*Please note: All of the content in this section of our website is shared content and linked to its original website/publisher.
LGBTQ youth say political attacks are fueling mental health crisis
A new survey finds LGBTQ young people report high rates of bullying, anxiety and attempted suicide amid a landscape of poor access to mental health.
Political Notebook: Takano predicts doubling of LGBTQ caucus in Congress
At the moment there are nine LGBTQ members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Come 2025, gay Congressmember Mark Takano (D-Riverside) expects to see a doubling of out representation in the chamber
Florida joins lawsuit to stop Title IX changes providing LGBTQ protections
Targeting issues about sexual orientation and gender identity, Florida joined three other states Monday in filing a federal lawsuit challenging a new Biden administration rule about sex-based discrimination in education programs.
Nigerian pavilion to explore identity and LGBTQ politics at Venice
“Nigeria Imaginary, is set to be a focal point for its exploration of national identity, diasporic experiences, and the powerful intersections with LGBTQ politics.
Smithsonian staff concerned about future of LGBTQ programming amid GOP scrutiny
Staff at the Smithsonian Institution are concerned about the future of LGBTQ programming as several events featuring a drag performer were cancelled or postponed following scrutiny by House Republicans
Biden, Harris announce new campaign push for LGBTQ support, call members 'a force to be reckoned with'
The campaign statement boasted the Biden-Harris administration is "the most pro-LGBTQ+ in history" and identified LGBTQ+ voters as "a key part" of the re-election strategy.
LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Now at 7.6%
More than one in five Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+
WHY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OF FAITH COMBINE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS ACTIVISM
The effects of personal religious belief are everywhere in politics, from the rallying sermons of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Christian nationalists citing biblical justice when Roe v. Wade was overturned.
‘Anti-LGBTQ’ Bills Die In Georgia Legislature Despite Election Year Politics
Rewritten measures fail to gain notice in House as session ends
Utah House kills bill banning LGBTQ+ Pride flags and political views from classrooms
Utah teachers will be free to display LGBTQ+ Pride flags and other social, political or religious imagery after the state House blocked a bill on Monday that would have banned teachers from using their position to promote or disparage certain beliefs.
Missouri Republican candidate torches LGBTQ-inclusive books in viral video
Valentina Gomez, who is running for Missouri secretary of state, lit two books on fire, including an LGBTQ guide for teens and a sex education book.
Gun, abortion and LGBTQ laws are affecting where home buyers move, Redfin says
‘Many Americans [are] reporting they would prefer to live in a place with laws that align with their own views,’ real-estate brokerage says
Kim Reynolds introduces bill defining 'man' and 'woman'; opponents brand it 'LGBTQ erasure'
The legislation, House Study Bill 649, introduced Thursday, creates a new section of code defining a person’s sex as their sex assigned at birth.
2024 already outpacing 2023 in anti-LGBTQ legislation
Number and scope of bills set to break records
Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ at much higher rates than older Americans, report shows
The report, titled “A political and cultural glimpse into America’s future,” sought to highlight the cultural and political views of Gen Z adults, compared with older Americans.
The Biden campaign trolls Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis in the best way possible
One of his most Machiavellian acts involved the surprise transportation of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, using Florida tax dollars.
Central Floridians testify at UN about what it's like at school in Florida in 2023
A group of Florida teachers, students and activists will address the United Nations in Switzerland this week over what they call the “authoritarian experiment” in the state.
The group of five will share testimonies of what it’s like living in Florida under new laws that they say target Black, brown, and LGBTQ people and immigrants.
Those laws include the Parental Rights in Education law, Stop Woke Act, Florida’s anti-riot law, and Florida’s new immigration law.
Ron DeSantis's Anti-LGBTQ+ Crusade Fails Again as Florida Can't Enforce Drag Ban
A federal appeals court said an anti-drag law signed by Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis this year can’t be enforced. Hamburger Mary’s, an Orlando restaurant that hosts a drag brunch weekly, challenged the law claiming it violates businesses' First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell struck down the law in June.
Ron DeSantis tried to make a Florida college conservative. Now the students are fleeing.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s (R) attempt to make the New College of Florida a rightwing indoctrination institution appears to be failing as the school has reported 27% of its student body has dropped out.
The college reported that it doubled its normal rate of loss of first-year students between fall semesters this year, giving it the worst student retention rate in the public college’s history at just 64.9%
FBI crime statistics show anti-LGBTQ hate crimes on the rise
Anti-LGBTQ hate crimes rose sharply in 2022, jumping more than 19 percent over 2021, according to the FBI’s annual crime report released Monday.
More than 11,600 hate crime incidents were reported to the FBI in 2022, the highest number recorded since the agency began tracking them in 1991.
House Republican ‘Terrorists’ Target LGBTQ+ Community Center Funding in ‘Unprecedented’ Move
In what lawmakers have called an unprecedented move, House Republicans introduced and moved a last-minute amendment stripping three community projects of funding as part of a committee markup for the 2024 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development spending bill. Of the 2,680 projects previously approved, these three all serve the LGBTQ+ community.
State laws targeting LGBTQ rights have a new foe: federal judges
LGBTQ advocates have racked up a string of wins as they challenge bans on gender-transition care for minors, trans sports laws and restrictions on drag shows.
Gov. Healey puts up pro-LGBTQ billboards in Florida and Texas
Gov. Maura Healey’s administration announced on Monday a campaign to place Pride-themed billboards — complete with images of LGBTQ couples photographed in Massachusetts — along highways in the Texas and Florida- two Republican-led states.
Democrats introduce federal conversion therapy ban
Congressional Democrats on June 26th reignited an effort to pass federal legislation outlawing the discredited practice of “conversion therapy,” which is a scientifically discredited practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Florida's Drag Ban Is Blocked, Thanks to Queer Restaurant Chain Hamburger Mary's
Finally some good news: Justice has been served (with a side of fries), at least for now.
Hamburger Mary’s, the queer-centered burger chain that often features drag performances, has won a court victory against Florida governor Ron DeSantis and his ban on all-ages drag shows, which he signed into law in May.
Extreme' and 'hateful' bills: Biden moves to protect LGBTQ Americans amid onslaught of attacks
In conjunction with Pride month celebrations across the country, Biden announced a new community safety partnership led by the Department of Homeland Security to protect LGBTQ Americans.
Human Rights Campaign Officially Declares ‘State of Emergency’ for LGBTQ+ Americans
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States for the first time in its more than 40-year history, following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year
Over 100 Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Passed In The Last Five Years — Half Of Them This Year
The increase in anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and enacted over the last five years shows how the GOP has made LGBTQ+ issues central to its party agenda. And while many of these restrictions are unpopular at the national level, polling shows that specific anti-LGBTQ+ policies often have support from Republican voters in these states, encouraging lawmakers to keep continuing down this road.
Hamburger Mary’s sues DeSantis over drag show law
Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida in federal court, claiming the restaurant has been deprived of its First Amendment rights and is already losing customers under a new law affecting drag shows.
Tampa Pride cancels Pride on the River event due to political climate
Due to the current political climate in Florida, Tampa Pride is canceling its annual Pride on the River event. The decision came Wednesday after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1438, which holds businesses accountable ”if the establishment admits a child to an adult live performance.”
Florida teacher under investigation for showing Disney movie with gay character
A Florida teacher under a state investigation for showing a Disney movie featuring a gay character said she wasn’t aware the state’s controversial law banning instruction about certain LGBTQ topics had been recently expanded to apply to her grade level.
Parents of transgender kids seek to block DeSantis ban on gender-affirming care for minors
The parents of three transgender children in Florida are trying to get a federal judge to block a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, a signature policy of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he nears his presidential campaign.
'Don't Say Gay' rules expanded through 12th grade in Florida
The Florida Board of Education has voted to expand restrictions on classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity. "This amendment prohibits classroom instruction to students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 3 on sexual orientation or gender identity. For Grades 4 through 12, instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited unless such instruction is either expressly required by state academic standards ... or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend," according to the amendment.
Colorado offers safe haven for abortion, transgender care
The main goal of the legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is to ensure people in surrounding states and beyond can go to Colorado to have an abortion, begin puberty blockers or receive gender-affirming surgery without fear of prosecution.
Minnesota Senate passes transgender protections, abortion 'refuge' bills
The Minnesota Senate Friday passed a trio of proposals aimed at legally safeguarding people who come to Minnesota for abortion and gender-affirming care and outlawing what’s called conversion therapy for minors.
By the Numbers: A new map reveals where it’s OK to “Say Gay” and where it’s not
A new map produced by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) offers a snapshot of where LGBTQ+ education is under assault, and where other states are fighting back with laws explicitly requiring schools to include LGBTQ+ curricula.
Are Pride celebrations the Florida Legislature's next target?
A bill poised to pass the Florida Senate could put LGBTQ Pride festivals in the crosshairs of a push by Republican lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis to block children from attending drag shows.
The amendment filed Tuesday evening by Sen. Clay Yarborough expanded the scope of Senate Bill 1438, banning cities, counties and other governments from issuing permits for events that feature such performances.
Florida Lawmakers Pass Bill to Expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law
On International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), hundreds of students from across Florida descended on the Capitol to protest the legislature’s fast-tracking of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda of book banning and classroom censorship and assaults on academic and medical freedom.
Students switch up college plans as states pass anti-LGBTQ laws
Students, parents and college counselors say some LGBTQ youth are choosing not to attend colleges in states that have passed legislation targeting their rights.
In wake of Florida law, additional states seek to restrict certain LGBTQ discussions in schools
Bills similar to Florida’s controversial legislation that bans certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools are being considered in at least 15 states. Some of the bills go further than the Florida law, dubbed by its critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” which sparked a furious nationwide discussion about LGBTQ rights, education policy and parental involvement in the classroom.
Judy Blume eviscerates Ron DeSantis for ‘threatening’ teachers with ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Author Judy Blume has slammed Florida governor Ron DeSantis over attempts to censor education in the state, describing the current political climate to “the 1980s on steroids”.
Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
On March 21, Uganda's parliament passed a bill that would criminalise identifying as LGBTQ and compels citizens to report those who do to authorities.
Record number of anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year
At least 417 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States since the start of the year
Judge orders books removed from Texas public libraries due to LGBTQ and racial content must be returned within 24 hours
A federal judge in Texas ruled that books removed from public libraries, many because of their LGBTQ and racial content, must be placed back onto shelves immediately.
Florida bill defines drag shows as ‘serious danger to public health & safety’ for kids
Florida lawmakers have drafted legislation to ban drag show performances if children might see them in restaurants, bars, or other venues. Should the bill pass, businesses that violate the proposed rules would risk their license to operate.
FL university system under siege as state lawmakers convene for 2023 legislative session
The legislation would eliminate entire majors and courses at the state’s publicly funded universities, prohibit universities from supporting programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion among other topics.
Anti-trans bathroom bill filed in Florida Senate
A bill filed in the Florida Senate would assert legislative intent in bathrooms and locker rooms, restricting usage of single-sex facilities to genders assigned at birth.
Florida Lawmakers Proposed Allowing Trans Kids to Be Removed From Supportive Parents
A horrifying new bill out of Florida would allow the state to remove trans children from their parents’ custody if they are receiving gender-affirming medical care.
Florida lawmakers want to ban transgender residents from changing birth certificates
Florida lawmakers filed legislation to ban changing the listed sex on a birth certificate and prohibiting a state agency, political subdivision, public postsecondary institution, or person providing services to the various groups from paying for, or reimbursing, gender reassignment treatments.
Expanded ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill adds restrictions on ‘preferred’ pronouns for kids
HB 1223, filed earlier this week, would completely prohibit classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation all the way from PreK up to 8th grade. That’s an expansion often the current prohibitions banning on LGBTQ+ instruction from kindergarten through 3rd grade as well as limitations for older grades.
Florida Senate President says she believes the law's ban on LGBTQ instruction should be applied to middle school classrooms.
Florida lawmakers are considering expanding provisions of Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, to apply to students in fourth, fifth and sixth grade
More than half of LGBTQ parents in Florida say they are considering leaving the state
More than half of LGBTQ parents in Florida are considering moving their families to another state over concerns that a new Florida education law – known to its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law – stigmatizes LGBTQ identities and creates a hostile learning environment for LGBTQ children or students with LGBTQ family members.
A national 'Don't Say Gay' law? Republicans introduce bill to restrict LGBTQ-related programs
Congressional Republicans introduced a national version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The sweeping legislation would affect all federally funded facilities and programs, which would include public libraries, federally funded schools, military bases and hospitals.
Don’t Say Gay’ challengers push for clarity on how law implemented in Florida schools
Plaintiffs challenging a Florida law restricting instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in schools...
Remember how Republicans said ‘Don’t say gay’ law only applied to grades K-3? Big lie | Opinion
Remember how Republicans said ‘Don’t say gay’ law only applied to grades K-3? Big lie | Opinion