A defense lawyer astonished: “Going in, I had hoped I was paranoid, and boards’ outcomes were not predetermined. It turned out to be much worse than I thought,” said Army Reserve lawyer Priya Rashid.
Why it matters: The military entered new territory when it started kicking out people who were previously allowed in, all because of their identities. Many of this administration’s policies are not easily squared with the rule of law.
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One example: Miller told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he could “expose a deeply and personal embarrassing matter to the senator,” a statement that came after Moreno called for Miller, his son-in-law, to resign over abuse allegations. Moreno, who is not out and is married to a woman, was linked to a gay dating app account several years ago.
Why it matters: One Republican threatening to out another as punishment for not supporting his reelection campaign shows how powerful homophobia is in politics.
Why it’s over: Michigan was one of 27 states that ban licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors, but the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that such bans may violate the free speech rights of therapists. A federal court ruled against Michigan’s ban.
Why it matters: This is probably the end of these sorts of laws. States and LGBTQ+ advocates will have to find other ways to fight this form of discriminatory torture. (Some states have tried using laws against fraud and false advertising.)
What he said: “To the trans community feeling the weight and the pain of the Trump administration policies, I deeply recognize your trauma, and I’m sorry if my comments hurt you.”
Why it matters: Democrats have largely held strong against GOP attempts to ban trans people from participating in school sports, but Moulton was one of the most prominent exceptions when — shortly after the 2024 elections — he said that Democrats were on the wrong side of the issue. But even he has come around, even if it’s just to win a primary.
The administration’s bizarre excuse for this: It says that “its costs outweighed its benefits” when it comes to tracking incidents of trans and nonbinary students targeted for bullying, harassment, and assault. The administration also said the change was prompted by a need for compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Somehow, it’s only trans students whose safety isn’t worth the paperwork.
Why it matters: The administration is using literally every lever of power it has access to to erase trans people from civic life.
Picture of the Week
Out Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) visits the nursing department at the Ghosh Science and Technology Center at Worcester State University and has a moment with a pregnancy-and-birth dummy.
Some more great queer and trans reads
Greg Owen talked to a lawyer who has been working on a trans sports ban case to get a full explanation of the Supreme Court’s recent case on the subject.
Faefyx Collington explains why just being an athlete doesn’t make someone an expert on trans people, despite how much media attention anti-trans athletes receive.
Greg Owen talked to a gay history professor about his work in uncovering vibrant but lesser-known figures in a Revolutionary War-era homosexuality trial.
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