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Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who's still together from 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love' season 2? See which couples toughed it out (and who called it quits)
The Ultimatum: Queer Love centers on couples at a crossroads, pairing them with trial spouses in order to test their current bonds. Season 2 ended with five out of the season's six couples getting engaged. Not all of those engagements lasted, continues to expand its reality TV universe, with The Ultimatum franchise returning for another searing test of love and commitment. In season 2 of The Ultimatum: Queer Love, six queer couples are each stuck at a crossroads. One partner is ready to say "I do," while the other has cold feet. To figure out what (and possibly who) they truly want, the couples agree to a trial marriage… but with someone else. All season 2 episodes are now streaming and, in a surprising twist, five out of the six couples decided to take the leap and get engaged in the finale. This is a rare win for reality dating shows, where heartbreak often reigns. But is that still the case? What's changed in the year since filming wrapped? Read on to find out which The Ultimatum: Queer Love season 2 couples are still together and which ones went their separate ways. Status: Engaged At the reunion, AJ and Britney revealed that they're still happily engaged. AJ described being engaged as "awesome," sharing that her and Britney's love has only grown stronger over time. Britney added that their relationship feels different now (in a good way). "I feel like we've developed a sense where we're just more in tune with each other, more attentive to each other, and everything that we both learned during our Ultimatum experience, we've been applying it to our real lives," she explained. AJ also gave credit to Marita, saying she wouldn't be sitting on that couch with "the love of [her] life" without her trial spouse's guidance. (For context, AJ was hesitant to marry Britney because she worried she'd always come second to Britney's business, but Marita helped her realize that Britney would always choose AJ, no matter what.) AJ also revealed she upgraded her ring game, replacing the original rock from Ultimatum Day with a more elegant, gleaming one because, well, the first "wasn't what it needed to be." While they haven't set a wedding date yet, the couple is thinking about having a destination wedding. In the meantime, AJ and Britney continue to spend time with Dayna, Magan, and Marita. Status: No longer together It was Ashley who issued the ultimatum to Marita, but by season's end, it was Ashley who wasn't ready for the next step. On decision day, she ended things with Marita. As of the reunion, they're still separated. During the reunion, Marita opened up about being 'heartbroken" over their split, and added that she felt Ashley was "still kind of just using me" after the show. Related: The 22 best reality shows on Netflix, from Love Is Blind to The Circle Ashley clarified that they never reconciled after filming, explaining that Marita was upset because they didn't leave the show engaged. Tensions flared as Marita and Ashley argued and discussed each other's infidelity. Marita said she hates Ashley, and when Ashley mentioned her grandmother was dying, Marita said she didn't care due to Ashley's alleged indifference when Marita's grandfather died. Ashley walked off the stage in tears, and Mel rushed to comfort her. Britney hugged Marita. When Ashley returned, Marita immediately apologized. When asked about the possibility of reconciliation, Ashley seemed hopeful, but Marita insisted it's "going to take time, given how we ended." Status: No longer together Mel and Marie got engaged during the finale, but the couple was kaput by the time of the reunion. When asked about her relationship with Marie, Mel responded with a smile, saying, "'With Marie' is nonexistent. Period." So, what happened? Marie admitted she ended things with Mel a few months after The Ultimatum: Queer Love wrapped filming. "I started trying to do things a little bit more individual. I kind of set boundaries a little bit more," she shared. "I know the person who I said yes to was very hesitant on many different reasons." Marie added that their food truck business is now solely Mel's, which she believes "will do well." The reunion also sparked discussion about Mel's trial marriage with Dayna, as the two grew very close during their time together, something that seems to have triggered Marie. Marie brought up their kiss and suggested that Mel and Dayna's bond went beyond that. Some of the other cast members hinted at an alleged "sex playlist." Status: Engaged At the reunion, Bridget and Kyle announced they're still engaged and living together. Bridget said things are "great" with Kyle, clarifying, "I think I was hesitant just because things were so good, and I didn't want to mess up a good thing. ... I felt like we waited until we were desperate to live together, and I think that's how it should be." Reflecting on their time living together, Kyle said, "We're both pretty type B." Bridget jumped in, "We're very similar [and] kind of a mess." Kyle's even cooking for Bridget, which is something Pilar, her trial wife, taught her. Bridget stated, "Every Sunday, we switch off. One of us cooks, we reconnect, talk about the week." Related: Perfect Match season 3 cast: See which Bachelor and Love Island alums are joining Netflix's all-star dating competition Speaking to how their relationship has changed since getting engaged, Kyle said, "I think our love is deeper in a way because we've had to navigate new challenges." Bridget also explained her change of heart, saying she didn't understand marriage before, but once she realized it was important to the person she loves, she fully embraced it. Finally, we got a pre-recorded message from Kyle's mom, Chris, where she expressed gratitude for Bridget being in Kyle's life. She even quoted a Wicked song, saying Kyle's "changed for good" thanks to Bridget. Status: Engaged Haley and Pilar are still engaged. At the reunion, Haley divulged, "I told Pilar once we left... She was dying to get a ring on her finger also, and so I told her within the next year I would make sure that I made it a priority to get down on one knee — and I did it less than a month later." Although they haven't locked down a wedding date yet, the couple did think about eloping. "That just kind of comes down to the place and the world that we're living in right now," she clarified. "I just kind of can't wait to have that kind of security." Pilar also dished about telling her parents about the engagement. It wasn't an easy conversation, but she said it's "led to doors being opened that I never thought would be opened." She added, "I don't know what the wedding is going to look like exactly, but for the first time, I feel so free and happy and just, like... our love is enough and I don't need anything more than that." Magan chimed in, sharing her own experience of coming out to her family. She encouraged Pilar to keep being true to herself and reminded her that "anyone would be blessed to be around you.' Status: Engaged Last but not least, Dayna and Magan are also still engaged. At the reunion, an adorable photo montage appeared across the screen, showing their love story continuing after The Ultimatum: Queer Love ended. They aren't sure when they'll get married. Dayna said they're taking their time and want to be sure that everyone in their lives, especially their families, feels comfortable with their relationship. That said, Magan spoke up about her parents, sharing that Dayna and her mom are finally starting to understand each other. Magan started to tear up when she revealed that Dayna "came around for Thanksgiving last year," adding, "I never really brought anyone home for Thanksgiving before, so it was nice. It was really cool." Now, they are looking ahead and planning for their parents to meet soon. The Ultimatum: Queer Love is now available to stream on the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Fast Company
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Why Target's Pride merch feels so bad
In the last 12 months, Target has publicly walked back its long-held DEI commitments, faced a weeks-long boycott from customers, and become one of several corporations that diminished its annual support for NYC Pride. But when June 1 rolled around, the company still trotted out its annual collection of Pride-inspired, rainbow-adorned merch—and, for a number of reasons, it's not landing well with queer customers. This year's collection includes a series of apparel printed with slogans like 'Authentically Me' and 'Glowing with Pride,' rainbow-hued cat and dog doys, and, oddly enough, a couple of Pride-themed collectible bird figurines. Since the merch debuted, customers have been quick to notice an issue: Several of the items' labels are printed with 'lorem ipsum' filler copy. 'Target's pathetic 2025 Pride collection has arrived,' one Reddit post on the subject reads. According to a spokesperson, Target is aware of the error, which it says originated with a vendor, and is working to address the issue. But for many customers, this labeling oversight feels like both a symptom and a symbol of larger issues at Target. For years, the company has turned Pride Month into a full-on branding extravaganza, releasing entire collections in stores and showing up as a sponsor at Pride parades across the country. In a series of events starting in 2023, though, Target has capitulated to rising conservative pressure, dialing back its Pride merch, ending its DEI commitments, and, this year, retreating from Pride parade sponsorship. Taken together, these factors make Target's 2025 Pride collection feel, at best, like a desperate bid to save face, and, at worst, like an attempt to cash in on a community that it's too afraid to support outside of store walls. Target's retreat from Pride Target first launched pride products in 2015, and largely continued to expand its Pride-based inventory in the years following, openly doubling down on its support for the queer community during a bout of transphobic backlash in 2017. However, starting in 2023, the brand's approach to Pride has been in flux. In May of 2023, CEO Brian Cornell told Fortune's Leadership Next podcast that the company's DEI efforts had 'fueled much of our growth over the last nine years.' Mere weeks later, though, Target removed some items from its annual Pride collection after receiving an influx of conservative pushback, and even threats to its employees, over the items. The waters have been increasingly muddy for Target's Pride efforts ever since. In 2024, the company scaled back its Pride Month sections from all stores to only select locations and online. Then, this January, as companies across the country stepped back from DEI initiatives under the Trump administration, Target announced a series of its own concessions. The brand shared it was 'concluding' certain goals and initiatives tied to racial equity in hiring, no longer participating in external surveys from the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization the Human Rights Campaign, and renaming its 'supplier diversity' team to 'supplier engagement', shifting its focus away from explicitly courting brands with diverse ownership. To many loyal customers, this announcement felt like a betrayal, especially given that Target had previously been more vocal than its corporate peers on DEI initiatives—and that the company has profited annually on Pride Month. This sparked a boycott of the brand that caused foot traffic to drop and share prices to plummet. In the aftermath, the Twin Cities pride parade announced that it would no longer accept Target as a sponsor. And, according to NYC Pride spokesperson Kevin Kilbride, Target was one of several brands that either backed out, reduced its contribution, or asked for its involvement to go unpublicized in the event. Target's retreat from Pride is part of a larger trend this year of corporations choosing not to renew their sponsorship; a pattern that's left many queer consumers wondering if corporate support was always just 'rainbow washing,' or an attempt to signal affinity with LGBTQ+ customers merely to profit off of them. 'The [queer] community has been completely abandoned by a number of major companies, across a lot of brand categories,' Joanna Schwartz, a professor at Georgia College & State University with a specialty in LGBTQ+ marketing, told Fast Company in May. 'The current prevailing wind is out of a far more conservative place, and companies are trying not to make anyone mad, but the companies that were really trying to make an easy buck off of the community were the first ones to leave.' 'Now they're trying to keep getting our money, while denying our humanity' Now that Pride Month has officially arrived, Target is left in a sticky situation. The company is attempting to walk a tightrope between avoiding a conservative outcry for its Pride merch while also striving not to alienate LGBTQ+ customers (who, according to a 2023 study by the investment adviser LGBT Capital, hold an estimated $3.9 trillion in global purchasing power). This year, Target's Pride collection looks fairly similar to last year's and is, once again, only available in some locations. In a statement to Fast Company, a spokesperson shared, 'We are absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone—our team members, our guests, our supply partners, and the more than 2,000 communities we're proud to serve. As we have for many years, we will continue to mark Pride Month by offering an assortment of celebratory products, hosting internal programming to support our incredible team and sponsoring local events in neighborhoods across the country.' Regardless of its intentions, Target's Pride merch is coming off decidedly hollow for queer customers this year, given its backtracking from the community at large. 'Whenever it's time to profit off Pride, Target rolls out the rainbows,' one X user wrote. 'But when it comes time to actually stand with the queer community? Crickets. Your Pride merch means nothing without a spine.' On Reddit, users under a post regarding the unfinished 'lorem ipsum' tags expressed discomfort with parts of the collection. One of the items is a moving truck figurine decked out in the lesbian flag and the phrase 'Move N;' a reference to the concept of 'U-Hauling.' Per Urban Dictionary, the slang term pokes fun at the stereotype of 'the speedy act of moving in together after a brief courtship between lesbians.' One commenter called the figurine 'insulting af.' Others pointed out the lack of any reference to the trans or non-binary communities. Still others were generally frustrated with the company's unreliable support. 'Gay folks never asked for target to sell cheap low quality merch with rainbows splattered all over it,' one user commented. 'All we asked for is to be treated fairly and allowed to live our lives. They made this shit to get our business. Now they're trying to keep getting our money, while denying our humanity.'
