Tag Archives: LGBTQ rights

The Associated Press reports: Mariann Budde, Bishop of Washington, on Wednesday decried leaders “trying to turn back the clock” on LGBTQ+ rights and urged people to embrace hope and joy amid hardship as they come to the nation’s capital for World Pride during a time of mounting political anxiety for LGBTQ+ Americans. “We’re not in the 1960’s and 70’s anymore,” …

The Naples Daily News reports: Home security and safety blog SafeHome.org released their annual report of the best and worst states for LGBTQ+ safety, noting hate crimes have risen for the fourth year in a row and 71% of LGBTQ+ adults have avoided a public space due to fear of discrimination or violence. Experts ranked the 50 states on a …

Pew Research reports: To better understand the coming out experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adults, we asked them: How old they were when they first felt they might be gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans, even if they didn’t use those words to describe themselves at the time. How old they were when they first told someone that they …

Florida Politics reports: Rep. Byron Donalds urged the city of Naples to fight a court ruling permitting the show. U.S. District Judge John Steele, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, ruled earlier this month that Naples city officials cannot prohibit a drag performance from being held at an outdoor venue, Cambier Park. He also declined to stay his ruling …

“We are going to protect the innocence of our children. Why would it be problematic to say you can’t do this stuff that’s sexually explicit in front of minors that used to not even be something that would be questioned? “Now, somehow you have folks going into court and they really want to push the envelope on this stuff, and …

The Washington Blade reports: This year, the Equality Chamber of Commerce in D.C. is offering nine queer couples a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to legally marry on the Little Gay Chapel float during the 2025 WorldPride Parade. As the parade rolls through the heart of D.C., the float will transform into the ultimate queer altar – giving couples the chance to say …

The Seattle Times reports: Protesters clashed with police at dueling rallies Saturday in Cal Anderson Park in Seattle. A crowd waving transgender pride flags and signs denouncing the “Trump Fascist Regime” gathered around 1 p.m. in protest of a “Mayday USA” event — the fourth of five stops on a conservative Christian group’s national tour, under the banner #DontMessWithOurKids. By …

Bloomberg Law reports: The Trump administration must republish two Harvard Medical School professors’ papers it censored because they contained words related to gender ideology, a federal judge ruled Friday. “The plaintiffs are likely to succeed in proving that the removal of their articles was a textbook example of viewpoint discrimination by the defendants in violation of the First Amendment,” Judge …

DC News Now reports: There’s a new mural being created in the District just in time for the start of WorldPride. It’s a colorful display on 15th Street NW, but it also adds a safety component for families. “Everything’s coming together,” said Lisa Marie Thalhammer. Thalhammer is the lead artist with a mission to “just bring joy and color and …

Truthout reports: Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk — a far-right federal judge in the Northern District of Texas with a record of aligning with the GOP’s most extreme legal positions — has issued a ruling declaring that Title VII no longer protects LGBTQ+ people from workplace discrimination. The decision directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s landmark 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, …

Courthouse News reports: More than 1 million Europeans have called on the EU to ban “conversion”‘ practices targeting LGBTQ people, the results of a petition showed Friday. The landmark result, reached in the afternoon, means the initiative has secured enough backing to force the European Commission to provide a detailed response. The United Nations has called for a global ban, …

The New York Times reports: Fearing the loss of federal funding, the nation’s largest anti-sexual-violence organization has barred its crisis hotline staff from pointing people to resources that might violate President Trump’s executive orders to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The organization, RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) has removed more than two dozen resources for L.G.B.T.Q. …

NBC News reports: The organizers of four of the United Kingdom’s largest LGBTQ Pride marches have banded together to suspend political party participation in their annual events in support of the country’s transgender community. “At a time when trans rights in the UK are under growing attack, our resolve has never been stronger: we will not allow progress to be …

Via press release from the ACLU: In an important win for free speech and the LGBTQ+ community, a federal court today granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Naples Pride, clearing the way for the organization to once again host a family-friendly drag performance on the mainstage of a public park during its annual Pridefest celebration. In a decisive 49-page …

The New York Times reports: The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the Trump administration may start enforcing a ban on transgender troops serving in the military that had been blocked by lower courts. The ruling was brief, unsigned and gave no reasons, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications. It will remain in place while challenges …

Just in via press release: Today, as leaders in the U.S. House and Senate are set to reintroduce the Equality Act — historic federal legislation that would ensure comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people everywhere — a coalition of civil rights organizations urgently calls for the legislation’s swift passage. The bill’s reintroduction comes amidst a dangerous rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative …

Forbes reports: Nearly two-fifths of corporations plan on scaling back engagement for LGBTQ Pride Month this June, while another two-fifths said their support would remain unchanged, according to a survey of corporate executives by Gravity Research. Of the 49 executives surveyed from Fortune 1000 companies, those who said they were pulling back on Pride support cited pressure from conservative activists …

The Baltic Times reports: The institution of partnership, as now defined in Lithuania’s Civil Code, is unconstitutional because it only provides for a union between a man and a woman, excluding same-sex relationships, the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday. “Article 3.229 of the Civil Code, insofar as it allows only a partnership between a man and a woman, runs counter …

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 …

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. …