Christina McAlister

Chaiya Mohanty Ortiz remembers the moment when her 13-year-old came out as a transgender. She thought that no matter what, she would still love and protect her child. 

At the time of her son’s coming out, they were fortunate enough to live in a state without any legislation that could infringe on her transgender son’s rights. But, this is not the case with every transgender youth.

“One thing I know is that I helped create this child. This child is a part of me and whether our child be my son or my daughter, I’m not going to turn my back on this kid,” Ortiz said in a Zoom interview. “I’m not giving up on my child. It doesn’t matter.”

Now, at 23 years old, Ortiz’s son is living in California, which is one of the top five best states to live in as an LGBTQ person, according to the Human Right Campaign’s 2019 State Equality Index. The state only has laws that protect and benefit the LGBTQ community. Particularly as a transgender person, California’s nondiscrimination policies cover their livelihoods unlike many other states which prohibit and restrict transgender individuals from enjoying basic freedoms and rights.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy groups, over 80 anti-transgender bills have been introduced in the 2021 state legislative session so far. This surpasses the 2020 total of 79 anti-transgender bills introduced. 

With this year marking the highest number of anti-transgender bills in history, it has been especially damaging for transgender youth, like Ortiz’s son, given that researchers and medical professionals warn that this group is already at risk for high rates of suicide and depression.

Morgan Conway, a facilitator at the DC Center Trans Support Group, wrote a thesis on transphobia and interventions aimed at changing people’s stance on anti-transgender bills. 

In her dissertation, Conway explained how “transgender people and others who live outside of the gender binary are at a disproportionately elevated risk for a host of negative life outcomes such as employment discrimination, living in extreme poverty, and self-harm.”

Conway also said that most people view transgender individuals negatively, which is often the reason transgender or non-binary people do not experience positive living situations, such as a stable income or housing. It is due to this prejudice against transgender people that it is difficult for the community to lead healthy and safe lives, according to Conway. 

This cultural prejudice then bleeds into politics and legislation, Conway added. These anti-transgender bills mostly concern two areas: participation in youth sports and gender-affirming medical care for minors. 

Evidence shows that trans-inclusive policies in sports do not harm cisgender youth and gender-affirming treatment for young people helps rather than hurt the transgender youth community. However, many Republican state legislators continue to propose and push for bills that put a stop to transgender rights. 

In many states, lawmakers introducing these bills are supported by conservative legal groups, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). This group helped craft the Idaho law barring transgender girls and women from playing on female high school and college sports teams, which was later struck down in court. Their legal organization has also argued a number of anti-LGBTQ positions in front of the Supreme Court. 

The Alliance Defending Freedom group also praised Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson for proposing the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” which would prevent transgender girls and women from participating in school, intramural or club sports with their same-gender peers. 

“We are grateful that Governor Hutchinson took quick and decisive action to protect women’s sports without bowing to corporate interests,” said Christiana Holcomb, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, in an email. “The Arkansas law protects female athletes in both high school and college and gives them a legal remedy if their rights are violated. Governors across the country should take note of Governor Hutchinson’s actions and follow suit in protecting women’s sports.”

Holcomb also said that labeling bills that protect women’s sports as being discriminatory is unscientific, anti-woman, and defeats the life-changing benefits that Title IX provides to millions of women and girls every year. Title IX is a civil rights law from 1972 that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. 

Depending on the current presidential administration though, the interpretations of this law vary tremendously. 

For example, while the Obama administration was unequivocal about including transgender students under Title IX protection, the Trump administration decided to side with ADF’s position on Title IX and ban transgender participation in same-gender youth sports.

Suzi Gerb, a Maryland school teacher who is an active part of the trans community and trans youth programs in her school district, said these anti-transgender bills that groups like ADF are proposing “really isn’t about fairness. This is about not wanting to share the field with us.” 

“It affects you, it’s your own country getting ready to pass a law against you. You know, it doesn’t give you that much hope for the future,” Gerb said in a Zoom call. 

Gerb added that the argument of transgender girls having an advantage over cisgender girls is flawed. She said no one seems concerned about the advantage that taller and more muscular girls have over shorter or non-muscular girls in sports, so allowing transgender girls in sports should not be any different. 

Amilynn Adams, the vice chair at The Frederick Center in Maryland that serves the LGBTQ community and its allies, agreed with Gerb and also said that this argument about fairness between transgender and cisgender girls is invalid. 

“Since when do [Republican legislators] care about women?” Adams said in a Zoom interview. “These Republican controlled state legislations are misguided and want to erase transgender youth.” 

As a transgender woman herself, Adams understands the physical, emotional and mental toll anti-transgender bills have on the community. 

Adams used to serve for the United States Coast Guard, but then was forced out of the military through coerced retirement because of former President Trump’s reverse on transgender individuals serving openly in the military. 

“I was the senior-most openly trans person in all the uniformed services and eventually got forced out,” Adams said. “I am very familiar with the political environment. I was on the track to become an admiral, so it became clear that when Trump won that I was no longer in the running to become a flagged officer because it would have been to the detriment of the organization.” 

Adams added that these conservative legal groups, such as ADF, are targeting their anti-transgender bills at transgender youth because this demographic is especially vulnerable. She said that if groups like ADF continue to push for legislation that bans participation in sports and gender-affirming health care, “it’s going to kill kids.” 

Trans and gender diverse people have experienced significant marginalization and discrimination in health care settings, according to a BMC Medical Education study. Both Adams and this recent study emphasized how health professionals are generally not adequately prepared to provide appropriate healthcare to trans and gender diverse people. 

This makes going to the doctor an even more daunting experience for trans youth, and finding empathetic doctors and nurses critical.

“Gender affirming healthcare is life saving for trans people, especially youth, because of bullying in schools and lack of acceptance. Gender affirming healthcare for me, completely changed my feelings about myself. I didn’t hate myself anymore and could start really loving myself for the first time in my life,” Kayden Ortiz, Chaiya Mohanty Ortiz’s transgender son, wrote in an email. 

Ortiz added that he wants to see more gender affirming doctors and medical practices because the fact that a trans individual can be turned away by any doctor is “heartbreaking” to him. 

Ortiz’s mother also said that during her son’s coming out, he was deeply depressed and even had suicidal thoughts, but thankfully had the resources to help him through those highly emotional times. 

According to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2018, more than half of transgender male teens reported attempting suicide in their lifetime, 29.9% of transgender females said they attempted suicide, and 41.8% of non-binary youth stated they attempted suicide at some point in their lives. 

One solution to end this epidemic of transgender individuals dying and leading unhealthy lives is to pass the Equality Act in Congress, according to multiple trans and gender diverse advocates. 

The Equality Act would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs and jury service. 

Despite successful strides towards LGBTQ rights in this country, queer Americans still lack the basic legal protections in states across the country. This is what the Equality Act aims to fix for this community, said the Human Rights Campaign. 

“This is our number one priority,” Laura Brantley, a legislative aide in the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, said over a phone call. “We are absolutely not going to buy into this bigotry. We are not going to buy into the hatred coming from anyone. Equality of us is equality for all and this act has been a long time coming.” 

In a sea full of crowded sweaty bodies on the dance floor of D.C.’s treasured gay nightclub, Town Danceboutique, Keith Cambrel was called onto the stage by a DJ friend for a quick performance. As “Crazy In Love” blared through the speakers, Cambrel, who had never performed in drag before, was about to become a star. 

“I was very nervous,” Cambrel said in a Zoom interview. “But it was very cool because by the end of it, I was slaying it and having a good time. The audience was super into it and very supportive, so that was the moment I was like ‘Okay, I’m a true performer.’”

From that moment on, Cambrel performed as KC B. Yoncé all over town: for smaller events, pop-up performances in nightclubs and, of course, on Halloween. Meanwhile, out of drag, Cambrel worked in the fashion industry at Tory Burch in Georgetown for about seven years after graduating from Virginia Tech. It was not until a D.C. pride parade in 2017 that Cambrel knew that they wanted to pursue drag as a serious career.

Most major cities host pride parades during the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, promote self-affirmation and to increase visibility among the queer community— and during D.C.’s 2017 pride parade, Cambrel felt especially heard and loved by their community. 

Cambrel described how D.C.’s unforgiving summer heat was beating down while they stood on top of a double-decker bus disguised as an extravagant float. Then, there was a moment when the parade suddenly stopped, so Cambrel said they decided to climb down from the bus to go interact with the LGBTQ+ families, kids and community members watching the parade. 

“That’s when I felt a sense of community and saw how my presence was impacting people,” Cambrel added. 

Since that parade in 2017, Cambrel has worked solely on their drag career. But due to the pandemic putting thousands of entertainers out of work, Cambrel had to go back to working part-time at their previous job with Tory Burch. 

Keith Cambrel and Christina McAlister via Zoom. Photo Credit: Christina McAlister

Community comes as a top priority for Cambrel and is reflected in their drag, according to Cambrel’s friend and videographer, Chazmen McCarter.

McCarter is a creative talent who founded House of Sonique, which is a fashion, art and entertainment collective that provides a platform for marginalized artists. Cambrel and McCarter first met in 2016 at Trade, their favorite gay nightclub in D.C., and McCarter almost immediately saw the talent Cambrel’s drag had to offer. 

“A lot of what doesn’t get talked about with KC is that they do so much for the community,” McCarter said. “Even if we’re shooting a music video, KC is like ‘Get that person in the shot!’ and that’s something that isn’t talked about. I’ve worked with a lot of artists, and they don’t do that.”

Cambrel is always pushing others forward and focuses their art on showcasing the community, McCarter said. For instance, when editing music videos Cambrel will ask to be cut out in order for other unknown artists to be put in. McCarter and Cambrel worked on a music video to get out the vote this past November entitled “Black Parade VOTE 2020” where multiple different artists and drag queens are featured alongside KC B. Yoncé. 

“It’s never been about the money,” McCarter added. “It’s always been about community which I love.”

McCarter acknowledged that the drag industry can be a narcissistic one but said that this is why KC B. Yoncé is unlike any other drag queen— because they put their community before themselves. 

Even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Cambrel has persevered through their art as a drag queen and has encouraged others to do the same. McCarter talked about how “we were nightlife, so now, it’s a pandemic on top of a pandemic. I was really not in a space to work, but [Cambrel] reached out and helped me get back into my creativity.”

According to reports from both the CDC and Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ+ individuals are at a heightened health and economic risk for the coronavirus, as they are more likely to work in jobs in highly affected industries, are less likely to have health coverage and more likely to have chronic illnesses that can significantly increase complications. 

Although Cambrel has defied these statistics thus far, it has been no easy task for them. Cambrel spoke about how the pandemic was a very jarring experience because it left them wondering what makes LGBTQ+ jobs so disposable. 

“Coming to terms with that was a lot not just for myself, but for everyone in the community. I hosted virtual events and we would have a little dance party from our living room with DJs,” Cambrel said. “It made me see how resourceful we can be. It really encouraged me to keep going.”

Cambrel’s natural humor, confidence and collaborative spirit is what draws everyone in, Brent Wingat, a close friend of theirs, said. Wingat and Cambrel met about 10 years ago at a social event for D.C. gays called Twilight Tuesdays. While Cambrel knew almost everyone there, Wingat said he remembers not knowing anyone, so Cambrel came up to talk to him and they were friends ever since.

Wingat also added that he truly believes that Cambrel’s talents and artistry as a drag queen could one day make KC B. Yoncé famous on a much larger scale. Cambrel said they hope to one day audition for the American reality competition television series, RuPaul’s Drag Race— which becomes a topic of debate almost every single brunch between Wingat, Cambrel and their close friends. 

“People should be seeing KC now before he’s a huge star because it’s much cheaper than it will be,” Wingat said. “KC is lightning in a bottle.”

Cambrel had a brief moment of fame when “Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt’s Creek Farewell” premiered on Netflix. KC B. Yoncé appears in the documentary when the Schitt’s Creek cast visits Trade, a gay nightclub in D.C., which hosted “A Night of a Thousand Moira’s” and KC B. Yoncé is shown with the creator of the hit show Schitt’s Creek after winning the best Moira drag.

KC B. Yoncé (Keith Cambrel’s drag persona) with Dan Levy at Trade in Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: Netflix

Between KC B. Yoncé’s cameo in this Netflix documentary, devotion to their newly created YouTube channel and a possible RuPaul Drag Race appearance, this queen is quickly gaining recognition among the D.C. community and beyond. As their friends can attest to, Cambrel has continued to stay humble throughout their drag profession.

“I don’t want to be selfish in what I do. I want to be able to include and inspire as many different people as possible,” Cambrel said. 

Gay, lesbian and transgender Americans have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic as LGBTQ+ households experience higher unemployment rates, greater economic challenges and complications accessing health care, according to a year-end advocacy report.

Bryan Van Den Oever, co-owner of Red Bear Brewing Company in D.C., explained that despite all restaurants and businesses taking a hard hit during these difficult times, “it’s harder for the LGBTQ community because we have so few spaces to begin with.” 

COVID-19 has impacted the lives of millions of Americans, but for those a part of the LGBTQ+ community such as Oever, the pandemic has been especially harsh and exposes vulnerabilities that have long been ignored. 

According to the report from the Movement Advancement Project, LGBTQ+ people are “twice as likely to be unable to get necessary medical care and four times more likely to not have enough food to eat as non-LGBTQ households.” 

Almost all Black LGBTQ+ households (95%) experienced one serious financial problem since the pandemic began, more than 1 in 8 LGBTQ households lost their health coverage due to COVID-19, and nearly two-thirds of LGBTQ+ people have experienced job loss or disruption during quarantine, MAP reports. 

Jeffery Andrés Guzmán, a recent American University graduate and D.C. advocate, knows the weight of these statistics as he is a part of the 66% of LGBTQ Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic. 

“You know, I lost my job at the beginning of the pandemic and was unemployed for several months, and that’s compared to only half of non-LGBTQ people,” Guzmán continued. “I think a lot of that has to do with the already socio-economic factors that have been present and structures that make living and leading a healthy, financially secure life for LGBTQ people so hard.” 

Guzmán also spoke about how this pandemic has truly magnified the mental health crisis within LGBTQ+ communities— and even more so with trans and non-binary people. 

The MAP report shows that LGBTQ people are more likely to live alone and not have an extended family to turn to for support which leaves them to be more isolated and without that important social connection. 

Since the pandemic has started, LGBTQ+ suicide hotlines such as The Trevor Project have seen a 40% spike in calls. 

Bee Norris works with FEDUP Collective, an organization dedicated to fighting eating disorders in the trans, intersex, and nonbinary communities, and elaborated on how differently the pandemic has impacted this marginalized group of people.

As a former therapist, Norris was able to speak about how isolation has taken a toll on the trans+ community’s mental wellbeing. 

“With gender dysphoria, I have certain clients who have a really hard time even just leaving their house or exposing themselves to their roommates,” Norris said. “I saw mixed reactions as far as isolation when the pandemic first started. Some of the stuff I was hearing was like, ‘Well, this is like the life I live already!’ but I think that’s also where I heard a lot of frustration come in too.” 

They added that the pandemic put many surgeries for trans people on hold, as they were deemed “nonessential”, which sparked even more anxiety within the community. This postponement of essential surgeries is certainly dangerous to the trans people’s mental health and is why the Center for Transgender Medicine & Surgery at Boston Medical Center is still fielding phone calls, conducting telemedicine visits, and managing hormone therapy. 

Nina Liebow, co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Affinity Group at American University, also emphasized the vulnerabilities of LGBTQ+ individuals and just how difficult this isolation is on people’s mental wellbeing. “For many LGBTQ+ people who are living with family members or others they are not out to, COVID-19 has made it so they have to suppress their gender identity or sexual orientation while at home during the pandemic,” Liebow said. “This can be very psychologically taxing and also unsafe.”

The intense smell of pine needles, immersing my entire body into an ice cold lake, and running through the woods of up north Wisconsin– these are some of my fondest memories from childhood. Growing up in the Midwest did not seem extraordinary to me, and even when I arrived at college in D.C., I tried to avoid associating myself with Wisconsin as much as possible. For as cliche as it sounds, I was a young girl from a small town looking to escape to a big and fast-paced city. 

However, now that I am older, I realize that I would not be who I am today if I hadn’t been raised by the suburbs of Wisconsin. Without the bug bites I got from staying by the campfire too late during the summer and the frostbites I was nipped by from building a snow fort with my bare hands in the wintertime, I would not have grown into the person I am so proud to be today. Although I still have a few years left of growing up to do, my childhood is over and realizing this has made me that much more appreciative of it. 

One memory that will forever be with me is exploring the wilderness of my own backyard with my younger siblings and cousins. Declaring myself as the reigning queen of broken branches, worm infested dirt, and a couple of 6 to 9-year-olds was certainly something I bragged about nearly every time we called for a meeting in the trees of my backyard. We would each bring our own throne to sit upon and spoke to the birds as if they were the villagers of our small, but powerful kingdom. As we sat upon our glorious chairs and giggled about the wonders of our make-believe world, I remember questioning how there could be anything beyond this. 

As I grew older, my outlook on the world became duller. I no longer have that golden dust to sprinkle on the world to make everything seem magical. This may be pessimistic, but it has made me realize how wonderful it truly is to be a child. My backyard is not very big and my home is not worth much, but I never thought this as a child because the memories I created there are immeasurable. 

One of the greatest authors in American history, Lousia May Alcott, once said, “Prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.” I truly believe that I did not waste one day throughout my childhood, and I plan to not waste any days as an adult either, so that when I look back on my life I can see the “beautiful success” I created for myself. 

The city of Boston has always been ruled by White men, but Michelle Wu plans on shaking things up by running to become the first-ever womxn to lead Boston as mayor.

On Sept. 15, Wu marked her place in the race against popular incumbent Mayor Marty Walsh by releasing a campaign video that is available in English, Mandrin, and Spanish. Although Mayor Walsh seemed to forget proper political manners by announcing Wu’s run before she made it official, this is a historic moment in time. 

While in Harvard Law School, Wu was stunned by her contract law professor and the two became close. This professor was Elizabeth Warren and she had a profound influence on Wu’s political aspirations. When Warren ran for the U.S. Senate, Wu would show up to office hours asking if there was anything she could do to help. 

Now, Wu is a 35-year-old mother with two children and is a daughter of immigrants. She was raised in Chicago and began college as a biology major, but went back home at 23 to raise her younger sisters and take care of her mother who had mental health issues. So obviously, politics was nowhere in her future plans at the time. 

It was after Wu cared for her mother and helped Warren with her campaign that Wu realized how important politics are to everyday life and ordinary citizens. 

The Taiwanse American lawyer has certainly established herself in the Boston community as she served on the city council for seven years and became the first womxn of color to be elected council president. 

Wu still has more than a year of campaigning for her progressive politics, but as of Sept. 17, Walsh leads by 23 points in a hypothetical 2021 mayoral matchup against Wu and Councilor Andrea Campbell. However, Walsh has yet to confirm if he is running for a third term. 

Boston and Indianapolis are the only two out of the 25 populous cities in America that have not elected a womxn or BIPOC as mayor. Electing someone that represents the majority of not only a metropolitan city, but of the entire country, is an overdue necessity in the American political system. 

Despite Wu losing in the polls right now and Boston not having a good track record of electing womxn or BIPOC to the city’s highest office, Boston’s recent politics have shown that there is a lot of support for progressives. 

Between Wu’s former fellow city council member Ayanna Pressley beating incumbent Representative Michael Capuano in 2018 and incumbent U.S. Senator Ed Markey beating centrist Joseph P. Kennedy III in September of this year (the first time a member of the Kennedy family lost a political race in Massachusetts), Boston is turning a new leaf in their politics. 

This may be enough for Wu to win over the people of Boston and gain their trust to elect her as Mayor of Boston. Although some may see Wu’s progressive politics as her weakness, it may actually be her winning ticket. 
To see what Wu stands for and to get involved in her campaign, visit her official campaign website.

The Biden campaign had a successful summer with choosing Senator Kamala Harris as Vice President, the Democratic National Convention receiving high television ratings, and a surge in their party fundraising. These victories reassured Democrats across the nation that Trump’s time in the oval office could be coming to an end. 

But is this enough to defeat the unstoppable force that is President Trump?

While some Americans see the Biden-Harris ticket as the glimmer of hope they have been desperately seeking for the past three years, and especially in 2020, other Americans have bought into the Trump campaign’s rhetoric and don’t plan on hopping off his ticket any time soon. 

Although Biden gave Democrats an optimistic summer, he still has about two months to go until Election Day, which gives the Biden-Harris campaign plenty of time to make the same mistakes Clinton made in the 2016 election. 

Here is how Biden could lose this 2020 Presidential Election to incumbent President Trump:

Biden could stumble in the Presidential Debates

President Trump may not come across as highly educated when he speaks or tweets, but he and his team do a brilliant job at creating narratives. One narrative the Trump campaign has crafted is the “Sleepy Joe” persona. Throughout this election year, Trump has repeatedly referred to Biden as lazy, incompetent, and too old for the presidency. This has worked among Republicans, especially due to Biden not having the best track record when it comes to being well-spoken. If Biden stumbles in the debates, then his missteps will only reinforce Trump’s “Sleepy Joe” rhetoric. 

Biden does not have a passionate voter base

Let’s face it: the phrase “Settle for Biden” has become more popular than Biden’s actual campaign slogan, “The Soul of America”. On the flip side, President Trump’s infamous red baseball cap with “Make America Great Again” written across the top was the single greatest campaign move he made in 2016 because of the base he was able to curate through it. When thinking of who wears baseball caps on the daily, uneducated white men who love trucks is what comes to mind–  and that demographic is the reason why Trump is in office. Americans have yet to see the same enthusiasm from Democrats about Biden. 

Trump may take credit for COVID-19 vaccine

Most Democrats seem to forget that Trump is a skillful PR (public relations) man. Before his presidency, Trump built an empire of hotels by using his name and produced his own television show, so of course he treats the oval office as just another branding opportunity. Given this, it would be no surprise if Trump attempted to spin the tens of thousands of patients in advanced trials for experimental COVID-19 vaccines as something he accomplished as president. Voters are more vulnerable than ever, and are desperate for any good news. If Trump is able to convince the public that there is a successful vaccine all because of him, then that might steal this election away from Biden. 

President Trump is an extremely divisive and controversial figure, to say the least. But, he does know how to sell himself and relay simple messages to the masses. This, unfortunately, is what campaigning has come down to. Trump also knows how to control the media and makes sure to keep every headline about him. Biden lacks this– he has not been successful in getting Americans excited. In order for Trump to be kicked out of office, Democrats need to rally behind Biden just as much as they protest against Trump.