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Which state is the most closeted in the US?

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A new study from a market research firm in Austin, Texas reveals where in the U.S. the most people are questioning their sexuality. The unlikely answer is ruby red, religiously conservative Utah, a finding that earns the Mormon enclave the title “most closeted” among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This year, the state has become an epicenter of Republican-fueled anti-LGBTQ+ vitriol.  “The evolution of social attitudes around sexual orientation and gender identity over the last two decades has been profound,” Cultural Currents Institute writes in a memo accompanying the study, which examined Google Trends data from 2004 to […]

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Ron DeSantis’ campaign to bring more shame upon Florida scores new victory

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has earned his state a rare reprimand from the leading civil rights organization, NAACP. It took the unusual step of issuing a warning to Black people thinking of visiting the sunshine state. The move comes after DeSantis signed a law last week that prohibits colleges from using public funding for anything relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. This follows the Florida Department of Education earlier this year rejecting an Advanced Placement (AP) African-American studies course. It’s understood the board objected to a ‘queer studies’ component to the course. DeSantis also signed off the Stop WOKE Act. […]

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HRC boots Anheuser-Busch from its top LGBTQ+ employer rating after bad Dylan Mulvaney response

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The LGBTQ+ organization Human Rights Campaign (HRC) kicked Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch off the top of its corporate equality index (CEI), citing the company’s tepid response to the Dylan Mulvaney backlash. “When we saw the company working with Dylan, that was a good sign. It was a sign of inclusion,” HRC senior vice president of programs, research, and training Jay Brown told CNN. “What we were really disturbed by was the company’s reaction once the backlash started happening.” There are approximately 3 million Dashers who are the public face and main workforce of DoorDash who are not considered in the […]

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Target Removes Some LGBTQ Merchandise From Stores Ahead Of June Pride Month

Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers. “Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” Target said in a statement Tuesday. ”Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.” Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that […]

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Tennessee Adds Three More Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws to Its Books

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed three more anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law Wednesday, maintaining the state’s status as the leader in that regard. Lee, a Republican, signed House Bill 239/Senate Bill 1440, which “defines ‘sex’ as a person’s immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth,” according to a summary of the legislation on the state website. The Human Rights Campaign calls this “LGBTQ+ Erasure” and says it will have the effect of excluding LGBTQ+ people from state antidiscrimination laws and enabling discrimination against transgender people in rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, restrooms, locker rooms, and more. […]

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Bisexual People Have Worse Health Outcomes Than LGTQ+ People — Why?

Recently coming off of Bi+ Health Awareness Month, annually in March, we’ve been pointed to our Bi+ population who not only contend with the challenges commonly experienced by their LGTQ+ peers, but also must overcome a host of obstacles specific to their community. There has been immense progress in LGBTQ+ equality over the previous decades, yet too many Bi+ community members continue to suffer under the yoke of age-old prejudices. While these 31 days are designated to focus on complications confronting and negatively impacting Bi+ people, as well as creating awareness around better meeting the population’s needs, our efforts to stand […]

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U.S. progress in HIV fight continues to trail many other rich nations

New HIV infections continue to ebb only modestly in the United States, while many other wealthy Western nations have posted steep reductions, thanks to more successful efforts overseas to promptly diagnose and treat the virus and promote the HIV prevention pill, PrEP. In a new HIV surveillance report published Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that new HIV transmissions declined by 12% nationally between 2017 and 2021, from 36,500 to 32,100 cases. By comparison, according to estimates by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, between 2015 and 2021, the annual infection rate plunged by more than 70% in the Netherlands, […]

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Mexico unveils new non-binary passport: ‘Diversity enriches and flourishes’

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In a win for diversity, Mexico has finally begun allowing its citizens to legally identify as their true selves after issuing the country’s first non-binary passport. Foreign minister Marcelo Ebrared confirmed on Wednesday (17 May) that the Mexican government had issued the first passport with a non-binary gender marker, calling it a “great leap” for freedom of expression. On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) no less, Mexican activist Ociel Baena received their passport during a ceremony held by government officials, including transgender federal lawmaker Salma Luévano. “We endorse our support for sexual diversity,” the foreign minister wrote […]

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Activists say life for LGBTQ+ Afghans has become unbearable under Taliban rule

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On May 4th, 2022, Sultan Popal*, a 32-year-old gay Afghan man became a victim of a string of violent attacks against the country’s LGBTQ+ community. He was taken to a guest house by the Taliban where he was beaten and raped until the early hours of the morning. When he managed to escape, he called his friend, another gay man, who urged him to come to his house in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. For the next two months, Popal stayed hidden at his friend’s home, where he had to take strict measures so that he couldn’t be traced by the […]

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Here’s how to protect yourself and stay safe from mpox this summer

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As mpox cases start to rise again in some key areas, experts are urging queer people to remain vigilant and get vaccinated. Mpox cases are down significantly since the epidemic reached its peak in the summer of 2022. The shift prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare that the outbreak was no longer a public health emergency on 11 May – but that doesn’t mean the virus has disappeared. The WHO is now warning that mpox cases could rise again during the summer months as queer people congregate for Pride festivals and other gatherings. “[Mpox] still is circulating, it still is […]

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