Arts & Entertainment
Caitlyn Jenner billboard removed for being offensive
Sign owner claims ‘no feelings of discrimination’
(Photo courtesy of Facebook/Cranium Billboards)
A Caitlyn Jenner billboard from a New Zealand sign company has been removed after accusations of transphobia.
Cranium Signage had a billboard in Auckland that featured a photo of Jenner from her Vanity Fair photoshoot with a Santa hat photoshopped on her head. The words “I hope your sack is fuller than mine this Christmas. Merry Christmas from Cranium” were printed beside the photo.
The billboard sparked outrage and the company was labeled transphobic and offensive.
The mother of a 9-year-old transgender boy and a member of a transgender support group, Rebecca Jones, spoke out against the billboard. According to the New Zealand Herald, the support group emailed a complaint to the company.
“I love funny billboards and even love those that push the boundaries however this billboard only suggests that you are a homophobic, redneck, conservative company full of small-minded morons who get a kick out of making fun of a group of people who feature highly in our suicide statistics and who struggle every day for acceptance within our society,” the email said.
Jones also took to the company’s Facebook page to write a complaint.
“Caitlyn might be busy, my 9-year-old transgender son might be free if you want to invite him to your house and explain why you thought it was funny to ridicule a transgender person since he has been trying to raise awareness since he was 6 years old” Jones wrote.
Cranium Signage has since covered the billboard with the word “Censored.” They announced on their Facebook page that they apologize and will be donating to Rainbow Youth, a New Zealand LGBT organization.
The owner of Cranium Signage, Phil Garratt, also issued an apology on the Facebook page.
” I as the owner have no feelings of discrimination to the gay or transgender community and if one of my family was I would love them just the same. Cait is more then welcome to stay at my house with my family anytime. I will have a wine or a beer with her quite happily and it would be an honor,” Garrett wrote.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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