The American LGBTQ+ Museum will have a permanent home in the expansion of the New-York Historical Society’s headquarters on Central Park West, with a $35 million infusion in capital funds from the city.
The capital funds represents a quarter of the historical society’s $140 million expansion to add more than 60,000 square feet onto the lot directly behind its headquarters, which was acquired in 1937 by the society’s trustees in anticipation of their eventual growth. Among the plans for more classrooms, galleries and exhibit space is a permanent home for the American LGBTQ+ Museum, which has been in the works since 2017.
“Several years ago, as we really faced a huge shortage, a huge deficit of space in our main building, and also began to think through the new stories that we would like to tell in addition to those we’ve been telling in our headquarters, we were introduced to the board of the American LGBTQ+ museum,” said Louise Mirrer, president and chief executive officer, in a phone interview Saturday. Through discussions, Mirrer said, the historical society decided to “use the new building as a place both to fulfill our needs and ambitions and accommodate them.”
“We’re delighted to partner with New York’s foremost museum of history to build a new museum dedicated to an exploration and celebration of the richness and diversity of LGBTQ+ history and culture in America,” Richard Burns, the chair of the board of directors for the American LGBTQ+ Museum, said in a statement. “The respect and rigor with which New-York Historical has approached this process, including their consultation with local communities, mirrors our own commitment to building a thoughtful, welcoming, queer, and inclusive experience for our visitors and partners.”
The New York City Council and the city Department of Cultural Affairs allocated $35 million for the expansion, which will be designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. The expansion will also include more classrooms for the society’s Academy for American Democracy program, an educational program for sixth-graders, and a new storage facility for the historical society’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library.
The new museum will occupy the entire fourth floor, two galleries, have access to the roof garden, and areas for offices and storage. Mirrer said she believes this will be the first LGBTQ+ museum with a historical focus in the country.
The historical society has mounted exhibits about the legacy of the Stonewall riots and is currently exhibiting Safe/Haven about the roots of the LGBTQ+ community in Cherry Grove on Fire Island.
The new collaboration between the venerable historical society and the nascent LGBTQ+ museum “really makes it clear that the history of the LGBTQ+ community is part of American history,” Mirrer said. “It’s not a sideshow to American history. It is part of the mainstream of American history.”
The Spahr Center saves lives through many of its HIV and LGBTQ programs Not the least of these essential services is our Harm Reduction Program, which works to prevent HIV and hepatitis C infections among people who use drugs by providing sterile syringes to people who use drugs in order to prevent HIV and hepatitis, distributes Naloxone to prevent opioid related overdoses, and links our clients to medical care and social services.
We are looking for people who refuse to look the other way as overdose and disease transmission impact the lives of our Marin neighbors. The Harm Reduction movement understands that illicit substance use is harmful and wants people to be safe until they are ready to quit. If you want to get involved in the solution to a complex set of problems, we can offer you a positive opportunity.
As more people come to realize that the war on drugs has been a crime against humanity, our army of harm reductionists is rising up to say that mass incarceration is not the answer to homelessness and drug dependence. We believe that respecting a person’s self-determination and recognizing their equality as citizens is a better approach. We believe that science and data and compassion and treatment are much better roads forward. This week our President issued a supportive statement and funding for Harm Reduction activities – the first endorsement and funding of its kind!
Please consider joining our small corps of volunteers and Peer2Peer Advocates at The Spahr Center’s Syringe Access Program. We have opportunities daytime or evening for two hour shifts at our sites. For a few hours a week, you can help us in the office preparing supplies Click the link below.
If you can help us recruit, please pass this email along to ensure that our harm reduction services remain free and available for everyone.
Kataluna Enriquez, who was crowned Miss Nevada USA on Sunday, will become the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
With a platform centered on transgender awareness and mental health, Enriquez, 27, beat out 21 other contestants at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. https://iframe.nbcnews.com/xImrqkG?app=1
“I didn’t have the easiest journey in life,” she said, according to KVVU-TV. “I struggled with physical and sexual abuse. I struggled with mental health. I didn’t have much growing up. I didn’t have support. But I’m still able to thrive, and I’m still able to survive and become a trailblazer for many.”
After her win, Enriquez thanked the LGBTQ community on Instagram, writing, “My win is our win. We just made history. Happy Pride.”
The Miss Nevada USA organization congratulated Enriquez for her historic win on social media and shared the hashtag #bevisible.https://iframe.nbcnews.com/QywZSoD?app=1
In March, Enriquez, who previously competed in trans-specific pageants, became the first transgender woman crowned Miss Silver State USA, the main preliminary for Miss Nevada USA.
During the pageant’s question-and-answer segment, Enriquez said being true to herself was an obstacle she faced daily.
“Today I am a proud transgender woman of color. Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than, it makes me more than,” she said, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. “I know that my uniqueness will take me to all my destinations, and whatever I need to go through in life.”
Kataluna Enrique attends the 2nd Annual TransNation Festival in Los Angeles on Oct. 21, 2017.Unique Nicole / Getty Images file
Enriquez, who is Filipina American, designs her own outfits, including a rainbow-sequin gown she wore Sunday night in honor of Pride Month “and all of those who don’t get a chance to spread their colors,” she posted on Instagram.
“Pageantry is so expensive, and I wanted to compete and be able to grow and develop skills and create gowns for myself and other people,” Enriquez said, according to the Review-Journal.
She will represent Nevada at the 2021 Miss USA pageant, being held Nov. 29 at the Paradise Cove Theater at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Miss Universe pageant system, of which Los Angeles-based Miss USA is part, began allowing transgender entrants in 2012. If she is crowned Miss USA, Enriquez will be the second trans contestant in a Miss Universe pageant, after Spain’s Angela Ponce in 2018.
Miss America, a separate organization headquartered in New Jersey, did not immediately reply to an inquiry about whether transgender women or nonbinary individuals are allowed to compete in its annual competition. As of 2018, the pageant was reportedly only open to “natural born women,” according to the Advocate.
In February, a federal judge upheld the right of another organization, Nevada-based Miss United States of America, to bar transgender contestants from its pageant.
Since the pandemic began, a staggering number of small businesses have permanently closed across the country. In fact, roughly 200,000 U.S. businesses have closed in the first year of the pandemic, according to a study released recently by economists at the Federal Reserve. Despite the millions of dollars of federal and local aid made available in the form of loans and grants, many small businesses had to think creatively to stay afloat. Many of these small businesses leveraged their own identity and community as sources of inspiration -including the LBGTQ community.
As we celebrate our LGBTQ identity and community, we must acknowledge that many LGBTQ entrepreneurs are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic and that, now more than ever, a strong community is needed to help rebuild these businesses and create a more inclusive economy. At Next Street, I’m proud to be part of a mission-based firm where I can focus on uplifting members of my LGBTQ community. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some successful approaches that LGBTQ-owned small businesses in our network adopted to pivot and sustain their businesses during the pandemic. By harnessing the power of their community and prioritizing their core business offering and identity, the following LGBTQ-owned businesses were able to come out of the pandemic stronger than ever.
Cubbyhole, a small but mighty bar located in the iconic West Village neighborhood of New York City, has been open to the queer community for more than 27 years. Despite crises, such as 9/11, 2003 blackout, and Hurricane Sandy, the bar was forced to close its doors for the first time ever on March 16, 2020. Given the 100% loss of income for the bar and its staff, Cubbyhole launched a Go Fund Me campaign to secure financial support from its legion of fans and faithfuls. In just a few weeks it had well surpassed its $30,000 fundraising goal and at the time of this writing has raised $78,432. In addition, the bar also banded together with the country’s other 15 lesbian bars for the Lesbian Bar Project, which collectively raised additional funds that enabled the bar to keep its doors open.
Ciao Andiamo, a boutique travel company organizing authentic journeys to Italy, has been in operation for more than 10 years. On March 9, 2020, the government of Italy imposed a national lockdown, which prevented residents from leaving their homes and tourists from entering the country. With no line of sight into when borders would reopen, Ciao Andiamo had to quickly figure out a way to generate revenue and stay engaged with its clients and collaborators. The owner, together with his partners in Italy, made a major pivot, launching two new offerings — a virtual classroom featuring interactive cooking classes, wine tastings, and language lessons, as well as a marketplace for authentic Italian foods, small production wines, and local goods shipped directly from Italy to the U.S. This paved the way for Ciao Andiamo to keep in close touch with its loyal fan base and build awareness and excitement around all things Italy at a time when Italy travel was not possible. Now, as the country is reopening for international tourism, Ciao Andiamo has not only survived, it is in prime position for a strong 2021 season.
Finally, Lambda Lounge began as a spirits brand that sold its products online. In fall 2020, the company had plans to open a brick and mortar lounge in Harlem. When the pandemic struck, Lambda was forced to pause its plan to open the lounge despite having made significant investments in rent and construction. To sustain itself, Lambda shifted its focus from the lounge and refocused its effort on its core business, its spirits brand. Lambda once again began prioritizing its online platform and existing customer base. They quickly found this to be the key to short- and long-term success in the midst of the pandemic. In fact, they were so successful in generating revenue for their business that they were able to see their dream of opening the bar and lounge in spring 2021.
Like so many other small business owners, these LGBT entrepreneurs used the most powerful tool in their arsenal — their identity and community. Each of them leveraged their personal connections to their customers to help them sustain their business and face the challenges the pandemic threw their way. This Pride month and beyond, shop at your local LGBTQ-owned business and become part of the community that can help build a more inclusive and successful economy.
Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President of the United States 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
We, the 105 undersigned organizations, write to express our alarm and disappointment that your administration is reportedly considering plans to continue to use the unlawful Title 42 expulsion policy to block and expel adult asylum seekers for at least two more months and may use punitive measures such as ankle monitors and expedited removal in processing families. Not only does the Title 42 policy violate U.S. refugee law and treaties, but it also endangers people seeking U.S. protection, with over 3,250 kidnappings, rapes, and other attacks on people expelled or blocked at the U.S.-Mexico border since you took office. This number rises every day your administration fails to end this policy. We urge your administration to fully rescind this policy for all populations, comply with U.S. refugee law, and ensure that Black, LGBTQ and other adult asylum seekers, many of whom have been turned back or expelled at ports of entry, as well as families and children, have swift access to the U.S. asylum system.Over 100 Groups Urge Biden to Fully Rescind Title 42 ExpulsionsOver 100 Groups Urge Biden to Fully Rescind Title 42 Expulsions
Many of our organizations have repeatedly called on your administration to end the Title 42 expulsion policy and restart asylum processing for people seeking refuge. Rational, science-based measures, recommended by public health experts exist to mitigate COVID-19 concerns and safely process asylum seekers at the border. The use of Title 42 – described as a “Stephen Miller special” by a former Trump administration official – was implemented over the objections of senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) experts and has been widely discredited by epidemiologists and public health experts who have confirmed it has “no scientific basis as a public health measure.” These experts provided detailed recommendations for the safe processing of asylum seekers to your transition team, the CDC, and other officials in your administration. In May 2021, medical experts for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filed a whistleblower disclosure condemning the policy for lacking a public health justification and for fueling widespread family separation and detention of children. Medical professionals providing care in encampments and shelters in Tijuana have also decried the expulsion policy as threatening the health and safety of migrants.
Human rights organizations and the media have documented the escalating dangers faced by asylum seekers and migrants subjected to the Title 42 policy, many of whom have been forced into squalid and dangerous conditions in several new camps near the border. Legal and humanitarian staff who work with migrants subjected to the policy have also faced serious risks to their safety. The Title 42 policy has also driven family separations as it presents families with the impossible choice of keeping children in danger or sending them alone across the border for their safety. As a result, many of the single adults who are now stuck in Mexico are desperately trying to reunite with their children in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody or with family in the United States.
The expulsion policy has disproportionately affected asylum seekers from Africa, the Caribbean, and elsewhere, who were not placed in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and are not eligible for processing into the United States under Phase 1 or Phase 2 of its winddown. Black and LGBTQ asylum seekers blocked in Mexico under the expulsion policy and unable to request protection at a port of entry continue to experience targeted discrimination and violence. Recent reports indicate that while your administration may end the policy in July for families, it may continue to subject adult asylum seekers to the policy for at least two months – an unacceptable delay that would prolong disparities in access to protection and disproportionately impact Black asylum seekers from African and Caribbean countries, as well as LGBTQ refugees and others who are not traveling with children. Such an approach would be completely indefensible. Public health safeguards in no way require or justify disparate treatment between families and adults arriving alone. Moreover, such an approach is contrary to U.S. asylum law and the non-discrimination provisions of the Refugee Convention.
We are concerned that this administration continues to look to deterrence as a strategy to address processing of asylum seekers at the border. Ankle monitors, budget requests for expansive detention, and expedited removal are part of a deterrence strategy that is inhumane and ineffective. Such a cruel strategy is the physical manifestation of the statement “Don’t come.” Electronic monitoring devices are a particularly intrusive measure that causes physical and emotional harm without a positive impact on appearance rates as compared to appropriate, community-based case management services. With respect to expedited removal, many of our organizations, as well as the bipartisan U.S. Commission onInternational Religious Freedom, have long noted failures by Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents to follow basic required procedures to identify individuals who must be referred for credible fear interviews, as well as intimidation and coercion of asylum seekers to withdraw requests for protection.
While we greatly appreciate your administration’s ongoing efforts to process into safety certain asylum seekers subjected to MPP, we remain gravely concerned that the Biden administration continues to block and expel asylum seekers to the same dangers under the Title 42 policy. In a rare public statement calling on this country to uphold its legal obligations, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees recently urged the United States to swiftly end this policy and “restore access to asylum for the people whose lives depend on it, in line with international legal and human rights obligations.”
With the 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention approaching in July, we urge your administration to end its misuse of Title 42 public health authority immediately, restore asylum processing in line with U.S. refugee laws and treaties for all asylum seekers – including at U.S. ports of entry – and set an example for the rest of the world by welcoming refugees with dignity.
Respectfully, The Advocates for Human Rights Al Otro Lado Aldea – The People’s Justice Center Alianza Americas American Friends Service Committee American Immigration Council American Immigration Lawyers Association American Gateways America’s Voice Amnesty International USA Angry Tias and Abuelas of the RGV Asylum Access Asylum Access México (AAMX) A.C. Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) Austin Border Relief Bay Area Border Relief Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) BORDER ANGELS Border Kindness California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. Center for Gender & Refugee Studies Center of Excellence for Immigrant Child Health and Wellbeing, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Children’s Defense Fund Christian Reformed Church, Office of Social Justice Church World Service Coalition on Human Needs Columbia Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Desert Support for Asylum Seekers Detention Watch Network Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services, Inc. Disciples Immigration Legal Counsel Fellowship Southwest First Focus on Children Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project Freedom For Immigrants Geopaz. Instituto de Geografía para la paz AC (IGP) / Geopaz. Institute of Geography for Peace Grassroots Leadership Haitian Bridge Alliance HIAS Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative Human Impact Partners Human Rights First Human Rights Initiative of North Texas Human Rights Watch Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown Immigrant Defenders Law Center Immigrant Legal Defense Immigration Equality Innovation Law Lab Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migración (IMUMI) International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) International Rescue Committee Jesuit Refugee Service/USA Jewish Family Service of San Diego Justice for our Neighbors El Paso Justice for Our Neighbors Michigan Kids in Need of Defense Kino Border Initiative Laredo Immigrant Alliance Latin America Working Group (LAWG) Law Office of Jodi Goodwin LUCHA Ministries, Inc. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Migrant Center for Human Rights Migration Matters National Immigrant Justice Center National Immigration Law Center National Justice for Our Neighbors National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice New York Justice for Our Neighbors, Inc. NM Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (CAFe) Physicians for Human Rights Project Blueprint Project Corazon, Lawyers for Good Government Project Dignity Legal Team Project Lifeline Proyecto de Ayuda para Solicitantes de Asilo (PASA) Public Counsel Rainbow Beginnings Rainbow Bridge Asylum Seekers Refugee Congress Refugees International San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium Sanctuary for Families Save the Children Seguimos Adelante Sin Fronteras Nuevo Mexico Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team Southern Border Communities Coalition Southern Poverty Law Center Tahirih Justice Center The Advocates for Human Rights The Legal Clinic / HI Coalition for Immigrant Rights The Sidewalk School UndocuBlack Network United Stateless VECINA Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center Witness at the Border Women’s Refugee Commission
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that Andrew Bruck would be appointed acting attorney general for the remainder of Murphy’s term. Bruck, who is first assistant attorney general, has been part of the office’s executive leadership since outgoing Attorney General Gurbir Grewal was confirmed in January 2018.
The announcement comes one day after the Securities and Exchange Commission named Grewal the new head of its enforcement division. Grewal’s last day with the state is July 16. Murphy also noted that Bruck will be the first openly gay attorney general in state history.
Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, Bruck spent five years at the U.S. Department of Justice. During that time, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and held several roles in the office of Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, including Senior Counsel, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Acting Chief of Staff.
Before joining the Department of Justice, Bruck worked as a litigation associate in the New York office of Davis Polk & Wardwell and clerked for Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Stanford Law School. Bruck is a New Jersey native who grew up in Montclair and Mendham. He currently resides in Trenton with his husband Adam and 8-month-old daughter, Libby.
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF) is back! From July 22 to August 1, the world’s first and largest Jewish film festival will present over 50 films from over 20 countries with an unprecedented number of shorts and special guests from around the globe, celebrating bold films and filmmakers that expand and evolve the Jewish story for audiences everywhere. Tickets and passes are now on sale for all programs.Now in its 41st year, this year’s program has “something for everyone.” From historical dramas to genre-bending documentaries, this year’s themes range from poignant coming of age films to complex narratives surrounding Jewish identity. Five films address LGBTQI+ issues, eight films on the joys and pains of teenage life, seven explore topics and themes relating to the Israeli-Palestinian region, 25 feature women directors and producers, literature takes center stage in five films, and the creation of music graces the screen in three films. This year, the new JFI Social Change Teen Fellowship program will be presenting the Take Action program.
Festival-goers can experience SFJFF several ways this year. Those who are comfortable viewing from home can do so in the JFI Digital Screening Room, and those who are excited to gather in community will be able to enjoy in-person, live screenings at the historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco on July 24 and 25.
“We really were not sure what was going to happen this year, so we are thrilled to be back in the Castro for a limited theatrical run with the highest quality slate of ground-breaking and provocative films. The lineup reflects the full breadth of Jewish identity and the perseverance of independent filmmakers during a global pandemic. There is nothing like a community experiencing a film premiere together in the dark. We cannot wait to see everyone!” says JFI Executive Director Lexi Leban.
Queer films include:
BINDING OF ITZIK (Short)A middle aged Hasidic bookbinder, in his search for binding materials, stumbles across a craigslist ad offering “binding lessons for submissive women.”Directed by Anika Benkov
CHARLATAN
A richly drawn biopic of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek who rose to fame through his uncanny ability to diagnose disease with a mere glance at the patient’s urine. Treating all who entered his clinic, from the poor to the Nazis, is he an unorthodox healer ahead of his time or a mere charlatan? Directed by Agnieszka Holland
THE CONDUCTOR
Internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop smashed the glass ceiling when she became the first woman to serve as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. The Conductor takes the audience backstage to the artistry and energy that rewards her audiences and inspires her students.Directed by Bernadette Wegenstein
COSMOPOLITAN (Short)Jacob goes out, for the first time in his life, to a gay party, but discovers that his skin color prevents him from being accepted into the community. The film is part of the “Equals” project, by the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund.Directed by Moran Nakar
PROGNOSIS: NOTES ON LIVING
When maverick Oscar-winning Bay Area documentary filmmaker Debra Chasnoff is diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer, she faces injustice as always, with her camera. A raw, surprisingly funny portrait emerges of how her calling—to repair the world—shifts as she navigates between terminal illness and the shifting identities of her chosen LGBTQI+ family. Directed by Debra Chasnoff & Kate Stilley Steiner
MY NAME IS PAULI MURRAY
Fifteen years before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat, a full decade before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation, Pauli Murray was already knee-deep fighting for social justice. A pioneering attorney, activist, priest and dedicated memoirist, Murray shaped landmark litigation—and consciousness—around race and gender equity. As an African American youth raised in the segregated South—who was also wrestling with broader notions of gender identity—Pauli understood, intrinsically, what it was to exist beyond previously accepted categories and cultural norms.Directed by BETSY WEST AND JULIE COHEN
Visit sfjff.org for complete Festival information, including ticket sales and registration, updates and announcements.
“I have never had official employment,” Aisha (not her real name), a Malaysian trans woman who does sex work, told Human Rights Watch and Justice for Sisters in 2019. “I tried. I applied for a job selling perfume, but the employer said they would only accept me if my gender was female on my [identity card].”
The gender marker on Malaysian identity cards matter. A 2019 study by SUHAKAM, Malaysia’s human rights commission, found that 57 percent of trans women interviewed in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor had experienced discrimination, including being denied employment, education, housing, or health care because their appearance did not match the gender on their identity card. This discrimination pushes many trans people like Aisha to society’s margins.
International human rights standards provide clear guidance on addressing this problem through legal gender recognition, a process allowing people to change their legal documentation to match their gender identity. A legal gender recognition policy could allow anyone to change the gender marker on their identity documents from female to male or vice versa, or to a third gender option, as a number of Malaysia’s neighbors provide for, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Some countries have no gender markers on public-facing identity documents, while others are moving to remove them. In many interactions that require an identification document, such as renting an apartment, voting, or bank transactions, a person’s gender is irrelevant.
To advance its human rights mandate, SUHAKAM recently advertised for a researcher to study possible approaches to legal gender recognition in Malaysia. The posting attracted opposition, including from the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a member of the ruling coalition, and the Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM), which promotes enforcement of state laws punishing trans Muslims with prison time and mandatory “counseling” for not dressing in accordance with the gender designation on their identity card. In opposing the research, they claim that allowing changes of gender markers on official documents would promote same-sex relations, violate Islamic precepts, and “desecrate human rights.”
Malaysian civil society organizations quickly debunked JAKIM’s claims by demonstrating that legal gender recognition is a rights imperative. SUHAKAM should remain steadfast in its commitment to finding solutions for people like Aisha who would benefit greatly from being able to change the gender marker on their identity documents.
The Women’s Institute (WI) has featured a trans woman on the cover of its magazine for the first time ever: 74-year-old activist Petra Wenham.
Petra, a member of the Cake and Revolution WI in Suffolk, said she was “honoured” to be the first trans person to grace the cover of WI Life.
In the magazine, she explained that she came out as trans to her wife, Loraine, in 2015 and came out publicly in 2018.
Around the same time, she began delivering a talk to other WI groups titled: “Have you ever met a trans woman?”
In it, she explains to members the difference between sex and gender, what it’s like to grow up trans, what it means to be intersex and the cost of transitioning, among other topics.
Petra wants to show WI members that “the human condition is complex and gloriously so”.
Throughout Petra’s coming out journey her wife, with whom she has two children and two grandchildren, has been her “rock”.
“I’m very fortunate that I still have my wife Loraine and we’ve been happily married for 48 years,” she said.
“She’s my rock and that gives me a much better base to talk from than some trans people who have been kicked out by their partner or are suffering from depression.”
Just as her wife has fully embraced her, so has the WI.
She said: “WI members are not just accepting, but actively supportive and are welcoming me to the sisterhood… The WI gives me access to build friendships with other women, which is what I need, to build a friendship base besides Loraine.”
t released a public statement in the 2000s to clarify its position, and has since worked with trans education charity Gendered Intelligence to draft it Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy.
Melissa Green, general secretary for the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), told the East Anglian Daily Times: “The WI is proudly a trans-inclusive organisation… Trans women are welcome to join the WI and participate in meetings and activities in the same way as any other woman.
“We were delighted to feature Petra on the cover of the latest WI Life magazine and share her inspiring work as a speaker and activist.
“It is wonderful that Petra has been welcomed into her WI with such kindness and that reflects the ethos of the WI – it’s about women coming together in a friendly and inclusive environment, learning new things and making a difference in their communities.”
It’s a simple fact that LGBT+ people are at high risk of developing eating disorders.
A Stonewall study found one in eight LGBT+ people experience an eating disorder and, according to a Beat survey, 37 per cent of LGB respondents wouldn’t feel confident seeking help.
Researchers recently found 18 per cent of boys who identify as gay and 13 per cent of boys who are bisexual experience eating disorders, compared with three per cent of heterosexual boys.
Gay men have battled eating disorders for decades, which are often connected with anxiety and confusion regarding sexuality, but many still struggle to access treatment.
Here are the stories of five gay men who have lived with eating disorders.
Lawrence Smith: ‘I felt destined to fail at existing as an adult’
Lawrence Smith, 29, is an actor and singer who had long-term issues with anorexia nervosa, diabulimia and general disordered eating.
“A key factor in my issues was lack of confidence in myself,” he explained.
“I felt destined to fail at existing as an adult, so I adopted the misguided belief that, were I to be ill, I wouldn’t need to engage with the real world.
“This had dangerous effects on my Type One diabetes.”
Lawrence also possessed a hatred of his body and the diabetes he’s had since a young age and used his eating disorder as punishment.
“I’ve been out as a gay man for ten years,” he said.
“I was lucky with the reaction to my coming out, but I had a lot of internal confusion proceeding this, and I was convinced I didn’t deserve love.
“I was surrounded by folks my age discussing their sex lives, so I felt isolated even further with my added eating disorder habits.”
Lawrence wishes his treatment focussed more on his diabetes, as none of his therapists were well versed in diabetes, so diabulimia continued to affect him.
He also highlighted the need to stop viewing eating disorders as a “women’s illness”.
“When I was seeking help 12 years ago, the resources I received all focused on female experiences of eating disorders. I felt absolutely alienated.
“I can only hope things have improved over the years, especially when the number of gay men battling eating disorders has risen.”
Jason Wood: ‘Embracing my vulnerability has been so scary’
(Jason Wood)
Jason Wood, 35, is an office events coordinator and blogger who has struggled with orthorexia.
“After joining Weight Watchers in high school I became fixated on counting calories, which made me feel in control during turbulent times,” Jason said.
“Several years later I was classified as high risk for colorectal cancer, the same disease that took my dad when I was 11.
“I didn’t want to die young so I developed a mental list of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods based on fad diets and clean eating influencers, whose diets I viewed as the epitome of health.”
Jason never thought he had an eating disorder, as he didn’t match the stereotypes.
He realised he needed help after an outburst in a restaurant when the food he wanted wasn’t available.
“My husband expressed concerns, so I scheduled an appointment the following week, but it wasn’t until months later I realised orthorexia was what I was battling,” he said.
Jason found it difficult actually finding treatment, however, as a man with a lesser-known eating disorder, and saw several professionals before receiving appropriate care.
Fortunately, he’s now in recovery and wants other gay men to know they deserve help.
“Embracing my vulnerability has been so scary,” he said, “but also really rewarding because I’m getting my life back.”
Dr Sunni Patel: ‘I just wanted to be accepted and avoid bullying for my size’
Dr Sunni Patel, 35, is a business director and gut health advocate who suffered from bulimia and excessive fasting as a teen.
“My issues stemmed from the insecurity of how I looked,” he shared.
“Coming from an Asian background there’s an unhealthy focus on how one looks and acts, and I gained weight as a teenager, so fasting felt like a quick way to lose weight and seem attractive.
“I just wanted to be accepted and avoid bullying for my size.”
Sunni is still on his coming out journey, but anxiety about how others may perceive him made him body-conscious.
“Coming from a conservative background and studying in healthcare meant I couldn’t discuss my eating disorder,” he added. “I was ashamed of my struggle, so I chose to self manage it.
“The gay dating scene also seems very body focused and extremely difficult to navigate because the easiest access to the gay world is through hookup apps and porn.
“It was hard to find people who understood what I was going through.”
Sunni wishes he was able to confidently talk about his struggle because he still battles with BDD (body dysmorphic disorder).
When asked his advice for fellow gay men, Sunni wants people to remember that others in the community shouldn’t pressure you to be a certain way: “Be you and find contentment in that, then you’ll attract the right people.”
Sam Thomas: ‘I would hide in the toilets during lessons and eat’
(Sam Thomas)
Sam Thomas, 35, is a writer and mental health campaigner who developed bulimia as a result of homophobic bullying in school, which manifested into CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder).
“I would hide in the toilets during lessons and eat,” Sam said. “Over time I evolved from bingeing episodes to bingeing and purging.
“Hardly anyone knew or had reason to be concerned.”
Sam attempted to seek help at 16 and again at 18 but never received treatment for bulimia. Fortunately, he was eventually able to recover, but his bulimia was replaced with alcoholism years later.
“At 18 the doctor focused on my depression rather than bulimia, I was put on antidepressants and referred for counselling,” he continued.
“I’ve often wondered if I were a woman with the same symptoms I might’ve been referred to eating disorder services.
“The concept of being a gay man having eating disorders was unknown 20 years ago. There was no information easily available, nor were there any support groups.”
Sam wants to remind readers that people from all walks of life have eating disorders: “Eating disorders are indiscriminate and anyone can be affected.”
Cassius Powell: ‘Seeing my father in tears encouraged me to seek help’
(Cassius Powell)
Cassius Powell, 38, is a dancer and personal trainer who was diagnosed with anorexia at 15, which was a result of low self-esteem and confusion in his teens.
“I placed a lot of self-worth on my physicality,” Cassius explained.
“I read an article about Leonardo DiCaprio that became the catalyst for my eating disorder. I thought his size was why he was so desired. This was also wrapped up in my suppressed sexual desire for him.
“I quickly became obsessed with exercise and food.”
Cassius didn’t realise the impact of his eating disorder until he confessed to giving away food at school to his father.
“He broke down at the wheel as we drove home one night. Seeing my father in tears encouraged me to seek help.”
Cassius rebuilt his relationship with food following appointments with a dietician, but it’s taken a long time to realise his value isn’t measured by looks.
“Even now I sometimes catch myself over-exercising and being strict with food but, because I’m kinder to myself, I can manage it.”
Cassius’ eating disorder was impacted by suppressing his sexual identity until coming out aged 25.
“I felt like being gay wasn’t acceptable,” he said, “so I tried to shut off any gay thoughts or feelings, which of course is impossible to control.
“What is easy to control, however, is the food you put into your body.”
He also wishes more attention could’ve been given to the mental aspect of eating disorders during treatment, as well as the eating.
“It’s only in the last five years I’ve tackled my OCD, anxiety and depression, which were key factors in my eating disorder,” Cassius shared.
