Action-Packed Good News Update!

Resistances continue to grow around the country, and legal wins come down by the dozen! Plus, a free event & getting ready for the Skrmetti ruling.

It's been a hot second since I've shared a good news recap, and this one is jam packed! First off is some great news for people who like to learn about queer history and/or like hanging out with me:

I'm hosting a free event in two weeks called "Keep Dancing: The Role of Joy in Social Movements Through History". Joy is not the bliss of ignorance, nor is it reserved for a privileged few. Joy is the fuel in the engine of changemaking. From then to now, we'll review how we can use joy to make meaningful change.

Preparing for the Ruling

I know it’s nearly impossible to talk about queer news, either good or bad, without talking about the looming Supreme Court ruling in the Skrmetti case on Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming care for minors.

We have no idea how this is going to go, and I will write a post as soon as I possibly can once we get the ruling. AND I also know that however the ruling goes, the headlines are going to be intense and the media ecosystem is going to be toxic about it. If the case doesn't go our way, I also know that many of us are at risk of going into full-blown panic mode.

So I want to take a second and provide some resources, reminders, and context so we are best equipped to receive the results.

First: a brief review from Lambda Legal summing up what is actually at stake here. Consider following their newsletter or social media for updates on the ruling and action steps! https://www.instagram.com/lambdalegal/?hl=en

Key reminders:

• This is not a case that will directly or immediately ban or legalize all gender affirming care, especially outside of TN

• This is not our only legal avenue for restoring access to care

• Even a victory at the supreme court is not the end of the road for this case.

I also need us to recognize that when our legal defense and statehouse testimonies focus almost entirely on suicide, statistics, we whip ourselves into a frenzy that gender affirming care bans will mean mass death of our community. To be blunt with my response: Our community is stronger than that, especially if we continue to build an lean on true community support networks.

Gender affirming care is amazing, it is an exceptional resource that we will continue to fight for at every return, and there are so many things that can make a life worth living, that can make a trans person feel seen, and that we can do to mitigate the discomfort of a non-affirming puberty for a couple of years. Gender affirming care bans are and will be an incredible hardship on our community, but we cannot allow them to be the end of the road. These bans are temporary. The beauty and diversity and strength of the trans community is infinite. We will outlive their laws.

(P.S. If this reads like me feeling certain we're going to lose, it's not. I'm actually quite hopeful, but I don't need to waste word count telling you why it would be nice if we won.)

Okay, now onto the good news! As always, there's LOTS if you decide to look for it!

Court Victories

Federal Court Blocked Executive Orders Targeting LGBTQ and HIV-Serving Nonprofits, protecting critical funding access! (6/10, Them)

Federal judge protected trans prisoners, ruling that prisons must provide gender affirming hormone therapy to transgender inmates. (6/4, NBC)

Puerto Rico's supreme court will now allow X as a third gender choice on birth certificates, in a victory for nonbinary Puerto Ricans! (6/3, NBC)

A federal judge blocked most of Iowa’s “Don’t Say Gay” law with a preliminary injunction, protecting libraries collections of books with LGBTQ+ characters, teachers' rights to affirm their students or hang a pride flag in their classroom, and stu dents' right to form or join a Gay Straight Alliance club. (5/16, Lambda Legal)

The Ninth circuit ruled a spa’s ban on transgender patrons violates the first amendment. We love building up legal precedent supporting nondiscrimination protections and cases! (5/30, Erin in the Morning)

Legislative Wins

In the latest victory against censorship, Oregon just passed a law stating that you can’t ban books just because the author is gay, trans a person of color, muslim, etc.! The lone republican to vote in favor of the bill spoke about how impactful it was for her gay son to be able to see himself represented in the books he read growing up. (6/11, LGBTQ+Nation)

This section is shorter this week, in large part because many legislative bodies are concluding for the summer, or for the year. This in and of itself is a victory: as sessions adjourn, un-passed legislation is considered "dead" and typically needs to start the whole process over again next session. This includes hundreds of failed anti-trans bills defeated by advocates around the country.

The Power of the People Don't Stop!

Resistance is everywhere, from art and music to cities and towns. Elected officials and everyday Joes are finding their strength in fighting back, together.

Missoula joins a series of other cities in adopting the pride flag as an official flag after a state ban on raising the flag on government property. I personally am a huge fan of some good old fashioned malicious compliance. (6/3, Montana Free Press)

Also, in a beautifully ironic evening, Trump went to the Kennedy Center for the opening night of Les Miserables and was met with a rousing round of boos. Meanwhile, a group of drag queens in their full glory walked to their seats and were met with a standing ovation. (LGBTQNation)

For the second year in a row, activists and allies in Jacksonville, Florida used handheld lights to light up a bridge the colors of the rainbow when Ron Desantis forbade the city from using the lights within the actual bridge for the annual pride display. (6/2, jacksonville.com)

Also, we continue to celebrate. We continue to gather, to see and be seen, to love and be loved, to march down the street. We continue to stand with and for each other. Pride might be moving away from some level of corporate influence, but it is not moving away from being loud, proud, and present.

An LGBTQ+ Mariachi band at my local pride festival last weekend!