The AggreGAYtor: June 25

SCOTUS keeps us on pins and needles, POTUS peddles and wheedles, and FLOTUS? We're sure she's somewhere looking fabulous. But nevermind all that, your AggreGAYtor is trying to keep the government out of Texas' snizz.

The Good

• We’re still waiting on the SCOTUS decisions, but again, it’ll probably be good news.

• While we’re holding our breath on marriage, can we talk about LGBTQ employment protections?

• Obama soft-pedals LGBTQ rights in Africa, but successful deployment of soft power requires nuance.

• Further proof of the conspiracy to take away all the freedom and trigger a mass suicide among liberty-loving patriots: a little Colorado girl can now use the bathroom in peace.*

• What’s it like being a queer professor? Better if you’re out to your students.

The Bad

• Katie Couric is interviewing a couple of Austinites on how being outed “ruined their lives.” Here’s hoping she knows what she’s doing; we’ll be sitting with a can of shame-away spray.

The Fugly

• Apparently rape kits do all the things.

It Came from the Tubes

• What does it feel like to watch the Texas Legislature from the gallery? A bit like this:

 

*The headline on this story originally read: “Transgendered 1st grader wins the right to use boy's restroom.” Two quick lessons: (1) having the correct gender is doubly important when gender identity is part of the story, and (2) it’s “transgender.” ”Transgendered” implies that something happened to the person instead of describing an aspect.