G.I. Joe is about to go full-on homo(erotic) ― or at least one of the covers of an upcoming issue of the beloved comic book is.

The franchise, which has been offering fans stories about the “real American hero” and his comrades and enemies for over 50 years, recently asked acclaimed artist Ed Luce to design a variant cover for writer Aubrey Sitterson’s “G.I. Joe” #7.

The resulting art, due in stores on July 5, features The Dreadnoks, a biker gang that regularly appears in the comic book, covered in muscles and body hair, and engaged in some sensual bad-boy wrestling.

Luce, who created the queer “Wuvable Oaf” comic book series, recently chatted with HuffPost about the inspiration for his new “G.I. Joe” cover, the reactions he’s seen and more.

What inspired the homoerotic cover of “G.I. Joe” #7?


It was “G.I. Joe” writer Aubrey Sitterson. He has a unique, fun take on the familiar “G.I. Joe” team with this new book. He’s really interested in pushing the boundaries of the concept, honoring long-term fans but also engaging people that are primarily interested in more quirky indie comics. That’s why he’s invited some staples of the indie comics world to do covers ― folks like Tom Neely, Benjamin Marra and Brandon Graham. 

He’s also a fan of my comic “Wuvable Oaf,” published by Fantagraphics, which features a group of large, very bear-y looking dudes as main characters. So he thought I would offer a new spin on these beefy, macho military types. I was only too happy to oblige ... I was definitely a fan of the ‘80s toys and cartoon.

Was there any hesitation over doing the variant cover in this way?
I wouldn’t say there was hesitation ... certainly never from the writer, editor or the publisher, IDW. They’re very progressive with their releases. They’ve done great things with another Hasbro property, “Jem and the Holograms.” I did get a note from the first sketch I did, requesting that a certain character’s posterior be a little less arched, which kind of made me chuckle, because with female comic characters, that’s often been a selling point. They call it “broken back pose,” when you see the woman’s chest and butt at the same time ... which is ridiculous and just not physically possible. But that request to tone down the one Dreadnok’s rear was it. Everyone involved seems to love the cover.

Was there a particular aesthetic you were inspired by or going for? I love all of the fur and I get a Tom of Finland vibe.
I was mainly drawing furrier, grittier versions of all these characters I loved growing up. So not to sound too arrogant, but I was giving them “Wuvable Oaf” makeovers. More body hair, a little chubbier, grimier. The original characters were always a bit too manscaped for my liking. I know my audience and I definitely wanted to give them incentive to seek out this book. I also wanted to remain as true as I could to their ‘80s costumes ... because those are some classic “Mad Max” heavy metal/punk looks.

Has there been any pushback from readers?
Twitter whining. But what doesn’t inspire that these days? Honestly, that was the only conversation I checked in on. It’s interesting when someone clearly doesn’t like something that has a queer point of view. They’ll focus on something else and nitpick it to bits, just so they can voice their outrage without being called homophobic. A few tweets took umbrage with the idea that this was the first openly homoerotic take on these characters. They insisted someone else must have done this before, without citing any examples, of course. Some were frustrated that we were sexualizing these male characters at all. I’m curious if they have a problem with how Baroness and Scarlett [the two main female “G.I. Joe” characters] are drawn?

There were a few comments from gay men about the cover not going far enough. I guess that’s what fan art is for, right? I can’t go there in a licensed cover version ... sorry, guys.

What are your thoughts in general about queer imagery ― especially obviously sensual or sexual imagery ― in comics? 
I think there needs to be more of it, now more than ever. And I think it needs to be as diverse as possible, encompassing all sexualities, gender identities, colors. People look to comics for comfort, connection and representation. They want to see themselves and I think honest portrayals of queer sensual or sexual imagery are a key component to acceptance, both of self and from society.

Can we expect more of this?
Yes ... at least on my part! I did two queer-themed covers for Image Comics’ Pride Month campaign, one for Rick Remender’s “Deadly Class” #29 and Donny Cates’ “Redneck” #3. Those will both be available on June 28. Proceeds from these variants go to the Human Rights Campaign. And “G.I. Joe” #7 comes out on July 5!

For more info about the “G.I. Joe” comic books, head here.

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Janet Mock’s second book, Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me, includes a heart-wrenching essay in which Mock reveals that she was raped in college.

The 34-year-old author and trans rights activist published the excerpt on Mic.com on Tuesday. Mock wrote that she didn’t tell anyone about the incident until now.

In the excerpt, Mock wrote that she was raped in November 2003 by a man named Anthony who she “frequently made out with during study sessions,” after he invited her over to his apartment to hang out. When Mock arrived they began flirting and watching TV. Mock wrote that things soon escalated when Anthony wanted to do more than just kiss her. There was a struggle between the two and Mock tried to fight Anthony off, but eventually he ended up raping her on his bed.  

Mock wrote that she quickly realized that Anthony felt entitled to do whatever he wanted with her body.

“He felt he deserved to have my body because I had come to his room and he desired me. Walking past the threshold of his room was consent enough,” she wrote. “Having made out with him before was consent enough. Being forced into a corner so I had no choice but to yield was consent enough. Saying yes or no didn’t matter.”

My body, no matter how much I grew to accept it, could be violated, I realized.
Janet Mock

Mock explained that she’s been dealing with the trauma of that night ever since. The 34-year-old wrote that she never felt “deserving” of an audience to tell her story to, so she stayed silent.

“As someone who has been open about so many of my experiences ― from my family’s economic struggles and my teenage transition to my experiences working in a strip club, I am still reeling with the fact that I remained silent about this,” she wrote. “The only thing that has made me feel confident enough to share this now is knowing that I am not alone.”

As a trans woman, Mock wrote that it took a long time to accept and love her body. And as a trans woman she will always have to be weary of that same body being violated.

“My body, no matter how much I grew to accept it, could be violated, I realized,” Mock wrote. “No matter how much I learned to embrace it, it couldn’t always protect me from unyielding force.” 

Head over to Mic to read Mock’s full book excerpt.  

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This forecast is the Pitts.

Brad Pitt previously appeared on “The Jim Jefferies Show” as the surprise weatherman, delivering a depressing forecast about President Donald Trump pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Well, he returned to the show on Tuesday and revealed that the future still doesn’t look so bright.

“Well, Jim, carbon dioxide is slowing turning our planet into an uninhabitable wasteland, and half the population don’t believe it,” said Pitt with a smile on his face.

As for the forecast this week, Pitt added, “The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great, and the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man, who I have created, from the face of the Earth.’ So don’t forget your sunscreen.”

Climate change is an issue near and dear to Pitt, so we probably should’ve expected the return of the weather man.

The actor ended his previous forecast on the show saying, “There is no future.” If that’s the case, stock up on that sunscreen while you can. 

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Tom Felton, aka Draco Malfoy, recently serenaded passersby in Prague’s Old Town, and judging by their reactions ― or lack thereof ― you’d think he was wearing an invisibility cloak. 

The actor shared a video of himself busking on the street, singing and playing guitar, but no one even batted an eye at him. Granted, Felton doesn’t really look much like his “Harry Potter” character anymore, so we can understand how no one recognized him. 

Regardless, he actually sounds really good. 

He was just keeping it real.

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Art collector and Museum of Modern Art President Emerita Agnes Gund recently sold a multimillion-dollar painting to benefit social justice, and she’s challenging others in the art world to follow suit.

Specifically, Gund sold Roy Lichtenstein’s 1962 “Masterpiece,” which once hung over her mantel, for a cool $165 million. Proceeds from the sale will go toward the new Art for Justice Fund (A4JF), an initiative designed to support criminal justice reform at state and local levels throughout the country, primarily through the sale of art. Gund initially donated $100 million to the Fund and hopes to raise an additional $100 million over the course of the next five years.

“This is one thing I can do before I die,” Gund told The New York Times. “This is what I need to do.”

The collector added that her decision was impacted by reading Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” and watching Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13th,” both of which address the calamitous toll the prison-industrial complex takes on black communities. Gund, who has six black grandchildren, felt personally motivated to help. 

The A4JF hopes to use its resources to curb mass incarceration in the United States, which imprisons more people than any other country in the world and disproportionately targets poor communities and people of color.

“With the creation of this fund, we have an opportunity to make a huge step toward real justice in our criminal justice system,” Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, wrote to HuffPost in an email. “By supporting and investing in leading organizations and innovative programs, the Fund hopes to safely and sustainably reduce mass incarceration in the United States over the next five years.”

The Fund will provide financial support to existing organizations involved in social justice causes including those, as Walker wrote, “aimed at safely cutting the prison population in states with the highest rates of incarceration, and strengthening education and employment options for people leaving prison.”

It will also champion artistic initiatives that will invite artists to observe and respond to the injustices of the system and the lives affected by these injustices. These artistic initiatives, Walker hopes, will “spark empathy, and inspire others to work toward meaningful reform.”

The upper tiers of the art world seem to exist worlds away from much of the cruel realities of mass incarceration, wealth inequality and systemic racism. Gund hopes to spark a chain reaction among the art patrons in her circle, imploring them to consider art’s power not just as a visual object but as a vast source of social value.

“We are asking donors to make tax-deductible contributions or donate the proceeds from the sale of artwork,” Walker wrote, “but anyone can help spread word about the Art for Justice Fund. We all have a role to play in ending the injustice of mass incarceration and demonstrating the power of art to be a force for social change.”

So far, the plan seems to be working. As of now, 18 donors are listed on A4JF’s website. According to The New York Times, one contributor, Laurie M. Tisch, donated $500,000 after selling a painting by Max Weber. 

In the months since Trump’s election, artists around the country have incorporated elements of activism into their practices through myriad approaches, working to understand the roles art can and should play in the fight for a nation that serves all of its citizens, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Gund provides a model for collectors and patrons to get involved, as well. 

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Some people are upset with New York’s Public Theater after learning that their production of “Julius Caesar” has a modern Donald Trump-themed spin, including an assassination scene. It even caused some corporate sponsors to pull support from the show.

But, as Conan points out, everyone is missing the news of another Trump-themed Broadway show that is basically doing the same thing.

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Having become one of the most recognizable faces in both television news and queer activism, Janet Mock is a forerunner for transgender visibility. Her new memoir, Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me, chronicles Mock’s journey from a college student moonlighting as a stripper to an aspiring media figure battling gender conventions.

HuffPost has an exclusive clip from Mock’s Surpassing Certainty audio book, in which she recounts her experiences as a night-club dancer. “It went way deeper than mere sexuality,” she reads. “Your duty was to be amiable, available and flirtatious. ... You were selling a girlfriend experience.” 

Surpassing Certainty is now available.

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The thought of getting an actual “Dodgeball 2” is really a true underdog story.

In lieu of that, the cast of “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” has reunited for a four-minute video that’s essentially a sequel to the film.

In the new video from Omaze, Ben Stiller meets up with Vince Vaughn, Justin Long and Christine Taylor ― despite the pair’s recent real-life separation ― in honor of an upcoming dodgeball game for charity. 

You can get involved, too. In between getting back into their movie characters and hitting Justin Long in the head with a wrench, Stiller and the others implore people to enter online for a chance to play dodgeball with them and support the The Stiller Foundation. 

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After days of speculation on the “Bachelor in Paradise” scandal, Corinne Olympios, a contestant who allegedly took part in a sexual incident during taping in Mexico last week, is speaking out.

ABC halted production of the show on Sunday over “allegations of misconduct” apparently involving Olympios and fellow cast member DeMario Jackson. Olympios has now hired top Hollywood attorney Marty Singer to represent her throughout Warner Bros.’ investigation into the situation.

In a statement released by her rep, Stan Rosenfield, Olympios characterized the incident as a nightmare becoming reality:

I am a victim and have spent the last week trying to make sense of what happened the June 4. Although I have little memory of that night, something bad obviously took place, which I understand is why production on the show has now been suspended and a producer on the show has filed a complaint against the production.

As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality. As I pursue the details and facts surrounding that night and the immediate days after, I have retained a group of professionals to ensure that what happened on June 4 comes to light and I can continue my life, including hiring an attorney to obtain justice and seeking therapy to begin dealing with the physical and emotional trauma stemming from that evening.

According to multiple reports, a highly intoxicated Olympios had a sexual encounter with Jackson in a swimming pool while crew members continued filming. Following that, a field producer reportedly filed a formal complaint and Warner Bros. suspended production of the show, sending the rest of the cast back to the U.S.

“Once the investigation is complete,” Warner Bros. said in a statement earlier this week, “we will take appropriate responsive action.”

Jackson, who reportedly claims that the sexual acts were consensual, also spoke out, telling Entertainment Tonight, “I have nothing to say. You know, Corinne’s an awesome girl and that’s all I have to say.” He added of his fans, “Love you all, thank you for the support.”

“Bachelor in Paradise” Season 4, which was set to debut Aug. 8, brings together former contestants from “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” for another shot at love.

At this point, it’s safe to say the show probably won’t go on. 

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This month, American bard Bob Dylan finally delivered his Nobel lecture, many months after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The lecture, traditionally given days before the award ceremony in December, must be delivered by those who accept the award within six months. Dylan slipped in his assignment just under the deadline.

Now, however, another Nobel controversy has arisen for the singer-songwriter: Numerous outlets have reported that he may have plagiarized from SparkNotes during a long passage on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick in his long-awaited lecture. 

The discovery stems from a line in which Dylan appears to directly quote Moby Dick. “A Quaker pacifist priest, who is actually a bloodthirsty businessman, tells Flask, ‘Some men who receive injuries are led to God, others are led to bitterness,’” said Dylan. One problem: that line never appears in the actual novel.

Writer Ben Greenman noted in a blog that the quote appeared to have been fabricated. Then, Andrea Pitzer tracked down a similar quote, not in the book itself but on an entry about Moby Dick on the website SparkNotes ― a website that, like the iconic CliffsNotes, provides summaries, character descriptions and thematic breakdowns of books for students to use during study (or use to skip the reading altogether). In a Slate piece, Pitzer documents over a dozen other instances in which Dylan’s discussion of the classic book closely mirrors language found in SparkNotes.

This may seem to fall in a gray area of plagiarism ― most of the matching snippets Pitzer lists consist of phrases or pacing choices in Dylan’s summary of the book, not full sentences or passages. There’s a good chance that it was at least inadvertent: In preparing his speech, he consulted SparkNotes to brush up on his Melville, then had their framing and word choices floating in his head when he sat down to write. 

Some scholars defended his cribbing from SparkNotes to the Minnesota Star-Tribune, suggesting that it was simply an artistic allusion and even a mocking wink at the Nobel committee. “His lecture is ... meant to be a post-modern work of art,” said Alex Lubet, a music professor at the University of Minnesota. 

Maybe it was simple plagiarism. Maybe it was a brilliant, paradigm-shifting artistic web of allusion. Or maybe, and perhaps most disappointingly, Dylan was just being lazy. “He’s on the road all the time. He just turned 76,” pointed out David Yaffe, a Syracuse University professor of humanities, to the Star-Tribune. “You could see him wanting to take a few shortcuts.”

Sure, sure ― except Dylan took an extra six months on his assignment only to turn in one that was hastily cobbled together with the aid of SparkNotes. Would the professors defending the musical icon for taking such “shortcuts” have similar patience for a student who cited SparkNotes instead of the assigned text because they were overwhelmed with classwork? Perhaps ― none of my literature professors were ever impressed by such an excuse.

Stephen Fallon, John J. Cavanaugh Professor of the Humanities at the University of Notre Dame, told HuffPost, “If a student borrowed [from SparkNotes] as Dylan does here, I’d be concerned about plagiarism, but I might give Dylan a pass as he’s not implicitly claiming as his own the ideas of someone else.” Still, “the fact that he clearly turned to SparkNotes raises doubts and also the question of why he didn’t at least skim the novel again before devoting a good chunk of a Nobel lecture to it.” (Editor’s Note: Stephen Fallon is the father of this post’s author.)

Any use of SparkNotes’s interpretations, as opposed to simple plot summary, would be more troubling, he added.

The Nobel Prize in Literature often goes to writers with many decades under their belt and a host of obligations, but this typically does not preclude them from crafting an original, erudite lecture. If Dylan was incapable of doing so ― even while taking advantage of his full six-month window to compose it ― he had the option of turning down the prize. Others, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, have done so in the past. 

Instead, it seems Dylan relied on sloppy shortcuts and the work of others to turn in a musically worded but less than original piece. He’s been accused of outright plagiarism before, but more meaningfully perhaps is that he’s been accused before of creating art that simply echoes or copies others’ work without acknowledging where his originality begins and ends. In 2011, questions were raised about an exhibition of his paintings at Gagosian Gallery, which were presented as “firsthand depictions of people, street scenes, architecture and landscape.” According to The New York Times, some critics pointed out that several of the paintings seemed to be copied from photo, reproducing the work of photographers in paint without altering the framing, perspective or composition.

Dylan typically gets out of these dust-ups easily enough, as scholars and fans are willing to assume that his every move was a conscious artistic choice ― a work of collage or allusion, rather than simply a borrowed piece of work passed off as original. Reading SparkNotes for a work rather than referencing the book itself points to something else, though. Dylan may be a great songwriter, a brilliant artist, and a cultural icon, but his Nobel lecture shows signs of an intellectual laziness that wouldn’t be accepted from a freshman English literature student. What a shame.

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Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” just received a powerful queer twist.

Rapper-songwriter Chika, whose real name is Jane Oranika, rewrote the words to the British pop star’s smash hit song for Pride Month.

The 20-year-old from Montgomery, Alabama, shared a 59-second clip of her reworked track to Twitter on Tuesday, and it’s now going viral:

“I will not be ashamed, this is just who I am, and who I was meant to be,” raps Chika over the chorus section of the song.

She ends the chorus by encouraging people to “sing it out, sing it loud” and declaring that she’s “proud.”

Chika later posted a full version of her cover to Soundcloud:

Chika said she wanted the song to help make people “happy to be themselves.”

“Not only can we love other people holistically, we can love ourselves that way, too,” she told A Plus. “I especially wanted to reiterate that for Pride Month.”

Fellow Twitter users appear to have enjoyed her new version:

It’s not clear if Sheeran himself has heard the remix. HuffPost has reached out for comment. In the meantime, check out how Chika’s version compares to his original here:

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After 46 years, Yoko Ono is finally receiving the credit she deserves. The iconic multidisciplinary artist was officially credited as a co-writer of the 1971 song “Imagine,” currently attributed to Ono’s deceased husband, John Lennon. 

The news was announced Wednesday at a meeting of the National Music Publishers Association by its CEO, David Israelite. He also bestowed “Imagine” with the Centennial Song award. 

“While things may have been different in 1971, today I am glad to say things have changed,” Israelite said. “So tonight it is my distinct honor to correct the record some 48 years later and recognize Yoko Ono as a co-writer of the NMPA centennial song ‘Imagine,’ and to present Yoko Ono with this well-deserved credit.”

He then played an archival interview, in which Lennon explains that the song would not exist without Ono. “[Imagine] should be credited as a Lennon-Ono song,” he said. “Because a lot of it — the lyric and the concept — came from Yoko. But those days I was a bit more selfish, a bit more macho, and I sort of omitted to mention her contribution. But it was right out of Grapefruit, her book. There’s a whole pile of pieces about ‘imagine this’ and ‘imagine that.’”

Seven years before “Imagine,” Ono self-published Grapefruit, a little gem of a book, unruly and quiet at once, filled with strange wishes and demands. “Imagine your body spreading rapidly all over the world like thin tissue,” one line reads. “Imagine cutting out one part of the tissue.” 

Sean Lennon accompanied his mother, Ono, who uses a wheelchair, onstage to accept the Centennial Song award. According to Lennon, the artist welled up with tears upon hearing the announcement. Onstage, Ono said her waning health has heightened her appreciation of the song and imbued her with a magnified esteem for being alive, Variety reported.

“This is the best time of my life,” she said, to applause.

Congratulations, Yoko. It’s about time. 

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Dobby’s fellow house-elves never respected him. All that liberation talk was shameful ― a disgrace to the name of inherited servitude. He could have been a throwaway character in the “Harry Potter” universe, there to simply muck up Harry’s second year at Hogwarts before sinking into the scenery. But his intentions were too noble. When he wasn’t thumping his head against a wall in melodramatic self-discipline, Dobby became an iconoclast, a civil-rights advocate, a freedom fighter and the most loyal pal any witch, wizard or Muggle could envision. 

In honor of the first “Harry Potter” novel’s 20th anniversary, I am here to extol the virtues of Dobby, that squat critter who, in J.K. Rowling’s words, bears “large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.”

He is my favorite. Dobby embodies an altruism not enough humans aspire to. Now, with an American president who employs bullying tactics and an internet culture that lets brutes hide behind anonymous avatars, that benevolence resonates even more than it did nearly two decades ago. 

Because they don’t fight for their own rights, house-elves reflect a timeless fear: the idea that we are stuck with whatever fate dictates. But Dobby’s employment with the oppressive Malfoy clan, which comes to a blissful close when Harry’s scheme to free him works at the end of Chamber of Secrets, turns him into a resilient ideal. Being released from his harsh past bestowed in Dobby a generosity that he then showed to others. Like so many great literary figures, that generosity became his tragic flaw. 

Forever amazed by Harry and company’s most basic kindnesses, Dobby did not exploit his newfound autonomy. He remained humble. In liberating the elf, Rowling made him the backbone of a key political divide: how labor is honored within the wizarding world. House-elves are low-ranking members of the proletariat, their owners slave drivers. Freed, Dobby rightly insisted he be paid for his work, a foreign concept for house-elves, penniless creatures expected to preserve unyielding loyalty toward their masters. But he wasn’t fighting for his pocketbook ― he just wanted an emblem of respect. When Dumbledore gave Dobby a gig in the Hogwarts kitchen, Dobby negotiated downward, accepting a mere portion of the salary and benefits package offered to him. He is everything we human greed machines are not: humble, dutiful, limber. 

Rowling found optimal use for Dobby’s purity throughout the series. He brought Harry a bundle of Gillyweed during the Triwizard Tournamnet. When Winky imbibed too much Butterbeer, he hid her in the Room of Requirement, which he then recommended to Harry as a boardroom for the Voldemort-resistant Dumbledore’s Army. (Essentially, Voldemort’s demise can be traced to Dobby’s guidance.) When the vile Kreacher insulted Harry, Dobby pulverized him, tearfully insisting his cherished pal is a great wizard. Later, in the story’s most tragic death, Dobby Apparated to Malfoy Manor ― his former penitentiary ― to save Harry and crew from Bellatrix Lestrange, only to meet the cold quietus of her silver knife. By the time Harry escaped with Dobby in his arms, it was too late. Dobby died sputtering his two favorite words: “Harry ... Potter ...”

We can also credit him for fomenting Ron and Hermione’s relationship. Moved by Dobby’s plight and death, Ron suggested evacuating the house-elves during the Battle of Hogwarts, promoting Hermione to kiss him for the first time. 

For a loud-mouthed sprite whose initial appearance threatened to derail Harry’s Hogwarts trajectory, Dobby remained a champion beyond his final breath. In Harry and his comrades, he found humans who saw him as they did themselves: worthy, competent, crucial. Few of us are or have friends as lovely as Dobby, true stalwarts who look outside their own economic and emotional sorrows in the name of others’ prosperity. We need more of that right now.

I sobbed a pond of tears when my beloved little chum perished. While re-reading his death scene in “Deathly Hallows” last week, I teared up again. Harry’s mutual loyalty runs deep and rich, years after he wanted nothing more than for those tennis-ball eyes and bat-like ears to get the hell away from Privet Drive. It’s a buddy tale for the ages. 

Here lies Dobby, a free elf and a fantastic character. 

From June 1 to 30, HuffPost is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the very first “Harry Potter” book by reminiscing about all things Hogwarts. Accio childhood memories.

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Having a child in the NICU can be an emotional roller coaster for parents, and for so many, nothing compares to the joy of bringing their baby home for the first time. 

A hospital in North Carolina is helping NICU parents celebrate this milestone in a heartwarming way. Preemies at CaroMont Health in Gastonia get their own “graduation days” when they leave the NICU.

On a baby’s “graduation day,” he or she receives a homemade grad cap, a little goodbye ceremony and a complimentary photo shoot.

The graduation program is the brainchild of NICU nurse Melissa Jordan.

Jordan, who has been a nurse for over eight years, started working in the CaroMont NICU almost three years ago. 

“As a nurse working in the NICU, you become so close with not only the patients but their families as well,” she told HuffPost. “Some babies stay in the NICU a month to two months so it’s very easy to form a special bond with the family and baby.” 

Jordan said she got the idea about six months ago after the parents of a baby boy born at 28 weeks bought him a onesie that said “NICU GRAD” in honor of his discharge from the hospital.

Excited for the family, the nurse brainstormed ways to make baby Wyatt’s discharge day even more special. In keeping with the graduation theme, she figured out a way to make a little graduation cap, and when the baby’s last day arrived, Jordan and the NICU staff gathered to present the cap to Wyatt while singing and dancing to “Graduation” by Vitamin C. 

“The parents smiled ear-to-ear and that brought me an immense amount of joy!” Jordan recalled. “I wanted to keep making parents smile just like that.”

For most mothers going to the hospital to give birth, the expectation is that they’ll get to leave with their babies in two or three days. “So for our preemie mothers, it’s extremely hard to walk out of the hospital doors without their babies,” Jordan said. “I wanted to help make discharge day special and bring some kind of normalcy and excitement back into going home!”

Thus far, the CaroMont NICU has held graduations for 14 babies, including three sets of twins. Jordan told HuffPost she goes to the craft store once every two months and makes the graduation caps with foam paper, glue and yarn for the tassels.

In the future, she plans to decorate the caps the way high school and college grads do. “Maybe I’ll even decorate it with the dreams of their parents and what they hope their child will aspire to be one day,” Jordan said.

In addition to the ceremony, the preemies also receive free photo shoots from Bella Baby Photography. Jordan said the hospital is hoping to set up a wall of graduation photos in the NICU to offer hope to other families going through this trying time.   

The NICU graduation tradition has been a hit with parents. “It felt like it signified an ending to one journey and a beginning of another,” Matthew and Monica Becton told HuffPost. 

“We loved it! It really made us feel like all of our sweet boy’s hard work had paid off,” added Shawn and Erica Sutton. “He had accomplished so much while we were there and the graduation cap allowed us to celebrate those accomplishments and that milestone.”

Jordan told HuffPost she hopes others who see the NICU graduation photos feel a sense of inspiration. “I hope they are inspired to keep going or inspired to never give up, or rather to simply have courage and strength, just like these little babies do,” she said.

“Mostly importantly, I hope preemie parents around the world remember the feeling they have when they see these pictures,” she added. “I hope it reminds them of not only the strength they have within themselves but also the strength within their child.”

Keep scrolling for more adorable NICU graduation photos.

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No one delivers a “how’s that?” like Patti LuPone.

While on the Tony Awards red carpet last weekend, the Broadway veteran delivered one of the night’s most succinctly biting series of remarks. If the following 12-second clip were a nominated production, it’d have walked away with a statuette for “Fire Emoji Personified.” 

Let’s recap:

“Why should President Trump come see your show?” a Variety reporter, whose life was about to flash before his eyes, asked, referring to the musical Lupone is starring in ― “War Paint.” 

“Well, I hope he doesn’t, because I won’t perform if he does,” Lupone responded, curtly, her pursed lips and cheekbones blazing.

“Really?” the Variety reporter pushed, as if words were autonomously flowing from his mouth.

“Really,” Lupone countered, smiling through gritted teeth.

“Tell me why,” the reporter managed to sputter, his microphone ping-ponging between his chest and the seething face of THE Patti Lupone. 

And then she did it.

“Because I hate the motherf**cker, how’s that?” Lupone declared, her dark lipstick giving each syllable slipping out an extra dose of “IDGAF.”

End scene.

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“This is the biggest moment of my life,” 14-year-old dancer Eva Igo said before going onstage on “World of Dance.”

“I really hope that today I can make the judges and the audience all feel something that they haven’t felt before,” she continued.

The Minnesota-based dancer began by lying on the ground in waiting. As Bishop Briggs’ “River” begins thumping in the background, she immediately lurched upward as if possessed, balancing on her head as her spine curled into a backbend bridge.

From there, Igo moved as if powered by a sublime, alien life force, hypnotizing the audience as her body alternated between rhythmic undulations and sharp jolts. Electrifying traditional dance and gymnastic moves with a supernatural charge, Igo left the judges pretty damn mesmerized. 

“You dominated that stage,” judge Derek Hough raved. “The difficulty, the athleticism, the artistry, the performance, the execution, I could go on and on and on.” 

J.Lo confirmed: “Such a star.”

Watch out Sergei, Eva is coming for you. 

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Finally, a house that meets your cat’s exacting standards.

A 2,500-square-foot home in the Arizona desert is sending cat lovers into a catnip-style frenzy. Nearly every indoor surface is covered in cat images or paraphernalia, thanks to a previous owner who spent a decade plastering photos and memorabilia to the walls, listing agent Elizabeth Keller told HuffPost. 

The home has two bedrooms and one bathroom, plus at least 12 cat condos, according to Arizona Central. It’s an “extremely fun home,” per its listing with Century 21. 

“If you love cats this is the home for you! If not, bring your sandblaster!” the listing reads. Notable features include “cat walkways” and a “Medieval cat castle with different levels (stone).” 

The property’s previous owner spent about 10 years around the house while her spouse was sick, Keller said, which left her plenty of time to purr-fect its decor: There are cat posters, cat carpets, framed cat photos, cat postcards and cat images cut from newspapers affixed to the walls. Numerous completed cat puzzles are glued to the ceiling. 

“The house was giant craft project, basically,” Keller said. “Every square inch of the walls has cats on it. The pictures don’t do it justice. You can’t even put it into words when you see it.”

Keller and co-agent Sara Reidhead are asking $240,000 for the spot, which looks like a typical log-sided home from the outside. 

The home’s former owner had three cats, and the most remarkable thing of all is that the property does not smell inside, Keller said. 

There’s been much interest in the home since its listing went viral this week, especially from local cat rescue shelters who are looking to take it over, she added.

What a meow-velous idea. 

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Fairy-tale moments happen all the time in real life ― and these sweet photos are proof.

Last February, Scott and Shandace Robertson tied the knot in Seattle. While taking wedding day pics in the Ballard section of the city, a little girl stopped and stared up at the beaming bride.

As the couple soon learned, the awestruck 2-year-old thought Shandace was the “princess” from her favorite book ― the one’s she holding in this photo by wedding photographer Stephanie Cristalli Photography:

Scott posted the photos of his beautiful bride and the little girl on the photo-sharing site Imgur, where the swoon-worthy pics received over 900 comments. 

In an interview with HuffPost, Shandace recalled the sweet little encounter on the street. 

“The little girl didn’t say anything actually, she just smiled the entire time,” the newlywed said. “I could tell by her face that her heart was overflowing.” 

Princess Shandace gave the little girl a flower from her bouquet: 

The toddler loved it:

Then, the two princesses ended their royal meeting with a hug.

“Because I love little kids so much, I asked her mom if I could hold her,” Shandace said. “Her face expresses how we both felt, overjoyed!”

Aww.

In case you were wondering, the “princess” book the toddler was reading is the classic mystery novel The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, Scott told HuffPost. 

“I’m pretty sure she just liked the picture on the cover and became attached to it! The book is above my reading level, let alone a toddler’s,” he joked. 

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There has to be some significance in the fact that June is the month to honor both the LGBTQ community and black music.   

As festivals are being held throughout the world this June in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month, homage is simultaneously being paid to black music pioneers in acknowledgement of Black Music Month. 

While already facing the ever-present challenges inherent to blackness, a number of black musicians have still been gallant enough to claim sexual identities that could hamper their success. 

So in honor of these black artists who are boldly standing in their truth, we’ve rounded up 15 musicians of color who are unapologetically here and queer. 

1. iLoveMakonnen

The Atlanta native who emboldened us to think clubbing on “Tuesday” was acceptable in 2014 performed a bolder act this January when he announced that he was gay. 

Given the hip-hop community’s reputation of homophobia, which is particularly geared towards gay men, iLoveMakkonen’s decision to come out to the public was commendably unapologetic. 

2. Mykki Blanco

The one thing rapper and poet Mykki Blanco isn’t lacking in is character ― which may be why the artist has gained the affections of thousands. Blanco, whose real name is Michael Quattlebaum Jr. wouldn’t be who he is without the vulgar lyricism, wry humor and free-spiritedness echoed in songs like “For the C**ts.”

3. Azealia Banks

Azealia Banks may be self-destructively petty and engage in strange chicken rituals, but there is one admirable thing about the “212” singer: she doesn’t want to be defined by her sexuality. 

In 2012, she told The New York Times: “I’m not trying to be, like, the bisexual, lesbian rapper. I don’t live on other people’s terms.”

4. Siya

Rapper Siya first entered the public eye when she starred in Oxygen reality show “Sisterhood of Hip-Hop.” Since then, she’s become a regular on the series and has teamed up with R&B artist Tank for a few musical collabs. 

5. Angel Haze

Angel Haze caught the internet’s attention in 2013 with their painful recollection of childhood sex abuse in a rendition of Eminem’s “Cleaning Out My Closet.” The song inspired conversations about how rap can confront rape culture and Haze has since had a number of singles. 

6. Frank Ocean 

Frank Ocean fans were annoyingly shook when the “Thinking About You” singer revealed that he once fell in love with a man in a 2012 Tumblr post. 

After the revelation, the public didn’t hear much from the generally reclusive singer until last year. Following the the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub, Ocean took Tumblr to share his experiences with homophobia following the horrific attack which targeted the LGBTQ community last June. 

Ocean’s letter expressed his devastation in the wake of the shooting and even referenced his father’s own prejudice toward the LGBTQ community. 

7. Big Freedia

The self-described “Queen Diva of New Orleans Bounce,” Big Freedia thrust herself into southern hip-hop culture in 1999 ― but it wasn’t until a decade later that she gained widespread recognition. Freedia’s larger-than-life persona attracted shot-callers at TV network Fuse in 2013 when the station gave Freedia her own reality series. “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce” will enter its sixth season in September. 

8. Kaytranada 

In a 2016 interview with Fader, DJ & music producer Kaytranada revealed he was over being closeted. “I felt like there were two people inside me. I was trying to be somebody I was not, and I was frustrated that people didn’t know who I was,” the Haitian-Canadian artist told the publication. 

9. Young M.A

The hip-hop community’s acceptance of gay rapper Young M.A marked an important moment within and outside of the music genre last fall. 

While some of Young M.A’s lyrics about women are disappointingly problematic and may prevent her from becoming the poster child for lesbian feminism, her ability to dominate the hip-hop scene regardless of her sexual orientation was pretty monumental. 

10. Syd the Kid

The only thing better than an artist being openly gay is listening to them croon about their same-sex attractions in their music. In “Ego Death,” the latest album by R&B band The Internet, the group’s lead singer Syd the Kid is literally singing her boo’s praises in “Girl.”

11. Meshell Ndegeocello 

When 10-time Grammy nominated singer Meshell Ndegeocello was 18 years old, she sang about about taking another woman’s boyfriend. Now 48, the singer is settled down with a wife, two kids and is presumably staying away from other people’s relationships. 

Although she’s proud of her bisexuality, in 2010, the raspy-voiced singer told Out magazine that being defined by her sexual orientation “limits [her] artistically.”

12. Taylor Bennett

Chance The Rapper’s adorable little bro Taylor Bennett came out via social media in January when the rapper and actor took to Twitter to declare his bisexuality. 

“I do recognize myself as a bisexual male & do & have always openly supported the gay community & will keep doing so in 2017. #ThankYou,” one of the rapper’s tweets read. 

13. Felicia Pearson

To the majority of the HBO viewing world, Felicia Pearson will forever be associated with her famous “The Wire,” character Snoop. But, as chronicled on VH1’s “Love and Hip-Hop: New York,” Pearson has also been trying her hand in the music business.

In addition to having her own record label, she also appears in Tony Yayo’s song “It’s A Stick Up.” Pearson’s tumultuous romantic relationship with former girlfriend J. Adrienne also served as an interesting storyline on the reality show. 

14. Todrick Hall

Todrick Hall didn’t win the ninth season of American Idol where he was told by Simon Cowell that his singing career would never go beyond Broadway.

Hall did star in Broadway’s “Kinky Boots” beginning last November, but he wasn’t limited the stage as salty Simon predicted. Prior to the play, the queer multi-talented 32-year-old released a 16-song visual album “Straight Outta Oz” which has garnered over 1.1 million YouTube views and led to a nationwide tour. 

15. Kehlani

Singer Kehlani, who has said she’s part black, is a bisexual free-spirit from Oakland, California. Her hit songs “Distraction” and “The Way” have attracted mainstream attention. But it’s one of her lesser-known songs that will leave you with the utmost respect for the singer.  

In “First Position,” a bold Kehlani persuades a seemingly bi-curious woman to “stop messing with those boys and “get you a lady” and it’s utterly awe-inspiring.

It’s only a matter of time before more dope artists like these infiltrate the music scene. In the meantime, stay proud and claim your blackness and queerness deafeningly loud.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Angel Haze is currently dating model Ireland Baldwin but the two are no longer romantically linked. 

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Honey, she’s back.

Shania Twain’s new single, “Life’s About to Get Good,” has officially dropped. It’s the first new song she’s released in 15 years and, damn, it’s just as fantastic as we’d expect.

The upbeat track has endearing lyrics, including “life’s about joy, life’s about pain,” and poster-ready lines like “I’m ready to be loved and love the way I should.”

It’s the first single off her upcoming album, “Now,” set for release Sept. 29.

Twitter is absolutely loving the single, too:

We cannot wait for everything else Shania’s got for us.

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