Arts & Entertainment
Disney heir comes out as Trans, denounces ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills
Disney admitted that they had little experience with advocacy &, expressed regret for not doing more to support the LGBTQ+ community
Walt Disney Company heir Charlee Disney came out as Trans and denounced anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S. in a recent Los Angeles Times interview.Ā
Roy P. Disney, Disneyās father and the grandson of the companyās co-founder, revealed the news in a recent statement announcing the family would double its initial promise and match up to $500,000 in donations to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nationās largest LGBTQ+ rights organization. Last month, Charlee Disney said the family would match up to $250,000 at the organizationās annual gala in Los Angeles.
āEquality matters deeply to us,ā Roy P. Disney said in a statement, according to the LA Times. āEspecially because our child, Charlee, is transgender and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.ā
The HRC gala was sort of a public coming out for them, Charlee Disney told Times columnist Robin Abcarian, given that they came out privately four years ago.
āI have a trans kid, and I love my kid no matter what,ā Disneyās mother, Sheri, told the newspaper.
The news comes after Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the so-called āDonāt Say Gayā bill into law. The legislation will ban classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3 and allow parents to sue schools or teachers.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek came under fire for his response to the bill, which many viewed as muted. After widespread criticism for declining to speak out against the legislation, Chapek ultimately apologized, publicly opposed the measure, paused all political donations in Florida and urged Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to reject the bill in a phone call.
After DeSantisā signature, the company also released a statement, saying the bill āshould never have been signed into law.ā The governor later said the company ācrossed the line,ā adding that Disney has āalienated a lot of people now,ā at a press conference in West Palm Beach.
Charlee Disney, 30, a high school biology and environmental science teacher, had a difficult journey, even with āall the apparent privilege in the world,ā Abcarian wrote.
āI had very few openly gay role models,ā they said. āAnd I certainly didnāt have any trans or nonbinary role models. I didnāt see myself reflected in anyone, and that made me feel like there was something wrong with me.ā
Disney, who admitted that they had little experience with public speaking or advocacy, expressed regret for not doing more to support the LGBTQ+ community.
āI feel like I donāt do very much to help,ā Charlee Disney told the Times. āI donāt call senators or take action. I felt like I could be doing more.ā
They also widely condemned anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S. So far this year, state lawmakers have proposed over 240 anti-LGBTQ+ bills ā many of which target Trans youth ā according to Freedom for All Americansā legislative tracker.
Disney said that LGBTQ+ youth already face high rates of depression and anxiety, not to mention bullying and suicide. āThen to put something like this law on top of that? They canāt learn about their community and their history at school, or play sports or use the bathroom they want to use?ā
a&e features
āRuPaulās Drag Race: All Starsā cast visits D.C.
8 queens vie for $200,000 prize for charity in new season, premiering May 17
Donning sparkling and star-studded red, white, and blue attire on a gloomy, humid D.C. Monday, the cast of the latest āRuPaulās Drag Race All Starsā season sashayed on the National Mall to promote the reality show’s ninth season.
This upcoming season is different than those in the past ā eight queens are competing for a donation of $200,000 for the charity of their choosing, rather than a personal cash prize.
Several cast members noted how it felt important to visit the nationās capital, being authentically themselves and wearing drag. Nina West, who competed in season 11, likened drag to armor.
āWeāre here during a really specific time in history, that’s, I would say, markedly dark,ā she told the Blade at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. āAnd there’s an opportunity, as drag has always done, which is for our community as specifically LGBTQI+ people, to stand in our truth and be wonderful ā like guardians and fighters for our community.ā
Sheās competing for the Trevor Project, which is focused on suicide prevention and crisis intervention for young LGBTQ people. This seasonās pivot to compete for charity made Nina West want to come back on the show for the All Stars season. Sheās been offered the spot two times before this, she said, and this twist aligned with what she wanted to do.
Several of the other queens mentioned that itās an honor to be featured in this season, including season 5ās Roxxxy Andrews. She also competed in two subsequent All-Stars seasons.
She chose the organization Miracle of Love, which provides HIV/AIDS prevention programming and assistance in central Florida. Itās a smaller, more local organization, which is why Roxxxy Andrews chose it. She wants to make its work more nationally known. Also, vying to win during a charity season makes the competition feel more rewarding, she said.
Plastique Tiara of season 11 also noted itās different competing for charity. Sheās competing for the Asian American Foundation, which launched in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and aims to curb discrimination and violence through education and investments in nonprofits.
āIt’s more competitive because then you’re fighting not just only for yourself, but your ideas and the things that you love,ā she said.
Vanessa Vanjie of seasons 10 and 11 agreed that competing for charity adds a bit more pressure ā she chose the ASPCA. And as onlookers near the Lincoln Memorial took pictures of and with the queens, she said she was relieved.Ā
āI was a little bit worried somebody would yell some slurs at us,ā Vanessa Vanjie said. āNothing happened. Everybody came to take pictures like Santa Claus in the middle of the mall.ā
Thereās a range of contestants from different seasons for this round of All Stars. Some queens hail from recent seasons, but Shannel competed on the showās first season. To be a part of this new season is surreal, she said.
Sheās competing for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, which she has a close tie to. Sheās dealt with anxiety her entire life. The association is focused on increasing awareness and improving diagnosis and treatment.
āI always felt like I just wasn’t normal, sadly,ā she said. āAnd so now being able to be able to do this season and to get back to that organization is like amazing to me.ā
Gottmik, from season 13, is competing for Trans Lifeline ā a nonprofit providing advocacy, a hotline and grants created by trans people, for trans people. Being able to do drag and give back is the āperfect scenario,ā Gottmik said.
Gottmik was the first openly trans man on Drag Race, which was overwhelming when first on the show. Gottmik felt pressure to be the āperfect example,ā but later realized that they didnāt have to worry so much.
āI just want to show people that trans people are real people. We can express ourselves however we want to express ourselves, through drag, through whatever it may be,ā Gottmik said.
The new season will be available to stream on Paramount+ on May 17.Ā
Photos
PHOTOS: GLSEN Respect Awards
Marcia Gay Harden presented with Advocate Award in New York City ceremony
The LGBTQ advocacy organization GLSEN held its annual Respect Awards at Gotham Hall in New York City on April 29. Special guests included Billy Porter, Wilson Cruz, Nathan Lee Graham and Anthony Rapp. The evening included a live performance by The Scarlet Opera. Peppermint of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” served as host. Marcia Gay Harden was presented with the Advocate Award.
(Photos by Andrew Werner)
Celebrity News
More than 1 million people attend Madonna concert in Rio
Free event took place on Copacabana Beach on Saturday
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 HonĆ³rio Gurgel neighborhood, also joined Madonna on stage.
Congresswoman Erika Hilton, a Black travesti and former sex worker, and Rio Municipal Councilwoman MĆ“nica BenĆcio, 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,” saidĀ AssociaƧao Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais (National Association ofĀ TravestisĀ and Transsexuals), a Brazilian trans rights group known by the acronym ANTRA, on itsĀ X account.Ā “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.