WOn January 29, 2019, American actor Jussie Smollett went to Chicago police and alleged he was assaulted during the early morning hours at the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street in Chicago's Streeterville by two people he described as white men, wearing MAGA hats. He claimed they shouted racial and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown chemical substance, possibly bleach, on him and tied a noose around his neck.
WAnd Then We Danced is a 2019 Georgian drama film directed by Levan Akin. It was premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival where it received a fifteen-minute standing ovation. It was one of the most favourably reviewed films out of Cannes that year. It was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Screening of the film in Georgia sparked protests, due to its portrayal of a gay love affair.
WThe 22nd season of Arthur started airing on PBS Kids in the United States from May 13, 2019 to May, 16 2019. Jane Lynch guest starred on the episode "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone." Roman Lutterotti replaced Jacob Ursomarzo as Arthur, Ethan Pugiotto replaced Christian Distefano as D.W., and Evan Blaylock replaced Max Friedman Cole as Brain. The season originally stated to have 7 episodes, but it was later confirmed that the last three episodes are a part of the next season. Pugiotto previously voiced James in seasons 20 and 21.
WBaldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear is an expansion pack for the role-playing video game Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition developed and published by Beamdog. The expansion is the first new original content to the Baldur's Gate series released after more than 10 years, and its plot takes place between the events of Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Gameplay remained similar to Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, although a class, companions and areas have been added. Siege of Dragonspear was generally well-received by video game publications who appreciated the return into Forgotten Realms after years and considered Beamdog's work as fun and successful. It received backlash from some consumers who criticized introduction of a transgender non-playable character and other aspects of the writing.
WBrokeback Mountain is a 2005 American romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by Ossana and Larry McMurtry. The film stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams and depicts the complex emotional and sexual relationship between two American male cowboys named Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist in the American West from 1963 to 1983.
W"Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service by gay men, bisexuals, and lesbians, instituted by the Clinton Administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December 21, 1993, and was in effect from February 28, 1994, until September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. This relaxation of legal restrictions on service by gays and lesbians in the armed forces was mandated by United States federal law Pub.L. 103–160, which was signed November 30, 1993. The policy prohibited people who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because their presence "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability".
WLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Islamic Republic of Iran face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. While people can legally change their sex, sexual activity between members of the same sex is illegal and can be punishable by death.
WThe history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) in Russia and its historical antecedents has largely been influenced by the political leanings of its rulers. Medieval Catholic-Protestant Europe had the largest influence on Russian attitude towards homosexuality. Russian LGBT history was influenced by the ambivalent attitude of the Russian Orthodox religiosity regarding sexuality.
WThe Russian federal law "for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values", also known in English-language media as the "gay propaganda law" and the "anti-gay law", is a bill that was unanimously approved by the State Duma on 11 June 2013, and was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin on 30 June 2013.
WLGBT persons in Egypt face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents.
WLesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Arab Emirates face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT people. All sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage are criminalized. Punishments may include jail time, floggings, death, fines, and deportation. Adultery and fornication are crimes punished with death, and a person convicted of homosexuality may also face charges of adultery if they have an opposite-sex spouse while having sexual relations with a person of the same sex.
WLGBT-free zones or LGBT ideology-free zones are municipalities and regions of Poland that have declared themselves unwelcoming of an alleged "LGBT ideology", in order to ban equality marches and other LGBT events. As of June 2020, some 100 municipalities, encompassing about a third of the country, have adopted resolutions which have led to them being called "LGBT-free zones".
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.
WPink Flamingos is a 1972 American exploitation comedy film directed, written, produced, narrated, filmed, and edited by John Waters. By far Waters' best-known movie, it is part of what Waters has labelled the "Trash Trilogy", which also includes Female Trouble (1974) and Desperate Living (1977). The film stars the countercultural drag queen Divine as a criminal living under the name of Babs Johnson, who is proud to be "the filthiest person alive". While living in a trailer with Edie and Crackers —her mother and son respectively—and her companion Cotton, Divine is confronted by the Marbles, a pair of criminals envious of her reputation who try to outdo her in filth. The characters engage in several grotesque, bizarre, and explicitly crude situations. The movie was filmed in and in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland; Waters grew up in suburban Baltimore.
WThe Rainbow Madonna is an adaptation of the Black Madonna image, with the halos colored in rainbow colors of the LGBT movement. This modification of the holy painting is controversial in predominantly Roman Catholic Poland. A civil rights activist Elżbieta Podleśna was arrested for the profanation of the image. The arrest was condemned by Amnesty International and the Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.
WDavid Reimer was a Canadian man born male but reassigned female and raised as a girl following medical advice and intervention after his penis was severely injured during a botched circumcision in infancy.
WLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Russia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT persons. Although same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in private was decriminalized in 1993, homosexuality is disapproved of by most Russians, and same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. There are currently no separate laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in Russia. Transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender following sex reassignment surgery; however, there are currently no laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression and recent laws could discriminate against transgender residents. Homosexuality has been declassified as a mental illness since 1999 and although gay and lesbian individuals are legally allowed to serve openly in the military, there is a de facto "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.
WLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people in Saudi Arabia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal. LGBT rights are not recognized by the government of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi social mores and laws are heavily influenced by ultra-conservative Muslims. Homosexuality and being transgender are widely seen as immoral and indecent activities, and the law punishes acts of homosexuality or cross-dressing with punishments of fines, prison time up to life, and capital punishment.
WSticks & Stones is a 2019 American stand-up comedy show written and performed by comedian Dave Chappelle, and directed by Stan Lathan. Produced by both Chappelle and Lathan, and distributed by Netflix, the special is detailed as "a provocative perspective on the tidal wave of celebrity scandals, the opioid crisis, and more". It is Chappelle's fifth Netflix special, following the 2017 specials Deep in the Heart of Texas, The Age of Spin, Equanimity and The Bird Revelation. Principal photography began at the Tabernacle in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, from June 13 to 16, 2019.
WStonewall is a 2015 American drama film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Jon Robin Baitz, and starring Jeremy Irvine, Jonny Beauchamp, Ron Perlman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joey King, Caleb Landry Jones, Matt Craven, Atticus Mitchell, and Mark Camacho. It was released on September 25, 2015, by Roadside Attractions.