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Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course
Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...
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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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PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood
LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...
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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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ELECTIONS 2024 Precious Brady-Davis says climate change is top issue as she runs to finish appointed MWRD term
Precious Brady-Davis, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Brady-Davis was appointed to the role last summer ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 MWRD's Marcelino Garcia discusses flooding, land use and LGBTQ+ inclusion
Marcelina Garcia, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates in the running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Garcia, who chair's the MWRD's Finance ...
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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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Illinois's first openly gay elected official voices support for Cunningham
Judge Thomas Chiola, who served in the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994-2009, has officially endorsed Justice Joy Cunningham for reelection to the Illinois Supreme Court. Chiola is the first gay man to be ...
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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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WORLD Canadian politics, Australian murders, Finnish study, 'Anatomy'
Canadian conservatives are divided over an anti-trans policy that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith handed down in her province, The Guardian reported. The policy includes a ban on hormonal treatment, puberty ...
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Ghana parliament passes harsh anti-LGBTQ+ bill
On Feb. 28, Ghana's parliament unanimously passed a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill that has been condemned globally. The so-called Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, which was introduced in the parliament in 2021, not only criminalizes ...
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Anti-LGBTQ+ Republican McConnell to step down from leading U.S. Senate
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) will step down from Senate leadership in November, having served in that capacity longer than any senator in history, The Advocate noted. McConnell has been a senator since 1985 and has ...
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APA adopts policy supporting transgender, gender diverse and non-binary individuals
From a press release: WASHINGTON—The American Psychological Association (APA) has adopted a landmark policy affirming evidence-based care for transgender, gender diverse and nonbinary children, adolescents and adults, noting that recent ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Mike Simmons discusses LGBTQ+ health disparities, child tax credit
State Senator Mike Simmons is running unopposed in the March 19 election. Simmons began representing the 7th District after the former state senator, Heather Steans, retired. He's lived in the area his entire life. ...
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Advocates call for increased HIV funding amid state's 'disappointing' pattern of flat funding
Governor JB Pritzker's proposed 2025 budget has no increase in HIV funding, continuing a years-long pattern of flat spending toward tackling the epidemic in Illinois. Pritzker outlined his $52.7 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year ...
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State Rep. Kelly Cassidy attacked on social media, allegedly by backers of Burke
Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidya supporter of Cook County state's attorney Democratic candidate Clayton Harris IIIposted on social media that a backer of Eileen O'Neill Burke, who's running against Harris ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Raymond Lopez talks congressional run, Chuy Garcia, migrant crisis
Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez has been a member of City Council since 2015, representing the 15th Ward and making history as one of the city's first LGBTQ+ Latine alderman. Now, he is setting his sights on ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Kelly Cassidy discusses reproductive health, LGBTQ+ rights ahead of March primary
By Kayleigh Padar State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, running unopposed in the March 19 primary election so as to continue representing the 14th District, was first elected in 2011. During her tenure in Springfield, she has ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Illinois' first openly gay congressman isn't done yet: A conversation with Eric Sorensen
A Rockford-born meteorologist, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorenson didn't plan on being a politician. But after seeing how his work in broadcasting impacted his viewers in both the Rockford and the Quad Cities areas, he wanted to ...
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SHOWBIZ Kristen Stewart, Rock Hudson, Talia Keys, 'True Detective,' Marvel comic
At the Berlin Film Festival, Kristen Stewart defended her photo shoot for a Rolling Stone magazine cover that went viral and divided audiences on social-media platforms, per The Hollywood Reporter. "The existence of a female body ...
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NATIONAL Chuck Schumer, anti-marriage bill, drag event back on, military doctor
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced his support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)and, as a result, several LGBTQ+-advocacy organizations dropped their opposition to it, The Hill ...
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ELECTIONS 2024: JUDICIAL 7th Sub-Circuit Candidate Deidre Baumann (Solganick Vacancy), why she's running, strategy
Baumann & Shuldiner civil litigation practice owner Deidre Baumann is running in the March 19 primary for Circuit Court Judge in the 7th Judicial Sub-Circuit against the current appointed 7th Sub-Circuit Judge Owens J. Shelby. Shelby's ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Eileen O'Neill Burke talks state's attorney run, judgeship, GOP ties
The Democratic primary in the race to succeed outgoing Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx involves two candidates with extensive backgrounds concerning law and government. Eileen O'Neill Burke is a lifelong Democrat and fourth-generation Chicag ...
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As Chicago prepares to host DNC, former delegates reflect on LGBTQ+ inclusion at previous conventions
When Mark Ishaug, now the CEO of the mental health advocacy Thresholds, was a delegate at the 1996 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, representing the larger LGBTQ+ community was "critical," he said. The convention, where ...
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Bring Chicago Home Campaign releases open endorsement letter from 100+ faith leaders
--From a press release
CHICAGO — With just over a month before the March 19th primary election, prominent Chicago faith leaders will today release a letter—signed by over 100 religious leaders—endorsing the Bring Chicago Home campaign to restructure the Real ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Clayton Harris III talks state's attorney run, Kim Foxx, Blagojevich
The Democratic primary in the race to succeed outgoing Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx involves two candidates with extensive backgrounds concerning law and government. Clayton Harris III is an experienced prosecutor and government leader who ...
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ELECTIONS 2024: JUDICIAL IL Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham discusses running for a full 10-year term
Current Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham is running for a full 10-year term this year, following her appointment on Dec. 1, 2022 to the First District seat. Cunningham's appointment was the result of Chief Justice ...
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ELECTIONS 2024: JUDICIAL IL Supreme Court candidate Jesse G. Reyes on why he's running, judicial diversity
Current First District, Fourth Division Illinois Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes is running for Illinois Supreme Court Justice. Reyes is running against current Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham in the March 19 primary. Cunningham ...
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NATIONAL Utah board member, Baths founder dies, Fla. protests, DoJ equity plan
Utah's Republican governor and lieutenant governor urged the State Board of Education to take action against a conservative board member whose social-media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player incited threats against the ...
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Illinois Poor People's Campaign: National call for moral revival demands action against poverty
--From a press release
Springfield, IL — The Illinois chapter of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival (ILPPC) will convene a critical press conference at the state capitol, alongside 32 other states across the nation on ...
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Tenn. legislators back bill that lets officials refuse to perform same-sex weddings
Defying a national ruling that authorized marriage equality, Tennessee lawmakers approved a measure that would allow public officials to refuse to perform weddings of same-sex couples, The Hill reported. Tennessee's House Bill 878/Senate Bill 596 says ...
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Democrat flips seat once held by George Santos
On Feb. 13 in New York, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to succeed the U.S. congressional seat formerly held by openly gay Republican George Santos, who was recently ousted. According to NBC News, Suozzi's ...
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Equality Illinois makes 77 pro-equality, pro-family endorsements for 2024 primary election
--From a press release
CHICAGO - Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for LGBTQ+ Illinoisans, on Tuesday announced state legislative and county-level endorsements for the primary election on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. "Equality ...
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Republicans file bill to ban trans women from U.S. Olympic teams
Republicans in both houses of Congress have launched another effort to ban transgender women and girls from female sports teamsand this time, they are attempting to ban trans women from competing on U.S. Olympic teams ahead ...
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Munar prepares to step away from Howard Brown leadership
After 10 years of leadership at Howard Brown Health, President and CEO David Ernesto Munar has decided to step down from his post on Feb. 29. Munar, who'd previously been president and CEO of AIDS Foundation ...
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Chicagoans indulge in a World of Chocolate
AIDS Foundation of Chicago hosted its 2024 World of Chocolate celebration the evening of Feb. 9 at Union Station. Top chocolatiers from across the city allowed guests to sample numerous confections, hors d'oevres and libations for ...
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NATIONAL Texas court, police chief, Gentili memorial, Philly controversy
The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments challenging Senate Bill 14, the ban on gender-affirming care that went into effect last September, KERA reported. SB 14 blocks trans minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care, such as ...
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WORLD Taiwan MP, lesbian couple, India items, Ghana assault, Nepal
Huang Jie said her election to Taiwan's parliament as the island's first openly gay MP represents progress, according to the Hong Kong Free Press. "I hope (my election) will bring courage to many people as I've ...
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Howard Brown Health President and CEO to depart following ten years of service
--From a press release
Following 10 years of dedicated leadership, David Ernesto Munar has decided to step down as President and CEO of Howard Brown Health. His last day will be on February 29, 2024. "The board celebrates David's work ...
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Activists, pols promise readiness for upcoming challenges at Equality Illinois gala
Over 1,350 attendees joined with the advocacy organization Equality Illinois for its 2023 gala the evening of Feb. 3, both to celebrate another year and raise funds to continue its work into the future. Over 100 ...
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ELECTIONS 2024 Judge Ed Underhill talks experience, newest campaign
Last June, longtime attorney Ed Underhill assumed the role of Cook County judge, becoming one of the few LGBTQ+ people to be in one of those positions. (He's in the LGBTQ+ group The Alliance of Illinois ...
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Parker stepping down from leading LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
Annise Parker, the former mayor of Houston, announced that she is stepping down from being president/CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund at the end of 2024. In a public letter, Parker stated, "This is not goodbye. I ...
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Iowa governor introduces bill to out trans people on official documents
By Lu Calzada
As states around Illinois continue to introduce anti-LGBTQ billsand in some cases, pass anti-LGBTQ resolutions into lawIowa recently added one more blow for Midwestern LGBTQ+ Americans. Governor Kim Reynolds introduced HB 649 Feb. 1, and it ...
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HRC honors Domingo, Lysette, Macy's CEO at New York dinner
On Feb. 3, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) brought together more than 1,000 LGBTQ+ advocates and supporters from across the country for its annual Greater New York Dinner. This year's event honored members of the LGBTQ+ ...
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WORLD Marriage in Greece, UK politics, cruise death, HRC grants
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece unanimously agreed at a recent meeting that it is "strongly opposed" to the Greek government's promised bill on same-sex marriage and adoption, Balkan Insight reported. The conservative New ...
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NATIONAL Marriage news, fighting fentanyl, anti-LGBTQ+ crimes, Grindr
The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would affirm marriage equality in the state, The Washington Blade noted. House Bill 174, introduced by state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County), passed in the Democratic-controlled ...
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Judge rules city's rejection of protest permit around DNC was justified
A judge upheld the city's denial of protest permits for a march around the Democratic National Convention this fall after an appeal from its organizers. A coalition of groups under the banner of Bodies Outside of ...
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Planned Parenthood Illinois Action board announces 2024 primary endorsements
--From a press release
CHICAGOThe Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA), the non-partisan political and advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, proudly announces its final endorsements for the March 19 ...
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LGBTQ+, reproductive rights organizers plan march on Democratic National Convention, appeal permit rejection
Organizers planning a protest march outside the Democratic National Convention in August are appealing the city's denial of their permits. The group of organizers under the banner of Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws had been planning ...
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Seattle LGBTQ+ bars push back against raids
In Seattle, a group of Capitol Hill gay bars and clubs are teaming with neighborhood queer community leaders Dan Savage and Terry Miller in calling for the state's liquor control board and Seattle police officials to ...
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HRC State Equality Index: Anti-LGBTQ+ 2023 state legislative season "most destructive"
--From a press release
WASHINGTON—Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the education arm of the nation's largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federatio ...
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Equality Illinois 2024 Gala Feb. 3
--From a press release
CHICAGO- Equality Illinois with presenting sponsor Molson Coors will present its annual gala on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Hilton Chicago. More than 1,500+ attendees are set to hear about the successes and ongoing challenges ...
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NATIONAL Toni Atkins, Maine, bisexual advocate dies, Jussie Smollett, school board
San Diego leader and California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins kicked off her bid to become California's next governor, becoming the latest Democrat to join the 2026 race, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Atkins is ...
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Equality Illinois endorses in two key primary election races
--From a press release
Equality Illinois endorses in two key primary election races for state representative: Dr. Michael Crawford in Illinois House District 31 and Lisa J. Davis in Illinois House District 32. Dr. Crawford and Ms. Davis have demonstrated ...
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Extreme anti-trans legislation to be law in Ohio after GOP supermajority overrides governor's veto
--From a press release
WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled Ohio Senate voted today to complete the legislature's override of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of dangerous anti-trans legislation. The bill bans transgender athletes from participating ...
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More than 210,000 Latinx LGBT immigrants live in California
--From a press release
Nearly two-thirds of Latinx LGBT immigrants without Green Cards live in poverty. A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that there are 211,000 Latinx LGBT immigrants in California, including 68,800 ...
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On 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Mayor Brandon Johnson reaffirms commitment to reproductive rights
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Today marks the 51st anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which preserved the constitutional right to choose. Chicago has a long history of advocating for women's rights and is considered ...
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Gov. JB Pritzker's statement on the 51st anniversary of Roe v Wade
--From a press release
Chicago —— On the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, Gov. JB Pritzker released the following statement: "Today marks the 51st anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that for five decades protected ...
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DeSantis drops presidential campaign, endorses Trump
Anti-LGBTQ+ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has dropped out of the 2024 presidential raceand has endorsed former President Donald Trump. The move took place Jan. 21two days before the New Hampshire primary, NBC News noted. On a ...
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WORLD World leaders, Namibia attack, Taiwan electoral win, Irish LGBTQ+ groups
In the wake of Gabriel Attal being named France's newest prime minister, PinkNews published a list of every out LGBTQ+ world leader to date. They include ex-San Marino head of state Paolo Rondelli, former Iceland Prime ...
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NATIONAL Wis. report, gender dysphoria, HIV research, Stonewall exhibit, gay CEOs
A new annual report from Wisconsin's Office of Children's Mental Health shows that the state's minorsespecially girls, children of color and LGBTQ+ youthcontinue to struggle with anxiety, depression and thoughts ...
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NATIONAL Trans Health Equity Act, school policy, drag items, Don Lemon, Danica Roem
The Trans Health Equity Acta law that requires Maryland's Medicaid program to cover gender-affirming treatmentstook effect Jan. 1, The Washington Blade noted. In May 2023, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore signed the act. The law covers hormone ...
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Williams Institute: 41,000 transgender immigrants live in California
--From a press release
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that there are 174,200 transgender immigrants in the United States and 41,000 transgender immigrants in California, comprising over one-quarter (27%) of the state's ...
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Ohio House overrides governor's pro-trans veto
On Jan. 10, Ohio's Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted 65-28 to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine's Dec. 29 veto of a bill that bans gender-affirming healthcare for minors. Democrats say transgender people and parents of transgender ...
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France's new prime minister identifies as gay
Gabriel Attal, France's next prime minister, identifies as gayand is the first LGBTQ+ person to hold this office. At 34, Attalwho succeeds Elisabeth Borne, who resigned after 20 months in officeis also the youngest prime minister ...
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NATIONAL Trans candidates, Philly official, anti-LGBTQ+ laws, bisexual study
An Ohio transgender woman announced her candidacy for the state's legislature, challenging an anti-LGBTQ+ Republican, The Dallas Voice noted. "If you're gonna attack our communities, then you're gonna have to compete against someone from our c ...
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Coalition petitions for march, rally for reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights prior to DNC convention
The Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws: Coalition for Reproductive Justice and LGBTQ+ Liberation coalition group held a press conference Jan. 2 at Chicago's City Hall just outside the city's Department of Transportation offices. The groups announced ...
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Gay political trailblazer Ken Sherrill passes away at age 81
Kenneth Sherrilla pioneering political scientist who was also the first out gay elected official in New York historydied in early December at age 81 from surgical complications, Gay City News reported. He is survived by his ...
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NATIONAL Women's college, banned books, military initiative, Oregon
After backlash regarding a decision to update its anti-discrimination policy and open enrollment to some transgender applicants, a Catholic women's college in Indiana will return to its previous admission policy, per The National Catholic Reporter. In ...
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Greek government vows to back marriage equality
Despite opposition from the Church of Greece and within the ruling New Democracy, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government said it will eventually move to legalize same-sex marriage, The National Herald reported. However, no timetable was ...
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WORLD Toronto businesses, French law, Thai bills, fight in Jamaica, Jonathan Bailey
Some Toronto LGBTQ+ business owners say they are worried that they're being shut out of a provincial grant program because their businesses sometimes include sexual products or services, which are banned in the program's eligibility rules, ...
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NATIONAL School items, Miami attack, Elliot Page, Fire Island
In Virginia, new and returning members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County School Board were inauguratedwith some school board members opting to use banned books on the topics of slavery and LGBTQ+ ...
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