Arts & Entertainment
The Daily Beast removes Olympic Grindr story; OutGames calls for termination
organization calls The Daily Beast’s apology ‘not good enough’
The Daily Beast has issued an apology on their website for publishing an article by London correspondent Nico Hines that possibly outed Olympic athletes in Rio.
Hines, a straight man, used hook-up apps such as Bumble, Tindr, Grindr and Jack’d to message gay Olympic athletes. He went on to describe these athletes in the piece creating potentially dangerous situations for athletes from countries with high anti-LGBT violence rates.
Readers were alarmed by Hines’s piece, but the article remained on the site with only minor editorial changes and an editor’s note apologizing for people who may have been offended.
On Thursday night, the article was removed entirely and replaced with an official apology from The Daily Beast.
“We initially thought swift removal of any identifying characteristics and better clarification of our intent was the adequate way to address this. Our initial reaction was that the entire removal of the piece was not necessary. We were wrong,” The Daily Beast writes.
“Today we did not uphold a deep set of The Daily Beast’s values. These values—which include standing up to bullies and bigots, and specifically being a proudly, steadfastly supportive voice for LGBT people all over the world—are core to our commitment to journalism and to our commitment to serving our readers,” The Daily Beast continued.
World OutGames responded in a statement calling Hines’s article “a shameful example of the everyday struggles faced by LGBT athletes and individuals from all over the world.” The statement continues on to call the article an exploitative piece meant to drive web traffic to its site.
“In a desperate attempt for clicks, Hines recklessly described the athletes in ways that could have easily identified and outed these athletes, several of whom are from countries that outlaw homosexuality. As Hines wrote himself, several of the athletes he outed live in ‘notoriously homophobic’ countries and are forced to live in the shadows,” the statement reads. “The loathsome article was on full-display for the world to see for nearly 12 hours. Despite replacing the piece with an apology letter published on behalf its editors, The Daily Beast’s ‘we’re sorry’ is simply not good enough.”
World OutGames continued on to ask the International Olympic Committee to revoke the press credentials of Hines and The Daily Beast and for Hines to be terminated from his position.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.
The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.
The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.
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