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LGBTQ+ baseball executives announce cancer battles
Openly gay Major League Baseball (MLB) executive Billy Bean announced he has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and that he needs a donor for a bone-marrow transplant, Gay City News noted. USA Today initially reported ...
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NATIONAL Dr. Rachel Levine, World AIDS Day, trans deaths, Philly bar art
United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Liles C. Burke ruled that emails and other records from U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine are relevant to a lawsuit challenging Alabama's ban ...
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Wisconsin governor vetoes anti-trans youth healthcare ban
In an expected move, Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that aimed to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors, CBS News reported. Evers has sworn to strike down any proposals from the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature ...
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Trans actress, gay actors, 'Kokomo City' receive Spirit Award nominations
The nominations for the 39th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announcedand LGBTQ+ actors, directors and productions definitely made their mark. Trans actress Trace Lysette was announced as one of the nominees for Best Lead ...
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MOVIES Director Daniel Peddle on the sequel to the classic doc 'The Aggressives'
In 2005, Daniel Peddle released The Aggressives—a groundbreaking documentary filmed during the late '90s and early '00s in New York City that profiled several masculine-presenting/transmasculine people of color. Fast-forward to ...
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WORLD Queer teen dies, trans activist honored, HIV drugs, mpox, British lesbian
In India, queer makeup artist Pranshu reportedly died by suicide—at age 16—after being subjected to relentless attacks online, PinkNews noted. On social media, LGBTQIA+-rights advocacy collective Yes, We Exist claimed ...
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'She was here...and she is here': Street to be renamed after Elise Malary
By Alec Karam
The memory of the late activist Elise Malary will soon become a permanent part of Andersonville's Catalpa Avenue. The renamed "Elise Malary Way" will encompass the Catalpa Plaza area, a planned pedestrian plaza between Ashland Avenue ...
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LGBTQ+ couple the first in South Asia to have marriage recognized
Transgender woman Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey became the first LGBTQ+ couple to have their marriage legally recognized in South Asia after they received a legal certificate in Nepal's Lamjung district on Nov. 29, The Guardian ...
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Martina Navratilova continues anti-trans comments
Lesbian tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been in the news lately for anti-trans comments, although she has been making them for quite some time. She recently sparked controversy with her remarks on a tribute by UK ...
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Fla. students walk out after school board's anti-trans actions
In Florida, hundreds of students at Coconut Creek's Monarch High School held a walkout on Nov. 28 after their principal and several other school officials were reportedly reassigned over a transgender student's participation on the girls ...
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Pope Francis's community of transwomen
It's a rare opportunity to meet the pope. It's even rarer if you're a transgender Catholic. However, on Nov. 19, in Torvaianica, Italy, a community of transwomen, many of them sex workers, were welcomed and seated ...
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Trans women banned from playing cricket
Transgender women have been barred from playing in international women's matches under a new policy from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the BBC reported. Any player who has gone through male puberty will not be eligible ...
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NATIONAL Trevor Project, anti-trans crimes, priest sentenced, hate-crimes unit
The Trevor Project announced the extension of its partnership with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, reaffirming its commitment to providing specialized assistance to LGBTQ+ people who call 9-8-8, The Advocate reported. Interim Senior Vice President ...
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YEPP 'rises' to occasion at fall fundraiser
Members and guests of Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP) gathered Nov. 17 at Chicago Theater Works, 1113 W. Belmont Ave., for the organization's fall fundraiser, Rise Up: Our Celebration of Resistance. The evening marked both the ...
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Chicagoans gather to mark the 2023 Trans Day of Remembrance
Brave Space Alliance, Chicago Therapy Collective and Life is Work joined forces to celebrate Trans Day of Remembrance under the banner New Era Together Nov. 19 at Venue West, 221 N. Paulina St., on the West ...
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Scotland announces five-year plan to help nonbinary people
Scotland's government has announced a five-year action plan to improve the lives of non-binary people, Yahoo! News reported. Among other things, the first-of-its-kind plan in the UK (and, quite possibly, in the world) includes actions to ...
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PASSAGES: Mexico's first out nonbinary magistrate Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo
On Nov. 13, Mexico's first out nonbinary magistrate and LGBTQ+ activist Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo was found dead in their state of Aguascalientes home alongside their partner Dorian Herrera. They were 38. According to state prosecutor ...
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Illinois attorney general part of effort against Oklahoma anti-trans youth law
--From a press release
Chicago — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is opposing a state law in Oklahoma that severely limits the ability of transgender youth to access critical, lifesaving gender-affirming care. Raoul, along with a coalition of attorneys general, ...
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LGBTQ+ organizations to host Transgender Day of Remembrance: A New Era Together 2.0
--From a press release
Chicago, IL — On Sunday, Nov. 11, Brave Space Alliance, Chicago Therapy Collective, and Life is Work will host Transgender Day of Remembrance: A New Era Together 2.0, an event dedicated to honoring the memory of ...
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HRC's 2023 survey of cities, towns shows record support for LGBTQ+ residents; Chicago scores 100
--From a press release
WASHINGTON—Te Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), in partnership with the Equality Federation, an advocacy accelerator rooted in social justice that builds power in a network of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations ...
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Rainbow Wave: 238 LGBTQ+ candidates win public office in 2023, all time high for an odd year election
--From a press release
Washington, DC — 238 out LGBTQ+ candidates have won elections in 2023, as of 3 p.m. ET, surpassing the record 185 who won in 2021 — the last odd-year election. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is awaiting final ...
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IDHS head Dulce Quintero reflects on making history, being an advocate
Dulce Quintero has always believed in helping people—and decades of doing so has resulted in an especially noteworthy achievement. Recently, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Quintero, a member of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, as ...
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NATIONAL Election results, campus items, Puerto Rican icons, healthcare suit
Historic developments took place during the Nov. 7 elections that happened in some states. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund candidate Rue Landau won an at-large seat on the Philadelphia City Council—making her the first out LGBTQ+ candidate to ...
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Angelica Ross talks politics, Hollywood, Buddhism and more
Angelica Ross had already made her imprint on society in various ways. She is the founder of TransTech Social Enterprises, which helps transgender and gender-nonconforming people become part of the tech industry; an activist who hosted ...
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Pope: Trans people can be baptized and act as godparents
Pope Francis has stated that trans people may be baptized and act as godparents or witnesses to marriage under the same conditions as any other adult—as long as a scandal does not result, according to PinkNews. ...
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PASSAGES: Chicagoan Lisa Love
Chicagoan Lisa Love was shot and killed in the early morning hours of Oct. 17. She was 35, and at the time was the 33rd transgender, nonbinary or gender non-conforming American to be killed in 2023, ...
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Col. Jennifer Pritzker talks about philanthropy, Republican ties
Col. Jennifer Pritzker is someone who firmly believes in giving. There's the transgender activist who has been supportive of many LGBTQ+-related causes. And, of course, there's the Jennifer Pritzker who spent almost three decades in the ...
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NATIONAL Trans deaths, endorsements, Sakia Gunn, museum news, Maddow
A man was arrested in connection with the murder of a transgender woman in northwest Miami-Dade, Florida, NBC Miami reported. Anthony Quinn Peyton II, 25, was charged with second-degree murder in the Oct. 23 killing of ...
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Republican governors ask NCAA to ban trans women from women's sports
Nine Republican governors have signed a letter to the NCAA asking the organization to ban trans women from competing in college women's sports, LGBTQ Nation reported. Among those signing the letter were Govs. Kristi Noem of ...
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IDHS Secretary Dulce Quintero to receive inaugural "ALMA del Lider" Award at ALMA's 2nd Annual Community Reception
--From a press release
[Chicago, IL] — On November 30, the Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action (ALMA) will present Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Secretary Dulce Quintero with the inaugural ALMA del Líder ...
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NATIONAL Queer senator, HRC dinner, LGBTQIA+ deaths, vandalism, Florida
Laphonza Butlerthe first Black LGBTQ+ U.S. senator, who was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsomwon't run for election next year, The Advocate reported. "Butler said that she intended to be 'the loudest, proudest champion of Calif ...
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WORLD Spirit Day, pope's meeting, conversion therapy, 'Elite' actor, tourism
Spirit Dayan annual observance celebrated every third Thursday of October that is dedicated to taking a stand against bullying and showing support for the LGBTQ+ youthwas marked globally, GLAAD noted. ...
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Ninth Circuit temporarily blocks Idaho restroom ban as court challenge proceeds
--From a press release
(Boise, ID, October 26, 2023) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today temporarily blocked enforcement of an Idaho school facilities law that singles out transgender students for discriminatory treatment. The law was ...
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In a first, NBA referee comes out as transgender, nonbinary
NBA referee Che Flores (they/them) came out as transgender and nonbinary in an interview with GQ, The Advocate noted. Flores is the first out trans or nonbinary referee in the NBA, and potentially the other major ...
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Japanese court rules against surgery requirement to change gender
On Oct. 24, Japan's Supreme Court ruled that a law requiring transgender people to have their reproductive organs removed in order to officially change their gender is unconstitutional, according to a TIME article. The decision by ...
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HRC and Dylan Mulvaney to partner for 2024 SXSW Featured Session
--From a press release
WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced a key Featured Session at the South By Southwest (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals curated to discuss poignant LGBTQ+ issues. The panel, titled "When Beer Goes Viral: The Role ...
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Sean Fader memorializes LGBTQ+ history with Insufficient Memory
One of artist Sean Fader's recent projects project may be named Insufficient Memory, but his crucial work in memorializing LGBTQ+ history will hopefully never fade over time. In 2018, FaderA New York City and New Orleans-based ...
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Loyola School of Law to present LGBTQ+ Youth Symposium Nov. 4
--From a press release
Chicago law firm Matt Cohen and Associates has announced a first-of-its-kind symposium and resource fair for LGBTQ+ youth, families, and allies at Loyola University School of Law. located at 25 E. Pearson Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611 ...
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USA Cycling unveils updated trans policy
USA Cycling (USAC), the governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States, unveiled its revised Transgender Athlete Participation Policy, Cycling Weekly reported. In doing so, USAC is aligning itself with the standards set ...
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Brave Space Alliance announces new board members, first-ever union contract
--From a press release
CHICAGO—Brave Space Alliance (BSA) has announced the appointment of seven new members of its board of directors who bring valuable expertise and diverse perspectives to the organization's leadership. Brave Space ...
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OPINION Renewing state's Invest in Kids program is investing in anti-LGBTQ+ hate
In February 2020, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield warned transgender students in the Diocese's educational system that they "may be expelled from the school" if they live their lives authentically. Lansing Christian School ...
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Police investigating shooting of gender nonconforming Chicagoan
Gender nonconforming Chicagoan Dominic Dupree (also known as Dominic Palace) was shot to death October 13 in his vehicle in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood. They were 25. In an email statement to this publication, the Chicago ...
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Georgia to cover gender-affirming healthcare for state employees
As part of a settlement, Georgia's health-insurance plan will now cover state employees after the state agreed to a $365,000 court settlement with three employees, according to several media outlets, including The Georgia Reporter. Co-plaintiff Benjam ...
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NATIONAL Trans prison reform, DeSantis, Wisconsin items, late OUT100 honorees
The Washington State Department of Corrections (DoC) started steps to refine the treatment of transgender inmates across its facilities, The Advocate noted, citing KIRO. The move followed a complaint and a settlement agreement submitted in federal ...
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WORLD Trans Pakistanis, new UN expert, Rod Stewart, 'gay tax,' IGLTA
Pakistani authorities have resumed the registration of trans people and issuing identity cards to them after the Supreme Court's Sharia Appellate Bench ruled on the issue last month, The Washington Blade reported. In June, an Islamic ...
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WORLD Mauritius ruling, Justin Trudeau, couple attacked, Dame Shirley Bassey
In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court of Mauritius decriminalized same-sex sexual relations when it declared the African country's British colonial-era anti-sodomy laws relations to be unconstitutional, The Advocate reported. ...
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NATIONAL White House, school news, LGBTQ+ deaths, Navy petty officer honored
The White House condemned conservative social-media activist Chaya Raichik for ridiculing openly gay Interior Department official Tyler Cherry on the site X (formerly Twitter), describing her posts as "cruel and unacceptable" ...
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Trans pop star Kim Petras to perform in Chicago on Oct. 18
Grammy-winning, international trans pop sensation Kim Petras will bring her larger-than-life live show to Chicago at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., on Wed., Oct. 18, as part of her Feed The Beast ...
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Chicago Red Stars head coach departs team
Chicago Red Stars head coach Chris Petrucelli will not return to lead the team in 2024, the club announced. "We appreciate Chris' service as coach, especially during this ownership transition, and we wish him well in ...
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LGBTQ+ advocacy groups endorse Biden, Harris for reelection
--From a press release
The following is a statement from Biden-Harris Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez on today's announcement of the historic joint endorsement by Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC), Equality PAC, and the National Center for Transgender Equa ...
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Trans nonbinary runner allowed to use testosterone for USA Track & Field-sanctioned events
Nonbinary transmasculine runner Cal Calamia (he/they) was granted USADA (U.S. Doping Agency) permission to take testosterone while competing at USA Track & Field-sanctioned ...
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Advocates to appeal ruling denying request to temporarily block Oklahoma ban on gender-affirming care
--From a press release
OKLAHOMA — The United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma has rejected a request from families and a medical provider to temporarily block an Oklahoma law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth ...
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NATIONAL Montana court, gay bishop, EEOC, Equality Forum, banned operas
A Montana court blocked enforcement of the state's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youthleading trans state Rep. Zooey Zephyr to express her gratitude, The Advocate reported. Missoula County District Court Judge Jason Marks issued a ...
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WORLD Canadian news, mpox in China, Greek politician, Scottish study
In Canada, LGBTQ+ groups in northwestern Ontario are calling for an urgent meeting with Conservative MP Eric Melillo over what they're calling transphobic policy resolutions passed by the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), CBC reported. Rainb ...
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Kentucky, Tennessee allowed to enforce anti-trans youth healthcare bans
The Cincinnati, Ohio-based Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed Tennessee and Kentucky to enforce laws banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, such as puberty blockers, hormones and surgery, Reuters reported. The ruling is the ...
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GLAAD: GOP primary debate includes question on anti-LGBTQ+ violence, candidates duck
--From a press release
GLAAD: "Instead of addressing the critical issue of the safety and rights of all Americans, GOP primary candidates ignored the rise in violence and hateful rhetoric aimed at the LGBTQ community and our allies. Several chose ...
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WORLD African efforts, HIV in Amsterdam, Donatella Versace, 'The Queen in Me'
A new attempt to prevent the recognition of and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people in Kenya through a constitutional amendment has been introduced in Parliament, The Washington Blade reported. The move was in response to this ...
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SHOWBIZ Outfest, Halo, 'Sex Education,' trans singer, 'Doctor Who'
Outfest announced that it will honor Oscar winner Shirley MacLaine with the James Schamus Ally Award and trans actress Trace Lysette with the Trailblazer Award at the 2023 Legacy Awards presented by Genesis Motor America, per ...
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NATIONAL Bisexual politicians, DADT, NBJC awards, crimes, Buttigieg
For Bi Visibility Day (Sept. 23), The Advocate ran a piece titled "35 Bisexual Politicians You Should Know." Just a few on the list include trans Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, Nevada Assemblymember Cecelia Gonzalez, U.S. ...
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Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes some LGBTQ+ measures and approves others
For California's LGBTQ+ community, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has made things interesting over the last few days. Late last week, Newsom vetoed three progressive measures—including an unexpected rejection of a ...
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Lambda, TLDEF urge 4th Circuit to uphold rulings protecting gender-affirming care in NC, WV
--From a press release
(RICHMOND, VA - Thursday, Sept 21) — Today, a full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard arguments in two cases involving equal access to health care for transgender people. State ...
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Arrests, fights punctuate battles across Canada over gender diversity in schools
Arrests were reported in the Canadian cities of Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Victoria, among others, on Sept. 20 as opposing groups clashed on how schools address issues of gender identity and how teachers refer to transgender ...
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WORLD French fund, mausoleum, Abrazo Grupal, Biden, Billie Jean King
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced a fund to help promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people, French24 reported. She made the announcement at the 15th anniversary of an LGBTQ+ group at the United Nations at the ...
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NATIONAL Sarah McBride, TIME100 lists, Kentucky clerk, suspects arrested
A poll showed that Delaware Democrat Sarah McBridewho is bidding to become the nation's first openly transgender member of Congressleads her primary opponents by a wide margin, The Hill reported. In a survey of likely Democratic ...
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19th annual Andersonville Arts Weekend Sept. 29 - Oct. 1
--From a press release
CHICAGO (September 18, 2023) The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is pleased to welcome back its 19tn annual Andersonville Arts Weekend, with the neighborhood transformed into a "walkable art gallery" ...
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WORLD Quebec lesbians, violence study, Rugby World Cup, Ugandan bill
The hidden history of Quebec lesbians is being explored, the CBC reported. Between 1985 and 1996, a group of lesbians leased the Plateau-Mont-Royal school and ran it as a community center. The school was also home ...
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SHOWBIZ Kim Petras, LGBTQ+ movies, TIFF, canceled shows, yachts
Video below
Ahead of her Feed the Beast world tour, Grammy-winning international trans pop singer/songwriter Kim Petras has shared reimagined, symphonic, seven-piece string-ensemble performances of fan favorites from her debut album Feed ...
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NATIONAL Lesbian politician, Nancy Pelosi, bomb threat, politician dies, Lyft
Kathy Kozachenkothe first out politician elected to public office in the countrywill be honored with a statue on the 50th anniversary of her historic election, per The Advocate. The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, will honor ...
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MAP reports on obstacles trans people face with healthcare, legal recognition
--From a press release
Today the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released Banning Medical Care and Legal Recognition for Transgender People, the fifth in MAP's report series, Under Fire: The War on LGBTQ People in America. The report details how the ...
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Olivia Hill becomes first trans person elected in Tennessee
Olivia Hill is the first openly transgender person ever elected to Nashville's Metro Council, per The Tennessean. And according to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Hill, 57, is the first transgender woman elected in Tennessee. Hill secured one ...
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Prime minister of Andorra comes out as gay
Xavier Espot Zamora, the head of the government of the tiny European country of Andorra, has come out as gay—although he added that he never hid his sexual orientation, according to a translated article from The ...
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NATIONAL Historic political win, Columbus situation, trans coach, Gold + Williams
Fabian Nelson won a Democratic primary runoff in Mississippi's 66th state House districtand he's now the state's first openly gay legislator, The Guardian noted. (Republicans are not running a candidate for the general election sched ...
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Aging LGBTQ+ Americans face additional caregiving challenges
While Darcy Connors was a nursing home administrator in the South, she also operated a COVID-19 recovery center. Connors and her staff noticed that two of the patients in their charge had a strong connection with ...
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Fundraiser held for MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis
Fundraiser held for MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis By Carrie Maxwell A fundraiser was held Aug. 31 at Sidetrack for newly sworn-in Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRC) Commissioner ...
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NATIONAL Sorority suit, trans woman's win, school policy, activist honored
U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson dismissed a civil lawsuit against Kappa Kappa Gamma and Artemis Langfordthe first openly trans woman to join a sorority at the University of Wyoming, according to Oil City News. Johnson ...
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