One Killed And At Least 16 Injured In Deadly Berlin Pride Attack

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One Killed And At Least 16 Injured In Deadly Berlin Pride Attack

Berlin’s celebration of queer freedom ended in horror on Saturday night when a white van drove into people gathered near the closing events of Christopher Street Day.

One person was killed and at least 16 others were injured in the incident near Tiergarten park and the Brandenburg Gate.

Eight people suffered serious injuries, and three remained in life-threatening condition early Sunday morning (The Guardian).

The vehicle entered Tiergarten at around 10 p.m. before striking people on a path and crashing into a tree.

Police found the van empty and immediately began searching for the person or people who had left it.

German authorities have since issued a public wanted notice for a 21-year-old suspect who may be armed and dangerous.

Police say the man is already known to them as someone associated with Berlin’s Islamist scene.

However, investigators have stressed that they have not yet established his exact role, his motive or the complete sequence of events.

Authorities have therefore not definitively confirmed a terrorist motive at this early stage of the investigation.

Police also said that one or more people apparently left the vehicle following the collision.

Several victims may also have suffered stab wounds, although that part of the incident remains under investigation.

A major search involving officers from Berlin and other German states continued through the night.

Police warned members of the public not to approach the wanted suspect and asked witnesses to provide photographs, recordings and other information.

The attack took place as hundreds of thousands of people were completing a day of LGBTQ+ visibility, celebration and political protest across the German capital.

Berlin Pride is known locally as Christopher Street Day, or CSD, in recognition of the New York street where the Stonewall uprising began in 1969.

The 2026 parade travelled through the city before concluding with performances, speeches and celebrations near the Brandenburg Gate.

Organizers had chosen “Haltung ist hot”, translated as “Taking a Stand Is Hot,” as this year’s motto.

The slogan was intended as a call to defend democratic values, an open society and equal rights for queer people amid growing hostility.

The remaining concert and festivities were cancelled as police, ambulances and emergency workers filled the area.

Images from the scene showed frightened attendees embracing near police barriers while others were treated by emergency personnel.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the incident as an attack on the city’s free and cosmopolitan society.

He said a peaceful and colourful Pride gathering had been attacked in the most brutal manner and expressed sympathy for the victims and their loved ones.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also condemned what he called a horrific act and promised that those responsible would be identified and punished.

The first Christopher Street Day in West Berlin was held in 1979 with approximately 450 demonstrators.

It has since developed into one of Europe’s largest and most visible LGBTQ+ gatherings, regularly drawing hundreds of thousands of people.

That history makes Saturday night’s violence particularly painful for a community that has spent decades turning Berlin’s streets into a symbol of visibility and freedom.

The attack occurred not simply near a concert or public gathering, but beside an event built around the belief that queer people should be able to live openly without fear.

The suspect identified by police has not been arrested, charged or convicted in connection with the incident.

Investigators are still determining whether he drove the vehicle, acted with others or was responsible for the reported stabbings.

Early reports have also differed slightly over whether 16 or 17 people were injured, so the number may change as authorities release further information.

What is already confirmed is devastating enough: one person is dead, many others are injured and Berlin’s queer community is grieving after a day that should have ended in celebration.

📷 AI

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Alan Ritchson Tears Into Trump And Demands Accountability Over The Epstein Files

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Alan Ritchson Tears Into Trump And Demands Accountability Over The Epstein Files

Alan Ritchson has built a career playing men who solve problems through direct action, and his latest political comments carried much of the same energy.

During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Reacher star delivered an unusually furious response to the handling of documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Ritchson questioned why more material had not been made public and demanded that powerful people connected to abuse be held accountable.

He also urged ordinary people and fellow celebrities to speak more forcefully rather than submitting to those with political or institutional power.

“Get loud” and remember the “power in numbers” was the central message beneath language too explicit to reproduce in full here.

Ritchson said some people regard him as a loose cannon because he is willing to express opinions that other actors might keep private.

He rejected that description and argued that outrage over abuse, injustice and political protection should be a normal human response.

The conversation then turned specifically toward President Donald Trump and allegations connected to material within the Epstein investigation.

Ritchson appeared to refer to Trump without initially naming him and invoked an allegation that the president sexually assaulted a girl when she was 13 years old.

The woman behind that allegation was interviewed by the FBI in 2019, but Trump was never criminally charged in connection with her claims and has repeatedly denied them.

Ritchson nevertheless used exceptionally blunt language as he argued that politicians and other influential figures should face investigation rather than protection.

The White House responded to the actor’s comments through spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.

Jackson claimed Trump had been “totally exonerated” in matters involving Epstein and defended the administration’s release of documents and cooperation with congressional investigators.

She also redirected attention toward Democratic politicians whom the White House says had contact with Epstein after his conviction.

The response did not address every allegation or criticism raised by Ritchson during the podcast.

Ritchson framed his anger as part of a broader concern for people who are forgotten, marginalized, unwanted or denied protection by powerful institutions.

He said his political outlook is shaped by seeing unfairness and injustice and by a desire to make society more equitable for those living outside positions of privilege.

The actor also challenged religious rhetoric that divides people into acceptable citizens and supposed monsters.

Ritchson is a practising Christian, but he has frequently criticized sections of the Christian right for supporting policies and politicians he considers incompatible with the values they profess.

He argued that any belief system encouraging hatred, separation or the dehumanization of other groups should be treated as a warning sign.

That message may resonate with LGBTQ+ audiences, although Ritchson’s connection to gay popular culture began long before his latest political intervention.

In 2011, he guest-starred in an episode of The CW drama 90210 as Tripp, the former college roommate and first male crush of Teddy Montgomery.

Teddy, played by Trevor Donovan, reconnects with Tripp during a trip to Mexico before the two men kiss and spend the night together.

The storyline also revealed that Tripp had a boyfriend and that the couple were in an open relationship, a relatively unusual detail for mainstream teen television in 2011.

Ritchson’s appearance lasted only one episode, but the kiss has remained a popular rediscovery among viewers who encountered him years later through Reacher.

More recently, the actor attracted another wave of attention from gay audiences through Dr. Squatch’s knowingly excessive “Manlandia” advertising campaign.

The campaign presented Ritchson as the muscular ambassador of a fictional masculine paradise while chopping wood, flexing, removing his shirt and promoting the company’s grooming products.

The advertisements were designed as tongue-in-cheek celebrations of different forms of masculinity, although much of the internet understandably focused on the shirtless lumberjack portion.

Those moments help explain why a political interview with the action star is also generating considerable attention within LGBTQ+ entertainment circles.

Neither playing a gay role nor starring in a homoerotic advertising campaign automatically makes someone an ally or gives greater authority to their political opinions.

Ritchson’s latest comments stand on their own because he explicitly connected his politics to protecting marginalized people and confronting abuses of power.

The delivery was explosive, but the principle underneath it was straightforward: wealth, celebrity and political office should never place anyone beyond scrutiny.

📷 @alanritchson / @thecw / Dr Squatch

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Jake Shears Is Broadway’s Next Frank-N-Furter

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Jake Shears Is Broadway’s Next Frank-N-Furter

Some Broadway casting announcements require a moment to process, while Jake Shears playing Frank-N-Furter feels almost inevitable.

The openly gay Scissor Sisters frontman will take over the leading role in Broadway’s current revival of The Rocky Horror Show at Studio 54.

Shears begins performances on September 11, succeeding Luke Evans as the glamorous scientist at the centre of Richard O’Brien’s cult musical (Deadline).

Evans will play his final performance on August 23 after earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the revival.

Shears brings a career steeped in glitter, theatricality and queer pop culture to one of musical theatre’s most famously uninhibited characters.

As the frontman of Scissor Sisters, he helped turn songs including Take Your Mama, Filthy/Gorgeous and I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ into flamboyant pop anthems.

His relationship with musical theatre has also grown steadily alongside his recording career.

Shears made his Broadway debut as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots in 2018.

He later played the Emcee in the West End production of Cabaret and wrote the lyrics for Tammy Faye, the Elton John musical that transferred from London to Broadway.

Frank-N-Furter now offers him a role that combines rock performance, comedy, sexuality and the kind of unapologetic spectacle that has long defined his work.

Shears will not be the only new visitor arriving at the Frankenstein Place.

Kevin McHale will make his Broadway debut as Brad, while Tony Award nominee Lorna Courtney will take over the role of Janet.

McHale and Courtney begin performances on August 25, replacing Andrew Durand and Stephanie Hsu, who will also depart on August 23.

McHale is best known for playing Artie Abrams throughout six seasons of Glee.

His casting also carries a satisfying piece of television history because Artie portrayed Dr. Scott when Glee staged its own version of The Rocky Horror Show.

McHale made his New York stage debut in the recent revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, but Brad will be his first Broadway role.

Courtney earned a Tony nomination for originating the leading role in Broadway’s & Juliet.

She subsequently played Veronica Sawyer in the Off-Broadway revival of Heathers and appeared in the world-premiere stage adaptation of The Greatest Showman.

Paul Soileau, who is part of the current company, is scheduled to perform as Frank-N-Furter between Evans’ departure and Shears’ arrival.

The revival is directed by Sam Pinkleton, the Tony-winning director of Oh, Mary!.

It began previews in March and officially opened at Studio 54 on April 23.

The production received nine Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and acting nominations for Evans, Hsu and Rachel Dratch.

Other members of the evolving company include Dratch as the Narrator, Amber Gray as Riff Raff, Harvey Guillén as Eddie and Dr. Scott, Josh Rivera as Rocky, Sherie Rene Scott as Magenta and RuPaul’s Drag Race favourite Valentina as Columbia.

The Rocky Horror Show first premiered in London in 1973 before inspiring the 1975 film adaptation starring Tim Curry.

The story follows the painfully conventional Brad and Janet after a breakdown leads them into Frank-N-Furter’s mansion and a world determined to disrupt everything they thought they understood.

Its mixture of glam rock, sexual freedom, audience participation and gleeful defiance helped it become an enduring part of queer culture.

With Shears slipping into Frank’s heels and McHale finally stepping onto a Broadway stage, the new cast feels particularly well suited to continuing that strange journey.

📷 @rockyhorrorbway / @jakeshears (+ boyfriend @jonreynolds1) / @kevinmchale (+ boyfriend @austineyes)

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Scott Kress Is Looking for Love in Tubi’s Messy New Gay Dating Show

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Scott Kress Is Looking for Love in Tubi’s Messy New Gay Dating Show

Scott Kress spent years making videos about the frustrations of modern dating, so his friends decided it was time to stop listening and start casting.

The result is Scott Kress Needs a Man, a new gay reality dating series now streaming free on Tubi.

The show places nine eligible bachelors in a mansion and asks them to compete for the attention of the popular TikTok creator (DNA).

Kress has built an audience of more than six million followers through comedy videos that frequently explore being single, dating apps and his ongoing search for a relationship.

His friends Carter Kench, Asher Lieberman and Sydney Morgan helped create the series and appear as co-hosts, producers and highly involved advisers.

Tubi describes the show as a mix of reality television, comedy, romance and LGBTQ+ programming.

The platform’s official summary says Kress allows his closest friends to take control of his love life as they test a group of bold bachelors through a series of unconventional challenges.

The first episode introduces the contestants through a round of individual speed dates before sending one man home almost immediately.

By the second episode, the traditional romance format has already given way to a tug-of-war staged beside a mud pit.

The competitors naturally end up in swimwear, while the winners receive the opportunity to make out with Scott.

Subtle courtship this is not.

The contestants include Javi, who recently joined the Pit Crew on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Other early standouts include Max, who quickly begins functioning as an unofficial narrator, and Braulio, who arrives wearing a hockey jersey.

The outfit appears designed to appeal directly to viewers still thinking about the queer hockey romance Heated Rivalry.

The show regularly acknowledges its modest production budget and occasionally leans into moments that feel more constructed than spontaneous.

Rather than hiding those limitations, the series turns them into part of its knowingly chaotic personality.

The more interesting tension comes from the casting process itself.

Promotional casting materials reportedly sought ordinary people interested in finding a genuine connection.

As with almost every reality dating show, however, viewers are invited to decide which contestants want Scott and which ones mainly want attention.

Early episodes already contain rivalries, shifting alliances, flirtation between the men and a double elimination.

A teaser also suggests that two contestants may have become closer to each other after filming stopped for the night.

That possibility gives the familiar dating-show setup a particularly queer complication.

The bachelor may be the official prize, but placing nine gay men together does not guarantee that every romantic storyline will continue pointing toward him.

Scott Kress Needs a Man arrives during a period when queer dating programmes remain far less common than their heterosexual counterparts.

Gay contestants have appeared in mainstream reality formats, but fully queer seasons and series are still treated as occasional experiments rather than a permanent part of the genre.

This production is smaller and less polished than the largest network franchises, yet its casual confidence may be exactly what makes it appealing.

It does not treat gay dating as a social lesson or an important television milestone.

It simply allows a group of men to flirt, compete, make poor decisions and create entertaining television.

Scott Kress may eventually find the relationship he has been searching for, although the mess along the way is clearly the main attraction.

The series is currently available free on Tubi, with new episodes scheduled to arrive weekly.

📷 @itsscottkress / @tubi

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Trump Administration Dismantles Specialised Support Network for LGBTQ+ Veterans

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Trump Administration Dismantles Specialised Support Network for LGBTQ+ Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun dismantling the national infrastructure created to help LGBTQ+ veterans navigate the country’s largest integrated healthcare system.

An internal email obtained by The Advocate says LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators will be redesignated as general Care Coordinators with responsibility for supporting all veterans.

The change does not formally remove LGBTQ+ veterans from the VA healthcare system.

Nor does the email state that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer veterans will be denied ordinary medical treatment.

It does, however, eliminate much of the specialised structure that allowed staff members to address the particular barriers those veterans may experience.

The July 22 communication instructed employees that national processes, communications and procedures specific to the LGBTQ+ coordinator programme would be discontinued.

Monthly coordinator meetings and regional leadership calls will end.

New-coordinator orientations and the programme’s professional community of practice will also be discontinued.

Dedicated Microsoft Teams channels and materials stored through the programme’s LGBTQ+ SharePoint site will be archived.

Employees were told to save any resources they wished to retain before those materials became unavailable.

The latest instructions follow a broader June directive ordering Veterans Health Administration facilities to eliminate initiatives described by the Trump administration as promoting gender identity or gender ideology.

That earlier memo also stripped the LGBTQ+ designation from the care-coordinator positions.

VA officials presented the move as an effort to ensure that all veterans receive treatment based upon clinical need and without discrimination.

Initially, some employees were reportedly assured that the change would largely involve job titles rather than the substance of their work.

The new email shows that the consequences extend considerably further.

The coordinators’ national support network, training structure and LGBTQ+-specific communications are now being removed.

One VA healthcare provider involved with the programme told The Advocate that staff members felt shock, anger and betrayal.

The provider said employees had reassured veterans that their services would continue after being told that little would change.

They must now return to those patients and explain that those assurances were inaccurate.

For more than a decade, LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators have served as identifiable points of contact within VA medical centres.

The VA previously employed at least one coordinator within each of its 142 healthcare systems.

Their responsibilities included connecting patients with clinicians familiar with LGBTQ+ health needs.

They helped veterans resolve difficulties involving treatment and access.

They educated medical staff about policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer patients.

They also worked with community organisations, identified gaps in care and encouraged veterans who feared discrimination to engage with the health system.

The positions were not created merely to provide symbolic representation.

They developed in response to documented barriers affecting LGBTQ+ veterans.

The VA has previously acknowledged that some queer veterans expect discrimination inside medical facilities and may therefore delay or avoid seeking care.

Former programme leaders have also pointed to higher reported levels of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, suicidal thoughts, homelessness and substance use among parts of the LGBTQ+ veteran population.

Specialised programmes were developed to respond to those disparities.

One was PRIDE in All Who Served, a ten-week health-education and support programme for LGBTQ+ veterans.

The VA had described it as a best practice and reported improvements including reduced depression, anxiety, suicide risk and identity-related stigma among participants.

Another programme, CBT-PRISM, adapted cognitive behavioural therapy to address minority stress, stigma and discrimination affecting LGBTQ+ patients.

The long-term future of such programmes became uncertain after the June directive prohibited the use of VA funding, facilities and staff time for initiatives involving gender identity.

The current dismantling also follows earlier restrictions directed particularly at transgender veterans.

In 2025, the VA began phasing out certain gender-dysphoria treatments for new patients while allowing some veterans already receiving hormone care to continue.

The administration also removed a directive governing care for transgender and intersex veterans and restricted some referrals for gender-affirming procedures outside the VA system.

The latest decision is broader because it affects infrastructure serving lesbian, gay and bisexual veterans as well as transgender patients.

The VA’s argument is that general care coordinators can support everyone without organising services around particular identities.

Critics argue that this approach confuses identical treatment with equitable treatment.

A veteran who already trusts the medical system may need only an appointment and a referral.

A veteran who has experienced harassment, discrimination or rejection may require a knowledgeable contact who understands those experiences and can help rebuild trust.

Removing the LGBTQ+ title does not remove the veteran’s sexuality or gender identity.

Archiving the training material does not erase the medical and psychological effects of stigma.

Ending the national network does not eliminate the need for clinicians who understand queer patients.

The immediate question is what individual coordinators will still be permitted to do after becoming general Care Coordinators.

Some may continue using their experience to help LGBTQ+ veterans informally.

Without national meetings, shared procedures, specialised orientation and dedicated resources, that support may become inconsistent and dependent upon individual employees or facilities.

The policy therefore risks creating a system in which an LGBTQ+ veteran’s experience varies significantly according to location.

The administration has not described the change as the termination of healthcare for LGBTQ+ veterans.

That would overstate what the internal communication says.

It is nevertheless accurate to describe the specialised support system as being dismantled.

Veterans were promised that their service entitled them to healthcare through the VA.

LGBTQ+ veterans earned that promise under the same conditions as everyone else.

The question now is whether the department can genuinely provide equal care while deliberately removing the expertise created to address the inequalities those veterans face.

📷 AI

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