Take Action

Floridians: 

Join our partners at Parenting with Pride for their public education webinar on April 24th! In Florida, we have witnessed the emergence of book bans, legislation prohibiting discussions on race, and the implementation of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Join Parenting with Pride to explore strategies to resist these challenges, ensuring the protection of public education for all.

Louisianans:

Call your representatives and tell them to vote NO on the bathroom ban! HB608 passed the House this week. We need to make sure this harmful bill goes no further. Call your Senator TODAY and tell them to vote NO on HB608!

Ohioans:

Call your representatives and tell them to vote NO on the bathroom ban! HB183 passed out of committee this week. We need to make sure this harmful bill goes no further. Tell your representative TODAY to vote NO on HB183!

South Carolinians:

Your legislators need to hear your voice on H 4624! This bill would ban medical care for trans youth under 18, block Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for ALL South Carolinians, and force teachers to out their trans students. Contact your legislator TODAY and tell them to VOTE NO on this harmful bill!

Tennesseans:

Help our friends at the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) fight back against anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Take action with TEP!

State Matters

Self-care note: While some of the following stories celebrate and affirm LGBTQ+ people, many cover legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans and nonbinary youth. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. 

Advisory: State news is representative but not exhaustive due to space constraints; feel free to forward news about your state to advocacy@pflag.org to consider for inclusion.

Louisiana - Anti-trans facilities ban bill passes House. HB608 would bar transgender Louisianans from using restrooms, locker rooms and sleeping quarters that correspond with their gender identity in public schools, jails, and domestic violence shelters. The bill passed out of the House on April 11th by a vote of 79-16. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. Louisianans -- call your Senator TODAY and tell them to vote NO on HB608!

Maryland - Lawmakers pass slate of pro-LGBTQ+ bills. Two bills strengthening Maryland’s non-discrimination laws, a bill to protect library personnel from losing their jobs despite good performance and as well as a “sanctuary state” bill all to the Governor’s desk for his signature. An HIV decriminalization bill did not pass the Senate, however, frustrating advocates despite an otherwise successful legislative session.

Nebraska - Anti-trans bathroom bill fails. Legislative Bill 575 would have restricted students to teams and school facilities by sex assigned at birth. The bill failed to overcome a filibuster, ensuring it will not advance. 

Ohio - Anti-trans bathroom ban advances out of committee. House Bill 183 passed out of the Higher Education Committee by a 10-5 vote. The bill would prohibit schools from allowing trans students to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity. Ohioans – tell your representatives to vote NO on this harmful and discriminatory bill!

Virginia - Drag Story Hour at an Arlington gay bar interrupted by a bomb threat. Freddie’s Beach Bar received an email on Saturday, April 6 containing a bomb threat. Police and a bomb sniffing dog searched the premises and found no trace of a bomb. The Drag Story Hour event – the first such event hosted at Freddie’s – was delayed while authorities searched for the bomb, but continued after the search concluded

Court Matters

Federal judge rules transgender teacher can use preferred title and pronouns in the classroom. Florida’s HB1069, which was signed into law in 2023, mandated that teachers could not use pronouns that “do not correspond to his or her sex.” U.S. District Court Judge Mark Walker enjoined Florida from enforcing the law against a trans high school teacher known as Ms. Wood, writing in his decision that preventing her from using her preferred name, title, and pronouns in the classroom was an unconstitutional violation of her free speech rights.

Federal Matters

Francisco Ruiz appointed Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Mr. Ruiz is the first Latino to serve as ONAP’s director. Following the announcement of his appointment, Ruiz stated that accelerating efforts to combat the HIV epidemic and improving the well-being of those affected is a priority for the Administration.

Global Matters

Navy veteran wins award for fighting to overturn LGBTQ+ military ban. Emma Riley was a Royal Navy radio operator for three years before she was arrested and discharged after telling a colleague about her sexuality in the early 1990s. She has been named Hero of the Year at the British Diversity Awards for her campaigning efforts against the military ban, including taking the UK to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to challenge the ban in an international court.

United Nations - U.N. Human Rights Council adopts resolution in support of intersex rights. The resolution specifically targets discrimination, violence and harmful practices against those with innate variations in sex characteristics, marking the first time the U.N. has passed a resolution concerning intersex people. The vote on the resolution was 24-0 with 23 abstentions. 

Vatican City - The Vatican announces opposition to laws which criminalize same-sex acts. The head of the Vatican's doctrine office presented a publication which reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to gender-confirmation surgery, so-called "gender theory," and having a child via surrogacy, however, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez also called laws punishing LGBTQ+ people “a big problem” and announced the Vatican’s opposition to criminalization of same-sex sexual activity.

Media Matters

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) bans trans women from competing in athletics. The NAIA's Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote limiting participation in womens’ athletic competitions to cisgender women. The policy will apply to schools whose athletic programs are governed by the NAIA – 249 private colleges across the country that are not part of the NCAA's three divisions of competition. The NCAA’s Board of Governors is scheduled to meet on April 25.

South Carolina womens’ basketball coach supports letting trans women play. Coaching great Dawn Staley, whose University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s Basketball team played a perfect season and won the NCAA national championship, was asked about whether transgender women athletes should play basketball. As a true ally, Staley answered, “If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play. That’s my opinion.” 

Los Angeles LGBT Center to honor actress Cynthia Erivo at its annual gala. The Center, the world’s largest queer-serving nonprofit organization, announced that Erivo, as well as artist Mickalene Thomas, and Muna will be honored at the Center Gala on May 18. The annual benefit is held to celebrate LGBTQ+ voices as well as to raise crucial funds for community services.

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

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