Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter
Happy Halloween! While many of y’all might be haunted by Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees-inspired costumes roaming your streets this evening, what you might find spookiest is that we’re five days out from the election. Yep, on November 5th, Americans will head to the polls to decide whether former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris will be the next U.S. President. Each candidate has had notable moments when it comes to LGBTQ issues. Trump has repeatedly decried “transgender insanity” and has spent more than $19 million on anti-trans attack ads this election cycle. Harris has said, “Our LGBTQI+ children should not fear who they are” and that “No one should be made to fight alone.”
There is so much more than that, though, which is why our team put together a comprehensive comparison of Trump and Harris’ track records on LGBTQ issues. If anyone on this listserv is undecided or knows someone who is, please share this with them!
Until then, check out our recent coverage below, as well as other Uncloseted updates.
Spencer Macnaughton | Editor-in-chief, Uncloseted Media
How Timothy Mellon’s Wealth is Supercharging the Trump Campaign’s Anti-LGBTQ Attacks
Tom Sayers reported about how Trump’s biggest donor, Timothy Mellon, has donated over $225 million to at least 30 Republican candidates, including a whopping $140 million to the pro-Trump super PAC, MAGA, Inc.
He has also given $11 million since 2022 to Sentinel Action Fund, the super PAC arm of The Heritage Foundation—the group that wrote Project 2025.
Mellon’s money could be supporting some of the $65 million (yes, you read that correctly) Republicans have spent on anti-trans messaging since Aug. 1.
The Trump campaign has spent roughly $15.5 million on two ads, including one where the narrator degrades the trans and nonbinary community when he says, “Kamala is for they/them, Trump is for You.”
What Can We Uncover From Mark Robinson’s Trans Porn Fascination And Startling Hate-Fueled Rhetoric?
Recent data found that searches for trans porn are most popular in red states like Texas, Georgia, and Kentucky, all of which are among the most active agents in the wave of anti-trans legislation.
Hope Pisoni and I wanted to explore this connection. We spoke to sociologists, trans people who have worked in the adult entertainment industry, and trans women in Robinson’s home state of North Carolina to uncover the connections between trans hate and trans arousal. Dee Richardson told us that she often feels used by cis men who are attracted to trans women like her but are only willing to hook up or date in secret.
“You shouldn’t hurt somebody like that and make them be vulnerable to you and have them open themselves up to you on that level if you won’t even love them out loud,” she told us.
JD Vance REALLY wants you to know he's 'not gay' (The Advocate)
The Republican nominee for vice president compared gender-affirming care to conversion therapy in a recent interview with gay conservative podcaster Tim Dillon.
Shawn Mendes says he's 'figuring out' his sexuality. Here's why his comments matter. (USA Today)
The singer talked about his sexuality at a concert Monday night – an oft-discussed topic among fans, casual onlookers and many members of the LGBTQ community. He said that "sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes."
LGBTQ activists canvassed in a red state. The conversations surprised them. (Washington Post)
The group spread out across Missouri in the final days before the election. Residents had viewpoints that did not fit in neat partisan boxes.
A second high court rules that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional (Associated Press)
A second Japanese high court ruled Wednesday that the government’s policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest in a series of decisions upholding plaintiffs’ demands for marriage equality.
First openly trans lawyer to argue at Supreme Court in challenging law over trans youth health care (Reuters)
Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, will make history in December as the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, opposing Tennessee's Republican-backed law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
Sarah McBride’s historic run for Congress was decades in the making (NBC)
If she wins Delaware’s only House seat in November, the Democrat is poised to become the country’s first openly transgender member of Congress.
Arizona teen planned attack on Phoenix Pride Festival, prosecutors say (NBC)
The 17-year-old planned to use explosives to harm people at the Phoenix Pride Festival, Maricopa County prosecutors said.
Our new partnership with Gay Times is off to a stellar start. Last week, they republished three of our stories along complementary collaborative Instagram posts. We are thrilled that GT’s audience is seeing and reading our stories. In this IG post about our story about how America’s homeschooling movement impacts queer kids in religious families, there were dozens of readers who shared their stories and connected with each other. Here are some of their comments:
This weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:
🆕 In our first partnership with Votebeat, Abbie Thompson investigates how strict voter ID laws in mostly red states are making it difficult or even impossible for many trans people to cast a ballot in this election.
🆕 The World is Watching — we speak to folks from all around the world: the United Kingdom, Botswana, South Africa, Turkey, Israel, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand, Canada and beyond. Em Oliver and I wanted to find out how folks around the globe think the American election could impact LGBTQ issues on in their home countries.
Thanks for reading! And feel free to email me with questions, complaints and ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief
spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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