Metro Weekly

D.C. Council Moves to Guarantee PrEP and PEP Coverage Zachary Parker’s bill blocks insurers from limiting coverage to a single HIV prevention drug and protects access to PrEP and PEP.

Led by Councilmember Zachary Parker, D.C. lawmakers moved to guarantee insurance coverage for PrEP and PEP, blocking insurer limits on HIV prevention drugs.

Study: Trans Women Have No Fitness Edge Over Cis Women An analysis of 52 studies finds that after transitioning, trans women’s fitness levels are comparable to those of cisgender women.

A review of 52 studies found transgender women showed no measurable differences in strength or cardiovascular fitness compared to cisgender women after hormone therapy, undermining claims of an athletic advantage.
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Plastic Surgeons Walk Back Support for Trans Youth Surgery The American Society of Plastic Surgeons urges delaying surgery until adulthood, as the American Medical Association signals a cautious shift.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is urging delays on surgery for trans youth, marking a shift in its guidance.

9 Atlantis Gay Cruise Passengers Arrested on Drug Charges The accused were arrested while waiting to board a ship in Miami after Customs and Border Protection agents flagged their luggage.

Nine passengers were arrested on drug charges while waiting to board an Atlantis gay cruise in Miami after Customs and Border Protection agents flagged their luggage.

Uganda Court Dismisses First "Aggravated Homosexuality" Case The defendant, jailed since August 2023, suffered a mental breakdown after lengthy detention, prompting a magistrate to dismiss the case.

A Ugandan court has dismissed the country’s first prosecution for “aggravated homosexuality” after the defendant suffered a mental breakdown following lengthy pretrial detention.

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors Is Campy Fun at Constellation Constellation Theatre Company’s boisterous spoof of Bram Stoker’s gothic classic leans into parody, sex jokes, and era-mashing silliness.

Campy, horny, and unapologetically silly — Constellation’s Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors delivers laughs, even if it doesn’t always go for the jugular. ★★★☆☆

D.C. agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed by a gay corrections officer who alleged years of harassment and retaliation inside the city’s jail system.
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The Moment, a mockumentary inspired by Brat Summer, turns Charli XCX’s pop-culture takeover into a joke — just not a particularly sharp one. ★★☆☆☆
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Erik Bottcher won a Manhattan state Senate special election on Tuesday, capturing more than 90% of the vote in the West Side district.
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Campaign to End Gay Marriage Misuses Obama Quote The Greater Than campaign uses a quote to falsely suggest the former president supports its effort to overturn marriage equality.

A campaign to end gay marriage misuses a Barack Obama quote to falsely suggest his support.

Capital Pride Alliance Expands Board With 13 New Members The organization says the expanded board will help advance year-round programming, equity efforts, and community partnerships.

Capital Pride Alliance is expanding its leadership, adding 13 new board members to support Pride365 programming, community partnerships, and one of the nation’s largest Pride celebrations.

Grindr will disable its location feature and boost privacy protections for users inside the Olympic Village during the 2026 Winter Games, citing safety risks for LGBTQ athletes.
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Nintendo Adds Nonbinary and LGBTQ Options to Tomodachi Life Players can soon choose gender identity and dating preferences for their Miis in the long-running social simulation game.

Nintendo is updating Tomodachi Life to let players choose gender identity and LGBTQ dating options for their Miis. After years of pushback, the social sim is finally catching up.

Russian Man Fined for Posting Photo of Queen Members in Drag Russian judges said sharing a Queen drag photo on social media "destroyed family values" and violated the country’s anti-LGBTQ law.

A Russian court ruled that a still from Queen’s "I Want to Break Free" video qualifies as "LGBT propaganda," fining a man who shared the image on social media.

Kansas Lawmakers Pass Anti-Trans Bill With Restroom Ban The measure restricts restroom access for transgender people and requires state IDs to reflect sex assigned at birth.

Kansas lawmakers passed a sweeping anti-trans bill with a restroom ban. All eyes now turn to Gov. Laura Kelly and a potential veto fight.

A New York jury awarded $2 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit brought by a detransitioner, finding doctors failed to meet standards of care when approving surgery for a minor.
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Winter Games Reach Record High for Out LGBTQ Athletes The Milan Games will feature 34 out women and 10 out men, the highest total of openly LGBTQ competitors in Winter Olympics history.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature a record 44 out LGBTQ athletes — including 34 women and 10 men — the highest total in Winter Games history.

We found some pics from 1996 in our archives. Can you guess who they are?

Photos: Randy Shulman

"I drove at the women because I saw them kissing and they were lesbians and I wanted to kill them."

A Colorado man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for trying to kill a lesbian couple in a hate-motivated attack.
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USA Hockey Restricts Transgender Access to Certain Programs The new eligibility policy bars transgender athletes from sex-specific leagues, including adult recreational and "beer" hockey programs.

USA Hockey has adopted new eligibility rules restricting transgender athletes from sex-specific leagues — including adult “beer” leagues.

47 Right-Wing Groups Unite to Overturn Marriage Equality The coalition seeks to reverse the Supreme Court’s Obergefell ruling by reframing marriage around children’s rights.

47 right-wing groups have united behind a campaign to overturn marriage equality, targeting the Supreme Court’s Obergefell ruling and attacking LGBTQ families in the name of “children’s rights.”

Pitchers’ Dave Perruzza on Selling, Survival, and What’s Next In a candid interview, Perruzza breaks down the financial realities behind the potential sale of Pitchers and A League of Her Own.

What’s really behind the potential sale of Pitchers? Owner Dave Perruzza speaks candidly about selling, survival, and the future.

Heated Rivalry Becomes a Hit in Russia Despite Anti-LGBTQ Laws Despite a decade-long crackdown on LGBTQ “propaganda,” episodes of the gay romance series “Heated Rivalry” are finding an audience in Russia.

The gay romance series Heated Rivalry is finding an enthusiastic audience — in anti-LGBTQ Russia!

Paranormal Activity Is All Scares, No Substance Impressive stagecraft and jump scares can’t make up for Levi Holloway’s thin story and underwritten characters.

Paranormal Activity is "a paper-thin story about a couple who are about as interesting as a pair of Hydro Flasks bouncing around in a backpack," writes critic Kate Wingfield in her 2-star review of the play, now playing at The Shakespeare Theatre.

At Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, Community Was the Main Event Infinite expressions of leather, kink, and cosplay lit up D.C. during a packed Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend 2026.

Infinite expressions of leather, kink, and cosplay lit up D.C. during a packed Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend 2026, where community, connection, and belonging took center stage.

Trevor Project Video Spotlights Conversion Therapy Survivors A new episode of the Trevor Project’s Sharing Space series centers LGBTQ people who endured conversion therapy.

A new Trevor Project video centers LGBTQ survivors of conversion therapy, sharing firsthand accounts of a practice widely condemned by medical experts.

Sam Raimi Turns Survival Horror Into Gory Fun in Send Help Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien anchor a gleefully bloody island thriller where Raimi’s kinetic style does the heavy lifting.

In Send Help, Sam Raimi leans into speed, gore, and punchlines, while Rachel McAdams barrels through the chaos like a force of nature. André Hereford reviews.

Studio Theatre’s Octet Has Eight Voices and No Story Arc Dave Malloy’s a cappella chamber musical delivers striking harmonies but never develops into an engaging drama.

Dave Malloy’s Octet is impeccably sung, but dramatically inert. The a cappella confessions accumulate without momentum or payoff. André Hereford reviews Studio's production.

Peaches Goes Bananas Captures an Electroclash Original Marie Losier’s documentary Peaches Goes Bananas follows the artist through performance, provocation, and personal evolution.

The documentary Peaches Goes Bananas is less a career retrospective than a loose, affectionate hangout with an artist who’s never stopped pushing at the edges of performance, sex, and self-mythology. André Hereford reviews.

Win Tickets to Paranormal Activity Enter to win a pair of tickets to Paranormal Activity at The Shakespeare Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

We're giving away tickets to Paranormal Activity at The Shakespeare Theatre. Enter for a chance to win!