And That's on Marsha P. Johnson
P as in Pay Them No Mind!
Friends, foes, and other h*es,
What’s up! It’s KB flooding your inbox with nothing but good news. I’m very happy with the number of good court rulings this week! Something’s in the air, people… I think it might be JOY!
Before we get into it, here’s some trivia! Who is the Black trans man whose story was featured in Ebony Magazine in 1954, making him one of the earliest documented Black trans men in American media?
Comment if you know the answer! If you don’t read till the end of the newsletter :)
Let’s get into it, shall we?!
Trans Video That Doesn’t Suck
I still do not know why Substack is refusing to let me embed certain things, but here’s a flip-through of good trans news that I posted on Instagram :)
Trans News That Doesn’t Suck
A Wisconsin school board tried to ban gay and Black composer Omar Thomas’ piece honoring Marsha P. Johnson. Instead, he conducted the school band.
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And that’s on Marsha P. Johnson!! Congrats to Omar and all the organizers that made this happen! <3
Australia’s Federal Court has upheld a landmark discrimination ruling in favor of trans woman Roxanne Tickle, strengthening legal protections for trans Australians and doubling the damages awarded against transphobic social networking app Giggle for Girls. YAY!!
A district court judge in Kansas granted a preliminary injunction on behalf of two trans teens, halting a state law which seeks to ban healthcare for trans youth. He even put out a 117-page document disapproving of the ban, and found that 99.2% of Kansas children that received gender-affirming care “continued to identify as trans into adulthood. Of the remaining 0.8%, most did not regret the medical treatment they received.” AMAZING!
Colorado Supreme Court has temporarily ordered Children’s Hospital Colorado to resume gender-affirming care — regardless of Trump’s threats.
Yay! Let’s hope that this injunction becomes permanent.
A Rhode Island judge has blocked the Trump admin’s demand for the hospital records of trans kids. WOO! The judge is Trump-appointed, and even said that the Department of Justice has “proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case.” More Tr*mp appointees: please jump ship!
A federal judge in Connecticut has refused to pause a court order blocking Aetna from categorically denying coverage for certain gender-affirming facial surgeries for trans patients. AMAZING!
Elliot Page has a new documentary, Second Nature, that shows how gay penguins and sex-changing fish are part of the animal kingdom’s diversity.
As more states enact restrictions on reproductive and trans rights, San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood introduced a proposal to prevent employers in the city from screening out people with convictions related to abortion or gender-affirming care. YAY!
Heated Rivalry star Harrison Browne says that focusing solely on hormones ignores the “real barriers to fairness” in sports. I agree, king!
Would you like to share how you’re navigating the current political climate in the U.S. as a trans and/or non-binary person? Rae Rosenberg, Assistant Professor of Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh, wants to speak with you!
If you’re interested in participating you can scan the QR code in this flyer or email me at Rae.Rosenberg@ed.ac.uk. Yay research!
Teresa Lopez wants Americans to come to the unusually progressive Pride in Zacatecas, Mexico.
After a legendary reign, trans activist Toni-Michelle Williams is taking her final walk as Miss Models Inc. Ambassador and passing her crown to the next titleholder in Norfolk, Virginia.
The latest season of Couples Therapy has a trans breakout star — as much as there can be a breakout star in a reality show documenting serious relationship challenges — and her name is Shay Neary.
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Glad you’re doing good, Shay!
The trans author Eli Claire very astutely talks about disability, transness, and postponing easy answers here.
Wes Streeting, the UK health secretary that banned puberty blockers, has resigned. Bye, bozo!
Check out Galaxy 2: As the World Falls Down! Autostraddle states: The sequel to trans coming-out graphic novel stars a purple, blue-haired alien space princess with a loving girlfriend and a talking corgi bodyguard is trying to chart a course for her own future, and the superhero lifestyle it may or may not entail.
That’s it & that’s all. The answer to my trivia question is James “Jim” McHarris. Did you know about him before this?
Till next time!
Love, Peace, & Chicken Grease,
KB