The families of two New Hampshire students, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, filed a lawsuit challenging the new state law HB 1205, which bans all transgender girls in grades 5-12 from participating in girls’ sports in public school, according to a press from GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). The lawsuit, Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut, alleges that HB 1205 denies Parker and Iris equal educational opportunities and singles them out for discrimination solely because they are transgender, in violation of federal law and constitutional guarantees of equal protection. (Update: When the girls’ soccer team at Plymouth Regional High School in New Hampshire began practice on Aug. 19 to prepare for the start of the official season on Aug. 30, Tirrell was able to join her teammates, KSRO noted. Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on that date as it related to Tirrell’s case. McCafferty’s order will remain in effect until the next hearing on Aug. 27, unless the judge issues an extension.)
A public college in Florida tossed hundreds of books in the trash—and many of the discarded titles appeared to be related to queer issues, race and women’s rights, according to NBC News. Photos and videos posted to social media by a reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune show the books in at least one dumpster and cardboard boxes in parking lots at the New College of Florida. Among the discarded books were Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, Feminist Thought and Race Music: Black Cultures From Bebop to Hip-Hop. The college claimed the act was part of “longstanding annual procedures.”
LGBTQ+-rights advocates are concerned about a U.S. Supreme Court decision that blocked the enforcement of a new Title IX rule from the Biden administration protecting trans students from discrimination in education, The Advocate reported. The court recently denied the administration’s request to enforce the rule while the appeals process continues for 10 states that have sued. The Department of Education issued the rule in April; in June, two federal courts issued injunctions against its enforcement while the legal process continues. Ian Millhiser, writing in Vox, called the ruling an “odd opinion … that seemed to abandon [the court’s] landmark civil rights decision in Bostock v. Clayton County,” the 2020 ruling in which the court found that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to elect conservative-leaning school board members across Florida had a setback on Aug. 20, as candidates backed by the Republican governor fell in several key races, Politico reported. And an Equality Florida press release echoed that news, stating that “two-thirds of DeSantis-backed candidates failed to win on Tuesday night, signaling a rejection of extremists hoping to escalate a far-right takeover of Florida schools.” Equality Florida Action PAC Chair Stratton Pollitzer said, “The results are clear: Floridians are tired of the politics of rage and division. Voters across the state—Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans—stood up to reject the extreme candidates backed by DeSantis and his allies. This election was a rejection, a repudiation, and a rebuke of an agenda that has sought to divide us rather than unite us.”
There was swift reaction after Florida quietly removed LGBTQ+ travel info from its state website, WTSP noted. Rachel Covello—the owner of OutCoast, an online LGBTQ+ travel blog that primarily focuses on Florida—said the move was shocking. A former chair of Visit Florida also questions why the section no longer exists and cites the economic harm it may pose. “I know how important every traveling group is to the state of Florida,” said Maryann Ferenc, who chaired from 2017 to 2018. “It was a very serious concern—both about the action itself and about the fact that there seemed to be so little communication to partners.” However, not all references to LGBTQ people or LGBTQ-friendly places have been removed from the site, according to NBC News. For example, if one types “LGBT” in the site’s search function, five results pop up, including three of them for venues described as “LGBT-friendly.”
San Diego Assemblymember Chris Ward was elected as the new California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair for the 2025-26 legislative sessions, while Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) will serve as vice chair, per the Times of San Diego. “At a time when there is a national wave of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and attacks, I am committed to leading our nation as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ community members seeking equality, care and refuge from harm,” Ward said. The leadership transition is set to take place on Dec. 2, 2024.
Also in San Diego, George Joseph Wellinger II is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he sent a threatening email to a member of the LGBTQ+ community who spoke to a reporter following the high-profile, hate-related murder of a Lake Arrowhead business owner last year, according to Fox 5 San Diego. Wellinger pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance to two felony counts of transmitting a threatening communication. The indictment details the email Wellinger is accused of sending the unnamed victim, who had been interviewed by a reporter with Nexstar’s KTLA following the murder of 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton over a Pride flag displayed in her business. The case against Wellinger is one of several with ties to San Diego regarding crimes based on an anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment that remain ongoing.
In Texas, a new policy prevents transgender residents from altering the gender listed on their driver’s licenses unless it’s a clerical mistake, KUT News noted. The change comes as red states across the country move to make it more difficult for transgender Americans to update their documents with the sex that matches their gender identity. Similar steps have recently been taken in Florida, Kansas and Montana. Equality Texas Interim CEO Brad Pritchett said,”Just like people who change their names after marriage want their correct name on their license, trans Texans want their driver’s license to reflect their gender. We use our IDs to navigate all areas of life, driving, voting, employment. Having an ID that reflects who you are is a basic form of dignity that many take for granted.”
A gay man said a group of D.C., Shake Shack employees attacked him after he kissed his boyfriend inside the location while waiting for their order, NBC News noted. Christian Dingus was with his partner and a group of friends at a Dupont Circle location when the incident allegedly occurred. “And while we were back there—kind of briefly—we began to kiss,” Dingus said. “And at that point, a worker came out to us and said ‘You know, you can’t be doing that here, can’t do that type of stuff here.’” The couple separated, Dingus added, but his partner got upset at the employee and insisted the men had done nothing wrong. Dingus’ partner was then allegedly escorted out of the restaurant, where a heated verbal argument occurred—and things escalated from there. Video of the alleged assault taken by a Shake Shack patron and later given to Dingus appear to show a man being shoved as two others in black Shake Shack T-shirts punch at his head. Police are investigating the case as a hate crime.
In New Hampshire, state Rep. David Love, R-Derry—who was sued for defamation by two drag queens—has agreed to pay each of them $100,000 and publicly retract the remarks he made in 2021 that prompted the lawsuit, Ink Link noted. In the suit, filed in April 2022 in Merrimack Superior Court, plaintiffs Robert Champion and Michael McMahon alleged that Love defamed them when he said publicly and falsely that Champion was a convicted sexual offender and McMahon was “rubbing butts” with children during a Drag Queen Story Time event in 2021 at the Tupelo Music Hall. After the settlement was reached, Love said, “After being provided with inaccurate information, information that I failed to verify, I publicly accused Robert Champion aka Monique Toosoon of being a registered sex offender and Michael McMahon aka Clara Divine of “rubbing butts” with children. I made those statements before the New Hampshire legislature. Those allegations were then repeated to Manchester Ink Link and before the Derry Town Council. I have since learned that those assertions were completely false. I wish to publicly retract those statements and apologize to Robert and Michael. I have agreed to monetary judgment against me for $100,000 for Robert and Michael each.”
The Columbus City Attorney’s office reached a plea deal with Trey Fetzer—an Ohio State University (OSU) student accused of urinating on a resident’s Pride flag, WOSU reported. Fetzer, 21, pled guilty to a charge of criminal trespassing. He was caught on surveillance cameras vandalizing the flag in February and shouting homophobic remarks. The victims didn’t want jail time for Fetzer but instead wanted an opportunity for restorative justice. Fetzer—who was ordered by a judge to pay $250 in fines and be placed on parole for one year—volunteered for Stonewall Cincinnati at the city’s Pride festival and attended lectures and classes with Stonewall Columbus; he was also reinstated at OSU after meeting additional requirements that the school imposed.
New financial disclosures show that the LGBTQ+ organization the Log Cabin Republicans paid Melania Trump nearly a quarter million dollars to speak at an event at Mar-a-Lago (where the Trumps reside), The Advocate reported. The latest financial disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign itemize sources of income both for the candidate and his spouse. The documents show that most of Melania’s income came from licensing fees and the sale of NFTs—but there was also one high-profile speaking engagement. Also, Melania hosted another Log Cabin event at her New York penthouse in July, per Newsweek; however, no compensation was reported for that event.
Atlanta Black Pride Weekend (Aug. 27-Sept. 1) is expected to attract over 175,000 attendees, including global influencers, artists and activists, according to 11 Alive. Atlanta Black Pride Weekend—which touts itself as the world’s largest Black Gay Pride event—will be elevated this year by efforts from Global Black Pride. The event will feature several activities for all ages, including the annual Youth Festival, the Pure Heat Community Festival and a new Freedom March planned on Sunday, Sept. 1. Atlanta’s Tamar Braxton is set to perform, while Niecy Nash-Betts will present a Trailblazer Award to her wife, Jessica Betts. The weekend will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of house music with a dedicated stage featuring renowned DJs.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that The Advocate is the 2024 recipient of the Legacy Award, per a press release. “The Advocate has long stood tall in the world of LGBTQ+ journalism,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “With a towering history as the oldest surviving LGBTQ+ publication in the country, the outlet embodies the idea of a legacy. It has served as a resource for our community for over 50 years, and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is proud to recognize the decades of tremendous work that The Advocate has produced.” The Advocate began in 1967 as a local newsletter distributed by the L.A.-based activist group Personal Rights In Defense and Education (PRIDE). The award will be presented at NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ 2024 National Convention in Los Angeles.
GLAAD issued a statement regarding the passing of legendary TV personality Phil Donahue, best known for his Chicago-set talk show. GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, “Phil Donahue was one of GLAAD and the LGBTQ community’s earliest and loudest champions. In the 1980s, he revolutionized coverage of LGBTQ people and our stories on his popular daytime talk show, prioritizing fairness and accuracy when misinformation and homophobia were rampant in the media. Using his platform to elevate the personal, human story at the heart of so many issues including HIV, coming out, trans equality, women’s equality and even facilitating the first-ever marriage for a same-sex couple to be broadcast on television, Donahue will forever be remembered as a trailblazer for equality and LGBTQ representation on TV.”
The AIDS United board of trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Jirair Ratevosian to the board, effective Aug. 21, a press release noted. A onetime Congressional candidate, Ratevosian (he/him) is an associate research scientist at Yale University, and holds appointments at the Duke Global Health Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He holds a doctoral degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, an M.P.H. from Boston University, and a B.S. from UCLA.
The late legendary Cuban singer Celia Cruz has become the first Afro-Latina woman to appear on U.S. currency, USA Today noted. The Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver manufacture these circulating quarters, according to a press release from the U.S. Mint. The reverse (tails) features a dynamic depiction of Celia Cruz flashing her dazzling smile while performing in a rumba style dress. Her signature catchphrase “¡AZÚCAR!” is inscribed on the right. This is the fourth coin in the 2024 American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program; other honorees include the queer figure the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, the Honorable Patsy Takemoto Mink, Civil War-era surgeon/activist Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and Native American writer/educator/activist Zitkala-Ša—also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin.
NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers talked about shutting down speculation that he was gay in 2013—and why the whole situation was “disrespectful” to the LGBTQ+ community, Page Six noted. “I think I was upset at the framing [of the rumor] because it was meant to shame the idea of being gay, and I have so many friends that are gay in the community,” Rodgers told author Ian O’Connor for his new biography, Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers, out now. However, in an op-ed, Outsports stated, “If Rodgers cared so much about his gay friends, why did he—in this moment—abandon the conversation? Why did he not stand up for his gay friends and their relationships? … He cared about his image, and he wanted to make sure—first and foremost—that everyone knew he was STRAIGHT STRAIGHT STRAIGHT STRAIGHT STRAIGHT STRAIGHT.
Brownie Mary Day takes place annually on Aug. 25, per a press release for Swifts Edibles. At the forefront of the edibles movement was Mary Jane Rathbun, also known as “Brownie Mary.” At one point, Rathbun worked at the AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital, where she made nearly 600 brownies a day for those who needed them. HIV/AIDS patients found that cannabis increased appetite, eased suffering and slowed their high-speed weight loss. Her work helped set the precedent that cannabis-infused edibles can be used in tandem with modern medicine to help ease the symptoms of certain health ailments.
At Variety + Rolling Stone’s Truth Seekers Summit, author/journalist E. Jean Carroll revealed what motivated her to go public with her rape accusations against former President Donald Trump and speculated on how he is handling Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy, Variety reported. “I was never, never, ever going to speak about this. And then both my parents died and that freed me,” Carroll said, explaining that her parents both died in 2016, shortly after the #MeToo movement began to gain traction nationally. Carroll and her attorney Roberta Kaplan also discussed how they thought Trump must be handling Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy. “She’s driving him crazy with her laugh,” Carroll surmised. Kaplan concurred, saying, “He cannot stand being upstaged and being beaten by a woman.” Carroll’s honor ended the annual conference spotlighting documentary production and unscripted programming.