Arts & Entertainment
Behind the scenes at the Emmys
Alan Cumming ‘very happy’ this year’s ceremony was so LGBTQ-inclusive
At the Creative Arts Emmy awards last weekend, actor/LGBTQ activist Alan Cumming won the award for Outstanding Host of a Reality Series for the much-loved Peacock series, “The Traitors.” While at the Primetime Emmys on Sunday night, the series also won for Outstanding Competition Series.
Thanking the audience, Cumming said: “We are so grateful because we are a new show, and you guys, when you like something, you tend to stick to it, which is a good quality, so we appreciate it all the more.”
During Emmys night, Cumming wore a Trans Pride pin on the lapel of his jacket, which featured the colors of the transgender Pride flag–blue, pink and white. Attached to the ribbon was a medal, which read, “For Military Merit.”
Speaking to him Saturday at the GBK Brand Bar event, Cumming said he was “very happy” the Emmys were so very LGBTQ-friendly this year.
“There are lots and lots of queer people being celebrated, and that is a very positive thing,” Cumming told the Los Angeles Blade. “Especially because we are at a time in America’s history where queer people are under threat and there is a lot of violence around. So I think it’s very beautiful that the entertainment industry is showing their love and support for us.”
There were many stylish LGBTQ couples on the Emmys red carpet. Caroline Joyner, who is the director and co-head of inclusion at William Morris, was with Brittani Nichols, a writer and producer for “Abbott Elementary,” which was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series this year. Looking lovely as well was Sarah Paulson, who was right by Emmy nominee Holland Taylor’s side. Singer Jessica Betts accompanied her wife, Niecy Nash-Betts, who was part of a fun segment about television cops.
Other well dressed celebrities were queer actor Devery Jacobs, who stars in “Reservation Dogs,” which was up for Best Comedy; Ayo Edebiri, nominated for “The Bear,” Kirsten Kish was nominated for “Top Chef” and Kali Reis, who was nominated for acting in “True Detective: Night Country.”
LGBTQ “Baby Reindeer” stars Jessica Gunning — nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series — and Richard Gadd, who also wrote/created the series, both received accolades for their fascinating Netflix series, which won four Emmys.
“This is the stuff of dreams,” Gadd said after winning his first Emmy in writing, as well as outstanding limited or anthology series and lead actor.
In the pressroom, Gunning complimented Gadd’s writing, saying that her character was “so unique and unusual” in the dialogue she read. “It was all really there in the script for me and I just connected with her. I never saw her as a villain. I saw her as a kind of a complicated, lonely character, as was Richard’s character Donny. It was all there in the work. I was just very lucky to be able to play the part.”
Gunning said that she was unable to put the script down once she received it.
“I read all the seven episodes in one go and I just kind of fell in love with the story and the writing and the character of Martha,” she noted. “When we were filming, I just was so proud of Richard and this story. And so when we made it, I think we just all thought it was gonna be this kind of indie slow-burning hit that people might watch.”
Trans Latina “Baby Reindeer” actress Nava Mau was also nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category, making her the fourth trans person nominated at the award show and the first in the category.
“I think that what we’ve been fighting for as a community is to be able to tell stories that come from the heart and that are based from a human foundation,” Mau told “Live from E!” host Laverne Cox, who was the first trans actress to be nominated for an Emmy. “Because that’s who we are as trans people, we are humans first and foremost.”
Among the numerous other LGBTQ talent present during television’s biggest night were queer and Indigenous nominees Lily Gladstone and Reis, both of whom were nominated for “Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.” This was the first time Native women have ever been nominated.
Around town
Publicist Tad Hamilton handles both the GBK Brand Bar and Affinity Nightlife’s “Dream in Gold” Post Awards Gala.
“As a publicist working in the entertainment industry with some of the industry’s top talent and events, we are always excited to include, and work with, the LGBTQIA+ community. Diversity and Inclusion is a core principle of Mosaic PR and this year’s GBK & MEND Television Awards Luxury Lounge and Affinity Nightlife’s ‘Dream in Gold’ Post Awards Gala is no exception. Both events had some of the most recognizable LGBTQIA+ stars in attendance.”
Hollywood hairstylist Erick Orellana loved seeing classic Hollywood glam all over the red carpet this year, with hairstyles ranging from “soft Veronica Lake waves to the side” to “vixen starlet looks” with blowouts that complement almost anyone with long hair.
“It was nice to see a beautiful homage to old Hollywood glamor and beauty as we are transitioning out of beach waves or to done up hairstyles,” he noted.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
a&e features
Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths
The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.
This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.
This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.
Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis
Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers
ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES
- Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives - Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream - Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC - Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency - Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision - Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry - Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine - Queen Adesuyi (she/they)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice - Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives) - Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra - Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer - Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital - Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space - Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Diana Rodriques (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women - Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader - Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation - Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle - Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle
LEGEND AWARDEES
- Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau - Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP - leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography - Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University - Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation - AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU - RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart - Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign - Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group - Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame - Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction) - Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Formerly of Voto Latino - Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade - Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer - Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures - Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association - Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Coalition - Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted - Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies - Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter - Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington - Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit - Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio - Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT - J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
Celebrity News
D.C. goes gaga for Gaga
Bisexual icon brought ‘The Mayhem Ball’ tour to Washington this week
Lady Gaga this week took D.C. by storm.
The bisexual icon and LGBTQ rights champion brought “The Mayhem Ball” tour to Capital One Arena on Monday and Tuesday.
“Abracadabra,” “Paparazzi,” “Applause,” and “Bad Romance” are among the songs Lady Gaga performed during the 2 1/2-hour long concert. Lady Gaga also celebrated her many queer fans.
“You are precious to us,” she said on Tuesday night before she performed “Born This Way.”
‘No Kings’ protests set for D.C.
Border to border: modern slavery and human trafficking in refugee movements across East Africa
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Pa. House passes bill to codify marriage equality in state law
PHOTOS: Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary
‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think
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Polish court rules country must recognize same-sex marriages from EU states
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