The ALERT Desk tracked over 1,850 anti-LGBTQ incidents in the US between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2024, resulting in more than 160 injuries and 20 deaths. Visit the ALERT Desk here.
In 2024, LGBTQ Americans face a paradox. Our population is growing, with LGBTQ people making up 7.6% of US adults and 22.3% of Gen Z. Our stories are visible, with 27.3% of films by major distributors portraying one or more LGBTQ characters. Our right to love freely is codified nationally, with the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in late 2022. And a supermajority of Americans continue to support LGBTQ people and our right to live free from fear.
And yet – LGBTQ Americans continue to face soaring levels of hate and extremism targeting us for who we are, and our allies for supporting us. Over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, including bans / restrictions targeting drag events, LGBTQ-inclusive school curricula, and transgender medical care. School districts in state after state are facing thousands of attempted book bans targeting diverse, LGBTQ-inclusive stories. And most tragically, we’ve seen at least 25 transgender and gender non-conforming people killed in the US in 2024, 72% of which were people of color.
In response to the dramatic rise in anti-LGBTQ hate, GLAAD has launched its Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker (ALERT). The ALERT Desk serves as a central hub for resources and original reporting on hate and extremism impacting LGBTQ people in the US, tracking anti-LGBTQ incidents nationwide. These incidents include both criminal and non-criminal expressions of hate – from protests at drag shows, to sprees of vandalism targeting Pride flags, to bomb threats against health care providers of transgender patients. Through careful analysis of this data, the ALERT Desk provides in-depth information to keep the community aware and safe, as well as resources for key stakeholders fighting against anti-LGBTQ hate at the local, state, and federal levels.
GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis: “Too many anti-LGBTQ incidents go unreported and uninvestigated, as survivors navigate fears of retaliation and forced outing, fraught relationships with law enforcement, and media coverage that fails to recognize the importance of accurately reporting on LGBTQ identities. The ALERTDesk seeks to challenge these narratives by providing a dedicated space for these stories, so that we can take the first steps towards recognizing and combating anti-LGBTQ hate in the US.”https://www.instagram.com/p/DArLkC6PQWb/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fglaad.org&rp=%2Fglaad-finds-112-percent-increase-in-anti-lgbtq-incidents-launches-alert-desk-to-combat-hate-extremism%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A274%2C%22ls%22%3A200%2C%22le%22%3A200%7D
The ALERT Desk also features the testimonials of those most impacted by this hate. Hear from some of these courageous advocates and leaders below:
From Ed Sanders, Survivor of Club Q Shooting
Ed Sanders
“Bartenders Daniel and Derrick, who were both murdered in cold blood right before my eyes that night, took care of all of us family at Club Q. They were listening ears, and kind souls. They both always poured my drinks the way I liked them. When I stayed out later, they would make sure I got home safe, often even driving me home themselves. But that night I left Club Q not with a ride from a good friend, but in an ambulance as multiple bullet wounds in my body bled.
I was at Club Q the first weekend it opened. While I’m sure the shooter thinks he took our spirit that night he took our friends away forever, but he didn’t. We are healing. We are stronger than ever. We are more committed to love and the family we created. You cannot destroy our community by killing individuals. You can’t kill our love and our spirit, because Love Wins.”
From Dr. Izzy Lowell (she/her), Founder of QueerMed:
Dr. Izzy Lowell
“Our office was burnt to the ground by arsonists in late 2023, followed by the Texas attorney general’s unlawful attempt to access our patient data. We refused to comply, and will not ever disclose HIPAA-protected data. We at QueerMed will never stop providing affirming medical care for transgender and nonbinary people, despite physical attacks and unfounded government threats.”
From Bamby Salcedo, President & CEO of TheTransLatin@ Coalition:
Bamby Salcedo
“Trans, gender nonconforming and intersex (TGI) people continue to be under attack. Our organization has received bomb threats and receives hate mail simply because of who we are and how we are supporting members of our community. As the biggest trans-led organization in the United States, we have a responsibility to our community and to our people… We will continue to organize and strategize for us to have a better quality of life.”
From Salina EsTitties, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15:
Salina EsTitties
“During my season [on RuPaul’s Drag Race], not only was I getting hate from anti-drag, anti-queer keyboard warriors, but I was also getting so much racially-charged hate for showcasing and being so vocal about my Latinness on the show. From death threats to straight out uncalled for comments and DMs saying I should kill myself, quit drag, or that God was punishing me and that’s why my mother passed away during my season. Just insane stuff that I still every now and again encounter on my feed.”
From Dr. Jack Turban, Pediatric Psychiatrist and Director of the Gender Psychiatry Program at the University of California, San Francisco:
Dr. Jack Turban
“All youth and all families deserve access to healthcare without feeling unsafe or intimidated. The recent rise in violent rhetoric and misinformation about trans youth has real life consequences. Hospitals and clinics around the country have had repeated bomb threats. Innocent families are fearing for their safety. I personally have had more death threats than I can count (including ones directed at my family and dog). The threats are awful, but they won’t work. As physicians, we are always going to continue to support the families who need us.”
From Marti Gould Cummings (they/them), Nationally Recognized Drag Artist and Former Candidate for NYC City Council:
Marti Gould Cummings
“As a drag artist who works both in the drag and political realm, I have experienced thousands of death threats over the last several years correlated to the introduction of anti-LGBTQ legislation. I’ve experienced everything from being sent photos of nooses, to threats towards my shows, to protestors gathering in-person at Pride events where I’ve performed. It’s easy to ignore online harassment until it’s too late, when it translates into real-world massacres like at Pulse nightclub in Orlando and Club Q in Colorado Springs. I’m committed to supporting this project as part of the collective effort to work diligently to protect queer people, especially our transgender community members, who are the targets of hate.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been promoted to senior adviser to the president.
ABC News reported on Monday that she will maintain her current role as she adds the new title to her portfolio. Jean-Pierre, who became the first Black woman and the first out LGBTQ+ person to hold the press secretary position in 2022, now joins the president’s inner circle as one of his most trusted advisers.
Jean-Pierre’s promotion reflects the confidence President Joe Biden has placed in her since the beginning of his term. Chief of Staff Jeff Zients praised her as “a trusted adviser to the president and all of us here at the White House since day one,” emphasizing that her input will be crucial as the administration works to accomplish its goals in the final months of Biden’s term.
She will continue to manage the daily operations of the White House press office while advising the president on critical issues. Notably, Jean-Pierre, 50, joins another LGBTQ+ person with the president’s ear — White House communications director Ben LaBolt, 43, who was promoted to senior adviser earlier this year. Together, Jean-Pierre and LaBolt represent a historic moment for LGBTQ+ representation at the highest levels of government, where their voices will shape messaging and policy direction in the critical months ahead.
Jean-Pierre has consistently acknowledged the significance of her role as a trailblazer. In an interview with The Advocate earlier this year, she reflected on her position, saying, “It’s not lost on me what my presence at the podium behind that lectern means. Being a first in many different ways… is a heavy weight that I understand is important to carry with respect.” As a lesbian, Black woman, and immigrant, her presence at the podium has been a powerful symbol of progress and representation in an administration that prioritizes diversity.
Throughout her tenure, Jean-Pierre has been a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She has played a crucial role in elevating the administration’s pro-equality stance on LGBTQ+ rights, including the reversal of the Trump-era ban on transgender troops, the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act, and other vital initiatives aimed at advancing equality. She brought national attention to the death of Nex Benedict, a transgender high school student in Oklahoma who took his life after suffering relentless bullying when she spoke of Benedict’s case from the briefing room podium. Her work has reinforced the Biden administration’s reputation as the most pro-LGBTQ+ in U.S. history.
“When you have a president at the State of the Union speaking directly to the LGBTQ+ community — the transgender community — saying, ‘I have your back,’ that’s pretty powerful,” Jean-Pierre said in April, reflecting on Biden’s vocal support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Her promotion amplifies her voice and signals the administration’s continued focus on communications as a strategic tool. “Showing up matters,” she told The Advocate. “Showing up for myself, showing up for little boys and girls, young people who are trying to figure out who they are and looking at me and saying, well, maybe I can do this.”
In 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society proposed the first annual Filipino American History Month to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos on October 18, 1587. It became official when the 111th Congress introduced and passed a resolution in 2009 officially recognizing Filipino American History Month.
This Filipino-American History Month, GLAAD is shining a spotlight on the queer Filipino-Americans history makers! With activists, producers, journalists, film and television directors, and more, Filipino-Americans are everywhere making their mark upon the world. Join us on GLAAD social media to hear from current Filipino-Americans who are making this world queer, one day at a time.
Alec Mapa
One of the original queer Filipino faces in Hollywood. He hosted hosted GLAAD Media Award winning show “Transamerican Love Story” and had roles in shows like “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Half-And-Half.” He has also been a judge multiple times on RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, and other branches of the franchise.
Geena Rocero
Geena is an international model and TV producer who shot to world acclaim with her vulnerable TEDx Talk where she came out as a transgender woman. Since then, she has advocated for transgender rights at the United Nations headquarters and the World Economic Forum, and the White House, graced the pages of Playboy as Playmate of the Month in August 2019 (and also becoming the first openly transgender Filipina model on the publication), and produced-and-directed the four part documentary series, “Caretakers” – which highlighted Filipino Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glamour Magazine – Geena Rocero
Maria Ressa
Being a Filipino American often means always having ties and work back home. As editor-in-chief and CEO of the Philippine news site Rappler, she led her team in dauntlessly seeking and speaking the truth – even in the face of a government and environment that has been fatally dangerous to journalists. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her heroic work and, along with her company Rappler, was the subject of the Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts (available to stream on PBS). She is currently on GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index Advisory Committee.
Maria Ressa (courtesy of Denise Applewhite of Princeton University)
Richard Adams
In 1975, Richard Adams made history when he and his partner, Anthony Sullivan, got married in Boulder, Colorado. They are one of the first gay couples in the country to be granted a marriage license. Through this license, Adams, a Filipino-American, hoped to get permanent residency for Sullivan, an Australian. However, they were denied and the notification from the Immigration and Naturalization Service used a slur as part of their reasoning why. In 1979, Adams filed the first lawsuit in America to seek recognition of a same-sex marriage by the federal government. Adams v Howerton was ultimately denied in 1982. It wasn’t until 2014, after Adams had died in 2012, that the USCIS approved the 1975 visa petition. Sullivan received his permanent residency status in 2016. The documentary, Limited Partnership, is a documentary telling the couple’s story.
Richard Adams (left) and Anthony Sullivan (right)
Ongina
RuPaul’s Drag Race is a global phenomenon that has earned multiple Emmy Awards and GLAAD Media Awards over its 15-year-and-counting run. Before it became the media powerhouse that it was, it started off as an aspiring competition show with a now infamous “season 1 filter.” Among the very first set of contestants was Ongina – a proud Filipina drag queen known for her signature bald head. She may not have won the crown but she won many of the audience’s hearts for her advocacy as an HIV positive individual on national television back in 2009 when stigma was a lot higher than it is today.
Jose Antonio Vargas
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, film maker and immigration rights activist, Jose Antonio Vargas is the founder of Define American, a non-profit dedicated to “humanizing the immigrant narrative, one store at a time.” Born in the Philippines, he moved to America at the age of 12. In 2011, he revealed his undocumented immigrant status. A year after his Time cover story about his immigration status, the Obama administration announced it would be halting the deportation of undocumented immigrants age 30 and under, for they would qualify for the DREAM Act. Vargas, who was 31, did not qualify. Additionally, in 2015, Vargas directed and starred in the Daytime Emmy nominated documentary, White People. He was co-producer for the first Broadway production to feature an all Filipino cast, Here Lies Love.
The 2024 election is consequential for LGBTQ people and our equality. LGBTQ voters are poised again to be the decisive edge in close-contest states in the presidential race as well as the elections that will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
But it’s not just about choosing candidates. Here are issues and proposals up for a vote that will have an impact on the LGBTQ community, including in the battleground states and states that have passed legislation targeting LGBTQ people.
According to the results of a GLAAD and Pathfinder poll released earlier this year, abortion is the second most important issue for LGBTQ voters in the 2024 election. LGBTQ people can and do get pregnant and need reproductive health care. Many of the same states with abortion bans also have enacted bans and restrictions on transgender health care.
According to the results of a GLAAD and Pathfinder poll conducted earlier this year, abortion is the second most important issue in the 2024 election.
Ten states have ballot initiatives to protect access to abortion, including the battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, as well as Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and New York. Nebraska has competing ballot initiatives – one expanding access to abortion, one restricting it to the first trimester of pregnancy. Since the Dobbs decision, voters in every state with ballot initiatives have passed expanded protections and access to reproductive care – eight elections and counting.
Arizona
Proposition 139: Amend the state constitution to define as fundamental the right to abortion“through fetal viability,” or about 24 weeks. Current law allows for abortions “until 15 weeks of pregnancy.” In April, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled 4-2 to uphold an 1864 law “prohibiting abortion in most circumstances except to save the life of the mother.” The following month, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs cast her signature to revoke the law.
“This election is more than a presidential election. In Arizona, like many states, the outcomes of these ballot initiatives could drastically change rights and freedoms granted to individuals in our state including the quality and availability of reproductive health care for Arizona families,” said Michael Soto, president of Equality Arizona.
“Make sure you don’t forget to vote on the ballot initiatives like Prop 139, in fact the most effective way to vote this year in Arizona is to start with the propositions and work your way up to the presidential race. Our rights and freedoms are on the line, and your vote will matter more than it ever has in this election.”
Arizona’s U.S. Senate race features Rep. Ruben Gallego and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Lake has promised to make Arizona a “sanctuary state” for the unborn, called abortion the “ultimate sin” and endorsed a federal ban on abortion before flipping support. Rep. Gallego supports Prop 139 and “restoring abortion access” in Arizona.
GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Gallego and Lake.
Colorado
Amendment 79: Protect Coloradans’ right to abortion and prevent governmental interference, denial, or discrimination. Allow for Medicare and other state-funded insurance to “cover abortion services.” As a constitutional amendment, this proposal requires at least 55% voter approval to pass.
Florida
Amendment 4: Add abortion protections to the Florida Constitution’s Declaration of Rights. A “yes” vote would enshrine abortion protections “before viability” or to protect the health of the patient. Unchanged will be a current provision requiring parents “to be notified before a minor can receive an abortion.” Recent polling shows 76% of voters expressed support for the proposal. Florida currently has a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, one of the strictest bans in the country, as well as a ban on health care for transgender people, which can currently be enforced as the law is appealed.
Florida’s incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Scott has backed Florida-based anti-LGBTQ extremist book banning group Moms for Liberty, and opposes Florida’s Amendment 4.
In recent years, The Hill reports, Floridians passed amendments restoring voting rights to felons who have served their time, voted to increase the minimum wage, and legalized medicinal marijuana.
In 2023, Illinois’ legislature passed, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law, a bill enshrining the right to abortion and maternity care. The bill was sponsored by out state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who said: “While all around us opponents are using misinformation and misogyny to justify attacks on bodily autonomy, I’m proud that here in Illinois, we’ve declared unequivocally that we trust patients and doctors to make these decisions safely and privately.”
Maryland
Question 1: Enshrine reproductive freedom rights within the Maryland Constitution’s Declaration of Rights. The right to reproductive freedom includes, “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.” A simple majority is needed for the measure to pass.
Maryland’s race for U.S. Senate includes former Gov. Larry Hogan, who vetoed a bill to expand access to abortion in 2022. His opponent, Prince George’s County Chief Executive Angela Alsobrooks, said Hogan would be the “51st vote” swinging the Senate majority to the party that would not vote to restore the rights of Roe nationwide.
Alsobrooks told the Associated Press “there will never be a vote as to whether or not we should codify Roe in federal law if the Republicans are in the majority… they have made it clear, they’ve essentially declared war on reproductive freedoms, and we know that that vote would never happen.”
Missouri
Amendment 3: Enshrine reproductive freedom rights, including “prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions” into the state constitution through an amendment. Previously threatened with removal from the November ballot, the Supreme Court of Missouri “reversed a lower court ruling against the measure.”
Incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley, who is running for re-election this year, lied about Amendment 3 while also attacking essential health care for transgender people that’s supported by every major medical association.
“Hawley’s fear mongering on trans health care for youth referenced practices that are already largely restricted in Missouri,” St. Louis Public Radio reported. “In 2023, the state passed a sweeping ban on gender-affirming care for minors.”
Supporters of Amendment 3, including the ACLU and Hawley’s Senate race opponent, Lucas Kunce, called Hawley’s remarks false, outlandish, and an attempt to distract voters, KSMU reports.
Hawley’s LGBTQ record is documented on the GLAAD Accountability Project. Hawley is among five senators who voted to object to the Electoral College counts showing Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, casting their votes hours after the deadly insurrection at the United States Capitol. Hawley went on to co-sponsor a bill targeting transgender students. The five senators voting to protect Trump’s lie, then targeting transgender youth, are Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Montana
CI-128: Amend the state constitution to enshrine reproductive rights, “including the right to abortion,” and to “travel for medical services” without government interference “up until the point of fetal viability.”
Montana’s race for U.S. Senate is among those that will determine whether the Senate remains in the control of the pro-equality majority.
In a September 30 debate, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester supported the ballot measure and a person’s fundamental right to make private health care decisions: “I believe women should be able to make their own health care decisions. That’s the bottom line. It shouldn’t be the federal government. It shouldn’t be a bureaucrat. It shouldn’t be a judge,” Tester said. Tester also supports federal legislation to protect abortion access before fetal viability — generally considered to be around 24 weeks, according to Montana Public Radio.
U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is anti-abortion and calls Tester’s stance extreme. Sheehy has said “I am proudly pro-life.”
Nevada
Question 6: The Right to Abortion Initiative. A “yes” vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to an abortion.
“Abortions in Nevada are currently legal up to 24 weeks after the start of pregnancy and after 24 weeks if a physician believes the pregnant person’s life or health is at risk,” the Nevada Current reports
“Those protections were put in place via a citizen-driven referendum passed by voters in 1990 and would require a direct vote of the people to change. Question 6 would establish abortion as a fundamental right in the state constitution, which also requires a vote of the people to amend.”
“This doubles down on the protections on statute,” Lindsey Harmon, president of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom told the Current. “It makes it twice as hard to repeal or amend the referendum.”
Incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen is running for her second term in the Senate and supports Question 6. Her opponent, retired Army Capt. Sam Brown has said he is “pro-life,” that he’s “not for changing existing law,” and in 2022 told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he will “continue to protect life by voting against any federal funding of abortion and by voting to confirm justices who protect life.”
GLAAD has documented the LGBTQ records of Rosen and Brown, here.
The Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade revealed that marriage equality under Obergefell v. Hodges is far from safe. And while the Respect for Marriage Act would protect same-sex marriages that have already taken place legally, it does not “prevent states from refusing to license the unions.” In order to enshrine these rights, the following states have proposed legislation that would protect marriage equality:
California
Proposition 3: Repeal the now infamous Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative defining “marriage as a union between one man and one woman.” A “yes” vote would establish as fundamental the right to marry. Prop 8 was overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court case Hollingsworth v. Perry, in 2013.
Vice President and former California Attorney General Kamala Harris officiates the wedding ceremony (2013) for the lead plaintiffs in a case that led to the overturning of the state’s same-sex marriage ban. (Credit: MSNBC)
Colorado
Amendment J: Remove the ban on same-sex marriage in the Colorado Constitution. Currently, the state constitution still defines marriage as “only a union of one man and one woman,” wording that was nullified with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision. Justice Clarence Thomas has called on Obergefell to be “reconsidered” in his concurrence overthrowing Roe.
“Marriage has been many things throughout history, but for queer people, it’s always been about more than just a legal union—it’s been a defiant act of love and resistance.” said Jax Gonzalez, political director at One Colorado, the state’s leading LGBTQ advocacy organization.
“The Obergefell decision was a monumental step forward, but with the fall of Roe, we know we can’t rely on Supreme Court precedent to protect the freedom to marry. Removing the ban on same-sex marriage from the Colorado Constitution isn’t just about love or legal protection—it’s about affirming that our love, our dignity, and our equality are not up for debate. We owe it to the generations who fought before us, and to the future we’re building, to ensure these rights are secure.”
Of particular note: One Colorado reported that no-anti transgender initiatives made it to the November ballot. This comes after an anti-LGBTQ political action committee announced in August that they failed to collect enough signatures to advance anti-transgender legislation onto the 2024 ballot.
According to a report by The Williams Institute, more than 210,000 transgender adults could “face barriers to voting this fall” because their forms of identification don’t match their gender. State agencies in Missouri and Texas have removed protocols for trans people to correct their birth certificates. Ballot measures this year are targeting ways candidates appear on the ballot and can campaign.
Among the higher profile state ballot initiatives is Ohio’s Issue 1, which aims to fix the current manipulation of maps designed to favor one party over another (gerrymandering).
Ohio Issue 1: Establish a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of five each of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Currently, the redistricting commission is comprised of politicians. Issue 1 would mandate politicians be excluded, along with lobbyists and political consultants.
Equality Ohio explained the measure to its followers on TikTok and Instagram: “Gerrymandering leads to extreme legislation—it hurts LGBTQ+ Ohioans, period.”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAZJKfVyS03/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fglaad.org&rp=%2Fvoting-for-equality-lgbtq-related-proposals-on-the-ballot-this-year%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A336%2C%22ls%22%3A193%2C%22le%22%3A193%7D
Gerrymandered maps have helped create an extremist supermajority in the Ohio state legislature that last year passed a combination bill banning medically necessary health care for transgender youth and banning trans youth from school sports. Ohio has successfully worked around the gerrymandered supermajority with ballot measures, including two measures that helped codify the right to reproductive health care last year.
In August 2023, Ohio voters passed a ballot measure that protected a majority vote for ballot measures, then in November 2023, voters passed an amendment to add abortion rights to the state constitution, with robust voter turnout for an off-year election. Extremist lawmakers opposed both measures.
Signal Cleveland spelled out the stakes of Issue 1: “Under the current maps, Republicans hold about 66% of Ohio’s congressional and state legislative seats – giving them a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly – although their share of the vote is closer to 56%.”
If Ohio voters pass Issue 1, the state would join Michigan and Wisconsin, which have successfully broken down partisan gerrymandering, ensuring accurate representation in the state’s voting districts.
Additional states with measures about voting procedures and methods include:
Arizona
Proposition 133: Update the state constitution to “require partisan primary elections for partisan offices,” thus preventing all candidates from running in the same primary. Under the proposed amendment, political parties would nominate their own candidates to open positions, as has already been the practice.
Proposition 134: Establish within the state constitution an amendment requiring citizens pursuing a ballot measure to gather a percentage of signatures from every legislative district; 10% for statutory amendments and 15% for statewide initiatives.
Proposition 137: Replace term limits for state Supreme Court justices and superior court judges with “terms of good behavior.” If passed, this proposal would strip voters of the right to decidewhether or not to retain state Supreme Court justices. “Any justices on the November ballot would also automatically stay in office if the measure passes, even if voters choose to reject them.”
Proposition 140: Create open primary elections, requiring “all candidates for a specific office,” regardless of political affiliation, to “run against each other in a single primary election.” Lawmakers would then have the option to establish “a top-two general election featuring the top primary candidates,” or a ranked-choice voting system in the general elections “featuring the top primary candidates.”
Colorado
Proposition 131 (Initiative 310): Eliminate partisan primaries and place all qualified candidates“on the same primary ballot.” The four candidates with the top number of votes would move on to the November general election, which would ask voters to rank them based on their “order of preference.”
Florida
Amendment 1: Require school board candidates to list their party affiliation on the ballot, starting with the November 2026 general election.
Amendment 7: Amend the state constitution to limit voting to U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older. In addition, the proposal would “prohibit the ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue,” and advance one winner from the primary elections to the general election.
Montana
CI-126 and CI-127: CI-126 would create ranked-choice primaries for candidates running for “governor, lieutenant governor, state executives, state legislators, and congressional offices.” Following the election, the top-four candidates would advance to the general election, “regardless of party.” Meanwhile, CI-127 would require candidates for the following offices to win a majority of the vote, rather than a plurality, in order to secure the election: “governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state legislature, and congressional offices.”
Wisconsin
Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment: Amends the state constitution to stipulate “that only U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or older can vote in federal, state, local, or school elections.” Current language states “every” U.S. citizen can vote, but the proposal would change this to “only.” If passed, the measure would capitalize on fear mongering about noncitizen voting, “but noncitizens cannot legally use their IDs or licenses to register and vote.”
To learn more about statewide initiatives that will appear on your ballot, we recommend familiarizing yourself with them through nonpartisan sites like Ballotpedia (also linked from the title of each ballot proposal).
The rule was finalized in December. Under it, to be considered a designated placement for LGBTQ+ and intersex children, the foster care provider must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child’s status or identity; and be trained with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; and facilitate the child’s access to age- or developmentally appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.
The rule doesn’t require any care provider to become a designated placement for LGBTQ+ and intersex children, nor does it penalize providers who don’t wish to receive this designation, but it does require that state and tribal child welfare agencies offer enough of these placements to accommodate the children who need them.
But Paxton isn’t having any part of it. He claims the rule “unlawfully conditions federal funding for foster care programs on the acceptance of ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ ideologies,” says a press release from his office. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will implement the rule, but Paxton says he’s concerned about its implications.
His lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, contends there’s no basis in law for the foster care rule. “The Final Rule imposes its new requirements without any statutory basis,” the complaint reads. “Title IV [the law governing foster care placements] does not address sexual orientation or gender identity, nor does it require special accommodations for those categories. Title IV’s anti-discrimination provisions do not include protections for sex, much less the derivative categories of gender identity and sexual orientation. Accordingly, the Final Rule is unlawful and violates the Constitution, and the Court should declare it unlawful, set it aside (i.e., vacate it), and enjoin its implementation.”
“The Biden Administration is trying to shoehorn gender identity into the statutes governing our Nation’s foster care system by requiring States like Texas to provide special treatment and special placements for so-called ‘LGBTQI+’ youth,” the complaint further alleges. The suit calls the rule a “proverbial gun-to-the-head.”
The administration “is attempting to hold the Texas foster care system hostage to force unscientific, fringe beliefs about gender upon the entire country,” Paxton says in the release, even though beliefs about the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people are far from fringe and are based in science. “The new rule directly violates federal law and threatens to undermine our vital foster care programs, putting children who need safe, loving homes at risk.”
Police in Marion, Iowa are investigating an assault on queer students marching in their high school’s homecoming parade this week.
According to witnesses, a group of about 10 students shouted slurs at the LGBTQ+ kids as they marched behind a banner for Linn-Marr Spectrum, the high school’s gay-straight alliance (GSA). The group began throwing objects at the GSA marchers, including an open box cutter.
The kids marched on despite the assault.
“They chose to make a statement and say: ‘We’re here, we’re to be valued, and we’re not going anywhere,’” said Corey Jacobson, president of Cedar Rapids Pride.
The school said they’ve enlisted police to investigate but didn’t detail what actions would be taken to punish the assailants.
“We were saddened to learn that an otherwise spectacular Homecoming parade last evening was disrupted by a few individuals who elected to harass, ridicule, and throw objects at some of our students in the Linn-Mar Spectrum parade entry,” the Lin-Marr Community School District said in a statement. “This behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our district.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring that all students feel safe, respected, and valued, and will not condone actions that threaten them,” they added.
The mother of one of the GSA students said she was proud of her daughter’s decision to keep marching but feared for her safety.
“I cannot fathom being a child going to homecoming and not feeling safe,” Jennifer Pitkin told KCRG-9 News.
“There’s a lot of other kids affected that don’t speak up, and this is their norm,” she said.
While the thrown box cutter didn’t injure anyone, Pitkin had a message for the perpetrators.
“I want you to stay home, I want you to never go to a Pride parade again… my kid and these kids would not be held down,” she said. “I promise you, they would not be held down.”
Police had no information about the progress of their investigation.
Linn-Mar Spectrum was recently named GSA of the Year by Iowa Safe Schools at their Spirit Awards in Des Moines.
Anti-LGBTQ+ hostility runs high among the far-right in Iowa. There, a federal court recently upheld an LGBTQ+ book ban for public schools in the state. Iowa, along with Florida, leads the country in the number of books removed from shelves containing LGBTQ+ and other “woke” content.
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a suspect they believe is responsible for two incidents of vandalism targeting the Little Gay Pub, a popular LGBTQ+ venue in Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood.
Known for its enthusiastic support of Vice President Kamala Harris, its celebration of LGBTQ+ history, its roster of high-profile visitors, and its perfect bathroom selfies, the pub was defaced earlier this month in what police are investigating as potential hate crimes.
Nicholas Goldstein, 38, of Northwest D.C., was arrested on Monday after an investigation connected him to two attacks on the pub, according to an MPD press release. On September 11 and again on September 21, Goldstein allegedly spray-painted offensive messages and damaged several images of Harris, which were part of the pub’s exterior decor celebrating her 2024 presidential campaign.
In an interview with The Advocate on Monday evening, co-owner Dito Sevilla described the most recent incident, which occurred early on Saturday. “We got a flood of texts and direct messages from passersby showing us that Kamala’s signs had been defaced again,” Sevilla said. “We checked the security footage and saw him between 8:29 and 8:59 a.m., painting X’s over Kamala’s face and writing this bizarre message at a nearby bus stop: ‘Kamala = Hitler, Trump > Hitler.’ It was disturbing, and we immediately called the police.”
Sevilla explained that the pub had already begun replacing the damaged decor. “Our good friends at BaseCamp DC are reprinting the signs for us. They’ve been incredibly supportive, and we’re determined to keep putting Kamala’s images up,” he said. “This guy can keep trying to tear them down, but we’ll just put them back up, bigger and better.”
This is the second time the vandal has targeted the Little Gay Pub. In the first attack on September 11, several Harris images were defaced, prompting the pub to take steps to reinforce its displays. Despite the repeated acts of vandalism, Sevilla emphasized that the pub remains undeterred. “We’re annoyed and tired of this guy’s nonsense, but we’re not backing down,” he said. “The more he damages, the more we’ll put up. These images will get larger and more protected, and they’ll be there beyond Election Day when she wins.”
Goldstein’s arrest comes as the MPD continues its investigation into whether these crimes will be prosecuted as hate crimes. The department’s Special Liaison Branch, which focuses on hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents, is assisting with the case, the department said.
D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who represents Ward 2, which includes Logan Circle, was highly critical of the incident, telling The Advocate, “Vandalism of our businesses and public space in the District is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated. It was especially upsetting to see the Little Gay Pub, which stands as a safe and welcoming space for our LGBTQ+ community, defaced.”
Sevilla expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from the community and praised the swift action of the police. “For every bad actor, there are a hundred people who care about our business and are determined to bring this guy to justice,” Sevilla said. The pub has received numerous messages of support and photos from passersby who have spotted the vandal around the city. “We’ve basically started a neighborhood watch.”
Pinto added, “I appreciate MPD’s focused effort to catch this individual and make an arrest which demonstrates to our residents and businesses – especially our LGBTQ+-owned businesses – that DC will not tolerate vandalism or hate and that we hold perpetrators accountable.”
Courtesy Dito Sevilla/Little Gay Pub
The Little Gay Pub opened in 2023 and has quickly become a hub for LGBTQ+ culture and activism in the nation’s capital. The pub has hosted a range of prominent visitors, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, as well as celebrities like Billy Porter. Known for its lively atmosphere and commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, the pub has continued to support Harris, and Sevilla insists that their displays of her will remain, no matter the damage.
“These decorations will remain up beyond Election Day and well into her presidency,” Sevilla said. “We hope Kamala Harris will stop by and see for herself how much support she has here.”
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes increased in 2023 in the U.S. despite a drop in crime overall.
There were 2,402 recorded incidents relating to a victim’s sexual orientation in 2023, up from 1,947 the year before, and 547 relating to the victim’s gender identity, compared with 469 in 2022, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’slatest crime statistics report, released Monday. The gender identity category included 401 incidents that were specifically anti-transgender and 146 that targeted someone who was gender-nonconforming.
Overall, violent crime decreased 3 percent from 2022 to 2023. Murder and manslaughter decreased 11.6 percent, rape decreased 9.4 percent, aggravated assault figures decreased 2.8 percent, and robbery decreased 0.3 percent.
In 2023, 16,009 law enforcement agencies participated in the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics Data Collection. Of these agencies, 3,161 reported 11,862 hate-crime incidents involving 13,829 offenses.
Crimes based on sexual orientation accounted for 18.1 percent of the total, and those based on gender identity made up 4.3 percent. The largest category of hate crimes was crimes motivated by a race/ethnicity/ancestry bias, at 51.5 percent.
LGBTQ+ activists reacted to the hate-crimes data with alarm and blamed political attacks. “Every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer person in this country should be free to live their lives without fear that we’ll be the target of a violent incident purely because of who we are and who we love,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a press release. “Unfortunately, the latest FBI hate-crimes data shows that even as public acceptance of LGBTQ+ people continues to grow, and overall crime continues to decline, hate crimes against us are not yet showing signs of subsiding. Make no mistake, politicians who spread disinformation and demonize our lives are contributing to this violence.
“This trend needs to end. LGBTQ+ people need full nondiscrimination protections in law, nationwide. All law enforcement agencies must commit to fully reporting data on hate crimes in their communities. And politicians and community leaders across the country need to stop lying about our community and inciting hatred against us. It’s time we build an America where LGBTQ+ folks don’t just survive, they thrive — in every town, every state, every corner of this nation. That’s not just a dream, it’s our fundamental right as Americans.”
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes have been on the rise in the past year, standing in stark contrast to the overall downward trend of violent crime, according to the FBI’s most recent annual crime reports. The Human Rights Campaign says that anti-LGBTQ+ politicians are contributing to the violence.
In 2023, over 2,402 incidents of sexual orientation-based hate crimes were reported within the past year, a figure that is 500 higher than the amount reported in 2022.
In 2023, there were 401 reported gender identity-based hate crimes, with 146 targeting someone who was gender non-conforming.
These figures stand in contrast to the overall trend of hate crimes. The data shows a smaller increase of around 2%, from 11,634 overall reports in 2022 to 11,862 reports in 2023. However, anti-violence advocates say that police departments significantly undercount the number of hate crimes due to bias or underreporting by queer people who may distrust law enforcement.
The report also references research from the Human Rights Campaign showing that these hate crimes have a disproportionate impact on Black trans women.
Not all of the reported hate crimes involved violent incidents, but rather a range of bias-motivated incidents that police report as hate crimes. The majority of hate crimes are those motivated by racism and xenophobia, particularly against immigrants and people of color, especially Black individuals.
The recent increase anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes is smaller than the the increase that occurred between 2021 and 2022. The year 2022 saw a 13.8% increase in reported crimes based on sexual orientation and a 32.9% increase in crimes based on gender identity compared to 2021.
“Every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer person in this country should be free to live their lives without fear that we’ll be the target of a violent incident purely because of who we are and who we love,” Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement,
“Unfortunately, the latest FBI hate crimes data shows that even as public acceptance of LGBTQ+ people continues to grow, and overall crime continues to decline, hate crimes against us are not yet showing signs of subsiding. Make no mistake, politicians who spread disinformation and demonize our lives are contributing to this violence.”
In contrast to hate crimes, violent crimes overall decreased by 3% from 2022 to 2023. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter saw a 11.6% decrease, rape saw a 9.4% decrease, aggravated assault decreased by 2.8%, and robbery decreased by 0.3%.
Violent crime as a whole has been on a downward trend since a peak during the pandemic. Levels are now back down to comparable rates from before the pandemic, where it has been steadily decreasing since the 1990s.
A Kansas City firefighter was the victim of harassment from her coworkers for over two decades. Now, she’s finally getting her deserved compensation.
The City Council’s finance committee recommended without comment Tuesday that Rebecca Reynolds receive a $1.3 million settlement in response to over 21 years of mistreatment and abuse from her male coworkers and superiors. The council approved the settlement Thursday, making it the largest discrimination payout in city fire department history.
Reynolds claimed in two lawsuits that she endured decades of abuse from her male coworkers, who often targeted her for being a lesbian and for her age. Reynolds, who graduated from the fire academy at age 40, claimed that the demeaning comments even sometimes occurred in front of patients, including examples in which she was told she was “not normal” because of her sexual orientation and that she was a lesbian was because she had not had sex with the right man.
“There’s no way she would have been yelled at and treated the way she was if she were a man,” said Reynolds’ attorney, Bert Braud of the Popham Law Firm.
Reynolds has agreed to drop the two pending lawsuits, and has also agreed not to file a third case against the department over an incident in which another firefighter reportedly urinated in her office while she was on extended medical leave.
Pleaze Robinson III was charged with first degree harassment and first degree property damage earlier this year after Reynolds came back to her office in Sept., 2023 and was met with a foul odor. She noticed some of her items were wet and attempted to clean them, only to discover a yellow substance covering her CD player, boogie board, and medic training books, all valued at around $3,000, according to the Kansas City Star.
DNA tests revealed that the liquid was urine, and that it came from Robinson. The firefighter had previously been charged with third degree assault for a road rage incident in 2019 in which he allegedly slammed a woman to the ground and punched her over 30 times.
“None of this had to happen,” Braud said. “Ms. Reynolds was let down by the KCFD chain of command, the city’s internal EEO office, and the HR department. Our community deserves better. It is our hope that the department will start doing the right thing.”
Reynolds also will resign as part of the settlement, though that was not her decision. She said: “I have a valuable skill set that benefits my community and I leave proud of the job I did.”
