Some gay people kissed on TV this week

Welcome to this weeks edition of GayJoy Digest. We are very excited to finally get to say it - HAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPY PRIDE. We have a lot of celebrating to do, and there is more on this to come. But for now onto the queer news with queer views.

The self-proclaimed queen of kindness is officially out of a job. Last week, the very last episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired. Ellen took the opportunity to remind audiences that she wasn’t allowed to say the word “gay” when her show was first airing nor was she allowed to reference any partner of hers, prescriptions that have unfortunately become relevant once again. Ellen also used her last show to reiterate her message of “kindness” – trodding out famous guests to sing her praises – even though we know her supposed geniality did most certainly not apply to members of her staff. If you’re interested in learning more about her pop cultural impact before she sullied her own legacy, the coming-out episodes of her sitcom, Ellen, (“The Puppy Episode” and “The Puppy Episode, Pt. 2”) are definitely worth watching. For more on Ellen's arc check out this article by the LA Times's Matt Brennan. We hope Dakota Johnson is enjoying this moment.

Some gay people kissed on TV this week. The first kiss came in the form of a cartoon. Two girls kissed on the animated children’s series The Owl House, which is a fantasy show that centers on a Dominican-American girl named Luz. The series airs on Disney Channel, and the most recent episode makes it the first animated Disney show to feature a same-gender kiss. As Polygon wrote last month, The Owl House is proving itself to be too good for Disney, but we’re glad creator Dana Terrace has decided to fight the homophobic mouse anyways.

In other TV news, Grey’s Anatomy aired its 400th (!!!) episode last week. For our purposes, the most important thing that happened in the episode was that Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) got back together with Kai (E.R. Fightmaster) even though Kai doesn’t want kids and Amelia happens to already have one. This scene was important because, one, E.R. Fightmaster is extremely hot and because, two, a cover of “Chasing Cars” plays as they make out in the parking lot. You can obviously watch all of Amelia and Kai’s scenes on YouTube. We still miss Callie & Arizona, tbh.

New music video alert: Kehlani has dropped the video for her song “melt,” which is off her recent album blue water road. The video features her real-life girlfriend 070 Shake and sees them being wonderful and sweet together as they vacation in some exotic location. It’s an apt song title because our hearts are literally melting. If you want to learn more about the album, check out Kehlani’s blue water road documentary series where she talks about, among other things, how dating exclusively women has improved the quality of her relationships.

Other dispatches from the little queer people inside the internet:

• In response to people walking out of her new film Crimes of the Future, Kristen Stewart replied “The way I feel, it is through really visceral desire and that's the only reason we're alive. We're pleasure sacks.” Like, comment, and subscribe if you also identify as a “pleasure sack.”

• Episode 2 of Jenna Larson’s Girlfriends sapphic short film series just dropped. You can watch Episode 1 here.

• Mattel will be releasing a Laverne Cox Barbie doll in honor of her 50th (what???) birthday and as part of their Tributes Collection. Wig!

• Find out which out WNBA player you are based on your zodiac sign.

• Cara Delevigne was seen canoodling with Sabrina Carpenter at Cannes. Sabrina, blink twice if you need us to get you out of there.

• Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp has defended the fact that Will isn’t explictly gay on the show, saying that “I think that’s the beauty of it, that it’s just up to the audience’s interpretation.” You heard it here first folks, the theme of this year’s pride month is implicit queerness only. Don’t say gay!

• Why are some queers so obsessed with NCIS: Hawaii? Find out here.

EVENTS ON TAP!

• Next Wednesday we are joining our friends at Maude to screen Kajillionaire at the Ace Hotel in BK. Come hang! If you need a buddy reply to this email and we will make sure you feel comfy!

Until next time,

A pile of sentient carabiners