WCS 66: Trans Spartans Protest

w/: Oscar-bait chatter + Enigmatic Aaron + Washington Greyhound immigration alert

West Coast Sojourn has followed the snowballing protest against a trans San Jose State volleyball team member since the fifth game forfeiture, by the University of Nevada, Reno. The politics surrounding the season have moved dramatically since that October contest.

America’s 119th-ranked volleyball program, the Spartans clearly didn’t get a big boost from this woman. Regardless, the controversy grew larger and uglier across the fall season, spilling out of the sports silo and into right-wing media.

“Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, and many associated with our program.” said Todd Kress, head coach of San Jose State women’s volleyball, to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Now, seven players have left the team. The Spartans’ captain has spearheaded a lawsuit against the university and the Mountain West Conference. Most significantly, Spartans volleyball stands poised to be in the 2025 White House domestic policy conversation.

Built to be platformed.

About 500,000 women compete in NCAA athletics programs. Fifty of them are trans.

Almost certainly restrictive policy is going to result from this marginal sports issue. The talk around the rule changes will be what’s most impactful.

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The Full Herb Caen

The theatrical nature of Luigi Magione’s perp walk—more so even than the average perp walk—is a show about guaranteed safety for the executive class…

The CEO Killer’s his apparent disregard for confirming cultural stereotypes impresses me…

And the distance between the degree to which the next White House will be pro-business and the American public’s mood for tolerating corporate shenanigans is vast and gettin vaster…

Portland’s new mayor says the city will open 200 new beds for the homeless this winter…

You don’t think the 2020 insurrection has been normalized? WWE very intentionally makes its Netflix debut on Jan. 6. By the time 4547 gets finished that attack might be a national holiday…

Word is that Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is getting traded…

The Portage Bay bakery Bread Saint just got named one of America’s best by the New York Times…

Here are 10 Christian athletes who ultimately came out as queer…

Israel’s government killed five journalists on Thursday and again said, “Nothing to see here.”

God, to me, is a dead star. We’re only coasting on its past-life power. Clearly there’s no one at the helm.

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10 Sincerity keeps a crib in Los Angeles

My present go-round down in Los Angeles has not been my favorite LA turn, because I am not in the mix. Being physically and professionally far from The Industry has, however, granted me a powerful new perspective:

Hollywood is in unprecedented pain. Screen narrative’s pivot to streaming still has the big money flummoxed; too many producers think Atlanta or Vancouver rather than LA when they want to make a flick; Artificial Intelligence is freaking folks out while the writers strike hangover remains.

‘One year ago next week, comedian Katt Williams gave Shannon Sharpe an interview that drew 86 million YouTube views. The podcast ep was liquored-up lips at their loosest, spilling open-secret hip hop tea and making wildly on-target celebrity predictions.’

Money problems turn to tangible pain when you drill down on actual Hollywood neighborhoods. The unemployed abusing substances harder, the kids’ best friend moving to Texas.

So, I was super into this Oscars hopeful conversation. The discussion of craft is the best example why many of us put up with that troubled town. For every truism about LA phonies, there’s a cold fact about the wide-ranging craftspeople who do their thing with passion, dedication, and occasionally genius.

The acting at the table seems minimal. It reminds me of the very best local dinner parties.
The Hollywood Reporter