Another Black trans woman murdered in Atlanta, The House passes a federal trans sports ban, Rep. Zooey Zephyr is being silenced, The Read’s 10yr anniversary tour is canceled and Billy Porter is set to play James Baldwin – Monday, April 24, 2023

Now for the news. The community is grieving again, this time for Rasheeda Williams, a Black trans woman murdered in Atlanta. In politics, the U.S. House passed a federal transgender sports ban. Lucky for us President Biden will never sign it and an out trans legislator in Montana has been silenced. In entertainment and culture, Billy Porter is set to play James Baldwin and The Read’s 10 year anniversary tour has been canceled. Let’s go.

00:00 – Welcome & Intro

1:23 – Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? Trailer

1:53 – Today’s Top Stories

2:30 – Intro Music by Aina Bre’Yon

3:13 – Rasheeda Wiliams, we speak your name

7:01 – U.S. House passed a federal transgender sports ban

8:55 – Out trans legislator in Montana has been silenced

10:52 – Lost & Found for Podcasters Trailer

11:31 – Queer News Ad Spot 

12:08 – The Read’s 10 year anniversary tour has been canceled

13:38 – Billy Porter is set to play James Baldwin

15:13 – Anna’s Word

16:42 – Outro 

Things for you to check out

D. Smith on the passing of Koko Da Doll

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A post shared by D. SMITH (@truedsmith)

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The Read Cancels Tour

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— The Read (@ThisIsTheRead) April 21, 2023

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The Queer News podcast with Anna DeShawn continues to report on the latest queer news stories in politics, culture, and beyond. This week’s episode begins on a sad note as the queer community mourns the loss of another Black trans woman, Rasheeda Williams, who was known as Koko Da Doll. Koko was a rising star in the entertainment industry and was featured in the hit Sundance Film Festival documentary “Kokomo City.” Her death highlights the epidemic-level violence faced by Black and brown transgender women in America.

In political news, the House Republicans passed a bill that would ban trans students from participating in school sports. This divisive move threatens funding to school districts that do not keep trans students off certain teams. However, LGBTQ+ advocates and 40 professional athletes, including Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, Chris Mosier, and CeCe Telfer, have criticized the bill. President Biden has signed an executive order supporting transgender athletes and has vowed to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.

In Montana, the only transgender member of the state house, Rep. Zooey Zephyr, has been silenced by the Republican speaker of the house, Matt Regier. Zooey was not acknowledged when she wanted to speak on any issue, simply for stating her identity. Montana Republicans demanded an apology, but Zooey refused and has remained resolute in standing up for the rights of the trans community. The Montana American Indian Caucus has spoken out in support of Zooey, stating that the trans community has been ignored by lawmakers in the state.

The podcast also reported on the cancelation of The Read’s 10 year anniversary tour and Billy Porter’s upcoming role as James Baldwin. However, it is the tragic loss of another Black trans woman that stands out in this week’s queer news. The violence and discrimination faced by the Black and brown transgender community must be addressed and eradicated.

To support this work join the monthly membership program supporting the Queer News podcast. It is more important than ever. By joining the QCrew, listeners can help bring more stories celebrating the LGBTQ+ community to light.

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Transcript

Family, it’s your favorite queer radio personality Anna DeShawn with our queer news for today. Now, I want to make you a promise. We will continue to bring you the latest in queer news, culture, and politics every Monday by 7am CT. 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. Click the link in the show notes to join the QCrew today. 

Now for the news. The community is grieving again, this time for Rasheeda Wiliams, a Black trans woman murdered in Atlanta. In politics, the U.S. House passed a federal transgender sports ban. Lucky for us President Biden will never sign it and an out trans legislator in Montana has been silenced. In entertainment and culture, Billy Porter is set to play James Baldwin and The Read’s 10 year anniversary tour has been canceled. Let’s go. 

Family, last week I reported on the murder of Ashley Burton. A Black trans woman who was killed in Atlanta and found outside her apartment complex. Now this week, I must report on another Black trans woman who was murdered in Atlanta, Rasheeda Williams who the world knew as Koko Da Doll. Koko was a rising star in the entertainment industry who is featured in the hit 2023 Sundance Film Festival documentary “Kokomo City.” Kokomo City did so well Lena Waithe’s company picked it up for distribution. Her death has left the community grieving again. 

The Atlanta Police Department confirmed that her death was one of three violent crimes involving transgender women this year, highlighting the epidemic-level violence that black and brown transgender women face in America. Koko was a strong advocate for the trans community and reminded us that Black trans women can do anything and be whatever they want to be. 

The creator and director D. Smith said in an Instagram post, “I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women. I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again. “

Her co-star in the film supermodel Dominique Silver did an interview with 11Alive the NBC affiliate in Atlanta and had this to say. Take a listen. [insert Dominique Silver clip] “She was a beautiful soul, very caring, very giving, very warm, and she was living her truth. And she’s a beautiful light and a like a big part of my heart, not the way that I wanted my sister to leave this world. And she had a lot of goals and hopes and she was just a very positive, sweet person that was stuck in the struggles of being a black trans woman in America .”

Anyone with information on any of the three active cases in Atlanta are asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org or via telephone at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers tipsters do not have to give their name or any other identifying information in order to be eligible to receive a reward of up to $2,000 for the arrest or indictment of the suspect or suspects in the case. 

Now in political news, In a divisive move, which the Republicans are really great at, The House Republicans have passed a bill 219-203 that would ban trans students from participating in school sports. They call the bill the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023” and this bill looks to amend Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, to define sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” If this bill was to pass the senate and be signed by the President, which for the record it won’t but if it did, the bill would threaten funding to school districts that do not keep trans students off certain teams, but does not provide guidance on how to determine a student-athlete’s “reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” LGBTQ+ advocates have criticized the bill, while 40 professional athletes wrote a letter to Congress asking them to reject it. Athletes such as, Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, Chris Mosier, and CeCe Telfer. Let us not forget that President Biden signed an executive order in 2021 supporting transgender athletes, and has vowed to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.

In more politics news Montana has silenced the only transgender member of the state house. The Republican speaker of the house, Matt Regier has decided not to acknowledge Zooey at all when she wants to speak on any issue for saying this. Take a listen. [insert Zooey clip] Yea that’s all she said and now her voice has been muted. 

In response, Zooey has remained resolute in standing up for the rights of the trans community. Montana Republicans demanded an apology, but Zooey refused, stating that no amount of silencing tactics would deter her from speaking up for the community. The Montana American Indian Caucus has spoken out in support of Zephyr, saying that the trans community has been ignored by lawmakers in the state. Zooey, please know that the Queer News fam has your back. If any Queer News listeners are in Montana call the state house and tell them you stand with Zooey. They need to know you care and that you won’t be silent. 

Let’s take a quick break and hear from a couple of our sponsors. We’ll be right back. 

Alright family, let’s move on to entertainment and culture news. Many podcast fans were surprised by the twitter post by Kid Fury, co-host of The Read, when he announced they would be canceling their 10th anniversary tour. The Read has become an institution and for so many it was the first Black queer pod they really got into. Now what I think has been a universal reaction outside of sadness is love for Kid Fury. In the announcement he talks about him struggling with his mental health and needing to check himself into a facility that will give him the help he needs. If you want to read the whole statement there is a link in the show notes. I will say that  I appreciate his honesty because that is not easy at all. This is just another reminder that you must take care of yourself. It’s a mandatory activity. If you have purchased tickets your refunds for the tour will be available at your point of purchase. 

And for our last story today Billy Porter is getting the twitter children right on together. So let me tell y’all what happened. The announcement hit the social media streets that Billy was cast to play James Baldwin in an upcoming biopic. Well you know how Twitter does the people had an opinion and were questioning where Billy was the right person to play the role. Well Billy appeared on the “Tamron Hall Show,” saying, “I am 53 years old and I’ve dedicated my life to my art and craft. Question me at your own peril.” The biopic, which is still in its early stages, will be based on the 1994 book “James Baldwin: A Biography” by David Leeming. Billy went on to say “People have been doubting me my whole life…This ain’t nothing new. It’s OK.” 

Now, let us close out with a word from a song that I learned while attending the most affirming and inclusive church of all time. The church is called Broadway United Methodist and they have a long history of being a place of refuge for the LGBTQ community. Well there is a song by Mark Miller called “Draw the Circle Wide” that really hits at the heart of the work. That we must draw the circle wider and include those on the fringes. Here are a few lines,

Draw the circle wide.

Draw it wider still,

Let this be our song

No one stands alone!

Standing side by side,

Draw the circle,

Draw the circle wide.

Till next week family, peace. 

Sources

Koko Da Doll, Transgender Sundance Film Festival Star, Found Dead At Age 35

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/koko-da-doll-dead-sundance-rasheeda-williams_n_6442588de4b03c1b88c65f50

Trans woman Rasheeda Williams – Koko Da Doll – shot and killed in southwest Atlanta

https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/trans-woman-rasheeda-williams-koko-da-doll-shot-and-killed-in-southwest-atlanta/

Co-star of transgender documentary, friend of ‘Koko Da Doll’ speaks out after her shooting death

House passes federal transgender sports ban

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/04/house-passes-federal-transgender-sports-ban/

Montana GOP bans the only transgender house member from speaking for the rest of the session

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/04/montana-gop-bans-the-only-transgender-house-member-from-speaking-for-the-rest-of-the-session/

Billy Porter defends James Baldwin biopic gig: ‘Question me at your own peril’

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-04-21/billy-porter-james-baldwin-biopic-haters-question-me-own-peril