New York voters have the opportunity to codify abortion and protections against gender discrimination this November with New Yorks Proposal 1.Proposition 1, known as the Equal Rights Amendment, expands protections to include abortion and closes loopholes that exclude LGBTQ+ people from accessing some of the rights and protections listed in the New York State Bill of Rights. Related Gay Gov. Jared Polis defends Kamala Harris evolving & more moderate policy positions Harris once supported a fracking ban, Medicare-for-all, and possibly expanding the Supreme Court. What happened? The proposal gives residents of New York a chance to add anti-discrimination provisions to State Constitution. It covers ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, as well as sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy. Also covers reproductive healthcare and autonomy, according to the New York State Board of Elections. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In a post-Roe world, supporters of Proposal 1 say it is deeply necessary. The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) supports the bill, saying in a statement: We might like to think were safe from these attacks here in New York, but the truth is there are dangerous loopholes in our state constitution that leave us vulnerable to the whims of politicians. And though we have strong laws protecting us from discrimination, we know that laws arent enough, because they can be easily changed, as weve seen time and again in recent years as political winds shift.The bill notes that in 2022, Lee Zeldin, a Republican candidate for governor who was strongly against abortion, came within six points of winning the position. Proposal 1 would prevent politicians like Zeldin from reversing already existing legislation that protects abortion rights and rights against gender discrimination. While Proposal 1s proponents are stressing its protections for abortion rights, its opponents are rallying against its protections for LGBTQ+ people. The ballot initiative would close loopholes left by the states current Equal Rights Amendment,which doesnt protect the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination. The New York GOP says that the proposal would create new constitutional rights and likely become the subject of litigation by activist groups seeking to create new rights inconsistent with the views of most New Yorkers. Among these new rights are gender identity and gender expression covering all persons including minor children. The ERA would create a constitutional right to medical transgender procedures without parental consent.Conservatives rely on their familiar, many times debunked, say that it would lead to the medicalization and indoctrination of children and mean that biological males could assert a new constitutional right to participate on female sports teams.Last week, Albany County Supreme Court Judge David Weinstein rewrote the language of the proposed amendment. The original language of Proposal 1 said that the proposal would add to the state constitution anti-discrimination provisions covering sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy. Judge Weinstein removed mentions of abortion or LGBT.Prop 1 will be a critical tool for all New Yorkers to exercise their rights. Thats why powerful, well-funded, anti-abortion forces are working hard to defeat it, even before voters get a chance to pass it, the NYCLU says.

A gay child and his mother have been allowed to continue to sue the Prince William County School Board in Virginia, with accusations that the school did nothing to stop the young boy from being brutally bullied due to his sexuality. The complaint, which was filed by the plaintiffs mother in June 2023, says that her son experienced regular and relentless anti-LGBTQ+ bullying when he attended middle school at Ronald Reagan Middle School in Haymarket. Related Christian teacher sues for the right to misgender trans students Two trans students & their families complained when the teacher just started nodding or pointing at them instead of using their first names. The defendants in the case are the Prince William County School Board as well as Christopher Beemer and Jenita Boatwright, the principal and assistant principal, respectively, of Ronald Reagan Middle School, along with the school board. Boatwright has left the school board, but Beemer is still in his position as principal. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The plaintiffs, who have not been identified, say that the Prince William County School Board, Beemer, and Boatwright, responded to them asking for help from school leadership with the bullying with victim blaming and inaction.The plaintiff started school out as gay, which was known by both students and staff, in August 2019. In September 2019, the bullying began. The first incident involved several students allegedly taking the plaintiffs belongings and passing them around the classroom while saying homophobic slurs. No teacher stopped this behavior until it happened three more times. When the students mother emailed Boatwright and other administrators regarding the bullying, then-Principal Joseph Murgo emailed back the following day saying, We are on it. Thanks for letting us know! Later that year, the school went online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2021, students were back in the classroom and the boy was in 8th grade, when five students, all identified in court documents by their initials, surrounded him and began calling him homophobic slurs, including a school administrators son, known as K.R.In the complaint, the plaintiffs mother says that two teachers nearby did nothing. When the boy hurried to his car, his bullies followed and gave his mother the middle finger. When the boys mother confronted teachers in the vicinity to ask them for help, they said they would take care of it.The teachers walked the bullies to the office, where they were met by K.R.s mother. When the plaintiffs mother again called the office to report the incident, K.R.s mother said she would handle it. The bullying continued through 2022, when a student made a straight pride poster with the plaintiffs face on it. In May of that year, several students followed the plaintiff into the bathroom and banged on the stall doors while shouting homophobic slurs, saying, Theres a girl in here, and threatening violence towards the plaintiff. The plaintiff reported these incidents throughout the year to his counselor, who told his mother that her son was not safe at school.The defendants in the case Beemer, Boatwright, and the board filed a motion to dismiss the case, which the court denied in full for the board, while parts of the motion were accepted for the two individuals. The case will proceed.A spokesperson for the school division told Inside NOVA that it does not comment on active litigation, but PWCS remains committed to providing an inclusive and excellent education for every student and has no tolerance for harassment, bullying or intimidation of students.

Ysabel Jurado, 34, a lawyer and a political novice, is running for a seat on one of the most powerful city councils in the country.LAs Council District 14, covering the East Side of Los Angeles, has over a quarter of a million constituents, among more than ten million in the county. In March, Jurado, a queer single mom, made it halfway to representing the largely Latino neighborhoods between Downtown LA and Pasadena, earning the top spot in the primary among a large field challenging incumbent Councilmember Kevin de Lon, who came in second and will face off against Jurado in November.If de Lons name sounds vaguely familiar to readers outside Los Angeles, it may be because dozens of elected officials, from fellow councilmembers to President Joe Biden, called for his resignation in the aftermath of a scandal in 2022 involving racist and homophobic remarks, insider dealing, and gerrymandering caught on tape and released like a bomb on LAs political class via Reddit.De Lon refused to step down. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Its not the first scandal to engulf the district. CD14s previous councilmember, Jos Luis Huizar, was arrested and indicted in 2020 on federal corruption charges for racketeering and tax evasion. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison.Jurado spoke from her home in Highland Park on the morning after a high-wattage fundraiser at El Cid in East Hollywood featuring comedians Hannah Einbender, Chris Fleming, Meg Stalter, and Margaret Cho, a veritable whos who of gender-bending bisexuality.Im still reeling, said Jurado. It was pretty fabulous.LGBTQ Nation: For our readers not from Los Angeles, your candidacy comes with a lot of backstory. Youve said youre running to break the Council District 14 curse. Describe what that is. Ysabel Jurado: So, our district has been led by a bunch of toxic daddies who have gone to jail, who left us high and dry for better pastures, and who have been caught on tape being racist, homophobic, and gerrymandering districts; so, totally contrary to what they are supposed to do. So I am thinking that the district needs a new mommy to fix things up. Thats my little pitch.The outcry following the publication of those toxic recordings was swift and pretty universal among officials, who condemned your opponent in the upcoming general election, Kevin de Lon, and the other two council members caught on tape. Those calling for their resignations included then-Mayor Eric Garcetti; the candidates running to replace him at the time, Republican Rick Caruso and current Democratic Mayor Karen Bass; former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; California Senator Alex Padilla; current U.S. Senate candidate Adam Schiff and several other LA congresspeople, plus California Gov. Gavin Newsom and even President Biden. And still, de Lon refused to step down. And now, after a crowded March primary that you dominated, he is your general election opponent, and its kind of shocking to see that he pulled in almost as many votes as you did. Why are voters in your district still supporting him?I think theyre holding onto something familiar. But really, at the end of the day, when you look at the data this election cycle, 75% of the voters voted against him. Its very rare for an incumbent running for their seat to lose to someone like me who has never run for office. This is so unlike LA politics, in which theres elaborate planning and a machine, and I didnt come from one and Im really disrupting the system. So even though he made it to the general with us, he made it to the general by the skin of his teeth. Its a testament to people wanting something different. They want change. Some of the most shocking language, and what felt like a real betrayal of a colleague, was about fellow council member Mike Bonin, who is gay and was raising his adopted Black son with his husband at the time. Council president Nury Martinez called him a changuito or little monkey in Spanish, and said the couple was raising him like a little white kid I was like, This kid needs a beatdown.'That observation earned laughs from the group. De Lon claims he apologized to Bonin profusely, but Bonin refused it, and two days after the audios release, Bonin made an emotional speech that said in part, My husband and I are both raw and angry and heartbroken, and sick for our family and for Los Angeles Public officials are supposed to call us to our highest selves. These people stabbed us and shot us and cut the spirit of Los Angeles. Martinez did end up resigning, but somehow de Lon has hung on. Youre a parent. What would your reaction have been if those disparaging comments were about your daughter?I mean, just like Mike, right? Ive told this to Mike. The pain that you feel for your child is so much deeper than any pain that you feel for yourself. And I think that whats worse about his situation is that his son doesnt know that pain yet. It hasnt been realized, because that moment hasnt come yet for him. Because they dont want to break their son, right? And so theres going to be a second moment for them to have to relive this with their son, where hes going to realize hes part of this conversation and almost the center of it, and why all of these things have happened.For any parent, its just, it breaks your heart that someone could speak that way about your kid, and then later knowing that your kids going to endure this pain and grief about knowing that this happened about them so publicly, by people that were your dads co-workers, you know? And maybe people that were at your house at some point. Its just its despicable and awful. When did you to decide to challenge de Lon and who was most encouraging for you to do it?It really was after the tapes. I was super-frustrated about it, and then from frustration, I was driven to service. Thats always been my solution; Im a chronic problem solver. And I thought, you know, this community raised me and took care of my kid when I couldnt take care of her because I was going to work and school so I could graduate and be a lawyer. Now I have these privileges that Ive been afforded because of this community. Then maybe it would be my time to serve in this way. And I wasnt focused on winning. I was running on my values, and if we didnt win, then it just meant it wasnt our time yet, right?One of the first people that I consulted was my mentor, who was my field director on a campaign I worked on ten years ago. And I asked him, should I do it? And he was just so supportive. He had seen that light in me stepping into this role a decade ago, which I never thought I would. Im a very confident worker bee. I like to be behind the scenes, so being in front in this way is very new for me, but he saw that, and he said, This is the moment. We cant keep the status quo. And one of my most ardent advocates was current Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who really stuck her neck out to endorse me early on in the race, despite many peoples advice not to, because they were like, Why would you get in that? And I really appreciate her support and mentorship so early on.You identify as queer. How did you come to that realization and how does it manifest itself in your public and private life?Its taken me a while to get there. Im definitely one that came out when I was older, and it happened during the pandemic. So much of my lived experience has always been about the other, right? And queer folks are often the other in one way or another, often in intersecting ways. Whether its your race, whether its your culture, whether its your ethnicity, whether its your music choices! Youre just kind of like, a little rebellious. Whether it was me being a teen mom, or when you have to create your chosen family, right? You make a family out of scratch. And so much of life, I feel like being the other you always have to make things from scratch, and thats exciting to me, thats what gives me this like hopeful optimism. Im happily together with someone whom I love I love her whos helping see me through this election, and trying to see what our family will look like even after this, which I dont even know. [laughing] I cant think past November 5, so.You segued into my next question, which was, are you in a relationship now, and what can you tell us about them?I think theyre just a fantastic person, and it is totally a delight and a surprise to me. There was a time where Id become bitter with lifes romantic offerings to me and was cynical enough to think that I was the problem, or that it was just no longer in the cards for me.In Platos Symposium they talk about the pieces fitting. And I always thought, Oh, that was so cute and kind of trite. And then I met this person and was like, Oh, actually, I understand all of this. The people, all my friends that got married, this is what theyre talking about. I thought they were lying a little bit! But Im just so happy to have someone that loves me wholly and supports me. You studied Political Science at Pasadena City College, next door to your district, and went on to earn your bachelors and law degree at UCLA. How did you get there?I was like, What is something youre always interested in, and can help get you to be stable as a single mother? And it was like, Oh, I could be a lawyer. And then I researched and Im like, theres a lot of poli sci people. I generally do like politics, so why not? So I majored in poli sci.I didnt have a high enough GPA to get to UCLA, so I started at Pasadena City College. I was pregnant with my daughter when I was there. I had her during winter break, and then in January, I went back to school. I was going to school, going home to breastfeed, and then going back to school from what I remember [laughing]. Pasadena has a great transfer program, and I really availed myself of all the resources that I could find there and that set me on a trajectory to be able to transfer to UCLA. A transfer enrichment program included UCLA classes, and it kind of helped me get over my imposter syndrome by being in those classes and excelling, and being like, Oh, I can belong here. Youve been a tenants rights attorney and affordable housing activist since your time in school. How has the housing landscape in your district changed since you were growing up there in Highland Park?We have all seen a stark change in the neighborhood. It was predominantly low-income, minority, and known for its gangs. This is a place where my family could start as immigrants. Now Highland Park is a hip, trending neighborhood, where, if I were to buy now, it would be incredibly unaffordable. Those changes really sparked an interest in me to want to make sure that as we develop our neighborhoods, that the rents, commercially and residentially, dont push out the current residents that live there, but instead, we can have this healthy mixture of people that have been here and people that choose to be here. Ive seen a lot of people have to move out and close out. Gentrification has really, really changed our neighborhood, and I think the folks that are here dont want to lose more people.As you say, gentrification is an important issue, and part of that process has historically involved LGBTQ+ people looking for affordable housing and neighborhood potential. Have you seen that play out in District 14, and can you describe the tension and the opportunities that come with it?I havent seen that occur in northeast LA in the way that youre describing. You know, the district is big. Theres Highland Park, theres Eagle Rock, theres Boyle Heights, theres El Sereno, and theres Downtown, which is Little Tokyo and the Arts District, and so it actually runs the gamut in terms of diverse constituencies. In that way, folks are able to find a home, and we want to make sure that we build homes for people at different access points income access points which were losing. But the LGBTQ community that already exists in a lot of the neighborhoods, especially in the northeast, theyre just such a vibrant group, like Latina/Latinx queer women here that have been building community. And I would by no means call them gentrifiers, right? I think there is an opportunity to actually cultivate a neighborhood center almost like WeHo, but in the 14th, for LGBTQ communities to meet and reside, especially communities of color. It shouldnt be the case that we have to drive all the way to West Hollywood to feel the culture. If we can cultivate that in CD 14 some way, I think that would be a dream.Would you support mandatory national service for young people in the military, or some other form of public service of their choosing?Service in the military?As a choice, or Teach for America or the Peace Corps or another kind of public service.Its an interesting question. I mean, I did Justice Corps, which is an AmeriCorps program, and that was focused on the law. That was an informative experience for me that led me to eventually become a lawyer. But I dont know about mandatory service. Ill have to think about that more.Whats the single most important thing the world should do to address the climate crisis?Hold corporations accountable.This is a three-parter: Whats your vision for transportation in Los Angeles? What kind of car do you drive? And when was the last time you rode the Metro?A vision for transportation: multi-modal, accessible and safe, reliable and free.What kind of car do you drive?Toyota Rav4 hybrid.When was the last time you rode the Metro? Last week?If your campaign is successful, youll be a Los Angeles City Council member when LA hosts the Olympics in 2028. Whats your favorite Olympic event and who are some of the Angelenos youll be rooting for?Oh, my gosh. This year my favorite Olympic event was gymnastics. But historically, its been swimming, because I was a varsity swimmer in high school, and during that time the Olympic swimmers were practicing in Pasadena City College next to me in the club that I was in, so I got Michael Phelps autograph and Katie Ledeckys.Theres a lot of UCLA womens soccer players that Im already rooting for, but Ill be more in tune with whos from LA at the Olympics in four years. The Olympics can be an opportunity or a curse for the city hosting them. Whats the legacy youd like to see the LA28 Olympics leave behind in Los Angeles?Id like to see us leverage this opportunity to really attack the problems that we care about most and make deep investments to our infrastructure and to our communities. One of the best outcomes from the 1984 Olympics was the LA84 Foundation, which raised money to make sure that there was gender equity in sports at Recreation and Parks. And because of that, we had more programming for girls, and we had Serena and Venus Williams that were practicing on the courts in South LA. That helped me when I started swimming. I didnt get far, obviously, but even my daughter has benefited from this program. That is inspirational to see.Predictions!For the year?Any prediction.My dude, I dont know. I hate things with such finality.Thats why they call it the Hot Seat.You should give me a timer, or else Im like, analysis paralysis over here.I think the November election will decide where America is headed. I think either way, either outcome will show the direction of where were actually going. And I feel like itll be a decisive election, whatever the outcome, right? Theyre two very different outcomes, but itll be clear. What are you most looking forward to if you get the chance to represent the constituents of LA Council District 14?Crafting a hopeful future and just doing the work [laughing]. Is it silly? Im just like, Im ready to stop campaigning and do the work, providing city services and really fixing these big problems that seem so insurmountable and getting my hands in the dirt to really figure out how to do it.

Pastor Dillon Awes, a hate preacher at the Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga, Texas, is upset that some Christian churches affirm LGBTQ+ peopleor sodomites and sexual predators, as he calls themand hes especially angry that some pastors even allow queer people to speak from the pulpit. These fa***ts should get a bullet in their brain, he said in a recent sermon. They should get the death penalty, not be preaching behind the pulpit. Related A Texas town is protesting against one of the most anti-LGBTQ hate churches in the nation Theyre so close to our home. Theres no way that we cant be afraid of that, one lesbian protestor said. Awes made his comments in response to Pastor Charles Andrew Stanleyfounder and senior pastor of the nondenominational evangelical Christian megachurch North Point Ministrieswho invited a married same-sex couple to deliver a sermon at a recent conference. LGBTQ+ news you can rely on Keep track of the ongoing battle against bias and for equality with our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In this conference, he invited two sodomites that were married to each other to preach, Awes said. These two sodomites were talking about how theyre so excited to be able to preach that because its the message that the children need to hear. So theyre literally just admitting their heart, like, Were here behind the pulpit so that we could defile children with our message.'Thats where weve gotten as a nation by being nice to sodomites, he ranted. You know, first, it was, They can get married. Then it was, They could have all equal rights. Then it was, well, We could have drag shows out in public. Then it was, Well, we could take children into the drag shows too. Then it was like, Well, we could allow homosexuals to attend church. Then it was Well, we can now let drag queens attend church.' Now theyre behind the pulpit. Why? Because of nice guys like Andy Stanley that wont say what needs to be said, which is that these guys should get a bullet in their brain, that they should get the death penalty not be preaching behind the pulpit.Of course, LGBTQ+ people do not have full equal rights, and children have viewed age-appropriate drag performances in cartoons, TV shows, and films for decades. Also, numerous Christian churches embrace queer congregants, preachers, and drag performers as a way to spread the gospel. What a nice guy Andy Stanley is, Awes added. What a nice guy you are for letting children in your congregation be abused by pedophiles. How nice of you, Andy Stanley. How nice of all the pastors today that are enabling sexual predators in their church to harm people permanently, to scar them for life, to hurt them spiritually, because you just want to be nice. Well, you know what? Go to Hell, Andy Stanley, and every single pastor like yougo to Hell.Notably, anti-LGBTQ+ figures who accuse LGBTQ+ of sexually harming children rarely, if ever, comment on the tens of thousands of documented cases of child sex abuse happening in Christian churches. Christian hate-preacher Dillon Awes is furious that a popular pastor let gay men speak at his conference."Now there's f****ts behind the pulpit! These f****ts should get a bullet in their brain! They should get the death penalty, not be preaching behind the pulpit." pic.twitter.com/5BXImJuvVi Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) August 28, 2024This isnt the first time that Awes has made such comments. In June 2022, he said the government should criminalize homosexuality because of the Bible and then line homosexuals against a wall to be shot in the back of the head. Two months later, he said that allowing a woman to preach in church is like spitting in the face of God.In August 2023, locals in Watauga protested the churchs hateful messages.I cannot believe you expose kids to that garbage, town resident Mandi Skinner said at a protest outside the church. Thats not freedom of speech. Thats vile, threatening, slanderous, dangerous language. And I dont think it should be protected just because they call themselves a church.Awes and others like him call themselves New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) preachers. New IFB isnt affiliated with any mainstream Baptist denomination, although both Baptist and New IFB teachings exhibit anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry, antisemitism, and misogyny. But while Baptists merely condemn queer people to hell, New IFB goes a step further, calling for the execution of LGBTQ+ people.The Southern Poverty Law Center considers Stedfast Baptist Church to bea hate group.

A Texas man who detransitioned and tried to change his drivers license to reflect his new identity was rebuffed by state officials, who acted on orders from the states right-wing Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.Razavi, who asked to be identified by his last name only in an interview with Texas Monthly, said he decided to detransition when he realized that as a transgender woman he would always be viewed as a second-class citizen. Related Donald Trump could nominate anti-LGBTQ+ zealot Ken Paxton as attorney general Paxton is Texass attorney general and a committed Trump loyalist. Now hes battling the same discriminatory and transphobic forces that would discriminate against him as transgender woman as he tries to document his return to being a cisgender man. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today I am a biological male, Razavi said. Im 65 with a beard and actual penis, but according to Ken Paxton, I am to remain legally a woman.In March, Razavi obtained a court order in Travis County to change his license and made an appointment with the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Last week, he showed up to find DPS employees unwilling to make the name and gender change included in the court document.What he didnt know was three days earlier, Paxtons office instructed DPS to no longer accept court orders as a basis for changing a persons gender marker on their drivers license. Effective immediately, August 20, 2024, the Department will not accept court orders or amended birth certificates issued that change the sex when it differs from documentation already on file, the email from Paxtons office stated. For current DL/ID holders, the sex established at the time of original application and listed in the driver record will not be changed unless there was a clerical error.DPS said in a statement that the agency implemented the new policy because the attorney generals office questioned the validity of court orders issued to change the sex of individuals on government records.I sat down, and the lady sat there for a very long time reading an email, Razavi said. And then, about 10 minutes later, she got back and she said, Sir, Im sorry, we cant do this. The rep went on to explain there was a new hold put on all sex marker changes. Razavi said he was stunned. Worse still, when Ravazi asked to speak with a supervisor, the woman collected his paperwork and started making copies.I was like, Wheres she going? Why is she taking that? The representative told him, Its part of procedure.Along with the order to stop gender changes, DPS employees were instructed to send the names and IDs of Texans seeking to legally change their sex markers to a designated email address, according to The Texas Tribune, fortifying an earlier policy from Paxton to compile a list of individuals whod changed their sex on state documents. What Paxton plans to do with the information is unclear.Now Im on this tiny little list of people Ken Paxton has an agenda against, said Razavi, a Texas native. Its super scary. This is what Ken Paxton wants, Ravazi added. And Im stuck in this limbo now.The inability to change gender markers on government-issued documents puts people at risk of discrimination, according to trans advocates. If a persons gender marker on their drivers license and passport doesnt match their gender identity, it effectively outs a person as trans. This outing can lead to difficulty accessing various services as well as harassment and violence.

A judge in Tennessee has ruled that the writings of the Covenant School shootera transgender individual who shot and killed three adults and three nine-year-old children in his March 7, 2023 rampage through a Christian school in Nashvillecan remain private because they are the copyrighted property of the victims families.Last year, the family of Aiden Hale, a former student of the school, transferred ownership of Hales multitude of writingsincluding a manifesto and 20 journalsto the victims families. The novel approach helped keep the material private. Related Covenant shooter called victims fa***ts & crackers in leaked manifesto The right thought it would prove that the shooter was trying to kill Christians because he was trans. But thats not what it shows. Several organizations, including news outlets, sued to make Hales former property public, but Chancery Court Judge IAshea Myles recently ruled that the families copyright claim was valid. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Referring to the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA), Myles found that the arrangement to copyright the work was unique but agreed with the victims parents, finding that the original writings, journals, art, photos and videos created by Hale are subject to an exception to the TPRA created by the federal Copyright Act, the Associated Press reported.The ruling last week came more than a year after the public records request to release the materials.Those killed in the mass shooting were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 9 years old, and adults Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.The victims families praised Judge Myles ruling.The last year and a half without Cindy has been difficult, said the family of Cindy Peak, a substitute teacher at the school. But today brings a measure of relief in our family. Denying the shooter some of the notoriety she sought by releasing her vile and unfiltered thoughts on the world is a result everyone should be thankful for.The effort to keep Hales property private hasnt stopped leaks of the material, much of which was documented by police shortly after the massacre. In excerpts of the manifesto written by Hale, who identified as male and used he/him pronouns, the shooter was disparaging of the LGBTQ+ community and associated white privilege with anti-gay bias.Kill those kids!!! Hale wrote. Those crackers going to private fancy schools with those fancy khakis + sports backpacks w/ thier [sic] daddies mustangs + convertables. F**k you little s**ts. I wish to shoot you weak**s d**ks w/ your mop yellow hair. Wanna kill all you little crackers!!! Bunch of little fa***ts w/ your white privlages. f**k you fa***ts.Two other pages shared online by rightwing podcaster Steve Crowderan anti-LGBTQ+ pundit accused of abusing his wife and exposing genitals to coworkersrevealed Hales schedule for the day leading up to the shooting as well as a page where Hale called March 27 Death Day. Hale wrote that he felt a little nervous, but excited too to kill people.Right-wingers have increasingly blamed public shootings on the mentally ill trans identities of the shooters. However,the vast majority of mass shooters in the U.S. are cisgender males. The right-wing focus on gun-toting queers and shooters mental illness is merely a way to stigmatize queer people while also drawing attention away from gun control regulations that could help stop mass shootings before they occur.

As more states around the country ban gender-affirming care for minors, the number of trans people who flee their home states is increasing, leading to an influx of patients in areas with legal practices that back trans people. This is putting stress on healthcare providers in more progressive states.Childrens Minnesota Hospital is one such clinic, and the number one anxiety of staff there is not harassment as a result of increasingly hostile right-wing attitudes towards such care but instead about how its getting difficult for those seeking care to get it. Related Texas AG drops abusive attempt to get info about trans kids from Seattle hospital Republican Ken Paxton has been trying force clinics outside of Texas to turn over patient records. The waitlist is what keeps me up at night, Dr. Kade Goepferd, medical director of the hospitals Gender Health Program, told NBC News. The hospital now has a large, year-long waitlist for treating new patients because of the influx of new patients. It has grown every year, and it got particularly long after the bans went into effect. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Clinicians across the countrys 16 states with shield laws protecting medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care have faced an influx of new patients, leading to increased waitlists, worries about insurance denials, and an intense fear of attacks some of which have come to fruition.This especially increases as Republican state officials like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seek to go across state borders to enforce their home states bans on gender-affirming care, putting doctors at risk of legal repercussions. In six states Alabama, Idaho, Florida, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Carolina it is a felony to give minors gender-affirming care, whereas in twenty other states, civil and/or professional penalties for medical professionals are in place. This includes lawsuits and discipline from the states medical board.Its having the same nightmare all over again, said Jennifer Pepper, president and CEO of CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health, an organization providing both LGBTQ+ and womens healthcare, including to minors, to NBC News. You make it about safety, and you make it about these providers who dont actually care about patients. And those are all the same words and plays that we saw right after the Roe v. Wade decision. Providers are often instructed by legal professionals not to rely on shield laws, as these have yet to be tested in court, leading them to feel that theyre putting their livelihoods at risk.This also affects providers of national telehealth platforms, such as QueerMed. One thing Dr. Izzy Lowell asks patients to do is to travel to the nearest state where gender-affirming care is safe to provide. With her team of attorneys working around the clock to be compliant with state laws, she works to ensure that the only state laws affecting patients are those in affirming states.The way the telemedicine law works is that wherever the patient is located at the time of the visit, that states laws apply, Lowell said. So we have patients drive or fly or whatever from wherever they are over the border into a state without a ban. Trans providers understand these worries well, as theyre often at risk of the very same policies and persecution, if not more so due to their status as trans people. Dr. Crystal Beal, the founder and CEO of QueerDoc, feels this prominently as a nonbinary femme. Nevertheless, they continue to provide care as a form of civil disobedience.I provide care in a different way than my allied colleagues. Im worried about my community dying, said Beal.These worries arent unfounded, as many providers say theyve been attacked by the far-right, anti-trans crowds. Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, president-elect of the U.S. Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH) and medical director at the Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, said that these threats are a shock but arent particularly surprising to trans people either.These are probably not the things that pediatricians and pediatric hospitals are used to, she said. But these are things that trans people are used to.Goepferd agrees as a nonbinary doctor, saying, Its always kind of simmering in the background. It strengthens my resolve that this is really important work. Its emotionally exhausting to be targeted, Goepferd continued. Its also really sad and painful to watch the patients and families that you care for be targeted. Im glad that I can offer them care, but I cant take that away from them.Dr. Joshua Safer, director of the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in New York, said that he had to take his practices street address off the internet to protect against some attacks. But he still keeps the website up in an effort to reach teens across the country.If youve got some kid, and their only access to information is in their bedroom on their computer, I wanted them to find Mount Sinai.Still, the risk continues to increase. Lowells practice in Georgia was completely burned, with graffiti left to make the intent clear. The fire is being investigated as a hate crime.Mine was the only office that was burnt, and it was burnt completely. To the point where they had to ask, Was there a computer on the desk?

Flagging right-wing podcast host Candace Owens is so desperate for a conspiracy theory that shes mining debunked claims about French President Emmanuel Macron being raped by his husband.Macron isnt gay. His wife is a woman. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today But Owens says shell stake her professional reputation (as if) on the claim that Brigitte Macron is, in fact, a perverted transgender woman who was a man when she met and raped the French president when he was 14.In reality, Macron and Brigitte first met when he was 15 and she was a 40-year-old instructor at his high school. Years later, Brigitte divorced her husband, the father of her three children, and married the future president.The rest of Owens fairytale fantasy begins with a YouTube video released in France in late 2021, in the thick of Macrons reelection campaign. In the video, a woman claimed to have spent three years researching Brigitte Macrons pasther conspiracy theory claimed Brigitte was, in fact, Brigittes real-life brother Jean-Michel Trogneux, who later transitioned into a woman. A group photo of Brigittes family showing the resemblance between the two siblings was provided as evidence in the video, among other spurious contentions.Owens first glommed onto the wild speculation in June, at the same time the two women in the video went on trial in France for defamation. A decision in that case is due September 12.In the video, Owens falsely implies that the lyse Palacethe French Presidents official residence in Parishad taken notice of her ramblings on the subject. As if. The desperate commentatortoo toxic even for far-right news site The Daily Wire, which fired her over her overt antisemitism in Marchreturned to the subject this week following the arrest by French authorities of Pavel Durov, the Russian founder of Telegram, on charges related to allegations of illegal activity on the platform, including arms deals, drug sales and human trafficking.In her podcast, Owens said, I mean, the audacity of referring to Pavel Durov as someone who is complicit in abetting pedophilia. Thats what they said. Thats what the French Secret Service, the French state would like us to believe under the authority of Emmanuel Macron, a human being, a child who was statutorily rapedback when he was a childby his husband, Brigitte Macron. I will say this until Im blue in the face, Owens continued, Brigitte Macron is a man. He transitioned. His name used to be Jean-Michel Trogneux, and then he became Brigitte. And when Brigitte was 40 years oldand no one will counter this fact in the media. Instead, they just call it a conspiracy theory because thats what its alwaysjust call everybody names. Its a conspiracy theory.But the reality is that, yes, Brigitte Macron statutorily raped Emmanuel Macron. So if the state actually cared about stomping out people that were aiding and abetting pedophilia, aiding and abetting crimes against minors, then you would not have Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron in office. That is the reality.

Pride Sunday in New York City is a dazzling display of the joy of community.But if you were one of the 2.5 million people who thronged the streets of Manhattan for this years NYC Pride March, you mostly likely spotted another highlight: the sweet Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) rides chauffeuring 2024 grand marshals Baddie Brooks, DaShawn Usher, Eshe Ukwell, Michelle Visage, Miss Major, Robin Drake, and Raquel Willis along the route.Drake and Brooks shouted out their pride from the windows of a Velocity Blue Jaguar F-PACE SUV. Miss Major waved from the front seat of a white 2024 Jaguar FTYPE convertible while Willis, Usher, and Visage each cruised the parade route perched on the backseats of their own Jaguar FTYPE convertibles.Grand marshal Robin Drake rides in a Jaguar F-PACE at the 2024 NYC Pride March on June 30, 2024, in New York City. Photo by Gotham/Getty Images. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Custom NYC Pride decals in rainbow colors made the enviable vehicles even more stylish, each featuring the grand marshals names.And that wasnt the extent of JLRs presence in the NYC Pride March this year. Members of the companys North American workforce marched alongside the Defender 110 model in dreamy rainbow colors a custom wrap made exclusively for NYC Pride 2024 that undoubtedly gave onlookers a healthy case of vehicular envy.The NYC Pride March is the largest celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride across North America, JLR North Americas U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Charlotte Blank said in a statement ahead of NYC Pride this year. Were honored to once again accompany this years trailblazing grand marshals in our iconic Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.NYC Pride grand marshals rode in style for the third year in a row, thanks to Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover North America. Anna Budden, JLRs Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager, said she and her colleagues were thrilled to chauffeur NYC Prides grand marshals for the third consecutive year and to embrace inclusion beyond June.Pride at Jaguar Land Rover is more than a day, a march, or a month thats celebrated, said Budden. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I feel valued at JLR for who I am, yearround. Since 2022, the company has supported NYC Pride by providing Jaguar F-TYPE, Defender, and F-PACE models to chauffer the Marchs grand marshals. That first year, NCAA Division I swimmer Schuyler Bailar, Ts Madison, Dominique Morgan, the ACLUs Chase Strangio, and comedian Punkie Johnson all rode in Jaguar F-TYPE convertibles.A year later, Jaguar F-TYPE convertibles carried Billy Porter, Yasmin Benoit, AC Dumlao, Hope Giselle, and Randy Wicker through the streets of Manhattan as the city celebrated Pride 2023. That same year, JLR CEO Adrian Mardell marched alongside more than 100 JLR employees in the Birmingham, U.K. Pride Parade an event the company has participated in since 2018.Pride at Jaguar Land Rover is more than a day, a march, or a month thats celebrated. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I feel valued at JLR for who I am, yearround.Jaguar Land Rover Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager Anna BuddenJLRs core values include supporting the community globally. From Canada to the U.K. to the U.S., the brand is a leader in LGBTQ+ allyship.As a company, we are committed to a culture where everyone belongs, and that means ensuring all of our employees, including our LGTBQ+ community, feel supported, heard, and celebrated, Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, said in a 2022 statement. We could not be prouder to be part of this years Pride March.The company appointed Budden to her role in 2022 to further JLRs culture of inclusion. Each Pride Month, she leads programs that engage JLR North America employees in events that encourage authenticity in the workplace.But as Budden noted this year, Pride isnt just a seasonal event for JLR. Globally, were committed to fostering an inclusive culture that supports our LGBTQIA+ colleagues yearround and ensures that every member of our community feels seen, represented, and heard, said Budden.In 2021, the company implemented a five-year approach to foster a diverse and equitable workplace by 2026.The commitment to tenacity and dynamism also translates to the suite of powertrains aesthetic, like the new Range Rover Sport Stealth Pack a cutting-edge design created for clients looking for a specification which conveys empowerment and strength.Ben Shuttleworth The Range Rover Sport SV sets the benchmark in its segment with unmatched worldfirst technologies and dynamic capability in an assertive, modern vision of sporting luxury. Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover North America.Key to JLRs approach is to appreciate diversity in all its forms. That means listening to and respecting all the voices of its workforce.In September 2017, the company launched its Pride network one of JLRs employee-led inclusion networks offering a platform for workers to share their ideas and experiences. The same year, JLR became the first automotive manufacturer to join the U.K.s Stonewall Diversity Champions Program, which helps participating companies create a more inclusive workplace.JLR also recognizes International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in May. In March 2019, the company marked International Transgender Visibility Day by launching its Transitioning at Work guidelines to ensure that trans employees never experience workplace discrimination.Grand marshal Baddie Brooks rides in a Jaguar F-PACE at the 2024 NYC Pride March on June 30, 2024, in New York City. Photo by Marleen Moise/Getty Images. Jaguar Land Rovers diversity and inclusion efforts exemplify the companys commitment to fostering an environment where all people thrive. Its a challenge, but one that a brand known for its bold, boundary-pushing vehicles like the Range Rover Sport is ready to meet.Range Rover Sports next-generation Active Noise Cancellation uses cutting-edge audio technology to filter out unwanted road noise, allowing drivers to focus on whats important. In the same way, JLR has directed its corporate strategy toward listening to its employees and customers. When drivers get behind the wheel of the Range Rover Sport, they are confident in its on-road performance and commanding all-terrain capability not to mention its luxury style.However, drivers can also be confident in something else, knowing that Jaguar Land Rover shares their values. The cars we drive say a lot about us, and JLR has made it part of its mission to ensure that when people see the Range Rover Sport, they know the brand cares that everyone reaches their authentic potential. Related 10 LGBTQ+ Canadian leaders redefining success with pride Incredibly stylish not unlike the Range Rover Sport.

Idahos Republican Governor, Brad Little, signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at undermining the Biden administrations expanded protections for LGBTQ+ students and specifically transgender student-athletes under Title IX.As the Idaho Statesman reported, Little stood alongside anti-trans activist Riley Gaines, Idaho state Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R), and a group of student-athletes on the steps of the state Capitol building in Boise to announce the executive order, known as the Defending Womens Sports Act. Related Republican AGs ask Supreme Court to let states ban trans people from sports They say the Constitution protects a states right to discriminate against trans people. These girls and women, and their families, dedicate their time, passion, and money to improve their skills and compete to win, Little said in a statement following Wednesdays signing. They deserve a level playing field. That is why it is so important for us as a state to do all we can to protect and defend womens sports. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The executive order directs the Idaho State Board of Education to work with the Idaho State Department of Education to ensure public schools are properly following all of Idahos laws related to fairness in womens sports.In March 2020, Little signed the Fairness in Womens Sports Act into law, banning transgender women and girls in Idaho from competing in womens and girls school sports. The statement from the governors office Wednesday touted Little as the first governor in the U.S. to sign such a bill.The law has been blocked since August 2020, after the ACLU and other organizations filed a lawsuit challenging it on behalf of trans Boise State University runner Lindsay Hecox. This weeks order took aim squarely at the Biden administrations recent expansion of Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students. In April, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) unveiled new rules that interpret Title IXs prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex as including anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. The rules rely on the Supreme Courts 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that Title VIIs ban on sex-based discrimination in the workplace necessarily covers discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.Littles executive order characterized the Biden administrations new protections for trans students as a radical redefinition of gender and asserted that the new rules would jeopardize the great work we have done here in Idaho to protect our female students.The new rules, however, do not address transgender student athletes participation in school sports. In March, two unnamed administration sources told The Washington Post that Biden wanted to avoid the issue during an election year. The new Title IX rules were set to go into effect on August 1, just ahead of the 20242025 school year. However, federal judges havetemporarily blocked them in 26 states.Littles executive order directs the states board of education to continue to update all public schools as the legal challenges to the new Title IX rules unfold and work to guarantee every female student in Idaho be provided equal opportunity in sports and school to the fullest extent as guaranteed to them under the original Title IX rules and Idaho law.As KTVB reported, the ACLU of Idaho responded to Wednesdays executive order in a statement. When our state government attempts to sidestep antidiscrimination laws through executive orders and injunctions, it creates unnecessary discrimination and harm for transgender women and girls, it said. The ACLU of Idaho will not let these civil liberties violations using taxpayer money, no less go unchallenged.

The lesbian president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, has called Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) nonsensical and insulting over his recently resurfaced 2021 comments calling her childless and saying that she wants to brainwash and destroy the minds of children. Weingarten is a stepmother to her wifes two children. In his 2021 comments, Vance said that parents should decide what values and lessons their children learn, adding, So many of the leaders of the left and I hate to be so personal about this but theyre people without kids trying to brainwash the minds of our children.And that really disorients me, and it really disturbed me. Randi Weingarten, whos the head of the most powerful teachers union in the country she doesnt have a single child. If she wants to brainwash and destroy the minds of children, she should have some of her own and leave ours the hell alone. Related Bullies made straight pride posters with a gay students face as he endured years of bullying Hes suing the school district for not doing enough to stop the horrific bullying. Speaking to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on MSNBCs Deadline White House, Weingarten responded to Vance. If it wasnt so insulting, and if we didnt have such a divided country, where people take seriously what he or [former President] Donald Trump say, it would be ridiculous. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Whether its Catholicism, or Judaism, or any of the religions or not that many of us believe in, teaching children is one of the most important things we can do, regardless of whether we are parents or not, she said, before mentioning her two stepchildren.I consider them my kids now. And its wonderful to have a big family with lots of nieces and nephews, she continued, adding, Somebody doesnt have to be a parent to be a great teacher.In fact, so many teachers in America, so many nuns in parochial schools are fantastic teachers who teach compassion and caring and critical thinking and context, she noted. Its nonsensical, but what it does in this age of disinformation and misinformation, it just makes the job of teaching and learningthe connection between parents and teachers and kidsit makes it harder. And thats why its gross. Vances comments echo similar comments he made in the past about howpeople without children shouldnt be allowedin positions of power in the government and even thatpeople who dont have children shouldnt get an equal number of votesas people who do have children. He has previously attacked out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Vice President Kamala Harris as childless cat ladies, even though Harris is a step-mom and Buttigieg was going through the adoption process at the time.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) attacked Weingartensimilarly in 2023, claiming that Weingarten was not a biological mother and really not a teacher either, even though Weingarten taught for years before becoming head of the teachers union. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) made similar comments on Fox News in 2021, calling Weingarten a joke and adding, Randi Weingarten does not even have children of her own. What in the hell does she know about raising and teaching kids?However, this isnt the first time Weingarten has responded to right-wing critics. In May 2021, Weingarten appeared on Fox News and criticized the media networks support of election conspiracy theories and disinformation pushed by Trump. At the time, Fox News host Martha MacCallum accused Weingarten of pushing anti-racistcritical race theoryin schools because she supports the teaching of The 1619 Project, a history curriculum that focuses on the United Statess use of slavery. MacCallum said it was wrong as a historian, to want to teach that in classrooms.If youre really talking about misinformation now, Martha, and I hope you are, I really would hope that Fox would really look at what happened in this election and how we can because every social studies teacher is wrestling with this discern fact from fiction, Weingarten said. We have to do that as social studies teachers.MacCallum cut her off and said that its quite clear that Joe Biden is president and added, [Im] not sure why you are so concerned about that. MacCallums anger and defensiveness at Weingartens comment may have stemmed from the fact thatFox News was getting suedat the time for pushing the conspiracy theories of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Weingarten responded, I would hope that Fox would be just as focused on, Lets get rid of the misinformation about what happened in this election. This election was freelyMacCallum tried to cut her off, rolling her eyes and saying, Oh come on, Randi, this is not the topic that were here to talk about. Thats a dodge! Okay?In the same interview, Weingartencalled out Fox for spreading disinformation on the COVID-19 epidemic.I would hope that Fox would [say] what everybody else in public health is doing, which is, We have to get our kids vaccinated once the vaccination is ok. I would hope Fox says to all of these people that dont want the vaccines, that think theres a problem, Why dont you and I do things together to get our kids back to school? This is what we need to do, Weingarten said, adding, We have to stop the misinformation, we have to stop the disinformation, we have to stop the chaos.

Out CNN host Anderson Cooper hammered Donald Trump for his sharing of a crude, sexist, and misogynist slur about Vice President Kamala Harris. Cooper then showed a supercut of some of the most misogynist moments from Trumps political career.Cooper discussed several of Trumps posts to social media from yesterday, including a post supporting QAnon, the absurd conspiracy theory that there is an international, Satanic cabal of pedophiles run by Hillary Clinton and Tom Hanks that is torturing children to harvest their adrenochrome. The post that Trump shared on the platform Truth Social included the QAnon phrases Nothing can stop what is coming, Hold the line, and WWG1WGA (Where we go one, we go all). Related Donald Trump asked if hes gender fluid in bizarre Laura Ingraham interview He rambled incoherently about how Christians dont vote when asked about his statement that people wont have to vote again if hes elected. In another post, Trump shared pictures of Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, Harris, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Bill Gates in prison jumpsuits with the words How to actually fix the system.' Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today But one posting in particular disturbed Cooper: a picture of Harris and Clinton with the comment: Funny how blowjobs impacted both of their careers differently. Its a reference to Bill Clintons behavior in the 90s as well as the rightwing misogynist myth that Harris has only seen career success because she performed sexual favors for men. What Donald Trump's verified account on Truth Social is reposting pic.twitter.com/paMBc6HhIN Azi (@Azi) August 28, 2024He did not look at this stuff, chuckle silently to himself, if thats what he would do, and move on, Cooper said. Instead, he wanted to give it the stamp of approval of the 45th and perhaps the 47th president of the United States.This is the Republican candidate for president talking about two women who, no matter what you think of their politics, are two of the most accomplished women in American political history, Cooper said. This is what he chose to amplify.Cooper then said that the post wasnt out of character when it comes to him and women and shared a supercut of Trumps misogynist comments. Keeping them honest, the tale of two campaigns, while VP Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are on a bus tour of Georgia, former President Donald Trump goes on the attack against Harris and resorts to a crass, sexual slur. pic.twitter.com/07qtN4N1iO Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) August 29, 2024Later in the broadcast, Cooper discussed Trumps social media posts with fellow CNN anchor Abby Phillip. Phillip noted that Trump doesnt believe that they would ever be qualified, referring to women who challenge him. He called Kamala Harris dumb multiple times this week.He could be attacking her on a whole host of substantive things, she continued. But the thing he attacks her on is something that is very clearly false because of the fact that she- of all that shes accomplished, her education, etc This is who Trump is. Its also exactly the thing that disturbs moderate independent voters the most about him.This campaign is going to be fought now on the grounds of fitness for office.

Philadelphia officials announced last week that it would award equal prize money for the womens, mens, and nonbinary peoples races.Organizers say that they are taking a face-value approach to monitoring all gender categories so runners can compete with the group that best aligns with their gender identity. They are not requiring supporting evidence for participants to prove what gender they belong to. Related Lesbian union boss claps back at JD Vances gross comments about her not being a real mom Vance accused her of being childless and brainwashing kids. She has two stepchildren. The nonbinary division was established in 2022, but winners did not receive prize money until this year. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today According to the officialwebsite, first-place man, woman, and nonbinary runner will each receive a prize of $4,000. Second place in the categories will each receive $2,000, while third place will be awarded $1,000. The top man, woman, and nonbinary runner in the masters category, for those aged 40 and above, will receive $1,000 each.In the half marathon and 8K, the prize amounts are lower. First-place finishers in the half marathon will receive $2,500, second place $1,500, third place $1,000, and the first-place master $500. Additionally, the course record-holder will earn $1,000.In the 8K, first-place finishers will receive $750, second place $500, third place $250, and the first-place master will also earn $250.The change only applies to the non-professional races. The Philadelphia Marathon also has an elite division in which about 100 professional runners compete. First-place winners in the mens and womens categories in the elite division receive $10,000 each, but the Philadelphia Marathon has yet to establish a nonbinary category for elite athletes. According to C.C. Tllez, a runner and LGBTQ+ advocate who has helped other race organizers develop guidelines for the inclusion of nonbinary elite athletes, the changes, while positive, are not what LGBTQ+ advocates asked for. Weve been very clear about what it is that we wanted, and it was the elite inclusion of nonbinary folks, Tllez told Philadelphia Gay News.To be able to participate as equally as the womens and mens divisions, to have access to not just the title but also to the prizes that come along with it, to be celebrated the same way, to have that platform, Tllez added.The news comes after the New York City Marathon winner wasnot given any prize moneyby the New York Road Runners Club after winning the nonbinary division in 2023.

Organizers say a Global Black Pride conference in Atlanta was vandalized overnight Tuesday, with vendor tables in a banquet room overturned, products and educational materials strewn, and human feces smeared on a Pride flag.The attack occurred on the first day of the weeklong celebration at the Starling Atlanta Midtown, host hotel for the event. Related Anti-LGBTQ+ student thought hed get away with urinating on a familys Pride flag. He got busted. After he finished, he flipped off the house and said, F**k the gays. According to investigators, an intoxicated guest of the hotel is suspected of causing the damage, though no one has been identified. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today This years Global Black Pride conference is the first held in the U.S. and coincides with Atlanta Black Pride Weekend. The event, started in 2020, honors and celebrates Black and Brown LGBTIQ+ communities worldwide.It was just really devastating to have to come into the room and see, one, our things flipped over and ravaged, Princess Jauan Durbin, the Youth Ambassador for Global Black Pride, told Atlanta First News.Words cant describe their feelings at the sight of the desecrated flag, Durbin said.A flag that represents the importance of our community and who we are, they added.Videos from organizers show tables flipped over, displays destroyed, and event memorabilia strewn across the floor. Im just glad we were able to pick up the pieces, put things back in order, and handle what we need to handle, said Global Black Pride panelist Toni Bryce, whose booth was ransacked.Atlanta Black Pride Weekend expressed their support in a statement.We want to send our love and unwavering support to the Global Black Pride team, with whom we are honored to collaborate with for this years Atlanta Black Pride Weekend. Together, we will continue to uplift our community and ensure that all of our events provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, a spokesperson said.A guided prayer and meditation service was led by pastor and trans activist Rahkel Henry to inspire healing following the hateful attack, Gaye Magazine reported.The Atlanta Police Department said their LGBTQ Liaison Unit is working with investigators on the case.We are not going to let this bring us down, panelist Bryce said. Were going to have a good time regardless.

Mary Trump Donald Trumps lesbian niece and a clinical psychologist excoriated her uncle over a campaign stunt he held at Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia, a military cemetery, on Monday.Former President Trump attended a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday while his campaign staff filmed and took pictures in an area of the cemetery where recent U.S. casualties were buried. This is against the cemeterys rules, and Arlington officials tried to stop Trumps campaign staff from turning the military cemetery into a campaign ad. Related Donald Trumps psychologist niece shares the origin story for his thin skin And it all has to do with mashed potatoes. NPR is even reporting that Trumps campaign staff pushed and verbally abused an Arlington official who tried to stop them. The campaign denies that the incident occurred and said the Arlington official was suffering from a mental health episode. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Donald Trumps running mate, later confirmed that there was a disagreement with the official but that it should not have been a national news story. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Donald Trump mugged for pictures and gave a thumbs up to a camera over the graves of deceased Marines at what was meant to be a solemn ceremony honoring the dead. His campaign later shared a video on TikTok that included footage from the cemetery, possibly in violation of federal law.Why was this unpatriotic coward allowed to lay at a memorial wreath at Arlington National Cemetery? Mary Trump asked in her newsletter. His appearance there was a desecration doing the only thing he knows how to do with members of the military and their familiesuse them as props; the ridiculous grin and thumbs up made it worseas if he were attending a photo-op at a local diner.That cemetery is filled with Americans who gave everything in order to protect and defend the Constitution a document Donald has never read, has attempted at every turn to shred, and will, if given the chance, set on fire. It is filled, in other words, with Americans who gave their lives to defend this country from people like him. Mary Trump explained that her grandfather and Donald Trumps father, Fred Trump, had no respect for people who served in the military, including her own father (Donald Trumps brother), Fred Trump Jr. My grandfather, in fact, had no respect for my dads National Guard service at all. Anything that took attention and effort away from the family businesswhether serving his country or flying 707s for TWA at the height of the jet age as my dad did was beneath Fred Trump, Sr.s contempt, Mary Trump wrote. Donald, seeing the first of many openings to displace his older brother as their fathers successor, followed suit.She then brought up how her uncle avoided military service in the Vietnam War era with a false diagnosis of bone spurs engineered by his father and said that this makes him feel insecure around people who have served in the military. Donald knows that he does not in any way measure up to the men and women who have served this country, just as he knows he could never measure up to my father, she wrote. Hes a weak and insecure man who mocks his betters to compensate for his own inadequacies.I like people who dont get caught, he said about Senatore John McCain, who spent 5 and a half years being tortured in a prison camp while Donald lied about having bone spurs and received four deferments without any thought of who would go to Vietnam in his stead.Thats who he is. And any time hes allowed an opportunity to convince people otherwise is just another desecration.

This post is an excerpt from nonbinary author Ginelle Testas book Make a Home out of You, which will be released by She Writes Press on September 3, 2024. Testa spent their adolescence searching for a home in one destructive place after another and grappling with addiction to sex, love, weight loss, drugs, and alcohol before finding a way to claw themselves up from rock bottom to find a joyful home within themselves. Their triumphant new book is a riveting true story of making the slow, confusing, and surprisingly funny slog back from the brink.Three days into our texting, Penny texted me a few hours before we were supposed to meet at the beach.Im nervous. :) but excited to meet you.Are you allowed to say that? I wondered. That youre nervous? I raised my eyebrows when I read her text because I was never that open with my feelings. I kinda liked it because being vulnerable meant just being honest, and in my few experiences being honest, Id felt that saying the truth out loud was like opening a pressure-release valve. The muscles in my jaw loosened as I began to type. I guessed I could be honest, too. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Im nervous, too. And excited!The whole drive there, I wanted to jump out of my seat and do a dance. I could feel my smile overtaking my face, and I blasted Love on Top by Beyonc to help keep my mood elevated. I bopped my head as I thought, I cant wait to meet her. I hoped she wouldnt be scared away when she found out I was a baby queer. My sexual experiences with women had so far been limited to drunken kissing late at night and then never talking about it again.Penny and I met at a beach between our hometowns around 4:00 p.m. on a weekday. It was April, not quite warm enough for summer clothes, so I was bundled in a sweatshirt. When I pulled up, I saw Penny in her gold Pontiac already there and just sitting waiting for me. My stomach whirled. We both got out and had giant grins. The spring New England winds whipped around us as we leaned in for a hug.Penny smelled like Old Spice, which I knew was a scent men often wear. I liked it and noted that her appearance matched the mens cologne. She wore an orange tee that hugged her thin frame, showing off her flat stomach and almost flat boobs. Her hair was tied up with athletic wrap, and she wore loose jeans that a guy might wear. I leaned in further, and our hug lasted for a few seconds. Wanna walk on the beach? She gestured toward the ocean.Yeah. I smiled, stepped in front of her, and scrunched my face with joy when I knew she couldnt see my expression. Our feet made imprints in the sand while we walked together and started talking.You know, it surprised me that you told me you were nervous. I laughed and turned around to face her while walking backward.Yeah? Why is that? she chuckled, her soft green eyes meeting mine.Because, I dont know. Arent we supposed to be playing it cool or something? I let out a few awkward giggles before she cracked up.You dont have to do that with me. She beamed.I guess Ive always tried to play it cool, but it feels kind of good to just be me, I said. A deep breath came out of my mouth, and I chuckled. How was this happening? Penny nodded and stopped walking.My laughter settled, and I noticed that without a spot of makeup, she looked perfect. I swallowed hard. Oh my god, this girl was too good to be true.Wanna sit down? She motioned to the sand. Yeah. I was still kind of trying to be cool, but I was trembling.We planted our butts on the ground, and I let the grainy sand run through my fingertips, trying to avoid looking at her because I was nervous. Her shoulder brushed up against mine, and we let our shoulders stay connected.This is my first date with a girl, I blurted out. My shoulders tightened. I hoped she wouldnt run away. There was a pause. Ive done it, I thought. Ive scared Penny away. No worries, she said, smiling. That doesnt matter to me.My shoulders dropped, and my breathing steadied. Well, here goes nothing, I thought as I leaned my head on her shoulder. Her hand slowly glided over to mine, and she laced her fingers through mine. The softness of her skin made me want to become the ocean with her, waves kissing and flowing into one another.We chatted for a few hours, getting to know each other, then, smiling gently, she said, Tell me about what its been like coming out.Its been great for the most part. I havent told my parents yet, though. I was waiting until I met someoneGotcha. Penny hadnt stopped smiling the whole time we were together. Neither had I. We looked at each other under the moonlight when she leaned in and planted her soft lips on mine. I tried not to freak out, as I was still nervous, so I didnt use my tongue.Wow, I said, pulling away for a moment. Its really nice to do that sober.I get it, honestly. I kissed girls while drinking before I realized I was gay.No way! I felt relieved. When did you come out? Only two years ago, when I was seventeen.Penny was a year older than me, and I started to relax, knowing she had a similar history. This was miraculous. For the first time ever, I felt hope about being with someone who wasnt a guy.Penny was gentle, soft, sweet, and actually doing something with her lifegoing to school and working. Plus, she was a girl. A girl!

A retired gay teacher who threatened a Trump-appointed judge over a Dont Say Gay ruling she issued was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday, double the time prosecutors were asking for.The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge William Jung for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. Related Florida continues its anti-LGBTQ+ crusade by deleting its LGBTQ+ tourism website The website used to give LGBTQ+ tourists ideas on what to visit in the state. Now it doesnt mention LGBTQ+ people at all. Stephen Thorn, 66, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty in May to a single threat charge for obscenity-filled voicemails he left for U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger in Orlando. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Berger had rejected a challenge to Gov. Ron DeSantis Dont Say Gay law restricting classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida.In the voicemails, Thorn claimed the judge had no idea what LGBTQ+ children go through and was basically giving a green light for them to be thought of as second-class citizens and bullied.Thorn said the judge and her family were very easy to track.Lets see how you would like it if somebody endangered your children in school or your grandchildren in school, he said in the messages. You are an embarrassment to the judicial system.Thorn submitted a letter of apology to the court ahead of his sentencing. I want to sincerely apologize for any emotional distress this caused this judge and/or her immediate family members or staff to experience, Thorn wrote. My intention was not to threaten her and/or her immediate family members.I spent a large portion of my teaching career advocating for LGBTQ+ public school students and volunteering for LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organizations in both Florida and in California, Thorn continued. I am also the parent of two adult sons, one of whom is gay. Consequently, this factored into my overreaction, as well.District Judge Jung seemed unmoved by Thorns words, sentencing the teacher to the maximum penalty.Over his judicial career, Jung has been appointed to different posts by Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. He was confirmed for his latest appointment in 2018.Prosecutors argued that Thorns actions were an example of a rising tide of threats to the judicial system. Serious threats against federal judges doubled over the last three years from 224 to 457, according to the U.S. Marshals Service and reported by Reuters.In March, Florida reached a settlement in litigation related to the case Judge Berger threw out, granting teachers the freedom to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in higher grades while maintaining the prohibition in grades K-3.

Ford Motor Company is the latest company to announce they are rolling back internal policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).The company previously withdrew from external corporate culture surveys such as those administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). But a memo from the companys CEO Jim Farley, reveals that Ford will be extending the move to DEI. Related Lowes drops its LGBTQ+ inclusive programs as right-wingers claim victory The hardware supply retailer is the latest in a string of companies to restrict LGBTQ+ rights Before scaling back the policy, Ford scored high on external ranking systems like HRCs that measure companies commitments to inclusion by evaluating their corporate policies, practices, and benefits for historically disenfranchised groups. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who has led a surprisingly effective charge against companies with DEI policies, leaked the document to Reuters on Wednesday.HRC president Kelley Robinson condemned the move. Today, Ford Motor Company abandoned its commitment to hundreds of thousands of employees by cowering to internet troll Robby Starbuck, and signaling that inclusion and other core values are no longer a priority in the workplace, she said.HRC could not be more disappointed to see Ford Motor Company shirking its responsibility to its employees, consumers, and shareholders, she said.By failing to support women leaders, employees of color, and LGBTQ+ employees, Ford Motor Company is abandoning its financial duty to recruit and keep top talent from across the full talent poolin making their purchasing decisions, consumers should take note that Ford Motor Company has abandoned its commitment to our communities.Robinson also called Starbuck a MAGA bully and Republican-reject whose only business experience is hawking vitamins marketed by people profiting off of COVID disinformation.In 2022, Starbuck attempted to become a Tennessee state representative as a write-in candidate and was defeated.Starbuck celebrated the move on X, saying, We are winning and one by one we WILL bring sanity back to corporate America.The memo said that Ford took a fresh look at its DEI policies and practices as external and legal environment related to political and social issues, have taken shape.LGBTQ Nation reached out to Ford for comment. Ford said that their communication to our global employees speaks for itself and that they have nothing to add. Lowes, Jack Daniels, and Harley-Davidson have also ended their companies have come under attack from Starbuck. In late June, Tractor Supply Co. also was the subject of a Starbuck campaign and announced that they would end Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) programs, stop sponsoring Pride events, and withdraw from carbon emission goals. Just a couple of weeks later, John Deere followed suit.

The town of Loogootee, Indiana (population 2,592) just announced that it will hold its annual Pride festival in September despite earlier attempts by town officials to forbid the festival from happening.The ACLU of Indiana announced its lawsuit against the town, after municipal officials rescinded approval for the towns Pride festival and gave organizers no opportunity to get re-approved, allegedly violating the festival organizers First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly. Both parties in the lawsuit agreed to cancel an injunction hearing so PrideFest can occur. Related A small town tried to shut down a Pride festival. The ACLU fought back and won. However, the legal battle is still ongoing, with organizers alleging mistreatment by the city The Loogootee City Council recently voted to approve PrideFest for September 7, and the event will take place in the Public Square as organizers previously wanted. Local streets will be closed to vehicles so attendees can freely walk the festival grounds. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today PrideFest is about equality and acceptance, and we are thrilled that we will once again be able to host this important celebration of diversity and inclusion in the heart of our community just as we successfully did in 2023. We welcome everyone to come and celebrate Pride with us, said organizers Timothy and Tracy Brown-Salsma of Patoka Valley AIDS Community Action in a statement.The complaint against the town noted the allegedly unfair treatment PrideFest organizers faced. After initially receiving town approval on November 3, 2023 to hold the festival this coming September 7, local officials suddenly rescinded the offer, ostensibly because of a June 10 ordinance that further tightened restrictions on PrideFest.The event was first organized last year as Loogootee Pride, and the event experienced no major incidents that year which wouldve justified town officials disproportionate focus or restrictions. Other events, including religious ones from churches, were allowed to occur without meeting the citys enhanced restrictions.Organizers went to multiple city council meetings where the PrideFest festivities were on the agenda to be voted on. However, each time, the council members glossed over the PrideFest discussions without explaining why.Pride events are an important way for communities across the state to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and we are pleased that the City Council has allowed PrideFest to move forward, Ken Falk, the legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said in a statement.

Gay Brazilians have become targeted as a slew of murderers have been using dating apps to target gay men, Reuters reports.One victim, Leo Nunes, was murdered on Lovers Day in Brazil after he met someone on Hornet, a gay dating app. He was killed in a middle-class neighborhood in Sao Paulo. Related Two gay men murdered, their bodies shoved in suitcases & left on bridge Police found the bodies on Wednesday night after receiving reports of a man acting suspiciously on a suspension bridge. One suspect has been arrested, however the string of crimes has yet to stop. People report being robbed and attacked after meeting up with assailants using fake profiles.Straight men may be at risk, too, of love cons, where straight men are lured to a remote location to meet with a woman and are instead kidnapped and robbed. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Criminal groups are targeting LGBTQ+ people because of their known reluctance to interact with law enforcement.Because of structural homophobia, criminals know that LGBT people are vulnerable. They know they will be more easily intimidated, said Wanderley Montanholi, a lawyer for the family of Heleno Veggi Dumba, a gay doctor who was murdered in April in Sao Paulo after an attempted robbery.Three suspects have been arrested for Dumbas killing, however none are charged as of yet.Five gay men have been killed through these apps since March of 2024, although the number may be higher as deaths go unreported to police.Brazilian police declined to comment to Reuters about murders linked to gay dating apps, mentioning only the love cons.Gabriel, a gay man who did not give his surname to Reuters, was robbed by the same profile on the same street as Nunes. One man put a gun to my stomach and asked me the password of my phone, he said, which led to his bank accounts being accessed and his money and credit cards stolen. According to Gabriel, the profile remained on Hornet for weeks after it was flagged, in spite of multiple people flagging it as well. Law enforcement declined to comment on the cases of Gabriel and other individuals who had been attacked.Gerry Monaghan, head of operations at Hornet, said to Reuters that all reports are looked at and reviewed by Hornet. He also said that the company added additional staff to handle reporting and that they changed their reporting system to prioritize issues based on severity. He did not elaborate on this.A spokesperson for Grindr said that they are aware that in Brazil, digital platforms such as ours are occasionally abused to target LGBTQ+ people. He referenced security features in the app and referenced their participation with law enforcement.

Gay award-winning journalist and counter-cultural writer Steve Silberman, author of the influential 2015 book NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, has died at the age of 66. His cause of death has not yet been publicly revealed.Its my very sad duty to inform you all that [Steve Silberman], my wonderful husband and best friend, passed away last night, his husband Keith wrote in a BlueSky social media post on August 29. Keith asked Silbermans friends and followers to please take a moment to remember the deceased authors kindness, humor, wisdom, and love. Related Tech legend and LGBTQ+ activist Bruce Bastian dies at 76 He was a major benefactor to the Human Rights Campaign and advocated fiercely for gay equality. Silberman was born on December 23, 1957, studied psychology and English literature, and moved to San Francisco, California in 1979 to livea gay life without fear, he said. He contributed to and grew from the citys counter-cultural movement, spending his 20s working as a teaching assistant for gay beat poet Allen Ginsberg, becoming a devoted fan and historian of the psychedelic band The Grateful Dead, establishing a friendship and podcast co-hosting with legendary musicianDavid Crosby, and helping as a gay coach to famed neurologist Oliver Sacks. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today During Silbermans 20 years contributing and editing for the science and tech magazine Wired, he wrote a 2002 profile of Sacks, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife and Awakenings. Their conversation led to the two men becoming friends.I figured out in the course of writing the profile that he was a closeted gay man, Silberman said of Sacks. He was traumatized by a remark his mother had made when he came out to her: You are an abomination, I wish you had never been born and he hadnt had a love affair in 30 years. So I became his gay coach, talking about his work and his feelings about being gay.Silberman married his husband, a high school science teacher, in 2003. On X (formerly Twitter), Silberman posted images of him and his husband smiling with visiting friends; old photos of Sacks, Ginsburg, and Crosby; posts detailing his own recent projects and collaborations; and also numerous humorous messages trolling various MAGA Republicans for their extreme anti-LGBTQ+ views.We're those scary #LGBTQ+ people @GOP keeps telling you about, here to hijack the traditionally Christian holiday of St. Valentine's Day formerly celebrated with self-flagellation and the Denunciation of the Poor with our insidious gay-agenda message of love and compassion. pic.twitter.com/Npzxt6843F Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) February 14, 2023 Steve Silbermans December 2012 Wired article The Geek Syndrome helped raise widespread awareness about autism, its symptoms and its prevalence among children and adults.Previous to his article, the most popular web articles about autism pondered the repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory that vaccines cause autism, Silberman told PBS NewsHour in a 2016 interview. After the publication of his article, Silberman found himself swamped with emails from individuals struggling to find healthcare, workplaces, schools, and other support for their own autism or that of their kids. He went on to write his groundbreaking 2015 book NeuroTribes, a history of the changing perceptions of autism over the past century. His history noted that the earliest researchers of autism were driven out of Germany by Nazis who also persecuted LGBTQ+ people, Jews, and clinicians researching transgender healthcare. His book also noted that many researchers consider autism to be far more widespread than realized, leading to an increase in diagnoses as more patients and doctors learn about its varied symptoms. His book became a best-seller and was named one of the best books of 2015 byThe New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian and other major publications. It is also credited with helping reduce misconceptions, shame, and stigma surrounding autistic people.Silberman himself didnt have autism; he even once described himself as hyper neuro-typical. Nevertheless, his contribution is especially important considering the increasing links between autism and the LGBTQ+ community.My very being [gay] was defined as a form of mental illness in the diagnostic manual of disorders until 1974, Silberman told The Guardian. I am not equating homosexuality and autism autism is inherently disabling in ways that homosexuality is not but I think thats why I was sensitive to the feelings of a group of people who were systematically bullied, tortured and thrown into asylums.

The long-running sci-fi TV series Doctor Who made history in its 14th season by featuring an explicitly romantic same-sex kiss between its male hero, The Doctor (played by Ncuti Gatwa), and a male bounty hunter, Rogue (played by gay actor Jonathan Groff). The episode, entitled Rogue, took place in an early 19th-century setting reminiscent of the romantic historical fiction series Bridgerton. It featured the two men flirting, dancing, arguing, and kissing in ways that suggest The Doctors own attraction to men.The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) received at least two complaints about the episode, citing its inappropriate sexual innuendoand a concern about the quickness of The Doctors romantic connection to Rogue. The BBCs Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) disregarded the complaints, calling the innuendo mild and the quickness necessary for the episodes 44-minute length. Related Doctor Who star David Tennant takes heat for fiercely defending trans rights British politicians and media have wildly mischaracterized the actor and LGBTQ+ allys recent comments. In a statement, the ECU said, The ECU considered the sexual innuendo to be towards the mildest end of the spectrum and in any case likely to go over the heads of children, Deadline reported. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The development of the relationship served the needs of a fast-moving plot and was unlikely to strike viewers of any age as a model for interpersonal relationships outside this particular fictional context, the ECU added.In the episode, the time- and dimension-hopping Doctor and the bounty hunter find themselves in 1813 England, both hunting a murderous member of theChuldur, a shape-shifting alien species of bird-people. The Doctor eventually realizes that the species loves the romantic drama of the TV series Bridgerton, and so he and Rogue cause a public scandal by dancing together at an aristocratic ball, having a romantic argument in public, and then running off together.Near the end of the episode, Rogue must decide whether to separate from The Doctor to successfully trap the murderous Chuldur. In the climax, Rogue and The Doctor share a passionate kiss, and Rogue gives The Doctor a ring which he then puts on as a reminder of their bond. The kiss isnt the first same-sex kiss in the series. In a 2005 episode, pansexual Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) briefly kisses The Doctor (then played by Christopher Eccleston), but the brief and surprising kiss had no deeper romantic or sexual implications for The Doctor. Past episodes have shown same-sex kisses between supporting characters, but never has an episode hinted that The Doctor may be gay or bisexual.The current series of Doctor Who waswritten by pioneering gay TV creatorRussell T. Davies, who wrote the groundbreaking gay late 20th century TV series Queer as Folk; the interconnected queer TV series Cucumber, Banana, and Tofu; the very gay 2012 historical drama A Very English Scandal, and the heart-rending 2021 AIDS TV miniseriesIts a Sin.

An effort is underway in Detroit to create an LGBTQ+ business district.While the city used to be home to some four dozen LGBTQ+ bars in the 1970s and 80s, that number has dwindled to just eight queer spaces today, Kevin Heard, founder of the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce, told Bridge Detroit this week. As the outlet notes, Detroit lacks an obvious gayborhood like those found in cities like New York and Chicago. Related Detroits LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce is helping create a business renaissance An ambitious plan in Motor City conjures a gayborhood. Heard is looking to change that. Earlier this year, the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce partnered with the City of Detroit, LGBTQ+ research firm Community Marketing and Insights, and other organizations to develop and distribute a survey aimed at gauging which areas in the greater Detroit region are considered most LGBTQ+ friendly, where people would like to see an LGBTQ+ business district established, and what they hope it would look and feel like. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Its a survey that will serve multiple purposes, Heard explained. The chamber will be able to prioritize resources and services in certain areas in which a lot of the respondents live. In addition to that, well be able to hopefully move into phase two, which will be focus groups, and phase three, which would be a site selection for the area.The survey went live in June and according to Heard, its been completed by over 1,000 people so far, including 850 members of the Detroit metro areas LGBTQ+ community. The plan is to close it by Labor Day and move into the next phase of the project. Following work with the focus groups, the chamber begin the process of finding a market analysis company to help select a site.They have the ability to look at open parcels or open buildings in the area and use the survey responses to pinpoint their site selection, Heard told Bridge Detroit. When we pinpoint the top three areas the survey results statewe will be going into a capital campaign to acquire properties in that area and lease to new and existing LGBT-owned businesses within the space or whoever has a sustainable business model that is going to be friendly to the LGBT community. Ultimately, Heard said the process of building the district could take up to a decade, but he hopes the chamber will be able to purchase the first parcel of land by 2026. Heard says an LGBTQ+ business district in Detroit would be a boon for the citys economy. I believe if there was a collective area where people know that this entire area is safe for you, your family, your friends that are coming from out of town that foot traffic, that intentionality, will create a sustainable neighborhood, he explained.But he also hopes it will stem the tide of people he says hes seen leaving Detroit for other cities. They want to be built, seen, heard, and valued, and they want those spaces. So, why not create or curate several spaces within the city of Detroit? he said. We have the opportunity here with one of the largest LGBTQ legislation caucuses in any state across the nation. Its time that we do this.

Donald Trump appeared to say that his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), isnt weird because hes so straight.Trump was speaking at a town hall event in LaCross, Wisconsin, yesterday with former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii when he discussed how the Harris-Walz campaign has been calling Republicans and especially Vance weird. Related JD Vance rages at lesbian stepmom for being childless & brainwashing children Her not having biological children really disorients me, and it really disturbed me, Vance said. They picked this guy, Trump said, referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who has been vocal about calling Vance and Trump weird. He is weird! Right? Im not weird, hes weird. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today No, hes a weird guy, hes a weird dude, Trump continued. You know, they come up with soundbites, they always have soundbites, and one of the things is that J.D. and I are weird.Then Trump defended himself and Vance from the weird charges, calling Vance so straight and a top student.This guy is so straight? J.D. is so Hes doing a great job, smart, top student, great guy, hes not weird and Im not weird. I mean, were a lot of things, were not weird. Trump: I'm not weird. He's weird. He's a weird guy. He is a weird dude. They say JD and I are weird. That guy is sooo straight, JD. pic.twitter.com/YQaq8IEqK6 Acyn (@Acyn) August 30, 2024The Harris-Walz campaign started pounding Trump and Vance for being weird in July, shortly after Biden announced that he was stepping out of the race. The insult may seem like it underplays how progressives view a potential Trump second term, but it has gotten an oversized reaction from many on the right.Part of the issue is that conservatives often construct their identities around the idea that they are normal and people who are different from them LGBTQ+ people in particular are abnormal or weird. Many have responded to the weird accusations by simply stating that queer people are, to them, more weird.So perhaps its not surprising that Trump would use Vances heterosexuality as a defense against the weird accusations. Another possibility is that Trump wasnt saying much of anything when he called Vance so straight and instead was having issues with remaining coherent. Trump struggled to stick to topics at the town hall event, rambling from one subject to another without making a point. At one point in his appearance, he suggested that wind power was a reason that people arent eating much bacon anymore (which isnt true bacon consumption has increased every year except for one in the U.S. since 2011, according to the MRI-Simmons National Consumer Survey). Trump: Some people don't eat bacon anymore. This was caused by their horrible energy. Wind. They want wind all over the place. When it doesn't blow, we have a problem. pic.twitter.com/z9FnkHnYOU Acyn (@Acyn) August 30, 2024At another point in the event, Trump said that 107% of jobs created in the past several years are going to illegal immigrants. This is not only impossible, but its also far from the truth. According to Forbes, American-born people in the workforce have increased by 6% under President Joe Biden. There has also been an increase in foreign-born workers getting jobs in the U.S., but Labor Department statistics include both undocumented and documented immigrants in that number.Trump: I don't know if you heard the latest statistic that of the jobs these people created, which is very little, every single job was taken, about 107%, by illegal immigrants. There has been no job creation from them. pic.twitter.com/3SpFVhdsR2 Acyn (@Acyn) August 30, 2024 Trump also claimed that its legal in Minnesota for a mother to execute a baby after they are born. This is not true.Trump lies that in Minnesota it's legal for moms to execute their born babies. Someone wake up the fact checkers please! pic.twitter.com/to6NAyxy9S Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 30, 2024

A federal court upheld Alabamas ban on gender-affirming care in a 173-page decision that argued that parents do not have a right to get their kids gender-affirming care thats deeply rooted in the nations history and traditions.A three-judge panel had already sided with the state of Alabama on its ban on gender-affirming care. In this weeks decision, a majority of the 11 judges on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appealsdeclined to reconsider the three-judge panels decision. Related A small town tried to shut down a Pride festival. The ACLU fought back and won. However, the legal battle is still ongoing, with organizers alleging mistreatment by the city Two appointees of President Donald Trump, U.S. Circuit Judges Barbara Lagoa and Andrew Brasher, participated in the ruling. Lagoa wrote the original opinion from the three-judge panel as well as a concurring opinion in the full courts decision and drew from the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Medical Center, where Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect any right not deeply rooted in the nations history and traditions. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Lagoa further said that there is no historical record that affirms a parental right for their children to receive gender-affirming care and that the ban did not violate the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause.U.S. Circuit Court Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum appointed by former President Barack Obama wrote the dissent. Rosenbaum was joined by fellow Obama appointees U.S. Circuit Court Judge Jill A. Pryor and partially joined by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Adalberto Jordan.Rosenbaum said that Lagoa used unprecedented methodology, which instructed judges to look at how the treatment was considered in 1868 when the 14th Amendment was ratified. In her dissenting opinion, Rosenbaum wrote that in the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, blistering, blood-letting, and leeches are in, but antibiotics, antivirals, and organ transplants are out.U.S. Circuit Court Judge Charles R. Wilson also dissented in a separate opinion, joined by Jordan. Jordan wrote a dissenting opinion, joined by Rosenbaum and Pryor. The 2022 ban says that it is a felony, carrying a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, for physicians to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to transgender individuals under the age of 19. The law also prohibits genital surgeries, though genital surgeries are not performed on minors in Alabama. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, and the Human Rights Campaign, which represented the plaintiffs in the case, were disappointed by the ruling but encouraged by the dissenting opinions, they said in a Wednesday statement.Families, not the government, should make medical decisions for children, they wrote. The evidence presented in the case overwhelmingly showed that the banned treatments provide enormous benefits to the adolescents who need them, and that parents are making responsible decisions for their own children. We will continue to challenge this harmful measure and to advocate for these young people and their parents. Laws like this have no place in a free country.

A candidate for city council in Warren County villagesaid he was not appointed to a vacant seat because he is gay.Waynesville resident David Nation was the only candidate who met the July 10 application deadlinefor the seat. Still, the city extended the application process before selecting a person who applied after the deadline to fill the seat. Related GOP governor signs executive order telling state not to enforce Bidens Title IX rules The first state to ban trans kids from school sports is trying to block federal guidance. The council appointed Lyle Anthony in a 4-2 vote on July 31. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today It was definitely blatant discrimination because Im gay, and theres just no beating around the bush about it, said Nation.Nation is 42 years old and has lived in Waynesville for 14 years. He works as a director for a business in Miamisburg, a nearby town. Records show that Councilman Chris Colvin said he did not support Nation, in part because his application documents included core achievements focused on diversity and inclusion. Colvin also cited the fact that Nation is a founding member of the Rainbow Alliance ERG, which advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in local government, businesses, and educational institutions.Law director Jeff Forbessaid that the villages charter does not bind the council to pick a candidate by the July 10 deadline, according to records from an August 5 meeting. Nation agreed with this. As the charter is written, it was done appropriately because there is no deadline set, he said. Mayor Isaacs said the decision was one of the hardest he has had on the council,pointing out that Nation has done much community work, including fundraising for the Museum at the Friends Home, which preserves the villages history. Nation said he is a longtime museum member and spearheaded the renovation. Mr. Nation was the only candidate who met the bar set by the village in submitting his resume, village resident Robert Bowen said in a letter he read to the council.This village has opened this selection to a civil rights violation, an EEOC complaint, and possible lawsuit, Bowen said, referencing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and Colvins July 31 comments.Nation said, I wont disclose that information when asked what plans he has regarding the councils decision. He said, Im trying to look at all resources at this moment in time, and I just want to make sure that Im doing everything in my power to ensure that this doesnt happen to other candidates. However, I will say that I am going to continue pursuing everything I can in order to make change happen.The Dayton Daily News said that when it contacted both Waynesville Mayor Earl Issacs, who voted for Anthony, and Councilwoman Connie Miller, who voted against Anthonys appointment, both declined to comment on the issue.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday scrambled to salvage any hope of earning the votes of suburban women and others opposed to Republican efforts to strip them of their bodily autonomy, even denouncing his states six-week abortion ban and promising free in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.We want more babies, to put it very nicely, Trump pandered. Related Southern Baptists just voted to oppose IVF Republicans are scrambling to combat the perception that theyll ban IVF in an election year, but many religious conservatives oppose the procedure. Fearing the impact of two years of judicial and legislative assault on reproductive freedoms in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which ended federal protections for abortion rights, Trump went on offense Thursday, trying to soften his image on the issue. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today At a town hall in Michigan hosted by the anti-LGBTQ+ former Democratic Congresswoman and failed presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, Trump claimed not only that he was a big supporter of IVF but that a second Trump administration would pay for thetreatments.Im announcing today in a major statement that under the Trump administration, your government will pay for, or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for, all costs associated with IVF treatment, the former president said in Potterville.And for this same reason, we will also allow new parents to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes so that parents that have a beautiful baby will be able, so were pro-family, Trump continued.Ive been in favor of IVF right from the beginning, Trump added.He didnt specify how the free treatments which normally run into the tens of thousands of dollars and higher would be paid for or who would be eligible.IVF is a popular family-building tool for LGBTQ+ people.The Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that fertilized embryos had the same rights as children and adults, and their destruction in the process of IVF was murder. Assigning personhood to fertilized embryos is at the heart of Republicans efforts to ban abortion and hasnt changed despite Trumps efforts to paint a more moderate picture.I kept hearing that Im against it, and Im actually very much for it, Trump reiterated at an event in Wisconsin later in the day. The Harris-Walz campaign wasnt buying it.Donald Trumps own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide, said Sarafina Chitika, a campaign spokesperson, following Trumps promises of free stuff.Trump lies as much if not more than he breathes, but voters arent stupid, she added.In another effort to gaslight the public on Republicans true intentions around reproductive freedoms, Trump prevaricated in an interview with NBC on whether he would support Amendment 4 in his home state of Florida. The ballot initiative would render moot the states draconian six-week abortion ban in favor of restrictions in line with Roe.Well, I think the six weeks is too short. It has to be more time, Trump said. And Ive told them that I want more weeks. Shortly after, the Trump campaign walked back the candidates declaration.In a statement to CNN, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said, President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short.Both the Republican platform and Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations Christian nationalist-inspired blueprint for a second coming of the former president, redound with policy aimed at curtailing the right to choose.While the platform was watered down to avoid any mention of a national ban on abortion, both that document and Project 2025 lay the groundwork for revoking FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, using the Comstock Act to prosecute people who send abortion pills through the mail, ending an insurance mandate for other contraceptive coverage, requiring states to report where women seeking abortions live, and ending subsidies for stem cell or fetal cell research.

In a rare move, two amicus briefs were filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and 16 state attorneys general plus the District of Columbia in support of a Georgia teacher who was fired from a public school for reading a book with LGBTQ+ themes to her classroom.The DOJ and States involvement reflects the significant impact of this case on the future of public education across the country, the Southern Poverty Law Centers interim deputy legal director, Michael J. Tafelski, toldLGBTQ Nation. All students deserve the freedom to learn in schools where their identities are affirmed, and clearly the DOJ and states across the country agree. Related Teacher sues school district after she was fired for reading a book about accepting others The school said it was a controversial issue to talk about acceptance. The case is Rinderle v. Cobb County School District., a lawsuit filed in February of this year after fifth-grade teacher Katherine Rinderle was fired from Cobb County School District after reading the book My Shadow is Purple to her class at Due West Elementary School in March of 2023. The book was at the schools Scholastic Book Fair and is about a child who seeks acceptance for their gender nonconformity.Rinderly is suing under Title IX, the law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex in education. The Biden administration has interpreted this to include a ban on anti-LGBTQ+ education since its impossible to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people without taking sex into account. A teacher and student are also plaintiffs in the case that alleges her firing is indicative of a hostile environment rife with sex-based discrimination against gender-nonconforming people. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The DOJ brief states that the United States takes no position on the merits of Plaintiffs Title IX claim, or on the accuracy of the allegations in support of that claim and instead wants the court to consider the effects of the schools policies on students.The DOJ argues that the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, which has jurisdiction in this case, has to evaluate the merit of the claims based on the totality of evidence, with particular focus on the schools policies. Moreover, the DOJ said that its interest in the case is that teachers who often possess unique and direct knowledge of discrimination experienced by students in their schools be able to speak out without facing retaliation.The school district invoked an interpretation of their Divisive Concepts policies that prohibit LGBTQ+ content in the classroom. An email from a parent who complained about the book-reading said that anything in the genre of LGBTQ and queer' counts as divisive. The principal forwarded that email to the districts central office, and Rinderle was suspended several days later and fired a few months after that.The DOJ argues that the defendants claim that Title IX doesnt apply because this is a case of LGBTQ+ discrimination. In response, the DOJ references the Department of Education, Supreme Court, and three court of appeals decisions in backing the legitimacy of citing Title IX for LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination policies.They additionally cited allegations of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying and harassment within the school district, which the DOJ believes the school policies have enabled. The brief concludes, Therefore, in assessing for purposes of Rinderles Title IX retaliation claim whether the Complaint plausibly alleges that she reasonably and in good faith believed that a hostile environment based on sex existed for LGBTQ and gender nonconforming students, this Court should consider, as part of the totality of the circumstances, the alleged effects of the Districts interpretation and enforcement of its Divisive Concepts Policies.The states and D.C.s brief includes the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. They all state that the school districts policies censoring LGBTQ+ content, dubbed censorship policies, are of unusual characterunique in its breadth and failure to meaningfully advance legitimate pedagogical goalsprovides an additional indication that the policies are constitutionally suspect.The core argument of the brief is that the policies within the school district harm LGBTQ+ youth. The brief cites research on the matter. They argue that the states represented in the amicus brief have more legitimate educational policies as they serve to protect LGBTQ+ youth with the aim of furthering their education.Amici States also recognize the indisputable fact that LGBTQ people are part of American life and therefore include LGBTQ experiences and contributions in history and social studies education, the states write. By statute, seven Amici States have promulgated history or social studies curricular requirements relating to LGBTQ Americans. Other Amici States have undertaken similar efforts to update curricular standards to include LGBTQ people.The research they draw from, which includes data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a systemic review from Cornell University, the Michigan Department of Education, and a GLSEN research survey, among other publications, suggests that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to be bullied than their cisgender and heterosexual peers, which leads to more negative mental health effects in the population. They conclude by arguing that the amicus brief states may need to spend additional costs addressing the potential negative effects from Georgia due to an influx of LGBTQ+ youth and their families moving to their states.The briefs are in opposition to the defendants Cobb County School District, the districts superintendent, the county Board of Education, and Chris Dowd, a former Atlanta Police Department officer and current employee of the district who was sued for acting unlawfully in a raid on a gay bar in 2009. The plaintiffs are represented by the Goodmark Law Firm, the Law Offices of Gerry Weber, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Education Association and the Southern Education Foundation.

Yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina announced that they are filing a lawsuit against heavy restrictions on gender-affirming care in the state owing to a recently passed bill.A law that takes away healthcare from people, that strips away the ability of parents to make medical decisions for their children, that criminalizes doctors who follow the established standards of care isnt just mean-spirited and harmful its also unconstitutional, said Jace Woodrum, Executive Director of the ACLU of South Carolina. Transgender South Carolinians should be able to get the medical care they need without politicians coming into their doctors offices with them. Thats why were challenging this dangerous law. Related Trans-affirming medical providers face increased stress & risk as states ban trans health care The waitlist is what keeps me up at night, one doctor in Minnesota which has seen an increase in people from red states seeking care said. The lawsuit concernsH.B. 4624, a total ban on gender-affirming care for minors that also restricts care for adults by removing gender-affirming care from the state Medicaid plan and by prohibiting the use of public funds for this care. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today This ban led to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the only public, statewide hospital system in the state, shutting down their gender-affirming care treatments, leading to many people being forcibly removed from their gender-affirming care plans.The plaintiffs and their lawyers argue that, because the restrictions only apply to transgender peoples gender-affirmign care and are not implemented broadly, it constitutes discrimination against transgender individuals and thus is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Affordable Care Act, the American Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. The Fourteenth Amendments Equal Protection Clause requires government impartiality, while the other three laws ban discrimination in various areas, including in health care.A primary part of the argument is that there is no legal justification for the bans and that they are the result of an ideological slant by lawmakers in the state. The complaint references how organizations like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the Endocrine Society back gender-affirming care. It also discusses the harms that this ban would do to those who are currently seeking out or undergoing gender-affirming care in the state, likely forcing them to move to another state.They reference the harm this would do to the plaintiffs, who include both adult and minor transgender individuals. This includes forcing them to go off of their gender-affirming care, being forcibly detransitioned, being unable to afford treatment, and being forced to undergo a puberty that they dont want to. One plaintiff even is having his surgery delayed because of MUSCs shutdown, which is causing additional financial and potentially physical harm. The ACLU is seeking out relevant temporary and permanent injunctions against the defendants and H.B. 4624, a waiving of fees for the plaintiffs, and for the costs and expenses of the plaintiffs to be covered.South Carolina House Majority Leader and bill sponsor David Hiott (R) said to Live 5 News shortly after the bill was passed, When God created us, he created us male and female, and thats it. There is no other choice, and all these other folks that want to change that from birth or change that through their life, we need to stand up against that.I feel so lucky and fortunate to be supported and affirmed by so many wonderful people who accept me for who I am, said plaintiff Sterling Misanin of Charleston, South Carolina, in a written statement.My family continues to be extremely supportive of me living as the man that I am. In Charleston, I have a wonderful community who make me feel safe and seen. But the actions by MUSC have caused me significant harm, and I am devastated that my state has interfered in my access to life-saving health care. I am an adult, and I know myself better than my state does, and I cannot stay silent about the very real harms that this law inflicts on transgender people like me. A spokesperson for the state attorney general said to The Guardian that they decline to comment but will vigorously defend the states laws.The plaintiffs in the case include Sterling Misanin, Jane Doe, Jill Ray, Nina Noe and her parent Nancy Noe, Grant Goe and his parent Gary Goe. They are represented by attorneys from the ACLU and Selendy Gay. The defendants include the state attorney general, the Department of Health and Human Services in the state, the Public Employee Benefit Authority, the President of MUSC, and the Board of MUSC.

In a victory for trans students right to privacy and autonomy, the New Hampshire Supreme Court today affirmed a lower courts ruling that upheld a school districts policy respecting students personal pronouns and maintaining student privacy when appropriate.The court concluded that the plaintiff, the mother of a student in the Manchester School District identified only as Jane Doe, failed to demonstrate that the Policy infringes a fundamental parenting right. Related The forced outing of queer students is now illegal in Californias public schools LGBTQ+ students across California can breathe a sigh of relief now that the first-of-its-kind law was passed, one LGBTQ+ org said. In their opinion, the court went much further, shutting down definitively the mothers claim that the schools policy respecting students privacy infringed on her ability to properly parent her child. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Policy, the court wrote, does not prevent parents from observing their childrens behavior, moods, and activities; talking to their children; providing religious or other education to their children; choosing where their children live and go to school; obtaining medical care and counseling for their children; monitoring their childrens communications on social media; choosing with whom their children may socialize; and deciding what their children may do in their free time. In short, the Policy places no limits on the plaintiffs ability to parent her child as she sees fit.School districts across the country have been battling far-right school board members and their allies in turning back privacy protections for LGBTQ+ students, and trans kids in particular.GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the ACLU of New Hampshire represented New Hampshire parent Heather Romeri and her trans son Nico, a New Hampshire high school student, on afriend-of-the-court brieffiled in the case,Jane Doe v. Manchester School District. It was important for me to have the support of other people I could trust to help me feel ready to talk to my parents, especially people who could help make it easier for me to talk to my mom, said Nico Romeri at the time the brief was filed.Added Nicos mother, Im so grateful that Nico has the support he needs in school. Of course I want my child to feel he can talk to me about anything, but above all I want him to feel safe and happy.Following todays ruling, GLAD Senior Staff Attorney Chris Erchull said, Schools must provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all students. Todays decision upholds that core value and allows schools to manage the educational environment so that all students have an equal and safe opportunity to learn. Added Henry Klementowicz, Deputy Legal Director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, Removing the Manchester School Districts existing, affirming policy would have created an environment where LGBTQ+ students dont feel safe being who they are and in school, they should feel safe, cared for, and able to learn to the best of their ability.Said trans high schooler Nico, Transgender students want the same opportunity to learn and be ourselves, just like any kid, without having to worry that adults at school will violate our trust. If someone had decided to tell my mom what they thought about my gender, it would have made things so much harder for me at school and at home.

Here are this weeks most popular positive stories, with some fun social media posts tossed in too. Like seeing uplifting content like this?Sign up for our Good News email.Schools back in session and our cafeteria is serving up heaping helpings of good news! This weeks menu includes some spicy drag queens, a sweet first date between two women, a big slice of community help, and a nice cool Texas drink to wash it all down.Were always interested in hearingyourgood news as well. So if you have any uplifting stories that youd like to see onLGBTQ Nation,write me an emailand you could find your tale at the head of the class. Hows that for being teachers pet? Cougars on the prowl! Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today View this post on Instagram A post shared by Devon Poole (@itsdevonpoole) Drag queens get payback after GOP politician tries to smear their reputationA New Hampshire state Republican thought he could talk trash about two local drag performers. But they fought back and taught him an important lesson: When you come for drag queens, you best not miss!Of course, drag queens have long been the glamorous warriors for the queer community. One fictional drag queenhelped raise some very real money for a queer youth charity, the musician Lizzogot a small army of drag queens to fight Tennessees anti-drag law, and one winner ofRuPauls Drag Racemade such an impression thatthey got a tribute on in the U.S. House of Representatives!Yasssss slay ladies, slay. This award-winning community organizer could become Floridas first out trans legislatorAshley Brundage created a scholarship foundation for youth and mentored children. Now, she could make history in The Sunshine State. Gay flight attendant wins job back after mystifying dismissalThe gay Virgin Australia flight attendant was dismissed from his job for the weirdest of reasons. Thankfully, he spoke up and is flying the friendly skies again.And now, some health advice from comedian Betty White View this post on Instagram A post shared by JASON ZEFFIR (@jasonzeffir) My first date with a girl went surprisingly wellShe went for a romantic beach walk with a woman named Penny now youre invited to be a fly on the wall and see how it all went. This story is guaranteed to make you smile. Texas brewery supports LGBTQ+ veterans with Big Gay BeerThe business turned lemons into lemonade, and helped queer military members in the process.Very demure TikToker Jools Lebrons viral fame is allowing her to fund her transitionLebrons workplace beauty advice caught on with celebrities and web users, and now she has partnered with brands like Verizon and Lyft. You go, gurl! Friends help each other out before a big day View this post on Instagram A post shared by PRIDE+GROOM (@pridegroomnyc) The White House is providing HIV funding to the people who need it mostThe Biden-Harris Administration is giving a $1.4 billion grant to poorer people living with HIV and its all part of a larger strategy to keep Americans happy and healthy.Lesbian DJ carries torch in Paralympic Opening CeremoniesDJ Barbara Bush appeared in a controversial Olympic Opening Ceremony segment featuring drag queens. Now shes stepping out to show that love and inclusion win. Hundreds march for trans visibility in DC: We stand tall because that is powerThe National Trans Visibility March returned to Washington, D.C., ensuring that trans people are a part of the national conversation. Youve never seen Titanic quite like this before View this post on Instagram A post shared by CM Omega (@cmyoshiiomega)From our sibling sites:OUTSPORTS:There are at least 41 out LGBTQ+ athletes at Paris Paralympics, a recordGAYCITIES:Welcome to the most unusual modern art museum in AmericaQUEERTY:Latin pop star Johann Vera comes out of the Closet & gets Ricky Martins approvalINTOMORE:This piece of rediscovered trans history will make your day

In Kentucky, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and other red states, state-funded universities and colleges are very publicly dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as state lawmakers threaten the state schools with legislation that hasnt even passed.It doesnt have to the threats just need to earn administrators attention. Related Alabama GOP passes extreme gag order to ban diversity discussions in universities The sweeping education bill also includes a trans bathroom ban. In the case of the University of Kentucky at Lexington, the state school disbanded its office promoting DEI efforts in response to lawmakers questioning whether UKs focus on identity has stifled political discussions, its president said Tuesday. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The school has listened to policymakers and heard many of their questions about whether we appear partisan or political on the issues of our day and, as a result, narrowly interpret things solely through the lens of identity, UK President Eli Capilouto wrote in a campus-wide email.In so doing, the concern is that we either intentionally or unintentionally limit discourse. I hear many of those concerns reflected in discussions with some of our students, faculty, and staff across our campus.While a bill addressing those concerns failed to make it out of the legislature, Capilouto acted preemptively to shut down the schools Office for Institutional Diversity and divide its responsibilities among other school departments; a new Office for Community Relations will take on some of the shuttered departments responsibilities, Capilouto said, and the restructuring wont result in job losses. The schools core values to protect academic freedom and promote a sense of belonging for everyone on campus, regardless of background or perspective, will remain intact, he added.A statement on UKs previous DEI office website read its mission was to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through the recruitment and retention of an increasingly diverse population. Initiatives promoting diversity-related experiences can help ensure success in an interconnected world, the mission statement read.In his statement, Capilouto noted other states have been grappling with the same issue. On Tuesday, Rodney Bennett, the first Black chancellor to run the University of Nebraska, announced plans to disband that schools Office of Diversity and Inclusion. I fully grasp the weight of this decision and its implications, but a centralized approach to this work is no longer right for our institution, Bennett said in a public letter.Like Kentucky, the Nebraska state school will split the former offices responsibility among other departments.In Iowa earlier this year, the Republican-led legislature approved a budget bill that would ban all DEI offices, while Missouri lawmakers have introduced several anti-DEI bills, although the legislation hasnt passed. Regardless, the University of Missouri recently announced it is dissolving that schools Inclusion, Diversity and Equity department and dispersing the staff.While rearranging the departments title didnt help save Missouris IDE office, dividing the mission among departments seems to have ameliorated lawmakers concerns, as it has in Kentucky and Nebraska.A true elimination of these DEI policies in our public universities will end the division they promote and allow our colleges and universities to be the true bastion of free thought we need them to be, Kentucky Republican state Sen. Mike Wilson said in a statement.How true that elimination turns out to be remains in the hands of university officials for now.

Same-sex coupling is not the sole province of us homo sapiens. Neither is mourning the death of our partners.WhenMagic the penguin recently died, its same-sex partner Sphen mourned by singing, and their rookery joined in. Related These 31 openly gay pets will melt your cold, dark heart We scoured two animal-obsessed Insta reels for the most utterly heartwarming moments. Were not entirely sure exactly what was being said in these moments of singing, but it was definitely a beautiful moment to witness, Renee Howell, the aquariums penguin keepertold Australias ABC. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today In 2018, their courtship became international when the two male gentoo penguins a power couple at the aquarium exhibited more than a mere bromance. Their romance and inseparable bond amazed their caretakers at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.Sphen and Magics six-year relationship is not unusual because same-sex penguin coupling is common, and gentoo penguins are for being romantic, monogamous, and equalitarian in their division of labor: especially in nest building, feeding, fostering, and raising chicks.Same-sex coupling is not a new phenomenon in the animal world. However, its disclosure and acceptance have grown in recent times, especially since, back in the day just like LGBTQ+ love it was closeted, pathologized, and erased. During the summer of 2005, more than a year after same-sex marriage became legal in the state, Bostons beloved pair of swans in the Public Garden named Romeo and Juliet began a love affair that dared not speak its name. As Bay Staters bantered and bickered over whether the two should be allowed to stay together or be separated, these swans were being subjected to the same queries that have plagued same-sex couples in heterosexist societies for centuries.Assuming that the swans were heterosexual until one of their eggs went unfertilized, Bostons Parks and Recreation Department decided to conduct a detailed gender test by examining the swans reproductive organs. The findings disclosed that Romeo and Juliet were really more like Juliet and Juliet.The city disclosed its findings, but very reluctantly, for fear of destroying the image of a Shakespearean love story unfolding, The Boston Globe reported. Some people, like Laura Elsheimer of Hudson, Massachusetts, told the Globe that the city zoo should have a Romeo. Spokeswoman Mary Hines of the citys Parks and Recreation Department told the Globe, Each year when the swans go in, the kids immediately come to us and say, Which ones Romeo and which ones Juliet?'However, neither girl swan lamented, O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Why? Because on any given day at the Public Garden, you could see them swimming happily together in the lagoon.Moreover, the swans had been cohabiting for two years. Animal scientists have observed the monogamous nature of swans, whether theyre in opposite-sex or same-sex coupling they stay with their mates until death, which can occur between 20 and 30 years. In 2024, sadly, the Christian Right still holds to its premise that homosexuality is an aberrant behavior and found only in those lost few.However, Bruce Bagemihls Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversitywas cited by the American Psychiatric Association in a friend of the court brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in theLawrence v. Texascase that led to state anti-sodomy laws being found unconstitutional.According to Bagemihl, homosexual activity occurs in more than 450 species of animals, both in the wild and in captivity, and same-sex couplings in animals can be as enduring and lifelong as they are in humans.For the religious fundamentalists, however, these findings are discarded on the premise that man can fight such animal same-sex attractions. In contrast, animals cannot fight them because God has uniquely given humans the capacity to reason.Sphen and Magics relationship thrived because it wasnt influenced and controlled by outside homophobic forces. They lived a life that many of us LGBTQ+ couples still strive to. Local and international fans of the power penguin couple expressed their condolences on Magics passing. Brett from the U.K. wrote, You and your partner Magic showed the world that same-sex love is indeed natural and that same-sex partners make brilliant parents. You will be missed.

Opening a gay bar in downtown Waterloo, Iowa, was not on Darin Becks bingo card a few years ago.Beck, the owner of a restaurant group with eateries and nightclubs in Cedar Falls and Iowa City, was already retired. But three years ago, as the COVID pandemic raged and the hospitality business ground to a halt in Waterloo, Beck came out as gay. He married his husband two years later. Related This city lost both of its LGBTQ+ spaces in the last two years. Now the community is rallying. They even got some help from Gloria Estefan. This one for me is very different and it really kind of comes from more of the heart than the head, so to speak, Beck told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Its just something that I feel fortunate I got to do. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Its refreshing and liberating, Beck said of owning a gay club. I was never, you know, ashamed or anything. I lived a straight life in the straight world. Guys like me didnt come to places like this.The place like this is the Rail Station, a spit-polished version of a longtime gay mainstay that it replaced, the Kings and Queens Club. The Rail Station opened just in time for the Waterloo Pride Fest last weekend.Becks co-owner John Hayes bought Kings and Queens in 2010 and ran the rundown bar until early 2020, when he sold it. He bought it back again in late 2022 but had to close it down permanently because it was in such disrepair. Drag queen Jessi Jade-Michaels, who was a regular and a performer at the old club, said a gay outpost in Waterloo was missed.Straight people can go into any bar and not have to worry about onlookers, she said, but its different for patrons like her.For a lot of people within the LGBT community, they cant walk into (other bars) holding another guys hand or another girls hand without the whole bar looking, she said. This is the spot where they can.She also said the old clubs closure affected revenue during Pridefest and that other bars on towns main drag on Fourth Street suffered because many patrons would bar-hop after drag shows wrapped. The Rail Station marks a new era in Waterloos gay nightlife.When hes not prepping Rail Station for the clubs grand opening, co-owner Hayes runs the bar at The Broken Record across the street, saying that not a day goes by without people asking when Rail Station will open.I cant pump gas without somebody asking, he said. The hype is definitely there. Im excited that everybodys excited about it.Hayes and Beck say the name was inspired by the multiple rail lines that run through Waterloo and acknowledges how train stations were once vibrant social hubs in their own right, a trend on the upswing with increased attention to rail transportation across the country.Added Hayes, laughing, Then Ive always said, depending on how creative your mind is, you can make your own interpretation of the name.

A new study published by researchers at the University of California Riverside has revealed the ideal phalloplasty results for transmasculine individuals. These results were based on participant input in clinical studies about the physical features that make penises most desirable.In aggregate, the review showed that participants favored penises with a longer shaft, a moderate-sized head, and a rounded ridge as the most preferable features. Additionally, participants preferred that penis width stay the same size rather than becoming gradually thicker or slimmer. Related Trans men hit back at haters & share how gender-affirming care saved their lives An anti-trans tweet about gender-affirming surgery led trans men to proudly share their scars. In terms of length, researchers found that previous research determined that 6.3 inches was a desirable length on average. The average male penis size is around 5.5 inches. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Additionally, medical professionals discovered different preferences from the average population in the study, suggesting that differences in medical training substantially impact the results.The ideal phallic esthetic varies by individual, and there were statistically significant preferences across age and sexual orientation, wrote lead author Dr. Justin Cordero, along with other collaborators on the study. This study can serve as a guide on phalloplasties for patients and gender-affirming surgeons.The study, published in the journal Urology, asked participants to respond to computer-generated images of different penis sizes and shapes to determine which is deemed to be the most desirable. While it primarily sampled cisgender individuals, it also included a sizable sample of transgender individuals, including transgender men as well. This study is especially important since it can help provide lifesaving care to transmasculine individuals, especially to help tailor their phalloplasties to individual wants and needs. Many people dont describe how they want their phalloplasty results to look in detail down to the exact angle of the head, so these results help surgeons better understand preferences so they can help their patients decide what they want, even if theyre unsure.The study conducted surveys on Reddit users, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Craigslist. The majority of participants were straight, but a substantial portion were LGBTQ+. Researchers used regression analysis to determine the general trends in the total study population of over 1,000 participants.

A new study published by researchers at the University of California Riverside has revealed the ideal phalloplasty results for transmasculine individuals. These results were based on participant input in clinical studies about the physical features that make penises most desirable.In aggregate, the review showed that participants favored penises with a longer shaft, a moderate-sized head, and a rounded ridge as the most preferable features. Additionally, participants preferred that penis width stay the same size rather than becoming gradually thicker or slimmer. Related Trans men hit back at haters & share how gender-affirming care saved their lives An anti-trans tweet about gender-affirming surgery led trans men to proudly share their scars. In terms of length, researchers found that previous research determined that 6.3 inches was a desirable length on average. The average male penis size is around 5.5 inches. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Additionally, medical professionals discovered different preferences from the average population in the study, suggesting that differences in medical training substantially impact the results.The ideal phallic esthetic varies by individual, and there were statistically significant preferences across age and sexual orientation, wrote lead author Dr. Justin Cordero, along with other collaborators on the study. This study can serve as a guide on phalloplasties for patients and gender-affirming surgeons.The study, published in the journal Urology, asked participants to respond to computer-generated images of different penis sizes and shapes to determine which is deemed to be the most desirable. While it primarily sampled cisgender individuals, it also included a sizable sample of transgender individuals, including transgender men as well. This study is especially important since it can help provide lifesaving care to transmasculine individuals, especially to help tailor their phalloplasties to individual wants and needs. Many people dont describe how they want their phalloplasty results to look in detail down to the exact angle of the head, so these results help surgeons better understand preferences so they can help their patients decide what they want, even if theyre unsure.The study conducted surveys on Reddit users, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Craigslist. The majority of participants were straight, but a substantial portion were LGBTQ+. Researchers used regression analysis to determine the general trends in the total study population of over 1,000 participants.

Opening a gay bar in downtown Waterloo, Iowa, was not on Darin Becks bingo card a few years ago.Beck, the owner of a restaurant group with eateries and nightclubs in Cedar Falls and Iowa City, was already retired. But three years ago, as the COVID pandemic raged and the hospitality business ground to a halt in Waterloo, Beck came out as gay. He married his husband two years later. Related This city lost both of its LGBTQ+ spaces in the last two years. Now the community is rallying. They even got some help from Gloria Estefan. This one for me is very different and it really kind of comes from more of the heart than the head, so to speak, Beck told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Its just something that I feel fortunate I got to do. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Its refreshing and liberating, Beck said of owning a gay club. I was never, you know, ashamed or anything. I lived a straight life in the straight world. Guys like me didnt come to places like this.The place like this is the Rail Station, a spit-polished version of a longtime gay mainstay that it replaced, the Kings and Queens Club. The Rail Station opened just in time for the Waterloo Pride Fest last weekend.Becks co-owner John Hayes bought Kings and Queens in 2010 and ran the rundown bar until early 2020, when he sold it. He bought it back again in late 2022 but had to close it down permanently because it was in such disrepair. Drag queen Jessi Jade-Michaels, who was a regular and a performer at the old club, said a gay outpost in Waterloo was missed.Straight people can go into any bar and not have to worry about onlookers, she said, but its different for patrons like her.For a lot of people within the LGBT community, they cant walk into (other bars) holding another guys hand or another girls hand without the whole bar looking, she said. This is the spot where they can.She also said the old clubs closure affected revenue during Pridefest and that other bars on towns main drag on Fourth Street suffered because many patrons would bar-hop after drag shows wrapped. The Rail Station marks a new era in Waterloos gay nightlife.When hes not prepping Rail Station for the clubs grand opening, co-owner Hayes runs the bar at The Broken Record across the street, saying that not a day goes by without people asking when Rail Station will open.I cant pump gas without somebody asking, he said. The hype is definitely there. Im excited that everybodys excited about it.Hayes and Beck say the name was inspired by the multiple rail lines that run through Waterloo and acknowledges how train stations were once vibrant social hubs in their own right, a trend on the upswing with increased attention to rail transportation across the country.Added Hayes, laughing, Then Ive always said, depending on how creative your mind is, you can make your own interpretation of the name.

Same-sex coupling is not the sole province of us homo sapiens. Neither is mourning the death of our partners.WhenMagic the penguin recently died, its same-sex partner Sphen mourned by singing, and their rookery joined in. Related These 31 openly gay pets will melt your cold, dark heart We scoured two animal-obsessed Insta reels for the most utterly heartwarming moments. Were not entirely sure exactly what was being said in these moments of singing, but it was definitely a beautiful moment to witness, Renee Howell, the aquariums penguin keepertold Australias ABC. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today In 2018, their courtship became international when the two male gentoo penguins a power couple at the aquarium exhibited more than a mere bromance. Their romance and inseparable bond amazed their caretakers at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.Sphen and Magics six-year relationship is not unusual because same-sex penguin coupling is common, and gentoo penguins are for being romantic, monogamous, and equalitarian in their division of labor: especially in nest building, feeding, fostering, and raising chicks.Same-sex coupling is not a new phenomenon in the animal world. However, its disclosure and acceptance have grown in recent times, especially since, back in the day just like LGBTQ+ love it was closeted, pathologized, and erased. During the summer of 2005, more than a year after same-sex marriage became legal in the state, Bostons beloved pair of swans in the Public Garden named Romeo and Juliet began a love affair that dared not speak its name. As Bay Staters bantered and bickered over whether the two should be allowed to stay together or be separated, these swans were being subjected to the same queries that have plagued same-sex couples in heterosexist societies for centuries.Assuming that the swans were heterosexual until one of their eggs went unfertilized, Bostons Parks and Recreation Department decided to conduct a detailed gender test by examining the swans reproductive organs. The findings disclosed that Romeo and Juliet were really more like Juliet and Juliet.The city disclosed its findings, but very reluctantly, for fear of destroying the image of a Shakespearean love story unfolding, The Boston Globe reported. Some people, like Laura Elsheimer of Hudson, Massachusetts, told the Globe that the city zoo should have a Romeo. Spokeswoman Mary Hines of the citys Parks and Recreation Department told the Globe, Each year when the swans go in, the kids immediately come to us and say, Which ones Romeo and which ones Juliet?'However, neither girl swan lamented, O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Why? Because on any given day at the Public Garden, you could see them swimming happily together in the lagoon.Moreover, the swans had been cohabiting for two years. Animal scientists have observed the monogamous nature of swans, whether theyre in opposite-sex or same-sex coupling they stay with their mates until death, which can occur between 20 and 30 years. In 2024, sadly, the Christian Right still holds to its premise that homosexuality is an aberrant behavior and found only in those lost few.However, Bruce Bagemihls Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversitywas cited by the American Psychiatric Association in a friend of the court brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in theLawrence v. Texascase that led to state anti-sodomy laws being found unconstitutional.According to Bagemihl, homosexual activity occurs in more than 450 species of animals, both in the wild and in captivity, and same-sex couplings in animals can be as enduring and lifelong as they are in humans.For the religious fundamentalists, however, these findings are discarded on the premise that man can fight such animal same-sex attractions. In contrast, animals cannot fight them because God has uniquely given humans the capacity to reason.Sphen and Magics relationship thrived because it wasnt influenced and controlled by outside homophobic forces. They lived a life that many of us LGBTQ+ couples still strive to. Local and international fans of the power penguin couple expressed their condolences on Magics passing. Brett from the U.K. wrote, You and your partner Magic showed the world that same-sex love is indeed natural and that same-sex partners make brilliant parents. You will be missed.

In Kentucky, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and other red states, state-funded universities and colleges are very publicly dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as state lawmakers threaten the state schools with legislation that hasnt even passed.It doesnt have to the threats just need to earn administrators attention. Related Alabama GOP passes extreme gag order to ban diversity discussions in universities The sweeping education bill also includes a trans bathroom ban. In the case of the University of Kentucky at Lexington, the state school disbanded its office promoting DEI efforts in response to lawmakers questioning whether UKs focus on identity has stifled political discussions, its president said Tuesday. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The school has listened to policymakers and heard many of their questions about whether we appear partisan or political on the issues of our day and, as a result, narrowly interpret things solely through the lens of identity, UK President Eli Capilouto wrote in a campus-wide email.In so doing, the concern is that we either intentionally or unintentionally limit discourse. I hear many of those concerns reflected in discussions with some of our students, faculty, and staff across our campus.While a bill addressing those concerns failed to make it out of the legislature, Capilouto acted preemptively to shut down the schools Office for Institutional Diversity and divide its responsibilities among other school departments; a new Office for Community Relations will take on some of the shuttered departments responsibilities, Capilouto said, and the restructuring wont result in job losses. The schools core values to protect academic freedom and promote a sense of belonging for everyone on campus, regardless of background or perspective, will remain intact, he added.A statement on UKs previous DEI office website read its mission was to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through the recruitment and retention of an increasingly diverse population. Initiatives promoting diversity-related experiences can help ensure success in an interconnected world, the mission statement read.In his statement, Capilouto noted other states have been grappling with the same issue. On Tuesday, Rodney Bennett, the first Black chancellor to run the University of Nebraska, announced plans to disband that schools Office of Diversity and Inclusion. I fully grasp the weight of this decision and its implications, but a centralized approach to this work is no longer right for our institution, Bennett said in a public letter.Like Kentucky, the Nebraska state school will split the former offices responsibility among other departments.In Iowa earlier this year, the Republican-led legislature approved a budget bill that would ban all DEI offices, while Missouri lawmakers have introduced several anti-DEI bills, although the legislation hasnt passed. Regardless, the University of Missouri recently announced it is dissolving that schools Inclusion, Diversity and Equity department and dispersing the staff.While rearranging the departments title didnt help save Missouris IDE office, dividing the mission among departments seems to have ameliorated lawmakers concerns, as it has in Kentucky and Nebraska.A true elimination of these DEI policies in our public universities will end the division they promote and allow our colleges and universities to be the true bastion of free thought we need them to be, Kentucky Republican state Sen. Mike Wilson said in a statement.How true that elimination turns out to be remains in the hands of university officials for now.

(@) Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, JD Vance, tried to roast Vice President yesterday but instead managed to insult a Republican former Miss Teen USA contestant and caused women on the internet to fantasize about chasing him with pitchforks and torches. The Ohio senator and V.P. hopeful sparked outrage after he likened Harris' performance in yesterday's CNN interview to the time Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton went viral back in 2007 for flubbing a question during the pageant. Before the CNN interview was even broadcast last night, Vance took to X to post the once viral clip of Upton's incoherent answer when she was asked why "a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map," along with the caption, "BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview."People quickly started berating Vance for resurfacing an embarrassing moment that caused Upton to contemplate suicide when it first went viral. But beyond that, it also manages to feel incredibly misogynistic something Vance has proven he's good at.He also failed to consider any of the context for the clip he used. First of all, at the time that happened, Trump owned the Miss Teen USA pageant, and he once bragged to Howard Stern that he used to make the rounds at the pageants when contestants weren't dressed, Vanity Fair reports. After the viral moment Vance posted, Upton signed up with Trump's modeling agency and then became a Trump supporter in 2020. So his post is essentially saying that Harris is so dumb and will perform so poorly that she's the equivalent of a MAGA woman. Vance also manages to embarrass himself at every turn, so he may want to stay in his lane. Not only has he pissed off "childless cat ladies" everywhere, but he made picking up donuts the most awkward thing to ever happen, and just yesterday, he was booed by members of the International Association of Firefighters during a speech. If we didn't know his horrific values and love of Project 2025, we'd almost think he was trying to tank his own election.Keep scrolling to see the funniest reactions to JD Vance being a sexist pig once again! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

The late 90s and early 2000s were a rough time to be a gay teen. Dont Ask Dont Tell was still in effect, the U.S. was many years away from the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage, Mathew Shepard was murdered in a horrific anti-gay hate crime that made national headlines in 1998, homophobic jokes were the norm on TV, and LGBTQ+ students were being harassed at schools all across the country.Today we are living through a moment when history is being made by a woman of color becoming the Democratic nominee for president of the United States for the first time and by Kamala Harris' side is Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, who has been breaking down barriers and standing up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community since his days as a high school teacher in the '90s.It was during this turbulent period that gay attorney and LGBTQ+ rights activist Jacob Reitan attended Mankato West High School in a Minnesota suburb where Walz taught social studies and coached the football team.I did receive a fair bit of bullying, Reitan told PRIDE. My house was egged, my car window was smashed in the school parking lot, gay epithets were chalked in my driveway, a brick was thrown through my dads office window.Born out of his activist spirit and his desire to come out of the closet and stop the bullying, Reitan founded his schools first Gay Straight Alliance in 1999 with the help of the man who is now delivering stump speeches alongside presidential hopeful Harris.When Mankato West High School principal John Barnett suggested Walz for the role of GSA faculty advisor, Reitan knew hed be the right fit because of how accepting both Walz and his wife Gwen who was also a dedicated high school teacher at the time had always been. In fact, Gwen Walz was the third person Reitan ever told he was gay after first coming out to his sister and a close friend. Gwen was my teacher in the 10th grade, and [she] started her 10th-grade class by saying, This is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people. Id never heard a teacher say positive things about gay people from the front of the classroom, he said.Starting a group for LGBTQ+ students and their allies in a small city in the Midwest during the late '90s was no easy feat, but choosing the ultimate All-American teacher to lead it turned out to be a brilliant decision. Walz was a veteran who devoted himself to his community, coached football, and was married to the cheerleading coach. He and his wife were on the prom committee and took students to China every summer, and Walz even gave up his free time to help build sets for the high schools theater department. Despite the possibility of blowback from the community and parents, he signed onto the job of faculty advisor for the GSA because he knew it was important. It really needed to be the football coach, who was the soldier and was straight and was married, Walz told the Minneapolis Star Tribune back in 2018.I think it would have been a lot easier for students or skeptical adults to push us off or silo the Gay Straight Alliance as a sort of fringe group over there, said Laura Matson, a close friend of Reitan who helped found the GSA as an ally, but the fact that Mr. Walz was involved, and Mrs. Walz was also a tremendously supportive figure in school and for the GSA, and having them in that role, I think it made it a lot harder to continue to marginalize the group and our gay students. The Walzes made it clear that they were part of the community just as much as the football team and the cheerleaders.With Walz at the helm and the support of the well-respected school principal, the GSA didnt face as much hate as they expected, but there were still detractors.Reitan recalls that every time the GSA put up posters advertising the group or one of their events, they would get pulled down and ripped up. Not to be deterred, the high school senior always picked up the pieces and eventually turned them into a mural emblazoned with the words, Symbols of our hate.The group also faced backlash when it came time for them to organize a Human Rights Week for the school, which focused on a different form of discrimination each day for a week, including gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and disability.Both the school and Reitans parents received angry letters and phone calls from disgruntled parents who threatened to keep their teens home on the day sexual orientation would be highlighted, but Walz refused to back down and kowtow to closed-minded parents.It might have been easier for them to just say, You know, this is really sensitive. People are upset, lets try again next year. But they didnt, Matson explained. They really supported us, and we went through with it, and they said, If parents dont want to send their kids to school on that day, thats their right, but well keep going with it.Moments like this planted the seed for the LGBTQ+ rights activism that became a cornerstone of Reitans career. Those people remain very special to me, including Mr. And Mrs. Walz, for the support that they showed during a time that was not an easy time for gay people, Reitan said.In the years since his tenure heading the GSA, Walz has made supporting LGBTQ+ rights a pillar of his political career, never shying away from it even when it may have helped him win elections to do so.When Walz decided to run for congress, he paid Reitans parents a visit, and when they told him he didnt need to fight for gay marriage on their account, he stood firm in his convictions.He said, I have to look my gay students in the eye. Im for gay marriage. And so when he ran for congress the first time in 2006, he ran on the position of being for gay marriage, Reitan said.As governor, he went even further and made Minnesota a sanctuary state for transgender people, signed a bill prohibiting bans on books in public schools and libraries, protected access to gender-affirming care, and banned conversion therapy.This is in stark contrast to JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, who has repeated the conservative narrative that LGBTQ+ people are groomers and was the primary sponsor of two bills that, if passed, would have rolled back transgender rights by banning gender-affirming care and disallowing the X gender marker on passports. At a time when it feels like we are backsliding and anti-LGBTQ+ laws are sweeping the nation, and Republicans are spewing hateful rhetoric that doesnt feel all that different from the Moral Majority of the 1980s, having someone in the White House who is willing to stand up for the queer community will be the bulwark we need. Walz has proven himself to be a politician capable of creating great change and a staunch LGBTQ+ ally, still both Reitan and Matson described finding out their former faculty advisor was being nominated as vice president of the United States as surreal.I really believe he is right for this position, Matson said, and it is so gratifying and heartening after so many years of rancor and vitriol in our politics to see someone who I genuinely know to be a wonderful person with a good heart having this national profile.After talking to a friend who was seeking asylum in the U.S. because of anti-LGBTQ+ violence in his home country, Reitan realized that having an ally in the White House like Walz could create real change. "I can think of no better person to send to talk about those issues and have someone care," he said.According to Reitan, Tim Walz and his wife Gwen are the kind of people you would want in a position of power, "They're out of a Hallmark movie in terms of how decent they are as people, and it's exactly what would want as vice president."