A spokesperson for Scouting America told The Advocate that it is “surprised and disappointed by news about the potential policy change” of the Pentagon severing ties with the organization. The spokesperson added that the news is distressing especially given that “the Scouting movement has had a strong relationship with our nation’s military going back more than a century.” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused the group of trying to “attack boy-friendly spaces” when it made the decision to become “genderless.” The Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America) formally banned gay and bisexual Scouts and leaders in 1978, and that did not change until 2014.
A federal court in Philadelphia rejected the Department of Justice’s (DoJ’s) attempt to obtain highly personal medical records from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia about children receiving gender-affirming care, per The Advocate. Judge Mark A. Kearney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued an order denying DoJ subpoena demands for names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, home addresses and clinical notes covering minors treated since January 2020, saying the court lacked “statutory authority.”
Trans immigrants have faced compounded vulnerabilities during the federal immigration raids that have taken place in the LA area since June—but LGBTQ+ organizers have helped build targeted resistance in the vital areas of housing and healthcare, Q Voice News noted. For example, the TransLatina Coalition (which identifies as the largest trans-led organization in the country) worked with other nonprofit groups as part of the Immigrants Are Los Angeles collective to convince the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to pass a state of emergency proclamation (passed in October) due to the raids.
James Solomon was elected mayor of Jersey City, thwarting fellow Democrat and former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey’s bid for a political comeback more than two decades after resigning, according to PBS. Solomon, a city council member who ran on a platform of affordability, defeated McGreevey in a runoff after they finished in the top two in an initial round of voting on Nov. 4 with seven candidates on the ballot. It was the first time McGreevey ran for public office since resigning as governor in 2004, involving an announcement remembered mostly for him declaring “I am a gay American.” McGreevey’s exit was driven in part by controversy over his decision to hire a man he claimed was his lover: former Israeli naval officer Golan Cipel, who accused the then-governor of subjecting him to unwanted sexual advances.
In Ohio, Jim Petras was elected mayor of Cleveland Heights with 55% of the vote—and he may be the only out LGBTQ+ person in that political position in the entire state, The Buckeye Flame noted.
(Openly LGBTQ+ Yellow Springs Mayor Pam Conine’s term ends in December.) “City Council could pass laws all day long, but it’s the mayor who is responsible for getting things done,” Petras said. “So if you’re not getting enough done, you need a new mayor.”
In Massachusetts, the city of Cambridge laid off seven employees across diversity-related commissions, per The Harvard Crimson. The entire full-time staff of the Women’s Commission has reportedly been laid off. The changes came with a restructuring of Cambridge’s Equity and Inclusion Department (EID). Five executive directors within the EID—overseeing areas such as the Police Review Advisory Board, the city’s internal Office of Equity and Inclusion, and the Minority Business Enterprise Program, and the commissions—will now report to the city’s chief of equity and inclusion.
In Florida, authorities arrested a man for allegedly trying to run down a queer running group in West Palm Beach, per The Advocate. Mustafa El Mahmoud allegedly attempted to drive into the group several times, and he is facing charges of aggravated assault; authorities may also charge him with a hate crime. The group of about 40 people, who call themselves the Night Runners, gather twice a week at a local park; group member Rudolph Galindo said that he had approached the suspect at the park to ask if he was there for the run.
President Trump planned to issue a “full and unconditional” pardon to Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, CNN noted. Responding to the pardon on X, Cuellar thanked Trump “for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts.” In 2024, Cuellar and his wife were charged with accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities in an alleged scheme that took place from late 2014 through at least November 2021. In January 2025, Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez (both of Texas) were the only Democrats in Congress to vote for the anti-trans Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which bans federal funds for schools that allow trans athletes in girls sports per The Texas Tribune.
In Idaho, the South Central Public Health District reported a “steep increase” in HIV and HIV-3, KTVB noted. In the counties—Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls—new cases of HIV and HIV-3 in 2025 have “far outpaced total case numbers from 2024,” a news release announced. The district is encouraging residents to reduce their risk of contracting HIV by using condoms as well as obtaining up-to-date HIV and STI testing following sexual acts with new partners.
Queer Parkland survivor and activist Cameron Kasky is running against Jack Schlossberg and other candidates for Jerry Nadler’s seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District in the Democratic primary, as Nadler is retiring, Instinct noted. While other candidates cautiously position themselves as “Nadler-style progressives,” Kasky has said, “I’m running for Congress because there’s no real path forward for most Americans.” Kasky co-founded the March For Our Lives movement, which urged stricter gun laws following the Parkland, Florida, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, per The Hill.
In a Tennessee race that drew national attention, Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democratic state Rep. (and staunch LGBTQ+ ally) Aftyn Behn for the seat that Republican Congressman Mark Green gave up in July, the BBC noted. However, the Republicans won with a margin that was well below the 22-point cushion they achieved in November 2024, when President Trump won his way back to the White House. The 7th Congressional District stretches from the border of Alabama to Kentucky, and encompasses parts of Nashville; no Democrat has been elected there in more than four decades.
The NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists has launched a freelancer directory, per a release. The Freelancer Directory is a searchable database that showcases LGBTQ+ and allied freelance reporters, editors, photographers and media professionals. It’s built to make it easier than ever for vetted editors and outlets to discover writing professionals. Access is free for all NLGJA members; non-members can join the association or pay a $50 annual access charge.
New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ bar association, Q Law, formally launched in late October and recently hosted its first meet-and-greet happy hour in Collingswood, Philadelphia Gay News noted.“It starts with organizing that has been going on for, truthfully, decades through the New Jersey State Bar Association and through the state bar,” Q Law President and Weissman & Mintz LLC attorney Derek J. Demeri said regarding the organization’s origins. Before forming Q Law, LGBTQ+ members of the state’s bar association wanted to acknowledge that not only are President Donald Trump’s actions harming their clients but that queer attorneys are personally impacted by what Demeri described as hate and oppression.
Wicked writer Gregory Maguire—author of the book on which the hit musical is based—discussed faith, life as a gay Catholic and other issues at a recent event that the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University hosted, per New Ways Ministry. Maguire initially intended to write Wicked as portraying the growth and development of a truly evil figure. However, he realized that it was easy to demonize Elphaba and portray her in a way that only affirmed his point of view—but it was more rewarding to let her own perspective guide the narrative. And living her life became the book’s central theme.
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry probably won’t be voting for California Gov. Gavin Newsom if he decides to run for president, according to Deadline. “Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one but two years in a row,” she said at the New York Times’ DealBook conference. “But that’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever.” As much as Hollywood donors are already starting to align with Newsom, there is no question that the term-limited politician left the bipartisan-supported Menopause Care Equity Act unsigned in October.
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter criticized the White House for using her song “Juno” in an ICE deportation video, according to Deadline. Carpenter posted on X that the video “is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson replied, “Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
In Iowa, former Muscatine County jailer Dean Naylor—who was fired over online posts he made about Muslims and LGBTQ+ people—will receive nearly $87,000 from the county to settle a lawsuit, KWQC reported. Naylor, a jail administrator and captain in the sheriff’s department, sued, sought $1.5 million. Naylor—who had argued his firing violated his First Amendment rights—made videos on YouTube where he talked about Muslims as “pawns of the devil” and “the gay agenda.”On Jan. 11 in Parkland, Florida, Congregation Kol Tikvah will host the LGBTQ+-friendly event Modern Family-Building 101, per a release. Attendees will hear from nationally recognized physicians, genetic counselors, attorneys and mental-health professionals (including attorney Andrew Rader and genetic counselor Debbie Wasserman) as they discuss IVF best practices, surrogacy, adoption, mental health and other topics.