Is anyone spending this weekend still catching up from — *checks notes* — last weekend?!
Nothing throws off the schedule like a holiday, though the irony of a post-Labor Day workweek struggle is not lost on us.
Thankfully, the past week of LGBTQ+ news has kept us caffeinated, engaged, and yapping with plenty to buzz about.
How about we take this to the next level?
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First, Joel Kim Booster got engaged, Joaquin Phoenix talked around exiting Todd Haynes’ gay flick, and Dancing With the Stars‘ Ezra Sosa returned with a controversial partner.
Plus, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin tied the knot, Andy Cohen listed his bachelor pad, Will Ferrell and his bestie made us tear up in a new doc trailer and Heartstopper Season 3 teased some spicy footage left on the cutting-room floor.
Otherwise, we’ve been scrolling through good reads, great TV shows, and even leaving the apartment to enjoy some supreme weather.
Worry not, there’s plenty more to discuss! Here are the 10 things we are obsessed with this week….
1. Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin
As a resident of New York, arguably the gayest city in America, it’s easy to take the excess of LGBTQ+ bars for granted — even as queer spaces across the world shutter at alarming rates. That’s why I found Jeremy Atherton Lin’s Gay Bar: Why We Went Out ($13.99 on Amazon) such a sobering, touching, and important read.
OK, to be fair, I’m a little late to the acclaimed bestseller, which published in 2022. Still, Lin’s heartfelt documentation of the gay clubs, pubs, and dives that defined his life and queer history is written with an evergreen relevancy. As the National Book Critics Circle Award-winner’s description explains: “Elegiac, randy, and sparkling with wry wit, Gay Bar is at once a serious critical inquiry, a love story and an epic night out to remember.” Now I’m ready to go out!
2. Horror Movie Buff Gift Set
Everyone knows a horror gay — and if you don’t, you might just be one yourself. It’s understandable why swaths of the LGBTQ+ community connect to a genre defined by campy moments, queer-coded relationships, and outsiders. Still, the autumnal season finds them at their most powerful. (Watch out Grindr users, the Chucky dolls are coming out!)
Whether you’re a slasher stan or their thrill-averse friend, you’ll find something fun in this Horror Movie Buff Giftset, available for $64 on Uncommon Goods. The collection includes a 50-card Classic Horror Oracle Deck, a 500-piece puzzle honoring the genre’s classics, and a nightmare-inducing Death for Dinner cookbook featuring recipes inspired by the macabre.
3. Troye Sivan‘s I-D photoshoot
A shirtless Troye Sivan. A fresh-off-Brat-summer Charli XCX. A bunch of bubbles. The hottest (and gayest) tour of the year which hasn’t even started yet.
Need I say anything else?
4. Lady Gaga‘s pop-loving fiancé
Everyone say, “Thank you, Michael Polansky!” In a gorgeous Vogue spread pegged to Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga dropped a few LG7 breadcrumbs. Namely, the fact that her aforementioned fiancé was the one who encouraged her to make a “new pop record.” As she recalled, “He was like, ‘Babe. I love you. You need to make pop music.'” PHEW! Let the jazz-album nightmares see themselves out.
Furthermore, Gaga teased a February 2025 release date and played an “intense and ominous” snippet for the writer, who likened it to “an old-school Gaga banger.” Perhaps we are so back.
5. Button-downs with personality to spare
I never knew I needed a “retro bowling” shirt in a “50s rockabilly style” — as they’re described on Amazon — until I saw these lil’ numbers (available in various designs for $11.99-$23.99). Now, they’re the only thing I want to wear.
OK, so perhaps getting into dad-styled vacation shirts at the end of summer isn’t the most conventional style tip. But I’m a man whose entire closet is defined by tees that scream, “I have a personality!” For better or worse.
6. Challengers Original Soundtrack Vinyl
Finally, you can own the soundtrack to the most homoerotic film of the year on vinyl! With its volleying balls, churro chomps, and crushworthy cast, Luca Guadagnino‘s glitzy tennis flick Challengers became a pop culture phenomenon. Still, the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-composed score was a thumping moment of its own, inspiring viral fancams and gay dance parties alike.
Obvi, it’s a must-have. Thankfully, you can now preorder the clubby collection on vinyl ($33.98 via Amazon) and receive three collectible trading cards and a Phil’s Tire Town bumper sticker. IYKYK.
7. Katy Perry’s biggest turn-on
I’ll let Katy Perry speak for herself in this unhinged (and sure-to-be memed) clip from her recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. Let’s just say I was shocked, the “Teenage Dream” singer is easy to please, and her baby daddy Orlando Bloom is a very happy man.
Also, how does any of this relate to her new album?!
8. Trixie Mattel on English Teacher
Brian Jordan Alvarez‘s new FX series English Teacher is already shaping up to be one of the year’s funniest comedies. As an openly gay teacher in Texas, his character navigates living authentically amongst a conservative staff and struggling student body.
Still, the biggest highlight so far is the second episode — now streaming on Hulu — featuring a scene-steaing Trixie Mattel cameo. The Drag Race alum portrays one of Alvarez’s old pals who moonlights as a drag queen and helps the football team embrace their inner fierce. No spoilers, but Mattel is just as hilarious playing a character as he is performing as himself. Jury’s out on whether we’d want him as a teacher though!
9. Chipotle Halloween Costumes
If you are what you eat, then I think I found my Halloween costume this year. Ahead of spooky szn, everyone’s favorite burrito spot is partnering with Spirit Halloween to release officially-licensed Chipotle To-Go Bag, Water Cup, Burrito, Napkin, and Fork costumes, available for $39.99 each online.
Basically, they’re just polyester body suits, and the fork one looks like something out of a horror movie. Still, if you’re lazy, doing it for the bit, or extremely devoted to fast-casual Mexican food, there’s no better option. Although, as the descriptions warn, burritos are not included.
10. Channeling Di during “people’s princess weather”
The air is getting crisper, the leaves are mulling a change, and the sun is hanging on for dear life. Alert the media: it’s officially “people’s princess weather,” as one Twitter X user dubbed it.
Essentially, the term refers to Princess Diana’s classy-but-sassy combo of shorts and a sweater, which uniquely resonates with gays looking to break out the long sleeves without hiding the gams. It’s a short but powerful season and one I will be milking for all it’s worth.
Related*
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The past week has been spent bopping, buying things, and Jonathan Bailey-watching.
