Beyoncé and Jay-Z with their GLAAD Media Awards — Photo: Beyoncé / Instagram
Beyoncé has revealed that losing her ‘Uncle Johnny’ to HIV was one of the “most painful experiences” of her life.
The music icon gave an emotional speech alongside husband Jay-Z while the pair accepted the Vanguard Award during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday.
Beyoncé dedicated the award to “Uncle Johnny, the most fabulous gay man I’ve ever known who helped raise me and my sister.”
She continued: “‘Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived. I’m hopeful that his struggles served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely.”
Noting that “LGBTQI rights are human rights,” the singer and actress then spoke about the support she’s received from her LGBTQ fans.
“Whether it’s our fans or our family, the LGBTQI community has always supported us and lifted us up. And we thank you for that,” she said. “We are here to promote love for every human being, and change starts with supporting the people closest to you. So let’s tell them they are loved, let’s remind them they are beautiful, and parents, let’s love our kids in their truest form.”
Beyoncé again reiterated her commitment to LGBTQ rights at the end of her speech, saying, “To choose who you love is your human right. How you identify and see yourself is your human right, who you make love to and take that ass to Red Lobster is your human right!”
During his speech, Jay-Z paid tribute to his mother, Gloria Carter, who is lesbian. He thanked Carter for teaching him strong values, saying, “I’m following in her footsteps of spreading love and acceptance.”
Charlie Sheen is opening up about past sexual encounters with men in two upcoming projects -- his memoir The Book of Sheen, out September 9, and the Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen, premiering September 10. The Two and a Half Men star gets candid in both about his history of drug use, relationships, and sexual dalliances.
"I flipped the menu over," Sheen says in both the documentary and the book, according to PEOPLE. The actor has previously spoken about his sexual encounters with women during the height of his addiction struggles.
Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis has sold his California home and auctioned three of his Olympic medals as part of a major life change: relocating to Panama.
“As life moves forward, what are you prepared to leave behind?" he wrote in a Facebook post announcing the move. "I am 65 years old, and I am asking just that. I am no longer who I used to think I was."
The decision marks a shift from a 2023 statement in which Louganis said the proceeds would help fund the Damien Center, Indiana’s oldest and largest AIDS services provider, which recently lost government funding for critical health care programs.
The Trump administration has agreed to settle a lawsuit by restoring webpages containing health- and science-related information, including resources on HIV and LGBTQ health issues, that had been deleted to comply with a series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
Those orders sought to erase transgender identity from federal law, prohibited agencies from using the term "gender" in policy, and targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across government and the private sector.
Other Trump orders targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in both government and the private sector, and threatened to strip federal funding from events or organizations accused of promoting so-called "gender ideology."
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