Welcome to the Watering Hole

This week? The pope race was giving reality show, the Met Gala was a Black queer masterclass in tailoring, and Rachel Maddow dragged Trump so hard we’re still recovering. Jasmine Crockett is reading Republicans like it’s Snatch Game, Bella Ramsey is over gendered trophies, and Lorde is officially in her gender-is-a-suggestion era (same). Plus, bbno$ is throwing serotonin raves, Carl Nassib reminded us visibility hits different when it’s personal, and Zaya Wade is already running the beauty industry at 17. In short: the girls are working. Let’s get into it.

• The theme was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—and the Black queer icons of the night delivered with surgical precision. Colman Domingo gave us André Leon Talley realness in Valentino, Doechii turned Louis Vuitton into a power move, and Ayo Edebiri wore Ferragamo like a quiet mic drop. Janelle Monáe and Jeremy O. Harris brought drama without trying, Law Roach made Burberry look rich again, and Megan Thee Stallion reminded us who the moment actually is. This wasn’t just a red carpet—it was Black queer excellence tailored to filth.

• The conclave has ended, a gay couple went viral, and Twitter had their holy water boiling over the next potential pope. People craved cardinals like it’s RuPaul’s Drag Race: Vatican Edition.

• Rachel Maddow put her glasses on and read—not a book, but Donald Trump’s entire legacy. She’s connecting the dots between his antics and America’s slow crawl into fascism, and frankly? It’s giving “The Handmaid’s Tale: Prequel.”

• Rapture is serving sensual apocalypse. Kit and Manu playing ex-lovers with god trauma? It’s the gay religious trauma pipeline we’ve been waiting for. Holy water not included.

• Disney’s building a theme park in the UAE, where being gay is literally illegal. Inclusivity when convenient and “profits over people” when it’s time to cash out? Classic. Sorry, but no amount of pixie dust covers up aligning with queerphobia.

• Rep. Jasmine Crockett said “let’s play a game” and proceeded to annihilate Republicans in real time with her “Trump or trans” read during a chaotic DOGE hearing, proving once again that drag isn’t just for queens, it’s for Congress too.

• Bella Ramsey said gendered award categories make them uncomfortable (valid), but also admitted they’re still important to make sure women don’t get erased (also valid). Basically, they’re navigating the nuance while award shows are still stuck in 1998. Evolve, babes.

• Nancy Mace is really out here acting like trans kids are some theoretical debate topic and not, you know, real people. Meanwhile, Robert Garcia is giving “girl, be serious” energy while dragging her with basic human empathy. Imagine thinking compassion is controversial.

• The Supreme Court basically just said “good luck girl” to LGBTQ+ protections. Imagine fighting for your rights and the response is shrug emoji. This ruling is scary, messy, and exactly why queer people stay loud — because silence clearly isn’t working.

• Carl Nassib revealed he came out after losing his gay uncle, the only other queer person in his family. It hit hard, and made him realize visibility matters — not just for the world, but for the people closest to you. Legacy isn’t always loud, sometimes it’s personal.

• Lorde said Virgin is her messy, fluid, gender-blurring era and honestly? We’re here for it. She’s pulling from queer lit and living in the space between femme and masc. It’s giving primal, it’s giving raw, it’s giving “don’t put me in a box.”

• Apparently rainbow flags are now “too political” for city buildings. Meanwhile, the American flag hangs next to potholes and unpaid parking tickets daily. Make it make sense. Being visible isn’t politics — it’s survival.

• This Utah teacher said “if the school won’t protect you, I will,” and honestly? That’s hero behavior. When basic decency feels rebellious, you know the system is broken.

• Kyle McKitty, aka the Black gay tech genius behind The App Kit, turned down an $18 million deal and is still thriving. Why? Because he stayed authentic. Building for queer people, dancing through London, and not selling out? That’s the playbook. Girls who get it, get it.

• Lorde hit the Met Gala in Thom Browne looking like femme-top-meets-softboy and said, “I feel like a man and a woman.” Same, girl. This wasn’t just about fashion—she’s queering up her whole Virgin era and honestly, it’s giving very “gender is a suggestion.”

• MAC’s newest face, Zaya Wade, is 17 and already running the beauty game. She’s experimenting with 4C hair, slaying lip gloss, and casually co-founding an LGBTQ+ support org on the side. Mother Gabrielle Union is clearly raising icons only.

• bbno$ is out here raving with drag queens, cosplaying Hatsune Miku, and dropping tracks called Antidepressants like it’s self-care, because for him, it kind of is. Post-breakup and post-SSRIs, he’s turning serotonin into a whole vibe. His Juno Awards performance with Priyanka and the dolls wasn’t just cute, it was allyship with a beat drop. He’s not just making music, he’s throwing a rave for the sad gays and calling it healing. Love that for us.

• The new pope? Here’s the tea from the online group chat…

• THE BRICKS ARE THE DOLLS. There’s been commentary on social between the community that bricks (non-passing trans women) are not dolls (trans women). Let’s be so for real right now - all the dolls were once bricks. Enough with the in-fighting!!!

@maisonstrangers

Okay, bye.

In a week where the Vatican turned into a runway, the Met Gala became a Black queer symposium, and bbno$ DJ’d a serotonin séance, one thing’s clear: the girls, gays, and theys are doing the most—and thank god for it. Whether it’s Carl Nassib reminding us that coming out can be sacred, or Jasmine Crockett roasting Republicans with drag-level precision, the culture is alive, loud, and deeply unserious in the most meaningful ways. Until next time: stay visible, stay petty, and stay preaching.