Hello from our self-isolation island!

The COVID-19 virus may have disrupted some of our usual operations, but we’re back at it and ready to get y’all the content none of you asked for!

Janelle Monae (ThatGrapeJuice.Net) — Janelle Monae (*ThatGrapeJuice.Net)*

1. Janelle Monae will headline NYC Pride! Janelle has been the Queen of Queer for quite some time now, so it’s exciting to see her celebrated. Her masterpiece Dirty Computer has set the stage for what is sure to be an incredible event. The date is set for June 27th, but with all the delays due to the Coronavirus it wouldn’t be a surprise if that date is postponed.

Thao Nguyen (Shane McCauley) — Thao Nguyen (*Shane McCauley*)

2. Thao and the Get Down Stay Down dropped a new single/announced their new album Temple and we wrote about it/made you a playlist! I won’t say much because you really should read our other article. Did I mention we already wrote about this? Check her out if you’re not already familiar.

3. Big bummer: the UK has ruled that its citizens cannot define themselves as gender-neutral on their passports. Honestly, it’s super weird that this is still an issue because, like, pictures exist? They’re right there on the… nevermind. Disappointing news to be sure, but hopefully this case raises awareness to this issue and more people will understand how arbitrary and discriminatory it is.

4. Huge news alert: It’s looking increasingly likely that there is a cure to HIV! Adam Castillejo chose to reveal his identity last week in order to become “an ambassador of hope” for the HIV positive community. The research is pretty complex, but the easy to understand version is that bone marrow is transferred from a donor with a mutation that makes it hard for the virus to take hold. Hopefully we can expect more development going forward!

The New Mutants (20 Century Studios) — The New Mutants *(20 Century Studios)*

5. Arya Stark is gay now. No but for real, Maisie Williams is definitely having herself a gay moment in the upcoming X Men film, The New Mutants. We’ll see how it ultimately all shakes out, but as it stands now this is the first mega budget film to feature an openly queer storyline. Supposedly first gay superhero love story between two main characters? Can’t wait to find out!

6. This one is close to our hearts: Queer Eye is heading to Austin! Whitnee and I met, fell in love and married in Austin, so it will always hold a special place in our hearts. With that said, I will admit that the good people of Austin can really use some help. There’s a reason their slogan is “Keep Austin Weird.” We can only hope that JVN and crew will do our capital justice, and that for the love of god, we can stop talking about how Austin has great tacos. Because spoiler alert, those are not good tacos. If you want something real, head (at least) 75 miles south. We’ll meet you at Taqueria Datapoint for some legit al pastor anytime.