LGBTQ

[WATCH] Dwyane Wade Reveals He Left Florida Due to Anti-LGBTQ Laws Impacting His Family

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Dwyane Wade is no longer a resident of Florida. Speaking with Rachel Nichols, Wade revealed he and his family moved out of the state as politicians are working to put in place laws and use language that can negatively affect the LGBTQ community.

“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade said. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions. I mean, obviously, the taxes is great, having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. So that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.”

In February, Dwyane Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union received the prestigious Presidents Award from the NAACP at the 54th annual Image Awards. Both gave moving speeches advocating for the Black LGBTQ community.

“I am intentional when I use my platform. I recognize what I have been given and it is my job to uplift the voices of others and share my access and resources,” Wade said.

Wade opened the speech by dedicating the award to his 15-year-old daughter, Zaya, who is transgender.

“Zaya, as your father, all I’ve wanted to do is get it right. I’ve sat back and watched how gracefully you’ve taken on the public scrutiny and, even though it’s not easy, I’ve watched you walk out of that house every morning as yourself,” Wade said.

The retired NBA star thanked his daughter for showing him “that there is more than just one way to communicate effectively.”
“You’ve taught me that communication with my mouth isn’t enough. I have to also communicate with my two ears and my two eyes,” Wade said.

Gabrielle joined by saying, “A new era that demands our collective answer to one simple question: Will we fight for some or will we fight for all of our people?” Even as we demand equality at the top of our lungs, we consistently fail to extend our advocacy to protect some of our most vulnerable among us.”

To an emotional crowd, Wade ended his speech saying that he was “proud to be chosen” as Zaya’s father.

“Zaya, you’ve made me a better human just simply by being who you were born to be, a baby girl, Zaya Wade,” he said. “So baby thank you for showing the world what courage looks like.”

Watch the full speech below.

Courtney Brown contributed to this post

The post [WATCH] Dwyane Wade Reveals He Left Florida Due to Anti-LGBTQ Laws Impacting His Family appeared first on The Source.

Keke Palmer On Her Sexuality: “I Always Felt Like I Was A Little Bit Of Everything”

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The main focus in Keke Palmer’s life as of late has been her son, Leodis. She and her boyfriend Darius Jackson welcomed the little one earlier this year. Motherhood has, of course, come with its share of tough moments and lessons. Still, the former Disney star continues to carry herself with confidence and optimism. As she inches closer to resuming work as an actress and entertainer, Palmer is being formally recognized for her various contributions. Most recently, the LGBTQ community is singing her praises. As Variety notes, she was honoured on Saturday (April 22) with a Vanguard Award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center, presented to her by Queer Eye star Karamo Brown.

“I’m so grateful to be here today. To be embraced by a community that I’ve always felt accepted by and a part of,” the Chicago native gushed on stage this weekend. “I’ve always been my own person. Sexuality and identity for me has always been confusion. You know, it’s, ‘I never felt straight enough. I never felt gay enough. And I never felt woman enough. I never felt man enough.’ You know, I always felt like I was a little bit of everything,” she additionally expressed.

Keke Palmer Honoured by the Los Angeles LGBT Center

Karamo Brown and Keke Palmer at The Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala on April 22, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

Elsewhere in her speech, Palmer spoke about “leading with masculinity” in life. According to her, this is something that has impacted her career and personal life. “As a woman, I’ve always been met with so much disdain. You know what I mean?” the multi-talent asked the audience. “I think so much of that came from who I thought I had to be to get respect, admiration and love. And I’ve always really wanted to be like my father. To want to be taken seriously and not diminish because I was a woman. You know, that’s always been a source of — I guess you would say — pain and resentment.”

Following the ceremony, Keke Palmer shared a heartfelt Instagram photo dump on Sunday (April 23), further reflecting on what the Vanguard Award means to her. “It was such a gift to be in a room, being celebrated for being exactly who I am. I am so grateful you guys to be living in this time, where yes there is still so much work to do, but dammit we doing it!” she proudly exclaimed. “I am truly filled with so much gratitude, I tried so hard not to ruin my makeup but the tear ducts were giving out.” Read everything the 29-year-old had to say on social media below and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

Actress Commemorates the Special Moment on Instagram

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Erica Banks & Sukihana Get Salacious And Flirtatious On Instagram

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If you thought we’ve already seen enough unusual celebrity pairings so far this year, wait until you find out about the latest potential couple taking over the industry – Erica Banks and Sukihana. Following the former’s split from Finesse2tymes last year, she’s been living her best single life, regularly sharing her curvaceous body and unfiltered thoughts on social media. Early on Tuesday (April 11) morning she did the latter, specifically sharing her thoughts on performing analingus, both on the same and opposite sex. “I love my sis Suki, but I can’t eat a n*gga ass,” she explicitly wrote.

“Now a girl? I can do, fresh out the shower [please],” the Texas native added, clearly setting her bedroom boundaries. Knowing Banks’ usual content, this isn’t exactly out of character for her, though her reaction to Sukihana’s response has certainly left some surprised. “Eat mines then,” the 31-year-old wrote in @theneighborhoodtalk’s comment section after the blog reposted her potential new love interest’s tweet. “Wya rn 🌚?” Erica quickly responded, prompting Suki to express further interest on Twitter.

Erica Banks Speaks Her Truth

“Is Erica Banks really gay?” the Delaware-born lyricist asked this afternoon. “Or she trolling? ‘Cause I really am in real life, so if she want to go on a date I’ll take her out to eat.” Shortly after, the younger artist confirmed that feelings are mutual in a salacious post. “Now Suki, why you didn’t eat me out at that pool party that time we went then 🙄🙄? But I do wanna go on a date.” Following in Banks’ footsteps, ‘hana set some boundaries of her own, explaining that she’s the type to get to know someone and treat them right before hopping into bed with them.

“Listen, Erica, we go on dates ’round here. [I don’t know] what n*ka [you] been with,” Sukihana wrote. “We are not eating each other’s coochiannas without courting,” her tweet insisted. It seems her prospect was amused by the offer, and accordingly agreed to grab dinner this coming Friday (April 14). Make sure to check back in this weekend for any updates on the female rapper date night.

Sukihana Responds

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Candace Owens Says JoJo Siwa Is “Lying” About Sexuality, Teen Tells Commentator To “Back The F*ck Off”

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If there’s one thing you can always count on Candace Owens to do, it’s stir the pot. Her most recent bout of antics arrived on Twitter earlier this week when the right-wing political commentator opted to turn her attention to JoJo Siwa’s TikTok page. In a five-minute video, the grown woman dissects the teenager’s social media posts, going so far as to accuse her of faking her sexuality. As you may recall, the Dance Moms alum came out as part of the LGBTQ community in January 2021. “I don’t believe JoJo Siwa is a lesbian,” Owens declared in her post from April 4.

“But the way, I want to state that very clearly, I do believe she’s desperate for attention,” the 33-year-old said of Siwa. “You’re not going to believe what she’s doing now,” Owens added before speculating about a romance between the internet sensation and former Disney Channel star, Demi Lovato. In the same year that JoJo came out, the Camp Rock actress also informed the world that she’s pansexual. “She did this for attention,” the talk show host doubled down on the relationship rumours. “I don’t believe she’s a lesbian no more than I believe Demi Lovato is a lesbian.”

JoJo Siwa Claps Back at Candace’s Comments

In the caption of her tweet, Owens once again pondered, “Is JoJo Siwa lying about being lesbian for attention?” While some of the internet is in agreeance with the mother of two, many others are slamming her for concerning herself with the love life of a 19-year-old when she has a family of her own. As the post continued to circulate online, Siwa eventually got word of it and didn’t hesitate to give her new nemesis the attention she was looking for.

“I haven’t watched the video yet… But if it has anything to do with your caption, respectfully, back the f*ck off,” she told the controversial figure. Candace Owens doesn’t appear to have responded to JoJo Siwa at this point, though she has posted other videos about heated conservative topics such as drag queens and the transgender community. Let us know if you think her comments on the teenager are out of line below, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

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Benzino Demands LGBTQ+ Community Stop Flirting With Him

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Benzino wants the LGBTQ+ community to stop flirting with him. In a series of since-deleted posts on social media, the 57-year-old explained that, while he’s an ally to the cause, he isn’t interested in men. The comments come after a trans woman named Shauna Brooks alleged that Benzino pursued a relationship with her in 2022. At the time, she leaked audio of phone calls with him. In response, Benzino claimed he is only attracted to cis women.

“Attention to all in the LGBTQ, abcd!!!” Benzino began in one of his new tweets. “I respect y’all’s movement and your decision to be who you want to be BUT STOP THE WEIRD SHIT WITH THE COMMENTS AND FLIRTING. I’M NOT FUCKING FLATTERED BECAUSE I’M NOT GAY!! RESPECT THAT SHIT AS I RESPECT WHO YOU ARE!!”

Benzino’s Response To His Doubters

ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 06: Benzino attends “Hollywood Hearts” Atlanta movie premiere at Regal Atlantic Station on October 6, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

When accused of lying about being hit on, Benzino came back with examples from Twitter. “Wtf I gotta lie to y’all for? Yall weird asf!” he captioned the screenshots. “There’s WAY more but twitter only allows 4 pics at a time.” He further complained about his followers on Instagram, reaffirming that he’s “straight.” “Fuck y’all mad at me for?? Cause I ain’t wit that shit?” he asked. “I know it ain’t all gays & not all gay men are disrespectful but it’s a lot who are, it’s been going on for awhile. I don’t wanna see that on my timeline. Just respect that. I’m straight, and idgaf about none y’all comments.”

When he was accused of dating Shauna Brooks, Benzino appeared on The Danza Project in April 2022 to explain why being thought of as gay makes him uncomfortable. “You never want to go through people thinking that you’re gay when you’re not,” he said at the time. “Like, I just, and people are like ‘Well if it ain’t true then you should…’ Man, fuck all thizzat. Like you don’t want to be accused of being gay. I just don’t want that, bro.”

Benzino’s Since-Deleted Posts

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Boosie Badazz Accuses Gabrielle Union Of “Gay Bashing”

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Boosie Badazz frequent criticism of the LGBTQ+ community found him in a long-standing feud with Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union. The rapper’s comments about Zaya Wade led to a ban on Instagram and Planet Fitness, where he filmed transphobic comments before sending them off to the ‘Gram. At the time, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union didn’t fuel the media storm that he caused but eventually, the Bring It On actress gave Boosie a piece of her mind.

“He’s so preoccupied. It’s almost like don’t protest too much Lil Boos’…. You got a lot of dick on your mind,” she told Jemele Hill. Union and Hill then went onto further imply that Boosie hasn’t confronted his own sexuality. “It’s like, sir, is there something you want to go ahead and tell us,” she said. Boosie later fired back, claiming Dwyane Wade was also homosexual. “​​Hope you don’t think black couples look at yall like a power couple they don’t!” he tweeted. Go bang him with that dildo and wait on a script u lil white girl.”

Boosie Badazz Calls Gabrielle Union A “Hypocrite”

During Boosie Badazz’s latest appearance on Vlad TV, he went on to share a more in-depth reaction to Gabrielle Union’s comments about him. Though he acknowledged that he has no knowledge of Wade actually being gay, the rapper explained that he found her comments hypocritical, especially as an advocate for gay rights. “For her to say that, that makes her a hypocrite,” he said. “You don’t want no one to talk about what goes on in those situation but you’re saying that somebody has dick on their mind? So if you do got d*ck on your mind, you feel some type of way about that. Baby, you a hypocrite.”

At this point, Vlad interjected, describing Gabrielle Union’s comments as a form of “gay bashing” which Boosie agreed with. “You ‘gay bashing’ me,” he added with a smirk on his face. “Are you gay bashing? You’re a hypocrite… Everything I spoke to her was from the heart. We don’t look at you like a power couple, baby. I mean, not the people where I’m from.” However, Boosie explained that he “tried to be respectful” since family members personally asked him not to mention Zaya. Check the full clip above.