The Advocate

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Georgia Parliament passes package of ‘unbearable’ anti-LGBTQ+ laws

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The parliament of Georgia on last week approved the first reading of a package of bills that would strictly curtail the rights of the country’s LGBTQ+ community, Reuters and Zona Media reported. Introduced earlier this month by the ruling Georgian Dream party, the bill calls for banning the promotion of marriage equality or other same-sex relationships, defines gender as binary, outlaws “LGBT propaganda” and gender-affirming care, and prevents non-heterosexual couples and individuals from adopting children. The bill also potentially bans Pride parades, festivals, and public displays of Pride flags. The bill further codifies the 2018 amending of the state’s constitution defining marriage as between “a man and […]

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As governments demonize LGBTQ+ rights, children lose the most

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In recent months, LGBTQ+ rights have faced significant setbacks in many countries, with populist and authoritarian governments passing draconian laws curtailing LGBTQ+ rights.  Countries as varied asUganda, Ghana, Iraq, Russia, Hungary, and theUnited States, among others, have sought to limit the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly of LGBTQ+ individuals. They have done so by suggesting that the mere existence of LGBTQ+ people in the public sphere poses a threat to children, misusing the rhetoric of protecting children to restrict fundamental human rights. This tired and offensive stereotype is damaging to the LGBTQ+ community, who are demonized in the public imagination and deprived of basic human […]

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Gender-affirming surgeries are mostly performed on cisgender people: ‘Bitter irony’

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“Little to no” gender-affirming surgeries are being performed on minors in the United States, and those that are performed are overwhelmingly on cisgender minors.  Out of the 151 breast reductions that were performed in 2019 on American minors, 146 (97 percent) were performed on cisgender males, according to a new study published in JAMA. Out of the 636 breast reductions performed on adults, 507 (80 percent) were performed on cisgender males. The study used data from 47,437,919 adults and 22,827,194 minors who were insured that year, finding that chest-related operations accounted for 1,591 out of 2,664 (59.7 percent) of surgical procedures performed on adults, and 82 of 85 (96.4 percent) […]

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Human Rights Campaign initiative strives to overcome HIV stigma

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TheHuman Rights Campaign is pioneering a new frontier in the fight againstHIVstigma and health disparities. The organization’s GENERATE initiative, part of HRC’s celebrated “My Body, My Health” campaign, is a beacon of hope and empowerment for Black and LatineLGBTQ+ young men living with HIV.  Launched in 2023 with a blend of advocacy, storytelling, and education, GENERATE is more than a program—it’s a lifeline. “This initiative is about transforming lives,” says Torrian Baskerville, the dynamic director of HRC’s HIV and Health Equity program. “We are equipping these young men with the tools to not only survive but thrive.” The program promises a transformative […]

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Utah’s bathroom snitch line hasn’t found one legitimate complaint out of 12,000

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The Utah Public Auditor has been “unable to substantiate” a single violation of the state’s anti-transgender bathroom ban out of over 12,000 complaints.  The state auditor released a form in May for the public to report transgender people who use the changing rooms and restrooms that align with their gender identity to state authorities. The form was meant to be a method of enforcing a recently enacted state law that levies criminal penalties against people who use “changing rooms” that do not align with their biological sex in government-owned and run buildings. HB 257 changed the state’s legal definitions of “female” and “male,” defining the terms […]

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Democratic National Convention will be a celebration of diversity in Chicago, say queer staff

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As theDemocratic National Convention approaches, set to take place inChicagofrom August 19-22, an undercurrent of inclusivity runs through its planning stages.  According to a convention spokesperson, over 20 percent of the Democratic National Convention Committee staff identify asLGBTQ+, with five department directors among them. This is not just a statistical footnote; it’s a deliberate manifestation of the Democratic Party’s values of diversity and inclusion, the organizers say. Senior director for communications Matt Hill is one of the key architects of this inclusive vision. Hill has a storied history with the President Joe Biden’s team, having served as a spokesperson on Biden’s 2020 campaigns […]

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Roberta Kaplan, legendary LGBTQ+ rights lawyer, leaves her firm amid misconduct allegations

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Roberta Kaplan, a legendary lawyer in the realm of LGBTQ+ rights and feminism, has resigned from the firm she founded “after clashing with her partners over her treatment of colleagues,” The New York Timesreports. Kaplan, who is lesbian, represented Edie Windsor in the case that brought down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013 and more recently represented E. Jean Carroll in her successful lawsuits against Donald Trump for defamation and sexual abuse. She opened New York-based Kaplan Hecker & Fink in 2017 after 25 years with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a major corporate law firm. She once said Kaplan Hecker & Fink operated […]

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Joe Biden at Stonewall’s 55th anniversary: The LGBTQ+ community ‘set an example for the world’

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As New York City gears up for this weekend’s Pride Month festivities, the LGBTQ+ community was top-of-mind for the President Joe Biden as he visited Stonewall on Friday.  In a historic and momentous occasion for the LGBTQ+ community, Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden attended the grand opening of theStonewall National Monument Visitor Center inManhattan. Biden is the first sitting president to visit the historic birthplace of the modernLGBTQ+ rights movement. This center, the first of its kind in the U.S. National Park Service, is a testament to the enduring fight for LGBTQ+ rights and commemorates the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. […]

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Christian Reformed churches leave denomination in droves after anti-LGBTQ+ vote

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Several churches have made the decision to leave one of the oldest Christiandenominations in the United States after the delegation voted to hit members who support LGBTQ+ worshipers with a “limited suspension.” The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), which has approximately 200,000 members, voted 134-50 last week to disaffiliate congregational leaders and institutions that go against the church’s beliefs on same-sex relationships by publicly embracing the queer community. The decision comes two years after the synod voted to include “homosexual sex” in its definition of “unchastity,” which also includes adultery, polyamory, and pornography. The synod did not vote to designate same-sex relationships […]

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Sha’Carri Richardson wins 100-meter, earning spot at Paris Olympics

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Richardson was slated to compete at the Tokyo Olympics after she won the 100-meter final at the U.S trials three years ago, just one week after her mother passed away. She later tested positive for THC, one of the active components of cannabis, and received a one-month suspension which prevented her from competing that year. Richardson said at the time that she had smoked marijuana to cope with her mother’s death, coupled with the pressure of competing on such a large stage.  The athlete has spent the years since vigorously training under the mentality of “I’m Not Back, I’m Better.” She solidified her […]

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