Chantelle Billson

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UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski details horrific homophobic attack

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Green Party leader Zack Polanski has recalled being left devastated by a homophobic attack.  Polanski was elected as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in a landslide election in September last year. He is a public supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, being gay himself, and a staunch supporter of trans rights.  In an interview with Attitude, to celebrate his place on its Attitude 101 Trailblazer of the Year list, the leader revealed that as a teen he was the victim of a homophobic attack.  “I felt, like, a smack on the head and [someone] shouting ‘f*****!’ I fell to the ground and […]

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US judge resigns after being recorded making racist and anti-LGBTQ+ remarks

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A Michigan judge, Kathleen Ryan, has voluntarily resigned after an investigation uncovered recordings of her feelings about the LGBTQ+ community and Black people.  Judge Kathleen Ryan, a self-proclaimed “new racist”, has departed from her Oakland County bench following the investigation.  As reported by WXYZ Detroit, in one recording from September 2024, Ryan shared offensive viewpoints about both demographics and said she isn’t “systemically racist” but a “new racist”.  The recordings were sent to public officials, including Oakland County executive Dave Coulter, who is gay. Some of Ryan’s slurs about the community were directed at him, according to Detroit Free Press.  Ryan, who has […]

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Trump eliminates rape protections for trans people in ICE facilities and prisons

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Donald Trump has ended rape protections for trans inmates in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and US prisons, in a move that further attacks the trans community.  Guidance was released this month by the Department of Homeland Security for several privately-run ICE facilities, where, as of 8 January, 68,990 people are being held – a record high.  The Department of Justice is also working to remove rules protecting LGBTQ+ people from sexual abuse in prisons.  According to reporting by the American Prospect, at least six ICE detention facilities, mostly run by private prison companies, have updated government contracts to remove safeguards against rape and […]

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‘Legendary activist’ and ‘powerhouse for the LGBTQ+ community’ Rick Garcia dies aged 69

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Chicago LGBTQ+ activist Rick Garcia has died at the age of 69.  Garcia, who was a leader in the Illinois city’s civil rights movement, died on 12 January. His advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community dates back decades. In 1996, the Chicago Reader reported that he kept his sexual orientation a secret throughout high school and into college. In 1976, he attended a speech by theology professor Father Louis Hanlon, who spoke about the “sin” of homosexuality. Garcia had none of it and spoke out against Hanlon, telling him: “Gay people are entitled to friendship, love, and justice, according to the American Catholic bishops. […]

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‘Deeply concerning’: Drug and alcohol deaths significantly higher among queer people, study finds

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Drug and alcohol related deaths are significantly higher among queer people, a “deeply concerning” study has found.  The findings come from analysis by the Office for National Statistics in the UK, which cross-referenced 2021 census data with death registrations between March 2021 and November 2024.  Multiple studies have revealed that LGB+ people are disproportionately affected by addictions, including alcoholism and drug use. The study specifically used the definer LGB+. According to the study, suicide and drug and alcohol overdoses are among the most significant causes of death for members of the LGB+ community.  The study revealed that there were nearly three times as many “drug poisoning” […]

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Gay tennis player João Lucas Reis da Silva to make history at Australian Open

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Brazilian tennis player João Lucas Reis da Silva is set to make history again, this time at the Australian Open.  Silva, who arrived in Melbourne this week, made history in late 2024 when he came out as gay by sharing a sweet snap of his partner Gui Sampaio Ricardo to celebrate his birthday. The 25-year-old then became the first out gay tennis pro to compete in a Grand Slam event. He is now set to continue making history by competing in the qualifying rounds of this year’s Australian Open as the first gay man to do so.  At the time of his coming out, Silva […]

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Teachers can out LGBTQ+ children to parents, federal judge rules

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In a blow to LGBTQ+ rights, a federal court ruling concluded that teachers have the right to out LGBTQ+ children to their parents.  On 22 December, US district judge Roger Benitez ruled that federal law allows school employees to notify parents of “gender incongruence”.  Benitz added that the decision to inform parents of their child’s gender identity rests with the teacher. The order also prevents school districts from “misleading” parents and prohibits employees from “directly lying to the parent, preventing the parent from accessing educational records of the child, or using a different set of preferred pronouns/names when speaking with the […]

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US Christians gather to protest violence against trans people

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US Christians gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol to protest the “religious condemnation” of the trans community.  On Sunday (28 December), a group of trans-affirming Christians gathered to take part in the event titled “Not In Jesus’ name”.  The event, which took place from 2pm for two hours, included a march around Capitol Square and a sung prayer service inside the Capitol Rotunda.  As per 15 WMTV, organisers of the event said the gathering took place in response to the national debate over gender-affirming care and concern about religious condemnation directed at the trans community.  In June, a US Supreme Court decision to uphold […]

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Heartbroken family of trans teen speaks out about how bullying led to his death

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The family of a young trans student from Iowa who took his own life earlier this month, has spoken out about the bullying he faced during his short life. Fifteen-year-old Miles Phipps died on 4 November, prompting more than 150 pupils at Urbandale High School to walk out in support of his family and to call for more kindness.  His mother, Ashley Campbell, told the Des Moines Register that he had been bullied in and out of school for years. He had tried to end his own life twice, even before attending the school. “Protecting trans kids is important but so is not being cruel, […]

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Florida teacher put on leave after requesting to use gender-neutral title

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A Florida teacher has been put on leave after requesting to use the gender-neutral title Mx at work. The teacher at Alachua County Public Schools has been placed on administrative leave after requesting that students and staff address them with the title Mx. Mx is a gender-neutral title pronounced as ‘mix’ which some trans, non-binary, gender non-confirming and cis people use as an alternative to gendered honourifics like Miss, Ms, Mrs or Mr. Mx does not indicate a person’s gender. The state’s attorney general James Uthmeier accused the teacher of violating Florida House Bill 1069, which was signed into law […]

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