Below is a list of the top stories that made it through the cacophony of anti-LGBT news stories this week. I like to call this constant stream of hate filled instances Background Radiation, because we have to live with it. It’s there. It never leaves. It’s always in the background of our lives.

Let’s see what we have this week, that’s been buzzing around out there.

I’d like to start with the hilarious outcry from the less then brilliant people out there, then we’ll get into the scary news articles.

Headline: Christian group accuses London of ‘ideological extremism’ for making its Underground gender-neutral
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/07/14/christian-group-accuses-london-of-ideological-extremism-for-making-its-underground-gender-neutral/

Pink News often keeps track of the hilarious idiocy of the anti-LGBT movement. This time it’s the Coalition for Marriage freaking out that the London Underground had a sign that was rainbow colored. OMG! It’s an agenda! The sky is falling!

Headline: Mother-of-ten burns a copy of Teen Vogue’s anal sex guide in amazing video meltdown
https://www.queerty.com/mother-ten-burns-copy-teen-vogues-anal-sex-guide-amazing-video-meltdown-20170714

This loon freaked out, and burned a copy of Teen Vogue that had an anal sex guide in it. The guide is amazing. I wish I had read that as a teen. It’s even trans inclusive to a degree by not assuming folks with certain genitals are certain genders. The article from Teen Vogue is really well written, and focuses on health, safety, and “enthusiastic consent”. Go read it: http://www.teenvogue.com/story/anal-sex-what-you-need-to-know

Don’t think for a second this panic isn’t about “the gays” in some way. Every time I have some weird argument about homosexuality being normal, someone brings up butt sex as an abnormality that is only engaged in by “the gays”. That’s ridiculously wrong, but you can’t convince these people of that.

If I can put my snarky hat on for a minute, perhaps a woman with 10 children should have read that article as a teen as well.

Headline: Steve King compares transgender troops with castrated slaves
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/07/15/steve-king-transgender-military-ottoman-empire-castrated-slaves/481350001/

Okay, this is an 8th term Republican who 1. has literally the worst history education ever if he thinks the Ottoman empire ran on castrated slaves for their military. Perhaps he was thinking Game of Thrones? 2. Has a crazy idea on what being transgender is. Castrated? Apparently he’s thinking of transgender women. I think? Over the years I’ve talked to a good handful of transgender men in the military, so what are we? What’s the reverse of castration?

This was a part of the failed GOP push to rip away medical care from transgender troops.

Headline: Planet Fitness Transgender Lawsuit Heads To Michigan Supreme Court
http://www.peacock-panache.com/2017/07/planet-fitness-transgender-cormier-31722.html

This nut. Cormier freaked out when a fully clothed transgender woman went into the locker room to just grab her purse and jacket. She complained, was told off, and then spent several days freaking the hell out in the Planet Fitness screaming about “men” in the ladies locker room. She was such a jerk about it, she got her membership revoked. Then she sued, was struck down, and is still appealing.

This is one of the best write up’s I’ve seen of this idiot. My favorite part of the write up is where the judicial ruling points out just encountering someone fully clothed retrieving their purse and coat does not constitute sexual harassment, and by returning again and again to the facility to look for the transgender woman in question kind of debunks her claims of harm.

Headline: Salvation Army busted discriminating against transgender people (again)
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/07/salvation-army-busted-discriminating-transgender-people/

Why anyone supports these bigots is a mystery to me. They have such a long and storied history of anti-LGBT discrimination. In this case, New York sites have been discriminating against transgender people in housing options for treatment centers, I believe.

They are once again focused on transgender women’s genitalia. The most shocking part of this was that they were performing physical exams of transgender women’s genitals as a step to getting housing. . . Are you serious? They demanded to see a woman’s genitalia? As policy? What the fuck. Don’t support these assholes, even a little.

Headline: Don’t Tolerate the Intolerable from Chechnya’s Strongman Kadyrov
https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/dont-tolerate-the-intorelable-from-kadyrov-58432

Headline: Putin spokesman backs Chechnya leader’s call for gay purge to ‘purify our blood’
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/07/putin-spokesman-backs-chechnya-leaders-call-gay-purge-purify-blood/

I mostly listed the lighter stuff first because this is such a big deal. It’s horrifying. Chechnya is literally rounding up gay men and murdering them. It’s a state sanctioned purge. It’s awful.

I’m not sure what to do to help. These men are being tortured and murdered publicly without repercussion. All I can do is point to it, and make sure as many folks are as aware as I can make them.

SaveSave