August delivered a little bit of everything—art, travel, sports, and Hollywood flair. LGBTQ Nation celebrated poets you’ll want on your radar, GayCities broke down where queer travelers can explore with confidence, Outsports covered a groundbreaking first in Major League Baseball, and Queerty dusted off a cult classic with one of cinema’s queer heroes at the center.
LGBTQ Nation – 11 gay poets you need to know about
Poetry has long been used as an avenue for self-expression, and in this case, an exploration of one’s sexuality. What makes these gay poets famous isn’t just their contributions to the literary world, but also their raw expression of gay love. From lesbian modernist icons like Gertrude Stein to modern gay male poets like Ocean Vuong, this list covers the literary icons you absolutely need on your shelf.
Looking to expand your LGBT reading repertoire? Take a look at some of our favorite gay poets in history.
GayCities – These are the countries experts say are safest for gay travelers
A new study has drawn up an LGBTQ risk map for queer travelers heading abroad.
The listing was composed by A3M Global Monitoring for the recent ITB Berlin travel trade show.
A3M states that although it created the risk map based largely on the legal situation in each country, legislation only tells part of the story. It also interviewed some local LGBTQ organizations and travel experts to ask about the social acceptance of queer people. It notes, “No country is homogenous and there are differences in attitudes towards LGBTQ+ varying in rural areas and cities.
Outsports – Jen Pawol officially becomes MLB’s first female umpire with her game
It’s an old axiom among baseball umpires that you did your job right if no one remembers you.
But when Jen Pawol stepped onto Atlanta’s Truist Field to become the first woman to umpire an MLB game, she made history by turning that saying on its ear.
Queerty – This rediscovered cult classic stars one of Hollywood’s queer heroes
Bisexual Rebel Without a Cause star Sal Mineo was stabbed to death at the age of 37, leaving a hefty cinematic legacy in his wake. The youthful-faced Hollywood player mesmerized audiences with his vulnerability and naturalistic acting chops, and despite his comparatively short time in the spotlight, he left behind several film performances that continue to astound queer viewers to this day.