A trans woman wins big money in a lawsuit against Oregon, more bans on pride flags and discussion topics, and what's going on with Denver's only lesbian bar?

This week on the Queer News podcast, Our top story features an imprisoned Trans Woman who is set to receive 200K from the state of Oregon as a part of a settlement. In politics, Texas Tech prohibits students from writing about queer topics, and Idaho gets creative in the face of a pride flag ban. In sports, the WNBA will induct five lgbtq+ women into their hall of fame. In culture and entertainment, The Denver Queer Community joined together in an attempt to save their only lesbian bar.

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04:01 Queer News Headlines

04:36 Oregon to Pay $295K To An Imprisoned Trans Woman As A Part of A Lawsuit Settlement

07:16 Texas Tech's New Ban Prohibits Students From Writing About Queer Topics

11:04 Idaho Gets Creative in The face of a Pride Flag Ban

14:19 Amnesty April is back from Chicago's City Clerk Anna Valencia

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16:16 Highlighting the Queer Women Set To Be Inducted Into The WNBA Hall of Fame This Year

21:24 Denver's Queer Community Came Together To Try To Save Their Only Lesbian Bar

23:02 Anna's Got A Word

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This week's episode of Queer News is packed with historic milestones, urgent calls for justice, and accountability. Here is your social-media-ready breakdown of every story from Episode 335.

This Week's Top Story

Oregon to Pay $295K To An Imprisoned Trans Woman As A Part of A Lawsuit Settlement

Reparations! The state of Oregon has been ordered to pay an imprisoned trans woman $295k as a part of a lawsuit settlement. Zera Lola Zombie is the woman at the center of this case, and her team of lawyers first sought legal action back in 2021. According to the lawsuit, Zera faced "ongoing harassment and verbal, mental, and psychological abuse by both prisoners and staff as a result of her sex, gender, and gender identity,".

A payment in the amount of $95K will go out to Zera herself, while her team of lawyers will receive the remaining 200K. Zara will continue to serve her current sentence of "manslaughter and first-degree assault following the death of a girlfriend in 2014" and is set to be released in 2049.

This Week In Politics

Texas Tech's New Ban Prohibits Students From Writing About Queer Topics

Don't say gay? Well at Texas Tech apparently you can't write gay either. The university has issued a ban on student thesis and dissertations writing about lgbtq+ discussion topics. In addition, Professors are also to refrain from teaching anything related to lgbtq+ discussion topics.

In a current administration that's hell bent on removing queer history, the elimination of these programs is downright dangerous for the preservation and continued study of queer history. 25 year associate professor Jen Shelton told the local news that "I think the whole university has been betrayed. I think even the provost did not expect it to look like this."

Idaho Gets Creative in The face of a Pride Flag Ban

On Trans Day of Visibility, Idaho republicans succeeded in compelling Idaho Governor Brad into passing a state law that fined "cities for flying flags that aren't on the Legislature's pre-approved list". Surprise, surprise the pride flag isn't on that list, essentially punishing any city that continued to fly the flag. On the passing of the state law Republican State Senator Ben Toews said "The ultimate goal is for us to fly flags that unite and don't divide."

The City Hall in Boise was quick to comply with the law and took their pride flag down soon after the law was passed. Officials who opposed the ban got crafty and raised their own 'Pride flag poles" instead. The flag poles are painted in the rainbow that can also be found on the pride flag.

This Week In Sports

Highlighting the Queer Women Set To Be Inducted Into The WNBA Hall of Fame This Year

The WNBA Hall of Fame is extra queer this year and we love to see it. Olympic gold medalists Sheryl Swoopes, Jennifer Azzi, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne are the five queer women who are set to be inducted into the WNBA Hall of Fame later this year. Each woman on that list has an extensive career with the WNBA and is no doubt vital to the organization's success.

This Week In Culture & Entertainment

Denver's Queer Community Came Together To Try To Save Their Only Lesbian Bar

The Pearl is Denver's only Lesbian bar and earlier this month they announced to their patrons that they would be closing at the end of the month. Within hours of the announcement the owners of the Pearl launched a gofundme for the beloved lesbian bar and by the end of the day, the Denver queer community banded together and they had raised over 83,000 dollars. Since then the owners have closed the gofundme, reassuring people that the funds will be allocated to their staff and to keeping the bar open through June.

However, as of writing this story their instagram account has been deleted, and their website lists the bar as closed leaving many concerned about the future of the bar. The plot continues to thicken, as last week members of the pearl staff released their own joint statement revealing details about the gofundme funds and the owner(s) who launched the crowdfunding campaign in the first place. The staff asked people to report the GoFundMe as fraudulent, and that a lack of accountability on part of some of the ownership team has led to discord between the staff and owners of the bar.

Anna's Word

Today's Anna's Got a Word is inspired by the panel she co-moderated for Lesbian Visibility Week titled The Terms We Use where they discussed terms like saphhic, dyke, FLINTA, queer and so many others. From that conversation Anna wanted to share that defining you for yourself is really what's most important.

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About Queer News

An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT.

Edited by Ryan Woodhall for Public Sound.

Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.