What this was based on: The report itself was based on a small, unrepresentative survey that asked people about their views on trans rights and whether they support certain high-profile cases of violence against conservatives. LGBTQ+ advocates are already calling it “junk science.”
Why it matters: The right has been attempting to paint LGBTQ+ rights supporters as violent to discredit them. Russia labeled LGBTQ+ advocates as “extremist” to ban LGBTQ+ organizations.
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What the ruling said: Among other things, the judge noted that the state’s drag ban is so vague that it could theoretically have banned Dolly Parton because she had a reputation of being “a voluptuous sex symbol because of her big hair, flamboyant clothes, and breast exposure.”
Why it matters: The point of drag bans is to limit public expression of LGBTQ+ identities and gender nonconformity, but the First Amendment protects drag (like it does other art forms).
Why he’s doing this: Former New York Knicks center Enes Kanter Freedom has been saying that he’s a trans woman who wants to join a WNBA team in an effort to mock the league’s support for trans players. Freedom’s stunt is just one of many that WNBA players are having to put up with since right-wing media decided to focus on the league’s trans policy.
Why it matters: No trans woman is currently playing in the WNBA, and there is no reason for a controversy around this policy right now other than that the midterm elections are two months away. The controversy, though, is resulting in harassment of WNBA players and could bring further negative attention to trans people.
Who he is: Rep. Blair, a former high school math teacher and a member of a county board of education, won a special election to finish out the late Rep. David Scott’s (D-GA) term. Another Democrat has already won the primary for the seat, so Blair will be out by January.
Why it matters: Blair is the first gay man elected to Congress from Georgia and the third Black LGBTQ+ person elected to the House of Representatives. He’s now the US House’s 13th out member.
What he said: “Our point in our province is very clear: we do not support the criminalization of gay persons,” Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, the Anglican Primate of West Africa, said. “The whole concept of … LGBT people, it’s not new here. They have lived in this country for a long time, and we’ve lived with them. They’ve never been a problem.”
Why it matters: The situation in Ghana has gotten so bad for LGBTQ+ people that even Christian leaders are speaking out against the government’s actions.
Picture of the Week
Mae Harrison participated in a remembrance of country icon Dolly Parton: “As aqueerwoman who loves country music, she’s made a way for women andqueerpeople to feel a little less alone and feel embraced here,” she said. “I don’t want to sit in the fact we lost somebody we had such an amazing beautiful woman, and we’re all very lucky to be here and be honoring here.”
Some more great queer and trans reads
Contributor Greg Owen talked to out candidate Marni von Wipert about her campaign to flip a red district in California.
Columnist Faefyx Collington explains how Trumpism will survive even if it’s separated from the president, which is something the left needs to address.
Editor-in-Chief Alex Bollinger responded to a supposed list of gay, closeted Republicans.
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