New Semester of Free Online Sonoma County LGBT+ History Class Starts Monday
News
BBC ‘apologizes’ to ex-presenter for ‘homophobic abuse’
The BBC has allegedly issued a “formal, full and unconditional apology” to a former radio presenter for “repeated incidents of homophobic and discriminatory abuse” which he received while working at the corporation. Jack Murley, who worked as a presenter for BBC Radio Cornwall for five years, was sacked in 2024 for breaching the BBC’s editorial and social media policies with posts that criticised cuts to local radio and which the broadcaster said failed to be impartial. Murley took the BBC to employment tribunal in which he alleged he was discriminated against for being a gay man as well as a union […]
Burkina Faso issues first sentence for ‘homosexuality and related practices’
Burkina Faso has issued its first known conviction for homosexuality since banning same-sex sexual relations earlier this year. An individual identified as K.M. was charged with sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, a fine of 2,000,000 CFA francs (approximately $3,581), and ordered expelled from the country following completion of the sentence, the African Human Rights Coalition has confirmed. The official charges were “homosexuality and related practices.” “AHRC expresses grave concern over this conviction, particularly given the sweeping and vague language of the new law, its application against a vulnerable foreign national, and the penal severity including post-sentence expulsion,” the organization said in a statement. “This represents the […]
Equality Maps Round-Up: Tracking Wins and Trends in 2025
2025 began with the Trump administration keeping its promise to escalate federal attacks against the LGBTQ community. Within the first 100 days, we were bombarded with a barrage of anti-LGBTQ executive orders, rule changes, and policy rescissions targeting the most vulnerable, and hateful rhetoric that inspired similar efforts at the state and local levels.In 2025 alone, over 700 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in 49 states, the most prevalent of which deliberately target the transgender community and LGBTQ youth. However, despite these major attempts to erase LGBTQ people, by the end of the legislative sessions our community defeated at least 88% of […]
Who is Lillian Bonsignore — set to be first out gay Fire Department of New York commissioner?
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has named Lillian Bonsignore commissioner of the Fire Department of New York, making her the second woman and first out gay person in that post. Mamdani made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Queens. “[The FDNY] deserves a leader who cares about their work, because she did it herself,” he said, as reported by Newsweek “She is the kind of leader I’m so proud to have in my administration.” “My goal is to ensure that every member of [the FDNY] has the resources and environment they need to perform their role safely and effectively,” Bonsignore […]
Sebastopol Senior Center Hosts Shawn Giammattei, Who Will Speak About Trans and Gender Issues on January 7
Holding Spaces Guest Speaker ~ Shawn Giammattei Ask ALL YOUR TRANS AND GENDER QUESTIONSJoin us for a special presentation with Shawn V. Giammattei, PhD—a nationally respected clinical family psychologist and one of the leading voices in supporting transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive youth.Expect an uplifting, interactive, and empowering session that leaves you inspired, informed, and supported.Dr. Giammattei brings decades of experience helping families strengthenconnection, build resilience, and navigate gender journeys with clarity, compassion, and confidence.As Associate Director of Mental Health at the UCSF Child & Adolescent GenderCenter, founder of the Gender Health Training Institute, TransFamily Alliance, andQuest Family Therapy, he has guided countless families toward deeperunderstanding and lasting […]
Positive Images: Access is care. Access is resistance. Access is how we keep finding joy together.
Through every success and challenge, Positive Images has held true to its purpose: to build belonging, center authenticity, and sustain hope. As we look ahead, we know that access is the pathway to liberation and creating it for one another is how we will continue to thrive. Thank you for standing with us. The future of queer access, care, and resistance is bright and it’s ours to build together.32% funded. Thousands served. Still so much to protect.This year, Positive Images expanded access when the world tried to shrink it. 9,610 outreach contacts Free Legal Gender & Name Change Clinic 1,145 support group connections 99 trainings […]
SF to develop 15-story affordable housing building for LGBTQ+ seniors as aging population grows
San Francisco is an aging city. According to the California Department of Finance, by 2030, nearly one-third of the city will be populated by people 60 and older. That’s more than the state average. The lack of housing continues to be an issue. One group in particular faces challenges when it comes to affordable housing. But in just a few years, a drenched empty lot on Market Street will be transformed into a 15-story residential building for seniors in San Francisco. “As folks age, incomes become restricted, the cost of living rises and so the need for affordable housing becomes […]
Gay WA State Trooper Sues Over “Demeaning” AI Video
The Tacoma News Tribune reports: A veteran Washington State Patrol trooper claims he’s faced discrimination and hostility in the agency due to his sexual orientation — issues that reportedly reached a breaking point when WSP personnel created and circulated a demeaning video of him generated by artificial intelligence. Collin Overend Pearson, who’s a Pierce County resident and gay, alleges that he’s been subjected to “repeated instances of discriminatory and unconstitutional conduct by WSP and its officers” during nearly two decades of employment, according to a lawsuit filed Dec. 19 in Pierce County Superior Court. In December, WSP personnel created an AI-generated video […]
Why Queer Spaces Often Fail South Asian Women
Patel felt a wave of grief wash over her. “I [have] to give up my South Asian-ness in order to be in a queer relationship,” she remembers thinking. Patel and her girlfriend had been dating for some time and were sketching out a future together, even starting sentences with, “When we get married.” But as they built a foundation, she continued to feel marginalized because of her Indo-African heritage. “I remember I was in [my girlfriend’s] household, and her father made a comment that was racist to brown people,” Patel told Uncloseted Media. When her girlfriend called him out, Patel […]