Top Stories
A street in Virginia’s capital is now named for the woman behind one of America’s oldest lesbian bars
For almost 50 years, Vicky Hester embedded herself in the Virginia LGBTQ+community through her philanthropy and by running Babes of Carytown, one of the country’s oldest lesbian bars. Now, Richmond City Council officials are cementing her legacy, voting Monday to rename the street next to the business Hester operated “for those who needed acceptance” as “Vicky Hester Way.” Hester, who died in September 2025 at 71, opened Babes of Carytown in 1987 in the Carytown neighborhood of Virginia’s capital as a steakhouse, but it soon became a gathering spot for lesbians and eventually the LGBTQ+ community. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ […]
New York Times exec shot dead alleged in-laws were abusive because he was trans
A transgender New York Times games executive shot dead in California claimed his in-laws abused him because he was trans. Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a California car park, on Saturday afternoon, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, McKinsey’s parents-in-law, were arrested at the scene. Witnesses told KGO-TV in San Francisco they heard a flurry of gunshots before seeing the victim on the ground. “I saw the guy drop to the floor: head bloody and chest bloody,” witness Assad Razawi said. His daughter added that her father saw the couple “walking […]
Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ bar under fire for allowing blackface drag performance
An LGBTQ+ bar in Pittsburgh has come under fire after a performer went on stage in blackface during its open stage event. Blue Moon Bar hosts open stage events weekly, inviting local artists to perform for bar patrons. Last week, posts began circulating on social media of a drag participant performing in blackface during the September 23 showcase. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. “How this person was even allowed to step on stage wearing this is beyond me,” Pittsburgh drag artist Pineapple Honeydew wrote on Instagram. “This is actual disgusting, […]
Local News
Ongoing Events to Fight Trump’s Reign of Terror
SATURDAYS SUNDAYS WEDNESDAYS THURSDAYS FRIDAYS Find descriptions, addresses, registration links and additional events on the complete PJC calendar.
Arts & Entertainment
“Slave Play” Opens September 25 at The Left Edge Theatre
What happens when the past refuses to stay in the past?At the MacGregor Plantation, the old South lives on, in the cotton fields, in the master’s house, and in the complicated relationship between fear, desire, race, gender, and power. In SLAVE PLAY, acclaimed playwright Jeremy O. Harris rips open the history we think we know and brings it into conversation with 21st-century America. Provocative, explosive, and unflinching, this daring play challenges audiences to confront the ways race, gender, sexuality, and power continue to shape our lives. SLAVE PLAY has been recognized with the Rosa Parks Playwriting Award, Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, Lotos […]
Friday, September 25 @7 pm/Sunday Sept. 27 @ 3 pm : Acorn MusEcology Project: ‘The Earth Says’ at Occidental Center for the Arts
Friday, September 25 @7 pm/Sunday Sept. 27 @ 3 pm : Acorn MusEcology Project: ‘The Earth Says’ at Occidental Center for the Arts. Directed by Sarah Dupre, Acorn MusEcology Project is proud to present the Northern California premiere of Alex Berko’s Sacred Place, an immersive exploration of ecological spirituality set to the words of Wendell Berry, John Muir, William Stafford, and Rabindranath Tagore. Acorn’s 27-voice ensemble will be joined by violin, cello, and piano to offer up this song cycle of reverential texts within a richly-layered soundscape. Additional original music by co-directors Sarah Dupre and Robin Eschner includes a new setting of poetry by […]
State News
Gavin Newsom moves to shield California transgender patient records from federal scrutiny
California is adding new medical privacy protections for LGBTQ+ adults facing federal subpoenas and expanding access to injectable medicines for HIVprevention. That is thanks to a spate of six new bills passed by the Democratic-led state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday. Newsom said he signed the bills to strengthen LGBTQ+ rights in the state amid a federal crackdown on such protections. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. “The Trump administration has launched an all-out assault on the LGBTQ community, using medical records […]
MAGA Rages Over Republican CA Gov Candidate’s “Lesbian Lovers” Ad Titled “Just Try It, California”
A provocative, sexually suggestive ad by GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is drawing heat from his fellow Republicans while drawing millions of viewers online. Two young women sit on a bed, with an LGBTQ+ flag in the background, with one urging the other to try a new experience. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” one woman says, and the other replies. “Don’t be nervous. It’s not that bad … Just try it. Look, give me your hand. Close your eyes, and I’ll do all the work.” She leads the hesitant woman’s hand to mark her ballot for Hilton rather than […]
