Volv Concierge #54

Hey everyone. Shannon here with this week’s newsletter edition. Videos from the night of Iran’s attack on Israel are still making the rounds. Nearly 200 missiles rained down, several of them penetrating Israel’s famed Iron Dome defense. This was Iran’s “retaliatory” attack on Israel for killing top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and now Israeli PM Netanyahu has sworn that Iran “will pay” for their “big mistake.”

On home ground, we had the vice presidential debate this week. The big takeaway? How “civilized” it was... because JD Vance and Tim Walz disagreed but were nice to each other. No shortage of “weird” headlines, though, with Vance’s ‘eyeliner‘ and tie in the spotlight and a clarification that, no, Walz is not friends with school shooters.

In pop culture news, the Diddy scandal is not dying down. Instead, we seem to be on the brink of something big: 120 new accusers have come forward, with one saying Diddy “drugged her with ketamine, raped and bit her.” Many powerful people could be exposed.

Lastly, we lost a Hollywood stalwart, Maggie Smith, who died at 89. A heartbroken ‘Harry Potter’ fandom noted that Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore passed away exactly one year apart.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming: I’ve got some great stories this week and a deep dive looking at Harris and Trump’s approach to LGBTQ+ issues.

👍👎 What’s trending

What’s in: Ballet bodies + freemium friends + Boo baskets!
What’s out: Big boobs + quiet luxury + 'fun pants' + condoms

📈 Headlines that caught my eye:

• European nepo babies learn what to do with all their money at these ‘events’

• Naomi Campbell raised money for kids as UN envoy—and spent it on luxury spas!

• Gen Z girls are being ‘virgin shamed’

• The guy who designed the first iPhone is now building the ‘iPhone of AI’

• Nudity, sex, peeing... Is this the most X-rated show on TV?

• ‘It’s brilliant!’: A nurse’s solution to gun violence is going viral

📌 Tips from building Volv:

Building a startup is hard, and as founders, you have to do everything in your power to make it work… which includes recording yourself on camera and making TikToks to promote the company. Being on camera does not come naturally, and I’m definitely 1,000% outside of my comfort zone, so we would appreciate any support! Here is our founder TikTok profile; we’d appreciate the love. 

✨ Vibe of the week

I’m only a few chapters into this book, and it’s already such a fun read! 

🗞️ Let’s take a look at Trump’s and Harris’ positions on LGBTQ+ issues

Kamala Harris leads the most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in US history, while Donald Trump has been branded the most anti-LGBTQ+ president to date. Here’s some much-needed clarity on their records.

Kamala Harris’ position

1. Harris is progressive and supports LGBTQ+ issues, but there are some early blemishes in her record.

2. As San Francisco DA and California AG, she officiated same-sex marriages as early as 2004 under a short-lived license and prosecuted hate crimes. She also refused to defend California’s ban on marriage equality and actively fought for its repeal.

3. Denied gender-affirming care to a trans inmate and prosecuted sex workers, which included many trans individuals. She has since pivoted to more progressive positions.

4. As US Senator, she cosponsored the Equality Act, promoting comprehensive protections without discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

5. As Vice President, Harris is part of the administration that signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.

6. Regularly speaks out against violence and discrimination faced by trans individuals.

7. Advocated for mental health resources and protection from discrimination for at-risk, LGBTQ+ youth in schools. Supports measures to ban conversion therapy nationwide.

8. Supports legislation aimed at reducing LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates and engages directly with LGBTQ+ communities to address their concerns.

9. Appointed numerous LGBTQ+ individuals to key positions, improving queer representation in government.

10. Expressed support for decriminalizing sex work, directly addressing criticism over her early record on the issue.

11. Actively opposes book bans and their impact on LGBTQ+ narratives in education.

12. As president, she intends to champion LGBTQ+ rights, promoting equality in healthcare, housing, and employment.

Donald Trump’s LGBTQ+ Rights Record

1. Trump prioritizes “religious freedom” over LGBTQ+ rights.

2. Initially voiced support for LGBTQ+ rights before running for president but shifted to a more conservative stance afterward.

3. Launched a campaign to decriminalize homosexuality globally, but this was largely inconsistent with his domestic policies.

4. Instituted a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military and removed healthcare protections for LGBTQ+ people, rolling back Obama-era policies of inclusion.

5. Showed support for “religious freedom” arguments allowing conversion therapy practices and businesses to deny services to same-sex couples.

6. Appointed judges and Supreme Court justices with anti-LGBTQ+  records, which is seen as a threat to LGBTQ+  rights.

7. Rolled back guidelines in schools that allowed students to use bathrooms and participate in sports based on their gender identity.

8. Rescinded protections against bullying for LGBTQ+ youth, despite rising mental health crisis among LGBTQ+ youth during his presidency.

9. His stance on “parental rights” pushed conservative states to ban books, particularly ones discussing sexual orientation and gender identity.

10. Activists blame Trump’s rhetoric of intolerance as one of the reasons LGBTQ+ individuals were targeted. Hate crimes increased during his time in office.

11. Since leaving office, he’s continued to push an anti-trans agenda, particularly around trans women’s participation in sports. Trump emphasizes “protecting women’s sports” from “radical gender ideology.”

12. If elected again, he plans to further entrench anti-LGBTQ+ policies under Project 2025.

That’s all for today. If someone sent you this newsletter, you can sign up here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on our newsletter, so please do share it with us.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen.