NATIONAL
On March 31, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy” for minors, The Advocate reported. The decision elevates the free-speech doctrine over a growing body of medical evidence and leaves LGBTQ+ youth more exposed to a practice that medical groups have long described as harmful. “This ruling is a profound failure of both logic and moral responsibility that confuses ‘free speech’ with ‘false speech,’” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen in a statement. “It opens the door for quackery to flourish and allows practitioners of a thoroughly debunked practice to continue harming LGBTQ+ youth under a thin veneer of legitimacy.”
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was one of the many who criticized the Supreme Court decision, The Advocate noted. “The Supreme Court is absolutely wrong,” Beshear said hours after the ruling. “Torture is never free speech. It’s just torture. And faith has been used at different times to try to justify torture, and it’s always, always been wrong.”
Andrea Shorter—a Black lesbian and longtime San Francisco political operative and queer-rights activist—died at age 60, per The Bay Area Reporter. Shorter was a former trustee on the City College of San Francisco board, and she served on the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women for many years, including as its president. Since 2011, Shorter was the CEO of Atlas Leadership Strategies, which does political leadership coaching, according to her Facebook page.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed five GOP bills that would have placed new bans on transgender children, The Wisconsin Examiner noted. Evers said that the legislation “stirs harmful rhetoric, negatively affects Wisconsinites’ and kids’ mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites, especially our trans and nonbinary kids.” According to the American Civil Liberties Union, there have been about 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced throughout the country so far this year.
Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill criminalizing transgender people for using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, according to The Advocate. A first offense is punishable by up to one year in jail, while a second conviction within five years can be charged as a felony, carrying a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. “He signed [the bill] while we held a [Transgender Day of Visibility] rally out front,” Idaho advocate Nikson Mathews told The Advocate.
WORLD
Delegates at the United Nations 70th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) recently overwhelmingly voted against considering a proposal by the United States to adopt an anti-trans definition of “gender,” LGBTQ Nation noted. On March 19, the U.S. introduced a resolution calling on U.N. member states to officially define “gender” as referring only to men and women, claiming that the landmark Beijing Declaration on women’s rights, adopted in 1995, already defined gender as “referring to men and women.” However, a letter from the progressive Women’s Rights Caucus circulated among delegates noted that the commission did not adopt a specific definition of “gender” in 1995, Devex reported.
The IGLTA Foundation—the philanthropic arm of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA)—released its latest report, Redefining LGBTQ+ Travel: Engaging ‘Innovation Agents’ to Effect Change, per a press release. The report captures the collective insights and strategies shared from the IGLTA Foundation’s Leadership Think Tank held during the 2025 IGLTA Global Convention in Palm Springs.
A Canadian parliamentary committee held a hearing to study the situation of members of the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda, Erasing 76 Crimes noted. Steven Kabuye, Meddie Ssentongo and Christopher Nkambwe (founder of the African Centre for Refugees in Ontario, Canada) shared their experiences and called on the Canadian government to do more to stand up for queer Ugandans. “Survival is now an act of defiance,” Kabuye said.
“Spectrosynthesis Seoul” opened on March 20 and will run through June 28 at the Art Sonje Centre in Seoul, The South China Morning Post noted. Dedicated to exploring LGBTQ+ themes and celebrating queer artists, it is the first large-scale exhibition of its kind in South Korea. The show was curated by Art Sonje Centre Artistic Director Sun-jung Kim, and Chinese University of Hong Kong cultural-studies instructor Yong-woo Lee.
A new coalition of LGBTQ+-rights advocates launched in Malawi, per Erasing 76 Crimes. The Utawaleza (“rainbow,” in Chichewa) Coalition was established with support from the United Nations Development Program; it will push for legal reforms and protect sexual and gender minorities in a country where same-sex relations remain illegal.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of the Russian collective Pussy Riot, was formally indicted for allegedly violating Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“The foreign agent law”) and added to the federal wanted list, per a media release. Russia’s Investigative Committee concluded its investigation into the criminal case and sent it to the prosecutor’s office. Part 2, Article 330.1 punishes individuals designated as “foreign agents”—which Tolokonnikova was designated as in 2021—with up to two years in prison for failure to comply with obligations.
The 45th İstanbul Film Festival (April 9-19) has excluded its queer cinema section for the second consecutive year, prompting criticism from LGBTQ+ activists and filmmakers, Bianet noted. The İstanbul Culture and Arts Foundation, which organizes the festival, had previously assured people that the “Where Are You My Love?” category would return in 2026. The İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week Committee criticized the festival organizers’ for giving in to political pressure.
Canadian musical icon Celine Dion announced on her birthday that she will return to the stage this fall with 10 concerts scheduled in Paris in September and October, Reuters noted. The announcement was simultaneously advertised through a light show on the Eiffel Tower. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale on April 7, while the general sale will start April 10.
Queer Oscar nominee/Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner Cynthia Erivo will sit for a career-spanning conversation at England’s University of Oxford on May 5, Variety noted. Erivo will join Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, to sit for the discussion and to accept the inaugural Icon Award. Erivo will also announce an eponymous scholarship for the USC School of Dramatic Arts and the Cynthia Erivo Film Bursary for Oxford.
Olympic, world and European champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron were named Skaters of the Year at the 2026 ISU Figure Skating Awards that took place in Prague, Czechia, per Olympics.com. “It’s been a great lesson for us to believe that we can achieve more and that we can choose our own journey,” Cizeron said. Cizeron, who’s openly gay, had to deal with controversy earlier this year after former partner Gabriella Papadakis said he was “controlling, demanding and critical,” The Advocate noted.
SHOWBIZ
Netflix hosted an intimate tastemaker event in celebration of the upcoming comedy thriller series Big Mistakes that featured queer co-creator/showrunner/star Dan Levy talking with co-creator/executive producer Rachel Sennott, a press release noted. Taking place at the L.A. spot Max & Helen’s, guests enjoyed an unfiltered Q&A alongside the food. Big Mistakes will premiere April 9 on Netflix.
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale married her longtime girlfriend, influencer Lala Ronay, in a secret Miami ceremony, per LGBTQ Nation. Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever posted “OMG” and “CONGRATSSS 
” while the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart added “Waittt so married in Miami???? omggggggg 
congrats!!!!!!!!!”
Emmy-winning Euphoria actor and style icon Zendaya recently bought a wedding dress for lesbian bride Alex Warren, according to Them. Famed stylist Law Roach, who often arranges Zendaya, also stepped in to assist. Warren’s partner, KB White, told Them that the couple answered a casting call for a wedding dress shopping opportunity connected to the upcoming film The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.
Lesbian icons Indigo Girls and indie-folk mainstays Trampled by Turtles are set to headline the 2026 Evanston Folk Festival, which will take place Sept. 12-13 at the Chicago suburb’s Dawes Park, per Pollstar.
Rising Los Angeles-based butch artist Rio Romeo debuted their newest pop-punky single/video, “Jane Freaks Me Out,” a press release noted. “‘Jane Freaks Me Out’ is an example of the classic ‘He-picked-me-up-in-his-truck-and-I-felt-butterflies’ song stereotype but if it was flipped on its head to instead be about a very cool, very hot lesbian driving an old Toyota Crown,” Romeo said.
Tom of Finland Foundation announced the return of its Tom of Finland Emerging Artists Competition, judged by an international panel of creatives including Willy Chavarria, Jess Cuevas, Peaches, Jack Pierson, Stefano Pilati, Pietro Spirito, Mickalene Thomas and Gray Wielebinski, a press release noted. Submissions may include photos, drawings, paintings, collages, sculptures, 3D works, digital art or mixed media. All entries must be submitted by May 8.
Gay former New England Patriots player Ryan O’Callaghan responded to Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson’s anti-gay socila-media rant, saying in his six seasons in the NFL he’d never heard anything like this homophobia from any of his teammates, Outsports noted. “The first thing I would do is find information about a sports psychologist and discretely leave it in his locker,” O’Callaghan said. He added that more important to him as a gay player in sports would have been the comments from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who has responded to Henderson’s comments with messages of inclusion. Henderson—defending NBA player Jaden Ivey, who was cut from the NBA’s Chicago Bulls for his own homophobic public comments—posted, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” citing a Bible verse.
Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell was shown uttering an anti-gay statement in a video highlighting an exchange between the singer and a beachgoer over property boundaries, per Instinct. In the footage, Littrell is heard saying, “You wanna be gay? You wanna be a pu**y?” During the exchange, Kyle Gallagher is also heard saying, “Look at this gay s–t” while laughing, as both men begin recording each other.
A new musical based on the New York Times “Notable Book” and the David Ebershoff novel The Danish Girl is being developed, per Broadway World. The new musical adaptation centers on the groundbreaking story of Lili Elbe, one of the most famous figures in transgender history. In a contemporary art gallery, a woman stands before the century-old paintings by Gerda Wegener and Lili Elbe, searching for the truth behind the mythology of their lives and queer love. The show is about the legacy these two trailblazers left and their relevance almost a hundred years later.
Megan Thee Stallion was hospitalized in New York City after she became ill during a performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway and was forced to exit mid-show, Variety noted. (She pulled out of performances on April 1.) What was planned as an eight-week engagement for Megan at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre began on March 24 and was set to end on May 17. After seven years on Broadway, the production will close on July 26.
And Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay will make her Broadway debut in the hit play Every Brilliant Thing, taking over for current star Daniel Radcliffe when he ends his limited engagement in May, Deadline noted. Hargitay will debut Tuesday, May 26; the play’s run has been extended through Sunday, June 28, at the Hudson Theatre.