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Lambda Legal to 11th Circuit: Schools Must Provide Trans Students Equal Restroom Access
( ATLANTA - Dec. 5, 2019 ) Today, Lambda Legal asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a lower court ruling holding that a suburban Jacksonville, Florida, school district must ...
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School official dismisses trans-related suicides
In Evansville, Indiana, a school board member seemingly dismissed activists' concerns about safety for LGBTQ kids and trans-related suicides, Advocate.com reported. Members of the Tri-State Alliancea social service and educational organization serving LGBTQ communities in southeastern ...
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Raoul among attorneys general to argue trans students should use restrooms of gender identities
Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general to file an amicus brief in the Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in support of transgender rights in an antidiscrimination lawsuit, ...
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Trans/HIV+ military ban panel Dec. 2 with U.S. Rep. Quigley
U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley ( D-Illinois ) is hosting a panel discussing the transgender/HIV-positive military ban Monday, Dec. 2, at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, 104 S. Michigan Ave., 1:30-3 p.m. In addition to Quigley, ...
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NATIONAL Subway attack, Matthew Shepard, OUT100, Indiana hospital
In Manhattan, a man was hit with a hammer and pushed onto the subway tracks in what police believe may be a hate crime, LGBTQ Nation reported. The alleged attacker then approached the 21-year-old victim waving ...
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Chicagoans mark Transgender Day of Remembrance
Members of Chicago's transgender community, as well as their allies, gathered at West Point Missionary Baptist Church on the city's South Side the evening of Nov. 20 to observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This particular ...
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Trans Day of Resilience Art, Poetry Uplift Black Trans Power and Liberation
November 20, 2019 Ten trans and non-binary visual artists and poets of color from across the country, including Chicagoan Benji Hart, have collaborated to honor Trans Day of Resilience ( TDOR ) by creating original ...
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New report out on lives of trans people in rural America
( November 19, 2019 ) Des Moines, IAStereotypes and pop culture portrayals often overlook the diversity of rural America, framing rural regions as made up predominantly of white, politically conservative people who are hostile to LGBT ...
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HRC Foundation releases report on anti-trans violence
On Nov. 18, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) Foundation released "A National Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in the United States in 2019." The report notes the at least 22 transgender people and gender non-conforming ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 Kina Collins fundraiser highlights Transgender Awareness Week
Nov, 14, LGBTQ leaders and allies joined Kina Collins at the "LGBTQ+ All in for Kina!" party held at Cantina Laredo in downtown Chicago. The event was a part of Collins' campaign for the 7th District ...
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Palatine school district to back trans access to restrooms, lockers
On Nov. 14, Palatine School District 211 voted to relax bathroom and locker room restrictions for transgender students, media outlets reported. At the public meeting, held at Fremd High School, parents and students spoke out on ...
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National Center for Transgender Equality dissolving staff
The National Center for Transgender Equality ( NCTE ) started 2019 with 23 staffersbut will close the month with just seven, NewNowNext.com reported. Leadership recently offered employees the option to take a 10-week buyout. Nearly everyone ...
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LGBTQ veterans observe Veterans Day with 27th annual dinner
Tatyana Moaton, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, was keynote speaker at the The American Veterans for Equal Rights ( AVER ) Chicago Chapter's 27th annual LGBTQ Veterans Day Dinner held at Ann Sathers on Belmont. ...
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10 QUESTIONS with Laverne Cox
With various "firsts" in her already impressive career, the Emmy-nominated actress, documentary film producer and prominent equal -rights advocate Laverne Cox, continues to make history in her career and significant strides in her activism. Debuting on ...
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NATIONAL Manhattan sculpture, Pulse memorial, TrevorLIVE LA, unsolved murder
A 10-foot tall sculpture dedicated to the transgender and gender nonconforming community ( TGNC ) was unveiled at Tribeca Park in Manhattan, ABC7NY.com reported. Internationally known visual artist Rubem Robierb is the creator of the sculpture ...
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Sheridan speaks on trans military members
Center on Halsted Director of Gender Equity and Inclusion Vanessa Sheridan led the Center's 2019 salute to transgender service members, veterans and their families on Nov. 6. The salute has been an annual event at the ...
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Groups ask Pritzker, IDOC to save life of transgender prisoner
A coalition of advocacy organizations sent a letter urging Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to step in and help save the life of Janiah Monroea Black transgender woman currently forced into solitary confinement at Logan Correctional Center ...
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Local LGBTQ activism topic of panel at library discussion
Chicago Public Library's Pride Heritage Committee and Brave Space Alliance hosted a panel discussion, "LGBTQ Activism's Past, Present and Future in Chicago," Oct. 12 at the library's Woodson Regional location. Pride Action Tank Executive Director Kim ...
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Opponent Targets Danica Roem With Anti-Trans Attack Ad, Victory Fund responds
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund condemned an anti-transgender online ad targeting Virginia Delegate Danica Roem — the first openly trans person to win and serve in a state legislature — and is demanding an ...
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LGBT HISTORY MONTH Diaries reveal hidden worlds for museums
by Matthew S. Bajko
"Damn I'm going to be a gorgeous man," Lou Sullivan wrote 40 years ago in one of his personal diaries. Sullivan, who died in 1991 at age 39 due to complications from AIDS, was a pioneering ...
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Illinois candidates among latest Victory Fund endorsements
Circuit Court of Cook County judicial candidates Jill Rose Quinn and Michael Weaver are among the 25 openly LGBTQ individuals who the LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed in its latest round of supported candidates for political races ...
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152,000 transgender adults are enrolled in Medicaid
More than half lack guaranteed access to coverage for gender-affirming care under state law. An estimated 152,000 transgender adults are enrolled in Medicaid in the U.S., according to a new analysis by the Williams Institute at ...
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Day of Outrage to honor life of Atatiana Jefferson Oct. 28 in major cities
( Chicago, IL ) UNTIL FREEDOM, founded by Tamika D. Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Mysonne Linen, and Angelo Pinto will lead a national day of action next Monday, Oct. 28 in more than sixteen cities across ...
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois offers gender affirming hormone therapy
CHICAGO - Planned Parenthood of Illinois ( PPIL ) proudly offers gender affirming hormone therapy ( GAHT ) at all 17 locations across the state. PPIL GAHT services include comprehensive and ongoing medical care, psycho-social and ...
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Trans bodybuilding film out Nov. 7
The award-winning, trans-bodybuilding documentary Man Made releases worldwide on VOD platforms on Thursday, Nov. 7, via Journeyman Pictures. The movie follows the lives of four transgender men as they prepare to compete at TransFitConthe only all ...
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NATIONAL Hillary and Chelsea disagree, coming-out study, Julian Castro
Hillary and Chelsea Clinton seemingly had a recent disagreement about transgender identity, The New York Post noted. In an interview with the Sunday Times of London, the mother-daughter duo were asked if someone with a beard ...
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NATIONAL Marriage advocate divorcing, Black gay couple, trans death
A Utah state lawmaker who filed a lawsuit that successfully overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage is separating from his husband, U.S. News & World Report noted. State Sen. Derek Kitchen announced in an Instagram ...
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New York State veterans' services trained in LGBTQ cultural competency
WASHINGTON Today, the Modern Military Association of America ( MMAA ) the nation's largest non-profit organization for the LGBTQ military and veteran community announced that it will provide LGBTQ and HIV+ competency training ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans actor, 'Judy,' 'Concert for America,' Dolly Parton
Trans actor Brian Michael Smith was one of three casting announcements made ahead of Fox's 9-1-1 spinoff, Lone Star, which debuts in January, Out.com noted. This next installment in Ryan Murphy's burgeoning franchise will take place ...
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NATIONAL Hospital lawsuit, LGBTs in Root 100, censure postponed
A California appeals court approved a lawsuit filed by a transgender man who claims staff at a Catholic hospital violated his civil rights by refusing to allow him to undergo a medical procedure as part of ...
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Quigley co-sponsors resolution denouncing Carson's transphobic history
U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) and Katie Hill (D-California) introduced a resolution denouncing Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Ben Carson as transphobic and criticizing his policies as anti-LGBT, The Washington Blade reported. Last month, at ...
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WORLD Toronto rally, Russian activist's murder, Xavier Bettel, papal meeting
In Toronto, a rally promoting unity was held Sept. 28 in response to an anti-LGBTQ Christian group's march through the city's gay village, CTVNews.ca reported. The march was in response to several incidents this year where ...
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Supreme Court preview: 'The stakes could not be higher'
Here's the blunt reality: The U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on three cases it will hear arguments about Tuesday, Oct. 8, could have the most profound consequences yet on LGBT people. The three cases ask whether an ...
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Law school honored for TGNC efforts
Chicago-Kent College of Law recently received the 2019 Henry J. Ramsey, Jr. Diversity Award from the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association. The awardnamed in honor of Henry J. Ramsey Jr., who served as ...
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NATIONAL Donor arrested, trans worker fired, celebrities in pro-trans video
L.A. County prosecutors charged Democratic donor/LGBTQ activist Ed Buck with running a drug house and other crimes after a man overdosed on methamphetamine at Buck's apartment, NPR reported. The man survived, but two other men ( ...
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NCAA trans swimmer at Oakton on Sept. 24
Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender National College Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I men's athlete, will speak in Oakton Community College's Student Center on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 12:30-1:45 p.m. The talk will take place in ...
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Ben Carson makes transphobic remarks; LGBTQs react (UPDATE)
Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ) Secretary Ben Carson made dismissive comments in a recent internal meeting that multiple people present interpreted as an attack on transgender people, according to a CNN item that cites ...
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District 211 to deliberate on crafting transgender locker room policy
Officials from Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 said Sept. 19 that they'll need more time to determine logistics of a policy that would permit transgender students to use the locker rooms corresponding to the gender with ...
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Township High District 211 board of education to discuss trans students, restrooms
PALATINE, Ill. —September 19, 2019 Tonight at their September board meeting, Township High School District 211 board of education will discuss ending their current policy requiring transgender students to use privacy stalls in locker rooms at ...
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Panelists discuss trans physician cultural competency
A panel of Chicagoansall of them members of the city's transgender communitygathered at Malcom X College Sept. 13 to discuss the availability and importance of culturally competent healthcare. The panel, moderated by Channyn Parker, Howard Brown ...
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WORLD Gay leaders, Mexican trans women, Czech marriage bill
In a notable meeting between two out heads of government, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg hosted his counterpart from Serbia, Ana Brnabic, and discussed the possibility of Serbia joining the European Union, along with other ...
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NATIONAL Trans officer dies, James Baldwin, Edmund White, Trevor Project
Sgt. Tomi Finklewho transitioned as a transgender woman after a 25-year career as a U.S. Capitol Police officer and, in retirement, served as a volunteer member of the D.C. Police Department's then Gay & Lesbian Liaison ...
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District 211 considers transgender locker room proposal
The Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board of education is considering allowing transgender students to use the locker rooms of the gender with which they identify, without requiring the use of privacy stalls, according to the ...
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WORLD Kazakhstan first, HIV news, intersex items, Chick-fil-A
A controversial case that took a year and a half for Kazakhstan's court system to hear has turned out to be the first legal victory for LGBTIQ rights in Kazakhstan, ILGA-Europe.org reported. In January 2018, two ...
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NATIONAL Gay police captain, more trans deaths, Chasten Buttigieg
In New Jersey, Newark's police department swore in its first openly gay captain and promoted 43 other officers at a ceremony, Patch.com reported. The ceremony at St. Lucy's Church paid tribute to the efforts of 39 ...
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Keisling speaks on staying optimistic in the age of Trump
While speaking at Center on Halsted the evening of Sept. 9, activist Mara Keisling said that, though the trans community has been beset by numerous setbacks since President Donald Trump came into office, she is nevertheless ...
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National Black Justice Coalition calls for action on murders of transgender teens
WASHINGTON Bailey Reeves, at 17-years-young, and Bee Love, at only 18, became the 17th and 18th trans people murdered in the United States this year. Bailey, a trans woman of color, was found dead in Baltimore, ...
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Trans athlete to headline ISU dinner Sept. 20
Swimmer Schuyler Bailar will be the speaker for Illinois State University's ( ISU's ) Housing Services LGBTQA Cultural Dinner at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, in the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal. A ...
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NATIONAL Suicidal partner, Cory Booker, serial killer, trans group's crisis
In Philadelphia, a 20-year-old Black man took his life after being the target of relentless bullying because of his relationship with a trans woman, Vibe.com reported. #RipReese trended on Twitter after a video of Maurice Willoughby, ...
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Measure for non-binary gender marker on driver's licenses, state IDs approved
Under legislation approved Friday by Gov. Pritzker, individuals in Illinois will be able to select a non-binary gender marker on their drivers' licenses and state identity cards after the Illinois Secretary of State's Office next implements ...
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Grayson Alexander talks history-making role, politics, future plans
When Grayson Alexander was growing up he never dreamed he would make history as the first out transgender person to become an Illinois General Assembly page, an accomplishment he achieved in a work-study program during the ...
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Transgender woman files suit against Circle K
An area transgender woman is taking Montreal-based Circle K convenience stores to court, alleging that she was subjected to anti-trans and racist discrimination while employed at a Bolingbrook location. Judi Brown was employed as a cashier ...
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NATIONAL Trans death, ACA, 1957 gay wedding, serial killer
Several bridges and the city hall building in Houston were lit in transgender flag colors to honor the memory of Tracy Single, 22a Black transgender woman who was found dead in a possible homicide in July, ...
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Reports: Wachowski back in the Matrix
Transgender filmmaker and Chicago native Lana Wachowski announced Aug. 20 that she would be directing a fourth Matrix film, according to Variety. Wachowski directed the three previous films in the seriesThe Matrix ( 1999 ), The ...
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Study finds older transgender men who are pregnant risk depression, lack of care
Older transgender men who become pregnant need better mental health care than female counterparts Transgender men who become pregnant are at increased risk for depression and difficulty getting medical care due to a lack of knowledge ...
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Trans ex-student prevails in restroom case
In Virginia, U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen ruled Aug. 9 that a school board's transgender bathroom ban discriminated against former student Gavin Grimm, multiple media outlets reported. In 2015, the Gloucester County School Board's policy ...
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Study Looks at Adolescent Experiences for Transgender Women of Color
Boston, MA, August 7, 2019—A groundbreaking study published in the most recent issue of Transgender Health finds that young transgender women of color hit several developmental milestones significantly earlier than their white peers. These milestones include ...
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ACLU opens arguments for trans prisoners' healthcare rights
ACLU of Illinois began arguments the week of July 30 for a federal injunction they say would improve healthcare conditions for transgender state prisoners. According to a May lawsuit filed by five transgender Illinoisans, transgender state ...
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Education board chair on pro-trans executive order, agency plans
By Joshua Irvine
After several years as a University of Chicago ( UChicago ) administrator, former Illinois State Board of Education official Darren Reisberg has returned to the agency as chair of the board. Reisberg entered the four-year term ...
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WORLD Intersex survey, Russian activist, Polish publication
Kenya will, for the first time, collect data on intersex people in its national population census, in a major victory for rights activists, the BBC reported. The August survey will determine the number of citizens who ...
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Pritzker signs restroom signage bill
Gov. JB Pritzker has signed SB 556, which amends the Equitable Restrooms Act to address signage on single-occupancy restrooms in the state. According to the rule, signed by Pritzker on July 26, single-occupancy restrooms shall be ...
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SHOWBIZ Indya Moore, Janet Jackson, Cazwell & Miss Peppermint, Andy Cohen
CAA has signed actor, model, writer and social activist Indya Moore, Deadline reported. The transgender, non-binary, Haitian-Dominician actor is part of the FX series Pose, co-created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, and which ...
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House passes Military Non-Discrimination Amendment
WASHINGTON July 11, 2019 By a vote of 242-187, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a non-discrimination amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) that would make eligible for military service ...
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SHOWBIZ Lance Bass, trans actor, Miley Cyrus, 'Queer Eye'
In California, Lance Bass is a co-owner of Rocco's WeHothe latest iteration in a small chain of establishments that mixes a traditional sports bar with an Italian-American eatery, Advocate.com noted. However, this queer spot also includes ...
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Illinois trans woman freed from prison
Strawberry Hamptona transgender woman who was transferred to multiple Illinois men's prisons after making abuse allegations against inmates and guardsis now free after the public campaigned for her release, WBEZ.org reported. Hampton was supposed to be ...
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ART Darling Shear on artistic journey, making history
Mixed-media artist Darling Shear will become the first transgender artist to receive a grant from the Chicago Dancemakers Forum at the organization's annual awards celebration and benefit, to be held Thursday, July 11, at The Arts ...
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High court workplace cases affect LGBTQ veterans, military families, national security
WASHINGTON Today, the Modern Military Association of America ( MMAA ) the nation's largest non-profit organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer ( LGBTQ ) military and veteran community and the ...
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Civil Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court to Protect LGBTQ Workers
WASHINGTON The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and 57 other civil rights organizations filed a "friend of the court" brieftoday in a trio of cases ...
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Chicago Trans couple Precious and Myles Brady Davis expecting a baby
Chicago trans couple Myles and Precious Brady Davis have publicly announced they are expecting a baby this coming winter. Myles, 37who identifies as a trans masculine, two spirit person of faithis carrying their child with the ...
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NATIONAL Parade protests, trans billboards, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Protesters brought the San Francisco Pride Parade to a halt for 50 minutes shortly after it started June 30, lying down in Market Street at Sixth Street and chanting "F the police!" and "Pride was a ...
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Pritzker signs order that protects trans+ students
On June 30typically, the culmination of everything LGBTQ during Pride MonthIllinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order protecting transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary students throughout the state. The event took place at Chicago's Lake View ...
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Transgender county residents now able to use restrooms, other facilities without showing ID
Cook County Commissioner and Human Relations Committee Vice-Chairperson Kevin Morrison presented an amendment eliminating language that allows someone to ask for identification to prove another person's gender in order to access certain public accommodations at the ...
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City salutes LGBT veterans, Army veteran speaks for trans military service
Video below
The City of Chicago held the annual Salute to LGBT veterans, "Liberty and Justice for All," at Daley Plaza on Tuesday, June 25. The guest speaker, Tatyana Moaton, transgender veteran and human resources manager at Howard ...
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Zoe Spears is 10th trans woman killed this year
Zoe Spears, a 23-year-old Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Fairmount Heights, Maryland, Out.com reported. She is the 10th trans woman reported murdered this year in the United States. On June 1, Johana "Joa" Medina ...
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Janet Mock signs historic Netflix deal
Author/director/producer Janet Mock has signed a historic deal with Netflixmaking her the first out transgender woman who can call the creative shots at a major content company, Variety reported. The multimillion-dollar deal, which spans three years, ...
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