Euphoria’s doing Euphoria things, the Winter Olympics are just around the corner and Oscar season is on the horizon! Things are heating up in the pop culture space as we head out of January and into February.
It can be a lot to keep up with. But thankfully “The Buzz” is here to round up the hottest queer and trans pop culture happens across the interwebs each week.
This week, we’re finally joining the chorus obsessed with Encanto, remembering SOPHIE and catching up with Cara Delevingne’s latest exploits. Here’s what you missed in queer pop culture.
→Disney’s latest film, Encanto, has absolutely blown up over the past month for it’s earwormy bops and heartwarming story; the film’s soundtrack remains at the top of the charts, and we’re all still talking about Bruno.
And while noted bisexual queen Stephanie Beatriz plays the film’s protagonist, Maribel, it’s her strong butch sister Luisa that has rightfully become a target of internet queer thirst.
It turns out Luisa is played by my (and your) new favourite queer actress, Jessica Darrow. The 27-year-old breakout star was profiled in Out this week.
“I really was not expecting all of this to go as crazy as it has… It’s something that also resonates with me deeply, and is now resonating with so many other people, which is insane!” Darrow told Out.
Darrow has nodded to her queerness in cheeky fashion on TikTok.
In the interview with Out, Darrow spoke about the importance of characters like Luisa for queer women.
“I think what feels most relatable is, honestly, the softness that Luisa has, and the fact that she doesn’t talk about herself, about her romantic life, or anything else for that matter,” Darrow told Out. “And I feel like a lot of women, and especially queer women, were actually relating with that story specifically.”
We have to stan a strong queen, both on and off screen!
→Speaking of Disney, the House of Mouse gave Minnie Mouse a makeover with a “progressive” blue pantsuit, and it’s giving very “bridesmaid at a tacky lesbian wedding.”
→HBO is threatening the world with another season of And Just Like That, so prepare yourself for more of Che Diaz to come.
→Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski is set to appear in Jim Parsons’ new drama, Spoiler Alert. No word yet on if he’ll incorporate his signature avocado toast into the role.
→Fans, artists, musicians and the LGBTQ2S+ community mourned SOPHIE this week on the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking artist’s tragic death.
Artist Tess Scilipoti reflected on SOPHIE, grief and trans anger in a moving comic shared to social media.
→Amy Schneider’s reign has come to an end. The trans trailblazer and 40(!)-time Jeopardy! champ ended her historic streak on Wednesday, making her the second-ranked player of all-time and the winningest woman in Jeopardy! history.
In a blog post for the show, she reflected on how competing in the spotlight helped her own journey of self-acceptance.
“People actually believe me when I say who I am,” she wrote. “They don’t think there’s something wrong with me. And because of that, for maybe the first time in my life, I’m starting to think there really isn’t anything wrong with me either.”
But this won’t be the last we see of Schneider—she’s set to return for the Tournament of Champions later this year.
→This Euphoria behind-the-scenes pic has me wishing for a butch Zendaya yesterday.
→New gay penguins just dropped!
→Meet Alysia Yeoh, the first trans character in a DC Comics movie. Ivory Aquino is set to play Yeoh, the roommate and friend of Batgirl in a new film for HBO Max.
→No matter how much the world changes in 2022, some things will always remain the same, like Cara Delevingne kissing women in public. Most recently, the vagina-tunnel owner was spotted kissing friend Sienna Miller in New York this week. Good for them!
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