The Daily Sting, Monday: Trans Erasure by Trump, Cate Blanchett Defends ‘Gayface’
Happy Monday to all! Now let’s take a look at the day’s queerest headlines, starting with trans erasure at the hands of the Trump administration and actor Cate Blanchett (you know and love her from the Todd Haynes 2015 film Carol, in which she played a lesbian) defends straight actors playing gay.
In other news, some of our favorite queens have become Simpsons characters and we’ve got an update to last week’s story about the Delta flight attendant who got busted having sex in a plane with a popular gay porn star.
From trans erasure to Cate Blanchett defending ‘gayface,’ here are the day’s queerest headlines:
1. Leaked Memo Shows Trump Administration Contemplates Trans Erasure (News, Politics)
A memo obtained by The New York Times written by the Department of Health and Human Services shows the Trump administration contemplating trans erasure. It would do so by narrowing the definition of gender (as conservatives like to do with marriage) to male or female, and individuals would be required to identify as such based on their genitalia at birth. “The sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence,” says the memo. The American Civil Liberties Union (ALU) has already threatened legal action if the administration acts on this trans erasure.
2. Actor Cate Blanchett Defends Straight Actors Who Want to Play Gay (Celebrities, Film)
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, beloved actor Cate Blanchett (Carol, The Lord of the Rings, Ocean’s 8) has spoken out in defense of “gayface,” the idea of straight actors portraying LGBTQ people on-screen, something that has become a controversial notion of late. While many think casting straight actors in queer roles prevents a still-marginalized LGBTQ population from film and TV opportunities, Cate Blanchett says, “I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience. … [N]ow, particularly in America, I think, we expect and only expect people to make a profound connection to a character when it’s close to their experience.”
Read the full Hollywood Reporter story here.
3. Get a First Look at RuPaul and Raja as The Simpsons Characters (TV, Drag)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpNaYZsFlwH/
An upcoming episode of The Simpsons will feature some of our favorite drag queens, including RuPaul and Season 3 Drag Race winner Raja. Both queens have taken to social media to share their Simpsons avatars with the world, and they’re what? Sickening! (That’s a good thing, for all you not down with drag lingo.) “The best part is … I play myself in a scene with Homer. I’ll never forget crying my eyes out, as rain came pouring down on the sidewalk outside the recording studio. Tears of joy,” commented Raja on her Instagram post.
4. Judge Rules Men’s Privacy Was Violated During Florida Gay Sex Sting (News)
Earlier this year a gay sex sting at a place called the Pleasure Emporium in Florida saw 19 gay men arrested for sex in a public place. But a judge in the state has dismissed the charges against them, saying the porn theater is not a “public place.” Moreover, she ruled, what happens inside is consensual sexual activity. Back when the incident occurred, some media outlets posted the 19 men’s photos and names, causing some to be outed and even lose their jobs.
Read more in the South Florida Gay News story here.
5. Delta Incident Referenced During Gay Porn Awards Show Acceptance Speech (News, Sex)
Last week our most popular story involved a Delta flight attendant who got busted having sex with a popular gay porn star on board a flight. (He was caught because the encounter was captured on video and then posted by porn star Austin Wolf on Twitter.) Well, the incident was referenced at the Str8UpGayPorn Awards in Los Angeles this past weekend. A presenter first referred to Wolf as “Deltalina herself,” and then when Wolf won the award for “Best Daddy,” he used the Delta Airlines slogan “Keep climbing” at the end of his acceptance speech. Watch the entire awards in the video above. The Austin Wolf acceptance speech happens around the hour-and-six-minutes mark.
