Welcome to the Watering Hole

We’ve got iconic exits, unexpected reunions, and the return of messy hbo plotlines we didn’t ask for. We’re mourning gay legends, side-eying billionaires, and celebrating intersex joy on screen. Plus, sapphic nostalgia, pronoun panic in the white house, and a face cream that might actually fix your life.

• Lorde just soft-launched her TikTok with a snippet of an unreleased song, and the internet is spiraling. In the clip, she’s wandering through Washington Square Park, lip-syncing, “Since I was 17, I gave you everything.” Mood. She also wiped her Insta and website clean, so you know something’s brewing. Lorde season is upon us, and I’m ready to be emotionally wrecked by whatever melancholic banger she’s about to drop.

@lorde

• Kit Connor opening up about being objectified is a much-needed reality check. Just because someone’s hot doesn’t mean they owe you anything. He’s out here doing Shakespeare, and y’all are treating it like a thirst trap? Respectfully, this isn’t TikTok—it’s theater. Let the man act. Let’s maybe try supporting young queer talent without turning them into fantasies. Revolutionary, I know.

• Damien Stone’s passing is genuinely heartbreaking. Say what you want, but gay porn stars are part of queer pop culture lore—especially the ones who gave us 2000s era body, grit, and pixelated excellence. He was an icon in his own right, and his work meant something to a lot of people. Rest in peace to a legend who really put in the work (literally and figuratively).

• Jenna Ortega stepping away from Scream 7 isn’t just career drama—it’s solidarity. She’s standing by her co-star Melissa Barrera, who was dropped from the film for speaking out about Gaza. That’s real one behavior. Jenna said, “I won’t stay silent when my sister’s being silenced,” and honestly? That’s more final girl energy than anything Ghostface could bring. We stan a principled scream queen.

• JK Rowling attacking the asexual community now is just… exhausting. Like, what’s the end goal here? She wakes up every day and chooses to alienate another group like it’s a morning latte. Imagine writing one (1) successful book series and deciding your legacy should be “chronically online villain.” Girl, go outside. Touch some grass. Stop tweeting.

• The White Lotus theme song beef is a level of niche drama I fully support. Composer drama?? Over strings and synths?? Mike White basically said, “We love the original, but we’re remixing,” and the composer was like, “Actually no.” It’s giving petty, it’s giving creative tension, and it’s giving Emmy bait. Anyway, just bring back Jennifer Coolidge.

• Mickey Rourke got on Celebrity Big Brother and immediately said “cancel me please.” In a moment no one needed, he dropped some homophobic nonsense directed at JoJo Siwa, because apparently we’re still doing that in 2025. Producers issued a formal warning and the internet clapped back hard. JoJo, if you’re reading this: drop a diss track.

• And finally, the gays are spiraling over streaming again. Hulu dropped Dying for Sex, a semi-true story starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate about a woman who reclaims her sex life after a terminal cancer diagnosis (yes, really). And Netflix is trying its hand at a Grey’s Anatomy reboot but make it Miami with Pulse. Both are dramatic. Both are gay-adjacent. Both are giving “text your situationship after episode 3.”

• Colorado really said, “We protect trans people and uterus-havers—get into it!” and honestly? Slay. In a country speedrunning its Handmaid’s Tale era, this law feels like a breath of fresh, equality-flavored air. Imagine a government that just… lets people live? Revolutionary. The bar is in hell, but Colorado pole-vaulted over it. Love that for them.

• So apparently The White House is ignoring journalists just for including pronouns in their email signatures… like??? what year are we in? 1892? Imagine being more triggered by “she/her” than actual policy questions. It’s giving petty, it’s giving anti-intellectual, and it’s giving “I fear gender.” pronouns aren’t political, unless you’re trying really hard to be a problem. Do better, federal government. Respectfully. Actually no, disrespectfully.

• LGBTQ+ legislative wins are stacking up in the South and we’re eating it up. Montana state rep SJ Howell is celebrating a string of pro-trans victories, calling it a sign that “the tide is changing.” Honestly? We’ll take any and all glimpses of hope in this apocalyptic news cycle.

• The Ponyboi trailer just dropped and i’m already emotional. an intersex-led, intersex-directed film that’s gritty, queer, and full of heart? Yes please. River Gallo is giving us a main character who’s messy, real, and hot, and the cast is stacked—Murray Bartlett? Victoria Pedretti? DYLAN O’BRIEN as a sleazy love interest?? I will be seated, sobbing, and possibly texting my ex. It’s giving representation that actually hits.

• Invisible Histories expanding their archive in North Carolina is honestly iconic. Queer people have always existed in the south, despite what your uncle with the Facebook rants thinks, and this project is making sure we’re remembered properly. From church drag brunches to dyke bar dive nights, southern queer culture is real and it’s rich. preserving it? That’s resistance, baby. Pass the cornbread and the oral histories.

• The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame just added 12 new legends to the canon. From athletes to advocates, this year’s inductees are out here proving that queers do run the world—and look hot doing it. Sports may still be a mess, but at least our representation is getting its flowers.

• UK LGBTQ+ workers are still being told to “tone it down” at the office. A new report revealed that queer professionals across Britain feel pressure to hide their identities to stay safe at work. Because apparently being gay and employed is still too much for some people. HR departments: do better.

• Elon Musk rage-quitting a livestream because someone mentioned hate speech is peak tech bro fragility. Like… you turned Twitter into a far-right fan forum and now you’re shocked people have questions? You can’t run a social media empire like it’s a Reddit thread you moderate from your man cave. Log off, king. You’re not built for livestreams.

• Lucy Dacus and Katie Gavin recreating that iconic lesbian mag cover is healing queer timelines everywhere. It’s soft. It’s vintage. It’s giving “we wrote love letters on the same typewriter and never admitted it.” Sapphic energy like this could power a small indie bookstore. Honestly, I needed this more than therapy.

• Madonna and Elton John ending their beef is the gay elder truce we didn’t know we needed. These two have been throwing shade longer than I’ve been alive, and now they’re teasing a collab? That’s not just music—that’s historic reparations for every queer person who’s had to pick a side at a brunch table. The joint slay is coming.

• The Hacks girlies are shipping Deborah and Ava like it’s their full-time job—and honestly, same. The banter? Electric. The mutual obsession? Tangible. The chemistry? A little too real. Sure, it’s mentor-mentee, but the sapphics love a complicated power dynamic. HBO, give us the enemies-to-lovers arc we deserve—or at least one longing stare over a martini.

• Cooper Koch and his twin are literally recreating the incest plot line with a photo inspired by White Lotus? Yes, that plotline. The internet is confused, slightly horrified, and… kinda intrigued? Either way, HBO needs to be stopped from more of these plot lines.

• Influencer Tinx is under fire for using a queer ghostwriter to write sapphic experiences in her upcoming novel. The situation ignited debates on TikTok and Reddit about the ethics of leveraging queer narratives for commercial success without proper acknowledgment.

• A clip of Gayle King repeating a homophobic slur (f*ggotry) while quoting comedian Matteo Lane went viral this week. She’s been an ally of the community forever, she can say whatever she wants. As Bob the Drag Queen said, she’s iconic.

• Korres’ Athenian Grooming Moisturizing Master Recipe Face Cream is like the Greek god of skincare descended from Olympus to bless your face. This anti-shine cream gel hydrates without leaving you looking like a glazed donut, thanks to the antioxidant-rich achillea millefolium extract. It’s giving “I just stepped out of a mythological spa” vibes. Finally, a moisturizer that understands the assignment: dewy, not greasy.

Okay, bye.

From soft launches to hard truths, this week was a rollercoaster of queer joy, righteous rage, and perfectly timed chaos. Whether you’re spiraling over Lorde, side-eyeing Silicon Valley man-babies, or just here for the face cream recs—we see you, we love you, and we’ll catch you next time with more drama, glam, and unhinged commentary from the Gay Watering Hole. Hydrate accordingly.