I am an older gay guy in a long-term wonderful relationship. My spouse and I are in our 36th year together. I love politics and news. I enjoy civil discussions and have no taboo subjects. My pronouns are he / him / his and my email is Scottiestoybox@gmail.com
On the last post I made about this I was going to write a long intro. However when I read the comments every point I would have made is made in the comments in far fewer words than I would have done. So if you wish to see opinions on what the government is doing to follow Russia and wipe the LGBTQ+ from society in the name of protecting children / straight people / cis people / and religious privilege to discriminate then please read the comments. Hugs
The Trump administration is investigating three dozen Illinois school districts to assess if their curriculums include “gender ideology” — and parental opt-outs — and whether trans students can participate in competitive sports.
The districts are the latest in a string of public schools, colleges and universities across the country named as subjects of similar federal investigations since President Donald Trump began his second term last year.
The ACLU of Illinois said the Trump administration is wrongly interpreting both federal and state law.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
Three dozen Illinois school districts are the latest in a string of public schools, colleges and universities across the country named as subjects of federal investigations into whether the institutions teach about sexual orientation and “gender ideology,” and whether parents can opt out of such curriculum.
The inquiry, announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday, will also “assess” whether the 35 school districts around the state, plus Chicago’s largest charter school network, allow transgender students to use single-sex bathrooms or participate in competitive sports.
The DOJ’s notice did not say what prompted the investigation or why the districts — which range from rural schools with extremely small enrollment to one of the largest districts in Illinois — and the agency did not respond to a request for clarification. More than half of the school districts are in the Chicago area, though the list does not include any of the large suburban school districts that have attracted attention in recent years for litigation over trans students’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms.
But Thursday’s announcement did point to a June 2025 U.S. Supreme Court decision that requires school districts to allow opt-outs for LGBTQ-related lessons in the classroom, plus a more recent March ruling blocking a California policy that allowed schools to keep a student’s gender transition private from their parents.
“This Department of Justice is determined to put an end to local school authorities keeping parents in the dark about how sexuality and gender ideology are being pushed in classrooms,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the news release.
Dhillon, who advised Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign and rose to prominence as the face of several unsuccessful lawsuits against California’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, is the administration’s key lawyer on civil rights issues. As assistant attorney general for civil rights, Dhillon oversees the “Title IX Special Investigations Team” — a joint effort between the DOJ and U.S. Department of Education that was launched last year.
“Supreme Court precedent leaves no doubt: Parents have the fundamental right and primary authority to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children,” Dhillon said. “This includes exempting their children from ideological instruction that contradicts their values or decisions about their children’s health and best interests.”
In a statement, Gov. JB Pritzker dismissed the inquiry as the Trump administration continuing to “punish states the president does not like,” calling it a “sham investigation.”
“The Civil Rights Division used to investigate actual discrimination concerns to ensure all individuals are treated equally under the law, but they’re now focused on belittling the rights and humanity of LGBTQ+ communities,” he said.
In 2019, Pritzker signed legislation requiring Illinois public schools’ history curriculum “include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this state,” but Thursday’s news release made no mention of the law.
String of investigations
The DOJ’s announcement is similar to more than a dozen from the Trump administration since the president began his second term last January, most citing Title IX, the sweeping 1972 federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
One of his first official acts back in power was signing an executive order dubbed “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” which threatened to “rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.”
That included school lunch funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as the state of Maine found out in early 2025 after a public spat between the president and Gov. Janet Mills at the White House over the executive order. After the Department of Education launched an investigation into the state’s education agency and subsequently froze the funding, a judge ordered the USDA to unfreeze the funds, and the agency settled the suit.
Inquiries announced last year in states like New York, Oregon and Washington are ongoing, though the administration has claimed it found evidence of violation of Title IX in Kansas and Colorado school districts. The administration has also launched, and in some cases wrapped up, similar assessments of public universities and community colleges.
ACLU of Illinois cites wrong interpretation
Ed Yohnka with the ACLU of Illinois said the Trump administration is wrongly interpreting both federal and state law, which he said are both “clear that students have an ability to play on sports teams and to use private areas consistent with their gender identity.”
Yohnka also said it was ironic that the Trump administration, brought to power by Republicans who generally oppose government overreach, was trying to limit local control of school districts.
“None of these schools need some ideological culture warrior in Washington, D.C., telling Watseka what their curriculum should be,” he said. “The notion that Justice Department is going to launch investigations and divert money for education because the president signed a piece of paper is just a misuse of our tax dollars.”
Yohnka said he wasn’t aware of any pattern among the three dozen districts the DOJ is investigating, but one school official from rural northwest Illinois has an “emerging operational theory.” In a social media post Friday, Oregon Community Unit School District 220 Superintendent PJ Caposey said he didn’t have “definitive answers” from the DOJ as to why his district was included, he posited it may have something to do with the districts’ participation in a federal School Violence Prevention Program grant.
“To be absolutely clear, this does not confirm that grant participation is the reason for inclusion, nor can we state that as fact,” he wrote. “It is simply one possible connection being explored as we work to better understand the broader picture.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The Trump administration has made an aggressive push to add the president’s name to buildings, battleships, money and government websites.
President Donald Trump is physically leaving his mark on Washington and beyond, more so than any other president in modern U.S. history.Andrew Harnik / Getty Images file
The federal government is undergoing an unprecedented presidential branding makeover, with Donald Trump’s name being added to everything from buildings and battleships to a drug website and a park pass.
While Trump has had roads and even an airport named after him since winning a second term in office, his administration has initiated a series of actions to imprint his name and likeness on the federal government well beyond internal documents and communications.
The branding is in stark contrast to prior presidencies, including Trump’s first term, when the largest branding controversy involved having his name added to Covid relief checks during an election year.
Here’s a look at all the places and items where the administration has added Trump’s name during his second term.
Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace
The U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters in Washington last year.Alex Kent / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
The first federal building to be named after a sitting U.S. president was the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters in downtown Washington in December 2025. The agency was named by Congress when it was established through legislation in 1984.
The renaming was carried out by the State Department.
“President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It’s time our State Department display that,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on social media on Dec. 3, 2025.
The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts
The Kennedy Center in Washington last year.Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
About two weeks after the Institute of Peace renaming, the president’s handpicked board at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts voted to add his name to the storied performance venue as well.
“The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction,” a spokesperson for the center said at the time.
Democrats and some Kennedy family members say the name change is illegal, since the center was established as a living memorial to Kennedy. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who’s an ex officio member of the board, filed a suit challenging the change. The case is still in litigation.
Trump-class battleships
“Trump-class” battleships were announced at Mar-a-Lago last year.Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images file
Also in December, then-Navy Secretary John Phelan unveiled “Trump-class” warships during an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The “Trump-class battleships,” including a vessel dubbed the USS Defiant, will be “the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans,” Phelan said.
“Hopefully we never have to use them, but there will never be anything built like these,” Trump said at the event.
The Trump gold card
President Donald Trump displayed a “Trump gold card” visa aboard Air Force One last year.Mandel Ngan / AFP – Getty Images file
The president unveiled his “Trump gold card” visa in December. Foreign nationals can pay $1 million to obtain the card, which enables them to legally live and work in the U.S. once they’re approved.
It’s “the green card on steroids,” Trump said as he displayed the card at the White House. He said companies can buy the gold cards for students so they can stay in the country instead of being “shipped out” after graduation.
As of late April, only one person has been approved for the card, The Associated Press reported.
Trump coins
Designs for Semiquincentennial gold coins featuring President Trump.Treasury United States Mint
In March, a federal commission consisting solely of Trump-appointed members approved a 24-carat commemorative gold coin depicting the president in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary.
The design approved by the Commission of Fine Arts features an image of Trump in the Oval Office on one side and a bald eagle on the other. The coin needs to be approved by the Treasury Department, which has already announced plans to release a separate $1 coin featuring the president as part of the anniversary celebration.
Trump dollar bills
The President boarding Air Force One with a $50 bill sticking out of his pocket last year.Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images file
The Treasury Department announced in March it would be adding Trump’s signature to “future paper currency” as another part of the country’s 250th anniversary.
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in his announcement.
Paper currency typically only bears the signature of the treasury secretary and treasurer, and has never featured that of a sitting president.
Trump passports
The State Department will be releasing a limited series of U.S. passports featuring an image of President Trump.U.S. State Dept.
The State Department announced in April that it would be issuing a limited number of U.S. passports with a large image of Trump on the inside cover as part of the 250th celebration as well.
Olivia Wales, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement that the “new patriotic passport design provides yet another great way Americans can join in the spectacular celebrations for America’s 250th birthday.”
Trump national park pass
The Interior Department revealed in November that it was featuring Trump and George Washington on the front of its annual park pass, citing the 250th anniversary.
That move led to a lawsuit from an environmental group, alleging the department violated a 2004 law requiring the pass to carry a picture by the winner of an annual photo contest. The winner for this year had been image of Glacier National Park in Montana.
Trump banners
The Department of Justice headquarters in Washington earlier this year.Brendan Smialowski / AFP – Getty Images
Large banners of Trump have been hung from the Justice, Agriculture and Labor departments.
“We are proud at this Department of Justice to celebrate 250 years of our great country and our historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction,” a DOJ spokesperson said when the banner was hung in February.
TrumpIRA.gov
Trump issued an executive order in April directing the Treasury Department to launch a new website called TrumpIRA.gov.
A “Trump Accounts” event in Washington in January.Win McNamee / Getty Images file
The Trump administration is launching new savings accounts for children this summer called Trump Accounts.
Created under the “big, beautiful bill,” Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged investment accounts for children under 18. Babies born from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2028, will get $1,000 from the Treasury Department to kick-start their accounts.
“This is something that’s so special,” Trump said at his State of the Union speech in February.
TrumpRx.gov
The launch of “TrumpRx.gov”, which the adminstration said would help to lower prescription drug prices, at the White House in February.Nathan Howard / Getty Images file
In February, the administration launched TrumpRx.gov, a self-pay prescription drug website. It offers coupons that people can take to the pharmacy where they fill their prescriptions.
“You’re going to save a fortune,” Trump said at the news conference launching the site. “And this is also so good for overall healthcare.”
LOCAL: Palm Beach County reverses course, approving $302K for Compass LGBTQ Center repairs after backlash over an anti-DEI-related denial.tinyurl.com/ywnjvs26
(Gift Article) BAD: Appeals court limits abortion pill access nationwideA federal appeals court issued a ruling that would temporarily block people from accessing abortion pills through telehealth providers and via mail.wapo.st/3Rfmdxb
Trump lies: "We won the popular vote the first time too by a lot. By millions. They'd already introduce me, 'Donald Trump who lost the popular vote.' That's why I said, I got to win the popular vote. They cheat like hell."
Trump: "Somalia, it's got no anything. It's got one thing that's really strong — crime. All they do is run around shooting each other. It's filthy dirty, disgusting. It's a horrible place. They come here, and Ilhan Omar, she heads it. She married her brother. I would imagine they're looking at her"
Trump speaking in The Villages: "I don't happen to be a senior. I'm much younger than you. I'm a much younger man than you. Look at you old guys. Wouldn't you like to by my age? Young, vital, vibrant."
🚨 UPDATE: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) has called a special session — setting the stage for Republicans to gerrymander and eliminate the state’s last Democratic seat in Memphis at the expense of Black voters.
BREAKING: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) called a special session to redraw the state's congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.The move, which comes after SCOTUS' gutting of the Voting Rights Act, will likely throw the state's primaries and hand the GOP two more House seats.
FLORIDA MAN: Jury Convicts Florida Ex-Congressman of Secretly Lobbying for VenezuelaThe nation’s state-run oil company hired David Rivera’s consulting firm for $50 million to influence members of Congress and the White House.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump told Congress that the Iran war has “terminated” — an effort to justify not seeking authorization after the conflict reached a 60-day threshold.
HEGSETH: On Iran, we are in a ceasefire right now, which I understand means the 60 day clock pauses or stopsKAINE: I do not believe the statute would support that
The War Powers Resolution says the President has 60 calendar days to get approval from Congress or end the fighting.The U.S. Navy is blockading Iranian ports right now. You cannot claim the fighting is “paused” while American warships are stopping Iranian ships by force. Both things can't be true.
In the decades since this law was written, no president of either party has ever tried this argument. Not Reagan, either Bush, Clinton, Obama, Biden, or even Trump in his first term. Hegseth made it up because the deadline is tomorrow and he’s looking for an easy way out.
The 60-day window will expire Friday, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a hearing Thursday, “We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means, the 60-day clock pauses or stops.”abcnews.com/US/wireStory…
Meta is raising the prospect of shutting down social media services in New Mexico in response to a push by state prosecutors for fundamental changes to platforms, including Instagram, to protect the mental health and safety of children.
I love this video. John Fugelsang is a wonderful person to elaborate on the bible and he does so as a follower of Jesus, not Paul or the Old Testament. His mother was a nun and his father was a monk and the way he describes his father wearing his robes is as the Christian jedi of Flatbush. He explains how those using the bible to attack or bash others including the LGBTQ+ are not following Jesus that they are following Paul. He explains clearly how Jesus brought a new covenant for the people doing away with the old one in Leviticus. He explained how those using the bible to bash others and not feed & clothe the stranger/ immigrant are totally against what Jesus preached. He also mentioned how those trying to force the Old Testament of the bible in schools never want the words of Jesus hung in classrooms in public schools, they never want the sermon on the mount posted on the walls. Those kind of people only want authoritarian laws or do and dont do pushed on kids. Enjoy the video, I listen to him on The Daily Beans (news with swearing) friday newscast and his Sirius talk show. Hugs
As Congress finalizes its funding for fiscal year 2027, Republicans are attempting to include five anti-LGBTQ riders in the National Security and Department of State Appropriations Act.
A rider is an unrelated provision tacked onto a bill that must pass — in this instance, the bill provides funding for national security policy and for the State Department.
The riders range from restricting Pride flags in federal buildings to banning transgender healthcare, but all aim to limit the visibility and rights of LGBTQ Americans.
Section 7067(a) prohibits Pride flags from being flown over federal buildings.
Section 7067(c) restricts the United States’ ability to appoint special envoys, representatives, or coordinators unless expressly authorized by Congress. These roles have historically been used to promote U.S. interests in international forums — including advancing human and LGBTQ and intersex rights and other policy priorities. The change would halt what the Congressional Equality Caucus describes as providing “critical expertise to U.S. foreign policy and leadership abroad.”
Section 7067(d) reinforces multiple anti-equality executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, effectively requiring that foreign assistance funded by the United States comply with those orders. This includes rescinding federal contractor nondiscrimination protections, including for LGBTQ people.
Section 7067(e) prohibits funding for any organization that provides or promotes medically necessary healthcare for trans people or “promotes transgenderism” — effectively banning funds for organizations that recognize trans people exist. This is despite the practice of gender-affirming care being supported by nearly every major medical association.
Section 7067(g) reinforces two global gag rules put forward by the Trump-Vance administration. One is the Trans Global Gag Rule, which prohibits foreign assistance funding for organizations that acknowledge the existence of trans people or advocate for nondiscrimination protections for them, among other activities. The second is the DEI Global Gag Rule, which prohibits foreign assistance funding for organizations that engage in efforts to address the ongoing effects of racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry outside the United States.
The global gag rule has its roots in anti-abortion policy introduced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, when the 40th president barred foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion, or from advocating for access to abortion services in their own countries. Planned Parenthood notes that the policy also affects programs beyond abortion, including efforts to expand access to contraception, prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, combat malaria, and improve maternal and child health.
If organizations funded by the State Department engage in these activities, they could lose funding.
This anti-LGBTQ push aligns with broader actions from the Trump-Vance administration since the start of Trump’s second term, which have focused on restricting human rights — particularly those of trans Americans.
The House Appropriations Committee is responsible for drafting the appropriations legislation. U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) serves as chair, with U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) as ranking member. The committee includes 34 Republicans and 27 Democrats.
For FY27 appropriations, Congress is supposed to pass and have the president sign the funding bills by Sept. 30, 2026.
I apologize that this is such a short post for one of these. I want everyone to know I really did try as hard as I could. I am exhausted and very tired to the point that Ron has twice looked into my office and caught me sleeping. I am also in a lot of pain. Because of that right butt / leg pain Ron is again asking me to figure out how we can afford the back / spine surgery. I am holding off hopeing that my pain doctors can do more epidurals/spine shots that will help me with that pain. I do not want spine surgery f I can avoid it. On the other side Ron held me today when he came back from his sister’s place and was very affectionate. I asked if he wanted to have “relations” tonight and his answer was a strong yes if you want to my love. So I need to finish this and go to bed to await my wonderful loving husband. Hugs
Ok maybe not the right place but with all the attacks by the right Christian nationalists I think it is a great place to put this. Far too many men / people are now in the closet and denying their true selves because of the hate being pushed against them. Us older LGBTQ+ people faced this hate before, this hate constantly driven by religious bigotry and we beat it / over came it. The haters are having a last gasp resurgence, but that will wane and fade as even the non radical right doesn’t support discrimination against their LGBTQ+ children / grandchildren / friends / exstended family. Hugs
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs bill prohibiting DEI in local governments reut.rs/4vQAnoE
LOCAL: Palm Beach County reverses course, approving $302K for Compass LGBTQ Center repairs after backlash over an anti-DEI-related denial.tinyurl.com/ywnjvs26
“Frankly, he’s so loud I think he must be compensating for something.”
The Senate today inched closer to confirming some pretty alarming U.S. attorney nominees.We're talking people who have never tried criminal cases, who fueled lies about the 2020 election being stolen from Trump + even participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 protests. http://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-…
Strange how Kash Patel and Todd Blanche can look at seashells on a beach and decided to dig further but see emails with grown men discussing raping kids and decided that there's nothing there.
HEGSETH: On Iran, we are in a ceasefire right now, which I understand means the 60 day clock pauses or stopsKAINE: I do not believe the statute would support that
Today, Pete Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that “the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire” and therefore the Iran War is not subject to Congressional authorization. Here’s why he’s flat wrong:
The War Powers Resolution says the President has 60 calendar days to get approval from Congress or end the fighting.The U.S. Navy is blockading Iranian ports right now. You cannot claim the fighting is “paused” while American warships are stopping Iranian ships by force. Both things can't be true.
A naval blockade is an act of war. This is legally nonsense. If the war is over, then Iran won and US lost. By any strategic measure. Regime in place. They “own” the Straits. Uranium remains weapon-usable and in Iran.
In the decades since this law was written, no president of either party has ever tried this argument. Not Reagan, either Bush, Clinton, Obama, Biden, or even Trump in his first term. Hegseth made it up because the deadline is tomorrow and he’s looking for an easy way out.
Susan Collins crossed the aisle today and said the 60-day clock is “not a suggestion. It is a requirement.”Pete Hegseth does not get to rewrite the law because following it is inconvenient.The clock does not pause. Tomorrow is the deadline.www.wsj.com/politics/pol…
Ron tried a new spicy chicken & pasta recipe that turned out really well. We had left overs and Ron asked is if it was OK for him to take the left overs to his sister. I agreed and asked why he did not invite his sister here to share dinner with us. He at first claimed he was not sure of the recipe but when I kept asking he admitted he felt I was feeling he was not paying enough attention to our home and us as he was to his sister and her needs. While that is true I did not want him to do the reverse and ignore his sister. She is alone here and we are her family. He was delighted to hear me tell him I wanted him to include his sister in our life while she was here and to include her in our meals. I don’t feel things like that diminish our relationship; I think it increases it. Because family is important to Ron in a way that it never was to me, I can’t understand that connection. But also I never want to be the one to sever a healthy loving connection. I love Ron, so that means I have to try to understand and love those that he loves. Hugs
I am at the allergists getting my shots. tRump long has said that he / his family are the true US royalty not the Kennedy’s which is why he has renamed and destroyed anything connected to the Kennedy name / family. When he visited Queen Elisabeth in England he insisted on a state royal visit like Obama got because he was equal to the queen and deserved it. In their inspection of the guard tRump cut in front of the queen and walked in front of her as more important. In his mind he was. Then he reportedly told her that his kids were equal in status as hers because they were US royalty making then princes and princess with him as king. So this thing with putting himself first and more important than anyone else is not new. TRump recently said he was the most powerful person doing more to make US great than anyone else due to his greatness and sheer force of will. No one corrects him and everyone constantly raises him so now he believes his own bullshit. Hugs
Notice at the end The Majority Report crew plays a clip of all of tRump’s hateful rhetoric after the White House spokesperson blasts Democrats for hate speech inciting violence, which was the democrats telling the truth about tRump. Hugs
On a personal note I have allergy shots this morning. Hugs
