Four-Star Admiral Dr. Rachel Levine

Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the first out trans Senate-confirmed official, was sworn in as Four Star Admiral in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. the first out trans four-star officer in U.S. history.

That’s a lot of titles and firsts to juggle. Protocol in the US is to default to the Secretary title, but this additional honorific makes her not only the highest ranking official in the U.S. Public Health Service, it also makes her the first woman to get four-stars in the service.

The Public Health Service is a federal uniformed service charged with protecting and advancing public health and safety

“I am humbled to serve as the first female four-star officer of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and first openly transgender four-star officer across any of the 8 uniformed services,” Levine said. “This is a momentous occasion and I am pleased to take this role for the impact I can make, and for the historic nature of what it symbolizes. May this appointment be the first of many like it as we create a more inclusive future.”

Levine’s boss, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, lauded her accomplishment as well. “Admiral Levine’s historic appointment as the first openly transgender four-star officer is a giant step forward towards equality as a nation,” he said. ” This is a proud moment for us at HHS.”

Buttigieg Doc “Mayor Pete” Trailer

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made history in 2020 when he became the first out gay man to run for president, The upcoming documentary “Mayor Pete” puts many of the events surrounding that groundbreaking run into focus, including Buttigieg’s marriage to Chasten Buttigieg and how the focus on their sexuality during the campaign affected them.

A new trailer provides a first look at the film before it lands on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 12. Check it out below.

And takes down Tucker for attacking his family. Hilary Rosen also joins the discussion:

Happy Birthday, Divine

Tuesday marked what would’ve been famed drag performer and longtime John Waters collaborator Divine’s 76th birthday. As Boy Culture points out, she would be similar in age to fellow Lgbtq favorites Dolly Parton and Cher had she still been alive. Divine remains a celebrated LGBTQ icon deserving of all the candles one can fit on a birthday cake made for the queen of filth.

Chic Full Gay: A response to Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A’s longstanding anti-LGBTQ activities are widely known and have served as an undertone to the fast food chicken sandwich wars of recent years. But one non-binary chef in Vermont is putting their feelings front-and-center while providing some delicious delights.

Chic Full Gay is a chicken sandwich pop-up created by Bryan Gildersleeve that manifests monthly in the Burlington, VT area. Gildersleeve whips up their “OG” and spicy chicken sandwiches for customers as a statement against the chicken restaurant chain’s history of supporting LGBTQ discrimination. “It’s kind of like a middle finger to them,” Gildersleeve told the Burlington Free Press.

But Chic Full Gay doesn’t exist simply as a culinary rebuke of LGBTQ hate. Gildersleeve donates $2 from every sandwich sold to LGBTQ nonprofit Outright Vermont, an organization that supports LGBTQ youth in the state. They also donate any leftover food to local organizations that feed underserved communities. “The whole business model is essentially nonprofit,” Gildersleeve said. “That’s a big part of why people want to support us.”

Lynda Carter Ends Discussion on Trans

Seeing as Superman and Robin are living out and proud in the comic book universe, it’s only fitting that DC Comics’ top lady weighed in on the discussion. Wonder Woman herself Lynda Carter welcomed all trans women into the pantheon of heroes, dubbing trans women “Wonder Women” on Twitter. “End of story,” Carter added.

The message of solidarity drew responses from a regular Justice League of trans individuals, all ready to show their power through the iconic Wonder Woman crest.

India Updates LGBTQ Medical Textbooks

Major changes are coming to India’s medical curriculum as the nation’s top medical organization, the National Medical Commission, ruled that all discriminatory language related to LGBTQ identities must be excluded from medical texts. The decision will also see what Human Rights Watch described as “unscientific portrayals” of LGBTQ people removed going forward.

“The issue is not only one of misrepresentation but also one of absence,” said Dr. L. Ramakrishnan, vice president of LGBTQ advocacy organization SAATHII. “For instance, standard Indian textbooks in Pediatrics do not mention same-gender attraction or transgender identity in a non-pathologizing manner while addressing child and adolescent development

The move is the latest in a reformation movement in India aimed at correcting prejudiced treatment of LGBTQ people that date back to colonial-era India. The Madras High Court ruled that similar discriminatory portrayals of LGBTQ people be removed from all institutions nationwide in June 2021 and India’s Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2018. “Ignorance is no justification for normalizing any form of discrimination,” said Judge Anand Venkatesh in the June 2021 judgment.

JoJo Siwa Hits Perfection

YouTube and Nickelodeon star JoJo Siwa continued her dominant performance on “Dancing With The Stars” Monday, foxtrotting her way to the season’s first perfect score alongside dance partner Jenna Johnson. The max level performance is the latest stellar outcome for the pair, who became the first same-sex duo to compete in the reality series’ history.

“Wow!!!!! I have literally no words!!!!,” Siwa exclaimed on Instagram after the scores were revealed. “I am on cloud 528183629 right now!! … I’ve cried and smiled so much tonight.” She added, “This dance and this moment is something that I will cherish forever and ever!!!!!!!”

Mayor Pete: Previously on Towleroad