Nicki Minaj says she’s no longer bisexual and people aren’t happy about it

Occasional LGBTQ ally Nicki Minaj is being accused of peddling harmful bisexual stereotypes in her new single.

In the song “Say So” remix with Doja Cat, Minaj claims she’s no longer bisexual. During the song’s outro, she raps, “Used to be bi, but now I’m just hetero.”

But many on Twitter find the throwaway lyric problematic, feeling it perpetuates outdated and negative ideas about bisexuals.

In 2010, Minaj talked briefly about her sexuality with Rolling Stone, explaining that, in her beginning of her career, she pretended to like girls to “get attention.”

“I think girls are sexy,” she said. “But I’m not going to lie and say that I date girls.”

Related: 7 celebrities accused of queerbaiting: James Franco, Nick Jonas, and more

Of course, Minaj is not the first pop star to be accused of getting it wrong about bisexuality.

Last year, singer Liam Payne received criticism for his song “Both Ways,” which detailed a sexual encounter with a man and two women.

Many felt the song’s lyrics perpetuated passé stereotypes often attached bisexual people, particularly bisexual women. Payne later apologized for it.

Related: Liam Payne finally addresses accusations of biphobia following the release of his last album

www.queerty.com/nicki-minaj-says-shes-no-longer-bisexual-people-arent-happy-20200504?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Madonna, Steven Klein Criticized for Appearing to Flout Social Distancing Rules at Birthday Party Where ‘COVID Cake’ Was Presented

Madonna, who recently said she tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, and photographer Steven Klein were criticized after appearing at a birthday party for Klein which was broadcast over Zoom and included several other guests including musician and performer Joey Arias and party promoter and hostess Susanne Bartsch.

Page Six reports: “The aging Material Girl, 61, joked that her birthday-boy pal, photographer Steven Klein, was being honored with a ‘COVID cake’ during the live-streamed private gig, reported The Sun of Britain, Video and photos showed the ‘Like a Virgin’ singer getting up close and personal with Klein, 55, while hugging him, according to the Daily Mail. It was unclear how many people attended the party, but there were at least eight, the Mail said.”

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M made an appearance at @stevenkleinstudio ‘s Virtual Birthday Party ( thank you, @bartschland ) – such a blast!!! M called his Bday cake a Covid Cake She’s too fucking cute!!! We are living in some crazy tiMes! But trying to make the most of it, and still have soMe fun!!! #HappyBirthdayStevenKlein #VirtualParty #TheyAreHereForHER !!! #ZooM #NYCNightlife ##Quarantine #NYCPAUSE @madonna – Susanne’s gorgeous top hat & corset by @sparkylestudio *** P.S. This was an online party. She was in her own home w/her faMily and crew that she has been quarantining with. There were about 5 people that came to her home (or Steven’s?) to celebrate Steven’s bday, and all of these people have been quarantined for over a month as well. Please stop the Madness – she would never put herself or her children at risk!!! ***

A post shared by Michele L. Ruiz (@micheleruiznyc) on May 2, 2020 at 11:29pm PDT

Manager Michele Ruiz, who posted a screenshot video of the party online, defended Madonna, Klein, and the crew, writing, “P.S. This was an online party. She was in her own home w/her family and crew that she has been quarantining with. There were about 5 people that came to her home (or Steven’s?) to celebrate Steven’s bday, and all of these people have been quarantined for over a month as well. Please stop the Madness – she would never put herself or her children at risk!!!”

Klein also defended the bash, writing, “We have all been quarantined together for over a month. We take it very seriously.”

Followers didn’t believe him, accusing him of lying and criticizing the group for “not taking social distancing as well as you should.”

Late last week, in one of her ‘Quarantine Diaries’, Madonna said she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies and said, “So tomorrow, I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car, and I’m gonna roll down the window and I’m gonna breathe in — I’m gonna breathe in the COVID-19 air.”

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#staysafe #staysane

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on Apr 30, 2020 at 1:46pm PDT

In March, Madonna called coronavirus “the great equalizer” while sitting in a bath surrounded by rose petals.

Said Madonna: “That’s the thing about COVID-19. It doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell. It’s the great equalizer, and what’s terrible about it is what’s great about it. What’s terrible about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways — and what’s wonderful about it is that it’s made us all equal in many ways. Like I used to say at the end of “Human Nature” every night, we’re all in the same boat, and if the ship goes down, we’re all going down together.”

The post Madonna, Steven Klein Criticized for Appearing to Flout Social Distancing Rules at Birthday Party Where ‘COVID Cake’ Was Presented appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Madonna, Steven Klein Criticized for Appearing to Flout Social Distancing Rules at Birthday Party Where ‘COVID Cake’ Was Presented

Must-See LGBTQ TV: ‘Billions’ season five premiere, new episodes of ‘Motherland: Fort Salem’ and ‘Council of Dads’

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-billions-season-five-premiere-new-episodes-motherland-fort-salem-and-council

Reality and Fiction Mix on ‘The Baker and the Beauty’

The sitcom’s out stars, Belissa Escobedo and Dan Bucatinsky, reflect on playing LGBTQ characters on primetime.

www.advocate.com/television/2020/5/04/reality-and-fiction-mix-baker-and-beauty

Councilwoman becomes completely unhinged in conference call, attacks city’s first openly gay mayor

A councilwoman from Trenton, New Jersey had a truly epic meltdown at work last week and she’s not apologizing for it.

Robin Vaughn is facing calls for her resignation after she launched into an homophobic tirade during a conference call with city officials about coronavirus, unleashing on several of her colleagues.

According to NJ.com, Vaughn went on a “10-minute expletive-laced rant” that included calling the city’s first openly gay mayor, Reed Gusciora, a “pedophile,” a “woman,” and a “bitch ass,” and accusing another city official, Joe Harrison, of performing sex acts on him.

The Trentonian reports:

She launched into a stream of curse words and personal insults after Gusciora challenged her to name one of the capital city’s “do-nothing” organizations she has criticized on Facebook. At one point, Vaughn, who previously caught heat for defending a colleague’s use of an anti-Semitic slur, called Gusciora a “pedophile,” said the mayor and Harrison weren’t “real men,” and suggested “the only thing [Gusciora] brought into City Hall is a bunch of young boys, and they’re sitting up there in the mayor’s suite.”

At one point during the rant, Vaughn attacked Harrison’s family, shouting: “We don’t have bitch ass men in my family. We don’t have bitch ass men like you and Reed Gusciora in my family. We got real men in my family. Bitch asses! Nothing but a bunch of women. That’s all you are. Bitches! That’s right. Running around here with young men. Reed ain’t nothing but an old pedophile. Bitch ass motherf*ckin’ mayor!”

At another point she told Harrison to “continue to suck Reed Gusciora’s d*ck all you want to, motherf*cker.” Later, she told him to “bend over a little lower” for the mayor.

After the story broke, Vaughn released a statement on Twitter. Instead of, say, apologizing for her antigay remarks, she accused the media of portraying her in a negative light, calling for the “full audio” of the conference call to be released.

In a tweet, Vaughn wrote: “Trentonians, since I don’t have the privilege of having friends who are owners and/or editors of newspapers who will only write good things about me or my side of a story, then I will request the full audio or transcript be released so you, the residents and taxpayers of Trenton, will have the full context of the conference call.”

Well, be careful what you wish for. Because after Vaughn asked that the full recording be released, The Trentonian did just that.

Complete audio of the 53-minute call was published over the weekend and it doesn’t make anyone in the meeting look good, but Vaughn definitely comes off as the absolute worst.

While both Gusciora and Harrison can be heard hurling insults at Vaughn prior to her 10-minute outburst, including calling her “incompetent,” a “child,” and telling her she that she was acting like a “crazy person,” pretty much everyone agrees that the things they said pale in comparison to her blatant homophobia.

Now, the LGBTQ rights group Garden State Equality is calling on Vaughn to resign.

In a statement, the organization says, “Councilwoman Vaughn is unfit to serve the people of Trenton. There’s no need to parse words here: for her hateful anti-LGBTQ language and defending the anti-Semitic slurs of others, she must resign.”

“Her words are an attack on the diversity of Trenton’s community, the city’s elected leadership, and our state as a whole. Any decent-minded New Jerseyan who believes in the success and future of our state’s capital should denounce this hateful rhetoric and call for her to step down immediately.”

Related: TV host has epic anti-trans meltdown on live television

www.queerty.com/councilwoman-becomes-completely-unhinged-conference-call-attacks-citys-first-openly-gay-mayor-20200504?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Indiana Restaurant Offers ‘Dragside Pickup’ During Coronavirus Lockdown: WATCH

Michigan City, Indiana’s LGBT-owned-and-operated Fiddlehead Restaurant is offering customers a fun and novel service on Saturdays amid the coronavirus lockdown. Instead of “curbside pickup,” they’ve implemented “dragside pickup” in which gloved and masked drag queens bring meals to your car.

Customers think it’s a “fantastic” idea.

The post Indiana Restaurant Offers ‘Dragside Pickup’ During Coronavirus Lockdown: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Indiana Restaurant Offers ‘Dragside Pickup’ During Coronavirus Lockdown: WATCH

#AM_Equality: May 4, 2020

THIS FRIDAY — HRC & GLSEN TO HOLD VIRTUAL GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR LGBTQ+ HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SENIORS: The event will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 8 and will include many traditional elements of a graduation ceremony, including an official welcome from HRC President Alphonso David and GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard (@EByard), a commencement address, valedictorians for exceptional, dynamic LGBTQ+ students and music. Those interested can register for the event here. More from Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

MUST-WATCH MONDAY — ON SCRIPPS NATIONAL NEWS, HRC’S ELLEN KAHN SPEAKS ON CHALLENGES LGBTQ STUDENTS FACE AMID THE PANDEMIC: Watch here.

ASIAN AMERICAN GROUPS AND LGBTQ ALLIES CALL FOR RESPONSE TO ANTI-ASIAN HARASSMENT AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC: The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum launched a petition calling on Washington, DC Mayor Bowser to stand with the community amid these attacks. “Hate has no place in our country and Trump’s racist and divisive language only continues to place the Asian and Pacific Islander community — especially immigrants — at risk of violence and discrimination,” said HRC Press Secretary Viet Tran. “As many of us are fighting to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19, we must continue to stand up against the hate and violence against the Asian and Pacific Islander community.” More from Metro Weekly.

IN THE STATES 

CHARMAINE MCGUFFEY DEFEATS SHERIFF WHO FIRED HER IN OHIO DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY: More from The Advocate. 

This�� is��why��elections��matter��.

Congratulations, @CharmMcGuffey! t.co/R4oBayQlth

— HRC in Ohio (@HRC_OH) April 30, 2020

GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!

WELCOME WYATT MORGAN COOPER, CNN’S ANDERSON COOPER IS NOW A FATHER: More from The Advocate. 

“As a gay kid I never thought it would be possible to have a child and I’m so grateful for all those who paved the way.”

Congrats on the new addition to your family, @AndersonCooper – we’re so happy for you and Wyatt! �� t.co/3j4nUBy4bQ

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 1, 2020

NBC’S COUNCIL OF DADS FORWARDS LGBTQ VISIBILITY WITH REPRESENTATION OF BLACK GAY MEN: More from Instinct Magazine.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

POPE FRANCIS PROVIDES SUPPORT TO TRANS COMMUNITY NEAR ROME STRUGGLING DURING THE PANDEMIC: In the small town of Torvaianica, with the support of Pope Francis, the Rev. Andrea Conocchia turned his parish into a haven for 20 transgender women, most of them from Latin America. More from Religious News Service. 

EUROPEAN UNION URGED TO TAKE ACTION AS HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT PUSHES LEGISLATION TO END LEGAL RECOGNITION OF TRANS PEOPLE: More from Independent. 

TIJUANA SHELTER JARDÍN DE LAS MARIPOSAS PROVIDES SAFETY AND PROTECTION TO LGBTQ IMMIGRANTS: More from Washington Blade. 

FREDDY MCCONNELL, A TRANSGENDER MAN IN U.K. LOSES APPEAL TO BE LISTED AS A FATHER TO HIS SON: More from The New York Times. 

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

OutSmart covers 16 LGBTQ music videos to watch; NewNowNext shares ten LGBTQ Asian and Asian American movies to stream

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

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