National

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Baylor University to return $643,000 LGBTQ-inclusion grant

Baylor University, a Baptist institution in Waco, Texas, announced Wednesday that it would rescind its acceptance of a $643,000 grant that it had recently been awarded to study the inclusion of women and LGBTQ people in the church.  In a letter posted to the university’s website, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone said returning the funds “is the appropriate course of action and in the best interests” of the school.  “We remain committed to providing a loving and caring community for all — including our LGBTQIA+ students — because it is part and parcel of our University’s mission that calls us to […]

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Trump poised to make LGBTQ+ nonprofit workers ineligible for student loan forgiveness

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Donald Trump‘s Department of Education is drafting plans to gut a student loan forgiveness program for public servants — and employees of LGBTQ+ groups are being singled out.  Trump signed an executive order in March dismantling access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, directly pointing to nonprofits that serve transgender people as ineligible for loan forgiveness. Now, the Education Department has unveiled drafted plans that would follow through with the order. The cuts are expected to disproportionately impact LGBTQ+ people, who are more likely to have student loans and more likely to work for nonprofits.  “The proposed restrictions on student loans […]

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LGBTQ+ groups face alarming funding crisis as Republican anti-trans attacks mount, new report finds

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Philanthropic support for LGBTQ+ causes is collapsing just as queer and transcommunities face an escalating national crisis. New data from Funders for LGBTQ Issues shows foundation funding for LGBTQ+ organizations in the U.S. dropped sharply to $209.4 million in 2023. That’s a staggering decline of nearly $49 million, or 19 percent, from 2022. When adjusted for inflation, that cut deepens to 22 percent. Even as the funding picture grows increasingly dire, many philanthropic institutions are opting to remain anonymous. The report omits the names of top funders and grantees for the first time in decades, reflecting a growing trend among donors who fear political retaliation […]

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Authors and Illustrators Issue Personal Statements in Response to Ruling in Supreme Court Banned Books Case

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This past Friday, June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a blow to public school education and the freedom to read with their ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor,allowing a preliminary injunction to remain in place for a small group of Maryland parents seeking to opt their kids out of LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books at school. The nine authors and illustrators named in the case issued a joint statement following the decision, slamming the ruling and stating in part:  “We created our books for all children. We believe young people need to see themselves and families like theirs in the books they read; this is […]

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How SNAP cuts will disproportionately impact some LGBTQ+ people

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Cutting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will disproportionately harm the LGBTQ+ community — and women and transgender people will bear the brunt of the changes.  About 15 percent of LGBTQ+ adults — nearly 2.1 million people, including 250,000 trans individuals and 1.3 million lesbian and bisexual women — received SNAP benefits in the past year, according to a new report by the Williams Institute, compared to 11 percent of non-LGBTQ+ adults. SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the U.S., supporting over 42 million people monthly. The current Budget Reconciliation Bill, Donald Trump‘s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” would cause an estimated seven million people to either lose their SNAP benefits or […]

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How a new trans rights PAC looks to rebuild the political playbook with these high-profile endorsements

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The Christopher Street Project, a new political group focused on building support for transgender rights within the Democratic Party, has announced its first slate of congressional endorsements as it moves to equip candidates with political and messaging strategies ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election. Named after the New York City street where the 1969 Stonewall uprising began and founded in the wake of the 2024 election cycle that saw Republicans spend more than $200 million attacking transgender Americans, Christopher Street Project is endorsing 16 Democratic lawmakers. The slate includes prominent LGBTQ+ members, parents of trans children, relatives of transgender people, and high-profile allies such as Reps. Sarah McBride, Delia Ramirez, Sara Jacobs, Dina Titus, Katherine […]

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Pete Buttigieg’s replacement begs governors to remove rainbow crosswalks, claiming they kill people

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is asking governors in all 50 states to remove rainbow crosswalks that were installed to celebrate Pride, arguing without evidence that drivers get so distracted when they see the rainbow that they crash their cars. In a letter addressed to state governors, the governor of Puerto Rico, and the mayor of Washington, D.C., Duffy states that 39,345 people died on roads in the U.S. in 2024, a 3.8% decrease since 2023, but still “unacceptable.” The letter discusses the SAFE ROADS initiative for non-freeway roads. Duffy wrote that the initiative stresses “recognizable traffic control devices including crosswalk […]

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These hotlines are still available for LGBTQ+ youth after Trump kills 988 services

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The Trump Administration is ending the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services – but there’s still help available.  The federal government revealed it will be closing the program that provides emergency crisis support to queer youth considering suicide effective July 17, several months ahead of its initial October 1 closure deadline that was first revealed by leaked budget draft in April. While Congress can reverse the cuts, it’s unlikely under a Republican-controlled House and Senate.  There are still several existing lifelines for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, whether it involves mental health, substance use, sexual health, or domestic violence. Here are some of the hotlines available […]

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Idaho Attorney General tells schools to ban ‘Everyone is Welcome Here’ signs

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It seems not everyone is welcome in Idaho after the state’s attorney general ordered schools to prohibit signs that read “Everyone is Welcome Here” under a new state law. H.B. 41, which went into effect July 1, bans the display of banners or flags in K-12 classrooms that represent “political, religious, or ideological views, including but not limited to political parties, race, gender, sexual orientation, or political ideologies.” Republican Raúl Labrador issued guidance on how schools should apply the law, determining that the policy applies even to vague messages promoting kindness.  Labrador specifically referenced signs hung by Sarah Inama, a sixth grade history teacher at Lewis […]

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Virginia agrees not to fully enforce state law banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors

Virginia officials have agreed not to fully enforce a 2020 law banning conversion therapy for minors as part of an agreement with a faith-based conservative group that sued over the law, authorities said earlier this week. The Virginia Department of Health Professions, represented by the state’s office of the attorney general, entered into a consent decree with the Founding Freedoms Law Center last month, saying officials will not discipline counselors who engage in talk conversion therapy. Shaun Kenney, a spokesperson with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, said on Tuesday his office was satisfied with the consensus. “This court action fixes […]

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