Happy Saturday!

🐊 Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis got called out by a judge for his transphobia. The presidential hopeful was taken to task in a case over gender-affirming care. DeSantis has repeatedly said the ban has stopped the “mutilation” of young patients, but in reality, gender-affirming surgery is not generally performed on people under 18.

“When I’m analyzing the governor’s motivation, what should I make of these statements?” the judge reportedly asked the lawyer defending the ban. “This seems to be more than just hyperbole.” 🐊

❓ Do you know how gay America is? Apparently 5.5 percent of U.S. citizens identify as LGBTQ+, according to a study by the Williams Institute. How many people is that exactly? Find out below. 🌈 🇺🇸

Russian parents are having their LGBTQ+ kids kidnapped and shipped off to conversion therapy camps, which are using brutal measures on them. It's just the latest in recent crackdowns on the LGBTQ+ community in the country. The government recently designated the LGBTQ+ rights movement "extremist" and several LGBTQ+ clubs and bars have been raided. 🇷🇺

The right might have freaked out over the recent Senate hearing room gay sex scandal, but let's not forget the scandals Republicans have found themselves in over the years. We've gathered some of the most notorious ones as a reminder.

In other news:

• A Florida GOP lawmaker is trying to ban Pride flags from government property. The proposal failed before, and we're hoping it fails again.
• Kentucky's "don't say gay" law is making queer kids miserable. Are we surprised?
• More than 300 LGBTQ+ artists have signed on to a petition arguing for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War.
• What's the pope's record on LGBTQ+ rights? Check out our pretty extensive list of what Pope Francis has said about queer folks.
• OnlyFans content creator Kyle Krieger is donating money from his account to AIDS/LifeCycle. He's raised more than $25,000, so far and has taken the lead fundraising spot. His goal is $50,000 before the new year.

Alex