Becoming More An Event Supporting The Trans Community Happens June 4 at New Shalom in Cotati
News
LGBTQ+ Advocates Condemn Newsom Administration Over $17 Million Health Equity Cut
LGBTQ+ advocates are sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration following the abrupt elimination of over $17 million in dedicated health equity funding for LGBTQ+ women, transgender men, and non-binary individuals, a move they say threatens access to vital care for some of California’s most underserved communities. Joe Hollendoner, CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, issued a strong statement denouncing the decision, calling it “a betrayal of queer and trans Californians.” He added, “We call on the Governor and the State legislature to reverse this harmful decision by honoring the promise made by the legislature in 2019 and renewing this […]
Paris unveils a memorial to LGBTQ victims of Nazi regime and other persecutions
A memorial to the long-ignored gay victims of the Nazi regime and to all LGBTQ people persecuted throughout history has been unveiled in Paris on Saturday. The monument, a massive steel star designed by French artist Jean-Luc Verna, is located at the heart of Paris, in public gardens close to the Bastille Plaza. It aims to fulfill a duty to remember and to fight discrimination, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said. “Historical recognition means saying ‘this happened’ and ‘we don’t want it to happen again,’” Hidalgo said. Describing the sculpture that looks like a big star wand lying on the ground, Verna, a […]
Ugandan Mothers Stand by Their LGBT Children
The passage of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023 made life significantly more dangerous for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and those who support them. The law, which includes the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality” and lengthy prison sentences for the “promotion of homosexuality,” has fueled a wave of arrests, raids on shelters, evictions, and public outings. Many LGBT people have gone into hiding. Amid this repression, a small group of Ugandan mothers—some for the first time—began speaking publicly in support of their LGBT children. In April 2023, eight of them signed an open letter to President Yoweri […]
LGBTQ+ festival fights back after Trump’s cuts National Endowment for the Arts funding
A festival featuring the works of playwrights from countries where LGBTQ+ rights are suppressed is turning to fundraising after President Donald Trump’s National Endowment for the Arts cut its grant to the group. The National Queer Theater said they have created a GoFundMe page where the community can support the Criminal Queerness Festival taking place during NYC Pride 2025, NBC Newsreports. The Criminal Queerness Festival takes place at the HERE Art Center in NYC on June 11-28. According to its website, the festival “showcases the works of international LGBTQ+ playwrights from countries where queer identities are criminalized or censored.” This year’s festival features plays reflecting queer […]
Scottish Parliament’s trans bathroom ban condemned as ‘rushed and unworkable’
A trans charity in Scotland has labelled the ban on trans women using female toilets in Scottish parliament an “unworkable” decision which will prevent trans folks “from participating in Scottish democracy”. Following the UK Supreme Court ruling that the definition of ‘sex’ in the 2010 Equality Act refers to ‘biology’, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) – which oversees accommodation at Holyrood – decided that as of Monday (12 May) use of “all facilities designated as male or female” will be based on “biological sex” to be “in line with the Supreme Court judgment”. Alongside designating single-sex spaces as solely based on biology, gender neutral […]
Labour and other political parties banned from four biggest UK Prides
Organisers of four major Pride events in the UK have jointly banned all political parties, including Labour, from its Pride events this year. Acting in solidarity with the trans community, organisers of Pride events in Birmingham, Brighton, London, and Manchester collectively said they would be “suspending political party participation” from this year’s Pride events unless the needs of trans people are urgently addressed. In a joint public press release, organisations Birmingham Pride, Brighton Pride, Pride in London, and Manchester Pride, said they will not “stand by as the dignity, safety, and humanity of our trans siblings are debated, delayed, or […]
Pete Hegseth orders LGBTQ+ & discrimination-themed books banned from military libraries
The Pentagon issued a memo directing all military leaders and commands to pull and review books that address anti-racism, diversity, or gender issues from libraries operated by branches of the military. He initially focused on removing any so-called pro-DEI reading material from libraries within DOD-run schools. The memo is perhaps the Department of Defense’s (DOD) broadest and most detailed directive so far in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign to rid the military of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and materials. The Associated Press (AP) obtained a copy of a memo which, signed Friday by Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of […]
Brazil court grants gender-neutral ID in historic victory
A nonbinary person in Brazil has been granted official documents with a neutral gender marker for the first time in a historic and unanimous court victory. The case involves a person who originally requested to be recognized as male on their official documents after they started hormone replacement therapy, but they later regretted making this decision and appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice in Brasilia. The person’s name has not been published in the media. A panel of five judges at the court ruled in their favor, with Judge Nancy Andrighi writing in her ruling: “This human being must […]
The war on DEI is coming for LGBTQ+ parents but this group says it’s got your back
For over a decade, the organization I founded, Gays With Kids, has proudly stood as a beacon of support, education, and visibility for gay men on the path to fatherhood. From the beginning, our mission has been rooted in a singular belief: Every person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves the opportunity to create and raise a family. That belief hasn’t changed. But the world around us has. Over the past year, we’ve watched with growing alarm as the movement against DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) has moved from fringe rhetoric to mainstream policy. Politicians and influencers alike have declared open […]