News

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Politician becomes first ever female minister in France to come out as gay

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A politician in France has become the first female minister to come out as gay in the country after revealing her sexuality in an interview. Democratic Movement politician and youngest serving minister Sarah El Haïry revealed that she is queer and is currently dating someone. The 33-year-old state secretary for youth at the Ministry of National Education casually mentioned her partner while discussing whether she uses Twitter. In the interview with Forbes, she responded to the question by saying that she only ever reads Twitter when it affects her family or her girlfriend. The casual mention of her partner cemented El […]

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Germany and France join EU proceedings against Hungary over anti-LGBTQ law

Germany and France are joining the EU Commission’s infringement proceedings against Hungary over its anti-LGBTQ law, a German government spokesperson said Thursday. The European Commission referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU in mid-2022 over the law banning the use of materials seen as promoting homosexuality and transgender identities in schools. The commission has said the law violates the EU’s internal market rules, the fundamental rights of individuals and EU values. Touted as protecting children by the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who presents himself as a defender of traditional family Catholic values, the law […]

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House Digest Reports Best LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities in California

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California, with its exceptionally high LGBTQ+ populations and progressive economic, educational and social policies, was rated by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) as the one of the top 15 states with policies and resources geared toward LGBTQ+ support.  House Digest reported the top cities in California with the highest scores from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipal Equality Index, which assesses cities based on non-discriminatory laws, employment policies, municipal services, hate crime rates and political leadership.  San Francisco Nearly 6.7% of the San Francisco population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, totaling almost a quarter of a million people, […]

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April 15 – 21 is Money Smart Week at SoCo Library

Want to create a family budget but don’t know where to begin? Curious how to plan for retirement? Sonoma County Library has got you covered!  Money Smart Week is a national public education program that empowers people with the knowledge and skills to make better-informed personal financial decisions. Check out these free money-smart events below!  Money Smart Events Money Smart Kids! Use decorative materials to design your own money bank to take home. All materials provided. Recommended for grades K-6. Join us at two library locations: Sonoma Valley and Rohnert Park-Cotati. Managing Money: A Caregiver’s Guide to Finances. It’s never too early to put financial plans in […]

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Vietnam to introduce landmark new bill making it easier for trans people to change gender

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In what would be a massive victory for trans rights, a gender identity law could be included in Vietnam’s parliamentary agenda next year.  On Monday (10 April), lawmaker Nguyễn Anh Trí put forward a proposal to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly to create the new law.  Trí said the law would show that Vietnam values protecting vulnerable communities and “leaving no one behind in its policies”, Việt Nam News reported.  Currently, there are no legal documents regulating gender identity in the southeast Asian country, and although there are no laws prohibiting same-sex relationships or same-sex sexual acts, being queer remains […]

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Hell’s Kitchen stabbing: Group attacks man in apparent anti-gay hate crime, police say

Police in Hell’s Kitchen are looking for the suspects behind a stabbing on Wednesday night that police are now investigating as a possible anti-gay hate crime. Authorities said the victim of the attack, a 44-year-old man, confronted the group of young male suspects after one member hurled a homophobic slur at him near the corner of West 43rd Street and 10th Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. on April 5. Law enforcement sources said the verbal dispute escalated into violence when one of the individuals punched the 44-year-old man in the face. Seconds later, cops said, another brute pulled out a […]

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North Dakota advances record-setting 10 anti-LGBTQ bills in one day, advocates say

North Dakota’s Legislature advanced 10 bills Tuesday that advocates say target the state’s LGBTQ community, setting a single-day record for such legislation, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group. The state Senate passed all 10 bills, which had already passed the House, on Monday. Eight of them are headed to Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, for either a signature or a veto. Those eight include a broad measure that would ban “adult-oriented performances” on public property or in front of minors, which could restrict many forms of drag. Some of the bills passed with veto-proof majorities, including […]

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“Don’t mess with drag queens!”: Thousands march against anti-LGBTQ+ bills

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In a huge show of defiance protesting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping the country, including Tennessee’s ban on public drag performance, thousands of drag queens and their allies took to the streets this weekend in back-to-back marches through San Francisco and West Hollywood.   “If there’s one thing that I have learned over 36 years,” out state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) shared with the crowd at San Francisco’s Drag Up! Fight Back! march on Saturday, it’s “don’t mess with drag queens!”. On Easter Sunday in West Hollywood, thousands gathered for a rally in West Hollywood Park organized by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and […]

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Woman sues Oregon for denying her application to foster kids because she’s anti-LGBTQ+

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A Christian woman is suing the state of Oregon for denying her application to foster and adopt children after she said she would not affirm any LGBTQ+ kids placed in her home. Jessica Bates, a widow and a mother of five, alleges that the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) discriminated against her religion and violated her right to free speech by requiring that foster parents affirm LGBTQ+ youth.  The most anti-LGBTQ+ gay person in Congress joined the right’s Two Minute Hate of the trans influencer. The lawsuit says that Bates “alerted the Department that she will gladly love and accept any […]

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Sebastopol Center for the Arts Faces its Greatest Challenge: “Save the Center”

Shortly aer Sue Ellen McCann became interim Executive Director for the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (SebARTS) last December, she realized that the Center might not be able to continue much longer. The pandemic had taken so much out of the organization; it lost staff, donors, members, event bookings; plus it struggled to maintain its aging facility. How would it recover? This March, SebARTS has launched the “Save the Center” campaign to seek a broader base of support for its mission, the many uses of its building and managing its programs. It’s the “greatest challenge to date” for the organization, […]

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