LGBT News

The New York Times reports: As his 70s ticked by, Mr. Koch described to a few friends a feeling he could not shake: a deep loneliness. He wanted to meet someone, he said. Did they know anyone who might be “partner material?” Someone “a little younger than me?” Someone to make up for lost time? “I want a boyfriend,” he …

The Louisiana Advertiser reports: Louisiana’s version of legislation to bar classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity, described as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents, was killed in the House Education Committee Tuesday. A similar bill in Florida has sparked a high-stakes, viral feud between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a supporter of the legislation in his state, and …

The Hill reports: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Monday warned progressives that the Supreme Court “isn’t just coming for abortion” after a leak of a Supreme Court draft ruling that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Ocasio-Cortez later retweeted a statement from Slate reporter Mark Joseph Stern pointing to passages in the draft opinion. “[Supreme Court Justice Samuel] Alito’s draft opinion …

Engadget reports: Grindr’s past willingness to share sensitive data may have been more problematic than previously thought. The Wall Street Journal understands precise Grindr user location data was collected from the online ad network MoPub (once owned by Twitter) and put on sale through its partner company UberMedia (now UM) since “at least” 2017. The LGBTQ dating app curbed the …

The Associated Press reports: A man told police he killed American mathematician Scott Johnson in 1988 by pushing the 27-year-old off a Sydney cliff in what prosecutors describe as a gay hate crime, a court heard on Monday. Scott White, 51, appeared in the New South Wales state Supreme Court for a sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty in January …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: A Seminole County woman is appealing her conviction after a judge sentenced her to 120 days in jail earlier this month for violating her probation when she was kicked out of a Christian drug rehabilitation center for kissing another woman participating in the program, according to her attorney. In a phone interview from the Seminole jail, …

From the Justice Department: The Justice Department today filed a complaint challenging a recently enacted Alabama law, Senate Bill (S.B.) 184, that denies necessary medical care to children based solely on who they are, and that threatens criminal prosecution and jail time to doctors, parents, and anyone else who provides or “causes” that care. The United States’ complaint alleges that …

Britain’s The Metro reports: Homophobic Russian MP Vitaly Milonov is presenting a reality show where contestants have to guess which person is gay in order to win a cash prize. I’m Not Gay is a series that sees eight men move into a country house together. At the end of each episode, they vote to eliminate a contestant they suspect …

Nashville’s CBS News reports: A former Franklin CEO of a health care company filed suit in federal court this week against comedian Kathy Griffin, alleging she doxed him on Twitter and caused him to lose his job. The suit comes as a result of Samuel Johnson losing his job with VisuWell in 2021 hours after Griffin posted a tweet about …

Today marks the eighteenth blogiversary of this here website thingy. Counting this one, we’re at 123,870 posts over 18 years, the last 14 of which have been without a day off. As I’ve said on this day every year, whether I am insanely committed or am insane and should be committed – that is entirely your call. I appreciate all …

CTV News reports: A policy change years in the making, on Thursday Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services’ submission to eliminate the three-month donor deferral period for gay and bisexual men as well as some other folks in the LGBTQ2S+ community. Moving away from a blanket ban, the national blood donor organization will be able to screen all donors regardless …

Today Online reports: A Russian court on Tuesday (April 26) hit Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta and video platform TikTok with fines for refusing to take down LBGT content. In separate hearings, a Moscow court ordered Meta to pay four million rubles (S$74,000) and TikTok 2 million rubles for failing to delete content with LGBT “propaganda”, news agency Interfax …

Florida Politics reports: Sen. Rick Scott said Monday that he has no plans to go back to Disney World and that he’s canceled his subscription to the Disney+ streaming service in the wake of the company’s opposition to the state’s Parental Rights in Education law. The Senator, during an appearance on the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” contended that …

Bloomberg News reports: Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to prohibit the LGBTQ-rights flag from being flown on the corporate flagpole outside its offices during Pride month in June, prompting a furious backlash from Houston-based employees. Exxon updated company guidance on what flags can be displayed outside its offices, banning “external position flags” such as PRIDE and Black Lives Matter, according to …

From the Justice Department: A California man was arrested on Tuesday, April 20, 2022 and charged in federal court in Springfield, Mass. in connection with making threats against Merriam-Webster. Jeremy David Hanson, 34, of Rossmoor, Calif., was charged by criminal complaint with one count of interstate communication of threats to commit violence. Hanson was released on conditions following an initial …

The Palm Beach Post reports: When a Palm Beach County judge stepped into the courtroom on Thursday to sentence Alexander Jerich for using his truck to burn a 15-foot-long skid mark into a gay pride memorial painted on Delray Beach street, he said he was pretty sure what kind of character he would meet. “I was expecting someone who displays …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Members of a Ukrainian refugee family appeared in a South Florida courtroom on Wednesday. That’s where they are facing hate crime and attempted murder charges for an alleged family ambush. Police say Oleh Makarenko was in a nine-month homosexual relationship, which would end with his lover being beaten so badly by Makarenko’s family that the …

Detroit’s ABC News affiliate reports: Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow delivered a passionate speech on the Capitol floor in Lansing on Tuesday, defending herself from what she said was an attack from a fellow lawmaker. McMorrow, a Democrat from Royal Oak, defended herself from baseless claims by Republican State Sen. Lana Theis in a fundraising email. Theis is from Brighton. …

Gothamist reports: Rep. Tom Suozzi wants to make clear: He doesn’t support Florida’s controversial new law restricting discussion of sexual identity in schools — despite saying some aspects of it were “reasonable” and made “common sense” just last week. Suozzi said his prior comments were “very inartful in the way I spoke.” He said he opposes both the law – …

Politico reports: The Biden administration is preparing to scrap a Trump-era rule that allows medical workers to refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, three people familiar with the deliberations told POLITICO. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the policy change is underway, saying: “HHS has made clear through …