Streaming platforms scale back Pride Month messaging
Most major streaming services have yet to highlight Pride Month shows and movies this year.
Why it matters: The move reflects growing corporate caution amid rising backlash against diversity and inclusion efforts.
State of play: Hulu and Peacock are the only platforms with a featured banner or list of titles on their homepages dedicated to the month that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community.
So far, Netflix, HBO Max and Apple TV+ are the only streamers to join Hulu and Peacock in acknowledging Pride on social media.
Between the lines: Every major streamer has a folder of titles (most are called "collections") dedicated to shows and movies with queer themes and storylines year-round.
Each user's viewing habits play a part in where the algorithm places the folder, even this month, if it's on the homepage at all.
Paramount+ and Tubi representatives told Axios they have social posts planned for Pride.
All major platforms have posted about Pride Month on social media in previous years.
Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+ did not return Axios' request for comment on this story.
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35 minutes ago
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Trump once opened the door to the LGBTQ+ community. Now activists say he's their top threat
WASHINGTON (AP) — When he first ran for office, Donald Trump appeared to be a new kind of Republican when it came to gay rights. Years earlier, he overturned the rules of his own Miss Universe pageant to allow a transgender contestant to compete. He said Caitlyn Jenner could use any bathroom at Trump Tower that she wanted. And he was the first president to name an openly gay person to a Cabinet-level position. But since returning to office this year, Trump has engaged in what activists say is an unprecedented assault on the LGBTQ+ community. The threat from the White House contrasts with World Pride celebrations taking place just blocks away in Washington, including a parade and rally this weekend. 'We are in the darkest period right now since the height of the AIDS crisis,' said Kevin Jennings, who leads Lambda Legal, a longtime advocacy organization. 'I am deeply concerned that we're going to see it all be taken away in the next four years.' Trump's defenders insist the president has not acted in a discriminatory way, and they point to public polling that shows widespread support for policies like restrictions on transgender athletes. 'He's working to establish common sense once again,' said Ed Williams, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBT conservatives. Harrison Fields, the principal deputy press secretary at the White House, said, 'the overall MAGA movement is a big tent welcome for all and home to a large swath of the American people.' 'The president continues to foster a national pride that should be celebrated daily, and he is honored to serve all Americans,' Fields said. Presidential actions were widely expected Trump made anti-transgender attacks a central plank of his campaign reelection message as he called on Congress to pass a bill stating there are 'only two genders' and pledged to ban hormonal and surgical intervention for transgender minors. He signed an executive order doing so in January. His rally speeches featured a spoof video mocking transgender people and their place in the U.S. military. Trump has since banned them outright from serving. And although June is recognized nationally as Pride month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week that Trump has 'no plans for a proclamation.' 'I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president for all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed,' she added, making no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity. Williams described Pride activities as a progressive catch-all rather than a civil rights campaign. 'If you're not in the mood to protest or resist the Trump administration,' he said, 'Pride is not for you.' Trump declined to issue Pride Month proclamations in his first term, but did recognize the celebration in 2019 as he publicized a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality headed by Richard Grenell, then the U.S. Ambassador to Germany and the highest-profile openly gay person in the administration. (Grenell now serves as envoy for special missions.) 'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump posted on social media. Times have changed where Trump is concerned This time, there is no celebrating. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump named himself chairman of after firing members of the board of trustees, canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Trump, who indicated when he took up the position that he would be dictating programming, had specifically said he would end events featuring performers in drag. The exterior lights that once lit the venue on the Potomac River in the colors of the rainbow were quickly replaced with red, white and blue. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. Inside the White House, there's little second-guessing about the president's stances. Trump aides have pointed to their decision to seize on culture wars surrounding transgender rights during the 2024 campaign as key to their win. They poured money into ads aimed at young men — especially young Hispanic men — attacking Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for supporting 'taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners,' including one spot aired during football games. 'Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,' the narrator said. Jennings flatly rejected assertions that the administration hasn't been discriminatory. 'Are you kidding me? You're throwing trans people out of the military. That's example No. 1.' He points to the cancellation of scientific grants and funding for HIV/AIDS organizations, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's 'petty and mean' order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, which commemorates the gay rights activist and Navy veteran. Jennings also said it doesn't help that Trump has appointed openly gay men like Grenell and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to high-profile positions: 'I would call it window dressing.' Less tolerance for the issues as time passes Craig Konnoth, a University of Virginia professor of civil rights, compared the U.S.' trajectory to that of Russia, which has seen a crackdown on gay and lesbian rights after a long stretch of more progressive policies. In 2023, Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlawed LGBTQ+ activism. Williams said Trump has made the Republican Party more accepting of gay people. First lady Melania Trump, he noted, has hosted fundraisers for his organization. 'On the whole, we think he's the best president ever for our community. He's managed to support us in ways that we have never been supported by any administration,' Williams said. 'We are vastly accepted within our party now.' Trump's approach to LGBTQ+ rights comes amid a broader shift among Republicans, who have grown less tolerant in recent years. While overall support for same-sex marriage has been stable, according to Gallup, the percentage of Republicans who think marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as valid with the same rights as traditional marriage dropped to 41% this year. That's the lowest point since 2016, a year after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, and a substantial decline from a high of 55% in 2021. There's been a similar drop in the share of Republicans who say that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, which has dropped from 56% in 2022 to 38% this year. Democrats, meanwhile, continue to overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage and say that same-sex relations are morally acceptable. An AP-NORC poll from May also found that Trump's approach to handling transgender issues has been a point of relative strength for the president. About half (52%) of U.S. adults said they approve of how he's handling transgender issues — a figure higher than his overall job approval (41%). Douglas Page, who studies politics and gender at Gettysburg College, said that 'trans rights are less popular than gay rights, with a minority of Republicans in favor of trans rights. This provides incentives for Republicans to speak to the conservative side of that issue.' 'Gay people are less controversial to Republicans compared to trans people,' he said in an email, 'so gay appointees like Secretary Bessent probably won't ruffle many feathers.' ___ Colvin reported from New York. Linley Sanders and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
7 best places to learn about LGBTQ+ history
Curious travelers seeking to understand different cultures—near and abroad—can cure their curiosity by visiting historic landmarks and museums. The same can be done when expanding one's knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community and its history—and not just during Pride month in June. These places are open to the public year-round and collect, preserve, and share untold LGBTQ+ stories and contributions to the local and larger mainstream community. Visiting LGBTQ+ points of interest when you travel can help forge a deeper understanding of a destination and its queer community. "For too long, LGBTQ+ history was oral and hidden. Dedicated museums preserve truth, challenge misconceptions, and affirm the fundamental right to exist," says George Savoulis, director of Qtopia Sydney. We've compiled a list of the seven best places around the globe, including LGBTQ+ museums, that history lovers should consider visiting for Pride Month and beyond. (These monuments honor LGBTQ history around the world.) Located in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, this visual arts museum collects, preserves, and exhibits the work of LGBTQ+ artists including pieces that analyze themes, issues, and people in the community. Founders Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman created the concept for the museum after hosting an exhibition of gay artists in their SoHo loft. Today, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art's permanent collection includes Llanor Alleyne's mixed-media collage 'Another Poem (For Colin Robinson)' and Ann P. Meredith's photo taken during a women's AIDS foundation support group in 1987. Families visiting with children should be aware that some art on display does feature nudity. The museum also hosts temporary artist exhibits such as Young Joon Kwak's 'Resisterhood,' a celebration of the human body form and its imperfections during our youth, aging, gestation, or gender transformation. Queer figure drawing classes for and by queer trans bodies and storytelling that celebrate Latinx LGBTQ+ contributions to the arts are just a few examples of fun programs and activities offered to visitors. (See 100 years of LGBTQ history mapped across New York City.) Located in the King's Cross district of London, Queer Britain is the first LGBTQ+ museum in the UK. In 2018, Joseph Galliano-Doig and Iain Mehrtens held temporary art installations and exhibitions around the city, eventually becoming this one-of-a-kind museum in 2022. Queer Britain has four galleries that celebrate queer people but also serve as a place where visitors can immerse themselves in LGBTQ+ stories and ideas. Previous art installations and exhibitions have included a large Pride flag commissioned by Netflix to celebrate the third season of the TV series Heartstopper, a community showcase on queer migrant men, and an exhibit of Jimmy Somerville's album The Age of Consent (1984). The newest addition to the museum '20 Years of UK Black Pride,' follows the history of UK Black Pride, from its first gathering in Southend-on-Sea to how it became the largest free Pride celebration for LGBTQ+ Black and people of color. The exhibition runs through August 31, 2025. (Must-see LGBTQ-friendly destinations for every kind of traveler.) In 2024, Qtopia Sydney opened its doors to the public, becoming the largest LGBTQ+ museum in the world. The museum was the vision of the late Professor David Cooper who hoped to create a space to honor Australians impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Cooper shared this dream with David Polson, one of the first men diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Australia. Making Cooper's dream a reality, Polson founded Qtopia Sydney. The history doesn't stop there, the LGBTQ+ museum is housed inside Sydney's old Darlington Police Station, where many gay activists were held after the city's first gay protest in 1978. The LGBTQ+ community reclaimed the harrowed building by turning the prison cells into exhibits. "This building is a profound act of spatial justice—transforming a site of oppression and abuse into one of celebration and education," says Savoulis. The first cell of the old police station focuses on police brutality as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community. When visitors enter the museum, they are confronted with a thought-provoking and revealing exhibition dedicated to the HIV/AIDS epidemic (1981 to late 1990s). Previous temporary exhibits have included an homage to beloved drag queen Joyce Maynge, queer media like Lesbians on the Loose, and 'Bedazzled,' a creative display of costumes worn at Mardi Gras (Sydney's annual Pride celebration). Located near Fort Lauderdale's Holiday Park, the Stonewall National Museum, Archives, and Library (SNMAL) has preserved LGBTQ+ history for over five decades. Mark N. Silber founded SNMAL, which claims to have the largest LGBTQ+ collection in the world. The collection started in his parent's home in 1973, and today, SNMAL frequently rotates its exhibits, but there are permanent, must-see exhibitions on-site, including one that highlights four decades of LGBTQ+ history in Broward County, where the museum is located. "The exhibits represent the voice of the people, the times, and society at large to represent a full picture of history and culture," says Robert Kesten, president and CEO of SNMAL. SNMAL has hosted previous and upcoming exhibitions and events such as a re-enactment of the Stonewall uprising, "55 Years of Pride" and "Queer Baseball" exhibitions, a book signing with comedian Bruce Vilanch, and free queer movie nights, including queer favorites such as All About Eve, Moonlight, and Death Becomes Her. (These12 historic LGBTQ figures changed the world.) In 1984, Andreas Sternweiler, Wolfgang Theis, and Manfred Baumgardt were students working as guards at the former Berlin Museum. They encouraged the museum's director to host an exhibition about Berlin's LGBTQ+ community. During the summer of 1984, the exhibition— 'Eldorado – the History, Everyday Life, and Culture of Homosexual Women and Men 1850-1950,' was on display in the Berlin Museum and welcomed over 40,000 visitors. The success and popularity of 'Eldorado' sparked the idea to create a permanent residence for the exhibit, which would eventually be housed in what's known as Schwules Museum today. Schwules Museum has been in Berlin's Tiergarten neighborhood since 2013. Its goal remains to preserve European queer culture by chronicling LGBTQ+ history in Germany and other European nations. Its archive is full of periodicals from the 1990s and over 25,000 books about homosexuality, queer-feminist issues, transgender, and intersex identities. Kit Heyam's Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender and Andrea Rottmann's Queer Lives Across the Wall: Desire and Danger in Divided Berlin, 1945–1970 are a couple of books visitors will find here. After browsing the library, visit the main exhibition space which displays galleries of photos, videos, postcards, letters, and clothing items from the LGBTQ+ community. The museum has hosted exhibitions on dandyism and Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an East German gay icon. (Learn about the great hunt for the world's first LGBTQ+ archive.) The Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archives in Rogers Park is the largest LGBTQ+ library in the Midwest. Founded in 1981, it houses nearly 15,000 items focused on the LGBTQ+ community and organizations in Chicago and the Midwest of the U.S. Items on display include photo albums from Miss Tillie, a drag performer who started performing in the 1940s and eventually moved to Chicago in the 1960s. Some of the 800 periodicals in its archives include vintage issues of Thing, a Chicago-based magazine in circulation from 1989 to 1993 that covered the local Black LGBTQ+ community. Visitors can also explore curated galleries that focus on Chicago's drag scene, Pride memorabilia, banned LGBTQ+ books, and areas that focus on topics such as lesbian feminism of the 1970s and 1980s, bisexual activism, and lesbians in sports. Throughout the year, the library has an array of queer events such as a Queer Stitch Night led by fiber artist Isabel Sperry and the Queer Zine Club, an informal gathering of LGBTQ+ people who are curious about queer culture and zine making. (Activist Pattie Gonia is on a mission to make the outdoors a more welcoming place.) The GLBT Historical Society—in San Francisco's famed Castro District—is touted as the first stand-alone museum to showcase exhibits focused on LGBTQ+ history and culture in the United States. The museum chronicles queer activism and cultural movements in the Bay Area with a focus on diversity and social justice. The "Queer Past Becomes Present" exhibit in the main gallery curated a few personal belongings of Harvey Milk, a gay activist and the first openly gay mayor of San Francisco. The museum is also home to a large collection of LGBTQ+ historical materials including the Asian/Pacific AIDS Coalition records and Meg Barnett's collection of Lesbians Against Police Violence records which consist of the organization's agendas, flyers, notes from general and committee meetings, and a few newspaper and magazine clippings. The archives at the GLBT Historical Society are named after Dr. John P. DeCecco, a psychology professor, author, and pioneer in sexuality studies. Visits to the archives are by appointment only. (How this Gold Rush town became an LGBTQ+ haven for travelers and transplants.) Lola Méndez is an Uruguayan-American freelance journalist who writes about sustainability, travel, culture, and wellness. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2 ‘Gilmore Girls' actors to join Brighton's Stars Hollow weekend in September
Fans, dust off your flannels and fast-talk your way to Brighton this fall: Two beloved 'Gilmore Girls' stars are coming to town. Destination Stars Hollow, the immersive fan event that transforms Brighton's Main Street into the cozy, fictional town from the hit early 2000s TV show, returns in September — and this year, it's bringing some familiar faces. Scott Patterson, best known for his role as the grumpy-but-lovable diner owner Luke Danes, will appear at the event on Saturday, Sept. 20. Also joining the festivities that day is Michigan native Rose Abdoo, who played two fan-favorite characters — the quirky mechanic named Gypsy and, in the Netflix revival 'A Year in the Life,' the no-nonsense maid Berta. Abdoo was born in Detroit and raised in Southfield. She is also a Michigan State University alum. Meet-and-greet tickets with the actors will go on sale closer to the event, with an official date to be announced. VIP ticket holders will receive first access to those limited tickets. More: 'Gilmore Girls' fan event returns to Brighton for 3 days this fall The 2024 debut of Destination Stars Hollow drew more than 40,000 fans from across Michigan and as far away as Hawaii, New York and Florida, putting Brighton — a small city in Livingston County — in a national spotlight. Created by Brighton residents and 'Gilmore Girls' superfans Kathleen London and Laura Boote, the event is designed to boost local businesses while offering fans a chance to step into their favorite show. Nearly 40 downtown storefronts will be transformed into Stars Hollow-inspired destinations, complete with themed décor and curated experiences. This year, the festival will stretch over three days instead of one. It kicks off Friday, Sept. 19, with a $150 VIP package that includes early access to Main Street shopping, a themed tote bag filled with show-inspired merchandise, first access to dinner reservations, and priority for meet-and-greet tickets. The free-to-attend festivities run from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, and Sunday, Sept. 21., featuring a wide range of themed shopping stores, photo ops, activities, food and more. According to organizers, weekend events will include easter egg hunts, dance-a-thons, knit-a-thons, Chilton-style fashion shows, a look-alike contest and even a Poe Society homage — all designed to immerse attendees in the 'Gilmore Girls' universe. Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 'Gilmore Girls' stars to attend Brighton fan event in September
