This week read about Jahmal Howlett-Mundle coming out as bisexual, President Joe Biden appointing a lesbian rabbi to lead the Religious Freedom Commission, and Jamie Lee Curtis talking about her transgender child.
Former Hearts Starlet Player Comes Out as Bisexual
Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, the centre-back who plays for Sheppey United in the ninth tier of English football, recently came out as bisexual.
Howlett-Mundle admitted that the stigma attached to the sport made him hesitant about coming out. However, seeing other ex-professionals and leading men in other sports inspired him to be open about his sexuality.
“I certainly felt it was the right time to be honest with myself and my loved ones and by being open about my sexuality, maybe it will give others the confidence to follow suit,” Howlett-Mundle said in a statement. “Football still has room for improvement in terms of players coming out and being themselves, but with the likes of Thomas Hitzlsperger and Thomas Beatie having done so, it’s slowly starting to evolve.”
He said he’s been overwhelmed with the positive response from family, friends, and teammates and says that his decision to come out has given him a new lease on life.
Jamie Lee Curtis Reveals Her Younger Child is Trans
Jamie Lee Curtis. Photo via Facebook.
Jamie Lee Curtis has spoken out about her youngest child, Ruby, being transgender and how the transition has changed the way she understands gender. Curtis told AARP Magazine that she and her husband, Christopher Guest, “have watched in wonder and pride as our son became our daughter Ruby,” and that she was able to toss out that “old idea” that gender is fixed.
Ruby is a computer gaming editor and will get married next year at a wedding that Curtis will officiate.
"There is nothing harder than being a child and I am a product of a lot of divorces. It is what it is, but I think, as a result, I have always had a feeling for vulnerable children.” She is looking forward to this next chapter for Ruby and hopes to have grandchildren soon.
Biden Appoints Lesbian Rabbi to Lead Religious Freedom Commission
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum Photo via cbst.org.
To add to a long list of LGBT nominations, President Joe Biden appointed lesbian Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum to serve on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Kleinbaum currently serves as the chief rabbi of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, an LGBT+ synagogue in New York.
“[Kleinbaum] was installed as CBST’s first rabbi in 1992, arriving at the height of the AIDS crisis when the synagogue was in desperate need of pastoral care and spiritual leadership,” the White House said in a statement. “She guided the congregation through a period of loss and change, while addressing social issues and building a strong and deeply spiritual community.”
“Rabbi Kleinbaum is a faithful leader for the LGBTQ and Jewish communities. She will be a fierce protector of religious freedom and will defend LGBTQ people and minorities against attacks based on religious beliefs,” tweeted the queer Deacon Ross Murray. Her appointment to the commission will shift the balance to three conservative appointees and five liberal appointees if the Senate confirms this nomination.
Each week ‘Beyond the G’ looks at news featuring the many letters of our LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
