During the rapid-fire conversation on Ziwe's YouTube channel, Pollard was asked to define her race, gender, and pronouns for the record. She responded with characteristic candor: "My race? I'm a good, southern chocolate brown, dark skin. And then on top of that, my gender would be non-binary, meaning that I'm very flexible and feminine and masculine energy."

When asked directly about her pronouns, Pollard stated: "Him, her, she, and who, and they." She humorously added "that bitch" to the list when Ziwe questioned whether she also referred to herself by that term, a nod to her self-appointed title as the HBIC—Head Bitch In Charge—which has become iconic in popular culture.

Pollard's public confirmation comes approximately six months after she first discussed her non-binary identity in 2025. In that earlier interview, she explained her reasoning: "I really do resonate with non-binary because I feel like we are so dual without even recognizing it. Because it takes two sexes for us to get here, so some days I may feel a lot more masculine and sometimes I'm super feminine, and that's OK."

During the Ziwe interview, Pollard expanded on this concept of duality, describing herself as "halfway human, halfway entity" and emphasizing the fluidity of her gender expression. She noted that her non-binary identity aligns with how she has historically presented herself—through playful gender performance and the blending of dominance and glamour as tools of self-expression and entertainment.

Beyond gender identity, Pollard has previously discussed her sexuality. In 2023, she identified as queer and shared early experiences of same-sex attraction. "The first time I ever really kissed a girl, I think it was in junior high, and I knew and it was fine. It felt good, it felt right," she told PinkNews.

Pollard has also emphasized her commitment to LGBTQ+ representation and advocacy. She recently hosted "Slayers: Wheel of Fate", an LGBTQ-focused reality competition, and has stated that she will continue to use her platform to support the queer community.

In the clip, Gaga stated, “Me and my fiancé have been traveling all year, but we’re getting married soon. We were hoping you could choose a special song for us.” Mars recognized her voice immediately and dedicated "Risk It All," the opening track from his February 2026 album "The Romantic", to Gaga and fiancé Michael Polansky, saying, “Michael, this is for you, too.”

Gaga and Polansky, a tech entrepreneur and co-executive producer on her album "Mayhem", have been together since 2020. They confirmed their engagement publicly in July 2024 during the Paris Summer Olympics, after Polansky proposed following a rock-climbing trip shortly after her birthday.

Recalling the proposal on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in October 2024, Gaga described how Polansky carried the ring in his backpack and asked permission before proposing at the base of the climb for safety reasons. She noted, “He wanted to know if it was ok to propose before he proposed and I was like, ‘Yes! It’s so OK!’” and added, “I’m a modern lady, I like what he did.”

The couple has consistently emphasized privacy for their wedding. In a November 2025 "Rolling Stone" interview, Polansky said, “We’re talking about it all the time... We don’t want a really big wedding, but we want to enjoy it. In a lot of ways, we already feel married.” Gaga echoed casual ideas on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", joking, “We actually talk about going to the courthouse just the two of us and ordering Chinese food,” while adding it could turn into “a circus with unicorns.”

In a 2025 interview, Gaga described the event as “the best day of my life,” reflecting her excitement despite keeping details under wraps. Polansky has supported Gaga professionally, including as co-executive producer on "Mayhem" and joining her for wins like Artist of the Year at the 2025 MTV VMAs. She thanked him publicly during her emotional 2025 Grammy acceptance speech.

Gaga's prominence in LGBTQ+ advocacy adds resonance to her personal milestone. As a longtime ally who has performed at pride events and supported transgender rights through person-first language and initiatives, her relationship updates inspire fans in the community. Community responses on social media, including her Instagram @ladygaga, celebrate the news as a symbol of love's authenticity, mirroring themes in her music like self-acceptance and partnership. While no official statements from LGBTQ+ organizations like GLAAD have emerged yet on this update, Gaga's history of affirming support for transgender people and broader queer visibility underscores the event's cultural ripple.

The announcement coincides with Gaga's busy era promoting "Mayhem", blending her personal life with her artistic output. Fans speculate on platforms like TikTok about potential wedding songs, tying into Mars' dedication. As details remain private, the "soon" timeline—possibly within months—keeps global attention on the couple.

“Identifying as non-binary was a beautiful and important part of my journey toward truly finding myself,” Fontana said. “Now, I feel completely ready to be open and transparent.” She emphasized that her non-binary identity was a genuine step in self-exploration, not a concealment, stating it “helped me explore. It helped me question. It helped me grow.” Fontana, who was announced for RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World season 3 on January 8, 2026, expressed a desire to present her most authentic self to audiences post-filming.

In a video message, Fontana declared, “I am a transgender woman,” adding that she has “always been she/her” and is now embracing her truth openly. She described the past year since filming as a period of deep reflection, where she looked “deeper inside myself than ever before” and experienced her “soul finding home in my body” after decades of searching. Fontana noted that returning to screens prompted her to show her honest self: “I gave you my most true, authentic self on Drag Race. Now it’s time to give you my most true, authentic self outside of it.”

The performer, born in Brazil and residing in Sweden since age 20, has begun her medical transition and is navigating the Swedish healthcare system, including weekly therapy sessions. She highlighted challenges such as long waiting periods for transgender healthcare in Sweden. Fontana had not initially planned a public discussion of her transition, but it emerged naturally during a recent television appearance, as it is integral to her identity.

Fontana hopes her openness will create visibility and safe spaces for transgender people, especially amid ongoing public debates on trans rights. She feels a responsibility to use her platform from Drag Race—where she excelled in Drag Race Sverige with one Maxi Challenge win and two Mini Challenge wins—to uplift the trans community and support those exploring their identities. Thanking fans for their support, she aims to live “fully and authentically.”

This announcement arrives shortly after her January 23, 2026, coming out noted on fan resources, underscoring her evolving public journey. Fontana’s story resonates within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly drag and trans circles, as Drag Race has long served as a platform for queer and transgender visibility. Her blend of Brazilian heritage—seen in her vibrant performances—and Swedish life adds a unique layer to her narrative, inspiring global fans. Community responses on platforms like PinkNews comments sections have been supportive, emphasizing respectful dialogue around trans experiences.

While broader coverage remains emerging, the event aligns with increased trans visibility in entertainment, where performers like Fontana challenge norms and advocate for affirming healthcare access. Her journey from Drag Race Sverige runner-up to this milestone underscores the show's role in personal and communal growth for LGBTQ+ individuals.

The video showcased the opera house's hardworking crew, including costumers, composers, set designers, stagehands, and musicians, with an on-screen message reading, "All respect to the opera people out there." The caption directly referenced Chalamet: "This one's for you, Timothée Chalamet… 👀."

Chalamet's remarks originated during a CNN and Variety town hall in late February 2026 with Matthew McConaughey, where they discussed Hollywood and movie theaters. He expressed support for preserving movie theaters despite shifting audience preferences, stating actors sometimes campaign to "keep this thing alive." Chalamet then contrasted this with opera and ballet, saying, "I don't want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.'"

Immediately recognizing the potential offense, Chalamet added, "All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there," and joked, "I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason." McConaughey defended him, saying, "That's not a shot, I hear what you're saying."

The Metropolitan Opera's video echoed Chalamet's own softening phrase, turning it into a subtle rebuke of his initial dismissal. London's Royal Ballet and Opera also responded with a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, asserting, "Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation — they have continually informed, inspired, and elevated other art forms. Their influence can be felt across theatre, film, contemporary music, fashion, and beyond."

This exchange highlights ongoing debates about the vitality of traditional performing arts amid modern entertainment trends, including shorter attention spans noted by Chalamet. The opera and ballet communities emphasized the behind-the-scenes labor and cultural significance of their work, countering perceptions of irrelevance.

While no direct LGBTQ+ community responses were documented in initial coverage, performing arts like ballet and opera hold significant representation for LGBTQ+ individuals, including transgender people and others who find affirming spaces in these disciplines. The Metropolitan Opera has historically supported diverse performers, though specific ties to this incident remain unconfirmed across sources.

Pop star and ballerina Adéla, currently touring with Demi Lovato, told TMZ she was not offended by Chalamet's comments and views the backlash as overblown. Her perspective offers a lighter counterpoint to institutional reactions.

The incident underscores tensions between film actors and live performance sectors, with opera houses leveraging social media for rapid rebuttals. Chalamet, known for roles in Dune and Marty Supreme, has not publicly responded to the opera's video as of March 7, 2026.

Heated Rivalry, adapted from Rachel Reid's Game Changer book series, centers on the forbidden romance between two rival hockey players, portrayed by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. The series premiered on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S., accelerated to capitalize on holiday viewership after generating significant buzz. Its unapologetic depiction of gay romance and explicit intimacy drew widespread acclaim, surprising even Tierney, who recounted how networks initially hesitated due to the show's sincere approach to same-sex relationships and sex scenes.

Tierney, known for his work on Letterkenny and Shoresy, wrote and directed all six episodes of the first season, earning praise for faithfully capturing the source material's steamy dynamics. The show's success has positioned it as a landmark in queer sports storytelling, resonating with LGBTQ+ audiences for its authentic portrayal of transgender and gay individuals navigating high-stakes professional environments, though specific transgender characters are not central in season 1 coverage. Community responses on LGBTQ+ media outlets highlight the series' role in normalizing same-sex relationships in traditionally masculine sports like hockey.

This development comes alongside Tierney's announcement of a new project, Alexander, a Netflix period drama about Alexander the Great and his tutor Aristotle, based on Annabel Lyon's novel The Golden Mean. Tierney will write, direct, and executive-produce the series, which explores themes of forbidden love, palace intrigue, and empire-building, with executive producers Brendan Brady, Jason Bateman, and Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films also attached. Tierney expressed enthusiasm, stating, "I fell in love with Annabel Lyon’s book The Golden Mean years ago and have been dreaming of telling this story ever since. Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life."

For Heated Rivalry fans, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, the season 2 timeline offers anticipation amid the wait. The first season's tidal wave of interest transformed it into an international sensation, with U.S. streaming rights fueling its popularity. Tierney's dual commitments underscore his rising profile in queer-inclusive storytelling, bridging contemporary sports romance with historical epics involving complex male bonds often interpreted through an LGBTQ+ lens.

No official community statements from major LGBTQ+ organizations like GLAAD were found directly addressing the season 2 announcement, but coverage in outlets like Out.com reflects positive reception among queer media for Tierney's body of work. The project's continuation affirms ongoing demand for narratives centering gay men in sports, contributing to broader representation in television. As production ramps up, further details on casting and plot are expected from Crave and HBO Max.

Production on 'Elio' faced significant turmoil, marked by executive interventions and tonal shifts influenced by backlash to prior Pixar projects like the 2023 'Lightyear' same-sex kiss and a transgender storyline cut from the 'Win or Lose' series. Early test screenings alarmed executives when no audience members indicated they would pay to see the film in theaters, prompting a major rewrite even after much animation was completed. Pixar leadership, including Docter, directed the team to "masculinize" Elio, removing queer suggestive elements to make the character less personal and more broadly palatable.

Molina exited the project following discussions with Docter, a move insiders described as pivotal, with crew members reportedly crying upon his announcement as the title character drew from his own childhood. Directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi stepped in to helm the revised version, which retained the core sci-fi premise of Elio, a boy beamed to an alien "Communiverse" mistaken for Earth's ambassador amid an intergalactic crisis. The voice cast includes Yonas Kibreab as Elio, alongside Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Young Dylan, Matthias Schweighöfer, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil; the screenplay was by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones.

Docter articulated the studio's rationale in the interview, emphasizing sensitivity to parental concerns: "We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy," he said, noting some parents prefer not to navigate unprepared discussions on complex topics like LGBTQ+ identities with young children. This stance echoes broader industry caution post-conservative boycotts of Disney content featuring queer representation, though Docter framed it as balancing artistic intent with audience expectations.

The final 'Elio' premiered in theaters on June 22, 2025, earning mixed reviews and a dismal $20.8 million domestic opening, Pixar's worst ever, against a reported $150 million budget—though insiders claimed costs neared $300 million, resulting in over $100 million in losses for Disney. Critics noted the universe's visual appeal but lamented a lack of emotional depth, with one review stating it took "the easier route... rather than sending you to a place where it could be truly deeply felt."

LGBTQ+ advocates and former Pixar staff expressed disappointment, with a ex-employee telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2025 that the theatrical Elio was "far worse than Adrian’s best version," questioning if retaining Molina's vision would have avoided financial losses. The changes fueled backlash amid Disney's pattern of scaling back transgender and queer content, raising concerns in the community about authentic representation for LGBTQ+ youth in family animation. No official statements from LGBTQ+ organizations like GLAAD were immediately available in coverage, but the revelations underscore ongoing tensions in Hollywood over inclusive storytelling.

Villanelle – from Killing Eve

Villanelle is the whole wicked package. She’s flamboyant, chaotic, and sensual. She’s also a literal assassin — but childlike in her antics. Her queer obsession blurred the hero-villain line until you didn’t care which side she was on.


 
Lestat de Lioncourt – from Interview with the Vampire

Lestat is a vile creature for sure, making a child immortal, stunting her physical appearance for decades. He’s manipulative, toxic and tragic. If author Anne Rice did anything in creating this character, it was to make him despicable but desirable all at once.



Pam Swynford De Beaufort – from True Blood

With all her deadpan deliveries, this unapologetic lesbian character isn’t trying to impress anyone with her callousness. And as she says in one episode of “True Blood” her mad face and her happy face are the same. Evil in designer clothing never hurt so good. She also said something else that made us chuckle; a pun born in Pride, “Let bygones be bygones, and bi girls be bi girls.”



Mystique

The ability to shape-shift might be the dream superpower of any gay person. So thank goodness the Marvel Universe did it and named her Mystique, a queer X-Men character whose villainy was born out of survival. She’s cool, relentless and powerful much like the community she represents.



Agatha Harkness – Agatha All Along  

Not many villains have an intimate relationship with death herself. Unless your name is Agatha Harkness, then it’s a match made in…well, someplace.  Agatha’s story is a tragic one which led her into the dark arts. But Agatha isn’t just evil; she’s fun. She’s got that gay man comeback wit which is deadlier than any spell. She’s got personality and style that makes rooting for her a little easier even when you know you shouldn’t.



Ursula – from The Little Mermaid

This sea witch from “The Little Mermaid” isn’t openly gay, Disney wouldn’t dare. But Ursula, coded or not, has become a cult (and camp) favorite. That might be because she was inspired by none other than Divine, the punk drag queen from Baltimore who went on to become filmmaker John Waters’ movie muse; Ursula turned villainy into queer spectacle. No notes.



Negasonic Teenage Warhead – from Deadpool

Not a villain per se, but Negasonic’s snarky anti-hero vibe and openly lesbian identity in Deadpool makes her one of the franchise’s most subversive standouts. She’s also got quite a fanbase. Cosplayers and pop culture enthusiasts have made her a legend.

After Oprah Winfrey stole the show in the opening stretch of the nine-day week, Naomi Watts and Kai Schreiber were at Balenciaga. Rooney Mara, Diane Kruger, Alexa Chung, Elizabeth Olsen and Yseult turned up at Givenchy.

Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross watched Celine. Chappell Roan was at Vivienne Westwood and then at McQueen, where Myha’la and Sophie Thatcher were also there. Chanel was still to come Monday, and Louis Vuitton capping the season Tuesday.

But this week was about more than the front row.

Paris Fashion Week ’s biggest houses are in reset mode, and the designers leading them are trying to answer the same hard question: How do you dress people when the world feels dark, loud and unstable?

Three trends stood out

First came clothes built to shield: high collars, wrapped coats and strong tailoring.

Then came the silhouette: a sharper line, as designers moved away from years of oversized dressing and back toward shape.

The third trend was glamour that looked less polished. Hair was messier, makeup was smudged, clothes felt rougher and the mood was darker. Luxury no longer looked sealed off from real life.

Armor for anxious times

Balenciaga led the first trend.

In his second show, Pierpaolo Piccioli built the collection around darkness and the search for light, working with “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson on a set tied to the series’ return.

The mood pushed the collection toward unease.

On the runway, that became balloon bombers, cocoon backs, portrait collars and face-framing necklines that made the body look guarded.

Even the softer draped dresses kept that mood: these were clothes for a hard world.

Givenchy pursued a similar path and made it more personal. Sarah Burton’s third show felt like the one where her point of view clicked.

She was not proposing one ideal woman, but many women and many ways of being strong, with exact tailoring, strong coats, peplum hips, velvet, shearling and evening looks grounded in real life.

Burton's collection was about how women put themselves back together in the world they are living in. That idea gave the clothes force. They were polished, but but still connected to it.

Junya Watanabe pushed the idea furthest, turning gloves, motorcycle gear and emergency blankets into couture-like forms.

McQueen did the same, with Seán McGirr talking about paranoia, perfection and the strain of always being seen. His slashed leather trousers, low-slung minis and chainmail-like textures suggested exposure, but also defense.

The new sharpness

The second big trend was silhouette.

After years of volume, slouch and oversized ease, Paris is moving back toward the body.

Celine made that shift most clearly. Michael Rider’s third outing felt like a designer settling into his idea.

He wanted clothes for living in. His coats and suits sat closer to the torso. His trousers kicked out in cropped flares. His menswear came in long, narrow overcoats that looked crisp rather than inflated.

Rider also suggested that the long dominance of oversized dressing may be breaking.

His version of sharpness was not stiff or nostalgic. It had ease, but it also had character.

Classic clothes came back with a little edge: smaller details, stranger proportions, a more exact line.

That made Celine a clear mood-setter.

Paris runways were after presence, just no longer through sheer size.

You could see that shift elsewhere, too. Burton relaxed the strict hourglass she established earlier at Givenchy, but she did not give up shape.

Piccioli used collars and cocoon backs to frame the figure rather than bury it. McQueen’s low-rise minis and neat boots pointed the same way.

The season’s line was stronger, cleaner and closer to the body. After years of volume, Paris was asking for something more exposed. Stand up. Be seen. Take shape.

Beauty with the cracks left in

The third trend was less polished glamour.

Designers still wanted beauty, but they wanted friction too.

At Westwood, Andreas Kronthaler staged grief, eroticism and disorder at once, speaking openly about loss while insisting on pleasure and play. On the runway, that became rough seams, smudged lipstick, lingerie codes, odd hats and an unfinished bride. It looked messy, sad, sexy and alive.

That appetite for imperfection ran through the week.

Rider evoked the messier inner lives beneath beautiful clothes.

Piccioli used shadow to keep darkness close.

Burton filled Givenchy with distinct female characters instead of one polished ideal.

Paris repeatedly rejected sterile luxury. Taken together, the strongest shows suggested a week less interested in escape than in resilience. The best designers were not trying to make the world disappear.

They were trying to arm women for it.

Hilton is donating $350,000 to kick-start the Back in Business Recovery Fund, with a goal to raise at least $1 million by the end of March.

“Women-owned businesses are really the heart of so many of these communities,” Hilton told The Associated Press. “I want to be able to lift up and support them, shine a light on them and really make a difference in their lives.”

The new initiative will be a partnership between Hilton's social impact organization 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org, which is the philanthropic arm of the fundraising platform GoFundMe and will contribute $100,000 to the fund’s launch.

Hilton and those organizations deployed over $1 million in cash grants to 50 women-owned small businesses after the LA fires, which destroyed her own Malibu home.

Losing the home where she was raising her young children has been “very emotional,” Hilton said, and spurred her to think of other mothers who'd lost not just houses but income to support their families.

The grants of up to $25,000 went to owners of child care centers, bakeries, bookshops, dance studios and salons damaged by the Eaton fire, which devastated the community of Altadena. The money helped cover rent, payroll, replacing equipment and rebuilding.

One year later, 90% of the grantee businesses are still operating, according to the Pasadena Women's Business Center, which also received a grant to provide technical assistance and mentorship to impacted enterprises.

Grant helped floral designer

The grantees included Renata Ortega, who ran her floral design company Orla Floral Studio from a converted garage next to the Altadena home she shared with her husband and three dogs.

Ortega was unsure how she would keep her business going after flames destroyed her house and studio space, including all her floral and event equipment.

“Nothing prepares you for that amount of loss,” she told The Associated Press. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to get back on my feet because it took me years to be able to come up with the inventory I had.”

She worried for the staff she employed and the flower market vendors who depended on her purchases, too.

The grant helped Ortega pay the deposit on a studio space and purchase a badly needed floral cooler. Orla Floral is now “booked and busy,” she said. She was able to keep her staff and is hoping to hire another employee soon.

She credits much of her recent growth to the grant. “It directly went into getting us back into business, but actually back and better than ever,” she said.

The support also gave Ortega a motivational boost as she faced rebuilding her home and livelihood simultaneously.

“You have to keep going and you have keep pushing and fighting forward,” Ortega told herself, “because if somebody like Paris Hilton notices your story and thinks you’re important, then you have to believe in yourself and also think that you’re important.”

Paris Hilton wanted to think bigger

Hilton supported grantees as a customer, too, proudly donning a catsuit from the apparel shop Crop It Like It’s Hot at the Coachella music festival and hiring food vendors like Carmela Ice Cream and Hot Shrimp Mami for her own parties.

Those relationships inspired her to think “think bigger” about a national initiative, Hilton said. So did her lived experiences as a woman, mother and entrepreneur.

“For so much of my career, I’ve been underestimated,” said Hilton, a great grandchild of the hotel magnate Conrad N. Hilton. “I’ve worked very hard to show people that there’s much more to me.”

While there are 14.5 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., a 39% share according to Wells Fargo, women, and especially minority women receive disproportionately less investment than men through venture capital and loan financing.

“They are the most undercapitalized and underresourced, and particularly if primary caregiving responsibilities are falling on them too, sometimes that leads to increased recovery burden,” said Rebecca Grone, director of 11:11 Media Impact.

Like the LA program, the Back in Business Recovery Fund will distribute unrestricted grants, partnering with some of the 150 local women’s business centers spread across the U.S.

Collaborating with the centers will help identify impacted women quickly and opens up access not just to cash, but to a community of business owners facing similar challenges, said Amanda Brown Lierman, executive director of GoFundMe.org. “It’s really key to the success.”

Decisions on when to activate the fund will also be informed by reaching out to the women business centers to assess impacts, Brown Lierman said.

While the money will go to owners themselves, the impact is aimed toward the whole community, said Grone. Saving businesses can protect jobs and tax revenue, but it can also preserve the soul of communities, drawing displaced residents back home.

“You don't want to come back if the community isn't thriving, so as folks are rebuilding their homes, the things that are familiar and make a community feel like home are equally as crucial,” she said.

A YouTube series called “ Back in Business ” was also released Monday, highlighting some of the LA business owners. “I hope it really inspires others to want to donate and give back,” Hilton said.

Several of the LA grantees including Ortega will join Hilton Monday afternoon to ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell, marking International Women's Day, which was Mar. 8.

It will be one of her proudest moments, Hilton said, “showing the power of women when they come together.”