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Art

Read the latest news and reviews in The Advocate's gay art section. Enjoy exclusive previews of gay art openings, galleries, and shows that include exciting work from established and emerging LGBT artists. Portraits, photographs, pastels, oils, sculptures, statues, landscapes, and more are featured in the art section, which shows the latest creative contributions of the gay community. From nudes, to sketches, to photojournalism, The Advocate brings readers a virtual exhibition of surrealist, modernist, realist, and classical art that appeals to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and beyond.

From pansies to triangles: A guide to queer symbols through the ages
History

15 secret symbols queer people used throughout the ages

From pansies to pink triangles, these symbols have helped us identify and communicate with one when "out-and-proud" wasn't allowed.

artwork by teddy sandoval and a photo of joey terrill
Art

Are you butch enough for Teddy Sandoval's queer Chicanx mustachioed art?

A new retrospective revisits the subversive artist who queered spaces, reimagined Chicano masculinity, and forged artistic connections across avant-garde networks.
Boys! Boys! Boys! podcast: A new voice in queer culture
Art

Boys! Boys! Boys! podcast: A new voice in queer culture

Here's everything you need to know about the new podcast hosted by award-winning DJ and podcaster Graeme Smith.

Art Museum of the Americas 18th Street NW Washington DC
News

Art Museum of the Americas cancels Black & LGBTQ+ exhibitions after Trump’s DEI crackdown

“Nobody uses that word in art — terminated,” one of the curators said.

Smithsonian Candy exhibit AIDS masterpiece by Felix González-Torres
Art

The Smithsonian erased more than a queer Cuban artist's AIDS artwork

By omitting the tragic story behind Felix González-Torres "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), the National Portrait Gallery is setting a perilous precedent, warns art scholar Ignacio Darnaude.

photo gallery Duvall Pride Wall rainbow ribbon weaving community project
News

A small town's 'Pride Wall' was vandalized and taken down. They built it back even better

The Pride Wall has sent an accepting message to local residents in Duvall, Wash., even as some community members sought to permanently take down the wall.

Favorite Galleries 2024 photo gallery list favorite art & photography galleries of 2024​
Art

2024's best (and hottest) queer art & photography

An overview of the sexiest and most popular visual creations by queer artists published throughout 2024.

karla sofia gascon emilia perez julio torres problemista cynthia erivo wicked movie
film

The 10 best film performances by LGBTQ+ actors in 2024

This was an extraordinary year for queer cinema and LGBTQ+ talent on the big screen.

Payton Koch, Cooper Koch's hot and gay twin brother
television

Meet Payton, Cooper Koch's hot (and gay) twin brother

Get ready to swoon over the talented Koch twins.
Beyonce Ariana Grande Taylor Swift
Music

2025 Grammy nominations for the gays: Pop girls battle for gold

The Grammy nominations have arrived and they are so gay.

celebrites who voted in 2024: Fortune Feimster, Dave Bautista, Trixie Mattel
Election

From Drag Race to Hollywood: These celebs made their voices and votes heard

Discover which celebrities are heading to the polls and sharing their voting experiences.

Trans icon Candy Darling's story is coming to the big screen
Print Issue

Trans icon Candy Darling's story is coming to the big screen

Fifty years after her death, the legendary actress and Andy Warhol muse is having a moment — and we’re so here for it.

Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in the Wicked musical; Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the Wicked movie
film

Here's our honest cast comparison of the 'Wicked' movie and Broadway musical

How do your favorite actors from the original Broadway cast compare to the new faces bringing these beloved characters to life?

Virginia School Tries to Ban Student Art Offensive to Christians
News

A GOP school board member tried to ban a student's art for being 'offensive' to Christians

Conservative Timothy Simmons tried (and failed) to get his Virginia district to turn on a queer student's moving art piece about religious trauma.

Jon Carmichael astrophotographer airplane pilots famous eclipse photo
News

Gay photographer who captured epic 2017 eclipse image will take to the sky to outdo himself Monday

Jon Carmichael told The Advocate about his famous image and how he plans to outdo it with a flight on David Copperfield’s private jet.

True
Visit Casa Susanna, a secret house of trans women in the 1960s
Transgender

Visit Casa Susanna, a secret house of trans women in the 1960s

A house in the Catskill Mountains once served as a refuge of joy and liberation. Now, a new book brings Casa Susanna back to life.

Getty Museum blood exhibit
Art

Scarlet fever: exploring our fascination, revulsion with blood

A new art exhibit examines long-held fears of violence, illness, and even menstruation.

Starbucks Black History Month collection is raising funds
PLUS
Art

Starbucks Black History Month collection is raising funds

Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong Performing Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve Ryan Seacrest
Music

Green Day slams 'MAGA agenda,' Republicans shocked to learn 'American Idiot' is political

But why aren't they raging for the machine?

Tiffany Fantasia (pictured out of drag) and Eli Sudbrack pose together at the installation's unveiling.
Art

Miami Beach Celebrates the City's Drag Scene with New Street Art

Across the U.S., where at least a dozen states have attempted to pass anti-drag laws, including in Florida, drag remains a central topic in a larger culture war targeting LGBTQ+ rights.