Latest news with #dragqueens
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thousands defy rain to celebrate Pride festival
Thousands of people defied the downpours to take part in Leeds Pride this weekend. The vibrant annual festival, which celebrates LGBTQ+ life, was held in the city centre on Sunday. Despite the miserable weather, there were smiles everywhere as huge numbers turned out to watch the parade make its way across The Headrow amid a party atmosphere. Several people who attended claimed Leeds had one of the best Pride festivals. One woman, who went to the celebration with her partner and her partner's daughter, said: "Leeds Pride is one of my favourite Prides and I've been to a lot of them. "I like the family feel about this place. It keeps me coming back every year and I'm really excited to be here. "Despite the rain the atmosphere feels like it's buzzing." Pride's distinctive rainbow colours, music, dancing and drag queens all formed part of the fun at the festival, which was first held in Leeds in 2006. Another woman who attended said: "My son came out as gay one-and-a-half years ago, so I wanted to be here for him and to celebrate equality for everyone. "It's amazing. I'm absolutely loving it!" Nazir Uddin, who is originally from Bangladesh, said he had to hide his sexuality until he came to the UK. He said: "It is illegal to be homosexual in my country. "It's not just Bangladesh, there are still 64 countries where it's still illegal, so I'm here to represent all of those who are still hiding their sexuality. "I never experienced this (Pride) back home, so it's like heaven for me and I feel very safe here." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Related stories Pride marchers 'don't let it rain on their parade' Pride festival cancelled amid funding shortfall Glasgow streets awash with colour for Pride march Related internet links Leeds Pride
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Huge turnout for Leeds Pride as rain fails to spoil party mood
Thousands of people defied the downpours to take part in Leeds Pride this vibrant annual festival, which celebrates LGBTQ+ life, was held in the city centre on Sunday. Despite the miserable weather, there were smiles everywhere as huge numbers turned out to watch the parade make its way across The Headrow amid a party atmosphere. Several people who attended claimed Leeds had one of the best Pride festivals. One woman, who went to the celebration with her partner and her partner's daughter, said: "Leeds Pride is one of my favourite Prides and I've been to a lot of them."I like the family feel about this place. It keeps me coming back every year and I'm really excited to be here. "Despite the rain the atmosphere feels like it's buzzing." Pride's distinctive rainbow colours, music, dancing and drag queens all formed part of the fun at the festival, which was first held in Leeds in 2006. Another woman who attended said: "My son came out as gay one-and-a-half years ago, so I wanted to be here for him and to celebrate equality for everyone."It's amazing. I'm absolutely loving it!"Nazir Uddin, who is originally from Bangladesh, said he had to hide his sexuality until he came to the UK. He said: "It is illegal to be homosexual in my country."It's not just Bangladesh, there are still 64 countries where it's still illegal, so I'm here to represent all of those who are still hiding their sexuality."I never experienced this (Pride) back home, so it's like heaven for me and I feel very safe here." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Is ‘Drag Race's' Bracket Format Still Working For All Stars 10?
After nine episodes, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 has finally completed each of its three brackets, leaving only nine queens to compete for a spot in the semi-finals. Now that the final queens are chosen, fans are left to wonder: how does everyone feel about the new bracket format now that it's over? A New Format NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 08: Olivia Lux, Nicole Paige Brooks, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Tina Burner, ... More Irene the Alien, Alyssa Hunter, Denali, Daya Betty, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Bosco, DeJa Skye, Ginger Minj, Jorgeous, Phoenix, Aja, Kerri Colby and Lydia B. Collins attend RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 + Tea Around Town Bus on May 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Paramount+) To start the season strong, All Stars 10 featured a total of 18 queens. Fans initially wondered how all 28 contestants could compete, share screen time, and still show growth from their original seasons. To address this, All Stars 10 divided the 18 queens into three groups of 6, with each group given three episodes for the queens to compete for a chance to move on to the next round. Of those six queens, only three would advance, while the other three would be eliminated, and this process would continue until all three brackets were finished. While fans initially felt this change was refreshing, as queens on previous All Stars seasons had struggled to maintain screentime if they weren't seen as frontrunners, especially when the cast is larger at the start of the season, the third and final bracket reached its conclusion today, and fans are split. While the first two brackets seemed to have an overwhelmingly positive reaction, aside from a few disgruntled fans upset that their favorite queens weren't moving on to the next round, the third bracket shifted from genuine excitement to what could be seen as gradual fatigue. The format was simple enough. The queens were tasked with showcasing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent over 3 episodes, and impress the judges over multiple episodes. This time around, there were no eliminations until the final episode of each bracket, where the finalists were determined. Queens were graded based off of points they were awarded for top placements, winning in a lip-sync after said top placements, and for being voted Most Valuable Queen (MVQ) during deliberation on the final bracket episode, where queens would give special points to a contestant they felt deserved to move forward to the next round. Many fans felt this was among the fairest judging the show had engaged in for an All Stars season, with queens usually being able to eliminate queens they see as strong competitors early on in other seasons of All Stars. Bracket 1 showcased strong lip syncs from Aja and standout performances from Bosco. Bracket 2 brough peak reality TV with the antics of Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Jorgeous' alliance. The stakes and energy for the first 2 brackets was high, and engagement from fans across social media platforms was a reflection of that. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 08: Ginger Minj attends RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 + Tea Around Town ... More Bus on May 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Paramount+) Still, by the time bracket 3 rolled around, there was a shift in how fans felt about the format. It could be said that this was a natural reaction to seeing the same format a third time, as I personally didn't mind it, but views and comments from fans seemed to reflect a feeling of burnout towards lip syncs and performances, with fans arguing back and forth about who they felt should've won, particularly when it came to Ginger Minj dominating the competition. While fans are allowed to disagree with the judging, Minj, being a seasoned veteran to the franchise, knows what will keep her ahead in the competition, and she, like any competitor would, played that to her advantage and solidified her place in the next round, along with fellow contestants Daya Betty and Cynthia Lee Fontaine. Since this was the 10th season of All Stars, it makes sense that, from a production perspective, they were going to experiment with how the show was formatted. Not only does it make this anniversary season feel special and stand out, but it adds another layer of strategy. Drag Race as a franchise has won several Emmy awards for a reason. Its connection to its audience and its dedication to authenticity and storytelling through drag have allowed it to stay and grow where most reality shows would have inevitably ended. Drag Race shows that it has a willingness to grow, and, maybe, from the feedback from fans on the third bracket, we might see a more polished form of this format in seasons to come. Until then, fans will have to see what awaits the remaining contestants in the coming episodes, especially with the return of a Drag Race staple: Eliminations are back on.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Night Out for Trump at the Theater, With a Pocket of Dissent
Moments before President Trump arrived inside the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts for Wednesday's opening night performance of 'Les Misérables,' a couple of drag queens (and at least one drag king) entered the theater and took their seats near the stage. Back in February, after the president purged the traditionally bipartisan board of Washington's premier cultural center, he declared in a social media post that under his artistic stewardship there would be 'NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA — ONLY THE BEST.' 'You can't erase us,' said one of the men dressed in drag, who gave his name as 'Vagenesis.' His actual name was Anderson Wells. A 34-year-old theater managing director in Washington, he was draped in what he described as a 'lovely creamsicle flowy comfortable gown' and said his message to the president was an admittedly 'cliché' one: 'We're here, we're queer, get used to it.' In some sense, Wednesday night's performance marked the culmination of the Trump takeover of the Kennedy Center. Soon after taking office, the president appointed himself chairman of the center and restocked the board with loyalists. Some artists balked and some shows were canceled, but not this production of 'Les Misérables,' which had been booked before Mr. Trump was elected. The president's allies turned out in force for the occasion. Cabinet members backed the balcony, and supporters from around the country came out for the show. But there were cracks in the sheen of this elite MAGA black-tie affair. After parading down the red carpet, Mr. Trump was confronted with signs of sharp opposition to his administration as some boos and heckles bubbled up from an otherwise adoring crowd. The drag queens, for their part, drew scattered applause when they entered the theater. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Arabiya
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Trump met with cheers, boos at Kennedy Center for ‘Les Miserables' performance
A loud mix of boos and cheers greeted US President Donald Trump on Wednesday when he attended his first production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the institution he subjected to a conservative takeover earlier this year. The mixed reception from theatergoers for Trump and his wife Melania as they arrived in the presidential box for a performance of 'Les Miserables' reflected the heightened emotions unleashed by his overhaul of the cultural center and use of executive power to shake up US society. His appearance at a musical about citizens rising up against their government came just days after he sent US Marines and the National Guard to quell protests against his administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles. Power and protest - key themes in the show - manifested within the theater itself. While some kept their backs turned to Trump, who raised his fist as he greeted the crowd, others chanted 'USA! USA!' to drown out boos as he and his wife were seated. Several drag queens in full regalia sat in the audience, likely in response to Trump's previous criticism of the venue for hosting drag shows. One person shouted 'Viva Los Angeles' as Trump stepped out of the presidential box for intermission. Trump did not attend events at the Kennedy Center during his first term but has taken a keen interest in it during his second. He pushed out its former chairman and took on the role himself, fired its longtime president and pledged to overhaul an institution that he criticized as too liberal. The center, a leading US arts facility, had long enjoyed bipartisan support. Revenue down Ticket and subscription sales have fallen since and some shows, including the hit 'Hamilton,' have canceled their engagements. Trump's appearance was meant to boost fundraising for the center, and he said donors raised more than $10 million. 'We're going to make it incredible. We have all the funding. We raised a lot tonight, and we'll put in a lot of money to bring it back to the highest level,' a tuxedo-clad Trump told reporters after other administration officials arrived on the red carpet, meant to evoke a Hollywood movie premiere. Overall year-on-year subscription revenue at the Kennedy Center was down 36% to $2.8 million as of early June for next season, which begins in the autumn, according to a person briefed on the data. Theater subscriptions, normally a major revenue driver for the center, were down 82%. A Kennedy Center official said the comparisons reflected in those subscription sales were not accurate because the center had launched its subscription renewal campaign later in 2025 than 2024. 'Our renewal campaign is just kicking off,' Kim Cooper, senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. Cooper noted the center had launched a new subscription option that allowed customers to 'mix and match' genres and said more announcements of shows were coming. The Kennedy Center depends on revenue from tickets and subscriptions as well as donations to operate. Ticket sales for 'Les Miserables' have been robust, according to another Kennedy Center official. Donors were asked to pay $100,000 to $2 million for the event, for which they could attend a reception before the performance, receive a photo with the president and be seated in good locations in the roughly 2,300-seat theater. Conservative programing 'We've raised a little more than $10 million for tonight, which is pretty remarkable, and it's an organization that needs the money right now,' said Ric Grenell, a close Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany, who is now president of the Kennedy Center. Under his leadership, the center has sought to add conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ. Trump said he particularly enjoyed 'Les Miserables,' a musical that explores themes of injustice, poverty, law and order and acts of grace. 'I've seen it many times, it's one of my favorites,' he said. Secret Service agents inspected the prop guns used in the production and remained backstage for the show. Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also attended. Vance was met with boos when he attended a Kennedy Center show with his wife earlier this year. He said on Wednesday that such reactions came with the territory of holding national office. When initiating his takeover of the center, Trump zeroed in on drag shows to argue that it had lost its way. But multiple upcoming shows on the Kennedy Center's agenda include characters dressed in drag, such as 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and 'Chicago.' Other musicals in addition to 'Hamilton' have pulled out, according to a former Kennedy Center official.
