Photos of Pride parades across the world
Pride parades were held across the world on weekend during Pride month.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pink Dot returns to Singapore's Hong Lim Park with call for inclusion and hope for future generations
SINGAPORE, June 29 — Thousands gathered at Hong Lim Park in Singapore yesterday for the 17th edition of Pink Dot, celebrating LGBTQ love and pushing for greater inclusion in Singapore society. Despite an afternoon downpour, the weather cleared just in time for the rally. Under the theme 'Different Stories, Same Love', attendees picnicked, caught up with friends, and shared stories of progress and continuing challenges. This is the third Pink Dot since the repeal of Section 377A in 2022. Among those present were PAP MPs Alex Yeo and Ng Shi Xuan. Yeo told Channel News Asia (CNA) he was 'very happy' to be at the rally to engage with the LGBTQ community, adding: 'They are part of the Singaporean community, very important part of our community... And so therefore we are very happy to be here.' Ng said the event had helped 'create more awareness surrounding topics of inclusivity'. Workers' Party MPs Louis Chua and He Ting Ru also attended but declined media interviews. Many attendees spoke of feeling safer and more welcome in recent years. Ann, who attended for the fourth time, said, 'I know a lot of people who exist very separately from issues that are happening in the queer community. Showing up just helps people remember that there is a community here.' Meanwhile, Benjamin Lee, who has been with his male partner for 25 years, added: 'We had to be more prudent 25 years ago, but we're more open now.' Some brought their children to show support. Gladys, who came with her husband and son, said: 'I always believed in freedom to love and to show support towards friends and family. These are the lessons I want to teach my son.' Others acknowledged that societal attitudes are still catching up. 'I think Singapore is still conservative. It still takes time for the older generation to get used to us,' said Diana. 'The inertia, the resistance, is a normal state of mind. But if you close yourself up from the onset, the only person who loses out is you.' A key feature this year was a time capsule containing nearly 70 personal items from the LGBTQ community — to be opened in 2050. Organisers hope it will inspire future generations. 'She is the hope,' said Cally Cheung of her daughter, whom she is raising with her wife, Ching Sia. 'Just looking at her and thinking about how we are raising her, she is the hope for us.' As the crowd lit up the park with pink lights to end the night, Pink Dot spokesman Clement Tan reminded those present. 'Pink Dot here exists today because we can prove that what was impossible is possible... 'We long for a future in which our relationships with one another are validated and recognised and celebrated,' he reportedly said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘Let's Get Sexy': Cardi B Hits LadyLand Stage After Surprise Guest Scarlet Envy Brings the Drama
While the wider worlds of pop and hip-hop may not have realized it when it was announced earlier this week, the name of Cardi B's long awaited sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, is suspiciously close to a viral quote from Scarlet Envy's time on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season six. But for the predominantly (if not close to exclusively) LGBTQ revelers at Brooklyn's annual LadyLand Festival, 'am I the drama?' is queer meme canon. So when Scarlet Envy emerged onstage at 1:35 a.m. on Friday night (technically Saturday morning, but who's counting) to introduce Cardi's headlining set, absolutely everyone knew why she was there. More from Billboard How LadyLand, the Scrappy Festival That Could, Is Shaping Queer Culture & Live Music In NYC Olivia Rodrigo & Ed Sheeran Perform 'The A Team' in Surprise London Duet Rihanna & A$AP Rocky Walk the Blue Carpet at 'Smurfs' Movie Premiere in Brussels 'Happy Pride, New York City!' Scarlet shouted, prowling the stage in a shimmering red outfit and gigantic wig. 'I'm here every single year — it's good to be on the stage this year, bitch. My name is Scarlet Envy: I'm the drama,' she said to cheers and finger snaps. 'I'm blessed to introduce this performer to you. She's an icon, she a legend and she's a hometown hero.' 'Who's tucking today?' Cardi B yelled at the LadyLand crowd as she rolled up on stage in a black-and-white horizontal-striped jumper. 'I'm an old bitch,' she joked. 'I have like 100 kids, I'm ready for bed.' What happened next was not the handiwork of someone with one foot in slumberland: Cardi led the eager crowd through a breathless tour of her biggest hits, despite the growing rain. 'Let's get sexy y'all!' Cardi shouted at the top of her set, perhaps needlessly – the LadyLand attendees, who had been gathering, gyrating, kiki-ing and flirting for hours, were way ahead of her, singing along and shaking ass the moment her tiny frame emerged on the fest's Fist Stage. (For those interested, 'Fist and Resist' keychains were available at the merch table.) Flanked by two giant inflatable fists with nails even longer than hers, Cardi B delivered hits like 'She Bad,' 'Money' and her new single, the Offset-eviscerating 'Outside,' with the effortless fervor and personality-drenched flow that catapulted her to fame. 'Imma spill some tea, get ready for the tour,' the five-time Billboard Hot 100 topper promised the audience of what was to come. Four of those five chart toppers ('WAP,' 'Bodak Yellow,' 'I Like It,' 'Up') were accounted for during her show. Despite the persistent rain that gathered strength throughout Cardi's set, the audience remained undaunted and rapt; after all, it's not every day you get to see a hip-hop superstar perform under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (LadyLand has called Greenpoint's Under the K Bridge Park home since 2023). Prior to Cardi B's headlining set, Ladyfag, the LadyLand founder and a driving force in NYC nightlife, told the crowd about her history with the Bronx-raised rapper. 'It's a full circle moment for me and Cardi,' she explained: back in 2017, before Cardi ascended to mainstream success with 'Bodak Yellow,' she performed up at Holy Mountain, LadyFag's legendary NYC monthly throwdown. 'She got very excited about being with the gays,' Ladyfag recently told Billboard of that February 2017 party. 'She was only supposed to do a few songs, but she wouldn't stop. Within a few months, she became one of the biggest stars in the world — and she always remembered it.' That connection and warmth was obvious on Friday night, with Cardi blowing past her bedtime to give the gays, the dolls and everyone else an experience beyond what any other NYC festival provides. Saturday (June 28) is the second and last night of LadyLand 2025, with FKA Twigs headlining and performances from Pabllo Vittar, Boris, Eartheater, VTSS, Isabella Lovestory and Kevin Aviance. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Proud to be gay': K-pop star on coming out to the world
Bain was halfway through his band's Los Angeles concert on a crisp April night when the music stopped. In an oversized fur coat and black sunglasses, the 24-year-old K-pop star told thousands of fans: "Before I start the next song - I want to share something with you guys." A brief pause and then: "I'm [expletive] proud to be part of the LGBTQ community!" The crowd erupted in applause and screams as Bain broke into Lady Gaga's pride anthem: "Just put your paws up, 'Cause you were born this way, baby". In that moment, as he came out to the world, he was not nervous, he tells the BBC in an interview at his studio in Seoul - rather, he had been trying to "sound cool". A handful of K-pop artists have come out as gay in recent years - but none as publicly as Bain. Even in 2025, that is a bold move in South Korea's entertainment industry, where stars are held to impossible standards. Admitting to even a heterosexual relationship is scandalous. "There were some people in the industry who knew [I was thinking of coming out] and warned me against it, saying it would be a risk," Bain says. "And of course I thought about the risk - that we might lose fans. "But then I thought, society is changing… I might gain more than I might lose." That's the big question: has he thrown open the door to change in an industry that has become global but remains deeply rooted in a conservative South Korea? Bain, whose real name is Song Byeonghee, says he was in secondary school, about 12 years old, when he realised he was gay. Shortly afterwards, he decided to become a K-pop trainee but he kept his sexuality a secret - he felt like being gay was "not allowed". "It wasn't something I questioned… I just thought I had no choice," he says. "There was no-one else [around me that was gay]. I thought I could just pretend and keep going." Wealthy, modern South Korea is still traditional in many ways. Powerful yet conservative churches often see homosexuality as a disability or sin. And same-sex marriage is not legally recognised. In 2021, Bain made his debut as part of a six-member boyband, Just B. They have released several albums and have taken part in reality shows, earning a dedicated audience. But through it all, the years of hiding a part of himself took a toll on Bain. "I was so overwhelmed, I thought maybe I can't be an idol at all. I felt I'd been hiding so much. I decided to talk to Mom." That was about three years ago. His mother was the first person in his family to find out: "We talked for an hour, and I finally said, 'I like men more than women.' That's when she knew." Her reaction was difficult for him. "Honestly, she didn't like it - not at first. She said she thought I could overcome it, that maybe I'd someday like women. She felt sad... that I'd now face bad reactions from others. But [she] said, 'You're my son, so I love you, I support you, I love you.' It was mixed. I was sad, but in the end grateful she said she loves me." Then his team members and company began encouraging him to take the leap - and tell the world. Earlier this year the band began a world tour, and on the last stop of their US tour, Bain decided to come out on stage. Since then, the band has been thrust into the spotlight - with Bain giving countless interviews as he quickly became the new face of the Korean LGBTQ community. "I feel like I've changed a lot since coming out. I feel more confident. When I meet someone new, I show who I am immediately," he says. "But I also feel sad that my identity is such a big deal now." Over time, he hopes, people will stop saying "oh, he's gay, but rather, oh, that's just who he is". When South Korean actor Hong Seok-Cheon came out as gay in 2000, LGBTQ representation truly entered the country's mainstream. He was the first Korean celebrity to open up about his sexuality - and it came at a cost. He was dropped from TV shows and advertisements. Attitudes have certainly changed since then. A Pew survey from 2019 showed that the number of people who accepted homosexuality has risen to 44% from 25% in 2002. And yet, only a handful of other celebrities have come out. In 2018, Holland became the country's first openly gay K-pop artist and, in 2020, Jiae, a former member of girl group Wassup, came out as bisexual. Both have said they found it hard to sign with a record label as a result. Bain's announcement, however, has been celebrated by both fans and South Korea's LGBTQ community. "When someone like an idol comes out, it gives people like me a sense that we are not alone," says a 26-year-old Korean transgender woman, who does not want to be named. "It brings comfort…makes me think, maybe I'm ok the way I am." Online too, a majority of the comments have been positive. One gay fan in a YouTube comment wrote how he was encouraged by Bain, after feeling "so much despair" over "the hateful comments" and discrimination. "But thanks to Bain, I've found the courage to keep going." International fans have especially cheered him on: "After the initial shock, I started to cry," said Lia, a K-pop fan from the US who identifies as lesbian. "Knowing that Korea still has some repression against LGBTQ people, the bravery and courage he displayed by coming out…[was] admirable." South Korea's cultural footprint has been growing globally, and that has brought fans from everywhere, with their own perspectives and beliefs. They may well reshape the K-pop industry. But that will take time. And that is evident in the range of comments in response to Bain's announcement - disapproval to apathy. For one, the country has seen a rise in right-wing, often avowed anti-feminist beliefs in young men, who seem to oppose any challenge to traditional gender roles. And those roles remain strong in South Korea. The government and the church champion conventional family values, encouraging young people to marry and have children so they can boost birth rates, currently the lowest in the world. Given all that, it may not be a surprise that homosexuality is still a taboo, even in a global industry like K-pop. This is a world where even straight couples don't talk about their private lives, says critic Lim Hee-yun. "K-pop has spent nearly 25 years avoiding the topic of sexuality [altogether]. Even heterosexual relationships are hidden to protect fan fantasies." Bain, he adds, has "challenged that silence in a symbolic and powerful way. I believe it marks a major moment". But he believes fans may have reacted very differently - "it might have been explosive" - if a member of a global boyband had come out as gay. "Bain's case was significant, but his group isn't as famous [so] it didn't cause as much stir domestically," Mr Lim says. Bain has certainly helped raise awareness, he agrees. "It's a slow process but we're seeing more public figures speaking up or content being created around these LGBTQ issues." But any immediate change in K-pop or the entertainment industry is unlikely, according to him. "It's not just a social issue - it's a market issue. Male idols usually have a much larger female fanbase… [and] if you find out your favourite male idol is gay, that can shatter the illusion that you could one day be the object of his affection," said Min Yong-Jun, a pop culture columnist. "So if they do [come out] they risk shaking the foundation their fandom is built on." Bain, however, says his decision would be worth it if even "one person in K-pop gains strength or interest" from it. "I've spent so long pretending… I realised that because I came out, others felt safe to do so too." The day he came out, he recalls, several fans approached him, saying they were gay or lesbian, talking about their own identity. "They thanked me and I thought to myself 'I should have done this sooner'." How jealous K-pop super fans try to dictate their idols' private lives 'She said I don't need a son like you' BTS is back - but K-pop has changed How a North Korean went from begging to K-pop
