With homophobic hostility on the rise, queer comedy is building resilience by turning things up

As I walk offstage the applause from the crowd follows me into the greenroom. I’ve just opened for famed queer comedian and personal hero DeAnne Smith at Toronto’s iconic Comedy Bar. Although I know the audience isn’t there to see me, I still feel the love and appreciation they have for my super gay brand of stand-up.

Nothing feels better to a comedian than performing in front of a hot audience — I’m not talking about how they look, of course. A “hot audience” is there for the laughs, so much so it feels like a joyful desperation in search of release. A queer audience at a queer comedy show almost always feels like this. We are desperate to feel good about ourselves, so when we find an outlet we really let loose…READ ON

At least 91 dead in Brazil floods and landslides with many more missing

The death toll from floods in north-eastern Brazil could rise to more than 100 after authorities in Pernambuco state confirmed 91 deaths with many more people missing.

Hundreds of state and federal rescue workers would resume searching on Tuesday for 26 people unaccounted for, said officials.

Heavy rains lashed Pernambuco last week, triggering landslides on Friday that wiped away housing in poor neighbourhoods or favelas built on hillsides that are prone to such natural disasters…READ ON