North Carolina’s anti-trans bathroom law is the next battle.
North Carolina governor Pat McCrory recently approved a law banning any local governments from passing non-discrimination ordinances, and mandating that North Carolina residents must use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex stated on their birth certificates. The law puts transgender residents in danger. A 2013 Williams Institute survey found that 68 percent of transgender people experienced verbal harassment in a public restroom, while 9 percent experienced physical assault. The recent wave of transphobic bathroom bills and laws are just the most recent battle LGBT people must fight. Here are 12 more terrible laws from U.S. history and the present day:
Sapphic outlaw movies New Line Cinema; A24; Samuel Goldwyn Company
There are so many great lesbian movies out there, from heart-wrenching dramas to hilarious raunchy comedies to movies features lesbian dirtbag characters, but our favorite kind of sapphic film are lesbian crime thrillers.
Give us sapphic outlaws, hot lesbian chemistry, and thrilling criminal enterprises, and we will binge watch them all.
We love movies that feature complicated female characters who don’t act the way society has deemed appropriate. Normal crime thrillers can be boring, but throw in women behaving badly — especially if those women are lovers — and we are IN!
Basically, we love the kind of movie where the TLDR is: Be Gay. Do crime.
It used to be hard to find movies in this subgenre, but in the last couple of years we’ve been getting more and more films featuring lesbians committing crimes in the most entertaining way possible. So, here are 11 lesbian movies to scratch that particular sapphic criminal itch.
Love Lies Bleeding
Love Lies Bleeding
A24
Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian play lesbian lovers in a bloody crime movie. 'Nuff said. Ok, we'll say a little more. In Love Lies Bleeding, Stewart plays Lou, a gym owner/criminal, and O'Brian stars as a bodybuilder named Jackie, in this erotic thriller throwback. The movie is hot, steamy, and incredibly violent. Basically, it's everything we love in a film. Plus, KStew as a tank top-wearing buthc lesbian is our new favorite thing.
Where to watch: HBO Max
Bound
Bound
Gramercy Pictures
This mob-revenge movie has all of the crime, vengeance, and hot sex scenes between Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon that we could ever ask for in a lesbian thriller. There is a reason Bound sparked a queer awakening in so many ’90s teens!
The second chapter in Ethan Coen’s planned lesbian crime trilogy, Honey Don’t, stars Margaret Qualley as a private eye investigating a shady church leader (Chris Evans), and her love interest is none other than gay icon Aubrey Plaza.
Based on a popular manga series, Ride or Die follows Rei, who must go on the run with her longtime crush Nanae, after she kills the woman’s abusive husband. The rest of the film is a fugitive road trip move that focuses on the women’s complicated relationship and growing feelings.
This 1995 erotic thriller features Anne Heche as a bank executive-turned-escort who falls in love with the wife (Joan Chen) of a notorious money launderer played by Christopher Walken.
The movie credited with the start of Angelina Jolie and Jenny Shimizu’s relationship, Foxfire features a cast of high school girls who turn the tables on a teacher who made sexual advances.
We love movies about women behaving badly, so a film where Rosamund Pike plays a lesbian grifter who is constantly outsmarting men is right up our alley.
In this heist movie starring Vivica A. Fox and Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah play a butch lesbian bank robber. Need we say more? We didn’t think so.
In Monster, Charlize Theron plays real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, and Christina Ricci plays her love interest, Selby Wall. It's gritty and bloody and gives you a fuller picture of why Wuornos became violent. If that's not enough to grab your attention, Theron won an Oscar for Best Actress for the role, and it was directed by Patty Jenkins, who went on to helm the two Wonder Woman movies.
Where to watch: Freevee
Eileen
Eileen
Neon
Eileen stars Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway in a dark and twisted film about what happens when the boundaries of friendship become dangerously blurred.
Where to watch: Hulu
Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise
Rex Features
While not textually queer, we’re still counting it because both Thelma and Louise leave behind unfulfilling relationships with men and commit to each other. Then there’s that farewell kiss that Susan Sarandon improvised! Plus, Sarandon said later that she thought her character would be a lesbian if the film had ended differently.
Butterfly Kiss is a twisted ‘90s thriller about an unhinged drifter, played by the talented Amanda Plummer, who travels around northern Britain killing men and women while searching for her former lover. Think Thelma and Louise meets the depravity of Natural Born Killers or Monster.
Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke star as Drea and Eleanor, two high school students who band together to get revenge on their tormentors in this sapphic teenage crime movie set in this movie that is dripping with ‘90s references.
35 bisexual pop anthems we have on constant repeat YouTube.com/Binoy
Bisexuality has always had a soundtrack. From subtle nods hidden in early pop lyrics to today’s unapologetic anthems that blast out of every club speaker, these songs don’t just slap -- they’ve become rallying cries, visibility boosters, and sometimes messy, glitter-covered love letters to the fluidity of attraction.
We’ve pulled together 35 tracks that capture the highs, lows, and pure joy of being bi. Whether you’re belting them at karaoke or screaming them on the dance floor, these are the anthems that keep the bi energy alive and loud.
"Bobby Sox" - Green Day
In "Bobby Sox," Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong intentionally wanted this to be a "queer singalong," and the whole song oscillates between the question of "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" and "Do you want to be my boyfriend?" The song is also a shout-out to Armstrong's own bisexuality.
"Nancy Boy" - Placebo
Placebo frontman Brian Molko identifies as bisexual, and the song "Nancy Boy" explores themes of bisexuality, drugs, sex, and gender identity. The song reclaims "Nancy Boy" as a homophobic insult and satirizes it instead.
"Do Not Disturb" - Halestorm
In "Do Not Disturb," Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale sings to a man about joining her in her hotel room, stating, "And if I were you, I'd bring your girlfriend, too. Two is better than one, three is better than two." The rest of the song depicts what the three of them would do all night with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the hotel room door.
"Boys And Girls Together" - The Mamas & The Papas
In "Boys And Girls Together" by The Mamas & The Papas, the lyrics "Heads or tails/ Choose one or the other/Be my friend or be my lover/Like two sides of a coin/They are forever joined" depict bisexual love by addressing themes of loneliness and attraction.
"BoysBoysBoys" - Pinoy feat. Madison Rose
In Madison Rose's verse on Binoy's "BoysBoysBoys" track, she sings about how the boys in the club have her "acting like a stud" and also sings how much more fun it is to swing both ways.
"Girls Kissing Girls" - Ahli
Nonbinary artist Ahli dropped this bi/pan electro pop banger we can't get out of our heads. The song is a celebration of gender and sexual freedom.
"Lacy" - Olivia Rodrigo
When Olivia Rodrigo dropped "Lacy" from her sophomore album Guts fans were shook and delighted. Sometimes queer lyrics are subtle, alluding to same-sex romance in metaphor, but Ms. Rodrigo is not holding back about the sweetest torture Lacy is putting her through.
"Sick To My Stomach" - Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black who came out as queer in 2020 dropped this dreamy track on her debut album Let Her Burn about Sapphic heartbreak and we are feeling it, feeling it so hard.
"MONOPOLY" - Ariana Grande, Victoria Monét
You might not think of Ariana Grande as a bisexual icon, but in her song with co-writer Victoria Monét, both women individually sing, "I like women and men," then bop along like nothing happened. Grande never addressed it again, but all the bisexuals know, and we see you Ari!
"No Type" - Rae Sremmurd
Rae Srummond are presumably straight and surely didn't forsee this when they were in the studio, but this anthem is as pansexual as it gets. "I ain't got no type/Bad bitches is the only thing that I like." Truer words have never been spoken.
"Sweater Weather" - The Neighborhood
A mid-pandemic TikTok trend gave new (bisexual) energy to this decade old song. A surprising amount of queer women (presumably ex-Tumblr girls) used the track to come out as bisexual on the app, and a new anthem was born. All these years later, it still bangs.
Bisexual Anthem - Domo Wilson
The title says it all! "Better not forget the B in LGBT!" PERIOD!
"Boyfriend" - Dove Cameron
Dove Cameron's "Boyfriend" was an original smash hit, but as the singer told The Hollywood Reporter she had plenty of doubt and fear when she dropped the deeply personal song. “To me and to the people closest to me, my sexuality is not a revelation. I’ve even spoken about it in the public eye many times, but there’s a difference between that and then writing a song as explicit in the expression of your sexuality as this song,” she said “I definitely was very like, ‘This is going to crash and burn in 100 ways.’” Thankfully she was wrong, and the song become a beloved bisexual banger.
"Strangers" - Halsey & Lauren Jaurequi
When two bisexual artists, like Halsey and Lauren Jaurequi collab, brace for fierceness. Speaking with radio host Zach Sang, Halsey (who uses she/they pronouns) said in 2017 "I just love that Lauren and I are two women who have a mainstream pop presence doing a love song for the LGBTQ community. It's unheard of. It's very rare to see it from a female perspective."
"Curious" - Hayley Kiyoko
Out artist Hyley Kiyoko broke down the meaning of Curious in an interview with GQ: "[It's about] that feeling of learning self-respect and knowing when to walk away from a game and being like, "Okay, I'm just curious: Is this serious?" Everyone has been in that situation where someone's playing games, and it's like, "Where are your feelings at?" In the dating game, the world is difficult, because people don't communicate, or they communicate but then their actions speak louder than words.
"Girls & Boys" - Blur
An instant bisexual anthem, "Girls & Boys," according to The Life of Blur by Martin Power, was actually inspired by nightclubs in Essex and the rampant sexuality on display there. "All these blokes and all these girls meeting at the watering hole and then ... copulating. There's no morality involved, I'm not saying it should or shouldn't happen."
"CRZY" - Kehlani
Kehlani, really snapped when she gave us this ode to brushing off the haters and doing our own thing. She also gave us the iconic line, "If I gotta be a bitch, I'ma be a bad one." A life mantra!
'Girls/Girls/Boys' - Panic! At The Disco
Love is not a choice! Brendon Urie came out as pansexual in 2018 but the Panic! At The Disco frontman hasn't ever exactly shied away from talking about sexuality. The D'Angelo-inspired music video for 'Girls/Girls/Boys' tells the story of a girl trying to hide her girlfriend and states plainly, "Girls love girls and boys."
"I believe that you can’t control who you are. It’s something that I’ve experienced myself, that girls do love girls and boys," he said of the song in 2013. "A lot of times people want to label something just to make themselves feel comfortable. They wanna call this person gay or this person straight. I have had a similar experience with homosexuality, with bisexuality... It’s important to know who you are, to be able to be proud of that, and have the courage behind your convictions."
"Make Me Feel" - Janelle Monáe
Don't make Janelle Monáe spell it out for you. The notoriously private musician came out as a "free ass motherfucker" earlier this year and refuses to be limited to a label. Sexuality is simply how a person makes you feel, regardless of gender. 'Make Me Feel' makes that plain, complete with alluring bisexual lighting and a dance break where Monáe flits between dancing with a man and woman.
"Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie
"You've got your mother in a whirl/She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl." Bowie sings of his own fluid gender and sexuality and finds power in being whoever he wants to be.
"Bitches" - Tove Lo
Females do it better! When a married couple seeks oral sex lessons in the music video, Tove Lo demonstrates so well that the student leaves her husband and stays with the women.
"Preach" - Keiynan Lonsdale
The song is clearly about falling madly in love with someone, but with lyrics like, "You show me colors I would never have seen/You're changing what I believe but, this is so true," we can't help but wonder if this is about the first boy the sexually fluid singer-songwriter fell for.
"Bad At Love" - Halsey
Halsey flips through all the guys and girls she's dated in an attempt to understand why she hasn't yet found love. Queen of bisexual relatability!
"Cool for the Summer" - Demi Lovato
She's got a taste for the cherry and she wants to take a bite. Lovato is more than a little curious about the feminine mystique.
"Be Yourself" - Taylor Bennett
"I'm an outstanding Afro-American bisexual havin' shit." Chance the Rapper's younger brother, Taylor, just asks you plainly to be whoever the hell you want to be.
"Take Me On the Floor" - The Veronicas
Nothing wrong with a one night stand, and The Veronicas don't care about the gender of their temporary lover.
"Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen
Freddie Mercury, the bisexual frontman of Queen, simply wants to have a good time. Don't stop the man!
"Poker Face" - Lady Gaga
Gaga puts on her poker face when she’s having sex with a man but secretly wishes she was having sex with a woman. Did anyone else have no idea that that's what this song was about?
"Girls" - Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, Cardi B
This controversial track was originally called out for gay-baiting and fetishizing queer women. It received so much backlash that it even prompted Riat Ora and Cardi B to open up about their real-life experiences with women. But the chorus of the song still rings true, sometimes you do just want to kiss girls.
"Everyone Is Gay" - A Great Big World
A Great Big World might be known for their melancholy ballad with Christina Aguilera, but this uplifting track is a fist-pumping celebration of the wide spectrum of sexualities. "We're all somewhere in the middle/We're all just looking for love."
"The Greatest: - Sia
Dedicated to the LGBT community in the wake of the Pulse shooting, Sia begs us to not give up and follow our dreams. Also, bisexuals are the greatest!
"Forrest Gump" - Frank Ocean
"You're so buff and so strong." Ocean's open affection for a man in this breezy homage to the 1994 film makes me want to find love asap, or at least join a track team.
"She's Not Him" - Miley Cyrus
Bisexual people can have love triangles too! While Cyrus loves the girl she's with, she still hasn't gotten over her ex, who's a man.
"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" - Book of Love
"When I'm without pretty boys/I dream about pretty girls."
"If U Seek Amy" - Britney Spears
Britney Jean brushes off the haters in this fake-out track. You might love her. You might hate her. But all of the boys and all of the girls begging to F-U-C-K. Forever a bisexual mood!
Pride season is right around the corner, and while that means that your calendar is probably full of parties and parades, there are also Black Pride marches and festivities happening all across the country that should move to the top of your Pride Month calendar.
Pride Month is about demanding space and celebrating marginalized LGBTQ+ identities, but sometimes the Black queer community can be left out of the equation. That’s why Black Pride Month events are so important.
The very first Black Gay Pride event took place in 1991, when DC Black Pride had its inaugural celebration, paving the way for a movement of Black Pride protests and festivals across the United States. What has become a way to celebrate identity and demand a seat at the table started in response to how Black LGBTQ+ communities were disproportionately affected by the AIDS epidemic and encourages Black people to celebrate their own culture and heritage. Since then, events have cropped up all over the country to champion Black rights and joyfully gather in community with one another.
Don't see an event you're excited about? Email us at news@equalpide.com and we'll add it to the calendar.
Keep scrolling to see all of the amazing Black Pride Month events happening in America!
DC Black Pride (May 23 - 26)
Nicole Glass Photography/Shutterstock
This year Washington, DC will be home to the WorldPride celebration, but that’s not all. There will also be a four-day-long Black Pride festival that will feature electrifying parties, glamorous balls, health and wellness breakout sessions, and dynamic performances.
Tri-State Black Pride in Memphis, Tennessee will have a drag brunch, “dripping wet” pool party, and a music festival, and although you have to buy tickets the events make it worth the price of admission.
More details at Tri-State Black Pride.
New Orleans Black Pride (June 12 - 15)
Timothy Guarderas/Shutterstock
New Orleans knows how to do Pride right! The Black Pride weekend will start with a mixer before the Black Queer summit with panels, workshops, and meaningful conversations. There will also be a country-themed party, a community festival in Armstrong Park, a Nightcap Party with live DJs, and a Gospel Drag Brunch.
More details at Black Pride NOLA.
Indiana Pride of Color (June 14)
Sunstopper1st/Shutterstock
Indy Pride’s BLQ+ event is one part Pride celebration and one part Juneteenth event. The day is a way to honor the history of Junneteenth and the resiliency and solidarity of the Black queer and trans community.
More details at Indy Pride.
Black Pride Festival - Upstate Pride SC (June 28)
GrandAve/Shutterstock
On June 28, downtown Greenville, South Carolina, will become the home of the Black Pride Festival. The day will start with a march and end with a festival that is both an opportunity and celebration of the BIPOC LGBTQ+ community.
More details at Upstate Pride SC.
Harlem Pride (June 28)
LEE SNIDER PHOTO IMAGES/Shutterstock
This year’s Harlem Pride has a “Kween & Qing” theme that will honor the unique contributions of community leaders. There will be a Kween and Qing pageant and crowning ceremony, a Pride Sweet 16 party, and a festival with live performances, local vendors, community resources, and amazing food.
San Francisco Soul of Pride is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. What started as a place to uplift Black LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco has become a vibrant celebration that blends art, activism, and fellowship. There will be performances, art, and activism during Pride weekend that will celebrate the rich diversity of the Black queer community.
Hosted by the Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation, Boston Black Pride takes place over five days and includes a Pride Parade and music and arts festival. There will also be an open mic night party, a teen party, an R&B brunch, a Black Pride Ball, and a Met Gala.
LA Black Pride is a five-day festival meant to uplift and celebrate the Black LGBTQ+ community, and includes an R&B party, a block party, a brunch, a Soul Sunday event at The Abbey.
More details at Black Pride LA.
Black Pride RVA (July 17 - 20)
magraphy/Shutterstock
The 8th annual Black Pride RVA Festival takes place in Richmond, Virginia, and kicks off with a big party, which is meant to celebrate unity and culture. The rest of the event includes a Root Award ceremony at the Black History Museum, a Day of Purpose festival, a Blacktopia Ball, and a Pride in the Park celebration.
Twin Cities Black Pride celebration will include an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding contributions within the Black LGBTQ+ community, a party boat, and a Sip, Paint, and Smoke event where a relaxed atmosphere, drinks, painting, and socializing.
Even before he came out back in 2018 while starring in Love, Simon, Joey Pollari has brought queer representation to the big and small screens with a slew of notable roles over the years.
Pollari's latest project is no exception as he stars in the adorable LGBTQ+ rom-com Things Like This, where his character Zack deals with crippling anxiety as his life starts falling apart once he reunites with his middle school crush.
"I thought the opportunity would be really fun! Playing this role was a blast because of that level of fear and anxiety eating at him nonstop. [The] hope is that someone will have some kind of recognition that's helping them along," Pollari tells PRIDE.
Pollari is beyond grateful that his dynamic gay roles have opened minds and started conversations for many people struggling with their sexuality.
"What I like about all of the stories that I've portrayed is that, although they're pushed a gay agenda, they've ultimately gone past that at some point. I played those characters where they had so much struggle about their identity. You're just trying to portray the emotion of shame, anxiety, chaos, and self-sabotage."
Besides the very challenging aspects of coming out, Pollari loves showcasing queer joy on and off screen. Since Things Like This depicts a beautiful gay love story, the star dished on what his ideal first date looks like.
"I'm actually really simple! I don't like an activity for a first date. I do not want to go bowling or on a hike. My perfect date is you and I sitting down. We have a drink, we have a meal, and we actually get to just talk to one another. That's just me!"
Things Like This is out now in theaters. To see the full interview with Joey Pollari, check out the video at the top of the page.
TikTok creator Josselyn Morris and her livestreamed speed dating show.
Footage still via TikTok @Josselynmorris; Courtesy of Josselyn Morris
Queer joy is a radical act, so join us each week for more stories that uplift, resist, and shine. For more stories on Queer Joy, click here.
While people everywhere are becoming disillusioned with dating apps and are desperately seeking new ways to find love and connection, one TikToker is forging a new path for her LGBTQ+ Gen Z peers.
What started as the dream of a queer woman with only $600 left to her name has turned into a viral sensation and created a community for queer people to find love in the messiest way possible.
Josselyn Morris, a 26-year-old rising star on TikTok, started the app’s first-ever livestream LGBTQ+ speed dating show that has now grown to have more than 370,000 followers and gets a minimum of 50,000 viewers per night. She streams four nights a week to help queer singles find love on her TikTok live show. Some singles have applied to be on the show, and others are picked from the live audience so that Morris can help them find a match.
“I started this show with $600, a ring light, and a dream. And now there are people saying they found the love of their life in my comments section? That’s unreal,” Morris tells PRIDE.
The premise is as simple and effective as it is wildly entertaining: Morris holds up a sign that says “LGBTQ+ Speed Dating” and has a split screen with the curious single she invited on the show, and tries to connect them with people in the chat who feel a spark with the guest.
“The space I’ve built became what I needed when I was most alone—and now it’s that for thousands of other people too,” she says. “People come back every week. They root for each other. They stay. That means more than views ever could.”
HOW DID I DO YA’LL BE HONEST 😫👀💍👀 CONGRATS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE @ROSE 🌹 @🏳️🌈BBBOŚŠŞȘWWWÖMBMÅŅ👄👅 #wedding #marriage #marriagehumor #lgbtq #lgbtqia #🏳️🌈 #married #josselynmorris
Sometimes Morris helps people find a match and other times the people in the chat investigate the guest and figure out they’re actually in a relationship already or are lying about themselves. Combine that with Morris’ hilarious facial expressions, and sharp sense of humor and you’re in for an entertaining night even if no one finds love. Think speed dating mixed with internet sleuthing, and reality TV shows like Catfish and Maury.
Yes, it’s messy and full of gay chaos, but it’s also sweet and hopeful as young LGBTQ+ find love and build community on an app that can often make people feel even more isolated and pressured to be performative.
“It can be chaotic, funny, and unpredictable, but it’s also full of warmth, connection, and real vulnerability,” Morris explains. “Every night is different. One moment someone’s cracking jokes, the next someone’s talking about what it’s like to date while not being fully out. That kind of shift feels natural because the space allows for all of it.”
Originally from Yuma, Arizona, Morris knows what it’s like to be Black and queer in a small town with no community. A self-proclaimed stud, she started her TikTok channel with one main goal: to create an LGBTQ+ dating show made by and for the community.
And she’s found success doing just that. She’s created a community of devoted followers, who call themselves “Team White Braids,” has helped create 100 real queer relationships, was once even invited to a proposal between two contestants on her show, and heard that one couple she set up has a baby on the way.
“It’s become this tight-knit, almost sacred digital living room. We’re live almost every night, and the energy is always the same: safe, chaotic in the best way, and full of love,” Morris says. “You don’t need a label, a storyline, or a “look” to belong here. People who aren’t even out yet–people from towns where there’s no gay scene–come here and feel seen.”
Her live queer dating show proves that love is messy and radical joy is not only possible, but is at your fingertips four nights a week.
Sapphic outlaw movies New Line Cinema; A24; Samuel Goldwyn Company 
35 bisexual pop anthems we have on constant repeat YouTube.com/Binoy 
Kirkam/Shutterstock 
