GLBTQ Issues / Public News Service

Nebraska was one of 10 states to further restrict abortion access in the 2023 legislative session. At least 48 bills were passed involving restrictions for LGBTQ+ individuals. (Yurii Kibalnik/Adobe Stock)

Plaintiffs Speak Out in Suit Against Controversial New NE Law

A new Nebraska law is now the subject of a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Lancaster County. In its amended form, Legislative Bill 574 …

Human rights advocates point out in 2023, North Dakota adopted nearly a dozen laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. (Adobe Stock)

Tracing the Origins of ND's Anti-Transgender Laws

Human rights voices are calling attention to new North Dakota laws deemed hostile toward LGBTQ+ individuals, saying it is part of a movement led by …

28% of LGBTQ youth say they've experienced homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives while 14% of LGBTQ youth report being kicked out of their home or abandoned, according to the Trevor Project. (Adobe Stock)

NH House Rejects Controversial 'Parental Bill of Rights'

Advocates for the LGBTQ community are celebrating following New Hampshire's rejection of a so-called "parental bill of rights." Two Republicans cros…

ACLU Plans Lawsuit If TX Anti-Trans Bills Become Law

The culture war over transgender identity is spreading in GOP-led states, and Texas is among those passing the harshest laws. The Human Rights …

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has used New College of Florida, a tiny, public liberal arts college on the shores of Sarasota Bay, as an example for his war on

Some New College of Florida Students Feel 'Trapped' in 'Hostile Takeover'

Following what's described as a "hostile takeover" by right-wing conservatives, at the progressive New College of Florida, students and prospective …

Around 77,900 transgender youths live in 11 states that passed bans or took other executive actions this year or in prior years to prohibit or limit their access to gender-affirming care. (Valerii Honcharuk/Adobe Stock)

NC Advocates, Doctors Speak Out Against Ban on Gender-Affirming Care

In North Carolina, advocates and health care professionals are voicing their opposition to recent medical care restrictions they call legislative …

Gov. Jay Inlsee has signed a slate of bills passed by lawmakers protecting access to abortions in Washington state. (CrackerClips/Adobe Stock)

After Legislative Session, WA Leads Nation in Protections for Abortion

Washington state lawmakers have passed some of the strongest protections for abortion access in the country. With another session in the books…

Among other things, a new Minnesota law prohibits the enforcement of child removal requests from another state if a family travels to Minnesota in pursuit of gender-affirming care. (Adobe Stock)

SD's Neighbor Prepares to Serve as 'Trans Refuge' State

A new report found more than half of transgender youth in the U.S. have lost -- or are at risk of losing -- access to gender-affirming health care…

Employees at the Texas Department of Agriculture could be terminated if they come to work with

Texas Ag Department Issues 'Biological Gender' Dress Code

New lawsuits are likely coming in Texas as LGBTQ+ people working for the state are now being targeted in dress code regulations. Agriculture …

Democratic lawmakers are calling for term limits to ensure each president has the opportunity to appoint the same number of Supreme Court justices each term, in an effort to make the high court more democratically representative. (Adobe Stock)

MA Lawmakers Call for Expansion of U.S. Supreme Court

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress are calling for an expansion of the U.S. Supreme Court due to what they said are "ethical lapses" and "partisan …

The Idaho law banning gender affirming care for youth goes into effect in 2024. (Mark Bradbury/Adobe Stock)

ID Anti-Trans Laws Tied to Anti-Democracy Movement, Group Says

Idaho lawmakers passed several measures this session that target transgender people. One group says this effort is connected to a wider movement to …

Gender affirming care can improve the mental health of young people. (AngelHerrezuelo/Adobe Stock)

WA Bill Supports Trans Youth as Attacks Across US Increase

As legislation across the country targets transgender people, Washington state lawmakers are moving in the opposite direction. The Legislature …

A bill that could threaten transgender people's legal rights in Montana has passed the Senate and is in the House. (pabrady63/Adobe Stock)

MT Coalition Stands Up Against Anti-Trans Bills

As the Montana Legislature considers bills that target transgender people, a coalition of groups in the state wants impacted folks to know they stand …

According to the Trevor Project, two-thirds of LGBTQ+ youth report debates over state laws restricting the rights of transgender youth have negatively affected their mental health. (Adobe Stock)

Legislation Advances Targeting LGBTQ+ Arizonans

This week, multiple bills are making their way through the Arizona Legislature some say unfairly target LGBTQ+ people. One measure, Senate Bill 1040…

Voters in the Governor Wentworth Regional School District recently passed a pro-book warrant resolution, Article 39, which prohibits spending town funds on the banning of books or other content from the Wolfeboro Public Library. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Public Education Backers Celebrate NH Local Election Wins

Public education advocates in New Hampshire say the results of recent school board elections showed families overwhelmingly support their public schoo…

According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ youth who found their school to be LGBTQ-affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide. (Adobe Stock)

AZ Bill Restricting Use of Preferred Pronouns Advances to House Floor

A Republican-backed bill is making its way through the Legislature that could restrict the use of preferred gender pronouns in Arizona schools…

The Human Rights Campaign says so far in 2023, it has tracked more than 460 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in statehouses across the country. More than 190 aim to specifically restrict the rights of transgender people. (Adobe Stock)

Anti-Trans Bills in ND Give Way to 'Government Overreach' Messaging

In the coming days, North Dakota's governor will decide whether to sign several bills targeting transgender individuals. LGBTQ advocates say no …

According to PEN America, 138 school districts in 32 states enacted some form of book ban or restriction from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Possible Children's Book Ban in Indiana Draws Concerns

Indiana lawmakers are still debating a bill that would ban some books in school libraries. Senate Bill 12 passed the Indiana Senate at the end of …

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law a week after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassiniation. (Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons)

55 Years Later, Fair Housing Act Could Go Further

April is national fair housing month and this marks 55 years since the federal Fair Housing Act was signed into law. The Act gives people an avenue …

Senate Bill 4 amends Michigan's 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. It comes after the Michigan State Supreme Court ruled that state law currently provides protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Iliya Mitskavets/Adobe Stock)

MI Approves Extending Civil Rights to LGBTQ Community

Advocates for Michigan's LGBTQ community are calling lawmakers' move to expand the state's civil rights law to include them a victory that's "been a l…

More than one in ten transgender people in the U.S. have been evicted from their homes because of their gender identity contributing to higher rates of food insufficiency among this population. (Adobe Stock)

Study Finds High Food Insufficiency Rates Among LGBTQ+ New Englanders

A new study from the University of New Hampshire found New England's LGBTQ+ residents experience higher rates of food insufficiency, the measure of …

The Williams Institute estimates that 1.3 million U.S. adults identify as transgender. (Adobe Stock)

MD House and Senate Approve Trans Health Equity Act

Both chambers of the Maryland legislature have passed a bill that would require the state's Medicaid program to cover gender affirming care. While …

New Mexico's Human Rights Modernization Act now includes language to prohibit discriminatory practices from publicly funded entities. (ajr_images/AdobeStock)

NM Approves Expansion of LGBTQ+ Rights, Reproductive Protections

New Mexico's LGBTQ community will soon have additional protections after existing language in state law was updated by the Legislature. Sen…

At least 124 bills have been introduced nationwide this year targeting LGBTQ rights in schools and educational settings, freedom of speech and expression, and access to medically necessary health care for transgender people, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. (Adobe Stock)

Educators: NH 'Parental Bill of Rights' Endangers Students, Penalizes Teachers

Educators in New Hampshire say a proposed "parental bill of rights" before lawmakers discriminates against LGBTQ students. The legislation requires …

The Tennessee House passed House Bill 2106 last year, which requires that Black history be taught to 5th through 8th graders. It takes effect July 1, 2025. (Adobe Stock)

TN Group Heads to State Capitol for 'Day On The Hill'

Advocates and leaders are headed to the state capitol next week to voice their concerns over issues affecting Black communities in Tennessee…

The Best Colleges rankings take into account a school's academic outcomes and overall college affordability. (Adobe Stock)

Three NC HBCUs on List of Best LGBTQ+ Campuses

Three North Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities are on a recent "best of" list for LGBTQ+ campuses. The Best Colleges Campus Pride …

Among the 1,648 suggested book bans in 2022, 41% explicitly address LGBTQ+ themes while 40% contain protagonists or prominent secondary characters of color, according to PEN America. (Adobe Stock)

Maine Librarians Fight Bill to Ban Books Considered 'Obscene'

School librarians in Maine are fighting a bill that would ban schools from providing students with books considered "obscene," saying it could potenti…

School board meetings have historically included intense cultural debates, such as the teaching of evolution, the removal of offensive sports mascots, or educator-required

Conservative 'M4L' Group Sets Sights on School Boards, Book Bans

A group formed to oppose COVID-19 mask mandates is expanding its agenda to influence school board elections, and a national watchdog group believes …

Members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies rally at the Capitol in Concord in opposition to a slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, which they say aim to criminalize members of their community.(603 Equality)

Community Members Rally Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills in NH

LGBTQ+ advocates rallied at the New Hampshire Statehouse this week in protest of a slate of bills which they say aim to demonize members of their comm…

Advocates say SB 163 would help recognize and streamline gender-affirming health care for folks in Nevada, (Iv�n Moreno/Adobe Stock)

NV Bill Looks to Secure Gender-Affirming Care

A Nevada bill is seeking to secure gender-affirming health care for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in the state. SB 163 would …

The ACLU is currently tracking 321 anti-LGBTQIA legislative bills across the country. It includes four advancing in the Nebraska Legislature, which the ACLU puts in the categories of free speech and expression, health care, schools and education, and civil rights. (Adobe Stock)

For LGBTQIA Youth, Support Can Be 'Literally Life-Saving'

Teen suicide is the second-leading cause of death in the 15-24 age group in this country, and young people who identify as LGBTQIA are at greater …

Utah is the fifth state to pass legislation restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. (Adobe Stock)

UT Ban on Gender-Affirming Health Care Draws Pushback

A group of physicians is voicing opposition to Utah's enactment of Senate Bill 16, banning gender-affirming health care for transgender youth…

South Dakota could soon follow steps taken by states like Utah, which recently approved a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. (Adobe Stock)

SD Plan to Ban Gender-Affirming Care Stokes Privacy Debate

South Dakota is once again locked in a debate over a bill concerning transgender youth. It seeks to ban gender-affirming care, with supporters …

A bill before the New Mexico Legislature would add gender to the list of protected classes in the state Human Rights Act enacted in 1969. (Dmitry/AdobeStock)

NM Legislation Would Boost Protections for LGBTQ Students, Others

Legislation to close a loophole that potentially allows discrimination against LGBTQ New Mexicans will be debated by the State Legislature this sessio…

According to a University of Minnesota study, transgender women, trans-feminine and visibly gender-nonconforming riders report higher incidences of discrimination and violence when using public transportation. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Partner for 'Safer, More Inclusive' Ride-Share Option

An Arizona LGBTQ+ group has established a partnership with Waymo, the autonomous-driving tech company, to provide what it said will be a safer …

One of Sen. Anthony Kern's bills also sets more specific zoning requirements where drag shows can take place. (Adobe Stock)

AZ Senators Aim to Restrict Drag Shows with New Bills

Two Republican Arizona state senators have kicked off the new legislative session wanting to limit and restrict drag shows. State Sen. Anthony Kern…

New Mexico has provided benefits to same-sex partners of state employees since 2003. (LeonardoBorges/AdobeStock)

Equality NM Celebrates 30 Years of Transformation for LGBTQ+ Community

Equality New Mexico will advocate for new LGBTQ protections during this year's legislative session as it celebrates 30 years as a leading advocacy org…

Shannon Mingalone, left, and Eve Mingalone are seen in their hoop house at their business Ramshackle Farm in Harvard, Illinois, on Oct. 19, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch)

Despite Obstacles, LGBTQ Farmers Find Fertile Ground in Midwest

By Bennet Goldstein for Wisconsin Watch.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Wisconsin Watch-Public News Ser…

The 2021 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey found the number of Maine high school students who identify as transgender <a href=

more than doubled from 2019 to 2021. (Adobe Stock)">

Intergenerational Groups Strengthen Maine’s LGBTQ Community

Intergenerational connections can be powerful tools to help improve overall quality of life for both young and old. It can be especially true in the …

Last March, Wyoming lawmakers passed a law that would ban abortions in most cases if the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, which the high court did in June. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Supreme Court Sends Suit Over Abortion Ban Back to District

The Wyoming Supreme Court has decided it will not weigh in on a lawsuit that has temporarily halted a ban on abortions in the state. Citing a state …

Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment. (Adobe Stock)

Depression High Among IA's LGBTQ Population

The Census Bureau has released a report that shows LGBTQ people suffered higher rates of depression, anxiety and other mental hurdles than did the …

Senate Bill 1277 in the Pennsylvania General Assembly would require parental notification of content and materials that expose students to sexually explicit content in schools. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)

Group Advocates for Inclusive Schools in Keystone State

A Pennsylvania group has responded to what it says are "discriminatory policy proposals in the state education system" by launching the "Inclusive Sch…

Book bans occurred in 138 school districts in 32 states between 2021 and the middle of 2022. These districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students, according to PEN America. (Adobe Stock)

Librarians Lament Censorship in MO

In what the American Library Association has called an unprecedented year of censorship, libraries in Missouri are fighting a rule proposed by the …

A bill approved by Congress repeals the federal Defense of Marriage Act. That law, passed in 1996, prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. (Adobe Stock)

WI Attorney: Bill Underscores Legal Needs of Same-Sex Marriages

Congress has signed off on a bill that preserves federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. A legal expert in Wisconsin says it …

The Respect for Marriage Act will not force states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but they would be required to recognize marriages performed in other states that issue valid licenses. (Mario/Adobe Stock)

NM's LGBTQ Advocates Await Final Passage of Respect for Marriage Act

New Mexico's LGBTQ community is celebrating passage of the "Respect for Marriage Act" by the U.S. Senate - but also surprised it came about so …

Same-sex marriage became legal in Nevada in October 2014. (Ronstik/Adobe Stock)

Nevada LGBTQ+ Groups Hopeful after Senate Vote on Same-Sex Marriage

Nevada marriage-equality groups say the U.S. Senate's passage of the Respect for Marriage Act is a huge step forward for people who identify as LGBTQ+…

In New Hampshire, firearm deaths have climbed by 5.8% from 2015 to 2020, the 47th largest increase among states. According to the CDC, a total of 128 people died from firearm injuries in the state in 2020, up from 121 in 2015. (Adobe Stock)

Anti-LGBTQ+ Activity Surges; NH Groups Blame Political Rhetoric

Human-rights activists in New Hampshire say the growing number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills at the Statehouse is encouraging right-wing extremists to intimida…

South Dakota's LGBTQ population is roughly 25,000 people, but advocates say harmful rhetoric in the current political climate prevents some community members from being open about their gender or sexual identity. (Adobe Stock)

SD LGBTQ Voices on Colorado Shooting: 'It's a Thin Line'

The LGBTQ community continues to mourn those killed at a shooting at a Colorado nightclub over the weekend. In South Dakota, advocates said such …

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