National

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Judge blocks Texas A&M University’s drag ban

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a ban on drag performances on its campuses.  The Texas A&M Board of Regents passed a resolution last month that prohibited drag shows in campus venues, arguing at the time, according to court documents, that drag shows could violate President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting federal funds from being used to promote “gender ideology.”  As a result of the resolution, Texas A&M’s flagship campus in College Station canceled “Draggieland,” an annual drag performance scheduled for Thursday in a campus theater. The Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council, […]

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For Newark LGBTQ Leaders, Linking Environmental Justice and Queer Liberation Movements is the Key to Healthy Communities – Here’s Why

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Newark, New Jersey LGBTQ activists are organizing to heal their city from redlining – the systematic denial of services, like mortgages, insurance, and other financial services, often based on race or ethnicity – and environmental discrimination to build a healthy, clean, and affordable place where bodily autonomy is never in question.  These local leaders understand the convergence between environmental justice and queer liberation and seek to educate others on how queer-centered action unlocks freedoms and possibilities for all. The City of Newark, home to state schools Rutgers University and a State University of New Jersey campus, has a majority Black, […]

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Kentucky Republicans Overturn Ex-Gay Torture Ban

The Associated Press reports: Kentucky’s Republican lawmakers have passed a measure to protect conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youths as part of a bill that also would outlaw the use of Medicaid funds to pay for gender-affirming health care for transgender Kentucky residents. Conversion therapy is the scientifically discredited practice of using therapy to “convert” LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations. GOP lawmakers voted to remove restrictions that Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear placed on the practice last year. He banned spending tax dollars to pay for the practice on minors, saying his executive order was needed to protect children. Its […]

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ICE uses 227-year old law to ‘disappear’ LGBTQ+ asylum-seeker because of his tattoos

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An LGBTQ+ asylum-seeker has reportedly been deported from the US because of his tattoos. Lindsay Toczylowski, the founder and president of Immigrant Defenders Law Centre (ImmDef), claimed that one of her clients, a Venezuelan tattoo artist, had been deported to El Salvador because of misconceptions regarding their body art, reports The Pride LA. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials reportedly used the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a measure instigated to deport people threatening the country’s safety. It was last invoked to intern people of Japanese descent during World War II. Immigration officers reportedly said the tattoos were related to Tren de Aragua, […]

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Gay bar defends decision to eject Trump supporters despite their cries of “discrimination”

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On Friday night, a gay bar in Indianapolis was the scene of a heated exchange between Donald Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats and bar staff who say they abused them. The bar staff threw them out. “A group of individuals visited Chatterbox and intentionally misgendered and harassed a Chatterbox employee, resulting in them being asked to leave by our staff,” bar management posted to Instagram over the weekend. “They then continued verbally assaulting patrons and staff, threatened our establishment, and returned to record a video which has now been posted on multiple social media platforms.” The video was recorded and […]

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Judge approves Pentagon’s settlement with LGBTQ veterans over discharge status

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A federal judge gave final approval Wednesday to a class-action settlement between the Defense Department and LGBTQ veterans who were discharged because of their sexual orientation under “don’t ask, don’t tell” and similar earlier policies.  The settlement could affect the more than 35,000 veterans discharged between 1980 and 2011,  “because of real or perceived homosexuality, homosexual conduct, sexual perversion, or any other related reason,” according to court documents.  A group of veterans filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in August 2023, alleging that the effects of “don’t ask, don’t tell” — which was signed […]

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The FDA is cracking down on ‘poppers’ producers

Poppers have always operated in a legal gray zone. Now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down on their production.  This week, many major poppers brands began wiping their websites and social media presences. On Friday, Double Scorpio, a popular isobutyl nitrite brand, posted a statement on its website.  “Double Scorpio has stopped all operations following a search and seizure at our offices by the FDA,” it wrote.  Poppers, which are packaged in liquid form and inhaled for a brief euphoric effect, generally need to be prescribed. Still, many manufacturers skirt the law by using alternate chemical formulas […]

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Cops burst into women’s restroom to remove butch lesbian, accusing her of being a man

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A cisgender woman in Arizona is speaking out after she says she was harassed by cops in the women’s restroom of a Tucson Walmart late last month. Kalaya Morton, 19, of Phoenix, says she and her ex-girlfriend were using adjacent stalls in the store’s women’s restroom when two male sheriff’s deputies entered. “They were flashing lights on our feet and saying, ‘You have to get out of here. You have to come out. We need to talk to you,’” Morton told Advocate. Morton, who identifies as a stud — queer slang for a Black masculine-presenting lesbian — says she believes a store employee […]

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Federal agencies flag over 100 words that violate Trump’s “anti-woke” initiative

Memos from the administration of President Donald Trump, revealed last Friday by the New York Times (NYT), have flagged over 100 words that government agencies should limit or avoid. The Times compiled a full list of the terms from government memos, official and unofficial agency guidances, and other documents.    The list contains mostly inoffensive phrases and terms, including “black,” “women,” and “political.” The list itself is most likely incomplete, as more agency memos may exist other than the ones already discovered by NYT reporters. It isn’t a complete list, but a common theme among the terms listed is that they all relate to diversity and GOP […]

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This gay man was fired by DOGE. Now he’s struggling to get access to critical medication

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Three weeks ago, Nathan Barrera-Bunch was working as a management analyst at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., a job he took in November believing it would provide long-term stability. Now, just short of three months into his tenure, he is among the thousands of federal employees who have been abruptly terminated as part of President Donald Trump’sadministration’s sweeping workforce reductions.  Barrera-Bunch, 36, originally from the Texas border town of El Paso, was inspired to work for the VA after witnessing how his grandfather, a Vietnam War veteran, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. After working in the private sector, he was convinced by […]

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