A royal visit to the United States in the 1980s. An assignation plot targeting Queen Elizabeth II. It’s no longer just the plot to the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun, but something the FBI was genuinely concerned about when the Queen visited the U.S. in 1983. The FBI released a …
Read More »Butterfly Sanctuary Boss Caught in Border Crisis Chases Away Texas Cops
The National Butterfly Center — a nature preserve in Mission, Texas, just north of the Rio Grande — has been threatened for years by the potential construction of a border wall and even far-right QAnon extremists who falsely claim it’s a hub for human trafficking. In that time, the sanctuary’s …
Read More »'The Lord of the Rings: Gollum' Review: Ambitious Storytelling Let Down by Plain Parkour
Despite J.R.R. Tolkien’s meticulous planning of The Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth, he leaves one crucial part of the saga to chance: the hope that you’ll feel pity for Gollum. Daedalic Entertainment steps in to fill that gap with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, telling not the …
Read More »Mom Who Challenged Amanda Gorman Accused of Posting Antisemitic Memes
Daily Salinas, the Miami-area mother whose poorly reasoned complaint about “The Hill We Climb,” Amanda Gorman‘s poem for Joe Biden’s inauguration, got it restricted in an area elementary school, is now defending herself against claims of antisemitism. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reports that Salinas posted a meme to her …
Read More »Paying Extra for 'Anti-Woke' Spite Products Is a Raw Deal
With so many companies going “woke” nowadays, American conservatives are understandably looking to purchase goods and services from brands that reflect their own values. Or, to put a finer point on it, from hucksters who promise that buying alternative products from them is a surefire way to “own the libs.” …
Read More »Furries Now Have Serious Beef With Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov. and GOP presidential nominee Ron DeSantis has successfully sucked the pleasure out of many of life’s little joys, from drag brunches to Disney adult TikTok. And thanks to the passage of SB 1438, or the Protection of Children Act, DeSantis may now be bringing the ax down on …
Read More »Tina Turner Was Open About Her Abuse. Now, Her Legacy Is Saving Survivors
Ruth Glenn remembers the first time she read I, Tina, the powerful 1986 autobiography in which Tina Turner details the extensive abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, Ike. Glenn, who read the book when it was first published, was “moved and encouraged” by Tina’s personal accounts; they …
Read More »Target Removed LGBTQ+ Merch For Employee Safety. Now the Designer Is Getting Death Threats
Designer Erik Carnell, the gay trans man behind the London-based company accessory and apparel line Abprallen, was honored to see his products sold at Target as part of the company’s pride collection. “I’m especially happy at the thought that young closeted people will see it, and I hope that in …
Read More »All Hail the Side Chick, the Unsung Hero Finally Getting Her Due
In the Andrew Llloyd Webber musical Evita, there is a plaintive number sung by a character known only as the Mistress, shortly after Eva has taken her place in Juan Peron’s affections. “I don’t expect my love affairs to last for long/Never fool myself that my dreams will come true,” …
Read More »Activists Gear Up for 'Terrifying' Pride Month As Threats Increase, Brands Drop Out
When Susan Steinberg, the chairman of the Mahwah Pride Coalition in Mahwah, New Jersey, began organizing a Drag Queen Story Hour for Pride Month last year, she anticipated it would be well-attended and relatively non-controversial. Though Mahwah, which has a population of about 26,000, tends to skew conservative, Steinberg says …
Read More »