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,…
Author: Lauren Mulvey
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…
A win for trans youth in California and around the country comes after a state judge ruled that Chino Valley Unified School District must comply with the state law that protects trans youth from being forcefully outed in schools. In the court’s 50-page ruling, San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Michael Sachs determined Chino Valley’s policies were “discriminatory” based on prior case law. “The District could have adopted a policy which focused on the existing problems (bullying, mental health, psychological distress, any drastic behavior changes, etc.) instead of focusing on the protected group,” the ruling reads. According to LGBTQ Nation, earlier this…
State Senator Sarah McBride from Delaware is inching closer to becoming the first trans member of Congress after winning the primary for the only Delaware state seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. McBride won the Democratic primary by a landslide last week beating her competitors, including Earl Cooper and Elias Weir according to NBC. McBride first came onto the scene with her historic November 2020 win, when she became the first transgender state senator, beating out Republican candidate Steve Washington to represent Delaware’s 1st Senate District. This win puts McBride on track to win the general election that will replace…
Though there are many politicians, public figures, and hate groups campaigning against the existence of trans people, few have been as consistent and disappointing as author J.K. Rowling. After writing seven young adult novels called Harry Potter (you may have heard of them), and a few other books under an alias, Rowling is worth a whopping £820 million. After the books became movies throughout the earlier aughts, Rowling’s fantasy world of witchcraft and wizardry blew up, it turned into a theme park at Universal Studios in Orlando and series that children and adults would read and watch for years to…
As states continue to censor any mention of LGBTQ+ identities in educational and public spaces, a teacher who got fired for reading an LGBTQ+ book is receiving help from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and 16 states. LGBTQ Nation reported last week that two amicus briefs were filed by the DOJ and 16 different state attorneys general after a Georgia teacher was fired from her post at a public school for reading the book “My Shadow is Purple” by Scott Stuart to her class at Due West Elementary School in March of 2023. The book, which was included in the selection at…
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…
This year, thousands of people gathered in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, for the largest Pride parade the city has seen. The celebrations ensued peacefully with the protection of a heavy police presence, according to Washington Blade. In previous years, the parade had been canceled after violent anti-LGBTQ+ protestors threatened the safety of those in attendance. Those who marched urged the Serbian government to pass new laws to protect LGBTQ+ rights and to also move forward on a “long-promised” same-sex partnership law. The Pride parade journeyed past the Serbian parliament building where a rally was led by parade organizers who read their list…
LGBTQ students in New Hampshire are applauding the state’s Supreme Court ruling that upholds a Manchester School District policy on students’ pronoun preferences and respecting their privacy. The case was brought to court by an anonymous mother of a student in the Manchester School District. The plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe, brought forth the case claiming that respecting pronouns and students’ rights to privacy had “infringed on her ability to properly parent her child,” according to LGBTQ Nation. The court decided that Doe couldn’t prove that the school’s policy truly infringed upon a fundamental parenting right. The court wrote that…
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…
The weight of the upcoming presidential election seems to loom larger everyday. For many Democrats and social justice advocates, Kamala Harris is the more attractive candidate, but just where does she stand on LGBTQ+ rights? And what can the queer community expect should she take office? The ACLU, a known human rights group, recently published an article entitled “Why a Harris Presidency promises hope for LGBTQ rights.” They argue that during Biden’s term, the Biden-Harris administration has made LGBTQ rights an integral part of its agenda, suing states to block anti-trans laws and policies and making attempts to get the…
Research from Out Leadership indicates that LGBTQ+ employees face a glass ceiling in the workplace, making it harder to climb corporate ladders and set new expectations for representation. The study has found that less than one percent of 5,670 boardroom seats at Fortune 500 companies are filled by LGBTQ+ directors. This is according to an annual list published by Fortune magazine, ranking the largest 500 corporations in the US by total revenue. Pink News brings attention to notable queer corporate leaders such as Tim Cook of Apple, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Tara Bunch of Airbnb. However, beyond these names, there…
A new state policy in Texas has barred transgender residents from changing the sex listed on their driver’s licenses. An internal email from the Department of Public Safety found that if a trans person presented the state of Texas with a certified court order or an amended birth certificate, the gender marker on their license still cannot be altered with the exception of a clerical error. The new policy, according to investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy, was instituted, quietly last week and is currently in effect. McGaughy posted the news to X last week, and received comments from transgender residents claiming the…