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Donald Trump Claims Schools are Performing Gender-Affirming Surgeries on Transgender Kids
When Gus Walz Cried at DNC, His Tears Helped Free Us All From Toxic Gender Roles

Major Companies Turning Away From DEI Programs and Caving to the Far-Right

How Pro-LGBTQ is Kamala Harris?

Queer Highlights of the Paris 2024 Olympics

Team LGBTQ Finishes in 7th Place at Paris Olympics, With Most-Ever Medals

NFL Star Harrison Butker is Standing Behind His Homophobic and Misogynistic Remarks
Medal Count: LGBTQ Olympians Who Won Medals in Paris 2024

Record Number of Out Athletes Compete In Summer Olympics

Trump Repeats False Claims That Children Undergo Transgender Surgery at School

Trump’s remarks escalate conservatives’ claims that educators are “grooming” or “indoctrinating” children to become gay or transgender....
 

Former President Donald Trump repeated his false claim that children are undergoing transition-related surgery during their school day, worsening fears among some conservatives that educators are pushing children to become transgender and aiding transitions without parental awareness.

“Can you imagine you’re a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, ‘Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day in school,’ and your son comes back with a brutal operation? Can you even imagine this? What the hell is wrong with our country?” Trump said at a recent campaign rally.

Trump made similar remarks — saying children were returning home from school after having had surgical procedures — the previous weekend at an event hosted by Moms for Liberty, a parent activist group that has gained outsized influence in conservative politics in recent years.

Asked by one of the group’s co-founders how he would address the “explosion in the number of children who identify as transgender,” Trump said: “Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation. The school decides what’s going to happen with your child.”
 

There is no evidence that a student has ever undergone gender-affirming surgery at a school in the US, nor is there evidence that a US school has sent a student to receive such a procedure elsewhere.

About half the states ban transition-related surgery for minors, and even in states where such care is still legal, it is rare. In addition, guidelines from several major medical associations say a parent or guardian must provide consent before a minor undergoes gender-affirming care, including transition-related surgery, according to the American Association of Medical Providers. Most major medical associations in the US support gender-affirming care for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. For those who opt for such care and have the support of their guardians and physicians, that typically involves puberty blockers for preteens and hormone replacement therapy for older teens.

Kate King, president of the National Association of School Nurses, said that even when it comes to administering over-the-counter medication such as Advil or Tylenol, school nurses need explicit permission from a physician and a parent. “There is no way that anyone is doing surgery in a classroom in schools,” she said when she was asked about Trump’s remarks.

Trump’s claims stand out even amid years of allegations by conservative politicians and right-wing media pundits that teachers, Democratic lawmakers and LGBTQ adults are “grooming” or “indoctrinating” children to become gay or transgender.

The practice of labeling LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and trans women, as “groomers” and “pedophiles” of children had been relegated to the margins for decades, but the tropes resurfaced during the heated debate over Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in March 2022. The law limits the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in school and has been replicated in states across the country.

Trump Repeats False Claims That Children are Undergoing Transgender Surgery During the School Day
Moms For Liberty Founder is Thankful for Trump's School Transgender Surgery Lie
Trump Is Convinced That Trans Kids Are Getting Gender-Affirming Surgeries… at School?
Trump Falsely Claims Children Being Forced into Gender Transition Ops at School

At the Republican National Convention in July, at least a dozen speakers (including DeSantis and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga) mentioned gender identity or sexuality negatively in their speeches. DeSantis, for example, alleged that Democrats want to “impose gender ideology” on kindergartners.

Nearly 70% of public K-12 teachers who have been teaching for more than one year said topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity “rarely or never” come up in their classrooms, according to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center. Half of all teachers polled, including 62% of elementary school teachers, said elementary school students should not learn about gender identity in school.

Trump vowed last year that if he is re-elected he would abolish gender-affirming care for minors, which he equated to “child abuse” and “child sexual mutilation.” This year, Trump also said he would roll back Title IX protections for transgender students “on day one” of his potential second presidential administration. His campaign website says he would, if he is re-elected, cut federal funding for schools that push “gender ideology on our children” and “keep men out of women’s sports.”

During his first administration, Trump barred trans people from enlisting in the military (which he has vowed to do again if he is re-elected) and rolled back several antidiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people.

[Source: Matt Lavietes, NBC News, Sept 2024]

Donald Trump Claims Schools are Performing Gender-Affirming Surgeries on Transgender Kids
When Gus Walz Cried at DNC, His Tears Helped Free Us All From Toxic Gender Roles

Major Companies Turning Away From DEI Programs and Caving to the Far-Right

Queer Highlights of the Paris 2024 Olympics

Team LGBTQ Finishes in 7th Place at Paris Olympics, With Most-Ever Medals

NFL Star Harrison Butker is Standing Behind His Homophobic and Misogynistic Remarks
Medal Count: LGBTQ Olympians Who Won Medals in Paris 2024

Record Number of Out Athletes Compete In Summer Olympics

Did You Know Most Anti-LGBTQ Legislation has Failed?
HRC Report: LGBTQ People are Far Better Under Joe Biden than Donald Trump

JD Vance Faces Criticism From Advocates for His Cruel Record on LGBTQ Issues

Major Companies Cutting Diversity Programs

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policies on the Chopping Block...
 

Ford and Lowe's are the latest corporations to join the list of companies cutting diversity programs. Due to growing pressure from the far-right political wave, major companies are ditching "woke" policies.

DEI programs, including LGBTQ policies, have been on the chopping block at various noteworthy companies in recent months. Google and Meta downsized DEI teams in 2023; Zoom laid off its DEI team earlier this year. These moves have been happening at the same time that many states have restricted DEI programs at their colleges and universities.

Harley-Davidson is dropping DEI policies after pressure from diversity critics. Harley-Davidson said it is ditching some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals, a move that comes after it faced pressure from anti-diversity critics on social media.

Tractor giant John Deere announced it will scuttle nearly all its DEI polices in favor of a quality-based workplace. That followed a decision last month by farm chain retailer Tractor Supply to axe all DEI goals and positions.

Zoom, Snap, Tesla, DoorDash, Lyft, Home Depot, and Wayfair have also downsized their DEI teams. Overall, DEI-related job postings declined by 44% by mid-2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

[Source: QC Team, August 2024]

Advocate: Major Companies Turning Away From DEI Programs and Caving to the Far-Right
Forbes: Companies Quitting DEI Programs
Ford Joins List of Companies Walking Back DEI Policies
Harley-Davidson Dropping DEI Policies After Pressure From Diversity Critics
Tech Companies Like Google and Meta Make Cuts to DEI Programs
Ford Motor Company Will No Longer Participate in Annual LGBTQ Equality Survey
Amid DEI Cuts, Microsoft Tries to Distinguish Itself From Those Responding to Woke Backlash
Did You Know Most Anti-LGBTQ Legislation has Failed?
HRC Report: LGBTQ People are Far Better Under Joe Biden than Donald Trump

JD Vance Faces Criticism From Advocates for His Cruel Record on LGBTQ Issues

LGBTQ Athletes at Paris Olympics

At least 175 out LGBTQ athletes are competing in Paris in the 2024 Summer Games...  with a record number of out male Olympians participating....   and Tom Daley is flagbearer for Great Britain...

In the last Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, there were at least 186 out competitors. And the Paris list is expected to grow.
 

This year, at least 18 male athletes participating in the summer Olympics are publicly out. Equestrian, an Olympic sport with eight LGBTQ men participating, has long been a leader in this space of out men.

Team LGBTQ Athletes at the Olympics

Queer Highlights of the Paris 2024 Olympics

Paris Olympics: Already Super Gay on Day One

Medal Count: LGBTQ Olympians Who Won Medals in Paris 2024

Celine Dion at the Paris Olympics

Medal Count for LGBTQ Olympians in Paris 2024

Tom Daley Wins a Medal and Shows Off His Pride at Paris Olympics
Amandine Buchard: First Out Gay Olympian to Win Medal in Paris

Tom Daley Dives with Pride at Paris Olympics
Team LGBTQ Currently Tied with Canada in Paris Olympics Medal Count

Out Athlete Lauren Scruggs Wins Fencing Silver Medal
Olympic Opening Ceremony Explained
Tom Daley’s Husband and Kids Share Good Luck Messages Ahead of Olympic Diving Final
Lady Gaga at Paris Olympics

Team LGBTQ Finishes in 7th Place at Paris Olympics, With Most-Ever Medals

Record Number of Out Athletes Compete In Summer Olympics

Over 175 LGBTQ Athletes Compete in Paris Olympics

Maxim Bouchard: Coming Out as Gay Helped Him Reach the Olympics
Tom Daley Among Flagbearers at Olympics Opening Ceremony Who are LGBTQ and Out

From the Closet to the Podium: How LGBTQ Olympians Have Become Unbeatable

How the Olympics Became the Queerest Sporting Event in the World

Tom Daley Among Flagbearers at Olympics Opening Ceremony Who are LGBTQ and Out
LGBTQ Athletes We'll be Rooting for at the 2024 Olympics

Nikki Hiltz: Trans and Nonbinary Runner Who’s Olympics-Bound

Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Griner Welcome Their First Baby

More Olympic News

The vast majority of athletes on the list of queer Olympians are women. Lesbians and other queer women represent at least half of two teams: the US women’s basketball team, where six of the 12 players are out, and the Australian women’s soccer team, where at least nine of the 18 players are out. Given how many lesbians are in women’s elite level sports, it’s just been a more welcoming place than men’s sports for a long time, just because of the huge percentage of elite level athletes, particularly in Western culture, who are LGBTQ in women’s sports.

However, in the world of men’s sports, where LGBTQ athletes in the past might have been uncomfortable coming out, more male athletes are realizing that their teammates are more accepting than they may have assumed.  Despite the nonsense that goes on in some men’s locker rooms, it doesn’t reflect an actual level of acceptance. The level of acceptance is higher than what we think.

Some of the highest profile queer athletes at this year’s Olympic Games include British diver Tom Daley, track star Sha’Carri Richardson and trans nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz. At the US Olympic Trials last month, Hiltz ran the second fastest time ever of any American in the women’s 1,500-meter race.

Hiltz will be one of at least three nonbinary athletes participating in Paris. They’ll be joined by US women’s rugby player Kris Thomas and Canadian soccer star Quinn, who helped Canada win a gold medal at the Tokyo Games and made history in the process as the first openly trans athlete to nab an Olympic medal.

Women’s soccer, across all participating countries, is the queerest sport at the Olympics this year. Brazil’s team has eight out athletes this year, while Australia’s roster has nine, which might be the most LGBTQ people we’ve ever seen on an Olympic team.

[Source: Isabel Yip, NBC News, July 2024]

Trump’s VP Pick JD Vance is an Anti-LGBTQ Nightmare
LGBTQ Population in US Grows by Over 2 Million

RNC Speakers Lean into Homophobic and Transphobic Rhetoric

If You Think Project 2025 is Scary, Take a Look at Donald Trump's Agenda 47
Thailand Becomes First Southeast Asian Nation to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Democratic National Convention Will be Celebration of Diversity in Chicago
Project 2025: Blueprint for Oppression of LGBTQ Americans
Thailand Approves Landmark Bill to Legalize Marriage Equality

Number of LGBTQ Elected Officials Jumps Nearly 200% Since 2017, Report Finds

Tim Walz Joins the Harris Ticket

Governor... Democratic Member of Congress...  US Army Veteran... Schoolteacher and Coach...  LGBTQ Supporter

Kamala Harris officially announced her Vice Presidential Running Mate for her 2024 Presidential Campaign. Her choice is Tim Walz. Congratulations to Governor Walz! He brings a lot of impressive credentials to the table:

--Governor of Minnesota (Since 2019)
--Member of US House of Representatives (12 years) and Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee (2 years)
--Former Schoolteacher and High School Football Coach and Faculty Advisor for Gay-Straight Alliance
--Retired US Army National Guard (24 years), deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom, Army Commendation Medal
--Bachelor degree in Social Science Education and Master degree in Educational Leadership

He was a high school geography teacher and football coach.  He led his team to its first state championship. He was also the faculty advisor for the first Gay-Straight Alliance at the school.

As Governor, Walz pushed for and signed a wide range of legislation that included tax modifications, free school meals, bolstering state infrastructure, gun background checks, codifying abortion rights and free college tuition for low-income families.

In Congress, Walz backed legislation that ranged from moderate to liberal.  He supports labor unions and workers' rights. In his first week as a legislator, Walz cosponsored a bill to raise the minimum wage, voted for stem cell research, voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices, and voiced support for pay-as-you-go budget rules, requiring that new spending or tax changes not add to the federal deficit. He was the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress. In his first month in Congress, Walz was appointed to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. That same year he was appointed to the Armed Services Committee.

Walz received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union, American Immigration Lawyers Association, AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and National Organization for Women.

Walz supports LGBTQ rights, including federal anti-discrimination laws on the basis of sexual orientation. He called for an end to the Don't ask, don't tell policy. Walz voted in favor of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act.  He received a 90% grade from the Human Rights Campaign. Walz supported the Respect for Marriage Act.  As governor, Walz has signed a number of bills that support the LGBTQ community. He signed a bill that banned the practice of conversion therapy and another that protected gender-affirming care in Minnesota.
 

How Pro-LGBTQ is Kamala Harris?

Video: Is Kamala Harris an LGBTQ Ally?

Did You Know Most Anti-LGBTQ Legislation has Failed?

When Gus Walz Cried at DNC, His Tears Helped Free Us All From Toxic Gender Roles

HRC Report: LGBTQ People are Far Better Under Joe Biden than Donald Trump

JD Vance Faces Criticism From Advocates for His Cruel Record on LGBTQ Issues

Trump’s VP Pick JD Vance is an Anti-LGBTQ Nightmare
RNC Speakers Lean into Homophobic and Transphobic Rhetoric

If You Think Project 2025 is Scary, Take a Look at Donald Trump's Agenda 47
Democratic National Convention Will be Celebration of Diversity in Chicago
Project 2025: Blueprint for Oppression of LGBTQ Americans
Number of LGBTQ Elected Officials Jumps Nearly 200% Since 2017, Report Finds

How Pro-LGBTQ is Kamala Harris?

Answer: Very

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be the Democratic presidential nominee now that President Joe Biden has exited the race and has endorsed her. She brings a long and strong record of support for LGBTQ equality, reproductive freedom, and other progressive causes.

If she wins in November, Harris will make history as both the first woman to be president and first woman of color in the nation’s highest office — the first Black woman and the first one of South Asian heritage. She'd also most likely be the most pro-LGBTQ president.

Harris was born October 20, 1964, in Oakland, Calif., and grew up in Berkeley and the surrounding East San Francisco Bay Area, along with spending a few years in Montreal. She is the daughter of two immigrants — her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in India, and her father, Donald Harris, in Jamaica. Gopalan was a research scientist and Harris an economist. Her parents were active in the civil rights movement and took young Kamala to marches in a stroller. She is a graduate of Howard University, one of the nation’s preeminent historically Black universities, and earned a law degree from the University of Hastings College of Law. In 2014, she married Douglas Emhoff, a lawyer. They have two children, Ella and Cole.

"I have taken on perpetrators of all kinds...

Predators who abused women... fraudsters who ripped off consumers...

cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.

So, hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.”

-Kamala Harris

Harris began her law career in 1990 in the district attorney’s office in Alameda County, Calif. There, she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases. In 2003, she was elected district attorney for San Francisco City and County. The following year, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom declared same-sex marriage legal in the city, Harris conducted marriages for same-sex couples. “One of the most joyful moments of my career was performing the marriages in 2004. Truly joyful,” Harris said. “I’ll never forget pulling up to see all the families of every configuration and just pure joy, pure happiness,” she said on the call. “It was such a special moment, and it was all about love.”

She established a hate-crimes unit in the DA’s office as well as an environmental justice unit. She also created a program to give first-time drug offenders the opportunity to earn a high school degree and find employment. The US Department of Justice called it a national model of innovation for law enforcement.

In 2010, she was elected California attorney general, overseeing the largest state-level justice department in the nation. As AG, she played a key role in restoring marriage equality in the Golden State. One of the signature issues in her campaign was her opposition to Proposition 8, the voter-approved ballot initiative that revoked marriage equality in California in 2008, undoing the state Supreme Court decision that allowed same-sex couples to marry. Both she and Jerry Brown, who was elected governor in 2010, said they would not defend Prop. 8 in court, and Brown’s predecessor as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had done the same. If Steve Cooley, Harris’s opponent in the AG race, who had pledged to defend Prop. 8, had won, it might have changed the ballot measure’s fate.
 

How Pro-LGBTQ is Kamala Harris?

Video: Is Kamala Harris an LGBTQ Ally?

Human Rights Campaign: Endorses Kamala Harris for President

When Gus Walz Cried at DNC, His Tears Helped Free Us All From Toxic Gender Roles

Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on LGBTQ Rights? Does She Support the Queer Community?
How LGBTQ and Democratic Leaders are Reacting to Biden Dropping Out, Endorsing Harris
NBC News Back in 2020: Kamala Harris Brings Pro-LGBTQ Record to Biden Ticket

Over 25,000 LGBTQ People Attend Call for Kamala Harris as Enthusiasm Mounts
How Much Do You Know About Kamala Harris and Her Stance on LGBTQ Rights?

As it was, the proposition’s supporters had to defend it against court challenges, and courts all the way up to the US Supreme Court agreed they didn’t have legal standing to do so, and because of that Prop. 8 was struck down. After Prop. 8 bit the dust in 2013, she officiated the first post-Prop. 8 same-sex marriage in California, between Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, who had been part of the court case.

As AG, she went on to lead efforts to abolish gay and transgender “panic” defenses in criminal trials. She received some criticism for a position she took as AG, backing the state of California when it sought to deny gender-affirmation surgery to a trans prisoner. But Harris has pointed out that when she was attorney general, the state’s Department of Corrections was a client of hers, and she had to represent its interests — but she worked behind the scenes to get the policy changed so that any inmate requiring such procedures could receive them.

Also as AG, she won a $20 billion settlement for state residents who had lost their homes to foreclosure and a $1.1 billion settlement for those who were cheated by a for-profit education company. She defended the Affordable Care Act in court and enforced environmental laws.

She was elected to the US Senate in 2016. She received perfect 100 scores on the Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard, which measures support for LGBTQ equality, before leaving the Senate to become vice president. Her record likewise includes perfect ratings from reproductive rights groups such as Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America (now known as Reproductive Freedom for All), and NARAL Pro-Choice California.

Human Rights Campaign: Endorses Kamala Harris for President
Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on LGBTQ Rights? Does She Support the Queer Community?
How LGBTQ and Democratic Leaders are Reacting to Biden Dropping Out, Endorsing Harris
NBC News Back in 2020: Kamala Harris Brings Pro-LGBTQ Record to Biden Ticket

Over 25,000 LGBTQ People Attend Call for Kamala Harris as Enthusiasm Mounts
How Much Do You Know About Kamala Harris and Her Stance on LGBTQ Rights?

As a senator, she introduced a bill to mandate insurance coverage of pre-exposure prophylaxis, the HIV prevention method, and she notably stumped Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh with a question on marriage equality during his confirmation hearings. Further, “she championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize America’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis,” according to her official White House biography.

Her advocacy for progressive causes has continued during her vice presidency. She has spoken out against the rash of anti-LGBTQ legislation in conservative states around the country, such as “don’t say gay” laws affecting education and bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. “I hate bullies,” she told The Advocate in the 2023 interview. She noted that the politicians attacking LGBTQ people and reproductive rights are usually the same. “The intersection on the issue of reproductive care and trans care, and the ability of families to be able to have care for their children and their families, is really, again, an intersection around attacks that are on an identity,” she said.

She has hosted Pride Month receptions and visited New York City’s Stonewall Inn, where an uprising against police harassment of gay bars in 1969 jump-started the modern LGBTQ rights movement. She met with WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner, before Brittney’s first game after her release from captivity in Russia.

President Biden honored her work on marriage equality by gifting her with the pen he used to sign the Respect for Marriage Act in December 2022. The act wrote marriage equality into federal law, protecting it against future negative Supreme Court action.

Video: Is Kamala Harris an LGBTQ Ally?

Human Rights Campaign: Endorses Kamala Harris for President

When Gus Walz Cried at DNC, His Tears Helped Free Us All From Toxic Gender Roles

Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on LGBTQ Rights? Does She Support the Queer Community?
How LGBTQ and Democratic Leaders are Reacting to Biden Dropping Out, Endorsing Harris
NBC News Back in 2020: Kamala Harris Brings Pro-LGBTQ Record to Biden Ticket

Over 25,000 LGBTQ People Attend Call for Kamala Harris as Enthusiasm Mounts
How Much Do You Know About Kamala Harris and Her Stance on LGBTQ Rights?

The possibility of that action became top of mind with the high court’s 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established abortion rights nationwide, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. States are now free to ban or severely restrict the procedure, and about half of them have. While Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the opinion, said it shouldn’t be read as opening attacks on other precedents, both he and fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas have said they’d like to see the court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling overturned. Thomas also called for overturning decisions that struck down sodomy laws and state bans on contraception. That would take a case on any of the issues coming to the Supreme Court, but that’s possible.

Since the Dobbs ruling, Harris has talked extensively about the importance of reproductive freedom. She and Biden have called on Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe. Americans need to send a message to anti-choice politicians that their actions are not acceptable, she said at a reproductive rights rally this year in Virginia.

She has remained equally outspoken on LGBTQ rights. “The fight for equal rights is patriotic,” she said at a 2023 Pride reception. “We believe in the foundational principles of our country; we believe in the promise of freedom and equality and justice. And so the fight for equal rights is an expression of our love of our country.”

[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate Magazine, July 2024]

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Trump’s VP Pick JD Vance is an Anti-LGBTQ Nightmare
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If You Think Project 2025 is Scary, Take a Look at Donald Trump's Agenda 47
Thailand Becomes First Southeast Asian Nation to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Democratic National Convention Will be Celebration of Diversity in Chicago
Project 2025: Blueprint for Oppression of LGBTQ Americans
Thailand Approves Landmark Bill to Legalize Marriage Equality

Number of LGBTQ Elected Officials Jumps Nearly 200% Since 2017, Report Finds

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month 2024

Outspoken: President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and Pop Singer Adele all stood up for LGBTQ rights...

President Joe Biden proclaims June 2024 as Pride Month...   Jill Biden blasts Donald Trump as "Dangerous" in a surprise appearance at Pittsburgh LGBTQ Pride Fest...  and Adele gives a harsh but perfect response to a homophobe who yelled 'Pride Sucks' at her concert...

President Joe Biden recognized Pride Month this year saying the period celebrating LGBTQ life, experiences, struggles, and history, helps to “reflect on the progress we have made so far in pursuit of equality, justice, and inclusion.”  Biden pointed to the “courage” of LGBTQ people to live out and proud even when it was dangerous to do so. Evoking the Stonewall uprising in 1969, the president said that it was the catalyst for LGBTQ civil rights in the US.  he added, “Courageous LGBTQ Americans continue to inspire and bring hope to all people seeking a life true to who they are.”

President Joe Biden Calls on LGBTQ Community to Wave Their Pride Flags High

Jill Biden blasts Donald Trump as Dangerous in Surprise Appearance at Pittsburgh LGBTQ Pride Fest
Adele Gives Perfect Response to Homophobe Who Yelled 'Pride Sucks' at Her Concert
President Biden and First Lady Punctuate Pride Month with Attendance at LGBTQ Fundraiser in New York City

Why June is LGBTQ Pride Month

In the proclamation, Biden referred to his administration’s advancement of LGBTQ rights, including his signing of the Respect for Marriage Act, his order ending the ban on trans service members in the military, as well as executive orders protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in health care, employment, education, and more. He referred to his administration’s push to end conversion therapy and to stop the ongoing HIV epidemic.

The president referenced the ongoing attacks against LGBTQ people, especially those who are transgender and LGBTQ youth. The ACLU is tracking more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills in the US as of May 31. “These bills and laws attack our most basic values and freedoms as Americans: the right to be yourself, the right to make your own medical decisions, and the right to raise your own children. Some things should never be put at risk: your life, your safety, and your dignity,” Biden said in the proclamation. He also mentioned the violence queer people have faced in attacks at Club Q in 2022 and Pulse in 2016.

[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, June 2024]

President Biden Proclaims Pride Month

“We are doing this work here at home and around the globe, where LGBTQ community members are fighting for recognition of their fundamental human rights and seeking to live full lives, free from hate-fueled violence and discrimination. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high.”
-President Joe Biden, June 2024

President Joe Biden Calls on LGBTQ Community to Wave Their Pride Flags High

Jill Biden blasts Donald Trump as Dangerous in Surprise Appearance at Pittsburgh LGBTQ Pride Fest
Adele Gives Perfect Response to Homophobe Who Yelled 'Pride Sucks' at Her Concert
President Biden and First Lady Punctuate Pride Month with Attendance at LGBTQ Fundraiser in New York City

Why June is LGBTQ Pride Month

First Lady Speaks Out

“I see such joy and beauty and boldness in your faces, and I love it... Every year during June, we gather in communities across this country to celebrate how far we’ve come, to reflect on the bravery required to live an authentic life, and to honor the courage it takes to stand up for what’s right..  This community is under attack. Rights are being stripped away; freedoms are eroding. We must fight these measures with everything we have... Donald Trump is a bully. He’s dangerous to the LGBTQ community, to our families, to our country, and we cannot let him win."

-Jill Biden, First Lady, June 2024

Adele Responds to Heckler

"What was that? Did you just say Pride sucks? Did you come to my show and just say that Pride sucks? Are you fucking stupid? Don’t be so fucking ridiculous. If you got nothing nice to say, shut up, all right?"
-Adele, June 2024

Pride Flags Vandalized

Over 150 rainbow flags lining New York City’s Stonewall National Monument for LGBTQ Pride Month were vandalized for the second year in a row. Someone broke flags both inside and outside the monument, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department said. The vandal climbed a fence to gain access to the monument, the spokesperson said. The incident comes on the heels of other Pride and Pride-flag related backlash during the month of June.

[Source: NBC News, June 2024]

President Joe Biden Calls on LGBTQ Community to Wave Their Pride Flags High

Jill Biden blasts Donald Trump as Dangerous in Surprise Appearance at Pittsburgh LGBTQ Pride Fest
Adele Gives Perfect Response to Homophobe Who Yelled 'Pride Sucks' at Her Concert
President Biden and First Lady Punctuate Pride Month with Attendance at LGBTQ Fundraiser in New York City

Why June is LGBTQ Pride Month

Drag Queen Carries Olympic Torch

Nicky Doll Carries the Olympic Flame for 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Nicky Doll – a contestant on season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the host of Drag Race France – carried the Olympic flame for a stretch in Arles, France, in May 2024 as it makes its way to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Nicky Doll is one of the most internationally recognized drag performers in France and is now the second drag queen to carry the Olympic flame. She regarded the honor as a "consecration for a drag queen! It shows that we’re accepted by our beautiful country! The flame passes from hand to hand, with no concern for sexual orientation or profession.”
 

Drag Star Nicky Doll Carries the Olympic Flame

French Drag Queens Make History as Part of 2024 Paris Olympics
Three French Drag Queens Are Carrying the Country’s Olympic Torch

The International Olympic Committee made the celebration of diversity a goal for the 2024 games, including equality among genders. The first drag queen to carry the flame was Miss Martini in Digne-les-Bains, France, just a day before Nicky Doll carried it.  “It’s a strong message for all forms of diversity,” Miss Martini said. “We are here, we exist. We are all respected.”  At least one more drag queen – Minima Gesté in Paris – is scheduled to carry the Olympic flame.

As Nicky Doll celebrated her historic run, she said it was “an absolute honor" to have carried the Olympic torch. “As the flame passes through France, it announces the Olympic Games and spreads a message of peace and friendship between peoples."

[Source: Alex Bollinger, LGBTQ Nation, May 2024]

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Trump’s VP Pick JD Vance is an Anti-LGBTQ Nightmare

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Drag Star Nicky Doll Carries the Olympic Flame

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Presidential Medal of Freedom Awards

Civil rights, LGBTQ rights, statesmanship, science, entertainment, sports...

In May 2024, President Biden named nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. These nineteen Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped America for the better. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service.

Among the nineteen honorees was Judy Shephard. In his remarks to Judy Shephard, the mother of Matthew Shepherd, Biden noted its been 25 years since her son was brutally killed at 21 years old for being openly gay.  "The brutal murder of your son galvanized a movement, leading to a law in his name to protect LGBTQ Americans," Biden said. "Your relentless advocacy is a reminder that we must give hate no safe harbor."

Judy Shephard issued this statement afterwards: “This unexpected honor has been very humbling for me, Dennis, and our family. What makes us proud is knowing our President and our nation share our lifelong commitment to making this world a safer, more loving, more respectful and more peaceful place for all. I am grateful to everyone for the love and support through the years. It has allowed our work to continue. If I had the power to change one thing, I can only dream of the example that Matt’s life and purpose would have shown, had he lived. This honor reminds the world that his life, and every life, is precious.”

Also included in the line-up were Jan Rigby (lesbian scientist) and Michelle Yeoh (lesbian actress).
 

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Judy Shephard - LGBTQ Rights Activist Michelle Yeoh - Actress Jane Rigby - Astronomer Frank R. Lautenberg - Politician Nancy Pelosi - Politician Phil Donahue - Talk Show Host Jim Clyburn - Politician Katie Ledecky - Athlete Opal Lee - Civil Rights Activist John Kerry - Politician

Elizabeth Dole - Politician Michael Bloomberg - Businessman Al Gore - Politician Clarence B. Jones - Civil Rights Activist Jim Thorpe - Athlete Greg Boyle - Priest Medgar Evers - Civil Rights Activist Ellen Ochoa - Astronaut Teresa Romero - Labor Leader

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Jodie Foster Leaves Her Mark in Cement

The footprint ceremony came the same day as the 10th anniversary of Foster's marriage to Alexandra Hedison

Jodie Foster placed her handprints and footprints in cement Friday at the famed TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles in April 2024 — on the day that was also the 10th anniversary of her marriage to Alexandra Hedison.

Before planting her hands and feet in the wet cement, Foster spoke for a few minutes in front of the theater, thanking family, friends, and colleagues for their support. “The person that I have to thank the most, really, is my wife, Alex, who I cannot believe was so generous to give up our 10-year anniversary day to come and do this with me,” she said. “Like, what are you thinking? How come you didn’t say no? I love you so much and I’m so grateful for the life we have together.” Hedison was in the front row of spectators at the ceremony.

Jodie Foster Marks 10th Anniversary with Wife at Hand and Footprint Ceremony
Jodie Foster Leaves Her Mark in Cement
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“I love my life and I’m so grateful that all of you guys think I’m OK,” Foster said to the crowd. Foster was introduced by longtime friend Jamie Lee Curtis. She paid homage to Foster’s talent and dedication, and she noted that she and Foster starred in different movie versions of the same story 27 years apart — Freaky Friday, in which a mother and daughter switch places. Curtis cited the wedding anniversary as well.

“She is soft and funny and romantic and beautiful, and I could and would go on and on, but the cement is ready,” Curtis added.

The ceremony came during the TCM Classic Film Festival. Foster was a guest speaker at a screening of The Silence of the Lambs, for which she received the second of her Academy Awards for Best Actress, the first having been for The Accused.

TCM host Ben Mankiewicz also praised Foster at the ceremony, calling her "one of the great actors of her generation." He added, "Jodie has never been better than she is right now, mesmerizing us alongside Annette Bening, earning an Oscar nomination just last year in Nyad, and inviting us to look deep into her soul to figure out what is motivating this person as the Ennis, Alaska, police chief Liz Danvers in the fourth season of True Detective."

"She is kind, she is thoughtful, she is contemplative, she is honest, she is forgiving, she is decent," he concluded. "I think Jodie Foster represents the best this town has to offer."

[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate Magazine, April 2024]
 

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Another Anti-LGBTQ GOP Wacko for Jesus!

GOP candidate Drenda Keesee compares LGBTQ activists to Hitler and says demons are turning kids trans...
She is running unopposed in Ohio and has dedicated her career as a pastor to protecting kids from liberals trying to brainwash them...

Drenda Keesee, a pastor, right-wing extremist, and full-fledged conspiracy theorist running uncontested for a commissioner seat in Knox County, Ohio, has spent her career spreading dangerous anti-LGBTQ propaganda. She’s even claimed that LGBTQ rights activists have taken a page from Hitler’s playbook in the way they are “indoctrinating” youth.

“You can do all kinds of surgeries on the outside but it cannot change what God created,” Keesee said. “They’re either XX female or they’re XY male.”   She then claimed children are being targeted by an evil agenda and are “being brainwashed” all day long: “These children’s souls are at stake, their bodies are at stake… demonic spirits are attacking them, and satanic hordes are infiltrating them and even possessing their bodies.”

She also decried so-called critical race theory being taught in schools and claimed schools are pushing pornography on kids. (Porn is often used by the right as a thinly veiled code word for LGBTQ content.) She said kids “could be taken for life by these alien entities called demons” and added that trophies and scholarships are being taken from young girl athletes, no doubt implying trans girls should not be allowed to participate in girls’ sports.

Keesee claims she doesn’t hate anyone before declaring that Hell is real, there is a devil, and gay relationships are “abominations” that Satan created to confuse people into rejecting God. It is also an abomination, she added, when people “experiment with bodies and change them from what God designed them to create — he created male and female.” People like LGBTQ folks who follow Satan, she said, will suffer “eternal hell” in the “lake of fire.”

She claimed kids are “being bombarded constantly with messaging that makes them question whether they’re male or female… Because just like Hitler, they know if you’re going to mold a child, you mold them at the youngest age you can before they have a developed consciousness of what is right and wrong.” She said kids are being exposed and indoctrinated to “transgender ideology” and the “rainbow movement” everywhere they go.

Keesee also proclaims that “LGBTQ agendas” are part of a plot to destroy America and that Satan is the architect behind LGBTQ inclusion.


[Source: Molly Sprayregen, LGBTQ Nation, April 2024]
 

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Even in Red States, Vast Majority of Americans Support LGBTQ Protection Laws

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Laverne Cox is Begging All Queer Americans to Vote Democrat in the 2024 Election

Nex Benedict's Death Sparks Calls Against Anti-LGBTQ Bullying Nationwide

Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in First for an Orthodox Christian Nation

Ron DeSantis Cheers as University of Florida's Anti-LGBTQ President Fires all Diversity Staff

Global Black Pride Event Comes to Atlanta for 2024

The city will sizzle this summer as the first US city to host the global event..

Global Black Pride announced Atlanta will host its first-ever US event later this year. The event will host events empowering the Black queer experience, as well as dance parties and musical events Atlanta Global Black Pride 2024 takes place August 27 to September 2.

“We are honored and excited to bring Global Black Pride to the United States for the first time, choosing Atlanta as our host city,” Micheal Ighodaro, President of Global Black Pride, said in a statement. “Known for its deep roots in civil rights history and a vibrant sense of community, Atlanta is the ideal location to celebrate our diversity, resilience, and the ongoing fight for equality and justice,”.
 

“Atlanta proudly stands as the LGBTQ capital of the south and a champion for human rights, not only in our region but on a global scale,” Malik Brown, the City’s Director of LGBTQ Affairs, said in a statement. “We are honored to welcome the first-ever Global Black Pride gathering in the United States to the vibrant City of Atlanta.”

Atlanta Global Black Pride will host a series of workshops, conferences including examining human rights, lectures, and empowerment brunches. The event will also feature a booze cruise, dance parties, live main stage performances, and even Whipped University – An Erotica Dance and Theatric Experience.

Global Black Pride was founded in 2020 in response to the global pandemic and economic shutdown and as a means to connect and involve an isolated Black queer community. Global Black Pride held its first in-person event last year in Toronto. Atlanta Global Black Pride 2024 represents the first time a US city will host the event.

[Source: Donald Padgett, Advocate, April 2024]

Global Black Pride Comes to Atlanta for 2024

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First lady Jill Biden Slams Attacks on LGBTQ Rights by MAGA Extremists

Jill Biden Spoke at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner in March 2024

Today, the LGBTQ community is under attack. Rights are being stripped away. Freedoms are eroding. More and more state laws are being passed targeting this community. Just last night, we had to fend off more than 50 anti-gay amendments that Republicans tried to force into the government funding bill.

These were extreme measures aimed directly at this community – measures that would have limited healthcare, eroded protections for same-sex couples, and more. And they served only one purpose: to spread hate and fear.

History teaches us that democracies don’t disappear overnight.  They disappear slowly. Subtly. Silently.  A book ban. A court decision. A “don’t say gay” law. Before World War II, I’m told, Berlin was the center of LGBTQ culture in Europe. One group of people loses their rights. And then another, and another. Until one morning you wake up – and you no longer live in a democracy.

Laws and attitudes can lead to devastating consequences – harm that can’t be undone, that leaves parents torn by grief. Parents and grandparents like Sue Benedict – may Nex rest in peace – and the countless others who have lost LGBTQ children to suicide, bullying, and hate. Parents who have stood by their kids, loved them, learned from them, but who will never have another tomorrow with them.

This is our chapter of history – and it’s up to us how it ends.  This isn’t the first time we have been tested. We have faced unspeakable tragedies before. An assassination in San Francisco. A barren field in Wyoming. A nightclub in Orlando.  And each time, we have persevered, we have pulled ourselves up from the depths of despair – with hope, with grace, and with love.  Our victories testify to that strength.

Thanks to President Biden, marriage equality is now the law of the land. He ended the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. He’s made it possible for trans Americans to serve openly, honorably in the military. And he’s standing firmly against conversion therapy. There are victories in the small moments too – moments that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago: Being free to walk down the street as your authentic self. Co-workers that use your chosen name and pronouns. Communities that support you and understand you.

Yes, the MAGA extremists are seeking to erase these hard-fought gains, trying to unwind all the progress we’ve made. They want us to be afraid.  They want to take our victories away, but we won’t let them. Your President won’t let them. I won’t let them.  We’re going to fight. And we will win. Today, tomorrow, and all the days after, until all people in all places can live freely, surrounded by love.  I love you. Your President, Joe Biden loves you.

[Source: Human Rights Campaign, US White House, March 2024]

Global Black Pride Comes to Atlanta for 2024

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Death of Oklahoma Teen After a Fight in School has LGBTQ Advocates Seeking Answers

City Tries to Ban Pride Events, Gets Slapped With $500,000 Fine Instead
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Senate Confirms First Openly LGBTQ Judge to Serve on 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals

Nicole Berner, top lawyer for one of the largest US labor unions, won US Senate approval for a seat on the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, making her the first openly LGBTQ judge to serve on the Richmond, Virginia-based court.

She is the 30th woman confirmed to a federal appeals court under Biden and 11th openly LGBTQ judge, a number that ties former Democratic President Barack Obama’s eight-year record.  Berner’s confirmation helped further fulfill Biden’s campaign pledge to diversify the federal judiciary. Biden’s decision to nominate Berner followed calls from progressive advocates for the White House to appoint more pro-union labor lawyers to the bench at a time of rising unionization efforts nationwide and strikes in major industries.

The Democratic-led Senate, on a 50-47 vote, confirmed Nicole Berner, the Service Employees International Union’s general counsel, with Republicans opposing her citing her advocacy against right-to-work laws and for liberal causes.

Berner, a former staff attorney at Planned Parenthood, has worked since 2006 at SEIU, which represents about two million workers. She is also a partner at the union-side labor law firm James & Hoffman.
 

She is married to Debra Katz, a prominent lawyer who during now-US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s 2018 confirmation hearings represented Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused him of sexual assault.

[Source: Reuters, March 2024]

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LGBTQ Population in the US Grows by Over 2 Million
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Death of Oklahoma Teen After a Fight in School has LGBTQ Advocates Seeking Answers

City Tries to Ban Pride Events, Gets Slapped With $500,000 Fine Instead
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Anti-LGBTQ Bills Die in Florida as DeSantis Influence Wanes

21 viciously anti-LGBTQ bills fail

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) dropped out of the presidential primary after running on his record of demonizing the LGBTQ community and fighting against “woke” diversity efforts. Now, like DeSantis’ failed campaign, his anti-LGBTQ efforts are going down in flames. 21 of the nation’s most vicious bills proposed this year have died after the Florida legislature adjourned for the session. Only one bill that targeted the queer community was passed.

Proposed laws that would have expanded the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law from the classroom into the workplace failed, as did another that would have banned Pride flags from schools and government buildings. Another bill would have required transgender people’s driver’s licenses to show their sex assigned at birth. A fourth would have made it “defamation” to describe someone as homophobic or transphobic.

The lone bill that passed this year prohibits teachers from being educated on diversity topics and bans “teaching identity politics.”
 

Signed into law by DeSantis (R) in 2022, the “Don’t Say Gay” law initially banned classroom instruction on sexuality and gender identity in grades K–3 but was expanded to ban instruction on those topics in all grades. A settlement announced yesterday clarifies vague language in the law that is similar to the language in the one passed this year.

The law sparked DeSantis’s campaign against the LGBTQ community and “woke” businesses, including his notorious ongoing battle with Disney. In March 2024, a federal appeals court ruled unanimously that Florida can’t enforce its new “Stop WOKE Act.” One of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ (R) most hyped laws, it prohibits businesses from requiring employees to attend mandatory diversity and inclusion training.

During his failed presidential bid, DeSantis hyped the “Stop WOKE Act” on the campaign trail. “Despite years of relentless attacks and dehumanizing rhetoric, LGBTQ people and our allies have never given up the fight for Florida. And we are shifting the momentum,” Human Rights Campaign spokesperson Geoff Wetrosky said. “The fight to free Florida from the grip of Governor DeSantis’ devastating and extreme agenda of government censorship and intrusion into people’s lives is far from over. And the devastation he and his allies have caused will last long after these politicians are gone. But the tide is turning. Perhaps the anti-LGBTQ fever in Tallahassee is beginning to break. The people will prevail.”

[Source: Bil Browning, LGBTQ Nation, March 2024]
 

Anti-LGBTQ Bills Die in Florida as DeSantis Influence Wanes

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Meet Emma Mulvaney-Stanak

First Woman and First Out Queer Mayor of Vermont's Largest City

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who was previously a state representative, said that "when you have marginalized people at the table, decisions change because you remember humanity matters."

Vermont's largest city has elected its first woman mayor, who also happens to be the city's first out queer mayor. State Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, a progressive, made history in the city of Burlington when she won her election in March 2024 against City Councilor Joan Shannon, a Democrat who was considered the race's frontrunner. Mulvaney-Stanak won by a margin of over five points, claiming 50.48 percent of the vote.

The progressive replaces Miro Weinberger, who has been the city's mayor for the past 12 years. When announcing last year that he would not seek reelection, Weinberger said that he hoped a woman or person of color would take his place. He has hailed Mulvaney-Stanak's election as "historic," stating: “These are important milestones for the community and a remarkable accomplishment."

"When you have marginalized people at the table, decisions change because you remember humanity matters," she continued in her speech. "You remember that young people matter, that children matter. You can come to the table with a different orientation and perspective.” She added: “As your next mayor, I'm going to tell you the future's bright, but you know what? It's not all on me. It's on all of us."

[Source: Ryan Adamczeski, Advocate, March 2024]

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak: First Woman and First Out Queer Mayor of Vermont's Largest City

Laverne Cox is Begging All Queer Americans to Vote Democrat in the 2024 Election

Nex Benedict's Death Sparks Calls Against Anti-LGBTQ Bullying Nationwide

Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in First for an Orthodox Christian Nation
LGBTQ Population in the US Grows by Over 2 Million
Biden Reverses Trump Policy Allowing Doctors to Deny Care to LGBTQ Patients

Death of Oklahoma Teen After a Fight in School has LGBTQ Advocates Seeking Answers
Mike Johnson Speaks at Hate Group Summit Alongside Anti-LGBTQ Pastor

National Crisis: Trump for President

The Death of Nex Benedict

Death of Oklahoma Teen After a Fight in School has LGBTQ Advocates Seeking Answers

16 year old student, Nex Benedict, whose family says identified as nonbinary, died February 2024, one day after a fight with others at Owasso High School in northeastern Oklahoma. Police in Owasso are investigating. Advocates point to a heightened and hostile climate against the LGBTQ community.

It is not clear if or how the fight contributed to Nex’s death. Police in Owasso have not called the investigation criminal and said that early autopsy findings indicate Nex did not die as a result of trauma. “Preliminary information from the medical examiner’s office is that a complete autopsy was performed and indicated that the decedent did not die as a result of trauma,” Owasso police said.

Sue Benedict, Nex’s guardian and biological grandmother, said that Nex was badly beaten during the fight with three older girls in a bathroom at the school and hit their head on the floor. Benedict said Nex had experienced bullying at the school, but added, “I didn’t know how bad it had gotten.”

“I said, ‘You’ve got to be strong and look the other way, because these people don’t know who you are,’” Benedict said.
 

Nex was a 10th grader and used they/them pronouns, according to their family. “Nex did not see themselves as male or female,” Benedict explained.

Earlier this month, a physical altercation in an Owasso High School West campus bathroom was broken up by students and a faculty member, according to Owasso police. All students walked to the assistant principal’s office and the nurse’s office, police said. After contacting parents and guardians and conducting health evaluations, a nurse suggested Nex be taken to a hospital for further care.  The following afternoon, Owasso Fire Department medics responded to a medical emergency involving the teenager, who was then transported to a pediatric emergency hospital where they later died, police said.

The Benedict family said that while the investigation is ongoing, the early details about the incident are “troubling at best.” they went on to say, “We urge those tasked with investigating and prosecuting all potentially liable parties to do so fully, fairly and expediently. We know all too well the devastating effects of bullying and school violence, and pray for meaningful change wherein bullying is taken seriously and no family has to deal with another preventable tragedy.”

[Source: Andy Rose and Whitney Wild, CNN, Feb 2024]

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President Biden Addresses LGBTQ Youth Suicide Crisis in Statement on Nex Benedict
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HRC President Demands Federal Investigation into Nex Benedict’s Death Amid Oklahoma’s Anti-LGBTQ Climate

Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in First for an Orthodox Christian Nation
 

Greece is the 16th European Union nation...

and the 35th country worldwide to legalize same-sex marriages

Greek lawmakers voted in Feb 2024 to legalize same-sex marriage in a landmark decision that will make it the first Orthodox Christian country to do so.

The passage of the law — which was drafted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government and had support from four left-wing parties — makes the nation the 16th within the European Union and the 35th worldwide to legalize same-sex nuptials, according to a tally from the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. Gay marriage is also legal in the territories of Taiwan and Greenland.

A cross-party majority of 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat Parliament voted in favor of the bill. Another 76 rejected the reform while two abstained from the vote and 46 were not present for the vote.

Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in First for an Orthodox Christian Nation

Hundreds of Protesters Opposed to Bill Allowing Same-Sex Marriage Rally in Greek Capital
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage: First for Orthodox Christian Country

“People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us. And with them, many children will finally find their rightful place,” Mitsotakis told lawmakers ahead of the evening vote.

Greece has allowed civil unions for same-sex couples since 2015. However, that law did not permit same-sex parents to both claim legal guardianship over their children. The new law amends this, though it still would prohibit same-sex male couples from having children through surrogate mothers in Greece, an option available to single women and heterosexual couples who require surrogates due to health reasons.

The legalization of same-sex marriage has come under fierce criticism from the Greek Orthodox Church, which teaches that homosexuality is a sin. Conversely, some LGBTQ advocates have criticized the law, arguing that it does not go far enough. The vote comes as the Orthodox Christian nation has loosened its regulations around LGBTQ people in the last decade.

Two years after the country passed the 2015 law allowing civil unions for same-sex couples, lawmakers passed legislation that would allow people to have their gender identity legally recognized. In 2022, Greek legislators also banned the widely debunked practice of conversion therapy nationwide, something that is still widely available in more historically progressive nations, including the United States.
 

The passage of same-sex marriage in Greece coincides with a precarious time for LGBTQ rights around the world.

While lawmakers in the United States enshrined same-sex marriage into federal law in 2022, state legislators have also proposed and enacted hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills in recent years.

Late last year, Russia’s Supreme Court designated the LGBTQ social movement as extremist, which critics have argued effectively bans any organized advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ rights. Local reports have shown Russian police raiding gay bars in cities across the country since the court’s ruling.

And in Uganda, lawmakers enacted one of the world’s most punishing anti-LGBTQ laws, which would criminalize landlords who knowingly house LGBTQ people and impose the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”

[Source: Matt Lavietes, NBC News, Feb 2024]

Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in First for an Orthodox Christian Nation

Hundreds of Protesters Opposed to Bill Allowing Same-Sex Marriage Rally in Greek Capital
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage: First for Orthodox Christian Country

2024 Golden Globes

So much queer representation at the 2024 Golden Globes!

The 81st Golden Globe Awards ceremony kicked off in January 2024 with a dazzling red carpet event featuring plenty of LGBTQ talent and beauty. With so many queer films, TV shows, actors, and musicians nominated in different categories, our community is definitely being well-represented at the ceremony.

Between the casts from All of Us Strangers, Nyad, Rustin, Fellow Travelers, and The Last of Us, to name a few, we’re getting lots of LGBTQ representation at the 2024 Golden Globes. And we love to see it!
 

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On hand for the event were Bella Ramsey, Andrew Scott, Wanda Sykes, Jonathan Bailey, Dylan Mulvaney, Colman Domingo, Raúl Domingo, Hunter Schafer, Matt Bomer, Jelani Alladin, Billie Eilish, Noah J. Ricketts, Jodie Foster, Hari Nef, and Lily Gladstone.

[Source: Bernardo Sim, Out Magazine, January 2024]

2024 Golden Globes: LGBTQ Celebs Who Walked the Red Carpet
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Golden Globes 2024: Complete Winners List

Here’s All the 2024 Golden Globes Gay Goings-on

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Lily Gladstone Talks She/They Pronouns and Gender-Inclusive Award Categories
 

Anti-LGBTQ Rights Bills Flood State Legislatures

New year's resolution...  More than 275 bills targeting LGBTQ rights in 2024...

State legislatures have introduced more than 275 bills targeting LGBTQ rights for 2024 sessions, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), signaling an increased focus on LGBTQ rights among conservative legislators in the new year.  The mark follows more than 500 similar bills in 2023. The legislation targets issues including gender-affirming care for young people and adults, the ability of students to choose their gender in schools, transgender student athletes and restrictions on LGBTQ speech.

“Transgender people across the country are enduring a historic and dangerous effort to control our bodies and our lives, fueled by extremist politics with the goal of erasing us from public life,” ACLU attorney Harper Seldin said.  “Taken together, these proposals are a blatant effort to deny transgender people the freedom to be ourselves at school, at work, and the support of the medical care many of us need to live,” he said. “We at the ACLU and our nationwide affiliate network stand ready to defend our freedoms and our families from this baseless assault.”

Only the Second Week of 2024: These Vile Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Already Been Introduced

More Than 275 Bills Targeting LGBTQ Rights Flood State Legislatures

For LGBTQ Rights, 2023 Was a Year of Fighting: Here’s What We Won
Flood of Anti-LGBTQ Bills Shows GOP Wants to Eradicate Trans People From Public Life
Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in US State Legislatures
Roundup of Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Advancing In States Across the Country

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a pro-LGBTQ advocacy group, declared a “national state of emergency” in June 2023 over the wave of anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in states. More than 80 anti-LGBTQ laws were enacted this past year.

More than 200 of the 2024 bills are focused on education, by the ACLU’s count, including more than 30 targeting transgender athletes, 36 on school curriculums and 38 regarding the forced outing of LGBTQ students to their parents. Nearly 120 included provisions limiting access to health care, mostly gender-affirming surgeries for minors. Some bills included multiple anti-LGBTQ issues.

Many of the laws passed in 2023 were challenged in court, and state and federal courts have struck down attempted bans on gender-affirming care in Arkansas, Indiana, Montana and Florida. Similar bans in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas and Georgia, however, were upheld in court.

More than a third of transgender children and adolescents in the US live in a state that has banned gender-affirming health care, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

[Source: Nick Robertson, The Hill, Jan 2024]

LGBTQ Stars Absolutely Ruled 2023​
Out 100: 2023 List of LGBTQ Celebrities

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

NBC News: Here are the Top LGBTQ News Stories of 2023

Nearly 30% of Gen Z Adults Identify as LGBTQ, National Survey Finds
2023’s Legislative Attacks on LGBTQ Rights

75 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Become Law in 2023

Less GOP and More LGBTQ: Gen Z is More Likely to be Queer than Republican

Norman Lear, TV Pioneer and LGBTQ Ally, Dies at Age 101

Here Are All the Celebrities Who Came Out as LGBTQ in 2023

Queer Year in Review: 2023

Highlights of some of the top LGBTQ news stories and events this past year...

For the LGBTQ community, 2023 offered some bright spots and some sad moments. Certainly there was a good mix of events to celebrate and incidents to detest.  Let's look back at 2023 and recall some of the stories that caught our attention.

In politics, the US Congress had a record number of LGBTQ members:11 in House of Reps, 2 in Senate, 13 total. Laphonza Butler, of California, makes history as the first LGBTQ person of color in the US Senate.  And Virginia voters elected the first transgender candidate, Danica Roem, to be state senator.

Those Were the Good Old Days by Randy Rainbow

NBC News: Here are the Top LGBTQ News Stories of 2023

Out 100: 2023 List of LGBTQ Celebrities

Most Uplifting Moments for LGBTQ People in 2023

In the entertainment world, TV host Robin Roberts, of Good Morning America, publicly announced her engagement to Amber Laign. Gay television producer Ryan Murphy received Golden Globes Lifetime Achievement Award. Sam Smith (non-binary) and Kim Petras (transgender) won a Grammy Award for "Unholy."  Everything Everywhere All at Once wins Best Picture Academy Award and The Whale won Best Actor Award (Brenden Fraser). Barry Manilow broke Elvis Presley's record of the most shows in Las Vegas. Pop music legend Elton John performed his farewell concert tour after a 50 year career. And George Michael was posthumously inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Among the many movies with LGBTQ performers and themes were Red White and Royal Blue, Nyad, May December, Bottoms, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Joy Ride, Dangerous Boys to Know, Monica, Erin's Guide to Kissing Girls, In From the Side, Good Grief, Rustin, Love Lies Bleeding, and Theater Camp.

In the sports world, Carl Nassib, NFL Football Athlete, announced his serious relationship with Olympic Swimmer Søren Dahl.  And USWNT soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe retired.

Our Favorite Songs by LGBTQ Artists in 2023

LGBTQ Celebs, Allies and Icons We Lost in 2023

Our Favorite LGBTQ Movies of 2023

Queerest Moments of 2023
 

Celebrities who came out as LGBTQ this year included Billie Eilish, Wayne Brady, Alexander Lincoln, Anderson Comas, Bella Ramsey, Karan Brar, Mo’Nique, and Noah Schnapp.

Kid Rock ridiculed Bud Light beer for promoting their brand with trans celebrity Dylan Mulvaney.  Two trans women competed in Miss Universe pageant: Marina Machete (Miss Portugal) and Rikkie Valerie Kollé (Miss Netherlands).  Transgender singer Kim Petras appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine Swimsuit Edition and GQ Magazine named Troye Sivan "Man of the Year."

Vintage drag queens were in the news in 2023. Darcelle XV, of Portland, Oregon, world’s oldest working drag queen, died at 92. Famous British drag queen Paul O'Grady (Lily Savage) died at 76. Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage) died at 89.  Drag queen Jinkx Monsoon played Mama Morton in the Chicago musical on Broadway. And San Francisco named the nation's first Drag Laureate, D'Arcy Drollinger.

We lost Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazing LGBTQ rights advocate, who died at 90. We also mourned the passing of US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, the first woman on Supreme Court.  Norman Lear also died; his TV shows drew attention to racism, bigotry, sexism, women's issues, and homophobia. This was also the year that homophobic Christian televangelist Pat Robertson died.

LGBTQ Stars Absolutely Ruled 2023​

Best Albums by LGBTQ Artists of 2023

Here Are All the Celebrities Who Came Out as LGBTQ in 2023

US legislators (and hate groups) stepped up opposition this past year to LGBTQ people, trans people, and drag performers. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis enacted extreme anti-LGBTQ legislation affecting education, healthcare, and other services.  Nationwide, we saw drag queen storytime banned, books with LGBTQ content banned, and health services to trans people banned. But, in the midst of a national wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, President Biden hosted large-scale a LGBTQ Pride event at White House. He also vowed to uphold LGBTQ rights in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

And, rounding out the LGBTQ news stories of 2023, for what its worth, Pope Francis gave permission for Catholic priests to "bless" same-sex relationships.

Current LGBTQ News
 

Ian McKellen Fears Return of Section 28: There Would be Revolution in the Streets
Remembering Norman Lear and His Pioneering LGBTQ-Inclusive Shows

Ron DeSantis Destroyed by Gavin Newsom in Debate
LGBTQ Nation: Let’s Break the Palestinian-Israeli Impasse

Newly Elected House Speaker Mike Johnson: Very Anti-LGBTQ
Democratic Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Bill to Ban Gender-Affirming Care for Kids
GQ Man of the Year Troye Sivan: More In Touch With His Femininity Than Ever

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96

More Than 300 Trans and Gender-Diverse People Were Killed in 2023, Per New Report
LGBTQ Nation: End the Cycle of Violence, Stop the Blame

New House Speaker's Views on LGBTQ Issues Come Under Fresh Scrutiny

Sandra Day O’Connor, First Female Supreme Court Justice, Dies at 93
Before Obergefell, Sandra Day O’Connor Married Two Gay Men

Norman Lear | 1922-2023

Norman Lear made funny sitcoms about serious topics...

He addressed hot button issues with humor, courage, curiosity, and compassion...

Norman Lear, iconic, award-winning American television writer, film producer, director, and activist died at the age of 101.

He began his career in the 1950s as a comedy writer. He became known for his roster of hit sitcoms that completely revolutionized television in the 1970s. Norman Lear changed sitcoms and America for the better and profoundly altered the TV landscape.

He is famous for such hit TV shows as All in the Family, Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, and One Day at a Time. These shows mixed situation comedy with social commentary. After Lear gained a foothold, nothing on television was ever the same. The families in Lear's shows had conversations about the real things that were going on in the 1970s. Before these shows, television worlds were simpler, nicer places, never controversial or upsetting.

Remembering Norman Lear

Remembering Norman Lear and His Pioneering LGBTQ-Inclusive Shows

Norman Lear, TV Pioneer and LGBTQ Ally, Dies at Age 101

Norman Lear, Producer of ‘All in the Family’ and Influential Liberal Advocate, Dies at 101

His characters were flawed, imperfect, and human. Lear incorporated concerns about money, race, women’s rights, bigotry and more into his shows. He stuck to his conviction that the ‘foolishness of the human condition" made great television

His shows took on unresolvable issues that were at the heart of inequality and struggle in American society. He tackled everything from homophobia, sexism, racism, abortion, politics, war, and more.

He also was a champion of Latine, black, and minority actors and issues.

Norman Lear was a creative genius, a groundbreaker, and pioneer in the entertainment field. He was an artist, a storyteller, a wise sage, a freedom fighter, and influential liberal advocate. As a political activist, he founded the People for the American Way organization.

President Joe Biden said, “Norman loved America and told our stories with heart, facing the good, the bad, and the truth of who we are as a nation striving to form a more perfect union. He made generations of Americans care, and we are grateful.”

Remembering the Life of TV Producer Norman Lear
Norman Lear, Boundary-Breaking TV Master Behind ‘All in the Family’ and Progressive Activist, dies at 101
Remembering Television Pioneer Norman Lear
Norman Lear, Producer of All in the Family, Dead at 101
 

Mike Johnson: New Speaker of the House is Anti-LGBTQ
 

It's another perspective on the homosexual lifestyle, which many people believe is morally wrong and physically dangerous."

-Mike John, New Speaker of US House of Representatives

New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is an election-denying extremist, with close ties to Trump, who is as anti-LGBTQ as they come. He introduced a federal Don't Say LGBTQ bill. He co-sponsored a gender-affirming care ban. He served as national spokesperson for an anti-LGBTQ hate group.  And this Republican representative, who has advanced extreme views as attorney and legislator, says "I am a Bible-believing Christian."

Rep. Mike Johnson Voted New House Speaker

Bill Maher on Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson Speaks at Hate Group Summit Alongside Anti-LGBTQ Pastor

House Speaker Mike Johnson Applauded Idea of Making Gay Sex Illegal
Newly Elected House Speaker Mike Johnson: Very Anti-LGBTQ

Go Pick up a Bible: Speaker Mike Johnson Defends Anti-LGBTQ Views

New House Speaker's Views on LGBTQ Issues Come Under Fresh Scrutiny

As a lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund (the precursor of the Alliance Defending Freedom), Johnson wrote editorials for his local paper that called homosexuality “inherently unnatural.” “Your race, creed, and sex are what you are, while homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do,” he wrote. “This is a free country, but we don’t give special protections for every person’s bizarre choices.”

He is an ardent opponent of same-sex marriage. In the Louisiana House, he proposed the Marriage and Conscience Act, preventing adverse treatment by the state of anyone based on their views on marriage. The bill, in the view of critics, protects people who discriminate against same-sex couples. He defended Louisiana’s same-sex marriage ban before the Supreme Court in 2004 and again in 2014.

He recently led a hearing on limiting gender-affirming care. “Sex isn’t something you are assigned at birth. It is a prenatal development that occurs when every unborn child is in its mother’s womb. You can’t surgically free yourself, or someone else, from this fact of life,” he said in his opening statement. “Today, nearly one in four high school students identifies as LGBTQ. Whether it’s by scalpel or by social coercion from teachers, professors, administrators and left-wing media, it’s an attempt to transition the young people of our country. Something has gone terribly wrong."

What Louisianans Want You to Know About Anti-LGBTQ House Speaker Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson Endorses and Promoted Book That Calls Pete Buttigieg Obnoxiously Gay
Who is Mike Johnson? Ardent Conservative Who Embraces Far-Right Policies
Long List of Disturbing Things You Need to Know About Mike Johnson

Pete Buttigieg: Beautiful Response to Mike Johnson’s Hatred of LGBTQ People

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said Johnson would be “the most anti-equality” speaker in US history. “This is a choice that will be a stain on the record of everyone who voted for him,” Robinson said. “Johnson is someone who doesn’t hesitate to express his disdain for the LGTBQ community from the rooftops and then introduces legislation that seeks to erase us from society.”

Even outspoken conservative Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had gripes with Johnson’s ascension to power. “So we just elected a raging homophobe to speaker? Way to break stereotypes and win over hearts and minds!”

Mike Johnson's hateful and ignorant remarks on LGBTQ issues are nothing short of disturbing:

“Homosexual marriage is the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic.”

“There is clearly no right to sodomy in the Constitution, and the right of privacy of the home has never placed all activity within the home outside the bounds of the criminal law. What about drugs, prostitution and counterfeiting? Make no mistake, the Lawrence decision opens the door to the undermining of many important laws and is ultimately a strategic first shot for the homosexual lobby’s ultimate prize — the redefinition of marriage.”

“Homosexual relationships are inherently unnatural and, the studies clearly show, are ultimately harmful and costly for everyone. Society cannot give its stamp of approval to such a dangerous lifestyle. If we change marriage for this tiny, modern minority, we will have to do it for every deviant group. Polygamists, polyamorists, pedophiles, and others will be next in line to claim equal protection. They already are. There will be no legal basis to deny a bisexual the right to marry a partner of each sex, or a person to marry his pet.”

AND... When confronted about his hateful attitude, Mike Johnson actually replied, "I can't be hateful. I'm a Christian."

Who is Mike Johnson? Summary of the new Republican House Speaker
Mike Johnson Tried to Overturn the 2020 Election
Mike Johnson’s Wife Runs Christian Counseling Service That Compares Homosexuality to Incest
Speaker Mike Johnson’s Wife Runs Counseling Service That Compares Homosexuality to Beastiality

Info: Trump, Republicans, and our Current National Crisis
 

Current LGBTQ News
 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazing LGBTQ Rights Advocate, Dies at 90
Barry Manilow Breaks Elvis Presley's Las Vegas Record
Challenges to Library Books Continue at Record Pace in 2023, American Library Association Reports
Gaslighting Homophobe Ron DeSantis Says it’s the Media’s Fault LGBTQ People Think He’s Dangerous
Good Morning America Anchor Robin Roberts & Amber Laign Get Married
Tennessee Elects its First Transgender Lawmaker
This Year’s Time 100 Next is Brimming with Queer Excellence
Why Canada Issued Travel Advisory for Its LGBTQ Residents Visiting US

Lesbian and STI Expert Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo to Succeed Fauci at NIAID

200,000 People Show Up for Orlando Pride in Defiant Middle Finger to Ron DeSantis
Philadelphia Becomes Sanctuary City for Gender-Affirming Care
Gov. Gavin Newsom Chooses Laphonza Butler to Fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat

Tennessee Voters Elect First Transgender Candidate to Public Office
Gay Couple Awarded $100,000 After Being Denied Marriage License
GOP Debate Participants: Look at Their Anti-LGBTQ Records

LGBTQ Group Reveals National Effort to Eliminate Queer People From Public Life
Florida School Districts Removed 300 Books Last School Year
South Florida City Becomes State’s First LGBTQ Sanctuary
Rufus Wainwright Blasts Ferocious Targeting of Trans Community
Canada Alerts LGBTQ Citizens of Potential Dangers of US Travel

War in the Middle East: Israelis vs. Palestinians
 

Thousands have been killed in the ongoing conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a deeply complex and contentious issue that has gripped the world's attention for decades. While the LGBTQ perspective is just one of many lenses through which to view this multifaceted conflict, it is a perspective that deserves consideration.

It is essential to acknowledge that LGBTQ individuals exist on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They share the same desires for love, acceptance, and equal rights, irrespective of their national or ethnic background. In many ways, the struggles of LGBTQ individuals within this conflict mirror those of LGBTQ communities around the world. They face discrimination, violence, and legal challenges, which often overshadow their national and ethnic identities.

CNN: Hamas Attacks Israel, Israel Responds

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Tears Into LGBTQ Jewish Community
Analysis: Israel, Palestine and Us
LGBTQ Groups in Israel Respond to War
Palestinians: LGBTQ Not Welcome Here

NBC News: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Tears into LGBTQ Jewish Community
LGBTQ Nation: End the Cycle of Violence, Stop the Blame
Chicago Council on Global Affairs: Pathways to Peace: Reflections on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Chatham House: Ignoring the Roots of Violence in the Israel–Palestine Conflict Challenges Any Future Peace

NPR: Biden Wants a Two-State Solution for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

Info: LGBTQ Jewish/Israeli Insights

In Israel, LGBTQ rights have made significant progress over the years, with same-sex marriage recognition, anti-discrimination laws, and thriving LGBTQ communities. Tel Aviv, in particular, is renowned for its vibrant LGBTQ scene. These advancements represent an important step forward in the fight for equal rights and acceptance for LGBTQ individuals in the region.

On the Palestinian side, the situation is far more complex. LGBTQ individuals often face persecution and discrimination, both from society and, in some instances, from political or religious authorities. The intersection of LGBTQ rights and the broader struggle for Palestinian self-determination is a topic that sparks passionate debates within Palestinian communities.

It is crucial to note that discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should not be reduced to a binary narrative, as they often are. The perspectives of LGBTQ individuals, like all individuals living in the region, are diverse. Their experiences cannot be boiled down to a single narrative, just as the larger conflict cannot.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is inherently tied to issues of identity, security, self-determination, and human rights. The LGBTQ perspective reminds us that in the midst of this complex web of political and cultural challenges, there are people who just want to be themselves, love who they love, and live without fear of discrimination or violence.

In the grand tapestry of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the LGBTQ perspective serves as a poignant reminder that we should strive for a more inclusive, compassionate, and just world for all, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. This perspective encourages us to support movements and individuals working towards the universal principles of equality, human rights, and freedom from discrimination, irrespective of the context in which they live.

BBC: History of the Israel Gaza Conflict Explained
ABC News: A Look Into the Long History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Amnesty International: Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories
Overview: Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
United Nations: The Question of Palestine
LGBTQ Nation: Let’s Break the Palestinian-Israeli Impasse
BBC: Israel and Palestinians: Gulf Between Hope and Reality of Peace
US News & World Report: America’s Evolving Views of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
CNN : Debate Over the Israel-Gaza War has Raised Tensions
National Public Radio: US College Students Clashing Over the Israel-Hamas War

Info: Israeli/Palestinian Commentary

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazing LGBTQ Rights Advocate, Dies at 90

Feinstein leaves legacy of championing women’s and LGBTQ rights.

US Sen. Dianne Feinstein, known for her groundbreaking roles in American politics, has died at 90.The California Democrat was a pioneer for women, becoming San Francisco’s first female Board of Supervisors president and mayor and later one of California’s first female US senators. During her time in public service, Feinstein championed women’s and LGBTQ rights.

In a time of crisis for San Francisco’s gay community, she took the politically risky step of closing the city’s bathhouses in an effort to combat the spread of AIDS. Under her leadership, San Francisco General Hospital became a global standard-setter for HIV/AIDS healthcare.

On women’s issues, Feinstein was instrumental in reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and authored the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act, federalizing marriage equality. She became the first woman in California to win a major party’s gubernatorial nomination and was the first woman to chair the Senate Rules and Intelligence Committees.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi added her voice to those mourning Feinstein’s passing. “Dianne was a pioneering woman leader, who served as San Francisco’s first female Mayor with unmatched courage, poise and grace,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Her extraordinary career will continue to inspire countless young women and girls to pursue public service for generations to come.”

As Pelosi noted, Feinstein was also a powerhouse in women’s advocacy. She was the first woman to lead several Senate committees and was instrumental in renewing the Violence Against Women Act. “A fierce champion for gender justice, her tireless advocacy was consequential in securing the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act,” Pelosi stated.

Feinstein had announced plans to retire in 2024.  Her passing leaves a lasting legacy in American politics, particularly in women’s and LGBTQ rights.

[Source: Christopher Wiggins, Advocate, September 2023]
 

Advocate: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazing LGBTQ Rights Advocate, Dies at 90

NBC News: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazer in US Politics and Longest-Serving Woman in Senate, Dies at 90

CNN: Sen. Dianne Feinstein dies at 90

Advocate: Dianne Feinstein: An LGBTQ Rights Champion
AP News: Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, Trailblazer and Champion of Liberal Priorities, Dies at Age 90
Dianne Feinstein: An LGBTQ Rights Champion
ABC News: Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazing California Senator, Dies at 90
Advocate: From AIDS to Assassinations, Sen. Feinstein Was Always There for Us

Laphonza Butler Makes History as First Out Person of Color in the Senate

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has tapped lesbian Democratic strategist Laphonza Butler to fill the Senate seat held by Dianne Feinstein, who recently died.

Butler will now be the first LGBTQ person of color to serve in the US Senate. She will serve the remainder of Feinstein’s term, which ends next year. "I'm honored to accept Gov. Gavin Newsom's nomination to be US Senator for a state I have made my home and honored by his trust in me to serve the people of California and this great nation," Butler said. She added: "No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California. I am ready to serve."

Butler leads EMILY’s List, a political group that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. Before becoming president of EMILY’S List, Butler ran a labor union and served as an advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Butler’s selection is not only historic but it may cause even more complexity in the lead-up to the 2024 election. The outlet reports that Butler has deep connections across the Democratic political sphere in California and could very well fundraise enough to make her another top candidate to succeed Feinstein.

Equality California’s executive director Tony Hoang praised Newsom’s choice in selecting Butler. "Laphonza Butler is eminently qualified to represent California well in the United States Senate and we are thrilled to congratulate her,” Hoang said in a statement. “This historic appointment by Governor Newsom will give our LGBTQ community another voice in Congress at a time when our rights and freedoms are under attack across the country.”

Other LGBTQ groups also lauded Newsom's choice. "Butler's appointment is so important for LGBTQ people, Black people, and women not only in California, but throughout the country," GLAAD's CEO and president Sarah Kate Ellis said. "Our freedoms are under attack to be ourselves, make our own health care decisions, and have our votes and voices secured."

The Human Rights campaign also celebrated the selection. "The appointment of Laphonza Butler to the Senate is a landmark moment in the fight for social, racial, and economic justice. As the first Black lesbian to represent California in the United States Senate, Laphonza brings a compelling voice for abortion rights, the labor movement, and civil rights into Congress. Her leadership is a testament to the legacy of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s strong record of pro-LGBTQ support,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “The threats to reproductive freedoms and LGBTQ families emanating from the Supreme Court and anti-equality politicians are twin crises that require immediate attention, and Laphonza Butler is an exceptional advocate on both of these issues."

[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, Oct 2023]

Gavin Newsom Chooses Queer Democratic Activist Laphonza Butler to Fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Seat
Laphonza Butler: California's New, History-Making US Senator
Gov. Newsom Selects Laphonza Butler to Fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat
Gavin Newsom Chooses Laphonza Butler to Fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat
Gavin Newsom Picks Laphonza Butler to Fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate Post
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Chooses Laphonza Butler to Fill Senator Feinstein’s Seat
Info: LGBTQ and Politics

Challenges to Library Books Continue at Record Pace in 2023

Book bans and attempted bans continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school-based libraries.

Through the first eight months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and services, compared to 681 during the same time period last year, and a 20% jump in the number of “unique titles” involved to 1,915. School libraries had long been the predominant target, but in 2023 reports have been near-equally divided between schools and libraries open to the general public, the ALA announced in Sept 2023.

“The irony is that you had some censors who said that those who didn’t want books pulled from schools could just go to the public libraries,”’ says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who directs the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

The ALA defines a challenge as a “formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.”

In 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, the association recorded just 377 challenges, involving 566 titles. The numbers fell in 2020, when many libraries were closed, but have since risen to the most in the association’s 20-plus year history of compiling data. Because the totals are based on media accounts and reports submitted by librarians, the ALA regards its numbers as snapshots, with many incidents left unrecorded.

Continuing a trend over the past two years, the challenges are increasingly directed against multiple titles. In 2023, complaints about 100 or more works were recorded by the ALA in 11 states, compared to six last year and none in 2021. The most sweeping challenges often originate with such conservative organizations as Moms for Liberty, which has organized banning efforts nationwide and called for more parental control over books available to children.

“There used to be a roughly one-to-one ratio, where a parent would complain about an individual book, like in the days when many were objecting to Harry Potter,” Caldwell-Stone says. “Now you have people turning up at meetings and asking that 100 titles be removed.”

The ALA released its numbers in advance of its annual banned books week, Oct 1-7, when libraries highlight challenged works. Earlier this year, the association issued its annual top 10 list of the books most objected to in 2022, many of them featuring racial and/or LGBTQ themes. Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” topped the list, followed by George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”

Attacks against teachers and librarians have been ongoing in 2023.

At Chapin High School in South Carolina, some students alleged that a teacher made them feel “ashamed to be Caucasian” for assigning Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me,” an open letter to his son about police violence against Black people that won the National Book Award in 2015. The school removed the book from the syllabus.

In Fort Royal, Virginia, the county board of supervisors is planning to drastically cut funding for the Samuels Public Library in response to conservative complaints about books with gay, lesbian and transgender characters. Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill which calls for books depicting sex acts to be removed from school libraries.

Some attacks have affected the library association itself. The ALA’s opposition to bannings has led some communities to withdraw their membership, including Campbell County in Wyoming and a local library in Midland, Texas. Missouri officials announced the state would be leaving the ALA at a time when recent laws limited access for young people to books considered inappropriate for their age.

“I think this trend is going to continue,” Caldwell-Stone says, “at least for as long these groups want to go after whole categories of books.”

[Source: Hillel Italie, AP News, Sept 2023]

Florida School Districts Removed 300 Books Last School Year

Challenges to Library Books Continue at Record Pace in 2023, American Library Association Reports

Conservatives are Attacking LGBTQ Books
School Bans on LGBTQ Books Escalating Dramatically

LGBTQ Authors Hit Back as US School Book Bans Pick Up

Conservative Group Wants to Pass Law to Jail Librarians Who Give LGBTQ Books to Kids

Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Law Targeting Books and Librarians

Texas Judge Orders LGBTQ Books Be Returned to Public Libraries

How Teachers Are Being Silenced on LGBTQ Issues and More

Georgia Teacher Fired for Reading Gender-Inclusive Book to Students

Info: LGBTQ Books and Authors

California Store Owner Fatally Shot Over Pride Flag Displayed in Her Shop
 

A business owner was fatally shot in August 2023 after someone allegedly took issue with a Pride flag she had displayed at her clothing store in Lake Arrowhead, California.  She was 66 years old.

Deputies responded to the shooting at the Mag Pi clothing store, where owner Laura Ann Carleton was pronounced dead, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said. The suspect, who was not identified, ran away. “Through further investigation, detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton.”

Lauri Carleton was an LGBTQ ally. She flew a rainbow flag. And she is dead because of it.  As senseless and shocking as her murder is, it is not surprising. It is the rotten, putrid fruit of MAGA America and all it stands for and aspires to. Violence targeting the LGBTQ community and those who support them is not a random aberration, it is the logical progression. When you continually label queer people as predators, when you repeatedly accuse teachers of being groomers, when you declare drag shows and gay clubs as societal threats, when you intentionally target transgender children and their parents, when you perpetually traffic in irresponsible and dangerous rhetoric designed to generate irrational fear of LGBTQ people—this is the likely outcome.
-John Pavlovitz

The Mag Pi store website described Carleton as a mother of nine who has been married to the same man for 28 years. Carleton, who went by the name Lauri, had studied at the Art Center School of Design and had had a long career in fashion, including 15 years as an executive at Kenneth Cole, the site said.

Fellow members of the Mountain Provisions Cooperative, said of her, “She was our dear friend, mom to many, ally, organizer, entrepreneur and soul of our co-op.  She was a pillar in our community, an immovable force in her values for equality, love and justice. If you knew Lauri, you know she loved hard, laughed often, and nurtured and protected those who she cared about."

Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ said that Carleton did not identify as a member of the queer community but was an advocate for everyone in the community. “Lauri’s unwavering support for the LBGTQ community and her dedication to creating a safe space within her shop touched the lives of many,” the organization said. “Her untimely passing in a senseless act of violence has left us all deeply saddened.'

[Source: Doha Madani, NBC News, August 2023]
 

ABC News: California Store Owner Shot Dead in Dispute Over Displaying Pride Flag
Pink News: Well-Respected Woman Shot Dead After Dispute Over LGBTQ Pride Flag
Huffpost: California Woman Fatally Shot For Displaying Pride Flag Outside Her Store
NBC News: California Store Owner Fatally Shot Over Pride Flag Displayed in Her Shop
NPR: California Store Owner Shot and Killed Over a Pride Flag Displayed at Her Shop
Newsweek: Store Owner Shot Dead by Man Angered at Her Rainbow Flag
 

QUEER CAFE │ LGBTQ Information Network │ Established 2017