Courts LGBTQ

Transgender Minors in NY Now Allowed to Change Their Gender Marker

Transgender individuals born in New York can now change their gender marker on their birth certificate before their 18th birthday thanks to a lawsuit by a 14-year-old trans boy, known only as M.H.W.   “Effective immediately, transgender individuals born in New York will have the right to make this deeply personal decision without the government’s […]

Global Health LGBTQ

Canada Proposes Comprehensive Nationwide Conversion Therapy Ban

In a landmark move, Canada’s federal government has proposed legislation to criminalize forced conversion therapy for LGBTQ people. The legislation would also prohibit conversion therapy for minors. “Conversion therapy” is a range of abusive practices performed to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These practices, based on the antiquated idea that […]

Health LGBTQ

Virginia Bans Conversion Therapy for Minors

Democratic Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed a bill banning medical professionals from practicing “conversion therapy” on minors, a major win for LGBTQ youth in the state.  Virginia is the first state in the South, and the 20th in the country, to outlaw the practice. Conversion therapy, the practice of attempting to change someone’s gender […]

Activism Health LGBTQ

LGBTQ Youth Fight For Equality In Sex Ed In South Carolina Classrooms

A group of LGBTQ students is suing South Carolina’s Superintendent of Education to repeal a 32-year-old state law making it illegal for teachers to address LGBTQ relationships unless they also discuss STI’s. Represented by Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the students argue that the law discriminates against LGBTQ students and violates […]

Global LGBTQ Other Issues

British Political Party’s Divide Deepens Over Transgender Inclusion

Last week multiple senior members of Britain’s Labour party endorsed a “trans equality manifesto” that supports more inclusive party values and claimed that anyone with transphobic views should be thrown out of the party. Backlash from this controversial charter comes with a call to produce evidence for transphobia allegations. The two women in the center […]

LGBTQ Sports

High School Girls Suing to Prohibit Transgender Athletes from School Sports

On Wednesday, three female high school athletes filed a federal lawsuit to block the participation of transgender students in girls’ sports. Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, and Alanna Smith all of whom attend different high schools in Connecticut are being backed by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative nonprofit organization in their lawsuit against the athletic conference. […]

Global LGBTQ

Switzerland Passes Amendment Banning Homophobia

On Sunday, Swiss voters participated in a referendum deciding whether they wanted to extend Switzerland’s racism statutes to sexual orientation, and 63.1 percent voted in favor of it. Previously, Switzerland did not have a law protecting the LGBTQ community, but this amendment is a big step in the right direction. Nearly two years ago lawmakers […]

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 […]

LGBTQ Sports

Katie Sowers Paves the Way for Female NFL Coaches

Katie Sowers, an offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, made history yesterday as the first female and openly LGBT coach in the Super Bowl. Sowers, 33, has worked long and hard to get to where she is. Off the field, she graduated from the University of Central Missouri after earning her Masters and […]

LGBTQ Politics

Anti-Trans Bill Dies in Iowa State House

A proposed bill that would have removed gender identity protections from the Iowa Civil Rights Act will not advance in the state legislature. Rep. Steven Holt, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the bill “dead” after deciding not to send it into subcommittee. Iowa law has prohibited discrimination based on gender identity since […]

LGBTQ Sports

Idaho Legislator to Introduce Bill Banning Transgender Women from Women’s Sports

Idaho legislator Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) says that she is planning on introducing legislation that would ban transgender individuals from competing on high school sports teams that do not correspond with their birth sex. While claiming that the legislation has “nothing to do” with anti-LGBT legislation, Ehardt is calling on the Idaho legislature to […]

LGBTQ

Non-Binary Gender option now available on Massachusetts Driver’s Licenses

On Tuesday, the State Department of Transportation reported that the gender designation “X” became part of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle’s technology system upgrade, launched by Governor Charlie Baker’s office. The department added that the option is also available for new credential issuance, renewals and amendments of licenses and IDs. This change comes following […]

Education LGBTQ

Virginia Women’s College Updates Transgender Student Policy

A private women’s college in Virginia announced Wednesday a new policy allowing students transitioning from female to male while at school to remain enrolled and earn their degree, marking an important change in student support. Under the new guidelines at Hollins University in Roanoke, enrolled students who transition from female to male will no longer […]