| |
Toward a golden hour: Advocate Rodrigo Heng-Lehinthen predicts trans-rights breakthrough in U.S.
Two of the nation's biggest trans advocacy organizations are set to merge later this year. In early summer, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) will officially ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
|
| |
| |
New Title IX rules protects 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 ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Nigeria arrest, Chilean murderer, trans ban, Olivier Awards, marriage items
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC's) decision to arrest well-known transgender woman Idris Okuneye (also known as Bobrisky) over the practice of flaunting money has sparked questions among several ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
THEATER Blue in the Right Way's 'Women Beware Women' offers feminist, trans take on a troubling Jacobean tragedy
"Problematic" is a great go-to adjective to describe Women Beware Women. This 1621 Jacobean tragedy is by English playwright Thomas Middleton, who is probably best remembered as a collaborator with William Shakespeare on their pessimistic tragedy ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
NAIA votes to ban trans women from athletics, affecting Chicago conference
The National Association of Intercollegiate College on April 8 released a new policy on transgender athletes, banning trans women from competing under its jurisdiction. The new policy, which is set to go into effect Aug. 1, ...
|
| |
| |
LGBTQ+ film fest Queer Expression to feature Alexandra Billings in 'Queen Tut'
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Pride Film Fest celebrates its second decade with a new name—QUEER EXPRESSION—and has announced its slate of LGBTQ+-themed feature, mid-length and short films for in-person and virtual events in April and May. QUEER EXPRESSI ...
|
|
| |
| |
WORLD Ugandan law, Japan, Cass report, Tegan and Sara, Varadkar done
Ugandan LGBTQ+-rights activists asked the international community to mount more pressure on Uganda's government to repeal an anti-gay law that the country's Constitutional Court refused to nullify, PBS reported. Activist ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 report—published on April 10 and led by pediatrician and former Royal ...
|
| |
| |
Judith Butler focuses on perceptions of gender at Chicago Humanities Festival talk
In an hour-long program filled with dry humor—not to mention lots of audience laughter—philosopher, scholar and activist Judith Butler (they/them) spoke in depth on their new book at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., on ...
|
| |
| |
Black LGBTQIA leaders applaud U of South Carolina head coach Staley for standing up for trans athlete inclusion
--From a press release
WASHINGTON — On Sunday, April 7, the University of South Carolina's women's basketball team won the NCAA National Championship. Ahead of the championship game, South Carolina's head coach Dawn Staley made comments in support of transgend ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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) ...
|
|
| |
| |
Performers light up the stage at Windy City Trans Visibility Pageant
Life is Work presented its 3rd Annual Windy City Trans Visibility Pageant on March 30, with a star-studded epic extravaganza featuring 11 contestants performing alongside personalities from RuPaul's Drag Race. The event, which was held at ...
|
| |
| |
Late transgender activist Elise Malary receives street dedication in Andersonville
Elise Malary, the late transgender activist who died in March 2022, was a born-and-raised Andersonville local who co-founded the neighborhood-based Chicago Therapy Collective (CTC). Now her memory is a permanent ...
|
| |
| |
Chicago's transgender community kicks off Transgender Week of Visibility with daylong conference, resource fair
Transgender community leaders, allies and politicians kicked off a weeklong celebration of transgender visibility in Chicago with a one-day conference and resource fair. More than 100 community members attended the ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 fight—has been released. The Oklahoma Office of the Chie ...
|
| |
| |
An interstate trans healthcare crisis: Illinois prepares for influx of people seeking gender-affirming care
With hard-won rights, such as access to hormone replacement therapy or permission to use one's chosen pronouns in school, breaking down in states across the country, trans residents of all ages are left with a choice: ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
|
| |
| |
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 bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
SPORTS Red Stars prepare to kick off NWSL season against Utah Royals
It's been a busy winter for the Red Stars, and it's time to put their work to the test. Following a last place finish in the 2023 NWSL season, Chicago has had an active offseason transforming ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Leaked messages, Panama action, author dies at 32, Japan court, out athletes
Hundreds of messages from an internal chat board for an international group of transgender health professionals were leaked in a report and framed as revealing serious health risks associated with gender-affirming care, including cancer, according to ...
|
| |
| |
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. ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
LGBTQ+ people attacked by mobs in Greece
Just weeks after a landmark law granted same-sex couples in Greece the right to marry, nearly 200 people dressed in black chased a transgender couple through the town square in Thessaloniki, the country's "second city" and ...
|
| |
| |
Howard Brown experts discuss advocacy and allyship for Chicago's trans community
By Alec Karam
Howard Brown Health's Trans & Gender Diverse People's Rights & Patient Care panel convened March 12 to discuss both resources for—and opportunities to provide allyship to—the city's trans and gender diverse communities. The event hos ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
"X" gender marker now available on Illinois driver's licenses and state ID cards
After several years of preparation, the Illinois Secretary of State's office is has been making the X gender designation available for non-binary residents and others not utilizing the M or F designations, since the beginning of ...
|
| |
| |
Chicagoan continues fight against alleged transphobia at Orangetheory
After allegedly dealing with transphobia at a Chicago Orangetheory beginning in 2018, Jes Favers du Shine is still holding out hope for the organization to take measures addressing those issues.� In 2020, Windy City Times reported ...
|
| |
| |
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 compete—banning D ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
Appeals court allows Ind. ban on gender-affirming care for minors
On Feb. 27, a federal appeals court in Chicago allowed Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care to go into effect, removing a temporary injunction that U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued last year, ABC News ...
|
| |
| |
Activists and others urge removal of Oklahoma schools superintendent after Nex Benedict death
TULSA, OKLAHOMA—Today more than 350 national, state, and local organizations advocating for equality across the U.S., alongside notable public figures, issued an open letter to Oklahoma legislative leadership urging justice ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
911 calls, videos show cascade of failures in Nex Benedict's death, GLAAD responds
"It is haunting to hear Nex Benedict, in their own words, describe how school and state leaders failed, at every level of leadership, to keep them safe from bullying and harm. Less than 24 hours later, ...
|
| |
| |
Federal jury finds man guilty of killing trans woman in landmark case
In a groundbreaking case, a federal jury in Columbia, South Carolina found Daqua Lameek Ritter guilty of killing transgender woman Dime Doe after deliberating for almost four hours, The State reported. It is the first time ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD Caribbean ruling, Pussy Riot, Russian raid, Canadian warning, anti-trans bar
The top court in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines dismissed a challenge to colonial-era anti-gay laws, Reuters reported. Javin Johnson and Sean Macleish—two gay men who had pushed to decriminalize ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
Oklahoma non-binary student dies after being assaulted
Officials acknowledged there are unresolved questions about a 16-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom, NBC News noted. Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, ...
|
| |
| |
Center on Halsted to host trans youth & family summit
Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., has announced that its Trans Youth & Family Summit 2024 will take place March 16. This year marks the sixth annual event, which partners between Youth Services' Pride Youth ...
|
| |
| |
WORLD South Africa murder, lesbian couple, Brianna Ghey, Eurovision
In South Africa, LGBTQ+-rights groups condemned the brutal murder of Diego Jacobs, a queer man in Cape Town, The Washington Blade reported. Reports indicate Jacobs, 21, was brutally murdered (reportedly by a former neighbor) on Feb. ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
Human Rights Campaign report releases new data on experiences of Black queer youth
--From a press release
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, released a report in ...
|
| |
| |
Col. Jennifer Pritzker comments on military museum move
Local transgender philanthropist Col. Jennifer Pritzker commented to Windy City Times about the impending move of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library (PMML), which she founded in 2003, to Wisconsin. "At the end of the day, ...
|
| |
| |
THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros'
Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...
|
| |
| |
Coalition of LGBTQ+ advocates, health care providers release Project RAINBOW report
--From a press release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A coalition of more than two dozen LGBTQ+ advocate organizations and health care providers are releasing a new report aimed at addressing the challenges and discrimination that ...
|
| |
| |
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 teams—and this time, they are attempting to ban trans women from competing on U.S. Olympic teams ahead ...
|
| |
| |
New US Trans Survey highlights importance of gender-affirming care and societal acceptance
After surveying 92,329 people in 2022, the early insights gleaned from the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS) have been released—and they highlight just how much impact gender-affirming care can have. The USTS, which was last completed ...
|
| |
| |
Quantum Leap reboot springs into LGBTQ+ representation
Through the magic of television, Quantum Leap is once again jumping into the past to bounce back into the future—and in a recent episode, "The Family Trasure," non-binary artist and performer Wilder Yuri and writer Shakina ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
GLAAD remembers Cecilia Gentili, transgender Latina, actress, activist, health care activist, journalist
--From a press release
(New York, NY - February 6, 2024) GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, is responding to the death of transgender actress and advocate Cecilia Gentili and elevating voices of transgender and political leaders honoring ...
|
| |
| |
Iowa governor introduces bill to out trans people on official documents
By Lu Calzada
As states around Illinois continue to introduce anti-LGBTQ bills—and in some cases, pass anti-LGBTQ resolutions into law—Iowa recently added one more blow for Midwestern LGBTQ+ Americans. Governor Kim Reynolds introduced HB 649 Feb. 1, and it ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
Looking back at Chicago LGBTQ+ community's stand against Anheuser-Busch
As conservatives across the country boycotted Anheuser-Busch products for Bud Light's partnership with trans woman Dylan Mulvaney in 2023, LGBTQ+ bars in Chicago removed their products for a different reason. Following the deeply negative response to ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
| |
National Center for Transgender Equality and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund to merge
--From a press release
WASHINGTON - Today, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), two leading national trans civil rights organizations, officially announced their intent ...
|
| |
| |
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 ...
|
| |
