Welcome to the Watering Hole

Beyoncé cracked open the Cowboy Carter era and rewrote touring as we know it, Dylan O’Brien is giving the girls messy queer cinema, Jennifer Coolidge reminded us she’s Mother forever, and meanwhile politicians are busy playing Hunger Games with LGBTQ+ rights (again). Throw in some skincare recs to keep your barrier intact while everything else crumbles, and you’ve got yourself a perfect storm. Let’s dive in.

• Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour opened and yes, we are gagged, bewildered, and spiritually altered. She didn’t just open the tour—she redefined what opening a tour means. From the looks, to the vocals, to whatever divine entity she channels halfway through the set, Beyoncé reminded everyone she owns the stage and we’re just visitors.

• 20 years ago, two cowboys gave the world one of the most devastating and tender queer love stories ever put on screen. Now? It’s legacy cinema. Not to be dramatic but if you don’t ugly cry at least twice during a rewatch, you might be homophobic.

• From fake volleyball tales to stealing donors’ cash, George Santos has finally been sentenced. Honestly? The plot of his life reads like a Netflix docuseries that gets canceled after two seasons for being too unserious. Jail time? As the girls say: deserved.

• Comedian Jerrod Carmichael debuted Don’t Be Gay and it’s basically an existential queer spiral in stand-up form. Dark, brutally honest, and very “haha wait… ow,” it’s giving the gay experience boiled down to 90 minutes. Stream if you want to laugh, reflect, and have a minor identity crisis.

• Heartbreaking news: Jiggly Caliente has passed away. Beyond Drag Race, she was a fierce trans advocate, trailblazer, and genuinely one of the girls. A legend gone too soon, but her legacy will continue to inspire. Give her her flowers today, tomorrow, forever.

• Overcompensating is shaping up to be the show for people who can’t send a text without rereading it 72 times and somehow still sound unhinged. Will this be our new personality for the next 6 months? Probably yes.

• Trump admin tells Lia Thomas’ university to erase her records or lose funding — very normal, very cool, very fascist behavior. Because apparently letting a trans woman swim was just too much for them to handle, the Trump administration is now demanding Lia Thomas’ school literally erase her records. As if deleting trans people from history will make us go away. Spoiler: it won’t. You can’t ban trans joy, babe. Not when we invented half the culture you’re profiting off of.

• The UK Labour party is now applauding a Supreme Court decision defining lesbians as “biological women only,” essentially erasing trans lesbians from existence. Gorgeous to see “solidarity” last exactly until the polls close. It’s giving cowardice. It’s giving “please the bigots.” It’s giving we see you and you’re not slick.

• It’s back…again. The Equality Act has returned to Congress and fingers crossed, maybe this time basic rights won’t be treated like a niche request. If passed, it would finally solidify protections for LGBTQ+ folks at a federal level. Which, considering the current vibes in America, feels kinda urgent!

• Turns out when you backtrack on diversity and inclusion, your aisles get a little too quiet. Target’s foot traffic is down after scaling back DEI programs to appease bigots, proving once again that chasing right-wing approval is bad for business and the soul. Enjoy those echoey empty stores, babes.

• Nicola Coughlan wins award, uses mic to actually say something. Icon behavior. While some celebs use their acceptance speeches to thank their agents and exit stage left, Nicola Coughlan said “no babe, I’m gonna defend trans lives real quick.” At Canneseries, she dedicated her win to the trans community and proved (once again) she’s that girl. Allyship on the main stage? We love to see it.

• After the UK’s highest court basically ruled that “lesbian” = biological woman only (because apparently 2025 is feeling very 1952), some Labour MPs did step up. Charlotte Nichols, Kate Osborne, Olivia Blake, and Nadia Whittome signed a pledge rejecting attempts to divide lesbians and trans people. Love the gesture, but girl, gestures don’t stop policy.

• Jennifer Coolidge says the LGBTQ+ community “saved her life” and honestly… same, babe. She opened up about how queer people have always lifted her up and made her feel seen, which is exactly why she stays Mother forever. She’s camp, she’s kindness, she’s every gay person’s dream dinner party guest. Protect her at all costs — she’s ours and always has been.

• Dylan O’Brien in a raunchy queer comedy? Jail. I’m already foaming. Twinless officially has a release date and so does my spiral. Dylan O’Brien — aka the man who once had us writing Wattpad smut on school computers — is starring in a queer, messy, probably deeply unhinged comedy and the possibilities are vile (in the best way). If he makes out with a man onscreen I will be calling out of work, shaking, and respectfully feral.

• Scarlett Johansson’s brand dropped a sunscreen and… wait, she ate? The Outset’s Hydrasheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 is here and it’s actually giving? Packed with niacinamide (aka the skin-soothing, redness-reducing queen) and squalane (hydration but make it featherlight), this mineral sunscreen blends like a dream. Reef-safe, sensitive skin-friendly, and feels more like skincare than sunscreen. I’m into it. Mother Widow did something.

• Mantle’s The Barrier Cream is like therapy for your face (except this actually works). This girlie is loaded with ceramides, niacinamide, and shea butter — aka the holy trinity of barrier repair. She’s rich, she’s nurturing, and she said “you will not wake up dry and crusty ever again.” Great for tret users, winter skin, or those of us who like to overdo it and need a moisturizer to pick up the pieces. Basically? She’s a rebound but healthy.

• On Tiktok:

  • Chris Olsen’s ex spoke out about how he fakes content for views and folks came out of the woodwork to criticize.

  • Running influencer Kate Mackz did an interview with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and people were… less than pleased.

  • A bar in Boise, Idaho is hosting a “Hetero Awesomeness” Festival during Pride Month. Are straight people okay????

  • A woman posted a video asking how people come out at work and the comments are actually helpful.

  • And lastly, this video asking all the signs that you were gay & missed growing up.

• On Twitter:

  • This post of women eating pasta in bikinis saying “Sometimes I don’t understand how gay men exist.”

  • The discourse on this post about gays calling each other “girl”

Okay, bye.

That’s it for now, besties. Hug your queer friends, wear sunscreen, and maybe ugly cry to Brokeback Mountain just because you can. The world’s a mess, but your barrier doesn’t have to be. See you next week — same time, same chaos.