Features

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Right-wing extremists threaten LGBTQ-affirming religious communities: report

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More than 150 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents have targeted affirming religiouscommunities across the United States since June 2022, according to new data released Tuesday by GLAAD’s ALERT Desk — a stark reflection of how extremists are targeting not only LGBTQ+ people but also the faith-based spaces that welcome them. The report documents a wave of violence and harassment against churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples that openly support LGBTQ+ inclusion. The incidents include death threats, vandalism, harassment, attempted arson, physical assaults, and bomb threats. GLAAD first reported in early 2024 that it had tracked more than 60 such incidents. Since then, more than 90 additional attacks have come to light, bringing the […]

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Trans Rights in Mexico: Progress and Challenges

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March 31 marks the International Day of Transgender Visibility, a moment to celebrate the achievements and resilience of trans people around the world, while acknowledging the ongoing challenges they face in enjoying the full range of their human rights. Today, Human Rights Watch is publishing a map that tracks some of these gains in Mexico, and highlights areas where there is still work to be done. The map shows that 22 out of Mexico’s 32 states have legislated to create an administrative procedure for legal gender recognition for trans people. This allows them to modify their identity documents to accurately reflect their […]

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Trans pilot falsely blamed in D.C. plane crash sues conservative influencer

A transgender military pilot filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against a conservative influencer who falsely claimed on social media that she was flying the helicopter that collided with a commercial jet near Reagan National Airport in January, killing 67 people.   “I want to hold this person accountable for what they did to me,” Jo Ellis, a pilot who has served more than 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s become too common that people can say horrible things about someone, profit at their expense, and get away with it.”  On Jan. 30, less […]

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Veterans Affairs clinicians sign letter against Trump’s ban on trans vets’ care: ‘There is resistance’

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Inside the Department of Veterans Affairs — the nation’s most extensive health care system — a quiet rebellion seems to be growing. Dozens of VA clinicians are breaking their silence, accusing the Trumpadministration of abandoning the very veterans they swore to serve. In a searing letter asking VA staff to sign on to an editorial circulating this week — and obtained by The Advocate — they describe a workplace transformed by fear, censorship, and cruelty. When The Advocate became aware of the document Friday afternoon, more than 50 clinicians whose details are being kept confidential out of fear of retaliation had signed it, according to a person […]

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Trump quietly purges presidential HIV advisory council, sparking public health fears

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HIV advocates and public health experts are raising alarms after the Trumpadministration moved to remove all members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS — a group that for three decades has provided critical guidance on federal HIV prevention, treatment, and care policy. The decision, first reported by Reuters, comes amid sweeping cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including layoffs of 10,000 federal health employees and the closure of half of HHS’s regional offices. The Trump administration eliminated several offices within HHS dedicated to infectious disease prevention, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has […]

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Pride organizers say sponsors are pulling back amid DEI rollbacks, economic fears

The organizers of several of the country’s premier Pride celebrations told NBC News they have also lost funding from corporate sponsors this year, to the tune of $200,000 to $350,000 each. For some larger organizations — like those in New York City and San Francisco — the shortage makes up about 10% of their total Pride event budget, while for others, like St. Pete Pride in Florida, it could be about half. Some organizers said past sponsors that are not returning or are reducing their sponsorship amounts this year have cited the political climate and the Trump administration’s hostility toward […]

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Hormones and surgery improve transgender men’s quality of life: study

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Gender-affirming care directly improves quality of life among transgender men by increasing their satisfaction with their bodies, a new study has proven. The report, “Understanding the Role of Gender Congruence and Affirming Care in Trans Men’s Body Image and Quality of Life” published in the International Journal of Transgender Health, surveyed 166 trans men, measuring their physiological, psychological, social, and environmental quality of life. “Most research involving TGD [trans and gender diverse] populations has focused on clinical mental health outcomes such as suicidality,” the report states. “While such outcomes are crucial to explore, it is equally important to examine the broader well-being of TGD people, including factors […]

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RFK Jr’s ‘dangerous’ health layoffs could undo years of HIV prevention research, experts warn

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Mass layoffs across the US Department of Health (HHS) could have “dangerous” effects on the prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), not-for-profit groups have warned. More than 10,000 HHS positions have reportedly disappeared since Robert F Kennedy Jr, better-known as RFK Jr, became secretary of health. Among them are positions in the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/Aids Policy, as well as at the world-famous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other key areas affected include jobs in STI and HIV response teams, the dismantling of the PrEP Implementation Branch, and cutbacks on HIV awareness campaigns. RFK […]

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Trump admin orders scientists to research transition “regret”: It’s “America’s Cass Review”

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According to Nature, several National Institute of Health (NIH) employees who wish to remain anonymous confirmed that the White House is instructing the biomedical agency to study the negative effects of gender transitioning. This directive was issued after nearly every research project on transgender health was defunded by the NIH. Since Donald Trump was sworn in on January 20th, he has been on a crusade to cut “unnecessary spending within government agencies” and heavily limit the rights and public presence of trans people in society.  The NIH, the world’s largest financial contributor to biomedical research, was not spared from the ire of […]

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Advocates cry foul after YouTube quietly removes ‘gender identity’ from hate speech policy

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YouTube quietly scrubbed the phrase “gender identity and expression” from its public-facing hate speech policy earlier this year, prompting concern fromLGBTQ+ advocates who warn the change removes clarity around protections for transgender and nonbinary users. According to the company, there’s no change in policy.  However, the altered language occurred between January 29 and February 6, according to archived versions of the policy reviewed by The Advocate via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. On January 29, the platform’s hate speech policy explicitly barred content that promotes violence or hatred based on “gender identity and expression.” By February 6, the next time a snapshot of the page was stored in the […]

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