NATIONAL
The U.S. House and Senate negotiated final appropriations bills to fund the federal government through Sept. 30—and all anti-transgender provisions have been removed, per The Advocate.
U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride. Photo by Bryan Bedder_Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign
The “most extreme” ones were in the bills to fund the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, Erin Reed noted in her Erin in the Morning Substack column.
These included “language barring ‘any federal funds’ from supporting gender-affirming care at any age and threatening funding for schools that support transgender students,” she wrote. Trans U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Delaware) “was proud to work relentlessly with her colleagues in ensuring these funding bills did not include anti-LGBTQ provisions,” a McBride staff member told Erin in the Morning.
Recently, parents, families and advocates gathered at the Florida Capitol to speak out against what they said have been years of relentless attacks on their LGBTQ+ children by Gov. Ron DeSantis and extremist lawmakers, according to an Equality Florida press release. “We are standing shoulder to shoulder with parents who are doing exactly what parents are supposed to do: Loving their children, protecting them, and fighting for their futures,” said Executive Director Stratton Pollitzer. “But once again, Ron DeSantis and his extremist allies in the legislature are choosing cruelty over care.”
Advocates gather at the Florida Capitol to speak against Gov. Ron DeSantis and extremist lawmakers. Image courtesy of Equality Florida
NYC Pride—which organizes the main Pride March in New York City—unveiled its 2026 theme, Gay City News noted. It’s “For All of Us,” which is inspired by a quote attributed to the late Marsha P. Johnson. This year’s theme aims to pay tribute to LGBTQ+ icons like Johnson while also emphasizing the need to support marginalized members of the community, according to NYC Pride. Pride events were scaled back or cancelled in some cities last year in the midst of President Donald Trump’s campaign against LGBTQ+ rights and DEI; that trend continues this year, with Pride events getting cancelled in cities like Tampa, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; and Arlington, Texas.
Tucson, Arizona. Image credit Kieran MacAuliffe from Pixabay
And on a related note, Tucson Pride is shutting down after nearly 50 years serving southern Arizona, per The Advocate. While no particular reason was mentioned, Tucson Pride recently faced significant financial challenges, according to the Arizona-based LGBTQ+ news outlet LOOKOUT. The organization also canceled a Pride festival slated for February that had been rescheduled from last November.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has rescinded LGBTQ+-inclusive guidance regarding workplace harassment, The Advocate reported. The commission voted two to one to withdraw the document, which was approved in 2024, when Joe Biden was president. EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, appointed by Donald Trump in 2020, had said that the agency would not advocate for transgender and nonbinary people—in keeping with Trump’s executive order.
Highly Favored—the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s annual Black History Month celebration—will return on Saturday, Feb. 21, at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, a press release noted. This year, the center is honoring the legacy of Black queer nightlife in Los Angeles, inspired by the iconic space Jewel’s Catch One. Highlights will include a special installation by LA artist/photographer Nikko LaMere at the Advocate & Gochis Galleries; and a high-energy dance party, with queer DJs spinning tunes.
A Minnesota-based federal magistrate judge in Minnesota rejected charging gay journalist Don Lemon after he covered a protest inside a St. Paul church—reportedly angering Attorney General Pam Bondi, The Advocate noted, citing CBS News. A source said that the Justice Department may find other ways to charge Lemon. Protesters interrupted a church service at St. Paul’s Cities Church—an event that Lemon covered. One of the pastors is an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official. Protests erupted in Minnesota after the killing of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7.
Chelsea Zahn—a former employee of the Pittsburgh Steelers—has taken the football team to court, alleging she faced discrimination when she worked there during 2013-24 due to her sex and sexual orientation, The Advocate noted. Zahn has claimed that she was mistreated, paid less and denied promotions in her work in corporate sales because she is a lesbian. Media reps for the Steelers declined to comment for the article.
WORLD
Wedding bells are ringing worldwide for LGBTQ+ U.S. couples choosing to marry abroad—and safety is a key reason, GayCities noted. A new study by wedding-specialist company Destify revealed that the United States ranks 19th with a safety score of 70.1/100. Marriage equality is still the law in the U.S.; however, as many have become aware, the queer community is facing discrimination and violence led by policymakers. Iceland, Canada and Denmark have been listed as the three safest countries for LGBTQ+ destination weddings.
The United States officially left the World Health Organization (WHO) on Jan. 22, despite warnings that doing so would hurt public health in the U.S. and globally, USA Today noted. President Donald Trump gave notice that the U.S. would quit the organization on the first day of his presidency in 2025 with an executive order. According to a news release from the U.S. Health and State departments, the United States will only work with the WHO in a limited fashion to conclude the withdrawal.
Also, the Trump administration has ordered U.S. embassies to issue reports on countries that allow gender-affirming medical care for minors—which Trump loyalists say is human-rights abuse, according to Erasing 76 Crimes, citing a report from The Council for Global Equality. The council added that “the reports are no longer even vaguely credible on LGBTQI+ issues and are now creating an anti-rights framework to legitimize attacks against our communities.” Because of the changes, the council warned human rights groups to be wary of reporting abuses to U.S. embassies.
A survey revealed that 94% of highly educated queer professionals are preparing to emigrate from Nigeria, per Erasing 76 Crimes. This means that discrimination could cost Nigeria up to $31 billion in GDP over the next decade. The national graduate unemployment rate is 22%; among queer graduates in the data set, it rises to 26%, despite strong academic and technical qualifications.
Gus Kenworthy. Photo by Kevin Winter_Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign
Skier/actor Gus Kenworthy received word that he would be part of Team GB (Great Britain) at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, per Outsports. “I want you to be the first to congratulate you for being selected to Team GB for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics,” Pat Sharples, the Team GB snowsport head coach Pat Sharples told Kenworthy over the phone. Kenworthy—who came out a year after winning a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics—retired from his sport a couple years ago, but made a comeback. (Kenworthy has dual citizenship in the United States and Great Britain.)
Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie carried the Olympic torch in Feltre, Italy, as part of the Milano Cortina 2026 relay, Variety noted. Dressed in pink-and-white tracksuits, the two are seen in videos on social media holding the torch, smiling and waving to the crowds. The relay will conclude Feb. 6 in Milan ahead of the opening ceremony. The date and location of their participation had not been announced ahead of time.
In China, local authorities detained two men in connection with an AI-manipulated photo of two pandas showing same-sex behavior, Out noted. They were arrested for “maliciously” associating queerness with certain Chinese cities, according to The Washington Post. The men allegedly shared the image at the “panda capital” of Chengdu. “This case has been described as a stigmatization of Chengdu, because many netizens joked that homosexuality is so widespread in the city that even pandas there turned gay,” lawyer Wang Xuetan said.
At least one guest at Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s 2022 wedding provided his view on the chef’s claims that his mother, Victoria Beckham, danced “inappropriately” with her son at the event, per Page Six. Stavros Agapiou—the partner of British DJ Fat Tony, who was asked to perform at Peltz and Brooklyn’s wedding reception—wrote “I was there and she did[;] he’s telling the truth” in a now-deleted Instagram comment. After deleting his response, Agapiou wrote, “Good on him for finally speaking out!” However, the DJ has also weighed in, telling This Morning that “there was no slut dropping, there was no PVC cat suit [and] no Spice Girl action.”
On the show Big Brother: Brazil, the first kiss of the season (for the first time) was between two gay men: model/biologist Breno Cora and physician Marcelo Alves, according to Instinct. The outlet stated, “This kiss wasn’t just a [romantic] moment. It was a milestone for representation on a show that reaches millions. It’s proof that love and attraction don’t need to be limited to straight storylines or straight narratives.”
SHOWBIZ
For the third consecutive year, GLAAD teamed with Frameline and NewFest—two of the nation’s premier LGBTQ+ film festivals—for the return of Cheers, Queers at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, a press release noted. Founded by Alex Schmider (GLAAD), Allegra Madsen (Frameline) and David Hatkoff (NewFest), Cheers, Queers continued the legacy of the Queer Brunch started at Sundance by PlanetOut.com co-founder Jenni Olson and Outfest Executive Director Morgan Rumpf in 1997. MC’ed by Ryan Mitchell and with hosts David Hatkoff (NewFest), Allegra Madsen (Frameline), and Alex Schmider (GLAAD), a couple programs included a highlight reel of LGBTQ+ filmmakers, creatives and activists including Guinevere Turner (Go Fish), Sav Rodgers (director, Chasing Chasing Amy), Jennie Livingston (director, Paris Is Burning) and Yvonne Welbon, among others; and The New & Next Queer Cinema: A Conversation with Queer Icons of Then and Now, a panel featuring prolific filmmakers Christine Vachon and Cheryl Dunye.
Christine Vachon and Cheryl Dunye. Photo by David Becker_Getty Images for GLAAD
On a related note, Meredith Marks hosted GLAAD’s 4th Annual Celebration—a toast to this year’s GLAAD Media Awards nominees—at Sundance in Park City, Utah, per a media release. Some of the guests included Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughan, Kelly McCormack, Nik Dodani, Seth Marks, Soledad O’Brien, Thora Birch, Yasim Kassim, GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos and Ryan Mitchell.
Queer WNBA All-Star Breanna Stewart held a sign during player introductions at Unrivaled in Miami on Jan. 25, that read “ABOLISH ICE,” per USA Today. Stewart—who helped start the three-on-three women’s professional basketball league—is among a few athletes who have spoken out after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by a federal agent. Stewart’s wife, Marta, is an immigrant who has a green card.
Billy Porter, Foo Fighters, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Adam Lambert, Charlie Puth, Kesha, Teddy Swims and Taylor Momsen are among those slated to perform at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year benefit gala honoring Mariah Carey, Broadway World noted. The event will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 30, and it will highlight Carey’s storied career and philanthropic impact. The evening will also feature a live auction benefiting MusiCares’ mission; items will be available for bidding during the gala and will include a VIP Floor Bistro table at the 2026 Grammy Awards taking place Feb. 1.
Kathy Griffin. Photo by Jen Rosenstein
Comedian/actress Kathy Griffin added to her complex history with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, urging both men to use their platforms to speak out about ICE protests in Minnesota following the shooting death of Minnesota mother Renee Nicole Good, according to Instinct. In a video, Griffin commented that the only reason she was “putting aside” her “beef with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper” was because she wanted them “to recognize that you have a much larger microphone and platform than little D-lister Kathy Griffin.” Much of Griffin’s message was aimed at Cooper, whom she once considered a close friend; she questioned why the CNN journalist wasn’t reporting on the ground.
U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn—who recently clinched a spot on her first Olympic team and who may become the first U.S. woman to medal in singles at an Olympics since 2006—said that coming out as bisexual and pansexual in 2019 helped her mental health immensely, NBC News noted. “It was something that did set me free,” Glenn said in the run-up to the Olympics. “I was able to feel like I wasn’t being pressured into trying to fill someone else’s shoes.” Glenn will become the first out woman to figure-skate at an Olympics, Outsports has stated.
In one of his “What the Old Gays Remember” Instagram videos, out comic Guy Branum (Bros; Platonic) focused on bodybuilder Bob Paris, who came out in 1989 after falling in love with fellow competitor Rod Jackson, Queerty mentioned. Almost immediately, Paris said he lost more than 80% of his bookings and received death threats; Paris and Jackson became vocal advocates for equal rights, although they split as a couple in the mid-’90s.
The 2026 Tony Awards will take place Sunday, June 7, and return to Radio City Music Hall for a second consecutive year, Deadline confirmed. Tony Award Productions also set the eligibility cut-off date for the 2025-26 season as Sunday, April 26, for all Broadway productions that meet all other eligibility requirements. Nominations for the 2026 Tonys will be announced on Tuesday, May 5.
Queer multi-platinum, Grammy®-nominated musician Mika released Hyperlove—his first English-language studio album since 2019—via Republic Records, per a press release. To celebrate the release, Mika will bring his live show back to North America next spring. The Spinning Out Tour kicks off April 29 in Boston and will travel through major cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin and more.
Kim Vo—a celebrity hairstylist and colorist to many stars—has died at age 55, People confirmed. Vo’s husband, Adeel Khan, told the outlet that he died Jan. 19 in Beverly Hills, California. Khan also shared the news of Vo’s death on Instagram, revealing that Vo had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2018. Khan added that instead of flowers, Vo had requested that donations be made to the Kim Vo Foundation, which supports “hair, beauty and fashion creatives also affected by cancer.”
Outdoor retailer Patagonia is suing drag queen Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement, claiming that the play on its name has caused “confusion and deception” among consumers, per The Independent. “The trademark application reflects Pattie Gonia’s departure from discrete use of a persona to engage in activism and confirms Defendants’ intent instead to launch a wide-ranging commercial enterprise under the PATTIE GONIA brand,” according to court documents. Patagonia included images of the drag personality promoting merchandise featuring their trademark, which the company has claimed “is nearly identical to the Patagonia word mark.”
British artist and LGBTQ+ ally Louis Tomlinson released the single “Imposter”with an official music video (with award-winning actor James Nelson-Joyce), a press release noted. The song is from Tomlinson’s newest album, How Did I Get Here? And fellow former One Director bandmate Harry Styles is doing something unique this year: He will play 30 consecutive shows at Madison Square Garden (MSG) from August through October 2026 as part of his Together, Together world tour, per another press release. The 30 MSG shows will mark Styles’ only U.S. dates this year and the most shows at any venue across the international tour, which begins in May in Amsterdam and includes 50 stops in only seven cities worldwide in 2026.
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