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Illinois Becomes First State to Ban Book Bans

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Illinois has become the first state to enact what’s being called a ban on book bans. House Bill 2789, signed into law Monday by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, will deny state funding to public libraries that ban materials because of “partisan or doctrinal disapproval” of the content. “We are not saying that every book should be in every single library,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, according to the Associated Press. “What this law does is it says, let’s trust our experience and education of our librarians to decide what books should be in circulation.” Giannoulias, who also holds the post of […]

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American Medical Association Strengthens Support for Gender-Affirming Care

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The American Medical Association has strengthened its position supporting the care for all transgender and gender-diverse people. The AMA’s House of Delegates, holding its annual meeting in Chicago, voted Monday to pass the Endocrine Society’s resolution on protecting access to gender-affirming care, according to an Endocrine Society press release. In the resolution, the AMA committed to opposing any criminal and legal penalties against patients seeking gender-affirming care, family members or guardians who support them in seeking medical care, and health care facilities and clinicians providing it. The AMA promised to work with federal and state legislators and regulators to oppose policies restricting access […]

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Extreme right-wing physicians’ group behind anti-trans laws

The American College of Pediatricians, a small, right-wing extremist group of physicians who for two decades has struggled to gain traction finds itself for the first time with more power than it has ever had as the far-right takes greater hold on America. But along with their new-found power comes a deep dive into at least 15 years worth of their internal documents, the result of the group reportedly publishing a link to its own unsecured Google drive in April, which WIRED uncovered and reported on back in May. The Washington Post combed through 10,000 of the group’s documents, and on Thursday publishing its […]

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For China’s LGBTQ community, safe spaces are becoming harder to find

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 The space for China’s LGBTQ community just got even smaller. Founded in 2008, the Beijing LGBT Center had played a prominent role in combating prejudice against sexual and gender minorities in China. On May 15, four days after its 15th anniversary and two days before the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the center said on its official WeChat account that it was closing because of “force majeure,” which in China often refers to being shut down by the government. “We were all shocked by the news,” said Marry Yang, a volunteer at the center. “It’s quite sudden. Most people don’t know […]

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Queer teenager killed in Israel after death threats from family members for being LGBTQ+

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Sarit Ahmed, an 18-year-old queer Druze woman, died after being shot multiple times while sitting in her car in Northern Israel, in a killing allegedly motivated by her sexual orientation.  Ahmed was found lying in the street near Yarka, with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body on Friday (9 June), according to Israeli emergency services. After being taken to Galilee Medical Centre in Israel’s Northern District, Ahmed was pronounced dead.  The 18-year-old had previously received death threats from her brothers due to her queer identity. In 2020, Ahmed filed a complaint against two of her brothers, claiming they had made explicit […]

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Most Americans OK Discussing Gender and Sexuality in Schools: Survey

Most Americans say that lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation should be discussed in schools, according to a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute. Of 5,000 adults surveyed, 65 percent agreed that it was appropriate to discuss the idea that someone may seek out romantic relationships with a person of the same sex in the classroom. However, it depended on the grades. Only 8 percent said it was appropriate to talk about in elementary school, 24 percent said it was for middle school, and 19 percent for high school.  Just 34 percent said that it is “never appropriate” to […]

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IGLTA Launches Global Accreditation Program for Hotels to Demonstrate Their Allyship Through Action

IGLTA, the world’s leading LGBTQ+ travel association, is proud to announce the global launch of a groundbreaking initiative to support full equality within the travel industry: IGLTA Accredited™. Following a soft launch within IGLTA’s network, IGLTA Accredited™ has opened applications to hotels and accommodations worldwide, with anticipation of rapidly building momentum as travel organizations globally seek to champion LGBTQ+ inclusivity. IGLTA Accredited™ sets the standard as an independent quality assurance process, providing concrete evidence that participating hotels genuinely welcome LGBTQ+ guests through their actions, not just empty words. To obtain accreditation, hotels must successfully document fulfillment of eight criteria, showcasing […]

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How major brands were forced into the conservative plan to target LGBTQ people

Bud Light and Target were not always political punching bags. But both companies have been drawn into the center of a long-brewing conservative battle after the brands released campaigns supporting or featuring LGBTQ people. Target announced Tuesday it was pulling some LGBTQ-themed items from stores following what a company spokesperson described as “threats” to employees over this year’s line of Pride Month merchandise. In interviews, Target customers and employees at stores in North Carolina and Texas said the company moved Pride collections away from the front of the store.  Bud Light, meanwhile, drew backlash from right-wing commentators after partnering with the transgender influencer Dylan […]

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Arizona Gov Vetoes Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill

The Arizona Republic reports: Arizona won’t be the latest state to limit students from using restrooms that fit their gender identity after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs on Thursday vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have put legal requirements on public school bathrooms. Senate Bill 1040 is “yet another discriminatory act against LGBTQ+ youth passed by the majority at the state Legislature,” Hobbs wrote in her veto letter, referencing words she’d used when vetoing a prior bill that restricted what pronouns were allowed in schools: “I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children.”

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Dem Louisiana Gov: I Will Veto Every Anti-LGBTQ Bill

New Orleans’ CBS affiliate reports: Gov. John Bel Edwards condemned recent legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community in Louisiana, saying he would veto those bills. At a press conference on Thursday, Gov. Edwards compared the recent measures to historical opposition to the Civil Rights Movement. “On those issues, the judgement of history … will be very clear. It will be as clear as the judgement of history has been on those who didn’t want civil rights in the ’50s.” Edwards said. “I’m not going to wait until then to say it’s wrong. My judgement today is those bills are wrong.” HB 466, […]

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