'New Health & Human Services head RFK, Jr continuing Trump's war on transgender Americans' & other Thur/Fri news briefs

HHS secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr

Trump’s Health and Human Services Department launches ‘vile’ anti-trans government website featuring right-wing influencer​ - Regardless how you feel about trans issues - I for one support trans equality - this targeting of trans Americans by Trump and members of his cabinet (particularly RFK, Jr in this case) is completely beyond the pale. And spare me any bullshit about how trans Americans brought it on themselves. That has been the excuse for every campaign of terrorism and scapegoating in history. Speaking of history, we all know how past campaigns of vilification against groups of people have ended. And there is always has-been, never-was profiting from it. In this case, it's fifth place loser Riley Gaines. 

 LGBTQ history videos find new home after PBS pulls content due to Trump executive orders - And it's not just about trans people. They want to generally erase all of us.

LGBTQ+ & Black rights groups sue Trump over “vague” “discriminatory” DEI orders - Meanwhile, Lambda Legal and the NAACP are teaming up to take down Trump's bigoted executive orders. 

Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ, Gallup survey finds - Look at that. Our numbers increased.

More Hospitals Resume Trans Care After Trump's EO Temporarily Blocked In Court [AZ, VA] - More good news. 

Lesbian judge tears apart Trump’s ‘ridiculous’ anti-trans orders and leaves lawyer red-faced - She left no crumbs but watch out. If she does rule against it, expect the right-wing ecosystem to go after her. They've already started. 

"Intellectually and Morally Indefensible": Montana Court Blocks Trans-Exclusionary Law Defining Sex - Meanwhile, another court torches Montana's transphobic law.

Trump, Republicans, Social Security and . . . transgender drag queens?

This is completely tongue-in-cheek, but the sad thing is probably how many of you will probably beg me not to give Trump and the Republicans any ideas.

 And how it might be a good idea to take your request seriously.

Republicans are brazen enough to cut Social Security while distracting y'all with hysteria about transgender drag queens from Mars infiltrating schools to use bathrooms and compete in female sports while teaching little girls to hate men and performing surgery on little boys. pic.twitter.com/KVy05vzQ40

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) February 18, 2025

Second judge pauses Trump's EO against gender-affirming care for trans kids

It's been my experience that the Trump Administration's strikes against the LGBTQ community are announced with much fanfare, but when they collapse in the face of court rulings, folks don't seem to be paying that much attention. We saw this in his first term when three judges struck down his administration's attempt to create a "healthcare conscience rule" which would have been used to deny LGBTQ Americans adequate healthcare. 

And we are seeing it now with his executive order banning federal support of gender-affirming care for trans youth. 

From the Associated Press two days ago:

A second federal judge on Friday paused President Donald Trump’s executive order halting federal support for gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19. U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King granted a temporary restraining order after the Democratic attorneys general of Washington state, Oregon and Minnesota sued the Trump administration last week. Three doctors joined as plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed in the Western District of Washington. 

 The decision came one day after a federal judge in Baltimore temporarily blocked the executive order in response to a separate lawsuit filed on behalf of families with transgender or nonbinary children. Judge Brendan Hurson’s temporary restraining order will last 14 days but could be extended and essentially puts Trump’s directive on hold while the case proceeds. Hurston and King were both appointed by former President Joe Biden.

 Trump signed an executive order last month halting federal funding for institutions that provide the care and directing federally run insurance programs, including Medicaid and TRICARE for military families, to exclude coverage for it. The order also calls on the Department of Justice to pursue litigation and legislation to oppose it. 

 From CBS News: 

 The president's directive, issued in his first week in office, threatens research and education grants awarded to medical institutions that provide gender-affirming care to patients under the age of 19. Treatments covered by the order include puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical procedures. The Democrat-led states that sued the Trump administration over the order said it deprives transgender youth of life-saving medical care. They called it a "cruel and baseless broadside against transgender youth, their families, and the doctors and medical institutions that provide them this critical care." 

 "It is an official statement of bigotry from the president that directs agencies to openly discriminate against vulnerable youth on the basis of their transgender status and sex," state officials wrote in their lawsuit. "It is also a blatant abuse of power. The order usurps spending and legislative powers belonging exclusively to Congress, and seizes the States' historic police powers to regulate the practice of medicine in violation of the Tenth Amendment."

'New Jersey Court rules against forced outing policies' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

In Major Win For Trans Students, New Jersey Court Rules Against Forced Outing Policies​ - From Erin Reed, a major victory for trans students as well as LGBQ students.

'I just want to go to school like other kids': NH high school trans athletes sue Trump - Good luck! I hope they win.

Indiana State University sued for blocking LGBTQ+ Pride festival - Good! Sue and win!

Why “LGBTQ Isn’t for Kids” Is a Dangerous Narrative - This is a sad fact which needs to be amplified. 

Trump’s Department of Education wants NCAA to strip awards, records from trans student-athletes - There simply is no reason for this. It's a mean-spirited distraction from what Trump and Republicans are actually doing - pilfering your money for their tax cuts. 

Federal health agencies restore webpages and datasets following judge's order - Another victory.

Rep. Robert Garcia has “zero interest” in working with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene - Yes! Being petty is a gay superpower. Use it!

Video - A brief timeline of Black Gay History in America

     

Folks, it doesn't matter what Donald Trump, or any conservative Republican says. It doesn't matter what any right-wing fool with a Twitter address says.  And (I'm going to have to go there), the same goes for certain gay white men who try to omit LGBTQ people of color out of history. 

Black history and LGBTQ identity are not two separate entities. The two have intertwined several times throughout history and this country is much better for it. No law, executive order, or silly collegiate argument can erase what's in the blood of America. 

That's us.

''Stunt queen' Nancy Mace throws a transphobic hissy fit on the House floor' & other Wed/Thur news briefs

Nancy Mace has pulled more stunts in Congress than Elizabeth Taylor and Zsa Zsa Gabor had husbands.

Nancy Mace repeatedly shouts anti-trans slur in House hearing: 'I don't really care‘​ - Nancy Mace's desire to attack the trans community for the sake of fundraising leads to her again making a huge fool of herself. This time, it's on the House floor. Some folks on the right are trying to spin her repeated use of an anti-trans slur as courageous but they should ask themselves what if it was a slur against Jewish people, Black people, or any other group? Whatever the case may be, Mace relies on the trans community so much for her notoriety and income that I think every trans person in America should list her as a dependent on their tax returns.

Nancy Mace has made a fool of herself several times while targeting the trans community:

Jasmine Crockett calls out Nancy Mace as a clout-chaser who needs money

Nancy Mace becomes social media laughingstock after questionable claim of assault by 'pro-trans man' 

Nancy Mace claims she was assaulted by a 'pro-trans man.' A witness says she's lying.

Nancy Mace gets angry at reporter for interrupting her transphobic publicity wave with questions about Boeing layoffs in South Carolina 

Targeting of trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride is latest stunt of publicity-hungry Nancy Mace

 

In other news:

Trump signs executive order banning trans women from women’s sports - And speaking of other folks dependent on the trans community, Trump just issued another useless executive order against the trans community. In reality, Trump cannot ban trans women from sports by decree, however his administration can make things a bit more difficult. This EO is meant to make Trump look good to his supporters (which really isn't impossible. Trump could dive in a pool of pig crap and his supporters would applaud him) and scare the trans community. This isn't about protecting women's sports (notice how no one talks about trans men in sports). It's simply about scapegoating an innocent group for credibility. 

 On that note - All of the anti-trans executive orders Trump has signed - The attack on trans Americans is also a distraction while Trump and his cronies wage war against women's right to adequate healthcare. Nancy Mace would stand against this if it was politically advantageous for her. But no doubt she feels she can get better headlines by helping Trump create trans boogeymen and women.

What can trans people do about Trump’s executive orders? Be plaintiffs, says Lambda Legal - But trans folks can fight this madness, and I suspect that they will. 

Also:

Lesbian cop faced years of degrading harassment. She just won a huge settlement. - Good for her.

East Bay LGBTQ+ community ‘will not be silenced’ after Trump orders - Amen.

Proud Boys lose their trademark name to a Black church after court judgement

A little bit of karma to make you smile. Trump may be back (God help us) but it looks like the Proud Boys aren't going to be with him.

From The Huffington Post:

A Black church in Washington, D.C., now owns the “Proud Boys” trademark after a judge stripped it from the right-wing group in a judgment Monday. The ruling gives the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church complete control over the group’s name and symbols, including the ability to monetize them as they see fit. 

 Judge Tanya Jones Bosier of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia awarded the trademark after the group failed to pay a $2.8 million default judgment given in 2023 when they didn’t show up in court. Should the church so choose, it’s now free to sell, transfer and license the Proud Boys trademark, including a black and yellow wreath logo with “PB” in the middle. Proud Boys chapters across the country can no longer use the name or iconography either, unless granted approval by the church.

. . .Church leaders filed suit after Proud Boys members vandalized the house of worship during a violent Dec. 12, 2020, “Million MAGA March” in support of Donald Trump after he lost the presidential election that year.

For those who aren't aware, the Proud Boys is a creepy, homophobic, racist group which associated itself with Donald Trump during his first term in office.

I personally think the group has some homoerotic tendencies. Its founder and former leader, Gavin McInnes, shoved a dildo up his own rear to supposedly prove that he wasn't homophobic. 

Or something like that.

Related posts:

Moms For Liberty deny affiliation with extremist hate group The Proud Boys, but pictures and links tell another story

Audio - Proud Boys supporters weep uncontrollably when reminded that they are the criminals (instead of LGBTQ people) 

The fruits of the groomer lie - Proud Boys storm a Drag Queen Story Hour event, putting kids in danger 

Proud Boys literally show their asses during Saturday's pro-Trump rally 

'Proud Boys' leader used dildo on himself to 'own liberals' and prove he wasn't homophobic