Also.Also.Also: How the Thumb Ring Became Gay Culture

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:

View this post on Instagram

We started out as the closest friends and then like all new things, we went through a bit of a rocky phase. However, we stuck by each other’s side and created the most beautiful friendship built out of love and understanding. The last I had the chance to see you in person, I had left oranges outside our home for you to take. I wanted to say hi through the window but my phone didn’t ring when you called (which it never does, f*cking T-Mobile), so instead you and Josey left two succulents on our doorstep as a thank you. I planted those succulents and I look at them everyday and think of you. I still listen to your EP on repeat because from the moment I heard it, it struck me and I always wished the world knew more of your voice. You sent me over 5 dozen SnapChat videos when you and Josey woke up in the morning and I kick myself that I didn’t save one of them. You always shared recipes and I admired your love for food. We vowed to spend every Easter together, even though Covid stole this last one from us. You are and always will be the strongest and most resilient human being I know, and I vowed to carry that with me as I continue to live my life. You constantly taught me lessons about grief, about beauty and poise, about being strong, resilient and about not giving a fuck (but still somehow respectful ). Yet, the utmost important lesson I learned most of all from you was being a consistent and loving friend. You were the first to check in, the first to ask questions, the first to listen..you cherished our friendship and I never took that for granted. We never took photos together because we mutually hated taking pictures…our relationship meant more than proof. I have countless pictures of our babies playing, because we shared that kind of pride and joy. So I’m showing the world a photo of our little goof balls for you, because I know that meant more than anything and they remind me of you and I. I speak to you everyday because I know you’re still with me and even though I’m feeling greedy that we don’t get more time together, I cherish every moment we had and hold it close to my heart.

A post shared by Heather Morris (@heatherrelizabethh) on

+ 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:

+ 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

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!
Related:

Natalie

A black biracial, bisexual girl raised in the South, working hard to restore North Carolina's good name. Lover of sports, politics, good TV and Sonia Sotomayor. You can follow her latest rants on Twitter.

Natalie has written 416 articles for us.

11 Comments

  1. This Elena Delle Donne thing was already making me livid, but after reading her piece in the Players Tribune yesterday, I am just speechless. I really wish the league had decided to suspend this entire season.

    • I agree 100%. As much as I want to see the NBA & WNBA season, I rather see players safe & if that means starting the season next year so be it.

  3. Thanks for the great WNBA content, Crystal Dunn interview, and tidbit about HRC breaking with Susan Collins. Good stuff!

  4. Oh shit, that Heather Morris tribute broke me a bit.

    Also, teens and who not, who might be considering suicide: Don’t do it.
    The world (and we) need (queer) warriors to fight for it.
    The world also desperately needs the broken people, the misfit toys. It really, really does.
    Stay strong,loves. xoxo

    • Agreed re the Heather Morris post. The bit about why they don’t have photos – “our relationship meant more than proof” – eviscerated me.

  5. The New York Times only refers to people as Palestinian if they’re from the champagne region of occupied Palestine. Otherwise, they’re just sparkling Arab Citizens of Israel.

  6. OMG YES re the thumb rings! I’ve been trying to tell people the past couple years that I wear a thumb ring now in an attempt to signal that I’m gay, but haven’t been able to explain why it’s a thing.

  7. Did you write about it? I read on Towleroad that Mary Trump is a lesbian with a (ex)wife and kid. I had no idea.

  8. + 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?

    This link doesn’t work, and I really wanna read this one x

Comments are closed.