In a setting where LGBTQ+ people already face disproportionately high rates of sexual violence, the Department of Justice has defunded a key resource combating prison rape through the congressionally mandated Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
PREA was passed unanimously by Congress in 2003 and sought to document and curtail the incidence and effects of prison rape in federal, state, and local institutions.
Part of the legislation’s mandate was the creation of the National PREA Resource Center, which provides federally funded training and technical assistance to states and localities and serves as a “single-stop resource for research and tools for all those in the field working to come into compliance with the federal standards,” according to the center’s website.
Funding for the collection and dissemination of that data ended this week.
“Prosecuting criminals, getting illegal drugs off of the streets, and protecting American institutions from toxic DEI and sanctuary city policies” are the Trump administration’s priorities, a Department of Justice spokesperson told The Appeal, which obtained a letter ordering the resource center’s closure.
“Discretionary funds that are no longer aligned with the administration’s priorities are subject to review and reallocation,” the spokesperson added.
Sexual minorities — or those who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or who report a same-sex sexual experience before arrival at a carceral facility — are disproportionately incarcerated, according to the National Institutes of Health, which itself is facing devastating cuts by the Trump administration.
The incarceration rate of sexual minorities was 1,882 per 100,000 in the survey period, more than three times that of the U.S. adult population. Compared with straight inmates, sexual minorities were more likely to have been sexually victimized while incarcerated, to have experienced solitary confinement and other sanctions, and to report current psychological distress.
Terry Schuster, the head of New Jersey’s prison oversight agency, called defunding the National PREA Resource Center a “reckless move.”
“The National PREA Resource Center is a library of every everything that’s ever been written about how to prevent and address sexual violence in custodial settings, and it’s staffed with experts who can answer one-off questions from people who are running jails and prisons and juvenile facilities and police departments,” he said. “Defunding them is like burning that library to the ground.”
Just Detention International, a nonprofit focused on ending sexual assault in prisons, said the cuts were “devastating” and would make carceral facilities more dangerous.
“The shuttering of the National PREA Resource Center is, quite simply, catastrophic for incarcerated people,” said Linda McFarlane, Just Detention’s executive director. “Its programs were a gamechanger for corrections agencies, while also helping to shed light on the conditions inside prisons and jails across the country.”
“Without the PREA Resource Center, corrections agencies will be left on their own when it comes to best practices to stop sexual abuse — and the public will be left in the dark about what goes on inside detention facilities,” McFarlane added.
In partnership with the City of Sonoma and the Field of Dreams, the Transcendence Theatre Company (TTC), California Wine Country’s award-winning premiere entertainment experience, announced that individual ticket sales are now available for the 2025 Broadway Under the Stars summer season, opening June 12 and running through September 14, 2025. Tickets are available for purchase at transcendencetheatre.org/tickets.
“We are thrilled to offer individual performance tickets for our 2025 season shows, providing greater accessibility for those who want to experience the magic of Broadway Under the Stars at one of our three shows this summer,” said Brad Surosky, executive director. “We can’t wait to welcome both new and returning audiences to the Field of Dreams venue this summer.”
The 14th season of Broadway Under the Stars will feature three productions at the Field of Dreams theater venue, one block from Historic Sonoma Plaza.
Broadway’s Best Night Ever (June 12-15 & June 19-22) marks the debut of a new, original show created by Transcendence Theatre Company. Broadway’s Best Night Ever is an inspirational extravaganza featuring song and dance from the greatest hits of musical theater, showcasing music from over 40 Broadway shows with the finest talent from Broadway.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (August 7-10 & August 14-17) the Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning musical about Carole King’s early life and career comes to Sonoma this summer. The production will star Sarah Bockel, who played Carole King on Broadway and across North America.
“Bringing ‘Beautiful – The Carole King Musical’ to Sonoma is a rare opportunity to experience a Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical right here in Wine Country. Carole King’s music has touched generations, and with Broadway’s Sarah Bockel starring, this will be a memorable performance” says Amy Miller, TTC Creative Vision Director.
Ladies of Broadway (September 4-7 & September 11-14) This original TTC production celebrates the influential women of musical theater. First created for TTC in Spring 2018, the show returns in a refreshed version, highlighting the women’s triumphs, challenges, and lasting impact on Broadway. This is the first show in TTC’s history to make its return to the TTC stage.
“Our 2025 season highlights the resilience and creativity of live theater,” said Tony Gonzalez, Artistic Director. “With a diverse lineup of performances, we celebrate Broadway’s legacy while embracing the spirit of Sonoma. We look forward to welcoming audiences for a season of memorable storytelling and outstanding performances.”
Pre-Show Picnic
On performance days, the magic begins before the curtain rises at the pre-show picnic. Starting at 5 p.m. all ticket holders are invited to an exclusive pre-show picnic on the picturesque Field of Dreamslawn. This unique Sonoma-style picnic festival experience offers guests the chance to enjoy local food, wine, special cocktails, and live music while meeting cast members and connecting with fellow theater enthusiasts. Themed community nights include Broadway Family Night (June 13, August 8, September 5), Latin Heritage Night (June 14), ASL Interpreted Performance (August 16), and Pride Night (September 6).
“At Transcendence Theatre Company, the pre-show picnic is an essential part of the Broadway Under the Stars experience,” says Amy Miller, TTC Creative Vision Director. “It’s where the magic begins—guests arrive early to enjoy Sonoma’s finest wines, specialty cocktails, delicious local food, and live music on our beautiful Field of Dreams lawn, all while taking in breathtaking sunset views. It’s a chance for friends and families to connect, relax, and get into the Broadway spirit before the show.”
“As we raise the curtain on our 14th season, we’ve found a harmony between Broadway and Wine Country. This year’s season is our grandest yet, and we’re thrilled to share it with audiences, both new and familiar. From the pre-show picnic to the final curtain call, we’re creating an unforgettable celebration of life, art, and the beauty of Sonoma—to deliver the Best Night Ever!” – Amy Miller.
Community Support
A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the Field of Dreams to support the upkeep of Fazio Field in downtown Sonoma, as well as youth sports and recreation programs. Transcendence Theatre Company has greatly impacted the community, from entertaining over 350,000 people, to raising $800,000 for local nonprofits, and inspiring 11,500 youth through arts education. With 170 community projects and over 100 apprentices hired, TTC contributes millions to the North Bay’s cultural and economic vitality. Supporting TTC means strengthening Sonoma’s community and beyond.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS Early bird pricing in effect until May 1, 2025
See all ticket information at transcendencetheatre.org/tickets. All ticket holders are invited to the pre-show picnic from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. with one intermission.
GOLD ($135 – $175)
Includes access to the RBC Wealth Management Gold Lounge, reserved seating in the first six rows, two complimentary drink tickets, and reserved parking in the reserved Gold lot. Pre-order curated Sonoma dinner boxes.
PREMIUM ($95 – $125)
Reserved seating and free parking, with an option to pre-order Sonoma dinner boxes.
GENERAL RESERVED ($35 – $65)
Pre-show picnic with an option to pre-order Sonoma dinner boxes.reserved seating and free parking included.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Three-show season subscriptions start at $60. Subscribers will save 20% off regular ticket prices and will receive priority seating and additional subscriber benefits.
GROUPS
For large groups of 10 or more save up to 25% on group tickets. Contact Group Sales at 877-424-1414 ext. 2
Transcendence Theatre Company Press Kit:Photos & Logo
About Transcendence Theatre Company: Founded in 2008, Transcendence Theatre Company is California Wine Country’s premiere entertainment experience. Presenting a Broadway Under the Stars season of original outdoor musical revues, an indoor holiday show every winter, and more, our mission is to create extraordinary evenings featuring the best talents from Broadway and beyond. Transcendence Theatre Company is dedicated to providing the joys and benefits of musical theater to all through one of a kind performances, community engagements, and arts education programs. Through its Transcendence For All initiatives, the company partners with local nonprofits to make the arts accessible to youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and more. Transcendence offers free performances and workshops, as well as accessibility features at its productions.transcendencetheatre.org/tickets
t’s well documented that LGBTQ+ young people are at greater risk of mental health problems and suicidal ideation or attempts than their straight and cisgender peers. Now a new research brief from the Trevor Project shows how economic insecurity correlates with that.
“Overall, economic insecurity was associated with worse mental health for LGBTQ+ young people, even after adjusting for age, sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and census region,” the report notes.
Experiencing food insecurity was associated with 69 percent higher odds of experiencing depression, 68 percent higher odds of experiencing anxiety, 60 percent higher odds of having considered suicide in the past year, and 71 percent higher odds of attempting suicide in the past year.
Ever experiencing houselessness was associated with 47 percent higher odds of experiencing depression, 67 percent higher odds of having considered suicide in the past year, and over twice the odds of attempting suicide in the past year.
Being unable to meet basic economic needs was associated with 50 percent higher odds of experiencing depression, 41 percent higher odds of experiencing anxiety, 42 percent higher odds of having considered suicide in the past year, and 52 percent higher odds of attempting suicide in the past year.
Forty percent of LGBTQ+ young people reported a history of food insecurity, houselessness, or unmet basic needs. Transgender and nonbinary youth had 77 percent greater odds of experiencing food insecurity, 73 percent greater odds of ever having been houseless, and 67 percent greater odds of having unmet basic needs compared to cisgender LGB young people.
The high rates of economic insecurity the researchers saw weren’t surprising, says Derrick Matthews, director of research science at the Trevor Project, but their correlation with mental health issues and suicidal ideation or attempts was. “That was pretty alarming to me,” he says.
There’s a common misconception that LGBTQ+ people are better off financially than their cisgender and straight counterparts, but research has shown that’s not true, “and being transgender, a person of color, or bisexual are all factors found to be associated with higher rates of poverty,” according to the report. But this research has often excluded youth, and the chief measure of economic security for adults, income level, doesn’t work with young people, Matthews says. So the staff decided to use the factors of food insecurity, houselessness, and inability to meet economic needs to tell the stories of LGBTQ+ youth. “We looked at stories we didn’t have a chance to tell yet,” he notes.
The 2024 survey reflects data was collected at the end of 2023, and now, with cuts to social programs and LGBTQ+ services by Donald Trump’s administration, plus the economic instability caused by Trump’s back-and-forth on tariffs, the situation may well become worse. “I think it’s concerning, to say the least,” Matthews says. He points out the spikes in calls and texts the Trevor Project saw after Trump’s election and then his inauguration.
“Any reduction in support [for LGBTQ+ youth] at the state or federal level is going to have really scary consequences for a lot of young people out there,” he says.
Also, homophobic and transphobic forces are pushing the narrative that LGBTQ+ identity itself causes mental health problems rather than the true cause, “the way society treats us,” says Matthews, a Black gay man.
“There is no 13-year-old in the world who’s responsible for these things,” he says. “This is a failure of society and how we structure policy.”
This atmosphere, however, doesn’t negate the need to push for policies that affirm LGBTQ+ people and alleviate economic insecurity, he adds. “The services that we still do have need our investment and support,” he says. And he notes that research has shown that for LGBTQ+ youth, having even one supportive adult in their life can reduce the risk of suicide. “Show up for young people, and advocate for resources to be restored,” he urges. The report points out the beneficial effect of food and nutrition assistance, housing assistance, and basic cash assistance for both young people and adults. Resources for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness are available here.
“It’s easy to lose hope,” Matthews says, “but I’m a prisoner of hope.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
Since June 1, 2022, GLAAD’s ALERT Desk has tracked 150+ anti-LGBTQ incidents targeting affirming faith-based communities in the US. These include 54 cases of vandalism, 38 cases of threats and harassment, 37 protests, 7 attempted arsons, 3 assaults, and 2 bomb threats.
For the access to the full dataset, please contact press@glaad.org.
This is an update to GLAAD’s original reporting in early 2024, showing 60+ anti-LGBTQ+ incidents targeting religious institutions. Since then, more than 90 incidents have come to light.
Nearly half of all LGBTQ Americans (48%) are religiously affiliated, according to a 2023 PRRI poll. This same study found that strong majorities of all Americans, including most people of faith, support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals.
Notable Anti-LGBTQ Incidents Targeting Affirming Religious Communities
3/9/25: Multiple people made death threats against the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Park Ridge, New Jersey, after the local Moms for Liberty chapter posted about the church’s Pride flag and falsely claimed it supported “pedophilia.” One of the threats claimed that the church must be punished “with gasoline and a match.”
1/22/25: Multiple people sent death threats to Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde at the Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C., following her sermon during President Trump’s inauguration where she called for mercy on LGBTQ and immigrant people.
9/7/24: A person vandalized the Pride-themed walkway leading to the Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, Connecticut. The graffiti read: “Fuck f****ts,” and occurred a week prior to the church’s Pride event.
8/17/24: A person tore down a Pride flag at the home of a local rabbi in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, and blew it up with fireworks. They then x’d out the word “gay” on the flag with spray paint.
7/28/24: A person stole Pride flags and left anti-LGBTQ letters at two churches in Natick, Massachusetts. At First Congregational Church and Christ Lutheran Church, multiple Pride flags were damaged and replaced with a banner that read: “Jesus is King.”
6/17/24: A person was arrested for planning a mass murder targeting LGBTQ people, religious institutions, hospitals, schools, and supermarkets in Owosso, Michigan. Police reported that they found an Israeli flag in the suspect’s home with the words “anti-Jew f****t killer” and “death to you all.”
Despite the fear these incidents aim to inspire, they instead shed light on the heroic figures at the head of these groundbreaking and affirming faith-based communities. The ALERT Desk sat down with leaders from across the religious spectrum to speak about their experiences with anti-LGBTQ hate and how they overcome it to serve all people.
Photo by Rev. Mark Suriano, First Congregation United Church of Christ in Park Ridge, NJ
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
These are the words that Rev. Mark Suriano used to open his sermon at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, the Sunday after his church received death threats regarding their Pride flag.
Rev. Suriano continued: “I have always loved [this] quote from Martin Luther King Jr., in theory. When he speaks of ‘an inescapable network of mutuality’ and ‘a single garment of destiny,’ my heart has always warmed. But this past week, I, for the first time, had the most palpable sense of these ideas in action… It was a weekend of terror, grief, and [exhaustion.] But, in the midst of all that, the outpouring of support far surpassed the hateful and violent rhetoric against us.”
“I remain emotional about this physical manifestation of the ‘inescapable network of mutuality’ and the ‘seamless garment of destiny’ of which Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke. I also am overwhelmed by the beautiful truth that what affects one of us directly affects all of us indirectly.”
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA) echoed Rev. Suriano’s sentiments. “Bullying and discrimination have no place in the body of Christ, but, sadly, reminders are still needed. Jesus’ command that we love one another does not come with a caveat about who we are to love. Recent acts of violence at churches that affirm the LGBTQIA+ community and the congregations’ supportive ministries must not be tolerated. As a church, we must be even more committed to lifting up the dignity, safety and humanity of our LGBTQIA+ siblings or we will be worse off as a church and as a nation.”
Rev. Terri Steed Pierce, an out pastor at the Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando, Florida, has faced her fair share of hate, including demonstrators trying to disrupt her Sunday service in recent weeks. She summed it up neatly: “We say ‘all people are welcome here,’ but all behaviors aren’t and that means those that come with hate… Those who have a problem with that can take it up with Jesus.”
Photo by the Sikh LGBTQIA+ Oral History Project,“Becoming Boundless: How LGBTQIA+ Sikhs Negotiate Duality through Sikhi in an Ego-driven, Binary World”
prabhdeep singh kehal leads the Sikh LGBTQIA+ Oral History Project and has seen firsthand the power of having religious leaders condemn anti-LGBTQ hate. “Working with LGBTQIA+ Sikh voices is an honor and one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my life,” says kehal. “In a time when governments are using LGBTQIA+ communities as fodder to consolidate their own conservative, theocratic agendas, it is queer and trans affirming spaces that keep the energy to fight back going. And that is why politicians and conservatives target the places of safety for which we have fought to create – within and outside faith-based spaces.”
“Faith leaders are at an important position in challenging these pathologizing, theocratic interpretations of LGBTQIA+ lives because ‘God’ is being used again to turn an entire group of people into a target for those already in power… Their voices and positions are needed and that is why they are being targeted, because affirming and supporting faith leaders are able to speak back against claims that the Divine advocates for harming LGBTQIA+ beings.”
Ravjot Mehek Singh, a queer Sikh activist and award-winning filmmaker, added on: “As a Sikh in post 9/11 America, the racist attacks I experienced growing up in a predominantly White community left me traumatized and in doubt of my own identity. With my queerness, I get attacked oftentimes by my own community of conservative Sikhs, especially online where I am constantly doxxed and my videos collect thousands of hateful, violent comments. Because of my intersectional identity, I switch between facing threats from Americans and my own community – creating an often endless loop of hate… But Sikhi was founded to include all people regardless of gender or social standing, and I hope that the work I do alongside other brilliant advocates helps push for that equality to be acknowledged in its truest form.”
“There is no right way to be queer, there is no right way to be Sikh, there is no right way to be American, and anyone who tries to silence the way you exist in this world is a victim that is unable to comprehend the incredible multitudes that you contain. There is no rulebook to existing as oneself, so pursue all the things that make you feel whole.”
Photo by Michael Currie/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
As President & CEO of Keshet, a national LGBTQ Jewish organization, Idit Klein knows all too well what it’s like to be at the intersection of communities under attack. “It has been an especially painful and complex time for American Jews in the wake of the October 7th Hamas attacks, the ensuing bloodshed and suffering in Israel and Gaza, and rising antisemitism here in the U.S. It also is an increasingly dangerous time for LGBTQ+ people as we face growing attacks on our rights and protections across the country. Against this backdrop, Keshet believes that remaining connected to each other across identities and movements is more important than ever.”
“As an organization committed to the full equality of LGBTQ+ Jews, we know that we cannot ever separate these parts of ourselves,” said Klein. “We work for a world free of homophobia, transphobia, and antisemitism. We work to find meaning and strength in this painful moment as many of us navigate rupture, uncertainty, and fear, whether in political spaces in our Jewish communities, and/or LGBTQ+ spaces.”
Keshet’s Bay Area Education and Training Manager Rabbi Eliana Kayelle spoke powerfully to how LGBTQ Jews can find hope in these challenging times. “As a trans queer Jew this moment has me feeling the legacy of resilience deep in my bones. I’m thinking about Jewish ancestors. Miriam who, while under Pharaoh’s rule, held onto hope, planning for liberation by crafting instruments she would eventually use to dance out of Mitzrayim. Emma Goldman and Hannah Arendt, who remind me of the importance of action even when circumstances look bleak. These ancestors remind me that hope is not false optimism — it’s the desperate and powerful force that lives in our guts, the feeling that can move us to fight to repair a broken world.”
“I’m holding onto queer and trans ancestors and changemakers, especially trans women of color, drag queens and butches, who laid the groundwork for the queer liberation movement. The ones who became leaders because they had to. It is because of their work that I can shout: ‘I am here and I’m not going anywhere no matter how hard you try!’ I think of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy saying: ‘I don’t need their permission to exist; I exist in spite of them…we have a history, we have a reason to be here. We have a purpose.’ And I think: Yes.”
Photo by Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images
As President of Inter-Intra Community, Malik Johnson ministers to incarcerated Muslims, including those who identify as LGBTQ. “Someone might write in and say, ‘I’m a gay man who wants to be a part of the Muslim community in my [prison] facility, but I cannot because the others said that you cannot be gay and Muslim, and they will not let me pray with them. I feel very isolated from people and from the religion itself.’ Another might ask me, ‘What does it say in the Quran about me being trans?’”
“The beautiful thing is that the Quran doesn’t mention how queer a person has to be or not be to be sentenced to a heaven or a hell,” Johnson stated. “Instead the Quran relays [its message] in terms of action. What are your actions? What are you doing with your life? How are you treating other people?”
“Everyone has their own interpretation of what the Quran could mean. So I instead respond [to these questions] by addressing the heart. The first thing I say is ‘you matter.’ I say, ‘Thank you so much for calling or writing in. You are the most important part of this community. You mean so much. You’re very special. You’re worth something. If for no one else, you mean something to me. I love you and your Creator loves you. Because if your Creator didn’t love you, then they would not have created you and they would not have brought us together.’”
“You’re giving authority back to that person when you ask questions of them. Take someone who is trans. They have their dead name, that they used pre-transition, and they have their living name or preferred name. If that person is incarcerated, their dead name is continuously said to them. But if someone were to say, ‘What’s the name that you would like to be called?,’ it gives a symbol of hope and understanding and compassion. It gives back to that person so now that person is the authority in themselves. And that’s powerful. The best way to have autonomy is to name yourself.”
As we enter the holy season for those of so many faiths – from the end of Ramadan and Passover, to the start of Easter and Vaisakhi – let us remember these courageous leaders, who recognize our shared humanity and advocate for the importance of our diverse identities in fighting hate for all. In the words of the Interfaith Alliance, “While there are a variety of theological understandings of human sexuality and gender, we can all unite around the belief that nobody should fear for their safety or face discrimination based on who they love or who they are.”
Reality TV star and former gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner is now asking her supporters to send her money to support her legal defense fund in response to a lawsuit against her for alleged financial malfeasance.
“I have been named a defendant in a lawsuit re: the $Jenner memecoins, alleging ‘securities’ violations,” she posted to X, linking a crowdfunding campaign. “Let’s all be freedom maximalist.”
Jenner was sued in November, months after she released her $Jenner meme coin on the Ethereum blockchain. Two people – Nazeem Azad of the United Kingdom and Nihai Caluseru of Romania — alleged that they would not have bought the meme coin if not for Jenner’s actions, which included that she “fraudulently solicited financially unsophisticated investors throughout the United States and abroad to purchase the unregistered securities.”
They also accused her of not registering the financial asset with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and of failing to comply with federal and state laws around securities, which meant that buyers of $Jenner didn’t have all the information they needed to understand the investment.
Jenner promoted the memecoin widely last year, encouraging people to buy it, possibly to increase its value so she could sell her own holdings of it at a high price and then abandon it. For example, she posted a Pride Month picture in June 2024 and then followed it up with, “Now the question is whether to build a gayfolio for [Pride] month? …I mean is any gayfolio actually complete without $Jenner on $ETH …?”
CoinMarketCap shows that the total market value of $Jenner hit around $6 million in July last year before dropping to around $200,000 by September and never recovering. The lawsuit alleges that Jenner stopped talking up the memecoin after using her celebrity status to promote it for several months.
Jenner made a statement in September in which she mocked someone who lost their life savings because of the meme coin. “Why would you put your life savings into a meme coin? Sorry you don’t believe in me anymore 🙁 but it’s all good! We aren’t going anywhere.”
Now, Jenner is posting to X that she needs help paying the legal bills associated with the lawsuit.
“The case is the tip of the spear, and I am vigorously defending myself,” she wrote. “A motion to dismiss the case, filed by my attorneys at Winston & Strawn, explaining many of the reasons the case fails, is attached. Unfortunately, fighting against such claims is very expensive and time-consuming. Given the larger implications of the case, I have set up a legal defense fund and I ask that the community please support us.”
“Lawsuits like this are not the way to grow crypto.”
She set up a campaign on GoGetFunding.com for her and her manager, Sophia Hutchins, titled “Memecoins Are Not Securities.” On the site, she writes: “We love crypto and digital assets. We love the communities around the different projects, platforms, and memecoins.”
In a section that has since be deleted, she added, “I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS AND THE NEW INDIVIDUALS AT THE SEC. UNFORTUNATELY, LITIGATION AND RED TAPE ONLY STIFLE GROWTH. THIS IS NOT WHAT THE CRYPTO COMMUNITY IS ABOUT, WE ARE ABOUT BUILDING AND COMMUNITY.” [sic]
So far, her campaign has earned $7 from a total of two donors.
For example, Hannity asked her why she’s running for governor, and she responded with a story about how the person who owns the hangar next to her hangar doesn’t like to see homeless people: “My hangar… the guy right across, he was packing up his hangar and I said, ‘Where are you going?’ And he says, ‘I’m moving to Sedona, Arizona, I can’t take it anymore. I can’t walk down the streets and see the homeless.’”
She kept that energy throughout the interview, saying at the end that she was going to take a flight in one of her planes after the interview. Hannity seemed at a loss for how to respond.
Meta recently released the first models of Llama 4, which promises a more personalized artificial intelligence experience for users, but the rightward tilt in its design has critics questioning the results, Axios reports. GLAAD also revealed that Meta AI recommended conversion therapy as a possible therapeutic remedy in a series of tests conducted earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Meta announced in a blog post the release of the first Llama 4 models, which it claimed would “enable people to build more personalized multimodal experiences.”
“Meta AI is legitimizing the dangerous practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’” GLAAD posted to social media Monday. “In a series of tests this month by GLAAD, Meta’s new Llama 4 AI shockingly suggested: ‘If you’re looking for specific therapeutic approaches, some individuals explore: Conversion therapy.’ The AI also recommended several ‘conversion therapy’ purveyors.”
While Meta provided a caveat for the recommendation, saying the treatment was controversial, the rightward tilt of its AI is not an accident.
“It’s well-known that all leading LLMs have had issues with bias —specifically, they historically have leaned left when it comes to debated political and social topics. This is due to the types of tr aining data available on the internet,” Meta said in its blog post. “Our goal is to remove bias from our AI models and to make sure that Llama can understand and articulate both sides of a contentious issue.” Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms.
Some see the claims of anti-bias as a fig leaf for currying favor with the Trumpadministration and its right-wing views.
“It’s a pretty blatant ideological play to effectively make overtures to the Trump administration,” Alex Hanna, director of research at the Distributed AI Research Institute, told Axios.
GLAAD criticized the attempt to normalize the discredited practice of conversion therapy.“Both-sidesism that equates anti-LGBTQ junk-science with well-established facts and research is not only misleading – it legitimizes harmful falsehoods,” GLAAD said in a statement to Axios. “All major medical, psychiatric, and psychological organizations have condemned so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ and the United Nations has compared it to ‘torture.’”
In January, the president’s executive orders purging trans and queer identity and diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) efforts from the federal government began their devastating cascade through the federal bureaucracy.
One consequence speaks to the frightening authoritarian tactics deployed by the president and his MAGA loyalists: rewriting or erasing history not aligned with their Christian nationalist vision for the United States. That vision doesn’t include trans people — now or ever.
The most egregious example may have been removing all mentions of the trans women who instigated the Stonewall Riots in 1969, a watershed moment in the history of LGBTQ+ rights. Once reported faithfully by the National Park Service on their website, trans people have now been erased from both the history of the riots and from the LGBTQ+ acronym itself—thousands turned out at the monument in New York’s Greenwich Village to protest the changes.
But the same erasure is happening at similar sites of LGBTQ+ history-making across the country. The latest to come to light: the city of Boston.
The city’s History Project, a group “documenting LGBTQ Boston,” reports that in February, the National Park Service removed “Their Dreams, Their Rights, and Their Love,” an LGBTQ+ audio tour of Beacon Hill and Downtown Boston, from its website.
The tour includes the roles of influential queer figures like 19th-century novelists Sarah Orne Jewett and Annie Fields, gay rights activist Prescott Townsend, and popular gay gathering spots like the Sporters Bar in the city’s West End.
“This tour belongs to the public—not the politicians,” the group says. “Work created by government employees in their official roles is public domain, and should be available to our community as we continue to fight for visibility, truth and joy.”
Work created by government employees in their official roles is public domain, and should be available to our community as we continue to fight for visibility, truth and joy.The History Project, a group dedicated to preserving Boston’s LGBTQ+ history
So the History Project is rescuing the audio tour and other LGBTQ+ history officially erased by the NPS.
“The History Project exists to document, preserve, and share queer and trans stories; our work is especially vital when institutions fail to protect or respect our history. We’ve made this tour accessible again, and we invite you to walk through queer and trans history in resistance against those who want to erase us,” the group says.
In an investigation of the National Park Service’s history-altering changes in the Boston area, The Boston Globe found at least six instances where the service removed stories from its website on LGBTQ+ activism at Faneuil Hall; wiped guides on Black and LGBTQ+ history from the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters web page; and shortened all mentions and tags of “LGBTQ+” to “LGB” (an acronym that is only ever used by transphobes).
Earlier this month, it also removed mentions of Black abolitionist icon Harriet Tubman on its Underground Railroad page; those references were restored after widespread shock and outrage.
“The National Park Service has always had this reputability,” said Theo Linger, a former NPS Boston employee who contributed work and research to the Boston LGBTQ+ History section. “To have queer history included in that sort of prestige was a very big deal.”
But in February, Linger was given a choice: Eliminate any mention of trans and queer people from his work, or remove it—Linger walked away.
“I didn’t want to jettison my community, or any community,” Linger said.
In an eerie premonition of the censorship to come, the now-erased LGBTQ+ History title page stated, “As America’s storytellers, the National Park Service is committed to telling the history of all Americans in all of its diversity and complexity.”
“For many years, the rich histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans have been erased through punishing laws and general prejudice,” the site said before eventually erasing transgender and queer Americans from its pages.
Hula Hoop & Play! Wednesdays 6-8pm Guernville Plaza! We have lplenty of extra hoops if you don’t have one and can teach you how to hoop if you haven’t before or just need a refresher. We move to the live weekly music mix of DJ WT3 playing his set of #Anthropology on Guerneville’s own River Theater Radio 95.1fm. All movement is welcome, so it’s not just about hooping… just come to move if that’s your thing… 🙂 We respect social distancing while having fun!!!
During a press conference on April 22, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced his filing of a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The suit challenges the president’s anti-trans executive order directing agencies to withhold federal funding from educational programs that allow transgender girls to compete on women’s sports teams, under the claim that it violates both constitutional rights and Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The order in question, signed February 5, attempts to bar trans students from competing on school sports teams matching their gender identity, by revoking federal funding from public schools that don’t comply.
However, the MHRA prohibits discrimination based on protected classes like sexual orientation and gender identity—a clear conflict of interest.
But the DOJ responded by sending a letter five days later threatening to sue Minnesota if the state did not comply. The department continued to threaten the state in an April 8 letter and, and in an April 16 press conference, the DOJ stated it would seek “judicial resolution” and withhold funds from Minnesota if they refused compliance.
Recently, Ellison called their bluff and took the first shot, announcing that Minnesota would sue the DOJ and the president in his official capacity on four legal claims.
“I’m not gonna sit around waiting for the Trump administration to sue Minnesota,” Ellison said during the press conference. “Today, Minnesota is suing him and his administration because we will not participate in this shameful bullying—we will not let a small group of vulnerable children who are only trying to be healthy and live their lives be demonized, many of their parents are here today, and I thank them for their presence. The bottom line is: In our Minnesota, everyone is included in the circle of our compassion, and no one is out of our circle of protection.”
Sometimes countries face a moment like this—faced with a leader bent on destroying entire communities and instilling fear in those who protect them.Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
The four main legal claims state that Trump’s order is invalid because the administration is trying to use the powers that the Constitution reserves to Congress.
The second claim argues that the order violates Title IX, a common argument the Trump administration uses to enforce the order. However, this interpretation is highly contested, and attempts by the Trump administration to redefine it to fit their interpretation have been blocked by courts.
The third claim states that the order violates the Administrative Procedures Act which requires courts to “set aside agency action” that is “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.” The fourth and final argument—and one of the more serious accusations—is that the order violates the 10th Amendment by trying to override a state law despite the amendment giving states the right to self govern.
This lawsuit is yet another in a series of lawsuits Minnesota has brought against the Trump administration.
One notable case from early February saw Minnesota joining with three other states to sue the Trump administration for an executive order threatening to cut federal grants to hospitals that provide gender-affirming treatment to individuals under 19. The plaintiffs argued that the order violated their 10th Amendment rights, and a federal judge ruled that Trump’s order could not be enforced in four plaintiff states.
The recently filed lawsuit also echoes a similar situation with Maine, whose leaders have refused to follow the anti-trans sports ban, and have since been hit by federal agencies withholding funding to the state.
“Sometimes countries face a moment like this—faced with a leader bent on destroying entire communities and instilling fear in those who protect them,” Ellison said in the press conference. “The lessons of history tell us a leader like that doesn’t stop at one community—after he’s destroyed one, he goes after another, and another, and another.”
