Nice Stuff 2

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth, written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hi folks,

Figured I’d share another post with just a bunch of Nice Stuff (here was round one).

Nice Stuff! Like for example…

Robert De Niro’s daughter Airyn publicly came out as trans in this great profile for Them:

…and the actor himself was chill about it! (Imagine!)

Following a super terrible supreme court ruling in the UK some weeks back, hundreds of celebrities there signed a petition in support of trans rights as did hundreds of historians.

The country’s first openly trans judge is appealing to the European court of human rights.

Following a very pseudoscientific and blatantly anti-trans report on youth gender care being released by the Trump administration, it was condemned by basically every expert you can think of.

Colorado passed protections for trans folks. The Arizonan governor vetoed some transphobic laws there, dragging the legislators behind them: “I encourage the Legislature to focus on real issues that matter and impact people’s everyday lives.” Just today, the Montana Supreme Court struck down an attempted ban on trans youth healthcare, whew!

Salt Lake City officially adopted three flags in protest of an anti-pride flag state law:

Pennsylvania could see its first openly trans mayor:

Congrats, as of last night, to Omaha’s new mayor — who beat a transphobe:

Hell yeah to this energy:

Hell YEAH to this energy:

He’s now launched a million dollar legal aid fundraiser for other immigrants in detention.

Also:

And, from earlier today:

Pedro Pascal, cis ally king, called J.K. Rowling a “heinous loser” and is among the many of us advocating for a boycott of the HBO show. Love it!!!

BTW here was Hunter Schafer at the Met Gala, wearing a Prada suit:

Here was André 3000, wearing a piano:

Great news, a thought-extinct “mystical eagle” is making a comeback in Mexico:

New hero just dropped:

A locally notorious, repeat offender Swiss duck was caught on camera again going twice the posted speed limit…

Here is a hippo eating a pumpkin:

@cincinnatizoo

Smashing pumpkins! 🎃 It’s pumpkin season and the hippos are here for it!!! #pumpkin #hippo #halloween

Sure it’s an old vid but I only saw it recently and have watched it many times. (May we all enjoy anything as much as this hippo enjoys this pumpkin.)

Here is a hummingbird family inside of a tulip 🌷:

@squirmywormy727272

#aww #mamabird #birds #hummingbirds #family #animals #nature #love #flower #cute #amusing #motherhood #hummingbird

What’s Helping Today: Planted two little sour cherry trees in early 2020 and this year… so many blossoms!

Maybe soon my actual goal will be attained…sour cherry pie?! We shall see! 🍒

Listen, being real, it’s (still) a hard time to be trans… But it’s nice to put these posts together wherein I don’t just focus on, you know, all the bad.

If you’re a cis person and you want to be a more active ally to trans folks, here are some ways.

If you ever wanna reach out — to share some Nice Stuff or for whatever other reason — feel free to do so on Bluesky or via my website.

If you want to send in an anonymous question for me to consider for my advice column, write [email protected].

Sending love,
Sandy

*Rob has a new blog called Roblem Solving!! Congrats on the blog Rob!

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