But Sarah McBride’s campaign would make history if she succeeds,
‘I am not running to be the trans representative in Congress’
Sarah McBride is running for Delaware’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. If you ask her what the most important issues are for voters, she’ll tick off several things: The cost of education, prescription drugs, housing, fear of gun violence, fear of the Supreme Court, the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the nation.
What’s not among them? Her gender identity – the fact that she’s transgender. But we journalists mention it at every turn – you’d be forgiven for wondering whether we know anything else about her. Even at MSNBC, the cozy cable home for liberals, her identity takes center stage.
“Sarah McBride campaigns to be first openly transgender member of Congress,” the lower third blares during McBride’s July 15 MSNBC interview.
“McBride on historic run for Congress,” another says.
“McBride would be the first transgender member of Congress if elected,” a third reads.
And every time her interviewer mentions it, she notes something along the lines of what she told MSNBC anchor Katie Phang: “I’m not running to be the transgender representative in Congress, I’m running to serve Delaware and to make progress on all the issues that matter.”
It begins to resemble a tango – only where the two dancers are dancing to two completely different songs. If it annoys her, she won’t say so publicly.
“Of course there’s going to be discussion about the potential of this campaign to break this barrier and to increase diversity in Congress and to ensure that a voice that has been totally absent from the halls of Congress is finally there in an elected capacity,” McBride says in a recent interview with the Blade. “While it’s not what this campaign is focused on, while it’s not what voters are focused on, it is certainly relevant to the young people who are feeling alone and scared right now.”
She’s running in a crowded primary against rising Delaware political star Eugene Young and former Delaware State Treasurer Colleen Davis. Curtis Morris Aiken and Alexander Nevin Geise, a Universal Life Church minister, have also filed to run, but neither has a campaign website. The primary is slated for April 2, 2024.
McBride, though, has a unique advantage – national name recognition and a close relationship with the Democratic Party’s elite, including President Joe Biden. She formed that relationship working to get Beau Biden, the president’s son, elected as Delaware’s attorney general in 2010 while studying at American University.
McBride continued to work in politics afterwards, later becoming the university’s student body president. In the last few days of her tenure in 2012, she announced something big: She is a woman, she is transgender. The announcement made waves in local and national media. Beau Biden called her to tell her he was proud of her. And
then Joe Biden told her he was proud as well when she took a picture with him.
“Hey, kid, I just wanted to let you know I am so proud of you, and Beau is so proud of you, and Jill is so proud of you,” Biden, then the country’s vice president, told McBride. “And I’m so happy that you’re happy.”
the small state, she says, to every town, municipality, and everything in between to talk to voters. She’s not shying away from Delaware’s conservative-leaning, rural Sussex County either — despite roughly 60% of Sussex voters voting for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
“No voter is going to agree with me on every issue, and there will be some voters who will disagree with me on most issues, but that won’t stop me from fighting for them,” she emphasizes. “In the Delaware state Senate, almost every bill that I have passed has passed with bipartisan majorities.”
That’s Delaware though. National politics are a horse of a different color. Not that that worries McBride – she’s progressive and will push for progressive policies, she says, but will work with Republicans as much as she can. Sure, she says, there are major disagreements, but beyond the drama and the fever-pitched headlines, there’s actually a lot of agreement – though not enough for her to expect any endorsements from Republicans.
Meanwhile, the so-called culture wars dominate the national conversation. The Human Rights Campaign issued a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States, counting a record 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law just six months into 2023.
McBride has gotten her fair share of threats herself, to the point where she says she hasn’t had a job where she hasn’t received death threats and transphobic attacks.
Some years later, after pressing for legislation protecting trans Delawareans from discrimination, she got the chance to speak at the Democratic National Convention. Her 2016 speech paid tribute to her late husband, endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and advocated for a better tomorrow. It moved some in the thousands-strong crowd to tears – and others to their feet.
“My name is Sarah McBride and I am a proud transgender American,” she told the crowd, beaming.
Four years later in 2020, she became the highest-ranking transgender person in the country in her role as a Delaware state Senator representing parts of Wilmington. A year later, President Biden appointed her to the Democratic National Committee’s Executive Committee. Her deep entrenchment in politics is reflected in her fundraising: As of the last filing period, July 15, she had already raised more than $400,000. Her opponents haven’t had to open their books yet, so we can’t compare fundraising.
But if you’re holding your breath, waiting for the president’s endorsement in the Delaware house race — don’t.
“The president is focused on his own race,” McBride says.
And McBride is focused on her race, hunting for votes wherever she can. She “fully” expects to go up and down
“When I was making the decision whether to run, one of the things I had to grapple with was the risk that comes with it at a moment where politicians have so clearly tried to dehumanize the trans community,” she said. “I know that with dehumanizing rhetoric comes dehumanization. And with dehumanization, hate and violence become that much more possible.”
Still, she says, anti-trans politicians and activists shouldn’t be able to restrict trans people from participating in democracy, to scare trans people into silence. The LGBTQ community is more united than ever, she says.
It’s clear the attacks won’t silence her – she expects to be a force to be reckoned with if she is elected to Congress, even as a first-term legislator. She points out that she managed to pass a bill for paid family leave starting in 2026 – despite the political observers laughing in her face –through the Delaware Legislature in her first term.
On the issues, though, McBride is harder to pin down beyond the statements on her website. She’s running to represent a state whose fifth-largest industry is agriculture, for example, but her website doesn’t mention agriculture. McBride says it’s just a matter of time.
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“We’re going to be further building out the policy agenda, she says. “I don’t know that anyone has any specific details on foreign policy or agricultural policy on their websites yet.”
She then pivots to a familiar talking point – farmers and agriculture workers, just like her, know what it’s like to be underrepresented in government. She knows what it’s like to be “unseen and unheard” by the government. She knows what it’s like to be attacked by her own government. She’s secured the endorsement of Delaware’s United Food and Commercial Workers. She’s running to represent all Delawareans and she’s listening to all of them on her tour through the state.
“A campaign is a conversation,” she emphasizes. The time for conversation is quickly running out, though, when it comes to mitigating the climate crisis. Delaware is the lowest-lying state in the country, making it even more vulnerable to rising seas and flooding. The Sierra Club’s Delaware chapter has endorsed her twice, but McBride’s climate policy proposals are so far murky. The U.S. must become carbon neutral by 2050, she says – something Delaware has already committed to.
We need “bold goals,” she says, to achieve carbon neutrality, to prevent the country from emitting more green-
house gases than its forests, shrubs, grasslands, sea grasses, and more can remove.
So do we need a carbon tax, where emitters have to pay for every ton of greenhouse gases they emit? She didn’t directly answer. A ban on new fossil fuel projects? She didn’t directly answer. Don’t we need to move away from carbon
credits, which in theory certify that one ton of carbon dioxide hasn’t been released into the atmosphere thanks to the purchase, given how hard it is to prove that toxic gasses weren’t released because of the purchase and the questionable investments that are made? It’s not an issue that has come up yet, she says. In general, we need to invest in new technologies, figure out ways to reduce the climate crisis impact, find ways to emit less, she emphasi es.
An important step forward, McBride said, is the Inflation Reduction Act. It invested billions into clean energy and tax breaks for electric cars and energy e cient home upgrades and could save roughly 3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases according to the U.S. Department of Energy. She supports the law despite its greenlighting of the Mountain Valley Pipeline across West Virginia thanks to a deal struck with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin.
“Look, I think that most bills that have passed have components that many of us would not like,” she says. “And oftentimes those components are necessary to pass the bill.”
And she’s itching to pass bills and bring a fresh perspective to Congress. It seems few things will stop her — she’s determined to put in the work to win.
“This is a real race,” she says. “We’re leaving no stone unturned.”
WEST HOLLYWOOD - The USA lympic team kicked off the oneyear countdown to the Paris games in a temporary tattoo parlor Monday.
The venue, Ephemeral Tatoo at 131 N La Brea Ave, resembles a tech startup with all-white cubicles and clean, streamlined decor. The parlor specializes in “real tattoos without the commitment” made from ink that generally fades after about two years.
Inside the event, guests were offered a complementary tattoo from a selection of team USAthemed designs, including the team’s logo and phrases like “go
for the gold.” On the patio, guests lingered around the open bar and Me ican-style buffet.
Olympians such as Rugby player Marcus Tupuola, Para Swimmers Ahalya Letteinberger, Haven Shepherd, and Lizzi Smith, and Track and ield star Colleen uigley casually meandered through the venue, making time to mingle and take photos with guests. Media crew also wandered through the event with cameras and boom mikes, capturing fan interactions with their favorite athletes.
Quigley, whose training partner, Nikki ilt , is nonbinary and competing on the women’s team,
shared her thoughts on ilt ’s ourney with The Blade.
“I’m a blond-haired, blue-eyed, cisgender straight woman, said uigley. “I don’t get a lot of hate. hen I go on my Instagram page, all I have is love and support. I thought that was the same for everyone until I saw the comments on Nikki’s page.
uigley said she was shocked at the constant hate hurled at ilt for being nonbinary.
“It’s hard enough to compete without all that, said uigley. “ e all love Nikki, and no one on the team has a problem with them competing. This is all coming from the outside.”
Quigley, a top 8 Olympian and the current World Record holder in the 15 meters relay set July 1, , also shared that this will be her last time running before switching to her new career as a triathlete.
“It’s like senior year of college, said uigley. “I’m ready to close the door on running and open the door to triathlon.”
SIMHA HADDADDAVIS, Calif. – The Mary L. Stephens Davis Yolo County Library located in this bedroom community 15 miles west of Sacramento, has now experienced a series of bomb threats after an online anti-L BT social media influencer attacked it for following its LGBTQ+ inclusive policies.
n Monday, the olo County Sheriff’s ce issued at statement saying: “The Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library has been targeted by bomb threats. These messages share a common thread of hateful content and revolve around a heated meeting there. The olo County Sheriff’s ce is investigating these incidents, with the FBI, to identify suspects.”
The Sacramento Bee reported: A Sacramento-area library was evacuated Monday morning and a nearby elementary school and high school sheltered in place after law enforcement was notified of a bomb threat containing anti-L BT hate speech, authorities said. It was the third threat against the library in the past week, police and deputies said.
Much like the first reported bomb threat made to the library on Aug. 1, Monday’s threat came in an email containing hate speech, police said. The second threat was made late Friday.
These threats came after the local chapter of the national Moms for Liberty’ group, listed as a hate and e tremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Fresno-based California Family Council, which espouses anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, had paid to reserve a room at the library to hold a ‘Forum n air And Safe Sport or irls’ on Sunday, August .
During that event the speaker, Sophia Lorey, a former college soccer player at anguard niversity, repeatedly misgendered and denigrated transgender people and after several warnings persisted referring to transgender female youth athletes as “biological males leading to the group’s removal by a library o cial.
Lorey, who has podcast devoted to transphobic misinformation, works as a utreach Director for the California amily Council. The purpose of her presentation and the forum according to the event’s sponsors was to inform and make parents aware of the California Interscholastic ederation’s
participation policies for transgender athletes in high school girls’ sports.
This is ridiculous, but not shocking .a female athlete silenced for calling a spade a spade. They won’t even engage in a civil conversation. Props to this gal for sticking her ground, she wrote.
The outrage by the far-right ballooned after anti-LGBTQ+ social media pundit Chaya aichik who runs the Libs of Tik Tok Twitter account with over 2.4M followers tweeted: “ N AL. California library kicked out a group holding an event after they “misgendered” people by referring to males in female sports as males. The librarian suggests it’s against state law to misgender.”
aichik’s followers have been known to take actions against institutions that she highlights, often time uttering threats ranging from bomb-threats to death threats to less violent ones.
Last week on Monday, the olo County Sheriff’s ce was notified by a local news station regarding an email from an unknown source that made a threat to the Mary L. Stephens Yolo County Library in Davis. The email made a threat to detonate a bomb and include some form of hate speech.
The Davis Police Department uickly responded to the scene and evacuated appro imately 1 county employees. Two adjacent buildings were also evacuated in an abundance of caution.
As Lorey continued her presentation she was warned by the egional Manager for olo County’s library system, D. Scott Love, that misgendering trans athletes would not be permitted to continue. In addition supporters of Moms for Liberty and the California Family Council, there were also proL BT supporters who had loudly interrupted Lorey, making statements such as trans women are women.’
The interruptions coupled with Lorey’s insistence on labeling transwomen “biologically men caused Love to take further action and he disbanded the event asking the participants and audience to leave.
Anti-trans activist and former NCAA swimmer Riley aines shared the video of the altercation via Twitter and applauded Lorey.
The Yolo County Regional Bomb Squad and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department K- ’s responded to the scene. A search of the building resulted in negative findings.
In response to all of the ongoing threats the California Family Council released a statement that said: “California Family Council unequivocally condemns the violent threats directed at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Library and its staff. These disturbing acts jeopardize community safety and disrupt our civic discourse. When faced with speech we disagree with, the answer is always more speech—not violence. Any news reports suggesting that our organization bears any responsibility for these threats are not only inaccurate but also maliciously misleading.”
BRODY LEVESQUEAKLAND, Calif. - Chabot lementary School in the Claremont neighborhood in Northeast akland went into lockdown Tuesday after a bomb threat was called in around : a.m. Tuesday before school started.
According to akland Police Department spokesperson Capt. Lisa Ausmus, her agency along with Alameda County Sheriff’s ce K- bomb dogs investigated and the building was cleared at around 1 : p.m. after no e plosive devices were found.
According to Capt. Ausmus, the bomb threat was in response to an event that occurred at the school this past Saturday.
Billed as a “Playdate Social for Black, Brown and API families, the far-right anti-L BT Libs of TikTok blasted the event in a tweet: “A California elementary school reportedly held a race segregated “playdate social for all students e cept the white kids. A parent blasted the school on social
media, “we’ll look back and cringe so hard that we tried to beat racism by segregating kids of color from white kids
K N-T San rancisco reported ednesday that reporter Ale Baker had reached out to the group behind the playdate event, the Chabot uity Inclusion Committee and received a statement that read in part:
“Not only have we been continuously getting hate mails, the school has been receiving calls nonstop and Trump supporters and other unhinged racists have been spreading the school’s info by posting the address of our kids’ school for the whole internet to see. We have received a threat that has triggered an investigation by OPD which is now being considered a hate crime.”
ith over .5M followers, many who are far-right, Libs of TikTok founder Chaya aichik’s tweets have inspired reactions from her followers including threats of violence on issues dealing with transgender youth- especially dealing
with gender-a rming healthcare, drag shows, especially drag ueen story hours, and any books in secondary or elementary schools that contain L BT themes or sub ect matter.
K N ’s reporter ill Tran spoke to Briana, one of the organi ers of the playdate who told him:
“I find it very concerning that people feel the need to spread the flyer, spread false narratives about it being a ‘whites not allowed’ event, she said. “Nowhere on that flyer did it say that no one was turning anybody away at the door if they were white. Anyone could come, but the space was meant for Black, Brown and Asian families.
A spokesperson for the akland Police Department confirmed to the Blade that the probe into the matter is ongoing and that the BI is assisting but wouldn’t comment further due to the investigation.
SACRAMENTO - Five years ago Democratic State Sen. Toni Atkins D- San Diego was sworn in as the first woman and first openly gay Senate President pro Tempore in California history. esterday, she announced she was stepping down and passing the gavel to State Sen. Mike Mc uire D-1 ealdsburg North Coast North Bay with a transition to be announced in .
Atkins made the announcement during a press conference Monday with most of the Democratic legislative caucus arrayed behind her. The Associated Press reported the President pro Tempore cannot seek re-election because of term limits and must leave the Senate at the end of ne t year. She said the caucus chose to announce the transition now because “a long, drawn-out successor campaign would not be in the best interest of the Senate nor the people who we were elected to represent.
“ e have a lot of work to get through in the ne t few weeks, Atkins said, referring to the chaotic final days of the Legislative session when lawmakers will vote on hundreds of bills. “This work does not mi well with internal caucus politics being at the top of everyone’s minds.
Atkins is one of only three people in the history of California to hold both top spots in the Legislature. Before taking over as Senate President pro Tempore she was the Speaker of the Assembly from 1 to 1 .
California overnor avin Newsom issued a statement following the announcement by Senate President pro Tempore Atkins.
“Jennifer and I are deeply grateful to Pro Tem Atkins for her tremendous leadership and partnership these past four years, and for her friendship. Through immense challenges and opportunities, Toni has been steadfast in her commitment to working Californians, civil rights, and the environment, and I’m glad that our work together will continue in the months ahead. I thank Toni for her decades of service to the people of our state and know this won’t be the last we see of her in public service.
“Senator Mc uire is a proven leader who has been a tireless champion for communities ravaged by wildfire,
e panding educational opportunities, building affordable housing, addressing homelessness, and other priorities for everyday Californians. I congratulate him on this new role and look forward to the important work ahead with the Senate to continue tackling our current challenges and building a brighter future for all Californians.
e uality for all L BT Californians. She has carved her name in history as the first woman and first openly L BT person to lead the California State Senate, the first lesbian speaker of the California State Assembly, and the first person since 1 1 to have held the top leadership position in both chambers of the California legislature.
e congratulate Pro Tem Designee Mc uire, who has a lifetime 1 score from uality California, and are committed to continuing to work with him to ensure that all L BT Californians are heard from and supported across the state. uality California looks forward to working with him and his future leadership team to continue the historic advancements that we have secured for L BT Californians.
California Attorney eneral ob Bonta issued the following statement after yesterday’s announcement by Senate President pro Tempore Toni . Atkins:
Sen. Mc uire’s term in o ce as President pro Tempore himself will be a short one as he also is going to be re uired to leave o ce after because of term limits.
uality California released the following statement from ecutive Director Tony oang in response to the announcement:
“ e are beyond grateful to have worked alongside Pro Tem Atkins throughout her career to advance legislative priorities that benefit L BT Californians from protecting transgender youth and their families, to reducing healthcare disparities, to protecting the right to bodily autonomy and currently combating the rise of anti-L BT hate and policies across California. Pro Tem Atkins has been a trailbla ing L BT leaders and an invaluable partner to uality California in our efforts to achieve full lived
“Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins is a barrier-breaker and a California icon. rom our days serving together in the California State Assembly, to now, I’ve always been able to count on her for wisdom, leadership, and stalwart commitment to serving the people of California. nder Senator Atkins’ leadership, the Senate has tackled some of California’s thorniest issues, advancing critical legislation to e pand reproductive rights, protect L BT Californians, tackle our housing crisis, and so much more. I thank Senator Atkins for her incredible service to our state and look forward to our continued partnership and friendship in the years to come.
“I’m proud to call Senator Mc uire a friend, a partner in service and, now Pro Tem Designee. I am certain that his proven record of leadership from holding Big il accountable to fighting for our environment and protecting California wildfire survivors will serve our state well as we transition to a new era of leadership in the California State Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Mc uire and the entire Senate to protect Californians and create a brighter, more ust olden State.
BRODY LEVESQUECHATHAM, Mass. - Former U.S. Ambassador, U.S. Secretary of Energy, U.S. Congressman, and two term Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, died in his sleep at age 75 on September 1st at his Cape Cod Massachusetts summer home, a spokesperson for the Richardson Center for Global Engagement said in a statement released Saturday.
Mickey Bergman, Vice President of the Richardson Center, said: “Governor Richardson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. He lived his entire life in the service of others – including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. There was no person that Governor Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom. The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend.”
Bergman added: “Right now our focus is on supporting his family, including his wife Barbara of over 50 years, who was with him when he passed. We will share further information as it becomes available.”
A lifelong progressive Democrat, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations had worked almost exclusively in recent years, through the Richardson Center he founded in 2011, to free people who were held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.
This past month Richardson was nominated for a Nobel Peace Pri e for his role in rescuing Americans, most recently WNBA Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner. Over the last several decades Richardson traveled the world negotiating and securing the release of American prisoners and hostages in Bangladesh, North Korea, Sudan, Colombia, and Iraq.
As one of the 351 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, the former ambassador told ‘The Hill, media outlet that he was honored by the nomination.
Richardson served as a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton, and two terms as Governor of New Mexico.
New Mexico’s junior U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján issued a statement Saturday after learning of Richardson’s passing:
“Governor Richardson was a close friend who held the same House seat that I was elected to. He knew how to get things done, and he worked closely with my late father in the Legislature.
His passing is incredibly heartbreaking for so many New Mexicans who knew and respected him. He leaves behind a legacy that will never be matched, and one that New Mexicans will always take pride in. My prayers are with Barbara, the Richardson family, and all New Mexicans. His memory will always be a blessing.”
Traveling in Florida surveying Hurricane Idalia damage, President Joe Biden released a statement on the death of Richardson:
“Bill Richardson wore many weighty titles in his life – Congressman, Governor, Ambassador, Secretary. He seized every chance to serve and met every new challenge with joy, determined to do the most good for his country, his beloved New Mexico, and Americans around the world. Few have served our nation in as many capacities or with as much relentlessness,
creativity, and good cheer. He will be deeply missed.
Bill s legacy will endure in many places – in New Mexico, which Bill served for seven terms as congressman and two as governor; at the Department of Energy, where he helped strengthen America’s nuclear security; and at the United Nations, where he put his considerable negotiating skills to work advocating for American interests and values on the world stage.
But perhaps his most lasting legacy will be the work Bill did to free Americans held in some of the most dangerous places on Earth. American pilots captured by North Korea, American workers held by Saddam Hussein, Red Cross workers imprisoned by Sudanese rebels – these are just some of the dozens of people that Bill helped bring home. He d meet with anyone, fly anywhere, do whatever it took. The multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations he received are a testament to his ceaseless pursuit of freedom for Americans. So is the profound gratitude that countless families feel today for the former governor who helped reunite them with their loved ones.
Bill and I crossed paths for the first time decades ago, when he was a staffer on the Senate oreign elations Committee, which I served on as Senator. ver the years, I saw firsthand his passion for politics, love for America, and unflagging belief that, with respect and good faith, people can come together across any difference, no matter how vast. e was a patriot and true original, and will not be forgotten. Jill and I send our love to his family, including his wife of over 50 years, Barbara, and their daughter Heather.”
Although the Ambassador was committed to LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. and globally, his early interactions during his presidential campaign cost him support among L BT voters that election cycle for a series of gaffes made during a campaign forum sponsored by the Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign and Logo TV.
Also appearing on the forum was another candidate, then Illinois U.S. Senator Barack Obama. In January of 2008, Richardson dropped out of the race which ultimately saw the election of Obama as the 44th President of the United States.
A non-scientific poll on Logo’s website after the forum had the Illinois Senator with the most support at 35 percent, while Richardson garnered the least at percent.
Heath Haussamen, a political journalist based in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the editor and publisher of the now defunct political news website NMPolitics.net, that covered the state of New Mexico, documented what turned into a fiasco for ichardson:
Richardson was asked about a prior comment he made on the Don Imus show in 2006 – repeating the use of the Spanish word for “faggot” after Imus used it – and he seemed to tentatively satisfy his critics.
“I meant no harm when I said that, Richardson said. “It was one of those e changes when I was caught off guard. But I think you should look at my actions, and not words.”
The forum moderator then commented that she had misspoken once on Imus’ show, and said each guest is entitled to one mistake on that show
It got worse according to Haussmen’s reporting:
But after being forgiven for one mistake, Richardson imme-
diately made more.
He was asked, if the state Legislature passed a bill making gay marriage legal, whether he would sign it. After discussion with Richardson and other candidates about the strong difference between domestic partnerships and gay marriage – one panel member characteri ed it as the difference between being separate but e ual and being truly e ual – Richardson said this:
“The New Mexico Legislature, I am pushing it very hard to expand domestic partnerships. It’s the same thing.”
Not only was this mistake No. 2, but it resurrected mistake No. 1 – the Imus comment. Which prompted the next question: Where do you stand on gay marriage?
“In my heart, I am doing what is achievable, and I’m not there yet. New Mexico isn’t there yet, the country isn’t there yet,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I’m closed on this issue. It means I’m doing what is achievable.”
Which prompted the next question, from rock star Melissa Etheridge: “Do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it biological?”
“It’s a choice. It’s, it’s he said.
Mistake No. 3. The audience was silent.
Not long after that debate forum, he reached out to the then Advocate political editor, Kerry Eleveld, requesting an in-person interview to clarify his position, saying that he has long known being gay is biological.
“I misunderstood the question, and I made a mistake in the way I answered it,” he said during that interview.
His campaign also attempted to mitigate the damage with the LGBTQ+ community issuing a statement that read in part:
“Let me be clear: I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice, Richardson said in the release. “But I’m not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law. That is what I believe. That is what I have spent my career fighting for. I ask that people look at my record and my actions and they will see I have been a true supporter of the LGBT community.”
The campaign also stressed Richardson’s long support of the LGBTQ community.
The University of California Santa Barbara’s ‘The American Presidency Project’ has an archived statement made by Richardson during LGBTQ Pride Month released on June 22, 2007 which read:
“I am very pleased to join my friends in the GLBT community and Americans across the country in celebrating Pride Month.
The former U.S. Ambassador had worked voluntarily to free people who were held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad including Brittney GrinerRICHARDSON served as a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton, and two terms as Governor of New Mexico (Screenshot/YouTube ABC News’ This Week)
L S IN M AD S, N. . ollowing her historic triumph over another out gay tennis player, Daria Kasatkina will try to advance tonight with a victory in ound at the .S. pen.
Kasatkina, ussia’s 1 ranked female tennis player, will return to the last 1 after her dramatic contest on Court 1 Saturday ended with a - , - win over Belgian ualifier reet Minnen.
Both Minnen and Kasatkina are . It’s believed to be the first time two out gay tennis players have clashed in a competitive single match in a rand Slam main draw.
Although gay tennis icons Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova and others have gone head-to-head before Saturday, many did not come out until after their matches.
Despite losing to Kasatkina, Minnen walked off the court in high spirits following the match, saying it was a “pleasure to make history with the ussian tennis star.
Minnen previously made history in the summer of 1 , when she played doubles at imbledon alongside her former partner Alison an ytvanck. In July that same year, they faced each other for the first time, in a singles match in ermany.
Belgian star Minnen also made history later in 1 , when she competed against her former partner Alison an ytvanck during a orld Tennis Association Tour event in Karlsruhe.
That match, which ended with an ytvanck’s victory over Minnen, concluded with a momentous gesture in support of L BT visibility in tennis: They kissed at the net.
Minnen and Kasatkina have met only once before in competition: at the ranby Championship first round in August of last year in uebec. Kasatkina won that tournament.
Minnen matched her best .S. pen performance at these championships, beating enus illiams in ound 1 and Sachia ickery in ound . ver the first si games of the match, Minnen stayed even with the former world No. , saving a break point in the fourth game, and two more in the si th.
No. 1 seed Kasatkina is a former Top 1 player and a ma or semifinalist and will be back Monday night at p.m. DT to face Aryna Sabalenka.
As PinkNews reported, Kasatkina said she’s “felt much better since coming out in July .
“I put this pressure out of my shoulders because when
you have to think about tennis but also to think about some deep things inside your head, it’s ust not good, she said.
“I remember after saying all these things, I ust felt much better. That was one of the best decisions of the past year and I’m happy with the outcome.
MOUNT DORA, Fla. - Four Republican state lawmakers from Central lorida declared that they would be eploring “all legislative, legal and e ecutive options available to overturn the actions of this small town’s business community, government o cials and its police department to mark Safe Spaces’ for the L BT community.
In a August 1st letter to the City of Mt. Dora, state Senator Dennis Ba ley, along with state epresentatives Keith L. Truenow, Taylor Michael arkosky, and Stan McClain e pressed outrage at the actions undertaken to protect L BT people who may feel threatened.
n the city’s website it details the Safe Place program :
The City of Mount Dora and the Mount Dora Police Department MDPD are committed to the safety of all residents and visitors including Lesbian, ay, Bise ual, Transgender, and ueer uestioning L BT .
The mission of the Safe Place Initiative is to provide the community with easily accessible safety information and safe places throughout the city they can turn to if they are the victims of an anti-L BT or other hate crimes. ate crimes are motivated by the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, se ual orientation, gender e pression, gender identity, mental, physical, or sensory disabilities, homelessness, marital status, political ideology, age, or parental status.
Through the Safe Place Initiative, the MDPD will provide decals to City facilities, local businesses and other organi ations for those entities to post as a symbol of safety for the victims of an anti-L BT or other hate crimes.
Anyone who seeks solace in a Safe Place location can be assured that if they are the victim of a crime, police
will promptly be called.
The website then provides guidelines on obtaining and posting the decals that mark the bossiness as Safe Spaces’ along with A ’s and instructions.
The four lawmakers in their letter allege that in the pre-
vious decade plus there had been no recorded incidents of anti-L BT hate crimes or hate motivated attacks. The uartet then stated that the City’s actions were divisive and unwarranted. They claimed that the city was picking “winners and losers and alienating visitors and residents.
nder the administration of epublican overnor on DeSantis, passage of new laws that severely limit the civil rights of L BT loridians has increased anti-L BT animus in the state.
Two of the state of lorida’s largest civil and human rights groups took an unusual e traordinary step of issuing a warning to travelers to avoid traveling to the Sunshine State’ as a result of the policies of overnor DeSantis.
The largest statewide L BT civil rights advocacy group uality lorida and the lorida Immigrant Coalition warned the passage of laws that are hostile to the L BT community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial preudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum, has made lorida a risk to the health, safety, and civil liberties of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state.
The Associated Press reported that in May, the umans ights Campaign, the largest L BT rights organiation in the .S., oined other civil rights organi ations in issuing a travel advisory for lorida, warning that newly passed laws and policies may pose risks to minorities, immigrants and gay travelers.
BRODY LEVESQUEM NCT N, New Brunswick, Canada - Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said that lobal Affairs Canada has updated its travel advisory for the United States for LGBTQ+ Canadians.
The new advisory reads, “Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect SL BT I persons. Check relevant state and local laws,” and directs people to a web page that CBC reported providing broad information on how members of the community could be targeted while travelling to foreign countries.
That advice tells travelers to beware of laws that criminali e same-se activities and relationships, or target people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
That advice also warns travelers that laws to curb vagrancy and public nuisance incidents could also be used to target them in an effort “to criminali e SL BT I people.
During the press briefing reeland said she supported the decision to update the travel advice but would not comment on whether .S. President Joe Biden was informed before the update was made.
“Every Canadian government, very much including our government, needs to put at the center of everything we do the interests and the safety of every single Canadian, and of every single group of Canadians,” she said. “That’s what we’re doing now. That’s what we’re always going to do.”
reeland also told reporters that as a former foreign affairs minister, she’s confident that travel advisories appearing on the lobal Affairs Canada website are “done very professionally.
“We have professionals in the government whose job is to look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians. That’s
their job and it’s the right thing to do,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.
In a media statement released by lobal Affairs Canada, the department said:
“Since the beginning of , certain states in the .S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender a rming care and from participation in sporting events.
“The information is provided to enable travelers to make their own informed decisions regarding destinations. Outside Canada, laws and customs related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics can be very different from those in Canada.
The ACLU is tracking 5 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. for the legislative year in over half of the nited States, a ma ority that would impact LGBTQ+ Canadian travelers.
Accurate IDs
These bills attempt to limit the ability to update gender information on IDs and records, such as birth certificates and driver’s licenses. This puts transgender people at risk of losing jobs, facing harassment, and other harms. Trans, intersex, and nonbinary people need IDs that accurately reflect who they are to travel, apply for jobs, and enter public establishments without risk of harassment or harm.
Civil Rights
These bills attempt to undermine and weaken nondiscrimination laws by allowing employers, businesses, and even hospitals to turn away LGBTQ people or refuse them equal treatment.
Free Speech & Expression
Despite the safeguards of the First Amendment’s right to free e pression, politicians are fighting to restrict how and when
LGBTQ people can be themselves, limiting access to books about them and trying to ban or censor performances like drag shows.
Healthcare
These bills target access to medically-necessary health care, like Medicaid, for transgender people. Many of these bills ban a rming care for trans youth, and can create criminal penalties for providing this care. These bills exempt identical treatments offered to cisgender youth or are forced onto interse youth. ther bills block funding to medical centers that offer gender-affirming care, or block insurance coverage of health care for transgender people.
Public Accommodations
Public accommodations bills seek to prohibit transgender people from using facilities like public bathrooms and locker rooms. Everyone should have access to these spaces, no matter their gender identity or gender expression. If you can’t use the restroom, you can’t fully participate in work, school, and public life.
Schools & Education
State lawmakers are trying to prevent trans students from participating in school activities like sports, force teachers to out students, and censor any in-school discussions of LGBTQ people and issues. Instead of limiting resources, education, and opportunities, our schools should protect and support all students to learn and thrive.
Other Anti-LGBTQ Bills
These bills don’t uite fit in any of the other categories, but nonetheless target the rights of LGBTQ people. Examples include bans on marriage and bills preempting local nondiscrimination protections.
BRODY LEVESQUENEW DELHI — As LGBTQ+ and intersex Indians continue to eagerly await a ruling from the country’s Supreme Court on whether same-sex couples can legally marry; they must still confront a lack of acceptance from their families and from society-at-large.
A lesbian couple in Gujarat state in January 1 died by suicide when they jumped into a river. They left a chilling suicide note behind.
“We have left this world to live with each other,” the note left by Asha and Bhavna Thakor read. “The world did not allow us to stay together. We did not have any men with us. This world did not allow us to stay together. When will we meet again? When will we meet … perhaps in the next birth we will meet again.”
Another chilling incident took place in West Bengal state in 11.
A lesbian couple, Swapna Mondol and Sujata Mondol was found dead in a rice paddy near a village. After two years together, villagers found out about their love for each other and ordered the girls to stay away from each other. Their families also tried to separate them.
Su ata Mondol’s parents married her off to an engineer, but she stayed in contact with Swapna Mondol. A local police report notes the couple took poison when they met again after Su ata Mondol’s husband left.
Souvik Saha, an L BT activist and founder of People for Change, told the Washington Blade that marriage equality can influence families to be more accepting, but some of them may
still struggle.
“Support networks and resources for families to understand and embrace their LGBTQ+ members will continue to be essential, said Saha “ tend outreach efforts to regions where acceptance might be slower to come. Collaborate with local organizations, community leaders and activists to foster understanding and acceptance.”
Saha talked about the pending Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling and said a decision in favor of marriage rights for same-se couples would mark a significant milestone in the fight for L BT and interse rights in the country. Saha added there are several important next steps to consider.
“Even after a positive verdict, there might still be misconceptions and lack of awareness about LGBTQ rights. Continue to conduct awareness campaigns, workshops and seminars to educate the public about the implications of the verdict and the broader LGBTQ rights movement,” said Saha. “Strengthen support systems for LGBTQ individuals, especially those who might face backlash or discrimination from their families or communities. ffer counseling, mental health services and safe spaces to help individuals navigate challenges that might arise post-verdict.”
Saha told the Blade that cultural sensitivity in the country needs to be taken into account if the Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality. He said monitoring the verdict’s implementation and its impact on the ground is essential.
“Holding institutions accountable for any failures in upholding the rights granted by the verdict,” said Saha. “Provide legal
assistance to LGBTQ couples who may face challenges related to documentation, inheritance rights and other legal aspects that might arise due to the new legal status of their marriages.”
Shyam Konnur, managing director of Pune-based Mist LGBTQ Foundation, agreed the marriage equality ruling will have a big impact in India.
Konnur said the decision would open more doors, build hope within the community and encourage more queer people to be free, which in turn, would help in creating more awareness and allow NGOs to do more in terms of creating a safer environment for LGBTQ+ and intersex Indians. Konnur, however, said it is not enough.
“I believe that marriage equality is just the start,” said Konnur. “The LGBTQ community in India doesn’t have any rights that other citizens enjoy. Whether or not the marriage equality case is in our favor, I believe we need to fight for non-discriminatory laws for the LGBTQ community. Every day we hear about a case where an LGBTQ person is denied of something just because they belong to the community.”
Konnur noted India’s L BT and interse community fights discrimination based on their gender expression every day in terms of how they dress, and pointed out legal assistance remains out of reach for most of them. The lack of mental health support tailored to queer people, along with navigating the country’s health care system and finding a gender-neutral restroom they can use without harassment are additional hurdles.
ANKUSH KUMARis editor of the Washington Blade. Reach him at knaf@washblade.com
Are South Carolina voters among the most progressive in the country? Did they elect not one – but TWO – gay U.S. senators?
That’s a fair conclusion after reading last week’s story from Axios, “GOP donors fret over Scott’s single status.”
Per the story, “Top GOP donors and their allies privately are pushing Sen. Tim Scott’s team for more detail about his bachelor status before deciding how much to support him in the presidential campaign, according to two people familiar with the conversations.”
It continues, “some donors have questions.”
Of course, Axios doesn’t dare go there and address what “questions” his single status might raise. So let me do it: Tim Scott is rumored to be gay, just like the senior senator from South Carolina, as the Blade has reported many times. Male escorts in D.C. have openly claimed that Sen. Lindsey Graham has been a client. (If you have an iron stomach, Google “Lindsey Graham ladybugs” for the details.)
Back to Scott. If he’s gay, that’s great! A gay Republican credibly running for president is surely a sign of better times and a historic moment for the country. If he’s not gay, then certain Scott GOP rivals are using homophobic tactics to undermine his candidacy by pushing narratives that Scott is gay in hopes it will turn off the bigoted P base.
The Axios story compares Scott’s situation to that of Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who also ran for president as a bachelor. “When Booker ran for president, he was dating actress Rosario Dawson,” the story notes. Of course they later broke up and Dawson clumsily came out of the closet herself. The Axios story doesn’t mention this, because the mainstream media, for whatever reason, still can’t quite reckon with queer sexuality in 2023.
Perhaps Booker, Scott, and Graham are all gay. So what? Say it out loud and stop playing these 20th century coy games about the truth of our public o cials’ lives.
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is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
It may be I lack an understanding of people. But it is beyond my comprehension how any woman, member of the African-American community, or the LGBTQ community, or someone who believes in dealing with climate change, would not run to the polls and vote for a Democrat. There are real and stark differences between the epublican and Democratic parties today, and your personal rights, and personal safety, are at stake because of those differences.
icaid, having voted to do that epublicans have proven they do not. Democrats want to cut the cost of your drugs epublicans have proven they do not. ne could go on and on. What will motivate you to vote?
No one is perfect. But if you are a woman, an African American, or member of the LGBTQ community, or just have some human decency, and
It is simple. If you support equality for women, for African Americans, and the L BT community, Democrats vote for that epublicans have proven they vote against those groups. If you believe in climate change, and see fires, floods, storms, and heatwaves, ravaging our nation, and the world, Democrats are trying to do something about that epublicans have shown they are not. If you want equal pay for women in the United States, Democrats will do that epublicans have proven they won’t. If you want to guarantee women the right to control their own body, and ensure birth control is easily available for all, Democrats are for that epublicans have proven they are not. If you want to pass the Equality Act granting equality to the LGBTQ community, Democrats are for that epublicans have proven they are not. If you want to strengthen laws guaranteeing voting rights, make it easier for all Americans to vote, Democrats are for that epublicans have proven they are not. epublicans have shown they want to make it more di cult to vote. If you want to do something about the scourge of violence in our nation, control the number of guns, ban military weapons like the AK 47, Democrats want to do that epublicans have proven they do not. epublicans think it’s K to offer prayers and condolences to families of those murdered in mass shootings, and then do nothing. In fact, epublicans have proven they want to make it easier to buy guns.
vote, in our nation, control the number of guns, offer prayers and condolences to families of
So, what will it take to get you to the polls
So, what will it take to get you to the polls on lection Day hat more do you need to know about the dramatic differences between the two major parties? How about Democrats want to expand Medicare and Med-
is what will happen if epublicans win the presidency, and Confriends,
Are you happy with everything each candidate says or does. f course not. No one is perfect. But if you are a woman, an African American, or member of the LGBTQ community, or just have some human decency, and aren’t out there voting, and getting everyone you know to do the same, there is something wrong with your thinking. You either have a death wish, or wish for a more di cult life, because that is what will happen if epublicans win the presidency, and Congress, in . ou, your friends, and family, will all suffer if they do. Then you will have no one to blame but yourself. We have a two-party system in our country, whether you like it or not. Pretending you can change it by voting for a third party is both illusionary, and nonsensical. It’s simple: If you vote for a party other than the Democrats, you are helping epublicans to win. e have seen the proof. alph Nadar caused Democrats to lose Florida and the election in 2000. In 2016, the votes Jill Stein got in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and isconsin, likely caused illary Clinton to lose to Donald Trump. Stop being fooled, or fooling yourself.
you like it or not. Pretending you can change it by votthe Democrats, you are helping epublicans you
If you stay home, don’t vote, you are helping epublicans. If you are young, think it doesn’t matter, remember you will suffer the results of epublicans winning longer than any older person. This is about your life. Stop whining, and vote.
any older person. This is about your life. Stop some things up. We inherited screwed up things from the generation before us. Each
Sure, those in my generation screwed some things up. We inherited screwed up things from the generation before us. Each generation gets the chance to make a difference. If you don’t grab the chance to make change, you become the one to blame for what is wrong. Voting is step one to making a difference. Don’t pretend it doesn’t matter, or pretend both sides are the same. The differences are huge, and the repercussions of not voting are as plain as the nose on your face.
change, you become the one to blame for what is wrong. Voting is step one to making a
must turn out and re
Having grown up in Kansas, in the middle of the United States, I’ve always longed to see more than the flat, flyover states that are the Midwest.
hen I was a kid, my dad was a huge livia Newton John fan. She was his Australian heartthrob. Many a school day, I would come home to her music blaring or one of her live concerts in the C . And as a young gay boy, I was mesmeri ed by her as well. She was pretty, sang beautifully, and was from this great land far, far away.
I wondered how this pop chanteuse from Down nder got into my living room. And I always wondered what her homeland of Australia was like. as it filled with dangerous animals as everyone suggested as there something at every turn that could kill me
To me, it sounded e citing I’ve always tried to live my life by a Helen Keller quote I heard while in high school: “Lift is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. And it was with that mindset firmly in place that I packed my bags this past spring to visit that mystical Land Down nder.
Australia is one of the most L BT -friendly countries in the world, with a progressive culture that embraces diversity and inclusivity. Australia decriminali ed homose uality in the 1 s and legally recogni ed samese marriage in 1 . The country has a very vibrant and dynamic L BT community, and it is a popular destination for L BT travelers.
Sydney, the largest city in Australia, is often considered the L BT capital of the country. The city hosts the famous Sydney ay and Lesbian Mardi ras, an annual festival and parade that attracts more than , visitors from around the world. The festival, with colorful floats, music, and performances, has become a symbol of Australia’s commitment to L BT rights and is a must-visit for anyone traveling to Australia.
The parade, beginning with the roar of hundreds of “dykes on bikes, is truly a sight to behold. The whole country comes to SLA at this parade veryone puts on their brightest colors and outfits for this over-the-top event. It was one of the best and longest Pride parades I’ve ever been to in my life.
In , Sydney was home to the orldPride festival, and the city rolled out the rainbow carpet for the estimated 1 million-plus people, staging more than events. And when I tell you that this city went over the top well, that’s a complete understatement.
I went, T IN was covered in rainbows from the city sidewalks to the lighting on buildings, to every employee I saw in every shop with their rainbow pins and buttons. It was like gay was the norm and straight was the minority it was weirdly fabulous
Melbourne is another great city for L BT travelers to visit. Aside from being the current home to my favorite pop star, Troye Sivan, the city is known for its vibrant arts and culture scene and is home to a thriving L BT community. The annual Midsumma estival, a three-week celebration of ueer arts and culture, is held in Melbourne and features a range of e hibitions, performances, parties, and other events.
If shopping is your thing, check out the 1 5-year-old ueen ictoria Market. This openair market is home to more than small businesses where you can buy everything from Australian fruits and veggies to gourmet food, clothing, and souvenirs. There is literally something for everyone.
hat initially drew me Down nder were the lush landscapes and wild animals I saw on T growing up. The country is home to some of the world’s most stunning natural
wonders, including the reat Barrier eef, the utback, and the Blue Mountains. L BT travelers can e plore these natural wonders through a range of activities, including hiking, snorkeling and even ip lines and hot air balloon rides.
ne stop for me was the breathtaking eron Island, a stunning coral cay located on the southern reat Barrier eef off the coast of ueensland. It is accessible only by catamaran or helicopter and offers a secluded and pristine escape for travelers looking for a uni uely tran uil e perience.
The island boasts world-class snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities, giving visitors the chance to swim among vibrant coral reefs and an abundance of marine life including sea turtles, manta rays and reef sharks, while its sandy beaches provide a picturesque setting for sunbathing and leisurely walks. The island is an also breeding ground for several species of seabirds, including the endangered black noddy tern and the wedge-tailed shearwater, making it perfect for birding enthusiasts.
I spent three glorious days on this piece of paradise and have never felt so relaxed in my life. I got up close with nature every kind of wildlife you could imagine birds in a way that I’ve never e perienced before and will never forget.
Accommodation options on eron Island range from eco-friendly tents to lu urious suites, with all rooms offering stunning views of the reef and the island’s lush vegetation. acilities include a restaurant and bar and well as guided nature walks and reef talks.
If you need a chance for some peaceful rest and re uvenation, especially after all the e citement of Sydney and Melbourne, eron Island is the perfect destination. Its remote location and unparalleled natural beauty make it a must-visit destination.
Australia has several L BT -friendly beaches, including the popular Bondi Beach in Sydney. The beach is home to the Bondi ay and Lesbian Beach Picnic, which is held on the first Sunday of every month and is a great way to meet other L BT travelers.
Australia’s food and wine culture is yet another draw for L BT travelers, offering a range of culinary delights from fresh seafood to world-class wines and uni ue indigenous cuisine. I know I came back to the states 1 pounds heavier The cities of Melbourne and Sydney are particularly known for their food and wine scenes, with a range of L BT -friendly restaurants and bars.
verall, I spent a little more than two weeks in The Land Down nder. I loved it so much that I’ve decided I will definitely be going back to vacation there again, and I might even move there some day. The welcome I felt from the people there is something I will never forget.
Aussies care about their country and the people in it. rom the moment I touched down until the minute that I left, I never felt unwelcome anywhere I went.
The country’s progressive culture, natural beauty, and diverse cities make it an ideal vacation spot for L BT individuals and couples. hether you’re looking to attend a Pride parade, e plore the great outdoors or simply rela on a beautiful beach, Australia has something to offer everyone.
So, pack your bags and come and say ’day you won’t regret it. or more info on traveling to Australia, visit www.australia.com
(Chad Mantooth is a writer for the Dallas Voice. This story is courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association.)
(Mark Segal is publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News. This story is courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.)
LGBTQ people like to travel, and like many people they take cruises to see the world or just to relax. It used to be when taking something as personal as a cruise, where you’ll be with people in close quarters and where conversations can be easily overheard, you might have felt uncomfortable to be yourself. Today there are numerous LGBTQ cruises for almost every segment of the LGBTQ community where you can be your fabulous self and party until dawn or more. Among those companies are Atlantis adventures, primarily for men, and Olivia cruises for women. But those companies still comprise only a fraction of available cruise sailings. So, how welcoming are nonLGBTQ cruises?
My husband Jason and I have been on numerous cruises on many LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ cruise lines. For our current trip we booked a cruise on Oceania, a line known for its food (they claim the best food at sea), exceptional attention to detail, and out of the ordinary shore excursions. We chose Oceania once before, and it was above most of the other cruises we’ve done. Another advantage of Oceania is that they do exotic itineraries. Our July cruise started in Reykjavik, Iceland and then proceeded to Greenland, the Shetland Islands, Denmark, and Sweden before ending in Oslo, Norway after a whopping 15 days. We traveled with another gay couple, our friends Klay and Val, who are out and proud like us.
And that really is the heart of the question: How out and proud can LGBTQ people be on a traditional cruise?
n the first night of the cruise, the ship promoted an “LGBTQQIA+ Get Together” in their daily schedule printout. The 4 of us attended along with 3 other couples, though we weren’t the only LGBTQ people on board. Throughout the trip, we met many other LGBTQ people, mostly couples, who also had other cruise experiences. I asked many of them why they picked this cruise over an LGBTQ cruise, as well as how comfortable they felt being out on this cruise.
The overwhelming answer was that people on a cruise, like the general population, gravitate to like minded people, and since everyone’s on vacation it’s easier to get along. Most of them were comfortable being open about their sexuality. Jason and I felt comfortable enough to show our emotions at times and hold hands or put an arm around each other, just like nonLGBTQ couples. It made a larger point for me. Could we have done that a decade ago? The answer is: probably not. So in that regard, traditional cruises pass the comfort level for LGBTQ people. But what about the more nuanced reality of being an LGBTQ person on a cruise with 97% non-LGBTQ people?
Like any cruise, we found ourselves finding our own friends who turned out to be a fascinating lot. One of those was a couple who work at a small college and are developing new ways to be inclusive to LGBTQ students. Another was a retired couple from Seattle, another from Dallas. That’s the secret sauce in cruising, finding the people you get along with and having a nice time.
For all of us, the two factors that led us to this cruise were the itinerary and the reputation of Oceania. Let’s start with the cruise stops.
The departing port of the cruise, Reykjavik, deserves a few days to tour since it has some of the greatest landscapes and wonders on Earth, and if you’re lucky as we were, you will be
met by an active volcano. We had arranged 3 days of touring with an LGBTQ tour company called Pink Iceland. There not only is a sizable LGBTQ population in Iceland, but it seems everywhere you go there are rainbows. The country even has had a lesbian Prime minister. It’s one of the most LGBTQ-friendly places on earth.
ur first day we traveled to the south shore and marveled at the raw natural landscape, which looks like something from the moon but is actually dried lava with moss growing atop. The volcanoes and glaciers are everywhere, and with an abundance of volcanoes, you’ll see steam coming up from the ground in certain places. This has translated to natural geothermal power that powers the country, as well as natural glacier water (which tastes better than any bottled water) in every home. Later that day we went to the black beach at Reynisfjara with its basalt rock formation from eruptions thousands of years ago. We also visited and walked behind several waterfalls, and the sunshine meant that rainbows were aplenty. It was wet, magical, and romantic.
Our second day began with an adventurous ATV ride on that moonscape with a stop at a dormant volcano’s top ridge. With me driving, Jason held on for dear life. Afterwards, we spent the afternoon in the world famous Blue Lagoon spa, where there are pools of volcanic minerals and silica that are a color of blue you’ll see no other place on earth. As you soak you can apply those minerals as a face mask. Even though it was around 50 degrees outside, by the time we finished, we were all pleasantly overheated.
Our third day we toured the capital city, which is easily walkable and features a giant rainbow street, and then attended a get-together organized by Eva and Birna, the owners of Pink Iceland, with some local LGBTQ community members, including a member of parliament and a playwright who was the first to come out in his village in western Iceland. The audience was among the most engaged I’ve ever spoken to, and they asked insightful questions and were delightful to engage with. Iceland is a country built on stories (called the Sagas), so the people are keen to learn the stories of others.
After our three days in Reykjavik, we went onto our ship, the Oceania Riviera.
The ship had recently come out of dry dock with a total renovation. The cabin was the most beautiful we’ve ever seen at sea and had ample closet space and a bathroom with a rainfall shower. Our home away from home would be comfy.
Our friends Klay and Val opted for a larger room with butler service. The room had more closet space than some New York apartments, and the amenities were above average. But their butler, as they learned, seemed to have had no understanding of his role and often overcomplicated things.
Iceland is still developing its infrastructure for tourism. Our ship had provided 10 shore excursions, but all were completely sold before we even boarded the ship, including the one we wanted most, whale watching. The fact that shore excursions sell out months before the trip was not fully communicated to us. When we attempted to book 6 weeks before the trip, many ports had no available excursions. Nevertheless, in this small fishing village, left to our own devices we discovered one of the treasures of Iceland, The Tjoruhusid Restaurant. Known to be the most traditional Icelandic food in the country, you still needed a reservation since locals and tourists come from all
over for its cuisine. But in true Icelandic hospitality, the staff found room and were kind enough to seat us, and I must admit that while I’m not a seafood eater it was ama ing. The buffet meal included a fish soup, five types of fish entrees, including fish throat, which I didn’t know e isted, various vegetable combinations, and coffee, biscuits, and chocolate.
After the meal, we took a stroll through the village and discovered that among the fishing boats, f ords, and homes, the town square had a giant rainbow painted down the center. That’s two for two cities in Iceland with rainbow streets.
Our second stop was a small village of about 1300 whose complete economy was fishing and seal hunting. ery few cruise ships have ever stopped there, and for good reason. While there are very few facilities and the infrastructure is sparse, the main problem was that as we approached, the seas were somewhat choppy and we found ourselves in a sea of Icebergs. Before I could suggest to everyone that we all break out into a chorus of “My Heart Will Go On,” the captain stated the obvious: he canceled the adventure in Paamiut. It was not safe to take the tender boats to shore (there was nowhere to dock in a port that small). However, a consolation prize was being treated to a sea of majestic icebergs as we sailed away.
That evening the entertainment and information system in all the staterooms went down. No television, no stateroom information, no map. Not only was the television system down, but the ship’s entire network went down as well. The casinos were out of service, and bartenders and shop staff had to write down stateroom numbers on paper receipts. Getting information about the problem was met with what would become a common complaint on this trip: a lack of communications skills from the staff.
But we moved on to the next port of call, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.
The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, held its Pride celebration the week before we arrived. Discovering small cities with Pride events astonishes me even to this day. e had tried to find a Nuuk Pride T-shirt but since the city is so small (17,000 people) the organizers told me they didn’t have the funds to create merch.
SAG HARBOR, New York, - His was a voice that chronicled an easy going homage to beach bum lifestyles speaking to generations with storytelling lyrics once compared with writers’ Ernest Hemingway’s eye for detail and Mark Twain’s inclination for mischievous humor.
Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has died at age according to an announcement on his social media accounts. The September 1st statement noted that Buffet was surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.
He had rescheduled concerts this past May and acknowledged he had been hospitali ed for an unspecified illness. Buffett had been fighting Merkel Cell Skin Cancer for four years. He continued to perform during treatment, playing his last show, a surprise appearance in Rhode Island, in early July.
In addition to being a bard for several generations of Americans needing the escapism and feel good vibe his music brought, the self-described workaholic was very much a shrewd businessman whose empire beyond concerts and music landed him a place on orbes America’s ichest Celebrities list with a worth of over a billion dollars in 2023.
Based on the title of Buffett’s beloved signature song, ‘Margaritaville’ his holdings included nightclubs, restaurants, a musician’s typical business model of album sales, concert tickets and souvenir T-shirts. Buffett was also accomplished writer with several New York Times bestselling novels published.
Buffett’s music tells the stories of the hustlers, the beach bums and the pirates from all corners of the world. Through it all are woven the themes of escapism, wanderlust and an unbridled curiosity that makes life a journey worth taking.
The White House issued a statement Saturday from President Joe Biden who said:
“A poet of paradise, Jimmy Buffett was an American music icon who inspired generations to step back and find the joy in life and in one another.
is witty, wistful songs celebrate a uni uely American cast of characters and seaside folkways, weaving together an unforgettable musical mix of country, folk, rock, pop, and calypso into something uni uely his own.
e had the honor to meet and get to know Jimmy over the years, and he was in life as he was performing on stage – full of goodwill and joy, using his gift to bring people together.
ver more than 5 studio and live albums and thousands of performances to devoted Parrot Heads around the world, Jimmy reminded us how much the simple things in life matter – the people we love, the places we’re from, the hopes we have on the horizon.
A two-time rammy nominee and winner of multiple country music awards, he was also a best-selling writer, businessman, pilot, and conservationist who championed the waters and ulf Coast that he so loved.
Jill and I send our love to his wife of years, Jane to their children, Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron to their grandchildren and to the millions of fans who will continue to love him even as his ship now sails for new shores.”
Buffett embraced a litany of progressive causes including L BT rights. In 1 , and although several other music headliners had canceled concerts due to an anti-LGBTQ law in North Carolina, Buffett, as always loyal to his fans decided to play the two concerts scheduled but took to his social media and released a statement castigating the law as “stupid.”
”Time has fortunately reversed a lot of that way of thinking. But now another stupid law, based on stupid assumptions, has sprung up like kud u in North Carolina, the singer-songwriter wrote adding a uote from the movie orrest Gump, telling his fans, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
ead Jimmy Buffett’s full statement here:
As a traveling musician for years, I played many shows years ago, in many states where you could go to prison for 20 years for smoking a joint. It was a stupid law based on stupid assumptions. Time has fortunately reversed a lot of that way of thinking. But now another stupid law, based on stupid assumptions, has sprung up like kudzu in North Carolina, where we are scheduled to play shows ne t week in aleigh and Charlotte.
North Carolina was there for me as a performer in the early days and I have always felt a loyalty to fans there that goes deep. Rightly so, a lot of people are reacting to the stupid law. I happen to believe that the majority of our fans in North Carolina feel the way I do about that law. I am lucky enough to have found a job in the business of fun. These shows were booked and sold out long before the governor signed that stupid law. I am not going to let stupidity or bigotry trump fun for my loyal fans this year. We will be playing in aleigh and Charlotte ne t week.
That said, as for the future of shows in North Carolina, it would definitely depend on whether that stupid law is repealed. That is up to the good people of North Carolina and there are many, and I am confident that they will see that the right thing will be done. As orrest said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
ins p, Jimmy Buffett
or over 5 years Buffett regaled audiences with songs about the faces and places he’d seen during his lifetime ourney along the road less travelled.
His biography reads:
Buffett was born on Christmas day 1 in Pascagoula, Mississippi and raised in the port town of Mobile, Alabama. is grandfather, James Delaney Buffett, was a captain on a steamship and his father J.D. traveled to India and Africa with the Army Corps of ngineers before settling in Mobile. or young Jimmy, the ulf of Me ico was the doorway to a world of adventure where the characters he heard about
in his grandfather’s stories were waiting to be discovered. The siren call of exotic ports was in contrast to his days as a parochial school student and an altar boy, and it only took a guitar to take him off course from the life his parents had imagined for him.
When Jimmy saw how a fraternity brother in college with a guitar garnered the attention of the girls, he uickly learned a few basic chords and started playing himself. Suddenly Jimmy’s world opened up - while he still attended classes, he uickly had his first band and went from busking the streets of New rleans to playing nights a week at Bourbon Street clubs.
After graduation, Jimmy headed to Nashville to work for Billboard Magazine and to try his luck as a folk-country singer, releasing his first record, “Down To arth in 1 . owever it was a fateful trip to Key est, lorida with Jerry Jeff alker in 1 1 that would give Jimmy the inspiration to merge his musicality, wanderlust and storytelling.
Key est in the 1 s was not the tourist-friendly town it is today – it was the last outpost of smugglers, con-men, artists and free-spirits who simply couldn’t run any further south in the mainland nited States. It was there that the young musician thrown into the midst of this eclectic mix found his true voice as a songwriter - telling the stories of the wanderers, the adventurers and the forlorn.
In 1 , his song “Come Monday from the fourth studio album “Living and Dying in ¾ Time” entered the Billboard charts, eventually peaking at number 30. That year found Jimmy touring solo-acoustic and performing at well-known folk venues across the country, from the Troubadour in Los Angeles to Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts. e hasn’t stopped touring since.
And then in 1 came “Margaritaville. A laid-back anthem about escapism and life in the tropics, the song spent 22 weeks on the Billboard chart, peaking at number 8. It catapulted Jimmy to national fame and, nearly a decade later, inspired Jimmy to launch a business empire.
After studio albums, New ork Times bestselling books, a Broadway play, numerous movie and television appearances, rammy nominations and Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards, it was still the music that inspired Jimmy. He was just as likely to pop up and play an impromptu set alone at a Caribbean beach bar as he was to be on stage in front of 30,000 loyal ‘Parrothead’ fans.
And after logging millions of miles on the road, on the ocean and in the air, distant ports still beckoned and the same unbridled curiosity drove him to keep looking for that next story to share via song.
he’dJIMMY BUFFETT (Screenshot/YouTube CBS Mornings)
It’s a paradox that the Hollywood system, which spent decades erasing anything that seemed remotely “queer” from its product, could also be responsible for one of the most essential movies in the ueer film canon – but it did. It could be considered even more remarkable that it could have happened with a movie utterly devoid of explicit or even implied ueer content – and still, it did.
f course, the movie we’re talking about – “ unny irl, which celebrates the 55th anniversary of its release on Sept. 1 – did feature Barbra Streisand, but while the multi-hyphenate megastar may have had her share of ueer fans before the film was made, it was her stunning big screen reprisal of the Broadway role she had originated that was arguably responsible for turning her into a ueer icon in the first place.
evisiting the film today, it’s impossible not to recogni e the absolute, world-shifting power of Streisand’s performance. In playing real-life iegfeld star anny Brice onstage she had found the perfect match of performer to material; like Brice, she was a talented “ugly duckling” with Jewish immigrant roots and a determination to achieve her dreams, and the obvious parallels in their backgrounds — combined with her remarkable gifts as a singer and actress, of course — brought enough authority and authenticity to her performance to literally make her an overnight Broadway sensation. In translating that performance to the screen four years later, she became a superstar, already well on her way toward a groundbreaking future as one of the most powerful women in the entertainment industry.
Still, a generation of gay men didn’t embrace Streisand, or her debut screen performance, simply because she seemed almost supernaturally talented, nor did they do so out of solidarity with a feminist cause; as with most queer cultural touchstones of generations past, “ unny irl became iconic to the gay community not so much because of what it (or its star) presented on the surface, but because of an unmistakably universal subtext about the struggle of being an outsider in a world that devalues going against the grain. The e perience of anny Brice, as an “unbeautiful” performer in a sea of classically lovely showgirls, was – in the mind’s eye, at least – not too far removed from that of countless queer people who yearned to shine without having to pretend to be something else; combined with the unstoppable force of Streisand’s charisma, her story became not ust relatable, but empowering. Already well-accustomed to identifying vicariously through “straight” narratives in the movies, gay men could easily make the leap to seeing themselves reflected in this one, and thanks in no
small part to the irrepressible persona of its leading lady, they liked what they saw.
There are other elements that strike ueer chords, too, such as the undeniable appeal of the movie’s plot, a showbi melodrama about a doomed backstage love affair that bears only marginal similarities to the real-life story of Brice’s relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein he’s a suave “bad boy,” and their attraction simmers with the kind of “forbidden” chemistry that comes when we feel the spark of passion with somebody we’re not supposed to. That makes it irresistible, of course, and it doesn’t hurt that Arnstein is played by the impossibly attractive mar Sharif, who had already embodied a subtextual queer romance onscreen opposite Peter ’Toole in “Lawrence of Arabia. Besides that, the story’s theatrical setting naturally evokes rumination on the challenge of making “the show go on” even when our private worlds are falling apart, which had perhaps even more resonance with gay people accustomed to “keeping up appearances” in their closeted lives in 1 than it does today.
But all these threads can be found in countless movies, going back to the earliest days of the art form, and though some of them may have earned a place on the list of queer-favorite classics, few are held up as high as this one – and while the Streisand magic is part of the reason why, it was the man behind the camera who captured it on film. By the time he directed “ unny irl, illiam yler was a ollywood legend. e rose to prominence making westerns in the silent era and went on to hone his mastery of filmcraft in a career that covered almost every genre he had helmed three Oscar-winning Best Pictures, earned eleven nominations for Best Director, and was renowned for his ability to coax career-topping performances from his actors. Indeed, many of them won or were nominated for their own scars for appearing in his films – including Audrey epburn, who won for her film debut, his 1 5 rom-com “ oman oliday. hat he hadn’t done, yet, was make a musical – and though hearing loss made him doubt his ability to direct one, he recogni ed Streisand’s raw potential and was excited by the chance to guide another talented performer to stardom. e took the ob.
The decades of accumulated e perience he brought to it are evident in every frame of the film. The imagery is artfully shot, flawlessly composed, and endlessly beautiful to look at; awash in a mix of soft pastels and vivid pop colors, it seamlessly merges old Hollywood with new, blending long-practiced styles and techniques with the intuitive vibrance of contemporary filmmaking – something particularly notable in the handling of the musical numbers, which vary from the elaborately stagebound Busby Berkely-inspired iegfeld ollies numbers to the e pansively cinematic (and still-breathtaking) helicopter shot of Streisand singing on a moving train in “Don’t Rain on My Parade. Perhaps more important than any of his visual stylings, his instincts for character-driven storytelling allow him to combine the nostalgia of the golden age with the more permissive sophistication that had begun to dominate movies as the old studio system faded into the past – something that Streisand, e uding a more candid combination of vulnerability and sensuality than the screen stars of yler’s heyday were allowed, helped to make thrillingly palpable.
It was a fortuitous moment for both director and star, who – both renowned as perfectionists – reportedly clashed often on the set but established a deep and lasting respect and friendship for each other. Like former yler stars Bette Davis and Laurence livier, Streisand credited the director for teaching her how to act on film, and while she would go on to deliver other powerhouse performances, she arguably never topped this one. Indeed, she won the scar for it, ust as yler had hoped – and he picked up his own twelfth Best Director nod, a record number of nominations which still stands today.
So, when you celebrate the 55th anniversary of “ unny irl by watching it again for the umpteenth time, perhaps it’s worth paying a little special attention to the love and craftsmanship that illiam yler put into it. It might be a vehicle for a breakout star who owns every second of it, but it’s also an impeccably made piece of cinema, which is why it remains iconic for queer audiences even in an era when direct queer representation has supplanted vicarious “coded depictions of ueer e perience.
English landowner, diarist and businesswoman Anne Lister (1791-1840) married her last partner Ann Walker in a marriage ceremony at Holy Trinity Church in Goodramgate, York. This is considered by many to be the first lesbian marriage in England, and likely, the world.
Lister, born in a landowning family at Shibden in Calderdale, West Riding of Yorkshire, who’s been called “the first modern lesbian, is having a moment. In two seasons in 2019 and 2022, “ entleman Jack, a riveting series, based on Lister’s diaries, co-produced by the BBC and HBO (streaming on Max), dramatized Lister’s relationship with Walker.
By KATHI WOLFEANNOUNCEMENT
C. 2023, Little Brown $28 | 324 pages
“Learned by eart, an intriguing historical novel by Emma Donoghue is based on the true story of the queer relationship of Lister and Eliza Raine. Raine is believed to have been Lister’s first lover.
Much of the novel takes place in 1805-1806, when, at age 14 and 15, Lister and Raine were students at Miss Hargrave’s Manor School, a boarding school for girls in York.
Raine was born in Madras (now Chennai) in India. Her father, who was English, was a surgeon with the East India Company. He and an Indian woman, whom he did not legally marry, had Raine.
In an author’s note, Donoghue writes of a letter of Raine’s that refers to her as having “sprung from an illicit connection. Another letter calls aine a “lady of colour.
Raine is sent to England at age 6. After her father and mother die, she’s left an orphan with a small inheritance.
Through “ entleman Jack and her diaries (which are being digitalized), Lister, with her brilliance and charismatic personality, has become a queer culture icon.
Raine is comparatively unknown. Perhaps, for this reason, “Learned by and focuses on Raine’s point of view.
Raine arrives at the Manor School before Lister. Prior to Lister’s arrival, Raine is mousy, rule abiding.
Because Raine’s from India, she sleeps alone in a small room. Aware of unspoken racial bias (against people who are part Indian and part English), she wants to blend in – to stay out of trouble
in this school with its many rules. “She’s trained herself to wake at seven, Donoghue writes, “just before the bell.
When Lister arrives at the school, Raine’s world and personality are transformed. Lister, known even at this young age for being too smart for her own good, is assigned to room with Raine — isolated from the other girls — in the tiny room they call “the Slope.
Donoghue skillfully illuminates how the girls’ friendship becomes sexual, passionate first love.
One day, Lister and Raine, who call each other by their last names, alone in a church, conduct a marriage ceremony for themselves.
“Learned by eart is heartbreaking because its chapters are intertwined with letters that Raine writes to Lister in 1815.
It’s clear from this correspondence that Lister has (and will have) other lovers than Raine. And, that, sadly, Raine is writing from what is then called an “insane asylum.
As is evident from “The Pull of The Stars, and her other historical novels, Donoghue has an unerring talent for creating fascinating tales out of true stories.
Unfortunately, as so often happens, Lister, the bad, outrageous girl, is far more interesting than Raine. Raine frequently comes across as loyal, passionate, but too needy and clingy. As Lister’s Barbara Stanwyck to Raine’s June Cleaver.
“There’s nothing noble about Anne Lister..., Donoghue wrote of Lister in “The uardian. Lister had the sexual ethics of a bonobo, Donoghue continued, “lying to every lover as a matter of policy.
Yet, Lister is Donoghue’s hero. “Because she looked into her heart and wrote about what she found there with unflinching precision, Donoghue wrote in her “ uardian essay.
“I love and only love the fairer sex and thus beloved by them in turn, my heart revolts from any love but theirs, Lister wrote in a coded entry in her diary on Oct. 29, 1820. (Lister wrote one-sixth of her diaries in code to hide from homophobic eyes.)
“Learned by eart is a moving, entertaining read. Raine’s story along with Lister’s should be told. Even the clingy can be unsung heroes.
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