An Ohio transgender woman announced her candidacy for the state's legislature, challenging an anti-LGBTQ+ Republican, The Dallas Voice noted. "If you're gonna attack our communities, then you're gonna have to compete against someone from our community," Arienne Childrey told the Ohio Capital Journal in announcing that she would be running for the Democratic nomination in Ohio House District 84. State Rep. Angela King, the District 84 incumbent, co-sponsored legislation last year to ban drag in Ohio and supported legislation that would restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people and limit trans people's participation in school sports. On her Facebook page, Childrey describes herself as a "bird mom of six [and] proud trans activist," among other things.
However, another trans candidate in Ohio was disqualified from running for the state's House of Representatives because she didn't disclose her deadname, PinkNews noted. Vanessa Joy had been planning to run as a Democratic representative for District 50. However, according to state law, anyone running for political office must include his/her/their former names on candidacy petitions if they have changed their name in the past five years. The law exempts candidates who change their names after marriage.
Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker named Alba Martinez, a principal in Vanguard's Retail Investor Group, as the city's director of commerce, per Philadelphia Gay News. Martinez, originally from Puerto Rico, will be the first Latina and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold this position. "While of course this is a city-wide role, I do recognize the significance of representation and inclusion," Martinez, who is a lesbian, said. "The LGBTQ community plays a really critical role in the economic narrative of our city, and I want to make sure that it gets the visibility, the recognition and the support it deserves."
The Advocate ran a piece on the 10 states that passed the worst anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2023—and few will be surprised by those listed. They include Florida (expanding its infamous "Don't Say Gay" measure to public-school instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity through high school graduation), North Carolina, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky (overriding Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of Senate Bill 150, a "don't say gay" measure that also bans gender-affirming care for minors), Montana and Iowa. However, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming also passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation last year.
In a related matter, U.S. District Judge Stephen H. Locher issued a preliminary injunction against Iowa officials blocking enforcement of several parts of a recently enacted law, Senate File 496, from going into effect, Gay City News noted. Signed into law on May 26, 2023, the law is slated to require removal of books and other materials from school libraries if they include descriptions of "sex acts" and to ban any "programs, promotion and instruction relating to gender identity and sexual orientation" for students in grades K-6. Among other things, Locher described the restriction on library content, based on the facts alleged by the plaintiffs, as "incredibly broad."
A controversial study published in Science Advances involved the analysis of 450,000 people in the United Kingdom, with researchers concluding that the genes underlying bisexual behavior are distinct from those driving exclusive same-sex behavior—and may be intertwined with risk-taking, Science reported. Authors suggest that this connection to risk-taking may also explain why men with a history of bisexual behavior still have a reasonably high number of offspring, albeit fewer than heterosexual men. However, study co-author Jianzhi Zhang—a geneticist at the University of Michigan—stated that the association between bisexual behavior and risk-taking "is an empirical observation. … We hold no moral judgement on risk-taking and believe [it] has pros and cons (depending on the situation), as almost any trait."
Two men—Jorge Giovani Estevez and Daiken Fernandez—were arrested in connection to a brutal beating of LGBTQ+ women in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood that was caught on camera in November, NBC Miami reported. The group of lesbian and transgender women said they were verbally attacked and then assaulted after leaving an event on Nov. 26. "This group of guys, basically, they just started screaming stuff at us, anti-lesbian comments, like, 'You're only lesbians because you haven't received actual' and he used a profanity word … out of nowhere," said one of the victims. Estevez has been charged with battery with prejudice while Fernandez was charged with felony battery with prejudice.
In Texas, Grapevine restaurant Piaf Kitchen + Wine + Bar canceled a drag act from its New Year's Eve party program after receiving social-media backlash, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted. Piaf had promoted a "drag show" Dec. 31 as part of a circus act at a premium-priced party that also included a fire thrower, a magician, a palm reader, dinner, music and a DJ. However, the restaurant later posted that the lineup was changed: "For the safety of our Performers, and Staff, and for a pleasurable experience for our Guests ... to ensure a more universally enjoyable and safe experience for everyone." Julie McCarty—leader of the Grapevine-based True Texas Project tea party group—was one of those complaining about the drag act, although she also criticized having the palm reader. The drag performers were later slated to perform elsewhere.
The Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) has allocated $8.7 million in state and federal tax credits to affordable housing projects in Bangor, Bath, Portland and Westbrook, per The Maine Wire. The recipient of the largest combined state and federal tax credits, Portland's Equality Community Center, is for the construction of 45 units of affordable housing "for LGBTQ+ older adults and allies." On its website, the center states, "Our goal is to make affordable housing available in the heart of Portland with easy access to public services, health care, entertainment and recreation."
California has started a new LGBTQ+ cultural training requirement for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are licensed in the state, per The Bay Area Reporter. The training was required to be in place by Jan. 1 due to the 2022 enactment of Assembly Bill 2194, authored by gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego). Its operative date was delayed a year in order to give the state pharmacy board time to implement it and for accredited professional groups to create the training about the concerns of LGBTQ+ patients.
Also in California, the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) board of directors will have queer leadership for the third consecutive year after members voted Bevan Dufty as president for 2024, The Bay Area Reporter noted. Dufty, a gay man who represents San Francisco's District 9, previously served as president in 2019. He announced in 2023 that he will not seek re-election to the BART board.
In North Carolina, Dr. Jesse R. Peel—who was the inspiration for the Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center at East Carolina University (ECU)—passed away in Atlanta at age 83, WNCT reported. A bio on ECU's website listed Peel as a UNC Chapel Hill graduate who also completed his residency in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He spent years after serving in the military at a practice in Atlanta that served gay men during the AIDS epidemic. It was a gift by him and his mother in 2014 that established the center at ECU, and it's the largest of its kind in the UNC system.
Openly gay former CNN anchor Don Lemon criticized GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley for asking for grace after she didn't mention slavery as the cause of the Civil War during a town hall event in New Hampshire, The Independent noted. "Nikki Haley wants grace for using a poor choice of words when, after I misspoke in some comments involving her, she didn't offer me that same grace," Lemon posted on X (formerly Twitter). Lemon's response stemmed from remarks he made about Haley in February while working as a CNN anchor. At the time, he said, "Nikki Haley is not in her prime—sorry. A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s," he said in reference to a comment Haley made about potential "mental competency tests" for politicians older than 75. Haley then sent a fundraising email to voters calling Lemon a CNN liberal.
In Alabama, U.S. District Judge Liles Burke denied the Biden administration's request to pause a lawsuit challenging the state's transgender care ban while other judicial bodies—including the U.S. Supreme Court—consider similar challenges in other states, The Hill reported. Burke wrote a stay "may indeed be the most efficient way to proceed in this case, but not unless a higher court signals that it will decide the governing standard of review."
U.S. District Judge David Bunning ruled that Kim Davis—the former Kentucky county clerk who, in 2015, declined to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples—must pay $260,000 in fees and expenses to the couple's attorneys in addition to the $100,000 in damages awarded by a jury last year, CNN noted. Couple David Ermold and David Moore sued Davis after being denied marriage licenses multiple times by her or her office. In 2022, Bunning ruled Davis violated their constitutional rights; in September 2023, a jury awarded the couple $100,000 in damages.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella's office filed a civil-rights lawsuit against neo-Nazi group NSC (Nationalist Social Club)-131, alleging it disrupted a drag story hour at a cafe in June, NBC News noted. Formella filed the complaint against 19 unnamed members and leader Christopher Hood, accusing them of violating the state's anti-discrimination laws for trying to stop the café's drag story hour through acts of intimidation. The event, hosted by drag queen Juicy Garland, took place at Teatotaller, an LGBTQ-owned coffee shop in the state capital of Concord.
Nebraska state Sen. John Fredrickson and husband Jeff Formanek launched the Fredrickson-Formanek Scholars Fund at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), according to an OutSFL item that cited the Nebraska Examiner. The fund will offer ongoing financial aid to new UNL students who advocate for LGBTQ causes and rights. In a video, Fredrickson said, "We feel so fortunate that this new program will have a real impact on building a brighter future for Nebraska and Nebraskans."
Police sectioned off a popular strip in Takoma Park, Maryland, after a bomb threat shut down businesses, including a holiday performance by drag artist Tara Hoot, The Washington Blade noted. MotorKat General Manager Mike Rothman said that Takoma Park police notified them of a bomb threat to their business around noon. (Hoot was performing at MotorKat when the evacuation order came in.) Businesses reopened later that day.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is accepting online nominations for its 2024 Excellence in Journalism Awards, a press release noted. The Excellence in Journalism Awards are open to anyone, including non-members and journalists who do not identify as LGBTQ+. The deadline for submissions is noon ET on Monday, April 1. See www.nlgja.org/excellence-in-journalism-awards/ for more information.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy, the AP reported. Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony; Liz Magill, the now-former president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned Dec. 9.
The first-ever Miss Gay Alaska was recently crowned in the state capital of Juneau, The Juneau Empire noted. Anchorage resident Lamia Monroe was crowded following a two-evening competition among five contenders at the Juneau Arts and Cultural Center. However, in a twist from normal pageant rules, both the winner and first runner-up, Miss Guise, are advancing to compete in the national pageant on Jan. 16-19. "It feels a little surreal," Monroe said shortly after being crowned. "It's the first national system that's come to Alaska. So it feels kind of larger than just me."
In Arizona, BS West, one of the oldest remaining Scottsdale gay bars, announced its plan to close after 35 years on Jan. 7, AZCentral.com noted. "As we approach the end of an era, we wish to extend our deepest appreciation and best wishes to those who made our journey meaningful," read a Facebook post. "Thank you to the family of staff, show casts, partners and loyal patrons who helped us create a safe space and loving atmosphere over the years." Established in 1988, BS West took up two floors on Fifth Avenue, where it hosted drag shows, trans nights and go-go dancers and became known as a safe place for LGBTQ+ community.
Court documents identifying associates of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public. According to The Guardian, some of the high-profile names in the court documents include Britain's Prince Andrew, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, Michael Jackson and David Copperfield. These associates' names were contained in court documents filed as part of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who was convicted in December 2021 of sex trafficking and similar charges for procuring teen girls for disgraced financier Epstein.
Lululemon founder Chip Wilson criticized the company's continued push toward inclusivity and diversity, Newsweek noted. Wilson, who left the company in 2015, told Forbes that he dislikes Lululemon's "whole diversity and inclusion thing" and the appearance of the people in its ads, who he claims look "unhealthy," "sickly" and "not inspirational." A company spokesperson emailed Newsweek that "Chip Wilson does not speak for lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs."
