Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality
This week: Reconciliation and Reparation, The Lady Gaga Bomb Plot, The Trans Troop Ban, the Conclave, Netflix’s The Four Seasons, Queer Sights of the Met Gala, Barry Diller comes out, and much more…
Bonjour from Paris, where I’m back for a few days of work. This week brought a sobering reminder of the challenges we face: the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding the military ban marks a serious setback for trans dignity. Elsewhere, troubling developments include Spain’s international surrogacy ban, reports that “gay” is once again being used as a slur in Québec, and questions about the LGBTQ+ implications of the UN reform process. Our movement is on its back heel. Yet amid the headwinds, we continue to lead in culture, from Four Seasons on Netflix to the unapologetic queerness of the Met Gala red carpet.
This week: Reconciliation and Reparation, The Lady Gaga Bomb Plot, The Trans Troop Ban, the Conclave, Netflix’s The Four Seasons, Queer Sights of the Met Gala, Barry Diller comes out, and much more…
Global News
France: Acknowledging the State Persecution of LGBTQ+ People
On Sunday, I wrote that true reconciliation requires confronting the past. In a landmark move, the French Senate unanimously passed a bill by Senator Hussein Bourgi recognizing the Republic’s responsibility for prosecuting homosexuals between 1945 and 1982—when homosexuality was finally (re)decriminalized. Around 10,000 people, primarily gay men, were convicted under a Vichy-era law targeting same-sex relations, especially with partners under 21. While the vote is a powerful act of remembrance, the Senate’s conservative majority rejected a proposed reparations clause. The bill now moves to the National Assembly. Read more in Libération.
Homophobia was not merely tolerated; it was legitimized, institutionalized, orchestrated. The State did not simply look the other way—it condemned and persecuted […]. To assume this responsibility is to reject forgetting.
Spain: Blocking Foreign Surrogacy Registrations
Spain falls after Italy (see my October Post “Meloni and our children”). Spain has tightened its surrogacy laws with a new decree banning the automatic registration of children born abroad via surrogacy, which has been illegal domestically since 2006. Parents must now prove a biological link or pursue adoption under Spanish law to register their child, with foreign rulings or birth certificates no longer sufficient. The move aligns with Spain's 2024 classification of surrogacy as a form of violence against women, further banning all related advertising. I won’t reiterate why our community is wrong to be so passive on the topic, but I love this quote from a friend reacting to a mean tweet targeting my own family last week:
It’s amazing to me how the right has mounted a war against parents that actually want to be parents, while forcing those who don’t want to be parents to be.
Canada: "Gay" is an Insult Again
A La Presse investigation reveals a sharp drop in LGBTQ+ inclusion in Quebec’s secondary schools, where once-active student clubs are now disbanding due to a lack of interest. At one school, no students joined at all this year; in others, Pride flags were vandalized and posters torn down. A GRIS-Montréal study confirms rising discomfort with sexual diversity, particularly among boys and religious students, reversing a decade of growing openness and support. Read the full article (in French).
Brazil: Bomb Plot Targeting Lady Gaga Concert
Brazilian authorities have thwarted a coordinated bomb attack aimed at Lady Gaga’s massive free concert on Copacabana Beach, attended by over two million fans. In an operation dubbed “Fake Monster”—an amusing twist on the singer’s fanbase nickname “Little Monsters”—police arrested a suspect believed to be the mastermind behind the plan, who had been recruiting teens online to carry out attacks using Molotov cocktails and improvised explosives. The group, which spread hate speech on social media, specifically targeted the LGBTQ+ community. Investigators uncovered 15 locations connected to the scheme across the country, which was framed as a violent “challenge” to gain notoriety. Authorities waited until after the event to announce the plot, and Lady Gaga reportedly learned of it through the press. See in The Guardian.
Vatican: All Eyes on the Conclave
As the Vatican prepares to elect a new pope, NPR discusses whether the next pontiff will continue Pope Francis’ cautious outreach—or reverse course entirely? Rev. James Martin notes that LGBTQ Catholics themselves have already reshaped the Church from the pews up, no matter who wears the white cassock next. Listen to the full episode here.
ILGA: Infighting on The Aguda Reinstatement
ILGA Asia has publicly opposed ILGA World’s decision to reinstate The Aguda, its Israeli member, one year after suspending it over a controversial bid to host the 2024 conference in Tel Aviv. In a May 3 statement, ILGA Asia cited unresolved harm, lack of accountability, and militaristic content while asserting its right to dissent within the global federation. Full statement.
US News
SCOTUS Confirms Trans Military Ban
In a rollback of LGBTQ+ rights, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the reinstatement of the transgender military ban, effectively halting new enlistments and initiating the discharge of trans service members (see the analysis in the NY Times). First introduced during Trump’s previous term and now revived, the ban blocks individuals with gender dysphoria from serving, citing "unit cohesion" and "mental health concerns"—language widely criticized by medical and military experts as discriminatory. The move reverses Obama-era policies that had enabled open service and access to gender-affirming care, and sends a chilling message to thousands currently serving with distinction. Coincidentally, I was checking out this week this 13-minute Emmy®-nominated short New York Times op-doc titled "Transgender, at War and in Love."
The NIH Purge Targets LGBTQ+ Health Research
The NY Times reports that the Trump administration has terminated over $800 million in NIH (the National Institutes of Health, which is the nation's medical research agency) research funding, nearly half of it focused on sexual and gender minority populations. The cuts, affecting more than 320 projects, dismantle critical studies on HIV prevention, mental health, cancer, and antibiotic resistance, with termination letters citing misalignment with “agency priorities” and “unscientific” equity objectives. Research institutions nationwide are seeing major programs shuttered from Johns Hopkins to Florida State. At the same time, scientists warn that abrupt halts will endanger lives and reverse progress against diseases disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ communities.
They Are Giving Scott Bessent A Hard Time
This week, Bessent lost the plot, suggesting laid-off federal workers could fill U.S. manufacturing gaps, prompting one analyst to call him “a clown with a serious demeanor.” You might enjoy this clip from the FT asking whether Bessent’s constant blinking is a Morse call for help.
On Tolkien and Peter Thiel
Flagged by a sharp-eyed reader, Lee Konstantinou’s recent Mythic Capital essay traces how Peter Thiel has helped transform J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy into a playbook for America’s ascendant far-right. Thiel, a devoted Lord of the Rings fan, has named his companies Palantir, Valar Ventures, and Mithril Capital after Tolkien lore—casting himself as a maker of powerful tools for elite rulers, not democratic societies. As Konstantinou argues, Thiel and allies like Palmer Luckey and J.D. Vance aren’t misreading Tolkien—they’re weaponizing his mythos to justify a post-democratic national security state built by oligarchs, not elected leaders. Think Middle-earth, but run by defense contractors.
The Gay business
Barclays: Barring Trans Women from Female Bathrooms
Barclays announced it will prohibit trans women from using female restrooms in its UK offices. The decision, confirmed by its overzealous CEO, CS Venkatakrishnan, follows a recent UK Supreme Court ruling that redefines "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act as strictly biological categories. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has echoed this interpretation in interim guidance, though it cautioned against leaving trans people without access to any facilities. Barclays is among the first major corporations to revise policy post-ruling, drawing criticism, especially after the bank scrapped gender and ethnicity targets for US staff, aligning with broader conservative pushback on DEI measures. Read more in The Guardian.
Grindr: An AI Makeover
Grindr announced it is revamping its AI strategy by partnering with Amazon and Anthropic to launch “A-List,” a feature highlighting past connections and summarizing chats to help users pick up where they left off. The goal: make dating easier and more engaging for Grindr’s 14 million monthly users. But behind the tech upgrade lies a quieter risk: Grindr isn’t known for prioritizing user privacy or consent in innovation. As it leans into AI to drive growth and revenue, the question becomes: Who’s watching over the wingman?
Pride: Less Logos? No Problem
This week, The Times asked dramatically, “Is Pride dead?”—reporting that NYC and San Francisco Pride events lost hundreds of thousands in sponsorship, with Mastercard, PepsiCo, Citigroup, and Nissan among the high-profile exits. USA Today suggested that nearly 40% of Fortune 1000 companies are scaling back support, thanks to a toxic mix of Trump-era anti-DEI crackdowns, fear of federal retaliation, and a general retreat from anything rainbow-adjacent. But here’s the truth: Pride doesn’t need your logo. Twin Cities Pride dropped Target after its DEI rollback, crowdfunded more than double its $50K goal, and kept the party going.
Queering the Boardroom
The Association’s Membership Drive
The Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors has launched its membership program, and we’re inviting Founding Members to help shape this historic initiative. At a time when our representation in boardrooms is more urgent than ever, this is more than a membership—it’s a movement. Join as a Founding Member and help us build the future, one seat at the table at a time.
Barry Diller Adds Depth tothe Fortune500 Queer Boardroom Tally
In The New York Times: media titan Barry Diller publicly acknowledged being gay for the first time, reflecting on decades of discretion and his enduring relationship with Diane von Furstenberg. The announcement from his forthcoming memoir, Who Knew, details his early experiences, self-imposed rules, and the emotional cost of silence. As a board member of Expedia Group, IAC Inc., MGM Resorts International, and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Diller’s quiet but powerful visibility adds a significant name to our Fortune 500 LGBTQ+ board tally. 📰 Read the NYT coverage
Key LGBTQ+ Departures
This week, three LGBTQ+ Board Members have left their seat: Holly Neiweem (QuantumXchange), Lorrie Norrington (Ancestry.com), and Sean Howell (Hornet).
The Development Corner
United Nations: What Does the Reform Mean for LGBTQ+ Issues?
A leaked internal UN reform document (see the full memo here) reveals plans for one of the most dramatic restructurings in the organization’s history. If we once hoped the UN might champion LGBTQ+ rights as it did gender equality through UN Women, that hope now looks dim. A leaked reform blueprint reveals sweeping changes, including the absorption of UNAIDS into the WHO and a possible 2030 sunset clause—effectively dismantling one of the few UN bodies with a track record on queer health. The reforms, aimed at cost-cutting and streamlining, would merge UN Women and UNFPA, relocate operations to cheaper hubs like Nairobi, and end high-profile initiatives like COP summits "in their current form." Framed as modernization, the overhaul takes place weeks after the meager Free & Equal team at OHCHR saw its budget slashed by 70. Read more on Pass Blue and Reuters.
HIV: A Preventable Second HIV Pandemic
The UNAIDS announcement comes right when, in a Lancet essay, HIV expert Chris Beyrer warns that the abrupt U.S. freeze on PEPFAR—the world’s most extensive HIV program—could mark the beginning of a second HIV pandemic. A 90-day funding pause under Trump’s administration, paired with deep USAID cuts, has already disrupted treatment for millions and may cause up to 135,000 infant HIV infections and nearly 3 million HIV-related deaths by 2030.
The dark spring of 2025 may well be remembered as the start of the second round of the HIV pandemic.
JICA’s SOGIESC Study
It’s not all bad news in development. Check out the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s landmark report in February 2025 on integrating sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) into international development. The study spans four countries—Pakistan, Thailand, Brazil, and Nepal—mapping inclusion across sectors like financial access, non-formal education, refugee assistance, and anti-trafficking. It’s one of the first government-commissioned development studies to treat queer and intersex people not as footnotes but as central stakeholders in aid strategy. With extensive local interviews and best-practice case studies (from Thai anti-trafficking shelters to trans-inclusive education in Pakistan), the report doesn’t just analyze—it dares to propose.
The semi-cultural desk
What To Watch? The Four Seasons
When I met Colman Domingo, he dropped his usual anecdote about meeting his now-husband Raúl at a Walgreens and connecting with him on missed connections. Domingo now stars in and directs The Four Seasons, a sharply written Netflix dramedy about three long-time couples (played by heavyweights like Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Will Forte, and Kerri Kenney-Silver) who vacation together four times a year—because some people still do that. Adapted from the 1981 Alan Alda film, the series is part hangout comedy, part relationship autopsy, with standout moments like Claude and Danny (played by Marco Calvani and Domingo) navigating illness, intimacy, and emotional wardrobe changes. I watched it on the plane and loved it, even though everyone complains about their partner, which stings a little when I cannot remember having had a date since 2022. Maybe I should hang out more at Walgreens and Airport Lounges?
Where To Hang Out? Airport Lounges
I never catch anything but germs on trips. But, this week, a New York Times story claimed Airport lounges have become unlikely settings for queer romance, with millennials and Gen Z turning these semi-exclusive spaces into backdrops for meet-cutes and mile-high connections. From Philip Tuzynski and Ryan Scheb’s espresso martini proposal at LaGuardia’s Delta Sky Club to Silas Forest’s spontaneous kiss in Miami and Benjamin Schmidt’s fleeting in-flight fling out of San Francisco, gay travelers are discovering a new kind of intimacy in transit. Whether it’s love, flirtation, or a “boyfriend for the day,” the lounge has emerged as the modern queer bar—complete with good lighting, shared status, and an open-ended boarding pass to possibility.
What to read: Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
In How To Spend It this week, Andrew Bolton—head curator of The Met’s Costume Institute and Thom Browne’s husband— recommends Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst—a social comedy exploring gay life in England from the 1960s to the pandemic. I put it in my queue.
Met Gala 2025: Queer Dandyism & a Few Sartorial Crimes
In Autostraddle’s delightfully sharp roundup of this year’s Met Gala looks, Christina Tucker rightly notes that the queers broadly understood the assignment—and honestly, thank heavens someone did. The theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, paid homage to André Leon Talley and the aesthetics of Black dandyism, but gave us every reason to worry that someone would show up in a bedazzled marching band jacket and call it a day. Thankfully, Colman Domingo - accompanied by his Walgreens husband Raúl —was both co-chair and sartorial North Star in Valentino, all sharp pleats and polished joy. Cardi B went full 70s dandy, Janelle Monáe delivered steampunk perfection, and Hunter Schafer continued her campaign to make anything look wearable. There were some slips (Keke Palmer’s leggings, Megan Thee Stallion’s stunning-but-samey silhouette), but overall, this year’s Met felt more ballroom than costume shop—and we are grateful.
At Least Hollywood Remains Pro trans
It’s a meager consolation, but Hollywood is stepping up. Robert De Niro expressed his love and support for his daughter Airy, after she recently shared publicly for the first time that she is transgender. The Daily Mail also wrote about “Pedro Pascal's outspoken LGBT activism”.
The Punishment Of UK Footballer Sam Finley
In what’s believed to be the longest suspension ever issued for anti-gay language in professional sports, English footballer Sam Finley has been handed a 13-match ban after admitting to using a homophobic slur during a match. This marks the third time Finley has faced disciplinary action for abusive language, with previous sanctions in 2016 and 2020. Alongside the suspension, he’s been fined £2,000 and ordered to attend a mandatory in-person education program. His club, Tranmere Rovers, issued a standard-issue condemnation while promising internal handling—a notably restrained response given Finley’s repeat offenses. The punishment signals the FA's tougher stance, though anti-gay chants and abuse remain stubbornly common across English football. Read more here.
Canada Issues Nationwide Warrant in Grindr Hate Crime Case
Authorities in Canada have launched a nationwide manhunt for Thomas Marcoux, 22, who fled a rehab facility where he was court-ordered to stay amid charges related to a series of anti-gay assaults in Sherbrooke, Québec. Marcoux and accomplices allegedly used Grindr to lure two men near a schoolyard last August before violently attacking them. One co-defendant has already been sentenced; Marcoux remains at large after missing multiple court appearances. See in La Tribune.
Coming and Going
Jill Sobule, Queer Music Icon, Dies at 66 in House Fire
Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, best known for her groundbreaking 1995 hit “I Kissed a Girl” and Clueless anthem “Supermodel,” died on May 1 in a tragic house fire in Minnesota at age 66. Sobule, a witty queer trailblazer who never shied from mixing satire with sincerity, was staying with friends who escaped the blaze unaware she hadn’t made it out. A longtime advocate and storyteller, she was preparing to mark the 30th anniversary of her musical F–k 7th Grade. An investigation is underway, and a memorial is planned for later this summer. Read more on the BBC.
Riccardo Tisci Faces Sexual Assault Lawsuit in New York
Fashion designer Riccardo Tisci—known for his work at Burberry and Givenchy—is facing serious allegations in a New York lawsuit. Patrick Cooper claims Tisci drugged him at an East Harlem restaurant last June, then assaulted him at home. The suit cites assault, false imprisonment, and violation of New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law. Tisci has denied all claims, calling them “categorically untrue.” See In Out Magazine.
The Gay Agenda
May 13: J-7 for Ring The Bell for LGBTI Equality
The global financial system still believes in equality. Fifteen of the world’s largest exchanges, including LSEG and Euronext, will ring the bell between May 13 (starting with Toronto) and May 21st in the inaugural Ring the Bell for LGBTI equality event. In the current context, it is a strong signal that the world of finance understands why LGBTI equality matters. The high participation rate also indicates that Pride in the non-US world (see article on Australians skipping DC’s WorldPride) might be bigger than ever this year.
June 2nd: Outright’s gala
As Pride month draws near, it’s officially gayla season—and few soirées shine brighter than Outright International’s Celebration of Courage awards. On June 2, the Chelsea Piers in New York City will mark 35 years of Outright’s tireless advocacy. Hosted by Karamo Brown, the evening honors trailblazers like GenderDynamiX (South Africa) and Deutsche Bank. 👉 Join Outright’s Celebration of Courage
Well, that’s it for this week. I must nap to adjust to the time difference for the rest of the week. I hope you had a chance to reflect on my Sunday piece calling for a global democratic LGBTQ+ government. I was not even kidding. After all, what is a nation?
A nation is a soul, a spiritual principle. It is the result of a long past of efforts, sacrifices, and devotion… A nation is a large-scale solidarity, constituted by the feeling of sacrifices that one has made in the past and those that one is prepared to make in the future.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any organizations, institutions, or individuals mentioned.
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