I hope everyone’s keeping cool through this heat wave! If you’re a new reader, please click on this button to subscribe so you never miss an issue!
And click here to learn more about this gorgeous “Trans people are sacred” billboard by nonbinary trans artist Jonah Welch, which is now on display in Detroit.
Onto the news!
Elizabeth Warren (she/her)
It’s a really subtle thing, but I continue to be impressed by the way Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has been demonstrating her comfort expressing LGBTQ inclusivity. She doesn’t draw much attention to it, in part because she’s super smooth about it, never pausing or stumbling over terminology. There was a “Latinx” in the first debate, there was a “black, brown, and queer” at Netroots, and now she’s added her pronouns to her Twitter profile. She doesn’t have to advertise her LGBTQ bona fides; she’s modeling them. (And conservatives are noticing and being petty about it.)
Not so LGBTQ-friendly insurance
As the Trump administration is trying to roll back health care nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQ community, insurance companies are notably silent despite having celebrated Pride last month. My colleagues Amanda Gomez and Casey Quinlan report on their unwillingness to oppose the removal of the protections.
Sins of the mothers
A Christian daycare in Waco, Texas denied admission to a child because the girl’s parents were a same-sex couple. Posting about it on Facebook, the couple explained that they didn’t know the daycare had such anti-gay beliefs until they end of their prospective visit, when they were disqualified because they are “mates.”
Sexual miseducation in Arizona
Conservatives are celebrating that they convinced Arizona’s Board of Education not to modernize its rules on sex education. Earlier this year, Arizona repealed its “no promo homo” law, which had prohibited classroom education that “promotes a homosexual life-style.” Following suit, the Board sought to remove language from the state’s guidelines banning the teaching of “abnormal, deviate, or unusual sexual acts or practice” and replace it with instruction that is “medically and scientifically accurate.”
The parents were pissed that kids might learn that LGBTQ people exist and aren’t “abnormal, deviate, or unusual,” and they prevailed. That’s where we are in 2019.
Patriarchal hate crime
A same-sex couple on Long Island was violently attacked by a group of men earlier this month. Proving once again that homophobia is motivated by sexism, one of the men explained he planned to attack the less feminine woman in the couple. “'I'm not going to fight you because you're a woman, I'm going to fight her because she's a man.”
Pennsylvania mayor reverses on Pride flag
Reading, PA Mayor Wally Scott (D) has reversed his decision not to fly the Pride flag outside City Hall. Following a statewide backlash, Scott said he was inspired after several people told him stories about their coming out. “Wow, to remember the very day you broke the news to your mother,” he said. “You knew as a child that you were a boy in a girl's body. I still choke up.”
The bravery of a Polish Pride march
Flanked by riot police, 1,000 people participated in the first-ever LGBTQ Pride march in the Polish city of Bialystok on Saturday. Four times as many counter-protesters threw flash bombs, rocks, glass bottles, and bags of flour at them, calling for a “Bialystok free of perverts.” Marchers had to hide their Pride flags and wipe off their glitter to safely blend in with pedestrians so they could leave.
Meanwhile, a conservative newspaper in Poland has actually been distributing “LGBT-Free Zones” stickers. When the stickers were marked as hate speech on social media, the newspaper’s editor compared the LGBTQ movement to Nazis, saying “censorship was typical of Nazism, imposing ideology, too.” The stickers literally have a rainbow flag being crossed out on them.
Protecting trans women in Indonesia
Indonesia has been a hotbed for homophobia lately, but one school is helping provide trans women with the support they need to support and thrive. The international group Front Line Defenders just recognized the Islamic boarding school Al-Fatah for its achievements providing shelter, counseling, and education to trans women who have been rejected by their families.
Religious freedom bill spooks LGBTQ Australians
Lawmakers in Australia are considering legislation that would create new religious discrimination protections, and LGBTQ advocates are panicked it will override their protections. The concern is certainly warranted considering just last year conservatives tried to put a religious exemption to discriminate in the country’s marriage equality legislation. The new bill hasn’t been released yet, but its supporters have given wishy-washy answers as to what impact it’ll have on LGBTQ rights.
Oliver Stone endorses Russian homophobia
Filmmaker Oliver Stone loves Vladimir Putin so much that he wants him to be his daughter’s godfather. Stone also has complaints about transgender rights, and he thinks Russia’s law banning “gay propaganda” is “sensible.”
The opposite of sportsmanship
The U.S. victory in the Women’s World Cup was a big moment of visibility for queer women in sports, so how did the Heritage Foundation respond? By finding some female athletes to highlight who are super anti-LGBTQ, like a soccer player who wouldn’t wear a rainbow jersey and the Connecticut students suing because they lost races to trans students. How dare LGBTQ athletes be successful and take attention away from the bigots!
How not to Pride Night
It’s great when sports teams hold Pride Nights, honoring their LGBTQ fans and ensuring they feel welcome supporting their local teams. But the Pawtucket Red Sox, a minor league baseball team in Rhode Island, really botched it. First, former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer was the special guest who threw the ceremonial first pitch. Then, the stadium ran a promotion that if a spectator caught a foul ball — which someone did — everyone would get a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich. Nothing says Pride Night like free promotions for homophobic chicken!
Shawn Mendes refuses to support fan coming out
Is singer Shawn Mendes a queer icon? For all he’s complained about being perceived as queer, I’m not inclined to think so, but even less so after the way he recently responded to a fan who wanted his support coming out to her parents as bi. No, Shawn, not all parents lovingly support their queer kids, and you just missed an important opportunity to use your straight-twink-star-power to make the world a better place for all the LGBTQ people who like your music. I personally think the backlash for his comments is totally warranted, what do you think?
Fling of the Valkyrie
The Marvel Cinematic Universe might finally see some legitimate queer visibility, with Tessa Thompson teasing this weekend that as the new king of New Asgard, Valkyrie “needs to find her queen. That’ll be her first order of business.”
Queer anthems drown out straight pride
Following Netflix’s example, TripAdvisor also issued a cease and desist letter last week, demanding that the Straight Pride Parade stop using its logo and stop suggesting they’re in conversation about a possible sponsorship. To drive the point home, TripAdvisor peppered its C&D letter with references to queer anthems like “I’m Coming Out,” “True Colors,” and “Believe.”
Loved exactly as he was
In the interest in promoting bi visibility and just bringing a little extra joy to our lives, let’s conclude today’s newsletter with the trailer for the new Tom-Hanks-as-Mr.-Rogers film. Whether you’ve already watched it or not, make sure you have a tissue handy.
Until next time, stay platinum! Mr. Rogers would approve.