human Services prioritize distributing grant funding to minority-led, HIV organizations and community-based approaches to fighting HIV stigma, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and racism.

In 2023, young Black men accounted for 47% of new HIV diagnoses among youth, while young white men made up 3% of these diagnoses, according to a new Williams Institute report. Black women also have the highest HIV diagnosis rate among women, and Black community members overall represent 38% of new HIV diagnoses and 39% of people living with HIV in the U.S., despite being only 12% of the national population. 

Beyond the disproportionate rates of infection and diagnosis amongst Black Americans, these communities also face greater difficulties in accessing the medical care needed to prevent and treat HIV. In the same year, white Americans were 7 times more likely to access Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) compared to Black Americans, a data point that affirms racial and healthcare inequities Black people continue to face in the U.S. 

“[This] is a day to commemorate the impact of HIV/AIDS on Black Americans and encourage continued efforts to reduce the incidence of HIV, eliminate health disparities, improve access to care and treatment, and show support for all those who are living with HIV/AIDS,” said Congresswoman Waters, in a press release

Waters has been an advocate for people impacted by HIV/AIDS since the peak of the crisis in the 1980’s. In 1998, she worked to establish the Minority AIDS Initiative, which expanded national prevention and treatment efforts in support of minority communities, who remain disproportionately impacted by HIV. In 2025, Waters introduced the “HIV Prevention Now Act” as well as the “PrEP and PEP are Prevention Act,” to increase prevention efforts and reduce health insurance barriers to access preventative resources, respectively. 

H.Res.1039 is the latest addition to the congresswoman’s efforts to raise awareness for Black and other minority communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, and to fund and support on-the-ground efforts that prioritize their care and wellbeing. 

The resolution is endorsed by various LGBTQ+ organizations mobilizing for communities impacted by HIV, including AMAAD Institute (Arming Minorities Against Addiction and Disease), LA Pride, AIDS Foundation Chicago, and PFLAG National. The resolution is also co-sponsored by 29 other U.S. representatives, including fellow California congressmembers Robert Garcia, Laura Friedman, Nanette Barragán, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Lateefah Simon and Mark Takano. 

H.Res. 1039 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and currently awaits further action. 

Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.

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Los Angeles

Project Angel Food is now able to feed 10,000 people daily with expanded building

On Thursday, community gathered to celebrate Project Angel Food’s new kitchen and campus building, which allows them to serve more of the county’s critically ill community.

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On Tuesday morning, Jamie Lee Curtis, artist Robert Vargas, Amelia Bolker, Chuck Lorre, Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub, Trisha Cardoso, and County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath celebrated the organization’s new kitchen and building.

On Feb. 5, community members gathered at 922 Vine Street to celebrate the expansion of Hollywood-based non-profit Project Angel Food. That Thursday morning, the organization cut the ribbon for its Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus: one of two new buildings that greatly increase its capacity to provide healthy food and nutritional resources to the county’s critically ill community members. 

The new expanded kitchen space allows staff to increase the amount of meals they prepare every day. (Blade photo by Kristie Song)

Project Angel Food was founded in 1989 by author and activist Marianne Williamson and blossomed from a dire need to feed people impacted by HIV/AIDS during the epidemic. Today, the organization cooks and delivers over 1.5 million meals, tailored to specific needs that include chronic illnesses and gastrointestinal issues, to 5,000 people across Los Angeles. 

In August 2023, the organization launched its “Rise to the Challenge” campaign, a multi-year expansion and renovation project backed by $51 million. Now, its first phase is complete, and its impact is expected to double. 

With the new Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus, Project Angel Food’s kitchen staff — which, like the rest of the organization, is majorly powered by volunteers — has access to 16,000 square feet of expanded space, which includes more ovens, walk-in freezers, and hot cook lines than they’ve ever had access to previously. Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub explained today that this will allow staff and volunteers to serve 10,000 people a day. 

The organization’s executive chef, John Gordon, explained to the Blade that “space issues” were a major hindrance previously. Before the new kitchen was opened, staff worked out of a much smaller Lincoln Heights facility. “If you didn’t get the rack, you don’t have the sheet pans. If you got the sheet pans, you don’t have the last chiller,” Gordon said, explaining how difficult it was before to balance multiple tasks in the same space. Now, their team of seven chefs, 12 kitchen assistants, dishwashers, and volunteers can work in several cook lines at the same time. 

Project Angel Food’s executive chef John Gordon explained the new space to community members on Feb 5. (Blade photo by Kristie Song)

“We’re much more efficient this way,” Gordon continued. In the kitchen, the day begins at 8 a.m. Someone will pick music for the morning, setting a groove for staff as they sync up to review recipes, pack meals prepared from the day before, and cook meals for the next day ahead. After a lunch break, they continue to work until 4 p.m. to make sure they’re meeting the needs of the community they serve.

For locals like Celeste, a Project Angel Food client who is affected by multiple sclerosis, this service is crucial. On days the disability “really takes effect,” being able to receive nutritious meals customized to her needs makes a meaningful difference. “Some days, I’m not able to get up,” Celeste said. “Just that one meal [can] give me an extra boost [and] allow that sun to shine brightly even on my rainy days.” 

For advocates and Project Angel Food supporters, Thursday’s celebration was also an act of resistance and a bold declaration against the federal administration. Jamie Lee Curtis, the honorary co-chair of the “Rise to the Challenge” campaign, spoke of the “love” that lay at the core of Project Angel Food’s foundation: a kind of love she finds completely absent in the federal administration.

Jamie Lee Curtis at Project Angel Foods Grand Opening Of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen And Campus / Photo courtesy of Getty Images

“We are a community here today the same way they are in Minnesota, and I feel like what they’re doing is what we’re doing,” Curtis said to the crowd, defiance firm in her voice. “And we’re only going to get any shit done if we do it together and defy these motherfuckers.” 

Community members celebrated as the ribbon was cut for the new Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus. (Blade photo by Kristie Song)

County supervisor Lindsey Horvath, a former delivery volunteer at Project Angel Food, affirmed this statement and guaranteed the county’s continued support in the organization. Horvath spoke of the government’s “glaring absence” during the HIV/AIDS epidemic: one that is “eerily similar” to its attitude now. 

As the government mobilizes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, sending immigrant communities spiraling into crisis, on-the-ground organizations like Project Angel Food are standing in firm support of their marginalized and ill community members. Horvath’s confirmation of county support is also rooted in this mission. 

The building’s exterior also reflects the organization’s dedication to its residents. On the south side, a new large-scale mural painted by esteemed local muralist Robert Vargas highlights the stories of local volunteers and vendors who live and work in the neighborhood. Vargas explained that seeing these people in action “crystallized” the dedicated service and harmony that exists among the organization’s volunteers, clients, staff, and nearby community members.

The new building includes a large mural, completed by artist Robert Vargas, that reflects the local community. (Blade photo by Kristie Song)

Next, the second building of the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus begins construction this summer. This space will house the organization’s nutrition, volunteer, and client services and will also include its first department dedicated to research and policy. There will also be a training kitchen, where clients will be able to learn how to cook meals on their own. 

As Project Angel Food’s growth continues, Ayoub hopes community members who are able to pitch in will do so. While public funding can feel unsteady, he explained, community strength and sustainment can fill those gaps of doubt. The organization is $2.3 million away from its goal in securing capital for this second building, and Lorre will match donations up to $1.5 million. 

Kristie Song is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.

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Arts & Entertainment

2026 Best of LGBTQ LA Readers’ Choice Award Nominations

Nominations for the Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are open from until February 15th!

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It’s time to celebrate the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community of Los Angeles! Nominations for the Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are open from until February 15th, giving you the chance to highlight your favorite local legends, hotspots, performers, and change-makers. Then, from February 23rd to March 6th, cast your vote for the finalists and help decide who truly represents the best of LGBTQ LA. The Best of LGBTQ LA Awards Party will be held on March 26th at The Abbey!

Use the form below or click the link HERE to nominate!

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Italy

44 openly LGBTQ+ athletes to compete in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

Games to begin on Friday

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More than 40 openly LGBTQ+ athletes are expected to compete in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that open on Friday.

Outsports.com notes eight Americans — including speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy and figure skater Amber Glenn — are among the 44 openly LGBTQ+ athletes who will compete in the games. The LGBTQ+ sports website also reports Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, is the first openly transgender athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics.

“I’ve always been physically capable. That was never a question,” Glenn told Outsports.com. “It was always a mental and competence problem. It was internal battles for so long: when to lean into my strengths and when to work on my weaknesses, when to finally let myself portray the way I am off the ice on the ice. That really started when I came out publicly.”

McDermott-Mostowy is among the six athletes who have benefitted from the Out Athlete Fund, a group that has paid for their Olympics-related training and travel. The other beneficiaries are freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy, speed skater Brittany Bowe, snowboarder Maddy Schaffrick, alpine skier Breezy Johnson, and Paralympic Nordic skier Jake Adicoff.

Out Athlete Fund and Pride House Los Angeles – West Hollywood on Friday will host a free watch party for the opening ceremony.

“When athletes feel seen and accepted, they’re free to focus on their performance, not on hiding who they are,” Haley Caruso, vice president of the Out Athlete Fund’s board of directors, told the Los Angeles Blade.

Four Italian LGBTQ+ advocacy groups — Arcigay, CIG Arcigay Milano, Milano Pride, and Pride Sport Milano — have organized the games’ Pride House that will be located at the MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan.

Pride House on its website notes it will “host a diverse calendar of events and activities curated by associations, activists, and cultural organizations that share the values of Pride” during the games. These include an opening ceremony party at which Checcoro, Milan’s first LGBTQ+ chorus, will perform.

ILGA World, which is partnering with Pride House, is the co-sponsor of a Feb. 21 event that will focus on LGBTQ+-inclusion in sports. Valentina Petrillo, a trans Paralympian, is among those will participate in a discussion that Simone Alliva, a journalist who writes for the Italian newspaper Domani, will moderate.

“The event explores inclusivity in sport — including amateur levels — with a focus on transgender people, highlighting the role of civil society, lived experiences, and the voices of athletes,” says Milano Pride on its website.

The games will take place against the backdrop of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s decision to ban trans women from competing in women’s sporting events.

President Donald Trump last February issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S. A group of Republican lawmakers in response to the directive demanded the International Olympics Committee ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.

The IOC in 2021 adopted its “Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations” that includes the following provisions:

• 3.1 Eligibility criteria should be established and implemented fairly and in a manner that does not systematically exclude athletes from competition based upon their gender identity, physical appearance and/or sex variations.

• 3.2 Provided they meet eligibility criteria that are consistent with principle 4 (“Fairness”, athletes should be allowed to compete in the category that best aligns with their self-determined gender identity.

• 3.3 Criteria to determine disproportionate competitive advantage may, at times, require testing of an athlete’s performance and physical capacity. However, no athlete should be subject to targeted testing because of, or aimed at determining, their sex, gender identity and/or sex variations.

The 2034 Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City. The 2028 Summer Olympics will occur in Los Angeles.

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Obituary

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

O’Hara is remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

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Emmys, gay news, Washington Blade

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in Beetlejuice, Schitt’s Creek, and Home Alone, has died at 71 on Friday, Jan. 30, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both The Studio and The Last of Us. For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of Schitt’s Creek. She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In Schitt’s Creek, she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ+ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ+ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include SCTV Network (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under, Best in Show, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Dick Tracy. O’Hara also lent her voice to The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, Monster House, and Elemental. O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of The Studio, which started filming earlier this month.

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