feature image is Elena Delle Donne by Lorie Shaull (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hi, Straddlers, it’s me again… excited for another opportunity to share some of the latest news with you today.
Queer as in F*ck You
+ This is just heartbreaking: 40 percent of LGBTQ youth ‘seriously considered’ suicide in past year, survey finds
+ More on the Tahini-funded hotline that’s causing a stir in Israel: The Tahini War: The Food at the Center of an Arab Gay Rights Battle
+ This local publishing company is becoming an outlet for LGBTQ voices
+ Change is Brewing: new collective brings queer and BIPOC presence to the brewing industry
+ Wolfgang Tillmans Is Holding an Artist Poster Sale to Support Queer Nightlife in NYC
+ Russia Fines LGBT Аctivist for ‘Gay Propaganda’ Drawings
+ How the Thumb Ring Became So Gay
Saw This, Thought of You
+ Joanna Cole, Author of ‘The Magic School Bus’ Book Series, Dies at 75
Related: The Magic School Bus’ Ms. Frizzle Is A Queer Legacy
+ Are you and your BFF reading Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close together? Maybe you should: When Everything’s on Instagram, What Is True Intimacy Among Friends?
Related: ‘We went to therapy to save our friendship’
+ This article got me *SEETHING* mad: A Teenager Didn’t Do Her Online Schoolwork. So a Judge Sent Her to Juvenile Detention.
Saw This, Thought of You: Remembering Naya Rivera
+ This, from the other half of the Brittana ship, Heather Morris:
+ Other touching remembrances from her GLEE castmates: Alex Newell, Amber Riley, Chord Overstreet, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Dianna Agron, Dot Marie Joes, Grant Gustin, Harry Shrum, Jr., Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Melissa Benoist and, on behalf of her son, Cory Monteith’s mother
Also, a touching remembrance from Naya’s childhood sweetheart, Tahj Mowry.
+ From Vapid Fluff connoisseur, Christina Tucker: Naya Rivera as “Glee’s” Santana Lopez Was Crucial for Queer Women of Color
+ From Dorothy Snarker: How Naya Rivera Became an Icon for the LGBTQ Community
+ From Becca Damante: Naya Rivera’s Profound Queer Legacy
+ From Sa’iyda Shabazz: Naya Rivera’s Character Santana Was A Role Model For Black And Latinx Queer Girls And Women
+ From Mey Rude: Being A Closeted Queer Latinx Woman Was Lonely. Then Santana On “Glee” Opened The Door.
Saw This, Thought of You: Sportsball Edition
+ This, from Lindsay Gibbs, is spot on: None of this is okay
+ As I shared on Tuesday, the WNBA’s medication panel denied a health exemption for Elena Delle Donne, the league’s reigning MVP, despite her decade-long battle with Lyme disease. Yesterday, Delle Donne spoke out about the decision: An Open Letter About My Health.
Related: Mystics to pay Elena Delle Donne’s salary, but agent says concerns remain
+ Meanwhile in the #Wubble, players are chronicling their experience with hilarious results: WNBA bubble life: Players chronicle time at IMG Academy complex on social media
+ Candace Parker, and daughter Lailaa, are more than ready for WNBA season
+ The NWSL returns to action tomorrow for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup:
The stage is set.
Who's taking home the 🏆?#NWSLChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/VPn1fLfPBN
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 14, 2020
+ This was a great conversation: Crystal Dunn and Brianna Pinto talk about being Black soccer players
+ Something to like about every team at the NWSL Challenge Cup so far
+ The Houston Dash Have Something To Prove
+ This is so supremely fucked up: ESPN Creep Used ‘The Jump’ Video Feed To Secretly Record Rachel Nichols in Her Hotel Room — Video Got Sent to Us
Political Snacks
+ The Human Rights Campaign has taken a lot of well-deserved flack for their backing of Susan Collins over the years — in an attempt to appear nonpartisan and curry favor with Republicans — and, finally, they have had enough: Major LGBTQ rights group breaks with Sen. Susan Collins, endorses Democratic opponent Sara Gideon
+ They lie about everything else: White House claims Trump is pro-LGBTQ, but his policies say otherwise
+ Trump Replaces Brad Parscale as Campaign Manager, Elevating Bill Stepien
+ Mary Trump Describes Abusive Trump Family Home, Says She Will Vote For Biden
