What’s going on in the United States? Well.. not a lot of people will be able to clearly, unbiasedly, expertly explain the situation to you. Here’s our shot at it! Do not fear, our editor studied American politics in Canada—More specifically Quebec, and they’re British! So, of course, it’s as neutral as you’ll find beyond CNN and Fox News.
Let’s get on with it: The beginning of November, every two years, rings alarm bells in American politicians houses’ as it’s the midterm elections: every seat in the House of Representatives is up for grabs, and roughly a third of the Senate is shaken up. On a local level, 36 governors are either newly appointed or re-elected in (you guessed it) 36 states. Basically, the face of the government changes: The drafting of laws are affected, along with their approval, and which communities represented at the highest level can alter for bad or for worse.
What are the most important results from these midterm elections? Gen-Z has a voice and millennials are not holding back. The national youth (those from ages 18-29) overwhelmingly voted for Democrats—63 percent! That helped Democrats win the Senate seat in Pennsylvania, formerly Republican, which is famously one of the most contested States in the Presidential Election. The famous “Squad of 6” was also re-elected, who are a handful of the most progressive politicians speaking out in the Senate on issues from pro-abortion rights to climate change!
It is true that there is red wave storming in American politics, it has been brewing since the late 1960s, but encouragingly the young Blue voters (known as the Blue Wall) might just be able to head it off in the coming years. So, if you are a young activist supporting the political agenda of the Democratic Party, keep going! Because in 2024, the youth eligible to vote will outnumber the Boomers (those whose parents came back from WWII) by 45/25. Time will tell if they go out to vote in full force.
Kit Connor outed on Twitter
In other news, on a less encouraging note, actor Kit Connor was forced to come out as bisexual on Twitter at the end of October as a result of relentless speculation about his sexuality. This is not new; Shawn Mendes, after his break up with Camilla Cabello, was subject to similar online rumours about his sexuality. Even though some of the queer community are desperate to see more representation in the fame world, I would encourage those speculating about others’ sexuality to assess whether their words are doing more harm than good. Especially to those listening within their own communities who might not have the richest of support systems helping them navigate a difficult identity-finding journey.
New LGBTQ+ choir
What is more encouraging and heart-fulfilling than a choir? An LGBTQ+ choir! This November, Olly Alexander is working alongside trans- activists to make his vision of a successful queer choir, ABSOLUT, come to life in the entertainment and production industry. By performing across the UK, and striking important partnerships for funding and advertisement, the choir looks to amplify the voices of the queer communities and shed light on the issues that need policy attention.
Rishi moves to axe trans rights
This comes at the perfect time as Britain’s new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, plans to axe transgender rights in the 2010 Equality Act. Although this announcement is somewhat unsurprising, as Sunak appears to be simply the puppet of an echo chamber of conservatism rippling through the UK government, it is one that will send shockwaves through queer communities. The backlash will be loud and proud, get ready!
