National
Brian Boitano comes out as gay
Figure skater is a member of the U.S. delegation to 2014 Winter Olympics
Brian Boitano (Photo by Gary Soup; courtesy Creative Commons)
Figure skater Brian Boitano on Thursday came out as gay in a statement in which he discussed his selection to be part of the U.S. delegation to the 2014 Winter Olympics.
“While I am proud to play a public role in representing the American Olympic delegation as a former Olympic athlete, I have always reserved my private life for my family and friends and will continue to do so,” said Boitano. “I am many things: a son, a brother, and uncle, a friend, an athlete, a cook, an author and being gay is just one part of who I am.”
Boitano’s announcement comes two days after the White House announced he would join retired tennis champion Billie Jean King, former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and presidential advisor Robert Nabors at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics that will take place in Sochi, Russia, in February. Lesbian Olympic ice hockey champion Caitlin Cahow is among the five-member U.S. delegation that will attend the games’ closing ceremonies.
Neither President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama nor Vice President Biden and his wife will travel to Sochi amid lingering concerns over Russia’s LGBT rights record.
“First and foremost I am an American athlete and I am proud to live in a country that encourages diversity, openness and tolerance,” said Boitano, who had previously faced questions about his sexual orientation. “As an athlete, I hope we can remain focused on the Olympic spirit which celebrates achievement in sport by peoples of all nations.”
French President François Hollande, German President Joachim Gauck and E.U. Commission Vice President Viviane Reding have also said they would not attend the Sochi games. Gay Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and Flemish Premier Kris Peeters earlier this week made similar announcements.
Boitano won a gold medal for figure skating in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.
He placed sixth in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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