Court Matters

Pres. Biden reaches record-setting 100+ federal judge appointments to lifetime seats with Senate passage on Feb 14th.  On Wed., Feb. 15th, the landmark number reached 104.

Federal Matters

Ben LaBolt appointed as first openly gay White House Communications Director on Feb. 10th. He has extensive political experience with senior roles on three Presidential campaigns, the Biden-Harris Transition Team, Hill experience in the House and Senate and was Communications Director on the successful nomination of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

DOJ sending $231M to states and Washington, DC for gun violence prevention programs. Announced on Feb. 14th, the award allows states to administer “red-flag laws” and other crisis-intervention programs as part of the landmark bipartisan gun legislation passed by Congress over the summer.

State Matters

Gender-affirming care bans introduced in 26 states. Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas all have at least 10 active bills aiming to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth. 

California - Huntington Beach City Council votes against flying Pride flag at city government buildings. In a 4-3 vote on February 7th, the City Council voted to repeal a 2021 ordinance allowing the Pride flag to fly at city government buildings during Pride Month. Now, only flags representing government entities and the military will be raised at municipal buildings. 

Florida - More than one million books subject to review in Duval County schools. The Stop WOKE Act and the Parental Rights in Education Act- also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law- require Florida public schools to review books for content on race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Georgia - Forced outing bill and gender-affirming care ban introduced in State Senate. SB140 would ban gender-affirming care for trans Georgians under 18 while SB141 would require school officials to out trans students to their parents.

Iowa - State House approves LGBTQ+ panic defense ban. The bill passed on February 9th with only one member of the state house voting no. 

Kansas - Gender-affirming care ban, other anti-trans bills introduced in State Legislature. The legislature is currently considering bills banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, a trans athlete ban, and a bill barring trans women from using public spaces intended for women. 

Kentucky - Bill allowing misgendering of trans students heard in State Senate. The Senate Education Committee is considering SB150, which would protect students and teachers who intentionally misgender trans students at school. 

Missouri - Attorney General announces investigation into gender-affirming care at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced the investigation on February 9th, following the publication of an op-ed alleging misconduct at the hospital. 

South Dakota - Governor Noem signs gender-affirming care ban into law. South Dakota is the second state to ban gender-affirming care this year, after Utah. 

Tennessee - State Senate approves gender-affirming care ban. SB1, which would ban gender-affirming care for trans Tennesseans under 18, now heads to the State House for consideration. Several advocacy groups have announced plans to file a lawsuit should the bill be signed into law. 

Texas - Gov. Abbott announces support for trans athlete ban in college sports. The governor spoke at the Young America’s Foundation Freedom conference in Dallas, saying the legislature planned to pass a law extending Texas’s athlete ban, which currently covers kindergarten through high school, through college.

Global Matters

Australia - New South Wales opposition leader pledges to ban so-called Conversion Therapy. Labor Party leader Chris Minns announced plans to ban the practice should his party win the upcoming state elections. 

Prime Minister to march in Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will become the first sitting prime minister to participate in the March.

Japan - Government announces bill to “promote understanding” of LGBTQ+ people. Koichi Hagiuda, the policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said that he would work to "forge a consensus" on the proposal within the party. 

Sri Lanka - Government announces intention to decriminalize homosexual activity. Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry said the government would decriminalize same-sex relations but not same-sex marriage. 

United Kingdom - Police claim there is no evidence of a hate crime in stabbing death of trans girl. Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed to death. A boy and girl, both 15, have been arrested in connection with the crime.

Media Matters

 

Howard Bragman, publicist and trailblazer for LGBTQ+ community, dies. Mr. Bragman fought for fair coverage of LGBTQ+ people in sports and entertainment. 

Super Bowl/Puppy Bowl ad campaign placed by anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion nonprofit organization. Sunday night's Super Bowl (and Puppy Bowl) featured spots for the "He Gets Us" campaign from the Servant Foundation, a Kansas-based charity that does business as The Signatry. The Signatry donated more than $50 million to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) between 2018 and 2020. ADF is designated an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Czech footballer Jakub Jankto comes out as gay. Mr. Jankto, who is a midfielder for Sparta Prague, announced he is gay on social media on February 13th. 

Cam Thomas fined $40,000 for anti-gay remark. The Brooklyn Nets guard received the fine for a remark he made in a post-game interview on February 9th.

 

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

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