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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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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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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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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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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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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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PPIL extends Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy program statewide
During this year's Transgender Awareness Week (which culminates with the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20), Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is highlighting its Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) ...
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WORLD Trans deaths, China census, Rob Halford, Hungary measure
Globally, at least 350 transgender people have been killed this year (2020)—a figure that has risen since last year's total of 331, Forbes noted. The annual list, released for Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20) by ...
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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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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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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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Jill Rose Quinn first trans elected official in Illinois; wins for Cook County Circuit Court Judge
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed candidate Jill Rose Quinn won her election to be a judge on the Cook County Circuit Court, becoming the first out transgender person ever elected in the state ...
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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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Jennifer N. Pritzker, Erin E. Solaro wed
--From a press release
Jennifer N. Pritzker and Erin E. Solaro were married in a private ceremony in Chicago on Oct. 31, 2020. Ms. Pritzker is President & CEO of TAWANI Enterprises Inc., Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Army, Retired, and Founder ...
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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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THEATER REVIEW Being Earnest
Playwright book and lyrics by Paul Gordon, music by Paul Gordon and Jay Gruska At Skylight Music Theatre online at SkylightMusicTheatre.org. Tickets: $25. Runs through Dec. 31, 2020. Two things to remember when proposing to transform a ...
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LETTER Pope Francis appoints America's first African American cardinal
Pope Francis has appointed 13 new cardinals world wide. Archbishop Gregory is listed as elevated to cardinal by his Holiness. The archbishop served in Chicago for 10 years under Cardinal Joseph Bernadine, being transferred to Atlanta ...
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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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'V for Vendetta' at Music Box Oct. 30. includes talk with Wachowski
The 15th-anniversary theatrical re-release of V for Vendetta, which now includes bonus content—a 13-minute, pre-recorded conversation with director James McTeigue and writer/producer Lana Wachowski—will run at the Music Box Theatre ...
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Trans films at Chicago International Film Festival
The 56th Chicago International Film Festival illuminates varying gender norms—in childhood, adolescence and old age—now through Sunday, Oct. 25 as part of the Festival's "Out-Look" LGBTQ+ programming. Three feature films ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Lovecraft,' Tony nominees, RuPaul, Megan Thee Stallion
The HBO show Lovecraft Country recently introduced a new character, Yahima—a Two-Spirit person who was quickly murdered and never mentioned again. But now, showrunner Misha Green has gone on Twitter to apologize for what she calls ...
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NATIONAL Autistic trans guide, trans death, AIDS Quilt, intersex study
The National LGBTQ Task Force and the AWNNetwork released a collaborative guide, "Before You Go: Know Your Rights & What to Expect at the Doctor and in the Hospital"—a groundbreaking first-of-its-kind publication filled with tips and ...
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WORLD French plan, 'gay panic' defense, trans youth case, Northern Triangle
The French government unveiled a national plan to combat hatred and discrimination against LGBTQ people, and the initiative emphasises the importance of inclusive education in stamping out homophobia, RFI.fr reported. The three-year plan aims to make ...
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Equality Illinois condemns transphobic posts by State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi
--From a press release
CHICAGO - Newly exposed discriminatory comments show it's deja vu in DuPage County following racist and homophobic remarks by State Rep. Amy Grant last month. The Patch reported that voters learned that state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi ...
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Court declines to review ruling ordering medically care for Idaho trans prisoner
--From a NCLR press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the United States Supreme Court declined to review a federal court decision ordering the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) to provide medically necessary gender confirmation surgery ...
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Transphobic ad attacks U.S. House candidate Gina Ortiz Jones
--From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ people to public office, condemned the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) for releasing a transphobic ...
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Equality Illinois distributes $115,000+ in COVID relief grants to LGBTQs
--From a press release
Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer people; through a grant the Illinois COVID Response Fund (ICRF) and community organizations, has awarded over $115,000 in COVID relief grants ...
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Collaborate Arts Institute to mark 10th anniversary
Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC), 7409 N. Greenview Ave., is celebrating its 10th-anniversary season with fall offerings that include the annual Collaborative Works Festival, two recitals as part of the Lieder Lounge series and the ...
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WORLD India couple, Japan items, pro-trans writers, Nigeria job fair
In India, a same-sex couple approached the Delhi High Court seeking legal recognition of their marriage under the Foreign Marriage Act, India.com reported. The petitioners, an Indian citizen and an overseas citizen, are two gay men ...
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NATIONAL Marriage equality, minister and trans journalist die, HRC
LGBTQ-rights advocates are warning of a renewed threat to marriage equality, NBC News reported. President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ignited fears of ...
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World Rugby bans trans women players
International body World Rugby ruled Oct. 9 that transgender women may not participate in elite and international women's rugby, Reuters reported. In new guidelines, World Rugby said the naturally acquired physical benefits that trans women receive ...
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PASSAGES Transgender advocate, journalist Monica Roberts dies
--From a National LGBTQ Task Force press release
"This week, the LGBTQ+ community lost one of our fiercest voices in Monica Roberts, an activist who not only lifted up the stories of trans people and inspired generations of countless transgender and non-binary people but ...
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City passes ordinance recognizing nonbinary Chicagoans
Chicago City Council passed a new ordinance Oct. 7 ensuring that non-binary Chicagoans will not be marginalized in City rules and forms. The new rules take effect within 60 days. The measure, introduced this past spring ...
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SHOWBIZ Whitney Houston, all-trans 'Brokeback,' Sam Smith, 'Chicago Med'
A hologram of the late Whitney Houston was used in a livestream show—allegedly without permission from her estate, NME.com reported. Hologram USA founder Alki David had originally worked on Houston's likeness in 2016. The hologram appeared ...
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WORLD Egypt arrests, Trans Legal Mapping Report, designer dies
In Egypt, authorities are accused of using dating apps and social media to track down and arrest queer folks in their latest attempt to "clean the streets," Out.com noted. Human Rights Watch interviewed 15 people who ...
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Jessica Halem to open Transforming Care Conference
--From a press release
The Equitas Health Institute's virtual 2020 Transforming Care Conference on LGBTQ+ HIV & Health Equity opens Wednesday, October 14 with Jessica Halem's presentation of "Mourn the Dead & Fight Like Hell for the Living." As a ...
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19% of transgender adults in the U.S. are parents
--From a Williams Institute press release
The first nationally representative sample of transgender people in the U.S. finds no difference in mental and physical health between transgender and cisgender parents An estimated 19% of transgender adults in the U.S. are parents, according ...
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Oct. 3 vigil to honor Ramos Vargas
Chicagoans will gather in Humboldt Park the evening of Saturday, Oct. 3 to honor the memory of Michelin Ramos Vargas, a transgender woman who was murdered in Puerto Rico on Sept. 30. The event begins at ...
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LGBTQs likely key percentage of electorate
--From a press release
New York, NY, October 1, 2020 - GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, released the findings of GLAAD's 'State of LGBTQ Voters' poll which ...
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LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH: United States Naval Academy evolves with LGBTQ acceptance
By Jeremy Rodriguez
Before graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1985, Paula Neira had difficulties accepting she was trans. "I was fighting this internal battle, but asking for help would've gotten me kicked out," Neira said. ...
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LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH: Nizah Morris case a seventeen-year saga for transparency
This month marks the 65th birthday of Nizah Morris. It's difficult to believe that Nizah would be a senior citizen if she were alive today. She was born on Oct. 19, 1955. So much has changed since her tragic death in ...
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NATIONAL Trans incidents, governors, It Gets Better, Keith Haring, Gloria Trevi
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourned the loss of Aerrion Burnett, a 37-year-old Black trans woman from Independence, Missouri who was found dead of a gunshot wound Sept. 19, a press release noted ...
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WORLD Iran report, Uruguay Pride parade, anti-gay terrorist
A new survey—"Hidden Wounds: A Research Report on Violence Against LGBTI in Iran," published by the Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network, 6Rang—is shedding light on the atrocities LGBTQ+ Iranians face on a daily basis, Out.com reported. ...
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National LGBT Media Association: For Joe Biden, push relentlessly until Nov. 3
Statement from National LGBT Media Association: Among the many compelling reasons to make sure that Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not reelected on November 3, perhaps the 26 most compelling are the transgender Americans—most of ...
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Trans Puerto Rico icon dies at 73
Soraya Santiago—the first person from Puerto Rico known to have undergone gender reassignment surgery and a longtime icon for the U.S. territory's LGBTQ community—has died of cancer, ABC News reported. She was 73. Santiago had frequented ...
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Creating Change Conference to hold Oct. 10 day-long event, "Queering Racial Justice"
--From a press release
Sept. 21, 2020….Washington, DC…. The National LGBTQ Task Force and Creating Change will hold a day-long event (12:30 ET to 6:30 ET) exploring how Queer/Trans People of Color (QTPOC) activism is leading the resistance to state ...
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NATIONAL Lambda Litfest, #BiWeek, whistleblower, Equality Awards, Blade
The 4th annual Lambda Litfest (Oct. 5-9) has been transformed into a specially curated, virtual event celebrating Black LGBTQIA+ excellence and abundance, a press release noted. The opening night will set the stage by bringing panelists ...
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Equality Illinois announces general election endorsements
--From a press release
CHICAGO - Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Illinoisans, today announced endorsements for the November 3, 2020 general election. "Equality Illinois is ...
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Equality Illinois endorses thirteen LGBTQ candidates for general election
--From a press release
CHICAGO - Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer Illinoisans, today announced endorsements of a record number of LGBTQ candidates running for the Illinois General Assembly in a general ...
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Trans candidate McBride makes history again
Sarah McBride—who, in 2016, was the first openly transgender person to address the Democratic National Convention—made history again with a primary victory, setting her up for her likely win as ...
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Out Illinois State coach dives into new position
Logan Pearsall, an accomplished college diver who has since transitioned into master's level diving, was competing at the 2017 FINA World Masters Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He was doing a challenging inward dive from a one-meter ...
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MOMBIAN True stories, trans tales and more in new picture books
New books can be a delightful relief in these days of quarantine. Here are some of the many new LGBTQ-inclusive picture books that just came out last month. (See Mombian.com for even more.) The Fighting Infantryman, ...
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WORLD Argentina pro-trans move, Canada survey, Uganda groups, sports items
Argentina President Alberto Fernandez is now requiring 1% of public sector jobs be set aside for transgender people, LGBTQ Nation noted, citing Pagina 12. Fernandez signed a decree that reads, "Every [trans] person has a right ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Star Trek,' Julianne Moore, benefit album, 'To Wong Foo'
The producers of Star Trek: Discovery announced that next season they will be introducing the first nonbinary and trans characters in the history of the Star Trek franchise, Advocate.com noted. Nonbinary character Adira, played by Blu ...
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NATIONAL Anti-Trump ruling, crime items, Equality California, Texas school
A federal judge slapped a hold on a Trump administration rule that allows healthcare providers to refuse services to LGBTQ people on religious grounds, Bloomberg reported. In a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said ...
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Wade among Streetwise's most inspiring Chicagoans
LaSaia Wade—the founder and executive director of Brave Space Alliance—has been chosen as one of Streetwise newspaper's 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans of 2020. Brave Space Alliance is a South Side organization that aims to empower and ...
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Black trans disabled Chicagoan on long quest for affordable housing
When Garnet Williams was set to enter their final year at Columbia College in 2014, they began to experience pain in their lower back. Because of this pain, Williams' life has changed dramatically these past six ...
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Filmmakers look back at pioneering movie 'Transsexuals'
Chicago-based Media Burn Archive presented an online screening of the rarely-seen 1971 documentary Transsexuals Aug. 27, and hosted members of its original crew, who presented insights on both its production ...
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NATIONAL Marsha P. Johnson, Anchorage, electoral items, gay author dies
Marsha P. Johnson—the iconic transgender activist who was a central figure in New York City's LGBTQ+-liberation movement—will get a monument in her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, CNN.com reported. Throughout ...
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MUSIC
Trans singer Kyler O'Neal debuts music video, talks poetry
Kyler O'Neal is a transgender contemporary, folk artist. She officially released her debut music video for her single Satan's Tears on Sept. 1, and that is currently available for streaming on YouTube and Vimeo. Windy City ...
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Trans judicial candidate Jill Rose Quinn weds
Democratic judicial candidate Jill Rose Quinn who will likely be Illinois' first openly transgender judge after the Nov. 3 elections added to her 2020 highlights by marrying partner Stephanie Marder this past weekend. Quinn told Windy City Times ...
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Family of Layleen Polanco settles civil suit with New York City
--From a AVP press release
August 31, NEW YORK, NY — The family of Layleen Polanco, a 27-year-old Afro-Latinx trans woman who died while being held in solitary confinement in Rikers Island in June 2019, has settled their civil suit with ...
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Annual event spotlights trans lives lost
On Aug. 30, Valerie Griffin celebrated the life of her daughter—Dejanay Stanton, a trans woman of color—with an annual summer get-together billed as "The Main Event Part 2." The event, in its second year, was also ...
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Edgar, LaHood join pro-Biden Republicans
Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, former U.S. Rep. and onetime U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, and ex-Illinois Republican Party chair Pat Brady are among the moderate members of the GOP who plan to vote for ...
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WORLD Foreign aid policy, India trans council, torture claims, rainbow flag
The lead U.S. foreign aid agency has proposed a new policy on gender and women's empowerment that eliminates any mention of transgender people or contraceptives, ProPublica reported. The draft policy released by the U.S. Agency for ...
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NATIONAL Adoption-agency case, Chick-fil-A, LGBTQ candidates, Cher
The U.S. Supreme Court set Wed., Nov. 4, as the date when it will hear oral arguments on whether a taxpayer-funded, religious-affiliated adoption agency can lawfully reject same-sex couples—a case that could have significant impact on ...
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Black Trans Lives Matter mural formally unveiled in Andersonville (UPDATED)
On Aug. 22, community members gathered on Catalpa Avenue between Clark Street and Ashland Avenue in Andersonville to check out the new mural that stretches across the street reading "Black Trans Lives Matter." Speakers included many ...
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Screening, talk regarding 1971 film 'Transsexuals' Aug. 27
Chicago-based Media Burn Archive will present a free virtual screening of the 25-minute 1971 documentary film Transsexuals on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 11 a.m. CT. The filmmakers noted in a press release that the film's title ...
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Night three of DNC highlights women, gun violence, anti-trans crime
Emma Gonzalez, a bisexual student who became one of the leaders of a youth movement against gun violence after a 2018 shooting at her high school in Parkland, Florida, was one of the first voices heard ...
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Trans advocate Jamison Green talks about increasing visibility
Jamison Green would really like to go hiking again. He last went on a serious hike three years ago, before he and his wife left the Bay Area. He's been an outdoorsman his whole life and he lives in an area ...
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Research results show potential impact of anti-trans HUD regulation
The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law unveiled research results on the heels of news that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a proposed rule that aims to revise the Equal ...
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LETTER What's in a name? And striving for racial equality
What's in a name? Dear community: The growing debate over the name change of Boystown is reflective of a broader cultural tectonic shift on race, gender, sexual orientation and trans issues that take place in many ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans record label, Ruby Rose, gay producer dies, Kamala supporters
Black trans record label Trans Trenderz announced new signings—and it also held the virtual event The Ghostly Beats Conference Aug. 14-15, a press release noted. Launched in 2016 after a successful mixtape of the same name ...
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