Viva la queer animal resistance

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And now for the news…

Viva la queer animal resistance!

An abandoned baby flamingo was taken under the wing of two male flamingos at a zoo in Bedfordshire, England. After the baby was neglected by its biological parents, zookeepers decided that two male flamingos, Hudson and Blaze, were the best suited for the job as foster parents. According to the zoo’s website, this is because they were “experienced flamingo parents,” who took “excellent care of their shared nest.”

The flamingos are only the latest queer birds taking up the role of parents. Upon googling “queer birds” we learned that over a 130 avian species worldwide have been documented engaging in same-sex sexual behaviors. Furthermore a recent Washington Post article argues that there are now confirmed findings of such behavior in 1,500 animal species and counting.

As more queer animals emerge they present a powerful challenge to those who have pointed to the absence of animal homosexuality as evidence that queerness itself is “unnatural.” You can be sure we will stay on top of queer animal scholarship and report our findings.

Political Beats

• Darren Rosenblum, a nonbinary corporate law professor published an Op-ed in the LA Times showing why the repeal of Roe vs Wade would be unimaginable if instead the Government was targeting men with paternity tests.

• The New York Times reports on the reasons behind Ukraine’s recent decision to pursue marriage equality.

• As Florida faces an existential threat from climate change, DeSantis launched a campaign against… drag brunches. More in Vanity Fair.

• 15 states and the District of Columbia have challenged Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

• Texas church’s rendition of ‘Hamilton’ ends with sermon comparing being gay to drug addiction - the Broadway production may sue.

Becky strikes back.

Following the release of Fletcher’s song (and video) “Becky’s So Hot,” Becky herself – aka Becky Missal – has taken a stand. (If you don’t know what we’re talking about, read our last few digests for the full rundown). On Saturday, Becky announced that she was selling T-shirts to benefit the Trevor Project.

The shirts feature a red car – which resembles the one on the shirt Becky was wearing in the photo that inspired Fletcher to write the song in the first place – and says “BECKY” in big letters across the front. The shirts almost immediately sold out after she posted them. In response, Fletcher reposted Becky’s post to her Instagram story with the caption “iconic.” We think Becky’s won this round.

Lesbians hit it out of the park

We’ve recently received a very casual admission of a certain sapphic couple’s engagement. In a New York Times profile of Abbi Jacobson, the author of the article referred to For All Mankind actor Jodi Balfour as Jacobson's fiancé. The couple also made their red carpet debut at the premiere of the new League of Their Own series, which premieres on Amazon this Friday.

Notably, the queer spotlight is not just on Jacobson. Balfour plays a lesbian astronaut on For All Mankind, and her character just made history during last week’s episode. If you’re not watching the show, you’re missing out.

And lastly, speaking of baseball, check out this lovely piece from Autostraddle’s Drew Gregory, where she interviews her dad about his love of the sport, coaching and being the parent a trans kid. You had us at a baseball bar mitzvah theme Drew.

L Word Gen Q adds to their Roster

We’ve already learned that Kehlani will be joining the cast of The L Word: Generation Q, and the casting news just keeps coming. It’s just been announced that Margaret Cho will guest star as herself, alongside Joey Lauren Adams of Chasing Amy fame and Joanna Cassidy from Blade Runner. The wonderful Jamie Clayton has also been upped to a series regular for Season 3. The new season will premiere on November 18.

Meanwhile, some fans on Twitter were complaining about the lack of closure for Shane and Carmen, and Sarah Shahi decided to chime in. Sarah Shahi responded to one tweet about her potential return by saying “I totally would! I adore Kate and Carmen! They won’t have me. I literally begged at one point lol.”

The working theory on why Carmen isn’t part of the reboot is because Shahi was an Iranian playing a Latina character and the reboot has been an attempt to “right the wrongs” of the original series, but this reasoning isn’t especially satisfying to Carmen’s fans. She’ll be in our dreams tonight.

Artist Spotlight:

Mercy Thokozane Minah (they/he) is a gender-expansive, queer multi-disciplinary artist who lives and works in South Africa. See/support their work here and check out this conversation about their life and work. The following is a quote from the conversation that resonated with us - “I draw people who look like me, who look like people that I’ve loved, who look like people that I’ve fallen out with, had friendships with, have had all kinds of community with. I draw people that I know. I draw my community. That has always been the thing that’s made the most sense to me.”

Dispatches from the little gay people inside the internet:

• From Pink News, here are 6 times Olivia Newton-John was the ultimate gay icon: From Xanadu to defending LGBTQ+ rights

• Britney Griner has been found guilty and sentenced to 9 years in prison. The hope is that now that she has been sentenced, a prisoner exchange might be possible.

• There was a flash mob at Shibden Hall wherein fans danced to protest the cancellation of Gentleman Jack.

• Speaking of cancellations, First Kill was finally canceled, (despite its streaming numbers), and fans are upset. #CancelNetflix is the new hashtag of the moment.

• Lara Croft might be gay in the new Tomb Raider game.

• The first trailer for Do Revenge has dropped.

• Gillian Anderson wants people to send her yonis.

Until next time,