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2022-2023
Paul Reubens, Known For Pee-Wee Herman
Character, Dies At 70
Texas Sued by ACLU Over Unconstitutional
Drag Ban
Anti-LGBTQ Laws Are Being Blocked in Federal Courts
Across the Country
Elton John Bids Farewell to the Road with the Last Show
on his Goodbye Tour
Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Announces She'll
Retire at End of NWSL Season
Florida GOP Chair Encourages Perverted Don’t-Say-Gay
Opponents to Leave State
80% of LGBTQ People Feel Less Safe Due to
Gender-Affirming Care Bans
Brooklyn Dancer Fatally Stabbed for
Voguing at Gas Station
Megan Rapinoe Announces Retirement, Says This Is Her
Last World Cup
Florida School Districts Removed 300
Books Last School Year
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef Divorcing After 6 Years of
Marriage
Estonia Legalizes Marriage Equality
Dr. Jeanne
Marrazzo: Lesbian and STI Expert to
Succeed Fauci at NIAID
Marrazzo will be the first out
member of the LGBTQ community to head
the institute
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the
Division of Infectious Diseases at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham,
will succeed Dr. Anthony Fauci as
director of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and she
will be the first member of the LGBTQ
community to hold the post.
Marrazzo, a lesbian, is an expert on HIV
and other sexually transmitted
infections, and some of her research has
involved pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP),
and microbicides. She is also known for
her research on hormonal contraception
and infections of the female
reproductive tract, according to a press
release from the National Institutes of
Health, of which NIAID is part.
Jeanne Marrazzo Selected
to Succeed Fauci at the NIH
Lesbian and STI Expert Dr. Jeanne
Marrazzo to Succeed Fauci at NIAID
Out Dr.
Jeanne Marrazzo
to Replace Dr. Anthony Fauci at NIAID
“Dr. Marrazzo brings a wealth of
leadership experience from leading
international clinical trials and
translational research, managing a
complex organizational budget that
includes research funding and mentoring
trainees in all stages of professional
development,” Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak,
acting NIH director, said in the
release.
Fauci, famed for his role in fighting
HIV and for his leadership during the
COVID-19 pandemic, retired in December
2022 after leading NIAID since 1984. Dr.
Hugh Auchincloss Jr. has been acting
director of NIAID since then. Marrazzo
is expected to begin her duties in the
fall of 2023.
Marrazzo appeared frequently in the
media as an expert on COVID as well, and
fellow scientists say she brings wide
and deep experience to her new post. “I
think what’s remarkable about her is not
that she’s known in a singular area, but
that she’s broadly respected in a broad
range of areas,” Sharon Hillier, a
professor at the University of
Pittsburgh, told NPR. Hillier added,
“She’s known as an exquisite clinician.
She’s known as an exquisite teacher.”
NIAID conducts and supports research to
better understand, treat, and prevent
infectious, immunologic, and allergic
diseases, making annual grants of more
than $6 billion. Marrazzo’s expertise in
STIs is leading to hopes that more
research will be directed at them.
Jeanne Marrazzo Selected
to Succeed Fauci at the NIH
Lesbian and STI Expert Dr. Jeanne
Marrazzo to Succeed Fauci at NIAID
Out Dr.
Jeanne Marrazzo
to Replace Dr. Anthony Fauci at NIAID
“For STIs, we need better therapeutics,
vaccines, and point-of-care
diagnostics,” David Harvey, director of
the National Coalition of STD Directors,
said. “These are all things that Dr.
Marrazzo happens to be an absolute
expert at, and we’re very excited and
hopeful that more resources will be put
into these priorities.” Marrazzo’s work
includes a study of how stigma affected
HIV prevention efforts among African
women.
PrEP4All, which seeks to assure that HIV
medication is available to all those who
need it, likewise praised Marrazzo’s
appointment. “At a time where infectious
disease threats are on the rise globally
and preventive and sexual health has
come under attack for women and LGBTQ
communities around the world, Dr.
Marrazzo’s demonstrated commitment to
addressing HIV and STIs in marginalized
populations will be of enormous value in
ensuring that the research needs of
vulnerable communities are met.”
Colleagues have also lauded Marrazzo as
an effective communicator and someone
who, while serious about her work, knows
how to have fun. Jennifer Balkus, an
epidemiologist at the Seattle-King
County public health department, told
NPR that at a conference she and
Marrazzo attend each year, “Part of the
meeting culminates in a gala dance, and
Jeannie is always, always on the dance
floor.”
Before joining the University of Alabama
at Birmingham, Marrazzo was a professor
at the University of Washington. She
grew up in Pennsylvania, did her
undergraduate studies at Harvard
University, and went to medical school
at Thomas Jefferson University in
Philadelphia.
[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, August
2023]
Donald in the John With Boxes: Randy Rainbow Song Parody
Estonia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in Historic First
for a Central European Country
Support for Same-Sex Relationships Plummits as Less Find
It Morally Acceptable
LGBTQ 2023: The Rising Tide
Pete Buttigieg on LGBTQ Rights: I Don’t Think Anything
Is Safe
Most Americans Say Religion Is No Excuse for Anti-LGBTQ
Discrimination
Equality Act, the Sweeping LGBTQ Rights
Bill, Reintroduced in Congress
Pete Buttigieg Perfectly Articulates
Republican Behavior
NYC Mayor Eric Adams Signs Order Protecting
Gender-Affirming Care
Queer Joy and Celebration at White House Pride Month
Event
Televangelist Pat Robertson Has Died But His Anti-LGBTQ
Legacy Will Live On
Brooklyn Dancer
Fatally Stabbed for Voguing at Gas Station
Beyoncé honours O’Shae Sibley, gay dancer stabbed dead
after voguing to her song
O’Shea Sibley, 28 year old professional dancer, was
attacked at a gas station on Coney Island Avenue, New
York, in July 2023. According to eyewitnesses,
including gas station employee Summy Ullah and close
friend Otis Pena, Sibley and his friends were voguing to
Beyoncé’s Renaissance when they were approached by a
gang of men who aggressively told them to stop dancing
and called them homophobic slurs.
Surveillance footage
shows Sibley confronting the men before being stabbed.
He was later pronounced dead. The New York Police
Department is investigating the incident as a hate
crime.
Beyoncé paid tribute to
O’Shea Sibley when she learned he was stabbed to death
while voguing to her music.
Brooklyn Dancer Fatally Stabbed for
Voguing at Gas Station
Deadly Stabbing of Gay Man at NYC Gas
Station Investigated as Potential Hate Crime
Beyoncé Honors O’Shae Sibley, Gay Man Killed Voguing to
Her Song
O’Shae Sibley: Beyoncé Pays Tribute to Dancer Killed in
Homophobic Attack
Beyoncé Honors O’Shae Sibley, Gay Dancer Stabbed Dead
After Voguing to Her Song
Beyoncé Honors Fatally Stabbed Gay Dancer
Pee-Wee Herman
Actor Paul Reubens Dies at Age 70
Paul Reubens helped shape the comic sensibilities of a
generation
Paul
Reubens, who was best known for playing the nerdy and
eccentric character Pee-Wee Herman, died in July 2023.
He was 70. "A gifted and prolific talent, he will
forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as
a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and
generosity of spirit," a social media post said.
The statement said Reubens died after privately fighting
cancer for 6 years.
Reubens played Pee-Wee Herman, a wacky man-child who
dressed in a gray suit, red bow tie and white loafers,
in Tim Burton's 1985 movie "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."
The movie's plot took Pee-Wee on an adventure as he
hunted down his stolen bike. Following the movie's
success, Reubens played Pee-Wee in the Saturday morning
TV show "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," which ran for five
seasons.
In 1991, he was arrested for exposing himself inside an
adult movie theater in Florida. He paid a fine, but the
incident led Reubens to basically put the trademark gray
suit away for nearly two decades. In 2010, Reubens
launched a comeback. "The Pee-Wee Herman Show on
Broadway" aired on television and was nominated for an
Emmy award.
In 2004, Reubens pleaded guilty to an obscenity
misdemeanor for images in his possession, but he
continued acting on TV, appearing in such shows as "30
Rock," "Portlandia," "The Blacklist" and "Gotham." In
2016, he starred in the Netflix movie "Pee-Wee's Big
Holiday."
[Source: Alex Sundby, CBS News, July 2023]
Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens Dead at Age 70
Paul Reubens Bio
Paul Reubens Helped Shape the Comic Sensibilities of a
Generation
Pee-Wee Herman Creator Paul Reubens Dies at 70
20 States Have
Enacted Laws Restricting Gender-Affirming Medical Care
for Trans Minors
Appeals court lets Kentucky enforce ban on transgender
care for minors
The law, enacted this year over the veto of Democratic
Gov. Andy Beshear, prevents transgender minors from
accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy. A
federal appeals court is allowing Kentucky to enforce a
recently enacted ban on gender-affirming care for young
transgender people while the issue is being litigated.
The 2-1
decision in July 2023 from the Sixth US Circuit Court of
Appeals in Cincinnati is not unexpected. The same
three-judge panel ruled the same way earlier this month
on a similar case in Tennessee. The Kentucky law,
enacted this year over the veto of Democratic Gov. Andy
Beshear, prevents transgender minors from accessing
puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
At least 20 states have now enacted laws restricting or
banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender
minors. Most of those states face lawsuits. A federal
judge struck down Arkansas’ ban as unconstitutional. In
other states, judges have issued disparate rulings on
whether the laws can be enforced while the cases are
being litigated.
Seven transgender children and their parents have sued
to block the Kentucky law. They argue that it violates
their constitutional rights and interferes with parental
rights to seek established medical treatment for their
children.
In July's ruling, judges Jeffrey Sutton said that the
issues in the Kentucky case are essentially identical to
those in Tennessee. In the Tennessee case, the
judges wrote that decisions on emerging policy issues
like transgender care are generally better left to
legislatures rather than judges. They offered a similar
rationale in the Kentucky case.
The dissenting judge, Helene White, noted that
Kentucky’s ban does not include a grace period for
patients who are already receiving care to continue
treatment, as Tennessee’s law did. As a result, White
said the need for an injunction blocking the ban in
Kentucky is even greater than it was in Tennessee.
[Source: Associated Press, July 2023]
20 States Have Enacted Laws Restricting or Banning
Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Transgender Minors
HRC: Roundup of Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Advancing In
States Across the Country
2023 Anti-Trans
Bills Tracker
PBS: Missouri Governor Signs Bill Banning
Gender-Affirming Care for Minors and Some Adults
Oklahoma Governor Orders State to Use
Anti-Trans Definition of Gender
ACLU: Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in US State
Legislatures
US Courts Block Anti-Trans Legislation
Transgender Rights Targeted in Executive
Order Signed by Oklahoma Governor
CNN: Record Number of Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Been
Introduced This Year
Barbie Movie
Premieres at Theatres
Overt Feminist Message
The Barbie
doll (The long-legged, thin-waisted, blonde, white woman
doll, which made its debut in 1959) and Barbie-related
merch (products, media) over the years have been known
for promoting positive values, strong female characters,
and messages of friendship, teamwork, and
self-empowerment. They are generally targeted at younger
audiences and have been well-received for their colorful
animation and engaging storytelling.
In July
2023, the Barbie brand is making a comeback with a new
and innovative film. "Barbie," director and co-writer
Greta Gerwig’s summer splash, is a dazzling achievement,
both technically and in tone. It’s a visual feast that
succeeds as both a gleeful escape and a battle cry. So
crammed with impeccable attention to detail is "Barbie”
that you couldn’t possibly catch it all in a single
sitting; you’d have to devote an entire viewing just to
the accessories, for example.
Barbie: Movie Trailer
Barbie Review: The Year's Best Film Is an Ode to
Womanhood
New Barbie Movie: Greta Gerwig’s Colorful, Complicated
Portrait of Humanity
Barbie Is a Movie About Male Fragility
Life in Plastic: Gay History of Barbie’s Journey to the
Big Screen
Near-Miraculous Achievement From Greta
Gerwig and Margot Robbie
Barbie Movie is a Bright Pink Social Commentary Satire
How Barbie Came to Life
Let's Listen to Every Song on the Barbie
Soundtrack
It’s not just that Gerwig & Co. have recreated a bunch
of Barbies from throughout her decades-long history,
outfitted them with a variety of clothing and
hairstyles, and placed them in pristine dream houses.
It’s that they’ve brought these figures to life with
infectious energy and a knowing wink.
Barbie (Margot Robbie), the most popular of all the
Barbies in Barbieland, begins experiencing an
existential crisis. She must travel to the human world
in order to understand herself and discover her true
purpose. Her kinda-sorta boyfriend, Ken (Ryan Gosling),
comes along for the ride because his own existence
depends on Barbie acknowledging him. Both discover harsh
truths (and make new friends) along the road to
enlightenment.
“Barbie” can be hysterically funny, with giant
laugh-out-loud moments generously scattered throughout.
They come from the insularity of an idyllic, pink-hued
realm and the physical comedy of fish-out-of-water
moments and choice pop culture references as the outside
world increasingly encroaches. Barbie and Ken are
having the time of their lives in the colorful and
seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when
they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon
discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
Welcome to Greta Gerwig's Fiercely Funny Feminist
Dreamhouse
Barbie: Movie Trailer
The Indigo Girls Find Themselves in a Barbie World
Barbie Lives Up to the Hype and Feels Like a Classic
from the First Viewing
Let's Listen to Every Song on the Barbie
Soundtrack
In Defense Of Barbie: How One Doll Made A Generation Of
Motivated Women
Near-Miraculous Achievement From Greta
Gerwig and Margot Robbie
For most of its runtime, Barbie is a battle of the
sexes. By the end of the film, the Barbies have learned
how to successfully counter the Kens' patriarchal
takeover and successfully restored the matriarchy
through tactics that have existed since men went to war
over Helen of Troy.
As the film's star, Margot Robbie finds just the right
balance between satire and sincerity. She’s the perfect
casting choice; it’s impossible to imagine anyone else
in the role. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed stunner
completely looks the part, of course, but she also
radiates the kind of unflagging, exaggerated optimism
required for this heightened, candy-coated world. And
yet, Ryan Gosling is a consistent scene-stealer as he
revels in Ken’s himbo frailty. He goes from Barbie’s
needy beau to a swaggering, macho doofus as he throws
himself headlong into how he thinks a real man should
behave.
CNN's review praised Barbie's “overt feminist message
and desire to put Barbie in a broader sociological
context.” IndieWire wrote the film is able to
contain a “genuine message of feminism” while
maintaining a sense of joy throughout, even when
tackling these heavy topics.
Stirring Monologue About Womanhood
America Ferrera's monologue received a lot of attention
from fans. In one of the most profound moments in the
film, the character of Gloria (played by Ferrera)
delivers an insightful speech about what it means to be
in a woman in our society:
It is
literally impossible to be a woman. You are so
beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t
think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be
extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.
You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never
say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be
healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have
money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass.
You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have
to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas.
You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk
about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a
career woman, but also always be looking out for other
people.
You
have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane,
but if you point that out, you’re accused of
complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but
not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you
threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a
part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and always
be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged.
So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be
grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude,
never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never
fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too
hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a
medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that
not only are you doing everything wrong, but also
everything is your fault.
I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single
other woman tie herself into knots so that people will
like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just
representing women, then I don’t even know.
Barbie Exclusive: What Makes a Ken a Ken?
Does the New Barbie Movie Live Up to the Hype?
Barbie Movie Finds Fun in Laughing at the Men’s Rights
Movement
How Barbie Came to Life
Near-Miraculous Achievement From Greta
Gerwig and Margot Robbie
Barbie Interview: Issa Rae and Simu Liu
Barbieland: Not as Gay as its Queer Fans Hoped
Let's Listen to Every Song on the Barbie
Soundtrack
Meet Gay Bob: Out and Proud Anatomically Correct
Disco-Era Doll
Rocket Man Retires:
Elton John Bids Farewell
Elton John bids an emotional farewell as he ends his
final tour
With
glitz, glam and golden confetti, gay legendary singer
Elton John performed on tour for the last time.
After 50 years on the road, Elton John has officially
bid farewell to his touring career. In July 2023, the
76-year-old music icon completed his Farewell Yellow
Brick Road tour after performing hits like “Bennie and
the Jets,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “Your Song” throughout his
23-song set.
The tour, which began on September 10, 2018 (but was
halted in 2020 for nearly two-years due to the pandemic)
has traveled across North America, Europe and Australia,
concluding in Stockholm, Sweden in front of thousands of
fans.
After more than half a century on the road and an
unparalleled career that has redefined the cultural
landscape and seen him claim his place as a true global
icon, Elton John announced that it was time to come off
the road so he could fully embrace the next important
chapter of his life and dedicate more time to his
family.
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour subsequently broke
records, pushed boundaries and shattered expectations in
a five year period of celebratory activity that
solidified Elton’s status in the very highest echelons
of popular culture across the generations.
"Rocket Man"
"Your Song"
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
"Candle in the Wind"
"Bennie and the Jets"
"Philadelphia Freedom"
"Tiny Dancer"
"Sad Songs Say So Much"
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
"Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
"I'm Still Standing"
"Crocodile Rock"
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
Singer
Brandi Carlile said, “You did it Captain! incredible
work ethic and stamina! Proud to know you everyday!”
Elton
John’s goodbye, a moment fans have been anticipating for
almost five years, finally arrived when he closed the
show with “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” during his encore.
He described his farewell show in Sweden as “magical.”
“I’m trying to process it, and I don’t think it will
sink in for a while yet that I’m finally finished
touring,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much I’m going
to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled
me. It will stay with me forever.”
Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road
Elton John Bids Farewell to the Road with the Last Show
on his Goodbye Tour
Elton John Wraps Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
Elton John Bids an Emotional Farewell as He Ends His
Final Tour
Elton John Performs Live for Last Time at End of
Farewell Tour
Soccer Legend
Megan Rapinoe Announces Her Retirement From Professional
Soccer
Megan Rapinoe says she’ll retire after the NWSL season
and her 4th World Cup
US women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe is ready to retire
after an illustrious career in which she won an Olympic
gold medal, two World Cups and never shied away from
using her platform to spotlight social issues.
Rapinoe, 38, announced in July 2023 that her fourth
World Cup will be her last and she’ll officially retire
with the OL Reign at the end of the National Women’s
Soccer League season.
Rapinoe and the US team are aiming for a third
consecutive title when the Women’s World Cup kicks off
on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. The US plays
Wales in a final tune-up match in California before
leaving for the World Cup. “I’m just really grateful to
be able to do it in this way,” Rapinoe said in San Jose,
California, ahead of the match. “I understand that it is
incredibly rare for athletes of any stature to be able
to go out in their own way, on their own terms, at the
time that they want, in a way that feels really peaceful
and settled for them.
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six
goals over the course of the tournament, including a
penalty in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the
final. She also finished with three assists and claimed
the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for the best overall
player. Rapinoe also took home the Ballon d’Or and the
Best FIFA Women’s Player awards (the game’s top
individual honors) for her play in 2019.
Rapinoe is tied with Abby Wambach for third all-time in
assists for the US Women’s National Team and is one of
only seven players in team history with more than 50
career goals and assists. She first played for the US
senior team in 2006. Rapinoe has played her entire
11-year NWSL career for the Reign. She has scored the
sixth most goals in league history with 48.
An outspoken advocate for equal pay in women’s soccer
and supporter of LGBTQ rights, President Joe Biden last
year awarded Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the nation’s highest civilian honor. Rapinoe was
the first white athlete and first female to kneel during
the national anthem in solidarity with former NFL player
Colin Kaepernick.
She is engaged to be married to women’s basketball icon
Sue Bird, who recently retired.
“I don’t even think there are words to say what she’s
meant to the growth of soccer in this country, and not
just this country, worldwide,” US forward Sophia Smith
said. “She is a legend. ... So it is a really sad and
bittersweet time. But I’m excited to be able to go on
this last journey with her in the World Cup and see all
the great things that she does after her career.”
[Source: Associated Press, July 2023]
Advocate: Megan Rapinoe Announces Retirement, Says This
Is Her Last World Cup
NBC News: Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Announces She'll
Retire at End of NWSL Season
CBS News: Soccer Legend Megan Rapinoe Announces She Will
Retire After 2023 Season
CNN: Megan Rapinoe Announces Her Retirement from
Professional Soccer
USWNT Legend Megan Rapinoe to Retire: 2023 World Cup
Will Be Her Last
USA Today: USWNT Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Will Retire
After NWSL Season
AP News: Megan Rapinoe to Retire After NWSL Season and
Her 4th World Cup
Current LGBTQ
News
US Judge Blocks Florida Ban on Trans
Minor Care: Says Gender Identity is Real
Florida Mayors Sign Pledge to Support
LGBTQ Youth
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Signs 3 More Anti-LGBTQ Bills
into Law
Dylan Mulvaney Breaks Silence After
Transphobic Backlash Over Bud Light Partnership
Barry Humphries, Known for His Drag
Persona Dame Edna Everage, Dead at 89
Hundreds Rally Against Anti-LGBTQ Bills in Arizona,
Texas
So-Called Don't-Say-Gay Rules Expanded Through 12th
Grade in Florida
Former SNL Star Unleashes Homophobic Rant at Tennessee
City Council Meeting
Judge Tears Into Florida's Ban on Gender-Affirming Care
Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Anti-LGBTQ
Bills that Include Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for
Minors
Biden, Blinken, and More Condemn Uganda's Horrific
Anti-Homosexuality Act
Florida's Governor DeSantis Signs Bill That Allows
Discrimination In Healthcare
Uganda Enacts Harsh Anti-LGBTQ Law Including Death
Penalty
May 2023: Everything That Happened This Week In
Anti-Trans Legislation
Tennessee Adds Three More Anti-LGBTQ Laws to Its Books
NAACP Issues Travel Warning in Florida: State Is Hostile
to Black and LGBTQ Americans
Oklahoma’s Head Superintendent Wants to Ban LGBTQ Books
but Teach the Bible in History Classes
Montana Transgender Lawmaker Zooey Zephyr Is Engaged to
Her Girlfriend
Pennsylvania Passes Fairness Act to Ensure Queer People
are Treated with Dignity and Respect
Homophobic Televangelist Pat Robertson is Dead
Robertson helped imbue
the Republican Party with conservative Christianity,
turning it into the nightmare it is today.
Pat Robertson, the conservative Christian televangelist
who once said that homosexuality and Hitler were linked,
has died at the age of 93.
He known as one of the nation’s most vicious anti-LGBTQ
Christian leaders.
Through his Christian
Coalition, Pat Robertson made religion central to
Republican Party politics in America, transforming a
small Virginia radio station into the global Christian
Broadcasting Network.
Robertson used this format to push not only a religious
ideology but a political ideology as well. Through his
teachings, he played a large role in solidifying the
link between evangelicalism and Republican politics.
Throughout his time on the 700 Club television show,
Robertson became known for his hellfire and brimstone
brand of religion – and his outrageous claims about
LGBTQ people that normally involved blaming the
community as the cause of a natural disaster.
He regularly spoke of the "evils of homosexuality"
and the wrath of God on the LGBTQ community. He promoted
the use of conversion therapy to "heal" LGBTQ youth.
He offered hateful opinions and ignorant advice
regarding treatment of LGBTQ friends, family, and
neighbors. He has blamed the coronavirus on
same-sex marriage. He claimed there will be
“atomic war” if Christians can’t discriminate against
LGBTQ people.
Pat Robertson, Conservative Anti-LGBTQ Televangelist,
Dies at 93
Pat Robertson, Preacher Who Dedicated His Life to
Promoting Anti-LGBTQ Hate, Dies During Pride Month
Televangelist Pat Robertson Has Died But His Anti-LGBTQ
Legacy Will Live On
Pat Robertson's Lies About the LGBTQ Community Helped
Shape Today's Republican Party
Leading US Christian Homophobe Pat Robertson is Dead
Pat Robertson's History of Terrible Vile Anti-LGBTQ
Statements
Pat Robertson's Unintentionally Memorable Moments
It’s OK to Be Happy That Pat Robertson is Dead
--In 2013, Robertson wished Facebook had a "vomit"
button to use whenever he saw a photo of a gay couple
kissing. Robertson made the comment while answering a
viewer question on The 700 Club, his popular talk show.
The viewer wanted to know how social media sites like
Facebook should handle images of same-sex couples.
“You’ve got a couple of same-sex guys kissing. Do you
like that? Well, that makes me want to throw up,”
Robertson said. "To me, I would punch vomit, not
like. But they don’t give you that option on
Facebook.”
--Following the annual Gay Days festival in Orlando in
1998, he warned people to beware of hurricanes as a
result of the celebration.
--After the Sept 11 terrorist attacks that killed more
than 3,000 Americans when airplanes were hijacked and
crashed in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania,
Robertson blamed the act of terror on the LGBTQ
community. In an episode of The 700 Club in the
week of 9/11, Robertson said “I totally concur with Rev
Jerry Falwell’s comment. I really believe that the
pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the
gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make
that an alternative lifestyle. All of them who have
tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their
face and say, You helped this happen.”
--In 2013, he claimed gay men have rings that cut
people’s fingers when they shake hands so that they can
transmit HIV to unsuspecting victims.
--In 2020, he told viewers that if the Equality Act
passes, “a righteous God will do to us what he did to
Sodom and Gomorrah.”
--In 2018, he said that drag queen story hours mean that
humanity is “trying to stick our fingers in God’s eyes.”
--After
tragic shooting at Orlando gay club: “The best thing to
do is to sit on the sidelines and let LGBTQ people kill
themselves.”
--Because
of marriage equality: “I warned about this years and
years ago that it was going to happen and it did, it
has. What’s next? What’s next is what happened to Sodom
and Gomorrah. It is just a question of how soon the
wrath of God is going to come on this land.”
--"Most trans people are frauds.”
--"You know, those who are homosexual will die out
because they don’t reproduce. You know, you have to have
heterosexual sex to reproduce.”
Pat Robertson, Conservative Anti-LGBTQ Televangelist,
Dies at 93
Pat Robertson, Preacher Who Dedicated His Life to
Promoting Anti-LGBTQ Hate, Dies During Pride Month
Televangelist Pat Robertson Has Died But His Anti-LGBTQ
Legacy Will Live On
Pat Robertson's Lies About the LGBTQ Community Helped
Shape Today's Republican Party
Leading US Christian Homophobe Pat Robertson is Dead
Pat Robertson's History of Terrible Vile Anti-LGBTQ
Statements
Pat Robertson's Unintentionally Memorable Moments
It’s OK to Be Happy That Pat Robertson is Dead
--"Feminism is a socialist, anti-family, political
movement that encourages women to leave their husbands,
kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy
capitalism and become lesbians.”
--On Christian acceptance of LGBTQ people: “You want to
be loving and warm and let them know that you love them,
BUT you cannot accept it and you cannot be an enabler.
If they’re living together as a homosexual and you’re a
Christian you cannot say I accept this lifestyle. Right
now there’s an incredible barrage of activity forcing
people to accept the homosexual lifestyle. Well, do we
accept adultery? Do we accept fornication? Do we accept
immorality? Well, the answer is no. I don’t think we
ought to be accepting of it.”
--After New York state legalized same-sex marriage,
offered this: “I think we need to remember the term
sodomy came from a town known as Sodom and Sodom was
destroyed by God Almighty and the thing that they
practiced was homosexual activity and even they tried to
rape angels who came down there, so that’s the kind of
people they were. We’re heading that way as a nation. In
history there’s never been a civilization ever in
history that has embraced homosexuality and turned away
from traditional fidelity, traditional marriage,
traditional child-rearing, and has survived. There isn’t
one single civilization that has survived that had
openly embraced homosexuality."
--Advice to the sister of a lesbian: “ You say, ‘should
I go to my sister’s wedding, should I participate,’ the
answer is to tell your sister, ‘I love you but I cannot
participate in a ceremony that is contrary to God’s
word, period.’ If she doesn’t like it, if that breaks
the union between you, that’s tough luck.”
--Advice to the friend of a prospective gay parent: “I
know about what happened when a young man was taken away
from his Christian mother by a court and given to his
homosexual father. And the next thing you know, that guy
was a flaming homosexual, and if I’m not mistaken, he
contracted AIDS…. To take on somebody else’s child is
difficult enough, but to do so in a homosexual
environment where the contacts that the man is going to
be having—his various male lovers coming in, and this
youngster’s going to be exposed to all that? The answer
is: this would be a terrible environment."
--"Gay marriages don’t ‘bring forth anything except
disease and suffering.”
--"The National Organization for Women is saying that in
order to be a woman, you’ve got to be a lesbian.”
—"So many people who are in the so-called homosexual
lifestyle found that some camp counselor, some coach,
some older person, older teenager or whatever, had
started them on the road to homosexuality. I pray they
will be freed from the homosexual lifestyle.”
Pat Robertson, Conservative Anti-LGBTQ Televangelist,
Dies at 93
Pat Robertson, Preacher Who Dedicated His Life to
Promoting Anti-LGBTQ Hate, Dies During Pride Month
Televangelist Pat Robertson Has Died But His Anti-LGBTQ
Legacy Will Live On
Pat Robertson's Lies About the LGBTQ Community Helped
Shape Today's Republican Party
Leading US Christian Homophobe Pat Robertson is Dead
Pat Robertson's History of Terrible Vile Anti-LGBTQ
Statements
Pat Robertson's Unintentionally Memorable Moments
It’s OK to Be Happy That Pat Robertson is Dead
Uganda's President Signs One of the World’s Harshest
Anti-LGBTQ Bills Into Law
“I think this is so so
horrible. We didn’t expect this.
We thought he would be
advised against it.
We are going to be
tortured. We are going to die.”
-Henry
Mukiibi, Activist who assists LGBTQ Ugandans
Uganda’s President Yoweri
Museveni has signed some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws
in the world, the speaker of Parliament said, defying
international pressure. The bill includes the death
penalty for “aggravated homosexuality," which includes sex
with a minor, having sex while HIV-positive, and incest.
The bill criminalizes sex education for the gay community
and makes it illegal not to expose what it calls
perpetrators of aggravated homosexuality to the police. It
calls for “rehabilitation” (widely discredited conversion
therapy) for gay offenders.
Museveni sent the bill back to Parliament for revisions
earlier this year. The latest version of the bill passed
earlier this month. Uganda’s longtime president has
already faced extensive criticism from Western
governments, including the US, over the law. A similarly
homophobic law was struck down by the courts in 2014.
The speaker of the parliament Anita Annet Among celebrated
the bill’s signing, saying Parliament had “answered the
cries of our people. I thank His Excellency, the
president, for his steadfast action in the interest of
Uganda. With a lot of humility, I thank my colleagues the
Members of Parliament for withstanding all the pressure
from bullies and doomsday conspiracy theorists in the
interest of the country,” she added.
Henry Mukiibi, an activist who assists LGBTQ Ugandans,
says that he fears people will take the law into their own
hands: “I think this is so so horrible. We didn’t expect
this. We thought he would be advised against it. We are
going to be tortured. I am just scared now about what is
next. People have been waiting for the bill to be signed
and then they will work on us. We are going to die.”
Civil society groups are already looking to challenge the
law. “This is hardly surprising for anyone following the
events closely, but it is still deeply concerning that the
country is viciously discriminating against its sexual
minorities. The battle lines are drawn and the next stage
of the contestation will be in a court of law,” Nicholas
Opiyo, a prominent human rights lawyer said. “The
civil society in Uganda together with the LGBTQ community
are prepared to take this to the courts and challenge the
law. Because this law is a deeply discriminatory and
repressive law that doesn’t meet any international human
rights and local standards.” He added that Uganda’s
development partners need to hold the Ugandan government
to account.
[Source: David McKenzie, Eve Brennan, CNN]
Uganda's President Signs One of the World’s Harshest
Anti-LGBTQ Bills Into Law
Uganda’s President Signs Deadly Anti-Homosexuality Bill
into Law
Uganda's LGBTQ Community In Shock Over New Measure, Gay
Activist Says
Uganda Passes a Law Making it a Crime to
Identify as LGBTQ
Uganda Passes New Version of Horrific Anti-LGBTQ Law
Uganda Passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill Making it Illegal
to Identify as LGBTQ
Fascism Comes to Florida
Passes
medical conscience bill... License to
discriminate... Six-week abortion ban... Bans
discussion of LGBTQ issues in classroom... Bans diversity
and equity programs... Ban on gender-affirming
care...
Florida
governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new vile law which
would put LGBTQ patients at risk, as doctors could choose
not to treat them by citing religious or moral objections.
The Republican governor, who seems to have made it his
personal mission to wage war on the LGBTQ community,
signed a ‘Protections of Medical Conscience’ bill in May
2023.
The legislation enables medical professionals and
for-profit insurers to deny patients care based on
religious, moral or ethical reasons or beliefs. Beliefs,
under the act, are defined as “a sincerely held religious,
moral, or ethical belief”. Concerns have been raised by
LGBTQ Floridians and activists across the US that the bill
could be used to deny care to queer people, if a
healthcare provider holds bigoted views about the
community.
DeSantis Signs Bills Targeting Drag Shows,
Pronouns, Bathroom Use, and Trans Children
In One Day, Ron DeSantis Signs Five Bills Severely
Restricting Trans Rights in Florida
The
Pride Parade is Scaring Ron DeSantis: Musical Tribute
Ron DeSantis Quietly Signs Florida's 6-Week Abortion Ban
Into Law
Florida's LGBTQ Activists Plan to Fight Back Against
DeSantis's Slate of Hate
Ron DeSantis Signs Law Giving Doctors Right to
Discriminate Against LGBTQ Patients
DeSantis Signs Bill Defunding Diversity Programs at
Florida Colleges
At a press conference, DeSantis claimed the bill ensures
“freedom of speech for physicians” and said “these
expanded protections will help ensure that medical
authoritarianism does not take root in Florida”.
Equality Florida, the state’s LGBTQ equality organization,
slammed the bill, saying it creates a “license to
discriminate”. Brandon Wolf, Equality Florida’s press
secretary said: “This bill is a broad license for health
care providers and insurance companies to refuse services
to people. “No one should be denied access to medical
care. It gives health care providers and insurance
companies an unprecedented ‘religious’ or ‘moral’ right to
refuse to provide services.”
Wolf continued: “This puts patients in harm’s way, is
antithetical to the job of health care providers, and puts
the most vulnerable Floridians in danger. “Our state
should be in the business of increasing access to medical
care, not giving providers and companies a sweeping carve
out of nondiscrimination laws. Shame on the governor for
putting Floridians’ health at risk to score cheap,
political points.”
In a statement, the Human Rights Campaign’s legal director
Sarah Warbelow condemned the legislation as using
religious beliefs as tools to “limit the rights of
others”.
“Personal beliefs should not be wielded as a sword to deny
critical medical care. The Human Rights Campaign strongly
condemns Governor DeSantis for signing this dangerous
bill,” Warbelow said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Attacks the LGBTQ Community
Florida's Governor DeSantis Signs Bill That
Allows Discrimination In Healthcare
The
Pride Parade is Scaring Ron DeSantis: Musical Tribute
Welcome to DeSantis: Randy Rainbow Song Parody
Ron DeSantis Signs Largest Slate of
Anti-LGBTQ Bills in Florida History
DeSantis Signs GOP’s 6-Week Abortion Ban Into Law
Broadcaster Chris Hayes Obliterates
‘Authoritarian’ Ron DeSantis Over Gender-Affirming Care
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Horrific Healthcare
Bill Allowing Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination
"Put on the full armor of God and
stand firm against the Left’s schemes."
-Gov. Ron
DeSantis
Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis also signed into law in May 2023 a bill
restricting how race and gender can be taught in Florida's
public higher education institutions and banning them from
using state or federal funding for diversity programs. It
marked an escalation of a broader conservative effort to
limit the ways schools can teach about issues of
diversity, equity and inclusion.
Referring to the initialism for “diversity, equity and
inclusion,” DeSantis said: “If you look at the way this
has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is
better viewed as standing for ‘discrimination, exclusion
and indoctrination,’ and that has no place in our public
institutions. This bill says the whole experiment with DEI
is coming to an end in the state of Florida.”
Critics, however, say the measures, particularly Senate
Bill 266, censor teachers and will make it harder to
attract and support diverse populations at Florida's
schools. Andrew Gothard, the president of United Faculty
of Florida, a union of faculty at Florida's public
universities, called the bill "authoritarian censorship"
in a statement.
DeSantis Signs 'Don't Say Gay' Expansion and
Gender-Affirming Care Ban Bills
So-Called Don't-Say-Gay Rules Expanded Through 12th
Grade in Florida
Right-Wing Bigotry Hides Behind a Kid-Friendly Facade
Two Commencement
Ceremonies at New College of Florida
Florida Traffic Sign Altered to Read: Kill All Gays
“I’ll be happy to tell you I’m very fucking
comfortable talking politics. If you vote for Ron DeSantis,
you’re fucking dead to me. Is that comfortable enough for
anyone?”
-Paramore
singer Hayley Williams
Senate Bill 266, which passed the Legislature this month,
will prohibit state colleges and universities from using
state or federal funds for programs that promote activism
or advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Ron DeSantis
has made a name for himself in the Republican Party as a
politician rallying against anything ‘woke’, potentially
as a platform to launch a 2024 presidential campaign.
In 2022, the governor signed into law the controversial
‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which has been expanded multiple
times since and bans classroom discussions of gender and
sexuality in all Florida schools – essentially silencing
LGBTQ teachers and pupils.
Don’t Say
Gay has led to an ongoing, escalating war with Disney, one
of the state’s largest employers. Under DeSantis, Equality
Florida has also released an “unprecedented” warning
against LGBTQ visitors travelling to the state, because of
the safety, freedom and health risks posed to queer people
under current legislation.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Attacks the LGBTQ Community
Welcome to DeSantis: Randy Rainbow Song Parody
Ron DeSantis Signs Largest Slate of
Anti-LGBTQ Bills in Florida History
Broadcaster Chris Hayes Obliterates
‘Authoritarian’ Ron DeSantis Over Gender-Affirming Care
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Horrific Healthcare
Bill Allowing Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination
Florida Extends ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law Through High School
Graduation
DeSantis Signs 'Don't Say Gay' Expansion and
Gender-Affirming Care Ban Bills
So-Called Don't-Say-Gay Rules Expanded Through 12th
Grade in Florida
Right-Wing Bigotry Hides Behind a Kid-Friendly Facade
Two Commencement
Ceremonies at New College of Florida
Florida Traffic Sign Altered to Read: Kill All Gays
Civil Rights Group NAACP Warns: Florida is Openly Hostile
to Black and LGBTQ Visitors
Current LGBTQ
News
Response from Dylan Mulvaney
Lil Nas X, Kim Petras, and More LGBTQ Stars Stun at 2023
Met Gala
Who Is Behind Anti-LGBTQ Legislation and What Are We
Going to Do About It?
Chuck Williams, Founder of Williams Institute at UCLA
Law School, Is Dead
Everything You Need to Know About the Bud
Light and Dylan Mulvaney Fiasco
Gay Couple Attacked in Middle of Crowded Times Square in
NYC
New Jersey Is Now Safe Haven for Trans
People Seeking Gender-Affirming Care
Biden Issues Transgender Day of Visibility Proclamation
Oklahoma House Passes Don't Say Gay or Trans Bill
Florida Challenged Over Gender-Affirming
Care Ban for Transgender Youth
ACLU: Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in US State
Legislatures
Florida Lawmaker Calls for Eradication of LGBTQ
Community
Far Right Is Exploiting Nashville Tragedy to Promote
Transphobia
Karine Jean-Pierre Condemns Anti-LGBTQ
Moves in Florida and Uganda
Joe Biden Calls Out Laws Targeting Trans
Youth: Terrible and Sinful
Lily Tomlin Calls Rash of Anti-LGBTQ
Bills Insane and a Travesty
Big Coronation Concert
The King
Charless III Coronation Concert features Take That, Lionel
Richie and Katy Perry as well as an appearance by
Brighton’s Actually Gay Men’s Chorus and The Pink Singers,
London’s LGBTQ community choir. 20,000 people attended the
Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
Other performers include bass-baritone Bryn Terfel,
pianist Lang Lang, Andrea Bocelli, Paloma Faith and former
Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Tom Cruise, Joan
Collins, Bear Grylls and Tom Jones appear in pre-recorded
video sketches. They recited little-known facts about the
monarch. Additionally, the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera,
Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal College of Music and
Royal College of Art combined to present a spectacular
one-off performance.
The 300-voice Coronation Choir combines chorists from 18
community and amateur choirs in a special ensemble for the
Coronation Concert. Concert organizers chose refugee, NHS,
LGBTQ and deaf-signing choirs for the ensemble after a
nationwide search earlier this year.
Brighton’s Actually Gay Men’s Chorus and London’s The Pink
Singers will both participate. Sadly, despite exploiting
queer musical groups to burnish his progressive
credentials, King Charles III has never yet made a single
comment on queer issues.
[Source: Destiny Rogers, Q News, May 2023]
Who appeared at the Coronation Concert?
Will King Charles III Address LGBTQ Rights?
As King Charles III is Crowned, Will he Address LGBTQ
Rights?
King Charles Coronation: Time for Royals to Face Up to
Britain’s Anti-LGBTQ Colonial Legacy
Florida Mayors Sign Pledge to
Support LGBTQ Youth
Even though
the governor is a big jerk...
The mayors of eight Florida
cities have pledged to support LGBTQ young people as the
state’s Republican-led legislature continues to pass
anti-LGBTQ bills.
GLSEN, which advocates for the safety of LGBTQ students,
announced that the mayors of Orlando, Miami Beach, Tampa,
Tallahassee, and four other Florida cities have signed the
organization’s Rise Up pledge “to advocate for safe
learning environments where young people, their teachers,
and school staff are free from the violence of racism,
transphobia, homophobia, sexism, ableism, and all forms of
systemic oppression… advocate for LGBTQ affirming books,
resources, and curriculum in schools… and rise up against
hateful anti-LGBTQ bills and rhetoric.”
The mayors also released proclamations declaring that
their communities are safe and affirming places for LGBTQ
Floridians, according to GLSEN.
“I was elected to be mayor
for every resident of Gainesville, and it is important to
me that all our neighbors, particularly the youngest and
most vulnerable, feel welcome and safe in our community,”
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward (D) said in a statement. “I
support the well-being and healthy development of every
person in our community through the guarantee of basic
human rights.”
In a statement, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis (D)
said that his city is a place where “you can be who you
are without fear of reproach.”
“The city boasts a stalwart human rights ordinance that
bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity in areas of employment, housing, and public
accommodations,” Trantalis said. “Discrimination of any
kind, particularly towards our LGBTQ children, has no
place in any part of our society. Greater Fort Lauderdale
boasts one of highest concentrations of same-sex
households in the nation, and we welcome in an average of
over 1.3 million LGBTQ visitors each year.”
The pledges come the same week as Florida lawmakers passed
several anti-LGBTQ bills, the latest in a raft of
legislation attacking LGBTQ rights in the state. On
Wednesday, the Republican-dominated legislature passed a
bill banning transgender people from using public
restrooms that correspond to their gender, as well as a
bill expanding the state’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law,
ABC News reports.
The state legislature also passed a bill that would allow
the state to take custody of a child if they have been
“subjected to or are threatened with being subjected to”
gender-affirming care, The New Republic reports. The bill
also restricts who can provide gender-affirming care to
adults; under the new law, trans adults who could
previously receive gender-affirming care from nurse
practitioners will only be able to receive such care from
physicians. All three bills are awaiting Gov. Ron
DeSantis’s (R) signature.
[Source: John Russell, LGBTQ Nation, May 2023]
Florida Mayors Sign Pledge to Support
LGBTQ Youth
Florida Mayors Pledge Support for LGBTQ
Community Amid Passage of Restrictive Bills
So-Called Don't-Say-Gay Rules Expanded Through 12th
Grade in Florida
Florida Lawmaker Calls for Eradication of LGBTQ
Community
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Banning DEI
Initiatives in Public Colleges
Karine Jean-Pierre Condemns Anti-LGBTQ
Moves in Florida and Uganda
Joe Biden Calls Out Laws Targeting Trans
Youth: Terrible and Sinful
Florida Politician
Supports Eradication of LGBTQ Community
DeSantis Expands ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law to All Grades
Florida Republican Apologizes for Anti-Transgender
'Demons' and 'Mutants' Comments
LGBTQ
Organization Warns People Against Traveling or Moving to
Florida
Florida Republican Defends Anti-Drag Bill Even If It
Means Erasing a Community
Gay! Gay! Gay! By Randy Rainbow
Lily Tomlin Calls Rash of Anti-LGBTQ
Bills Insane and a Travesty
Barry
Humphries: Dame Edna Everage Comedian Dies at 89
The cross-dressing
comedian had a career spanning 60 years
Australian comedian and actor Barry Humphries, who is
best known his drag alter-ego Dame Edna Everage, has
died aged 89. "He was completely himself until the very
end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and
generosity of spirit," his family said in a statement.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote: "For
89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a
galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But
the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A
great wit, satirist, writer, and an absolute
one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift."
Humphries died in April 2023 at a Sydney hospital after
being readmitted following surgery on his hip last
month.
"A stiletto-heeled, stiletto-tongued persona who might
well have been the spawn of a ménage à quatre involving
Oscar Wilde, Salvador Dalí, Auntie Mame, and Miss Piggy,
Dame Edna was not so much a character as a cultural
phenomenon, a force of nature trafficking in wicked,
sequined commentary on the nature of fame," the media
reports. The drag artist had her own mock celebrity
broadcast talk show on NBC in the early 1990s called
"Dame Edna's Hollywood." Humphries was also a mainstay
on actual talk shows as well. Humphries won a special
Tony Award for his 199 one-person show "Dame Edna: The
Royal Tour."
Humphries was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1934. He
crafted housewife Edna Everage in 1955 for satire. The
persona became huge after Humphries began appearing on
British television as her. In the 1960s, before Edna's
rise to stardom, Humphries appeared in several West End
and Broadway productions.
Edna was best known for her catchphrase, "Hello,
Possums!," her lavender-colored hair, and rhinestone
glasses. Humphries was made an Officer of the
Order of Australia (OA) for services to theatre in 1982.
Then in 2007, the Queen made him a Commander of the
Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contribution
to the arts. Humphries wrote several books,
novels, autobiographies, and plays, and he painted. In
2022, Humphries toured the UK for "The Man Behind the
Mask," outside the character.
Humphries is survived by his wife, Lizzie Spender; four
children; and 10 grandchildren.
[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, April 2023]
Dame Edna Creator Barry Humphries Dies in Sydney at 89
Barry Humphries, Known for His Drag Persona Dame Edna
Everage, Dead at 89
Barry Humphries: Dame Edna Everage Comedian Dies at 89
Dame Edna Everage On The Jonathan Ross Show
The
Latest Hate
Kid Rock, Travis
Tritt, Victoria Jackson, Riley Green, Randy Fine, Webster Barnaby,
John Rich, Brantley Gilbert, Ron DeSantis...
Mostly
centered in Florida and Tennessee (but also spreading
nationwide), the current
atmosphere of LGBTQ intolerance is very disturbing....
Attacks on drag shows, trans people, and
gender-affirming healthcare is rampant... The likes of music hasbeens Kid Rock and Travis Tritt
are getting violently upset over Dylan Mulvaney's
picture on a Bud Light beer can... Washed-up SNL actor
Victoria Jackson is spewing hateful rhetoric about the
LGBTQ community while denouncing the upcoming Pride
celebration in her city... A Florida republican
representative called LGBTQ people mutants and demons...
And another Florida republican legislator wants to wipe
out the LGBTQ community in his state...
A Florida
lawmaker made alarming comments in April 2023 that
appeared to endorse the eradication of LGBTQ people.
During a state legislative committee hearing, Rep. Randy
Fine, a Republican, made disturbing comments in a speech
where he attempted to rebuke anyone not on board with
his legislation, HB 1423. The bill seeks to ban drag
performances in public, similar to a law passed in
Tennessee recently. That law was enjoined by a state
judge who halted its implementation. “If it means
‘erasing a community’ because you have to target
children - then, damn right, we ought to do it!” Fine
said during a vigorous defense of his measure.
The bill expands the “adult live performances”
definition under the government’s regulatory authority.
“Adult live performance” refers to any show, exhibition,
or other presentation that depicts or simulates nudity,
sexual conduct, or sexual excitement, to include
specific sexual activities, or to include the lewd
exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts.
The legislation increases penalties for allowing
children to attend performances depicting broadly
defined sexual conduct or lewd behavior.
In December 2022, officials with Gov. Ron DeSantis’
administration revoked the liquor licenses of several
venues in Miami and Orlando over potential minors in the
audience. In response to a Democrat’s question regarding
whether the bill would affect Hamburger Mary’s, an
LGBTQ-friendly establishment that features drag
performers, the Republican said he did not know about it
and did not plan to visit it. Hooters establishments
would not be affected, he said. “This is a disgusting
bill and is designed to target parents like me. It will
– like everything – be selectively enforced by the state
to target members of the LGBTQ community, as we’ve
already seen, with DPBR taking away licenses of venues
that host drag shows – that were not lewd and that were
very family-friendly,” Democratic Rep. Angela Nixon
said, Florida’s Voice reports. The bill passed the State
Administration and Technology Appropriations
Subcommittee with a 10-5 vote.
Meanwhile... Actor and former Saturday Night Live cast
member Victoria Jackson delivered a homophobic rant at a
city council meeting in Franklin, Tennessee. The
historic city of Franklin has recently been embroiled in
controversy surrounding its annual LGBTQ Pride festival.
Though Pride celebrations have been held in Franklin for
the past two years, anti-LGBTQ activists called for the
cancellation of this year's fest following the recent
shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville as
well as growing attacks on LGBTQ people and specifically
drag performances.
That same evening, Jackson joined more than 100
Tennessee residents to make comments at the council
meeting. "God hates sodomy. He hates homosexuality. He
said it's an abomination," the ex-SNL star said after
taking the podium. Jackson added that "God hates
Pride" before citing Bible verses and claiming that
Sodom and Gomorrah "proves that God hates sodomy."
A video of her tirade posted to Twitter has gone viral,
receiving over 7 million views.
In 2012, Jackson publicly attacked gay people on an
episode of her now defunct web show, referring to them
as "irrational, immoral," and "unnatural." And in 2011,
she described a same-sex kiss on the TV series Glee as
"sickening."
[Source:
Christopher Wiggins, Dylan Reber, Advocate, April 2023]
Florida Politician Supports Eradication of LGBTQ
Community
SNL
Star Victoria Jackson's Furious Rant Against Pride: God
Hates Homosexuals
and Sodomy
DeSantis Expands ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law to All Grades
Florida Republican Apologizes for Anti-Transgender
'Demons' and 'Mutants' Comments
Former SNL Star Unleashes Homophobic Rant at Tennessee
City Council Meeting
ACLU: Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in US State
Legislatures
Florida Lawmaker Calls for Eradication of LGBTQ
Community
LGBTQ
Organization Warns People Against Traveling or Moving to
Florida
Florida Republican Defends Anti-Drag Bill Even If It
Means Erasing a Community
Anti-Drag Movement is State-Sponsored LGBTQ Persecution
Gay! Gay! Gay! By Randy Rainbow
Current LGBTQ
News
White House Blasts
Attacks on LGBTQ Community: Shameful, Hateful, Dangerous
BenDeLaCreme Condemns GOP's Anti-LGBTQ
Laws
Advocates Rally Nationwide for LGBTQ
Rights: We Have Had Enough
Karine Jean-Pierre on Tennessee Drag Law:
Unacceptable and Unfortunate
Meet the Parasol Patrol: Volunteer Group
Protecting LGBTQ Events
Two Teens Charged in Death of Transgender TikTok
Personality Brianna Ghey
Republicans Target Transgender Youth
Health Care in Legislative Push
Uganda's LGBTQ Community In Shock Over New Measure, Gay
Activist Says
Dylan Mulvaney on The Drew Barrymore Show
Overwhelming Majority of Brits Reject
Cruel US-Style Drag Bans
White House Criticizes Pence for
Homophobic Joke about Pete Buttigieg
Michigan Lawmakers OK LGBTQ Rights Bill: Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer to Sign
Tennessee May Allow Clerks to Refuse Marriage Licenses
to Same-Sex Couples
LGBTQ Venues and Events Continue to be Targeted by the
Far-Right
South Dakota and Tennessee: Trans Youth Health Care Ban
Out US Rep. Chris Pappas Marries His Boyfriend
Laverne Cox: Trans People Are Exhausted by Anti-Trans
Legislation
Queer Youth Negatively Affected by Anti-LGBTQ Laws and
Debates
With Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Before
State Legislatures, Activists Say They're Fired Up
Trans
Youth Under Attack by Bans on Gender Affirming Care
26.6% of
transgender youth live in states that have passed bans
on gender affirming care.
23.8% of transgender youth at risk of losing access to
gender affirming care.
In a
coordinated push led by national anti-LGBTQ groups,
legislators across the country have overridden the
recommendations of the American medical establishment
and introduced hundreds of bills that target transgender
and non-binary youth’s access to age-appropriate,
medically-necessary care.
As reported by The Williams Institute, there are more
than 300,000 high school-aged (ages 13-17) transgender
youth in the United States today, many who need gender
affirming care. Half of these youth (50.4%, or 151,300)
live in states in which transgender youth have lost
access to, or are at risk of losing access to,
gender-affirming care, because of discriminatory laws
and policies.
More than one in four (26.6% or 79,900 total) trans
youth aged 13-17 live in states that have passed bans on
gender affirming care.
An additional 23.8% (71,400 total) trans youth are
living in states that are considering bills and policies
that will deny more trans kids access to life saving
gender affirming care
Gender-affirming care is age-appropriate care that is
medically necessary for the wellbeing of many
transgender and non-binary people who experience
symptoms of gender dysphoria, or distress that results
from having one’s gender identity not match their sex
assigned at birth.
By preventing doctors from providing this care, or
threatening to take children away from parents who
support their child in their transition, these bills
prevent transgender youth from accessing medically
necessary, safe health care backed by decades of
research and supported by every major medical
association representing over 1.3 million US doctors.
As of April 3, 2023, we are tracking more than 800
anti-LGBTQ bills across the country. Many of these (more
than 110) would limit or prevent transgender people from
accessing gender-affirming care, while others are
bathroom bans, curriculum censorship bills or anti-drag
performance bills.
These bills have real world impact. Nearly 1 in 5 of any
type of hate crime is now motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias.
Over 310 transgender and gender non-conforming people
have lost their lives to fatal violence in the past
decade, a third of whom were killed in the last three
years; Texas and Florida, two of the states leading the
current wave of anti-transgender legislation,
collectively were home to almost 20% of all victims.
Reports of violence and intimidation against LGBTQ
people, such as the Club Q shooting that cost the lives
of five people, have been making news across the country
– with white nationalists targeting a Pride event in
Idaho and Proud Boys crashing Drag Queen story hours at
local libraries to shout homophobic and transphobic
slurs.
Anti-LGBTQ stigma also drives alarmingly high rates of
depression, anxiety and suicide. Almost nine in ten
transgender and non-binary youth experienced worsening
mental health as a result of the wave of
anti-transgender legislation, and almost half had been
cyberbullied as a result of discussions of these bills.
[Source: Human Rights Campaign, March 2023]
Map: Attacks on Gender
Affirming Care by State
Indiana Governor Signs Ban on
Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Minors
The Governors From Indiana and Idaho Sign Bans on
Gender-Affirming Care
West Virginia Governor Signs Ban on Gender-Affirming Care
for Transgender Youth
Oklahoma House Passes Don't Say Gay or Trans Bill
Florida Challenged Over Gender-Affirming
Care Ban for Transgender Youth
Joe Biden Calls Out Laws Targeting Trans
Youth: Terrible and Sinful
New Jersey Is Now Safe Haven for Trans
People Seeking Gender-Affirming Care
Minnesota to Become Sanctuary State for People Fleeing
Trans Healthcare Bans
Gender-Affirming Care and its Long History
in the US
Audrey Hale: Nashville School Shooter
“When the news came
out that the shooter was a trans person, someone a part
of the LGBTQ community, we knew that there would be
backlash from that.”
-Alie Stewart, event
planner in Nashville
What do we know about
the transgender school shooter who took 6 innocent lives?
Officials
are working to determine the motive behind a deadly
shooting at a Christian school in Nashville as more
details emerge about the shooter who killed three
students and three staff members in March 2023. The
shooter was identified by police as 28-year-old former
student Audrey Elizabeth Hale. Hale shot open a glass
side door and entered the Covenant School with three
weapons, including an AR-style rifle, an AR-style pistol
and a handgun, according to police.
Officers killed the shooter in a common area on the
second floor of the school, according to a statement
from police. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John
Drake said at a press conference the shooter bought
seven firearms legally from five local gun stores,
including the three used in the attack. Police said
previously officers found a sawed-off shotgun and a
second shotgun at the shooter's home.
Police
initially identified the shooter as a 28-year-old
Nashville woman and continued to refer to the shooter
with she/her pronouns in public statements. A police
spokesperson on told the Tennessean newspaper that the
actually shooter used he/him pronouns.
Drake said
the shooter's parents believed their child had only one
gun and sold it, but the suspect had been hiding several
weapons in the house. Drake said if it had been reported
that the shooter was suicidal or homicidal, police would
have tried to take the weapons, "but as it stands we had
absolutely no idea actually who this person was."
Police interviewed the shooter's parents, who said the
shooter was "under doctor's care for an emotional
disorder." Police said the shooter was a former student
at the small, private Christian school who had no
criminal history.
Bill Campbell, a headmaster of the Covenant School from
2004 to 2008, said that he could not recall any issues
the shooter might have had as a third grader at the
school in 2005 and a fourth grader in 2006. The
shooter was an illustrator and graphic designer,
according to police. The shooter attended Nossi College
of Art between 2018 to 2022. “There’s some belief
that there was some resentment for having to go to that
school,” Drake said.
Regardless of Hale's gender identity or emotional state,
there is no excuse for such a violent act. Police say
they do not have a motive yet, but that law enforcement
believes the students killed were "randomly targeted."
Police found a map outlining how the shooting was going
to take place and writings that show the shooting was
"calculated and planned," according to a statement
released by police.
[Source: Associated Press, March 2023]
Who Was Nashville Shooter Audrey Hale?
What Was Nashville Shooter's Motive?
Amid Right-Wing Anger, Nashville’s LGBTQ
Community Is Stepping Back
Far Right Is Exploiting Nashville Tragedy to Promote
Transphobia
Details About Nashville Shooter's Gender Identity Sow
Confusion and Disinformation
Nashville School Shooter Audrey Hale’s Post About
Partner’s Death
Audrey Hale: What We Know About the Nashville School
Shooter
Fear Pervades Tennessee's Trans Community
Amid Focus on Nashville Shooter's Gender Identity
Tennessee Congressman Prioritizes Protecting Kids From
Drag Queens Over Guns
Nashville School Shooting: What We Know About the
Shooter and the Motive
Disney World Hosts Massive LGBTQ Rights Summit, Defying
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
The event will
promote LGBTQ rights in the workplace following Gov Ron
DeSantis' refusal for inclusivity training
In September 2023, the Walt Disney Corporation is saying
gay as they are set to host a massive summit promoting
LGBTQ rights. The conference will take place in Central
Florida and will bring together executives and other
professionals from around the world. Per the Tampa Bay
Times, the summit is meant to push back against Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis, who has himself defied and
campaigned against diversity and inclusion training in
the workplace. The conference will take place at The
Walt Disney World Resort on September 11-14.
The timing not only
coincides with DeSantis' anti-diversity training but
also with the increasing number of anti-LGBTQ, more
specifically anti-trans, bills at risk of and currently
being passed across the country, including in Florida.
One such bill includes the state's Parental Rights in
Education legislation—or as it's colloquially known, the
"Don't Say Gay" bill. Following the bill, Disney and
DeSantis entered a dispute, as the former opposed the
bill.
Along with DeSantis' anti-inclusivity views in
professional workplaces, he also opposed DEI training in
colleges and universities, accusing them and
corporations of trying to "advance woke ideology through
its employee ranks — and virtue signal in the process."
He had also previously appointed a five-member board to
Disney, hoping the legislature would "reevaluate — and
even eliminate — Disney’s special deal." Ironically, the
board held no significant authority over Disney's
content.
[Source: Julia Humphries, Collider, March 2023]
Disney World to Host Massive LGBTQ Rights Summit,
Defying Florida Gov Ron DeSantis
Disney Announces Huge LGBTQ Conference Just Weeks After
Ron DeSantis Said He’s Their Sheriff
DeSantis Moves to Ban LGBTQ Classroom Discussions
Through 12th Grade
Florida Votes to Expand Horrific Don’t
Say Gay Law
Daily Show: Biden Slams Florida
Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
White House Blasts Attacks on LGBTQ
Community: Shameful, Hateful, Dangerous
Video: White House Blasts Attacks on
LGBTQ Community
Sad Day for Education: Miami Teachers React to Passing
of Don’t-Say-Gay Bill
How Will Florida’s Don’t-Say-Gay Bill Play Out in
Classrooms?
Teachers Fear Chilling Effect of Florida's Don't-Say-Gay
Law
Memo Circulated To Florida Teachers Lays Out Clever
Sabotage Of Don't-Say-Gay Law
Florida Governor Signs Controversial Don't-Say-Gay Bill
Into Law
Enabling Hate: Fla. Gov. DeSantis Signs
Historic Don't-Say-Gay Bill
ABC News: What is the Don't-Say-Gay Law?
Lesbian Mayor of Tampa Wins
Reelection By Landslide
Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa and an out LGBTQ woman,
easily won reelection in March 2023 with 80% of the
vote. But there’s one caveat. She didn’t have an
opponent except for a blank line where voters could fill
in whomever they wanted. According to the Tampa Bay
Times, some of those write-ins went to Tampa Bay
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady; Tampa’s strip club
king Joe Redner; Mickey Mouse; Santa Claus; and
Spongebob Squarepants.
“It is clear the Tampa community is all-in for Jane
across all party lines. She has ushered in a new level
of prosperity and equity for the city by delivering real
results and passing smart policies for the community she
loves,” said Annise Parker, President of Victory Fund,
in a press release. “While today’s result is a victory
for all Tampa residents, it is also a meaningful victory
for Florida’s LGBTQ community. With anti-LGBTQ hate
spreading like wildfire in Florida, Jane has
consistently fought back. We are confident Jane will
continue making Tampa a bastion for LGBTQ rights and
equality in the state.” Castor is a Democrat and
former Tampa police chief.
[Source: South Florida Gay News, March 2023]
Daily Show: Biden Slams Florida
Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
White House Blasts Attacks on LGBTQ
Community: Shameful, Hateful, Dangerous
Video: White House Blasts Attacks on
LGBTQ Community
More States are Proposing Bills Targeting
LGBTQ Rights and It’s Only Getting Worse
Advocates Rally Nationwide for LGBTQ
Rights: We Have Had Enough
Karine Jean-Pierre on Tennessee Drag Law:
Unacceptable and Unfortunate
Minnesota Governor Signs Order Protecting
Gender-Affirming Health Care
In Some States, Versions of ‘Don’t
Say
Gay’ Bills Have Been Around for Awhile
Republicans Target Transgender Youth
Health Care in Legislative Push
White House
Blasts Attacks on LGBTQ Community:
Shameful, Hateful, Dangerous
The White House in March 2023 condemned
what it called “shameful, hateful and
dangerous” attacks on the LGBTQ
community, and transgender people in
particular, pointing to comments from a
speaker at a major conservative
conference last week and a barrage of
bills introduced in GOP-led state
legislatures.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke
about the rhetoric and legislation
targeting transgender people, pointing
to a speech given at the Conservative
Political Action Conference by Michael
Knowles in which he said “transgenderism
must be eradicated from public life.”
“It started with a speaker at a
conservative conference calling for the
eradication of transgender people,
language that not a single national
Republican leader has condemned,”
Jean-Pierre said.
She highlighted that Republicans in Iowa
and Tennessee have called for
legislation attacking gay marriage,
while in Florida GOP lawmakers have
introduced a slew of bills to roll back
the rights of LGBTQ communities. Those
bills are part of a larger trend, with
Jean-Pierre noting more than 450
anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced at
the state level in the first 70 days of
the year.
“The same leaders that tout freedom
apparently don’t extend their love for
freedom if they disagree with who you
are, who you love, or how you parent,”
Jean-Pierre said. “It’s government
overreach at its worst, taking away
rights from the vulnerable all to
distract from a deeply unpopular agenda
that caters to the ultra-rich.”
Jean-Pierre vowed the Biden
administration would continue to support
members of the LGBTQ community.
President Biden last year signed a
sweeping executive order aimed at
protecting LGBTQ youth from a raft of
conservative state laws and addressing
barriers they face to health care and
housing.
In his State of the Union address in
February 2023, Biden called on Congress
to pass the Equality Act to “ensure
LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender
young people, can live with safety and
dignity.”
[Source: Brett Samuels, The Hill, March
2023]
Michigan Lawmakers OK LGBTQ Rights Bill: Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer to Sign
LGBTQ Venues and Events Continue to be Targeted by the
Far-Right
South Dakota and Tennessee: Trans Youth Health Care Ban
Oklahoma House Passes Don't Say Gay or Trans Bill
Laverne Cox: Trans People Are Exhausted by Anti-Trans
Legislation
Queer Youth Negatively Affected by Anti-LGBTQ Laws and
Debates
With Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Before
State Legislatures, Activists Say They're Fired Up
Celebrities Who Are
Standing Against Anti-Drag and
Anti-Trans Bills
Madonna Adds Tour Date In Tennessee To
Support Drag And Trans Community After
Recent Legislation
Current LGBTQ
News
George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Greene
Sign on to LGBTQ Book Ban Bill
How This Year’s Grammys Celebrated LGBTQ
Artists and Allies
Kim Petras Makes Transgender History With
Grammy Win
Virginia Democrats Kill Six Proposed
Anti-Trans Bills
All the Celebrities Who Came Out As LGBTQ
in 2023 (So Far)
Overwhelming Majority of Anti-LGBTQ Bills
Failed in 2022
More Than 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Already Been
Proposed This Year
Hakeem Jeffries Speech Upon the Election of the Speaker
of the House
Robin Roberts Says She Will Marry Her
Partner of 18 Years
Under Fire: War on LGBTQ People in
America
Anti-LGBTQ Groups Have Ties to
International Religious Freedom Summit
Senate Confirms Biden Nominee as Puerto Rico's First
LGBTQ Federal Judge
LGBTQ Pop Culture Moments And Newsworthy
Events That Happened In 2022
LGBTQ Holocaust Victims Remembered for the First Time by
German Parliament
GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis Gives Moving Speech In Support
Of Same-Sex Marriage Protections
Trans TikTok Personality Brianna Ghey is
Murdered
Two
school children charged with murder of
trans teen Brianna Ghey
Brianna Ghey, who was described by her
family as a "larger than life
character," died in February 2023. Two
schoolchildren have been charged with
murder following the death of the
16-year-old transgender girl in an
English village.
A boy and a girl, both aged 15, have
been charged with the murder of Brianna
Ghey, who was found dead in a park in
Warrington in the country’s northwest.
Members of the public contacted the
emergency services after Ghey’s body was
found on a path in Linear Park, in the
village of Culcheth, police said. She
was found with fatal stab wounds, police
said.
Police and forensic scientists initially
said there was no evidence to suggest
the circumstances surrounding Ghey’s
death was hate related, before later
adding that all lines of inquiry were
being explored, “including whether this
was a hate crime.”
Trial Date Set for Accused Killers of
Trans Teen Brianna Ghey
Brianna Ghey: Two School Children
Charged With Murder of Trans Teen in
English Park
15-Year-Old Boy and Girl Charged with
Murder of Transgender Teen Brianna Ghey
in UK
Two Teens Charged in Death of
Transgender TikTok Personality Brianna
Ghey
Brianna's family said: “Brianna was a
much loved daughter, granddaughter, and
baby sister. She was a larger than life
character who would leave a lasting
impression on all that met her. Brianna
was beautiful, witty and hilarious.
Brianna was strong, fearless and one of
a kind. The loss of her young life has
left a massive hole in our family, and
we know that the teachers and her
friends who were involved in her life
will feel the same. We would like to
thank everyone for their kind words and
support during this extremely difficult
time. We would like to thank the police
for their support, and witnesses for
helping with the investigation.”
Almost £90,000 ($109,000) has been
raised so far for Ghey’s family by an
online crowdfunding campaign. Those
behind it say the funds raised will help
pay for a funeral, which they hope to
make “pink and colorful to match her
personality.”
The charges come a day after candlelit
vigils were held for Ghey in the cities
of Liverpool and Bristol, with more due
to be held across the country in the
coming days. Some of the events
have been organized by trans rights and
LGBTQ campaigners, including ones
planned for London, Manchester and the
coastal city of Brighton.
[Source:
Lianne Kolirin, CNN, February 2023]
Biggest LGBTQ News Stories of 2022
Top 10 National LGBTQ News Stories of
2022
2022: President Joe Biden's
LGBTQ-History-Making Year
2021 Was Supposed to Be the Worst Year
for LGBTQ Rights... Then Came 2022
President Biden Signs Respect for
Marriage Act into Law
2022: Violent Year for LGBTQ People
After a Grueling 2022, Anti-Trans Legislation Is Set to
Get Worse in 2023
Kevin McCarthy, LGBTQ Rights Opponent,
Elected House Speaker
118th Congress Breaks Record for Lesbian,
Gay and Bisexual Representation
Hakeem Jeffries A-Z Speech on Democracy
Gay Congressman Robert Garcia: Swearing His Oath
LGBTQ Words Added to the Oxford English
Dictionary in 2022
The Year Ahead: What to Expect From LGBTQ
Rights in 2023
Arizona’s New Governor Katie Hobbs Issued
LGBTQ Protections on Her First Day in Office
Trans Singer Kim
Petras Makes Grammy Award History
LGBTQ artists were among the winners... Best
Album - Harry Styles... Best Pop Duo Performance -
Sam Smith and Kim Petras... Best Rock Song -
Brandi Carlile... Best Americana Album - Brandi
Carlile
Pop star
Kim Petras made trans history in February 2023 with her
Grammy Award win with Sam Smith for their song "Unholy."
The two won the award for best pop or group performance.
Petras is the first trans woman to win the award.
Smith, who is nonbinary, won their first Grammy in 2015.
They've won four Grammys so far. In October, Sam Smith
and Kim Petras' hit song reached the number one spot on
the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As reported by Billboard,
Smith and Petras are "the first publicly nonbinary and
transgender soloists, respectively, to top the Hot 100."
After the two were announced as winners at the Grammy
ceremony, Petras gave a speech thanking trans women in
music who paved the way for her win as well as for
Smith's support. “I just wanted to thank all the
incredible transgender legends before me who kicked
these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,”
Petras said. The singer also honored the late
Grammy-nominated producer Sophie who died in 2021.
“SOPHIE, especially. My friend who passed away two years
ago, who told me this would happen and always believed
in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, Sophie. I
adore you and your inspiration will forever be in my
music.”
She gave a shout out to LGBTQ icon Madonna. “I don’t
think I could be here without Madonna,” Petras said,
referring to the pop legend's outspoken activism for
queer rights and art.
Petras also thanked her mother for supporting her
through her career. “I grew up next to a highway in
nowhere Germany, and my mother believed me that I was a
girl and I wouldn’t be here without her and her support
and everyone who believed in me to this point.”
Producer and creative DJ Honey Dijon, who is also a
trans woman, was nominated this year for a Grammy for Beyoncé’s celebrated album "Renaissance."
Beyonce remarked, "Thank you to the Queer community for
inventing this music genre."
[Source Alex Cooper, Advocates, Feb 2023]
Kim Petras Makes Transgender History With
Grammy Win
Kim Petras and Sam Smith: Acceptance Speech
Kim Petras Makes Grammy History and Fans
are Elated
Unholy by Kim Petras and Sam Smith: Music Video
Kim Petras Gives Moving Speech at Grammy Awards
Madonna Hails Troublemakers And Rebels As She Pays
Tribute To Sam Smith And Kim Petras
Beyonce Gives Heartfelt Tribute to Queer Community
Sam Smith And Kim Petras Make LGBTQ History With Major
Grammy Win
Sam Smith & Kim Petras' Historic Grammy Performance
Sam Smith And Kim Petras: Fiery Performance Of 'Unholy'
Overwhelming
Majority of Anti-LGBTQ Bills Failed in 2022
Majority
of the anti-LGBTQ bills in 2022 fell flat despite the
record number proposed last year...
Comparatively, 24 pro-equality bills were passed into
law in 2022...
Statistics reported by the Human Rights Campaign in
January 2023 found that less than 1 in 10 anti-LGBTQ
bills proposed last year became law. At least 315 laws,
that discriminated against LGBTQ people in some
capacity, were found by the nonprofit organization, with
29 passing. The shocking number came as part of its 2022
State Equality Index, an annual review into the state of
LGBTQ equality across the US.
It wrote that several of the proposed bills deployed
“vintage discriminatory tropes” that have plagued LGBTQ
groups for years. Many others attempted to use the wave
of anti-trans hysteria to push attempts at banning
gender-affirming care or further stifling the rights of
trans youth.
A shocking 149 US bills were found to have targeted the
transgender community in 2022, many of which were
directed at under-18s. Comparatively, 24 pro-equality
bills were passed into law in 2022 – from progressive
legislation making it easier for trans people to change
their name, to the Respect for Marriage Act.
In a statement, the Human Rights Campaign senior vice
president of political affairs JoDee Winterhof said:
“The 2022 State Equality Index outlines how states
across the country fought back against yet another
record year of anti-LGBTQ legislative attacks. “These
bills are terrible public policy, and we are also deeply
cognizant of how every harmful anti-LGBTQ bill that is
signed into law has a devastating impact on the lives
and well-being of LGBTQ people.”
One of the more significant trends in 2022 was the
resurgence of anti-LGBTQ bills targeting curriculum in
schools, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bills. The first of
its kind was passed and signed by Florida governor Ron
DeSantis in the latter half of March. The blow to LGBTQ
rights in the region (which saw LGBTQ topics completely
banned from classroom discussion) prompted several
copycat laws to pop up in states like Pennsylvania and
Indiana.
During that time, the use of the homophobic slur
“groomer” exploded on social media platforms, hitting
9,219 tweets the day after the bill was signed – about
once every nine seconds.
Fears that 2023 could be even worse for LGBTQ people
have sparked up following a massive surge in anti-LGBTQ
bills in January alone. More than 100 anti-LGBTQ bills
have been proposed in 2023 already, from “Don’t Say Gay”
copycats to bills attempting to define drag performances
as “adult entertainment.”
Activist Erin Reed (who has been detailing each
anti-trans bill to have been proposed so far) said the
wave of bills has “terrorized the transgender and drag
communities,” while blaming the wave of anti-trans panic
sparking up in the US.
Additionally, Equality Federation Institute Fran
Hutchins said: “It’s more important than ever to focus
our attention on protecting LGBTQ people in the states,
where the work is hard, but the impact is great.”
[Source: Amelia Hansford, Pink News, Jan 2023]
Overwhelming Majority of Anti-LGBTQ Bills
Failed in 2022
Virginia Democrats Kill Six Proposed
Anti-Trans Bills
More Than 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Already Been
Proposed This Year
Queer Youth Negatively Affected by Anti-LGBTQ Laws and
Debates
With Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Before
State Legislatures, Activists Say They're Fired Up
LGBTQ Parents Consider Leaving Florida
Due to 'Don't Say Gay' Law
Queer Youth Negatively Affected by
Anti-LGBTQ Laws and Recent Debates
From attacks on LGBTQ spaces
to threats to drag shows, LGBTQ youth are watching
and are being affected by
current events in the US
Debates over LGBTQ rights are having a negative effect
on the lives of young people in the community, according
to a new poll.
“An overwhelming majority of LGBTQ youth have been
negatively impacted by recent debates and laws around
anti-LGBTQ policies and that many have also experienced
victimization as a result,” says a press release on the
poll, conducted by the Trevor Project and released
in January 2023.
The poll included 716 LGBTQ youth ages 13–24 around the
US. It assessed emotional responses to anti-LGBTQ
policies as well as which other social issues often give
LGBTQ youth stress and anxiety. It came in a year in
which more than 220 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced
around the nation, most of them targeting transgender
youth; many more are being introduced in 2023 -- 150
across 23 states in the first two weeks of the year, the
Trevor Project reports.
Queer Youth Negatively Affected by Anti-LGBTQ Laws and
Debates
Democrats Link Surging Violence Toward LGBTQ Community
with GOP Rhetoric
Advocates Warn Legislation Could Harm LGBTQ Youth Mental
Health
With Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Before
State Legislatures, Activists Say They're Fired Up
Among the key findings: Eighty-six percent of
transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates about
state laws restricting the rights of transgender people
have negatively impacted their mental health. A majority
of those trans youth (55 percent) said it impacted their
mental health “very negatively.” Seventy-one percent of
LGBTQ youth overall say state laws restricting the
rights of LGBTQ young people have negatively impacted
their mental health.
Seventy-one percent of LGBTQ youth (including 82 percent
of transgender and nonbinary youth) say that threats of
violence against LGBTQ spaces, such as community
centers, Pride events, drag shows, or medical providers
that serve transgender people, often give them stress or
anxiety. Nearly half (48 percent) of those LGBTQ youth
say it gives them stress or anxiety “very often.”
As a result of anti-LGBTQ policies and debates in the
last year, trans and nonbinary youth say they have had a
range of harmful experiences, including cyberbullying or
online harassment (45 percent); stopping speaking to a
family member (42 percent); not feeling safe going to
the doctor or hospital (29 percent); having a friend
stop speaking to them (29 percent); bullying at school
(24 percent); their school removing Pride flags or other
LGBTQ-friendly symbols (15 percent); and physical
assault (10 percent).
Among all LGBTQ youth, one in three report cyberbullying
or online harassment, one in four say they stopped
speaking to a family member or relative, and one in five
say they experienced bullying.
Queer Youth Negatively Affected by Anti-LGBTQ Laws and
Debates
Democrats Link Surging Violence Toward LGBTQ Community
with GOP Rhetoric
Advocates Warn Legislation Could Harm LGBTQ Youth Mental
Health
With Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Before
State Legislatures, Activists Say They're Fired Up
Regarding policies that will bar doctors from providing
gender-affirming medical care to trans and nonbinary
youth, 74 percent of these young people say they feel
angry, 59 percent feel stressed, 56 percent feel sad, 48
percent feel hopeless, 47 percent feel scared, 46
percent feel helpless, and 45 percent feel nervous.
Policies that prevent trans youth from playing on the
sports teams aligned with their gender identity make 64
percent of trans and nonbinary youth feel angry, 44
percent feel sad, 39 percent feel stressed, and 30
percent feel hopeless, according to the poll.
There were also bad reactions to anti-LGBTQ school
policies, given debates around respecting students’
identities and pronouns, censoring LGBTQ-inclusive
curricula, and banning books. New policies that require
schools to tell a student’s parent or guardian if they
request to use a different name/pronoun or if they
identify as LGBTQ at school make 67 percent of
transgender and nonbinary youth feel angry, 54 percent
feel stressed, 51 percent feel scared, 46 percent feel
nervous, and 43 percent feel sad.
Fifty-eight percent of LGBTQ youth, including 71 percent
of transgender and nonbinary youth, feel angry about new
policies that bar teachers from discussing LGBTQ topics
in the classroom. Among trans youth, 59 percent feel sad
and 41 percent feel stressed.
Sixty-six percent of LGBTQ youth, including 80 percent
of transgender and nonbinary youth, feel angry about
policies that will ban LGBTQ-inclusive books from school
libraries. Nearly half of LGBTQ youth, including 54
percent of trans youth, also felt sad about these book
bans.
Black LGBTQ youth sampled reported disproportionately
higher rates of racism, police brutality, doing poorly
in school, and gun violence giving them stress or
anxiety “very often” compared to white LGBTQ youth.
Trans and nonbinary youth polled reported
disproportionately higher rates of transphobia, losing
their health care, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, and threats
of violence in LGBTQ spaces giving them stress or
anxiety “very often” compared to cisgender queeryouth.
“Right now, we are witnessing the highest number on
record of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this early in any
legislative session. We must consider the negative toll
of these ugly public debates on youth mental health and
well-being. LGBTQ young people are watching, and
internalizing the anti-LGBTQ messages they see in the
media and from their elected officials. And so are those
that would do our community harm,” Kasey Suffredini,
vice president of advocacy and government affairs at the
Trevor Project, said in the release.
Suffredini added: “The Trevor Project is proud to see
that more than two-thirds of LGBTQ youth, including 81
percent of transgender and nonbinary youth, have seen,
read, or heard about our work to fight back against
anti-LGBTQ bills. We are prepared for the fight ahead
and will not stop advocating for a safer, more accepting
world for all.”
[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, Jan 2023]
Current LGBTQ
News
Club Q Owner Reads to Congress: Hate Mail They Got After
the Shooting
Democrats Link Surging Violence Toward LGBTQ Community
with GOP Rhetoric
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Freed From Russian Prison
US Senate and US House of Reps Passes Bill to
Protect Same Sex Marriage
These Recently Elected Trans Lawmakers
Say Anti-LGBTQ Bills Inspired Them to Run
DHS Warns of Domestic Terror Threats to
LGBTQ, Jewish and Migrant Communities
Amber McLaughlin, First Openly
Transgender Person Executed in US, Dies by Lethal
Injection
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Administration Targets
Holiday Drag Shows
18 Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say
Gay' Law in Amicus Brief
In a Violent Year for LGBTQ People, These
Are the Ways We Coped and Fought Back
Biden Invited a Drag Artist to the White House: Now
They're Getting Death Threats
Pete Buttigieg is Laying Groundwork to Run for…
Something
Vermont's First Trans State Lawmaker Gets Engaged at
White House
John Fetterman, Senator-Elect: LGBTQ Rights and the Next
Congress
Same-Sex Households in the US Surpass 1
Million for the First Time
Robin Roberts and
Amber Laign Get Married
Robin Roberts is walking into 2023 saying ‘yes’ to
marriage.
The Good Morning America host sat down with motivational
speaker and author Gabby Bernstein in January 2023 and
shared her hopes to wed her longtime girlfriend, Amber
Laign, later this year. In a video shared on Instagram, Bernstein is seen asking Roberts about her
intentions for 2023. The GMA host replies, “I’m
hesitating because I haven’t said it out loud yet. I’m
saying ‘yes’ to marriage. We’re getting married this
year.”
Bernstein encouraged Roberts to create a vision board
for the wedding, meditate on it, and trust in the
process. Roberts responded, “I’m meditating on the
marriage, not the wedding.”
“All right, there you go, even better,” Bernstein added.
“Thank you for teaching me now. Yes, meditate on the
feeling of what it is that you want to cultivate not
just on that day but in that union, and really bringing
forth all that positive energy to that marriage.”
The couple has been together since 2005, which is when
mutual friends set them up on a blind date. Even though
this has been in talks for a while, wedding plans have
been on pause while Laign battles with breast cancer.
The couple announced the battle at the beginning of
2022. By July, Roberts announced that Laign had
successfully undergone radiation and thanked supporters
for their prayers and well wishes.
Roberts herself experienced breast cancer in 2007 and
also battled a rare blood and bone marrow disease called
myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The latter resulted in a
bone marrow transplant in 2012. On Laign’s radiation,
Roberts said, “I went through it twice, barely shed a
tear. I’m in a puddle every time I think about what
Amber is going through. But she is being so courageous
and is handling it extremely well.”
[Source: Andrew Stillman, Out Magazine, January 2023]
Robin Roberts Reveals That She And Amber Laign Are
Planning To Marry
Robin Roberts Says She Will Marry Her
Partner of 18 Years
Robin Roberts and Amber Laign Get Married
2022:
Violent Year for LGBTQ People
Conspiracies Kill
It’s been six years since the Pizzagate conspiracy
prompted a man to take his online hate offline,
intending to kill patrons and staff of a queer-friendly
pizza restaurant in Washington, DC. Pizzagate would
largely fuel the subsequent QAnon theory, and the
effects of the Q movement’s anti-queer and anti-trans
fear-mongering continue, just like its 1980s
predecessor, the Satanic Panic. History repeats itself
as a new iteration of gay and trans panic leads to
violence against queer and trans people today.
In 2022, mainstream news outlets and social media have
magnified the manufactured specter of public school
teachers “grooming” students. The manufactured fear of
widespread grooming has only intensified since the Club
Q massacre in November in Colorado Springs. Mainstream
media decontexualized the shooting, carried out by a
shooter whose past aggressions were documented but
ignored by the FBI. The shooter’s father (a former UFC
fighter) and grandfather (a California state
legislator), espoused both anti-gay and anti-feminist
views.
Anti-trans/queer hate is also a potential motive for
attacks on power stations in several states, which
started in November. The largest disruption, in early
December, resulted in a weeklong power outage for 40,000
residents, and an early end to the Southern Pines, North
Carolina, Downtown Divas drag show that had been the
target of hate. The event’s organizers pointed to a
local church that had directed its members to try to
stop the drag show.
In Ohio that same week, several dozen white nationalists
with Patriot Front and White Lives Matter successfully
preempted a drag queen story hour at a Unitarian Church,
performing Hitler salutes and holding a “Groomers Not
Welcome” banner.
Popular with the right wing, social media accounts like
LibsOfTikTok doxxed queer people and events, resulting
in self-proclaimed neo-Nazis showing up with guns in (at
least 141) attempts to shut down drag queen story hours
that have become tradition at many libraries across the
country.
Public libraries themselves are under attack by people
who seek to eliminate queer and trans people from
existence by scrubbing any mention of them from
literature. Along with the defunding of libraries for
offering queer-themed media, the American Library
Association’s most-banned book list continues to be
topped by “titles containing LGBTQ content.”
Biggest LGBTQ News Stories of 2022
Top 10 National LGBTQ News Stories of
2022
2022: President Joe Biden's
LGBTQ-History-Making Year
2021 Was Supposed to Be the Worst Year
for LGBTQ Rights... Then Came 2022
18 Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say
Gay' Law in Amicus Brief
In a Violent Year for LGBTQ People, These
Are the Ways We Coped and Fought Back
Pie By Any Means Necessary
Replacing glitterbombs as the weapon of choice against
anti-trans liberals: the humble pie, a throwback to the
multiple pie-ings of infamous 1970s anti-gay crusader
Anita Bryant.
Counterprotesters at anti-trans events in several cities
(such as Oakland and Portland) used levity and dessert
to make their serious point: Trans-Exclusionary “Radical
Feminists” (TERFs) are following in the footsteps of the
religious right, whether they know it or not, by
promoting violence against trans people.
TERFs themselves prefer the descriptor “gender
critical,” which serves to soften their underlying
messages of hate toward trans people. It seems our
society is built on fear, loathing, murder and
marginalization of trans people. TERFs persist in
upholding these principles.
There Is No Justice, Just Us
Politicians continued to deny the basic humanity of
trans people for their own political gains. In February,
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has a decade of
skirting bribery and conspiracy charges under his belt,
issued a state directive declaring gender affirming
health care for transgender youth as “child abuse.” Now,
the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services
is harassing families, who are supportive of their trans
kids, via “investigations” while ordering state
employees to keep a database of people who are
potentially trans.
Several states such as Arkansas and Florida banned
health care access for trans kids. Even crueler is the
new law upheld in Alabama, under which doctors face a
felony charge carrying up to 10 years in prison for
disobeying the state’s law against trans youth health
care.
The hate experienced both online and off by families
with trans loved ones is creating another border crisis,
causing those who can afford it to seek medical help
and, in some cases, pick up and move out-of-state. With
the overturning of Roe v. Wade, trans abortion doulas
like Ash Williams are funding abortions and fighting
like hell to provide access to medical services and
support (across state lines when necessary) while
training others to do the same. As TERFs, Proud Boys and
politicians work to separate our movements, we know
solidarity is our only way through.
Biggest LGBTQ News Stories of 2022
Top 10 National LGBTQ News Stories of
2022
2022: President Joe Biden's
LGBTQ-History-Making Year
2021 Was Supposed to Be the Worst Year
for LGBTQ Rights... Then Came 2022
18 Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say
Gay' Law in Amicus Brief
In a Violent Year for LGBTQ People, These
Are the Ways We Coped and Fought Back
Youth Liberation Is Queer Revolution
As teachers face the threat of losing their jobs over
the mere mention of gay people’s existence, youth are
not staying silent. In March, thousands of Florida
students left high school classrooms chanting “We say
gay,” in protest against the state’s “Don’t Say Gay”
law, a government directive to wipe the existence of
LGBTQ people from curriculum, which has already led to
firings of teachers for discussing queer-related topics
like the history of the gay pride flag and pansexuality.
In September, students at almost 100 schools in Virginia
coordinated walkouts in response to Gov. Glenn
Youngkin’s proposed guidelines for the state Department
of Education, including one that would punish trans
students for using gendered bathrooms. Thousands of
students at hundreds of U.S. schools across the country
organized similar protests against anti-trans policies.
Doing It Together
All-volunteer mutual aid projects continue to keep us
going, and old and new DIY cultural events were
in-person and offline. The Providence Queer & Trans
Zinefest, Madison, Wisconsin’s LGBTQ Books to Prisoners
and Gay Shame San Francisco’s “Queers 4 Tents / Tents 4
Queers” tent giveaway for houseless people connected us,
even as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on.
In addition to agitating for action from the federal
government, which stalled for weeks before cracking open
its stockpile of the monkeypox vaccine, Philadelphia’s
ACT UP chapter, a queer direct action organization,
worked to shield houseless people (queer or not) from
brutal police sweeps of their encampments. As housing
continues to be the biggest financial burden for most
people living in the US, the group brought attention to
the facts: Trans and queer youth of color end up on the
street in droves; there are more vacant houses in the
U.S. than there are homeless people and low-income
housing is being wiped out under new regimes of urban
renewal. While not exclusively queer, Save the UC
Townhomes continues to organize to keep people in their
homes in Philly.
Queers Pull Out of the Cop March
After the 2020 uprisings against the police killings of
Black people including George Floyd, Tony McDade and
Breonna Taylor, the SF Pride board, under community
pressure, finally dis-invited local police from marching
in the 2022 parade in uniform, which means they would
receive no overtime pay for participating.
Yet the victory did not last long. In May, openly
heterosexual San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced
she would boycott Pride unless cops were allowed to
march in uniform. A meeting between the president of the
partly city-funded SF Pride, Carolyn Wysinger, and a
police spokesperson ended what the mayor called a
“policy of exclusion” targeting police officers. SF
Pride re-invited the cops.
However, everyone was not on board with the reversal.
Nicki Jizz, the host of the Black drag show
“Reparations,” pulled out of a Transgender Cultural
District event for Juneteenth when the district
announced a last-minute surprise guest: San Francisco’s
mayor. The performer cited Mayor London Breed’s pet
projects: increasing the police budget and homeless
sweeps. Police department budgets and public relations
are expanding, and “protecting LGBTQ people” is an
increasingly common justification for this expansion.
Biggest LGBTQ News Stories of 2022
Top 10 National LGBTQ News Stories of
2022
2022: President Joe Biden's
LGBTQ-History-Making Year
2021 Was Supposed to Be the Worst Year
for LGBTQ Rights... Then Came 2022
18 Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say
Gay' Law in Amicus Brief
In a Violent Year for LGBTQ People, These
Are the Ways We Coped and Fought Back
The Revolution Will Not Be Union-Busted
Nationally, the success of Starbucks unions, led in
major part by trans and queer service workers, was met
with dirty tactics from higher-ups who threatened to cut
trans health care benefits despite the corporation’s $22
billion in annual profits.
In Omaha, the staff of Black & Pink National became the
first queer abolitionist nonprofit to officially
unionize, with blueprints for a non-hierarchical
organization. Black & Pink National is best known for
its letter-writing circles — specifically supporting
trans and queer incarcerated people — that meet up
regularly in eight US states.
Free Them All
One of the most obscured parts of the prison-industrial
complex is the massive system of civil commitment, or
the indefinite imprisonment of people who have already
served prison sentences, many of whom are queer. As many
as 20,000 people are trapped in maximum security
“hospitals” in Washington, DC, and more than 20 states.
These are not places to go to get well, as evidenced in
the Chicago chapter of Black & Pink’s new report,
Treatment Behind Razor Wire, for which several hundred
Illinois civil commitment “patients” were surveyed about
the Rushville Treatment and Detention Facility, where
“over 8% of the US’s civilly committed population” is
detained. The survey found that Rushville doles out
“punishment, not treatment,” disproportionately harming
people from marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQ,
Black, multiracial and Indigenous people.
New anti-homeless laws that force unsheltered people
into medical jails, also known as conservatorship
facilities, went into effect in California and New York
City. Brutal street sweeps by police, city maintenance
departments and private contractors such as Urban
Alchemy mean more arrests and trauma for poor and
marginalized people, who often face an indefinite
sentence in an asylum-style atmosphere with next to no
self-determination. Trans/queer and/or disabled youth
are especially overrepresented on the street.
Neighborhood residents who don’t want to see the result
of their own wealth hoarding are often behind the push
to lock them up.
Ashley Diamond, whose advocacy on behalf of herself and
other trans prisoners while incarcerated led to cruel
retribution by those in charge, was finally released
from a Georgia prison in August after years of fighting
abusive conditions. After Diamond won her case against
the state’s Department of Corrections in 2016, she was
retaliated against via temporary reimprisonment over a
technicality. Supporters are now raising funds to
support Ashley’s life and activism on the outside.
[Source: By Toshio Meronek & Eric A. Stanley, TruthOut,
December 2022]
Biggest LGBTQ News Stories of 2022
Top 10 National LGBTQ News Stories of
2022
2022: President Joe Biden's
LGBTQ-History-Making Year
2021 Was Supposed to Be the Worst Year
for LGBTQ Rights... Then Came 2022
18 Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say
Gay' Law in Amicus Brief
In a Violent Year for LGBTQ People, These
Are the Ways We Coped and Fought Back
18
Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say Gay' Law in
Amicus Brief
The attorneys general say that the Florida law is
unconstitutional.
Washington DC Attorney General Karl Racine announced a
coalition of 18 attorneys general that are opposing
Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act — also known
as the “don’t say gay” law. Racine’s office said in a
press release late last week that the law posed a threat
to LGBTQ students, emphasizing that they are at
particular risk and harm to discrimination.
“My office has a strong track record of fighting for
LGBTQ rights in the District and across the country to
make sure that everyone can simply be who they are and
love who they love,” Racine said. “Florida’s law offers
no benefit to anyone and in fact puts children and
families in harm’s way. We will continue to use all of
our authority to help strike down this law and any other
hateful, discriminatory policies that threaten people’s
fundamental freedoms.”
In an amicus brief submitted in support of a lawsuit
brought by several Florida families, the attorneys
general state that the law, “are far outside the bounds
of ordinary educational decision-making,” adding that
its “outlier” status further indicates it is
“constitutionally suspect.”
The law, which has been called vague by critics, bans
“classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender
identity in certain grade levels or in a specified
manner. “Classroom instruction by school personnel or
third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity
may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a
manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally
appropriate for students in accordance with state
standards,” it also states.
The families’ lawsuit, which was filed only days after
the bill was signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron
DeSantis in March, argues that the legislation violates
Due Process and Equal Protection, as well as First
Amendment free speech rights. The suit also raises
questions about how the law will change in-classroom
discussions and school functions. Already, many teachers
and school district officials have voiced uncertainty
about what goes against the law and what doesn’t.
“To appreciate how this dynamic will unfold in practice,
just consider how students, teachers, parents, guests,
and school personnel might navigate these common
questions: Can a student of two gay parents talk about
their family during a class debate about civics? Can
that student paint a family portrait in art class? Can a
lesbian student refer to their own coming out experience
while responding to a work of literature? Can a
transgender student talk about their gender identity
while studying civil rights in history class? What if
that occurs in homeroom, or during an extracurricular
activity with a faculty supervisor, or in an op-ed in
the faculty supervised school newspaper? Are teachers
allowed to respond if students discuss these aspects of
their identities or family life in class? If so, what
can they say?” the suit reads.
The brief points out that the states that submitted it
“have curricula in place that allow for age-appropriate
discussion of LGBTQ issues while respecting parental
views on the topic,” according to the release.
“The law is causing significant harms to students,
parents, teachers, and other states. Non-inclusive
educational environments have severe negative health
impacts on LGBTQ students, resulting in increased rates
of mental health disorders and suicide attempts,” the
release said. “These harms extend to youth not just in
Florida, but throughout the country.”
Racine is joined by the attorneys general of New Jersey,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii,
Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and
Washington.
[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, December 2022]
18 Attorneys General Challenge 'Don't Say
Gay' Law in Amicus Brief
Karl Racine Leads
Attorneys General Challenge of Florida's
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law
AG Racine Leads Coalition Challenging
Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Law, Which
Bans Discussion of LGBTQ Issues in
Schools
Henry Berg-Brousseau, Transgender Rights
Activist, Dies at 24
Trans rights activist Henry Berg-Brousseau,
who worked to oppose anti-transgender
legislation in his home state of
Kentucky before going on to work with
the Human Rights Campaign, died Dec 2022
at the age of 24. His mother, Kentucky
Democratic state Sen. Karen Berg, said
Berg-Brousseau died by suicide.
In a statement, Berg said that her son
had spent his life “working to extend
grace, compassion, and understanding to
everyone, but especially to the
vulnerable and marginalized.” She added
that “this grace, compassion, and
understanding was not always returned to
him” as a transgender man. The state
senator called out the politicians who
actively sought to marginalize her son
because of who Berg-Brousseau was.
Berg said Berg-Brousseau had dealt with
mental illness, “not because he was
trans but born from his difficulty
finding acceptance.” He was born in
Louisville, Kent., according to an
obituary. “While a student at Louisville
Collegiate School, he advocated for the
rights of transgender people by
organizing a protest against gay
conversion therapy, speaking to the
Kentucky Senate Education Committee, and
participating in other local and
national causes." Berg-Brousseau went on
to double major at George Washington
University in political science and
history and minored in Jewish Studies.
In his work with the Human Rights
Campaign, Berg said her son was acutely
aware of the hateful rhetoric rising
against transgender people in the
country, adding that he saw that hate
firsthand directed at his job. She said
that in one of the final conversations
she would have with her son he told her
that he was concerned if he would be
safe going out.
“The vitriol against trans people is not
happening in a vacuum,” Berg wrote. “It
is not just a way of scoring political
points by exacerbating the culture wars.
It has real-world implications for how
transgender people view their place in
the world and how they are treated as
they just try to live their lives.”
Berg-Brousseau is survived by his
mother, his father, and his sister,
along with other family members.
“Losing Henry is an unfathomable loss to
the Human Rights Campaign family. Henry
was a light – deeply passionate, deeply
engaged, and deeply caring. His
colleagues will always remember his
hunger for justice, his eagerness to
pitch in, his bright presence, and his
indelible sense of humor,” Kelley
Robinson, the president of the Human
Rights Campaign, said in a statement.
Robinson noted his activist work as a
teenager, having to fight for his own
rights “far earlier than he should have
had to. He was brave." She ended her
statement by calling for justice for the
transgender community.
“We must fight for our transgender
family. We must celebrate his light, and
honor him by continuing to fight for
full equality for all,” Robinson said.
“Our thoughts are with his parents, his
sister, his entire family, and our whole
community.”
[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, Dec
2022]
Henry Berg-Brousseau, Transgender Rights
Activist, Dies at 24
Kentucky Senator Says
Transgender Son Died by Suicide
Kentucky Senator Blames
Transphobic Politics for the Suicide of
her Trans Son
Respect for Marriage Act
is
Now Federal Law
"Love is love. Right is right. Justice
is justice."
-President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden signed the Respect
for Marriage Act into law December 2022,
assuring that marriage equality for
same-sex and interracial couples will
remain the law of the land no matter
what the US Supreme Court does.
"Today's a good day," Biden said as he
stepped before the audience outside the
White House. He recalled when he first
came out for marriage equality 10 years
ago, when he was vice president. "I want
to thank all of you for being here
today," he told those in attendance,
citing Vice President Kamala Harris,
First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman
Doug Emhoff, and Transportation
Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
He praised the legislators who worked
for the legislation, including Sens.
Tammy Baldwin, Susan Collins, Chuck
Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, and others,
and out US Reps. David Cicilline and
Sharice Davids as well as allies like US
Rep. Jerrold Nadler and especially
outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
He said he was thinking of Richard and
Mildred Loving, whose case won the right
to interracial marriage in all states at
the Supreme Court in 1967. He also noted
all the couples and individuals who
fought for the right to same-sex
marriage, such as the late Edie Windsor,
who fought the Defense of Marriage Act,
which denied federal recognition to her
marriage to Thea Spyer. "Today we
celebrate our progress," he said.
"Love is love. Right is right. Justice
is justice," he added.
He condemned anti-LGBTQ legislation that
is being introduced and passed in states
around the nation and Justice Clarence
Thomas's stated desire for the Supreme
Court to reverse its marriage equality
ruling. He noted that racism,
homophobia, transphobia, and
anti-Semitism are all connected. He went
on to celebrate the fact that out WNBA
superstar Brittney Griner has been freed
from a Russian prison and said he got to
know her wife, Cherelle Griner, while
working for Brittney's release. Then he
signed the bill into law to cheers
throughout the audience. As he stepped
up from the desk he signed the
legislation on, Lady Gaga's "Born This
Way" played.
Vice President Harris spoke before Biden.
"This is a victory," she said, adding,
“The Dobbs decision reminds us that
fundamental rights are interconnected,
including the right to marry who you
love, the right to access contraception
and the right to make decisions about
your own body,” referring to the recent
Supreme Court ruling that overturned
abortion rights. She reminded the
audience that fundamental rights are
interconnected, including the right to
marry and the right to control one's
reproductive life. And she quoted Harvey
Milk: "Rights are won only by those who
make their voices heard." She also
praised Biden for elevating LGBTQ people
throughout his administration.
[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, Dec 2022]
ABC News Video: Biden Signs Historic
Respect for Marriage Bill
Marriage Equality Is Now Federal Law
After President Biden Signs Act
CBS News Video: President
Biden Signs Respect for Marriage Act
into Law
Biden Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill at
White House Ceremony
President Joe Biden to Sign Marriage
Equality Into Law
Karine Jean-Pierre
Reflects on Historic Marriage Act
Signing
Pete Buttigieg Slams GOP
Congresswoman Who Cried as She Begged
Colleagues to Reject Marriage Bill
Current LGBTQ
News
5 Killed in Mass Shooting At Colorado LGBTQ Nightclub
Club Q
After Colorado Springs Attack, LGBTQ
People are Furious at Rhetoric Targeting Them
Celebrities Who Came Out As LGBTQ in 2022
Equality Voters Stopped the Red Wave, Says New Poll
Rainbow Wave Spreads Across US as
Hundreds of LGBTQ Candidates Win Elections
Meet the History-Making Class of the 2022 Midterms
History Making LGBTQ Candidates Elected to State
Legislatures Across the Country
Out Lesbian Maura Healey Claims Historic
Victory: Elected First Woman Governor in Massachusetts
Out100 2022: LGBTQ Policy Makers and
Advocates Changing the World
Former Miss Argentina and ex-Miss Puerto Rico Announce
Their Marriage
When Republicans Lament the Hate Crimes They Help Create
Colorado's Jared Polis Is First Out Gay Man Re-elected
Governor
In a Historic First, LGBTQ Americans Will Be On the
Ballot in All 50 States
LGBTQ History in the Making With Record Number of Out
Candidates
Miss Universe Pageant Sold to Thai Trans
Businesswoman
Biden Names Adrian Shanker as Senior Adviser on LGBTQ
Health Equity
California Lawmakers Send 10 LGBTQ Sponsored Bills to
Governor Newsom
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Freed From
Russian Prison
Seven-Time WNBA Basketball All-Star and
Two-Time Gold Medal Winning Olympic
Champion
President Biden says WNBA star Brittney
Griner has been freed from a Russian
prison. Standing along side Griner's
wife, Cherelle Griner, at the White
House, Biden said it was a day that "we
worked toward for a long time."
"She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on
her way home after months of being
unjustly detained in Russia, held under
intolerable conditions," Biden said from
the Roosevelt Room. Biden spoke with
Griner from the Oval Office just before
making the announcement. He said she was
in good spirits, but was experiencing
"trauma" and would need time to heal.
"Brittney will soon be back in the arms
of her loved ones and she should have
been there all along," Biden said.
Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed
Thursday in a press release that Griner
was swapped at the Abu Dhabi airport for
convicted Russian arms trader Viktor
Bout. "As a result of intense efforts,
we managed to agree with the American
side on organization of an exchange of
Bout for Griner," the foreign ministry
said in a statement. "The Russian
citizen has been returned to his
homeland."
Cherelle Griner said she was overwhelmed
by emotions, expressing gratitude to
Biden, Vice President Harris and other
members of the administration involved
in securing her wife's release. She
thanked the WNBA, Griner's agent and
others. Griner's detention had been a
top priority for Biden and his
administration — and he was under
increasing pressure to secure her
release. In July, she sent him a
handwritten letter, saying "I'm
terrified I might be here forever."
Biden said last month that he hoped
Russian President Vladimir Putin would
be more willing to discuss a prisoner
exchange after the US midterm elections
were over.
Griner, who plays for the Phoenix
Mercury, is a seven-time WNBA All-Star,
a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the
first openly gay athlete signed to an
endorsement contract by Nike. She also
played for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg
basketball team during the WNBA's
offseason.
She was sentenced last August by a
Russian court to nine years in prison
for carrying less than a gram of hash
oil into Russia when she arrived in
February of this year for play in the
Russian women's professional basketball
league. Last month, she was transferred
to a prison colony in Mordovia (300
miles southeast of Moscow) to begin
serving out her sentence. In court,
Griner admitted to mistakenly packing
two vape cartridges in her rush to pack
her luggage — but provided documents
that showed the hash oil was legally
prescribed by her US doctor for pain
management. Her arrest in February 2022
was just days before Russia invaded
Ukraine as tensions between the United
States and Moscow were rising. The US
government had labeled Griner
"wrongfully detained" and sought a
prisoner swap with Russia.
[Source: Franco Ordonez, NPR News, Dec
2022]
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Freed From
Russian Prison
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released From
Russian Detention
Brittney Griner Rrrives in US Following
Her Release by Russia
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released From
Russian Custody
Brittney Griner Freed From Russian
Custody
Respect for Marriage Act Approved by
House and Senate
Codifying federal protections for
same-sex and inter-racial marriage
US Senate - Passed Respect for Marriage
Act in Nov 2022 (61-36)
US House of Rep - Passed Respect for
Marriage Act in Dec 2022 (258-169)
The Respect for Marriage Act passed the
Democratic-led House in a 258-169 vote,
as 39 Republicans joined all Democrats
in supporting it. It also won bipartisan
support in the Democratic-controlled
Senate in late November: 12 GOP senators
crossed party lines to vote for the
legislation.
The Respect for Marriage Act formally
repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage
Act, which was signed into law by
then-President Bill Clinton. That bill
denied same-sex couples federal benefits
and permitted states to refuse to
recognize same-sex marriages performed
in other states.
The Supreme Court would later go on to
invalidate the key provisions of DOMA in
two watershed rulings, United States v.
Windsor (2013) and Obergefell v. Hodges
(2015).
US House of Reps Vote to Approve Bill
The House voted to pass legislation Dec
2022 to protect same-sex and interracial
marriage, the last step before the
measure goes to President Joe Biden for
his signature and becomes law.
The House vote was 258 to 169 with 39
Republicans joining the Democrats voting
in favor. Loud applause broke out in the
chamber when the vote was gaveled to a
close.
While the bill would not set a national
requirement that all states must
legalize same-sex marriage, it would
require individual states to recognize
another state’s legal marriage.
The push for a vote on federal
legislation protecting same-sex marriage
rapidly gained momentum after the
Supreme Court in June overturned its
landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
The bill, called the Respect for
Marriage Act, passed the Senate with a
vote of 61 to 36. The bill was
supported by all members of the Senate
Democratic caucus and 12 Republicans.
In the event the Supreme Court might
overturn its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges
decision that legalized same-sex
marriage, a state could still pass a law
to ban same-sex marriage, but that state
would also be required to recognize a
same-sex marriage from another state
Remarks from President Joe Biden
Today, Congress took a critical step to
ensure that Americans have the right to
marry the person they love. The House’s
bipartisan passage of the Respect for
Marriage Act (by a significant
margin) will give peace of mind to
millions of LGBTQ and interracial
couples who are now guaranteed the
rights and protections to which they and
their children are entitled.
After the uncertainty caused by the
Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Congress
has restored a measure of security to
millions of marriages and families. They
have also provided hope and dignity to
millions of young people across this
country who can grow up knowing that
their government will recognize and
respect the families they build.
I want to once again thank the
unwavering champions of this legislation
in Congress (Representatives Nadler, Cicilline, and Davids in the House, and
Senators Baldwin, Collins, Portman,
Sinema, Tillis, and Feinstein in the
Senate) who refused to be deterred and
brought this vital bill over the finish
line. Together, we showed that it’s
possible for Democrats and Republicans
to come together to safeguard our most
fundamental rights.
On this day, Jill and I are thinking of
the courageous couples and fiercely
committed advocates who have fought for
decades to secure nationwide marriage
equality at the Supreme Court and in
Congress. While we are one step closer
on our long journey to build a more
perfect union, we must never stop
fighting for full equality for LGBTQ
Americans and all Americans.
CNN: US House of Reps Passes Bill to
Protect Same Sex Marriage
NBC: Respect for Marriage Bill Passed by
US House of Reps
NPR: What Does the Respect for Marriage
Act Do?
CBS: US House Sends Respect for Marriage
Bill to Biden
Gunman Kills 5 at Gay Nightclub
Daniel Aston... Derrick Rump... Kelly
Loving... Raymond Vance... Ashley Paugh
A 22-year-old gunman opened fire in a
gay nightclub in Colorado Springs,
killing five people and leaving 18
injured before he was subdued by
“heroic” patrons and arrested by police
who were on the scene within minutes.
Two firearms, including a “long rifle,”
were found at Club Q after the Nov 20
2022 midnight shooting.
Investigators were still determining a
motive, and the attack was being
investigated to see if it should be
prosecuted as a hate crime. Charges
against the suspect will likely include
first-degree murder. Police
identified the gunman as Anderson Lee
Aldrich, who was in custody and being
treated for injuries.
“At least two heroic people” confronted
the gunman and stopped the shooting,
police said, adding: “We owe them a
great debt of thanks.” Of the 18
people injured, some were in critical
condition and at least two had been
treated and released, officials said,
adding that some were hurt trying to
flee.
Club Q Shooting: Egregious Attack on
Sacred Queer Space
Injured Club Q Survivors Share Details
of Attack and Their Paths Toward
Recovery
Club Q Owner Says Politicians Have
Pushed LGBTQ Hate To New Level
Orlando Club Shooting Survivor Brandon
Wolf Blames Right Wing
AOC Tells Republicans to Connect the
Dots After CO Springs LGBTQ Bar Shooting
A shooting targeting the LGBTQ community
is not a random aberration that
Republicans are trying to make sense of.
It is more like a GOP campaign promise
fulfilled; their hateful rhetoric and
repeated verbal attacks coming to life.
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—hate crimes like the one in
Colorado are the logical progression.
-John Pavlovitz | When Republicans
Lament the Hate Crimes They Help Create
The shooting brought back memories of
the 2016 massacre at the Pulse gay
nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that
killed 49 people. And it occurred in a
state that has experienced several
notorious mass killings, including at
Columbine High School in 1999, a movie
theater in suburban Denver in 2012 and
at a Boulder supermarket last year. It
was the sixth mass killing this month
and came in a year when the nation was
shaken by the deaths of 21 in a school
shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Club Q is a gay and lesbian nightclub
that features a “Drag Diva Drag Show” on
Saturdays. Drag events have become a
focus of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and
protests in recent months as opponents,
including politicians, have proposed
banning children from such events and
falsely claim they’re being used to
“groom” children.
"These are the people we need to center.
These are the people we need to keep in
our hearts. These are the people whose
families need us. These are the
people we need to remember. And
remember: Until we call out the
anti-trans rhetoric, the anti-LGBTQ
legislation, the book bans and the
so-called “don’t say gay” laws, the
misinformation and disinformation, and
the badly covered stories in the media,
this violence will continue."
-PFLAG National
Attorney General Merrick Garland was
briefed on the shooting, Justice
Department spokesman Anthony Coley said.
The FBI said it was assisting but said
the police department was leading the
investigation.
President Joe Biden said that while the
motive for the shootings was not yet
clear, “we know that the LGBTQ community
has been subjected to horrific hate
violence in recent years. Places that
are supposed to be safe spaces of
acceptance and celebration should never
be turned into places of terror and
violence. Yet it happens far too often,”
he said. “We must drive out the
inequities that contribute to violence
against LGBTQ people. We cannot and must
not tolerate hate.” Colorado Gov.
Jared Polis, who became the first openly
gay man in the United States to be
elected governor in 2018, called the
shooting “sickening.”
A makeshift memorial sprang up Sunday
near the club, with flowers, a stuffed
animal and candles in front of cardboard
sign with the message, “Love over hate”
next to a rainbow-colored heart.
“Club Q is in shock, and in deep
mourning, with the family and friends
who had loved ones senselessly taken
from them. We condemn the horrific
violence that shattered an evening of
celebration for all in the LGBTQ
community of Colorado Springs and our
allies. Club Q offers our greatest
gratitude to those who moved immediately
to stop the gunman and prevent more loss
of life and injury. Club Q has always
provided a space for LGBTQ people and
our ally friends to celebrate together.
We will always speak up for and support
everyone’s right to be themselves and be
safe. We demand that those who spread
disgusting rhetoric and encourage
violence stop this behavior immediately
before more people get hurt. We urge
with everything in our heart for every
person to do what they can to speak up
for LGBTQ people and everyone’s right to
be safe.”
-Club Q Official Statement
The CEO of a national LGBTQ-rights
organization, Kevin Jennings of Lambda
Legal, reacted with a plea for tighter
restrictions on guns. “America’s
toxic mix of bigotry and absurdly easy
access to firearms means that such
events are all too common and LGBTQ
people, BIPOC communities, the Jewish
community and other vulnerable
populations pay the price again and
again for our political leadership’s
failure to act,” he said in a statement.
“We must stand together to demand
meaningful action before yet another
tragedy strikes our nation.”
The shooting came during Transgender
Awareness Week and hours before Sunday’s
International Transgender Day of
Remembrance, when events around the
world are held to mourn and remember
transgender people lost to violence. The
Colorado Springs shooting was sure to
bring special resonance to those events.
Colorado Springs is a city of about
480,000 located about 70 miles south of
Denver that is home to the US Air Force
Academy, as well as Focus on the Family,
a prominent evangelical Christian
ministry.
[Source: Thomas Peipert and Jesse Bedayn,
AP News, Nov 2022]
5 Killed in Mass Shooting At Colorado
LGBTQ Nightclub Club Q
Suspect in Killing of 5 at Colorado Club
Held Without Bail
Colorado Club Shooting: Suspect Named
After 5 dead, Dozens Injured at LGBTQ
Nightclub
‘Master Of Silly Business' Among 5 Dead
In Colorado Shooting
Colorado Springs Nightclub Shooting:
'Our Community is Shattered'
Names of Colorado Springs Victims
Suspect in Colorado Springs LGBTQ Club
Shooting Charged with 5 Counts of
First-Degree Murder
Dan Savage on
Why the Colorado Club Shooting is an Attack on All LGBTQ
People
Dan Savage shares "we will fight until we're safe
everywhere.”
American writer and LGBTQ community activist Dan Savage
has shared his thoughts on the evolution of safe spaces
in the wake of the mass shooting at Colorado Springs
LGBTQ bar Club Q, which left five dead and 25 injured
over the weekend. In a tweet thread on November
20, Savage shared his thoughts on the history behind
LGBTQ safe spaces, where queerness is kept private
behind closed doors, and how he believes we must come
out of the bars and onto the streets to fight to be safe
anywhere and everywhere.
“It’s not just that gay bars are supposed to be a safe
space,” Savage, author of Savage Love, began.
“People who hate queer people want us to keep it
private. Behind closed doors. Someplace they don’t have
to see it. And the doors of a gay bar are doors we keep
it behind.”
The locations are a place “we can go and be together and
not bother
them
with the fact of our existence.” Here, queerness exists
separate from hateful glances and “we can forget
they
exist. Not straight people. There are straight people in
gay bars and clubs. Our friends. But behind those doors
we can forget (we can suspend our disbelief) and pretend
the haters don’t exist.”
The 58-year-old writer referenced the Colorado Springs
shooting, writing: “An attack like this says “not even
here.” Behind closed doors isn’t good enough for
them.
It’s not that they want us to exist out of sight. They
don’t want us to exist at all.” Savage goes on to
state that if even LGBTQ places are not safe for all
LGBTQ people “we have no choice but to fight to make it
safe everywhere, for all LGBTQ people.” He quotes,
a chant heard during the Stonewall Riots: “Out of the
bars and into the streets!”
“The raid on the Stonewall Inn was state-sponsored
violence. The attack on Club Q in Colorado Springs last
night… well, we’re waiting on the full details. But it
looks like GOP-sponsored violence. Not just the logical
result of the
groomer
blood libel, but the goal.” Here, Savage seems to
reference Colorado republican representatives, Dave
Williams and Mark Baisley, who targeted Highlands
Ranch’s first drag show saying they were concerned about
“groomers” at the event (even though tickets were
restricted to adults 21 and older).
This was just one of many examples where republican
voices have villainized the trans community in the US.
The Colorado mass shooting occurred a day before Club Q
was set to host a Transgender Day of Remembrance brunch.
“Behind closed doors was never enough,” Savage
continued. “They knocked down those doors and arrested
us in bedrooms and evicted us from our apartments and
fired us from our jobs and made something that’s already
hard to do (loving another human being) almost
impossible.”
“We fought back then. We fought back last night,” he
adds. “And we’re going to keep fighting. Because
if we’re not safe behind the closed doors of a gay bar
(if they can’t let us have even that) then we’re not
safe anywhere.” He concludes: “So we will fight
until we’re safe everywhere.”
[Source:
Emily Maskell, Attitude, Nov 2022]
When Republicans Lament the Hate Crimes
They Help Create
Club Q Shooting: Egregious Attack on Sacred Queer Space
Injured Club Q Survivors Share Details of Attack and
Their Paths Toward Recovery
Club Q Owner Says Politicians Have Pushed LGBTQ Hate To
New Level
Orlando Club Shooting Survivor Brandon Wolf Blames
Right Wing
AOC Tells Republicans to Connect the Dots After CO
Springs LGBTQ Bar Shooting
I Will Never Understand
"I refuse to understand because it is
beyond comprehension that we as a
community should ever be targeted for
how we choose to live and love."
-Shohreh Davoodi
By now you've likely heard about the
mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ
nightclub in Colorado Springs, where
five people were killed and 18 others
were wounded by a heavily armed gunman
on the eve of Transgender Day of
Remembrance.
On Sunday morning, I woke up to a text
message from my sister with the news and
then had to sit with the heaviness of
yet another tragedy in my community as I
attended a drag brunch at a
lesbian-owned establishment in a
conservative city and state (exactly the
kind of place that could be targeted by
a homophobic shooter).
Intellectually, I understand why there
are people who want queer and trans
folks dead.
I understand how anti-LGBTQ rhetoric
spewed by hateful politicians to further
their careers translates into real-world
danger for queer people.
I understand that when people are
perfectly comfortable leaving me
comments on social media calling me a
groomer, a sinner, and an abomination to
womanhood, it's an indicator that
something insidious is simmering in
plain view and will eventually boil
over.
I understand that homophobia and
transphobia are unequivocally linked to
patriarchy and misogyny and white
supremacy and that some people will do
almost anything if they feel their way
of life, their security, and their power
are being threatened.
I understand that if you say a lie
enough times, with enough conviction,
and without meaningful pushback, some
people will believe the lie as truth.
And if those believers repeat the lie
enough times, with enough conviction,
and without meaningful pushback, many
more people will believe the lie as
truth. And the web will keep expanding
until the lie inevitably becomes the
justification for prejudice and
violence.
I understand that many more of us have
died indirectly at the hands of
homophobic citizens, churches, and
governments than will ever be fully
known due to a long and painful history
of harm to our community that makes us
sick, prematurely ages us, and sometimes
makes living so miserable that it feels
easier to refuse to keep on doing it.
But in my heart? I will never actually
understand.
I will never understand how queer people
are seen as unholy and unnatural when
the immense love I feel for my partner
is the holiest and most natural thing
I've ever felt in my entire life and
regularly brings me to my knees.
I will never understand how drag
performers are smeared as being unsafe
and obscene when I have witnessed entire
rooms lit up in unabashed joy and awe in
their presence because they are one of
the closest things we have to real-life
magic.
I will never understand how trans and
non-binary people are so deeply
misunderstood and maligned when the
light they emanate from within when
they're able to live as their true
selves is warmer and more lovely than
any blanket I've ever wrapped around me
or cup of tea I've sipped.
I will never understand how people are
intent on destroying our community
gathering spaces when their disgust and
distaste for seeing us out in the open
are the reason we had to build them
apart from everyone else in the first
place.
I refuse to understand because it is
beyond comprehension that we as a
community should ever be targeted for
how we choose to live and love.
It is beyond comprehension that
Daniel Aston... Derrick Rump... Kelly
Loving... Raymond Vance... and Ashley
Paugh will not get to live the long,
full, beautiful lives they deserved.
For as much as these kinds of tragedies
in the LGBTQ community "make sense," the
truth is, they make no fucking sense at
all.
[Source: Shohreh Davoodi, Nov 2022]
At Least 5 Killed in Shooting at LGBTQ
Club in Colorado
Club Q Patrons Pistol Whipped and Pinned
Gunman in Colorado Shooting
Gunman Kills 5 at Gay Nightclub, Subdued
by Patrons
At Least 5 Killed After Gunman Opens
Fire at LGBTQ Nightclub in Colorado
Springs
Current LGBTQ
News
Advocate: Leslie Jordan, Iconic Gay
Comedian, Dead at 67
California Becomes First Sanctuary State
for Transgender Youth Seeking Medical Care
Karine Jean-Pierre: White House Press
Secretary is a Gay Black Woman
Cuba Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in Historic Referendum
Biden Touts Importance of LGBTQ Rights in UN Speech
Two-Thirds of Swing State Voters Support Marriage
Equality
UN Expert Urges Joe Biden to do More for
LGBTQ Rights Amid Veritable Plague of Attacks
President Biden: We Must Stop the Assault
on American Democracy
Pete Buttigieg Sends Heartwarming Letter
to Gay Teen Activist in Florida
LGBTQ People and Families in Florida
Speak Out About Impact of Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
GOP Official Tells Tennessee Colleges Not To Apply Title
IX Protections LGBTQ People
Monkeypox Explained: How to Protect Yourself and What to
Watch Out for
Trump Goes on Transphobic Rant During Speech
Maura Healey
and Tina Kotek Become First Lesbian Elected Governors in US
Out Democratic candidate Maura Healey
has been elected the first out lesbian
governor in the US, as well as the first
woman to lead Massachusetts.
Followed closely by Tina Kotek who was
elected in Oregon.
Democrat Maura Healey scored a decisive
and historic victory in the 2022 midterm
elections, becoming the first elected
female governor in Massachusetts and the
nation's first openly lesbian governor.
Healey, the state's Attorney General
since 2014, overwhelmed her Republican
opponent, former state Rep. Geoff Diehl,
and put the governorship firmly back in
Democratic hands after Republican Gov.
Charlie Baker declined to seek a third
term. Diehl was endorsed by former
President Donald Trump, who remains
deeply unpopular in Massachusetts.
Healey never trailed in the polls and
held huge advantages in fundraising and
name recognition. She campaigned on a
long list of Democratic priorities,
including expanding affordable housing,
promoting green jobs, and improving
public transportation.
"Let's put money back in people's
pockets by cutting the costs of housing,
energy and health care," Healey said
last June, when she accepted her party's
nomination.
As the state's attorney general, Healey
initiated or joined dozens of lawsuits
against the Trump administration – from
challenging his Muslim travel ban to
protecting immigrant rights to suing the
EPA for delaying or rolling back
environmental regulations.
Healey's historic victory burnishes her
profile as a leader in the LGBTQ
community. "I'm proud of who I am,"
Healey said. She said she is especially
moved when young people from that
community tell her they feel comforted
by her success.
"Kids need to understand and believe
that they are loved, they are seen and
that they can be whoever they are."
Addressing her supporters at a victory
rally in Boston, Healey dedicated her
win to "every little girl and every
young LGBTQ person out there." "I
hope tonight shows you that you can be
whatever, whoever you want to be," she
said to a roaring crowd. "And nothing
and no one can ever get in your way
except your own imagination, and that's
not going to happen."
Annise Parker, the president and CEO of
the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which helps
queer candidates get elected to public
office, said Healey’s historic win will
help send a message that “LGBTQ people
have a place in American society and can
become respected public leaders. We are
confident that under Maura’s leadership,
Massachusetts will reach new heights as
one of the most inclusive states in the
country."
Healey will follow two other out LGBTQ
Democrats who have been elected to lead
their states: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown,
who is bisexual, became the first openly
LGBTQ person to be elected governor in
2015, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis
became the first openly gay man to be
elected governor in 2018. (Former New
Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey was not out
when he was elected to office in 2001;
he came out as gay in his 2004
resignation speech.)
Healey is
joined by Tina Kotek who was elected Governor in Oregon.
Both candidates made history during the 2022 midterm
elections.
Kotek previously broke barriers as the country’s first
out lesbian speaker of a state House of Representatives,
in 2013, and holding on to that role to become the state
chamber's longest-serving speaker.
Democrat Tina Kotek narrowly defeated Republican
Christine Drazan. In winning the 2022 race, Kotek
overcame a multitude of factors working against
Democrats in the state, including divisions within the
party, a competitive third-party candidate siphoning
voter from her, and a barrage of political attacks
launched by the GOP candidate and aligned groups over
rising crime and homelessness in the state.
In the days leading up to the election, polling had
shown a dead heat between Kotek and Drazan, with
independent Betsy Johnson polling in the mid-teens —
peeling off what surveys showed was a large chunk of
potential voters from Kotek. (Johnson was a Democratic
state lawmaker for two decades.)
The close race sparked GOP hopes that voters in the
reliably blue state (one that President Joe Biden won by
16 percentage points just two years ago) would elect its
first Republican governor in 40 years.
[Source: Anthony Brooks, NPR News, Nov
2022]
Maura Healey and Tina Kotek Make History: Winning
Elections to be First Openly Lesbian US Governors
Historic Number of LGBTQ
Candidates Ran for Elected Office This Year:
Here’s Who Won
Maura Healey Becomes First Lesbian
Elected Governor in US
Rainbow Wave Spreads across US as
Hundreds of LGBTQ Candidates Win Elections
Out Lesbian Maura Healey
Claims Historic Victory: Elected First
Woman Governor in Massachusetts
Lesbians Score Big Political Gains in Midterm Elections'
Rainbow Wave
Democrat Tina Kotek Wins Oregon Governor's Race
Maura Healey Wins Massachusetts
Governor's Race: First Lesbian Elected
to Lead a State
History Making LGBTQ Candidates Elected to State
Legislatures Across the Country
Maura Healey Shatters Lavender Ceiling to Become
Nation’s First Lesbian Governor
Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico are
Married to Each Other
Two Miss
Universe Contestants Marry In Secret
A former Miss Argentina and former Miss
Puerto Rico shocked and delighted fans
by announcing their surprise marriage.
Mariana Varela and Fabiola Valentín met
at the 2020 Miss Grand International
competition in Thailand, where they
represented Argentina and Puerto Rico,
respectively. After making it to the
pageant top 10, the two beauty queens
appeared to remain close friends on
social media. What fans didn't know is
they were secretly dating the whole
time.
The pair posted matching Instagram Reels
showing moments from their relationship,
including romantic walks on the beach,
candid cuddles, champagne toasts and a
proposal with gold and silver balloons
spelling out, "Marry me?"
The main image of the post shows the
pair outside of the city courthouse in
San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they
married on October 28. "After
deciding to keep our relationship
private, we opened the doors on a
special day," the caption reads in
Spanish. Fans, celebrities and
fellow pageant figures congratulated
Varela and Valentín on their
picture-perfect love.
"Congratulations," wrote Ghanaian singer
and beauty queen Abena Akuaba, who won
Miss Grand International 2020. "MGI
brought together a beautiful union."
"Thanks for all the love!" Varela wrote
in reply to the well-wishes. "We are
very happy and blessed."
[Source: AJ Willingham, Advocate, Nov
2022]
Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico
Reveal That They're Married
Former Miss Argentina and ex-Miss Puerto
Rico Announce Their Marriage
Two Miss Universe Contestants Marry In
Secret
Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico
Marry After Dating 2 Years
Miss Argentina And Miss Puerto Rico
Reveal They Quietly Tied The Knot
Same-Sex Marriage Is Now Legal in All of
Mexico's States
Lawmakers in the Mexican border state of
Tamaulipas have voted to legalize
same-sex marriages, becoming the last of
Mexico’s 32 states to authorize such
unions.
The measure to amend the state’s Civil
Code passed with 23 votes in favor, 12
against and two abstentions, setting off
cheers of “Yes, we can!” from supporters
of the change.
The session took place as groups both
for and against the measure chanted and
shouted from the balcony, and
legislators eventually moved to another
room to finish their debate and vote.
The president of the Supreme Court,
Arturo Zaldívar, welcomed the vote. “The
whole country shines with a huge
rainbow. Live the dignity and rights of
all people. Love is love,” he said.
A day earlier, lawmakers in the southern
state of Guerrero approved similar
legislation allowing same-sex marriages.
And two more states did so two weeks
earlier.
In 2015, the Supreme Court declared
state laws preventing same-sex marriage
unconstitutional, but some states took
several years to adopt laws conforming
with the ruling. The one-by-one process
started with Mexico City in 2015 and was
completed with Tamaulipas in 2022.
Mexico’s legalization comes just one
month after the people of Cuba voted to
legalize same-sex marriage and adoption
nationwide.
[Source: Associated Press, October 2022]
NBC: Same-Sex Marriage is Now Legal in
All of Mexico's States
ABC: Same-Sex Marriage is Now Legal in
All of Mexico's States
Them: Same-Sex Marriage Is Now Legal in
All of Mexico
Leslie Jordan: Actor and Comedian Dies
in Car Crash
"I am stunned at the death of Leslie
Jordan, who delighted us with his many
roles on television and film. The cause
of death was a car crash after he
suffered a medical emergency. Leslie, we
are heartbroken at your loss and will
miss your mirth and your inimitable
spirit."
-George Takei
Leslie Jordan, actor and comedian, died
on Oct 24, 2022 after a car crash in
Hollywood, California. He was 67 years
old. Season 3 of Call Me Kat, Jordan's
current gig, has halted production.
In confirming the news, his publicist
David Shaul wrote that "not only was he
a mega talent and joy to work with, but
he provided an emotional sanctuary to
the nation." Jordan was known for
playing Beverly Leslie on the
long-running sitcom Will & Grace, as
well as his roles on American Horror
Story and Call Me Kat. He also played
the iconic role of Brother Boy in the
Del Shores' film Sordid Lives.
But Jordan's fame grew exponentially on
social media over the past couple of
years, as he posted warm-hearted jokes
and updates over the course of the
COVID-19 pandemic. His posts were a
source of comfort and encouragement. On
his Instagram account, he amassed more
than 5 million followers.
Jordan grew up in Tennessee, where he
was raised in the Southern Baptist
Church. As he grew older and realized he
was gay, he eventually fell out with the
church. "It's hard to embrace
something that doesn't embrace you," he
told NPR in 2021. He eventually
found his way back to the church, and in
2021 released a gospel album.
"My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan
was one of the funniest people I ever
had the pleasure of working with.
Everyone who ever met him, loved him.
There will never be anyone like him. A
unique talent with an enormous, caring
heart. You will be missed, my dear
friend."
-Sean Hayes
[Source: Andrew Limbong, NPR News, Oct
2022]
Advocate: Leslie Jordan,
Iconic Gay Comedian, Dead at 67
LA Times: Comedian and Actor Leslie
Jordan: Queer Icon Dies After Car Crash
USA Today: Leslie Jordan, Beloved Will &
Grace Actor and Social Media Sensation,
Dies at 67
Queerty: Leslie Jordan, Beloved Actor
and Gay Icon, Dies at 67
Variety: Leslie Jordan, Will & Grace and
American Horror Story Star, Dies in Car
Accident
People: Leslie Jordan's
Will & Grace Costars Pay Tribute to the
Late Actor
CNN: Leslie Jordan, Beloved Actor and
Social Media Star, Dead at 67
Leslie Jordan's Final TV Interview
NPR: Actor and Comedian Leslie Jordan
Dead at 67
Best Leslie Jordan
Moments: Will & Grace
Karine Jean-Pierre: White House Press
Secretary is a Gay Black Woman
Just in Time for National Coming Out Day
White House press secretary Karine
Jean-Pierre on Oct 11 2022 shared her
own story of coming out in recognition
of National Coming Out Day, urging other
Americans not to feel discouraged.
“Like so many in the LGBTQ community,
coming out wasn’t an easy thing to do.
My family was traditional and
conservative. Being gay in my family
wasn’t something that you mentioned out
loud or celebrated,” Jean-Pierre said at
the start of the White House press
briefing.
“But my family, like many families, grew
to accept who I was. Who I loved didn’t
change who I was as a person. It didn’t
change the things I liked to do, and it
didn’t change the goals I had for my
life,” she continued. “The beauty of
America is its freedom and the promise
that you can do anything you want
regardless of your race, sex, country of
origin, sexual orientation or gender
identity.” Jean-Pierre expressed
her appreciation for President Biden and
first lady Jill Biden for being
supportive of the LGBTQ community.
Jean-Pierre is the first openly gay
woman and the first Black woman to serve
as White House press secretary. She took
over the role in May for Jen Psaki.
Oct 11 marked National Coming Out Day,
which was started more than 30 years ago
in support of members of the LGBTQ
community who have come out about their
sexual orientation or who are struggling
with the process of coming out. “I
celebrate our LGBTQ community this
National Coming Out Day. Never doubt
that you are loved and appreciated for
being exactly who you are,” Vice
President Harris tweeted.
[Brett Samuels, the Hill, Oct 2022]
Karine Jean-Pierre: White House Press
Secretary is a Gay Black Woman
The White House's Karine
Jean-Pierre on Fixing MAGA's Mess
Karine Jean-Pierre Reflects on Coming
Out as Gay: Wasn't an Easy Thing
Karine Jean-Pierre: Wikipedia
Current LGBTQ
News
Supreme Court Decision on Roe Sets Off
Alarm Bells in the LGBTQ Community
Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Receives Presidential Medal of
Freedom
LGBTQ Americans: History Is on Our Side
Awaken Dawn: Gun Violence Film
LGBTQ Groups Voice Outrage Over Dobbs Ruling Overturning
Roe
Biden on SCOTUS Decision: This is Not Over
How will Roe v. Wade Reversal Affect LGBTQ Rights?
Biden Issues Wide-Ranging Executive Order
Protecting LGBTQ Rights
Texas GOP Adopts Shockingly Explicit Anti-LGBTQ Party
Platform
Trump Attacks Trans People at Alaska Rally
Out WNBA Star Brittney Griner, Imprisoned in Russia,
Pleads for Biden's Help
Mallory vs Lana: Confronting Ignorant
Lies and Misinformation
Cubans Vote to Legalize Same Sex
Marriage
Cuba Approves Same-Sex Marriage in
Historic Referendum
In September 2022, Cubans have approved
a sweeping “family law” code that would
allow same-sex couples to marry and
adopt as well as redefining rights for
children and grandparents. The measure
(which contains more than 400 articles)
was approved by 66.9% to 33.1%.
The reforms had met unusually strong
open resistance from the growing
evangelical movement in Cuba (and many
other Cubans) despite an extensive
government campaign in favor of the
measure, including thousands of
informative meetings across the country
and extensive media coverage backing it.
The code would allow surrogate
pregnancies, broader rights for
grandparents in regard to grandchildren,
protection of the elderly and measures
against gender violence.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who has
promoted the law, acknowledged questions
about the measure. “Most of our people
will vote in favor of the code, but it
still has issues that our society as a
whole does not understand,” he said. The
measure had been approved by Cuba’s
Parliament, the National Assembly, after
years of debate about such reforms.
A major supporter of the measure was
Mariela Castro, director of the National
Center for Sex Education, a promoter of
rights for same-sex couples, daughter of
former President Raul Castro and niece
of his brother Fidel.
But there is a strong strain of social
conservatism in Cuba and several
religious leaders have expressed concern
or opposition to the law, worrying it
could weaken nuclear families.
While Cuba was officially (and often
militantly) non-religious for decades
after the 1959 revolution led by Fidel
Castro (Raul’s brother) it has become
more tolerant of religions over the past
quarter century. That has meant a
greater opening for not only the
once-dominant Roman Catholic Church, but
also to Afro-Cuban religions,
Protestants and Muslims. Some of those
churches took advantage of the opening
in 2018 and 2019 to campaign against a
re-write of the constitution to allow
gay marriage. Opposition was strong
enough that the government at that time
backed away.
[Source: Associated Press, September
2022]
NBC: Cuba Approves Same-Sex Marriage in
Unusual Referendum
Washington Post: Cuba Approves Same-Sex
Marriage in Historic Turnabout
CNN: Cuba Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in
Historic Referendum
BBC: Cuba Votes to Legalize Same-Sex
Marriage
Biden Touts Importance of LGBTQ Rights
in UN Speech
President Biden imagines a future
where the LGBTQ community individuals
live and love freely without being
targeted with violence
In a speech before the UN General
Assembly in Sept 2022, President Biden
championed the importance of LGBTQ
rights abroad. He declared, “The future
will be won by those countries that
unleash the full potential of their
populations, where women and girls can
exercise equal rights, including basic
reproductive rights, and contribute
fully to building stronger economies and
more resilient societies; where
religious and ethnic minorities can live
their lives without harassment and
contribute to the fabric of their
communities; where the LGBTQ community
individuals live and love freely without
being targeted with violence; where
citizens can question and criticize
their leaders without fear of reprisal.”
In February 2021, Biden issued a
presidential memorandum to protect the
rights of LGBTQ people worldwide. The
memorandum established the
administration’s commitment to “ensure
that United States diplomacy and foreign
assistance promote and protect the human
rights of LGBTQ persons.”
Among other actions, he directed
agencies to combat the criminalization
of LGBTQ identities, protect LGBTQ
refugees and asylum seekers, and provide
foreign assistance to advance
nondiscrimination efforts around the
world.
A large part of Biden’s speech to the UN
focused on condemning Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine. “Russia has shamelessly
violated the core tenets of the United
Nations Charter — no more important than
the clear prohibition against countries
taking the territory of their neighbor
by force,” he said. Biden also
emphasized the US “vision of a free,
open, secure, and prosperous world”
where “individuals have the chance to
live in dignity and develop their
talents.”
[Source: Molly Sprayregen, LGBTQ Nation,
September 2022]
Biden Touts Importance of LGBTQ Rights
in UN Speech
LGBTQ Equality Not Within Reach in US
Says UN Official
President Biden: We Must Stop the
Assault on American Democracy
Joe Biden: Trump and Followers Are
Undermining American Democracy
UN Expert Urges Joe Biden to do More for
LGBTQ Rights Amid Veritable Plague of Attacks
Two-Thirds of Swing State Voters Support
Marriage Equality
“Marriage equality has been nothing but
positive, both for the LGBTQ community
and for our society as a whole."
-President Joni Madison
With the proposed Respect for Marriage
Act awaiting debate in the US Senate,
new polling data from the Human Rights
Campaign indicates that over two-thirds
of registered voters in swing states
support marriage equality.
The data collected by the HRC, the
largest LGBTQ civil rights organization
in the country, shows that 64 percent of
prospective voters in the November
midterm election would support a law
“protecting the national right to
same-sex marriage.”
The voters polled all reside in
“battleground” states — Arizona,
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan,
New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin —
defined as states where the Republican
and Democratic parties have near-equal
levels of support.
Thousands or even hundreds of votes
could affect the outcome of an election
in swing states, yet support for
marriage equality surpasses party lines
with endorsement from two-thirds of
voters. Support also transcends polling
subgroups, with 58 percent of men in
favor, 69 percent of women, and 55
percent of Christians.
“Marriage equality has been nothing but
positive, both for the LGBTQ community
and for our society as a whole — and
that’s reflected in this polling,” HRC
Interim President Joni Madison said in a
statement alongside the data’s release.
“Same-sex marriage has been legal
nationally since 2015, and in many
states for years before that. The joy
that has emanated from thousands of
weddings of couples who were previously
denied the right to marry has melted
many hearts,” she continued. “And the
supposed harms that opponents of
marriage equality predicted simply have
not come to pass.”
The recent Supreme Court decision to
overturn Roe v. Wade, the case
guaranteeing nationwide access to
abortion, has many LGBTQ community
members worried that the ruling ensuring
marriage equality will also be revoked.
Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the
court's most conservative members, has
said he would like to see that happen.
To protect the civil rights of queer
individuals, the US House of
Representatives passed the Respect for
Marriage Act in July 2022 in a 267-157
vote with the support of 47 Republicans.
The bill is currently awaiting
deliberation in the Senate, where
Democratic legislators aim to bring it
to a vote before the November election.
Democrats have pushed for a swift Senate
vote in order to force Republicans into
taking a stance on marriage equality. If
Republican candidates in battleground
races vote against the act, their
campaigns will likely suffer for it, as
the issue of abortion indicates.
Since the overturning of Roe, several
states have pushed abortion bans. Recent
data from The Wall Street Journal shows
that 60 percent of registered voters
support legal access to abortion, which
has substantially swayed voters to
support Democratic candidates.
“It is more important than ever to pass
the Respect for Marriage Act,” Madison
concluded. “And reflect the voice of the
71 percent of Americans nationwide who
support marriage equality.”
[Source: Ryan Adamczeski, Advocate
Magazine, Sept 2022]
Two-Thirds of Swing State Voters Support
Marriage Equality
Tammy Baldwin to Marco Rubio: Marriage
Equality Bill Is Not Stupid
Pete Buttigieg Responds to Marco Rubio’s Snide Comments
About Marriage Equality
Marriage Equality Bill Could Pass Senate Despite Some
GOP Opposition
Republicans Split on Same-Sex Marriage Bill: Faces
Uncertainty in the Senate
Straight Congressman’s Impassioned Speech
for Marriage Equality
Jim Obergefell Slams Supreme Court’s Threat to Overturn
Same-Sex Marriage
Ted Cruz Says SCOTUS Should Overturn Marriage Equality
Clarence Thomas Ready to Strike Down Marriage Equality
Following Dobbs
Ted Cruz: Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision Was Wrong
Continued Battle for the Soul of the
Nation
"As I stand here tonight, equality and
democracy are under assault."
-President Joe Biden, September 2022
"Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans
are a clear and present danger to our
democracy."
-Michael Luttig, Federal Circuit Court
Judge
President Joe Biden issued a dire
warning for the future of American
democracy ahead of the midterm
elections, saying former President
Donald Trump and his Republican allies
"threaten the very foundation of our
republic."
Biden gave the nationally broadcast
speech on Sept 1, 2022 from the
Independence National Historical Park in
downtown Philadelphia, where the US
Constitution was crafted in 1787. The
address, which White House officials
called the "battle for the soul of the
nation," saw Biden maintain his
increasingly combative posture to the
Republican Party and comes on the heels
of recent legislative wins and a rise in
his poll numbers.
During the speech, Biden called on
Americans to preserve the Constitution
and democracy, warning that "MAGA forces
are determined to take this country
backwards, backwards to an America where
there is no right to choose, no right to
privacy, no right to contraception, no
right to marry who you love. They
promote authoritarian leaders, and they
fanned the flames of political violence
that are a threat to our personal
rights, to the pursuit of justice, to
the rule of law, to the very soul of
this country."
"MAGA Republicans," Biden stated, " do
not respect the Constitution. They do
not believe in the rule of law. They do
not recognize the will of the people.
They refuse to accept the results of a
free election, and they’re working right
now as I speak in state after state to
give power to decide elections in
America to partisans and cronies,
empowering election deniers to undermine
democracy itself."
President Biden: We Must Stop the
Assault on American Democracy
Joe Biden: Trump and Followers Are
Undermining American Democracy
Are MAGA Republicans Fascists?
Joe Biden's 'Soul of the Nation' Speech
Biden Sounds Alarm: Trumpism Menaces
Democracy
LGBTQ Equality Not Within Reach in US
Says UN Official
“Despite five decades of progress,
equality is not within reach, and often
not even within sight."
-Victor Madrigal-Borloz
There has been much progress for LGBTQ
Americans in recent years, but equality
remains elusive, says the United
Nations’ independent expert on sexual
orientation and gender identity. Victor
Madrigal-Borloz made the remarks at a
press conference in August 2022 after
spending 10 days traveling around the
United States.
“Despite five decades of progress,
equality is not within reach, and often
not even within sight, for all persons
impacted by violence and discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender
identity in the United States,’’
Madrigal-Borloz said. The comments
constituted his preliminary report on
the state of LGBTQ Americans. He will
make a formal one to the UN Human Rights
Council next year.
His US trip included stops in Washington
DC, Birmingham Ala, Miami,
and San Diego. He met with more than 70
officials at all levels of government,
over 100 representatives of nonprofit
organizations, and numerous LGBTQ
citizens. He praised President Joe
Biden and his administration for issuing
“very powerful” executive orders aimed
at promoting LGBTQ equality, but he
noted many anti-LGBTQ moves by state and
local politicians. He said he’d heard of
about 280 pieces of such legislation,
“which also create a terribly polarizing
narrative that exacerbates already high
and worrisome risks of violence and
discrimination.”
“I am deeply alarmed by a widespread,
profoundly negative riptide created by
deliberate actions to roll back the
human rights of LGBTQ people at state
level,” he said. These include many
attacks on transgender youth, such as
efforts to keep them from accessing
gender-affirming health care or bar them
from competing on the sports teams
designated for their gender identity.
“The evidence shows that, without
exception, these actions rely on
prejudiced and stigmatizing views of
LGBTQ persons, in particular transgender
children and youth, and seek to leverage
their lives as props for political
profit,” Madrigal-Borloz said.
He also pointed out the high rate of
violence against LGBTQ people, with, for
instance, 20.3 percent of reported hate
crimes based on anti-LGBTQ bias. He
further cited a high risk of
homelessness among queer Americans,
widespread discrimination, and other
challenges the LGBTQ population faces,
including the effect of bad immigration
policy, left over from the previous
administration, on refugees and asylum
seekers.
Overall, “the Biden-Harris
administration has adopted powerful and
meaningful actions that are in
conformity with international human
rights law, reveal a thoughtful strategy
created through participative
approaches, and provide significant
capacity for their implementation,” he
concluded. “This is exactly the
combination of values, knowledge, and
muscle that can drive social change.
“In light of a concerted attack to
undermine these actions, I exhort the
administration to redouble its efforts
to support the human rights of all LGBTQ
persons living under its jurisdiction
and helping them to safe waters.”
[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate Magazine,
August 2022]
LGBTQ Equality Not Within Reach in US
Says UN Official
UN Expert Urges Joe Biden to do More for
LGBTQ Rights Amid Veritable Plague of Attacks
US Has Made Progress on LGBTQ Rights But
Equality is Lacking
UN Expert Warns US to Protect LGBTQ
Civil Rights
UN Expert Alarmed Over Curtailment of
LGBTQ Rights in US
Monkeypox Outbreak in Gay Community
The
country's monkeypox outbreak can still be stopped, US
health officials say, despite rising case numbers and so
far limited vaccine supplies.
The Biden administration's top health official pushed
back against criticism about the pace of the response
and worries that the US has missed the window to contain
the virus, which has been declared a global emergency.
"We believe we have done everything we can at the
federal level to work with our state and local partners
and communities affected to make sure we can stay ahead
of this and end this outbreak," Xavier Becerra, head of
the Department of Health and Human Services, explained.
But he added that local health officials "must do their
part. We don't have the authority to tell them what to
do."
The pushback from federal leaders came as they announced
distribution plans for 780,000 shots of the two-dose
Jynneos vaccine. The doses will be allocated to states,
cities and other localities based on their case numbers
and the size of their populations that are considered
high-risk for the disease. Health departments in San
Francisco, New York, Washington, DC, and elsewhere say
they still don't have enough shots to meet demand and
have stopped scheduling appointments for second vaccine
doses to stretch supplies.
"Clinics around the country are pleading with federal
health officials for the information, supplies and
staffing they need to successfully bring an end to this
outbreak," said David C. Harvey, executive director of
the National Coalition of STD Directors, in a statement.
The group is pressing for $100 million in emergency
funding for local health departments and clinics.
The US is now capable of testing 60,000 to 80,000 people
per day, though Becerra said daily testing numbers are
well below that.
There were more than 4,600 reported monkeypox cases in
the US as of July 2022, according to the CDC, and
federal officials expect those numbers to rise. More
than 99% of reported cases are in men and the vast
majority of those are among men who reported sexual
contact with other men, though health officials have
stressed that anyone can catch the virus.
The monkeypox virus mainly spreads through skin-on-skin
contact, but it can also transmit through touching
linens used by someone with the infection. People with
monkeypox may experience fever, body aches, chills and
fatigue. Many in the outbreak have developed
sometimes-painful zit-like bumps.
The US has ordered 5.5 million more vaccine doses for
delivery by mid-2023 and has rights to the raw
ingredients that could make 11.1 million more doses. US
officials said a massive vaccination campaign could
still be avoided if communities and individuals take
measures to avoid spread.
In San Francisco, Tom Temprano had an appointment to get
his second dose next week but was recently notified that
it was canceled due to limited supplies. Temprano, who
is the political director of San Francisco-based
Equality California, said he's frustrated that health
authorities have taken so long to respond. "Especially
coming out of, still, two-and-a-half years into a
pandemic, it's just a very disappointing response for
the first larger-scale public health crisis we're facing
coming out of that," he said.
He also sees parallels to the slow government response
to AIDS in the 1980s. "I've heard from many folks that
this feels similar in the lack of real concern and
urgency to a disease that is right now
disproportionately impacting the LGBTQ community," said
Temprano, who is 36.
The CDC estimates about 1.5 million Americans currently
meet suggested criteria for vaccination, primarily men
who have sex with men.
[Source: Associated Press, July 2022]
White House Rolls Out Monkeypox Pilot Program at
Charlotte Pride
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis: Monkeypox Response Deputy
Coordinator
Monkeypox: Not a Gay Disease
White House Monkeypox Response Team Gives Update to
LGBTQ Community
Gay Monkeypox Patients Speak of Pain and Loneliness
Monkeypox Crisis: Difference Between Warning and
Stigmatizing Gay People
Monkeypox Explained: How to Protect Yourself and What to
Watch Out for
New Orleans Braces for Superspreader
Event as Monkeypox Vaccine Remains Scarce
Senator
Rubio Criticizes
Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Tammy Baldwin and Pete Buttigieg clap back
at their Senate colleague after he called the Respect
for Marriage Act a “stupid waste of time.”
Sen.
Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, the first out member of the
US Senate, confronted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) after he
called the Respect for Marriage Act a “stupid waste of
time.” Baldwin said, "The recent Supreme Court
decision eroded a constitutional right to privacy.
There’s a whole bunch of cases that have been decided
based on a constitutional right to privacy that are in
jeopardy. And I don't think the Respect for Marriage Act
is stupid."
The Respect for Marriage Act would write marriage
equality into US law, a safeguard in case the Supreme
Court overturns Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling
that established equal marriage rights nationwide.
The Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the US House
in July 2022 and is now pending in the Senate. It would
assure that the federal government recognizes all valid
marriages, no matter the gender or race of the spouses,
and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which remains on
the books although unenforceable due to a 2013 Supreme
Court decision. DOMA denied federal recognition to
same-sex marriages and allowed states to deny
recognition to marriages performed in other states.
Baldwin, a lesbian, introduced the bill in the Senate
along with a fellow Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of
California, and a Republican colleague, Susan Collins of
Maine. The legislation passed the House with bipartisan
support, 47 Republicans joining all Democrats, but it
may have a harder time in the Senate.
Out
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was asked
about how the majority of House Republicans opposed the
Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) bill and about Sen.
Rubio’s claim that the bill was a “stupid waste of
time.”
“If Rubio’s got time to fight against Disney, I don’t
know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard
marriages like mine. Look, this is really, really
important to a lot of people. It’s certainly important
to me,” Buttigieg said. Buttigieg was referring to how
Rubio attacked Disney in April for issuing a statement
opposing Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law.
Buttigieg went on to talk about his weekend, saying that
he “tried to give his husband Chasten a little bit of a
break” by feeding their twin babies at breakfast.
“That’s no small thing, as every parent of small kids
knows,” he joked, adding that it wasn’t particularly
easy that morning. “That half-hour of my morning had me
thinking about how much I depend on and count on my
spouse every day, and our marriage deserves to be
treated equally,” he said. “I don’t’ know why this would
be hard,” he added, referring to the RMA vote.
“I just don’t understand how such a majority of House
Republicans voted ‘no’ on our marriage,” he continued,
“hours after I was in a room with a lot of them talking
about transportation policy, having what I thought were
perfectly normal conversations with many of them on that
subject, only for them to go around the corner and say
that my marriage doesn’t deserve to continue.”
“If they don’t want to spend a lot of time on this, they
can vote ‘yes,’ and move on, and that would be really
reassuring for a lot of families around America,
including mine,” he concluded.
Tammy Baldwin to Marco Rubio: Marriage
Equality Bill Is Not Stupid
Pete Buttigieg Responds to Marco Rubio’s Snide Comments
About Marriage Equality
Marriage Equality Bill Could Pass Senate Despite Some
GOP Opposition
Republicans Split on Same-Sex Marriage Bill: Faces
Uncertainty in the Senate
Senator Ted Cruz
Says Supreme Court Was Wrong In Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
The dumbass Republican Senator from Texas says
the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which legalized
same-sex marriage across the country, was clearly wrong
and overreaching.
Ted Cruz was speaking about the differences between that
case and the Supreme Court’s recent decision that
overturned Roe v. Wade, which had previously protected
abortion rights nationwide. He criticized the court for
preventing individual states from deciding for
themselves whether same-sex marriage should be allowed.
“Obergefell, like Roe v. Wade, ignored two centuries of
our nation’s history. Marriage was always an issue that
was left to the states,” he said. “In Obergefell, the
court said no, we know better than you guys do, and now
every state must sanction and permit gay marriage. I
think that decision was clearly wrong when it was
decided. It was the court overreaching.”
Cruz added that he personally doesn’t expect the court
to reverse its decision, however, reasoning that “it
would be more than a little chaotic” based on the number
of same-sex marriages that have already legally taken
place.
Cruz has previously advocated for allowing individual
states to outlaw same-sex marriage. For many, his desire
appears closer to a reality due to last month’s Supreme
Court ruling on abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson
Women’s Health Organization, which ignited concerns that
the court might overturn other decisions.
Justice Clarence Thomas amplified that concern, stating
in a solo concurring opinion that any decision made by
the Supreme Court that was stated to be supported by the
due process clause of the 14th Amendment, such as Roe v.
Wade was, should be reconsidered.
“Any substantive due process decision is ‘demonstrably
erroneous,’” he said last month, adding that “we have a
duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those
precedents.”
Other rulings citing the due process clause include
Griswold v. Connecticut, which established the right for
married couples to use contraception; Lawrence v. Texas,
which prohibits states from banning sexual relations
between people of the same sex; and Loving v. Virginia,
which protects interracial marriage.
Thomas mentioned the Obergefell, Griswold and Lawrence
cases in his opinion but not did mention the Loving
case, which, if overturned, could threaten his own
interracial marriage.
[Source: Nina Golgowski, Huffongton Post, July 2022]
Advocate: Ted Cruz Says SCOTUS Should Overturn Marriage Equality
Ted Cruz: Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision Was Wrong
Huff Post: Senator Ted Cruz Says Supreme Court Was Wrong
In Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
CNN: Ted Cruz Says Supreme Court was Clearly Wron' about
2015 Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
NBC News: Sen. Ted Cruz says Supreme Court was Wrong to
Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Jim Obergefell Slams Supreme Court’s Threat to Overturn
Same-Sex Marriage
Megan Rapinoe
Receives Presidential Honor
President Joe Biden awarded the American soccer
star Megan Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Rapinoe was one of the 17 recipients in July 2022 who
were recognized by Biden. Other recipients
included gymnast and fellow Olympian Simone Biles, the
Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington and Sen.
John McCain, the Arizona Republican who died in 2018.
Rapinoe is the first soccer player to receive the award
and one of just six female athletes or coaches.
"Beyond the World Cup title to Olympic medals, Megan is
a champion for essential American truth that everyone is
entitled to be treated with dignity and respect," Biden
said at the award ceremony at the White House. "She
helped lead the change for perhaps the most important
victory for anyone on our soccer team or any soccer
team: equal pay for women."
Rapinoe has been a member of the US Women's National
Team since 2006 and has helped the team win two Olympic
medals and two World Cup championships. Off the field,
she has made a name for herself for her contribution to
LGBTQ equality and equality in women's sports.
In 2016, Rapinoe and four other US Women’s National Team
players filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
complaint against the US Soccer Federation, alleging
gender discrimination. Then in 2019, 28 members of the
team, including Rapinoe, filed a similar lawsuit, citing
years of gender discrimination in pay, medical treatment
and overall workload.
The group of five players reached a settlement with the
US Soccer Federation in February 2022, receiving $24
million and securing an agreement from the federation to
pay men and women equally in all exhibition games, or
friendlies, and tournaments.
“For us, this is just a huge win in ensuring that we not
only right the wrongs of the past, but set the next
generation up for something we only dreamed of,” Rapinoe
said after the settlement was reached.
In May 2022, US Soccer announced a collective bargaining
agreement with the women's and men's national teams to
close the gender pay gap.
Rapinoe is the latest openly LGBTQ American to
receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, following
comedian Ellen DeGeneres, gay rights activist and
politician Harvey Milk, and playwright Tennessee
Williams.
"I am humbled and truly honored to be chosen for this
award by President Biden and feel as inspired and
motivated as ever to continue this long history of
fighting for the freedoms of all people," Rapinoe said
in a statement after being named a medal recipient last
month. "To quote Emma Lazarus, ‘Until we are all free,
we are none of us free.’”
[Source: Matt Lavietes, NBC News, July 2022]
Megan Rapinoe Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Lesbian Athlete Megan Rapinoe Receives Presidential
Medal of Freedom
Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Receives Presidential Medal of
Freedom
Current LGBTQ
News
Queen and Adam Lambert at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum
Jubilee
Pastor Who Wants Death Penalty for Gays
Rails Against Pride Month
Eric Swalwell: Addressing Republican Arguments Against
Gun Control
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Survey: 5 Percent of Young Adults Identify as Trans or
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Pete Buttigieg Responds to Buffalo NY
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Through Line of Critical Race, Don’t Say
Gay, and Great Replacement
Beto O'Rourke Praises Parents of Trans
Kids in Late Night Appearance
Amanda Gorman: Reasons to Stand Up for Roe v Wade
Paddington Bear Joins Queen Elizabeth
for Afternoon Tea at Buckingham Palace
School Shooting Debate:
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Laverne Cox is Getting Her Own Barbie
Doll
Pete Buttigieg: Sharp Comebacks to
Critics
Ocasio-Cortez: Supreme Court Isn’t Just
Coming for Abortion
Jen Psaki Gets Emotional While
Discussing Republican Attacks On LGBTQ
Children
Ellen DeGeneres: Final Monologue
Supreme Court
Overturns Roe vs. Wade Decision
“We
are at an exceedingly dangerous, unprecedented moment."
-Joni Madison, Human Rights Campaign Interim President
The US
Supreme Court made it official: in a 6-3 decision, the
justices ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health
Organization that the constitutional right to an
abortion, which has existed for nearly half a century,
no longer exists. States can now ban abortion, and about
half are poised to do so. The long-planned
radicalization of the Court by the right-wing has
finally come to fruition, with the appointment under
Donald Trump of three well-vetted justices guaranteed to
carry out the right’s ideological agenda.
Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion,
said “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its
reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has
had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a
national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey
[a subsequent abortion rights decision] have enflamed
debate and deepened division. It is time to heed the
Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the
people’s elected representatives.”
The rhetoric about division is laughable. The majority
of Americans support some form of access to abortion.
This decision will only deepen division. It will,
however, delight the conservative base that the justices
are catering to. The lack of regard for precedent and
for public opinion is a very bad sign for LGBTQ rights.
Indeed, Justice Clarence Thomas all but issued an open
invitation to right-wing legal activists to find cases
to bring his way.
“The message here is clear and distressing:
Americans are losing protected access to abortion, a
constitutional right they have valued for nearly 50
years, and other rights to personal liberty are at risk
too.
The anti-abortion playbook and the anti-LGBTQ playbook
are one and the same. Both are about denying control
over our bodies and making it more dangerous for us to
live as we are. Both divide our country into free and
less free, the opposite of what the United States should
be. Our bodies, healthcare and our future belong to us,
not to a meddling politician or extremist Supreme Court
justices, and we will fight back.”
-Sarah
Kate Ellis,
GLAAD President and CEO
"This
ruling will cost women their lives and livelihoods.
It will cost LGBTQ women, transgender men and nonbinary
people their lives and livelihoods. And it will cost
their friends, family, loved ones and neighbors those
lives and livelihoods as a result. We cannot and will
not allow this gross injustice to stand. We must fight
twice as hard and twice as long, if necessary, to secure
this fundamental right as our opponents have fought to
rip it away. We are working with our allies in the
reproductive freedom movement across California and
across the country to protect access to safe, legal
abortion. And we remain focused on a variety of LGBTQ
issues, including attacks against trans kids, efforts to
roll back protections for LGBTQ students, critical
criminal justice reforms and the freedom to marriage
equality. We will continue to monitor developments that
threaten hard-fought rights to ensure that we can
confront them quickly. And we must vote out anyone who
stands in our way — until the work is done."
-Tony Hoang, Executive Director of Equality California
“As a result of today’s decision, some people will die because
they can no longer access abortion care.
Others will have their lives ruined by not being able to
make their own decisions about their health and their
futures. And as Justice Thomas makes clear in his
concurrence, which openly calls for the reversal of the
fundamental rights to contraception, sexual intimacy,
and marriage, the Court’s disregard for precedent poses
a clear and present danger to freedoms that are of
utmost importance not only to LGBTQ people but to every
person in this country.”
-Julianna
Gonen, Federal Policy Director, National Center for
Lesbian Rights
“Every
person in this country should be deeply alarmed by this
shameful ruling, which is simply not normal and should
be beyond the bounds of what is thinkable for the body
entrusted to uphold our constitutional freedoms.
We must rally together across all our communities to
push back against these extreme assaults. We will fight
alongside our partners and at every level of state and
federal government and in the courts for the right of
transgender people to access life-saving healthcare and
for parents’ basic right to seek that care for their
transgender children; for the rights of LGBTQ students
and students with LGBTQ families to be welcomed and
included in schools; to protect the recognition of our
relationships; to ensure stronger protections for LGBTQ
families and all families; and for access to abortion,
contraception and reproductive choice.”
-Janson
Wu,
Executive Director,
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders
"It is
disturbing and dangerous that the Court overturned the
key precedents of Roe v. Wade and Casey.
Doing so allows tremendous overreach and intrusion by
the government into our most personal decisions and
freedoms — on an issue that was settled five decades
ago. This ruling is rooted in sexism and misogyny. It
denies equality before the law and restricts the right
of anyone who needs abortion care in order to make their
own decisions about their own lives...We know this: bans
on abortion are deeply racist and profoundly sexist —
the harshest impacts always fall on Black and Brown
women and pregnant people and our families and
communities. This decision will impact these communities
the most, and it is these lives that will be forever
harmed by the loss of these fundamental rights."
-Kierra
Johnson, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force.
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Protest Marches of Decades Past
Pelosi on SCOTUS, GOP Overturning Roe and What’s Next
Kamala Harris Blasts SCOTUS, Says Marriage Equality Is
on the Line
Jim Obergefell Slams Supreme Court’s Threat to Overturn
Same-Sex Marriage
Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen: Fuck You to SCOTUS
Provincetown Reacts to SCOTUS’s Disgraceful Overturning
of Roe v. Wade
How will Roe v. Wade Reversal Affect LGBTQ Rights?
Thomas Wants Supreme Court to Overturn Rulings that
Legalized Contraception and Same-Sex Marriage
Clarence Thomas Ready to Strike Down Marriage Equality
Following Dobbs
Liberal Redneck: Not So Supreme Court
Texas Republican Platform Says
Being Gay is an Abnormal Lifestyle Choice
The GOP platform opposes all efforts to validate
transgender identity
The Republican Party of Texas is well known for its
anti-LGBTQ stances, but the party platform it adopted
this year goes beyond even previous ones, with language
calling homosexuality “an abnormal lifestyle choice” and
opposing “all efforts to validate transgender identity.”
The party adopted the platform at its convention in
Houston in June 2022.
Previous platforms included much anti-gay and anti-trans
language, but the “abnormal lifestyle choice” statement
is new. The platform also endorses conversion therapy,
as it has in the past, and calls it by a new name,
“reintegrative therapy.”
“Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice,” the
platform reads. “We believe there should be no granting
of special legal entitlements or creation of special
status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of
origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties
against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith,
conviction, or belief in traditional values. No one
should be granted special legal status based on their
LGBTQ identification.”
At least one delegate, David Gebhart, tried to soften
this language, saying, “We are the Republican Party of
Texas, not the Westboro Baptist Church." Gebhart’s
suggestion was met with laughter and boos. Other
delegates made homophobic and sexually charged comments.
The platform addresses trans identity more explicitly
than in the past. It calls gender dysphoria “a genuine
and extremely rare mental health condition” and opposes
any gender-affirming treatment for people under 21. This
aligns with Gov. Greg. Abbott’s recent order that
parents who allow their minor children to receive
gender-affirming health care be investigated for child
abuse (the order is temporarily blocked by court
action). Texas legislators tried but failed to pass a
law declaring such care to be child abuse.
Without recognizing any irony, though, the platform
endorses “the fundamental right of parents to make all
decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their
children in all aspects.” Apparently allowing children
access to gender-affirming care is not one of those
aspects.
The document further
opposes teaching about critical race theory in K-12
schools (something that is not taught outside of higher
education anyway) and calls for students “to learn about
the humanity of the pre-born child.” It also asserts
that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected
and criticizes US Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican,
for negotiating with Democrats on gun regulations. Cornyn was booed at the convention.
The platform shows how far rightward the party has
lurched.
[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate Magazine, June 2022]
Texas GOP Adopts Shockingly Explicit Anti-LGBTQ Party
Platform
Texas Republican Platform Says Being Gay
is an Abnormal Lifestyle Choice
Meanwhile... Hawaii’s Governor Signs 3 Pro-LGBTQ Bills
into Law
Biden Issues Wide-Ranging
Executive Order Protecting LGBTQ Rights
The order directs federal
agencies to address health care, education, conversion
therapy, homelessness, foster care, and more.
In June 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive
order aimed at advancing the rights of LGBTQ people and
fighting back against state legislative attacks. The
order, which comes on the same day the president is
hosting a Pride Month reception at the White House,
addresses health care, education, conversion therapy,
homelessness, foster care, and more.
More than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills, many of them aimed
specifically at transgender youth, have been introduced
in state legislatures this year, and more than 20 have
become law. These include Alabama’s law criminalizing
the provision of gender-affirming care to young people,
which is temporarily blocked by a court. In Texas, there
was not legislative action against such care, but Gov.
Greg Abbott directed the state’s child welfare agency to
investigate parents who allow their children access to
this care, as he considers it child abuse (the probes
are likewise temporarily halted by a court). Also,
several of the laws passed in the past few years affect
education, such as Florida’s “don’t say gay” legislation
and numerous states’ restrictions on trans youth’s
participation in school sports.
In response, Biden’s order advises states on how to take
the opposite approach. It instructs the Department of
Health and Human Services to release new sample policies
for states on how to expand access to comprehensive
health care for LGBTQ people, including gender-affirming
care. Further, to address the high risk of suicide among
LGBTQ youth, it directs HHS to expand young people’s
access to suicide prevention resources and to issue new
guidance through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration on providing evidence-informed
mental health care for this population.
In addition, it directs the Department of Education to
address the impact of laws affecting students and to
prepare a sample school policy how to achieve inclusive
education. The DOE will set up a Working Group on LGBTQ
Students and Families, “which will advance policies for
states, school districts, and other educational
institutions to promote safe and inclusive learning
environments in which all students thrive,” according to
a White House fact sheet.
On conversion therapy, Biden is directing HHS to explore
issuing guidance that will clarify that federally funded
programs cannot offer the discredited and harmful
practice. “HHS will also increase public awareness about
its harms, provide training and technical assistance to
health care providers, and expand support for services
to help survivors,” the fact sheet says.
He is encouraging the
Federal Trade Commission to consider whether conversion
therapy constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or
practice and whether to issue consumer warnings or
notices. He is further directing the secretaries of
State, Treasury, and HHS to develop an action plan to
promote an end to the practice around the world and
ensure that US foreign assistance dollars do not fund
it.
The order deals with a variety of other youth and family
issues as well. It directs HHS to strengthen
nondiscrimination protections in the foster care system.
It further will “charge HHS with launching a new
initiative to partner with state child welfare agencies
to improve outcomes for LGBTQ youth in care; increase
training for child welfare personnel on best practices
for supporting LGBTQ youth; promote placements of
children into environments that will support their
sexual orientation and gender identity; and study and
address the disproportionate rates of child removals
that LGBTQ parents face, especially women of color,”
according to the White House.
Biden is also directing HHS to expand access to
voluntary family counseling and support programs and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with
researching the impacts of family rejection on the
mental health and long-term well-being of LGBTQ people.
Another HHS project will be studying how current
eligibility standards for federal programs affect LGBTQ
households and issuing recommendations for more
inclusive standards.
HHS is tasked with establishing a bill of rights for
older LGBTQ Americans, provide guidance on avoiding
discrimination in long-term care settings, and consider
making a new rule assuring that LGBTQ people are
included in the definition of populations facing
“greatest social need” under the Older Americans Act.
To address homelessness and housing instability among
LGBTQ Americans, the order calls on the Department of
Housing and Urban Development to establish a working
group to explore barriers to housing, seek ways to
address these barriers, and provide technical assistance
to housing providers.
Biden is also directing the US attorney general to set
up a new clearinghouse within the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention to provide effective
training, technical assistance, and other resources for
jurisdictions to better serve LGBTQ youth in the
juvenile justice system.
Lastly, the order
establishes a new committee to coordinate data
collection on sexual orientation and gender identity
across agencies while safeguarding privacy.
The directive builds on policies the Biden
administration has already put in place, White House
officials said. These include Biden’s executive order on
his first day in office implementing protections against
discrimination across the federal government; rescinding
the ban on transgender people serving in the military;
appointing a special envoy to advance the rights of
LGBTQ people around the world; and establishing a
gender-neutral marker on federal identification
documents.
The president remains committed to the passage of the
Equality Act, which would ban anti-LGBTQ discrimination
nationwide in employment, housing, public
accommodations, credit, and a variety of other aspects
of life, the officials said. In response to one
reporter’s question, they said “any assertion that he
hasn’t been full-throated” in support of the act is
wrong. The act has been approved by the House of
Representatives but is stalled in the Senate, where
Republicans are resisting it. The Senate is split 50-50
between Republicans and Democrats (including two
independents who caucus with the Democrats), but under
the filibuster rule, it takes the support of 60 senators
to end debate on most bills and move to a vote on the
actual legislation.
The Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus commended Biden
for the order, which aligns with the goals of the
Equality Act and other legislation introduced by caucus
members.
“President Biden has been a deeply committed ally to the
LGBTQ community in the White House, and this executive
order is another example of President Biden’s strong
commitment to advancing LGBTQ rights,” said US Rep.
David Cicilline, chair of the caucus. “At a time when
radical right-wing politicians are pushing legislation
targeting our community — and particularly transgender
and nonbinary youth — President Biden is not just
speaking out against these laws, he’s also taking
critical actions to secure and protect our rights. This
executive order will have a significant impact on LGBTQ
people of all ages, from LGBTQ youth, including those in
the foster care system, to LGBTQ older adults.”
[Source: Trudy
Ring, Advocate Magazine, June 2022]
Biden Issues Wide-Ranging
Executive Order Protecting LGBTQ Rights
Fact Sheet: President
Biden Signs Historic Executive Order Advancing LGBTQ
Equality
Day One (Jan 2021): Biden Issues Order Against
Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination
Texas Pastor Calls for Execution of Gay People
It's
not the first time a preacher from the Stedfast Baptist
Church has made the news over calls of violence against
LGBTQ people.
A pastor at a church in
Texas, labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law
Center, delivered a sermon calling for the government
execution of LGBTQ folks, and it’s not the first time
he’s made such disturbing calls for violence.
In his sermon entitled, Why We Won’t Shut Up, Dillon
Awes of the Stedfast Baptist Church in Hurst said gay
men were predatory pedophiles who have either committed
sex crimes against a child or just haven’t had the
opportunity to do so yet, leading him to the conclusion
that “We need to put these people to death through the
proper channels of the government.”
Awes claimed the Bible’s solution to what he called the
“sodomite deception” is queer people “should be lined up
against the wall and shot in the back of the head.”
“What does God say is the answer, is the solution for
the homosexual in 2022, here in the New Testament, here
in the book of Romans? That they are worthy of death,”
Awes said. “Every single homosexual in our country
should be charged with a crime, the abomination of
homosexuality that they have, they should be convicted
in a lawful trial, they should be sentenced to death,
they should be lined up against a wall and shot in the
back of the head.”
Awes and the Stedfast Baptist Church are in the midst of
an anti-Pride month where he visits various local
churches and organizations celebrating Pride, and films
himself calling these churches blasphemous and tools of
satan.
Last month, another preacher at the church, Jonathan
Shelley, made the news for his call to commit violence
against LGBTQ people. At an Arlington City Council
meeting in May, Shelley railed against Pride, saying the
Bible teaches “we should hate pride, not celebrate it.”
“God’s already ruled that murder, adultery, witchcraft,
rape, bestiality, and homosexuality are crimes worthy of
capital punishment,” he said.
Stedfast Baptist Church’s website says the government
should impose the death penalty for homosexuality, but
“Christians should not take the law into their own
hands.” Other things it lists as sins include abortion,
birth control, in vitro fertilization, feminism, and
ecumenicalism. It doesn’t say if these are worthy of
capital punishment. It’s an independent church, not
affiliated with any larger Baptist body.
 
Awes has also produced a
video called the Sodomite Deception which purports to
center the alleged dangers of the LGBTQ community, but
appears to contain little more than anti-gay epithets
and threats.
“Why aren’t all these Baptists standing up and saying
these freaks should go back to hell, should go back to
the closet, put a bullet in your head?” Awes angrily
asks in the trailer of the movie. “Why aren’t they
saying it?”
“No homos will ever be allowed on this church as long as
I’m the pastor here!” Steven Anderson of the Faithful
Word Baptist Church shrieks in the film. “Never!”
More ominously, Aaron Thompson of the Sure Foundation
Baptist Church calls for the murder of the LGBTQ
community in the film. “Is the law of the lord
perfect or is it not?” Thompson asks. “It’s perfect, and
what did he say? Put them to death.”
[Source: Donald Padgett, Advocate Magazine, June 2022]
Texas Pastor Calls for Gay People to Be Shot in the Head
Pro-Trump Candidate Calls for Executing Parents of LGBTQ
Kids
Pastors in Idaho and Texas Call for Execution of LGBTQ
People
Another Lunatic Pastor Calls For Execution of Gay People
Pastor Who Wants Death Penalty for Gays
Rails Against Pride Month
Pastor Offers Biblical Solution to Gay People: Execution
Antigay Leaders Exposed as Gay or Bi
Dad Threatens to Show Up and Kill Somebody If Drag
Queens Perform at His Kid’s School
Will Pride Pageantry Perk Up a Pensive Nation?
The
parades, marches, events are a chance for one part of
the population in this country to dance, sing, rejoice
and celebrate.
“For the first time in the history of our country, a
majority of our people believe that the next five years
will be worse than the past five years. Two-thirds of
our people do not even vote. The productivity of
American workers is actually dropping, and the
willingness of Americans to save for the future has
fallen below that of all other people in the Western
world.
“As you know, there is a growing disrespect for
government and for churches and for schools, the news
media, and other institutions. This is not a message of
happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is
a warning. These changes did not happen overnight.
They’ve come upon us gradually over the last generation,
years that were filled with shocks and tragedy.”
The above sounds like something President Biden could
have said yesterday or this morning, but the words above
are from President Jimmy Carter’s famous “malaise”
speech, formally known as “The Crisis of Confidence”
speech in 1979, when high gas prices and high demand led
to gas rationing, inflation was high, and American
hostages were being held in Iran. The United States was
at a crisis point. No offense to 1979, but that all
seems tame compared to where we are now.
As we roll, or tumble, into Pride Month, we’re on the
heels of mass shootings again — children in Uvalde,
Texas, and people of color in Buffalo, NY — plus a
do-nothing Congress that will do nothing about guns; a
forthcoming Supreme Court decision that will likely
overturn Roe v. Wade, with gay marriage next up in the
crosshairs; queer kids, queer parents, and queer
teachers under assault in the classroom; trans kids and
trans athletes being demonized; baby formula shortages
(kids are really getting slammed this year); monkeypox
taking aim at gay men; and high gas prices,
out-of-control inflation, and the war in Ukraine.
We will have televised hearings of the January 6
committee this month that will surely shock and anger
all Americans — some rightly infuriated and others
wrongly enraged. Oh, and another COVID-19 surge is upon
us with a new variant that will peak this month, and
likely one or more peaks to come. And travel in June and
this summer is predicted to be miserable. CNN says we
will “hate” it.
When we need to get away from all that has gone away, we
can’t even get away.
This disaster of a mess growing steady, fast, and
furious, like Billy Joel’s hyperventilating 1989 song,
“We Didn’t Start the Fire,” that included this rapid
staccato: “birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon
back again / moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock /
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline /
Ayatollahs in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan.” This
stanza from the song, at one time so serious, seems
somewhat less important now.
America doesn’t need a malaise speech as much as it
needs a discourse about high anxiety. The wheels on this
country are coming off. Now that’s not to say that
they’ll come off completely. We’ve been in dire straits
before, and America has bounced back; however, we have
never been this divided. At least in the days of Jimmy
Carter, most Americans thought he was right.
In our community, we look
forward to the annual arrival of June — at least most of
us do. It is Pride Month for us, and an opportunity for
us to exult about who we are, despite all of the arrows
being flung at us by devious politicians desperate to
reenact the homophobia of the 1980s and 1990s. These
lizard-like legislators are using our community as a
weapon, as a cultural dividing line, as an insidious
punchline to bigoted stump speeches and ruinous
legislation.
But we won’t be deterred. Or will we? To be sure, some
of the Pride events around the country, namely those in
San Francisco and New York, are just as divided as our
country, pitting police against Pride. Both sides have
their points, but it’s illustrative that even in the
LGBTQ+ community, a division exists.
Now that I’ve brought your mood down to the depths of
despair, let me try to reassure you that America and our
community need a bright, billowing, beautiful Pride
Month more than ever, with colorful rainbows on every
street corner.
There probably has never been a better time to have
cities and towns across the country adorn their doorways
and windows with Pride rainbow flags and decorations.
The eclectic mix of colors brightens the cloudiness that
hovers over June 2022 in America.
And the parades, marches, events (whatever you want to
call them) are a chance for one part of the population in
this country to dance, sing, rejoice and celebrate. Most
of the rest of the country doesn't get this opportunity,
but everyone is certainly more than welcome to join our
party. It might be good to have a little bit of fun with
gay men, lesbians, trans folk, drag queens, and leather
daddies.
Some Americans still look
askance at our revelry, and that’s too bad, particularly
this year, when they should be lapping it up — somewhat
of a pun intended. Our citizens are being beaten and
punched and kicked and scolded — some more than others.
If you’re out there and you're hurting and you're
worrying and you’re afraid, don’t be afraid of us. Join
us to let off some steam.
Some people might say, “Oh, I don’t want a bunch of
straight people at Pride,” but I beg to differ. We need
them as much as they need us. We’re going to need as
much help as we can get when all of the midterm fires
start trying to burn our community down. We need
straight people, like Michigan state Sen. Mallory
McMorrow, to support us. I’m not afraid to admit we need
all the help we can get.
And America needs us. It needs our community to be bold,
to be proud, and most importantly to be fun this month,
and there’s no doubt we won’t let anyone down. As a
matter of fact, we’ll pick you up if you are down.
May the pageantry of Pride perk up a pensive and
problematic nation in the dismal month of June 2022.
[Source: John Casey, Advocate Magazine, June 2022]
Will Pride Pageantry
Perk Up a Pensive Nation?
Info: Celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month
School Shooting Debate: Pete Buttigieg vs
Ted Cruz
Eric Swalwell: Addressing Republican Arguments Against
Gun Control
Pete Buttigieg Responds to Buffalo NY
Supermarket Mass Shooting
Through Line of Critical Race, Don’t Say
Gay, and Great Replacement
Beto O'Rourke Praises Parents of Trans
Kids in Late Night Appearance
Amanda Gorman: Reasons to Stand Up for Roe v Wade
LGBTQ Adult Population in United States Reaches 20
Million
Gallup Poll: Twice as Many Americans Now Identify as
LGBTQ
School Shooting in Uvalde,
Texas
“We have a horrific scourge of gun violence in this
country. The idea that us being the only developed
country where this happens routinely – especially in
terms of the mass shootings – is somehow a result of the
design of the doorways on our school buildings is the
definition of insanity, if not the definition of
denial."
-Pete Buttigieg, US
Transportation Secretary
19 young children and
2 teachers were shot dead in their classroom at Robb
Elementary School in Texas. This is the 27th school
shooting this year in the United States. We have seen
212 total mass shootings so far this year. Every day 106
people die from gun violence. Every year, 7,957 children
and teens are shot. We have not even finished up with
the funerals of the 10 black adults who were killed in
Buffalo, NY. And now 19 children and two adults have
been murdered within just days of that event.
In
addition to "thoughts and prayers," Republican
politicians have been quick to offer explanations and
assign blame for the massacre. We have heard about the
mental health problem, violent video games, poor
parenting, police issues. And doors. Yes, doors.
Out Secretary of
Transportation Pete Buttigieg called out Sen. Ted Cruz
(R-TX) for his focus on doors as a way to prevent mass
shootings like the one that happened in Uvalde, Texas
and left 19 kids and two adults dead.
Shortly after the massacre in late May, Sen. Cruz said
that the problem at Robb Elementary School was that it
had too many doors, and that schools should have fewer
doors so that shooters can only enter in one place
(although it would also make it much harder to evacuate
a school in the case of a fire). Cruz made the
argument repeatedly in the wake of the shooting to have
something to point to that isn’t gun regulation.
Buttigieg responded: “We have a horrific scourge of gun
violence in this country,” Buttigieg said when asked by
host George Stephanopoulos what he would have done when
he was mayor of South Bend, Indiana if a shooting like
this happened there. “As mayor – as every mayor is doing
around the country – you take the steps that you can to
reduce community violence.”
“But you’re also looking at Washington to say, ‘Will
anything be different this time? Will we actually
acknowledge the reasons why we are the only country –
the only developed country – where this happens on a
routine basis?'”
“The idea that us being the only developed country where
this happens routinely – especially in terms of the mass
shootings – is somehow a result of the design of the
doorways on our school buildings is the definition of
insanity, if not the definition of denial,” Buttigieg
said.
School Shooting Debate: Pete Buttigieg vs
Ted Cruz
Blaming Doorways: Definition of Insanity
and Denial
Eric Swalwell: Addressing Republican Arguments Against
Gun Control
Pete Buttigieg Responds to Buffalo NY
Supermarket Mass Shooting
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