The Rainbow Times' June (Pride) 2021 Issue

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June 10, 2021 - July 7, 2021

The unnecessary debate on the Progress Flag and where we are headed By: Nicole Lashomb* TRT Editor-in-Chief

OPINION

Representation matters. Visibility matters.

Inclusion Matters. Progress Matters.

Portland, Oregon-based designer Daniel Quasar gave an inclusive facelift to the original rainbow stripped pride flag in in 2018. His Kickstarter campaign (https://bit.ly/3ivw7r6) supporting the efforts took off like wild fire with a warm welcome from around the globe. However, the inclusive design to highlight the struggles of the most marginalized within the LGBTQ+ community has also been met with great resistance, especially by some within LGBTQ+ ranks. Still and rightfully so, adoption of the coined “Progress Flag” has been paramount since its inception.

“When the Pride flag was recreated in the last year to include both black/brown stripes as well as the trans stripes included this year, I wanted to see if there could be more emphasis in the design of the flag to give it more meaning,” said Quasar (https://bit.ly/3pOm4PT) in 2018. “The initial idea was important because I felt like I could bring something to the table when it came to the way the flag was shifting within the community. I am a designer and I wanted to make a change where I saw there was an opportunity — a positive change, in my mind at least.”

Intersectionality Intersectionality is not a concept that can continue to be ignored by the mainstream LGBTQ+ community, especially when most major decision-making within pride organizations is centered on the white, cisgender, and gay experi-

IF TRANS FOLKS & BIPOC ARE WILLING TO PUT THEMSELVES ON THE LINE FOR A MORE JUST SOCIETY ... THEN HOISTING A PROGRESS FLAG TO VISIBLY REPRESENT OUR MOST MARGINALIZED MEMBERS, IS A MINISCULE GESTURE TO DEMONSTRATE SOLIDARITY & VISIBILITY FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN BRUTALIZED AND SHUNNED BY THE MAINSTREAM LGBTQ+ MOVEMENT. ence. Pride is not merely a celebration nor “business as usual,” and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

The LGBTQ+ community is not monolithic. There are many members of the LGBTQ+ community that are stigmatized, traumatized and marginalized by society and its own members. The Progress Flag debate is an exclusionary and ironic practice at best.

Pride was a riot lead by Black and Brown trans women and a black lesbian, Stormé DeLarverie who elicited the crowd (https://bit.ly/2Tfy2FE) to action in the middle of her own brutalization by police at the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Pride and the rainbow flag is not a celebratory past time. As a community we must not forget the people

who are still fighting for rights, affirmation, acceptance and recognition. It is incomprehensible to turn our backs on those that need the community the most.

LGBTQ+ organizations that have refused to hear the outcries for inclusion and representation from the Black and Brown, Indigenous, Asian, immigrant, transgender, and women’s communities — and additional further intersectionalities under the rainbow umbrella — have come under fire for their white centric views and attitudes, serving themselves but not all. A prime example includes the ongoing controversy alleging racist policies (https://bit.ly/3zhh22D) and exclusion by the Boston Pride Board of directors (https://bit.ly/3x74DfG). In turn, it has

Out on the Highway: Tips for the perfect Queer solo trip By: Mikey Rox* Special to TRT

BLM & BIPOC The murder of George Floyd sparked massive international movement toward

See Progress Flag on Page 18

Multiple Award Winning

The Rainbow Times The Largest LGBTQIA+ Newspaper in New England—Boston Based TheRainbowTimesMass.com editor@therainbowtimesmass.com sales@therainbowtimesmass.com Phone: 617.444.9618 Fax: 928.437.9618 Publisher Graysen M. Ocasio Editor-In-Chief Nicole Lashomb Assistant Editor Mike Givens National/Local Sales Rivendell Media Liz Johnson

PHOTO: ALEX GUILLAUME / UNSPLASH

S

ixteen months ago, I sold almost everything I owned, hopped in a van outfitted for living, and hit the road. I had done a few short solo road trips in the past, but this was different. This was permanent. I didn’t have a place to call home anymore. Out there was where I lived now.

Nearly a year and a half later, I’ve learned a lot about nomad life and solo road tripping specifically, especially under the limiting parameters of a pandemic. Since sharing is caring, here are my expert tips on how to plan the best road trip in the year 2021 AC (After COVID).

Prepare your vehicle Before embarking on any road trip that will take you more than a few hours from home, make sure your vehicle is prepared. Change your oil, top off your fluids, check your wipers, and rotate or upgrade your tires; the last thing you want on this mobile vacation is frustrating and expensive car trouble. If you’re not a card-carrying AAA member, consider becoming one. (Road trips notwithstanding, it’s great coverage to have in an emergency.) Because I’m on the road full time now, often in remote areas, I have the premier membership plan that provides me with full benefits,

prompted the community to demand the current board relinquishes its responsibilities to new leadership (https://bit.ly/3zhh22D). Based on that premise and disconnect with marginalized LGBTQ+ members, Pride 4 the People was born, The Rainbow Times reported.

According to Quasar, “We need to always keep progress moving forward in all aspects of our community. The main section of the flag (background) includes the traditional 6 stripe LGBTQ flag as seen in its widely adopted form so as not to take away from its original meaning.

“The trans flag and marginalized community stripes were shifted to the Hoist of the flag and given a new arrow shape.

The arrow points to the right to show forward movement, while being along the left edge shows that progress still needs to be made.”

Lead Photographers Steve Jewett Christine M. Hurley Photographer Jenna Joyce Reporters

Mike Givens Chris Gilmore Audrey Cole Crossword Puzzle Artist/Designer Luciano Spanto Ad & Layout Design Prizm PR Webmaster Jarred Johnson Columnistst Lorelei Erisis Deja N. Greenlaw Paul P. Jesep Mike Givens Keegan O’Brien* *Guest Columnist

The Rainbow Times is published monthly by The Rainbow Times, LLC. TRT is an award-winning publication that started printing in late 2006. The 1st print issue was published in Feb. 2007. The articles written by the writers, columnists, and correspondents solely express their opinion, and do not represent the endorsement or opinion of The Rainbow Times, LLC or its owners.

including up to 200 miles of towing, an important perk if the nearest service center is a long distance away. There are lower, less costly levels of coverage that you can purchase to fit your individuals needs.

Make sure you know where all your vehicle’s tools – including spare tire and its change kit – are located too. I was once driving on New York’s back roads late at night with no cell service when I blew a tire that required me to change it. I spent an hour frightened in the middle of nowhere frantically searching my Volkswagen for the tire-changing tools

before locating it in a hidden compartment that I failed to familiarize myself with before I desperately needed it. It’s also critical that you learn how to change a flat yourself if you don’t already know how. Don’t be embarrassed to ask a friend or family member to show you. If you want to DIY it, YouTube has plenty of videos, some specific to your vehicle’s make and model.

Or, if you prefer a little eye candy with your manual labor tutorials, let one of the hot bois of TikTok educate you.

See Queer Solo Trip on Page 8

Send letters to the editor with your name, address and phone number to The Rainbow Times (address shown above), or e-mail any comment/s to the editor-in-chief at: editor@therainbowtimesmass.com.

All submissions will be edited according to space constraints.

The Rainbow Times, LLC reserves the right not to print any or all content or advertisements for any reason at all. TRT is not responsible for advertising content. To receive The Rainbow Times at your home via regular mail, or through electronic delivery, please visit its website. The whole content and graphics (photos, etc.) are the sole property of The Rainbow Times, LLC and they cannot be reproduced at all without TRT’s written consent.

The appearance of names or photographic representations in TRT does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation or gender identity of the named or depicted individuals.

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PHOTO: ANNA SULLIVAN / UNSPLASH

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Fulton v. Philadelphia case The case’s implications to the LGBTQIA+ community and what it could mean moving forward By: Mary Emily O'Hara/GLAAD Special toTRT

IN THE LIMELIGHT

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce its ruling in Fulton v.

Philadelphia (https://bit.ly/3uZBgup), a landmark case about whether taxpayer-funded government programs should be allowed to use religion to exempt themselves from nondiscrimination laws and ordinances.

A taxpayer-funded foster care agency, Catholic Social Services (CSS), is suing the city of Philadelphia, claiming the U.S. Constitution gives it the right to avoid the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance and reject same-sex couples as foster parents based on religious beliefs.

The city had learned that two agencies it hired to provide foster care services for children were not accepting LGBTQ parents based on religious objection, and informed the agencies it would not refer children to them unless they agreed to comply with nondiscrimination requirements as government contractors.

One agency, Bethany Christian Services, responded by changing its policy nationwide, allowing placements with LGBTQ families. CSS, however, responded by suing the city. Two lower

courts have rejected CSS’ claims that the city had violated its Constitutional rights. CSS appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments (https://bit.ly/3io9O6R), on November 4th from attorneys representing the city and the federal government, and Becket Fund for Religious Liberty attorneys that argued on behalf of CSS and its clients.

What’s at Stake?

The fundamental question driving Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (https://bit.ly/3glBl6a) is whether governments have a right to demand contractors receiving taxpayer money adhere to nondiscrimination laws and ordinances, or whether there should be special loopholes that allow certain religious groups to violate those nondiscrimination policies. There are many states that require government contractors to adhere to nondiscrimination law; in fact, Bethany Christian Services had already been complying with such laws in 12 states—placing children with qualified LGBTQ families—before announcing (https://nyti.ms/3xkY0qn) its overall policy change this March.

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Catholic Social Services, it could not only prolong a child’s time in a group home rather than a loving foster home (as it limits the available pool of qual-

See Supreme Court On Page 6

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Supreme Court From Page 4

Rainbow PrideDoku To our readers, we hope you enjoy a little Rainbow Sudoku in Pride Season 2021 and to de-stress a bit too! The solution is to the right. Enjoy! —TRT

ified parents) it could also open the door to government contractors providing other services like food and shelter to use religion as a basis to avoid following nondiscrimination laws.

The Court could limit its ruling, as it did in the 2018 Masterpiece Cakeshop (https://bit.ly/3isZvyc) case, to only apply to the relationship between the CSS and Philadelphia. Or, it could allow wider interpretation to include allowing religious justifications for city, state, and federal contractors to refuse service to not just LGBTQ people, but single parents, unmarried heterosexual couples, or other religions. For example, a Catholic homeless shelter could refuse entry to someone who is Jewish or Muslim, or to a single mother and her children.

A wider interpretation could also mean a broad license to discriminate in other critical taxpayer-funded services like homeless shelters, hospitals, disaster relief agencies and food banks.

Many nonprofit and for-profit businesses that accept taxpayer money for public services could claim a legal right to discriminate.

The consequences could be vast: If a Catholic foster care agency is allowed to circumvent the law by refusing to place children in homes with LGBTQ parents, what’s keeping a different group from refusing services to people based on other protected classes like race, religion, or national origin? Does it open the door for retail businesses to use religious justification to put signs in their windows saying they won’t serve certain types of people? And if religious groups are able to simply ignore one existing law (such as a nondiscrimination

AMY CONEY BARRETT HAS TIES TO

THE CONSERVATIVE LEGAL (ANTILGBTQ) GROUP ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM. ordinance), what other laws will they be able to break by citing religious freedom—laws governing public safety like building codes and food safety requirements? How will state and local governments set and enforce the terms of its contracts, even when paying with taxpayer money?

Religion Doesn’t Have to Mean Discrimination In March 2021, Bethany Christian Services president and CEO Chris Pa-

See Supreme Court On Page 18

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PHOTO: TOGO RV / UNSPLASH

Queer Solo Trip From Page 2 Flares also are important to have on hand for two reasons: So other vehicles can see your vehicle in the dark and avoid crashing into it by accident and to alert emergency services that you may need assistance. A police officer will stop to help if they see flares marking your vehicle’s location. You’ll welcome that help if you’re stranded at night with no way to contact anyone else.

Rest up and start early I hate being rushed and I hate driving long distances, but I often can’t help the latter if I have to be from A to B in a short period of time. To allow myself ample breaks on the road, I leave as early as I can with sufficient rest from the night before. I don’t drive more than two hours straight without taking a reprieve, and I try to find interesting stopoffs along my route that will allow me to stretch my legs and take my mind off driving for a bit.

Your start time plays an important role in how efficiently you’ll get to where you’re going. If I’m departing from a metro area, I always leave after morning rush hour to avoid beginning-of-day traffic that will automatically stress me

out. Your road trip should be fun; don’t put yourself in a position to get flustered as soon as you leave your driveway.

Have a destination in mind Some road trippers love the element of surprise on their adventures by ending up where they end up. Not me. I like to have a plan with a destination in mind. Specifically, it’s wise to know where you’ll end up so you know where you’re staying the night. You don’t want to travel all day just to pull into a city or town that has no vacancy at its lodging choices. You’ll be forced to get back on the road and drive further, and probably out of your way in the dark, to find a safe place to sleep. That’s not ideal on any trip, and certainly not while traveling queer and solo.

Add fun stops along the way To break up the monotony of driving (it’ll get tiresome if you’re traveling mundane highways with equally unremarkable scenery), I choose a few attractions to stop at along my route.

I love taking an hour or two to explore a small town’s shops and cafes, peruse an antique mall (great for picking up

See Queer Solo Trip on Page 10

PHOTO: JAKAYLA TONEY

Pride 2021: Creating affirming and healthy communities for youth Pride month was originally established to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, marking a turning point in the LGBTQ+ movement. It is also a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, reflect on the progress made toward equity, and to remember there is still work ahead of us for other marginalized communities and youth who are targeted constantly by others.

According to the GLSEN 2019 National School Climate Survey (https://bit.ly/3v3MNc5), which examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in schools, 86 percent of LGBTQ+ students reported being harassed or assaulted at school because of personal characteristics, including sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

An organization that works with members of the community suffering from some of society’s discrimination is Deveraux Advanced Behavioral Health.

“At Devereux [Advanced Behavioral Health], we understand the importance of acceptance in the lives of LGBTQ youth and adults. Acceptance saves lives, and we work on a daily basis to ensure all of our team members adhere to this value,” said Devereux Arizona Executive Director Yvette Jackson, LMSW, DBH, who also serves as cochair of Devereux’s national LGBTQ committee. “We also understand the word ‘ally’ is an active word. We do not passively sit by as an ally to the LGBTQ community. We actively engage, and are committed to doing our part to serve and support LGBTQ individuals.”

TRANSGENDER YOUTH ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE DEPRESSIVE

SYMPTOMS — SERIOUSLY CONSIDER

SUICIDE — & ATTEMPT SUICIDE COMPARED TO CISGENDER LGBQ AND QUESTIONING YOUTH. Mental health and LGBTQ youth, adults The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that rejection and trauma can have a significant negative impact on the mental health of LGBTQ youth and adults.

NAMI reports lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition, such as depresRead the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website

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“World Traveler: An Irreverent Guide”: Bourdain & Woolever By: Terri Schlichenmeyer* Special to TRT

T

THE BOOKWORM

hrow a dart at a map.

After the last year, you’ll be happy to go wherever it sticks. Overseas, this continent, Down Under, in the middle of the ocean — it all sounds good. So pack your bags and don’t forget “World Travel” by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever.

In early 2017, when they began kicking around the idea of another project, Woolever noted that Anthony Bourdain was already awfully booked. He was traveling, writing, working on TV, and had a new publishing imprint. Was another travel guide necessary?

She’d been his assistant for some eight years by then and she couldn’t turn him down when he started thinking about this book.

They met once, to plan it, before he died.

In the two years after his death, she started to see that, indeed, the world needed one final word from Bourdain.

Though this book was meant to be different, consisting of memoir-essays he would write, she began to understand that she had everything she needed to finish what he’d envisioned, through TV clips, past books, notes, and interviews with friends.

Starting with Argentina, Bourdain said he found “more headshrinkers per capita than anywhere else in the world.”

He was prepared to dislike Vienna, but

did not. He explained why Cambodia surprised him, and why he was totally enchanted by Cuba. He described massages and saunas in Finland; “bespoke” shoes in London; unique, unforgettable smells in Vietnam; racism in Kenya; driving next to wildlife in the Serengeti; gambling in Macau; and he wondered why Americans don’t “love” Mexico more.

He wrote of eating Sichuan cooking in Australia, and said that food was a big reason to go to Montreal. He wrote of going to a chop bar in Ghana and dancing; enjoying doubles in Trinidad; and sampling a world’s cuisine in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Massachusetts,

Montana, New Orleans, Miami, and his beloved New York.

While you might find this book in the biography section or maybe with the travel guides in your library or bookstore, the fact is that “World Travel” is really more of a celebration.

The fete is strongest when the late author’s (Anthony Bourdain) friends, family, and colleagues remember him.

Those pages feel like a literary memorial service or the after-gathering, when everybody gets together to share stories and toast the deceased.

Then, though not every spot in the world has its own entry in this book, it’s close. Not every gustatory delight that Bourdain ever enjoyed gets a mention but you’ll find enough to satisfy your appetite, including the names of the places you’ll find those dishes (a goodthing-bad-thing, author Laurie Woolever writes in her introduction). Mostly, though, in the bulk of this book, you’ll find encouragement to seize every chance you get to roam the world, to see what Bourdain saw, and to challenge your taste buds with cultural cuisine.

Overall, this book is a no-brainer for a fan. It’ll please any cook, any worldtraveler, any been-home-too-long roamer, and every foodie around. For anyone who eats, “World Travel” is onpoint. *The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a prairie in Wisconsin with two dogs, one patient man, and 17,000 books.

Queer Solo Trip From Page 8 meaningful mementos of your travels), or visit historic sites, national monuments and parks. I have an annual National Parks pass, available for $80 at USParkPass.com, which grants access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites that fall under the jurisdictions of the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. Some of these sites require entry fees of $30 or more, which allows the annual pass to pay for itself in a few visits.

When setting your GPS, type in national monuments to see what’s available along the way. I recently traveled to Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala., and discovered the Freedom Riders National Monument, one of the National Park Service’s newest installations. I would have driven right past it if I hadn’t done the advance research. Plus, I got a little civil-rights history lesson during my stop – something we can all use in this day and age.

Make it a little gay With gay bars dwindling in number across the country it can be difficult to find one in less populated areas, and it’s not the best decision to get tipsy in an unfamiliar area when you have to hit the road the next day. In lieu of those options, I look for bathhouses, clothingoptional hot springs (I love a good naked time), and LGBTQ+ campgrounds for an opportunity to unwind with likeminded folx. You’ll be surRead the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website

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Tennis sensation Lendale Johnson: The ball’s in his court now Meet America’s First Gay Black Tennis ITF Pro Circuit Star & His Experience as an Out Tennis Player

W

hile there have been several out and proud stars in women's tennis, including Reneé Stubbs, Sam Stosur and Grand Slam champions Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, the only male player in professional tennis to come out publicly was Brian Vahaly. He spoke about his sexuality for the first time in 2017, a decade after retiring from the game.

Lendale Johnson is changing that. As part of the ITF Pro Circuit, he is the first and only active professional tennis athlete to announce he is gay. He blames it on homophobia that he believes still exists in the sport and is calling for top male athletes to do more to help foster an environment where gay male players feel comfortable coming out publicly.

“There are well over a thousand players on tour,” he points out. “I can't be the only one! Players are choosing not to come out and that has to change."

We spoke with the 34-year-old tennis pro from his Brooklyn home.

Q: Why are male athletes afraid to come out as gay in tennis today?

Lendale Johnson: White supremacy, homophobia, toxic masculinity … I feel the taboo is still very strong in tennis.

Q: Why is it important that they come out?

A: Visibility is important. When fans

PHOTO: LAURA BARISONZI

By: Shane Gallagher Special to TRT

see their favorite athletes living their truths, it offers a key for them to do the same. It also builds our allies. Fans see that gay athletes are just as competitive as straight athletes on the court.

Q: For now, you are the only openly gay black tennis pro. How does that feel?

A: Powerful in the sense that I feel like I am helping to change the world. I’m forging my own path in this life and I feel blessed by God and the universe.

Q: What gave you the courage to come out as gay?

A: Honestly, I don’t know. I just did it.

I guess I wanted to be free. In high school, sexuality wasn’t such an issue.

My team captain was gay. Our coach was a low-key lesbian and there were other LGBTQ players on the team. I believe being free-to-be-me helped my game and I think it continues to do so today.

Q: Since coming out, have you experienced backlash within the professional tennis community or potential sponsors?

A: Not directly, but you never know who’s talking behind your back and plotting against you.

Q: Will the drama be chronicled on your new Amazon show, "Deuces and Love"?

See Lendale On Page 19

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Hot Boi Summer is here! Let’s peak together while we have fun Shorter shorts, croppier crop tops, vacation, travel, pierce your ears, get shades and have fun!

By: Mikey Rox* Special to TRT

PHOTO: COLIN WATTS / UNSPLASH

Our lady friends have been hittin’ summer hard for a couple years now.

Megan Thee Stallion made sure of that.

But thanks to Instagram and TikTok, our brethren – yes, even them straight boys – have been showin’ up and showin’ out in shorter shorts and croppier crop tops.

With COVID restrictions coming to an end, there’s no rest for the weary in 2021. Peak hot boi summer starts now.

Here’s how.

Stimulate your body and mind I’m not the only one who’s put on the COVID 19. Many of us are softer around the middle after a year of isolation. But donuts be damned, I’m getting back into shape if it kills me (and it just might). I’ve cut out sugar completely, I force myself to hit the gym daily, and I’ve started an intermittent fasting regimen with only eight hours of feeding per day. Don’t follow my lead, though.

Get back to the body you love however you see fit. What matters most is that you get moving again – and finally put the past 14 months behind you.

Keep your wits about you, too. Pick up a few good vacay (or any day) reads to pack in your bags this summer. I’m concentrating on nonfiction adventure stories and witty memoirs this season – like The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless (a companion book to Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild – but anything that keeps your synapses firing is fair game,

including this magazine.

Sign up for a social sports league One of my favorite ways to make new friends and break a sweat simultaneously is by participating in social sports leagues. Most cities have an organization or two based on the concept of mixing intramural sports with postgame barhopping. Over the years, I’ve

joined dodgeball, kickball, cornhole, bowling, and trivia leagues. Not all of them were LGBTQ+ focused, but I’ve never minded watching beefy breeders toss balls around, and I’m guessing a lot of you who feel similarly won’t either.

Pick up a pair of killer shades Clothing and accessories don’t make the man, but they can make the man

more confident. Like a great pair of sunglasses, for instance – preferably ones with mirrored lenses made to scope out eye candy more stealthily. My higherend collection includes polarized pairs from Persol, Ray-Ban, and Versace, but I’m also a fan of more accessible styles, Read the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website

The massacre at Pulse Orlando was the largest mass shooting incident in the history of violence against LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., the deadliest terrorist attack in the nation since the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.

5 YEARS LATER ...

... WE STILL REMEMBER

Pulse was hosting Latin Night that fateful night.

Because of that, over 90% of the victims were Latinx & 1/2 of those were of Puerto Rican descent. Four Dominicans and three Mexican citizens were also among the dead. In addition, an off-duty United States Army Reserve captain (not in uniform) was also killed. 53 people were wounded. The Rainbow Times’ management remembers and pays tribute to them, including a a former member of our team KJ Morris.

See the full tribute here: https://bit.ly/3inX9Rn

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Progress Flag From Page 2 the demand for racial equity and to end the brutalization of Black and Brown people by the police, amplifying the years old outcry from the Black Lives Matter movement. Likewise, there are and have been critical calls to dismantle systemic oppression against marginalized communities, a call to end the criminalization of immigrants who’ve come to this country to seek refuge, a call to halt the attempted erasure of trans and non-binary people by every branch of state and federal government and still with trans women of color being murdered at unprecedented rates.

The LGBTQ+ mainstream community has a long way to go to create equity and equality in the truest sense of the words for its members. The progress flag serves as a visual reminder of how far we still have to go as a community.

We have not yet arrived.

In an interview with them. magazine (https://bit.ly/3go4A8A), Quasar noted that the progress flag is more relevant now than ever.

“The inclusion of the additional stripes means placing emphasis on voices that need to be heard, especially now even more so than two years ago when I originally made the flag,” Quasar said. “Our world is so charged right now and the voices who have been screaming for years are getting louder and louder. We cannot ignore that and must make space for them to be heard.

The flag was my way of saying we as a community need to step back and listen.”

Representation Matters According to the Victory Institute’s Out for America Report

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(https://bit.ly/3ze7iG5), white gay men are most likely the segment of the LGBTQ+ community to be an elected official. Nearly 80 percent of openly LGBTQ+ officials are white, 57 percent are gay, and 59 percent are cisgender male.

Less than 2% of all LGBTQ+ elected officials are transgender, an extraordinarily disproportionate percentage at best.

“I feel that support for the T in LGBTQ is more talk and less action,” said Danica Roem, then a candidate turned Virginia State Representative, to the Victory Institute (https://bit.ly/3vcyDFw). “Everyone that is LGBTQ always says they support the LGBTQ community, but it’s still a struggle to get trans people front and center, and when they are, it seems somewhat disingenuous as they are asked to be there because they have to include everyone.”

Tokenism is not a foreign concept to the trans community, nor BIPOC folks and is often the case when invited to the table. We’ve seen that occur countless times, especially with self-proclaimed allies.

“When a trans person is running for office, if you claim to be LGBTQ and say you truly support the community, you should be bringing them [trans people] to the table and elevating their voices because that is being truly inclusive and striving to bring us closer to equality,” said Roem to the Victory Institute. “If they fail to do that, I question the statements some make about claiming to be [supportive]. Put your money where your mouth is.”

Read the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website

Supreme Court From Page 6 lusky sent an e-mail (https://nyti.ms/3v7xkb4) to the Michigan-based evangelical company’s 1,500 staff members announcing that the foster care and adoption agency would begin including LGBTQ families in its child placement services. “We will now offer services with the love and compassion of Jesus to the many types of families who exist in our world today,” Palusky said in the e-mail. “We’re taking an ‘all hands on deck’ approach where all are welcome.”

A number of religious groups and faith-based child welfare organizations filed briefs in the case in support of the city of Philadelphia. From Lutheran Family Services of Illinois (https://bit.ly/3iHAM9R) and Baptist Joint Committee For Religious Liberty (https://bit.ly/3x8R3bB), to briefs filed by Jewish coalitions (https://bit.ly/2Spd735) and lay Roman Catholics (https://bit.ly/3zicybN), these documents show that many people of faith oppose discrimination against LGBTQ prospective parents.

The majority of American Catholics consistently support same-sex marriage, according to Gallup (https://bit.ly/3cxv6em) polling and the Pew Research Center (https://pewrsr.ch/351ZEB5).

Even Pope Francis himself has expressed support for same-sex civil unions, stopping just short of endorsing full marriage equality. CSS might disagree with the Pope’s famous (https://bbc.in/3wcs0nS) “who am I to judge” approach to LGBTQ couples, but it doesn’t have the right to break a city contract.

Impact on Children While Bethany and CSS both initially declined to work with same-sex parents, both organizations have long worked with LGBTQ youth, as a 2018 Philadelphia Inquirer (https://bit.ly/3crXO0s) report pointed out. By refusing to place queer and trans youth with families that reflect their own identities, child services agencies risk sending the message to LGBTQ youth that they themselves are not capable of good parenting or of having families of their own.

About 424,000 children are in the child welfare system (https://bit.ly/3v8Gdkr) across the U.S. on any given day. Nearly a quarter of them are in group homes because there is no family available to care for them.

The problem was worsened by a Trump administration rule (https://bit.ly/3gnupFz) that did away with nondiscrimination protections in child welfare programs funded by the Department of Health and Human Serv-

ices; this February, a court issued a stay (https://bit.ly/3ivKzzl) halting that rule through August 2021. Child welfare experts say these policies mean more foster children spend more time in group homes as agencies turn away qualified foster parents. Research has shown that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system. For an agency to refuse to place children with LGBTQ families doesn’t just lower the number of potential homes available to children in the foster care system, it also potentially reduces opportunities for LGBTQ youth to find safe and affirming homes.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (https://bit.ly/3pzj5dS), “a high percentage of LGBTQ youth in foster care experience further verbal harassment or even physical violence after they are placed in out-of-home care.” The numbers say it all: • As many as 56 percent of LGBTQ youth have reported fleeing foster or group home environments and becoming homeless, preferring to live on the streets.

• Studies have shown that over 30 percent of youth in foster care (https://bit.ly/3pDO0Wc) are LGBTQ and about 5 percent are transgender.

That’s an LGBTQ population about three times higher and a trans population 5 times higher than youth not in foster care.

• A study for the journal Child Welfare also found that LGBTQ youth are placed into new foster and group homes at rates twice as high (https://bit.ly/3cxq7dU) as other foster kids—likely related to difficulties in finding LGBTQ-affirming homes.

Because of statistics like these, the City of Philadelphia is simply trying to protect foster youth by refusing to refer them to agencies that won’t provide them with safe and affirming placements. According to the court brief the city filed in 2019 (https://bit.ly/3x7wCMe), “excluding qualified parents based solely on their sexual orientation...would do a disservice to children in the foster system.” The city cited a “significant LGBTQ youth population” in its child welfare cases, and said it did not want to send a signal to those kids that “we won’t support your rights as an adult.”

Lower courts have unanimously ruled in favor of the City of Philadelphia. In July 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied CSS’s request for an injunction, Read the rest of this story at The Rainbow Times’ website

TheRainbowTimesMass.com • The Rainbow Times • 19

June 10, 2021 - July 7, 2021

Pride 2021: Local, national & international events, Prides, more Note: Please check events before attending; TRT Takes no responsibility for change of venues, dates, etc.

LOCAL PRIDES & EVENTS June 9; Charlestown Pride Celebration; 5p; Charlestown, MA; FMI: https://bit.ly/3x4GaaN June 9; Queering the Language; 7-8:30p; FMI: https://bit.ly/2T2JrZw

https://bit.ly/3uVUPDD

https://bit.ly/2RvweYH

https://bit.ly/3v4yROR

June 13; POP Goes Pride; 2:45p; Start and end at Reading Public Library-64 Middlesex Avenue; FMI: https://bit.ly/3fZZ9hd

June 27; Hamilton-Wenham PRIDE Picnic 2021; Hamilton-Wenham Human Rights Coalition Patton Homestead; 12-4p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3pweMjB

July 10-18; San https://sdpride.org/

June 30; Morgan Rogers, Leah Johnson and Jas Hammonds: A Virtual Pride Panel Boskidlit Calendar; 7p; FMI: https://bit.ly/2S9SzeY

Sept. 10-19; Miami Beach Pride; FMI: https://bit.ly/3pCe4kH

June 10; Pride Rainbow Party!; 4-8p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3px2abD

June 16; PRIDE Paint Pour Canvas Workshop; Create & Escape DIY Workshops; 6:30p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3fYgZ3R

June 10; NAGLY Children's Storytime for Pride Month; 5p; Lynn Public Library; FMI: https://bit.ly/2TFps3g

June 17; Melrose Pride Celebration Kickoff; Beebe Estate; 5:45-7:45p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3puFLMg

June 11; Swampscott Pride Flag Raising Ceremony; 11a; NAGLY - Swampscott Town Hall; FMI: https://bit.ly/2Sgn5DO

June 17; Closeted EP Pride Month Release Livestream!; 7:30-830p; Virtual; FMI: https://bit.ly/3ipTiDa

June 12; Boycott Boston Pride; 10a; Boston, MA; FMI: https://bit.ly/3wXXXAm

June 20; Kinsey Scales Pride Concert 2021; Facebook Live; 7p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3xhW3Ll

June 12; Stoneham Pride Celebration; Stoneham Town Common; 11a-1p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3zaRm7t

June 22; Lynn Pride 2021 Flag Raising Ceremony; Lynn Cultural Council - Lynn City Hall; 5p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3z8zKcp

June 12; Trans Resistance March, Vigil and Pride Fest; 11a; Trans Resistance - Franklin Park Trails, JP, MA; FMI: https://bit.ly/2SaLdYC

June 23; Lynn Pride Panel & Mixer; Queer Lynn Scene - Lynn Museum/LynnArts; 6-8p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3w5dIp2

June 12; Swampscott Pride Celebration & Flag Raising; 1p; Monument Ave Swampscott MA; FMI: https://bit.ly/34UK4qT

June 26; Peabody Pride Flag Raising Ceremony; NAGLY - Peabody City Hall; 10a; FMI: https://bit.ly/3v2A21c

June 12; Cambridge LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration; 1:30-3p & 3:30-5p; Starlight Square; FMI: https://bit.ly/3cqWjPT

June 26; Free Mom Hugs @ North Shore Pride 2021; Free Mom Hugs- Massachusetts/New Hampshire - Salem MA; 12p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3ziFh0r

June 12; Perfectly Proud PRIDE PARTY!; 10p-2a; Blend; FMI: https://bit.ly/3pwbn4j

June 26; NAGLY's Youth Pride; NAGLY - Old Town Hall Salem; 3-6p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3gfcv8a

June 13; Andover PRIDE Car Parade!; 1-2p; South Church in Andover; Massachusetts; FMI:

June 27; Reading Community Pride Service; UU Church of Reading - Online Event; 10a; FMI:

Sept. 18; North Shore Pride; Salem; FMI: https://bit.ly/3irvcYV

Diego

Pride;

FMI:

Aug. 14; Austin Pride; FMI: https://bit.ly/3ilsX9z

Oct. 1-15; Miami Hispanic & Indigenous Pride Festival; FMI: https://bit.ly/3geY6bW Oct. 8-9; Las Vegas Pride; FMI: https://bit.ly/3cI8tEr

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL PRIDES June 27; NYC Pride March; 12p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3w0wRsg

Oct. 9; Come Out With Pride Orlando; FMI: https://bit.ly/3isH1xU Oct. 29-31; Pacific Northwest Black Pride; FMI: https://bit.ly/3iwiIz0

June 11-13; LA Pride; FMI: https://lapride.org/ June 11-12; San Francisco Pride; FMI: https://sfpride.org/ June 26-27; Denver https://bit.ly/3crIW25

Pride;

Nov. 6-8; Palm https://bit.ly/3z8c0Fq

Springs

Pride;

FMI:

June 26; Trans Pride; Santa Monica Place; 12-4; FMI: https://bit.ly/3w1zY33 June 23; Toronto Virtual Pride; 12 (Noon)- 1:30p; FMI: https://bit.ly/3cxBySJ

H a p p y Pr i d e 2 0 2 1 Fr o m A l l O f U s A t The Rainbow Times

June 25; Trans Pride Toronto; 3-4p; FMI:

Transgender events, conferences June 12; Transgender Lives: The Intersection of Health and Law Conference; (Virtual); FMI: https://bit.ly/3vXy1F9 June 16; 11th Annual Professionals For Trans Rights Virtual Fundraiser; 7-8p; FMI: masstpc.org/ptr/ July 15-16; Gender Spectrum Conference & Professional Symposium; FMI: https://bit.ly/3xfhcWv June 26; Trans Pride; Santa Monica Place; 12-4; FMI: https://bit.ly/3w1zY33

(TBD); 2021 Family Conference: Dates; FMI: https://bit.ly/3xfhcWv

rodyssey.org/ Fall 2021; Transgender Information & Empowerment Summit; FMI: https://bit.ly/3uYW7xE

July 22-24; Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference (Virtual); FMI: https://bit.ly/3cr2rrr (See Page 13 for more information).

Sept. 17-18; Gender Infinity Conference (Virtual); FMI: https://genderinfinity.org/

July 24; Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit; FMI: txtns.org/

Oct. 17-24; Fantasia Fair 2021; Provincetown, Cape Cod; FMI: https://fanfair.info/

Postponed; Southern Comfort Transgender Conference; FMI: https://sccfla.org/

Nov. 12-13; 2021 Transgender Mental Health Symposium (Virtual); FMI: https://bit.ly/2RqRYVC

Paused in 2021; Gender Odyssey Conference; FMI: https://gende-

Lendale From Page 12 A: Absolutely! The show will spotlight my very crazy journey in professional tennis including the challenges of being an openly gay player. I’m so excited for it to premiere this fall.

Q: What are you most thankful for this Pride?

A: I’m grateful for tennis, my new Amazon show, and also my school, The Johnson High Performance Tennis

FMI:

Academy in New York. We are a black LGBTQ owned business and that makes me beyond proud.

Q: How will you celebrate?

A: Since the curfew has lifted in NYC, I have been very social! I haven’t made any solid plans yet so I guess we’ll see what happens. I might just have to buy shots for the entire bar!

Follow Lendale Johnson on Instagram @lendalejohnson.

Still here,14 years later! The Rainbow Times. Support LGBTQIA+ Independent Media.

20 • The Rainbow Times • TheRainbowTimesMass.com

June 10, 2021 - July 7, 2021