it's more likely than you think!
- Computer science pioneer Lynn Conway passed away this week at the ripe old age of 86. She overcame a truly ghoulish amount of transphobia and associated mental health struggles to make the modern microchip possible, create one of the Internet's first trans healthcare databases,1 and become a personal archnemesis to Ken Zucker and J. Michael Bailey. She had one hell of a life, and without her none of us would have even heard of a Webbed Site before, so please join me in wishing her spirit well.
- My afternoon meta-analysis of local news reports found anti-LGBTQIA+ threats and vandalism occured in at least 10 U.S. states during the first two weeks of June, with most taking place over the weekends. At least three bomb threats have been reported this month so far, all targeting drag events in public locations.
- Sarah McBride will probably be the first out trans woman in the U.S. House now that her only Democratic opponent has dropped out, so of course I had to ruin her moment by talking about how she's personal friends with Genocide Joseph and hasn't broken with him on Gaza. (It's almost like the neoliberal establishment defangs queer activism by absorbing it. Or something.)
- SPORTS DEPT.: Lia Thomas lost her challenge to World Aquatics' restrictions on trans and intersex swimmers -- not because the policies aren't discriminatory, but because the court found she wasn't currently eligible to compete in any relevant WA events, so she didn't have standing to bring the case. Elsewhere, in Nassau County, NY, Republicans are trying to shove through a ban on trans women in women's sports leagues if they use county property.
- Hunter Schafer is going to star in Blade Runner 2099 with Michelle Yeoh, which frankly sounds like an unbelievable duo and I'm mad it's an Amazon series!
- also last week, I wrote perhaps the only celebrity puff piece I've ever been remotely proud of, this jokey lil blog about how Renee Rapp "broke" Them's interview game. I really enjoyed my editor Samantha Allen's feature interview with her for the site's annual NOW Awards series, which it would also be very chill of you to check out (featuring interviews with Mauree Turner, Jinkx Monsoon, and more, plus a tribute to Cecilia Gentili).
Thank you once again for reading tgirl journalism!
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hat tip to trans historian Morgan M. Page for pointing this out on Twitter, which I did not know until after my own article went up!
