What does living a POLISHed life mean to you? For artist and activist, Tony Enos, it's about finding wholeness. But, as Enos explained in our interview, being whole isn't about perfection; it's about healing the wounds that fragment us.

This week, the Pentagon announced they’ll start screening service members 30+ for low testosterone: free hormone therapy if flagged. Meanwhile, transgender care costs millions, yet it’s dismissed as a "burden." Source: @advocate.com

In our conversation with @doctorjonpaul.bsky.social, we dig into the real impact of Black erasure in media and why representation is still a fight worth having. Because visibility is power, and silence is never accidental.

In a landscape where personal safety and freedom of expression are increasingly under threat, recent developments reveal that trans safety in America is under increasing threat, from bathroom access to maintaining identification documents. SOURCE: @erininthemorning.com

Lindsey Graham died Saturday at 71, in a Senate seat he inherited from Strom Thurmond. The internet went straight to Lady G, but the rumors were never the story. The votes were.

A layoff. Bruises still healing. A "friend" who raffled off my birthday gift to her followers. Here's what the chaos taught me by July: not everyone in your circle is rooting for your triumphs. Some are only interested in your tribulations. enterpolishmag.com/top-story/ch...

COMING SOON! We had a ki with none other than 'edutainer' Dr. Jon Paul as they share their journey from education to becoming a media voice, and the importance of authenticity, refusing to conform to industry standards, and the power of joy and self-love amidst adversity.

Sheila Atim as Akasha in "The Vampire Lestat" is EVERYTHING, but it also reflects realities that some folks face. Righteous rage is real. And righteous rage is not a plan. Both things can hold the same space. So, POLISHed Ones, what have you been collecting in there?

Nolan Xavier Wells. 18. The only Black teen in the group, gone from a Fourth of July boat trip off the Mississippi coast. Sadly, we've been here before. We're holding his family close and holding the line on the truth. Say his name.

Marie-Adélina thought 40 would be a coronation. Some days it's felt like a trap door. But the women who raised her survived their own chaos, and taught her what it's for. What if it isn't breaking us down? What if it's building us up? Latest story on POLISH: enterpolishmag.com/marie-adelin...

A queer sociologist spent decades in drag spaces before he understood they were saving his life. https://enterpolishmag.com/opinion/queer-becoming

Precious Arzuaga, the woman prosecutors called the ringleader in the torture and killing of transgender man Sam Nordquist, pleaded guilty Friday to all charges against her in Ontario County Court, including first-degree murder. SOURCE: WHEC-TV

Big news: POLISH Media is fiscally sponsored by W.A.V.E. Women Inc. That means tax-deductible donations and real infrastructure for Black and brown trans and queer storytelling. Donate today: givebutter.com/POLISH

Japan is moving toward a nationwide LGBTQ+ education program that covers schools, universities, and workplaces. Still the only G7 nation without same-sex marriage protections, and the current PM's record on queer rights is… complicated. Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Clive Davis has died at 94: the golden ear behind Whitney, Aretha, Alicia Keys, Dionne Warwick and Carlos Santana's comeback, among others. In 2013, at 80, Davis, an elder who came out as bisexual, said he hoped it would help the world understand. We hold the whole of it. Rest well, Clive.

The UK prime minister announced Monday he'll resign as Labour leader, with nominations to replace him opening July 9. Andy Burnham, returning to Parliament after his win in Manchester, is the favorite to replace a leader who spent his tenure walking back his "allyship" on trans rights.

Small town. Full presence. FLX Pride in Upstate New York is fully community-led for the first time. Co-chairs Amy Hickey-Smith and Columba Salamony have a lot to say about why showing up right here, right now, is the whole point. polishwithadelina.com/people/flx-p...

"Fuck the rules." Créatine Price sings soprano on purpose, and she's done explaining it to opera purists. polishwithadelina.com/people/creat...

From taking on the first drag role written for a modern opera at New York City Opera, to making the finals of France's biggest primetime stage as fully herself, Créatine Price is proving you don't need permission to take up space. polishwithadelina.com/people/creat...

The folks at the What the Trans!? podcast @whatthetrans.com always do great work, and this time they've also got an interview on trans sexuality with Riki Wilchins. We know her!! whatthetrans.com/ep156/

David Archuleta had to unlearn that his existence was a sin. Now he's making sure the next kid in the bubble knows PrEP exists. polishwithadelina.com/people/david...

Your auntie is back and she brought the roundup. 💋 New Jersey’s shield law is moving, Disco for the Dolls is tonight featuring the legendary Kevin Aviance, and a portion of tickets benefits our Bernadine Casseus Transgender Laureate Program.

I haven't outgrown my friends. I've outgrown performing around them. My latest POLISH essay is about grief, growth, and learning to stop showing up to rooms that were never quite yours. www.polishwithadelina.com/p/outgrowing...

Meta banned Jonny Montanez from Threads, Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram in a single sweep. Days later, his cousin died of ALS. He sat back down with me. On the ban, the loss, his sexuality, and why he stopped pretending content was a side hustle. www.polishwithadelina.com/p/johnny-mon...

My mother didn’t always know how to hold who I was becoming. This Mother’s Day, I wrote about the rupture, the repair, and the afternoon at the nail salon when I realized — we made it. www.polishwithadelina.com/p/may-2026

The second Queer Food Conference, May 1–3, in Montréal brings together scholars, activists, chefs, farmers, and journalists to talk food sovereignty, community building, and queer food culture — from potlucks to land movements to LGBTQ+ cookbooks. More information at queerfoodconference.com

"My body is not a sin. It's not a joke. It's not a threat." On May 17, trans model Rain Batingana will be cast as a life-size chocolate Jesus — and the world will watch her melt. She offered her body willingly. She has something to say about why. polishwithadelina.com/culture/choc...

I've been thinking about what it means to ask the world to care about a Black trans woman's pain — and what it means when your own community decides your assault is teatime instead. New column on POLISH with Marie-Adélina. polishwithadelina.com/the-editors-...

Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner ended in chaos after an apparent shooting. Our community’s first instinct? Brace for trans identity to become the story. Again. polishwithadelina.com/crime/white-...

HRC just launched “Let’s Get Free” — a $15 million midterm program targeting eight House seats and six Senate races. 92% of LGBTQ+ voters say they’re definitely showing up in November.

A federal appeals court lifted the injunction protecting incarcerated trans women from transfer to men's prisons. One of the 17 plaintiffs died before the ruling came down. Attorneys are heading back to district court. The fight continues — and so does the harm.

Rochester, NY, lost two queer bars in a single year. But the community isn't done gathering. New piece on what's closing, what's opening, and what it means to hold space when the world keeps trying to take it. polishwithadelina.com/community/lg...

The AMA did not reverse its stance on gender-affirming care. The policy never changed. Alex Sheldon of GLMA told The Advocate that the reported shift was "a grave exaggeration." Full story at the link. polishwithadelina.com/top-story/am...

Georgia said not today. Thousands of people across 60+ counties organized, showed up, and blocked every single anti-LGBTQ+ bill in the 2026 session. This is what community defense looks like. 🖤

What is the one thing that keeps you going? For me, the answer has always been history. Specifically, a story my grandfather told me about a boy born into slavery on a Caribbean island who died a crowned ruler of Haiti. That story has shaped mine in ways I'm still uncovering.

Here’s your Queer Joy Roundup as we head into the weekend! Lo Colby is taking the aloha spirit to Thailand; trans joy continued to be celebrated; and POLISH with Marie-Adélina’s site is now live! Come see it at polishwithadelina.com. Until next week, stay POLISHed, loves. xx, Marie-Adélina

Dr. Butch Ware is built, 50, and running for governor of California. The Green Party candidate wants to take fitness back from the far right — one rep at a time. Learn more at polishwithadelina.com.

President Trump has officially fired his Attorney General — confirmed Thursday by Fox News, CNN, and others — ending her 14-month run atop the Justice Department. Deputy AG Todd Blanche steps in as acting AG while Trump eyes EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin as a permanent replacement.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court struck down conversion therapy protections on Trans Day of Visibility. Today at noon, the community rallies at Stonewall. Because we don't just grieve — we organize.

Some things belong together. @thetranslaureate.bsky.social is coming home to POLISH. Moving the Laureate under our umbrella means Bernadine Casseus's recognition and legacy will be held by a platform built in that same spirit: independent, trans-led, and unapologetically here.

For POLISH's first Trans Day of Visibility, I sat down with Co-Executive Director Breonna McCree of the Transgender District, the world's first legally recognized transgender district, to talk community, legacy, and what visibility really means right now. open.substack.com/pub/polishwi...

"If no one else is going to celebrate them, we will celebrate each other." This TDOV, we're honoring Jahnell Butler on what chosen family, ballroom legacy, and trans joy really look like. polishwithadelina.substack.com/p/jahnell-bu...

@angelicaross is making history! The Emmy-nominated actor, advocate & tech entrepreneur is now Deputy Campaign Manager for Dr. Butch Ware's California gubernatorial campaign, potentially becoming the first highest-ranking openly Black trans woman in a major U.S. gubernatorial campaign. 👏🏾

Your weekly queer joy roundup is here! Three stories. Three wins. Swipe through for the full roundup, and share it with someone who needs to see it today. Until next week, stay POLISHed, loves. 🖤 xx, Marie-Adélina

Janelle Monáe never asked permission to expand. Pleasure without apology. Visibility without dilution. Autonomy without compromise. Black queer women are asked to be legible before they’re allowed to be celebrated. Monáe chose celebration first. That, too, is history.

Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray was a drag performer, a community activist, a relative, a friend, a shoulder to cry on. Shyyell was murdered on March 13th in Petersburg, VA. No arrests have been made. If you have any information, contact the Petersburg-Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212.

Fort Worth just held its first-ever Queer & Trans Liberation March this weekend. Utica held theirs too. Communities across the country showed up this weekend a week before Trans Day of Visibility (March 31) in a tense anti-trans climate. SOURCE: Fort Worth Report; WRVO 89.9 Public Media

In a time of increasing uncertainty, joy is found in chosen kitchens. Doors are opening–fast or creaking–despite the odds. Things are being built to outlast a lifetime. Your trans siblings are out here, becoming, and I am so happy you are here doing the damn thing despite the odds. xx, M-A

EJ Johnson named the desire without apology. The community responded with cruelty. Desire is not a political platform. It does not owe anyone coherence. New piece on POLISH. Read on Substack 🔗 polishwithadelina.substack.com/p/ej-johnson

Tracey Africa Norman didn’t reappear. She was always foundational. Support Black Queer & Trans Stories—link in bio.