Innholdsfortegnelse for The 2024 Pride Edition i The Goodnewspaper

GOOD Harassment and bullying run rampant online, but you can do your part in reporting content and blocking the accounts in question. Block and move on. Most of the time, it's not worth engaging with trolls. BETTER If you see someone experiencing a mental health crisis, most platforms provide an anonymous submission form to flag their account. In turn, the app's automated systems will reach out to the user and offer help. BEST If you fear that someone is being doxxed or cyberbullied online and they are isolated, you can reach out to them directly and offer support. In a sea of hate, one kind message can be a beacon of light. WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR. We believe in celebrating good and then joining in to make…

GOOD Whether you have a classroom, storefront, or even just a front porch, display a pride flag or other affirming symbol for young people to see. This small act of solidarity makes a huge difference! BETTER Stand up for the rights of young LGBTQ+ people in the voting booth. Better yet, vote for LGBTQ+ candidates who work to better all levels of government. Find and support LGBTQ+ candidates at victoryfund.org. BEST Become a mentor to an LGBTQ+ young person! Outcare Health, Los Angeles Lifeworks, and Mentor all have youth LGBTQ+ mentorship programs to help connect you with budding community members.…

GOOD For an in-depth personal and academic look into how gender impacts our experiences with athletics, read “Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates” by nonbinary writer Katie Barnes. BETTER Support nonprofits that uplift gender-diverse athletes by donating, sharing their work, or shopping their merch. Options include Athlete Ally (athleteally.org) or the Gay Games Federation (gaygames.org). BEST Advocate for policies that would support transgender youth and speak out against harmful laws that ban their participation in athletics. Learn more about what's going on near you at transathlete.com/take-action.…

In 2023, Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Netherlands, making history as the first trans woman to win the title in the country's 100-year pageant run. With a side-eyed glance at Kollé's shimmering crown, Miss Italia organizer Patrizia Mirigliani publicly denounced the win. With a refusal to “jump the glittery bandwagon of trans activism,” Mirigliani doubled-down on the long-held clause that participants must be “women from birth.” Mirigliani's words bristled in the ears of Federico Barbarossa, a trans man living in southern Italy. He spied a gaping loophole in her statement, and succeeded in getting 100 fellow trans men to sign up for the pageant in protest. “Since the very first moment I heard about the 'women from birth' rule, it was clear to me how out of touch with the…

Roller derby is a high-contact sport filled with star-studded jammers, slamming bodies, and cheering crowds packed into the bleachers. Its origins trace all the way back to the late 19th century, but today you can still catch a game in warehouse arenas and strip malls across the country. As a competitive sport, roller derby has evolved a dozen times over in the last century. Since its modern revival in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s, the sport has been steeped in punk rock aesthetics, punheavy aliases, and an overarching message: All are welcome. “Roller derby is a safe space for everybody,” said Chelsea “Goldy Knocks” Winkel, the executive director of Arizona Roller Derby, in an interview with KJZZ. “Roller derby has no borders and it doesn't matter what your gender…

In 2022, the American Library Association documented 1,269 attempts to ban or restrict books in libraries. Nearly half — over 45% — of the unique titles challenged were written by or about LGBTQ+ people. And Maia Kobabe's book “Gender Queer: A Memoir” was the most challenged of them all. “Gender Queer” is a graphic memoir that documents Kobabe's journey with gender identity and sexuality from adolescence to adulthood. Despite winning a number of awards, the title has been banned from shelves in more states than any other book, namely because of its straightforward depictions of sex and sexuality. Kobabe (who uses the pro-nouns e/em/eir) has navigated the experience of being an author of a banned book the way many others have: by continuing to write. Eir next book is a…

Many drag performers — and those who love them — have successfully shot down legislation that would outlaw their performances for youth under 18 in states across the U.S. But their shiny attire and bold makeup looks are still turning heads — and there are still folks who want to dull their sparkle. Outside of rowdy brunches for mimosa-slinging adults and meaningful story hours for kids who love an engaging reading circle, there are drag queens who also work to make everyday experiences a place to embrace authenticity. Here are a few queens who are normalizing the art of drag in creative ways all around us. Jessica L'Whor @jessicalwhor Most times when Jessica L'Whor is in full makeup, she entertains adult crowds across Colorado, but every so often, she sets…

It's been over 40 years since the first reported cases of HIV and AIDS began sweeping the globe, but both the virus and syndrome are still caught up in a swirl of misinformation and stigma. When app designer Christian MercerHall's best friend was diagnosed with HIV, he was overwhelmed by fear of being isolated by that very same stigma — until he asked Mercer-Hall to come over and talk. “The two key things that came out of that conversation were 'How do I tell somebody?' and 'How do I meet someone?'” Mercer-Hall recalled in an interview with Attitude. When he explored online, he was surprised by the lack of resources for people with HIV. An app idea popped into his head, first in the form of a dating app. But…

It's clear that LGBTQ+ folks have a lot to navigate. From finding social and familial acceptance, exploring their own identities, and protecting their safety every single day, the last thing this community has time for is myth-busting. Unfortunately, though, there is a lot of misinformation in the world that dehumanizes members of the LGBTQ+ community. So, we created this resource, with the help of Lee Airton, Ph.D. They are an Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies in Education at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and the author of “Gender: Your Guide, 2nd Edition: The Gender-Friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture.” It's essentially their entire job to teach the world about gender and sexuality. Our goal with Dr.…

Last summer, GLAAD released findings from their annual Accelerating Acceptance study. In full, the nationwide survey highlighted pain points, lingering stereotypes, and daily prejudices LGBTQ+ people face, but the biggest takeaways were undoubtedly positive. “The most important finding of our 2023 study is that support for LGBTQ equal rights is at an all-time high: 84% of survey respondents support equal rights for the LGBTQ community,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. GLAAD's Spirit Day Index, released last October, also surveyed Americans based on their support for LGBTQ+ youth. The majority of survey respondents believed celebrities, sports leagues, and businesses could have a positive impact on LGBTQ+ youth, but over half agreed that “everyday people” are the most influential impact group on young people who identify as queer.…

A recent study, published by the American Sociological Association in December of 2023, found that aunts are crucial to the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth — particularly BIPOC youth. The paper is part of a larger two-year longitudinal study documenting the impact of supportive family members who aren't parents. Researchers interviewed 83 LGBTQ+ youth in South Texas and the Inland Empire of California. They all reported ambivalence or low support from their parents regarding their identity, and over 80% of those interviewed were Latino, Hispanic, Black, Asian, or Indigenous. Additionally, nearly 70% were trans, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming. A majority of respondents identified their aunts — or someone who played an aunt-like role but who they were not biologically related to — as a source of emotional support and housing stability. (According…

In America, rates of sexually transmitted infections have increased dramatically in recent years. Gonorrhea cases have increased 118% since a historical low in 2009, and on any given day in 2018, about one in five Americans had an STI, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While these infections are caused by bacteria and can be easily treated with antibiotics, the closure of sexual health clinics nationwide and low rates of public health awareness have led to this major uptick in infection. The good news? The CDC is now recommending doxycycline (a widely used antibiotic) for use after an unprotected sexual encounter. Doxycycline is now recommended for gay and bisexual men, and transgender women, who have previously had an STI or may be at risk for one. These guidelines come…

GOOD Read “Toxic Silence: Race, Black Gender Identity, and Addressing the Violence against Black Transgender Women in Houston” by William T. Hoston to learn about violence through an intersectional lens. BETTER Donate to organizations such as the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Transgender Law Center, and Black Trans Advocacy, who actively aid in safeguarding trans people from violent situations. BEST Sign up for a Bystander Intervention Course in your area so that you can learn how to non-violently intervene and de-escalate a public disruption born from harassment, hate speech, and prejudice. righttobe.org…

Los Angeles County voted to create its first-ever LGBTQ+ commission to expand gender-affirming care, passing with ease and hearing virtually no opposition (LA Daily News) Sacramento declared itself a “sanctuary city” for trans folks (NBC) Republican Governor of Nevada Joe Lobardo signed a law mandating health insurers (including Medicaid) cover all medically necessary gender-affirming care treatments (Nevada Independent) Arkansas' first Transgender Community Center has become a lifeline to the LGBTQ+ community, in a state that is regularly hostile toward queer folks (Them) Maine voted to protect gender-affirming care, as defined by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, despite violent opposition (Erin Reed)…

RAINBOW LIBRARY rainbowlibrary.org Rainbow Library sends free LGBTQ+ affirming K-12 text sets to 33 participating states. It also offers educational resources for teachers and provides grants to librarians, reaching over 5 million students a year. CARABINER COLLECTIONS carabinercollections.org Carabiner Collections is a nonprofit digital library offering free LGBTQ+ affirming books to Texans. Texas bans three times more books per year than any other state, 45% of which are written by or about LGBTQ+ people. OPEN BOOKS openbooks.org Open Books is a nonprofit that serves public schools by supporting school administrators, faculty, families, and individual students in expanding online library resources for LGBTQ+ youth for free.…

Stories Of LGBTQ+ Support From Our Community The world needs more queer joy: plain and simple. The most potent experiences of this joy might be at a wedding, or celebrating the passage of a bill that makes it safer to simply be a person in your community … but the little victories also matter. We asked Good Good Good followers and subscribers to submit their stories to us so we can share them with you. These are all real human moments of acceptance, joy, and celebration that have happened because of or alongside their LGBTQ+ identities. The goal of these community submissions is not to center allyship but to recognize the small changes that take place in our own communities and with the people we interact with every day. Good…

Latin dance is a competitive and traditional field, with salsa and bachata dancers following a specific set of rules at festivals and competitions: Each duo must consist of a male “lead” and a female “follow,” dictating who does what parts of the complicated choreography. But what about the people in the Latin dance community whose identities fall outside of those binary rules? Bex Nitti didn't wait around to find out; they founded Queerchata, a Los Angeles-based Latin dance team, by setting up a boom box at a park and inviting folks — all folks — to join their classes. Now, Queerchata hosts dance socials throughout LA and has even expanded its reach to other cities like San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. (They also teach virtual classes for the at-home…

Discord is a free communications app that allows users to chat over voice, video, and text. Largely used by gamers, the platform currently boasts 150 million monthly users worldwide across all spectrums of age, race, gender, and background. And in late 2023, Discord updated their Hateful Conduct Policy to better protect transgender users. In addition to banning blatant sexist, racist, and homophobic behavior, Discord now also forbids repeatedly “using slurs to degrade and demean individuals or groups” and specifically calls out the action of “intentionally deadnaming or misgendering a transgender person.” For nuance, the new policy does give room for exception when it comes to “instances of reclaimed language, satire, educational or documentary purposes.” Along with TikTok, Discord is one of the major social platforms that has effectively taken a…

Since 2018, Uber and Lyft have committed to disclosing transparency reports regarding incidences of sexual harassment, physical altercation, and — most gravely — fatality. As rideshare apps began to rival taxi cabs and public transportation, passengers called for greater accountability and oversight. Fortunately for Lyft, transparency reporting was simply a first step toward a larger commitment to passenger safety. In addition to making “911” a button click away, the app also sends a check-in message to the rider if their driver starts veering off the scheduled course. In February, the rideshare app also launched the optional Women+ Connect feature, which enables women — cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary — to select a gender preference for a prospective driver. “Lyft is rolling out an inclusive product at a time when so many…

The prison system in America is rife with mistreatment, but it is especially harrowing for transgender people serving time. Fortunately, due to a class action lawsuit won in March, the Colorado Department of Corrections will be required to adhere to established health care practices and provide optional housing units for transgender folks who are incarcerated in the Colorado prison system. “No matter what mistakes we've made in our pasts, everyone deserves basic dignity and respect,” said chief plaintiff Taliyah Murphy in a statement. “Everyone deserves to be physically safe and be provided necessary healthcare.” Systematically, transgender individuals are sorted into housing according to their sex assigned at birth. Placing transgender people in prison populations that are odds with their identity opens them up to verbal, physical, and sexual harassment. To…

TRANS LIVES MATTER Broadcaster Bernie Wagenblast has been the voice of New York City's subway system for over 40 years. “Please stand away from the platform edge,” a deep voice would say to millions every day. But last year, she shared that this voice might be a little different; she was transitioning into womanhood. This year, on Trans Day of Visibility, Wagenblast partnered with NYC's Metro Transit Authority to launch a new campaign: “In Transit.” The campaign includes a new podcast, where Wagenblast discusses trans health, history, and resources. Additionally, posters across subway stations direct folks to important locations in trans history across the city, with taglines like “trans visibility is now arriving.” Perhaps most exciting of all, Wagenblast's new, more feminized voice was used to record new announcements for…

Last year, GLAAD released their annual Studio Responsibility Index, which tracks the metrics of LGBTQ+ representation in films released by Hollywood's 10 biggest film distributors. The study revealed that 28.5% of tracked films in 2022 featured a character that identified as LGBTQ+. Additionally, 12 films included transgender characters, and 10 featured non-binary characters — both record highs. As representation in media expands across gender, race, sexuality, and more, here are six iconic stars who are paving the way in the world of film, TV, music, comedy, and more. Elliot Page is entering a new chapter in his acting career. Prior to coming out as transgender in 2020, Page had starred in nearly 50 projects and was no stranger to the silver screen. But the 2023 unscripted drama “Close To You”…

Across the country, LGBTQ+ youth have been fighting for their right to just exist like their peers. According to the ACLU, in 2024, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures, and while many of them (fortunately) failed, advocates continue to fight bills that would ban trans participation in sports, force students to use bathrooms consistent with their “biological sex,” and more. The good news? Supportive adults (and peers!) are everywhere. While classic groups like Gender and Sexuality Alliances, or local GLSEN chapters work alongside youth to build safer communities in and outside of schools, there are other programs across the country that not only support the safety of young people — but enhance their joy and imagination, too. SLAY THE RUNWAY A workshop program created through Firehouse Art…