Chicopee holds annual Pride Flag-raising supporting LGBTQ+ community
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – It's Pride Month, and local and state officials are showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Springfield holds fourth annual Pride Parade
A pride flag-raising was held in downtown Chicopee Friday afternoon. The LGBTQ+ community says Pride Month brings visibility, and the city of Chicopee has done just that by raising the pride flag each year since 2016.
'We're proud and we're thankful that we live in a city, and a state, a Commonwealth, that is as protected as it is,' said Ray Hoess-Brooks of Chicopee.
Chicopee is hosting its Pride Festival on Saturday at Szot Park at noon. More Pride events will be held in western Mass. throughout the month and can be found here.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Drag Race's Naysha Lopez claps back at Violet Chachki & Gottmik's Roscoe's shade
for The London Edition;(L-R) Violet Chachki and Gottmik at an intimate Pride dinner at The London Edition's Penthouse in support of the Pink Noise Foundation in London, England; Naysha Lopez at the grand premiere event of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 8 in New York City. RuPaul's Drag Race superstars Violet Chachki and Gottmik released a spicy new episode of No Gorge, their joint podcast, on Thursday, June 26. While the two drag artists explore various topics on this new episode, certain negative remarks from the episode are making the rounds within the Drag Race fandom and queendom. For instance, this new No Gorge episode features Violet bringing up different tangents related to her season 7 costars like Trixie Mattel, Katya, and Ginger Minj. Meanwhile, Gottmik gets candid about her Snatch Game-winning impersonation of Paris Hilton. There's also a surprising (and random) mention of Roscoe's Tavern — a prominent queer venue in Chicago that's been a staple of the LGBTQ+ community since 1987 — that comes up in the No Gorge episode. After catching wind of the comments made by Violet and Gottmik about Roscoe's, Naysha Lopez made space in the All Stars 10 episode 9 viewing party live-stream to defend the venue and clap back at the comments made on No Gorge. Here's our full breakdown and timeline explaining this new drama. New episodes of are released every Friday on . Quotes always make more sense when they're presented with some context, so let's unpack the polarizing quotes from Violet and Gottmik in their latest episode of No Gorge — which was titled "We Have an Announcement… and We're Losing Our Minds." It all starts with Gottmik warning fans that the Snatch Game-winning impersonation of Paris Hilton will be sunsetting in the near future. "We're filming this pod and then I'm going to the airport. I'm going to be Paris Hilton for a month," Gottmik says on No Gorge. "You guys, this is the last time. I cannot do this anymore. That was years ago." For context, Gottmik is referencing the Snatch Game Live on Tour by ITD Events, which starts this Wednesday, July 2 at the Llewellyn Hall in Australia. The tour will also feature Drag Race stars like Hannah Conda (as Liza Minnelli), Jimbo (as Shirley Temple), Jujubee (as Eartha Kitt), Pythia (as Zeus), Tia Kofi (as Anne Boleyn), and Trinity The Tuck (as Caitlyn Jenner). Drag Race Down Under judge Rhys Nicholson will be hosting the event. "I literally texted our manager today and I was like, 'What the fuck Rick and Morty-ass timeline happened that I'm a professional Paris Hilton impersonator?'" Gottmik notes, jokingly. "That is so embarrassing." Violet replies, "The Drag Race thing, I fear, is going to haunt us for the rest of our lives." Paramount+/ Ginger Minj in promo image for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10; art made by Violet explains, "I got my haircut today…That's like my one little self-care thing. [But] it's June. I'm ran through. It's Pride Month, so I got to do my self-care moment…My barber's like, 'So have you been watching the latest season?' And I'm like… [Violet makes a face]." The Drag Race season 7 winner clarifies, "I love my barber. He's a gay bear. But…it's been 11 fucking years [since season 7], and because there's drama going on now on the show—" "What is the drama?" Gottmik asks. Violet says, "The drama is about Ginger [Minj]. I can't even… I'm so annoyed." "I saw," Gottmik replies. "Vanjie actually sent me a clip of it the other day, and I was so scared because I was like, 'Why did she send that to me?' Because she never sends me Drag Race stuff. I was like, 'Oh my god, am I like mentioned? Was Denali going off on Roscoe's or something?'" - YouTube After realizing that the clip from Roscoe's Tavern has nothing to do with either of the No Gorge cohosts, Violet starts discussing Roscoe's itself. "Girl, Roscoe's is like…" Violet starts, laughing. "I can't, I can't, I can't," she adds. While Gottmik appears to be avoiding that conversation, the season 13 finalist and All Stars 9 contestant circles back to that discourse right away. "I mean, that actually needs to be studied," Mik observes. "Some of these girls are ready to risk it all—" "Risk it all to sit on a fucking patio chair at some fucking bar," Violet argues. The No Gorge cohosts speak over each other during the next few seconds, but Violet alleges that queens accept these invitations even though "the bar is monetizing boots" on the tea they're spilling through the Roscoe's viewing parties live-streams. Gottmik adds, "And doesn't pay them to monetize…It's wild." Violet repeats, "The bar is monetizing boots on y'all basically spilling the tea. Get a podcast, girl. Why are you letting them monetize all the tea?" "No, it's so crazy to me," Gottmik comments. "Stop doing that," Violet adds. Gottmik circles back to the argument that queens "are ready to risk it all" by taking these viewing party gigs at Roscoe's. "Literally stop risking your careers for Roscoe's," the season 13 star declares before bursting out laughing. "Stop risking your careers for Roscoe's," Violet agrees. "We should make t-shirts." They both laugh again. Logo TV RuPaul's Drag Race season 7 winner Violet Chachki. Violet rationalizes that she's "catching strays" from All Stars 10 because her social media algorithm is showing her "Drag Race stuff about Ginger." Violet continues, "And people are basically tagging me — or I'm seeing stuff — saying that I shouldn't have won [season 7] 10 or 11 years ago, and that she [Ginger] should've won." Even though Violet seems annoyed by the algorithm showing her more "Drag Race stuff," Gottmik hilariously interrupts Violet to ask if Ginger was on her original season. (And yes, she was. That season's top 3 finale was between Ginger Minj, Pearl, and Violet Chachki. In the end, Violet was crowned America's Next Drag Superstar.) "And now people think Ginger should've have won your season?" Gottmik asks. Violet replies," Yes, instead of being on Drag Race 17 times." Gottmik asks "who else" was in the top 3 of season 7. Violet reminds Gottmik that it was Pearl, and they briefly reference the "Is there something on my face?" moment between Pearl and RuPaul in the Werk Room. "Also, Trixie and Katya are doing a Ru-watch of season 7," Violet brings up. "They wanted me to [be a part of it]." However, the crowned queen of season 7 explains why she feels that the invitation from Trixie and Katya was "so weird." "They had their assistant send me a DM asking me if I would send them a voice [recording]," Violet says. "It was like, 'What the fuck?' You guys, call me. You have my fucking phone." Violet adds, "Having your assistant reach out when you're friends with somebody is so like… 'Who do you think you are, girl?' Text me!" "No, they do it all the time," Gottmik responds. "I think they're probably forced, against their will." Violet says, "It's so weird. I would never have my assistant or producer reach out to someone I consider a friend. It's so weird. Anyways…" This portion of the No Gorge episode ends with Violet complaining that she "cannot escape" the ongoing Drag Race discourse. She muses, "Am I going to be like 50 fucking years old, and will I have to get plastic surgery to change how I look, [because] I just want to get my haircut?" Toward the end of this Roscoe's Tavern viewing party covering All Stars 10 episode 9 — which featured Alyssa Hunter and Kween Kong as special guests and took place just one day after this latest episode of No Gorge was released on YouTube — Naysha Lopez declares that she's been given "the green light to express my mind." "All jokes aside, I've been calling them Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and I can really go in…[But] I won't do that. I'm talking about Violet and Gottmik, two of the nicest queens from RuPaul's Drag Race," Naysha starts. "They have a podcast. They do a thing. Blah blah blah, whatever. And they were saying that they don't understand why queens risk their entire careers and come on Roscoe's and, you know, give the tea, and this and that, and blah blah blah." The former Miss Continental winner and All Stars 8 star continues, "Two things: When they come here… First off, this is one of the best places you could ever work. Ever. Every single queen that works here is treated like the queen that they are. The implication that they're coming here and we're just making money off them… Baby, every single one of these people up here is getting a check. Every single person is getting paid." "For someone to say, 'Why would you risk your career giving the tea?'" Naysha adds. "Correct me if I'm wrong on the numbers, but I'm gonna say about 90, 95 percent of the girls that have ever been on Drag Race come through this stage, and not one career has been ruined. Not one. And this goes for every single person that says I talk too much… Because yes, I do." Alyssa Hunter & Kween Kong - Roscoe's RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 Viewing Party! (VIP Edition) Naysha goes on, "But if you notice, whenever I interject or start talking about something, it's because they… [Naysha points to Alyssa and Kween to illustrate the point that queens starring in ongoing seasons are likely limited within the scope of what they can and cannot say.] When we have girls up there, I tell them what they can't say, and how they should word it: Their opinions, their feelings." "I've been on the show. I've read the contract. I know what you can and cannot do," she argues. "We're aware of it. You are not at risk for losing your career. On the contrary, we're giving you a platform to be yourself, to tell your side. And if the show did not highlight who you are as a person, I'm glad that for 2 hours and 30 minutes, you can do it right here." As the audience claps, cohost Batty Davis says that many queens have gotten redemption from the fandom by appearing on Roscoe's. "No one is here because they're forced to," Naysha points out. "Every single girl from that last season, it has now become, 'I got on Drag Race. When do I go to Roscoe's?' It's a thing." "No disrespect to Violet and her little minion… At all," Naysha concludes. "But when you're gonna say little things like this: Mean what you say, and say what you mean. Don't imply, because that's just lying." "And not to mention… Have we had them on this stage?" Naysha asks. Batty responds that yes, they have. Naysha adds, "Yes, we have. They've been through Roscoe's. They know what's up." - YouTube Violet and Gottmik were featured in a Roscoe's Tavern viewing party live-stream from May 28, 2022. That evening, cohosts Naysha and Batty, along with special guests Violet and Gottmik, watched episode 3 of All Stars 7, a.k.a. the all-winners season. Within the first 15 minutes of the live-stream, Naysha pointedly asked Violet and Gottmik about the response they had been receiving from fans as the two special cohosts of Fashion Photo RuView for the all-winners season of Drag Race. In case you don't remember: From the very first episode of that Fashion Photo RuView season, Violet and Gottmik received tons of scrutiny for negatively critiquing certain outfits worn by fan-favorite contestants. The fan response was particularly intense when Violet shared negative opinions about a look from Raja. On that particular Roscoe's viewing party live-stream, Violet and Gottmik got to speak their minds and share their side of the story even though they had already launched their joint No Gorge podcast at the time. Nonetheless, their statements at Roscoe's made the rounds on social media and helped diffuse the incredibly unfair — but very intense — wave of negativity they had been receiving for just expressing their opinions on runway looks. Editor's note: As of this writing, none of the queens mentioned in this story have shared additional comments about this situation. drops new episodes every Friday on . - YouTube This article originally appeared on Out: 'Drag Race's Naysha Lopez claps back at Violet Chachki & Gottmik's Roscoe's shade
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
LGBTQ Pride 2025 Celeb Photos: Megan Stalter, Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp
LGBTQ Pride Month kicked off in Los Angeles with WeHo Pride. The weekend festivities, which ran May 31-June 1, included the Outloud Music Festival with performances by Maren Morris, Lizzo, Paris Hilton, Kim Petras, Rebecca Black and Frankie Grande. More from Variety Charlize Theron Fears 'Millions of Going to Die' Because of Foreign Aid Cuts Katy O'Brian Says Sydney Sweeney 'Didn't Care' About Getting Hurt During Fight Scenes in Christy Martin Biopic: 'She Was Like, "If You Break My Nose, That's Fine"' Emma Stone on Working With Joaquin Phoenix in 'Eddington' and That Viral Bee Incident With Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler at Cannes The Pride Parade featured Cara Delevingne as the Guardian Icon with additional icons Nava Mau, former NFL player Chris Kluwe and 'Love on the Spectrum' star Pari Kim also making appearances. Coming up the following weekend, in Washington, D.C., is World Pride taking place June 6 and 7. Grand marshals of the parade are Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp and Deacon Maccubbin, who organized the first Pride event in Washington, D.C. in 1975. The music lineup includes performances by Jennifer Lopez, Cynthia Erivo, RuPaul, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras, Tinashe, Zedd and more. Here, Variety gives you a look at the best celebrity Pride photos of 2025. Keep checking back throughout the month of June for all the updates. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: All 118 Categories Updated as Voting Opens With Tight Races and Major Shakeups 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Grand marshal and former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rides in the 2025 New York City Pride March on June 29. Reality TV personality Melissa Gorga attends the Melissa Gorga Celebrates Pride With Sprinkle Cookies event on June 28 in New York City. Grand marshal Marti Gould Cummings rides in the 2025 New York City Pride March on June 29. Lana Ja'Rae performs during One Story. One Future: GLAAD Celebrates Pride 2025 at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on June 26 in New York City. GLAAD's Tony Morrison and reality TV personality Meredith Marks attend One Story. One Future: GLAAD Celebrates Pride 2025 at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis speaks during One Story. One Future: GLAAD Celebrates Pride 2025. Olivia Lux makes a hair-raising appearance at One Story. One Future: GLAAD Celebrates Pride 2025. Luxx Noir London shoulders on at One Story. One Future: GLAAD Celebrates Pride 2025. Jennifer Welch, Jess King and Angie Sullivan make some musica at One Story. One Future: GLAAD Celebrates Pride 2025. Peloton instructor Matty Maggiacomo and Frankie Grande join New York Road Runners and Front Runners New York for the 44th LGBT Pride Run in Central Park on June 28. Andy Cohen hangs with friends at the Boom Pride Party at the Boom Boom Room in New York City. Harvey Guillén stands up for his hometown of Altadena at Hyperion LA's 2nd Annual Pride Night Out in Los Angeles. 'Mid-Century Modern' star Nathan Lee Graham attends Queerty's Pride 50 Celebration at PHD Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown on June 16 in New York City. Broadway and television starRaúl Esparza attends Queerty's Pride 50 Celebration at PHD Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown on June 16 in New York City. Vanguard Grand Marshals Jessica Betts and Niecy Nash participate in the 2025 LA Pride Parade in Los Angeles. Frankie Grande is giving body at the Outloud Music Festival at The Stage at Suffolk Downs in Boston. Rebecca Black strikes a pose at the Outloud Music Festival at The Stage at Suffolk Downs in Boston. Trixie Mattel gives glamour realness at the Outloud Music Festival at The Stage at Suffolk Downs in Boston. Paris Hilton performs at World Pride in Washington, D.C. Lana JaRae, Jewels Sparkles, Suzie Toot, Onya Nurve, Sam Star and Lexi Love attend the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Official FYC Event at Skybar in the Mondrian Los Angeles on June 6 in Los Angeles. Megan Stalter gets her flowers at The Critics Choice Association 2nd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television at the Fairmont Century Plaza on June 6 in Los Angeles. Liv Hewson and Bowen Yang attend The Critics Choice Association's 2nd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television at the Fairmont Century Plaza on June 6 in Los Angeles. Reneé Rapp waves as her vehicle makes its way along the parade route during the WorldPride 2025 Celebrations on June 7 in Washington, D.C. Laverne Cox rides in the World Pride parade on June 7 in Washington, D.C. Violet Chachki attends the Tax Magazine party at Sunset at the Edition in West Hollywood. Michael Kors and Bette Midler hit the carpet at the 11th annual Fashion Centered dinner, where the designer and his husband Lance Le Pere were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, in New York City. The evening raised more than $350,000 for the city's LGBT Community Center. Lourdes Leon poses at the Fashion Centered dinner in New York City. Sarah McBride speaks at the Fashion Centered dinner in New York City. Tony-winner J. Harrison Ghee performs at Fashion Centered. Fashion personaity Nicky Campbell attends the Fashion Centered dinner. 'Somebody Somewhere' actor and host of the upcoming reality competition show 'King of Drag' Murray Hill speaks on stage with singer Mila Jam at The Stonewall Inn gives Back Initiative's Pride kickoff at The Stonewall Inn in New York City. Megan Hilty has it in bag at the '2025 Out & The Advocate Pride Cover Party: Pride of Broadway' hosted by equal pride in New York City. And just like that Cynthia Nixon walks the red carpet at the '2025 Out & The Advocate Pride Cover Party: Pride of Broadway' hosted by equal pride in New York City. Lea Salonga speaks at the '2025 Out & The Advocate Pride Cover Party: Pride of Broadway' hosted by equal pride in New York City. Peppermint and Sam Champion appear onstage at Peppermint and Sam Champion at the '2025 Out & The Advocate Pride Cover Party: Pride of Broadway' hosted by equal pride in New York City. Conrad Ricamora is vest in show at the '2025 Out & The Advocate Pride Cover Party: Pride of Broadway' hosted by equal pride in New York City. Kim Petras performs with a boot on her foot during WeHo Pride's Outloud Music Festival. Lizzo performs at the Outloud Music Festival in West Hollywood. Cara Delevingne has a playful moment while riding in the WeHo Pride Parade in West Hollywood. Frankie Grande is all marked up during his performance at WeHo Pride's Outloud Music Festival. Queen Herby strikes a pose at WeHo Pride's Outoud Music Festival. Rebecca Black gets into a hairy situation at the Outloud Music Fesitval. Outloud Music Festival performer Maren Morris is visited backstage by Ashlee Simpson. Paris Hilton performs in a sea of hot pink at the Outloud Music Festival during WeHo Pride. 'M3GAN 2.0' dancers entertain the crowds at the Weho Pride Parade. Reality television star Chrishell Stause rides on the Guess float in the WeHo Pride Parade. Cara Delevingne receives a key to West Hollywood from West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers at the WeHo Pride Icons Award Ceremony. 'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Shea Couleé performs at the LGBTQ party Bath & Body at Virgin Hotels Nashville to kick off Music City Pride Month festivities.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Fast and Furious' Brian O'Conner to return in final film, Vin Diesel says
Brain O'Conner, the cop-turned-outlaw played by the late Paul Walker, will return for the final Fast and Furious movie, franchise star Vin Diesel said Saturday at the Fuel Fast event in Los Angeles. In a short speech that's made the rounds on social media, Diesel said that, when asked by Universal Studios to lock in a release date of April 20, 2027, for the Fast and Furious finale, he responded with three conditions. One was a return to Los Angeles, the second was a return to the street racing that was the focus of the first film. "The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O'Conner," Diesel said, referring to his own character Dominic Toretto. "That is what you are going to get in the finale." Walker starred opposite Diesel in the first six Fast and Furious movies before he was killed in a car crash on November 30, 2013. Filming of Furious 7 was already underway at that time, so things were changed to write O'Conner out of the franchise. That included a final scene in which Walker's brother Cody stepped in as O'Conner, with digital effects to make the switch less obvious. Cody Walker stood next to Diesel during the announcement, along with Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the franchise. Diesel didn't elaborate on how the production team would accomplish his wish list, but digital effects to change an actor's appearance, including superimposing the likenesses of dead actors onto living ones, has only become more common since the release of Furious 7. So it's not difficult to imagine Brian O'Conner making his return this way. The upcoming movie will be the 11th in the main Fast and Furious storyline, not including the 2019 spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Expected to be Called Fast X Part Two (as it picks up on the storyline from 2023's Fast X) its scheduled release date will be 26 years after the 2001 release of The Fast and the Furious. That's an impressive record for any movie franchise, and explains the eagerness to bring back Brian O'Conner for one last ride. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
