From  | | |  | | The stories that touch us most deeply are the ones that reflect our own lives. This was a guiding principle when we launched The Lily in 2017 to elevate the voices of millennial women. Since then, we've told important stories about the latest in the abortion debate, history-making firsts and the pandemic's impact on women. And we've so looked forward to bringing these stories straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday. Today, we are excited to announce that this groundbreaking coverage is expanding on The Washington Post. You can now find our stories on the Gender and Identity page, and across The Post's website. | | TheLily.com will no longer be updated, but our archival stories will still be available to read. We'll be updating the Gender and Identity page regularly, so head there to stay up-to-date with our latest stories. Thank you for supporting our important work. We'll continue to bring you the stories you love via this email, and if you haven't yet, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. (You can also forward this email to your friends to help spread the word!) | | We also want to hear about the gender and identity coverage you'd like to see more of. Share your thoughts here. Illustrations by MarĂa Alconada Brooks | | | | | Three need-to-know stories | | | (iStock; Washington Post illustration) | 01.Following Justice Stephen G. Breyer's retirement, President Biden vowed last Thursday to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Black women in law reflected on the significance of the nomination, with one Georgetown Law student saying it would be "proof that what we believe for ourselves can come true." 02.Police opened a criminal investigation last week into the death of 23-year-old Lauren Smith-Fields after six weeks of protests from her family and attention on social media. Police said Smith-Fields died of an accidental overdose on a Bumble date, but her family disputes that, saying the case highlights the stark differences in how White victims are treated compared with Black people like Smith-Fields. 03.Spotify broke its silence on Sunday after a week of criticism from musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell for allowing its creators — particularly podcaster Joe Rogan — to spread misinformation about the pandemic. In a news release, Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek wrote the company will begin publicly publishing its internal rules for what is allowed on the platform and "working to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19." | | | | | | | A story to make you smile | | | Maddie Barber, 17, shows a hog at the Kendall County Junior Livestock Show near Boerne, Tex., this month. (Devin Sisk Photography) | | After the cancer treatments and surgeries Maddie Barber experienced throughout her teen years, she had some partial paralysis on her right side. It prevented the Boerne, Tex., native from playing school sports like volleyball. So her father encouraged her to join the Future Farmers of America (officially called the National FFA Organization) and raise pigs with her brother on the family's nine-acre farm. Now 17, Maddie has been free from brain cancer since 2018. And this month, she figured out a way to thank the doctors and nurses at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital who treated her cancer. After winning a recent livestock show, the high school junior decided to donate her $30,500 prize to the hospital. "They removed my tumor and saved my life," Maddie told Cathy Free in The Post. "I wanted to give back in some way to help other kids struggling with cancer to have the same chance." | | | | | | (MarĂa Alconada Brooks/The Washington Post) | | Everything we do at The Lily has been in conversation with you, our readers. So, as we enter into a new era of gender and identity coverage at The Post, it's important we hear from you. What gender and identity topics matter most to you and your life? What coverage do you hope to see from us? Do you have a question about this new direction, or just want to say congrats? Whatever it is, we want to hear from you. Click here to fill out our quick form and let us know. | | | | | But before we part, some recs | | Liz SeymourExecutive Features Editor, Washington PostWhat are you reading and streaming right now?I just finished (and loved) "Five Tuesdays in Winter," a collection of short stories by Lily King. As for streaming, I can't wait for the return of "Sanditon" in March. What's the one thing you wished you'd known early in your career?Pay attention to career development and salary. I wish I had been as aggressive about that as I was about honing my reporting and writing skills. Why is gender and identity coverage vital right now and always?There is no bigger cultural issue than who we are and how we define ourselves. I'm glad The Washington Post is making this a priority. | | | | | | |
