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Welcome to the third Friday of June! Happy Pride Month!

My hay fever has not let up. Whether the weather was rainy, overcast, or sunny this week, the pollen count has remained high.

Anyway, it’s time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: one story of interest to my fellow nerd, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about queer history and pride, five stories about homophobes/transphobes, and five stories about deplorable people.

This Week in I Will Always Be a Nerd:

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Redefines Padmé Amidala’s Star Wars Legacy Through Leia

Stories of the Week:

Florida abortion ban violates Jews’ religious freedom, lawsuit says

The Jan. 6 select committee makes a criminal referral — its own way – For all the quibbling over whether they should ask DOJ to investigate Donald Trump, panel members effectively did so on Thursday

Triumph Over a Pushy Tesla

13,000-Year-Old Tusk Reveals Life of ‘Fred,’ a Mastodon Who Died in Battle

Strange tsunami-like quakes shake some of the stars in our galaxy, Gaia spacecraft reveals

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

How to get smarter & fight harder for LGBTQ rights

David Archuleta talks of struggle to replace feelings of shame with pride

Joe Biden issues executive order to fight conversion therapy & LGBTQ fostering discrimination

Mass. commission recommends LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, anti-bullying protections and training

Graduating students hand school president rainbow flags in protest of anti-LGBTQ staff policies – University students at a private Christian college are part of a sit-in outside of the interim president’s office that has lasted for three weeks This, by the way, is my alma mater…

This Week in Pride and Queer History:

This fabulous docuseries shows that queer history will not be denied

A League of Their Own Inspiration Maybelle Blair Comes Out at 95

How Pride organizers are responding to increased threats to LGBTQ events

This bank has supported Pride for three decades. Here’s how it happened – The multinational banking giant has been supporting LGBTQ rights since before some of you were born

Pride and the police: A complicated history for the LGBTQ community

This Week in Homophobia and Transphobia:

A New York teen and his family seek state help amid a national tipping point on LGBTQ rights

Diary of a Queer Kid – My experience as a child with an “odd” gender identity makes me very afraid for kids facing malicious transphobia in Texas.

High school students get threatened with machine gun while rallying for bullied trans classmate

Targeting of Pride events follow months of escalating anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from right-wing media

Candace Owens can’t even tell a good lie. Far right personality busted using fake photo of ‘drag queen’

This Week in Haters, Deplorables, and Seditious Traitors:

Police: 31 members of white nationalist group arrested near Coeur d’Alene pride event

Patriot Front Member’s Mother After His Arrest At Idaho Pride: “Pack Up Your Stuff And Get Out Of My House”

"Death To LGBTQs" Pastor Trounced In US House Bid

Anti-Vax Leader Gets 60 Days On Capitol Riot Charges

Another Proud Boy Pleads Guilty, Agrees To Cooperate – Johnson County Proud Boy is second in Kansas City group to plead guilty in Capitol riot

In Memoriam:

Mama Gloria Allen Dies at 76: Listen to Her Last Known Interview