Metro Weekly magazine — 2019-10-31 edition (PDF)
By Metro Weekly Contributor
on
October 31, 2019
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is cracking down on alleged "distractions" for drivers, taking particular aim at rainbow crosswalks.
In a letter to all 50 state governors, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and the governor of Puerto Rico, Duffy -- a former Republican congressman -- urged them to take part in the Federal Highway Administration's "Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies," or SAFE ROADS, initiative.
The initiative targets non-freeway arterial roads, where more than half of U.S. roadway deaths occur -- often involving pedestrians -- according to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a Tennessee law banning doctors from prescribing gender-affirming puberty blockers and hormones to transgender youth with gender dysphoria.
A group of families of transgender youth and a doctor who treats them sued to overturn the law, arguing it was unconstitutional, infringed on parental rights, and violated nondiscrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act. Lower courts ultimately dismissed the parental rights and ACA-based claims.
At least 30 women in their 20s have been arrested in China since February for publishing gay-themed erotica. They have been charged with "producing and distributing obscene material."
Many of the women published their work on Haitang Literature City, a Taiwan-hosted platform known for "danmei," a genre of gay male romance and erotica. According to The New York Times, the site is only accessible through software that bypasses China's Internet firewall. Danmei has attracted a largely young, female audience.
Inspired by Japanese manga, danmei emerged online in the 1990s and quickly grew in popularity. Dozens of titles have topped bestseller lists, and in 2021, sixty were optioned for film or TV. Several major Chinese stars launched their careers in danmei-based dramas.
