613 posts tagged with lgbt.
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Robbi Mecus, Who Fostered L.G.B.T.Q. Climbing Community, Dies at 52
A New York State forest ranger who worked in the Adirondacks, she died after falling about 1,000 feet from a peak at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. (SLNYT gift link) [more inside]
What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?
Orville Peck & Willie Nelson - Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other (slyt) [more inside]
Bubba Copeland
[CW: transphobia, suicide] Bubba Copeland was the heart and soul of his community—mayor, businessman. When a website exposed his deepest secrets, his life wasn’t the only thing that was destroyed. [Esquire]
Non-binary Oklahoma student dies after school fight
16-year old Nex Benedict died on February 8th (wiki), a day after being beaten unconscious by 3 other students in their Owasso High School bathroom. [more inside]
You Got to Hold On
Since their earliest days playing record store gigs, the Alabama Shakes have been an absolutely holy-shit powerhouse of rock'n'roll soul.
But for all their collective skill, the true genius of the band was always frontwoman Brittany Howard -- a former cashier and postal worker-turned-generational talent whose electrifying voice, lyrical verve, eclectic tastes, and directorial eye drove the band's rapid musical evolution, from the anthemic southern roots rock of 2012's Boys & Girls to the cinematic groove, kaleidoscopic funk and eerie psychedelia (bordering on spiritual experience) that was 2015's Sound & Color.
And beyond: after a hiatus, Howard went solo to work on her debut effort Jaime (2019), a heartbreaking and deeply personal record inspired by her late sister and her own experience growing up as a queer, mixed-race woman in the Deep South.
Now, after brief forays into multiple side projects, jamming with Prince [audio] and Paul McCartney, an immaculate piano duet with Herbie Hancock at the Kennedy Center, and a delightful music video (starring pal Terry Crews, her dad, and a whole swath of her hometown), Howard has surprised fans with a second solo album, starting with the lead single: "What Now." Haven't heard enough about these fantastic albums? Well, bless your heart, there's [more inside]
PROUD Academy, the first school for LGBTQ+ youth in Connecticut
Conferences moving out of Florida due to LGBT discrimination
Zooey Zephyr, Montana legislator, banned from floor
The Transfemme Field Guide
Be Yourself, Regardless: The Transfemme Field Guide by Leadhead (ft. TransVoiceLessons, Jessie Gender and AdequateEmily). Text version
Can I Offer You An Egg In This Trying Time?
On the memetic rhetoric of transgender coming-out comics... but a lot more readable than the subtitle makes it seem like it will be. [more inside]
Trans people were always here
🏳️⚧️ Happy Trans Day of Visibility! 🏳️⚧️
they're killing the children
Coverage via Erin Reed, aka @ErinInTheMorn, of Kentucky's House passing HB470, "one of the worst anti-trans bills in the country". Gov. Lee in Tennesee has just signed into law a bill that enacts a total ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender children, as well as banning drag shows from public spaces. There are signs of hope as similar bills fail across the country, but legislators are turning their gaze to bills which also prevent adults from seeking gender affirming care.
Australian Prime Minister marches in the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
Australia's current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, just became the first Australian Prime Minister to march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. He marched with Rainbow Labor NSW, which is an advocacy group within the Labor party for LGBT equality. Albanese has been marching [as an ally] at Mardi Gras since 1983 (yesterday was the 35th time that he's marched with Mardi Gras), but it is the first time that he has ever done so as Prime Minister.
Roxane Gay in Antarctica: The Things We Do for Love
A really good musical
Extremely talented singer/songwriter and performer Todrick Hall has written, directed, choreographed, produced and performed in a 1 hour 31 minute long musical film, Forbidden, full of great songs, great choreography, great costumes and great sets which is FREE to watch on his youtube site. The supporting cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Tiffany Haddish, Jade Novah, and RuPaul. [more inside]
"You all come out, come out, my dears, to Lavender Country"
Patrick Haggerty, trailblazing gay country singer, 1944-2022.
If you're a longtime MeFite or a longtime public radio listener, you might know Patrick Haggerty from his StoryCorps story about a conversation he had with his dad as a teenager in the 1950s, where his father told him, "don't sneak." [previously, and previouslier.] But Haggerty - in addition to being an organizer, an activist, and a Marxist, who was kicked out of the Peace Corps for being gay - was also widely acclaimed as the first out gay country star as the leader of the band Lavender Country, who as early as 1973 were releasing songs like "Come Out Singing" and "Back in the Closet Again." [more inside]
I just thought I was a legend
Fern Brady comedy special (SLYT, 56:01m, subtitles/captioning).
My Octopus Girlfriend: On erotophobia
Are octopuses floods, or are they reservoirs? Are they two-thirds water, like us, or do they explode the body–environment boundary? To be in the (even virtual) presence of an octopus is closely akin to an acid trip, I feel: a hot flood, a visitation of humility, of xenohospitable love, divine trust, comradely fearlessness. [more inside]
Signing with pride
Deaf Korean members of the LGBT community are working to change Korean Sign Language. From official signs for "lesbian" and "gay" which evoke sexual acts rather than identities, to the lack of distinction in the vocabulary between HIV and AIDS, to established-but-unofficial negative facial expressions associated with queer vocabulary, KSL has some aspects which are being called out as problematic, and a network of activists has been working since 2019 to build and propose alternative vocabulary. Found via Language Log.
Expansive Science Writing and Living in an Impossible World
Virology: Essays for the Living, the Dead, and the Small Things In Between by Joe Osmundson is an ambitious book that succeeds in its efforts to shed light on viruses with science writing, yes, but also to shed light on the messy realities of life with queer theory, journey entries, archival data, personal essays, and above all else, naked honesty. [Autostraddle]
The Gazebo: One of the Internet’s First Trans Safe Spaces
Gwendolyn Ann Smith remembers when you could almost fit the entire trans internet into a single (virtual) room. This was the early ’90s, when only a few million people worldwide were on the web. Even though users were sparse, the benefits of getting online for trans people were acute. For those who didn’t live near significant numbers of other trans people, or for those who were not yet out to their loved ones, finding refuge online was an especially vital lifeline that has only grown more powerful over time. The Gazebo was a 48-person chatroom, named in honor of Lauren D. Wilson, a trans woman who died by suicide, and who dreamed of precisely this kind of safe digital space.
Being bisexual in an opposite gender relationship
Li Shiu Tong
"Historians are rediscovering one of the most important LGBTQ activists of the early 20th Century – an Asian Canadian named Li Shiu Tong."
let me have a turn
And SHE, this 50-something lesbian talks to this stranger on the phone. And a LINE FORMS BEHIND HER. Every customer in that store knows that call, knows that feeling, and every person takes a turn talking to that man. That story comforts me so much to this day.What happened one night when a desperate stranger called a local queer bookstore to ask for help and found a community eager to do so. (First link to the original Twitter thread, second to the queersplaining podcast (12:07 minutes) going into greater detail.)
Phoebe, Millie, et al.
Phoebe and Her Unicorn is just about ten years old. Its initial syndication deal in 2015 introduced it to over 100 different newspapers, it has fourteen printed collections in your local library and/or bookstore, with more on the way, and it's set to become a Nickelodeon animated series next year. It's the whimsical adventures of a nine-year-old girl, a justifiably self-absorbed unicorn, and their attempts to understand the world and each other. But before Phoebe, Dana Simpson wrote several other comics: [more inside]
I want them to live
On Tuesday, Republican Governor Spencer Cox vetoed a bill that would have banned transgender athletes from participating in girls’ high-school sports (the second Republican Governor to do so (NYT link) this week). In doing so, he wrote a (perhaps surprisingly) thoughtful letter in an attempt to appeal to the humanity of his fellow legislators.
Yesterday, the Utah House and Senate overrode his veto.
Yesterday, the Utah House and Senate overrode his veto.
That's not gay, what the hell is that?
"And what's funny was I was thinking, man, what's the deal? Why is no one attractive?" While maintaining personal boundaries, JaidenAnimations publicly comes out as aro-ace - aromantic, asexual [slyt] (15m) and explains what that is and how she viewed romance growing up.
Trans people talking about state level anti Trans efforts in the US
There are between 238 and 280 anti LGBTQ+ bills filed this year, mostly targeting trans people, particularly trans youth, and this doesn't include measures like the the recent anti trans youth directive from Texas Gov. Greg Abbot. There are between one and three million transgender and non cisgendered people in the US. Here are a three of us, talking about how this unprecedented government onslaught threatens our lives. [more inside]
don't say gay
House bill 1557, aka the Parental Rights in Education bill, otherwise known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, passed the Florida Senate today. This bill "prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels [kindergarten through grade 3]" and would allow parents to sue schools or teachers who engage in these topics. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed support for the bill. Students in Florida have participated in walkouts and demonstrations to protest it. Meanwhile, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has not explicitly spoken out against the bill, generating backlash from Disney employees and supporters.
Indie TTRPG bundle for Trans Kids in Texas
The TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Texas bundle features nearly 500 different downloadable tabletop roleplaying games, for a minimum donation of $5, in response to the heinous policies recently announced by Texas's government. Donations are to be split between the Transgender Education Network of Texas and Organización Latina de Trans en Texas. A google spreadsheet provides an alternate way of browsing the titles on offer. Another huge itch.io bundle, for Ukraine, is just wrapping up submissions and hopes to release on Monday.
Classic Megaposts Remixed
In 2008 and 2011, we explored the early history of two titans of children's television. Starting in the '80s, fresh off success with MTV, producer Fred Seibert helped revitalize a struggling Nickelodeon with a comprehensive brand overhaul -- infectious doowop jingles, surreal interstitials, and a visionary slate of original shorts that brought it "from worst to first" in the ratings. In the '90s, he followed suit at Cartoon Network, working with creative director Michael Ouweleen on a series of inventive musical idents that reinterpreted the network's properties through stock footage, indie music, and original animation in a wide variety of styles, along with another groundbreaking roster of shorts that, along with the Nicktoons, would become some of the most famous in the history of American animation. [warning: Frankenstein's monster post inside] [more inside]
The Outs
Both seasons of the critically-acclaimed queer web series The Outs are now free to watch. [more inside]
Santa is gay (at least in Norway)
In 2022 it's been fifty years since you can love who you want in Norway.When Harry met Santa -- a Christmas commercial from the Norwegian Post Office. (You don't need to speak Norwegian to get the gist.)
nolite te TERFs carborundorum
Why Margaret Atwood’s defense of the word ‘woman’ is misguided – and why it’s so important to get it right (Independent) [more inside]
Scotland Is Now the First Country to Require LGBTQ+ History in Schools
The new curriculum will also incorporate queer topics into everyday learning. More info from scot.gov. [via]
Bad Faith
Queer readings of The Lord of the Rings are not accidents
Molly Ostertag presents an in-depth and compelling argument that the hobbits' relationship was a romantic one, presented as explicitly as Tolkien felt he could:
It was a conscious choice on the part of “Frodo” and “Sam” to include the many moments when they express love for each other, and it reads much in the same way people from the past delicately referred to their same-sex relationships: wanting to acknowledge their truth while obeying the conventions of the time.
How Gay is Gay Enough?
"What kind of representation actually counts as gay representation? What counts as pandering? What counts as baiting? And what's the difference?" How Gay is Gay Enough? (about the anime Yuri on Ice* but also about queer representation in media in general) [more inside]
You Are Queer Enough
We’re here, we’re queer, and some of us have had the privilege of coming out openly to our friends and family…but are there certain stereotypes and expectations in the queer community that keep us from feeling valid? [...] Impostor syndrome tries to trick us into thinking it only shows up in the board room. But, the reality is that it can sneak its way even into the spaces where we most expect to experience belonging. In the group chat. In the Pride march. And even in our very own mindsets (gatekeepers who invalidate bi and pan folks with cis male partners — I’m looking at you!). [Autostraddle]
Indie bundle for Palestinian Aid
The indie bundle for Palestinian Aid has 1000+ projects for $5+, with the possibility of more to come, is up and available until this Friday, June 11. The bundle's featured game is Liyla, a game based on actual events about a little girl in Gaza during the war in 2014. It also includes games like Mini Metro, VVVVVV, Pikuniku, Orwell and Calico, among many, many others. [more inside]
Queen Rina
How Rina Sawayama Turned Pop Inside Out — And Built One of Its Fastest Growing Fanbases: With her genre-obliterating sound and gripping lyrics about identity, Rina Sawayama became one of the most exciting queer voices in pop. Now she’s making room for anyone else who feels like an outsider. [Billboard] [more inside]
Film & Filming
BBC News looks at The LGBT history you probably didn't learn in school, a UK-centered look at LGBTQ lives in decades past.
"Hatred is a constant underlying theme"
TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is promoting homophobia and anti-trans violence TikTok’s recommendation algorithm appears to be circulating blatantly anti-LGBTQ videos, some of which encourage targeted violence. This isn’t the first time TikTok’s opaque algorithm has been caught recommending far-right content, including accounts promoting dangerous movements.
“No child of mine is going to be a p*g!”
I chose you / You chose me
Making it easier for published scientists to change their names
Science said last month: "Today we are pleased to announce a seamless, discreet procedure that authors can follow to change their names in previously published papers across the Science family of journals. We join multiple other publishers that have adopted similar initiatives, including the American Chemical Society, Public Library of Science, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Wiley. Authors may have occasion to change their names for various reasons, but recent outreach by, and on behalf of, transgender scientists has impressed upon us the importance of respecting authors’ privacy and autonomy in correcting the scientific record."
BDSM as a healing modality
New study on LGBTQ kinksters reveals BDSM's healing capabilities. NSFW reporter Ana Valens writes: "The age-old claim that 'BDSM is abuse!' has haunted online social media platforms like Tumblr and Twitter for years, much to kinksters’ dismay. But that argument now has one less leg to stand on. A new study reveals the myriad positive experiences LGBTQ people have within queer kink spaces and recommends therapists become more 'kink-aware' ..." [more inside]
Someone will remember us I say …….even in another time
My Neighbor, Miguel
A short documentary about a magical San Francisco resident and artist (SL Vimeo) (CW: while not the majority of the film, he does talk about his experience of living through the AIDS crisis)