World & National Briefs
Private philanthropy to the rescue
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $45 million to the Trevor Project. Scott’s philanthropy derived from an eye-watering $36 billion divorce settlement with Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos. This is the largest single gift in the organization’s history, arriving at a moment of financial strain. The nation’s leading crisis‑intervention service for LGBT youth lost federal support last July, when Health and Human Services cut funding for LGBT‑specific services in its anti-DEI rage. The need for the Trevor Project’s work remains stark. A 2024 CDC study found that 41 percent of LGBT youth had seriously considered suicide in the previous year, and one in five had attempted it. The charity had been in some distress before HHS policy changed, with major layoffs in 2023 and depleted reserves. The group is operating leaner and more deliberately. Scott’s unrestricted gift is designed for “long‑term impact” and could help stabilize the organization. Scott had donated $6 million to the charity in its earlier, troubled times.
Transgender law at SCOTUS
There’s been a lot of talk about laws affecting transgender people in the U. S. Supreme Court lately, and there’s more to come. The latest case, Little v Hecox, debated the Idaho law banning transgender girls from participating in female sports teams. The arguments seem to revolve around whether the non-discrimination law, Title IX of the U.S. Education Act, protects “gender” and around determining “what’s a woman.” Lower courts blocked the law; Idaho appealed. SCOTUS combined Hecox with West Virginia v BPJ as the two cases are similar. “BJP” is a transgender girl who has already competed after a lower court injunction against the ban was announced. These two cases were heard together and represent the Court’s first major foray into transgender participation in sports. Questioning by the six Justices appointed by conservative Presidents suggests the Court appears inclined to uphold the bans. Questions by the justices appointed by liberal Presidents suggest those three know the game is up. The Utah transgender ban, as well as similar bans in 12 other states, will be affected by the decision in these combined cases. There is nothing on the SCOTUS docket on gender‑affirming medical care bans, bathroom access, school pronoun policies, or employment discrimination. There are cases in lower courts on those issues that are heading to the Supreme Court.
Euro gays trending ‘’Islamophobic’’
A growing share of gay voters in Europe is drifting from traditional left‑wing parties toward nationalist movements promising tougher immigration controls. In France, Germany, and Spain, LGBT voters are increasingly receptive to parties emphasizing border security and cultural cohesion, Spiked Online’s Albie Amankona reported. “Among my own gay friends, more and more are now openly right‑wing,” he wrote, noting that casual support for Reform UK no longer sparks controversy. Germany illustrates the shift most starkly. Alice Weidel, a lesbian in a civil partnership, leads the far‑right Alternative for Germany. A poll of more than 60,000 users on the gay dating app Romeo found AfD was the top choice at nearly 28 percent, followed by the Greens at about 20 percent and the center‑left SPD at just 12.5 percent. In France, the National Rally sent an estimated 20–25 openly gay MPs to parliament in 2022—more than any other party — signaling a broader political realignment now reaching the UK as well. Doesn’t take an expert to understand that threatening to throw gay men off of buildings or 50 lashes motivates Euro-gays to look for allies in strange places.
Woke mob tramples podcasters
Even if you are a gay comedian, even a person of color, you’ve still got to watch your mouth. Two Gay-boys, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, got smashed by the Woke Mob after comments on their podcast, Las Culturistas, criticizing Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Senate bid. Rogers urged listeners not to support the Texas congresswoman, calling her “too well‑defined” to win and suggesting a lesser‑known candidate might appeal more to moderates. Yang agreed. The remarks drew swift criticism, with many noting the hosts are neither Texans nor political analysts, and questioning their decision to single out a Black woman candidate. Rogers later apologized on Instagram, acknowledging his “phrasing was not right,” and Yang echoed the mea culpa, pledging to use his platform more responsibly. Sheesh.
Trump married to a Lesbian
Mary Trump, a lesbian who frequently criticizes her uncle, who is the current president, revealed her marriage in her Substack column. All 15 subscribers were mystified by the headline, “Reader, I Married Her,” until it was explained that it was lesbian humor and a play on the line “Reader, I married him” from Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. Trump did not identify her wife by name but said they were married in October “in front of a small group of some of our family and closest friends.” Probably not at Mar-a-Lago. One reader, E Jean Carroll, who has sued Mary’s uncle for defamation, posted a comment on the column, “MARY! MARY! AMERICA NEEDED SOME JOY! And you and Ronda are giving it to us!!!” All very strange, but that sums up 2025.
Footballer kicks former club
Aussie footballer Josh Cavallo has accused Adelaide United FC of “homophobia” and internal “politics,” saying he even saw “a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of me and my partner,” which “only added to this heartache.” Cavallo, who came out in 2021, spent most of his career with the club but was benched with injuries the entire 2024–25 season before departing in May 2025. In a new statement, he said decisions “had nothing to do with football” and were made by “people in power” who blocked his opportunities. Adelaide United denies discrimination, citing injuries and routine selection choices. Now playing for Stamford AFC in England, Cavallo says the move has helped him “breathe again” and rediscover his love for the sport. Hint to Aussie Ballers, “post no gay selfies.”
Heated Rivalry, the next shiny thing
Heated Rivalry, the Canadian gay-boy sports romance, hit HBO with sharp intensity. The series follows rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, whose fierce on‑ice battles mask a secret, slow-burning romance that challenges their careers and the sport’s rigid expectations. Being the next shiny thing in gaydom, the series’ cultural impact now stretches beyond the screen:
Minnesota‑born hockey player Jesse Korteum says the show helped spark his decision to publicly share his own journey as a gay athlete. After years of navigating fear, masculinity, and the pressure to conform, he found community in LGBT hockey leagues across North America and, finally, a sense of belonging. As Korteum puts it, there is room for everyone on the ice.
In Russia, where the government objects to LGBT expression almost as much as the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the rise of Heated Rivalry has become a quiet sensation inside the country. Russian authorities charged executives at streaming services with violating “propaganda” laws when the series got an 8.6 rating on Russia’s top review platform — higher than Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad. Yet the show is banned from legal distribution. Despite that, thousands of gay Russians have found ways to watch it on pirate sites.
The Canadian Professional Women’s Hockey League looks at Heated Rivalry and says, “Hold My Beer.” PWHL stars Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen are engaged despite playing for opposing teams — Kjellbin with Toronto and Savolainen with Ottawa — and preparing to face each other at the 2026 Olympics. Two-time Olympian Savolainen plays for Finland, and Kjellbin plays for Sweden. The pair, together for five years and engaged since 2024, insist love won’t soften their play. “On the ice, she’s my enemy,” Savolainen told the Ottawa Citizen.
LGBT Visitor Center Opens in Philly
The “City of Brotherly Love” is now more than a double entendre in Philadelphia. The city’s tourist bureau has opened one of the nation’s first LGBT visitors’ centers, and it’s not in a bus station men’s room but in the city’s LGBT neighborhood of Midtown Village. Publicity said the opening coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. “We don’t just welcome diversity — we celebrate it,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation. “Our hope is that the Philly Pride Visitors Center becomes a place where LGBTQ+ visitors feel they belong from the moment they arrive.” Philadelphia has a large LGBT population — about 198,000 residents, according to a 2021 Williams Institute brief. Beyond its role as the birthplace of American democracy, the city also has a rich gay history dating back to at least the winter of 1776. Then, the gay Prussian, Baron von Steuben, volunteered to help General Washington write the nation’s first manual of arms. He professionalized the green recruits through constant drilling during the harsh Winter at Valley Forge, near Philadelphia.
