Some People Are Trans, Get Over It! And Lots of Inspiring Pride Stories.
Prism & Pen Weekly Digest, 15 June 2025
by
It’s the middle of Pride Month and we have awesome queer history for you, plus inspiring reports and photos from Pride, infuriating political stories, sweet love stories, queer parenting stories, moving poetry, and a joyful dose of real transgender lives to counter hateful narratives.
Oh, and fiction!? Mary Louise, you’d better scroll down, because fiction is The Bomb this week in Prism & Pen!
Ready? Let’s go! 👇
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* P&P Highlights *
UK Equality Regulator Claims Transgender Rights Never Existed
“The past was alterable. The past never had been altered.” — George Orwell, 1984
They’re not just downplaying the removal of transgender people’s rights; they’re rewriting history.
Speaking a few days ago at a debate held by the London School of Economics (LSE), Akua Reindorf said that trans people “have been lied to over many years about what their rights are.” …
Commissioner Reindorf also said that “there has to be a period of correction” in which transgender people accept this loss of rights — rights which the EHRC now claim didn’t exist at all, despite the EHRC saying they did exist for nearly fifteen years in their statutory legal guidance.
Struggling To Make Up My Mind on the Over-Commercialization of Pride
The hypocrisy of these companies is also very apparent when June ends, they change back to their original logos on social media and you never hear about them for the rest of the year.
This phenomenon, known as rainbow-washing, is the real underlying problem of the “over-commercialization” of Pride. It dilutes the meaning of Pride marches, that were once protests and now feel like full blown sponsored events, devoid of any meaning.
However, I have to admit that I see the good that this type of endorsement has done.
To give a more personal example: I work for one of the many international companies that have been participating in Pride parades …
What They Don’t Tell You About Queer Poly Love and Booty Shorts
Some days, the hardest part of polyamory isn’t jealousy. It’s standing in front of a mirror.
Sweet fancy Moses, those shorts are FAR too short for you and the shirt? Who are you fooling? Sleeveless at 42? You have the body of John Candy, not Chris Hemsworth. On your body, those are big bitch-tits, not pecs.
The voice of the body dysmorphia fires up and launches attacks like this regardless of my having three loving boyfriends.
Sam loves this body. Graham uses it like a 6’2” weighted blanket. River is the bear’s bear — yet they chose me. And I know all of that… academically. But the voice in my head? It’s louder than all three of theirs combined.
Britain’s ‘Correction’ Moment: This Is How LGBTQ+ Erasure Begins
Following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that “woman” in the Equality Act refers only to “biological women,” I expected setbacks for trans people in the UK. But what I read this morning went far beyond legal interpretation — it was chilling in its casual cruelty. It framed the restriction of an already marginalized group’s rights as something normal, even necessary, in a so-called “first-world”, formerly EU, Western democracy.
No transgender people were invited to the debate when that ruling was made…
Stormé DeLarverie — All Hail the (Drag) King
A biracial butch lesbian. A drag king before we had a word for it. A male impersonator whose androgyny turned heads and shifted paradigms. A self-appointed guardian of gay bars, gender-nonconforming street kids, and anyone too vulnerable to fight back.
Stormé didn’t just witness history — she may very well have lit the match that made it explode. Was quite possibly the spark that made the whole thing go boom….
But like so many queer pioneers who resist easy labels or corporate packaging, her legacy has been flattened. Trimmed. Forgotten by most.
Will America Ever Elect a Queer President? Strong evidence suggests we already have.
A superb documentary film, Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln, makes a strong case that America actually reached that milestone 175 years ago, that, on the precipice of civil war, American voters put a queer president in the White House…
There is no way of proving beyond a doubt that Abraham Lincoln was what we now call “queer” — sexual orientation was not recognized as an “identity” until the latter part of the 19th Century.
However, if conclusions drawn by a number of top presidential scholars are correct …
The Cost of the Magic Button: Waking Up a Woman
Before puberty, mum was frequently asked if my closest sister and I were twins. It seems to be finally true — in the mirror, my reflection is somewhere between my male self and hers, our appearances mixed in a blender with estrogen, over ice.
My mouth opens naturally as the mind processes the unimaginable information from the eyes. I wished upon a star and became a “real girl” — I can no longer see where the male marionette strings once were.
Dating as a Queer South Asian Girl No One Asked Questions, Until They Did
When I think back to my first experience of dating, it doesn’t look like what most people imagine. There were no strict parents monitoring my texts. No dramatic sneaking around.
It was… oddly simple. Because I wasn’t bringing home a boy.
In my South Asian home, girls hanging out with girls was harmless. Innocent. Sleepovers were normal. Hours on the phone didn’t raise suspicions. I didn’t have to lie about where I was.
Sorry, MAGA. You Can’t Erase Harvey Milk.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to rechristen the ship named after LGBTQ+ rights activist Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay men elected to public office.
When pressed for explanation, Hegseth, a former Fox News host (so much for merit-driven hiring), claimed he was trying to re-establish the “warrior culture.”
Did you catch that? The heavily hairsprayed guy from Fox thinks Harvey Milk, a Navy veteran and gay rights activist icon, doesn’t count as a warrior, presumably because of who he loved.
The Bottom Is Falling Out of Corporate Queer Individualism
Have you noticed the sudden shift neoliberal corporatists have made as they attempt to adjust to Trump’s more isolationist rhetoric? Where once there was widespread talk of diversity and inclusion in their workplaces, we are now seeing many companies retreat from it, in favor of greater conservatism.
We are potentially living through the collapse of corporate, queer individualism (i.e. queer employees receiving some form of acceptance by being useful workers). There was a class of queer workers who thought they could recieve acceptance and safety by being good capitalists…
A Gay Hero Saved the U.S. Capitol and Changed the Course of History
I knew the Flight 93 story, sure. Most Americans do: the group of passengers who refused to let their hijackers succeed — who forced the plane down in a Pennsylvania field, trading their lives to spare the U.S. Capitol.
What I didn’t know, or hadn’t fully absorbed, was that one of those heroes was a gay man.
His name was Mark. And while the official story praises the bravery of the passengers, I can’t help but notice how often Mark’s full identity is politely omitted.
* Best of Pride 2025 *
Firsthand Report and Photos from Sonoma County CA Pride Parade 2025
The Sonoma County CA Pride parade and festival at the Santa Rosa town square gets bigger every year. This year we celebrated 40 years of Pride, Power and Progress.
A highlight for me is always the North Bay LGBTQIA+ Timeline, constructed by a small group of history queers. This year it focused on the transformative decades of 1970–1990. Some of the highlights …
I Marched In a Pride Parade: I Needed This
I came back to life today when I marched in a Pride Parade in my blood red MAGA town. I remembered what I had forgotten: Love always wins. If, that is, you understand what “winning” means, and it ain’t a game, points on a scoreboard, a boxing match, or an election. It is being a human being at peace in your heart, instead of being the walking dead (not the TV show; you know what I mean).
No, I have not been resurrected as Pollyanna. No, I’m not going to tell you everything is going to be fine for us LGBTQ folk. I’m not stupid. I’m just not dead anymore. I got my mojo back, and nobody is going to rain on my parade.
I Found My Queer Self at Pride
Who would ever imagine that “Taco Tuesday” was destined to change my life forever?
It was close to 2010, and I was newly divorced. I felt as if I had lost everything, both financially and emotionally. But I had gained one important thing: freedom. And the opportunity to rebuild my life in a new way.
One night in June, as I sat at home alone and miserable, an advertisement for “Taco Tuesday” caught my eye. There was a lesbian meetup event being held in an area of downtown Portland …
* This Week’s Essays & Creative Non Fiction *
Painting My Toes, Watching RuPaul at the Gay Bar, I Get a Nagging Feeling
My husband and I don’t really go out to clubs that much. We have probably been out to a gay bar less than a dozen times. Being in recovery is part of the reason, and also being one who goes to bed early means not staying out late.
This changed when politicians started attacking drag queens…
Also, for the first time in my 59 years, I decided to have my toenails painted. Of course, the color I chose was pink. I know this has nothing to do with me being a gay man (well, maybe a little!), and it gives me another chance to express being different. I now go out of my way to wear sandals rather than shoes so the whole world can see my nails.
Witty, Witty Dick Hard: The Formula That Explains Gay Culture
I am going to do something a little extreme and reveal how the sausage is made for gay men.
In fact, I have already started. At the risk of being obvious, the statement above is a charged double entendre. It is both explaining that I am going to be deconstructing the culture of gay men for an article, but also alluding to sex.
This is the building block for gay American culture (it might be for much more, but my experience is limited to that). If you have hung around a lot of gay men (see I’m still doing it), you will instantly recognize this bit.
UK Gay Adoption Journey: What Stage One Looks Like
It only took a few days to meet with our social worker after we formally started Stage One. She popped around to our house, and since she turned down a cup of tea on her first visit (I know, a Brit turning down a cup of tea!) for the Initial Meeting, my husband had bought some squash. We offered her a drink and had a splendid time chatting.
In Stage One, the adoption agency is working hard to complete background checks based on the Registration of Interest form. They are contacting references and former employers. Whilst they do that, they asked us to do some ‘homework’. The list was quite comprehensive…
The Annihilation of Transphobia
The only reason why reactionaries are going after trans people is because they are the new (more) socially acceptable target. None of the arguments they make, such as those about their anti-trans politics being born out of a concern for women are true, as has been explained.
Reactionaries target trans people because they see them as a threat to the status quo and they are ultimately afraid. Any justifications they give such as standing up for women or science are just rationalisations that are made after the fact.
Coming Out Young Is a Privilege, Not a Badge
There’s a story I hear in LGBTQ+ spaces: that coming out young is brave. That the earlier you do it, the more self-aware you must be.
I want to gently challenge that assumption. Not to dismiss the real courage it can take, but to make space for the many valid, complex, and deeply personal timelines that queer people live by.
The truth is that access and support — not just courage — play a quiet but powerful role in when or whether we come out.
The Best Trans Films Don’t Pretend We’re Perfect — They Just See Us
There’s a scene in TransAmerica that still makes me cry.
It’s not the quirky road trip, not the family dysfunction, not even the reveal. It’s near the end — after Bree has returned from her surgery. She’s sitting in her therapist’s office, quiet. Her face is tense. Her shoulders are trying to stay proud.
Her therapist looks at her gently and says, You don’t look happy.
The Evolution of My Sexuality: A Trans Woman’s Story
Is sexual preference something we’re born with, or something we’re conditioned into? Many people believe it’s something we’re born with. Years ago, I would have agreed. But for me, the answer isn’t so black and white anymore.
Continuing my exploration of inner transition — specifically my inner transition as a trans woman — I want to share some thoughts on sexual preference.
Before I began my transition, I identified as 100% heterosexual — or so I thought…
What Identifying as Queer Doesn’t Have To Mean
I was finding myself feeling more disregarded, edged out to the periphery of an industry I’d worked in for 25 years. Every now and then, one of my peers would remark, “Rand, you should go to Nashville. They’d really appreciate you there.”
While I’d come from a folk and country background before veering into rock, I couldn’t shake the high-fallutin’ notions held by lots of west coasters, that Nashville was Hee Haw, hokie, unhip. So, I dragged my feet, leaving such advice unheeded.
Finally, with rock turning its back on me, and knowing I still had something to offer, I started tuning in to country radio.
* Fiction Finds *
When I Met Harry: A Gay Love Story
He walks past the coffee shop while I’m sipping my oat milk hot chocolate. Something about the way he moves so confidently catches my eye. He has a nice bum.
I smile, before thinking to myself, Stop with the naughty thoughts.
I tell myself off for the internalised homophobia. I’ve started noticing it since my therapy started a couple of days ago. My therapist told me to be more self-accepting, so I tell myself it is fine to think such thoughts, and that my guilt is a construct of a heteronormative society.
The Bully, the Blame, and the Body
To this day, I think of myself as having an unusual capacity to kill.
There were only a couple of people around here who didn’t know I killed Cliff Riggs, and they’ve never spoken to me over the years, only to the media.
Leslie Sachs instigated it, though I wasted no time at all in picking it up from there. Whenever I think of her now, it’s the same as it is with Cliff. She’s still that loud-mouthed kid just like Cliff is still that unyielding bully who ruined my childhood.
Only Leslie isn’t really that kid anymore, since it’s been twenty years, and Cliff, as everyone knows, is only that kid because he had no choice but to never age, change, anything.
“We all know you killed him,” Leslie said from two tables away in the high school cafeteria.
* Fiction Series *
Her Lady, Her Princess
Welcome back to the Hers Trilogy! If you’ve been following Prism & Pen for long, you probably remember book one, Her Witch, Her Demon: A Lesbian Paranormal Romance. Well, our demonic witchy pair are back, and they seem to be in as much desperate trouble as in passionate love. Watch for new chapters every Monday and Wednesday. From last Monday’s intro:
All Onyx wanted was to lie low and not bother anyone. And yet, the Lowdren Powers of the Demon Circle in her city dared to cross her. They conspired with Crescentra, an extremist group of witches, to attack Onyx and her girlfriend. In her rage, not only did she destroy Crescentra, but she also wiped out the Lowdren Powers. This show of force cemented Onyx’s status as the most powerful demon in Green Front…
But the Highdren Powers would not let this stand, Onyx knew.
Read Episode 1: The haunted
Read Episode 2: The lovebirds
* Poetry Picks *
The Place That Calls Me Home — a poem
How can you return to a place you’ve never been?
How do you remember a place you’ve never seen?The geese in fleeing winter snows remember whence they came,
And spring-ward, their returning joy brings hope and life again;
I’ll Myself Disgrace — a poem of sin & shame
I make no defense for who I am,
Though I am offense
To your tradition,
Transgression to your dogma;
For, when I love,
I do it wrong.
I am the foe
In your war song…
Under A Different Moon
Under a full moon where two fates did mix,
Veiled promises unspoken that were betwixt.
And in that single pause between the beats,
Silent gazes complicate what once was neat.When light has faded and the night has grown…
A Round Peg in a Square Hole
surrounded on all sides but wait!
I am a circle with no sides
continuous.
the square peg has its boundaries.
straight lines on every side.
I will not stop
I am not linear …
That’s it for this week. Writers, our Pride Prompt is up and running! What do you have to say to the world about Pride?
Courage to all of you! Keep resisting, reading, shining your love, and sending your stories to Prism & Pen.
We need you all!
