Women

Molly Cook Wins Special Election; Will be First LGBTQ+ Texas State Senator

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Molly Cook Texas

Molly Cook has won the special election to represent District 15 in the Texas Senate and will serve out the remaining term of now-Houston Mayor John Whitmire. Cook makes history as the first out LGBTQ+ member of the upper chamber, which is especially hostile to LGBTQ+ rights.

Molly is an ER nurse, community organizer and advocate for a more sustainable Texas. She will be on the ballot again for the primary runoff election on May 28, where she’s competing for the full term that starts next year.

Annise Parker, president & CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and former Houston mayor, released the following statement:

“For too long, the LGBTQ+ community has been the punching bag of bigots in the Texas Senate. Now, they’ll have an out LGBTQ+ peer as their colleague who will look them in the eye and make them see the Texans they’re hurting. We know Molly will not only be a powerful voice for LGBTQ+ Texans, she’ll do a wonderful job fighting for the needs of all her constituents in District 15, including myself. Between now and May 28, I’ll be doing everything I can to ensure another victory for Molly and the cause of equality.”

Gay Conversion Therapy Survivor Shares Her Story

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Julie Rodgers: Pray Away the Gay

For years, Julie Rodgers’s entire life revolved around trying not to be gay. She grew up in an Evangelical Christian family, hearing that she was “depraved, disgusting, broken, an enemy of God.” In her new memoir, Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story (Broadleaf Books, $24.99 paper; June 22, 2021), Rodgers tells how she went from ex-gay poster child to helping bring down Exodus, the largest ex-gay organization in the world, and to building a whole, healthy, and happy life with her wife Amanda Hite.

Rodgers’s story is featured in the documentary Pray Away, executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, which will debut on the streaming service in August, 2021. A Tribeca Festival Official Selection (2020), it will be shown at this year’s festival, in a sold-out screening on June 16.

Rodgers grew up at the center of the debate between Evangelical Christians and the LGBTQ community—a battle that continues to rage in headlines and courtrooms across the country. Hers is a painful coming of age story: a teenage girl who wants to be “good,” to be loved, to belong, but whose own mother considers her an abomination. When she came out to her family at 16, she was immediately enrolled at a conversion therapy ministry called Living Hope—an organization that is active and growing to this day. Conversion therapy has been widely discredited by medical and psychiatric organizations. Rodgers hopes her story will help young LGBTQ people who have been harmed by efforts to change their orientation.

Julie’s story is also that of a naive, earnest young woman who began to understand how she was being used by evangelical leaders to support their narrative about homosexuality, and to protect them from being branded as bigots. “I was seen as one of a handful of unicorn gays who would parrot conservative views and shield them from accusations of homophobia,” she writes of her time as a speaker at Q conferences and as the first openly gay associate chaplain at Wheaton College, an Evangelical school. “I was a pawn in their battle against my own people.”

All the while, she was self-harming, beset by self-loathing. “What’s a queer person to do,” she asks, “when the only people we’ve ever known and loved believe our love is disordered and our bodies are broken?”

“Evangelical leaders had willfully lied about the people I loved,” Rodgers writes. “They actively spun stories that denigrated beautiful queer people, drumming up fear in Evangelicals to mobilize them to support their preferred policies in every sphere of society.”

After years of trying to fit in to the conservative world she had grown up in, Julie “didn’t have the will to live another day at the center of the evangelical debate about queer people.”

Now 35, Rodgers is comfortable in the skin she once burned—out, affirming, feminist, politically progressive, and still Christian. Her faith looks a lot different now, with more room for mystery and more questions than answers. “The day I married Amanda I bore my scars with pride in a sleeveless gown. I thought they told a story about neurotic queer who was broken and deranged. I finally understood the scars told a story of a girl who was born into a system that tried to kill her and by the grace of God, I survived.”

About the author:
Julie Rodgers is a writer, speaker, and leader in the movement working for full inclusion for LGBTQ people in Christian communities. She is featured in Pray Away (2020), a documentary about the moment to pray the gay away. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Time. Through her writing and speaking, Julie inspires people to reimagine belonging with her queer reflections on faith, public life, and chosen family.

LGBT Center of Raleigh Appoints Patricia R. Corbett

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Patricia R. Corbett

The LGBT Center of Raleigh is announced the appointment of Patricia R. Corbett (she/her) following an extensive national search. Corbett has over 20 years professional nonprofit leadership experience and most recently served as Deputy Director of District and School Partnerships with Citizen Schools. She has led teams, organizations, projects in and around LGBTQ+ and BIPOC movements, including at Metro DC PFLAG and Richmond Organization of Sexual Minority Youth (now known as Side by Side).

Corbett is uniquely qualified to lead the Center into its next decade. Corbett, who is a natural collaborator with experience strengthening and growing community based nonprofit organizations, has a strong connection and commitment to the LGBTQ+ communities we serve. Additionally, she also brings the managerial and professional expertise the Center sought in its next chief executive.

“As I think about this position, I am eager to amplify my work for the LGBTQ community. I believe that the sum of who we are as a community is not strictly defined by our sexuality or how we identify. We must consider the entire being of our constituents and strengthen the Center’s core by providing services that reflect the needs of the most vulnerable of our community while celebrating the strength we have collectively,” notes Patricia R. Corbett, “I am honored to serve as the Executive Director and to support, affirm, empower, and provide positive experiences that are reinforced by internal and external communities.”

Board Chair Kaye Vassey noted, “The Center board unanimously appointed Patricia R. Corbett as our next chief executive because she has the experience and vision necessary to expand our programs and services in new and more inclusive directions.”

Patricia R. Corbett, who currently lives in North Carolina and will relocate to Raleigh for this position, will start on July 25. When asked about Corbett’s appointment, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin shared that “ The LGBT Center of Raleigh has been a critical partner in supporting our LGBTQ+ community, providing programs and services to our diverse residents. We welcome Patricia Corbett as the new executive director and look forward to working with her to ensure that Raleigh is a welcoming and thriving community for all.

Find out more about the LGBT Center of Raleigh at: www.lgbtcenterofraleigh.com

More than Moana

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Auli'i Cravalho

More Than Moana 
Auli’i Cravalho on her new bisexual role, her first Pride and coming out on TikTok
By Chris Azzopardi

It’s still open to interpretation whether Moana is on the queer spectrum, but Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the Disney princess, can assure you of one thing — she’s a proud bisexual. The 21-year-old actress portrays her first openly LGBTQ+ character in “Crush,” a Hulu Original Film with lesbian love at its center. Cravalho, as track-team runner AJ, plays an instrumental part — saying anything else would give too much away — in the teen rom-com about the unexpected twists and turns in high school romance. Donning a plaid Coach coat, which she was wearing “proudly for the rest of the day on this couch” since it wasn’t hers, Cravalho talked on video about inspiring LGBTQ+ youth to be themselves, her message to major corporations like Disney when it comes to queer issues, and what about her first Pride event she’s most looking forward to. 

As somebody older than you, I can say how proud it makes me to see people in the queer community be part of these movies. These movies did not exist when I was a teenager, so I can only imagine what it means to queer youth when they see not only themselves in these characters but people who are queer playing them.

Thank you. It felt really important to me, as well. I remember reading the script, and I was, for one, honored because I haven’t really played a queer role before. I do identify as bisexual, so it felt important, also, that my character was written in that way. It was really nice to have a rom-com that focused on teens that was positive and sex-positive. And also, not being focused on a coming out story, because we are so much more than just sexuality. It felt really refreshing. I was very happy to play AJ.

You’ve answered my next question, which was: What appealed to you most about this movie when you got the script?

I was just happy that it was a good script, first and foremost. But also, then I learned that the writers, Kirsten King and Casey Rackham, are also queer. And then, to top it off, our director, Sammi Cohen, is also queer. It felt so good, and after reading the script, it made sense. I was, like, “Oh, see, this is why the jokes land. And this is why the Gen Z humor is so on the nose, because we’re making fun of ourselves, and it’s funny!”

Working with so many people from the LGBTQ+ community, did you feel at home? 

Yeah. It’s really fun. I mean, just to know that we are making something that I’ve learned affects how people are treated in real life. So, to show films that are more diverse, inclusive, sex-positive — it broadens our audience’s minds, and I think we all knew that.But then, also, we’re all young. It’s a young cast, and we all got to, somewhat, [hang out] during a pandemic, because this is a pandemic film. I was skateboarding with some people because that’s what my character does, and I fell down a lot. It was just fun to be included in a cast that knew the importance of the film.

AJ is into girls, but do we know how she identifies? 

Yes, we do. AJ is a proud bisexual just like me.

How do you relate to her? 

I, for this role, practiced running, which is strange to say, but I did have to practice how to run. [Laughs.] I also took a few skateboarding lessons and drove myself to the skate park, and I fell down a lot. Like, truthfully, that really bruised my pride. It was important for me to do that, because that connected me more so to AJ, as someone who is a perfectionist. She wants to be on her A-game, always, in school, as far as grades are concerned, as well as with the track team. She is co-head of the track team.Then what we come to find out is she has this really strong inclination to art, and she draws. To be a perfectionist in your art is so common, but also so damaging because, at least for myself, when I make art, I’m like, “It’s not ready yet. It’s not ready to be seen.” Sometimes I wonder if it will ever be ready to be seen. These were traits that, suddenly, I understood, because I am also a perfectionist. 

In 2020, you came out on TikTok as bisexual. Did you expect that news to make the splash that it did?

 It was crazy! It was in the beginning of the pandemic, when no one had anything else to talk about. And I was like, “I’m gonna lip sync this Eminem song on TikTok at 3 a.m. with my mom literally snoring in the background.” It blew up. So, that was strange [laughs]. But I never felt the need to come out. Like, you don’t have to make a really big announcement to know who you are. And, for me, that’s how it was. I’ve always known that I like girls. Girls smell good, and they are soft, and I know how to talk to girls; that’s just something that comes naturally to me. So, if anyone relates to that, that’s your coming out story to yourself. When you have that conversation with yourself, that’s all it has to be.

Do your queer fans still come up to you or reach out to you on Twitter and talk about it, and what do they say?

Yeah! They said they’re impacted that I did that. I didn’t realize the impact, but now I do. Because it’s representation, and that’s what it comes down to. It’s seeing yourself on screen and more than it was important for myself, it was important for others to know that it was OK. 

Sometimes we’re just in our bubbles. For me, I’m surrounded by queer people all the time. But we have to keep in mind that some 12-year-old boy in small-town Kansas City might not have any queer friends, so the only people he has is someone like you.

Yeah, well said. And it truly is that, and I forget. I forget I’m 21, you know what I mean? To have an impact like that, it makes my heart swell. I’m truly so grateful.

What did you make of the “Moana is bisexual” headlines after you came out?

I also find that amusing. What is written and how it is portrayed, and then how the public takes it or how one person interprets it, is entirely their own. That’s what’s super special about it. A lot of movies are queer coded. A lot of characters are camp. 

Representation has changed so much in the last few years, and what I love about “Crush” is that it is just casually queer. Are those the sort of queer characters that appeal to you?

I think this ties back into: I am bisexual. I identify as queer. And every character that I play, moving forward, is an extension of me. And so my vibrancy and my experiences shape how I play a certain character. So, in the future, I absolutely want to play characters that are outwardly queer. But, even if they aren’t, I think the way that I interpret scripts will always be my own. And all my characters are gonna be a little bit like this, because I’m a little bit like this. I don’t know how to say it in words.

That all your roles get filtered through a queer lens?Yes! I think filtered through a queer lens is such a better way of putting it. Beautiful words.

There’s been talk about Disney for years and LGBTQ+ representation within Disney films,  about them falling behind and not keeping up with the times. What’s your take on that as somebody who has worked for Disney? 

I think it’s really important to stand on the right side of history, now. It’s important to support people, regardless of sexuality. And support people for their sexuality, as well. And, in times such as these, when corporations are tied so directly to bills and laws, I think it is imperative that people speak up. And I applaud individuals for standing up for what is right — for walking out, for striking when it’s necessary. Because it is. Because, sometimes, we need to take matters into our own hands in order to be listened to.

So, I believe representation is very important, but also the work on the ground is just as important, and staying up-to-date and staying informed. This is the world that we live in now. And if we’re fighting for our diverse and inclusive future, then be inclusive. Put your money where your mouth is.

We’re nearing Pride, and I don’t know if you’ve ever gone to a Pride event, but, this year, how do you plan on celebrating? 

I’m so excited. I’ve never been to a Pride event. But I lived in Hell’s Kitchen for a while.

Always Pride there. 

Always Pride! [Laughs.] I suppose my first Pride event… I live in Los Angeles, so I’ll be there. I’ll be taking to the streets. I will find someone to give a little gay flag. One of the great things about wearing a mask is nobody knows who you are. So, I’ll be there. I don’t know if you’ll see me, but I will be there. It’s so joyful to walk around and to scream Lady Gaga at the top of your lungs and to know that your community is surrounding you. And to watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on a TV in West Hollywood because it’s Pride. Like, everyone’s just playing things that are gay.

How fun to exist in that world for a period of time. And then to take that energy and throw it everywhere that you can, for the rest of the year. I feel like that’s Pride. 

Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

Heather Mizeur Runs for Congress

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Heather Mizeur

From the Victory Fund: Heather Mizeur has spent her professional life over the last 25 years passionately engaged in public service. She is a policy expert, a former legislator, a small business owner, a farmer and the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization focused on social justice. 
 
Heather’s life is defined by a commitment to service and stewardship that was formed in her early years. She is the oldest daughter of a factory welder who was an active United Auto Worker for more than 30 years. Five generations of family farming also run deep through her DNA. Heather’s spiritual life, rooted in her Catholic faith, is the animating force behind her dedication to social justice — a passion and faith shared by her wife, Deborah. They met on Capitol Hill while Heather was U.S. Senator John Kerry’s Domestic Policy Director and were married in 2005, pledging then to do everything they could to bring marriage equality to Maryland. 
 
Heather was known in Annapolis as a legislative powerhouse during the eight years she served in the Maryland General Assembly — leading the charge on passing marriage equality, banning fracking, enacting criminal justice reforms, and expanding health insurance for children, women, and families. After leaving elected office, Heather founded Soul Force Politics, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the worsening divisions in American politics and civic life. Heather’s career also includes four years of national service as a member of AmeriCorps. 

Find out more at www.heathermizeur.com

JoJo Siwa Dancing Fearlessly into the Spotlight

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Teen dance sensation JoJo Siwa on coming out, making history on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and being a role model for queer youth

By Chris Azzopardi

This year, JoJo Siwa made history as the first “Dancing with the Stars” contestant to compete with a same-sex partner. With Jenna Johnson, she performed the Argentine tango to Britney Spears, did the cha-cha to Lady Gaga and busted out her best moves for a sexy queer rumba to Janet Jackson.

And maybe, somehow, you’ve missed all the JoJo buzz, which means you probably also missed her “Grease” foxtrot, but you should know this: JoJo is everywhere right now. That’s great because she’s queer, and we love to see LGBTQ+ visibility on TV, especially on shows like “Dancing with the Stars” where you least expect it.

But JoJo, who made Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020, has actually been dancing for years — which is a strange thing to say about someone who’s only 18. JoJo, however, got her start at 9 when she competed on the “Dance Moms” spinoff “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition” during its second season in 2013.

JoJo is as beloved on “Dancing with the Stars” as she is on YouTube, where she has amassed over 12 million followers (that number, she tells me, “exploded” after she came out earlier this year, in January). Now she’s teamed up with her mom, Jessalynn Siwa, who’s also her manager (hence, “momager”), for their own Peacock show, “Siwas Dance Pop Revolution.” Over eight episodes, JoJo mentors and choreographs 11 tweens, some of her biggest fans, as they compete to be a part of XOMG Pop, a new pop group. The crowned group will open for JoJo on her 2022 tour.

Recently, JoJo, alongside Jessalynn, spoke about being fearlessly queer, going through a public romance and breakup with ex-girlfriend Kylie Prew, and what it feels like to inspire other LGBTQ+ youth to come out.

How are you bringing diversity and inclusion to “Siwas Dance Pop Revolution”?

JoJo: You know, we wanted to create a girl group that was for everybody and for everybody in the world to be like, “That one’s like me.” And I think that we have made sure that the kids who are in the girl group, and even the kids on the show, have all been able to have their say and make this exactly what they want it to be.

As a queer person yourself, who was the person that made you say, “I see me in you”?

JoJo: I looked up a lot to Freddie Mercury and Lady Gaga. I like what they stand for. I mean, “Born This Way” is literally a gay anthem for everybody in the world and the most genius song ever and, for me, that song hits so home that it’s literally my life.

Did you ever hear from Gaga after lip-syncing “Born This Way” on TikTok?

JoJo: No. [Whimpers.] Don’t mention it, it makes me sad.

Jessalynn: One day, one day.

As somebody who’s representing the queer community on “Dancing with the Stars,” and now with your own dance show, why do you think LGBTQ+ representation is important in shows like these?

JoJo: I think that something that’s really great about today’s day and age is, being gay or being a part of the LGBTQ community is not only accepted, but it’s also celebrated. And I think that every single day it’s less weird and less not typical. Every day it’s becoming a little bit more normal for everybody, and, I mean, being normal is boring. Nobody wants to be normal; everybody wants to be a little different. So I think that it’s something to be celebrated, not scared of.

Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, which in some people’s mind might be more conservative, was it ever weird for you? What was your experience growing up as a queer person there?

JoJo: Growing up I didn’t know many gay people. I knew a few people on my mom’s side of the family. Her godson is gay, and he was probably one of the first people that I ever knew to be gay. I think being in the dance community, I know of a lot of people there who were gay. It never, ever once for me was wrong. And I think that’s something that you always told me; you were never like, “Oh, that’s weird.”

Jessalynn: No, it’s not.

JoJo: Like, it doesn’t matter. I love the person [who’s like], “If my kid comes out to me as gay, the next thing I’ll do is ask him what he wants for dinner.” I started dating my first girlfriend on January 8th. So what is the difference between January 7th and January 8th for me? There’s none. One, I’m happily in love and dating and have a girlfriend and the other, I’m halfway in love and she’s just not my girlfriend yet. So it’s like, there’s no difference. Nothing changes inside the person that wasn’t already there.

I am so happy to see you live so unabashedly bold as somebody who is in the queer community, but I also wanna shout out to your mom and say it’s equally as important to see a parent be as supportive as you are.

Jessalynn: Thank you. I think kids just wanna feel love from their parents and be accepted and unconditionally able to be themselves no matter what, and that’s what I always tell JoJo: “I love you no matter what.” And I’ve been saying it for 18 years, and I’ll say it for a hundred more.

Jess, what has it been like for you to see her live so boldly, just completely unabashedly out, loud and proud in such a public way?

Jessalynn: You know, I’m so proud of her. I’m so proud of her because she’s so brave. And the world is crazy, and sometimes I’m sure it’s hard to be brave — and it’s hard to be out there and put yourself out there — but she just does it and she loves it, and she’s happy. And it’s really cool, and even as someone that’s older than her, it’s inspiring. To look at somebody so young and so brave… well, we only have one life to live, you know? “Live your best life” is something else we say a lot, and I truly love to see JoJo just living her best life.

JoJo: Thank you.

Jessalynn: You’re welcome.

That’s so sweet. JoJo, what’s your life been like since coming out? You have over 12 million YouTube followers, and I imagine that number surged as soon as you made that statement.

JoJo: Right away it did — it exploded. And I think it’s a thing that a lot of people may’ve been scared of for me, and I was never scared of it myself. I kind of just did [it] and then, if anything, went bad then it went bad and I didn’t care because I was happy, and if I lost everything because of who I love, then so be it.

How aware have you become of the influence that you’re having on LGBTQ+ youth who may not be comfortable with who they are?

JoJo: I think that every kid has a feeling when they’re little and you know how you feel, and you don’t really know how to make what you’re feeling OK. And I think that having somebody to look to, to be like, “Oh, I’m like they are,” is really special, and I love that I get to be that person for a lot of kids.

What advice might you give to a young queer person who’s really struggling with their sexuality?

JoJo: I would say, if you did it a month ago, would you regret it? And depending on the answer, I hope the answer would be no. Because I think sometimes just in the moment it’s scary, but think if you would’ve done it a month ago, would you be OK with it today? And hopefully that answer will be yes. And then I would just say, “So that’s how you’ll feel in one month.”

When it came to coming out publicly, what was the scariest part for you, JoJo, but also for you, Jess?

JoJo: Honestly, there was nothing scary about it for me. I had zero fear of coming out.

Jessalynn: For me, just the unknown. I didn’t ever want to say the wrong thing to JoJo. I don’t mean to say anything wrong or bad; just tell me if I do. And with the pronouns, I’m trying to learn, I’m trying to figure it out.

JoJo: Even somebody like Demi Lovato — there’s somebody who I looked up to since I was a baby, and Demi came out as non-binary this year. Sometimes when we’re talking about Demi, you’ll accidentally say “she.” But Demi actually said, “It’s OK as long as you’re trying.”

This can be personal for a lot of people, but in hopes that maybe this will help other queer youth come out to their parents, would you mind sharing how you came out to your mom?

JoJo: Honestly, I got in the car and my mom said, “You really like her, don’t you?” And this [was] after Ky and I had spent a few nights together. My whole family was there, and it was our last night together, and we kissed. And I said, “Yeah.” And my mom goes, “As a friend or as more than a friend?” And I just said, “As more than a friend.” And my mom then said, “I figured.” [Laughs.]

Jessalynn: [Laughs.] That was like a one-minute conversation.

JoJo: Yeah. It lasted one minute. It was easy. She made it easy on me, and truthfully, I knew my feelings for Ky, but if we didn’t kiss I would’ve just said, “Just as a friend.” Like, it was only because it was so real to me that I was comfortable with fully telling everybody.

What do you remember from that moment, Jess?

Jessalynn: I remember sitting on the Sprinter [Camper] waiting for JoJo to come back and then when she came back and she was crying ’cause she had said goodbye, I knew. And I just remember thinking, “I really need to know.” Like, I just wanted the scoop, but I was afraid. But then before I even knew what I was saying —

JoJo: You were saying it.

Jessalynn: I was saying it. And then it was just simple, and we just carried on. And then you were sad because you were separating and I was like, “Tell her to come to California for the weekend.”

JoJo, you’ve gone through both a public romance and a public breakup. What has that been like for you?

JoJo: Honestly, it’s been a rollercoaster. The good news about it is, I am still best friends with Ky, and she will forever be the first girl that I was ever in love with and the person who made me realize that I was gay and the person who made me so happy, that I was so in love with, that I was head over heels for. And I’m so lucky that even though a romantic relationship ended, our platonic relationship is still there, and our friendship is still there and she’s still one of my best friends.

We talk almost every day still, and she is awesome. So supportive of “Dancing with the Stars” and “Dance Pop.” She loves [the] little kiddos on the show, so they all love her. It’s tricky to navigate because the world always has their own view on things and their own opinion on things, so when the world started speculating [about] things between the two of us, I was checking in with Ky being like, “Hey, you good? You want me to say anything?” So it’s tricky. But one day at a time, and you just keep moving forward.

Dancing with another female partner, Jenna Johnson, on “Dancing with the Stars,” has meant a lot to a lot of queer youth. What has it meant to you?

JoJo: It has meant a lot to me. I think that being paired with another female for the first time ever, first-ever same-sex couple, is such an honor. And I wanna use the word brilliant — it’s so brilliant because love is so accepted and so celebrated that it’s not weird; it’s cool, it’s nice, it’s awesome. And every week Jenna and I are faced with the new challenge of figuring out how to do a new style with two females. But we always get through it, and we always make it out on the other side.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity

Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

Why Tracey Scott Wilson Deserves Your Respect

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Tracey Scott Wilson

How the ‘Respect’ screenwriter’s sexual identity influenced her telling of Aretha’s story
By Chris Azzopardi

Aretha Franklin’s journey to self-discovery is seen through the lens of openly lesbian screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson in “Respect,” the biopic starring Jennifer Hudson as Detroit’s own Queen of Soul. In director Liesl Tommy’s film, Wilson focuses on Franklin’s tumultuous path to the top, one that involved many years of fighting for personal and professional agency. 

During her formative years, Aretha was bound to the controlling men in her life, namely her first husband, Ted White, and father, C.L. Franklin. That is, until she realized she didn’t have to be. The movie’s message — find your own voice — is one Wilson is very familiar with. After all, she’s lesbian. And, like Aretha, a preacher’s daughter. 

From Brooklyn, the screenwriter spoke about how being part of the LGBTQ+ community influenced her script, why Aretha isn’t considered a gay icon, and how she wants the Queen’s song “Ain’t No Way” to be reclaimed as the gay anthem she says it is. 

There are so many ways to tell Aretha’s story. How do you think your identity helped shape the narrative direction of the story as you chose to tell it?

That’s such a great question and something that no one has ever asked me. I didn’t know that Carolyn [Aretha’s younger sister] was a lesbian and so, when I found that out, that was just huge. I was like, “Wow. I wonder what would’ve happened had I known that when I was a kid.” 

So, reading about Aretha’s family and the uniqueness of circumstances. And, also, my father was a minister. Obviously not as big as C.L., but I was very sort of tuned into the preacher’s kid part of me because, whenever you’re a preacher’s kid, you have to find your own identity outside of your parents. It can be so overwhelming. So I was just thinking about Carolyn and being a preacher’s kid, with a world-famous father at that. And then also, as a gay person, to decide you’re going to live your truth is just remarkable. Aretha, you know, never questioned [it]. They completely accepted that.

So was Carolyn your inroad to this story?

I think that Aretha was still the inroad, but because of her and Erma [Aretha’s elder sister], they were really important because I realized how much they influenced her, and vice versa. Their relationship was very formative to her. And whenever I was thinking about Aretha, I was thinking about where her sisters were at that moment.

Of course there’s gay gospel musician and Aretha collaborator James Cleveland, played by Tituss Burgess in the movie. Do you think Aretha coming out of her shell and harnessing her inner power had anything to do with the LGBTQ+ people around her, like Carolyn and James? 

I actually do believe that. James Cleveland would have these parties and there were just gay people there, where it was sort of unspoken. Singers in the Black churches, ministers of music…

I think that her father, from all of my research, was just never sort of judgmental about that. I mean, I think it was different when it came to his own daughter. But I do think that seeing so many people — women, gay men — just live their truest under her father’s roof really did help her later on, in terms of just declaring her own identity. 

Why do you think Aretha’s contemporaries, like Diana Ross and Patti LaBelle, are considered gay icons but Aretha is rarely referred to as one? 

I think that the reason she hasn’t traditionally fallen into that category is because of her relationship with the church. For so many gay people, the church has been a source of pain. And for Aretha, it was a source of pain, but also her greatest source of inspiration. I think that’s why she wasn’t a gay icon. You know, “Amazing Grace” is her best-selling album [Note: It’s also the best selling gospel album of all time, period]. Whereas Patti LaBelle grew up in the church as well, but musically she wasn’t as connected to it. Same thing as Diana Ross. Diana Ross, growing up in the Motown scene, she didn’t have anything to do with that. So, I think that’s the unintended barrier, because she definitely had all of the other qualities these women had. The larger-than-life persona, the feminism…

And the shade. The shade was just so good.

The shade. Oh my god.

To me, a lot of things that Aretha had done in her career fall into the gay icon category: the over-the-top exuberance, the voice, the sass, the shade.  

Carolyn, she wrote “Ain’t No Way” to be… it’s a gay anthem. When you look at those lyrics, it was so clear. You know what she’s talking about.

Do you think Aretha knew?

Oh, absolutely. I think the lyrics spoke to her as well, but her singing there was also an acknowledgement of her sister. [Aretha] was very private, so she didn’t talk about her life and she certainly wasn’t going to talk about her sister’s private life. I think if it would have been known, she would’ve been right up there with Cher. 

I can’t find a lot of examples of Aretha actually openly talking about her LGBTQ+ fanbase.

I don’t think that was because of any type of shame. I just think that she was so intensely private that any opening up of that conversation would’ve meant talking about Carolyn. It would’ve meant talking about James Cleveland. It would’ve meant talking about her childhood. And she just didn’t want to. 

It sounds like Aretha’s relationship with Carolyn gave you some insight into how Aretha felt about the community. 

James Cleveland as well. You can see from “Amazing Grace” how close they were, growing up at the house with him. He was obviously very open about it. 

Because of the movie, now I hear “Ain’t No Way” in a brand new queer light. It really does sound like a gay anthem. 

Yeah, it really is. I hope it gets reclaimed. Because of just time, I wasn’t able to talk about Carolyn being a lesbian in the movie. There were a couple of scenes where I sort of laid it out. They had conversations, but it had to be cut. But I just hope it gets reclaimed for the anthem that it is.

Can you talk about the scenes that didn’t make the cut? 

There’s a scene where Erma and Aretha were talking with Carolyn, and Carolyn is feeling sorry about somebody she dated that was crazy [laughs]. It was a scene where Aretha and Erma were talking to Carolyn, and they were asking her about someone she had previously dated and Carolyn was basically saying, “Don’t. Please. Don’t ever mention that girl’s name again.” And there was another scene where she started wrestling with who she was interested in. 

Maybe the follow-up you write is Carolyn’s story.

Wouldn’t that be something? Wouldn’t it? Carolyn and James’s story.
Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

Will Michelle Rayner be the First Out LGBTQ Member of Congress from Florida?

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Michelle Rayner for Congress

The Victory Fund has endorsed Michelle Rayner for the US House of Representatives District 13 seat. If she wins, Rayner will become the first out LGBTQ member of congress from Florida. District 13 includes the cities of St. Petersburg, Largo, and Clearwater. The primary election takes place August 13th, 2022, and the general election will take place November 8th, 2022.

Victory fund writes ….

Civil rights and social justice attorney Michele Rayner made history in 2020 when she was elected as the first openly queer Black member of the Florida legislature and immediately established herself as one of the strongest advocates for underserved communities. Now, she’s ready to do more for her constituents by bringing their fight to Washington.

Michele was raised by a family of changemakers in Pinellas County. Her parents both integrated the University of South Florida in the early 1960s, with her mother going on to become one of the first Black social workers in St. Petersburg and her father successfully putting himself through engineering school while working in a warehouse. Her parents established themselves as community leaders and set an example for Michele with their dedication to service.

After law school, Michele joined the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s office, a position she was drawn to because she felt it was where she could do the most good for the most vulnerable in her community. While serving as a public defender, she learned the importance of truly listening to and steadfastly advocating for clients who have limited agency.

Michele was called to ensure justice again when she became an attorney for Markeis McGlockton’s family, working alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Markeis was shot and killed in an altercation in a Clearwater parking lot, reigniting the debate over Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law 6 years after the death of Trayvon Martin. During the 2019 trial, the killer was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The experience made it clear to Michele that running for the legislature could help her do more to fight unjust laws like Stand Your Ground and prevent future tragedies from occurring.

Growing up, Michele’s father always told her: “Help others, do the right thing and most of all, always keep your head up high.” To this day, Michele keeps her head up and will continue to do so as a leader for her constituents, ensuring an equitable recovery from COVID, protecting voting rights, and demanding real justice for underserved communities in Congress.

Michele currently lives in St. Petersburg with her wife Bianca and their dogs.

Kayla Quimbley Joins Presidential Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS

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Kayla Quimbley

On August 4, 2021, Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, swore in eight new members to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), one of the newest members being Kayla Quimbley, a Georgia Equality Youth HIV Policy Advisor and youth HIV advocate.

Quimbley, as a Youth HIV Policy Advisor, is trained on policy and advocacy while being equipped with the resources needed to educate state, city, and county-level policymakers around the creation of meaningful HIV- related laws and strategy.

According to www.hiv.gov, “The PACHA provides advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding programs, policies, and research to promote effective prevention, treatment, and cure of HIV disease and AIDS. This includes recommendations to the Secretary regarding the development and implementation of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative and the HIV National Strategic Plan.”

As a member of Advocates’ Engaging Communities around HIV Organizing (ECHO) council and as a National Youth HIV AIDS Awareness Day Ambassador, Quimbley is utilizing her skills, and lived experience, to eradicate HIV stigma, reduce the number of new HIV transmissions, and directly influence policy change.

Quimbley has dedicated herself to raising awareness of how HIV disproportionately impacts youth of color and continuously works to ensure that youth have access to medically accurate information.

Georgia Equality celebrates Kayla Quimbley for her dedication and is a true inspiration. We know she will be an assest to the PACHA.

National LGBTQ+ Women’s Survey

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National LGBTQ+ Women's SUrvey

A message from the organizers of the National Women’s Survey:

Take the survey now at: www.lgbtqwomensurvey.org

What is the Survey and who is it for?

We strive to create a platform for the wide range of experiences we know exist among lesbian/bi/transleasbian/nonbinary/queer/intersex people.  We welcome lesbian, bi, pansexual, trans, intersex, asexual, and queer women who partner with women; trans men who want to report on their experience of partnering with women when they identified as or were perceived to be girls or women; and non-binary people who partner with or have partnered with women.

Who is doing this project?

I initiated this project and have been working to launch it for over two years.  It is done under the umbrella of Justice Work, a nonprofit think tank, and is supported by many leading LGBTQ funders and partner organizations (see list on website).

You’ll recognize a lot of the members of our Advisory team as veteran queer, racial justice activists and researchers including political scientist and researcher Cathy Cohen; HIV researcher Tonia Poteat; Zami Nobla Founder Mary Anne Adams; US Transgender Survey director, Sandy James; Williams Institute’s leading scholars Bianca Wilson and Lee Badgett; founder of the Social Justice Sexuality Project at CUNY, Juan Battle; bisexual and feminist leader Loraine Hutchins; trans legal scholar and organizer Dean Spade, among others. 

Our research team is led alongside me, by Dr. Jaime Grant (who co-authored the first National Transgender Discrimination Study); Dr. Alyasah Ali Sewell, Director of the Race & Policing Project at Emory University, who leads work on developing quantative approaches to racism studies and addressing racial health disparties; and Dr. Carla Sutherland, who has done groundbreaking work in global LGBTQ human rights and research

What’s unique about this survey?  

This is a first-of-its-kind, national grassroots community survey of LGBTQ+ women/womxn who partner with women.  

It is a study that will capture nuance and queer fabulousness as we catalogue our identities, life experiences, survival strategies, kinship structures, partnerships, and families.

We hope it will become the largest dataset of LGBTQ+ womxn’s experiences in the country and in the world. 

We are asking your help in three ways:

1.  Please take the survey and share with your friends and communities to which you are connected.  A total of 30-40 minutes to take the survey could help change movement priorities and mainstream ideas about LGBTQ+ wimmin.  You can go to the website, www.lgbtqwomensurvey.org or use this direct link:  www.lgbtqwomensurvey.org/survey

2.  We ask CenterLink and its members to please post about this survey to your social media accounts, and to consider emailing the link for the survey to your email lists.  Attached are two graphics you can use for facebook and Instagram.

3. Please consider sharing an article or blurb about the survey in your newsletters, podcasts, publications and other materials that you share with our communities that may be coming out in the fall of 2021 (the survey is open until December).  Our team would be happy to do interviews or write op-eds if that is helpful! 

Take the survey now at: www.lgbtqwomensurvey.org