LGBTQ

Arkansas Governor Vetoes Anti-Trans Legislation

On Monday afternoon, Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed legislation that would have made Arkansas the first state to ban gender-affirming health care treatment for transgender youth. The bill aimed to ban doctors from providing transgender people under the age of 18 with treatments including hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition-related surgeries, and from referring them for […]

Education Health LGBT Rights LGBTQ Sports

Kansas Senate Passes Bill Targeting Trans Student-Athletes

On Wednesday, the Kansas Senate passed a bill banning transgender students from girls’ and women’s school sports. The measure passed 24-10, sending it to Kansas’ conservative House.  Governor Laura Kelly referred to the bill as “regressive,” and said that the controversial policy could repel businesses from the state, which supporters dismissed. One legislator, Representative Stephanie […]

LGBT Rights LGBTQ On the Hill

House Passes Equality Act

On Thursday, the House passed the Equality Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Act would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to create protections for LGBTQ+ people.  The bill passed in the House with a close 224-206 vote, receiving unanimous support from Democrats and three Republican votes.  The Equality […]

Education LGBTQ Sports

Georgia House Introduces Bill Targeting Trans Youth

Last week, legislators in the Georgia State House introduced House Bill 372, which prohibits trans students from participating in athletic programs that affirm their gender identity. The bill first defines ‘gender’ as “a person’s biological sex at birth and shall be recognized based on a person’s reproductive organs at birth”. It states that no student […]

LGBTQ

Biden Lifts Trump’s Ban on Transgender Military Service

Today, in an expected action, President Biden signed an executive order reversing the ban that Trump had signed that had prohibited transgender people from serving openly in the military. The White House said Biden’s directive “sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should […]

LGBTQ On the Hill Politics

New House Rules Mandate Gender-Neutral Language

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern announced the rules package for the 117th Congress, which includes increased accountability for the public, strong ethics reforms, and a focus on inclusion. The new rules establish a permanent Office of Diversity and Inclusion, as well as “honor all gender identities by changing […]

Activism Global LGBTQ Politics Reproductive Rights Uncategorized

Top 10 Feminist Moments of 2020

2020 was an unprecedented and difficult year, but that didn’t stop feminists from achieving some great things over the last 12 months. Kamala Harris became the first female Vice President of the U.S. In November, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris became Vice President-elect of the United States. Harris broke multiple barriers by becoming the first woman, […]

Courts LGBTQ

Federal Court Strikes Down Ohio Anti-Trans Birth Certificate Law

On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled against an Ohio law that prevented transgender individuals from correcting their assigned gender on their birth certificate. Judge Michael Watson found the measure unconstitutional, writing in his decision that, “This policy resembles the sort of discrimination-based legislation struck down under the equal protection clause in Romer v. Evans as […]

Education LGBTQ

Lawmakers Denounce Title IX Decision on Transgender Athletes

28 lawmakers, including six of the seven members of Connecticut’s delegation, signed a joint letter condemning the U.S. Department of Education’s May 15 decision regarding transgender athletes. The lawmakers request that the Department of Education (DOE) reconsider its decision, as well as other rulings that “roll back” the rights of transgender students. They have tasked […]

Courts Health LGBTQ

SCOTUS Ruling Could Upend Trump Administration’s Attacks on the Trans Community

Monday’s Supreme Court ruling to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in the workplace could derail the Trump administration’s latest restrictions on transgender rights in healthcare. In the Trump administration’s most recent attack on the LGBTQ+ community, the anti-discrimination policies that protect transgender people in healthcare settings have been reversed. Under the Affordable Care Act, healthcare […]

LGBTQ Violence Against Women

Tens of Thousands Show Up for Black Trans Lives in Marches Across U.S.

Tens of thousands of people across the United States rallied to demand justice for Black transgender women on Sunday. The demonstrations hoped to call attention to the fact that trans people of color are disproportionately the victims of violent crime. Approximately 15,000 people gathered for a “Brooklyn Liberation” rally outside the Brooklyn Museum in New […]

Health LGBTQ

Trump Administration Removes Healthcare Protections for Transgender People

On Friday, June 12, the Trump administration rolled back rules that protected transgender people from being discriminated against in healthcare. The regulation was initially implemented by the Obama Administration as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA prevents healthcare institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of sex. Under the […]