Troye Sivan

5 LGBT things you need to know today, Jan. 12

1. Chelsea Handler is facing backlash after a controversial tweet in which she suggested Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is performing sexual favors for other men in the Senate. Some Twitter users are calling the bold tweet homophobic.

2. In an emotional segment, Ellen DeGeneres announced on her show yesterday that her estranged father, Elliot DeGeneres, has passed away at the age of 92. “There was not a bone of judgment in his body,” she said of her father. The comedian has had a trying week, as her home has been impacted by the mudslides that have killed 17 people in Santa Barbara County, though she and wife Portia de Rossi evacuated safely prior to the damage.

3. Within a one-week period, four African-American lesbians fell victim to homicide, highlighting an increase in violence against the black LGBT community. HuffPost examines the disturbing trend.

4. Jessica Platt of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League team the Furies has the become the first transgender woman to come out publicly in the sport of professional hockey.

5. VIDEO OF THE DAY: “My My My!” is the first single from openly gay singer Troye Sivan’s forthcoming album.