The Nightosphere

Nystalus obamai (western striolated puffbird)President Obama has had 9 different species named after him in recognition of his focus on the environment and clean energy. He has more animals - which range from a trapdoor spider (Aptostichus barackobamai) to an extinct lizard (Obamadon gracillis) - named for him than any other POTUS in history, though Teddy Roosevelt’s 7 namesakes are a close second. Source

Etheostoma Obama (spangled darter)

Paragordius obamai (hairworm)

Baracktrema obamai (turtle blood fluke)

Nystalus obamai (western striolated puffbird)

Teleogramma obamaorum (African cichlid species)

Caloplaca obamae (firedot lichen)

Tosanoides obama (coral reef basslet)

This photo always cheers me up a bit. It’s a front-page article from 1955 about Christine Jorgensen, one of the first women to have sex-reassignment surgery.

Since the text is a bit small and I couldn’t find a larger copy, here’s what the small blurb says:

A World of a Difference

George W. Jorgensen, Jr., son of a Bronx carpenter, served in the Army for two years and was given honorable discharge in 1946. Now George is no more. After six operations, Jorgensen’s sex has been changed and today she is a striking woman, working as a photographer in Denmark. Parents were informed of the big change in a letter Christine (that’s her new name) sent to them recently.

Avery Jackson, whose sweetly touching video about what it’s like to be a trans girl, is the groundbreaking cover of this month’s National Geographic

Several trans, non-binary, bigender, and androgynous people posed for another cover, which will be on newsstands on December 27. The issue will also be published online on Monday, December 19. Perhaps the best part is the life-affirming quote from Avery that the magazine put on its cover with her portrait.

Gifs: Debi Jackson