Perspectives

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Building safety for LGBT asylum seekers at a safe house in Oregon

We are witnessing one of the most aggressive attacks on LGBTQ+ people in America in generations. It is heartbreaking, but in many ways, it does not feel new.  In 2018, during the first Trump administration and amid the separation of mothers and children at the border, far less attention was paid to the growing number of LGBTQ+ migrants and trans people seeking safety in the United States. Their stories often went unseen. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. During that time, I helped build New York City’s first shelter […]

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Charles Barkley says people who think there isn’t ‘a bunch of gay players’ in all elite sports are ‘stupid’

Former NBA player Charles Barkley has called out “homophobic society” as he weighed in on the dialogue around publicly out, gay professional sports players. Appearing on NBA Tip-Off, Barkley spoke about the death of NBA player Jason Collins. Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, died on Tuesday (12 May) aged 47. Barkley referred to Collins as a “trailblazer” as he paid his respects to the late player. When the 63-year-old played, Barkley was nicknamed ‘Sir Charles’ for his prowess on the court. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and became one of the NBA’s best rebounders and scorers.   Referring to Collins as an openly gay athlete, […]

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NFL team owner reportedly donates $1million to The Trevor Project

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Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, has reportedly donated $1million to The Trevor Project. The contribution, made through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, was highlighted by former NFL player Carl Nassib, who came out as gay in 2021 while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders and has since worked closely with the organisation. “I am incredibly grateful to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for their extraordinary $1million donation to The Trevor Project and everyone at the Atlanta Falcons for their heartfelt support,” Nassib wrote in a 30 April LinkedIn post. “This donation helps fund counsellor training, enhance volunteer services and ensure […]

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Corporations & leaders are retreating to safe choices. They will be the death of us.

When there are threats against trans rights and the climate feels so inhospitable to the very existence of marginalized communities, it can be easy for people to retreat to safe choices. Groups might argue that it’s best to hold on to something that feels secure and solid rather than draw attention by fighting for those most under attack. But what might be claimed as small acts of safe defiance against the regime are simply complicity in disguise. We need to be fighting this endless attack on trans rights, not questioning how much we can step back with the idea that […]

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Since Tim Cook is leaving Apple, it’s now time for him to really show up for us

When Tim Cook was named to replace the legendary Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO in August 2011, it was a wild and electric moment, not just for the tech world but for our community. His sexuality was already being widely whispered about in corporate circles, with reports circulating as early as 2011 that Cook was gay, though he was working to keep his personal life private. In fact, in April of 2011, our sister outlet, Out Magazine, named him as one of the most influential LGBTQ+ people in America. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email […]

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Waiting for a hero to save us from Trump & MAGA? Here’s where to look…

Bonny Tyler’s now-classic pop song, “Holding Out for a Hero,” expressed the oft-wished-for hope that someone will come into our lives to take away all our cares, to ease our loneliness, to cure all the world’s evils, and make us feel secure and completely safe. Tyler evokes the image of powerful gods and “streetwise” mortals, like the great Hercules and shining Knights of old “upon a fiery steed,” as well as other “larger than life” heroes to save her from her plight. But most times, no hero will meet our expectations. And for those we rise to hero status, ultimately, the […]

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Darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven forced to retire by trans ban

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A new ruling from the world of darts means that Noa-Lynn van Leuven, the first trans darts player to qualify for the World Championships, has been forced into “retirement.” The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA), which governs the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), has banned trans women from competing in its women’s events with immediate effect. This follows the World Darts Federation (WDF) banning trans women from women’s competitions in 2025. ‘I respected the sport every game and every single day’ Posting on Instagram, Van Leuven shared: “I just got an email. Apparently, I just got retired. Not by choice, but because I am no longer allowed to compete. […]

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Viktor Orbán won’t be the last anti-LGBTQ+ strongman to topple

One of the world’s most openly homophobic and misogynistic leaders just lost power. Viktor Orbán is out. For years, Orbán, as prime minister, held up Hungary as proof that a country could be tightened, simplified, and brought under control — a place where national identity came first and anything that complicated it could be pushed out. That message did not stay in Hungary, it moved, was studied, repeated, and turned into strategy by political movements that wanted the same kind of power. A sitting prime minister stands in front of an international conservative audience, calls liberalism a virus, lays out a governing formula built on […]

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Attacks on abortion and gender-affirming care are inextricably linked

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What does a person seeking abortion care have in common with a young trans person seeking gender-affirming care? More than most people think. The campaign to restrict gender-affirming care follows a well-worn and ultimately successful playbook designed by anti-abortion advocates. That success has emboldened them to target intersecting issues and groups who face the steepest barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health care, like young people.  Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. Now, the movements to restrict gender-affirming care and abortion care are evolving together […]

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Texas wants Bibles in public classrooms as another way to bully, harm, and exclude LGBTQ+ kids

I went to a Catholic school for eight years, so I had no choice when it came to learning about the Bible. I remember being confused by scripture on many occasions. As a child, I could not comprehend how Noah got all those animals onto a small boat. It was around the same time I began to wonder how Santa could carry presents for all the children in the world on his small sleigh. Nevertheless, I came to respect the Bible and what it stood for. Some might say it was eight years of brainwashing, but I prefer to think of […]

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