Take Action

Tell President Biden not to bring back the previous Administration’s harmful and discriminatory asylum rules. The Department of Homeland Security is proposing bringing back a rule from the previous administration forcing asylum seekers to apply for asylum in another country before coming to the southern border, or to enter at an official port of entry with a previously scheduled appointment through a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) mobile application. It would also require people not from Mexico seeking asylum from Central and South America to be deported to Mexico. 

People fleeing for their lives—who have no safe country to ask for help and who cannot wait for a mobile app border appointment—will likely be denied asylum, resulting in unnecessary harm for LGBTQ+ refugees. Please join our friends at Immigration Equality in urging the President not to implement this rule!

Court Matters

LGBTQ+ legal organizations announce action against gender-affirming care ban law in Tennessee. The ACLU, ACLU Tennessee, and Lambda Legal announced that they plan to challenge the new law in court.

Five women in Texas sue over abortion ban. Five women blocked under Texas state law from receiving abortions while in medical crisis are suing the state. Four were forced to seek medically necessary abortions outside the state due to Texas’s stringent anti-abortion laws.

Federal Matters

Congressional Equality Caucus supports trans women and girls playing sports, opposes prohibitive bill. U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Chair of the 191-member Congressional Equality Caucus led fellow Equality Caucus Co-Chairs and Vice Chairs in a press conference on March 8th at the U.S. Capitol to express opposition to proposed legislation that would prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in sports.The bill’s markup hearing was that day by the Education and Workforce Committee.

Department of Education to scrap DeVos rule. The Biden administration is ending a Trump-era rule that encouraged discrimination in higher education. Under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the prior administration created a rule that higher education institutions receiving federal funds could be penalized if they infringed on so-called religious freedom.

Jamar K. Walker is the first openly gay federal judge in Virginia and first Black judge on the District Court. Walker was confirmed by the US Senate on March 7th for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appoints first LGBTQ+ Asian American to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Glenn D. Magpantay, Esq., civil rights attorney and former Executive Director of NQAPIA, was appointed to this independent, bipartisan agency that advises Congress and the White House on enforcement of federal civil rights laws and development of national civil rights policy.

State Matters

Alaska - The state Commission for Human Rights removes most protections for LGBTQ+ Alaskans. Advised by the state AG, the Commission on March 4th deleted its guidelines stating that LGBTQ+ people could not be discriminated against in housing and “public accommodation” and dropped non employment-related LGTBQ+ cases that the commission had been handling.

Colorado - Trans lawmaker fights transphobic comments on State House floor. Third-term State Rep. Brianna Titone (D), the first openly transgender lawmaker in state history, spoke out against what she called dangerous comments by her colleagues that denied the existence of trans people during the chamber’s consideration of a Resolution to ratify the ERA. 

Florida - Florida considers trans child removal bill. The Senate-introduced bill would remove children from families supporting their child’s gender-affirming care, currently or prospectively, regardless of whether the child resides in Florida; the bill contains additional criminal charges against parents and medical providers.

Sixteen state Attorneys General criticized Gov. DeSantis for requesting private medical information on trans students. The AGs wrote a letter criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis for his administration asking public colleges in the state for data on their students undergoing gender-affirming care. The Florida office of Policy and Budget asked all public colleges in the state for information on where gender-affirming surgeries were provided and the number of treatments students received.

Illinois - Historic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses chance for reelection. On Feb. 28th, Mayor Lightfoot, the first out gay person and Black woman to be elected mayor, failed to qualify for a runoff election for mayor of Chicago.

Michigan - Michigan Senate passes bill to include SOGIE in state nondiscrimination protections. SB 4 would amend the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as protected classes. The bill is expected to pass in the House and signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Missouri - State House discusses “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill. A House committee is considering a bill that would ban all LGBTQ+ topics from K-12 public schools. 

Vermont - Vermont school forfeits tournament, refusing to compete against trans athlete. Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a girls’ basketball tournament due to their refusal to play against a transgender girl on one of the teams. 

West Virginia - Anti-trans bill passes in a Senate committee, advances to another. The West Virginia Senate Health and Human Resources committee on March 5th moved forward legislation that would ban minors from accessing gender-affirming care. The bill, HB 2007, will next be reviewed by the state Senate Judiciary Committee.

Wyoming - Gender-affirming care remains legal. Despite two bills trying to halt it, both failed to advance in votes on March 3rd.

Global Matters

Australia - Aboriginal Australians centered at WorldPride 2023 in Sydney. Sydney is hosting the LGBTQ+ biennial WorldPride for the first time and includes a special focus on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ communities. 

New Zealand - Pioneering transgender politician dies. Georgina Beyer, who in 1999 became the world's first openly transgender member of parliament in New Zealand has died. Beyer was 65 and receiving hospice care when she died.

Uganda - Ugandan Parliament poised to pass anti-LGBTQ+ bill. Lawmakers are considering a new law that would criminalize the “promotion, recruitment and funding” of pro-LGBTQ+ ideas and actions. Same-sex sexual acts are already illegal in Uganda and punishable with prison time.

Ukraine - Ukrainian lawmakers to consider civil partnership bill. Parliament Member Inna Sovsun introduced a bill on March 7th that would extend legal recognition to same-sex partnerships. Sovsun expressed hope that President Zelensky would approve the legislation, saying that he previously voiced support for the idea.

Media Matters

 

U.S. disability-rights advocate dies. Civil rights leader Judy Heumann, 75, died on March 4th. She is well-known for playing a key role in the development of the Americans with Disability Act and other disability inclusion legislation. Heumann previously served as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of Education, and as the Advisor of Disability and Development for the World Bank.

 

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

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