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Lambda Literary to expand LGBTQ Writers in Schools Program in New York City schools
--From a press release
New York, NY — Today, Lambda Literary announced that New York City has quadrupled its investment in the organization's LGBTQ Writers in Schools program, increasing funding from $100,000 to $400,000 to reach 10,000 students and provide ...
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R. Kelly found guilty of racketeering
On Sept. 27, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted embattled R&B singer R. Kelly of racketeering by a federal jury in Brooklyn, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said, according to ...
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THEATER 'Moulin Rouge!,' gay play 'The Inheritance' win top Tonys
Moulin Rouge! The Musical was the runaway winner at the Tony Awards on Sept. 26, snagging 10 awards. Among its honors were Best Musical, Best Performance By an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical ...
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Liz Cheney: 'I was wrong' to oppose same-sex marriage
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney said—in a segment of the CBS show 60 Minutes that aired Sept. 26—she was "wrong" to oppose same-sex marriage when her objection to it caused a public split with her family, including ...
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Billy Masters
"Honey, turn that clock off; I ain't paying no attention to it. Turn it off—turn it off!"—Debbie Allen during her acceptance speech for the Governors Award at the Primetime Emmys. Four co-hosts go in, two come ...
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NATIONAL Danica Roem, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' abortion appeal, Lambda Legal
Transgender Virginia legislator Danica Roem is facing a conservative marriage-equality opponent and former Trump administration member in her re-election race this November, Yahoo! News noted. Roem, a Democrat, was elected to the House of Delegates in ...
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SHOWBIZ Transgender Talent, celebrity deaths, film festival, Whitney Houston
Transgender Talent—the trans-owned and operated management and production company—is looking to help Hollywood get better at portraying transgender and non-binary characters on screen with the launch of a new consulting ...
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NGLCC, Grubhub team to help LGBTQA-owned restaurants
The country's vulnerable LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and bars serving food will find help this fall, courtesy of a partnership formed by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and Grubhub. These small business owners have been among ...
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THEATER Ex-'Jagged Little Pill' performers accuse production of anti-TGNC behavior
Two former cast members of Broadway's Jagged Little Pill—including Tony-nominated featured actress Celia Rose Gooding—released statements accusing the production of committing "harm to the trans and non-binary community, both onstage ...
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Indiana students sue over gay-straight club's alleged treatment
In Pendleton, Indiana, a group of Pendleton Heights High School students has filed a lawsuit against the school and South Madison Community School Corporation over allegations that the school has been treating its Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) ...
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GLAAD releases 'Local Media Accountability Index - U.S. South'
--From a press release
GLAAD—he world's largest LGBTQ media-advocacy organization—has released its "Local Media Accountability Index - U.S. South," a measurement and evaluation of LGBTQ and HIV coverage in local news outlets across nine ...
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Report: 2.3M Latinx LGBT adults live in the U.S.
--From a press release
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that an estimated 2.3 million adults in the U.S. identify as Hispanic or Latino/a and LGBT. Researchers found that Latinx LGBT people fare ...
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America250 to host LGBTQ+ Community Conversation Webinar Sept. 23
--From a press release
Washington, D.C. —America250, the nationwide commemoration of America's 250th anniversary in 2026 led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, will host its next Community Conversation on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 4 pm ET. Members of the LGBTQ+ ...
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SOCCER U.S. women win big over Paraguay again
Five days after Carli Lloyd scored five goals against Paraguay, Alex Morgan scored a hat trick (three goals) as the U.S. women's national soccer team (USWNT) downed the same country 8-0 on Sept. 21 in Cincinnati, ...
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LGBTQ blood donation discrimination assessed, PULSE shootings cited
--From a press release
Chicago, Ill. — Last week, Reps. Mike Quigley (IL-05), Val B. Demings (FL-10), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Adam B. Schiff (CA-28), Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) received a ...
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Few LGBTQ nods from the Emmys even as RuPaul makes TV history
Netflix's The Crown and Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso were among the big winners as the Television Academy presented its 2021 Emmy Awards on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles. While the Academy had drawn praise for the ...
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Resolution recognizes 10th anniversary of the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
--From a press release
Washington, DC — Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), along with Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), lead a resolution to recognize the 10th anniversary of the enactment of the repeal of "Don't Ask, ...
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MOVIES 'Shang-Chi' actor in anti-gay controversy
Actor Simu Liu—the star of the latest Marvel action movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings—is embroiled in controversy over alleged Reddit comments he made about how pedophilia is "no different from being gay," ...
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FILM REVIEW Chastain mesmerizes in 'Tammy Faye,' but bio offers few surprises
Televangelists featured in some of the of the most spectacular falls from grace in the '80s. Television preachers who'd spent the better part of the '70s and the '80s insinuating themselves into pocketbooks, not to mention ...
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Billy Masters on RuPaul and more
"The reason I said no wasn't because I wasn't proud of who I was, or I didn't want to represent the LGBTQ+ community in any way. It was because Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter. And Raven Baxter is ...
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BOOKS 'Mission Possible' released before 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' anniversary
C. Dixon Osburn, co-founder and former CEO of the Servicmembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), has written Mission Possible: The Story of the Repealing 'Don't Ask Don't Tell. This is the inside story of SLDN, which was ...
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NATIONAL Carl Bean dies, LGBT History Month, military events, Dykes on Bikes
Archbishop Carl Bean—an openly gay former Motown singer, longtime AIDS activist and leader in the LGBTQ church movement—died at age 77, The New York Daily News reported. In a statement entitled "The Giant Sleeps," the Unity ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Genera+ion' axed, sports items, Wilson Cruz, k.d. lang, Lil Nas X
HBO Max did now renew Genera+ion, its OC-high-school-set dramedy, out.com noted. "We will not be moving forward with a second season of Genera+ion," a spokesperson for HBO Max said in a statement. "We are very proud ...
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Former bishop who pushed for LGBTQ+ inclusion dies at 90
Retired Newark Bishop John Shelby Spong—a best-selling author and cleric known for his progressive theology and his support of women and LGBTQ+ clergy in The Episcopal Church—has died at age 90, Episcopal News Service reported. "It ...
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Polis marriage marks first same-sex wedding of sitting governor
On Sept. 15, Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wed longtime partner Marlon Reis—marking the first same-sex marriage of a sitting U.S. governor, NPR reported. Polis keeps making history. In 2018, Polis became the first openly gay ...
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HHS awards $48M to health centers to expand HIV prevention, treatment
On Sept. 16, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded more than $48 million to 271 HRSA-supported health centers across 26 states, Puerto Rico and ...
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USWNT national soccer team slams contract offer
The United States Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) is calling the U.S. Soccer Federation's offer of identical contracts for its women's and men's national teams a publicity stunt, according to Yahoo! Sports. On S ...
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National groups kick off #BiWeek to celebrate bisexuality+ visibility
Sept. 16 marks the start of #BiWeek, an annual digital campaign to accelerate acceptance for the bisexual+ (bi, pansexual, fluid, queer, unlabeled, etc.) community, according to a joint press release from the organizations The Bisexual Resource ...
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Brittany Devon meets a 'Platonic Girlfriend'
Queer, genderfluid actor Brittany Devon has created a brand new project to explore with Platonic Girlfriend. It is the story of a relationship between straight woman Alice and a queer, nonbinary person named Dev. Devon stars ...
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Gavin Newsom wins Calif. recall election
On Sept. 14, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom defeated a GOP-backed effort to remove him from office, media outlets reported. Speaking from Sacramento, Newsom thanked Californians for rejecting the recall effort, according to CNN.com. He also ...
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Catholic theologians urge protections for LGBTQ+ people
More than 750 of the nation's leading Catholic theologians, church leaders, scholars, educators and writers have joined New Ways Ministry in voicing support for nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, according to a New Ways press release. ...
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'Homophile' organization New Gay Liberation Front launches
The New Gay Liberation Front—which described itself in a press release as a "homophile organization"—has launched. "Homophile" is a term that was used by some gay and lesbian groups in the 1950s. According to the University ...
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Former HRC President Alphonso David accuses organization of racism
Former Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Alphonso David opened up about the fallout from the investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) that eventually led to his own firing—and accused the HRC of racism, ...
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TELEVISION 'Drag Race,' 'Queer Eye,' 'Pose' among Creative Emmy winners
Three 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies took place Sept. 11-12—and Netflix's The Queen's Gambit led the way with nine wins going into next weekend's Primetime Emmys, Deadline reported. LGBTQ+ individuals and shows also scored se ...
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Billy Masters
"If you want the most dramatic season ever, do an LGBT version. I think maybe it's the time for The Bachelor to do a gay Bachelor."—Lance Bass pitches his idea to ABC. You may recall that ...
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MUSIC Lil Nas X wins top award at MTV VMAs
The MTV VMA Awards took place Sept. 12—and an LGBTQ+ artist took home one of the night's top awards. Lil Nas X won Video of the Year for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," besting Cardi ...
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NATIONAL Teachers, GLAAD talks HRC, 9/11 items, Dr. Rachel Levine
In North Carolina, a former teacher won a lawsuit against Charlotte Catholic High School and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte after he lost his job following an announcement on Facebook that he planned to marry ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Boy Meets Boy,' Jennifer Hudson, 'SVU,' tennis honor, ABBA
Ariztical Entertainment is releasing the German movie Boy Meets Boy on DVD and VOD on Oct. 26. According to a press release, the plot of the 70-minute movie is as follows: "Harry has been partying for ...
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TV Rory O'Malley lands his second gay cartoon role with 'Chicago Party Aunt'
Inspired by a popular Twitter account, Netflix's latest adult cartoon, Chicago Party Aunt, takes the Windy City to a whole new level. Superstore star and Second City alumna Lauren Ash plays the titular character, Diane Dunbrowski. ...
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MOVES Talking about 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'
The new movie Everybody's Talking About Jamie tells the inspiring story of Jamie New, a young drag artist who overcomes hardship and homophobia in Sheffield, England. Out actor Max Harwood stars as New, who gets by ...
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Britney Spears' dad petitions to end conservatorship
In a huge win for pop star Britney Spears, her father and the conservator of her estate, Jamie Spears, filed a petition to end the arrangement on Sept. 7, media outlets reported. Jamie cited his daughter's ...
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One in ten LGBT workers experienced discrimination at work in the last year
LGBT employees of color were more likely to report being denied jobs and verbal harassment A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds an estimated 46% of LGBT workers have experienced ...
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Constand breaks silence about Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand is breaking her silence to NBC News about the comic/actor's release from prison two months ago, Deadline noted. In a brief clip, Constand tells Kate Snow she "was really shocked — ...
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HRC fires its president, Alphonso David
On Sept. 6, the national LGBTQ+ organization the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) fired its president, Alphonso David, for advising now-former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) during his sexual-harassment scandal ...
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WNBA names 25 greatest players in history
On Sept. 5, the WNBA commemorated its landmark 25th season by announcing the selection of "The W25"—a collection of the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history, according to a press release. The unveiling ...
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Billy Masters
"I'm so happy to know I have a fan in Maine!"—Joan Rivers in a letter to yours truly sometime in the mid-80s. Massachusetts had just begun using the MA abbreviation instead of Mass! She may have ...
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HRC president refuses to resign, despite co-chairs' reported request
Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has refused to resign in the midst of controversy—even after the organization's co-chairs reportedly requested that he do so. According to NBC New York, David is ...
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LGBTQ+ exhibit removed from Missouri Capitol
Kansas City Sen. Greg Razer, the only openly gay member of the Missouri Senate, demanded an explanation after an exhibit on the LGBTQ+-rights movement in Kansas City was removed from the state Capitol (in Jefferson City) ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Idol' alums, Zendaya, Gaga, 'Queer As Folk,' women rappers
American Idol alum David Archuleta said that God urged him to come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, NBC News noted. The Nashville resident told Today.com he wasn't sure if the community would embrace ...
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NATIONAL Calif. bill, lawsuits, Billy Porter, 'Southern LGBTQ Experiences'
The California legislature okayed a bill that would launch a pilot program to better track the gender identity and sexual orientation of victims of fatal violence, Gay City News noted. Under AB 1094, or the Sexual ...
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Lil Nas X receives inaugural Trevor Project award
The Trevor Project announced that "Old Town Road" rapper Lil Was X was the recipient of its inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award. On its website, the organization stated, " Lil Nas X has ...
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Pappas reintroduces expanded SERVE Act to guarantee LGBTQ+ veterans VA benefits
--From a press release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Equality Caucus, alongside Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49), Kathleen M. Rice (NY-04) ...
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Baseball player Bryan Ruby comes out as gay
Bryan Ruby has become the only active professional baseball player at any level to be publicly out, according to USA Today. He's a professional baseball player—a member of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, an Oregon team that's a ...
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Controversial rapper DaBaby meets with Black HIV advocates
On Aug. 31, Black leaders from nine HIV organizations across the country announced they held a virtual, private meeting with rapper Jonathan "DaBaby" Kirk to discuss HIV facts and share personal stories of living and thriving ...
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Get Out! LGBTQ travelers show how to travel safely this fall
By Ed Salvato, courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association
Just when we thought it was safe to hit the road, we were walloped by the Delta variant, the latest plot twist in the 18-month-and-counting pandemic story. The surprising data that fully vaccinated people could transmit ...
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The U.S. of Gay
Must sees and dos for out-and-proud wanderlusters
51 ab-fab road-trip destinations and pit stops—one in each state and the District of Columbia—that are must sees and dos for out-and-proud wanderlusters There are a million things to love about traveling the United States—from our ...
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Gender-affirming care associated with lower suicide risk for transgender people
--From a Williams Institute press release
A summary of current data on suicide risk and prevention among transgender people in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month Transgender people who need and receive gender-affirming medical care have a lower prevalence of suicide thoughts and ...
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HOCKEY Canada edges U.S. to win women's championships
Marie-Philip Poulin scored the golden goal at 7:22 of the first overtime period to give Canada a 3-2 win over the United States, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) website. It was Canada's first ...
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Law banning abortions after six weeks is now set in Texas
Legislation banning abortions after about six weeks is now the law in Texas, effectively ending Roe v. Wade protections in the state, NPR reported. Late on Sept. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the law. ...
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MUSIC Local band Glad Rags releasing 'All of Them' on Oct. 15
Chicago-based queer psychedelic orchestra band Glad Rags will release the LP All of Them on Oct. 15. The six-member band began recording the record in late 2018 at Jamdek Studio, and spent 2019 tracking overdubs and ...
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Hacks, I May Destroy You, Pose rule LGBTQ Critics' Dorian TV Awards
--From a press release
AUGUST 29, 2021—HOLLYWOOD, CA—Venerable actress Jean Smart; Saturday Night Live wit Bowen Yang; rising satirist Ziwe; Pose co-creator Steven Canals; teen heartthrob Michael Cimino, of Hulu's Love, Victor; and revered ...
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Billy Masters
"I wasn't looking forward to this conversation. But you and your questions and your reintroduction to some of my past enlightened me [and] inspirited me, and I eagerly took the bait."—Ed Asner on Billy Masters LIVE. ...
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GLAAD releases '2021 State of HIV Stigma' study
GLAAD recently released its second annual State of HIV Stigma Study, a national survey among U.S. adults with the sample supplied by research firm Cint. The survey, funded by Gilead COMPASS Initiative, measures U.S. attitudes toward ...
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SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, 'Death Drop,' Brandi Carlile, vintage films, Gaga
Billy Porter will direct a queer teen comedy feature titled To Be Real for Amazon Studios, which is being helmed by Gabrielle Union's I'll Have Another Productions, NME.com noted. Porter, who is currently working on his ...
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NATIONAL Marsha P. Johnson, Utah, five-year study, Pride fests cancelled
In New York City, visitors to Christopher Park have been greeted by the bust of the late trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, ActionNewsNow.com reported. The bust was erected on what would have been Jonhson's 76th birthday—and ...
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HOCKEY U.S. women's team routs Japan to advance to semis
In Canada, the defending champion United States scored five first-period goals en route to a 10-2 quarterfinal thrashing of Japan on Aug. 28 in Calgary, IIHF.com noted. U.S. scoring leader Hilary Knight led the way with ...
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TENNIS U.S. Open to celebrate Pride on Sept. 1
Rainbow flags will be flying at the USTA (United States Tennis Association) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Wed., Sept. 1, as the USTA celebrates and welcomes the LGBTQ+ community to the first-ever Open Pride ...
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Virginia school district settles with Gavin Grimm
A Virginia school district that discriminated against a transgender individual by making him go to the bathroom in a converted supply closet will have to pay $1.3 million in attorney's fees and other costs accrued over ...
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TV 'Dancing with the Stars' to feature first same-sex partnership
ABC's Dancing With the Stars will be breaking new ground in the upcoming 30th season—with its first same-sex partnership. According to Deadline, on Aug. 26, host Tyra Banks and executive producer Andrew Llinares revealed that the ...
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The National Black Justice Coalition mourns death of Pooh Johnson
--From a press release
SHREVEPORT, LA — The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the loss of Pooh Johnson, a 25-year-old Black gender-nonconforming person. Pooh was found shot to death inside a car early in the morning on August 23, ...
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Mental health of Black and Latinx LGBQ people worsened after the 2016 presidential election
--From a Williams Institute press release
A new study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that the mental health of Black and Latinx LGBQ people declined in the 17 months following the 2016 presidential election of Donald ...
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Quigley, Equality Caucus ask Biden to emphasize LGBTQ+ rights when Ukraine president visits
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois), along with 20 members of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to emphasize the importance of LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine during Ukrainian President ...
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MUSIC R.E.M.'s 'Hi-Fi' set for 25th-anniversary reissue
Craft Recordings is celebrating the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.'s 10th studio album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, with a special reissue, currently available for pre-order and set for release Oct. 29. The bonus-filled 2-CD/1-Blu-ray Deluxe Edition offers ...
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COVID FDA grants full approval to Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
On Aug. 23, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older, media outlets reported. This is the first coronavirus vaccine approved by the ...
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Billy Masters
"When I heard it was going to be done again, it was supposed to be Will Smith and Beyonce, I thought, that's interesting. … I thought that was a great idea. So, I was surprised when I saw how alike it ...
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