Editorials
[Reaction] Why The Support For Tom Gabel Is So Important
Just a few days ago, in an interview with Rolling Stone (the full interview will appear in their June issue), Against Me! singer Tom Gabel announced that she was transgender and was going to undergo hormone treatment and electrolysis. She also announced plans to undertake the name Laura Jane Grace. Her wife Heather, who she has a two-year old daughter with, has committed her full support.
But she’s not the only one who has shown support. As a matter of fact, it seems that no matter which way I turn regarding this story, everyone has nothing but praise and encouragement for Tom and the journey that she is about to undergo. And that fills me with great hope for not only the mentality of our generation but also the mentality of a musical genre.
Punk is a genre that is dominated by masculinity. Even a great majority of the female musicians are either wearing clothes that are deemed more “masculine” or they dress and present themselves as more androgynous. That doesn’t mean that they are attempting to be more masculine, but it hints that they are eschewing their femininity, as though there were something wrong with it (which, of course, there isn’t).
So that’s why I see the punk community giving such strong support to Tom as a sign of the times. You see, even though 31 States have some sort of ban or prohibition when it comes to gay marriage, the youth is growing more and more supportive of making it legal. And regardless of whether or not we pine for the old days when punk was “real” and “meant something”, the youth of today finds rebellion in music where they need it.
Tom Gabel choosing to remain in the face of the public whilst undergoing her transformation is very much a form of rebellion. Now, I’m not saying that this is her intent. Rather, I’m almost positive that she just wants to be able to go through everything she needs to in order to feel at home in her own body and possibly, just possibly, be seen as a positive role model. But to be seen as a rebel? I’m gonna assume that this is not the intent.
But like it or not we’re still not in a time when our society can see this and be okay with it. There are still conservatives, the devoutly religious, and many more who see this as an abomination. If it’s not a sin against god, it’s a sin against humanity and a crime against our own bodies. “Being born male and wanting to become female? What kind of monstrosity is this???”
So, Tom Gabel is, without probably intending to do so, giving rise to a new form of rebellion: she is bringing gender dysphoria into the face of many people who might not have known a thing about it before. And the youth of today are already supporting the LGBTQ community in greater numbers than ever before. All they have to do is see her story and lend their support, be it in blogs, tweets, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, whatever. More so, once they are able, they need to go out and vote, making their voice heard in the most important of ways possible, the way that actually cause real change. Their support, and all those else who believe in Tom’s right to choose a new life for herself, flies in the face of those who are currently in power. After all, isn’t that what the punk movement has always been about?
Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonny B.? Shoot him a message on Twitter!
A new month means a new guide as titles are added (and dropped) from streaming services. Let’s unpack the most exciting titles that are available to watch on Tubi in July 2026.
New to Tubi July Horror Films
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
- Premise: Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- Why Watch It? Let’s be frank: Director Renny Harlin has made some absolute dogs in the last few years (the less said about The Strangers trilogy the better, though this year’s Deep Water was actually ok). Deep Blue Sea remains one of the Finnish director’s best contemporary efforts, though. Between the great cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, and Jane’s sleeveless wetsuit), the ridiculous premise, and that damn/dumb song (“My hat is like a shark’s fin”), you basically can’t go wrong with Deep Blue Sea. It’s one of two great shark films gliding onto Tubi this month, so why not stay out of the water and watch this instead?
- Streaming: July 1
Exorcist II: Heretic (1977)
- Premise: Reagan (Linda Blair), a girl once possessed by a demon, finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) investigates the death of the priest who performed her exorcism.
- Why Watch It? August sees the release of documentary Boorman and the Devil, which is about the troubled production of this sequel. The notoriety surrounding Heretic has undoubtedly kept plenty of horror fans away from the sequel, but this truly is a “seeing is believing” kind of film. Real talk: it’s undeniably a disaster, but the John Boorman film has also become a minor cult film. Don’t you want to see it to make up your own mind?
- Streaming: July 1
Hostel: Part III (2011)
- Premise: Four men attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas fall prey to the Elite Hunting Club, who are hosting a gruesome game show of torture.
- Why Watch It? What does Hostel look like without Eli Roth? Part III kinda answers the question. Technically Roth is still a writer, but he hands over the directorial reins to Scott Spiegel (best known for acting in Evil Dead films). The result is a film with a terrible pedigree; it’s also the first (and last) entry to skip theatres before the franchise was permanently shelved (until that TV show with Paul Giamatti shows up?). For some horror fans, however, there’s something exciting about a bad low-budget sequel. Just bear in mind that the Hostel: Part III‘s biggest star is Kip Pardue…so adjust your expectations accordingly before hitting play.
- Streaming: July 1
Insidious 1-3 (2010/2013/2015)
- Premise: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
- Why Watch It? It’s hard to believe that the sixth (!) Insidious movie is coming out in a month and a half, but James Wan and Leigh Whannell‘s other horror franchise has been steadily chugging along for sixteen years. It’s a shame that Tubi doesn’t have all five films available to watch, but in terms of quality, you can do far worse than the original trio. The first film is iconic, and the second is basically an extended coda (with some admittedly problematic stuff going on). I’ll go to bat for Whannell’s 2015 directorial debut, though: there’s a few banger sequences in that film that people slept on.
- Streaming: July 1
Man Finds Tape (2025)
- Premise: After finding mysterious video clips, siblings investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
- Why Watch It? Writer/directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall‘s well-received found footage film did an extensive tour of the festival circuit, so now is a great time to check out one of the most contemporary titles debuting on Tubi this month. Surely a title that hails from producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring and The Endless) is worth a free look?
- Streaming: July 2
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Premise: A depressed musician Adam (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover Eve (Tilda Swinton). However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
- Why Watch It? This beautiful, melancholy vampire film is courtesy of writer/director Jim Jarmusch, who doesn’t often dabble in genre fare. As always, some will quibble if this artsy drama qualifies as horror, but the existential ennui of an eternal life certainly qualifies (bonus: there’s also something inherently sexy about watching Hiddleston and Swinton just lay about). Plus: if Leviticus has you hankering for more Wasikowska, this is an under the radar pick.
- Streaming: July 1
The Shallows (2016)
- Premise:A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
- Why Watch It? What better time to watch a shark movie than July? The temperatures are soaring and the idea of escaping into the water is so tantalizing. This tight, contained thriller features a great performance by Lively (and that damn seagull!), but it’s the direction from genre fave Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; the House of Wax remake) that keeps the movie clicking along like clockwork. At 86 minutes, this is a perfect summer flick.
- Streaming: July 1
Vacancy (2007)
- Premise: Stranded in an isolated motel, a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become the unsuspecting subjects of a snuff film.
- Why Watch It? I’m not going to pretend that this Nimród Antal-directed home invasion film is high art, but it is a good time. You’ll likely wish there were deeper characterizations for Wilson and Beckinsale’s David and Amy in Mark L. Smith‘s screenplay, but this mid-aughts thriller is tense, exciting, and just the right amount of grimy. Plus: another short runtime, clocking in at an expeditious 85 minutes!
- Streaming: July 1
July Tubi Originals
The One Next Door (2026)
- Premise: When a mysterious stranger moves in next door to Robert and Tabitha, boundaries are tested, loyalty is questioned, and danger comes for all.
- Streaming: July 10
I Know Where You Live (2026)
- Premise: Sarah thinks she’s found “the one” until his flaws emerge. When she pulls away, chilling threats suggest he’s watching her from inside her own home.
- Streaming: July 24
What’s your favorite from the list above? Will you check out the new Original? Sound off in the comments below
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