LGBTQ people and allies are speaking out about the upcoming groundbreaking oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding access to health care for transgender youth.
The case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, challenges Tennessee’s law banning health care such as hormone therapy and puberty-pausing medications for transgender youth under 18, while the same treatments remain available to cisgender (non-transgender) youth. The law also criminalizes doctors and providers who seek to support transgender youth. As the ban is one of approximately 25 such bans passed in Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country in recent years, the Court’s decision could have a widespread impact on the availability of care to all youth nationwide.
The stakes are high for transgender people and their loved ones, and for everyone who cares about freedom and the ability to take care of their families without government interference. Experts and members of the transgender community spoke out about the significance of the case and their personal stories on a recent media briefing hosted by GLAAD, the American Civil Liberties Union, the GenderCool Project, and the Fenway Institute.
Sruti Swaminathan (they/them), a staff attorney with the ACLU National, kicked off the briefing by outlining the basics of the case and potential impact, particularly in the current landscape as we prepare for the next presidential administration to take office.
“The misinformation stemming from the Trump campaign and soon to be administration with respect to transgender identities and the demonization of the medical care that transgender people access has a catastrophic impact on the way non-transgender individuals and individuals who have the least amount of knowledge about us view these issues,” Swaminathan explained.
“It is going to be more important than ever to center trans voices in the media and elevate trans stories in daily interactions. Litigation will be essential, but it will not be enough. We will engage on every advocacy front, including mobilizing and organizing our network of millions of ACLU members and activists in every state to work to protect LGBTQ people from the dangerous policies of a second Trump administration.”
Kai (he/him), a 21-year-old college senior and GenderCool Project Champion, transitioned at 10 years old and is thriving today due in large part to the lifesaving health care and support he received. He’s passionate about GenderCool’s work to embrace positive storytelling around young people to dispel misinformation, and urges media coverage and people talking about this landmark case to do the same.
Transgender Flag, Getty
“What’s going to move viewers is seeing our faces, hearing our voices, and feeling the impact that these unjust laws are going to have on real human beings,” Kai said as he urged reporters to focus on the humanity at the center of the case. “Most importantly, allow these trans voices to shine through by truthfully articulating their lived experience; give them the stage to do that. Facts don’t always elicit the emotions we need to tell with this story. Sometimes we find ourselves so caught up in the stats and the legal jargon, and we forget what’s really at stake here especially with this case: the lives of young people who are just trying to be their authentic selves.”
Katie Jenifer (she/they) also participated in the briefing. Katie is a lawyer living in North Carolina and parent of a GenderCool Champion named Maddie, who she describes as a “smart, witty, very loving 17-year-old; and she is also thriving.” Maddie is co-captain of her school cheer team, enjoys embracing her creative side, and has just finished sending off college applications where she aspires to study nursing. Katie described their experiences with the media and shared that they have not always been positive due to a lack of respect for their privacy, and offered tips to journalists for their coverage.
“What I would like people to know is we’re just a regular family,” Katie said. “We’re just trying to figure out life with a teenage daughter and her college-aged sister. We make decisions about our daughters just like I imagine most families do. What should curfew be? What are acceptable school grades? How much is too much screen time? Just like other families, we try to make the best and most informed decisions that we can so we as her parents can raise a happy, healthy, kind, safe member of society.”
Katie agreed with Kai that access to health care has had a tremendous effect on her daughter’s ability to be happy and successful.
Families could be heavily affected by the outcome of this case, but so will affirming doctors and health care providers who know that care should be between families and medical experts that they trust, not the government. Sean Cahill (he/him) is the director of health policy research at the Fenway Institute, which focuses on LGBTQI+ health equity. About half of Fenway Health’s 35,000 patients are LGBTQI+ and 6,000 are transgender or nonbinary, while Sean works in the research arm of the institute which has been tracking the hundreds of bills introduced in state legislatures this year to harm transgender people.
“I don’t think it’s an accident that we see this rise in anti-transgender activism starting in 2015, the year that won full equality for same-sex marriage,” Sean explains, pointing out the trend of anti-transgender bills proposed in various areas over the past decade before spiking in the area of health care. The attacks, while vile, are part of a backlash of the overall increasing visibility and acceptance for transgender and LGBTQ people overall, according to GLAAD’s most recent Accelerating Acceptance survey.
With the wide scope of potential outcomes related to the case, it’s hard to speculate on what the justices will do. What we do know is that the most powerful thing LGBTQ people and our allies can do is to tell our personal stories of love and support for our transgender friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community members, and to share our kindness and understanding in order to move the court of public opinion. We have resilience and strength, and we need to show the next generation of transgender and nonbinary youth in this moment, and always, that we will be here for them.
In multiple states this election year, voters signaled an overall shift away from “parents’ rights” issues, fear mongering, and partisan politics, including the rejection of anti-trans candidate for North Carolina governor Mark Robinson as well as other state and local educational posts.
North Carolina voters also rejected Moms for Liberty-endorsed Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Michele Morrow, whose campaign and record was nearly equally as disturbing as Robinson’s
Morrow’s anti-LGBTQ record included a defamatory rant against opponent Mo Green, who received the endorsement of state LGBTQ organization Equality North Carolina. Morrow falsely and dangerously misrepresented the plus symbol in LGBTQ+ in a post on Twitter/X: “NEWSFLASH…the ‘+’ includes PEDOPH*L*A!!” The American Psychological Association notes that the plus is often added “to recognize those not captured within or represented by the acronym LGBTQ,” including asexual, intersex, and nonbinary people.
Michele Morrow launches an anti-LGBTQ rant against opponent Mo Green. (Credit: QnotesCarolinas)
In a recorded clip on her website and YouTube, Morrow addressed a school board, laying bare her values under the guise of “protecting our children.”
“We are talking about trying to figure out how to make our children be as successful as possible, and I am sure that that is your goal. And what we have been called tonight is what they’re claiming we’re saying to children. We’re having an adult conversation,” Morrow said. “There are not children in this room. We aren’t going into the schools and calling them names. They call us Marxist, and hateful, and bigots, and everything else under the sun. Well, let me tell ‘ya: Less than five percent of the entire population of North Carolina identifies as LGBTQ. You guys all claim you want democracy. You know what democracy is? It’s the majority plus one! It’s 50 plus one! You know what? More than 50 percent of the people in this state claim that they believe in God – almighty God, who made us male and female. God who made marriage between a man and a woman. God who said that we must protect our children.”
Morrow had also falsely labeled the public schools she wanted to lead as “indoctrination centers,” while her record included participation in the January 6insurrection, and called for the execution of former President Barack Obama. Political comedy channel The Good Liarsheld Morrow accountable for her actions.
The Good Liars confronts Michele Morrow over threatening Tweets she made against former President Barack Obama. (Credit: The Good Liars on X)
In a viral clip, Jason Selvig approached Morrow with printed copies of her threatening tweets under the guise of requesting an autograph. After stroking her ego, he read the now-deleted social media posts back to her, word for word, before making a hasty escape.
Morrow ultimately lost the race to Mo Green, who captured just over 51 percent of the vote.
Maurice Green received a majority of the vote, 51.1%, in the race for North Carolina Superintendent, narrowly defeating opponent Michele Morrow.
Green served as superintendent to North Carolina’s third-largest school district, Guilford County Schools, and was Executive Director of Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which “has invested more than $691 million into North Carolina” to “address the impact of racism ingrained in state institutions — including schools — and support ideas aimed at mitigating hate’s effect on policy and people.”
Green’s platform includes a promise to “celebrate the good in public education” and “ensure safe, secure learning environments,” and opposes The Parental Bill of Rights, which bans discussion about gender identity and sexuality in K-4 classrooms, and requires that schools out students to their parents if they request a change to their name or pronouns.
Green, nominee for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, holds a news conference. (Credit: NC Newsline)
“Every child deserves to learn, and every staff member deserves to work, in an environment that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive,” Green said.
State’s Most Populous County Wakes up, Rejects Several Anti-Trans Candidates
Also in North Carolina, three of four Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates were defeated in races for Wake County Board of Education:
District 5: Incumbent Lynn Edmonds “soundly” defeated Ted Hills. During her first term, Edmonds “voted, alongside the board’s six other Democrats, to bring the school system into compliance with new, federally-mandated protections for LGBTQ students.” Hills opposed the Title IX updates.
District 6: Sam Hershey, an anti-book book ban advocate, beat challenger Josh Points “by a 40-point margin.” Hershey voiced support for compliance with federally-mandated Title IX updates.
District 8: Lindsay Mahaffey, who was endorsed by the Equality North Carolina PAC, was elected to her fifth term. Her opponent Elizabeth McDuffie rejected Title IX protections for transgender students and campaigned alongside Michele Morrow.
District 3 incumbent Wing Ng was the only anti-LGBTQ candidate elected, but his victory was narrow. INDY Weekreports that Equality North Carolina PAC-endorsed Jordyn Blaise lost “by a razor-thin margin of just about one point.” Lastly, Toshiba Rice won her bid for reelection to District 4. Rice voted to support compliance with the Biden-Harris Administration’s federal Title IX updates.
Equality Victories in the Sunshine State
While Florida’s 60 percent supermajority requirement led to narrow losses for abortion rights (57.2 percent voted in favor of expanding access to abortion) and legalized recreational marijuana (55.9 were in favor), a GOP-supported proposed constitutional amendment that would have led to partisan school board races also lost. In their rejection of this amendment, the League of Women Voters of Florida and other opponents said, “schools should not be politicized and everyone should be welcome at schools regardless of party affiliation.”
Katie Blaxberg defeated DeSantis and M4L-endorsed Stacy Geier for Pinellas County School Board by over four percentage points (52.06% to 47.94%).
Michelle Bonczek bested Mark Cioffi, who was endorsed by DeSantis, by nearly 10 percent (54.99% to 45.01%).
Meanwhile, Equality Florida (EQFL) saw significant growth in their political representation. With the organization’s leadership on the ground, they doubled the number of LGBTQ legislators in the statehouse, one of their explicit goals for the election. But they didn’t only make gains in the statehouse. All told, more than 85 EQFL-endorsed candidates, including eight members of the LGBTQ community, were elected to office.
“In the fight against extremist takeovers of Florida school boards, voters rejected DeSantis’s culture wars and divisive agenda,” Equality Florida said. “This year, we delivered DeSantis and Moms for Liberty a string of humiliating school board defeats. Nearly two-thirds of DeSantis-backed school board candidates lost their races this year. Meanwhile, over 72% of Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed school board candidates won their elections. This progress is proof of the power of resistance. We are turning the tide, even when it feels like everything is stacked against us.”
Propelling the “Relentless Flow of Acceptance”
Journalist and transgender rights activist Erin Reed has been tracking the resultsof down-ballot races throughout the country.
“Even in affirming states, school boards can make life difficult for LGBTQ+ students,” Reed wrote in her newsletter, “or, in states with anti-trans and anti-queer legislation, they can push back against restrictive policies.”
Erin Reed and fiancée Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr celebrate after Reed wins a GLAAD Media Award for her Erin in the Morning blog. (Credit: ErinInTheMorning on X)
Reed’s reports on social media include LGBTQ news with an emphasis on transgender rights. In a post-election message of support to her trans and queer readers, she drew parallels between the 2024 election and the fight for marriage equality in the early 2000s that pushed on despite setbacks.
After former President George W. Bush was reelected in 2004, “he delivered a State of the Union speech where he said, for instance, that he will enshrine a constitutional ban on gay marriage into United States law,” Reed said. “And I could stop there. I could say that there are people that likely did stop there, that saw this and said that there was no future, but you cannot stop the relentless flow of time. You cannot stop the relentless flow of acceptance.”
Stand with Trans, founded in 2015 by Roz Keith, is a nonprofit based in Farmington, Michigan helping trans youth “build resilience, gain confidence and find hope for a future filled with joy.”
Keith launched the organization when she was in search of resources for her own child who, in 2013, came out as transgender.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual programming with a blend of in-person programming has helped to maximize their reach and potential as an organization. As a result, the group has expanded accessibility to be a global force for transgender empowerment and erase stigma surrounding trans identities, all while equipping and supporting families of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes. Each year, Keith and her staff pick a new theme for Transgender Week of Empowerment. This year the conference’s 2024 theme is “Beyond the Binary.”
This theme introduces important topics from autonomy in healthcare, Democracy, reproductive health, parenting, substance use, sports, sibling, parent, and grandparent ally panels, media representation talks and so much more.
“I have loved being in touch with so many folks from the trans community and our allies while putting the programming together. Everyone I’ve spoken with is excited and motivated to support trans and nonbinary youth,” Dubbs Weinblatt, Transgender Empowerment Month program coordinator, told GLAAD.
Raving over the words of Sen. Sarah McBride and others at the launch party, Keith said the start of this year’s event is amazing so far. Scheduled speakers include RuPaul Drag Race Alum, Peppermint, Equality Michigan’s Emme Zannotti, and former Muslim Youth Leadership Council (MYLC) member, Ameera Khan, and so many more.
“We really want to explore the diversity of gender, the intersectionality of different identities, and provide an opportunity for young people to feel like they can connect,” Keith said about this year’s theme, “where they can be inspired, they can have models of possibility for adult caregivers. It’s a place for them to come and learn, and get that education in a credible space.”
In the first year, the Transgender Empowerment Month conference was made up of 45 young people, all trans identified. Keith said many youth were nervous about what to expect, but each year since 2015 the conference has only grown, outsized venues, and broadened the community, says Keith.
The importance of the conference then and now is to allow transgender youth to have a space that’s organized for them to experience.
Logann Finkel met Roz in 2018. “I was transitioning and I was looking for support getting to and from my doctor’s appointments, and somebody had mentioned [that] there is this group, and you could reach out,” Finkel told GLAAD.
That group was Stand With Trans. From Michigan, Keith found someone in New Jersey that could help take Finkel to and from their transgender healthcare appointments.
Since they met, Finkel has been presenting at Transgender Empowerment Month, but this year, they’re excited to be an observer and a participant.
Like Keith, Finkel praised the launch of Transgender Empowerment Month 2024 and the programming ahead. Programming was paused between Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 for Rosh Hashanah observance, and resumed on Oct. 6 in the Jewish New Year with an open mic night.
“The guest speakers [on Oct. 1] were fantastic. It was done in a way that built so much excitement and interest in what we’re about to embark on over this month,” Finkel said. “I would just say I’m really excited.”
There will be more than 30 panels, workshops, and programming strewn throughout the entire month, and people can register at any point in October here.
In honor of National Coming Out Day (October 11) and Spirit Day (October 17), GLAAD together with eharmony has released a report which explores the ways dating apps and pop culture intersect with how the LGBTQ community shares their identities in their dating lives.
The report unpacks brand new insights from the LGBTQ community (age 18+) and includes tips from Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Entertainment & Transgender Inclusion.
eharmony.com
Some key findings from the report include:
Trans and Nonbinary daters:
The #1 reason transgender and nonbinary people reported not disclosing their gender is that they might be fetishized (45%)
Concerns of being bullied rose 3x higher among transgender participants compared to cis participants
58% find it hard to know who will be accepting of their gender
53% feel like an after-thought by dating app companies
41% feel unwanted by cis people
Bi+ Daters:
74% of all LGBTQ+ respondents say that bisexuality is still misunderstood in our society
When cis gay men and lesbians were asked about their feelings dating a bisexual person, 87% said they were open to it
43% said that indicating their sexuality on dating profiles gives them more options and helps them confirm who is interested in them
42% said they don’t like having to interact with straight people on dating apps
30% reported men tend to fetishize them
26% reported feeling judged by others in the LGBTQ+ community
eharmony.com
WLW Daters:
Many cis women are turning to dating apps to not only explore their sexual orientation and gender identity (41%), but to authentically express themselves when dating someone as their true selves (45%)
61% report having deeper emotional intimacy when dating women
Several myths and stereotypes about sapphic relationships were debunked by the study as well:
U-Hauling: Only 26% of cis lesbian and gay women report moving in together too quickly. “U-Hauling” isn’t as pervasive as we thought.
Lesbian Bed Death: Only 33% of cis lesbian and gay women said sex life declines over time when dating the same person, and 43% said they have a better sex life because their partners understand their body.
Friend-zoning: Just over one-quarter, 28% said they can’t get out of the friendzone.
Is there really a Masc Lesbian shortage? This past summer there was social media chatter regarding a lack of masc lesbians, but only 17% said they have experienced this
“eharmony continues to be an incredible example of what brands can achieve when choosing to responsibly support and serve their LGBTQ audiences and consumers, especially in the face of anti-LGBTQ attacks on corporate inclusion,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Together with GLAAD, eharmony’s new study measuring dating and pop culture sentiment will have a profound impact on expanding our understanding of the roles dating apps play in the coming out process and sharing identities. Coinciding with National Coming Out Day and Spirit Day, organized by GLAAD, this research underscores the fact that while there is no correct timeline for coming out, LGBTQ people must feel safe and supported in the coming out process, no matter how or where they decide to.”
via Getty Images
“Younger generations are more likely to be LGBTQ than the generations before them. While the LGBTQ community, including our corporate allies, is facing extraordinary levels of legislative and cultural backlash, LGBTQ people are wanting places to feel safe and be able to be fully themselves,” Ellis said. “Providing places that not only invite and welcome LGBTQ people, but also take measures to protect and support their belonging will not only bring about connection online but create a more accepting world outside.”
via Getty Images
“While we know that storytelling allows LGBTQ+ people to more clearly see themselves and be seen by others, we cannot underestimate the power of out and visible LGBTQ+ people in our culture who impact the way LGBTQ+ people feel about themselves, particularly those who are transgender,” Alex Schmider stated. 75% of respondents said that seeing transgender people in the media gives them more confidence. According to Schmider, “It’s not always been the case that LGBTQ+ people could be out as public figures but as they are, more LGBTQ+ people relate to and can find confidence in their examples.”
In 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society proposed the first annual Filipino American History Month to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos on October 18, 1587. It became official when the 111th Congress introduced and passed a resolution in 2009 officially recognizing Filipino American History Month.
This Filipino-American History Month, GLAAD is shining a spotlight on the queer Filipino-Americans history makers! With activists, producers, journalists, film and television directors, and more, Filipino-Americans are everywhere making their mark upon the world. Join us on GLAAD social media to hear from current Filipino-Americans who are making this world queer, one day at a time.
Alec Mapa
One of the original queer Filipino faces in Hollywood. He hosted hosted GLAAD Media Award winning show “Transamerican Love Story” and had roles in shows like “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Half-And-Half.” He has also been a judge multiple times on RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, and other branches of the franchise.
Geena Rocero
Geena is an international model and TV producer who shot to world acclaim with her vulnerable TEDx Talk where she came out as a transgender woman. Since then, she has advocated for transgender rights at the United Nations headquarters and the World Economic Forum, and the White House, graced the pages of Playboy as Playmate of the Month in August 2019 (and also becoming the first openly transgender Filipina model on the publication), and produced-and-directed the four part documentary series, “Caretakers” – which highlighted Filipino Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glamour Magazine – Geena Rocero
Maria Ressa
Being a Filipino American often means always having ties and work back home. As editor-in-chief and CEO of the Philippine news site Rappler, she led her team in dauntlessly seeking and speaking the truth – even in the face of a government and environment that has been fatally dangerous to journalists. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her heroic work and, along with her company Rappler, was the subject of the Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts (available to stream on PBS). She is currently on GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index Advisory Committee.
Maria Ressa (courtesy of Denise Applewhite of Princeton University)
Richard Adams
In 1975, Richard Adams made history when he and his partner, Anthony Sullivan, got married in Boulder, Colorado. They are one of the first gay couples in the country to be granted a marriage license. Through this license, Adams, a Filipino-American, hoped to get permanent residency for Sullivan, an Australian. However, they were denied and the notification from the Immigration and Naturalization Service used a slur as part of their reasoning why. In 1979, Adams filed the first lawsuit in America to seek recognition of a same-sex marriage by the federal government. Adams v Howerton was ultimately denied in 1982. It wasn’t until 2014, after Adams had died in 2012, that the USCIS approved the 1975 visa petition. Sullivan received his permanent residency status in 2016. The documentary, Limited Partnership, is a documentary telling the couple’s story.
Richard Adams (left) and Anthony Sullivan (right)
Ongina
RuPaul’s Drag Race is a global phenomenon that has earned multiple Emmy Awards and GLAAD Media Awards over its 15-year-and-counting run. Before it became the media powerhouse that it was, it started off as an aspiring competition show with a now infamous “season 1 filter.” Among the very first set of contestants was Ongina – a proud Filipina drag queen known for her signature bald head. She may not have won the crown but she won many of the audience’s hearts for her advocacy as an HIV positive individual on national television back in 2009 when stigma was a lot higher than it is today.
Jose Antonio Vargas
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, film maker and immigration rights activist, Jose Antonio Vargas is the founder of Define American, a non-profit dedicated to “humanizing the immigrant narrative, one store at a time.” Born in the Philippines, he moved to America at the age of 12. In 2011, he revealed his undocumented immigrant status. A year after his Time cover story about his immigration status, the Obama administration announced it would be halting the deportation of undocumented immigrants age 30 and under, for they would qualify for the DREAM Act. Vargas, who was 31, did not qualify. Additionally, in 2015, Vargas directed and starred in the Daytime Emmy nominated documentary, White People. He was co-producer for the first Broadway production to feature an all Filipino cast, Here Lies Love.
The 2024 election is consequential for LGBTQ people and our equality. LGBTQ voters are poised again to be the decisive edge in close-contest states in the presidential race as well as the elections that will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
But it’s not just about choosing candidates. Here are issues and proposals up for a vote that will have an impact on the LGBTQ community, including in the battleground states and states that have passed legislation targeting LGBTQ people.
According to the results of a GLAAD and Pathfinder poll released earlier this year, abortion is the second most important issue for LGBTQ voters in the 2024 election. LGBTQ people can and do get pregnant and need reproductive health care. Many of the same states with abortion bans also have enacted bans and restrictions on transgender health care.
According to the results of a GLAAD and Pathfinder poll conducted earlier this year, abortion is the second most important issue in the 2024 election.
Ten states have ballot initiatives to protect access to abortion, including the battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, as well as Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and New York. Nebraska has competing ballot initiatives – one expanding access to abortion, one restricting it to the first trimester of pregnancy. Since the Dobbs decision, voters in every state with ballot initiatives have passed expanded protections and access to reproductive care – eight elections and counting.
Arizona
Proposition 139: Amend the state constitution to define as fundamental the right to abortion“through fetal viability,” or about 24 weeks. Current law allows for abortions “until 15 weeks of pregnancy.” In April, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled 4-2 to uphold an 1864 law “prohibiting abortion in most circumstances except to save the life of the mother.” The following month, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs cast her signature to revoke the law.
“This election is more than a presidential election. In Arizona, like many states, the outcomes of these ballot initiatives could drastically change rights and freedoms granted to individuals in our state including the quality and availability of reproductive health care for Arizona families,” said Michael Soto, president of Equality Arizona.
“Make sure you don’t forget to vote on the ballot initiatives like Prop 139, in fact the most effective way to vote this year in Arizona is to start with the propositions and work your way up to the presidential race. Our rights and freedoms are on the line, and your vote will matter more than it ever has in this election.”
Arizona’s U.S. Senate race features Rep. Ruben Gallego and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Lake has promised to make Arizona a “sanctuary state” for the unborn, called abortion the “ultimate sin” and endorsed a federal ban on abortion before flipping support. Rep. Gallego supports Prop 139 and “restoring abortion access” in Arizona.
GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Gallego and Lake.
Colorado
Amendment 79: Protect Coloradans’ right to abortion and prevent governmental interference, denial, or discrimination. Allow for Medicare and other state-funded insurance to “cover abortion services.” As a constitutional amendment, this proposal requires at least 55% voter approval to pass.
Florida
Amendment 4: Add abortion protections to the Florida Constitution’s Declaration of Rights. A “yes” vote would enshrine abortion protections “before viability” or to protect the health of the patient. Unchanged will be a current provision requiring parents “to be notified before a minor can receive an abortion.” Recent polling shows 76% of voters expressed support for the proposal. Florida currently has a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, one of the strictest bans in the country, as well as a ban on health care for transgender people, which can currently be enforced as the law is appealed.
Florida’s incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Scott has backed Florida-based anti-LGBTQ extremist book banning group Moms for Liberty, and opposes Florida’s Amendment 4.
In recent years, The Hill reports, Floridians passed amendments restoring voting rights to felons who have served their time, voted to increase the minimum wage, and legalized medicinal marijuana.
In 2023, Illinois’ legislature passed, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law, a bill enshrining the right to abortion and maternity care. The bill was sponsored by out state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who said: “While all around us opponents are using misinformation and misogyny to justify attacks on bodily autonomy, I’m proud that here in Illinois, we’ve declared unequivocally that we trust patients and doctors to make these decisions safely and privately.”
Maryland
Question 1: Enshrine reproductive freedom rights within the Maryland Constitution’s Declaration of Rights. The right to reproductive freedom includes, “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.” A simple majority is needed for the measure to pass.
Maryland’s race for U.S. Senate includes former Gov. Larry Hogan, who vetoed a bill to expand access to abortion in 2022. His opponent, Prince George’s County Chief Executive Angela Alsobrooks, said Hogan would be the “51st vote” swinging the Senate majority to the party that would not vote to restore the rights of Roe nationwide.
Alsobrooks told the Associated Press “there will never be a vote as to whether or not we should codify Roe in federal law if the Republicans are in the majority… they have made it clear, they’ve essentially declared war on reproductive freedoms, and we know that that vote would never happen.”
Missouri
Amendment 3: Enshrine reproductive freedom rights, including “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions” into the state constitution through an amendment. Previously threatened with removal from the November ballot, the Supreme Court of Missouri “reversed a lower court ruling against the measure.”
Incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley, who is running for re-election this year, lied about Amendment 3 while also attacking essential health care for transgender people that’s supported by every major medical association.
“Hawley’s fear mongering on trans health care for youth referenced practices that are already largely restricted in Missouri,” St. Louis Public Radio reported. “In 2023, the state passed a sweeping ban on gender-affirming care for minors.”
Supporters of Amendment 3, including the ACLU and Hawley’s Senate race opponent, Lucas Kunce, called Hawley’s remarks false, outlandish, and an attempt to distract voters, KSMU reports.
Hawley’s LGBTQ record is documented on the GLAAD Accountability Project. Hawley is among five senators who voted to object to the Electoral College counts showing Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, casting their votes hours after the deadly insurrection at the United States Capitol. Hawley went on to co-sponsor a bill targeting transgender students. The five senators voting to protect Trump’s lie, then targeting transgender youth, are Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Montana
CI-128: Amend the state constitution to enshrine reproductive rights, “including the right to abortion,” and to “travel for medical services” without government interference “up until the point of fetal viability.”
Montana’s race for U.S. Senate is among those that will determine whether the Senate remains in the control of the pro-equality majority.
In a September 30 debate, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester supported the ballot measure and a person’s fundamental right to make private health care decisions: “I believe women should be able to make their own health care decisions. That’s the bottom line. It shouldn’t be the federal government. It shouldn’t be a bureaucrat. It shouldn’t be a judge,” Tester said. Tester also supports federal legislation to protect abortion access before fetal viability — generally considered to be around 24 weeks, according to Montana Public Radio.
U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is anti-abortion and calls Tester’s stance extreme. Sheehy has said “I am proudly pro-life.”
Nevada
Question 6: The Right to Abortion Initiative. A “yes” vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to an abortion.
“Abortions in Nevada are currently legal up to 24 weeks after the start of pregnancy and after 24 weeks if a physician believes the pregnant person’s life or health is at risk,” the Nevada Current reports
“Those protections were put in place via a citizen-driven referendum passed by voters in 1990 and would require a direct vote of the people to change. Question 6 would establish abortion as a fundamental right in the state constitution, which also requires a vote of the people to amend.”
“This doubles down on the protections on statute,” Lindsey Harmon, president of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom told the Current. “It makes it twice as hard to repeal or amend the referendum.”
Incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen is running for her second term in the Senate and supports Question 6. Her opponent, retired Army Capt. Sam Brown has said he is “pro-life,” that he’s “not for changing existing law,” and in 2022 told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he will “continue to protect life by voting against any federal funding of abortion and by voting to confirm justices who protect life.”
GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Rosen and Brown, here.
The Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade revealed that marriage equality under Obergefell v. Hodges is far from safe. And while the Respect for Marriage Act would protect same-sex marriages that have already taken place legally, it does not “prevent states from refusing to license the unions.” In order to enshrine these rights, the following states have proposed legislation that would protect marriage equality:
California
Proposition 3: Repeal the now infamous Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative defining “marriage as a union between one man and one woman.” A “yes” vote would establish as fundamental the right to marry. Prop 8 was overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court case Hollingsworth v. Perry, in 2013.
Vice President and former California Attorney General Kamala Harris officiates the wedding ceremony (2013) for the lead plaintiffs in a case that led to the overturning of the state’s same-sex marriage ban. (Credit: MSNBC)
Colorado
Amendment J: Remove the ban on same-sex marriage in the Colorado Constitution. Currently, the state constitution still defines marriage as “only a union of one man and one woman,” wording that was nullified with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision. Justice Clarence Thomas has called on Obergefell to be “reconsidered” in his concurrence overthrowing Roe.
“Marriage has been many things throughout history, but for queer people, it’s always been about more than just a legal union—it’s been a defiant act of love and resistance.” said Jax Gonzalez, political director at One Colorado, the state’s leading LGBTQ advocacy organization.
“The Obergefell decision was a monumental step forward, but with the fall of Roe, we know we can’t rely on Supreme Court precedent to protect the freedom to marry. Removing the ban on same-sex marriage from the Colorado Constitution isn’t just about love or legal protection—it’s about affirming that our love, our dignity, and our equality are not up for debate. We owe it to the generations who fought before us, and to the future we’re building, to ensure these rights are secure.”
Of particular note: One Colorado reported that no-anti transgender initiatives made it to the November ballot. This comes after an anti-LGBTQ political action committee announced in August that they failed to collect enough signatures to advance anti-transgender legislation onto the 2024 ballot.
According to a report by The Williams Institute, more than 210,000 transgender adults could “face barriers to voting this fall” because their forms of identification don’t match their gender. State agencies in Missouri and Texas have removed protocols for trans people to correct their birth certificates. Ballot measures this year are targeting ways candidates appear on the ballot and can campaign.
Among the higher profile state ballot initiatives is Ohio’s Issue 1, which aims to fix the current manipulation of maps designed to favor one party over another (gerrymandering).
Ohio Issue 1: Establish a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of five each of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Currently, the redistricting commission is comprised of politicians. Issue 1 would mandate politicians be excluded, along with lobbyists and political consultants.
Equality Ohio explained the measure to its followers on TikTok and Instagram: “Gerrymandering leads to extreme legislation—it hurts LGBTQ+ Ohioans, period.”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAZJKfVyS03/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fglaad.org&rp=%2Fvoting-for-equality-lgbtq-related-proposals-on-the-ballot-this-year%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A336%2C%22ls%22%3A193%2C%22le%22%3A193%7D
Gerrymandered maps have helped create an extremist supermajority in the Ohio state legislature that last year passed a combination bill banning medically necessary health care for transgender youth and banning trans youth from school sports. Ohio has successfully worked around the gerrymandered supermajority with ballot measures, including two measures that helped codify the right to reproductive health care last year.
In August 2023, Ohio voters passed a ballot measure that protected a majority vote for ballot measures, then in November 2023, voters passed an amendment to add abortion rights to the state constitution, with robust voter turnout for an off-year election. Extremist lawmakers opposed both measures.
Signal Cleveland spelled out the stakes of Issue 1: “Under the current maps, Republicans hold about 66% of Ohio’s congressional and state legislative seats – giving them a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly – although their share of the vote is closer to 56%.”
If Ohio voters pass Issue 1, the state would join Michigan and Wisconsin, which have successfully broken down partisan gerrymandering, ensuring accurate representation in the state’s voting districts.
Additional states with measures about voting procedures and methods include:
Arizona
Proposition 133: Update the state constitution to “require partisan primary elections for partisan offices,” thus preventing all candidates from running in the same primary. Under the proposed amendment, political parties would nominate their own candidates to open positions, as has already been the practice.
Proposition 134: Establish within the state constitution an amendment requiring citizens pursuing a ballot measure to gather a percentage of signatures from every legislative district; 10% for statutory amendments and 15% for statewide initiatives.
Proposition 137: Replace term limits for state Supreme Court justices and superior court judges with “terms of good behavior.” If passed, this proposal would strip voters of the right to decidewhether or not to retain state Supreme Court justices. “Any justices on the November ballot would also automatically stay in office if the measure passes, even if voters choose to reject them.”
Proposition 140: Create open primary elections, requiring “all candidates for a specific office,” regardless of political affiliation, to “run against each other in a single primary election.” Lawmakers would then have the option to establish “a top-two general election featuring the top primary candidates,” or a ranked-choice voting system in the general elections “featuring the top primary candidates.”
Colorado
Proposition 131 (Initiative 310): Eliminate partisan primaries and place all qualified candidates“on the same primary ballot.” The four candidates with the top number of votes would move on to the November general election, which would ask voters to rank them based on their “order of preference.”
Florida
Amendment 1: Require school board candidates to list their party affiliation on the ballot, starting with the November 2026 general election.
Amendment 7: Amend the state constitution to limit voting to U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older. In addition, the proposal would “prohibit the ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue,” and advance one winner from the primary elections to the general election.
Montana
CI-126 and CI-127: CI-126 would create ranked-choice primaries for candidates running for “governor, lieutenant governor, state executives, state legislators, and congressional offices.” Following the election, the top-four candidates would advance to the general election, “regardless of party.” Meanwhile, CI-127 would require candidates for the following offices to win a majority of the vote, rather than a plurality, in order to secure the election: “governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state legislature, and congressional offices.”
Wisconsin
Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment: Amends the state constitution to stipulate “that only U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or older can vote in federal, state, local, or school elections.” Current language states “every” U.S. citizen can vote, but the proposal would change this to “only.” If passed, the measure would capitalize on fear mongering about noncitizen voting, “but noncitizens cannot legally use their IDs or licenses to register and vote.”
To learn more about statewide initiatives that will appear on your ballot, we recommend familiarizing yourself with them through nonpartisan sites like Ballotpedia (also linked from the title of each ballot proposal).
Legendary LGBTQ icon Chilli Pepper passed away peacefully at home on September 11th, surrounded by close friends. Celebrating Chilli’s life comes naturally, as she has spent decades entertaining the masses, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, and bringing critical attention to the pressing issues of our time. Chilli Pepper is nothing short of an icon in the LGBTQ+ movement, a beacon of courage and authenticity when trans rights, drag artistry, and the AIDS crisis were seldom discussed or understood.
Chilli was one of the first trans women to confront the issue of HIV/AIDS awareness head-on, helping to bring HIV/AIDS into the national conversation at a time when even the U.S. president remained silent. Her courage and activism garnered widespread recognition, leading to media coverage in publications such as the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Skyline, People Magazine, and appearances on iconic shows like Phil Donahue and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Notably, she made history during the first season of The Oprah Winfrey Show as one of the earliest openly LGBTQ individuals to appear on a talk show. Describing herself as a ‘bionic’ woman, her courageous visibility brought essential awareness to millions of Americans, marking a pivotal moment for the LGBTQ community as a whole.
Most recently, at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on March 14, 2024, Chilli Pepper along with Paolo Presta were invited to present the prestigious Vanguard Award to Oprah Winfrey. Oprah herself reflected on Chilli’s dedication, noting that Chilli’s fear of flying didn’t stop her from taking a three-day train ride to attend the event and support her dear friend.
To the LGBTQ+ communities in Chicago and beyond, Chilli’s career is a testament to dedication, professionalism, and triumph. From being crowned the first Miss Continental in 1980 to becoming a renowned figure both in the U.S. and globally, Chilli Pepper’s dynamic presence and tireless advocacy have left an indelible mark.
Chilli stood as a symbol of strength, unapologetically herself, embodying the belief that diversity must be celebrated and understood. She has inspired generations with her fierce spirit, reminding us all that authenticity is the greatest form of activism.
Rest in power, Chilli Pepper. You will forever remain an icon of resilience and pride for the LGBTQ community and beyond.
GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has released its 12th annual Studio Responsibility Index tracking films released during 2023. Despite “a huge increase in LGBTQ characters who were front and center in their own narratives,” the study found the number of films with LGBTQ characters dropped in 2023.
The survey looked at 256 films from 10 major distributors and their subsidiaries and streaming services. GLAAD says the index can serve as a guide for studios to identify priorities and opportunities to increase and improve fair, accurate and inclusive LGBTQ representation and storytelling.
Key findings of the study included:
70 of the 256 films, or 27.3%, contained an LGBTQ character, a decrease from 28.5% in 2022.
Those 70 films included 170 LGBTQ characters, of which 46% were characters of color, representing an increase of 6% from the 2022 study.
Of the 170 LGBTQ characters surveyed, only two were transgender, from the films “Next Goal Wins” and “¡Que Viva Mexico!,” down from 13 the previous year. GLAAD noted the “¡Que Viva Mexico!” character was played by a cisgender man and called the number “alarmingly low.”
Just two of the 170 LGBTQ characters had a disability, a decrease from 11 in the previous year.
The survey ranked the 10 distributors based on the quality, quantity and diversity of LGBTQ inclusion in addition to GLAAD’s Vito Russo Test, a set of criteria to analyze how characters are included in a film. Distributor ratings found A24 to be insufficient, while Amazon was good, Apple TV+ was failing, Lionsgate was insufficient, NBCUniversal and Netflix were fair, Paramount Global, Sony and Walt Disney Studios were insufficient, and Warner Bros. Discovery was poor. (NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC News.)
“Though there is inconsistent progress on LGBTQ representation from major distributors year to year, recent films with LGBTQ leads prove that our stories can absolutely be both critical and commercial successes — when they have the full support of the studio behind them,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “As the film production and distribution model continues to evolve, major distributors must deepen investment and intention in storytelling efforts to retain the attention of growing young diverse audiences, who crave stories that reflect their experience and their values. If LGBTQ representation continues to decline in major releases, these companies will lose relevance with a crucial buying audience. GLAAD is committed to continuing and deepening our work with studios and the creative community to ensure we meet this moment together.”
Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s senior director of entertainment research and analysis, said the decrease in trans representation was particularly concerning.
“This year’s study found a significant and concerning decrease in representation of transgender characters and stories, down from 12 titles to just two — and one of those films was blatantly transphobic, she said. “We know that less than 30% of American adults personally know someone who is transgender, therefore they may be more susceptible to lies and misinformation about trans people spread by anti-transgender politicians and activists.”
With the aim of achieving more representation in LGBTQ content, GLAAD is spearheading initiatives such as the GLAAD List of unproduced scripts; the Communities of Color team which launched the Black Queer Creative Summit and Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative; GLAAD Spirit Day on Oct. 17; the GLAAD Media Institute and the GLAAD research department.
GLAAD has documented the anti-LGBTQ history of Donald Trump, including his policies, rhetoric and proposals on immigration. Trump’s full anti-LGBTQ record is available on GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Tracker.
LGBTQ people seek protection and asylum in the U.S. to escape persecution and violence from countries around the world. Persecution due to sexual orientation is grounds to apply for asylum in the U.S.
Trump’s immigration record includes:
False claims during a news conference on August 8, 2024, that 20 million people had crossed the U.S. border illegally under the Biden administration. NBC News reported that border crossings fell to their lowest monthly number of Biden’s presidency in June, with just over 84,000 migrants apprehended.
False claims and fearmongering that migrants are committing crimes once in the U.S. Research shows immigrants actually commit fewer crimes than non-immigrants.
Promising mass deportations, including threats of raids and use of camps to detain people.
Falsely and baselessly describing migrants from Mexico at his first campaign announcement: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
Vowing to build a wall along Mexico and having Mexico pay for it. Only part of a wall was built and Mexico did not pay for it.
Creating Migrant “Protection” Protocols requiring asylum seekers at the U.S. southern border to be returned to Mexico, including LGBTQ and HIV-positive people who endured human rights abuses in Mexico.
Ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected an estimated 800,000 young undocumented immigrants, including an estimated 39,000 LGBTQ DREAMers, from detention and deportation.
Signing an executive order promising to withhold federal money from sanctuary cities in an attempt to increase deportations.
Ending a humanitarian program that allowed Haitian immigrants to live and work in the United States following a catastrophic earthquake.
Grossly characterizing immigrants and their home countries, including Haiti and countries in Africa: “Why do we want all these people from ‘shithole countries’ coming here?”
Signing an executive order in 2018 initiating family separations. Thousands of migrants, including young children, were taken away from their families.
Shutting down the federal government for 35 days, the longest government shutdown in American history, after lawmakers refused to fund more than $5 billion for the border wall along the United States and Mexico.
Declaring a national emergency to get money for the border wall after the 35-day shutdown failed to produce funding results.
Project 2025, a blueprint for authoritarian takeover of the government created by anti-LGBTQ Heritage Foundation and 140 others connected to the first Trump administration, calls for:
Legalizing mass deportation and raids of immigrant communities, as well as separating families and ending birthright citizenship. Same-sex couples and LGBTQ couples with children would be subject to these extreme and inhumane measures.
Blocking financial aid for college students if their state permits immigrants, including DACA recipients, to access in-state tuition.
Requiring public schools to charge tuition to unaccompanied migrant children and children with undocumented parents.
Terminating the legal status of 500,000 Dreamers by eliminating staff time for reviewing and processing renewal applications.
Suspending updates to the annual eligible country lists for H-2A and H-2B temporary worker visas and excluding areas from filling gaps in the agricultural, construction, hospitality, and forestry workforce.
Barring U.S. citizens from qualifying for federal housing subsidies if they live with anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
Forcing states to share driver’s licenses and taxpayer identification information with federal authorities or risk critical funding.
With his selection by Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz could be the next Vice President of the United States. Walz’s record of support for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and adults has been clear throughout his career as a teacher, legislator, and Governor.
Under Minnesota’s pro-equality legislative and executive branches, Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, and the Queer Legislators Caucus built the state into a national model for protecting the healthcare access and human rights of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, especially transgender, non-binary and 2-Spirit residents.
Below are a few of the accomplishments in Minnesota in the 2023-2024 legislative biennium.
First Queer Caucus: Voters elected 11 new LGBTQ+ individuals to the MN Legislature in 2022. In December 2022, Representative Leigh Finke was selected as the inaugural chair of the Queer Legislators Caucus in Minnesota.
Trans Refuge State: Gov. Walz signed an executive order to protect those traveling to Minnesota to receive gender-affirming care. Two months later Trans Refuge became the law in Minnesota, protecting patients, families, and providers from out-of-state laws punishing trans health care access, as well as allowing Minnesota courts to hear cases in which parents disagree about health care planning.
The Take Pride Act expanded protections under the Minnesota Human Rights Act for trans and queer Minnesotans by updating language around gender identity and sexual orientation. The bill also banned rental discrimination in duplexes for LGBTQ renters, as well as banning discriminatory hiring practices in certain nonprofit organizations.
Banned Panic Defense: The panic defense is a legal strategy in which defendants charged with violent crimes attempt to avoid liability due to the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim.
Menstrual Equity: All menstruating students in grades 4-12 are provided free period products in Minnesota schools. These products will be available to all students regardless of gender. The law does not specify which bathrooms the products must be in, it requires school districts to develop plans to ensure all students who menstruate can access the products for free.
This is only a PORTION of what Minnesota accomplished. Other wins include:
Walz and the pro-equality majority legislature also passed and signed into law additional measures for the safety, health and wellbeing of all Minnesotans and youth:
