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.
Trans non-binary middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz is on their way to the Paris Olympics after a nail-biting finish at a trial race.
The American track star defended their national championship in a final 1500m race at the US Olympic Track and Field trials, with a record time of 3 minutes, 55.33 seconds.
During the intense final push between Hiltz, Elle Purrier St. Pierre and Emily Mackay, the trans non-binary competitor held off the competition.
Hiltz’s win, the second-fastest by an American in the event, means they will make their Olympic debut in Paris later this year.
Olympian St. Pierre, who had already qualified for Paris, took command in the race’s first 61 seconds, telling reporters after the race that she knew the “field was really deep” and wanted to make it “honest”. But in the final lap, Hiltz and Mackay began to close the gap, culminating in a bolt towards the finish line.
“I told myself: ‘I’m not going to think about all the love and support until 100m to go. Then you can let it all fill you up and push you to the finish line’,” Hiltz said.
Their partner, Emma Gee – the first out LGBTQ+ student athlete to compete for Brigham Young University, in Utah – congratulated them in several Instagram posts.
“Y’all, they are headed to Paris,” she wrote. “Nikki Hiltz is an Olympian. Olympic Trials 1500m champion.”
Speaking to the Paris 2024 Olympics press team, Hiltz said that despite being ready for the event, their competitive prowess was still a shock.
“A month ago I was in 3:59 shape, now 3:55,” they said. “Where I’ll be in a month? I don’t know and I don’t want to put limits on that. I knew I was going to have to [set a personal record] to make this team, but 3:55? I haven’t gotten my head around that. I haven’t wrapped my head around the Olympics… there’s so much catching up to do.”
Hiltz came out publicly as trans non-binary in 2021, writing on Instagram: “Hi I’m Nikki and I’m transgender. That means I don’t identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. The word I use currently to describe my gender is non-binary. The best way I can explain my gender is as fluid.”
Turkey is an extremely popular destination, both for holidays and for people looking to get cost-effective dentistry and weight-loss surgery. But is it safe for LGBTQ+ people to visit?
Firstly, same-sex relationships and queer or trans people are not illegal in Turkey, but the country doesn’t offer any legal protection from discrimination in employment, education, housing or health care.
Same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are not recognised and, in general, the country is very conservative. People outside big cities can hold negative attitudes towards members of the LGBTQ+ community – but that’s not to say the major areas are liberal havens either.
Istanbul aerial shot. LGBTQ+ rights are complicated in Turkey. (Getty)
According to Intrepid Travel, gay couples should be wary of displays of affection except in private because kissing in public is frowned upon in relationships of any kind, but particularly risky for same-sex couples.
Following anti-government protests in 2013, president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan placed censorship restrictions on the press and social media, which halted Turkey’s EU membership application, and a failed coup in 2016 led to a state of emergency being declared.
This gave Erdoğan the opportunity to impose further restrictions on civil liberties and human rights. As a result, Istanbul Pride was banned in 2015 – shut down through police intervention– and banned again for the following two years. There were reports of widespread arrests and police violence against anyone who tried to defy the authorities.
A Turkish policeman detains a demonstrator during a Pride march in Istanbul. (Getty)
In 2017, Turkey’s capital Ankara banned all LGBTQ+-rights-related events, saying there was a need to provide “peace and security”.
The Guardian has previously reported that queer Turkish people were “fearful of what may follow” and felt the president was waging a war against them.
In 2021, then interior minister Süleyman Soylu dismissed student protestors as “LGBTQ+ perverts” and said the government would not tolerate the “perverts who attempted to occupy the rector’s office” just days after Erdoğan praised the young people in Turkey who did not identify as LGBTQ+.
Istanbul Pride was banned in 2015 and police took strong action against anyone who defied the order. (Getty)
“We’ll carry our youth to the future, not as LGBTQ+ youth, but the youth from this glorious past. You are not the LGBTQ+ youth. You are not the youth who vandalises, but you are those who mend those vandalised hearts,” the president said.
It’s clear that Turkey is not particularly friendly towards LGBTQ+ people, despite no laws being in place to actively discriminate against the community.
Azoulay told of being harassed, beaten and scalded with boiling water by his fellow inmates, in homophobic attacks. He was jailed for 16 years but released in 2021.
What’s arguably even more significant when considering your travel plans is the fact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office currently advises against travel to all parts of Turkey, whether you’re LGBTQ+ or not.
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice and British embassy staff cannot travel to areas where FCDO advises against travel to help you in person.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he is “not in favour” of “gender ideology” being taught in schools, despite his education spokesperson suggesting the party would review the Conservatives controversial guidance on trans pupils.
Keir Starmer, who was previously applauded for condemning Rishi Sunak’s anti-trans ‘jokes’, has stated his opposition to the teaching of so-called “gender ideology” – a phrase which is widely considered an anti-trans dogwhistle.
Speaking with reporters during a school visit in Kettering, Starmer said: “No, I’m not in favour of ideology being taught in our schools on gender,” he said.
“I think we need to complete the consultation process and make sure that there is guidance that is age appropriate.
“That is helpful for teachers and has at its heart the safeguarding of children.”
A spokesperson for Labour equally told The Times: “Nothing should be taught in an ideological way in schools.
“Current RSHE [relationships, sex and health education] guidance requires under law that children are taught in an age-appropriate way the facts about ‘sex, sexuality, sexual health and gender identity’.
“Labour’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of every child.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Philipson visit a school in the East Midlands to take part in a student Q&A on June 24, 2024 in Kettering, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
However, this statement conflicts with the words of his shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, who when asked about the Tories RHSE guidancein a recent BBC interview suggested Labour would review it, stating she does not want it to be a a “political football” or “culture wars” issue.
The current government confirmed in May that sex education for children under the age of nine and education about trans issues for all pupils will be banned following updates to legal guidance, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying at the time the changes were to “protect our children”. The statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) more widely is currently under review by the government.
This also followed the Tories guidance on gender questioning pupils in schools, released in December 2023, which states teachers are allowed to “decline” a student’s request to use different pronouns, access to single-sex facilities should be based on “biological” sex and social transition can only happen if parents are informed.
In her BBC interview, Phillipson said: “There are trans people within society and their existence should be recognised.
“Many aspects of the draft had good and straightforward principles in it. Other elements of it, I think, drifted far too much into partisan and unnecessary language.”
Following the interview, Conservative education minister Gillian Keegan claimed Labour would “play politics with the lives of our children” whilst equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said on Friday she was “very, very worried” a Labour government would “undo the work we have done on gender questioning guidance for children”.
Rowling criticised Labour for “abandoning” women after Starmer’s appearance on BBC Question Time where he answered an audience question regarding his definition of a woman and his criticism of gender-critical Labour MP Rosie Duffield, saying she will “struggle to support them” because of the party’s “dismissive and often offensive towards women fighting to retain the rights their foremothers thought were won for all time”.
Answering questions a Q&A event at The Sun‘s London HQ on 24 June, Starmer said: “Of course I’d meet with her. Of course I would. She’s made some really important points.
“I’d welcome that discussion, because I do think that we made huge progress on women’s rights under Labour governments.
“On equality we made massive progress. There’s more work to be done if we are privileged to come in to serve this country.
Starmer added: “I want to make sure that we can bring people together.”
Streeting said trans rights has been a “difficult conversation, and not just within the Labour Party but within our country because we have had some tension between how you treat trans people with dignity and respect and inclusion,and also make sure that women’s rights, voices, spaces are protected.”
“I feel very optimistic, in fact, about the fact that we can reconcile those two things and move forward together as a country if we have a political culture that’s about bringing people together and navigating our way through these conversations with respect [and] genuinely listening to different perspectives, rather than seeing these differences as divisions to be exploited in – frankly – the way I think we’ve seen from from the current government,” he said.
It has been one year since Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni signed the country’s “gay law”, aka the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act, into effect, with LGBTQ+ people living in fear of arrest and the death penalty.
The passage of the legislation sent shockwaves around the world with activists, human rights organisations and world leaders universally condemning it.
In response, the World Bank cut off new lending to the Ugandan government over the “deeply repressive” law, the European Union denounced it and US president Joe Biden wrote to the House speaker and president of the Senate in October declaring his plan to end the US’s economic relationship with Uganda over “gross violations” of human rights.
Julius Malema and Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters picket against Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill at the Uganda High Commission on April 04, 2023 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
LGBTQ+ camapigner Steven Kabuye, who was stabbed nearly to death because of his activism in the country, said that one year on the legislation “has gone on to be more consequential than ever” for queer Ugandans.
“A series of human rights violations leads the way. I myself I’ve been a victim of the hate it came with. Many of my kind in Uganda are still dreaming of the freedom it eroded away from them. Do not forget about Uganda,” he urged.
What is the Anti-Homosexuality Act?
On 29 May 2023, president Museveni – who previously called declared that homosexuals are “deviants” – gave assent to the Anti-Homosexuality Act. The bill immediately became one of the strictest pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the world and was passed to apparently “protect the sanctity of family”.
The Ugandan parliament initially approved an earlier version of the bill in March 2023 which criminalised people for simply identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, this clause was later removed by lawmakers after Museveni returned the bill to parliament for reconsideration.
The Act doubled down on already cruel sanctions imposed on LGBTQ+ people in Uganda, where same-sex sexual acts and freedom to talk about queer topics were already illegal.
The legislation still punishes homosexuality with imprisonment for up to life but also introduced the new offence of ‘aggravated homosexuality’, which carries the death penalty.
A parade goer holds a sign in solidarity with Uganda during the Gay Pride Parade on July 01, 2023 in London, England. (peter Nicholls/Getty Images for Pride In London)
Acts defined as ‘aggravated homosexuality’ include sexual activity with disabled people, those who are HIV positive and people aged 75 and over – with consent to the sexual act not constituting a defence to a charge. This category also applies to criminal offences such as rape of a child or adult and incest.
‘Attempted homosexuality’ is also punishable by law, with a punishment of up to 10 years in prison possible, while ‘attempted aggravated homosexuality’ can be met with up to 14 years imprisonment.
The legislation also intensifies censorship of LGBTQ+ issues where people can be punished by a fine or five-year prison term for ‘promoting homosexuality’ or use electronic devices for the ‘purposes of homosexuality’.
Someone simply advocating for LGBTQ+ rights could also be jailed for 20 yearsand landlords knowingly renting to LGBTQ+ people face up to a seven-year prison sentence.
What is the situation like now for queer Ugandans?
Following the legislation being given assent, it was not long before LGBTQ+ Ugandans were being targeted with the new laws and faced a huge increase in abuse.
A report from a committee of the Convening for Equality (CFE) coalition found the Anti-Homosexuality Act was – unsurprisingly – putting LGBTQ+ people at risk and in danger but revealed such danger was mostly coming from private individuals, rather than government authorities.
Between 1 January and 31 August 2023 the researchers found 306 rights violations in the East African based on the victims’ sexual orientation and gender identity, with just 25 of those carried out by state actors. The report noted there has been an increase in “mob-aided arrests” with the public feeling they are the “custodians of enforcing the witch hunt”.
This report, however, should not be considered exhaustive due to the issues queer Ugandans face in reporting anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice and abuse.
In August, PinkNews reported that a number of citizens had been detained and charged under the new law, including the arrest of four people at a massage parlour allegedly engaging in same-sex activity and one man charged with ‘aggravated homosexuality’ and subsequently facing the death penalty.
A Ugandan man with a sticker on his face takes part on August 9, 2014 in the annual gay pride in Entebbe, Uganda. (ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking with PinkNews in November, the executive director of LGBTQ+ group Uganda’s Children of the Sun Foundation (COSF) Henry Mukiibi was forced to flee to Nairobi in Kenya after receiving information that the authorities wanted to arrest him under the anti-LGBTQ+ law.
Mukiibi said he has seen people become “so homophobic” that they “started attacking” COSF committee members and “beating them because of who they are”.
Following this, January of this year, Kabuye was attacked and stabbed outside his home by two men who had allegedly been following him for a number of days, leaving him in a critical condition.
Kabuye, the executive director of the advocacy group Colored Voice Truth to LGBTQ, went on to blame the brutal attack he suffered on the intolerance being pushed by Uganda’s politicians “who are using the LGBTQ+ community as a scapegoat to move people away from what is really happening in the country”.
Also in January a trans woman named Arianna spoke with The Guardian and recalled being attacked by an angry mob outside of her home after a TikTok video falsely accused her of forcing hormones on young men.
She was beaten so violently that she was in a coma for two weeks.
“When they saw me, they started grabbing me and shouting that I needed to die,” Arianna told the publication. “The only thing I remember next was waking up in hospital.”
“We have no freedom.” she said. “I can’t go to the market, I can’t work, because if I go out, I will be a target.”
Rural retail chain company Tractor Supply are facing calls for a boycott for, amongst other things, donating money to diversity and inclusion causes, which included projects that support LGBTQ+ youth.
Right-wing activist Robby Starbuck, who directed the controversial, gender-critical, anti-LGBTQ+ documentary The War on Children, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out Tractor Supply for their diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) work, including: “having Pride month decorations in their office.”
As well as complaining about Tractor Supply’s “LGBTQ+ training for employees, funding pride/drag events, they have a DEI Council, funding sex changes, climate change activism, pride month decorations in the office, DEI hiring practices and LGBTQ+ events at work,” Starbuck also singled out their donations to non-profits.
In a follow up tweet, he wrote: “Wow, Tractor Supply bragged in one of their yearly reports that they donated more than $570,000 to DEI, including LGBTQ+ YOUTH! Yes, Tractor Supply thinks kids can be trans and they support it by the looks of this. How many of their customers know this?”
He attached an image to the tweet, which seems to be a screenshot. It reads: “In 2021, Tractor Supply donated more than $570,000 to DE&I causes, benefitting veterans, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ youth, Hispanic Team Members, women and Black and African Americans.”
The screenshot appears to have been taken from a sustainability report released by Tractor Supply in 2022, titled “Stewards of Life Out Here“.
Robby Starbuck on set during taping of “Candace” on July 12, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Getty)
Starbuck described these donations as “woke priorities” in his lengthy tweet, which was accompanied by an over seven-minute long video where he speaks to camera about the rural “seed and feed” store. The video starts with Starbuck sharing pictures of Pride month screensavers on Tractor Supply’s in-house staff TVs.
The combined tweet and video has had over two million views on X so far.
The majority of replies to the tweet called for a boycott of Tractor Supply over their DEI practices, which are standard in most workplaces. One top reply says: “My husband was just looking at some fencing they have, well over 1000.00. Bet he changes his mind when I show him this later today.”
According to recent figures, many Fortune 500 companies in the US have DEI initiatives. In 2023, 154 Fortune 500 companies released diversity disclosures, nearly double the 79 of 2022, according to a report from marketing firm Purpose Brand. Whether Starbuck intends to go after all 154 of them remains to be seen.
She says she had been asked to do an interview about how the lives and mental health of LGBTQ+ people were being affected by bans and restrictions on drag performances and gender-affirming care.
Electronika shared emails from the production team with Rolling Stone, which show that when they first approached her, the producers offered her the opportunity to participate in an upcoming documentary “tentatively titled It Takes A Village from an award winning director.”
She was told that It Takes A Village intended “to delve deeper [into] exposing how these recent drag bans and gender-affirming care bans have been made, look at how it has affected the mental health of trans people and look forward into what future progress will look and sound like.”
“When I saw Mr. Starbuck walk through the hallway, I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I know this f**ker,” Electronika told Rolling Stone, adding, “they tried to convince me to stay and I said, ‘You need to stop recording right now.’ The little red light kept going … and then they wouldn’t stop.”
Tractor Supply is far from the only retail chain that has faced boycott calls over DEI and Pride initiatives in recent years, though a rural supply company is certainly an unusual target for the right.
In fact, just today, right-wingers decided to take aim at IKEA’s rainbow Pride charity cake. To mark Pride Month 2024, the UK branch of the Swedish furniture chain announced its popular rainbow cake is back in its restaurants and will be sold throughout June, with 100 per cent of the profits going to LGBT+ Switchboard.
Bigots, of course, were naturally outraged by the existence of this multi-coloured confectionery.
The first out gay Lord Mayor of Belfast, Micky Murray, has been sworn into office in a historic first for Northern Ireland’s capital city.
Murray was installed at the annual general meeting of council at Belfast City Hall on Monday (3 June).
The Alliance councillor, who represents the Balmoral area, wrote on X/Twitter post, that he felt “honoured to have been given this opportunity to represent our great city”.
He went on to say: “As the city’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, I want Belfast to be a place where everyone feels welcomed and included. A more inclusive, diverse and kinder city makes it better for everyone.
“I’m looking forward to meeting with groups and organisations city-wide who are working to achieve these goals and to using my time as Lord Mayor to highlight their work and showcase all that is good within our city.”
‘I promise to represent Belfast to the best of my ability’
Among his priorities is helping those affected by long-term homelessness because he is “passionate about helping those with addiction and other challenges to break the cycle”.
He added: “I promise to represent Belfast to the best of my ability, with passion, enthusiasm and commitment and represent everyone right across the community.”
Murray’s appointment comes shortly after two three-year-old twin girls were involved in a suspected “transphobic-motivated hate crime” that was directed at their transgender father in Northern Ireland’s capital.
