Arts & Entertainment
Colton Haynes slams Hollywood for discriminating against gay actors
the actor has appeared in ‘Teen Wolf,’ ‘Arrow’

(Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)
Colton Haynes is fed up with Hollywood’s bias towards gay actors.
Haynes sent out a series of tweets on Tuesday blasting the industry for judging an actor’s personal life instead of their talent.
“Hollywood is so f–ked up. So much of the focus is on your personal life & has nothing to do with the talent you have to bring to the table,” Haynes tweeted.
Hollywood is so fucked up. So much of the focus is on your personal life & has nothing to do with the talent you have to bring to the table
— Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) August 30, 2017
“So disappointed in how Hollywood cant understand that playing a character has nothing to do with how u live your personal life,” Haynes continued.
So disappointed in how Hollywood cant understand that playing a character has nothing to do with how u live your personal life
— Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) August 30, 2017
Haynes has appeared in “Arrow” and “Teen Wolf.” He has also joined the cast of “American Horror Story: Cult.” The actor praised the three showrunners for thinking “gay actors are more than just their personal lives.”
Thank god for Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, & Jeff Davis. They believe gay actors are more than just their personal lives
— Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) August 30, 2017
Haynes’ thoughts were echoed by fellow gay stars Billy Eichner and Andy Mientus.
“Amen,” Eichner tweeted in response.
“I’m afraid I know exactly what you’re talking about. Be strong, brother,” Minetus replied.
AMEN. ?
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) August 30, 2017
I’m afraid I know exactly what you’re talking about. Be strong, brother ✊️
— Andy Mientus (@andymientus) August 30, 2017
One of Haynes’ fears of publicly coming out was that it would affect his career. He told The Huffington Post in June that he was warned being openly gay and having a career would be difficult. He also said that his management would set up pictures of him and women so he would appear straight.
“I’ve been told by so many people that you cannot be out and have a career,” Haynes told The Huffington Post. “Literally, people would set me up with girls for press. … There was this whole story that ran with Lauren Conrad, who I love — she’s the best. Basically my old manager at the time was like, ‘Oh, take a picture with her.’ He just basically ran this story trying to say that I was dating Lauren Conrad. It was there for about six months. I was like, ‘Oh great, I have to do this.’ That’s how it is in Hollywood. But not anymore. You have all these amazing showrunners who actually embrace people’s personal lives and embrace people’s truth.”
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)














Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
