Black Mothers Are Still Dying

June 13, 2023

Felicitations, beloved Meteor readers,

I’m not exactly what you would call a patriot. As a Nuyorican, I have a fraught relationship with the mainland because of America’s continued colonization of Puerto Rico and her refusal to do literally anything helpful for the island (which, by the way, is suffering from a power grid-destroying heat wave right now).

However, I push my disdain to the back closet of my mind during two important times: Olympics season and World Cup season. As soon as those Team USA kits drop, I am singin’ the chorus to “God Bless the USA” like I’m at a karaoke bar. And how can I not when this is the opening ad for this year’s Women’s Cup:

As devoted readers, I assume you will be watching each and every game because, as I’ve told you time and again, investing in women’s sports also means investing your time!

In today’s newsletter I explain all the ways in which Team Great Britain will fail to overcome their—kidding, kidding. We’ve got a book debate, power lesbians, and the latest ripple effect of abortion bans for you today.

Let’s go(aaaaalllllll),

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

Redacted: Writer Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) kicked up an important literary discussion this week when she announced that she was pulling her new novel from publication after an “enormous” negative response from Ukrainian readers. The story, set in 1980s Russia, followed a reclusive fundamentalist family living off the grid in Siberia for 40 years until they’re discovered by a Soviet geologist. More stuff happens after that, but we’ll never know since Gilbert will not be releasing the book and is refunding all pre-orders.

Ukrainian critics, The Guardian reported, charged that Gilbert was romanticizing Russia and Russian people amidst the ongoing war, despite this fictional period piece being set several decades before Russia invaded Ukraine. Is the removal of this book from publication censorship, or is it appropriate given Russia’s current brutality?

However you view the book’s removal, folks are being reminded that there is still, in fact, a war going on, despite it having dropped off the front page of American newspapers. And that is what’s most important: There are real people, not book characters, struggling to find housing, food, and power. To help those people out, consider donating to the World Food Program, Doctors Without Borders, or UNHCR. The publishing industry will survive all on its own.

AND:

On Sunday, basketball legend Sue Bird had her jersey retired in Seattle, where she played for 19 years. It was an emotional, beautiful, three-hour celebration that, for some reason, Macklemore was invited to co-host. But the greatest thing the event gave the world was more photos of Bird and her fiancé Megan Rapinoe being goddesses.

IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM

Staying with the goddess theme: Did you see Lupita Nyong’o at the Tonys? Her custom silver breastplate was designed by Pakistani designer Misha Japanwala, “whose work is rooted in the rejection and deconstruction of external shame attached to one’s body.” Preach.
Another shooting took place late last night in downtown Denver, where a crowd had gathered to celebrate the Nuggets winning the NBA Championship. The AP reports that the shooting began after an argument devolved between several people. It’s almost like people should not be allowed to meander about with guns in public. If only there were a way to enforce such a thing….
US Olympic gold medal track and field athlete Tori Bowie died last month from what were originally believed to be natural causes. But a newly released autopsy reveals that Bowie’s cause of death was complications from birth—specifically, respiratory issues and eclampsia. The United States continues to be one of the most dangerous wealthy countries on earth to attempt childbirth in. Black women and Native women are two to three times more likely than their white peers to die during or just after pregnancy—and the rates are getting worse, not better.
A woman in Texas whose fetus was developing without a head shared her harrowing story of trying to obtain an abortion with journalist Jessica Valenti. Please consider your mental health before reading—it is an incredibly detailed story.
Women in Iran are under intensifying surveillance as the regime continues to use cameras (instead of just officers) to identify those who are not “correctly” covering their hair.
To no one’s surprise, Donald Trump pled not guilty to 37 felony counts related to the mishandling of classified documents. Accountability? In this economy? Please.
Kelis. If you need help, blink twice.

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An Interview with America's Interviewer

Audie Cornish on what's new in news ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

June 8, 2023

Hey, Meteor readers,

Is it hot in here or am I just nervously overheating as I watch the air quality indicator on my weather app get progressively worse? Probably both.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to fill the skies on our eastern coast, and while some folks are meme-ing their way through it, more than 10,000 Quebec citizens have been displaced because of an “unprecedented” wildfire season. The Canadian Red Cross has set up a fund to help those affected by the fires, which you can donate to here.

In today’s newsletter, The Meteor’s Rebecca Carroll talks to CNN’s Audie Cornish about her new podcast, “The Assignment,” which sees the renowned reporter dissecting the day’s biggest news stories by speaking to the people it affects. If you want more Audie in your life (and who doesn’t?), you can catch her next report this Sunday at 8 pm ET on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.

But before that, a story about a young boy doing huge things.

Buying more air-purifying snake plants,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

Amazing Spider-kid: You may or may not have heard from some people that Across the Spider-Verse is an amazing film. (I’m “some people.” I said it.) But has your day been brightened by Preston Mutanga yet? Mutanga is a 14-year-old Lego enthusiast who, in January, created a shot-for-shot Lego version of the Spider-Man trailer.

“My dad showed me this 3-D software called Blender and I instantly got hooked on it,” Mutanga told the New York Times. “I watched a lot of YouTube videos to teach myself.”All that self-teaching paid off when the video went viral and caught the attention of Spider-Man producers, who asked Mutanga to animate the Lego universe scene in the film. It was a full-circle moment for producer Phil Lord, who told the Times, “The idea in ‘Spider-Verse’ is that a hero can come from anywhere. And here comes this heroic young person who’s inspired by the movie that was inspired by people like him.”

PRESTON MUTANGA'S VIRAL LEGO TRAILER

Why are you reading about this in this newsletter? Because there are too many stories about young Black and brown children which end with a link to a funeral fundraiser. For this brief moment, let’s share the joy of this child’s success. Congratulations on your first big-time film credit, Preston!

AND:

In a surprise decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama legislature needs to create a second congressional district with a Black majority, ruling in favor of the Voting Rights Act. Which is good! But as legal expert Melissa Murray pointed out, it’s also “cold comfort” when “the status quo is that this Court has done an A+ job of hobbling the VRA over the last 10 years.”
An arrest has finally been made in the death of Ajike “A.J.” Owens, who was shot by her neighbor, Susan Louise Lorincz, in Florida earlier this month. Lorincz had claimed that she shot Owens in self-defense and was protected from arrest under Florida’s so-called Stand Your Ground Law. But investigators have now found that Lorincz’s story wasn’t in line with what witnesses say happened. Although all of this means nothing to the four children who lost their mother at the hands of an unhinged neighbor who had allegedly thrown a rollerskate at them earlier in the day.
Televangelist Pat Robertson has died. Some of you youngs might not know who this man is (or what televangelism is), but he literally tried to blame gay people for 9/11 and was a driving force behind the rise of Christian conservatives in politics. Happy Pride!
New York pals, if you’re willing to brave the air, check out The 19th’s documentary “Breaking the News,” now screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.

NEWSMAKERS

A Seat at Audie Cornish's Table

"The goal is not to make people feel foolish or dumb..."

BY REBECCA CARROLL

PHOTO COURTESY OF CNN

Veteran journalist Audie Cornish does not come to play. The former co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered has long been considered a serious interviewer (at CNN, where she moved last year, she recently took now-former chief Chris Licht to task for platforming Trump). Now she has a new podcast on CNN called “The Assignment.” And whether it’s questioning a parent activist on their true motivations or talking to an OnlyFans star, she knows exactly what she’s doing and why she’s doing it. As a fellow interviewer who is slightly obsessed with the process, I was eager to hear more about Cornish’s own style—and what stays with her after it’s all said and done.

Rebecca Carroll: You’ve long emphasized your commitment to amplifying the voices of “regular people” in your work. In this social media-crazed landscape—I think I’ve heard you refer to it as the attention economy, where people are not really interested in regular folks unless they go viral—my question for you is, how do you make regular folks interesting?

Audie Cornish: ...There wouldn’t be social media if we weren’t all interesting and interested in each other, and it wouldn’t have changed the celebrity journalism landscape. We have a system that rewards what we call “stars”—people who we think have a singular magnetism and talent who are cultivated as such, and put on a pedestal for much of their lives, until we tear them down. I think what I'm saying is…We also can share our actual knowledge, share the wisdom that we've learned in our lives, and I'm finding that to be really deeply engaging.

IMAGE BY BRAD BARKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

I went all the way back to listen to the first episode of “The Assignment” in preparation for this interview. And in that episode, you are engaged with two parent activists from Florida whose primary concern, it seemed to me, was that teachers in schools are teaching their children with the bias that America is a racist country. But America is a racist country. You navigated the conversation deftly, but I wondered if you ever felt, specifically during that interview, like saying, “Actually, you’re wrong. That’s just not factually correct”?

I think what you’re asking for is a different kind of show. And I don’t mean to be obtuse here, but you saying with such certainty that it’s a racist country—there are very many people who would say the exact opposite with complete and total certainty! And I think that in that first episode what I wanted to introduce to the audience was that this is a show where you're going to get heard all the way out, and if people dislike you, it’ll be for your best take, not your worst take. The goal is not to make people feel foolish or dumb; it's to find people who are in the middle of a maelstrom of some kind, who are in the middle of a story that's changing rapidly, and to find out what it's like for them.

I think what I wanted to do with that first show is to get everyone situated, no matter what your political beliefs are—to say, “Okay, this is how we're going to talk at my table.” And there are plenty of places for you to go where people will be like, “You're racist, please leave.” But this table is not that.

IMAGE BY DAVE PEDLEY VIA GETTY IMAGES

What is it that you’re really trying to do with the show? And how you are feeling as you do it in a climate where we are grappling with divisive news outlets and audiences, and an industry that is under enormous scrutiny in general?

Every single episode is through the lens of: This is a weird corner of the world [where] something's going on, and what really is it? Is it really a fight about school boards, or is it about your fundamental vision of this country and how you seek to 'rectify' a story that's been told about it? I think [the existing news landscape] makes it really hard for people to understand the scope of problems sometimes. Everything is just kind of something on the internet that makes me mad. I just think not knowing is not helping.

What drives your curiosity, and how do you keep the faith that an interview is going to yield that unique conversation?

I have no such faith. No audience is given unearned. Nobody is owed anything. This is the news. This is journalism. This is actually how my brain works: I want to know, “What are you really getting at? What's your motivation for being here? Why are you here and not there?” And to me, that’s everything, that’s life. It’s the root of us.

Say more about that.

I just approach everything like a listener. I have questions, and I think that's really it. That's not a catchphrase. I think if I had more answers, I'd be an activist. Because then my job as an activist is to imagine the world as it could be and try to convince people to get there. What drives me is question, question, conversation, question, question, conversation. That's where I live and breathe. I keep going because there's more stuff to ask, because there’s more to tease out and pull apart to help find clarity.

So who helps you find the clarity?

I mean, my guests? I pick my topics for a reason. I think everyday people do have answers and common sense. They want the same things. They want to take care of their kids. They want to take care of their families. And in general, they don't want to hurt other people to do it, ideally. I think my nature, as I learned from one of our episodes, as a Libra, is to try to find some kind of balance. I want to find the person who really knows the answer. And I'm just going to keep booking guests until I find them.

And what does it feel like when you find the answer?

Imagine that feeling you had as a kid, that high. Like the moment when you learn something you didn't know, or you heard something you didn't know. You never feel that?

But I’m asking you, because you do have a tendency to answer questions with questions.

I mean, it's real. It's not a shtick. That's my high, that's my drug. And now I've learned something new—this conversation is going to transform how I think of you and us, because we had this moment. And that's very different from the relationship we had before, which was at a distance. I mean technically, I know what you think, I've read your work, but I didn't really know you. I think that people sometimes mistake those online personas as knowing people and what they're all about, and being able to say, “Fuck off.” I will never be able to say that to you, because we had our moment of intimacy and dialogue, and that’s amazing. I could do that all day.

I wonder about these moments, and both the connections made between you and your guests, and the connection your guests make with each other. Do you miss them after the conversation is over?

Oh my god, I hear their voices in my head all the time. Whatever they felt, I feel for days after. But I don't regret having [the conversation], and I've exchanged lovely notes with them since. But all my notes are pretty much the same, which say, “Thank you.”

Rebecca Carroll is a writer, cultural critic, and podcast creator/host. Her writing has been published widely, and she is the author of several books, including her recent memoir, Surviving the White Gaze. Rebecca is Editor at Large for The Meteor.

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by The Meteor

Get Ducked, Greg Abbott

Autocorrect, transphobia, and more! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

June 6, 2023

Howdy, Meteor readers,

I’m going to start this newsletter the same way I’ve been starting every conversation I’ve had since Sunday: Have you seen the new Spider-Man?

Okay, hear me out before you scroll down to the adult conversation! This is not your average comic book superhero film. It is a moving, thoughtful, visual experience and an absolute feat in physical and racial diversity. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but the Spiderverse literally has a Spider-person for everyone. I can honestly say that I haven’t left a theater on such a high since I saw Black Panther.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way: In today’s newsletter, we’ve got more bans than we know what to do with—and, finally, some happy news from our AI overlords. (No, it’s not that they’ve thought twice about killing us).

Spidey-sense tingling,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

When transphobia backfires: I regret to inform all of you that Greg Abbott has Greg Abbott-ed once again: On June 2nd, the Texas governor signed into law a bill that bans gender-affirming care for trans kids, making Texas the 18th (and largest) state to do so. On its heels quickly followed a similar ban in Louisiana, once presumed dead but resurrected by Republican shenanigans. And it won’t be the last: seven other states are considering bans just like it.

However, some recent court cases suggest that these bills’ rhetoric may work against them in the long run. US District Court Judge Robert Hinkle issued a preliminary injunction today against Florida’s brand-new ban, likely precluding its enforcement. Hinkle’s ruling directly cited “bigotry” (yes, he used the actual word! In a court document!) as part of the decision. He claimed the ban had “no rational basis” and referenced the moment when Rep. Webster Barnaby (R) called trans people “mutants” and “demons.”

That kind of language actually pops up frequently in right-wing legislation: A recent ACLU lawsuit challenging Idaho’s gender care ban references several examples of bigotry from Idaho lawmakers, including likening trans people to “Frankenstein.” Journalist Erin Reed, who records many of these statements, tweeted that getting Republicans to “say the quiet part out loud” can be an effective tool for dismantling these bans in court.

So keep telling us what you think lawmakers—it may be your undoing. As civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo pointed out, “Twitter talking points don’t hold up in court.”

AND:

In related, promising news: Tennessee’s proposed drag ban—which would have eliminated all public drag shows held in locations where children might be able to see them—has been deemed unconstitutional. On Friday a federal judge ruled that the ban was vague and a violation of performers’ First Amendment rights.
If you’re reading this, you’ve lived long enough to witness the dawn of the most important technological advancement since the discovery of the wheel. Apple is releasing an “AI-powered upgrade” to its autocorrecting software that will no longer change fucking to ducking. Never thought we’d see the duckin’ day!

For the first time in history, the United Nations’ weather agency is being led by a woman. Celeste Saulo, an Argentine meteorologist, has ascended the ranks of weather nerds across the globe and can now officially call herself the HMIC (head meteorologist in charge). Just don’t ask her if there’s a 30% chance it’s already raining.
This fascinating report from The 19th outlines exactly how reproductive justice and climate change are intricately intertwined—and how the EPA has the power to improve both.
It looks like we’re going to be watching a whole lot of nothing this fall television season. As writers head into the 7th week of the Writers Guild of America strike, actors may be the next in the picket line. SAG-AFTRA voted to start striking by the end of June if their union can't come to a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Learn how to support striking writers here.
Someone submitted a request for a Utah school district to ban the Bible and it actually worked, which is understandable when you consider that mid-way through the book, they (spoiler ahead) brutally murder the main character. The school district says it doesn’t know whether the submission was sent in as a genuine concern or as a bit of satire, but the Bible has been removed from elementary and middle school bookshelves. Next book up for review? The Book of Mormon. I shit you not.

THE METEOR IRL

Planning to be in New York soon? We'd love to see you at our next live event Say the Word: A Night of Art and Action for Trans Liberation on June 15th. Tickets are on sale now! Just click the image below to secure your seats.

This newsletter was brought to you by Shannon Melero and Bailey Wayne Hundl who would really love it if you filled out this reader survey. Thanks!

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by The Meteor

The Art and Joy of Drag

Plus: prepare to pay back those student loans ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

June 1, 2023

Helllloooo Meteor readers,

Happy Pride! Or as it’s known in the retail world, Rainbow-Merch Month!

How will you be celebrating this year? Attending a local family-friendly drag show like this one at my favorite doughnut place in New Jersey? Boycotting your nearest Target for pulling back on its Pride offerings? Or maybe you’re more into low-key celebrations and just want to curl up on the couch and watch the straights have a meltdown over gender-non-specific bathing suits while sipping a nice glass of wine.

Before we dive into today’s newsletter (which is a drag queen extravaganza) a bit of housekeeping first. We are SO appreciative to everyone who has filled out our reader survey thus far, and to answer a question quite a few of you have asked: Yes, this newsletter does accept pitches. So if you’ve got an idea, a story, or a song in your heart you can send it over to [email protected].

Today we’ve got debt and ceilings, plus an important message from Hayley Williams.

Live, laugh, lesbian,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

Pay up: The Biden administration has reached an agreement on raising the debt ceiling and to be quite honest with you all, I was ignoring this bit of news because changing how debt works makes me feel like money is made up (which, in fact, it is). But one point’s worth discussing: The new deal reactivates student loan repayments—you know that thing that some of us have been spared for the last three years.

The pause on student loans will end around September 1, and this time President Biden may not be able to swoop in last minute—as he did throughout the pandemic—and say, never mind pay it later. Why? Because now it’s essentially written in stone that in order to keep the rest of the imaginary money flowing for the rest of the country, borrowers will have to fork over their real money. Economics!

There is still a shred of hope, though. Biden’s original debt forgiveness plan is still on the table, despite efforts to block it. The Supreme Court is set to decide this summer on the constitutionality of the plan, which could erase up to 20K for any borrower who is eligible for forgiveness. If the Robed Ones vote down the plan, then your lender will be in your inbox faster than my college ex after he heard I was hooking up with his nemeses.

In the event you really can’t pay your loans back right now and you aren’t eligible for forgiveness, you can still keep hitting that defer button.

AND:

Hell has frozen over and upon the now-glacial Lake of Fire skates Kim Cattrall, making her long-awaited return to the Sex and the City franchise. And she did it in the most Samantha way possible, not seeing or speaking to anyone on the cast. I strive to reach this level of grudge-holding.
“If you vote for Ron DeSantis, you’re fucking dead to me,” said Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams at a show in New Jersey this week.
After a mistrial in 2022, actor Danny Masterson has now been convicted of two counts of rape (out of the three he was charged with). In a sense this is also a conviction of the Church of Scientology, which backed Masterson by pressuring his victims not to come forward and telling them that they weren’t actually raped.

QUEEN SHIT

The Art and Joy of Drag

BY ELLIE RUDY

RUPAUL AND QUEENS FROM THE 'DRAG RACE' FRANCHISE CUTTING THE RIBBON AT THIS YEAR'S DRAGCON. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLIE RUDY

Drag has had a tough year—the art form has been targeted by anti-LGBTQ+ groups and conservative legislators across the country. So on this first day of Pride, we turn to the epicenter of the drag universe: RuPaul’s DragCon. Writer, Ellie Rudy took a few laps around the Los Angeles Convention Center last month to find out what advice the wise and noble queens had to offer their community during another emotionally charged Pride month.

"In societies that may not necessarily be accepting of the trans community, I think it is important to stay with your tribe. Uplift and show support to each other."

–Jasmine Kennedie, Drag Race Season 4 contestant

“Be yourself, be true to you. If somebody doesn't like you because of who you are, then that's not a real friend, a real family member, or a real person even.”

– The King of Queens, a 13-year-old queen from Los Angeles

“I think that people are often afraid of what they're not knowledgeable on. I think a lot of people who have fears about what we do simply don't educate themselves enough. Because once you do, you're gonna see that it's a beautiful, artistic, fun art form.”

– Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Drag Race season 14 finalist

“Don't take yourself too seriously. And especially if you're trying to start drag I think my most important advice is don't be afraid to be ugly. I feel like everyone wants to be so pretty right out the gate, but my ugly drag is my funnest stage of drag.”

-Tenderoni, Chicago-based drag king

“I think it's important for us to keep living our truths, living authentically speaking up for one another, especially our trans brothers and sisters right now. They need us. And this noise, it's gonna fade into the background, because it's not really about us.”

-Alexis Michelle (left), All Stars Season 8 contestant

Ellie Rudy was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and is the mother of a geriatric Chiweenie named Molly. She has written for LA Magazine, Teen Vogue, and more.

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by The Meteor

The AI Overlords Are Coming For Us

Plus: Is racism worse in women's sports? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 30, 2023

Happy Monduesday, Meteor readers,

For some of us, today is a particularly tricky day. We are now two days removed from the series finale of “Succession” and, according to TV etiquette, it is allowable to discuss spoilers (apparently things are bad for the eldest boy??).

However, some of us (me) are still a few episodes behind and would like for everyone to stop running their mouth like cousin Greg!

If you’re wondering why I’m so behind on the biggest show in town, it’s because I did something else this weekend: I went to an actual movie theater to watch The Little Mermaid. Reviews have been mixed, but when I tell you that Alan Menken put his whole menkussy into revamping this movie!! Halle Bailey’s performance brought me to tears three separate times. You must go see it. And if, like me, you have very strong thoughts about that one Lin-Manuel Miranda addition to the soundtrack, my DMs are open.

In today’s newsletter we’re turning our attention to a surge in racism against athletes, the coming AI overlords, and the hawt summer we’re about to have.

Still humming “Under the Sea,”

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

“Something I will continue to deal with”: During a post-match press conference yesterday, tennis star Sloane Stephens commented on the growing racism facing athletes, saying, “It has never stopped. If anything, it’s only gotten worse.” The data backs her up, alas: While racism in sports isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, a 2021 study showed a 200% increase in acts of racism in sports from 2019-2020.

The most notable recent occurrence of this involved Spanish soccer team Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who this month reported his tenth incident of racial abuse before the league he plays under (LaLiga) actively got involved—a move that only came to pass because of the immense success Vinicius has had since he started playing.

But that let’s-try-to-fix-this energy isn’t as present in women’s sports, where there are only hundreds of thousands of eyeballs being drawn, vs the millions Vinicius commands. Despite the efforts of Althea Gibson (in the 1950s), the Williams sisters (in the ‘00s), and Naomi Osaka (now), the next generation of Black tennis stars are still fighting a Sisyphean battle.

“Obviously it's been something that I have dealt with my whole career," Stephens said during the press conference. “It’s only continued to get worse…and something I will continue to deal with, I'm sure. That's that.”

(If you're looking to show some support, Stephens' next match is tomorrow at 8:15 AM ET.)

AND:

Did you know that America’s first known Memorial Day celebration was put together by recently emancipated Black people in South Carolina who were honoring fallen Union soldiers? It’s okay if you didn’t. According to The Washington Post, white South Carolinians loyal to the Confederacy—including women’s groups like the Daughters of the American Revolution—rewrote the day’s narrative to exclude this key fact.
A new law in Uganda targeting the LGBTQ+ community could see citizens facing life sentences just for having sex.
For a case study on how abortion bans are affecting all kinds of care, take a look at this profile of one women’s health clinic in Alabama from Politico.
I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that climate change may not kill us after all! The bad news is that that’s only because we won’t live long enough to see the earth melt—according to a new warning from hundreds of leading technologists, AI may take us all out way before that. This isn’t the build-up to some new sci-fi thriller; it’s a real, must-read alert about yet another area we desperately need to push our governments to take seriously.

Taylor Swift was right; it is going to be a cruel summer. And by cruel, we mean hotter than the last three decades: The New York Times put together this handy map to let you know if you’re going to be in one of the states where warmer than usual weather can be expected.
This New Yorker story about the rise in Latino white supremacy hits uncomfortably close to home. And while I’d love to drop several bars about how Latines in America have been racialized and brainwashed into desiring proximity to whiteness, I already did that in 2020 in an interview with author Laura E. Gomez. If all that is a little TL;DR for you, this guy sums it up pretty well.
Elizabeth Holmes, who was convicted of fraud for her false claims about her company, Theranos last year, started her 11-year prison sentence today. Before you know it she’ll be looking for seed money for her new toilet wine company.
A young woman was stabbed to death in Delhi, India, while bystanders watched silently and failed to intervene. “Delhi has become extremely unsafe for women and girls,” an official told news outlet ANI.

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by The Meteor

Who Knew Tina Turner Was Also a Rugby Icon

Plus: One year since Uvalde ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 25, 2023

Greetings, Meteor readers,

It’s hard to believe it, but an entire year has passed since the Uvalde school shooting, in which 19 elementary school children and two teachers were killed by an 18-year-old carrying two legally purchased assault rifles. Uvalde was the 212th mass shooting of last year.

And the numbers have only gotten worse. According to the Gun Violence, Archive there have now been 241 mass shootings in 2023, which works out to 1.7 mass shootings per day so far this year. Meanwhile, the residents of Uvalde, Texas are still trying to heal from an unspeakable tragedy.

To learn more about small actions you can take right now (literally right this second) to fight gun violence, check out this list from Everytown for Gun Safety.

In today’s newsletter, we remember the icon Tina Turner and review some startling news about climate change.

Doin’ the Nutbush,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

Yesterday, rock ‘n’ roll icon Tina Turner died at the age of 83 after what her representative described as a “long illness,” peacefully in her home in Switzerland. Turner was, without a doubt, one of the most talented musicians of our time—a larger-than-life persona synonymous with resilience, star power, and unmistakable, timeless music. That is the Turner we know. But behind the spotlight, Turner lived a surprisingly quieter life. Three unexpected facts about the woman behind the hits:

She was a devout Buddhist: Tina Turner began practicing Nichiren Buddhism in 1973 after being introduced to it through friends. In later interviews, Turner credited her spiritual practice with giving her the strength to leave her abusive relationship with her first husband (who shall not be named). She even released a CD (remember those?) of interfaith chanting called Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers.

She was a sporting icon: Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Through a series of unexpected events, Tina Turner became the face and voice of an Australian rugby broadcast in the 80’s lending her hit songs to some (extremely homoerotic, if you ask me) 80s-esque commercials. (See for yourself, below.) James Dator, a reporter who grew up watching rugby during peak Tina time calls her involvement “a culturally significant moment for a nation that sparked the imagination. If a mega-star like Tina Turner could love rugby league and embrace Australia, then anyone can.”

Her name wasn’t actually Tina: This one is for the youngsters who didn’t know who Tina Turner was until after the Angela Bassett movie. But Turner was actually born Anna Mae Bullock, a Sagittarius, and was given the stage name Tina by That Man.

AND:

You know those tacky Pride collections Target comes out with every year? Well thanks to a push from conservatives online (and plenty of false information), the chain is pulling back on its offerings in some stores citing safety concerns for employees. Over the last few weeks, several social media posts have gained traction claiming Target was selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits for children. Conservatives seized on this, accusing Target of pushing the transgender agenda on kids. The truth of the matter is that those kinds of bathing suits were designed for adults who desire “extra crotch coverage” when heading out for a swim. AP News found that the kids’ Pride collection bathing suits made no such claim and had no such design but were instead “thoughtfully fit on multiple body types and gender expressions.” I hate it here.
We can all agree that water pollution is bad, right? And that the Environmental Protection Agency is necessary? Apparently not. Earlier today, SCOTUS ruled that the EPA doesn’t have the authority to police the pollution taking place in various wetlands under the provisions of the Clean Water Act, leaving millions of acres of wetlands “subject to pollution without penalty,” experts say. What spurred the court to make this ruling? A case brought by homeowners who sued the EPA because the administration tried to stop them from building a house near Priest Lake in Idaho and damaging a nearby wetland.
Did you watch that video of a white woman (Sarah Jane Comrie) calling for help because a Black teenager was *checks notes* existing next to a CitiBike? Mhm. The teen, who has asked his name be withheld for his own safety, spoke to Newsone’s Monique Judge about how the incident has negatively impacted his life. And he’s got ALL the receipts disproving Comrie’s claim that she had the bike first. Comrie’s GoFundMe, started by her uncle who was raising money to stop his niece being labeled a Karen (that’s literally the title of the fund), has raised $123,000 to cover Comrie’s legal fees and get her lie-riddled story publicized.

Leave it to Ron DeSantis to have the most chaotic and embarrassing introduction to his presidential run of all time.
Last summer we heard from Dr. Caitlin Bernard who was facing harassment and legal action after providing an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim. Well, Indiana is still trying to revoke her license for doing her job. Today, Dr. Bernard testified on her own behalf at a medical licensing board meeting that will determine whether or not she gets to keep her license or be barred from providing crucial care to her patients.
*Gossip Girl voice* Hey Upper East Siders, New York is literally sinking.
You must read this powerful excerpt from Geena Rocero's forthcoming memoir Horse Barbie about hiding her trans identity as a model in the early 2000s. And join us next Wednesday at 1 PM ET on our Instagram Live to hear from her!
Winnie the Pooh, beloved champion of pantslessness, is now being used by a Texas school district as a mascot for how to behave in the event of a school shooting. This is a cursed timeline. Instead of putting some energy into gun reform the state just thinks the best thing to do is use cartoons to tell kids that school shootings are an inevitability that they need to prepare for like a flood or tornado.

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by The Meteor

Trans Teens Throw Epic Prom

"We want to change the narrative." ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 23, 2023

What’s up, Meteor readers?

A hearty hello and good evening to everyone except my friend Brittany who got floor seats to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and did not spend the entire concert FaceTiming me. We are through.

For today’s newsletter, the category is joy. Not just any joy: the unadulterated, vibrant joy of trans teens, adults, and allies dancing at a trans prom on the National Mall. The Meteor’s Mik Bean spoke to Daniel Trujillo, one of the youth organizers, about what the huge party was like. We’ve got that and some pleasant news out of Minnesota.

Best believe I’m still bejeweled,

Shannon Melero

WHAT'S GOING ON

The Little Senate That Could: Who’s ready for some good legislative news for a change? Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota gave us a perfect example yesterday of how to use a majority—no matter how slight. With only a one-seat edge in the Senate, they passed a whopping 884-page packet of sweeping reforms covering everything from abortion to suicide prevention.

So strap in, Minnesotans and Minnesotan-adjacents, and let’s find out what Gemini season has gifted you this year:

This bill eliminates tons of long-standing restrictions to abortion access, meaning…
- No more informed consent forms
- No more 24-hour waiting period
- No more prohibitions on birth centers performing abortions
- And so much more!
Extra funding for…
- Suicide prevention
- Emergency shelter grants
- The Homeless Youth Act
- The creation of offices addressing racial disparity in healthcare
And undocumented residents can now enroll in MinnesotaCare, provided they don’t surpass the income limit.

Seriously, there’s so much in this thing that I’m not even scratching the surface. I’m barely even tickling it. And all this is on top of the other measures this slight majority had already passed this session: They effectively codified Roe v. Wade for the state. They passed a state-run paid family and medical leave program. They created new protections for Uber and Lyft drivers, leading to this too-cute scene celebrating the bill’s chief author. Oh, and weed will be completely legal by August 1; anyone previously convicted of misdemeanor possession will have their record automatically expunged.

All that’s left for last night’s “billosaurus” is for Gov. Tim Walz to sign, and he’s spoken very highly of the move. It’s just wild how much of a difference lawmakers can make when they actually fight for the causes they care about. So congrats, Minnesota. Let’s hope the rest of the country can catch up.

AND:

The NAACP has issued a travel advisory for the state of Florida, noting that the state has become “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.” But this advisory is not a call to just cancel your flight to South Beach and ignore the state. Instead, the NAACP is calling for Floridians and everyone else to take a stand against nuclear sludge monster Governor Ron DeSantis. Learn how to do just that here.
Let’s hear some commotion for Halle Bailey, who will be adding another iconic role to her resume as young Nettie in the 2023 reimagining of The Color Purple. Words won’t do it justice, so check out the trailer, and mark the release date (December 25) on your calendar.

The Surgeon General released a report this week saying that social media creates a “profound risk of harm” to teens’ mental health. The dramatic increase in cyberbullying and easy access to harmful content have proven to be “unlike anything prior generations have had to contend with.” And to that, I say, no shit. Does anyone remember the absolute emotional abuse that was MySpace’s Top 8? It was literally a ranking system of your friends that everyone on the internet could see and it constantly fluctuated based on the tensions in a friend group on any given week. Obviously, nothing good was going to develop from “Who would you survive the zombie apocalypse with?”
On Monday, women gathered at a public beach in Sidon, Lebanon to protest the harassment female beachgoers have been increasingly facing for wearing one-piece bathing suits. Earlier this month, Mayssa Hanouni Yaafouri, the woman who inspired the protests, was chased off a public beach after two men berated her for her swimwear.
Do you know about survivor benefits? Children in the United States who have lost a parent or caregiver are eligible to receive financial payouts from the Social Security Administration to help with the loss of income experienced after a death. But new data shows that over 700,000 Black children are not receiving the benefits they’re entitled to—and yes, that’s a higher ratio than any other racial group. Researchers say that one factor is a lack of awareness that the program even exists. If you’ve suffered the loss of a spouse, parent, or caregiver who has a demonstrable working history, you can apply for survivor’s benefits. Tell all your friends.

CORSAGES AND CUMBERBUNDS

“You Don’t Like Me? I’m Gonna Throw a Party in Front of Your Office Window.”

Teens gather on the National Mall for Trans Youth Prom

BY MIK BEAN

DON'T YOU WISH YOUR PROM WAS THIS MEANINGFUL? (PHOTO BY KISHA BARI)

Yesterday, trans children and teenagers from across the country threw a prom on the National Mall, a youth-led public celebration of trans joy at a time when more and more states are adopting viciously anti-trans legislation. The Meteor’s Mik Bean spoke to Daniel Trujillo, 15, one of the event’s organizers, about the power a little party can have.

Mik Bean: Of all the events you could think of to celebrate trans joy, what made you and your friends choose a prom?

Daniel Trujillo: It stemmed from a lot of frustration me and other trans youth were feeling from continuously [having our existence debated]—and so publicly, too.

Me and Libby [Gonzales] were on a call one day, and we were real angry. I was driving back from our state capitol from having to testify [on anti-trans legislation], and we were like, “What do we want to do about this problem?” And we were saying that we need, like, a joyous event. That's how it snowballed.

There’s a lot of anti-trans legislation targeting trans youth in school specifically. We chose prom to be a statement of what schools could be like if trans youth were protected instead of being politicized in this really brutal way.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

Mik Bean is a writer and editor living online. They cover local politics, legal drama, and anything queer.

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Florida's New Child Kidnapping Law

May 18, 2023

Heeyyoooo Meteor readers,

Friends! I’ve come back to you from the wilderness of maternity leave on this lovely Thursday to reclaim my ergonomic newsletter writing throne. Now I know what you’re thinking: What could possibly drag me away from my very cute child perched upon her Boppy? I think we all know the answer to that.

That’s right, I am here with a piping hot 2,000-word essay on Scandoval and its implications, not just on the reality TV landscape (which is now forever changed) but on the sixth wave of feminism, launched by Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney.

Just kidding! I save those thoughts for the unhinged voice notes I send my friends late at night. In today’s newsletter, we’re talking about the WNBA, Gen Z’s contributions to feminist theory, and sports bras.

But first, let’s get through This Week in GOP Tomfoolery.

It’s all happening,

Shannon Melero

P.S. It would be such a great welcome-back-to-work gift if you filled out this survey, all about how this newsletter can better serve you. More deets below!

WHAT'S GOING ON

Let (straight) Kids Be Kids: Yesterday ~~possible antichrist~~ Gov. Ron DeSantis set a horrifying new record for Largest Group of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Passed At Once in Florida, signing four into law. And if you think they’re bad, you’d be wrong. They’re fucking horrendous:

The Pronoun Ban, aka HB 1069: This bill requires classrooms to teach that “it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond” with the gender they were assigned at birth. It also bans educators from sharing their pronouns with their students if those pronouns don’t match their assigned gender at birth.
The Drag Ban, aka HB 1438: This bill, much like the one passed in Tennessee in March, makes it a crime to expose a child to any “adult live performance” deemed “patently offensive to prevailing standards.” And though the text of this bill didn’t specifically ban drag shows, First Lady Casey DeSantis made sure to clarify on Twitter that they were included.
The Bathroom Ban, aka HB 1521: This bill requires people to use the restroom and locker room that coincides with their assigned gender at birth. Quick question: How are they planning on enforcing this one? Are we doing genital checks for everyone who enters the bathroom? You know, to make sure no one feels violated.
The WTF, aka SB 254: Not only does this bill prohibit state funds from being used to support any type of gender-affirming care, and ban minors from receiving that care at all—this bill also grants state courts “temporary emergency jurisdiction over a child” who has received gender-affirming care. In other words: The state can take your kid if they’re trans.

During the signing ceremony, DeSantis celebrated his attempts to keep Florida “a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy” (gross) behind a podium with a sign reading “Let Kids Be Kids.” But studies have found that providing trans youth with gender-affirming care strongly decreases the risk of suicide and depression. Let trans kids be trans, too—or they might not live to be adults.

AND:

GOP problem child Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Thursday afternoon that she will be bringing forth articles of impeachment against President Biden. Yes, you read that correctly. The Georgia representative cited Biden’s “[refusal] to enforce immigration laws” as the driving force behind the articles, saying the current administration has been working to “systematically destroy this country” since inauguration day. Obviously, this is a little desperate. But the far right’s main candidate in the upcoming election is a sexual abuser who already lost this shit once, sooo…

Pearl Bar, Houston’s only lesbian bar, was denied an insurance policy for the first time since opening ten years ago due to the “risk” of the bar including drag shows, according to an email from an insurance underwriter. This denial comes hot on the heels of the ever-advancing drag ban making its way through the Texas legislature.
SUR isn’t the only workplace rife with uncomfortable drama. The WNBA has sanctioned Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon after an investigation found she violated the league’s Respect in the Workplace policy. Hammond was accused of intentionally trading a pregnant player off the team and asking inappropriate questions about the pregnancy. Hammon faces a two-game suspension and the Aces will lose the first pick in the 2025 draft. The player in question is Dearica Hamby who announced she was pregnant last year while the Aces celebrated their championship win. In January Hammon traded Hamby to the Los Angeles Sparks and added Candace Parker, Alysha Clark, and Cayla George to the Aces roster. Hammon stands by her decision and says the move was strictly business. Meanwhile, Hamby is back to work for the Sparks less than three months after the birth of her child. 🤯 We’ll see who has the last laugh when Hamby goes up against her former team this weekend.

DEARICA HAMBY AND HER HAMBABIES. (SCREENSHOT VIA INSTAGRAM)

Major fashion moment for greater accessibility: Last week, British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful announced that the magazine’s May 2023 edition will be available in Braille!
I’ve never had anything nice to say about the Philadelphia Eagles until today. In an effort to keep young girls active in youth sports, the Eagles are becoming the first NFL team to include sports bras in the equipment kit provided to girls in their flag football league. Okay, now everybody do it!
Just when you thought you were caught up on every different flavor of feminism, a new one emerges. Refinery29 gets young people to explain “sex-negative feminism,” to the olds. (Me, I’m the olds.) It’s essentially a response to the lets-go-to-the-local-slut-walk brand of feminism popularized by millennials. As one Gen Z-er told the outlet, “It’s women being disillusioned with the overt abuse and enforcement of patriarchal standards of womanhood” made even more visible by depictions of oversexualized teens in shows like Euphoria.
Namibia has finally decided to recognize same-sex marriages, as long as they happened in another country. Feels like they could have skipped that last part, but still! Progress!

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"There's literally nothing they could do"

Texas's recurring abortion nightmare ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 16, 2023

Hello hello, Meteor readers,

Everyone wish a happy birthday to Bobi, the world’s oldest dog. Today he celebrates 217 (dog) years of being a very good boy—or 31 human years, if you don’t feel like doing the math.

Today’s newsletter features a story we’ve got to stop becoming familiar with: a Texas woman forced to develop sepsis due to the state’s restrictive abortion ban. Plus, we’ve got Martha Stewart on Sports Illustrated, Planned Parenthood taking a stand, and Naomi Osaka shutting down some bullshit.

Let’s get into it,

Bailey Wayne Hundl

WHAT'S GOING ON

A WOMAN PROTESTS FOR ABORTION ACCESS (PHOTO BY IRFAN KHAN/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES)

“There’s literally nothing they could do”: Once again, Texas’ draconian abortion ban has caused a woman to develop sepsis.

Last January, Kristen Anaya, a Texas resident, was elated to hear that her in-vitro fertilization had been a success. But only four months into her pregnancy, her water broke. Anaya rushed to the hospital, but, by the time she’d arrived, had lost nearly all of her amniotic fluid. She began shaking uncontrollably, vomiting, and spiking a fever—all signs of an infection that could lead to sepsis. But the doctors were unable to perform a dilation and curettage to help her; the baby’s heart was still beating.

According to Anaya’s medical records, she went on to wait 22 hours before doctors were allowed to induce labor to deliver the unviable fetus. Medical personnel first had to contact the hospital’s termination committee—a team of hospital administrators who must approve any abortion care at the hospital—and build a case for the life-threatening nature of her pregnancy.

“I was crying, asking for help,” Anaya told ABC News. “And I remember them literally not saying anything. [The doctors and nurses] would just literally look at me and look at Stephen and they’re just blank. There’s literally nothing they could do.”

It’s now been one month since Anaya left the hospital. Since then, she has needed two dilation and curettage procedures to remove the placenta and stop her bleeding. Anaya says she is still experiencing pains and complications, as well as a still-dilated cervix. According to Dr. Aileen Gariepy, an OB/GYN and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, an early dilation and curettage could have more effectively removed the placenta while in the hospital and prevented further complications.

It would be easy to write off these horrific—but increasingly common—scenarios as a Texas thing. That’s where Amanda Zurawski was subjected to similar treatment while losing her pregnancy last summer; she’s now joined four other women in suing the state for the harms caused to them by the state’s abortion bans. But this is now an America thing: A new report from researchers at the University of California San Francisco details dozens more health complications caused by abortion bans across the country—including a patient who was denied an abortion for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy and another who developed a severe infection after leaving the hospital.

“Medicine isn’t black and white,” said Daniel Grossman, the lead author of the report. “It’s not like suddenly you know that a patient is at a very high risk of dying in a certain situation. There’s a lot of gray and that risk will slowly change over time.”

RUDY GIULIANI DURING A REPUBLICAN GET OUT THE VOTE BUS TOUR (PHOTO BY MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/GETTY IMAGES)

AND:

Birds of a feather: Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and lawyer for Donald Trump, has been named in a sexual harassment suit filed by a former employee. Noelle Dunphy, who was hired to handle Giuliani’s firm’s business development, claims that when she asked if the firm had an HR department where she could file a complaint, she was told that no one would ever sue him because of his connection to then-President Trump. But Trump just lost a lawsuit for his own bad behavior, so…let’s see how well that holds up for you, Rudy!

Nearly a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood has officially endorsed a number of court reforms, including expanding the Supreme Court and setting term limits for justices. President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said “the courts have been used as a vehicle to advance a dangerous agenda against abortion rights.” Expanding the courts is a strategy many on the left—including Sen. Elizabeth Warren—have advocated for years.

Don’t try it with Naomi Osaka! The four-time Grand Slam champion announced her pregnancy in January and had this to say for anyone doubting her commitment to her tennis career: “There are plenty of male athletes with kids that are significantly less accomplished, you might wanna worry about them instead.”

Groundbreaking political leader Gloria Molina, the first Latina woman to hold a variety of offices (California State Assembly, Los Angeles City Council, and L.A. County Board of Supervisors, to name a few), passed away Sunday after a long battle with cancer. What an incredible life and legacy she leaves behind.

Martha Stewart made history Monday by being the oldest woman—at age 81—to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, seizing the record set by Maye Musk last year at 74. And she looks great! But as devoted SI readers know, the oldest Black woman on the cover was Tyra Banks at 45 (who, at the time, was only the third Black woman cover star). Basically I’m asking: When is Dionne Warwick’s shoot happening??

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Why did CNN basically host a Trump rally?

Plus: The grief of losing your adoptive parents ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

May 11, 2023

Happy Bey Day, Meteor readers,

Last night was a huge spectacle, and no, I’m not talking about Trump’s CNN town hall—though more on that below. I’m talking about the first night of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tour: the sexy bee outfit, the enormous disco horse statue, and, of course, the loving homage to Black ballroom culture.

LIKE, COME ON! LOOK AT HER! (PHOTO BY KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES FOR PARKWOOD)

In today’s newsletter, Rebecca Carroll sits down with Nicole Chung to discuss her new memoir about adoption and loss.

But first, the news.

Desperately clamoring for tickets,

Bailey Wayne Hundl

WHAT'S GOING ON

For some reason, CNN thought it would be a good idea to let Trump speak on air for over an hour, just one day after he was found liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll. (Predictably, he lied about everything from the 2020 election to January 6 to gun laws in Chicago.) CNN also thought it’d be a good idea to get Kaitlan Collins to moderate the discussion, a woman who until 2017 reported for the Tucker Carlson-founded news site Daily Caller (for which she wrote this skin-crawling article ranking Syrian refugees by their hotness). With less than two years to go until the presidential election, we have got to be better this time around.

“White nationalists are bad” should be a very easy thing to say, right? Well, apparently not so for Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who claimed in an interview published Monday, “Democrats are attacking the military [by] saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists.” When a reporter asked in response, “Do you believe they should allow white nationalists in the military?” Tuberville said, “Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.”

Today, the FDA finally ended its decades-long restrictions against blood donations from gay and bisexual men, recommending instead a series of “individual risk-based questions” that will be the same for every donor, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

A new report from the National Abortion Federation released Thursday shows a dramatic increase in anti-abortion harassment from 2021 to 2022: namely, a 229% increase in stalking of abortion providers and clinic staffers, a 231% increase in burglaries, and a 100% increase in clinic arsons across the country. This increase may be sharp, but as Stassa Edwards reported for The Meteor earlier this spring, it hasn’t come out of nowhere; it’s been on the rise since the 80s.

MEGAN THEE STALLION SHOWING UP TO COURT TO TESTIFY IN THE TRIAL OF TORY LANEZ (PHOTO BY JASON ARMOND/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Tuesday was truly such a win for victims of abuse: E. Jean Carroll got her $5 million from Trump; rapper Tory Lanez, who was found guilty in December of shooting Megan Thee Stallion, was denied a request for a new trial; and the judge for Marilyn Manson’s defamation case against former partner Evan Rachel Wood dismissed his claims that Wood and her friend “recruited” women to come forward with sexual assault allegations against him. Give a feminist litigator a kiss today!

Speaking of feminist litigators: Shout out to British lawyer and activist Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu for giving the world a perfect case study in how to respond when people fail (or refuse) to pronounce your name correctly.

Quick health note: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends regular mammograms for women over 40 (rather than 50, the previously recommended age)—especially for Black women, who have shown to be 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women are.

And finally, event alert! Don’t miss The 19th Represents Summit, a three-day hybrid event next week from our friends over at The 19th, exploring the intersections of gender, tech, justice, and economic mobility. They’ve got Arlan Hamilton and Tarana Burke, y’all! You can RSVP to attend in-person (in Chicago) or online here.

CULTURE CHANGERS

On Loving and Losing Your Adoptive Parents

BY REBECCA CARROLL

Nicole Chung on her new memoir A Living Remedy

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE CHUNG

Nicole Chung has established herself as a queen of the literary memoir. Born to Korean immigrants and later adopted by a white couple in rural Oregon, Chung’s first memoir, All You Can Ever Know, chronicled her experience as a transracial adoptee, and the search for her remaining birth family in the United States. Now, her latest, A Living Remedy, published last month, is already garnering rave reviews. It tells the gut-wrenching story of losing her two adoptive parents back to back, in 2018 and 2020. As a transracial adoptee, I am moved and astonished by how Chung continues to expand on the adoption narrative (or the perception of it) in such succinct and generous ways. I sat down with her for The Meteor to talk about all of it.

Rebecca Carroll: In your new book, A Living Remedy, you contemplate whether or not you would have become a writer had you not been adopted. What is it about your experience as an adoptee that made you become a writer?

Nicole Chung: Maybe you’ll relate to this as an adoptee and a storyteller, but you're always telling that formative story over and over whether you feel like talking about it or not. There were certainly many years when I didn't want to share it or tried to find ways to share less of it. But even with the original story my adoptive parents told me about my adoption, which I later learned wasn't quite the truth, I was always struck by the power that can be found in retelling or reclaiming a story, if you're willing and brave enough to reconsider it.

RC: It makes me think that as adoptees, we are constantly trying to write our identities into existence. When did you know that you were going to become not just a writer, but a writer of such personal stories?

NC: I grew up not seeing anything like my experience in literature. Even stories written about adoption where it's a plot point, I often find bears little to no resemblance to my experience. And it's hard because I was very worried about, and honestly still am, being pigeonholed as this Korean adoptee writer. At the same time, it felt as though I had to write the first book [All You Can Ever Know] before I could write anything else. I just needed to see something like myself in literature to write more of it.

RC: There are moments throughout A Living Remedy where you say, “as an adoptee…”—and every single time I read that, it was thrilling because it felt like you were writing directly to me, while also expanding the adoptee narrative. Were you writing to fellow adoptees specifically?

NC: With my first book every time I started to lose my nerve or just think, “This is beyond me. I can't tell this story,” or “Who will care?” I thought about fellow adoptees, and that is what kept me going. A Living Remedy is completely different. It’s not that I didn't think about the wider audience with All You Can Ever Know—unlike some people in publishing, I was always convinced there was an audience for adoptee stories. A Living Remedy scared me, though, because it is just a much broader book. I'm writing about many things people call universal when white writers do it—grief, loss, illness. But because of my identity, I did wonder, will I be allowed to do this?

RC: Your main subjects, though, your parents, are white—how did that factor in?

NC: The story of my family until me is very much a white working-class story. But to be in the family and not have that same experience was one of the things that I wanted to write about, while not making either my race or my parents' race the focus. An interviewer asked me recently if my parents being white made me feel distant from them or their financial hardship, and I just didn't know how to respond. In every way, I thought of them as my parents, except for the basic biological facts. So, of course, I always felt I was part of their experience.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE CHUNG

RC: There’s a passage in the book when you’re in college, about to get married, and your mother accuses you of being embarrassed by them—she says you just see her and your dad as “poor white trash,” which took you off guard. How did you see them?

NC: I thought of them as my parents. I thought of them as the people who loved and raised me. I was just beginning to understand the educational and class differences that might happen. I think this is part of almost everybody's coming-of-age story, where you learn to see your parents as whole people, not just your parents. The changing nature of that parent-child relationship is a big part of the book, partly because of the caregiving role I had to step into when both my parents were ill.

RC: In one instance, you describe college as stepping into a foothold that your parents couldn't follow you into—what did you mean by that?

NC: I had never been away from my parents, where I grew up in this small town in Oregon for longer than a month at summer camp. I wasn't thinking about the fact that they couldn't go with me, or that if I gained education and class privilege, that I wouldn't be able to bring them with me. I was still thinking, “If I make it, they make it.” Of course, I had my own ambition, things that I wanted and hoped for, but I very much thought of myself as doing this for my family.

RC: Where did that ambition come from? Because you could have just stayed in the town.

NC: Oh, no, I could not have. After my first book came out, someone who had gone to my same church said, “I read your book. It was interesting. That's just not really what I think our community was like for me.” And I said, “Well, of course it wasn't like that for you. You are a white guy. There's a reason that you and I had very different experiences in that community.” Honestly, not to sound dramatic, I thought it might kill me if I stayed.

RC: How do you feel now about the place where you grew up?

NC: There are beautiful things about it…but it's not home. I never really belonged there, and I know that. I would rather not give racism this power in my narrative, but it's true that as soon as I started hearing slurs on the playground, I started thinking about leaving. I think also it was my parents, and especially my mother, who prepared me to go.

RC: I was so struck by your relationship with your mother, and the resolute way in which you write about her love—what have you brought of her mothering to your own?

NC: She was a very devout woman. Her deepest faith was in God. But after that, she had so much faith in me as her child. It's not like our relationship was perfect. It was very complicated. Adoption was one of many things that complicated it. But I never doubted her love or her faith in me. And I think that made me braver than I would've been otherwise. If I can bring anything of her parenting to mine, that's what I think about the most. I want my kids to grow up with that sense of reassurance.

RC: In the book, you use the term “unadopted” to describe what it felt like, in part, to lose both your adoptive parents—can you say more about that?

NC: I'm not sure it's the term that I'd use now to describe my current state. But my mother was dying—my last link, the last person who knew me as a child or remembered what it was like for me growing up. It was just sinking in that I was going to be carrying these memories of my parents and my grandparents, all alone in a sense. What does it even mean to have lost two families—to have lost one family through adoption, and then the one that adopted me? What does it mean to be an adoptee when your adopted family is gone?

RC: If not unadopted, then what?

NC: I am still an adoptee. That will always be part of who I am. My parent’s love for me will always shape who I am. I was then and still am really sad that my time belonging to that family is over, and there's no getting it back. There's no finding it with other people. It's just over.

RC: How do you bear it?

NC: I think there was a time when I wasn't bearing it. I remember just this deep depression I fell into after my father died, and there were echoes of that when my mother was dying. Just the helplessness and the rage, and it felt unbearable. [But] I knew that by living, I could remember [my parents]. It finally became more important to me to be able to live and remember them than to live, punishing myself for what I couldn't do for them. And I think that's still how I bear it, because when I was able to do that and grieve in that way, they felt close again.

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