Congress EXPOSES Smithsonian’s taxpayer-funded woke rewrite of American history



Under the leadership of Anthea Hartig, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is using taxpayer dollars to rewrite history in woke terms — and during a recent hearing, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called the museum out.

“The many examples of politicization of the museum are well-documented in the comprehensive report the White House Domestic Policy Council recently issued on July 4, the nation’s 250th anniversary,” Burchett began.

“The report makes clear that the museum’s woke exhibits and materials reflect a broader vision held by the museum leadership, particularly its director, Dr. Anthea Hartig,” he continued, noting that she “proudly takes credit for changing the museum’s mission statement.”


The mission statement “no longer uses the term ‘American history’ or refers to the infinite richness of that history.”

Instead, Burchett explained, it is “now guided by an interpretive plan that ensures all topics focus on the core issues of our time.”

“Do we want to guess what they are? Race and identity, gender and sexuality, environmental change, immigration and migrations, and economic inequality top the list. Also, a Center for Restorative Justice at the museum created under Dr. Hartig’s watch hosted a decolonization working group to investigate historical harms that result in ongoing systematic oppression,” he continued.

“To remove any doubt about her intentions, Dr. Hartig in her own words states that she views history as a prime tool of social justice,” he added, before playing a clip of Hartig giving a speech.

“Before we begin, let us pause to acknowledge with gratitude the native peoples on whose land we gather today. These are the ancestral homelands of the Piscataway people, joined by the Nacotchtank and the Pamunkey tribes and, of course, their descendants,” she said.

Hartig went on to give respect and gratitude “to all of them for the opportunity to work and to live in their territories.”

“It’s not their territories anymore,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

“The peoples don’t own this land. In fact, their own ideology was that nobody can own land, right? So, it’s not theirs,” he adds.

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Democrats can’t escape their trans problem



The Democratic Party has a problem: Americans are increasingly repelled by transgenderism.

Between 2022 and 2025, the average American’s favorability toward restrictions on transgender policies rose significantly. Support fell both for requiring insurance companies to cover gender reassignment procedures and for protecting trans individuals from job and housing discrimination.

The Democrats’ only long-term strategy is the faint hope that radical gender ideology will vanish into the cultural ether.

All of this happened as the share of Americans who consider it morally acceptable to change one’s gender has fallen from 46% to 40% since 2021.

This drop in support is seen in younger generations too. Eric Kaufmann found that between 2022 and 2025, the number of trans-identifying college students fell by half. The decline was even sharper at elite institutions: At Phillips Academy in Andover, the number of trans-identifying students fell from 9.2% in 2023 to a mere 3% in 2025.

At Brown University, the number of nonbinary students was nearly halved between 2023 and 2025. The data highly suggests those rates will continue to fall.

The Democrats’ problem grows more acute when considering the opposition to trans ideology from groups like Gays Against Groomers and the LGB Alliance. They are some of the most vocal advocates against drag queen story hours for children, gender reassignment surgeries, and cross-sex hormones for children. Their stand demonstrates to moderates that progressive gender ideology was always a radical, far-left movement.

All of this has put Democrats in an awkward position. The party fought hard to add transgender colors to the Pride flag, pushed to allow men to compete in women’s sports, and declared Easter Sunday “Trans Day of Visibility.” But as Americans withdraw support for transgenderism, the Democrats’ trans advocacy has become an electoral liability.

Though some Democrats like Rep. Seth Moulton (Mass.) argued after the 2024 election that the party’s over-the-top trans activism alienated voters, the party hasn’t backed away. Even as Democrats shift from their “party of empathy” messaging — which was meant to counter Trump’s “fascist,” muscular MAGA movement, now giving way to figures like Maine’s Graham Platner — their support for trans ideology has stayed consistent.

James Talarico, perhaps the Democrats’ last major pure empathy candidate, strongly supports transgenderism, though his stance has become noticeably awkward in his fight against Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate in Texas. Recent reporting has revealed that Talarico’s church library is filled with pro-trans books aimed at children. And then there are his comments that “God is nonbinary” and that there’s nothing he “loves more than trans kids.”

Meanwhile, the gruff, populist Graham Platner, covered in tattoos and emphasizing his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, has centered his campaign around a Bernie Sanders-like socialist populism. But he still firmly backs trans rights. At a campaign event in 2025, Platner said, “I stand right in the f**king way of anyone who’s going to try to come after the freedoms of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Though Platner and Talarico are almost complete opposites in aesthetic and presentation, neither is willing to abandon his support for transgenderism, even though it’s an increasingly unpopular issue for the average American voter.

RELATED: Trump’s Justice Department is shining a light on woke universities — finally

Angela Lewis/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Democrats cannot openly denounce transgenderism, because they still have to keep the trans constituency in their electoral fold. They are stuck with people like transgender Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), whose political identity is built on trans advocacy.

The Platner wing of the party, which seeks to represent the average, working-class American, won’t make trans advocacy a key campaign issue. But this wing will never denounce transgenderism either. The Democrats’ only long-term strategy is the faint hope that radical gender ideology will vanish into the cultural ether.

The party can’t admit it was wrong. To do so would mean admitting to being complicit in child mutilation and pushing biological falsehoods. Running against the same ideology the Democrats spent years promoting would alienate the far left, whose support for transgenderism remains staunch.

So the Democrats are scrambling to de-emphasize their trans activism as they shift toward a more populist approach. But their overemphasis on transgender ideology will haunt them for years.

Conservatives need to press the Democrats on why they backed trans so aggressively, championing the stories of survivors and highlighting the lifelong consequences gender reassignment surgeries bring. Woke is not dead, and the trans issue remains a live one for Democrats.

Editor’s note: This article was published originally at the American Mind.

Can Talarico Take Texas? Troubling Polls & the Moral Dilemma | Ep 1355
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Can Talarico Take Texas? Troubling Polls & the Moral Dilemma | Ep 1355

Australia’s Trans Radicalism Crumbles Under The Weight Of Its Own Absurdity

The case of Tickle v. Giggle is the perfect demonstration of what happens when a government decides sex is whatever you say it is.

Dwayne Johnson brags about 'masculine' Met Gala skirt, cites 'Polynesian culture'



Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson made a statement in more ways than one Monday night.

Johnson appeared at the 2026 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where he was asked — alongside his wife — about wearing a skirt.

'We rock skirts.'

Not to be outdone by wife Lauren Hashian's elegant white dress, the former WWE star showed up to the annual society shindig in a black mohair tailcoat and a bow tie, accessorized with a pleated skirt from designer Thom Browne.

"I feel great!" he replied, when reporters inquired about his bottom half.

Culture club

"Look, in our culture, Polynesian culture, we rock lavalavas, we rock skirts," the former Division 1 college football player said.

Johnson is half Samoan and a member of the legendary Anoaʻi family, who has deep ties in professional wrestling. The lavalavas are traditional Polynesian attire, often recognized for their floral patterns.

"The most masculine men, not that I'm one of them, but the most masculine men wear lavalavas and skirts," Johnson reiterated.

RELATED: The Rock responds to WrestleMania criticism by telling media the whole business is fake: 'Enjoy the show'

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue

Browne-ie points

While designer Browne currently lists 10 "men's skirts" on his website, the one most similar to Johnson's is the wool seersucker utility belt pleated skirt, which sells for just under $2,500.

Browne has long been known for his gender-bending designs. He's also dabbled in politics. In 2020, he designed a scarf that read "Believe in Better." The proceeds were donated to Joe Biden's presidential campaign.

Other cross-dressing attendees at the Met Gala included Colorado-born actor Connor Storrie and Jacksonville, Florida's own Tyriq Withers. London-based singer Sam Smith, known for his obscene and often demonic looks, did not disappoint in that regard either.

RELATED: Trump personally requested the revival of an iconic movie franchise — and now it's happening

Former NFL player Danny Shelton wearing a lavalava in 2015. Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Final boss

There was also a strong contingent of transgender representation at the gala, including brother of actor Pedro Pascal, Lux, born Lucas Balmaceda Pascal. He wore a rather traditional gala dress.

Raising the bar even higher was Aaron Rose Philip, who was feted online for being the "first Black transgender woman with quadriplegic cerebral palsy signed to a major modeling agency."

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QUACK MEDICINE: Feds have insurance code for 'struck by a duck,' but not for gender detransition



Medical insurance claims in the United States are built around the federal government’s standardized system of diagnostic codes, designed to classify every conceivable injury and condition.

Yet among its more than 70,000 designations, there is no dedicated classification for a growing class of patients: regretful recipients of transgender "health care."

Patients requiring hormone replacement following gonad removal ... may face barriers to coverage without clearer diagnostic pathways.

The omission is all the more glaring when you consider some of the system’s more unusual distinctions.

Duck and cover

"There's a code for a spacecraft collision injuring the occupant, getting ... struck by a duck" as well as "walking into a lamppost," said Dr. Kurt Miceli in a recent interview with Align. “But nothing for those who are trying to revert a gender transition.”

“So effectively, if you are someone who has been harmed by the medical system and you are trying to get medical care, there’s really no diagnosis,” he continued.

Miceli’s work centers on helping children through Stop the Harm, an organization that tracks gender-related medical interventions among minors. According to its database, more than 5,700 surgical procedures were performed on minors in the United States between 2019 and 2023.

California accounted for an estimated 1,359 of those cases, while Massachusetts reported approximately 300.

Miceli said he wants to “give a voice” to detransitioners by creating at least “some visibility” within the existing system of more than 70,000 codes. Such recognition, he argued, would signal that “this is a condition that we must direct resources to, we must appropriately treat, [and] we must build guidelines to help support.”

RELATED: 'Truly a fool's errand': Top CDC adviser, RFK Jr. ally resigns from vaccine panel

Mark Kerrison/In Pictures/Getty Images

Cease and desistance

Beyond recognition, Miceli said the absence of a dedicated classification complicates care. Without it, patients may face challenges navigating billing systems, obtaining reimbursement, or receiving coordinated follow-up treatment.

He added that there is room for multiple distinctions — separating medical complications, social transition, and surgical outcomes, for example.

One step in that direction may come as soon as October 2026, when an update to the ICD-10-CM is expected to include a new designation: “Gender Identity Disorder, in Remission.”

The term, petitioned by Miceli, is defined as the resolution of “clinical symptoms associated with gender dysphoria, where the cognitive experience of incongruence between experienced/expressed gender and natal sex has remitted, leading to alignment of experienced/expressed gender and natal sex.”

Miceli said he hopes future updates will go further, including classifications that explicitly recognize “desistance.”

RELATED: 'Looksmaxxing' and the war on male self-improvement

Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public/Getty Images

In a bind

At the same time, he argued that legislative action may be necessary to ensure patients receive appropriate care and to “correct the harms that have been done to them.”

For example, patients requiring hormone replacement following gonad removal — or medical care after practices such as breast binding or genital tucking — may face barriers to coverage without clearer diagnostic pathways.

More comprehensive coding, he added, would also improve research and communication across the medical system.

“It’ll allow our physicians, our medical community to place that code onto the chart. We can get a better understanding of what’s going on,” Miceli said. “We can look at that code in association with other potential complications and, again, collect much more accurate real-world data.”

Disney fans cheer as Mouse House reverses DEI-inspired theme park change



It’s been nearly five years since the Walt Disney Company leaned into the corporate vogue of diversity, equity, and inclusion across its theme parks.

Now, some parkgoers think they’re hearing something different — something familiar.

‘The sound of the trip starting for real.’

DEI dream

Back in 2021, Disney confirmed to Newsweek that it would phase out the classic greeting, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” from announcements at Magic Kingdom. In its place came a more neutral line: “Good evening, dreamers of all ages,” part of a broader push to make park language more “inclusive.”

At the time, the change was treated as small but symbolic — another piece of Disney’s effort to align itself with the cultural priorities of the moment.

Now, a clip circulating on X suggests the company may be quietly loosening its grip on that approach. In the video, a monorail announcement clearly addresses riders as “ladies and gentlemen” while instructing them to hold the handrail — a phrase that, until recently, had been scrubbed from official park language.

Old times

No announcement has been made. No policy has been reversed, at least publicly.

But at a place like Disney, where every word is scripted and nothing is accidental, even a small change can signal something larger.

For longtime visitors, it’s not really about the phrasing itself. It’s about what it represents: a return to tradition — or at least a pause in the steady rewriting of it.

RELATED: Lindsey Graham spotted holding bubble wand at Disney World during shutdown

No place for ‘ladies’

Various Disney-centric sites have stated that the removal of “ladies and gentleman” from park experiences was actually a bigger blow than it seemed. Inside the Magic called it the most recognized part of the vital experience that leads Disney fans into the theme park.

Disney Dining called the phrase “the sound of the trip starting for real,” noting its specific cadence made it memorable to park goers.

That Park Place reported that it took just a year for Disney to start treating gendered language like a bygone era, with progressive ideology becoming part of Disney’s internal training philosophy. The outlet cited diversity and inclusion manager Vivian Ware, who reportedly said cast members were being taught to avoid saying “ladies and gentlemen” and “boys and girls.”

Instead, the outlet stated, they were taught to say, “Hello, everyone,” or, “Hello, friends.”

The language shift wasn’t the only obvious change to standards at Disney, either.

RELATED: BOX OFFICE KRYPTONITE: 'Supergirl' star flames fans ahead of premiere

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

Mixed-up mouse

In 2023, Disney partnered with a man who claimed to be “gender fluid” in order to promote a Minnie Mouse-themed clothing set that included a red dress, yellow pumps, and red hair bow.

Earlier that year, an employee at Disneyland, who appeared to be a man in a dress, was seen greeting little girls at the salon and dress shop called the “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.”

Align reached out to Disney Parks to ask when the gendered language was brought back into the attractions and the reasoning behind the policy change, but did not receive a reply.

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NASA astronaut gives very American response to DEI questioning



Before the Artemis II mission blasted off to go around the moon, the astronauts were faced with one more earthly question about diversity and representation.

The last-ditch struggle session-style question came while the astronauts were in preflight quarantine, literally unable to escape the woke query.

'It's the story of humanity, not black history, not women's history.'

Just three days before the launch on Sunday, the astronauts fielded questions, with a focus on race and gender coming from Spectrum News' Anthony Leone. He asked, "There are so many firsts here for this mission. The first commander of a returned manned mission to the moon. The first black man, the first woman, the first Canadian to visit the moon. What do these firsts mean to each of you?"

The first to answer was Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, who squashed any idea of self praise:

"We are not doing this for the superlatives. We're doing this because it's a unique opportunity. We are going for all and by all. This is what NASA embodies."

Next it was pilot Victor Glover who completely rejected the premise, going viral for his response.

"I want to highlight, I guess maybe one facet of this is the tension," Glover explained.

"This dichotomy between happiness that a young woman can look at Christina and just physicalize her, her passion or her interest, or even if it's not something she wants to do, she can just be like, 'girl power.' And that's awesome. And that young brown boys and girls can look at me and go, 'Hey, he looks like me, and he's doing what?' And that's great, I love that," Glover continued.

However, the astronaut then revealed he has grown tired of race being the first thing mentioned about his accomplishments:

"I also hope we are pushing the other direction that one day we don't have to talk about these firsts, that one day this is just —" Glover paused to reset for emphasis. "Listen to this: that this is the human history. It's about human history. It's the story of humanity, not black history, not women's history, but that it becomes human history."

RELATED: The return to the moon starts NOW: ‘Exploration is what we do’

Glover then passed the mic to Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist. Koch did not disappoint either, telling reporters that the mission is "not about celebrating any one individual."

"If there is something to celebrate, it's that we are at a time when everyone who has a dream gets to work equally hard to achieve that dream ... if we are not going for all and by all, we aren't truly answering all of humanity's call to explore. That, to me, is what's worth celebrating."

While the NASA astronauts all focused on the bigger picture rather than celebrating race or gender politics, the fourth crew member, Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, took a different route.

While Hansen began by saying the mission is an acknowledgment of "anybody who shows up" and is able to contribute something meaningful, he quickly pivoted to give progressives an answer to be proud of.

"I'm wearing a Canadian patch here that was designed by an Anishinaabe artist in Canada, and it just represents some of the beauty of indigenous culture and their perspective on the moon and the seven sacred laws and just the richness of doing something together and how inviting that is."

The Anishinaabe refers to a grouping of native tribes that surrounded the Great Lakes region. Including the Algonquin and Mississauga people, as well as groups of smaller tribes, it is an oft-cited moniker favored by activists pursuing their political endeavors.

RELATED: America returns to the moon: How to watch Artemis II launch

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Glover is a devout Christian; he has been adamant about his faith and even asked for prayers regarding his moon mission. His brazen unwillingness to compromise on presenting his views has made him stand out throughout the mission lead-up.

"I want to use the abilities that God has given me to do my job well and support my crewmates and mission and NASA," he said in a 2020 Christian Chronicle interview; in remarks to Christianity Today, Glover said that he "very intentionally" puts "God at the front" of his missions because "it's the way I try to live my life as well."

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Female ex-referee accuses NFL of sexism, sues after she was allegedly made to perform 'an utterly humiliating' act



The NFL's third-ever female referee has filed a lawsuit against the league, citing gender-based scrutiny and multiple "humiliating" instances.

Robin DeLorenzo of New Jersey was hired by the NFL in 2022 after working in college football's Big Ten Conference. After three years on the job, DeLorenzo now says her tenure with the league included "unchecked harassment" and gender bias.

'A male power play that served its purpose of humiliating plaintiff, shattering her confidence.'

DeLorenzo's lawsuit signaled that her experience in the NFL was immediately non-satisfactory upon receiving male-sized clothing before she reported for duty.

According to the Associated Press, one of DeLorenzo's worst experiences allegedly came during a Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Teams routinely bring in officials to referee their practice games.

The lawsuit claims that an NFL officials' crew chief allegedly told then-Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin that DeLorenzo should have to sing in front of everyone at the training camp. The alleged reason was that because she was a new referee, she should be treated like a rookie football player.

DeLorenzo reportedly obliged and sang in front of the Steelers players, the male officiating crew, and her boss. This was described by the female ex-ref as having to "put on an utterly humiliating singing performance."

To make matters worse, DeLorenzo claims her boss promised he would not record her but did so anyway.

RELATED: 'It's gonna sting': NFL manager says liberal state tax proposal will hurt team's prospects

Chris Gardner/Getty Images

Other claims made in the lawsuit include repeated shaming, harassment, and trash-talk by her crew chief, who one year allegedly refused to speak to DeLorenzo by the end of the season.

The lawsuit also reportedly takes issue with the fact that DeLorenzo was forced to attend "an alleged training opportunity" that turned out to involve lower-level college officials.

The legal filing called the instance "a male power play that served its purpose of humiliating plaintiff, shattering her confidence, and significantly hindering her NFL career."

The NFL sees it differently, however. Spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that DeLorenzo's firing was due to documented underperformance.

"The allegations in this lawsuit are baseless, and we will vigorously defend against them in court," McCarthy said.

Not only does DeLorenzo's lawsuit include statements that she endured "systemic inequality," it also claimed the NFL "exposed her to unchecked harassment, denied her the resources given to men, manipulated her training and grading opportunities, and ultimately ended her career" through "tainted" evaluations by people who "discriminated against her."

RELATED: Florida AG threatens legal action against NFL over controversial racial preference rule

DeLorenzo was fired from the NFL in February 2025 and reassigned to college football along with two male referees. All three of the officials had three or fewer years in the NFL.

The NFL describes its officiating review process as including one or two in-person reviews of an NFL game, each week, by officiating supervisors. These reviews are coupled with weekly training videos, conference calls, and an end-of-season evaluation that determines which referees will officiate in the playoffs.

"A subpar season-long performance could mean remediation, or even a demotion," the league writes. "NFL officials serve on a year-to-year contract, and they have to prove their mettle every year. There is no guarantee that they will return the next season."

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Massachusetts stands firm on denying Catholic couple foster parent license — even after state scraps woke policy



Massachusetts officials are standing by their decision to ban a Catholic couple, who hold biblical views on marriage and sexuality, from fostering children, despite a December policy change that removed the state's radical gender ideology mandate for caregivers.

Mike and Kitty Burke, long desiring to become parents, applied to become foster parents in 2022 after learning they would not be able to have children on their own.

'The Commonwealth's doublespeak is exactly why they are pressing for a clear ruling from the court protecting the freedom of religious families to foster and adopt children.'

Despite the couple successfully completing hours of training, extensive interviews, and a home study, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families denied their request.

The DCF's Licensing Review Team stated that the Burkes were rejected "based on the couple's statements/responses regarding placement of children who identified LGBTQIA," according to the couple's 2023 federal lawsuit against state officials.

At the time of the denial, Massachusetts foster parent licensing policy required applicant parents to "promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of a child placed in his or her care, including supporting and respecting a child's sexual orientation or gender identity."

This policy did not include any exemptions for religious perspectives.

RELATED: Blaze News original: Trump gives willing parents hope by taking aim at anti-Christian bigotry in foster system

Photo by Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In December, the DCF issued an emergency amendment that removed the "sexual orientation or gender identity" language in the policy.

The DCF stated that the amendment would "strike the requirement that a foster/pre-adoptive parent or applicant affirm a child's sexual orientation or gender identity and [replace] it with a requirement that a foster/pre-adoptive parent or applicant affirm a child's individual identity and needs."

In a March court filing, Massachusetts officials contended that policy change was irrelevant in the Burkes' case because their denial was based on the rules in effect at the time. Further, they asserted that the denial "did not violate the Constitution" and was "not hostile to religion."

Massachusetts officials argued that "the mere fact that the Burkes could not satisfy" the LGBTQ+ requirements, "whether due to their religion or otherwise, does not clearly establish that denying their license application was unconstitutional."

RELATED: Lawsuit: Massachusetts refuses to allow couple to foster or adopt children because of their Christian faith

Roxbury Department of Children and Families. Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Burkes maintained that the discovery process proved that their religious beliefs were "the only reason for that denial."

"Mike and Kitty were cautiously hopeful that Massachusetts would finally end its religious discrimination," Lori Windham, senior counsel for Becket, the law firm representing the Burkes, told Blaze News. "But that hope turned to heartbreak when Massachusetts chose to keep fighting them in court. The Commonwealth's doublespeak is exactly why they are pressing for a clear ruling from the court protecting the freedom of religious families to foster and adopt children."

"Mike and Kitty are still open to fostering or adopting children in the future. But Massachusetts has made it harder for them to adopt any child with its discriminatory decision on their record, and that's why they are asking the court to erase it," she added.

A decision in the case is expected by the fall, Windham stated.

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