Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.
“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” Target said in a statement Tuesday. ”Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”
Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were “tuck friendly” women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Designs by Abprallen, a London-based company that designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ clothing and accessories, have also created backlash.
The Pride merchandise has been on sale since early May. Pride month is held in June.
Target confirmed that it has moved its Pride merchandise from the front of the stores to the back in some Southern stores after confrontations and backlash from shoppers in those areas.
Target’s Pride month collection has also been the subject of several misleading videos in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming the retailer is selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits designed for kids or in kids’ sizes.
The moves come as beer brand Bud Light is still grappling with a backlash from customers angered by its attempt to broaden its customer base by partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light’s parent company said it will triple its marketingspending in the U.S. this summer as it tries to restore sales it lost after the brand partnered with the transgender influencer.
Target and other retailers including Walmart and H&M have been expanding their LGBTQ displays to celebrate Pride month for roughly a decade. This year transgender issues — including gender-affirming health care and participation in sports — have been a divisive topic in state legislatures and the backlash has turned hostile.
Penguin Random House, authors, parents and a free speech group filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a Florida school district for removing 10 books related to race and the LGBTQ community after a high school teacher complained.
In addition to the publishing house, PEN America, a nonprofit group that advocates for free expression in literature, five authors whose books have been removed from the district, and two parents whose children go to school in the district filed the suit against the Escambia County School District and the Escambia County School Board in Pensacola, Florida.
“All Boys Aren’t Blue,” a memoir manifesto by LGBTQ activist George M. Johnson.Alamy Stock Photo
The plaintiffs alleged that the district and the board violated the First Amendment by “depriving students of access to a wide range of viewpoints, and depriving the authors of the removed and restricted books of the opportunity to engage with readers and disseminate their ideas to their intended audiences.”
They also argued that the removals violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment “because the books being singled out for possible removal are disproportionately books by non-white and/or LGBTQ authors, or which address topics related to race or LGBTQ identity.”
“This is no accident,” the suit alleged. “The clear agenda behind the campaign to remove the books is to categorically remove all discussion of racial discrimination or LGBTQ issues from public school libraries. Government action may not be premised on such discriminatory motivations.”
Neither the district nor the school board immediately responded to requests for comment. However, Bill Slayton, a member of the school board, told NBC News correspondent Antonia Hylton that he was surprised by the lawsuit because the school board and the superintendent have been following state law.
“We have been removing books that have been called inappropriate, pornography,” he said. “I guess I’m a little surprised because this is going on all over the state of Florida, not just here. My reaction is our procedures are following what we have been told we have to do.”
The plaintiffs allege a campaign to restrict access to books in the Escambia County School District began last May after Vicki Baggett, a language arts teacher at the district’s Northview High School, challenged “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky. Baggett expanded her effort in the fall and challenged more than 100 books for “questionable content,” prompting a book purge in the district, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
Baggett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since last May, the district and the school board have removed or indefinitely restricted access to five books by the author plaintiffs: “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” by Sarah Brannen, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, “Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan, “When Aidan Became a Brother” by Kyle Lukoff and “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Pérez.
The owner of Houston’s only lesbian bar says her business is in jeopardy after it was denied insurance coverage, and she’s putting the blame, in part, on an anti-drag bill moving through the Texas Legislature.
“They outright denied us, the underwriters, because we host drag shows,” Julie Mabry, the owner of Pearl Bar, said in an interview with NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston.
Pearl Bar owner Julie Mabry.KPRC
Mabry has insurance through December, but she decided to switch agents a few months ago and shop around for a new policy, she told KPRC. It was during that process that her agent received the denial email, which the agent then sent to Mabry.
“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten an email like that. I cried about this for about a week,” said Mabry, who told KPRC that drag shows were the first thing mentioned in the email, which outlined why the underwriter did not want to take on the risk of insuring her bar.
Mabry did not share additional details about the underwriter or the email, and she did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
Mabry, who opened Pearl Bar in 2013, said the current political climate fueled the situation she’s in, and she encouraged followers of the Pearl Bar Instagram account to contact their legislators about anti-LGBTQ bills in the state, including one that would restrict drag shows on public property, on the premises of a commercial enterprise or in the presence of a child.
The bill, Senate Bill 12, passed in the Texas Senate last month by a vote of 20-11, and it was set to be considered by a House committee Thursday. If the measure is signed into law, violators could be subjected to civil penalties of up to $10,000.
“Pearl needs everyone to speak up for us so that we can stay open and HOST DRAG SHOWS! It’s THAT serious,” a post on the Pearl Bar Instagram account said. “We are in the final stretch of session and every voice counts in pushing back on this and the other anti-LGBTQ legislation. We need you to step up, be loud, and tell your legislators NO to any anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Our state should be open to all, period.”
State Sen. Bryan Hughes, the bill’s author, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brad Pritchett, a Houston resident and the field director for LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas, noted that drag shows are still legal in Texas and said Pearl Bar’s situation is a result of the “fear and panic that lawmakers have stirred up” around the centuries-old art form.
“This situation highlights one of the most insidious consequences of all the anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the legislature this session—most people don’t know what’s going on,” he said in an email. “It’s ludicrous to think that lawmakers can shut down an entire industry without even changing the law. Texans, we need you to show up to the capitol, to email your legislators, and to make a lot of noise about what is happening in Texas.”
Texas is one of at least 16 states where legislators have proposed bills this year seeking to restrict the audiences for drag performances and where they can take place. Tennessee is the only state to have enacted such a law, which a federal judge temporarily blocked from taking effect.
Bills seeking to restrict drag shows are part of a larger trend of Republican-led bills targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S. So far this year, more than 470 such bills have been proposed in legislatures across the U.S., according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Pearl Bar is one of about two dozen lesbian bars left in the U.S. and one of only two in Texas, the other being Sue Ellen’s in Dallas. Mabry hopes Texas will not be left with just a lone lesbian bar.
“This situation is real,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’ve tried to be as careful as I can to keep my patrons, performers, and staff safe, but if we stay quiet, we aren’t helping.”
Most top dating apps are entirely inclusive of trans people, which will come as terrible news to transphobes who are still raging over lesbian dating app HER’s ongoing support of its transgender users.
In recent weeks, HER has faced the vitriol of anti-trans bigots expressing outrage that the platform, which has been trans-inclusive “since day one”, welcomes trans and non-binary people.
And it’s not just HER. Leading dating apps such as Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge and Grindr are all trans inclusive and have zero-tolerance policies when it comes to transphobia on their platforms.
The pile-on faced by HER resulted in its Twitter account being temporarily suspended on Lesbian Visibility Day (26 April), after bigots reported it en masse. It has now been reinstated.
So-called gender critical male activists even took to creating accounts on HER in a bid to “catch out” trans women using it to find love – only to end up exposing one another instead.
The team behind the app did not take the hostility lying down and came out swinging for trans rights and in defence of HER’s trans and non-binary users.
In response to the attacks, the team sent a push notification to the app’s 10 million users,telling transphobes to delete it from their phones.
Robyn Exton, HER’s founder and chief executive, told PinkNews that the anti-trans hate was not slowing the team down and, instead, they are using it as an opportunity to double down and “to make our position exceptionally clear”.
Exton explained: “It’s kind of absurd that we’re now getting this vitriol, saying that we’re a lesbian app that is ‘now promoting’ inclusion of trans women. It always has, since day one.”
Robyn Exton, the founder of queer dating app HER. (Helena Price)
Transphobes enraged at HER’s policies will be hard-pressed to find a mainstream dating app that specifically excludes trans people.
Arguably the best-known dating app in the world, Tinder is often the first platform people new to the online dating world venture on to – and is open to the entire LGBTQ+ community.
The app has found LGBTQ+ people tend to use Tinder as the first place they are comfortably “out” after coming to terms with their identity, a spokesperson for the company told PinkNews.
The number of LGBTQ+ Tinder members under the age of 30 has doubled in the past three years, data from the platform showed.
A spokesperson said: “Tinder is an inclusive community where our members can freely express themselves, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
“Vulnerable communities face outside bias, prejudice and stigma, and Tinder recognises the role it has to support the safety of all members on our platform.
“We’ve collaborated with leading organisations, including HRC [the Human Rights Council], RAINN [The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network] and GLAAD to help us create an equitable and respectful platform where everyone can make meaningful connections.”
Additionally, in 2019 Tinder introduced its “traveller alert” an in-app function that enables LGBTQ+ users to “hide” their profile, should they be alerted by the platform that they have entered a country that discriminates against the queer community.
Tinder calls itself an inclusive community.(Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for OkCupid – which has 50 million registered users worldwide – told PinkNews that the platform supports the entire LGBTQ+ community.
“We were the first dating app to offer expanded gender and orientation options and we now offer users 22 genders and 20 orientation options that include agender, transgender, trans man and trans woman,” the spokesperson said.
“Last year, after hearing from non-binary and transgender daters, we realised there was an opportunity to educate and inform people about the different identities we offer on our app and added definitions to each of our gender and orientation options to help people better understand what these terms mean, and better serve all our users.”
The team is always working to create a “safer, more welcoming experience for everyone”, they added.
‘Transphobia is a violation of our terms’
On its website, Hinge – with its 23 million users – describes trans and gender non-conforming people as an “essential part of the [its] community”.
A Hinge spokesperson said: “At Hinge, we’re passionate about building a welcoming and effective dating app where everyone can find love.
“To support LGBTQIA+ daters in fully expressing themselves and foster an inclusive community, we’ve introduced a variety of app updates.”
These updates include NFAQ (Not-so Frequently Asked Questions), a resource for queer daters, prompts for LGBTQIA+ daters, the addition of pronoun options and more than 50 gender options for users.
“The safety and well-being of our trans daters are always a top priority,” the spokesperson added, “We have a zero-tolerance policy for hate and anyone exhibiting transphobic behaviour on Hinge will be banned from our community.
“If a user experiences transphobia, we encourage them to report it through our hate speech reporting option – which they can do directly within the app and our team will take immediate action.”
They added: “Anyone who reports a user for being trans or non-binary will be banned from our community. Furthermore, we have an ongoing relationship with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to identify and remove any hate speech within our app.”
A statement from the company’s website also says: “We have never, and will never, ban someone based on their gender or gender expression. Being trans is no more a violation of our terms of service than being cis (cisgender refers to anyone who is not trans).
“Transphobia, on the other hand, including reporting someone simply for being trans, is definitely a violation of our terms of service. We have banned members in the past for reporting profiles for this reason and will continue to do so.
“It’s our responsibility to ensure that trans members feel safe and welcome on Hinge and we will continuously work to do just that.”
Most dating apps are trans inclusive. (Yu Chun Christopher Wong/S3studio/Getty Images)
Perhaps best-known as a hook-up app for gay men, Grindr is proud of its inclusivity and describes itself as a “social networking app for gay, bi, trans and queer people”.
In 2017, the app introduced more gender options to enable users to be able to express themselves authentically.
This has expanded over the years and the app now hosts a range of community resourcesfor the trans, as well as the wider queer, community, covering everything from FAQs on gender identity to sexual health.
‘Real love is for everyone’
Although launched as a dating platform for solely cisgender, heterosexual people, eHarmony has grown over the years and now specifically labels itself as “LGBT friendly”.
The company website states: “We believe that real love is for everyone and we’re deeply committed to providing a platform that’s safe, inclusive and welcoming for every single one of our members.
“We don’t have a type – eHarmony members represent individuals of all ages, demographics and backgrounds.”
“We’ve learned and grown quite a bit in our 20+ years of helping millions find real love and we have continuously evolved to meet the needs of our members. The work to build a diverse and inclusive environment is never complete.
“We recognise that we have work left to do and we are committed to finding ways to be more inclusive to people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, across all facets of what we do.”
A recent uptick in mpox diagnoses in Chicago, some of them in people vaccinated against the virus, has raised concerns about a possible increase in cases among gay and bisexual men during the summer.
On Monday, Howard Brown Health, an LGBTQ-focused clinic in Chicago, reported eight new cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, since April 17. By comparison, only one case, also diagnosed at Howard Brown, was reported to the Chicago Public Health Department in the previous three months.
Public health experts expressed measured concern that, similar to other cases of infections that are transmitted through sexual contact, mpox cases could rise during the summer, especially as gay and bi men travel to Pride festivals and other major LGBTQ events.
“Without renewed vaccination and prevention efforts, we are at risk for a resurgence of mpox,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the deputy coordinator of the White House national mpox response. “Vaccine is a really important tool, even if it’s not perfect.”
Diagnosed cases have been “increasing slightly” in eight countries in the past three weeks, including France and several countries in east Asia, said Dr. Rosamund Lewis, the technical lead for mpox at the World Health Organization. About half of the recent French cases were in vaccinated people.
Otherwise, global case counts have continued to decline since the early-August peak. Since mid-April, Lewis said, only 21 of the 111 nations to report cases during the outbreak have reported any new diagnoses. However, many cases may go undetected, she said.
Chicago’s weekly mpox case rate is the highest since early November. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, which is updated biweekly, the U.S. has had a rolling seven-day average of no more than 17 diagnoses since mid-February.
The Howard Brown clinic is analyzing the new cases to determine whether any are part of a linked cluster of infections.
Mpox vaccination rates are insufficient
Seven of the eight newly diagnosed patients were in gay or bisexual men, said Dr. Leanna Gordon, the medical director of preventive medicine at Howard Brown. One person was unvaccinated, one had received one dose of the two-dose Jynneos vaccine, and six were fully vaccinated.
All eight cases were mild, none of them requiring treatment for pain. Even with a breakthrough infection, the vaccine is still likely to reduce the severity of an infection, Gordon said.
Gordon emphasized the importance that people at substantial risk of mpox get both doses of the Jynneos vaccine to protect themselves and their sexual partners.
“One of our major concerns is that our population at risk are under-vaccinated,” Gordon said. “We haven’t had as much interest in the vaccine as we would like.”
According to the CDC, more than 1.2 million doses of the Jynneos vaccine have been administered across the country to 725,000 people, 90% of them male. The agency estimates that only 1 in 4 of those most at risk, including gay and bi men and transgender people, have been fully vaccinated.
Two doses of the Jynneos vaccine reduced the risk of mpox disease by 69%, and that one dose was 37% effective, the CDC reported in December. Updated figures are expected next week.
Public health experts expressed concern that mpox could spread more widely across the country after Chicago hosts the International Mr. Leather festival, a popular destination for gay men, at the end of the month.
Daskalakis said the CDC is working with Howard Brown and other local partners to leverage the event to promote mpox prevention and awareness.
Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease physician at the University of Southern California, said, “We need to maintain vigilance and promote and provide free vaccination.”
Symptoms of mpox
Mpox, which has an incubation period of about three to 17 days, typically manifests as a rash and lesions. Other potential symptoms include:
Fever.
Chills.
Swollen lymph nodes.
Exhaustion.
Muscle aches.
Headache.
Sore throat.
In France, national health authorities recently reported that of the 19 diagnoses this year through April 3 in the Centre-Val de Loire region, 16 were made after March 1 and all but one were in men who have sex with men. Ten of the cases were in people who were fully vaccinated: six who had two doses of the Jynneos vaccine and four who had received the smallpox vaccine in childhood and a recent Jynneos dose.
Could mpox return this summer?
Last summer’s mpox outbreak declined following a combination of vaccination, immunity after infection and behavior change among gay and bi men.
Infectious disease experts believe existing immunity from previous infection and vaccination would be likely to prevent mpox from spreading at the same level as last year.
But questions remain about the duration of immunity and whether gay men, many of whom reported reducing their number of sexual partners or even practicing abstinence last summer, have returned to their baseline behavior patterns after mpox cases dramatically waned.
“Everybody’s efforts have contributed to controlling the outbreak, but it’s not gone,” Lewis said. She noted that there is evidence that mpox can spread both before symptoms begin and from people who never develop symptoms.
Dr. Marc C. Shamier, a resident in clinical microbiology at University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands, reported that in September, about 45% of gay and bi men visiting sexual health centers in Rotterdam and Amsterdam had detectable antibodies against orthopoxviruses, the family to which mpox belongs.
“However,” Shamier said in an email, “this level of immunity is not sufficient to fully stop viral circulation, so sporadic clusters of monkeypox are to be expected.”
Shamier continued: “Large-scale events such as annual Pride parties could increase the number of sexual contacts among the risk group, which may lead to a rise in viral circulation and infections.”
With testing, isolation of cases and higher levels of mpox immunity among risk groups, Shamier expects the number of cases to be relatively low compared to last year.
Daskalakis said the recent cases in Chicago amount to “a call to action as opposed to a call to panic.”
“We have the tools to take care of this,” he said. “We just have to get it done.”
Beer drinkers visiting Chicago gay bars may have a difficult time finding popular brands like Bud Light, Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra. That’s because at least five LGBTQ venues in the city are boycotting the brewing company Anheuser-Busch and its products after the company distanced itself from transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Mulvaney, best known for her “Days of Girlhood” TikTok series, partnered with the company during the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament. The partnership, which consisted of a sponsored post on her Instagram account promoting Bud Light, spawned a right-wing backlash. The company’s response to that backlash led to accusations that it was abandoning Mulvaney, 25, which in turn ignited a response from the LGBTQ community.
“We have simply removed their products,” Mark Robertson, the co-owner of Chicago-based 2Bears Tavern Group, told NBC News on Tuesday. “Our position is that we expect the products we sell to align their values with our values or not trample on the right of our customers. That’s where we believe Anheuser-Busch crossed the line.”
Mark Robertson, left, and Mike Sullivan are the owners of Chicago-based 2Bears Tavern Group.Courtesy Mark Robertson and Mike Sullivan
Robertson, whose company owns four LGBTQ bars in Chicago, said the final straw came after Anheuser-Busch InBev’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday when, he said, company leadership further tried “to distance themselves from this whole situation.”
When asked by an analyst about the Mulvaney partnership and how a seemingly small partnership turned into “something a whole lot bigger than that,” Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michael Doukeris said, in part: “We will need to continue to clarify the fact that this was one can, one influencer, one post, and not a campaign, and repeat this message for some time.”
Robertson said, “They have chosen to side with a group of people who are being very hateful, who do not value, you know, the human rights or the lives of the LGBTQ community.”
The right-wing backlash to the Mulvaney-Bud Light partnership was swift, especially across social media. Countless videos were shared online showing consumers dumping their Bud Light products in trash bins and down sinks — and even violently destroying cans of the beer. One particularly jarring response came in an Instagram video posted by the singer-songwriter Kid Rock, who can be seen shooting at cases of Bud Light with what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle.
The SoFo Tap in Chicago.
Shortly after Thursday’s earnings call, Robertson announced on social media that “All 2Bears Tavern Group bars are discontinuing Anheuser-Busch InBev products as a result of the brewer’s anti-transgender actions and statements.” The group owns four LGBTQ bars in Chicago: 2Bears Tavern, Jackhammer, Meeting House Tavern and The SoFo Tap.
When asked about the Chicago LGBTQ bars that are no longer selling the company’s products, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch InBev said in an emailed statement: “We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations to drive economic prosperity across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.”
Robertson said he doesn’t anticipate selling Anheuser-Busch products at any of his bars again.
“This is not about economic prosperity; this is about human rights,” he said. “You can’t, on the one hand, say we’re going to continue to put rainbows on our cans, and we’re going to continue to sponsor parades, while on the other hand, basically bending over to what is a lot of hate and vitriol.”
HSBC, Europe’s biggest bank, downgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev’s stock from a “buy” to a “hold” as the company deals with its “Bud Light crisis,” CNBC reported Wednesday.
Jamie Alexander is the epitome of a supportive parent. Since his daughter Ruby came out as trans as a young child, he has done everything in his power to ensure she is loved and affirmed and can lead a happy life as her authentic self.
And that includes launching an entire company so that Ruby would have something to wear to the beach.
Tanius Posey said some negative comments have come from trans people who think he’s making them “look bad.”
Ruby had been having trouble finding a bikini that fit her well. For her own safety, her parents had insisted she wear board shorts to the beach. But Ruby eventually grew frustrated and just wanted to wear a bikini like her friends.
There wasn’t much on the market to meet Ruby’s needs, so Alexander decided to change that. Three years ago, he launched Rubies, which sells form-fitting bras, underwear, and swimwear for trans girls. It’s slogan: “Every girl deserves to shine.”
“One of the design points for Rubies was creating underwear and swimwear that feels the same as clothing cis people are wearing,” Alexander told LGBTQ Nation. “If you’re not physically comfortable, that gets in the way of you feeling comfortable overall.”
Over the past three years, Alexander has sent out more than 10,000 packages to trans girls in over 40 countries. He has spoken on panels, guided employee resource groups, and Zoomed directly with parents seeking advice on supporting their own trans children.
Alexander has also done several collaborations with LGBTQ+ groups, most recently partnering with Alexander Switzer’s Affirming Wardrobe, a program (through Switzer’s nonprofit Valid USA) that works with schools to supply gender-affirming clothing and undergarments to middle, high school, and college students.
In addition to running an Affirming Wardrobe in Tucson, Arizona at the University of Arizona Lutheran Campus Ministries, Alexander has largely worked with schools in Northern California, namely with the Oakland Unified School District.
He met Alexander when Rubies donated some merchandise to the organization, and the pair quickly knew they wanted to continue working together.
“I really liked what he was doing,” Alexander said, adding that working with Switzer has allowed Rubies products to reach a different cohort of young people – those without supportive parents that must seek out gender-affirming attire themselves.
Last month, in honor of the Transgender Day of Visibility, Alexander donated a slew of merchandise to Switzer.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to expand even further [and reach] older youth and be able to do some good, help these people in another critical time in their journey,” he said.
Both Switzer and Alexander praised the immensely positive effects their work has had on the kids they serve.
“A lot of kids have withdrawn from doing activities they love,” Alexander said. “And I don’t know about you, but for myself, you know, being able to go swimming at the beach, go to camp and feel comfortable, it’s kind of an essential part of growing up. So people say it’s life-changing for them and their kids.”
“Right away when a kid tries on their first bikini… They get that, you know, that twirl, like ‘Hey, I feel like myself.’”
Switzer, a trans man himself, told LGBTQ Nation that based on feedback he has received from the Oakland Unified School District, trans students who have access to the Affirming Wardrobe have had better attendance and even improved grades.
“They’re more interactive with their peers, they’re happier. They’re showing up for school every day. They’re showing up for club meetings, for events in the community… It’s really brought a lot of people, a lot of students, a lot of kids just so much joy.”
Both companies hope to continue expanding their reach as much as possible. Switzer is hoping to do so through college campus ministries.
“I grew up in the Christian church and was loved and welcomed, and then I was queer and I was a sin… So I strayed away from being with any kind of religious groups for 11 years and then [found] this very welcoming group of young people… They were super excited and welcoming of the idea of the Affirming Wardrobe. So with the partnership of the other church that we work with, they were able to give me space there.”
“Now we’re looking to connect with additional campus ministries at additional colleges to try to open space at their church or their college. I connected with my pastor, and we’re going to reach out to the over 100 different groups throughout the different universities.”
And now that Ruby is 15, Alexander has been expanding the company’s product line to grow with his daughter. He introduced a bra last year, for example, and he is working on creating other, more teen-centered undergarments as an increasing number of older kids also show interest in the brand.
“There’s always more to do,” he said. “Much more to grow Rubies into for sure.”
While both founders have experienced the inevitable backlash that accompanies supporting a marginalized group, they said they do their best to focus on the positive.
“The backlash, it just sort of falls off me,” said Alexander. “I knew going into this that there are some people that hate on the trans movement. They’re going to be there irrespective of what I’m doing. I really don’t focus on them at all. Rubies is really about celebrating these great people, the great community, the kids, it’s all positive…. What Rubies and I personally try to do is really just bring some joy to this community.”
“We don’t want you to be shocked,” Switzer added. “We want this to be normal. We’re just giving our kids what they need to succeed.”
He recalls a special Affirming Wardrobe program in San Francisco that paired 18 trans and gender nonconforming kids with 18 drag artists for a shopping spree at the LGBTQ+ thrift store, Out of the Closet.
“Just helping them shop and find what really makes them feel comfortable. We had a shy, shy youth come in that at first was very hesitant. And after, they had just the biggest smile on their face. They just broke out of their shell. And it was just… it drives the work.”
As someone who regularly witnesses the positive impact trans kids experience when their gender is affirmed, Switzer has a message for the GOP legislators seeking to limit trans kids’ freedom: “Just leave us be. Let us do what’s going to make us happy. We’re not hurting anybody. We are doing things within our lives to fulfill what we need to be to be happy.”
A new study has shown that less than half of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people are out at work.
The research, published by myGwork, indicates that high rates of discrimination towards LGBTQ+ and non-binary professionals are preventing many from coming out in a professional environment, with just 44 per cent of LGBTQ+ women reporting that they are out at work.
The number of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people who are out at work includes the 23 per cent who reported being out and proud in all aspects of their professional and personal lives, and the 21 per cent who say they are only out in the workplace.
The results of the survey of more than 2000 LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people has been published to coincide with Lesbian Visibility Week – a time to reflect on the progress made for LGBTQ+ women and also to acknowledge the need for further visibility for LGBTQ+ women, including in their professional lives.
Within wider society, the report reveals that less than 25 per cent of respondents are completely out and proud, and 46 per cent of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people are only out to their friends and family members.
The report confirms that 70 per cent of respondents still encounter discrimination while they are at work – and for people of colour, marginalised communities and those from ethnic minority groups, the figures are even higher.
Gender non-conforming and queer people experience the highest rate of discrimination at work, followed by cis-gender women, gender fluid, intersex, trans women and non-binary people.
This discrimination at work is playing a factor in many lesbian and queer women believing that their sexual orientation and/or gender identity is hindering their career progression.
In fact, nearly 80 per cent of respondents across all age groups say that it’s tougher for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people to smash through glass ceilings than straight cis-gender women. This figure is much higher for those with intersectional experiences who belong to other marginalised communities.
Marginalised groups aren’t climbing the corporate ladder
Those in ethnic minority groups say that they find it much harder to progress higher up the career ladder than their white colleagues. For example, those with Latinx (86 per cent), South Asian (85 per cent) and Middle Eastern (85 per cent) backgrounds found it the most difficult, followed by East Asian (83 per cent) and Black/African communities (81 per cent).
This is in comparison to 76 per cent of their white colleagues. These staggering data points are in despite of high rates of allyship from both men and cis-gender straight women and even more visible LGBTQ+ role models at work.
While there are a handful of notable queer women in the boardroom, the research also confirms that very few LGBTQ+ women and non-binary professionals occupy top C-suite leadership roles. Only nine per cent hold leadership roles, and only three per cent are CEOs or founders.
The report from myGwork also uncovers insights such as how the community perceives the term ‘lesbian,’ with 61 per cent of women happy to be called a lesbian, but 20 per cent saying that they are uncomfortable with that label. Additionally, an overwhelming 78 per cent would like their employers to provide menstrual leave.
The report also confirmed that LGBTQ+ women from marginalised groups are not climbing the corporate ladder compared to their White cishet colleagues. (Getty Images/PinkNews)
Business leaders need to embrace diversity and champion inclusivity
The research also provides advice on the steps organisations need to take to make the workplace more inclusive and stamp out discrimination.
Over 65 per cent say that LGBTQ+ education and training are needed within work so LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people feel safe enough to come out, stay out and work with pride.
“To create a workplace that is truly inclusive and supportive, businesses need to actively listen to and learn from their employees,” says Michelle ‘Michi’ Raymond, business development director at myGwork. “By embracing diversity and championing inclusivity, we can create a work environment that not only accepts but celebrates all identities.”
Given the fact that over 50 per cent of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary professionals are currently job hunting, the report shares tips on how to attract and retain this highly talented group of people.
73 per cent say that they would leave an employer for not providing an inclusive working environment or not doing enough to achieve proper gender equality. Offering training, being transparent about the gender pay gap and offering up employee resource groups are all ways to keep LGBTQ+ women in their current roles.
Wrapping up the report, around 33 per cent say that celebrating key awareness dates like Lesbian Visibility Week is vital.
Organisations that have more visible allies and improved inclusion policies will retain and support their valuable LGBTQ+ women and non-binary employees. These employees will be more likely to rise up the corporate ladder and be visible, out, and proud role models.
To celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week, the PinkNews Business Community will be hosting a special one-hour virtual chat with Raga D’Silva on Wednesday 26 April at 8:30am BST. Raga will talk about the importance of intersectionality, representation and the freedom to be yourself. Registration for this virtual breakfast session is open to everyone and is free. Sign up here!
An enraged conservative threw a bigoted temper tantrum after he saw some LEGO store staff wearing rainbow pins, and now he’s getting roasted online.
The tirade began when John K Amanchukwu Sr, who describes himself as a contributor to far-right organisation Turning Point USA, went into a LEGO store and saw employees wearing kaleidoscopic Pride pins on their uniforms.
He then pulled out his camera, started arguing with them and posted the result on his social media channels.
Amanchukwu asked one worker if the “LEGO group supports” LGBTQ+ people, to which the employee called over another worker before replying, “Yes.”
“But the question is, why are you all in here with those pins on?” Amanchukwu asked. “Do you think children care about what man sucks d**k at home? What girl eats vaginas at home?”
The employees then asked Amanchukwu to leave, but he doubled down and insisted he wanted a response.
“I don’t think they think about that, personally,” the employee responded.
“Right, they think about it when they see your pin,” Amanchukwu said.
The employee insisted kids don’t think about that before telling Amanchukwu to leave again, and Amanchukwu weakly threatened to tell security that the workers were “in here wearing Pride flags”.
Security soon arrived, but Amanchukwu continued to rant about “grooming” before equating wearing LGBTQ+ Pride pins to “borderline pedophilia” and “child abuse”.
The security guard told Amanchukwu to leave the store, and he vowed not to spend any more money on LEGO – truly a terrifying threat to a billion-dollar company that has thrown its support behind the LGBTQ+ community before.
The clip has been widely viewed – and lambasted – on Twitter after it was shared by Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Kirk has promoted numerous conspiracy theories and “demonised the transgender community”, as noted by the Anti-Defamation League.
Amanchukwu didn’t win any sympathy points online, and people on Twitter came out in force to slam his video.
Social media users pointed out that the LEGO staffers were literally just doing their job while Amanchukwu – who was ranting about sexual acts and “grooming” – was the one actually being inappropriate in a toy store surrounded by children.
Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,” raising concerns that the Elon Musk-owned platform is becoming less safe for marginalized groups.
Twitter enacted the policy against deadnaming, or using a transgender person’s name before they transitioned, as well as purposefully using the wrong gender for someone as a form of harassment, in 2018.
On Monday, Twitter also said it will only put warning labels on some tweets that are “potentially” in violation of its rules against hateful conduct. Previously, the tweets were removed.
It was in this policy update that Twitter appears to have deleted the line against deadnaming from its rules.
“Twitter’s decision to covertly roll back its longtime policy is the latest example of just how unsafe the company is for users and advertisers alike,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of the advocacy group GLAAD. “This decision to roll back LGBTQ safety pulls Twitter even more out of step with TikTok, Pinterest, and Meta, which all maintain similar policies to protect their transgender users at a time when anti-transgender rhetoric online is leading to real world discrimination and violence.”
Twitter did not immediately respond to a message for comment Tuesday.
