Trans People Are Everywhere
Don't you ever think otherwise.
Fruities & other cuties,
Yoyoyo it’s your good trans news dealer, KB Brookins! This week was hard for trans folk in the US, so I’m especially excited to bring you presents (in the form of videos and links). Unclench your jaw, sip some water, take three intentional breaths, sweet baby. I have nothing but good news.
Let’s get into it!
Trans News That Doesn’t Suck: The Video
My video this week centers some awesome news out of Illinois: Governor JB Pritzker signed the Provider Protection Act, which solidifies access to gender affirming care AND abortion care👏🏾
This is great to know for those of us in states where one (or both) of those things are precarious. People in blue states: pressure your legislators to pass laws like his‼️ Otherwise, are you really even blue*?
*Sidebar: I wanna dispel this notion of “red state = bad, blue state = good” on account of a few things:
The Democratic Party as a whole has a ways to go in the realms of leftist policies. These days (unfortunately), not all Democrats agree on a number of simple facts: no one is illegal, DEI education is vital, we must eradicate homelessness, Palestine must be free, and trans people of all ages deserve gender affirming care and to be able to play sports under the gender that they identify as. In other words, there are some fascists in the party! So no, I don’t support all Democrats, and therefore don’t think all blue states are safe havens.
I, for one, have lived in a red state (Texas) all of my life, and the city I’m in at the moment has a lively queer and trans community (we’re quite literally the third queerest city in the US)! So I don’t appreciate these sentiments among folk that my home state is some queer & trans-deprived place. Shove your misinformed anti-Southern stereotypes up your a**.
You’re not progressive in any way for ever insinuating that people ni red states need to be “left behind” or “given up on.” Queer & trans people are everywhere, we’ve been everywhere, & we will continue to be everywhere — in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, & everywhere else from sea to shining sea. Get used to it — & shut your a** up when you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Anyway, onto the list!
Trans News That Doesn’t Suck: The List
HUGE: the US is getting sued for its anti-trans passport law, and now the feds must allow trans and intersex folks to update their passports with their CORRECT gender. Woo!
I, for one, love it when trans & intersex folks win. Let’s all keep up with how this lawsuit (thank you ACLU! thank you plaintiffs!) unfolds.
Maine lawmakers rejected multiple bills that targeted trans rights. Come through, Maine!
A federal court blocked you-know-who’s executive orders targeting LGBTQ and HIV-serving nonprofits. Yes!
I was on the Relationscapes podcast and talked about being Black & beyond the binary. :)
A federal judge blocked most of Iowa’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, meaning that libraries can still have LGBTQ+ books, teachers can affirm their students & hang a pride flag in their classroom, and students can still have LGBTQ+ clubs. Woo!
INTERNATIONAL: Australia updated their blood & plasma donation rules to be more LGBTQ+-inclusive. In my opinion, it’s ridiculous that restrictive rules are still in place every place should follow suit!
The FDA just approved twice-a-year HIV prevention drug that could help end the virus worldwide. Trans folks are especially susceptible to HIV, so this is huge.
An anti-TERF song is sweeping the internet.
INTERNATIONAL: A member of staff at Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK wore a progressive pride flag pin & fascists got mad. Her office stood beside her. Allies: be like this woman & support us out loud by wearing a pin in public!
Lorde is exploring her gender identity through music.
JD V*nce is the most blocked person on Bluesky. If you have a Bluesky account, go block him.
A federal judge blocked Marco Rubio’s anti-trans passport rule. I for one want him kicked out of Texas.
Heartthrob Elliot Page is making a documentary about Black trans drag race superstar Peppermint.
I for one loved her in Survival of the Thickest (she’s an actor too, y’all!) & look forward to this documentary.
INTERNATIONAL: A UK trans woman swam topless in a competitive swimming race & doesn’t care what you think about it.
A modeling agency is embracing trans visibility.
Elon Musk’s trans daughter slayed in her drag debut during an immigration defense fundraiser.
Pop off, queen! May all of us with conservative parents have your courage!
A Christian spa claimed it had the right to discriminate against trans women and a Washington court disagreed.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled that a trans middle schooler can continue using girls’ bathroom. Congrats to her!
In response to you-know-who shutting down the federal LGBTQ+ suicide and mental health crisis hotline, I thought it useful to share that Trans Lifeline provides trans peer support for our community that’s been divested from police since day one. They’re run by and for trans people.
That’s all, folks! What is one good thing that happened to you this week? Tell me in the comments.
Till next time,
KB
Thank you for this every week it’s so necessary. I went swimming this week and it was very nice
My partner got top surgery this week! They are recovering well, and I'm having a blast taking care of them :)