Disney-Pixar&#8217;s latest box office bomb &#8220;Elio&#8221; was supposed to be even worse, according to a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elio-pixar-america-ferrera-director-queer-2-1236301860/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Monday by The Hollywood Reporter — but a number of elements were cut after a screening of the film went nowhere with the audience.
The movie&#8217;s titular character was originally written as &#8220;queer-coded&#8221; — a nod to the film&#8217;s original openly-gay director Adrian Molina — with photos in Elio&#8217;s bedroom that suggested he was crushing on a boy, and a scene where he shows off the clothing he created from trash he found on the beach.
Vestiges of the latter scene remained in the finished product, as THR reported: &#8220;Hints at the trash fashion remain in the released film, with the boy wearing a cape decorated with discarded cutlery and soda can tabs, although without any explanation for the unusual attire.&#8221;
Some of the elements were whittled away throughout the production process, as leadership reportedly pressed for Elio to be more masculine.
But still, the writing was on the wall after a screening that took place in Arizona back in 2023. Not one person in the audience, despite several saying they enjoyed the film, said that they would pony up the cash to see it in a theater.
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Pixar massively changed ‘ELIO’ after the original cut was test screened &amp; not a single person raised their hand when asked if they’d pay to see the film in a movie theater
Elio was also initially a queer-coded character until leadership told them to make him more masculine… <a href="https://t.co/3VReaNSSQW">pic.twitter.com/3VReaNSSQW</a>
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1939809054638932454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Things did not go better for Molina when a cut of the film was viewed by Pixar boss Pete Docter, and he left the project. New directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi took over, and although a number of those associated with the project said good things about Sharafian and Shi, they complained about the fate of the film.
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&#8220;I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made,” former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, a member of the company’s internal LGBTQ group PixPRIDE, said. &#8220;The exodus of talent after that cut was really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work.&#8221;
Another Pixar artist who asked to remain anonymous told THR, &#8220;It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio’s sexuality of being queer &#8230; Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and &#8216;Elio&#8217; just becomes about totally nothing. The &#8216;Elio&#8217; that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original.&#8221;

Elio

Pixar Bomb ‘Elio’ Was Supposed To Be Super Gay, Only Changed After Dismal Screening

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Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro reacted to three massive Supreme Court rulings that came down in favor of conservatives on Friday, one on birthright citizenship, one on LGBT children&#8217;s books, and the third on a Texas pornography law.
&#8220;The three biggest decisions all came down in favor of President Trump,&#8221; Shapiro said in his video reaction to the news on Friday.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eXGQhV6jA-Q?si=nO16xYGfzQxOjAiu" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
In the first case, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-trump-limits-nationwide-injunctions-in-birthright-citizenship-fight?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Supreme+Court+Sides+With+Trump%2C+Limits+Nationwide+Injunctions+In+Birthright+Citizenship+Fight">cracked down</a> on lower courts trying to hamstring President Trump&#8217;s agenda, ruling that Trump may end birthright citizenship in some parts of the country while legal challenges against his order proceed in others. Previously, courts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state had issued nationwide injunctions that blocked Trump’s order from taking effect across the country.
The ruling did not address the question of birthright citizenship itself, which is the practice of granting automatic citizenship rights for babies born on United States soil, regardless of their parents’ citizenship status.
Nationwide injunctions by courts blocking Trump&#8217;s agenda have been a &#8220;massive problem&#8221; for his administration since he took office, Shapiro said in his response.
&#8220;The basic issue here is that there is nothing in the history of the U.S. judicial system that suggests universal injunctions from district courts are a thing,&#8221; the host of &#8220;The Ben Shapiro Show&#8221; said. &#8220;You can&#8217;t just randomly make up universal injunctions and then start applying them without any sort of limitation.&#8221;
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Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who penned the court&#8217;s majority opinion, blistered Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent.
&#8220;The court goes out of its way to smack down Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson&#8217;s dissent, which is truly a crazy dissent,&#8221; Shapiro noted. &#8220;I mean, her dissent in this case essentially says that because she feels like it, any district court judge should be able to issue any nationwide injunction against the Executive branch.&#8221;
&#8220;As the court points out, that&#8217;s kind of crazy,&#8221; Shapiro said. &#8220;For the Left, the answer always and forever is more power to whatever branch is useful to them. There is no actual through-line to their jurisprudence. This has always been the problem with constitutional jurisprudence from the Left.&#8221;
The second decision the Supreme Court handed down on Friday was in favor of a group of religious parents who sued over their Maryland school district barring them from opting their children out of LGBT books in the classroom.
Justice Samuel Alito <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-parents-says-schools-cant-mandate-lgbt-curricula?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Supreme+Court+Sides+With+Parents%2C+Says+Schools+Can’t+Mandate+LGBT+Curricula">penned</a> the court&#8217;s majority opinion, writing that the school district burdened the parents’ First Amendment rights.
The Maryland parents who sued included Catholics, Muslims, and Ukrainian Orthodox.
The controversial LGBT books included “Prince and Knight” about a prince who falls in love with a knight instead of a princess, and “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” about a girl’s uncle who marries another man.
&#8220;So basically they were just going to force kids to listen to LGBTQ plus, minus, divided-by sign agitprop without notifying parents or allowing them the possibility of opt out,&#8221; Shapiro said.
Shapiro remembered how his own parents were able to opt him out of sex education in middle school.
&#8220;That&#8217;s an extraordinary thing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I remember, when I went to public middle school, we reached the age where [Los Angeles Unified School District] decided that it was necessary that you be taught sex ed, and my parents, who had already taught me about sex, did not wish to have a bunch of left-wing agitprop shoveled into my brain by a bunch of public school educators, and so they opted me out. And they were allowed to opt me out because religious freedom and all that. Well, this particular school district said no, you cannot opt out no matter what you do.&#8221;
&#8220;Justice Alito goes into excruciating detail, pointing out what exactly happens in these books that are being taught to extremely small children, about sexual fluidity, gender identity, same-sex marriage, and all the rest,&#8221; Shapiro noted. &#8220;It is very, very obvious, very clear, of course, that the goal here is not just to teach what the law is nationally in the United States that men can marry men and women can marry women. The idea here is that it&#8217;s supposed to be upheld as a moral good, and you can&#8217;t opt out.&#8221;
&#8220;If you are teaching third graders that it is a positive good, an excellent positive good for boys to marry boys and girls to marry girls, boys to be girls, girls to be boys, and all the rest, that of course is what Justice Alito calls a chilling vision of the power of the state to strip away the critical rights of parents to guide religious development of their children,&#8221; Shapiro said.
In Friday&#8217;s last major decision, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-upholds-texas-law-requiring-age-verification-to-shield-kids-from-pornography?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Supreme+Court+Upholds+Texas+Law+Requiring+Age+Verification+To+Shield+Kids+From+Pornography">voted</a> to uphold a Texas law requiring users to verify their age before viewing pornography, ruling against a trade organization for the porn industry.
&#8220;It is not some gigantic burden for somebody who is above the age of 18 to type in their age. That&#8217;s the basic finding,&#8221; Shapiro said. &#8220;The fact that, again, the three liberals on the court found this to be some sort of violation of core First Amendment liberty is insane.&#8221;
Shapiro added that he would have &#8220;gone further.&#8221;
&#8220;Pornography should not be covered by the First Amendment,&#8221; Shapiro said. &#8220;The notion that the Founding Fathers were sitting around talking about the necessity of accessing pornography when they wrote the First Amendment is insane. In fact, there were pornography laws on the books of I believe every state at the time of the founding.&#8221;
Shapiro emphasized that all three decisions tie back to Trump&#8217;s 2016 election.
&#8220;If he had not won the 2016 election, you would have had a left-wing bench cramming down the worst form of left-wing radicalism imaginable via the Supreme Court,&#8221; Shapiro said.

Senate Prepares For Supreme Court Nomination Hearings After Trump Selects Amy Coney Barrett For Open Seat

Birthright Citizenship, LGBT Books, Porn Law: Ben Shapiro Reacts To Trump’s Trifecta Of Wins At SCOTUS

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When Naomi Best began a counseling psychology master&#8217;s program last year at Santa Clara University, she did not expect her professor to ask her what she disliked about her genitals.
As a required part of Professor Chongzheng Wei&#8217;s &#8220;Human Sexuality&#8221; class, students were asked to submit a &#8220;sexual autobiography&#8221; that could include talking about their genitals, sharing when they first began masturbating, or discussing their &#8220;personal sexual aspirations,&#8221; Best said.
The syllabus said students need not answer questions that &#8220;make you feel extremely uncomfortable,&#8221; but that was easier said than done.
At one point, a trans-identifying male psychologist was invited to be a guest speaker for the class, she said. When Best asked him what he meant by &#8220;gender euphoria,&#8221; he allegedly told her that he &#8220;almost came&#8221; when he saw himself in the mirror as a woman for the first time, she said.
The trans-identifying psychologist also allegedly told students, “trans women have the only p***ies that can blow up the world,” Best said.
Then there was the day when Professor Wei, who goes by &#8220;he/they/ta&#8221; pronouns, allegedly shared that he had bought a device at a kink festival to elongate his foreskin, Best said. The professor also allegedly showed the class an instructional video on how to tie someone up who was wearing a slave “gimp suit” to an X-shaped cross.
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ICYMI: Therapy student <a href="https://twitter.com/naomieppsbest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@naomieppsbest</a> blows the whistle on mandatory training in smut. <a href="https://twitter.com/maireadelordi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@maireadelordi</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/xf5PmTcxGo">pic.twitter.com/xf5PmTcxGo</a>
&mdash; Morning Wire (@MorningWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorningWire/status/1938247484267970876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He also allegedly had students watch a video of a BDSM dungeon tour that featured a female influencer being flogged, electroshocked, ball-gagged, put in a guillotine, subjected to knife “play,” and wrapped in plastic and made to jump up and down as a &#8220;humiliation tactic,&#8221; all with no warning, Best said.
Afterwards, Wei smiled and asked if students wanted to try it themselves. Best walked out of class that day, and ended up dropping the class altogether.
&#8220;There&#8217;s an argument to be made that therapists should be aware of the breadth of human sexual practices, including BDSM, and I am not contesting that, but the manner in which this material was presented was promotional,&#8221; Best told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;There was no clinical framing,&#8221; Best said. &#8220;I want to be able to talk with clients about sex if they want to talk about it. If a client comes to me and brings it up that they get sexual gratification from inflicting pain upon somebody, I think that therapists should be trained to have curiosity about that association &#8230; not for the reason of telling them they&#8217;re a bad person. Therapists don&#8217;t do that. But to have a conversation about it, if they bring it up.&#8221;
She had dropped the &#8220;Human Sexuality&#8221; class once before when she was asked — and declined — to discuss her &#8220;masturbation history&#8221; in a group of four students that included a man, she said.
Best, a 26-year-old married mother of a toddler, believed that revealing her personal sexual history would be a violation of her Christian beliefs. So, she requested the same accommodation she had heard female Muslim students were offered, which was to take the course remotely. Instead, Professor Wei asked to meet with her and promised there would be no personal sexual disclosure in his class, but that turned out to be wrong, she said.
&#8220;It&#8217;s just clearly a hostile learning environment, and I don&#8217;t know how to explain that to somebody who just doesn&#8217;t inherently understand it,&#8221; she said.
Best took her complaints about the course all the way up the chain at Santa Clara University, exhausting every official avenue from the Title IX office to the school&#8217;s president. She explained her issues with the class — the invasive sexual autobiography, a swath of &#8220;gratuitous&#8221; sexually titillating course material, and alleged unprofessional behavior from the professor and guest speakers.
But she said her concerns were not taken seriously. The school dismissed her Title IX claim, and when she asked for a refund for the class, a school representative called her request &#8220;astonishing,&#8221; according to emails shared with The Daily Wire.
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The time is now to take on ideological capture of therapy. I’m just getting started. <a href="https://t.co/BTm4OrHUFM">pic.twitter.com/BTm4OrHUFM</a>
— Naomi Best (@naomieppsbest) <a href="https://twitter.com/naomieppsbest/status/1935170217090629938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ideological capture is near complete in the field of psychology. Schools, training grounds, accreditation bodies, and professional guilds are all complicit.
&mdash; Naomi Best (@naomieppsbest) <a href="https://twitter.com/naomieppsbest/status/1935140122296725918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Blew the whistle in <a href="https://twitter.com/WSJopinion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WSJopinion</a> on ideological rigidity in therapy training. A week later, I am fired from my internship with the regret of my boss. This field is in crisis. The public needs to know. <a href="https://t.co/EldOjq0hOG">pic.twitter.com/EldOjq0hOG</a>
&mdash; Naomi Best (@naomieppsbest) <a href="https://twitter.com/naomieppsbest/status/1933292756765716743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Last week, Best received a letter from Sabrina Zirkel, dean of the School of Education and Counseling Psychology telling her that, &#8220;we do not agree with your interpretation or characterization of what the syllabus required&#8221; and &#8220;based on input from others who were present, we also do not agree with your assertions about and characterization of what occurred during the class.&#8221;
The dean argued that &#8220;the class requires internal self-reflection which is the type of work that therapists ask of their clients,&#8221; but that &#8220;under no circumstances were you required to disclose sexual memories, sexual experiences, or any other personal information that you did not wish to share.&#8221;
The school said Best still has the opportunity to &#8220;complete this content through approved continuing education classes offered by a third-party provider.&#8221;
Professor Wei and the heads of the Education and Counseling Psychology school all referred requests for comment to Santa Clara University&#8217;s media office.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Santa Clara University said that &#8220;no student is expected to or required to reveal or disclose private sexual information they do not want to share&#8221; and &#8220;self-disclosure of an intensely personal nature is not required.&#8221;
The school said the class has been taught with a similar approach and similar assignments since the mid-1990s.
&#8220;We do not agree with many of the student’s public assertions about the class,&#8221; the university said. &#8220;People who were present dispute statements being made by the student and her characterization of classroom discussions and course content, including the readings, speakers, and assignments.&#8221;
Best says one of the books the class studied was &#8220;The Guide To Getting It On,&#8221; a book with explicit cartoons of sexual acts, whose author <a href="https://ucsdguardian.org/2004/06/01/summer-reading-heats-up-with-sex-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he wrote the book as &#8220;revenge for eight years in Catholic school.&#8221; Santa Clara University is a Catholic Jesuit school.
The school said it could not comment on the details of Best&#8217;s complaint but said the Title IX office may sometimes conclude that &#8220;course requirements or classroom content are protected by the principles of academic freedom.&#8221;
Best believes her experience points to a deeper problem in the counseling psychology world.
&#8220;What happened at Santa Clara University was unethical and will be remedied,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I want to bring awareness to the fact that psychology and counseling has been ideologically captured. That means that there is one permissible worldview for upcoming therapists to hold, and it is grounded in critical theory.&#8221;
Earlier this month, Best came out publicly with her concerns and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/santa-clara-universitys-crazy-idea-of-human-sexuality-therapy-licensing-higher-education-44e744ce?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAijGcRg9HzkiSNcp-aiyabuI168QfQHcSgOG8e-CkmVRCiDtuKx8MB3kTfwXg%3D%3D&amp;gaa_ts=685389bf&amp;gaa_sig=eP2Ptw3OgBEwcKj5AHvObMjHZ8FfWvgADp2XkRUWKX2-oX7ISvVUM9iI5v2Uu5eER1jBPWtyOlwX7tbFI52J0A%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.
After her op-ed ran, Best said she was fired from her required therapy internship — unrelated to the school — after she was called into a meeting with over a dozen colleagues where she said she was &#8220;attacked for what I wrote.&#8221;
&#8220;I think I just blew up my career,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire.
However, since going public with her allegations, Best has received an outpouring of support.
An alumnus of Santa Clara University <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/santa-clara-an-alumnus-would-like-a-word-human-sexuality-course-69440035?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAjukHLV0uaBwUu8n-oX1QMhkeRjH8Ez31nLAlhKctGAqw03SqRFKZCS4c-l4g%3D%3D&amp;gaa_ts=685389bf&amp;gaa_sig=o5uKqr-rOlgMrQUZTfxPe0JGPDTiE42klL79rBZwsXHDNKT43B1L3mdU0QFNkpZ7MS2E1T6JxiUunxEld0LrPg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> Best&#8217;s experience with her graduate class &#8220;gobsmacking, sordid and sad&#8221; in a letter to the editor The Journal published.
Her social media videos discussing the situation have been viewed millions of times, and many people have reached out in support, including lawyers and other students with similar experiences, she said.
&#8220;Two weeks ago, I was living a private life with a great career path,&#8221; Best said. &#8220;I am putting that on the line to bring this issue to the public&#8217;s attention because I think it is important and I think people will be harmed if it is not addressed.&#8221;

How A California Psychology Student Exposed The Dark Side Of Therapy Education

How A California Psychology Student Became A Whistleblower For Smut In Therapy Education

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New York City’s mayoral race appears to be between Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani and disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani has dominated headlines thanks to his communist <a href="https://www.zohranfornyc.com/platform">promises</a> to freeze rent prices and create city-run grocery stores. Recent polls <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-mayoral-hopeful-would-go-all-in-on-transing-the-kids-to-the-tune-of-65-million">show</a> him beating Cuomo in the city’s ranked-choice Democrat primary.
But the Democratic socialist isn’t the only crazy leftist in the race. Here are five of the most insane policy proposals from New York City’s mayoral candidates.
Crime-Fighting Therapists
Michael Blake, a former assemblyman who served in the Obama administration, <a href="https://blakefornyc.com/vision/publicsafetyplan/">says</a> he would hire “up to 1,000 mental health professionals” to work alongside — or instead of — law enforcement.
“These professionals will be embedded in 911 dispatch systems and trained to de-escalate emergencies without law enforcement presence,” Blake’s website <a href="https://blakefornyc.com/vision/healthandmentalhealth/">says</a>.
The professionals would include “peer specialists, social workers, and licensed clinicians.”
The goal, Blake says, is to “[ensure] that whenever possible, mental health experts — not law enforcement — take the lead in responding to crises.”
Pave Golf Courses for Affordable Housing
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander plans to solve the city’s housing crisis by <a href="https://x.com/bradlander/status/1936545628252967240">paving</a> over four municipal golf courses to build affordable housing.
“The total land area of the combined golf courses is 2,500 acres, roughly three times the size of Central Park,” Lander’s website <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67a2f550954e9c463f4a2ef6/t/681ba98b9b089d1f4ffba0fc/1746643340249/State+of+Emergency+-+Addressing+NYC%E2%80%99s+Housing+Crisis.docx.pdf">says</a>.
Lander says four golf courses would provide 50,000 of the 500,000 homes he’s promised in his campaign.
As part of his “affirming housing” policy, Lander plans to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67a2f550954e9c463f4a2ef6/t/683eda613f94585b6810c3bb/1748949601775/Standing+Up+for+LGBTQ%2B+New+Yorkers.docx.pdf">build</a> “LGBTQ+ senior housing.”
Abortion “Hospitality Industry”
When Lander isn’t promising to pave golf courses, he’s turning New York City into a one-stop shop for abortion.
Lander’s website <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67a2f550954e9c463f4a2ef6/t/6839d87967a0f1345173e3d5/1748621433533/Protecting+Reproductive+Rights.docx.pdf">promises</a> “safe, effective abortion care if the federal government limits or withdraws the ‘abortion pill.’”
Lander’s vision extends beyond the city to “build a pipeline of abortion providers for NYC and beyond” and “provide targeted, essential support for people traveling from states where abortions are banned who seek care [in New York City].”
Anti-Hate Crime Curriculum for Kindergarteners
State Senator Zellnor Myrie wants to make sure five-year-olds are anti-racists.
“As Mayor, Myrie will expand the city’s existing tolerance curriculum (which is currently only available to older students) to students aged K-5, so that all NYCDOE students, grades K-12, have access to anti-discriminatory and anti-hate curriculum,” Myrie’s website <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/661d72f5fdcd48687fb80031/t/679956e93279b30474a6e55d/1738102520471/RNYC+Public+Safety+%26+Public+Square.pdf">says</a>.
The NYC Public Schools website <a href="https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/vision-and-mission/together-for-justice">offers</a> resources on discussing racism in the classroom — including from the <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/race-talk-engaging-young-people-conversations-about-race-and-racism">Anti-Defamation League</a>, an organization that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adl-urged-counterterrorism-agency-to-target-daily-wires-matt-walsh-other-alleged-amplifiers-of-lgbtq-hate">encouraged</a> a counterterrorism agency to open an investigation into Daily Wire host Matt Walsh.
Myrie’s policy doesn’t elaborate on the “existing tolerance curriculum,” but it probably doesn’t include Walsh’s hit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/am-i-racist">documentary</a> “Am I Racist?”
$65 Million to Trans the Kids
In addition to copying the communist playbook, Mamdani wants to spend millions on “gender-affirming” trans procedures for adults and children, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-mayoral-hopeful-would-go-all-in-on-transing-the-kids-to-the-tune-of-65-million">reported</a>.
Mamdani’s plan directly opposes President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict transgender procedures for minors.
Mamdani’s administration would also “investigate and hold public hearings on hospitals that deny trans youth their rightful healthcare and hold them accountable to the law” and turn New York City into a “sanctuary city” for the LGBTQ community.

Last Day Of Early Voting In New York City Mayoral Primary

Here Are The Top Five Craziest Policy Proposals From NYC Mayor Candidates

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Social Issues

Queens assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — who is looking for a win in the upcoming Democratic primary in New York City&#8217;s mayoral election — would sink millions into &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; trans procedures for both adults and children if elected.
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, says via his <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pMQhFiQEZh0PgI8q1PL2NTCvM5JT5-ee/view">campaign website</a> that he plans to prioritize &#8220;expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide.&#8221;
&#8220;The Mamdani administration will protect gender-affirming care immediately by investing $65 million in public providers to provide gender-affirming care to New Yorkers who seek it and will hold private entities abetting Trump’s attacks to account,&#8221; the website states, noting that such care would be made available both to adults and children in direct opposition to President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to restrict transgender procedures — whether chemical or surgical — for minors.
Mamdani also promised that if elected, his administration would invest millions into &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; Telehealth services and other programs, and would &#8220;investigate and hold public hearings on hospitals that deny trans youth their rightful healthcare and hold them accountable to the law.&#8221;
In addition, Mamdani said that he planned to make New York City a &#8220;sanctuary city&#8221; for the LGBTQ community, although the key points that followed only addressed the T and the Q: &#8220;The Mamdani administration will be committed to protecting the rights of queer and trans New Yorkers, from those who have been lifelong residents to those who have just arrived here in search of a place where they can receive medical care and live and thrive without the threat of persecution and bigotry.&#8221;
Mamdani is facing off against key opponent disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo — and according to the latest odds posted by Polymarket, Mamdani has a 61% chance of besting Cuomo.
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BREAKING: Mamdani surges as clear favorite in the NYC Mayoral primary.
61% chance he wins. <a href="https://t.co/8KJeTHMyan">pic.twitter.com/8KJeTHMyan</a>
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) <a href="https://twitter.com/Polymarket/status/1937097883805008050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite a few polls showing Mamdani making gains, a majority of polls still show Cuomo as holding a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/nyc-mayoral-primary-election-polls-2025.html">commanding lead</a> over Mamdani. The most recent polls, as reported by The New York Times, show Cuomo with a 19-point lead (Harris-X), a three-point lead (Nectar, PIX 11, The Hill), and a 13-point lead (The Manhattan Institute).
Current Mayor Eric Adams, who was initially elected as a Democrat, is also running for reelection as an independent.

New York City Mayoral Candidates Campaign Ahead Of Primary Election

New York Mayoral Hopeful Would Go All-In On Transing The Kids, To The Tune Of $65 Million

Eric Adams

gender ideology

transgender surgery

A spokesperson for the group Heritage of Pride confirmed that about 25% of their corporate sponsors had either pulled out of sponsoring New York City’s Pride parade or reduced contributions, leaving organizers scrambling to replace those funds.
“The vast majority of what we have heard is that folks are treading carefully from an economic perspective,” Kevin Kilbride <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/nyregion/nyc-pride-sponsors-trump-tariffs.html">told</a> The New York Times during an interview published in late May. He asserted that companies are distancing themselves from the Pride movement for political reasons.
“&#8230;Some folks have definitely mentioned the fear of potential blowback from the Trump administration if you are a big corporation and you are publicly supporting D.E.I. initiatives,” Kilbride told the outlet.
Now the event is happening in ten days. A few weeks ago, Heritage of Pride organizers had been focusing on community funded donations after big corporate spenders pulled back. They were facing a shortage of about $750,000.
“That gap we’re trying to fill with a community fundraising campaign. So in the middle of May, we launched a peer-to-peer campaign so folks can start their own fundraiser online, share it with their friends, and then have folks donate to that,” he told NYT.
Kilbride confirmed the organization planned to “lean a little bit more into individual giving and support from the community.”
Per NYT, four of the five companies that were Platinum sponsors last year either scaled back contributions or canceled. Those include Garnier, Skyy Vodka, Target, and Mastercard. Pepsi and Nissan are also <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/pride-month-sponsorship-decline-2025">not contributing</a> funds this year.
Several other cities have reported similar results, with corporate and individual sponsorships being reduced this year compared to others. This has led to some Pride events in large cities being <a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-pride-cancels-june-kickoff-event-due-to-low-attendance-despite-strong-online-support-idaho/277-85507887-f32c-4bae-ae4b-366f10d9eda3">canceled</a>.
This pulling back from Pride has become a trend with major retailers. Target shoppers noticed that the retailer has moved their Pride messaging to the back burner. Social media is buzzing with photos of patriotic apparel displays in Target stores during the month of June. Just two years ago, these same displays would have been decked out in rainbow flag glory.
In 2023, Target was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-to-offer-pride-merchandise-in-fewer-stores-after-backlash-against-tuck-friendly-swimsuit-sale-last-year">blasted</a> for offering “tuck-friendly” female swimsuits, which led to boycotts and sinking sales. After the backlash, Target scaled back its “Pride” displays in June 2024, only offering “Pride” merchandise at a limited number of stores. Now, almost all have been <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/target-swaps-out-rainbow-flags-stars-stripes-shoppers-notice-shift-during-pride-month">replaced</a> with red, white, and blue.

NYC Pride

NYC Pride Parade Loses Corporate Sponsors, Begs For Individual Donations

Business

Pride

Pride Month

Two drag queens performed a flamboyant lip-sync routine on the Oregon House floor on Wednesday as part of a Democratic resolution celebrating &#8220;black drag performers,&#8221; prompting Republican backlash over using the legislative chamber for &#8220;political theater.&#8221;
The <a href="https://x.com/RepYunker/status/1935145970058277064">resolution</a> recognizing &#8220;the artistry of black drag performers&#8221; in Oregon was introduced by Rep. Travis E. Nelson, a Democrat and the state&#8217;s &#8220;first black LGBTQIA+ House member,&#8221; The New York Post reported.
“Your presence, artistry, and courage are a powerful reminder of the joy, resilience and cultural impact of drag in Oregon and beyond,” Nelson told the drag queens. “Thank you for sharing your light with us this morning.”
The resolution <a href="https://x.com/RepYunker/status/1935512965882790212">passed</a> in the state House with a vote of 34-9, with two Republicans voting in favor.
Two drag queens danced wildly around the chamber for nearly five minutes in honor of the resolution, wearing eccentric outfits including a yellow jumpsuit and a rainbow-colored one-piece with a blue wig.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure the Founding Fathers envisioned taxpayer-funded legislative chambers being turned into platforms for political theater,&#8221; GOP state Rep. Dwayne Yunker posted on X, along with footage of the performance. &#8220;The House floor is meant for serious debate, lawmaking, and serving all Oregonians, not partisan spectacles designed to push cultural agendas,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This was the Oregon House floor this morning used to celebrate Black Drag Queens.
I’m not sure the Founding Fathers envisioned taxpayer-funded legislative chambers being turned into platforms for political theater. The House floor is meant for serious debate, lawmaking, and… <a href="https://t.co/FrwjaRqPw0">pic.twitter.com/FrwjaRqPw0</a>
— Rep. Dwayne Yunker HD3 (@RepYunker) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepYunker/status/1935411823634956642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Yunker went on to describe the drag show as “outrageous and a complete waste of taxpayer money.”
The drag queens lip-synched to Aretha Franklin&#8217;s &#8220;A Deeper Love.&#8221;
According to Oregon Live, nearly all Republicans were <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/06/democratic-oregon-house-members-celebrate-black-drag-performers-as-nearly-all-republicans-boycott.html">absent</a> during the drag show, while two were seated at the back of the chamber.
GOP Rep. Cyrus Javadi was at the front of the chamber, clapping along to the performance with his teenage daughter. Javaldi was one of the two Republicans who voted in favor of the resolution.
Social media erupted with criticism following the display, with many commenters calling it inappropriate for government proceedings.
“I am completely embarrassed of the state I live in. Our tax dollars are being spent on this crap,” one account posted on X.
“The Oregon House of Representatives&#8230;.let that sink in,” another social media user wrote. “Parents are doing all they can to clean their schools and elected representatives are doing this in the house (sic) of the people. No words.”
“I am thankful every day that Trump won the 2024 election,” another posted in response.

Oregon House Drag

WATCH: Oregon Dems Turn House Floor Into Drag Show Stage

Drag Queens

Drag Shows

Oregon

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Tennessee law prohibiting transgender drugs and surgeries for children, a major win for conservative activists and parent groups.
The court ruled 6-3 in United States v. Skrmetti that Tennessee&#8217;s law does not violate the 14th Amendment&#8217;s Equal Protection Clause. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti defended the law before the High Court in December, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-ag-explains-trans-procedure-harms-after-defending-ban-to-scotus">saying</a> it was a matter of &#8220;protecting kids from the consequences of decisions that they cannot fully understand.&#8221;
Chief Justice John Roberts penned the court&#8217;s <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opinion</a> and said the plaintiffs &#8220;contort the meaning of the term &#8216;medical treatment.'&#8221;
&#8220;Notably absent from their framing is a key aspect of any medical treatment: the underlying medical concern the treatment is intended to address,&#8221; Roberts wrote.
Roberts rejected the plaintiffs&#8217; argument that Tennessee&#8217;s law discriminates on the basis of sex.
&#8220;The law does not prohibit conduct for one sex that it permits for the other,&#8221; Roberts wrote. &#8220;Under SB1, no minor may be administered puberty blockers or hormones to treat gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, or gender incongruence; minors of any sex may be administered puberty blockers or hormones for other purposes.&#8221;
Roberts also noted that the number of minors requesting &#8220;sex transition treatments&#8221; has increased in recent years, while there have been &#8220;rising debates regarding the relative risks and benefits of such treatments&#8221; including European countries cracking down on these procedures and drugs.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in which he said, &#8220;there is no medical consensus on how best to treat gender dysphoria in children,&#8221; and &#8220;recent revelations suggest that leading voices in this area have relied on questionable evidence, and have allowed ideology to influence their medical guidance.&#8221;
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Samuel Alito also wrote concurring opinions, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent that was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Sotomayor claimed that &#8220;transgender adolescents’ access to hormones and puberty blockers (known as gender-affirming care) is not a matter of mere cosmetic preference. To the contrary, access to care can be a question of life or death.&#8221; Advocates have <a href="https://www.heritage.org/gender/report/puberty-blockers-cross-sex-hormones-and-youth-suicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> a similar line to parents of trans-identifying children for years.
Tennessee lawmakers were inspired to introduce and pass the law following Daily Wire host Matt Walsh&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-could-be-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-gender-ideology">explosive investigation</a> into Vanderbilt University&#8217;s gender clinic.
Tennessee&#8217;s law blocks all transgender medical treatments on children, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. Doctors who offer these treatments risk losing their medical licenses and paying a $25,000 fine. The law also gives children and their families the right to sue if they were harmed by these treatments.
The plaintiffs in the Tennessee case, which include trans-identifying teens and their families, claimed the state’s ban violates the 14th Amendment, which requires that everyone is treated equally under the law, by preventing them from accessing medical treatments that are available to others. They also claimed the ban violates parental rights to make health care decisions for their children.
The law was immediately challenged when it took effect in July, 2023. A Nashville federal district judge blocked the law that same month, but a week later, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals combined the Tennessee case with a similar case out of Kentucky and ruled in favor of both bans.
The Biden administration joined the lawsuit against Tennessee and urged the Supreme Court to take up the case, saying the court’s opinion was “urgently needed” since the confusion among federal courts had resulted in “profound uncertainty.”
Federal appeals courts have been divided in recent years on whether state bans on these transgender medical interventions for children are unconstitutional.
This is only the second time the Supreme Court has weighed in on this white-hot culture war issue, having previously avoided many opportunities to get involved.
In April of last year, the court <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-allows-enforcement-idaho-ban-gender-affirming-care-trans-rcna141209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed</a> Idaho to enforce its ban on transgender medical interventions for minors except for the two teenagers who sued over the law.
Thursday&#8217;s ruling is expected to have broad implications for the other state bans on the same transgender medical interventions for minors. More than 20 states with Republican-led legislatures have similar bans.
Both puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones come with serious health risks. Puberty blockers can <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gender-dysphoria/in-depth/pubertal-blockers/art-20459075" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affect</a> bone growth and density and cause sexual dysfunction, voice damage, and infertility, among other issues. Cross-sex hormones can <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-young-people-in-u-s-have-nearly-doubled-recently-report-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cause</a> infertility, deadly blood clots, heart attacks, increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancers, liver dysfunction, worsening psychological illness, and other serious conditions.
Gender surgeries like phalloplasty, vaginoplasty, and double mastectomy are irreversible and often come with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/phalloplasty#risks-and-complications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serious</a> complications.
This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for updates.

8th Anniversary Of Supreme Court’s Obergefell Decision Legalizing Gay Marriage In The United States

Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee’s Ban On Transgender Drugs For Children

Supreme Court Rules On Transgender Drugs For Children

Simone Biles apologized to Riley Gaines on Tuesday for their online spat over trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports, the Olympic gymnast adding that she believes the current women&#8217;s sports system is &#8220;flawed.&#8221;
The two athletes clashed on Friday when Biles attacked Gaines seemingly out of the blue, calling the former University of Kentucky swimmer a &#8220;sore loser&#8221; and telling her to &#8220;bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.&#8221;
&#8220;I wanted to follow up from my last tweets,&#8221; Biles posted Tuesday on X. &#8220;I’ve always believed competitive equity &amp; inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.&#8221;
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I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity &amp; inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me…
&mdash; Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles/status/1932470954610901259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet. 
Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card.
Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028. <a href="https://t.co/Ptn35pyEvh">https://t.co/Ptn35pyEvh</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931134784241119360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Biles claimed she did not mean to push policies that &#8220;compromise fairness&#8221; in women’s sports.
&#8220;These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports,&#8221; Biles said. &#8220;My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes — especially kids — should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over.&#8221;
&#8220;I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful,&#8221; she said.
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Biles had initially responded to a post from Gaines last week criticizing a high school girls&#8217; softball team that won a state championship after the team&#8217;s trans-identifying male pitcher <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/transgender-pitcher-leads-champlin-park-to-win-sparking-controversy-in-minnesota-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pitched</a> five straight games in which he gave up just one run.
&#8220;Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,&#8221; Biles told Gaines.
The Olympian also posted, &#8220;You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,&#8221; adding that Gaines should be &#8220;uplifting the trans community.&#8221;
&#8220;But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!&#8221; Biles said.
Gaines responded, telling Biles her comments were &#8220;disappointing.&#8221;
&#8220;This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028,&#8221; Gaines posted.
Gaines&#8217; 2022 tie with trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas, after which Thomas was given the trophy, helped <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/04/swimmer-who-tied-lia-thomas-taken-aback-in-trophy-handling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignite</a> the battle to keep men out of women’s sports.
After Biles&#8217; apology on Tuesday, Gaines quickly responded.
&#8220;I accept Simone&#8217;s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She&#8217;s still the greatest female gymnast of all time,&#8221; Gaines posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I accept Simone&#39;s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She&#39;s still the greatest female gymnast of all time.
A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play… <a href="https://t.co/V8YbMvs3xf">https://t.co/V8YbMvs3xf</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1932493510868906128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Gaines added that competition &#8220;by definition is exclusive.&#8221;
&#8220;To suggest that women and girls must be silent or ignore a boy who is PUBLICLY hurting or humiliating them is wrong,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;You can&#8217;t have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you&#8217;re ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them. I am not ashamed to be a voice for the voiceless.&#8221;
Gaines added that she agrees that the blame is on lawmakers and leaders, which she said is why she is suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and joined President Donald Trump when he signed an executive order on women&#8217;s sports.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t see you there or championing this effort with your platform,&#8221; Gaines told Biles, adding that she welcomes Biles to the &#8220;fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.&#8221;

Gymnastics – Artistic – Olympics: Day 4

‘I Apologize’: Simone Biles Backs Down In Riley Gaines Spat, Calls For ‘Fair Competition’

Olympics

Riley Gaines

Simone Biles

Sports

Transgender Athletes

Women's sports

Gender ideology’s war on America’s children has turned its guns on a particularly vulnerable group: children in foster care. Despite a court ruling <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/25/paxton-biden-lgbtq-foster-youth/">blocking</a> a Biden-era rule that imposed gender ideology as a condition of serving children who identify as LGBTQ, several states now <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/child-welfare-map/">demand</a> that prospective foster parents affirm the &#8220;gender identity&#8221; of hypothetical children they might foster one day. Vermont has taken this egregious stance even further, telling one Christian family that they presented too much of a risk, that they would raise children sharing their beliefs.
Decenda and Frank Cram were “blindsided” when Vermont state officials denied their application to become foster parents because of their “belief system.” State officials added that “if children in their home are raised with the same beliefs it could perpetuate further discrimination of the LGBTQ community.”
Two other Christian families – the Wuotis and the Gannts – also failed Vermont’s ideological litmus test and so were denied the chance to foster. Represented by <a href="https://adflegal.org/">Alliance Defending Freedom</a>, they are <a href="https://adflegal.org/article/vermont-imposes-gender-ideology-litmus-test-foster-parents/">pushing back</a>. Their case is currently under review by a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit court of appeals. The Crams <a href="https://conscience-project.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CP-Amicus-Brief-06.06-.pdf">shared their experience</a> as friends of the court in support of the families.
Decenda Cram, like many foster parents, was a foster child herself, entering care when she was only six years old. Her first foster parents were devout Christians and eventually adopted her. “I think ever since then,” she says, “I just thought someday I wanted to give back &#8230; I definitely wanted to return the favor in some way.”
Frank credits Christian neighbors for helping him turn around his own life. “If it wasn&#8217;t for a Christian family back when I was out in Arizona, I probably would&#8217;ve been getting in more and more trouble,” he explains.
The Crams, both devout Christians, hoped, in Frank’s words, to offer needy children “a home, unconditional love, understanding – the whole nine yards.” In October 2020 the couple applied to be foster parents. Decenda recalls that “we made it clear that we were Christians, and we asked if that was going to pose a problem with foster parenting. And we were reassured by a higher up in the state’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCF): ‘We don&#8217;t discriminate against anyone for any reason.’”
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Although they had not completed the licensing process, Decenda and Frank were called to take in a pair of sibling girls, ages nine and fourteen, in December 2020. The girls stayed with the Crams for a month and a half before one of the girls’ relatives assumed custody. We “worked out very well as a team in taking care of them,” says Frank. Decenda agrees, adding that “Frank and I worked beautifully as a parenting team.” Their initial DCF worker and the relative that the girls moved in with when they left us “all commended us for doing such a good job with the girls.”
<div id="attachment_931921" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-931921" class="size-large wp-image-931921" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1488646082-1024x576.jpg" alt="Nicholas Klein. Getty Images." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1488646082-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1488646082-300x168.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1488646082-768x431.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1488646082-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1488646082-2048x1150.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Nicholas Klein. Getty Images.</div>
Given their success caring for the two sisters, the Crams thought they would be licensed as foster parents. They were surprised when the licensing process turned hostile.
Decenda recalls a different official telling her during a phone interview that “Vermont has recently taken a stance.” This “stance” is that no foster families can be considered unless they are willing to fully embrace the LGBTQ community. Despite the clear desire and ability to provide a safe, loving home for children in need, the Crams were denied a license to foster.
According to the denial letter sent to the Crams in June 2021, the Cram’s “fundamental belief&#8221; about &#8220;God&#8217;s plan for all of us,” would “not meet the emotional or developmental needs of children.”
“It felt like I&#8217;d lost a child,” laments Decenda. Frank says that “It really broke my heart. It&#8217;s like, here we are. We&#8217;re willing to give our home and our time and effort to help these children.”
Vermont’s behavior is inexcusable: its exclusion of prospective foster and adoptive parents based on their sincerely held religious beliefs is blatant religious discrimination and adds to the injury already suffered by children in need.
The Crams are hopeful that the Second Circuit will order Vermont to stop its discriminatory policy so they can open up their home to children in need. As Frank says, “all things can work out by God&#8217;s grace.”
* * *
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is Director of <a href="https://conscience-project.org/">The Conscience Project</a> 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Paper foster care family

Christians Need Not Apply To Foster In This State

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Children

Christians

Foster Care

Opinion

Vermont

An LGBT “Rooted in Pride” art exhibit surrounding a children’s playground in Brooklyn, New York, features nude images and what appears to be a man dressed in drag, and promotes gender confusion and anti-Trump messages.
The LGBT content surrounds the JJ Byrne Playground, where families and children as young as toddlers play, according to images provided to The Daily Wire, and other images accessible via Google Maps. The art pieces will be displayed all summer long, until August 1.
<div id="attachment_930841" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930841" class="wp-image-930841 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/park-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/park-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/park-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/park-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/park.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />The Daily Wire </div>
<div id="attachment_930843" style="width: 445px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930843" class="wp-image-930843 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-05-at-7.30.51-PM-435x576.png" alt="" width="435" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-05-at-7.30.51-PM-435x576.png 435w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-05-at-7.30.51-PM-226x300.png 226w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-05-at-7.30.51-PM-768x1017.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-05-at-7.30.51-PM-1159x1536.png 1159w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-05-at-7.30.51-PM.png 1330w" sizes="(max-width: 435px) 100vw, 435px" />Facebook: Art Gowanus</div>
One of the large photos surrounding the park is titled “Paint me like one of your polish girls,” by Lukasz Leja, who paints gay pornographic images, according to his website. Notably, the painting is called “Paint me like one of your polish h**s” on his site.
<div id="attachment_930845" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930845" class="wp-image-930845 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/paintmetitanic-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/paintmetitanic-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/paintmetitanic-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/paintmetitanic-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/paintmetitanic-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/paintmetitanic.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />The Daily Wire</div>
Another image is of a male who appears to be dressed in gay pride and drag attire. The caption on the photo reads, “The Pride is a Truth that LOVE IS LOVE.”
<div id="attachment_930847" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930847" class="wp-image-930847 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/tran-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/tran-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/tran-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/tran-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/tran-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/tran.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />The Daily Wire</div>
One of the art pieces features two nude people, with nipples exposed, embracing.
<div id="attachment_930849" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930849" class="wp-image-930849 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/nude-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/nude-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/nude-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/nude-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/nude-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/nude.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />The Daily Wire</div>
There is also artwork that promotes gender confusion. One display called “trauma starts with EXPECTATIONS!” takes on gender reveal parties.
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“This piece is about mental illness and disability,” the description reads. “Gender (genital) reveals are transphobic, homophobic and racist (from past colonialism history of the sex binary). These reveal &#8216;parties&#8217; aren’t celebrations, but the start of toxic expectations. These reveals start wildfires, kill people and have hurt people both physically and mentally. Babies and parents face trauma when labeling their child.”
<div id="attachment_930851" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930851" class="wp-image-930851 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/anti-genderreveal-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/anti-genderreveal-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/anti-genderreveal-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/anti-genderreveal-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/anti-genderreveal-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/anti-genderreveal.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />The Daily Wire</div>
Another piece takes on the &#8220;government&#8217;s control over trans bodies,” according to its description.
<div id="attachment_930853" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930853" class="wp-image-930853 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/transart-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/transart-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/transart-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/transart-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/transart-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/transart.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />The Daily Wire</div>
In the same vein, one display of artwork blames President Donald Trump for seeking to destroy LGBT “communities.”
“Done on Inauguration Day 2025, this piece is a reminder that regardless of the identities or beliefs of the communities the president seeks to destroy, we are still his constituency,” it reads. “His refusal to support or care for all who live in this country is a failure of his job to serve. A linguistic root of ‘constituent’ translates to: ‘to cause to stand.’ He cannot stand without me. Without us.”
<div id="attachment_930855" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930855" class="wp-image-930855 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/antitrump-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/antitrump-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/antitrump-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/antitrump-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/antitrump-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/antitrump.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />The Daily Wire</div>
The group displaying the LGBT artwork is called Arts Gowanus, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. On June 1, the group proudly posted about the exhibit “surrounding JJ Byrne Playground.”
&#8220;&#8216;Rooted in Pride’ is installed!!” the caption <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gowanusopenstudios/posts/pfbid02dVX69akCxkTHUKCyJsVpnxHboS66vHF18BfshNk7ZgytfooMDq48AfobZc4hh3FNl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>. “So many wonderful artists from our LGBTQIA community are exhibiting work in this outdoor exhibition!”
Arts Gowanus also spotlighted the jurors, or the judges who chose the artwork for the exhibit. One juror is named Gayah Imani Gillson, who is described as “a BIPOC, QTPOC, TwoSpirit Brooklyn-based/ International Artist, Healer, Visionary Activist, and Spiritual Worker.”
The Daily Wire reached out to Art Gowanus about the nature of the public content, but have not received a response.

Little kid celebrate lgbt pride. Child hold rainbow gay flag. Lesbian parents.

LGBT Exhibit Surrounding Children’s Playground Features Nude Images, Promotes Gender Confusion

LLGBT Exhibit Surrounding Children’s Playground Features Nude Images, Promotes Gender Confusion

A Washington, D.C., park at the center of this weekend&#8217;s Pride festivities will be closed to prevent the vandalism that occurred in years past.
Dupont Circle Park closed at 6 p.m. on Thursday and will remain closed through about 6 p.m. on Sunday, the National Park Service <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/management/dupontcirclerod.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>.
Early Friday morning, temporary fencing was erected around the park.
The decision comes as after days of back-and-forth between federal and local authorities over the issue, as well as backlash from WorldPride 2025 attendees, who hoped the park would remain open.
Washington, D.C., is hosting WorldPride 2025, which will have a plethora of events from Friday to Sunday. The events <a href="https://worldpridedc.org/events/welcome-center/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> at least four drag queen story hours including &#8220;Indigenous Drag Story Hour,&#8221; an event about &#8220;Deaf Queer Dating,&#8221; and a talk by a trans-identifying woman titled, &#8220;Propaganda &amp; Transphobia: How Trans People Became the Political Pawn.&#8221;
Dupont Circle Park was closed at the request of the United States Park Police, which said it was necessary to “secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.”
Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela Smith originally requested to close the park, but she later <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/management/upload/Recession-of-Request-for-Anti-Scale-Fencing-Dupont-Circle-Park-6-3-25.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew</a> that request &#8220;after hearing from community leaders and residents.&#8221;
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However, she noted that in recent years, the park has been vandalized and has seen other violent illegal activity around the time of Pride festivities.
In 2019, gunshots were heard in the park causing people to flee, and a person was arrested. In 2023, the park was vandalized to the tune of $175,000 in damage to a historic fountain. Last year, &#8220;large groups of juveniles&#8221; in the park engaged in &#8220;illegal activities, including drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and engaging in fights&#8221; and also &#8220;ran into a local business and stole items,&#8221; the police chief noted in her letter to the Park Police.
The Park Police pushed for a closure anyway, noting that &#8220;the threat of violence, criminal acts and [park] resource destruction&#8221; has &#8220;only increased&#8221; over the last few weeks.
For example, a local DJ was selling tickets to an &#8220;unpermitted gathering/party&#8221; in Dupont Circle after the World Pride events, the Park Police said.
&#8220;This social media advertisement is stating that this is the same DJ and &#8216;party&#8217; as the previous several years, which have resulted in the unsafe conditions and damages recounted above,&#8221; the Park Police <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/management/upload/2025-06-03-USPP-Dupont-Circle-Closure-Memo-Update.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a June 4 letter to National Park Service leadership.

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