Tag: transgender

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News Round-Up: May 6, 2021

Disney rolls out brand new rainbow pride gear for Pride Month

Disney rolls out brand new rainbow pride gear for Pride Month
(image via Disney Parks)
Some news items you might have missed: • Disney Parks: Just in time for Pride Month 2021, fans around the world can showcase their LGBTQ pride with all-new bespoke products featuring Disney brands. To learn more, visit RainbowDisneyCollection.com. • Pink News: An anti-transgender bill in Texas that would ban trans students from playing sports on the team corresponding to their gender identity has failed to advance out of a House committee. It failed to get the requisite seven votes to move forward, instead receiving a 6-5 vote in favor. • Kenneth-in-the-212: This week’s installment of Wrestle Wednesdays was a truly worthy honoree (below). Click here for more of KIT212’s regular Hump Day feature.
Follow David Torres here
Make sure to follow David Torres here on Instagram
• OUT: A Republican state lawmaker in Kansas was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery charges for kneeing the groin of a teenaged boy who was in a class he was substitute teaching. • Edge Media: Olympic athlete Tom Daley is back in familiar form after winning two gold medals at the 2021 FINA World Cup in Tokyo. The event was the diver’s first competitive performance in 14 months, and the judges unanimously agreed that Daley didn’t miss a beat. • Twitter: Fox News talking head Tucker Carlson says thousands of Americans have died after they received a COVID-19 vaccine, pointing to CDC numbers. What he doesn’t say: “Reports to VAERS of death ‘following’ vaccination do not necessarily mean the vaccine ’caused’ the death.” VAERS is an open-access system. It’s designed so that anyone — parents, patients and health care professionals — can freely report any health effects that occur after a vaccination whether or not those effects are believed to be caused by the vaccine. People have died after watching Carlson’s TV show. It doesn’t mean they actually died from his show (although I guess that’s possible).

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Utah High Court Confirms Transgender Right To Change Name & Gender Marker

Sign welcoming people to Utah

Sign welcoming people to Utah
(photo: JoshuaT/Pexels)
Good news coming out of Utah today. From Equality Utah:

After 3.5 years, the Utah Supreme Court ruled today In Re Gray and Rice (20170046) 2021 UT 13, and confirmed the right of transgender Utahns to change the name and gender marker on their birth certificates.

This is a landmark ruling that allows transgender Utahns to fully integrate as equal members of society.

We send our love and appreciation to the legal team of Chris Wharton, Kyler O’Brien, and Beth Jennings (Wharton O’Brien) Troy Booher and Beth Kennedy (Zimmerman Booher) and the courageous joint plaintiffs Angie Rice and Sean Childers-Gray.

It has been an unprecedented year for transgender Americans. Over 30 states introduced legislation to restrict the freedom of transgender youth.

But here in Utah, we chart a different path. The Utah Legislature rejected two anti-transgender bills, and today, the Utah Supreme Court has upheld transgender rights to live freely as their authentic selves. This is ‘equality under the law’ in practice right here in Utah.

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Podcast: Bad Gay Reality TV Shows, Gays And Eating Disorders, Biden’s First 100 Days In Office

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s headlines: • Scoring Joe Biden’s LGBTQ wins and losses during his first 100 days in office • The American Medical Association begs governors to let transgender kids be themselves • There’s backlash for Colton Underwood’s Netflix ‘coming out’ reality series and I look back on truly terrible gay TV reality shows • Funny man Michael Henry artfully addresses body image and eating disorders among gay men in his latest short film. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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News Round-Up: April 30, 2021

NIKO releases his latest single, "Dance Again"

NIKO releases his latest single, "Dance Again"
NIKO releases his latest single “Dance Again” (photo: Billie Black)
Some news items you might have missed: • LA Magazine: Former N’SYNC member Lance Bass is about to open “the biggest gay nightclub in the USA” in West Hollywood. The new club will land at the same location of the long-running, but now-defunct, RAGE. • NBC News: Amid a slew of anti-transgender bills working their way through state legislatures, the American Medical Association has written an open letter asking governors to veto legislation that would prohibit physicians from providing transition-related care. • BosGuy: It’s Furry Friday over at the longtime Boston-based gay blog. Click here for previous installments of furry goodness at BosGuy.
(image via BosGuy)
• Washington Post: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is an apparent ‘no’ vote on statehood for the District of Columbia. Manchin says there should be a constitutional amendment to move DC up to statehood, but there were no such amendments in making Alaska or Hawaii states. • Fox5 Atlanta: The family of Ashli Babbitt, the insurrectionist who was shot by Capitol Police while illegally climbing through a window in the Capitol building, is apparently planning on suing the officer and police department for $10 million.

• New Music: Dance into the weekend with the latest from Randy Report favorite, NIKO (top photo) who wants us all to “Dance Again.” Inspired by classic 90s trance tracks, the LA-based Euro Pop artist takes us on an uplifting sonic journey featuring effortless shimmering vocals, switching with equal ease between Italian and English, as that groovy bass line bops like a boss. NIKO says the track was written during the pandemic when he was “missing my loved ones who were thousands of miles away.” “The track can be interpreted very literally (wishing we could go out dancing like we used to), however, for me, the song’s message goes beyond that,” explains NIKO. “It’s about leaving your home to pursue your dreams, feeling homesick, and looking back on a time when life seemed a little more carefree. “

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Stephanie Ruhle’s Fierce Takedown On Anti-Trans Athlete Bills

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle asks West Virginia Gov. Justice why address trans girls in sports versus larger more pressing issues in his state?

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle asks West Virginia Gov. Justice why address trans girls in sports versus larger more pressing issues in his state? This is a pretty brutal, but fair, take down by MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on the topic of all those state’s currently banning transgender girls from playing sports in public middle schools, high schools, and universities. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice just signed such a bill into law, and Ruhle brings some direct questions to the table. “The law you just signed, bans transgender female athletes from playing on women’s school sports teams,” she began. “Can you name one example of a transgender child, trying to gain an unfair competitive advantage at a school, there, in West Virginia?” The governor was at a loss to do so. “Well, Stephanie I don’t have that experience exactly to myself, exactly, right now.” “No, not yourself,” Ruhle pressed. “Your state. Can you give me one example of a transgender child trying to get an unfair advantage? Just one, in your state. You signed a bill about it.” “I can’t really tell you one, but I can tell you this, Stephanie,” replied Justice. “I’m a coach and I coach a girls’ basketball team. And I can tell you we all know, we all know, what an absolute advantage boys would have playing against girls.” “But sir – you have no examples of this happening,” countered Ruhle. “Why would you take your time to do this? Let’s talk about other things that I can give you examples of in your state. According to US News and World Report, West Virginia ranks 45th in education, 47th in health care, 48th on the economy, and 50th in infrastructure. If you can not name one single example for me, of a child doing this, why would you make this a priority? I just named four things that would seem to me like a much bigger priority.” Justice attempted some lame babble praising girls who work so hard at their sports and they shouldn’t be disadvantaged by trans girls participating. He also said he thinks “there are only 12 kids in our state that are transgender-type kids.” Ruhle wasn’t impressed. She ended the segment with this coup de grâce: “Please come back, when beyond anecdotal feelings as a coach, you can show me evidence where those young women are being disadvantaged in your state because I can show you evidence how ranking that low in education is a disadvantage for young women and men in West Virginia.” Annnnnnd, curtain. Watch the exchange below.

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Biden To Trans Americans: ‘Your President Has Your Back’

President Joe Biden calls for Congress to pass the Equality Act

President Joe Biden calls for Congress to pass the Equality Act In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Joe Biden spoke to several issues as well as his proposed American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. Along the way, the president took time to call for the passage of the Equality Act: “I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans.” He added a special message to transgender folks: “To all the transgender Americans watching at home — especially the young people who are so brave — I want you to know that your president has your back.”

The Equality Act would add legal protections for LGBTQ Americans to existing federal civil rights laws. The legislation has already passed in the House, but faces a steep climb in the Senate where Democrats will need 10 Republicans to join them in passing the bill. A CBS News poll following Biden’s address showed 85% of Americans who watched approved of his speech, 15% disapproved. And 78% say the speech made them feel “optimistic” about America. As an example of how partisan politics have become, of those who watched Biden’s address, 54% identified as Democrats, 18% as Republican and 25% as independent, according to CBS News. So, basically, Republicans didn’t tune in to watch. By comparison, 76% of the audience (that leaned Republican) approved of Trump’s speech in 2017.

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Equality California On Caitlyn Jenner Running For Governor: ‘Hard Pass’

Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner (image via Instagram)
Caitlyn Jenner’s announcement that she will be running in the California gubernatorial race has received a ‘hard pass’ from LGBTQ activists and advocates in the Golden State. The election, likely in the fall, is the result of an effort to recall current Gov. Gavin Newsom. Even though Jenner would be the first woman elected to the state’s highest office as well as the first transgender person to become governor of the state, LGBTQ folks are not flocking to her. Considering several controversial statements in the past, including her previous support of Donald Trump, Equality California, the state’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, made clear its opposition to her candidacy. “Make no mistake: we can’t wait to elect a trans governor of California. But Caitlyn Jenner spent years telling the LGBTQ+ community to trust Donald Trump. We saw how that turned out. Now she wants us to trust her? Hard pass,” tweeted the organization. TMZ reports that Jenner’s sons did not want her to run and “embarrassed” by her candidacy. Plus, the Kardashian clan has already announced they won’t campaign with Jenner. Conservatives, like Charlie Kirk, are predictably not lining up behind Jenner either.

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News Round-Up: April 16, 2021

Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Not everyone is celebrating ‘Bachelor’ star Colton Underwood getting a Netflix series that will follow his new life as an openly gay man after coming out this week. When Attitude Magazine posted the news (above), pop star Adam Lambert chimed in, “No one is feeling this Netflix.” And out former rugby star Keegan Hirst wrote, “Monetising coming out. Oh dear. Not a good look.” • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like this week’s GRAB Magazine featuring singer/songwriter Dodie.

(image via GRAB Magazine)
• PBS: A new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found two-thirds of Americans (66%) oppose laws that would limit transgender rights. That opposition includes majorities of every political ideology from liberal to conservative and every age group. • CBC: A gym in Quebec City has become one of the largest recorded COVID-19 super-spreading events in Canada as 224 cases have been traced directly to the gym as well as another 356 related cases. The gym owner, a pandemic denier, shared social media posts that questioned the effectiveness of masks and minimized the dangers of COVID-19.

• Instinct Magazine: A straight man began sharing pics of his enormous penis on Twitter during the pandemic, and now says he identifies as bisexual following all the attention he garnered from gay followers. “I think if I met the right one, and got to know and like and trust him, I might find the courage to… explore.” • NBC News: A new bill in the Texas Senate aims to redefine child abuse to include parents who consent to hormone therapy and puberty blockers for their transgender children. The legislation would make such acts a felony. • Pink News: A student was caught on video tearing down a Pride flag that hung along a stairwell at Ridgeline High School in Cache County, Utah, on Tuesday. It had been placed by officials to celebrate the school’s Gay Straight Alliance during diversity week, alongside flags from various countries.

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Trailer For 3rd And Final Season Of POSE Is Here!

Screen capture from the Season 3 trailer of POSE

Screen capture from the Season 3 trailer of POSE The trailer for the third and final season of the acclaimed FX series POSE is here! From the official website:

In the final season of Pose, it’s now 1994 and ballroom feels like a distant memory for Blanca who struggles to balance being a mother with being a present partner to her new love, and her latest role as a nurse’s aide.

Meanwhile, as AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for Americans ages 25 to 44, Pray Tell contends with unexpected health burdens. Elsewhere, the emergence of a vicious new upstart house forces the House of Evangelista members to contend with their legacy.

Premiering in 2018, POSE made history with its number of transgender cast members including Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross. During its first two seasons the drama garnered AFI and Peabody Awards and numerous Golden Globe nods. Series lead Billy Porter made history by being the first Black gay man to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Season 3 of POSE will premiere on May 2 at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on FX. The series finale will air June 6.

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Arkansas Gov Vetoes Bill Banning Treatment For Trans Youth

Gov. Hutchinson of Arkansas announced today he will veto a bill that would have blocked medical treatments for transgender minors

Gov. Hutchinson of Arkansas announced today he will veto a bill that would have blocked medical treatments for transgender minors
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (screen capture)
In a surprising move, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill Monday that would have banned gender dysphoria treatments for transgender minors in the state. Calling his decision an embrace of restrained “conservative philosophy,” Hutchinson told reporters, “This is an example of where restraint is better than overbroad actions that interfere with important relationships in our society.” From ABC News:

During a news conference with reporters, the Republican governor said the intentions behind the state legislature’s “Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act” were “well-intended but off course.”

The act bars doctors from providing gender-affirming health care to transgender minors, including hormones, puberty blockers and transition-related surgeries.

Hutchinson said that he had an issue with the bill that would affect patients who are currently taking treatments and how it would affect the mental health of the state’s youth.

LGTBQ rights activists, medical professionals and other groups protested the bills because it was discriminatory and would lead to more severe mental health problems for youths.

ArkansasOnline reports Hutchinson’s veto can be overridden by the GOP-controlled legislature by a simple majority vote.