LGBT

The St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam on Saturday, after making him the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team back in May.

Sam could still be picked up by another team. If he clears waivers, he can sign with any team and he could still end up with the Rams on their practice squad.

Michael Sam is getting support from one of the biggest pop stars in the world -- Harry Styles ... who rocked the football player's jersey during a One Direction concert in St. Louis yesterday.

Harry threw on a #96 St. Louis Rams jersey with Sam's name across the back during the a performance at Edward Jones Dome ... where the Rams play.

It's an interesting move for Styles -- whose bandmate Liam Payne came under fire for his support for the "Duck Dynasty" guys after the reality stars came out against gay marriage.

ESPN has issued an apology for a report which covered the locker room showering habits of Michael Sam.

The network came under fire yesterday after Josina Anderson went on the air and reported on her discussions with multiple Rams players about how Sam is conducting himself in the locker room.

In her report, Anderson said ... "Another Rams defensive player told me that ‘Sam is respecting our space’ and that, from his perspective, he seems to think that Michael Sam is kind of waiting to take a shower, as not to make his teammates feel uncomfortable."

Now, after several people -- including Rams star Chris Long -- went after the network, ESPN has issued an apology ... saying:

"ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report. Clearly yesterday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports."

So far, Sam has yet to comment on the situation.

Draya Michele just got sued by a club that had claimed she cancelled a gig because there were too many gay people ... but there's now evidence she may be the victim of a smear campaign.

TMZ broke the story ... a VIP hostess at Penthouse nightclub claimed Draya showed up for a scheduled event August 10, surveyed the crowd and then homophobically groused there were too many "f**s" and "d**es." The hostess said Draya stormed out, making the night a disaster.

But in the club's lawsuit ... there is not a word mentioned about homophobic comments. In fact ... the lawsuit doesn't even say Draya showed up. It says they got a text from her saying she was too tired to show.

The story in the lawsuit syncs up with the one Draya told us ... that she never showed up because she was sick. She also told us the club owner threatened to trash her in the media for being a no show.

The question ... did the owner make good on his threat?

V. Stiviano has just filed new legal docs in her war with Shelly Sterling -- claiming she NEVER slept with Donald Sterling ... 'cause he's into men and she was his beard.

TMZ Sports has obtained the lawsuit -- which Stiviano filed in response to Shelly's allegations that V. accepted cars and property from Donald that he didn't have the authority to give her.

In the new docs, Stiviano argues that the items in question were given to her in exchange for being Donald's "beard" -- and she insists Shelly knew about it.

Stiviano states ... she was "not ever a sexual partner of Donald T. Sterling" and "believes that [Sterling] is a homosexual and enjoys sexual acts and or sexual congress with males."

In the legal doc, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Stiviano says Shelly was "acutely aware of [Donald's] sexual orientation and condoned same as well as acknowledged and approved [Donald's] gifts of money [to Stiviano]."

Stiviano also says the gifts she received were NOT community property -- but rather Donald's separate property.

Stiviano is also suing Shelly and Donald for defamation -- claiming they slandered her in the media by calling her a thief and saying she embezzled money and property from Donald. She's demanding no less than $10 MILLION.

We reached out to Donald's camp -- so far, no word back.

Story developing ...

Michelle Duggar is convinced ... child predators are aiming to use the cover of being a transgender to hurt children ... and she's determined to stop them in their tracks.

The "19 Kids and Counting" star is on the warpath against a proposed Arkansas law that would allow transgender people to use either the men's or women's bathroom -- whichever they feel suits them best.

Duggar thinks convicted male child molesters will have a field day if the law passes ... simply dressing up like a woman and perving out in girls restrooms.

"Basketball Wives" star Draya Michele ditched a paid gig at a West Hollywood nightclub because there were too many "f**s and d**es" ... so claim club honchos who are now threatening to sue her.

The hostess at Penthouse Nightclub tells TMZ ... Draya was supposed to host an event Sunday. When she arrived she looked at the crowd and said she didn't want to waste her time with "f**s and d**es" and left.

Draya told us she did NOT make the homophobic comment. She says never even showed up to the club that night ... she had called them to say she had to cancel because she was sick. She says the club owner threatened to trash her in the media for being a no show.

The club fires back ... Draya accepted a $2.5K deposit, was obligated to show and the club lost money when a disappointed crowd simply left the club. The club now plans on suing her.

Draya tells us ... she'll be happy to entertain her LGBT fans on another night ... at a different club.

Transsexual porn star Buck Angel is now 100% legit under Louisiana law ... which means he can now legally ditch his wife and go after her money.

According to the court decision, Buck and Elayne Angel's union is legal because they always intended to be married as a man and woman -- and back in 2003 they were granted a marriage license in Louisiana ... as a man and a woman. No one questioned Buck's gender when they got the license.

California also played big in the court's decision because Buck got a legal name and gender change there way back in 1998.

Elayne was hoping the court would rule Buck is a woman -- which would nullify their same-sex marriage under Louisiana law.

As we previously told you ... Buck wants a divorce and is gunning for $2,000/month in spousal support.

ASU backup offensive lineman Chip Sarafin has come out publicly as gay ... making him the first active NCAA football player to do so.

Sarafin revealed he was gay during a recent interview with Compete Magazine, and says he started telling his Sun Devil teammates a few months ago during Spring practice. He says opening up to them "was really personal to me, and it benefitted my peace of mind greatly."

Sophie B. Hawkins is about to become a single mom ... her longtime partner has filed to end their domestic partnership and is giving up custody of their son.

Hawkins -- whose song "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" was a hit in 1992 -- has been in a partnership with her manager, Gigi Gaston since Sept. 2008. According to court docs ... they've been separated for the last year and a half.

In her docs, Gigi says she wants Hawkins to have physical custody of their 5-year-old son, Dashiell ... she's asking for visitation.

Gaston's not looking for a payday ... she didn't ask for spousal support.

Michael Jackson had code words and signals that he used with a boy he allegedly molested to describe various sex acts ... including "duck butter."

James Safechuck -- now 36 -- claims in his lawsuit against the MJ Estate ... the singer started abusing him when he was 10 ... when he traveled with Michael to Paris for the "Bad" tour in 1988.

In new court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Safechuck says Michael taught him to use code words ... referring to his erection as "bright light, brick city" ... and calling semen, "duck butter."

Safechuck claims Jackson also used secret signals -- when they would hold hands, Michael would scratch the inside of James' hand with a finger ... to show he wanted to have sex.

Safechuck says MJ wanted a full-blown relationship with him ... to the point he performed a secret wedding ceremony with the boy with wedding ring and a marriage certificate.

He also describes how Michael would take him to various homes -- including a place called "The Hideout" in Century City -- where they would drink sweet, pink wine and watch porn ... including movies of children masturbating.

Safechuck says at one point ... he questioned his own sexuality -- because he also had a crush on Sheryl Crow, who was one of Jackson's backup singers. He says Michael found out and became jealous ... showing him unflattering pics of Crow without makeup.

Safechuck says the abuse stopped entirely when he reached puberty.

Howard Weitzman, attorney for the MJ Estate, tells TMZ the whole lawsuit should be scrapped because it was filed more than 20 years after the incidents supposedly happened ... and says Safechuck "has given sworn testimony that Michael never did anything inappropriate to him."

"Star Trek: Voyager" actor Robert Picardo says he way too old to experiment with Bill Nye the Science Guy ... in the bedroom.

Picardo is asking a judge to stop his soon-to-be ex-wife from spreading rumors he's in a gay relationship with Nye.

The actor says in court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Linda Pawlik lured him over to her house on July 4th by falsely telling him the family dog was missing. While he was there, he claims Linda had a P.I. attach a GPS device to his car.

Days later ... Linda started telling family friends the P.I. reported back that Picardo and Nye spent 3 hours together in Nye's bedroom, which she believes is proof of an affair.

Picardo says in docs, "I'd made it to 60 without having sex with a man and a 'walk on the wild side' at this age seemed unlikely to anyone who knows me."

The actor acknowledges he and Nye have been friends for years and have taken many pics together ... but he says it's purely platonic.

Zoey Tur -- the famed L.A. chopper pilot who just completed gender reassignment surgery -- wants to make 2 more changes to make it all legal.

Tur -- who was born Robert Albert Tur -- just filed court docs to legally change her gender ... and her name.

Tur included in the docs a letter from the surgeon in Bangkok, Thailand ... he's the doctor who completed the sex reassignment surgery.

According to the doctor ... the surgery consisted of a penectomy, a penile skin inversion to create a vagina, a bilateral orchiectomy to remove his testicles and a clitoral hood reconstruction.

The surgeon says Tur -- who famously shot the O.J. Simpson slow speed chase and Reginald Denny beating during the 1991 L.A. Riots -- will need to take female sex hormones for the rest of her life.

Tur is also changing her name to Hanna Zoey Tur.

We talked to her about the change on TMZ Live last summer.

The twins born more than a year ago to David Tutera and ex-partner Ryan Jurica have never met.

As TMZ previously reported, Tutera and Jurica each fertilized an egg that was implanted in the same surrogate, who gave birth to the two babies at the same time. David and Ryan split before birth ... David kept the girl, Cielo, and Ryan kept the boy, Cedric.

David -- who hosts CELEBrations on WE tv -- told Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ... the kids have had zero contact because of the nuclear breakup.

Ryan tells TMZ ... he's attempted to create a relationship between the twins, but David would have none of it. Ryan says he thinks the kids need to establish a bond sooner than later, and, "I will do all that I can to foster it."

David hedged on "TMZ LIve," saying he's open to the kids connecting one day.

Only question now is -- how quickly does crown-wearing creep Jughead put the moves on Veronica? AND Betty for that matter!

Five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ian Thorpe confirmed he's gay during an Australian sit-down interview Sunday ... after years of speculation over his sexuality.

Thorpe had denied he was gay for a long time, but told Network Ten he realized the truth about himself sometime in the past few weeks ... and started coming out to the people closest to him.

The Thorpedo -- who dominated the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney -- says he lied about his sexuality because he was too young at the time to know the truth.

Thorpe says he doesn't feel bad about lying either, explaining, "I’m comfortable saying I’m a gay man. And I don’t want young people to feel the same way that I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable, and you can be gay."