This Miss Montana Contestant Is the Country’s 1st Openly Transgender Beauty Queen

Kat Armstrong
Sep 08, 2017

The Miss Montana USA pageant is breaking new ground this weekend, as the first openly transgender woman will be competing for the crown to go on to participate in the Miss USA competition.

For Missoula-based activist and contestant Anita Green, her decision to enter the competition was a way for her to “try something different,” according to an interview with People.

“I wanted to do something that I thought would be fun and challenging, and this certainly has been challenging for me,” Green told the mag. “This also gives me an opportunity for my voice to be heard.”

While she’s unsure of how the competition will go, she hopes her decision to enter the contest is what makes a difference. “I hope that competing inspires other transgender people to feel confident in themselves, and to feel comfortable to be who they are and not be ashamed of their transgender status,” she said, while also applauding the Miss Universe organization for being so open with her addition to the competition.

Miss Montana isn’t Green’s first moment in the spotlight, however. During the Democratic National Convention in 2016, she became the first transgender delegate from Montana, casting her historic vote for then-nominee, Bernie Sanders.

In preparation for her time on stage, Green says she has been working out six days a week, eating healthier, and has had her boyfriend quiz her in preparation for the interview portion of the pageant.

In her everyday life, Green works with people with disabilities and is a social activist, supporting her local LGBTQ+ community by pushing for fairer laws that would make the lives of queer folks easier. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Inequality and Social Justice and a minor in Communications from the University of Montana.

According to her Miss Montana USA profile, Green hopes that her entrance into the beauty pageant helps inspire other transgender women to achieve their own goals, which is why she went the Miss USA route. Of the Miss USA parent organization, Miss Universe, she told People she was thankful for the organization. “Women oftentimes have their voices suppressed, and I think that the Miss Universe organization gives women the opportunity to shine.”

Will you be following the Miss Montana pageant this weekend? Tell us @BritandCo!

(Photo via Anita Green/Facebook)

Meet the Trans Military Vet Who’s Mentoring Trans Youth in America

Every Body celebrates inclusivity and the representation of human beings in every shape and form.

Giovonni Santiago, the 32-year-old activist based out of Akron, Ohio, has always been fighting. It has been a part of his DNA since spending time in the Air Force from 2006 to 2010. When Santiago was not fighting for his country, he was fighting for his own rights.

Until 2011, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) was the official United States policy on LGBTQ+ identities within the military. While Santiago was not officially out as a transman while he served, he began his transition process while still in the Force.

What followed next were feelings of being bypassed by commanding officers and segregation from the rest of his unit. As a trans, Black individual, Santiago realized that something had to change; if his own experience wasn’t ideal, he could only imagine how it was for other transgender individuals in the military.

When a back injury forced him out of duty, Santiago found himself at a place where he could finally take action and speak out for those without a voice. He candidly shares that it was in early 2015 when he logged onto Facebook and read the news of a transgender teen who had committed suicide after being bullied. Though Santiago was well aware of the grim suicide rates among transgender people, at that moment he was so tired of seeing the same tragic narrative take place over and over that he thought to himself, “I have to do something about this.”

In the spring of 2016, he launched the META Center with the support of his friends and family. He explains, “I wanted people like to me to see that there is someone who’s just like them, whether it’s because I’m Black or brown, or whether it’s because I’m a veteran, or whether it’s because I’m just like a regular person, that [people who are] these things are capable.”

At the META Center, Santiago and his team mentor trans and gender-variant youth while offering families support and information as needed. The center, which works with up to 25 transgender youth in Akron, holds everything from social gatherings to support groups to give youth a chance to “fully connect” with other young people like themselves. He also hopes to be a grounding presence in their lives.

Beyond helping transgender youth, Santiago has not forgotten about his veterans. After undergoing a gender transition aided by VA medical support, he discovered that he was his doctor’s first transgender patient. At the beginning of 2014, that doctor asked him if he would feel comfortable speaking to a panel of doctors about transitioning and how to better serve trans veterans in general. After a year or so, a team approached Santiago and his doctor, Dr. Megan McNamara, about developing a program that would offer transgender support services to those in the military.

In November 2015, the G.I.V.E. Clinic opened its doors in Cleveland, Ohio and became the first transgender-specific Veterans Affairs clinic in the United States. The clinic provides treatments like hormone therapy and counseling to those who need it in a safe and secure environment. While Santiago is not there daily, he assisted with the launch and is proud that the clinic now sees 70 patients annually, even with President Trump having proposed a US military ban on the service of transgender men and women. (That ban, for now, has been blocked by federal judges.)

As transgender issues increasingly come to the forefront, Santiago says there’s still a lot of ground left to cover. For one, he would like to see more coverage and dialogue on trans people of color in the media. “You always see when they talk about trans people that they’re always white, mostly attractive, heteronormative trans people,” he observes. “That’s almost always the narrative, and I think that that is what the media still gets wrong in the local and national level. That’s the problem we have to fix.”

For now, he will continue to do his part in making considerable groundwork for transgender rights in America.

(Image one by Ryan Deloney and Image two by Shane Wynn)

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Run A Business In California? This Free Loan Tool Can Help You Grow

CA Small Business Loan Match
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Photo by RDNE Stock project

Wondering if you're eligible? Any business operating in the state of California, with 1 to 750 employees, is eligible. You just need to be a business entity (Sole Proprietor, LLC, Cooperative, Corporation, Partnership, S-Corporation, or Not-For-Profit), and operate in an eligible industry according to the 2022 NAICS codes (read: a legit business).

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Check them out to help you grow your business, meeting our mission to help you succeed! Good luck!

Hero photo by Amina Filkins

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Cynthia Nixon Reveals That Her Eldest Son Is Transgender

Yesterday’s Trans Day of Action (TDOA) marked milestones for many in the LGBTQ+ community — including New York governor candidate Cynthia Nixon.

The Sex and the City star took to Instagram to honor her eldest of three children, Samuel Joseph Mozes, born Samantha Mozes, with a sweet post celebrating his accomplishments.

“I’m so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Mozes (called Seph) who graduated this month,” she wrote. “I salute him and everyone else marking today’s Trans Day of Action,” she wrote, adding the hashtag, “TDOA.”

TDOA is an annual march/rally that shines a spotlight on continued violence and discrimination in the transgender community. It was first organized by the Audre Lorde Project back in 2005.

The photo showcased mother and son posing together during graduation at Samuel’s alma mater, the University of Chicago.

Nixon, who is currently campaigning to be the first queer governor of New York, has long been a proponent for LGBTQ+ rights.

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Today is such a heavy day for all of us in the queer community. It's been two years since the devastating shooting at the #Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Take good care of each other today and everyday—proudly, carefully, and with love.‬

A post shared by Cynthia Nixon (@cynthiaenixon) on

Back in May, she expertly clapped back at a jab made by former NYC Councilwoman Christine Quinn, who called the actress an “unqualified lesbian,” with a cheeky tweet that read as follows: “It’s true that I never received my certificate from the Department of Lesbian Affaris, though in my defense, there’s a lot of paperwork that’s required.”

She also helped to set up Fight Back New York in 2010 in an effort to level the senate playing field by working to defeat those who opposed same-sex marriages.

As she herself said in 2017 speech on the subject, “As LGBTQ+ people, we know how important coming out is. But I would argue that our coming out has never been more important than it is right now. Whether we are lesbian or gay or transgender Muslim or Mexican or any one of a number of other categories I could name, we are allies united by our otherness.”

What do you think of Cynthia’s post? Share over @BritandCo.

(Photos via Astrid Stawiarz/Getty)

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TaylorNation Reportedly Says “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” Could Drop Next Week

I am the opposite of a casual Reputation fan. Four of my five most-listened-to songs on Spotify are from the 2017 album, I wore a Rep-inspired outfit to my Eras Tour show, and I am constantly analyzing (and talking about) its symbolism. I stand by the fact that this album, as misunderstood as it is, is actually the key to understanding Taylor Swift herself, which is why its rerelease is the one I've been most looking forward to. With TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, it feels like there's a new theory every day about when we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version), but I'm pretty sure Taylor's been telling us the announcement date the whole time.

When is Taylor Swift releasing Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Source Pictures & Taylor Swift Productions

The cappuccino Easter egg from the "Karma" music video.

We don't have an official Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date yet, but all signs were originally pointing to an announcement on February 16, 2024. When the music video for "Karma" from Midnights came out, featuring a shot of Taylor holding a cappuccino, Swifties immediately picked up on the symbolism. The blue nail (which represents 1989 (Taylor's Version)) lines up with the 8 on the clock, and the black nail lines up with the 2 on the clock. Taylor ended up announcing 1989 TV on August 9 — and then announced The Tortured Poets Department(also known as TS11) onstage at the 2024 Grammys in February!

TaylorNation just teased the Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date by hopping on the latest internet trend, which uses the "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" lyric from "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?" Their Instagram carousel features images that have sent Swifties spiraling in the past, but there are two pics I'm paying special attention to: the "five holes in the fence" image from the Lover era, and a "Bejeweled" music video still of Taylor Swift pressing 3 in an elevator. May 3 (5/3) comes two weeks after the TTPD release, and since Taylor has been emphasizing her lead single "Fortnight" with the "For a Fortnight" challenge, it looks like it could line up perfectly.

There are plenty of other potential summer release dates too! Swifties know Taylor Swift lives and breathes the number 13, and that she's been making her recent rerecording announcements at her Eras Tour shows.

Well, this summer, Taylor is heading to Milan for a show on Saturday, July 13. X user @roranotaurora points out that the symbol for Milan is a snake (it's also a symbol for Rep!) AND that on July 13, 1977, there was a blackout across New York City. When Taylor announced the original Reputation in 2017, the "Don't Blame Me" singer blacked out all her social media. If she announced the album in July, there's a good chance we'd get it just in time for autumn, chilly weather, and Daylight Savings Time, all three of which go perfectly with the Reputation aesthetic.

There's another 13 we need to pay attention to as well: December 13, which is also Taylor Swift's birthday. The popstar had the date front and center in her Tortured Poets Department pop-up installation. Since the date falls on a Friday, it's the perfect day to drop some new music...

Are there any other clues that Reputation (Taylor's Version) will come out next?

Image via Amy Sussman

Taylor Swift attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Recently, Taylor showed up to the 81st Golden Globe Awards in an all green ensemble, which is already so Reputation-coded to begin with. However, fans noticed one teeeeeeeny tiny detail about her look that really leans into all the theories that Rep (TV) is next. If you zoom in on her rings, one of them is a snake that's wrapped around her finger. 🐍

And after Taylor Swift released a video teasing her new album, Swifties are analyzing all the snakeskin patterns (on the curtains, the floor, and the green couch), as well as the dark visuals. While the video moves from the dark room to a bright one for TTPD, I'm convinced we'll be returning — or continuing down the hallway where you can see a dark picture frame waiting for us...

All the surprise songs at her Tokyo Eras Tour shows referenced falling apart, and a huge part of the Reputation era was related to a quote from Taylor that says "when she fell, she fell apart." Before playing "The Outside" as her piano surprise song on February 9, she made a joke that the song was 175 years old — which has Swifties thinking August 2 (175 days from February 9) could be the album's release date. Considering "The Outside" is off her first album, it's also possible we're getting Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) in August!

A recent Disney+ ad that paired the Eras Tour film and Disney Pixar's Cars went viral on Twitter because its tagline is "Getaway Car," one of the most beloved songs on Reputation (Taylor's Version)! No matter when the album drops, having Taylor Swift's final two re-recordings be her name and her reputation is literally so iconic and I can't wait to listen.

What Taylor Swift songs are on Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

We know that, based on previous re-recordings, Reputation (Taylor's Version) will have the original tracklist and an unknown number of vault tracks that Taylor wrote ahead of the Reputation era. PEOPLE also confirmed we'll be able to hear Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" in the new docuseries for the New England Patriots! You can also hear a snippet in the trailer for Ashley Benson's Wilderness ;). Here's what you can expect on Taylor Swift's Reputation (Taylor's Version). I'm really hoping the vault tracks include "I Don't Want To Live Forever"!

  1. "Ready For It? (Taylor's Version)"
  2. "End Game (Taylor's Version)"
  3. "I Did Something Bad (Taylor's Version)"
  4. "Don't Blame Me (Taylor's Version)"
  5. "Delicate (Taylor's Version)"
  6. "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)"
  7. "So It Goes... (Taylor's Version)"
  8. "Gorgeous (Taylor's Version)"
  9. "Getaway Car (Taylor's Version)"
  10. "King Of My Heart (Taylor's Version)"
  11. "Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Taylor's Version)"
  12. "Dress (Taylor's Version)"
  13. "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (Taylor's Version)"
  14. "Call It What You Want (Taylor's Version)"
  15. "New Year's Day (Taylor's Version)"

What is Taylor Swift wearing to Grammys 2024?

Image via Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Taylor Swift showed up to the 2024 Grammys in a sculptural white gown from Schiaparelli Couture. I love how Taylor has hopped on the corset trend. This is my favorite neckline in recent years! Even though the dress is white instead of black or green — and ended up going along with the Tortured Poets Department (or TS 11) announcement — I think it's still a Reputation (Taylor's Version) Easter egg. White is, of course, the opposite of black, so I think it's a more unexpected reference to the album, with black accessories like gloves, shoes, and jewelry being a direct nod. Plus, the watch necklace pays homage to Midnights! At the 2022 VMAs, Taylor wore another Reputation-coded outfit before she announced Midnights, so I think it's definitely a pattern.

Is there gonna be a Reputation Taylor's Version?

Image Paul Kane/Getty Images

Taylor Swift performs at Optus Stadium on October 19, 2018 in Perth, Australia.

Yes, we're getting a Reputation (Taylor's Version)! Taylor Swift has been very vocal about the fact she's rerecording her first five albums. However, she's been less direct about the order or the release schedule, which is honestly more fun! The official Taylor Nation account added fuel to the fire when they posted a photo of Taylor rehearsing for The Eras Tour — because, like @nashs_mom on TikTok says, the pose doesn't match up with any of the songs. While all the photos they've previously posted match up with numbers like "Enchanted" or "Illicit Affairs," the new pose seems to match up with "I Did Something Bad" (which is both the last Reputation surprise song left AND the perfect song to announce the rerecording).

"Hear me out," another TikTok user commented. "['I Did Something Bad'] was not part of the set list in 2023 but what if the first night of the tour in 2024 she performs [it] and announces REP TV."

"I literally ratatatataed as soon as I saw it," another user says, referencing the iconic production at the beginning of the song. We have less than a month before the Eras Tour starts up again, so I'm excited to see when we'll finally get a Reputation (Taylor's Version) announcement!

What caused Taylor Swift to make Reputation?

Image via Def Jam/UMG

Cover art for Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo, which features "Famous."

The primary catalyst for Taylor Swift's Reputation era was a phone call with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After Taylor said Kanye did not have her permission to say he "made that b-tch famous" in "Famous," a video leak from Kim seemed to show Taylor did actually give her permission (it was later revealed the video was edited, and Taylor gave her permission to be mentioned, NOT to be called a b-tch).

"#TaylorSwiftIsOverParty" began trending on Twitter, and everyone from the media to the general public began calling her a snake. So she disappeared from the public eye for over a year, and Reputation was born. The era was moody — and full of snake imagery. Taylor says in her TIME interview that the album came from "a goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure," and told Rolling Stone in 2019 that Reputation was a "metaphor" and her "playing a character."

How old was Taylor when she wrote Reputation?

Image via Christopher Polk/Getty Images for TAS

Charli XCX, Camila Cabello and Taylor Swift perform onstage during opening night of Taylor Swift's 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour at University of Phoenix Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona.

Taylor began writing Reputation in 2016, when she was 27. However, the stories she's telling go back farther than that since "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" talks about a relationship from when she was 25.

Is Reputation a love album?

Image via Big Machine Records

Cover art for Taylor Swift's Reputation.

While Reputation is sassy, moody, and satirical, I stand by the idea that it's actually a love album at its core. While the general public talked most about "Ready for It?" and "Look What You Made Me Do," songs like "Delicate," "Call It What You Want," and "New Year's Day" are all about healing after the media turned against her. The message of the album is all about how she wants to spend the the ins and outs of life with people she loves, because they make the boring days beautiful, which is also the sentiment running throughout "Lover."

"I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day" and "We can leave the Christmas lights up 'til January" are the same!!

What are the Reputation Taylor's Version vault tracks?

Image via Warner Bros. Entertainment

A Horcrux from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I

While we don't have the tracklist for Reputation (Taylor's Version) yet, she did mention in her TIME interview that the vault tracks will be "fire."

"I’m collecting horcruxes,” she says of the rerecordings. “I’m collecting infinity stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.”

I'm going to be real honest, this is the line that sent me into a tailspin because the idea that Taylor loves stories like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the MCU as much as I do is too much!! But it makes sense because after all, she IS a storyteller.

Do you think we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version) in February 2024? Check out our Facebook for the latest Taylor Swift news and browse ourUltimate Taylor Swift Gift Guide!

Lead image via Big Machine Records

This post has been updated.

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Emma Stone & Joe Alwyn’s New "Kinds Of Kindness" Still Is Just A Tortured Poets Department Meeting

If Emma Stone is on a movie's cast list, there's a good chance I'll be watching. The Poor Things actress (who just won an Oscar for her role!) is teaming up with director Yorgos Lanthimos for a third time on his new movie Kinds of Kindness. The summer movie has a crazy cast list, and the story looks like it could be one of Yorgos’ wackiest movies yet. While both The Favourite and Poor Things served as strange and fantastical looks at different time periods, it seems Kinds of Kindness takes place in modern America. Here's everything we know!

What is Emma Stone's new movie?

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Emma Stone's new movie is called Kinds of Kindness. The film will follow three separate stories: a man who feels like he has no agency and sets out to claim control over his life, a policeman whose missing wife reappears and seems to be a completely different person, and a woman searching for someone with inhuman abilities who's destined for leadership.

In the newest still from Kinds of Kindness, Emma Stone and Joe Alwyn seem to be in the middle of a standoff. They’re actually standing outside the motel we’ve see Emma’s character drive in front of, which makes me think this will be a huge location within the story. While these actors are all-business during filming, I’m genuinely wondering if they’ve talked about The Tortured Poets Department considering they’ve both been a huge part of Taylor Swift’s life. I HAVE to know which TTPD song Emma has on repeat. (For me, it's "The Alchemy.")

Even though the movie is set in modern America, it definitely seems Kinds of Kindness will have Yorgos Lanthimos' signature wacky and unconventional approach to storytelling. It's kind of like Americana meets magical realism, which, alongside Beyoncé's country album, definitely makes me think media in 2024 will feel like going back to our roots. Watch the Kinds of Kindness teaser trailer here!

When is the Kinds of Kindness release date?

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Kinds of Kindness will be released on June 21, 2024. There's nothing like seeing a new movie in theaters, and this one will be the kind of experience that requires a big screen!

Who's in the Kinds of Kindness cast?

Image via Searchlight Pictures

In addition to Emma Stone, the Kinds of Kindness cast includes Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer. Talk about an incredible group of stars!

We just saw Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley star alongside Emma Stone in Poor Things, as well as Joe Alwyn share scenes with Emma in The Favourite, and I love that Kinds of Kindness is like a mini reunion.

When was Kinds of Kindness filmed?

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Kinds of Kindness filmed around New Orleans near the end of 2022. The bold colors and contemporary setting mean this is going to be the perfect summer movie. Even the autumnal environment is adding to the overall aesthetic of the movie! You know that time of year where everything is warm yet still has some of the brightness of summer? That's how this new Emma Stone movie feels.

What are other Emma Stone movies to watch?

Image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

If you're an Emma Stone movie fan, then you definitely need to check out La La Land. Some other ones I'd recommend include Easy A, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and even her recent TV show The Curse. Aside from La La Land, her most critically acclaimed movies are 2018's The Favourite and 2023's Poor Things.

Are you excited for Kinds of Kindness? What's your favorite Emma Stone movie so far? Let us know on Facebook and read up on all the 2024 Movies to watch this year.

Lead image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

This post has been updated.

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