With the arrival of a new year also came the commencement of a new session of Congress, this one with a Republican majority. So what will the next two years entail for trans people while conservatives are in charge? In recent years, a slough of anti-trans legislation has been introduced at a federal level and across the nation in conservative states. Though some state level bills have been passed, federal bills have run into more trouble getting passed during the Biden-Harris Administration. But now, the usual roadblocks are limited and at the center of the conservative agendas are trans rights.…
Author: Lauren Mulvey
The House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies recently approved a spending bill that would cut around $419 million from federal AIDS programs. GOP house members have been attempting to curtail AIDS program funding in recent years, but have been rejected in their efforts, according to LGBTQ Nation, If they are approved the cuts would slash $214 million off the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV prevention programs, around $190 million off the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and $15 million off the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Minority HIV/AIDS Program. In addition to…
Kenya’s largest LGBTQ+ organization GALCK+ is partnering with dating app Grindr to provide users with important information about their rights. GALCK+ is Kenya’s coalition of 16 LGBTQ rights groups “built on acceptance, inclusion and empowerment,” according to their website. The team announced their partnership in early August as a part of the Grindr for Equality initiative. Grindr for Equality includes wide-ranging initiatives that impact communities large and small on issues that matter to them the most: safety, sexual health, advocacy, and more. Grindr believes right now is the time to mobilize, inform, and empower queer communities around the world. In July, Grindr…
Liechtenstein’s new law legalizing same-sex marriage allows LGBTQ couples across the small nation to finally tie the knot. The European nation’s lawmakers approved the bill in May of last year, after years of lagging behind its neighboring EU member states, Switzerland and Austria, where same-sex unions have been legal for years. The new law went into effect on January 1, 2025. One of the smallest nations in Europe, Liechtenstein is home to just around 40,000 people and offered its same-sex citizens registered partnerships starting in 2011. With the new law, couples who registered their partnerships under the prior designation can…
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has fired Black queer comedian Amber Ruffin, who was slated to deliver an address at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner this month. Ruffin was removed after the WHCA’s nine-member executive board voted unanimously to do so last week after announcing her as the dinner’s host in February. According to LGBTQ+ Nation, Ruffin said she had refused to follow the WHCA’s instructions in mocking both Republicans and Democrats in her address. Ruffin called the Republican administration “kind of a bunch of murderers” and claimed that criticizing their Democratic opponents “makes [the administration] feel like…
The Vatican is organizing an inaugural pilgrimage for LGBTQ+ Chrisitians along with their relatives and allies. The pilgrimage will occur during the Vatican’s 2025 celebration of Jubilee, a Holy Year that only occurs every 25 years, according to LGBTQ+ Nation. The pilgrimage, which is being referred to as “Church: Home for All, LGBT+ Christians and Other Existential Frontiers,” will take place on Sept. 6 of 2025. The journey will include a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, a prayer vigil for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families held in the city’s Il Gesù church, and a…
It’s two steps backward and one step forward for Japan’s LGBTQ+ community as a court in Tokyo ruled last week to uphold its ban on same-sex marriage. However, the court also said lack of legal protection for same-sex couples and families is a human rights concern. Japan is the only G7 nation that does not allow same-sex marriage. There has been a tug of war in Japan’s major cities on whether bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional or not. Back in 2021, a court in the city of Sapporo ruled that it was unconstitutional, and earlier this year Osaka ruled…
India’s famous Festival of Letters recently featured LGBTQ+ poets, making history for the country’s queer population. The festival took place between March 7 -12 and showcased a range of voices including writers young and old, women, Dalit authors, those from marginalized castes, Northeast Indian scribes, tribal poets, and of course, queer writers. The Sahitya Akademi, often seen as a mirror of the government’s cultural agenda, for the first time allowed these poets into a high-profile poetry reading. Around 700 writers spanning 50 languages showcased their work for the first time at the Rabindra Bhavan in New Delhi. This year’s theme: Indian…
As states across the U.S. continue to pass and propose transphobic legislation, on the other side of the world in Sydney, Australia the first ever affordable housing for trans women is being planned. The housing mission is a partnership between transfeminine All Nations housing co-operative and the Sydney city council. Common Equity New South Wales will purchase seven properties and outfit them for women who are considered “highly at risk.” Housing will be specifically used for women whose income ranges from very low to moderate. In an exclusive with Pink News, Common Equity NSW chief executive Nick Sabel said the…
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,…
As the newest season of the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton” hits screens across the country, heartthrob of last season, Jonathan Bailey, raised over £30,000 after running the Hackney Half Marathon. According to Pink News, over 20,000 runners participated in the half marathon which stepped off from the Hackney Marshes and passed through the Regent’s Canal and London Fields. Bailey ran hoping to raise 25,000 for charity Just Like Us, which provides queer youth the tools to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ issues in schools, and helps prevent bullying through an ambassador program. A day before the race Jonathan posted to his…
Actress and long-time LGBTQ advocate, Jamie Lee Curtis, recently spoke out about the anxieties and danger many people who are trans face in daily life, reflecting upon her own fear for her trans daughter, Ruby, who came out in 2020. In an interview with the Spanish pubication Cadena SER, she said of her daughter, “there are threats against her life, just for existing as a human being. There are people who want to annihilate her.” She continued to explain that she is seeking to use her voice and platform to speak out against transphobia, facism and ignorance. Ruby was married…
Poland has a new museum dedicated to the history of the country’s LGBTQ+ community. QueerMuzeum will be operated by Lambda Warsaw Association, Poland’s oldest operating LGBTQ+ organization, according to the Washington Blade. The museum hosts many important artifacts, some of which date back as far as the 16th century. QueerMuzeum challenges Poland’s post-communist conservatism, which has seen extremist anti-LGBTQ activity such as LGBTQ free zones in sections of Poland where older populations have opted to completely eliminate queer culture from their towns and communities. Lambda president, Milosz Przepiórkowski said of the launch “This sends a message to politicians: ‘Look we are…
A new government funding package signed on Saturday by President Biden includes a provision banning the flying of LGBTQ+ Pride flags over U.S. embassies. The $1.2 trillion package was signed on the same day the White House vowed to work toward repealing the provision, according to CBS News. Though the bill does not explicitly cite Pride flags in its ban, it declares that any flag other than the U.S. flag and other government related flags cannot be flown at any U.S. Department facility. This reverses a 2021 State Department authorization that allowed LGBTQ+ flags at these locations, according to Forbes.…
The Senate advanced legislation this week that will install federal protections for same-sex marriage and overturn discriminatory laws. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the bill, which is expected to be passed in the Senate in the coming days will “codify federal marriage equality by guaranteeing the federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code.” The act will also repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage and prevented same-sex couple whose unions were recognized in their own states from receiving benefits available to other married couples. …
Conservative Texas just elected its first LGBTQ+ person, Molly Cook, to the state Senate. Cook will take the place of Democrat John Whitmire who was just sworn in as the mayor of Houston in January. She will finish his term until January, and is also running for the next full term in a Democratic primary runoff on May 28. Prior to running for office, Cook served as an emergency room nurse and community organizer. Cook identifies as bisexual and has openly supported gun control and reproductive rights throughout her campaign. According to LGBTQ Nation, in the special election for the…
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…
After receiving backlash for his historical decision to let the Catholic church bless same-sex marriages, Pope Francis is denouncing the “hypocrisy” of his critics. Throughout the final months of 2023, the church was taking small strides to becoming more inclusive, and in December. Pope Francis officially approved the informal blessings of same-sex marriages within the church. A rush of backlash from conservative parishes around the world followed the decision. Despite this, Pope Francis maintains that he made the right choice, and “warned those who disagree with it that their ‘hypocrisy’ is showing,” according to Pink News. In an interview with Italian…
San Francisco has crowned its first drag laureate D’Arcy Drollinger, the owner of one of the city’s most popular LGBTQ+ nightclub, Oasis. According to CBS News, “the position of drag laureate, established for a duration of two years with a $55,000 stipend, emerged from the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Task Force’s comprehensive 2020 report.” When the pandemic hit, Drollinger started Oasis Art, a nonprofit that sought to support queer artists in the Bay Area. The organization piloted ‘Meals on Heels,’ which provided San Francisco residents with a hot meal and cocktails and a socially-distant drag show, all delivered by local drag…
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…
A record number of LGBTQ athletes are competing in the current summer Olympics in Paris, however, one boxer from Algeria is being hated for being trans…but she’s not even trans. Yes, it’s another ridiculous ploy by conservatives to troll the LGBTQ+ community gone wrong, because pro-boxer Imane Khelif has been in a swath of media controversy over her gender eligibility criteria ahead of the games. Talk about Khelif’s gender identity has been swirling in a constant spur of hate on social media, an issue which has also affected Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, according to USA Today. Debate over whether or not…
The newest Miss USA was crowned this past weekend, and though a trans woman competed for the title and didn’t win, her participation in the contest marks a huge win for trans representation. Winning the competition was Alma Cooper, who competed under her former title of Miss Michigan USA. She will now move on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. Cooper is a 22-year-old U.S. Army officer https://youtu.be/j_VdMOElFXk?feature=shared Though she didn’t win the Miss USA contest, the trans contestant Bailey Anne Kennedy made history with her Miss Maryland USA win in June. Not only was she one of the first…
A mission to create the first LGBTQ+ museum in Massachusetts has begun after art curator, Jean Dolin, founded the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum of Art, History and Culture, a nonprofit organization which awaits funding to bring this vision to life. Dolin moved to Boston from Haiti 11 years ago and noticed a lack of LGBTQ+ representation in the Boston art world that motivated him to act. He curated an LGBTQ+ exhibition in Boston that received international attention for LGBTQ+ History month in October of 2022. The exhibition entitled “Portraits of Pride,” displayed in Boston Common, featured 8-foot portraits of local LGBTQ+ leaders.…
Following Trump’s executive order to ban transgender people from the military, the Pentagon is now saying that it will draft and submit a procedure to identify trans service members and begin discharging them. Trump introduced a similar policy in 2017 during his first presidential term, which banned the military from accepting trans enlistees, according to The Washington Blade. But the current directive takes his previous actions a step further, removing personnel unless they are granted a special waiver. When issuing his initial ban, Trump said being trans fundamentally “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle,…
Recent news from the Vatican indicates that transgender people can now be baptized and become official godparents. According to the NYT, Pope Francis, who has advocated for LGBTQ+ tolerance throughout his papacy, has officially announced the practice of baptizing transgender people, a move which will likely anger conservative Catholics internationally. Not only can transgender people be baptized, but they can also serve as official godparents and be witnesses at church weddings. However, the Vatican stated transgender people can be baptized within the church so long as it doesn’t create “public scandal or confusion among the faithful.” This decision was revealed in…
Though there are some independent and big screen films that depict LGBTQ+ relationships and identities, or explore feminist ideas, we’ve narrowed down our favorites to a list of must-sees exploring the intersectionality of sexual, gender, and racial identities that depict authentic queer desire through beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking narratives. Featured Photo: Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the Oscars in 2017. (Photo: David Bornfriend) Women Talking (2022) tw: trigger warning One of the most moving contemporary commentaries on the female experience, Women Talking, explores the conversations between a group of Mennonite women as they decide…
Artists competing in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest will only be allowed to display flags from the country they are representing while performing. This year, participants who also identify as LGBTQ+ will be barred from supporting the community during their performance, and will only be able to bring flags provided by Swiss television station SRG SSR. Participants are also barred from holding flags to express solidarity with other countries such as Ukraine, Palestine, or Israel. Eurovision is an original song competition in which each member of the European Union sends an artist to represent their country with a new song…
As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues his censorship rampage in schools, public libraries and elsewhere, best-selling author John Green and major publishing houses have filed a lawsuit in return. In August, several authors and publishing houses filed a federal complaint against law HB 1069 that simplifies the process of banning books that contain “sexual conduct” or “pornographic” content. Big five publishers Harper Collins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Hachette, along with SourceBooks, John Green, and author Julia Alvarez all complained that the bill violates their First Amendment rights. The Florida Department of Education told reporters the lawsuit was…
The Gay Games XI are slated to take place this year in Hong Kong and Guadalajara, but after backlash from LGBTQ+ activists there is growing concern about Hong Kong’s safety for LGBTQ people. Five human rights activists who formerly lived in Hong Kong voiced their concern through an opinion piece published with OutSports, calling on organizers to cancel the games. Their statement reads “We believe that the GGHK leadership team has betrayed the values and principles of the Gay Games, which purport to celebrate inclusion and promote human rights. Instead, they have aligned themselves with pro-authoritarian figures responsible for widespread persecution…
Recently, a class action lawsuit in Tucson was certified by a federal court after several claims were made against a law that requires a “sex change operation” in order to change a person’s gender on their birth certificate. The lawsuit affects all transgender people in Arizona and was first filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) on behalf of three families with transgender children three years ago. The plaintiffs who filed the claim, argued that the inability to change their official gender on their birth certificate was harmful and delegitimized their identities. The NCLR said “Any time they…