LGBT

The "Rugrats" reboot features an openly gay character and the actor who voiced Tommy Pickles tells us the OG cast always sensed Betty DeVille was lesbian, but it was hush hush.

We got E.G. Daily at SunLife Organics in Malibu and asked her if Betty's sexual orientation was a bit of an open secret back in the show's '90s heyday.

E.G. says the cast and crew didn't really talk openly about Betty being gay, even though many thought the writers were basically implying that. She says everyone could kind of tell back then, but now society's progressed to where a kids' show can have an openly gay character.

In the reboot, Betty owns a café, loves football and jokes about her ex-girlfriends ... and E.G. says the whole cast is embracing the character's newfound freedom to truly be herself.

The OG "Rugrats" ran from 1991 to 2004, and E.G. tells us the reboot is changing with the times in other ways too. Pay attention to Grandpa Lou ... sounds like he knows his way around the internet now.

"Blue's Clues & You" just put out a sing-along for kids that features an animated version of a "RuPaul's Drag Race" star ... who leads a song about Pride Month and inclusivity.

Nickelodeon posted the video Friday -- just days ahead of June 1, which marks the beginning of Pride -- and it features a cartoon rendering of Nina West, who's a fan fave from 'Drag Race,' leading on vocals -- narrating a parade that's passing her in the background.

The song touches on the makeup of different families that fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella ... including households with two dads, two moms, non-binary children and more.

Words like "ace," "queer," "trans," "bi, "pan" and other identifying terms used in the community are sprinkled throughout -- and the song doesn't shy away from them ... noting that they can all be part of a family that loves one another. All the families are made up of different animals -- alligators, sharks, turtles, birds, cats, etc. -- that wave/rock rainbow flags.

Now, the overwhelming reaction to this appears to be positive ... with many taking to social media to praise 'Blue's Clues' for being progressive -- and taking proactive steps to teach kids about different family structures in a fun, catchy way that appeals to young children.

On the other hand, there are some who are clutching their pearls over this ... but they're mostly being drowned out by folks saying this is a great thing that Nick/Nick Jr.'s doing.

Elliot Page looks like he's digging his new look -- he just shared a shirtless pic that makes it clear ... he ain't skipping abs day in the gym!!! First shirtless photo since having surgery to remove his breasts ... and he looks jacked.

The "Juno" star -- who recently came out as a transgender man -- is showing off a 6-pack by a pool in his first shirtless shot.

Elliot's rocking a huge smile, and he's got good reason -- besides the abs, of course -- he's said how happy he is to finally be living his truth. Elliot added a couple hashtags to that point ... #transjoy and #transisbeautiful.

As you know ... Elliot revealed in March he underwent a procedure to remove breast tissue and reconstruct the remaining chest tissue and skin. He says he was actually recovering from the surgery in Canada in December when he first came out on Instagram.

Courtney Stodden says the non-binary community got a huge ally in their corner when Demi Lovato came out as a member ... and Courtney has zero doubt DL's announcement will save lives going forward.

Courtney tells TMZ ... a celebrity of Demi's caliber coming out as non-binary will help the community feel validated, and make those still struggling to come out feel strong and confident enough to do it -- and that decision, ultimately, could help to prevent suicide.

Courtney -- who also recently came out as non-binary -- says they haven't yet reached out to Demi, because they want to give them space and time during what can be a scary experience ... but Courtney plans to try chatting with Demi about it in the near future.

Courtney knows the importance of young people being able to relate to celebs, especially in a community at risk for suicide.

The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention org for LGBTQ youth, just released a new national study that found LGBTQ youth of color and transgender, along with non-binary youth, have a much higher risk of suicide than their peers.

ABC News recently reported that 42% of LGBT youth surveyed said they considered attempting suicide in the last year alone, and more than HALF that tally was for transgender and non-binary youth.

As we reported ... Demi came out Wednesday saying they are now identifying as non-binary and changed pronouns to they/them.

Demi said the switch best represented the fluidity they feel in gender expression.

Demi Lovato has an announcement about their personal life -- as they launch something new professionally -- and it's that Demi now identifies as non-binary, and therefore they're changing pronouns.

The singer revealed Wednesday they are happy to share the very personal moment on their "4D with Demi Lovato" podcast. Demi said, "Over the past year and a half I've been doing some healing and some self-reflective work. And through this work I've had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I’ll officially be changing my pronouns to they/them."

Demi went on to say changing their identification best represents the fluidity they feel in their gender expression ... while allowing them to feel most authentic and true.

The singer's first episode will explore how excited they are and what this change means. They will also explore what it may look like for other people going through the same journey.

As we've reported ... the "Sorry Not Sorry" hitmaker recently shared their personal struggles with mental health and addiction in the stunning YouTube documentary "Dancing with the Devil," which followed their journey prior to and following a near-fatal overdose in 2018.

Billy Porter is HIV-positive -- something he's known since 2007 when he was first diagnosed, but he's opening up about it now because, as he says ... "The truth is healing."

The "Pose" star says after his HIV was first detected 14 years ago, shame and fear drove him to keep it a secret ... especially while trying to make it in an industry he says hasn't always been kind to him.

Porter, in an essay for The Hollywood Reporter, says ... "I was trying to have a life and a career, and I wasn’t certain I could if the wrong people knew. It would just be another way for people to discriminate against me in an already discriminatory profession. So I tried to think about it as little as I could. I tried to block it out."

The actor says people who needed to know about his diagnosis knew, but he hid it from everyone else -- even his mother. However, Billy says the past year of quarantine has taught him a lot and he began real trauma therapy to deal with his past ... and it led him to decide to reveal his truth.

Before that, Porter says he used Pray Tell -- the HIV-positive character he plays on "Pose," a role that won him an Emmy -- as his proxy. Billy explains, "I was able to say everything that I wanted to say through a surrogate," while acknowledging nobody involved with the show knew he was drawing from his own life.

In an emotional interview with Tamron Hall Wednesday, Billy revealed he used to question why he was able to survive ... and says he felt like his casting on "Pose" was a sign from God.

Now everyone knows, and Billy says that's liberating. He also points out that he's the healthiest he's ever been in his life and he's hopeful the stigma around HIV can become a thing of the past.

Caitlyn Jenner's take on banning trans girls from competing in girls' sports is unfounded and unjust ... so says Dr. Veronica Ivy whose view is the polar opposite.

Veronica, a trans activist, athlete and associate professor of philosophy at the College of Charleston, appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" and said there's no evidence trans girls perform better in sports than cisgender girls.

Dr. Ivy says the whole thing about biologically-born boys having a competitive advantage over biologically-born girls has been disproven ... she says there is no evidence normal testosterone levels have any impact on performance.

The Doc does say there is undeniably a difference in performance between biologically-born boys and girls in the world of sports, but she says the reason is unknown ... it's either biological, sociological or a combination of both. She goes on to say the data that's available actually doesn't show trans girls have any real advantage over cisgender girls, but until there's proof to the contrary the default should be inclusion rather than exclusion.

Dr. Ivy points out, Caitlyn had a different take last year ... when she told the Outsports podcast "The Trans Sporter Room," "I think every trans person, if they’re into athletics, should have an opportunity to compete and to improve themselves."

Caitlyn Jenner has a take on trans athletes you might not expect -- namely, if you're born as a biological boy, you shouldn't be allowed to compete in girls' sports ... at least while you're still in school, anyway.

We got the California gubernatorial hopeful Saturday in Malibu, and she weighed in on her first big political issue as she takes center stage in her run for Gavin Newsom's job -- telling TMZ she doesn't support trans girls born as boys participating in all-female school sports.

Yeah, we know ... it's a pretty interesting stance -- especially coming from Caitlyn ... who of course, is a trans woman herself AND a former Olympic champion. But, check out her rationale ... she chalks it up to fairness and protecting the integrity of girls' sports.

It's a hot-button issue right now across the country -- upwards of 34 states are considering legislation that would ban trans athletes from competing based on their gender identity ... and at least five have already turned the bills into law.

Caitlyn's words here are HUGE ... She's staked out her position and it's a stark contrast to Newsom's views.

Now, for some numbers -- because this isn't as black and white as it may seem. While some argue trans girls would naturally perform better in athletics because of higher testosterone levels ... that's not entirely true, at least not across the board, anyway -- so say scientists.

There are studies examining this topic -- and they suggest that while, yes, trans women have tended to perform better against their cisgender counterparts in certain activities -- running events appear to be the big one -- it's not conclusive that their testosterone levels alone are the sole cause for that ... and it's not always the case either.

More importantly, the studies suggest that once trans girls start getting hormone therapy ... their performances tend to level out across different sports -- and by and large, all things end up being roughly equal. It also appears most athletic orgs require trans athletes to be on hormone therapy.

The Kardashians won't be hitting the campaign trail on behalf of Caitlyn Jenner now that's she's running for governor of California ... because their views and the views of C.J. don't mesh, and the fallout from her divorce from Kris makes it all just too tricky.

Sources close to Caitlyn tell TMZ ... she spoke to her family before announcing her campaign Friday, giving them a heads up. We're told she did not expect them to stump for her on the campaign trail, and now we know why.

Caitlyn's politics have been an issue with the family for years.  She has taken positions on issues like gay marriage -- which she initially opposed but now supports -- which landed like a lead balloon with the Kardashians.

As for Kim, in particular, we're told she genuinely likes Caitlyn and the 2 have a good relationship. Kim's been active in politics, working with Trump on prison reform, but has never personally aligned herself with conservative views. You'll remember, she never publicly endorsed Kanye during his Presidential bid.

The Kardashians seem to have a bend toward the Dems ... they were behind Hillary Clinton in her 2016 run ... remember, Caitlyn supported Trump, although she disavowed him 2 years later.

There's another issue that prevents the Kardashians from getting involved in Caitlyn's campaign. We're told there are still hard feelings over her divorce from Kris, and the kids don't want to get in the middle.

Kehlani is coming out as lesbian ... and she says she's the last one in her family to know she's gay.

The singer shared her truth Thursday, saying on video ... "I am gay ga-gay gay gay!!!"

Kehlani says she's been trying to have heart-to-heart conversations with her family and friends about coming out, but she says her loved ones are hardly shocked and keep telling her they've known for some time because, as she put it ... "the f****** closet was glass."

She previously hinted at being gay during a recent Instagram Live when casually said she finally knew she was lesbian. Apparently, some fans thought she might have been joking, but now Kehlani's saying clearly, loudly and proudly.

As you know ... she has a 2-year-old daughter, Adeya Nomi, with guitarist Javie Young-White and her other famous exes include YG and NBA star Kyrie Irving.

One of Colton Underwood's first orders of business as a new openly gay man was to hit the town and dip his toe into the scene -- but it looks like he got distracted along the way.

The former 'Bachelor' -- who just came out publicly last week -- went to a gay bar in Denver Sunday ... a place called Charlie's, which seems like a pretty happening place complete with a dance floor, private booths and bumpin' music.

All that was in full flex while Colton was there ... but based on these pics and video we got of him there, dude was more interested in his phone, at least for part of the night.

Anyway, eyewitnesses tell us CU was at Charlie's with his friend, and mentor of sorts, Gus Kenworthy. The Olympic skier's kinda showing Colton the ropes in the community ... and will be featured on Colton's Netflix docuseries.

Colton Underwood's gay and single, but apparently not ready to mingle ... TMZ's learned dating is not even on his radar after coming out.

Sources close to the former 'Bachelor' star tell us ... Colton isn't dating anyone now and wasn't dating anyone before he made his big announcement this week on "GMA."

Our sources say shortly after Colton came out publicly to Robin Roberts, he left NYC and is back home with his family in Denver to hang out.

Of course, as we first told you, there's also a film crew in tow ... as Colton's new journey as a gay man is being documented for an upcoming reality series on Netflix.

Colton's dating life is an interesting topic because his coming out sparked talks among 'Bachelor' producers about having a gay season of the show, and obviously his name came up as a likely candidate.

JoJo Siwa's happy for Colton Underwood, because she's pretty sure his coming out means he's happy too ... and she has an uplifting message for him to keep in mind as he goes forward on his journey.

The YouTube star -- who recently came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself -- gives the former 'Bachelor' props for announcing he's gay, and encourages him to just be himself.

JoJo was at LAX Thursday when she told us ... even though there are some people out there who are intolerant or hateful, the world as a whole is "really accepting," and it's a wonderful thing.

She also weighs in on the chatter about a potential gay 'Bachelor' season in wake of Colton's announcement. She's all for it, and took the occasion to remind us how she's already found love with her girlfriend.

JoJo undoubtedly looks happy since coming out in January, and even though it's only been a couple days ... the same can be said for Colton.

We got him out in NYC a few hours after his interview with Robin Roberts, and he says he feels "awesome and free and happy."

Colton Underwood's coming out story is not only going to be covered in a new reality show ... it may inspire a major change in the reality show that made him famous.

'Bachelor' production sources tell TMZ ... Colton's been getting a lot of support not just from former cast members and Chris Harrison, but also from many producers of the popular dating series.

We're told a number of producers were moved by Colton's revelation, and they've informally talked over the last few days amongst themselves about a gay 'Bachelor' season.

Our sources say the bigwigs on the show haven't weighed in and there has been no formal discussion, but creative ideas for TV shows typically begin with shop talk among producers and other staff, and that's happening now.

We have no idea whether Colton would be interested, but we do know this ... there's a lot of love for him in the production offices of the show. We're told many people on staff cheered Colton as he revealed to Robin Roberts he's hidden the fact he's gay for most of his life.

Colton is not under contract with "The Bachelor" anymore. We're told he booked the interview on his own and chose Robin because he's appeared with her in the past and felt comfortable with her. Nevertheless, we're told Colton called producers the night before his interview aired and gave them the heads up.

We broke the story ... Colton's been filming the past few weeks with a Netflix crew for a new reality series chronicling his journey as a newly out gay man.

There are no hard feelings coming from the 2 women who came up just short of receiving the final rose from Colton Underwood ... they're both fully in his corner.

As 'Bachelor' fans will recall ... Hannah Godwin and Tayshia Adams finished as co-runners-up in Colton's season, and both are voicing support for the former target of their affections now that he's come out as gay.

Hannah tells TMZ ... "I support Colton for having the courage to finally be able to live his life authentically. Nobody should have to hide from who they really are." She adds ... "I’ll always wish Colton the very best and hoping he has found his peace."

A rep for Tayshia tells us she's very happy that Colton's "able to now live his life openly and without fear of being his true self," adding ... "There is absolutely no ill will -- only support for Colton, his willingness to share his truth, and the additional representation for the LGBTQ community."

Colton revealed he's gay Wednesday morning on GMA, telling Robin Roberts he struggled with his sexuality for years, but is taking control of his life now.

TMZ also learned his journey as a newly "out" gay man is being chronicled as a reality series for Netflix.

BTW -- Tayshia and Hannah have been doing great since departing from Colton's season, as well. Tayshia went on to become "The Bachelorette" and is engaged to Zac Clark. She's also co-hosting the next 'Bacherette' season -- which is currently filming -- after replacing Chris Harrison.

Colton Underwood coming out as gay comes with a TV deal ... his new journey's being shot for a reality series.

TMZ has learned the former 'Bachelor' star has had a film crew following him for the past few weeks, and the show -- focusing on his life as a gay man -- will air on Netflix.

We're told several other prominent members of the LBGTQ+ community have been in Colton's corner throughout this process -- such as his friend, Olympian Gus Kenworthy -- and will make appearances alongside him in the series.

As we reported ... Underwood opened up about his sexuality, revealing he's gay to Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America."

He said ... "I've ran from myself for a long time. I've hated myself for a long time ... and I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know."

Colton says his struggle with being gay got so bad that he contemplated suicide, but fortunately he had an epiphany ... and decided to take control of his life.

We reached out to Colton's rep ... so far, no word back.