A Texas high school valedictorian named Paxton Smith decided to give her graduation speech about abortion rights. She’s unbelievably brave. [Jezebel]
Julianne Moore gave up heels during the pandemic. Good! I gave up hard pants and eyebrow maintenance, everybody’s different. [JustJared]
The first look at Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker. [Dlisted]
What should we stream for Pride Month? [Pajiba]
Leo DiCaprio & Camila Morrone are still happening after three-years-plus. They have a dog and they mostly live together. And it will probably be over next year when she turns 25 years old, correct? [LaineyGossip]
Dude tried to claim the demons made him do crime. [Starcasm]
Agree, keep the cops out of Pride. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Riccardo Tisci is doing some tacky things over at Burberry. [GFY]
Miami hosts some really fun events. [Towleroad]
Seth Rogen replying to his mom’s tweets is pretty pure. [Buzzfeed]
Paxton Smith is the valedictorian of Lake Highlands High School's class of 2021. She submitted her commencement speech for approval, then tossed it aside. She had something else to say about the new state law that bans abortions as early as six weeks. https://t.co/NUd5LLmU1a
— D Magazine (@DMagazine) June 1, 2021
Read this part of Paxton Smith’s valedictorian speechhttps://t.co/8DgRLtpWwh pic.twitter.com/zTbYdFzztK
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) June 3, 2021
From a practical perspective this was a massive waste of legislative time that could have been used to actually help people who are already born. As I understand, Roe provides women the right to privacy with their doctor during the first 12 weeks, after that the states may weigh in on the rights of the fetus. I know the GOP continues to test the waters with Roe and the courts but, lord almighty, Texas really needs power grid weatherizing so that children who are already born don’t freeze to death.
It seems the GOP has given up all pretense of actually governing. They just want to be anti-progress and move us back to a time when white people, and men particularly, had all the rights. Everything is a zero-sum game for them so they want to ensure others suffer. Despicable.
People who are already born should pull themselves up by their goddamn bootstraps and stop living off the government teat. What’s that you say? Toddlerhood is a bit early to work in an Amazon warehouse? Suck it up snowflake.
@ bettyrose, I don’t know what you are trying to say. Are you being sarcastic?
Yes I was being sarcastic about sending toddlers to work in Amazon warehouses. 😉
Hah, yeah babies are basically all about socialism and I mean do they even know how to use a firearm or drive a big a** truck?
Amazon is a pussy job for toddlers. They should be making 100K intricate silk handwoven carpets with their itty bitty mitts, and cutting tiny 1 point diamonds.
All jokes aside, she is an incredible girl to publicly voice her very valid concerns so eloquently.
She was brave because idiots in the audience could have started throwing things at her. Throwing things at a teen girl for your words. I’m sure that some have threatened her life also already. Threatening the life of a teenager for her words. Her words were beautiful.
…and failing to see the absurdity of threatening the life of a living, breathing person because of their views on abortion. My gosh, i don’t understand the GOP’s obsession with policing women’s bodies. It’s not just abortion. Remember how they photoshopped girls’ yearbook photos in Florida if there was even a hint of cleavage? Ugh. This brave young woman. Kids give me hope for out futures.
Applauding w gratitude.
Same. She has brass ovaries, I wish I had been the same at her age.
Amen Christine! I
Love your terminology… it’s spot on!
I lost it when the crowds (obviously other young women) started cheering. I’m so hopeful for this generation. To take up this platform IN TEXAS is utterly and completely amazing. I hope her parents are proud. I know I am.
Yes, hopefully the unenlightened conservatives will be a thing of past generations. But, there are so-called Christians (actually, white conservatives) who feel it is their white duty to have as many children as possible to keep their kind in power in America. They will brainwash their offspring to carry on the hate and bigotry.
Yep, I see that all around me in a maga county. They have just been digging in their heels over the last couple of years. My husband’s siblings who are almost all younger than him are all maga and are hard core “Christians” for dump. There is literally a house down the street from my kids school, like on the same street and on many bus routes that has a huge homemade sign about no mask, no shot, PaTrIoT and F@CK BIDEN in two places and it’s spelled out. They just put it all up over the last few weeks too. It’s sick. So many people still have their giant Dump 2020 flags and signs out too, still, 8months later.
I live on a MAGA area. There’s still mothers that take their daughters in for abortions. Not forced, but because they’re not ready for a baby and made that informed choice. The option is used by everyone no matter political party.
It’s the men that make the choices and some women agree like their echo, but the local planned parenthood is busy.
This young woman is beyond brave and I hope she’s heavily rewarded for making her voice heard.
Having lived in Texas > 50 years and been a die-hard liberal the whole time — I assure you there are many, many Texans who support and agree with Paxton. Gerrymandering and voter suppression, as practiced successfully by the Texas GOP, have pretty much neutered Democratic Party ability to get anything done in the state or nationally, for that matter. We never give up, though, which is part of the Texas persona that I do appreciate. And, I sure do miss Ann Richards and Molly Ivins; they were our Golden Age of Texas politics and unfortunately, long ago.
@ Meradith, I am with you!! There are many of us who live in this vast state that are still standing up to the GOP in our state legislative branches and we will never give up!! I too grew up with Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland. I am a from a long list of strong supporters for the Democratic Party and have no intention of not allowing my voice to be heard. We were once a state of Democrats until the early ‘90’s, so that means we can still turn the tide.
Brava to Paton Smith for her brave commencement speech in a state where she is speaking the truth!! I am in utterly proud that she chose this opportunity to speak for all women across the state!! We will see great accomplishments coming from her and her generation
Our future, with women like Paxton Smith, seems to be what our future needs!!
Sadly about to get even worse after Texas legislature redistricts using 2020 census figures. As a country we are increasingly being tyrannized by an anti science uninformed less educated racist right wing minority.
If republicans think women need to give up control over their bodies to keep a fetus alive, then every republican should be part of a national registry where anyone who needs blood, bone marrow, or a kidney can just go to their houses and force them to donate. After all, an actual living person should have as much rights as a fetus to stay alive.
Perfect response!
Heard her speech on the radio here in Canada. Chills, chills, chills! She is so brave.
It makes me very scared that a woman who lives in one of the world’s greatest super powers needs to be brave to speak about abortion. Truly terrified how the US conservatives try to curb women’s rights domestically and abroad.
Jessica Chastain AND Vincent D’Onofrio? I am so here for the dragging of 80s televangelists. I mean cinematic experience.
This generation gives me hope for the future. What an impressive young woman.
That was truly bad ass
I loved that blurb on Seth Rogan and his Mom!! My god, she is too f#cking funny!! Mom goals right there!! Certainly brought me smiles and laughter!!
That was really cute!
The high school actually discussed taking away her diploma because of the surprise speech, but thankfully thought better of it. Paxton Smith is a rock star!
I was worried about that, it could have gone either way officially.
Thank goodness for people like Paxton who take personal risks to speak up for civil rights. I hate that it has to be done, but we have to fight for what is necessary and just!
Wow, I am blown away by Paxton’s speech. There is no way I could’ve done that at her age. I hope she considers politics because she is a great speaker.
It’s people like her who give me hope.
Prolife really means just probirth and forget the child once he or she is born.
so true! if you ask pro-life proponents how many children they have adopted they just look at you blindly and sheepishly admit to none. Is it really better to force a child into the world with parents who do not want it? This high school graduate is going places and I cannot wait to see what she accomplishes! YOU GO GIRL!!!
This is EXACTLY right.
These male Republican lawmakers basically think women are witches who have complete control over their reproductive organs. They literally believe that if a woman is raped, she can prevent the pregnancy with her mind. Gee – why do we need birth control if we have these magical powers?? They also equate rape with sex. One dude said if a woman is being raped, she should relax and enjoy it. I wonder if he would relax and enjoy being raped? All in all, this underscores the need for sex education and more specifically, how babies are actually created. No more of this medieval thinking. It’s 2021!!!!
Good for her!