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Queer Liberation Library makes diverse, LGBTQ+ literature accessible throughout U.S.
A group of librarians recently launched a free online LGBTQ+ library with more than a thousand ebooks and audiobooks that anyone in the United States can access. Queer Liberation Libraryor QLL pronounced "Quill"launched in October 2023 ...
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President Joe Biden honors Judy Shepard with Presidential Medal of Freedom, HRC responds
--From a press release
WASHINGTON — Today, President Joe Biden will award Judy Shepard, founding president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation Board of Directors and its first executive director, with the Presidential Medal of ...
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NATIONAL Funding, 'Bytes' event, Oregon housing, Florida's refusal
U.S. House lawmakers will no longer be able to request earmarked funding for some nonprofits under a change in eligibility made by the Republican chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the Rhode Island Current noted. The change ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Faye,' Sophia Bush, Janelle Monae, Laverne Cox, Peabodys
The HBO Original documentary Faye, about iconic actress Faye Dunaway, will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on Max later this year, a press release noted. The film will have its world premiere ...
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Sixth Circuit hears appeal of ruling upholding Tennessee's discriminatory birth certificate policy
--From a press release
(Nashville, TN, May 2, 2024) Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit heard oral argument in Lambda Legal's appeal of a district court ruling upholding Tennessee's discriminatory birth certificate policy. Tennessee' ...
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United Methodist Church repeals ban on LGBTQ+ clergy
On May 1, United Methodist delegates repealed their church's longtime ban on LGBTQ+ clergy, removing a rule banning "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from being ordained or appointed as ministers, NBC New York reported. Delegates voted 692-51 at ...
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Half of LGBTQ+ college faculty surveyed consider moving to another state due to anti-diversity, equity, inclusion laws
--From a Williams Institute press release
Anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) laws have negatively impacted the teaching, research, and health of LGBTQ+ college faculty, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. As a result of ...
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GLAAD releases 19th 'Where We Are on TV' study
--From a press release
Los Angeles, CA - Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - GLAAD released its 19th edition of the annual Where We Are On TV study, which maps the presence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) characters ...
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WCT's Jerry Nunn is among inaugural Critics Choice LGBTQ+ celebration organizers
Chicago-based entertainment writer Jerry Nunn, a regular contributor to Windy City Times, is among the organizers of the upcoming Critics Choice Association (CCA) Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television on June 7 in Los Angeles. The ...
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Court: State healthcare plans must pay for gender-affirming operations
In a major win for transgender rights, the Richmond, Virginia-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit became the first such judicial body in the country to rule that state healthcare plans must pay for ...
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GLAAD responds to Biden administration release of updated rules to Section 1557 of ACA
--From a press release
(New York, NY - April 26, 2024) - Today GLAAD, the world's leading LGBTQ media advocacy organization, responded to the release by the Department of Health and Human Services of updated regulations to Section 1557 of ...
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Critics Choice Assn. to host inaugural celebration of LGBTQ+ TV, film
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the date and honorees for its inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television. The Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television event will take place during Pride Month on Friday, June ...
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Biden administration strengthens Affordable Care Act protections, health coverage for LGBTQ+ Americans
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced the finalization of a new regulation strengthening non-discrimination protections enforced by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The updated rule, implementing Section 1557 ...
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Families of trans youth in Tennessee can still seek out-of-state healthcare, despite new amendment
--From a press release
NASHEVILLE — Parents can still seek gender-affirming health care for their children outside of Tennessee, despite legislation headed for the governor's desk aimed at creating confusion and fear for these ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Priscilla,' Tony nods, Oscars, Ncuti Gatwa, Jonathan Bailey, GLAAD event
Stephan Elliottwho directed the cult classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desertsaid a sequel "is happening" and that the original movie's stars (Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving) are back "on board" 30 ...
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NATIONAL Montana suit, equality campaign, Michigan St. incident, hacker group
Video below
A class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Montana is challenging that state's policies restricting transgender people from updating the gender markers on their birth certificates and driver's licenses, Montana Public Radio reported. The suit, fi ...
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Cher, Dionne among Rock & Roll HoF honorees; Mariah snubbed
On April 21, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced its 2024 inductees, per an ABC press release. In the performer category, the inductees are Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter ...
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HRC continues call for Title IX rules that protect transgender student-athletes
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced it has finalized a Title IX rule that clarifies the scope of nondiscrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity throughout educational activities ...
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New Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students...to a point
New Title IX guidelines finalized April 19 will protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students by federal law and further safeguards of victims of campus sexual assault, according to ABC News. But those protections don't extend to ...
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SHOWBIZ Celine Dion, 'The People's Joker,' Billy Porter, Patti LuPone, 'Strange Way'
I Am: Celine Dion will stream on Prime Video starting June 25, according to a press release. The film is described as follows: "Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Celine Dion gives us ...
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NATIONAL Ohio law blocked, Trevor Project, Rev. Troy Perry, ICE suit, Elon Musk
In Ohio, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook temporarily blocked a Republican-backed state law banning gender-affirming care (such as puberty blockers and hormones) for transgender minors from ...
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Supreme Court allows Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request by Republican Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador to lift a lower court's temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing its felony ban on gender-affirming care for minors, The ...
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Appeals court overturns W. Va. trans sports ban
On April 16, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with teen trans runner Becky Pepper-Jackson and overturned a West Virginia law that banned transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams in ...
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Fed appeals panel ruling helps trans athlete
A three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday (April 16) that West Virginia's law barring transgender female students from participating on female student sports teams violates federal law. In a 2 to 1 decision, the panel ...
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News is Out, Word In Black, Comcast NBCUniversal welcomes 16 Journalism Fellows to cover Black, LGBTQ+ communities
Philadelphia (April 15, 2024) — Today, News is Out and Word In Black, together announced the 16 fellows selected for The Digital Equity Local Voices Lab, a new initiative powered by Comcast NBCUniversal to place journalists ...
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NATIONAL Trans woman killed, Tenn. law, S. Carolina coach, Evan Low, Idaho schools
Twenty-four-year-old Latina trans woman and makeup artist Meraxes Medina was fatally shot in Los Angeles, according to the website them, citing The Los Angeles Times. Authorities told the Times they found Medina's broken fingernail and a ...
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SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, '9-1-1' actor, Kayne the Lovechild, STARZ shows, Cynthia Erivo
Gay comedian/filmmaker Jerrod Carmichael criticized Dave Chappelle, opening up about the pair's ongoing feud and calling out Chappelle's opinions on the LGBTQ+ community, PinkNews noted, citing an Esquire article. Carmichael ...
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UK's NHS releases trans youth report; JK Rowling chimes in
An independent report issued by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) declared that children seeking gender care are being let down, The Independent reported. The reportpublished on April 10 and led by pediatrician and former Royal ...
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U.S. women's soccer team caught in anti-LGBTQ+ controversy
On April 9, the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) narrowly defeated Canada to win the SheBelieves Cup trophy. However, there were boos on the field for the USWNTdue primarily to an LGBTQ+-related controversy involving one player: ...
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Coach/activist Tara VanDerveer retires from Stanford after 38 seasons
Stanford University women's basketball coach and gender-rights advocate Tara VanDerveer has retired after 38 seasons, media outlets reported. In 45 years as a head coach at Idaho (1978-80), Ohio State ...
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NAIA bans trans athletes from women's sports
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on April 8 that athletes will only be allowed to compete in women's sports if they were assigned female at birth, CBS Sports reported. The NAIA's Council of ...
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HRC president responds to NAIA vote to ban transgender women from playing sports
--From a press release
WASHINGTON Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, responded to the National Association of ...
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Lambda Legal: NAIA proposed transgender sports ban disappointing, harmful reversal
Lambda Legal: NAIA Proposed Transgender Sports Ban a Disappointing and Harmful Reversal "The NAIA announcement sends a dangerous message, is inconsistent with the law and science, and undercuts the organization's ...
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KFF survey shows extent of LGBT-related discrimination
KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism—released "LGBT Adults' Experiences with Discrimination and Health Care Disparities: Findings from the KFF Survey of Racism, Discrimination, and Health." This ...
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LGBTQ Catholic group mourns the passing of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
--From a press release
April 5, 2024. DignityUSA joins members of the Archdiocese of Detroit and millions of people around our country and the world in mourning the death of Detroit Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. Bishop Gumbleton received DignityUSA's Risk Taker/Justice ...
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Ella Matthes, award-winning publisher, editor of Lesbian News Magazine, dies at 81
--From an ILDKMedia press release
Los Angeles, CA - Ella Matthes, longtime publisher and editor of Lesbian News Magazine, passed away from a heart attack on March 16, 2024 at The Little Company of Mary hospital in Norwalk, California. She was ...
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SHOWBIZ Outfest, Chita Rivera, figure skaters, letter, playwright dies
For more than four decades, Outfest has been telling LGBTQ+ stories through the thousands of films screened during its annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival—but that event may have a different look this year because ...
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NATIONAL mpox, Trans+ Day of Visibility, police items, Best Buy, Gentili's death
The CDC has concluded that mpox cases are on the rise in the United States, increasing to almost double what they were at the same time last year, according to ABC News. There is a national year-to-date estimate of 511 cases ...
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DoJ accuses Utah of bias against incarcerated trans woman
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit against the State of Utah, including the Utah Department of Corrections (UDOC), alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ...
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Munar starts as head of Columbus LGBTQ+ health organization
Former Howard Brown Health CEO and President David Munar will now head the Columbus, Ohio-based LGBTQ+ health provider Equitas. Munar began his new position as Equitas CEO on April 1, Columbus Dispatch reported. "I am honored ...
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Biden administration's LGBTQ+-health expert discusses equity goals
Adrian Shanker, who advises Biden administration officials on a broad range of issues pertaining to LGBTQ+ health, has ensuring access to competent medical care for all LGBTQ Americans as a key part of his job description. ...
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White House issues proclamation on 2024 Transgender Day of Visibility
A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation's commitment to forming a more perfect ...
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NATIONAL Political candidates, flag controversy, HRC gala, New York Times, Disney
In California, of the historic 30 LGBTQ+ legislative candidates who ran in the March 5 primary, more than half are moving on to the fall ballot, The Bay Area Reporter noted. Based on the still unofficial ...
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SHOWBIZ Dionne Warwick, OUTshine, Ariana DeBose, 'Showgirls,' 'Harlem'
Video below
Iconic singer Dionne Warwick was honored for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV/AIDS at a star-studded amfAR fundraising gala in Palm Beach, per the Palm Beach Daily News. Warwick received the "Award of ...
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Lambda Legal Launches "Speak OUT" awareness campaign uplifting trans, nonbinary voices
--From a press release. VIDEO BELOW
(NEW YORK, NY — March 28, 2024) In advance of Transgender Day of Visibility, Lambda Legal, the nation's oldest and largest legal nonprofit working to achieve full equal rights for LGBTQ people and everyone living with ...
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Nex Benedict's autopsy report released
The full autopsy report for Nex Benedict (he/they)a 16-year-old transgender and Indigenous student from Oklahoma's Owasso High School who died in February a day after a school fighthas been released. The Oklahoma Office of the Chie ...
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Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors
On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...
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No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal
In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...
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Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...
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JP Karliak morphs into non-binary character for Disney+'s X-Men '97
series X-Men '97, a revival of the popular X-men: The Animated Series that's both continuing the ongoing mutant storyline and breaking new ground along the way. The character of Morph now looks more like the comic ...
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SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman
Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...
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NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The billspassed out of both chambers along mostly party lineswill require clerks ...
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Alyssa Naeher wins National Women's Soccer League Impact Save of the Week
--From a press release
CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) — Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today. Seven minutes into the eight minutes of added ...
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Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners
Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...
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RuPaul finds 'Hidden Meanings' in new memoir
RuPaul Andre Charles made a rare Chicago appearance for a book tour on March 12 at The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. Presented by National Public Radio station WBEZ 91.5 FM, the talk coincided with ...
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Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...
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NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools
In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...
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Oprah, Niecy Nash-Betts honored at GLAAD Media Awards
Oprah Winfrey and Niecy Nash-Betts were honored at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards that took place in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton on March 14. Winfrey received the Vanguard Award, introduced by iconic Chicago ...
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College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies
Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...
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SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition'
Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...
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UPDATE: Nex Benedict's death ruled a suicide; family responds
A medical examiner's report concluded that the cause of death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict (he/they) was suicide, media reports confirmed. Benedict—a 16-year-old transgender student—died Feb. 8, a day after ...
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Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...
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Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77
On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixnerknown for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...
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LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner
--From a press release
Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...
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Florida settles 'Don't Say Gay' lawsuit
On March 11, the state of Florida settled a multi-year lawsuit against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which limits how LGBTQ+ topics can be discussed and presented in schools, The Hill reported. The settlement agreement ...
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Trans golfer banned from competing
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out on Instagram after the NXXT Women's Pro Tour suddenly announced on March 8 (International Women's Day) that participants must be "a biological female at birth" in order to competebanning D ...
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SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer
Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...
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NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle
Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...
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LPAC celebrates historic wins for LGBTQ+ candidates in Super Tuesday primaries
From a press release: Washington, DC—Today, LPAC,the nation's leading organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates to public office, proudly announces the outstanding victories of 67% of endorsed candidates ...
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AMA launches toolkit to increase screenings for HIV, STIs, hepatitis, tuberculosis
Press release
CHICAGO — With disruptions in clinical care caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and viral hepatitis across the U.S., the American Medical Association ...
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Sinema retiring from the U.S. Senate
Kyrsten Sinema—the bisexual U.S. senator from Arizona who recently switched from being a Democrat to an independent—announced that she will not run for re-election this year, ...
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Without compromise: Holly Baggett explores lives of iconoclasts Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap
Jane Heap (1883-1964) and Margaret Anderson (1886-1973), each of them a native Midwesterner, woman of letters and iconoclast, had a profound influence on literary culture in both America and Europe in the early 20th Century. Heap ...
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Federal investigation initiated in Nex Benedict case
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has started an investigation into the Oklahoma school district where Nex Benedict, a transgender 16-year-old sophomore, went to school and was bullied before his death, The Advocate ...
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Court blocks Texas attorney general's demand for PFLAG data
From a press release: AUSTIN, Texas—Travis County District Court Judge Maria Cantú Hexel on March 1 blocked the latest effort by the Texas Attorney General's Office to persecute Texas families with transgender youth, temporarily haltin ...
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SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor
Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctora film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...
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