The Daily Sheet - January to March 2023

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, January 10th, 2023

Revisiting ‘Brokeback Mountain’

When a finely crafted story lands up in the hands of a compassionate director, what emerges is an elusive yet haunting cinematic experience. Ang Lee’s movie adaptation of Annie Proulx’s acclaimed short story Brokeback Mountain is an intimate exploration of human turmoil, purpose and love set in the lush green snow-capped mountainous landscape of Wyoming. It takes us through the journey of Jack and Enis, two hardworking cowboys, who fall in love with each other when they take up a temporary paid gig of herding sheep on the steep pastures of Brokeback Mountain. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist, the shy and vulnerable rodeo and Heath Ledger plays Enis Del Mar, the hot-headed yet deeply contemplative cowboy. Initially, shy about sharing their histories, they tend to the sheep and carry out the work as needed. The silence and cold air of Wyoming soon makes them open up to each other about their rough childhoods and far-fetched ambitions. Amidst the vast mountains, the two find solace in each other’s warmth and soon embark upon an ingrained human relationship which eventually becomes their fondest memory to hold on to. The story explores the consequences of not outgrowing a tendency to escape from what makes one truly happy due to societal factors. Proulx’s story was published in The New Yorker in 1997. The story also appeared in her short story collection — Close Range, which was published in 1999. Proulx spent most of her life in Northern Wyoming, amidst the intimidating, breathtaking mountains of endless greenery and intermittent snow patches. Revisiting ‘Brokeback Mountain’

Suspect Arrested In Edwin Chiloba's Death

Kenyan police on Friday said a suspect had been arrested in connection with the death of a prominent LGBTQ rights campaigner whose body was found stuffed into a metal box in the west of the country. Motorbike taxi riders alerted police after they saw the box dumped by the roadside from a vehicle with a concealed number plate, The Standard and The Daily Nation newspapers reported, quoting police sources. Activist Edwin Chiloba’s remains were found on Tuesday near Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu county, where he ran his fashion business, independent rights group the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said. Research suggests acceptance of homosexuality is gradually increasing in Kenya, but it remains a taboo subject for many. The country’s film board has banned two films for their portrayals of gay lives in recent years. The death drew condemnation from several human rights groups, including the International Commission of Jurists Kenya section, which called for the speedy investigation and apprehension of those behind his killing. “Chiloba’s death is a tragedy and an affront to human dignity and violation of the right to life #JusticeForChiloba,” it said on Twitter. Suspect Arrested In Edwin Chiloba's Death New Packaging Features "Lesbian" M&Ms M&M's is launching woke 'all-female' packs to celebrate female empowerment and attempt to shake things up in a continued shift toward progressive branding. Mars, M&M's parent company, debuted the feminist candy wrappers earlier this week, exclusively featuring the company's three female mascots: green, brown and the newly-introduced purple. The all-female package - upside down, to show how powerful women have 'flipped the status quo' - will be the first time the brown and green M&Ms have been featured together since a viral tweet from 2015 sparked rumors they were a lesbian couple. The tweet contained a picture of the two characters holding hands on the beach, posted just two days after the Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage. In fact, a search for the two characters in the notorious fan fiction site Archive Of Our Own produces 11 different results. The green M&M supposedly posted the tweet herself, writing: 'It’s rare Ms. Brown and I get to spend time together without some colorful characters barging in.' Each of these limited run packages will only include the female-coded green, brown and purple versions of the miniature candies.  New Packaging Features "Lesbian" M&Ms Michigan's Civil Rights Commissioner Luke Londo said learning of his appointment to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) was the “second coolest” thing that happened to him that week. Becoming a dad was the first. And to be honest, he said, having applied for the Commission many months earlier, Londo forgot about it. “Three days after the birth of my son, on the way back from our very first pediatric appointment, I got a call from Gov. Whitmer’s office informing me that I was being appointed to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission,” said Londo, who is openly bisexual. He called it “the honor of a lifetime.” In 1964, Michigan became the first state to enshrine civil rights protections in its constitution. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights carries out the work of the Commission. While the MCRC is not a lawmaking body, it has power and influence. “The commission is so important, the department is so important, to really ensure that all Michiganders feel like they have a place they can come if they feel like their civil rights and human rights have been violated,” said Portia Roberson, chair of the MCRC. “There are a lot of education pieces that we have done and want to continue to do to really make people aware of the many issues that arise and that we can help them navigate.” As a bisexual man married to a woman and also a father, Londo acknowledges his privilege. He can pass easily, but chooses to be openly queer. He spoke of a time after being elected Executive Committeeman on the First Congressional District Republican party that he received pushback and realized there were people eager to use his sexual orientation against him. Michigan's Civil Rights Commissioner Transgender Health Care Targeted After a midterm election and record flow of anti-transgender legislation last year, Republican state lawmakers this year are zeroing in on questions of bodily autonomy with new proposals to limit gender-affirming health care and abortion access. More than two dozen bills seeking to restrict transgender health care access have been introduced across 11 states — Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia — for the legislative sessions beginning in early 2023. Bills targeting other facets of trans livelihood have been filed in many of the same states and are expected in several others with GOP majorities. Gender-affirming health care providers and parents of trans youths are the primary targets of these bills, many of which seek to criminalize helping a trans child obtain what doctors and psychologists widely consider “medically necessary care.” Erin Reed, a researcher who tracks transgender legislation, said statehouses where Republicans expanded their margins in the midterms will likely double down on anti-trans legislation this year and reintroduce some of the more drastic measures that didn’t pass in previous sessions. Transgender Health Care Targeted UK Census More Inclusive Transgender and non-binary people have been counted for the first time in the 220-year history of the census for England and Wales, which has revealed that 262,000 people identify as a gender different to their sex registered at birth. The number of people who said they were not the same gender as their birth sex amounted to 0.5% of the population that responded, lower than polling by Ipsos last summer in which 3.1% of people said they were trans, non-binary, gender queer or gender fluid, a gender or another gender that was not male or female. The tally is, however, similar to Canada, which in 2021 became the first country to apply a census to its transgender and non-binary population aged 15 and over, which found they made up 0.33% of the population. The England and Wales census also recorded sexuality for the first time, with 1.5 million people aged over 15 – or 3.2% – identifying as gay or lesbian, bisexual or other sexual orientation. The charity Stonewall, which has long called for the inclusion of gender and sexual identity questions, described the results as “a historic step”. Sexual identity has previously been monitored by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its extensive annual population survey, but not through the fine detail of a census covering millions of people. The 2021 census found 748,000 (1.5%) people who described themselves as gay or lesbian, which was a slightly lower proportion than in the 2020 population survey. Six hundred and twenty-four thousand (1.3%) said they were bisexual, in line with the survey. UK Census More Inclusive Betty White - Gay Ally It’s been a year since the incomparable Betty White passed away, and it’s still hard to believe she’s no longer with us. The comedy legend and all-round icon tragically died at the ripe age of 99 on 31 December 2021, and an outpouring of grief swiftly followed. It’s not hard to see why – over the course of her seven-decade long career, she touched hearts and minds with her warmth and her extraordinary talent. It was her famously quick wit and her commitment to the art of camp that solidified her position as a gay icon in her heyday – but that wasn’t all. Over the course of her long career, Betty White proved time and time again that she was willing to stand up for the underdog. She cared deeply for her gay fans, and she was a passionate supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. As the world continues to mourn, we take a look back at eight times Betty White proved she was the ultimate LGBTQ+ icon and ally. Betty White - Gay Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

Larry McMurtry Honored

Larry McMurtry was honored with a Literary Landmark Dedication in a ceremony held at the Royal Theater on Friday, Nov. 18. and a plaque that was placed outside the Archer Public Library. Archer Public Library Librarian Gretchen Abernathy- Kuck opened the ceremony with opening remarks about McMurtry and the importance of this dedication. “I have learned so much about Larry McMurtry over this last year,” Abernathy-Kuck said. “And I hope tonight we can learn about, celebrate and honor his legacy with this gathering.” The Texas Center for the Book’s Rebekah Manley was one of many speakers during the ceremony. Manley was one of the main people spearheading the project with Abernathy- Kuck for the landmark distinction as the state only had five sites prior to this year. She said it has been wonderful to watch how the Archer County community rallied around the important distinction. “Literary Landmarks are special places which are located across the country that attract tourists, book lovers and history buffs to educate the public about the important literary works and history of the area,” Manley said. “A landmark is tied to a specific deceased figure, author or authors. It can be an author’s home, birthplace, a library where the work is crafted, an author’s burial site or in this case an author’s hometown.” Larry McMurtry Honored

Gay vs. Queer

As we’ve covered before, some gays aren’t fans of the word “queer”… and some queer folk aren’t so hot about the word “gay.” The two words aren’t as synonymous as homophobes would have you believe, but that hasn’t stopped those bullies from slinging both words as slurs. Twitter user @CoolRiderr recently sparked a debate over the two terms on Twitter, tweeting on January 5, “Quit calling gay people queer, we don’t like it.” Television writer Bryan Fuller, mastermind of the TV shows Pushing Daisies and Hannibal, was one of the famous figures who responded. “Queer is an inclusive word—that is the reason toxic white gay jocks don’t like it,” Fuller tweeted (in all caps, for emphasis). Preston Mitchum, Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, observed that the “we” in @CoolRiderr’s post “is doing a lot of work.” And singer-songwriter Simon Curtis tweeted, “A lot of us enjoy being as inclusive as possible and lean into language that fosters a more welcoming community. Gayness is queerness.” The debate also played out in the pages of The Guardian last weekend, after the newspaper reported that 15,000 people identified as queer in England and Wales’ latest census. In a letter to the editor published on January 13, reader Karl Lockwood of Brighton objected to that self-classification and said that he finds the term “insulting and derogatory, and certainly not ‘reclaimed.’” Gay vs. Queer New Lesbian Bar Opening Growing up gay in Worcester County, Danielle and Julie Spring both felt isolated from the kind of community they longed for. Even after the two met and married, Julie still faced homophobia from clients at her job as a hairdresser, while Danielle started several small businesses and slowly grew more comfortable with who she was, but still remained partly closeted. That all changed during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, when the Springs found themselves quarantined and watching TikTok videos about the lack of lesbian bars across the U.S. Now, almost three years later, Danielle and Julie are on the verge of opening what is ostensibly Worcester's first such venue, Femme Bar. "[Danielle] found a few lesbian bars that were in New York. Those were the closest," Julie said. "The rest are all in places you wouldn't necessarily expect them to be, in Texas or in the Midwest, and you're like, 'Why don't we have more in New England?'"  Femme Bar is currently preparing to open its doors at 62 Green St., the former site of Buck's, on Feb. 9. According to the Springs, the idea originally got off the ground when the couple took a trip to New York and spent a night out at the Manhattan lesbian bar, Cubbyhole. "We ended up being there until four in the morning. The energy and the vibe of a lesbian space is so different and so welcoming to all people," Danielle said. "We didn't even get drunk. We just hung out and enjoyed the vibe, and when we got home, Julie said, 'I want that in Worcester.'" New Lesbian Bar Opening Lil' Nas X is Bisexual The first time I had feelings for a boy, I was 11 years old. I already had crushes on girls in my class and wasn’t yet aware of bisexuality, so I had no clue what this meant. As far as I was concerned, there were only two options: straight or gay. I tried to fit my feelings into one of these labels, so I hid my attraction to men and identified as straight. It wasn’t until I turned 17 that I learned of the term "bisexual." Someone in my class had come out as bi-curious, and that opened up my world. However, my world quickly closed up again once I saw the reaction she received from classmates. She was ridiculed, mocked. Everyone thought she was seeking attention. They said that if she was gay, she should just say it. I internalized this moment for years. I couldn’t see bisexuality as valid if no one else did. I didn’t see myself reflected in society either, as there were little to no bisexual people in the public eye (or at least none that I was aware of). I didn’t see bisexuality in any of the shows I watched or the books I read. I felt alone and it nearly killed me. I didn’t come out as bisexual until 2017, at age 25, when I determined that there was no way to deny my feelings anymore. I was reminded of this time in my life when Lil Nas X tweeted earlier this week, "be fr would y’all be mad at me if i thought i was a little bisexual." While it was originally unclear if he officially came out as bisexual, he followed up this tweet 24 hours later with another one: "that was my last time coming out the closet i promise," referring to the time he came out as gay in 2019. So I, along with many of his fans, have taken this as confirmation of his bisexuality. Lil' Nas X is Bisexual Apology from Tony Dungy Former NFL coach and NBC analyst Tony Dungy issued an apology after he received backlash this week for posting a controversial tweet from his personal account that promoted anti-transgender rhetoric. In the since-deleted tweet, Dungy responded to a video from The Daily Wire showing Minnesota state representative Sandra Feist advocating for menstrual products to be placed in boys’ school bathrooms across the state. Dungy said in his post that school districts across the country were “putting litter boxes in school bathrooms for students who identify as cats.” This myth has been widely debunked, including by NBC News and PolitiFact. Dungy claimed that he had apologized previously but “not everyone saw it,” so he issued a brief statement on the matter on social media Saturday afternoon. “I saw a tweet yesterday and I responded to it in the wrong way,” Dungy wrote on Twitter. “As a Christian I should speak in love and in ways that are caring and helpful. I am failed to do that and I am deeply sorry.” Apology from Tony Dungy Jojo Siwa's Anniversary She’s a boss lady. In a new Instagram post shared this weekend, dancer and internet star JoJo Siwa, 19, celebrated the two-year anniversary of her coming out of the closet as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The former “Dance Moms” star took to the platform to share a throwback photo of herself wearing a shirt that read, “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.,” which she used for her initial announcement in 2021. “2 years ago today ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜,” Siwa wrote in the caption of the photo posted Saturday. “Now looking back on everything…. I’m SO proud of 17 year old JoJo.” In the comments section, some celebs left her messages of support, like her former “Dancing With The Stars” partner, Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy. The duo made history as the first same-sex pair to compete together on the hit show. After Siwa came out in 2021, she debuted her relationship with then-girlfriend Kylie Prew. However, the two split for good last August. The star then began dating TikToker Avery Cyrus for three months. That relationship ended this past December. She has since been linked to TikTok model Savannah Demers, according to The Daily Mail. Jojo Siwa's Anniversary Ally Maren Morris Apologizes Maren Morris keeps on doing the work as an ally. On a recent episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race," the country singer served as a Season 15 guest judge and shared a heartfelt moment with contestants on the rocky relationship between the country music industry and the LGBTQ community. "Coming from country music and its relationship with LGBTQ+ members, I just want to say I'm sorry," Morris said in a clip shared on the show's Instagram page Saturday. "I love you guys for making me feel like a brave voice in country music. So I just thank you guys so much for inspiring me." "I'm gonna cry, I need to go," the Grammy winner added. Drag queen Mistress Isabelle Brooks addressed the "Circles Around This Town" singer, saying: "Just you being here shows you're an ally." During a "RuPaul's Drag Race" confessional, Spice added they "loved hearing Maren share her story because a lot of times with country artists, they can't really express their more progressive ideals." Spice said, "Just her being here shows she's down to roll with the LGBT."  Ally Maren Morris Apologizes Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, January 31st, 2023

Interview With Kate Mara

After two decades of acting in primetime television, blockbuster movies, and independent projects, Kate Mara has been honored with eight nominations and two award wins for her work on screen. This month, Mara is recognized for the work she does off-camera—advocating for animals. Historically, the actress has shied away from praise of this kind—she’s been incredibly humble about her philanthropic efforts, presenting a strong front for animals while dodging the spotlight herself. On January 26, she will finally accept some recognition for the seminal work she’s done, as the Animal Legal Defense Fund has selected Mara as one of the prestigious honorees at its Justice for Animals Fundraiser. While we loved watching her in House of Cards and feel compelled to watch any film she’s in (The Martian, 127 Hours, The Fantastic Four … just to name a few of her many credits), we’re even more intrigued by her passion to help animals and support the organizations doing this necessary and unrelenting work. We chatted over Zoom to learn more about her commendable advocacy and glimpse into her purpose-driven life. Mara has carved out her own legacy in acting and activism, but she grew up in a family with a long-established legacy of their own in American football. Both of her grandfathers were executives in professional sports—her great-grandfather on her father’s side founded the New York Giants, and her great-grandfather on her mother’s side owned the Pittsburgh Steelers. The involvement in sports trickled down to her father, who serves as an executive for the Giants. Through their combined family wealth, the Rooney/Mara clan has taken on numerous charitable efforts, though like Kate, both parents have been extremely quiet in their involvement. Interview With Kate Mara

Hunter of Gay Men Arrested

A Louisiana man who federal prosecutors say was inspired by notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and used the Grindr app to target gay men was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Chance Seneca, 21, of Lafayette, was convicted in 2020 of kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a long-running plot to kill and eat his victims, according to the Department of Justice. “The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. Seneca, who was 19 at the time, was talking to Holden White on Snapchat and Grindr for almost a month, pretending to be romantically interested in order to hide his true intentions of killing him, according to court documents. In June 2020, Seneca met White in person and took him to his father’s home, where he told White to put handcuffs on with the promise of sex. Instead, Seneca attempted to kill White by strangling him with a belt to the point that he lost consciousness. He then put his body in the bathtub where he hit White in the back of the head with a hammer, stabbed him in the neck with an ice pick, and slit his wrists with plans to dismember him. Hunter of Gay Men Arrested Birth Control Makes You a Lesbian? Throughout the near-decade I’ve been on hormonal birth control, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing—but the experience has always boiled down to whether the form of contraception I was on was right for me. As it turns out, the pill was not. I struggled with taking it consistently, and over time began to suffer from prolonged bouts of nausea and depression. Today, I’m a very satisfied Nexplanon user, but my fascination with birth control side effects—especially people’s varying self-reported side effects—has persisted. And in recent weeks, the wave of Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok users—and most infuriatingly, conservative influencers—pushing the theory that birth control can make you lesbian or bisexual has been equal parts fascinating, annoying, and frustrating. To be clear: No, hormone medication cannot alter sexual orientation. But let’s unpack all this anyway. First, here’s how this all started: Earlier this month, an Australian woman shared that she “became a lesbian” after going off the pill, claiming she felt “dull” while on contraception, only to now feel like a “horny teenage boy” with her new girlfriend. Of course, the story quickly went viral. The woman, Tessa, told the Australian Kylie & Jackie O radio show that before the pill, she used to be “100 percent into men,” and once she stopped taking it, she “suddenly” realized that “women are hot.” True! “Thank God I came off the pill,” she said. “I’m living with my best friend and I couldn’t be happier.” Birth Control Makes You a Lesbian? Lil' Nas X is Bisexual The first time I had feelings for a boy, I was 11 years old. I already had crushes on girls in my class and wasn’t yet aware of bisexuality, so I had no clue what this meant. As far as I was concerned, there were only two options: straight or gay. I tried to fit my feelings into one of these labels, so I hid my attraction to men and identified as straight. It wasn’t until I turned 17 that I learned of the term "bisexual." Someone in my class had come out as bi-curious, and that opened up my world. However, my world quickly closed up again once I saw the reaction she received from classmates. She was ridiculed, mocked. Everyone thought she was seeking attention. They said that if she was gay, she should just say it. I internalized this moment for years. I couldn’t see bisexuality as valid if no one else did. I didn’t see myself reflected in society either, as there were little to no bisexual people in the public eye (or at least none that I was aware of). I didn’t see bisexuality in any of the shows I watched or the books I read. I felt alone and it nearly killed me. I didn’t come out as bisexual until 2017, at age 25, when I determined that there was no way to deny my feelings anymore. I was reminded of this time in my life when Lil Nas X tweeted earlier this week, "be fr would y’all be mad at me if i thought i was a little bisexual." While it was originally unclear if he officially came out as bisexual, he followed up this tweet 24 hours later with another one: "that was my last time coming out the closet i promise," referring to the time he came out as gay in 2019. So I, along with many of his fans, have taken this as confirmation of his bisexuality. Lil' Nas X is Bisexual Colorado Baker Loses Appeal The Colorado baker who won a partial U.S. Supreme Court victory after refusing to make a gay couple’s wedding cake because of his Christian faith lost an appeal Thursday in his latest legal fight, involving his rejection of a request for a birthday cake celebrating a gender transition. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that that the cake Autumn Scardina requested from Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop, which was to be pink with blue frosting, is not a form of speech. It also found that the state law that makes it illegal to refuse to provide services to people based on protected characteristics like race, religion or sexual orientation does not violate business owners’ right to practice or express their religion. Relying on the findings of a Denver judge in a 2021 trial in the dispute, the appeals court said Phillips’ shop initially agreed to make the cake but then refused after Scardina explained that she was going to use it to celebrate her transition from male to female. “We conclude that creating a pink cake with blue frosting is not inherently expressive and any message or symbolism it provides to an observer would not be attributed to the baker,” said the court, which also rejected procedural arguments from Phillips. Colorado Baker Loses Appeal Asexuality Awareness around what it means to be asexual has come a long way—more people are identifying with the orientation than ever before. According to a 2022 report by Stonewall, 2% of the population identify as asexual or ace (an abbreviation for asexuality). Recognition is a work in progress. In 2021, International Asexuality Day was recognised and celebrated for the first time on 6 April, co-founded by asexual activist and model Yasmin Benoit. In a recent interview, she talked about how we need to go beyond “awareness” of asexual people and identity, and is on a “quest for representation” that extends further. That said, there’s still a considerable amount of confusion and some pretty rogue assumptions about asexuality that need to be put to rights. We have tried answering all questions you may have about what it means to be asexual. What is asexuality?  Slightly different from other sexual orientations, which are being used to convey sexual preference, asexuality is a sexual orientation that is defined by someone who has no sexual desire for their preferred sex. This doesn’t mean that someone who identifies as asexual doesn’t experience romantic feelings or have a desire for physical closeness and many asexual people enjoy loving relationships, but they’re just not sexually attracted to their partners. Asexuality Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown Growing up in southwestern Pennsylvania, near the state of Ohio, it could be a rough-and-tumble world. When I worked on the Hill for my congressman from that area, we had the entire bottom left-hand corner of the state. It was during a time when steel mills and coal mines still mattered, so it was a hardscrabble, blue-collar constituency. Often, your elected representatives reflect their districts. My boss certainly did. He wore cheap suits and bought 25-cent rounds for workers at the gritty bars throughout Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties. He even went almost a mile underground and worked in a coal mine for a day. I was with him, and that was an awful day. I still say that is the toughest job in the world. Today, you really don’t see that type of elected official anymore. You could say that things are more refined, at least for the Democrats, or outrageously criminal, at least for some of the Republicans. Sure, there are some outliers, and you do have the Blue-Collar Caucus in the House, but overall, they don’t make them like they used to. Then there is U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. He can relate to the working man just as easily as he can connect with white-collar professionals. He is the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, after all. Yet Sen. Brown really defies being defined, and that’s why, I for one, have an eye on him if our wonderful president, Joe Biden, decides not to seek reelection. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.  Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, February 7th, 2023

"The Last Of Us"

No TV show, film, or game can succeed without a good soundtrack to invoke the emotions in the content. And Gustavo Santaolalla has delivered a gem of a score with The Last of Us . Santaolalla is from Ciudad Jardín Lomas del Palomar, Argentina. And his career in music goes back to when his grandmother gave him a guitar as a gift when he was five years old. From there on out, his music flourished and surpassed even his teacher’s abilities. He eventually co-founded the group Arco Iris and assembled Soluna. Both groups allowed him to adopt new musical styles and instruments into his work and albums. His career in soundtracks and scores goes back to the early 2000s when he did his first of many collaborations with Alejandro González Iñárritu, on the film Amores Perros. He then went on to win two Academy Awards for Brokeback Mountain and Babel in back-to-back years. And it was in 2013 that he first did the soundtrack for Sony’s Playstation 3 game The Last of Us. For Santaolalla, “The most important thing that makes The Last of Us what it is, is that it’s a very different project than other projects with more emotional content and with more emotional connection between the players and the characters. More identification. I think probably that led them to think of somebody like me to the music and not a more conventional composer.” "The Last Of Us"

Patrons of Gay Bar Robbed

Three men who visited a New York City gay bar were robbed of thousands of dollars using facial recognition access on their phones, the New York Police Department confirmed on Thursday. The three men, who were in their late 30s and 40s, visited a Chelsea gay leather bar, The Eagle NYC, on separate nights in October and November and were each robbed of $1,000 to $5,000, according to the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of public information. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, authorities said. Police believe the criminals used facial recognition to access the victims’ phones and funds once they were incapacitated, according to Capt. Robert Gault of the city’s 10th Precinct, who spoke about the incidents at a police community council meeting last week.  “What we think is happening with this scheme is they’re being lured away from the club, maybe to say, ‘Hey, you wanna come with me? I got some good drugs,’ or something like that,’” Gault said. “And then, once they get into a car to do whatever it is that they’re going to do, at some point or another, they don’t know what happened when they wake up.” Patrons of Gay Bar Robbed The Super Bowl and Lesbian Bars Leona Thomas made her way to the middle of the dance floor. Eighties music pulsed through the air, the dance floor full of women moving with it. Large TV screens — or at least, what was considered a big TV screen in 1985 — wrapped around the room, so the fans there could watch the Super Bowl without having to sacrifice dancing. Thomas was a teen coming out, and the former Gatsby’s in Cherry Hill was one of the first lesbian bars she visited in the process. It was a space that not only welcomed her but wrapped her authentic self with acceptance. A space that normalized being queer. And a space that felt safe — especially to watch the Super Bowl. Fast-forward 40 years, and the lesbian bar scene has dropped from 200 nationally to fewer than 25 today, according to the Lesbian Bar Project. In Philadelphia, that number has been zero since Toasted Walnut, its last lesbian bar and a popular place to watch the Eagles in their last Super Bowl, closed in 2021. Which leaves the question: Now that the Eagles have made it to the Super Bowl again, where will the lesbian community be able to comfortably cheer on the Birds? When Sue Gildea came out in the early ‘90s, lesbian bars were a safe haven for her. Whether she would pop into Hepburn or Sisters or Toasted Walnut, being in that space helped ease her anxiety. The Super Bowl and Lesbian Bars Women and Bisexuality Women’s sexuality is vastly understudied in science and is still considered a “taboo” subject. Often, the experiences of men have been taken as the norm in scientific research, yet there are important differences in the sexuality of men and women. In 2020, approximately 3.2% of the population in the UK over the age of 16 identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. But when it came to bisexuality, there was a stark difference between men and women: women were much more likely to identify as bisexual compared to men (1.6% of women compared to 0.9% of men). Similarly, a study conducted at the University of Notre Dame found that women were three times more likely to identify as bisexual. “Women have a greater probability than men of being attracted to both men and women,” said researcher Elizabeth McClintock, when discussing the results of the research. “This indicates that women’s sexuality may be more flexible and adaptive than men’s.” The evidence overwhelmingly shows that women are far more likely to identify as bisexual than men. But it’s hard to say why this might be. Could it be that women are more innately bisexual? Or could it be the fact that it’s more culturally accepted for women to be sexually fluid, or to identify as a lesbian or bisexual than it is for men to identify as something other than straight. Of course, it’s difficult to separate the cultural and biological but research into sex differences in genital arousal may be able to tell us more. Women and Bisexuality Trans Refuge Bill State representative Leigh Finke (D.) introduced a bill before the Minnesota Legislature this week that would turn the state into a “trans refuge” for children seeking gender-reassignment surgery. The legislation “would make Minnesota into a trans refuge state by protecting trans people, their families and medical practitioners from the legal repercussions of traveling to Minnesota to receive gender-affirming care,” Finke, the first openly transgender politician to serve in the state legislature, said. Known as the Trans Refuge Bill, it is designed to alter Minnesota’s child custody statutes adding new considerations such as access to gender reassignment surgery. The legislation would restrict the ability of Minnesota police to cooperate with another state’s law enforcement authorities in child custody battles when the state does not offer protections for gender reassignment surgery. “This need is desperate in my community. This is not a hypothetical scenario,” Finke added. “There are gender-diverse people in Minnesota right now receiving gender-affirming care. More are fleeing their home states asking where they should turn.” The Trans Refuge Bill was condemned by Rebecca Delahunt, a public-policy director for the Minnesota Family Council. She argued that it “takes away custody from parents or guardians who deny their children access to gender-affirming health care.” Trans Refuge Bill Being Intersex About 1.7 percent of all people are born with intersex characteristics, an umbrella term for sex traits—such as external genitalia, internal reproductive organs, and chromosomal configurations—that don’t line up with society’s artificially tidy binary concepts of male or female bodies. Some of these characteristics are visible at birth: for example, genitals that are notably different from the norms or hard to classify as definitively male or female. Some only make their presence known during puberty, like when people don’t develop in the ways they might’ve expected. Some are so internal and subtle that they’re only identified during an autopsy. In any case, it’s usually impossible to tell if someone has intersex traits just by looking at them in everyday life. Still, living with intersex characteristics can have major impacts on people’s lives—including their sex lives. To be clear, an intersex characteristic isn’t a medical condition or disability. It’s just one of many natural variations in the way diverse human bodies look and operate. Some factors that lead to intersex variations, like atypical hormone production, can at times also cause serious medical issues that require treatment, but most differences themselves are purely neutral. Yet society’s obsession with categorizing people into one of two binary genders at birth—and with erasing or ignoring anything that complicates the clean (over)simplicity of that binary—means many people with intersex traits grow up with the notion that there is supposedly something wrong with them, but they shouldn’t talk about it. Often, they’re also pressured or forced into “normalizing” themselves to match typical male or female anatomy: Across the world, kids with visible intersex traits are regularly subjected to objectively unnecessary and often harmful surgeries to reshape or remove their genitals, expressly to make them look “normal” and supposedly help them fit into society. Being Intersex Backlash For Beyoncé Beyoncé has been criticized by Western LGBTQ people after she performed an exclusive concert in Dubai, part of the Gulf nation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where homosexuality is illegal. People claimed she should have boycotted the UAE over its laws but LGBTQ people there are not sure what all the fuss is about, describing it as a "non-issue." The singer was reportedly paid $24 million to perform at the grand reveal of Dubai's latest luxury hotel, Atlantis the Royal on January 21. While she performed 19 songs during the invite-only event, none were from her most recent album, Renaissance, which has been hailed as a tribute to Black LGBTQ culture. Following her performance Beyoncé came under fire for performing in Dubai where consensual same-sex male sex is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to Article 117 of the UAE's penal code. "Sorry, Bey. Love ya and all but Dubai ain't it. It's not like you need the money. You've just made a pretty f***** gay album and you repay your LGBT fans by performing in a city that outlaws our existence. Not cute.@Beyonce," tweeted one fan. Backlash For Beyoncé Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

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Tuesday, February 14th, 2023

Interview With Ang Lee

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a sensation when it was released back in the year 2000. No one expected Ang Lee’s martial arts epic to make over $100 million in the United States. The director, at the time, was best known for independent dramas like The Ice Storm. His taking on a kung-fu-filled fantasy epic seemed like a stretch, and when people learned it would be shot in Mandarin, they naturally assumed it would maybe be a nice art-house hit but not much more. Instead, the film played to boffo box office both internationally and domestically, leading to an unexpected revival for the wuxia genre, paving the way for the successful domestic release of Zhang Yimou’s Hero and more. With the film back in theaters starting February 17th in a new 4K restoration, I was lucky enough to get some time with the director, Ang Lee, who proved to be an open book as for as his difficulties went while making the movie. As you can see in the interview above, Lee had only half the budget he had for the domestic drama, The Ice Storm to make his epic. In the interview, we discuss working with Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, with Lee praising Yeoh’s recent resurgence in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Lee has positive things to say about all of his actors, particularly Chow Yun-Fat, who he notes had to learn martial arts for the film (as he was more of a gun-guy in the John Woo movies that made him famous), shave his head and perfect his mandarin. He also notes how, when the movie wrapped, he lied about wanting to make a Crouching Tiger prequel for many years to prevent any follow-ups from being made (sadly, he was not successful). It’s a pretty intriguing interview that also includes some information about his upcoming Bruce Lee biopic. The video interview is at the link below. Interview With Ang Lee

Gay Figures for Black History Month

Timothy Retzloff is a history professor at MSU who focuses on Michigan history, LGBTQ+ history and LGBTQ+ studies. Retzloff is the co-author of “Come Out! In Detroit: The Story of Christopher Street Detroit ‘72 from Eyewitness Sources,” a comic that explains the backstory to Michigan’s first-ever LGBTQ+ pride celebration. The book refers to the Stonewall Riots, the drag community in Michigan, Gay Pride week and more events and aspects of LGBTQ+ living that started social change. Through these studies and work, Retzloff has accumulated a list of impactful Black queer figures — whom he sat down with The State News to discuss. Although there have been so many influential figures in American history, Retzloff believes there is a large list of trailblazers from Michigan, specifically. These individuals have impacted people in Michigan’s lives as well as people across the country. Here is a list of influential Black, queer figures from Michigan, and the way their actions have inspired change. Gay Figures for Black History Month DeSantis and Disney Florida’s far-right governor, Ron DeSantis, has won the right to appoint the members of the board that supervises the development of the state’s famous Walt Disney World theme parks after a fight over a law that restricts sexual orientation and gender identity discussions in schools. Disney as a result is set to lose some of the autonomy it has enjoyed in Florida during the last nearly six decades, but the company has held on to some of its key privileges amid the culture war leveled at it by DeSantis. Nonetheless, with his usual bluster, DeSantis declared victory over the conglomerate whose mascot is Mickey Mouse, saying: “There’s a new sheriff in town.” DeSantis directed his ire at Disney after the media titan decided to suspend political donations in Florida after the state’s legislature last year passed a “don’t say gay” law that limited mention of LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Florida’s Orlando area is home to the 25,000-acre Disney World theme park complex, which first opened in 1971 and reportedly attracted nearly 13 million visitors last year. And to retaliate, DeSantis sought to strip Disney of a special tax district designation that let the company govern them autonomously, including by issuing tax-exempt bonds and advancing building plans without oversight from certain local authorities. DeSantis and Disney Doritos Ad Features Lesbian Couple Bold Love is the new Doritos advertisement that aired in Mexico this week, featuring a lesbian couple discussing how much they love each other despite the homophobia they encounter. The two-minute ad features the couple on a nighttime drive. “I love you so much,” says the woman in the passenger seat, in between the occasional Dorito. “How much?” asks the driver. “I’d lower the moon and stars for you.” They both laugh, then the driver asks, “Seriously though. What would you do for me?” Our passenger takes a moment, then shifts to look directly at her love as she drives. “I’d kiss you in front of everyone,” she says, and reaches across to put her hand on her love’s shoulder, “without caring about the looks [we’d get] or what could happen [to us].” Doritos Ad Features Lesbian Couple Women and Bisexuality Women’s sexuality is vastly understudied in science and is still considered a “taboo” subject. Often, the experiences of men have been taken as the norm in scientific research, yet there are important differences in the sexuality of men and women. In 2020, approximately 3.2% of the population in the UK over the age of 16 identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual. But when it came to bisexuality, there was a stark difference between men and women: women were much more likely to identify as bisexual compared to men (1.6% of women compared to 0.9% of men). Similarly, a study conducted at the University of Notre Dame found that women were three times more likely to identify as bisexual. “Women have a greater probability than men of being attracted to both men and women,” said researcher Elizabeth McClintock, when discussing the results of the research. “This indicates that women’s sexuality may be more flexible and adaptive than men’s.” The evidence overwhelmingly shows that women are far more likely to identify as bisexual than men. But it’s hard to say why this might be. Could it be that women are more innately bisexual? Or could it be the fact that it’s more culturally accepted for women to be sexually fluid, or to identify as a lesbian or bisexual than it is for men to identify as something other than straight. Of course, it’s difficult to separate the cultural and biological but research into sex differences in genital arousal may be able to tell us more. Women and Bisexuality Loophole Closed To Transgender Youth Transgender youth in Florida seeking to start puberty blockers and hormone therapy will have no access to treatment in the state once a pending ban takes effect — not even in clinical trials. The Board of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday removed an opportunity for minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria to receive nonsurgical gender-affirming care in clinical trials. The ban will run counter to recommendations from major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association and the Endocrine Society. It’s unclear when the restrictions will begin. A spokesperson with the Department of Health said late Friday that no date has been set for the rules to take effect. The pending ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy won’t apply to youth already being prescribed those medications. They will be grandfathered in. Loophole Closed To Transgender Youth Asexuals Share Stories Being the last letter of an acronym comes with its disadvantages. Despite making up about 1.7 percent of all adults in the US, asexual and aromantic people continue to face misconceptions about their identity. “We just don’t find other people sexually attractive or meet someone and desire them sexually,” says Mel Loyd, an aro-ace, or an aromantic-asexual living in Greensboro. According to the Trevor Project, asexuality — represented by the “A” in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum — is an umbrella term for the lack of physical and/or sexual attraction. Asexual people are also known as “Ace” or “Aces.” Slightly different from asexual, are people who identify as aromantic. Aromantic means not experiencing any romantic attraction to any gender. An example of this could be never experiencing the feeling of having a crush and not understanding that feeling either. Aromantic people are also known as “Aro” or “Aros.” Both exist on a spectrum and can be referred to as “gray,” according to the Trevor Project. “Not all asexual people are aromantic, and not all aromantic people are asexual,” Shane Cricket, an asexual and aromantic facilitator of a statewide online support group on Meetup called Asexuals and Aromantics of North Carolina explains. The asexual and aromantic community acknowledge a split-attraction model, meaning people can experience both romantic and sexual attraction to others in different, and separate, ways, according to Cricket. For example, a person could be heteroromantic and bisexual or homosexual and aromantic to name a few variations of the wide spectrum of asexuality. Asexuals Share Stories Recognition For Allyship Along with celebrating the queer community at large, the GLAAD Media Awards make sure to give vocal allies their flowers for supporting the LGBTQ community — and this year, the organization is recognizing two massive stars for their unyielding efforts. On Wednesday (Feb. , GLAAD announced that recording artists Bad Bunny and Christina Aguilera would be the recipients of two allyship awards at its annual ceremony in Los Angeles taking place March 30. The organization also announced that out actor Jeremy Pope would receive the Stephen F. Kolzak award for his work in raising visibility for LGBTQ media professionals. Bad Bunny is set to receive the annual vanguard award, which is presented to “allies who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.” Past honorees include mega-stars such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Cher. Speaking on Bunny’s inclusion, GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said that the star’s consistent advocacy — whether through live performances, music videos or elsewhere — “redefines the positive influence Latin music artists can have within the LGBTQ community, and has set an example for all artists.” Recognition For Allyship Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

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Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

David Harbour Reaction

David Harbour has nothing but love for Stranger Things costar Noah Schnapp. While promoting his new Netflix movie We Have a Ghost, the Violent Night star expressed his admiration for the 18-year-old actor after coming out as gay on Jan. 5. "I'm always happy for people that are true to themselves and come out. That was terrific," Habour, 47, told E! News of Schnapp's announcement. Last month, Schnapp came out as gay in a TikTok video, lip-syncing to an audio clip in which he said, "You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, will never be that serious." Over the video, Schnapp wrote, "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know.'" "I guess I'm more similar to Will than I thought," he captioned the clip, referring to his character Will Byers on the hit Netflix series. David Harbour Reaction

Gay Figures for Black History Month

Timothy Retzloff is a history professor at MSU who focuses on Michigan history, LGBTQ+ history and LGBTQ+ studies. Retzloff is the co-author of “Come Out! In Detroit: The Story of Christopher Street Detroit ‘72 from Eyewitness Sources,” a comic that explains the backstory to Michigan’s first-ever LGBTQ+ pride celebration. The book refers to the Stonewall Riots, the drag community in Michigan, Gay Pride week and more events and aspects of LGBTQ+ living that started social change. Through these studies and work, Retzloff has accumulated a list of impactful Black queer figures — whom he sat down with The State News to discuss. Although there have been so many influential figures in American history, Retzloff believes there is a large list of trailblazers from Michigan, specifically. These individuals have impacted people in Michigan’s lives as well as people across the country. Here is a list of influential Black, queer figures from Michigan, and the way their actions have inspired change. Gay Figures for Black History Month White Sox Player Comes Out A White Sox minor league player made history on Sunday. Anderson Comas came out as gay in an Instagram post, becoming just the third active minor leaguer in baseball history to come out. “This may be my most personal thing I ever share and it’s that I’m proudly and happily part of the LGTBQ+ community,” Comas wrote in his post. “I’m also a human with a great soul, I’m respectful, I’m a lover, I love my family and friends and that’s what really matters.” The White Sox tweeted out an image of Comas’ post with the message, “We are all so proud of you, Anderson! ” Moments later, White Sox assistant GM/player development Chris Getz shared a statement on Comas’ announcement. “Anderson first shared his news with us last year,” Getz said in the statement. “And I was very pleased that he was comfortable sharing with us in player development. I also was happy at the reaction across the organization, which as you would expect was to support, help and congratulate a teammate.” There has never been an active, openly gay player at the major league level, however Glenn Burke and Billy Bean came out after they had retired. White Sox Player Comes Out Judge Rules Against Adoptive Mother A district judge in Oklahoma has ruled that a sperm donor should have custody of a child that was being raised by a lesbian couple. Kris Williams told KFOR she’s still the boy’s mother despite the fact that the marriage to her partner, Rebekah Wilson, has ended. But Judge Lynne McGuire ruled on Monday that she’s not the child’s mother, despite being listed as such on the birth certificate. She ruled that the custodial father is the sperm donor, Harlan Vaughn. “I guess I’m still in shock,” Ms Williams told KFOR of the ruling. According to legal filings, Ms Wilson struck an agreement with the sperm donor in September 2018. The agreement didn’t mention Ms Williams. Ms Williams and Ms Wilson were married on 1 June the following year. Ms Wilson was six months pregnant at that time. The child was born in August 2019 with the birth certificate listing Ms Wilson and Ms Williams as the mothers. They raised the boy together for more than two years before the end of their marriage. Ms Wilson got a Victim Protective Order against Ms Williams in November of 2021 when she moved in with Mr Vaughn. The two had started a relationship and were now seeking legal status as parents. Judge Rules Against Adoptive Mother Dating After My Breakup When you’re a single mum, dating is always slightly more complicated than “meet someone, fall in love, settle down, live happily ever after”. By single parenting’s very definition, often you’ve tried that before and there is an unfortunate fifth stage of “s*** hitting the fan”. Call it being realistic, call it being jaded, when it comes to dating I keep an open mind and hope for the best, while quietly expecting the worst. My relationship with my ex-girlfriend was beautiful and challenging, and we taught each other so much, but ultimately she was set on a course of “happily ever after” (that everybody deserves to strive for, and I hope she finds) while my awareness of the invisible, but highly possible, step five left us moving in opposite directions. And so, I entered 2023 single. But first, how I became a single mum. I married my first boyfriend after 10 years together, had a baby, separated and divorced. After slowly rebuilding my life, I decided to remould myself too, and started dating for the first time since being a teenager — and I was open to meeting both men and women, having always considered myself to be (an admittedly slightly inexperienced) bisexual. When I met my girlfriend, it felt perfectly ordinary to me that my new partner was a woman, but I was slowly faced with the reality, one stare, glare or ignorant remark at a time, that it was less-so to the rest of the world. And so, I spent over a year constantly validating my sexuality and my love for my girlfriend, correcting strangers and coming out time and time again, to colleagues, friends, strangers and acquaintances. The weight of every interaction accumulated and weighed heavy, yes, but also formed an armour to guard against future prods, a comeback to each ignorant retort stored and loaded for the next stab. “I could never sleep with a woman!” (“Because no-one would ever offer?”). “God, I wish I was a lesbian, it would be so much easier!” (“You’re right, the LGBTQI+ community has it so easy!”) etc. Dating After My Breakup Florida Parents Raise Concerns When 13-year-old Liz Bostock thinks back, she remembers feeling in-between genders as early as preschool. Assigned male at birth, she identified as nonbinary by fifth grade and decided to use they/them pronouns. Now a seventh-grader in Gainesville, Fla., with a passion for manga and anime video games, and a bedroom filled with stuffed animals, Liz identifies as female and transgender. "I figured out that I actually felt like a girl," she says. "Not just in-between." Liz's birth certificate now bears her new legal name and gender marker. After months of counseling, and with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, Liz started receiving puberty blockers last August. Every three months, she gets a shot of Lupron, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH, that essentially presses the "pause" button on male puberty. The goal is to keep her body from developing further in ways that don't align with her gender identity. Florida Parents Raise Concerns Abrosexuality Sexuality refers to whom a person does or does not experience attraction toward. This attraction is typically sexual or romantic. Many different sexual orientations exist on a spectrum. People can identify with one or more orientations and may also find their sexuality changes. With abrosexuality, a person can identify with various sexualities over different periods. This means the group they experience either romantic or sexual attraction to can change from one timeframe to the next. An abrosexual person’s sexuality may change frequently over the course of hours, days, months, or years. Abrosexuality is also unique to each individual. This article discusses abrosexuality, including spectrums, and how it compares to other terminology. The term abrosexual is a type of sexual orientation that describes the rapidly changing or fluid nature of their sexuality. It refers to an individual who experiences fluctuation in their orientation, which can change frequently over the course of hours, days, months, or years. The term likely derives from the Greek word “abro”, which means delicate or graceful. This can symbolize the movement and fluctuating nature of a person’s sexual orientation. Sexual attraction usually describes a person’s desire to have sex with other people, while romantic attraction typically refers to a person’s expression of love within a relationship. While abrosexuality typically includes both sexual and romantic orientation, some may use the term abroromantic to specifically describe fluctuations in their romantic attraction. Abrosexuality Ally Jimmy Carter Former President Jimmy Carter, a long-time ally of the LGBTQ community, will begin receiving hospice care, according to a statement from The Carter Center on Saturday. “After a series of short hospital stays, former US President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team,” the statement said. Carter, who turned 98 last year, is the oldest living U.S. president in history. Carter, a Democrat and the nation’s 39th president, beat brain cancer in 2015, but faced a series of health scares in 2019, and underwent surgery to remove pressure on his brain. His health issues forced him to give up his decades-long tradition of teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. A peanut farmer and Navy lieutenant before going into politics, Jimmy Carter served one term as Georgia’s governor and one term as the president from 1977 to 1981. As a presidential candidate and as president, Carter achieved several historic firsts for the LGBTQ community. Ally Jimmy Carter Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

Michelle Williams on Brokeback Co-Stars

Michelle Williams is an actor that has earned acclaim for her fearlessness and talent. She’s tackled a wide variety of roles that call for her to dig deep within herself, accessing tough emotions and displaying them onscreen. Still, Williams is nothing if not generous, and she often looks for opportunities to praise her co-stars over herself. In a recent video interview with Vanity Fair, Williams recounted one of her earliest feature film roles, recalling her experience on Brokeback Mountain and detailing why she thinks that her co-stars were incredibly “brave.” Williams first rose to fame for her work in the TV series Dawson’s Creek. She acted in the cult classic TV series throughout the early 2000s before breaking out to act in a series of independent and low-key film roles, including Me Without You and Prozac Nation. Even as Williams was making a name for herself as a star of independent productions, she landed her big breakout role in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain. In Brokeback Mountain, Williams plays Alma Beers, a young woman who is married to Ennis, a man secretly involved in a homosexual relationship. Set in the ’60s, the film deals with the oppression that LGBTQ people faced at the time – and as Ennis’ wife, Williams is at the center of many of the film’s most complex emotional scenes, including a shattering moment when she confronts her husband about his affair. Michelle Williams on Brokeback Co-Stars

Gay Figures for Black History Month

Timothy Retzloff is a history professor at MSU who focuses on Michigan history, LGBTQ+ history and LGBTQ+ studies. Retzloff is the co-author of “Come Out! In Detroit: The Story of Christopher Street Detroit ‘72 from Eyewitness Sources,” a comic that explains the backstory to Michigan’s first-ever LGBTQ+ pride celebration. The book refers to the Stonewall Riots, the drag community in Michigan, Gay Pride week and more events and aspects of LGBTQ+ living that started social change. Through these studies and work, Retzloff has accumulated a list of impactful Black queer figures — whom he sat down with The State News to discuss. Although there have been so many influential figures in American history, Retzloff believes there is a large list of trailblazers from Michigan, specifically. These individuals have impacted people in Michigan’s lives as well as people across the country. Here is a list of influential Black, queer figures from Michigan, and the way their actions have inspired change. Gay Figures for Black History Month Gay Community Supports Girl Scout Siena Levin is on a mission to claim another Girl Scout badge, and recently, she got a little help from the drag queens and gay bar patrons of West Hollywood, a prominently LGBTQ neighborhood in Los Angeles. The precocious 7-year-old, who is a Daisy (the beginner level of the Girl Scouts, for those 5 to 7 years old), has been a proud member of her Glendale, Calif.-based troop for two years. Ahead of this year's Girl Scout cookie season, from January to April, Siena tells Yahoo Life that she was looking for a location with "high traffic, low competition" to sell as many cookies as she could to raise money for her troop. She certainly found it. Over the course of two Sundays in early February, Siena — along with her mom Jen, her 4-year-old sister Riley and her aunt Julie — sold out of all their inventory, twice. That's thanks to the support of the local queer community, who Siena says are also "really good tippers." "It was so fun," she says. "We were just walking and, like, they'd stop, When they see one person buying, they'd all crowd in. One of the guys who bought cookies, he was really funny because he said, 'You're gonna make me fat!'" Together, the group walked up and down West Hollywood's Santa Monica Blvd., the center of queer life in the neighborhood, with indoor/outdoor bars with drag performances and go-go boys greeting patrons. Gay Community Supports Girl Scout Ex Cricket Player Comes Out as Lesbian Former England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor took to social media to express her feelings after the announcement regarding her partner's pregnancy was met with unwanted comments and reactions from other users. Taylor, who retired from international cricket in 2019, made it completely clear that she is a same-sex relationship with her partner Diana and said that “it is not a choice”. There were also some comments regarding the pregnancy but the 33-year-old wrote that they used IVF (In vitro fertilization) method and emphasised on the fact that every family looks different but they should not be “mocked or abused”. “Well, I did not anticipate I should have attached an FAQ when announcing my partners pregnancy! Hopefully I can answer some questions. IVF: donated sperm from an unknown individual who wants to gift a very unique opportunity to others...,” she tweeted. “Yes I am a lesbian, and have been for a very long time. No it's not a choice. I am in love and happy, that's what matters. Every family is different...how it operates and how it looks. Educate yourself before passing judgement. The baby will be loved and supported...” “We are all brought up differently with differing beliefs, I do not pass judgment on other's. I will however pass judgment on hate, mocking and abuse. You do not belong here. Love who you want as long as you're happy. Thanks to all who sent love and support . Love is love,” she posted in the thread. Ex Cricket Player Comes Out as Lesbian Faith from BtVS is Bisexual The most recent Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics have seemingly confirmed that Faith is bisexual, a theory that has been prevalent among fans for years. Dating as far back as her debut in the third season of the show, there have been hints in the narrative that Faith is bisexual. Most prominently, fans often read moments between Faith and Buffy as sexual tension in which the former seemed to express a crush or even unrequited love toward the latter. The Vampire Slayer #11 by Sarah Gailey and Hannah Templer is the first piece of Buffy fiction to canonize Faith's bisexuality. As Willow continues to sink deeper and deeper into the depths of darkness while practicing the dark arts, Faith tries her best to talk some sense into her. However, when she confronts Willow as the witch levitates in the air, Faith is a little nervous about the ordeal. It's not because Dark Willow's new form is intimidating, but because she's distracted by the fact that "this dark, scary version of Willow is wicked hot." There was never any full-blown confirmation about the Slayer's sexuality on the show, as Faith never overtly expressed such interest in Buffy. Whatever feelings Faith did or didn't have for Buffy could only ever be inferred through subtle nuances and implied sexual tension, leaving plenty up for interpretation and only for interpretation. Meanwhile, Faith only ever engages in sexual or romantic relationships with men, like with Xander Harris and Robin Wood. Faith never explicitly expresses interest in any women. In addition to finally confirming Faith's bisexuality, this moment in The Vampire Slayer also finally validates theories regarding Faith's feelings toward Buffy both in the show and in other comic book spinoffs. Whether it's re-reading their interactions in previous comics (including those even in this series) or rewatching the television series, it adds a new level of complexity to Faith's actions for and against Buffy to consider that everything she does is in the name of unrequited love. Faith from BtVS is Bisexual More Identify As Transgender The number of Gen Zers identifying as transgender is almost double the number of millennials who identify as trans, according to a survey by Gallup. At 1.9 percent, Generation Z—those who were born between 1997 and 2004—has the highest percentage of people who say they identify as trans among all previous three generations. Among millennials, 1.0 percent identify as trans, while among Generation X—those born between 1965 and 1980—and baby boomers—born between 1946 and 1964—this number plunges to 0.3 and 0.2, respectively. Among the Silent Generation—born between 1928 and 1945—those identifying as trans are less than 0.05 percent. The two younger generations—Gen Z and millennials—have been driving the recent change in the recognition and growth of LGBTQ+ identities, with the number of American adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or other nonheterosexual identities doubling in the past 10 years, according to Gallup. But it's Gen Z that's really embracing this change. While Gallup's 2022 survey found that 7.2 percent of U.S. adults identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, the number goes up to 19.7 percent among Gen Zers. Among millennials, by comparison, 11.2 percent identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or other. More Identify As Transgender Abrosexuality Sexuality refers to whom a person does or does not experience attraction toward. This attraction is typically sexual or romantic. Many different sexual orientations exist on a spectrum. People can identify with one or more orientations and may also find their sexuality changes. With abrosexuality, a person can identify with various sexualities over different periods. This means the group they experience either romantic or sexual attraction to can change from one timeframe to the next. An abrosexual person’s sexuality may change frequently over the course of hours, days, months, or years. Abrosexuality is also unique to each individual. This article discusses abrosexuality, including spectrums, and how it compares to other terminology. The term abrosexual is a type of sexual orientation that describes the rapidly changing or fluid nature of their sexuality. It refers to an individual who experiences fluctuation in their orientation, which can change frequently over the course of hours, days, months, or years. The term likely derives from the Greek word “abro”, which means delicate or graceful. This can symbolize the movement and fluctuating nature of a person’s sexual orientation. Sexual attraction usually describes a person’s desire to have sex with other people, while romantic attraction typically refers to a person’s expression of love within a relationship. While abrosexuality typically includes both sexual and romantic orientation, some may use the term abroromantic to specifically describe fluctuations in their romantic attraction. Abrosexuality Ally David Tennant The hearts of viewers of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway well and truly melted when they noticed a detail in David Tennant’s outfit. David, 51, rocked up as the first Star Guest Announcer of the new series, with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly back to cause more mischief and dish out more money-can’t-buy prizes on their Saturday night extravaganza. And while there were pranks and laughs galore, there was one thing that got viewers talking, as audiences at home spotted a certain Pride pin badge on the Doctor Who actor’s jacket. The badge in question represents the non-binary flag, boasting the colours black, purple, white, and yellow. In fact, David has worn it several times on-screen already over recent months, including on The Graham Norton Show and This Morning. Fans of the Broadchurch star said it makes their hearts ‘light up’ to see him showing solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Ally David Tennant Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

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Tuesday, March 7th, 2023

Ang Lee and Hulk

Nostalgia has played a significant role in the movies and television series of the modern era. Legacy sequels can wait 20, even 30 years to come to fruition and still make a major impact at the box office. And nowhere is this more apparent than with comic book films. Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, The Flash is set to bring back Michael Keaton, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave Patrick Stewart one more spin in the hovering yellow wheelchair – and every time, audiences ate it up. At this point, it is safe to assume that if a studio thinks they can have an actor fit into the iconic tights one more time, they will. Josh Lucas, who played Glenn Talbot in Marvel’s 2003 pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe film Hulk, recently sat down with Den of Geek to discuss the most recent season of Yellowstone. But when asked if he believes the world of Hulk may one day find an opportunity to somehow return, Lucas had a lot to say about his experiences in that oft-derided movie. More importantly, he reflected on director Ang Lee’s experiences as well. “I’ve never seen a director be more tortured by a film than I feel he was with that movie,” Lucas says of Lee. “His vision was so clear. I just don’t think he had the technology available to do what he wanted to do, and I think it really broke his heart.” At the time, it was certainly a bold decision for Universal Pictures and then “Marvel Enterprises” to go with Ang Lee. Granted, there had been critically successful directors such as Sam Raimi helming major CBM properties, but Lee was coming fresh off the epic and imaginative Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (and would go on to win the Best Directing Oscar for Brokeback Mountain). Yet according to Lucas, Lee had a deep connection to the titular jade giant. Ang Lee and Hulk

Gay Comments From New Appointee

An appointee to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new oversight board in control of Disney’s special tax district called homosexuality “evil” last year and shared a baseless conspiracy theory that tap water could be making more people gay. On Monday, the Republican governor appointed Ron Peri, an Orlando-based former pastor and the CEO of The Gathering – a Christian ministry focused on outreach to men – as one of five people who will now oversee the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the government body that has given Disney unique powers in Central Florida for more than half a century. DeSantis signed a bill in February that allowed him to replace the district’s existing board – mostly people with ties to Disney – with a five-member body that he hand-picked. The move to remove power from Disney comes nearly a year after the company spoke out against a Florida bill – which DeSantis later signed into law – to restrict certain classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity. A CNN KFile review of Peri’s past comments found that he frequently made derogatory remarks about the LGBTQ community. “So why are there homosexuals today? There are any number of reasons, you know, that are given. Some would say the increase in estrogen in our societies. You know, there’s estrogen in the water from birth control pills. They can’t get it out,” Peri baselessly said in a January 2022 Zoom discussion, later put on YouTube. “The level of testosterone in men broadly in America has declined by 50 points in the past 10 years. You know, and so, maybe that’s a part of it.” Gay Comments From New Appointee Attorney General Receives Death Threat Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is lesbian and Jewish, was one of the state officials threatened by a man who vowed to kill all the Jews in Michigan government if they don’t leave office. “The FBI has confirmed I was a target of the heavily armed defendant in this matter,” Nessel tweeted Thursday. “It is my sincere hope that the federal authorities take this offense just as seriously as my Hate Crimes & Domestic Terrorism Unit takes plots to murder elected officials.” A federal court in Detroit unsealed a criminal complaint Wednesday against Jack Eugene Carpenter III of Tipton, Mich. He is charged with transmitting an interstate threat, the Detroit Free Press reports. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of five years. He is being held without bail in Detroit. Carpenter had tweeted February 17 from Texas that he was “heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is jewish in the Michigan govt if they don’t leave, or confess.” Besides Nessel, Jewish government officials in Michigan include U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and several state legislators, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Carpenter had previously been charged with assault and has been accused of stealing a gun from his girlfriend. “His mother told authorities he was in possession of several firearms, including three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun and a military-style hunting rifle,” JTA reports. Attorney General Receives Death Threat The Invisible Majority Nearly three-fifths of LGBTQ adults in America identify as bisexual, according to a new Gallup poll, a finding that illustrates the extent of a population that some researchers have termed the “invisible majority” of the queer community. Young Americans, and young women in particular, have widely rejected the notion of sexuality as a binary choice — straight versus gay — just as they have largely abandoned the either-or, boy-girl system of fixed gender. One-fifth of Generation Z respondents identified as queer, Gallup found, one of the largest generational LGBTQ populations ever documented.  Two-thirds of young, queer adults polled consider themselves bisexual, meaning they are attracted to more than one gender. Most of them are women, who outnumber bisexual men 3 to 1, according to Gallup. Scholars say American society allows women more latitude than men in exploring sexual identity. “We have a range of sexualities within us,” said Michael Bronski, a Harvard professor who penned a definitive Queer History of the United States. “I think women have far more permission to be open about their sexual desires than men do, no matter how men feel.” Around 7 percent of American adult respondents overall identified as queer in 2022, according to Gallup. Of that group, 58 percent identified as bisexual. The Invisible Majority Is Detransitioning Common? Many states have enacted or contemplated limits or outright bans on transgender medical treatment, with conservative U.S. lawmakers saying they are worried about young people later regretting irreversible body-altering treatment. But just how common is regret? And how many youth change their appearances with hormones or surgery only to later change their minds and detransition? Here’s a look at some of the issues involved. Guidelines call for thorough psychological assessments to confirm gender dysphoria — distress over gender identity that doesn’t match a person’s assigned sex — before starting any treatment. That treatment typically begins with puberty-blocking medication to temporarily pause sexual development. The idea is to give youngsters time to mature enough mentally and emotionally to make informed decisions about whether to pursue permanent treatment. Puberty blockers may be used for years and can increase risks for bone density loss, but that reverses when the drugs are stopped. Sex hormones — estrogen or testosterone — are offered next. Dutch research suggests that most gender-questioning youth on puberty blockers eventually choose to use these medications, which can produce permanent physical changes. So does transgender surgery, including breast removal or augmentation, which sometimes is offered during the mid-teen years but more typically not until age 18 or later. Is Detransitioning Common? Gender-Neutral Award Categories With awards season well underway, celebrities are being asked to weigh in on the idea of gender-neutral acting categories. In recent years, some high-profile entertainment awards shows like the Grammys, the MTV Movie Awards, and the Independent Spirit Awards, have switched to gender-neutral performance categories. Others, like the Tonys, Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes continue to divide nominations by gender, resulting in some out non-binary actors being nominated in categories that don’t reflect their identity. Most recently, non-binary House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy was nominated for “Best Actress in a Television Series” at the 2023 Golden Globes. Earlier this month, non-binary Broadway performer Justin David Sullivan, who is currently appearing in & Juliet, announced that they have withdrawn from consideration for the 2023 Tonys due to the awards’ gendered performance categories. Recently, both The New York Times and Vanity Fair published pieces in which high-profile stars gave their thoughts on the topic. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards last Sunday, the Times asked many of the night’s nominees whether they thought awards shows should eliminate separate acting categories for men and women. “I think it’s a positive thing,” said The White Lotus’s Will Sharpe. “Why not?” said Sharpe’s White Lotus co-star Michael Imperioli. “It’s all one big acting soup.” Gender-Neutral Award Categories Ally Sen. Dianne Feinstein Hospitalized Longtime LGBTQ+ political ally Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has been hospitalized in San Francisco, California to recover from shingles, a painful rash. “I expect to make a full recovery,” the 89-year-old senator said in a statement, adding, “I hope to return to the Senate later this month.” The senator was diagnosed with the condition over the February Senate recess, she said. Since her diagnosis, she has missed a dozen Senate votes and two committee hearings, her spokesman told The San Francisco Chronicle. Her absence, along with the recent hospitalization of Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) for depression, has weakened the Democrats’ 51-49 lead in the Senate, limiting the party’s ability to pass votes. Twice this week, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (D) cast tie-breaking votes in the upper congressional chamber to make up for Feinstein’s and Fetterman’s missing votes’, the BBC reported. Shingles are an infection of the nerves caused by a reactivated chicken pox virus that can result in a painful, scaly rash, typically on one side of the body. The infection, which occurs more commonly in people over the age of 50, is not typically lethal. Early treatment of shingles can help patients avoid permanent nerve pain or potentially serious infection. Treatment usually involves antiviral medicines, anti-itch lotions, and steroids. The condition usually heals completely within 2 to 4 weeks, according to John Hopkins Medicine. Ally Sen. Dianne Feinstein Hospitalized Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

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Tuesday, March 14th, 2023

Brokeback Mountain Revisited

When a girlfriend brought home Brokeback Mountain a year or two after its release, I looked at it with nothing better than the mildest curiosity. A few mornings later, home from a nightshift, I made a sandwich and a cup of tea, and put it on. There may have been a more challenging, evocative, gutsy, emotionally knotty American movie made since Brokeback Mountain, but I couldn’t say what it is. (Maybe Manchester by the Sea gives it a run.) From its first image – dawn sky unfurling and a truck making soundless progress – Ange Lee’s film exhibits a magnitude and unrushed self-rule. The next image is probably a fluke: three telephone poles framed to appear side-by-side, suggesting crucifixion. Either it’s the Catholic child in me, or it’s Ange Lee’s forewarning: heavy stuff ahead. The scene turns to daylight and something unusual happens – we’re asked to wait again. Two men wait outside a trailer. Nothing more is established yet. We’re not sure who they’re waiting for. One is an almost clandestine presence, concealed under his hat like a crab under a rock. The other seeks eye-contact; strikes a pose. Thirty years ago, novelist Norman Mailer referred to homosexuality as fiction’s ‘last frontier.’ Mailer must have been aware that writers like James Baldwin and Edmund White and Gore Vidal had crossed this purported frontier. But we know what he meant. In thirty years, so much has changed. Things are much more egalitarian, and most would agree more interesting. One bridge to this new terrain was Brokeback Mountain. Some might say it demolished a steel wall. Brokeback Mountain Revisited

Bryan Ruby Stays Visible

Sometimes you have to venture far away to reignite passion and discover a renewed purpose. That is precisely what happened on my end-of-season road trip. I started writing this op-ed almost four months ago. The dog days of summer coupled with constant travel (52,229 miles during the season) slowed me down considerably. In a season split between games and advocacy work, exhaustion caught up to me. I needed a shock to my system to cure the burnout. A chance to venture overseas, plus play some games while promoting the Baseball Jobs Overseas organization (a group working to grow baseball around the world), provided just the jolt I needed. How often does one get the chance to play ball internationally and speak to dozens of international athletes? The conclusion of the 2022 season pushed me further out than I’ve ever been — literally and metaphorically. I visited six countries on the voyage: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. It was a great opportunity to share Proud To Be In Baseball’s inclusive mission and expand our network with interested parties in places not typically known as “baseball hotbeds.” What I found overseas was an enthusiasm for learning the game, an “open to all” pragmatic approach that encourages girls and LGBTQ people to participate in our sport, and a heavy dose of competitive fire in an area unencumbered by the glitz and glamor of the American MLB spectacle. Bryan Ruby Stays Visible Kathleen Stock Speaks Out LGBTQ+ activism is everywhere in modern Britain. Alongside lesbians, gay men and bisexual people, each year new orientations and identities arrive to shelter under the rainbow umbrella – from trans and nonbinary to intersex, asexual, polyamorous, queer and beyond. At a distance, it all looks admirably progressive. But when considered a bit more closely, it seems that lesbians – the “L” ostensibly at the front of the LGBTQ+ movement – are badly missing out. In policymaking, the charity sector, academic research, data collection, media representation and political attention – to name but a few areas – lesbians have fallen to the back of the queue. Pride is the emotion usually associated with the rainbow coalition and there are certainly many historic achievements for LGBTQ+ activists to feel proud of. Still, not much attention has been paid to the question of how well the interests of distinct member groups are identified and prioritised, once they are under the rainbow umbrella. A lot of money, resources and public attention flow into this sector – but how exactly are the spoils divided? Early in 2022, my friend Julie Bindel, the feminist campaigner and journalist, asked me to think about forming a new organisation with her, dedicated to the understanding and enhancement of lesbian lives in the UK. I jumped at the chance. I had just left my academic job under difficult circumstances. Whatever I ended up doing, I knew I wanted to be able to keep speaking my mind about what mattered most to me. And one thing that mattered a lot was being a lesbian. I had come out relatively late, at the end of my 30s. This was the defining moment of my life, changing everything in it for the better and sprinkling the world around me with Technicolor magic. I grabbed the label “lesbian” with both hands, viewing it as psychically connecting me with a world of exciting, bold, brave female adventurers and warriors before me, proudly doing their own special thing. But when I looked around me, I was disheartened to see that other lesbians, and particularly younger ones, didn’t feel the same. Kathleen Stock Speaks Out Purple Washing - Bisexual Representation In the past few years, a phenomenon I call purple washing has grown uncomfortably common. Even though the term is new, the practice of selectively representing bisexual people and issues in order to make an organisation appear more inclusive than it is, is widely bemoaned among bi activists. One of the most common examples of purple washing can be found in queer publications, where every September, in honor of Bi Pride Month and Bi Visibility Day, many increase their inclusion of bi-focused content. On the surface, this inclusion suggests an improvement in the queer community’s consideration of bi people, but the lack of representation the rest of the year betrays the superficiality of this gesture. This phenomenon is especially frustrating given that bi people comprise the majority of the LGBT community (over 56%), yet continue to struggle against negative stereotypes and misrepresentations of their experiences from within it. This frustration has prompted many bi activists to describe the flurry of representation in September as opportunistic, token and disingenuous. But this phenomenon creates a paradox. Conversations around purple washing tend to focus solely on the negatives, and don’t acknowledge this form of bi inclusion as a step in the right direction. As a bi activist, I struggle with uncertainty over how to talk about the past, because I don’t want to suggest that future progress is unnecessary by pointing out the things that used to be worse. At the same time, it seems dishonest to downplay advances won by past efforts, because doing so fails to present an accurate picture of progress and implies that activism is pointless. To resolve this dilemma, activists should be able to criticize current circumstances while also celebrating the past successes of their movements. Taking this approach may be more difficult than simply focusing on the negatives, but it is more motivational than denying progress, and more likely to encourage activist efforts in the future. I will be the first to admit that there are many things in need of change before we reach bi equality. Most queer publications and organizations still tend to focus on gay and trans experiences, for example, and often erase bisexuality by lumping it into the LGBT umbrella. Because of this practice, data on bi people is lost or overlooked, and funding is diverted to other, more visible segments of the LGBT population. Bi people are uniquely vulnerable to discrimination in both straight and queer spaces, which may be partly why bi representation is still generally so poor. The ability to experience both heterosexual and homosexual attractions continues to be misunderstood, as evinced by incorrect definitions of bisexuality presented in all manner of media outlets. Purple Washing - Bisexual Representation Ban Passed In West Virginia A bill that would ban evidence-based health care for transgender minors in West Virginia, the state estimated to have more transgender youth per capita than any other in the nation, is headed to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice. The Republican governor has not taken a public stance on the measure and it's unclear whether he will sign it into law. A spokesperson said he was unavailable for comment Saturday. A 2017 study by UCLA Law’s The Williams Institute estimated West Virginia had the highest per capita rate of transgender youth in the country. Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association, supports gender-affirming care for youths. But lawmakers in West Virginia and other states advancing bans on transgender health care for youth and young adults often characterize gender-affirming treatments as medically unproven, potentially dangerous in the long term and a symptom of “woke” culture. The bill in West Virginia would outlaw those under 18 from being prescribed hormone therapy and fully reversible medication for suspending the physical changes of puberty, allowing patients and parents time to make future decisions about hormone therapy. Ban Passed In West Virginia Asexuality Finding Its Place Growing up in Melbourne, Michael Egan never felt sexual attraction to others, while a nude picture or a sex scene in a movie left him cold. He was relieved to discover the term “asexual” while at university. “It dramatically improved my relationships,” he says. “I had a better understanding of myself and was better able to communicate my preferences, expectations and boundaries and all those lovely things.” But then at 30, just when he thought he’d worked himself out, Egan felt sexual attraction for the first time. While he found the thoughts “pleasurable”, the experience was uncomfortable. “I was house-sitting with a woman for a month and I started to feel more sexually and romantically inclined towards her. If I’m honest, it felt perverted. These feelings and ideas about what I wanted to do with her came out of nowhere. I’d never felt them.” Nothing developed with the woman but the experience was valuable for Egan, who now identifies as demisexual – a term for someone who only feels sexual attraction after establishing a strong emotional connection. Asexuality Finding Its Place 50 Years of PFLAG In 1982, David Holladay was 16 years old and about to come out to his mother. They lived in a small town in Oklahoma and attended a Baptist church. This was the era of Rock Hudson and Elton John and Billie Jean King, people whose names, he said, “were never far away from something derogatory.” When Holladay considered his future as a gay person, he saw it only as “the fog of the unknown.” What Holladay didn’t know then was that a movement was brewing that he and his family would be a part of for decades to come. He hadn’t yet heard of PFLAG, the first LGBTQ ally organization for queer people and their families. But Holladay would eventually realize that by coming out, he wasn’t only doing something for himself but also for his parents: He was giving them an opportunity to stand beside him. “They realized this isn’t about people demanding a huge spotlight or attention,” he said of his parents’ first introduction to the gay rights movement. “These are just human beings trying to make their way in the world, and one of them’s my kid.” The parents of gays and lesbians were just beginning to gain visibility in the 1980s. They were slowly building a coalition that started with one mom in the early ‘70s: Jeanne Manford, an elementary school teacher from Queens, New York, who walked alongside her gay son, Morty, during the 1972 Christopher Street Liberation Day march (the precursor to New York City’s massive LGBTQ Pride March). Her sign was a call to action for others like her. It said: “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children.” Manford is known as the first parent to walk in a pride march. 50 Years of PFLAG Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

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Tuesday, March 21st, 2023

Brokeback Mountain Revisited

When a girlfriend brought home Brokeback Mountain a year or two after its release, I looked at it with nothing better than the mildest curiosity. A few mornings later, home from a nightshift, I made a sandwich and a cup of tea, and put it on. There may have been a more challenging, evocative, gutsy, emotionally knotty American movie made since Brokeback Mountain, but I couldn’t say what it is. (Maybe Manchester by the Sea gives it a run.) From its first image – dawn sky unfurling and a truck making soundless progress – Ange Lee’s film exhibits a magnitude and unrushed self-rule. The next image is probably a fluke: three telephone poles framed to appear side-by-side, suggesting crucifixion. Either it’s the Catholic child in me, or it’s Ange Lee’s forewarning: heavy stuff ahead. The scene turns to daylight and something unusual happens – we’re asked to wait again. Two men wait outside a trailer. Nothing more is established yet. We’re not sure who they’re waiting for. One is an almost clandestine presence, concealed under his hat like a crab under a rock. The other seeks eye-contact; strikes a pose. Thirty years ago, novelist Norman Mailer referred to homosexuality as fiction’s ‘last frontier.’ Mailer must have been aware that writers like James Baldwin and Edmund White and Gore Vidal had crossed this purported frontier. But we know what he meant. In thirty years, so much has changed. Things are much more egalitarian, and most would agree more interesting. One bridge to this new terrain was Brokeback Mountain. Some might say it demolished a steel wall. Brokeback Mountain Revisited

Man's Email Goes Viral

On Tuesday night, Ryan Short, a gay man living in Seattle, Washington, spoke to his dad on the phone. During the conversation, his dad, Richard Short, an 80-year-old retired war veteran living in Dallas, Texas, told his son he's still a Republican. "We were just having one of our random catch-ups and he just casually said, 'I'm still Republican,'" Short told Insider. Short asked if he still supported the party despite its recent rhetoric against LGBTQ people. His dad said "yes." The comment prompted Short to pen an email on Wednesday to dozens of family members asking them to stop voting for the GOP to support him and his other queer family members. "Hear me clearly — you cannot vote for the GOP and continue to have a relationship with me. No exceptions. I am inviting no dialogue, and I have no interest in nuance," Short said in the email, shared with Insider. Being 42 and self-described "middle-aged," Short said he didn't want to "waste any more time on things that aren't bringing light to my life." Man's Email Goes Viral Lesbian Rockers In Love The Geffen Playhouse’s intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater has been transformed into a dive bar for the world premiere musical “The Lonely Few.” Tables and chairs have been set up in the playing area to immerse a portion of the audience in the raucous, boozy ambiance of a Kentucky roadhouse. The Lonely Few is the name of the band that jams at Paul’s Juke Joint. Front woman Lila (Lauren Patten), who by day works as a clerk at the local Save-A-Lot, is too talented to be trapped in this backwater. But she feels unable to leave her older brother, Adam (Joshua Close), an amiable duffer with a substance abuse problem. Lila and Adam have looked after each other ever since their mother died. Lila has big dreams for herself, but she values loyalty more than success. To stay sane, she releases her pent-up frustration at her gigs, where her furious guitar playing, powerful vocals and introspective songwriting torch the everyday drabness of her life with a Dionysian flame. On one of these occasions, a special guest appears at the bar. Amy (Ciara Renée), a Black singer-songwriter who is testing the waters of a solo career, turns up one night at the invitation of Paul (Thomas Silcott), her former stepfather, who's not only the proprietor but also the Lonely Few's drummer. Amy recognizes right away that Lila is no ordinary singer. She also sees that they have something else in common as lesbian rockers in the intolerant South. A love story comes into meteoric focus in this musical, which features a book by Rachel Bonds and a score by Zoe Sarnak. Two women who are attached to their cultural roots yet alienated by the conservative values of their communities hold for each other the answer to problems that until now have seemed insuperable. Lesbian Rockers In Love Video Leak Leads to Coming Out Jeff Molina is speaking out after a private, intimate video of him was leaked online on Thursday. Molina came out on Friday as the first openly bisexual male fighter on the roster. Molina, 25, released a statement on Friday in response to the leaked video. Molina, who has staunchly advocated and stood up for LGBTQIA+ in the past, was disappointed that he was stripped of the ability to tell his own story. Molina did not intend to disclose his sexuality at this point in his career because of expected negative feedback. "Welp... this f---ing sucks," Molina wrote. "Not the way I wanted to do this, but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me. I've tried to keep my dating life private from social media. I've dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC." "I'm a pretty masculine dude and that bro-y banter and sus[pect] sense of humor has always been how I am. [The] thought of my buddies, teammates and people I look up to looking at me different, let alone treating me different, for something I can't control was something I couldn't fathom. In a sport like this, where a majority of the fans being the homophobic cocksuckers they are, I didn't see myself doing this during this part of my career. I wanted to be known for my skills and what I've dedicated the last 11 years of my life to not and not the 'bi UFC fighter' that I'm sure would just be translated to 'gay UFC fighter.' Video Leak Leads to Coming Out Gender Dysphoria & Transgender Youth Across the country, Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation that restricts transgender health care for minors. At least eight states have passed laws or policies restricting this care, and 23 more state legislatures are considering similar legislation of their own. Medical experts say that understanding transgender identities, gender dysphoria and how gender-affirming treatments work is key to understanding the impact these bans may have on patients. "When it becomes too political, it becomes more about paying attention to very short sentences, but not paying attention to nuance” said Dr. Hussein Abdul-Latif, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama with a special focus on gender care. “And that's unfortunate, because this is not something that is very simple.” Gender-affirming care can help treat gender dysphoria, which refers to the stress of being in a body that doesn’t feel like one’s own, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, which provides up-to-date information on mental health conditions. Gender Dysphoria & Transgender Youth "Gender Queer" Under Review An award-winning graphic memoir about sexuality and gender aimed at teenagers and young adults - which has been banned in dozens of US school districts - faces potential censorship in Australia following a complaint from a conservative activist. The Australian Classification Board has “called in” Gender Queer, by non-binary cartoonist Maia Kobabe, saying there are reasonable grounds to believe the publication should be classified. The decision to call in the text for assessment came after a complaint to police by conservative blogger Bernard Gaynor and subsequent contact between Queensland Police, the federal arts department and the classification board. It does not mean the book will necessarily be banned or restricted. Typically, once a copy of the text has been obtained, it will be assigned to a board member to decide whether it is a “submittable publication”, meaning it should be classified. If so, it will receive a classification of either “unrestricted” - meaning it will have to display a sticker and is not recommended for children under 15, but is not legally restricted - category 1, category 2, or refused classification. "Gender Queer" Under Review 50 Years of PFLAG In 1982, David Holladay was 16 years old and about to come out to his mother. They lived in a small town in Oklahoma and attended a Baptist church. This was the era of Rock Hudson and Elton John and Billie Jean King, people whose names, he said, “were never far away from something derogatory.” When Holladay considered his future as a gay person, he saw it only as “the fog of the unknown.” What Holladay didn’t know then was that a movement was brewing that he and his family would be a part of for decades to come. He hadn’t yet heard of PFLAG, the first LGBTQ ally organization for queer people and their families. But Holladay would eventually realize that by coming out, he wasn’t only doing something for himself but also for his parents: He was giving them an opportunity to stand beside him. “They realized this isn’t about people demanding a huge spotlight or attention,” he said of his parents’ first introduction to the gay rights movement. “These are just human beings trying to make their way in the world, and one of them’s my kid.” The parents of gays and lesbians were just beginning to gain visibility in the 1980s. They were slowly building a coalition that started with one mom in the early ‘70s: Jeanne Manford, an elementary school teacher from Queens, New York, who walked alongside her gay son, Morty, during the 1972 Christopher Street Liberation Day march (the precursor to New York City’s massive LGBTQ Pride March). Her sign was a call to action for others like her. It said: “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children.” Manford is known as the first parent to walk in a pride march. 50 Years of PFLAG Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: lislis, CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, March 28th, 2023

Brokeback Mountain Comes To The Stage

Brokeback Mountain touched readers as a short story and moved audiences as an Oscar-winning film. Soon, that story will be able to affect audiences in the form of a new play. The story will have a theater adaptation and premiere at @sohoplace Theater on West End in London. The production will star Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges as Ennis Del Mar and Tony nominee Mike Faist as Jack Twist. The play will begin on May 10 and will run for twelve weeks. It is being described as a “play with music” and will be more of an adaptation of the short story than an adaptation of the film. Brokeback Mountain centers around two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who meet working on a ranch one summer. After a passionate night together, the two begin a relationship that continues for years. They each separately get married to other women, but their relationship blossoms simultaneously. As the years go on, this becomes more of a struggle. Jack wants them to commit to each other fully, but Ennis cannot do that. Their lives may evolve and face very bumps, but the two always find their way back to each other. Author Anne Proulx wrote the original short story for The New Yorker. Her story received many accolades, including The National Magazine Award for fiction. Screenwriters Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry decided to turn the story into a film. This film’s director was Oscar winner Ang Lee and starred Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. At the Oscars, the film won Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. When Brokeback Mountain lost Best Picture to Crash, audiences considered that to be one of the greatest upsets in Oscar history. Brokeback Mountain Comes To The Stage

New Gay Western to Rival Brokeback Mountain

Fresh from the The Last of Us finale, Pedro Pascal is ready to ride into his next role – as the gunslinging Silva in “queer” new Western romance Strange Way of Life. The 30-minute short film, which is reportedly set to open the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May, stars Pascal alongside Dead Poet Society actor Ethan Hawke, who will play a sheriff named Jake. Manu Ríos, star of Netflix’s queer teen drama Elite, is also on the cast list, in an as-yet untitled role, while Pedro Almodóvar will be behind the camera in the director’s chair. Considering the internet’s seemingly undying fascination with Pedro Pascal, Strange Way of Life will almost certainly end up on must-watch lists once Cannes is over. As such, here’s everything we know about the film so far. Openly gay director Pedro Almodóvar has let little slip about the premise of Strange Way of Life. What we do know though, according to IMDb, is that Silva (Pascal) will ride a horse across the desert in an attempt to find his friend Jake (Hawke), after 25 long years apart. In an interview with IndieWire, Almodóvar suggested some sort of “showdown” between the two, implying that the pair are, or were, very much more than just “friends”. New Gay Western to Rival Brokeback Mountain

“The Five Devils”

It’s simple to mourn the alternate history where I came out as a teenager. It’s more complicated to mourn the alternate history where I came out later or not at all. If I’d transitioned at 40 or never, I would have lived a much sadder life. But I also probably would have gotten married and had a child. I know I would’ve loved that child more than anything else in my life. I would’ve gone beyond the heteronormative duties of fatherhood and given everything I could have to that kid — just like I would’ve tried to be the best husband. There would have been limits. Maybe I could have been a good parent, a good partner, but my failures as a father and husband — whatever those gendered words mean — would’ve weighed on me and my hypothetical family. It would’ve been a worse life. And yet, I still sometimes mourn that normative way of being, that nonexistent child. Léa Mysius’ fantastical new film The Five Devils is one of the most thought-provoking lesbian romances I’ve ever seen. It’s a love story, but it’s a love story told through the perspective of that hypothetical child — who in this case is not hypothetical, but the product of a tragedy that led three adults to live lives that in a just world they should’ve been able to avoid. This child is Vicky (Sally Dramé), a girl with a superhuman sense of smell and endless curiosity. She doesn’t have any friends — the racist kids in her mostly white town bully her — opting to spend her time capturing smells in jars and helping out her swim coach mom. Vicky can tell her parents are not happy — but the reason why is only revealed when her aunt Julia arrives with a scent that knocks Vicky out and transports her (literally) to the past. “The Five Devils” Video Leak Leads to Coming Out Jeff Molina is speaking out after a private, intimate video of him was leaked online on Thursday. Molina came out on Friday as the first openly bisexual male fighter on the roster. Molina, 25, released a statement on Friday in response to the leaked video. Molina, who has staunchly advocated and stood up for LGBTQIA+ in the past, was disappointed that he was stripped of the ability to tell his own story. Molina did not intend to disclose his sexuality at this point in his career because of expected negative feedback. "Welp... this f---ing sucks," Molina wrote. "Not the way I wanted to do this, but the chance to do it when I was ready was taken from me. I've tried to keep my dating life private from social media. I've dated girls my whole life and suppressed feelings I had throughout high school on the wrestling team, throughout college pursuing MMA, and even after making part of the dream happen and getting into the UFC." "I'm a pretty masculine dude and that bro-y banter and sus[pect] sense of humor has always been how I am. [The] thought of my buddies, teammates and people I look up to looking at me different, let alone treating me different, for something I can't control was something I couldn't fathom. In a sport like this, where a majority of the fans being the homophobic cocksuckers they are, I didn't see myself doing this during this part of my career. I wanted to be known for my skills and what I've dedicated the last 11 years of my life to not and not the 'bi UFC fighter' that I'm sure would just be translated to 'gay UFC fighter.' Video Leak Leads to Coming Out A Film About Dads of Transgender Kids In March of 2022, six dads came together for a weekend of fishing in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. The men were racially, politically, generationally and geographically diverse — but in addition to a shared love for the great outdoors, they had one important thing in common: they were fathers of trans kids. Award-winning director, producer and writer Luchina Fisher was there that weekend to capture the dads together as they fished, prepared dinner, and bonded over raising their children in present day America. That footage became The Dads, a short documentary that had its world premiere at South by Southwest earlier this month. Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE at the festival, Fisher says that she met dads Wayne Maines, Frank Gonzales and Dennis Shepard — whose son Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was murdered in 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming — through their involvement with the Human Rights Campaign, one of America's largest civil rights organization. "They were talking about taking a trip, hunting or fishing and maybe inviting others to come along," Fisher says. "And I thought, I'd like to join you on that trip with some cameras." "I think that would be so interesting for people to see you out in rural America doing things that other dads do, but you have something different which is you all are connected by your children," the filmmaker adds. "And I just thought that was really poetic in a way. And they liked the idea. And I felt grateful that they trusted me to be able to be a fly on the wall." A Film About Dads of Transgender Kids Who I Am Not It takes mere seconds to warm to Sharon-Rose Khumalo. The former beauty queen waves away my apology for having a croaky Covid voice. “That makes two of us! I have strep throat from all the travelling” she says. It’s her smile that sets her apart from the other impossibly beautiful finalists in footage from Miss South Africa in 2016; while they pout and pose, Khumalo stands there with a friendly beam. It felt important to be herself in front of the cameras at Miss South Africa. “To be authentic. You’re basically in the beauty Olympics. It’s very easy to fall into this trap of being prim and proper. But I wanted to do it on my own terms.” For instance, she says, she left her hair natural and un-straightened: “I competed in my own hair. I needed to show me. Even if I didn’t win, that was a risk I was willing to take.” Khumalo, 32, didn’t win Miss South Africa, but she did become a bit of a celebrity. So it made headlines two months later when she went public on social media with something she’d only ever told family, close friends and boyfriends: she is intersex. She’d found out a few years earlier, aged 21, when she went to the doctor after waiting years to get her period. She expected to be told to put on weight. Instead, Khumalo discovered she had the genetic condition androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS): her body has XY chromosomes but is unable to respond to male sex hormones, so her genitals developed as female. In a 2016 blogpost after Miss South Africa, she spelt out what the condition is: “[It] resulted in me being physically female, but genetically male. I’ll spare you the long biology and genetics lecture.” At the time she wrote this, she was majoring in genetics and biochemistry at a leading university – so she was well qualified to deliver that lecture. Who I Am Not 50 Years of PFLAG In 1982, David Holladay was 16 years old and about to come out to his mother. They lived in a small town in Oklahoma and attended a Baptist church. This was the era of Rock Hudson and Elton John and Billie Jean King, people whose names, he said, “were never far away from something derogatory.” When Holladay considered his future as a gay person, he saw it only as “the fog of the unknown.” What Holladay didn’t know then was that a movement was brewing that he and his family would be a part of for decades to come. He hadn’t yet heard of PFLAG, the first LGBTQ ally organization for queer people and their families. But Holladay would eventually realize that by coming out, he wasn’t only doing something for himself but also for his parents: He was giving them an opportunity to stand beside him. “They realized this isn’t about people demanding a huge spotlight or attention,” he said of his parents’ first introduction to the gay rights movement. “These are just human beings trying to make their way in the world, and one of them’s my kid.” The parents of gays and lesbians were just beginning to gain visibility in the 1980s. They were slowly building a coalition that started with one mom in the early ‘70s: Jeanne Manford, an elementary school teacher from Queens, New York, who walked alongside her gay son, Morty, during the 1972 Christopher Street Liberation Day march (the precursor to New York City’s massive LGBTQ Pride March). Her sign was a call to action for others like her. It said: “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children.” Manford is known as the first parent to walk in a pride march. 50 Years of PFLAG Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: michaelflanagansf, gwyllion, CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet