This week a district court judge in Minnesota ruled that the state’s Medical Assistance program must lift its decade long ban on funding procedures related to gender transition, calling it a constitutionally protected aspect of transgender individuals’ fundamental right to privacy.
First Openly LGBTQ Governor Elected in Oregon
On November 8th, Kate Brown became the first ever openly LGBTQ person to be elected governor.
Gay Men in Uganda Accuse Police of Committing Torturous Examinations
Several gay men in Uganda have reported that police forced them to undergo painful anal examinations during investigations into charges of homosexuality, which is illegal in the country.
Voter ID Requirements and Transgender Americans
Five days out from the election and voter ID laws are in effect in 30 states.
Supreme Court Will Hear Case of Transgender Student Barred from School Restroom
The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear the case of Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old transgender student who was barred from using the boys’ restroom at his Virginia high school.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: LGBTQ Access to Shelters
A new report released this week by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that nearly half of LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence have been turned away from a shelter, usually because of their gender identity.
Transgender Rights under Attack in Minnesota, ACLU Seeks to Intervene
On Wednesday in Minnesota, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion to intervene in a case that was filed in an attempt to ban a transgender student from using the locker room matching her gender identity.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: LGBTQ Relationships
When picturing domestic violence, the common image features abuse between heterosexual partners, at the hands of a male perpetrator. Left out of common discourse is a comprehensive understanding of domestic violence between same-sex partners.
LGBTQ Celebratory Festival Cancelled in Haiti
An Afro-Caribbean LGBTQ festival scheduled to occur in Haiti was cancelled this past Tuesday in response to eminent terror threats involving arson and death, as well as a ban by a governmental official.
Pentagon Approves Gender-Affirming Surgery for Troops
Last week the Pentagon announced that they would cover gender-affirming surgery for active duty troops on a case-by-case basis after a recommendation by a physician and approval by senior officials.
North Carolina Drops Lawsuit Over HB 2 Bathroom Bill
The lawsuit that North Carolina filed in May requesting federal court protection of the state’s HB 2 law came to an end this past Friday when Governor Pat McCrory withdrew the state’s lawsuit.
LGBTQ Apps Banned in Indonesia Creating Further Setbacks for the Community
This past Wednesday, Indonesia further restricted LGBTQ rights when officials enacted a ban on Grindr, Blued and BoyAhoy, along with 80 other gay dating apps.
Army Approves Gender-Transition Surgery for Chelsea Manning
This past Tuesday, the United States Army approved gender-reassignment surgery for Chelsea Manning, who is currently serving 35 years in a Kansas military prison for distributing classified information to WikiLeaks.
NCAA Rescinds North Carolina as Host for Championship Games in Wake of HB 2
The NCAA announced yesterday that they will not be holding any championship games in North Carolina this school year due to the state’s discriminatory anti-LGBTQ law, commonly referred to as HB 2.
Tanzania Expands on Their Anti-LGBTQI Agenda
This past week, the Tanzanian government and the Deputy for Health, Community Development and Gender issued a threat condemning all LGBTQI equity groups in the country.
Small Victory in Fight Against North Carolina’s Bathroom Bill
Last week federal judge Thomas Schroeder blocked the University of North Carolina from enforcing the state’s HB 2 law’s transgender bathroom restriction only in the cases of the three plaintiffs, two students at UNC and a North Carolina Central University law professor.
Obama Administration and States in Contention over Transgender Rights
Last night, a federal judge in Texas blocked the Obama administration from enforcing guidelines that extended protections under Title IX to transgender students in public schools.
Seattle Scheduled to Vote on LGBTQ Conversion Therapy Ban
The Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote this upcoming Monday on a citywide ban of LGBTQ conversion therapy.
States Sue over Department of Education’s Transgender Equality Initiative
Ten more states sued the Obama Administration last week over a federal directive requiring schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity, joining the eleven states that had already filed suit in May.
House Holds Hearing on Anti-LGBTQ Bill despite Widespread Criticism
Exactly one month after the massacre at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where a gunman claimed the lives of 49 people and wounded 53 others, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on a piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation known as the First Amendment Defense Act.
