Texas state troopers now follow Democratic lawmakers’ every move to ensure they vote on redistricting. So one out lawmaker led police to a Dallas drag room.
Texas state Rep. Venton Jones, the Texas House Democratic Caucus whip and one of the few out lawmakers in the Lone Star State, met with fellow Democratic state Rep. Terry Meza at the Rose Room, a gay bar in Dallas’s Oak Lawn gayborhood, according to Chron.
The lawmakers were there to meet with the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, but their attendance meant dragging police escorts into the venue.
“We are always happy to have Reps. Meza and @VentonJonesTX at meetings of @StonewallDalCo!” Todd Hill, secretary of the Stonewall Democrats chapter, posted on X. “We also hosted Congresswoman @juliejohnsonTX and her Capitol Hill police officer. We appreciate everyone’s service and support of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The escorts were ordered after lawmakers left the state, denying a quorum to Republican legislative leaders for a time to thwart a mid-decade redistricting, an effort spearheaded by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to manipulate the makeup of the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm election.
Jones was among those who left the state earlier this month. He has been outspoken against the maps. He has criticized the heavy-handed tactics used by Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows to make sure Texas Democrats don’t stall the political manipulation of boundaries any farther.
“So the Speaker of the Texas House has just elected to hold members hostage until, not flood relief is addressed, but until racist maps are voted on,” Jones posted on X last week. “Flood relief was never the mission. It was these maps. These maps can only be created by diluting the representation and voices of Black and Brown people. NOW law enforcement is continuing to be used against duly elected members force a vote.”
The June Mahmoud Vs Taylor Supreme Court Ruling has an effect on our school districts and our LGBTQIA+ youth, families and staff. Below and here is an advocacy letter template that you can use, share and send out to your local school superintendents, administrators, teachers and board members; to advocate they proceed forward in the most inclusive way. Within the letter, please note that there are helpful sample annual general notification and opt out forms as well.
The school districts that this advocacy letter has already been sent to currently are: Old Adobe Union School District, Petaluma City Schools, Waugh School District, Cotati Rohnert Park Unified School District, Santa Rosa City Schools and Harmony Unified School District.
We appreciate you all joining us to support our LGBTQIA+ community, especially those who are trans and who are being especially targeted. Love and advocacy do and will win.
Hola a todes,
Espero que estén teniendo una buen fin de semana. El fallo de la Corte Suprema en el caso Mahmoud Vs Taylor de junio tiene un impacto en nuestros distritos escolares y en nuestra juventud, familias y personal LGBTQIA+. A continuación y aqui, encontrarán una plantilla de carta de incidencia que pueden usar, compartir y enviar a sus superintendentes escolares locales, administradores, maestros y miembros de la junta; para abogar porque sigan adelante de la manera más inclusiva posible. Dentro de la carta, tengan en cuenta que también se incluyen ejemplos útiles de notificación general anual y formularios de exclusión.
Los distritos escolares a los que ya se ha enviado esta carta de incidencia son: Old Adobe Union School District, Petaluma City Schools, Waugh School District, Cotati Rohnert Park Unified School District, Santa Rosa City Schools y Harmony Unified School District.
Agradecemos que se unan a nosotros para apoyar a nuestra comunidad LGBTQIA+, especialmente a las personas trans que están siendo particularmente atacadas. El amor y la defensa ganan y seguirán ganando.
Dear Wonderful Superintendents and Administrators,
I hope the school year is off to a good start for you all.The Supreme Court Mahmoud vs Taylor ruling in June has led to some myths about what is not allowed anymore in schools and how schools must proceed. We wanted to share the inclusive action that the Howell Mountain Elementary school district in Napa County recently took and ask that you all consider following suit.Howell Mountain Elementary school district voted not to adopt an opt-out form specifically for LGBTQIA+ curriculum. Instead, the board directed the superintendent to send a general annual notice (example annual notice) reminding parents of their right to request, in writing (example religious opt out request), that their child be excused from any curriculum they believe conflicts with their religious beliefs. This notice did not single out LGBTQIA+ instruction. The board’s decision came in response to community concern that singling out LGBTQIA+ content with its own opt-out form would be stigmatizing and discriminatory. The statement emphasized that the district “respects and values the LGBTQIA+ community” and chose not to adopt a form targeting them. Also, one annual general notice versus many throughout the school year relieved the workload for school administrators and teachers.Here is a helpful resource from the ACLU, Equality California, National Center for Youth Law and Public Counsel. Following are more helpful resources and guidance from the CDE, F3 Law Firm and CSBA to ensure our schools are a safe and welcomed space for all, after the Mahmoud ruling.The above resources note:Existing state law still stands – Public schools in California must still provide a welcoming and inclusive education for all students. This includes, but is not limited to, compliance with affirmative inclusive education requirements such as the FAIR Education Act, the California Healthy Youth Act, AB 1078 and Ethnic Studies requirements. California law mandates that instructional materials “accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society” including the role and contributions of LGBTQIA+ people and ensures the continued use of adopted curriculum even when containing inclusive and diverse perspectives. California’s antidiscrimination laws, including protections on the basis of gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, also remain in effect. Schools requirements to provide religious opt-outs and how to proceed – Any notices informing parents of their right to religious opt-outs or associated forms must be content-neutral and should not single out LGBTQIA+-related content or otherwise stigmatize LGBTQIA+ identities. If schools elect to annually notify parents about their general practices of providing inclusive curriculum, they should do so holistically and not single out LGBTQIA+-related content. Appropriate opt-out processes will require parents to take affirmative steps to exercise their right to religious opt-outs, such as notifying the school of their religious objection in writing. What types of “instruction” this decision impacts – Mahmoud focused specifically on the use of books for “instruction.” The decision does not require any censorship of books on the shelf in the classroom or in the library, including LGBTQIA+ inclusive books or books containing potentially religiously objectionable topics. Censorship of materials in school libraries and classrooms based on LGBTQIA+ content is still prohibited by California law. Additionally, nothing about this decision impacts students’ long-standing rights to be themselves at school, to talk about LGBTQIA+ related issues, or to form LGBTQIA+ themed student clubs on the same terms as other extracurricular student clubs.This decision providing the right to religious opt-out accommodations in public schools is not only applicable to LGBTQIA+ related content – While Mahmoud involved LGBTQIA+ inclusive storybooks, the Court’s decision is not limited to LGBTQIA+ inclusive content. Therefore, school leaders should aim to craft general religious accommodation opt-out processes that do not focus on LGBTQIA+ content, nor should they “silo” LGBTQIA+ content within the curriculum. The dire truth is that our LGBTQIA+ students, especially those who are transgender, are under attack. Basic rights, health care access and now representation in schools are trying to be stripped away, with a goal being, the erasure of the transgender community. It is California law and the role of our school leaders and mission of our school districts to ensure all students feel safe and thrive.Thank you for your time. At your convenience, please let us know if you will proceed to follow suit of Howell Mountain Elementary school district to ensure LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families are not stigmatized, discriminated against and singled out.Con amor,Amor Para Todos (APT)Sage Casey FoundationCompass Parents Rainbow Families ActionCelebrate Love CRPPositive ImagesOn The Margins, IncCentering Disability Love and Light SoCoLGBTQ ConnectionPFLAG Santa Rosa/Sonoma Co
Estimados Superintendentes y Administradores,
Espero que el año escolar haya comenzado bien para todos ustedes.La decisión de la Corte Suprema en el caso Mahmoud vs. Taylor (junio) ha generado ciertos mitos sobre lo que ya no está permitido en las escuelas y cómo deben proceder los distritos escolares. Queremos compartir con ustedes la acción inclusiva que tomó recientemente el distrito escolar Howell Mountain Elementary en el condado de Napa y pedirles que consideren seguir su ejemplo.El distrito Howell Mountain Elementary votó por no adoptar un formulario de exclusión (“opt-out”) específico para el plan de estudios relacionado con LGBTQIA+. En su lugar, la mesa directiva instruyó a la superintendenta a enviar un aviso anual general (ejemplo de aviso anual) recordando a los padres su derecho de solicitar, por escrito (ejemplo de solicitud de exclusión religiosa), que su hijo/a sea dispensado/a de cualquier contenido que entre en conflicto con sus creencias religiosas. Este aviso no señalaba de forma aislada la instrucción LGBTQIA+. La decisión de la mesa directiva respondió a la preocupación de la comunidad de que destacar específicamente los contenidos LGBTQIA+ con su propio formulario de exclusión sería estigmatizante y discriminatorio. En su declaración, el distrito enfatizó que “respeta y valora a la comunidad LGBTQIA+” y decidió no adoptar un formulario dirigido únicamente a ellos. Asimismo, un aviso general anual en lugar de muchos a lo largo del año escolar alivió la carga de trabajo de los administradores y maestres.Adjuntamos un recurso útil preparado por la ACLU, Equality California, National Center for Youth Law y Public Counsel. A continuación incluimos también más recursos y orientación del CDE, F3 Law Firm y CSBA para asegurar que nuestras escuelas continúen siendo espacios seguros y acogedores para todos después del fallo Mahmoud.Los recursos anteriores señalan lo siguiente:La ley estatal vigente sigue en pie – Las escuelas públicas en California aún deben ofrecer una educación inclusiva y acogedora para todos los estudiantes. Esto incluye, pero no se limita a, el cumplimiento de los requisitos de educación inclusiva y afirmativa, como la FAIR Education Act, la California Healthy Youth Act, la AB 1078 y los requisitos de Estudios Étnicos. La ley de California exige que los materiales de instrucción “representen con precisión la diversidad cultural y racial de nuestra sociedad”, incluyendo el papel y las contribuciones de las personas LGBTQIA+, y garantiza el uso continuo de planes de estudio adoptados aun cuando contengan perspectivas inclusivas y diversas. Las leyes estatales antidiscriminación, incluyendo protecciones basadas en el género, identidad de género, expresión de género y orientación sexual, siguen en vigor.Requisitos escolares para proporcionar exclusiones religiosas y cómo proceder – Cualquier aviso a los padres sobre su derecho de exclusión religiosa o formularios asociados debe ser neutral en cuanto al contenido y no debe señalar específicamente los temas relacionados con LGBTQIA+ ni estigmatizar a las identidades LGBTQIA+. Si los distritos eligen notificar anualmente a los padres sobre sus prácticas generales de ofrecer un currículo inclusivo, deben hacerlo de manera integral y no destacar de forma aislada el contenido LGBTQIA+. Los procesos de exclusión apropiados requieren que los padres tomen medidas afirmativas para ejercer su derecho a la exclusión religiosa, como notificar a la escuela por escrito sobre su objeción religiosa.Qué tipo de “instrucción” se ve afectada por esta decisión – El caso Mahmoud se enfocó específicamente en el uso de libros como parte de la “instrucción”. La decisión no exige la censura de libros disponibles en los salones o bibliotecas, incluyendo libros inclusivos LGBTQIA+ o libros con temas que puedan resultar objetables desde un punto de vista religioso. La censura de materiales en bibliotecas escolares y salones basada en contenido LGBTQIA+ sigue prohibida por la ley de California. Además, nada en esta decisión afecta los derechos ya existentes de los estudiantes a ser ellos mismos en la escuela, a hablar sobre temas relacionados con LGBTQIA+ o a formar clubes estudiantiles temáticos LGBTQIA+ en igualdad de condiciones que otros clubes extracurriculares.La decisión sobre el derecho a exclusiones religiosas no se limita al contenido LGBTQIA+ – Aunque el caso Mahmoud involucró libros inclusivos LGBTQIA+, la decisión de la Corte no se limita a ese contenido. Por lo tanto, los líderes escolares deben diseñar procesos generales de exclusión religiosa que no se enfoquen en temas LGBTQIA+ ni los aíslen dentro del currículo.La dura realidad es que nuestros estudiantes LGBTQIA+, especialmente quienes son transgénero, están bajo ataque. Se intenta despojarlos de derechos básicos, del acceso a la atención médica y ahora también de su representación en las escuelas, con el objetivo de borrar a la comunidad transgénero. La ley en California, así como el papel de nuestros líderes escolares y la misión de nuestros distritos escolares, es garantizar que todos los estudiantes se sientan seguros y prosperen.Gracias por su tiempo. Cuando sea posible, les pedimos que nos informen si procederán a seguir el ejemplo del distrito Howell Mountain Elementary para asegurar que los estudiantes, el personal y las familias LGBTQIA+ no sean estigmatizados, discriminados ni señalados.
Hundreds of people marched along Washington Avenue on Sunday in a protest against Florida’s order to remove rainbow-painted crosswalks, a move critics say targets LGBTQ+ pride and local control.
The demonstration, called the “Forever Proud March,” was organized by Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez and the Greater Miami LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Marchers carried rainbow flags and signs, chanting, “This is what democracy looks like” and “Pride rights are human rights.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who was at the protest, said the state’s directive to strip away the crosswalks was arbitrary and harmful, arguing that the designs make intersections safer for pedestrians and serve as symbols of inclusion. She called the order “about erasing people’s identity” and said it undermines local authority.
Pope Leo XIV met Monday with one of the most prominent advocates for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the Catholic Church and encouraged his ministry, just days before a planned Holy Year pilgrimage of LGBTQ Catholics to the Vatican.
The Rev. James Martin, a New York-based Jesuit author and editor, said Leo told him he intended to continue Pope Francis’ policy of LGBTQ acceptance in the church and encouraged him to keep up his advocacy.
“I heard the same message from Pope Leo that I heard from Pope Francis, which is the desire to welcome all people, including LGBTQ people,” Martin told The Associated Press after the audience. “It was wonderful. It was very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun.”
Rev. James Martin shows a commemorative photograph of Pope Leo XIV, outside St. Peter’s Square in Rome, on Monday.Maria Selene Clemente / AP
The meeting, which lasted about a half-hour, was officially announced by the Vatican in a sign that Leo wanted it made public.
The audience was significant because it showed a strong sign of continuity with Francis, who more than any of Leo’s predecessors worked to make the Catholic Church a more welcoming place for LGBTQ Catholics. From his 2013 quip, “Who am I to judge?” about a purportedly gay priest, to his decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, Francis distinguished himself with his message of welcome.
During his 12-year papacy from 2013 to 2025, Francis met on several occasions with Martin and named him an adviser in the Vatican’s communications department and a member of his big multi-year meeting on the future of the church. Still, Francis never changed church teaching saying homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.”
Leo’s position on LGBTQ Catholics had been something of a question. Soon after he was elected in May, remarks surfaced from 2012 in which the future pope, then known as the Rev. Robert Prevost, criticized the “homosexual lifestyle” and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine.
When he became a cardinal in 2023, Catholic News Service asked Prevost if his views had changed. He acknowledged Francis’ call for a more inclusive church, saying Francis “made it very clear that he doesn’t want people to be excluded simply on the basis of choices that they make, whether it be lifestyle, work, way to dress, or whatever.”
Prevost then underlined that doctrine had not changed.
“But we are looking to be more welcoming and more open and to say all people are welcome in the church,” he said.
Martin, who knew Prevost from their time working together in the synod on the church’s future, said he wasn’t worried about Leo’s views given Martin always had found him to be “a very open, welcoming, inclusive person.”
“But it’s wonderful to hear this continuation,” Martin said, adding that Leo told him his priorities are to work for peace and unity, citing in particular the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Myanmar.
“But he also wanted to remind people that this is a church for ‘todos, todos, totos,”‘ Martin said, quoting Francis’ famous line in Spanish about how the church is open to everyone, todos.
Martin helped found Outreach, a ministry promoting LGBTQ acceptance, which will participate in a big Holy Year pilgrimage Friday and Saturday sponsored by Italian LGBTQ Catholic group “Jonathan’s Tent.” Significantly, the pilgrimage of about 1,200 people includes a Mass at the Jesuit church in Rome celebrated by the second-highest member of the Italian bishop’s conference.
The pilgrimage is not officially sponsored by the Vatican, but is listed on the Vatican’s calendar of Holy Year events. Vatican officials say such a listing doesn’t signify endorsement, but is merely a logistical help to those groups that wish to organize pilgrimages and walk through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
But the pilgrimage and Martin’s audience nevertheless send a signal that is consistent with church teaching “that Jesus reaches out to people on the margins,” Martin said.
The message he received from Leo was “that if people were happy with Pope Francis’ approach to LGBTQ Catholics, they’re going to be happy with Pope Leo’s approach. And he asked me to continue what I’m doing, which was very encouraging,” Martin said.
Forbidden Kiss LIVE, the bawdy vaudeville show playing monthly at The California in Santa Rosa, has booked another year’s worth of performances at the popular downtown venue on 7th Street. This variety show, produced by Cheryl King, features talent from the Bay Area and beyond,presenting variety shows consisting of burlesque, comedy, magic, improv, song&dance, hiphop and more. Over the past three years the fan base has grown steadily and the audiences regularly number over 100. Ms. King chooses a theme for each show (Pirate Party, Goth, Masquerade, Cosplay, Babylon, etc) and up to one-third of the audience regularly shows up dressed for the theme. The theme for the upcoming September 19 show is Disney Cosplay, and performers are already preparing costumes for the December show, Santa’s Workshop – Toys After Dark.
Regular performers in the show include Cheryl herself, Thotty McNaughty and Ultraviolette of Bastet Dance Fitness, Vixen, the Forbidden Magician, Velvet Thorn of Epine Productions, singers Karenna Slade, Faethora and Malia Abayon, plus Underground Improv, Ms. King’s improv company in Petaluma. Ms. King and her improv partner Russ Andrews also present a recurring comedy sketch called The Dubbers, a sort of radio theater, which has gained a reputation for its edgy take on the culture. Each month Ms. King also features other local performers, such as Natasha Nightmare, LaidBackZach, Katalina Motley and Titus Androgynous, as well as guest performers from LA and NYC, and the greater Bay Area.
Audience participation is a popular feature of the show – which includes games, costume contests and other interactive bits. Forbidden Kiss LIVE prides itself on being an all-gender friendly show, with a large number of LGBTQ+ cast members, which has contributed to its diverse audiences and community engagement. The California, which has also become a favorite downtown venue, offers excellent food and drink from a full bar and kitchen, and presents shows nearly every night of the week. About Stage Left Studio
Stage Left Studio is a production company dedicated to presenting theater education and various kinds of productions, including Forbidden Kiss LIVE, independent theater and educational retreats. Previously based in NYC, where it had its own venue, it now is located in Santa Rosa, and is run by Cheryl King, director.
On average, there are 73 deaths by suicide each year in Sonoma County, making it the ninth leading cause of death. The Sonoma County suicide rate of 14.3 per 100,000 residents is considerably higher than the California rate of 10.5.
“While there are likely several reasons for the higher-than-average suicide rates in Sonoma County, we know that loneliness can increase the risk for suicide, and we’re living in a very lonely time for many people,” says Melissa Ladrech, Mental Health Services Act coordinator.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who released a report last year on what he has named the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in our country, has been quoted as saying, “The experience of loneliness is an incredibly common one … one in two adults in America struggles with loneliness. To really address it, we have to make social connection a priority in our lives and in society more broadly.” He has also stated that feeling lonely and lacking connection can increase the risk of premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
In October 2022, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, which is committed to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and providing education and training on suicide prevention, brought together community partners to create the “Life Worth Living: Sonoma County Suicide Prevention Alliance.” The Alliance has since developed a Sonoma County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan, which includes a call to action, a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention, local data and specific strategies to reduce suicide deaths in the county. In September 2023, the Alliance also began holding annual ‘Connection is Prevention’ community events.
Three Connection is Prevention events are planned for this September to bring resources, connections and fun for the whole community. Each event is free and open to the public, will emphasize the essential role that human connections play in maintaining good mental health and nurturing a supportive community, and will offer enjoyable and informative activities for the whole family.
The first event will take place Saturday,September 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Old Court House Square in Santa Rosa. Attendees can enjoy the Bibliobus Mobile Library, Children’s Museum on the Go, free paletas, food trucks, raffle prizes, swag bags, and more. More than 35 organizations will set up tables and provide resources, and Board of Supervisors Chair David Rabbitt will present a proclamation designating September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
“It’s been very disturbing to learn how prevalent suicide and self-harm are in Sonoma County,” says Chair Rabbitt. “I hope everyone will consider attending one of these special events put on by our Behavioral Health division to celebrate mental well-being and meaningful connections.”
If you or someone you care about is in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, help and support are available: Call 988. For help identifying local resources, call 211.
The Florida Highway Patrol arrested three people on Sunday during a protest near the crosswalk outside of the former Pulse nightclub. The “Chalk For Pride” event was scheduled for 6 p.m. at South Orange Avenue and West Esther Street to protest the removal of “Pride crosswalks” and the “abuse of laws that threaten our freedom of expression,” according to a news release.
According to the FHP, 39-year-old Zane Aparicio , 25-year-old Mary Jane East and 26-year-old Donavon Short were arrested and taken to the Orange County jail.
On Friday night — Orestes Sebastian Suarez, 29 — was arrested after being accused of using chalk to color the bottom of his shoe before crossing the road, leaving footprints. Suarez faced a charge of defacing a traffic device ($1,000 or more) and was held overnight on a $5,000 bond until a judge on Saturday afternoon found no probable cause for the arrest and said that Suarez would be released.
The U.S. Education Department said Thursday that Denver Public Schools violated Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination in education by creating all-gender bathrooms and allowing students to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity.
The finding followed an unprecedented probe of Denver’s East High School that marked a sharp departure from the department’s investigations under former Democratic President Joe Biden. It’s part of a push by President Donald Trump’s Republican administration against local and state policies that make allowances for transgender students.
The investigation in Denver began after the school district converted a girl’s restroom into an all-gender restroom while leaving another bathroom on the same floor exclusive to boys in January. The school district has said that was done as a result of a student-led process and the bathroom had 12-foot (3.6-meter) tall partitions for privacy and security.
The school district later added a second all-gender restroom on the same floor which it said was meant to address concerns of unfairness. At the time it said that students would also continue to have access to gender-specific restrooms and single-stall, all-gender bathrooms.
The Education Department said it offered the school district a chance to voluntarily make changes, including converting multi-stall, all-gender bathrooms back to ones designated by gender, within 10 days or risk unspecified enforcement action.
It also wants the district to use biology-based definitions for the words “male” and “female” in all policies and practices related to Title IX and to rescind any policies or guidance allowing students to use bathrooms based on their gender identity rather than their biological sex.
“Denver is free to endorse a self-defeating gender ideology, but it is not free to accept federal taxpayer funds and harm its students in violation of Title IX,” Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary of the department’s Office for Civil Rights, said in a news release.
Denver Public Schools officials said they had received the results of the investigation and were “determining our next steps.”
The Trump administration has launched about two dozen investigations of transgender policies in schools, including access to sports, locker rooms and bathrooms, according to data compiled by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit news organization. Roughly half of the investigations focus at least in part on who gets to use bathrooms in some K-12 school districts in Virginia, Kansas, Washington state and Colorado.
Trump signed an executive order in February to block trans girls from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Supporters said the move restored fairness in athletic competitions, but opponents called it an attack on transgender youth.
Federal officials in June determined that California’s Department of Education violated civil rights law by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams. Officials under Trump also have sued Maine over the participation of transgender athletes in girl’s sports and last month launched an investigation into Oregon’s Department of Education, following a complaint from a conservative group about transgender girls on girls sports teams.
Earlier this year, TikToker Kathryn Jones began a quest to visit every exhibit at the Smithsonian museums and read every plaque.Justine Goode / NBC News; Getty Images
Pausing next to a hulking steam locomotive at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on Friday, Kathryn Jones bent down to look at a tiny silk slipper.
“I’ve never seen one in person. It’s so small,” she said, pointing at the shoe once worn by a Chinese immigrant with bound feet. “That’s why I love museums. It takes those facts and solidifies it.”
The recording of a trail whistle hooted in the background, bringing to life the 1887 Jupiter steam engine that hauled fruit picked by immigrants in Watsonville, California.
“The immersion, the sounds, the small little touches that suck you in. I’m a sucker for small objects,” she said as she walked through “America on the Move,” her 100th Smithsonian exhibit this year.
In January, Jones began a quest to visit every exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington, D.C., and read every plaque. During the past eight months, she has visited 100 exhibits at 13 museums, meticulously logging her time on detailed spreadsheets. According to her records, that’s 73 hours inside the museums and almost 51 total hours reading signs.
She traverses each exhibit twice, first reading every description and watching every video, then looking at the exhibit again and filming video for her TikTok account.
Kathryn Jones visits the “America on the Move” exhibit at the National Museum of American History Behring Center.Fiona Glisson / NBC News
“My goal for that is almost to kind of provide a marketing sizzle reel for the exhibit,” she said. “A priority of mine is getting people in museums, getting people curious, reminding people that learning is fun as well as hopefully right, breaking down the stigma that museums and galleries are stuffy and exclusive and people can’t come.”
Jones paused to take in historic footage of a streetcar passing the White House. “This is what I love to see, D.C. streets which I recognize,” she said. “Look how close to the White House they are with a streetcar.”
She added, “People on roller skates! I did not expect that. A tour! This is so cool.”
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 3, 2019.Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP file
This year, Jones found herself at a professional crossroads after leaving her job as a vice president of marketing.
“I called it my grown-up gap year,” she said. “There were so many aspects of what I was doing that I loved, but I was just kind of burnt out and felt adrift. So, I took the year off with the intention to figure out what brought me joy in life, what I wanted to do.”
Making videos about the Smithsonian, she discovered a passion for content creation, which she intends to continue after filming her last Smithsonian exhibition.
“I tried, I think, three times and failed before I did my first exhibit. I went to a museum with the intention to read everything, and was either too anxious to do it, embarrassed to be filming in public,” she said. “I’m really proud of myself for the strides that I’ve made in my ability to focus, my confidence in myself.”
As Jones has built her channel, the Smithsonian has found itself under increased scrutiny. Last month, the Trump administration informed Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch that it would begin a systematic review to “remove divisive or partisan narratives” in advance of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” he wrote. “We are not going to allow this to happen.”
The first phase of the review will focus on eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Portrait Gallery.
In an interview with Fox News, Lindsey Halligan, one of the White House officials who signed the administration’s Aug. 12 letter to the Smithsonian, addressed the review.
“The fact that … our country was involved in slavery is awful — no one thinks otherwise,” she said. “But what I saw when I was going through the museums, personally, was an overemphasis on slavery, and I think there should be more of an overemphasis on how far we’ve come since slavery.”
A display featuring former slave Clara Brown at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The Smithsonian Institution was in the administration’s crosshairs prior to last month’s review announcement. In March, Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which directed the institution to “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
In April, an exhibit by African LGBTQ artists was abruptly postponed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. The following month, NBC News documented more than 30 artifacts that were removed from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And in July, artist Amy Sherald canceled an upcoming show at the National Portrait Gallery after she said curators expressed concerns about a painting of a transgender Statue of Liberty.
“It became clear during my exchanges with the gallery how quickly curatorial independence collapses when politics enters the room,” she wrote on MSNBC.com. “Museums are not stages for loyalty. They are civic laboratories. They are places where we wrestle with contradictions, encounter the unfamiliar and widen our circle of empathy. But only if they remain free.”
This is not the first time that the Smithsonian has found itself in the crossfire of a culture war. In 2010, the institution withdrew part of an exhibition called Hide/Seek featuring works by LGBTQ artists after sustained outcry by then-House Speaker John Boehner and Catholic organizations.
The institution was also roiled by a debate over a National Air and Space Museum exhibit of the Enola Gay aircraft, which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II. Critics derided plans to include Japanese perspectives and information about the effects of nuclear warfare as an example of “politically correct curating.”
“The Smithsonian has faced crisis moments in the past … but the crisis moments have never come from a direct political assault, certainly not at the hands of the executive,” said Dr. Sam Redman, director of the public history program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. “I know we use the word unprecedented a lot in this era, but this is truly unprecedented in terms of thinking about the Smithsonian.”
Kathryn Jones reads a plaque about Charlotte Hawkins Brown, an author, educator, and civil rights activist.Fiona Glisson / NBC News
Some museum scholars dispute the Trump administration’s claims that the Smithsonian overemphasizes narratives by Black and LGBTQ artists.
“We all know that museums are historically and culturally extremely conservative, and that there’s a striking lack of exhibitions devoted to women artists, or women’s history or Black artists or LGBTQ,” said Lisa Strong, director of the art and museum studies master’s program at Georgetown University. “Museums know this and have been working, working to fix this.”
A 2022 report by journalists Julia Halperin and Charlotte Burns for Artnet found 14.9% of exhibits at 31 major U.S. museums, including the National Portrait Gallery, between 2008 and 2020 were of work by female-identifying artists, and 6.3 % were of work by Black American artists.
Jones said her priority on her TikTok channel is encouraging people to visit the Smithsonian museums and local museums that document history.
“Hearing those stories of people that have suffered before, problems that we face, that’s honestly why I kind of started doing this challenge,” she said. “Because when we read these stories and see things, the more we know, the better we can empathize with other people, because we have other experiences to pull from.”
She sat in the arched alcove of a railroad waiting room to listen to the story of Charlotte Hawkins Brown, who traveled to the Jim Crow South on racially segregated railroad cars during the 1920s.
“She talks about how someone said to her, ‘This is God’s country. You can’t sit there,’” Jones said.
“Hearing those stories, I do think it’s important to confront those things, because that led to where we are now,” she said. “People are affected by that. Some people will carry the scars of that.”
As part of a wider rollback on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI), the Ivy League university will no longer designate residential proctors or tutors specifically for LGBTQ+ or first-generation/low-income undergraduates, according to the college newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.
The tutors and proctors will have their tasks folded into “specialty” roles. The change was reportedly announced last week in an email from associate dean of students Lauren Brandt.
Proctors and tutors are live-in advisers who support and help plan activities for students in their first year at Harvard.
A document included with Brandt’s email informed students that “Culture and Community” proctors and tutors would now work to “foster cultivation of bonds and bridges to enable all members of our community to grow with and learn from each other”, The Crimson reported.
“The description of the responsibilities of the… tutors does not mention providing support to students with specific backgrounds or identities,” the report went on to say.
