Virginia’s largest student-led LGBTQ+-rights group, The Pride Liberation Project, announced it will protest school board meetings across the state in response to the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric from the Trump administration, The Washington Blade noted. “Since taking office, the Trump-Musk administration has unleashed a barrage of attacks against LGBTQIA+ students,” the organization’s Conifer Selintung said in a statement. “They have attacked discrimination protections in Title IX, targeted transgender athletes, attempted to strip funding for life-saving gender affirming care, and tried to whitewash history. The Trump-Musk administration’s obsession with queer young people is already impacting our lives. Defying medical consensus, multiple hospitals suspended gender-affirming care last month.” The Pride Liberation Project, in recent years, has organized more than 90 student-led protests across Virginia.
The Trump administration is considering a plan to eliminate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division focused on HIV prevention, according to NBC News. It would potentially move the division’s responsibilities over to another department within the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a source familiar with the plan. HIV-prevention advocates warned the drastic change could force states to bear the burden on prevention programs and could cost taxpayers millions of dollars if the virus resurges. “It would be devastating,” AIDS United President and CEO Jesse Milan said. “The work is important because every new HIV transmission results in a person having a lifetime cost related to being HIV positive.”
The pro-Israel LGBTQ+ organization A Wider Bridge has named a new interim executive director four months after its previous director was charged with sexual misconduct, per JTA. The announcement of Rabbi Denise Eger as interim director, as well as Daniel Hernandez as board chair earlier this year, comes as the group contends with, among other things, a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and actions from the Trump administration and its allies, as well as a post-Oct. 7, 2023, tide of anti-Israel sentiment within queer communities. In November 2024, a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct was brought against the organization’s then-executive dDirector, Ethan Felson, based on claims that he committed sexual misconduct against a Vermont museum employee. In naming Eger, A Wider Bridge (based in Canada and the United States) has chosen a Reform rabbi who is an LGBTQ Jewish pioneer and longtime pulpit leader.
Two Harvard Medical School physicians are suing the Trump administration over the removal of two research papers from a government website because they included the terms “LGBTQ” and “trans(gender),” according to STAT. Drs. Gordon Schiff and Celeste Royce are suing over the removal of two articles from the Patient Safety Network (PSNet), which is run by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The researchers—represented by the American Civil Liberties Union Massachusetts and the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School—are arguing that AHRQ’s action amounts to a violation of freedom of speech.
The Trump administration is pausing $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender athlete policies, NBC News noted. A White House post on X said the Ivy League university’s policies are “forcing women to compete with men in sports” and ended with the Trump tagline, “Promises made, promises kept.” “It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams,” a school spokesperson said in an email. “We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.” Penn made national headlines in 2022, when transgender student Lia Thomas competed on the women’s swim team and became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that transgender people cannot change the sex on their driver’s licenses and birth certificates, and that any court orders doing so are “void,” per KUT. In an issued opinion, Paxton said district court judges do not have the power to tell state agencies to change the sex on state documents through a court order, adding that any such changes made in the past have to be reversed right now. Spokespeople with the Department of Public Safety, which issues driver’s licenses, and Department of State Health Services, which handles birth certificates, said they’re reviewing the opinion.
In Iowa, queer people shared a message of hope and perseverance in the face of legislative attacks against transgender Iowans in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda in a show of solidarity during LGBTQ Day on the Hill, per The Gazette. Organized by pro-LGBTQ+ organization One Iowa, the rally happened less than two weeks after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill removing gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, becoming the first state to make such a move. Those gathered at the Iowa Capitol sang “We Shall Overcome” and held signs that read “equality matters” and “trans rights are human rights” as speakers emphasized the need for continued activism and community support.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a challenge to a law in Colorado that bans conversion therapy, which is aimed at young people questioning their sexual orientations or gender identities, NBC News noted. With more than 20 states with similar bans, the court’s eventual ruling is likely to have national ramifications. Kaley Chiles, a Christian therapist, is arguing that the restriction violates her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment. Chiles’ attorneys cite, in part, the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling that struck down, on free-speech grounds, a California law that required anti-abortion pregnancy clinics to notify clients about abortion access.
Former GOP U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson—who supported LGBTQ+ rights—has passed away at 93, The Washington Blade noted. Much of his work regarding LGBTQ+ issues came through his appointment as honorary chair of the Republican Unity Coalition—a gay-straight alliance group within the party—starting in 2001. Simpson explained to the outlet in 2013 that his approach to LGBTQ+ rights was informed by his commitment to fairness and equality for everyone, adding that he shared these convictions with his wife of (then) 59 years, Ann Schroll Simpson, who survives him.
Protesters unveiled a giant Pride flag on the steps of Utah’s State Capitol after legislators approved a proposed law banning the display of Pride flags on government property, including public schools, The Advocate noted, citing the Utah News Dispatch. HB77—entitled Flag Display Amendments and sponsored by Republican state Rep. Trevor Lee and GOP state Sen. Daniel McCay—would disallow public schools or government entities from flying non-approved flags like the Pride flag on government buildings and property. Under HB77, the state government can levy fines of $500 per violation per day against entities it found violating the law, although such a decision would be subject to judicial review. Critics called the bill an assault on free speech and LGBTQ+ youth.
Keshet—a national organization that works for LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life—released the first comprehensive report on the experiences, challenges and resilience of LGBTQ+ Jews of color in Jewish spaces, The Jewish News of Northern California noted. The report, Threads of Identity: LGBTQ+ Jews of Color in the Fabric of Jewish Life, amplifies their voices, highlighting both their pride in these identities and the obstacles to full participation and belonging in the Jewish community.
Trailblazing gay author Felice Picano has died at age 81, per The Advocate. He was the writer behind such acclaimed novels as The Lure, Eyes, Onyx and The Book of Lies, along with nonfiction works including The Joy of Gay Sex. Picano’s death was announced on Facebook by his publisher, Rebel Satori Press. “Felice Picano’s remarkable contribution to literature and his brave exploration of queer identities have left an indelible mark on countless readers and writers alike,” the publisher posted. Picano founded Sea Horse Press, the nation’s first gay-focused publishing house, in 1976 and remained its leader until 1995; he also co-founded the Gay Presses of New York in 1981 and was its editor-in-chief until 1995.
One of President Donald Trump’s top aides—openly gay figure Ric Grenell—recently said that if former Vice President Kamala Harris enters the race for California governor, he might do so as well, Politico noted. Grenell is a longtime Trump loyalist who has served several different roles for the president; he joined Trump in Los Angeles to survey the wildfire damage, traveled to Venezuela for a meeting with President Nicolás Maduro that led to the release of six hostages and was named the Kennedy Center’s interim executive director after Trump dismissed its old board. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom—rumored to be a 2028 presidential candidate—is termed out of office next year.
On X, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the cancellation of a $600,000 grant made to Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the study of safer menstrual products, per Them. Rollins thought her department was canceling funding for a study in “menstrual cycles in transgender men” as she noted in her X post, right before thanking the right-wing American Principles Project for the “tip” about the study. However, the grant summary includes a single sentence about trans people and it is included only as an aside: “It is also important to recognize that transgender men and people with masculine gender identities, intersex and non-binary persons may also menstruate.”
In Florida, an undocumented immigrant who allegedly killed two gay disabled men—Carlos Alonso Villaquiran and Rodolfo Fernandez de Velasco—could be the first person killed under a new law, per Fox 35 Orlando. Hungarian national Zsolt Zsolyomi, 25, is being charged with the second-degree murder of the two elderly men in the Miami area. Florida’s immigration bill includes a provision mandating the automatic imposition of the death penalty for “unauthorized aliens” convicted of a capital offense, despite a longtime U.S. precedent and international law banning mandatory death sentences.
In Arizona, the El Rio Community Health Center—one of Tucson’s largest nonprofit healthcare organizations and a major local provider of LGBTQ+ healthcare—removed all references to transgender health services from its website, per the Tucson Sentinel. The changes came on the heels of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order denying federal funds to any entity providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19 years old. El Rio joins hospitals and clinics across the state and the nation that have quietly begun discontinuing and removing references to transgender healthcare, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Prisma Community Care, according to LOOKOUT.
Illinois Democratic state Rep. Bob Morgan suggested the middle school girls who alleged they had been forced to change with a transgender student in a locker room had lied about the situation, according to Fox News. Morgan addressed the alleged incident after Deerfield resident Nicole Georgaso filed a federal civil-rights complaint after exposing the alleged incident at a school board meeting. After GOP state Rep. Adam Neimerg brought up the issue, Morgan called the issue “a lie” while praising his community’s and schools’ handling of the situation as well as criticizing Neimberg for bringing the issue up at all.
Also in Illinois, President Donald Trump’s policies on transgender issues caused the EEOC to ask the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to dismiss its civil lawsuit against a rural New Athens pig farm, Sis-Bro Inc., accused of discriminating against a transgender employee, the Belleville News-Democrat reported. Court documents show that the employee admitted during questioning that she had provided the farm with a fake Social Security number and was working illegally in the United States. The EEOC originally filed the lawsuit on behalf of Natasha Figueroa, who worked at the farm from 2009 to 2021; she originally presented as male but began transitioning to female in 2018. However, according to Law360.com, Figueroa told an Illinois federal judge that she wants to take over the lawsuit.
Houston-area midwife Maria Margarita Rojas was arrested on claims she performed illegal abortions—the first criminal charges brought under the Texas’ near-total abortion ban, KXAN reported. Rojas, who identified herself as “Dr. Maria,” operated clinics in Waller, Cypress and Spring. According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s news release, the clinics “unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals.” Rojas also allegedly provided illegal abortion procedures at these clinics—a second-degree felony that could have her serving up to 20 years in prison. Later, Paxton said that two others were arrested over supposedly unlawful abortions.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Acting Chair Andrea R. Lucas is investigating Kirkland & Ellis, Ropes & Gray, and Simpson Thacher, among other top law firms, for alleged discrimination in their diversity programs, Bloomberg Law noted. Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins, Perkins Coie, and McDermott Will & Emery are some of the other firms involved. Some of the companies have made legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s policies targeting DEI or have connections to his political opponents, according to Fox News.
Emory University’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center hosted “Drag Down Memory Lane,” an event held at Out Front Theatre to connect Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community with brain health initiatives, according to WABE. Dr. Monica Parker is one of the event’s organizers who, along with the show’s emcee, Tugboat AKA Blake Fountain, joined “All Things Considered” to preview what attendees could expect. The event featured drag performances showcasing music from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, and there were resources on Alzheimer’s research and caregiving.
Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant—the only openly LGBTQ+ gathering place in Northern Virginia—recently welcomed hundreds of patrons and supporters to a 1969-like “Love In” in reaction to a spate of harassment by people who called in a bomb threat and who have demonstrated outside the establishment, according to the Falls Church News Press. When three who claimed they were from a “non-denominational church” in Northern Virginia did so, an army of pro-gay supporters calling themselves the Rainbow Defense Coalition stood in front of them with open rainbow-colored umbrellas. Terre Hoot, a comedian drag performer from Indiana, led a book-reading at the event, which was hosted by Freddie Lutz, the owner of Freddies. Supporters in attendance included state Sen. Barbara Favola, Commonwealth Attorney Parisa Deghani-Tafti, state Del. Adele McClure, Arlington County board member Maureen Coffee, Washington Blade reporter Lou Chibarro and the News-Press’ Nicholas Benton.
The Pentagon said that in “rare cases” it may have deliberately or mistakenly removed some webpages in efforts to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) content after a tribute to groundbreaking basketball player Jackie Robinson’s Army service was suddenly scrubbed from a Department of Defense’s website, according to ABC News. A DoD official told ABC News that the Robinson webpage, among other content recently removed from Pentagon websites, was “mistakenly removed” due to the search terms used to scrub DEI terms from platforms. The official said Robinson’s page and others that were unpublished—including content honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, the Enola Gay, the Navajo Code Talkers, history-making female fighter pilots and the Marines at Iwo Jima—would be republished.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit against a North Carolina school board after it shut down a student-led trivia game about prominent LGBTQ+ figures, claiming the game was “indecent,” LGBTQ Nation noted. The suit—filed on behalf of one of the student organizers in the U.S. Court for the Western District of North Carolina—alleges the Cleveland County Schools Board of Education violated students’ rights to free speech, freedom of association and equal access to school resources, the Charlotte Observer reported. The game, planned for the student-led Activism Club at Shelby High, asked “students to identify people like Harvey Milk, Lady Gaga, and Ellen DeGeneres, as well as pieces of popular media that feature LGBTQ+ characters or actors,” according to the suit; previous games addressed topics including the Black Lives Matter movement, the war in Gaza, Women’s History Month, suicide and breast-cancer awareness.
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