Welcome back to another LGBTea, our weekly update on all things queer. Buckle up for a long one, because a LOT of things happened in the last seven days. Starting with…

1. Zaya Wade, child of actress Gabrielle Union and NBA star Dwayne Wade, expressed in February that her preferred pronouns are she/her, and I can speak for us all when I say I was relieved and excited that these two superstars would use their story for good and show up for their baby daughter who needed support. So fast forward a few weeks and boom! Zaya is walking her first red carpet, looking so excited and fly all at the same time.

(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)

2. Bisexual extaordinares Evan Rachel Wood and Tessa Thompson are back at it in the new Westworld teaser, serving up extremely sassy looks and threatening us all with a good time. I don’t know about y’all but this looks like #gayrights to me. I’m assuming we can expect a lot of action!

3. Former Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock came out as gay, leaving many criticizing his role in the Republican party and questioning his anti-LGBTQ record. Shock had a tumultuous time in Congress, where he ultimately committed wire fraud and theft of government funds. He expressed remorse for his hypocrisy on his website and discussed how his family’s religious preferences, which include conversion therapy, shaped his views. In light of his coming out as a member of the gay community, Schock also stated that he looks forward to “shin[ing] a light on young people.” Hopefully Shock’s coming out story will inspire other LGBTQ people to come to their senses before joining the Republican party.

Screen Shot 2020-03-09 at 1.47.06 AM.jpeg

4. Brigham Young University reversed its recent change in attitude regarding the behavior of LGBTQ students, citing that “same-sex romantic behavior cannot lead to eternal marraige” and therefore is against the Mormon faith and BYU as an extension. Big bummer for the LGBTQ students and allies that were celebrating their win just two weeks ago. Keep fighting!

5. Jessica Benham, a bisexual woman and Autism activist, won her primary race to represent the 36th District of Pennsylvania’s State House on Super Tuesday. Winning the seat in the general election would make Benham the first openly bisexual legislator on the autism spectrum in Pennsylvania history! Score another one for representation.

6. The One You Never Forget, a short film about teenage queer acceptance was released on Vimeo. The film dives into the complications of being an LGBTQ student, and how that can get even further complicated when you tie in a school dance. Go watch these charming kids dance already!

Screen Shot 2020-03-09 at 1.47.23 AM.jpeg

7. Virginia became the first southern state to ban conversion therapy, joining just nineteen other states that also ban the barbaric practice of allowing medical professionals to tell queer youth that they are wrong for who they are. Let’s get these numbers up, people! Track your state’s status at lgbtmap.org

8. A record setting 10% of LGBTQ voters participated in Super Tuesday, according to Vox. This is a big change from the previous 6% recorded during the midterm elections of 2018. Considering queer Americans make up at least 6% of the overall electorate, it’s about time politicans start making us a priority. Register to vote if you haven’t already!

9. In an interview with CBS, queer actor Billy Porter (not to be confused with the other B. Porter) revealed that he is playing his upcoming role as the fairy godmother as “genderless” in the reimagined Cinderella, set to premiere in 2021. Porter states that “magic has no gender” and the “kids are ready. It’s the grownups that are slowing things down.” Amen to that, Billy!

*John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty*

10. Elizabeth Warren suspended her campaign for presidency in the aftermath of disappointing voter support on Super Tuesday, leaving Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders as the final contenders for the Democratic nomination. On her path to the presidency, Elizabeth placed LGBTQ issues at the forefront of her movement. She was an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act and early proponent of marriage equality and same-sex adoption, and has created a platform speaking out against the violence and harassment of transgender people. Though she will continue her work in the senate, we thank her for using her campaign to affirm that LGBTQ rights are human rights.

Thanks for catching up with us for another LGBTea! We’ll see you back next week for another news roundup of all things LGBTQ.