^{“Rainbow” (Ko Phi Phi, Thailand) by K Tao is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

Like so many, my heart remains heavy over the loss of Naya Rivera. On its own, the loss of Rivera — an unmatched talent who transformed the way so many of us see ourselves — would be a lot to bear but coupled with the losses we’ve been experiencing for months now, it can feel overwhelming. Take care of yourselves, Straddlers… step away if you need… and remember that if you need to find solace in community right now, Autostraddle is always here.

Queer as in F*ck You

+ Thailand could become the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex civil partnerships

+ Jolene: The First Ever Trans-Inclusive Strip Night In America

+ Oddly, this is the second story I’ve read recently about a doll company stealing someone’s identity: This Nonbinary Astronomer Alleges American Girl Stole Their Identity for a Doll

+ Envisioning a post-COVID-19 future with an eye on the past: a queer and trans perspective

+ Brazil LGBTQ group hides from virus in Copacabana building

+ A New Fund Supports Black Trans Women Artists

+ This NSFW visual novel deal is raising funds for Black trans people

+ Could a new hotline be a harbinger of a better LGBTQ future?: Seeds of hope? Arab tahini maker’s backing for LGBTQ rights in Israel shows change is underway

+ Instagram bans all content promoting conversion therapy

+ Ari included this in their Sunday Funday column but just in case you missed it: Sports Illustrated‘s first trans swimsuit model: SI Swimsuit 2020 Rookie: Valentina Sampai

Saw This, Thought of You

+ Since 1979, Black August has been a time of remembrance and resistance and this year, a collection of activists will host a series of discussions, highlighting abolition: Revolution is not a one-time event

+ For everyone that’s been watching Betty and now wants their own board: Introducing the First Black Woman-Owned Skateboard Company.

+ How do prestigious hospitals cement their status as “the best?” By not serving low-income patients and people of color, of course: Introducing the Best Hospitals for America

+ Three days until The Chicks’ 14-year drought is over: Why the Chicks Dropped Their Dixie

+ Black Women Helped Build House Music. Their Credit Is Often Left off Records.

+ I’m still shocked by the audacity of this lawsuit: Blues Singer Lady A: ‘I Should Not Have to Bend to Band’s Will Because They’ve Got Money’

Saw This, Thought of You: Sportsball Edition

+ The preliminary round of the NWSL Challenge Cup wrapped up yesterday and now we’re moving on to the knockout stage:

The #NWSLChallengeCup bracket is set. 😤

The quarterfinals kick off Friday on @CBSAllAccess ➡️ https://t.co/XdTdEFuJfW pic.twitter.com/5X28pLWWUQ

— CBS Sports Soccer (@CBSSportsSoccer) July 14, 2020

+ Reign’s Michelle Betos made her return from injury at NWSL Challenge Cup — if only her father could have seen it

+ Parent life in the NWSL Challenge Cup bubble

+ Good and bad news for the Washington Spirit

+ The Atlanta Dream has heard the fearmongering from their team’s co-owner. They have issued their own response:

pic.twitter.com/CV1wgkbk1E

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) July 10, 2020

+ On Monday, the WNBA released the schedule for the abbreviated 2020 season. Action will tip off on July 25 with a national triple-header telecasts across ABC, ESPN, and CBS Sports Network.

+ We still don’t have final WNBA rosters but one player I think all fans expected to not see on it was Elena Delle Donne. In addition to recovering from back surgery in January, the league’s reigning MVP has waged a very public battle with Lyme Disease. Surprisingly, though, the WNBA’s medical panel thinks otherwise: Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne says medical opt-out request denied.

+ Watching Amanda Zahui B. grow into her voice has been a privilege: She Found Her Voice in a W.N.B.A. Locker Room, Then Used It in Sweden

+ BIG NEWS: Tennessee grad, WNBA alum and one of the brightest minds in basketball, Kara Lawson, is the new head coach of Duke Women’s Basketball.

Related: Kara Lawson on becoming Duke’s head coach: “This is a dream come true for me”

+ Imagine my shock: ESPN Employees Say Racism Endures Behind the Camera

+ In “Men Also Play Sports” news: Washington NFL team kicks R-word to the curb

+ N.H.L. Owners and Players Approve New C.B.A. and Return-to-Play Plan

+ We’re all waiting for the NCAA to accept the inevitable: Time to face reality: ‘No one is playing college football in the fall’

Political Snacks

+ “Facing widespread criticism on Twitter, undergoing an internal workplace review, or having one’s book panned does not, in fact, erode one’s constitutional rights or endanger a liberal society:” A Deeply Provincial View of Free Speech

+ This is (not) comforting: Progressives’ Supreme Court Victories Will Be Fleeting

+ The overrepresentation of Catholics in government allows the Church to escape accountability for things like this: The Catholic Church Siphoned Away $30 Million Paid to Native People for Stolen Land

+ Related: AP: Catholic Church lobbied for taxpayer funds, got $1.4B

+ Imagine having the audacity to question the patriotism of someone who left part of themselves on the battlefield, in service to our country: Tammy Duckworth: Tucker Carlson Doesn’t Know What Patriotism Is

+ As Mayor of Minneapolis, I Saw How White Liberals Block Change

+ Lambda Legal Asks Court to Block Anti-Trans Health Care Rule

+ Colorado becomes 11th state to ban LGBTQ “panic defense”

+ Poland exit polls mean victory for homophobic Andrzej Duda — and misery for LGBTQ people

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