Hi, I’m Mey Rude and I’m here with your new Out newsletter! I’ve been covering queer pop culture as a writer for over a decade now, and at Out for four years.
As a lesbian and a trans woman, queer culture is my whole life. Growing up in Idaho in the 90’s, seeing queer and trans people in TV and movies and in other media changed my life and allowed me to see a future for myself for the first time. I don’t know where I’d be without Paris is Burning, Santana Lopez on Glee, and the trans women who went on MTV reality shows in 2008-2009.
Now, I live in the heart of Hollywood with my gorgeous fiancée Daisy, where we love to go to concerts, go out dancing, and see all the queer movies and musicals we can!
This newsletter is going to deliver all of the week’s most important pop culture news stories right to your inbox, as well as a bunch of fun, gay, and informational content to help you make it through these tough times.
Every week we’ll have three installments of the newsletter, each bringing you unique and interesting content that helps you keep up with queer culture and also get to know the Out team. So strap in and welcome to the Out Newsletter!
This week, the Out team attended the Independent Spirit Awards, covered a tragic murder in Australia, and talked about who would be the top and who would be the bottom in an Iceman/Hercules couple. We also interviewed Survivor and The Traitors star Parvati Shallow about her experience on the shows and what it's like dating comedian Mae Martin.
We also featured a great essay from Lamar Dawson exploring how Beyoncé's new album Act II is a return to the Black roots of the country genre! Check it out!
In the mood? This ultimate gay sex playlist will help you spice things up
Universal Music Australia; Columbia Records; Atlantic Records
Meet Chantis Parks, the NYC-based gay photographer whose work celebrates queer joy & pleasure
Courtesy of Chantis Parks
After the 'Monica' campaign, Trace Lysette doesn't view awards season the same
Photo by Kayla Oaddams/WireImage
Joel Kim Booster on all those jokes about getting mixed up with Bowen Yang: 'Elevate the bit, honey'
Photo by Kayla Oaddams/WireImage via Getty Images
Bodies discovered in search for murdered Australian TV presenter Jesse Baird & boyfriend
Instagram (@lukebrycedavies)
Fun Gay Things We Did This Week
Out.com editor Raffy Ermac attended the Independent Spirit Awards where he interviewed stars like Joel Kim Booster and the beautiful Trace Lysette!
raffy ermac
And I went with my fiancée to get cute Valentine's tattoos from Neto Valasco in LA!
Neto Velasco
Gayest Song of the Week
We like Kim. We like sluts. We like dumb songs. One thing we never really liked? A Cockblocker! Thank you to Kim Petras for this empowering message to all sluts. Her Slut Pop EP is one of the greatest musical projects of the 21st century, and on Slut Pop Miami, she returns to the genre she mastered. “Cockblocker” might be the dumbest, most fun song Petras has ever released, and we are living for it!
Comment of the Week
Over on Facebook, Samuel Stronguy Da Silva Penha commented on our story about Hercules and Iceman, saying that “If you think 'bout the powers, HerculASS is the real bottom, OVERPOWER BOTTOM!” Amen!
If you want your comment to be featured in a future installment, make sure to follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, Threads, and Instagram!
I watched the Kid Rock Turning Point USA halftime show so you don't have to
Opinion: "I have no problem with lip syncing, but you'd think the side that hates drag queens so much would have a little more shame about it," writes Ryan Adamczeski.