Chris Azzopardi
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Editorial Director of @PrideSource and Q Syndicate. Bylines: The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, Billboard, New York Mag, MTV. More: chrisazzopardi.com
Articles by Chris Azzopardi
Linda Perry, Finally in Frame
Linda Perry has spent most of her career behind the curtain — and she’s built an empire there. She wrote “Beautiful” and handed it to Christina Aguilera. She has worked with Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Adele — one hit after another, almost none of them credited to her voice.
Saying Hello to Dolly Was Easy. Goodbye Isn’t.
Here’s the thing nobody’s obituary is going to lead with, so I will: Dolly Parton picked up the phone for queer press. Not just the glossies with the biggest circulation — she talked to a small LGBTQ+ paper out of Michigan, the one I write for, the same way she talked to Rolling Stone or Playboy, at a time when most of country music wouldn’t return that call at all. There was no algorithm rewarding her for it, no cultural mandate yet that made it the safe or expected thing to do.
Kal Penn Has Never Paid for a Drink at a Lesbian Bar
We know him as Kumar in the “Harold & Kumar” movies, but Kal Penn has spent the past two decades happily refusing to stay in one lane. He left acting for a stint in the Obama administration, returned to Hollywood and, in 2021, wrote “You Can’t Be Serious,” a memoir that many assumed was partly his coming-out story. Now, in his new film, “Trust Me, I’m a Doctor,” in theaters Oct. 16, he plays Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, a gay doctor who finds himself pulled into Anna Nicole Smith’s orbit.
‘The Love Hypothesis’ Review: Steady Results From a Fake Relationship
‘The Love Hypothesis’ Review: Steady Results From a Fake Relationship A biology graduate student (Lili Reinhart), enters an experiment with a young professor (Tom Bateman) to prove a point to her friend. Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen in “The Love Hypothesis.” Credit...Philippe Bossé/Amazon MGM Studios Sept.
‘Best of the Best’ Review: They Think They Can Dance
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. ‘Best of the Best’ Review: They Think They Can Dance In Lena Khan’s dramedy, competitive Bollywood dance becomes a way for two friends to reckon with who they were before college, and who they’ve become. Becky Alex as Dimple, Priyanka Kedia as Anjali and Shreya Navile as Deepica in “Best of the Best.”Credit...Emily V.
‘Best of the Best’ Review: They Think They Can Dance
Macklemore 7 hours ago Guitar Center's "Open For Ed Sheeran" contest going about as well as expected The A.V. Club - Matt Schimkowitz • 7h The self-described not-complicit pop star has become the subject of much criticism after booting Macklemore from his tour. Ed Sheeran may claim to be apolitical, but his detractors don’t see him that way.
‘Best of the Best’ Review: They Think They Can Dance
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. ‘Best of the Best’ Review: They Think They Can Dance In Lena Khan’s dramedy, competitive Bollywood dance becomes a way for two friends to reckon with who they were before college, and who they’ve become. Becky Alex as Dimple, Priyanka Kedia as Anjali and Shreya Navile as Deepica in “Best of the Best.”Credit...Emily V. Aragones/Netflix Sept.
Linda Perry, finally in frame
By Chris Azzopardi Linda Perry has spent most of her career behind the curtain — and she’s built an empire there. She wrote “Beautiful” and handed it to Christina Aguilera. She has worked with Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Adele — one hit after another, almost none of them credited to her voice.
‘Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour’ Review: Back to Space She Goes
Katy Perry's sci-fi concert film from Paris shines brightest during simple, back-to-basics pop moments.
‘Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour’ Review: Back to Space She Goes
‘Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour’ Review: Back to Space She Goes Katy Perry’s sci-fi concert film from Paris shines brightest during simple, back-to-basics pop moments. Katy Perry, center, in “Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour — Live from Paris.”Credit...Cynthia Parkhurst/Trafalgar Releasing Sept.
Tori Amos Is Still Fighting for Love
Advertisement The singer-songwriter on documenting a traumatizing era, Provincetown bears and microdosing I’ve talked to Tori Amos enough times now that I no longer blink when the conversation drifts to witches, demons, fairies or the slow-motion collapse of democracy — often within the same sentence.
Joseph Osmundson’s ‘Spawning Season’ Asks: How Do You Grieve What Never Was?
How do you define “child” when you’re a queer boy who can’t carry one but wants to anyways? Growing up, Joseph Osmundson loved the women in his life (“mothers are a poppy seed cake, a lemon drizzle; fathers catch and release”) so much he could imagine fully stepping into their nurturing roles. Like them, he imagined not just raising a “queaby,” or a queer baby, but carrying one himself, in his belly, with Kay, a queer friend he met in college who stayed close into adulthood.
‘The Big Cheese’ Review: Who Will Become the World’s Best Cheesemonger?
In the new documentary “The Big Cheese,” cheesemongers take a slice of the spotlight. There are fierce rivalries among competitors in the United States and European countries (so unsparing, those French), and challenges that hinge on the ability of contestants to rhapsodize about tangy cheeses like Roquefort.
Tori Amos Is Still Fighting for Love
I’ve talked to Tori Amos enough times now that I no longer blink when the conversation drifts to witches, demons, fairies or the slow-motion collapse of democracy — often within the same sentence. Her 18th album, “In Times of Dragons,” is no exception to how her mind meanders through her own particular cosmology: a record where menopause becomes a dragon, an alternate version of her life becomes a confession and a gay man from Brooklyn exists as a witch.
LGBTQ+ Reads for Every Shelf
Advertisement Our Picks for the Summer Stretch Across Generations, Genres and Shelves By Chris Azzopardi and Sarah Hunt The challenges of the current political era have inspired a strong wave of LGBTQ+ titles across every genre and age range, and our editors have been reading. Below are the books we think deserve a place on your summer reading list – and honestly, on every other list, too.
‘Hadestown: The Musical’ Review: A Theatrical Triumph, Onscreen
André De Shields responds to ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ closing: ‘Cut off at its knees by hate and intolerance’ The Hadestown: The Musical cast explain what Broadway can do to better nurture new shows and talent. Where's that conjuring cat when you need him? …
‘Hadestown: The Musical’ Review: A Theatrical Triumph, Onscreen
Way down we go in Hadestown’s capitalist hell, the camera giving viewers access through the turntable’s center at the stage. There are perks to watching this live-capture of “Hadestown,” which arrived on Broadway in 2019 with its New Orleans-style blues and jazz sound; even the best seat in the house can’t guarantee that view.
'Hadestown: The Musical' Review: A Theatrical Triumph, Onscreen
(Critic's Pick) Way down we go in Hadestown's capitalist hell, the camera giving viewers access through the turntable's center at the stage. There are perks to watching this live-capture of "Hadestown," which arrived on Broadway in 2019 with its New Orleans-style blues and jazz sound; even the best seat in the house can't guarantee that view.
‘Heartstopper Forever’ Review: Facing a Grown-Up Reality Original
‘Heartstopper Forever’ Review: Facing a Grown-Up Reality The glossy Netflix series graduates into adulthood with this movie starring Kit Connor and Joe Locke as a couple with thoughts of college ahead.
'Heartstopper Forever' Review: Facing a Grown-Up Reality
Watching Nick and Charlie's high school romance over three seasons of "Heartstopper" raised an unanswerable question for many queer adults: What if we had seen stories about same-sex love and could have fallen in love that way, that young? Would animated sparks have danced around us, too? That's why so much of the Netflix show, based on Alice Oseman's young adult graphic novels, has felt like a reparative fantasy. It lets queer adults live a youth many of us never got to have.
Plant Kween Christopher Griffin Is Here to Remind You to Water Yourself
If your social feed has ever stopped you mid-scroll because a monstera looked like it’s been better-tended than you have, you’ve probably already found Christopher Griffin — known to their 800,000-strong plant-loving community as Plant Kween. Griffin — @plantkween on Instagram and author of “You Grow, Gurl!” — has turned houseplant care into something much bigger than watering schedules and sunlight charts.
After Everything, Melissa Etheridge Is Still Rising
Photographed in Joshua Tree California October 22, 2025 Advertisement On her first album in seven years, the lesbian rock legend finds clarity after loss — and has a powerful message for her community It doesn’t take long for Melissa Etheridge to feel like an old friend.
St. Vincent Has Always Been This Gay
St. Vincent, whose real name is Annie Clark, had just come from a Barry’s Bootcamp class in West Hollywood when we got on the phone — she offered this immediately, unprompted, clocking that she was talking to an LGBTQ+ publication. “It’s spot on,” she says, laughing.
‘Drunken Noodles’ Review: Saucy Encounters
‘Drunken Noodles’ Review: Saucy Encounters Over two blurred summers, an intern at an art gallery experiences solitude and pleasure with the men he encounters. Matthew Risch, left, and Laith Khalifeh in “Drunken Noodles.”Credit...Strand Releasing June 25, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET Drunken Noodles Directed by Lucio Castro Drama, Romance Not Rated 1h 23m Find Tickets When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
‘Drunken Noodles’ Review: Saucy Encounters
The only country on the planet that declared Steven Seagal a threat to national security Having disappeared so far up his own arse so long ago that he’s been irretrievable for decades, Steven Seagal fancying himself as a real-life tough …
‘Never Change!’ Review: Failing the Assignment
‘Never Change!’ Review: Failing the Assignment This comedy squanders a promising premise about adults forced back to high school on repetitive sketches and hollow jokes. John Reynolds, left, with Carmen Christopher in “Never Change!”Credit...Brett Roedel/Disney June 18, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET Never Change! Directed by Marty Schousboe Comedy Not Rated 1h 38m Find Tickets When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
‘Stop! That! Train!’ Review: Gleefully Going Off the Rails Original
‘Stop! That! Train!’ Review: Gleefully Going Off the Rails RuPaul stars as the American president, who must contend with an unfolding transit crisis and drag queens galore as a dangerous storm approaches.
'Stop! That! Train!' Review: Gleefully Going Off the Rails
(Critic's Pick) The category is Pride Month in "Stop! That! Train!" And there's a hot mess on the horizon as passengers on the Glamazonian Express are forced to dodge the divine retribution manifested in "stormaganza," a giant storm that is quickly approaching this high-speed train. The movie's "based on a true story" tagline doesn't feel quite like the joke it sets out to be: being a passenger on a ride, run by idiots, that persists in trying to ruin us? Yeah, we're all on that train.
‘She’s the He’ Review: A Campy, Gender Swap Comedy Original
‘She’s the He’ Review: A Campy, Gender Swap Comedy Nico Carney and Misha Osherovich play best friends on a mission to enter the women’s locker room. Alex (Nico Carney), left, and his shy longtime bestie, Ethan (Misha Osherovich).Credit...Obscured Releasing June 4, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET She's the He Directed by Siobhan McCarthy Comedy Not Rated 1h 22m Find Tickets When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
‘Miss You, Love You’ Review: A Son Outsources His Solace
‘Miss You, Love You’ Review: A Son Outsources His Solace The mourning process feels theatrical in this dramedy starring Allison Janney as a new widow estranged from her son. Allison Janney in “Miss You, Love You.”Credit...HBO May 28, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET Miss You, Love You Directed by Jim Rash Drama Not Rated Find Tickets When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
After Everything, Melissa Etheridge Is Still Rising
It doesn’t take long for Melissa Etheridge to feel like an old friend. Seconds into our latest conversation, she’s already asking what I think of her new album — “Rise,” her first in seven years — and within moments we’re deep into the kind of conversation that makes you forget you’re supposed to be conducting an interview. That’s always been our history. Seven years is a long time. Long enough to grieve, to rebuild, to sit with loss until it becomes something you can sing about.
‘Life Hack’ Review: A Heist That Never Leaves the Screen
‘Life Hack’ Review: A Heist That Never Leaves the Screen A group of teenagers seem to be targeting a cryptocurrency billionaire out of boredom, but they have a more sympathetic motive in this hacker film.
Trans TikToker Zaya Perysian on Suing Trump and Why Visibility Matters
At 23, Zaya Perysian has brand deals, 5 million TikTok followers and an active lawsuit against the president of the United States. The West Michigan native is suing the Trump administration over her passport’s gender marker — a fight that grew out of the same TikTok presence where she shares unfiltered transition updates, biting political commentary and everyday moments, from surgery recovery to silk presses at Supercuts.
Joyful Output and a Joyless Outlook – Jonathan Adler on AIDS, survival, social media and why exuberance never seems as simple as it looks
Advertisement In Jonathan Adler’s world, there’s a giant Lucite mushroom glowing somewhere in the corner — a symbol, perhaps, of what he calls his current state: “I’m living in a trippy glam-rock fantasy.” It’s a fitting, though perhaps unlikely image, for the designer whose career took off as the AIDS crisis was finally waning in the early ’90s. Adler’s response to surviving this era would emerge as a global lifestyle empire built on technicolor irreverence and unapologetic glamor.
Goddess in Sneakers – Jessie Ware on bigger vocals, queer fans who lift her up and the joy of wigs
Advertisement For three albums, Jessie Ware has offered an escape hatch: a shimmering, 1970s-inspired fantasy, far removed from the world we live in. But with “Superbloom,” the likely closing chapter of a trilogy, Ware tries something trickier: She’s letting real life in. As she talks to me about that — about motherhood, about “just getting that balance right” — a knock interrupts us. It’s FedEx. “I don’t know what I’ve got,” she says, laughing.
‘Departures’ Review: Finding Levity Amid the Pain
‘Departures’ Review: Finding Levity Amid the Pain This tragicomedy from Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and Neil Ely balances a mordantly funny deconstruction of romance with the harsher realities of gay life.
Zarna Garg Didn’t Grow Up With Queer Visibility. Now She’s Helping Parents Embrace It.
Advertisement After starring in the gay rom-com ‘A Nice Indian Boy,’ the Indian American comedian has become a powerful voice encouraging immigrant families to support their LGBTQ+ kids Zarna Garg doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a queer activist — and that’s precisely why she matters right now. She’s a straight ally, a mother, a middle-aged Indian woman who grew up with zero exposure to queer life, and now she’s become something rare: a bridge. Between generations. Between tradition and change.
Goddess in Sneakers
Jessie Ware (Photo by Jack Grange) For three albums, Jessie Ware has offered an escape hatch: a shimmering, 1970s-inspired fantasy, far removed from the world we live in. But with Superbloom, the likely closing chapter of a trilogy, Ware tries something trickier: She’s letting real life in. As she talks to me about that — about motherhood, about “just getting that balance right” — a knock interrupts us. It’s FedEx. “I don’t know what I’ve got,” she says, laughing.
‘DJ Ahmet’ Review: Finding Hidden Music in the Forest
Critic’s Pick After a young shepherd in North Macedonia finds a dance party in the woods, his life changes. In “DJ Ahmet,” music propels the story of a shepherd named Ahmet (Arif Jakup).Credit...Ink Films April 2, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET DJ Ahmet NYT Critic’s Pick Directed by Georgi M. Unkovski Comedy, Drama Not Rated 1h 39m Find Tickets When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
How Kevin Williamson’s Queer Identity Shapes the ‘Scream’ Franchise
Advertisement The mind behind Ghostface on queer subtext and why ‘Scream’ still resonates with LGBTQ+ audiences 30 years later Kevin Williamson knows fear. He’s been shaping it, scripting it and watching it slice through movie theaters for 30 years. But with “Scream 7,” he’s doing something new: directing it himself.
Zarna Garg didn’t grow up with queer visibility. Now she’s helping parents embrace it.
Zarna Garg (Photo courtesy of Zarna Garg. Image by Ed Hahn) Zarna Garg (Photo courtesy of Zarna Garg) Zarna Garg doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a queer activist — and that’s precisely why she matters right now. She’s a straight ally, a mother, a middle-aged Indian woman who grew up with zero exposure to queer life, and now she’s become something rare: a bridge. Between generations. Between tradition and change. Between hesitant parents and the kids, they’re still learning how to understand.
‘Forbidden Fruits’ Review: Queen Bees of the Food Court
In “Forbidden Fruits,” the fitting room mirror at Free Eden is a confessional “safe space” called Marilyn (as in Monroe) for a clique of mean girls. They run the shop like mall tyrants, each named after a fruit: There’s the feared ringleader, Apple (Lili Reinhart), a gullible egotist named Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) and the self-aware dreamer, Fig (Alexandra Shipp). Good luck joining.
Crying at a biker orgy: The tender queer story of "Pillion"
In the A24 film Pillion, kink is neither punchline nor provocation. Instead, writer-director Harry Lighton and stars Alexander Skarsgård of True Blood and Harry Melling, the English actor who played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films, craft something far rarer: a tender story about desire set within London’s gay biker dom/sub scene.
How Kevin Williamson’s queer identity shapes the "Scream" franchise
Neve Campbell, left, and Director Kevin Williamson on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's "Scream 7." (Photo by Paramount Pictures) Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream 7.” © 2025 Paramount Pictures. Ghost Face is a Registered Trademark of Fun World Div., Easter Unlimited, Inc. ©1999. All Rights Reserved.”. (Photo by Paramount Pictures) Kevin Williamson knows fear.
From Fear to Freedom: Da Brat and Jesseca Harris-Dupar on Love, Legacy, and Living Out Loud
Advertisement Da Brat and Jesseca ‘Judy’ Harris-Dupar on their new book, living openly as a Black queer family and advice for LGBTQ+ people still finding their courage Six years after Da Brat came out publicly in 2020 — a move that felt both terrifying and inevitable — the Grammy-nominated, Chicago-born rapper and her wife, entrepreneur Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart, are ready to tell their story. And they’re not holding back.
Niecy, beyond the closet
Niecy Nash. Photo credit: Ser Baffo for Disney If there’s one thing Niecy Nash-Betts knows how to do, it’s turn a moment into a metaphor. So it feels almost too perfect — borderline sitcom-ironic — that before our conversation even begins, I realize she’s literally sitting in a closet. Because if Nash-Betts’ recent years have taught us anything, it’s that the closet is the last place she’s ever lived metaphorically.
Kathy Griffin isn’t here to make you comfortable
Kathy Griffin. Photo by Jen Rosenstein Griffin on how she became so outspoken, leading ‘Fuck ICE’ chants at shows, and what she loves about ‘Heated Rivalry’ By Chris Azzopardi On camera from her Malibu home, Kathy Griffin looks harmless, even friendly. But I’m not Gary Busey, Mel Gibson, Larry Ellison or Sean Penn, who are among Griffin’s neighbors — the people, she says, she might run into in aisle 9.
‘Dracula’ Review: Fangs and a Lot of Fragrance Original
‘Dracula’ Review: Fangs and a Lot of Fragrance Luc Besson’s extravagantly silly twist on the timeless monster, played by Caleb Landry Jones, is deliciously operatic but ultimately a letdown. From left, Matilda De Angelis, Zoë Bleu and Caleb Landry Jones in “Dracula.” Credit...Vertical Feb. 5, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET Dracula Directed by Luc Besson Fantasy, Horror, Romance R 2h 9m Find Tickets When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
Da Brat and Judy go from fear to freedom
Da Brat and Jesseca ‘Judy’ Harris-Dupar Six years after Da Brat came out publicly in 2020 — a move that felt both terrifying and inevitable — the Grammy-nominated, Chicago-born rapper and her wife, entrepreneur Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart, are ready to tell their story. And they’re not holding back.
Niecy, Beyond the Closet
Advertisement The actress on being an Out100 Icon, saying yes to ‘All’s Fair’ without a script and becoming L.A.’s ‘mayor of Queerville’ If there’s one thing Niecy Nash-Betts knows how to do, it’s turn a moment into a metaphor. So, it feels almost too perfect — borderline sitcom-ironic — that before our conversation even begins, I realize she’s literally sitting in a closet.
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