LGBTQ issues consistently made headlines in a presidential election year when people’ top concerns were often immigration and the economy.
Following the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a transgender student from Oklahoma, gay activists worldwide expressed their fury, sparking the start of the year in LGBTQ news. As the Supreme Court seemed to move toward maintaining a Tennessee law that restricts gender-affirming care for kids, it concluded with a similar emphasis on trans youth.
From the ascent of singer Challen Roan and a wider lesbian renaissance in pop music to the historic election of Sarah McBride as the first openly transgender person to Congress, the LGBTQ community had plenty to celebrate this year.
These are the stories that marked significant queer milestones, had the greatest impact, or received the most viral attention.
The death of Nex Benedict
According to friends and relatives, Nex Benedict, a transgender adolescent from Oklahoma who used the pronouns he and they, passed away on February 8, the day after a brawl at Owasso High School.
LGBTQ activists nationwide used Nex’s death—later determined to be a suicide—as a rallying cry, claiming that the teen’s untimely demise was caused by a barrage of laws that targeted the trans community.
Olympic women s boxing controversy
Perhaps surprisingly, the Summer Olympics in Paris brought women’s boxing into the public eye.
Reports that two female boxers, Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei and Imane Khelif of Algeria, had been disqualified from participating against other women in a previous competition sponsored by Russia sparked the unexpected attention. The two women were falsely accused of being transgender, and the constant conjecture about their genders shocked and fascinated people all over the world.
Due to the genders on their passports, the International Olympic Committee vehemently defended them and consistently ruled that they were qualified. Gold medals were later won by both ladies in their respective weight classes.
The rise of Chappell Roan
Perhaps no Sapphic celebrity was more radiant than singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, even in the midst of this year’s surge of lesbian visibility in popular culture. The 26-year-old Missouri native and out lesbian went from being largely unknown to being selected to attend the Grammy Awards next year with Taylor Swift and Beyonc in just one year.
Wearing one of her incredible, drag-inspired costumes, she accepted the MTV Video Music Award for best new artist in September and dedicated her victory to all the gay youngsters in the Midwest who were watching at the time.
She said, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be. I see you, I understand you because I’m one of you.”
Women s college volleyball debacle
A player for the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team was forced into the forefront of the global discussion around the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports a few years after Lia Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming title.
The NCAA was sued by the volleyball player in September for permitting transgender women to play women’s sports.A number of collegiate volleyball teams also forfeited games against the SJSU women’s team during the fall season due to a player’s gender identity. SJSU has not acknowledged that one of their players is transgender, and the player—whom NBC News is not naming—has never made public statements.
Sarah McBride s historic congressional election
Sarah McBride, a state senator from Delaware, became the first openly transgender person elected to Congress in November after winning the state’s sole House seat.
In September, McBride told NBC News that she wants to end the party deadlock and enact significant legislation while she is in Congress. She was drawn into the party battle, though, soon after her election and before she began her time as a lawmaker.
A resolution to ban House members and congressional staff from using single-sex facilities other than those that correspond to their biological sex was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who told reporters that McBride was the direct target of the proposal. Although she would follow the House rules, McBride called Mace’s resolution—which had the backing of House Speaker Mike Johnson—mean-spirited and an attempt to divert attention.
GOP campaign ads target trans Americans
According to statistics provided to NBC News by AdImpact, an analytics company that monitors political ad spending, Republicans spent over $200 million on network television ads focused on transgender issues during this year’s election cycle.
During last month’s NFL and collegiate football games, advertisements regularly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris’ prior support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming care treatments. The tagline for the final advertisements read, “President Trump is for you; Kamala is for they/them.”
Supreme Court weighs transgender care ban
In a case that might determine the future of over 20 state laws limiting transition-related treatment for transgender minors, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this month.
With a conservative majority of 6-3, the court seemed to support a Tennessee statute that prohibits adolescents from receiving transition-related therapies including hormone replacement therapy and puberty blockers. By the end of June, a decision should be made.
Hollywood has its year of queer
The days when Brokeback Mountain’s story of a gay relationship set it apart from other highly regarded movies are long gone. Some of Hollywood’s most highly regarded films this year had LGBT characters and plots, such as Emilia Prez, Challengers, and LGBT.
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