LGBTQ+
August 30, 2026
When Anna Kilbride told a classmate she would not have sex with him because she is a lesbian, he responded that he would “fix” her by breaking into her home and raping her.
Growing up as a disabled, openly queer teenager in a conservative Phoenix suburb, Kilbride was no stranger to bullying or sexual harassment. She said she was frequently teased at school and called slurs, including by the boy who threatened to rape her. Another boy groped her in middle school.
“The Sunday school staff had the audacity to blame it on what I was wearing,” Kilbride told LOOKOUT. “I was wearing a shirt with Sailor Moon on it, and leggings.”
After the threat of corrective rape — intended to “cure” lesbians of their lack of attraction to men — Kilbride’s mental health plummeted. She said the student was on the same bus route as her and knew where she lived. She began refusing to go to school and considered self-harm, as she had after being assaulted. Read More
August 28, 2026
The report drew on two national survey samples. Trevor Project’s 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People included over 3,700 transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse youth, with a median age of 16 and a majority attending public school.
Data was also collected through Glisten’s 2025 National School Climate Survey, which included 2,800 LGBTQ+ students.
Based on their findings, the groups said over half (61%) of surveyed students experienced at least one negative event at school in the previous year, with verbal harassment related to their LGBTQ+ identity being the most common type of incident (49%)
The next most common negative events cited included: not being allowed to dress in a way that reflected their identity (27%), being disciplined for fighting back against bullies (16%), and being disciplined more harshly by school employees because of their identity (12%).
One in 10 transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse students reported leaving their school because of “being mistreated.” Read More
August 24, 2026
Despite ever-growing food and fuel prices, an ailing health care system, and violent conflicts in the U.S. and abroad, the far right has decided to continue to wage war on transgender student-athletes. And while politicians debate the topic within our nation’s highest offices, many forget about the real human beings who are affected.
When West Virginia House Bill 3293, also known as the Save Women’s Sports Act, became law in 2021, Becky Pepper-Jackson, a track-and-field athlete who identifies as trans, and her family challenged the bill in court.
Since then, the battle over whether schools should allow trans student athletes to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity has continued in West Virginia and other red states throughout the nation. On June 30 of this year, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold state bans on transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s school sports. Read More
August 25, 2026
A federal judge in Texas struck down a 2023 state law Tuesday that sought to restrict drag shows, ruling it was unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner, a Reagan appointee, said the measure, known as Texas Senate Bill 12, improperly restricted speech, violating the First Amendment of the Constitution. The ruling prevents state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for the Senate, from enforcing the law and denies his motion for a new trial.
In the ruling, Hittner also had advice for “those who find such activities as described in this case offensive.”
Paxton’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment Tuesday night. Read More
August 25, 2026
Transgender students are absorbing the consequences of a growing fight in Cabarrus County Schools, where two federal lawsuits and a Trump administration investigation are challenging how the district handles bathroom access, LGBTQ advocates say.
For months, parents, elected officials and community members clashed over whether transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. But advocates say another question has received less attention: What does the fight mean for LGBTQ students going to school every day?
“When I think about a trans girl going into a girl’s restroom, I worry about her harrassment, not what she will do to other young people,” said Sarah Mikhail, CEO of Time Out Youth.
Time Out Youth serves LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 in Charlotte and surrounding communities. Within the organization, young people regularly talk about the broader social climate surrounding bathrooms, sports and LGBTQ issues in schools, she said. Read More
August 24, 2026
Despite ever-growing food and fuel prices, an ailing health care system, and violent conflicts in the U.S. and abroad, the far right has decided to continue to wage war on transgender student-athletes. And while politicians debate the topic within our nation’s highest offices, many forget about the real human beings who are affected.
When West Virginia House Bill 3293, also known as the Save Women’s Sports Act, became law in 2021, Becky Pepper-Jackson, a track-and-field athlete who identifies as trans, and her family challenged the bill in court.
Since then, the battle over whether schools should allow trans student athletes to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity has continued in West Virginia and other red states throughout the nation. On June 30 of this year, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold state bans on transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s school sports. Read More
August 17, 2026
The Human Rights Campaign announced Thursday that it estimates 25.6 million LGBTQ+ adults live in the U.S., a significant increase from previous estimates of the nation’s sexual orientation and gender identity minority.
It’s 12% of all U.S. adults, according to the LGBTQ+ civil rights nonprofit. Its estimate also found that over 7% of U.S. adults are bisexual and 3.27% of U.S. adults are lesbian or gay.
For Texas, the estimated LGBTQ+ adult population is 12.54%—2.24 million people. The Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metros were in the top 15 most populous for LGBTQ+ people.
Texas and 38 other states have “an LGBTQ+ population of greater than 10%,” HRC said.
“LGBTQ+ Americans are everywhere. There are 25 million of us across the country, and we now have critical mass in almost every state in the nation,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. “We’re not a niche constituency, and no campaign, brand, or employer can afford to treat us like one.” Read More
August 20, 2026
The number of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ has reached a record high, according to a new analysis from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), while public support for some LGBTQ+ issues has fallen, according to polls.
The analysis found that there are more than 25 million U.S. adults, or 12 percent of the adult population, who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The figure marks one of the highest estimates ever reported and suggests the LGBTQ+ community has grown substantially in visibility and size across the country. A 2025 Gallup poll reported that about 9 percent of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+.
The findings come amid signs of shifting public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues. Gallup polling shows that support for same-sex marriage and the moral acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships has eased from record highs reached in the early 2020s, and views on transgender-related issues have become increasingly polarized. Read More
August 19, 2026
New Jersey has drawn a legal line around its doctors, patients and families.
Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Thursday signed an extensive shield law protecting people who provide, receive or help others obtain reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare that is legal in New Jersey.
The law, S2260/A2218, generally prevents state agencies and courts from assisting out-of-state investigations and prosecutions targeting such care. New Jersey officials cannot arrest someone, issue subpoenas or search warrants, authorize wiretaps or help enforce judgments based solely on conduct protected by state law. The governor also cannot extradite someone who was not present in the prosecuting state at the time of the alleged offense. Read More
August 19, 2026
Supportive teachers can make a huge difference in whether transgender and non-binary students feel like they belong at school, and new research suggests that support can translate into better academic outcomes as well.
A new report released Tuesday (18 August) from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups GLISTEN and the Trevor Project found that trans students whose identities are affirmed at school report greater belonging, higher grades and more engagement in the classroom.
Some of the actions that make the biggest difference are remarkably simple, such as asking students what name and pronouns they use, consistently affirming those names and pronouns, talking about LGBTQ+ people and issues in the classroom, supporting LGBTQ+ student groups and creating policies that allow students to participate fully in school life. Read More
August 18, 2026
- Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive (TGE) students who reported discriminatory school policies or experienced negative events at school missed more days in the school year; nearly a third of TGE students (32%) missed at least one day of school in the last month due to safety concerns.
- TGE students who had more supportive educators, were more connected to other LGBTQ+ students, and had positive depictions of LGBTQ+ people, issues, or topics in at least one class had higher estimated GPAs than those with fewer supportive educators, less connection to other LGBTQ+ students, and no positive depictions of LGBTQ+ people, issues, or topics in school. Read More
August 18, 2026
For transgender students, a hostile school policy does not remain confined to a rulebook. It can determine which bathroom they use, whether teachers call them by the correct name, and, increasingly, whether they attend school at all.
A new report from Glisten and The Trevor Project finds that 56 percent of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive students surveyed attended schools with at least one discriminatory policy. Nearly one-third had recently missed school because they feared for their safety.
The report draws from two national surveys involving 5,673 students. In The Trevor Project’s sample, 41 percent said they were prohibited from using a bathroom aligned with their gender, 38 percent faced locker room restrictions, and 33 percent could not participate on the appropriate sports team. More than a quarter were prevented from using their chosen name or pronouns. Read More
August 18, 2026
Supportive teachers can make a world of difference for transgender students, influencing their sense of safety and academic engagement — often in the face of discrimination and bullying — according to new research from two national LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
Students whose identities are affirmed at school report a greater sense of belonging and higher grades, and are more likely to participate fully in class, according to a report released Tuesday by GLISTEN and the Trevor Project. Students report similar outcomes when they are able to connect with LGBTQ+ peers at school, see positive representations of LGBTQ+ people in their classrooms and attend schools with inclusive policies, such as those that allow them to compete on sports teams or use facilities that best align with their gender identities. Read More
August 17, 2026
This April, state Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, brought a bill to the Minnesota House floor that would forbid students who have transitioned from male to female from playing girls interscholastic sports.
“This is for my granddaughter,” Scott said with a smile. “She’s only 15 months old, but I know she’s going to be a stellar athlete one day.”
That Scott named her one-year-old granddaughter instead of a current female athlete injured, cut or denied a scholarship on account of a trans athlete could be because there are few examples of those types of incidents transpiring.
A Texas nonprofit called Female Athletes United filed a lawsuit last year about a trans girl who played girls softball for Champlin Park High School in 2024 and 2025.
But that is the only case in Minnesota federal or state court that alleged a trans athlete’s participation in girls sports harmed someone born female. Ever. Read More
August 13, 2026
Music and laughter echoed throughout the evening air at Central Park in Old Fourth Ward as dozens of LGBTQ+ families and allies gathered to play kickball and tug of war, lined up to get colorful temporary tattoos and face paint, and raise money for trans residents in need.
The July 30 field day event, hosted by a coalition of local LGBTQ+ organizations, came at a time where attacks on trans and LGBTQ+ rights are taking place in Georgia and across the country. In June, a U.S. Supreme Court decision fortified Senate Bill 1 — a Georgia law that bans transgender women from playing on women’s sports teams in K-12 schools and public universities.
Bella Bautista, a trans activist and founder of This Doesn’t Define Me, a nonprofit dedicated to helping trans residents in the Southeast, said the event was designed to be an evening centering joy amid troubling times for the trans and gender expansive community. Read More
August 13, 2026
Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) launched its Safe Schools Champion Initiative (SSCI) to identify school board leaders committed to protecting every student’s ability to learn in an environment rooted in dignity, belonging, and respect. The inaugural group of seven school board leaders recognized as “Safe Schools Champions” is committed to fostering safe, welcoming, and inclusive public schools through values-based leadership, community engagement, and student-centered governance.
Developed in partnership with the School Board Integrity Project, individuals receiving a Safe Schools Champion distinction complete a comprehensive learning and commitment process focused on inclusive governance, student well-being, educator support, nondiscrimination, and meaningful community engagement.
“School board members are the people who decide emergency procedures and bus routes, building renovations and school start times, what textbooks your kids read and what clothes they can wear. And sometimes, the decisions school board members make can make kids — especially LGBTQ+ kids — feel pretty unsafe and unwelcome,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. Read More
August 10, 2026
A federal judge on Monday largely dismissed a Minnesota lawsuit that sought to challenge the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX, the federal law that bars sex-based discrimination.
Minnesota is the only state challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders issued during his first year declaring there are only two sexes — male and female — and restricting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
The Trump administration has taken action to force school districts to end their trans-inclusive policies, including threatening to pull their federal education funding. Minnesota sued to stop the administration from pulling funds from schools in the state.
Minnesota District Chief Judge Eric Tostrud said in his ruling the state’s case is ripe, meaning the legal issue is clear and ready for a court to make a decision on. Read More
August 6, 2026
U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, recently joined Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, in introducing the Title IX Clarification Act, legislation that would strip Title IX anti-discrimination protections from LGBTQ+ students.
The bill would limit Title IX’s anti-discrimination requirements tied to federal education funding to matters of “biological sex,” overturning a Biden-era interpretation that found the law’s prohibition against discrimination “on the basis of sex” also applied to discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
“President Trump has taken decisive action through executive orders to protect young women on campuses across the country. Now, we must ensure these protections are codified into federal law,” Britt said. “We saw the Biden-Harris administration cave to the woke mob and allow Title IX to be abused in ways that permitted biological men to infringe on girls’ sports and spaces. We cannot let that happen again, and this legislation will restore regulatory clarity to ensure it does not.” Read More
August 4, 2026
Penn State Health’s letter informing Charlie Raught’s parents that the transgender teen had to find a new doctor arrived on May 23 last year.“
It was upsetting for me to have to leave,” Raught said, “because we had grown a nice bond and my past doctor was very down to earth and generally just a fun person to connect with.”
The Seven Valleys teen is one of an estimated 300,000 transgender youths across the United States. Despite having
supportive parents, the 17-year-old who’d been taking hormone replacement therapies for gender dysphoria found himself without medical care.
Across the country, 27 states have enacted laws limiting youth access to such care, but Pennsylvania is not one
of them. Penn State Health cited “federal government directives” — the letter was sent months after President Donald
Trump’s executive order — as the reason it no longer offers certain forms of gender-affirming care to people under
19. Read More
A new policy from the Department of Education (ED) says the department will stop tracking numbers of transgender and non-binary students, which means it will also no longer track how often they are targeted for bullying, harassment, and assault. The change affects the already-ended 2025-2026 school year, though it’s unclear how this new policy will affect future years.
“[The Office of Civil Rights (OCR)] determined that its costs outweighed its benefits,” the ED claimed, according to K-12 Dive, in response to comments concerned about the new policy. However, the department’s other comments suggest that the reason may be more closely tied to President Trump’s “two sexes” executive order, a January 25 order directing the federal government to end all legal recognition of non-cisgender individuals.
The new policy will cut certain questions and alter the language of others in the Civil Rights Data Collection survey, a mandatory survey for all public school districts, which has been in place for over 50 years. Read More
August 3, 2026
Michigan officials say a hair salon owner who told transgender customers to go to pet groomers cannot turn them away.
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission said on July 27 that Studio 8 Hair Lab violated the state’s civil rights laws when owner Christine Geiger posted on social media that the business would not serve people who did not identify as either a man or a woman. Geiger made national news in 2023 after posting the discriminatory message on Facebook, making clear that transgender clients would not be served. “If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman, please seek services at a local pet groomer,” Geiger wrote. “You are not welcome at this salon. Period.”
The commission ordered the post and similar messages removed in July, finding that they violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which was expanded in 2023 to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Read More
July 31, 2026
The U.S. Department of Education is abandoning the collection of key civil rights data on the nation’s LGBTQ+ students, cutting out data and definitions related to the harassment, bullying and assaults of a student group that has been found to be more at-risk of such incidents.
The changes will be made to the Civil Rights Data Collection, a mandated survey of all public school districts that has been administered for almost six decades, for at least the 2025-26 school year. Changes to future years’ data collections are still forthcoming.
Changes to the 2025-26 survey questions — approved by the Office of Management and Budget in July — include eliminating schools’ reporting of how many students identify as nonbinary, how often they are victims of harassment and bullying, and whether school districts have policies prohibiting those incidents. Read More
July 14, 2026
An Illinois federal court dismissed constitutional and civil rights claims brought by a former high school student challenging a school district’s policy allowing transgender students to use restrooms that align with their gender identity. The student alleged the policy violated her privacy and subjected female students to sex discrimination after she encountered a trans girl in the girls’ restroom, but the policy treats all students equally by permitting each to use facilities consistent with their gender identity and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Read More
July 14, 2026
A flood of public opposition helped stop one of the Trump administration’s most extreme attempts to force hospitals nationwide to abandon gender-affirming care for transgender young people, offering a rare and instructive victory against a federal government that has otherwise moved aggressively to dismantle trans rights.
The Department of Health and Human Services has abandoned a proposed rule that would have threatened hospitals with the loss of all Medicare and Medicaid funding if they continued to provide transition-related care to minors, NPR was first to report on Monday. The proposal, issued in December, never took effect.
Its collapse followed more than 30,000 public comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Nearly 20,000 came from Human Rights Campaign members and supporters, according to the organization. Equality California said major medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Children’s Hospital Association, also urged the administration to withdraw the rule. Read More
July 13, 2026
The day after the Education Department announced the Justice Department would play a larger role in civil rights enforcement in schools, the Justice Department’s top civil rights official gave a preview of what that might look like.
Speaking on conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s radio program, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department would use its investigative and prosecutorial powers to enforce its interpretation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
“FERPA protects children and parental rights from illegal gender ideology being forced down their throats,” Dhillon said during the June 17 show. States are “simply ignoring this law and abusing children,” she added, calling the Justice Department the “right place” to enforce the law.
Passed in 1974, FERPA gives parents access to their children’s school records and prevents schools from sharing student data with third parties without permission. The law does not mention gender. Read More
July 7, 2026
The challenges of the current political era have inspired a strong wave of LGBTQ+ titles across every genre and age range, and our editors have been reading.
Below are the books we think deserve a place on your summer reading list — and honestly, on every other list, too. Chris Azzopardi’s picks span fiction and art — from Barry Walters’ sweeping history of queer music to AIDS-era ghost stories to a Golden Girls spinoff set in Palm Springs drag culture. Sarah Hunt covers memoir, nonfiction, and younger-reader shelves, from a landmark black queer history of the United States to picture books, YA biography, and a cozy monster-hunting romantasy.
Whether you’re looking for memoir that hits close to home, nonfiction that reframes what you thought you knew or younger-reader titles for every age and shelf, there’s plenty of ground to cover. Read More
July 20, 2026
Elected officials’ pressure to end a children’s Pride Month display early at the Monroeville Public Library — coupled with claims that the materials amounted to “sexual grooming” — has reignited a regional conflict over LGBTQ+ books and displays.
The library prematurely removed the display June 26 after council members raised concerns directly with municipal and library officials, without submitting a formal request for reconsideration. The move drew throngs of residents to a July 7 council meeting, where most speakers opposed the officials’ intervention. Members of the public continued to press the municipal council last week.
The Monroeville dispute revives tensions that have rippled across Southwestern Pennsylvania since 2021, as elected officials, school board members and activists have sought greater control over books, displays and policies involving LGBTQ+ identity, sexuality and other politically charged subjects. It is the region’s first high-profile eruption over such materials since a surge of school board activism in 2023. Read More
The ACLU is tracking 530Anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S.
Choose a state on the map to show the different bills targeting LGBTQ Rights and take action.
While not all of these bills will become law, they all cause harm for LGBTQ people.” Read More
June 29, 2026
Love in Action United Church of Christ in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, has opened its doors wide, creating a welcoming congregation where people from the LGBTQ+ community feel at home. Watch Here
July 6, 2026
This past pride month presented me with an opportunity to reflect on the numerous ways our society and church have grown over the last several decades in recognizing the inherent dignity and human rights of LGBTQ persons. In our society, this expanding recognition is evident in the national decriminalization of same-sex relationships (2003), the national legalization of same-sex marriage (2015) and the increasing recognition of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories in nondiscrimination laws around the country.
In faith communities and faith-based organizations, it is seen in dramatically more favorable public attitudes and expanding institutional efforts to become more welcoming, inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ persons. Certainly, there have been setbacks along the way and progress has not been uniform. Even today some states and municipalities, just like some religious denominations, institutions and congregations, resist these changes. Read More
June 29, 2026
It’s Pride Month in the United States, but a recent poll may dampen celebrations. According to Gallup, support for LGBTQ+ issues is on the decline.
The percent of US adults who say changing one’s gender is moral has dropped from 46% to 38% in the last five years. This comes as the Trump administration has pushed back on trans issues – withholding funds from healthcare providers offering gender-affirming care, investigating schools teaching about gender and sexuality, and pillorying transgender athletes.
Views on gay marriage – an issue some consider settled – also appear to have shifted. The share of U.S. adults who believe same-sex marriage should be legal has dropped by 6% in the last few years. The sharpest downturn is amongst republicans – falling from 55% to 37% – and support from independents also declined. Read More
July 6, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision Tuesday allowing the separation of athletics based on “biological sex” is reverberating throughout the K-12 sector, which has long navigated a growing divide over whether transgender students should be able to play sports on teams aligning with their gender identities.
The combined ruling in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. is a major blow to the transgender rights movement, which has sought greater inclusion in K-12 schools — including transgender students’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their gender identity rather than birth sex.
“This ruling represents another significant setback for transgender youth across the country, limiting their ability to fully engage in school life,” said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, CEO of Glisten, which advocates for LGBTQ+ youth inclusion in K-12. “Exclusion from these spaces shapes not only athletic access, but the broader message about who should be valued and included in our schools and societal ecosystem.” Read More
July 6, 2026
This past pride month presented me with an opportunity to reflect on the numerous ways our society and church have grown over the last several decades in recognizing the inherent dignity and human rights of LGBTQ persons. In our society, this expanding recognition is evident in the national decriminalization of same-sex relationships (2003), the national legalization of same-sex marriage (2015) and the increasing recognition of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories in nondiscrimination laws around the country.
In faith communities and faith-based organizations, it is seen in dramatically more favorable public attitudes and expanding institutional efforts to become more welcoming, inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ persons. Certainly, there have been setbacks along the way and progress has not been uniform. Even today some states and municipalities, just like some religious denominations, institutions and congregations, resist these changes. Read More
July 7, 2026
The United States Supreme Court teed up the next legal fight over trans-inclusive policies, upholding state laws that ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
In a 6-3 decision that went along conservative and liberal lines, the court ruled against two transgender students in West Virginia and Idaho that challenged restrictive laws.
In his 29-page opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that “[c]onsistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex. The Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women’s and girls’ sports throughout America.” Read More
July 6, 2026
President Trump and his conservative base are wasting no time seeking more bans for transgender athletes after the Supreme Court’s ruling this week. Conservative activists are now pressuring Democratic states to enact bans on transgender athletes similar to those in red states. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson joins The Weekend to discuss the unrelenting attack on the transgender community. Watch Here
July 5, 2026
Mikael McLaren counts himself as one of the lucky parents. When his daughter, now 21, sought to run cross-country in middle school and field hockey in high school, she was allowed. He didn’t have to go toe-to-toe with her school over regulations barring trans students from playing sports that aligned with their gender identity, or break the news that it would deny her the same access to athletic opportunities afforded to other girls in her school. It wasn’t without some obstacles, but her teams didn’t care that she was transgender; they only cared that she could play. Ultimately, his daughter had the power to decide for herself to quit hockey her senior year as the political climate in Ohio became more hostile.
But McLaren knows that many other transgender children aren’t so supported, and he fears the Supreme Court has now opened the door for even fewer to have the same access his child had. On June 30, the court ruled 6-3 in favor of laws in West Virginia and Idaho banning transgender student athletes from competing in women and girls’ sports. Read More
July 2, 2026
Youth sports have a significant impact on the development of all children. Sports provide children opportunities to build their social skills and confidence, as well as improve their sense of belonging and physical fitness.
What happens to these spaces when adults are given permission to inspect a child’s body to determine their gender?
The Supreme Court rulings on Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. decided that transgender girls cannot play sports that align with their gender identity. Not only does this ruling essentially prohibit transgender kids from participating in most youth sports — codifying the exclusion this vulnerable population already experiences — it also puts all children at risk of the harmful consequences of body surveillance.
I am a social work scholar who studies LGBTQ+ belonging and organizational climate. I’m also a former NCAA Division II women’s volleyball athlete, and I know firsthand what it’s like to have uninvited scrutiny of your body because strangers doubt your gender. Read More
June 30, 2026
Almost half of states do not prohibit trans girls and women from competing. The Supreme Court ruling doesn’t force them to, but lawmakers and voters could change that.
The Supreme Court’s ruling that states can block trans women and girls from competing in female events allows 27 states to keep their bans in place. It does not require any action from the other 23 states, though they’re already feeling pressure from advocates.
“Blue states with boys on girls’ podiums … you’re next,” Kristen Waggoner, the president of the Alliance Defending Freedom, posted on social media soon after the court ruled on Tuesday. Her organization defended the laws in Idaho and West Virginia that prompted the decision, and is eager to see similar laws enacted nationwide — whether by lawmakers, judges or voters. Read More
June 30, 2026
Two Supreme Court decisions issued Friday prompted sharply different reactions from advocacy groups, lawmakers and legal observers in Pennsylvania, with one ruling addressing transgender athletes in school sports and the other reaffirming birthright citizenship.
In a 6-3 decision, the court upheld state bans that prohibit transgender girls from participating in girl’s and women’s sports.
The ruling was welcomed by Pennsylvania Republican state Rep. Barbara Gleim, who has introduced legislation as part of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
“We are very excited and happy,” Gleim said. Read More
June 30, 2026
During the last day of Pride Month, the transgender community faced another setback as the Supreme Court decided to uphold state laws that ban transgender girls and women from playing on the teams they identify with.
This case also focuses on female transgender athletes and revealed that the court does not believe banning transgender athletes contradicts Title 9 or the Equal Protection Clause.
This comes over a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban transgender girls and women from their teams. Shortly afterward, the PIAA updated its rules to direct schools to work with their lawyers on compliance. Read More
June 30, 2026
The Supreme Court ruled against two transgender athletes who sued their states to be allowed to participate in sports alongside other girls and women.
The court ruled Tuesday that Idaho and West Virginia did not discriminate against runner Lindsay Hecox or high school shot-putter Becky Pepper-Jackson in barring them from playing on teams that align with their gender identity. The decision is limited to West Virginia and Idaho but is likely to affect similar laws in half the country.
“The question before the Court is: Under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, may schools maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females? In other words, may schools determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports. Read More
June 24, 2026
When right-wing protesters began disrupting school boards and holding anti-LGBTQ+ protests throughout Southern California, documentary filmmaker Rocky Romano thought some of those involved looked familiar.
Moms Club, a new documentary from Romano and co-director Miranda Winters, tells the story of a group of mothers who came together to find out who kept showing up to protest and disrupt Southern California school boards in 2022 and 2023.
By his recollection, Romano covered almost 300 protests in and around Los Angeles after the June 2020 murder of George Floyd. Read More
June 17, 2026
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people.
The court’s conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year, ruled that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.
More than two dozen other Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes, and the decision seems certain to extend to them as well.
Left unresolved by the outcome are lawsuits challenging state laws and regulations in Connecticut, California and elsewhere that permit transgender athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity. Read More
June 24, 2026
Violence against transgender and nonbinary people has surged in Pennsylvania and across the country, including most recently at a Pride event in Philadelphia.
National data show LGBTQ+ people are five times more likely than heterosexual people to experience violent crime.
J. Gia Loving, co-executive director of the Genders and Sexuality Alliance Network, said the organization is focused on empowering youth voices and helping students build safer school environments. Loving pointed out young people are already finding ways to protect themselves and each other, and the network’s goal is to support them as they grow up. Read More
June 23, 2026
The Tennessee Christian Preparatory School in Cleveland will have to pay gay teenager Morgan Armstrong $10,000 in a settlement approved on Monday, after the school blocked her from graduating and withheld her diploma after she came out on Facebook.
On April 23, 2025, Armstrong posted an image of her and her girlfriend on a beach and told her followers to comment on her post because “I have some ruthless Trump supporting ‘jesus’ mfs on there.”
Soon afterward, the school summoned Armstrong and her parents to a meeting where principal Kylie Machacek and head of schools Jared Tilley accused her of making “vulgar and disrespectful” remarks about the school. Machacek and Tilley gave her a copy of the request she made to her social media followers. Read More
June 17, 2026
Pennsylvania is being ranked in the bottom half of states in terms of safety for members of the LGBTQ community.
That’s according to the 2026 LGBTQ State Safety Report Cards released by the website SafeHome.org. Each state was given a ranking based off factors such as legislation which helps or hurts the LGBTQ community and the number of hate crimes against members of the community. The report ranked Pennsylvania in 26th place with a letter grade of a B-minus.
The safest state was listed as Nevada, while the most unsafe state was listed as West Virginia. Read More
June 17, 2026
Two Hollidaysburg Area School District teachers have filed a federal class-action lawsuit, alleging that the district’s policy on displays related to sexual orientation and gender is discriminatory. Watch Here
June 17, 2026
AI is already shaping how millions of people find information, access healthcare, apply for jobs, and connect with the world. But for LGBTQ people, these systems can too often perpetuate harm including discrimination, biased representation, data privacy concerns, and more.
Today, GLAAD is releasing Build for Everyone: A Framework for LGBTQ Representation and Safety in AI, our first comprehensive report examining how AI systems impact LGBTQ people, and what the industry must do to build safer, more accurate, and more inclusive products. Read More
June 17, 2026
A bill that would separate people by the sex on their birth certificate in public spaces like bathrooms is sitting on Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s desk, as both supporters and opponents made their own arguments this week.
Senate Bill 552 is one of two measures with similar themes heading to the governor’s desk. The other, House Bill 1442, would also permit classification of individuals based on biological sex in places like bathrooms, locker rooms, athletic competitions and correctional institutions.
Ayotte has vetoed prior versions of the legislation on two occasions. Former Gov. Chris Sununu also vetoed a similar measure in 2024. Read More
June 17, 2026
For as long as I can remember, I have known I am a girl. That certainty is as instinctive as knowing I am right-handed. It is difficult to explain to someone who has never been transgender or loved someone who is, but I have never lived this way to gain an advantage or take something from someone else. I live this way to honor what I know is true.
I transitioned at four years old. By sixth grade, my identity was public. I grew used to the double takes, the questions, the quiet skepticism. Most of it did not bother me. Curiosity, even when clumsy, is human. People understand gender differently, and I was taught to respect all ideas, just as I hope others respect mine.
But what occurred on 4 May was not respectful, nor was it curiosity – it was a blatant attack on the values I have always been taught to prioritize. Read More
June 16, 2026
It’s Pride Month, and one Chicago family is sharing how a sister’s journey and a brother’s unwavering support helped spark a national movement focused on understanding transgender and non-binary youth.
That family is behind the GenderCool project.
For many families, unconditional love is something you hope for. For Chazzie Grosshandler, it started with her big brother. She says his support helped give her the confidence to live as her authentic self. It also inspired a mission to help others do the same.
“He didn’t question it, which makes me so grateful because he just simply embraced it,” Grosshandler said.
She knew at a young age exactly who she was. Read More
June 16, 2026
A federal judge in Idaho on Tuesday partially blocked enforcement of a new law that would’ve criminalized transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
The law was set to go into effect July 1. The portion of it that prohibits people from entering changing rooms that don’t align with their biological sex will still go into effect.
The federal court order comes in response to a lawsuit filed by six transgender Idahoans challenging House Bill 752, which the Legislature passed and Gov. Brad Little signed this year. The law makes it a misdemeanor crime, punishable by up to a year in prison, to use a bathroom in a public facility, or private business that’s open to the public, designated for another biological sex. A second offense is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. Read More
June 16, 2026
The Seattle Public Library loves to promote books and reading. This monthly column is a space to share reading and book trends from a librarian’s perspective.
Pride month is an invitation to step outside the familiar and let a book surprise you, challenge you or show you something true about yourself or someone you love.
This June, we’re going beyond the bestseller lists with books we keep pressing into people’s hands because we can’t stop thinking about them.
“Hurricane Envy” by Sara Jaffe. Portland writer Jaffe’s collection of short stories finds her characters caught in liminal moments. Read More
June 16, 2026
A state House committee voted Monday to punt a series of bills on transgender girls’ participation in sports to another panel — the seventh time such a vote has been taken in the past year.
The party-line vote in the House Health Committee increases the likelihood that the Democratic majority will be able to avoid voting on the substance of the hard-to-navigate issue until the next legislative session.
The maneuver has been decried by Republicans, who clearly believe the issue is a winning one for them politically, but who lack the votes to do anything about it under the House’s parliamentary rules. Read More
June 14, 2026
Jefferson Public Schools is pushing back after the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights claimed they’ve reached an impasse in communication, alleging the Colorado school district allowed male students to compete on female sports teams.
This is the most recent development in a DOE investigation into the district, claiming the schools allowed male students to participate on female sports teams, use female bathrooms, and share overnight accommodations with female students based on their gender identity. The Civil Rights Office launched the investigation into the district last year, but school officials deny they have violated Title IX.
In an “impasse letter” in June, the DOE claimed it found male students on the school’s rosters for its female sports teams. Read More
June 4, 2026
This alert signals that medically-necessary health care for Transgender people (called gender-affirming care) is under threat nationwide during the Healthcare Equality Index 2026 survey cycle. This care is often referred to as gender-affirming care and may include age-appropriate medical, mental health, and supportive services that help transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive people live safely and authentically.
Currently, 26 states ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and access has become increasingly difficult even in some states without bans. Federal actions, including executive orders, Department of Justice investigations, and subpoenas, have intensified pressure on healthcare providers and institutions. Facing threats to funding and operations, some hospitals and clinics have paused or stopped providing transgender-specific healthcare entirely — even in states where that care remains legal or protected — leaving transgender patients and families with fewer, and in some cases no, options for medically necessary care. Read More
June 4, 2026
The power politicians have over women’s bodies is one of the oldest tools of control in American history. Throughout that history, the promise of protecting women has been the longtime excuse for excluding women from civic life and limiting our freedom. That history isn’t over.
The Supreme Court will soon decide Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. BPJ — legal cases out of Idaho and West Virginia that will determine whether transgender athletes will be allowed to compete on women’s and girls’ school sports teams.
Idaho’s attorney general has argued that the bans ensure “women’s spaces and sports remain fair, safe, and dedicated to empowering female athletes.” Or, in other words, that we must allow politicians to pass these bans to “protect” women. Although the court’s decision is expected any day now, I have already made mine. Transgender sports bans are not and never have been about protecting women. Read More
June 4, 2026
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization, has released results from a poll showing overwhelming support to end their attacks on transgender people and focus on the rising cost of living.“
The poll, conducted by MRI-Simmons between March 16 and April 2, 2026, found that 44% of registered voters cited “increasing costs or inflation” as their number one concern, and 65% believe politicians use transgender issues to district from more important policies.
Among voters in Georgia, 72% said they were more likely to support midterm candidates who believes “we all deserve the freedom to live our lives without fear of discrimination,” and 70% were more likely to support candidates who focus more on “lowering the cost of living and creating jobs than on issues about transgender people, like restricting government IDs or health care.” Read More
June 3, 2026
A Senate hearing on gender-affirming care for minors on Wednesday became a fight over who gets to make decisions for transgender children, whether politicians should override doctors and parents, and whether the Trump administration’s escalating campaign against gender-affirming care is rooted in concern for children or hostility toward transgender people.
The hearing, convened by Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, came as the administration has intensified efforts to restrict care, including Justice Department subpoenas seeking records from providers that treat transgender minors. The committee listed three witnesses, including Dr. Kurt Miceli, chief medical officer of anti-trans and anti-diversity activist group Do No Harm; Chloe Cole, an anti-trans advocate who received gender-affirming care as a minor and who regretted that care; and Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights. Read More
June 3, 2026
A child of immigrants, Jessica Liu knows what it’s like for a student to feel like he or she doesn’t fit in at school.
“I grew up in a school that was predominantly white and I feel like I kind of lost myself those elementary years,” Liu said. “I really just wanted to fit into this box that I really wasn’t.”
That’s why, as a multilingual learning teacher at Wilson Elementary School, Liu focuses on not just helping students learn English language skills but also infusing equity and inclusion into everything Wilson does.
“I make sure that no matter where students come from, I really try to make sure that they celebrate who they are, where they come from, and they know that it’s an asset,” Liu said.
That dedication to her students has earned Liu the designation of the Christina School District’s teacher of the year. In the fall, she will vie for statewide teacher of the year. Read More
June 1, 2026
The transgender-athlete issue helped torpedo Democrats in the 2024 election, but California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is doubling down as he seeks to separate himself from the primary pack.
Days before Tuesday’s balloting, the Democratic billionaire made a play for the LGBTQ vote by literally embracing transgender athlete A.B. Hernandez ahead of the state track-and-field championships, where the teen won two girls’ titles.
“I’m so proud of you for what you’re doing,” Mr. Steyer said in the video, as he posed for a photo with his arm around the Jurupa Valley High School senior and Nereyda Hernandez, the athlete’s mother. Read More
June 3, 2026
Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.
Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.
June 1, 2026
The transgender-athlete issue helped torpedo Democrats in the 2024 election, but California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is doubling down as he seeks to separate himself from the primary pack.
Days before Tuesday’s balloting, the Democratic billionaire made a play for the LGBTQ vote by literally embracing transgender athlete A.B. Hernandez ahead of the state track-and-field championships, where the teen won two girls’ titles.
“I’m so proud of you for what you’re doing,” Mr. Steyer said in the video, as he posed for a photo with his arm around the Jurupa Valley High School senior and Nereyda Hernandez, the athlete’s mother. Read More
May 29, 2026
I’ve noticed a trend in the news stories coming out about queer books and authors: it’s clear that five years of unrelenting and escalating censorship has brought us to a breaking point. It’s not sustainable for authors, librarians, and teachers to endure years of anti-LGBTQ abuse. It’s becoming harder to get queer books published, harder to sell queer books, and harder to make a living doing it—especially when it comes to queer kidlit and YA. For queer authors of color and other multiply marginalized people, the pressure is even more intense. There’s no sign of this slowing down, either: a national “Don’t Say Trans” bill just passed the House. The fight for queer books badly needs reinforcements.”
School Library Journal published an article called “Are LGBTQIA+ Voices Being Pushed Out of Kid Lit?” that includes interviews with authors and agents describing how publishers have stopped acquiring “diverse” books or dramatically reduced their numbers. Read More
May 28, 2026
The New Jersey State Senate passed a bill today affirming crucial protections for reproductive and transgender healthcare in the state. Bill S2260 passed with a 23 to 12 vote.
“The Senate’s passage of S2260 marks a major milestone for New Jersey to confirm its commitment to ensuring everyone has equal access to vital healthcare,” said Ruth Kundstadter, parent of a trans woman and advocate, of TRC-NJ. “We urge the Assembly to swiftly move the companion bill to a vote to give transgender New Jerseyans full protection from malicious, discriminatory interference in their right to health from other states and the federal government.” Read More
May 28, 2026
Laila Ireland has spent much of her life fighting to prove what has always been true: transgender people belong everywhere. A 40-year-old combat veteran of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Asian American descent, she has forged a path shaped by service, heritage, and the determination to make room for her within institutions that have historically excluded people like her.
Even as attacks on trans rights continue to escalate across the country Laila continues to use her voice to fight for the right to serve. Her visibility and voice has empowered younger generations of trans folks by giving them hope and enabling them to see that a successful future like hers is possible .
Last fall, Laila participated in Lambda Legal’s All Rise campaign, sharing her story as part of the broader fight for LGBTQ+ visibility and justice. Read More
May 22, 2026
GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, Advocates for Trans Equality and more than 40 other organizations submitted a public comment on Friday against a Federal Communications Commission proposal that could apply a warning label before family-focused shows that feature LGBTQ+ characters, arguing that such a move would be “unnecessary, unhelpful, and discriminatory.”
“Together, we affirm that depictions of LGBTQI+ identities, including specifically transgender and non-binary identities, belong in our television programs,” the groups wrote in a statement. “We believe that all people — including all LGBTQI+ youth — deserve to see themselves represented in the media. And we also believe that parents and guardians, not government regulators, should be the ones deciding what their children are able to watch.” Read More
May 8, 2026
Bullying. Isolation. Stress.
Everyone experiences these on the journey from adolescence to adulthood, but new data on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth shows the additional pressures they face increases their risk of suicide compared to their peers.
The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, has released its most recent survey of 16,000 LGBTQ+ young people 13 to 24. Among the most concerning figures was one in 10 participants reporting that they had attempted suicide during the previous year. And more than one-third seriously considered suicide.
Experts also tell EdSurge that the strain of mental health issues and unwelcoming school settings directly harm students’ ability to thrive in, or even attend, their classes. Read More
May 15, 2026
Seattle may be facing what advocates describe as a refugee crisis, not from foreign migrants but from transgender Americans fleeing red states. The city and its residents are welcoming to the trans community.
Seattle city leaders are discussing declaring a civil emergency based on the growing influx of LGBTQ+ individuals moving to the Washington metropolis, according to the Seattle Gay News.
The outlet reports that the Seattle LGBTQ Commission sent a letter to city leaders on Trans Day of Visibility, raising concerns about the volume of individuals relocating to the city. The arrivals follow an increasing number of anti-trans laws being passed in conservative states, including populous ones.
“Many IDPs (internally displaced persons) have relocated from states such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, and Idaho due to anti-trans legislation, threats to personal safety, and barriers to healthcare and legal recognition,” the letter reads. Read More
May 15, 2026
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, locked in a tight race with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) for the Republican nomination for Senate, is burnishing his MAGA bona fides with an unusual settlement with Texas Children’s Hospital over claims of fraudulent billing and other violations of Texas’ ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth.
A so-called “Detransition Clinic” is part of his ploy.
Paxton initiated a years-long investigation of the hospital in 2023 after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation banning gender-affirming care for trans youth. According to the hospital, Texas Children’s has produced more than 5 million documents to both Paxton’s office and the U.S. Department of Justice in related investigations, the Texas Tribune reports.
The case involves, among other accusations, charges that some doctors at Texas Children’s did not use the correct billing codes and did not use the correct gender identifiers for trans patients, something Paxton’s office argues was done to avoid detection under the state ban on gender-affirming care. Read More
April 27, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away another case pitting LGBTQ+ student rights against parental rights in schools, this time related to the constitutionality of gender support plans.
In Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County, two Florida parents sued their school board and superintendent, claiming their 14th Amendment rights were violated when a team of school officials met with their 13-year-old child — identified in the case as A.G. — and drafted a gender support plan.
The officials also referred to A.G. as “nonbinary,” required teachers to refer to the student using they/them pronouns, and updated records to reflect the student’s “new” name, according to the parents’ court documents. Read More
April 23, 2026
For the second time, Pennsylvania’s Republican-majority Senate has passed a bill to restrict transgender women and girls who want to participate in school sports. A year after voting in support of the same bill, Lancaster County’s lone Democratic senator did not cast a vote when the measure came to the floor on Wednesday.
Sen. James Malone of East Petersburg was one of three lawmakers who did not vote on the second iteration of the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” including Tracy Pennycuick, R-Berks, and Patty Kim, D-Dauphin. Four Democrats joined the GOP to move the bill over to the House with a 30-17 vote.
Lancaster County’s Republican senators — Scott Martin of Martic Township, and Chris Gebhard of Lebanon County — voted in support of the bill. Read More
April 14, 2026
Blair’s mom had been cautious when she first brought her 6-year-old to the LGBTQ clinic at Cleveland’s MetroHealth hospital, “trying to figure out why he felt different inside,” as she puts it. She didn’t want to rush her child into treatment. So she was grateful to find the clinicians there took a slow and careful approach to Blair’s health care. Over the years, they provided open-ended counseling, monitored his hormone levels and bone development, and progressed with puberty blockers only when it was clear that transitioning was making him happier and more confident. “That was my barometer for doing the right thing,” she tells me.
Today, at 16, Blair (a pseudonym to preserve his privacy) has been going to the clinic for a decade and, by his mom’s account, thriving. Even when Ohio banned transgender medical treatments for minors in 2024, he could stay on his medication, thanks to a grandfather clause in the law. But a few months ago, his mom got a message from MetroHealth alerting the family to a new threat. Read More
April 14, 2026
Across America, an increasing number of school boards have passed policies to restrict LGBTQ+ narratives in recent years. Implementing policies that exclude students’ identities and reject the idea of gender entirely silences LGBTQ+ students and puts all students at a disadvantage.
616 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in the United States in 2025, and individual districts have adopted policies that suppress the identities of their students. Additionally, the Trevor Project found that 44% of LGBTQ+ young people reporting their school has at least one anti LGBTQ+ policy. Many bills that restrict LGBTQ+ people’s rights emerged as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts were dismantled by President Trump, primarily in red states.
Some laws and policies target transgender students by prohibiting them from using appropriate bathrooms and participating in school sports. Others censor the LGBTQ+-related content permitted in curricula, known as “don’t say gay” laws. Read More
April 11, 2026
The Education Department took an unprecedented step this week to nullify Title IX agreements previous administrations had made with school districts over gender identity, laying the groundwork for an environment that turns such settlements into political ping-pong.
The department rescinded six agreements made during the Obama and Biden administrations that required districts to implement policies such as gender discrimination trainings or instructions on preferred names and pronoun usage for transgender students.
The Trump administration said Title IX is based on sex, therefore the enforcement by past administrations was “illegal and burdensome.”
“Prior Administrations regularly misinterpreted Title IX to pander to political ideology and police ‘misgendering’ despite not having sound legal grounds. With yesterday’s actions, the Trump Administration is upholding the law and righting years of wrongs,” Amelia Joy, a spokesperson for the Department of Education, said Tuesday. Read More
April 6, 2026
The Education Department said Monday it has terminated agreements with five school districts and a college aimed at upholding protections for transgender students, backing away from requirements negotiated by previous administrations that took a different interpretation of civil rights.
The decision removes the federal obligations for the schools to keep up measures such as faculty training on abiding by a students’ preferred name and pronouns and allowing students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
One of the school systems, Delaware Valley School District in rural eastern Pennsylvania, received notice of the change from the Trump administration in February and has since voted to roll back its antidiscrimination protections for transgender students. Read More
March 31, 2026
When Elly Cohen chose to terminate her pregnancy in 2022, it aligned with her understanding of Jewish law that life begins at birth, not conception.
Cohen and her husband were eager to give their then 4-year-old daughter a sibling. But her fetus had been diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a severe chromosomal disorder that, in most cases, leads to death before birth or within the first year of life. She decided to end the pregnancy.
Had she gotten pregnant just a few months later, she might not have had that choice. She lives in Indiana, one of 13 states that enacted near-total bans on abortion following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Read More
March 15, 2026
Nearly 100 people gathered on the Pa. state capitol steps Sunday for a rally promoting Transgender Day of Visibility on Tuesday.
The crowd waved flags, holding signs with quotes like “Trans youth deserve to thrive” and “our love is louder.”
There were no counter-protesters at the event, although one passerby drove by hurling expletives at the rally and saying “Trump 2028.” The crowd ignored him.
March 25, 2026
Children across the United States are being barred from reading books—not by their parents or teachers, but by their state governments. In January alone, Katy Independent School District banned over 140 LGBTQIA+ books from school libraries. Language around book bans has been intentionally ambiguous, but PEN America defines the process in clear terms as “…any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by governmental officials, that leads to a book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.”
Book bans are, unfortunately, a time-honored tradition in many school districts. In fact, every year, the American Library Association (ALA) hosts a Banned Books Week, which was created in 1982 “…in response to a sudden surge in the number of book challenges in libraries, schools, and bookstores,” according to the ALA website. Read More
March 26, 2026
For teens entering high school—an anxious time for many—inclusive environments benefit
Last fall, a spokesperson for the Pentagon attacked the hit series Boots, calling it “woke garbage.” It was one example of the overreach that is creating a chilling effect across the entertainment industry. Just a few weeks later, GLAAD’s most recent Where We Are on TV study showed that over 40% of the LGBTQ characters tracked in the study would not be returning.
Audiences, however, are pushing back on this narrative.
In the past year, LGBTQ-inclusive series like “Heated Rivalry,” “Stranger Things,” “Yellowjackets,” “The Gilded Age” and many more have been among the most watched and talked-about series on television. These titles are creating cultural buzz and driving viewers, retention and revenue while telling nuanced and diverse queer stories. Read More
March 26, 2026
President Donald Trump already has signed more executive orders since January 2025 than during his entire first term—and more than many presidents signed during their tenures in office. But one order has gone far beyond the others in reshaping the ecosystem of information the government and so many others, rely on.
“EO14168 has been overwhelmingly responsible for driving changes to federal forms and survey data,” says Melanie Klein, an analyst with the federal monitoring organization dataindex.us who has been tracking these alterations. Although Trump signed EO14168—better known by its title “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”—on his first day in office, data experts are still getting a sense of its far-reaching scope. Read More
March 21, 2026
In a message sent this week to the Rutherford County Library System board, Director Luanne James said she would not comply with an order to move more than 100 LGBTQ+ titles from youth sections to the adult area.
“Restricting access to these materials through subjective relocation or removal constitutes a violation of the community’s right to information and a direct infringement on the principles of free speech,” she wrote in a letter to the board of the Rutherford County Library System on Wednesday.
She called the board’s vote “a clear act of viewpoint discrimination” and said carrying it out would violate both the First Amendment and her professional obligations.
“Therefore, I will not comply,” she wrote. Read More
March 19, 2026
A new national survey released today by PRRI profiles LGBTQ Americans and tracks Americans’ views on LGBTQ rights across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Based on interviews with more than 22,000 adults throughout 2025, this new data from the 2025 PRRI American Values Atlas measures public opinion on LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, religiously based service refusals, and same-sex marriage. It also asks Americans if they agree that transgender Americans deserve the same rights and protections as other Americans.
The survey finds that strong majorities of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals (72%) and favor same-sex marriage (65%), although support for both measures has decreased slightly over the past three years (down from 80% and 69% in 2022, respectively). Read More
March 18, 2026
For teens entering high school—an anxious time for many—inclusive environments benefit not only those identifying as LGBTQ but also their majority-group peers, Cornell-led psychology research finds. Especially for LGBTQ students, who start ninth grade more anxious, on average, a strong sense of self can help significantly ease those feelings over time.
Those findings, reported in two new studies that followed more than 400 students through 9th and 10th grade, highlight the value of cultivating self-esteem and openness during a critical period of development, the researchers said. Read More
March 17, 2026
Colorado’s second-largest school district has refused to comply with transphobic demands from the Trump administration’s Department of Education (ED). The Jefferson County Public Schools district (Jeffco) — which has about 75,000 students and 14,000 staff members in 145 schools — is just one of a growing number of educational institutions refusing to bow down to Trump’s transphobic threats.
Last Friday, Trump’s ED demanded that the school district stop recognizing trans students’ gender identities and ban them from accessing the correct restrooms, sports teams, overnight accommodations, and other associated rights. The ED said district policies violate Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex-based educational discrimination, because they allegedly deny cisgender female students their rights to safety, dignity, and equal access to school programs, CBS News reported. Read More
March 16, 2026
During a time when LGBTQ+ history is under attack in classrooms and libraries — through “don’t say gay” bills, book bans, and the erasure of references to trans people on national monuments — University of California, Berkeley, professor Juana María Rodríguez’s 10-year project that adds LGBTQ+ history to Wikipedia is more important than ever.
In a partnership with Wiki Education, Rodríguez has students in several of her classes create entries on queer events and people, with a focus on Latine women. Right now, fewer than 20 percent of Wikipedia biographies are of women, despite Wikipedia being the largest digital encyclopedia ever created, she says. Read More
March 13, 2026
The Trump administration says several Jeffco Public Schools policies accommodating transgender students violate Title IX.
The U.S. Department of Education initiated an investigation in June into the district’s policies allowing transgender students to share accommodations with students who match their gender identity on overnight trips.
In a press release Friday, the department said the district violated Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools that receive federal funds, by allowing transgender students to “access female bathrooms, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations, and to compete in female sports.” Read More
March 9, 2026
As debates over book bans continue across the United States, the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2026 Youth Media Awards recognized a wide range of LGBTQ+ authors and stories for young readers.
PEN America reported that more than 10,000 instances of book bans were recorded nationwide during the 2023–2024 school year, many involving LGBTQ+ titles and themes. In its report “The Normalization of Book Banning,” the organization described a growing pattern of coordinated efforts targeting books about race, gender identity and sexual orientation. Read More
March 6, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Mirabelli v. Bonta ruling casts doubt on the legality of school district policies that aim to protect transgender students’ privacy.
But even though the majority of justices sided with California parents who said those policies led schools to withhold important information about their children’s gender identity, the practical impact of their ruling is less straightforward amid a shifting legal landscape for trans rights.
In Mirabelli v. Bonta, teachers and parents challenged a California law that required schools to use students’ preferred names and pronouns and to not disclose students’ transgender identity — including to parents — without the student’s consent. Read More
March 5, 2026
Refusing to allow transgender Kansans the ability to use the bathroom of their choice or hold documents that match their gender affects their mental health and may open them to acts of violence, researchers and doctors say.
And claims that women are safer because of restrictive laws, as proponents said during Kansas legislative hearings, aren’t supported by evidence.
The situation frustrates and worries Susan Peach, who cried last week when her daughter turned in her Kansas driver’s license to comply with the state’s new law targeting transgender residents. Read More
March 2, 2026
The Supreme Court on Monday barred California from enforcing state rules that restrict when schools can notify parents about students who come out as transgender and requires teachers to use children’s preferred pronouns.
The court, on a 6-3 vote on ideological lines, allowed a federal judge’s ruling in favor of parents who oppose the policy on religious grounds to go into effect. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had put the judge’s decision on hold pending further litigation. Read More
February 26, 2026
“The EEOC was created with the explicit mission of protecting American workers from discrimination—but under Trump and Chair Andrea Lucas, the Commission has abandoned its duty in order to push Trump’s radical, anti-equality, and anti-worker agenda. Andrea Lucas has spent her time leading EEOC undermining enforcement of minority workers’ rights—she’s exactly who the Commission was designed to fight back against,” said Rep. Mark Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “The Supreme Court made clear in Bostock that transgender workers are protected from discrimination; the EEOC cannot undue those protections. Read More
February 26, 2026
Avery Rowland shook as she walked into the Crawford County courthouse in southeast Kansas at 8 a.m. to change the gender marker on her driver’s license.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to come to work today, because I was so nervous,” she said.
The Girard, Kansas, resident was worried she would meet a transphobic employee. Instead, the clerk was just confused.
“She said, ‘Well, you’re a woman. It says woman on your passport. I don’t know what to do.’”
Rowland’s early morning DMV visit was caused by a new state law, which targets transgender people. Read More
February 25, 2026
Yesterday, anti-transgender activist and columnist Jesse Singal published a piece claiming there were “cracks in the wall” around gender-affirming care (which you can find fully fact-checked here). To make that case, he relied heavily on a statement from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons that bypassed the organization’s normal scientific review process and was advanced under pressure from leadership aligned with the Trump administration, including a president who is a major Republican donor. Singal also invoked the American Psychological Association, suggesting the organization was retreating from its 2024 position supporting transgender care and rejecting claims that gender identity is “caused” by external factors. Read More
February 25, 2026
30-year-old trans man Lio Cundiff has been hailed as a hero for jumping into Chicago’s frigid Lake Michigan to save a baby whose stroller was blown into the water by a strong gust of wind.
Cundiff recounted hearing the mother scream and then observing her being frozen in shock. “And so I just jumped in,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “My only thing was, ‘You got to get this baby out of here.’ If she’s going down, I’ll go down with her, but the goal is to get us both up.”
Cundiff told ABC 7 Chicago that the mother was clearly “too panicked to do anything.” Read More
February 19, 2026
On Monday, February 9th, the Conestoga Valley School Board aimed to propose an addition to district policy 123. This addition would include the designation of sports participation by original birth certificate and biological makeup.
This is not the first time that our school board has brought up this issue. In early 2023, a similar policy was brought up. The policy was not implemented due to the school’s solicitor not being sure about any legal ramifications that could follow.
The policy that was introduced this year was proposed by Phillip Benigno, who was just elected to the board in November of 2025. During the meeting, Benigno stated that the reason for the change is due to the PIAA policy change following an executive order from President Trump last year. Read More
February 19, 2026
Michigan’s superintendent is firing back at the U.S. Justice Department by saying the Trump administration’s Title IX investigations into three districts are based on false information about the state’s health education guidelines.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon sent notices of compliance reviews to superintendents of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools on Wednesday. The department said it is investigating whether the districts have included “sexual orientation or gender ideology content” in any classroom and if parents were notified of their rights to opt their children out of such instruction. It will also determine if transgender students are allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Read More
February 18, 2026
Sarah O’Neill loved her job as a data scientist at the National Security Agency (NSA).
“The government before last year was what I would consider to be a model employer,” O’Neill said.
She started the job in 2019, two years after she started her transition to living as a woman.
“That wasn’t an issue at all,” she said. “Everybody was supportive.”
Everything changed in January 2025. That’s when President Donald Trump took office for a second term and signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” Read More
February 18, 2026
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., filed legislation to grant the LGBTQ pride flag the same federal protections as the U.S. flag.
Last week, the National Park Service removed the pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in New York City.
“Stonewall has stood as a beacon of hope for the LGBTQ community – a reminder of the resilience and perseverance of those before us who fought for the rights they deserve,” Schumer said in a statement.
The legislation introduced by Schumer would grant the LGBTQ flag the designation of a congressional authorized flag. Read More
February 17, 2026
Two public comments were filed today by 123 public health and health policy deans, chairs and scholars from leading academic institutions nationwide and the American Public Health Association (APHA) opposing two proposed rules issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would significantly restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
The first proposed rule, “Hospital Condition of Participation: Prohibiting Sex-Rejecting Procedures for Children” would bar hospitals from participating in Medicare and Medicaid if they provide puberty-pausing medications, hormone therapy, or surgical care for transgender adolescents under age 18. Read More
February 13, 2026
Republican lawmakers will try to override the Democratic governor’s veto and put the ban into law. It penalizes individuals who use restrooms that don’t match the sex they were assigned at birth.
Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a GOP-led bill on Friday that bans transgender people from using restrooms and locker rooms according to their gender identity.
The bill passed with support from more than two-thirds of the Republican-dominated state House and Senate, meaning supporters have a good chance of overriding Kelly’s veto and forcing the bill into law.
In a statement, Kelly said the legislation was “poorly drafted,” leaving room for unintended consequences far beyond bathroom use. Read More
February 11, 2026
Imagine, for a moment, that your child requires specialized medical treatment. Imagine researching everything available on the topic, networking with other parents in a similar situation and locating the most qualified medical experts. Imagine watching your child receive this expert care and feeling relieved and amazed by how much it helped them.
Revel in that feeling, for a moment. Then imagine that expert care is suddenly ripped away.
This is precisely what just happened to hundreds of families in Wisconsin: the families of transgender kids.
During the second week of 2026, families with transgender children lost access to medically necessary, lifesaving health care. With no warning, UW Health decided to stop providing gender-affirming care through its Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Health clinic due to “federal actions.” Read More
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All anti-transgender provisions stripped from House and Senate funding bills
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