Emily Maskell

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Gay ice hockey player Luke Prokop on being the sport’s representation and game-changing impact of Heated Rivalry

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“I’m not known as Luke Prokop the hockey player, I’m Luke Prokop the gay hockey player.” That sentiment is voiced by, you guessed it, Luke Prokop in The Hockey Player, a documentary charting the 24-year-old’s journey to-date in professional ice hockey. Prokop made history as the first openly gay player under contract with an NHL (National Hockey League) team when he came out in 2021. However, that’s just the start of his story. The ‘gay ice hockey player’ is a label Prokop has carried for five years, with varying degrees of attachment. “It was associated with me everywhere I went, and I almost viewed it as a […]

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Charles Barkley says people who think there isn’t ‘a bunch of gay players’ in all elite sports are ‘stupid’

Former NBA player Charles Barkley has called out “homophobic society” as he weighed in on the dialogue around publicly out, gay professional sports players. Appearing on NBA Tip-Off, Barkley spoke about the death of NBA player Jason Collins. Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, died on Tuesday (12 May) aged 47. Barkley referred to Collins as a “trailblazer” as he paid his respects to the late player. When the 63-year-old played, Barkley was nicknamed ‘Sir Charles’ for his prowess on the court. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and became one of the NBA’s best rebounders and scorers.   Referring to Collins as an openly gay athlete, […]

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Darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven forced to retire by trans ban

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A new ruling from the world of darts means that Noa-Lynn van Leuven, the first trans darts player to qualify for the World Championships, has been forced into “retirement.” The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA), which governs the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), has banned trans women from competing in its women’s events with immediate effect. This follows the World Darts Federation (WDF) banning trans women from women’s competitions in 2025. ‘I respected the sport every game and every single day’ Posting on Instagram, Van Leuven shared: “I just got an email. Apparently, I just got retired. Not by choice, but because I am no longer allowed to compete. […]

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Connor Ives and MAC team up to re-release the iconic ‘Protect The Dolls’ t-shirt

The ‘Protect The Dolls’ tee became an overnight fashion sensation, with A-listers from Pedro Pascal to Charli XCX proudly wearing the top.  Now, fashion designer Connor Ives and Mac Cosmetics have teamed up to re-release the beloved ‘Protect the Dolls’ shirt. Ives debuted the t-shirt as he took a bow at his Fall/Winter 2025 show at London Fashion Week. Due to high demand, the t-shirt was put on sale, with all proceeds going to Trans Lifeline, a peer support and crisis hotline supporting trans people in the United States and Canada. The new campaign re-established support for the ‘dolls’, the term an informal descriptor for trans women or transfeminine non-binary people. […]

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Will Smith sued by male tour violinist over sexual harassment

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Actor and rapper Will Smith is reportedly being sued by a male tour violinist over accusations of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation. Musician Brian King Joseph, part of Smith’s Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour, claims Smith exhibited “predatory behaviour.” He also alleges Smith was “deliberately grooming and priming” him for “further sexual exploitation”. Smith, 57, is best known as part of a hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff, as well as starring in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Men in Black.  Joseph names Smith and Treyball Studios Management as defendants in the suit, as reported by Variety. He is pursuing them for […]

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Who is Judge Dianne Hensley and why is she trying to overturn same-sex marriage in the US?

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Judge Dianne Hensley has filed a lawsuit asking courts to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, in the latest attack on gay marriage in the US. Judge Hensley filed the lawsuit on Friday (19 December), according to The Texas Tribune. The document asks for an overturn of Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that established same-sex marriage nationwide. The lawsuit continues the ongoing legal dispute between Hensley and the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, an independent Texas state agency responsible for investigating allegations of judicial misconduct. This all began when Hensley wanted to be allowed to perform marriages for opposite-sex couples, but not same-sex couples. […]

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The New York Mets went all out for Pride Night 2025, and homophobes are – predictably – furious

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New York Mets fans have praised the iconic baseball team’s celebration of Pride Month, flying the Progress Pride flag during the national anthem and spotlighting a gay kiss on the jumbotron. On Friday (13 June), the Major League Baseball (MLB) game between the Mets and the Tampa Bay Rays became a showcase of LGBTQ+ acceptance and joy, marking the Mets’ ninth annual Pride Night celebration. As per the Mets website, Pride Night is “one night each year when Citi Field swaps blue and orange for the entire rainbow!” Despite losing the game (9-0), the Mets pleased many fans with their full volume support of LGBTQ+ rights. A couple […]

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Is this finally the end for X? Users flee Elon Musk’s chaotic platform for Bluesky – but what is it?

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Users of Elon Musk‘s X/Twitter are looking for a new social media platform on which to connect and share their thoughts – and Bluesky might be the answer.  Bluesky has been the talk of the internet for some time now, and last week it became the top free app in the Apple App Store in the UK, as users looked for an alternative to Musk’s platform where LGBTQ+ hate appears free to continue unabated. Having launched in 2022, Bluesky has been steadily gaining numbers, especially in the wake of the recent US presidential election and with Musk co-leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. This month, […]

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Several professional footballers are planning to come out as gay in a few weeks, report says

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Recent reports are claiming that several professional footballers plan to come out as gay on 17 May. German newspaper Preußische Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that numerous national players plan to come out before the end of the Bundesliga, the professional football league in Germany. 17 May marks the International Day Against Homophobia. The German outlet has quoted Marcus Urban as a source. Urban is a former footballer in Germany who came out after retiring. He was the second player worldwide to come out, only after British player Justin Fashanu in 1990. Fashanu was the only prominent player in pro English football to come out, until Jake Daniels in 2022.  Urban is […]

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Jeff Bezos’ ex MacKenzie Scott donates millions to ‘vital’ LGBTQ+ nonprofits, infuriating bigots

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Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has recently donated millions of dollars to charities, including multiple LGBTQ+ nonprofits, across the US: a move that has angered right-wing bigots. The billionaire philanthropist and author announced on Tuesday (19 March) that she plans to give $640 million to more than 360 organisations. The 53-year-old novelist – who was married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (one of the richest people in the world) for 26 years – is reportedly giving most of thoe $640 million in new charitable donations to “leftist” non-profits pushing what the right-wing press are angrily describing as “extreme left-wing causes.” 15 of these organisations directly support the LGBTQ+ community. An additional 82 nonprofits […]

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