Senate Democrats were upset after Democratic-turned-Independent senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) and Joe Manchin (I-West Virginia)—two longtime members of their caucus—voted to block President Biden’s nominee, Lauren McFerran, to serve another five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board, according to Yahoo! News.
Some angry Democratic senators even said they’ll be happy when Sinema (a member of the LGBTQ+ community) and Manchin are out of the Senate next year. Had Sinema or Manchin voted yes, the nominee would have likely passed 50-49 and would have given Democrats a majority on the agency assigned to safeguard employees’ rights to organize until 2026. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders called the duo’s opposition “pathetic.”
In Texas, Odessa voters rejected three incumbent City Council members just one month after they voted to implement an anti-trans bathroom ban—and replaced one with the city’s first out gay council member, The Advocate noted. Out member-elect Craig Stoker, who heads Meals on Wheels in Odessa, won his November election for at-large City Council member with 56 percent of the vote—in the same county President-elect Donald Trump won 76 percent of the vote. Mayor Javier Joven strongly supported the ban, stating that it was “important to prioritize the safety and privacy of the majority”; however, he lost his re-election bid to Cal Hendrick, who campaigned on repairing infrastructure.
Los Angeles Blade publisher Troy Masters died unexpectedly on Dec. 11 at age 63, per The Washington Blade. Masters had decades of experience, mostly in LGBTQ+ media. He founded Gay City News in New York City in 2002 and relocated to Los Angeles in 2015; two years later, he became the founding publisher of the Los Angeles Blade. GLAAD Chief Communications Officer Rich Ferraro said in a statement that Windy City Times received that “Troy advanced the power and impact of LGBTQ media in historic ways. He was a relentless, passionate, and beloved leader in our community who helped create groundbreaking stories and news coverage that will continue to better our community for years to come. We mourn with his colleagues, family, and friends.” According to Gay City News, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Masters’ death a suicide. Masters is survived by his mother, Josie Kirkland, and his sister, Tammy Masters, of Greenbrier, Tennessee; his father, Jimmy Davis Masters, of Gallatin; and his former partner and friend of 23 years, Arturo Jiminez, of Los Angeles.
President-elect Donald Trump named Jacob Helberg—a prominent gay tech executive and vocal advocate for tough policies on China—as his nominee for undersecretary of State for economic growth, energy and the environment, The Advocate noted. Helberg is a former Democratic donor who supported fellow gay figure Pete Buttigieg when he ran for president in 2020. The undersecretary position oversees international economic policy, including trade, technology, energy resources, global food security and environmental issues.
President-elect Donald Trump also announced that he will nominate anti-trans lawyer Harmeet Dhillon to be the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, according to Them. Dhillon has represented high-profile conservative clients, including ex-Google engineer James Damore, who claimed that he was fired from Google for supporting conservative politicians such as Trump; ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who she represented in a gender discrimination lawsuit from former Fox producer Abby Grossberg; and “detransitioner” activist Chloe Cole, who Dhillon represented in a 2023 lawsuit against the healthcare system Kaiser Permanente. Created by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Civil Rights Division is meant to protect civil and constitutional rights for Americans (particularly those from marginalized communities) and enforce federal statutes barring discrimination on the basis of categories like race, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Speaking of Trump’s picks, Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth apparently softened his stance against women in combat and gays in the military after he previously suggested they shouldn’t be allowed in those roles, Politico noted. Hegseth has called policies allowing gays and trans troops to serve in the military part of a “Marxist agenda.” But recently, when he met with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), reporters asked him whether he thought gay people should serve in the military, with Hegseth replying, “Yes.” And Hegseth called women “some of our greatest warriors” during a recent Fox News appearance. The apparent pivot comes as Hegseth faces allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, according to ABC News. This civil suit, filed in Collin County, is one of the first challenges in the U.S. to shield laws that Democrat-controlled states passed to protect physicians after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The lawsuit accuses New York Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter of violating Texas law by providing the drugs to a Texas patient, and the state seeks up to $250,000. Texas bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy and has been one of the most aggressive states at pushing back against abortion rights.
Manhattan resident Rasheen Everett was sentenced to up to 29 years to life in prison by Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky for strangling trans woman Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar at her home in 2010, QNS reported. (He also poured bleach over her body in an attempt to hide evidence before taking her personal belongings.) Everett was re-tried after his 2013 conviction was overturned due to a judge’s mistake during a trial that opened on Sept. 18, with closings on Oct. 2. Justice Yavinsky sentenced Everett to 25 years to life in prison on the murder charge, 15 years on the burglary charge to run concurrently, and two to four years on a charge of tampering with physical evidence to run consecutively.
In South Carolina, Darlington Mayor Curtis Boyd apologized after being seen and heard saying an anti-gay slur when speaking to someone during a public comment period, WMBF reported. Someone approached the podium demanding an investigation into Boyd, claiming the mayor didn’t live within city limits; Boyd responded, eventually using the slur (reiterating what the resident said). Talking with the media outlet, Boyd said he was sorry for the language many found inappropriate, adding that he felt attacked in the situation and only repeated what was said to him.
In California, Oceanside police officer St. Tyler Peppard has filed suit against that city, alleging that his fellow officers discriminated against him and harassed him after finding out he was gay, and that he was then retaliated against after reporting the misconduct, per NBC San Diego. Peppard also has included the department and city in the suit. “Your lifestyle choices do not add up to the values of our police department,” Field Training Officer Matt Byrd allegedly told Peppard, according to the lawsuit. “Your dad is probably disappointed and embarrassed. He probably would prefer you turn in your badge and gun.” The city said it’s investigating Peppard’s claims.
The Rev. T.D. Jakes, of The Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, has filed a defamation lawsuit against former pastor/registered sex offender Duane Youngblood, who alleged he was sexually assaulted by Jakes when he was a teenager some 40 years ago, per The Christian Post. In the suit, Jakes’ attorneys detailed Youngblood’s history of abusing minors since at least 2002. Youngblood claimed in interviews with internet personality Larry Reid on his Larry Reid Live show on Oct. 28 and Nov. 3 that Jakes assaulted him when Youngblood was about 18 or 19 years old. Asked about Jakes’ lawsuit Wednesday, Youngblood’s attorney, Tyrone A. Blackburn, sent a statement saying, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? T.D. [Jakes’] chickens have finally come home to roost. Stay tuned.”
News is Out has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation to spearhead the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project, according to a LinkedIn post from the organization. This research initiative will document the status of LGBTQ+ media in the country., helping to secure funding and resources for outlets sharing vital stories from our community. In collaboration with CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and the Local Media Foundation, this project will survey 150+ LGBTQ+ media outlets and deliver a comprehensive report and map in summer 2025. This is an important step in sustaining LGBTQ+ storytelling in today’s media landscape.
Beginning next month, the Atlanta-based LGBTQ+ media outlet Georgia Voice will have a new look—and fewer print issues, per Press Pass Q. The publication has been sold to “hyperlocal” news publisher Rough Draft Atlanta and will begin publishing under Rough Draft’s website. In addition, Georgia Voice will scale back from two issues per month to one; the format will also change to a larger size and will be printed on higher quality paper stock. Georgia Voice has been the city’s primary queer media outlet since it was launched 15 years ago.
Three Catholic grandmothers are protesting the closure of an LGBTQ+ ministry in a Wisconsin parish, telling the local archbishop that “we need to accept everyone as they are rather than ask them to reject themselves so that they might be worthy of the church’s love,” New Ways Ministry noted. The women sent a letter to Archbishop Timothy Listecki of Milwaukee requesting that the Gay and Straight in Christ (GASIC) group at St. Mary Parish, Hales Corners, be re-established, according to the National Catholic Reporter. In January 2024, according to the sources the Reporter interviewed, St. Mary’s pastor Fr. Aaron Laskiewicz shut down the GASIC ministry and meetings, citing directives from the Milwaukee Archdiocese to uphold traditional teachings on marriage and sexuality.
Republican Congressional candidate Randy Fine filed a bill in the Florida Senate to ban local governments, public schools and state universities from displaying flags promoting a “fictional” Palestine, “pro-violence” Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights and other “woke” topics, per The Jerusalem Post. “Supporters of Muslim terror, child mutilators, and groomers have no right to taxpayer sponsorship of their repugnant messages,” Fine said in a news release. “I am exhausted having to respond to these ridiculous bills people like Randy Fine keep filing instead of solving the real problems Floridians are facing,” said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, who became the first openly gay Latin person in the legislature when he was first elected in 2016. Fine has resigned from the Florida Legislature effective March 31 to run for Congress, so he will be in office only for half of the 2025 session.
Transgender pageant model Tiana “Midori” Monet of Seattle was crowned Miss International Queen: USA 2025, per a press release. Olivia Lauren of Orlando, Florida, was named 1st runner-up while Khloe Rios-Wyatt of Santa Ana, California, was 2nd runner-up at the event, which was held in Las Vegas’ Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall. Highlights at the event, hosted by Be the Transformational Change Fund, included the national costume and talent show, preliminary night and the crowning ceremony. The grand finale featured performances from Jazell Barbie Royale and Chicago drag legend Mimi Marks as well as special appearances by LGBTQIA+ advocates and entertainers such as actress Alexandra Billings and the outgoing Miss International Queen: USA, Kataluna Enriquez.
Billionaire author/philanthropist MacKenzie Scott (the former wife of Jeff Bezos) acknowledged another $2 billion in donations, bringing the total she’s given away since 2019 to $19.2 billion, Yahoo! News noted. She also revealed new information about how she was managing her wealth, saying she had directed advisors to invest her funds into “mission-aligned ventures.” Organizations have said they’ve responded to questions from an anonymous donor who turned out to be Scott or just received an email or cold call without any application at all. In the queer arena, she has awarded the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland $2 million through her charitable organization Yield Giving, among other organizations.
The Illinois man charged with assaulting U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace was let go and ordered to remain at least 100 yards away from her, ABC News noted. James McIntyre, 33, faces a charge of assaulting a government official, according to Capitol Police; he pled not guilty to the charge in a hearing via video before being released. Mace has said she tried to pull her hand away while McIntyre vigorously shook it but was held by him, who allegedly told her, “Trans youth deserve advocacy.” Mace recently proposed a ban on transgender people from using restrooms corresponding to their gender identity on Capitol Hill.
In Washington state, the Ellensburg City Council cut funding for Pizza Klatch, a program for LGBTQ+ youth, after Councilman Joshua Thompson claimed the program indoctrinates “impressionable” youth and turns them gay or transgender, Metro Weekly noted. Held weekly, Pizza Klatch—which the city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission previously funded—brings together more than two dozen youths at Ellensburg High School and gives them a safe space to congregate and socialize with one another over pizza during their lunch period. Thompson also objected to the lack of parental consent required to participate in the program, which is open to all students.
Pittsburgh’s oldest gay nightspot, The Brewer’s Bar, has been sold and will be closing early next year, CBS Pittsburgh reported. In an announcement on social media, the owners thanked everyone who has helped support the 45-year-old bar and said that the new owner “has amazing things in store for you all.” The owners also asked people to continue to support other LGBTQ+-inclusive bars around the city, including Blue Moon, P Town, Lucky’s and 5801.