Sunday Funday is a Badass Queer Activist

Happy Sunday Funday, kittens! It’s been a hectic weekend, I know: a lot of feelings about family, bargain hunting, and potentially also struggles to successfully repackage turkey over and over again into different meals. So let’s sit back, relax, and soak up some good gay news!

Badass Activist Corner

+ The Toronto Star asked LGBT activist Mariela Castro Espin – a member of Cuban Parliament and daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro – five questions.

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+ On Monday, the White House honored nine LGBT artists as “Champions of Change,” which I’m down with because I dunno if I ever told you but I went to art school. Honorees included Fiona Dawson, who created TransMilitary in order to shed light on the experiences of trans folks in the military; Jess Dugan, a photographer whose work deals with sexuality; Joanna Hoffman, legendary slam poet; Pidgeon Pagonis, an interest activist who does person-to-person work around the world; and L.J. Roberts, a visual artist who creates pieces dealing with LGBT politics and activism.

+ A lesbian student in China is taking the government to court for describing homosexuality as a “psychological disorder” in textbooks.

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Let’s All Drink a Coors Now

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has recognized MillerCoors as Corporation of the Year because of its “dedication to workplace diversity, equitable customer and community engagement and inclusive initiatives for LGBT suppliers, customers and employers.” I have previously recognized MillerCoors as Corporation of the Year in my heart space for brewing Coors Banquet and then selling it in those precious cans.

This Meerkat is Very Tired

Thanks to Jezebel, I’ve found another one of my soul twins.

Getting Closer to Queer Parenthood

+ An Arkansas judge ruled in favor of three same-sex couples who were seeking to have both of their names listed on their children’s birth certificates. Right now, the ruling only applies to them – but soon it may ring statewide. “He made it pretty clear where he’s going,” attorney Cheryl Maples told Reuters. “It’s another step forward for gay couples, and I’m sure the next step is right around the corner.”

+ A historic ruling in Israel will allow two interfaith lesbians to be recognized as the mothers of each other’s kids.

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Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

9 Comments

  1. Also, in Vancouver, I just saw the following program at my local community centre:

    Femme City Choir
    Femme City Choir is an all-genders, queer and trans* centred femme-fabulous singing extravaganza! We practice weekly on unceded Coast Salish Territories, celebrating and elevating self-identified femme-ness in every form through song and creative community.

    <3<3<3

  3. It’s a bit jarring to see Mariela Castro praised as such a great ally yet again… You do know that all LGBT orgs or initiatives no led by her are illegal in Cuba? While things are not as bad as they were in the 70s, since people are no longer being sent to labour camps, police continue to harass patrons at LGBT venues pretty frequently. Also LGBT people have tried repeatedly to organize Pride events in Cuba but the govt doesn’t allow them – probably because Pride is about LGBT people and their struggles, not about Mariela and the wonderful enlightened benevolence of the Castro family.

    There’s a big disconnect between the image foreigners have of Mariela and the lives of ordinary Cuban LGBT people, many of whom feel like they’re just being used to make the Castros and Cuba look better in the eyes of potential tourists while the govt does little to fight homophobia and transphobia.

    • Thank you for this comment and sharing your knowledge and experience. I am not Cuban and have only lived in Cuba for a short while but even so, the tone of the article was – astoundingly familiar. Some context information would have been desperately needed.

  4. Coors Beer has a longtime involvement with far right wing politics. Its current Chairman of the Board, Pete Coors, previously ran for the Senate as an extremely conservative candidate and only recently, pulled out from involvement with Legatus, a conservative, highly homophobic Catholic organization. http://www.hrc.org/press/hrc-confirms-millercoors-chairman-will-withdraw-from-anti-lgbt-event. That the HRC gave Coors a 100 rating just shows how thoroughly ‘effed up that organization is and how connected they are to businesses which supply key gay owned businesses (like bars). That anyone would consider them to be a standout company for LGBTQ equality is seriously messed up.

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