Kudos to the Store Employee

 

Research

 

Last Night

Image:  Facebook

Regarding the events at last night's White House Correspondents' dinner, I loathe Donald Trump as much as any thinking American, but I don't believe he, nor any of his minions, should be assassinated.

That said, let me tell you who I felt the most sympathy for last night:  the female reporters. Do you have any idea how hard it is to hurl yourself under a table wearing a formal dress and heels? I'd have strangled myself on the tablecloth in the attempt.

The Helmet Hides the Nazi 'Do

 

Technically

 

Dig It

Image:  Facebook

Erik Shoji, the captain of the U.S. men's national volleyball team, posted a video on social media a few days ago. The 35-year-old libero sat down and said, "I am here to tell the world today that I am queer."

And I'm here to applaud him.

Also, I want to emphasize that just because the libero wears a jersey that's a different color from the rest of his team, doesn't mean all liberos are gay. But you can continue to hope.

Guess I Wasn't Really Awake

Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay

This morning I received an email from eBay whose subject line read "Your closet is calling, Leslie."

It turned out the company wants me to buy clothes. But it's a sign of the times that I first thought eBay was sending emergency instructions to queer people.

Dead Letters

Image:  Facebook

The transgender flag still flies at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, but something else is missing.

On the National Park Service's Stonewall website, "LGBTQ" has turned into "LGB." Our community has suffered an amputation. Without benefit of anesthetic.

This can only be due to Donald Trump's spastic efforts to wipe out all evidence of trans people from the federal government. If you have another explanation . . . I ain't buying it.

Multiple ironies leap to mind. First, the site meant to memorialize the start of queer liberation now can't say the word "queer," at least not online. Second, the L's, the G's and the B's were also definite outcasts not long ago, but now have achieved enough standing that the government isn't aiming to make them disappear. Yet.

The third irony I see is that gay people often used to ignore the part played by transgender and gender non-conforming folks at Stonewall. The community largely clawed past the racism and classism and gave the likes of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera their due. Now we're watching them be disappeared again.

Some aren't having it. On X, New York's governor decried  the sudden removal of trans and queer references as "just cruel and petty."

Protesters gathered yesterday at the Stonewall Inn. A transgender woman told CBS News, "I served in the military. I didn't say I had bone spurs to get out of it."

As far as I know, no bricks were thrown at the protest, just brickbats. And the politicians in attendance were for us, not against us. Things have changed a great deal since 1969. Which is precisely what scares many Americans, and part of what propelled Trump to victory.

We have our work cut out for us in 2025, to stop the reversal of what began in 1969. If you want to make a party out of it, wear 1969 fashion to the next protest. I didn't look good in it then—I was six—and I don't now, but I'm willing to take one for the team.

Also Available in Anxious Asexual

 

Strictly Speaking

 

The Woman For Me Is a Man

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

An hour ago I'd finished pumping gas into my car when I heard a male voice comment on my Sue Bird t-shirt. I responded cautiously, even though this is liberal Seattle, in case the middle-aged fella aimed to go down a sexist or homophobic path.

It turned out he knew what Bird's number had been when she played for the WNBA's Seattle Storm. And he attends all Seattle Reign women's soccer games with his young daughter, and his favorite soccer player of all time, male or female, is Megan Rapinoe. He said he doesn't care if his daughter plays a sport, his main concern is that she be equipped with self-esteem. He went on to reference his growing up as "a straight white male."

At this point I'm looking around the gas station for cameras, because this guy is too good to be true and I must've landed in a prank-the-liberal show.

Eventually we got onto the topic of Ani DiFranco, the bisexual alt-rock trailblazer, and he said he'd just bought tickets for her upcoming show and contributes to her independent record label. 

That's when I wondered if I could convince him to become a lesbian.

Closet Confrontation

 

Cashmere, On the Other Hand

 

Advanced Parenting

 

At Least

 

Last One of the Season

 

This Week's Quote

Image by Myriam - No AI pictures in my gallery. from Pixabay

Gay icons usually have some tragedy in their lives, but I've only had tragic haircuts and outfits.

Kylie Minogue

Source:  Brainy Quote