The ACLU sued on behalf of drag performer Flamy Grant and Blount Pride after District Attorney General Ryan Desmond warned them of possible prosecution in a letter.GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. District Court Judge J. Ronnie Greer issued a ruling blocking Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond from enforcing Tennessee’s “Adult Entertainment Act,” at a festival celebrating the Blount County LGBTQ+ community on Saturday.
Greer’s order said Desmond cannot enforce, detain, arrest or seek warrants to enforce the act and cannot interfere with Blount Pride’s festival.
The Adult Entertainment Act makes it unlawful to perform “adult cabaret entertainment,” on public property or in a place where children can see. The Act defines “male or female impersonators” as adult cabaret entertainment, a classification that the ACLU said targets drag performers.
In Shelby County, earlier this summer, District Judge Thomas L. Parker ruled it unconstitutional, saying it violated First Amendment rights, and barred the attorney general there from enforcing it. The District Attorney’s Office appealed that decision, and the Memphis-area lawsuit is going through the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Their ruling would apply across all districts in Tennessee.
He said it restricted free speech and was vague.
“Judge Parker’s 70-page opinion is well-written, scrupulously researched, and highly persuasive,” Judge Greer wrote. “The court, based on the parties’ arguments at this juncture in the proceedings sees no reason to ‘break new ground’ on the constitutional issues.”
District Attorney General Desmond sent a letter to Blount Pride arguing Blount Pride was “marketing itself in a manner which raises concerns that the event may violate certain criminal statutes within the State of Tennessee.” His office would prosecute violations of the Adult Entertainment Act, Desmond wrote.
The ACLU sued Desmond and other law enforcement in Blount County, to prevent enforcement of the law. Desmond’s office released a statement about the injunction, available below.
“My office will abide by the order of Judge Greer. We are a nation of laws and this ruling is controlling over my office and our jurisdiction. As such, we will respect and comply with the order of the Court.”
Judge Greer ordered parties involved in the lawsuit to appear at the James H. Quillen Courthouse in Greeneville, Tenn. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, for a preliminary injunction hearing.
Blount Pride previously said the event would go on as planned on Saturday. It starts at 1 p.m. at the Claxton Center in Maryville on Saturday.
A statement from Blount Pride board president Ari Baker is also available below.
“We are relieved that the court has taken action to ensure that law enforcement will not wrongly apply this unconstitutional law. This ruling allows us to fully realize Blount Pride’s goal of creating a safe place for LGBTQ people to connect, celebrate, and share resources. We appreciate the community support and look forward to celebrating with you all on Saturday.”
Category: Clothing
Christian Father Turns Trans Daughter Into A Refugee | RE: Jeff Damon Younger
I have always enjoyed Ethel’s videos. I have been watching them since she was a teen. She is passionate, yet she not only well versed in the subject she speaks on, but includes all her resources in the channel notes so anyone can double check what she says if they disagree with her. She has a slight speech impediment but the closed caption is great.
The story of Luna and her rabid anti-trans Christian father is a story I have followed since I heard it when Luna was around 7 or 8, and of the horrible abuse anti-trans fanatics will go too against letting a child be themselves. Despite court orders and against the child’s will he forcibly cut her hair, he refused to even allow girl’s clothing in his home and when she came to his home when he still had court ordered visitation would make her strip in the doorway after it was closed and go to the room assigned to her and put on male clothing. He then would destroy the girl clothing in front of her. Remember, at this point she was only socially transitioning, and he simply wouldn’t allow it. His parental rights were removed because of his refusal to follow court orders and treat Luna as the girl she was. And as is normal for Anti-trans haters he would go on the anti-trans Christian circuit and lie his ass off on everything. For an example he would say his wife only took Luna to one pro-trans mental health doctor when in fact she saw four or five, two were ones he insisted on including a Christian practitioner. They all agreed that Luna identified a girl. But his denial abuse got so bad that the girl and her mother fled the state and moved to California to be safe, a court approved move. But this is a man who would rather lose his child or see them dead than admit they might not be the gender that glancing between their legs at birth was assigned to them. Hugs
/ @themisanthropichumanist
/ @ethelthurston
[Quick References]
[1] • The Evidence Jeff Damon Younger Doesn…
[2] • Exposing Lies Surrounding The Luna Da…
[3] • The Tragic Case Of David Reimer & How…
[12] • Christian Father Torments His Trans D…
[13] • More Evidence Jeff Younger Lied About…
[14] • Christian Father Puts Trans Daughter’…
[Script & References] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J…
[Chapters]
00:00 – Intro & Content Warning
01:28 – Jeff Damon Younger
16:01 – The Ministry of ‘Truth’ Film Festival
18:42 – Jeff Damon Younger Boasts About Turning Luna Into A Refugee
32:48 – Jeff Damon Younger’s Antisemitism [Social Media]
Hi, welcome to the Essence Of Thought YouTube channel! Please help support us and our work! http://www.patreon.com/EssenceOfThought
Hey! That Bug is Dancing … !
By my doges that love gravy, this is perfectly spot on. The only issue is that by Russia, the creator means both the USSR that was then ruled by Russia and what Putin is trying hard to recreate today.
Side note. I am very sore and torn up. The last few days I had a bug / light flu. I have been sick to my stomach, very tired, diarrhea, and lots more pain. But today I felt better, woke up a little before 2 AM, snuggled Ron for an hour, got up and started my day. But I spent about 4.5 hours doing dishes while helping Ron understand / find stuff for my new office. Sadly by 5 PM I couldn’t stand upright and lost the ability to walk more than a few steps unsupported.
After eating the wonderful supper Ron made of burgers with all the fixings including he made sautéed mushrooms and a cheese sauce, I am finishing this up and going to bed. Because I am struggling to walk, Ron fixed my food and delivered to me, and took everything away after. He has been very attentive once he realized how much I pushed myself and how bad I was. Ron has already said he will help me to the bedroom and getting into bed, but he has warned me I can not delay much longer, as he doesn’t want to hear me crying tonight in bed. Night to all and hugs
Trae Crowder guides us through the pride points, failures, and contradictions in “Southin’ Off.”
Man Who Charged BLM Protesters Wearing Glove With Serrated Blades Guilty On 9 Attempted Murder Counts
The goal for these gang thugs is to make everyone afraid to protest the abuses, to make the treat of violence and harm so great people stop putting up supportive signs or speaking out. And it has worked in a lot of cases, with venues cancelling events. Horrible way the country is going. Hugs
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate incidents tripled during Pride month this year
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/07/anti-lgbtq-hate-incidents-tripled-during-pride-month-this-year/
The violence underscores a year that included hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents.
By Daniel Villarreal Saturday, July 22, 2023
Los Angeles Pride paradePhoto: Shutterstock
At least 145 incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ hate and extremism occurred nationwide during Pride 2023, three times the amount that occurred during Pride 2022, according to a new report. The violence underscores a year that included 356 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, as well as an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation nationwide.
The report, created by the queer media watchdog organization GLAAD and the hate monitoring group the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), found that between June 2022 and April 2023, 305 incidents of harassment, 40 incidents of vandalism, and 11 incidents of assault occurred nationwide.
The incidents included the deadly Club Q shooting, the murder of a lesbian woman at a gas station, vandalism against Pride flags, bomb threats sent to LGBTQ+-associated venues, public protests against inclusive brands like Target, and death threats against doctors and politicians.
Of the incidents, 138 involved drag events and performers, 33 involved schools and educators, 23 involved healthcare facilities and providers, and 22 involved government buildings and elected officials.
This isn’t surprising considering that right-wingers have increasingly claimed that drag performers, LGBTQ+-inclusive educators, gender-affirming medical professionals, and allied politicians are trying to “groom” and “sexualize” children and want to force them to undergo “genital mutilation.”
Nearly half of the reported incidents were perpetrated by individuals associated with extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Front. Additionally, 128 of the incidents also involved antisemitic tropes, and 30 involved racist tropes, showing the overlap of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment with hatred of Jews and non-white races.
“Since many anti-LGBTQ+ hate and extremism incidents go unreported, the true numbers are likely far higher,” the report said.
GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, “This new report makes abundantly clear that extremism is escalating against LGBTQ+ people and endangers every American… Extremists, including elected officials, must be held accountable for inciting violence and using vile rhetoric against marginalized people who just want to live in safety and peace.”
In June, the Western States Center, an anti-bigotry organization, wrote a guide on “Protecting Pride,” explaining how to protect events from extremist hate.
The guide recommends that event organizers create a vocally supportive coalition of partnerships with government, business, faith, and community organizations; coordinate with law enforcement to monitor and document online and local extremist threats; create safety response plans for coordinators and attendees to follow at events; and also teaches how to use media spokespeople to flip “groomer” claims by showing how extremists threaten local kids and families with violence and hate.
A majority of queer youth feel hopeful despite widespread bullying & stress
Photo: ShutterstockNearly half of all LGBTQ+ youth feel unsafe in school settings, and over half said they had been bullied due to their queer identities, a new report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) found.
But even though over half of queer respondents also showed signs of anxiety and depression, majorities of LGBTQ+ youth have also come out to their families and feel hopeful for the future nonetheless.
Approximately 54% of transgender and gender-expansive youth and 46% of LGBQ+ youth surveyed said that they felt unsafe in at least one school setting. Nearly 60% of all LGBTQ+ youth said that they had been “teased, bullied, or treated badly” at school over their LGBTQ+ identities.
Only one in five LGBTQ+ youth reported school bullying to a school staff member. While 23.3% of these kids said the adult “didn’t help me at all,” 20.0% said the adult “helped me a lot.”
Additionally, 55.1% of survey respondents screened positive for depression, 63.5% screened positive for depression, and 64.7% rated their ability to manage stress as “fair” or “poor.” These rates were on average five points higher for transgender and gender-expansive youth. 48.9% of LGBTQ+ youth had received therapy in the prior year.
The HRC noted that these findings have likely been affected by the spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation nationwide. During the most recent legislative session, 10 have passed transphobic “bathroom bills,” 23 states have passed transphobic “sports bans,” six have passed “forced outing” bills requiring schools to out trans and gender-expansive youth to their parents, and six have passed “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” bills banning queer content from classrooms.
Despite this, 90.3% of LGBTQ+ youth said they were proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community, and nearly 83% of queer youth said that they had come out to at least one member of their immediate family.
Trans and gender-expansive youth who feel free to express their gender identity around their families and those whose family members use their correct pronouns and names also reported the lowest levels of depression and anxiety among trans and gender-expansive youth.
Additionally, 56.8% of LGBTQ+ youth said they somewhat or strongly agree that “the LGBTQ+ community is accepted more and more every day.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.
Mom shares why she let her 17-year-old get top surgery. His face says it all.
https://www.upworthy.com/mom-explains-trans-sons-top-surgery
Thank you, Ali, for the link, just sorry it took me so long to post it. Hugs
I am waiting for the screaming comments about kids getting life changing surgeries, about kids / minors having body parts chopped off when they are too young to understand it. So before you get stupid and write that comment, read the entire story. Then think about the fact that kids as young as 13 and 14 years old get charged as adults in the US. Kids / minors as young as 12 get married in many states in the US, a very life changing even they are too young to understand. Kids / minors are being forced to carry pregnancies to term no matter how young (one was only ten), giving birth to children while they are children if they survive the ordeal which is a life-changing event / surgery that they are way too young to begin to understand or consent to. Plus breast surgery is common for young females in the US with girls 16 or younger getting reductions or enlargements as gifts from parents, and a popular surgery for minors is rhinoplasty. Yes kids / minors getting nose trims. The point is that many surgeries happen for kids, especially wealthy and or white kids. Look up the stats before you start screaming about kids being mutilated. Even more important is the saving of lives that transitioning does for trans kids, those studies are real, well documented, and are available for the haters to see anytime they could put their hate aside long enough to read them. Hugs
Cartoon: The Time Before Gender Ideology
Cartoon: The Time Before Gender Ideology
Many thanks to Ali for this cartoon. Again a cartoon expresses a lot of information and corrects an old myth with just four panels. At the web link above you can read the break-down of the cartoon and the thoughts of the artist. As well as see other thought provoking cartoons. Hugs
Flamy Grant, Sean Feucht, and God doing something so good
I am not a religious person. I do not believe in the supernatural nor in any deity. I am a confirmed heathen. I enjoy being a heathen and do not hide it. But by My Dogs That Love Gravy, I do appreciate and respect this man, this person Rev. Ed Trevors! I respect him, I support a lot of what he says as is clear in that I repost his videos. I think I could sit in his congregation and hear a sermon of his with no anger or disgust. I could spend a happy pleasant afternoon in chat with him. I wouldn’t believe in his deity or in their holy book, but I do believe in his message of inclusion. It is one I not only support but want to amplify.
I want to make one thing very clear on this site, my Play Time (that some days doesn’t feel much like playing or fun), I am against hate, bigotry, discrimination, and abuse of others. Notice in that list I did not include religion, faith, personal codes of conduct, worship, or any particular deity / religion. When I joined the military I took an oath to support the constitution of the US and its principles, which I still believe in. One of those rights was for people to worship their own gods in ways that did not harm others and government wouldn’t / couldn’t form a preference for any religion over any other, including simply having none.
Notice in the above paragraph I did not include being able to force others to worship and live as you do. I am against that and the hate churches that preach that. I post a lot against them. Just as I don’t insist everyone have same-sex relations just as I do, I fight against heterosexuals who insist others must have the opposite sex relations they do. I support trans rights, but I don’t insist all cis people must be trans, must dress as the gender they don’t identify with. When you break it down into those terms you see clearly what the bigot haters are trying to do, what they want to force the world into, a mold of them, just like them and only them. And they misuse their religion and deity to do this.
Which leads me back to the Rev Ed Trevors. Here is someone that understand his faith is not justification to harm others. His faith is not a weapon to use to hurt those who are different from him. Instead he uses his faith as a guide on how to live his life and treat others. Just as I do with the Christians who come to my Play Time I respect and admire him. Those people are welcome and deserve our respect, and that goes for any faith that comes here with the same ideas of respect. Hugs
Scottie's Playtime 