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AIDS Foundation Chicago hosts two-day event about unique challenges facing elders living with HIV/AIDS
AIDS Foundation Chicago hosted a two-part educational webinar about the complex needs of elders living with HIV/AIDS Sept. 22-23, where experts discussed how to better serve patients through healthcare, policies ...
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Chicago, Cook County drop to low COVID-19 community-level rating
COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates are steadily improving in Chicago and Cook County—moving both the city and county from the medium into the low COVID-19 level for the first time since early May, the Chicago Department ...
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Bisexual, pansexual leaders meet with HHS officials in historic roundtable
For Bisexual Awareness Week, bisexual and pansexual community leaders met with federal agency officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Sept. 20 to discuss remedies to the health disparities facing the bisexual ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Watermelon Woman,' 'Dragula,' Indigo Girls, 'Dahmer' series
Video below
Cheryl Dunye shared a photo on Facebook confirming that her 1996 groundbreaking lesbian-themed film Watermelon Woman is now officially part of the National Film Registry Library. According to the library's website, some of the other movies ...
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Elle Lett keynotes 'Transgender Health Equity in Troubled Times' at symposium
Statistician, epidemiologist, physician-in-training and Boston Children's Hospital post-doctoral fellow Elle Lett kicked off the eighth annual Midwest LGBTQ+ Health Symposium with a keynote, "Transgender Health Equity in Troubled Times," on ...
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Gov. Pritzker adjusts COVID-19 requirements to address current needs
-- From a press release
Chicago — As part of his continuing plan to carefully unwind the state's COVID-19 executive orders, Gov. JB Pritzker updated testing requirements for school and childcare personnel, rescinding the requirement ...
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Indiana abortion law goes into effect; PPIL expands services
Sept. 15 marks the day that Indiana's near-total ban on abortion takes effect, according to IndyStar. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the new policy into law in early August after the Indiana General Assembly passed the measure ...
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Illinois HIV Care Connect introduces its HIV and Aging Campaign
In advance of National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day on Sept. 18, Illinois HIV Care Connect has introduced its HIV and Aging Campaign. Persons aged 50 and older make up nearly half of persons living with ...
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Lindsey Graham proposes national abortion bill
On Sept 13, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) introduced a measure that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It's the most significant proposal by Republicans in Congress to curtail the procedure since the ...
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WORLD Death in Bali, Chile constitution, Wales items, Israel petition
Video below
Bowing to pressure from activists, prosecutors in Peru launched an investigation into the suspicious death of a transgender man from Peru who died in custody in Bali after he was arrested for alleged cannabis possession, Gay ...
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NATIONAL Protests, Respect for Marriage Act, photographer, Fla. Democrat
The Inland Empire Pride festival in Riverside, California, was disrupted when far-right extremists demonstrated outside the event venue, The Advocate reported. Violent clashes erupted between protesters and those attending the ...
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Bronze sculpture at Indiana Univ. honors Kinsey
-- From a press release
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A new bronze sculpture memorializing Alfred C. Kinsey's significant and enduring contributions to Indiana University now sits on the Bloomington campus, marking the 75th anniversary of the institute that bears his name. Kinse ...
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Report: Black Chicagoans' gap in life expectancy vs. non-Blacks is growing
A report stated that Black Chicagoans are expected to live more than nine fewer years than non-Black residents—and that gap in life expectancy is only growing, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Department of Public ...
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Getting to Zero, AFC award $200K to help end the HIV epidemic in Illinois
Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) and AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) recently awarded $200,000 to community-based organizations implementing strategies to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. According to a press release ...
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Chicago Dancers United raises $300K at 'Dance for Life'
Chicago Dancers United (CDU), which supports the health and wellness of Chicago's professional dance community, welcomed more than 1,700 people to the 31st annual Dance for Life on Aug. 13 at the Auditorium Theatre, followed by ...
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Lightfoot, CDPH announce delegate agencies for 'Justice for All' initiative
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that the Chicago Abortion Fund and Planned Parenthood of Illinois have been selected as the two delegate agencies for the city's ...
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Howard Brown president/CEO reflects on COVID's impact
According to Howard Brown Health President and CEO David Munar, the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic seemed eerily similar to the AIDS crisis of the '80s. "We saw all the same patterns at the dawning ...
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Biden administration announces monkeypox interventions at upcoming LGBTQ+ events
Officials from the White House, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in an Aug. 30 press release that it was working with organizers of three ...
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launches Canada's first 2SLGBTQI+ action plan
The federal government unveiled what it described as a historic first as it announced a five-year, $100-million plan to support 2SLGBTQI+ communities across the country, CBC reported. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the strategy, called "Canada' ...
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LGBTQ+ youths, adult allies gather at Action Camp 2022
LGBTQ+ young people and adult allies gathered under the sun and stars Aug. 1-5 for the 10th Annual Action Camp, co-hosted by the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago's (PHIMC's) Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (the Alliance&# ...
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Aaron Rodgers said he intentionally misled public about vaccination status
Appearing on Joe Rogan's podcast Aug. 27, Aaron Rodgers—the quarterback of Chicago Bears archrival the Green Bay Packers—admitted to misleading the media about his COVID-19 vaccination status last season, CNN ...
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Vietnam ends LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
Vietnam has said that being LGBTQ+ is "not an illness" and ordered medical providers to end controversial practices like "conversion therapy," UPI reported. The government's health ministry said that being a member of the LGBTQ+ community ...
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NATIONAL Gay judge, brewery threatened, Victory Fund, AIDS Quilt
New York's highest court has designated Associate Judge Anthony Cannataro to serve as acting chief judge after Janet DiFiore steps down, Gay City News reported. Cannataro, the former administrative judge of New York City's civil court, ...
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Illinois surpasses 1,000 monkeypox cases
On Aug. 26, Illinois passed 1,000 monkeypox cases—less than three months after the disease first appeared in the state, The Chicago Tribune reported. Of the state's 1,005 confirmed and probable cases reported thus far, at least ...
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CDPH commissioner, Jesse White both diagnosed with COVID
Chicago's top health official and one of the state's most visible elected officials have separately tested positive for COVID. Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago's Department of Public Health commissioner, has tested positive for the first time, NBC ...
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Court upholds injunction blocking Ark. ban on healthcare for trans youth
On Aug. 25, a federal appeals court has said that Arkansas cannot enact Act 626, its law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth because the law relies on sex discrimination, LGBTQ Nation reported. The three-judge panel ...
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LGBTQ+ leather bar Touche hosting monkeypox vaccine clinics
Chicago leather nightspot Touche, 6412 N. Clark St., is hosting a series of monkeypox vaccine clinics—called "Pox Vax Parties"—through September. Events will be held Wed., Aug. 24; Wed., Aug. 31; Tuesday, Sept. 6; Wed., Sept. 14; ...
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HHS Secretary Becerra announces more than $20 million in funding to end HIV epidemic
-- From a press release
Today, at the National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced more than $20 million in funding to expand HIV prevention, testing, and ...
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Dr. Anthony Fauci to step down in December
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, announced Aug. 22 that he intends to retire from government service in December after four decades of work advising seven presidents, USA Today reported. Fauci, who ...
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NATIONAL Hospital attacked, trans murder, Alaska candidates, awards program
Anti-LGBTQ far right extremists have targeted Boston Children's Hospital, threatening its employees and medical staff after lies and misinformation spread online recently about the healthcare facility's treatment of trans+ youth ...
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WORLD Trans activist, COVID surveys, Michael Sam, Saudi Arabian sisters
Some people in London, Ontario, Canada's LGBTQ+ community reacted strongly to how a popular trans activist was treated by London Police Services earlier this month, CBC reported. Clara Sorrenti, 28, known as Keffals on the online ...
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West Hollywood cancels Halloween Carnaval
The Halloween Carnaval—considered one of the most over-the-top and most-attended events that the city of West Hollywood, California, has annually offered—is being canceled. For two years now, the city's Halloween ...
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CDPH announces more monkeypox vaccine supplies, appointments as eligibility expands
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced today that the City of Chicago will receive up to an additional 20,000 doses of MPV (monkeypox) JYNNEOS vaccine from ...
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Penn. governor ends conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed Executive Order 2022-2 "to protect Pennsylvanians from conversion therapy," according to a press release from his office. "Conversion therapy is a traumatic practice based on junk science that actively harms the ...
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Actor Ezra Miler seeking treatment for mental-health issues
After troubling behavior that has included charges of harassment and felony burglary, as well as allegations of assault and abuse, non-binary actor Ezra Miller (Justice League; The Perks of Being a Wallflower), said they are seeking ...
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WORLD Vietnam's pro-LGBTQ+ move, Grindr kidnappings, Taiwan event
Video below
Vietnam took a major step forward in the recognition of LGBTQ+ rights with the country's Ministry of Health stating that being gay, bisexual or transgender is not a disease and urging medical practitioners to end discrimination ...
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NATIONAL: Conn. candidate, trans study, D.C. attacks, Palm Springs Pride
LGBTQ Victory Fund-endorsed candidate Erick Russell won the Democratic primary election for Connecticut state treasurer, according to an organizational press release. With this victory, he is on track to become the first out Black LGBTQ+ person ...
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COVID CDC 'streamlines guidance'; new info for immunocompromised
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement saying it is "streamlining its COVID-19 guidance to help people better understand their risk, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if ...
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Cook County officials discuss MPV timelines
Members of the Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee gathered Aug. 8 to hear details from local health officials on the monkeypox virus' (MPV's) impact on both suburban Cook County and Chicago, and their planned responses. ...
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Monkeypox vaccine events being held Aug. 13-14
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), along with City Colleges, will be holding monkeypox (MPV) vaccination events. The two events will be held at Malcolm X College on the West Side and Kennedy-King College on ...
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Young LGBQ adults experience more psychological distress than older LGBQ people
-- From a Williams Institute press release
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds younger LGBQ adults are physically healthier but have worse psychological distress than older LGBQ people. Researchers examined a representative sample of LGBQ people ...
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Howard Brown Health employees win union election
More than 470 employees at Chicago-based Howard Brown Health clinics, Broadway Youth Center and Brown Elephant retail locations announced Aug. 10 that they have won their union election, with 97% of the votes cast. This is ...
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Big Cities Health Coalition holds monkeypox virus briefing
Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) held a virtual monkeypox virus briefing Aug. 10 fthat ocused on local public health activities in Chicago. Speakers included BCHC Executive Director Chrissie Juliano and BCHC member and Chicago Department of ...
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Center on Halsted hosting monkeypox vaccine clinics
Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., continues its monkeypox vaccine clinics through August. These clinics are for first-dose vaccinations only. Online registration for each clinic opens at 10 a.m. each Wednesday prior to that respective ...
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Dance for Life 2022 taking place Aug. 13 at the Auditorium Theatre
-- From a press release
Chicago Dancers United (CDU), which supports the health and wellness of Chicago's professional dance community, presents seven companies and a world premiere finale for its 31st annual fundraiser, Dance for Life 2022. The event takes place ...
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Montreal Pride Parade is canceled
Citing security concerns, the organizers of the Fierte Montreal Pride Parade abruptly canceled the Aug. 7 event at the last minute, The Washington Blade reported. The other events scheduled at the Esplanade of the Olympic Park—T-Dance ...
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CDPH, community partners provide monkeypox update as Market Days nears
With the event known as Northalsted Market Days happening Aug. 6-7—and with tens of thousands of people expected to attend—the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and community partners held a press conference Aug. 4 about ...
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Sinema plans to sign on Senate Democrats' climate, health and tax bill
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) announced Aug. 4 that she will "move forward" with Democrats' massive climate, prescription drug and spending bill, after fellow party members appeared to reach an agreement about her concerns with the ...
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Cook County Commissioner Morrison calls for hearing to address monkeypox outbreak
-- From a press release
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Aug, 4, 2022 —Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison (District 15) has introduced a resolution calling for a public hearing in the Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee that will convene Monday, Aug. 8, ...
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Judge: W. Va.'s Medicaid program must cover transgender care
In West Virginia, U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers ruled that the state's Medicaid program must provide coverage for gender-confirming care for transgender residents, ABC News reported. Chambers made the ruling on Aug. 2 in a lawsuit ...
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The Chicago Sky launch The Net: A Mental Health Initiative
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (Aug. 3, 2022)—As issues of mental health make headlines in sport—and women's sports in particular—the WNBA championship team Chicago Sky launched "The Net," (A Network of Mental Health Support in ...
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HRC commends White House Monkeypox (MPV) Coordinator appointments; calls for greater federal response
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, commended the Biden Administration for appointing Robert Fenton and ...
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Homeless-services agency Care for Friends temporarily moves to Edgewater
Care for Friends, a Chicago-based homeless-services program, has temporarily moved to Edgewater after being in Lincoln Park for 54 years, according to a press release. The program is now based at the Church of the Atonement, ...
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California governor declares monkeypox emergency
Following New York and Illinois, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a monkeypox emergency in his state. "California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, ...
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Pritzker issues monkeypox public-health emergency declaration
-- From a press release
CHICAGO—Gov. JB Pritzker issued a proclamation declaring the monkeypox virus a public health emergency and declaring the state of Illinois a disaster area regarding the disease. The declaration, which applies to the entire state, will allow ...
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New York, San Francisco issue monkeypox declarations
Public health agencies for New York state and San Francisco issued monkeypox declarations July 28 to try to cope with the continued spread of the virus, NBC News reported. "This declaration means that local health departments ...
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CORE launches COVID-19 vaccination clinics for families in the Chicago area
-- From a press release
In partnership with the City of Chicago, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) has opened COVID-19 vaccination clinics for families, including those with children under five. Per CDC guidelines, the vaccine is now available for children 6 ...
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Chicago monkeypox count exceeds 300
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced July 27 that 326 Chicagoans have tested positive for the monkeypox virus (MPV) as the department and city continue outreach efforts in response to the outbreak. The most ...
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NCLR applauds Biden administration's restoration of key civil rights protections in health care regulations
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Center for Lesbian Rights applauds today's issuance of new proposed federal regulations that will restore essential nondiscrimination protections in health care, as required by federal ...
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Quigley reiterates call for Monkeypox Public Health Emergency
-- From a press release
Kyiv, Ukraine — U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Vice Chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Chair of the Subcommittee on Financial Services ...
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HHS announces proposed rule to strengthen nondiscrimination in healthcare
-- From a press release
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a proposed rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)(Section 1557) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of ...
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HRC commends World Health Organization for declaring Monkeypox a global health emergency
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON—Today, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, commended the World Health Organization (WHO) for taking the step to ...
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WORLD Women's rugby, EU vs. Hungary, S. Korea festival, Berlin Pride
Trans women could be barred from playing women's rugby in England under new recommendations from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) that will be voted on soon, PinkNews reported. The move is a U-turn from the governing ...
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At NOW's national conference in Chicago, LGBTQ+ activists discuss coalitions, healthcare access
Leaders from the National Organization for Women (NOW) invited leaders of human rights organizations to discuss their efforts to support LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people in a June 23 panel during the organization's 2022 national conference ...
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City prioritizes first doses of monkeypox vaccine
Chicago health officials plan to prioritize the first doses of the monkeypox vaccine—and delay scheduling the second shots—to give as many people as possible their first dose of protection against the spreading virus, The Chicago Tribune ...
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Registration for the 31st Annual AIDS Run & Walk only $24 for 24 hours on July 24
-- From a press release
(Chicago, IL) AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) announces the return of its popular $24 for 24 promotion on July 24 for discounted registration for the 31st annual AIDS Run & Walk Chicago (ARWC) taking place Oct. 2 ...
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Fifteen organizations receive funding from Illinois African American HIV/AIDS Response Act
-- From a press release
CHICAGO, IL — JULY 22, 2022 — Thirteen African American-led community-based organizations (of 15 possible as the maximum) in Illinois have been awarded grants ranging up to $500,000+ from the ...
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Schakowsky arrested during abortion-rights rally; Quigley takes legislative action
Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakosky and more than a dozen other Democratic members of Congress were arrested by Capitol Police on July 19 during an abortion-rights protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court, CBS News reported. U.S. Capitol ...
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Report: Nearly half LGBTQ-owned small businesses that applied for loans denied financing
-- From a press release
The Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR) and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a groundbreaking report on the financial health and needs of LGBTQ-owned small businesses, using ...
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LGBTQ+ organizations call on CDC to expand Monkeypox virus testing, vaccine distribution
-- From a press release
CALIFORNIA — Today, a coalition of LGBTQ+ legal and health organizations sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demanding the implementation of a more robust federal response to the burgeoning spread ...
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Catholic hospital system denies fertility treatments for LGBTQ+ couples
An Illinois-based Catholic hospital system that employs more than 24,000 people will only cover fertility treatments for workers in opposite-sex marriages—a policy some lawyers say could violate federal discrimination statutes ...
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New 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline number launches
On July 16, Vibrant Emotional Health—the nonprofit that operates the lifeline on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—launched ...
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Wisconsin affiliates to partner to increase abortion access
-- From a press release
Waukegan, IL—Nearly three weeks following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaders of the Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) affiliates held ...
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CDPH prepares to increase monkeypox response
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is ramping up efforts to combat the monkeypox virus (MPV) as the disease continues to make inroads across the country and in Chicago, officials said July 11. New MPV ...
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Pritzker appoints Dr. Sameer Vohra to lead IDPH, succeeding Dr. Ngozi Ezike
-- From a press release
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker has appointed Dr. Sameer Vohra, a distinguished pediatrician and healthcare policy expert, to lead the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) beginning August 1. Dr. Vohra, the Founding Chair of the ...
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