GLAAD, the LBGTQ Media Advocacy Organization, has released its 5th Social Media Safety Index (SMSI). In the words of GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, the SMSI “continues to be the leading analysis of anti-LGBTQ online hate, harassment, and disinformation, with a year-round program dedicated to protecting safety, privacy, and expression for LGBTQ people […]
Queers are skipping world pride due to detainment fears
World Pride launches shortly in Washington D.C. The festival, running from May 17-June 8 coincides with the 50th anniversary of DC Pride celebrations. This double-billing, combined with the threats to queer and trans visibility and rights from the Trump administration, has the potential to usher in a record number of participants. People may show up […]
Over 1,000 American trans troops slated to be removed from military service
In this MSNBC article Katelyn Burns describes the ongoing political manipulation of transgender individuals’ ability to serve in the U.S. military. Since the Supreme Court has recently decided to allow the transgender military service ban to take place, the Pentagon has claimed that it will move forward with discharging over 1,000 trans troops. Previous estimates […]
Courageous Ugandan moms are standing up for their LGBT kids
The Anti-Homosexuality Act was signed into law in May 2023 and was then upheld by Uganda’s High Court in April 2024. The new laws multiply the crimes that Ugandan queers and their families and allies can already be charged with. For example, the death penalty can now be granted for “aggravated homosexuality” and up to a 20-year […]
Major advances at the state level for sex workers’ rights and protections
A fear of legal trouble deters many sex workers from coming forward to report violence and other crimes that they suffer or witness in their trade. The Nevada Legislature has recently proposed a bill that if passed would help to safeguard sex workers against prosecution for substance, vagrancy, and selling-sex offenses. Presently there is a […]
Lawmakers in conservative states continue to target same-sex marriage
In his article for Mississippi Free Press, Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, summarizes recent efforts in multiple states to pass legislation aiming to upend same-sex marriage rights. Although 70% of Americans approve of same-sex marriage, Republican lawmakers are taking advantage of the political […]
Last remaining LGBT-free zone in Poland has been revoked
HARD COPY: By 2020 about a third of the country had established “LGBT-free” zones, which were set-up to eliminate any “propaganda” that promoted queer identities and lifestyles. Two years ago, the far-right Law and Justice Party, responsible for having initiated these policies, was defeated in national Polish elections. Ever since, their anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been […]
$upport for Pride is tanking
HARD COPY: Pride festivals across the United States are increasingly losing corporate sponsors. Some of the companies that are pulling out are citing concerns for their own economic viability, though many organizers are blaming the hostile political environment that the Trump administration has stoked via its anti-DEI initiatives. It’s worth noting that it is not […]
The “Take It Down Act” passes through Congress
HARD COPY: Have you heard of it? It’s a bill with a ton of bipartisan support that is about to be signed by the president. The bill responds to the new-age phenomenon of “revenge porn” and other similar instances of sexual abuse in which non-consensual intimate imagery is circulated. In addition to stricter penalties, the […]