LGBT News

The BBC reports: Judges at the UK Supreme Court have unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law. It marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle which could have major implications for how sex-based rights apply across Scotland, England and Wales. The court sided with campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought a case …

Vox reports: The Supreme Court will hear a case that could impose a regime similar to Florida’s original Don’t Say Gay law on every public school in the country. The plaintiffs in Mahmoud v. Taylor — a group of Muslim and Christian parents — don’t specifically ask the justices to ban discussions of homosexuality or gender identity from classrooms. Instead, …

The Associated Press reports: Hungary’s parliament has passed an amendment to the constitution that allows the government to ban public events by LGBTQ+ communities. Legal scholars and critics call Monday’s decision another step toward authoritarianism as the populist government continues to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ communities. The amendment passed along party lines, with 140 votes for and 21 against. …

Axios reports: WorldPride has been years in the making for D.C. and a global coalition of organizations, but President Trump’s rhetoric is sparking safety and participation concerns just a month before the festivities kick off May 17. “Our community is living in fear right now, with a lot of unknowns and uncertainty,” said Ashley Smith, president of Capital Pride Alliance …

The Alabama Reflector reports: An Alabama House committee approved legislation to expand the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law throughout K-12 public schools on Wednesday. HB 244, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would prohibit public school teachers at all grade levels from teaching or discussing gender identity or sexuality. The legislation also prohibits the display of pride flags and …

From a Wilton Manors Facebook group: I’ve got some neighbors in Fort Lauderdale who are total circus material. They’re super aggressive, ridiculously entitled, and have some seriously nasty mouths. They own four vehicles, but only have one parking space, so they just park their white Mercedes in our yard or on the grass, because who needs rules, right? Or consideration? …

Courthouse News reports: Poland should honor the rights of same-sex couples who got married in other EU countries, a legal adviser to the bloc’s top court said Thursday. EU advocate general Jean Richard de la Tour wrote in an advisory opinion for the European Court of Justice that the country should register the marriage certificate of two Polish citizens who …

Nature reports: As the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) continues to defund nearly every research project on transgender health, the White House has directed the agency to focus on studying “regret” after a person transitions to align their body with their gender identity. Several NIH employees, who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the …

CBS News reports: The Beehive State became the first to prohibit flying the LGBTQ pride flag at schools and all government buildings after its Republican governor said he was allowing a ban on unsanctioned flag displays to become law without his signature. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on Thursday he has serious concerns with the policy but chose not to …

The Associated Press reports: A U.S. judge in Washington state has blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s order banning transgender people from serving in the military, the second nationwide injunction against the policy in as many weeks. The order Thursday from U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma came in a case brought by several long-serving transgender military members …

The Austin Statesman reports: A state lawmaker is calling on the Legislature to “completely” defund the University of Texas if it doesn’t shutter its Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department and LGBTQ studies program, which he has decried as liberal indoctrination that taxpayers should not fund. The demand by Rep. Brian Harrison on Wednesday comes after a barrage of posts …

St. Louis’s Fox affiliate reports: Anheuser-Busch will end its sponsorship of PrideFest, the annual LGBTQIA festival in downtown St. Louis, after more than 30 years of partnership. Pride St. Louis announced the decision Tuesday morning, expressing sadness over losing such a historic supporter. The festival, which is scheduled for June 28 and 29 at Soldiers Memorial Park, is facing a …

The Wheeling News-Register reports: The West Virginia Senate approved a bill that would rip out non-discrimination ordinances adopted by 20 cities across West Virginia protecting members of the LGBTQ community from being fired or evicted simply for their sexual orientation or gender identity. SB 579, which was recommended for passage by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, would amend State …

Politico Europe reports: The Netherlands has tightened its travel advice to the United States for LGBTQ+ people, highlighting an unease among European nations about Washington’s policies toward sexual minorities. The Dutch foreign ministry’s travel advice portal now notes that people belonging to a sexual minority should take into account that “laws and customs in the US towards LGBTQI+ people may …

The Associated Press reports: A surge of grant cancellations hit researchers focused on the health of gay, lesbian and transgender people last week, as the Trump administration continues to target what it describes as ideologically driven science. Last week the U.S. government terminated at least 68 grants to 46 institutions totaling nearly $40 million. Insights from minority populations can increase …

Via press release from the watchdog group FIRE: A federal judge today upheld the First Amendment rights of a Texas A&M student group by blocking an attempt by officials to prohibit the group’s upcoming drag show on the College Station campus. In her ruling, Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas held …

USA Today reports: San Francisco Pride Director Suzanne Ford feels both saddened and determined about this year’s plans for the city’s iconic Pride parade. The longtime LGBTQ organization is dealing with the potential loss of $300,000 in corporate sponsorship for its hugely popular annual parade, funding needed ahead of June’s Pride Month. Multiyear sponsors including Comcast, Anheuser-Busch and Diageo have …

The Washington Post reports: Under Hungary’s antigay “propaganda” law, bookstores were fined for selling LGBTQ+ themed tomes without sealed plastic wrappers and a museum director was fired for allowing minors into an exhibit with images of same-sex couples. But the autocratic government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban stopped short of targeting the community’s premier event: the annual Pride parade. Until …

Newsweek reports: Denmark and Finland have revised their travel guidance for transgender individuals planning to visit the United States. A new section has been added under Denmark’s visa rules for entry into the United States. It states that when applying for a U.S. visa, there are only two gender options available, male or female. Meanwhile in Finland, the advisory notes …

USA Today reports: Walt Disney shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal calling for the entertainment giant to drop its participation in a benchmark index used to rank companies on how friendly their policies are to LGBTQ+ people. The investor proposal presented Thursday at Disney’s annual meeting by the National Center for Public Policy Research, which describes itself as a non-partisan independent …