Advocate NL 11/2/26

Hello and Happy November, folks!

Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez here, back in your inbox and entering a November that's already giving us some surprises. And now, we're not talking about J.D. Vance's Halloween costume -- or a certain Michigan lawmaker.

To start, the Texas Supreme Court has halted a deposition aimed at exposing who is behind political mailers smearing a transgender advocacy group.

As Jacob Ogles reports, the state high court paused the questioning ordered by a lower court judge just 15 minutes before it was scheduled to begin, delaying an effort to uncover who produced and financed the mailers.

Here's another one: During the 2024 election cycle, Republican groups spent $124 million on TV ads attacking trans student participation — which comes out to about $700,000 per *actual* trans student athlete.

This spending has remained astronomical in the 2026 cycle. Ahead of the midterm elections, our sister publication Them (and The Advocate) broke down the numbers behind the spending on four ballot initiatives — and what it amounts to per trans student athlete.

In a happier surprise, don't miss this heartwarming story Christopher Wiggins reported over the weekend on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and her longtime friend who traveled thousands of miles to see her in action at a historic LGBTQ+ bar.

Friendly reminder: With Election Day tomorrow, we'll have a later-than-usual newsletter arriving in your inbox. Be sure to follow our social accounts and our site for all the latest election news!

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Advocate NL 11/2/26

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Represented by a former attorney for Ken Paxton, a Wyoming-based group is fighting to keep its role in the pre-Election Day mailer campaign from further scrutiny.

The venue’s manager attributed the decision to the President’s Advance Office. City officials said the covering was unauthorized and ordered it removed.

An investigation by Them and The Advocate examines the millions behind ballot campaigns targeting a tiny population of students in four states.

Trump has repeatedly discussed Husted’s physique on the campaign trail. The vice president brought it up again when a voter asked about starting a family.

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Intersex advocate Thea Hillman explains how anti-trans laws threaten both transgender and intersex people — and why politicians' narrow definitions of sex fail to reflect the realities of human life.

Clara Tan says immigration agents tackled her outside a New York airport and detained her for about 18 hours.

The popular fitness influencer created adult content on OnlyFans for roughly three to four years.

One participant says he was 17 during an alleged encounter.

Seventeen years after The Real World: D.C., the married Emmy-winning actor plays a gay father, challenging prejudice and warning that LGBTQ+ progress can still be reversed.

More than 100 pediatricians and nurses have joined the campaign against Initiative 638, which they say would create harmful barriers for young athletes.