A lesbian couple in Halifax, Canada was assaulted by a group of men who were shouting homophobic slurs at them.
Emma MacLean and her girlfriend, Tori, were walking down the street celebrating one of their birthdays when a group of men made a rude comment at MacLean, CTV News reports.
“A group of men walking in the other direction and they made a comment to me,” said Emma MacLean. “My girlfriend, Tori, said, ‘Hey that’s my girlfriend.’
This response led to the men making explicitly homophobic remarks at the two, taunting them both.
“They continued walking and then Tori followed them to basically verbally be like, ‘That is not okay,’” MacLean said.
That’s when the men started attacking Tori.
“I see Tori being pushed on the stairs right in front of the BMO Centre and they are cement stairs and she’s on her back, that’s when all the men started punching and kicking her,” she continued.
MacLean said that she yelled for them to stop before she got involved in the fight to protect her girlfriend.
“The fight or flight came in. Basically jumped on one of their backs and put them in a chokehold, trying to restrain them.”
A bystander alerted police shortly after the fight ended. They spoke with one of the men involved in the incident, and he told them that it was the two women who had initiated the fight. The rest of the men refused to cooperate and give IDs, however.
There are currently no charges as police are investigating the situation.
Both MacLean and Tori suffered injuries. Tori had bruises covering her body, while MacLean had a chipped tooth, a broken nose, and many bruises as well.
MacLean said, “I felt punches and kicks and then I felt it on my nose and there was blood. I just thought this needs to stop now. I went to emerge the night of and they basically said it was too swollen for surgery.”
“I’m terrified to go downtown again in Halifax. I just feel like it’s so out of your control on what could happen. It’s overwhelming. I didn’t expect something like this to happen, especially with it happening during Pride Month as well.”
As New York City gears up for this weekend’s Pride Month festivities, the LGBTQ+ community was top-of-mind for the President Joe Biden as he visited Stonewall on Friday.
In a historic and momentous occasion for the LGBTQ+ community, Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden attended the grand opening of theStonewall National Monument Visitor Center inManhattan. Biden is the first sitting president to visit the historic birthplace of the modernLGBTQ+ rights movement. This center, the first of its kind in the U.S. National Park Service, is a testament to the enduring fight for LGBTQ+ rights and commemorates the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.
Dr. Biden opened her remarks by recognizing the importance of storytelling. “As a writing teacher, I’ve always believed that the stories we tell shape our world,” she said. “This monument and visitor center tell a story that we all need to know, no matter who we are. It teaches us the power of hope and persistence. It inspires us to work harder for the world that our children deserve. It reminds us that our differences are precious and our similarities infinite. This is American history, and like so many victories that the LGBTQ community has won throughout the years, this is a work of love.”
She also praised the efforts of Diana Rodriguez and Ann Marie Gothard, co-founders of Pride Live’s Stonewall Day and key figures behind the center, for their dedication and vision. “Diana and Marie, with your hope and dedication, you’ve shown us that love can move mountains,” she said.
Gothard expressed gratitude for the support the center has received, noting, “The official grand opening of the first LGBTQ+ visitor center in the U.S. National Park Service is such an incredible way to acknowledge Pride 2024 and the 55th anniversary of Stonewall. We owe a debt of gratitude to Valerie Jarrett, who planted the seed for what has become this incredible landmark.”
She continued, “To all of you here today, your presence means the world to us. We wouldn’t be here without the incredible community behind us. The president and First Lady of the United States, [Interior] Secretary Deb Haaland, [New York] Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Assembly Member Deborah Glick. A special thanks to our founding partners who believed in our mission.”
President Biden reflected on his visit as a private citizen to the Stonewall Inn in 2019 and underscored the site’s significance. “This beloved bar became the site of a call to cry for freedom, dignity, equality, and respect,” he remarked. “You marked a turning point in civil rights in America.”
The president praised the courage and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. “LGBTQ+ people are some of the most inspiring people I know,” he said. “Your courage and contributions enrich every part of American life. You set an example for the entire world.”
President Biden also highlighted the significant contributions of transgenderpeople. “Stonewall remains a symbol of the legacy of leadership at the LGBTQ+ community, especially trans women of color for generations who have been at the forefront of helping realize the promise of America for all Americans,” Biden said.
via CNN Newsource Live stream
Elton John, the legendary singer and passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, made an appearance at the event. “Thank you for celebrating our place as equal and valued members of society,” John said. He also addressed the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. “Over 540 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures across America this year. Discrimination and criminalization threaten the lives of our LGBTQ+ family. But today, we celebrate progress and commit to fighting on.”
In a moment that showcased his fiery passion, John declared, “Do we stand up for our vision and our values or let misinformation and senseless scapegoating turn back the clock? No fucking way.”
Standing behind him onstage, Biden laughed and jokingly crossed himself as the crowd cheered.
Last year, Vice PresidentKamala Harris visited the Stonewall Inn, making herthe first sitting vice president to do so. Harris’s visit highlighted the administration’s continued focus on LGBTQ+ rights and the significance of the Stonewall site.
Last week, DemocraticNew York U.S. Reps. Ritchie Torres, Dan Goldman, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrandintroduced resolutions to designate June 28 as Stonewall Day, honoring the 1969 uprising. “The Stonewall Inn protests were a pivotal moment for the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement,” Gillibrand said.
The Stonewall National Monument, designated by PresidentBarack Obama in 2016, is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and history. The new visitor center will provide educational resources and historical context to the millions who visit the site each year, ensuring that the legacy of the Stonewall uprising remains a pivotal chapter in American history.
Following the opening ceremony, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will attend the 25th annual LGBTQ+ Leadership Council Gala, a significant fundraiser benefiting the Biden Victory Fund. The gala, which will be held in New York City, is essential for supporting political initiatives and campaigns that advocate for equality and inclusion. Last year, Harris made headlines with her surprise visit to the historic Stonewall Inn before attending the same gala.
“LGBTQ+ people are some of the most inspiring people I know. Your courage and contributions enrich every part of American life,” President Biden said during his speech, adding, “You set an example for the entire world.”
Thousands of people danced, sang and celebrated at Toronto’s Pride Parade on Sunday until the procession was suddenly stopped mid-route, and then cancelled, by a protest.
About 30 demonstrators, calling themselves the Coalition Against Pinkwashing, held banners and chanted on Yonge Street, just south of Wellesley Street, three and a half hours after the parade’s 2 p.m. start.
Floats and marchers making their way south toward the parade’s finish at Nathan Phillips Square were stranded behind the protesters, who chanted “Free Palestine” and “Pride is a protest.” And 45 minutes after the protest began, Pride Toronto announced the remainder of the parade — billed as Canada’s largest — was cancelled.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators climbed over barricades, tossed fake blood and held up New York City’s Pride March on Sunday. About a dozen protesters descended on the annual march as it approached Christopher St. and Waverly Place in Greenwich Village around 2:45 p.m.
They protesters splattered red paint on the parade route and on a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck inside the barricades, photos show.
The protesters sat in the roadway and refused to let the parade continue as they held signs declaring “no queer liberation without Palestinian liberation” and “Palestine will be free.” “They held up the parade for like, 45 minutes,” said one spectator.
The monthlong celebration of LGBTQ Pride reaches its exuberant grand finale on Sunday, bringing rainbow-laden revelers to the streets for marquee parades in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere across the globe.
In New York, 10 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at the Pride parade Sunday, according to the NYPD.
Seven people were charged with disorderly conduct. It was not clear what the three other individuals arrested were charged with.
Videos from the parade show protesters being handcuffed by the police, and one person who was carried away. Some of the protesters were chanting “free Palestine.”
Protesters gather outside Stonewall Inn as President Joe Biden’s motorcade passes by during his visit to the historic gay bar in New York City on Friday to mark the 55th anniversary of the riots.Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Already this month, pro-Palestinian activists have disrupted pride parades held in Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia. Several groups participating in marches Sunday said they would seek to center the victims of the war in Gaza, spurring pushback from supporters of Israel.
“It is certainly a more active presence this year in terms of protest at Pride events,” said Sandra Pérez, the executive director of NYC Pride. “But we were born out of a protest.”
The first pride march was held in New York City in 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising, a riot that began with a police raid on a Manhattan gay bar.
Hundreds of drag queens and kings filled the streets for the 30th annual New York City Drag March on Friday.Erik McGregor / LightRocket via Getty Images
In addition to the NYC Pride March, the nation’s largest, the city will also play host Sunday to the Queer Liberation March, an activism-centered event launched five years ago amid concerns that the more mainstream parade had become too corporate.
Another one of the world’s largest Pride celebrations will also kick off Sunday in San Francisco. Additional parades are scheduled in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle.
On top of concerns about protests, federal agencies have warned that foreign terrorist organizations and their supporters could target the parades and adjacent venues. A heavy security presence is expected at all of the events.
Join the Sonoma County Library for eventsthroughout the month of July, from a virtual talk with bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo to live music performances. All events are free and you don’t need a library card to attend; registration is required for select events. See some of our July events below!
All Ages
Trio Nuevo Amanecer enchants audiences with romantic ballads of Latin America, classic folk songs, traditional Mexican music, and more. Catch a performance at these libraries: Roseland, Sonoma Valley, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, or Cloverdale.
Keenan Webster: Afro Roots World MusicExperience the sounds of West African music with Keenan Webster! Webster’s mission is to use music for world peace and healing, to fight against racism, and to bring all people together. Join Webster at four libraries: Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Guerneville, and Windsor.
Kids
Little Chefs’ & Gardeners’ Story HourJoin children’s author Tenisha Bernal to explore little chefs’ and gardeners’ first words through interactive reading, coloring, puzzles, and games! Attendees will receive free books on a first come, first served basis. For ages 0-6. At two locations: Rohnert Park-Cotati Library and Bayer Farm in Santa Rosa.
The Treasure of AquilesCome join the adventures of Aquiles! Sing, dance and play with Cascada de Flores at 11 locations: Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Roseland, Guerneville, Petaluma Fairgrounds, Northwest Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley, Central Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley, Sebastopol, and Windsor. For grades K-6.
Teens
Lyrics Workshop with KayattaLearn how to write your own lyrics with Bay Area hip-hop artist Kayatta. For grades 7-12. Get inspired at four libraries: Rincon Valley, Sebastopol, Central Santa Rosa, and Petaluma.
Paper Bead MakingLearn how to create colorful, eco-friendly paper beads! Join us for a creative class that shares various techniques for making unique, personalized beads for your own projects. For grades 7-12. At four libraries: Windsor, Northwest Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley, and Sonoma Valley.
Intercambio: English & Spanish Learning GroupPractice English or Spanish and help other learners in a friendly atmosphere at the Guerneville or Healdsburg Library this summer. Beginners welcome!
All library branches will be closed Thursday, July 4.We look forward to seeing you when we reopen on Friday, July 5!
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. Questions? Please call your local library branch or click here to send us a message. Eventos en julio Únete a la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma para los eventos ofrecidos durante el mes de julio, como una hablada virtual con la exitosa autora Elizabeth Acevedo y conciertos de música en vivo. Todos los eventos son gratuitos y no necesitas una tarjeta de la biblioteca para asistir; sí es necesario registrarse para eventos seleccionados. ¡Vea una selección de los eventos de julio a continuación!
Para Todos
Trio Nuevo Amanecer cautiva el público con boleros y baladas románticas de América Latina, canciones folclóricas clásicas, música tradicional mexicana y más. Mira una actuación en estas bibliotecas: Roseland, Sonoma Valley, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, o Cloverdale.
Keenan Webster – Música de raíces africanas para el mundoSiente los sonidos de la música de África Occidental con Keenan Webster. La misión de Webster es utilizar la música para la paz y sanación mundial, para luchar contra el racismo y unir a la gente. Únete a Webster en cuatro bibliotecas: Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Guerneville, y Windsor.
Niños
Hora de Cuentos para Pequeños Cocineros y JardinerosÚnete a la autora de libros infantiles Tenisha Bernal para explorar las primeras palabras de pequeños cocineros y jardineros mediante actividades interactivas: leer, colorear, rompecabezas y juegos. Los participantes recibirán un ejemplar gratuito de Little Gardener’s First 100 Words y uno de Little Chef’s First 100 Words por orden de llegada. Edades 0-6. En dos ubicaciones: La Biblioteca de Rohnert Park-Cotati y Bayer Farm en Santa Rosa.
El Tesoro de Aquiles¡Únete a las aventuras de Aquiles! Canta, baila y juega con Cascada de Flores en 11 bibliotecas.: Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Roseland, Guerneville, Petaluma Fairgrounds, Northwest Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley, Central Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley, Sebastopol, y Windsor. Para los grados K-6.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center has strongly criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of the City of Grants Pass vs. Johnson, which allows U.S. cities to criminalize homelessness. The Center’s statement highlights the detrimental impact of this decision on marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals.
“The Los Angeles LGBT Center condemns the recent Supreme Court decision in City of Grants Pass vs. Johnson, enabling U.S. cities to criminalize individuals experiencing homelessness. This ruling not only perpetuates systemic injustice but also exacerbates the daily risks faced by marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals,” the statement reads.
The Center argues that the ruling undermines fundamental human rights by stigmatizing vulnerable individuals who already have limited access to housing and support services. It points out that housing is a basic human need, like sleep and food security, and emphasizes that many people lack the means to afford these necessities due to systemic failures.
“Our country must decide whether we strive to uplift our collective humanity or opt to embrace cruelty. Today’s decision is a clear step towards cruelty, and if left unchecked, poses devastating consequences,” the statement continues.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center, which provides dedicated housing for LGBTQ+ youth and seniors, expressed solidarity with those affected by the ruling and called for compassionate and comprehensive solutions to address the root causes of homelessness.
“We emphasize the urgent need for compassionate and comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of homelessness, rather than punitive measures that perpetuate cycles of poverty and discrimination,” said Terra Russell-Slavin, Chief Impact Officer of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
The Center remains committed to supporting individuals impacted by this decision and advocating for humane approaches to homelessness.
The number of out LGBTQ people who have won elected office has increased nearly 200% since 2017, according to research published Wednesday and first reported on by NBC News.
The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, which works to increase queer and transgender representation in public service, found that there were 1,303 out LGBTQ elected officials as of May, a 10% increase from 1,185 officials last year and a 190.8% increase from the 448 out officials in 2017, according to the organization’s latest annual “Out for America” report.
For the first time, there is also at least one out LGBTQ elected official in every state and in Washington, D.C., the report found.
“LGBTQ people are running in historic numbers right now, and we are winning,” Elliot Imse, the executive director of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, said.
However, Imse noted that LGBTQ people are still underrepresented in public service. A March Gallup poll found that 7.6% of the U.S. population is LGBTQ, and there are 519,682 elected positions, the Victory Institute report found, meaning the country would need to elect 38,193 more LGBTQ officials to achieve equitable representation.
“The representation gap is so large that we need a moonshot effort to close it, and that is more important than ever right now, given all the attacks in our communities from state legislatures and city councils across the country,” Imse said.
The country has had a wave of state legislation targeting the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender youth, in recent years, with each year surpassing the previous year’s record. As of this June, state lawmakers have introduced 523 such bills — including restrictions on transition-related health care for minors, trans students’ participation in school sports, and how LGBTQ topics can be discussed in schools — up from a total of 510 in 2023, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Though representation of LGBTQ people has increased overall, the report found that the number of out transgender officials had decreased for the first time since 2017, from 50 last year to 47 this year.
Imse said it’s “concerning” that the number of trans elected officials has fallen as both trans elected officials and trans people generally have faced more hostility, though the report didn’t evaluate whether the hostility is causing fewer trans people to run for or remain in office.
Despite the decrease in trans elected officials in the last year, the overall number of out trans, nonbinary, two spirit and gender-nonconforming people serving in elected office has increased 1,633% since 2017, from six to 104.
The number of known out gender-nonconforming, nonbinary or genderqueer elected officials has increased from none in 2017 to 57 in 2024. Just since last year, the number of out nonbinary officials has increased 70%, from 23 to 39, the report found.
For the first time, the report also found that less than half (48.2%) of LGBTQ elected officials identify as gay. The number of officials who identify as pansexual increased 28.6%, as queer 23.1 % and as bisexual 20.7%, while the number of lesbian elected officials increased by 8.3%.
The number of LGBTQ elected officials who are Black, Latino and Asian American and Pacific Islander increased by 17%, compared with a 9.3% increase of white LGBTQ elected officials.
Imse said the sharp increase in elected officials who are nonbinary, for example, shows that voters will support candidates with various identities.
“It’s a very hopeful message to see that even though so many people do not yet understand sexual orientation and gender identity in a detailed way, they are de-emphasizing the importance of that when they choose their elected officials and are much more willing to look for people because of what they stand for.”
Nebraska state Sen. John Fredrickson, pictured here in the state Capitol in Lincoln on Feb. 8, 2023, is the first openly gay man elected to the Nebraska Legislature.Margery A. Beck / AP file
Imse added that the data doesn’t show the effect that LGBTQ officials are having in their communities. He pointed to Nebraska state Sen. John Fredrickson, a Democrat who gave an emotional speech in April against a bill that would’ve barred trans students from using the school facilities that align with their gender identities and restricted their participation on school sports teams.
The bill needed 33 votes to pass out of committee. After Fredrickson’s speech, two of the bill’s Republican co-sponsors abstained from voting, bringing the final tally to 31-15 and effectively killing the bill.
Fredrickson said that, as the first openly gay man elected to the Nebraska Legislature, he never wanted his legacy to be about his identity.
“That said, I happen to have come into office during a time where we are seeing an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced, and I feel a high level of responsibility to my community to speak truth in these spaces,” Fredrickson said in an email. “I’ll be honest — it hasn’t always been easy, and it has taken a toll on myself and my family. That said, I go to bed every night knowing who I am, knowing my community, and knowing that I stand on the right side of history, and that is an honor.”
Fredrickson encouraged LGBTQ people who are interested in running for office to do so.
“Without being in these rooms, we risk the conversation continuing to be about us, not with us,” he said.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he is “not in favour” of “gender ideology” being taught in schools, despite his education spokesperson suggesting the party would review the Conservatives controversial guidance on trans pupils.
Keir Starmer, who was previously applauded for condemning Rishi Sunak’s anti-trans ‘jokes’, has stated his opposition to the teaching of so-called “gender ideology” – a phrase which is widely considered an anti-trans dogwhistle.
Speaking with reporters during a school visit in Kettering, Starmer said: “No, I’m not in favour of ideology being taught in our schools on gender,” he said.
“I think we need to complete the consultation process and make sure that there is guidance that is age appropriate.
“That is helpful for teachers and has at its heart the safeguarding of children.”
A spokesperson for Labour equally told The Times: “Nothing should be taught in an ideological way in schools.
“Current RSHE [relationships, sex and health education] guidance requires under law that children are taught in an age-appropriate way the facts about ‘sex, sexuality, sexual health and gender identity’.
“Labour’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of every child.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Philipson visit a school in the East Midlands to take part in a student Q&A on June 24, 2024 in Kettering, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
However, this statement conflicts with the words of his shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, who when asked about the Tories RHSE guidancein a recent BBC interview suggested Labour would review it, stating she does not want it to be a a “political football” or “culture wars” issue.
The current government confirmed in May that sex education for children under the age of nine and education about trans issues for all pupils will be banned following updates to legal guidance, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying at the time the changes were to “protect our children”. The statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) more widely is currently under review by the government.
This also followed the Tories guidance on gender questioning pupils in schools, released in December 2023, which states teachers are allowed to “decline” a student’s request to use different pronouns, access to single-sex facilities should be based on “biological” sex and social transition can only happen if parents are informed.
In her BBC interview, Phillipson said: “There are trans people within society and their existence should be recognised.
“Many aspects of the draft had good and straightforward principles in it. Other elements of it, I think, drifted far too much into partisan and unnecessary language.”
Following the interview, Conservative education minister Gillian Keegan claimed Labour would “play politics with the lives of our children” whilst equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said on Friday she was “very, very worried” a Labour government would “undo the work we have done on gender questioning guidance for children”.
Rowling criticised Labour for “abandoning” women after Starmer’s appearance on BBC Question Time where he answered an audience question regarding his definition of a woman and his criticism of gender-critical Labour MP Rosie Duffield, saying she will “struggle to support them” because of the party’s “dismissive and often offensive towards women fighting to retain the rights their foremothers thought were won for all time”.
Answering questions a Q&A event at The Sun‘s London HQ on 24 June, Starmer said: “Of course I’d meet with her. Of course I would. She’s made some really important points.
“I’d welcome that discussion, because I do think that we made huge progress on women’s rights under Labour governments.
“On equality we made massive progress. There’s more work to be done if we are privileged to come in to serve this country.
Starmer added: “I want to make sure that we can bring people together.”
Streeting said trans rights has been a “difficult conversation, and not just within the Labour Party but within our country because we have had some tension between how you treat trans people with dignity and respect and inclusion,and also make sure that women’s rights, voices, spaces are protected.”
“I feel very optimistic, in fact, about the fact that we can reconcile those two things and move forward together as a country if we have a political culture that’s about bringing people together and navigating our way through these conversations with respect [and] genuinely listening to different perspectives, rather than seeing these differences as divisions to be exploited in – frankly – the way I think we’ve seen from from the current government,” he said.
In an increasingly divisive political sphere, Becka Robbins focuses on what she knows best — books.
Operating out of a tiny room in Fabulosa Books in San Francisco’s Castro District, one of the oldest gay neighborhoods in the United States, Robbins uses donations from customers to ship boxes of books across the country to groups that want them.
In an effort she calls “Books Not Bans,” she sends titles about queer history, sexuality, romance and more — many of which are increasingly hard to come by in the face of a rapidly growing movement by conservative advocacy groups and lawmakers to ban them from public schools and libraries.
“The book bans are awful, the attempt at erasure,” Robbins said. She asked herself how she could get these books into the hands of the people who need them the most.
Beginning last May, she started raising money and looking for recipients. Her books have gone to places like a pride center in west Texas and an LGBTQ-friendly high school in Alabama.
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Customers are especially enthusiastic about helping Robbins send books to states like Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, often writing notes of support to include in the packages. Over 40% of all book bans from July 2022 to June 2023 were in Florida, more than any other state. Behind Florida are Texas and Missouri, according to a report by PEN America, a nonprofit literature advocacy group.
Book bans and attempted bans have been hitting record highs, according to the American Library Association. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school-based libraries. Because the totals are based on media accounts and reports submitted by librarians, the association regards its numbers as snapshots, with many bans left unrecorded.
PEN America’s report said 30% of the bans include characters of color or discuss race and racism, and 30% have LGBTQ+ characters or themes.
The most sweeping challenges often originate with conservative organizations, such as Moms for Liberty, which has organized banning efforts nationwide and called for more parental control over books available to children.
Moms for Liberty is not anti-LGBTQ+, co-founder Tiffany Justice has told The Associated Press. But about 38% of book challenges that “directly originated” from the group have LGBTQ+ themes, according to the library association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Justice said Moms for Liberty challenges books that are sexually explicit, not because they cover LGBTQ+ topics.
Among those topping banned lists have been Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”
An LGBTQ+ related book is seen on display at Fabulosa Books, in the Castro District of San Francisco on Thursday, June 27, 2024. “Books Not Bans” is a program initiated and sponsored by the store that sends boxes of LGBTQ+ books to LGBTQ+ organizations in conservative parts of America where politicians are demonizing and banning books with LGBTQ+ affirming content. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
Robbins said it’s more important than ever to makes these kinds of books available to everyone.
“Fiction teaches us how to dream,” Robbins said. “It teaches us how to connect with people who are not like ourselves, it teaches us how to listen and emphasize.”
She’s sent 740 books so far, with each box worth $300 to $400, depending on the titles.
At the new Rose Dynasty Center in Lakeland, Florida, the books donated by Fabulosa are already on the shelves, said Jason DeShazo, a drag queen known as Momma Ashley Rose who runs the LGBTQ+ community center.
Becka Robbins, events manager and founder of the “Books Not Bans” program at Fabulosa Books, packs up LGBTQ+ books to be sent to parts of the country where they are censored on Thursday, June 27, 2024 at the Castro District of San Francisco. The bookstore is sending LGBTQ+ books to where they are censored to counter the rapidly growing effort by anti-LGBTQ+ activists and lawmakers to ban queer-friendly books from public schools and libraries. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
DeShazo is a family-friendly drag performer and has long hosted drag story times to promote literacy. He uses puppets to address themes of being kind, dealing with bullies and giving back to the community.
DeShazo hopes to provide a safe space for events, support groups, and health clinics, and build a library of banned books.
“I don’t think a person of color should have to search so hard for an amazing book about history of what our Black community has gone through,” DeShazo said. “Or for someone who is queer to find a book that represents them.”
Robbins’ favorite books to send are youth adult queer romances, a rapidly growing genre as conversations about LGBTQ+ issues have become much more mainstream than a decade ago.
“The characters are just like regular kids — regular people who are also queer, but they also get to fall in love and be happy,” Robbins said.
A new report by the U.K. youth charity Just Like Us has found that many schools still don’t talk openly about diverse families, resulting in what the group describes as social stigma, discrimination, and poor wellbeing for the children and parents of LGBTQ+ families.
The new research independently surveyed 1,012 LGBTQ+ parents across the U.K. and interviewed families about their experiences.
More than half (56%) of lesbian and gay parents face negative comments about their families, while forty-two percent of their kids have experienced remarks about having LGBTQ+ parents, according to the research.
“Every parent wants to send their child to school in the morning and feel reassured that they will be safe, happy, and ready to learn,” said Laura Mackay, Chief Executive of Just Like Us.
“But many LGBT+ parents are instead feeling worried, isolated and unsure whether they or their children will face hurtful and invasive comments, unfair treatment and outright discrimination simply because their family isn’t heterosexual or cisgender.”
Half of lesbian and gay parents are worried their child will be “bullied because they have LGBT+ parents” and “not be accepted” (48% and 52%, respectively), and almost a quarter (23%) say their children have felt “upset or hurt by negative comments at school about LGBT+ people.”
Nearly a quarter (24%) of those surveyed say their children have been “left out of social arrangements seemingly because they are from an LGBT+ family.”
The same number holds for lesbian moms and gay dads who “feel isolated as an LGBT+ parent” and “depressed or anxious about my LGBT+ family not fitting in or not being treated fairly.”
Those numbers are even higher for trans parents.
“As an LGBT+ parent, compiling this report has been far from reassuring,” said Amy Ashenden, Director of Communications and Engagement for the charity. “Some of the findings are harrowing.”
The report reveals that anti-trans rhetoric has seeped into some school communities. Nearly a third (30%) of transgender parents have heard negative comments about trans people at school.
Lesbian moms face invasive questions about their families, too, the report shows. Almost forty percent have been asked by “strangers” about their child’s sperm donor.
More than a third (35%) of all LGBTQ+ parents say their school refers to families as “moms and dads” as the default, while just one in five gay, lesbian, and trans parents say their school openly discusses LGBTQ+ families with pupils.
“There is clearly so much work to be done to help schools and nurseries understand the huge impact that an inclusive – or unaccepting – school environment can have on LGBT+ families,” Ashenden added.
