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Lesbian says she was passed over for Starbucks promotion because she’s “gay” & “looks like a boy”

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Just months after coffee colossus Starbucks was accused of erasing Pride from store locations across the country, the company is being sued by a lesbian and gender non-conforming employee who claims she was passed over for promotion because she is “gay” and “looks like a boy.” Jahmelia “Jay” Peters is suing Starbucks, claiming the company denied her a promotion at a White Plains, New York store despite previous experience in the role due to her sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression.  One store manager allegedly threw out Pride decorations rather than display them. The store manager promoted a woman he […]

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LGBTQ+ activists sue Florida over ‘relentless’ trans bathroom ban

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A group of trans and non-binary activists have filed legal claims against Florida’s bathroom ban in an effort to brand it “unconstitutional.” The Center for Constitutional Rights announced on Friday (29 September) that Six activists and a feminist group had, with help from legal counsel, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against Florida’s bathroom ban. If passed, the restraining order would allow plaintiffs and other members of the community to use the bathroom while protesting against transphobia at the National March to Protect Trans Youth in Orlando on 7 October. Trans woman and member of the organisation Women […]

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Fake HIV medication “kingpin” pled guilty. He could be going to prison for years.

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The second of two Florida men identified as the “kingpins” in a massive scheme to supply counterfeit HIV medication to U.S. pharmacies, suppliers, and patients has pleaded guilty. Armando Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce adulterated and misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, the Department of Justice announced earlier this week. The scheme was to find discarded HIV pill bottles, fill them with fake meds, and reseal them before selling them to unsuspecting victims. According to the DOJ, Herrera and his co-conspirator, Lazaro Roberto Hernandez, set up companies in Florida, Texas, Washington, and California, which they used to primarily […]

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3 anti-LGBTQ+ groups are behind 86% of all book bans across the U.S.

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Approximately 86% of all book bans across the nation have occurred in school districts with a local chapter of one of three anti-LGBTQ+ groups: Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF), and Parents’ Rights in Education, according to a new report from the free speech organization PEN America.  According to their report, the groups have used a variety of tactics, including the promotion of state laws and rhetoric against so-called “sexually explicit,” “harmful,” and “age-inappropriate” “porn in schools”; the taking over school boards; the enlisting of parents to threaten public pressure or civic penalties against school boards, educators, and librarians; and […]

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Michigan Supreme Court says state judges must respect pronouns in court

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In a 5-2 vote, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that all judges in the state must respect the pronouns of the parties that come before their court. The rule will be implemented beginning on January 1. While it prevents judges from disrespecting a person’s pronouns, it does allow them to refer to a party as “attorney” or “plaintiff” along with their last name should they want to avoid pronouns altogether.  “Courts must use the individual’s name, the designated salutation or personal pronouns, or other respectful means that is not inconsistent with the individual’s designated salutation or personal pronouns,” the decision stated.  […]

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Vivek Ramaswamy describes being transgender as a ‘mental health disorder’

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US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has caused uproar among the public after describing being transgender as a “mental health disorder.” The comment, which came during Wednesday night’s (27 September) second GOP debate, completely disregards official guidance from all major medical and mental health associations. As transphobic rhetoric continues to sweep across the United States, it was likely that the topic of LGBTQ+ rights was going to crop up at some point during the presidential election run, but those tuned into the debate were disgusted to hear the Republican candidate’s views. Candidates were asked their opinions on the contentious parental rights debate, which has seen a […]

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Tennessee & Kentucky bans on gender-affirming care for minors upheld by appeals court

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Both Tennessee and Kentucky have been given the go-ahead by a federal appeals court to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors. Earlier in 2023, both states passed legislation to restrict a number of rights for transgender youth, including access to gender-affirming care. Both were challenged in court by the families of transgender children in each state and the American Civil Liberties Union, who had argued that bans on gender-affirming care discriminated on the basis of sex. Trial court judges initially blocked both the Tennessee and Kentucky ban, but the 6th Circuit court ruled in July that Tennessee’s ban would be permitted to take effect while it considered […]

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Uganda’s anti-gay law causing wave of rights abuses, activists say

The consideration and passage by Uganda’s government of one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws have unleashed a torrent of abuse against LGBTQ people, mostly committed by private individuals, rights groups said on Thursday. The Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), which was enacted in May, prescribes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts. At least six people have been charged under it, including two accused of the capital offense of “aggravated homosexuality”. But the report, authored by a committee of the Convening for Equality (CFE) coalition, said the main perpetrators of human rights abuses against LGBTQ people this year — including torture, rape, arrest […]

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UN refugee agency slams Braverman’s LGBTQ+ asylum comments

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has hit back at UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s highly controversial comments on the international asylum system. Braverman faced heavy backlash this week when she publicly criticised the 1951 refugee convention, claiming it was no longer fit for purpose. Elsewhere in her speech, given at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC, Braverman claimed that being discriminated against for being LGBTQ+ or a woman is not enough of a reason to qualify for asylum. “Let me be clear, there are vast swathes of the world where it is extremely difficult to be gay, or to be a woman,” […]

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UK Official: Being LGBTQ Is Not Grounds For Asylum

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EuroNews reports: Suella Braverman questioned the United Nations Refugee Convention in a speech in Washington, arguing that “simply being gay, or a woman” should not be by itself grounds for international protection. The British government has made the fight against illegal immigration a priority. With a general election due next year, which the opposition party Labour is widely tipped to win, the ruling Conservatives’ stance against asylum seekers is becoming increasingly hardline. Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute, the UK home secretary questioned the role of the 1951 Geneva Convention, which defines refugee status. In 12 countries around the world, people […]

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