Support for those affected by the Los Angeles County Wildfires

Our hearts go out to all those affected by the devastating wildfires in LA County. The LA County Fire Department, FEMA, the Red Cross, and NBC4 Los Angeles have compiled resources for those affected. Please stay safe and follow all emergency orders, including evacuation orders.

Take Action

Tell your Senators to vote NO on the anti-trans athlete ban! The House passed H.R. 28, a federal anti-trans athlete ban, this week. Next week, the Senate will consider the bill. We need everyone to call and write their Senators NOW and tell them to vote NO. 

With Inauguration Day just a few days away, we know many are wondering what actions they can take in the face of a hostile administration. Here are some things you can do, right now, to take action and foster community:

• Contact your state legislators and tell them to respect trans kids. Regardless of where you live, this message is important for legislators to hear.
• Start attending your school and library board meetings to tell your local officials that their priority should be creating safe and inclusive school environments for all. 
• Watch Advocacy at All Levels: Making Your PFLAG Voice Heard. Our most recent PFLAG Academy Online training will teach you the ins and outs of the legislative process and how you can make a difference. 

Sign up for your local state equality group newsletters to stay up to date on what’s happening in your state.

State Matters

Here is a sample of what’s going on around the country. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. You can share news from your state with advocacy@pflag.org for possible inclusion in a future newsletter.

Georgia - Over 100 LGBTQ+ activists rally on first day of legislative session. Activists, including PFLAG members, gathered for the “Stand Up for Trans Georgians” rally outside the Capitol building on January 13th to show support for trans Georgians who face legislative attacks from the General Assembly. 

First bill filed in 2025 legislative session is anti-trans athlete ban. SB 1 would ban trans girls from participating in school sports from middle school through college. SB 1 also mandates that schools designate separate changing and locker rooms, restrooms, and overnight accommodations according to sex assigned at birth. 

Kentucky - Bill introduced to repeal Gov. Beshear’s executive order banning conversion therapy. HB 64 would declare the Governor’s executive order, which was signed in September, invalid. 

Montana - House advances anti-trans facilities ban. A bill segregating bathrooms in public buildings according to sex assigned at birth advanced in the House on a party-line 58-42 vote. The measure must still obtain a final vote of approval in the House before it moves to the Senate. 

Nevada - Lt. Gov. forms task force to ban trans athletes from women’s sports. Lt. Gov. Anthony formed the “Lieutenant Governor’s Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports,” which has 11 members, with the stated goal of barring trans women and girls from participating in sports. 

New Jersey - Senate Deputy Majority Leader endorses anti-trans athlete ban in interview. Senator Paul Sarlo called an athlete ban a “common sense” policy, saying “males shouldn’t be participating in women’s sports.” 

Virginia - Gov. Youngkin and others state support for anti-trans athlete ban. Members of the General Assembly, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, AG Jason Miyares, and others gathered at an event on January 15th to show support for an anti-trans athlete ban.

Court Matters

11th Circuit Court hears case challenging Florida’s anti-trans healthcare ban. The federal court heard oral arguments in Doe v. Ladapo on January 15th. The case was appealed to the 11th Circuit after the District Court for the Northern District of Florida found the healthcare ban unconstitutional because it was “motivated by purposeful discrimination against transgender people.”

Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban law. SCOTUS unanimously upheld the law which requires TikTok’s China-based parent company to divest from the app or to shut down in the United States. The ban goes into effect on Sunday, January 19th, but the Biden Administration said it does not plan to implement it then, leaving further action to the next Administration.

Federal Matters

House passes federal anti-trans athlete ban. H.R. 28 was adopted by an almost entirely party-line vote of 218-206, with one member voting present. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. PFLAG National and 62 chapters signed onto a letter opposing the bill.

President Biden announces he considers the Equal Rights Amendment to be ratified. On January 17th, the President proclaimed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution ratified and "the law of the land." The President does not have a direct role in the amendment process and the National Archivist, Colleen Shogan, would need to formally publish or certify the ERA for it to go into effect; whether or when that would happen is unclear. However, Biden says that he considers Virginia’s vote to ratify the ERA in 2020 to be the necessary 38th state to complete the process.

President Biden delivers farewell address. President Biden used his farewell address to issue a warning about the fragility of democracy in the U.S.; he also shared policies he hopes will be adopted in the future.

HHS releases first-ever US government report on advancing health equity for intersex individuals. The report, released January 17th, stated that there is “growing evidence that surgical interventions on intersex infants can cause lasting harm, including stigma and medical mistrust.” Administration for Children and Families also released an Information Memorandum on January 17th on supporting intersex youth and their families.

Global Matters

Turkey - President Erdogan launches “Year of the Family,” attacking LGTBQ+ community. During the launch of the “Year of the Family” program, the President portrayed the LGBTQ+ rights movement as a foreign conspiracy which harms children and youth. 

Vatican City - The Vatican approves guidelines for openly gay Italians to become priests. The Vatican approved guidelines adopted by the Italian Bishop’s Conference in November, which allows openly gay men in Italy to become priests, provided they remain celibate.

Media Matters

Meta announces new guidelines allowing anti-LGBTQ+ speech on its platforms. Under the new guidelines, users of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads can call LGBTQ+ people mentally ill, make insults about a person’s appearance based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other characteristics, among other changes. Meta also announced it would be ending all of its major DEI programs immediately. PFLAG National’s Strategic Communications team is closely monitoring this situation.

Karla Sofía Gascón becomes first openly trans actress to be nominated for a BAFTA film award. Gascón earned a nomination for Best Leading Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez.

Women’s basketball team boycotts game in support of trans teammate. The Vancouver Island University (VIU) women’s basketball team is boycotting games against Columbia Bible College (CBC) after the CBC coach complained that the VIU team has a trans player. The VIU team wrote a letter of support for their trans teammate and condemned the CBC coach.

Queens LGBTQ+ activist Ed Sederbaum dies at 78. Sederbaum founded Q-GLU in 1991, helping to elevate queer and ally candidates for local offices in Queens.

PFLAG National
(202) 467-8180 | love@pflag.org

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