Green Carnations And Queer Joy At Olly Alexander’s Oscar Wilde Birthday Dinner

Olly Alexander brought together a memorable group of guests for a dinner celebrating Oscar Wilde’s birthday at London’s Hotel Café Royal.

Among those attending were Sir Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming and Russell T Davies, with Davies joined by his boyfriend, Oliver Cole.

Sharing photographs on Instagram, Alexander described hosting the dinner as a pleasure and wrote: “I hope we made Oscar proud.”

The images offer a glimpse of an evening filled with champagne glasses, green carnations and friendships across generations of queer entertainment.

A celebration with enthusiastic reviews

Davies responded beneath the post: “The best evening!”

Cole added: “What a delicious evening with delicious people”.

The writer has recently spoken publicly about their relationship, as reported by Attitude.

Alexander also credited designer Phoebe English for his outfit, a delicate, layered ensemble that suited the ornate surroundings.

A photograph of him with McKellen captures the warmth of the gathering, while another shows McKellen and Cumming together.

Why Café Royal is a fitting setting

The venue brings a genuine connection to the writer being celebrated.

According to Hotel Café Royal’s account of Wilde’s London, he regularly spent time at the Regent Street establishment, dining and conversing with fellow artists and intellectuals.

A birthday toast there therefore connects a contemporary gathering with part of the writer’s own social world.

Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854, as documented by the Royal Berkshire Archives.

The green carnations carry their own history

The flowers visible in the photographs add another connection.

Cambridge University Library records that Wilde asked W. Graham Robertson to wear a green carnation at the 1892 opening of Lady Windermere’s Fan.

The flower became associated with Wilde and his circle, although scholars continue to discuss its precise historical meanings.

There is a poignancy to seeing that emblem worn so openly at a celebration of his life.

Wilde was imprisoned for sexual acts with men, receiving a sentence of two years with hard labour.

That history belongs alongside his literary brilliance, but it need not be the only way he is remembered.

These photographs offer another response: queer people gathering in friendship, dressing beautifully and raising a glass to someone whose influence endures.

As Alexander hoped, it is an evening that gives Oscar plenty to be proud of.

📷 Photos shared by @ollyalexanderr.

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Justin And Tristan Swapped First-Date Drinks For A HYROX Race

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First dates often come with nerves, but Justin Hinsley and Tristan Hall had a demanding fitness race to think about, too.

The men were paired for SURF Dating’s Blind First Dates at HYROX Boston, turning their first meeting into a shared sporting challenge.

According to Outsports’ October 16 report, Justin flew from Los Angeles for the date with travel influencer Tristan.

By the end, they were discussing a much less strenuous possibility: sushi together in Los Angeles.

A first date with a shared finish line

HYROX’s official race guide describes a format combining eight one-kilometer runs with eight functional workout stations.

The exercises include sled pushing, rowing, burpee broad jumps, sandbag lunges and wall balls.

In the doubles division, both athletes complete the running together, while dividing the work at the stations between them.

That makes cooperation part of the event: the pair share an overall goal, even as the physical demands change from one section to the next.

As a first-date setup, it offers a very different kind of introduction from sitting across a table and deciding what to ask next.

Golden retriever energy gets a good review

After the race, Tristan described Justin as having “golden retriever energy” and compared his enthusiasm to the “Energizer Bunny,” Outsports reports.

Their discussion of meeting again suggests a promising beginning, although they have not been confirmed as boyfriends.

It is the possibility of another date, rather than an established relationship, that makes this a sweet little story to follow.

A sushi lunch would also give them a chance to continue the conversation without another workout station waiting ahead.

Making space for more matches

Outsports reports that the series began including same-sex pairings in its third season.

SURF’s application page lists men’s and women’s doubles opportunities alongside mixed doubles, while its website describes the HYROX partnership as a way for athletes with shared interests to connect online and in person.

The attraction of that idea is easy to understand: there is already something both people care about before the introduction begins.

Of course, a shared hobby cannot promise a romantic connection, and an exhausting race will not be everyone’s preferred way to meet a stranger.

But for these two men, the finish line appears to have left room for another beginning.

📷 HYROX / @surfdating / @jushinsley

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Ruaridh Mollica Feels Seen Playing A Bisexual Marvel Character In VisionQuest

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For Ruaridh Mollica, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought a moment of personal recognition alongside a major acting role.

The Sebastian star plays Tommy in VisionQuest, and describes the experience of being a bisexual actor portraying a bisexual character as an honor.

“I feel so seen,” he tells Variety in a new interview.

Identity goes beyond a relationship

Mollica also addresses a distinction between the character’s identity and what viewers see of his romantic interests.

Tommy flirts with Lisa Molinari and is not shown being attracted to men in the series.

For the actor, that attraction to a woman does not undermine the character’s bisexuality; he says it helps him feel represented.

His comments offer a useful reminder that the person someone dates does not provide a complete account of their sexuality.

A bisexual person in a relationship with a woman remains bisexual, just as a relationship with a man does not automatically make that person gay.

For viewers who have had others make those assumptions about them, the distinction can carry a personal resonance beyond a superhero storyline.

A new chapter after Sebastian

Queer cinema audiences may already know Mollica from Mikko Mäkelä’s 2024 film Sebastian.

He plays Max, a young London writer who begins working as a sex worker while researching a novel.

As described by distributor Kino Lorber, the character’s double life becomes a more complicated exploration of desire, ambition and identity.

The film was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, placing Mollica at the center of a very different kind of screen story from a Marvel production.

Moving between those projects gives audiences two distinct ways to encounter an actor whose work has included intimate questions about how people understand themselves.

Where VisionQuest fits

VisionQuest stars Paul Bettany as Vision, continuing the character’s story following WandaVision.

Marvel’s official series listing introduces Thomas Shepherd as a mysterious boy who may be Vision’s reincarnated son.

The series launched on Disney+ this October.

Mollica’s interview adds a personal perspective to that fantastical premise: the pleasure of recognizing something of yourself in a character with a place in a much larger universe.

For him, the role is already meaningful, even without a scene spelling out every part of Tommy’s attraction.

📷 Disney+ / @RuaridhMollica.

Drake Von To B-Gay After Five Charges Dismissed: ‘I Hope I Can Get My Life Back’

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All five charges in Drake Von’s June criminal case were dismissed on October 14, according to Clark County Justice Court record material he supplied to B-Gay.

The adult performer contacted B-Gay directly through Instagram to share the development, then provided a personal statement expressing relief and hope for the future.

The dismissal concerns case 26-CR-052883, State of Nevada vs. Dawson William Bacon, in Nevada.

It does not resolve every legal proceeding involving Von: a separate August 2026 DUI case was listed as active in the court-search results he provided.

Von contacted B-Gay directly

Von, who uses @drakevonzx on Instagram, initiated the conversation without a request from B-Gay, which had previously covered his arrests and legal troubles.

When B-Gay asked which charges had been dismissed, he replied: “All of them.”

He subsequently supplied a screen recording of himself accessing the court-record system, along with screenshots of the case docket.

The disposition dated October 14 lists each of the five charges in that specific case as dismissed.

After confirming that he would welcome an article, Von answered further questions by supplying a statement intended for publication.

His statement to B-Gay

In a statement provided directly to B-Gay.com via Instagram DM, Von said:

“The court system did well today, all my charges were dropped and dismissed. I’m grateful that this matter has concluded. I knew I was innocent from the start. I feel bad for those who wished to see me behind bars. They need to do better and find peace within themselves. I hope I can get my life back and now and move forward.”

His statement is reproduced verbatim, including the wording of its final sentence.

The statement was given directly to B-Gay; it was not obtained from another publication.

What the dismissal establishes

The court-record material establishes the dismissal of the five charges in the June case.

It does not establish that the underlying allegations were proven false, and the disposition is not an acquittal following a trial.

Von’s assertion that he was innocent from the start is his own account, rather than a judicial finding recorded in the supplied disposition.

The separate August DUI proceeding must also be distinguished from the dismissed case.

Its active listing in the supplied search results means the dismissal should not be described as the end of all criminal cases involving him.

Out has separately reported the dismissal and noted that the DUI matter remains pending.

For B-Gay, this is a follow-up to earlier coverage: reporting the documented outcome while giving Von space to share his reaction in his own words.

📷 @drakevonzx

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Florida Removed A Rainbow Crosswalk. A Drag Queen Is Making The Pieces Count

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Miami Beach’s rainbow crosswalk is gone, but some of its bricks are finding a new purpose through Miss Bouvèé.

The Florida drag performer, also known as Eric Swanson, acquired 50 bricks from the former crossing at 12th Street and Ocean Drive through a city auction.

Now she is offering them to supporters who donate to Naples Pride or Key West Pride, preserving pieces of a lost LGBTQ+ landmark while raising funds for community organizations.

A piece of history, with a practical purpose

The organizer’s brick inquiry form lists individual bricks for donations starting at $250.

Supporters first submit an inquiry, then receive instructions for donating directly to their chosen Pride organization.

Once the donation is confirmed, pickup or delivery can be arranged, with shipping potentially charged separately.

The offerings include individual colored bricks and framed rainbow sets, with a commemorative plaque recording the crossing’s location and its installation and removal dates.

According to The Advocate’s report, some bricks were repainted to ensure all six rainbow colors were represented.

These are salvaged pieces that have been restored for the fundraiser, giving the original materials a new life beyond the street.

The removal happened in 2025

The crossing was installed in November 2018 and removed in October 2025, dates also recorded on the fundraiser’s commemorative plaques.

Its dismantling followed Florida’s directive requiring cities to remove street art from public roads.

Miami Beach challenged the order unsuccessfully before the landmark was removed.

The current development is the fundraising effort, rather than a new removal this week.

Miss Bouvèé’s official links page lists separate goals of $15,000 for Naples Pride and $7,500 for Key West Pride.

Helping the community behind the colors

The beneficiaries represent more than a rainbow on a calendar.

Naples Pride describes its community center, opened in 2020, as a place offering support services, education, social groups and resources for LGBTQ+ people and others.

That gives the fundraiser a connection between preserving a symbol and supporting the people who give it meaning.

A commemorative brick cannot restore the experience of encountering a rainbow in a public street.

It can, however, keep that history visible in someone’s home while contributing to the community’s future.

What was taken apart is becoming something people can hold onto — and use to help Pride continue.

📷 @missbouvee