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Ben Platt breaks his heart, WeHo Pride & St. Patty’s Gay tees: 10 things we’re obsessed with this week

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Three-panel image. In the left panel, a bearded red haired man looks mysteriously in the camera modeling a navy and white half-zip up knit sweatshirt. In the middle panel, Ben Platt wears a collared shirt and looks up in a dim room singing in the "Andrew" music video. In the right panel, a green t-shirt reading "Kiss Me, I'm Gay" over a rainbow illustration.

The spring equinox is in the air!

Can you smell it? Err, don’t inhale that hard –– it’s also the kickoff for seasonal allergies! Nevertheless, the promise of sprouting flowers and chirping birds has us feeling some fresh air.

And it’s a sentiment that seems to have hit the world of LGBTQ+ news as we dig our heels firmly into the year of 2024.

We put a wrap on awards season (for now) with the 2024 Queerties Awards and celebrated some gay AF country bangers ahead of Beyoncé’s upcoming western era. Then, Lady Gaga joined forces with Dylan Mulvaney and more Queer Eye tea was spilled.

Hell, we even said, “Bottoms up!” (quite literally) in anticipation of a rambunctious St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Elsewhere on the internet, we’ve been blessed with bops, books, bans, and, yes, blankets. There’s never a dull moment when you’re a gay whose daily iPhone Screen Time rivals the runtime of Oscar-winner Oppenheimer times three.

Grab the green-colored beer, pull out the credit card, and put on some tunes. Here are the 10 things we’re obsessed with this week!

1. The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul

RuPaul is typically a queen of international mystery, revealing very little beneath a flawless exterior while helming one of the biggest LGBTQ+ media powerhouses in the world. (Perhaps she knows where Kate Middleton is?) And yet, her authenticity and power, especially while molding the next generation of drag queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race, never falter.

Perhaps this is why Ru’s new memoir The House of Hidden Meanings (currently on sale for $20.99 at Amazon) is so especially intriguing. The candid book documents his humble roots as a poor, Black, and queer kid in a broken home and transformation into a global superstar. And judging by his tell-all New Yorker interview, it sounds like he’s spilling ALL the tea.

2. Green T-Shirts

Three-panel image. On the left, a green t-shirt that reads "Kiss Me I'm Gay" above a rainbow illustration. In the middle, a white t-shirt that says "Irish You Were Gay" in a Gaelic-looking font with a shamrock illustration. In the right panel, a green tee that says "I put the gay in Gaelic" with a rainbow-colored shamrock.
Image Credit: Etsy

Gay Irishmen, assemble! There’s no better time to be Irish (or a gay man who loves draught beer) than St. Patrick’s Day Weekend. And Gaelic or not, if you’re planning to hit the sweaty pub circuit in search of a grassy-colored pint, you’ll want to wear some green. Full-grown adults do not play about that pinching thing.

Thankfully, there’s a hearty selection of t-shirt options to advertise your pride for both the LGBTQ+ community and St. Patty on Etsy. My personal faves? “Kiss Me I’m Gay” ($20), the classic “Irish You Were Gay” tee ($20), and of course a fabulous “I Put the Gay in Gaelic” option for $24.

3. The WeHo Pride lineup

This year’s West Hollywood Pride is (once again) proof that Gay God plays favorites! It’s no secret that the West Coast tends to curate a blend of LGBTQ+ performers and allies that has Tri-Staters turning green with envy –– and ferociously looking up flight prices.

Still, their 2024 lineup for flagship music festival OUTLOUD is exceptionally iconic with headliners Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monáe, and Diplo & Friends. And if that wasn’t enough, Noah Cyrus, Trixie Mattel, Keke Palmer, Big Freedia, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and VINCINT are also hitting the stage. You can score weekend passes for $167-$291 online while they last! And figure out your travel plans later!

4. Super Plush Throw Blankets

Three-panel image. In the left panel, a man with long brown hair in a black shirt and beanie lounges on a black and white checkerboard plush throw. In the middle, a pink and purple floral designed plush throw lays over a bed. In the right panel, a blonde man smiles draped in a plush throw adorned with mushrooms and psychedelic lines.
Image Credit: Urban Outfitters

The coziest season of the year is coming to an end, but let’s be honest: there’s never a bad time for a blankey! These super plush throws –– in a variety of colors for $49 at Urban Outfitters –– might just have you bundled up until June, completely ambivalent to the whims of springtime as you’re draped in a 60″x50″ sheet of soft polyester. And what’s wrong with that?! Unfortunately, boys pictured in blankets sold separately.

5. “Andrew” by Ben Platt

Between a Broadway-blessed voice and emotional lyrics, Ben Platt has quickly cemented himself as one of the most inventive LGBTQ+ singer-songwriters. While his first record leaned into his showtunes repertoire and his sophomore album planted itself on the dance floor, his upcoming third LP Honeymind (due out May 31) seems to be something completely different.

In plaintive lead single “Andrew,” Platt embraces Simon & Garfunkel-esque melodies to recount a childhood crush on a boy and the complicated feelings of navigating sexuality in the middle school hallways. It’s tender, delicate, and maybe a little optimistic, whetting our appetite for what’s next to come.

6. Lick Honest Ice Cream

Three-panel image. On the left, a hand with purple nails holds up a waffle cone filled with vanilla scoops. In the middle, Lick Honest co-founders Anthony and Chad smile against a gray backdrop. They're both men with dark brown hair and beards and smile widely. In the right panel, a pint of ice cream that reads "Lick Honest Ice Cream" with scoops of iced sugar cookie ice cream spilling out the top.
Image Credit: Lick Honest

This Texas-based ice creamery’s story actually started in New York, where queer co-founders Anthony and Chad found each other –– and a dearth of “honest ice cream” options. After moving to Austin in 2011, the couple launched Lick Honest, a hand-packed and churned ice cream brand dedicated to watching its “milk and cream as it journeys from the cows to your scoop.” Leave it to the gays to nail down attention-to-detail!

Their noble mission is perhaps only rivaled by a mouthwatering variety of flavors like Texas Sheet Cake, Roasted Beets & Fresh Mint, and Goat Cheese, Thyme & Honey. And if you’re not in Texas, you can order pints of delicious staples including Caramel Salt Lick, Coffee With Cream, and Red Velvet starting at $8.99 online.

7. The Lohanaissance

ICYMI: We’re in the Lohanaissance. As a gay man who grew up with a “crush” on Lindsay Lohan (read: I believed her song “Rumors” was a magnum opus and spent $30 to buy Speak on vinyl), I could not be happier to see Disney’s resident redhead stride back into the spotlight. Not only is her saccharine, new St. Patty’s rom-com Irish Wish now streaming on Netflix, but Lohan signed on for two more projects, teased a Freaky Friday sequel, and hinted at new music.

To quote Mean Girls, “Finally, Girl World was at peace.”

8. Problemista

Gay comedian Julio Torres! An artsy and surreal A24 film about an aspiring toy designer! Producer Emma Stone! Tilda Swinton being her weird Tilda Swinton self!

Problemista –– now in theaters –– is certifiably the quirkiest and queerest flick of the year thus far, and I implore you to see it immediately. (Bonus: A24 is celebrating its release with a handful of tees and its soundtrack on vinyl for $40 each.)

9. Knitwears from H&M

Three-panel image. On the left, a Black man wears a collared tan collared and striped shirt and smiles leaning against the wall. In the far right panel, he models the same shirt blue in black with tan lines. In the middle panel, a bearded white man with red hair looks mysteriously into the camera wearing a black and white striped knit sweatshirt that zips halfway up.
Image Credit: H&M

RuPaul once said, “I don’t want to see f**king H&M!” All respect to the mother of drag, but the fast-fashion outfitters are my nicotine and/or Brokeback Mountain: “I wish I knew how to quit you.”

Furthermore, the Swedish store has been upping their game with a spread of stylish knitwears guaranteed to score you a compliment like “I love your knit” from a snooty gay person. And for that reason alone, I’ve already added the ’70s-reminiscent Regular Fit Fine-knit Polo Shirts ($36.99) and preppy Loose Fit Half-zip Polo Sweater ($56.99) to my shopping cart.

10. Our favorite gay TikTokers

@tylerwoodwardd

nightmare

♬ remember you – Dominurmom
@octopusslover8 Replying to @Lou ♬ original sound – Jake Shane
@zzzachariah He’s always gotta ask where’s my hug? 😛 #comedy #babydaddy #relateable #fyp ♬ original sound – Zachariah
@sugarandspice

Finally did our most requested looks yet 🤯

♬ Shake It – Metro Station

WTF is going on with TikTok? Our country’s coterie of influencers and content creators were shook to learn that the House of Representatives passed a bill banning the popular video-sharing app. (Although, the Senate appears to be a little less keen on ditching the social media network so quickly.)

Nevertheless, the threat is a reminder to never take our hilarious LGBTQ+ TikTokers –– like Zachariah Porter, Jake Shane, Tyler Woodward, and this year’s Queerties Award winners Sugar & Spice –– for granted. Thanks for the LOLs, gals!

Related:

Bad Bunny, gay Barbie tees & Meryl Streep sees the future: 10 things we’re obsessed with this Oscars season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Oscars weekend!

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