Tag: Hate For LGBTQ+ People

LGBTQ advocates celebrate wins after Pride flag banning bill and others fail this Session

LGBTQ advocates celebrate wins after Pride flag banning bill and others fail this Session

I think the tide is turning and the superexpressive attacks on the LGBTQ+ people, both adults and kids is not working well for republicans.Β  I think they will see at local levels people are not buying it and are working to stop efforts to wipe all mention of LGBTQ+ people from society.Β  Hugs

Gabrielle RussonMay 3, 2025

‘This is more than a policy victory,’ Equality Florida said.

LGBTQ advocates are celebrating several bills β€” including one thatΒ could have banned Pride flagsΒ flown at government buildings β€” stalling out this Session.

β€œOnce again, we’ve done what many thought was impossible: not one anti-LGBTQ bill passed this session,” Equality Florida’sΒ Executive DirectorΒ Nadine SmithΒ said in a statement Saturday.

The Legislative Session ended Friday although lawmakers failed to pass a balanced budget.

Some of the dead bills includingΒ HB 75/SB 100Β that would have banned government buildings, schools and universities, from flying flags that represented a β€œpolitical viewpoint.”

The proposal was sponsored by outgoing state Sen.Β Randy FineΒ before he left for Washington, D.C.

β€œHow would we feel if the city of Palm Bay or the city of Ormond Beach flew the Make America Great Again flag from City Hall? How would we feel if a teacher hung that in their classroom?” Fine said during a March committee hearing. β€œThe idea is whether it’s political viewpoints that we agree with or we disagree with, let’s keep that stuff out of government buildings.”

Equity Florida lobbied against the bill with its public policy directorΒ Jon Harris MaurerΒ calling the flag ban β€œunnecessary, unclear, unconstitutional and dangerous.”

β€œIt does not help Floridians struggling with insurance and housing affordability,” he said. β€œInstead, it is a made-up solution to a culture war for political purposes, but it will have real harms.”

Ultimately, Fine’s bill was withdrawn, failing to reach the Senate floor.

Equity Florida also heralded the defeat of other bills, includingΒ HB 1495/SB 440Β to prevent governments from using the preferred pronouns for people who are transgender and other bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI.)

The organization pointed to its grassroots campaign this Session with 400 LGBTQ activists lobbying during β€œour largest largest advocacy week ever,” 16,000 emails sent to lawmakers and about 325 in-person meetings with legislators.

β€œIt’s students and seniors, faith leaders and frontline workers, parents and teachers, standing together and making sure lawmakers hear us loud and clear: we will not back down,” Smith said in a statement.

Gabrielle Russon

Gabrielle Russon is an award-winning journalist based in Orlando. She covered the business of theme parks for the Orlando Sentinel. Her previous newspaper stops include the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Toledo Blade, Kalamazoo Gazette and Elkhart Truth as well as an internship covering the nation’s capital for the Chicago Tribune. For fun, she runs marathons. She gets her training from chasing a toddler around. Contact her atΒ gabriellerusson@gmail.comΒ or on Twitter @GabrielleRusson

AAP Statement on HHS Report Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria

https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2025/aap-statement-on-hhs-report-treatment-for-pediatric-gender-dysphoria/

By: Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics

β€œThe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is deeply alarmed by the report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today on medical care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals and the process that informed its development. For such an analysis to carry credibility, it must consider the totality of available data and the full spectrum of clinical outcomes rather than relying on select perspectives and a narrow set of data. Β 

This report misrepresents the current medical consensus and fails to reflect the realities of pediatric care. Β Β 

As we have seen with immunizations, bypassing medical expertise and scientific evidence has real consequences for the health of America’s children. AAP was not consulted in the development of this report, yet our policy and intentions behind our recommendations were cited throughout in inaccurate and misleading ways. The report prioritizes opinions over dispassionate reviews of evidence.Β 

Patients, their families, and their physiciansβ€”not politicians or government officials β€”should be the ones to make decisions together about what care is best for them based on evidence-based, age-appropriate care. Β 

We urge government officials and policymakers to approach these conversations with care, humility, and a commitment to considering the full breadth of peer-reviewed research. The AAP remains focused on supporting pediatricians in delivering the best possible care to every child, informed by science and the lived experiences of patients and families. We will continue to support the well-being of all children and access to high-quality care that meets their needs.” 

LGBTQ+ news

Poland finally repealed the country’s last β€œLGBT-free” zone

The zones backfired, drawing widespread condemnation and economic consequences for the east European country.

Ten years after the far-right Law and Justice Party was elected to power in Poland, and two years after their defeat in national elections, a last vestige of the party’s state-sanctioned anti-LGBTQ+ policies has finally been eliminated.

On Thursday, a council in the southeastern Polish town of ŁaΕ„cut officially abolished the country’s last remaining β€˜LGBT-free’ resolution.

UK

Gay, lesbian and bi people at greater risk of self-harm and suicide, new figures show

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/04/10/suicide-ideation-gay-lesbian-bisexual/

Gay, lesbian and bisexual people are twice as likely as their straight peers to attempt suicide or have thoughts of taking their own life, new figures have revealed.

Requests to remove books from library shelves are on the rise in the UK, as the influence of pressure groups behind book bans in the US crosses the Atlantic, according to those working in the sector.

Most of the UK challenges appear to come from individuals or small groups, unlike in the US, where 72% of demands to censor books last year were brought forward by organised groups, according to the American Library AssociationΒ earlier this week.

However, evidence suggests that the work of US action groups is reaching UK libraries too. Alison Hicks, an associate professor in library and information studies at UCL, interviewed 10 UK-based school librarians who had experienced book challenges. One β€œspoke of finding propaganda from one of these groups left on her desk”, while another β€œwas directly targeted by one of these groups”. Respondents β€œalso spoke of being trolled by US pressure groups on social media, for example when responding to free book giveaways”.

The types of books targeted may also differ. β€œAlmost all the UK attacks reported in my study centred on LGBTQ+ materials, while US attacks appear to target material related to race, ethnicity and social justice as well as LGBTQ+ issues,” said Hicks.

This supports the findings of anΒ Index on Censorship surveyΒ last year, in which 28 of 53 librarians polled reported that they had been asked to remove books from library shelves, many of which were LGBTQ+ titles. In more than half of those cases, books were taken off shelves.

Tennessee county sued for banning books without even reading them

They’re accused of just using an anti-LGBTQ+ organization’s book ban list to deny students access to tomes like Toni Morrison’s “Beloved.”

The plaintiffs in this case are three families, who wish to remain anonymous, of two freshmen and a senior who will attend a Rutherford County school next year. Joining in on the lawsuit is PEN America, a nonprofit freedom of expression advocacy group for writers. Thirty-two writers in the organization have seen 53 of their books included in the ban.

Trump DOJ Ordered ICE to Invade Homes Without Search Warrant

The Justice Department quietly authorized immigration agents to seize power in arresting people under the Alien Enemies Actβ€”no warrant required.

https://newrepublic.com/post/194440/donald-trump-restores-foreign-students-visas-legal-losses

The Justice Department quietly invoked the Alien Enemies act last month to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the power to conduct warrantless searches of people’s homes as long as they suspect them to be an β€œalien enemy.” USA TodayΒ obtainedΒ the memo that contained this order on Friday.

In the memo, the Justice Department defined an β€œalien enemy” as anyone who is 14 years of age or older, not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, a citizen of Venezuela, and β€œa member of the hostile enemy Tren de Aragua,” per the Alien Enemy Validation Guide, a document that has already been slammed by immigration experts.

The broad definition has already resulted in the apprehension and deportation of more than 200 men to El Salvador who just happened to have tattoos, like gay makeup artist Andry JosΓ© HernΓ‘ndez Romero.

This type of order will likely lead to more indiscriminate arrests and wanton racial profiling. The memo, which is from March 14, is another massive departure from the U.S. immigration norms.

White House Confirms Trump Is Exploring Ways To β€˜Deport’ U.S. Citizens

The administration could try removing American citizens if it identifies a pathway it can claim to be legal.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that PresidentΒ Donald TrumpΒ is exploring legal pathways to β€œdeport” U.S. citizens to El Salvador, where the administration has already arranged to house deported immigrants in a prison known for its human rights abuses.Β (Watch the video, above.)

TrumpΒ told reportersΒ aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he β€œlove[s]” the idea of removing U.S. citizens, adding that it would be an β€œhonor” to send them to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele β€” an eagerΒ partnerΒ in Trump’s schemes.

β€œI look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump wrote. β€œPerhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”

Shocking report reveals HIV deaths will explode due to Trump’s foreign aid cuts

Nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS by 2030 without PEPFAR funding.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/04/shocking-report-reveals-hiv-deaths-will-explode-due-to-trumps-foreign-aid-cuts/

Nearly half a million children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without restoration of PEPFAR programs cut by the Trump administration,Β a new studyΒ published in theΒ LancetΒ reveals.

The new health policy analysis estimates that one million children could become infected with HIV and nearly half a million could die from AIDS by 2030. Additionally, 2.8 million children could experience orphanhood in sub-Saharan Africa (because their parents died from preventable HIV-related illnesses) if the PEPFAR funding isn’t restored.

A study releasedΒ by UNAIDS in March showed an uptick in new HIV infections has already started as local HIV prevention programs funded by PEPFAR have been thrown into chaos.

Men who have sex with men, girls, and young women between the ages of 15 and 24 not pregnant or breastfeeding, and sex workers and people who inject drugs β€œcan not” be offered PrEP during the pause or β€œuntil further notice,” Trump administration officials wrote.

 

Kennedy Center’s events scheduled for LGBTQ+ pride celebration canceled, organizers say

https://apnews.com/article/world-pride-kennedy-center-trump-lgbtq-69fbf0ca20c2f9c36f49f8311f8bf1b6

The Kennedy Center is seen Aug. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

The Kennedy Center is seen Aug. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

 

ByΒ Β ASHRAF KHALIL
Updated 7:47 PM EDT, April 25, 2025

Β Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week’s worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer’s World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions.

Multiple artists and producers involved in the center’s Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washington’s Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center.

β€œWe are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,” said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. β€œWe are finding another path to the celebration … but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.”

The Kennedy Center’s website still listsΒ Tapestry of Pride on its websiteΒ with a general description and a link to the World Pride site. There are no other details.

The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request from the AP for comment.

The move comes on the heels of massive changes at the Kennedy Center, with President Donald TrumpΒ firing both the president and chairmanΒ in early February. Trump replaced most of the board with loyalists, who then elected him the new Kennedy Center chairman.

The World Pride event, held every two years, starts in just under a month β€” running from May 17 through June 8 with performances and celebrations planned across the capital city. But Trump administration policies on transgender rights and comments about Kennedy Center drag performances have sparked concern about what kind of reception attendees will receive.

β€œI know that D.C. as a community will be very excited to be hosting World Pride, but I know the community is a little bit different than the government,” said Michael Roest, founder and director of the International Pride Orchestra, which had its June 5 performance at the Kennedy Center abruptly canceled within days ofΒ Trump’s takeover.

Roest told the AP he was in the final stages of planning the Kennedy Center performance after months of emails and Zoom calls. He was waiting on a final contract when TrumpΒ posted on social mediaΒ Feb. 7 of the leadership changes and his intention to transform the Kennedy Center’s programming.

Immediately the Kennedy Center became nonresponsive, Roest said. On Feb. 12, he said, he received a one-sentence email from a Kennedy Center staffer stating, β€œWe are no longer able to advance your contract at this time.”

β€œThey went from very eager to host to nothing,” he said. β€œWe have not since heard a word from anybody at the Kennedy Center, but that’s not going to stop us.”

In the wake of the cancellation, Roest said he managed to move the International Pride Orchestra performance to the Strathmore theater in nearby Bethesda, Maryland.

Crenshaw said some other events, including a drag story time and a display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, would be moved to the World Pride welcome center in Chinatown.

Monica Alford, a veteran arts and culture journalist and event planner, was scheduled to organize an event June 8 as part of Tapestry of Pride, but said she also saw communication abruptly end within days of Trump’s takeover.

Alford has a long history with the Kennedy Center and organized theΒ first-ever drag brunchΒ on the Kennedy Center rooftop in 2024, and said she regarded the institution β€” and its recent expansion known as The Reach β€” as β€œmy home base” and β€œa safe space for the queer community”

She said she was still finalizing the details of her event, which she described as β€œmeant to be family-friendly, just like the drag brunch was family-friendly and classy and sophisticated.”

She said she mourns the loss of the partnership she nurtured with the Kennedy Center.

β€œWe’re doing our community a disservice β€” not just the queer community but the entire community,” she said.

Roest said he never received an explanation as to why the performance was canceled so late in the planning stages. He said his orchestra would no longer consider performing at the Kennedy Center, and he believes most queer artists would make the same choice.

β€œThere would need to be a very, very public statement of inclusivity from the administration, from that board, for us to consider that,” he said. β€œOtherwise it is a hostile performance space.”

ASHRAF KHALIL
ASHRAF KHALIL
Khalil writes about local issues in Washington, D.C., for The Associated Press and covers the social safety net around the country.

 

2 In 5 Corporations Scaling Back LGBTQ Pride Engagement Amid Trump Administration Pressure, Survey Finds

https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/04/24/2-in-5-corporations-scaling-back-lgbtq-pride-engagement-amid-trump-administration-pressure-survey-finds/

This is why I keep saying we must be vocal and show our displeasure with companies that pull back out of fear.Β  We must voice it also with our money.Β  I used to shop Target, but until they reverse their polices I won’t spend a dime in any of their stores.Β  I know you can search and there are websites that show pro-LGBTQ+ stores and those who betrayed the LGBTQ+.Β  But the right learned from the protests and tactics used by the LGBTQ+ in the past.Β  We were vocal, we were loud, we worked both behind the scenes with companies and we made it clear we have disposable money to shop.Β  A lot of gay people still do.Β  Hugs

Conor Murray

Forbes Staff
Murray is a Forbes news reporter covering entertainment trends.

 

Nearly two-fifths of corporations plan on scaling back engagement for LGBTQ Pride Month this June, an uptick from the same survey last year, while another two-fifths said their support would remain unchanged, according to a survey of corporate executives by Gravity Research, as some LGBTQ Pride organizations nationwide report fewer corporate sponsorships than past years.

Key Facts

Of the 49 executives surveyed from Fortune 1000 companies, those who said they were pulling back on Pride support cited pressure from conservative activists and President Donald Trump, who has signed executive orders gutting diversity, equity and inclusion and targeting the transgender community.

Of the 39% of companies who said they would reduce Pride Month engagement this year, 43% said they would reduce external shows of support, which includes having a visual presence at or financially sponsoring Pride marches, offering a Pride merchandise line, updating social media branding and partnering with influencers for Pride-themed sponsorships.

Fewer respondents, 19%, said their decreased engagement for Pride would be internal, including internal communication with employees about commitments to equality and offering employee resource groups.

About 41% of the companies surveyed said their support for Pride will remain unchanged this year, while the rest responded β€œdon’t know” or β€œhaven’t decided.”

Last year just 9% of companies told Gravity Research last year they would alter their Pride Month engagement plans.

Crucial Quote

Gravity Research president Luke Hartig told Forbes the survey β€œreveals just how dramatically the cultural and political tides have turned,” stating two-fifths of companies scaling back Pride Month engagement β€œwould’ve been unthinkable just five years ago.” Hartig said, though, β€œmost are holding firm internally, continuing to show up for LGBTQ+ employees and allies via events, partnerships with ERGs, and reiterating workplace inclusion.”

What Did Corporate Leaders Say About Reducing Pride Month Engagement?

One corporate leader told Gravity Research their company would reduce their acknowledgement of Pride Month on social media to β€œminimize public visibility that could trigger attention.” An unnamed corporate executive at a Fortune 500 consumer staples company told Gravity Research it has β€œreduced risk across all heritage month events” by β€œfocusing internally and doing what’s right for our people and not necessarily shouting to the world about it.” Some executives told Gravity Research they are preparing talking points in response to their Pride Month activities, including one financial executive, who said their company has provided HR employees with prepared responses for employees who question its Pride Month support. The financial executive also said their company is planning to take a β€œmore conservative approach to how we are acknowledging Pride month on our social media channels.”

Surprising Fact

Business-to-consumer companies (71%) are more likely than business-to-business companies (53%) to prepare for Pride Month-related backlash, Gravity Research reported, which it says shows β€œincreased public pressure and threat of consumer backlash.”

Which Pride Organizations Have Lost Corporate Sponsors?

Some of the United States’ biggest Pride organizations have saidΒ corporate sponsors pulled backΒ financial support this year. Anheuser-Busch, the alcoholic beverage company that battled a wave of conservative backlash in 2023 over a partnership between Bud Light and transgender influencerΒ Dylan Mulvaney, declined to support St. Louis Pride in 2025 after more than 30 years of sponsorship, St. Louis Pride said in anΒ Instagram post. San Francisco Pride organizers told Forbes Anheuser-Busch also declined to support the organization this year, as did previous sponsors Comcast and alcoholic beverage company Diageo, representing a loss of $200,000 in corporate sponsorship funding. Pride Houston’s board of directors told Forbes some corporate sponsors reduced support by as much as 75%, totaling $100,000 in lost funds. Chris Piedmont, media director for NYC Pride, told Forbes some corporate sponsors have scaled back budgets, though he did not name specific companies. The loss of funding has led some organizations to turn to crowdfunding, includingΒ St. Louis PrideΒ andΒ Twin Cities PrideΒ in Minnesota, which cut ties with Target after the company walked back its diversity, equity and inclusion measures in January.

Key Background

Some companies have faced backlash among conservative activists in recent years for their support for LGBTQ pride, notably Bud Light, which lost its spot as the top beer in the United States after facing a consumer boycott over its partnership with Mulvaney. Within about a month of the Bud Light boycott, which began in April 2023,Β Bud Light’s salesΒ were down 26% compared to the year prior.Β Other companiesΒ that faced online attacks and boycotts included Nike, which also partnered with Mulvaney in 2023, andΒ Target, which sparked outrage for selling a swimsuit marketed for trans women. In response to backlash, Target removed some of its LGBTQ pride items from stores. Target has faced renewed boycotts in recent weeks after it joined a wave of companies walking backΒ diversity, equity and inclusionΒ standards, angering critics who viewed the company as a longtime LGBTQ ally. Target’s foot traffic in stores has been down year-over-year for 11 straight weeks, beginning with the week after it dropped DEI commitments in January,Β Retail Brew reported.

Is “Being Gay” an Unforgivable Sin? – Questions from the Audience with Colby Martin

Roger suggested I look up this person and see what they had to say.Β  I have read snippets of what he wrote and I like his message.Β  He seems sincere and genuine.Β  Hugs

Trade deal won’t happen unless UK removes protections for the LGBTQ+ community

Trump & Moms for Liberty open β€œsnitch line” to report on pro-LGBTQ+ schools

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/02/trump-moms-for-liberty-open-snitch-line-to-report-on-pro-lgbtq-schools/

The quote below is only because they thought it would hand control over the schools to the republican religious haters like themselves.Β  They fought for and got the right of a small minority to force their opinion on the majority of parents.Β  They got the removal of books they hate and also forced in to the schools of their religion.Β  Β It did not matter if a majority of parents wanted their children to have access to these books it was only the haters parental rights that mattered, not other kids parents.Β  The progressive parents were not given the same authority that the republican religious haters were.Β  Hugs

Ironically, Moms for Liberty, a group that has advocated for local control over schools, is now complicit in handing that power to the federal government.

===========================================================================

“I believe Hitler had a program like this,” said one educator of the new Department of Education tip line.
ByΒ Β 
A group of Moms for Liberty members

A group of Moms for Liberty members

The Trump administration’s weaponization of the Education Department continued apace on Thursday with the debut of what some are calling aΒ β€œsnitch line” — a website inviting parents, students and school staff to report β€œillegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning.”

β€œThe Department of Education (DOE) will utilize community submissions to identify potential areas for investigation,” the department notes.

Related:

Republican punished after deadnaming & posting pics of trans student-athlete

The post went viral and fueled a confrontation with Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.

The website was introduced inΒ a press releaseΒ by Moms for Liberty, the group behind efforts to purge LGBTQ+ content from school libraries and apparently a new partner in the DOE’s crackdown on school systems not falling in line with Trump’s DEI and β€œgender ideology” executive diktats.

β€œFor years, parents have been begging schools to focus on teaching their kids practical skills like reading, writing, and math, instead of pushing critical theory, rogue sex education and divisive ideologies β€” but their concerns have been brushed off, mocked, or shut down entirely,” saidΒ Tiffany Justice, a co-founder of the group, which has beenΒ labelled an anti-LGBTQ+ extremist groupΒ by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

β€œParents, now is the time that you share the receipts of the betrayal that has happened in our public schools. This webpage demonstrates that President Trump’s Department of Education is putting power back in the hands of parents,” Justice added.

Ironically, Moms for Liberty, a group that has advocated for local control over schools, is now complicit in handing that power to the federal government.

Critics were aghast at the call for colleagues and kids to anonymously rat out anyone not falling in line with the rightwing ideology Trump is imposing from Washington.

β€œI believe Hitler had a program like this,” wrote Michael E. Mann, a scientist, author and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media.

I believe Hitler had a program like thiswww.salon.com/2025/02/27/m…

— Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2025-02-28T03:58:45.502Z

β€œTrump Education DepartmentΒ opens snitch line to rat outΒ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at local public schools,” wrote Gabe OrtΓ­z, an editor at America’s Voice who focuses on immigration,Β LGBTQ+ and Latino issues.

β€œThe fact that Trump’s β€”Β bigoted, extremistΒ β€” effort to end diversity, inclusion, & equity in schools uses Moms for Liberty as its only validation tells you everything you need to know. The same Moms for Liberty that approvingly quoted Hitler & has deep ties to violent groups like the Proud Boys,” wrote Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

In 2023, Indiana Moms for Liberty chapter chair Paige MillerΒ quoted Hitler on the cover of the group’s monthly newsletter,Β The Parent Brigade, in a chilling preview of Trump’s efforts at the Department of Education today.

β€œHe alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future,” the newsletter’s cover read, citing the Nazi leader.

Moms for Liberty’s Justice defended Miller, declaring, β€œI stand with that mom!”

The DOE website’s launch follows a growing number of investigations undertaken by multiple departments targeting DEI and noncompliance with Trump’s β€œgender ideology” order.

The DOE’s Office of Civil Rights isΒ investigating California and MinnesotaΒ schools.Β MaineΒ is also the subject of a probe by the same office and the Department of Agriculture, recieving a threatening letter from the Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Department of Justice.

Another DOE probeΒ targets San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) for separate incidents involving trans athletes competing on a women’s or girls’ sports team under Biden-era rules.

Subscribe to theΒ LGBTQ Nation newsletterΒ and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

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Homeland Security can now spy on LGBTQ+ people & groups as threats to U.S. safety

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/02/homeland-security-can-now-spy-on-lgbtq-people-groups-as-a-threat-to-u-s-safety/

The move suggests that Trump may start investigating LGBTQ+ groups as a security threat.
ByΒ Β 
Elevated Security Camera Surveillance Footage of a Crowd of People Walking on Busy Urban City Streets. CCTV AI Facial Recognition Big Data Analysis Interface Scanning, Showing Personal Information.

In another reversal of the Biden administration’s expansion of federal protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has eliminated language in internal documents prohibiting the surveillance of individuals or groups based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity,Β BloombergΒ reports.

Two weeks ago, the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis updated its policy manual to fall in line with President Donald Trump’s executive ordersΒ excising diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policiesΒ from federal agencies and declaring there are onlyΒ two immutable sexes, male and female.

The terms β€œsexual orientation” and β€œgender identity,” which were added to the list of protected groups and individuals at the direction of the Biden administration, have been removed.

Language in the manualΒ now reads, β€œOSIC [Open Source Intelligence Collection] Personnel are prohibited from engaging in intelligence activities based solely on an individual’s or group’s race, ethnicity, sex, religion, country of birth, nationality, or disability. The use of these characteristics is permitted only in combination with other information, and only where (1) intended and reasonably believed to support one or more of [Intelligence and Analysis’] national or departmental missions and (2) narrowly focused in support of that mission (or those missions).”

The Trump administration reversed Biden’s executive order facilitating the addition of β€œsexual orientation” and β€œgender identity” to the intelligence agency’s prohibited list on his first day in office.

Biden’s order,Β signed on his own first day in office and titled β€œPreventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation,” wasΒ hailed at the timeΒ by the Human Rights Campaign as β€œthe most substantive, wide-ranging executive order concerning sexual orientation and gender identity ever issued by a United States president. Today, millions of Americans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their President and their government believe discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is not only intolerable but illegal.”

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis focuses on domestic intelligence gathering, often involving U.S. citizens and others in the country.

It β€œhas a long track record of civil liberties and civil rights abuses,” according to theΒ Brennan Center for Justice.

β€œSince at least 2016, I&A officers have conducted interviews with people held in jails without sufficient constitutional protections, targeted journalists and activists protesting local monuments under the guise of homeland security, surveilled racial justice demonstrators, and monitored political views shared by millions of Americans β€” about topics like abortion, government, and elections β€” that DHS baldly asserts will lead to violence,” the group said following passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in 2024.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a longtime LGBTQ+ antagonist, was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in January.

Subscribe to theΒ LGBTQ Nation newsletterΒ and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Don’t forget to share:

Disney Introduces Christian Character After Ditching Transgender Story

https://www.newsweek.com/disney-christian-character-transgender-story-laurie-win-lose-2037780

This is an important story even though it is an older one.Β  This shows how the rights constant badgering companies and using the idea of protecting the children, calling those who understand at LGBTQ+ children like to see themselves represented in an accepting world.Β  This shows how the rights not stop attacks on the rights of minorities over the last 6 years are working to erode the expectancy, tolerance, and the representation of these minorities.Β  The haters on the right are loud and very vocal, they give their opinion nonstop using incorrect misleading studies or lies.Β  We need to be just as loud and in your face to fight back.Β  Democrats need to start / return to defending the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people. The democrats shrank back and hid letting the republicans loudly lie and misinform people.Β  The republicans spend 215 million attacking trans people in the presidential election.Β  Β Kamala Harris did not fight back, did not call out the adverts misinformation and lies, did not spend money attacking those ads.Β  She gave one lame response when directly asked about the trans ad attacks.Β  She minimized them and barely pushed back.Β  Β But notice it is an openly Christian character not one of the other religions.Β  Hugs

============================================================================

ByΒ 

Live News Reporter
Disney is introducing an openly Christian character into itsΒ PixarΒ animated showΒ Win or LoseΒ shortly after a transgender storyline was pulled.

NewsweekΒ has reached out to Disney via email outside of regular working hours for comment.

Why It Matters

The moves comes amid a wider cultural shift toward conservativism, in tandem with the beginning of PresidentΒ Donald Trump‘s second term in office.

Disney
The Disney logo forms part of a Disney Plus menu on a computer screen in Walpole, Massachusetts, on Nov. 13, 2019.Β AP Photo/Steven Senne, File

Disney has made moves to placate Trump, who previously branded the organization as “woke.” In December, Disney’sΒ ABCΒ NewsΒ agreed to a $15 million settlement over a defamation lawsuit, marking a win for the president.

What to Know

TheΒ Win or LoseΒ series is Pixar’s first-ever original long-form animated series. It follows the Pickles, a co-ed middle school softball team, throughout the week as they prepare for their upcoming championship game.

Each episode focuses on a different character and their life off the field, including “the insecure kids, their helicopter parents” and “even a lovesick umpire.” It premiered on Disney+ on February 19, 2025.

In the debut episode, the character of Laurie is introduced, and is openly Christian. This character begins her scene with the words, “heavenly father” and there is an angel cutout in her bedroom.”

In December,Β DeadlineΒ reported thatΒ DisneyΒ had cut “a few lines of dialogue” from anΒ episode that referenced a character’s gender identity.

A spokesperson for Disney confirmed that the story arc was removed and provided the following statement toΒ DeadlineΒ andΒ The Hollywood Reporter: “When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”

This is the first openly Christian character to feature in a Disney film since 2007’sΒ Bridge to Terabithia.Β The film features young adolescent children Jesse Aarons (played by Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie Burke (played by AnnaSophia Robb) , who in one scene attend church together, and discuss religion on the way home.

Trump and his allies have often been critical of Disney and what they describe as its “woke” policies. In a May 2023 social media post, Trump branded the entertainment juggernaut a “woke and disgusting shadow of its former self,” criticizing its move toward diverse casting in some of its recent movie remakes.

Following raging culture wars over such issues as LGBTQ+ rights and diversity, equity and inclusion, Disney appears to be tempering its approach towards inclusion.

An exclusive poll forΒ NewsweekΒ conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies in July found thatΒ 34 percent of viewers disapprovedΒ of Disney’s attempt to add more LGBTQ+ topics to its content.

Since returning to office, Trump has signed an order that rolled back transgender rights, emphasizing the importance of the issue to his agenda in his second term. Trump’s executive order declared that the federal government would recognize only two sexes: male and female.

What People Are Saying

Mark Mitchell of Rasmussen Reports on X:Β “Openly gay out. Openly Christian in!”

One social media user on X:Β “Again f*** Disney for removing the trans storyline from WIN OR LOSE, but so far it’s a great show.”

Another social media user on X:Β “Another week, another two incredibleΒ Win or LoseΒ episodes. The way they show both the kid’s and parent’s struggles and perspectives is top-notch. The animation, the story, the voice acting, the music… it’s all PERFECT. The team behind this show is just brilliant.”

What’s Next

Episodes ofΒ Win or LoseΒ are being released each week up until March 12.

A second season of the show has not yet been announced.