A lot of people in the comments lack comprehension. He never answered the question. His response is equivalent to Aretha Franklin’s answer when asked about Taylor Swift’s singing. Her response was “great gowns, beautiful gowns”.
As we celebrate LGBTQ History Month, I want to take a moment to highlight the voices of celebrities who identify as bisexual and what they’ve shared about their unsung sexuality.
In my humble opinion, and as someone who identifies as bisexual, it’s the letter that feels most forgotten in the LGBTQ+ conversation. Even more so, celebrities who identify this way are constantly overlooked and doubted — sometimes because they’re in a relationship with someone from the opposite sex.
Thousands gathered Sunday at West Hollywood Park for the 41st annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles.
This year’s theme, “Community is the Cure,” was meant to reflect a sobering reality: the fight against HIV is not over, and the community must once again lead the way.
Founded in 1985 as a response to government inaction, AIDS Walk Los Angeles continues to raise critical funds for APLA Health, which provides comprehensive services to more than 22,000 Angelenos each year, with a strong focus on people with or at risk for HIV.
Team ABC7 | Disney PRIDE shows their spirit at AIDS Walk Los Angeles
These include access to free and low-cost HIV medical care, PrEP and PEP, testing, case management, benefits counseling, mental health services, and the nation’s largest food pantry for people living with HIV.
“This event was born out of urgency, and it’s just as relevant today,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “We’ve made incredible progress in the fight against HIV, but that progress is under direct threat from funding cuts and political attacks.”
While scientific advances like U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) and PrEP have transformed HIV prevention and treatment, organizers say too many people still face barriers to accessing the care they need.
“We’re being pushed back-but we’re still facing forward,” said Thompson. “AIDS Walk is how we protect each other, amplify our voices, and keep moving forward, together.”
Participants in the 41st AIDS Walk LA tell us why they walk
This year’s opening ceremony was hosted by ABC7’s Coleen Sullivan, and featured speakers U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath among others, as well as a special live performance by Heidi N Closet, star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, who was introduced by fellow Drag Race alum Monét X Change.
Imagine a conservative state bans therapists from talking to gay or transgender minors in a way that affirms their sexual orientation or gender identity. That would cross a line, right? Whatever conservative lawmakers personally think about homosexuality or gender dysphoria, preventing LGBTQ-affirming counseling is an affront to the First Amendment.
For this same reason, Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy should be opposed.
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It’s one thing to personally oppose counseling practices aimed at suppressing same-sex attraction or someone’s questioning of their gender identity. But it’s quite another to use government power to stop anyone from engaging in this sort of talk therapy—and the latter is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.
That’s the crux of Kaley Chiles’ case before the U.S. Supreme Court this week.
And oral arguments in the case yesterday made clear that more than just Colorado’s conversion therapy ban is at stake here. If allowed to stand, it could pave the way for talk therapy restrictions based on conservative views of sexuality and gender, too.
Is Therapy Speech or Conduct?
In Chiles v. Salazar, the Court is being asked to consider whether Colorado’s conversion therapy ban violates the First Amendment. The state bans licensed therapists and counselors from engaging in “any practice or treatment” that “attempts or purports to change” a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity or any “behaviors or gender expressions” associated with it. It also bans treatments aimed at “eliminat[ing] or reduc[ing] sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”
Chiles, a licensed counselor, sued over the law, alleging that it is a form of “viewpoint-based censorship.” Chiles is “a practicing Christian who views her career as an outgrowth of her faith,” her lawyers wrote in their petition to the Supreme Court. “Many of Chiles’s clients are also Christian and specifically seek her help because of their shared faith-based convictions and biblical worldview.”
Chiles doesn’t seek to impose her beliefs on unsympathetic patients, but “after discussing a client’s objectives, desires, and religious or spiritual values,” she will sometimes engage with them in counseling designed to suppress same-sex attraction or gender discontent, said her lawyer.
Colorado argued that the conversion therapy law bans conduct, not speech, and this is permitted by the First Amendment. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit agreed with Colorado.
Because other federal appeals courts have held that counseling conversations are speech, not therapy, the case was prime fodder for Supreme Court review.
Justices Seem Skeptical of Colorado Claims
During oral arguments yesterday, Chiles’ lawyer argued that if there were medical conduct involved—things “like administering drugs, performing procedures, conducting examinations”—then “that would take it outside of the arguments we’re making.” But because Chiles’ work only involves speech and yet would fall into the purview of the ban, that makes the ban an unconstitutional viewpoint-based restriction on speech and subject to a standard of review known as strict scrutiny.
But “a healthcare provider cannot be free to violate the standard of care just because they are using words,” lawyer Shannon W. Stevenson argued on behalf of the state of Colorado. Stevenson also noted that the law only banned conversion therapy by state-licensed professionals, not by unlicensed church counselors or life coaches.
Stevenson also argued, somewhat nonsensically, that counseling a teen who wanted to reduce his feelings of attraction for another male would only be banned “if the therapist told him, or he asked, ‘Can you help me become straight?’” But “if it was, ‘Can you help me cope with my feelings as to how I am and how I want to live my life?’ that’s permitted.” That seems like something of an unworkable legal distinction, and also at odds with the plain text of Colorado’s statute, which also bans attempts to change “behaviors” associated with sexual orientation.
In any event, several Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical of Colorado’s claim that the regulation doesn’t illegally censor speech. And it wasn’t just conservative justices who appeared unconvinced that the conversion therapy ban was legal.
“If a doctor says, ‘I know you identify as gay, and I’m going to help you accept that,’ and another doctor says, ‘I know you identify is gay, and I’m going to help you to change that,’ and one of those is permissible, and the other is not, that seems like viewpoint discrimination in the way we would normally understand viewpoint discrimination,” liberal Justice Elena Kagan said.
“Can a State Pick a Side?”
Taking on the state’s argument that the ban was OK because it was consistent with prevailing standards of care, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch asked if a state “could forbid a regulated licensed professional from affirming homosexuality if that were consistent with the then-prevailing standard of care?” Or, if current prevailing standards of care were to change, “then a state could pass a mirror image statute to Colorado’s that prohibits any attempt to affirm changes of gender identity or sexual orientation?”
As this and multiple other lines of questioning from the justices made clear, Colorado’s arguments could open the door to states banning talk therapy that doesn’t uphold a conservative viewpoint. And this seems like an important consideration at a time when Republicans—from local school board officers up to the president—have been increasingly aggressive about the idea that “gender ideology” is harmful to children.
“It’s pretty important that we think about how this would apply to cases down the road,” suggested conservative Justice Amy Comey Barrett. “So let me describe medical uncertainty as competing medical views, and let’s say that you have some medical experts that think gender-affirming care should be—is dangerous to children and some that say that this kind of conversion talk therapy is dangerous. Can a state pick a side?”
Under Colorado’s line of argument, it would seem that they could.
Or, as Chiles’ lawyer put it in court yesterday, Colorado’s rationale “would allow states to silence all kinds of speech in the counseling room, such as disfavored views on divorce or abortion.”
Regulations like Colorado’s also make it difficult for the sort of broad and nuanced discussions that are crucial to therapy to take place. After all, not everyone who seeks counseling for issues related to gender will wind up identifying as transgender or nonbinary or anything of the sort. Some will just be uncomfortable with gender roles and norms placed upon them; others will be exploring their identities. A broad but also somewhat vague ban like Colorado’s, makes it hard for counselors to really explore the root causes of discomfort. And that’s not helpful.
Missouri Attempts to Mislead Voters About Abortion Amendment
In 2024, Missourians passed Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment protecting abortion access. It specified that “the Government shall not deny or infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions.”
Now, Missouri Republicans are trying to reverse this with a new ballot measure—also called Amendment 3—that would repeal the previous amendment and also enshrine in the state’s constitution a ban on “sex-change procedures for children.”
But they’re also obscuring the true nature of the amendment in voter information about the measure. An initial ballot summary “was so blatantly biased that a judge has already forced Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it—twice,” write Jessica Valenti and Kylie Cheung. “The third version finally passed legal muster, but that doesn’t mean it’s anywhere close to unbiased.”
Here’s what the summary language now approved by a judge says the new Amendment 3 would do:
• Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages. • Ensure women’s safety during abortions. • Ensure parental consent for minors. • Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest. • Prohibit sex-change procedures for children.
This summary “doesn’t explicitly state that the amendment, if passed by voters, would again ban most abortions in Missouri,” notes St. Louis public radio. It also gives the (false) impression that the amendment would newly allow abortions for medical emergencies and so on.
“The ACLU of Missouri said in a statement it intends to appeal not only the ballot summary and fair ballot language, but also for a violation of the state’s single subject clause,” St Louis public radio reports.
“Despite three attempts, the state’s ballot summary still fails to give voters a clear and honest understanding that Amendment 3 would end Missourians’ fundamental right to reproductive freedom, a right we approved just last November,” Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said.
More Sex & Tech News
IDs compromised on Discord: As age verification laws proliferate, we’re seeing more and more examples of the kinds of security breaches that I and many other opponents of these laws have warned about. The latest comes from Discord, where some users may have had their driver’s license or passport images compromised. “Recently, we discovered an incident where an unauthorized party compromised one of Discord’s third-party customer service providers,” the company revealed on October 3. Breached data may have included Discord usernames, real names, email addresses, IP addresses, and some “government‑ID images (e.g., driver’s license, passport) from users who had appealed an age determination.”
Rich schools more likely to have cell phone bans: A new study looks at cell phone policies in U.S. public schools. In the representative sample studied, almost all—96.68 percent—had some sort of official cell phone policy. But these policies varied widely. Overall, “bans were less strict in high schools,” note the study authors. “Bans were also less strict in low-poverty and medium-poverty neighborhoods compared with high-poverty neighborhoods; the reasons for this pattern warrant further investigation.”
A robot tax? Senate Democrats are pushing a “robot tax” that would fine companies for using artificial intelligence to “expand automation.” Such a tax “would hobble American innovation,” Kevin Frazier writes.
Workers remove part of the rainbow sidewalk at the intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street in Miami Beach on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.
The Florida Department of Transportation on Sunday evening began removing the pride-themed crosswalk on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.
The Herald observed workers removing the rainbow pavers from the LGBTQ+ crosswalk at the intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street shortly after 6 p.m. The crew was seen operating an excavator, and slamming what appeared to be a sledgehammer, to pull out the colorful sidewalk pavers.
A crowd of onlookers — beachgoers, residents and drag queens — formed as the workers removed the crosswalk.
“Put a mask on so nobody sees who you are! You’re ashamed!” one man shouted. “You feel good about this?”
Workers remove part of the rainbow crosswalk intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street in Miami Beach on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Amanda Rosa Miami Herald
Part of 12th Street before the crosswalk was closed to traffic.
Part of 12th Street is closed after workers remove part of the rainbow crosswalks intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street in Miami Beach on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Amanda Rosa Miami Herald
The crosswalk’s removal comes after FDOT ordered local governments, including Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Key West, to remove pavement art “associated with social, political, or ideological messages” — or risk losing state funding.
Workers remove part of the rainbow crosswalk intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street in Miami Beach on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. Amanda Rosa Miami Herald
The rainbow crosswalk is steps away from Twist, a famous gay bar nearby on South Beach.
FDOT didn’t respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment as of Sunday evening.
‘Why waste so many resources?’
CC Glitzer, Akasha O’Hara Lords and TP Lords were getting ready for a show at Palace Bar & Restaurant, a bar on Ocean Drive that hosts drag performances, when they heard about the crosswalk.
From left to right TP Lords, CC Glitzer and Akasha O’Hara Lords pose for a photo holding “Miami Beach Forever Proud” signs as FDOT removes a rainbow-themed crosswalk. Amanda Rosa Miami Herald
“It’s very emotional to see that our people and our pride is getting erased just like that. It’s very painful,” said CC Glitzer, who moved to Miami Beach from Germany. “This is where we perform, where we live, where we show our craft and our art.”
As the trio chanted “Miami Beach Forever Proud,” they waved signs with the same slogan.
“They can erase the colors out of the street, but they can never remove the colors out of people,” CC Glitzer said.
Miami Beach will forever be a proud and inclusive community – despite the state’s efforts to “chip away at [those values] one brick at a time,” Commissioner Alex Fernandez said.
Fernandez added the city didn’t get notice that the “army of workers and heavy machinery” would be on Ocean Drive on Sunday.
“The Rainbow Crosswalk” designed by Savino Miller studio, is made from terrazzo pavers, arranged in an Art Deco pattern at the intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street in the Historic Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida and seen here on Friday, September 12, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
“Why waste so many resources, so much taxpayer dollars to remove something that is safe, that is beautiful, that is iconic, that is embraced by everyone…?” the commissioner.
Angelo Lanza, 65, said he feels appalled that the state was removing the crosswalk without residents being informed. Lanza said he found out the decorative crosswalk was being removed as he was walking by.
“It’s a [beautiful] addition to Ocean Drive,” said Lanza, who has lived in Miami Beach for 30 years. “It’s an Art Deco fixture… It’s very upsetting for us that live here.”
John RZasa, 45, was returning from a day lounging on the beach when he and a friend noticed the decorative crosswalk was being removed.
“This is the reason I moved to this neighborhood… I saw a rainbow flag. I saw the rainbow sidewalk,” said RZasa, who moved to South Beach during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I felt comfortable. I felt at home.”
“The Rainbow Crosswalk” designed by Savino Miller studio, is made from terrazzo pavers, arranged in an Art Deco pattern at the intersection of Ocean Drive and 12th Street in the Historic Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida and seen here on Friday, September 12, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
RZasa added he plans on returning Monday to repaint the crosswalk rainbow.
“There’s nobody here that wants it gone. Everyone wants it to stay,” he said. “This feels like an attack on the gay community right now.”
In August, FDOT painted over the rainbow sidewalk located near the site of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando. The sidewalk was a memorial to the 49 people killed in the mass shooting at the gay nightclub.
In a response days later, hundreds of Miami Beach residents and supporters protested the removal of the pride-themed sidewalks across the state. The “Forever Proud March” was organized by Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez and the Greater Miami LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
From left, Adriana May and Cynthia Ordaz rally with other demonstrators carrying rainbow flags and signs reading ‘Miami Beach Forever Proud’ and ‘Won’t Be Erased’ during the Forever Proud March on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. The march followed state officials’ order to remove the city’s LGBTQ Pride crosswalk. Alexia Fodere for The Miami Herald
This story was originally published October 5, 2025 at 7:29 PM.
Grethel covers courts and the criminal justice system for the Miami Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), speaks Spanish and Arabic and loves animals, traveling, basketball and good storytelling. Grethel also attends law school part time.
Alexander Skarsgård is taking his new BDSM-themed film very seriously.
Alexander is starring in the British romantic comedy, Pillion, which is based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones.
In the movie, Alexander plays Ray, a biker gang leader who enters a BDSM relationship with a young man named Colin, portrayed by Harry Melling.
While promoting the film at the Zurich Film Festival, Alexander wore a shirt that featured butt plugs and dildos, and you have to see it to believe it.
The silk shirt is from Italian designer Magliano, inspired by late 20th-century Italian gay culture.
Here’s a closer look at the shirt:
In May, he gave everyone a taste of the film’s culture by wearing over-the-knee leather Saint Laurent boots (which are modeled after fetish boots) to the premiere of The Phoenician Scheme.
In addition to Alexander’s bold fashion choices, he has been equally bold in his comments regarding his role in the movie.
While speaking to Variety at the festival, Alexander opened up about his connection to the BDSM world that is seen in the movie. “My experience of watching this on screen was through Cruising, where it’s this dark underbelly of New York City and it’s dangerous, murderous and scary. Leather gays are scary. I’m no Ray, but I have a little bit of experience from that world and I know that’s not the truthful depiction.”
In a moment that has taken on a viral life of its own, Alexander continued to share how he relates to the character Ray, mentioning his own sexual experiences. “I found that in this case, it’s not really relevant what my background is,” he said. “I mean, I do have a kid, but what I’ve done in the past, who I’ve been with, men, women… To me, what was important was that this felt like an opportunity to tell a story about a subculture I hadn’t seen portrayed this way – with so much authenticity.”
Now, it should be noted that it could be interpreted that he’s sharing information about his sexuality or just suggesting that it doesn’t matter what experiences he had to portray this character — either way, people can’t stop talking about his quotes or that dildo-ridden shirt.
One person wrote, “Alexander Skarsgard is the only person genuinely beyond label. He fucks and that’s all and you’re just lucky if you get to participate.”
Another person, who interpreted his remarks as “coming out,” wrote, “i’m still processing alexander skarsgård lowkey coming out as bi, the bisexual community just keeps winning.”
People excited for his new movie, based on his comments, were saying, “This man did some serious, on the ground, in the trenches research for this role.”
Talking about his raunchy Italian silk, one person wrote, “we love a dildo shirt.”
Another person wrote, laughing, “Who else would wear a shirt with dildos on it.”
And someone else said what I was thinking at first, “Wait bc at first glance I thought they were buildings.”
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The Circa: Queer Histories Festival 2025 is set to kick off on Sunday Sept. 28, through Friday, Oct. 31.
This is the first and only queer histories festival in the United States.
The festival features 40 plus programs celebrating queer and trans history, art, and culture across Los Angeles County.
This year’s theme is ‘Reclaiming Freedom’ which showcases the voices and lives that are being threatened with the current political climate and celebrates resiliece of the LGBTQ+ community.
There will be panels from ACLU lawyer and trans rights activist Chase Strangio, best-selling author Tourmaline, former Trevor Project CEO, Abbe Land, Black trans leader and cultural worker Sydney Rogers, and many others.
Tickets are available now and they are offered on a sliding scale.
Elsewhere in the lawsuit, it apparently added that Ellen allegedly “negligently caused, or contributed to causing plantiff’s vehichle to be collided with by the defendants’ vehicle.”
The woman now suing Ellen for general negligence and an undisclosed amount of damages claimed that she suffered wage loss and accrued medical expenses.
This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch dig into Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R–Mo.) speech at the National Conservatism Conference, where he denounced artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies as threats to liberty. They debate why MAGA populists are embracing anti-tech rhetoric, how this mirrors parts of the labor left, and what it means for President Donald Trump’s simultaneous push for AI investment and closer ties with Silicon Valley.
Our editors also break down the latest jobs report, analyzing labor force participation, manufacturing losses, and whether tariffs and immigration limits are holding back growth. They then turn to New College of Florida’s talk of privatization following its clash with Gov. Ron DeSantis, and what that would mean for university governance. A listener question prompts each editor to explain how they came to identify as libertarian and why the label matters to their work. Finally, the panel examines the Justice Department’s move to ban transgender Americans from gun ownership.
How can we make The Reason Roundtable better? Take our listener survey and get a chance to win $300: http://reason.com/podsurvey
You believe in limited government and support organizations that champion the ideals of a free society. But have you ensured that your charitable giving will leave a lasting legacy of liberty? Without a plan in place, your charitable legacy could fade—or worse, be redirected to causes that don’t align with your values. At DonorsTrust, they help you secure your philanthropic vision for the long term. With a donor-advised fund, you can ensure that the groups you care about continue to receive support, even beyond your lifetime. And unlike other donor-advised funds, DonorsTrust respects your libertarian principles and ensures your charitable capital remains committed to advancing individual liberty. Your giving should reflect your values—not just today, but for years to come. Your Vision. Your Values. Your Impact. Go to http://DonorsTrust.org/Reason to ensure your philanthropy continues to champion liberty for generations to come.
Brooklyn Bedding handcrafts every mattress in their Arizona factory, cutting out the middleman to deliver top-tier quality, honest pricing, and true American craftsmanship. With options for every body, every sleep style, and even hard-to-find sizes, you can find your perfect match in under two minutes with the Brooklyn Bedding Sleep Quiz. Hot sleeper? Their GlacioTex™ covers and CopperFlex™ foam help keep you cool all night. They are endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association for spinal alignment and back health, and they are 100 percent fiberglass-free for added peace of mind. Every mattress comes with a 120-night comfort trial, giving you the freedom to keep it if you love it or exchange it if you don’t. Go to http://brooklynbedding.comand use promo code REASON at checkout for 30 percent off sitewide!
The Trump administration’s reported proposal to ban transgender people from owning guns has drawn condemnation from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and every other notable gun-rights group in the country.
The Daily Wirefirst reported Thursday, based on anonymous Justice Department sources, that senior officials in the department are considering using their rulemaking authority to declare that trans people are mentally ill, stripping them of their Second Amendment rights. Other major news outlets rereported the story.
The Justice Department hasn’t issued any such rule yet, or attached a name to any of the statements leaking out to the press, so this all amounts to more of a trial balloon. But as Reason‘s Jacob Sullum wrote, the idea is “legally loony.” There is no statutory authority for such a categorical decree. Even if Congress did pass such a law, it would be unconstitutional based on current Supreme Court precedent and prevailing circuit court opinions.
If the Trump administration was hoping to get a pass from gun-rights groups over these small details, it will be disappointed. Categorical bans—issued by executive fiat no less—have been a red line for pro-Second Amendment groups and lawmakers for decades.
“The NRA supports the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans to purchase, possess and use firearms,” the organization posted Friday on X. “The NRA does not, and will not, support any policy proposals that implement sweeping gun bans that arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”
Stephen Gutowski, an independent journalist covering gun rights and the gun industry, reported that the NRA wasn’t alone: “Every major gun-rights group has now spoken against the idea of the DOJ trying to strip trans people of their gun rights en masse,” he posted on X Friday.
Gutowski’s tally included Gun Owners of America, the Second Amendment Foundation, the Firearms Policy Coalition, the National Association for Gun Rights, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
“Disarming trans individuals based purely on their self-identification flies in the face of the Constitution and the current administration’s purported support for the Second Amendment,” the Second Amendment Foundation said in a statement to Newsweek. “Beyond the bad policy and constitutional infirmities of such ‘considerations’ the Department of Justice has no authority to unilaterally identify groups of people that it would like to strip of their constitutional rights. SAF sincerely hopes that the reports of such considerations by the DOJ are inaccurate, as the policy reportedly being contemplated is worthy of the strongest possible condemnation and legal action.”
Second Amendment groups often remind gun-control advocates that, historically, things don’t tend to go well for minority groups after they’re disarmed by the government, so it’s good to see them presenting a united front against just such a proposal.
If the Trump Administration has any ability to read the room, it will quietly forget about its idea to illegally strip a group of Americans of their constitutional right to bear arms.
Addressing the heated debate between Jillian and everyone, Abby said, “What we try to do on this program is create a platform for discussion and debate. Debate that reflects the very real differences that exist in this country,” Phillip said. “It’s what echo chambers in our society failed to do, frankly. But on this topic, it’s important to say, objectively, slavery was indeed bad. It was evil, the nation’s original sin.”
Abby captioned the social media post, “Some people think we talk too much about slavery in America. But you can’t understand this country without it.” In the video, Abby shares history, firsthand accounts, and imagery of slavery in America to challenge Jillian and the president’s claims.
Understanding where we come from and where we’ve been is an important part of telling the human story. For LGBTQ+ people, those stories are often lost to time because of stigma, fear and shame.
“Our America: Pride in History III” celebrates the amazing stories of perseverance as the community rose up on a path of greater acceptance.
In this episode we explore one of the Chicago’s oldest LGBTQ+ bars, memorials to those who have died of AIDS nationally and locally, a group finding new life patrolling community neighbors, and a supermodel who grabbed fashion magazine covers and national headlines.
The history of LGBTQ+ bars is rich. They’re much more than places to get a drink. For many years, they were the only spaces some could go to meet other members of their communities.
One of Chicago’s oldest LGBTQ+ bars, The Baton, first opened in 1969. While it struggled at first, it then became a celebrity hotspot.
The National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco is the Nation’s sole memorial to those who have impacted by AIDS. Located in the City’s Golden Gate Park, it is a space dedicated for healing, hope, and remembering the those lost to the disease.
Grown out the AIDS crisis, the memorial today is a memorial to those who struggled, battled, and or lost their lives to HIV, the disease that causes AIDS.
For the 35th year, Fresno Reel Pride returns to the Silver Screen.
The festival celebrates LGBTQ+ films in the Tower District.
“If you come out to Reel Pride, you basically can see a lot of the things that we are known for, and that is wonderful feature films that you cannot see in normal theaters,” says Kathleen Arambula-Reyna.
Arambula-Reyna is the festival’s board president. This year’s event will feature 20 films, including shorts, features, and local artists and filmmakers.
In Houston, the “Q-Patrol” once worked the streets of the city raising awareness about crime against LGBTQ+ people and making sure the residents were safe from violence. Spawned out of a vicious attack in the 1990’s the “Q-Patrol” saw success and outgrew the need for its patrols. That is, until a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in recent years signaled a need for its revival.
The Wall Las Memorias is a monument in Lincoln Park that honors lives lost to AIDS. It was erected more than 25 years ago and was the first monument of its kind in the country.
But it’s not just a memorial. The wall was designed to change the stigma of AIDS, especially in the Latino community.
“The monument is a place for where we get to walk a journey of recalling the impact that AIDS has had in our community. But more importantly, the aids monument has been a tool for us to empower ourselves to deal with issues that we don’t usually feel comfortable dealing with,” said Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of the Wall Las Memorias Project organization.
Gia Carangi was considered by some to be the first super model. The Philadelphia board model was discovered locally and was seen internationally. She graced the cover of multiple editions of Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and appeared in advertising campaigns for Armani, Dior, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent. Though Carangi is associated with the lesbian community but was quoted once as saying she did not want to take up “the accepted lesbian style.” Carangi became addicted to heroin, and her career ended abruptly. In 1986, at age 26, she died of AIDS related complications, making her one of the most notable women at the time to die of the virus.
After a long wait, we finally got to watch the third season of Heartstopper and it was worth it. It’s a fact that Nick and Charlie have stolen our hearts, and the only thing we want for them is happiness. However, in this season, we realize that love is way more than just saying “I love you.” In each episode, there’s something new to learn about life, relationships, sexuality, family, love and mental health. We think that, by far, Heartstopper season three is the one that left us feeling the most. We cannot help but think about what we learned from this beautiful show.
Content Warning: In this article, we are going to discuss serious topics such as mental illnesses, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders. We at The Honey Pop encourage everyone reading this to check the trigger warnings before watching the TV show, reading the comics, and reading this article.
Also, be aware that there are many spoilers in this article. Please don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Love Can’t Cure Mental Illness
During his vacation in Menorca, Nick has a meaningful conversation with his aunt. He talks about how worried and frustrated he feels about Charlie, who is going through a lot. Nick feels useless because he wishes he could help Charlie how he wants to. His aunt, who’s also a psychologist, tells him that it is understandable to feel frustrated. However, it’s important to know that love can’t cure mental illness, and Charlie needs professional help. But Nick can help Charlie in different ways, like by being with him, asking him how he could make him feel better, and supporting him.
Image Source: Daniel Escale for Netflix
There’s Always Help, Even When You Don’t See It
Sometimes life gets hard, and things may seem terrible. This season, we see Charlie going through a lot, and his mental health isn’t the best. The truth is that there’s a lot of trauma in Charlie’s life and asking for help is hard for him. His relationship withhis parents is not the best, and he doesn’t want to make Nick feel bad for him. Charlie feels like a burden to everyone around him.
After a lot of encouragement, Charlie speaks with his parents about how he truly feels. It’s a realistic conversation that shows us a vulnerable Charlie who wants to get better. The best thing for Charlie was getting into a psychiatric hospital for a while. We watch his journey to this place, including discussions with his therapist, Geoff, and getting diagnosed with OCD and anorexia nervosa. If you are feeling bad or don’t know how you’re feeling, please speak up, because there’s always someone who will help you.
Image Source: Samuel Dore for Netflix
Take Your Time
Being a teenager isn’t easy, and believe us when we say we know about it. Each character in Heartstopper is going through something, but we want to highlight Tara’s process of getting into uni. When you’re finishing high school, everyone is thinking about the future, and that’s one of the most stressful times in life. Tara is struggling with her future because she isn’t sure where she wants to go or what she wants to study. She feels pressured because she doesn’t want to disappoint those around her. Teenagehood is difficult. The reality is that life isn’t a race – and if it were, you’re the only one running – so take things slowly.
Image Source: Samuel Dore for Netflix
Sexuality Is A Spectrum
One thing that Heartstopper will never fail to do is portray different sexual orientations, which is so important. In season 3, Isaac comes out as asexual and aromantic, a sexuality that isn’t very well represented in the media. Because of that, having a character like Isaac allows us to learn that there are people who don’t feel romantic attraction to anybody, and that’s perfectly fine. With Isaac’s plotline of getting to know himself, we learn that sexuality is unique. Every day of your life, you are learning something new about yourself. For example, Imogen realizes that even though she thought for most of her life that she was heterosexual, she never really liked a boy. Her story also shows that sexuality is dynamic.
Image Source: Samuel Dore for Netflix
Having a TV show like Heartstopper is crucial nowadays. People worldwide are watching these characters’ stories and feel seen. We are sure that this Netflix show is going to last for a long time in the memories of those who found a safe place in Nick’s and Charlie’s story. For us, the beauty of Heartstopper season three was all the things that made us think about life and how we should be living it to the fullest!
Image Source: Samuel Dore for Netflix
Who was your favorite character this season? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPop! You can also visit us on Facebook and Instagram!
One of the best parts of discovering an artist you can’t get enough of is getting to step into the immersive world they create with their music and visuals, and we can confidently say that no one does that quite like BAYBE! Her signature fusion of dark pop, metal, hip-hop, and horror has propelled her into a league of her own and proven she’s a genius artist you need to keep a close eye on. And now is the perfect time to start doing so, because BAYBE just dropped her latest single, ‘Pretty Gay!’
‘Pretty Gay!’ is a sapphic anthem that sees BAYBE pining for a girl who says she’s straight, with a chilling soundscape that combines the tumultuous adrenaline of falling in love with the edgy thrill of films like Jennifer’s Body. In fact, we actually need a film inspired by this song, because we’re absolutely obsessed with the plot and imagery. We’re feeling pretty lucky, because we got to ask BAYBE all about the song, her thought-provoking visuals, and so much more! Check out ‘Pretty Gay!’ below, then keep reading for our Q&A.
Hi BAYBE, congrats on the release of ‘Pretty Gay!’ How does it feel to let the song out into the world and see how your fans are reacting? Thank you! It’s been an interesting release for sure- I’ve been nervously holding onto this song for over two years now so finally getting it out into the world feels great. My music tends to receive a mixed review online, but this one probably wins for most dividing response so far.
What does ‘Pretty Gay!’ mean to you? This song started as just a song about liking a girl with a boyfriend. When writing the chorus, it evolved into a sort of jab at internet culture and how overly sensitive we all can be. There’s a sort of tip-toe feeling around using the word “gay” in a negative context nowadays, which I think is a complex argument on both sides. The point I wanted to make was that it’s just not that serious. There are many things I will not say, or sing about. I think this one in particular is funny though, and I like laughing.
There are so many cool lyrics on ‘Pretty Gay!,’ with one of our favorites being “all your boyfriends wanna fight me.” Is there a certain line on the song that you’re especially proud of? I think the line I’m most proud of is the outro, specifically “When they say the end is near and the missiles head our way, all I think about is you and I think that’s pretty gay.” The producer, Paige Blue, and I couldn’t stop laughing when writing it, but there was such a deeper feeling of dark, satirical sadness tucked into that section which makes me love it so much more.
“Pretty gay” has long been used as an insult against the LGBT+ community – what has it been like for you to get to reclaim the phrase and build such a powerful story around it? I think if we used it in a lighthearted fun way, as it’s used in the lyrics, it wouldn’t hold such negativity around it. Being gay rocks, and calling things “gay” also rocks. I don’t think we have to choose.
Speaking of reclaiming, you released a reimagined version of your previously-released song ‘Cherry Pie’ this summer after taking it down. How did you approach remaking the song with a new BAYBE flair? What has it been like to see how much fans are embracing it? It’s been amazing. After two years of comments and messages asking for it to come back to streaming, I decided it was time to give the song a second chance. I gave it my own touch so it’s a lot darker and heavier now- it’s been great hearing from fans that they’re loving this new version more 🙂
Your songs have such a cinematic quality to them while often talking about relatable experiences – how do you go about creating an immersive world around the stories you’re telling in your lyrics? Thank you! That means a lot. When writing a song, I picture the music video simultaneously. Those two things happen at the same time for me, so I like to keep the visuals in mind when producing or recording, to make sure they’ll lend to something special visually.
You blend elements of metal, hip-hop, and pop so effortlessly! When you’re starting to write a song, do you typically know which direction it will go in production-wise, or does that come later? Do you feel like certain feelings match certain genres better? That’s a great question – I think when I go into a session I generally know if I’m feeling like leaning one way or the other beforehand. With that being said, I’m a believer in “the song writes itself” for the most part, so if the song tells me it wants to be heavier with more organic metal instrumentation, I listen. The feeling and emotion of the lyrics play a huge role in dictating the genre as well.
Another defining quality of your work is how much thought you put into your visuals – one of our favorites is the ‘Dinner For One’ video, which sees you killing a creepy guy who wants to go on a date even after you claim to be 14. What’s your creative process like when you’re preparing a music video? I touched on this earlier, but when I write songs, I write the video concept as well, usually day-of. Last week I had a session in LA and left with such a detailed vision for the music video, that I drove straight to a coffee shop and sat for 3 hours until I finished the entire video treatment. I might not even shoot it for another year, but I had to get it down. I think in another life, or maybe just later in this one haha, I would be a director. I direct all of my music videos, and I don’t think there are many things in life that make me happier.
Content Warning: The ‘Dinner For One’ music video contains blood and slight violence.
Something else that stands out to us about songs like ‘Dinner For One’ is how intentional you are with the themes and imagery you use, even if it’s not always apparent on the surface. For example, the cannibal-themed ‘Dinner For One’ makes a statement against predators in the music video and ‘Stray Dog’ explores the effects that toxic relationships can have on someone. How do you go about finding the right balance between surprising or shocking imagery and making sure the message is clear? Do you feel that these messages have been overlooked among casual listeners, or do people seem to grasp them well? I have absolutely no idea if people catch onto it or not. I hope they do! It’s all very intentional. I’ve tried many times to keep the artwork, visuals, and promo for songs ultra simple (for my own sanity), but I cannot do it. I am obsessed with pairing each song with a visual world, as I think songs on their own hold much less weight than if I can immerse someone into it fully.
How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since releasing your God’s Favorite EP last year? I think I change as an artist every single day, as we all do, so it’s a tough thing to measure. I’ve discovered new music that changed the way I think, experienced new things for the first time, etc. – it’s such a cool thing to think about. To answer the question: immensely, and in many ways.
What can your fans look forward to in the rest of 2024? I have one more release coming out this year that I’m so excited about, which may or may not have a featured artist on it.
Is there anything else you’d like to mention or say to your fans that the questions didn’t touch on? Not really, other than my constant “thank you.” The artist-to-fan relationship is so special, and I love finding my people while releasing the music I love creating.
As a site with a mission to celebrate the connection between artists and fans, we couldn’t agree more! Thank you so much to BAYBE for answering our questions and sharing your vision with the world! You’re a truly special artist and we’re so excited to see what ‘Pretty Gay!’ and this new chapter bring to you.
Now honeybees, we have some questions for you! What do you think of ‘Pretty Gay!’ and BAYBE’s music? Which of her songs do you think is the best sapphic anthem, and which one is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! We could talk about her work all day, so we’ll be waiting to hear your thoughts.
Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons
By Riley Gaines for RealClearPolitics
Are you part of the 70% of American adults who support protecting the integrity and fairness of women’s sports by opposing males competing with and against females? If so, you’ll have a chance to stand with women in less than two months when America goes to the polls to choose the leaders who will make the laws and regulations that ensure women’s sports are only for women.
Let’s face it: Women’s rights are on the line in this election. The attack on our ability to compete fairly and safely in athletic competitions is unlike any we’ve seen since the enactment of Title IX in 1972. That law – which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any school or education program that receives federal funds – is largely responsible for the exponential growth of women’s sports over the last 50 years.
That growth in participation is significant: In 1970, just 15% of college athletes were female; today, we make up 44% of college athletes. Female participation in high school sports has exploded over the last five decades, too: During the 1971-72 school year, fewer than 300,000 girls participated in sports – but by 2018-19, that number had increased more than ten-fold to almost 3.5 million girls in competition.
That growth in participation, brought about by the legally mandated equality of the sexes, is now threatened by politicians, too many of whom appear more committed to ideological goals than to biological reality.
Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, federal bureaucrats have moved aggressively to tilt the playing field. The Biden-Harris administration’s rewrite of Title IX regulations, released April 19 of this year, takes the view that keeping women’s sports all female violates Title IX. That’s just wrong.
I’ve been fighting this kind of thinking at the federal and state level for some time. We’ve made significant progress – 26 states now have laws or regulations on the books protecting women’s sports. And at the federal level, we’ve succeeded in passing legislation through the House, and we’ve forced a vote in the Senate, which allows us to know who’s with us and who’s not. (For the record, on that House vote, every member of Congress who voted for the Protection of Women in Sports Act was a Republican, and every member who voted against it was a Democrat. And in the Senate, every incumbent Democratic senator voted against bringing a women’s sports amendment to the floor for a vote, while every senator who cosponsors the Title IX Congressional Review Act resolution is a Republican.)
We still have a ways to go. After the elections, we’ll have a new president and a new Congress, and we’ll try again to move legislation at the federal level to protect women’s sports and spaces – like domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, women’s prisons, and locker rooms, for example. So electing the right leaders in November will be crucial to the success of our efforts next year.
To that end, Independent Women’s Voice has created the Riley Gaines Stand with Women Scorecard, a helpful tool that will draw clear contrasts on the issue. On the one hand will be lawmakers and prospective lawmakers who support fairness, equal opportunity, safety, and privacy in women’s sports and spaces; on the other hand will be those who do not.
The Scorecard is as simple as it sounds – it’s a first-of-its-kind resource that scores every candidate for federal office on whether or not they “Stand with Women,” meaning that they are committed to supporting legislation that preserves female opportunities and private spaces. The Riley Gaines Stand with Women Scorecard, made possible by Independent Women’s Voice, will become an indispensable tool for those of us committed to this vital issue.
Elections are about choices, and campaigns are about contrasts. The choices we make in November will guide the policies enacted and implemented by government at the federal, state, and local level, and will, in many ways, shape the contours of the contests in which our sisters and daughters compete and the safety they feel in their women-only spaces.
This new tool to help identify candidates who are as committed to the cause as we are will help ease the way forward as we fight to maintain equality of the sexes.
We know what a woman is, and what a female is, and we’re committed to standing with women for fairness and equality. We believe our political leaders should know and be committed to those things, too. And now, with Independent Women Voice’s Riley Gaines Stand with Women Scorecard, we’ll know which politicians are worthy of our support – and which are not.
Riley Gaines is an ambassador for Independent Women’s Voice and the host of the OutKick podcast “Gaines for Girls”.
June is the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, often regarded as the tipping point in the modern gay rights movement and earning its recognition as Pride Month. Houston Press met with members of the LGBTQ community to learn more about their experiences belonging to this group. These are their stories.
At 78 years young, openly gay Houstonian Dennis Beedon has been there, seen that and lived to tell the tale. The septuagenarian has been one of the key behind-the-scenes players with some of the most influential movers and shakers in Houston in an effort to benefit the LGBTQ community as well as Houstonians writ large.
While he may not have been born in Texas, Beedon got here as soon as he could (after growing up in Chicago, serving a stint in the U.S. Army, and living in Puerto Rico and Florida), and he picked up the moniker as the “Mayor of Montrose” amongst his inner circle because of his status in the neighborhood – or “gayborhood,” as he might call it.
How he earned that title is really where the story begins, and living his truth, especially when it comes to his sexuality, has been a tenet that he has never shied away from.
“I was out to everybody, including my family and friends, since I was relatively young, give or take my military career,” he said. “I knew that I was gay during the military because I had a boyfriend when I was in the army, but I never never had any issues with anything LGBTQ during my time. My mind and openness really set in place when I moved to Houston, though, and that is because I lived in Montrose. I was exposed to everything and everybody during that period of time, both positive and negative in the sense of how Montrose was back in 1979 to 1981. I mean, it was pretty decadent.”
Montrose — known nowadays for its eclectic cafes, coffee shops, bars, nightlife, restaurants and the rest — holds a rich history of being a safe haven for Houston’s LGBTQ community when the times were more or less as less pleasant for the queer community. It was also a place where the queer community felt free to live their life proudly, no matter how demure or flashy it might have appeared to outside eyes.
The small in stature but mighty in voice Beedon followed suite. He did not let the fickle finger of popular opinion about the queer community sway him during his new beginnings in Houston. In fact, it’s where he found his passion for community involvement.
That was also shortly before the outbreak of what is now known as HIV/AIDS, which galvanized Beedon’s determination to make a difference. He left his job in the insurance industry and answered the calling to community service.
“I went to work for what was then still being put together, The Assistance Fund, [which consisted of] five gentlemen who were donating $500 a month each into a general fund,” Beedon said. “Because HIV was becoming so widely known as well as the issues created from it, those that were stricken with that illness were being fired from work. These five gentlemen were making $500 donations each month in into a general fund, and then they were paying for the COBRA insurance for those that were fired from their positions because of HIV just to keep their medical insurance covered.”
Part of his passion for battling the spread and stigma of HIV/AIDS stemmed from his own personal experience. Beedon had witnessed the public shock of Rock Hudson’s death as well as the uproar over the game of musical chairs played by various funeral homes regarding Liberace’s body — both of whom passed away due to complications from the virus.
However, over the course of his years, Beedon has seen healthcare progress to the point that an HIV diagnosis is no longer the death knell it formerly was. Instead, people are now living full and healthy lives thanks to breakthroughs in medication partnered with a healthy lifestyle.
“It’s progressively gotten much, much, much better, in fact, to the point I was [in a relationship] with somebody for my first 21 years of living in Houston who was stricken with HIV.”
Because of his involvement through various initiatives to promote awareness of and testing for HIV, which largely took place in the Montrose neighborhood, Beedon earned his now unforgettable nickname as the “Mayor of Montrose.”
“In the clubs, I would run into people who would visit me at The Assistance Fund. Automatically, the connection was quite obvious of why they were at The Assistance Fund … it’s because they were looking for testing and for dollars to get medication. So they would approach me at the clubs and pull me to the side, and they would say, ‘I have a friend. Would you please talk to him or her, because they won’t go to a clinic to get tested.’” he said. “So, I would approach whomever they were talking about, counsel them and bring them into The Assistance Fund.”
Because of his motherly nature, he earned the additional nickname “Mother of Montrose.” To examine the initials, it fittingly spells “mom.” But it’s also because he was well connected to local dignitaries.
“They called me the Mayor of Montrose, or mom, because I was getting things done for them. I actually could go downtown and see the mayor of Houston, whoever that was at the time, and get some things done rather quickly,” he said.
Since then, the name has stuck, as has his involvement in LGBTQ causes. One of his most recent endeavors is volunteering with the New Faces of Pride. The organization’s mission is to foster unity, inclusivity and empowerment within the diverse LGBTQ+ community of Houston through year-round events and fundraising initiatives.
It’s signature event will be the New Faces of Pride Festival and Parade, with the festival running from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday followed by a parade at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 901 Bagby. Planet Pink!, the official after party, takes place at POST Houston, 401 Franklin until 2 a.m.
The New Faces of Pride’s inaugural parade is the first of two pride-related parades this month, which has been a topic of conversation in the LGBTQ community, but Beedon says it is all good.
“The New Faces of Pride has been very well received,” he said. “It’s a community thing, and that’s the focus.”
As he slowly approaches 80, Beedon has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
“I’ve been able to do a few good things in people’s lives, and that makes me want to get up every day and keep going. I really am not going to retire, no matter what,” he said.
The New Faces of Pride Festival runs from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday followed by a parade at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 901 Bagby. Planet Pink!, the official after party, takes place 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. at POST Houston, 401 Franklin. For information, visit newfacesofpride.org. The festival is free to $250 to attend. The parade is free. Planet Pink! is $25 – $60.
The LGBTQ+ Pride flag will no longer fly over a Southern California city during Pride Month in June after city leaders adopted a “neutral flag policy,” reports say.
Photo by Sophie Emeny via Unsplash
The LGBTQ+ Pride flag will no longer fly over a Southern California city during Pride Month in June after city leaders adopted a “neutral flag policy,” reports say.
The new policy reversed the previous one that allowed the LGBTQ+ Pride flag to fly at Downey city buildings during “specific historic events or causes,” KTLA reported.
The Downey City Council voted 3-2 to adopt the “neutral flag policy” during the Tuesday, May 14, council meeting, the station reported. The city started flying the Pride flag during Pride Month three years ago.
Councilmembers Claudia Frometa, Dorothy Pemberton and Hector Sosa voted in favor of adopting the new policy, KTLA reported.
“I don’t think it’s our role as elected officials to pick and choose which groups get to fly their flags,” said Sosa, who is concerned about the requests the council receives to fly flags in support of a variety of causes.
Two council members voted against the policy: the city’s first openly gay Mayor Mario Trujillo and Councilmember Horacio Ortiz, ABC7 reported.
“This is not progress. This is a step backwards for my city,” Trujillo said. “And that’s very unfortunate.”
He said the issue was put to a vote after the Downey chapter of Mass Resistance launched a campaign against it three years ago, the Los Angeles Times reported. Mass Resistance describes itself as a “pro-family activist organization.” It has been labeled as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Voters in nearby Huntington Beach banned Pride flags from flying on city property in March, McClatchy News previously reported.
Huntington Beach is about a 25-mile drive south of Downey.
She said that although she was disappointed in the decision, the Pride flag would still fly at county-owned facilities, including eight in Downey, one of the cities in her district.
“I worry about the message it sends to LGBTQ+ residents,” she said. “We raise the Pride Flag as a reminder of where we stand: no matter where in LA County they may live, LGBTQ+ residents have the unwavering support of their county government.”
Brooke (she/them) is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter who covers LGBTQ+ entertainment news and national parks out west. They studied journalism at the University of Florida, and previously covered LGBTQ+ news for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. When they’re not writing stories, they enjoy hanging out with their cats, riding horses or spending time outdoors.
Weed, alcohol, tobacco, all the vices in indulged in by people. Tall, short, black, white, left or right handed – it has a mass appeal. But sometimes certain groups are attracted to a vice more. Generally, men (16.7%) tend to use all tobacco products at higher rates than women (13.6%). We know men are more likely to use weed over women. But who consumes more weed, LGBTQ or straights?
While most cannabis studies that look into the consumption habits of people rely on self-reporting and aren’t held within a controlled setting, different studies suggest that LGBTQ people have a more positive attitude towards the drug. A study, published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, found that gay men smoked approximately four times more than straight men. Lesbian women smoked six times more than heterosexual women.
These findings are also replicated in younger demographics, with teens that belong to the LGBTQ community being more likely to consume cannabis, while also being more inclined to consume other substances, such as alcohol and nicotine. Young LGBTQ members face more stressors than their straight counterparts, resulting in higher rates of suicide, bullying, and more.
There are many reasons why these results could be occurring, but experts believe it has something to do with the fact that people belonging to the queer community are more likely to suffer from anxiety and other mental health disorders.
Maybe members of the queer community find refuge in cannabis, using it as a source of relief. It’s more likely for them to encounter the drug earlier on, and to be less prejudiced than others. There’s also the fact that gay people have kids later in life compared to their straight counterparts, giving them more time to explore and use the drug.
More research is necessary to draw significant conclusions, but it’s interesting to wonder why the LGBTQ community seems to have such an affinity for the herb.
In a world more connected yet more disconnected than ever, poet Anthony Andricks creates an immersive experience providing testament that we can overcome, find contentment, and reclaim hope and purpose.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio, March 7, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– Shrew God Publishing announces the release of Repurposed (Trial by Lineation) by Ohio poet and attorney Anthony Andricks. Repurposed isn’t only a poetry book; it’s an extraordinary feat, fusing art and emotion that captures the human experience in a tapestry of voices from the past, present, and future. The 44-year-old author draws inspiration from the experiences of iconic LGBTQ+ trailblazers and seamlessly intertwines them with his own past struggles, using a unique approach that merges the reflective tendencies of GenX with the psychotherapeutic shadow work method embraced by Millennials and GenZ. This boundary-breaking style creates an intergenerational lifeline— a cohesive and linear poetic narrative about overcoming and redemption. In a series of online interviews, Andricks provides potential readers with a sneak peek into his work and methods.
“With a suicide epidemic sweeping the country,” says Andricks, “I feel a responsibility to let others know I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to give up hope. I also know what it takes to fight through it, to find purpose again. That’s what this book is about—sharing an experience through a poetic lens to inspire others, or even just one person, to flush those pills and fight.”
Emmy-nominated producer, director, and editor Nick Ramos adds, “Repurposed is incredibly relatable, and some poems hit painfully hard. Creative genius and raw courage remarkably displayed. I loved the artwork.”
The color version of Repurposedfeatures the artwork of Cory Andricks, the author’s brother, providing stunning and unique visuals that complement the written word.
Anthony Andricks grew up in Bryan, Ohio, and presently resides in Lakewood, Ohio. Anthony graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland State University College of Law in 2012 and practices commercial real estate law at an AmLaw 200 firm where he also serves as the firmwide LGBTQ+ diversity leader.
A teacher’s YouTube channel clip has gone viral on social media as a master class in the ancient art of critical thinking. In less than five minutes, the teacher helps a young student through a simple critical thinking exercise using the alleged transphobia illustrated by acclaimed children’s author J.K. Rowling.
Without giving his own opinion on the possible transphobia of J.K. Rowling, the teacher asks basic questions that eventually lead the student to admit the unfortunate reality that he’s a willing victim of groupthink. Let’s dive into the quick lesson and what it means for our society.
I’ve heard it, so it’s true
Teacher and host of the YouTube channel The Secret Scholar Society Warren Smith conducted a thought experiment with a student who wanted to discuss the public opinion of J.K. Rowling, given comments she’s made about the gender ideology movement.
The student asks Mr. Smith:
“Do you still like her work despite her bigoted opinions?”
Mr. Smith challenges the student to prove that J.K. Rowling has bigoted opinions, given that he boldly asked his question as if it were a statement of fact.
The student replies:
“She has had a history of being extremely transphobic, I’ve heard.”
As any good educator, Mr. Smith forces the student to provide actual proof of said “extreme transphobia.” After a few moments, the student produces as evidence a tweet from 2019 when J.K. Rowling wrote:
“Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?”
Also, your “Dress however you want, call yourself whatever you want: we won’t judge.” has a JK rowling vibe about it. 👇 Guess we know where you stand about trans people. pic.twitter.com/NGdPhkU6gw
— Stéphanie Dit…. ❄️🦖🦕⛰🇺🇦 (@StephanieJaneG6) April 5, 2022
Mr. Smith asked the student to critically analyze the tweet without considering what other people claimed about the tweet. This is when the clip gets comical.
“I don’t really have an opinion on it, but I’m just going with what a lot of other people have said.”
Uttering the above statement should be enough to snap an individual back to reality with an accompanying feeling of shame for being so vapid. However, it takes a bit more prodding for this young man to realize how mindlessly he has been following the masses.
Mr. Smith says gently:
“Let’s not go with what other people are saying. Let’s try and learn how to critically think.”
It doesn’t take too long for the student to admit the following:
“So to me no stating that sex is real is not transphobic, it’s just a fact of life.”
It’s important to note the student’s attempt to hold onto the fact that J.K. Rowling’s statement could be transphobic with three little words: So to me. This caveat puts a foot in the door known as “perceived reality,” where if someone else thinks it’s transphobic to state sex is real, then it is.
Unfortunately for the left-wing progressives, truth is truth, not their truth, not my truth, or perceived truth. It’s just truth.
This is utterly brilliant. A student accuses @jk_rowling of being transphobic. This teacher skilfully dissects the claim and challenges it by asking questions.
He teaches not what to think, but how to think critically.
The student tries one more time to provide another example of Ms. Rowling’s transphobia, providing what he called an “apology” from 2020.
Ms. Rowling wrote:
“I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.
Mr. Smith provides his analysis of this tweet, explaining that J.K. Rowling is trying to say with this tweet that it’s OK to live your life as you wish. Still, it’s also OK to live her life as she wishes; freedom to be transgender does not equate to extinguishing her liberty to state the reality of sex.
To which the student admits:
“I feel like an idiot now.”
The student continues to admit freely to his credit:
“Until today I haven’t really thought about it because I just believed, like, oh there’s five people saying it, it must be correct.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, sums up the dismal state of our education system and culture.
Higher education should teach critical thought in all aspects of study. Unfortunately, this particular case study, courtesy of Warren Smith and his students, illustrates this is not the state of affairs.
Mr. Smith tells the student:
“The whole point is to learn how to think, not what to think.”
Unfortunately, that isn’t the reality of higher education and not at all the goal of the progressive left that has control over institutions of higher learning and our culture. The goal is to indoctrinate society to think the way they want us to think. That has always been the purpose of government education.
Exercising our freedom to question what we are told and what we see is viewed as a threat to their power. Controlling our thoughts and silencing those who don’t fall in line with the approved “groupthink” is the strategy of the left and our society’s elite class.
While I think Warren Smith’s lesson on critical thinking for this student was brilliant, I would’ve liked it if he had explored if the student knew what instigated J.K. Rowling’s first tweet he used as “evidence” of “extreme transphobia.” For those who care (and all of us should because context matters), the tweet was in response to researcher Maya Forstater losing her job at a think tank for tweeting criticisms about gender ideology.
Of note, Ms. Forstater won her court case after a long legal battle. Ms. Forstater said of her win:
“My case has exposed institutionalized discrimination against, and the routine abuse and smearing of, people with perfectly ordinary beliefs about the material reality of sex.”
Indeed, her case and this particular student’s ignorance both expose institutionalized discrimination against people with ordinary beliefs about sex. Until society stops drinking the group-think Kool-Aid, people like Ms. Forstater, Ms. Rowling, and countless others will continue to be falsely labeled as bigots.
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USAF Retired, Bronze Star recipient, outspoken veteran advocate. Hot mess mom to two monsters and wife to equal parts… More about Kathleen J. Anderson
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.jpg "The LGBTQ+ Pride flag will no longer fly over a Southern California city during Pride Month in June after city leaders adopted a “neutral flag policy,” reports say.")
