Show Notes
00:00 – Welcome & Intro
00:26 – The Qube sponsored Ad
01:05 – Intro Music
01:45 – The jury handed down a guilty verdict in the Jussie Smollett trial after one day of deliberations
02:38 – RuPaul’s Drag Race enters its 14th season with two trans competitors & a cis straight queen
03:04 – The Rainbow Sheep project is sending our Trans siblings ornaments personalized with their chosen names
04:16 – Anna’s Got a Word
The jury handed down a guilty verdict in the Jussie Smollett trial after one day of deliberations. RuPaul’s Drag Race enters its 14th season with two trans competitors & a cis straight queen. The Rainbow Sheep project is sending our Trans siblings ornaments personalized with their chosen names.
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Transcript
Our leading story for today is of course the Jussie Smollett verdict. Smollett arrived at the courthouse arm in arm with his family as he has throughout the trial. Their support has been unwavering and honestly that is extremely rare to see that in Hollywood. Well, Smollett was been found guilty on 5 of the 6 counts of disorderly conduct for staging his own racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019. The sixth count, referenced Smollett changing his statement given to police from a “white attacker” to “pale-skinned attacker.” I guess the jury didn’t care much about that count. He faces up to three years in jail but it’s likely he will receive probation. He doesn’t have a previous record and no one else was physically harmed. I am reporting the facts here but plan on providing an opinion piece over the weekend. I have a lot to say about this case that goes far beyond the facts.
In other news, RuPaul’s drag race continues to evolve. In it’s 14th season and the show will be hosting two trans competitors and a cis straight queen for the first time. Yes a cis straight queen. I didn’t even know cis straight men did drag. Is this a real thing? Well I guess we are all going to find out in this upcoming season. The first episode is set to air next month.
Family, it is Friday and the holiday season is upon us so let’s end our Queer news stories for the week on a really high note. One of the best new holiday traditions I’ve seen is by Rainbow Sheep and the initiative is called The Rainbow Sheep Ornament Project. The project sends free personalized Christmas tree ornaments to trans people who have changed their names. The ornaments help them start rebuilding sentimental mementos that don’t reference their dead names. Sarah, the founder, said “Last year we ended up sending 132 ornaments to Trans people in 9 different countries [and 36 states]…We had requests for people to add pronouns, partners, coming out dates, and even requests to commemorate dates they began hormone therapy.” Sarah wants to ship ornaments out to all 50 states this year family. I think folks are always looking for ways to support our Trans siblings and I think this is a beautiful way to do it. Rainbow Sheep is covering the cost of this project along with the help of generous donors. For just $5 you can cover the cost of shipping an ornament out to someone. Submissions for ornaments end on December 15th so get your orders & donations in.
Now it’s time for our word of the day. Today’s word says, “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” I love this quote because it reminds me that all we need to do is make one good decision at a time. One small step forward each day. All we need is that little bitty mustard seed of faith. We all manage and hold a lot each day and it gets challenging. Remember you don’t have to save the world in one day. You are a superhero every single day. Never forget that. Till Monday family, peace.
Sources
LGBTQ Nation
Trans people who changed their name can get a free holiday ornament to help start new traditions
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/12/trans-people-changed-name-can-get-free-holiday-ornament-help-start-new-traditions/
Last year was so successful that we're back for year 2! The Rainbow Sheep Ornament Project sends free personalized holiday ornaments to Transgender people who have changed their name. Here is more info on the initiative: https://t.co/LLbZEQ15uY pic.twitter.com/EjikXcEcYe
— Sarah Kogod (@SarahKogod) November 15, 2021