Desiree Guerrero

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Joyful noise: Trans choruses are offering safe havens for singers across the U.S.

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As state legislators and the federal government continue to target the rights of transgender people across the country — including access to health care, obtaining IDs that align with their gender identity, and the ability to serve in the military — trans choruses are providing much-needed refuge for this marginalized community. Over the last two decades, trans choruses and choirs have grown and spread across the country through various political pendulum swings, as a recent in-depth NBC News report notes.  Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. The first trans choir was […]

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Voting 101: 7 ways to make your midterm ballot count

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The midterm elections on November 3 will test the narrow congressional majority held by Republicans since President Donald Trump took office last year. They also come as the president pushes to change how elections are conducted nationwide, falsely portraying fraud as a pervasive issue. The Trump administration has called for a federal voter database using citizen data, plus new ID requirements spurred by false claims of noncitizen voting. In July, Trump also gutted a bipartisan commission created to uphold election integrity across the United States. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your […]

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Alabama’s new library rules target every book about transgender people

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The Alabama Public Library Service board recently adopted strict guidelines requiring public libraries to limit young people’s access to books containing material related to gender identity or transgender people. Under the amended administrative code, books that discuss gender-transition procedures or “gender ideology,” or that “promote” the existence of more than two biological genders, must be removed from youth sections and relocated to sections for adults. The push for the policy change was spearheaded by board Chair John Wahl, the current Republican nominee for state lieutenant governor, and board member Amy Minton. The effort intensified last November, when Minton announced the agency was seeking […]

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Trump DOJ tried to force California to ban trans girls from sports. A judge said no

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Earlier this week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department challenging California’s trans-inclusive school sports policies, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. While the ruling does not establish a statewide right for transgender athletes to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity, it rejects the DOJ’s claim that California’s policies violate Title IX. Title IX is a 1972 federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal funding. In its suit, the Justice Department alleged that California’s Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation violated the law by allowing transgender student athletes to […]

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Meet 3 transgender student-athletes fighting for the right to play

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Despite ever-growing food and fuel prices, an ailing health care system, and violent conflicts in the U.S. and abroad, the far right has decided to continue to wage war on transgender student-athletes. And while politicians debate the topic within our nation’s highest offices, many forget about the real human beings who are affected. Becky Pepper-Jackson When West Virginia House Bill 3293, also known as the Save Women’s Sports Act, became law in 2021, Becky Pepper-Jackson, a track-and-field athlete who identifies as trans, and her family challenged the bill in court. Since then, the battle over whether schools should allow trans student athletes […]

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Ken Paxton gloats after extracting $10 million from Texas Children’s Hospital for ‘detransition’ center

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An unprecedented settlement agreement has been reached in a case brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that requires Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston to pay $10 million to the state and create a “detransition clinic.” The settlement comes following an investigation initiated by the attorney general’s office in 2023, according to a report by The Texas Tribune. That same year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 into law, which prohibits trans-identifying minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapies. Although the agreement was reached in May, it was announced by Paxton’s office on Friday that the historic settlement has now “been fully executed.” […]

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Ohio Democrats accused of sacrificing transgender rights for votes

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Backlash has erupted among Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates in Ohio after two major state politicians pulled back on their support for transgender rights, according to an in-depth report by local news outlet Signal Statewide.  Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, who is up for reelection in November, are being criticized by Democratic advisory groups and LGBTQ+ activists for their positions on transgender issues ahead of the fall election. Kaptur recently voted for a GOP-backed measure requiring parental notification when students seek to change their names or pronouns at school, and Acton was criticized for describing transgender girls as “boys” while explaining her position on […]

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The Trump administration is excluding The Trevor Project from the 988 service it helped create

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Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced plans to restore a specialized LGBTQ+ option for young people who use the national 988 crisis intervention hotline. But the organization that created and helped manage “Press 3,” The Trevor Project, may now be shut out of the revived service, ABC News reported Friday. “Press 3” was added to the intervention service in 2022 by The Trevor Project, which gave 988 callers the option to reach counselors specially trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth in crisis by entering the number 3. Users could also text “PRIDE” to access care or participate in online chats. Stay up to […]

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Ohio pastor who called LGBTQ+ books a ‘health risk’ sentenced for child sex crimes

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Silas Shelton, a church pastor from Clinton County, Ohio, was sentenced to prison Monday for sex crimes against a child that occurred in 2019. He was arrested in October of last year and charged with multiple felonies. Supporters of both the victim and Shelton filled the courtroom, anxiously anticipating the judge’s ruling, as reported by local tri-state CBS affiliate WKRC. However, statements by Shelton’s supporters and his attorney claiming he was a good family man and a pillar of the community didn’t carry much weight with Judge Andrew McCoy, who ultimately imposed the maximum sentence. Stay up to date with the latest […]

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Gilbert Baker’s original Pride flag takes a trip to Ireland

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In 1978, artist and activist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag — which remains the basis for all modern variations of the famous Pride symbol. The first flag, hand-stitched and dyed by Gilbert and a handful of friends and volunteers, was unveiled at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade that same year. Baker’s rainbow flag is now making a historic journey across the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be on loan to the city of Cork, Ireland, for four months. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five […]

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