Abortion LGBTQ

New Year, New Laws on Gender and Abortion

As we celebrate the beginning of 2024, many states are kicking off the new year with new laws going into effect, many focused on gender and abortion rights.  There was a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced by Republican state legislators in 2023, with the American Civil Liberties Union recording at least 508 bills targeting […]

LGBTQ

North Carolina’s GOP controlled state legislature overrides vetoes to pass anti-trans laws

On Wednesday, Republican supermajorities in the North Carolina House and Senate overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on three anti-trans bills, stripping transgender youth of their rights to access gender-affirming healthcare, to play sports, and to learn about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.      House Bill 808- “Gender Transition Procedures on Minors” The first […]

LGBT Rights LGBTQ

Charlotte Passes Nondiscrimination Ordinance to Protect LGBTQ Community

On Monday, Charlotte, North Carolina’s city council unanimously voted to pass an ordinance that extends nondiscrimination protections to LGBT people. The new ordinance protects several new classes from discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and passenger vehicles for hire and procurement. It prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, […]

Courts LGBT Rights LGBTQ

U.S. Court of Appeals Rules Against Web Designer Seeking License to Discriminate Against LGBTQ+ Couples

On Monday, the Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals maintained a lower court’s decision to reject a Colorado web designer’s request to discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples. Lorie Smith, the owner of the web design business 303 Creative LLC, challenged the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) by suing to request that her business be allowed to deny […]

Activism Global LGBT Rights LGBTQ

Thousands of People Celebrate Pride in Hungary Despite Anti-LGBTQ Legislation

On Saturday, 300,000 people marched in Budapest for the annual Pride parade to both celebrate Pride and protest the Hungarian government’s recent homophobic legislation. The Hungarian Parliament passed a law in June that restricts media seen to promote homosexuality or gender nonconformity. Content that is considered to do so must be labeled as “not recommended […]

Courts Health LGBTQ Sports

Anti-Trans Laws in Arkansas and West Virginia Blocked by Federal Judges

On Wednesday, federal judges blocked two anti-trans state laws from going into effect. The first, an Arkansas law, would prohibit physicians from providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth. The second, a West Virginia law, banned transgender girls and women from playing in women’s public-school sports. The Arkansas law would ban doctors from offering necessary gender-confirming […]

Activism Courts LGBTQ

Supreme Court Dismisses Transgender Rights Case, Maintains Victory for Student Gavin Grimm

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case over transgender students’ right to use school bathrooms, leaving intact a lower court decision that allows transgender students to use the restrooms that match their gender identity. While this does not mean that the Supreme Court agrees with the lower court’s decision, it does maintain […]

Education LGBT Rights LGBTQ

LGBTQ+ Students Protected Under Title IX, Says Education Department

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education released a notice saying that Title IX’s protections against sex discrimination also forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This interpretation of the 1972 Title IX law, which prohibits sex discrimination in “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” will protect gay […]

LGBTQ Other Issues Politics

Virginia Senate Passes Bill Banning LGBTQ+ Discrimination

Yesterday the Virginia Senate passed the “Virginia Values Act”, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the commonwealth’s anti-discrimination law, with a 30-9 vote. The Bill (SB 868 in Senate and HB 1663 in the House), makes sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes in regards to discrimination for things such as housing, employment, […]

Labor Rights LGBTQ Other Issues

U.S. Jobs Report Includes Data on Same-Sex Couples in Historic First

Today, the U.S. government has released their monthly jobs report of historical significance. This monthly report will be the first time which the Bureau of Labor Statistics will include same-sex couples in its count of workers within the U.S. economy, allow for greater LGBTQ+ representation in government statistics. This is not the only significant change […]

Global LGBTQ

US Embassies fly Pride Flag Despite Denial from Trump Administration

Monday, Mike Pence came out in support of the Trump administration’s decision to repudiate U.S. embassies’ for flying the pride flag, making nationalist claims that only one flag can fly, after U.S Embassies in Vienna, India, and South Korea all flew the pride in celebration of the LGBTQ community, despite previous denial from Trump Administration, […]

LGBTQ

Vatican Issues New Attacks on the Trans Community

This Monday, the Vatican released an attack on the LGBTQ+ community after they issued an official document from the Congregation for Catholic Education that rejected the idea of gender fluidity and gender identity, furthering the harmful and scientifically inaccurate understandings of gender. The document is intended to be used as guide for sex education for […]

LGBTQ

Alabama Mayor Mark Chambers Post Violent Anti-LGBT Rhetoric Faces Calls for Resignation

This week, Hometown Action and Equality Alabama have started petitions calling for the resignation of Mark Chambers, Mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama following his comments posted on June 4th on his personal Facebook page advocating for the “killing” of the LGBTQ community. This statement has caused backlash from his constituents and the LGBTQ Community. Chambers […]

LGBTQ

Supreme Court Will Hear Cases on LGBTQ+ Rights in the Workplace

The Supreme Court announced yesterday that they have agreed to hear a group of high profile cases regarding the rights of gay and transgender individuals in the workplace. These cases are aimed to determine if existing federal laws banning sex-based discrimination applies to cases of sexual orientation or gender identity. In particular, the case will […]

Global

Women’s Colleges in Japan Begin to Accept Transgender Students

Last week, Chikushi Jogakuen University, a women’s university located in Fukuoka, Japan, on the island of Kyushu, announced they will begin accepting transgender students for admission. The university stated they will give more details towards the end of 2019. The university follows the example of other women’s colleges in Japan that have announced similar policies; […]