LGBT News

Agence France-Presse reports: Police in Moscow raided multiple bars early Saturday and arrested the director of a gay travel agency under laws criminalising “LGBT propaganda”, state media reported. The raids came on the one year anniversary of Russia’s Supreme Court outlawing the “international LGBT movement”, paving the way for arrests and prosecutions of the country’s already repressed LGBTQ community. Russian …

ABC News reports: President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will mark World AIDS Day on Sunday by debuting the AIDS Memorial Quilt at the White House. It will be displayed on the South Lawn as the Bidens commemorate the day with survivors, their families and advocates. The White House said in statement that the Biden administration has made …

Carl Siciliano, the founder of New York City’s Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBTQ youth, sends us a memory of their first Thanksgiving: In 1994, I became the director of SafeSpace, a Times Square daytime drop-in program for homeless teens. At that time there was no safe shelter for LGBT youths in NYC, and most lived brutally dangerous lives out …

The Associated Press reports: Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists. The changes, confirmed by Walmart on Monday, are sweeping and include everything from not renewing a five-year commitment for an equity racial center …

Pittsburgh’s CBS affiliate reports: A man was shot inside Club Pittsburgh in the city’s Strip District on Friday morning. Pittsburgh Police say the shooting happened just around 2:15 a.m. on Friday at the social club located along Penn Avenue. According to police, when officers arrived at the social club, they found the man had been shot multiple times in the …

Austin’s ABC affiliate reports: Calling it “left-wing propaganda,” State Representative Brian Harrison, R-Waxahachie, said if any Texas public university offers “LGBTQ/Sexualities Studies” programs, he will try to zero out its budget. “If they have an LGBTQ minor, that is an abuse of taxpayer funding never authorized by the legislature and as far as I’m concerned, there have got to be …

The Bergen Record reports: Jonathan Gomez-Noriega, a former aide to Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop [photo], is suing the gubernatorial hopeful for wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination, after he said he was fired in August for supporting his sister, a Republican candidate. Gomez-Noriega was fired in August when news broke that he had donated $1,250 to his sister, Valentina Gomez, …

Michigan Live reports: Books with sexually explicit or LGBTQ content would largely be protected from being pulled off public library shelves under new legislation proposed by Michigan Democrats. The two bills introduced Nov. 7 would require public libraries to adopt uniform policies outlining unacceptable reasons for residents to request a book be removed from the shelves. School and university libraries …

The Associated Press reports: A U.S. Naval Academy graduate ripped down a tattoo shop’s LGBTQ+ pride flag and put it in the trash, Annapolis police said in documents charging him with a hate crime. Charlie Garrett, co-owner of the Dapper Dog Tattoo Shop, told police Friday morning that the store had been vandalized. He said it was the third time …

The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that transgender women are not permitted to use bathrooms in the Capitol that match their gender identity, taking a stance on the hot-button issue that has overtaken the Capitol in recent days. The policy, a draft of which was obtained by The Hill — will also apply to bathrooms in House office …

ESPN reports: Charlotte Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball said Sunday night he didn’t mean to offend anyone with a comment the NBA said was “offensive and derogatory” while levying a $100,000 fine on him. After Saturday’s 115-114 win in Milwaukee, sideline reporter Shannon Spake asked Ball about the team’s defensive strategy against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on the game’s final …

Little Rock’s Fox affiliate reports: Crawford County is facing ongoing lawsuits over removing LGBTQ books from children’s library sections, costing taxpayers nearly $500,000 in legal defense. The dispute could result in an additional $118,000 in legal fees, potentially affecting the library system’s budget. Van Buren resident Dr. Jeff Hamby and Rudy resident John Riordan led the charge, calling for the …

Via press release from the FBI: The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to African American and Black communities around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter. The reports are not identical and vary in their specific language, but many say the recipient has been …

Via press release from the USPS: An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals. …

The Tennessean reports: In a marker of evangelical Christians’ hopes for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, Southern Baptist Convention public policy leaders asked the incoming administration to prioritize restricting abortion and reversing anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. Despite evangelicals’ frustration with Trump on the campaign trail for easing his stance against abortion, a letter from the SBC’s Ethics & Religious …

The Hill reports: Texas lawmakers, during the state’s upcoming legislative session, will have the opportunity to formally decriminalize gay sex, still technically a misdemeanor under Texas law. On Tuesday, the first day state lawmakers were able to prefile legislation before the Legislature convenes on Jan. 14, Texas Democrats filed two bills — one in the House and one in the …

The New York Daily News reports: One borough, one parade. After 60 years, one of Staten Island’s largest and most influential civic organizations is allowing gay and lesbian groups to march in the borough’s official St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “The Richmond County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee wishes to announce that the Staten Island Pride Center has been invited to …

Des Moines’ CBS affiliate reports: A local chaplain is helping dozens of same-sex couples across the state tie the knot before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January due to concerns about marriage equality protections under the new administration. Des Moines area chaplain Anitta Milloro said they’re working with more than 40 couples who want to get …

CBS News reports: Twelve Salisbury University students, including seven associated with a fraternity, have been charged with a hate crime for an alleged brutal attack on a man because of his sexual orientation, according to authorities. One of the suspects created an account on Grindr, a dating app, posing as a 16-year-old, to lure the victim to an off-campus apartment …

NBC News reports: Former President Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to become the next U.S. president, but he didn’t do so with the help of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters. LGBT voters shifted even more solidly into the Democratic camp this year, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. Harris led President-elect Trump 86% to 12% among …