Arts & Entertainment
‘Superman’ actor Dean Cain slammed for speaking at anti-LGBT event
The star has stated he is an LGBT rights supporter

Dean Cain (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Actor Dean Cain, best known for portraying Superman on the TV series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” came under fire after he agreed to speak at the Family Research Council’s Value Voters summit over the weekend.
The Family Research Council has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center which describes the group’s intention as “to denigrate LGBT people as the organization battles against same-sex marriage, hate crime laws, anti-bullying programs and the repeal of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.” The summit’s lineup included names such as Michele Bachmann, Mike Pence, Tony Perkins and Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips.
Cain appeared at the event in promotion of his upcoming movie “Gosnell,” where he plays a detective who imprisons abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. Cain has stated before that he is a supporter of LGBT rights but his decision to speak at the summit was a red flag for some including GLAAD.
FRC’s president @tperkins has said this about gay people: “They are intolerant. They are hateful. They are vile. They are spiteful”…”pawns” of the “enemy.”
More on him here: https://t.co/3iTS2UMQfi
— GLAAD (@glaad) September 20, 2018
You’ll even be rubbing shoulders with “conversion therapy” activists if you go to #VVS18. https://t.co/gQrYTDQDmX
— GLAAD (@glaad) September 20, 2018
Here’s the thing, @RealDeanCain: Allies should not turn a blind eye to the people, groups, and rhetoric that propel this event. There is no event on the calendar that is more rabidly against LGBTQ people and our rights. #VVS18
— GLAAD (@glaad) September 20, 2018
Cain defended his decision by saying he would voice his support for LGBT rights and of pro-choice but the main reason for attending the event would be to promote his film.
I hope they ask me about my support for gay rights, and the fact that I’m pro-choice. I’m happy to have that conversation.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) September 20, 2018
I’m not there to do anything other than discuss the film, GOSNELL. And I’m pro-choice. That will probably take-up the bulk of the time. I’m not there to preach or to lecture—I hope they ask about my support for gay rights. I haven’t studied their record.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) September 20, 2018
I’m speaking there. And I support gay rights. And I’m pro-choice until viability. End of story.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) September 20, 2018
I’m discussing a film- and I’m happy to speak to any group. I don’t change my beliefs based on the audience. Perhaps it will spark a good conversation-
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) September 20, 2018
I don’t get paid to promote the film. And I don’t care to listen to your self-righteous prattling. Adios.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) September 20, 2018
Towleroad reports that at the summit Cain was asked if he was ever pressured on social media for his choice.
“Yes. Certainly. I take that sort of heat and abuse every single day but it doesn’t bother me in the least…it doesn’t make me mad, it just shows people’s intolerance towards listening to another opinion. Just the fact that I’m here, just the fact that I’m here people were blowing me up all day long with the most ridiculous things that you could ever here. Talk about intolerance. It’s ridiculous. I take heat. It doesn’t bother me, I welcome it, because I sleep well at night. I know I’m doing something that matches my convictions and my heart and I’ll happily defend the things that I say and I stand for,” Cain said.
.@RealDeanCain talks about “taking heat” for @GosnellMovie – and for attending the Values Voter Summit #VVS18 @FRCdc @PJMedia_com #Trending pic.twitter.com/H0ZSAdTl6j
— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) September 22, 2018
Best response to all those negative-minded haters – Dean, you rocked it!
???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/Ms5dDHVrYX— ToniC?? (@tonichiulli) September 22, 2018
Cain endorsed Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

















Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP

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