Understand the LGBTQIA+ news: New employment tribunal could make it harder to limit anti-LGBTQIA+ posts by workers

We've always been here, and always will be.

In the last few weeks, that rallying cry has been on the lips of celebs like Chappell Roan, UK MPs speaking in parliament, and from us as we launch our workbook for Trans+ History Week this week.

I've been speaking to lots of queer folks over the last few weeks about the fear we have in the world as it is today. Trump's anti-trans action, and the UK government’s silence on it, has left many people feeling hopeless - and I understand why.

But that's not how I feel.

I've been immersing myself in Trans+ history for the last two months while mentoring five Trans+ creatives to produce the workbook - a 40-page free download rich in stories, lessons, and tips on how to plan your own Trans+ History Week event and content.

But I've also been speaking to folks that remember the last time the world felt so acutely against our community, at the start of the HIV/AIDs crisis in the 80s.

They’ve told me versions of the story that go something like this: Our community would wake up afraid and angry. They would use that feeling as fuel for the day to plan activism in the morning. But by afternoon, they were out on the streets taking action - only to end up in the bars, dancing that rage out in sweaty basements by night.

We've won this fight before, and goddammit - we're going to win it again.

We’re playing our part at QueerAF by changing the media. Our journalism drives that change forward, powered by the engine of our training schemes and mentoring for queer creatives. Practically everything we put out is created by an emerging or marginalised queer creative we're supporting to build a media career so they can get a job in a media company.

Our not-so-secret queer militant agenda is to pack the newsroom full of us. Because if we can change what a handful of editors think about us, by simply getting to know the humans behind the headlines for who we really are, we can change the newsroom - to change the country.

We're just halfway into our annual crowdfunder, and we've already hit 60% of our goal - that's incredible news, but we still need your help to hit our target. 

This crowdfunding is critical to the future of this newsletter and our work changing the media. It's urgent work to turn the tide of misinformation, hateful rhetoric and public opinion, which, as we'll report this week, is turning against us.

Trust us when we say, as the UK's only both registered non-profit and independently regulated LGBTQIA+ publisher, every penny you give us goes directly to our mission, our journalism and reinvesting in our community.

Please donate today and help QueerAF to stay strong and fighting for you.

Understand the LGBTQIA+ headlines and keep track of the latest queer content and perspectives. The QueerAF newsletter is written by Jamie Wareham and a different queer creative each week.

💬 This week:

• Employment Tribunals: News from two high-profile employment tribunal rulings came out this week, We look at updates on the Sandie Peggie trial but for the top story, we’re exploring a more significant case that took place with little fanfare.
• Public Opinion: The vast majority of people in the UK still support Trans+ and queer communities, but the number that do is decreasing. We look at the stats.
• Do the workbook: We launched our Trans+ History Week workbook this week! In the Queer Gaze we're bringing you the first of four history lessons from it, on the millennia-old history of the Māhū people.

Skip the doomscrolling and support queer creatives instead. We are QueerAF – and so are you.

Christian teacher wrongfully dismissed for posts about "madness" of "LBGT crowd", Court of Appeal

TL;DR: The court of appeal has ruled a school wrongfully dismissed a teacher who reposted anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric on her private Facebook page on the basis that it could damage the school's reputation. The case is significant because it further advances the rights of gender-critical people to express their views, albeit only slightly. It does not change that it’s illegal to express transphobia to discriminate in the workplace.