Top Stories
Texas A&M’s Republican drag ban gets its day in court before 17 federal judges
The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday in two cases that could determine whether public universities may bar drag shows from campus venues. Federal judges reached conflicting rulings in the disputes involving the Texas A&M University System. The legal fight began in 2023, when West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler canceled a student drag show organized by Spectrum WT. The group and two student leaders sued the school, arguing that the cancellation violated their First Amendment rights. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days […]
Fox News’ Attack Dog: Jesse Watters’ Anti-LGBTQ Track Record
Jesse Watters of Fox News fame has been in front of the camera for more than 20 years, making his TV debut as a correspondent on “The O’Reilly Factor” in 2003. He was given his own Saturday evening show, “Watters’ World,” in 2017 and also began co-hosting “The Five” along with other Fox News personalities. In 2023, Watters received a big promotion, taking over Tucker Carlson’s coveted 8PM ET weeknight slot with “Jesse Watters Primetime.” Watters has become infamous for his bombastic sarcasm and controversial remarks. “The Five” and “Jesse Watters Primetime” are the first and second most-viewed cable news […]
Pride, prejudice and PTA meetings: A guide for LGBTQ+ families this school year
From school supply shopping to navigating new routines, back-to-school season is a busy time for families filled with anticipation, coordination, and first-day-of-school jitters. But, for LGBTQ+ families facing increasing threats from school boards and statehouses alike, there’s an extra layer of worry to contend with. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. So, what do you need to know about the current landscape for LGBTQ+ familiesin schools — and what can you do to help? Family Equality, the leading national organization for current and future LGBTQ+ families, has the […]
Local News
Wake Up Sonoma’s “No Kings Rally” Happens October 17
For over a year, millions of people have come together to send a clear message: in America, we have no kings. Power does not belong to billionaires, strongmen, or politicians who believe they are above accountability. Power belongs to the people, but only if we use it. On October 17th Wake Up Sonoma is JOINING with Indivisible to organize a No Kings Vote Early action in Sonoma and we need you! THIS IS NOT A PROTEST GATHERING, BUT RATHER A WAY TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT, ABOUT HOW CRITICAL VOITING IS THIS YEAR. TIME: 10am -12pmDATE: October 17th,WHAT: JOIN US – to help us with get out […]
Arts & Entertainment
Black Gay American Author Urges Black LGBTQ+ Americans to Consider South Africa as Trump Welcomes White South Africans
While President Donald Trump’s administration is opening America’s doors to thousands of predominantly white South African Afrikaners, Black Gay American author Elias Whitfield is encouraging Black LGBTQ+ Americans to consider moving in the opposite direction: out of the United States, toward South Africa and other Black- and LGBTQ+-affirming destinations—to pursue greater cultural peace, financial security and LGBTQ+ acceptance. The contrast comes as the Trump administration plans to set a 17,500-person refugee admissions ceiling for the coming fiscal year, consisting primarily of South Africans from the country’s white Afrikaner minority. Although the administration says Afrikaners face racial persecution, the South African […]
“Slave Play” Opens September 25 at The Left Edge Theatre
What happens when the past refuses to stay in the past?At the MacGregor Plantation, the old South lives on, in the cotton fields, in the master’s house, and in the complicated relationship between fear, desire, race, gender, and power. In SLAVE PLAY, acclaimed playwright Jeremy O. Harris rips open the history we think we know and brings it into conversation with 21st-century America. Provocative, explosive, and unflinching, this daring play challenges audiences to confront the ways race, gender, sexuality, and power continue to shape our lives. SLAVE PLAY has been recognized with the Rosa Parks Playwriting Award, Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, Lotos […]
State News
GLBT Historical Society Honors Poet, Artist, Preacher, and Storyteller Marvin K. White October 17
Saturday, October 17, 2026The Westin St. Francis, San FranciscoCocktails: 6:00 p.m. | Dinner: 7:00 p.m. We’re thrilled to announce the second of our 2026 History Maker Honorees, Marvin K. White, Minister of Celebration at Glide Memorial Church and founder of tendesf: art gallery and artpothecary. Born and raised in Oakland, Marvin has performed nationally and internationally as a member of the acclaimed theater troupe PomoAfroHomos and has presented his original work at numerous theaters, bringing his poetic voice into live performance and collective storytelling. His four poetry collections include the Lambda Literary Award–nominated last rights and nothin’ ugly fly, and he helped found and […]
Gavin Newsom moves to shield California transgender patient records from federal scrutiny
California is adding new medical privacy protections for LGBTQ+ adults facing federal subpoenas and expanding access to injectable medicines for HIVprevention. That is thanks to a spate of six new bills passed by the Democratic-led state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday. Newsom said he signed the bills to strengthen LGBTQ+ rights in the state amid a federal crackdown on such protections. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. “The Trump administration has launched an all-out assault on the LGBTQ community, using medical records […]
