Welcome to the Watering Hole

Hey girlies, gays, and theys who are spiritually hungover from the Mayhem Ball announcement—welcome back to The Watering Hole, your digital safe space where pop culture is religion, skincare is personality, and every link leads to an emotional spiral (in a good way). We’re talking Gaga revivalism, trans rights with a Scottish accent, emotionally unavailable cowboys, incest plot twists (???), and the self-tanner that might finally fix your life. Scroll responsibly. Hydrate. Cry if you need to. Let’s get into it.

• Mother has RISEN. Gaga announced her Mayhem Ball tour and suddenly my rent doesn’t matter anymore. This isn’t just a concert—this is a cultural reset, an economic downfall, a religious pilgrimage. If you see me moshing to “Perfect Celebrity” in full latex, mind your business. Also, someone start a group chat for mutuals trying to scalp pit tickets—this is our Stan Hunger Games.

• Ethel Cain said “trauma but make it Southern Gothic couture” and I will never recover. Her new album Willoughby Tucker I’ll Always Love You sounds like it was written in the ghost of a burned-down church while crying into a lace veil. And this Willoughby Tucker character? Hot. Possibly evil. Definitely my type. If your ex doesn’t haunt your next tour cycle, are you even making queer music?

• Charli XCX teaming up with Benito Skinner for Overcompensating is what happens when pop meets camp meets muscle daddy fantasy. The new trailer is queer chaos, and Benito playing a closeted 2000s jock? Inject it.

• White Lotus said, “You thought we peaked at gay murder in Sicily? Let’s talk incest.” And the gays… are confused but intrigued? Twitter’s melting down, Tumblr is writing fanfic, and I’m just sitting here like, “Is HBO okay?” The reactions are unhinged, the memes are elite, and at this point, Mike White could turn Sesame Street into a psychosexual drama and we’d eat it up. Don’t lie—you’d still watch.

• Celia Laskey’s Cover Story just dropped and it’s giving messy sapphic PR nightmares. Think: Hollywood publicist managing a rising star who’s queer, closeted, and chaotic. Inspired by real-life celebs who date in the shadows, this one’s for anyone who’s ever had a situationship that required an NDA. Think The L Word meets Notting Hill with trauma and trench coats.

• CD Eskilson’s new collection Scream/Queen is giving trans rage, horror realness, and literary goth-core. Imagine if Carrie had a PhD in queer theory and a Twitter account. Eskilson explores being trans in a world that loves a monster metaphor—but flips it with teeth. It’s messy, raw, and gorgeous. Queer horror poetry canon? Updated.

• Laurence Fox, a man who looks like he yells at waiters and smells like wet leather, has officially spiraled into criminal territory. The anti-LGBTQ mouthpiece got charged over an upskirting image he posted like the world was his 4chan group chat. It’s always the loudest “morality” crusaders who are the actual creeps. Anyway, enjoy court, loser! Hope they make you watch Drag Race in holding.

• Don Yarber—aka your grandpa’s Facebook comment section personified—called queer people “perverse” while sitting on a school board. Like sir, your reading glasses are crooked and your opinions are from 1952. We’re not the problem—you are. Someone get this man a TikTok and a therapist (but mostly a resignation form). Imagine losing your mind over kids learning respect.

• The Severance fandom got whiplash after Tim Pool’s culty corner of the internet decided to drag it for being too woke—and Ben Stiller clapped BACK. Daddy Stiller said, “Actually, art is political, stay mad.” It’s giving Workplace Dystopia With Feelings, and if that threatens fragile straight men online? Good. Can’t wait for season 3 to have a full drag lip sync battle in the office just to spite them.

• Trans punk icon Laura Jane Grace performed “Your God (God’s Dick)” at a Bernie Sanders rally in Wisconsin and naturally, the Fox News dads had a meltdown. Meanwhile, the rest of us were like, “Where do we buy that T-shirt?” She sang about divine genitals on stage like it was Sunday service, and honestly? That’s the kind of blasphemy we can believe in.

• Lorraine Kelly said trans rights are human rights—again—and somehow did it more gracefully than half of Parliament. Every time this woman opens her mouth, it’s like sipping a warm cup of tea laced with truth and just the right amount of shade. She’s the soft-spoken assassin the TERFs fear. We need her bronzed and preserved in the queer history museum immediately. Mums for Trans Rights is the movement.

• After what felt like an eternal tug-of-war, Yeshiva University in NYC has finally given the nod to an LGBTQ+ student club. Dubbed "Hareni," this group will operate under the watchful eyes of the university's senior rabbis, enjoying the same perks as other student orgs. It's a win for inclusivity, though some are side-eyeing the fine print.

• Chappell Roan on Call Her Daddy is the crossover I didn’t know I needed until it spiritually awakened me. She’s raw, she’s real, she’s giving mascara-running-down-your-face-in-the-club-core. The way she talked about heartbreak, queerness, and chasing your dreams while wearing clown makeup? That’s camp. That’s pop stardom. That’s mother. No notes.

• Ayo Edebiri casually dropping that her first kiss was with a girl? Icon behavior. Gay Twitter immediately combusted, sapphics everywhere felt seen, and honestly, the energy is divine. She didn’t even make it a whole thing—she just said it and kept it pushing, which makes it even more powerful. That’s how you do allyship slash low-key bi energy. I’m obsessed.

• Not Bowen Yang accidentally changing lives with his queer rom-com reboot like he’s some kind of emotionally devastating fairy godmother. This Star Wars queen watched The Wedding Banquet and said “wait… I see myself.” And THAT’S why representation matters, besties. Give Bowen more funding. Give the gays more sad comedies with hot men in emotional distress. It heals.

• Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and drag royalty Yvie Oddly and Asia O’Hara all sitting down to talk about consent? It’s giving gender-expansive TED Talk. We love a wholesome crossover where everyone’s hot, smart, and emotionally intelligent. If HBO’s The Last of Us taught me anything, it’s that the apocalypse isn’t scary as long as queer icons are there explaining boundaries.

• These two gay dads on TikTok are raising a baby and my blood pressure with how cute they are. It’s giving gentle parenting meets thirst trap energy. Like yes, feed the baby her peas but also… who’s feeding me? Their dynamic is pure, chaotic, and low-key hot. Basically, they’re the queer internet’s favorite couple and my Roman Empire.

• Pop rookie Lara Rajagopalan of Katseye hopped on Weverse to say, “BTW I’ve been queer since birth, thanks,” and we’re not crying, you’re crying. She opened up about growing up queer and closeted in a culture that didn’t always get it—and how she’s done being subtle. Call it a soft-launch, a serve, and a big ol’ win for the girl group gays.

• El Cerrito, a cozy Californian town, is rolling out the rainbow carpet, aiming to become a haven for LGBTQ+ folks fleeing intolerance. With Mayor Carolyn Wysinger at the helm—the first out Black lesbian mayor in the state—the city is planning Pride events, Drag Queen Story Hours, and even a drag laureate. Small town, big queer energy.

• Orville Peck, our masked cowboy crooner, just got real about being a “recovering love addict” on the Modern Lovepodcast. Sis, we’ve all been there—falling for straight skater boys and living in the land of unrequited love. But now, he’s channeling that yearning into his role as the Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway, sans mask. Talk about a glow-up. Catch his unmasked debut starting March 31.

• Liv Hewson, our nonbinary icon from Yellowjackets, is out here smashing binaries and thriving post-top surgery. They’re serving confidence, clarity, and a big middle finger to anyone questioning their right to exist. Plus, their on-screen romance with Jasmin Savoy Brown? Chef’s kiss. Season 3 is about to be gayer and greater.

• Gays got creative with their thirst traps this week on X - showing off cascaded image of an album they’re listening to, with their Photo app opened to a thotty picture in the background. My favorites? The ones not featuring thirst traps…

• Grindr released version 25.4.1, launching “Right Now” and focusing on “bug fixes and improved user experience”. Oh, okay girl, we see you coming for Sniffies gig. TBD if that means fewer faceless torsos or just less crashing mid-thirst-scroll. Either way, it’s giving corporate knows we’re horny and impatient.

• This is hot girl bronzed in a bottle. No orange streaks, no gross smell—just a glowy, buildable tan that says “I summer in Ibiza” even if you’re in your apartment bathroom. Vegan, clean, and kinda iconic.

• This moisturizer is giving “I drink iced matcha and mind my business” energy. Lightweight, non-greasy, and packed with hyaluronic acid + niacinamide? It’s perfect for the girlies with oily or combo skin who still want that dewy, poreless look. Like, yes—I want hydration and balance. Slay the skin barrier, not your wallet.

  

Okay, bye.

Whether you're spiraling over Gaga tickets, dodging Texas lawmakers, or just trying to get railed "Right Now," remember: the world is chaotic, but the group chat is sacred. Stay weird, stay loud, and if all else fails—log off, reapply your SPF, and pretend your life is an A24 coming-of-age film. See you next week, babes.