Lex McMenamin (they/them)

I’m moderating this conversation next week with some of my favorite journalists! It’s free and open to all. Join us!

its insane how not many people are talking about how republicans with the help of several moderate democrats are building out the largest abusive medical conversion therapy operation in modern american history

Is it normal for an anonymous Wyoming LLC that sent mass mailers impersonating a transgender advocacy group to hire the lawyer who defended TX Attorney General Ken Paxton from impeachment in response to a court filing seeking to depose people who could unmask the LLC's owners

i'll tell ya one thing i miss is FREELANCE ASSIGNMENTS. i have never been a good pitch-er but i can pretty much write whatever someone tells me to and i used to have a stable of editors who liked hurling ideas at me and seeing what i came up with. the salad days of $300 assignments from MEL lol

A story of the trans community's resilience and expanding cultural relevance, even as our lives are threatened by the fascist political movement that made us enemy #1. Don't miss this, from @c-cauterucci.bsky.social, on @slate.com slate.com/life/2026/10...

NEW: Omar Muñoz, a 72-year-old LA grandfather, was dragged out of his home by DHS agents and paraded in front of cameras for Trump's "voter fraud" crackdown. The DOJ used footage of his arrest for a promotional video. Omar is a green card holder in the US for 50+ yrs W @samrlevine.bsky.social

conservatives in washington state want freedom and small government in the form of state-mandated genital exams for high school students: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Bolsonaro, Vucic and Orban out, Flamingo and Cockroach Revolutions, French uprising and Iberian housing movements, Nepal and Bangladesh popular insurrection, Iranian and Serbian movements, these too are heralds of the current moment. We are once again in a time of movement and revolution

idk how I continue to be stunned this movie is moving along without widespread backlash. obviously I know better but

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My next Big & Bright 🌈 ⭐ newsletter is about the anti-trans flyers flooding Texas during the midterms, plus the battle against AIDS & HIV under a fascist government. Subscribe today to get it tomorrow: www.thebarbedwire.com/newsletters/

says woman who lives in a castle

it would be cool if this outcome got the same amount of coverage as the anti-trans ads that caused it. would be cool if the people impacted by political rhetoric were treated with as much care and attention as those pushing it receive

New: OutYouth, an LGBTQ+ youth program in Austin, says it's briefly closing for safety reasons because it was mentioned in the fake trans resource guide pamphlets that went out this week across Texas - www.chron.com/culture/arti...

Pamphlets purporting to come from a transgender rights organization — mailed to families across Texas and igniting criticism from conservatives — came from a company formed last month in Wyoming. The Texas Transgender Student Union listed a Houston-area post office box as the address on the mailers.

It's pub day for the Best American Food and Travel Writing 2026! So many amazing selections in here, and also I read my own forward on the audiobook version which was pretty cool to do. Grab a copy! www.harpercollins.com/products/the...

The Guardian spent 9 or 10 months on our justice of the peace investigation. A total of 15 people worked on it at one point or another. 11,000 pages of court records, responsible AI tools, and a custom-made browser extension: read all about how we got it done

I spent an afternoon with Loyd Powell and Robert Conn, who run the Heart of Leather Foundation in Houston. Their dream is to open a museum of LGBTQ history. Until then, they have over 35,000 artifacts sitting in storage, and they let me see them: www.chron.com/culture/arti...

I'm so excited to talk about my book later today with @lexmcmenamin.com and Anna Krauthamer, please join us if you can!

Just going to be straight here — no pun intended: I am the only journalist who has been covering this issue in depth, was often the only journalist at hearings, and was the only one explaining what DOJ was actually arguing here. Support my work if you can: www.lawdork.com/subscribe

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trans youth healthcare that is... already essentially banned btw!

this is tomorrow, RSVP and come through! (if you live in Brooklyn and have been posting about the Cornell 7, I better see you!!!!)

NEW: NHS England know the harm they are doing to trans patients. Their internal assessment reportedly warns of corridor care, treatment delays, outing, discrimination and healthcare avoidance being among the risks identified from their new policy www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Reminder: during the most riotous parts of the George Floyd Uprising the movement was at its most popular, with the destroying of the 3rd precinct polling much higher than either presidential candidate, and it was only after months and years of revision that ppl talk like they werent

Knit another insane thing

ESPN ranks Cunningham (including statistical ties) 33rd out of 67 players in points, 47/65 in assists, 19/55 in 3-pointers, 57/68 in rebounds, 28/54 in steals, and dead last in blocks. 22 players made the WNBA All-Star rosters. She wasn't one of them. This is the only reason she gets a mic.

“Speaking from her hospital bed with a bandaged hand and her voice shaking, Levine told reporters: "I was attacked, pushed to the ground. Luckily I had my flak jacket and helmet, otherwise I probably wouldn't even be here, because they just kept kicking me and kicking me, probably fifty times.”

my brows flew through my hairline

NEW: Chicagoland cops worked with HSI agents to surveil Minnesota-based activists, according to a document reviewed by @wired.com, which shows the limits of sanctuary laws that are meant to prevent local cops for helping ICE. @awinston.bsky.social w/ the scoop:

Interesting but sane-washed piece on Marc Andreessen. You can't leave out his friendship with Yarvin and the fact that his manifesto cited fascists as saints. The Andreessen story is about radicalization, not deregulation. gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

I just keep repeating myself: the Cornell case is the norm not the exception

Just an update here: I tried emailing multiple USA Today editors, reporters and PR people numerous times for more clarity about the use of @nbedera.bsky.social's quotes, and received zero replies. They did, however, give this vague statement to @wamc.org: www.wamc.org/news/2026-10...