The Biden administration will allow immigrants seeking benefits to mark their gender identity without needing their documentation to match, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), The Hill reported. The update to the immigration-benefits policy clarifies that immigrants do not need to submit proof of their gender identity when requesting to change their gender marker; the exception is for those submitting a Form N-565, which is submitted by those applying for a replacement naturalization certificate or citizenship document. The release also states that the only gender markers available on their forms and documents are "male" and "female," although DHS is working to add an additional gender marker of "X" for another or unspecified gender identity.
Black LGBTQ+ representation in public office nationwide is four times what it was in 2018, with Black LGBTQ+ women at all levels of government leading the way, The Hill noted. A Victory Institute report found that while the number of LGBTQ+ elected officials has risen by 108 percent since 2018, the number of Black LGBTQ+ elected leaders has grown by more than 300 percent—from just 30 to 125—between 2018 and 2023. The report is at https://victoryinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Black-LGBTQ-Representation-Over-the-Past-Five-Years.pdf.
South Dallas nonprofit and LGBTQ+ leader Kirk Myers-Hill has died, The Dallas Morning News reported. Myers-Hill was found unresponsive at his office on April 4. He died at the scene and the case is being investigated as an unexplained death, according to Dallas police. Myers-Hill, in response to the health disparities of the Black LGBTQ+ community in Dallas County, founded Abounding Prosperity Inc., in 2005, alongside his mother, Irene H. Trigg-Myers, who died in 2018. Myers-Hill was also the president of Dallas Southern Pride, an annual celebration of the Black LGBTQ+ community.
Stefan Grygelko—aka San Francisco drag persona Heklina (the founder and hostess of Trannyshack, which was San Francisco's longest-running drag show)—has died, according to The Bay Area Reporter. Heklina and Joshua Grannell (aka Peaches Christ) were in London where they were appearing in the Mommie Queerest show there, Grannell wrote on Facebook, adding that he had gone to pick up Heklina on April 3, the day of her passing. "I do not know the cause of death yet," Grannell wrote. "I know this is shocking news and I am beyond stunned, but I wanted to let folks know what has happened. Heklina is not just my best friend, but a beloved icon of our community." Many others paid tribute to Heklina, including drag stars Jinkx Monsoon, Trixie Mattel, Shea Coulee, Bianca del Rio and Lady Bunny, among others, Out noted.
The White House said Presidential Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy "hosted a roundtable at the White House [on March 31] about the joys, hopes and challenges that transgender children are experiencing," The Washington Blade noted. (March 31 was The Transgender Day of Visibility.) Crowds gathered in cities across the country to celebrate visibility and protest the hundreds of bills that target queer and trans youth that are under consideration or have been passed by state legislatures.
On March 31, in recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility, more than 1,000 advocates, volunteers and supporters gathered for an event organized by Queer Youth Assemble and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), per a press release. HRC President Kelley Robinson spoke during the rally, saying in part, "I am here to testify to the resilience of our trans community. To the resilience of our parents and to our kids, y'all. I'm here to testify to the power of our trans leaders, including everyone here that's out here today. I'm here to testify to the power of our queer, our trans, our non-binary young people today. … We're fighting for trans liberty, for trans freedom, for trans liberation, because when one of us is under attack, guess who's under attack? All of us!"
The Transgender Pride Flag flew over the Connecticut Capitol recently for the first time in state history, demonstrating a message of support on International Trans Day of Visibility, per the Hartford Courant. In a ceremony that highlighted both the triumphs and struggles facing the community, trans activists and allies joined Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz to mark the historic occasion. State Rep. Dominique Johnson, who identifies as gender non-conforming, described the historic day as "a Stonewall to the statehouse" in a nod to the seminal riots of 1969 that launched the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
In Texas, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, who is openly gay, ruled that at least 12 books removed from public libraries by Llano County officials—many because of their LGBTQ+ and racial content—must be placed back onto shelves within 24 hours, CNN reported. Seven residents sued county officials in April 2022, claiming their First and 14th Amendment rights were violated when books deemed inappropriate by some people in the community and Republican lawmakers were removed from public libraries or access was restricted. Books ordered to return to shelves include Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson; They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti; and Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen, by Jazz Jennings.
Seven sorority members are suing the Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity to challenge the induction of a transgender woman into the local chapter at the University of Wyoming, NBC News reported. The women filed the suit anonymously against the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity based in Ohio, Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Council President Mary Pat Rooney, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Building Co. and Terry Smith (the pseudonym of the trans woman). The complainants claim that allowing Smith to be a member violates the Kappa Kappa Gamma bylaws, which state the sorority is a "single-gender" organization. Kappa Kappa Gamma said in a statement, "While we cannot comment in detail on this pending litigation, it contains numerous false allegations."
Democratic-backed Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race on April 4, ensuring liberals will take over majority control of the court for the first time in 15 years with the fate of the state's abortion ban on the line, The Chicago Tribune reported. Protasiewicz defeated former Justice Dan Kelly, who previously worked for Republicans and had support from the state's leading anti-abortion groups. The new court, with liberals holding a four-to-three edge, is expected to decide a pending lawsuit challenging the state's 1849 law banning abortion enacted a year after statehood.
It turned out that a D.C. man who was charged with fatally shooting 18-year-old transgender woman Tasiyah Woodland outside a Mechanicville, Maryland, bar on March 24 while inside his car was arrested in an unrelated incident in D.C. in February 2021, The Washington Blade noted. Two years ago, Darryl Carlton Parks Jr. was arrested for allegedly ramming his pickup truck into a car in an incident police attributed to "road rage." Investigators do not believe Woodland had been targeted for the murder because of her gender identity; however, her family members have disputed that claim.
Charles Mitchell—the man wanted for the 2022 murder of Philadelphia trans man Mar'Quis "MJ" Jackson—was apprehended in Henderson, Nevada by U.S. marshals, per Philadelphia Gay News. Jackson, a Black community advocate, was found dead on Dec. 14, 2022 in the area of Nicetown. Jackson celebrated his 33rd birthday with friends on Dec. 12—two days before his body was found.
Maryland resident Adam Michael Nettina left a threatening voicemail to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that referred to the massacre at the Covenant School in Nashville that took place the day before, per The Washington Blade. In part, Nettina allegedly said, "Let me tell you something: We're waiting, we're waiting. And if you want a war, we'll have a war. And we'll fucking slaughter you back. We'll cut your throats. We'll put a bullet in your head." He faces up to five years in prison if convicted on the charge of interstate communications with a threat to injure.
A report from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown alleges 156 Catholic clergy members and others (most of them named) within the Archdiocese of Baltimore abused at least 600 children over more than six decades, CNN reported. The report lists descriptions of graphic sexual and physical abuse allegations: It includes stories of how some alleged abusers provided victims with alcohol and drugs and describes in vivid detail how they coerced and forced victims to perform sexual acts. The list of alleged abusers includes clergy members, seminarians, deacons, teachers and other employees of the archdiocese. The report is at https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/news%20documents/OAG_redacted_Report_on_Child_Sexual_Abuse.pdf.
Cyd Zeigler, the co-founder of the LGBTQ+ sports site Outsports, announced on social media on March 30 that he's now a Republican and expressed support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSnatis, who's running for president. Ziegler tweeted, "This comnpletely insane butchering of Democracy and our justice system cannot stand. Progressives and Democrats seeking to use the government to attack political foes must be stopped. Period." The post resulted in serious blowback, with one person posting, "What an embarrassment you are to the LGBTQ+ community." Instinct Magazine wondered if Zeigler's post was a possible April Fool's Day joke.
A Manhattan grand jury charged several suspects in connection with the deaths of two men who were drugged and killed in separate incidents following visits to New York City gay bars last year, NBC News reported. The suspects were indicted in the deaths of John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant, and Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker. It was not clear how many suspects were charged with murder, but they were among six people indicted on robbery charges in a pattern that police say involved 17 victims.
Indiana group Protect Our People held a rally in front of the Monroe County Courthouse in protest of state House Bill 1608 and Senate Bill 480—two anti-LGBTQ+ measures, the Indiana Daily Student reported. HB 1608 would ban schools from teaching "human sexuality" to students in third grade or younger and require parental permission for a student to go by a different name or pronouns. SB 480, which passed the legislature and which Gov. Eric Holcomb signed on April 5, bans gender-affirming care like puberty blockers, hormone-replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery; it takes effect July 1.
Even though LGBTQ+ rights are being attacked across the country, lesbian California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) is moving to end that state's ban on using taxpayer money for travel to 23 states that have passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation over the past eight years, according to the Bay Area Reporter. According to a press release from her office, "SB 447 would create a donation-driven fund that could be used to create inclusive messaging, discourage discrimination, and help members of the LGBTQ+ community feel less isolated. Called the BRIDGE Project—Building and Reinforcing Inclusive, Diverse, Gender-Supportive Equality—the legislation would help California champion compassion and help build bridges to unite and unify communities."
Freedom for All Americans (FFAA)—one of the leading coalitions that pushed for the Equality Act—has quietly disbanded, The 19th reported. The move ends the largest funded campaign to pass federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans—a dream of the movement that has stalled for 49 years. FFAA was launched in the wake of the Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which granted marriage equality to LGBTQ+ couples nationwide.
The National Black Justice Coalition was among the organizations commemorating the International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. In a press release, Executive Director Dr. David J. Johns said, in part, "International Transgender Day of Visibility is a time to celebrate the resilience, accomplishments, and strength of our transgender and non-binary siblings, who face unimaginable barriers, including systemic oppression. We stand in solidarity with the trans community around the world. … That trans people refuse to capitulate to calls for genocide—legislative efforts to restrict access to life-affirming and life-saving care, access to social activities like sports that are foundational to developing skills useful in the global 21st-century workforce and the ability to see themselves reflected in curricula and other symbolic representations of our country or hear affirming words used to speak life into them—is a testament to their incredible strength and perseverance."
Openly gay Los Angeles Magazine Editor-in-Chief Maer Roshan has been ousted from the publication after more than four years in the job, per The Hollywood Reporter. Roshan's exit comes after massive shifts on the business side; in December, Los Angeles was acquired by power lawyers and business leaders Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas through their newly launched Engine Vision Media. Roshan called the decision "mystifying"—and one he only learned about hours before. He believed the new owners to be "ecstatic," buoyed by "the great editorial progress we've made in the more than four and a half years that I've been here." Roshan helped broker the pact with Engine Vision.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative religiously-oriented "public interest" law firm, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down state and local laws that forbid licensed counselors from performing conversion therapy on minors, Gay City News reported. Representing Brian Tingley—a licensed family counselor in the state of Washington who sued to invalidate that state's ban—ADF argued that such therapy constitutes free speech. If ADF's petition is granted, the case will not be heard until the 2023-24 term of the court, which begins in October.
Environmental attorney and anti-vax proponent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—the son of the late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy—filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for president in 2024 as a Democrat, challenging President Joe Biden, CNN reported. In 2019, three members of his family—his sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, brother Joseph P. Kennedy II and niece Maeve Kennedy McKean—denounced his anti-vaccine views in a Politico Magazine op-ed. In 2022, Kennedy Jr. invoked Nazi Germany in an anti-vaccine speech at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C.
LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey has not spoken with Brittney Griner since the former Baylor star was freed from a Russian prison and returned to the United States, but Mulkey did have a message for her former player, according to ESPN. "I'm glad she's back," Mulkey—who's been in the news because of her flashy courtside outfits—said at her Final Four news conference a day before LSU faced Virginia Tech in the national semifinals. "I'm glad she's safe, she's sound. I think everybody is." According to Outsports, Griner has said that Mulkey barred her from publicizing her sexual orientation while at Baylor.
The New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce (NJPCC) announced that its board of directors appointed Steven Garibell as its new board president, per a press release. Garibell, a New Jersey native, previously served on NJPCC's board of directors from 2019 to 2021 and most recently served as NJPCC's advisory board chair. The current NJPCC board members include: Jacob Meola, Stephanie Lokker, Victor Peter Rodriguez, and John Traier.
A ProPublica report revealed that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted secret luxury trips from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow for more than two decades—in apparent violation of a financial disclosure law, CNBC noted. Thomas, the 74-year-old conservative associate justice who has served on the nation's highest court since 1991, has not reported the trips on his financial disclosures as required by law, the nonprofit newsroom reported.
North Carolina Republicans gained a veto-proof supermajority in the state House after a Charlotte-area Democrat decided to switch parties, according to CNN. State Rep. Tricia Cotham said at a news conference in Raleigh that "the modern-day Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to me."
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Walt Disney World for its "masterclass" of putting Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida "back in his place" after the company created a loophole to maintain control of its land, Insider noted. "I guess there's a new sheriff in town," Newsom said. "It's Mickey Mouse, back on top." DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske said the agreement Disney made "may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law."
Erick Adame—the openly gay New York City meteorologist who was fired over his leaked live-streamed nudes in an alleged "revenge porn plot"—is launching his own subscription service, The New York Post noted. Adame, who was axed by Spectrum News NY1 in September, announced on Twitter his "very own weather subscription!" Adame told his viewers to sign up for the service on his website, www.erickadameontv.com .
