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Judge orders restoration of DACA
Judge Nicholas Garaufis, of the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, ordered the Trump administration to fully restore Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)—an Obama-era initiative that protects undocumented immigrants brought ...
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LGBTQ Victory Fund celebrates Sean Patrick Maloney's election to DCCC Chair
--From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ people to public office, celebrated the election of U.S. Representative Sean Patrick Maloney to serve as the next chair of the ...
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HRC report: Cities, not states, lead charge for LGBTQ+ protections
A report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) shows that cities continue to lead the way on equality, even in times of national crisis and absent state and federal leadership. The organization's Municipal Equality Index (MEI) ...
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Cancer dangers from alcohol surrounded by misinformation
Reporting by TheCounter.org highlights the efforts of the alcohol industry to obscure awareness of the known cancer dangers of alcohol by spreading misinformation and undermining research. An article focuses on a 2017 Canadian study of health ...
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Actor formerly known as Ellen Page comes out as trans
Elliot Page has come out as transgender. The star of movies like Juno and TV shows like The Umbrella Academy, formerly known as Ellen Page, posted about his transition on social media on Dec. 1, according ...
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Prominent lesbians of color will join Biden administration
Two prominent lesbians of color have been appointed to major roles in President-elect Joe Biden's communications department, the transition team announced in a news release November 29. Karine Jean-Pierre, who served as a Biden senior adviser ...
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SHOWBIZ Singer Justin Utley, Gus Kenworthy, video game, 'Jackplot' film
OUTMusic Award winner Justin Utley has released the single "All Is Bright"—his first holiday release, a press release noted. Utley described the song as a little-bit of Lumineers/Mumford & Sons mixed in with a lot-a-bit of ...
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NATIONAL Guv tests positive, lawsuits
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted that he and First Gentleman Marlon Reis have tested positive for COVID-19, The Denver Post reported. Polis said he will work remotely and "continue to fulfill his duties and responsibilities." Polis ...
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Billy Masters
"Will you issue pardons before leaving office? Will you be issuing a pardon for yourself?"—A reporter asked El Presidente this question after the traditional pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkeys. And by turkey, we don't mean anyone ...
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Laverne Cox 'in shock' but okay after transphobic attack
Transgender actress/activist Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black) said she was "definitely in shock" and "triggered" but okay after an anti-trans attack while walking with a friend in a Los Angeles park, USA Today reported. ...
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MUSIC (Colton) Ford tough: Singer is back and 'Stronger' than ever
Colton Ford has been an actor (in mainstream, off-Broadway and adult features) as well as singer, but he had see out of the spotlight for a few years—until now. Ford (who's openly gay) is back with ...
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Award-winning journalist Deb Price dead at 62
Deb Price, the award-winning journalist and author who wrote the first nationally syndicated column on LGBT issues in mainstream newspapers, has died in a hospital at age 62 in Hong Kong, where she had lived for ...
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'The Prom' out Dec. 11 on Netflix
The Prom—a musical-comedy film directed by Ryan Murphy and adapted by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin (from their and Matthew Sklar's 2018 Broadway musical of the same name)—will be out on Netflix on Dec. 11. The ...
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VIEWS Taking care of your mental health during a COVID holiday season
By Adam Ouanes
This holiday season is unlike any before, and it leaves many people feeling unsure about how to get into the holiday spirit. It's not unusual for many people to find this time of year overwhelming, but ...
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Lawsuit filed regarding trans exclusion for health benefits
Lambda Legal and Sirianni Youtz Spoonemore Hamburger PLLC filed a federal lawsuit challenging Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' (BCBSIL's) administration of a blanket exclusion of gender-affirming care in an ...
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Diabetes and HIV
Experts suggest that prolonged antiretroviral therapy (ART) of HIV-infected people is associated with increased risk of insulin resistance leading to type 2 diabetes. I suggest that this is not an accurate scientific explanation. Here's why. T ...
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NATIONAL Conversion therapy, LGBTQ deaths, Pantene, Ralph Lauren
A federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling and struck down local ordinances prohibiting licensed therapists from practicing the debunked "conversion therapy" on minors, out.com reported. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ...
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SHOWBIZ: Awards, 'Bebop,' Andy Cohen, Mariah Carey, Revry
The American Music Awards aired live Nov. 22 and some of the biggest names in music took home awards; Taraji P. Henson hosted. According to CNN.com, Doja Cat won new artist of the year and Becky ...
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New study: Military transgender ban hurts readiness
--From a press release
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A new study has found that the current ban on military service by transgender Americans has harmed the armed forces, contradicting claims by the Trump administration that the ban was needed to ...
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Billy Masters
"I think maybe I had something to do with it, because I was always a big fan of doing fancy dress with them when they were smaller, which Gemma hated, but Harry always embraced. Who doesn't love playing dress up?"—Harry Styles' ...
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MOVIES Paul Bettany talks 'Uncle Frank' and his own closeted father
In the critically acclaimed Amazon Studios movie Uncle Frank, out Nov. 25, Paul Bethany (the Avengers and Iron Man series; Master and Commander; The Da Vinci Code) plays the title character—a literature professor who has two ...
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MOVIES Peter Macdissi reflects on making 'Uncle Frank'
In the Amazon Studios movie Uncle Frank, out Nov. 25, Peter Macdissi plays Walid "Wally" Nadeem—the partner of the title character (played by Paul Bettany). However, the dynamics are a bit different in that Frank Bledsoe ...
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11th Circuit Court rules on conversion therapy protections, groups respond
--From a press release
ATLANTA, GA — Today, in a split decision, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit issued a decision today striking down local laws in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County, Florida protecting minors from undergoing conversion ...
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Black transgender artist Heather Hills releases single, video from Trans Trenderz
--From a press release
(New York, NY) Electro-pop/rap artist, Heather Hills, has released the new single and video, "Get Dun," on the Trans Trenderz label. "Get Dun" is not for those expecting trauma porn. "I got a cute beat and ...
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GLAAD: 81% of LGBTQs voted for Biden
GLAAD released the findings of its 2020 Post-election Poll of LGBTQ registered voters. The findings included a phenomenal turnout of the LGBTQ vote, a surge of first-time LGBTQ voters, an overwhelming vote for President-elect Joe Biden, ...
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33rd Creating Change Conference to go virtual Jan. 28-31
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 19, 2021….. Thousands of LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies will, for the first time ever, gather virtually for the 33rd Creating Change Conference from Jan. 28 through Jan. 31, 2020. The Creating ...
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Lambda Legal files diversity-based suit against Trump executive order
On Nov. 16, Lambda Legal urged a federal district court to bar the Trump administration from implementing its recent executive order that prohibits federal contractors and grantees from conducting workplace diversity trainings or engaging in grant-funded ...
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Day With(out) Art: Transmissions launches online Nov. 30
--From a press release
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2020 — Visual AIDS, the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to raising AIDS and HIV awareness through dialogue, art exhibitions and public forums, announces their ...
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Congressional co-chairs introduce World AIDS Day resolution
U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon (PR-At Large), co-chairs of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the goals of World AIDS Day, according ...
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New guide out for educators, parents advocating for LGBTQ students with disabilities
--From a press release
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation released a new resource to help both parents and educators advocate on behalf of LGBTQ students with disabilities. NCLR partnered with HRC Foundation, the National ...
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Hate crimes rise to highest level in a decade
The FBI revealed that hate-crime reports in the United States surged in 2019 to the highest level since 2008, CNN.com reported. The new figures indicate that hate crimes reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies ...
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National Black Justice Coalition welcomes new directors
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC — This week, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) announced two new senior level hires, Victoria Kirby York, MPA, and Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond. Their leadership and experience will ...
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NATIONAL Political news, gay adoptive father, judges, Houston bar
Adrian Tam, a 28-year-old gay Asian American son of immigrants, defeated a leader of the Hawaii chapter of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, to become the only openly LGBTQ person in Hawaii's legislature, NBC ...
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SHOWBIZ Wentworth Miller, Whitney, lesbian author, Mark Wahlberg
Out actor Wentworth Miller said he doesn't want to be involved in a new season of the TV show Prison Break if it happens, according to Deadline. On Instagram, he thanked fans for his support and ...
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MOVIES Trans-focused Born to Be to be released Nov. 20
Born To Be—a hit documentary on the country's first hospital center for transgender medical care—will open in Philadelphia on Friday, Nov. 20 (also the Transgender Day of Remembrance) with Gene Sickle Film Center Virtual Cinema. The ...
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Billy Masters
"You can't say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Until very recently, that's what the vast majority of Americans thought. Now it's considered bigotry."—Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. So much for ...
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The Amazon Trail: Rats fleeing a sinking ship
I've heard the idiom "like rats fleeing a sinking ship" often lately, and while the metaphor is apt for what's going on in the United States, at our house it's even more befitting. Merriam Webster notes, ...
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Civil rights, LGBT groups challenge extreme punishment of gay man for texts
--From a press release
NEW YORK, NY — On Nov. 9, 2020, the Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP) filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of Virginia in support of Galen Baughman, a young gay man at ...
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MOVIES Henry Golding gets intimate in 'Monsoon'
Taking a turn from larger-budget movies such as A Simple Favor and Crazy Rich Asians, actor Henry Golding stars in the intimate film Monsoon. The movie features Golding as Kit, a young British-Vietnamese man who returns ...
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THEATER Andre De Shields to help celebrate youth Dec. 9
Andre De Shields—a Grammy-, Emmy- and Tony-winning actor, director and educator, and the 2019 "Triple Crown" winner for his portrayal of Hermes in Hadestown—will be the keynote speaker of the Victory Gardens Theater event "Voices of ...
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TELEVISION Parvesh Cheena connects to NBC
Openly gay actor Parvesh Cheena is coping with the pandemic on NBC with a show called Connecting. This new ensemble comedic tale is told through video chats each week covering current topics such as mask wearing, ...
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Mama Gloria, about Chicago's elder, trans, activist icon, to screen
--From a press release
CHICAGO, IL — Luchina Fisher's Mama Gloria, an important and timely documentary about Chicago's trailblazing Black trans elder icon and activist Gloria Allen, will hold nationwide screenings during Transgender Awareness ...
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Healthcare for tens of millions, including LGBT elders, at stake in Supreme Court hearing
--From a SAGE press release
Today, the Supreme Court hears yet another case challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This challenge takes up whether eliminating the penalty for not having health insurance makes the individual ...
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Victory Institute calls for LGBTQ cabinet appointee
--From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Institute called on President-elect Joe Biden to appoint at least one out LGBTQ person to a Senate-confirmed Cabinet position and said it will provide the transition team with a list ...
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SHOWBIZ Rock Hudson, The CW, Jillian Michaels, Isis King
Among Kino Lorber's December DVD and Blu-ray releases is a three-movie set (with the 1953-54 features Seminole, Golden Blade and Bengal Brigade) starring the late actor Rock Hudson, a press release noted. Co-stars in the films ...
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NATIONAL Stonewall march, lawsuits, electoral items
A peaceful "We Choose Freedom" march that started at the Stonewall Inn descended into violence as police arrested marchers for a second consecutive night on Nov. 5, out.com reported. Multiple videos of the scuffles with police ...
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Billy Masters
"My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule."—Gerald Ford during his inaugural remarks. Who would have ...
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VIEWPOINT Harris stands on shoulders of giants
The struggle to get President-elect Joe Biden to the finish line first with 270 electoral college votes was unquestionably an epic battle. However, Biden's battle wasn't a century-long one like women finally winning the right to ...
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LGBTQ+ groups respond to Biden and Harris' win
Media outlets officially declared Nov. 7 that former Vice President Joe Biden defeated current President Donald Trump in the presidential race. LGBTQA+ organizations and individuals (local and national) immediately responded ...
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BIDEN WINS
The two major news coalitions monitoring the vote count in the presidential election both declared Democrat Joe Biden as the winner Saturday morning (Nov. 7). Meanwhile, new data available from precincts with heavily LGBT populations contradict ...
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Polls look at LGBTQ voting in presidential election, other updates
Early data from exit polls conducted with voters Nov. 3 indicate that two-thirds of the LGBT vote went to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who appears to have be poised Friday morning to easily win enough ...
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Historic number of LGBTQs elected to U.S. House;
LGBTQ members most diverse ever
Washington, DC — Nine openly LGBTQ candidates have won their races for the U.S. House — including all seven incumbents — ensuring a historic number of openly LGBTQ members in the U.S. House next year. Among ...
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LGBTQ victories on election night; 160 endorsed candidates have won so far
--From a LGBTQ Victory Fund press release
Washington, DC — As of 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday and as ballots continue to be counted, 160 LGBTQ candidates endorsed by LGBTQ Victory Fund have won their races and 95 remain undecided, out of the ...
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Sarah McBride of Delaware first trans State Senator in U.S. history
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed candidate Sarah McBride won her election for the Delaware state Senate, becoming the first out transgender person ever elected to a state senate seat anywhere in the United ...
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Ritchie Torres to be first Afro-Latinx LGBTQ
Congress member
--From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed candidate Ritchie Torres (NY-15) won his U.S. House race and will become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx member of Congress when he takes office in January. If Mondaire ...
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AIDS Found. of Chicago among Lambda plaintiffs suing over ban on speech about racism
--From press releases
[San Francisco, CA, November 3, 2020] — Lambda Legal last night filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's recent executive order that prohibits federal contractors and grantees from conducting ...
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Lilly Wachowski: Refuse Fascism, at the Ballot Box and in the Street
Video below
In a rare, public and political statement, filmmaker Lilly Wachowski (co-creator of The Matrix trilogy, V for Vendetta, Sense8) published this personal essay on the literary website, LitHub.com, calling on people to "Refuse Fascism, at the ...
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SHOWBIZ RuPaul, LGBTQ athletes, film winners, Charles Busch
RuPaul has a lot of irons in the fire, according to out.com. Not only is she on the cover of Cosmopolitan UK's January 2021 issue, but the drag icon has also posted her new five-track Hey Sis, It's Christmas EP. Also, ...
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NATIONAL Texas board, intersex portfolio, hate crimes, beauty queen dies
A Texas regulatory board reinstated protections that bar social workers from refusing services to LGBTQ people and people with disabilities, NBC News reported. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, or BHEC, on Tuesday unanimously reversed an ...
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Billy Masters
"We've got control of this thing. If you look at my Instagram, it's gone to almost nothing."—Donald Jr. tells Laura Ingraham that people don't have to worry about quarantine or the coronavirus, and that the deaths ...
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TELEVISION Karen and Kelsey explore 'Fargo'
Straight actresses Karen Aldridge and Kelsey Asbille are exploring new queer territory together on the fourth season of FX's Fargo. This drama television series has been primarily written by Peabody, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning executive ...
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Study: LGB Republicans less connected to LGBT community than LGB Democrats
--From a Williams Institute press release
Compared to LGB Democrats, fewer LGB Republicans say they feel a part of the LGBT community and view participation in the community as a positive thing. In addition, more LGB Republicans than Democrats say they would ...
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LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus co-chairs bring resolution affirming court's marriage ruling
--From a press release
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Co-Chairs, Chris Pappas (NH-01), David Cicilline (RI-01), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sharice L. Davids (KS-03), Sean Patrick Maloney ...
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Seth G.: Finding out what unites, divides while biking across America
Seth G. (actual name: Seth Gottesdiener) is on a journey—and a mission. The fitness professional/social-justice activist—seen as a leader in Los Angeles' LGBTQ community—is biking from L.A. to Washington, D.C. ...
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HRC Chicago seeks nominations for corporate equality award
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Chicago has announced the inaugural HRC Corporate Champion for Equality Award to honor individuals who have made a significant contribution to advancing equality through their workplaces. ...
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Talkin' Tech: Trump campaign website hacked and defaced
On Oct. 27, 2020 shortly before 6 p.m. central time, Donald Trump's campaign website, www.donaldjtrump.com, was hacked. The hackers left a message claiming they had proof the Trump administration was involved the origin of the Corona Virus ...
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Live election night tracking to watch for 310 Victory Fund endorsed candidates
--From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund shared eight LGBTQ Election Night stories to watch and announced it will live track results for its 310 LGBTQ endorsed candidates on Election Night. Victory Fund will provide live ...
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GAO Report: Veteran health system falling short for LGBTQs
A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare service to LGBTQs is hampered by a failure in reporting and analysis. VA hospitals ...
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Same-sex parents are 7X more likely to raise adopted, foster children
--From a Williams Institute press release
A summary of data on same-sex parenting to inform reporting on Fulton v. City of Philadelphia On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The case will ...
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Justice Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to U.S. Supreme Court, groups respond
--From press releases
NCLR Statement on Rushed Confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to U.S. Supreme Court: SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, the United States Senate voted along party lines to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment ...
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U.S. Senate confirms Coney Barrett to Supreme Court
The U.S. Senate voted Oct. 26 to confirm the nomination of right-wing federal appeals judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. The vote was 52 to 48, with only one Republican voting against confirmation. ...
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NATIONAL Marriage support, GLSEN, LGBTQ voting campaigns
Seventy percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, according to the 11th annual American Values Survey—the highest percentage recorded by a major national poll, NBC News reported. The results found just 28 percent of respondents oppose the ...
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SHOWBIZ Viola Davis, Tyler Posey, Elton John, Tegan and Sara
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 18, a press release noted. The movie—based on the August Wilson play—will star Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman and Colman Domingo. In the film and ...
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BOOKS Former Warner Brothers head Alan Shayne reflects on a pivotal summer
Many things happened in 1941—Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Wonder Woman comic began publication and Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for his third term as U.S. president. It was also a pivotal year for Alan ...
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Undocumented LGBTQ+ activists speak on importance of voting
--From a press release
Los Angeles, CA. - Queer and undocumented filmmaker Armando Ibañez is releasing the videos of 9 undocumented LGTQ+ activists speaking on the importance of the 2020 elections to undocumented communities as part of the #VotaJota digital ...
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