5 Things / Radiate
Seven years ago this week, I hit send on the first 5 Things. No idea if anyone would read it, or if I'd run out of good vibes by week three.
This week, I learned that John Tanzella passed away. John was the CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association for over twenty years, and if you ever met him, you remember. The tributes all say the same thing: kind, warm, a light in every room. He "radiated positivity" and made people feel loved and valued.
Right now, when politicians are actively trying to legislate entire groups of people out of existence, radiating positivity can feel almost naive.
But John didn't shine his light because the world made it easy. He did it because it was who he was, and because the world needed it more, not less.
Seven years of this newsletter has taught me the same thing. My "why" doesn't change based on how hard the year is. If anything, that's exactly when it matters most.
What's your why, and does it hold up when things get hard?
This Week's Good Vibes 🙌
Hiking trails got nothing on this canopy
Adaptive tree-climbing outfitters now use phone-app-controlled motorized rope systems, letting climbers set their own pace and height regardless of mobility, including one climber who stayed fully in his 450-pound power wheelchair while ascending a 200-foot Douglas fir. Beyond tree climbing, companies have built out accessible kayaking, surfing, off-roading, mountain biking, and white water rafting. These solutions aren't watered-down versions, but instead engineer the same thrill through a different mechanism.
♐️ When designing, consider what small tech or process tweak could open the door to broader participation.
Broadway finally makes trans history
Costume designer Qween Jean won the Tony for best costume design of a musical for "Cats: The Jellicle Ball," becoming the first openly transgender person to win a Tony Award. Her 500 looks for the show honored trans pioneers like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. She also founded Black Trans Liberation, which feeds folks through a weekly communal meal in Greenwich Village. Trans artists, especially Black trans artists, are rarely recognized at this level, and representation behind the curtain shapes whose stories get told.
♐️ Celebrate the people building community alongside their craft.
Dodgers honor gay trailblazers at last
The Dodgers unveiled a permanent stadium display honoring the late Glenn Burke and Billy Bean, the first two MLB players to come out as gay (after retirement). The display includes their jerseys and career placards near the Dodgers bullpen. Professional sports have historically been hostile to LGBTQ+ players, and lasting physical recognition signals real institutional change.
♐️ Visibility that outlasts a single Pride Night is what builds belonging.
Space station welcomes disabled astronaut
Former Paralympic sprinter John McFall, who had his leg amputated at 19, is set to become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit. McFall was previously the first medically cleared for a full International Space Station mission. His research could improve prosthetics and rehabilitation techniques on Earth. This reframes who gets to explore space, and the research benefits extend on Earth.
♐️ Inclusion in the most extreme environments expands what's possible everywhere else.
Golf gives inmates a second chance
Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington runs a golf program, Cedar Creek Golf Club (CCGC), where incarcerated men practice weekly, some of whom have played real courses with the prison superintendent. Participants describe it as therapy, a way to manage anger, and a bridge to reconnecting with family. Roughly two-thirds of released inmates nationally are reincarcerated, but CCGC has so far seen zero returns, though the program is still young. Rehabilitation programs that build trust and humanity address root causes that keep people cycling through the system.
♐️ Real reform happens when people are trusted with tools, not just rules.
Good Vibes to Go & Updates
Watch this short documentary, There Are Things To Do, about Urvashi Vaid, a pioneering LGBTQ+ activist (and aunt of comic ALOK).