A Bay Area coffee shop chain is reportedly facing backlash from LGBT activists after a new corporate protocol was handed down. 
Customers are outraged that the company CEO, Mahesh Sadarangani, has ordered the removal of Pride flags at certain locations in pursuit of an “inclusive” atmosphere.
“At Philz, we have always believed everyone who walks through our doors deserves to feel welcome and safe, and that belief is at the core of everything we do. Our longstanding support of the LGBTQIA+ community is unchanged. We are working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor,” Sadarangani said in a statement. 
“This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are. Our allyship runs deeper than what is on our walls. It shows up in who we hire, how we treat one another and in our annual Pride Month Unity celebration, which returns this June as it has every year. Unity is fundamental to how we operate,” he added.
A Philz manager at one San Francisco location <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/petition-circulates-claiming-philz-coffee-asked-stores-to-remove-pride-flags/">told</a> KRON4 News that Sadarangani had told store leadership to consider whether in-store displays make all customers feel included during a recent company summit. According to the outlet, employees at multiple Bay Area locations said they have not been asked to take down Pride flags.
Despite the executive’s stated commitment to LGBT causes, leftist activists were melting down online and started a petition in an attempt to have the flag removal decision reversed.
As of Friday afternoon, a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/urge-philz-coffee-to-keep-pride-flags-up">petition</a> created by “Philz Coffee Baristas” had more than 4,000 signatures. “In today&#8217;s society, businesses have an essential role in fostering inclusivity and support, and displaying the pride flag is a simple yet remarkably powerful demonstration of that role,” the description said in part. 
“Removing these flags risks alienating a core group of team members and loyal customers who see Philz not just as a coffee shop, but as a place where they are embraced and celebrated for who they are.”
Some customers interviewed on the street were also outraged, saying they would “boycott” the business if the decision wasn’t reversed.
Philz Coffee was founded in San Francisco in 2003. It operates more than 60 locations, mostly in California, with a few in Chicago. 
The company made headlines in 2025 when the private equity firm Freeman Spogli &amp; Co. bought it for $145 million, prompting complaints from many customers. Some commenters blame the new ownership for the revised Pride flag policy.

Philz Coffee

Coffee Chain Ditches Politics To Be Inclusive And Still Dems Rage

Business

Coffee

LGBT

Pride

Pride Flag

The Chicago Bulls released guard Jaden Ivey on Monday after Ivey posted multiple videos on social media, calling out the NBA&#8217;s celebration of LGBT &#8220;unrighteousness&#8221; and speaking about his Christian faith.
Ivey, who is averaging over eight points per game this season, was dropped by the Bulls just a month after he arrived in Chicago due to a trade with the Detroit Pistons. In one video Ivey posted on Instagram on Monday, the guard ripped the NBA for celebrating LGBT &#8220;Pride&#8221; month.
&#8220;The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?&#8221; Ivey <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/2038738011270316391">said</a>. &#8220;They proclaim &#8216;Pride Month&#8217; in the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, &#8216;Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.&#8217; They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it on the streets. Unrighteousness.&#8221;
In another video that Ivey recorded while on an airplane, he called out NBA star Stephen Curry and questioned Curry&#8217;s Christian faith.
&#8220;He&#8217;s not even surrendered and y&#8217;all believe he&#8217;s a Christian. Y&#8217;all believe he&#8217;s a Christian because he wrote Philippians 4:13. Ya&#8217;ll think he&#8217;s a Christian, but he&#8217;s cursing just like the world. &#8230; He don&#8217;t know Jesus and I pray he comes to the truth,&#8221; Ivey said.
The Bulls announced on Monday afternoon that the team was releasing Ivey &#8220;due to conduct detrimental to the team.&#8221; Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters shortly after the team&#8217;s decision that he didn&#8217;t want to get into details about Ivey&#8217;s social media posts. Donovan added that in his conversations with Ivey, the player has been focused on trying to rehab after suffering a knee injury and said the team hoped Ivey would be part of the roster for the &#8220;long term&#8221; after he was traded from Detroit.
&#8220;Organizationally, there’s certain standards I think we want to have as an organization and live up to those each and every day,&#8221; Donovan <a href="https://x.com/JaredWeissNBA/status/2038751592057294936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2038751592057294936%7Ctwgr%5Ee795ca8f1b3bb021752081dacccc890210ee6a36%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportingnews.com%2Fus%2Fnba%2Fnews%2Fwhat-happened-jaden-ivey-bulls-release%2F2bd343bb5e15d6d88ce54c84">said</a>, adding, &#8220;Everybody comes with their own personal experiences, right? But we have to all be professional, there has to be a high level of respect for one another, and we&#8217;ve got to help each other and be accountable to those standards.&#8221;
Ivey responded in another social media video after the Bulls dropped him.
&#8220;They said my conduct is detrimental to the team, right? Why didn&#8217;t they just say we don&#8217;t agree with his stance on LGBTQ? Why didn&#8217;t they say that?&#8221; Ivey <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/2038800068837359978">asked</a>. &#8220;How is it conduct detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team? What did I do to the players? I did nothing but practice with them, play with them, pass the ball to them, [be] a good teammate to them.&#8221;
&#8220;So why is it that the NBA and the Chicago Bulls say I&#8217;m detrimental to the team? How? Because I believe in the truth? Because I know Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?&#8221; he added.
Some Christian athletes have come out in defense of Ivey after he was released by the Bulls. Patriots star running back TreVeyon Henderson <a href="https://x.com/TreVeyonH4/status/2038786657608941846">reposted</a> a clip of Ivey&#8217;s comments about gay &#8220;Pride&#8221; alongside a Bible verse from Matthew 5:10, which states, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Henderson&#8217;s coach, Mike Vrabel, was <a href="https://x.com/LosTalksPats/status/2038994093905485826">asked</a> about the running back&#8217;s support for Ivey and told reporters that he wants players like Henderson to express what they believe, but added that he wants to &#8220;make sure that they’re educated.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to be inclusive. Everything we want to do, we want to provide an environment for people to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And also, we represent the team, and we represent the organization,&#8221; Vrabel added.
New York Jets cornerback Azareyeh Thomas also posted support for Ivey and his stance against LGBT &#8220;Pride&#8221; celebrations.
&#8220;The world will try to make sin look normal and righteousness look strange. Believer or not, every single person on earth will soon have an appointment before Jesus. So if living for Christ makes us look crazy or &#8216;weird,&#8217; that&#8217;s okay because it isn&#8217;t strange to Christ. When it’s all said and done, we’ll give an account to an audience of One. (Romans 14:12, 2 Cor. 5:10),&#8221; Thomas <a href="https://x.com/Azareyehthomas/status/2038740853229850794">wrote</a>. “&#8217;Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…&#8217; Isaiah 5:20.&#8221;
Miami Dolphins long snapper Blake Ferguson also publicly <a href="https://x.com/blakeferguson48/status/2038830950403158285">backed</a> Ivey after the Bulls player was released.
Former New Orleans Saints tight end and outspoken Christian Benjamin Watson <a href="https://x.com/BenjaminSWatson/status/2038798555259818143">said</a> he expects the Bulls to clarify what exactly led to Ivey&#8217;s release.
&#8220;Conduct detrimental covers a host of actions. It’s a catch all term for everything from being late to curfew, to saying the wrong thing to the media, to fighting in the locker room. It allows clubs to discipline players without specifying certain actions. I expect the Bulls to clarify if it also includes using the term &#8216;unrighteousness.&#8217; If so that’s an even bigger problem,&#8221; Watson said.
Ivey has recently become more outspoken about his Christian faith and has even opened up about his struggles with depression this season. After Ivey was kept on the bench for an entire month despite being healthy in February, the guard told reporters that because of his faith, he &#8220;wasn&#8217;t the same player as he used to be.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead,&#8221; Ivey said. &#8220;I&#8217;m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is.&#8221;
Ivey also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7159179/2026/03/30/jaden-ivey-waived-bulls-nba-pride-month/">faced criticism</a> for some of his responses to people who commented on his Instagram videos. In one instance, a person asked the NBA player about going to confession, and Ivey replied by writing, “Catholicism is a false religion. And is not the true Doctrine of Christ. [It] does not lead to salvation in Jesus Christ.”
Another person commented on Ivey&#8217;s video and wrote, &#8220;Sending prayers. Detroit misses you.&#8221; Ivey responded to that comment, writing, &#8220;God does not hear your Prayer if you are a sinner.&#8221;

Jaden Ivey/TreVeyon Henderson/Azareyeh Thomas

NBA Team Drops Player Over Gay Pride Comments, Sparks Backlash From Christian Athletes

Bulls Drop Player After He Calls Out NBA's Gay Pride. Here's How Christian Athletes Have Responded.

Chicago

“Bridgerton” Season 5 will feature an interracial “queer love story,” and fans have thoughts.
The popular historical drama has a cult following of fans obsessed with the overall look and feel of the show, but since it airs on Netflix, it was only a matter of time before progressive themes were jammed into Regency-era England. 
The short teaser trailer for Season 5 shows Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and her cousin-in-law, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), standing side by side, almost holding hands. “Next season love begins again,” the text of the video says. 
“Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again &#8230; Bridgerton Season 5 is now in production,” the YouTube description says. This will be the first major storyline of a same-sex relationship on the series. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bridgerton Season 5 | Official Announcement | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qb79JSVmOJc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Reactions on social media questioned the decision, especially in terms of historical accuracy.
“Netflix is gonna Netflix …,” one person <a href="https://x.com/TimelessTrvlr/status/2036592179703935153">observed</a>. 
“This show absolutely ruined the books,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/pitdesi/status/2036525279548788999?s=43">agreed</a>.
“I am sick and tired of Netflix turning everything woke. It really didn’t have to be this way,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/AetherRev/status/2036489190251307159">shared</a>.
“The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca. Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons,” the press release says. 
“But when John’s cousin Michaela returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
The series is based on books written by Julia Quinn, and in the source material, Francesca’s new flame is a man named Michael. Quinn’s books don’t include same-sex relationships. But because it’s Netflix, that changed in the television adaptation.
“It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love. We’re not the first by any means,” series showrunner Jess Brownell said in an <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/bridgerton-season-5-news-photos-premiere-date">interview</a> published on Tudum. “But to make an entire &#8216;Bridgerton&#8217; season about a sapphic relationship feels huge.”
She added, “It’s going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma. … We’re having so much fun!”
The actresses also weighed in on the storyline. “[Queer love stories] have traditionally been excluded from things like period dramas — and queer people did exist, have always existed, and will always exist,” Dodd said.
Prior to this, another character, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), was portrayed as bisexual. He spent last season in a romantic relationship with a woman, however.

Bridgerton

Netflix Jams Interracial Queer Love Story Into Beloved Period Drama

Entertainment

Netflix

Television

A Michigan father has filed a federal lawsuit against the Grosse Pointe Public School System, alleging the district launched a campaign of &#8220;constitutional retaliation&#8221; after he publicly objected to the display of rainbow and transgender flags inside his child’s middle school.
The <a href="https://www.michigannewssource.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/complaint.pdf">complaint</a>, filed on behalf of Gary Shane Pruitt, argues the district violated his First Amendment rights by issuing a &#8220;no-trespass&#8221; order barring him from school property. According to the lawsuit, the dispute began in September 2024 when Pruitt attended a back-to-school night at Parcells Middle School and noticed a proliferation of Pride flags.
When he raised concerns with school officials, the complaint alleges he was met with dismissive shrugs. It also cites a comment attributed to school board member Valerie St. John: “If you are concerned that your child is seeing the colors of the rainbow, I would suggest sending them with tinted sunglasses so they aren’t subjected to the full spectrum.”
Pruitt later returned to the school after hours, which the lawsuit claims was done with permission, and recorded video of the displays. He posted the footage to a parent Facebook group with verbal commentary criticizing the flags as &#8220;radical programming&#8221; and a &#8220;display of sexuality&#8221; pushed by &#8220;groomer teachers,” as <a href="https://www.michigannewssource.com/2026/03/exclusive-michigan-dad-heading-to-federal-court-after-middle-school-bans-him-for-objecting-to-rainbow-and-trans-flags/?utm_source=home-headline">Michigan News Source</a> reported.
In an email to parents, Principal Jason Wesley said the video contained &#8220;no threatening content&#8221; and was &#8220;political in nature.&#8221;
The lawsuit alleged the district took several actions in response: ’
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Increasing police presence at the school, a move Pruitt’s attorneys say falsely painted him as a physical threat.</li>
<li>Issuing a &#8220;no-trespass&#8221; order barring him from school grounds, with potential criminal penalties for violations.</li>
<li>Displaying a photograph of Pruitt in the school office branding him a &#8220;trespasser,&#8221; which his legal team has described as an attempt to &#8220;publicly shame&#8221; him.</li>
</ul>
The lawsuit pulls no punches. It levels claims of First Amendment retaliation, defamation, and violations of the Michigan Constitution. It argues the district&#8217;s actions were not driven by safety concerns but by disagreement with Pruitt&#8217;s views.
The heart of the legal battle centers on whether a public school district can restrict a parent&#8217;s access to school property based on speech made off campus. The complaint emphasized that Pruitt&#8217;s video was recorded after school hours with permission from administrators, and the commentary was posted on a private Facebook page—not delivered during a school function.
&#8220;The chilling effect that would result if parents can be banned from school property for merely criticizing the school or its board is self-evident,&#8221; the filing states. &#8220;It is not hard to imagine all of the abuses of power that could be committed by the state if public schools are permitted to punish any speech by any parent, at any time, on any device, and at any location, so long as the school found the speech to be &#8216;offensive.'&#8221;
The lawsuit also alleges the situation has affected Pruitt&#8217;s child, claiming the student has been &#8220;stigmatized, ridiculed, and harassed&#8221; by peers following the district&#8217;s actions.
Despite Pruitt’s attempt to resolve the matter quietly in early 2026, the district reportedly refused to budge, leaving the &#8220;no-trespass&#8221; order in full effect. Now, Pruitt is asking a federal judge to step in, seeking an immediate rescission of the order, the removal of his photo from the office, and compensatory damages for the violation of his rights.

Brighton Beach Pride march in Brooklyn, New York City

Dad Doesn’t Go Quietly After School District Bans Him Over Pride Flag Showdown

Lawsuit

Michigan

Middle School

NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Daniel Dye, 22, after he mocked another racer using what he described as a &#8220;gay voice&#8221; during a livestream.
The <a href="https://x.com/LostSchemes/status/2033933092109303947">video</a> that circulated on social media Tuesday shows the Kaulig Racing driver altering his voice to imitate fellow driver David Malukas.
“As soon I start doing a David Malukas gay voice I get a gold, so let’s keep it going,” Dye can be heard saying in the clip.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/ZJSvK2lgX0">pic.twitter.com/ZJSvK2lgX0</a>
— mario (@LostSchemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/LostSchemes/status/2033933092109303947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Malukas, a 24-year-old Team Penske driver, has frequently been pictured on social media with his girlfriend, Kamila Jurkus, and has not publicly identified as gay. 
Dye issued an apology later Tuesday, saying he chose his words “poorly” and understood why they upset people. 
“I have some close friends in the LGBTQ+ community who I would never want to feel less of themselves because of what I said,&#8221; Dye wrote. &#8220;That’s exactly why I should hold myself to a higher standard.”
Dye said he is “committed to learning from this.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/qf72WEdxmM">pic.twitter.com/qf72WEdxmM</a>
— Daniel Dye (@danieldye43) <a href="https://twitter.com/danieldye43/status/2034031709998493843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
NASCAR has not provided a timeline for Dye&#8217;s reinstatement.
Brad Moran, managing director of the NASCAR Cup Series, said Dye must complete a customized program before being considered to return.
“They are all one-on-one and customized to fit every situation,” he <a href="https://www.nascar.com/videos/franchise/tuned-in/nascar-official-explains-process-for-dyes-return/">said</a> during an interview with Sirius XM. 
“Once he gets through the program, and the folks that hold and manage the program are comfortable that there were some good lessons taught, and he understands the severity of what these things can do to folks, once that happens, he gets put back in for reinstatement,” Moran added.
This is the second time Dye has been suspended.
At age 18, Dye was arrested at a Daytona Beach racing event and charged with felony battery after punching a classmate, resulting in a ruptured testicle, per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-daniel-dye-suspended-david-malukas-livestream-3e6730a5d383fa2a8d8a2368a0c71e22">Associated Press</a>.

Daniel Dye

NASCAR Suspends Daniel Dye For Mocking Fellow Driver With ‘Gay Voice’

NASCAR

Sports

A Democrat Senate candidate, looking to court the votes of working and middle-class families in Iowa, held a campaign event at a Leftist bookstore that once promoted a 14-year-old “drag queen” and routinely stocks sexually explicit books parents don’t want their kids to access at school. 
Zach Wahls, running for the seat currently held by Senator Joni Ernst, hosted an event at the Ames-based Dog-Eared Books, a bookstore that remains a haven for leftist ideology. The bookstore has promoted &#8220;Drag Queen Story Hour&#8221; for children and called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 
At the event, Wahls and his wife, romance novelist Chloe Angyal, <a href="https://www.mobilize.us/zachwahls/event/900039/">discussed</a> “the art of storytelling, the demands of public service, and the intersection of writing and advocacy.” They also discussed how their “parallel careers as authors have shaped their approach to politics, family, and the urgent work of building a better Iowa.” 
While Wahls has portrayed himself as a moderate seeking to work across partisan lines, Dog-Eared Books was a fitting venue for the Senate hopeful. Wahls has a documented history of advocating for leftist politics, though he <a href="https://zachwahls.com/meet-zach-wahls/">pledges</a> to &#8220;always put Iowa families first, no matter what.&#8221;
In September 2021, Dog-Eared Books <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSLAH9D2No/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D">promoted</a> a teenage boy “drag performer” who goes by the stage name Lonika LaBelle Knight.
“Lonika is a 14 years old drag queen with almost three years of experience under her belt. She nabbed the title of Miss Mason City Youth Pride and performs regularly at Lefty’s Live Music and The Garden Nightclub,” the bookstore posted on Instagram. “She can dance, twirl and capture the attention of everyone in a room with sass and class!”
That same performer returned in June 2023 for “a drag storytime” aimed at children. The bookstore <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtutfoTOBKa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">posted</a> on Instagram that the event would “feature movement activities alongside a picture book reading so kids can engage both their minds and bodies.”
<div id="attachment_1054155" style="width: 1005px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1054155" class="size-full wp-image-1054155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM.png" alt="" width="995" height="999" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM.png 995w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-574x576.png 574w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-768x771.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px" />Dog-Eared Books/Instagram.</div>
Dog-Eared Books has <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dogearedbooksames/posts/pfbid02BxtSgY7jjQf3xq9kxo8q3KXhW4FtBvdBSeUSyz6AnxJfhcxuJJYZitqkKwVtrcrbl?rdid=zAKdxXXuBuAuZWKp">hosted</a> a “Tattoos for Palestine” fundraiser, <a href="https://shop.dogearedbooksames.com/lists/LFoOMjVaW1e0">maintains</a> a “Books for Fighting Fascism” list that includes a book by leftist Senator Bernie Sanders, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dogearedbooksames/posts/pfbid02WFRj6eM98T5tm8Y4768j5HYFWWSoSFMHY1ZxGdRbQ3CnGPrufAEN5sgrVv5TrjWHl?rdid=bBddJGdRmSsMAYxS">called</a> for ICE to be abolished, and has a “You Can’t Read That At School” book <a href="https://dogearedbooksames.com/lists/LJuzFSmrJNY0">selection</a>. That section includes books like “Let’s Talk About It,” a graphic novel that contains explicit depictions of sex. 
The bookstore also released a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqI36acNBXW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">statement</a> slamming Iowa Republicans when they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iowa-bans-transgender-procedures-on-minors-trans-identifying-students-from-using-public-facilities-opposite-of-biological-sex">voted</a> to pass a law shielding kids from transgender procedures. It also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq_nWwqNk1-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">raised</a> over $3,000 for the Iowa Trans Mutual Fund, a <a href="https://www.iowatransmutualaidfund.org/aboutus">group</a> that provides grants to Iowans seeking &#8220;gender-affirming care.&#8221; 
As a state senator, Wahls has vehemently opposed laws aimed at protecting kids from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormonal procedures. He <a href="https://x.com/ZachWahls/status/1633580068696907778">claimed</a> that there was “blood on the hands” of Iowa Republicans who supported the law. His opposition was based on questionable evidence that claimed children would be more likely to commit suicide if they weren’t given transgender procedures. 
Wahls, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzzDOzKagHA">rose</a> to prominence after discussing his experience of being raised by a lesbian couple, has close connections to <a href="https://oneiowa.org/">One Iowa</a>, an activist group &#8220;rooted in intersectional advocacy for LGBTQ Iowans.&#8221; Wahls toured with the group to promote gay marriage back in 2012 and even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPV-fDydoKI&amp;t=417s">presented</a> an award to them.
One Iowa <a href="https://oneiowa.org/resources/medicalcareban/">offers</a> to help gender-confused kids access cross-sex hormones from out-of-state providers and schedule surgeries outside of Iowa. The group pushes girls to find breast binders to compress their chest so that it looks more masculine and other gender-confused kids to pursue “voice therapy.” The radical organization <a href="https://x.com/OneIowaAction/status/1493686950959714309?s=20">praised</a> Wahls for supporting male participation in female sports. 
Despite his links to the far-Left, Wahls’ <a href="https://zachwahls.com/issues/">campaign website</a> portrays him as a moderate focused on cutting costs and combatting political corruption. Wahls <a href="https://zachwahls.com/issues/">claims</a> to support securing the border by hiring thousands more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, and wants to ensure “secure” elections. He also says he wants to “restore abortion access,” pass paid family and medical leave, and a path to “legal status” for illegal aliens “who’ve been here for years, are working, and haven’t committed crimes.”

MixCollage-06-Mar-2026-01-44-PM-2267

‘Family First’ Democrat Senate Hopeful Campaigns At Bookstore That Promoted Teen ‘Drag Queen’

Democrat Senate Hopeful Campaigns At Bookstore That Pushed Teen 'Drag Queen'

2026 Midterms

Iowa

Senate

Transgender

Psychologists, counselors, and social workers in Texas can be penalized just like doctors for helping facilitate children&#8217;s sex changes, according to an opinion clarifying the state&#8217;s ban on sex-rejecting interventions.
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (TBHEC) asked Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton if mental health providers met the criteria of “health care provider” described in the state&#8217;s child sex-rejection ban, <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB14/id/2756089">S.B. 14</a>, suggesting the care provided by mental health professionals fell outside the outlawed interventions.
“The agency respectfully seeks clarification as to how such providers are impacted by S.B. 14, given that the prohibited activities and services are exclusively medical in nature and fall outside the scope of practice for mental health professionals,” the council wrote in a July 2025 <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/request-files/request/2025/RQ0605KP.pdf">letter</a>. 
“Any radical facilitating the ‘transitioning’ of our kids is committing child abuse. The law is clear that these radical procedures are illegal and in no world should Texans’ tax dollars be used to permanently harm children,” Paxton told The Daily Wire. &#8220;This opinion should send a clear warning that there will be consequences for any medical professional, whether a doctor or a therapist, who is illegally ‘transitioning’ Texas kids.”
The <a href="https://bhec.texas.gov/">TBHEC</a> helps regulate and uphold professional standards within the state&#8217;s behavioral health and social service professions.
Paxton unequivocally said mental health professionals fell within the criteria of the ban in an <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/opinion-files/opinion/2026/kp-0518.pdf">opinion</a> published on February 27, 2026.
“The unambiguous definition of ‘health care provider’ does not require a prescription pad or scalpel,” Paxton stated in the opinion. “S.B. 14 codified more than a prohibition on providing certain surgeries and prescriptions.” 
Paxton further clarified that the Texas <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB14/id/2756089">ban</a> on child sex-rejection forbids the use of public money to fund any individual or organization that “provides or facilitates” the gender transition of minors.
The TBHEC told The Daily Wire the professionals they help regulate are “expected to comply fully with Texas law.” 
“S.B. 14 prohibits certain medical procedures for minors in Texas. The question before us was whether the technical statutory definition of ‘health care provider’ included behavioral health professionals,” Darrel Spinks, Executive Director of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, told The Daily Wire. 
“Out of deference to the statutory framework and the Attorney General’s role in interpreting state law, we sought formal clarification to remove any ambiguity. The opinion confirms what many would reasonably assume; that licensed mental health professionals are health care providers under the statute. This does not change the law or our responsibilities. Our licensees are expected to comply fully with Texas law,” Spinks stated. 
The council&#8217;s letter mentioned the pending Supreme Court case, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-to-hear-challenge-to-colorados-gender-identity-censorship-law">Chiles v. Salazar</a>, where Christian counselor Kaley Chiles is challenging Colorado’s law banning so-called conversion therapy. The Colorado <a href="https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2019a_1129_signed.pdf">law</a> prohibits counselors from “attempts or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” which Chiles argues violates her freedom of speech and pushes children towards sex-rejecting medical interventions. 
“The court is examining whether the regulated practice of mental health counseling is conduct or speech,” wrote the TBHEC. “Circuit courts are split, as the Third and Eleventh Circuits treat mental health counseling as speech and not conduct, while the Ninth and Tenth Circuits treat it as conduct and not speech. Given the significance of the question before the court, which may have far reaching implications, this case may be something you want to consider in your opinion.” 
Paxton addressed these concerns in the opinion footnotes, writing, “You also imply that your questions may intersect with the First Amendment, referencing Chiles v. Salazar … But Chiles concerns a statute that is markedly different from the framework at issue in your request.”   
However, Paxton wrote his office generally did not comment on pending litigation and would offer “no speculation on the scope of the Court’s eventual holding in Chiles.” 
Mental health providers play a pivotal role in the sex-rejecting medical intervention pipeline by providing psychological assessments that are often required to obtain sex change surgeries, such as a double mastectomy, the opinion noted. 
“The multidisciplinary path to medically transitioning children often starts with mental ‘health care,’” the opinion states. “Mental health professionals serve as the ‘clinical gatekeepers whose assessments and recommendations initiate the interventions’ prohibited by S.B. 14.”
Many insurance companies and surgeons require a recent mental health assessment and surgery recommendation <a href="https://transcare.ucsf.edu/surgery-referral-assessment-requirements">letter</a> in order to move forward with sex-rejecting surgery.
The quality and clinical practice surrounding these assessments were heavily criticized in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2025 <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf">report</a> on the treatment of gender dysphoria. 
Leor Sapir, PhD, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and co-author of the HHS report, explained how gender clinician assessments often focus on achieving teens&#8217; sex-rejection goals rather than examining their gender dysphoria. 
“Gender clinicians have abandoned the assessment model pioneered by the Dutch and replaced it with ‘readiness assessments’ designed to help kids clarify and pursue their ‘embodiment goals,’” Sapir told The Daily Wire.   
“Importantly, gender clinicians freely acknowledge that these goals can shift, with some claiming that this is not a failure of treatment but rather part of a teen&#8217;s ‘gender journey.’ And increasingly, the gender-focused specialists in the mental health field have come to view assessment in the traditional sense as a form of harmful gatekeeping, or even ‘conversion therapy.’ “ 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TODAY: The Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of <a href="https://twitter.com/SorenAldaco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SorenAldaco</a>, an Independent Women ambassador &amp; detransitioner seeking justice for what she says is medical malpractice that led to her double mastectomy at age 19. 
🧵 <a href="https://t.co/EQc7rtsaua">pic.twitter.com/EQc7rtsaua</a>
— Independent Women (@IWF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IWF/status/2021629602805035171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Mental health assessments performed by gender clinicians have recently been scrutinized in detransitioners&#8217; lawsuits. 
Fox Varian, a female detransitioner, successfully sued her psychologist and surgeon and was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocking-details-emerge-in-landmark-2-million-trans-malpractice-judgment">awarded $2 million</a> for harm caused by a double mastectomy she received at age 16.  Psychologist Dr. Kenneth Einhorn recommended and pressured Varian’s mother to sign off on the surgery, saying the gender-confused teen would commit suicide without it, according to reporting from independent journalist Benjamin Ryan for the <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/a-legal-first-that-could-change-gender">Free Press</a>.
Arguments in the case centered around a letter sent by Einhorn to Varian’s surgeon recommending she receive the double mastectomy, which Varian’s legal team argued was inaccurate and improper, according to reporting from <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/surgeon-psychologist-defend-approval-of-teen-gender-surgery-at-trial-5971471?lwpw=k_3a6luJl_-CKlybsxi5TcsF1XMIfeLvxAWJ_opV_QjuH3SoPr-dweybn_1R_4jnUcku1lvvVrkIBDi4KGrrtXa48JW6iWemlCp6rSMUQ0lVHv3817gNdnxMqZTK8d2Nmvvm64G934EWxturDVNPiSs7aFEUdDDgJsypHaol">The Epoch Times</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-supreme-court-case-could-help-destransitioners-seek-justice">Soren Aldaco</a>, a woman who struggled with gender confusion throughout her adolescence and underwent a double mastectomy at 19 that she later regretted, sued her mental health providers, alleging they negligently wrote a surgical recommendation that granted her access to the mastectomy, <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/second-court-of-appeals/2024/02-24-00217-cv.html">court documents</a> show.

hc020425Genderpolicyfolo

Texas Therapists Will No Longer Get Away With Pushing Kids Toward Sex Changes

Ken Paxton

Texas

Transgenders

A Nashville charter school threatened a first-grade teacher with termination after he refused to read an LGBTQ book about same-sex marriage to his class, according to a legal advocacy group.
KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary issued a “Final Warning” to Eric Rivera, a Christian first-grade teacher, after he declined to read a book featuring a same-sex married couple and child in the language arts curriculum, despite having no previous disciplinary history, according to First Liberty Institute.
Rivera requested a religious accommodation after discovering the LGBTQ book in the curriculum, according to a demand <a href="https://firstliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Eric-Rivera-FINAL-Demand-Letter62_Redacted.pdf">letter</a> First Liberty sent to KIPP Nashville on behalf of Rivera.
&#8220;Mr. Rivera asked a colleague to read the book to his class of first-graders, while he remained in the classroom to observe — a substitution that Mr. Rivera believed would be workable and accepted,” the demand letter said.
School officials denied his request, summoned him to the principal’s office, and threatened his job, the demand letter claims.
The “Final Warning” letter accused Rivera of failing to meet the “expectation” of teaching the curriculum “with fidelity” and said that as a result of his conduct, students would “miss content aligned with the scope of the unit” — even though a substitute teacher was still teaching the curriculum to students.
“[T]he principal indicated that the belief in same-sex marriage is so fundamental to the language arts unit that Mr. Rivera could not possibly be permitted to teach any portion of the unit, and therefore had to be removed from the first grade classroom,&#8221; according to First Liberty&#8217;s letter.
The school’s letter concluded with a further threat of disciplinary action, including termination, and stated, “A copy of this unsatisfactory notice is being placed in your personnel file.”
“Requiring a teacher violate their religious beliefs in order to keep their job is blatant discrimination that violates the Civil Rights Act,” <a href="https://firstliberty.org/media/nashville-first-grade-teacher-banished-from-classroom-after-asking-accommodation-from-pro-same-sex-marriage-book/">said</a> Cliff Martin, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute. “Our client cares deeply about his students and simply has a religious objection to teaching certain lessons and asked for a simple religious accommodation. The school has sent the message that anyone who has a traditional view of marriage is unfit to teach first grade.”
First Liberty accused the school of potentially violating Tennessee law by failing to disclose two books listed in the &#8220;LGBTQ+ Books&#8221; category on Amazon to parents.
&#8220;Both of the books to which Mr. Rivera objected require parental notification under Tennessee law, and to our knowledge, none was given. Accordingly, based on our understanding of KIPP’s practices, KIPP should review whether it is in compliance with its obligations to parents under Tennessee and federal law,&#8221; the letter said.
First Liberty’s letter to the school on behalf of Rivera demands that KIPP remove the &#8220;Final Warning&#8221; from Rivera&#8217;s personnel file, cease religious discrimination, and commit to accommodating religious employees who object to reading materials that conflict with their faith.

image

Nashville Charter School Threatened To Fire First-Grade Teacher For Refusing To Read LGBTQ Book

Public Schools

Religious Freedom

A Manhattan hospital that has performed countless procedures on gender-confused children in recent years announced on Tuesday that it officially ended its youth gender clinic following the Trump administration&#8217;s move to pull federal funding.
Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Health, which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-clinics-are-promoting-services-to-gender-nonconforming-kids-here-are-47-of-them">offered gender procedures</a> for children since at least <a href="https://nyunews.com/news/2025/02/02/nyu-langone-gender-affirming-care/#:~:text=NYU%20Langone%20Health%20is%20a%20leading%20institution,two%20patients%20under%20the%20age%20of%2019.">2020</a>, cited the &#8220;current regulatory environment,&#8221; along with the &#8220;recent departure&#8221; of its medical director, for its &#8220;difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/nyregion/nyu-hospital-transgender-youth.html">reported</a>.
NYU Langone previously <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220828054900/https://nyulangone.org/locations/child-study-center/gender-sexuality-service">stated</a> on its website that it prescribes &#8220;gender-affirming medical interventions, including puberty suppression, gender-affirming hormone treatments, and gender-affirming surgery&#8221; for gender-confused children. The hospital&#8217;s <a href="https://nyulangone.org/locations/child-study-center/gender-sexuality-service">website</a> no longer mentions gender surgery for children and focuses on &#8220;mental health services.&#8221;
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">signed</a> an executive order to protect children from irreversible gender procedures by threatening to strip federal funding from hospitals that perform the procedures. Following Trump&#8217;s order last year, NYU Langone began winding down its &#8220;Transgender Youth Health Program,&#8221; canceling appointments for children, including two 12-year-olds who were supposed to start puberty blockers, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">reported</a> at the time. However, some parents told the Times that the hospital kept appointments for children who were already on puberty blockers or hormone therapy.
Last June, the FBI set up a <a href="https://x.com/FBI/status/1929587710894739567">tip line</a> for Americans to report &#8220;any hospitals, clinics, or practitioners&#8221; that &#8220;mutilate&#8221; children &#8220;under the guise of gender-affirming care.&#8221; The Trump administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/nyregion/transgender-care-lawsuit-trump.html">reportedly</a> served subpoenas to multiple hospitals last year, including NYU Langone, seeking more information on their youth gender clinics.
In December, the Trump administration began implementing the president&#8217;s executive order to protect children by proposing rules to strip federal funding from hospitals that continue to perform gender procedures on children.
Democrats have pushed back against Trump&#8217;s effort to go after hospitals and doctors that promote gender procedures for children. In response to Trump&#8217;s crackdown on hospitals performing gender procedures on children, New York joined a coalition of Democrat-led states that sued the Trump administration in an effort to stop the federal government&#8217;s investigation into hospitals and doctors that perform the life-altering procedures on children.
President Trump&#8217;s executive action to protect children from the harmful procedures followed numerous Republican-led states banning the so-called gender-affirming treatments and procedures for minors. Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and many other states took action to protect children beginning in 2023, shortly after Daily Wire host Matt Walsh&#8217;s documentary &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman">What is a Woman?</a>&#8221; exposed the dangers of gender procedures.
After &#8220;What is a Woman?&#8221; became one of the most-watched documentaries of the year, Walsh held a rally in Nashville and met with state leaders in multiple states to advocate for ending &#8220;child mutilation.&#8221;
Thanks to recent laws passed by Republican-led states and the efforts of President Trump, the tide has turned in the debate on gender procedures for children. The Trump administration and advocates for protecting children from gender procedures celebrated another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-fight-is-not-over-major-medical-org-rejects-transgender-surgeries-for-kids">major win</a> earlier this month when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons acknowledged that &#8220;evidence did not support genital procedures or removing the breasts of young girls who identify as boys.&#8221;

NYU Langone/Donald Trump

Trump Flex Delivers Another Major Victory Protecting Kids From Gender Mutilation

Donald Trump

Hospitals

New York

transgender surgery

Trump Administration

Go woke. Go broke. The saying is becoming so commonplace that it almost bears no significance.
But in some instances, a brand that’s already going broke suddenly decides to go full throttle on woke. That’s exactly what outdoor retail store Eddie Bauer did in recent years, and now, the operator of the century-old store has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eddie-bauer-bankruptcy-retail-1f4168dca0060353b3766f0924d9c7da" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for bankruptcy, marking the third bankruptcy filing for Eddie Bauer in the past 20 years.
The jump into LGBT craziness probably wasn’t the main reason behind Eddie Bauer’s downfall, but the company’s wokeness didn’t help it return to its former glory.
In 1920, 21-year-old <a href="https://www.historylink.org/File/1671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eddie Bauer</a> set up shop in downtown Seattle, focusing on repairing broken tennis rackets before he started making his own golf clubs and fishing tackle, and in the 1940s, he developed his first jacket. The business also made jackets and sleeping bags for American troops during World War II.
Bauer soon got into more clothing retail and expanded his operations. He was a good old-fashioned American entrepreneur, who built a successful business through hard work and good ideas.
Fast-forward 100 years, and Bauer’s company was arguing for America to “<a href="https://www.eddiebauer.com/blogs/blog/get-outdoors-but-make-it-gay?srsltid=AfmBOopr2XmLsdAxNsHxYboEbJCnJ8m55NHR44cPajIhwpcA8zrkTpPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get outdoors, but make it gay</a>.” Yes, that is a real article published on Eddie Bauer’s website in 2022, written by lesbian freelance journalist Erica Zazo.
“Nature has always been an escape for me and my wife. Since Mother Nature does not discriminate, we’ve been able to fully explore ourselves and our partnership in the outdoors without the societal pressures, influences, and impact that often harm LGBTQ people,” Zazo wrote.
In 2023, Eddie Bauer’s website featured an <a href="https://www.eddiebauer.com/blogs/blog/the-one-thing-you-can-do-today-to-bring-more-people-to-the-outdoors?srsltid=AfmBOop-58dBARPqwbVWqlfx9ec7X_o6FSYIqa-6gUqYT6OixySgNH00" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> lamenting the lack of LGBT “representation” in “the outdoors.”
“If we love nature and want everyone to experience its many benefits, we need to make sure everyone feels welcome in outdoor and rural spaces,” the article written by “community leader” Mikah Meyer stated.
Another 2023 <a href="https://www.eddiebauer.com/blogs/blog/venturing-out-with-perry-cohen?srsltid=AfmBOoomyzsWRDgCGq7heauu8m9GXu1SZztEc1b_SAOXLubqPsLT2uMf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> published on the website highlighted an organization that led “backpacking trips for queer and trans people.”
It’s not clear what made Eddie Bauer so concerned about the supposed homophobia of the great outdoors, nor is it clear from those articles how going on a hike or fishing is harder for LGBT people. What is clear is that Eddie Bauer fully adopted LBGT talking points.
Eddie Bauer’s operator blamed declining sales and industry challenges, such as the recent tariff policies, for its struggles. That’s probably partly true, but going full woke as a storied outdoor retail company likely didn’t help.
What Americans want from their favorite companies is quality and reliability, traits that Jeremy’s Razors will always be dedicated to pursuing. With <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy’s Razors</a>, you don’t have to worry about getting lectured on the “homophobia of the shaving experience,” nor will you be surprised by drastic changes in company principles. Who we are today is who we’ll be tomorrow — always providing the best shave in the business.
Jeremy&#8217;s Razors shares common ownership with The Daily Wire.

LGBT flag, hiking

100-Year-Old Outdoor Recreation Brand Went Full Woke. Its Third Bankruptcy Soon Followed.

bankruptcy

Jeremy's Razors

Wokeness

Some LGBT advocates and media have celebrated the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics as a “<a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/02/swedish-skier-elis-lundholm-will-make-history-as-the-first-out-trans-athlete-in-a-winter-olympics/">major milestone</a> in trans sports.”
Elis Lundholm, a woman who identifies as a transgender man, will compete for Sweden at the Milan-Cortina Olympics as part of the ski team. But here’s the interesting part: Lundholm will take part in the women’s category, not the men’s. 
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The skier began identifying as a transgender man five years ago and <a href="https://www.aftonbladet.se/senastenytt/ttsport/sport/a/j0BoeL/identifierar-sig-som-man-moter-kvinnor-i-os">told</a> the Swedish outlet Sportbladet that she “has never had a problem competing as a woman.” 
Social media users pointed out the implications of Lundholm remaining in the women&#8217;s category, which is based on biological sex under current rules.
“Lundholm is female, identifies as trans, uses he/him pronouns and has not gone through medical transition, competes in the female category,” British professor Jon Pike <a href="https://x.com/runthinkwrite/status/2018270959677968618">posted</a> on X.
“Lundholm is a walking/skiing refutation of the claim that it’s unreasonable to require TiM [Transgender identifying Male] athletes to compete in their sex category,” he said. “It’s said that this is the equivalent of ‘banning them from sport.’ Lundholm competes in the correct sex category, even though this is not the category into which Lundholm identifies, and has ‘no problem with this.’”
Most social media commenters didn’t have an issue with Lundholm competing with other women, noting how the only thing that could make competition unfair is if she had been using testosterone.
Last summer, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee changed its policy to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning men from competing against women, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-olympic-committee-bans-men-in-womens-sports">reported</a>. The committee posted an update stating that it would “&#8230;ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment,” consistent with the executive order.
This change followed years of controversy in the world of sports. 
In the 2024 Summer Games, Imane Khelif of Algeria, a boxer who had failed gender tests, dominated the women’s welterweight division and won the gold medal. Khelif’s success in Paris drew outrage across the globe. 
In 2021, trans-identifying man Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand competed against women in weightlifting in the Tokyo Games. Chelsea Wolfe, a man who identifies as a woman, was also at the Tokyo Olympics as a reserve cyclist for the U.S. women’s BMX Freestyle team.

Elis Lundholm

Trans-Identifying Woman To Compete Against Fellow Women In Olympic Ski Event

Woman Who Identifies As Trans Will Compete In Olympics Ski Event Against Other Women

Olympics

skiing

Social Issues

Sweden

Winter Olympics

Super Bowl organizers tapped singer Brandi Carlile to perform“America the Beautiful” at the big game on Sunday, and the vocalist said she viewed that as a good opportunity for her to represent “the queer community.”
The 11-time Grammy Award winner did an <a href="https://variety.com/2026/music/news/brandi-carlile-america-the-beautiful-super-bowl-interview-1236655795/">interview</a> with Variety to discuss singing the patriotic song at the game. Unlike many other recording artists who have made headlines recently for trashing America, Carlile indicated that she still loved this country. But she also said that she believes the song “America the Beautiful” has an underlying message about radical change, which as an LGBT activist, she fully supports.
“I have my own moral code, my own moral imperative, that I have to answer to at the end of the day, as a wife and mother, and I believe in my ability and responsibility to do this, and that’s why I’m here,” she told the outlet of deciding to sing at the Super Bowl despite ongoing political tensions. 
“And the throughline to being queer and being a representative of a marginalized community and being put on the largest stage in America to acknowledge the fraught and tender hope that this country is based on, it’s something you don’t say no to. You do it.”
“I think if we’re gonna save this country as a people, we have to be reminded on some level that deep down we love it,” she added.
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“America the Beautiful” was written by American author and poet Katharine Lee Bates in 1893. The interviewer pointed to a line of the song which he suggested could be a call to change the country in a certain way.
“&#8217;God mend thine every flaw…&#8217;,” he began, prompting Carlile to respond,
“&#8217;… Confirm thy soul in self-control / Thy liberty in law&#8217;! Yeah. I don’t want to put words in her mouth; she was beyond brilliant. But it almost feels like she was feeling the way about the country when she wrote it that I’m feeling today singing it. Just this fragile hope, love and belief in where it could be, and acknowledging where it’s been, and acknowledging that we’re not there yet.”
The singer also said Bates was “totally gay.” Though this has been the speculation of some scholars due to her close female friendships, there is no definitive proof that Bates was part of any same-sex romantic relationships.
“I feel motivated by the fact that she was very likely gay, and a woman relying on her intellect in a time when that was difficult for women to do so, and living with a partner who was doing the same thing,” Carlile told Variety. “And still choosing … to still love America and to still believe that it could get to a place of goodness. I won’t say greatness, because that feels a little, you know, patriarchal. But goodness. And I believe the same thing.”

Brandi Carlile

‘America the Beautiful’ Singer At Super Bowl Thrilled To Represent ‘Queer Community’

'America the Beautiful' Singer At Super Bowl Thrilled To Represent 'Queer Community’

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