NATIONAL
HIV/AIDS organizations and others criticized an emergency rule that went into effect in Florida that could restrict access to HIV treatment for thousands of Floridians, per The Bay Area Reporter. One of the rule’s changes is the removal of the most popular HIV/AIDS treatment drug—Gilead Science’s once-daily Biktarvy—from the ADAP formulary, even though Biktarvy alone constitutes a majority of the nation’s antiretroviral market. Florida’s health department stated that the reason is “due to rising [healthcare] insurance premiums nationwide and lack of additional Ryan White Grant funding.”
In Virginia, a mock funeral organized by the Save HIV Funding Campaign took place at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, the venue hosting AIDSWatch—an annual event in the D.C. area that brings awareness to policy conversations about HIV funding, per The Advocate. Some people read their own pre-death obituaries and warned of the consequences of depriving efforts like PEPFAR and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program of resources.
Matthew N.—a transgender Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student ordered to vacate campus housing weeks before graduation—raised more than $85,000 in three days after losing family support and being denied financial aid adjustments, The Advocate noted. Matthew had spent months unable to fully register for classes due to unpaid balances. Fellow student Irene Dong said Matthew’s parents cut off financial support because of his gender identity. Because MIT calculates financial aid based on parental income, he did not qualify for institutional help.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services head Dr. Mehmet Oz reportedly pressured members of major U.S. medical societies to change their policies on gender-affirming pediatric care during a meeting this past winter, according to Them, citing The New York Times. The former daytime talk show host supposedly claimed that gender-affirming care for trans youth was not supported by medical literature, accused medical organizations of not “engaging with the evidence,” and backed rollbacks to care in countries like the UK.
The IGLTA Foundation and The Sigmund Project (which provides global resources for travel and tourism professionals) announced a new partnership to support LGBTQ+ tourism entrepreneurs and small-business owners, a press release noted. The Sigmund Project brings to the partnership its Open • Source idea hub and the SigmundVerse—a community of more than 10,000 tourism professionals. “This collaboration with The Sigmund Project is about making sure the incredible, and often overlooked talent within our global travel network has a clear path to be seen and heard,” said IGLTA Foundation Engagement Director Thomas “TJ” Chernick.
The Idaho House of Representatives passed a measure (House Joint Memorial 17) asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges—its landmark 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage across the country, per LGBTQ Nation. But the legislation lost three Republican votes (Republican Reps. Dori Healey, Mike Pohanka and Grayson Stone) compared to an identical measure (House Joint Memorial 1) that passed the state House last year. Stone reportedly said that his no vote might amount to “political suicide,” but cited the Bible as the reason for his vote.
One Institute announced that the inaugural event recognizing National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will take place Thursday, April 9, at STORIES: The AIDS Monument in West Hollywood as a partnership between One Institute and the City of West Hollywood, per a media release. The event will include docent tours elaborating on the creation of the monument and local histories of HIV/AIDS, as well as a resource fair of community partners sharing youth sexual health resources. RSVP here.
A social-media account supposedly belonging to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, appears to have been deactivated amid scrutiny over resurfaced posts, per Newsweek. When Mamdani was asked about this, he replied that Duwaji is a “private person who has held no formal position [in] my campaign or in my city hall.” According to AOL, the account glorified Palestinian terrorists and used the N-word.
WORLD
Recent remarks by Rev. Jakob Rolland—chancellor of the Diocese of Reykjavik, which includes all of Iceland—sparked a national debate on religious doctrine, LGBTQ+ rights and the boundaries of Icelandic law, New Ways Ministry noted. In part, Rolland stated that those who are attracted to the same gender can receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist—only if they are not in an active same-sex relationship; in addition, he said the Church hopes that gay people will change over time. Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Iceland’s foreign-affairs minister, immediately pushed back against Rolland’s remarks, saying, “Talking about homosexuality as a problem that needs to be ‘fixed’ or ‘changed’ is not only hurtful; it is dangerous.”
Again, Ugandan police arrested two women who were accused of kissing in public in violation of the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) 2023, Erasing 76 Crimes noted. The two women, Wendy Faith (aka musician Torrero Bae), 22, and Alesi Diana Denise, 21, were first arrested on Feb. 18 in Arua City after locals reportedly saw them kissing and contacted police. The magistrate granted bail but the reputed couple were re-arrested hours later and remanded until March 16.
Openly gay U.S. tech tycoon Peter Thiel—the libertarian billionaire backer of President Donald Trump and personal friend to Vice President J.D. Vance—delivered invitation-only lectures at a palace in downtown Rome, per The Advocate. The invitations described the talks as being “anchored on science and technology,” but the subjects included the Antichrist, Armageddon—which Thiel says is imminent—and artificial intelligence.
A group of progressive West African faith leaders condemned a proposed bill in Ghana to jail every acknowledged gay person, increase penalties for same-sex intimacy and ban “promotion” of LGBTQ+ behavior, per Erasing 76 Crimes. Meanwhile, the United Nations anti-AIDS agency (UNAIDS) issued a statement opposing a similar bill that Senegal’s National Assembly recently passed.
Italy’s Sicilia Queer Filmfest—which will run in Palermo on May 25-31—will honor Canadian filmmakers Bruce LaBruce and Louise Weard, who are both known for pushing boundaries in the LGBTQ+ film space, Variety noted. LaBruce will receive the fest’s career award dedicated to avant-garde Sicilian multi-hyphenate Nino Gennaro; Weard will be honored with the director’s first European retrospective. The fest praised Weard for pioneering a “radically nonconformist, but also rebellious and romantic, comical and humanist” body of work that “can truly be called ‘New Trans Cinema.’”
The groundbreaking UK queer dating series I Kissed A Boy and I Kissed A Girl are officially coming to an end, per Instinct. According to a spokesperson for the shows, the cancellations happened because of “funding challenges.”
Breaking Glass Pictures will bring Cherri—a Cuban drama from director Fabián Suárez—to audiences across North America on April 21, a press release noted. The film will be available on all major streaming platforms. Cherri tells the story of an aging, plus-size, and deeply romantic gay man in Havana whose yearning for connection leads him into a passionate but risky affair. “Cherri loves his husband whose lifeless body now needs his care,” Suárez said. “But Cherri is still vibrant and capable of love and desire.”
The Vanuatu Daily Post—the only daily newspaper of the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu—was banned from covering football/soccer matches after it ran a story in which a former coach of the national women’s team blamed losses on too much lesbianism among the players, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. The news outlet reported that sexual relationships with teammates led to distraction during matches.
SHOWBIZ
NBCUniversal will no longer produce first-run syndicated TV programming, ending production of shows like Access Hollywood, Access Live, Karamo and The Steve Wilkos Show, The Hollywood Reporter revealed. Karamo (which will run original programming throughout the summer) is hosted by Queer Eye veteran Karamo Brown, and began production in 2022. Access Hollywood has been in production for nearly 30 years, with its first episode airing in September 1996; Mario Lopez, Kit Hoover, Scott Evans and Zuri Hall are the show’s current hosts.
National Queer Theater will return to HERE Arts Center for the second consecutive year for the 2026 Criminal Queerness Festival as part of its HERE Hosts program, on June 9-27, per Broadway World. Selected works include Area D, written by LOUR and directed by Osh Ashruf; Syrian Soap, written by E. Zaalan and directed by Tallie Medel; and faggy faafi Cairo boy, written by Bazeed and directed by Shadi Ghaheri. National Queer Theater is the official theater partner of NYC Pride; the festival showcases new works written by artists from countries where queerness is criminalized or censored.
Emmy-, Tony- and Grammy-winning actor/singer Billy Porter is “on the road to complete recovery” after a health scare last year, USA Today noted. On Today, Porter discussed how a urinary tract infection that led to sepsis resulted in a three-day coma in September. The Pose star was also diagnosed with compartment syndrome in his leg, which causes blood-flow issues because of increased pressure in a muscle.
Jake Adicoff became the first out gay U.S. male athlete to win gold in the Winter Paralympics in Italy, The Guardian noted. His second victory came in the interval start classic. Adicoff is believed to be one of five openly gay athletes representing the United States at Milan Cortina; he had not been openly gay when he competed in the previous Paralympics.
A resurfaced portion of a Feb. 7 video shared by Beauty in Black actor Xavier Smalls shows him comparing LGBTQ+ people to murderers and calling them an “abomination,” EW revealed. Smalls—who plays male stripper Angel on the Netflix drama series created by Tyler Perry—received blowback from fans after the one-minute screen recording of his comments went viral. Smalls’ words came after he completed his three-season run on Beauty in Black, Perry’s Netflix TV series about two women whose paths cross in dramatic ways.
Janet Jackson signed a new deal with Believe Music Publishing that will have the music icon bring her entire catalog under the French music entity’s purview, Billboard revealed. Jackson has sold more than 180 million records globally and is part of the Billboard Hot 100 five-decade club—which also includes Cher and Madonna—following her feature on Cardi B’s “Principal” last October. Her catalog consists of 11 studio albums, ending with her latest, 2015’s Unbreakable; her many hits include “When I Think of You,” “Together Again” and “Rhythm Nation.”
Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story—from award-winning director Dawn Porter and Good Morning America co-anchor/executive producer Robin Roberts—is set to premiere Wed., March 25, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers; Sunday, March 29, on ESPN2; and Sunday, April 5, on ESPN, per a press release. Featuring first-hand interviews with those who knew her best, including fellow coaches, players, family and friends, as well as rare interviews with Summitt herself, alongside Billie Jean King, Peyton Manning, Dawn Staley, Tamika Catchings and others, the film underscores how Summitt’s influence extended far beyond the basketball court.