Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed several nasty anti-LGBTQ+ bills and the reason why is surprisingly refreshing. Beshear, a member of the Democratic party has historically had more progressive stances despite Kentucky’s status as a primarily red state. When it comes to topline issues for voters, Beshear has consistently leaned left, supporting abortion access, educators and other public-facing professions, equal pay, safe gun laws and more. Beshear also signaled his support for the LGBTQ+ community after vetoing some harsh legislation. In September he banned the use of conversion therapy statewide saying “Let’s be clear: conversion therapy has no basis in medicine or…
Author: Lauren Mulvey
As the nation’s LGBTQ+ community brace for yet another Trump term, good news hails from Hawaii as the island state passes a pro same-sex marriage amendment to their constitution. Though Donald Trump won the presidential election, various states included back-of-ballot referendums to pass protections for their residents. In Hawaii, a ballot initiative to protect marriage equality passed with approximately 52% of voters in favor and 40% opposed. The referendum officially asked residents to repeal a state constitution amendment passed in 1998 which allowed state legislature to ban same-sex marriage. The 1998 decision followed a challenge to the state by same-sex…
Following Trump’s win, various organizations have put out messages of hope and plans for moving forward to help guide LGBTQ+ Americans into the next presidential term. According to the Washington Blade, executive director Erin Whelan of SMYAL, a nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ youth in D.C. said in a message “Remember this: No decision, no law, no societal judgment can change who you are or the incredible strength you carry within you.” She expressed anger and sadness at the country’s decision to re-elect a convicted felon. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) also answered the call. President Kelley Robinson released a statement on…
LGBTQ+ crisis hotlines have seen a significant increase in calls following Trump’s win in the presidential election. As the country prepares for four years with Donald Trump pushing the racist, transphobic, and misogynistic Project 2025 agenda, many LGBTQ+ youth are scared for what the future holds. The LGBTQ+ community is undoubtedly fearful, The Trevor Project, a youth LGBTQ+ suicide prevention intervention organization, reported a 125% increase in calls and messages on election day and the day following. According to Pink News, Rainbow Youth Project’s executive director Lance Preston said calls received to their organization were based in the “Fear that…
A new report from various state universities around the country has estimated that U.S. public schools have been forced to spend upwards of $3.2 billion on security, public relations, and legal assistance in fighting legal attacks from conservatives. During the 2023-2024 school year, conservatives targeted schools relentlessly for “supposedly teaching about race and LGBTQ+ identities” according to reports from The Advocate. The report was supported by the University of California, Riverside and L.A., University of Texas at Austin, and American University. Researchers surveyed nearly 500 public school superintendents across 46 states to find that many schools, even those with low conflict,…
Ireland’s national parliament has taken action against a recent increase in hate crimes by passing The Criminal Justice (Hate Offenses) Act. The newest legislation combating hate crimes was passed in 78-52 vote in late October. Once enforced it will add stricter penalties for crimes motivated by hatred based on race, color, nationality, religion, national or ethnic origin, descent, disability, gender, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation, according to The Washington Blade. Up until passing the act, Ireland remained an outlier across the globe in lacking hate crime legislation. However, the law faced difficulty in passing through Ireland’s government, facing backlash in…
Trans citizens in the U.K. have been turned away when seeking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) over the past year, according to reports from Trans Actual. Around 215 individuals have been refused these gender affirming treatments, and around 26% of those cases had recommendations from National Health Service (NHS) gender clinics. Individuals facing this issue were seen across the U.K.’s territories including Scotland and Wales. According to Pink News, 27% of those seeking medication were using a new prescription, 73% had previously been treated with HRT, and 38% had been discharged by a NHS gender clinic. Almost half of those reporting difficulties…
Across the nation, many U.S. voters are mourning the arrival of yet another Trump presidency, this one laden with the misogynist, transphobic, and homophobic agenda of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. However, this week’s election still brought victories for the LGBTQ+ community, as some winning candidates make history. Big wins across the country include Keturah Herron who was elected to the Kentucky State Senate. Herron will become the first out LGBTQ+ person of color in a seat of this kind. Over in Georgia’s State legislature, Rashaun Kemp becomes the first gay black man elected. We also saw Gabby Salinas become…
In a historic step forward for the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, new legislation has been introduced to support the legal recognition of partnerships between same-sex couples. Presently, only five countries in the EU (Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia) do not offer legal recognition for same-sex couples despite a recent ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in 2023 that these countries are violating civil rights. Though the majority of Poland’s ruling coalition support the bill, it is also suspected that conservative groups will reject it. What’s more, the bill could be approved in parliament but may still be…
The tried and true LGBTQ-friendly destinations around the world are undoubtedly beautiful and rich in culture and experiences, but once in a while, a new queer-friendly gem surfaces amongst the world’s many tempting cities. This year, travel publication Lonely Planet has named Toulouse, France as the winner for city travel worldwide in 2025. Each year Lonely Planet drops a “Best in Travel” hotlist featuring 30 trending destinations to consider for new year travel. Now in its fifteenth year, the hotlist commonly features lesser known locations that can still offer a hearty slice of travel deliciousness. France is the number one…
The most progressive country in Asia for LGBTQ+ rights takes another stride toward equality by officially recognizing same-sex marriages between Taiwanese and Chinese nationals. The move will allow these couples’ unions to be registered under the same regulations as opposite-sex couples. Hundreds of couples living in Taiwan will be affected by this news. Couples will, however, only be able to register their marriages in Taiwan after getting married outside of the country’s borders and outside of China, according to a press release from the Ministry of the Interior. Taiwanese LGBTQ+ groups have celebrated the win calling the change “a long-awaited,…
A recent report has found that Uganda’s draconian anti-homosexuality bill has cost the country $1.6 billion to uphold so far. According to the Washington Blade, some Ugandan queer rights organizations have asked the government to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) since it was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May of last year. The act is under appeal with the country’s Supreme Court, mostly to save the country from continued economic losses. Why is the bill costing Uganda so much money? Well some of the country’s strongest economic allies have invoked consequences on the country for their harsh bills,…
Around the world LGBTQ+ ‘gayborhoods’ have popped up in many major cities, where LGBTQ+ people and their friends and families can feel free to socialize, drink, eat, and hang out at LGBTQ+-owned businesses. These neighborhoods are most often created by individuals to accommodate the needs of their community. In Detroit, however, The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce is planning a LGBTQ+ business district, according to LGBTQ Nation. Detroit was home to dozens of LGBTQ+ bars in the 1970s, a number that diminished by the ‘80s. Today, there are just under ten queer spaces in the city at large. Detroit’s Regional…
Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has reaffirmed his stance on LGBTQ rights during a recent guest appearance on the podcast We Can Do Hard Things. Minnesota Gov. and now Democratic running mate to Kamala Harris, Walz has been revered for his support for the LGBTQ+ community not just in his political career, but also in his profession as a teacher. Former students of Walz remember him as kind and accepting and recalled that he even helped form his school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) in the 90s. During his guest appearance on the podcast with co-hosts Abby Wambach, Glennon Doyle, and Amanda…
Though religious institutions are often flanked by anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, one transgender pastor in California is creating a more accepting and nurturing place of worship. Pastor Drew Stever preaches at the Hope Lutheran Church, a branch of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which ordained the first ever transgender priest nearly a decade ago. His journey to his current life, living with his partner Hazel and their three kids, was documented on CBS Mornings series “The State of Spirituality with Lisa Ling.” Currently, Stever uses his position in the church to champion inclusivity. One of his congregants, Emma Halbert, told CBS…
A new iteration of Marvel’s famous Hawkeye character appears in the franchise’s latest volume of “The Ultimates” set in Earth-6160. “The Ultimates” presents an alternate version of the Avengers. A character called Iron Lad, “creates ready-to-go superpowers in a portable form called ‘origin boxes’ and sends them into the past,” according to Inverse. However, a box meant for the original Hawkeye, Clint Barton, reaches him and is thrown in the trash instead, in a rejection of the task. Instead, a stranger named Charli Ramsey takes the gear and begins using the superpowers. After some investigation by other lead heroes Captain…
A recent ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) found that all EU member states must officially recognize gender and first name changes obtained within its jurisdiction. The court sided with Romanian citizen Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi after he obtained legal recognition of his male gender identity in 2020 in the U.K. where he is also a dual citizen. Mirzarafie-Ahi challenged a decision by Romanian authorities when they refused to issue him a new birth certificate after his gender and first name change, according to Le Monde. A Bucharest court in Romania asked the EU court for guidance on the decision. The upper…
After Georgia’s president Salome Zourabichvili refused to sign anti-LGBTQ+ legislation recently the parliament signed it into law anyway. According to LGBTQ Nation, Georgia’s Georgian Dream party modeled the legislation after Russia’s recent vehemently hateful anti-LGBTQ+ laws. The new laws imposes “draconian curbs on LGBTQ+ rights and provides a legal basis for Georgian authorities to outlaw Pride events, the rainbow flag, and public displays of affection, and also to impose censorship of film and books.” Furthermore, the law also re-certifies the existing ban on same-sex marriage attained abroad and gender-affirming surgeries, bans LGBTQ+ people from adopting or changing their gender on…
The Supreme Court is gearing up to hear a landmark case on transgender healthcare, an issue that has swept the nation, threatening the well-being of the trans community at large. The case, U.S. v Skrmetti, will follow up on a legal challenge to ban gender-affirming care in Tennessee. Tennessee lawmakers approved the care ban last year. The ban threatens civil penalties for any adult who aids a minor in receiving out-of-state gender-affirming care without parental consent. Similar laws or policies are in effect in 26 states throughout the country, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Pink New reports that the…
In a recent anti-trans ad blitz, Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have invested more than $65 million in anti-trans television ads airing in swing states. Additionally, In just the past three weeks Trump’s campaign kicked more than $15 million into anti-trans ads specifically targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and her support for gender-affirming care. https://youtu.be/lhnHt1NB0M0?feature=shared According to NBC News, the ads are running during breaks from college and professional football games as well as baseball playoffs games, and are often punctuated by the tag line “Kamala is for they/them; President Trump is for you.” During his presidential debate with…
A new study from Stonewall has found that more than half of LGBTQ+ couples in the UK are afraid to hold hands in public, among other public displays of affections. Findings from the study show that 56% of queer couples shy away from holding hands in public for fear of discriminatory actions from others in public spaces. Stonewall’s data also found that more than half of reported hate crimes were public order offenses and a corresponding 41% involved violence, with 5% recorded as criminal damage. The research has been released in association with Stonewall’s “Hold My Hand” campaign, which urges the U.K.…
Seychelles took strides forward recently after lawmakers approved a bill that will add protections against hate crimes for LBGTQ+ people. Seychelles’ National Assembly made the provision to the national penal code in an 18-8 vote margin. According to The Washington Blade, the provisions include protections for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV/AIDS status and other factors. Under the bill, those convicted of hate crimes based on any of these factors could be fined or face up to two years in prison. Though it is a small island off the coast of the African continent, Seychelles is…
Around the country new LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations are popping up and fueling communities. Whether it’s a new restaurant with an amazing menu, a cocktail bar with new twists on the classics, or community spaces where all are welcome, we’re glad to see the LGBTQ+ community thriving. But there’s still something to be said for the mainstays of LGBTQ+ culture in the U.S.’s cities. Queer bar and nightclub spaces have come and gone in a near constant rotation since the mid-20th century, but a few strong pillars remain. Here’s our some highlights. The Stonewall Inn – Greenwich Village, New York …
A team of barbers and stylists in Louisville, Kentucky teamed up last week to give gender-affirming haircuts to local LGBTQ+ youth free of cost. Hairdressers and barbers from the city gathered at Wekhaus Barbers for the event hoping to promote accessible “bodily autonomy” for clients, according to LGBTQ Nation. The collective promoted the event through social media posting to Instagram “No Appointment Necessary, just walk-in! Priority will be given to LGBTQIA+ Youth and Young Adults (ages 5-24). All hair textures are welcome.” Services offered include personal haircuts and styling along with wig cutting and styling. “Part of the reason why we…
The Biden-Harris Administration set a record for the number of LGBTQ+ federal judicial appointments last week after Mary Kay Costello was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The number of appointed judges now sits at 12, breaking the former record (11) set by the Obama-Biden administration. Costello, a military vet, served as assistant U.S. attorney in Philadelphia since 2008. Costello served in the U.S. Air Force between 1986 and 1994 before she earned her law degree from Temple University. She was sworn in last month as a federal magistrate judge, NBC reports. According to The…
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has announced that a record 1,400 hundred companies are participating in this year’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI). That represents more than 21 million employees across the U.S. according to HRC president Kelley Robinson. The Human Rights Campaign is an organization that has been working for 40 years to support marginalized Americans who suffer from violence, discrimination and fear based target hate, legislation and bigotry. The HRC launched the CEI in 2002, and since then they have been cultivating the index to survey whether or not U.S. corporations are protecting their employees by evaluating company policies,…
An LGBTQ rights organization in Kenya has revealed a new virtual legal aid platform that allows queer people free access to help from professional lawyers. According to the Washington Blade, The Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation (CMRSL) launched the program after seeing a need for it in their community. “The LGBTQ+ Online Legal Aid Clinic is, we believe, the first of its kind in Kenya providing pro bono legal advice services directly to the LGBTQ community,” their website states. In Kenya, LGBTQ+ rights and protections are still very limited. According to Equaldex, homosexuality is still illegal and punishable…
Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage this week after receiving Royal Assent. The bill legalizing same-sex marriage was introduced and approved by Thailand’s lower house of Parliament in late March. During its final reading the bill was approved by 400 of 415 members of Thailand’s House of Representatives. After receiving approval, the bill was sent to King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Following the Royal Assent, the bill is slated to take effect in 120 days, and the first same-sex weddings are anticipated for January, according to LGBTQ Nation. Thailand is the third Asian nation to pass a marriage…
The LGBTQ+ umbrella is ever expanding to include new identities, and the broader queer lexicon can be difficult to decode if you don’t keep up with new terms. Semi-new to the queer dictionary are terms like pinkwashing, ciswashing and straightwashing, which are being used to hold the public accountable for their portrayal, or lack thereof, of queer identities. There are plenty of ways the media tries to disguise, prevent, or dilute the depiction of queer identities. And because new inclusive media on the fringes is working to bring queer identities into the fold of film, television, books and other media…
Gender-affirming care in the U.S.has come under attack from nearly every angle. Whether it’s politicians trying to ban medical practices in their states, or companies excluding it from their insurance coverage, access to medical care for trans people seems hard to come by these days. Luckily, some companies have made it a priority to include gender-affirming care in their health insurance plans. This means employees can feel supported by their company in their identity, safe at work, and better able to complete tasks and become better employees. Here are some of the companies who include gender-affirming care in their employee…