LGBT News

Texas Senate Advances K-12 “Don’t Say Gay” Bill

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas Senate has once again advanced legislation that would severely limit classroom lessons, teacher guidance and school programming about sexual orientation and gender identity through 12th grade in Texas schools. The upper chamber voted 19-12 Monday to preliminarily approve House Bill 890 after the Senate education committee added the proposed restrictions to the legislation. This …

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Orlando Restaurant Sues DeSantis Over Anti-Drag Law

From the Facebook page of the Orlando Hamburger Mary’s: After many days of consideration, Mike Rogier and I have made the decision to file a lawsuit against our Governor for his signing of Senate Bill 1438 – Protection of Children. This bill has nothing to do with children, and everything to do with the continued oppression of the LGBTQ+ community. …

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Dodgers “Sincerely Apologize” And Re-Invite Sisters

First, a reminder about the last few days: The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing mounting criticism over its decision to withdraw an invitation it extended to a group called The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to participate in the team’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night. Ahead of its June 16 Pride Night, the organization decided the nonprofit it intended to honor would …

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Another FL Pride Event Canceled Over Safety Concerns

Orlando’s NBC affiliate reports: In 2022, the first official Pride event was held in St. Cloud, Florida, according to organizers Kristina Bozanich and Brenda Torres. Now they worry it could be the last. They had planned​ a second St. Cloud Pride event for June 10. Bozanich says they adjusted the event to only allow those 18 years and older to …

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Anaheim Mayor Invites Sisters To Angels Pride Night

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: The mayor of Anaheim has invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to Angels Pride Night following the Dodgers disinviting the group to their own pride night, causing controversy. The Los Angeles LGBT center and LA Pride have pulled out of the Dodgers Pride Night scheduled for June 16 after the team disinvited the Sisters of …

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TX Rep Sneaks K-12 “Don’t Say Gay” Clause Into Bill

Austin’s CBS affiliate reports: LGBTQ advocacy groups and some members of the community are saying the Texas Senate is attempting to covertly add “don’t say gay” language to House Bill 890. During a Senate Committee on Education meeting this week, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Texas, amended HB 890, which relates to parental rights and the responsibilities of public schools. The changes …

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National Hate Group Behind Many Anti-Trans Laws

The Associated Press reports: Do No Harm, a nonprofit that launched last year to oppose diversity initiatives in medicine, has evolved into a significant leader in statehouses seeking to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youths, producing model legislation that an Associated Press analysis found has been used in at least three states, including Florida. The nonprofit, not widely known outside …

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Texas House Advances Bill To Criminalize Drag Shows

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas House gave initial approval to a bill restricting children from seeing sexually explicit performances on Friday. Senate Bill 12 was originally designed to restrict kids from attending drag shows, but its most recent version seeks to criminalize any live performance that the bill defines as sexual. It defines a sexually explicit performance as one …

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“Dress Code” To Be Imposed At Wilton Manors Pride

The South Florida Gay News reports: In the week since Wilton Manors’ city commission voted unanimously to amend the permit for the Stonewall Pride Parade & Street Festival, people on both sides of the issue on whether or not to comply with drag laws have lashed out. The amendment ensures event producers follow all laws, including ones passed since the …

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GOP Rep: Defund The Air Force Over Pride Month Memo

Fox News reports: Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on Thursday called for Republicans to drop support for a must-pass military funding bill after his office obtained an Air Force memo declaring June to be LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The May 3 memo, shared with Fox News, approves observance of Pride Month in June and empowers installation commanders to “plan and conduct appropriate …

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“Kill All Gays” Sign Greets Orlando Motorists [VIDEO]

ClickOrlando reports: Orlando police said they’re investigating and confirming a homophobic threat that was posted on a digital traffic sign in Lake Nona that read “Kill all gays.” Police say the threat was posted on a sign at Lake Nona Blvd. and Nemours Pkwy. around 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday and that the sign appeared to have been tampered with. News …

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Paris Olympics Vows To Press For LGBTQ Rights

The Associated Press reports: Organizers of the Paris Olympics, who gave rainbow colors to their logo Wednesday to mark the international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, aren’t limiting themselves to promises of inclusive Games next year. They say they also intend to seize on the Olympic spotlight to push a broader message that LGBTQ rights need to progress outside …

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Tampa Pride Cancels Event Over New Anti-Drag Law

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: A pride event in downtown Tampa was cancelled after a bill concerning “adult live performances” was signed into law Wednesday. On Thursday, Tampa Pride President Carrie West confirmed that the organization will not host its Pride on the River event this year. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB-1438, titled “Protection of Children,” into law in Tampa on …

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LA LGBT Center Ditches Pride Night Over Sisters Snub

Via press release from the Los Angeles LGBT Center: We are deeply disappointed that the Dodgers, an organizational partner that has made significant strides towards dismantling anti-LGBTQ+ bias in sports and long-standing supporter of our mission, has decided to revoke their invitation to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at their upcoming Pride Night. Buckling to pressure from out-of-state, right-wing …

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DHS Warns Of Rising Violent Threats Against LGBTQs

ABC News reports: Threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community are on the rise and intensifying, according to a new briefing by the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS document, distributed to government and law enforcement agencies on May 11, said that domestic violence extremists and people who commit hate crimes have increased threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community …

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Dodgers Cave To Haters, Sisters Axed As Honorees

From the May 4th press release from LA Pride: LA Pride is thrilled to be partnering with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 10th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium, presented by Blue Shield of California, on Friday, June 16. LA Pride fans will enjoy a host of extras, both before and after the 7:10 p.m. matchup against the …

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Texas Passes Bill Allowing Override Of Local Ordinances

The Texas Tribune reports: Republican state leaders’ broadest effort to prevent Democratic-run cities and counties from enacting progressive policies — which could drastically limit local government’s ability to make rules on areas like labor rights, drought restrictions and even noise complaints — is one step closer to becoming law. By a 18-13 vote mostly along party lines, the Texas Senate …

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22 GOP Senators Lobby WH Against Trans Athletes

The Washington Examiner reports: A group of 22 Republican senators called on the Biden administration on Monday to withdraw recently proposed rule changes to Title IX that could prevent states from enforcing bans on transgender athletes competing in sports that don’t correspond to their biological sex at birth. The Education Department’s proposed rule would allow schools to ban transgender students …

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Chinese LGBTQ Center Closes Amid Govt Clampdown

Bloomberg News reports: A prominent LGBTQ+ center in China is closing down after 15 years, another sign of the tightening of space for sexual orientation-focused organizations under President Xi Jinping. In a statement on its WeChat account on Monday, the Beijing LGBT Center said it was terminating its operations effective immediately, saying only that the closing was due to a …

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NC Republicans Seek To Criminalize Public Drag Shows

The Fayetteville Observer reports: House Bill 673, “Clarify Regulations on Adult Entertainment,” would prohibit “adult live entertainment” on private property in the presence of anyone under age 18 and not allow it at all on public property. “Adult live entertainment” is defined as “a performance featuring topless dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, or male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that …

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