Grindr’s New CEO Has a Twitter Problem; Biden Denies Putin Meeting; A Soap Magnate Comes Out, and More: This Week in Queer News – Them
Elon Musk says communism caused a rift between him and his own trans daughter. [The Advocate]
Gay soccer player Josh Cavallo had some words for Qatar ahead of the FIFA World Cup. [Them]
You know what’s an immaculate vibe? My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way with a flamethrower. [Them]
Legislation
This section of the newsletter is brought to you in collaboration with the Trans Formations Project’s Newsletter Team. The Trans Formations Project is a grassroots organization dedicated to tracking anti-trans legislation across the United States.
As a reminder, if you are concerned about ongoing efforts to roll back trans youth rights in schools in Virginia, there’s some easy actions you can take. First, you can submit a public comment on Youngkin’s policy: it’s a straightforward action that can send a loud message. The advocacy group Equality Virginia also maintains a social media toolkit you can peruse! While initially the comments were overwhelmingly in opposition to the policy, many of the more recent comments appear to be supportive of the transphobic policy of dubious legality, so make sure you don’t let them eat up all the airspace!
What We Won This Week
The biggest thing we won this week, bar none, is that the Ohio Board of Education, after having its hearings stuffed with opponents to its proposed policy, delayed voting on its changed rules that would have, among other things, forced the outing of trans students, functioned as a bathroom bill, and explicitly denied transgender identity by codifying biological sex as an immutable trait. As such, the resolution is now being reassigned to committee, where it may die outright without a vote, or it may rear its ugly head again later this year or in 2023. This isn’t over yet, but it is a win.
Another win, albeit a very small one: The site that originally reported on the case of trans Vermont volleyball player, in which the reporter quoted bullies but not the young trans athlete, quietly removed the story from its site. The school in question, and her volleyball team, have had a decisive outpouring of support for her.
What the Heck Happened This Week?!
New legislation has begun to be introduced across the country, very little of it good.