Metro Weekly

11/25/2025

More than 200 House Democrats have signed a letter urging Speaker Mike Johnson to condemn what they describe as a rise in anti-transgender slurs and dehumanizing language from Republican members of Congress.

The lawmakers warn that the rhetoric is putting transgender Americans at risk at a time when hate crime reports are rising nationwide.

11/24/2025

Alabama’s library board has approved a new statewide rule that removes all transgender-related books from children’s and teen shelves, forcing them into adult sections only. The change affects more than 200 public libraries and will take effect in 2026.

Supporters say the rule gives parents more control over what their children read. LGBTQ advocates and anti-censorship groups warn it amounts to a broad book ban that erases representation and restricts youth access to information about gender identity.

11/24/2025

“I got more questions about flooding than my identity. Nobody cared — they cared about their town.”

Erica Deuso made history in Pennsylvania, but that’s not what defined her campaign. In this candid conversation, she reflects on growing up in Vermont, navigating her early transition, facing down misinformation, and building a coalition of neighbors who wanted solutions, not culture-war distractions. She also talks about what comes next: affordability, safety, and keeping Downingtown a community people love to call home.

Read our in-depth interview in the first comment below.

11/24/2025

A teenage run-in with police in Brussels once felt like a strange, isolated moment for Will O’Bryan. Today, that memory looks more like a warning.

As the U.S. embraces the same surveillance tactics Hungary used against LGBTQ people, Will argues it's time to stop pretending this can’t happen here.

It’s a short line from Budapest to the Ballroom, as Trump adopts the same surveillance tactics Orbán used to target LGBTQ people.

11/24/2025

Paula Vogel's The Mother Play earns ★★★★ from our critic André Hereford, who calls the play "eloquent" and "heartfelt." It's at Studio Theatre through January 4. Read our full review in the first comment below.

11/23/2025

“I was cut because I’m trans.”
Justine Lindsay, the NFL’s first out transgender cheerleader, is now speaking out publicly about why she says she was removed from the Carolina Panthers’ TopCats.
Lindsay points to Trump’s election, a coaching change, and lack of organizational support as key factors behind the decision.
https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/11/nfl-first-trans-cheerleader-fired/

11/20/2025

William Saki finally has his "GAY" license plate.

“I notice people pointing and taking photos when I drive by — it puts a smile on my face, I like it,” the Cleveland resident said.

11/20/2025

Paula Poundstone has thoughts -- about Larry the cat, about political chaos, and about who she'd pick if she could appoint the next president herself.

In our new interview, she talks comedy, resistance, voting rights, and why joy matters in dark political moments.

Full story in the first comment.

11/19/2025

Ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance, Advocates for Trans Equality has released its 2025 “Remembrance Report,” honoring 58 trans and nonbinary people who died this year.

The report offers a stark look at the deadly reality facing trans Americans — from violence to su***de to systemic failures that leave many vulnerable.

Read the full story in the first comment.

11/18/2025

Shakers, one of D.C.’s most popular LGBTQ hangouts, will close on Nov. 23. Owners Daniel Honeycutt and Justin Parker say they’re stepping back from nightlife to focus on family after years shaping the 9th & U corridor.

The space won’t be going dark for long. Kiki owner Keaton Fedak — who got his start bartending at the couple's Dirty Goose — will take over the venue and plans to keep it an LGBTQ space rooted in community.

Full story in the first comment.

11/16/2025

Lucas Santa Ana’s gay “anti-romcom” takes breakup pettiness to Olympic levels. Instead of ghosting, blocking, or quietly slipping out the back door, Tom leaves his CrossFit boyfriend Jero 300 exquisitely typed breakup letters -- each one sharper, meaner, and more self-sabotaging than the last.

The film is sexy and uneven, but never dull. It leans into toxic dynamics, spoken-word drama, q***r nightlife, and the undeniable appeal of two handsome men making terrible choices in Buenos Aires. It’s chaotic, venomous, strangely tender, and entirely committed to the bit.

Full review in the first comment.

11/15/2025

The Apple TV documentary Come See Me in the Good Light hits hard in the best ways. It’s blunt, moving, ruefully funny, and deeply intimate -- capturing poet Andrea Gibson living their best life while dying. The film follows Gibson and their partner Megan Falley as they navigate illness, love, art, and an entire q***r community that gathers around them.

Director Ryan White doesn’t flinch from the messy parts, the humor, or the heartbreak. Instead, he shows Gibson as they are: a restless, brilliant poet squeezing meaning from every moment left. It’s a portrait of creativity under pressure, a love story under strain, and a reminder of the power of community when things get dark.

Read André Hereford's full review -- link in the first comment.