In Case You Missed It: Current Events of May
by Gabriel Dubransky
COVID-19~~~Police Abolition~~~Education~~~Israel Politics~~~LGBTQ+ Representation
Vaccinated Mask Guidelines
The CDC has recently lifted the recommendation to wear masks for people who are fully vaccinated. These guidelines are not yet in congruence with many state laws, but in California reopening is estimated to be around June 15. The availability of vaccines has caused COVID-19 cases to drop by a third, but the haste with which the CDC is lifting guidelines has caused some doubt in the public. As it is also possible to transmit the virus through unprotected exposure, and many immunocompromised people may still be at risk even with the vaccine, keeping one’s masks in case of emergency is recommended.
Police Banned at NYC Pride
Pride parade organizers in NYC have decided to ban the NYPD at Pride events until 2025. Throughout the history of LGBTQ+ activism the police have rarely been allies, often the opposite, displayed in the what is considered the start of Pride, the Stonewall Riots, in which police raided Stonewall Inn and routinely harassed the queer people there. Citing also the recent BLM protests, Pride organizers want to protect especially BIPOC and transgender queer people, who experience a higher rate of violence from the police.
Reopening Schools in the Fall
The American Federation of Teachers is committed to fully reopening in the fall of 2021. Many teachers have spoken about the difficulties of teaching online and the ways it affects their ability to transmit information, and the data on academic retention shows that it isn’t as effective for students either. The federation asserts that teachers need to be working towards not only going back full time, but also making sure it’s done safely so that it can be a sustainable solution.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The tension between Jewish and Palestinian people has existed for a century, based in a dispute over land in Israel. The ongoing war between the Israeli and Palestinian people is based on a lot of factors, such as the aforementioned territory (especially in Jerusalem), the fate of Palestinian refugees, and what peace leaves for either side. After the start of the Muslim holy month Ramadan, places where tensions were already high only increased, and violence from both parties were enacted on the other, each acting out of building self-defense. As people try to create peace treaties, the nuance of the issue generates great struggle in finding solutions.
Intersectional Representation in “Pose”
FX’s Pose is a celebration of queer people of color that encompasses the struggles of queerness and being BIPOC with the joy and freedom of being free to express oneself. As its third and final season comes to a close at the beginning of June, Pose is being applauded for its representation of queer people of color, especially trans women, who are at some of the highest rates for violence and death of any minority in America. The reverence for ball culture and stories of BIPOC trans people has placed it as a turning point in LGBTQ+ representation and history.
Read more about these topics with the links below.