Actor Naomi Ackie said she would only have taken the role if Whitney Houston’s history with partner Robyn Crawford was included. (more…)
Category: Entertainment
Stay updated with the latest in LGBTQ+ entertainment through Gayety. Explore top celebrity news, in-depth interviews, and comprehensive coverage of your favorite TV shows and music artists.
-
Check Out the Full Cast of the ‘Wicked’ Movies
We have one thing to say about the upcoming Wicked movie: You will be popular. (more…)
-
Lacey Chabert Comments on Candace Cameron Bure’s Departure From Hallmark
“Any shift I’ve felt has been embracing our creative ideas,” Lacey Chabert told Vulture. (more…)
-
‘Doctor Who’ Teaser Gives First-Look at Yasmin Finney, Ncuti Gatwa, Neil Patrick Harris
In a new extended teaser for BBC’s Doctor Who anniversary special episodes, fans will see familiar faces and exciting new ones. (more…)
-
‘Wednesday’ Show Creators Talk Potential Queer Romance
Will we see a queer couple in season two of Wednesday? (more…)
-
Shawn Mendes Strips Down For an Icy Polar Plunge
This year, Shawn Mendes gave his followers the ultimate Christmas present: A video showing him stripping down into his underwear.
(more…) -
See Diane Keaton & Jane Fonda in New ‘Book Club 2’ Trailer
Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen will all return in Focus Feature’s Book Club: The Next Chapter. (more…)
-
This Is What Happens When AI Generates 100 Gay Couples
We have indeed entered a new era of AI technology. As this innovation makes waves in the art world people are asking, is this tech viable? Are tools like DALL-E 2, Midjourney, and NightCafe part of a technological renaissance or a short-lived trend? The answer you receive to this question will depend greatly on who you ask. However, one thing is certain. This technology definitely has its limitations. After one creator used the tool to generate 100 gay couples it’s clear that one of those limitations is diversity.
Related | 8 Images of Tom Holland as Link From Legend of Zelda
Looking to the Experts
Meet Dan Leveille, Director of Product Marketing at Deviant Art. Leveille is also the developer of Equaldex, a tool that tracks the progress of LGBTQ+ rights across the world. Clearly well-versed in both tech and art, Leveille is uniquely positioned to opine on this particular matter. This is especially true because he frequently puts AI tools to the test. Leveille made headlines earlier this year when he used these tools to generate concept art of Tom Holland as Link from Legend of Zelda. He also used the tool to fan-cast all of the characters in the franchise.
What Do Gay Couples Look Like?
Leveille took the tools to task once again to test them on another prompt. “I asked Midjourney for 100 gay couples using the same simple prompt: ‘photo of a gay couple.’” said Leveille on Instagram. The result certainly raises eyebrows. As detailed as the images are almost every single couple is white, young, and skinny. In fact, many of them look almost identical.
View this post on InstagramWhite Is Not the Default
It’s not impossible for these tools to generate people of color, but unless you ask for it, Midjourney delivers exclusively white, young, and skinny. Whether this is a result of the tool itself or a product of the sources it draws from is unclear. Either way, it’s plain to see that the tool is failing to compensate for a very real lack of diversity. White is not the default. Skinny is not the default. Young is not the default. There is no excuse for this misstep.
“Midjourney is one of the most amazing technologies I’ve ever used,” said Leveille. “But the lack of diversity is really concerning. 99% of the time, it defaults to White people unless you’ve specified.” Keep scrolling for more examples of the images the prompt generated. Take this as a reminder of the uphill battle faced by gay couples that aren’t white, skinny, and young.
Follow Dan Leveille on Instagram for more experimentation with AI art.
-
This Artist’s Paintings Depict Gay Religious Symbolism
Religion has long been a muse and source of inspiration for the great artists of the world. Unfortunately, artists from the Renaissance era had very little room to play around with explicitly gay imagery. Today artists have the freedom to explore every facet of their identity and areas of interest—although not without certain restrictions. Gay folks have a complex relationship with religion. There are gay religious people, of course, but many gay people have been scarred by religious institutions and family members. This doesn’t mean queer people are any less spiritual, it just means there’s more baggage. For artists like Rene Farias, baggage like this is a deep well of inspiration.
Related | 34 Steamy Gay Santa Illustrations To Ring in the Holigays
Meet Rene Farias
Currently living in Barcelona, Rene Farias works primarily with watercolor, oil, and graphite. With influences like Caravaggio, Bouguereau, Banksy, Norman Rockwell, and Tom of Finland, Farias has a vision that feels fully realized. His work is laden with gay religious symbolism, which has opened him up to quite a bit of criticism—particularly from the Catholic community. Being a queer artist, Farias also has to deal with homophobia regularly. As an artist that frequently explores taboos and stereotypes, this is something Farias appears to take in his stride. Although he has more freedom to explore his subject than many of his idols, Farias doesn’t exactly have free reign. “My biggest viewing platform is Instagram and Facebook,” says Farias. “Many times I have ideas that I must modify so that these platforms allow me to exhibit my work without censoring it or closing my account.”
Despite this Farias is determined to share his art with the world. Unafraid to pick at the seams of femininity and masculinity while deconstructing theology, Farias is resolute. If you ask us, his poignant work would certainly be admired by his forbearers. Follow Rene Farias on Instagram and shop his artwork, which ships worldwide, online. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Art by Rene Farias
More Where That Came From
As amazing as it may seem, this was merely a sampling of Farias’ work. He doesn’t just create gay religious imagery either. A quick glance at his catalog and you’ll see recurring imagery from nature and mythology. Mermaids, minotaurs, fairies, snakes, and butterflies are the mainstays of his art, each interpretation a complex layer of influences. We highly recommend purchasing a piece for yourself or at least following Rene Farias on Instagram.
