LGBT News

NBC New reports: The University of North Florida, in Jacksonville, will close its Office of Diversity and Inclusion — and, with it, its interfaith, intercultural, women’s and LGBTQ centers — to comply with the new law, President Moaz Limayem said in a letter. Cassandra Edwards, a spokesperson for the university system, said in an email Thursday that Florida “will remain …

The Des Moines Register reports: Iowa Republican lawmakers have again proposed removing protections against discrimination for transgender people from the Iowa Civil Rights Act — and this time a key committee chair says he’s open to the conversation. Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, has scheduled a subcommittee hearing on House File 2082, which would remove gender identity protections from the civil …

CBS News reports: A Florida House panel has backed a measure that would require state-issued identification cards to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth and impose requirements for insurers who cover gender-affirming care. The Republican-controlled House Select Committee on Health Innovation approved the bill (HB 1639) along party lines, despite opposition from transgender people and their allies. Under the …

The Texas Standard reports: Texas lawmakers were behind 1 in 5 of all anti-LGBTQ plus bills introduced nationwide in 2023. That’s according to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ political lobbying group in the U.S. Several of the Texas bills cited by the group became law, including one that blocks trans minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care and another …

Media Matters has the transcript: PETE HEGSETH: UFC in the United States is one thing. The UFC in Canada is a whole ‘nother. They don’t have the same First Amendment protections. They’re happy to censor speech. Everything is politically correct. And then the UFC shows up, which is basically like permanent locker-room talk. This guy talks like the guys I …

Axios reports: Generation Z adults are less likely than older generations to join an established religion, far more likely to identify as LGBTQ and generally are less likely to be Republican, a new survey shows. Gen Z adults — who now make up about 1 in 6 of the Americans eligible to vote — are more politically left than older …

Boston’s NBC affiliate reports: Massachusetts state senators passed a bill Thursday that will strike so-called “archaic laws” from state statutes. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional in 2003 and Massachusetts has legally recognized same-sex marriage since 2004, but sections of state law still feature discriminatory restrictions on sexual interactions between consenting adults, lawmakers said Thursday. Massachusetts still has …

The Associated Press reports: Hungary’s government will not change policies the European Union believes infringe on LGBTQ+ rights and those of asylum seekers, even if doing so would unfreeze billions in funding the bloc has withheld from Budapest, a government minister said Thursday. The EU has frozen funding to Hungary over concerns its right-wing nationalist government has trampled on minority …

USA Today reports: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to decide if schools can bar transgender students from using a bathroom that reflects their gender identity, leaving in place a lower court ruling that allowed a transgender middle school boy in Indiana to use the boys’ bathroom. The case arrived at the Supreme Court against the backdrop of a shifting …

“We are so honored to have this award. Listen, you guys are just pure lovely for honoring our show and recognizing all these queens. We have released into the wild, hundreds of drag queens and they’re beautiful. On behalf of all of them, we thank you. If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis has defended his controversial decision to let priests bless same-sex couples but admitted that “solitude is a price you have to pay” when you make difficult decisions. Francis doubled down and insisted that the “Lord blesses everyone,” during a Sunday interview with an Italian talk show. But he acknowledged the remarkable opposition his decision …

Jacksonville’s ABC affiliate reports: A Northeast Florida lawmaker wants to legally define the words “man” and “woman” based on biological sex at birth. Jacksonville Rep. Dean Black filed the proposed What Is A Woman Act this week, which would also impose new requirements related to transgender individuals on state agencies and insurance companies. House Bill 1233 requires state agencies to …

Hartford’s NBC affiliate reports: People in Enfield are upset with a controversial vote by the town council this week that essentially banned Pride flags from flying outside of Town Hall. The Enfield Town Council voted 6-5 Monday night to only allow American flags, the Connecticut state flag and military flags to be displayed on town properties. The newly-elected Republican majority …

The Columbus Dispatch reports: The Ohio House voted Wednesday to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of legislation that would restrict medical care for transgender minors and block transgender girls from female sports. House Bill 68, which DeWine struck down last month, would prevent doctors from prescribing hormones, puberty blockers or gender transition surgery before patients turn 18. It also would …

The New Republic reports: A Florida Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill that would make it defamation to accuse someone of racism, sexism, homophobia, or transphobia, a measure that would deal a devastating blow to freedom of speech in the Sunshine State. The bill would make it much easier for someone to sue another person for defamation. The measure states …

Nashville’s ABC affiliate reports: Republican State Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) has filed a bill to ban all flags in schools that aren’t the official Tennessee or United States flag. Bulso said he drafted the bill after hearing concerns from constituents about pride flags being displayed in schools. Bulso said the country used to have a “very strong consensus” on what …

The Messenger reports: Dolly Parton paid a debt of gratitude to a fellow big-haired, blonde icon doing important political work in the state of Texas. The country music legend sent a custom guitar to drag performer Brigitte Bandit, who has been a fierce advocate for the rights of drag queens and queer youth in her home state. “Never did I …

The Hill reports: A new rule requiring child welfare agencies to place LGBTQ children in “environments free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse” based on the child’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is drawing opposition from Republicans. Studies have shown that LGBTQ young people are overrepresented in the child welfare system. Roughly 30 percent of foster youth identify as LGBTQ, …

Another action-packed year has come and gone for this here website thingy, which in a few months will mark its 20th anniversary. Which just seems…impossible. The last 12 months haven’t been exactly great for our movement as we saw an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ bills, many of which were spawned by the same hate groups that have antagonized us for …

Agence France-Presse reports: Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye launched a virulent anti-gay tirade on Friday, saying same-sex couples should be publicly stoned. He also lashed out at Western countries that press other nations to allow gay rights or risk losing aid. Homosexuality in Burundi, a conservative Christian country in East Africa, has been criminalised since 2009 with prison terms of up …