Current LGBTQ+ news updates

In the last few months, there has been a lot of news. All of it is important, but a lot of LGBT+ news got overshadowed in the media, so here are a few of the stories that you might have missed.

On Jan. 27 the LGBTQ+ community lost Sandie Crisp, A.K.A “Goddess Bunny,” an avid muse of the Hollywood Avante-Garde, passed due to COVID-19 at age 61. She was a transgender drag queen who was born with polio causing her to have several disabilities. Despite this, she became a very famous woman, even running as a write-in in the 2020 election. She starred in eight movies, appeared in three television shows, and was in three music videos including the video for “Puppet Master.” Losing her is losing an inspirational piece of queer history. May she rest in peace.

On the same day, the community lost Carmen Vázquez, an activist for the LGBTQ+ rights movement at the age of 72 to COVID-19 as well. She was the executive director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the Coordinator of Lesbian and Gay Health Services for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She was also the co-founder and co-chair of Somos Hermanas, a Central American Women’s Solidarity Network, director of Public Policy for the LGBT Community Center, deputy director for Empire State Pride Agenda, coordinator of the LGBT Health and Human Services Unit of the AIDS Institute. She was the government and public policy director of the New York City LGBT Community Services Center, a founding member of the New York State LGBT Health and Human Services Network, a board member of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a board member of the Funding Exchange’s OUT Fund and a Co-Chair of Equality Federation from 2004 – 2006. She was a founder of Causes in Common, a national coalition of LGBT Liberation and Reproductive Justice Activists. Vázquez was one of the hardest working people when it came to activism, and her passing will inspire others to work just as hard as she did. May she rest in peace.

In lighter news, on Feb. 2, Iowa safe schools partnered up with Matt McCoy and Polk County to push for a ban on conversion therapy. They decided unanimously to go ahead with it and are now moving forward with that. More later as the story develops.

Confirmed on Feb. 2, Pete Buttigieg became the first openly gay cabinet secretary. He is currently serving as President Biden’s transportation secretary and is the youngest member of the president’s cabinet at age 39. 

Feb. 11, the latest iteration of the children’s show “Blues Clue’s” showed off queer pride flags during an online music video where they were teaching the alphabet. Stating “And P is full of pride” as blue stood in the center of the ace, pan, trans, lesbian, intersex, lesbian, bisexual, nonbinary, and genderfluid flags. Behind her was a large P representing the “more color more pride flag.”

And finally, in CFHS news, SAGA is looking for more members. The acronym SAGA means “Straight And Gay Alliance.” This is our school’s GSA, and they are working diligently every week to bring notice to issues that affect our school. The only issue is their attendance is a little bit lacking, so this Friday during both shifts of Power Hour, head on up to room 274 in the business center for a new experience. Everyone is welcome.

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