Pride, Good News Edition
June 12, 2024 2:29 AM Subscribe
With legislative and social attacks against trans people across the US, you may have missed some of the more encouraging stories. Here's just a few:
1. Federal Court Blocks First State Law Restricting Health Care for Transgender Adults. The ruling in Doe v. Ladapo found that Florida SB 254 and the related Boards of Medicine (BOM) rules were motivated by disapproval of transgender people and violate the equal protection rights of transgender individuals and parents of transgender minors in Florida.
2. New state program expands transgender, LGBTQ care. [T]he initiative will expand comprehensive and medically necessary care for transgender, gender-diverse, and LGBTQ+ people throughout Illinois. This program equips organizations that currently serve LGBTQ+ communities to increase their capacity to provide culturally- and medically-competent gender-affirming care.
3. Majority of Americans approve of trans and non-binary people living as they wish, survey finds. 80 per cent of Americans said they somewhat or strongly approve of gay and lesbian people living as they wish. Sixty-seven per cent said the same about trans and non-binary people.
4. First trans woman to become Miss Maryland USA wants to inspire trans kids. On June 1, Bailey Anne Kennedy became the first trans woman to be crowned Miss Maryland USA. She now hopes that her victory will inspire LGBTQ+ kids across the nation.
5. Funds for the Dolls: Uplifting Trans Women of Color in Arts. Theatre Communications Group (TCG) launches Funds for the Dolls, awarding grants to trans women of color in the performing arts. The program, led by Merrique Jenson and Qween Jean, aims to uplift and support TWOC, providing unrestricted funds for artistic projects or essential needs.
2. New state program expands transgender, LGBTQ care. [T]he initiative will expand comprehensive and medically necessary care for transgender, gender-diverse, and LGBTQ+ people throughout Illinois. This program equips organizations that currently serve LGBTQ+ communities to increase their capacity to provide culturally- and medically-competent gender-affirming care.
3. Majority of Americans approve of trans and non-binary people living as they wish, survey finds. 80 per cent of Americans said they somewhat or strongly approve of gay and lesbian people living as they wish. Sixty-seven per cent said the same about trans and non-binary people.
4. First trans woman to become Miss Maryland USA wants to inspire trans kids. On June 1, Bailey Anne Kennedy became the first trans woman to be crowned Miss Maryland USA. She now hopes that her victory will inspire LGBTQ+ kids across the nation.
5. Funds for the Dolls: Uplifting Trans Women of Color in Arts. Theatre Communications Group (TCG) launches Funds for the Dolls, awarding grants to trans women of color in the performing arts. The program, led by Merrique Jenson and Qween Jean, aims to uplift and support TWOC, providing unrestricted funds for artistic projects or essential needs.
In a recent poll, majorities oppose forced outing laws and support protecting gender-affirming care for transgender youth (Erin in the Morning).
posted by box at 4:59 AM on June 12 [8 favorites]
posted by box at 4:59 AM on June 12 [8 favorites]
This was great to wake up to. Thanks!
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:58 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:58 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
Thank you for sharing positive news I wouldn't otherwise have seen.
Yeah, heaven forbid the mainstream media report on positive things that can mitigate the constantgloom and doom terror that so many of us feel.
posted by Melismata at 7:22 AM on June 12 [5 favorites]
Yeah, heaven forbid the mainstream media report on positive things that can mitigate the constant
posted by Melismata at 7:22 AM on June 12 [5 favorites]
Hearing about the ruling in Florida earlier this week made me happy. The news about Miss Maryland reminded me of this year's first nonbinary Eurovision champ, in a year which also saw the first two nonbinary competitors!
As Pride Month crept up this year, I once again reexamined the question of whether or not I'm nonbinary and hit upon an answer: yep! Specifically, I'm in the purple stripe. Does this change my life from day to day? No, but it gives me some frame of reference plus, y'know, representation is important.
I suspect there's a lot of us purple stripe people out there, especially middle aged and older people like me, who didn't have terms like nonbinary floating around when they were younger. There are many different people out there, living their lives as best they can. That's not a bad thing at all!
posted by May Kasahara at 7:26 AM on June 12 [18 favorites]
As Pride Month crept up this year, I once again reexamined the question of whether or not I'm nonbinary and hit upon an answer: yep! Specifically, I'm in the purple stripe. Does this change my life from day to day? No, but it gives me some frame of reference plus, y'know, representation is important.
I suspect there's a lot of us purple stripe people out there, especially middle aged and older people like me, who didn't have terms like nonbinary floating around when they were younger. There are many different people out there, living their lives as best they can. That's not a bad thing at all!
posted by May Kasahara at 7:26 AM on June 12 [18 favorites]
Thank you for this pile of good news this morning. <3
posted by egypturnash at 8:08 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
posted by egypturnash at 8:08 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
Yay this is wonderful! It will help lots of people (it will probably save lives) and it's nice to get some wins. I think it also highlights the value of fighting for trans rights in every front, from legislatures to the courts to individual conversations. There are a lot of ways we can push back against transphobia and transphobic policies (and the slew of other bigoted and horrible policies that will inevitably follow if they win these fights) and every one helps. Thanks to everyone doing this work!
posted by an octopus IRL at 8:25 AM on June 12 [3 favorites]
posted by an octopus IRL at 8:25 AM on June 12 [3 favorites]
It is great news. Fuck those fucking fucks.
posted by Windopaene at 8:33 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
posted by Windopaene at 8:33 AM on June 12 [2 favorites]
There are many good things about the American system, but the ability of a frightened, hateful minority to impose its desires on everyone else is not one of them.
posted by gottabefunky at 9:39 AM on June 12 [3 favorites]
posted by gottabefunky at 9:39 AM on June 12 [3 favorites]
Transgender opponents are of course free to hold their beliefs. But they are not free to discriminate against transgender individuals just for being transgender.
This makes me happy to see a court straight-up call-out shit laws like this for what they are - Hate.
From the way the court directly called-out Florida's bald-faced bigotry, though, I'm actually curious as to what sort of defense Florida actually put-up. Generic appeals to "common sense," "will of the people," "state's rights"?
posted by Thorzdad at 10:29 AM on June 12 [7 favorites]
This makes me happy to see a court straight-up call-out shit laws like this for what they are - Hate.
From the way the court directly called-out Florida's bald-faced bigotry, though, I'm actually curious as to what sort of defense Florida actually put-up. Generic appeals to "common sense," "will of the people," "state's rights"?
posted by Thorzdad at 10:29 AM on June 12 [7 favorites]
PROPER
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:43 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:43 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
What an excellent collection of encouraging events!
Thank you so much for the excellent summaries and this wonderful post, Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane. It's a wonderful start to the day!
posted by kristi at 10:56 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
Thank you so much for the excellent summaries and this wonderful post, Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane. It's a wonderful start to the day!
posted by kristi at 10:56 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]
I'm actually curious as to what sort of defense Florida actually put-up. Generic appeals to "common sense," "will of the people," "state's rights"?
Your bingo card still has 'religious freedom' on it.
Seriously, though, I'm not sure how much they even care about defending it.
It seems like a lot of solid-red state legislatures are just passing clearly unconstitutional laws, and then watching to see what happens. Most big hospitals and insurance companies will err on the side of minimizing their potential liability. Maybe a service provider shuts down or moves out of state--it's okay, it's not like they were going to vote for you anyway. Maybe some families move away--same thing.
And then people challenging the unconstitutional law have to find someone with standing to do so. There's a decent chance that, when this person does come along, they'll be doxxed and harassed. They might not have standing to challenge the entirety of the law (IANAL), or the resources that a state AG's office has to fund a challenge, and, when it does get in front of a judge, the judge might be a Trump appointee.
While all this is winding its way through the courts, you can continuously fund-raise off of it.
In the spirit of 'every accusation is a confession': lawfare.
posted by box at 10:56 AM on June 12 [5 favorites]
Your bingo card still has 'religious freedom' on it.
Seriously, though, I'm not sure how much they even care about defending it.
It seems like a lot of solid-red state legislatures are just passing clearly unconstitutional laws, and then watching to see what happens. Most big hospitals and insurance companies will err on the side of minimizing their potential liability. Maybe a service provider shuts down or moves out of state--it's okay, it's not like they were going to vote for you anyway. Maybe some families move away--same thing.
And then people challenging the unconstitutional law have to find someone with standing to do so. There's a decent chance that, when this person does come along, they'll be doxxed and harassed. They might not have standing to challenge the entirety of the law (IANAL), or the resources that a state AG's office has to fund a challenge, and, when it does get in front of a judge, the judge might be a Trump appointee.
While all this is winding its way through the courts, you can continuously fund-raise off of it.
In the spirit of 'every accusation is a confession': lawfare.
posted by box at 10:56 AM on June 12 [5 favorites]
(Sorry, this is a good news post and that comment is... kind of a downer.)
posted by box at 11:16 AM on June 12
posted by box at 11:16 AM on June 12
It seems like a lot of solid-red state legislatures are just passing clearly unconstitutional laws, and then watching to see what happens.
Man, imagine what it would be like to have a party that engaged in similar tactics but, like for good stuff?
posted by flamk at 11:57 AM on June 12 [6 favorites]
Man, imagine what it would be like to have a party that engaged in similar tactics but, like for good stuff?
posted by flamk at 11:57 AM on June 12 [6 favorites]
Yay! Fuck DeSantis! Yay!
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:12 PM on June 12 [5 favorites]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:12 PM on June 12 [5 favorites]
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posted by plonkee at 4:09 AM on June 12 [10 favorites]