They stream us, search us, and fantasize about us in public, only to demonize and legislate our right to exist in public. Beyoncé really told no lies when she said “they hate me, because they want me.”
Read my full POLISHed Perspective on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/polishwi...
The Queer Joy Roundup is here!
A gay activist is putting cameras on Stonewall. North Carolina Democratic voters booted four anti-trans candidates in Tuesday’s primaries. And the @glaad.bsky.social Media Awards showed out in LA.
Until next week, stay polished, loves.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and showing up. Your readership isn’t just support — it’s proof that our stories matter.
We’re just getting started.
xx,
Marie-Adélina
Executive Editor, POLISH Media
We’re building something different. A home for Black and Brown queer and trans stories told with the depth, care, and authority they deserve. Not as an afterthought. Not for diversity optics. As the whole point.
Two weeks. That’s it. Two weeks and you all have already shown us that this was necessary.
POLISH exists because when mainstream queer media amplifies stories, uplifts voices, and sets the cultural agenda — we already know who’s centered. And it’s rarely us.
Women’s History Month often asks us to look backward.
At POLISH, we’re looking at the present.
This month, we’re honoring Black queer women who are shaping history in real time — not as symbols, but as architects of culture, politics, and power.
First: Brittney Griner
A judge granted @tsmadison.bsky.social and Dominique Morgan 12-month protective orders against Naquan Palmer — the 'DL Whisperer' — in a virtual court appearance Wednesday.
open.substack.com/pub/polishwi...
Lena made her playwriting debut earlier this year with 'trinity' at Baltimore Center Stage, a genre-defying work from the start.
Producing Broadway. Debuting on the mainstage. Simultaneously.
The range has range.
Cynthia Erivo & Lena Waithe are producing 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' on Broadway — ballroom culture, center stage, for real this time. Previews March 18. Opening night April 7.
@hopegiselle.bsky.social on why the media only wants one kind of trans story — and what she built instead.
New interview with POLISH!
open.substack.com/pub/polishwi...
We can only hope that trans youths are allowed to thrive in a country founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of one's happiness.
A 2019 survey by The Trevor Project, transgender youth reported higher rates of depression, victimization, and suicide ideation. A 2021 report by GLISTEN surveyed LGBTQ+ students who found 83.4% heard transphobic remarks in school.
According to the Associated Press, the case was brought before the court by the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based conservative Roman Catholic law firm, which argued the law removed parents' religious exemptions to the California law.
In a 6-3 ruling, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has decided to rule against California's law on protecting trans youths.
The emergency appeal blocks a state policy that allowed schools to protect trans and non-binary students' identities from parents.
Tasha K has used her platform to make wild claims. In addition to her celebrity "hot takes" and interviews, following her falling out with Ts Madison, she would go on transphobic rants.
Cardi wants Tasha's company to provide records of her income from social monetization, along with copies of her tax returns.
Cardi B wants to see the receipts. Literally.
TMZ reports the legendary rapper wants content creator Tasha K to appear in person for examination of her finances. The news comes after Tasha filed for bankruptcy in Florida.
A report released in 2024 by the L.A. County Human Relations Commission showed hate crimes against trans people in L.A. increased by 125%. 97% of these cases were violent.
Thompson remains in jail with a $1.5 million bond. He will appear in court on March 10th.
Arrested on February 23rd, Thompson targeted Sabrina de la Peña between April and May of last year, attacking her with firearms and chemicals. LAPD alleges these attacks, which included Thompson and other men, were carried out because Sabrina is transgender.
23-year-old Paul Alan Thompson of Los Angeles faces multiple charges after allegedly coordinating a series of harassment, intimidation, and violence against a transgender business owner, according to KTLA.
In my latest for POLISHed Perspective, I write about @tsmadison, the ‘DL Whisperer,’ and stochastic terrorism — and why Black trans women are too often forced to absorb the risk.
Read exclusively on Substack.
Link in bio.
🎥: Instagram | Dominique Jackson + Valerian Hughes
📸: Twojay Dhillon; Shana Press
This is what queer and trans joy looks like.
From @angelicaross.com returning to politics to Dominique Jackson strutting the catwalk at London Fashion Week, we are celebrating some positive moments this week.
The Queer Joy Roundup is live. Enjoy, and stay polished, loves!
xx,
Marie-Adélina
Polished Ones, secure the tinfoil tiaras because the truth is still clocking in.
‘The X-Files’ is getting a reboot at Hulu, with Ryan Coogler landing a pilot order. New agents. New mysteries. Same delicious paranoia. Same eerie energy. Are we ready to believe again? #entertainment
Virgo behavior only. ♍️
Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, and Beyoncé proving that precision + preparation = a cultural legacy. 20 years later, ‘Dreamgirls’ still shines because perfection takes practice…and these girls did the werk. 🎤✨
🎥: POLISH for @out.com; Paramount Pictures.
#lgbtq
We extend our sincere condolences to Mary Cosby and to everyone who knew and loved him.
If this news brings up anything tender for you, support is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone.
Page Six reports that Mary Cosby's son, Robert Cosby Jr., has died at 23.
On 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,' viewers saw moments of Cosby Jr.'s alleged struggles with substance use, recovery, and relapse. His death comes months after his divorce from Alexiana Smokoff.
Green was also removed during last year's address. This protest lasted only moments, but it cut through a night heavy on spectacle and light on policy, particularly around rising costs and climate instability.
The sign appeared to reference a video Trump shared earlier this month depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, imagery widely condemned for invoking racist tropes.
Rep. Al Green was escorted out of Trump's State of the Union after holding a sign that read, "BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES" as the president entered the chamber.
