Doubling down on discrimination
Does Ben Carson think repeating bigotry makes it sound less bigoted?
It’s been such a relief not having to cover Trump’s nonsense everyday, but I do hope y’all are paying attention to what’s happening with this Ukraine whistleblower stuff, because it’s really significant. If you’re still a little lost about what happened or why it’s so impeachment-worthy, listen to Friday’s episode of the Trumpcast podcast, where Susan Hennesseey breaks it all down. Trump has all but admitted what he’s done, but it’s important to understand why exactly that’s such a bad thing.
Also, three cheers to the climate protesters Friday and again today in DC. None of these other issues matter if we can’t sustain life on this planet.
But you’re here for LGBTQ news, so let’s get to it.
Understanding “Bi” on Bi Visibility Day
Last week was Bi Awareness Week and today is Bi Visibility Day! I want to use today to lift up a concern my dear friend and brilliant educator Robyn Ochs has been making, which is that “bi” as we understand it today does not mean two; it means more than one. In other words, people who are bi aren’t necessarily limited by the gender binary, and defining them that way erases the many nonbinary people they might also be oriented toward.
Merriam-Webster announced last week that it was adding a definition for the word “they” as a pronoun to be used for people with a nonbinary gender. Ochs is hoping the dictionary will likewise recognize that its definition for “bisexual” is unfortunately still quite binary.
As she explains in her thread, the MW definition for “bi” unfortunately only recognizes attraction to “both sexes,” falsely implying there are only two. It has other limitations too, which I hope you’ll think about.
It’s hard to celebrate bi visibility if we can’t actually see bi people for who they truly are.
Ben Carson doubles down on transphobia
HUD Secretary Ben Carson has issued a statement clarifying his reported comments about “big, hairy men” using transgender protections to get into women’s homeless shelters. And by clarifying, I mean he literally just repeated exactly what he had said before, as if it wouldn’t sound so bad the second time around.
Despite claiming that he’d heard from women’s shelters about having this problem, he could provide no evidence to substantiate the claim. That’s because the evidence doesn’t exist. And despite denying he made “hateful statements toward the transgender population,” he’s now made them twice (plus all the other times before that).
Somehow, every time he says that “we have to permit policies that take into consideration the rights of everybody,” he means the exact opposite, because that always seems to mean discriminating against transgender people who have no where else to go.
Jim Mattis still defending trans military ban
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis is still defending Trump’s implementation of the transgender military ban. His latest claim, in a new interview with TIME magazine, is that the Joint Chiefs were never able to give any input when President Obama and Secretary Ash Carter lifted the previous ban in 2016.
This is not only suspect, but ironic, because it’s been widely reported that the military chiefs had absolutely no knowledge that Trump was going to tweet out the ban, and many have said there’s no evidence in their ranks to support it.
Mattis claimed that it wasn’t a ban, it was a study, but as I’ve thoroughly reported, everything about that “study” appeared rigged to support Trump’s unqualified ban.
Federal judge dismisses conversion therapist’s lawsuit
Christopher Doyle is one of the most dangerous people in society, continuing to be a full-throated purveyor and promoter of conversion therapy. To try to hold onto the profits he brings in from torturing queer people with shame, he partnered with the anti-LGBTQ hate group Liberty Counsel to try file a lawsuit challenging Maryland’s ban on conversion therapy. He didn’t get very far.
Today a federal judge tossed out Doyle’s lawsuit, ruling that therapy may consist of speech, but it’s still professional conduct that can be regulated. The law doesn’t infringe on Doyle’s right to believe in such nonsense, merely his ability to peddle it to others. And no, it doesn’t matter that he only uses talk therapy instead of something more extreme; it’s still prohibited.
The Liberty Counsel is of course pissed and promises to immediately appeal the dismissal.
Sanders supporters force trans actress off Twitter
Earlier today I shared my thoughts on Friday’s LGBTQ presidential forum, including how disappointed I was that Bernie Sanders would be participating in neither forum and how I think actress Angelica Ross can do no wrong. Ross herself had spoken out that she thought it was “a huge misstep” for a front-runner like Sanders not to make a point to be there, accusing him of preferring “photo ops” over LGBTQ events.
I’m livid to find out that Sanders supporters harassed Ross so much for this that she felt she needed to take a break from social media. To be fair, she also heard from the usual idiots who claim Trump isn’t terrible to trans people, but that’s to be expected. Here was a trans woman of color who was willing to show up and speak out, and for that she deserves harassment from the people whose guy was somewhere else? Not okay.
AM2DM follow-ups from Booker and Buttigieg
I mentioned in my round-up how disappointed I was that decriminalizing sex work never came up. Cory Booker did, however, answer a question about it on BuzzFeed’s AM2DM this weekend, seeming to support decriminalization:
Pete Buttigieg also spoke to AM2DM this weekend about his comments last week that he no longer reads LGBTQ media. He walked back the remarks, saying that the LGBTQ media “plays an increasingly important role, especially at a time like this.” His comment was a “grumpy moment,” and he admitted that the critiques he was annoyed by weren’t from LGBTQ media.
For the record, I’m still annoyed by the “increasingly important” comment because we’ve been around and making a big impact for some time now.
Queer milestones at the Emmys!
Last night’s Emmy Awards had a couple of amazing queer moments.
First, Pose’s Billy Porter became the first gay black man to win a leading actor award. He marked the milestone by quoting James Baldwin in his acceptance speech:
When Patricia Arquette won for The Act, she used her speech to talk about her late transgender sister and call for equality — and jobs — for transgender people:
Other big queer wins included RuPaul’s Drag Race, Queer Eye, Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, Jane Lynch, and Ben Whishaw.
But even before all that, Laverne Cox was on the red carpet with the ACLU’s Chase Strangio in tow raising awareness about the upcoming Supreme Court cases on LGBTQ employment discrimination.
If you haven’t already, please read my deep dives on how the Trump administration is arguing for discrimination so you understand what’s at stake in these cases.
Also, check out this great new video from the ACLU featuring queer actors reading the letter that plaintiff Aimee Stephens wrote when she told her coworkers she was transitioning:
Rainbow flag burned in Kansas
Imagine going to sleep at night and having someone come onto your property and set one of your belongings on fire. That’s what happened to Zachary and Micala Gingrich-Gaylord of Riverside, Kansas, who as allies to the LGBTQ community had flown a Pride flag outside their home. The flag had previously been stolen, so they replaced it, and then it was burned while they were inside sleeping.
They’ve ordered a whole bunch more flags so they can keep replacing them as needed.
Quick Hits
Instead of going to the United Nations climate summit, Trump and Pence spent the day with a whole bunch of their anti-LGBTQ friends discussing “religious freedom.”
A federal court in California dismissed a suit challenging LGBTQ protections for students at boarding schools.
A federal court in Michigan ruled that a Christian student group’s suit for the right to discriminate against LGBTQ students at Wayne State University can proceed.
The Family Research Council is upset that surveys are collecting basic information about LGBTQ identities, calling the questioning a “graphic sex survey.”
Check out how two very anti-gay North Carolina lawmakers defended their ludicrous plans to undo marriage equality.
Andrew Sullivan has gone full transphobe, warning that transgender people are literally trying to indoctrinate your kids. Activist Riki Wilchins dissects the scare tactic.
Meanwhile, the National Catholic Register is similarly fear-mongering about trans kids by falsely portraying certain transition medications as dangerous, as this thread debunks:
Thread. (TLDR: anti-trans activists shout about deaths associated with a puberty-blocking drug, demand ban; drug’s main licensed use is for paliative care in cancer, hence associated deaths—it’s actually quite safe.)How to lie with statistics: Dangerous Drugs The National Catholic Register has just published an article proclaiming "FDA: Thousands of Deaths Associated With Drugs Given to ‘Trans’ Children". It is a masterclass in telling falsehoods by telling only part of the truth. \1 https://t.co/hZnUUCRa3g
The Implausible Girl @ImplausibleGrrlIn response to religious street preachers protesting The Rocky Horror Picture Show (what year is it??) in the UK, a same-sex couple kissed in front of them.
The first-ever Pride march in Kharkiv, Ukraine prompted a violent backlash.
In an attempt at finding relevance, hatemonger troll Milo Yiannopoulos tried to join the furry community, but it staunchly rejected him.
Australia rugby player Israel Folau, kicked out of his league for saying gay people are going to Hell, has reportedly been picked up by a team in Tonga, where homosexuality is illegal.
FIFA has named Megan Rapinoe its women’s world player of the year.
Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness has opened up about being a “member of the beautiful HIV-positive community.”
Piers Morgan is of course struggling with Sam Smith’s nonbinary gender, complaining that male and female award categories may soon have to go. Smith responded on Instagram by simply sharing how happy they are embodying their identity:
That’s it for today! Don’t forget to check out my in-depth look at the LGBTQ presidential forum if you haven’t already!
Until next time, stay platinum!
(Ben Carson photo credit: Flickr/Gage Skidmore.)