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Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes some LGBTQ+ measures and approves others
For California's LGBTQ+ community, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has made things interesting over the last few days. Late last week, Newsom vetoed three progressive measures—including an unexpected rejection of a ...
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Arrests, fights punctuate battles across Canada over gender diversity in schools
Arrests were reported in the Canadian cities of Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Victoria, among others, on Sept. 20 as opposing groups clashed on how schools address issues of gender identity and how teachers refer to transgender ...
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WORLD French fund, mausoleum, Abrazo Grupal, Biden, Billie Jean King
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced a fund to help promote the rights of LGBTQ+ people, French24 reported. She made the announcement at the 15th anniversary of an LGBTQ+ group at the United Nations at the ...
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NATIONAL Sarah McBride, TIME100 lists, Kentucky clerk, suspects arrested
A poll showed that Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride—who is bidding to become the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress—leads her primary opponents by a wide margin, The Hill reported. In a survey of likely Democratic ...
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Pritzker and Brady-Davis honored at Planned Parenthood gala
On the evening of Sept. 14, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC (PPIA PAC) organizations presented their annual Fighting Forward Gala fundraiser. The event shone ...
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NATIONAL Lesbian politician, Nancy Pelosi, bomb threat, politician dies, Lyft
Kathy Kozachenko—the first out politician elected to public office in the country—will be honored with a statue on the 50th anniversary of her historic election, per The Advocate. The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, will honor ...
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Olivia Hill becomes first trans person elected in Tennessee
Olivia Hill is the first openly transgender person ever elected to Nashville's Metro Council, per The Tennessean. And according to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Hill, 57, is the first transgender woman elected in Tennessee. Hill secured one ...
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Newsom ends California's travel ban against anti-LGBTQ+ states
On Sept. 13, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he signed SB 447 by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), which ends the state's restriction on taxpayer-funded travel by state agencies and departments ...
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In D.C., Black LGBTQ+ lawmakers protest Nigerian wedding arrests
On Sept. 12, Black LGBTQ+ lawmakers—led by Maryland state Del. Gabriel Acevero and D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker, and alongside the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and other advocacy groups—protested outside ...
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Prime minister of Andorra comes out as gay
Xavier Espot Zamora, the head of the government of the tiny European country of Andorra, has come out as gay—although he added that he never hid his sexual orientation, according to a translated article from The ...
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'Merchant of Death' talks about exchange with Brittney Griner
Russian Viktor Bout—the so-called "merchant of death" involved in a prisoner exchange for out WNBA star Brittney Griner late last year—told ESPN that, among other things, he followed Griner's case closely from federal prison in Illinois. ...
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Protest action to be held at site of Sept. 9 Jason Aldean concert in Tinley Park
The Revolution Club Chicago has announced a protest action against 46- year-old country music star and Nashville resident Jason Aldean outside of his Highway Desperado Tour appearance Sept. 9 at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre. The protest ...
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NATIONAL Historic political win, Columbus situation, trans coach, Gold + Williams
Fabian Nelson won a Democratic primary runoff in Mississippi's 66th state House district—and he's now the state's first openly gay legislator, The Guardian noted. (Republicans are not running a candidate for the general election sched ...
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WORLD Couple's win, attack in Beirut, German military, gay ski week
In Strasbourg, France, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Bulgaria violated the rights of a same-sex couple (Darina Koilova and Lili Babulkova) by not recognizing their marriage abroad, RFE/RL reported. Rights groups lauded the ...
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Fundraiser held for MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis
Fundraiser held for MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis By Carrie Maxwell A fundraiser was held Aug. 31 at Sidetrack for newly sworn-in Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRC) Commissioner ...
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NATIONAL Sorority suit, trans woman's win, school policy, activist honored
U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson dismissed a civil lawsuit against Kappa Kappa Gamma and Artemis Langford—the first openly trans woman to join a sorority at the University of Wyoming, according to Oil City News. Johnson ...
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Ugandan man charged with 'aggravated homosexuality'
In Uganda, a 20-year-old man is facing the death penalty after being charged with "aggravated homosexuality," the BBC reported. His lawyer, Justine Balya, told Reuters that the man—accused of unlawful ...
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NATIONAL James Baldwin Awards, archdioceses, school items, 'RuPublicans'
On Aug. 21, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) hosted the 3rd Annual James Baldwin Legacy Awards to honor the contributions of Black men and masculine elders within the Black LGBTQ+/same gender loving (SGL) movement and ...
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WORLD Argentinian elections, indian prince, UN, Gay Games
The results of Argentina's Aug. 13 primary elections revealed a political landscape that combines significant advances in LGBTQI+ rights with the expansion of the far-right in that country, The Washington ...
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NATIONAL Lawsuit, trans activist passes, murder suspect, panic defense, Baylor Univ.
A federal district court in Tucson granted the plaintiffs' request to certify a class action in a case challenging Arizona's requirement that transgender people must have surgery to change the gender marker on their birth certificates, ...
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N.C. legislators override governor's veto of three anti-trans youth bills
On the evening of Aug. 16, the North Carolina legislature's Republican supermajority overrode vetoes from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper regarding several bills—including three that target transgender youth, CNN reported. The ...
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Law will reduce barriers to gender-neutral multiple-occupancy restrooms in businesses, universities, building
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Advocates celebrated Governor JB Pritzker's signing of House Bill 1286, legislation that will reduce barriers for businesses serving their communities and customers by allowing for the adoption of ...
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CDPH head Dr. Allison Arwady loses job
Dr. Allison Arwady—the head of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) who led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic—was let go from her job on Aug. 11. She never met with current Mayor Brandon Johnson ...
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Healthcare Cultural Competency Law approved, Illinois Healthcare Cultural Competency Coalition responds
--From a press release
CHICAGO — The Illinois Healthcare Cultural Competency Coalition applauds Governor JB Pritzker's approval today of legislation that will ensure cultural competency is part of continuing medical education for a range ...
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Equality Illinois officer files for state Senate seat
Public health, LGBTQ+-rights advocate and Wicker Park resident Jose "Che-Che" Wilson is joining the list of candidates seeking to fill the vacancy in the Illinois Senate for the 5th District. Democratic committeepeople are meeting on Tuesday, ...
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Illinois attorney general joins push against anti-trans laws
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general opposing laws in Kentucky and Tennessee that severely limit transgender youths' access to critical healthcare, per a press release. The amicus brief ...
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NATIONAL Medical news, Fauci's successor, O'Shae Sibley, Grindr, trans death
The American Academy of Pediatrics again expressed its support for gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors, The Advocate reported. In an unanimous vote, the group's board of ...
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WORLD Sauna raid, HIV items, World Bank, 'Barbie,' JK Rowling
In Venezuela, three men who were arrested when authorities raided a gay sauna on July 23 have been released from jail, per The Washington Blade. Officers in Valencia, the country's third largest city, arrested 33 people ...
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The Rev. Paul Rausenbush talks LGBTQ+ rights, 'Christian nationalism' and more
The Parliament of the World Religions—a dialogue between key members of various faiths—will take place Aug. 14-18 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Keynote speakers and panelists will include Chicago Mayor ...
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Abortion-rights supporters score victory in Ohio
On Aug. 8, abortion-rights advocates won a crucial victory in Ohio, as voters defeated a measure that would have made the push to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution more difficult. The proposal known as ...
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NATIONAL Drag news, HIV-bias lawsuit, Disney, Brittney Griner, gay dancer
Swastika flag-toting neo-Nazis, some of them armed, were at a Wisconsin LGBTQ+ Pride celebration that included a drag show, The Advocate reported. Members of the neo-Nazi extremist group Blood Tribe joined other right-wing hate groups, like ...
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Okla. anti-trans order narrows gender definitions
In yet another attack on transgender people, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has directed state agencies to use narrow definitions of "female" and "male," according to NBC News. Stitt signed the executive order surrounded by women from ...
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USAID releases first-ever LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development Policy
--From a press release. Video below
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has released the agency's first-ever LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development Policy. The Policy guides USAID's commitment to advancing LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development and the human rights ...
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Lawsuits filed against USCIS for failing to hear Ukrainian, Russian LGBTQ asylum claims
--From a press release
NEW YORK, NY — Legal Services NYC and Wilmer Hale announce two new lawsuits against the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of two LGBTQ asylum seekers, one from Russia and another from ...
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Dancer O'Shae Sibley murdered amid rising violence against LGBTQs; GLAAD highlights trend
--From a press release
At least five LGBTQ people have been murdered in recent weeks, following a dramatic spike in anti-LGBTQ hate and harassment during Pride month. GLAAD: "[O'Shae] Sibley's shocking murder follows a disturbing rise in violence and harassment ...
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NATIONAL Laws challenged, trans man killed, lesbian bars, conversion therapy
The organizers of Montana's largest LGBTQ+ Pride parade joined a lawsuit challenging a state law aimed at restricting drag performances, according to NBC News. A group of Montanans, including a transgender woman and the owners of ...
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Simmons attends White House Convening on Child Care
Openly gay Illinois state Sen. Mike Simmons was among more than 90 state legislators from 41 states to attend a July 19 in-person convening of state leaders at the White House on efforts to improve access ...
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WORLD Iranian president, HIV in Asia, asylum, lesbian moms
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi praised Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for signing the African country's Anti-Homosexuality Act, The Washington Blade noted. Iran is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations ...
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Quigley responds to GOP attacks on LGBTQ+ projects
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois)—ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, and a staunch LGBTQ+ ally—and fellow Reps. ...
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NATIONAL Passings, governors' actions, document bans, mpox in Minnesota
Lilli Vincenz, an activist in the LGBTQ+-rights movement since the early 1960s, died at age 85 of natural causes June 27 at a care facility in Oakton, Virginia, according to The Advocate, citing The Washington Blade. ...
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Calif. Senate passes constitutional amendment protecting marriage equality
On July 13, the California Senate unanimously passed a proposed state constitutional amendment to secure marriage equality, per an Equality California press release. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA 5), authored ...
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HRC calls on House of Representatives to vote down anti-trans amendments to National Defense Bill
WASHINGTON—Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, called upon members of the House of Representatives to reject extremist ...
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Brady-Davis sworn in to new water commissioner post
Community members gave a warm welcome to activist Precious Brady-Davis when she was sworn as the newest Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner the afternoon of July 12. Brady-Davis was greeted with a ...
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Lambda Legal replies to Biden administration proposed HHS grants rule
--From a press release
(Washington, DC, July 11, 2023) — Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a proposed new rule modifying nondiscrimination protections for beneficiaries of and participants in ...
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NATIONAL Bi state senator, La. guv, PrEP act, Comcast, D.C. standards
Bisexual Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt has filed a defamation lawsuit against far-right lobbying group the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, which accused her of being a "groomer," per LGBTQ Nation. "These malicious and false lies about Hunt ...
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Activist Brady-Davis named by Pritzker for MWRD Board
Longtime LGBTQ-rights- and environmental-activist Precious Brady-Davis was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker as a Commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) on July 5. Brady-Davis is the first openly ...
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Equality Illinois celebrates Precious Brady-Davis' historic appointment to Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
--From a press release
Chicago - Today, Governor JB Pritzker appointed Precious Brady-Davis to serve as the next Commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, filling the vacancy created by Kim DuBuclet's appointment to the Illinois General Assembly. Precious ...
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Woman running to be first openly trans president in world's history
Tamara Adrian recently registered as a presidential candidate in the Venezuelan primary—becoming the first openly transgender person in the world to do so, The Washington Blade reported. The professor/attorney/author/LGBTQI+-rights activist—a ...
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Supreme Court ruling on 303 Creative: How bad was it? Depends on who you ask
Some believe the U.S. Supreme Court's decision June 30 in 303 Creative v. Elenis may be one of the most consequential in LGBTQ legal history—a kind of "separate but equal" pronouncement on how the courts should ...
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Prime Minister Trudeau condemns Canadian university stabbings
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the June 28 stabbings of a professor and two students in a gender-studies class at the University of Waterloo after police revealed the motive was hate-related, calling it "heinous violence," ...
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Chasse Rehwinkel named Chicago comptroller
Mayor Brandon Johnson has named Chasse Rehwinkel comptroller for the City of Chicago. The comptroller is tasked with the collection or disbursement of city revenues and all funds required to be in the custody of the ...
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NATIONAL Title IX, anti-drag law, Sarah McBride, march, Wellness in Action
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) recognized the 51st anniversary of Title IX—the groundbreaking 1972 law passed to protect individuals from discrimination in education on the basis of their sex. In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson ...
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VP Kamala Harris, husband host Pride reception with GLAAD
On June 28, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff hosted a reception in partnership with GLAAD to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month and to urge leaders to unite in the fight for LGBTQ+ acceptance ...
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Meeting House marks anniversary with drag fundraiser
Meeting House Tavern, 5025 N. Clark St., marked its fifth anniversary with Living Out Loud, an event it billed as "a fundraiser in defense of drag." Proceeds from the evening went to the ACLU's Drag Defense ...
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Illinois attorney general files brief to protect trans students' privacy
--From a press release
Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 16 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief supporting schools' ability to protect the privacy of transgender students who have shared their identity with school staff. The brief is ...
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Judges block gender-affirming bans for minors in Tennessee, Kentucky
Federal judges have temporarily blocked most aspects of the Tennessee and Kentucky bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, according to media reports. The Tennessee injunction, issued June 28, lets the ban on gender-affirming surgeries for ...
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Mayor Johnson hosts Pride Reception
Chicago Mayor Johnson's first annual Pride Reception was held June 27 at the Chicago Cultural Center's Preston Bradley Hall. Chicago mayors starting with Richard M. Daley have hosted these annual gatherings. Johnson spoke to the several ...
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Leaders join Equality Illinois for morning Pride Parade reception
Before the 2023 Chicago Pride Parade 2023, Equality Illinois hosted a reception for community leaders and supporters at Fat Cat Bar, 4840 N. Broadway. Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois... ...
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'Our dignity is unassailable': Community readies for June 25 Pride Parade
Despite increasing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people throughout the country, thousands of people are expected to gather for Chicago's annual Pride Parade June 25. The 52nd annual parade kicks off at noon near Montrose Avenue and Broadway. ...
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NATIONAL School news, Larry Kramer, trans veteran, Steamworks battle
In a late-night vote, the Virginia Beach School Board narrowly approved a resolution that opposes discrimination and harassment of LGBTQ+ youth and adults in the school division, WVEC reported. The vote came after board members spent ...
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WORLD Drag news, Japanese bill, Pride marches, British Vogue
In Sweden, Stockholm Vice Mayor Jan Jonsson had a drag makeover to take a stand against anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, per PinkNews. He stepped into a brand-new drag persona to speak out against "populism and intolerance" following recent ...
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Sorensen one of Victory Fund's newest endorsed candidates
Out gay U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Illinois) is among the four people recently endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ leaders to public office. Other endorsed candidates include Angie ...
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Equality Act reintroduced in Congress
On June 21—and, fittingly, during Pride Month—four Democratic lawmakers reintroduced the Equality Act in Congress. According to ABC News, several lawmakers—including U.S. Rep. Mark Takano as well as U.S. Sens. ...
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Mama Bears LGBTQ-focused documentary premieres June 23 on PBS' Independent Lens
The "Mama Bears" LGBTQ-focused documentary makes its Chicago broadcast premiere Friday, June 23 at 8 p.m. on PBS' Independent Lens program and will be available afterward on the PBS app. The documentary features the stories of ...
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HRC condemns North Carolina senate for passing anti-trans sports ban
--From a press release. Video below
Raleigh, North Carolina — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) condemned the North Carolina Senate for passing House Bill 574, which would prohibit transgender students from participating in school sports ...
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Chicago's DFSS launches emergency financial assistance for gender-based violence, human trafficking survivors
--From a press release
CHICAGO — The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) today announced the official launch of the Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) for Gender-based Violence and Human Trafficking (GBV/HT) Survivors ...
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Guest essay by Florida mom Nicole Pejovich: What's Happening to Florida's Public Schools?
Related video below
A queer Florida parent answers questions about recent laws, how Floridians are coping, and how you can help Books pulled from school library shelves by the dozens. All evidence of inclusivity stripped from classrooms. The politically ...
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Baseball bill highlights ties between some Ricketts family members and DeSantis, GOP
The name of the Ricketts family—which owns the Chicago Cubs—has been brought up in connection with Republican, anti-LGBTQ+ presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to Newsweek, DeSantis has signed a measure into law that ...
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Illinois Poor People's Campaign to join faith leaders from 30+ states on Capitol Hill to demand action
--From a press release
WASHINGTON - Poor, impacted people, advocates and faith leaders with the Illinois Poor People's Campaign will travel to Capitol Hill June 19-21 to highlight poverty as an American death sentence and demand action to end murder ...
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NATIONAL Biden, White House, Colorado Springs, Willi Ninja, Pulse, Prop 8
President Joe Biden plans to appoint a new federal coordinator to address the increase in book bans enacted across different states, among other pro-LGBTQ+ actions, according to CNN. Biden announced the actions during a news conference ...
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Jennifer Pritzker's TAWANI Foundation donates almost $2M to education, research during Pride Month
--From a press release
CHICAGO — June 15, 2023 —The TAWANI Foundation announces grants totaling $1,652,940 to support LGBTQIA+ educational and research institutes across the country in observance of Pride Month. An additional $725,000 ...
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State Rep. Kelly Cassidy to attend White House panel on reproductive rights
--From a press release
CHICAGO — State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, will attend the White House's State Legislative Convening on Reproductive Rights tomorrow where she will join with other legislators from states as a panelist discussing protections for patients an ...
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Gay attorney Ed Underhill becomes newest Cook County judge
On June 8, the investiture of Ed Underhill took place at the Supreme Court of Illinois building, 160 N. LaSalle St., as he became the newest Cook County judge to be sworn in. The Honorable ...
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VIEWPOINT For divorced parents, transgender children's health can present tricky dilemmas
Over the last few months, issues impacting individuals who identify as transgender and non-binary are getting a lot of attention in the media and among some politicians. Sadly, because it's become a political issue; a lot ...
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Arizona governor vetoes anti-trans restroom bill
Among other things on June 8, Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed Republican-sponsored legislation to restrict use of public school restrooms by transgender students, NBC News/AP reported. Under the measure, public schools in Arizona would have ...
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