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NATIONAL Court ruling, Trevor Project, trans man killed, George Floyd statements
A federal district court ruled that the U.S. Social Security Administration's ( SSA's ) refusal to consider the claims for survivor's benefits by same-sex spouses who were unable to be married for nine months because of ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans movie, Diana Ross, GLAAD study, celebrities take stand
The Netflix original documentary Disclosure will launch Friday, June 19, a press release noted. Directed by Sam Feder and executive produced by Laverne Cox, Disclosure shows how the fabled stories of Hollywood deeply influence how Americans ...
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EXCLUSIVE
Trans Minneapolis city councilmember talks about violence, George Floyd
In 2017, Phillipe Cunningham ( a DePaul University graduate ) made history when he became one of the first openly transgender men to be elected to public office in the United States. He defeated a two-decade ...
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Chicago House to present Impact of COVID-19 on trans communities May 29
CHICAGO, IL — Transgender people, who traditionally experience barriers accessing safe and affirming health care and having their concerns listened to and understood, are facing new challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the specific ...
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WORLD New HIV news, Catholic event, conversion therapy, Hungary anti-trans bill
A global trial stated that a new HIV drug injected every two months effectively reduces the rate of infection, and provides longer and stronger protection, than taking pills, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The four-year trial—conducted ...
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Chicago artists virtually unveil mural honoring LGBTQ community
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago artists Andy Bellomo and Sandra Antongiorgi have virtually unveiled a new mural that highlights queer artists of color who use their life's work to improve community well-being and create social change. "Rebirth" ...
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U.S. Supreme Court backs Idaho trans woman's reassignment surgery
The United States Supreme Court denied Idaho's application to stop a transgender inmate's reassignment surgery, East Idaho News reported. The court order said that two justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, would have granted the request ...
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Trevor Project releases report on mental health of trans, non-binary youth
The Trevor Project's research team has published a new peer-reviewed article titled "Understanding the Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Youth" in the Journal of Adolescent Health ( JAH ). Among the key findings: —When accounting ...
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Brave Space Alliance announces board of directors
Brave Space Alliance—a Black- and trans-led "LGBTQ center on the South Side of Chicago that is dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming and services for LGBTQ individuals on the South ...
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'Matrix' co-creator cites Chicago LGBTQ organization in tweet
Matrix co-creator Lilly Wachowski cited Chicago LGBTQ organization Brave Space Alliance in a tweet, Variety noted. The transgender director was not happy that Elon Musk and Ivanka Trump were quoting her movie. Tesla and SpaceX CEO ...
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Report: HHS rule will negatively affect 1.5M transgender Americans
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to announce a final rule in the coming weeks that reverses federal protections prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in health care. The Williams Institute ...
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VIEWS LGBTQ discrimination is a disgrace
Named plaintiff in landmark Supreme Court gay marriage case talks cases now before court
Re the New York Times article, "Aimee Stephens, 59, Plaintiff in Transgender Rights Case" ( obituary, May 14 ): Our world has long been gripped by questions of mortality and legacy, perhaps more than ever in ...
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NATIONAL Harvey Milk, trans woman killed, 'Queer the Census,' NYC Pride
LGBTQ-rights icon Harvey Milk would have turned 90 on May 22—and San Francisco is coming together ( virtually ) that day, a press release noted. Openhouse, SF Queer Nightlife Fund and the Tenderloin Museum will present ...
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Navy grants first waiver for trans service member
The U.S. Navy granted a waiver allowing a transgender service member to serve "in their preferred gender" for the first time since the military enacted an anti-transgender ban, CNN.com reported. "The acting Secretary of the Navy ...
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NATIONAL Early release, Zara settlement, arrests in Puerto Rico, D.C. gay bars close
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Timothy J. Shea, the city's lead prosecutor, informed his office's Hate Bias Task Force that he objected to a decision by a judge to grant the early release of ...
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Trans-rights advocate Aimee Stephens dies
Aimee Stephens—the Michigan transgender funeral home worker whose firing led to a U.S. Supreme Court case that could decide the employment rights of millions of transgender and gender-nonconforming people—has died at age 59. According to NBC ...
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WORLD Blood-donation ban, Kenyan refugees, trans activist, club COVID-19 outbreak
The top court in Brazil ruled the country's ban on men who have sex with men ( MSM ) from donating blood is unconstitutional, The Washington Blade noted, citing Reuters. Seven of the 11 judges who ...
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SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, Quibi shows, Alexandra Billings, 'Queer Eye,' podcasts
Lady Gaga announced that her sixth studio album, Chromatica, will be released Friday, May 29, via Interscope Records, a press release noted. The album features collaborations with Ariana Grande, Elton John and Blackpink, and is executive-produced ...
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WORLD Turkish president, Honduras killing, Pope Benedict, Tom of Finland
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Turkey's top Muslim cleric, who caused a firestorm by claiming homosexuality "brings disease and causes this generation to decay," NBC News reported. In his first sermon during the holy month ...
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NUNN ON ONE TELEVISION Trans actress' dreams come true on 'Supergirl'
Actress Nicole Maines represents a new generation of transgender activists who are growing both artistically and publicly. Maines was assigned to being male at birth and at three years old showed that was incorrect. Later in ...
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NATIONAL Colorado governor, Texas judge, trans woman killed, Indiana, festivals
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis defended his decision to lift some restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus and permit some businesses to reopen, Politico reported. In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, ...
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Transgender adults with underlying health conditions at risk for COVID-19
An estimated 319,800 U.S. adults who identify as transgender have one or more medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or HIV, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. The Centers for Disease ...
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Online seminar for families of transgender individuals May 3
Are you a family member of a transgender person? Do you want to be supportive but sometimes have a hard time understanding? An online seminar for families of transgender individuals, planned for May 3, 2020 from ...
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NATIONAL Trans students, HIV+ men released, LGBTQ judge, centers, Joe Biden
North Carolina's transgender students are worried that their privacy and safety are being put at risk as schools switch to teaching students online during the coronavirus pandemic, The Herald reported. North Carolina's public schools use a ...
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Idaho anti-trans law challenged
A lawsuit was filed April 15 challenging Idaho's recently passed law that bans women and girls who are transgender as well as many women and girls who are intersex from participating in school sports, according to ...
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NATIONAL Virginia's pro-LGBTQ moves, trans teen, Dr. Fauci, AIDS Quilt
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a law requiring the state's Department of Motor Vehicles to offer a non-binary option on driver's licenses, according to The Washington Blade. The governor signed Senate Bill 246, which now offers ...
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REPORT Evening TV news gave less than 20 minutes to anti-trans violence in 2019
Amid what the American Medical Association called a "disturbing pattern of violence toward black transgender women," a new report from Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog, of corporate evening broadcast and cable TV news ...
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NATIONAL Coronavirus deaths, the CARES Act, Ritchie Torres, trans-youth study
Lorena Borjas—a transgender Latina activist who fought for immigrants and sex workers—died of COVID-19 at age 59 at Coney Island Hospital, CNN.com reported. Her passing inspired tributes from countless activists and leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, ...
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SHOWBIZ Sam Smith, Showtime, pro-trans song, Colton Underwood, Shea Coulee
Singer Sam Smith will postpone the release of their third album, To Die For, so it can be renamed due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, LGBTQ Nation noted. "I have done a lot of thinking ...
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WORLD Trans Day of Visibility, Hong Kong judge, Ugandan police, Elton John
On the International Trans Day of Visibility ( March 31 ), Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued a message. "Transgender and non-binary people face significant cultural, legal and economic challenges, but continue to bravely share ...
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ELECTIONS 2020
Jill Rose Quinn heads toward being state's first openly transgender judge
Among those notching victories on March 14, during Illinois' primary, was Democratic judicial candidate Jill Rose Quinn. Her win was significant in many ways—including the fact that she will apparently be the first openly transgender judge ...
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Advocates: LGBTQs face additional complications in pandemic
Members of the LGBT community face additional healthcare challenges as they contend with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, according to national LGBTQ-health advocates and officials speaking in a March 25 webinar. Those challenges are especially pronounced for ...
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Idaho governor signs two anti-trans bills
On March 30, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed two bills into law that restrict the rights of transgender people. According to CNN, one item ( House Bill 500, also called the Fairness in Women's Sports Act ...
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Brave Space Alliance, Trans Liberation Collective begin COVID-19 Trans Relief Fund
CHICAGO — On the International Trans Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to the celebration and liberation of the trans community worldwide, two of Chicago's leading trans organizations have collaborated to announce a Trans Relief Fund ...
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NCLR condemns Idaho law barring transgender girls from sports
BOISE, ID — The National Center for Lesbian Rights strongly condemns Idaho Governor Brad Little's decision to sign HB 500, a law that bars transgender girls from participating in sports. As a result of the Governor's ...
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Chicagoan alleges anti-trans bias against Orangetheory location
Following two years of repeated requests to address alleged anti-trans discrimination at Orangetheory Fitness Chicago-Edgewater, non-binary Chicagoan Jes Scheinpflug posted about their experiences on their blog to raise awareness about the issue. However, the company has ...
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PFLAG to launch TransKids, SoFierce social media campaign on March 31
WASHINGTON, DC—Beginning Tuesday, March 31, PFLAG invites allies, family, and friends of transgender kids ( trans kids ) to join a an uplifting social media campaign called #TransKids #SoFierce ( pflag.org/transkidssofierce/ ). #TransKids #SoFierce is a ...
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WORLD Non-binary ruling, Qantas grounded, trans actor, conversion therapy
A British court ruled out adding a third option on passports for people who define themselves as neither male nor female, following a lengthy legal battle, Openly News reported. The Court of Appeal ruled in favour ...
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NATIONAL Curriculum law, N.Y. trans rule, Andrew Gillum, LGBT Health Week, COVID-19
The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a consent decree that declares South Carolina's 1988 discriminatory anti-LGBTQ curriculum law unconstitutional and bars its enforcement, according to a joint statement from Campaign for ...
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Judge releases Chelsea Manning from jail
On March 12, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ordered the release of former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning—ending about a year of incarceration that she had served for refusing to testify to a grand jury, a ...
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NATIONAL Puerto Rico trans death, APA revisions, conversion therapy, LGBTQ gym
Puerto Rico's governor condemned the killing of a transgender woman—whose death ignited a dialogue about transphobia on the island—as a hate crime, HuffPost reported. The body of Alexa Negron Luciano, who was also known as Neulisa ...
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South Side LGBTQ Center Brave Space Alliance expands staff, office
CHICAGO — Brave Space Alliance has doubled its staff by hiring Zahara Bassett as Director of Development and External Relations, and Brittney Thomas as Director of Programs. The two new hires bring further vibrancy, skills, and ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Trans Generation
By Ann Travers $25; New York University Press; 261 pages Boy or girl? That's a common enough question, if you're an expectant parent. You might've even wondered it yourself: will you need pink things or blue, ...
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Non-binary author Jacob Tobia holds reading in A'ville
To celebrate the paperback release of their debut book, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story, non-binary author, actor and producer Jacob Tobia held a reading and book-signing event March 5 at Women & Children First in Andersonville. Tobia ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 Report: 378K trans citizens could encounter voting hurdles
A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law says that an estimated 965,350 transgender adults will be eligible to vote in the 2020 general election—but that approximately 378,000 of them could have ...
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Majority of active duty servicemembers oppose trans military ban
WASHINGTON — Today, the Modern Military Association of America ( MMAA ) — the nation's largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing fairness and equality for the LGBTQ military and veteran community — responded to new survey ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 JUDICIAL Transgender attorney Jill Rose Quinn on judicial race, making history
Since 1997, Jill Rose Quinn has had her own private law practice working on family and criminal law, LGBTQ issues, financial matters and trusts and estates among other legal services. She is the first ever out ...
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Trans scientist kicks off TGNC-affirming symposium
Transgender climate scientist, humanist and activist Dr. Mika Tosca's keynote kicked off the day-long "Being a Stronger Ally: A Trans/GNC Affirming Symposium" Feb. 22 at the Chicago Waldorf School in Andersonville. Andersonville Chamber of Commerce's Trans/GNC ...
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Suburban district settles anti-trans lawsuit
After more than four years, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 settled a lawsuit brought by transgender former student Nova Maday, who alleged discrimination. The Daily Herald reported that the district decided to pay Maday and her ...
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Starbucks pro-trans ad airs, but employees criticize company
Starbucks UK released an ad showing a young trans man getting to use his chosen name while getting a coffee—but the ad has been criticized as well, BuzzFeed reported. While many have lauded the ad, transgender ...
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'Being a Stronger Ally'
symposium Feb. 22
Registration is open for "Being A Stronger Ally: Trans/GNC Affirming Symposium"—which the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce ( ACC ) is hosting in partnership with Chicago Therapy Collective—on Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at Chicago Waldorf ...
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Bloomberg under fire for anti-trans comments; campaign responds [UPDATE]
Days after unveiling a five-part, multi-pronged LGBT platform, Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is being criticized for anti-trans comments he made in 2016. That year, he referred to transgender women ...
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Virginia passes laws that protect LGBTQs
On Feb. 6, Virginia legislators passed comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation ( the Virginia Values Act ) that activists said makes the state the first in the South to have such protections for LGBTQ people, ABC News reported. ...
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OPINION 'Trans-formal' education
"The year started well, but substitute teachers were not told about Dave's name," my friend Pat told me. "My son was called a distinctly feminine name in a time and at a place where no one ...
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WORLD Glenn Greenwald, Swiss chocolatier, Chick-fil-A, South Korean trans soldier
A coalition of approximately 40 human-rights and free-speech NGOs signed an open letter—organized by Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Without Borders—addressed to Brazilian authorities ( including President Jair Bolsonaro ) condemning the charges that ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 Lightfoot backs trans candidate Quinn
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has endorsed transgender candidate Jill Rose Quinn for Cook County judge ( the K. Sheehan vacancy ). "I'm proud to endorse the historic candidacy of Jill Rose Quinn," Lightfoot said in a ...
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Lightfoot criticizes aldermen over LGBT study
On Jan. 15, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticized aldermen for objecting to a plan to determine if the LGBT community faces obstacles in obtaining city contracts, CBS Chicago reported. "I feel compelled to speak to this ...
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NATIONAL Scammer jailed, fertility study, queer billboard, panic-defense bill
After scamming gay men for over half a decade, Tyler Buchanan, 28, now faces up to 10 years in prison, Queerty noted. Buchanan pled guilty to using Craigslist and other websites to place ads offering gay ...
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WORLD Trans activist killed, Israeli center, Brazilian priest, Netflix film
In South Africa, Limpopo police are investigating the death of transgender activist Nare Mphela, 28, whose decomposing body was found in a rented room, News24 reported. "The deceased was found with multiple stab wounds and was ...
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Quigley part of call for end of trans migrant detention
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley ( D-Illinois )—vice chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus and a founding member of the Transgender Equality Task Force—led more than 40 members of Congress in calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement ...
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COMEDY 'The Haggard Unicorn:' Queer trans comic talks representation, hurdles
KJ Whitehead wants to see unrepresented voices take over the comedy world and her latest project, The Haggard Unicorn, is a reflection of that ambition. "Something strange. Something different. Something radical," she said when asked to ...
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LGBTQ critics name film, TV honorees
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics—composed of 260 mainly U.S. journalists covering film and television—named its final-round choices for 2019's finest movies, performances and more across a host of mainstream and LGBTQ-focused categories. South Korean ...
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National roundup 2019, highlights and lowlights
In the last Windy City Times print issue, the publication covered 10 of the most important LGBTQ events that happened nationally in 2019. However, media outlets reported a lot more that occurred, from the sublime to ...
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Trans, undocumented students can now access college aid
Undocumented and some transgender students can now access state college aid, now that a loophole preventing them from doing so has closed, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. The new statute—called the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity ...
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Boston IVF announces Landmark Transgender Male Fertility Research Study
WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Boston IVF, a worldwide leader in fertility care and a pioneer in LGBTQ+ family building, today announced the results of its landmark transgender fertility clinical study — which shows ...
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Advocates laud final Medicaid rule for gender-affirming surgery
Advocates across Illinois celebrated the final rule that regulates Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgery. The final rule prioritizes the patient-provider relationship, allowing Medicaid to cover life-saving, medically necessary procedures for trans and gender non-conforming people. A ...
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WORLD Gay Muslim MP, LGBTQ mayor weds, pro-trans ruling, ambassadors
In Britain, the world's first openly gay Muslim MP has been elected as part of Boris Johnson's new government, PinkNews reported. Imran Ahmad-Khan made history when he was elected as MP for Wakefield in Yorkshire, having ...
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2019: The year in local LGBTQ news
A new year in Chicago meant new developments, ranging from pro-LGBTQ measures to anti-trans vandalism to a history-making mayor. —Breaking ground: Lamont J. Robinson Jr. became the first out Black LGBTQ Illinois General Assembly member following ...
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Looking back at 2019: National LGBTQ headlines
One might argue that 2019 was a pretty good year for LGBT people. An openly gay man rose to the top tier of a large field of Democratic presidential candidates. A second openly LGBTQ person was ...
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Judge orders IDOC transgender healthcare overhaul
A federal judge ordered Dec. 19 that the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) fix practices by which a "transgender committee"—composed of individuals with no experience in transgender-specific healthcare delivery—is tasked with meting out gender-dysphoria related medical ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans model search, Noah Galvin, Beyonce, Fortune Feimster
Slay Model Management—the world's first exclusively transgender model agency—will host its first Model Search Feb. 15 at One Culver, in Los Angeles, a press release noted. Slay's models have appeared in campaigns for such companies as ...
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Lambda to Illinois: Issue birth certificates affirming gender identities of trans parents
( Chicago, IL, December 17, 2019 ) — Yesterday, Myles Brady Davis and Precious Brady-Davis announced the arrival of their child, who was born earlier this month. Myles, who carried and gave birth to their baby ...
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Complaint: ICE officers treated inhumanely trans migrant in failing health
Today Transgender Law Center ( TLC ) and the Law Office of R. Andrew Free announced they filed a Federal Tort Claim Act ( FTCA ) complaint against the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ), ...
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LGBTQ groups say Defense Authorization Bill Should Have Ended Trans Ban
WASHINGTON — Last night, a coalition of organizations, including the Modern Military Association of America, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders ( GLAD ), National Center for Lesbian Rights, ...
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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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