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Teen comes out while riding Splash Mountain

16-year-old captured moment on Action Cam

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A California teen decided to come out to her family with the help of Splash Mountain’s Action Cam.

16-year-old Gina told BuzzFeed News she had known she was gay for about a year. When she and her mom went to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., she held up a sign saying “I’m Gay!” while posing for Splash Mountain’s Action Cam.

“I am not the type of person to have a deep, sit-down conversation, so I wanted to tell them in a lighthearted and fun way,” Gina told BuzzFeed News. “I love funny ride photos, so I figured I could make the sign just in case I decided to go for it, and I did.”

After her mom saw the picture, she sent it to Gina’s dad and brother who Gina says were “already 70% sure I was gay.” Although her mom had no idea, Gina says her family’s reaction was “super accepting.”

Gina tweeted the Splash Mountain photo and received an overwhelming response. The tweet received more than 5,000 retweets and more than 9,000 likes.

“I never expected it to blow up like this,” Gina told BuzzFeed News. “This Twitter account was just my spam account where I posted random fangirl stuff but I decided it couldn’t hurt to post it and the result was absolutely amazing.”

Gina says her tweet has helped other closeted LGBT teens.

“People have responded saying I’ve inspired them to do the same thing, which I think is the coolest part of it all,” Gina says.

Speaking with the Huffington Post, Gina gave some advice for teens thinking about coming out.

“It’s an overwhelming process, so just make sure you’re comfortable with who you are and make sure you’re prepared for questions or reactions people may have. I also know it’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re ready or not, so just be sure to give yourself time to really think about if you’re prepared,” Gina says.

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More than 1 million people attend Madonna concert in Rio

Free event took place on Copacabana Beach on Saturday

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Madonna performs on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach on May 4, 2024. (Screen capture via Reuters YouTube)

An estimated 1.6 million people on Saturday attended Madonna’s free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach.

The concert, which was the last one as part of Madonna’s Celebration Tour, included a tribute to people lost to AIDS.

Bob the Drag Queen introduced Madonna before the concert began. Pabllo Vittar, a Brazilian drag queen and singer, and Anitta, a bisexual pop star who was born in Rio’s Honório Gurgel neighborhood, also joined Madonna on stage.

Congresswoman Erika Hilton, a Black travesti and former sex worker, and Rio Municipal Councilwoman Mônica Benício, the widow of Marielle Franco, a bisexual Rio Municipal Councilwoman who was assassinated in 2018, are among those who attended the concert.

“Madonna showed that we fight important fights for the human rights of Black (people), young (people), women and LGBTQIA+ people, and against all injustice, discrimination, and violence,” said Associaçao Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais (National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals), a Brazilian trans rights group known by the acronym ANTRA, on its X account. “What they call identitarianism’ is our subversion to the retrograde and conservative tackiness that plagues the country.”

The Associated Press reported the concert was Madonna’s biggest ever.

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PHOTOS: Gay Day at the Zoo

Smithsonian observs International Family Equality Day

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Gay Day at the Zoo (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, SMYAL and Rainbow Families sponsored Gay Day at the Zoo on Sunday at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The Smithsonian observed International Family Equality Day with special exhibits and an event space.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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PHOTOS: Taste of Point

Annual fundraiser held for LGBTQ youth scholarship, mentorship organization

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Taste of Point DC (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Point Foundation held its annual Taste of Point fundraiser at Room & Board on May 2.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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