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Democratic National Convention now in August
In a letter to the media, The Democratic National Convention (DNC) media logistics team announced that the 2020 event will be held the week of Aug. 17 in Milwaukee because of the coronavirus pandemic. The DNC ...
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LGBT people more likely than non-LGBT people to face housing instability
A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law examines challenges facing LGBT people in accessing affordable and secure housing. Compared to non-LGBT people, the report finds that LGBT people have higher rates ...
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FDA loosens restrictions on gay men who donate blood
On April 2, The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) said it would loosen some of the restrictions that have blocked gay men from donating blood, ABC News reported. The FDA is changing the recommended ...
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Billy Masters
"Spend more time on your knees than on the internet."—Mike Pence shares his advice at a Christian school. I'm not sure what one has to do with the other—except for gay sex. In which case, he's ...
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BOOKS
Legendary Chicago 'lesbian of conscience' tells her story
In Emily L. Quint Freeman's no-holds-barred 262-page memoir, Failure to Appear: Resistance, Identity and Loss, she provides a gripping true-life story of a lesbian of conscience who became a fugitive, on the run for over nineteen ...
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Advocates: LGBTQs face additional complications in pandemic
Members of the LGBT community face additional healthcare challenges as they contend with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, according to national LGBTQ-health advocates and officials speaking in a March 25 webinar. Those challenges are especially pronounced for ...
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Idaho governor signs two anti-trans bills
On March 30, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed two bills into law that restrict the rights of transgender people. According to CNN, one item ( House Bill 500, also called the Fairness in Women's Sports Act ...
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Over 6.5M LGBT adults to get $1,200 payout under coronavirus stimulus bill
More than 6.4 million single LGBT adults and 324,000 same-sex couples will receive the full direct payout under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( CARES Act ), according to a new analysis by ...
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SHOWBIZ Troye Sivan, Digital Drag Fest,'Killing Eve,' rapper comes out, 'Star Trek'
On March 22, singer Troye Sivan revealed that his brand new single, "Take Yourself Home," would be officially coming out on April 1, Billboard.com noted. Alongside his announcement, Sivan also appeared to give fans a quick ...
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NATIONAL Lesbian bishop, iconic activist dies, military lawsuit, drag legend passes
Rev. Bonnie Perry was recently ordained as the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan—beconing the first woman and openly gay person to hold the position, ClickOnDetroit.com noted. "Jesus said almost nothing about homosexuality," Perry ...
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Benjamin Scheuer releases "I Am Samantha" for International Transgender Visibility Day
Canvasback Records/Atlantic Records is proud to announce the release of "I Am Samantha" from singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer. The touching track recounts the real-life journey of Samantha Williams — a transgender woman who Scheuer first met and ...
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Organizations ask LGBTQs to pledge to run for office, online panel April 2
Washington, DC — This Thursday, April 2, LGBTQ Victory Institute and 40 partner organizations will hold the second annual National Out to Win Day, which aims to inspire LGBTQ people to consider a run for office. ...
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THEATER Mourning Terrence McNally
The prolific Emmy and Tony Award-winning writer Terrence McNally passed away at the age of 81 in Florida at a Sarasota hospital on Tuesday, March 24. The cause of death was due to complications of the ...
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NCLR condemns Idaho law barring transgender girls from sports
BOISE, ID — The National Center for Lesbian Rights strongly condemns Idaho Governor Brad Little's decision to sign HB 500, a law that bars transgender girls from participating in sports. As a result of the Governor's ...
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Coalition of states fighting Texas on blocking abortions during pandemic
NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that she will be building and leading a multistate coalition of attorneys general from around the country to ensure women nationwide can continue to have ...
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PFLAG to launch TransKids, SoFierce social media campaign on March 31
WASHINGTON, DC—Beginning Tuesday, March 31, PFLAG invites allies, family, and friends of transgender kids ( trans kids ) to join a an uplifting social media campaign called #TransKids #SoFierce ( pflag.org/transkidssofierce/ ). #TransKids #SoFierce is a ...
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Gay ex-NBA player Jason Collins tests positive for coronavirus
Jason Collins—a former NBA player who became, in 2014, the first openly gay player to play in the league—said that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, USA Today noted. "I believe I got it while ...
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Tony Awards to be postponed; no new date set
The 74th Annual Tony Awards—scheduled to air live on CBS on Sunday, June 7 from New York's Radio City Music Hall—has been postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The ceremony will be rescheduled at a later ...
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SHOWBIZ Martha Stewart, Angelica Ross, gay wrestler, Rosie, COVID-19 items
Emmy-winning television personality, cookbook author and lifestyle expert Martha Stewart helps guide six talented amateur bakers in the new primetime series Bakeaway Camp with Martha Stewart, premiering Monday, May 4, on Food Network, a press release ...
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NATIONAL Gay attorney dies, lawsuit against HHS, trans woman killed, health news
The LGBT Bar Association of New York, or LeGal, noted that Richard Weber Jr. ( who was a board member ) died from complications related to COVID-19, Law.com reported. LeGal Executive Director Eric Lesh said Weber, ...
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PASSAGES Terrence McNally dies of coronavirus complications at 81
Terrence McNally—a four-time Tony winner who wrote musicals and plays such as Ragtime, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Full Monty and Kiss of the Spider Woman—died March 24 at age 81 of coronavirus-related complications. On social media, ...
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Greer named Biden's LGBTQ liaison
Reggie Greer—a D.C-based LGBTQ advocate who has worked as an Obama administration appointee and point person for LGBTQ elected officials—has been named LGBTQ vote director for Joseph Biden, The Washington Blade reported. "It's an honor of ...
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SPLC releases 'Hate and Extremism' report
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual "Year in Hate and Extremism" report, identifying 940 active hate groups across the United States in 2019. The number of hate groups represents a slight decline from the ...
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Kahlo exhibition tickets on sale
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art ( CCMA ) and the McAninch Arts Center ( MAC ) at the College of DuPage ( COD ) will host one of the largest private collections of original artworks ...
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HHS not enforcing anti-discrimination rules, LGBTQ advocacy groups sue
Homeless LGBTQ youth, elders, foster children at risk in pandemic
New York, NY — Today, three organizations serving vulnerable populations — Family Equality, True Colors United, and SAGE — sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its unlawful November 2019 announcement that it ...
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SHOWBIZ Janelle Monae, Harry Hains' death, Sam Smith, COVID-19 cancellations
Janelle Monae will headline the 2020 Pride Festival in New York on Saturday, June 27, BET.com noted. The annual event has been headlined in the past by Grace Jones, Madonna and Patti Labelle, among others. This ...
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NATIONAL Curriculum law, N.Y. trans rule, Andrew Gillum, LGBT Health Week, COVID-19
The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a consent decree that declares South Carolina's 1988 discriminatory anti-LGBTQ curriculum law unconstitutional and bars its enforcement, according to a joint statement from Campaign for ...
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NUNN ON ONE THEATER Sandy Duncan is part of 'Middletown'
From the producers of Menopause The Musical and Fiddler on the Roof, Dan Clancy's Middletown is a play about human connection. For the Chicago run of the show, the two couples are played onstage at The ...
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BOOK REVIEW Ian McKellen: A Biography
Author: Garry O'Connor. $29.99; St. Martin's Press; 356 pages Any old stick would do. When you were a child, that's what it took to become a wizard: a stick became a makeshift wand, an old towel ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 Biden takes Illinois; trans candidate makes history
Former Vice President Joe Biden, building on the momentum he's acquired in the past two weeks, easily defeated U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (and, technically, Tulsi Gabbard) in the Illinois Democratic primary on March 17. Biden also ...
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Amrit Kapai keeps up with the Family Karma
There's a new eight part docuseries called Family Karma that follows the lives of seven Indian-American friends living in Miami. The Bravo show has already made TV history by being the first United States docuseries to ...
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TRAVEL San Antonio, a spot that defies and embraces Texas
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
San Antonio is one city that encompasses what one may think of Texas—but also extends beyond one's perceptions of the state. Yes, there are the seemingly requisite cowboy hats and ( emblematic of the notion that ...
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Williams Institute: Florida's HIV criminal laws undermine public health efforts
Florida's HIV criminal laws may undermine the state's public health efforts by deterring people from seeking HIV testing and treatment, stigmatizing those with HIV, and disproportionately affecting the communities most impacted by HIV, including people of ...
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Judge releases Chelsea Manning from jail
On March 12, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ordered the release of former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning—ending about a year of incarceration that she had served for refusing to testify to a grand jury, a ...
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Open letter about Coronavirus and the LGBTQ+ communities
New York, NY - Over 100 national and local organizations have signed on to an open letter to health and media outlining how COVID-19 may pose an increased risk to the LGBTQ+ population and laying out ...
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SHOWBIZ Halsey, GLAAD, Jonathan Van Ness, Carol Burnett, 'Stranger Hearts'
Halsey said she won't be touring for a while after the year is over, IHeart.com noted. The singer, who is currently traveling for her "Manic World Tour," made the announcement on Instagram March 1. Posting images ...
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NATIONAL Puerto Rico trans death, APA revisions, conversion therapy, LGBTQ gym
Puerto Rico's governor condemned the killing of a transgender woman—whose death ignited a dialogue about transphobia on the island—as a hate crime, HuffPost reported. The body of Alexa Negron Luciano, who was also known as Neulisa ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Trans Generation
By Ann Travers $25; New York University Press; 261 pages Boy or girl? That's a common enough question, if you're an expectant parent. You might've even wondered it yourself: will you need pink things or blue, ...
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'The Boys in the Band' writer Crowley dead at 84
Mart Crowley—best known for writing the '60s seminal play The Boys in the Band, about a group of gay friends at a birthday party—died March 8 at age 84, media reports stated. Writer Michael Musto broke ...
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Warren exits presidential race
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has dropped out of the presidential race, ending her run after another round of disappointing finishes in Democratic primary contests across the country on Super Tuesday ( March 3 )—including coming in ...
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Quigley confronts Carson over discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans
Washington, D.C. — Today, during a hearing on HUD's Fiscal Year 2021 budget request, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley ( IL-05 ), a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, confronted Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ...
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Aaron Schock comes out of the closet as gay
Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock ( R-Illinois ) has officially come of the closet as gay. In a lengthy Instagram post that went up March 5, Schock started by simply saying, "I am gay." He continued ...
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MOMBIAN Needing more than a moment: LGBTQ representation in children's media
The Academy Award-winning songwriters behind Disney's Frozen, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband Bobby Lopez, announced recently that they are working on Universal Pictures' movie musical adaptation of The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang's award-winning graphic novel ...
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LGBTQ candidates key to fate of Texas State House,
LGBTQ reps could nearly double
Washington, DC — Four openly LGBTQ non-incumbent candidates won their Texas state House primary races Tuesday night — Madeline Eden, Eric Holguin, Ann Johnson and Eliz Markowitz— as did all five incumbent LGBTQ state legislators. The ...
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Bloomberg drops out of presidential race
Michael Bloomberg suspended his presidential campaign March 4 after failing to persuade Democratic voters he was the best choice to defeat President Donald Trump despite record spending that topped $500 million, according to Bloomberg. ( Bloomberg ...
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28 LGBTQ Endorsed Candidates Win Super Tuesday Primaries
Washington, DC — Super Tuesday election results so far indicate a strong night for LGBTQ candidates, with 28 Victory Fund endorsed LGBTQ candidates winning their primaries and one headed to a primary runoff as of 10am ...
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Biden makes big Super Tuesday primary gains
The tumultuous primary season only intensified March 3 as voters in 14 states and one territory went to the polls to make their choices for the Democratic candidate who'll face off against incumbent President Donald Trump ...
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NATIONAL Cartoonist's memorial, mayor dies, Idaho bill, panic defense, political news
A public celebration of the life and work of Howard Cruse, a pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement, will be held in New York City on Saturday, March 28, 6-8:30 p.m., at The LGBT Community Center, ...
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SHOWBIZ Angelica Ross, Madonna, 'Love, Victor,' trans writer/activist, Judge Judy
Better Brothers Los Angeles ( BBLA )—in association with award-winning actress/activist Sheryl Lee Ralph and her non-profit organization, The DIVA Foundation—announced that actress and transgender advocate Angelica Ross is among this year's list of honorees for ...
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APA Updates Resolutions Related to LGBTQ Issues
WASHINGTON — The American Psychological Association has revised three key policies related to LGBTQ issues to take into account the most recent research and changes in law, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage. APA's governing ...
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Billy Masters
"They think I'm fucking dumb. I'm literally painted out to be this big, dumb idiot." - Pete Davidson says what he believes his "Saturday Night Live" castmates think about him. I have my doubts. Nobody uses ...
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BOOK REVIEW Headcase: LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness
Edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano. $29.95; Oxford University. Press; 287 pages You had a flu shot this year. You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active, and brush twice a day. So why do ...
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Victory Fund: Pete Buttigieg candidacy a "Revolution in American Politics"
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, congratulated Pete Buttigieg on his historic run for president of the United States. Buttigieg is the first ...
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Pride Media announces new leadership at Out, The Advocate
Weeks after key leadership left Out magazine and The Advocate, Pride Media—the country's largest LGBTQ media company—announced a new and innovative leadership structure with the appointment of several editors. The Advocate reported that CEO Diane Anderson-Minshall ...
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Buttigieg drops out of presidential race
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg—who ran a historic presidential campaign as the first openly gay contender in the Democratic Party—dropped out of the race March 1. Buttigieg lost momentum after finishing in the top ...
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LGBTQ Victory Fund condemns homophobic remarks by Bloomberg's NC State Director
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, condemned a homophobic remark by Michael Bloomberg's North Carolina state director James Mitchell and demanded Bloomberg apologize. ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 Report: 378K trans citizens could encounter voting hurdles
A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law says that an estimated 965,350 transgender adults will be eligible to vote in the 2020 general election—but that approximately 378,000 of them could have ...
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Majority of active duty servicemembers oppose trans military ban
WASHINGTON — Today, the Modern Military Association of America ( MMAA ) — the nation's largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing fairness and equality for the LGBTQ military and veteran community — responded to new survey ...
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LGBTQ Victory Fund condemns homophobic campaign of
Florida state Senate candidate
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, condemned the homophobic campaign of Miami Gardens Councilmember Erhabor Ighodaro, calling it "one of the most homophobic ...
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NATIONAL Blackmailer killed, Anderson Cooper, Apple CEO, church settlement
After posting a Facebook Live video in which she threatened to out a man if he didn't pay her $5,000, 40-year-old Indianapolis woman Jane Waughfield was shot and killed, LGBTQ Nation reported. According to WISH TV, ...
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SHOWBIZ Disney first, queer band, awards events, Aretha, 'Drag Race'
Months after The Rise of Skywalker featured the first same-sex kiss in the Star Wars galaxy, the new animated film Onward introduces the first self-identified lesbian character into the Disney-Pixar universe, Yahoo! noted. Her name is ...
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HRC releases 2020 presidential survey, candidate responses
On Feb. 24, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) released its 2020 presidential questionnaire and responses from the leading Democratic candidates. The release of candidate questionnaire responses is a crucial step in the Human Rights ...
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Gay Ireland prime minister resigns
Leo Varadkar, Ireland's first openly gay prime minister, resigned Feb. 20, The Washington Blade noted. The BBC reported that Varadkar submitted his resignation after the Irish Parliament failed to name a new prime minister. Varadkar, 41, ...
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Nevada slugfest: Warren and Buttigieg score solid points
"Horse-faced lesbians." That was one of the first barbs flayed against the Democratic presidential field's newcomer, Mike Bloomberg Feb. 19 in the party's most combative debate yet. MSNBC's moderator started the two-hour pre-Nevada caucus debate with ...
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Billy Masters
"I thought, 'Why does he have to do that?' I mean, it seemed like he was living a fine life. Everyone who knew him knew he was gay."—Dame Joan Collins discusses UK personality Phillip Schofield coming ...
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MUSIC
Mykal Kilgore: Out singer on NAACP award nod, $2 wine and Billy Porter
Mykal Kilgore definitely marches to the beat of his drum. The singer certainly possesses talent ( as witnessed by his current NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist, which pits him against Ari Lennox, Mahalia, ...
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Boy Scouts files for bankruptcy in wake of sex-abuse lawsuits
The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy as it deals with approximately 300 lawsuits from men who say they were sexually abused as scouts, media reports stated. With high-profile sex-abuse scandals in organizations such ...
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ShOWBIZ 'Drag Race' judges, Dwyane Wade, 'Porgy,' Of Montreal, Cirque du Soleil
RuPaul Drag Race's season-12 guest judges consist of film, music, television, fashion and political figures such as Nicki Minaj, Whoopi Goldberg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chaka Khan, Robyn, Leslie Jones, Normani, Jeff Goldblum, Daisy Ridley, Thandie Newton, Olivia ...
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NATIONAL Legislators walk out, hit-and-run arrest, lawsuits, Dan Reynolds
Democratic lawmakers in Virginia's legislature walked out as a Republican-invited pastor delivered a prayer that condemned homosexuality, LGBTQ Nation reported. Robert Grant Jr. of the Father's Way Church in Warrenton, Virginia—who was invited by Del. Michael ...
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Mary Griffith, Champion of LGBTQ rights, has passed away
LOS ANGELES—Mary Griffith, iconic crusader for LGBTQ equality, passed away after a lengthy illness on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 at her home in Walnut Creek, CA. She was 85. She is survived by her husband, Robert; ...
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Buttigieg's historic campaign finishes second in N.H.
LGBT leaders in New Hampshire were widely divided on who to support in the Feb. 11 Democratic presidential primary, but the LGBT community could celebrate another history-making performance by openly gay presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg, ...
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Decades after San Francisco closed gay bathhouses, new law makes way for return
SAN FRANCISCO — District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced legislation Tuesday at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors requiring the San Francisco Department of Public Health to remove current regulations requiring the monitoring of patrons' sexual ...
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Lambda: Brasher's confirmation to 11th Circuit threatens civil rights for LGBTs
( Washington D.C., February 11, 2020 ) — Today, after the U.S. Senate, confirmed Andrew Brasher for a lifetime position to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit along party lines, Sasha Buchert, Senior ...
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SHOWBIZ Sean Hayes, Rihanna, Cher, Billy Porter, Laura Dern
Sean Hayes, Carrie Aizley, Margo Martindale, Jim Rash, Matthew Broderick and Allison Janney are part of the cast of the film Lazy Susan, which is coming to theaters April 3, a press release noted. According to ...
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NATIONAL Backlash in Tennessee, judge dies, voucher program, hate-crimes bill
More than 140 businesses signed a letter announcing their opposition to Tennessee's recent slew of anti-LGBTQ laws, which has been dubbed the "slate of hate" by activist groups, NBC News noted. The collective, known as the ...
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