Welcome to the third Friday of November!

Busy and stressful week at work. Trying to rewrite a novel and keep up my word count for NaNoWriMo the rest of the time. And then there was a pair of family emergencies.

Let’s move on to this week’s Friday Five, shall we? This week I bring you: one story/quiz that needed its own category, the top five stories of the week you, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about privileged idiots, and five stories about deplorable people (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week in Can You Guuss:

Who Said It: Elon Musk or Mr. Burns? – The Simpsons character and the guy ruining Twitter often sound a lot alike

Stories of the Week:

Speaker Pelosi says she will step down as party leader after two decades at the top – Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement paves the way for a new generation of Democratic lawmakers to fill the leadership ranks

US approves largest dam removal in history to save endangered salmon – Four dams on California-Oregon border to be decommissioned on Klamath River, which fish use to reach spawning grounds

Fossils of car-sized dinosaur-era sea turtle unearthed in Spain

Congress Is Going To Officially Protect Same-Sex Marriage. Here’s What The Bill Does And Doesn’t Do

Homeland Security Admits It Tried to Manufacture Fake Terrorists for Trump – A new Homeland Security report details orders to connect protesters arrested in Portland to one another in service of the Trump’s imaginary antifa plot

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Trans woman hopes underwear line will aid safety – A trans woman who had to resort to drastic measures to conceal her genitals hopes her own line of underwear and swimwear can help keep the trans community safe

How A ‘Rainbow Wave’ Of LGBTQ+ Officials Can Help Address Three Crucial Issues

This Incoming Gay Congressman Is Coming for Marjorie Taylor Greene

Mormon church endorses marriage equality bill as Republicans continue to freak out – Mormons gave millions to fight against marriage equality over the last few decades. Why are they supporting this bill now?

Randy Rainbow Gets Grammy Nom, Up Against Dave Chappelle & Louis CK

This week in Spoiled Brats:

“Florida Man Makes Announcement”: New York Post Buries Donald Trump’s 2024 Announcement As Others In GOP Shun Mar-A-Lago Event

Stephen Colbert on Trump’s 2024 bid launch: ‘Even his family didn’t show’ – Late-night hosts talk Trump’s 2024 presidential announcement at Mar-a-Lago, absent most of his children or GOP politicians

Welcome to hell, Elon – You break it, you buy it

Tucker Carlson goes on an incoherent rant as his colleagues start trashing Trump

GOP Candidate Loses To Mom, Gets Charged With Rape – South Dakota GOP House Candidate Bud May lost his election bid to his mother, then gets charged with second degree rape

This Week in the Liars, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

GOP Flack Guilty Of Funneling Russian Money To Trump – Jesse Benton convicted of steering Russian Roman Vasilenko’s money to Trump

End of the Road? – New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Ouster Of Cowboys For Trump Tool From Office: Insurrectionists Can’t Serve

Texas Man Seen Carrying Zip Ties in Capitol Building on Jan. 6 Convicted of Felony, Misdemeanors at Trial

An Oath Keeper Took the Stand in Her Own Defense. It Went Badly. – “We didn’t have a free and fair election.”

Judge says Michael Flynn must testify in Ga. election probe

In Memoriam:

Beloved ‘Batman’ Voice Actor Kevin Conroy Dies After Cancer Battle

As Batman, Kevin Conroy’s Humanity Was His Greatest Weapon

Hogan’s Heroes Star and Auschwitz Survivor Robert Clary Dead at 96

Welcome to the second Friday of November!

We may have averted an existential crisis. Since the news at least in the U.S. has been wall-to-wall election, I tried to find other things for the Stories of the Week. Let me know how I did.

Let’s move on to this week’s Friday Five, shall we? This week I bring you: one story that just needed its own category, the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of all the election coverage, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about mistaken predictions, and five stories about deplorable people (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week in Stupid:

Some Republicans Want to Raise Voting Age After Gen Z Midterm Turnout – “This new generation is totally brainwashed,” a Fox News commentator complained

Stories of the Week:

At least 5 killed after Nicole makes historic, rare November landfall in Florida

“Andor” shows how exploitation leads to the Dark Side, from bureaucratic drudgery to prison labor – The latest episodes see our hero play out the real world reality of prison slave labor in service of the Empire

The connection between social media use and vaccine hesitancy – People who consume a lot of news on social media are more likely to be skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines

Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson is its most humiliating setback since the failed invasion of Kyiv. But there’s no sign Putin intends to end his misbegotten war

Illegal trade threatens endangered tigers, 150 seized a year – Poachers continue to target the big cat for its skin and body parts, undermining conservation efforts

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

LGBTQ candidates dominate the midterms in the approaching shadow of DeSantis

At 39, my life began again. ‘My Policeman’ brought memories rushing back

LGBTQ+ Groups Celebrate ‘Rainbow Wave’ of Queer Candidate Victories – At least 340 out LGBTQ+ candidates won their elections in the 2022 midterms

Is a stupid typo in the Bible the reason for the "Don’t Say Gay" nonsense we’re dealing with today?

America’s newest trans lawmaker shares beautiful post-election moment with mum of trans kid

This Week in the Don’t Count Your Chickens Before the Eggs Hatch:

Gen Z takes control of its future – Three elections makes a trend: The youngest generation of voters is very engaged and highly progressive. Here’s what that means

The biggest midterm takeaway: The economy is stronger than we thought

Red Wave to Repro Wave—and What’s Next – In blue states and red, voters backed reproductive freedoms in the midterm elections

Thank You Fox News for Turning the ‘Red Wave’ into a Purple Ripple

Analysis: Why the news media got the midterm ‘red wave’ narrative so wrong

This Week in the Liars, Grifters, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

‘Brutal’: Judge sanctions multiple Trump lawyers over failed Russia investigation lawsuit

The leader of the Oath Keepers may have just doomed himself – Stewart Rhodes’s decision to testify in his own defense may backfire

Prosecutors Look at Florida Election Protest as a Model for Jan. 6 – The Justice Department is examining ties among the far-right Proud Boys, Roger Stone and others over their roles in 2018 “Stop the Steal” demonstrations

Anti-trans pundit Matt Walsh tells a lie so big even Joe Rogan called bullshit – When Rogan’s producer weighed in with a fact check, the rightwing mouthpiece was forced to admit he’d made up his claims

Father and son both cop to felonies for assaulting police during Capitol riot

In Memoriam:

Max Maven Dies: Mentalist, Magical Historian Was 71

Jeff Cook, Alabama Co-Founder and Guitarist, Dead at 73

Susan Tolsky, ‘Here Come the Brides’ and ‘Madame’s Place’ Actress, Dies at 79

Dan McCafferty, original lead singer of rock band Nazareth, dead at 76

Welcome to the first Friday of November! Do you have any of Halloween candy left?

After most of October being significantly and record-shatteringly warm than usual, much of this week has been colder than usual for this time of year.

Let’s move on to this week’s Friday Five, shall we? This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of everything else, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about truth & justice, five stories about enemies of democracy, and five stories about other kinds of deplorable people (plus some notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

Traces of an ancient ocean discovered on Mars

ZERO Kids Got Rainbow Fentanyl for Halloween, Despite Media Hysteria

NASA Prepares to Say ‘Farewell’ to InSight Spacecraft

Largest Potentially Hazardous Asteroid Detected in Eight Years

Simon & Schuster Sale to Penguin Random House Blocked

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Republican book banning attempt defeated after community stands up for LGBTQ people

David Archuleta opens up about stepping back from Mormon Church and healing

This mom’s powerful takedown of anti-LGBTQ hypocrisy goes viral for all the right reasons

Quieter queer spaces are worth protecting too – Bars and nightclubs aren’t the only queer institutions facing hard times post-COVID

There’s a new legal twist in Florida to block “Don’t Say Gay” and this time there are receipts

This Week in the Truth Matters:

Hillary Clinton: Republicans Not ‘Bothered’ By Pelosi Attack

“We” Don’t Have a Political Violence Problem. Republicans Do

Pastor Goes Viral With Fiery Sermon About Herschel Walker – The Rev. Jamal Bryant’s flaming critique of the Donald Trump-backed GOP Senate nominee has now been seen millions of times online

Federal Judge Bars Far Right Group Surveilling Drop Boxes In Arizona

Clinton wants Trump to pay her legal fees after tossed conspiracy lawsuit

This week in Enemies of Democracy and Other Haters:

Law enforcement ratchets up presence in voting process as some sheriffs push election conspiracy theories

Republican door knockers intimidate voters while hunting for voter fraud, say officials

The irony of the GOP’s war on ballot drop boxes – There are layers to the Trump-inspired campaign to intimidate midterms voters

‘Flat-out insane’: Arizona voters fume at pro-Trump ballot drop box vigilantes

OAN dropped by Frontier – Dan Ball to Frontier, DirecTV, and Verizon: “You three know where you can stick it”

This Week in the Liars, Grifters, Killers, and Other Deplorables:

‘The original sin begins with us’: ‘Fire Pelosi’ leader decries right-wing’s ‘toxic’ rhetoric after assault

Joe Rogan Admits His Litter Boxes Claim Is Bullshit

Trump Org Suddenly Settles Lawsuit With Protesters Beat Up by Its Security Guards Outside Trump Tower

‘God Forbid’ Jerry Falwell Jr. actually practiced what he preached

Hate speech increased on Twitter after Elon Musk takeover, study finds

In Memoriam:

Pioneering gay country musician Patrick Haggerty has died

Takeoff, member of Atlanta rap group Migos, has died at 28

Welcome to the fifth Friday of October! Halloween is only a few days away!

It’s been rainy and cool all week. We had a windstorm in the wee small hours of Thursday and the power went out just a few minutes before the time my alarm usually goes off. I guess autumn finally is here!

I’ve spent a log of time this week watching videos of various people interviewing Leslie Jordan. I’ve started a blog post a couple of times about my feelings over his death. I mean, I was also a sissy boy growing up in Southern Baptist churches, so we had a lot common. I need to finish and post that.

Let’s move on to this week’s Friday Five, okay? This week I bring you: a story that needs it’s own category about being comfortable in your own skin, the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of everything else, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, and five stories about deplorable people (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week in a Light in the Darkness:

Leslie Jordan’s Powerful Contentment and Happiness

Stories of the Week:

As Ukraine war drags into ninth month, Russia’s woes worsen – In week 35 of the war, Russia was on the defensive as Ukrainian morale remained high

U.S. GDP accelerated at 2.6% pace in Q3, better than expected as economic growth turns positive

Pool boy reveals how Trump fixer secured endorsement by getting Falwell Jr out of blackmail jam

SFF’s Big Fat Problem

Exclusive: Twitter is losing its most active users, internal documents show

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

GOP national ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is a brazen attack on LGBTQ existence

Can we please invite Val Demings to every Pride celebration from here on out?

Marriage Equality Now Legal Across All of Mexico

All 50 States Have Seen LGBTQ+ Candidates in 2022, Says Advocacy Group

Local School Board OKs Pride Flag in Classroom

This Week in the Liars, Grifters, Killers, and Other Deplorables:

Darrell Brooks found guilty on all 76 counts in Waukesha Christmas Parade murders, ending weekslong trial

Three men are convicted of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Epoch Times Loses Defamation Lawsuit About ‘Substantially True’ Reporting on Co-Founder’s Jan. 6th Conspiracy Theories

Fox Corp. Chief Legal Counsel Viet Dinh Failed to Properly Register with California Bar

Here’s what changed in Dinesh D’Souza’s ‘2,000 Mules’ book after it was recalled

In Memoriam:

Jules Bass, known for work on ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and other holiday specials, dies

Leslie Jordan Dead: Will & Grace, American Horror Story Star Was 67

Leslie Jordan, Iconic Gay Comedian, Dead at 67 – The beloved actor known for his roles on Will & Grace and American Horror Story died after a car accident

I’ll always remember Leslie Jordan as Brother Boy, a Tammy Wynette-loving drag queen – Jordan’s role as Brother Boy, a drag queen who talks to the ghost Tammy Wynette encapsulates everything that is beautiful and brilliant about his talent as an actor. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking

Welcome to the third Friday of October! Spooky season is is full swing!

Though that last couple of week’s it’s been smoky season. And the temps all this month have been more likt a typical August than October. We’ve also had almost no rain. Air quality ahs been so bad I’ve have scratchy throat and itchy eyes and occasianally a wheeze n my lungs. And I do my best to stay inside–I swapped out all the hepa filters on our air cleaners just six weeks ago. I’ve been wearing a N95+particulate maske anytime I go outside! We’re finally supposed to get some rain the next few days, but not sure how soon before the air quality improves.

Let’s move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: a stand-alone story about a grifter getting grifted, the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of everything else, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about cruelty, and five liars & deplorables (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week in Couldn’t Have Happened to a More Deserving Grifter:

Right-wing superhero movie ends ‘in disaster’ after $1 million in funders’ cash goes missing: report

Stories of the Week:

Smithsonian’s Baby Cheetah Cam Is the Warmest and Fuzziest Stream on the Internet This Week – You can check in on these newborn cheetah cubs via a 24/7 livestream

Accused of flirting, juror dismissed from Whitmer kidnapping plot trial – Judge Thomas Wilson announced Friday that the woman has been removed from the jury, two days after attorneys raised concerns the juror was having too much non-verbal communication with defendant Paul Bellar

The Closing Of The Lunar Frontier

‘Swift-footed lizard’ is named the Massachusetts state dinosaur

Watch: Chart-armed Katie Porter makes the case that corporate greed is the primary cause of inflation

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

New York Gov. Hochul signs bill to strengthen benefits for older LGBTQ

Trans people can now easily update their gender with the Social Security Administration – A person’s self-designated gender does not have to match their legal documents for them to be able to make the change

Out State Senator Tiara Mack has already made history in Rhode Island. She’s not finished yet. – "I lead with joy. I lead with laughter, and I lead with a fierce commitment to protecting the most marginalized communities through my campaign."

National ‘don’t say gay’ bill would force LGBTQ community to live by Republican lies

Conservative arrested for death threat against superintendent after district put on “watch list” – Charlie Kirk’s anti-LGBTQ organization Turning Point USA put the school district on a "radical" watch list. Then came the death threat

This week in Cruelty is the Point:

The Cop Car Has Become the Cop SUV – Nationwide, police car chases now kill more people than tornadoes, lightning, and hurricanes combined

How a Secret Rent Algorithm Pushes Rents Higher

‘Hate Is the Point’: CNN’s Tapper Says Gab Hosts ‘Racist’ Posts and ‘Nazism’ – Founder Claims It Has ‘Christian Content’

Kansas City Police Called Reports of Serial Killer Targeting Black Women ‘Unfounded.’ Then a Woman Escaped

The Religious Right and Fox News are Brainwashing People I Love

This Week in the Liars and Other Deplorables:

Trump’s legal troubles come to a head in New York

Trump spent $22 million to raise $24 million, filing shows – Trump Spent 91 Cents to Raise Each Dollar as Troubles Mounted – SMS, digital ads and lists ate up most of third-quarter haul

Tucker Carlson Edited Out Kanye West’s Antisemitic Rants, Leaked Footage Shows

Durham Blasted by Experts After New Acquittal: ‘Laughed Out of Court Twice’

‘Answer the question!’ Herschel Walker faces angry crowd as campaign event goes off the rails

In Memoriam:

Robbie Coltrane, Hagrid Actor in ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise, Dies at 72

Kate Bush Eulogizes Robbie Coltrane: “We’ve Lost One of Our Great Treasures” – Coltrane, who starred in Kate Bush’s 2011 “Deeper Understanding” music video, died last week at the age of 72

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and More ‘Harry Potter’ Stars Pay Tribute to Hagrid Actor Robbie Coltrane: ‘One of the Funniest People I’ve Met’

Eclipse the dog, known for riding the bus alone to the dog park, has died She was a very sweet dog. For a couple of years the bus I took to work was the one she rode to the dog park. I met her more than once.

Art Oberto, Seattle’s sausage and jerky king, dies at 95 I missed this one a couple of months ago…

Welcome to the second Friday of October! Spooky season is is full swing!

It’s one thing to have spent the last several decades reading about the causes and consequences of climate change. But still having summer temperatures and wild fire alerts in mid-October just feels wrong.

Let’s move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of everything else, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about haters & deplorables, and five stories and insurrectionists (plus notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

LGBTQ kid refuses to let ‘Moms for Liberty’ snatch liberty – Being conservative does not have to mean endorsing extremism or demonizing a 13-year-old with nothing but love in their heart

It’s Not About You: Beyond the Hero’s Journey

Black Hole Pukes Up Star Years After Eating It

A Young Man Became Allergic to Orgasms—but There’s a Happy Ending

How Iran’s protests transformed into a national uprising

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Top surgery: For trans teens, it can take a long time to get much-needed care

Before Stonewall LGBTQ people rose up at the Black Nite bar. It will soon be a historical landmark

Meet the woman who was jailed 3 times for bringing cannabis brownies to AIDS patients

‘I’m sick of being silent’: Gay teen catches bullies on camera in viral TikTok video

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Vermont station working to correct story of bullied trans teen. Family Research Council isn’t happy about that

This week in Haters and Other Deplorables:

On ’60 Minutes,’ Bart Barber revealed the cruelty of Southern Baptists

Alex Jones unlikely to escape ‘historically high’ defamation award, legal experts say – “He may be forced to live a subsistence type of life,” a New York attorney and former federal prosecutor said.

It’s just murder living in a red state – Republicans’ crime message ignores their own murder problem

Parkland Shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole

Supreme Court denies Trump appeal in Mar-a-Lago raid documents case

This Week in the Sedition and Insurrection:

Jan. 6 hearing takeaways: Jarring new footage, evidence Trump knew he lost

New footage shows congressional leadership at Fort McNair on January 6, scrambling to save the US Capitol

These Donald Trump allies are facing criminal referrals from the January 6th Select Committee

Trump isn’t the first president to be subpoenaed by Congress: Here are the others – Four past presidents received such demands

Members of Congress stunned by Secret Service ‘bombshell’ at Jan. 6 hearing

In Memoriam:

Angela Lansbury Dead: ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Star Was 96

Angela Lansbury, star of ‘Murder She Wrote,’ has died at 96

Let’s not forget what Angela Lansbury did during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic

And now we’re in the first Friday of October! Spooky season is is full swing!

We had a few more days of unusually warm weather, then a couple of days of cool and damp weather, and now we are getting warmer than usual again!

Let’s move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: a story about bad headline writing and topic framing, the top five stories of the week, and five stories about traitors & liars (plus notable obituaries).

This Week in Click-bait or What-about-ism:

‘Were They Hacked?’: NBC Mocked for Saying Experts Are ‘Puzzling’ Over Why COVID Death Rates Higher for Republicans

Stories of the Week:

America’s Top-Voted Bedtime Story Is Guaranteed To Give Your Kids Nightmares – We’re surprised and a little incredulous. I think that the people who are incredulous don’t remember what being a kid was like.

Country Radio Still Won’t Play Loretta Lynn’s “The Pill” – the 1975 hit was an ode to birth control and sexual freedom that shocked the industry and many of the genre’s more conservative listeners

Scooby-Doo’s Velma Is Officially a Lesbian, and Hayley Kiyoko Feels “Alive and Seen” – “You walked so Lesbian Velma could run.”

How Not to Be All About What It’s Not All About: Further Thoughts on Writing About Someone Else’s Culture and Experience

Biden to pardon all federal offenses of simple marijuana possession – begins process to decriminalize

This week in Traitors, Liars, and Thieves:

Oath Keepers trial highlights the right’s obsession with finding cheat codes for real life – Stewart Rhodes all but promised his followers he had "one neat trick" to evade criminal charges for sedition

They Want to Keep Teen Girls Married and Pregnant – The far right and evangelical Republicans share a goal of ensnaring young women and girls in their control. Abortion bans give them a giant win

The Scariest Part of the Proud Boys Isn’t the Violence – Andy Campbell, HuffPost reporter and author of “We Are Proud Boys” joins New Abnormal host Andy Levy for a riveting interview about the scary plots the far-right group is hatching

Herschel Walker was caught in another lie — why the GOP reaction this time is eyeopening – Conservative Christians refuse to reckon with the fact that their preferred senator from Georgia is, by their own logic, now an accused murderer

Fulton County prosecutor investigating Trump aims for indictments as soon as December

In Memoriam:

Loretta Lynn, country music icon who sang ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ has died

Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner’s Daughter Turned Country Superstar, Dies at 90

Jim Redmond, who helped his son Derek to finish line at 1992 Olympics, has died

Welcome to the final Friday of September. September, the most blesséd month, when superior babies are born.

The air quality remained moderately bad until we finally got some light rain this week. There are some days in the 10-day that leave me thinking we should wait another week before putting away the two roll-out a/c units.

Let’s move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: a story that desperately needing its headline fixed, the top five stories of the week, five stories about climate troubles, five stories about traitors & liars, and five stories about haters (plus one thing I wrote and notable obituary).

This Week in Fixing the Headline for You:

Book Thieves Lose, Authors Win in New Amazon Ebook Policy Change – Amazon will accept your ebook return, but only if you haven’t read more than 10% of the book

Stories of the Week:

‘Doesn’t Get to Tell the County What They Can Read’: Lawmaker Blasts Christian in Viral Video Attacking LGBTQ Library Books

Ancient fish fossils highlight the strangeness of our vertebrate ancestors – Nearly 440-million-year-old finds from China are of some of the first vertebrates with jaws

NASA crashes DART spacecraft into asteroid in world’s 1st planetary defense test

The Jetsons, now 60 years old, is iconic. That’s a problem

President Biden surprised Elton John with the National Humanities Medal

This Week in Climate Crisis:

Ian Again A Hurricane And Heading For South Carolina

“Hurricane Maria Never Finished Leaving Us”: The Aftermath of Fiona in a Puerto Rican Town

Pakistan floods: Children face a new disaster — diarrhea, dengue and other waterborne diseases

Typhoon Merbok spotlights Alaska’s need for science and climate-resilient infrastructure

Typhoon Noru slams Vietnam after unleashing severe flooding in the Philippines

This week in Traitors, Liars, and Thieves:

Ginni Thomas tells Jan. 6 panel she still believes false election fraud claims, chair says

Kevin McCarthy’s House GOP Agenda Rollout Goes Disastrously Off The Rails

GOP Poll Worker Charged With 2 Felonies For Tampering With Voter Equipment – A Republican, eh? How unsurprising

Trump’s Paid Speech And Tour Organizer Can’t Pay Its Bills

Capitol rioter, a ‘one man wrecking ball,’ gets 7-year term

This Week in Homophobes and Other Haters:

Bisexuality not covered by federal employment law lawsuit claims

Conservatives go full racist after Lizzo plays a crystal flute – "Lizzo playing James Madison’s flute was a form of racial retribution," one conservative pundit wrote. Liberals mocked them on Twitter

Drag Performer Sues Right-Wing Blogger Over Indecent Exposure Claims – Eric Posey, who performs as Mona Liza Million, says Summer Bushnell defamed him with a false accusation of indecent exposure at an Idaho Pride event

Doxxed Doctors, Library Bomb Threats, and Attacks on Pride Centers: A Week in Escalating Anti-LGBTQ Violence – Amid a rising right-wing tide of threats, recent incidents have sadly not been out of the norm

LGBTQ Italians on alert as right-wing alliance triumphs in election – Nationalist leader Giorgia Meloni, who is set to become Italy’s first female premier, has denounced what she calls “gender ideology” and “the LGBT lobby."

In Memoriam:

Maximilian Lerner, Whose Espionage Skills Helped Win a War, Dies at 98

Things I Wrote:

Quick birthday thought from an old gay guy

Welcome to the third Friday of September. September, the most blesséd month, when superior babies are born.

Not long after last week’s Friday Five posted, the air quality in my region starting going bad. There are wildfires around, some just on the other end of the county I live in, and all that smoke and particulate matter made breathing a bit unpleasant for a few days. So I wasn’t surprised that I had a sinus headache and cough last weekend. There were some other symptoms not obviously related, but I attributed most of it to the air quality. As the air cleared up, my symptoms started letting up. But then my husband started experiencing the same symptoms as I had. So now I’m wondering if I didn’t manage to catch something last week that was unrelated to the air quality. Joy!

We’ll keep you posted.

Let’s move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about reacting to bad folks, five stories about toxic fance, and five stories about crooks and traitor (plus a notable obituary).

Stories of the Week:

Idaho Far Right’s Election Loss to 18-Year-Old Climate Activist

The mystery of why some people don’t catch COVID – Scientists think they might hold the key to helping protect us all

Scholar who saw all this coming: Americans "do not really understand liberal democracy"

These Incredibly Clever Tweets Prove How Complicated The Queen’s Death Was For Some Of Us

U.S. Inflation Falls For 2nd Straight Month On Lower Gas Costs

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Two-Thirds of Swing State Voters Support Marriage Equality – The findings come from the Human Rights Campaign as the Respect for Marriage Act awaits debate in the U.S. Senate

Florida city condemns school district for refusing to recognize LGBTQ History Month – The Miami-Dade School Board voted 8-1 against recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month. The "Don’t Say Gay" law is to blame

LibsofTikTok targeted a school district’s Pride mural project, with little success – Chaya Raichik called on her army of haters to swamp a California school district’s LGBTQ art project. It didn’t go so well

Montana judge blocks anti-transgender birth certificate rule – Conservative lawmakers in numerous states have sought to restrict transgender rights

Boston Marathon to feature nonbinary category next year – For nonbinary athletes, the qualifying standards will initially be the same as those in the women’s field, the Boston Athletic Association said

This Week in Reacting to Bad Guys:

Elena Kagan: Judges Create Their Own ‘Legitimacy Problems’

GOP senators led by Graham slam Trump Jan. 6 pardon promise

Hardee’s mocks Mike Lindell after he claimed the FBI took his phone at one of its Minnesota locations

Ocasio-Cortez blasts GOP lawmaker’s treatment of witness: ‘I’m trying to give you the floor, boo’

Mueller Investigator on Possible Trump Second Term: ‘I Don’t Have Enough Alcohol in My Apartment to Deal with That’

This Week in Toxic Fans:

Racists Are Worried About the Historical Accuracy of Mermaids – Apparently they can’t handle Halle Bailey singing "Part of Your World" in the new ‘Little Mermaid’ trailer

‘The Little Mermaid’ Was Originally a Metaphor for Unrequited Gay Love

Fear of a Black Hobbit – The demand to keep politics out of art is too often a demand for art to conform to conservative politics And I have some quibbles with this excerpt, but it makes some good point: "prominent genre brands like Star Wars, or Marvel, or Lord of the Rings also have the difficult task of creating content for children while still satisfying their middle-aged stalwarts, whose nostalgia is ultimately insatiable because they cannot look upon novel material with the same emotional intensity they felt as children. Many older fans are convinced they can’t recapture that intensity only because the producers themselves have failed to create stories of the same fundamental quality, when in reality they have simply outgrown the sentiment they are chasing. These campaigns seek to convince this audience that the feeling they are pursuing can be recaptured, if only those making popular art would reject modern progressive dogma—thus creating a well of cultural resentment they can manipulate for political purposes."

‘The Boys’ To ‘The Rings Of Power:’ Everyone Is Tired Of Toxic Fans

The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman ruthlessly hits back at troll’s ‘woke’ moaning

This Week in the Crooks, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

Republican county election commissioner is arrested and charged by the FBI

‘List of Political Grievances’: Judge Delivers Damning Rebuke as He Tosses Trump RICO-Like Lawsuit Against Clinton

Donald Trump’s Lawyers Reveal That Merrick Garland’s Justice Department Has Backed Them Into a Legal Corner

Trump-appointed judge convicts three Jan. 6 defendants but acquits two of them on obstruction charge

Oath Keepers want to suppress evidence of Zello chat host ordering arrests of ‘treasonous’ congressmembers

In Memoriam:

Fred Franzia, Two Buck Chuck Creator, Dies