“It’s brutal right now, but trans people have always existed, and they will forever exist, and they will never no matter what happens take trans joy away, and that has to be protected more than anything”
The Hollywood Reporter: “Lady Gaga issued perhaps the strongest call out to Trump’s anti-trans executive orders, including a first-day proclamation that the U.S. would only recognize two genders (male and female) and that those “are not changeable.” Accepting the Grammy for best pop duo or group performance for her “Die With a Smile” duet with Bruno Mars, Gaga declared, “Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
In the order, CDC researchers were instructed to remove references to or mentions of a list of forbidden terms: “Gender, transgender, pregnant person, pregnant people, LGBT, transsexual, non-binary, nonbinary, assigned male at birth, assigned female at birth, biologically male, biologically female,” according to an email sent to CDC employees (see below).”
“In California, we seek to promote access to healthcare, not restrict it. California families seeking gender affirming care, and the doctors and staff who provide it, are protected under state laws like the Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex (TGI) Inclusive Care Act. The President’s order does not change that. My office and I will continue to defend California law and stand up for the rights of all who seek this critical, lifesaving care and the people who support them.
With “Enigma,” director Zackary Drucker (“The Stroll”) makes another intriguing film about trans history. From the sidewalks of New York, this time she takes the audience to glamourous Parisian nightclubs and the fringes of British aristocracy to tell the story of Amanda Lear and April Ashley.
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease.
Against stupidity we are defenseless.
Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable, they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack.
For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.”
Transphobia is, in many ways, the end result of stupidity fueled by the ill will of evil.
Those who were insistently “just asking questions” and unceasingly pushing the needle further right — in addition to those who encouraged and then exploited that for their explicitly discriminatory or hateful aims — all bear a measure of responsibility for this, for making trans teens — and, with them, trans adults — fear for their lives tonight.
“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” reads the president’s executive order.
The Guardian points out that studies showthat allowing trans teens access to hormone replacement therapy medications lead to lower rates of depression and a lower risk for suicide. Additionally, a 2022 study by the Stanford University School of Medicine found that positive mental health outcomes were higher for transgender people who were able to access hormone replacement therapy medications as teenagers, versus those who accessed it as adults.
‘In its strangely constructed definitions of “female” and “male,” the order states that a person’s gender is defined by the size of a “reproductive cell” at the moment of conception, a stage when all embryos are phenotypically female.’
Embryos are “neither male nor female” by Trump’s definition, Dr. Francisco Diaz said, since there are no germ cells present at conception.
Heightened Scrutiny, directed by Sam Feder, argues that the fear-based ideology underlying bans on hormone therapy or puberty blockers for minors has been pushed not only by conservative activists but center-left publications such as the New York Times, the Atlantic and the Wall Street Journal, whose articles have fixated on surgery, potential regret or risks. As the film notes, such therapies, with the same side effects and risks, are prescribed for other conditions and only raise alarms when applied to trans youths, and the rate of “detransitioning” is less than 1%.
“A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”
“If this bill passes, landlords will legally be able to deny [transgender people] the ability to rent an apartment, banks will be able to deny them a car loan, and hotels will be able to turn them away for no other reason than because they are transgender. This bill gives those who wish to discriminate the ability to do so.”
The movie was created by Mexican trans woman, Camila Aurora, through crowdfunding, and it tells the story of a trans woman, heiress to the biggest baguette producer, who falls in love with Agtugo Ratatouille, trans heir to the biggest croissant company in France.
The new curriculum, launched by French Education Minister Elisabeth Borne, aims to tackle sexual violence and violence against women and girls. The syllabus will include three sex education sessions per year for primary, middle, and secondary schools, covering topics such as gender identity, biological sex, and consent. The program will be age-appropriate and adjusted to the maturity of the pupils, with role-play scenarios to teach consent and discussions on the distinctions between biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation. The initiative has been submitted for approval to France’s Higher Education Council.
Thirteen-year-olds will be introduced to distinctions between biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation, while by age 14, students will discuss the multifaceted nature of sexuality, including pleasure, love, and reproduction. By the time students are 16, lessons will focus on biological differences and their irrelevance to self-expression, behaviour, and societal roles.
Major Alivia Stehlik, a transgender service member, shares her experiences and concerns about the impact of such a ban on her career and the military community. The article highlights the challenges faced by transgender troops, the political and social implications of the ban, and the broader context of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the United States. It also emphasizes the dedication and resilience of transgender service members like Stehlik, who continue to serve despite the uncertainty surrounding their future in the military.
Photo: Major Alivia Stehlik lives in Nashville with her partner and dog Mozzie. (Stacy Kranitz for The 19th)
Most teens (69%) say that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by the sex they were assigned at birth. Another 30% say a person’s gender can be different from their sex at birth. Similarly, 65% of adults say a person’s gender is determined by their sex at birth, while 33% say gender and sex can differ.
Our concern here is that the Review transgresses medical law, policy, and practice, which puts it at odds with all mainstream U.S. expert guidelines. The report deviates from pharmaceutical regulatory standards in the United Kingdom. And if it had been published in the United States, where it has been invoked frequently, it would have violated federal law because the authors failed to adhere to legal requirements protecting the integrity of the scientific process.
During the service, the Bishop directly asked Trump to “have mercy” on immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals who “fear for their lives” as he enters his next administration.
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families,” she continued. “Some, who fear for their lives.”
African-American couple. Black man and woman are standing side by side and look ahead. Portraits of people, side view, head and shoulders. Modern vector illustration for banner, cover, print, blogs.
Kiki never teased me when I chose female characters in Mortal Kombat or Mario Kart. And she never raised an eyebrow when I walked, talked, or gestured similarly. I was free to be myself, even when I didn’t have the words to describe how I felt inside.
“The definition further suggests that personhood begins at conception, which could have further implications for abortion rights. “It is clear that this executive order is, in many ways, just using transgender people as a pretext for taking control of other people’s bodies,” Kellan said. “This isn’t just about command and control over transgender people’s bodies and lives. This is about opening the door to police any woman who some stranger decides doesn’t look right.”
