LGBT

Widow Von'Du's alleged beatdown of a man claiming to be her romantic partner appears to have been fierce and brutal ... at least based on these photos showing the injuries police say he sustained.

TMZ has obtained pictures Von'Du's partner took of the alleged injuries he suffered after the 'Drag Race' star allegedly pummeled him and left him bloodied -- and, frankly, from what we can see here ... yeah, it certainly does look like there was damage done in whatever the hell went down.

As you can see ... there are multiple stitches, from the side of his face to the top of his scalp, which is consistent with what he told cops when he reported the alleged attack.

TMZ broke the story ... Widow Von'Du is accused of punching this guy 4 to 5 times, strangling him, dragging him across the floor and pushing him down to the ground, which he says propelled him into a bed frame that knocked him unconscious.

All of this is supposedly over this guy crashing at Von'Du's pad ... and it doesn't seem like they were on the same page as to whether he was supposed to be there or not. The so-called romantic partner insists he'd given her a heads up -- but Von'Du said differently, on camera.

Remember, we got video of Von'Du being arrested over this ... and she claimed she was simply defending herself against someone who she says was "violating" her and crossing boundaries.

Caitlyn Jenner says it was harder to tell loved ones she's running for governor of California as a Republican than it was for her to be honest about her identity.

Caitlyn revealed her feelings in an interview with FOX 11's "The Issue Is" with Elex Michaelson ... her first media interview since announcing her run for governor in the recall election.

As you know ... Caitlyn came out publicly as a trans woman back in April 2015 and this April she threw her hat in the ring to become the next governor of California.

The Kardashians appear to be aligned with the Democrats ... although Kim and Kanye did interact with Trump over prison releases. And, although Kanye seemed to embrace Trump, he ran for President not as a Republican but as a member of the Birthday Party ... whatever that is.

As we first told you, Caitlyn's sons are embarrassed she's running for governor and the Kardashians won't be hitting the campaign trail to stump for her.

The "RuPaul's Drag Race" star arrested for allegedly pummeling a romantic partner is claiming self-defense, and she let cops know it as she was arrested -- while also blasting white "privilege," and taking a vape.

TMZ obtained this must-see video of Widow Von'Du in handcuffs, shouting that she's getting busted for defending herself in her own Kansas City, MO apartment -- and she clearly thinks it's because the alleged victim is a white man.

According to Von'Du ... she had asked him 5 times to leave her pad. As she put it, "someone else would not understand his privilege does not extend to my apartment." She quickly added, "And, just because his ass got beat up because he would not leave ... I'm being arrested."

You can also see a friend of Von'Du's holding a mic, and she made it clear she wanted all her fans to know about what she sees as a gross injustice. That being said, when someone offered her a vape ... Widow took a break from raging out to inhale deeply.

Things got deadly serious, though as police were loading Widow into their van. She demanded cops strap her down because she didn't want there to be any doubts about her possibly resisting police. She declared for the camera, "I'm not about to be the next one that we march for" ... alluding to Black people who've died in police custody.

Sophie Turner isn't straight ... at least that's what it appears she's trying to tell the world.

The "Game of Thrones" star hinted at some sort of coming out in a social media post celebrating Pride Month. She said, "time isn't straight and neither am i."

Sophie put a ton of other stickers on her post that seem to hint at her truth ... including hearts with text for "BI PRIDE" and "GAY PRIDE" and another sticker saying, "MOVE, I'M GAY."

While the "time" line was cryptic, there's no doubt Sophie's all about celebrating Pride, as she added, "ITS MUTHA****** #pride month babaaaayyyyy."

As you know, Sophie got married to Joe Jonas back in May 2019 in a Las Vegas wedding. They've already started a family ... remember, Sophie gave birth last July to a daughter named Willa.

Tons of celebs have been coming out recently as gay, lesbian, trans and non-binary ... including Colton Underwood, Kehlani, JoJo Siwa, Elliot Page and Demi Lovato ... and it sounds like Sophie's itching to join them.

JoJo Siwa's extravagantly fun Pride Party took a dark turn when cops were called for a possible overdose.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops and paramedics responded to the call to JoJo's home in the San Fernando Valley a little after 8 PM Wednesday. We're told someone reported a male around 30 years old might have OD'd on LSD.

Sources connected to the party claim the guy showed up to the party high, and in pretty rough shape. We're told the person was transported to the hospital, and police determined there was no crime committed.

That person's health status is unclear at this time. We've reached out to Siwa's rep for more ... no word back so far.

As we reported ... JoJo threw a huge rainbow-themed bash at her house attended by her GF and a bunch of fellow influencers, including Tana Mongeau. The party featured a bounce house, a decked-out pool and kitchen, a bedazzled piano and a whole lot more.

JoJo Siwa seemingly spared no expense to throw a massive party to celebrate Pride Month ... and inside the event was everything you'd expect from the newly-minted gay icon.

JoJo's rainbow-themed bash had a little bit of everything -- as documented by fellow influencer Tana Mongeau -- a fully loaded kitchen and bar, a rainbow-dyed dog walking around, a hand-bedazzled rainbow piano ... and a JoJo Barbie wall.

Siwa -- who was clearly having a great time with her girlfriend, Kylie Prew -- also revealed she sprung for a bouncy house, because ... why the hell not?

Pretty extravagant stuff all around from the recently-turned-18, mega-rich YouTube and Nickelodeon star, who as you know ... came out as gay earlier this year.

The SF Giants' classic black and orange will be getting a touch of rainbow this weekend ... the team says it will recognize Pride Month by wearing Pride colors on its uniforms.

Giants officials say they'll add a "Pride Patch" on the sleeve of their jersey Saturday against the Chicago Cubs ... and they'll debut a custom cap for the game as well.

"We are extremely proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community," team prez and CEO Larry Baer said, "as we kick off one of the best annual celebrations in San Francisco by paying honor to the countless achievements and contributions of all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are allies of the LGBTQ+ community."

Pride Month began Tuesday as the calendar officially rolled over into June ... and the Giants are going all in to make sure they honor the moment.

In addition to the uniform changes ... SF officials also say they'll adorn their scoreboard with Pride colors and wrap Willie Mays Plaza palm trees with the hues as well.

"Very proud that the San Francisco Giants are taking this step," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday. "Very proud to be part of it."

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.