“We’re moving them back from Washington, where you have people that don’t care about New York, frankly. You know, in Washington, I don’t know if you ever noticed that you got Department of Education, Department of Education. You got half the buildings are Department of Education.
“I never saw – you don’t need any of them. You know, I want one person and the secretary to just make sure they’re teaching English. Okay. Give a little English. Okay. I say reading, writing, and arithmetic. No transgender, no operations.
“You know they take your kid. There are some places your boy leaves the school, comes back a girl. Okay. Without parental consent. What is that all about? That’s like. When they talk about a threat to democracy, they’re a threat.
“Could you imagine without parental consent? At first, what I was told that was actually happening, I said, you know, it’s an exaggeration. No. It happens! It happens in areas where it happens. We’re not going to let it happen, but we are going to straighten out a lot.
“What we’re going to really do, though, is give you a lot of jobs and a great economy, and you’re going to be able to straighten yourselves out.” – Trump, responding to a Bronx father this morning on Fox & Friends.
Convicted killer Daqua Lameek Ritter was sentenced to life in prison following a guilty verdict in the death of Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe, a 24-year-old Black transgender South Carolina woman who Ritter was in a relationship with.
Ritter is the first individual to be tried and convicted for a hate crime motivated by gender identity under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.
In 2019, Ritter’s relationship with Doe was discovered by his girlfriend, which prosecutors said motivated him to take Doe’s life. Prosecutors said Ritter, in a fit of rage fueled by the news their relationship spreading among friends, lured Doe to an isolated location and shot her three times in the head.
“We want the Black trans community to know that you are seen and heard, that we stand with the LGBTQI+ community and that we will use every tool available to seek justice for victims and their families,” Clarke said in a departmental statement.
“Every day is a struggle,” Doe’s mother, Debra Saab, said at Ritter’s sentencing. “He shouldn’t get to see the light of day.”
A jury found Ritter guilty on all charges in February for what Clarke called the “heinous and tragic murder” of Doe.
“His crime was motivated by his anger at being mocked for having a sexual relationship with a transgender woman,” prosecutors wrote in court documents introduced during trial. Ritter’s girlfriend called him an anti-gay slur, they believe, which made him “extremely upset.”
Prosecutors said Ritter lied to police about his whereabouts at the time of the killing and got people to help him burn his clothes and hide his weapon as he fled South Carolina for New York.
Video of a traffic stop placed Ritter in Doe’s car just hours before she was killed, along with DNA evidence. Several witnesses said Ritter told them that he killed her.
“He was afraid, shooken up” when he confessed to killing Doe, Ritter’s cousin said during the trial. The cousin said that Ritter asked him to keep the murder a secret and was mad that Doe wouldn’t delete a picture of him from her phone.
A friend of Ritter’s, present when he was burning his clothes after the murder, testified Ritter said, “Nobody gonna have to worry about [Doe] anymore.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 27 transgender people have been killed so far in 2024 — 48% were Black transgender women, and 63% were killed with a gun.
Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently defended trans people and slammed Republicans for “demonizing” them. Vice President Kamala Harris has responded by saying she would continue to enforce federal laws protecting trans people from discrimination.
However, two congressional candidates have recently released ads responding more negatively to anti-trans attacks against them. Senate candidate Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) released an ad saying, “I don’t want boys playing girls’ sports.” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also released an ad saying that policies on trans athletes should be made by sports’ governing bodies.
Vote in the poll below this week, and we’ll share the results on Friday.
In video shared by Fox News on Monday, Donald Trump again claimed schools around the country are “taking” kids and performing “operations” on them.
“There are some places your boy leaves the school, comes back a girl,” Trump insisted without proof.
“Okay? Without parental consent. What is that all about? That’s like — when they talk about a threat to democracy, they’re a threat,” Trump continued, apparently referring to his Democratic opponent and clearly rattled that her message about his authoritarian nature and cognitive decline are taking hold.
In a rambling answer to a Bronx dad at what the New York Post described as a “surprise” visit to a barbershop packed with Black men who support Trump, the former president, slumped in a barber chair, held forth incoherently on his solution for problems at America’s schools: stopping teachers and administrators from transitioning kids.
All of this was in response to the dad’s question about how Trump would help Bronx public schools perform better – the dad didn’t mention trans kids at all.
“Could you imagine without parental consent? At first, what I was told that was actually happening, I said, you know, it’s an exaggeration. No. It happens! It happens in areas where it happens. We’re not going to let it happen, but we are going to straighten out a lot,” Trump said, untethered from the facts or syntax.
Trump also added his stock answer of all but eliminating the Department of Education, claiming he’d abolish every job at the Cabinet-level agency save the head of the department and a secretary for the Secretary.
“We’re moving them back from Washington, where you have people that don’t care about New York, frankly,” Trump told his Bronx questioner. “You know, in Washington, I don’t know if you ever noticed that you got Department of Education, Department of Education. You got half the buildings are Department of Education.”
“I never saw – you don’t need any of them. You know, I want one person and a secretary to just make sure they’re teaching English. Okay. Give a little English,” he said. “Okay? I say reading, writing, and arithmetic. No transgender, no operations.”
The sputtering appearance was just one in a week marked by the Republican nominee’s deteriorating campaign performances. Earlier in the week, Trump swayed to his Spotify playlist at a rally in Pennsylvania for close to 40 minutes, gesturing along to favorites like “Ave Maria” and “Memory” from Cats. On Sunday, Trump donned a Dukakis-worthy hat and McDonald’s apron to work the frier and hand out free orders to fake drive-thru customers at a closed restaurant location. At a rally in Detroit, an 18-minute microphone malfunction left the 78-year-old fuming and wandering the stage.
The faux “surprise” visit at Knockout Barber in The Bronx Thursday — hosted spontaneously if you believe the campaign’s claim by “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones — had “customers” waiting in the shop during a security lockdown from 9:30 in the morning until Trump staggered in at 4 p.m.
Adding to the surreality at the barbershop: a clip reveals one barber shearing the neckline of a stand-in customer for thirty seconds, but not cutting his hair at all, one more clue to the staged nature of the supposedly spontaneous campaign stop.
In June, the Trump campaign tricked the owner of a Black barbershop in Georgia into hosting what he said they characterized as a small business roundtable, not a Trump campaign event.
“You guys are the same as me,” the slumped billionaire candidate told his Bronx barbershop fans. “We were born the same way… I know you people so well. I know you so well.”
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Hundreds of veterans who were dismissed from the U.S. military under the now-repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy have been given honorable discharges following a yearlong review, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
“Even though the majority of service members discharged for their sexual orientation … were honorably separated, nearly 2,000 were separated with less than fully honorable characterizations,” Christa A. Specht, a legal policy director at the Defense Department, said in a news release Tuesday.
After the repeal, those who were dismissed due to the policy could appeal for an upgrade to an honorable discharge, which would make them eligible for full military benefits. However, Specht noted, many people affected by the policy were unaware they could do so. The “proactive review” sought to address this.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said 851 cases were proactively reviewed over the past year, and 96.8% of them, more than 800, qualified for “relief.”
“Brave LGBTQ+ Americans have long volunteered to serve the country that they love,” Austin said in a statement Tuesday. “Under President Biden’s leadership, the Department of Defense has taken extraordinary steps to redress the harms done by ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and other policies on these former Service members.”
The announcement comes just over a year after the department announced it would conduct a “proactive review” of service members who were dismissed under the policy, which prohibited gay and lesbian members of the military from being open about their sexual orientation. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was in effect from February 1994 to September 2011 and resulted in the discharge of more than 13,000 service members.
“What this means is that of the nearly 13,500 individuals who were administratively separated under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of service, 96% now have an honorable discharge,” Austin said in the statement.
Gays and lesbians dismissed from the military during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era are part of a legacy that started well before 1994. Historians estimate at least 100,000 service members were forced out of the military due to their actual or perceived sexuality between World War II and 2011.
Italy’s parliament made it illegal on Wednesday for couples to go abroad to have a baby via surrogacy — a project of Prime Minister’s Giorgia Meloni party which activists say is meant to target same-sex partners.
Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has pursued a highly conservative social agenda, looking to promote what she sees as traditional family values, making it progressively harder for LGBTQ couples to become legal parents.
The upper house Senate voted into law a bill proposed by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party by 84 votes to 58. The bill was already approved by the lower house last year.
The legislation extends a surrogacy ban already in place in Italy since 2004 to those who go to countries such as the United States or Canada, where it is legal, imposing jail terms of up to two years and fines of up to 1 million euros ($1.09 million).
“Motherhood is absolutely unique, it absolutely cannot be surrogated, and it is the foundation of our civilization,” Brothers of Italy senator Lavinia Mennuni said during the parliamentary debate.
“We want to uproot the phenomenon of surrogacy tourism.”
On Tuesday, demonstrators gathered near the Senate voicing their outrage at the bill, saying the government was lashing out at LGBTQ people and damaging those who wanted to have children despite the fact Italy has a sharply declining birth rate.
People participate in a demonstration Tuesday in Piazza Vidoni in Rome organized by Italian LGBTQ associations and political parties that oppose the Varchi bill.Simona Granati / Corbis via Getty Images
“If someone has a baby, they should be given a medal. Here instead you are sent to jail… if you don’t have children in the traditional way,” Franco Grillini, a long-time activist for LGBTQ rights in Italy, told Reuters at the demonstration.
Rainbow Families President Alessia Crocini said 90% of Italians who choose surrogacy are heterosexual couples but they mostly do so in secret, meaning the new ban would de facto affect only gay couples who cannot hide it.
The clampdown on surrogacy comes against the backdrop of falling birthrates, with national statistics institute ISTAT saying in March that births had dropped to a record low in 2023 — the 15th consecutive annual decline.
“This is a monstrous law. No country in the world has such a thing,” said Grillini, referring to the government’s move to prevent Italians from taking advantage of practices that are perfectly legal in some countries.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a Dallas doctor Thursday accusing her of providing transition-related care to nearly two dozen minors in violation of state law.
Paxton alleged that Dr. May Chi Lau, who specializes in adolescent medicine, provided hormone replacement therapy to 21 minors from October 2023 to August for the purpose of transitioning genders. Texas enacted a law,Senate Bill 14, last year banning hormone replacement therapy and other forms of gender-affirming care for minors.
“Texas passed a law to protect children from these dangerous unscientific medical interventions that have irreversible and damaging effects,” Paxton said in a statement Thursday. “Doctors who continue to provide these harmful ‘gender transition’ drugs and treatments will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The statement alleged that Lau used “false diagnoses and billing codes” to mask “unlawful prescriptions.”
Neither Lau nor her employer, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, immediately replied to requests for comment.
If Lau is found to be in violation of the law, her medical license could be revoked and she could face a financial penalty of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Paxton’s suit is the first in the country by an attorney general against an individual doctor alleging violation of a restriction on transition-related care for minors.
Texas’ law includes a provision that allows physicians to continue to prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to patients who began treatment before June 1, 2023, in order to wean them off the medications “over a period of time and in a manner that is safe and medically appropriate and that minimizes the risk of complications,” according to Paxton’s suit. Minors are required to have attended at least 12 mental health counseling or psychotherapy sessions for at least six months before they started treatment. It’s unclear whether Lau’s treatment of the minors could fall under that provision.
So far, a few attorneys general, including Paxton, have subpoenaed hospitals and practices that provide such care to minors for those patients’ records. Twenty-six states ban at least some forms of gender-affirming care for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas’ restriction in June 2023, and a court blocked itafter families and doctors sued. In September 2023, the Texas Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect pending an appeal from the state, and this June, it vacated and reversed the previous injunction, allowing the law to stand.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected in its current session to hear oral arguments and rule on whether to strike down a similar law in Tennessee. How the court rules on the Tennessee law is expected to affect similar laws in other states.
The statement from Paxton’s office described gender-affirming care as “experimental, and no scientific evidence supports their supposed benefits.”
Major medical organizations, such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, disagree, arguing that transition-related care is an effective and medically necessary way to treat gender dysphoria, which is distress felt by people whose gender identities differ from their genders assigned at birth.
LGBTQ+ ballot initiatives have long been used as a wedge issue to turn out the conservative vote and to give or take away freedoms that are usually guaranteed by the government. The 2024 election is no different. This November continues a decades-long tradition of leaving LGBTQ+ civil rights up to public debate.
New Yorkers will consider whether to add sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to their anti-discrimination amendment in the state constitution. Reproductive rights are on the ballot in 10 states as well.
And California, Colorado, and Hawaii voters will decide if their states will repeal their constitutions’ bans on same-sex marriage.
Same-sex unions have, in fact, always been the top issue on state referendums. 34 states have sent the question to voters since 1998, many passing state constitutional amendments against same-sex partnerships. Putting these amendments on the ballot was used as a strategy to turn out the conservative vote for George W. Bush in 2004, when 11 states passed them.
Marriage equality lost at the ballot box every time until 2012, when it was put to a vote in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington and won in all of them. This followed national public opinion polls, where support for same-sex marriage crossed the 50% threshold around 2009.
All states’ anti-marriage equality constitutional amendments were rendered invalid in 2015 with the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, but the amendments remain in several state constitutions. As such, activists are fighting to repeal them, especially in the event the conservative-dominated Supreme Court overturns Obergefell – something Justice Clarence Thomas hinted was a possibility after the court overturned Roe v Wade.
“Saving” the children
The 1978 election in California introduced the first state ballot initiative related to LGBTQ+ rights. Prop 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative since it was sponsored by Orange County legislator John Briggs, garnered national attention and public denunciation from then-president Jimmy Carter (D), and even from then-California governor Ronald Reagan (R).
The initiative sought to ban anyone who engaged in “public homosexual activity” or “conduct” from working in California public schools. The proposal was part of a trend of other states repealing anti-discrimination measures, inspired by anti-gay activist Anita Bryant’s successful 1977 “Save Our Children” campaign to repeal Dade County, Florida’s ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, also done by popular vote. Harvey Milk helped to lead the campaign against Prop 6, which was defeated by a 16-point margin.
Other state ballot initiatives have sought to legalize or ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity — and voters more often sided with anti-discrimination as the years went on. In Oregon in 1988, voters revoked the governor’s authority to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in 2018, Massachusetts voters upheld a law prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.
Maine and Oregon have most frequently put LGBTQ+ rights to a vote. In Maine, voters first blocked same-sex marriage in 2009 and then approved it in 2012, both times with 53% of the vote. Anti-discriminating protections for LGBTQ+ people in Maine were denied by referendum in 1998 and 2000 and then approved in 2005. In Oregon, voters defeated a “don’t say gay” measure in 2000 by a 5.7% margin.
The concept of using sexual orientation as a protected identity at all was also put to a vote multiple times as a conservative strategy to block “homosexuality” from being added to anti-discrimination ordinances. In the 1990s, the majority voted to allow sexual orientation to be a protected identity in Oregon, Idaho, and Maine.
And it isn’t just laws explicitly about LGBTQ+ rights that affect the community. Other ballot-driven Voter ID laws, including those in Arkansas and North Carolina, will no doubt prevent some trans folks from voting, as well as other LGBTQ+ people who are intersectionality marginalized.
Regardless of ballot measures, the state representatives voters choose this election will also have a significant impact on LGBTQ+ rights. Legislatures led by publicly-elected Republicans have introduced or passed hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in recent years, including banning or limiting access to gender-affirming health care, bathrooms, accurate IDs, inclusive education, inclusive books, drag performances, and sports participation. Voting for state-level and local candidates who support LGBTQ+ rights will impact laws for years to come, even when they are not put to referendum.
Vote like your rights depend on it
Civil rights for other groups have also gone to public referendum dozens of times since 1868, like the question of legality of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, and disability. Like sexual orientation, voters supported discrimination in earlier years and began to support equal rights later on. Women’s rights, however, gained approval in the 1970s while LGBTQ+ rights didn’t see popular support until the 2000s.
The decision to provide or deny civil rights is more often determined by courts and legislatures — which are becoming more conservative — and the idea that constitutional rights can be determined by public opinion has allowed racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination to become enshrined into law.
Public opinion about LGB and transgender rights is often conflicted and in flux, so ballot measures are not a safe option for gaining rights either, though the majority do currently support anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ+ people.
Nevertheless, LGBTQ+ rights are on the ballot. As such, it’s essential to vote this year — both on the LGBTQ+ rights referendums and for candidates who will have the power to enact pro-equality legislation.
As the 2024 election looms, younger LGBTQ+ voters are navigating a uniquely stressful political landscape. The combination of targeted legislation, hate speech, and economic uncertainty has compounded an already intense election season for these communities, leading to a marked increase in anxiety and mental health concerns.
Despite these challenges, queer Gen Z voters are expected to mobilize in record numbers, driven by a desire for change.
For marginalized communities, like LGBTQ+ individuals, this anxiety can be even more intense due to fears of policies that could negatively impact their rights and lives. Symptoms can include trouble sleeping, constant worry, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness.
Related
As politically charged rhetoric rises, many LGBTQ+ and Gen Z voters are feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the stakes of upcoming elections.
LGBTQ+ voter motivation is high, but mental health is at risk
LGBTQ+ voter turnout is expected to be strong in the 2024 election. According to a GLAAD poll, an overwhelming 94% of LGBTQ+ registered voters say they plan to cast their ballot this November. However, this motivation to engage in the political process comes with significant emotional costs. A striking 72% of LGBTQ+ individuals report that the current political climate has negatively impacted their mental health.
For queer Gen Z voters, the overall mental health picture is even more concerning, with 71% of LGB Gen Z adults reporting they experienced anxiety “a lot of the day yesterday,” compared to just 52% of their straight peers, according to Gallup. This general anxiety adds to the emotional burden many queer voters carry into this election season.
Elizabeth Douglas, MA, LADC, LPCC, a Minnesota-based therapist and owner of Yellow Wallpaper Therapy, who has spent over a decade working with the queer community, explains, “Recent legislation limiting access to gender-affirming care, banning discussions of LGBTQ+ issues in schools, and proposing restrictions on transgender individuals’ rights have contributed significantly to anxiety and stress.”
This stress is only heightened by the political polarization many LGBTQ+ voters feel, with some questioning whether their votes will make a difference in a system that often feels hostile to their identities.
The rise of LGBTQ+ voters as a political force
Despite the mental health challenges, the LGBTQ+ community is emerging as an influential voting bloc, particularly among Gen Z. According to the Human Rights Campaign, one in seven voters is expected to identify as LGBTQ+ by 2024—and that number could grow to one in five by 2040. In the 2020 election, LGBTQ+ voters made up 7% of the electorate, which is expected to rise in the coming years.
This growth in numbers is already being reflected in key election metrics. LGBTQ+ voters favor Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump by a substantial margin, and in Congressional races, 77% of LGBTQ+ voters are likely to support Democratic candidates. However, this strong preference for Democratic candidates also underscores the deep political divide felt by many LGBTQ+ individuals.
The impact of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation
The surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and hate speech has left many queer voters feeling vulnerable. Nearly half of LGBTQ+ voters report experiencing real-world bullying, further contributing to the sense of anxiety surrounding the election.
And it’s not just rhetoric—laws targeting transgender youth, banning gender-affirming care, and limiting discussions of LGBTQ+ issues in schools are having profound effects on mental health and overall well-being.
Douglas highlights how these stressors are affecting the younger LGBTQ+ generation: “The rise in hate crimes and public anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, especially on social media, has contributed to a pervasive feeling of vulnerability. These factors drive political engagement but may deter some from voting out of fear for safety, especially in public polling places.”
Related
Gen Z’s unique perspective and mental health crisis
Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet, with 28% identifying as LGBTQ+ according to the latest data from the Public Religion Research Institute. This group is redefining what it means to be politically engaged, but they’re also dealing with overwhelming mental health challenges. Only 38% of queer Gen Z adults rate their mental health as “excellent or good,” compared to 63% of their straight counterparts.
The emotional toll is evident in how they approach political engagement. While many Gen Z voters are leading the charge for progressive change, they are also grappling with the pressure to balance activism with self-care.
According to Douglas, building safe communities, both online and offline, can offer some relief, but the systemic pressures queer Gen Z faces make it difficult to avoid burnout.
How to manage election anxiety
Election anxiety is not going away, but there are strategies to help alleviate its impact. For LGBTQ+ voters, especially Gen Z, advocacy can provide a sense of control and empowerment. Engaging in activism can offer a constructive outlet for stress.
Douglas suggests several strategies:
Engage in advocacy through voting, organizing rallies, and joining LGBTQ+ activist groups
Build safe online and offline communities
Practice digital hygiene to limit exposure to harmful content
Participate in therapy or peer support groups
Support LGBTQ+ candidates and grassroots campaigns
In addition to the strategies already mentioned, managing election anxiety can also involve setting healthy boundaries with news consumption. Limiting your exposure to the 24/7 news cycle—particularly avoiding doomscrolling before bed—can protect your mental well-being. Focus on trusted, LGBTQ+ affirming news sources, and only check in at specific times during the day.
Another way to reduce feelings of helplessness is to focus on what you can control, such as volunteering for LGBTQ+ organizations or helping others register to vote. Taking tangible actions, no matter how small, can provide a sense of empowerment.
However, it’s also important to know when to take a step back and protect mental health. It’s about finding balance—staying involved and informed, but not overwhelmed.
Related
Empowering change and supporting well-being
As the election approaches, queer Gen Z voters are stepping into their power. While the challenges they face are immense, their collective voice is reshaping the political landscape. Understanding the unique factors driving election anxiety for LGBTQ+ voters is key to ensuring their voices are heard—and their mental health is supported.
With a rapidly growing LGBTQ+ electorate, their votes will not only shape the outcome of the 2024 election but will also define the future of political discourse in the U.S. As Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, puts it, “LGBTQ Americans are ready to exert their significant power to shape electoral politics, choose responsible leadership, and use their voices to advocate for equality.”
And that includes young, queer individuals who are coming of age and using their voices to demand change and hold politicians accountable, as well.
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Stand with Trans, founded in 2015 by Roz Keith, is a nonprofit based in Farmington, Michigan helping trans youth “build resilience, gain confidence and find hope for a future filled with joy.”
Keith launched the organization when she was in search of resources for her own child who, in 2013, came out as transgender.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual programming with a blend of in-person programming has helped to maximize their reach and potential as an organization. As a result, the group has expanded accessibility to be a global force for transgender empowerment and erase stigma surrounding trans identities, all while equipping and supporting families of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes. Each year, Keith and her staff pick a new theme for Transgender Week of Empowerment. This year the conference’s 2024 theme is “Beyond the Binary.”
This theme introduces important topics from autonomy in healthcare, Democracy, reproductive health, parenting, substance use, sports, sibling, parent, and grandparent ally panels, media representation talks and so much more.
“I have loved being in touch with so many folks from the trans community and our allies while putting the programming together. Everyone I’ve spoken with is excited and motivated to support trans and nonbinary youth,” Dubbs Weinblatt, Transgender Empowerment Month program coordinator, told GLAAD.
Raving over the words of Sen. Sarah McBride and others at the launch party, Keith said the start of this year’s event is amazing so far. Scheduled speakers include RuPaul Drag Race Alum, Peppermint, Equality Michigan’s Emme Zannotti, and former Muslim Youth Leadership Council (MYLC) member, Ameera Khan, and so many more.
“We really want to explore the diversity of gender, the intersectionality of different identities, and provide an opportunity for young people to feel like they can connect,” Keith said about this year’s theme, “where they can be inspired, they can have models of possibility for adult caregivers. It’s a place for them to come and learn, and get that education in a credible space.”
In the first year, the Transgender Empowerment Month conference was made up of 45 young people, all trans identified. Keith said many youth were nervous about what to expect, but each year since 2015 the conference has only grown, outsized venues, and broadened the community, says Keith.
The importance of the conference then and now is to allow transgender youth to have a space that’s organized for them to experience.
Logann Finkel met Roz in 2018. “I was transitioning and I was looking for support getting to and from my doctor’s appointments, and somebody had mentioned [that] there is this group, and you could reach out,” Finkel told GLAAD.
That group was Stand With Trans. From Michigan, Keith found someone in New Jersey that could help take Finkel to and from their transgender healthcare appointments.
Since they met, Finkel has been presenting at Transgender Empowerment Month, but this year, they’re excited to be an observer and a participant.
Like Keith, Finkel praised the launch of Transgender Empowerment Month 2024 and the programming ahead. Programming was paused between Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 for Rosh Hashanah observance, and resumed on Oct. 6 in the Jewish New Year with an open mic night.
“The guest speakers [on Oct. 1] were fantastic. It was done in a way that built so much excitement and interest in what we’re about to embark on over this month,” Finkel said. “I would just say I’m really excited.”
There will be more than 30 panels, workshops, and programming strewn throughout the entire month, and people can register at any point in October here.
