The leader of a Catholic parish’s LGBTQ+ ministry group publicly criticized the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) support of President Donald Trump’s anti-trans actions, according to New Ways Ministry. In a letter to the editor of Syracuse, New York’s Post-Standard newspaper, Jeff Wright, the chair of the All Saints Catholic Church LGBTQIA+ Task Force also announced that in response to the USCCB’s support for Trump’s policy, the parish is starting “a support group that will provide a compassionate and inclusive space for transgender parishioners, their families and friends. The goal is to foster understanding, offer support and strengthen the sense of community within our church, where we believe in the importance of love, unconditional acceptance and support for all individuals, inclusive of all gender identities.”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a class-action lawsuit that alleges Target Corp. did not properly disclose to investors the risks of a 2023 LGBTQ+ Pride campaign that resulted in consumer backlash and caused a drop in the retailer’s stock price, The Tallahassee Democrat reported. Uthmeier and private attorneys filed the 163-page lawsuit in federal court in Fort Myers on behalf of the State Board of Administration, which manages Florida’s pension fund and other investments. The lawsuit alleges that Target made false and misleading statements about “Environmental, Social and Governance” and “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” mandates that led to the May 2023 Pride campaign.
Linda Clary—the mother of gay Republican political consultant John Umberger—spoke out after three men were convicted of murdering her son in NYC, Gay City News reported. Clary said she was feeling “a little bit overwhelmed” from the moment her son’s body was discovered by NYPD in his boss’ Upper East Side townhouse until the conviction, adding, “It’s a sense of affirmation.” Jacob Barroso, Robert DeMaio and Jayqwan Hamilton, all in their 30s, were convicted of murder, burglary, robbery, conspiracy and more for drugging five men over the course of a year in 2022; two gay men—Umberger, 33, from D.C., and 25-year-old Julio Ramirez, a social worker—were among the five dead men. Each man faces 25 years to life in prison; Judge Felicia Mennin set their sentencing for April 4.
The National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) issued a press release mourning the death of Amyri Dior, a 23-year-old Black transgender woman who was shot and killed in the early hours of Feb. 21 in Milwaukee. No arrests have been made in relation to the case, and her family believes her identity had something to do with her death. “It is hard to lose another trans sister so soon after the news about Sam and Tahiry,” said Director of Public Policy and Programs Victoria Kirby York. “It seems like every day we get news of more violence against trans people. With all this, it can be so easy to get lost in despair and anxiety. But we must continue to hope and to fight, to believe that together, we can make things better. Amyri’s family said they want all trans people to stay safe and know they are loved. This beautiful sentiment is one we all should have. It should be our goal to ensure trans people know they are loved, valued, and appreciated as they are, even while some seek to erase them.” Anyone with knowledge about the death of Dior is asked to contact the Milwaukee Police at 414-935-7360, or can contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS to remain anonymous.
After four decades of leading the fight against HIV/AIDS, Jesse Milan Jr. announced plans to retire as president and CEO of AIDS United as of July 1, per a press release. AIDS United’s board of trustees unanimously voted for Carl Baloney Jr.—the organization’s vice president for public affairs and chief policy officer—to succeed Milan. Baloney will serve as CEO-elect immediately until July 1, with his responsibilities including collaborating with Milan to ensure a smooth leadership transition and supporting strategic initiatives including engaging with key stakeholders. Following Milan’s planned retirement, Baloney will begin on July 2.
Three NYC-based LGBTQ+ political clubs delivered a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in Albany urging them to increase funding and other forms of support for trans New Yorkers and individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the next state budget, according to Gay City News. The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, and NYC Pride and Power called on state leaders to step up at a time when the federal government has launched an all-out attack on the rights of transgender Americans and critical HIV/AIDS programs. The groups’ top request was for the state to increase funding for the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund.
The global LGBTQ+ Pride celebration WorldPride, which is headed to D.C. this summer, has gotten backlash for announcing singer Grimes—who has three children with ex Elon Musk—as one of the performers, according to Them. Grimes has since sought to distance herself from Musk online, particularly after Musk performed a gesture closely resembling a Nazi salute after Trump’s inauguration in January. In addition to Troye Sivan and Jennifer Lopez, the June 6-7 festival will feature sets by Tinashe (who headlined Them’s “Pride Night Out” celebration in 2023), Marina and Paris Hilton. To some, it remains unclear to what extent Grimes has distanced herself from Musk and the U.S. far right in real life even though she recently wrote the slogan “MAKE AMERICA GAY AGAIN” in reference to Trump’s MAGA slogan.
The D.C.-based LGBTQ youth advocacy and support groups SMYAL and the Wanda Alston Foundation stated in recent messages to supporters that they face a potential funding “crisis” from Trump administration policies, The Washington Blade reported. “Right now, the Wanda Alston Foundation’s youth and staff are facing unprecedented attacks, and we are grappling with one of the most challenging funding crises in our history,” the group stated in a recent email message to supporters. In its own fundraising message sent to supporters in a Jan. 31 email, SMYAL said the potential outcome of the Trump policies, including recent executive orders, could result in SMYAL losing as much as $88,000 every month.
Stonewall National Museum, Archives and Library’s (SNMAL) Third Annual “Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes” Gala will symbolically and crucially raise awareness and funds on March 1 to support SNMAL’s 50+ year fight telling the stories of the LGBTQ+ community and ensuring it holds its place in the historic record, a press release noted. Honoree “CEO of Everything Gay” Tristan Schukraft will receive the 2025 Leadership Award; the late trailblazing LGBTQ+ activist Edie Windsor will be inducted into the historic “Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes” National Traveling Exhibition (and Windsor’s widow will receive this honor on her behalf); and special guest Diana Nyad will be at the gala for a second year to make a significant announcement. In addition, Rita Mae Brown will address guests virtually to announce the launch of the Stonewall National Women’s Fund, for which she will serve as honorary chair.
GLAAD announced that actor, producer and director Michael Urie will host the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 27, per a press release. Special guests in attendance will include Maren Morris, Cooper Koch, Doechii, the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race and more to be announced. As previously announced, Cynthia Erivo will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for making a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting the acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.
An event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., and the National Symphony Orchestra has been canceled, NBC News noted. The concert was set to take place in late May to kick off national Pride Month celebrations as Washington prepares to host the WorldPride 2025 festival. The performance was removed from the center’s programming schedule and replaced with a National Symphony Orchestra rendition of The Wizard of Oz movie score. However, National Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Jean Davidson said in a statement that the decision to postpone the performance was made before President Donald Trump took over as Kennedy Center chair. The Gay Men’s Chorus has performed at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration and at multiple Kennedy Center Honors ceremonies.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association has officially opened registration for its 2025 Global Convention, taking place Oct. 21-25 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, per a press release. The event is expected to welcome up to 2,000 LGBTQ+ and allied tourism professionals from more than 40 countries to share best business practices and collaborate on ways to create more inclusive travel experiences. Palm Springs made history in 2017 with the first all-LGBTQ+ city council in the U.S. and continues to earn a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index.
Trans Euphoria actress Hunter Schafer revealed that her new passport was issued with a male gender marker, according to NBC News. On TikTok, Schafer said she marked herself off as female in her passport application, adding added that the gender markers on her government-issued IDs have been female since she was a teenager. Schafer said that she was aware of the anti-trans policy, but did not believe it would be implemented. “Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never gonna stop being trans,” she said. “A letter and a passport can’t change that. And f— this administration.”
The Art Museum of the Americas in D.C., has canceled two major exhibitions showcasing Black and LGBTQ+ artists, referring to executive orders from President Donald Trump targeting DEI initiatives, The Advocate noted, citing The Washington Post. One canceled exhibition, “Before the Americas,” was set to open March 21 and feature 40 works by Afro-Latino, Caribbean and African American artists; the show, curated by Washington-based artist Cheryl D. Edwards, highlighted migration, colonialism and the African diaspora’s cultural impact. A second canceled exhibition, “Nature’s Wild With Andil Gosine,” focused on queer theory and colonial law in the Caribbean.
Rachel Maddow criticized MSNBC for its cancellation of Joy Reid‘s show, telling viewers it was a “bad mistake” that her network bosses let her go, Deadline noted. Maddow, the top rated personality at MSNBC, also noted that the network was dropping the two non-white anchors in primetime, with Alex Wagner also losing her show in addition to Reid. Maddow said that “feels worse than bad, no matter who replaces them. That feels indefensible, and I do not defend it.”
And on a related note, former CNN figure Don Lemon told conservative pundit Megyn Kelly “Go f–k yourself!” after she criticized Joy Reid, per Yahoo! Lemon blasted Kelly as a “troll” and “racist” on his YouTube show in a rant that lasted more than 20 minutes after she slammed Reid as “the absolute worst person on television” amid her MSNBC show’s cancellation. Lemon reminded Kelly of her own firing from NBC not that long ago and replied: “No, the worst person on television was fired from NBC and the Today show a few years ago, and that’s Megyn Kelly!”
A San Francisco lesbian’s application to the the city’s Sunshine Ordinance Task Force appears to be in doubt after Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman said he could not support the nominee because he disagrees with her, according to the Bay Area Reporter. Cynthia Dai, a former member of the San Francisco Elections Commission, first spoke at the committee’s Feb. 10 meeting, where she was the only applicant for the task force. There, several members of the public spoke against her, mainly because they didn’t like actions the elections panel took in 2022 during the city’s redistricting process. There is another applicant—San Francisco resident Honest Charley Bodkin, a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times and open government advocate; he said that he is an active member of the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council.
In California, former NFL punter Chris Kluwe—a longtime advocate for civil rights and LGBTQ+ causes—was escorted out of a Huntington Beach City Council meeting by police officers after he voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of a MAGA reference in a library plaque design, according to Instinct. During public comments, Kluwe, a Huntington Beach resident for 15 years, passionately criticized the inclusion of a MAGA reference, calling out the influence of Trumpism in his community. Despite the spectacle, the conservative-filled city council unanimously voted to approve the plaque with a small design modification. When the Minnesota Vikings released Kluwe in 2013 after being on the team since 2005, speculation ran rampant that his activism, rather than his performance, played a role in his exit.
Reacher star Alan Ritchson revealed his childhood feud with a former high school classmate, ex-US Rep. Matt Gaetz, describing the politician as his adversary, per The New York Post. “That motherf–ker. We are adversaries,” Ritchson told GQ. Ritchson was born in North Dakota, but his family moved to Florida when he was 10; he and his parents, who were both in the military, settled in Niceville in the 1990s, according to Mid Bay News. Ritchson expressed his displeasure with his fellow Floridians who continued to vote for Gaetz to represent Florida’s 1st District. Gaetz represented the district from 2016 until his resignation in 2024.