Pope Leo welcomes the LGBTQ+ community, social media star Rolling Ray passes away & the Studbudz grace the pages of Vogue - September 8, 2025

Family, this week on Queer News Anna DeShawn continues to bring you the stories that matter most to our community. In top news, Pope Leo plans to continue the welcoming tradition of Pope Frances for LGBTQ folks. In politics, Texas state representatives decide to take their state mandated police escorts to a gay bar. And down in Florida, Floridians are being arrested for coloring in the Pulse memorial rainbow crosswalk. In culture & entertainment, beloved social media icon Raymond Harper aka Rolling Ray passed away at 28, actress Chloë Grace Moretz and model Kate Harrison got married over the Labor Day weekend and the StudBudz are still winning and this time in Vogue no less. Let's get into it.

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02:46 Queer News Headlines

03:40 Pope Leo plans to welcome LGBTQ folks

06:24 Texas Republicans assigned troopers to tail this out lawmaker. He dragged them to a gay bar.

09:41 Florida Is Arresting People For Using Rainbow Chalk on Crosswalks Now

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14:00 Rolling Ray has passed away at age 28

15:53 Chloë Grace Moretz And Kate Harrison Are Married

17:10 The Studbudz are in Vogue!

21:00 Anna's Got A Word

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This Week In Politics

Pope Leo plans to welcome LGBTQ folks

On September 1st Pope Leo met with prominent advocates for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the Catholic Church just days before a Holy Year pilgrimage of LGBTQ Catholics to the Vatican. This is a good sign of Pope Leo continuing Pope Francis's journey to make the Catholic Church a more welcoming place for LGBTQ Catholics.

Texas Republicans assigned troopers to tail this out lawmaker. He dragged them to a gay bar.

Texas state Rep. Venton Jones and Democratic state Rep. Terry Meza met at the Dallas gay bar the Rose Room to meet with the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas with their police escorts in tow. The police's escorts were court ordered after Texas lawmakers fled the state to deny a quorum to Republican legislative leaders attempting to redistrict the state.

Florida Is Arresting People For Using Rainbow Chalk on Crosswalks Now

Many people were arrested for coloring the Pulse memorial sidewalk over the weekend. This comes after the State of Florida painted over the colorful mural overnight with no communication to the general public. Mind you , there's no probable cause for these arrests, and most people are released the next day. Protestors continue to return to the mural to breathe color back into the beautiful piece created to memorialize those lives lost during the tragic massacre that took place at the night club.

This Week In Culture & Entertainment

Rolling Ray has passed away at age 28

Beloved social media star Raymond Harper aka Rolling Ray sadly passed away at the young age of 28 just two days before his 29th birthday. Rolling Ray was known for many viral moments on social media and reality tv.

Chloë Grace Moretz And Kate Harrison Are Married

The Actress and Model duo happily wed over the Labor Day weekend in a private ceremony. Vogue Magazine captured the final fitting before their wedding where the happy couple reflected on the trajectory of their relationship.

The Studbudz are in Vogue!

Studbudz stars Courtney Williams and Natisha "T" Hiedeman continue to win. This time by gracing the pages of Vogue Magazine. They not only look fly but they share how their friendship began, how they sustain it and how they've been handling all this new found success.

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About Queer News

An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT.

Edited by Ryan Woodhall.

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