Orion Rummler, The 19th, Louisiana Illuminator LGBTQ+ advocates are gearing up for a possible second Trump administration by planning future litigation, deepening relationships in Congress and mobilizing voters. If former president Donald Trump is re-elected, advocacy groups expect him to enact anti-LGBTQ+ policies that are more far-reaching and extreme than …
Read More »House GOP Spending Bills Take Aim At Federal LGBTQ, Racial Equity Policies
Jacob Fischler, West Virginia Watch U.S. House Republicans are continuing to use government spending bills to engage in culture war battles, with legislation debated during the past week that would ban pride flags on some federal buildings, strip funding from a new museum for Latino history and target certain LGBTQ …
Read More »What Virginia’s Elections Could Mean For LGBTQ+ People
Orion Rummler, Mel Leonor Barclay Originally published by The 19th Even as Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has worked to restrict the rights of trans youth, Virginia remains the sole state in the South with more protections for LGBTQ+ people than discriminatory policies — a status that could change after this …
Read More »White House To Name Coordinator To Push Back Against Book Bans, Among New LGBTQ Protections
Ariana Figueroa, Ohio Capital Journal As part of the celebration of Pride month, the Biden administration on Thursday announced several new protections for LGBTQ+ youth and families, including the position of a federal coordinator to counter the massive wave of book bans across the country. President Joe Biden was scheduled later Thursday …
Read More »Twitter Users Denounce Sen. Marshall’s Claim President Broke Flag Rules At White House
Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall took to social media Sunday to allege President Joe Biden violated federal flag code by hanging from the White House balcony a pair of U.S. flags straddling a colorful flag honoring LGBTQ rights. Marshall declared on Twitter that Biden appeared more invested …
Read More »DeSantis Ramping Up His Campaign Against Disney Over LGBTQ+ Rights
Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix The legal fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Co. broadened Monday when a board hand-picked by the governor voted to countersue the company over its development plans. The move came less than a week after Disney filed a First-Amendment lawsuit accusing the government …
Read More »At Least 31 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Introduced This Session In Mississippi
Molly Minta, Mississippi Today Lawmakers have introduced 31 bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ Mississippians in education and health care as the first deadline to pass bills out of committee approaches. It is likely the highest number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in any state legislature so far this year, say …
Read More »House Dems to Examine Rise in Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism in ‘First of Its Kind’ Hearing
Survivors of last month’s deadly shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be among those testifying this week when federal lawmakers hold a hearing on how a surge in bigoted legislation pushed by Republicans has been linked to an uptick in violent attacks on LGBTQ+ …
Read More »Progressives Warn of Federal ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law If GOP Wins Midterms
Julia Conley, Common Dreams In addition to a nationwide abortion ban, the extension of tax cuts benefiting the wealthy, and the shredding of the social safety net through cuts to Medicare and Social Security, progressives this week are warning of another consequence of a potential takeover of Congress by the …
Read More »Supreme Court To Revisit LGBTQ Rights – This Time With A Wedding Website Designer, Not A Baker
Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton A simmering, difficult, and timely question returns to the Supreme Court this fall: What happens when freedom of speech and civil rights collide? The court took up similar questions four years ago in the famous “gay wedding cake” case, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado …
Read More »Lawmakers Answer Supreme Court Threat to LGBTQ+ Equality With Respect for Marriage Act
Members of Congress alarmed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent reversal on abortion rights and threats to other basic freedoms on Monday introduced legislation intended to ensure protections for LGBTQ+ and interracial marriages. “The Respect for Marriage Act will protect same-sex and interracial marriages from any radical or bigoted decision …
Read More »What Happens If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned? LGBTQ+ Legal Experts Are Worried About Civil Rights.
Originally published by The 19th Kate Sosin, Orion Rummler The Supreme Court’s draft opinion leak has James Esseks worried, and not just about abortion access. Esseks, the director of the LGBTQ & HIV Project at the ACLU, ticks off the civil rights laws he fears could be on the chopping …
Read More »President Biden Issues Statement On National Coming Out Day
The following is a statement issued by the White House in recognition of National Coming Out Day: “Today, we celebrate National Coming Out Day and the courage of LGBTQ+ people who live their lives with pride, create community with open arms and hearts, and showcase the strength of being your …
Read More »Texas is pushing the most anti-trans bills in the country. Advocates fear deadly consequences.
Though more research is needed, as greater numbers of anti-trans bills have been introduced across more states within the last two years, more trans homicides have taken place in those states. Orion Rummler Originally published by The 19th Texas has introduced the most bills targeting transgender youth in the country, …
Read More »20 States Sue Biden Administration Over Transgender Protections
Twenty Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration to stop the enforcement of what they say is a “regulatory overreach” in federal guidelines that ensure protections for transgender individuals from discrimination at work and in school. The states are being led by Tennessee’s Republican Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III. “This case …
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