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Howard Brown Health calls on businesses, LGBTQ events to re-implement COVID restrictions
--From a Howard Brown press release
(Chicago, IL, July 28, 2021) — Howard Brown Health, the Midwest's largest LGBTQ healthcare organization, is imploring local businesses and public event producers to implement strict COVID-19 safety and prevention ...
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Pritzker signs bill decriminalizing HIV transmission, other pro-LGBTQ measures
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a legislative package on July 27 at Center on Halsted that, effective immediately ends the decades-long law criminalizing HIV transmission in Illinois. Illinois is now the second such state to repeal ...
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CDC: Some vaccinated people should wear masks indoors
To prevent further spread of the Delta variant, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on July 27 to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors when in areas with ...
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Lightfoot: Mask mandates may return to Chicago
People may not want to toss those face masks. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told The New York Times she will consider reinstating a mask mandate and other restrictions if the city starts to consistently record more ...
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PrEP pills to be free for insured people
The U.S. government has stated that nearly all health insurers must cover the entire cost of HIV prevention treatments, according to U.S. News & World Report. That includes the two approved pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs Truvada ...
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Federal judge blocks Arkansas anti-trans healthcare law
Judge James M. Moody Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas temporarily blocked an Arkansas law that would have banned physicians in the state from providing transition-related healthcare—e.g., hormones and puberty ...
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Howard Brown Health announces new leader for The Center for Education, Research, and Advocacy
--From a press release
(July 21, 2021— Chicago, IL) Howard Brown Health is pleased announce Brandon Hill, PhD (he/him/his) as Howard Brown Health's new executive director for the Center for Education, Research, and Advocacy ...
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Soapbox travels to Chicago to raise hand-hygiene awareness
Clean beauty company Soapbox unveiled the world's biggest bottle of soap in New York City's Times Square on July 15, marking the launch of a multi-city tour aimed at raising awareness for the importance of hand ...
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AMA Foundation begins fellowship program to address LGBTQ+ health disparities
--From a press release
CHICAGO — The American Medical Association Foundation (AMA Foundation) today announced the University of Wisconsin—Madison as the inaugural institution of its National LGBTQ+ Fellowship Program to begin transforming the health ...
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U.S. Sen. Warnock to headline Personal PAC's annual luncheon
--From a press release
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) is slated to be a featured speaker at the Personal PAC 28th Annual Awards Luncheon on Wed., Oct. 20. The event will take place virtually and feature several pro-choice leaders. More ...
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Minnesota governor bans conversion therapy
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed a bill that bans the discredited practice of conversion therapy, KARE11.com reported. The state will become the 21st to ban the practice that tries to change a person's sexual orientation ...
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30th Annual 2021 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago to benefit 25 groups, AIDS Foundation Chicago
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Now in its 30th year, AIDS Run & Walk Chicago returns to Soldier Field on Saturday, October 2 to support individuals living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. AIDS Run & ...
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Israel court: Surrogacy for same-sex couples should be allowed
On July 11, Israel's High Court of Justice ruled hat the state must allow same-sex couples and single men to become parents through surrogacy, after the government said last week that passing a law to this ...
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WORLD Anti-LGBTQ crimes, conversion therapy, out prime minister, Pakistan school
In England, police are treating the painting of a homophobic slur on an LGBTQ Pride mural as a hate crime, the BBC reported. The wall in St Helens, Merseyside, which was painted by volunteers and artists ...
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Results of South Side community center survey released
Community advocates released the initial findings from a survey examining the needs for LGBTQ residents on the city's South Side on July 8. That assessment will largely determine the scope of a $15 million LGBTQ community ...
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CDC: Fully vaccinated students and teachers don't need masks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said July 9 that fully vaccinated teachers, students and staff can return back to K-12 schools without wearing masks, Politico reported. On its website, the CDC stated, "Students ...
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HHS to improve interoperability for handling data on sexual orientation, gender identity
--From a press release
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) today released the United States Core Data for Interoperability version 2 (USCDI v2), a standardized set of he ...
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Ohio governor OKs anti-LGBTQ healthcare amendment
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, approved a last-minute amendment to a budget bill that allows medical providers and insurers "the freedom to decline to perform, participate in, or pay for any health care service which ...
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Dance for Life to present 10 companies, world-premiere finale
Chicago Dancers United (CDU), which supports the health and wellness of Chicago's professional dance community, announced an expanded lineup and program for the 30th anniversary of its annual fundraiser, Dance for Life, which takes place in ...
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ALMA, AFC host Latino/a/x-focused COVID-19 grand rounds virtual presentation
Association of Latino/as/x Motivating Action (ALMA) and AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) hosted a "COVID-19 Grand Rounds—Systemic Racism and Health Disparities: The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino/a/x populations" virtual presentation July ...
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Howard Brown Health selects first Black woman as board chair
Howard Brown Health announced the board of directors has elected Chef Fresh Roberson (they/them, she/her) as its next chair after serving as executive vice chair, secretary and board member at large since July 2016. Roberson is ...
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HEALTH Chicago's South Side Help Center receives $2M grant
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its national list of 95 community-based organizations (CBOs) granted funding to develop and implement high-impact human immunodeficiency ...
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Illinois reports no new COVID deaths for a full day, first time in 16 months
On July 5—for the first time in nearly 16 months—Illinois went a full day without losing a resident to COVID-19, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported no new COVID-19 fatalities that ...
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Gov. Pritzker signs legislation making healthcare more accessible, affordable
--From a press release
DOWNERS GROVE — Joined by healthcare providers and legislative leaders at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, on July 6, signed legislation that will help make healthcare more accessible and affordable for Illinois resident ...
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Gilead requests approval of twice-a-year HIV medication
Biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences recently submitted a new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—and it's for the drug lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV inhibitor that is under clinical ...
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LGBTQ+ South Side Needs Assessment Community Report Out July 8
--From a press release
In late 2019, Howard Brown Health partnered with Pride Action Tank to develop and conduct a community input process to inform decision making regarding plans for the health care and LGBTQ+-affirming social services facility it will ...
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Pritzker administration awards nearly $95M to equity-focused healthcare
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker today announced $94.3 million will be awarded in the state's inaugural round of Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives funding. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services will ...
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National LGBT Cancer Network releases groundbreaking survey
The National LGBT Cancer Network has released Out: The National Cancer Survey—the largest-ever LGBTQIA+ cancer survivor poll, according to a press release. The report is based on findings from over 2700 respondents across the United States, ...
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HRC Foundation, SAGE release first edition of 'Long-Term Care Equality Index'
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the foundation's educational arm, and SAGE, the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ older adults, released the first edition of the Long-Term Care Eq ...
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WORLD Peter Tatchell, conversion therapy, Hong Kong ruling, Mexico report
Longtime British LGBTQ-rights activist Peter Tatchell is the subject of the new Netflix documentary Hating Peter Tatchell. According to an op-ed he penned for The Guardian, Tatchell has "been violently assaulted [more than] 300 times, had ...
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Making Gay History Podcast to launch Season 9:"Coming of Age During the AIDS Crisis"
--From a press release
NEW YORK, NY — Thursday, June 24, 2021 — The award-winning Making Gay History podcast will debut its ninth season, "Coming of Age During the AIDS Crisis," on July 1, 2021. After eight seasons of episodes ...
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Study: More than half of LGBTQ adults have been threatened with violence
--From a Williams Institute press release
An estimated 53% of LGBTQ adults report having experienced threats of violence since the age of 18, and three out of four had been verbally insulted or abused. The findings are part of a new report ...
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City of Chicago's STI/HIV testing clinics reopen
The Chicago Department of Public Health's (CDPH's) STI/HIV testing and STI treatment clinics have reopened. As of June 1, CDPH's Austin and Lake View Specialty Clinics (at 4909 W. Division St. and 2849 N. Clark St., ...
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1.2 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. identify as nonbinary
--From a press release
An estimated 11% of LGBTQ adults in the U.S.—approximately 1.2 million people—identify as nonbinary, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. The majority of them are under age 29, ...
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HRC Foundation launches national HIV/AIDS campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation announced the launch of "My Body, My Health," a comprehensive public education campaign that works toward building a generation free of HIV/AIDS and stigma. ...
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Cost-free breast-health testing offered to hospitality workers
The Illinois Restaurant Association announced a new partnership with A Silver Lining Foundation to provide uninsured hospitality employees with respectful and equal access to cost-free breast-health testing through a network ...
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VA to offer surgery to transgender vets for the first time
U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough announced that officials, for the first time, will offer surgeries for transgender veterans seeking to transition, Military Times reported. The move follows ...
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Pride celebration with Lightfoot, tennis legend King on June 24
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and tennis legend Billie Jean King will co-host a virtual Pride celebration Thursday, June 24, 6-7 p.m. Howard Brown Health's Dr. Magda Houlberg, Chicago House's Avi Rudnick and Brave Space Alliance's LaSaia ...
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Pritzker announces $10M vaccination lottery
As Illinois continues to lead the Midwest in vaccinating our residents, Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new $10 million "All In for the Win" promotion that will reward vaccinated Illinoisans by automatically entering them into a ...
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U.S. Supreme Court upholds Affordable Care Act
On June 17, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a decision that will leave the law intact and save healthcare coverage for millions of U.S. residents. According to ...
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AMA reinforces opposition to restrictions on transgender medical care
--From a press release
CHICAGO - The American Medical Association (AMA) today strengthened its established position opposing the governmental intrusion into the practice of medicine that is detrimental to the health of transgender and ...
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Research documents disproportionate harms of discrimination on LGBTQ People of Color
--From a press release
Today, a coalition of leading LGBTQ rights groups joined together to release the most extensive summaries to date of scholarly data on the intersection of anti-LGBTQ and racial discrimination. The research brief, authored by the What ...
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Essential tips for your COVID-free travel
COVID-19 will make travel a bit more complicated this summer. Going to Europe? Taking a cruise? Visiting Hawaii, San Juan or St. Lucia? Or maybe you are planning a road trip? The rules for traveling responsibly ...
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New Broadway Youth Center being readied for 2021 opening
Work continues on Howard Brown Health's (Howard Brown) new 20,000 square-foot Broadway Youth Center (BYC) facility at 1053 W. Irving Park Rd. BYC has spent years looking for a permanent home. After launching in Lake View, ...
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Howard Brown Health looks ahead to post-pandemic Chicago
As more Chicagoans get vaccinated against the COVID-19 infection, officials at Howard Brown Health (Howard Brown) are preparing their responses to a health landscape that will likely be much different from what it was before the ...
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HIV at 40: Erie Family Health Center, focused on helping at-risk communities
HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects Black communities—with Black gay and bisexual Black men and Black trans women being the most affected population than any other group in the country. More specifically, one in two Black MSM (men who ...
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HIV at 40: Dr. Anthony Fauci on the early days of another pandemic
Dr. Anthony Fauci has been called "America's doctor"—and with good reason. His face and advice regarding COVID have seemingly been omnipresent since the virus affected the masses early in 2020. However, decades before the word "coronavirus" ...
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Howard Brown Health announces first Fellowship Class of Future Public Leaders Program
--From a Howard Brown Health press release
(Chicago, Ill., June 7, 2021) - Howard Brown Health is honored to announce the first six fellows to receive paid internships as part of the Gregory Shapen Public Health Fellowship Endowment Fund. The program was established ...
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Harold J. Phillips appointed director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy
--From a press release
Statement from Jeffrey S. Crowley, distinguished scholar and director of the Infectious Disease Initiatives at the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center: I applaud President Biden's appointment of ...
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Gov. Pritzker issues guidelines for Illinois reopening on June 11
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD — Following weeks of steady decreases in new positive COVID-19 cases and with over 67% of residents age 18 and older receiving their first vaccine dose, Governor JB Pritzker is releasing guidelines for Phase 5 ...
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Planned Parenthood Illinois launches COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) is kicking off a summer-long COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign with two virtual Community Conversations on June 17 and June 24 (Spanish language event) ...
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Howard Brown, partners launch research collaborative on COVID and LGBTQs
In order to bridge the gap in knowledge about COVID-19 health experiences for LGBTQ people, five federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that specialize in reducing barriers to care for LGBTQ populations—along with The PRIDE Study, the ...
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Celebrating 5M LGBTQ+ with disabilities for Pride 2021
--From a press release
Washington, D.C., June 1 — June once again marks National LGBTQ+ Pride Month and offers the nation the opportunity to reflect on the incredible contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. Our nation is at its best when ...
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Wisconsin Governor blocks use of federal money for conversion therapy for minors
--From a press release
MADISON, WI — Today, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed an Executive Order directing the Department of Health Services (DHS), the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the Department of ...
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GLAAD at Pride: Protect the most vulnerable among us
--From a press release
New York, NY - Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today released a statement to honor the start of Pride Month, highlighting the ...
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Chicago drag personality and store offer 'Bella Box by Denali'
Chicago drag queen/figure skater Denali Foxx (from season 13 of RuPaul's Drag Race) is partnering with the Chicago "highbrid" boutique Canna Bella Lux and the Chicago LGBTQ+ collective Peach Presents on the Bella Box by Denali—a ...
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Kelsey Louie to step down as CEO of GMHC
After seven years leading the New York City-based HIV/AIDS services organization GMHC (formerly known as Gay Men's Health Crisis), Kelsey Louie is stepping down, Gay City News reported. According to a Facebook post, Louie is planning ...
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Lightfoot announces May 28 reopening of 22 Chicago beaches
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Park District announced 22 beaches will open this Friday, May 28, for the 2021 season. The city released a video (at https://youtu.be/FMpaaHD4IkQ) that shows Lightfoot knocking over a cardboard ...
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Older LGBT people twice as likely to be laid off during the pandemic as non-LGBT people
--From a press release
Older LGBT people twice as likely to be laid off during the pandemic as non-LGBT people Data collected in fall 2020 finds that LGBT people ages 45 and older—in particular older LGBT people of color—have disproportionately ...
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Pride Parade date announced
PRIDEChicago announced that the date of this year's Pride Parade is Sunday, Oct. 3. The Parade route will remain the same as past years. The path will begin at Montrose Avenue and Broadway and then move ...
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ACLU sues Arkansas over ban on health care for transgender youth
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit on behalf of four transgender youth and their families as well as two doctors challenging an Arkansas law that prohibits health care professionals ...
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Illinois Holocaust Museum to host "Reflecting on LGBTQ+ Pride in the Time of COVID-19"
--From a press release
Skokie, IL — On June 30, Illinois Holocaust Museum will host a thoughtful reflection and celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a dynamic panel of thought leaders and advocates. Since the 1970s, the last Sunday in ...
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HRC, leading policy, health organizations call for LGBTQ-inclusive sexual education
--From a press release
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, in partnership with leading ...
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Family Acceptance Project has new Asian-language posters for families with LGBTQ kids
--From a press release
San Francisco, CA, May 19, 2021 …… In conjunction with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University is releasing a series of 8 new ...
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Trevor Project releases 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC — May 19, 2021 — The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people ...
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MUSIC Lightfoot, Arwady officially announce return of Lollapalooza
On May 18, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady and Lollapalooza organizers announced that the festival will return to Grant Park at full capacity July 29-Aug. 1. The lineup will ...
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AG Letitia James leads support of HHS effort to undo Trump era health care rule
--From a press release
NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James today continued her fight to protect the health care and reproductive rights of patients across New York and the rest of the nation. Attorney General James today ...
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Gov. Pritzker aligns Illinois with CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD — Following guidance from the CDC that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing a mask and practicing social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public ...
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Illinois Court Help launches in response to pandemic
Illinois Court Help launched May 17 to help connect people to the resources and information they need to go to court in Illinois. It is the first personalized court information service offered by the Illinois Courts ...
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NATIONAL Conversion therapy, AIDS event, COVID measure, gay Republican, UNO
In Kentucky, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted unanimously to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors, LEX18.com reported. The vote made Lexington the third city in Kentucky, along with Louisville and Covington, to ban the controversial ...
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COVID: CDC says fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks indoors
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under ...
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Mayor Lightfoot expands vaccine exemption with Bridge Phase May 14
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot along with CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., and BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareño announced a full expansion of the Vaccine Exemption when Chicago enters the Bridge Phase of reopening tomorrow, ...
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Gov. Pritzker confirms Illinois will enter Bridge Phase of reopening May 14
--From a press release
CHICAGO —Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed today the entire state will move into the Bridge Phase of the Restore Illinois reopening plan tomorrow, Friday, May 14. The Bridge ...
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UK to ban conversion therapy
Britain will move to ban conversion therapy and provide more support to those in the LGBT community who have undergone the treatment, as part of its post-pandemic government agenda, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government ...
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Biden administration restores anti-bias protections, groups comment
--From a press release
The following statement is from Susan R. Bailey, M.D., President, American Medical Association "The Biden administration did the right thing by terminating a short-lived effort to allow discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation when seeking ...
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