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Delta blasted for straight-washing “Rocketman”

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Taron Egerton and Richard Madden star in “Rocketman” (Image courtesy of Paramount and Rocket Pictures).

“Rocketman,” the acclaimed musical biopic about Elton John, is making headlines again this week as Delta Air Lines defends itself against accusations of showing straight-washed, edited versions of its inflight movies.

The new controversy began on Tuesday, when an outcry sprang up on social media after Entertainment Weekly’s digital director Shana Naomi Krochma went on Twitter to scold the airline for removing most of the film’s gay content.

“On @Delta today [I] discovered that #Rocketman is stripped of almost every gay reference or scene that [Elton John] fought to keep in the film’s mainstream release, including a simple chaste kiss,” Krochna tweeted.

She followed up with a second tweet which questioned the airline’s decision to edit out same-sex love scenes while leaving in scenes of domestic violence.

“What does it say that the edit left in a scene of John Reid assaulting Elton but removed any evidence of intimacy between them or for that matter Elton and any man? What is that saying is OK?”

“Rocketman,” which deals with the early years of John’s musical career and his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, has been widely praised for its refusal to shy away from the subject of the singer’s sexuality. The film made news earlier this year when an outcry emerged over pre-release rumors that Paramount Studios had demanded director Dexter Fletcher and producer Matthew Vaughn remove a nude sex scene between actors Taron Egerton and Richard Madden, who portrayed John and Reid, respectively, in the film. Fletcher has denied that the studio made such a demand.

It’s the second time this week Delta has come under fire for removing LGBT content from its inflight movies. On Sunday, actress-turned-director Olivia Wilde blasted the airline for cutting a pivotal same-sex love scene in her film, “Booksmart.”

Responding to a fan on Twitter who had complained about the missing scene, Wilde tweeted, “This is truly a bummer. There is no nudity in this scene. What makes it too obscene for airplane viewing?”

Later that evening, at the Motion Picture Academy’s 11th Annual Governors’ Awards in Los Angeles, she told Variety, “I don’t understand it. There’s censorship, airline to airline, of films, which there must be some kind of governing board to determine. We rate it a certain way. If it’s not X-rated, surely it’s acceptable on an airplane.”

She added, “There’s insane violence of bodies being smashed in half and yet a love scene between two women is censored from the film. It’s such an integral part of this character’s journey. I don’t understand it. My heart just broke. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it; I want people to experience the entire film.”

Then, on Tuesday, Wilde complained on Twitter, “I finally had the chance to watch an edited version of Booksmart on a flight to see exactly what had been censored. Turns out some airlines work with a third party company that edits the movie based on what they deem inappropriate. Which, in our case, is … female sexuality?”

In a lengthy thread, she called out other specific edits made to the film, such as removing or muting the words “vagina” and “genitals,” removing dialogue about masturbation and UTIs, and removing a scene that featured two naked female dolls. The tweets never referenced Delta by name, though many followers and fans were quick to do so in their replies and retweets.

Wilde asked, “What message is this sending to viewers and especially to women? That their bodies are obscene? That their sexuality is shameful?” She went on to add, “ I urge every airline, especially those who pride themselves on inclusivity, to stop working with this third party company, and trust the parental advisory warning to allow viewers to opt out if they choose.”

Delta, which has a long history of commitment to supporting the LGBT community, received similar criticism in 2016, when the in-flight version of Todd Haynes’ Oscar-nominated “Carol” removed a kiss between actresses Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

On Thursday, the airline issued a statement explaining that a third-party company is contracted to provide its own edit of the movie along with the unedited version. If the unedited version contains content that does not meet Delta’s guidelines, the third party’s version is used instead, whether or not parts of the film that don’t violate the guidelines have also been removed.

The airline’s statement said, “Delta’s content parameters do not in any way ask for the removal of homosexual content” from its in-flight movies. We value diversity and inclusion as core to our culture and our mission and will review our processes to ensure edited video content doesn’t conflict with these values.”

No word on whether the unedited versions of “Rocketman” or “Booksmart” will be now made available on Delta flights.

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PHOTOS: Freddie’s Follies

Queens perform at weekly Arlington show

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The Freddie's Follies drag show was held at Freddie's Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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’

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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.

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The year in photos

Top LGBTQ news photos of 2025

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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The 40th annual Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition is held on Jan. 12 at the Hyatt Regency Washington.
A drag dance protest is held outside the Kennedy Center on Jan. 13.
Activists gather for The People’s March on the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18.
The Transgender Unity Rally and March is held on March 1. Activists march from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.
President Donald Trump addresses the Joint Session of Congress on March 4.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performs “Passports” at Lincoln Theatre on March 14.
The American Civil Liberties Union displays a ‘Freedom to Be’ trans flag on the Mall on May 17.
Actress Ts Madison speaks at the Black Pride Opening Reception on May 23.
The WorldPride Parade moves through the streets of Washington, D.C. on June 7.
Doechii performs at the main stage of the WorldPride Festival on June 8.
Activist/performer Tara Hoot speaks at the D.C. Drag Awards at Trade on July 20.
Cast members from ‘Queer Eye’ speak at a CAA event at Crush Dance Bar on Aug. 4.
The National Guard is controversially deployed by President Trump into Washington, D.C. Military-style vehicles are parked in front of Union Station on Aug.14.
Activists march in a ‘Trump Must Go’ protest ending at the White House on Aug. 16.
Supporters of trans students attend a meeting of the Arlington School Board on Aug. 21 to counter a speech by anti-trans Virginia gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.
Local governmental officials as well as volunteers and staff of MoCo Pride Center attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new LGBTQ community center in Bethesda, Md. on Aug. 30.
Activists protest cuts to PEPFAR funding outside of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Sept. 2.
Ivanna Rights is crowned Miss Gay Maryland America 2025 at The Lodge in Boonsboro, Md. on Sept. 6.
Thousands join the We Are All D.C. March on Sept. 6.
A scene from the We Are All D.C. March on Sept. 6.
Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson speaks at the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS on Sept. 7.
Cake Pop! performs at the Washington Blade’s Best of LGBTQ D.C. party at Crush Dance Bar on Oct. 16.
A participant poses for the camera at the High Heel Race on 17th Street, N.W. on Oct. 28.
President Joe Biden speaks at the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference at the JW Marriott on Dec. 5.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform ‘The Holiday Show’ at the Lincoln Theatre on Dec. 12.
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