I'm going to leave the legal breakdown of yesterday's Supreme Court ruling on trans athletes to the civil rights attorneys. That's their lane. Mine is connecting the dots between stories. And I want to share one that illustrates the issues with what happened yesterday.

Little-known fun fact: I was the student body Chaplain in my junior and senior years of high school. Yes, that happens (hopefully at this point I can say happenED) in Alabama. I read daily devotionals and lead silent prayer over the intercom every single morning during homeroom.

When I first heard what Pete Buttigieg and his family experienced this week, I felt sick to my stomach. I'm sure you did, too, especially if you are a parent.

The past week in trans healthcare: The good — Hawai'i signed a shield law protecting trans patients, parents, and providers from being prosecuted by other states. debijackson.substack.com/p/the-state-...

I earn my name on Substack (Debi Downer) by writing about heavy things — including my kickoff to Pride month. Today I needed to write something joyful. And I found it in Biloxi, Mississippi, of all places. 🏳️‍🌈

Welcome to Pride Month. This is the week we got: A federal "Don't Say Trans" bill passed the House — with eight Democrats voting for it.

Avery turns 19 today. This morning I was making their birthday pie — Deltarune's cinnamon butterscotch pie — when they wandered into the kitchen. I asked if they were feeling older. Classic parent move.

Happy Pride Month. 🏳️‍🌈 I have a new essay up today and I want to tell you why I wrote it. Early in my advocacy work, I kept Avery's name and face out of everything. I thought I was protecting them. Avery thought it looked like I was ashamed of who they are.

In January, a transgender student in Boise, Idaho died by suicide. She was a plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the state's school bathroom ban.

Deadline: TOMORROW! That’s when the public comment period ends for the FCC’s proposed changes to the rating systems — changes that require a warning label for “transgender and gender non-binary programming” and “the discussion or promotion of gender identity themes”.

Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with Texas Children's Hospital that should concern everyone working in healthcare, medical ethics, or civil liberties — regardless of where they stand on gender-affirming care.

Think about what it means for a child to see themselves, or a version of their family, on screen for the first time. That moment of recognition, of “oh, I exist in stories” is not a small thing. The FCC wants to make that moment impossible for a lot of kids. open.substack.com/pub/debijack...

SPAIN TOPS THE LIST! ILGA-Europe just released its 2026 Rainbow Map — the annual ranking of LGBTQ+ rights across 49 European countries. For the first time in a decade, Spain has taken the #1 spot, breaking Malta's long hold on the top ranking.

There were several anti-trans legal issues in the news the last couple of weeks. And in the middle of watching it, we also all held our collective breath for several days wondering if a strike would trigger a wider war, or if a nuclear bomb was actually about to be dropped somewhere in the world.

How about swapping a president out for a prime minister to celebrate today? Meet Pedro Sánchez — Spain's Prime Minister. To be serious for a moment, if you're making plans to move abroad with your sights set on Spain, I've just opened the registration for my masterclass.

Hi friends, We’ve known about the proposed HHS rule that could strip Medicaid funding from hospitals offering gender-affirming care to minors. open.substack.com/pub/debijack...

WOW on Pretti's denial of medical treatment "I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to assess the victim. At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. ... But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, ... None of the agents were helping him."

Holy shit.

A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.

Today marks 14 years since Avery first told the world who they are. It happened on an MLK Day, which has always felt symbolic — a day about truth, justice, and liberation. open.substack.com/pub/debijack...

Despite some viral posts (bots, maybe?) telling you Canada is giving LGBTQ refugees a year’s pay as support…it ain’t so. Please don’t count on meme-sharing accounts for your news. Count on reputable news sources (always fact-check) and people who have lived experience.

Still Here. 2025 was a brutal year for trans rights in the U.S. As a parent of a trans teen, I’ve watched in horror as the federal government erased protections, banned affirming care, and stripped away our children’s right to exist on paper — including my child’s passport.

Dear, Government: Please explain how Gender Dysphoria isn’t a “real enough” medical condition to warrant access to medical care or be included as a protected disability by the ADA or 504 plans, but it’s a real enough medical condition that clothing (binders) must now be regulated as medical devices.

Yesterday, the U.S. House passed a bill to criminalize GAC for trans youth. It’s unlikely to become law (fingers-crossed), but it’s already doing damage. open.substack.com/pub/debijack...

In light of news today, lets be clear: Gender-affirming care is not dangerous. In fact, we all receive some form of gender-affirming care — yes, even cisgender people.

I wrote this post a few days ago and had it scheduled it to publish today. It was written before any of us heard the heartbreaking news of the death of Lia Smith, the trans student at Middlebury College. open.substack.com/pub/debijack...

This summer, my family and I were interviewed for this article about trans Americans who have left or are leaving the U.S. in search of safety and dignity. The piece was released today and includes several families I know — friends, more accurately — and deeply respect. time.com/7327131/tran...

There’s a quiet beauty in what endures — even when time leaves its marks. This photo from my recent trip reminded me how much we carry. The cracks, the wear, the weight of years…and still, there is strength. Still, there is grace. #advocacy #burnout #sustainability #lgbtq

“All things transgender” keeps getting tossed around as political shorthand. But what if it actually means something beautiful — freedom, self-knowledge, and dignity for everyone? I unpack that here → debijackson.substack.com/p/what-all-t...

From Tylenol lawsuits to gender-affirming care bans, the pattern is the same: ignore the evidence, inflame the fears. The added twist is hypocrisy. debijackson.substack.com/p/parental-r...

For years, I’ve been called a “Debi Downer” whenever I spoke out about anti-trans laws or the real harm aimed at families like mine. Instead of rejecting it, I’ve decided to own it. So, I've launched a new Substack called Debi Downer. debijackson.substack.com/p/welcome-to...

A dangerous new framing is emerging, and it’s aimed squarely at trans people. I’ve had a few allies ask me, though, if it really could extend to them. Let’s talk about it.

There is no world in which it is normal for the president to publicly call upon his attorney general to hurry up and prosecute his political foes. It’s like the Watergate tapes but posted on social media. Let’s get a grip on what’s happening here.

Today marks two years since we arrived at our new home. Two years since leaving everything behind… a house still filled with most of our belongings, with all of our memories. Two years since leaving our close-knit community and our kids leaving behind their childhood friends.

Two Republican elected officials — Nancy Mace and Ronny Jackson — have now openly called for the institutionalization of transgender people in the United States. Let that sink in. www.erininthemorning.com/p/two-republ...

Who are the un-godly, hateful people again? The hypocrites? The ones who represent a danger to individuals and society as a whole?

@weeknightmsnbc.bsky.social who is this man saying the shooter could be a woman because of his hands? Is he trying to push the trans narrative?! Stills show quite an Adam’s Apple, which is what “trans-vestigators” love to focus on.

I do not have complicated feelings about the death of Charlie Kirk. I am not sad. I am not going to mourn him. I am numb.

This is the script. This is the winning message.

We haven’t had a mass school shooting in the UK in my lifetime. We have the same issues regarding mental illnesses, etc… as the US does. The difference? Gun laws. Saying “it’s not the guns” is total bullshit.

Am I kinda jaded when I see panicked posts about SCOTUS and a marriage equality case in my feed? Yeah. Yeah, I am.

14 years ago, we sought help from experts to understand our transgender child. 11 years ago, I gave a speech about that experience that went viral because so few people were talking about trans kids. That same year, I testified against the 1st bathroom ban proposed in our area, a local ordinance.

Lord, help and protect Letitia James at all costs. Amen. 19thnews.org/2025/08/gend...

This is such a bizarre and heartbreaking story. The Transgender House in Topeka — now known as the Mott House, renamed in honor of Stephanie Mott — means so much to our family. fox4kc.com/news/kansas-...

Congressman Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District has deleted this tweet.

If it took 8 days to build a massive concentration camp in Florida then it means they could build and house the homeless at any point but choose not to

Meanwhile... www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/06/indi...

THIS SHOULD TICK YOU OFF. The recently-released HHS report on gender-affirming care without a cited author was penned by a philosopher. Not a therapist. Not a researcher. Not a medical doctor. A philosopher. Who happened to have already written an anti-trans book.

In light of the last few SCOTUS rulings and comments I’m seeing from friends…remember that leaving is complicated. 🚨🚨A message from Samtökin 78, the Queer Association of Iceland:🚨🚨...