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NATIONAL Okla. schools, Tenn. lawsuit, political items, Mich. library
Video below
Oklahoma public schools have started requiring students from kindergarten to college to complete "biological sex affidavits" if they want to compete in school sports, in accordance with a state law that took effect earlier this year, ...
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Angelica Ross to be first trans lead in Broadway's 'Chicago'
Trans actors have made all sorts of impressions on Broadway, but former Chicagoan Angelica Ross has set a precedent. Next month, the leading role of fame-hungry murderess Roxie Hart will be played by Angelica Ross. Ross ...
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Judge: W. Va.'s Medicaid program must cover transgender care
In West Virginia, U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers ruled that the state's Medicaid program must provide coverage for gender-confirming care for transgender residents, ABC News reported. Chambers made the ruling on Aug. 2 in a lawsuit ...
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Attorneys general file brief in Indiana trans case
A coalition of 22 attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and New York counterpart Letitia James, filed an amicus brief in the case of A.C. v. Metropolitan School District of Martinsville opposing the school ...
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HRC commends White House Monkeypox (MPV) Coordinator appointments; calls for greater federal response
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, commended the Biden Administration for appointing Robert Fenton and ...
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Brave Space Alliance plans to raise salaries, urges partner agencies to follow suit
-- From a press release
CHICAGO Aug.1, 2022 Brave Space Alliance, the South Side LGBTQ+ Center, announced a sweeping new plan to increase the organization's base salary to $43,000 for entry-level staff, equivalent to an hourly wage of $20.67/hr. ...
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Vallas speaks at event of group known for anti-LGBTQ+ views [UPDATE]
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO and current mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois—a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric, The Chicago Reader reported. The group hosted ...
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WORLD Cuban referendum, Gay Games, Berlin attacks, Indian trans men
Cuba's parliament announced that the country will hold a referendum on the legalization of same-sex marriage and surrogate parenthood, Deutsche Welle reported. The referendum on the new family law is scheduled to be held Sunday, Sept. ...
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Show about trans+ women models to debut Aug. 5 on Here TV
The Here TV docuseries Road to the Runway—which focuses on trans+ women models—will debut Friday, Aug. 5. The series profiles the 20 hopefuls competing in this year's annual Slay Model search. Cameras follow the women to ...
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Trans artist to showcase woodworking on Aug. 13
Trans artist J. Emmett (he/they), of J. Emmett Studios, will open his private studio for the first time to show his custom woodworking, along with works from local ceramicist Krista Tyner (she/her), of TynerWorks. The "A ...
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LETTERS The Church should practice love and constructive dialogue, not hate
Another U.S. diocese has issued new restrictive policies regarding LGBTQ issues in Catholic schools, and its new directives compare being openly transgender with sexual abuse. The Roman Catholic Church is having an internal dialogue on how ...
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HRC commends World Health Organization for declaring Monkeypox a global health emergency
-- From a press release
WASHINGTONToday, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, commended the World Health Organization (WHO) for taking the step to ...
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WORLD Women's rugby, EU vs. Hungary, S. Korea festival, Berlin Pride
Trans women could be barred from playing women's rugby in England under new recommendations from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) that will be voted on soon, PinkNews reported. The move is a U-turn from the governing ...
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Victory Fund: Historic number of LGBTQ people running for office this year
-- From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, released exclusive data about out LGBTQ people running for office in 2022. With at least 1,008 out ...
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Quidditch organizations cite Rowling's anti-trans statements in acquiring new name
Major League Quidditch, the real-life semi-pro league inspired by the magical contests played by wizards in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and their film adaptations, now has a new name. ...
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Green Bay diocese requires pronouns, restrooms align with biological sex
In Wisconsin, the Diocese of Green Bay is implementing a new gender identity policy in which people must abide to their biological sex throughout its schools, including pronouns, in bathrooms, locker rooms and athletics, NBC 26 ...
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Chappelle show canceled after social-media pushback
On July 20, Dave Chappelle's stand-up show at a Minneapolis club was canceled just hours before the controversial comedian was set to perform, Variety reported. First Avenuethe iconic venue that provided the setting for Prince's Purple ...
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WORLD Argentina report, Gay Games, conversion therapy, Ukraine petition
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), in partnership with Instituto de Políticas Publicas LGBT, released its first-ever, Argentina-focused HRC Equidad AR: Global Workplace Equality Program report, a press release noted. ...
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Judge blocks Dept. of Education's pro-trans Title IX guidance
On July 15, Eastern District of Tennessee Judge Charles Atchley Jr. temporarily blocked the Education Department's Title IX guidance, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, Politico ...
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GLAAD releases 2022 Social Media Safety Index
GLAAD has released its 2022 Social Media Safety Index (SMSI). The SMSI provides recommendations for the industry at large and reports on LGBTQ user safety across the five major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube ...
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Reports: Chicago trans woman murdered in West Englewood neighborhood
A Chicago trans woman was attacked and died the late evening of July 11/early morning of July 12, according to reports. An individual was found with multiple stab wounds after Chicago Police Department (CPD) answered a ...
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SHOWBIZ Queen + Adam Lambert, Spider-Man, 'Victoria's Secret,' 'Friends'
Queen + Adam Lambert announced details of "Rhapsody Over London"an exclusive concert spectacular filmed live at London's O2 Arena during their current sold-out European tour that will premiere live on July 24 via Kiswe's global streaming ...
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NATIONAL California ban, HBCUs, silent disco, defaced banner
California is banning state-funded travel to four states that passed laws this year prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in school sports according to their gender identities, The Sacramento Bee reported. State agencies will no ...
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Texas court stops state from investigating trans youth, families
The Travis County District Court entered a second injunction against the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Commissioner Masters, barring them from implementing the agency's rule expanding ...
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Wis. Supreme Court allows pro-TGNC+ student policy to remain in effect
-- From a press release
MADISON The Supreme Court of Wisconsin allowed a school policy, which protects the right of students to use different names or pronouns at school without being forcibly outed by school faculty, to stay in effect ...
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HRC calls for equitable rollout of Monkeypox (MPV) vaccine
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, has been closely monitoring the monkeypox (MPV) outbreak in the ...
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PASSAGES Local trans leader Maritxa Vidal
Maritxa Vidal, a leader in the Chicago trans community, has died at age 64. She passed away June 9. As a child, Vidal immigrated from Cuba with her family hoping to find a better life. Vidal is a longtime advocate for ...
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Bette Midler, Macy Gray caught in anti-trans controversies
Bette Midler explained her controversial tweet about what women are being called and insisted there was nothing "transphobic" about comments she initially made, according to Newsweek. Midler initially caused a huge reaction online when she suggested ...
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WORLD KyivPride, Romanian bill, marriage items, Cynthia Erivo
Ukraine's largest LGBTQ+-rights event, KyivPride, went ahead as a peace marchin Warsaw, Poland, CNBC reported. It joined Warsaw's yearly Equality Parade, the largest such event in central Europe, using it as a platform to keep international ...
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Attorneys discuss anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, other legal threats
On June 29 at a Citywide Pride event, Elizabeth Myers and Jennifer Ecklund—partners in the Dallas office of law firm Thompson Coburn—shared insight about the unprecedented amount of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed this year and how it relates ...
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ACLU files case against Indiana's anti-trans law
On July 1, a law banning transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams in schools went into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has asked for an injunction on the law, WTHR reported. On ...
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Survey: Americans hold complex views on gender identity and trans+ Issues
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 28, 2022) — As the United States addresses issues of transgender rights and the broader landscape around gender identity continues to shift, the American public holds a complex set of views around these ...
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CTA launches celebration to mark 75 years of service to Chicago
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) turns 75 this year. In the coming months, as the CTA moves closer to its historic destination—a Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Daley Plaza, on Oct. 1—the public can participate in various ...
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HRC on how the end of Roe v. Wade impacts the LGBTQ+ community
-- From a press release. Video below.
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, in light of the dangerous Supreme Court decision in Dobbs ...
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SHOWBIZ Elliot Page, NPH, Madonna, Chita Rivera, Jennifer Lopez
Elliot Page talked with talk-show host Seth Meyers about how her Netflix show The Umbrella Academy incorporated the actor's own personal transition into season three of the series, Deadline noted. "With Steve Blackman, the showrunner of ...
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Rugby league bans trans women from international competition
Rugby has banned transgender players from women's international competition until further notice, following global swimming's decision to restrict trans athletes' participation at the elite level, Reuters reported. The International Rugby ...
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North Carolina to issue accurate birth certificates for transgender people without requiring surgery
-- From a press release
(Greensboro, NC — June 23, 2022) Transgender people born in North Carolina will now be able to correct the gender marker on their birth certificates without the need for surgery under a consent judgment issued ...
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Human Rights Campaign celebrates 50-year Anniversary of Title IX
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued a press release recognizing the 50-year anniversary of Title IX. HRC Interim President Joni Madison said in a statement: "Title IX has had a transformative impact on our ...
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HRC report: Wage for LGBTQ+ women is 79 cents to the average man's dollar
-- 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, released new data outlining ...
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Gloria Allen screening/gathering to take place June 23
A film screening/community gathering to honor the late trans icon Gloria Allen (also known as Mama Gloria) will take place Thursday, June 23, 6-8 p.m., at the South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave. ...
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Clela Rorex, first County Clerk to issue same-sex marriage licences, has died
-- From a press release
BOULDER, CO - Out Boulder County and the family of Clela Rorex are saddened to announce the death of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer pioneering ally, Clela Rorex. On March 27,1975 Clela issued the first ...
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Governing body restricts trans swimmers; HRC responds
On June 19, swimming's world governing body, FINA, voted to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in women's events and will look into creating an "open competition" category, Yahoo! News reported. FINA members voted 71.5% in ...
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TELEVISION 'Rutherford Falls' returns for season two with double the diversity
Peacock's hit comedy Rutherford Falls is back with season two. (It started June 16.) The story follows two lifelong friendsNathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding)as they navigate ...
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WORLD Pride disruption, trans journalists, Tunisian play, marriage bills
Turkish police officers carrying clear-plastic riot shields, wielding batons and deploying pepper powder balls as well as tear gas violently broke up a Pride parade that Middle East Technical University students organized in the capital of ...
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Autopsy shows manner of death in Elise Malary's death is undetermined
The Cook County medical examiner's officer revealed that trans activist Elise Malary died from drowning but that the manner of death could not be determined, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Malary's body was found in Lake Michigan ...
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Northwestern University Libraries and Center for Applied Transgender Studies launch trans studies journal
Northwestern University Libraries (NUL) and the Center for Applied Transgender Studies (CATS) are now publishing the Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies. The Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies (BATS)the first journal ...
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New report looks at LGBTQ+ restaurant workers and job risks they face
-- From a press release
Today, One Fair Wage, a national nonprofit representing tipped subminimum wage restaurant workers, released a new report on the harsh realities of being a LGBTQ+ restaurant worker. The report shows that the subminimum wage encourages rampant ...
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PASSAGES Legendary Chicago transgender activist, icon, mentor Mama Gloria Allen
Legendary Chicago Black transgender activist, icon and mentor "Mama" Gloria Allen died June 13 in her residence at Chicago's LGBTQ senior living facility Townhall Apartments in Lake View. The cause of death is unknown at this ...
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PASSAGES Transgender icon Mama Gloria dies at 76
-- From a press release
Chicago transgender icon and activist Gloria Allen, who founded and ran a charm school for homeless trans youth and was the subject of the award-winning documentary "Mama Gloria" and the critically acclaimed play "Charm," has died ...
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Marchers aim to 'reclaim pride,' shed light on issues facing LGBTQ+ community
About a hundred people marched through streets in Lake View on June 12 to call attention to social-justice issues affecting LGBTQ+ people while centering the Black trans community. "Some people don't understand. They're, like, 'Why such ...
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SHOWBIZ Jodie Comer, 'Queer As Folk,' trans film, Tom of Finland photos
Jodie Comerthe Emmy- and BAFTA-winning actress perhaps best known for playing LGBTQ+ assassin Villanelle on BBC America's Killing Evewill make her Broadway debut next spring in Prima Facie, a new play by Suzie Miller, Deadline noted. ...
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Local trans icon June LaTrobe dies
June M. LaTrobe—a Chicago trans icon known for her activism—has passed away. She turned 81 on June 1. Being an advocate for the trans community, LaTrobe participated in many events (such as protests) and often took ...
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Texas court issues emergency stop to Gov. Abbott's anti-trans youth directive
-- From a press release
AUSTIN, Texas The Travis County District Court granted a temporary restraining order on Friday to block the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) from investigating PFLAG families ...
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300K youth in the U.S. identify as transgender
-- From a press release
New estimates show 300,000 youth ages 13-17 identify as transgender in the US About 1.3 million adults—0.5% of the adult US population—identify as transgender Approximately 1.6 million people ages 13 ...
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PFLAG National, ACLU, Lambda Legal file pro-trans youth lawsuit against Texas governor
The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Texas, along with Texas-based law firm Baker Botts LLP, filed a new lawsuit in Texas state court on behalf of PFLAG National and three Texas families on June 8, per a press release. ...
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Rolling into Texas
by Joey Amato
Palestinejust a hop, skip and a jump from Dallasoffers a blue dot of small-town charm I had a trip to Texas planned prior to the introduction of the anti-transgender bills in state Congress. I considered cancelling ...
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SHOWBIZ Variety list, Billy Porter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janelle Monae
In honor of Pride Month, Variety published "55 Queer Artists and Decision-Makers to Know in 2022." A few of those on the list include Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey; actor Sara Ramirez (And Just Like That…; Grey's ...
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WORLD Grindr ads, British mayor, Billie Jean King, Australian awards
In Australia, a retail worker-turned-Greens politician credited catchy ads on gay hookup app Grindr for his stunning victory in Brisbane, The Daily Mail noted. Stephen Bates defeated Liberal-National Party incumbent Trevor Evans in the inner-city seat ...
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HRC, Showtime launch third year of QUEER TO STAY, an LGBTQ+ small business initiative
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, and SHOWTIME announced the third consecutive year of "QUEER ...
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MUSIC Transgender 'RuPaul Drag Race' alum Peppermint composes 'Letter' to past lovers
Miss Peppermint is a drag artist who made a name for herself while slaying on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Eventually coming in second place, Peppermint made herstory by being the first out trans ...
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Scores of LGBTQI+ groups call on policymakers to protect abortion rights
-- From a NCLR press release
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights released an open letter signed by 91 organizations representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community voicing ...
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President Biden issues LGBTQI+ proclamation
President Joe Biden issued a proclamation for the LGBTQI+ community. In "A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Intersex Pride Month, 2022," Biden said, in part, "I often say that America can be defined ...
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GLAAD: True LGBTQ allyship extends to all aspects of business, including political giving
-- From a press release
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 (New York, NY)—GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announces GLAAD's Recommendations for Corporate Allies to educate corpo ...
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Trans swimmer Lia Thomas answers critics in interview
Two months after becoming the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, transgender former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas responded to some of the criticism she has received for competing in ...
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NATIONAL Trans survey, Gays Against Guns, TIME 100, candidates, crimes
Transgender women experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, poor health services and low pay are less likely to receive necessary HIV prevention support or treatment, according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study based on responses from ...
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SHOWBIZ Laverne Cox, PBS special, Ricky Martin, queer books/authors
Nouveau Productions and PBS announced a new collaboration for Pride Month, per a press release. The special True Colors: LGBTQ+ Our Stories, Our Songs will offer a unique look at the history of the LGBTQ+ community ...
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Okla. governor signs anti-trans, strict abortion measures
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has recently signed a couple controversial measures into law. According to ABC News, Stitt has signed a bill requiring public school students to use only the bathroom of the sex listed on ...
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State Farm drops GenderCool Project; Illinois General Assembly LGBTQ Caucus, Equality Illinois respond
This week in response to an outcry from a hateful few, Illinois-based insurer State Farm dropped their support for The GenderCool Project, which provides LGBTQ-affirming books to schools across the country on a voluntary basis. We ...
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Brave Space Alliance purchases South Side building in expansion move
In its ongoing efforts to provide safe spaces for transgender and gender non-confirming BIPOC, Brave Space Alliance (BSA) closed on a 7,000-square-foot building on 71st Street and Jeffrey Avenue, in the South Shore community, to expand ...
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Artist Rick Sindt explores queer desire and pornography in 'Skin Remembers'
Rick Sindt, a Chicago-based artist who recently moved to St. Louis, explores the discovery and development of queer attraction in his exhibit "Skin Remembers." Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them into images of intimacy. Sindt recently ...
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Indiana institutes anti-trans sports ban, overrides Holcomb's veto
The Indiana General Assembly overturned Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's veto of House Bill 1041, which prohibits transgender girls from playing girls school sports, according to the IndyStar. The House voted to override the veto 67-28; the ...
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Ricky Gervais courts controversy with graphic anti-trans jokes
(WARNING: There is graphic language in this article.) Yet another Netflix special is courting controversy because of a comedian making anti-trans jokes. Ricky Gervais' Netflix comedy special SuperNature has drawn criticism for a string of grap ...
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WORLD Nigeria protest, 'Flag in the Map,' Belgium, McDonald's
Dressed in rainbow-colored vests, members of the LGBTQ+ community marched in a dangerous demonstration in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to protest a bill introduced by lawmakers in Nigeria's lower house of parliament last month seeking to ban ...
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Comedian criticized for letting Chappelle open and tell anti-trans jokes [UPDATE]
Comedian John Mulaney surprised his audience—and drew criticism from some fans—when Dave Chappelle appeared as the opener and reportedly told "transphobic jokes," per Variety. Chappelle's opening set occurred during a ...
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For International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia HRC highlights grants
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, is commemorating International Day Against ...
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