Hegseth of Finland
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint critiqued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new testosterone initiative, comparing the “rugged macho man” persona he enthuses about to the hypermasculine figures drawn by gay erotic artist Tom of Finland. Balint, a Vermont Democrat and lesbian, spoke a day after Hegseth announced mandatory annual testosterone‑deficiency screening for service members aged 30 and older. She argued the administration’s fixation on masculinity reflects “weird, intense, homoerotic feelings toward men” paired with aggressive homophobia. Hegseth, a favorite of the online “manosphere,” frequently appears in tight jackets, lifting weights or running with troops. He recently told senior officers to “hit the gym,” saying he didn’t want “fatties” in leadership. Balint stressed she wasn’t criticizing homoeroticism itself, but the denial of it. Hegseth has promoted the screening program as part of a “High‑T Department of War,” saying it will keep troops “strong, resilient and capable.” The High T announcement followed the announcement that the Defense Department dispensed 108,332 ED prescriptions to active‑duty troops in 2025, the highest number ever recorded. Coincidence?
Just in time for hot summer viewing
Call it “straight‑washing” or not, it’s still made for hot viewing. Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) and Henry Cavill (Superman) have released In the Grey, an action film in which they play gay soldiers. The pair star as mercenaries hired to recover a massive debt from a dictator, racing through glamorous international locations to pull off an “impossible” heist. Directed and written by Guy Ritchie, the movie was shot in 2023 and finally received a theatrical release before moving quickly to streaming after a weak box‑office run. Out gay critic Benjamin Lee of The Guardian praised Cavill and Gyllenhaal’s performances as Sid and Bronco, noting the film’s “homoerotic motions” and the duo’s chemistry, which he said Ritchie treats without gay‑panic humor. Lee wrote that the characters function “for all intents and purposes” as a gay couple, complete with emotional beats and jokes about lube. The film also stars Eiza González, reuniting her with Rosamund Pike. In the Grey is now available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango.
All quiet on the African gay laws front
The United States government is quietly shifting U.S. policy on antigay laws spreading across Africa. Previous administrations, including the first iteration of this administration led by the GOP’s go-to-gay Ric Grennell, announced opposition to anti-gay laws, imposed visa bans, and moved to cut trade benefits. But the U. S. State Department remained silent when Ghana’s Parliament passed legislation in May criminalizing gay and lesbian identity with up to three years in prison. Several African governments have advanced similar measures. Senegal doubled prison terms for same‑sex acts to 10 years and criminalized “promotion” of homosexuality, while Niger’s junta introduced a penal code punishing gay acts with up to a decade behind bars. Analysts have conjectured that the change in tone is due to the search for “rare earth minerals” that the U.S. government is conducting in Africa. More than half of Africa’s 54 nations outlaw same‑sex relationships. Always follow the money.
NY Hospitals invited out of Pride parade
A small transgender advocacy group, the Gender Liberation Movement, joined past and present NYC Pride grand marshals in urging Heritage of Pride to bar hospital systems that halted transgender surgical and pharmaceutical therapies for minors from marching in the June 28 NYC parade. Their letter targets New York‑Presbyterian, NYU Langone Health, and Mount Sinai, arguing that institutions that rolled back youth therapies or cooperated with federal efforts to obtain medical records should not be included. GLM, a community‑based trans‑advocacy group, is not incorporated or registered as a nonprofit with New York State, New York City, or the IRS. GLM wrote that Pride “must remain rooted in solidarity with those most under attack” and called for prohibiting any hospital that ended or restricted care from future participation. Heritage of Pride has issued no public response, and all three hospital systems didn’t respond, but marched in the parade.
Wiener’s out at Trans March
Yes, the headline is punctuated correctly. California state Sen. Scott Wiener, a prominent gay Democrat and congressional candidate known for championing transgender rights, was surrounded by protesters at San Francisco’s Trans March, accused of supporting genocide in Gaza. A video shows Wiener walking through Dolores Park as protesters follow him, calling him “genocidal” and claiming he has “Zionist handlers.” One marcher lamented that someone who had “written good legislation for queers” was “so terrible on Gaza.” An observant Jew, Wiener said he was on his way to a trans‑led Pride Shabbat service and left after protesters repeatedly touched him, saying he feared for his safety. He noted it was the first time he had missed the march since its launch in 2004. The confrontation followed a similar incident two days earlier when he was harassed over the same issue at a San Francisco bar. Wiener told CNN he believed he was singled out because he is Jewish. He has supported Israel’s right to exist while criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and backing a ceasefire. Earlier this year, he said Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amounted to genocide, rejecting claims that his shift was politically motivated.
Pride flagged in Seattle FIFA match
The Egyptian and Iranian Football Associations reportedly warned FIFA that their teams would walk off the pitch if players or staff were exposed to unauthorized LGBTQ‑related symbols. Neither team left the field, and the match ended in a draw. Egypt advanced under FIFA’s tournament rules before being eliminated; Iran did not progress, went back home, and probably booked a Virgin Cruise to Turkey and Egypt. Fans were permitted to bring rainbow flags to the Seattle “Pride Match,” though FIFA stressed the celebration was organized locally, not by the global body. “There will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the World Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. Egypt and Iran objected after the draw, citing cultural and religious values; both countries impose harsh penalties on LGBTQ people. Seattle organizers remained committed, noting Pride has been celebrated that weekend for more than 50 years.
Gay man wants to replace disgraced Maine candidate
Jordan Wood wants to replace Graham Platner, the controversial Maine Democrat who won the Democratic Primary in a landslide to challenge longtime GOP senator Susan Collins. Wood survived as chief of staff for the toxic California legislator and gubernatorial candidate, Katie Porter. Platner exited the race after accusations of Nazi Prison Camp Guard fetish, posting that he would rape burglars “but not in a gay way,” and a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Wood announced his candidacy shortly afterward, declaring he would run to stop unlawful ICE activity and pass “Medicare for All”. Wood said critics have dismissed him as “too progressive,” “too young,” or a gay man who “can’t win.” In an October interview with The Advocate, Wood said Platner’s antigay Reddit posts and Nazi‑era tattoos were not youthful mistakes but disqualifying choices made in adulthood. Wood joins a crowded field that includes former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, state health director Dr. Nirvan Shah, former secretary of state Shenna Bellows, social worker Paige Loud, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, and environmental consultant David Costellao. Wood ran earlier this year in Maine’s Second Congressional District on an anti‑corruption platform.
Big Award for Gay Super
A former Manchester Township superintendent, John Berenato, received a $265,000 settlement after alleging he was fired in 2023 for being gay. Manchester Township is in Ocean County, New Jersey, in the south‑central part of the state. Board members seemed to have caved to “local political pressure,” expressed religious objections to homosexuality, and feared he was “pushing a gay agenda.” His successor, Diane Pedroza, was quoted as saying she didn’t want the curriculum to become “too gay” under his leadership. In what looks like a pattern of gay and lesbian discrimination by the board, two additional lawsuits followed. Former special services director Bridget Antonucci said her support for Berenato led to her being labeled part of “the rainbow community,” creating a hostile environment that ended in her termination. Another complaint came from Lori Burns, the former early‑education director, who alleged anti-lesbian bias contributed to her resignation. All three suits accuse the district of violating New Jersey anti‑discrimination laws; only Berenato’s has been settled. A separate 2023 harassment suit against him was dismissed in 2024.
Hard Knock in Knoxville
A city of roughly 200,000, with a metro population of almost a million, situated in a pretty religious state is seeing the closure of another “gay bar” this year. Not Salt Lake City but Knoxville, Tennessee. For 22 years, “Club XYZ” has been a gathering place for the gay and lesbian community. Club ownership announced closure on social media, citing rent increases and a dispute with a landlord. The post said they only had a week’s notice on the increase, and the landlord has refused to pay for the bar’s “self-funded” repairs to the building. It also accused the landlord of making threats and using unspecified “homophobic slurs.” The club’s owners are not fundraising to “save” the bar but are liquidating the club’s physical assets to prevent the landlord from taking possession of anything related to the bar. The closure of Club XYZ leaves just one dedicated gay bar in town, “CORE Knoxville.” Other gay and lesbian oriented businesses are closing too, the most recent a coffee shop called “South Pass”. Times are changing.
