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Okla. governor signs anti-trans, strict abortion measures
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has recently signed a couple controversial measures into law. According to ABC News, Stitt has signed a bill requiring public school students to use only the bathroom of the sex listed on ...
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State Farm drops GenderCool Project; Illinois General Assembly LGBTQ Caucus, Equality Illinois respond
This week in response to an outcry from a hateful few, Illinois-based insurer State Farm dropped their support for The GenderCool Project, which provides LGBTQ-affirming books to schools across the country on a voluntary basis. We ...
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Brave Space Alliance purchases South Side building in expansion move
In its ongoing efforts to provide safe spaces for transgender and gender non-confirming BIPOC, Brave Space Alliance (BSA) closed on a 7,000-square-foot building on 71st Street and Jeffrey Avenue, in the South Shore community, to expand ...
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Artist Rick Sindt explores queer desire and pornography in 'Skin Remembers'
Rick Sindt, a Chicago-based artist who recently moved to St. Louis, explores the discovery and development of queer attraction in his exhibit "Skin Remembers." Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them into images of intimacy. Sindt recently ...
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Indiana institutes anti-trans sports ban, overrides Holcomb's veto
The Indiana General Assembly overturned Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's veto of House Bill 1041, which prohibits transgender girls from playing girls school sports, according to the IndyStar. The House voted to override the veto 67-28; the ...
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Ricky Gervais courts controversy with graphic anti-trans jokes
(WARNING: There is graphic language in this article.) Yet another Netflix special is courting controversy because of a comedian making anti-trans jokes. Ricky Gervais' Netflix comedy special SuperNature has drawn criticism for a string of grap ...
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WORLD Nigeria protest, 'Flag in the Map,' Belgium, McDonald's
Dressed in rainbow-colored vests, members of the LGBTQ+ community marched in a dangerous demonstration in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to protest a bill introduced by lawmakers in Nigeria's lower house of parliament last month seeking to ban ...
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Comedian criticized for letting Chappelle open and tell anti-trans jokes [UPDATE]
Comedian John Mulaney surprised his audience—and drew criticism from some fans—when Dave Chappelle appeared as the opener and reportedly told "transphobic jokes," per Variety. Chappelle's opening set occurred during a ...
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For International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia HRC highlights grants
-- 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, is commemorating International Day Against ...
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Judge blocks part of Alabama law criminalizing care for trans youth
On May 13, U.S. District Judge Liles Burke blocked part of an Alabama law that made it a felony to prescribe gender-affirming puberty blockers and hormones to transgender minors, USA Today reported. ...
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Texas court okays child-abuse inquries into families of trans kids
On May 13, the Texas Supreme Court unanimously cleared the way for the state child-welfare agency to resume investigating parents and doctors who provide gender-affirming care for trans youthactions Gov. Greg Abbott has equated to child ...
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Judge: Dallas hospital must start gender-affirming treatment for trans youth
In Texas, Dallas County Judge Melissa Bellan temporarily removed all barriers for transgender youth seeking medical treatments from Children's Medical Center Dallasproviding a major win for doctors fighting to restore ...
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HRC calls for passage of the Women's Health Protection Act
-- 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, joined a growing number of organizations calling for the ...
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NATIONAL Rainbow flagpole, Washington Blade, Don Lemon, Black leaders
Four years after the Trump Administration abruptly nixed plans to bring a rainbow flag to federal land adjacent to NYC's Christopher Park, the Biden Administration is planning to install a permanent flagpole at the park, Gay ...
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33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York honor Judith Light, Wilson Cruz and more
-- From a press release
New York - Friday, May 6 — GLAAD announced recipients for 16 of this year's 30 categories for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards on May 6. Additional categories were announced in Los Angeles on April ...
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Virginia trans teen killed at party
The life of Black transgender girl Ariyanna Mitchell, 17, ended violently at a party in Hampton, Virginia, on April 2and the accused killer asked her if she was a boy or a girl before shooting her, ...
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NBJC celebrates and remembers trans journalist/activist Monica Roberts on her birthday
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC Today, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) celebrates the life and accomplishments of Monica Roberts, a revered transgender journalist, activist, and founder of the award-winning publication TransGriot. ...
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LGBTQ+ lawmakers in 16 states have or will introduce laws to protect trans kids
Equality California, California state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), LGBTQ Victory Institute and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California announced the national, queer-led rollout of trans refuge state legislation in 16 ...
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DoJ files suit challenging Alabama's trans youth law
The U.S. Justice Department (DoJ) filed a complaint alleging that Alabama's controversial law banning gender-affirming care for youth is unconstitutional, according to AL.com. In the complaint filed in federal court ...
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NATIONAL Campus Pride, HIV and the military, IVF suit, Billie Jean King
Campus Pridealong with 36 other national/regional organizations such as GLSEN, PFLAG National and TransAthlete.comrequested that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) incorporate non-binary students into ...
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WORLD Conversion therapy, Russian ruling, concert pianist, trans politician
A trans woman opened up about her horrific experiences of conversion therapy in the wake of the UK government's reviled U-turn that will see LGB conversion therapy banned but trans conversion therapy remain legal, PinkNews reported. ...
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Okla. governor bans non-binary gender identities on birth certificates
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill explicitly barring the use of non-binary gender markers on state birth certificatesa ban experts say is the first of its kind in the nation, according to an NPR item. ...
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Georgia guv signs anti-LGBTQ+ measures; Kansas has pro-LGBTQ+ result
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law legislation curbing talk of so-called "divisive concepts" (including discussions about race) in the state's classrooms and barring transgender athletes from participating on school ...
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More than half of transgender students in higher education report poor mental health
-- From a press release
A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law conducted in collaboration with the Point Foundation, the nation's largest LGBTQ scholarship fund, finds there are an estimated 218,000 known transgender students ages 18 ...
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Biden-Harris administration reports on efforts to support global LGBTQ+ rights, HRC applauds result
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, has commended the release of a report from the Biden-Harris ...
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Equality Illinois endorses 95 pro-equality candidates for June 28 primaries
-- From a press release
"Equality Illinois is excited to announce our primary election endorsements today as we continue to make our state fairer and more just for LGBTQ+ people," said Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois. "In recent years, ...
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LGBTQ+ and allied organizations rally against bigotry and hate
A statewide coalition of LGBTQ+ and allied organizations held a press conference and rally April 27 in Chicago's Federal Plaza in response to the wave of nationwide bigotry and hate against the queer and trans community, ...
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Kansas lawmaker makes anti-trans comment; Victory Fund responds
A Kansas state lawmaker has complained publicly about having to share women's restrooms with a "huge" transgender colleague who she described as a potential threat to young children who visit the Statehouse, CBS News reported. Republican ...
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Reader owner steps down; paper can now go nonprofit route
Chicago Reader co-owner Len Goodman and three board members stepped down April 26 amid protests from employees, freeing the embattled alternative newspaper to transition to a nonprofit organization, The Chicago Tribune reported. The Reader has been ...
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Petition started for trans inmate Strawberry Hampton; IDOC responds [UPDATE]
A petition on change.org has been started for Strawberry Hampton, a transgender woman who's currently in Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, about 30 miles north of Springfield. According to WBEZ, Hampton sued the Illinois Department of ...
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NATIONAL Missouri lawmaker, Michigan controversy, gymnasts, Julius' Bar
A lawmaker in Missouri delivered an intense condemnation of one of his Republican colleagues over an effort to keep transgender athletes out of youth sports, HuffPost reported. State Rep. Ian Mackey (D), who is gay, issued ...
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WORLD Soldiers, Everywhere Is Queer, soccer items
Video below
The South Korean Supreme Court ruled that soldiers of the same sex who have consensual sex in a private space cannot be charged with assault under the Military Criminal Act, The Hankyoreh reported. Previously, the court ...
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Pro-LGBTQ+ rally rescheduled for April 27 at Federal Plaza
Weeks after a pro-LGBTQ+ rally in the Loop was disrupted, the event has been rescheduled for Wed., April 27, at Federal Plaza, 219 S. Dearborn St., at 5:30 p.m. The past few months have been extremely ...
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HRC condemns Florida Gov. DeSantis for signing 'Stop WOKE' Act
-- From a press release
Washington, D.C. Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization condemned Governor Ron DeSantis for signing ...
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HRC: Real threat to women's sports not trans athletes but underfunding, lack of resources
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC—As states across the country continue to debate and pass anti-transgender sports bans — bills that would prevent transgender girls from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity — a new Human ...
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Florida advises against gender-affirming care for minors; LGBTQ+ groups respond
On April 20, Florida's department of health said children younger than 18 years old should not be permitted to receive any form of gender-affirming care, including medications like puberty blockers and hormones and "social gender transition" ...
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COVID Masks now optional on Illinois and Chicago public transit
On April 19, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has changed face-mask requirements on public transit. According to a press release Windy City Times received, "To align with the ending of the enforcement of the federal mask mandate ...
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Chicago Fashion Week taking place April 24-May 1
FashionBar, LLC announced Chicago Fashion Week will take place April 24-May 1 on the third floor of Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave. Some of the shows will include "Emerging Students" (April 26), "Trans, Media ...
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Travel confusion reigns as judge overturns mask mandate
On April 18, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle—a Donald Trump appointee—struck down the Biden Administration's COVID mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods. A Biden Administration official ...
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National Black Justice Coalition honors National Transgender HIV Testing Day
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC Today, April 18th, is National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD). On this day, local, state, federal, and national organizations unite to recognize the importance of routine HIV ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Glamorous,' Jake Gyllenhaal, Alice Walker, queer singers, trans film fest
Three years after The CW passed on Glamorous, Netflix has picked up the redeveloped series about a young gender nonconforming queer man, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The streaming giant has handed out a 10-episode, straight-to-series ...
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WORLD Conversion therapy, director attacked, killings, Rwanda, Grag Queen
Thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies across the United Kingdom recently protested the British government's refusal to ban anti-trans conversion therapy, Xtra Magazine noted. On April 10, demonstrators gathered at 10 Downing Street, the office of ...
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Kansas governor vetoes anti-trans sports bill
On April 15, Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would have banned transgender athletes from girls' sports and another that would have required schools to let parents challenge classroom curriculum a measure ...
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Loved ones mourn loss of Elise Malary
Angelina Nordstrom remembers their close friend Elise Malary through candid photos and videos they loved to surprise her with. "My favorite thing was to catch her off-guard with the camera, to capture random moments of her ...
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COVID CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3
The Biden administration announced that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for airplanes and public transit until at least Tuesday, May 3, as it monitors an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Centers for Disease Control ...
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Groundbreaking survey details disproportionate harms of COVID-19 on TGNC Southerners
-- From a press release
Today marks the publication of a groundbreaking new research report highlighting the unique impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on transgender and non-binary people in the South. The report: Disproportionate Disadvantage: The Impact of COVID-19 on Trans ...
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Latest Brave Space Alliance situation reveals conflicting accounts
After employees at Brave Space Alliance (BSA)which describes itself as "the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago"formed a union that the CEO, LaSaia Wade ...
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HRC Foundation launches inaugural 'LGBTQ+ School Inclusion Efforts' report
-- From a press release. Video below
WASHINGTON, DCToday, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization released the 2021 Annual Report from ...
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Families sue Alabama over ban on gender-affirming care for trans adolescents
-- From a press release
(Montgomery, AL, April 11, 2022) – Two Alabama families filed a lawsuit in federal court today challenging a recently passed law that criminalizes medical professionals who provide care to transgender adolescents with up to 10 years in prison. ...
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'Trans Bodies, Trans Selves' second edition out April 15
-- From a press release
NEW YORK CITY, New York, MApril 11, 2022—The Trans Bodies, Trans Selves board is proud to announce the release of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves' second edition, published April 15, 2022. The Trans Bodies Trans Selvessecond edition ...
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NATIONAL Ukrainian rally, travel ban, Brooklyn bar, Virginia measure
A group of LGBTQ Ukrainians and their supporters held a rally in front of the White House on April 3, The Washington Blade reported. ...
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HRC condemns Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for first bill to impose criminal penalties on providers of gender-affirming care for youth
-- From a press release
MONTGOMERY Today, Governor Ivey signed Senate Bill 184, legislation passed in the final hours of the session by anti-equality legislators, is the first in the nation to impose felony criminal penalties on medical professionals who offer ...
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'In Chicago We Believe' targets anti-LGBTQ+ legislation with ad campaigns in Orlando, Dallas and Phoenix
On April 7, World Business Chicago launched the new advertising campaign "In Chicago We Believe." According to a press release, "the campaign promotes the city's long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, not just as a ...
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Queer|Art announces grant competition for Black trans women visual artists
NYC-based Queer|Art has announced The Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists. Developed and named in partnership with Mariette Pathy Allen, Aaryn Lang and Serena Jara, this annual $10,000 grant—awarded to draw attention to an ...
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Alabama passes own 'Don't Say Gay' bill and restroom restrictions
On April 7, the Alabama legislature passed its own version of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law after a surprise amendment was attached to a transgender bathroom bill, AL.com reported. On the last day of the legislative ...
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HRC mobilizes to defeat Ohio's "Don't Say Gay or Trans" education censorship bill
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the introduction yesterday of HB616, a new version of the "Don't Say Gay, Don't Say Trans" bill, in the Ohio House of Representatives, the Human Rights Campaign is working alongside parents and ...
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Human Rights Campaign and WarnerMedia release 'Let Us Play' video featuring trans youth
-- From a press release, video below
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced a collaboration with WarnerMedia to launch a video called "Let Us Play." The video, which features transgender youth playing sports with their friends, calls on leaders and ...
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HRC, Kentucky's Fairness Campaign praise Kentucky Gov. Beshear for vetoing anti-trans sports legislation
-- From a press release
FRANKFORTToday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Kentucky's Fairness Campaign praised Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for vetoing Senate Bill 83, legislation that would deny transgender students in Kentucky the opportunity ...
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News coverage of trans athletes reflects partisan biases, data show
-- From a press release
WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA — News coverage of transgender athletes, including the history-making NCAA Division I champion swimmer Lia Thomas, often reflected the ideological biases of news outlets, which presented readers ...
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33rd Annual GLAAD awards take place; award recipients include 'Drag Race,' 'Hacks,' Mj Rodriguez
-- From a press release
Los Angeles - Sunday, April 3—GLAAD announced recipients for 16 of this year's 30 categories for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Kacey Musgraves received the Vanguard Award from Ben Platt, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez received ...
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Inaugural Trans Visibility Pageant takes place in Chicago
To acknowledge the International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), the inaugural "Trans Visibility Pageant: Standing Up to Hate" was held at the Kehrein Center for the Arts. The trans-led social-services organization Life Is Work hosted ...
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WORLD Global conference, conversion therapy, 'It's a Sin,' South Africa
This summer, the United Kingdom will host a global LGBTQ+-rights conference that will coincide with London Pride's 50th anniversary, The Washington Blade noted. The Safe to Be Me: A Global Equality Conference will take place in ...
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NATIONAL Prop 8, Disney, Andy Warhol, transgender judge
The videotaped trial of the 2010 U.S. court case challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage should not be released to the public, defenders of the since-overturned state Proposition 8 told the U.S. Supreme Court in a ...
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Brave Space Alliance honored in Illinois State Senate
-- From a press release
CHICAGO, IL — April 1, 2022 — On March 31, 2022, the 13th annual International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), Brave Space Alliance (BSA) was successful in raising awareness of the inequity of services, funding and ...
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British transgender cyclist banned
Outsports has reported that transgender cyclist Emily Bridges has been barred from competing in the British National Omnium Championship after the UCIthe sports' international governing bodysaid Bridges is still registered ...
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Trans attendees present their side of what happened at disrupted rally
Trans individuals who attended and/or spoke at a March 28 pro-trans rally/press conference in the Loop that abruptly ended have given their side of what transpired. That press conference, at Federal Plaza, prematurely ended when members ...
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Brave Space Alliance commemorates Transgender Day of Visibility
Brave Space Alliance (BSA) hosted a rally in Federal Plaza on March 31 to mark the Transgender Day of Visibility and to honor the lives of Black trans women who've been killed in the city recently. ...
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Biden-Harris administration advances equality, visibility for trans Americans
-- From a White House Fact Sheet
The Biden-Harris Administration has recognized Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual celebration of the resilience, achievements, and joy of transgender people in the United States and around the world. ...
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200+ major U.S. companies oppose anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom for All Americans announced that more than 200 major companies have joined together to sign on to the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom for All ...
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Announcing Trans Bodies, Trans Selves Second Edition, Release Date: April 15, 2022
-- From a press release
NEW YORK CITY, New York, March 31, 2022The Trans Bodies, Trans Selves board is proud to announce the release of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves' second edition, published April 15, 2022. The Trans Bodies Trans Selvessecond edition ...
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Human Rights Campaign celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility 2022
-- From a press release
WASHINGTONToday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, honors the International Transgender Day of Visibility ...
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GLAAD responds to State Dept.'s announcement about availability of gender-neutral passports
-- From a press release
Thursday, March 31, 2022 - GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to the Biden administration's announcement implementing updates to identity ...
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Arizona Gov. Ducey signs anti-trans bills; pro-LGBTQ+ groups vow to file suit
On March 30, Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a series of bills targeting abortion and transgender rights, joining a growing list of GOP-led states pursuing a conservative social agenda, NBC News reported. The measures will ...
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Ex-con group's founder talks about busted pro-trans rally
The founder of Ex-Cons For Community & Social Change (ECCSC)—the group who reportedly caused a March 28 pro-trans rally/press conference in the Loop to end early—told Windy City Times the reasons his organization became involved in ...
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VIEWPOINT For Elise, I promise to advocate to ban the trans/gay panic defense
Elise is dead. We don't yet know how or why. But Elise is dead, and my heart is breaking. Trans activist Elise Malary was an inspiration for me. She was the driving force behind the legislation ...
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