Hello! And Happy Coming Out Day! We wrote two things honoring today that I want to share:
- The Coming Out Scenes We’ll Never Forget from the TV Team
- A reader wrote in, worried if it’s too late for them to come out. It’s never never too late. You Need Help: I’m 49 and Questioning — Is It Too Late for Me? from Darcy
Queer as in F*ck You
LGBTQ Students at Religious Schools Stage Walkouts on National Coming Out Day. Speaking of Coming Out Day, this is one of those stories that are going to bring a smile to your face (especially if you, like me, are a graduate of a Catholic school who knows a few things about staging a walkout). Today, students at religious schools across the country walked out of class to demand better treatment LGBTQ students. The walkouts, which happened at more than 50 schools, were organized by the Religious Exemption Accountability Project (REAP) and the Black Menaces, a group of five Black students at Brigham Young University (BYU) famous for their recent viral TikTok videos, which among other things show their white peers often struggling to answer questions about race. This has made me so nostalgic and happy — not to sound, well as old as I am, but the kids really are alright.
Camp Dyketopia Is a Queer-Culture Fest Unlike Anything Else in Colorado
According former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson (who has been working very closely on BG’s wrongful detainment, specifically, so I would take him seriously): Griner, Whelan Could Be Released From Russia This Year. It cannot come soon enough.
Reporter Nora J.S. Reichardt of WOI-TV Iowa Announces on Newscast That She Is Transgender, I saw this going around over the weekend and it is so sweet. Congratulations Nora!
Saw This, Thought of You
U.S. Players Won Their Equal Pay Fight. Their Rivals Took Notes. “The success of the U.S. women’s soccer team on the field and at the negotiating table has been a model for players elsewhere. In other countries, those battles are heating up.”
10 ‘Scary’ Movies for People Who Don’t Like Horror (Have you been keeping up with our Horror Is So Gay series? 🔪)
Black Women Gamers Are Winning Despite Facing Misogynoir On Twitch
What the War Means for Ukrainians With Disabilities. And Heather pulled out this quote in particular, “Some are unable to access medication or food, while those with developmental disabilities have seizures or become aggressive while frightened by shelling. In addition, wheelchair users or those with mobility issues are not able to access bomb shelters, so people with physical disabilities have no choice but to remain at home, leaving them at a disproportionate risk of death. Thousands more are believed to be trapped in care homes or poorly-maintained institutions, cut off from their communities and languishing in neglect.”
I had to take mifepristone earlier this year and I’ve never felt pain like that in my life. It was absolutely unreal. I went into labor, giving birth to a baby that did not exist, alone on my bathroom floor. It was a week before I felt “normal” again. The whole time I kept thinking, this is what we’re going to be asking people to do now. Anyway this is some excellent reporting from Shefali Luthra for the 19th news, Medication Abortion Is the Nation’s Future. What Does It Feel Like?
The GIF Is on Its Deathbed. “The internet’s file format has been diagnosed as ‘cringe,’ but there are other threats to its existence.”
Political Snacks
A Study Finally Shows Just How Much Deadlier COVID Has Been for Republicans. “And suggests that, yes, anti-vaccine rhetoric is to blame.”
And to close us out, a Twitter thread from the White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre:
On #NationalComingOutDay, I'm proud to share my coming out story. Like so many in the LGBTQ+ community, coming out wasn’t an easy thing to do. My family was traditional and conservative. Being gay in my family wasn’t something that you mentioned out loud or celebrated.
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) October 11, 2022
Og god, may BG come home soon soon soon.
Just so proud of these students!!!
Crossing my fingers for BG and Paul Whelan, I’m friends with his cousin. I’ve donated to GoFundMe for Ukrainians with disabilities and like the work they’re doing – https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disabled-ukrainians
I am sad that some people do not feel safe enough to come out as LGBTQ+. This means we need to work harder than ever in order for this generation to be able to grow up happy and confident about who they are as people. It would be amazing if everyone was able to be themselves at school or anywhere else they go in life! We need to highlight this by taking help from https://edubirdie.com/examples/self-reflection/ and other such promotional content. I think it is great to see that they are not just using the internet to speak out, but taking action as well. It is a great way to show how important it is for us to stand up for our rights and make sure that everyone knows their voice matters.