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 […]
New Abstinence Campaign from Bolsonaro Administration Promotes Teen Abstinence
Far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro plans to roll out a new message: don’t have sex before marriage. Damares Alves, the minister of human rights, family, and women for President Bolsonaro said that young people in Brazil “by and large are having sex as a result of social pressure…You can go to a party and have […]
South Dakota Bill Restricting Medical Treatment for Transgender Youth Passes First Major Vote
In South Dakota, a bill which will ban doctors from providing puberty blockers and prevent them from performing other treatments related to gender expression in children under the age of 16, has passed in the House State Affairs Committee by an 8-5 vote. Three conservatives broke with their party to vote against this bill, which opposes […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Transgender Cyclist Wins Cycling Championship, Gets Criticism from Competitors
Rachel McKinnon is dominating the women’s cycling field, yet is receiving backlash from her fellow competitors. This 37-year old Canadian woman won at the Masters Track World Cycling Championships in Manchester, England in the 35-39 age category 200-meter sprint. McKinnon is celebrating breaking a world record and her second consecutive world title. Her success was […]
Pete Buttigieg Releases Plan to Boost Women’s Economic, Social and Political Empowerment
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg unveiled a 26-page agenda focused entirely on women’s rights Thursday, one of the most detailed plans focused on women so far in the Democratic primary. The Indiana mayor’s agenda promises to close the gender pay and wealth gaps by guaranteeing equal pay for equal work while also addressing the ways […]
LGBTQ+ Activist Killed in Uganda
Queer activist Brian Wasswa was killed in his home in Jinja, a city in Eastern Uganda. He had been working with the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), a legal aid organization that does outreach work for the LGBTQ+ community. His murder was followed by the Ugandan Minister of Ethics and Integrity announcing that […]
Trans Woman Fired for Coming Out Awaits Supreme Court Judgement
Aimee Stephens was fired from RG and GR Harris Funeral Homes in 2013 for coming out as trans to her (now ex) boss, Thomas Rost. Rost testified in court documents that he fired Stephens because she “wanted to dress as a woman” which would be a “distraction not appropriate” for grieving families. Following her firing, […]
Protests Erupt in Indonesia Over Bills that Would Ban Extramarital Sex
In cities across Indonesia, protesters have gathered to speak out against a new set of proposed legislation that would ban extramarital sex. This would, in effect, ban any sort of same-sex activity since the country does not recognize same-sex marriage. Additionally, the bill would ban abortion except in cases of rape or incest. These measures […]
French Lawmakers Approve IVF for Single and Gay Women
France’s lower house of Parliament approved a controversial draft of a bioethics law Friday allowing single women and lesbian couples to use medically assisted reproduction methods, but it still needs to make it through France’s upper house. The bill, which would allow women who are not in heterosexual relationships or single to access IVF treatment […]
Megan Rapinoe Named FIFA’s Women’s Player of the Year
U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe was named FIFA’s Best Women’s Player in the World after the U.S. soccer team won the Women’s World Cup this summer. Rapinoe gave a moving speech after winning, asking other FIFA players to stand up and fight for social justice. She said she hopes to see “everybody outraged about equal […]
Shooting of Dallas Transgender Woman Being Investigated as a Hate Crime
Dallas police say a transgender woman was seriously wounded after being shot multiple times late Friday, and they are investigating the attack as a hate crime. On Sunday, police asked for help identifying the suspect and released pictures of his red four-door Chevrolet pickup truck. They said the unidentified man pulled up alongside the survivor, […]
Trump Administration Amends Rule to Weaken LGBTQ Employment Protections
Following a thread of Supreme Court decisions that protected business owners’ rights to discriminate on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, on August 15th, 2019 the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) — a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor — published a proposed rule that aims to expand the number of […]
Hawaii Establishes Third Non-Binary Gender Classification for State IDs
Governor Ige of Hawaii signed HB1165 into law, establishing a non-binary gender option on applications for state-issued IDs and driver’s licenses. The law, which will go into effect on July 1, 2020, allows applicants to select “F,” “M,” or “X” as their gender on government ID applications and does not require applicants to provide documentation […]
Man Shoots 10-month-old Baby after Mother Rejects him
In Fresno, California, a 10-month-old baby is recovering in the hospital after being shot in the head by a man after her mother rejected his unwanted sexual advances. The mother, Deziree Menagh, 18, was at a social gathering with her daughter when she met Marcos Echartea, 23, and he started to make advances towards her. […]
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, […]
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 […]
Gay Civil Servant Wins Monumental Court Battle for LGBTQ Rights in Hong Kong
This week, Hong Kong Court of Final Appeals ruled that a gay official and his husband were permitted to spousal benefits and joint tax returns despite that same-sex marriage is still illegal in the city. Senior immigration officer, Angus Leung, sued the government in 2015 after the government refused to grant his husband spousal benefits. […]
