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U.S. proposes rescinding Trump-era expansion of religious exemptions

The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday announced a proposal that would rescind a Trump administration rule that expanded a religious exemption from anti-discrimination laws for federal contractors. The rule, which went into effect in the last days of the administration of President Donald Trump, broadened the exemption to include employers who “hold themselves out to the public as carrying out a religious purpose.” The exemption previously applied to a more narrowly defined set of religious groups. By rescinding the rule, the department will return to policies consistent with those in place during the administrations of President Barack Obama and […]

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After deadliest year on record, yet another trans woman is slain in the US

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Just days after 2021 became the deadliest year on record for anti-trans violence, yet another trans woman, Jenny De Leon, has been slain in the US. De Leon, a 25-year-old with a “bright soul”, was murdered in Tampa, Florida, on 2 November. With her death comes a grim realisation for activists. That 2021 is the deadliest year for fatal violence against trans folk since national record-keeping began – and with six weeks of the year left, the figure will only continue to climb, they warn. The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT+ campaign group that has documented trans killings since 2013, says […]

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LGBTQ American Indians report high levels of depression and abuse, study finds

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) adults have higher levels of mental health issues, physical abuse and economic instability than their non-LGBTQ peers, according to a new report.  The study, released last month by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law in advance of Native American Heritage Month in November, found 42 percent of AIAN LGBTQ adults have been diagnosed with depression, compared to less than a quarter of non-LGBTQ Native people and just 6.7 percent of the general U.S. population.  AIAN LGBTQ adults, particularly women, are also more likely to engage in high-risk health behaviors, […]

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Gender-neutral pronouns are a feminist icon that help boost women and LGBT+ people

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Using gender-neutral pronouns makes people more positive towards women and LGBT+ people and less biased towards men, scientists say. Three experiments were carried out to determine the effects of using gender-neutral pronouns on people’s perception’s of women and LGBT+ people. The results show that “individual use of gender-neutral pronouns reduces the mental salience of males.” “This shift is associated with people expressing less bias in favour of traditional gender roles and categories, as manifested in more positive attitudes toward women and LGBT individuals in public affairs,” the research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), says. Efrén Pérez, […]

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Gay Navy veteran’s widower fights for benefits in historic appeal

Navy veteran Rhett Chalk was rendered quadriplegic on Thanksgiving Day in 2003 after his knee — which he severely impaired while serving in Vietnam — gave out, causing him to suffer a life-changing spinal injury. At the time, Chalk had been with his partner, Lawrence Vilord, for roughly 26 years. However, Vilord was barred from riding alongside Chalk in the ambulance or from consulting with his doctors because he was not his legal spouse or family member.  But that day, Vilord became the one who would care for Chalk until the veteran died in June 2020. “Practically every night when […]

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Australia Moves Closer to Ending Harmful Intersex Surgeries

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The Australian Human Rights Commission issued a report today analyzing the persistent practice of medically unnecessary non-consensual surgeries on children born with variations in their sex characteristics. The commission urged authorities to protect children’s rights to informed consent, and to legally regulate the operations. Around the world since the 1950s, people born with variations in their sex characteristics, sometimes called “intersex,” have been subjected to harmful medically unnecessary “normalizing” surgeries. Surgeons popularized these cosmetic surgeries on infants to remove gonads, reduce the size of the clitoris, or increase the size of the vagina. But these procedures are not designed to treat a medical problem, and […]

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13 LGBTQ royals you didn’t learn about in history class

The Dutch monarchy made international news last week after announcing that royals can marry a same-sex partner without giving up their right to the throne. But while the Netherlands, which in 2001 became the first country to legalize gay marriage, has paved the wave for a queer royal to officially wear the crown, LGBTQ people have long been doing so unofficially.  While it’s difficult to assign modern labels to figures from the past, there were notable leaders from centuries — even millennia — ago, who crossed sexual and gender boundaries. Some were celebrated by their subjects, others vilified.  In light of the Dutch monarchy’s […]

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One in four queer young people use gender neutral pronouns like they/them

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One in four LGBT+ youth use pronouns other than he/him and she/her, according to research by a leading charity. The study indicates that LGBT+ young people are increasingly finding different ways to express their gender identities and that many are opting for a mix of pronouns. The survey, conducted by The Trevor Project, found that 75 per cent of LGBT+ young people exclusively use either he/him or she/her pronouns. Meanwhile, 25 per cent use gender neutral pronouns such as they/them, either exclusively or as a combination with other pronouns. The research found that almost two thirds of LGBT+ youth who use pronouns […]

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Boys and non-binary student ‘suspended from school for having long hair’ sue school district

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Six boys and one non-binary student are suing a Texas school district after they were reportedly handed suspensions for having long hair. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas filed a lawsuit last week against the Magnolia Independent School District on behalf of the students, aged between seven and 17. According to the ACLU, the district has been “engaging in explicit gender discrimination” by enforcing sex-specific dress and grooming rules for students, and “harshly punishing” them if they do not comply. The Magnolia ISD handbook states that hair must “be no longer than the bottom of a dress shirt collar, bottom of the […]

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‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal serves as a guide for enacting equality legislation

Equality legislation is close to passing in Congress, but close isn’t good enough. “Close” won’t change anything for the LGBTQ Americans who face discrimination every day. Senate Democrats and Republicans must make a push to negotiate. With a reach on both sides to find common ground, we can move equality legislation from “close” to “done deal.” Some Democrats are waiting for the filibuster to end—despite clear evidence that they lack the votes to end it. Some Republicans are practicing a tried-and-true brand of obstructionism. To break this deadlock, we should look to the successful, bipartisan repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t […]

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