A mid-level professional ice hockey team in Illinois has released a player who posted a string of disgusting, anti-LGBTQ+ tweets.
And the player Louie Rowe has retweeted numerous more messages since he was let go by ECHL outfit the Peoria Rivermen, accusing LGBTQ+ people of grooming and raping children, as well as using them as prostitutes.
Rivermen co-owner Bart Rogers told the Lincoln Journal Star: “We are shocked, and we have immediately released Louie Rowe.”
Rowe’s retweets targeted LGBTQ+ people, calling them peadophiles, and trans people, who were labelled mentally ill.
In addition to anti-LGBTQ+ tweets, Rowe’s Twitter includes messages demonising other minority groups.
Rowe retweeted messages supporting the likes of anti-trans, right-wing media pundit Jordan Peterson, as well as anti-vax conspiracy theories and statements from infamous social media account LibsOfTikTok, which rabidly attacks LGBTQ+ educators and drag venues.
On 12 January, another mid-level pro hockey team, the Kalamazoo Wings, sent a response to a Twitter user who said they were no longer going to attend games after the team released a rainbow logo on social media as part of a Pride Night event for LGBTQ+fans.
In response to the Wings’ message, Rowe wrote on Twitter: “I knew the Kwings were soft but I didn’t know they were gay, trans and soft.”
He went on to respond with an image that called Pride flags a “mental illness flag.” He also tweeted: “Imagine marketing towards the bottom of the barrel of society LMAO… what’s next? Felony offender night?”
Others took to Twitter to voice their disgust at Rowe’s comments, with one person writing: “Embarrassed that this guy ever put on a @FWKomets Sweater.”
Another person wrote: “What a turd. Enjoy the beer league hockey career – take the L – loser !!”
The Riverman’s co-owner, Bart Rogers, added: “Our organisation does not condone that language, nor do we support that point of view or behaviour. Those things do not represent the beliefs of our team, our partners nor our fans, nor the great sport we play. It does not represent the values of our organisation’.”
Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives and progressive lawmakers fear the GOP will use their slim majority to engage in frivolous investigations into the Biden administration.
With his appointment to the powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee, California’sgay Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia says he will act as a safeguard against such moves by Republicans. The committee works to oversee the “efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the federal government and all its agencies,” according to its website.
The Democrat announced his appointment to the committee on Twitter yesterday while noting a certain excitement about his opportunity to be a thorn in the side of two outrageous far-right Republican members on the committee.
“I just got appointed to the House Oversight Committee. You can bet that I am going to take on and push back on Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert’s bullsh*t every single day. LFG,” Garcia wrote.
Garcia has not been shy in criticizing some of Congress’s most right-wing members.
The freshman lawmaker is the first out gay immigrant elected to Congress, and in the few weeks that he’s been on Capitol Hill, he’s already made his mark.
In December, he was elected by his peers to be the incoming class president for the Democratic Party — a position that is often a starting-off point for party leadership.
After new members’ swearing-in ceremonies were delayed because of historic dysfunction among Republicans who couldn’t decide on electing a new House speaker until the 15th round of votes, Garcia swore his oath on the Constitution, and photos of his parents, his U.S. citizenship certificate, and a rare first-edition Superman comic book that he loaned from the Library of Congress.
Representatives for the congressman did not immediately respond to an interview request for Garcia.
However, in November, Garcia toldThe Advocate that he was looking forward to joining Congress, particularly to challenge some of the worst anti-LGBTQ+ people elected to federal office.
“[“Marjorie Taylor Greene] is somebody that has zero interest in allowing gay people to live full lives, so I think she shouldn’t be in Congress,” Garcia said. “I think she represents exactly what’s wrong in our country.”
He also had a hunch: “I’m sure she’s not going to like me very much,” he said.
McCarthy appointed vocal conspiracy theorists and anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers Greene and Boebert to the committee last week.
House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, is excited about Georgia’s Greene, Colorado’s Boebert, and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona joining the committee, tellingAxios, “it’s probably the most exciting committee” in history.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mocked the unserious nature of the far right-wing lawmakers on a crucial committee like Oversight during a January 18 press briefing.
“It appears that House Republicans have handed over the keys to the most extreme MAGA members of the Republican caucus,” Jean-Pierre said. “These are members who have promoted violent rhetoric and dangerous conspiracy theories, including suggesting violence against political opponents, trafficking in antisemitic lies, and defending and downplaying a violent insurrection against our democracy.”
According to critics, the committee will spend much time on nonsense and political games, especially with people like Boebert, Gosar, and Greene. Republican leaders have announced several investigations: the laptop of Hunter Biden, the country’s pandemic response, and right-wing media complaints about Anthony Fauci.
In an appearance on Newsmax on Friday morning, Comer committed to taking action against DirecTV for removing the channel from its services.
“Congress didn’t hold hearings a year ago for [One America News] because it was OAN and not CNN, and Democrats were in charge in Congress. You’re in charge now. Are you gonna hold hearings for Newsmax?” the network’s anchor Rob Finnerty asked the Republican.
“Yes,” Comer replied. “There’s gonna be a committee that’s gonna hold hearings. We’re sitting, we’re gonna meet later today and try to discuss which committee’s gonna do what. That’s certainly on the agenda. I’m very concerned by this.”
Netflix, Amazon and Starbucks are just a few of the most inclusive companies that offer gender-affirming care for trans employees.
Even though it is early in 2023, there have already been over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the US. In the UK, trans issues remain in the headlines since the UK Government blocked Scotland’s progressive Gender Reform Act.
According to GLAAD, when trans people get the care they need, they are more likely to be working and almost 80 per cent see mental health improve. Transition is costly: in the US, top or bottom surgeries can cost up to $25,000. Other treatments and cosmetic surgeries often not covered by private insurance policies can be even more expensive. In the UK, it can take years to get a referral to seen at a gender identity clinic. It makes sense then that many employers are offering gender-affirming care as part of their benefits package.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation have been tracking employers rated in their Corporate Equality Index (CEI) that have at least one transgender-inclusive benefit since 2002. Twenty years ago there were no companies that met any of their guidelines – fast forward to today and there are over 650 companies that have adopted gender transition guidelines and over 90 per cent of CEI businesses have at least one trans-inclusive policy on offer.
PinkNews has gone through the list for you to shine a spotlight on some companies offer gender-affirming care. No company is completely perfect when it comes to total inclusion. So when looking for a new role, make sure to research in more detail their policies and purpose.
In the US, gender-affirming top or bottom surgeries can cost up to $25,000. (PinkNews)
HSBC
Starting in 2023, the financial giant announced that it will pay for its trans employees’ gender-affirming care. The “gender dysphoria benefit” encourages trans and non-binary staff to “be their true authentic self.” The program will allow employees and dependants to apply to have their gender-affirming surgeries and other treatments paid for.
A spokesperson for the bank told PinkNews: “Our diversity is a defining feature of who we are and how we operate, and we are a proud and active supporter of customers and colleagues across the broad spectrum of diversity of sexuality and gender identity. By providing access to gender affirmation treatment, we hope that our trans and non-binary colleagues and their dependents are able to be their true authentic self.”
Amazon
The world’s largest retailer has been offering gender-affirming care for quite some time – since the 2010s. Benefits at Amazon begin on the first day of employment, including equal health coverage for transgender individuals.
In an effort to boost diversity, inclusion and support within the company, all employees have access to trans-inclusive resources. The ‘Transgender and Guidelines Toolkit’ offers information like terminology breakdowns to help cis colleagues understand phrases that could be brought up in conversation, name and pronoun use and a communication template for employees wanting to talk about their transgender identity. The guide was created by the company’s ‘Glamazon’ group, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ employee resource groups.
Amazon will also cover up to $4,000 in medical care travel costs for all US-based employees. This added coverage is for non-life-threatening treatments, including transgender care, abortions and substance abuse issues. This particular initiative came out of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the rise anti-trans lawsin many states.
Amazon, Netflix, Starbucks and HSBC are just some of the companies offering trans healthcare support. (PinkNews)
Netflix
While Netflix has a history of platforming anti-trans content (looking your way, Dave Chapelle), the streaming company has offered gender-affirming care for its employees since 2015. Coverage includes surgeries and HRT. Like Amazon, Netflix will reimburse colleagues in the United States up to $10,000 in travel expenses to receive care out of state.
The streaming giant that brought queer favourites like Heartstopper also has a dedicated employee resource group dedicated to trans colleagues. The Trans* Employee Resource Group (ERG) started in 2015 as a group on Slack and has evolved into a funded ERG that supports visibility for trans employees.
Starbucks
Since 2018, the world’s largest coffee shop that made the “frappuccino” a household name has covered gender-affirming care for trans employees. The Seattle-based company initially covered bottom surgery in 2012 and now includes all other steps in a person’s medical transition. These include “cosmetic” procedures that go uncovered by most insurance companies – including top surgery, hair transplants and removals, and facial feminisation surgeries. Not only that, the company will assist their trans employees in finding the appropriate doctors and healthcare providers.
It is worth noting that the company is allegedly threatening to cancel its gender-affirming benefits as over 150 stores in the United States have voted to join the newly formed Starbucks United Workers union.
Meta
The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp – recently rebranded as ‘Meta’ – has been offering specialised benefits for their transgender and non-binary employees since 2015. The company offers gender-affirming care for employees and their dependents through the employee benefits package including surgeries. The company also provides personal support for trans employees navigating all the paperwork that comes with medical transitioning.
While it has been a tough year for Meta, freezing hiring and making around 11,000 employees redundant, the company does offer up a solid work-life balance focused on wellbeing and stability for all its employees. What’s not to ‘like’?
Human Rights Campaign Foundation have been tracking employers rated in their Corporate Equality Index (CEI) since 2002. (PinkNews)
These are just a handful of household names that offer gender-affirming care. There are hundreds of other companies that offer these transition benefits to trans employees including Tesla, EY, PwC, Ikea, Google and Airbnb.
LGBT older adults, defined in this study as those over 50 years old, face significant and unique challenges to health and well-being as they age. They are more likely than their straight/cisgender peers to experience social and economic barriers that prevent healthy aging. Research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased economic and social instability for LGBT people of all ages. However, precarity is not new for LGBT older adults and COVID-19 may be viewed as part of a continuum of disruptive events that impact the aging experiences of LGBT older adults.
Using data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (HPS) collected July 21, 2021 to August 8, 2022, we explore the demographics, health, and economic experiences of older LGBT adults during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared with straight/cisgender older adults. This analysis used the first U.S. Census Bureau data that has included questions about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), which gives researchers an opportunity to use a nationally representative sample to describe the health and well-being of LGBT and straight/cisgender older adults. The analytic sample was limited to 533,179 survey respondents who were over age 50 and could be classified as LGBT or non-LGBT based on their responses to the survey questions.
Key Findings
Demographic Characteristics
More people aged 50–64 identified as LGBT than those aged 65 years and older (4.4% vs. 2.4%, respectively).
In both 50–64 and 65+ age cohorts, more men than women identified as LGBT; the opposite is true for younger LGBT adults.
In both the age cohorts, more LGBT than straight/cisgender adults obtained higher levels of education (50–64 cohort: 67% vs. 59%; 65+ cohort: 71% vs. 57%, respectively), and more LGBT adults lived alone (50–64 cohort: 18% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 25% vs. 15%, respectively).
Although far more LGBT people had never been married (50–64 cohort: 36% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 29% vs. 4%, respectively), LGBT and straight/cisgender people had similar rates of divorce/separation in both cohorts (50–64 cohort: 20% vs. 21%; 65+ cohort: 21% vs. 17%, respectively).
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate LGBT people are statistically different from straight/cisgender people.
Overall, LGBT people showed more economic insecurity compared to straight/cisgender people. In both cohorts, more LGBT than straight/cisgender people received SNAP benefits and had household incomes that fell below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Not only did LGBT people have lower incomes and were more food insecure than straight/ cisgender people, they also more frequently depended on alternative forms of income and assistance to support themselves, such as relying on credit cards or loans, savings or retirement accounts, borrowing money from friends and family, and government nutrition and rental assistance to supplement their incomes.
Additionally in both cohorts, more LGBT people than straight/cisgender people rented their homes instead of owned them (50–64 cohort: 31% vs. 21%; 65+ cohort: 21% vs. 13%, respectively).
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate that race/ethnicity is statistically different from White.
Among LGBT people there was pronounced economic disparity by race/ethnicity. In both cohorts, more Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial LGBT adults had household incomes that fell below the federal poverty level compared to White and Asian LGBT adults. Among those aged 50–64, exponentially more Black LGBT people were receiving SNAP benefits, while few Asian LGBT people were. In the 65+ cohort more Hispanic than White LGBT people were receiving SNAP benefits.
Additionally, compared to White LGBT people, more Black LGBT adults from both cohorts reported not having enough food to eat (50–64 cohort: 9% vs. 15%; 65+ cohort: 3% vs. 14%), renting rather than owning their homes (50–64 cohort: 24% vs. 53%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 51%), and having trouble paying household expenses (50–64 cohort: 28% vs. 46%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 41% ).
Compared to White LGBT people, more Hispanic LGBT adults from both cohorts reported not having enough food to eat (50–64 cohort: 9% vs. 21%; 65+ cohort: 3% vs. 14%), renting rather than owning their homes (50–64 cohort: 24% vs. 46%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 39%), having trouble paying household expenses (50–64 cohort: 28% vs. 47%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 40%), and keeping the temperature of their homes at unsafe levels (50–64 cohort: 20% vs 33%; 65+ cohort: 14% vs. 27%).
In both cohorts, compared to White LGBT adults, Multiracial LGBT adults reported keeping the temperature of their homes at an unsafe level (50–64 cohort: 20% vs. 31%; 65+ cohort: 14% vs. 33%, respectively).
Additionally, among those 65 years of age and older, the proportion of Black and Hispanic LGBT people who reported living in poverty, being food insecure, having trouble paying bills, expenses, and rent were about twice that of White LGBT people.
Health and Well-Being
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–October 2021) Note: Bolded values indicate LGBT people are statistically different from straight/cisgender people.
In both age cohorts, almost all LGBT people had received a COVID-19 vaccine and this proportion was slightly higher than among the straight/cisgender cohorts.
Additionally, in both age cohorts, White and Asian LGBT adults showed the highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination.
Among those who had not received the vaccine, more LGBT than straight/cisgender adults in both cohorts said they planned to get the vaccine (50-64 cohort: 23% vs.; 65+ cohort: 21% vs. 15%, respectively).
Similar proportions of LGBT and straight/cisgender people in both cohorts had tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19 (50–64 cohort: 38% vs. 41%; 65+ cohort: 25% vs. 28%, respectively).
Among the 50–64 cohort, 50% of Asian, 46% of Hispanic, 43% of Multiracial, 36% of White, and 30% of Black LGBT adults said they had COVID-19.
Among the 65+ cohort, 45% of Hispanic, 36% of Asian, 23% of Multiracial, 22% of White, and 14% of White LGBT adults said they had COVID-19.
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate LGBT people are statistically different from straight/cisgender people.
In both cohorts, more LGBT than straight/cisgender people reported experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms (sx).
In addition, more LGBT than straight/cisgender people in both cohorts were prescribed medication for their mental health (50–64 cohort: 35% vs. 23%; 65+ cohort: 29% vs. 20%, respectively), were going to therapy (50–64 cohort: 18% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 9% vs. 5%, respectively), and reported needing help from a mental health professional but not getting it (50–64 cohort: 16% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 7% vs. 4%, respectively).
Compared to White LGBT people, more Multiracial LGBT people were experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms in the 50–64 cohort (Anxiety sx: 30% vs. 40%; Depression sx: 22% vs. 31%, respectively), and more Multiracial LGBT people were experiencing depression symptoms in the 65+ cohort (12% vs. 36%, respectively).
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate that race/ethnicity is statistically different from White.
Compared to White and Multiracial LGBT people in the 50–64 cohort, fewer Hispanic, Black, and Asian LGBT people were prescribed medication; more Multiracial LGBT people were going to therapy compared to White and Hispanic LGBT people, and more Multiracial LGBT people needed therapy but did not get it compared to White and Asian LGBT people.
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate that race/ethnicity is statistically different from White and Black.
Compared to White and Black LGBT people in the 65+ cohort, fewer Asian LGBT people were prescribed medication or were going to therapy.
Following a string of incidents at New York City gay bars where incapacitated men had money stolen from their bank accounts with the help of facial recognition technology, safety experts are recommending a multi-pronged approach for those seeking a fun and safe night out.
Calls for vigilance were reignitedlast week when the New York City Police Department confirmed that three men who had visited The Eagle NYC, a gay leather bar, in the fall were incapacitated and then had thousands of dollars stolen from their online financial accounts by criminals who accessed the victims’ smartphones using facial recognition technology. These incidents were similar to the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two men in the spring, Julio Ramirez and John Umberger, who were last seen at gay bars in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on the evenings they died.
In the wake of these incidents, public safety experts have advised patrons of the city’s LGBTQ nightlife spaces to avoid using facial recognition technology on their smartphones and to take several other steps to ensure a fun night out doesn’t result in a dangerous situation, especially incapacitation.
Brian Downey, an NYPD detective and the president of the Gay Officers Action League, or GOAL, said the ideal solution “is not getting in that position to begin with.”
Gay bars and nightclubs have long served as de facto community centers for queer people, especially in New York, which has the nation’s largest population of LGBTQ people. This rich history, and the long-held idea of gay bars as safe spaces, has led many patrons of these venues to believe in the inherent good nature of those around them, Downey said. However, he cautioned that queer New Yorkers must avoid letting their guards down and maintain situational awareness, even within these historically safe spaces.
“Our community should be aware at all times that no matter what community you’re going to be a part of, no matter what age cohort you’re in, there are always going to be people who absolutely do not have good intentions,” Downey said. “There are people who perceive our community as weak, our community as folks who can be preyed upon, and they will use that to their advantage.”
In addition to these incidents, the NYPD has confirmed that it is investigating similar crimes that have victimized bar patronswho do not identify as LGBTQ or were visiting venues that are not queer-affiliated. Authorities have also not publicly commented on whether the victims were drugged on the evenings they were victimized. However, three victims of such crimes, including one of The Eagle NYC victims, and family members of three other victims, including Ramirez and Umberger, previously told NBC News they strongly suspect druggings occurred before the thefts.
To avoid being drugged or consuming unsafe substances that can lead to illness or incapacitation, experts shared some prevention methods that officials have been advising for decades: Watch your drink being prepared, do not leave your drink unattended and do not accept drinks or drugs from strangers.
Joseph Palamar, an epidemiologist and associate professor of population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, has spent decades studying drug use in New York City’s nightlife scene. He warned that drinks left unattended can easily be spiked with powdered opioids or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), which can be difficult to detect or taste.
Even if equipped with fentanyl test strips, which are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of the deadly opioid in other substances, Palamar acknowledged that most people are probably not testing their drinks or drugs while they’re out partying. He said it would be more advisable to simply refrain from accepting drinks and drugs from strangers.
“It would be a little awkward testing the person’s drugs in front of them, and I think it would ruin the intimacy of the moment,” Palamar said. “I mean picture it: You’re trying to kiss somebody in a stall and, ‘Oh, hold on! Let me test this bump before you give it to me.’ It’ll be insulting, and there goes the hookup.”
Clubgoers and bar patrons who engage in one-on-one activities with strangers are most vulnerable, he added.
“When you’re off dancing with somebody or kissing somebody or you go to the bathroom with someone to do a bump or to have sex or to do whatever, that is when the risk is much higher to be drugged,” Palamar said. “You can do your thing and run around and hook up, but you need a friend around to notice if you begin acting out of the ordinary.”
Palamar also acknowledged that some clubgoers might go out by themselves, sometimes with the intention of meeting strangers to hook up with. In those scenarios, he and other experts advised making friends or family members aware of your whereabouts before going out.
For those going out solo, Darlene Torres, the director of client services at LGBTQ advocacy group NYC Anti-Violence Project, recommended sharing their phone’s location data — a feature available on most smartphones — with friends or family members. She also recommended they set up check-ins throughout the evening with their loved ones and create a plan should their loved ones not hear from them on evenings they’re going out alone.
“We can’t control people,” Torres said. “We can only really try to give as many tools and safety plans — plan A, plan B, plan C — and to make sure folks have those plans laid out for them before they go out for the night.”
The NYPD has not made any arrests in connection with the incidents at The Eagle NYC or in the cases of Ramirez and Umberger, though the department confirmed all of these incidents are still being investigated. But Downey cautioned that even when those responsible for these victimizations are brought to justice, LGBTQ New Yorkers must continue to be vigilant and practice common nightlife safety measures.
“I would never say, ‘Don’t go out,’ because if we don’t go out, we’re sending a message to people that we’re afraid of them and that we’re not strong enough to come together against these bad actors,” Downey said. “Instead of hiding, what needs to just be increased is our level of situational awareness — and it’s not a time to be complacent.”
President Joe Biden will address the nation soon when he gives the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The ceremonial speech will outline the president’s priorities and the country’s challenges. But what about the LGBTQ+ nation?
LGBTQ Nation spoke with six of the nation’s best and brightest to find out what they saw as the difficulties — and solutions — for the queer community and our struggle for equal rights. In a time of unprecedented challenges, these individuals can shine light in the darkness and show us a way out.
Mondaire Jones knows the best defense queer people have is the ballot
Mondiare Jones. Photos by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, Olivier Doulierty/AFP via Getty Images. Illustration by Kyle Neal for LGBTQ Nation
Former Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY) was first elected in 2020 and is one of the two first-out LGBTQ+ Black members of Congress; he lost his seat in 2022. He co-introduced the Respect for Marriage Act in Congress to ensure same-sex couples continue to have the rights associated with marriage should the Supreme Court overturn the marriage equality case Obergefell v. Hodges.
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Jones helped get former President Donald Trump impeached for a second time after his supporters rioted in the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He pushed for even tougher democratic reforms, including automatic voter registration, public financing of elections, and an end to partisan gerrymandering.
“The crisis of our democracy is the biggest existential threat,” Jones told LGBTQ Nation. “If we do not have a truly representative government, if we do not have a pro-equality majority in both chambers of Congress and the White House, then we are going to continue to see this Supreme Court whittle away at our rights.”
So it’s no surprise that Congressman Jones’s message now is that getting better people elected is the key to moving Congress toward equality.
“We have to continue to build and renew the movement for liberation through organizing at the grassroots level and defeating those who are hostile to the humanity of our community,” Jones said. “My project will be to ensure that Democrats take back the branches of government in 2024.”
How V Spehar is keeping tabs on America from under a desk
V Spehar. Photo provided by V Spehar. Additional photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images. Illustration by Kyle Neal for LGBTQ Nation
Self-described citizen journalist V Spehar says being in the room where it happens reveals the true colors of elected officials and how their personal and political agendas may impact our country’s future.
Spehar, 40, spent the early part of their career in the hospitality industry in New York City, Tampa, and eventually as an event planner with one of Washington D.C.’s most prominent caterers. “People speak so honestly in front of you when they don’t think you’re ‘that’ kind of smart — when they think you’re just a waiter, a bartender, or whatever,” Spehar told LGBTQ Nation. “And so I got to see these people, not just for the policies that they wrote, but for the people that they are, and understanding that who they ate dinner with changed how the world was going to be.”
“You’re not going to get somebody to stop believing their sole mission is to be a protector,” Spehar said, “but you can get them to understand who actually needs protection.”
What does ‘activist-elected official’ Park Cannon foresee in the future for queer rights?
Park Cannon. Photos by Derek White/Getty Images, Paras Griffin/Getty Images. Illustration by Kyle Neal for LGBTQ Nation
In 2016, Park Cannon was Georgia’s youngest elected official in the state legislature at 24 years old. Seven years later, she continues to exhibit an insatiable energy for fighting for equity and standing up for marginalized groups.
In 2021, Cannon became a national name after she was arrested for standing up to S.B. 202, a law that significantly rolled back voting rights for Georgians. Cannon, who is Black, was arrested by a white state trooper for knocking on Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) office door as he signed the bill in a closed-door ceremony. Charges against Cannon were ultimately dropped.
“We will not live in fear and we will not be controlled,” she wrote on Twitter after her arrest. “We have a right to our future and right to our freedom. We will come together and continue fighting white supremacy in all its forms.”
“I know the feeling of coming out in the South and expecting that there would be hate. And there was, but there was also a lot of fun and exploration and resistance that teaches people more than they could ever imagine,” Cannon told LGBTQ Nation. “I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to look at LGBTQ culture as groundbreaking and inclusive and not look at it as anything but that.”
Activist Matt Foreman questions whether we have the leadership and resources needed for full equality
Matt Foreman image provided. Additional photo by Roey Thorpe. Illustration by Kyle Neal for LGBTQ Nation
Matt Foreman has seen it all from the forefront of the struggle for equality. The veteran politico led multiple queer organizations, including the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (now the National LGBTQ Task Force). As someone who has had to do the hard and inglorious work of both soliciting donations and funding campaigns, it’s no surprise he has a decidedly pragmatic view of how the movement can move forward during a challenging time.
“What is urgently and desperately needed is a coordinated, multifaceted campaign to push back against all this horrific legislation that has come down the road and will be coming down the road this year at the state level,” Foreman told LGBTQ Nation.“It’s the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills, the anti-trans bills, the curriculum attacks, book bans, it’s all of that, and right now, our movement at the state level is strapped for resources.”
“I think the number one priority is fighting back in the states and grinding the other side down over time by showing their true nature, which is not about protecting kids, just about hate and demonizing good people. And so because that kind of rhetoric is out there, it becomes accepted wisdom,” Foreman said. “It has an impact on the way people treat queer people. And we’re seeing this rise in the rhetoric now, which isn’t just rhetoric once it influences people to attack us physically, financially, or emotionally. The only way we’re gonna get around that is to take it on, fight back, and expose them for what they are.”
Kelley Robinson is head of the largest LGBTQ+ organization — and she knows our Achilles’ heel
Kelley Robinson. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images, Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Supermajority. Illustration by Kyle Neal for LGBTQ Nation
In November 2022, Kelley Robinson was elected the ninth president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), becoming the first Black queer woman to hold the position in the civil rights group’s 40-year existence. Now she aspires to be the first Black queer woman to spearhead the HRC infundamentally changing the country and its systems of power.
“I come to this work as a Black woman, as a queer person, as a wife, and as a mom,” Robinson told LGBTQ Nation. “And there are so many issues that matter to people in the community because we hold all of these identities, right? You can’t get to liberation without racial justice; you can’t get there without disability rights, immigration justice, climate change, and climate reform.”
When asked about how to prioritize the country’s most urgent issues, Robinson said, “The biggest thing to understand is that we cannot be single-issue. You have to talk about the violence happening in Black trans communities, particularly against Black trans women. At the same time, be able to talk about how it is a disgrace that we are still living with the HIV epidemic in this country. At the same time, also be able to talk about the issues facing folks related to discrimination across this country because of the loopholes created under the guise of ‘religious freedoms.’”
But shifts in voter demographics offer signs of hope. HRC polling estimates that queer voters will make up increasingly large parts of the electorate as Gen Z ages into adulthood. “To take advantage of the demographic shifts, we’ve got to make sure that we’re giving people a meaningful way to engage and fixing the system,” Robinson said, “so that they know that when they vote, it will actually make a difference.”
Taylor Brorby knows anti-queer red America. Here’s his prescription for changing it.
Taylor Brorby. Author photo provided by Taylor Brorby. Additional photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. Illustration by Kyle Neal for LGBTQ Nation
“It’s a time to be nervous. Being nervous is different than being afraid,” Brorby told LGBTQ Nation. “We live in a country that allows the targeting of vulnerable people whose rights aren’t fully enshrined in our governmental documents.”
Brorby suggests that dismantling the rural-urban divide may be one solution to uniting the country despite its geographic differences. “We have to start the conversation by reminding ourselves we’re actually dependent on each other,” Brorby said. “City people value rural people, too. Growing up in North Dakota, we knew rural America enriched everyone’s life, and the goal now shouldn’t be to get everyone to an urban center. It should be possible to have a good life wherever you live. We do not hear each other’s stories. We need ambassadors.”
Teachers at a school district in Florida have been instructed to “cover or store” books in their classroom libraries pending reviews.
In an internal training video, Duval County Public Schools superintendent Diana Greene announced the launch of a formal review of classroom libraries, which generally consist of books either donated or purchased by teachers themselves, to ensure that they are in compliance with Florida legislation passed last summer.
Florida’s House Bill 1467 passed last July and requires books made available through school libraries and classroom libraries to be selected by a certified media specialist.
Under the new law, books must not contain instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in books available to grades K–3; “pornography,” which the district defines using the Merriam Webster dictionary as “the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement; or discrimination in such a way that implies “an individual, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin is inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.”
The law also requires all schools to publish a searchable list of all books in school and classroom libraries, making it easier for parents to challenge books.
“Books not on the district-approved list or not approved by certificated media specialists need to be covered or stored and paused for student use,” Duval’s Chief Academic Officer Paula Renfro says in the video.
According to a Duval County Public Schools release, “The Florida Department of Education has trained all Florida school districts to ‘err on the side of caution’ in determining if a book is developmentally appropriate for student use.”
As WJCT News notes, Duval Schools has already rejected 47 book titles that were ordered in 2021, with an additional 26 titles from the same collection still under review. Jax Todayreports that the books, which included multiple titles with LGBTQ+ characters and families as well as books about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, are described by the distributor as featuring “diverse, inclusive” stories.
Across the country, recently instituted school and public library book bans have disproportionately targeted books by non-white authors and those featuring LGBTQ+ characters and stories.
Duval County Schools has previously made headlines for the district’s efforts to comply with Florida’s recently enacted anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including the Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly referred to as “Don’t Say Gay.”
Student athletes in Florida could be forced to turn in information about their menstrual history after an athletics association’s medical panel doubled down on its recommendation.
The move comes after a suggestion that the association’s board adopt a national sports registration form – which makes menstrual information mandatory.
Questions listed on the form include asking if players have had a period, when they first got their period, the date of their most recent one was and the regularity of their cycle during the previous 12 months.
Notably, the main difference between the national form and Florida’s system, as the Palm Beach Post reports, is where the information is stored.
The national form states that the part detailing athletes’ medical history – including their menstrual history – should not be turned into schools but remain with their physician.
However, the FHSAA’s sports medicine committee recommended that all pages of the form be handed over to their schools.
The committee argues that school staff need all the information they can get on their athletes, in case of a medical emergency.
The committee’s recommendation now goes to the FHSAA’s board of directors, which is due to meet at the end of next month.
The questions could pose legal consequences
The questions and the recommendation about where the information will go has come under fire from parents, medical professionals and abortion rights campaigners in recent weeks and months.
Such information could thus be used by courts to convict students if they have an abortion after the 15-week limit.
Parents have also spoken out against the risk of children’s medical information being leaked or stolen in the event of a data breach.
As the Palm Beach Post reported, huge swathes of student athletes’ registration forms have already been moved online and are stored by a third party.
Dr. Michael Haller, a paediatric endocrinologist based in Florida city of Gainesville, said: “I don’t see why [school districts] need access to that type of information. It sure as hell will give me pause to fill it out with my kid.”
A trans woman in Xenia, Ohio, is facing three counts of public indecency for using her local women’s YMCA changing room, despite having permission to do so and breaking no laws.
Rachel Glines, 31, will attend court on 6 February after charges were brought against her following complaints filed by YMCA members on several occasions in 2021 and 2022.
Local TV station WHIO-7 reported that the charges stem from three or more complaints made by YMCA users who “reported seeing a naked male in the female’s locker room”. Glines is yet to have gender-affirming surgery.
Included is a complaint filed in November, when a mother-of-two told local police there was a trans woman using the women’s changing room.
She claimed that the woman was – as many usually are in such situations – “completely exposed to the rest of the locker room area”, local TV station WKEF reported.
YMCA of Greater Dayton told WHIO-7 that it would comply with legal mandates while endeavouring to protect the privacy of its members.
It said: “Under no circumstance will we investigate an individual’s birth identity and then assign individuals to locker rooms.
“That would be counter to the law, counter to respect for all people and it is not who or what we are as an organisation.”
Experts have called the case “unique” and said it will be “difficult” to convict the trans woman because no laws were broken.
Last month, Xenia City Council president Will Urschel told citizens: “I encourage you with your families to just let people be aware of what’s going on with the restroom there.”
But a spokesperson for the council informed PinkNews: “Comments made by the individual council member… were his own and were not authorised by or on the behalf of the rest of the city council, the mayor, the city manager or the law director.
“Despite what has been reported, the law department has no plan or intention of bringing charges against the YMCA as the required level of culpability is not met, based on the facts as presented,” the spokesperson went on and insisted that neither the city council nor any member of the council had any part in filing the charges.
YMCA says trans women can use women’s spaces
Thaddeus Hoffmeister, professor of law at the University of Dayton, told WKEF: “It’s going to be difficult to convict this person of public indecency. My understanding is that the YMCA granted this person permission.
“They identify as a woman, they went into the women’s bathroom. YMCA says trans individuals could go to the bathroom they identify in. I don’t see them breaking the law.”
He added: “Some states have gone so far as to say, you must use the bathroom or locker room that is for your birth and what gender you were recognised at birth. Now that’s different, if a state passes that law. Ohio hasn’t passed that law.”
LGBTQ+ advocates have said the case is increasing discrimination in Ohio.
Karen Shirk, president of PFLAG Dayton, an LGBTQ+ organisation supporting Glines, informed the station: “Nobody knows what really happened in this case, and what the reality is.
“We do know it has increased hate and increased discrimination, and suppressed love and care and acceptance.”
PFLAG remains hopeful that the Xenia community will come together and fight injustice.
Shirk added: “I love Xenia because in all of the times I’ve been there, [it’s] been a community that supports one another. Even this person they’re talking about has family, has friends, that live in our community.”
PinkNews has contacted YMCA of Greater Dayton for comment.
It can often feel like joy and optimism went on sabbatical around 2015 and have yet to reappear. Counter that despair with the Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, a young organization building community and mobilizing resources for underrepresented artists. Since its founding in 2019 by Jordyn Jay, the grassroots organization has raised over a million dollars to support Black trans artists. Members of the collective have appeared on HBO Max’s Legendary, staged exhibitions at Los Angeles’s Armand Hammer Museum, and performed on Broadway.
Jay says their organization is necessary because disparities of funding and safe spaces, and the general inaccessibility of art education, contribute to a lack of representation for Black trans women in the arts.
Jay states that, “Today, BTFA addresses all of those concerns by providing funding for projects led by Black trans femmes artists via BTFA Productions, providing artists with free studio space in New York City at BTFA Studios, creating programming for Black trans femmes to support their development as artists, businesspeople, and individuals, and connecting Black trans femmes to the resources needed to survive and thrive.”
Black trans femmes have contributed so much to American (and world) culture and BTFA’s ultimate goal is to allow these women to “take ownership of their cultural production” and continue to create without limitations.
Find out more about BTFA, and contribute to their cause, at btfacollective.org.
