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Gavin Newsom moves to shield California transgender patient records from federal scrutiny

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California is adding new medical privacy protections for LGBTQ+ adults facing federal subpoenas and expanding access to injectable medicines for HIVprevention. That is thanks to a spate of six new bills passed by the Democratic-led state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday. Newsom said he signed the bills to strengthen LGBTQ+ rights in the state amid a federal crackdown on such protections. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. “The Trump administration has launched an all-out assault on the LGBTQ community, using medical records […]

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MAGA Rages Over Republican CA Gov Candidate’s “Lesbian Lovers” Ad Titled “Just Try It, California”

A provocative, sexually suggestive ad by GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is drawing heat from his fellow Republicans while drawing millions of viewers online. Two young women sit on a bed, with an LGBTQ+ flag in the background, with one urging the other to try a new experience. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” one woman says, and the other replies. “Don’t be nervous. It’s not that bad … Just try it. Look, give me your hand. Close your eyes, and I’ll do all the work.” She leads the hesitant woman’s hand to mark her ballot for Hilton rather than […]

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California Gov Candidate Vows English-Only In Schools

Mediaite reports: Steve Hilton, who’s running as a Republican for California’s next governor, said he’ll mandate English-only in the state’s schools if elected in November. On Sunday’s The Big Weekend Show on Fox, host Tomi Lahren mentioned the “English second-language students” in California due to the high Latino population, and asked for his thoughts. “Well, look, the problem is it’s not just people with a second language, it’s hardly anyone can speak English properly because our schools are such a disaster. You’ve got now less than half of the kids in California public schools meet basic standards in English even though we spend […]

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Teachers stage walk out in response to anti-trans activist outburst at chaotic school board meeting

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A Davis, California school board meeting descended into chaos on Thursday night when teachers staged a walkout as Beth Bourne, a local Moms for Liberty chapter president and school board candidate, began speaking during public comment. Video of the meeting is available via the district’s school board meeting video portal. As Bourne approached the lectern, many district-area teachers stood up and left the room. Bourne shouted at the meeting chair: “Ask those teachers to stop interrupting my comment!” She then demanded: “I want my time back! I want my time back!” During the disruption, one attendee shouted “B*******!” at Bourne. Bourne […]

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Newsom Signs New Restrictions On Social Media

The New York Times reports: California’s governor on Thursday signed into law restrictions on addictive social media technology and interactions with harmful artificial intelligence chatbots, ushering in some of the strongest online protections for young users in the United States. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a bill that prohibits social media platforms from providing addictive features to users under the age of 16, the first law of its kind in the nation. He also signed a new law mandating that A.I. companies disclose to young users whenever they engage with a chatbot, not a human, and restrict dangerous content on topics […]

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San Diego repeals bathhouse ordinance passed during HIV/AIDS crisis

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San Diego has officially removed a decades-old ordinance that targeted LGBTQ+ people from its books. The San Diego City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday (1 September) to repeal a bathhouse ordinance originally passed in 1988 and amended in 1991, during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The law explicitly sought to regulate bathhouses in an effort to prevent gay and bisexual men from having sex and transmitting HIV, as reported by KPBS. The ordinance had effectively been sitting unused for years. Council President Joe LaCava’s office brought the repeal forward after a staffer stumbled across it while searching the city’s municipal code. LaCava said the law […]

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Trump DOJ tried to force California to ban trans girls from sports. A judge said no

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Earlier this week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department challenging California’s trans-inclusive school sports policies, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. While the ruling does not establish a statewide right for transgender athletes to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity, it rejects the DOJ’s claim that California’s policies violate Title IX. Title IX is a 1972 federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal funding. In its suit, the Justice Department alleged that California’s Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation violated the law by allowing transgender student athletes to […]

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Four suspects beat California man while shouting anti-LGBTQ+ slurs, police say

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Police in California are investigating the assault of two men in Sacramento’s Lavender Heights district. One victim said four men beat him while shouting anti-LGBTQ+ and racist slurs. Joseph Sais said the beating that left him bloodied on the street was especially painful because it happened in an LGBTQ-friendly area of town. “How can this happen here?” Sais told news station KCRA. “How can this happen in a space where it’s for us? It’s for queer individuals to come feel supported.” Sacramento police told news outlets they received reports of an assault around 1 a.m. Last Sunday near 20th and […]

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Equality California Condemns Final CMS Rule Blocking Medicaid and CHIP Funding for Transgender Healthcare

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Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized a rule ending federal Medicaid funding for both medically necessary care for transgender youth under 18 and federal Children’s Health Insurance Program funding for youth under 19. The rule is scheduled to take effect October 13, 2026: “Today, the Trump administration finalized a cruel and discriminatory rule that blocks federal Medicaid and CHIP payments to providers for medically necessary healthcare for transgender young people, putting their access to care at risk. This is a […]

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Equality California Announces Latest Pro-Equality Endorsements Ahead of 2026 Midterms

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Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, today announced the endorsements of five candidates running for Congressional and state offices ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “Our slate of pro-equality candidates continues to grow as we head towards November’s crucial midterm elections,” said Executive Director Tony Hoang. “LGBTQ+ people deserve representatives who will speak for them at all levels of government, from Sacramento to Washington D.C. We are confident that LGBTQ+ and pro-equality representation will grow across the board come November.”  The full list of new endorsements can be found below: U.S. Congress: California State Senate: California Statewide Office: […]

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