Why is MAGA so obsessed with drag queens and transgender issues?
I learned a new word the other night. “Transmutilazation.” I learned it while listening to Donald Trump’s disjointed and at times incoherent address to a crowd of about 3,000 sycophants. They were gathered in a rodeo arena in Pendleton, South Carolina, to support Darline Graham’s campaign for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by her…
Qnotes Democracy: Your rights are on the docket (or Justice wears a robe, not a cape)
I wanted to be a lawyer. More specifically, I dreamed of being a judge. An intelligent, objective dispenser of justice. A superhero in a robe instead of a cape. I’d get the bad guys off the streets, protect the innocent and make sure justice was served. Simple, right? Then I married my first husband, who…
The SAVE Act isn’t about election security — it’s about who gets to vote
Since the United States’ inception, the right to vote has been described as the foundation of American democracy – a promise that every citizen has a voice to choose the leaders who shape their lives. But for many Americans, that very promise has always come with an asterisk. Women, Black Americans, immigrants, disabled voters and…
A dress code for transgender teachers is probably illegal — and definitely wrong
A Republican state lawmaker has suggested she’ll file legislation that would require “gender-appropriate professional attire for public school employees.” What happened to being the party of freedom? Rep. Erin Paré, who represents Wake County, said on social media that the legislation would “protect children from being exposed to more complex and mature gender-identity questions and…
Letter to the editor
To whom it may concern, I am writing this letter with a heavy heart and real concern regarding the termination of Mr. Lorenzo Tucker, a respected community advocate and a member of the Charlotte Black Gay Pride community. I want to be clear about the timeline. Mr. Tucker was terminated from his position at C.W.…
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Honoring the experiences of our LGBTQ+ Veterans
Veterans Day (proclaimed a federal holiday in 1938 by President Woodrow Wilison) began as Armistice Day on November 11, 1918, marking the end of major fighting in World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Unlike most federal floating holidays, it’s always on the 11th day of November.…
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Durham LGBTQ+ Pride march honored with historical marker
A new historical marker in downtown Durham recognizes North Carolina’s first LGBTQ+ Pride march, an event that grew out of a violent 1981 attack and helped shape decades of organizing in the state. The marker, unveiled on Main Street near the Museum of Durham History on October 3, commemorates “Our Day Out,” a June 27,…
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ICE terror campaign continues in Charlotte
Immigration advocates are demanding answers after a U.S. citizen said he was arrested at gunpoint by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on his way to work in Charlotte earlier this past week. Atilio Portillo, a resident of east Charlotte who owns a small construction business, told reporters during a press conference Friday, October 23 that…
