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LGBTQ+ youth advocates call for action after increased bullying reports
Officials from LGBTQ+-advocacy organizations Equality Illinois, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Rainbow Cafe and Youth Outlook announced a sharp increase in the number of bullying incidents directed against LGBTQ+ students across ...
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Honoring Emmett Till's mother's 100th birthday, Medill launches institute
--From a Northwestern University press release
EVANSTON, Ill. —- November 23 marks the 100th birthday of Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Chicago boy who was brutally lynched in the Mississippi Delta in 1955. Her decision to "let the ...
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Missouri district returning LGBTQ+ books to high school libraries
In Missouri, the North Kansas City School district said it would return two books exploring LGBTQ+ themes to its high school libraries following public outcry, The Hill noted. The district announced its plans to reshelve All ...
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CPS staffers fired in wake of Marine Leadership Academy scandal
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials announced that 12 employees at Marine Leadership Academy and a school volunteer either committed or covered up sexual misconduct that dates back five years, The Chicago Tribune reported. Ten adults have ...
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Chicago Public Schools principal fosters social justice, safe space for LGBTQ+ students
When Jas Thurmond became principal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy of Social Justice in 2016, the K-8 school had only recently been renamed. That was an important change, Thurmond said, but as she stepped ...
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"Safe Schools For All" to help students take action against bullying
--From a press release
WASHINGTON — As schools and school districts across the country face hostile protests of LGBTQI+ inclusive education, students who are experiencing discrimination, bullying and harassment based on their sexual orientation ...
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Downers Grove parents complain about LGBTQ books
Continuing a battle that's been taking place in several other states, parents in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove say they want publications they call "pornography" removed from the high schools' libraries, according to WGN-TV. At ...
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Northwestern University researchers present data on COVID-19 impacts on minoritized youth
Two Northwestern University-affiliated researchers presented a webinar Nov.9 about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth in minoritized communities in the United States, among them youths in the LGBTQ+ community. The webinar was part of ...
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Chicagoans to sleep outside Nov. 18 to support homeless youth
--From a press release
On Thursday, Nov. 18, people from across Chicago and around the region will be spending the night away from the comfort of their homes, to raise awareness about and funds for young people overcoming homelessness. This ...
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Bisexual youth tell their identity stories in new book
While Zoomer (Gen Z) and millennial young adults are increasingly rejecting traditional sexual labels, Ritch C. Savin-Williams explores the topic of bisexuality in his newest book BI: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid ...
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NATIONAL Intersex snapshot, teacher fired, 'Living Rainbow,' Task Force
In honor of Intersex Awareness Day (Oct. 26), the National Institutes of Health's Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) released the DSD & Intersex Research Portfolio Snapshot of the NIH FY 2019 SGM Portfolio Analysis, ...
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Howard Brown Health unveils new Broadway Youth Center
--From a press release
Howard Brown Health recently unveiled the new permanent home for Broadway Youth Center, its program for LGBTQ people ages 12-24 and young people experiencing homelessness. Located at 1023 W. Irving Park Road, the new space has ...
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Campus Pride releases list of worst anti-LGBTQ schools
Campus Pride officially released its 2021 Worst List, naming 180 campuses across the country as "the absolute worst, most unsafe campuses for LGBTQ youth." The colleges and universities included in this year's list have either received ...
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Illinois high schoolers distribute anti-LGBTQ+ survey
At Anna-Jonesboro Community High School in Anna, Illinois, a student group calling itself the "Anti-Queer Association" distributed a survey asking others if they think "queers" should be allowed to use the school restroom with "normal people," ...
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On Spirit Day, celebrities and others reach LGBTQ+ youth around the world
--From a press release. Video below
New York, NY, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 - Yesterday, GLAAD celebrated Spirit Day, when participants around the world wear purple or go purple online in a united stand against bullying and show of support for LGBTQ ...
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Northwestern Univ. names first woman president
Rebecca M. Blank, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been named the next president of Northwestern University, the school announced. Blank—the university's first woman president in the school's 170-year ...
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HRC marks National Coming Out Day with new resource for youth
On Oct. 11, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is commemorating the 33rd annual National Coming Out Day (NCOD) by announcing the release of a new resource, "Online Communities and LGBTQ+ Youth." "National Coming Out Day exists ...
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NATIONAL Victory Institute, LGBTQ books, youth items, NASA, LGBTQ Nation
LGBTQ Victory Institute and nine additional candidate-training organizations announced a partnership with Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, to provide a native-to-mobile tool to encourage young people to run for office, a press release noted. ...
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Texans protest anti-trans youth measures at capitol in Austin
GLAAD and Equality Texas issued a release highlighting a week of protest at the Texas state capitol in Austin—where measures targeting transgender children are being considered during the legislature's third special session of the year. Three ...
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Crystal Lake's Raue Center for the Arts opens new school
On its 20th anniversary, the Crystal Lake, Illinois-based nonprofit organization Raue Center for the Arts has launched a new school. Raue Center School for the Arts (RCSA) will provide youth and adult classes in a wide ...
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Indiana students sue over gay-straight club's alleged treatment
In Pendleton, Indiana, a group of Pendleton Heights High School students has filed a lawsuit against the school and South Madison Community School Corporation over allegations that the school has been treating its Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) ...
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OPALGA+ Scholarship Gala taking place Oct. 23
The 2021 OPALGA+ (Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association+) Scholarship Gala will take place Saturday, Oct. 23, at Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park. Cocktails will begin at 6 p.m., with the program/dinner ...
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[UPDATE] Lisle school offers job to lacrosse coach in same-sex marriage
The administration at Lisle’s Benet Academy, a west suburban Catholic school, has reversed course and offered a job to a woman in a same-sex marriage after initially rescinding the offer, The Chicago Tribune reported. ...
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Equality Illinois 'deeply troubled' by investigation into pro-LGBTQ teacher
Equality Illinois issued a press release stating it is "deeply troubled" after a DuPage County teacher is being investigated for posts about LGBTQ history and racial justice. The videos, which were reposted to Twitter in early ...
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Students urged to apply for Musical Theatre Awards
Broadway in Chicago is inviting high schools across Illinois to participate in the 11th Annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards. These awards celebrate excellence in high school theater throughout the state. Beginning Thursday, Sept. 16, ...
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Virginia school district settles with Gavin Grimm
A Virginia school district that discriminated against a transgender individual by making him go to the bathroom in a converted supply closet will have to pay $1.3 million in attorney's fees and other costs accrued over ...
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Report features eight Illinois child-welfare agencies working with HRC Foundation
--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 a new report ...
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Campus Pride names one Illinois school to 'Best of the Best' list
Campus Pride chose 30 schools this year for the 2021 Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities List. This list is based on the campuses overall ratings on the Campus Pride Index and specific LGBTQ-inclusive ...
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Indiana school district wrestles with Pride flag issue
A Pride flag hanging in a middle-school classroom has caused an issue that could give rise to a new policy in Indiana's Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District, WANE.com reported. District Superintendent Dr. Brad Yates wrote in a ...
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Pritzker signs the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act
--From a press release
On Friday, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act, which creates age-appropriate learning standards for public schools that decide to teach comprehensive personal health and safety ...
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Gov. Pritzker signs legislation to prevent hair discrimination in schools
--From a press release
CHICAGO - On Aug. 13, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 817 into law, prohibiting schools from issuing policies on hairstyles historically associated with race or ethnicity. The legislation addresses injustices in dress code polices and ...
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COVID Pritzker: Masks required for pre-K-12 schools, long-term care facilities
As COVID-19 infection rates across the state continue to increase and with a number of school districts not yet adopting CDC guidance on masking, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced masks ...
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Gov. Pritzker signs justice-related legislation protecting youth, most vulnerable
--From a press release
CHICAGO —On Juy 15, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package of nation-leading legislation that puts Illinois at the forefront of the work to bring about true reform to the state's justice system. "An essential tenet ...
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Gov. Pritzker signs legislation, Asian American history to be taught in public schools
--From a press release
SKOKIE - On July 9, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed HB 376, the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, into law, making Illinois the first state in the nation to require a unit of Asian American ...
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Trevor Project data on LGBTQ youth suicide shows urgency of Equality Act
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Freedom & Opportunity For All, a national campaign advocating for the urgent passage of the Equality Act, and The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ ...
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Brave Space Alliance unveils mural
On June 25, Brave Space Alliance (BSA) unveiled a mural honoring influential community members who have championed advocacy for Chicago's trans community. The mural, by Saul Palos Rodriguez, features the late Lois L. Bates, Sky Cubacub, ...
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Study finds overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in Midwest Foster Care System
--From a U of Maryland School of Social Work press release
The study outlined here is one of the first of its kind to be conducted in a Midwestern state, where available data on LGBTQ+ youth is extremely limited. It follows similar studies in New York City ...
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U.S. Department of Education renews commitment to LGBTQ+ students, NCLR applaudes
--From a NCLR press release
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) applauds the U.S. Department of Education's renewed commitment to protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination in our nation's schools and universities. ...
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Dept. of Education: Title IX also protects LGBTQ students
The Department of Education will interpret Title IX—a federal law that protects students from sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools—to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination, according to a federal notice ...
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Back 2 School Illinois Build-A-Kit event
Oct. 22, 2021 at Center on Halsted
--From a press release
We are excited to announce that after a long COVID delay, we will be holding our Back 2 School Illinois Build-A-Kit Event on Oct. 22, 2021. The day-long event, in partnership with the LGBT Chamber of ...
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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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Steppenwolf announces The Loft, youth art competition
--From a press release
CHICAGO (May 19, 2021)—Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is excited to announce initial programming details for The Loft, its first-ever dedicated education space that encompasses the ...
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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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Chicago Public Schools CEO stepping down
On May 4, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Janice Jackson announced that she's leaving her post at the end of June, CBS 2 Chicago reported. She confirmed her departure in a message to the CPS staff, ...
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Warrant issued for Joliet teacher accused of inappropriate communication with teen boy [UPDATE]
Joliet police issued an arrest warrant for a former Catholic school teacher accused of inappropriately communicating with a teenage boy, a. Fox32Chicago.com item reported. Jeremy M. Hylka is facing charges of traveling to meet a child ...
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Advocates join to strengthen bill on K-12 health, safety education
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Advocates for the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children's Health Act (REACH Act), led by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Equality Illinois (EI), worked with the ...
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SAIC hosts 'Debunking Conversion Therapy' virtual panel
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) hosted a virtual panel, "Debunking Conversion Therapy," on April 23 that focused on how people have been negatively impacted by conversion therapy, what the Bible says and ...
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GLAAD responds to increase in suicide attempts among trans youth in Arkansas
--From a press release
(New York, NY - April 19, 2021) — GLAAD is responding to reports of an increase in suicide attempts among transgender youth in Arkansas, which on April 6 became the first U.S. state to outlaw gender-affirming ...
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Students speak out after Pride flag removal at Indiana school [UPDATE]
Students spoke out April 12 against the removal of Pride flags at a middle school in northwest Indiana, according to CBS Chicago. According to ABC7Chicago.com, a Black Lives Matter poster was also removed. LGBTQ students addressed ...
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Trans, non-binary youth influencers launch book collection with "A Kids Book About"
--From a press release
Chicago, IL - April 12, 2021 - While many teens took e-learning as an opportunity to level-up their gaming skills, a group of young people chose instead to write a collection of books about their lives. ...
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Study: 30% of young LGBQ people have attempted suicide in their lifetimes
--From a press release
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds younger LGBQ adults experience greater psychological distress and suicidal behavior than older LGBQ people. Researchers examined a representative sample of LGBQ people in ...
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LGBTQ students sue U.S. Department of Education
More than 30 LGBTQ students are suing the U.S. Department of Education in a class-action lawsuit filed March 29, NBC News reported. The students allege that they dealt with discrimination at 25 federally funded Christian colleges ...
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New Equality Map: Bans on transgender youth participation in sports
(March 29, 2021) — Across the country, state legislatures have introduced bills that would ban transgender youth from participating in K-12 school sports, and in some cases in college as well. This year alone, at least ...
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LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project connects youth, elders in conversation
A chance encounter in 2019 has blossomed into an intergenerational dialogue project that brings together younger and older LGBTQ folks. Adam Greteman, a gay philosopher and School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) faculty member, ...
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CDC establishes school-reopening guidelines
On Feb. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that teachers and students should return to the classroom and can do so safely—even in areas with high rates of viral transmission—if certain mitigation ...
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ACLU of Illinois reacts to Auditor General's report on LGBTQ youth in DCFS care
In response to the Auditor General's report on LGBTQ youth in DCFS care, Ghirlandi Guidetti, Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Illinois made the following statement: "Today's Auditor General's report reveals a sad but unsurprising truth: ...
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Indianapolis council condemns conversion therapy; Indiana Stonewall Dems celebrate
Indiana Stonewall Democrats celebrated the Indianapolis City-County Council and its LGBTQ councillors for passing a proclamation on Feb. 1 that formally condemns "conversion therapy" and the long-term health complications it ...
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Book helps families with kids discuss gender roles, same gender attraction
--From a press release
A new book, Pepito Has a Doll, is centered on the experience of a shy young boy who lives with his grandmother. Pepito has only one friend, his doll Lola, until Miguel appears and they begin a joyful adventure together. Bilingual ...
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Indiana to open first home for LGBTQ+ homeless youths
Indiana's first dedicated residential facility for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness is slated to open this year in Indianapolis, according to WLFI.com. This home was years in the making. Trinity ...
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Groups sue to overturn Dept. of Ed regulation that forces funding of anti-LGBTQ groups
--From a press release
Washington, D.C.—January 19, 2021—Today, the national civil rights organizations American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance and a California ...
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Indiana pols propose anti-conversion therapy bill
Indiana Stonewall Democrats issued a press release lauding state Sen. JD Ford (District 39) and state Rep. Sue Errington (District 26) for introducing a new bill to effectively end so-called "conversion therapy" practices across the state ...
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City officials send letter to Lightfoot regarding schools reopening
On Jan. 3, more than 30 members of the 50-member Chicago City Council sent a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson regarding concerns about Chicago Public Schools' reopening plans amidst ...
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11th Circuit urged to reverse decision allowing LGBTQ youth conversion therapy
--From a Born Perfect press release
ATLANTA, GA — The Born Perfect campaign submitted a friend-of-the-court brief on Friday urging reversal of a recent decision by a three-judge federal panel validating the dangerous unethical practice known ...
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Buffalo Grove LGBTQ+ teen named one of HRC's ambassadors
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced that Buffalo Grove teen Molly Pinta (she/her)—a 14-year-old who identifies as bisexual—has been named a member of the 2021 class of HRC Foundation Youth ...
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Feds investigating alleged anti-Semitic activity at Univ. of Illinois
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced it has opened a formal investigation into a complaint alleging Jewish students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) ...
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Same-sex parents are 7X more likely to raise adopted, foster children
--From a Williams Institute press release
A summary of data on same-sex parenting to inform reporting on Fulton v. City of Philadelphia On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The case will ...
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Inclusive curriculum tools offered to schools during LGBTQ History Month
--From a press release
October is LGBTQ History Month, and a coalition of LGBTQ organizations are celebrating by making tools available to school administrators, educators, youth, and families to help implement the state's new Inclusive Curriculum Law. The Illinois Inclusiv ...
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About Face Theatre announces 25th season of new work, digital performances
--From a press release
CHICAGO — About Face Theatre is excited to announce plans for its landmark 25th anniversary season. Featuring new and original works, the company will focus on using digital streaming and online tools for most of the ...
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WORLD French plan, 'gay panic' defense, trans youth case, Northern Triangle
The French government unveiled a national plan to combat hatred and discrimination against LGBTQ people, and the initiative emphasises the importance of inclusive education in stamping out homophobia, RFI.fr reported. The three-year plan aims to make ...
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Study shows young queer adults face high rates of discrimination
A new study from the progressive think tank the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the research group NORC at the University of Chicago reported that young queer adults face high rates of discrimination. The survey ...
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Campus Pride announces 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-friendly colleges, universities
--From a press release
Campus Pride commemorates LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Day by releasing its 2020 BEST OF THE BEST LGBTQ-Friendly listing of colleges and universities. The announcement features forty campuses ...
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Victory Gardens Theater announces StudentsFirst Virtual Showcase
--From a press release
Chicago, IL—Victory Gardens Theater announces the Voices of Tomorrow: Their World on Stagefundraising event on Dec. 9, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. The virtual event will showcase powerful and moving spoken word and artistic works created by ...
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$4M gift for IU McKinney School of Law focuses on LGBTQ rights, diversity
--From a press release
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law has announced a significant $4 million gift from IU alumnus Steve Tuchman and his husband, Reed Bobrick. The gift will support the creation of an ...
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Chicago Teachers Union on Breonna Taylor and the fight for racial justice
--From a press release
CHICAGO, September 23, 2020—Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement today in response to news that the Kentucky Attorney General will not charge the officer for the shots that killed Breonna Taylor. "For ...
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Alicia Keys joins After School Matters event
Grammy winner Alicia Keys joined teenagers and their families across Chicago Sept. 24 for a live virtual conversation about current racial and social justice events, as well as her life and music career, including her recently ...
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