Last week, Condé Nast folded Teen Vogue into Vogue.com and eliminated its entire politics team—six journalists, most of them BIPOC women and trans people. For nearly a decade, Teen Vogue published some of the sharpest justice journalism in the country, covering everything from gender-affirming care access to the war in Gaza with editorial courage that treated young people as participants in democracy rather than consumers. The Roosevelt Institute had just awarded them the 2025 Freedom of Speech medal.

This is what the slow collapse of news platforms looks like. And it's exactly why independent journalism matters—why your support matters. I don't have corporate backing to lose. I have you, and the commitment to keep showing up with evidence-based reporting practitioners need.

This week is Trans Day of Remembrance, as I grieve and honor my transcestors, I'm also deep in research on fertility preservation techniques for trans folks. In December: post-surgery travel considerations and community healthcare funds. Plus a review of NEGLIGENT BY DESIGN, There's so much work to do, and I'm grateful to be doing it alongside all of you.

Let's get into this week's roundup.

NEWS: the headlines you need to stay informed.

The recent government shutdown resolution avoided anti-trans provisions, but upcoming budget negotiations threaten existing protections for the trans community. And a new report from Out Magazine identifies 12 far-right influencers who promote anti-trans narratives and support restrictive legislation—be sure you aren’t getting your queer trans health news from people who hate us!

In education news, the Texas A&M University System banned professors from teaching about "race or gender ideology" without presidential pre-approval—this evidently includes classes in the university’s medical degree.

Community members protested Michigan Medicine's decision to discontinue gender-affirming care for minors during the November 12 opening of the institution's new $920 million Pavilion. Meanwhile in Boston, activists disrupted a Fenway Health charity gala after the community health center announced it would stop providing gender-affirming care to trans individuals under 19.

The Catholic Church continues making headlines around transgender healthcare. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted to ban gender-affirming care at Catholic hospitals nationwide, though Providence will continue offering care despite the ban. In a contrasting development, Pope Leo XIV will meet with trans women activists on November 16.

Positive developments include GenderGP.com's launch of affordable gender-affirming care in the U.S. starting at $29.99 monthly, and intersex activists fighting against non-consensual surgeries on children born with ambiguous genitals. Grindr has distributed over 1 million HIV self-test kits, with nearly half going to first-time testers.

International developments include Queensland's health minister reinstating a ban on puberty blockers for adolescents hours after the Supreme Court overturned a previous freeze, and Oslo University Hospital being found to have violated research ethics by extracting data from under-18 transgender patients without proper consent.

In Canada, Prince Edward Island is marking Transgender Awareness Week with community events as advocates warn violence against trans people has doubled. The International Olympic Committee is considering a blanket ban on transgender women from women's sports citing potential physical advantages.

Rx RESIST: how you can make a difference

Review healthcare navigation toolkits. Anne Health's toolkit for trans+ healthcare pathways in England covers NHS and private options, GP advocacy, and gender-affirming practices—frameworks applicable to navigating fragmented healthcare systems anywhere.

Contact your state representatives. Call on your reps to establish an LGBTQ+ crisis lifeline in your state following the closure of federal mental health resources for the LGBTQ+ community.

MIXED MEDIA: good reads, podcasts, documentaries, and more

A bigger-than-usual collection this week, ranging from electoral post-mortems and detransition investigations to photography campaigns, queer history, and a documentary about finding joy in devastating circumstances. The last item is a TransLash zine celebrating trans brilliance across generations—and I'm featured in it.

• A Losing Political Strategy: Anti-Trans Hate — TransLash's Imara Jones examines how anti-trans rhetoric failed in the 2025 elections, with Charlotte Rene Woods analyzing Virginia's gubernatorial race and Cyril Mychalejko unpacking school board outcomes featured in The Anti-Trans Hate Machine podcast investigation.

• Detransition is key to politicians' anti-trans agenda. But what is it really like? and Detransition is rare, but it's driving anti-trans policy anyway — Two stories from The 19th reveal how detransitioners are weaponized in anti-trans legislation despite low detransition rates, emphasizing that blanket healthcare bans harm both transgender and detransitioning individuals who need nuanced, holistic care.

• Trans is Human — Jake and Hannah Graf's photography exhibition and campaign showcases 13 trans and non-binary people across the UK, countering dehumanization with stories of resilience and everyday humanity. The campaign emphasizes visibility as life-saving work during a period of intense societal contempt.

• Queer Enlightenments: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers — Anthony Delaney's new book traces queer oppression back centuries before the 1868 coining of "homosexual," documenting 18th and 19th century queer lives and the medicalization of our existence.

• Come See Me in the Good Light — This Apple TV documentary follows queer poet and activist Andrea Gibson's journey with terminal ovarian cancer, capturing their philosophy of finding beauty in darkness. Gibson's final words were "I fucking loved my life"—a testament to choosing joy even in devastating circumstances.

• The Church Of Cis Fragility: Where Outrage Became Religion — TransVitae dissects how "common sense" became code for transphobia, examining the digital megachurch where discomfort masquerades as moral superiority and selective empathy keeps congregants comfortable while avoiding growth.

• The sex ed you get depends on your ZIP code — and your state's politics — The 19th reports on disparities in sex education quality across states, showing how political forces restrict comprehensive, LGBTQ+-inclusive curricula while leaving queer youth vulnerable to misinformation and inadequate health resources. I wrote about this for Esquire in 2019.

• Transcestors & Trailblazers: 30 Lives, 30 Legacies — TransLash's full-color comic-style zine celebrates trans brilliance across generations, honoring elders, artists, and advocates who shaped today's world alongside current trailblazers. I contributed to this publication and am so excited to hold a copy in my hands!

WHY UPGRADE

Paid subscribers get…

• access to the searchable research database

• original midweek reporting

• interviews with scientists, researchers, health and wellness professionals, and LGBTQ+ change-makers every weekend (Professional and Lifetime)

• all downloadables in the Resource Library (Professional and Lifetime)

RESEARCH: all the latest science

Not yet a paid member? Upgrade for the searchable research database of curated queer trans health and wellness research!

LAST WEEK: published on Well Beings News

In case you missed it, here's what’s new around here: advice and neuroscience on receiving criticism well, reminders about the resource library available to paid Professional Members, and the latest Queer in Practice conversation with Dr. Shanéa Thomas on why legacy matters.

This week I’m starting my outreach to organizations, training programs, and professional groups for health and wellness workers internationally. If you know of anywhere like this, people who might be interested in talking to me about their needs, questions, and suggestions for Well Beings News

Original Reporting

Earlier this month I featured a short story with advice from past sources about the importance and skill involved in taking feedback.

Downloadables

Speaking of taking feedback… not only do paid Professional Members get access to the resource library, but you can email me anytime for feedback or questions about:

• The Is Your Intake Form LGBTQ+ Affirming workbook

• A Safer Spaces Assessment Toolkit

• Your Comprehensive Youth Gender Affirming Care Guide and report

• The Youth Gender Affirming Care quick reference factsheet

Queer in Practice

There’s so much more to share from this rich conversation with Dr. Shanéa Thomas, but for now, this is what he has to share about the importance of legacy for LGBTQ+ people in our organizations and in our lives.