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Where do homeless LGBTQ+ youth go? A closer look at a system of hate By: Nicole Lashomb* TRT Editor-in-Chief
I
OPINION
f LGBTQ+ kids are being kicked out of their homes and states are not allowing same-sex couples to adopt them, then where do the children go? According to a recent University of Chicago study, the LGBTQ+ homelessness is not going away any time soon as the numbers indicate extraordinary disproportionate rates of LGBTQ+ youth being forced to live on the streets in many cases. “LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. Right off the bat, these young people are presented with an uneven playing field,” the study found. An non-profit organization, True Colors United, is “working to level that field so that LGBTQ+ youth are no more likely to experience homelessness than anyone else,” its website read. “We’ve seen this higher risk reflected in our own research (https://bit.ly/3v2fozg). It’s estimated that about 7% of youth in the United States are LGBTQ+, while 40% of youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ+.” The disproportionate rates are not unique to recent years. LGBTQ+ youth homelessness has been an issue for decades. Beginning with The Rainbow Times inaugural edition (https://bit.ly/33VgAbV) in 2007, we ran a 3-part piece addressing local LGBTQ+ youth homelessness at the time. During the research for that piece, we had the pleasure of getting to know some great teens that wanted to share their story with us. Some made it to
IF YOU DO NOT VALUE YOU CHILD’S LIFE ENOUGH TO LOVE & ACCEPT THEM IN YOUR HOME FOR WHO THEY ARE AND INSTEAD ABANDON THEM TO THE WOLVES, THEN YOU AREN’T “PRO-LIFE,” YOU ARE PRO-BIRTH. AND, THAT’S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. foster care and were adopted. However, a larger percentage of others bounced through the system only to be verbally and/or sexually abused, and in some cases, kicked out of their foster homes for their sexual orientation or gender identity, they said to The Rainbow Times then. Whenever I think of stories like the many we’ve heard throughout the years about LGBTQ+ youth and the hardships they face, I cannot help but also think about all of the folks that identify as “pro-life.” In several cases, it is not uncommon for kids to be tossed out of their homes by their parents; many of whom are “pro-life.” If you can toss your child onto the streets for who they are, then can you really claim to be “pro-life?” If you do not value you child’s life enough to love and accept them in your home for who they are and instead abandon them to the wolves, then you aren’t “pro-life,” you are pro-birth. And, that’s an important distinction. Citing religious freedom, many adop-
tion agencies can now turn away samesex parents from adopting, even the most marginalized among LGBTQ+ youth. However, Weston Charles-Gallo, a gay youth who was kicked out of his native home by his father and later adopted by two gay men testified in Congress on just how detrimental this exclusion (https://bit.ly/2Qvh4lI) practice is for LGBTQ+ youth and non-traditional families. “My father was the deacon of the church and my mom was a member of the choir,” said Charles-Gallo in a report by LGBTQ Nation (https://bit.ly/3owJF71). “I was taught that being gay doesn’t fit with worshipping God. I knew that I was gay at a really young age but my family deemed it an abomination.” And, although his family was a family of “faith,” Charles-Gallo said that his father was “abusive and that he got kicked out when he came out at age 14,” according to the same report (https://bit.ly/3owJF71). Charles-Gallo, explained his experi-
Loneliness, isolation as an LGBTQ+ spiritual being; Part I By: Paul P. Jesep* TRT Columnist
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FAITH, GOD & FAMILY
t should be no surprise to anyone. Loneliness and social isolation are a national healthcare epidemic. According to the federal government’s Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA - https://bit.ly/3wgk70v), loneliness and social isolation “can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day … two in five Americans report that they sometimes or always feel their social relationships are not meaningful, and one in five say they feel lonely or socially isolated.” Left untreated, they impact mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing. They can cause or enhance depression or melancholy. Stroke, depression, heart disease, and premature mortality, among other things can be the result of loneliness and isolation too. Overeating and substance abuse are the readily accessible medications of choice to temporarily escape the void loneliness and social isolation bring. Sometimes, staying in a bad relationship is an unhealthy way to manage isolation and loneliness.
It’s an unwanted part of the human experience. Isolation and loneliness may also result from old age, living a closeted life, fighting a rare disease, or moving to a new location with no friends or family nearby. You can be partnered and still feel removed and alone. You can be a movie star or the handsome athlete with only fair-weathered friends. You can exemplify success and still feel like an outsider looking in who never belongs. Even if an out or semi-out LGBTQ+ person is sharing their personhood with the world they can still feel isolated. No one needs to be physically alone to feel lonely or isolated. Our minds can be our greatest prisons. Some in the LGBTQ+ community may have the added burdens of a disability like autism (https://bit.ly/34cHDj7), deafness (https://bit.ly/3u1THhv), or another seen or unseen challenge. Isolation and loneliness hit the LGBTQ+ community particularly hard for a variety of reasons. In the LGBTQ+ community there are higher rates of illness stemming from bullying, ridicule, feeling left out or disengaged. The Trevor Project (https://bit.ly/3fvTjm5) found that 40% of youth have “seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months, with more than half of trans-
gender and non-binary youth having seriously considered suicide.” Suicide among LGBTQ+ youth is well above the national average. In the April 2021, The Rainbow Times cited a study (https://bit.ly/3bXHAvR) by The Fenway Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital where “82.5% of those who have detransitioned attribute their decision [to detransition] to at least one external factor such as pressure from family, non-affirming school environments, and increased vulnerability to violence, including sexual assault.” Getting old and being LGBTQ+ can be overwhelming at times. Independently of physical decline and the financial challenges from working less if at all from the aging (https://bit.ly/3frMYbk) process, loneliness and a greater awareness of isolation are exacerbated. They can seem cruel. Michael Hobbes authored “Alone the Epidemic of Gay Loneliness (https://bit.ly/3ym3YIG),” is worth a careful read because it may speak to everyone reading this column for different reasons. Chances are you’ve experienced loneliness and social isolation at some point in your life, or you may be one of those who are now fighting loneRead the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com
ence to Congress and shared his truth, bringing another perspective to the debate, one that is a conflict between LGBTQ+ youth and religious minority parents and religious institutions. He also testified that he is gay as well and due to his sexual orientation, he had difficulty finding a family to live with. “When I entered foster care, I was open about my sexuality; that later became a concern in finding a placement,” Charles-Gallo said according to LGBTQ Nation (https://bit.ly/3owJF71). “A social worker told him that several potential families didn’t want him placed with them because they thought he would ‘turn the other children gay or be a predator.’” At 15, Charles-Gallo was notified he had been placed with a family comprised of two dads and 6 siblings. That changed his life forever. “My dads showed me what it was like to witness a true marriage and live a normal life, expressing the meaning of Read the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com
Multiple Award Winning
The Rainbow Times The Largest LGBTQIA+ Newspaper in New England—Boston Based TheRainbowTimesMass.com editor@therainbowtimesmass.com sales@therainbowtimesmass.com Phone: 617.444.9618 Fax: 928.437.9618 Publisher Graysen M. Ocasio Editor-In-Chief Nicole Lashomb Assistant Editor Mike Givens National/Local Sales Rivendell Media Liz Johnson Lead Photographers Steve Jewett Christine M. Hurley Photographer Jenna Joyce Reporters
Mike Givens Chris Gilmore Audrey Cole Crossword Puzzle Artist/Designer Luciano Spanto Ad & Layout Design Prizm PR Webmaster Jarred Johnson Columnistst Lorelei Erisis Deja N. Greenlaw Paul P. Jesep Mike Givens Keegan O’Brien* *Guest Columnist
The Rainbow Times is published monthly by The Rainbow Times, LLC. TRT is an award-winning publication that started printing in late 2006. The 1st print issue was published in Feb. 2007. The articles written by the writers, columnists, and correspondents solely express their opinion, and do not represent the endorsement or opinion of The Rainbow Times, LLC or its owners. Send letters to the editor with your name, address and phone number to The Rainbow Times (address shown above), or e-mail any comment/s to the editor-in-chief at: editor@therainbowtimesmass.com. All submissions will be edited according to space constraints. The Rainbow Times, LLC reserves the right not to print any or all content or advertisements for any reason at all. TRT is not responsible for advertising content. To receive The Rainbow Times at your home via regular mail, or through electronic delivery, please visit its website. The whole content and graphics (photos, etc.) are the sole property of The Rainbow Times, LLC and they cannot be reproduced at all without TRT’s written consent. The appearance of names or photographic representations in TRT does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation or gender identity of the named or depicted individuals.
May 13, 2021 - June 9, 2021
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Mikayla Miller’s lynching still unsolved Mikayla’s mother, Senators Markey & Warren, Rep. Pressley, others call for independent investigation By: Audrey Cole TRT Reporter
IN THE LIMELIGHT
HOPKINTON, Mass.—A month after Mikayla Miller, a black LGBTQ+ teenager, was found dead in Hopkinton, tied to a tree — belt around her neck — her case locally, as her mother said, has gone nowhere. Miller’s mother wants an independent investigation to uncover the truth about what happened to her daughter. Mikayla, 16, died on April 18 in her suburban hometown, one day after her mother, Calvina Strothers, said she was jumped by a group of five white teenagers. Strothers wants answers from a police department in a town known to be affluent and whose population of 15K — according to the Census 2010 — is mostly white. The town is about 30 miles west of Boston and is known as the place where the Boston Marathon starts each year. According to a former statement by Strothers, the police showed little interest in investigating Mikayla’s death from the start and allegedly threatened Strothers with exposing her daughter’s sexuality publically if she reported the matter to the media. A press release by the National Black Justice Coalition, NBJC, stated that Strothers believes that a similar case involving a white child would have received immediate attention. Much has been written and said about the current U.S. law enforcement system’s foundation as one originating from a systemic racist structure that has often left crimes perpetrated against people of color — black people more so — unsolved. “To be clear, the legal system in America remains deeply unjust,” Mass. Representative Ayanna Pressley, said in a former press release about this topic (https://bit.ly/2Rjx8aR). On May 5th, Pressley tweeted that she supported Strothers’ call for an independent investigation to look into what happened to Mikayla in Hopkinton. “Mikayla Miller deserved to grow old. She had so many basketball games, road trips and HBCU homecomings ahead of her. She deserved childhood — uninterrupted,” Pressley tweeted on May 5th. “There needs to be a full, transparent, independent investigation into her death.” Rally early on Hundreds of people rallied while chanting “say her name” and holding signs reading “Black Lives Matter” for yet another black life taken in the country, but this time the site of such a crime hits closer to home. Former City Councilor Tito Jackson and Violence in Boston and now the family’s spokesperson, Monica Cannon-Grant, led the rally, according to WBZ Boston. “I don’t want to be a vigilante in this; I don’t want to have to spend all day on the phone getting and passing along evidence in order for justice to be served,”
PHOTO: CALVINA STROTHERS
Strothers told the attendees, according to CBS Boston. “What I want is for the criminal justice system to work.” Don’t go to the media “[Mikayla] Miller’s mother has stated that police told her not to go to the media because doing so would ‘out’ her daughter as LGBTQ. Such an allegation is appalling,” said GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, GLAD, Senior Staff Attorney Polly Crozier via a statement on May 7. “As Ms. Strothers said at the vigil and rally yesterday, Mikayla’s LGBTQ status was known. She was a much-loved and cherished child in all of her many dimensions. Anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimination destroys lives and devastates communities. We must address it swiftly, seek accountability and work relentlessly for change.” Other organization officials also issued similar statements and support a few days prior. “The way that we come into our sexual identities is deeply personal and young people, in particular, deserve the protection and support required to find complete comfort in who they are and how they show up in the world. The fact that police officers potentially sought to weaponize Mikayla’s sexuality in addition to abdicating the responsibility they have to investigate her murder saddens and enrages me,” said David J. Johns, executive director of the NBJC, a leading national civil rights organization. Preferential treatment? Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan held a press conference earlier this month in which she stated that Mikayla’s cause of death had not been determined and that the investigation into both Mikayla’s death and her assault the day before is ongoing. Ryan denied the case was neglected because of Miller’s race or sexuality. Yet, for a black woman and a mother, the case is representative of something else and the fact that she is still waiting for answers reinforces those thoughts. “The reason this town is considered one of the safest in America, in my opinion, is not because crimes do not occur, but because crime is only selectively reported in this community,” Strothers said as reported by the Boston Globe, as the crowd applauded. In tears, she noted what she had to do while also mourning her child’s death— a loss that was heightened by the circumstances surrounding it, the way in which her daughter died and how it was allegedly treated by local authorities.
See Mikayla Miller on Page 7
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Boston Pride boycott grows: GLAD joins TNLR, Boston Sisters, etc. NYC Pride, in the meantime, has revamped its board; put out bold statement banning NYPD from Pride events diate and overwhelming,” said JP Delgado Galdamez, Communications Associate at The Network/La Red via a release sent to The Rainbow Times after the mass resignation took place. “Many of us know, from personal experiences, that Boston Pride wasn’t committed to supporting Black Lives Matter, and that was reinforced in the way the first statement was written. And I guess I was a little bit of a fool for believing that they would, by their own morals, support Black Lives Matter, as one of the members of their board is Deborah Drew, Secretary of the Massachusetts branch of the Log Cabin Republicans.”
By: Audrey Cole TRT Reporter
IN THE LIMELIGHT
BOSTON—This month, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) joined in solidarity with Black trans leaders and former Boston Pride volunteers in calling for transformation at the Boston Pride organization. “Pride is about protest, celebration, and community and should be a welcoming, safe space for all,” read GLAD’s statement. “Boston deserves a Pride in which Black and POC LGBTQ+ community members have a strong voice in leadership and which works to address the issues causing harm to our community, including systemic racism and police violence. “Guided by our organizational values (https://bit.ly/3bwjU12) of justice and lived equality; inclusion, equity, and mutual respect; collaboration; and anti-racism, GLAD will not be participating in official Boston Pride, BP, events in 2021. In solidarity with Trans Resistance MA and Pride 4 the People, GLAD supports the Trans Resistance March and Vigil for Black Trans Lives (https://bit.ly/3yjWZzN) taking place on June 12.” Boston Pride’s problems In June 2020, BP came under fire after an initial official statement about Black
PHOTO: TRT ARCHIVES/2012
Lives Matter’s protesters and police brutality backfired. Their actions involve a series of events including what has been explained as a “unilateral decision to remove any reference of Black Lives Matter” from an official “statement on police brutality after the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade.” That alleged covert move lead to the resignation of 80 percent of Boston Pride’s volunteer workforce in June 2020, according to a former statement from Jo Triglio (they/them), former Boston Pride Communications team and co-founder of Pride 4 The People (P4TP). In July 2020, BP was contacted by Boston Pride 4 The People — founded by resigned committee chairs and vol-
unteers of Boston Pride — and they demanded “BP’s board of directors step down citing a long history of allegations of racism and transphobia stemming from the board leadership,” according to a previous report by The Rainbow Times (https://bit.ly/3onaiv3). “[We] want to preserve Pride, but refocus back on the community,” said Triglio in 2020 — a resigned member who was also selected as the Boston Pride Grand Marshal in 2018. “We want to address issues that affect our community — racism, white privilege, transphobia, etc. The purpose of Pride 4 the People is to bring Pride back to the people.” And others, too, denounced the BP’s lack of support for Black Lives Matter. “The community response was imme-
BP’s staunch stance In Dec. 2020, to clarify BP’s stance and get answers about what Boston Pride had “learned from the process” they claimed to have undergone without meeting with community members, The Rainbow Times sent Linda DeMarco, BP’s President, six direct questions (found at https://bit.ly/33U3dbT - added for transparency purposes). DeMarco circumvented the questions and instead provided a nearly identical statement as the one found on their release (https://bit.ly/3eVLA1O), focusing on the evolution of the organization, an evolution they did not explain to The Rainbow Times when given the platform to do so. “Boston Pride is continuing the ongoing transformation process and the Letter to Our Community issued last
See Boston Pride On Page 6
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Boston Pride From Page 5 week speaks for itself, as does the information put on the website to address the issues facing our organization and our community,” read ‘DeMarco’s’ only reply to the questions asked. “As we said, we’ve heard the concerns of our community, who were disappointed by the Boston Pride Board’s actions this summer, and we’ve been working hard over the last several months to address those concerns in a comprehensive manner.
Rainbow PrideDoku To our readers, we hope you enjoy a little Rainbow Sudoku in preparation for Pride Season 2021 and to de-stress a bit too! The solution is to the right. Enjoy! —TRT
power over communities and taking money from corporations to recycle the same parade and parties every year.” According to Casey Dooley (2020) — a resigned Chair for Black Pride, an arm to Boston Pride — the current Boston Pride board does not prioritize the needs of marginalized communities (https://bit.ly/2Z8ZGVl). “The bottom line is that the board is not interested in centering the issues and concerns of Black and Latinx Pride,” Dooley said to TRT then. “They [Black and Latinx Pride] are underfunded and
TO DATE, BOSTON PRIDE’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS COMPRISED OF 5 WHITE MEMBERS: LINDA DEMARCO (PRES.), MARTHA PLAZA (CLERK), MALCOLM CAREY (TREASURER), DEBORAH DREW (MEMBER) & TINA ROSADO (MEMBER). “Transformation is a process and Boston Pride will continue to evolve as our community evolves. We are creating a process that is interactive, representative of our community, transparent, impactful, and sustainable. We need broader representation throughout our community, and we are prioritizing the representation of Queer, Transgender/Gender non-binary, Black, Latinx, Indigenous and other people of color on our board, on our committees and at our events.” More organizations denounce BP In Feb. 2021, The Network La Red and The Boston Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence (https://bit.ly/3hy9bHp) also joined the boycott of Boston Pride via a statement. Watch the video of the Sisters here (https://bit.ly/3hwiLdI). “The Boston Pride Board’s actions are abusive towards our community and just like most abusers, they use any way out to avoid being held accountable. This most recent effort by the board, hiring a firm to educate them on the ways they uphold oppression, is the last of many attempts to show how much they have changed; however, the board itself has not changed and neither have their actions,” read some of the statement published by TRT. “Boston Pride is not an organization that follows the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and the many LGBTQ+ trailblazers that fought for our rights, but rather, a group exercising
neglected because they are not priorities for this board.” NYC Pride evolves; no police allowed In contrast, NYC Pride in September 2020 through Heritage of Pride, Inc. (HOP, the organization that produces the official NYC Pride events), appointed a new, diverse Executive Board elected by the organization’s membership. The Board is now encompassed of “eight people of color, four women, and one non-binary individual,” read their release then. That Executive Board, they added, is among the most diverse in the organization’s history. “Our membership has spoken, electing one of the most diverse Heritage of Pride Boards ever,” said André Thomas, newly elected Co-Chair of the organization. “Our members realize this moment requires new voices with more diverse, lived experiences — and while we are proud to see people of color make up over half of the Board for the first time, we know we still have work to do concerning trans, female and bisexual representation within our membership as well as our Board.” NYC Pride announced the creation and launching of new policies that “address the presence of law enforcement and NYPD at Pride events in New York.” Seeking to create safer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities at a time when violence against
See Boston Pride on Page 10
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NYC Pride addresses NYPD presence at Pride Org. challenge law enforcement to acknowledge their harm & to correct it NEW YORK— Effective immediately, NYC Pride will ban corrections and law enforcement exhibitors at NYC Pride events until 2025. At that time, the Community Relations and Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion committees, as well as the Executive Board will review their participation. In the meantime, NYC Pride will transition to providing increased community-based security and first responders, while simultaneously taking steps to reduce NYPD presence at events. NYC Pride announced its new policies to address the presence of law enforcement and NYPD at Pride events in New York. NYC Pride seeks to create safer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities at a time when violence against marginalized groups, specifically BIPOC and trans communities, has continued to escalate. The sense of safety that law enforcement is meant to provide can instead be threatening, and at times dangerous, to those in our community who are most often targeted with excessive force and/or without reason. NYC Pride is unwilling to contribute in any way to creating an atmosphere of fear or harm for members of the community. The steps being taken by the organization challenge law enforcement to acknowledge their harm and to correct course moving forward, in hopes of making an impactful change. “This announcement follows many months of conversation and discussion with key stakeholders in the com-
PHOTO: MIKE VON / UNSPLASH
munity,” said NYC Pride Co-Chair André Thomas. “We would like to extend our thanks to the Anti-Violence Project which provided invaluable advice and counsel to help us take these important steps. We are also grateful for
the contributions of David J. Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition, Anita Dolce Vita, Owner, Creative Director, and Editorin-Chief of DapperQ, Shijuade Kadree, Principal and Founder, Compass Strategies Consulting, LLC, and Devin Norelle, model, advocate, and writer for their guidance in helping to inform these changes.” NYPD is not required to lead first response and security at NYC Pride events. All aspects of first response and security that can be reallocated to trained private security, community leaders, and volunteers will be reviewed. An increased budget for security and first response will allow NYC Pride to independently build a first response emergency plan using private security and provide safety volunteers with de-escalation training for first response when necessary. NYPD will provide first response and security only when absolutely necessary as mandated by city officials. In these instances, NYC Pride will review foreseeable NYPD involvement and, in partnership with surrounding venue precincts, take steps to keep police officers at least one city block away from event perimeter areas where possible. NYC Pride does not currently mention, spotlight, interview, or otherwise promote law enforcement across its social media channels, digital content, Pride Guide, or any other owned media. Read the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com
Mikayla Miller From page 4 “I’ve had to not only be the grieving mother but also put pressure on Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan, who I did not hear from until 12 days after Mikayla’s death,” Strothers said to the Globe in tears. “I don’t want to have to spend all day on the phone getting evidence and passing it along in order for justice to be served. What I want is for the criminal justice system to work.” Ryan said they were exploring all leads in the case earlier this month. As of last week, they still did not have answers about it. Other teens involved? Miller was last seen on April 17 and had allegedly been in a quarrel with a group of teen boys and girls, Ryan said to another publication. The incident, though reported to the police, was not investigated, according to a Hopkinton Police public blog (https://bit.ly/3bB6dxQ). The teenager was supposedly having a romantic relationship with one of the girls, reported Boston’s Fox News. Strothers mentioned that she thought her daughter had been persuaded to go out with them that night. Miller was a gifted student and talented athlete who dreamed of attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU) and becoming a journalist. She has been described as beautiful, passionate, and a loving daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and friend. In a GoFundMe campaign Read the rest of this story at: TheRainbowTimesMass.com
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FLAGS PHOTO: CECILIE JOHNSEN / UNSPLASH
MED. PHOTO: MYRIAM ZILLES
May 13, 2021 - June 9, 2021
Pres. Biden restores LGBTQ+ health protections via ACA Honoring campaign promises, President Joe Biden earlier this week signed an executive order restoring health care protections to LGBTQ+ Americans. The action prompted immediate gratitude from the millions of Americans that were singled out and persecuted under his predecessor’s time in office. “The announcement by HHS to reverse discriminatory policy that sought to allow health care providers to refuse to treat LGBTQ people is the latest indicator that this administration is committed to dignity and respect for all Americans,” said Kasey Suffredini, CEO and National Campaign Director of Freedom for All Americans (https://bit.ly/2SZ77Ov). “The previous policy put LGBTQ people, and particularly transgender Americans, at risk of being unable to access lifesaving health care.” The order will also include the latest Supreme Court ruling in the Bostock v. Clayton County (https://bit.ly/3frQTVr), whose ruling added that sex discrimination would also include sexual orientation and gender identity protections. In Bostock — 590 U.S. (2020) — a landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case, the Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender people from employers’ discrimination. Last year the High Court also delivered a watershed victory for LGBTQ rights and a defeat for the Trump administration, when it ruled that an established federal law excluding workplace discrimination also protected gay and transgender employees. “The Supreme Court has made clear that people have a right not to be discriminated against on the basis of sex and receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation,” read Health and Human Secretary, Xavier Becerra’s statement. Biden’s health care EO The American Medical Association, AMA, was also in agreement with the Biden administration’s termination of the eleventh hour discriminatory effort set by the Trump administration just weeks prior to losing the election to Pres. Biden. “The Biden administration did the right thing by terminating a short-lived effort to allow discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation when seek-
ing health care,” said Susan R. Bailey, M.D., President, AMA. Echoing similar sentiments, GLAD Law released a statement about the executive order. “We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for its affirmation that access to health care without discrimination is a matter of equity and fairness and is critical to individual wellbeing,” said GLAD Executive Director, Janson Wu, via a statement. “We hear frequently from LGBTQ people reporting discrimination they experience in healthcare settings and programs, including insurance coverage, and we know that such discrimination leads to negative health
“FEAR OF DISCRIMINATION CAN LEAD INDIVIDUALS TO FORGO CARE, WHICH CAN HAVE
SERIOUS NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES.” outcomes in our community.” Wu also mentioned that health care rights and protections should not change at all, from president to president. “It is welcome news that the Office of Civil Rights will enforce the law to address anti-LGBTQ discrimination,” Wu added. “ … The degree to which people can count on their ability to access healthcare free from discrimination should not depend on who is in the White House.” Obamacare According to Becerra, the action will Read the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website
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American Idol David Hernandez releases inclusive love letter “ILY.” New release is not pronoun specific and that, according to Hernandez, was intentional By: David Luhrs Special to TRT
A
dez’s love interest in the video. He also choreographed the dance sequence that he taught to David in two days. “I had never danced so much in my career!” David laughed as he commented on the intense dancing routine. “Benji is an incredible and patient teacher. He made the experience much less stressful and really helped me to connect the movement to the music. “ In turn, Schwimmer had words of praise toward Hernandez and his devotion to his art. “Talent is a funny thing,” B e n j i Schwimmer reflects from his LA home. “It sometimes means you have to deal with personalities that aren’t the easiest to get along with because it goes hand O:B OT PH
ILLARD OBBY QU
merican Idol’s David Hernandez will release “ILY.”, a new summer anthem that is perfect for the Pride season, on May 21. Cowritten with Stewart Taylor and produced by Alex Teamer and Push Kahlon, its powerful message is one of inclusion and how it is vital that we love one another for who and what we are. “ILY. is not pronoun specific and that was intentional,” Hernandez points out. The initial pre-chorus was written as “I wouldn’t be the man I am if it weren’t for you.” Hernandez changed the line to “I wouldn’t be who I am, if it weren’t for you.” “I want everyone to be able to identify with the song’s message. We are lacking inclusion in music and it needs to be recognized because inclusion inspires understanding and humanizes our experiences,” Hernandez said of “ILY.” The single is being distributed independently and is available now on Apple Music, Spotify, Tik Tok, Amazon, and all other major e-music retailers. Its music video is on YouTube. It is important to David Hernandez that we normalize the LGBTQ experience, and instill in everyone that love is love, regardless of race, gender [identity], or sexual orientation. “Growing up, I was only taught the dynamic and gender roles between a man and a woman,” Hernandez explained. “There was never any rule or
guide book on how two men can coexist in a romantic relationship. Navigating it on my own has been challenging, especially when many people in the world still continue to view same-sex relationships as not normal.” The “ILY.” video, shot by Arno Diem, depicts two people in a relationship that are struggling with each other’s shortcomings and insecurities. They visit a therapist, played by trans actress, Alexa Abraxas, and discover that through the heartache, they share a common thread of love for one another and that for many, it’s the obstacles we overcome that make a relationship stronger. B e n j i Schwimmer from So You Think You C a n Dance plays David Hernan-
in hand with one’s genius. That was not the case with David. Here you have an artist who not only can sing the roof off but also was on time for every rehearsal, practiced till we both were hot sweaty messes and never stopped seeking the best solutions to the project at hand. Beyond all of that, David is just an awesome, humble person, and it was a true pleasure to be able to move and create with someone I now call friend.” Hernandez (https://bit.ly/33PANjb) began singing at age six, starring in musicals and performing with various theatre companies. At fifteen, he started writing original music and recording his arrangements. In addition to American Idol, he has showcased his talents on The Ellen Show, The Today Show, MTV’s TRL, EXTRA, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Teen Choice Awards, Idol Tonight, FOX-TV’s Idol Gives Back. He was named among TV Guides’ Sexiest Stars and opened for John Legend at President Barack Obama’s Inauguration. His previous single, Beautiful, released in 2016 became a Billboard Top 200 Dance Chart hit. He has released two full-length albums, 2011’s I Am Who I Am and most recently, KINGDOM: THE MIXTAPE, an album that included twenty original tracks, many of which reflected on the love and loss he experienced since rising to fame on American Idol. Read the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com
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Charles Person’s “Buses Are A Comin’” By: Terri Schlichenmeyer* Special to TRT
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THE BOOKWORM
our seat has been reserved. You’re excited about this trip, but also nervous; you’ve never been where you’re going and you hope this is a one-and-done trip. Still, going there is necessary for you and for the future so grab your bags. Author Charles Person says “The Buses Are A Comin’” and you’re on-board. He didn’t know it then, but Charles Person grew up in poverty. His family was rich in love, wealthy at mealtimes, affluent when it came to lessons, they had an abundance of fun, but he was in tenth grade before he realized that his extended family lived in a tenement on the south side of Atlanta, in Buttermilk Bottom. His father worked two full-time jobs to make ends meet. His mother was a domestic and, in effect, had “two families.” He’d never thought about the facts until then, and it shamed him. Two years later, when he was about to graduate from high school, he was enraged when he had to turn down his preferred college because of lack of money. It seemed to be the final insult after a lifetime of insults and he railed against it, until his grandfather asked Person what he was “going to do about it.” Papa demanded an answer. Person decided on an HBCU that was close to home, one he could afford. After walking three miles from his home to Morehouse, the first day was
first response and security only when absolutely necessary as mandated by marginalized groups, specifically city officials. In these instances, NYC BIPOC and trans communities, has con- Pride will review foreseeable NYPD intinued to escalate, the organization has volvement and, in partnership with surstood for the rights of the most margin- rounding venue precincts, take steps to alized in the community and beyond. To keep police officers at least one city that effect, organizers of NYC’s Pride block away from event perimeter areas parade have decided to ban police of- where possible.” ficers from participating in festivities NYC Pride is working “to increase the until 2025, according to a statement re- quality and quantity of partnerships with leased on its website community-based organizations. This (https://bit.ly/3bzPWJH). year’s roster of Pride events features a “Effective immediately, NYC Pride diverse group of speakers and prewill ban corrections and law enforce- senters, and BIPOC influencers and orment exhibitors at NYC Pride events ganizations will continue to be at the until 2025,” read some of their state- forefront of NYC Pride’s social media ment. “At that time, platforms. The dedtheir participation QPOC conRIDE icated will be reviewed by N CONTRAST tingent of the NYC the Community RePride March will be lations and DiverfeaVIA ER prominently sity, Accessibility, IN EPT tured this year and and Inclusion comin future years mittees, as well as thereafter.” ITAGE OF RIDE NC THE the Executive “NYC Pride will Board. In the meanalso commit to intime, NYC Pride creasing Black-led, will transition to ORG THAT Black-centered providing increased partnerships and escommunity-based tablishing long-term THE OFFICIAL RIDE security and first revendor relationships sponders, while siwith minoritymultaneously taking EVENTS owned businesses in A steps to reduce an effort to uplift NYPD presence at queer and BIPOCevents.” DIVERSE XECUTIVE centered organizaUnlike Boston tions.” Pride, NYC Pride listened to their OARD BY THE Boston Pride’s local stakeholders TAC and brought in to In April of this the table key organS year in Boston, BP izations lead by formed a TransforQTBIPOC people. mation Advisory “This announce- MEMBERSHIP HE OARD Committee (TAC) ment follows many aimed to, according months of convera release on their ENCOMPASSED OF to sation and discus- IS w e b s i t e sion with key (https://bit.ly/3yhstakeholders in the pIWa), “advise the EIGHT PEOPLE OF COLOR community,” said organization during Thomas. “We the ongoing transwould like to extend formation process WOMEN AND ONE our thanks to the to ensure that its viAnti-Violence Projsion, mission and ect which provided values are in alignINDIVID invaluable advice ment and in the best and counsel to help interest of the us take these impor- UAL READ THEIR RELEASE LGBTQ+ comtant steps. We are munity. One of the also grateful for the primary responsibilcontributions of AT THE TIME ities of the TAC is David J. Johns, Exto oversee the reecutive Director of cruitment of new the National Black Justice Coalition, Boston Pride board members to ensure Anita Dolce Vita, Owner, Creative Di- that the board is reflective of the diverrector, and Editor-in-Chief of DapperQ, sity of the LGBTQ+ community, and to Shijuade Kadree, Principal and ensure that the board is inclusive of all Founder, Compass Strategies Consult- people in the community.” ing, LLC, and Devin Norelle, model, In May, GLAD joined Black trans advocate, and writer for their guidance leaders, resigned and former Boston in helping to inform these changes.” Pride volunteers in calling for transfor“All aspects of first response and se- mation of the Boston Pride organization. curity that can be reallocated to trained Boston Pride’s 2021 Parade and Fesprivate security, community leaders, and tival have been postponed, according to volunteers will be reviewed. An in- its website. To date, their Board of Dicreased budget for security and first re- rectors is comprised of 5 white sponse will allow NYC Pride to members: Linda DeMarco (president), independently build a first response Martha Plaza (clerk), Malcolm Carey emergency plan using private security (treasurer), Deborah Drew (member) and provide safety volunteers with de- and Tina Rosado (member). escalation training for first response when necessary. NYPD will provide
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awkward but Person stayed. He wanted the education, wanted to follow the words of John Kennedy, who asked what he could do for his country. As it happened, at this same time, the indefatigable Civil Rights leader Lonnie King was in Atlanta, too. When told by an Atlanta department store owner to go home and take his fellow protesters with him, Lonnie vowed to come back in the fall with “thousands.” And, says Person, “I was one of them.” Sometimes, it seems that in a haste to tell the story, history glosses over a lot of details. “Buses Are A Comin’” sets many omissions straight — after it tells
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Still here,14 years later! The Rainbow Times.
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May 13, 2021 - June 9, 2021
The Bookworm From Page 10 PHOTO: DENIN LAWLEY / UNSPLASH
a tale so intimate and so filled with joycum-despair that it nearly takes your breath away. Indeed, author Charles Person tells his own story so well that you can feel the floorboards sway in his “tenement” home. Surprisingly, he writes about the many elders who didn’t want their children to march, seeing the danger; and those who did, despite it. There are details here that aren’t discussed much, and other details that add to the national story. And then Person turns “memoir into memorial” by turning his sights on Lonnie King, who was obviously a giant in Person’s eyes. King, he suggests, is one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most
unsung heroes, but Person doesn’t forget others who marched for change — including his contemporary, John Lewis. This is a book you hand to readers too young to remember the Civil Rights Movement. It honors and it sings out names. Read it because “Buses Are A Comin’“ will keep you in your seat. “Buses Are A Comin’” by Charles Person with Richard Rooker; 304 pages c.2021, St. Martin’s Press; $26.99 *The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a prairie in Wisconsin with two dogs, one patient man, and 17,000 books.
Anti-Trans law states face consequences, economic impact New polling and corporate statements show threat to state economies in backlash to anti-transgender laws
TRANS RIGHTS
WASHINGTON—Freedom For All Americans, GLAAD, Texas Competes, and Nashville LGBT Chamber warn of potential negative economic impact to states that pass anti-transgender laws, using new polling and business statements released recently. As of May 11, at least 133 anti-LGBTQ state bills have been introduced this year, including 111 bills that target transgender people—largely with a focus on attacking vulnerable transgender youth in schools. That includes at least 69 bills banning transgender youth from full participation in school sports in 33 states, and at least 42 bills that target healthcare for transgender minors in 22 states. Seven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia) have signed anti-transgender sports bans into law so far, and one state (Arkansas) has signed an anti-transgender healthcare ban into law—spurring parents of transgender youth to flee the state. In response to the state-level attacks on transgender youth, business leaders, medical associations, sports associations, and leading women’s and LGBTQ advocacy groups have spoken out in opposition to anti-transgender bills. In addition, public polling shows that the bills are overwhelmingly unpopular—even among Republican voters. When North Carolina passed the anti-transgender HB2, the worst antiLGBTQ law in the nation when it passed in 2016, the state faced a projected $3.76 billion in economic losses, according to a 2017 Associated Press analysis. That economic threat is being echoed today, as corporate leaders and consumers alike express concern over discriminatory state laws that interfere with corporate diversity and inclusion policies and consumer interests. See below for detailed corporate statements
and public polling. “The devastating anti-transgender bills filed in dozens of states this year accomplish no meaningful outcome other than to diminish the lives of transgender youth and the people who care for them,” said Kasey Suffredini, CEO and National Campaign Director of Freedom for All Americans. “Transgender youth are our friends, family members, and neighbors; and none of our nation’s children, including transgender youth, should be prohibited from receiving medically necessary health care or participating on school sports teams with their friends just because of who they are. These bills are unnecessary, opposed by our nation’s leading businesses and child welfare experts, unsupported by the broader public, and dangerous to some of our nation’s most vulnerable children. We urge state lawmakers to speak with transgender youth, their families, and child welfare experts in order to better understand what it means to be transgender; and reject this legislation.” Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, echoed Suffredini’s words. “Our most recent polling shows that LGBTQ people are ready to avoid visiting or buying from brands in states that pass discriminatory anti-trans laws,” said Ellis. “And everyone from corporate leaders and celebrities to everyday Republican voters has voiced strong opposition to state bills that target vulnerable transgender youth. It’s clear that states passing these laws will face backlash in direct and lasting ways.” And, Texas’ economic power cannot be forgotten by those going after trans people. “Texas is one of the great economic powerhouses of the country,” said Jessica Shortall, Managing Director at Texas Competes. “It's no surprise, then, that Texas Competes is the largest state business coalition in the country (nearly Read the rest of this story at TheRainbowTimesMass.com
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May 13, 2021 - June 9, 2021