The percent of U.S. adults who identify as something other than heterosexual has doubled over the last 10 years, from 3.5 percent in 2012 to 7.1 percent, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday.
Gallup found that the increase is due to ”high LGBT self-identification, particularly as bisexual, among Generation Z adults,” who are 18 to 25.
It asked more than 12,000 U.S. adults how they identify during telephone interviews last year. It found that younger U.S. adults are much more likely to identify as LGBTQ than older generations.
More than 1 in 5, or 21 percent, of Generation Z adults identify as LGBTQ, Gallup found. That’s almost double the proportion of millennials, who are 26 to 41, at 10.5 percent, and nearly five times the proportion of Generation X, who are 42 to 57, at 4.2 percent. Less than 3 percent of baby boomers, who are 58 to 76, identify as LGBTQ, compared to just 0.8 percent of traditionalists, who are 77 or older.https://iframe.nbcnews.com/u5fH2si?_showcaption=true&app=1
As the youngest Americans slowly outnumber and replace the oldest, Gallup predicts the number of LGBTQ-identifying adults will only increase — and likely at a much faster rate than past generations.
The poll found that the percent of Generation X, baby boomers and traditionalists who identify as queer has remained relatively the same over the years. More millennials have increasingly identified as LGBTQ, but only slightly, at 5.8 percent in 2012, 7.8 percent in 2017 and 10.5 percent now.
But the poll noted that the percentage of Generation Z adults who are queer has almost doubled since 2017 — jumping from 10.5 percent in 2017 to 20.8 percent. The rise shows that younger Gen Zers, who have turned 18 since 2017, are more likely than older Gen Zers to identify as queer.
Gallup noted that the youngest Gen Zers — who are as young as 10 — still haven’t turned 18, and they are even more likely to identify as LGBTQ.
If the trend of millennials and Generation Z increasingly identifying as LGBTQ continues, “the proportion of LGBT Americans should exceed 10 percent in the near future,” Gallup found.
Bisexuals make up 4 percent of all U.S. adults
Bisexuality is the most common identifier used among LGBTQ Americans, which is in line with a Gallup report released last year. More than half of LGBTQ Americans, at 57 percent, are bisexual.
Over one-fifth of LGBTQ respondents, or 21 percent, are gay, 14 percent are lesbian, 10 percent are transgender and 4 percent identify as something e
Overall, 4 percent of U.S. adults identify as bisexual, compared to 1 percent who identify as lesbian, 1.5 percent as gay, 0.7 percent as transgender and 0.3 percent as other. Heterosexuals comprised 86.3 percent of total respondents, and 6.6 percent did not offer an opinion.
Generation Z adults are the most likely to identify as bisexual, at 15 percent overall, compared to 6 percent of millennials and less than 2 percent of Generation X, baby boomers and traditionalists.
Increasing acceptance — in certain areas
Gallup notes that the proportion of Gen Z Americans who identify as LGBTQ is increasing at a faster pace than previous generations, and that they are growing up at a time when 70 percent of Americanssupport same-sex marriage rights, and a majority also support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people.
But that support varies when broken down further. For example, Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey found last year that 66 percent of people favor allowing openly transgender people to serve in the military, that figure is down slightly from its previous measure in 2019, when 71 percent were in favor.
At the same time, 62 percent of Americans say trans athletes should only be allowed to play on sports teams that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth, while 34 percent say they should be able to play on teams that match their gender identity, the survey found.
At the time, Mara Keisling, former executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, attributed that contrast at least in part to the wave of legislation in states seeking to bar trans students from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity.
But she also noted that — consistent with Gallup’s data — as more Americans know trans people and more young people identify as LGBTQ, acceptance will grow. As for those pushing anti-transgender legislation, she added, “Someday, they’ll be in the dustbin of history.”
Detention Watch Network, along with many other organizations are planning a National Day of Action March 3. Here in the Bay Area, as part of this national campaign, Rainbow Beginnings is planning DEPORTATION = DEATH, a candlelight vigil at dusk to remember LGBTQ immigrants deported and asylum seekers held in concentration camps. It will be held at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro.
We are reaching out to invite your organization to participate in this event. We hope Queer Asylum Accompaniment Team will join us as a cosponsor. To cosponsor we ask your organization to provide a speaker for 3-5 minutes on LGBTQIA immigration needs and need to reform, and help promote this event to your staff, volunteers and members. Please let us know as soon as possible if you can sponsor.
If you have any questions or want more information please contact us.
Dive into environmental issues and discover how things work with our new science databases. From hundreds of 3-D interactive models, to in depth research on scientific topics, there is a whole world of digital science to explore! These new resources are courtesy of the California State Library as part of their K-12 Online Content Project, which enables all K-12 students in California to access vital learning support through their schools and local libraries. Find out more about these exciting resources below!
Environmental Studies In Contextbrings together periodicals and multimedia, empowering learners to critically analyze and understand important topics that affect people around the world. Explore topics and events such as Earth systems, global change, pollution, populations, and more.
Science: Interactive helps students better visualize and understand concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science. Students and instructors can manipulate and explore 3D models paired with reference and periodical content for further understanding.
National Geographic Kids is an online database housing books, videos, magazines, and pictures produced by National Geographic for children. The content includes the complete run of National Geographic’s Kidsmagazine from 2009 to present, over 500 books from the National Geographic Kids Collections, and hundreds of downloadable images and videos.
In Case You Missed It
Looking for more science resources? Check out some of these library favorites!
ScienceFlix™ is an online resource that focuses on engaging science content for students in grades 4-10. ScienceFlix™ offers more than 20,000 science-related assets that cover six areas of study, including earth science, space science, life science, health and the human body, physical science, and technology and engineering.
SIRS® Issues Researcher is an authoritative resource for pro/con issues assignments offering background and analysis on 360+ leading issues. Editorially curated and created content including engaging Essential Questions, and viewpoint articles help build a solid foundation for understanding complex global issues.
Escolar is a Spanish-language resource for native Spanish speakers, bilingual students, and students learning Spanish. Engaging home pages at each level are entry points to thousands of articles, images, videos, maps, and tables, many of which are newly added daily.
Dive In TodayThank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit us online or in person at one of our branches. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here. Questions? Please call your local library branch or click here to send us a message. La ciencia cobra vida con tu tarjeta de la biblioteca Sumérgete en temas ambientales y descubre cómo funcionan las cosas con nuestras nuevas bases de datos de ciencia. ¡Desde cientos de modelos interactivos en 3D hasta investigaciones en profundidad sobre temas científicos, ¡hay todo un mundo de ciencia digital para explorar! Estos nuevos recursos son cortesía de la Biblioteca Estatal de California como parte de su Proyecto de Contenido en Línea K-12, que permite a todos los estudiantes de K-12 en California acceder a apoyo vital de aprendizaje a través de sus escuelas y bibliotecas locales. ¡Más información sobre estos emocionantes recursos a continuación!
Environmental Studies In Contextreúne publicaciones periódicas y multimedia, empoderando a los estudiantes para analizar críticamente y comprender temas importantes que afectan a las personas de todo el mundo. Explore temas y eventos como los sistemas de la Tierra, el cambio global, la contaminación, las poblaciones y más.
Science: Interactive ayuda a los estudiantes a visualizar y comprender mejor los conceptos de biología, química, ciencias de la tierra y el espacio. Los estudiantes e instructores pueden manipular y explorar modelos 3D combinados con contenido de referencia y periódico para una mayor comprensión.
National Geographic Kids es una base de datos en línea que contiene libros, videos, revistas y fotografías producidas por National Geographic para niños. El contenido incluye la tirada completa de la revista National Geographic’s Kids desde 2009 hasta la actualidad, más de 500 libros de National Geographic Kids Collections y cientos de imágenes y vídeos descargables.
En caso de que lo hayas olvidado
¿Buscas más recursos sobre la ciencia? ¡Echa un vistazo a algunos de estos favoritos de la biblioteca!
ScienceFlix™ es un recurso en línea con un enfoque de ciencias para estudiantes del 4 al 10 grado escolar. Cuenta con más de 20,000 videos sobre la ciencia de la tierra, el espacio, la vida, la salud, el cuerpo humano, la física, la tecnología e ingeniería.
SIRS® Issues Researcher es un recurso fidedigno para escribir ensayos argumentativos a favor de un tema o en contra de ello. Ofrece antecedentes y análisis sobre 360 temas principales. Brinda contenido editado y creado, incluidas las Essential Questions y los artículos de diferentes puntos de vista, ayudan a crear una base sólida para comprender problemas globales complejos.
Escolar es un recurso en español para hablantes del español, para los estudiantes bilingües y para los estudiantes que están aprendiendo el español. Las páginas de inicio en cada nivel son puntos de entrada a miles de artículos, imágenes, videos, mapas y tablas, muchos de los cuales están agregados a diario.
Sumérgete hoyGracias por ser miembro de la comunidad de Bibliotecas del Condado de Sonoma. Visítenos en línea o en persona en una de nuestras sucursales. Asegúrese de consultar los trabajos disponible en la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma aquí. ¿Preguntas? Por favor llame a su biblioteca local o haga clic para mandar un mensaje.If you would like to manage which emails you receive from us, please click here. Si desea gestionar los correos electrónicos que recibe de nosotros, haga clic aquí.
Dive into environmental issues and discover how things work with our new science databases. From hundreds of 3-D interactive models, to in depth research on scientific topics, there is a whole world of digital science to explore!
These new resources are courtesy of the California State Library as part of their K-12 Online Content Project, which enables all K-12 students in California to access vital learning support through their schools and local libraries. Find out more about these exciting resources below! Environmental Studies In Contextbrings together periodicals and multimedia, empowering learners to critically analyze and understand important topics that affect people around the world. Explore topics and events such as Earth systems, global change, pollution, populations, and more. Science: Interactive helps students better visualize and understand concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science. Students and instructors can manipulate and explore 3D models paired with reference and periodical content for further understanding. National Geographic Kids is an online database housing books, videos, magazines, and pictures produced by National Geographic for children. The content includes the complete run of National Geographic’s Kidsmagazine from 2009 to present, over 500 books from the National Geographic Kids Collections, and hundreds of downloadable images and videos. In Case You Missed It Looking for more science resources? Check out some of these library favorites! ScienceFlix™ is an online resource that focuses on engaging science content for students in grades 4-10. ScienceFlix™ offers more than 20,000 science-related assets that cover six areas of study, including earth science, space science, life science, health and the human body, physical science, and technology and engineering. SIRS® Issues Researcher is an authoritative resource for pro/con issues assignments offering background and analysis on 360+ leading issues. Editorially curated and created content including engaging Essential Questions, and viewpoint articles help build a solid foundation for understanding complex global issues. Escolar is a Spanish-language resource for native Spanish speakers, bilingual students, and students learning Spanish. Engaging home pages at each level are entry points to thousands of articles, images, videos, maps, and tables, many of which are newly added daily. Dive In Today Thank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit us online or in person at one of our branches. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here.
La ciencia cobra vida con tu tarjeta de la biblioteca
Sumérgete en temas ambientales y descubre cómo funcionan las cosas con nuestras nuevas bases de datos de ciencia. ¡Desde cientos de modelos interactivos en 3D hasta investigaciones en profundidad sobre temas científicos, ¡hay todo un mundo de ciencia digital para explorar!
Estos nuevos recursos son cortesía de la Biblioteca Estatal de California como parte de su Proyecto de Contenido en Línea K-12, que permite a todos los estudiantes de K-12 en California acceder a apoyo vital de aprendizaje a través de sus escuelas y bibliotecas locales. ¡Más información sobre estos emocionantes recursos a continuación! Environmental Studies In Contextreúne publicaciones periódicas y multimedia, empoderando a los estudiantes para analizar críticamente y comprender temas importantes que afectan a las personas de todo el mundo. Explore temas y eventos como los sistemas de la Tierra, el cambio global, la contaminación, las poblaciones y más. Science: Interactive ayuda a los estudiantes a visualizar y comprender mejor los conceptos de biología, química, ciencias de la tierra y el espacio. Los estudiantes e instructores pueden manipular y explorar modelos 3D combinados con contenido de referencia y periódico para una mayor comprensión. National Geographic Kids es una base de datos en línea que contiene libros, videos, revistas y fotografías producidas por National Geographic para niños. El contenido incluye la tirada completa de la revista National Geographic’s Kids desde 2009 hasta la actualidad, más de 500 libros de National Geographic Kids Collections y cientos de imágenes y vídeos descargables. En caso de que lo hayas olvidado ¿Buscas más recursos sobre la ciencia? ¡Echa un vistazo a algunos de estos favoritos de la biblioteca! ScienceFlix™ es un recurso en línea con un enfoque de ciencias para estudiantes del 4 al 10 grado escolar. Cuenta con más de 20,000 videos sobre la ciencia de la tierra, el espacio, la vida, la salud, el cuerpo humano, la física, la tecnología e ingeniería. SIRS® Issues Researcher es un recurso fidedigno para escribir ensayos argumentativos a favor de un tema o en contra de ello. Ofrece antecedentes y análisis sobre 360 temas principales. Brinda contenido editado y creado, incluidas las Essential Questions y los artículos de diferentes puntos de vista, ayudan a crear una base sólida para comprender problemas globales complejos. Escolar es un recurso en español para hablantes del español, para los estudiantes bilingües y para los estudiantes que están aprendiendo el español. Las páginas de inicio en cada nivel son puntos de entrada a miles de artículos, imágenes, videos, mapas y tablas, muchos de los cuales están agregados a diario. Sumérgete hoy Gracias por ser miembro de la comunidad de Bibliotecas del Condado de Sonoma. Visítenos en línea o en persona en una de nuestras sucursales. Asegúrese de consultar los trabajos disponible en la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma aquí.
¿Preguntas? Por favor llame a su biblioteca local o haga clic para mandar un mensaje. If you would like to manage which emails you receive from us, please click here.
Si desea gestionar los correos electrónicos que recibe de nosotros, haga clic aquí.
The Rev. Richard Weinberg, an Episcopalian rector in Washington, D.C., was surprised to find that his diocese didn’t have a policy for paid parental leave when he began preparing to adopt a child with his partner last year.
The church allowed three months of specifically paid maternal leave, four weeks more than D.C. law mandates. But unlike some of the district’s provisions, the church’s policy didn’t address people, including LGBTQ couples, who seek to have children through adoption, surrogacy or other means.
After he and another priest petitioned the diocese for a policy that included all methods of starting a family, the church agreed to give him 12 weeks of paid parental leave once his adoption is finalized. But it took numerous discussions with senior leadership and his congregation to figure out what would work for them, as well as for him.
“Without a policy in place or any law to fall back on, the burden was on me to fight for myself and what I thought was fair and appropriate,” Weinberg said.
The Rev. Richard Mosson Weinberg.St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
Weinberg’s experience is common in the LGBTQ community, advocacy groups and think tanks studying the issue say. According to a 2020 study by the Census Bureau, same-sex couples are more than four times as likely as opposite-sex couples to adopt children — and more than twice as likely to foster children. But the policies vary by employer and are applied inconsistently, according to studies of the issue.
Advocates have called for more inclusive and widespread parental leave policies, and came close with a provision in President Joe Biden’s $1.7 trillion social safety net bill, which would have mandated all U.S. employers provide workers with four weeks of paid parental leave. But talks on the legislation collapsed after Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, announced in December that he wouldn’t vote for the billin part over funding for new programs,denying his Democratic colleagues the 50 votes they would need to pass the legislation under special budget rules.
LGBTQ advocates hope that polls showing broad support for paid parental leave will create momentum for legislative action. Eighty-four percent of voters — including majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans — support a paid family leave policy, according to a 2018 study from the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group focused on the issue.
While 12 weeks of leave are available to many new parents under the Family and Medical Leave Act, that time off is unpaid under the law, making it financially unviable for lower-income people. Paid leave through employers or states is available to only about a quarter of Americans, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data in 2021, and just a handful of states and Washington, D.C., have implemented policies themselves.
The programs that are available aren’t distributed equally, with 12 percent of private industry workers in the lowest income quartile receiving paid family leave and 37 percent of workers in the highest quartile having access, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Policies also don’t cover sexual orientations and gender identities equally. A 2018 survey by the Human Rights Campaign found fewer than half of LGBTQ respondents said their employers’ leave policies were LGBTQ-inclusive. Respondents also expressed concern about potentially outing themselves or encountering workplace discrimination when asking for leave, the survey found.
In addition, LGBTQ people face distinct financial considerations in starting families. The community is more likely to face economic hurdles like housing instability, unemployment and food insecurity, to begin with, indicating a greater need for social safety net programs, according to the progressive think tank the Center for American Progress. Then there are the additional expenses associated with various means of bringing children into the home.
“LGBTQ-plus parents often have additional needs for paid leave,” Julie Kruse, the director of federal policy at the advocacy group Family Equality, said. “Our families can be expensive to form — for people that require trans fertility services, for people using alternative reproductive technologies, even those going through the processes of fostering and adopting.”
A further issue is how paid leave policies affect employees’ perceived commitment to their job, said Richard Petts, a sociology professor at Ball State University. Taking leave can be stigmatized, causing employees to worry they’ll face a disadvantage at work if they take time off. When those policies are implemented inconsistently in the workplace, it only exacerbates the problem, he said.
Expanded access would help correct the issue and also be of special benefit to marginalized groups, Petts said.
“The U.S. actually has this really golden opportunity to take the lead in providing and showing what an equitable leave policy could look like,” Petts said. “Having a policy that says this is an individual entitlement really is equitable in the truest sense.”
The Covid pandemic, meanwhile, has only heightened financial concerns as it takes a toll on families across the country, Kruse said, adding that she hopes that could influence voters’ opinions and create momentum for a national policy.
“Knowing that we have paid time off without fear of losing our job is just a huge relief, and all families deserve to feel that, so I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure,” Kruse said. “There’s only so much more families can take.”
Support for legislation
For Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the issue is personal. Craig, who co-chairs the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and is one of two LGBTQ parents in Congress, said the complexities that same-sex couples face in becoming parents have shown the importance of a uniform paid leave policy.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., shows a picture of her grandson Noah on her phone as she speaks at the Capitol about proposed investments in children to reduce economic disparity on Dec. 14, 2021.Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
LGBTQ people face a wide range of barriers when starting families, Craig said. One such circumstance occurred when her wife adopted their first child — even though she was married to the primary adoptee, Craig had to file for second-parent adoption, a practice in place in many states.
Across the nation, nearly 20 states, primarily led by Republicans, have not passed protections against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality in adoption, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank focused on promoting equal rights.
Craig said including four weeks of leave in the Build Back Better Act was a step in the right direction, although she and many other progressives had initially called for 12 weeks. She said she plans to continue to advocate for expansive paid leave legislation.
“Paid family leave makes sense for all families,” Craig said. “We shouldn’t be putting barriers in place for LGBTQ individuals who want to have families, and that’s what we’ve done in the history of the nation.”
Before negotiations on the bill stalled, Manchin opposed including 12 weeks of paid family leave, saying he preferred standalone legislation, rather than the sweeping bill, for such a significant policy change and expressing concerns about the funding of the broader package. He also expressed concern that Americans would abuse some benefits like paid leave and the child tax credit.
“I believe in family leave, I believe people should have that opportunity,” Manchin said on MSNBC in November. “Can’t we find a better position for this and do this in a bipartisan process that works?”
Progressive lawmakers view passage of such a provision as a necessary and historic opportunity amid favorable views on the subject, including among some businesses, after previous efforts have failed.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also supports paid family leave, although it opposed the social spending legislation, according to Marc Freedman, the chamber’s vice president of employment policy.
“The chamber continues to believe there is a fiscally responsible, bipartisan approach to providing a federal paid family leave benefit,” Freedman said in a statement to NBC News. “We believe that such a deal can be forged, but this partisan reconciliation bill is certainly not the vehicle to achieve a sensible solution to making sure paid family leave is available on a nationwide basis.”
Weinberg, the D.C. rector, said national legislation would prevent others from having to go through what he experienced in preparing to adopt a child.
While thankful for the changes his diocese made, he said he hopes to see a national standard. Having a child is a significant change for any family, and the opportunity to bond is essential, he said.
“To be able to continue to earn an income without having to put your life and your financial health on hold in order to have a family is just such a basic right,” Weinberg said. “So having legislation in place and employers who are seeking to happily compensate people when they’re starting their family would be a huge benefit to Americans.”
Now, Weinberg and his partner are navigating the application process for a 10-year-old boy from Colombia they hosted for five weeks last year. They hope to have the adoption finalized by summer.
The Rev. Richard Weinberg, an Episcopalian rector in Washington, D.C., was surprised to find that his diocese didn’t have a policy for paid parental leave when he began preparing to adopt a child with his partner last year.
The church allowed three months of specifically paid maternal leave, four weeks more than D.C. law mandates. But unlike some of the district’s provisions, the church’s policy didn’t address people, including LGBTQ couples, who seek to have children through adoption, surrogacy or other means.
After he and another priest petitioned the diocese for a policy that included all methods of starting a family, the church agreed to give him 12 weeks of paid parental leave once his adoption is finalized. But it took numerous discussions with senior leadership and his congregation to figure out what would work for them, as well as for him.
“Without a policy in place or any law to fall back on, the burden was on me to fight for myself and what I thought was fair and appropriate,” Weinberg said.
The Rev. Richard Mosson Weinberg.St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
Weinberg’s experience is common in the LGBTQ community, advocacy groups and think tanks studying the issue say. According to a 2020 study by the Census Bureau, same-sex couples are more than four times as likely as opposite-sex couples to adopt children — and more than twice as likely to foster children. But the policies vary by employer and are applied inconsistently, according to studies of the issue.
Advocates have called for more inclusive and widespread parental leave policies, and came close with a provision in President Joe Biden’s $1.7 trillion social safety net bill, which would have mandated all U.S. employers provide workers with four weeks of paid parental leave. But talks on the legislation collapsed after Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, announced in December that he wouldn’t vote for the billin part over funding for new programs,denying his Democratic colleagues the 50 votes they would need to pass the legislation under special budget rules.
LGBTQ advocates hope that polls showing broad support for paid parental leave will create momentum for legislative action. Eighty-four percent of voters — including majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans — support a paid family leave policy, according to a 2018 study from the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group focused on the issue.
While 12 weeks of leave are available to many new parents under the Family and Medical Leave Act, that time off is unpaid under the law, making it financially unviable for lower-income people. Paid leave through employers or states is available to only about a quarter of Americans, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data in 2021, and just a handful of states and Washington, D.C., have implemented policies themselves.
The programs that are available aren’t distributed equally, with 12 percent of private industry workers in the lowest income quartile receiving paid family leave and 37 percent of workers in the highest quartile having access, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Policies also don’t cover sexual orientations and gender identities equally. A 2018 survey by the Human Rights Campaign found fewer than half of LGBTQ respondents said their employers’ leave policies were LGBTQ-inclusive. Respondents also expressed concern about potentially outing themselves or encountering workplace discrimination when asking for leave, the survey found.
In addition, LGBTQ people face distinct financial considerations in starting families. The community is more likely to face economic hurdles like housing instability, unemployment and food insecurity, to begin with, indicating a greater need for social safety net programs, according to the progressive think tank the Center for American Progress. Then there are the additional expenses associated with various means of bringing children into the home.
“LGBTQ-plus parents often have additional needs for paid leave,” Julie Kruse, the director of federal policy at the advocacy group Family Equality, said. “Our families can be expensive to form — for people that require trans fertility services, for people using alternative reproductive technologies, even those going through the processes of fostering and adopting.”
A further issue is how paid leave policies affect employees’ perceived commitment to their job, said Richard Petts, a sociology professor at Ball State University. Taking leave can be stigmatized, causing employees to worry they’ll face a disadvantage at work if they take time off. When those policies are implemented inconsistently in the workplace, it only exacerbates the problem, he said.
Expanded access would help correct the issue and also be of special benefit to marginalized groups, Petts said.
“The U.S. actually has this really golden opportunity to take the lead in providing and showing what an equitable leave policy could look like,” Petts said. “Having a policy that says this is an individual entitlement really is equitable in the truest sense.”
The Covid pandemic, meanwhile, has only heightened financial concerns as it takes a toll on families across the country, Kruse said, adding that she hopes that could influence voters’ opinions and create momentum for a national policy.
“Knowing that we have paid time off without fear of losing our job is just a huge relief, and all families deserve to feel that, so I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure,” Kruse said. “There’s only so much more families can take.”
Support for legislation
For Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the issue is personal. Craig, who co-chairs the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and is one of two LGBTQ parents in Congress, said the complexities that same-sex couples face in becoming parents have shown the importance of a uniform paid leave policy.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., shows a picture of her grandson Noah on her phone as she speaks at the Capitol about proposed investments in children to reduce economic disparity on Dec. 14, 2021.Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
LGBTQ people face a wide range of barriers when starting families, Craig said. One such circumstance occurred when her wife adopted their first child — even though she was married to the primary adoptee, Craig had to file for second-parent adoption, a practice in place in many states.
Across the nation, nearly 20 states, primarily led by Republicans, have not passed protections against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality in adoption, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank focused on promoting equal rights.
Craig said including four weeks of leave in the Build Back Better Act was a step in the right direction, although she and many other progressives had initially called for 12 weeks. She said she plans to continue to advocate for expansive paid leave legislation.
“Paid family leave makes sense for all families,” Craig said. “We shouldn’t be putting barriers in place for LGBTQ individuals who want to have families, and that’s what we’ve done in the history of the nation.”
Before negotiations on the bill stalled, Manchin opposed including 12 weeks of paid family leave, saying he preferred standalone legislation, rather than the sweeping bill, for such a significant policy change and expressing concerns about the funding of the broader package. He also expressed concern that Americans would abuse some benefits like paid leave and the child tax credit.
“I believe in family leave, I believe people should have that opportunity,” Manchin said on MSNBC in November. “Can’t we find a better position for this and do this in a bipartisan process that works?”
Progressive lawmakers view passage of such a provision as a necessary and historic opportunity amid favorable views on the subject, including among some businesses, after previous efforts have failed.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also supports paid family leave, although it opposed the social spending legislation, according to Marc Freedman, the chamber’s vice president of employment policy.
“The chamber continues to believe there is a fiscally responsible, bipartisan approach to providing a federal paid family leave benefit,” Freedman said in a statement to NBC News. “We believe that such a deal can be forged, but this partisan reconciliation bill is certainly not the vehicle to achieve a sensible solution to making sure paid family leave is available on a nationwide basis.”
Weinberg, the D.C. rector, said national legislation would prevent others from having to go through what he experienced in preparing to adopt a child.
While thankful for the changes his diocese made, he said he hopes to see a national standard. Having a child is a significant change for any family, and the opportunity to bond is essential, he said.
“To be able to continue to earn an income without having to put your life and your financial health on hold in order to have a family is just such a basic right,” Weinberg said. “So having legislation in place and employers who are seeking to happily compensate people when they’re starting their family would be a huge benefit to Americans.”
Now, Weinberg and his partner are navigating the application process for a 10-year-old boy from Colombia they hosted for five weeks last year. They hope to have the adoption finalized by summer.
Two local organizations are partnering to distribute free copies of controversial books in response to the recent increase in attempts to remove titles from school libraries.
In Purpose Educational Services and the St. Louis bookstore EyeSeeMe will deliver free copies of “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morisson to Missourians who request it.
The organizations raised more than $3,000 in the first few hours after launching the book program, said Heather Fleming, founder of In Purpose Educational Services.
“If you look at most of the books that they are trying to ban, they are the stories of people from historically marginalized groups,” said Fleming. “We have to grapple with some of the things that have happened in our society. Number one, to make sure that they don’t happen again. But then number two, because we need to learn how to live with one another.”
Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” is photographed in this photo illustration last November at Left Bank Books in St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood.
A St. Louis Public Radio analysis of the books being challenged in the area in November found two-thirds were written by authors of color or authors who identify as LGBTQ. “The Bluest Eye,” was the book with the most official requests for removal from libraries. It was the first book by Toni Morrison, who would go on to win a Nobel Prize in Literature and a Pulitzer Prize.
The Wentzville School Board voted 4-3 at its Jan. 20 meeting to remove the book from school libraries. That’s after a committee voted to recommend keeping the book, writing, “committee members believe that removing the work would infringe on the rights of parents and students to decide for themselves if they want to read this work of literature.”
A committee in the Francis Howell School District voted to retain the book this month and a review of “The Bluest Eye” is still underway in the Lindbergh School District.
The organizations that are planning the “banned book program” have a form for people to fill out if they are interested in receiving free copies of the book. The books will be distributed to people in Missouri and the groups plan to pick a new book each month, Fleming said.
These conversations and these types of book bans, they’re placing our students at a disadvantage,” Fleming said. “Whether people want to admit it or not, we are becoming an increasingly diverse society … students who are not culturally competent are not going to meet with as much success.”
We are a month into the New Year and we are just getting started on what promises to be an exciting year for Face to Face and the clients we serve in Sonoma County. To all who have supported our work through the years we are grateful for your continued support. Hard to believe but we are now in our 39th year of helping people with HIV/AIDS in Sonoma County. What began as a grassroots effort to help those who were dying of AIDS has grown into an organization that provides best-practice, evidence-based prevention and care services, all the while supporting the health and well-being of people living with HIV. We continue to push boundaries, staying true to the core of our humble beginnings. We have big plans for the upcoming year with an exciting announcement coming up in just a couple of weeks. In the meantime here is what we are working on heading into this New Year! Best In Health, Sara BrewerExecutive Director
SIERRA HEALTH FOUNDATION- STIMULANT USE GRANT
We were fortunate to receive a grant from the Sierra Health Foundation for Stimulant Use. This grant has enabled us to reach BIPOC population, to educate and help reduce stigma on substance abuse. Sonoma County’s opioid-related deaths are 70% above our California state average, and fentanyl-related overdoses in particular have increased in our county from just four in 2017 to 94 in 2020.In particular, people of color who use drugs are more likely than their white neighbors to end up in the criminal justice system or experience an overdose. They face greater barriers to treatment, and greater stigma. In the first eight months of expanding our SSP to include smoking supplies we have seen huge increases of people who use drugs accessing our prevention services and treatment support. Our strategy combines targeted outreach, education, linkage to medicated assistance treatment, naloxone distribution, counseling, and other personalized support. These activities will reduce overdose deaths, increase access to treatment, and support healthier outcomes in our community.
Progress and ResilienceBlack communities have made great progress in reducing HIV. Yet racism, discrimination, and mistrust in the health care system may affect whether Black people seek or receive HIV prevention services. These issues may also reduce the likelihood of engaging in HIV treatment and care.
To continue to reduce the burden of HIV and other health risks, people need adequate housing and transportation, employment, access to culturally competent health services that are free of stigma and discrimination, and more.Together, when we work to overcome structural barriers to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment and to stop HIV stigma, we help reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities in Black communities.We must address systemic social and health inequities to #StopHIVTogether.
BEERFEST, “THE GOOD ONE” RETURNS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022After a 2 year absence we are thrilled to be bringing back this annual event to the lawn of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts In Santa Rosa
We look forward to welcoming you back!
Expect mouth-puckering sour beers, hop bombs, barrel-aged brews, and a wide range of other cool libations that make Northern California one of the best beer producing regions in the world. More than 40 breweries & cideries will be pouring their samples for you to enjoy from 1-4:30 pm. VIP starts at Noon!
Parents in Georgia have reported that an elementary school administrator took down a young child’s Pride artwork and compared it to a Nazi flag.
The artwork featured a rainbow Pride flag, an umbrella, and the words “Gay is OK”, and was drawn by a student at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School, in Athens, Georgia, which teaches children aged five to 11.
The child’s teacher proudly displayed the drawing in their classroom, but according to local TV station WXIA-TV, was told to remove it by school administrators.
When the teacher questioned why they should take it down, an administrator reportedly compared the adorable Pride artwork to a Nazi flag.
Many parents were extremely upset about the incident, including Jemelleh Coes, who said that it was not isolated.
Coes, a professor at the University of Georgia, said: “There are ongoing complaints about this current administration has been discriminatory against women, being discriminatory against LGBT+ people, being discriminatory against English language learners or emerging bilinguals, emerging multilingual and Spanish speakers.
“So we have seen a pattern of inequity at our school and we have been asking for support at this point for years.”
Gee Campbell, who is transmasculine non-binary and has two children at the school, added: “We’ve been part of this school community for four years.
“My experiences with the teachers in regards to my transitioning have always been positive and respectful. My daughter is in this classroom and my immediate thought was, ‘What message does this give my daughter about her family?’”
One anonymous teacher also released a statement: “On behalf of a majority of the staff at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School, we are disheartened that these words and actions have happened in our school building during this time.
“This does not represent why we chose this profession, and it does not represent the feelings, beliefs, values, and attributes our amazing school family has within these four walls.”
They called on the school district to take action, and added: “We will continue to seek resolution and promote a community of love, acceptance, and tolerance within our building and community.”
In response, the Clarke County School District said in a statement: “We have investigated the situation and are working to address the issues with all parties involved.
“To be clear, we condemn this comparison and discrimination in all its forms.
“The Clarke County School District embraces diversity and inclusion for all students and staff. We stand with our LGBTQIA+ community and are dedicated to proving our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“To that end, we will continue having sensitive and appropriate conversations with our school communities.”
A trans woman has shared her heartbreaking experience of conversion therapy to warn how the barbaric practice can at first come across like “kindness”.
Warning: Discusses mental health, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault and conversion therapy.
While there, she claimed, she underwent horrific conversion therapy.
Megan said that she knew that she was a girl from the age of four.
“When I first learned about trans people I asked a parent about them,” she wrote.
“They told me, ‘Transsexuals are deeply unhappy people who become prostitutes, get AIDS, and die homeless.’ Those words became the root of my closet.”
Negative depictions of trans people in the media forced Meghan even further into the closet, which severely affected her mental health, and saw her try to take her own life at the ages of eight and 15.
She “fell into Evangelical purity culture”, which she was attracted to because of “the constant references to healing, regeneration, renewal, and rebirth”.
“In short, I knew that I wanted to be a woman, society told me that was a bad thing, so I wanted a way out of wanting to be a woman,” Meghan said. “Evangelical purity culture promised me a way out, and I grasped onto it.”
While she prayed “fervently”, she still struggled with dysphoria, and entries from her prayer journals at the time show that she had become desperate for God to “heal” her.
In one entry, Meghan wrote: “I don’t even want to be happy anymore. I’ll make [do] with content. You want to work a work in me? Do it. Do it and get it over with.
“I can’t wait anymore. I hate this. I hate existing.”
In another, she wrote: “I just want to give up. I’ve been praying for a decade. For a decade you haven’t healed me. Maybe tomorrow I’ll finally have the courage and walk out the window.”
Enrolling at Moody Bible Institute, a private Evangelical Christian Bible college founded in Chicago, Illinois, became the next step in her “plan to be healed of [her] gender issues”.
According to the college’s doctrinal statement: “Non-marital sex, homosexual sex, same-sex romantic relationships, and gender identification incongruent with one’s birth-sex all violate God’s generous intention for human relationships.
“Such practices misrepresent the nature of God Himself, and therefore are sinful under any circumstance.”
Meghan claims she was threatened with academic probation if she refused to attend what would soon become conversion therapy
Meghan’s mental health continued to suffer, and while a student at Moody Bible Institute, she suffered a “nervous breakdown” following a bad bout of insomnia.
“I was referred to resident life supervisors who required me to attend therapy with a Moody therapist or else face probation,” she said.
“I want to add that what I now recognise as a threat wasn’t presented as a threat, it was presented in the nicest, most sincere way possible.
“They were incredibly gentle with me at this stage, even though they were holding real academic consequences over my head.”
The therapist Meghan saw practiced nouthetic counseling, “an Evangelical model of therapy that rejects psychiatry and psychology, relying on Biblical principles in order to help their clients”.
In an effort to figure out which “unconfessed sin” had “caused” her mental health problems, Meghan finally admitted that she “hated being a man”.
Her therapist was “extremely kind”, and Meghan was “convinced through his words and deeds that he had my best interests at heart”.
He told her: “Many men struggle with feeling like they should have been women, and we have a way to treat this problem.”
“I was ECSTATIC,” recalled Meghan.
“I left that session thinking that I wished I had confessed those feelings decades ago. He promised me the healing I had been praying for for years. I began to think that this was God’s providence, the fulfillment of my purpose at Moody.”
The trauma of being sexually assaulted as a child became an integral part of Meghan’s ‘therapy’
Meghan said her therapist told her that “abuse, either physical, emotional, or sexual, was the primary cause” of people being transgender.
She disclosed that she “had been sexually assaulted while in the hospital after one of [her] suicide attempts, and that it was extremely difficult to talk about”.
But her therapist, she wrote, told her that the experience had caused “gender identity disorder”.
“Both of us conveniently ignored that the assault occurred over a decade after my first reported experience of gender incongruence,” she wrote.
He reportedly instructed that whenever she felt gender dysphoria she should try to relive the assault under she was hyperventilating and in tears, as “cognitive aversion therapy”.
She said that she continued this “therapy” for a year, while having weekly meetings with “Christopher Yuan, an adjunct faculty member at Moody who was a prominent member of the ex-gay community“.
In an article, still live on the Moody Bible Institute blog, the college describes Yuan’s “ex-gay” journey, stating: “While studying the Bible, Christopher slowly realised he had put his identity in the wrong thing, his sexuality.
“But, God called him to put his main identity in Jesus Christ alone. This new identity in Christ compelled him to live in obedience to God whether regardless of what his sexual desires were. This obedience led to a radically changed life.”
Meghan wrote that her therapist told her “marriage signalled the final end of feelings of ‘same-sex attraction’ and gender identity disorder”, and so she “courted a woman and got married”.
While she told her wife about her experiences, she insisted she was “healed”, until she began to experience a faith crisis “precipitated largely by the rise of racism, xenophobia, and the increasing post-truth culture of the Evangelical Church”.
She said: “It took years for me to finally come out to my ex-wife. I held on for so long because I thought I could just tough it out for the last fifty years of my life.
“But there came a point where, I knew that doing so would kill me in the end.”
Now, Meghan is working “with a therapist to undo the damage done”, but explained that she was telling her story to warn others that conversion therapy can often seem harmless at first.
She wrote: “I suppose the thing I want people to learn from my experience is how NICE and KIND and WELL-INTENTIONED the people involved in my therapy were.
“That kindness reads insidious to me now, like a smile on the face of an abuser.”
Her Twitter thread soon went viral, and has to date been liked almost 8,000 times.
PinkNews has approached Moody Bible Institute for comment.
Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk).
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255, or The Trevor Project which provides 24/7 crisis support, 365 days a year. Text START to 678-678, or call: (866) 488-7386.
For the first time in history, California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus could grow to comprise 10% of the state legislature in 2022. Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, announced endorsements of three openly LGBTQ+ candidates on Wednesday: former San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez in Assembly District 80; Palm Springs City Councilmember and former Mayor Christy Holstege in Assembly District 47; and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Joseph C. Rocha in Senate District 40. Equality California previously announced early endorsements of Rick Chavez Zbur for Assembly District 51 and Chula Vista City Councilmember Steve Padilla for Senate District 18. There are currently eight openly LGBTQ+ Californians serving in the Legislature, including four in the Assembly and four in the Senate.
“For decades, California has led the nation in the fight for full, lived equality and served as a beacon of hope to LGBTQ+ people around the world,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “But unfortunately, our community is still underrepresented at all levels of government — here in California and across the country. Representation is power, and we have an historic opportunity this year to achieve proportionate representation in Sacramento. Equality California is going to take it.”
“This year, we stand ready to mark a massive milestone in the history of our caucus and the broader LGBTQ+ community,” said California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair Asm. Evan Low and Vice Chair Sen. Susan Eggman. “There is no better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the California Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus than by achieving increased LGBTQ+ representation in the Legislature. More members of the LGBTQ+ community are rolling up their sleeves and running for office than ever before. The Caucus stands ready to support them because representation matters. We won’t stop until every member of the community can see themselves reflected in the halls of their state capitol.”
Georgette Gómez is running in an April special election to replace former Assembly Appropriations Chair Lorena Gonzalez — who recently resigned to lead the California Labor Federation — in the current Assembly District 80. She is also running in the June primary for a full term representing the newly redrawn 80th district, which includes most of the same communities as the current district. Gómez previously made history as the first openly queer Latina to serve as city council president in the state’s second largest city after being elected unanimously by her peers. On the council, she championed civil rights and social justice, environmental justice and support for immigrant communities. She has been endorsed by the Latino and LGBTQ Caucuses, San Diego Assemblymembers Chris Ward and Tasha Boerner Horvath and Supervisor Nora Vargas.
“Georgette Gómez is a proven champion for social justice and the perfect person to represent San Diego’s LGBTQ+, Latino and border communities in the California Assembly,” said Hoang. “We have proudly supported Georgette throughout her career and can’t wait to welcome her to the California Assembly this spring.”
“It’s a great honor to be endorsed once again by Equality California,” said former City Council President Gómez. “As a Queer Latina born and raised in Barrio Logan, you know I’m ready to be the strong voice for equality and fairness that every South County family deserves. In the State Assembly, I’ll fight for families working hard to make ends meet and basic dignity for every Californian — regardless of where you’re from, what you earn, or who you love.”
Christy Holstege is running for the newly redrawn Assembly District 47 in the Coachella Valley, which is an open seat after Asm. Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) announced he will not seek reelection. Redistricting made the district more Democratic and reunited Cathedral City, which has a large LGBTQ+ population, with the rest of the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ community in a single district. Holstege made history in 2017 as part of the nation’s first all-LGBTQ city council in Palm Springs and again in 2021 as the nation’s first openly bi+ mayor. If elected in November, she’ll make history once again as the first openly bi+ woman to serve in the California Legislature.
“We couldn’t be prouder to support Christy Holstege’s historic campaign for California Assembly,” said Hoang. “On the city council, Christy has been a tireless champion for civil rights, reproductive freedom, affordable housing and an economy that works for everyone. We have no doubt that she will continue to be a powerful force for progress in Sacramento when she makes history this fall.”
“It’s an honor to receive Equality California’s endorsement in our campaign for Assembly District 47,” said Councilmember Holstege. “Throughout my time on the Palm Springs City Council, my colleagues and I have made advancing inclusion, diversity, and justice the center of what we do. I’ve dedicated my whole career to this mission — as a community organizer for the No on Proposition 8 campaign; a civil rights attorney for our community’s most vulnerable, including LGBTQ clients; and as the leader of this compassionate world-class city. I’m grateful to EQCA for their support and look forward to working together in the State Legislature.”
Joseph C. Rocha is running to defeat anti-LGBTQ+ Senator Brian Jones — who earned a 36% on Equality California’s 2019 Legislative Scorecard and 0% in 2020 — in San Diego’s newly competitive Senate District 40. Rocha dedicated his life to serving his country when he joined the Navy on his 18th birthday, only to be discharged later under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. While he advocated for repeal of the discriminatory policy, Rocha graduated from San Diego City College, then the University of San Diego, then University of San Francisco School of Law. Following the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Joseph rejoined the military, rising to the rank of a Marine Corps Captain and prosecutor, continuing to fight for justice.
“Joseph Rocha has exemplified service to community and country throughout his life, and he will be an incredible partner in the fight for full, lived equality in the California Senate,” said Hoang. “Joseph’s unique perspective and powerful life experiences will be invaluable in Sacramento as he continues his lifelong fight for justice. We’re thrilled to support Joseph’s campaign.”
“I am heartened to join the ranks of the fearless trailblazers who have earned Equally California’s endorsement,” said Rocha. “As a principal witness in the federal case that ruled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell unconstitutional, I have a proven track record of fighting for LGBTQ+ inclusion in some of the toughest and most conservative spaces. I’m running for State Senate out of the same sense of duty and service that has guided me my entire life, and I will be a champion for equality and justice for San Diego County.”
For a complete list of Equality California’s 2022 endorsements, visit eqca.org/elections.
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org
Progress and ResilienceBlack communities have made great progress in reducing HIV. Yet racism, discrimination, and mistrust in the health care system may affect whether Black people seek or receive HIV prevention services. These issues may also reduce the likelihood of engaging in HIV treatment and care.
We look forward to welcoming you back!
