The majority of US voters oppose using the slur “groomer” to describe LGBT-inclusive teachers and parents, a new poll has revealed.
The Data for Progress poll surveyed 1,155 likely voters and asked them about the spread of anti-LGBT+ legislation across the US.
While the dangerous and ignorant conflation of homosexuality and LGBT+ identities with paedophilia goes back decades, there has been a recent surge in Republicans and religious conservatives using “grooming” language to describe LGBT-inclusive education, or just queer folk in general.
The Data for Progress poll noted: “Some groups have been describing teachers and parents who oppose banning discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in schools as ‘groomers’ – a term used to describe someone who gets close to and builds trust with a child or young person with the intent of sexually abusing them.”
Respondents were asked whether they agreed that “teachers and parents that support discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in school” were “groomers”, and a majority of 55 per cent said they did not.
However, there was a stark political divide.
While just 15 per cent of likely Democrat voters supported anti-LGBT+ “groomer” language, this figure jumped to 45 per cent for likely Republican voters.
The poll also revealed some serious cognitive dissonance among likely Republican voters.
Asked whether the US government should “have a say in personal matters like a person’s sexual preference or gender identity”, the overwhelming opinion across the political spectrum was that it should not (88 per cent of Democrats and 86 per cent of Republicans).
However, when asked about the hundreds of bills across the country which aim to limit the discussion of LGBT+ topics in classrooms, as well as “limit transgender people’s ability to play sports, use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, and receive gender-affirming health care”, 63 per cent of Republicans said they supported such legislation, compared with just 15 per cent of Democrats.
The same trend appeared in a question about gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children, with 59 per cent of Republicans saying the government should deny them this care, compared to 15 per cent of Democrats.
Transgender medical treatment for children and teens is increasingly under attack in many states, labeled child abuse and subject to criminalizing bans. But it has been available in the United States for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.
Many clinics use treatment plans pioneered in Amsterdam 30 years ago, according to a recent review in the British Psych Bulletin. Since 2005, the number of youth referred to gender clinics has increased as much as tenfold in the U.S., U.K, Canada and Finland, the review said.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, a professional and educational organization, and the Endocrine Society, which represents specialists who treat hormone conditions, both have guidelines for such treatment. Here’s a look at what’s typically involved.
Puberty Blockers
Children who persistently question the sex they were designated at birth are often referred to specialty clinics providing gender-confirming care. Such care typically begins with a psychological evaluation to determine whether the children have “gender dysphoria,″ or distress caused when gender identity doesn’t match a person’s assigned sex.
Children who meet clinical guidelines are first offered medication that temporarily blocks puberty. This treatment is designed for youngsters diagnosed with gender dysphoria who have been counseled with their families and are mature enough to understand what the regimen entails.
The medication isn’t started until youngsters show early signs of puberty — enlargement of breasts or testicles. This typically occurs around age 8 to 13 for girls and a year or two later for boys.
The drugs, known as GnRH agonists, block the brain from releasing key hormones involved in sexual maturation. They have been used for decades to treat precocious puberty, an uncommon medical condition that causes puberty to begin abnormally early.
The drugs can be given as injections every few months or as arm implants lasting up to year or two. Their effects are reversible — puberty and sexual development resume as soon as the drugs are stopped.
Some kids stay on them for several years. One possible side effect: They may cause a decrease in bone density that reverses when the drugs are stopped.
Hormones
After puberty blockers, kids can either go through puberty while still identifying as the opposite sex or begin treatment to make their bodies more closely match their gender identity.
For those choosing the second option, guidelines say the next step is taking manufactured versions of estrogen or testosterone — hormones that prompt sexual development in puberty. Estrogen comes in skin patches and pills. Testosterone treatment usually involves weekly injections.
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Guidelines recommend starting these when kids are mature enough to make informed medical decisions. That is typically around age 16, and parents’ consent is typically required, said Dr. Gina Sequiera, co-director of Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Gender Clinic.
Many transgender patients take the hormones for life, though some changes persist if medication is stopped.
In girls transitioning to boys, testosterone generally leads to permanent voice-lowering, facial hair and protrusion of the Adam’s apple, said Dr. Stephanie Roberts, a specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Gender Management Service. For boys transitioning to girls, estrogen-induced breast development is typically permanent, Roberts said.
Research on long-term hormone use in transgender adults has found potential health risks including blood clots and cholesterol changes.
Surgery
Gender-altering surgery in teens is less common than hormone treatment, but many centers hesitate to give exact numbers.
Guidelines say such surgery generally should be reserved for those aged 18 and older. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health says breast removal surgery is OK for those under 18 who have been on testosterone for at least a year. The Endocrine Society says there isn’t enough evidence to recommend a specific age limit for that operation.
Outcomes
Studies have found some children and teens resort to self-mutilation to try to change their anatomy. And research has shown that transgender youth and adults are prone to stress, depression and suicidal behavior when forced to live as the sex they were assigned at birth.
Opponents of youth transgender medical treatment say there’s no solid proof of purported benefits and cite widely discredited research claiming that most untreated kids outgrow their transgender identities by their teen years or later. One study often mentioned by opponents included many kids who were mistakenly identified as having gender dysphoria and lacked outcome data for many others.
Doctors say accurately diagnosed kids whose transgender identity persists into puberty typically don’t outgrow it. And guidelines say treatment shouldn’t start before puberty begins.
Many studies show the treatment can improve kids’ well-being, including reducing depression and suicidal behavior. The most robust kind of study — a trial in which some distressed kids would be given treatment and others not — cannot be done ethically. Longer term studies on treatment outcomes are underway.
Now is the time for the larger progressive movement to connect the struggles for LGBTQ and reproductive rights more deeply, especially for those who are transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary.
Trans people get pregnant. Trans people need abortions. Trans people deserve access to culturally competent medical care. Trans people must have the freedom to live, something that is currently under unprecedented direct attack through hundreds of pieces of legislation across the country. Despite all of this, trans people have been marginalized in the mainstream fight over body autonomy. That must end. The reasons why are right in front of us.
Take Idaho as a recent and obvious example. Headlines there within two days of each other make the point: “Idaho House passes Texas-style abortion ban” and “An Idaho bill would criminalize medical treatments for trans youths. It echoes abortion bans.” These links are undeniable.
As is often the case, the forces opposed to body autonomy for cisgender women also oppose it for trans people. It is clear that this is one fight, but for decades, there has been an over-emphasis on cisgender women in the reproductive rights movement and transgender people have been left out and left behind. Restricting a women’s right to choose, curtailing sexual freedom, homophobia and transphobia are all inextricably linked with common roots.
The right wing mainstays of the anti-abortion movement, including The Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Liberty Council are at the forefront of the anti-trans movement, especially the ability for trans people–including children–to have equal access to health care.
TransLash’s investigative series last year, the Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality discussed how these very organizations, many of whom have been designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, are targeting the trans community as the next wave in the war over who gets to control our bodies.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gh3rPqhWLXo?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1
For these organizations, the fight against abortion and the fight against trans rights are increasingly one and the same. And as was detailed in a recent Time Magazine piece, anti-trans forces are borrowing tactics from the anti-abortion movement in targeting doctors who provide gender-affirming healthcare.
By missing these obvious connections and denying a broader civil and human rights frame, the mainstream reproductive rights movement is playing into the hands of the right wing.
At the December 1, 2021 protests outside the Supreme Court hearing on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Task Force witnessed hundreds of protesters but the ones hoping to see Roe v. Wade overturned were not just holding anti-choice signs, but also anti-LGBTQ placards. They clearly get the connection.
Each of us who wishes to decide what we do with our body is in the crosshairs. As individuals, we know that our humanity is larger than the physical forms we are born into. A coalition of people with this understanding, in addition to a deep commitment to racial, disability and economic justice, would create a powerful force for human rights grounded in body autonomy. And that force is needed now to preserve and extend hard fought gains made over the past fifty years.https://www.youtube.com/embed/2oDMaQ0Wwqg?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1
But there is a solution. Visibility. Conversation. Education. Advocacy. The need for us to end this erasure is why Translash created the “Trans Bodies, Trans Choices” short-film series. Putting transgender people and their stories at the center of the discussion is essential if we are going to create the understanding necessary to bring people together both cis and trans. This is about transgender people rather than “transgender issues”.
“Trans Bodies Trans Choices” tells powerful stories of trans people whose lives were changed forever because they had access not only to abortion but also reproductive services and trans-affirming medical care. These are stories that tens of millions of people can relate to, and they bind us all together in a common cause.
Telling our truths and leveraging our collective power is how we will create the change required for us all to live whole and with dignity. Storytelling is the first step in creating a common bond but there are so many other steps that must follow.
The only way we will make progress is if we are in it together.
Imara Jones is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist, intersectional-news producer, and creator of TransLash. Kierra Johnson is the Executive Director of the National LGBGTQ Task Force.
If you’ve ever felt like monogamy wasn’t for you, know that you’re not alone. In a study by the Kinsey Institute, 81 percent of respondents said they fantasized about open relationships at least once in their lives. And at least one in five Americans have entered some kind of consensual non-monogamous relationship.
Polyamory – or the practice of dating multiple partners at once – has, for the most part, been on the fringes of what most people consider as “normal” dating behavior. After all, the concept of monogamy has been reinforced for time immemorial by religion, government, films, TV shows, and music. So much so that most people do assume it to be the default, normal way to have romantic relationships.
But, in recent years, more and more people have begun to recognize non-monogamy as an option that’s just as real and valid as its counterpart. Even big celebrities like Willow Smith, Nico Tortorella, and Bella Thorne have opened up about their experiences with non-monogamy and how it’s worked out for them.
But how do you actually know if polyamory is right for you? How do you answer the question “Am I polyamorous?” without even having experienced it? Here, you’ll find four important questions to ask yourself before you begin testing the waters that will, hopefully, help you gain a better understanding of the practice and whether it’s something that could work for you.
The word “polyamory” comes from the Greek term “poly”, which means “many”, and the Latin word “amor”, which means “love.” So, a polyamorous person could be described as someone who is capable of falling in love and maintaining romantic relationships with more than one person at a time.
Polyamory is just one type of ethical non-monogamy – an umbrella term for dating practices and relationship structures where people date or have sex with multiple people with the consent of their partners. Essentially, ethically non-monogamous relationships are diametrically opposed to monogamous relationships, which emphasize that partners stay faithful to one and only one partner at a time.
One of the biggest misconceptions about ENM is that it’s an excuse for cheating. However, there is a key distinction between the two. Cheating involves one partner entering a romantic or sexual relationship with another person without their partner’s consent. In an ethically non-monogamous relationship, however, everyone involved needs to enthusiastically consent to the dynamic – hence, the term “ethical”. It’s a dynamic that gives partners the freedom to be involved with more than one person in a way that’s mutually satisfying and enjoyable.
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Am I Polyamorous Test: 4 Questions To Ask Yourself
So how do you know if polyamory is right for you? Based on what experts have said about the practice, these are some of the questions you should be asking yourself.
Take note: This isn’t exactly your typical “Am I polyamorous” quiz because there won’t be a grade or score by the end. What these questions are meant to do is help you recognize some of the signs that may be difficult to catch because of how much society normalizes monogamy. Some of these questions are also meant to prepare you for some of the more challenging realities of being in a polyamorous relationship.
1. Have you ever wrestled with commitment issues?
A lot of polyamorous people can tend to feel “trapped” in monogamous relationships, feeling like they’re being robbed of their chances to explore potential relationships with other people. So, they can end up resenting their partners and cheating.
Unfortunately, compulsory monogamy – or the idea that monogamy is the only option or the “endgame” in terms of romantic relationships – reinforces the idea that commitment issues are just something to get over, rather than a sign that perhaps monogamy isn’t the right fit for some people.
2. Have you experienced falling in love with or having crushes on multiple people at the same time?
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that you’re polyamorous. “Polyamorous people believe you can love multiple people”, says sex and relationship therapist Renee Divine. “They’re open to additional people in that way, and they want that emotional attachment. Plural love is the main focus.”
This is an important distinction to make between other types of non-monogamy because some people only seek out other partners for sexual variety. These types of people tend to have high sex drives and enjoy having different kinds of sexual relationships.
But polyamory is more than just sex – it involves emotional intimacy as well. If you don’t think you can be romantically involved with more than one person, then perhaps you’re better suited to consensual non-monogamy (like open relationships or swinger-type relationships) than polyamorous relationships.
Polyamorous people also tend to believe that one person cannot fulfill all of their needs. It’s not just about being attracted to multiple people, it’s also about acknowledging that you may have varied needs that you can’t necessarily get from just one partner – and that is okay.
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3. Are you okay with the idea of your partner seeing other people?
Depending on the kind of polyamorous relationship you enter – and there are many different types – you may have to share your partner with other people. Will this feel like a betrayal to you, or do you think it’s something that you can be comfortable with?
For polyamorous people (at least those who aren’t solo poly), it’s necessary to be able to get to a place where you can be okay with or even be happy for your partner when they date other people. That feeling has a name, and it’s called “compersion”. It can be described as “the happiness in knowing your partner is happy”. For some, seeing their partners date other people can even be a turn-on.
Of course, jealousy does still happen in polyamorous relationships. Polyamorous people just learn to communicate their feelings and find the root causes of their jealousy – otherwise, it could jeopardize their relationships.
“Jealousy can be broken down to determine what your real concerns are,” says social worker Stephanie M. Sullivan. And in many instances, jealousy has less to do with your partner’s feelings and behaviors and more to do with your own insecurities. According to researchers, jealousy can stem from factors like low self-esteem, feelings of insecurity in your relationship and possessiveness, and an anxious attachment style.
4. Are you comfortable communicating your fears, insecurities, boundaries, and limitations?
While you can be drawn to polyamory even if you’re not exactly the best communicator or the best at setting boundaries, there are some important aspects for maintaining healthy and successful polyamorous relationships:
Having the ability to be open and honest about your feelings
Being emotionally available
Knowing how to set, reinforce, and respect boundaries
Knowing how to regulate your emotions
“Whatever your personal buttons are, polyamory will almost certainly push them”, Ginny Brown writes for Everyday Feminism. Because of this, it’s good to start working on your personal issues before you try polyamory.
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Am I Ready For Polyamory?
Polyamory is not easy. Poly people face a lot of judgment and confusion because most of us have been raised to believe that monogamy is the one and only way to have romantic relationships. Maintaining poly relationships can also be time-consuming and emotionally taxing, considering all the variables you have to deal with.
Despite that, for some people, polyamory is the only option for a decent shot at being happy. And that shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of!
A new queer festival, LGBT+ Music Festival, is launching in Porto, Portugal this summer.
The three-day music event will take place between 1-3 July across four stages in the city.
Porto will host 35,000 festival goers, with music, DJs, drag and more on the lineup of the inclusive festival.
The lineup features Iggy Azalea, Bebe Rexha, Melanie C, Drag Race UK’sBimini Bon Boulash and Jodie Harsh to name a few.
The festival has also teamed up with local clubs, bars, restaurants and hotels in Porto to create a “unique and inclusive experience”.
As well as live music there’s also afterparties, boat parties that dock at the main stage venue, pool parties and helicopter rides over the ocean.
“This will be a festival that remembers the past, celebrates the present and prepares for the future. Bringing people from all over the world together, it will create a truly safe space for everyone who knows and understands that music is an act of liberation,” says Diogo Vieria da Silva, executive director of Variações for Portugal’s LGBTI Commerce and Tourism Association.
“Combining inclusion with fun, the festival will help the city of Porto and local organizations to raise their support for LGBT+ people and will be the epicentre of the celebration of equality values. It will give a stage to LGBT+ artists and their allies, whilst elevating national artists to new heights,” they add.
You can find out the full lineup, ticket info and more below for LGBT+ Music Festival.
This article contains affiliate links, PinkNews may earn revenue if you click through and purchase products through the links.
Festival tickets are now available to buy from festicket.com.
There’s a number of different passes you can buy for LGBT+ Music Festival and we’ve broke them down below.
Day ticket – £56.84
Weekend ticket – £122.07
Day ticket plus pass – £64.30
Weekend ticket plus pass – £154.70
VIP day ticket – £101.58
VIP weekend ticket – £246.02
Platinum day ticket – £179.86
Platinum weekend ticket – £432.40
Plus a payment scheme is also available for each ticket type, so you can spread the cost of your ticket across a number of months.
Where is LGBT+ Music Festival?
The official website says the festival’s main site is located at the Douro river bank in Porto, Portual in the Alfândega do Porto.
“The other venues will mostly be at walking distance,” they add.
Where to stay in Porto
Whether it’s a hotel, apartment or hostel you’re after, there’s plenty of spots to stay in Porto. We’ve put together a handful of hotels you can book for the LGBT+ Music Festival.
In a first, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been ordered to secure gender-affirming surgery for a transgender prisoner.
A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois ordered the bureau on Monday to undergo a nationwide search for a qualified surgeon to perform the surgery for the inmate, Cristina Nichole Iglesias.
The directive will bring Iglesias — who has been imprisoned since 1994 for threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction — a step closer to receiving the procedure, which she has been fighting to get for six years, the last three in the courts.
“I am hopeful that I will finally get the care I need to live my life fully as the woman I am,” Iglesias said in a statement provided to NBC News by her legal representative, the American Civil Liberties Union. “BOP has denied me gender-affirming surgery for years — and keeps raising new excuses and putting new obstacles in my way. I am grateful that the court recognized the urgency of my case and ordered BOP to act.”
Monday’s court order could pave the way for othertransgender prisoners to receive gender-affirming surgeries as well. LGBTQ advocates have called these procedures “life-saving,” and Monday’s decision could bolster the Biden administration’s goal of improving the lives of incarcerated transgender people.
A 2015 report by the Justice Department estimated that 35 percent of trans prisoners surveyed had reported being sexually assaulted behind bars within the last year. Under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Prisons was required to “use biological sex as the initial determination” for housing trans prisoners.
A 2020 NBC News investigation that tracked 45 states and Washington, D.C., found that out of 4,890 transgender inmates in state prisons, only 15 were confirmed to being housed according to their lived gender.
In January, the Biden administration restored Obama-era guidelines for federal prisons to house transgender inmates by their gender identity “when appropriate.” The guidelines also require prison staff to refer to trans inmates by their lived name and pronouns.
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The ACLU estimates that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has more than 1,200 transgender people currently in its custody.
Iglesias has been in federal prison for roughly 28 years and currently lives in a bureau-run residential re-entry center in Florida, according to the ACLU.
Although she identified herself as a woman upon her incarceration, she has been housed in men’s facilities for over two decades, and during that time has experienced physical and sexual violence, the ACLU said. In May, her lawsuit to seek gender-affirming surgery resulted in her being one of the few transgender federal prisoners moved to a facility that corresponds with her gender identity.
Iglesias then became the first transgender prisoner to be evaluated for gender-affirming surgery, which the Bureau of Prisons recommended in January. However, the ACLU said in a statement that the bureau had “sought to postpone any referral to a surgeon for months.”
In Monday’s ruling, Judge Nancy Rosenstengel slammed the prison bureau’s handling of Iglesias’ case and compared its “tactics” to a game of “whack-a-mole.” Rosenstengel also ordered the bureau to provide the court with weekly updates and a detailed plan to ensure that Iglesias gets the surgery before her release in December.
The Bureau of Prisons told NBC News in a statement that it does not comment on “pending litigation or matters subject to legal proceedings,” nor on “the conditions of confinement for any individual or group of inmates.”
“For years, Cristina has fought to receive the health care the Constitution requires,” Joshua Blecher-Cohen, an ACLU of Illinois staff attorney who represents Ms. Iglesias, said in a statement.
“The court’s order makes clear that she needs gender-affirming surgery now and that BOP cannot justify its failure to provide this medically necessary care,” he said. “We hope this landmark decision will help secure long-overdue health care for Cristina — and for the many other transgender people in federal custody who have been denied gender-affirming care.”
It’s easy to get swept away by Key West’s charm. Walk down Historic Old Town roads lined with picturesque conch-style houses, and you’ll stumble upon the stomping grounds of Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Leonard Bernstein, just to name a few.
Key West has long been known as a place where queer people can enjoy a peaceful vacation as their authentic selves. This is why more than 300,000 LGBTQ visitors flock to the island each year. With annual events like Fantasy Fest and Womenfest, it’s not hard to see why. It has become one of the most popular destinations for the “L” in LGBTQ.
Mayor Teri Johnston at sea.
At the helm of this ship is Teri Johnston, Florida’s very first openly lesbian mayor. Teri tells GayCities that it is the “one human family spirit” that draws folks in. “We are one big accepting, diverse family,” she explains. “We argue, disagree, laugh, cajole but at the end of the day, we are there for each other, as well as any guest to our island who wants to contribute and join this big loud family. The Conch Republic lives on stronger than ever.”
Off the clock, Teri enjoys the laidback vibes this island offers. “I love to sit on my front porch on Stump Lane with my partner, two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in my lap, and Lily cat ruling the house. R&R is on the golf course or reading at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park under the Australian Pine. Biking around Key West is a fun way to see all that our community has to offer– from our historical wood frame district to our bustling nightlife of Duval.”
Key West’s world-famous Duval Street is the epicenter of life on the island. While Duval has a reputation for catering to a gay male crowd, the nightlife scene welcomes all. When asked where can lesbians feel most comfortable in town, Teri replies, “Anywhere and everywhere. We are a progressive community with a woman mayor and city manager and many, many incredible women heading up important organizations and nonprofits.”
On that note, here are a few of our favorite LGBTQ-friendly, female-focused spots on the island for your enjoyment.
Alexander’s pool during Womenfest. via Alexander’s Guesthouse
Originally built in the early 1900s and renovated in 1981, this gay-owned, LGBTQ-exclusive guesthouse maintains its Old Town charm on the outside with a contemporary Key West atmosphere on the inside.
Owned and operated by a loving lesbian couple, 22&Co is one of Key West’s most inclusive (and most glitter-filled) bars. With decor reminiscent of a fuzzy Lisa Frank poster and creative martinis to match, you’re sure to have a fun night and get some cute pics for the ‘gram. Tutus included.
This oceanside outpost lives up to its name with delicious seafood, American classics, and friendly service. A big plus, this business identifies as women-owned. A stone’s throw from Alexander’s Guesthouse, this bar and grill is a great spot for a quick bite or dinner with friends.
More than just a movie theater, this volunteer-run cultural hub curates a selection of indie flicks and mainstream classics along with concerts, lectures, and unforgettable parties. Their one-of-a-kind, aqua-blue Art Deco marquee is like a beacon for those who long for something more than Hollywood blockbusters.
Mix together a boutique, a wellness cafe, a yoga shala, and you’ll get The Green Pineapple. Its bustling Duval Street location offers eco-friendly apparel for all genders, one-of-a-kind gifts, and accessories. The cafe is a great place to grab plant-based, gluten-free bites, juices, and smoothies throughout the day. It also hosts a daily happy hour with a worldly selection of organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines.
Ashley and Oksana. Smiling faces serving in the 801 Cabaret. Photo via 801 Bourbon Bar Facebook
Home to Sushi the Drag Queen and the 801 Girls, this happening Duval Street watering hole hosts a full calendar of events, including live entertainment, bingo, and karaoke nights. Try one of their specialty cocktails or catch a show at the 801 Cabaret above the bar, the girls perform nightly. On New Year’s Eve, this bar hosts the Key West Shoe Drop, a sight to behold.
As state lawmakers moved to ban transgender kids from girls’ sports, Kansas’ most visible LGBTQ-rights lobbyist recently said during an interview in a Statehouse corridor that conservatives don’t mind if kindergartners “have their genitals inspected.”
The politically needling comment was bold enough to make Tom Witt’s point, and loud enough for a lobbyist supporter of the ban to hear as she walked by. It was also classic Witt: Boisterous. Engaged. And well-targeted.
Witt is a key reason Kansas is unlikely to join a growing number of states this year with a ban, despite Republican supermajorities in its Legislature. With lawmakers returning Monday from a spring break, supporters don’t yet have the two-thirds majorities to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of their bill. They didn’t last year, either.
Witt, 60, is executive director of Equality Kansas and a Democratic consultant. During 18 years at the Statehouse, he’s spotlighted conservatives’ bills so that unwanted publicity prompts Republican leaders to disavow them or discourages GOP-led committees from even holding hearings. Others describe him as relentless in pursuing just enough “no” votes when it counts, and was influential enough in the state Democratic Party to help push it to the left.
He’s even let his health slide. In 2017, he ignored growing fatigue to successfully lobby against requiring transgender students to use facilities associated with their genders assigned at birth — then had a heart attack and bypass surgery.
As for this year’s bill, he said unnamed Republicans told him they “really hate” it before voting for it anyway. He said he’s bitter that they might have considered the political cost of voting no.
“This is life and death for some kids,” he said. “This is not trivial. This is not politics.”
Witt plans to retire from activism, lobbying and consulting by year’s end, having mentored younger, self-described progressive lobbyists.
Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Byers, the state’s first elected transgender lawmaker and a retired Wichita band director, credits Witt with connecting her to national groups and making media interviews easier to navigate during her 2020 campaign. Kari Rinker, a friend and American Heart Association lobbyist, said he taught her how to fundraise and work with a nonprofit board.
But Witt is sometimes profane and often pugnacious, even with friends. As for lawmakers, he said, party doesn’t matter: “If they vote against LGBT rights, I’m going to go after them.”
Brittany Jones, the conservative lobbyist who was walking by Witt’s recent hallway interview, begins her recollection of their Statehouse introduction in 2019 with, “I believe he’s made in the image of God just like I am.”
“As soon as he found out who I worked for, he dropped my hand, walked away and wouldn’t speak to me,” said Jones, policy director for the conservative group Kansas Family Voice. Witt doesn’t dispute that.
As Witt fights to keep Kansas from following at least 15 other states in banning transgender athletes from female school and college sports, some Kansas lawmakers are conflicted.
State Sen. David Haley, a Kansas City Democrat, voted no earlier this month but said “reasonable” constituents see the bill as common sense. He was the deciding vote last year against a veto override, giving a speech weighing both sides before voting no — as Witt sat in the main visitors’ gallery, visibly on edge.
“You know, it’s kind of like he’s a Marine Corps drill sergeant when he is committed to the advocacy for his ideology,” Haley said. “It’s like, ‘Everybody line up. This is the way it’s going to go.’”
The Kansas measures have applied to K-12 students, and a few lawmakers cite that as a problem.Witt said elementary schools would be forced to physically inspect children as young as 5 to settle disputes over transgender kids competing against other girls.
The bill’s text doesn’t says exactly how disputes would be resolved, and Haley called Witt’s argument “a little bit beyond belief.” State Rep. Barbara Wasinger, a Republican from western Kansas, said Witt’s argument is diverting attention from what she sees as the real issues, fair competition and scholarship opportunities for young women.
But Witt sees this year’s proposals triggering bullying and suicides. He pointed out a scar on his left cheek and said it’s from being attacked and cut with a knife in a high school bathroom in the 1970s.
“In some respects, not a damn thing has changed,” he said. “In the 70s, the things that trans people are being called today are what gays and lesbians were called then. The panic about bathrooms? We had the bathroom panic in the 70s.”
He also recalled how his activism began ahead of a 2005 statewide vote in favor of banning same-sex marriage in Kansas. A computer software writer and IT troubleshooter, he was living in Wichita with his future husband and their daughter.
“All I ever wanted in my life was a family,” Witt said. “And it felt like those people were coming after it.”
A popular Afrikaans musician and actor in South Africa has disputed claims that he is homophobic after he compared same-sex relationships to bestiality.
Steve Hofmeyr in recent days has received a lot of backlash from various civic organizations after he posted a video on Facebook.
“Where my generation learned to talk to mice, ducks and dogs, our children will be taught how to have sex with mice ducks and dogs. Those relationships with animals are part of that + at the end of the LGBTQI+,” he said in a part of the video that was translated into English.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and OUT, the second-oldest LGBTQ rights organization in South Africa, have called on Hofmeyr to retract his comments or face legal action.
“From the commission’s assessment of the statements made, it has determined that he appears to liken the LGBTIQ+ community to be inclusive of bestiality, which constitutes a sexual offense, S13 of the Criminal Law of the Sexual Offenses and Related Matters Amendment Act of 2007, as well as the Animal Protection Act of 1962,” said the SAHRC in a statement.
“The commission has further determined that the comments, in equating a vulnerable section of society to criminals having sex with ‘mice, ducks and dogs’ may seriously demean and humiliate members ascribing to the LGBTIQ+ community, thereby affecting their rights to equality and dignity as determined in Section 9 and 10 of the Constitution,” it adds. “More so, the commission has therefore issued a letter of demand to Mr. Hofmeyr expressing its concerns relating to the utterances made and shared to his hundreds of thousands of followers and friends accordingly. Should the commissions’ demands not be met, the commission reserves the right to proceed to the Equality Court to provide it with the appropriate relief herein. This may include a prayer for damages, as well as an order seeking the respondent to undergo community service at a center in support of the promotion of the rights of vulnerable groups.”
Lerato Phalakatshela, the human rights manager at OUT, which is also one of the complainants in the matter, said Hofmeyr’s sentiments are degrading and dehumanizing.
“Through these false and harmful statements, Hofmeyr is perpetuating the narrative that LGBTIQ+ people are deviants and are inherently dangerous to children,” said Phalakatshela. “Spreading these blatant lies not only dehumanizes and other LGBTIQ+ people but also provides fuel to justify stigmatization, discrimination and even violence against LGBTIQ+ individuals in South Africa where more than 24 LGBTQ+ individuals were murdered last year. Words have consequences!”
“LGBTQ+ people want no extra rights or privileges but we are entitled, just like everyone else, to be appropriately represented in media for people of all ages,” added Phalakatshela. “However, we are pleased that the SAHRC has taken the first steps in dealing with this issue and we urge it to pursue the matter until, at the very least, Hofmeyr unreservedly and publicly apologizes and retracts his comments in writing.”
At the same time, OUT has launched an online petition that, among other things, demands, Hofmeyr acknowledges the LGBTQ acronym does not and is not intended to include bestiality, pedophilia and other illegal and/or non-consensual behavior and he apologizes to the LGBTQ community in writing via a public statement within seven days. OUT urged the SAHRC to investigate and take appropriate action against him, including taking the matter to the Equality Court, if he fails to meet these demands.
According to OUT, the petition also serves to express the anger and frustration felt by the LGBTQ community and its allies over the continued spreading of harmful speech.
Hofmeyr has nevertheless maintained he has nothing more to say about the issue and he said what he said.
“I have nothing to add to the LGBTQ+ debate that I already say (sic) in the previous post,” he said. “Feel free to watch the video again. If you think I said gays sleep with animals you are too dumb for this conversation. The other gays are on my side.”
A transgender journalist is filing for wrongful termination after being fired from South Dakota Public Broadcasting, alleging the state-run media outlet treated them with bias.
Stel Kline shared on Twitter April 18 that they had been let go from their position with SDPB News on the grounds they are “not objective” and “have a problem with authority.” But the reporter said their most recent job review didn’t include any areas for improvement.
Kline suggested that the concerns about “objectivity” are directed at their efforts to defend against anti-transgender attacks lobbed against them on Twitter.
“I was encouraged by the comms team to create a twitter and share my experiences in [South Dakota],” Kline wrote in a Twitter thread. But when they shared that they were experiencing verbal harassment because they are trans, Kline explained, “the director of journalism content tells me I have lost credibility. That I am not objective.”
Kline noted that they discussed objectivity in their interview for the position.
“In my interview I was very clear that as a trans person I am unable to be impartial about attacks on my humanity. Objectivity is not a static identity, but when wielded as such becomes the language of those with the most power,” they said. “Declaring someone not objective is a selective practice used effectively to exclude POC / queer journos.”
Kline referenced fellow trans radio journalist Lewis Raven Wallace, who was fired from Marketplace after publishing a personal blog post about the ethics of objectivity as a transgender journalist. Wallace has since written a book about his experiences.
But it wasn’t just the disagreement about objectivity, Kline said. Bias related to their gender allegedly started on the first day of the job, when they learned an article announcing their hire would run without using their pronouns.
“A half hour before beginning my first day of work I received a call informing me the head of communications directed the editor of the membership magazine to remove all instances of my pronouns from an article set to run announcing my hiring,” Kline wrote. “Instead of using ‘they’ to refer to me in the third person she was told to use my last name, Kline.”
According to Kline, the director claimed the decision was made to prevent listeners from pre-judging them based on their transgender identity.
“When confronted, the director said he wanted me to make the best impression with listeners – so they would judge my stories and voice without being clouded by the fact that I am trans,” Kline said. “The director of journalism content added that it would be a grammar issue for the older readers.”
Kline noted that SDPB is owned by the state of South Dakota, and that they are drawing inspiration from trans trailblazers as they move forward with their appeal.
“[A]s I begin my wrongful termination appeal I am guided by the resistance and courage of other trans state employees – especially Teri Bruce,” they wrote. “Teri was an archeologist at the South Dakota State Historical Society Archaeological Research Center. He began a lawsuit to get state health insurance to cover gender affirming care. The lawsuit closed when Teri died by suicide in 2019.”
South Dakota state statutes do not address discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Neither Kline nor SDPB responded to a request for comment by press time.
