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Advocacy Groups Warn White House of Risks to LGBTQ+ Refugee in Potential Asylum Policy Overhaul

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A coalition of key LGBTQ+ and immigrants’ rights groups has come forward with a strong condemnation of potential revisions to the United States asylum system. In a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and members of Congress, organizations including Immigration Equality, the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, and Lambda Legalhave outlined severe concerns regarding the implications of these changes for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. It comes at a critical juncture, just days after the Biden administration indicated its willingness to consider significant changes to the U.S. asylum and immigration system. Last Tuesday, reports emerged that the administration, in discussions with Congress, was […]

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Pendulum swings towards tighter measures against transgender athletes

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard’s appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Games as the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics received mixed reviews in one of the most contentious areas in sport. In the end, Hubbard retired after an inauspicious performance in Tokyo where she failed to record a valid lift. Fast forward to 2023 and she would find herself ineligible for next year’s Paris Games after the International Weightlifting Federation tightened its eligibility rules. Heading into 2024, there has been a seismic shift in the sporting landscape for trans athletes with the pendulum swinging back towards tighter […]

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Trans LGBTQ+ activist shot dead in Baltimore remembered as ‘incredible person’

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Trans woman Meghan Riley Lewis, who was shot dead in Bel Air, has been remembered as an “incredible person”.  On Wednesday (27 December), Lewis, who was a mum-of-two, was shot and killed in the parking lot of her apartment complex.  Brian Delen, 47, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and firearms charges in relation to the incident. He is currently being held without bond. Bel Air Police said Delen was delivering food at around 6.30pm to the English Country Manor neighbourhood when he got into an argument with Lewis that turned physical. Dylan pulled out a gun […]

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Equal parentage laws have never existed. But queer parents always have.

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LGBTQ+ parents have existed for as long as LGBTQ+ people have been around. That is to say, forever.  We haven’t been visible until recent decades and haven’t had any rights until recent years, but we have been here. We have been able to have biological children as bisexual and transgender parents, as well as lesbian and gay parents (from various situations, including relationships before coming out). Before there were any legal rights, we’ve had step-children and children in different configurations of chosen family. And now, we can legally adopt and foster in every state.  But it’s been a long road […]

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For transgender youth in crisis, hospitals sometimes compound the trauma

Four days of waiting under the flickering fluorescent lights of UNC Hospitals’ emergency room left Callum Bradford desperate for an answer to one key question. The transgender teen from Chapel Hill needed mental health care after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was about to be transferred to another hospital because the UNC system was short on beds. With knots in his stomach, he asked, “Will I be placed in a girls’ unit?” Yes, he would. The answer provoked one of the worst anxiety attacks he had ever experienced. Sobbing into the hospital phone, he informed his parents, who fought for days to […]

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24 New Year’s Resolutions for 2024 to Support Your LGBTQ+ Loved Ones & Friends

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months ahead. In a world where the fight for equality and acceptance continues, one crucial area that demands our attention is the rights and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. With more than 71 percent support for marriage equalityand more than 7.2 percent of American adults identifying as LGBTQ+, according to Gallup, the journey towards a more inclusive society is ongoing, and each of us holds the power to contribute to this crucial cause. New Year’s resolutions often focus on personal growth and improvement, but they can also be a powerful tool for social change, especially in championing LGBTQ+ rights. This community, diverse in its nature, […]

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Idaho cannot enforce gender-affirming care ban, judge rules

A federal judge declined Tuesday to pause litigation challenging Alabama’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors as similar cases wind upward toward the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke said no to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice to put the Alabama case on hold until appellate courts decide if they will hear related petitions on whether states can enact such bans. The Justice Department asked for the stay because, “this exceptional legal landscape is quickly evolving.” Burke wrote that the case will move forward for now. He said a stay might be appropriate later if […]

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Idaho cannot enforce gender-affirming care ban, judge rules

Idaho cannot enforce a law banning gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors, a federal judge ruled, a victory for families who had sued the state challenging the law. In a preliminary order on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Boise wrote that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process give parents the right to get gender-affirming care for their children. “Transgender children should receive equal treatment under the law,” Winmill, who was appointed by Democratic former President Bill Clinton, wrote. “Parents should have the right to make the […]

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Judge blocks most of an Iowa law banning some school library books and discussion of LGBTQ+ issues

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked key parts of an Iowa law that bans some books from school libraries and forbids teachers from raising LGBTQ+ issues. Judge Stephen Locher’s preliminary injunction halts enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect Jan. 1 but already had resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from Iowa schools. The law, which the Republican-led Legislature and GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds approved early in 2023, bans books depicting sex acts from school libraries and classrooms and forbids teachers from raising gender identity and sexual orientation issues with students through the sixth grade. Locher […]

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Prosperity Evangelist T.D. Jakes Denies Gay Sex Claims

The Christian Post reports: Days after denouncing an unverified report casting innuendo about his sexuality and accusing him of being a frequent participant at sex parties hosted by Sean Combs, popularly known as Diddy, televangelist T.D. Jakes called his accusers “liars” on Sunday and noted that even “if everything was true, all I got to do is repent sincerely from my heart.” Jakes, who leads a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, directly addressed his congregation for the first time on Christmas Eve and urged them not to worry about him because “I’m good.” The unnamed source claims, “I’m told that multiple male escorts […]

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