Top Biden health official Rachel Levine warn of the dangers of state bills to trans youth

Admiral Rachel Levine, the highest-ranking transgender person in the federal government, gave a speech in in Fort Worth at the Out For Health Conference at Texas Christian University, urging physicians-in-training to fight political attacks against young trans people and their families.

Levine said: "Trans youth in particular are being hounded in public and driven to deaths of despair at an alarming rate. Fifty-two percent of all transgender and nonbinary young people in the U.S. seriously contemplated killing themselves in 2020. Think about how many of them thought it was better to die than to put up with any more harassment, scapegoating and intentional abuse."

More than 100 anti-trans bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year, mostly directed at youth; some seek to bar trans student athletes from participating in sports under their gender identity, while others would deny gender-affirming health care to young people. In opinion of Levine, many of these legislative attacks use scientific language to justify their political aims, but it is also being used to drive people to suicide.

LGBTQ youth, especially trans youth, are extremely vulnerable and need support. “We need to empower them because they are at risk,” she concluded.

Spanish government to launch a free LGBTQ helpline

 

Spanish government is launching a “rainbow phone” line to provide advice for and prevent discrimination against LGBTQ people.

It will incorporate legal assistance with general information on LGBTQ rights, as well as psychological support where possible.

The phone number to be 028, this is symbolic because International Pride Day typically takes place on 28 June each year.

The service is set to be free, accessible in multiple languages and will be available 24/7, all year round.

The helpline is part of a wider attempt from the Spanish government to improve the lives of its LGBTQ citizens by tackling things such as discrimination and homophobic violence.

Spain approved same-sex marriage in 2005, and it is one of the nation tops in the list of countries most accepting of homosexuality according to the ILGA index and according to a Pew Research Center.

Unfortunately, LGBTQ rights activists were warning that attacks on queer people increased in Spain in recent times, under the umbrella of the growth of the far right party VOX.

Gay people in Spain can marry and adopt since 2005

Canada lifts restrictions on gay men's blood donations

 

Health Canada approved the request by Canadian Blood Services to end the policy that restricts homosexuals from donating blood for three months after engaging in gay sex. A move Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said was "good news for all Canadians" but had taken too long.

Trudeau said at a news conference the ban should have ended 10 to 15 years ago, but research proving it would not affect the safety of the blood supply had not been done by previous governments.

Trudeau also said his government spent C$5 million dollars on research into the safety aspects of changing the blood donation rules and multiple scientific reports showed the blood supply would continue to be safe.

The research said current risks of contracting HIV from the blood supply, with all samples tested, was estimated to be "very low," at 1 in 20.7 million.

The policy change marks a significant milestone toward a more inclusive blood donation system.

Trudeau announced Canada ending ban on gay men's blood donation, watch it below:

YouTuber and Twitch streamer Ranboo comes out

YouTube and Twitch star Ranboo said that while his sexuality is “unlabelled”, he is OK with being called gay. The American streamer joined YouTube in January 2020 and has since amassed over 60 million views.

The YouTuber soon began to trend on Twitter after he posted the message. It came after social media speculation about his sexuality. Taking to his alternative Twitter account a few hours later, the 18-year-old thanked fans for their supportive messages.

“Yo just wanted to say thanks for all the support with everything and tonight lol have been wanting to do that for a while tonight just lined up well,” he wrote.

Ranboo then added: “And for those confused basically I guess I am technically unlabeled as the way I have kinda always gone around life just being attracted to whoever I am attracted to it just so happens that most of them line up with a ‘certain type’ you could say lol am okay with the gay label :)”

#Proud

With the bf

My policeman

 

My Policeman is a romantic drama film directed by Michael Grandage. A take on the 2012 novel of the same name by author Bethan Roberts. It stars Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, and David Dawson.

The film tells the emotional, dramatic story of an English love triangle during a time when queerness was criminalized

Harry Styles stars as a bi policeman named Tom Burgess who marries Marion, played by Emma Corrin, after she falls in love when he teaches her to swim at Brighton beach.

Tom also falling in love with Patrick, played by David Dawson, in a time when same-sex relationships were still illegal. 

The film then catches up with the married couple a few decades later when Tom’s former lover re-enters their life.

Three older actors have also been cast to play Marion, Tom and Patrick in the 90s: Gina McKee as an older Marion, Linus Roache as an older Tom, and Rupert Everett as an older Patrick.

Watch a trailer below:

LGBT+ charity in Russia formally dissolved by the courts

Charitable Foundation Sphere is a human rights organization that, starting from 2011, defends the rights of the LGBT+ community in Russia, fights against systemic homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, and is an expert at creating and coordinating human rights programs and initiatives.

Sphere has been formally dissolved by Kuibyshev District Court judge Tatiana Kuzovkina after the Russian ministry for justice argued that they were carrying out “political activities”.

The ministry claimed one of Sphere’s goals is to change Russian legislation, which is not a permissible charitable goal under federal law. The ministry argued in court that liquidating Sphere was the only way to successfully curb the organisation’s “illegal activities”.

Vitaly Isakov, the lawyer representing Sphere, argued against the move, telling the court that liquidating the charity would have a severe impact on LGBT+ people in Russia, who would find themselves left without any protection.

In a press release, Sphere said this is not the first time human rights groups have been forced to stop operating because of state interference. “In many ways, a similar attempt to liquidate Sphere is the contribution of the ruling structures to negating the entire human rights movement, including the LGBT+ movement".

Russia has become an increasingly hostile place for LGBT+ people.

Support Russian Charitable Foundation Sphere here.

Support the Russian LGBT Network's programs here.

Sign now for the Russian LGBT+ movement!

There are no reasons to ban trans women from sports, according to science and experts

 

Dozens of American states have sought this year to ban trans women from sports while British prime minister Boris Johnson said “biological males” shouldn’t compete against cisgender women.

The vexing debate over trans people kicking a ball or running for a few seconds has increasingly engulfed the minds of lawmakers and pundits.

Yet while research is still scant on the area, advocacy groups and many sports governing bodies generally agree that trans people playing sports is a non-issue.

After all, sport is unfair. Some athletes have natural advantages, such as height, while others have access to better coaching and resources.

For the most part, trans women need to undergo hormone therapy for at least one year to complete. Even then, testosterone, long associated with strength, isn’t even the reason for some performance differences in the first place, studies have suggested.

In this way, last year, the International Olympic Committee released new guidelines that said there is no need for trans women to lower their testosterone to compete against cisgender women.

Doctors, academics, and sports psychologists, meanwhile, told that such bans balloon an apparent problem that doesn’t exist and, in doing so, foster division within sports. They stress that sex can greatly vary women person to person, there is no one way a women’s body can be.

Many who rally to ban trans athletes shout that gender is defined by biological sex. But scientists have long said that biological sex isn’t so straightforward and there is no single biological factor that defines a person’s sex.

Recently, data showed Lia Thomas doesn’t have 

unfair advantage over cisgender women

Sign now for the Russian LGBT+ movement!

From allout.org:

Russian LGBT Network is an interregional movement representing various LGBT+ initiatives and activists all across the country. Without it, hundreds of LGBT+ lives wouldn’t have been saved from the anti-LGBT+ crackdown in Chechnya since 2017. 

In over 15 years, since it started its work in 2006, the Russian LGBT Network has been providing legal and psychological assistance to LGBT+ people across the country, supporting various initiatives and organizations, lending emergency assistance in crisis situations, and engaging in monitoring and advocacy. In addition, it promotes public awareness about LGBT+ people and discrimination against them, and makes a significant contribution to overcoming homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in the Russian society.

The Russian LGBT Network and initiatives and activists associated with it have constantly been targeted with threats, provocations and defamation campaigns. The Russian Ministry of Justice claims that the foundation aims at altering the “moral foundations of the Russian Federation” and tries to “bring discord into the Russian society by acting in violation of the country’s Constitution.” The activity of helping LGBT+ people, according to the Ministry, does not align with Russian traditional values.

The liquidation of the organization operating all the Russian LGBT Network’s programs would lead to the termination of all its work, leaving those who rely on their assistance without support. It would also be a clear signal sent by the authorities to the civil society that any LGBT+ activism is taboo.

Support Charitable Foundation Sphere

Support the Russian LGBT Network's programs

Thank you for signing here!!!

A dozen U.S. Republican states propose so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bills

 

Florida, with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, has attracted considerable attention for its “Don't Say Gay” law. It’s not a new legislative notion, these gag laws have swept across the U.S., with similar legislation is appearing in at least a dozen other states. Each bill has its own particular language, let’s see how several states are approaching this issue.

In Alabama, with Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, has a bathroom bill dealling with opposite genders wanting to use opposite bathrooms. It was amended to include language declaring that anyone teaching in grades K-5 shall not engage in classroom discussion or provide classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate. In this law, "engage" is a problem word, suggesting that even if students bring the topics up, teachers should refuse to continue the discussion.

In Georgia, with Republican Gov. Brian P. Kemp, was promoted a bill forbiding schools to promote, compel or encourage classroom of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels, the bill sought to extend these prohibitions to any private or non-public schools that receive state money.

In Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma the bills include a similar clause: "A student enrolled at a state educational institution shall not be required to engage in any form of mandatory gender or sexual diversity training or counseling".

In Iowa, with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, the bill bans any instruction relating to gender identity from kindergarten classes. In grades 1 through 6, such instruction may only be provided with parental consent. Iowa defines gender identity as a gender-related identity of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth.

In Ohio, with Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, the bill prohibits any curriculum or instructional materials on sexual orientation or gender identity. It goes further by also prohibiting any such instruction for grades 4-12 that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate. 

In South Carolina, with Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, the bill prohibits requiring an individual to affirm, accept, adopt, or adhere to concepts including the existence of genders other than male and female, gender fluidity, nonbinary pronouns, and that race and sex are social constructs. It also says that state-funded entities may not.

And Tennessee's bill, with Republican Gov. Bill Lee, declares no public or charter school in state will not be allowed to use textbooks or instructional materials that promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyle.

Biden’s Administration issued a strong statement against these legislations. Remember all of you decide with your vote.

Florida Gov. DeSantis is one of the Republican 

governors who supports these legislations

'Take Me Out' backs to Broadway

Take Me Out is a play by American playwright Richard Greenberg. It made its Broadway debut on February 27, 2003 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, where it ran for 355 performances and won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Play.

At the time of the writing of this play no Major League Baseball player had ever come out to the public during his career. That remains the case 20 years later, although a growing number of professional athletes in other sports have cracked open the closet door. This play is the dramatic exploration of what such an event might be like.

When Darren Lemming, the star center fielder for the Empires, comes out of the closet, the reception off the field reveals a barrage of long-held unspoken prejudices. Facing some hostile teammates and fraught friendships, Darren is forced to contend with the challenges of being a gay person of color within the confines of a classic American institution. As the Empires struggle to rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties, and the price of victory.

Now, a Broadway revival, directed by Scott Ellis, opened at the Hayes Theater on April 4, 2022. It was originally scheduled to open on April 23, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show suspended production. The cast is made up of Jesse Williams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Patrick J. Adams.

What Take Me Out does right is highlight how sportsmen, entrenched in a business that boasts the traditional expectations of masculinity, respond to a team member’s homosexuality. The reactions move from open support to microaggressions to downright hostility. Slow to bat, this play’s second act serves as its home run. Inside the team showers, beautifully crafted by David Rockwell, a place of vulnerability (and nudity) marks the show’s most memorable turning point. 

The LGBTQ100 index beats the S&P500

It’s not easy to beat the untouchable S&P500, but some indices do. This is the case of the LGBTQ100, a stock market indicator that includes the 100 US firms with the best practices and benefits for LGBTQ workers. 

Among the pillars to enter the index are non-discrimination policies, comparable benefits for LGBTQ families and inclusive culture. Candidate constituent companies are evaluated on key factors by a representative group of the LGBTQ community.

Since December 31, 2014, the LGBTQ100 has been revalued by 177% as collected Bloomberg. In the same period, S&P500 up 118%. The annualized return of the index queer it stands at 15% since its launch, compared to 11% for the S&P500.

Which companies are part of this indicator? Most of its heavy hitters are household names to investors: Tesla weights 4%, followed by AppleAmazon, Microsoft and cloud technology firm ServiceNow, with weights of 3% or more.

If, instead of looking at the ones that weigh the most, we focus on those that obtain the best scores in ESG (environmental, social and good governance) issues, the ones that stand out are CBRE Group, Adobe, Nvidia, Automatic Data and again Microsoft. 

Other interesting fact about diversity is the percentage of employees who belong to a social minority. It is only available to 28 of the 100 members of the LGBTQ100, and the first is Marriott International, with 67%. It is followed by Alphabet and the business services firm Iron Mountain, with 52%; the Target department store group, with 50% and Servicenow, with 44%.

 

Index evolution

Poland's LGBT+ Film Festival celebrates its 13th edition

LGBT+ Film Festival Poland is one of the most important events on the cultural map of Central and Eastern Europe, presenting a wide variety of queer cinema which brings us closer to building a world of freedom and equality. 

Divided into 5 sections (features, documentaries, animated films, short films and classics), it explores non-normative identities through the lenses of filmmakers from around the globe.

The 13th edition of the festival will be held in a hybrid form; the physical screenings will be held in 8 Polish cities between April 22-29, 2022 and then proceed online for 14 days, geoblocked to Poland.

You can watch some repertoire's trailers and shorts below:

Official trailer

Dating Amber

My Father is My Mother's Brother

Wildhood

U.S. Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, promoting the appellate judge, nominated by President Biden, to a lifetime seat no Black woman has ever occupied.

Jackson, 51, becomes only the sixth woman and third Black justice to ascend to the high court, which will for the first time have two Black members, three members of color and four women.

The final vote was 53-47, with all 50 Democratic caucus members supporting Jackson, joined by Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; and Mitt Romney of Utah. 

In a symbolic moment, Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman elected to her job, presided over the vote. “On this vote, the ‘yeas’ are 53, the ‘nays’ are 47, and this nomination is confirmed,” Harris announced with a large smile after the final vote was cast.

Democrats on the Senate floor greeted the veep’s announcement with a standing ovation, which was joined on the GOP side only by Romney. 

The vote means Jackson will take office at the end of the court's current term — likely in June or July — when Justice Stephen Breyer is expected to step down. Her appointment would not disrupt the current 6-3 conservative balance on the Supreme Court.

President Biden congratulating the new Suprem Court judge

Arsenal fan banned from stadium after yelling homophobic abuse

An Arsenal football fan has been banned indefinitely by Brighton and Hove Albion (BHAFC) after being caught yelling homophobic abuse during a game.

Luke Reece, 21, was found to have yelled homophobic abuse at other Brighton fans in the club's match against Arsenal on 2 October 2021.

He then attempted to leave knowing he'd been spotted and was stopped and later arrested, according to reports. 

Reece was convicted of indecent chanting at a Premier League match and will now serve a three years long football banning order. He has also been fined and ordered to pay costs.

The news was welcomed by Brighton and Hove Albion. A club spokesperson also said: "We have a zero-tolerance approach on all forms of anti-social behaviour, and this includes any form of abuse".

Enough homophoby at football!!!

The news was welcomed by BHAFC 

U.S. LGBTQ lawmakers just had its very first meeting with a sitting president

President Joe Biden met with the congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus, making him the first president in history to do so.

“I am grateful to President Biden for inviting Equality Caucus leadership to meet with him at the White House today,” said out Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) in a statement. Cicilline is the chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus.

“President Biden has been the most vocal ally to the LGBTQ+ community we have ever had in the White House, and I thanked him for his unwavering support,” he continued. “We had a productive conversation about the pressing need for the Equality Act and other legislative and administrative actions to protect vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community in the face of the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks happening in state legislatures across the country.”

One of the main topics discussed was the Equality Act, a bill which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal civil rights legislation, banning discrimination against LGBTQ people in a number of areas like education, public accommodations, and housing. The House of Representatives passed the bill last year, but it has stalled in the Senate to Republican opposition.

A survey released by the Public Religion Research Institute found that a majority of people in the U.S. support the idea of an Equality Act.

Orban wins another term in Hungary, but his referendum against LGBTQ fails

Hungary's authoritarian leader and longtime Russian ally, Viktor Orban, has declared victory in the country's parliamentary elections, clinching a fourth consecutive term in power.

With most of the votes tallied, Orban’s Fidesz-led coalition had won 53%, while a pro-European opposition coalition, United for Hungary, had just over 34%, according to the National Election Office.

Despite opinion polls forecasting a tighter race, Orban's Fidesz party won comfortably across much of the country. Opposition leader Peter Marki-Zay even failed to win in his own district, where he had served as mayor.

As well as the election, Hungarians were also asked to give their opinion on a controversial LGBT referendum. Voters were asked for their views on legislation that limits schools' teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues.

To be valid, the poll needed to be answered by half of Hungary's registered voters. But the threshold has not been met and the referendum has failed. However, of those that did respond, the vast majority backed the government's position.

Bad news from Hungary.

The European Commission condemned 

all the Hungarian anti-LGBTQ initiatives

Lil Nas X’s baby registry for “Montero” raised $500,000 for HIV/AIDS organizations

Lil Nas X continues to do his part for the LGBT+ community, raising $500,000 for HIV/AIDS organisations. For those who don’t remember, the rapper had an elaborate pregnancy rollout for the birth/release of his debut album, Montero.

Now it’s been confirmed that the “baby registry” for the project has seen his fans donate almost half a million dollars which will be distributed among 16 organisations

Nearly all of the organisations are members of the Gilead COMPASS Initiative, a campaign from Gilead Sciences working to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the southern United States.

More than 175,000 people have been assisted in gaining access to quality healthcare by the organisations in question, with 13,000 having become HIV/AIDS leaders and advocates in the southern US through them.

Speaking about the achievement, Lil Nas X stated: “Communities all across the south, like my home state of Georgia, are being transformed by the work of COMPASS grantees.

The Montero baby registry was created to send resources to grassroots groups serving the most vulnerable. Funds raised will go to people living with HIV and inspire a new generation of leaders who will keep pushing for HIV education and one day, a cure.

Lil Nas X won top prize at MTV Video Music Awards 2021 and honored by The Trevor Project with its first Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award.

The full list of Lil Nas X’s registry is available here, as well as links to donate to each one. I made mine to "Miracle of Love, Inc.", what do you wait for?

Montero is Lil Nas X's debut album

Rainbow flags may be confiscated in the World Cup in Qatar

Rainbow flags could be taken from fans at the World Cup in Qatar to protect them from being attacked for promoting gay rights.

Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah is against the overt promotion of LGBTQ freedoms as symbolized by the rainbow flag that FIFA and World Cup organizers had previously said would be welcome across Qatar’s eight stadiums.

In Qatar, which will host the tournament for November 21 to December 18 this year, homosexuality is an imprisonable offence. Qatar also runs Sharia courts, where it is technically possible that queer Muslim men could be handed a death sentence.

Casey Stoney, the head of the England women's football team, affirmed they would boycott the upcoming Qatar World Cup because LGBT people are discriminated there. In the same way, F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton also did stand for LGBTQ rights in Qatar.

Surprisely, the "gay icon" David Beckham signed a deal worth £150 million to become the “face of Qatar” ahead of next year’s World Cup. This decision contrasts with the announcement made by Tom Daley, who decided to try and ensure that countries which criminalise homosexuality and the LGBT community can’t compete in and host big sporting events in the future.

Harry Kane, England football team's captain, also hopes World Cup to “shine a light” on human rights issues in Qatar.