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Sens. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, and Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill on Wednesday to re-establish national emergency suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth — which have been stripped by the Trump administration at a time when the vulnerable group needs it most.
In July, the Trump administration terminated the 988 hotline’s LGBTQ+ services, which connected young people in crisis with counselors trained in supporting LGBTQ+ youth. This new bill, backed by the LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention organization Trevor Project as well as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, would modify the Public Health Service Act to reinstate those services and require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain them. The bill now moves to committee.
The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people seriously consider suicide each year in the United States, as they face high rates of bullying, assault and discrimination. And when the 2024 presidential race was called for Donald Trump, calls and texts to the Trevor Project’s own crisis hotlines spiked by 700 percent, as LGBTQ+ youth felt afraid about the outcome of the election.
“Given that LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers, the need for these services remains pressing,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, in a statement. “This is not about politics, or identity; this is about doing what is best to support our country’s highest risk populations — and save young people’s lives nationwide.”
During his first term in 2020, President Trump signed a bipartisan law to create 988 as a more accessible resource for mental health emergencies. The free hotline launched in July 2022. Since then, millions of people in crisis have turned to 988. And nearly 1.5 million of those calls, texts and chats were sent by young Americans seeking specialized LGBTQ+ services.
“We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, and the 988 lifeline saves lives, plain and simple,” said Baldwin, who wrote the original legislation to create the 988 hotline. Cutting funds for specialized services within 988 puts the lifeline in jeopardy, she said in a statement.
“There is absolutely no good reason that Donald Trump took away this specialized help for our LGBTQ youth. Mental health does not see partisan lines or geography,” the Wisconsin Democrat added.
I will never see a Robin Williams movie, an interview, or a stand-up without a tear in my eye. He made me laugh, he made me cry, he made me feel anger and he made me feel hope, all behind a mask paper-thin. He reveled in the joy of others, while in his heart he felt so alone. How few knew his hidden hurts? I feel the absence of this great man and am saddened that his joie de vivre was only a mask he used to protect us all.
My morning trek to the daily grind found me hearing about Charlie Kirk. I thought about the demands he made upon his audience; that they think his way, act his way, love his way, pray his way. Somehow those who think differently are more than a target for his former speeches, we have become enemies of our own government.
Again, I don’t want to see anyone hurt. But, what about those he made to feel alone?
What about those he made to feel hated? What about those he told ‘You don’t matter’? What about those he accused of horrible motives, intentions to commit crimes, just because they were different?
Why is crass, abusive, hateful, prejudiced, and violent words and actions acceptable to anyone? Why is it cheered in certain circles?
I have every right to be angry at those who sling abuse for political expediency. I have every right to be angry at those who whip the easily led mob into denying others their rights to be genuine, their hopes to feel love, their need for happiness. I’m so tired, so very tired of the justification, the hypocrisy, the gleeful ruination.
I so miss the promise of the 70’s. Change was supposed to come. I bought into the hype, only to see that the very fight continue. Maybe it’s not the era, maybe it’s just something in us that makes people keep doing this to each-other. I want to believe differently.
September 7, 1948 3,000 attended a rally to publicly launch the Peace Council in Melbourne, Australia.
September 7, 1957 Barabara Gittings leading a picket in the ’60s Barbara Gittings organized the first New York meeting held for the Daughters of Bilitis, a pioneer lesbian organization. The group was founded two years earlier in San Francisco. Barbara Gittings: Mother of the Gay Rights Movement Cover from their magazine “The Ladder”, October,1968
September 7, 1990 Two British peace activists, Stephen Hancock and Mike Hutchinson known as the Upper Heyford Plowshares were sentenced to 15 months in prison for disabling an F-111 bomber in Oxford, England. A brief History of Direct Disarmament Actions
September 7, 1992 South African troops killed at least 24 people and injured 150 more at an African National Congress (ANC) rally on the border of Ciskei, in South Africa. 50,000 ANC supporters had turned out to demand Ciskei’s re-absorption into South Africa. Ciskei was one of ten black “homelands,” so designated to keep blacks from claiming citizenship in South Africa itself. They were a legal fiction, not recognized by any other country, that was part of the racially separatist apartheid regime. News at the time BBC
September 7, 1996 Two women were arrested for trespass at the Norfolk (Virginia) Naval Base after walking into the base with a banner reading, “Love Your Enemies.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 05: Kate Harrison (L) and Chloe Grace Moretz are seen at the 2023 US Open Tennis Championships on September 05, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images) Gotham
Moretz and her partner, Kate Harrison, were married in a private ceremony over the weekend, as they confirmed to Vogue. The magazine also published exclusive photos and videos of the couple’s final fittings. Rather than a traditional white gown, Moretz went with a pale blue number with elbow length opera gloves. “It just feels like me. It feels like an extension of what I would have always hoped for,” she told Vogue. The actor added that she “never really envisioned a wedding dress” in her mind, so when the time came to figure out her actual wedding look, she knew that she “wanted to do something non-traditional and not wear white and have it feel different.”
After the couple got engaged, Moretz told Vogue that she knew that she wanted to reach out to Nicolas Ghesquière, women’s creative director of Louis Vuitton, to ask if he would be interested in making her dress. He went a step further and made both Moretz and Harrison’s dresses, as well as their afterparty looks. Rather than going with another dress for the festivities, Moretz decided on a white cutout suit accessorized with a cowboy-esque hat. She explained to the magazine that the hat was partially inspired by the activities of the wedding itself — “fishing, horseback riding, and poker.” “Our second day is going to be line dancing and everything,” she added.
In an Instagram post, Moretz thanked Louis Vuitton and Ghesquière for the dress, writing, “Your generosity, artistry, dedication and kindness knows no bounds. We feel so incredibly grateful. Thank you doesn’t even begin to cut it, but, thank you. Your vision made our day all the more meaningful.”
Moretz casually came out as a “gay woman” in November 2024 via Instagram, when she shared that she had voted for Kamala Harris in the presidential election. But even before formally coming out, she’s been seen with Harrison for years, including in a 2023 Instagram post of the two of them at the New York City Dyke March. Per Cosmopolitan, the two have seemingly been linked since 2018, but they’ve kept their relationship very private. Still, we’re glad that we at least get a glimpse into what was surely a stunning wedding. Congrats to the newlyweds!
Alex Consani confirmed that a tucking panty can be an Angel’s best friend.
The superstar model, who became the first trans woman to win Model of the Year in 2024, shared some behind-the-scenes footage from a recently released campaign with lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret on her Instagram on Tuesday. Alongside usual brand accoutrement, including the iconic angel wings, was another important accessory: a tucking panty.
“Cant stop smiling! So happy to have the opportunity to shoot with the baddest group of girls and the best team there is!” Consani wrote. “I’m so so so grateful!”
The carousel of images and selfies in the mirror featured Consani’s outfit for the day, group shots with her winged campaign colleagues, shots of her in the glam chair and raw footage from the shoot. The shoot celebrated “the first six angels hitting the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2025 runway,” according to the brand’s Instagram.
One shot featured the aforementioned Tuck Kit, a product of Unclockable, a trans-led brand that was founded “to meet the unique needs of trans and queer people,” per its website. The description of the product Consani showed says that it allows the wearer to don their “favorite feminine styles without a gaff and with no bulge,” and “zero panty lines.”
In 2024, Consani became the first trans model, alongside Valentina Sampaio, to walk a Victoria’s Secret runway show. Their casting came six years after Ed Razek, the brand’s former chief marketing officer, made regrettable comments to Vogue about casting “transsexuals” in their fashion shows. ‘
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” he said. “Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special.” Days after the interview, a statement released by the brand attributed to Razek backtracked to say that the brand “would cast” a trans model for the show, and that it has considered trans models at castings, though one had never been hired. “It was never about gender,” he added.
In 2019, Valentina Sampaio became the first out trans model to work with Victoria’s Secret as part of a shoot with the brand’s VS Pink label. Days later, Razek retired from the company. Emira D’Spain, Edun Sodipo, Honey Dijon and Ceval Omar, all trans women, have since worked with the brand. Consani’s BTS shot is a reminder of her own declaration about the fashion industry that “the future is dolls,” as she stated in a June interview with Them.
“Seeing more of us, not just white versions of our community, not just thin versions of our community, not just able-bodied versions of our community, but all of the facets of being trans,” she said. “I think that’s so fashionable: the expression that comes from having an identity, especially now, that’s so unappreciated and unsupported.”
Celeste Yim, the first out nonbinary writer for Saturday Night Live, announced they are leaving the show this week after five years.
Yim, who was hired as an SNL staff writer in 2020 and promoted to writing supervisor in 2023, announced their decision to leave the show after its 50th season in an Instagram post late Sunday night.
“Lorne [Michaels] hired me over the phone when I was 23 and the job literally made all of my dreams come true BUT it was also grueling and I slept in my office every week BUT my friends helped me with everything BUT I got yelled at by random famous men BUT some famous girls too BUT I loved it and I laughed every day and it’s where I grew up,” Yim wrote in the post.
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“I hate when other people say this but it’s true that I was the first ever out trans person to be a writer for SNL,” the scribe wrote. “I always felt honored to be working within the long tradition of queer writing at the show,” Yim added, joking that “Chevy [Chase] is nonbinary!” (Chase was a cast member and hosted Weekend Update in the first season of the long-running series.) Yim also vowed to keep writing comedy in the face of anti-trans oppression. “I feel so powerless to protect trans people in the world but writing connects us and makes us permanent, so it’s what I will continue to do,” they wrote.
“Thank you Bowen for changing my life and for making me feel normal,” Yim wrote on Instagram this week. (Yim also recently wrote for Yang and Matt Rogers’ Las Culturistas Awards, held earlier this month.) Their statement also thanked “every SNL assistant and production crew member who ever made any part of anything I ever wrote.”
Yim’s time on SNL saw an influx of queer and nonbinary cast members like Molly Kearney and Punkie Johnson, both of whom have since left the show. At the same time, SNL also earned backlash from LGBTQ+ viewers by inviting hosts like Shane Gillis and Dave Chappelle, both of whom have made homophobic and transphobic comments on stage; when Chappelle hosted SNL in 2022, a nonbinary writer — widely believed, but not confirmed, to be Yim — asked to sit out for the week, after which Chappelle made a joke calling the writer “a they” during dress rehearsal (which did not appear in the final show).
“Thank you to my family and friends who love me still even though I did not see them very much,” Yim wrote in their departure announcement. “And thank you all for your support. For writing to me and for wearing my sketches as Halloween costumes. […] I try to imagine my younger self learning about me. I would be amazed. But then I’d be like…Wait, why are you dressed like that…”
Yim’s comments were full of current and former SNL cast members and writers expressing wholehearted support, including Yang, Ego Nwodim, and Jane Wickline, as well as non-SNL celebs like Padma Lakshmi, Jeremy O. Harris, and Ziwe.
“My baby,” cast member (and L’Eggs icon) Aidy Bryant wrote simply, summing it up.
After all, George Washington and all were just regular people before they became part of the government. It really is up to all of us. If you click the article title just below this, all the embeds are there. This is from The Root.
From where you stand, it may look like you’re just watching unimaginable stuff go down, and nobody’s stepping in to stop it. In only eight months of his second term, President Donald Trump has managed to undermine the Constitution, disrupt the economy, send military troops to cities without congressional approval and divide the country over immigration, civil rights and more. It seems like there’s nothing regular Americans can do to stop him as he continues to complete the missions of his 2024 campaign, but many political leaders are offering suggestions to fight back in ways never seen before.
From journalist Toure to former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, these powerful voices are urging folks to rebel against the Trump administration, and here’s exactly how they say it needs to be done.
Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke
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“If we’re not willing to play hardball right now, it is over,” former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke said during an interview. The Democrat continued comparing the rise of German dictator Adolf Hitler to how American society is handling President Trump now. He urged the Press, opposing political parties and every American to pay attention to Trump’s attempt to rewrite the Constitution, defy the federal courts and attack U.S. citizens before something unredeemable happens. “I don’t know if I’m saying that is going to happen in America,” O’Rourke said referring to Nazi Germany. “But this moment sure as hell rhymes with the 1930s, and if we don’t pay attention, we’re going to lose it.”
Roland Martin
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Journalist Roland Martin has told Americans to put down the Tiktoks and fight back. During one video clip, he says “What we are talking about is a battle that’s generational,” Martin passionately began. As Trump continues to suggest red states move to redistrict their congressional seats in Republicans’ favor, Martin called out exactly how this will erase Black voices. “They could wipe out with one Goddamn ruling more than 30 Black Congressional seats,” he said.
Former Vice President Al Gore
On the list of avid critics of Trump is former Vice President Al Gore. During an event in April, Gore didn’t hold back his critiques, and like some others on this list, he compared the Trump administration to Hitler’s regime. He said Trump’s team is “trying to create their own preferred version of reality” to achieve their objectives similar to the Nazi Party. “It was uniquely evil, full stop,” Gore continued. But there are important lessons from the history of that emergent evil.”
Director Marshall Herskovitz
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“We must have what they call a popular uprising,” American director Herskovitz said before adding that in order for this movement to be successful, it would have to be peaceful. “This is not a revolt,” he continued. The producer mapped out his proposed plan. According to him, it would only take 12 to 15 million Americans to protest in the streets “day after day after day,” he said. Step two of the plan includes a “general” strike. “I’m not going to work… My store’s not open; my resturant’s not open. I’m not paying my taxes.” Only then would the country see true change similar to the results of the Arab Spring in 2011– the series of pro-democracy and anti-government uprisings which spread across the Middle East.
Congressman Jerry Nadler
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 18: Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) arrives to view proceedings in immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on June 18, 2025 in New York City. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), NYC Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander and Council Member Alexa Avilés visited immigration courts to watch proceedings a day after NYC Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents while accompanying a person out of a courtroom as people continue to be detained following immigration court hearings. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
N.Y. Rep. Jerry Nadler released a six-page letter to the American people urging them to take action against Trump. “We cannot wait four years to vote Mr. Trump out of office,” he said before adding, “To achieve this, we must keep our eyes on two important goals: depressing Trump’s public support and dividing the Congressional GOP from him and from each other.” Nadler’s plan focuses on holding the administration accountable for unconstitutional acts and “exposing his Republican enablers in Congress.”
Former U.S. AG Eric Holder
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During an interview with MSNBC, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Trump’s current actions are “remarkably similar” to that of Europe in the 1930s– when Hitler rose to power. Because of this, Holder said all Americans need to be on high alert. “There’s a treadmill that we’re potentially getting on here that could result in the erosion of rights for American citizens,” he told the network.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
N.Y. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stands strong as a controversial yet influential Democrat. Like many of her colleagues, she has remained steady in her criticism towards Trump, and during a rally in California, she said the key to defeating him rest in the hands of Americans. “Community is the most powerful building block we have to defeat authoritarianism and root out corruption,” she told the crowd.
NYT Columnist Charles M. Blow
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Charles M. Blow of the New York Times referenced esteemed author Toni Morrison in his advice to fight back. “If you are taking a break from politics right now… good for you. There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he began on TikTok. “You’re actually going to need the energy that you’re storing now for the fight to come in the next four years.” He added, “You can’t always stay in the crisis,” quoting Morrison from a 1977 interview. The writer encouraged Americans to “recenter what you love” in order to “remember why you fight.”
Congresswoman Lois Frankel
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 12: Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL) speaks during a news conference to celebrate the passage of legislation that will place statues of former Supreme Court associate justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’ Connor in the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Democratic leaders were joined by Scott O’ Connor, son of Justice O’ Connor, and Professor Kelsi Corkran, former clerk for Justice Ginsburg. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Fla. Rep. Lois Frankel has an entire page on her website dedicated to ways Americans can help rebel against Trump. “He promised to lower costs, instead, he’s unleashing chaos and cruelty while his rubber-stamp Republicans in Congress are pushing a draconian budget that slashes Medicaid and food assistance—programs millions rely on to get by,” she said. Frankel continued telling folks to call and email their local representatives to voice their complaints, attend town halls and even share their own personal stories.
Greed v. Young Americans
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@geiggfcg on TikTok told younger Americans (ages 45 and younger) to wake up and get to the streets to protest. Why? Because older generations like the baby boomers– including Trump– have ruined the county with their greed, according to the TikToker. “You have been screwed over royally,” he told his followers. From the lack of affordable colleges to the growing cost to buy a home, @geiggfcg said young Americans will deal with the consequences of their parent’s greed. He went on to reference Trump “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which promised to make major cuts to medicaid, add trillions to the national debt and also cut food stamps for millions by 2027.
Local Resistance Movements
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“Donald Trump’s unpopularity is growing, and this era is going to end,” declared @indivisibleguide on TikTok. In order to ensure this happens, the movement is urging folks to get involved in their local communities and to organize. “You should host a community resistance gathering,” the TikToker said.
FEMA Fights Back
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 8: The Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters, in Washington is photographed on October 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. FEMA is running low on personnel, with only 9% of staff available as Hurricane Milton, with 175 mph winds, approaches Tampa, FL; Compared to 25% availability in previous years. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Nearly 200 employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) signed a written letter expressing concerns that Trump’s “unqualified” government appointees could have long-lasting impact on Americans everywhere. NBC reported that 21 of those employees have been put on leave in response.
Peaceful March Against Trump
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ack in April, thousands of Americans across the nation flooded the streets in order to protest against Trump. In this video, a large group of demonstrators are gathered in Milwaukee all against the 47th president.
Army General Mark Milley
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Retired Army Gen. Mark Milley has been an avid critic of the Trump administration for years. In fact, his critiques of Trump even prompted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to pull Milley’s security clearance and protective detail back in January. Still, Milley has remained outspoken about why Americans need to stand strong against Trump. “We don’t take an oath to a tribe… We don’t take an oath to a king or queen or to a tyrant or a dictator,” Milley said. “And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator.”
Journalist Toure
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For journalist Toure, the key to fighting back against Trump and his administration is to hold those doing his bidding accountable. “The pathway out of this is accountability– Not for Trump but for everybody who holds up his order,” he said on TikTok. “‘I was just following orders’ is not sufficient.” Instead, he said the licensed lawyers and licensed pilots who carry out Trumps wishes– such as deporting migrants against court orders and defending the president’s alleged unconstitutional actions in court– need to lose their licenses.
Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 21: California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks on during a bill signing event related to redrawing the state’s congressional maps on August 21, 2025 in Sacramento, California. In a move to counter Texas House Republicans’ plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, California Democrats took up a proposed constitutional amendment to temporarily redraw their own congressional maps, potentially creating five additional U.S. House seats for their party. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
While many Democrats are conflicted about going as low as Trump, who is known for ripping into his enemies with low blows and jabs online– Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom seems to have no mercy. The two men have gone back and forth for years, but ever since Trump returned to the White House, Newsom has been fighting the president’s fire with fire, we previously reported. Most recently, Trump has encouraged red states to rezone their voting districts in order to gain more Republican seats come the 2026 midterms. In direct response to that, Newsom promised to do the same in his state.
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