The Advocate

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Sarah McBride is poised to be the first transgender member of Congress

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As American society navigates an era marked by deep divisions and heightened cultural conflicts, specifically targeting trans people,Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride stands at the forefront of a historic transformation. She’s positioned to become the first outtransgender person elected to the U.S. Congress, and McBride’s candidacy for Delaware’s at-large House seat is a powerful symbol of progress and a stark reminder of the ongoing battles forLGBTQ+ rights. Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate’s email newsletter. The Democrat captured the essence of this pivotal moment in a recent conversation with The Advocate.  “While my candidacy reflects our […]

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Federal judge rules that LGBTQ+ veterans can sue Pentagon over ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ discharges

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A federal judge inCalifornia has ruled that a lawsuit brought byLGBTQ+ veterans against theDepartment of Defense will move forward. The forward momentum of the suit, which claims the Pentagon has failed to discharge LGBTQ+ service members honorably post-don’t ask, don’t tell, marks a significant victory for those caught up in the homophobic policy. U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero’s decision allows the plaintiffs to argue that the process of correcting their discharge papers is not only lengthy but also re-traumatizing, Reutersreports. These veterans, discharged under discriminatory policies, contend that being forced to navigate a complex system to amend their records violates their constitutional rights […]

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Appeals court maintains PrEP coverage under Obamacare in win for HIV prevention

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PrEP access has been maintained for most Americans after an appeals court ruling ended a lawsuit that challenged the medication’s coverage.  In a ruling that upholds crucial components of the Affordable Care Act, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday in Braidwood Management, Inc. v. Becerra, mandating that most insurance providers continue to cover preventive services, including PrEP medication, while deeming parts of the law unconstitutional. The Advocatewas first to report in 2022 that the plaintiffs, led by Jonathan Mitchell, an ultraconservativeTexas lawyer with a history of challengingLGBTQ+ rights, argued that the ACA’s requirement for insurance plans to cover preventive services violated […]

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Transgender inmate killed in prison fight in Louisiana

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Yella Clark, 45, an incarcerated Black transgender person, was killed in a fight with other inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., in April. Clark’s trans identity is just being widely reported now. Clark had been deadnamed and misgendered in local reports, notes a recent press release from the Human Rights Campaign. There isn’t conclusive information as to Clark’s pronoun use, so HRC used they/them pronouns. Clark had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and was taking female hormones. Clark died April 2, shortly after prison officials broke up the fight between Clark and the other inmates, according to The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate (no relation to this publication), a […]

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Florida just got its first LGBTQ+ Latino state senator

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LGBTQ+ advocate Carlos Guillermo Smith just became the first out Latino to join the Florida state Senate. “My heart is full of gratitude for this community who has entrusted me with the responsibility of serving as their state senator,” Smith said. The Orlando Democrat filed for an open seat last year. When Florida’s qualification deadline for state candidates passed at noon on June 14, he remained the only candidate filed for Florida Senate District 17. That means he will take office on Nov. 6 following this year’s general election. “I love the Orlando community, and promise to defend our values, to put people over politics, […]

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When these Venezuelan migrants couldn’t afford to get married, their Denver community threw them a wedding

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Two LGBTQ+ migrant women from Venezuela were finally able to get married over the weekend after a Denver nonprofit stepped up to host their wedding. Amarilis and Mariangy Delgado Gutierrez began dating five years ago after knowing each other as family friends for the majority of their lives. Mariangy, who had two daughters from a previous relationship, left her boyfriend of the time to be with Amarilis, creating rifts between the women and their families, the couple recently shared with local outlet Westword. With little social support and no right to marry, Amarilis and Mariangy decided to leave Venezuela one year ago, and set out for the […]

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Massachusetts school can in fact ban ‘two genders’ T-shirt, federal appeals court rules

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A school district in Massachusetts was within its rights to ban a student’s “There Are Only Two Genders” T-shirt, as protecting LGBTQ+ students from harassment overrides free speech considerations, a federal appeals court has ruled. “In following the lead of other courts that have grappled with similar cases, we emphasize that in many realms of public life one must bear the risk of being subjected to messages that are demeaning of race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation, even when those messages are highly disparaging of those characteristics,” Chief Judge David J. Barron wrote for a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First […]

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Barbara Higbie + Teresa Trull: “Birthdays and Pride” Concert at Occidental Center for the Arts June 15

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Saturday June 15 at 7 pm. Barbara Higbie + Teresa Trull: Birthdays and Pride Concert at Occidental Center for the Arts. The reunion of singer-songwriter Teresa Trull and pianist/singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie, is a long awaited musical event! Their new duo CD ‘Playtime’ captures their vibrant fusion of energy and talent which has earned them an enthusiastic and persistent following since 1983. Musically they range over a terrain that varies from blues and gospel to folk, rock, jazz and championship fiddle playing. They have shared stages with Tracy Chapman, k.d. Lang, Whoopie Goldberg, Nancy Griffith and Ferron among others. Combining […]

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Federal authorities are investigating attacks on transgender and Latino students in Virginia

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The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into incidents of violence inVirginia against bothtransgender and Latino students at Norview High School in Norfolk. The investigation follows reports of harassment and physical assaults that school officials allegedly failed to address adequately. Norfolk public radio station WHROreports that the DOJ contacted one mother, Melissa Corrigan, regarding her transgender son, Matt, who faced severe harassment and violence due to his gender identity. According to Corrigan, her son was subjected to escalating harassment that included a sexual assault in a school bathroom and a physical attack during class. Despite Matt reporting these incidents to the school administration, she […]

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Why June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month

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That’s a slogan used often to remind us of the origins of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, celebrated each June in the U.S. and many other countries. It’s used especially by those who feel Pride parades and festivals have become too corporate and not as political as they should be. But Pride Month and the attendant events endure, having survived pandemics, hostile politicians, and internal controversies. Here’s a look at why we observe Pride Month in June. The short answer is Stonewall. But there’s more to Pride history than that. As most reasonably informed LGBTQ+ people and allies know, a police raid on […]

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