The Advocate

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Kentucky’s first transgender elected official wants you to get involved in local politics

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Kentucky legislators passed some of the nation’s worst anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2023.  Alongside bans on gender-affirming care for minors and bans on teaching LGBTQ+ topics in public schools, the state enacted a law that also requires school districts to “at a minimum” prohibit trans students from using restrooms that align with their gender identity, and mandates that schools staff out LGBTQ+ students to their guardians. But something else significant happened in Kentucky in 2023: The state swore in its first-ever transgender elected official. Even more significant, she was sworn in to her local school board. Rebecca Blankenship has been a member of the Berea Independent School District’s […]

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Gay lawmaker demands to know extent of U.S. Christian group’s ties to Uganda’s deadly antigay law

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U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, is demanding to know if the right-wing group known as the Fellowship Foundation, a.k.a. the Family, is supporting Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. The act, passed last year, provides for a sentence of life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and the death penalty in certain circumstances. It also requires that citizens report anyone they suspect has violated the law. It replaces a similar law that was passed a decade ago, although without the death penalty provision, and was struck down by Uganda’s highest court, not because of its content but because of the manner in […]

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It Gets Better Project changes name amid challenging landscape for LGBTQ+ youth 

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Amid a challenging climate of increasing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, a leading organization in LGBTQ+ youth empowerment has announced a rebranding with a name change and a redesigned website to support queer youth. On Thursday, what was once the It Gets Better Project became It Gets Better. The organization’s new website, www.ItGetsBetter.org, looks to provide accessible digital resources for LGBTQ+ youth. The evolution of It Gets Better, from a viral video in 2010 to a global movement, has shifted with the need of the moment. “With a national wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation threatening the well-being of younger generations, it is critically important for youth to […]

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Less GOP and more LGBT — Gen Z is more likely to be queer than Republican, survey reveals

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Members of Gen Z are more likely to be LGBTQ+ than they are to identify as Republican or as white Christians, according to a new survey. Previous data confirmed that Gen Z — comprised of those born between 1997 and 2012 — is both the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in United States history, as well as the generation with the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ members. They have also been shown to be the most progressive age group.  A new report from the Public Religion Research Institute further reveals Gen Z’s political leaning, and their overall attitude towards religion. The survey questioned 6,014 participants, both […]

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GLAAD demands Mark Zuckerberg public statement on Facebook’s anti-trans content moderation failure

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GLAAD is urging Meta to take immediate action following the company’s independent Oversight Board’s decision to overturn Facebook’s original stance on a post that targeted transgender people with violent language. The case has highlighted the insidious methods used to attack LGBTQ+ individuals on social media, such as coded language and indirect messaging. The Oversight Board’s ruling overruled Meta’s original decision to leave up a contentious post that targeted transgender individuals with violent and harmful language. The post, originating from a user in Poland, displayed a curtain in the transgender Pride flag’s colors, coupled with text in Polish implying that transgender people should die by suicide — a clear […]

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285 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures already this year and it’s still January

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After a record year for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the state level, 2024 is shaping up to be just as challenging. In 2023, more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced across 43 states, and more than 80 were passed into law. So far in the new year, 285 have been introduced, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate’s email newsletter. These bills seek to limit LGBTQ+ people’s rights in education, health care, public accommodations, free speech and expression, and much more. A total of 130 would restrict students’ and teachers’ rights through […]

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West Virginia Republicans want to ban transgender people from public spaces, call them ‘obscene’

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Republicans in West Virginia have upped the hostility among those on the right toward transgender people. There, the LGBTQ+ community is currently grappling with significant legislative challenges that have the potential to impact the rights and lives of transgender individuals drastically.  Multiple draconian bills were introduced in the state’s legislature this week, with advocates drawing attention to their severe implications. One forces mental health professionals to “cure” transgender people from their gender identity, and another categorizes transgender people as “obscene material,” essentially making transgender individuals’ existence in many public spaces illegal, independent journalist Erin Reed, who specializes in transgender-related legal coverage, reports. Yet another criminalizes their presence near schools. […]

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Gender dysphoria diagnoses are steadily increasing. Here’s what that means

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Gender dysphoria diagnoses in the United States increased in all but one state in recent years, suggesting that a growing number of transgender people are seeking health care. Gender dysphoria “refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity,” according to the American Psychiatric Association.  Not all transgender people experience dysphoria. Treatment can include social shifts, such as wearing different clothing or going by a different name, or medical affirmation, which can involve puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and surgery. Medical treatment — gender-affirming care — typically requires a diagnosis from a health care professional […]

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Campus Pride board chair on what’s next for the group after CEO ousted for mishandling finances

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An LGBTQ+ advocacy group that focuses on higher education is dealing with a scandal that involves allegations of financial impropriety and the departure of the organization’s CEO.  In a conversation with The Advocate on Tuesday, Candis Cox, the board chairperson for North Carolina-based Campus Pride, opened up about the organization’s response to a financial misappropriation scandal involving its former CEO, Shane Windmeyer. The interview follows developments first reported byQnotesCarolinas, revealing Windmeyer’s alleged misuse of funds and subsequent termination. Campus Pride, a national nonprofit organization based in Charlotte, has a mission to assist and uplift LGBTQ+ and allied student leaders and campus groups by offering leadership development and advocating for […]

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Gay bagel shop owner gunned down while vacationing with husband in New Orleans

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The local community has rallied around the grieving co-owner of a popular bagel shop in Washington whose husband was shot and killed while vacationing in New Orleans early Friday morning. Jacob A. Carter, 32, and his husband, Daniel Blagovich, cofounded the popular Howdy Bagel café in Tacoma after both had lost their jobs during the global economic shutdown. The pair were in the city for the New Year’s celebrations and a break from work, according to NOLA.com. Carter, who was from Texas, previously worked as a social worker and had worked with refugees before the pandemic hit, according to The News Tribune. He’d also worked as […]

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