Welcome to the first edition of THE GAY AGENDA, our gayest column yet. Each Friday, Vv will round up the latest in LGBT news, word-on-the-street gossip and can’t-miss Toronto parties. What better way to ring in the weekend? So put on the kettle, steep yourself a strong cup of tea and come bask in all this shade, honeys.
Gay marriage legalized across United States
Get your cummerbunds ready. Wedding season just got a lot gayer.
On this fine summer’s day, the U.S.A. became the 18th country on Earth to legalize same-sex marriage nation-wide. (For those keeping score, Canada was the fifth in 2005.) You can thank the U.S. Supreme Court, who ruled in a 5-4 vote that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.
In the historic ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy insisted that Americans consider the children of LGBT couples.
“Excluding same-sex couples from marriage thus conflicts with a central premise of the right to marry. Without the recognition, stability, and predictability marriage offers, their children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser … The marriage laws at issue here thus harm and humiliate the children of same-sex couples.”
Cher bless America.
Friday Pride parties have Toronto gays torn
As Natalie Imbruglia once put it, “Nothing’s fine, I’m torn.” Could there be a more fitting anthem for this Friday? Two smash Pride parties are descending on the city: Fit Primpin, the Pride edition of the wildly popular monthly west-end bash, and From Russia With Love, a party at Fly 2.0 featuring A-list drag queen Katya, Miss Congeniality of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7.
What’s a gay to do? Our suggestion: nap. Both parties run to the wee hours of the morning (4 a.m. for Primpin, 5 a.m. for Katya), so make like a silver daddy and doze the afternoon away. Your boss won’t care, right?
Shania in the 6ix
“Man! I Feel Like a Woman” is about as gay as country music gets. And after years in Vegas, Shania Twain came home to Toronto (well, the closest show to Timmins) on Thursday night to show us some love. And the crowd was living.
Gay marriage coming the the Caribbean
In a move that will likely slip under the radar, the Netherlands’ Dutch House of Representatives smoothly passed a motion to legalize gay marriage in their Caribbean nations: Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten. While the U.S. ruling will undoubtedly hog the headlines, we can’t help but wonder if our fabulous wedding would be better in Idaho or the tropics? Hmm.
A new Robyn album?
Call your girlfriends — Robyn could be dropping a new album any day. Sweden’s gift to Mother Earth hinted to Fader that she hopes to release a mini-album “really soon.” For those who can’t wait, the pocket-sized phenomenon dropped a new song, “Love is Free,” which sounds like a Pride jam if we’ve ever heard one.
American wrestler comes out on Facebook
Matt Hullum, a pro wrestler who goes by the name Matt “Money” Cage, scored attention this week when he came out as gay via a Facebook post titled “Here goes nothing…”
“I truly have nothing to hide anymore. I spent the majority of my life lying, hiding and depressed because I felt like I couldn’t truly be who I wanted to be and live freely as I saw fit. I had to act and that’s not me. I, nor anyone else, should have to do that.”
A serious knock-out, straight to the heart. Kudos, Matt.
Bette Midler revives Hocus Pocus on stage
Yaaas, qween. Bette Midler gave us life last month when she performed “I Put a Spell on You” from everyone’s childhood fave, Hocus Pocus. There was no SJP to be seen, but hey, we’ll take it.
Conchita bares all on Rolling Stone cover
As Drake would say, she’s on her wurst behaviour. And we don’t mind. Bearded beauty Conchita Wurst graced the cover of Germany’s Rolling Stone July issue — wearing nothing but a skirt, lashes and some well-placed duct tape.
The world-class drag performer tweeted about the cover on Wednesday: “To find myself on the cover of THE global music magazine is such an honour!!!”
Related Link: Ultimate Party Guide to Toronto Pride 2015
Which item on the Gay Agenda was your favourite? Let Vv Magazine know in the comments below, or tweet us @ViewtheVibe.
