Freshly Squeezed True Crime

#25, Pride / Pulse...Part#1

• Season 1 • Episode 25

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This is French Quees True Crime, a Florida only True Crime Podcast. I'm Sunani. And before we get to this week's juicy episode, I ask you to visit the website at fstcpodcast.com where you'll find all of our social media platforms as well as the newest episodes. And also find us on YouTube where we would like you to follow us, subscribe, share it, do all the things. So for yourself, it's a glass of orange juice, and let me tell you a story. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer LGBTQ Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, New York. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the gay liberation movement in the United States. In the US, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as gay pride day, but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation, the quote day soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposiums, and concerts. And LGBTQ Pride Month attracts millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV in AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. We celebrate pride to publicly honor, remember, and acknowledge those who have had to hide the LGBTQ plus identity. We celebrate pride to celebrate who we are. We celebrate pride to uplift voices, celebrate and embrace culture, and support rights. We celebrate to fight for equal justice, equity, and opportunity for the community. LGBTQ and the alphabet. Many different acronyms are used to represent sexual orientation and gender identities. And you may be familiar with at least one of these terms. But what about the others? What do all of these letters mean? Consider LGBT as a base or foundation acronym representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Then comes a Q, the I, A, P, II, and so on. Letters added to the base acronym in different order and quantities. Q stands for queer or questioning. I stands for intersex. A could stand for asexual, a romantic, a gender or ally. P stands for pansexual. 2 stands for two-spirited, and the plus acknowledges that there are many other sexualities and gender identities which are not included in the acronym. A good general rule is regardless of the acronym you choose to use, adding the PLUS to the ends is important to recognize as many identities as we can so that all people are included and respected. Two other terms you should know: cisgender, which refers to a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex they were assigned at birth, and heterosexual, which refers to someone who is exclusively attracted to the opposite gender. To learn more, let's browse through the alphabet included in this section. Understanding the terms that people use to describe their identity will help you act respectfully, avoid offense, and connect with others. Agender refers to someone who does not identify with any particular gender. Ally refers to someone who shows allyship to the community. Being an active ally is an ongoing and active process through which someone who has privilege chooses to stand for and with marginalized or underrepresented communities by taking actions to dismantle systems of oppression. Asexual refers to someone who typically does not experience sexual attraction. This person can experience a romantic attraction. Aromantic refers to someone who has little or no romantic attraction to others. Aromantic individuals may be asexual or not. Bicurious refers to someone who is exploring bisexuality but does not necessarily identify as bisexual. Bisexual refers to someone who is sexually attracted to more than one gender. This often means being attracted to both men and women, the traditional binary genders, hence the bi prefix. Gay refers to a person who is attracted to someone of the same gender. Intersex refers to someone who is born with both male and female or ambiguous reproductive or sexual anatomy. Lesbian is a term for a woman who is attracted to women. Some women who are attracted to women prefer the terms gay or queer instead. Non-binary refers to someone who rejects or does not identify with a gender binary of a man or woman. A person may identify as both man and woman simultaneously in fluction, as something else entirely or as no gender at all. Pansexual refers to people whose attraction to folks does not depend on gender identity. Queer is an umbrella term that can be used to describe people within the community or can be used by people who reject any specific identity. It's important to note that queer is a reclaimed term, a term that was previously used in a disparaging way, and thus some LGBTQIAP people may embrace the term while others simply reject it. Questioning refers to someone who is currently questioning their sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, or some combination of the three and might be in the process of exploration. Two-spirit refers to indigenous people who identify as having both masculine and feminine spirits. Two spirit is considered a separate, third gender in some indigenous communities, although the term used to describe a two-spirit individual is specific to certain tribes. For example, Nadali for the Navajo tribe and Lemana for the Zuni tribe. Please note that this represents only the tip of the iceberg. There are many, many other terms that people use to describe their gender identity and sexual orientation. Our intention here at Fresh Route Squeeze is to simply lay the groundwork for the LGBTQ acronym and encourage you to continue your own learning journey via research, courageous conversations, and self-reflections. For learning on LGBTQ inclusion, enroll in the ABCs of LGBTQ. In 1924, after being temporarily committed to a mental institution because of his sexual orientation, Henry Gerber, a German immigrant and World War I Army enlistee, established the Society for Human Rights, the first American homosexual rights organization. In 1933, in Nazi Germany, pink triangles were used as concentration camp badges to identify male prisoners who were sent there because of their homosexuality. In 1995, after a decade of campaigning, a pink triangle plaque was installed at the Dachau Memorial Museum to commemorate the suffering of gay men and lesbians. Originally intended as a badge of shame, the pink triangle, often inverted from its Nazi usage, has been reclaimed as international symbols of gay pride and the gay rights movement. 1955, the Daughters of Billets, the first lesbian rights organization, is founded in San Francisco by Dorothy Louise Tellefero, Del Martin, and Phyllis Lyon. Martin and Lyon will later become the first same-sex couple to be married in San Francisco. In 1959, Cooper Donuts was a popular gay meeting place on Main Street Los Angeles' gays ghetto of the 1950s and 60s. One night in May 1959, police attempted to arrest three people for legally congregating. A large group of transgendered women and others pelt the officers with donuts, coffee, and paper plates until they were forced to retreat and return with larger numbers. When the police returned, a riot ensued and shut down Main Street for an entire day. 1961. Illinois is the first state decriminalized sodomy and behavior by consenting adults in private. 1966, a riot and protest followed a police raid on Gene Compton's cafeteria in San Francisco, a popular gathering spot for the transgender community. This was one of the first LGBT-related riots preceding the most famous Stonewall riots and marketed the beginning of transgender activism in San Francisco. 1969 In the early morning hours of Saturday, June 28, 1969, nine policemen entered the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar at Christopher Street in Greenwich Village and took several patrons into custody in accordance with the New York Law Authority, the arrest of anyone not wearing gender-appropriate clothing. The ensuing riot lasted five days. A year later, after the rebellion at Stonewall Inn, LGBT people from across the New York City gather to commemorate the first anniversary of the Gay Liberation Movement. The Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee named the days leading up to the march Gay Pride Week, when individual organizations could host their own events and activities. In 1972, San Francisco holds its first Pride Parade with 2,000 marchers and 15,000 spectators. 1978 saw Harvey Milk elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and becomes the first openly gay city official in California history. In 1978, Gilbert Baker designs the rainbow flag as a symbol for the gay liberation movement, which flies during the San Francisco Pride Parade. Each color of the flag has a meaning: hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise blue for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. In 1987, a compromise move, the American Psychiatric Association revises its diagnostic and statistical manual, other than also known as the DSM. In 1973 to replace homosexuality with sexual orientation disturbance, the disorder is removed entirely in the 1987 DSM revision. However, in this edition, the non controversial classification of gender identity disorder appeared as a label for transgender people for the first time. Act UP, also known as the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, sues Northwest Orient Airlines in protest of their policy-bearing people with AIDS from their flights, which results in the airline reversing its policies in 1987. In 1990, the World Health Organization removes homosexuality from the international classification of diseases. In 1991, ACTUP organizes a large demonstration delivering coffins to city, state, and federal offices in New York City to protest AIDS-related discrimination. In 1991, Gladstone launches the Gladstone Institute of Virality and Immunology to address the rising HIV AIDS crisis. Over the following years, GIVI helps define the life cycle of HIV, paving the way for many medications currently in use and leads to groundbreaking IPR study showing how a daily pill can prevent HIV infection in people likely to come in contact with the virus. In 1998, Executive Order 13087 from President Clinton prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workforce. However, this does not extend to the military. In 1999, a well-known advocate for trans rights, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, creates the first Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating all the trans people who were killed by anti-transgender violence and bigotry. 2001, the Netherlands becomes the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. 2004, the first Pride Month March specifically for transgender people in San Francisco is held. 2004, Dorothy Louise Telfani, Del Martin, and Phyllis Ann Lyon, both longtime activists in the gay rights movement, are married after Mayor Gavin Newsome orders a city clerk to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples. By 2011, the full implementation of the military's Don't Act, Don't Tell policy was repealed. The policy banning gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members from disclosing their sexual identity was in effect for 17 years. By 2012, the Food and Drug Administration approves Truvada as an HIV prep. The CDC estimates new HIV infections fell 8% from 2015 to 2019. In 2013, Glassstone launches the series Out in Science, which showcases the lives and careers of LGBTQ scientists. 2013, the American Psychiatric Association updates ISDSM to replace the heavily stigmatized term gender identity disorder with gender dysmorphia to classify as transgender people. By 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down all state bans on same-sex marriages, legalizing same-sex marriages in all 50 states. In 2016, UCF's Center for Excellence for Transgender Health compiles and releases guidelines for health care of transgender people. This has been the most widely referenced guide amongst healthcare professionals and academia. Five years after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled to include transgender people as a protected minority group under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In 2017, the decision is reversed by the Department of Justice, leaving transgender people vulnerable to employment discrimination. In 2017, Danica Rowan runs for a seat in the Virginia General Assembly and wins, becoming the first transgender person to be elected and openly serve in the U.S. state legislature. 2018, Glassstone launches a Center for HIV Cure Research with the goal to identify, reduce, and control latent HIV reservoirs in order to allow infected individuals to eventually discontinue anti-retorial therapy. 2020, in a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex. 2021, SAR P. But a judge became the first openly gay non-acting member of the Cabinet of the United States and the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a cabinet position. 2022, in an attack of LGBTQ rights, legislation in Florida is signed, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. In March 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights and Education Bill, better known as Don't Say Gay Bill. The bill by its opponents. The bill is framed around the fundamental rights of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children. It even empowers and enables parents to take legal action against the school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that the school has violated the law. Joe Harding, the drafter and most prominent proponent of the bill, stated that the purpose of the bill is to quote empower parents and to quote create boundaries at an early age of what is appropriate in our schools. There is swift backlash against the bill. The bill faced instant criticism and disapproval. President Biden called the bill hateful. Chastin Buttig, a former teacher and husband of the Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, heavily criticized the bill, tweeting that it will quote, will kill kids. A poll from the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida found that only 40% of Floridians supported the bill, while 49% of Florida residents opposed it. Critics were particularly disturbed by a proposed amendment to the bill, which would require Florida school principals to quote out students to their parents within six weeks of revealing their gender identity or sexual orientation at school. In light of the widespread criticism, Harding pulled the controversial amendment less than an hour before the Florida House was set to meet to discuss the bill. Harding claims that the amendment was misrepresented and exaggerated by critics, and that the amendment was not about outing students, but rather about the procedures surrounding what information that was withheld from parents was to be revealed to them. Withdrawing the amendment did not erase the valid concern of the bill's opponents. As a public policy director for Equity Florida states, the bill's opponents, quote, have made it clear they are willing to take a disgusting, unfettered attack on LGBTQ plus youth. The dangerous implications of the bill on the LGBTQ youth in Florida. The bill could severely impact the mental health of LGBTQ plus students in Florida. Amir Paley, CEO of the Terror Project and LGBTQ Plus Youth Suicide and Crisis Prevention Organization, said that when lawmakers treat LGBTQ topics as tabooed, it only adds to the existing stigma and discrimination, which puts young people at greater risk for bullying, depression, and suicide. LGBTQ plus youth are already at a higher than average risk of suicide and self harm, as a survey found that 42% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered suicide in 2021. The bias, discrimination, and family rejection that many youth must deal with. Are potential factors that contribute to this higher rate of suicide. This bill transforms classrooms into unsafe spaces for many students where they must hide their sexuality, which can exacerbate the issues that these students are already facing. The bill would also prevent Florida's primary school students from talking about their LGBTQ family members and LGBTQ history. For example, according to the text of the statute, if a student is asked to draw a picture of their family and a child draws their two dads and shares their drawing with the class, a parent could sue the school if they feel they were in an inappropriate discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. The resulting fear of impending lawsuits could encourage teachers to silence students who have LGBTQ family members and exclude them from exercises like this. Nadine Smith of Equality Florida said that every child has a right to speak honestly about their lives, a right to have access to a history that is honest and includes them. Representative Harding has emphasized and assured people that the text of the bill does not prohibit students from talking about their families or LGBTQ history, such as events like the 2016 shooting of Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, a major moment in Florida's recent history. Although Harding has assured that the bill will not prevent teachers from educating their students about events in LGBTQ history, opponents of the bill were not convinced. Brandon Wolfe, the spokesperson for Equality Florida and survivor of the Polts Nightclub shooting, spoke out against Harding and the bill, declaring, quote, you cannot erase us. In conclusion, the Don't Say Gay bill has dangerous and real consequences for LGBTQ youth in Florida. The people of Florida have the right to be concerned that a bill centered on the quote rights of parents actually infringes on the rights of children, namely their right to feel safe at school and speak openly to their teachers and classmates. Children also deserve to learn about important historical events, especially history that is representative and reflective of their lives, and the don't say gay bill would limit those opportunities to learn and erase the lives of so many important people who have come before them. Spaces play a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging within the community. Inclusive spaces are environments where all individuals feel welcomed, valued, respected, and supported regardless of their identity, background, or experiences. Inclusive spaces are intentionally designed to accommodate and affirm the diversity of the people who use them. These spaces aim to remove barriers to participation and ensure that everyone can access and benefit from the environment, services, and opportunities provided. They provide a sense of acceptance and validation and help reduce feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression that often result from discrimination and marginalization. Inclusive spaces play a pivotal role in enhancing the health and well-being of the LGBTQIA plus individuals by fostering supportive communities, ensuring access to specialized care, and promoting empowerment and advocacy. Conversely, unsafe spaces have profound negative impacts on the health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals, increasing exposure to violence, discrimination, and stress, and reducing access to essential health services and supportive social networks. For example, in educational settings where homophobic or transphobic bullying is prevalent, LGBTQ plus students may experience high-end levels of anxiety and depression, leading to poor academic performance and higher dropout rates. In workplaces where discriminatory practices are tolerated, LGBTQIA plus employees might face harassment, exclusion, or unequal opportunities for advancement, which can result in lower job satisfaction and economic instability. Combating the negative effects of unsafe spaces on the community members requires creating safe, inclusive, and supportive environments. These inclusive spaces not only reduce harm, they strengthen well-being, build civic muscle, and lay foundations for advancing more just communities for all. Orlando is a highly inclusive LGBTQ-friendly city, consistently earning a perfect score of 100 on the municipal equality index and policies. It boasts a thriving community with diverse, welcoming neighborhoods like Thornton Park and College Park, numerous LGBTQ plus owned businesses, support organizations like the Center Orlando, and a rich history of pride events. Orlando became a leading LGBTQ friendly destination through decades of grassroots activism, early inclusive nightlife like the Parliament House in 1975, and major tourism events like Gay Days in 1991, which create a visible, welcoming culture. The Pulse Nightclub was an example of a safe space. Pulse was a gay bar, dance club, and nightclub in Orlando, Florida, founded in 2004 by Barbara Ponham and Von Ledgler. Pulse hosted themed performances each night and had a monthly program featuring educational events geared towards the LGBTQ community, according to the Orlando Weekly. Pulse featured three glitzy, throbbing rooms of club boys, Twinks and Twinks at Heart. Every night has something different in store, but Pulse is known to have some pretty impressive drag shows, and the bar stancers are usually gorgeous. Because of the three areas, Lonely Planet Discover Florida deemed it three nightclubs, while the Florida volume focused on its ultra modern. Top 10 Orlando called it a firm favorite for the Orlando gay crowd. The Rough Guide to Florida deemed it justifiably popular, citing its great lighting and sound plus cabernet performers, drag acts, and erotic dancers. Pulse was the only gay club mentioned in the Rough Guide to the USA for Orlando. According to listings, the entire premise, including the washrooms, were accessible. Using periodic consumer surveys, Zagat rated Pulse 25 out of 30 for atmosphere, 25 out of 30 for decor, and 22 out of 30 for service. In 1985, prior to Pulse's founding, the property located at 1912 South Orange Avenue was home to a pizza restaurant named Lorenzo's. By 1999, it was called Dante's, a bar with live music. Dante's closed January 2003. Founded by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler, Pulse opened on July 2nd, 2004. Poma's brother John died in 1991 for maids, and the club is named for John's Pulse to Live On, according to a marketing staff member in February 2016. The venue had a focus on local talent. Puma ensured that her brother's memory was prominent on the website and that the facility was more than just another gay club. Ledgler, who was president of the Florida Theatrical Association when Pulse was founded, also founded two nightclubs in Lake Iola Park in 2010 before moving to Baltimore in 2014. The Washington Post described the club's first 12 years as a community hub for HIV prevention, breast cancer awareness, and immigrant rights, and reported it had partnered with educational and advocacy groups such as Come Out With Pride, Equality Florida, and the Zebra Coalition. If any of this sounds familiar to you, yes, this month we are focusing on the Pulse Time Club shooting. In the next episode, we'll discuss the shooter, and then in the last episode, we'll go over the actual shooting. Please stay tuned. So thirsty and need more, visit us at fstpodcast.com for links to all our social media handles, including YouTube. Want to keep the juice flowing? Make a donation by buying us a glass. And as always, cheers.