We need gayer standards & a loss for lesbians

We need gayer standards...At the premiere of Thor: Love And Thunder last week, someone asked star Natalie Portman a perplexing question. An audience member asked “how gay is the film,” and director ​​Taika Waititi forced Natalie Portman, for some reason, to answer. “So gay,” she replied, receiving cheers in response. Unfortunately, everyone who has seen the film has reported that actually, no, that’s not the truth (Ellen). In response to these inane conversations about whether or not Marvel movies are gay, writer Fran Hoepfner wrote in Gawker that “None Of This Shit Is Gay.” It’s unclear why Waititi – who has for some reason been labeled a “gay icon” this week, to the consternation of some – threw Portman under the bus by forcing her to answer that question, but he is a polyamorous straight man, after all.

A loss for ye olde lesbians...

To the disappointment of many, it was announced last week that the BBC One/HBO series Gentleman Jack has been canceled following its (brilliant) second season.This is undoubtedly a massive loss for lesbian and queer media more broadly, as Anne Lister’s (Suranne Jones) presence as a butch lesbian on screen remains something of a miracle in and of itself. Indeed, the series’ bold refusal to ever cow to heterosexual standards of respectability or play to straight audiences in any way is one of the things that made it so brilliant, but perhaps led to its downfall as well. The series was reportedly one of HBO’s lowest-rated dramas, and BBC One will likely not be able to continue producing the show without HBO’s financial partnership. This doesn’t bode well for the future of lesbian media, especially media as audacious as this. (On the other side of the lesbian spectrum, fans of the silly lesbian vampire drama First Kill are still waiting on renewal news from Netflix.)

Weird queers are rising...Emma Corrin, actor and star of The Crown, made history last week by becoming the first non-binary person to grace the cover of American Vogue. As the profile notes, Corrin rose to fame by playing the glamorously feminine Princess Diana, and can now be seen on the cover of a fashion magazine with a floppy mop of hair and a baseball cap. The extremely cooky photos from the spread are worth perusing.

Other dispatches from the little gay people inside the internet:

  • Read about what’s next for Brittney Griner following her guilty plea.

  • A new “LGBTQ Horror Film” has been announced, and it will feature Disney Channel stars Debby Ryan, Alyson Stoner, and Matthew Scott Montgomery, among others. It will also be directed by former Disney star Allisyn Snyder. We hope the movie starts with someone drawing on screen with a wand.

  • Speaking of Disney, Raven’s Home has made history by featuring the first trans character on Disney Channel. The episode was written by writer and comedian Nori Reed.

  • Lynda Carter continues to be the Wonder Woman we deserve.

  • According to DeuxMoi, there is a rumor going around that G Flip and Chrishell got married in Vegas last week. We certainly wouldn't put it past them.

  • Watching the Heartstopper cast stand up to anti-LGBTQ+ protestors at #PrideInLondon was hilarious. Watch the video here.

~GJ PICKS~

  • We are truly loving The GIST, an epic free newsletter that covers the biggest headlines in women's & men's sports (50/50 coverage). The GIST is female-led and written. Last week's coverage alone included stories on our beloved USWNST, The WNBA All Star Game and Brittney Griner. We highly recommend this one - oh and you can legit win a Peloton if you refer enough people subscribe here

  • If you’re also saddened by the news of Gentleman Jack’s cancellation, we’d recommend you check out the excellent Starz series Vida, which finally came to Hulu last month.

Until next time,

Someone who was transformed on a cellular level by the sex scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in Black Swan 

Written by GayJoy writer Kira Deshler