OUT

As the spring season unfolds, I am delighted to share some exciting happenings at equalpride. I am thrilled to announce our recent Out March/April Fashion issue cover launch, featuring the incomparable Billy Porter. His ability to present a unique perspective on the LGBTQ+ experience is truly a testament to the power of representation in media. We are also elated that The Advocate has won Outstanding Magazine for Overall Coverage at the 34th GLAAD Media Awards ceremony. This recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication to telling inclusive, accurate, and impactful stories about the LGBTQ+ community. Our mission at equalpride is to amplify diverse voices, and we’re proud to work alongside talented individuals who bring this vision to life. As we come together to celebrate Pride, let’s not forget the ongoing fight for…

In our cover story with Kim Petras (page 46), the trans singer unpacks her historic speech at the Grammys earlier this year. When she took the stage for winning in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, alongside Sam Smith for their hit “Unholy,” she thanked her mother who “believed me, that I was a girl.” The remark was unplanned. But in that moment, it was important for Petras to acknowledge that a supportive parent, that her mom’s belief in her, was “responsible for me being alive.” Across the world and throughout history, LGBTQ+ people have struggled to be believed about who they are and who they love. Make no mistake — it is a fight for survival. Studies show that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is linked to a rise in suicide attempts…

In her 2022 Netflix special, Good Fortune, Fortune Feimster recounts the story of a homophobe who sent her a vile message on social media. In the message, “Gary” asked, “How long have you and your wife been mentally ill taco-licking lesbians who should be put in Alcatraz?” In response, the stand-up comic and actor declared, “Gary just recognized my marriage. He said, ‘your wife,’ and that is called progress.” True to her gentle style of modeling queer visibility by being her authentic self, Feimster doesn’t tear down the homophobe. She turns his hate on its head to highlight that his acknowledgment of her nuptials to a woman is something that wouldn’t have occurred at the start of her career. Hence, “progress.” But the reality of any backlash to Feimster’s union to her…

Can’t Cancel Pride — the annual benefit from Procter & Gamble and iHeartRadio that’s raised millions for LGBTQ+ organizations — began with a conversation about the Muppets. Brent Miller, the global LGBTQ equality leader for P&G and a gay man himself, was sitting in his New York City living room in 2020, having a virtual “water cooler” chat with colleagues. The conversation turned to LGBTQ+ people and how especially vulnerable they were in the pandemic. Nonprofits were losing funding. Young people were sheltering in place, separated from in-person queer networks, and oftentimes trapped with unsupportive family members. With events canceled across the world, the future of Pride itself — the annual celebration that brings LGBTQ+ people together in a dazzling month of visibility — seemed uncertain. How to move forward? If only there…

Even before joining Queer Eye in 2018, Bobby Berk had made a name for himself as an expert designer. Now, for season 7 of the hit Netflix series, he brings his talents to the historic city of New Orleans, performing life-changing home renovations for a new set of heroes. Off-screen, he’s been thinking about the intersection of interior design and mental health. It’s the subject of his debut book, Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind, coming this September. Ahead, Berk talks Queer Eye season 7 — out May 12 on Netflix — how our surroundings impact every aspect of our lives and why you should fill your home with things you love. How did working in New Orleans for Queer Eye season 7 influence your design process? The…

The Little Mermaid has always been for the gays. Disney’s original 1989 animated musical film (which kicked off the studio’s legendary and critically acclaimed Renaissance era) was based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of the same name. This 1837 tale told the story of a lovestruck mermaid named Ariel who feels like an outsider in her underwater society, causing her to dream of a life with humans in the world above. The animated film draws forth these queer themes of longing for love and acceptance — and is swimming with LGBTQ+ inspiration. The character of Ursula, one of Disney’s most delicious villains who was originally voiced by the late Pat Carroll, was inspired by drag legend and John Waters muse Divine (Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Hairspray). And the film’s…