LGBT

Lil Nas X -- who has skyrocketed to fame this year -- just surprised a ton of fans by seemingly coming out as gay.

Nas made the not-so-subtle announcement Sunday ... saying, "some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more. but before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure."

The rapper then spent the next few hours replying to and retweeting fans who responded to his post. At one point, he shared a photo of the cover of his EP, "7," which shows Nas on a horse and looking at a city skyline in the distance.

Nas posted the pic with the caption, "deadass thought I made it obvious" with a zoom-in on one of the buildings that features a rainbow pattern.

It's been 50 years since the Stonewall riots, and NYC made sure to honor the historic moment in LGBT history by taking to the streets ... including the rich and famous.

Tons of celebs were out in force Sunday as they celebrated the final day of Pride Month, taking part in the city's annual parade ... but this time, with extra gusto. The Stonewall riots marked a turning point in gay rights, and Hollywood's finest honored that with their best outfits.

Just a small sample of the stars that made appearances throughout the Big Apple -- Wendy Williams (who looked absolutely fabulous), Andy Cohen and a bunch of the ladies from different 'Real Housewives' shows, Billy Porter, Miranda Lambert, Teyana Taylor, Donatella Versace, ... and many, many more. 

Hell, even some local politicians showed face for the big day as well -- New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, was out there showing support, as was New York Senator Chuck Schumer.

So far, there's no reports of any trouble on the ground there in New York -- nothing but good vibes and marchers on the streets. Good ... let's keep it that way. 

"Will & Grace" creator Max Mutchnick has a deep, personal connection with Stonewall -- it's the first gay bar he ever dared to fearfully enter, and it now has just come full circle with his own children.

We got Max Thursday afternoon at LAX ...he had just returned from New York, where he took his children to visit the site where the gay rights movement began 50 years ago today ... when a violent clash erupted between patrons and law enforcement.

Max credits the people who stood up for their rights for his own successful journey, which of course includes his transformative TV sitcom. But, with all the progress, there's one person he says is most responsible for "Will and Grace" ... Ellen DeGeneres.

By the way ... Max and Ellen have another connection ... a few years back he sold his spectacular Bev Hills home to Ellen.

Madonna's music video portraying a mass shooting at a nightclub contains a strong and necessary message, but the way she delivered it is totally out of touch ... according to a Pulse survivor.

Brandon Wolf tells TMZ ... he appreciates what Madonna tried to do in her graphic new vid for "God Control" -- and even thinks more artists should follow her lead -- but he's got serious issues with the choices she made and the timing of the release.

His main problem -- he says Madonna didn't reach out to any of the Pulse nightclub shooting victims, survivors or their families for input or to see how her new video might affect them. Although it's evident her vid is referencing the 2016 mass shooting, Brandon points out she never acknowledges it or pays tribute to the 49 people who were killed.

Wolf also accuses the singer of being self-absorbed and using Pulse as a prop, and says it's not the first time she's done so. He points to the tweet she shared right after the shooting, which also didn't directly mention the incident ... but did include her famous pic kissing Britney Spears.

Brandon also wonders what took Madonna so long to speak out about the Pulse incident, considering it happened over 3 years ago. He does hope she's genuinely woke about the gun control issue -- as her lyrics say -- but he's having a hard time completely buying it. 

Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe is getting major support in the locker room after going after President Trump ... with her coach, Jill Ellis, saying the entire team has Megan's back. 

Of course, Trump tweeted about Rapinoe on Wednesday ... lashing back at Megan after the co-captain said there's no way she would go to the "f*cking White House" if USA wins the World Cup. 

Trump told Rapinoe he'd extend an invite anyway -- and advised her to focus on winning before trashing him in public. 

Rapinoe and Ellis addressed the media on Thursday ... where Rapinoe dug in on her anti-Trump stand -- saying, "I stand by the comments that I made about not wanting to go to the White House, with the exception of the expletive"

"My mom will be very upset about that."

When asked if Rapinoe's comments have been a distraction to the team, Ellis shot that down -- and said, "We all support Megan, she knows that."

Ellis added, "We know we have each other's backs in there. I think for our players, there is only one purpose, one mission that we're here. Comments, media, whatever, it's always been something that I think we can block out pretty easily."

Rapinoe's teammate, Ali Krieger, backed up Megan on social media -- saying she'll "sit this one out as well. I don’t support this administration nor their fight against LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants & our most vulnerable."

Prince William says he would be totally okay if any of his children are gay -- but at the same time ... he says he'd be somewhat concerned as well.

The Duke of Cambridge addressed the topic Wednesday while visiting the Albert Kennedy Trust in London -- where he was discussing a range of issues that affect LGBTQ youth. During the convo, someone asked Will how he would feel if any of his 3 kids ever came out?

Check out his answer ... it's interesting.

Wills makes it clear he'd fully support Charlotte, George or Louis if they came out publicly, saying, it's "absolutely fine by me." However, he adds that he'd also be "nervous" for them and what they'd have to potentially deal with as a Royal -- barriers, discrimination, persecution, hate, etc.

Still, all in all ... he'd have their backs.

The root of his concerns, however -- the fact his family, steeped in tradition and custom, is in a different position than most of their countrymen. While others coming out might be widely embraced when they come out ... the spotlight's much bigger for Royal family members.

Big moment at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday ... when some of the team's biggest stars helped to unveil a new plaque in Monument Park paying tribute to the gay rights movement.

Pitchers CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances -- along with G.M. Brian Cashman -- held the ceremony to reveal the Stonewall Inn plaque ... which honors the people who fought back during a violent police raid at the Stonewall Inn gay bar in NYC back in 1969.

The incident at the Stonewall is credited with igniting the LGBTQ rights movement.

In fact, the current owners of the Stonewall Inn -- which is still operational in Greenwich Village -- were also on hand for the ceremony.

In addition to the plaque, the Yankees are also working with owners Stacy Lentz and Kurt Kelly to create a scholarship benefiting LGBTQ public school students.

"[The Yankees have] gone beyond a Pride Night," Lentz told the NY Daily News ... "They understand that having a permanent fixture when fans come here, LGBTQ fans are going to feel safe and welcome."

Cashman told the media, "We want to be an organization that represents inclusion and safe harbor. We try and make a difference that way."

NBA star Andre Iguodala believes ex-Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson has been blackballed from coaching in the NBA ... and it's all over his religious views.

Andre has been playing for the Warriors since 2013 -- and spent one year under coach Jackson -- who's been often credited with building the Warriors into the dynasty they are today.

But, ever since Jackson was fired, he hasn't been hired as a coach by any other NBA team -- and when Andre went on "The Breakfast Club," he explained his theory to Charlamagne tha God.

"One particular issue was -- from what I heard -- was his views on gender, or marriage, or what the bible said on your sexuality."

FYI, Jackson is a very religious Christian minister -- who would often livestream his church services to his congregation from the Warriors team facility.

Jackson also came under fire back in 2013 for comments he made when NBA player Jason Collins came out as gay.

"As a Christian man, I have beliefs of what’s right and what’s wrong," Jackson said at the time ... "That being said, I know Jason Collins, I know his family, and am certainly praying for them at this time."

Iguodala suggested Jackson's views were not received well by Warriors exec Rick Welts -- who's openly gay -- and the relationship between Mark and the team deteriorated from there.

"There was conflicts with that that were widespread," Andre said.

Jackson was fired in 2014 -- and Iguodala believes other powerful NBA execs have essentially conspired to keep Mark out of the league ever since.

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney can't confirm Pete Buttigieg's theory that the U.S. has already had a gay president -- because who the hell knows -- but he's got no problem with historians doing some digging.

The openly gay representative from NY tells TMZ it's impossible to know for sure if a past Prez was gay, but, like Buttigieg ... he says there's no doubt people have publicly served -- both in politics and the military -- while remaining in the closet, for various reasons.

As for whether it's right to out these historical figures ... Maloney's got no qualms about it. He says it's not really outing if the person's been deceased for a long time, and it's "completely fair game" to look into a person's sexual orientation for the purpose of better understanding.

He emphasizes this is for the sake of historical context and learning as much as possible about important people ... and compares it to studying up on Thomas Jefferson's relationship with slavery.

It's an interesting comparison, and SPM explains it better than we can ... check out the clip.

BTW -- Buttigieg's comments about a possible gay president have sparked interest in who is most likely, with Abraham Lincoln and James Buchanan being the frontrunners. Scholars widely disagree on Lincoln ... but there are signs that lifelong bachelor Buchanan was truly the first gay president.

Nicholas Sparks is apologizing for emails he wrote disparaging the LGBTQ community ... saying he should have chosen his words more wisely.

The famed author made his first public comments about the emails, from 2013, where he appears to attempt to ban an LGBTQ club at the Epiphany School of Global Studies in NC ... which Sparks founded. The emails surfaced in a lawsuit against Nicholas by the school's former headmaster.

Nicholas is now apologizing, saying his poorly worded emails have been taken out of context, and claims he stands with the LGBTQ community.

In the emails, "The Notebook" author reportedly defended his decision to ban the LGBTQ group writing in an email to the headmaster, "Not allowing them to have a club is NOT discrimination."

Sparks chastised the headmaster ... "We've spent way, way too much time in the first few months talking about 'tolerance, diversity, nondiscrimination and LGBT.'" He also implied it would be bad to promote "an agenda that strives to make homosexuality open and accepted."

6:20 PM PT -- Taylor just performed a surprise set at NYC's Stonewall Inn, wishing everyone a happy Pride. The event was hosted by Stonewall Inn and AEG to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.

Taylor took the stage after an introduction from Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson ... and she sang "Shake it Off."

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, known as the dawn of the modern LGBTQ rights movement.

Taylor Swift's newest track is prompting something amazing -- her fans stepping up to make donations to one of the biggest LGBTQ groups ... all thanks to a shout out.

Honchos at GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, tell TMZ ... they've seen an influx in donations overnight after Taylor dropped her new song, "You Need to Calm Down."

The single is an anti-hate anthem that calls out anti-gay bullies, and includes the lyrics, "Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?"

GLAAD recently started a fundraiser to support its LGBTQ advocacy work during Pride Month, setting a $1,300 goal as an homage to Taylor's favorite number 13 ... and we're told many of the donations flowing in are for $13.

The song's also prompting a flood of pro-LGBTQ posts on social media.

GLAAD executive Anthony Ramos is glad to have Taylor on their side ... he says, "The fact she continues to use her platform and music to support the LGBTQ community and the Equality Act is a true sign of being an ally."

Andy Cohen is blasting the upcoming Straight Pride Parade ... calling it the brainchild of absolute morons!!!

We got the TV host Monday in New York City and our photog asked his thoughts on the small group of straight men in Boston planning to march for straight pride ... and Andy didn't hold back, ripping the idea as the "dumbest f***ing thing" he's ever heard!!!"

The parade, an apparent retort to June being LGBTQ Pride Month, is being touted by organizers as a celebration of "the diverse history, culture, and contributions of the straight community."

L.A. Pride Festival goers will be thinking love and inclusivity, but cops will be focused on shutting down terrorism by rolling out some new tactics for this weekend's events.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and their partners stepped up their game for the festival in West Hollywood -- including Sunday's parade -- to ensure it all goes off without a hitch.

We're told deputies closely studied recent terrorist attacks -- including the Manchester Arena bombing, the Las Vegas mass shooting and several instances of assailants using vehicles as weapons.

As a result ... we're told law enforcement will be using an array of vehicles as barriers, for the first time, to shore up vulnerable areas along the route and surrounding area. Of course, both uniformed and undercover cops will be on the scene ... and video surveillance will be heavily employed.

Our sources made it clear ... law enforcement has not received any specific threats against the festival, but they are prepared for the worst.

6/7 5:57 AM PT -- Brad Pitt has officially been scrubbed from the Straight Pride website.

Brad Pitt is no mascot, but ESPECIALLY not for the notorious upcoming Straight Pride Parade ... and he's doing what he can to put a stop to the idiocy.

As you may have heard ... a small group of straight men in Boston -- in an apparent retort to June being LGBTQ Pride Month -- have announced an upcoming parade to "celebrate the diverse history, culture, and contributions of the straight community."

Currently, their website claims this community has adopted Pitt as its mascot, and congratulates him for being "the face of this important civil rights movement."

Of course, this is total BS, and sources close to Brad tell TMZ his team has reached out to the Straight Pride Parade organizers, demanding they stop using his name and likeness for their event.

If they don't do it soon ... we're told further action could be taken.

As for the planned parade ... the morons in charge say it will be a one-day event sometime in August, and they are requesting the same route as the Boston Pride Parade.

The parade has unsurprisingly been met with scorn and has a lot of folks shaking their damn heads, but here's what Boston native and 'Captain America' star Chris Evans thinks about it.

President Trump ain't got no shame in his Twitter game ... kicking off Pride Month by congratulating the LGBT contributions a month after his administration effectively banned transgender people from the military.

POTUS reminded us moments ago in a tweet, "As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation."

Earlier this month the Trump Administration also announced a proposal that would essentially allow health care providers to discriminate based on gender identity, rolling back progress for the transgender community that was made over the past decade.

Just last month, the Pentagon began to implement a controversial new policy that critics say is essentially a "don't ask, don't tell" policy for trans service members. The Department of Defense says it's NOT a ban ... but it clearly says anyone with gender dysphoria taking hormones or who has already undergone gender transition will NOT be allowed to enlist. #SAD.

Chuck Liddell now realizes the video he made to congratulate a man for coming out of the closet after 40 years was most likely a homophobic prank ... and the UFC legend is really upset about it.

Here's the backstory ... Chuck is one of the celebrities who works with Cameo, a company where people can pay celebs to make custom video messages for fans.

Someone named L-Dogg asked Chuck to make a video congratulating "Timmy" for going public with his sexuality ... and Chuck, believing it was a legitimate request, obliged.

The original video features Chuck delivering a heartfelt message to Timmy -- and saying he wishes Timmy would have been able to come out earlier in life.

But, now it seems pretty obvious L-Dogg was just using Chuck as part of a homophobic joke.

"If this is someone messing with somebody, that's messed up," Liddell told us at LAX.

"I assumed it was a guy who was actually coming out after 40 years."

Bottom line ... Chuck says he doesn't want to be used to make jokes in bad taste.