Anti-Trans Bills, Comparing Illnesses, and Black History Month
Work has been wild this week, so apologies for the late newsletter.
Anyway, let’s crack into this week’s threads.
#GiveUsThisDayOurDailyThread
The CDC might actually be doing something right?
As far as other writing this week, I shared a crude outline of ways we can end the pandemic.
In semi-related news, I’ve been seeing a lot of people compare their health issues to HIV/AIDS. Here’s why that’s ableist, racist, homophobic, and overall shitty:
Anti-Trans Bills
Thanks to Trans Kids, Arizona’s Anti-Trans Bill Is Dead by Samantha Riedel:
On Wednesday, the Arizona state legislature’s Health and Human Services committee failed to approve SB 1138, a bill which would have prohibited doctors from delivering transition-related care to anyone under the age of 18. In a dramatic vote, Republican state senator Tyler Pace broke with the GOP-majority committee to split the tally 4-4-0, killing the legislation’s forward progress.
TikTok Bans Deadnaming, Misgendering, and Conversion Therapy by James Factora:
Twitter is the only other major social media platform that explicitly prohibits deadnaming and misgendering in its hate and harassment policy, although enforcement of these bans remains dubious. Although Facebook and Instagram ostensibly ban content that promotes conversion therapy, reports have found that its policies have major holes, with conversion therapy pages in Arabic still thriving, according to recent reports.
It remains to be seen whether TikTok will be more successful in following through on its promise to protect LGBTQ+ users. After being harshly criticized for reportedly shadowbanning several LGBTQ+ hashtags in September 2020, TikTok announced its initial ban on content promoting conversion therapy the following month.
More States Want to Restrict How LGBTQ+ People, Issues Are Discussed in Schools by Orion Rummler
At least seven states have introduced bills to regulate how textbooks and school curriculums talk about LGBTQ+ people or how teachers can discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with students.
While many of the nearly 150 anti-LGBTQ+ bills brought so far focus on restricting gender-affirming health care access and limiting transgender students’ ability to play in school sports, according to the ACLU’s count, the number of bills focused on education or curriculum restrictions is rising compared with last year.
Some measures are more severe than others: A proposed Tennessee bill would ban public school textbooks that “promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles.” An Oklahoma bill would require school libraries to remove books related to LGBTQ+ issues. In Arizona, another bill would require parents’ written permission for students to join any student group or club involving gender identity and sexuality.
Most prominently, in Florida a proposed bill that is moving through House committees would prohibit school districts from encouraging classroom discussions on gender identity or sexual orientation and allow parents to sue if a school violates that agreement. The companion bill passed Florida’s Senate education committee on Tuesday, and advocacy groups including Equality Florida expressed frustration that public testimony was halted early.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills of 2022, Explained by James Factora:
2021 will be remembered for many things: as the second harrowing year of a once-in-a-century pandemic; as the year that Donald Trump left office (for now); and as the year that many tried (and failed) to return to “normal.” But in a crisis that went largely unacknowledged outside of LGBTQ+ communities, 2021 was also the worst year in history for the number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law, a record that was broken not even halfway through the year.
Specifically, it was a banner year for anti-trans and anti-intersex bills in America, the bulk of which sought to ban trans youth from school sports and criminalize the healthcare they need. While many of those bills were narrowly defeated, many more weren’t: Arkansas passed the most restrictive ban on trans healthcare in history, even after Republican governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed it for its extremity. (While it’s currently blocked thanks to an ACLU lawsuit, the law remains on the books.) Nine states signed sports bans into law by the end of 2021. On January 19, South Dakota became the tenth, officially passing the first anti-LGBTQ+ state law of 2022.
What’s clear is that the crisis is far from over, with new (eerily identical) anti-trans bills appearing every single day. Here, with help from the ACLU, Freedom for All Americans, and other resources and trackers, we’ll explain some of the most widespread types of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, where they’re being filed, and what the implications might be for LGBTQ+ rights.
The Damage Fascism Has Done to Trans and Disability Research by Alex DiFrancesco:
The first historical instance of a mass-destruction through totalitarianism of the understanding of trans people was the burning of the library of Institut fur Sexualweissenschaft in Berlin during the dictatorship of Nazi Germany. The institute served as a hospital that did early versions of gender confirming surgeries, and also contained an extensive library of the existing science and world history of queerness. Trans acceptance suffered a massive blow when Nazis burned the institute to the ground, destroying all the work of pioneering gender scholar and doctor, Magnus Hirschfeld, who refused to collaborate with the Nazis.
I definitely mentioned the above scenario at the end of January, but it’s worth re-sharing. You can read more on the destruction of the Institute here.
From Friends
Love Bombing: What It Is, and What It Isn't by Elly Belle
A Beginner's Guide to Kinky Sex by Reina Sultan
Accidents happen: Why we need to get comfortable talking about incontinence in the bedroom by Dev Ramsawakh
A great thread from Ana Mardoll (with another great thread linked at the end):
What You Need To Know
Senate candidate who smoked blunt in ad burns Confederate flag in latest spot by Brad Dress
8 HBCUs Received Bomb Threats for the Second Time in 2022 by Clarissa Brooks
Trump Reportedly Brought Top Secret White House Docs to Mar-a-Lago by Paul Blest
Black History Month 2022: We Need Action, Not Empty Celebration by Jameelah Nasheed
White Father and Son Accused of Chasing and Shooting at Black FedEx Driver by Emma Ockerman
Letter From Birmingham Jail: MLK’s Lessons for Young Activists by Zubin Abraham-Ahmed
Happy Black History Month From Companies That Make Prison Even Lonelier by Katie Way
We Need To Talk About Cosby Says As Much About Us As It Does The Monster by Kathleen Newman-Bremang
Head Injuries Are Dangerous, And It’s Not That Easy To Tell When One Is Serious. Here’s What To Know. by Katie Camero
Amazon says vaccinated warehouse workers can now work unmasked by Jasmine Hicks
‘A real crisis’: License backlogs in some states are preventing health care workers from seeing patients by Adiel Kaplan
Britney Spears Said She Lost The Use Of Her Lower Body After Being Confined To A Chair For 8 Hours A Day In A Treatment Center That Made Her Think She Had Cancer During Her Conservatorship by Stephanie Soteriou
There are so many reasons that I want to just go talk to Britney’s family… with a goon squad… and my ice skates.
Articles I Enjoyed or Found Interesting This Week
Loud and Clear: There Is No Punk Without Black Women by Vanessa Willoughby
Face Tattoos Carry Cultural Significance, Here’s How New Generations Are Continuing the Tradition Despite Stigmas by K-Ci Williams
“Jackass” Made Me the Trans Woman I Am by Niko Stratis
Asking me if I’m ‘off my meds’ is rude and offensive by Cara Lisette
Mental Health Days for Students Are the First Step In Reforming Youth Health Care by Vignesh Subramanian
My Platonic Life Partnership Went Viral On TikTok, & People Have A Lot Of Questions by April Lee
Mental health damage from Covid could last a generation, professionals say by Holly Ellyatt
What It’s Like To Run a Paranormal Investigation Helpline by Shamani Joshi
Scientists Have Finally Seen What Happens to Shredded Worlds in Deep Space by Beck Ferreira
Cool Things
This bomber jacket from Kitchen & Jorn is currently on pre-order:
It makes me a little bit too happy.
Thanks for reading! If you have feedback or anything you’d like to share, feel free to reach out to me on social media or email (all linked here).
Until next time,
Grayson