Daily newsletter 8/29

➡️ To wrap things up before the long weekend, we enjoyed this story of a Texas Democrat who was forced to have a state trooper escort during the redistricting fight — so he took the officer to a gay bar.

In Virginia, Republicans have come up with one of the most paradoxical statewide tickets in recent memory. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson and RFK Jr. used the school shooting in Minneapolis as a chance to attack transgender people.

We also take a look at one activist’s ongoing lawsuit agains conversion therapy in Colorado and the potential effects of the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision.

On a lighter note, drag queen Shontelle Sparkles tells us how she built a career without “Drag Race.”

We’ll be out for Labor Day, so expect our next newsletter on Tuesday.

Enjoy your weekend,

Christine Linnell
Social media manager, The Advocate

Texas Republicans assigned troopers to tail this out lawmaker. He dragged them to a gay bar

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Democratic Rep. Venton Jones, along with colleague Terry Meza, attended a Stonewall Democrats meeting at the Rose Room.

Virginia GOP’s gubernatorial ticket pairs anti-LGBTQ+ candidate with gay man whose rights she opposes

Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Winsome Earle-Sears has described homosexuality, like John Reid’s, as an “immoral lifestyle choice.”

Mike Johnson, RFK Jr. attack trans people in wake of Minneapolis school shooting

Lev Radin/Shutterstock; Joshua Sukoff/Shutterstock

They are doing so even though the overwhelming majority of mass shooters are cisgender men.

Fighting for LGBTQ+ youth: The cases challenging conversion therapy bans

Alliance Defending Freedom

Opinion: As the Supreme Court prepares to hear Chiles v. Salazar, the stakes soar for LGBTQ+ youth, facing increased risks amid a backdrop of societal upheaval, argues Jason Van Ness.

How to build a career in drag without 'Drag Race:' The story of Shontelle Sparkles

Photo by Ethan Cross

Shontelle Sparkles tells The Advocate how her new EP came to be with the help of her drag family.

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