Top Stories
South Florida husbands among Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash
A married gay couple from South Florida were among seven people killed Wednesday when a helicopter carrying tourists crashed in northern Kenya. Adam Hlavaty, 42, and Henry Parra, 55, lived in Coral Gables and married in 2017 at the city’s historic Biltmore Hotel. Friends remembered them as generous community members who built a life around family, travel, and service. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. “They were a loving couple who cherished their time together, especially traveling, making memories, and enjoying life with their family and […]
GLAAD’s 2026 State of HIV Stigma Report Shows Alarming Gap Between Scientific Progress and Public Understanding of HIV
GLAAD released the findings of its sixth annual State of HIV Stigma Report, created in partnership with Gilead Sciences. The study reveals a widening gap between game-changing scientific advancements in HIV prevention and treatment and awareness of these advances that can save lives and prevent new diagnoses. According to HIV.gov, approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV. 13% of them do not know it, reinforcing the continued need for HIV testing as well as the necessity of ending stigma around HIV. The 2026 report combines a survey of 2,500 U.S. adults, qualitative focus groups conducted in partnership […]
Ghana Anglican Church officially speaks out against country’s new anti-LGBTQ+ laws
The leader of Ghana’s Anglican Church has officially opposed harsher anti-LGBTQ+ laws that will soon be introduced in the West African country. Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith spoke out against the impending laws last week while speaking to the BBC. The Draconian law will make simply identifying as anything under the LGBTQ+ umbrella a criminal offence. The bill also criminalises the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities, and introduces a “duty to report” acts that go against the law. Anyone that identifies as an ally to the community can also face imprisonment. Exemptions would be made for those who work in the legal, media and healthcare sectors […]
Local News
Support Positive Image’s Queer Library
I mean who doesn’t love reading! Because I know I do! Getting lost in a new world, a new story, and meeting new characters. Or diving into deep and rich history about our ancestors, our motherland, and significant periods in times. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit our center and browse our Queer Library, come take a peak! We have over 900 books available for FREE for our community to check out and take home or enjoy while hanging out at the center. While we have a myriad of books available in English, we would love to expand our Bilingual and Bicultural […]
Fall Pride Bowling Starts Soon — Info & Sign-Ups August 25
Sonoma County Pride Bowling Sun, Aug 23, 10:47 PM (14 hours ago) to bcc: me Fall bowling is almost here, and we’re excited to welcome everyone back for another season of Sonoma County Pride Bowling! Before the season begins, we’ll be hosting our Fall League Informational & Sign-Ups Meeting: Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 PMDouble Decker Lanes – Bar/Lounge300 Golf Course DriveRohnert Park, CA 94928 This meeting is a great opportunity for returning and new bowlers to: We expect teams and lanes to fill quickly this season, so we encourage bowlers to sign up early. Once we reach capacity, we may need to […]
Arts & Entertainment
Now at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol: “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World”
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the WorldOne Week Only Starts Friday July 24 3:50 pm & 5:45 pm If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself – and her readers – to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the […]
State News
Pro-LGBTQ Pharmacy Vandalized With Slurs
The Davis Vanguard reports: A family-owned Woodland pharmacy was vandalized early Monday morning, with a window smashed near pro-LGBTQ signs and anti-gay slurs painted across another window, prompting community leaders to raise concerns about a potential hate crime and an escalating pattern of online harassment targeting LGBTQ+ supporters in Yolo County. Corner Drug, a longtime Main Street pharmacy, disclosed the vandalism in a Facebook post Monday, saying the damage came after the business had publicly displayed its support for the LGBTQ+ community. “Early this morning the window of our family pharmacy was smashed and anti gay slurs were painted on them,” Corner […]
San Francisco named the world’s best city for LGBTQ+ life, but US cities are sliding
San Francisco has been ranked the world’s best city for LGBTQ+ life, though the study warns that American cities are slipping overall amid the political climate under Donald Trump. The finding comes from the 2026 Sexually Liberal City Index, compiled by adult entertainment platform Erobella, which scored 41 cities worldwide across four areas: sex-work law, LGBTQ+ life, reproductive health and adult lifestyle. San Francisco topped the LGBTQ+ category specifically, scoring 70 out of 100, ahead of Manchester on 62 and Cologne on 61. The city was praised for its enduring community infrastructure, from the Castro to its Pride traditions, and the […]
