LGBT

It's been a couple days since Kid Rock was spotted sipping a Bud Light -- and the reactions across Twitter have been just as unhinged as you'd expect ... with people weighing in on both sides.

For starters, accounts that usually push conservative views seem to feel betrayed in a sense ... some writing, "TREASON" another wrote, "I am STRONGLY against CANCEL CULTURE but I am calling for a boycott of all Kid Rock products until further notice."

Others simply seem to be in disbelief, "C'mon Kid Rock, what are we doing?"

However, some on the right are still sticking with their guy, announcing, "I will ALWAYS stand with Kid Rock! If you’ve already had many non-woke beers, it is easy to be tricked into drinking a woke Bud Light by accident. Give Kid a break. He’s fighting hard for our freedom!"

Of course, the images have also been met with plenty of humor and memes as well, one account writing, "Damn, never thought I’d have to give Kid Rock the Bud Light treatment but here we are. Just shot up all my Kid Rock vinyl and CDs. I loved Kid Rock, but I hope Kid Woke goes broke."

TMZ broke the story, the Trump fanatic was spotted drinking a Bud Light at a concert in Nashville last week.

The scenario seemed almost impossible a few months back when KR uploaded himself shooting up a bunch of cases of the beer, exclaiming, "F*** Bud Light and f*** Anheuser Busch" after trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney published an ad-spot with the company.

A woman who owns two clothing stores in California was shot and killed by a man who made derogatory comments about the pride flag hanging outside her business.

The fatal shooting happened Friday night in Lake Arrowhead, CA ... with law enforcement saying the suspect shot the shop owner, Lauri Carleton, because he didn't like the rainbow flag outside her clothing store.

Lauri owns the Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead and another in Studio City ... and she's been a top fashion designer in Los Angeles for decades.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff says deputies arrived at the scene of Friday's shooting to find Lauri suffering from a gunshot wound ... and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The sheriff says the killer, armed with a handgun, fled on foot and he was tracked down about a mile away from the store ... with deputies shooting and killing him.

It's unclear if the fatal shooting will be investigated as a possible hate crime, though San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called the incident a "senseless act of hate and violence."

Rowe said in a statement ... "Everyone deserves to live free of hate and discrimination and practice their constitutional right of freedom of speech. Lauri was a remarkable member of the community and I send my deepest condolences to her family in this time of grief."

Lauri is survived by her husband of 28 years and their 9 children.

She was 66.

Paulie Calafiore, who just got eliminated from MTV's "The Challenge: USA," is coming out as bisexual.

The reality TV star came out to GLAAD, saying he almost feels guilty about waiting so long to share his truth.

Paulie says he decided to come out as bisexual after changing his perspective ... explaining, "There might be other people that are going through this exact same thing …and maybe this is what they needed to hear and what they needed to see in order to do it themselves."

For Paulie, one of the hurdles was his upbringing as an athlete ... he says he felt pressure to be viewed publicly as a strong athlete and competitor, and that sports culture made him feel like he had to repress his sexuality.

Paulie, who is also a "Big Brother" alum, says since coming out as bisexual he's been accepted by his family and his longtime girlfriend and fellow 'Challenge' star Cara Maria Sorbello.

Elton John and Kevin Spacey were having a blast overseas while out to dinner ... enjoying each other's company a month after the singer's crucial testimony in Spacey's sexual assault trial.

The 2 pals dined out at La Petite Maison in France this week, along with Elton's husband, David Furnish, the couples' kids and a few other friends.

They were serenaded by a group called The Snugglers, who posted a clip of the friends' night out on the town. BTW, the group was singing Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" as the table enjoyed their grub.

Elton certainly is a true friend to Kevin, and we aren't just talking about a fun dinner together -- as we reported, he took the stand, remotely, last month during Kevin's trial in London, where he was being accused of sexually assaulting 4 men from 2001 to 2013.

The Rocket Man's testimony challenged the claim of one of Kevin's accusers ... who alleged he was groped by the actor while they were going to one of Elton's annual parties, saying it happened either in 2004 or 2005.

Elton testified, under oath, that timeline wasn't possible ... because Kevin only attended his 2001 party he hosted. David also testified, saying he found old photos to back up Elton's memory.

It was a vital one-two punch in that accuser's case.

Tan Mom's run for a U.S. Senate seat is due, in no small part, to some of Ron DeSantis' policies -- she tells us some of Florida's most controversial issues prompted her decision to run ... and to do it as a Republican.

The bronzed mother of 5, whose real name is Patricia Krentcil, joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," saying things like books being banned in FL and Gov. DeSantis' restrictions on Medicaid were enough to get her to step up to the plate.

We also talked to her about her choice to run as a Republican, even though she's openly opposing the party line on several issues ... particularly in Florida.

Patricia says she's just always been a Republican, but doesn't think her views about certain topics require her to change parties.

She says she's hoping she can break out of her "Tan Mom" brand, and wants her fellow conservatives to try to see things the way she does.

Billy Porter is back to slamming Harry Styles for being the first man featured in a dress on a Vogue cover -- resurfacing old gripes ... and taking down Anna Wintour while he's at it.

The actor, who's gay, dished to the Telegraph about his problem with Harry being tapped as the poster boy of genderfluid/non-binary fashion back in 2020 -- which, at the time, kicked up a lot of controversy and opinions ... including some fiery ones from Billy himself.

You might recall ... Billy said he was actually the catalyst for the men-in-dresses trend that's been percolating in Hollywood of late -- and lamented the fact that HS was picked over him.

He added, "He doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life. I had to fight my entire life to get to the palace where I could wear a dress to the Oscars and not be gunned down. All he has to do is be white and straight."

After that, Billy apologized on the 'Late Show,' telling Stephen Colbert he didn't mean to dirty up Harry's name with his opinion -- and that the conversation was bigger than just him.

Now, after more than 2 years ... BP is re-airing his grievances, and he's again insisting Harry is, in fact, straight -- despite HS having yet to publicly label himself or his sexuality.

Billy says, "It’s not Harry Styles’s fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way. That's why he's on the cover. Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. It doesn't feel good to me. You're using my community -- or your people are using my community -- to elevate you. You haven't had to sacrifice anything."

In other words, Billy is echoing long-standing queerbaiting claims Harry has endured for years now. Many argue he plays coy about his sexuality -- especially when it comes to his fashion sensibilities -- to cater to the LGBTQ+ community. Based on his dating history, though ... it seems like the dude's strictly into the ladies. That's certainly how it appears, anyway.

Billy gets one last dig at Vogue's EIC ... alleging that in the lead-up to Harry's cover issue, she approached Billy and asked for his advice on advancing style pioneers in the LGBTQ+ community, and BP says he responded with this ... "That bitch said to me at the end, 'How can we do better?' And I was so taken off guard that I didn't say what I should have said."

"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Pearl is apologizing after a look she deemed "'90s Britney-esque" took a ton of heat after many believed it to be blackface.

Pearl posted, then deleted, a series of photos to Instagram this week showing off the new look -- which featured bleached-blonde hair, a water cup, pink tracksuit and very tanned skin.

Fans jumped on her almost immediately, calling the look tone-deaf and comparing it to blackface. One wrote, "So y'all just gonna stay silent while Pearl from RuPaul's Drag race posts photos of themself in Blackface, all the while other non-Black queens were hyping it up like it wasn't clearly blackface?"

The pissed-off fan then, making a reference to the Alabama riverboat brawl, exclaimed, "Where's my damn folding chair?"

Clearly, the comments reached Pearl, who posted an apology Thursday, writing, "The character i posted this morning was not meant to resemble any other background other than my own. she's platinum blonde/blue eyes & meant to have 2000's britney-esque tan."

Jeff Lewis wants to let everyone know he was just havin' some fun when he called his pal Kyle Richards a "lesbian on Ozempic" ... unclear if she's realized that though, because she's leaving his messages on read!

We got Jeff at the Rockefeller Center in NYC Wednesday after he caused some buzz on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" with the comment.

Jeff makes it clear, he was only joking, and tells us he wanted to poke fun at the rumors about Kyle and country singer Morgan Wade dating -- something Kyle's denied quite a bit.

Despite it obviously being a goof, Jeff fills us in on some potentially troubled waters -- he shot her a text and she still hasn't responded. 👀

As we reported, Jeff drew some big laughs when he cracked wise about his friend ... Heather McDonald also jumped in, saying being gay is a side effect of the medication.

Ne-Yo is pulling back on his controversial comments about parents who allow their kids to be transgender ... claiming he's always been an advocate for inclusiveness.

The singer said Sunday night, "After much reflection, I’d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity."

He also said he's "always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive."

As we reported, Ne-Yo had folks pretty ticked off by a Saturday interview with VladTV's Gloria Velez, in which he condemned parents who affirm their child's gender identity.

He said he grew up with only 2 genders, and has no problem with others identifying however they want -- but added, "It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game."

He told Gloria, "I feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is. If your little boy comes to you and says, ‘Daddy, I want to be a girl.’ And you just let him rock with that? He’s 5. He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?"

In his Sunday night mea culpa on X, Ne-Yo added ... gender identity is "nuanced," and he plans to "better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy."

Originally Published 6:59 AM PT

Ne-Yo says parents shouldn't be letting their kids transition genders ... suggesting minors don't know any better, but that adults should.

The singer spoke his mind in a recent VladTV interview, where he was talking to Gloria Velez. They touched on a number of topics, but eventually ... landed on transgenderism, especially as it relates to children.

He says he feels like a lot of people have lost sense of the definition of parenting -- because, in his mind, it boils down to being wiser than your kid ... and knowing when to put your foot down and say no. In this case, he believes affirming a child's gender identity is wrong.

Ne-Yo's rationale comes down to this ... transitioning genders is a life-altering decision, and he argues children (especially young ones) truly don't know what the hell they want, or on this particular topic ... what they even mean when they say they want to be a boy or a girl.

He hit his point home by saying this ... "I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders and that's just how I rocked. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, that ain't my business, it becomes my business when you try to make me play the game. I'm not gonna call you a goldfish."

One last thing ... Ne-Yo references California legislation, which he (somewhat mistakenly) says will make it so parents lose their kids if they don't affirm their child's gender identity.

It's not quite what he's describing -- but there is, in fact, a bill working its way through the CA legislature right now (AB 957) that would require a judge in custody disputes to consider whether a parent is affirming their kid's identity in determining who they stay with.

Police have arrested someone in connection to the killing of O'Shae Sibley -- a gay dancer who was recently stabbed to death in NYC ... this after voguing to Beyoncé's music, no less.

The NYPD announced Saturday that they had a suspect in custody, whom they believe is responsible for Sibley's death. The unidentified perp is a 17-year-old boy, per cops, and he's being charged with murder ... which NYPD says is being prosecuted as a hate crime.

The suspect surrendered Friday in Brooklyn, accompanied by a lawyer. He'd been on the police's radar since the July 29 incident ... as they believed he went to school in the area. So far, he's the only one being charged, although it's unclear if he'll be tried as an adult.

The fact this is being pursued as a hate crime lends credence to what friends of Sibley's -- some of whom say they were actually there at the gas station that night -- have been saying on social media ... namely, that the suspect and whatever group of people he was with apparently had an issue with Sibley and co. being gay. It led to a full-blown shouting match, and an eventual scuffle that resulted in Sibley being stabbed ... which was caught on video.

Based on reports, it sounds like the whole thing emanated from Sibley and his friends dancing in the parking lot ... and playing Bey's music in the background. The singer paid tribute to Sibley after hearing about it -- she has his name up on her website's homepage.

Since his death, tons of people have been paying their respects in a number of ways -- including visiting the site of his murder and voguing/protesting en masse, in his name.

The heir to the Anheuser-Busch fortune is appalled the company that bought his family out used a transgender person to advertise Bud Light ... saying, "My ancestors would have rolled over in their graves."

Billy Busch (not the host of "Extra") appeared on "TMZ Live" Friday to discuss his new book, "Family Reins: The Extraordinary Rise and Epic Fall of an American Dynasty," when Harvey asked him about the Bud Light ad featuring Dylan Mulvaney -- a move which triggered a massive boycott.

Busch believes the company that succeeded his family should never have put a transgender person on a Bud Light can, arguing beer drinkers "want their beer to be truly American," adding, "I just don't think the audience that drinks beer is into transgenders."

He went on, saying, "People who drink beer care about wholesome things."

Busch argued being a transgender person is a sexual preference, and Harvey shot back, "It's a matter of identity, not sexual preference."

That triggered a whole argument about prejudice, but Busch was adamant -- he feels the successors to Anheuser-Busch screwed up royally.

"The Bachelorette" alum Gabby Windey is letting the world in on a big secret ... announcing loud and proud that she's dating a woman for the first time.

Gabby shared the big news on social media Wednesday morning -- pointing out the fact that she normally loves to tease and fuel rumors, but admits this was one detail she had to hold on to until she was ready.

She spilled more tea on "The View," saying she's always wanted to live her truth and her own story. On IG, she told her fans her 3 months of dating have been a brand-new experience she seems to be loving.

She also shared some snaps of herself with her new boo, comedy writer Robby Hoffman. They certainly make a cute couple ... Gabby captioned the post, "Told you I'm a girl's girl!" And yeah, she's been met with a ton of support ever since coming out.

Fans remember Gabby being a finalist on Clayton Echard's season of "The Bachelor," and came back to the reality series as the bachelorette for a new season -- alongside her co-runner-up, Rachel Recchia, which was a first for the show.

Gabby ended up choosing Erich Schwer and the 2 got engaged in May 2022, but they announced their breakup a few months later. She certainly was a fan favorite -- Gabby even got a spot on "Dancing with the Stars."

Blueface's competence as a parent is being questioned once again ... the "Thotiana" rapper went on IG Live with his son Javaughn, and befuddled the poor kid by quizzing him about his sexuality.

While holding his daughter in his lap, Blueface was fielding questions from fans and decided to rehash the subject and, without warning, asked Javaughn if he was gay.

The kid quickly replied no, but also admitted he had no idea what his dad was yapping about.

When Javaughn tried to move on to a discussion that interested him more, Blueface refused to let it go ... in spite of his GF Jaidyn Alexis yelling for him to stop off-screen.

Blueface bluntly told his son if he ended up being gay he'd be disappointed but would still love him.

Blueface just grilled his son on this topic a few weeks ago ... while his house was full of strippers, at that.

Matty Healy kissed a dude onstage during a Malaysian music festival -- in protest, no doubt -- and now ... the whole thing's been scrapped for the rest of the weekend.

The 1975 front man was performing with his band Friday in Kuala Lumpur, as part of the Good Vibes Festival that was running through Sunday. Unfortunately, the rest of the performers who were booked won't be taking the stage because of what went down.

Throughout their set, Matty made it clear he was pretty pissed about the country's anti-LGBT laws -- which have criminalized homosexual acts, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

He ranted on camera ... and the dude ripped the Asian country a new one, while also promising to perform angry songs as a result -- apologizing to the crowd for having to bear the brunt of his rage. He said there were likely gay people in the audience that night.

Eventually, he hit his point home by locking lips with his bassist, Ross McDonald ... launching into a full-blown make-out sesh in front of everyone, which got oohs and ahhs.

It wasn't long after that the 1975 abruptly left the stage ... only to see Matty briefly return to announce what was going on. He said they'd been banned, and that the show was over.

Unfortunately for everyone ... this ended up getting the whole festival nixed, at the behest of the government. The festival organizers issued a statement, laying the blame squarely at Matty's feet, saying ... "We deeply regret to announce that the remaining schedule of the Good Vibes Festival 2023, planned for today and tomorrow has been canceled following the controversial conduct and remarks made by UK artist Matty Healy from the band The 1975."

They add, "This decision adheres to the immediate cancellation directive issued ... by the Ministry of Communications and Digital. The Ministry has underlined its unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule, or contravene Malaysian laws." The Comms Minister is also quoted as saying they won't take stars "(touching) on the sensitivities of the community, especially those that are against the traditions and values ​​of the local culture."

Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen just came out as gay ... in what is believed to be a first for a male coach in major men's pro sports in the United States.

The Jags staffer made the announcement in an interview with Outsports on Thursday ... saying he's ready to live his truth without worrying about revealing his sexuality anymore.

"I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react," Maxen -- a former strength coach with Baylor and Vanderbilt football -- said.

Maxen added he consulted NFL free agent Carl Nassib -- who came out 2021 -- for some advice about the process ... explaining he wanted to help build acceptance of LGBTQ+ members in sports.

The former college football linebacker also revealed he is happily in a relationship ... saying he has been seeing his partner, Nick, for more than two years.

"It wasn’t until recently -- and with the immense love and support of my family, my friends, colleagues and peers, and the courage and sacrifice from my partner -- that I realized I have the right and responsibility to love and be loved, and that maybe sharing this will hopefully give someone else the strength to accept their own life and take control of their own story."

As for how his team will react, Maxen believes it will not be an issue as long as he continues to do his job.