TL;DR
- Trump’s Pride celebration features shirtless fighters.
- Military members must meet strict fitness standards.
- John Casey questions Trump’s LGBTQ stance.
- Event raises eyebrows about Trump’s true beliefs.
- Could this be a shift in Trump’s approach?
Hello again folks, Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez back on this Thursday. And if you read the subject line, you’re probably wanting some answers — as does John Casey, who has been covering Donald Trump for The Advocate since 2019. “In that time, one thing has become unmistakably, almost comically clear: Donald Trump loves a beautiful man,” Casey writes in his latest opinion piece.
Casey takes us inside the numerous (sus) comments Trump has made, though to be clear (and avoid a lawsuit), the president felt the need to announce at a Board of Peace meeting (of all places) this year: “Women, I like. Men, no, I don’t have any interest,” apparently in response to the growing cultural conversation about his “aesthetic sensibilities,” as Casey puts it.
But what really catches the attention of Casey (and mine now) is the details surrounding the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House lawn on June 14. Not only are there going to be, well, half-dressed, oiled-up fighters in attendance (who may or may not mention Harley-Davidson!), but they’ll be joined by 1,200 military members that the Pentagon issued memos “specifying that ticket recipients must meet a waist-to-height ratio standard of less than 0.55, as well as all service-specific physical fitness requirements,” Casey reports.
“So here’s what Trump has constructed for his Pride celebration, even if he’d never call it that: shirtless, grappling men; muscled troops chosen for their bodies; a guest list assembled like a gay porn casting call. All of it presided over by a man who wears more makeup than Bob the Drag Queen.” Only the best for this prez!
Maybe he’s turning a corner on Pride after someone told him about this latest new poll from GLAAD? If so, can we offer a different song (other than the YMCA) for your Pride 80th birthday celebration, Mr. President?
In a surprising twist, WeHo Pride has decided to replace Grand Marshal Icon Kathy Hilton with nobody after backlash. Meanwhile, the festivities kick off with a wonderfully queer art show, courtesy of I. It’s a time for celebration, but also a time for reflection on the complexities of LGBTQ representation in politics.