LGBTQ

A Mom’s Campaign to Ban Library Books Divided a Texas Town — and Her Own Family

Weston Brown thought he had fully come to terms with his mother's anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Then he saw the video of her speaking at a school board meeting. “I couldn’t stay quiet about that.”

  • By Mike Hixenbaugh, ProPublica

Without Obergefell, Most States Would Have Same-Sex Marriage Bans

The Roe v. Wade ruling has lawmakers returning to an issue many thought was settled law.

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

The Best and Worst States for LGBTQ+ People

Nevada ranks as the best state for LGBTQ+ residents while Alabama comes in last, according to a report.

  • By Andre Claudio

Lack of Diversity in the Government Workforce Can Lead to Retention and Trust Issues

African Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented among managers and professionals, and women are underrepresented among chief administrative officers, according to a report.

  • By Andre Claudio

Two States Have Decriminalized HIV Transmission, Leaving Eight With Active Laws

Illinois became the second state to repeal a decades-old statute that allowed HIV-positive residents to be charged with a felony for failing to disclose their status before having unprotected sex.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

States Balk at Landing on California’s Restricted Travel List

California will ban state-funded travel to an additional five states due to laws and policies that target transgender and gay residents.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

'Here I Am.' Meet Kendall Martinez-Wright, a Black-Puerto Rican Trans Woman Running for State Office Amid Record Numbers of Anti-Transgender Bills.

Martinez-Wright, the first transgender woman to run for the Missouri House of Representatives, says the her campaign is “about showcasing the true beauty of diversity.”

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

As Texas Legislature Considers Anti-trans Bills, NCAA Announces it Will Not Hold Events in States that Discriminate Against Trans Students

Texas lawmakers have filed six bills that target transgender students’ sports participation — and two of those bills would affect colleges and university sports in addition to K-12.

  • By Kate McGee, The Texas Tribune

Arkansas Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto of Youth Gender-Affirming Care

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has vetoed what would have been the first bill banning gender-affirming medical care for youth.

  • By Kate Sosin, The 19th

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Vetoes Anti-transgender Bill

The legislation would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth.

  • By Brent Woodie

Families Say Athletic Bans Would Exact Toll on Rural Transgender Youth

This year, state lawmakers across the country have filed more than two dozen bills that would ban transgender youth from playing on sports teams that don’t align with their sex at birth.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

What Else is in the Covid Relief Package? The First Major ACA Expansion.

Defenders argue new additions to the health law, which expanded health care access for key groups, could once again benefit women and LGBTQ+ people.

  • By Shefali Luthra, The 19th
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Queer in the Country: Why Some LGBTQ Americans Prefer Rural Life to Urban ‘Gayborhoods’

COMMENTARY | Research finds many LGBTQ people in rural areas view their sexual identity substantially differently from their urban counterparts – and question the merits of gay life in cities.

  • By Christopher T. Conner, The Conversation

New Index Ranks State Efforts to Alleviate Youth Homelessness

The research findings suggest it’s an area where many states have room for improvement.

  • By Bill Lucia

HUD Bars Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination in Housing, Rentals

It’s the first agency to implement Biden’s sweeping executive order on sexual orientation and gender identity, but it won’t be the last, officials said.

  • By Kate Sosin, The 19th

Advocates React to The Repeal of New York’s ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban

LGBTQ+ advocates celebrated the end of a decades-old statute that outlawed loitering for the purposes of prostitution, which has been widely seen as "arbitrary and discriminatory.”

  • By Mariel Padilla, The 19th

A New Day for Queer People in the South

North Carolina’s ban on local protections for LGBTQ people expires today. But more fights lie ahead.

  • By Giulia Heyward, The Atlantic

‘Rainbow Wave’ of LGBTQ Candidates Run and Win in 2020 Election

Down-ballot races saw a number of LGBTQ candidates this year.

  • By Timothy R. Bussey, The Conversation

Supreme Court to Consider LGBTQ Rights and Foster Care the Day After Election

The case, which concerns a taxpayer-funded Catholic adoption agency, could make a big impact on LGBTQ rights and force changes in government contracting practices with religious organizations.

  • By Emma Coleman

California Will Require Prisons to House Transgender People By Gender Identity

A new law will require California correctional facilities to place transgender people in housing units that align with their gender identity, not their sex assigned at birth.

  • By Emma Coleman

California Bill Would Require Corporate Boards to Diversify

The measure would require at least one person from an underrepresented community to sit on the board of publicly held corporations in the state.

  • By Emma Coleman