Greg Owen

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Ugandans flee as Kill the Gays gains momentum across Africa

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Gay Ugandans are fleeing the country as the government’s Anti-Homosexuality Act moves closer to becoming law. “The government and the people of Uganda are against our existence,” said Mbajjwe Nimiro Wilson, a 24-year-old refugee now living in a shelter in neighboring Kenya.  Safehouses are expected to be closed with passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Before escaping with just a backpack of belongings, Wilson was cornered by a hostile crowd on the street as he tried to buy groceries. “They kept saying, ‘We will hunt you. You gays should be killed. We will slaughter you,’” he told The New York Times. “There […]

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“Don’t mess with drag queens!”: Thousands march against anti-LGBTQ+ bills

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In a huge show of defiance protesting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping the country, including Tennessee’s ban on public drag performance, thousands of drag queens and their allies took to the streets this weekend in back-to-back marches through San Francisco and West Hollywood.   “If there’s one thing that I have learned over 36 years,” out state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) shared with the crowd at San Francisco’s Drag Up! Fight Back! march on Saturday, it’s “don’t mess with drag queens!”. On Easter Sunday in West Hollywood, thousands gathered for a rally in West Hollywood Park organized by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and […]

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Tennessee shuns federal HIV funds

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While the country remains in shock after Tennessee’s recent ban on public drag performances, another, more insidious attack on the LGBTQ+ community has been underway in the state. A coordinated effort by right-wing media and conservative lawmakers has decimated community-based programs addressing healthcare for LGBTQ+ people in Tennessee, including efforts to combat HIV. In January, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced his administration was rejecting $8.8 million in federal funds provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for HIV prevention and treatment. Left unsaid was the fact that some of those dollars had made their way to […]

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Housing for older LGBT+ folks is lagging. New York just stepped up

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In her first State of the State address, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made history with a commitment to direct state resources to help fund housing for older New Yorkers. Hochul directed New York State’s Homes and Community Renewal agency (HCR) to provide funding specifically for affordable housing projects that are affirming for New Yorkers among the state’s 800,000+ older LGBTQ+ population. Only two housing developments in New York serve the community: Stonewall House in Brooklyn and Crotona Pride House in the Bronx. Those projects were developed and funded by SAGE, the LGBTQ+ elders advocacy group, along with BFC Partners and […]

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FBI joins investigation of violent threats against St. Louis bars and a drag story hour

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The FBI has joined the investigation of violent threats against three LGBTQ+ bars in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis, and a fourth threat against a children’s play space in the city that was scheduled to host a drag queen story hour. NBC affiliate KMOV reported the addition of federal law enforcement to the probe. Saturday afternoon, around 4 pm, at least two gay bars in the Grove entertainment district in the city received calls from an individual threatening violence at the establishments. Three bars in the area, Prism STL, Just John, and Rehab, all received calls threatening violence that night. “The […]

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Almost all older LGBTQ+ Americans got vaccinated for COVID

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A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA finds older LGBTQ+ Americans were affected more negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic than their straight peers. Using data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey, the report examined the demographics, health, and economic experiences of LGBTQ+ adults aged 50 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was led by Research Data Analyst Lauren J.A. Bouton, with Amanda M. Brush and Ilan H. Meyer, Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy. Among the findings: LGBTQ Nation spoke with the study’s lead author to find out what the data reveals and how it can be used […]

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Testosterone shortage affecting trans men around the world

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Lingering supply chain issues related to the COVID pandemic are affecting stocks of testosterone available for trans men. Around the world, sporadic shortages of the hormone are creating anxiety among the trans population over the potential physical and psychological effects of missed doses. In Mexico, the shortage is having real-world consequences. “One day, I wrote to all my friends that there aren’t any hormones left at the pharmacy downtown,” Chiapas resident Chiu Palomeque told Global Press Journal. “I told them I would go and check another one and I was like ‘Phew! They have it here. Yes! Come and get it […]

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Students protest Pride flag ban at Massachusetts high school

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A high school in Stoughton, Massachusetts was the site of a protest Tuesday night over the school’s ban on what it calls “political” flags and posters in classrooms. The action was organized by Stoughton High School senior Olivia Tran, who was suspended last week for leading a student demonstration against the policy during class hours. Tran draped a large Pride flag outside the school’s administration office in that protest and the group refused to return to class. Tuesday’s demonstration took place in and outside a previously scheduled school committee meeting, where Tran encouraged students and residents of the school district […]

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10 retirement communities where you can live as your authentic self

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Finding a safe and supportive environment to age in place has become increasingly possible in recent years in traditionally friendly enclaves. San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Provincetown, MA, are some of the towns and cities where older adults can continue to live their best lives in the gayborhood. For many, though, a planned community is the preferred destination. A growing number are built and run with LGBTQ retirees in mind. Still, with an estimated 2.7 million people in that group, supply dedicated to this population segment has a long way to go to catch up with demand. ADVERTISING […]

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Transgender school board member resigns after months of harassment from hate group

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A transgender member of the Asheville City Board of Education has resigned after a months-long campaign of harassment by a representative of a national hate group. Peyton O’Conner announced her resignation from the board on Monday night, effective immediately. Ronald Gates, a self-described pastor and “ambassador” for the Arizona-based hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, started showing up at Asheville City Board of Education meetings in October, hectoring the board with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, denouncing critical race theory, and misgendering board member O’Conner. “Mr. Gates is a fascist whose hatred and fear-mongering have no place within the Asheville City School’s community,” O’Conner […]

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