The House and Senate are currently fighting over some very big issues, including an infrastructure bill and reforming the filibuster. However, Arizonan Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema seems to be siding with Republicans on both measures, hurting protections for LGBTQ people. Infrastructure Bill Sinema is avidly opposed to supporting Democrat’s 3.5 trillion spending bill, claiming that she can’t justify anything so expensive. However, the bill would greatly benefit the lives of all Americans. According to CNN, the bill includes tons of much-needed measures for the country, including funds for America to become more sustainable, universal pre-K, and support for America’s…
Author: Keith Langston
The Sin City Classic, the world’s largest annual LGBTQ sporting event, will return to Las Vegas on January 16th and will run through the MLK holiday weekend until the 19th. This year, there will be 24 sporting competitions with an estimated 8,000 competitors heading into Las Vegas. The sporting events are varied, including everything from basketball, dodgeball, and hockey, to e-sports, bridge, and billiards. Each of the events will take place in different venues and arenas around town. Aside from sports competitions, there will be nightly social events and parties, including a welcome party and closing celebration at the Brooklyn…
The Privy Court in London, which serves as the highest appeals court for many of the UK’s island territories, refused to challenge the courts in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, effectively saying the islands can interpret their constitutions how they see fit. There were ongoing legal battles in both countries to allow same-sex marriage, which ultimately made their way to the UK court. The decision came as a blow to many on the islands who are fighting for LGBTQ rights and were hoping the UK would help enforce same-sex marriage since the UK itself allows it. According to NBC News,…
Starbucks is in a bit of a predicament at the moment. The company just released an ad in the UK that depicts Starbucks as being welcoming and accepting of everyone. The main character in the commercial is a young trans man who feels safe using his name at a Starbucks store. Soon after the ad was released, the trans community raised their issues with the recent allegations that the company is transphobic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSP1r9eCWw The company has a history of high-profile instances of discrimination, while also having a history of high-profile efforts for inclusion. Their most recent brush with controversy has…
President Joe Biden announced his nominee for the assistant secretary of defense of readiness, a key role as the pentagon embarks on new strategies concerning China, Russia, and Afghanistan. Biden’s nominee, Shawn Skelly, is a highly respected former naval officer and national security expert. Not only has she served in the armed forces, but she also worked in Obama’s administration and was part of Biden’s transition team. She has decades of experience within the US military and defense departments. In Biden’s official message announcing his nominees, he listed off Skelly’s long tenure in the armed forces, stating, “Shawn Skelly served over…
Last year, the Los Angeles LGBT Center (often referred to as simply “The Center”) raised $1.3 million for queer charities thanks to their Love in Action telethon. To ensure that grassroots nonprofits are able to continue enacting change, the center is putting on another telethon this summer. On Saturday, August 14th from 7-9 pm PT, the Love in Action telethon returns. The center is partnering with the TV station KTLA 5 to broadcast the event, and KTLA 5 news anchor, Cher Calvin, will be joining actress Jane Lynch as host for the evening. The event will have a star-studded ensemble…
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and Jagermeister are sponsoring a contest to create a LGBTQ ‘Safe Space logo. The contest is to create a logo that public establishments can hang in their doorways or windows to show the LGBTQ+ community that they’re a safe space. According to the official release, “Through a 10-step process, entertainment venues, food and beverage locations, stores, businesses and other public venues, can become certified as a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ members of the community.” Stacy Lentz, CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative said, “Safe Spaces uplift LGBTQ+ people by providing a…
A same-sex couple in Maryland has filed a lawsuit against the US State Department with the help of LAMBDA Legal, Immigration Equality, and a pro bono counsel. The State Department is claiming that the couple’s child is not a US citizen. Both fathers, Roee and Adiel Kiviti, are US Citizens. According to a press release sent out earlier today by LAMBDA and Immigration Equality, Because only Adiel has a biological connection to Kessem, the State Department is disregarding Roee and Adiel’s marriage and treating Kessem as “born out of wedlock,” meaning she must have a biological relationship to a U.S.…
According to the US Mint, the American Women Quarters Program is, “a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women to the development and history of our country.” It will run for four years, celebrating a new group of women each year. 2022 will be the inaugural launch of the campaign, and the original lineup of women selected to be honored are: Maya Angelou – celebrated writer, performer, and social activist Dr. Sally Ride – physicist, astronaut, educator, and the first American woman in space Wilma Mankiller – first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation Nina…
Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, had her senate confirmation hearing today to be ushered in as America’s newest assistant secretary of health when she was berated with uneducated, false, anti-trans comments by Rand Paul. According to the Daily Beast, Paul asked Levine, “American culture is normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones. Dr. Levine, you have supported both allowing minors to be given hormone blockers to prevent them from going through puberty as well as surgical destruction of a minor’s genitalia…Do you believe minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one’s sex?”…
Richard Branson has gone from the air to the sea with his new venture, Virgin Voyages. Virgin’s maiden ship The Scarlet Lady will set sail from Miami to the Caribbean starting in the spring of 2020. The ship, which is an astonishing 17 stories tall, will include an outdoor yoga studio, fitness bootcamp, VIP sundeck, spa, nightclub, karaoke bar, theater, and much much more. One thing that the Scarlet Lady will have that no other cruise ship does is her very own craft beer. The still unnamed beer will be an Extra Pale Ale that mixes American and English brewing…
The current season of Jeopardy! has become known as the season of “Super Champions” since four contestants have already gone on to have impressive winning streaks. But it’s also become the season of LGBTQ Jeopardy! champions. First off was Amy Schnieder, who became the highest-earning female contestant in Jeopardy! history. Now, a new champion has entered the race to potentially become the top winner this season: a 23-year-old from Canada named Mattea Roach. Mattea is openly a lesbian and even says so on her Twitter profile. So far she’s won 14 games and has amassed $320,081 in winnings. Jeopardy! contestant…
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were two of the world’s first leading LGBTQ pioneers. The two women founded the first lesbian rights group, The Daughters of Bilitis, back in the 50s, and went on to run the lesbian newsletter The Ladder. After Phyllis Lyon’s death earlier this year, their historic San Fransisco home went up for sale. It was then that District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced a resolution to designate the former home a local historic landmark. LGBTQ activists from the country have stood up and demanded that their home be preserved (it sits on a very prime plot…
Drag legend and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars, Alaska Thunderf**k, is about to launch her very own comedy special. Titled The Alaska Thunderf**k Extra Special Comedy Special, the hilarious premiere is set to include some of Alaska’s famous hit songs, special guests, and lots of comedy. The event will be airing on the queer-centric channel, OUTtv in both the US and Canada. In the US, the channel can be found on Apple TV, and in Canada the special will stream on the broadcast channel, as well as OUTtv’s app. The show will also be premiering in the UK and…
Earlier this summer President Biden announced that he’d be appointing a Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons. And while the title may be long, the role is actually quite straightforward and incredibly important in today’s world. According to the White House, the role is “critical to ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world.” The Special Envoy will be a member of the Department of State. In the formal declaration, it was revealed that Biden had chosen Jessica Stern to fill the role. Stern has long been…
In a new lawsuit, Jamii Erway describes the horrific situation she faced at the Raleigh Durham airport back in 2019 when she was the victim of a ‘false positive’ result at the TSA security checkpoint. At the time, Erway, who is transgender, was just 15 years old. Due to the flagging, TSA told her that in order to enter the terminal, she’d have to undergo a strip search and genital search. According to The News and Observer, “A 2019 ProPublica report examined the TSA’s civil rights complaints over a three-year period and found that 5%, or 298 complaints, involved transgender…
On Monday, July 22, gay rights activist and politician, Taiga Ishikawa, was elected to Japan’s National Parliament. Ishikawa won a seat for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. The current ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is avidly anti-LGBTQ+, and Ishikawa is determined to challenge them with his new position. His party is trying to introduce a bill for protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, as well as a marriage equality bill. According to Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun, after his victory, Ishikawa stated, “I would like to do my best to enact both pieces of legislation…I want…
Netflix recently released the Dave Chappelle stand-up special, The Closer, in which the comedian mocked trans women and the LGBTQ community as a whole (a topic he’s brought up in numerous specials now). Netflix has stood by the comedian and says they support his right to free speech and won’t take action. For many Netflix employees, this was the final straw. Now, employees will stage a walkout on Tuesday, October 20th to show Netflix how serious they are about their concerns for Chappelle’s stand-up film. Now, Bloomberg has revealed that employees had actually made internal concerns about The Closer before…