Democrat politician and LGBTQ+ rights activist Kim Coco Iwamoto has made history by becoming Hawaii’s first transgender House representative.
Iwamoto ousted fellow Democrat Scott Saiki – who has been speaker of the house since 2017 – from the 25th district seat, in the primary elections on Sunday (11 August).
The district covers Honolulu and Kaka’ako, two areas where recent infrastructure booms have transformed the landscape.
As a civil rights attorney and former school board member, Iwamoto’s campaign hinged on progressive policies for addressing homelessness, exposing government corruption and promoting small businesses.
Kim Coco Iwamoto with two of her supporters. (Facebook)
She said she was “so happy”, but a bit shocked, to have won. She had lost out to Saiki in two previous elections.
“Given the last two [primaries], it feels great to have this experience, especially knowing that so many very powerful people endorsed him. I wasn’t just campaigning against him, I was campaigning against the entire Democratic establishment in some ways.”
Who is Kim Coco Iwamoto?
Born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on 26 May 1968, Iwamoto’s life has been defined by her connection to America’s 50th state. Initially educated at Hokulani Elementary, she moved schools several times before graduating in 1986.
Shortly after finishing her undergraduate degree, Iwamoto became involved with volunteering and local community groups in New York, where she helped support homeless youngsters, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals, which was part of her motivation for attending law school.
She eventually completed a local government programme at Harvard University in 2011 and went on sit on the Hawaii State Board of Education, representing the island of O’ahu, becoming the highest-ranking out trans person elected to a government position in the US.
The parents of a transgender teenager who took his own life have called for more support for youngsters waiting for care.
15-year-old Jason Pulman was found dead in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, in April 2022. He had been on an NHS gender identity service waiting list for more than two years.
Jason, who was trans masc, had been referred in 2020, but was told several months later that there was a 26-month wait just for a first appointment.
In April, an inquest jury found systemic failures by a range of services supporting Jason could have contributed to his death. Mark Pulman had noted that his stepson became increasingly frustrated over the lack of support and appeared to have “given up,” adding: “I know it broke Jason.”
The teenager’s mother, Emily, urged national services to do more to support trans under-18s on the waiting list. “They need so much more resources and not to have one appointment that’s years away,” she said.
“There needs to be regular input with these kids, so it’s not just about their gender, it’s about their mental health overall.”
Information collected by PA Media and reported by The Guardian suggests that more than 5,700 under-18s are waiting an average of 100 weeks for a first appointment.
Waiting times have only been exacerbated by the closure of what was England’s only youth gender clinic, at The Tavistock Centre in North London.
Jason’s stepfather believes that the numbers are “hugely underestimated” and added that he hopes families are given faster responses and emotional support.
“We want to change the system and we want to change it for the families because it’s a very lonely, isolating place to be when you think you’re the only person whose child is going through this,” he told the BBC.
“I don’t want people to think [being] transgender and suicide are the same thing, because they are not. I don’t want people to automatically be fearful. If your child feels [they are transgender], you’ve got to believe them and support them.”
Families of trans children need to take charge of the system and not to let it “take charge of you,” he added.
“Be on the phone, email them, push for more information,” he urged. “Never take it on face value that this [appointment] is going to be the answer to your problems because there’s going to be more support needed, like counselling for the whole family.”
Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan’s new Netflix comedy special is – unsurprisingly – full of gay and trans “jokes”.
At the start of July, Netflix released a 30-second trailer for the comedian’s first stand-up special on the platform for six years, Burn The Boats. The show is full of gay and trans jokes, including Rogan using slurs for gay and developmentally disabled people.
Rogan takes to the stage at his comedy club in Austin, Texas, and talks extensively about the LGBTQ+ community. “I’m not even remotely homophobic. I’m the opposite, I wish I was gay,” he says, before adding that he misses saying the f-slur.
Joe Rogan’s new comedy special is all you’d imagine it to be. (James Gilbert/Getty)
“I love gay men but I think about gay men the same way I think about mountain lions. I’m happy they’re real but I don’t want to be surrounded by them. They’re a bunch of dudes who fuck dudes. I don’t like my chances.
“They’re not unicorns, they’re just men who f*ck men. And every man who’s ever lived is a shifty cum salesman, OK? One hundred per cent, especially the ones who say they’re not.”
‘I also believe in crazy people’
Rogan, of course, has to mention trans people too, “I fully support your right as an adult to do whatever you want that makes you happy. I believe in freedom and I believe in love. But I also believe in crazy people.”
He goes on to spread misconceptions about transgender women.
“It’s almost like a pervert wizard waved a magic spell on the whole world. ‘With a wave of this wand, you can walk into the women’s locker room with a hard cock, and anybody who complains is a Nazi. Abracadabra’.”
He continues: “And it works Everyone just accepts this new reality, and it’s f**king weird. I think we need standards. You can’t just put lipstick on and now you can s**t in the women’s room.”
Rogan has previously aired anti-vax views and in the special touches on being labelled a conspiracy theorist – by stating several conspiracies including saying: “I think Michelle Obama’s got a dick.”
LGBTQ+ Americans are coming out younger than ever before, new research has revealed.
A probability-based Gallup Panel survey of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans adults, along with those who identify as something other than non-heterosexual or cisgender, showed that among the youngest LGBTQ+ adults, aged 18 to 29, the median age they came out was 17.
Those between the ages of 30 and 49, and from 50 to 64, came out in their early twenties. Adults aged 65 and above came out at the median age of 26.
Of the 71 per cent of adults who reported having come out to others before they turned 30, 57 per cent did so by the age of 22.
The findings of the survey, which was conducted online for a fortnight from 1 May, show that young adults kept their identity secret – having realised they were queer – for three years, while senior citizens waited the longest, 10 years, to come out.
Gallup’s survey highlights how young LGBTQ+ Americans are now coming out much earlier than their seniors. (Gallup)
Most LGBTQ+ adults said they knew they were LGBTQ+ when they were young, including 48 per cent realising by the age of 14, and 72 per cent by the age of 18.
Adults aged 65 and older were most likely to have come out later in their twenties, while, in contrast, the three youngest age groups were most likely to have done so between the ages of 19 and 22.
Just five per cent of gay or lesbian Americans reported not having come out to anyone, while 23 per cent of bisexual adults remain “in the closet”. LGBTQ+ women were found to be twice as likely as men to report having come out by the age of 14.
The survey also revealed that one in five LGBTQ+ adults believe that society’s treatment of queer people has “gotten a lot” or “gotten a little” worse.
On average, just one in every 20 LGBTQ+ adults said they have received poor treatment or harassment “frequently” because of their sexual orientation in the past year but that figure jumps to 19 per cent for those harassed or poorly treated “occasionally”.
A famous London LGBTQ+ landmark is set to reopen after almost 10 years thanks to the efforts of campaigners.
The Black Cap on London’s Camden High Street was a haven for LGBTQ+ Londoners from the 1960s onwards, eventually becoming one the city’s premier stages for cabaret and drag acts as well as a place to drink.
Among those whose careers started there was Paul O’Grady’s much-loved Lily Savage, drag act Hinge and Bracket, and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano, BenDeLaCreme, Raja Gemini and Trixie Mattel.
The bar was forced to close in 2015 because of planning issues and determined campaigners have been pushing for it to reopen almost ever since.
Now, with the help of Camden Council, a company called Kicking Horse Three is set to open “The Cap’s” doors once again.
Kicking Horse Three’s Kirk Spencer, who also runs Newcastle LGBTQ+ venue Bobby’s, will oversee management of the venue, which will include food service, Alex Green of campaign group Black Cap Community told Attitude.
Green said the venue will offer a “cleaner and improved version of what was there before,” with the addition of four lettable bed-and-breakfast rooms on the upper floors, which will be aimed at artists and performers.
The ground floor will remain the bar area, while downstairs will provide performance space.
“Squatters moved in on New Year’s Eve and caused a lot of damage, which could have scuppered the whole project,” Green said. “They stole everything.”
Black Cap Community is conducting a survey to ensure the public have a say in the venue’s programming. You can give your views here.
Australian pro surfer Tyler Wright is a two-time world champion – but now she’s going for gold at the Olympics… although she won’t be anywhere near Paris.
This will be Wright’s first Games – amid what she calls a “sausage-fest” in the sport.
“As a young girl becoming a woman in surfing, 12 years ago, it was an era of ‘sex sells’,” she previously told The Sydney Morning Herald. “Sexy, straight, blonde, female” surfers were most coveted and she didn’t fit into those stereotypes.
“I’m built like an athlete, I’m not straight, I don’t have blonde hair. While men were allowed to go out and be athletes – and get paid for doing it – a lot of women weren’t. If you invest in women, you’ll see them excel.”
While she’s definitely going to the Olympics, she’ll be almost 10,000 miles from the French capital. Instead, she’s headed to Tahiti, the South Pacific archipelago in French Polynesia which is hosting the surfing events.
Wright comes from a family of surfers, including brother Owen who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Does Tyler Wright have a partner?
Wright identifies as bisexual and met her future wife, Lili Baker, in 2021.
“Lily is just a vibe,” Wright told The Sydney Morning Herald. “She was working in a cafe in Newcastle [in New South Wales] when I was in town for a contest. I felt so respected and appreciated [by her]. Eventually, I asked her out, she said yes and here we are.”
The pair have “an ease and openness” coupled with “love, respect and appreciation”.
Does Tyler Wright have a chronic illness?
Wright suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome in 2018, telling the media that she thought she was “gonna die”. She missed 14 months of surfing after winning world titles in 2016 and 2017.
She has also suffered from a respiratory issue because of narrow airways that left her struggling to breathe during competitions. She underwent a “life-changing” procedure to put “seven screws” in her head to improve her breathing.
“Through one of the specialists, we ended up finding that most of the time I’m under-oxygenated and I’m semi-suffocating all the time through my nose, and my airways are really small. I shouldn’t be able to do what I do, according to my brain scans and my anatomy. It’s really unusual that I am a professional surfer,” Wright told The Guardian earlier this year.
“I feel different going out and competing this season.”
She also once spent three days in hospital, suffering debilitating period pain.
Filipino trans boxer Hergie Bacyadan will make his Olympics debut at the Paris 2024 Games.
Five Filipino boxers – out of 15 total athletes – will be representing the Philippines in the French capital. Bacyadan will be competing in the women’s 75kg division, the heaviest weight class.
He is competing in the women’s division because he has not undergone hormone replacement therapy or gender reassignment therapy, despite identifying as a trans man.
In fact, Bacyadan has proudly claimed several times that he has never taken testosterone and even stood up to the Russian vovinam team in 2023 after they requested that his gold medal win be nullified because he was a “man”.
Bacyadan won the 2023 world championship in women’s vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art that combines elements of boxing, judo and wushu, a Chinese martial art.
“We will perform better to make a difference,” he said. “My biggest motivation is my family, my tribe in Kalinga, and the people who believe I can win a medal at the Paris Olympics.”
Is Hergie Bacyadan married?
Bacyadan married his long-term partner Lady Denily Digo in November 2022, tying the knot over Zoom and legally becoming married in the US state of Utah.
The couple first met on TikTok when Digo joined Bacyadan’s live stream on the platform. More recently, theypublicly supported the passage of legislationthat would protect Filipinos from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder after a trans teenager’s remains were discovered in Pennsylvania.
14-year-old Pauly Likens’ dismembered body was found near the Golden Run Wildlife Area, next to the Shenango River Reservoir in Sharpsville.
They were last seen on 22 June after leaving a friend’s home at 9.30pm, according to police. Surveillance footage the following day shows Likens getting into a vehicle driven by a man alleged to be DaShawn Watkins.
Police say Watkins then made several trips from his home on 24 June, carrying duffel and rubbish bags.
Likens was reported missing the following day, and their remains were found less than 24 hours later.
The Mercer County coroner identified the remains and gave the cause of death as sharp force trauma to the head.
Watkins has also been charged with aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
A memorial fund for Likens was launched on Go Fund Me.
“Pauly was taken from us far too soon,” it reads. “They were a bright and loving individual, cherished by all who knew them.
“Their life was filled with promise and potential and their untimely passing has left a void that can never be filled.”
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is “no longer business-critical” at Microsoft, a leaked email claims.
The email was sent by a team leader following Microsoft’s decision to make all their colleagues redundant.
Sent to thousands of people on 1 July, the email, seen by Business Insider, said the entire team was let go because of “changing business needs”. The number of employees affected is unclear.
“True systems-change work associated with DEI programmes everywhere are no longer business-critical or smart as they were in 2020,” the unidentified team leader wrote.
Jeff Jones, a spokesman for the multi-national tech giant, said: “Our D&I commitments remain unchanged. Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritising accountability and continuing to focus on this work.”
The rise and fall of DEI
Following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, and the resulting Black Lives Matter movement, businesses pledged to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Microsoft committed to doubling the number of Black leaders by 2025.
This recent news from Microsoft does fit the pattern of tech giants reducing their DEI initiatives.
Despite the promise of a more inclusive workplace, including extra representation for marginalised groups in leadership positions, other companies have also scaled back their DEI schemes. Bloomberg reported that online video-conference company Zoom laid off a team earlier this year.
Google and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, reduced their DEI programmes in 2023, according to CNBC.
Meanwhile, in the UK in May, then business secretary Kemi Badenoch took aim at DEI initiatives, claiming they “divide rather than unify” and advised companies to focus on making money rather than on politics and activism.
It’s no secret that living in the UK as a trans person right now sucks.
Whether it’s politicians not letting up on their attacks against trans people or the Cass Report spelling uncertainty for the future, the transgender community in Britain has had it tough over the past decade.
But never fear, it turns out that there are other countries in the world – many of which are doing far better on trans rights than the land some have colourfully called “TERF Island.”
Several countries have passed Britain when it comes to trans equality, with many offering self-ID laws, a conversion therapy ban and medical waiting times for hormone therapy that don’t range from years to decades.
Here are just a few of the countries way better than the UK.
Spain
Spain’s “trans law” makes it a great place to live. (Getty)
Spain is quite possibly one of the most popular and famously great places for trans people to live. Not only does the country have self-ID laws and anti-discrimination policies, but it has also become a popular destination for private surgery services.
In late 2022, legislative body the Congress of Deputies of Spain passed a “trans law” which, among other details, allows unrestricted gender self-determination of minors from the age of 16. Those aged 14 and 15 are able to change sex on documents against the will of their parents if they win a legal case, with the support of a legal defender provided by the authorities. Children aged 12 and 13 can do the same change if a judge permits it.
Medical transition is also easily accessible through healthcare services.
The law also bans conversion therapies even when the person has asked for them, with anyone continuing the practices facing large fines.
And Spain’s citizens are overwhelmingly accepting of trans people, with 71 per cent of people saying they support gender-affirming care access for everyone, including teenagers.
Iceland
The Icelandic capital Reykjavik holds Pride celebrations in August. (Getty)
Iceland’s acceptance of transgender people has increased greatly over the past few years, making it one of the best countries in Europe – arguably the world – to transition.
Not only does the public overwhelmingly support LGBTQ+ individuals, including trans people, but a set of policies enacted since 2019 has made it one of the safest places for transgender men and women to live.
Equaldex, a community-driven equality index for LGBTQ+ rights, ranks the Nordic country as the best place to live as a queer person.
Transgender Europe, a not-for-profit organisation, which focuses on trans rights in the continent, has listed it as one of the best places to transition, with 30 of 32 indicators met – including non-discrimination laws, healthcare and legal gender recognition.
Canada
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau joined Pride in Toronto. (Getty)
Canada’s reputation as an inclusive country for trans people has become all-the-more-welcome given the rise of transphobia in the neighbouring US.
The country is widely known as a refuge for trans Americans seeking to escape the volatility of politics in their homeland.
It’s reputation is more than justified, with protective laws and recognition of trans people spanning across legislation, including the recognition of non-binary people, housing discrimination prevention laws, and no restrictions on changing gender.
If that’s not enough, 78 per cent of Canadians support protecting trans people, while 58 per cent back trans healthcare for everyone, including those under the age of 18.
Chile
Queer Chileans have protections and support that people in the UK can only dream about. (Getty)
Chile’s long list of pro-trans and pro-LGBTQ+ laws speaks for itself. Not only has the South American country implemented self-ID, it also offers easily accessible trans healthcare, and even officially recognised non-binary people’s right to change gender two years ago.
Interestingly, Chile’s acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights as a whole seems to have lagged behind its protections for trans people, with the country electing its first transgender politician even before same-sex marriage was legalised.
Nonetheless, the overwhelming support for both trans and queer people is abundantly clear, with 80 per cent of people backing trans discrimination protection legislation.
Australia
Laws vary from Australian state to state but there’s always Sydney Mardi Gras. (Getty)
While Australia’s treatment of trans people and LGBTQ+ people at large varies from region to region, overall rights are far more widespread than in the UK.
Although things such as changing legal gender and anti-discrimination laws vary widely depending on which part of the huge county you’re in – some states require a year-long wait for gender recognition – on a federal level, Oz is widely supportive, with gender-affirming care access and discrimination protections.
Australia showed its feelings for trans people during the infamous visit of anti-trans pundit Posie Parker, with politicians and the majority of the public telling her to “get in the bin“.
Norway
Despite some negatives, Norway has laws that are beneficial to LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
With its representation, anti-discrimination and right to healthcare laws, Norway is one of the best European countries to be in if you’re looking to transition.
While the country is still behind on things such as recognising non-binary people and gender-affirming care for under-18s, it offers housing discrimination bans, no censorship laws, adoption rights and self-ID.
Unfortunately, the country has begun restricting gender-affirming care for minors, citing an “uncertainty” and “lack of comprehensible research”, despite the overwhelming view of the public that it should be accessible.
Uruguay
Pride in Montevideo is a riot of colour. (Getty)
If you are looking for a place to live in South America as a trans person, look no further than Uruguay. The country is widely considered one of the safest places in the continent to be transgender and its laws play a large part in that.
Like many other countries, it is behind on recognising non-binary people on legal documents, but its laws on self-ID, discrimination protections and gender-affirming care access are among some of the best.
Uruguay lifted its requirement for surgery to recognise a trans person’s gender identity in 2018 and has implemented other pro-trans legislation since then.
Malta
Malta is widely considered a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
Widely considered to be one of the best places to live not just as a trans person, but as an LGBTQ+ person in general, Malta is a safe haven for transgender people looking to live their life in peace, free from harmful rhetoric.
The small island, located in the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, features trans rights legislation that is, by the measure of several organisations, considered to be some of the best.
Non-binary gender recognition, housing discrimination protections, self-ID, gender-affirming care and censorship laws are just some of the policies implemented in a country where the public is incredibly tolerant to boot.
