LGBT

Unlike Lia Thomas in the women's swimming pool, Caitlyn Jenner says she's throwing her support behind a trans golfer in her fight to make the LPGA Tour -- claiming "golf is a totally different game."

Hailey Davidson, a 29-year-old who underwent gender reassignment surgery last year, has been attempting to get her LPGA Tour card this summer. She's so far been unsuccessful, but it's created plenty of backlash nonetheless, with critics -- as they did in Thomas' case earlier this year -- calling it unfair to women in the sport.

But Jenner joined Fox News on Wednesday afternoon and said she's backing Davidson's quest to be the first transgender woman on the Tour -- saying it's simply a different situation than Thomas'.

"Every sport is different," said Jenner, who's previously been very critical of Thomas' journey to compete in the women's pool. "Golf is a totally different game [than swimming]. It is a game of touch and feel."

Jenner argued that brute strength and the potential to hit a ball further makes little-to-no difference in golf ... saying, "It is about your ability around the green."

"I don't think she's in a position where she's going to be dominating on the LPGA Tour," Jenner added.

The LPGA Tour changed its rules more than a decade ago to allow golfers who were not born female to compete. And Jenner said she thinks it should stay that way, noting current pro female golfers whoop her and other men regularly on the course.

"To be honest with you," Jenner said, "those girls are so good. The top girls on Tour can beat probably 99.9 percent of the men out there. They're that good."

Davidson, who reportedly last competed as a male in a 2015 tournament, said in a statement Wednesday that despite not yet earning her Tour card ... she isn't giving up in the fight anytime soon -- no matter what her detractors say.

"All the people who commented about me having an advantage over biologically born women have no idea how great these women are at their craft or it what it takes to be an elite golfer," she said.

Starz' hit strip club series "P-Valley" is, notably, losing a couple of famous fans -- Lil Duval and Plies are going viral for hating on the show's gay sex scenes, but one of the stars says the rappers' critiques are BS.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Nicco Annan at Dash Radio ... he plays Uncle Clifford on the show, and his character has an ongoing sexual relationship with a rapper named Lil Murda, played by J. Alphonse Nicholson.

That plotline on the show is what set off Plies and Duval's complaints, but Nicco told us he thinks they're living under a rock, and it's time they crawl out from under it.

What he meant is simply that both men -- whether they know it or not -- have relatives, friends and work associates who are part of the LGBTQ community ... and "it's time they started to see them."

ICYMI ... Lil Duval lashed out at Starz for not having a "gay advisory" for straight viewers who aren't accustomed to seeing gay sex scenes.

And, just last week, Plies claimed scenes involving Nicco and J. Alphonse "traumatized" him, and he vowed never to push play on another "P-Valley" episode.

Nicco thinks Duval and Plies weren't really offended by "P-Valley" ... but they knew their reactions would make headlines.

Former AEW star Jake Atlas told cops he was "an international trained superstar" and then slammed his boyfriend as "terrible at sex" in a rant during his arrest back in May ... new police video shows.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see a police officer was trying to ask an agitated Atlas questions about an alleged domestic violence incident between him and his BF outside of his Orlando, Fl. home on May 23.

But, the wrestler, whose boyfriend had accused him of roughing him up during an argument earlier in the evening, appeared to be in no mood to play ball with the cop.

Instead, Atlas told the officer about his wrestling resume, all while bashing his boyfriend and their relationship repeatedly.

"I am an international trained superstar," said the 27-year-old, who is openly gay. "I have worked across the country, across the world, with my name. He is a nobody."

Atlas, real name Kenny Sanchez Martinez, went on to call the man a "f**ing bitch ass, f***ing p***y" ... before ultimately telling the cop, "[he] is a terrible boyfriend and he's terrible at sex."

The cop tried repeatedly to get Atlas to tell his side of the story and explain the events that had gone down earlier in the evening, but the wrestler never seemed to cooperate. Atlas was eventually arrested on the scene and later booked on a domestic violence battery charge.

Atlas' charges were eventually dropped, however ... with officials writing in court documents, "this case is not suitable for prosecution."

The wrestler later commented on the case following its disposition in July, apologizing "for my wrongdoing and any hurt, disappointment and complication I may have caused to my colleagues and fans."

Atlas said he participated in an outpatient program to deal with "a dual diagnosis in substance abuse and mental health," and is continuing to seek treatment.

A famous drag queen is denying stealing a massive amount of cash from a guest who claims the performer straight-up jacked her in plain sight ... a moment that was captured on video.

Bryan Watkins -- who currently performs as 'Shannel' for the 'Drag Brunch' show in Vegas -- was accused of lifting somewhere between $500 and $700 from the purse of a woman named Meggy during a performance last weekend. Video from the event appears to show Bryan taking money, although it's unclear how much.

Bryan -- who competed on season 1 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" -- says he absolutely did NOT take the large amount Meggy is claiming.

Now, as for the actual accusation here -- Meggy outlined it pretty clearly in a viral TikTok video ... saying Bryan was going around the room for some sort of purse gag, and eventually came to hers -- which had $1,300 in there for her birthday blowout.

Meggy claims Bryan rifled through her bag and plucked a significant wad of cash -- and that when she confronted him about it ... he kicked her out of the show, without returning any of the cash.

Bryan admits to taking some loot, but says it was only a couple bucks as a gag, not hundreds like Meggy claimed. He says the venue's management refunded the woman's tickets and even offered to pay her $700 as a good-faith apology ... but that wasn't enough.

Meggy claims to have gone to the cops over the alleged theft ... but a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metro Police Department tells us they don't have a record of the incident.

Ezra Miller is finally addressing what many have believed were significant mental health issues ... this after months of erratic behavior and run-ins with the law.

The 'Flash' star apologized Monday for their bizarre antics and confirmed they're getting help for some significant problems.

Ezra says, “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment."

Ezra goes on, “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”

Ezra has had a mountain of legal troubles of late ... getting arrested several times in Hawaii and Vermont.

Ezra's latest brush with law enforcement came just last week when they were accused of burglarizing a Stamford, VT, home, from which they allegedly swiped several bottles of booze.

And, back in April 2020 ... Ezra was seen on a viral video CHOKING a woman at a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland ... Ezra was not charged for that incident. Ezra's also been accused of keeping an 18-year-old away from their own family, and bringing them around the country.

Ezra was busted in Hawaii back in March after getting into it with bar patrons, and then with cops during transport to jail.

For the past couple of months, Ezra's team of agents and close friends has been trying to get the actor back on track, but nothing seemed to work.

Warner Bros., the studio producing the $200 million 'Flash' movie scheduled for release next June, has reportedly been encouraging Ezra to get help.

Comedian Flame Monroe seemed to be one of the few members of the transgender community who supported Dave Chappelle over his jokes about trans people ... and the two finally met.

Flame's rep Cammie Johnson tells TMZ ... she flew out to Ohio from L.A. to see Dave for the first time Thursday ... meeting up at his show at the Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs that night.

Flame, who describes herself as "a comedian that happens to be transgender," was there to support Dave -- unclear if they hung out before or after the show, but we're told this was a long time coming.

As for whether the two comedians will collab on a project, the jury's still out.

As you know, Dave took some serious heat after telling jokes about the trans community during his Netflix special, "The Closer" ... some people were up in arms and the fallout continued for months. Recently one of his shows had to be moved at the last minute after the venue pulled the plug.

CBS and "Big Brother" missed a chance to highlight an LGBTQ couple by deciding NOT to air castmate Michael reading a letter from his fiancé, Hayden Middleton.

Here's the deal ... Michael won Head of Household this week, which means he gets a letter from a loved one, but CBS didn't air video of Michael reading the note to his fellow 'BB' players.

Hayden tells TMZ ... he's upset his letter was not heard on TV because it would have been a good opportunity to highlight a monogamous, committed relationship at a time when there is a lot of negativity directed at the LGBTQ community.

Hayden tells us he doesn't think there was any ill intent from CBS and 'BB' ... but he's still disappointed because the last two HOH winners had their letters featured on TV.

CBS does not air every letter to an HOH winner, and this year only 2 of the 5 HOH winner letters made the final cut.

ESPN reporter M.A. Voepel -- who's been covering sports for the outlet for more than two decades -- has come out as transgender ... saying Tuesday, "I'm transitioning to male."

Voepel said he decided to open up about his true self this week because he's slated to receive the Naismith Hall of Fame's Gowdy Award next month -- an honor recognizing media members who have made great contributions to basketball -- and he wanted to be there "as authentic self."

"Fear can keep us paralyzed for decades, especially when we think we will lose all that is dear to us, including career," Voepel said.

"At some point, you realize you need to have faith that your happiness/well-being is worth pursuing, and also have faith in other people's kindness and grace. Grateful for a company that supports all of its employees, for terrific family and friends, and for societal progress."

Voepel, who formerly went by Mechelle Voepel, added, "Please feel free to call me Voepel, MV, Michael, Mike; I’m good with them all."

Voepel has had a huge career with ESPN after initially joining the company in 1996 ... covering the WNBA, women's college basketball, volleyball and much more.

"I may look and sound a little different," he said. "Glad to be who I've always been inside. Dedication to covering women’s sports, a lifelong joy as well as job, and admiration for all involved -- players, coaches, execs, fans, referees, colleagues -- that stays exactly the same. Thanks!"

Immediately following his announcement, several ESPN personalities congratulated him ... including T.J. Quinn, who wrote, "Proud to have you as a colleague."

President Biden's just declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and while it's already having a huge impact on gay communities, it could quickly spread outside that bubble ... according to a doctor on the front lines.

Dr. Anne Rimoin, a UCLA professor of epidemiology, joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and revealed there's already been a spill-over between communities in the U.S., and that won't stop unless we take appropriate action.

She explains "an infection anywhere can be an infection anywhere" -- meaning, it's time for ALL Americans to draw the line before the virus becomes more prevalent in society, in general.

The World Health Organization's put Dr. Rimoin on its Emergency Committee to tackle the monkeypox crisis, and she says this virus has been a simmering problem for years in Africa ... where she's been doing research since the early 2000s.

She recalls a 2017 outbreak in Nigeria and the symptoms were different from the ones she'd seen prior, showing how it can mutate over time.

Machine Gun Kelly is not getting a warm welcome on his tour stop in Nebraska ... one of his buses was just tagged with graffiti, including a homophobic slur.

As you can see, someone spray-painted both sides of MGK's red tour bus ... with one side reading, "RAP DEVIL F*****." The other has an image of a penis ejaculating along the side of the bus.

MGK is playing a show Thursday at CHI Health Center in Omaha ... and folks who are there say the bus was tagged while it was parked on a curb downtown.

The rapper's brought at least 4 tour buses to Omaha ... one yellow, one red, one blue and one green ... but it appears only the red bus was tagged.

It's the latest incident on MGK's cross-country tour, where his opener is Willow Smith ... as we reported, a fan fainted in the crowd during Willow's set on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but she stopped the show until the fan was moved to safety.

Demi Lovato has been more in touch with her feminine side lately ... so much so, she has decided to include "she/her" pronouns with "they/them."

It was a little over a year ago when Demi announced she was nonbinary, but just opened up about her own personal change on "The Spout Podcast" -- saying she now goes by the pronouns they/them/she/her.

Demi said, "Recently I've been feeling more feminine, and so I've adopted she/her again... But, I think what’s important is, like, nobody’s perfect. Everyone messes up pronouns at some point, and especially when people are learning, it’s just all about respect."

We're told Demi actually made the decision to include she/her back in April ... but this is the first time she's spoken about the change in depth.

Demi says last year she didn't necessarily feel like a woman or a man, when she was faced with a choice, like walking into a bathroom. Back then, she felt her masculine and feminine "energy" was balanced.

Billy Porter thinks the Supreme Court is going to strike down gay marriage just like abortion rights ... but he's got a feeling SCOTUS might stop short at Justice Clarence Thomas' interracial marriage.

We got Billy in NYC and asked how likely he thinks it is SCOTUS will keep rolling back the clock, and he believes nothing is safe when it comes to the highest court in the land.

Billy says SCOTUS is coming for pretty much everything and everybody, not just gays ... and the only thing not on the list is interracial marriage, for one specific reason.

BP's basically saying the fact Justice Thomas is married to a white woman, Ginni Thomas, is the only thing keeping interracial marriage from going the way of the dodo. Still, Billy's got a warning for Clarence.

We also asked Billy about GOP Congressman Glenn Thompson, who voted against protecting same-sex marriage ... then turned around and attended his gay son's wedding.

TikTokers Nicky Champa and Pierre Boo's Bell Canyon home has been listed for sale ... and it's got quite the price tag for whoever wants to pick up what the influencer couple once called home.

Tucked away in the hills near Calabasas, Nicky and Pierre's $2.25M house has great views of the canyon during the day and city lights at night ... the building's got floor-to-ceiling windows to take it all in.

The 4.4K square foot pad comes with a 3-car garage, a temperature-controlled wine room and an elevator to bring you to any floor in the house -- whether you're unable to go upstairs or just don't feel like making the climb.

The outside's got the obligatory pool with several patio areas nearby for some tanning and R&R.

The surrounding area's got a ton of stuff to do as well -- it has a park, tennis courts, hiking trails and spots for horseback riding.

It's quite the place for a TikTok couple ... for those unaware, Nicky and Pierre have a combined follower count of over 24M on the platform, jumping on all sorts of viral trends, challenges and dances.

Rebekah Schwartz of The Agency holds the listing.

Dave Chappelle recently hit a minor setback when protestors essentially forced his Minneapolis show to switch venues -- but Fat Joe thinks Dave's critics should realize he's an equal opportunity offender.

We caught up with the Don Cartagena Monday in NYC on Monday, and he said comedians like Dave Chappelle always intend for their jokes to hit the funny bones without striking emotional nerves. He also feels Dave tells jokes about everyone, not one particular group more than another.

Call it a game of Comedy Operation ... Joe acknowledges there are sensitive subjects to address -- especially within the LGBTQ+ community -- but he feels laughter is the best medicine for most issues.

Minnesota protestors, particularly angry over Dave's Netflix special lineage, successfully thwarted the comedic legend from doing his show at First Avenue, forcing him to move to a new venue with just a few hours notice. Joe wishes those angry about Dave would understand love outweighs hate when it comes to comedy.

Quidditch is making a switch -- the real-life sport inspired by the Harry Potter series has changed its name to Quadball ... in an effort to distance itself from author J.K. Rowling's "anti-trans positions."

Months after Major League Quidditch and U.S. Quidditch announced their plans to rebrand ... the move was made official in a statement this week, with the orgs. saying, "Today marks a monumental step in the history of our sport, and it marks an equally big step for Major League Quadball."

Back in December, the orgs. stated two reasons behind changing the name -- one being the "quidditch" trademark being owned by Warner Bros. ... and the other being the fictional version of the game's creator's controversial beliefs.

"If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction," Rowling said in 2020. "If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."

Rowling's comments sparked backlash from Harry Potter stars like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson ... as well as countless fans of the series.

The league says it prides itself on being "one of the most progressive sports in the world on gender equality and inclusivity" due to a gender maximum rule, which limits the number of players of the same gender playing at one time.

DaBaby’s heinous remarks about HIV patients cost his Dua Lipa feature maximum exposure, but according to one of his Billion Dollar Baby artists ... he still made off with a pretty penny.

Stunna 4 Vegas poured the tea, revealing -- at least according to him -- DaBaby got $350,000 last year for appearing on DL's “Levitating (Remix).”

In his VladTV interview, Stunna went on to vouch for DaBaby’s character, saying he was in good standing with all his fans and funds.

During DaBaby’s “cancelation” period, he says DB’s cash and car flow didn’t stop. They say there's no such thing as "bad" publicity, and that's totally true in this case ... if Stunna's stats are accurate.

Remember, as that controversy was exploding ... DaBaby had dropped a Lil Wayne collab that got him back on the Billboard chart. The song peaked at No. 2 and went 4x platinum.

But he eventually had his credit snatched from the Billboard charts after the July 2021 backlash from Rolling Loud engulfed the internet.

Dua immediately ripped into DB … citing how she was “surprised and horrified” at her collaborator’s words and distanced herself from the situation in a fiery response.