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☆ Utah is poised to be the first state to pass a gender-affirming care ban in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Utah is likely to become the first state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors this year. The Utah Senate approved a bill Friday that would bar minors from receiving gender-affirming surgeries and place an indefinite moratorium on their access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Spencer Cox, who became the second Republican governor last year to veto a bill that bars transgender students from playing girls’ sports. Bri Martin, the editor of the student newspaper at West High School, described gender-affirming care as “nothing short of life-saving,” the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The bill also allows minors to sue medical providers for malpractice for gender-affirming medical care if the minor “later disaffirms consent” before they turn 25.

☆ Less than 10% of 2022’s anti-LGBTQ state bills became law, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

State legislators across the country proposed a record number of bills targeting LGBTQ rights last year, but less than 1 in 10 have become law, a report published Thursday by the Human Rights Campaign found. The LGBTQ advocacy group’s 2022 State Equality Index, an annual review of state legislation and policies that affects the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, found that state lawmakers introduced 315 bills that HRC described as “anti-equality.” Of those, just 29 became law. “I know they don’t see that, but these are not winning issues.”This year’s State Equality Index also found that state lawmakers introduced 156 “pro-equality” bills, of which 23, or just under 15%, became law. Seventeen states bar Medicaid from covering certain transgender medical care. In just the first few weeks of the year, state lawmakers have introduced nearly 150 such bills, with the majority continuing to target LGBTQ youth, according to an NBC News analysis.

☆ Under West Virginia bills, exposing minors to transgender people could be a crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Two West Virginia bills aim to protect minors from obscene performances and materials, which the bills define, in part, as anything that includes exposure to or performances by transgender people. People who violate the bill regulating venues and performances, SB 278, could face a misdemeanor, a fine of up to $1,000 and/or jail time. Advocates in the state say the bills declare transgender people’s existence as inherently sexual and harmful to children. In West Virginia, legislators have introduced at least 10. Another West Virginia bill would allow 15% of voters in a city to recall “any ordinance or city code provision previously enacted by the governance.” Schneider said this bill, though it doesn’t explicitly name LGBTQ issues or people, could be used to repeal local nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, which have passed in 18 cities in West Virginia.

☆ Hormone therapy improves mental health for transgender youths, a new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Transgender youths reported more life satisfaction and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety after receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy for two years, according to a new study. However, medical associations such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, oppose efforts to restrict gender-affirming care for minors. In addition to the New England Journal of Medicine study, about half a dozen others have shown that access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy can improve mental health outcomes, including reducing suicidal ideation, among transgender youths. Three studies — two published in 2020 and another published in 2021 — found that earlier access to gender-affirming medical care is associated with better mental health. They also noted that improvement in mental health varied widely, and that some participants continued to report high levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of positive emotions and life satisfaction.

☆ With over 100 anti-LGBTQ bills before state legislatures in 2023 so far, activists say they're 'fired up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

So far, Texas has taken the lead with 36 such bills, according to Equality Texas, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group. Four states — Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Arizona — have enacted restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for minors, though federal judges have blocked them from taking effect in Arkansas and Alabama. State Sen. David Bullard, the Republican sponsoring the bill, told The Oklahoman that gender-affirming medical care is a “permanent change in your body that cannot be reversed. Accredited medical associations — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association — have supported gender-affirming care for minors. Advocates and doctors who treat trans youth have said many of the health care restrictions proposed by state legislators mischaracterize what gender-affirming care is.

☆ Dave Bautista says he got Manny Pacquiao tattoo covered after 'anti-gay statements'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The old tattoo was a flaming meteor, which is the team logo of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who also has a meteor tattoo on his left forearm. A representative for Pacquiao did not immediately return a request for comment. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I’m not condemning LGBT. Nike terminated its relationship with Pacquiao as a result of his initial comments. At the time, Bautista also condemned Pacquiao’s remarks, calling the boxer a “f------ idiot” in an interview with TMZ.

☆ Drag Story Hour protest in NYC caps a year of anti-drag attacks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The latest occurred Thursday outside a public library in the borough of Queens, where a Drag Story Hour event for children was scheduled. A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department said one person was arrested in connection with Thursday’s protest. Demonstrators gather for a protest in support of the Drag Story Hour outside the Queens Public Library in New York on Thursday. Demonstrators gather to protest against Drag Story Hour outside the Queens Public Library in New York on Thursday. Yuki Iwamura / AFP via Getty ImagesThursday’s incident marks at least the second protest of a Drag Story Hour event in New York City this month.

☆ Here are 22 of the top LGBTQ news stories of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Here are 22 of our top LGBTQ news stories of the year. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial Parental Rights in Education law — or what critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — on March 28. 'It’s already having an impact': LGBTQ people fear abortion rights reversalA supporter of gay marriage waves a flag in front of the Supreme Court on June 25, 2015. Nicola Goode / Prime VideoAmazon’s “A League of Their Own” series, which debuted Aug. 12 and was inspired by the 1992 cult classic by director Penny Marshall, brought much-needed representation to the screen for lesbians and other queer women, who celebrated how “gay, gay, gay” it was. Biden signs same-sex marriage bill at White House ceremonyPresident Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act on the South Lawn of the White House on Dec. 13.

☆ Congressman-elect George Santos faces increasing calls to resign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Congressman-elect George Santos is facing increasing calls to resign following admissions that he fabricated parts of his resumé, including information about his education and employment history. “I’m not saying I’m not guilty of that.”Congressman-elect George Santos speaks during a press conference in Baldwin, N.Y. on Nov. 9, 2022. NBC News attempted to reach George Santos overnight but has not yet received a response. Public employment records only show one employer for Santos’ mother: Imports by Rose, a company based in Queens that shuttered in 1994. When asked about Santos’ claims regarding his mother, Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, referred NBC News to Kevin Connors, whom Murray said would be handling Santos’ press inquiries.

☆ Vermont's first trans lawmaker gets engaged at rainbow-lit White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Vermont Rep. Taylor Small, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, got engaged to her partner, Carsen Russell, while the White House was lit with rainbow lights on Tuesday. Vermont Rep. Taylor Small got engaged to her partner, Carsen Russell (left), after the Respect for Marriage Act signing at the White House on Tuesday. Courtesy Rep. Taylor SmallAs the event was wrapping up, Russell said he asked Small if she wanted to take a photo. “Carson is wonderful at navigating the roads with such confidence.”Carsen Russell, Vermont Rep. Taylor Small's partner of nearly four years, said he wasn't sure he would be able to get a ring into the White House without Small noticing. “I was like, ‘How do I get a ring into the White House without her noticing?’” he said.

☆ 1 in 5 studio films included an LGBTQ character in 2021, GLAAD report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Sixteen of the 77 films released by those studios (20.8%) featured 28 LGBTQ characters, the report found. That percentage is down slightly from 2020, during which 10 of the 44 theatrical releases (23%) featured 20 LGBTQ characters, according to the report. Of the 16 films that included LGBTQ characters in 2021, 11 films (69%) included gay male characters, four (25%) included lesbian characters and two (13%) included bisexual characters, according to the report. For the second year in a row, GLAAD found that there were zero LGBTQ characters with disabilities or LGBTQ characters living with HIV represented in the year’s films. The majority of the 28 characters, 17, received fewer than five minutes, and six of those characters received less than a minute of screen time.

☆ Club Q survivors blame 'hateful rhetoric' for Colorado Springs shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Two survivors of the Nov. 19 attack on a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, told members of Congress on Wednesday that they believe the shooting was the result of escalating anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. The committee heard from Michael Anderson and James Slaugh, two survivors of the shooting at Club Q, which left five people dead and 17 others injured after a gunman entered the club and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle. Hate speech turns into hate action, and actions based on hate almost took my life from me at 25 years old. “The hateful rhetoric we’ve heard from elected leaders is the direct cause of the horrific shooting at Club Q,” he said. They are basic human rights.”The suspect accused of the Club Q shooting has since been charged with 305 criminal counts, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and bias-motivated crimes.

☆ History-making nonbinary government official is out of a job after theft accusations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A department spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that Brinton is no longer the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition but would not elaborate. “By law, the Department of Energy cannot comment further on personnel matters,” the spokesperson said in an email. NBC News has requested a copy of the warrant from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department but has not received it yet. If convicted, Brinton could face five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both, according to the complaint. Prior to joining the Energy Department, Brinton served as the vice president of advocacy and government affairs for The Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization.

☆ Former Major League Baseball pitcher T.J. House comes out as gay
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Former Major League Baseball player T.J. House came out as gay and announced his engagement to his partner, Ryan Neitzel, in an emotional social media post Thursday. He said he felt like he could not be himself around many people, because of conversations he heard from others and in church. “It’s hard listening to people talk about you without them knowing that the words they are saying are directed at you,” he said. “This is a great day for the league and baseball,” Bean, who is now the league’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, told Outsports. It allows Ryan Neitzel and I to come together and create something beautiful.

☆ Why extremism experts say it's worth discussing the Colorado shooting suspect's pronouns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Attorneys for the alleged gunman in the deadly shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado said in court filings the suspect is nonbinary and uses “they” and “them” pronouns. In court appearances this week, Aldrich’s lawyers and District Attorney Michael Allen used he/him pronouns for Aldrich, but Aldrich’s attorneys referred to their client as “Mx. It’s unclear whether the public defenders were accidentally using he/him pronouns for Aldrich, and their office has not returned a request for comment. A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said, regarding the suspect’s pronouns, “The defendant will be identified as the defendant throughout proceedings,” but declined to comment further on both legal teams using he/him pronouns for Aldrich in court. Holt said the response from Carlson is another part of why he believes it’s worth questioning the suspect’s claim.

☆ F.B.I. asking about videos and racist website in connection with Colorado shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The former neighbor, Xavier Kraus, said an FBI agent asked him about the two websites at an FBI field office in Colorado Springs last Thursday afternoon after an agent called him earlier that day. The website allegedly created by Aldrich is a forum-type “free speech” site where people have anonymously posted racist and antisemitic memes, language and videos. The videos appear to have gone up from 9:28 p.m. to 11:43 p.m. local time on the night of the shooting. Kraus said the agents asked whether Aldrich posted the “Wrong Targets” video on the homepage. After listening to the voice in the videos, Kraus said it “sounds very, very similar” to Aldrich, but he could not confirm this with certainty.

☆ A teen and his mom are starting over in another state after attacks on trans care
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

The department began opening investigations into families days later, but Laird told NBC News in March that she didn’t have plans to move. The family’s story reveals part of the impact Abbott’s directive is having on the families of trans youths in Texas. They left out of fear that Noah would lose the care recommended by his medical team, but also because the state was becoming increasingly hostile for trans people, Laird said. He added that Laird and Noah are far from the only ones who have left the state — he knows of several. At least three other families with trans kids have also said in interviews that they have moved.

☆ After the Colorado Springs attack, LGBTQ people are furious at the rhetoric targeting them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

And she’s angry with people who have spread anti-LGBTQ rhetoric online — some for years — leading up to the shooting. Courtesy Elizabeth Pixie / Snapchat“They can call it religion, they can call it politics, they can call it saving people,” Pixie, who lives in Colorado Springs, said. The suspect was apprehended by police after being injured in the attack and is in the hospital. James Davis said the attack at Club Q was a result of "cause and effect." Parker Grey used to be a regular at Club Q but stopped going out of safety concerns.

☆ How a poem is helping comfort some people online after the Colorado Springs LGBTQ club shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Before Club Q become the site of a tragic shooting, it was a sanctuary for poet James Davis. He and his friends would gather at the "hokey small town gay bar" to karaoke. “And that every memory that you have there is precious and not a given.”The poem is included in his book of the same title, "Club Q." Author James Davis. As for the future of Club Q, Davis said he hopes the bar is around for many years to come.

Parker Grey stopped going to the LGBTQ nightclub Club Q about a year and half ago “because of the growing hatred for our community that started in” Colorado Springs, Colorado. While no motive in the shooting has been disclosed by authorities, the violence comes amid heightened tensions for the LGBTQ community. The movement that advocated for that amendment started in Colorado Springs, they said. "I don’t know that we ever believe that we’ve fully grown out of that," Smith, 32, a longtime Colorado Springs resident, said. Most recently, in Colorado Springs, a transgender girl was kicked out of the homecoming dance because she wore a dress, Smith added.

☆ 'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider testifies against Ohio transgender care ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

champion Amy Schneider testified before an Ohio House of Representatives committee meeting Wednesday against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming medical care for minors. After receiving gender-affirming care, "for the first time in my life, that alarm went silent, and I knew peace and quiet for the first time." Rep. Latyna Humphrey, a Democrat, asked Schneider if she has ever regretted receiving gender-affirming care or experienced suicidal thoughts after her transition. “We’ve made quite a few concessions, and that’s to bring this to a middle ground,” Click said of the substitute bill. Four states — Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee — passed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.

☆ A record number of LGBTQ candidates claim victory in another 'rainbow wave'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

A record number of LGBTQ candidates won their midterm races this year, creating what some advocates are calling yet another “rainbow wave.”Many races are still too close or too early to call, but as of Thursday afternoon, at least 400 out LGBTQ candidates had won their elections, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which supports queer people running for office. “With so much at stake this election, from the future of marriage equality to abortion, LGBTQ candidates’ grit and exceptional grassroots support is paying off.”National firstsQueer candidates celebrated a number of notable victories and firsts across the country. Alaska is one of four states with zero out LGBTQ state lawmakers, according to the LGBTQ Victory Institute. Magni said the results prove that LGBTQ candidates can successfully compete in both blue and red states. “This is a powerful message, saying, ‘Hey, LGBTQ candidates can win elections and can win elections in many states and many districts across the country.’” he said.

☆ New Hampshire's James Roesener is first trans man elected to a state legislature
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

James Roesener of New Hampshire is the first transgender man elected to a state legislature in the United States, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which supports queer candidates running for office. Roesener, 25, lives in Concord with his wife and cat and “was born an advocate for the underdog,” according to his campaign website. “I believe that it is imperative that all individuals have the ability to thrive in New Hampshire,” it says. Prior to Tuesday’s elections, there were eight out trans people serving in state legislatures, but none of them are trans men, according to the LGBTQ Victory Institute, the research arm of the Victory Fund. Outside of state legislatures, there are six out trans men serving in elected office nationwide, according to the institute.

☆ Dwyane Wade responds to ex-wife's objection to their trans daughter's name change: 'This isn't a game'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, who was married to Wade from 2002 to 2010, asked the court to deny his petition in an objection that her lawyers filed Tuesday. In a statement posted to Instagram early Thursday, Wade said Funches-Wade's allegations "have hurt our children." Dwyane Wade with his then-wife, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, on June 23, 2006, in Miami. Issac Baldizon / NBAE via Getty Images fileIn an interview with "Good Morning America" in 2020, Wade said that Zaya knew she was transgender at 3 years old. “Zaya is more than that,” Wade said of her gender identity .

☆ Dwyane Wade's ex-wife files objection to daughter Zaya's name change
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

As a result, Funches-Wade argued Wade violated their custody agreement and asked the Los Angeles court to reject the name-change petition. Zaya came out as trans in 2020, and Wade has been publicly supportive of her in multiple interviews since then. “Petitioner has appeared on national television shows and in media reports regarding our child’s name and gender change. “There are genuinely people out there who think that you’re a kid, this is a phase, or you don’t actually know what you’re talking about,” Zaya told Logo. We are who we are.”Neither Wade’s representative nor Funches-Wade’s attorney immediately responded to NBC News request for comment.

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