Trans News Now 5/1/23
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Heklina
The passing of drag icon Heklina came as a surprise to her fans but it’s not surprising that her May memorial service had to be moved outdoors to accommodate the crowd that plans to attend. Castro Street will be shut down on May 23 for Heklina A Memorial (She Would Have Hated This). Visit KRON TV for more. Thanks to Shelley Baker for letting us know about the event.
The Honorable Ellen Ribaudo, a judge in Missouri, has put in a hold on state Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s emergency ban on gender-affirming care. The stay will be in place until the court can review briefs, which may lead to a trial. However, the judge seems to feel that the attorney general likely exceeded his authority. St. Louis Public Radio has this story.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital has conducted a review of its gender clinic, following a whistleblower’s complaint. The review found no significant problems, according to The Advocate.
The Department of Justice is suing Tennessee, claiming its ban on gender-affirming care for minors discriminates against transgender youth. The article in CNBC makes it seem that this is the prototype for suits against other state bans on gender-affirming care.
Zooey Zephyr
Meanwhile in Montana, the state legislature has censured Zooey Zephyr. The state’s only transgender lawmaker has been banned from the floor of the state House of Representatives. The Associated Press has this story.
When protestors tried to express their displeasure at the move to censure the one person in the legislature with first-hand knowledge of the medical procedures being discussed, seven of the protestors were arrested. This story comes from Them.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has a nonbinary child (referred to as his “son” by KBZK). The Governor says that while he loves his “son,” he still favors the legislation.
Atlanta Police have arrested a teen in connection with the murder of Koko Da Doll. ABC News has this story.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum signed a bathroom bill into law. This story comes from The Associated Press.
Legislators in Kansas overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bathroom bill. According to PinkNews, the bill defines “sex” according to reproductive ability, so infertile women would also be banned from the ladies’ room.
In Nebraska, state Senator Megan Hunt is under investigation for a “conflict of interest,” as she voted against anti-transgender legislation. She has a transgender child. The Hill has this story.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson is threatening a special session of the legislature, if they do not pass bills regarding transgender athletes and access to gender-affirming care for minors. This story comes from St. Louis Public Radio.
The Texas Tribune reports that a bill under consideration in the Texas Senate would remove access to gender-affirming health care for all Texans, not just minors.
Drag queens went to Tallahassee to protest Florida’s new drag laws at the state capitol. This story comes from Them.
A new study showed that trans women who receive gender-affirming health care are less likely to contract HIV. PinkNews has this story.
Hunter Schafer in Hunger Games.
The first trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes arrived. It features a significant amount of Hunter Schafer, who plays a cousin of Coriolanus Snow. The character she plays is not explicitly mentioned as trans, according to Them.
In the new horror film Evil Dead Rise, a mother becomes possessed because her transgender son, who wants to be a DJ, plays a certain record. PinkNews reports that some people think it is nice to see a transgender character do something foolish for a change. So often, transgender characters are noble people who are abused by society.
DC Comics gave a preview of this year’s Pride anthology. It includes a new story featuring Dreamer, as well as a story of two nonbinary superheroes. This story comes from Them.
Lilly Wachowski is now mentoring trans filmmakers of color. She spoke with Them about the project.
Amanda Billings now has a tenured position at the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts. The announcement is here, and a profile of her is here.
Bella Ramsey, the nonbinary actor best known for appearing in The Last Of Us, has left Twitter. Teen Vogue has this story.
Liv Hewson
Liv Hewson, the nonbinary actor who appears on Yellowjackets, has announced that they will not be submitting for an Emmy award this year. The reason is the gendered categories, according to Out.com.
Dylan Mulvaney has released her first video since the Bud Light endorsement. She talks about that and much more. The Advocate has this story.
The Human Rights Campaign has called on Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Bud Light, to publicly reaffirm its support for the transgender community. Learn more from KRON TV. Thanks to Shelley Baker for the story.
John Oliver also talked about Dylan Mulvaney’s experience with Bud Light in a new installment of Last Week Tonight. He feels the brand should have more forcefully defended its involvement with her. This story comes from LGBTQ Nation.
Dwayne Wade has sold his house in Florida and taken his family out of the state. He says his family “would not be accepted or feel comfortable” in Florida, with its anti-transgender sentiment. The Advocate has this story.
Lizzo invited drag queens to join her at her show in Knoxville, Tennessee. This was a dig at the state for its ban on drag in places where minors could be present. This story comes from The Advocate.
Over the weekend Paul Stanley, member of the band Kiss, posted a long paragraph on social media that ended with a line categorizing trans kids as being part of “. . .a sad and dangerous fad.” Comments on Stanley’s thoughts ranged from Keith Olberman calling him an “a-hole” to Kiss fans who were disappointed that a man who spent decades dressing in leather straps, wearing high heel shoes with bizarre makeup and teased up his hair was a transphobe. Others tried to calmly assure Stanley that trans kids aren’t “going through a phase” and need support and gender-affirming care. For more comments on his post visit Yahoo Entertainment.
The National Health Services of England has committed to protecting transgender children, in the face of a Conservative government which appears to be anxious to limit or exclude transgender children receiving gender-affirming care. PinkNews has this story.
The state of Victoria branch of the Green Party of Australia has said it will remove any member who is unwilling to go along to a certain degree on transgender rights. This story comes from PinkNews.
Bernie Wagenblast
Bernie Wagenblast has a job doing announcements for the New York Subway. Wagenblast is a transgender woman, but uses her pre-transition voice for her job. WABC-TV has this story.
Donald Trump has lately been saying some things that are very anti-transgender. However, a video has surfaced which shows him, roughly a decade ago, saying he would welcome transgender woman Jenna Talackova to compete in the Miss Universe contest, which he owned at the time. This story comes from LGBTQ Nation.
Trans News Now is assembled by Cecilia Barzyk with additional content and editing by Angela Gardner. Care to make a comment on this post? Login here and use the comment area below.
Category: Transgender Community News
