Arts & Entertainment
Racy tattoo of Aaron Rodgers in a jockstrap sparks homophobic reactions
the artist says the work is not a comment on the quarterback’s sexuality
A tattoo of a scantily clad Aaron Rodgers has caused outrage on Instagram.
Denver tattoo artist Alisha Rice posted a photo of her work featuring the Green Bay Packers quarterback in a cropped jersey and a jock strap.
“You aren’t a #GreenBay fan, until you are an #AaronRodgers in a jockstrap pinup tattoo wearing fan,” reads the caption.
“What in tarnation is this gay ass sh*t? This is what y’all do up in Wisconsin? Don’t even look like his face and that helmet is severely f**ked. This some homo ass sh*t,” one person commented.
“The gayest tattoo ever. I’m sure A rod don’t want this shit on anyone,” another person reacted.
Rice told the Huffington Post the tattoo was “just meant to be a fun, tongue in cheek ode to the team.” She says it was not meant to be a comment on Rodgers’ sexuality as some people speculated.
“If anyone has an issue with the tattoo I’d challenge them to ask themselves why and reflect on the apparent double standard regarding the sexualization of the male and female forms,” Rice says.
Rice responded to the comments in an Instagram video showing her working on the tattoo.
“You may not understand why someone would want a hunky football player tattoo, but tattooing is personal. This tattoo is a celebration of identity, home, and team. That’s it! Hate and bigotry are not welcome here,” Rice captioned the photo.
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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