WA non-binding referendum on same-sex marriage was held in Bermuda on 23 June 2016. Voters were asked two questions; whether they were in favour of same-sex marriages and whether they are in favour of same-sex civil unions. While majority of voters voted against both proposals, the results were invalid as the turnout of 46.89% was below the 50% requirement.
WFiveFilmsForFreedom is a free, online, 10-day LGBTQ+ film programme from the British Council and the British Film Institute originally supported by the UN Free & Equal campaign. It launched in 2015 as the first global, online LGBT film programme of its kind. The programme is a celebration of international LGBTQ+ short films selected from BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, shared in a global campaign run by the British Council, which invites people all over the world to watch a movie and show that love is a human right. FiveFilms4Freedom was founded by Alan Gemmell and Briony Hanson, British Council Director of Film, in partnership with Tricia Tuttle, Artistic Director of BFI Festivals .
WHoward and Harold McBride are a pair of fictional supporting characters in the American animated television series The Loud House on Nickelodeon. Howard and Harold are voiced by comedians Michael McDonald and Wayne Brady, respectively. Their first appearance was in "Overnight Success", following several episodes in which they were only mentioned. The McBrides are significant as the first married gay couple to be featured in a Nickelodeon animated series. The McBrides are notably also an interracial couple. Their introduction into the series was reported in the news as being historic and caused a ratings surge.
WOn June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a three-hour standoff.
WThe Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2 or HB2, was a North Carolina statute passed in March 2016 and signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory. The bill amended state law to preempt any anti-discrimination ordinances passed by local communities and, controversially, compelled schools and state and local government facilities containing single-gender washrooms to only allow people of the corresponding sex as listed on their birth certificate to use them; it also gave the state exclusive rights to determine the minimum wage.
WMississippi House Bill 1523, also called the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act or Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, is 2016 state legislation passed in direct response to federal rulings in support of same-sex marriage. MS H.B. 1523 provides protections for persons, religious organizations, and private associations who choose to provide or withhold services discriminatorily in accordance to the three "deeply held religious beliefs or moral convictions" which are specifically outlined in the bill. These protected beliefs are 1) that marriage is and should be an exclusively heterosexual union, 2) sex should not occur outside of marriage, and 3) that biologically-assigned sex is objective and immutably linked to gender.
WThe eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on March 7, 2016. Returning judges include RuPaul and Michelle Visage, along with Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley, who shared judging responsibilities on an alternating basis. Twelve drag queens competed for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". The prizes for the winner are a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and a cash prize of $100,000. The full list of contestants was revealed during the NewNowNext Awards on February 1, 2016. The song "U Wear It Well" from RuPaul's album Butch Queen was featured in promotion for the show. On March 31, 2016, it was announced LogoTV renewed the show for a ninth season. It was the last season to solely be played on Logo, as the show moved to VH1 for its ninth season.
WThe second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars premiered on the Logo network on a new night; Thursday, August 25, 2016. Returning judges included RuPaul, Michelle Visage, with Carson Kressley joining the panel, while the space previously occupied by Ross Mathews was filled by Todrick Hall. Cast members were announced on June 17, 2016. This season featured ten All-Star contestants, selected from the show's second season through to its seventh season, who competed to be inducted into the "Drag Race Hall of Fame".
WThe first season of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula premiered on the Hey Qween Network streaming service on October 31, 2016 and concluded on January 16, 2017. The series featured nine contestants, from all over California, competing for the title of World's First Drag Supermonster and a cash prize of $10,000. Guest judges included director Darren Stein, and drag performers Peaches Christ and Heklina. It ran for seven episodes, including a special episode, incorporating unutilized footage. The season was subsequently remastered, and was distributed by OutTv, Amazon Prime, and SBS Viceland.
WThe first season of The Switch Drag Race began airing on 8 October 2015 on the MEGA and WOW Presents Plus's WOW Presents Plus streaming service. It ran for twenty-four episodes.
W"Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls" is the series finale of the American animated television series Gravity Falls, created by Alex Hirsch. The episode was written by Shion Takeuchi, Mark Rizzo, Josh Weinstein, Jeff Rowe, and Hirsch, and directed by Stephen Sandoval. The series follows twelve-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines, who stay for the summer with their great uncle Grunkle Stan in a tourist trap called the Mystery Shack, set within the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. In this episode, Stan's brother Ford discovers the extent of Bill Cipher's plans, while the Mystery Shack crew forms a plan to fight back and reclaim the town. A final confrontation with Bill leads to the Pines family's ultimate fate and greatest sacrifice.