A man has thanked his followers for their support as he battles to free his boyfriend from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.
Eric Duran has been recording his efforts to free boyfriend Juan since 21 July. In a TikTok posted on Sunday (31 August), he said Juan, with whom he has been in a relationship for more than a year, is being held in Louisiana, having been moved from Colorado and Arizona.
“I got a call from someone whose brother-in-law is with Juan and shared they were transferred to this facility,” Duran wrote. “I was then able to confirm through the ICE locator as his information finally showed in the system. Thank you again for all the support.”
He then mentioned the GoFundMe that has been launched to “help us with legal fees, making sure he has money in there, and potentially setting up to live in a different country”.
Ninety per cent of $5,500 (£4,000) target has already been raised.
‘Physically exhausting and labour-intensive’
“This is all an intentional and calculated effort by the system to make sure he doesn’t get his due process, because Tuesday was his bond hearing and they moved him before that,” Duran went on to say.
The system isn’t there to “support in any way, shape or form,” and nobody truly knows where these individuals are. And at one stage he was told his boyfriend had been “sent home”, Duran claimed.
“The only human experience out of all of this is being able to build a community and being able to show up and support each other. That was truly how I was able to know and confirm that Juan was at the Louisiana facility.
“It’s on us to make sure we know where our loved ones are. All this has been so costly, all this is so physically exhausting and labour-intensive and mentally taxing. I’m so happy there is a community that wants to support in any way they can, so thank you again.”
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ICE officials reportedly ‘burnt out’ by Trump’s immigration crackdown
According to reports, ICE officials are facing “burnout and frustration” as president Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown continues.
Reuters claimed that agents had complained about White House demands for high arrest quotas, said to be as high as 3,000 a day – 10 times the number under president Joe Biden.
“The demands they placed on us were unrealistic. It was not done in a safe manner or the manner to make us most successful,” one official is quoted as saying.
A former ICE agent was initially told by colleagues that they were happy the “cuffs are off” but several months later, he told Reuters that they were now “overwhelmed” by the arrest numbers and “would prefer to go back to focused targeting”.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and a group of LGBTQ+ and student rights organizations are suing to block a new state law that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 public schools. “Senate Bill 12 is a blatant attempt to erase students’ identities and silence the stories that make Texas strong,” said Brian Klosterboer, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “Every student — no matter their race, gender, or background — deserves to feel seen, safe, and supported in school.”
Because of SB 12’s ban on discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms, opponents have compared it to Florida’s “don’t say gay” law, which attracted widespread media attention in 2022 due to its far-reaching impacts in public schools. Civil rights lawyers sued to block it, saying the law violated free speech and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause. The Texas Education Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SB 12 author state Sen. Brandon Creighton [photo] last appeared here in June 2025 for his bill requiring students to produce an ID in order to participate in campus protests.
Also in June 2025, Creighton appeared here for his bill that would defund blue cities over “liberal policies” such as LGBTQ rights.
He appeared here in April 2025 for his bill that would force colleges to rewrite history texts to remove mentions of “social, political or economic inequalities” in the United States.
Creighton first appeared on JMG in 2019 for his bill seeking to overturn LGBTQ protections enacted by Texas cities.
In March 2023, he appeared here for his bill that would deny the prospect of tenure to newly-hired university professors.
Creighton has spearheaded the Texas campaign to protect Confederate monuments. He appeared here in August 2023 for his bill that forced the closure of the University of Houston’s LGBTQ Resource Center.
Creighton may soon leave the Texas Senate to become chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.
Texas state troopers now follow Democratic lawmakers’ every move to ensure they vote on redistricting. So one out lawmaker led police to a Dallas drag room.
Texas state Rep. Venton Jones, the Texas House Democratic Caucus whip and one of the few out lawmakers in the Lone Star State, met with fellow Democratic state Rep. Terry Meza at the Rose Room, a gay bar in Dallas’s Oak Lawn gayborhood, according to Chron.
The lawmakers were there to meet with the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, but their attendance meant dragging police escorts into the venue.
“We are always happy to have Reps. Meza and @VentonJonesTX at meetings of @StonewallDalCo!” Todd Hill, secretary of the Stonewall Democrats chapter, posted on X. “We also hosted Congresswoman @juliejohnsonTX and her Capitol Hill police officer. We appreciate everyone’s service and support of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The escorts were ordered after lawmakers left the state, denying a quorum to Republican legislative leaders for a time to thwart a mid-decade redistricting, an effort spearheaded by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to manipulate the makeup of the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm election.
Jones was among those who left the state earlier this month. He has been outspoken against the maps. He has criticized the heavy-handed tactics used by Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows to make sure Texas Democrats don’t stall the political manipulation of boundaries any farther.
“So the Speaker of the Texas House has just elected to hold members hostage until, not flood relief is addressed, but until racist maps are voted on,” Jones posted on X last week. “Flood relief was never the mission. It was these maps. These maps can only be created by diluting the representation and voices of Black and Brown people. NOW law enforcement is continuing to be used against duly elected members force a vote.”
The June Mahmoud Vs Taylor Supreme Court Ruling has an effect on our school districts and our LGBTQIA+ youth, families and staff. Below and here is an advocacy letter template that you can use, share and send out to your local school superintendents, administrators, teachers and board members; to advocate they proceed forward in the most inclusive way. Within the letter, please note that there are helpful sample annual general notification and opt out forms as well.
The school districts that this advocacy letter has already been sent to currently are: Old Adobe Union School District, Petaluma City Schools, Waugh School District, Cotati Rohnert Park Unified School District, Santa Rosa City Schools and Harmony Unified School District.
We appreciate you all joining us to support our LGBTQIA+ community, especially those who are trans and who are being especially targeted. Love and advocacy do and will win.
Hola a todes,
Espero que estén teniendo una buen fin de semana. El fallo de la Corte Suprema en el caso Mahmoud Vs Taylor de junio tiene un impacto en nuestros distritos escolares y en nuestra juventud, familias y personal LGBTQIA+. A continuación y aqui, encontrarán una plantilla de carta de incidencia que pueden usar, compartir y enviar a sus superintendentes escolares locales, administradores, maestros y miembros de la junta; para abogar porque sigan adelante de la manera más inclusiva posible. Dentro de la carta, tengan en cuenta que también se incluyen ejemplos útiles de notificación general anual y formularios de exclusión.
Los distritos escolares a los que ya se ha enviado esta carta de incidencia son: Old Adobe Union School District, Petaluma City Schools, Waugh School District, Cotati Rohnert Park Unified School District, Santa Rosa City Schools y Harmony Unified School District.
Agradecemos que se unan a nosotros para apoyar a nuestra comunidad LGBTQIA+, especialmente a las personas trans que están siendo particularmente atacadas. El amor y la defensa ganan y seguirán ganando.
Dear Wonderful Superintendents and Administrators,
I hope the school year is off to a good start for you all.The Supreme Court Mahmoud vs Taylor ruling in June has led to some myths about what is not allowed anymore in schools and how schools must proceed. We wanted to share the inclusive action that the Howell Mountain Elementary school district in Napa County recently took and ask that you all consider following suit.Howell Mountain Elementary school district voted not to adopt an opt-out form specifically for LGBTQIA+ curriculum. Instead, the board directed the superintendent to send a general annual notice (example annual notice) reminding parents of their right to request, in writing (example religious opt out request), that their child be excused from any curriculum they believe conflicts with their religious beliefs. This notice did not single out LGBTQIA+ instruction. The board’s decision came in response to community concern that singling out LGBTQIA+ content with its own opt-out form would be stigmatizing and discriminatory. The statement emphasized that the district “respects and values the LGBTQIA+ community” and chose not to adopt a form targeting them. Also, one annual general notice versus many throughout the school year relieved the workload for school administrators and teachers.Here is a helpful resource from the ACLU, Equality California, National Center for Youth Law and Public Counsel. Following are more helpful resources and guidance from the CDE, F3 Law Firm and CSBA to ensure our schools are a safe and welcomed space for all, after the Mahmoud ruling.The above resources note:Existing state law still stands – Public schools in California must still provide a welcoming and inclusive education for all students. This includes, but is not limited to, compliance with affirmative inclusive education requirements such as the FAIR Education Act, the California Healthy Youth Act, AB 1078 and Ethnic Studies requirements. California law mandates that instructional materials “accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society” including the role and contributions of LGBTQIA+ people and ensures the continued use of adopted curriculum even when containing inclusive and diverse perspectives. California’s antidiscrimination laws, including protections on the basis of gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, also remain in effect. Schools requirements to provide religious opt-outs and how to proceed – Any notices informing parents of their right to religious opt-outs or associated forms must be content-neutral and should not single out LGBTQIA+-related content or otherwise stigmatize LGBTQIA+ identities. If schools elect to annually notify parents about their general practices of providing inclusive curriculum, they should do so holistically and not single out LGBTQIA+-related content. Appropriate opt-out processes will require parents to take affirmative steps to exercise their right to religious opt-outs, such as notifying the school of their religious objection in writing. What types of “instruction” this decision impacts – Mahmoud focused specifically on the use of books for “instruction.” The decision does not require any censorship of books on the shelf in the classroom or in the library, including LGBTQIA+ inclusive books or books containing potentially religiously objectionable topics. Censorship of materials in school libraries and classrooms based on LGBTQIA+ content is still prohibited by California law. Additionally, nothing about this decision impacts students’ long-standing rights to be themselves at school, to talk about LGBTQIA+ related issues, or to form LGBTQIA+ themed student clubs on the same terms as other extracurricular student clubs.This decision providing the right to religious opt-out accommodations in public schools is not only applicable to LGBTQIA+ related content – While Mahmoud involved LGBTQIA+ inclusive storybooks, the Court’s decision is not limited to LGBTQIA+ inclusive content. Therefore, school leaders should aim to craft general religious accommodation opt-out processes that do not focus on LGBTQIA+ content, nor should they “silo” LGBTQIA+ content within the curriculum. The dire truth is that our LGBTQIA+ students, especially those who are transgender, are under attack. Basic rights, health care access and now representation in schools are trying to be stripped away, with a goal being, the erasure of the transgender community. It is California law and the role of our school leaders and mission of our school districts to ensure all students feel safe and thrive.Thank you for your time. At your convenience, please let us know if you will proceed to follow suit of Howell Mountain Elementary school district to ensure LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families are not stigmatized, discriminated against and singled out.Con amor,Amor Para Todos (APT)Sage Casey FoundationCompass Parents Rainbow Families ActionCelebrate Love CRPPositive ImagesOn The Margins, IncCentering Disability Love and Light SoCoLGBTQ ConnectionPFLAG Santa Rosa/Sonoma Co
Estimados Superintendentes y Administradores,
Espero que el año escolar haya comenzado bien para todos ustedes.La decisión de la Corte Suprema en el caso Mahmoud vs. Taylor (junio) ha generado ciertos mitos sobre lo que ya no está permitido en las escuelas y cómo deben proceder los distritos escolares. Queremos compartir con ustedes la acción inclusiva que tomó recientemente el distrito escolar Howell Mountain Elementary en el condado de Napa y pedirles que consideren seguir su ejemplo.El distrito Howell Mountain Elementary votó por no adoptar un formulario de exclusión (“opt-out”) específico para el plan de estudios relacionado con LGBTQIA+. En su lugar, la mesa directiva instruyó a la superintendenta a enviar un aviso anual general (ejemplo de aviso anual) recordando a los padres su derecho de solicitar, por escrito (ejemplo de solicitud de exclusión religiosa), que su hijo/a sea dispensado/a de cualquier contenido que entre en conflicto con sus creencias religiosas. Este aviso no señalaba de forma aislada la instrucción LGBTQIA+. La decisión de la mesa directiva respondió a la preocupación de la comunidad de que destacar específicamente los contenidos LGBTQIA+ con su propio formulario de exclusión sería estigmatizante y discriminatorio. En su declaración, el distrito enfatizó que “respeta y valora a la comunidad LGBTQIA+” y decidió no adoptar un formulario dirigido únicamente a ellos. Asimismo, un aviso general anual en lugar de muchos a lo largo del año escolar alivió la carga de trabajo de los administradores y maestres.Adjuntamos un recurso útil preparado por la ACLU, Equality California, National Center for Youth Law y Public Counsel. A continuación incluimos también más recursos y orientación del CDE, F3 Law Firm y CSBA para asegurar que nuestras escuelas continúen siendo espacios seguros y acogedores para todos después del fallo Mahmoud.Los recursos anteriores señalan lo siguiente:La ley estatal vigente sigue en pie – Las escuelas públicas en California aún deben ofrecer una educación inclusiva y acogedora para todos los estudiantes. Esto incluye, pero no se limita a, el cumplimiento de los requisitos de educación inclusiva y afirmativa, como la FAIR Education Act, la California Healthy Youth Act, la AB 1078 y los requisitos de Estudios Étnicos. La ley de California exige que los materiales de instrucción “representen con precisión la diversidad cultural y racial de nuestra sociedad”, incluyendo el papel y las contribuciones de las personas LGBTQIA+, y garantiza el uso continuo de planes de estudio adoptados aun cuando contengan perspectivas inclusivas y diversas. Las leyes estatales antidiscriminación, incluyendo protecciones basadas en el género, identidad de género, expresión de género y orientación sexual, siguen en vigor.Requisitos escolares para proporcionar exclusiones religiosas y cómo proceder – Cualquier aviso a los padres sobre su derecho de exclusión religiosa o formularios asociados debe ser neutral en cuanto al contenido y no debe señalar específicamente los temas relacionados con LGBTQIA+ ni estigmatizar a las identidades LGBTQIA+. Si los distritos eligen notificar anualmente a los padres sobre sus prácticas generales de ofrecer un currículo inclusivo, deben hacerlo de manera integral y no destacar de forma aislada el contenido LGBTQIA+. Los procesos de exclusión apropiados requieren que los padres tomen medidas afirmativas para ejercer su derecho a la exclusión religiosa, como notificar a la escuela por escrito sobre su objeción religiosa.Qué tipo de “instrucción” se ve afectada por esta decisión – El caso Mahmoud se enfocó específicamente en el uso de libros como parte de la “instrucción”. La decisión no exige la censura de libros disponibles en los salones o bibliotecas, incluyendo libros inclusivos LGBTQIA+ o libros con temas que puedan resultar objetables desde un punto de vista religioso. La censura de materiales en bibliotecas escolares y salones basada en contenido LGBTQIA+ sigue prohibida por la ley de California. Además, nada en esta decisión afecta los derechos ya existentes de los estudiantes a ser ellos mismos en la escuela, a hablar sobre temas relacionados con LGBTQIA+ o a formar clubes estudiantiles temáticos LGBTQIA+ en igualdad de condiciones que otros clubes extracurriculares.La decisión sobre el derecho a exclusiones religiosas no se limita al contenido LGBTQIA+ – Aunque el caso Mahmoud involucró libros inclusivos LGBTQIA+, la decisión de la Corte no se limita a ese contenido. Por lo tanto, los líderes escolares deben diseñar procesos generales de exclusión religiosa que no se enfoquen en temas LGBTQIA+ ni los aíslen dentro del currículo.La dura realidad es que nuestros estudiantes LGBTQIA+, especialmente quienes son transgénero, están bajo ataque. Se intenta despojarlos de derechos básicos, del acceso a la atención médica y ahora también de su representación en las escuelas, con el objetivo de borrar a la comunidad transgénero. La ley en California, así como el papel de nuestros líderes escolares y la misión de nuestros distritos escolares, es garantizar que todos los estudiantes se sientan seguros y prosperen.Gracias por su tiempo. Cuando sea posible, les pedimos que nos informen si procederán a seguir el ejemplo del distrito Howell Mountain Elementary para asegurar que los estudiantes, el personal y las familias LGBTQIA+ no sean estigmatizados, discriminados ni señalados.
Hundreds of people marched along Washington Avenue on Sunday in a protest against Florida’s order to remove rainbow-painted crosswalks, a move critics say targets LGBTQ+ pride and local control.
The demonstration, called the “Forever Proud March,” was organized by Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez and the Greater Miami LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Marchers carried rainbow flags and signs, chanting, “This is what democracy looks like” and “Pride rights are human rights.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who was at the protest, said the state’s directive to strip away the crosswalks was arbitrary and harmful, arguing that the designs make intersections safer for pedestrians and serve as symbols of inclusion. She called the order “about erasing people’s identity” and said it undermines local authority.
On average, there are 73 deaths by suicide each year in Sonoma County, making it the ninth leading cause of death. The Sonoma County suicide rate of 14.3 per 100,000 residents is considerably higher than the California rate of 10.5.
“While there are likely several reasons for the higher-than-average suicide rates in Sonoma County, we know that loneliness can increase the risk for suicide, and we’re living in a very lonely time for many people,” says Melissa Ladrech, Mental Health Services Act coordinator.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who released a report last year on what he has named the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in our country, has been quoted as saying, “The experience of loneliness is an incredibly common one … one in two adults in America struggles with loneliness. To really address it, we have to make social connection a priority in our lives and in society more broadly.” He has also stated that feeling lonely and lacking connection can increase the risk of premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
In October 2022, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, which is committed to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and providing education and training on suicide prevention, brought together community partners to create the “Life Worth Living: Sonoma County Suicide Prevention Alliance.” The Alliance has since developed a Sonoma County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan, which includes a call to action, a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention, local data and specific strategies to reduce suicide deaths in the county. In September 2023, the Alliance also began holding annual ‘Connection is Prevention’ community events.
Three Connection is Prevention events are planned for this September to bring resources, connections and fun for the whole community. Each event is free and open to the public, will emphasize the essential role that human connections play in maintaining good mental health and nurturing a supportive community, and will offer enjoyable and informative activities for the whole family.
The first event will take place Saturday,September 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Old Court House Square in Santa Rosa. Attendees can enjoy the Bibliobus Mobile Library, Children’s Museum on the Go, free paletas, food trucks, raffle prizes, swag bags, and more. More than 35 organizations will set up tables and provide resources, and Board of Supervisors Chair David Rabbitt will present a proclamation designating September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
“It’s been very disturbing to learn how prevalent suicide and self-harm are in Sonoma County,” says Chair Rabbitt. “I hope everyone will consider attending one of these special events put on by our Behavioral Health division to celebrate mental well-being and meaningful connections.”
If you or someone you care about is in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, help and support are available: Call 988. For help identifying local resources, call 211.
The Florida Highway Patrol arrested three people on Sunday during a protest near the crosswalk outside of the former Pulse nightclub. The “Chalk For Pride” event was scheduled for 6 p.m. at South Orange Avenue and West Esther Street to protest the removal of “Pride crosswalks” and the “abuse of laws that threaten our freedom of expression,” according to a news release.
According to the FHP, 39-year-old Zane Aparicio , 25-year-old Mary Jane East and 26-year-old Donavon Short were arrested and taken to the Orange County jail.
On Friday night — Orestes Sebastian Suarez, 29 — was arrested after being accused of using chalk to color the bottom of his shoe before crossing the road, leaving footprints. Suarez faced a charge of defacing a traffic device ($1,000 or more) and was held overnight on a $5,000 bond until a judge on Saturday afternoon found no probable cause for the arrest and said that Suarez would be released.
Earlier this year, TikToker Kathryn Jones began a quest to visit every exhibit at the Smithsonian museums and read every plaque.Justine Goode / NBC News; Getty Images
Pausing next to a hulking steam locomotive at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on Friday, Kathryn Jones bent down to look at a tiny silk slipper.
“I’ve never seen one in person. It’s so small,” she said, pointing at the shoe once worn by a Chinese immigrant with bound feet. “That’s why I love museums. It takes those facts and solidifies it.”
The recording of a trail whistle hooted in the background, bringing to life the 1887 Jupiter steam engine that hauled fruit picked by immigrants in Watsonville, California.
“The immersion, the sounds, the small little touches that suck you in. I’m a sucker for small objects,” she said as she walked through “America on the Move,” her 100th Smithsonian exhibit this year.
In January, Jones began a quest to visit every exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington, D.C., and read every plaque. During the past eight months, she has visited 100 exhibits at 13 museums, meticulously logging her time on detailed spreadsheets. According to her records, that’s 73 hours inside the museums and almost 51 total hours reading signs.
She traverses each exhibit twice, first reading every description and watching every video, then looking at the exhibit again and filming video for her TikTok account.
Kathryn Jones visits the “America on the Move” exhibit at the National Museum of American History Behring Center.Fiona Glisson / NBC News
“My goal for that is almost to kind of provide a marketing sizzle reel for the exhibit,” she said. “A priority of mine is getting people in museums, getting people curious, reminding people that learning is fun as well as hopefully right, breaking down the stigma that museums and galleries are stuffy and exclusive and people can’t come.”
Jones paused to take in historic footage of a streetcar passing the White House. “This is what I love to see, D.C. streets which I recognize,” she said. “Look how close to the White House they are with a streetcar.”
She added, “People on roller skates! I did not expect that. A tour! This is so cool.”
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 3, 2019.Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP file
This year, Jones found herself at a professional crossroads after leaving her job as a vice president of marketing.
“I called it my grown-up gap year,” she said. “There were so many aspects of what I was doing that I loved, but I was just kind of burnt out and felt adrift. So, I took the year off with the intention to figure out what brought me joy in life, what I wanted to do.”
Making videos about the Smithsonian, she discovered a passion for content creation, which she intends to continue after filming her last Smithsonian exhibition.
“I tried, I think, three times and failed before I did my first exhibit. I went to a museum with the intention to read everything, and was either too anxious to do it, embarrassed to be filming in public,” she said. “I’m really proud of myself for the strides that I’ve made in my ability to focus, my confidence in myself.”
As Jones has built her channel, the Smithsonian has found itself under increased scrutiny. Last month, the Trump administration informed Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch that it would begin a systematic review to “remove divisive or partisan narratives” in advance of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” he wrote. “We are not going to allow this to happen.”
The first phase of the review will focus on eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Portrait Gallery.
In an interview with Fox News, Lindsey Halligan, one of the White House officials who signed the administration’s Aug. 12 letter to the Smithsonian, addressed the review.
“The fact that … our country was involved in slavery is awful — no one thinks otherwise,” she said. “But what I saw when I was going through the museums, personally, was an overemphasis on slavery, and I think there should be more of an overemphasis on how far we’ve come since slavery.”
A display featuring former slave Clara Brown at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The Smithsonian Institution was in the administration’s crosshairs prior to last month’s review announcement. In March, Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which directed the institution to “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
In April, an exhibit by African LGBTQ artists was abruptly postponed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. The following month, NBC News documented more than 30 artifacts that were removed from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And in July, artist Amy Sherald canceled an upcoming show at the National Portrait Gallery after she said curators expressed concerns about a painting of a transgender Statue of Liberty.
“It became clear during my exchanges with the gallery how quickly curatorial independence collapses when politics enters the room,” she wrote on MSNBC.com. “Museums are not stages for loyalty. They are civic laboratories. They are places where we wrestle with contradictions, encounter the unfamiliar and widen our circle of empathy. But only if they remain free.”
This is not the first time that the Smithsonian has found itself in the crossfire of a culture war. In 2010, the institution withdrew part of an exhibition called Hide/Seek featuring works by LGBTQ artists after sustained outcry by then-House Speaker John Boehner and Catholic organizations.
The institution was also roiled by a debate over a National Air and Space Museum exhibit of the Enola Gay aircraft, which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II. Critics derided plans to include Japanese perspectives and information about the effects of nuclear warfare as an example of “politically correct curating.”
“The Smithsonian has faced crisis moments in the past … but the crisis moments have never come from a direct political assault, certainly not at the hands of the executive,” said Dr. Sam Redman, director of the public history program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. “I know we use the word unprecedented a lot in this era, but this is truly unprecedented in terms of thinking about the Smithsonian.”
Kathryn Jones reads a plaque about Charlotte Hawkins Brown, an author, educator, and civil rights activist.Fiona Glisson / NBC News
Some museum scholars dispute the Trump administration’s claims that the Smithsonian overemphasizes narratives by Black and LGBTQ artists.
“We all know that museums are historically and culturally extremely conservative, and that there’s a striking lack of exhibitions devoted to women artists, or women’s history or Black artists or LGBTQ,” said Lisa Strong, director of the art and museum studies master’s program at Georgetown University. “Museums know this and have been working, working to fix this.”
A 2022 report by journalists Julia Halperin and Charlotte Burns for Artnet found 14.9% of exhibits at 31 major U.S. museums, including the National Portrait Gallery, between 2008 and 2020 were of work by female-identifying artists, and 6.3 % were of work by Black American artists.
Jones said her priority on her TikTok channel is encouraging people to visit the Smithsonian museums and local museums that document history.
“Hearing those stories of people that have suffered before, problems that we face, that’s honestly why I kind of started doing this challenge,” she said. “Because when we read these stories and see things, the more we know, the better we can empathize with other people, because we have other experiences to pull from.”
She sat in the arched alcove of a railroad waiting room to listen to the story of Charlotte Hawkins Brown, who traveled to the Jim Crow South on racially segregated railroad cars during the 1920s.
“She talks about how someone said to her, ‘This is God’s country. You can’t sit there,’” Jones said.
“Hearing those stories, I do think it’s important to confront those things, because that led to where we are now,” she said. “People are affected by that. Some people will carry the scars of that.”
As part of a wider rollback on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI), the Ivy League university will no longer designate residential proctors or tutors specifically for LGBTQ+ or first-generation/low-income undergraduates, according to the college newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.
The tutors and proctors will have their tasks folded into “specialty” roles. The change was reportedly announced last week in an email from associate dean of students Lauren Brandt.
Proctors and tutors are live-in advisers who support and help plan activities for students in their first year at Harvard.
A document included with Brandt’s email informed students that “Culture and Community” proctors and tutors would now work to “foster cultivation of bonds and bridges to enable all members of our community to grow with and learn from each other”, The Crimson reported.
“The description of the responsibilities of the… tutors does not mention providing support to students with specific backgrounds or identities,” the report went on to say.
Ottawa’s Pride parade ground to a halt on Sunday afternoon when Queers4Palestine protesters blocked the route and demanded to negotiate with parade organizers over their stance on the war in Gaza.
After nearly an hour of talks, and with the route still blocked, the two sides failed to reach an accommodation. Capital Pride, the event’s organizers, decided to cancel the remainder of the march.
“We are bummed, of course, but we had a blast for the block and a half that we walked,” said Stefania Wheelhouse, who marched in the short-lived parade with a local theater company.
“We sang, we spread the word,” she told the Ottawa Citizen. “Everyone was so positive, so it was still a net win for us,” Wheelhouse said.
The atmosphere was less positive for parade and protest leaders, who tried and failed to come to terms over Israel’s continuing occupation of Gaza in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, and Capital Pride’s response.
Last year, the group was resolute in its support of Palestinians, issuing a letter that condemned both the “acts of terrorism” committed on October 7 by Hamas and Israel’s “endless and brutal campaign in Gaza,” which the letter said had caused the deaths of “innocent Palestinians.”
The Jewish Federation of Ottawa called the 2024 statement “antisemitic” and vowed to boycott last summer’s Pride parade in response. Other groups, and Ottawa’s mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, withdrew their support and sponsorship as well.
This year, that statement quietly disappeared from Capital Pride’s website.
“This is what a village looks like!” the pro-Palestinian protesters chanted from Parliament Hill in the Canadian capital, a reference to this year’s “We Are a Village” parade theme. The parade ground to a halt there, Q4P said, with the ascent of Grand Marshall Patience Plush.
Protesters unfurled Palestinian flags and a giant pink-and-black banner that read “All of us or none of us” and “Stonewall was an intifada.” Many signs read, “No pride in genocide.”
Demonstrators also chanted slogans including “Free, free Palestine!” “Long live the intifada!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”
Queers4Palestine issued several demands of Capital Pride, including a commitment to join the long-running boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
They also demanded that Mayor Sutcliffe and other elected officials publicly apologize for the 2024 boycott of Capital Pride and called on them to “stand with us and all oppressed peoples, including Palestinians.”
“We are in the parade today to affirm very clearly that our Pride is not for sale, and that 2SLGBTQIA+ communities will not accept sponsors and elected officials dictating what we stand for, how we celebrate ourselves, and how we claim our space,” a press release from the group said.
“CP had multiple discussions with those who boycotted over the last year, not with Q4P and allies. Why prioritize corporations and right-wing politicians over the queer community?” the group asked.
“CP’s board voted to publish last year’s solidarity statement. This year’s removal was not voted on. One board member even quit in protest.
“Mayor Sutcliffe and others boycotted Pride last year, hurting our community financially. Now he wants to show up without apology — using Pride for political gain,” the group said.
Capital Pride can’t say it wasn’t aware of Q4P’s demands. Sunday’s stoppage came after at least a week of public calls to reinstate the statement.
But Capital Pride organizers slow-walked a response, as former sponsors and Ottawa’s mayor returned in the absence of the polarizing document.
Belatedly, the group said it stood by the views expressed in last year’s letter about Israel’s actions in Gaza, and said the statement was missing online due to a website “refresh,” reiterating Executive Director Callie Metler’s description of the removal as part of the organization’s annual process of “refreshing their online environment.”
By that time, the parade had launched and was aborted.
Capital Pride released a “Clarification on Parade cancellation” message to social media that said that Q4P was marching in the parade as “guests invited by the parade garnd marshall,” before the group forced the parade to stop.
“As a community organization, we strive to engage with our community members in good faith and to balance the various interests and demands that are made of us while also organizing one of the largest festivals in our city,” the statement said. “Throughout the summer, we had several meetings with Q4P along with other community groups to discuss the issues that are important to them.
“Unfortunately, the group refused to have a meaningful discussion about how to move forward. After over an hour of attempting to resolve the stoppage, it became clear that Q4P was unwilling to engage in a good faith conversation and was insistent on misrepresenting our discussions.”
“Rerouting the parade mid-way was not possible and the street closures for the parade route were only permitted to 4:00 pm. Given the constraints we were facing and the nature of the discussion with Q4P, we were left with no other choice than to cancel the remainder of the parade.”
The message said that other parts of Ottawa’s Pride festivities would continue as planned.
In a statement, Mayor Sutcliffe said it was “deeply regrettable that a group of activists chose to block the parade, ultimately leading Capital Pride officials to cancel the event.”
“My heart goes out to the many people in our city who were deprived of the opportunity to participate in this celebration of joy, resilience, and community.”
