LGBT

Swimming star Riley Gaines says she was attacked by protestors on Thursday night and forced to barricade inside of a college classroom for hours ... after she gave a speech arguing that transgender athletes shouldn't be allowed to compete against biological females.

The heated confrontation went down at San Francisco State University's campus in Northern California ... where Gaines had arrived to speak with students at a Turning Point USA event.

In her chat with a small gathering inside of a classroom on campus, Gaines -- who famously spoke out against the NCAA and transgender swimmer Lia Thomas earlier this year -- explained why she believes trans athletes have an unfair advantage over biological women.

But, minutes into her talk, she was interrupted by a group of protestors ... who only got louder and louder throughout the night.

Eventually, Gaines said as she made her way out of the classroom ... trans activists who had entered the building to object to her stance attacked her.

"I was ambushed and physically hit twice by a man," she said of the scene on her Twitter page. "This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces."

Gaines shared a video of her encounter with protestors inside of the SFSU campus building ... showing her in a blue sweater being ushered to another classroom by police as people hurled chants and insults at her.

SFSU's student-run media outlet, the Golden Gate Xpress, reported Gaines was forced to stay locked inside of the classroom with police protection for roughly three hours.

Cops ultimately ordered people to disperse -- and Gaines, a former swim champ at the Univ. of Kentucky, was able to leave safely.

Gaines' agent, Eli Bremer, blasted the protestors in a statement to Fox News Digital after the event ... saying, "It is stunning that in America in 2023, it is acceptable for biological male students to violently assault a woman for standing up for women’s rights."

Bremer added, though, it would not impact Gaines' decision to speak out going forward.

Caitlyn Jenner voiced her support for Gaines after she became aware of the incident, writing in a tweet, "Pray for Riley Gaines! You are a courageous voice of reason, an incredible athlete, and beyond brave. Praying!!!"

We've reached out to both SFSU officials and the San Francisco Police Dept. for comment on the matter ... but so far, no word back yet.

Kelsea Ballerini doesn't regret her groundbreaking performance alongside drag queens on national television, and it definitely wasn't a surprise to showrunners ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the backlash Kelsea's getting for Sunday's CMT Music Awards moment -- having four "RuPaul’s Drag Race" queens come on stage during one of her performances -- is falling on deaf ears ... 'cause she doesn't regret it one bit.

We're told Kelsea fully stands by her decision to feature the drag queens ... which some folks in conservative circles have gone ballistic over -- accusing CMT of going woke.

FWIW, the drag queens' appearance was fully planned. Production sources tell TMZ ... both CMT and CBS were extremely supportive of the cameo and knew about it from the get-go ... we're also told they'd been part of rehearsals since Friday.

One of the drag queens, Manila Luzon, says it was actually Kelsea's idea to involve them -- and she did so cause she's an ally. Manila says the drag queens were super happy with how things went and appreciate the network heads for giving them a platform in front of a new type of audience.

ML adds ... country music is moving forward with the rest of the world. The performance was a celebration of love and a celebration of artistry.

Kid Rock is all fired up amid Bud Light's decision to partner up with a transgender activist -- and we mean that literally -- 'cause he's out firing bullets over the whole thing.

The singer/rapper posted a video to his social media Monday, which was uncaptioned ... but was also self-explanatory in what was shown. Namely, it's him grabbing an AR-style rifle of some sort and firing a ton of bullets at a few cases of Bud Light off in the distance.

He starts his video by saying, "grandpa's feeling a little frisky today," and then proceeds to shoot up the beer ... which he had teed up for him on a table near a lake.

Finally, he hits his point home by once again talking to the camera ... this time saying, "F*** Bud Light and f*** Anheuser-Busch. Have a terrific day."

Now, if you're wondering why KR is all pissy about Bud Light ... it's no secret if you've been following the news lately. Dylan Mulvaney -- who's a transgender woman and a social media influencer who's been documenting her transition journey online -- has partnered with BL.

She did a promo for Bud Light a couple days ago ... flashing a bunch of their signature blue cans and plugging some sort of sweepstakes they were running. Dylan also posted a photo of a custom Bud Light can with her face on it ... something sent over by Anheuser.

There was swift backlash from people who apparently didn't like their fave brew company teaming with DM ... including a lot of conservatives, like Kid Rock. Anheuser-Busch has since spoken out and defended its partnership with Dylan, advocating for a diverse consumer base ... while also noting her custom can is not available to the public. It was just a gift.

Gisele Shaw claims WWE HOF'er Rick Steiner hurled transphobic remarks at her during an appearance ... something the event organizers themselves seem to acknowledge happened.

The Impact Wrestling star made the accusation against the famed RS Friday, detailing what she says was an absolute tirade full of hateful language ... targeting her transgender identity. Shaw is a trans woman BTW, and came out as transgender last year at Pride Toronto.

Here's what she had to say about the interaction, which she says happened at WrestleCon Friday ... where Gisele was doing a signing. She writes, "I have been bullied all my life and have never stood up for myself because I’m scared that I would get beat up physically, mentally, or emotionally. The bullies in my life have always silenced me, but that ends today!"

Gisele goes on to say that, while walking to her table, she heard someone shouting, "you’re a man,” “you’re a dude,” “you’re a piece of trash,” “you are filth," and “get the f*** away from here." She didn't know who it was at first, but later says she heard it again -- and saw Steiner.

She says she confronted him about it on the spot -- saying, "Excuse me?" -- but claims he continued to tear her down in front of a lot of people ... including other wrestling talent.

She says other prominent stars were around, but didn't do anything about it. Gisele adds, "I am not writing this because I want sympathy. I am writing this because I am done being bullied to silence. Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility and I am standing up for myself and for other people who go through the exact same situation on a daily basis. I want everyone to know what kind of a deplorable person Rick Steiner is and that this cannot be tolerated. This keeps happening because people let it slide and do not take any action. If you do business with these types of people then I will not do business with you."

The official WrestleCon account apologized for what happened, specifically naming Shaw/the LGBT community -- but not saying Rick's name. They add, "The issue has been addressed and we hope the remainder of the convention can be a positive experience for all."

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility ... and some of the biggest names in Hollywood and politics are using their voices to show support for members of the community.

President Biden proclaimed March 31, 2023, as Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday from the White House ... furthering his message with a tweet Friday that read, in part, "Made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support."

Demi Lovato, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and comedian Chelsea Handler -- who posted a video of support and took jabs at politicians in support of anti-trans legislation in the process -- were among some of the other celebs to put their voice behind the cause.

Jamie Lee Curtis retweeted a post from her 27-year-old transgender daughter's post with the caption "PROUD MOTHER". Ben McKee, bass player from Imagine Dragons, and Trans YouTube star Jazz Jennings also posted messages.

The 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards had a huge turnout ... with some of the biggest names in Hollywood coming out and even taking home honors.

This year's show went down Thursday night at the Beverly Hilton ... and it was all about honoring those in media who have been exemplary in highlighting the LGBTQ+ community and its issues.

The L.A. ceremony was hosted by actress/comedian Margaret Cho, and familiar faces in the crowd included Zaya Wade and her stepmom Gabrielle Union, Lisa Ann Walter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Geena Davis and Vanessa Williams.

Other attendees included Diplo, Orville Peck, Michelle Visage, Billy Eichner, Lance Bass, Jennifer Coolidge, Frankie Grande, Jane Lynch, Chrishell Stause and G Flip.

As far as big winners on the night ... Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny and Jeremy Pope were among the celebs to take home awards for their efforts.

During the evening, recipients for 15 of 33 categories were announced ... with series like "What We Do in the Shadows" and "The White Lotus" among top winners, along with films such as "Bros" and "A League of Their Own."

A friend of the Nashville school shooter called police as Audrey Hale unleashed a murderous attack at a Christian school ... pleading for someone to go check on Hale.

In 911 audio released Thursday, the shooter's friend, Averianna Patton, tells the dispatcher Hale sent her a string of ominous messages on social media before Monday's shooting.

Patton says she's called different departments and then tells the dispatcher ... "I'm just trying to see can anybody ... I just don't want it on my conscious ... if somebody can go check on her."

Before the call, Hale sent Patton several suicidal messages on Instagram, saying ... "I'm planning to die today" and "You'll probably hear about me on the news after I die."

Hale sent the messages at 9:57 AM ... and about 15 minutes later went on a deadly rampage at the Covenant School in Nashville, shooting and killing three 9-year-old students and three employees in their 60s.

Patton made the 911 call around 10:20 AM ... just as armed officers were arriving at the private school to take down Hale.

Taylor Swift took home top honors during iHeartRadio's big award show -- and while her acceptance speeches were touching ... it was her wardrobe that really drew eyes.

The pop star won Song of the Year and the Innovator Award Monday night, and in both instances ... she delivered some powerful remarks about what it takes to stand out and succeed in the music biz -- noting that the formula of a hit song isn't cut and dry.

Of course, she was talking about her fan fave track "Anti-Hero" -- picking out certain lyrics, words like "narcissism" and "altruism," as examples that not everything has to be so catchy and cookie-cuter ... arguing that artists can be real with their art.

Her Innovator Award speech was similar ... TayTay said she'd made a lot of bad choices in her life, but those had led her to make good ones ... including some that have spurred her to activism in the LGBT community and elsewhere, which was highlighted in the lead-up.

Now, we're sorta burying the lead here ... namely, TS was rocking an interesting getup for Monday's ceremony. It was a sparkly jumpsuit that was complete with a hood over her head that kinda made her look like a hip teen stuck in their backpack hip-hop phase.

Okay, maybe the fashion isn't the lead, but she looked cool in the hood. Hell, Lenny Kravitz was impressed.

Ted Nugent kicked off Donald Trump's latest rally with a homophobic insult aimed at Volodymyr Zelensky ... falsely claiming the guy's gay while demanding a refund.

The rocker was one of the first speakers for the DT event down in Waco, TX Saturday ... and when he took the stage, he started ranting and raving about the Biden administration's spending decisions -- including where they've sent money and supplies.

He started out by saying he (as an American) didn't give the OK for JB and co. to surrender a bunch of U.S. military equipment to the Taliban ... referencing the exit out of Afghanistan.

Then, he went straight into bigotry -- saying he also didn't sign off on the government sending billions of dollars in aid to embattled Ukraine amid their ongoing war with Russia. Here's how Ted put it ... "I want my money back! I didn't authorize any money to Ukraine to some homosexual weirdo. I want my money back! I want my freedom back!"

He went on to say that the crowd might wanna write this down ... adding, "Men don't give me my rights, God gives my rights." The crowd was eating it up and cheering him on.

There's more to TN's rant. He talked about securing the border, banning abortion, etc. He even strummed his guitar a bit -- so it made for quite a speech. Oh, and Mike Lindell (the MyPillow guy) was also there ... he spoke too, calling DeSantis "Trojan Horse Ron." 😅

Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene are on the ground as well -- two of Trump's biggest defenders -- and they're decrying the supposedly looming criminal charges against him ... calling it political persecution. Those charges have yet to be announced, BTW.

Trump himself is set to arrive shortly ... it'll be interesting to see what he says. This would mark his first public appearance since word of him possibly getting arrested came down.

As for the Zelensky dig from Ted ... obviously it's completely out of line, and completely inaccurate. Not only is it laced with hate, but it's simply not true -- VZ is a married man (to a woman), and he's continuing to battle Putin for his country's sovereignty and borders.

Frankly, it's fine if Ted's not cool with the aid we've sent, and could've made his point about that without stooping to lies and conspiracy theories ... not to mention outright homophobia.

Lil Nas X's presence on social media has got him in some hot water once again ... with people saying his tweet about 'gays' in Africa is incredibly insensitive on the heels of serious anti-gay legislation in Uganda.

The "Old Town Road" rapper was met with a ton of backlash Wednesday after he tweeted "where do the gays be in africa i wanna come there". The tweet came on the heels Uganda parliament passing one of the most sweeping anti-gay legislations in the world.

The law punishes people with up to 10 years behind bars for simply identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer or anything other than male or female.

More shockingly, citizens can be sentenced to life behind bars for committing gay sex acts and be sentenced to death for "aggravated homosexuality" -- a broad term to include sex acts committed by force as well as incest.

After LNX's tweet, folks quickly hopped on social media to express their disdain, for what they see as an extremely dangerous message. One user wrote, "This is so insensitive especially after Uganda just announced the harsh punishment of even identifying as being LGBTQ” ... and many others backed these same sentiments.

As you know, this isn't the first time he's been in the hot seat for his social media postings, recently issuing an apology for making a trans joke online.

Kayleigh Scott, a transgender flight attendant famous for appearing in a United Airlines commercial, is dead ... and it appears to be a suicide.

The 25-year-old was found dead Monday in her Denver, CO apartment ... the same day she posted on social media about planning to end her life.

In the Instagram post, Kayleigh wrote ... "As I take my final breaths and exit this living earth, I would like to apologize to everyone I let down. I am so sorry I could not be better. To those that I love, I am sorry I could not be stronger. To those that gave me their everything, I am sorry my effort was not reciprocated."

The post was flooded with comments from concerned fans, with many saying they were calling police in Denver to conduct a welfare check.

Kayleigh's post also continued ... "Please understand that me leaving is not a reflection of you, but the result of my own inability to turn myself for the better. To Ashley, Cynthia, Regine & Sophia. I am so sorry. Please remember me for the good memories we have shared, and never for my downfall. I will see you all again on the other side."

Her sister, Ashley, commented on the IG post confirming Kayleigh's death.

Kayleigh famously shared her transition story in a 2020 United Airlines commercial for Trans Day of Visibility ... thanking the airline for helping her transition.

Police in Denver are investigating ... and the city's medical examiner will determine an official cause of death.

Kayleigh was 25.

RIP

The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warm-up jerseys for Pride Night on Sunday, according to a report ... citing security concerns for their Russian players after the country passed an anti-LGBTQ law making it illegal to promote "gay propaganda" in Russia.

According to the Associated Press, the Blackhawks -- who've worn Pride warmup jerseys before -- ultimately decided against wearing the jerseys this season for the April 12 celebration after consulting with security officials ... who took into account president Vladimir Putin's newly-expanded law which makes it illegal for anyone to promote gay relationships as "normal."

Of course, the Blackhawks call Chicago home ... but the team has several Russian players on the roster, including defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who is a Moscow native. There are also players on the team with family members living in Russia.

Chicago's decision comes just days after San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer refused to participate in his team's Pride event, saying his Christian beliefs won't allow him to wear a Pride-themed jersey.

“I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me to love everyone and follow him," Reimer said. "I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness.

"In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life. I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, and the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey."

As for the Blackhawks, they have yet to officially announce the decision.

"Last of Us" actor Storm Reid isn't letting a bunch of anti-LGBTQ+ internet trolls rain on her parade, telling us no matter how much they bash the show's inclusive episodes ... she knows it's important to tell those stories.

We caught up with the talented young actress Friday at LAX. If you missed it, she had a guest role on episode 7 of the insanely popular HBO series where she played Riley, the best friend and love interest of the show's star Ellie ... played by Bella Ramsey.

Of course, the episode received a ton of praise, but there were also lots of people who thought it was unnecessary for "Last of Us" to include a lesbian plot.

Storm says not only are the stories told on "Last of Us" very real, but they're also purposeful ... and she's choosing to ignore the folks who can't see that.

Those naysayers flocked to the show's public forums to leave negative reviews, and even went so far as to rank it as one of "the worst" episodes of the season. Perhaps not shockingly, they also hated the third episode, which featured two gay characters.

BTW ... Storm says if there's ever an opportunity for Riley to come back for season two, she's 100% in for an encore!

UFC fighter Jeff Molina is opening up on his sexuality after a video showing him performing a sex act on another man was leaked to social media this week ... saying he was stripped of the opportunity to announce he is bisexual the way he wanted.

The 25-year-old shared an emotional statement to Twitter on Friday ... saying, "Not the way I wanted to do this but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me."

"I've tried to keep my dating life private from social media," Molina continued. "I've dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school being on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC."

"The thought of my buddies, teammates and ppl I look up to looking at me different let alone treating me different for something I can't control was something I couldn't fathom."

Molina -- 11-2 so far in his career and 3-0 in UFC -- has previously shown support for the LGBTQ+ community ... wearing the Pride Month shorts for his fight in June 2022.

Molina -- who's currently suspended for his alleged role in a betting scheme -- said he was not planning to come out during his career ... adding he wanted to be known for his skills rather than being the "'bi UFC fighter' that I'm sure would just be translated to 'gay UFC fighter.'"

Molina's announcement makes him the first openly LGBTQ+ male member of the UFC.

"At the end of the day I know my character, morals, and who I am as a person. As much as I'm getting hated/s****** on I'm getting an equal amount of support & it means a f*** ton."

Slim Thug’s key to staying rich is avoiding spending sprees on fancy clothes -- the Houston Boss Hogg admits he has no issue rocking discount threads ... even in da club.

Slim gave his fans a masterclass -- with more than a dash of homophobia, though -- as he chastised dudes who flock to clubs wearing the same expensive designer outfits.

In his post Thursday, he said he keeps it playa for just pennies, and proved it ... yanking the price tags of his top and shorts to reveal he'd dropped less than $20 for both.

Seems like price isn't his only issue -- he also mentioned gay designers make all those high-priced clothes. Basically, Slim thinks Dior and Gucci shirts make people look gay.

Um, WTH? 🤔

Hard to take his advice on saving cash, since he also bragged about dropping millions on jewelry to distract from his frugal fashion choices.

ST says he's seen many rappers go broke splurging on their wardrobes. Yeah, we're sure it's the clothing bill and not the bling.

Anyway, fans found Slim's message confusing ... considering the rapper's selling cargo pants for $75 on his own website!!!

Lil Nas X is known to crack jokes online, but even the "Old Town Road" rapper knew his joke about transitioning crossed a line ... so he's issuing an apology.

LNX had originally posted a photo of social medial influencer Glow Princess, and quipped "the surgery was a success" ... causing many clueless fans to believe he'd actually undergone a gender-changing procedure. 😬

When fans in the know began firing off angry tweet after angry tweet, Lil Nas owned up to his blunder.

He responded ... "Apologies to the trans community i def handled that situation with anger instead of considering why it was not cool ... much love to you guys. sorry."