LGBTQ
Texas fights federal rule that would outlaw LGBTQ discrimination in state adoptions and foster care
AUSTIN, Texas – Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the federal government to preserve Texas’ ability to include religious groups that won’t place kids with same-sex couples in the state’s adoption process without losing federal funding. With his lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Galveston, Paxton continued a yearslong, cross-country legal fight over anti-discrimination […]
St. Tammany sees showdown over library books
COVINGTON – More than 100 people packed into a meeting room at the Covington library Tuesday night, eager to weigh in on how the St. Tammany Library Board of Control handles books a local conservative activist group has said are inappropriate for children. St. Tammany is the latest venue for the fight over library content […]
Davante Lewis becomes Louisiana’s first openly LGBTQ person elected to state government
With his upset win Saturday to the Public Service Commission, Davante Lewis became the first openly LGBTQ person ever elected to a state-level office in Louisiana. He is also the first openly LGBTQ Black person elected in state history. “I think it’s important that our elected officials start to reflect the actual people of our […]
Marriage equality bill heads to Biden’s desk following bipartisan U.S. House vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill Thursday that would ensure same-sex and interracial couples continue holding many of the rights they have now, should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the cases that established those constitutional protections. The measure now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden, who plans to […]
Anti-censorship group in St. Tammany seeks to join frontlines in library battles
To uproarious applause from a crowded auditorium full of St. Tammany Parish Republicans, local activist and attorney David Cougle decried pedophilic material in libraries, likening children’s books to the experience of walking down Bourbon Street at night. Cougle spoke to the local Republican Executive Committee meeting as a representative of the St. Tammany Library Accountability […]
Pride flags and ‘safe space’ stickers: Signal of student safety or political speech?
OMAHA, Nebraska — Some local parents and students consider a pride flag or “safe space” stickers displayed in a handful of Omaha suburban high school classrooms as inappropriately political. But these symbols aren’t political to local LGBTQ students. To them, these handheld flags, stickers and supportive posters help them feel accepted and safe. That is […]
Librarian fears AG Landry’s tip line will create ‘weird witch hunt’
Critics say a tip line launched by Attorney General Jeff Landry for “taxpayer-subsidized sexualization of children” at libraries is a symptom of an anti-LGBTQ moral panic. The Protecting Minors tip line will field complaints about librarians, teachers and other school and library personnel. Landry made the announcement at Monday’s meeting of the St. Tammany Parish […]
Same-sex marriage protected under bill passed by U.S. Senate with GOP support
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying many of the rights that would disappear if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn those landmark decisions the way it overturned the nationwide right to an abortion this summer. The 61-36 bipartisan vote sends the bill […]
Colorado legislators reflect on red flag laws after Club Q shooting
DENVER – Following Saturday’s deadly Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, reports of the suspected shooter’s past history with law enforcement prompted questions about Colorado’s red flag laws and whether their application could have prevented the tragedy. Red flag laws allow authorities to temporarily seize firearms from, and block the sale of firearms to, individuals […]
Gay bar owners seek to increase security in the wake of shooting of a gay nightclub in Colorado
Over the past year, Wendy McCown-Williams has noted how heated political discussions about the transgender community had affected her business. McCown-Williams, a transgender woman, has owned a gay bar in rural Tennessee for six years and welcomed everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or political leanings. Drag shows have been a common occurrence at her bar, […]
‘Sickening and devastating’: Colorado leaders react to Club Q shooting
As details of the mass shooting at Club Q emerged on Sunday, Colorado officials expressed shock and grief, with some directly acknowledging the shooting’s impact on the LGBTQ community while others stuck to the rhetoric of “thoughts and prayers.” The shooting, which took place at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs late Saturday night, left […]
Colorado-based group that targets trans athletes in women’s sports seeks national influence
A federal political action committee that targets the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports donated the highest allowed monetary amount to three Republican candidates running to represent Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives. Nine PAC, formed in Colorado Springs, earned its name from Title IX — the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination […]