LGBT

Ex-NBA player John Amaechi is calling out West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins over the anti-gay comments he made earlier this week ... telling TMZ Sports everyone involved in the conversation is straight-up "disgusting."

As we previously reported, Huggins used homophobic slurs during a Cincinnati radio appearance on Monday ... referring to Xavier fans as "Catholic f**s" while speaking with Bill Cunningham on 700 WLW.

Amaechi -- who came out as gay in 2007 -- got wind of what the coaching legend said ... and he believes, unfortunately, Huggins isn't the only one in a sports leadership role who would use such a term.

"I don’t know the man -- but he sounds like a dinosaur," Amaechi tells TMZ Sports. "College (and indeed pro) sports are littered with them."

But Amaechi isn't just disappointed in Huggins -- he continued to speak out against the show's hosts ... saying they "are also disgusting and to blame for egging this conversation on and calling him 'the best' after he said those words."

"It's hardly surprising that some people still think it’s OK to say these words," he added. "As to whether he should be an educator (as a coach or otherwise), I would remind people that the vociferously anti-trans and anti-gay usually sit in a constellation where many other minority groups (including Black and Brown people) are also held in contempt."

Amaechi -- who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz over the course of 5 seasons in the Association -- has become a voice for the LGBTQ+ community since coming out ... and has also built a career as a psychologist and professor at a Russell Group university.

He was recently honored for his work at an event ... where he gave a powerful monologue that actually ties in with Huggins' controversy.

"I won an award the other day from the Sports Industry, and in my acceptance speech, I talked about sports being an empty vessel that people fill with who they are -- if you imagine what this man fills his sport with, it's hard to imagine that the human outcomes will be positive, even if sporting success occurs," Amaechi says.

Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton went off on Florida's LGBTQ+ legislation ahead of the Miami Grand Prix this weekend, calling the host state's laws "not good at all" ... and vowing to wear a rainbow on his helmet in solidarity with those impacted by the measures.

The 38-year-old Mercedes driver -- who has been a strong advocate for equality throughout his career -- was asked about the controversial law referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill and other recent actions taken by Gov. Ron DeSantis when speaking with reporters on Thursday ... and he's pissed.

"It's not good at all," Hamilton said. "I stand by those within the community here. I hope they continue to stand firm and push back."

And if his words weren't enough, the 7-time champion said anyone who sees him compete this weekend will know exactly where he stands on the topic -- even seemingly comparing it to the human rights issues in Saudi Arabia.

"I’ll have the rainbow on my helmet. It’s no different to when we were in Saudi."

Of course, DeSantis recently expanded on the bill that would prohibit teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity during lessons among other issues ... which has also garnered backlash from former NBA superstar Dwyane Wade.

Hamilton stopped short of saying F1 should avoid events in Florida, saying it's not up for him to decide ... but added he has been keeping tabs on all things politics within the state -- and he's against what's going on.

"I did hear and have read about some of the decisions that have been made in government here and I do not agree with it and I do not support it. I really do continue to stand with the LGBTQ community and I’m wearing a rainbow flag on my helmet this weekend and I just really want to continue to support the community here and let them know I stand with them and I hope they continue to fight against it."

Hamilton's comments come months after the FIA initially said it would prohibit drivers from making political statements ... before the governing body loosened its stance.

Former OVO Sound artist iLoveMakonnen says he knew his days on Drake's label were numbered when the Canadian rapper allegedly started making snide comments.

Makonnen made the shocking accusations on NPR's recently shuttered "Louder Than A Riot" while discussing his rise and fall in music ... claiming Drake once quipped he was an "Eric Benet-ass-looking-n****" right before they performed together at the 2015 Wireless Festival.

Makonnen says he and Drake shared a dwindling bond prior to that moment. The Canadian megastar helped catapult Makonnen to nationwide success in 2014 via the "Tuesday (Remix)" ... which earned Makonnen his first platinum plaque, and his signing with OVO for a single deal.

But, Makonnen says Drake started treating him differently when he began showing signs of weight loss ... hence the Eric Benet crack, and he claims the label stopped promoting his EPs.

And, to make things worse, fans were literally digging up his old tweets dissing Drake!!! Whoops.

Makonnen says his relationship with Drake imploded for good at Rihanna's VMA after-party in 2016 when he attempted to reconnect, but he claims Drake met him with a facial expression that meant him bodily harm ... and he knew it was time to bounce from the label.

Makonnen came out as gay in January 2017, and believes that decision caused the dissolution of many of his working relationships, and much of his inner circle in Atlanta, too.

Brittney Griner clearly isn't taking her newfound freedom for granted ... she hit up the Met Gala with her wife on Monday night -- and didn't seem to stop smiling once.

The 32-year-old -- who was freed from Russian custody just five months ago -- wore a custom Calvin Klein suit for the occasion ... and couldn't have been happier to be with her spouse at the ultra-exclusive party.

She and Cherelle Griner flashed ear-to-ear grins for the entirety of their walk into the event ... and at one point, BG even shared a sweet embrace with Dwyane Wade on the red carpet.

The two basketball legends hugged it out while Wade was showing his daughter how everything looked on the Met's steps.

Brittney and Cherelle later spoke about their Met Gala experience with Vogue ... and it isn't hard to see they were thoroughly enjoying their time together after their tumultuous 2022.

"It's surreal still," Cherelle said. "This time last year, I was missing my wife. So to have her right here, to be in this moment -- breathtaking."

Brittney also took time at the event to raise awareness for the Bring Our Families Home campaign.

The trip to the Met is just one of many cool moments Brittney has gotten to experience since she was swapped for Viktor Bout back in early December ... she's also rubbed elbows with President Joe Biden, started to write a book on her Russian detainment -- and returned to WNBA practices.

Trans TikTok star Jesse Sullivan says KISS singer Paul Stanley's criticism of kids transitioning is misplaced ... Jesse says those who are transitioning aren't just doing it as a fad.

We got Jesse and Francesca Farago Monday at LAX and asked him about Paul's controversial comments, where the rocker claimed kids are being encouraged to transition at a young age.

Jesse says anyone who is considering transitioning is doing it because they know deep down who they truly are ... and he says the process is anything but fun. During his transition, Jesse says he lost family and he explains why the process is hard on the body and mind, not to mention the social changes.

Jesse acknowledges it's a hot-button issue right now ... but he thinks trans kids need real support because there's a lot for them to fear in this climate.

We also asked Jesse and Francesca about Dwyane Wade's decision to move his family out of Florida because of the state's LGBTQ policies ... and they tell us they actually skipped an event in Florida for the same reasons.

Paul Stanley says we're confusing our kids by teaching them about gender identity and sexuality at too young of an age -- which he thinks is dangerous, and not to be trifled with.

The KISS rocker took to Twitter Sunday with an unprompted statement about this topic -- a culture war hot-button issue that has largely consumed the country and seems to only be getting more contentious by the day.

He writes, "There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification as though some sort of game and then parents in some cases allow it."

PS adds, "There ARE individuals who as adults may decide reassignment is their needed choice but turning this into a game or parents normalizing it as some sort of natural alternative or believing that because a little boy likes to play dress up in his sister’s clothes or a girl in her brother’s, we should lead them steps further down a path that’s far from the innocence of what they are doing."

Lastly, "With many children who have no real sense of sexuality or sexual experiences caught up in the ‘fun’ of using pronouns and saying what they identify as, some adults mistakenly confuse teaching acceptance with normalizing and encouraging a situation that has been a struggle for those truly affected and have turned it into a sad and dangerous fad."

Kelsea Ballerini's CMT Music Awards performance with drag queens had social media, and some country music fans, up in arms -- but, turns out, it was barely a blip on the FCC's radar.

You'll recall, the country singer had 4 queens from "RuPaul's Drag Race" share the stage with her at this year's awards ceremony -- and she was facing a lot of online backlash for involving them in her number.

However, TMZ has obtained the complaints filed with the Federal Communications Commission regarding Kelsea's moment ... and there were only two. For comparison, the FCC received 103 complaints about Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show.

One came from Texas, complaining about "drag queens on a family show." The other came from Alaska, saying children shouldn't be exposed to drag, adding ... "We are no longer able to watch this station. We have children in our home that have no business being exposed to this filth."

As we reported, sources told us Kelsea stood by her performance despite all the flak she caught for it. We're told the appearances were fully planned, and it was Kelsea's idea to call in the drag backup.

Dylan Mulvaney has finally come back to social media after facing serious outrage online for her partnership with Bud Light ... saying she's still standing strong despite all the noise, adding the hatred being spewed at her is a real full-circle moment.

The transgender TikTok personality jumped back on Instagram Thursday, addressing her 1.8M followers with a "long time, no talk" convo ... first saying she took a step back once the controversy started in order to "let them tucker themselves out."

She never mentions Bud Light by name, but she's absolutely referring to the anger that was around her recent collab -- reassuring fans she's doing alright, but being called names or "too feminine" really took her back to when she was a kid.

What's different this time around is this isn't playground talk -- it's adults coming after her for being herself ... adding "Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history." Dylan says she's always trying to love everyone, including those that are against her.

She finishes by joking that something good came out of all of this, apart from the trans representation in ads -- saying the people pleaser in her has died because she's accepted the fact that she can't win them all.

As you know, Bud Light came under fire -- literally -- at the beginning of April after partnering up with Dylan ... and many people, including Kid Rock, decided to show their lack of support by destroying the beer cans they'd already purchased.

Jerry Springer will always be remembered for the outlandish topics and wild guests on his talk show, but 9 years ago he made one major change in how he addressed transgender issues on that program.

Jerry's awakening came back in 2014, when he was a guest on "TMZ Live" ... we'd invited him on our show to discuss the backlash he and his producers were getting at the time. "The Jerry Springer Show" had aired an episode entitled, "Tr***ies Twerk It Out," and the LGBTQ community was outraged.

We asked the host about using the t-word, and he told us he'd "just been educated" on the subject. The clip is super interesting ... Jerry said, "I'm not interested in offending people" -- which, in and of itself, might surprise longtime 'Springer Show' critics and fans.

Jerry vowed he'd stop using that term on all future shows. Now, we can't confirm it was never used again, but watch the clip ... he seemed totally earnest in his plan to ban it.

Side note: apologies for that 2014 video quality -- Wi-Fi just wasn't what it is today. Hell, we were only on iPhone 5 back then!!!

Dwyane Wade, dad to a transgender daughter, says he's no longer living in Florida despite being a legend in the state, thanks to what he believes are restrictive policies infringing on the rights of LGBTQ residents.

The 41-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer recently sat down with Rachel Nichols for her show 'Headliners' when he revealed he is no longer a resident of the Sunshine State.

"That's another reason why I don't live in [Florida]. A lot of people don't know that," D-Wade responded when Nichols asked what message he'd send to state legislators.

The 3x NBA champ continued ... "I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions."

Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, and many state-level lawmakers have passed controversial legislation, including the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, amongst other laws, and Wade flat out says his family wouldn't be comfortable.

"You know, obviously, the taxes is great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And, so that's one of the reasons why I don't live there," Dwyane told Nichols.

Of course, Dwyane's 15-year-old daughter Zaya came out as transgender in 2020. She's since legally changed her name and gender. Wade has been very outspoken in his support of his daughter.

The Wades aren't alone in leaving the state. Despite an influx of people moving to places like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee in the last few years, many have already left those areas.

Wade ultimately played 15 seasons in Miami, delivering three NBA championships to South Florida. Now he's gone.

Lia Thomas -- the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship -- is firing back at her critics ... saying a lot of them are simply transphobes who are "using the guise of feminism" to hide their true, hateful beliefs.

Thomas opened up about her detractors in a lengthy interview this week with Schuyler Bailar -- the NCAA's first trans swimmer -- and she said it's just not possible to claim to be a feminist but to also not support her when it comes to competing against biological females.

"They're like, 'We respect Lia as a woman, as a trans woman, whatever, we respect her identity, we just don't think it's fair,'" the former collegiate swimmer said on the "Dear Schuyler" podcast.

"You can't really have that sort of half support, where you're like, 'Oh, I respect her as a woman here, but not here.' They're using the guise of feminism to sort of push transphobic beliefs."

Thomas -- who competed against males but switched to female competitions after she started hormone therapy in 2019 -- received backlash following nearly every event that she won over biological women. Her critics argued she had an unfair advantage ... and should be forced to compete in a separate category.

The issue became such a big deal, it sparked legislators to introduce bills in parts of the country to place restrictions on transgender athletes.

Outspoken supporters of those rules -- such as former swim star Riley Gaines and even some of Thomas' ex-teammates at UPenn -- have called themselves feminists who are trying to fight to protect women's sports.

But, during her interview with Bailar, Thomas said she believes that's all just an oxymoron.

"I think a lot of people in that camp sort of carry an implicit bias against trans people," Thomas said, "but don't want to, I guess, fully manifest or speak that out and so they try to play it off as this sort of half support."

Bailar agreed, adding, "In order to exclude anybody in the trans category, you have to reduce women to reproductive capacity, which is, in my opinion, extremely anti-feminist."

Don Lemon is out at CNN, after 17 years at the network, a move he says he was never given any heads-up was happening.

In a statement Monday, Lemon said, "I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly."

He continues, "At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play."

Finally saying, "With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best."

Don was on air Monday morning, without a hint that anything might be off, and ending his show with the words, "Bye, everyone."

The move comes just 2 months after Lemon was benched briefly for sexist comments he made about Nikki Haley, when he said she was no longer "in her prime" at age 51.

He was also recently caught on a hot mic making comments about Jon Stewart ... however, it seemed those incidents had both cooled off with the network.

Unclear if there was something more happening behind the scenes.

"White Lotus" star Lukas Gage and celeb hairstylist Chris Appleton are legally united now ... the duo tied the knot over the weekend with one of their special friends in tow.

TMZ has confirmed ... Lukas and Chris got their marriage license on Saturday, according to Clark County Clerk records.

Lukas and Chris got hitched over the weekend during a secret wedding ceremony at the Little White Chapel in Vegas ... according to Page Six, which first reported the marriage.

It was reportedly a very intimate affair, with only a handful of guests ... one of whom was their pal Kim Kardashian!

Lukas and Chris reportedly got engaged this month, weeks after confirming their romance on "The Drew Barrymore Show". They went public with their relationship back in February while vacationing in Punta Mita, Mexico.

It's not exactly clear when they started officially dating, but they're definitely not wasting any time ... for better or worse.

Busy weekend for them -- they went with Kim to see Usher's Vegas residency, and she also presented the "Hair Artist of the Year" award to Chris Sunday in L.A. at the Daily Front Row Fashion Awards.

Megyn Kelly thinks she and those outraged over the Bud Light team-up with a trans woman scored a W ... 'cause there've been some big changes spurred by the parent company.

The veteran news anchor responded to some news that surfaced Friday -- namely, the fact that there's been a major reported shake-up within Bud Light leadership over the past couple weeks ... including the alleged apparent demotion of a key marketing exec.

Word is, Alissa Heinerscheid -- who, up until recently, was the marketing VP in charge of Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light brand -- has been replaced by Todd Allen ... Budweiser's global marketing VP. In other words, he's going to handle both brands, it seems, for now.

The other news coming out of this ... Heinerscheid is apparently taking a leave of absence. That's a big deal, seeing how she's been in charge of Bud Light since last June. She was on record as wanting to freshen up the brand and make it modern ... and more inclusive.

Now, in light of all this ... her decisions seem to have backfired. It's unclear if she's coming back to Anheuser-Busch -- or if this is it for her. Either way, her job's been replaced.

A statement from Anheuser-Busch reads in part ... "[W]e have made some adjustments to streamline the structure of our marketing function to reduce layers so that our most senior marketers are more closely connected to every aspect of our brands activities."

This seems to be addressing reports that Anheuser-Busch was out of the loop on the whole Dylan Mulvaney campaign ... a notion that Donald Trump Jr. recently backed.

The beer company adds, "These steps will help us maintain focus on the things we do best: brewing great beer for all consumers, while always making a positive impact in our communities and on our country." Megyn, of course, is reveling in this update.

She writes, "Bud Light waves the white flag, ousting disastrous VP of Mktg, weeks after destroying its own brand by going woke on gender. Let that be a lesson to other corporations. We’ve HAD IT."

On its face, it certainly seems that Anheuser-Busch caved -- in addition to these moves ... they recently trotted out a very traditional Budweiser ad that caters to their usual audience.

Those who followed this from the beginning -- including Anheuser-Busch's initial wishy-washy statement -- probably saw this coming. They weren't very firm in sticking by their decision to partner with Dylan ... and now, it appears the head honchos might've not even been in the loop on it ... and had to deal with the fallout -- and, frankly, there's been a lot.

Reports, of late, have suggested Anheuser-Busch's market cap has, in fact, fallen quite a bit -- and there were even more reports of distributors being spooked by the response.

Of course, a lot of beer-drinking customers did not take the campaign well at all ... accusing the company of going "woke" and purposely antagonizing their core demographic for kicks.

Koko Da Doll, one of the memorable subjects from the recent documentary "Kokomo City," is dead ... and the film's director says she was shot and killed as a result of trans violence.

D. Smith -- director of the moving, award-winning doc featured this year at Sundance -- shared the sad news Friday, saying Koko, AKA Rasheeda Williams, "was shot and killed in Atlanta" Tuesday night.

She added, Williams' death makes her "the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women," -- but says she will "inspire generations to come and will never be forgotten."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Atlanta PD says cops responded to reports of a shooting just before 11 PM, and investigators found a woman who had been shot -- she was pronounced dead on the scene.

For those unaware, "Kokomo City" took home 2 awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival -- following Black transgender sex workers, including Williams, as they lived and worked in New York and ATL.

Williams, along with Daniella Carter, Liyah Mitchell, and Dominique Silver, accurately put a spotlight on the horrendous threats women like them face on a daily basis.

Sundance is also paying respects, saying "We were honored to have her at the Festival this year with KOKOMO CITY, where she reminded Black trans women, 'we can do anything, we can be whatever we want to be.' It is a tragic loss."

Williams was 35.

Bud Light, and other major liquor brands, understand the impact the LGBTQ community can have on their bottom line, so naysayers -- like Kid Rock -- will just have to get used to it ... according to Sasha Colby.

We got Sasha Thursday at LAX, and as the first transgender woman to win both Miss Continental and "RuPaul's Drag Race," she had a strong opinion about Bud Light's collab with Dylan Mulvaney ... and the backlash that followed.

Sasha sent kudos to Dylan -- who partnered with Bud Light while documenting her transition -- for becoming a face of a corporation as huge as Anheuser-Busch. She says it's a clear sign corporate America really gets the importance of the queer dollar.

She says the folks angry about it are just making noise in an attempt to control corporate decisions. BTW, Sasha says most liquor brands regularly show up and support pride events, so this isn't a new thing.

As we reported, Bud Light got tons of outrage from non-celebs and celebs like Kid ... who posted video of himself firing gunshots into cases of Bud Light cans. Some folks have said they're opposed to the partnership because it's exposing children to the LGBTQIA+ community.

In Sasha's eyes, it's all BS -- she says kids don't drink booze, and suspects these folks actually do like the transgender community, but are projecting hate instead. Sasha's had her own success with a major brand after she teamed up with fashion powerhouse, Alexander Wang, further proving her point.