Justice for Black transgender woman Pebbles LaDime Doe, Anti-LGBTQ bills aren’t winning, Georgia community stands up to hate & Queer joy at the Grammys – Monday, February 6, 2023

Now for the news. We have a new podcast dropping on Tuesday titled Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? I really need y’all to listen. A Black trans woman who was killed in South Carolina in 2019 is finally getting justice. Also, did you know less than 10% of the anti-LGBTQ bills passed in 2022? Isn’t that amazing news. Let’s talk about it. Also, a Georgia community fights back against the homophobes and the Grammy’s gave us some Queer joy. Let’s go.

00:00 – Welcome & Intro

01:14 – Top Stories This Week 

02:18 – Intro Music by Aina Bre’Yon

02:33 – Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here?

04:12 – Justice for Black transgender woman Pebbles LaDime Doe

04:49 – Georgia community stands up to hate 

06:17 – Anti-LGBTQ bills aren’t winning

07:37 – Queer joy at the Grammys

08:40 – Anna’s Got A Word

10:47 – Trailer for Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? 

15:57 – Outro

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Transcript

Family, it’s your favorite queer radio personality Anna DeShawn with our queer news for today. And how could I welcome all of us back without that Beyonce’ clip from last nights Grammys. It’s so good. Now, I want to make you a promise. We will continue to bring you the latest in queer news, culture, and politics. So, if you are digging our intersectional take on the weekly, consider joining the QCrew.

The QCrew is our monthly membership program we started to help us grow the podcast. You get weekly emails from me, exclusive interviews with LGBTQ influencers from across the country and beginning this year special behind the scenes footage too. With your support, we can bring you more stories celebrating our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. 

Now for the news. We have a new podcast dropping on Tuesday titled Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? I really need y’all to listen. A Black transwoman who was killed in South Carolina in 2019 is finally getting justice. Also, did you know less than 10% of the anti-LGBTQ bills passed in 2022? Isn’t that amazing news. Let’s talk about it. Also, a Georgia community fights back against the homophobes and the Grammy’s gave us some Queer joy. Let’s go.

It is so good to be back back. I really hope you all enjoyed the feed swaps with the Bad Queers podcast and the Grown-Up podcast. I really got a lot of joy joining them for their shows so I’m so glad we could return the favor and swap with them on our feed. If you enjoyed what you heard I encourage you to go and follow those pods. Of course I’ve included direct links in the show notes. 

Now tomorrow is Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I’m clear that many of us don’t know that we still have a crisis on our hands with HIV particularly with Black folks in the South. I know I wasn’t aware until I visited San Francisco for the 35th anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. It was that experience that inspired me to tell the story. This new podcast is a 4-part series and the first episode drops tomorrow. I would love for you to listen. It’s definitely a heavy topic but so worth digging into so we can live in a time with zero new infections. Based upon what I’ve learned, it’s possible. At the end of this episode I’ll play the trailer for you. I hope you stick around to hear it for yourself and that it sparks your interest enough to listen and tell a friend. A new episode will drop every week this month. 

Since this is my first episode back back in 2023 I want to report on only good news and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. 

First, in South Carolina two men are finally being charged with a hate crime and obstruction of justice charges in connection with the murder of Pebbles LaDime Doe, a Black trans woman. She was only 24 when she was killed in 2019 and oftentimes justice takes a long time to roll down but we receive it in this case. I hope it gives her loved ones some peace. 

Next, a beautiful story out of South Georgia in Ben Hill County. Dawn Clements, had been serving as the interim superintendent for the school district for about 8 months. From what I’ve read she’s been doing a great job. Well a homophobic member of the community decided to write a letter to local pastors, great right, where amongst things said Dawn wasn’t qualified because she is “openly gay”. That letter made its rounds and drove Dawn to resign from the board. Good grief. Like what does her sexuality have to do with her service on the school board. Well that’s how most of the community felt as well. The school board had to hold a special meeting on Saturday and do y’all know what happened. They estimate 200-250 people showed up to support Dawn. They showed up to say that they could care less about her sexual orientation. They showed up to say her experience and care for the students is what matters to them. The board took a vote and unanimously voted “no” to accept her resignation. Now does she choose to take it? We don’t know but I do hope that she feels supported and loved during such an awful situation. 

Let’s talk a little about politics now. I’ve reported a lot about the anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans bills that have been making their rounds in the legislatures across the country. It has been a right-wing orchestrated machine of hate but do you want to know the good news? Because that’s what I promised today. The news according to the Human Rights Campaign’s recent report is that despite the 315 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed in 2022, yes I said 315, only 29 of them passed. Only 29. That is less than 10 percent.  Can we say Hallelujah to that? Can we acknowledge how much worse it could have been? Can we say thank you to all the activists, advocates, lobbyists, funders, organizations that make it their life’s work to protect human rights. To protect LGBTQ rights. Thank you. The report also goes on to say that 24 pro-equality bills also became law in 2022. How about that! We know the hate-train isn’t stopping but neither is ours. Their hate will not will not win. Periodt. With a T. 

Our final story for today is all about the Grammys. Beyonce made history for winning the most Grammys ever. Ever. Not Michael Jackson. Not Aretha. Not Whitney. Not Luther. Beyonce, okay. She now has 32 in total. Her speech was beautiful and thanking the queers and let me be specific and say Black Queer folks for creating house music. Loved that. Then of course, we have to acknowledge Sam Smith & Kim Petras for their win for “Unholy”. This win makes Kim the first transgender woman to win a Grammy in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Collaboration. What I thought was so beautiful was the crowd’s reaction and support and love. I could feel it all the way here in Chicago. The Grammys streamed on YouTube in case you missed it. 

For my word today, I want to share a story I heard. Now, this past weekend I had the pleasure of attending my second Equality Illinois gala. Equality Illinois is the state’s largest LGBTQ civil rights advocacy organization and they also know how to throw a great party. It was a sold out event with 1500 people in attendance. You know in this post-COVID world that is a lot to take in but it’s something beautiful when 1500 are cheering in solidarity of fairness and equality. This year’s award recipient was Nadine Smith, the executive director of Equality Florida. Can you imagine what her job is like right now? Ron DeSantis is her governor. That man’s work is fueled by nothing but hate. It’s evil but I digress. Let me focus. In Nadine’s speech she asked us to imagine that the right-wing homophobes are the slingshot. They are trying to pull us back but we are actively resisting because we will not stop fighting. And she went on to say that even when they pull back that slingshot there’s going to be a moment when they lose and that slingshot ends up further ahead than it was when they started pulling it back. Family, I can see the slingshot and it is so exhausting to keep fighting but we can’t quit. We just can’t. We’ve got to much to live for. Hate will not win but we will.  

Now as promised, take a listen to the trailer for Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? And if you enjoy it subscribe to the feed and tune-in this month to the series. Till next week family, peace. 

Sources

2 South Carolina men hit with hate crime and obstruction charges in 2019 murder of transgender woman

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/2-south-carolina-men-hit-hate-crime-obstruction-charges-2019-murder-tr-rcna68827

Community bands together to support outed school administrator

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/02/community-bands-together-to-support-outed-school-administrator/

Ben Hill Co. superintendent controversy draws in hundreds of supporters

https://www.walb.com/2023/01/29/ben-hill-co-superintendent-controversy-draws-hundreds-supporters/

Less than 10% of anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed in 2022 actually passed

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/02/less-than-10-of-anti-lgbtq-bills-proposed-in-2022-actually-passed/