Court Matters

Lambda Legal, ACLU, and ACLU Montana file suit on May 9th claiming discriminatory ban on medically necessary care for youth. The plaintiffs include two trans children, their parents and two healthcare providers, arguing that trans youth are barred from care afforded to cisgender youth.

Supreme Court unanimously grants transgender woman another chance to seek asylum in the U.S. SCOTUS ruled on May 11th that a U.S. immigration judge wrongfully ruled that Estrella Santos-Zacaria did not make a strong enough case for asylum by disclosing past sexual assault and death threats in Guatemala as evidence that she would face persecution if deported.

Lambda Legal, ACLU, ACLU Texas and Transgender Law Center (TLC) announce plan to file suit over Texas's SB 14, affecting trans youth medically necessary care. See State News section below for SB 14’s passage story.

Federal Matters

Metal bat-wielding assailant injures two District office staffers of Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11). Now in police custody, the assailant entered the District office on May 15th, demanding to see the Congressman before attacking Connolly’s staff and damaging computers.

State Matters

Warning: While some of the following stories describe legislative actions to celebrate and affirm LGBTQ+ people, many cover legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans and non-binary 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 constraint; feel free to forward news about your state to advocacy@pflag.org to consider for inclusion.

California - LA Dodgers disinvite Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, LA Pride removes participation from the 10th Annual Dodgers Pride Night. The Dodgers yielded to some pushback for planning to honor the Sisters with the team’s Community Hero Award, which led to LA Pride and the LA LGBT Center withdrawing its involvement with the June 16th event. The Dodgers are now receiving a wave of backlash, including from dozens of LA County legislators.

Florida - Teacher under investigation after showing movie with openly LGBTQ+ character. Jenna Barbee showed her fifth graders “Strange World,” a PG-rated Disney film and was reported by school board member and parent Shannon Rodriguez who accused Barbee of indoctrinating and “stripping the innocence” of her child who is in Barbee’s class.

Gov. DeSantis signs slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills on May 17th. On the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), the Governor signed bills into law affecting medically necessary care, classroom censorship, bathroom access, and drag performances. That followed the right to discriminate bill he signed on May 11th. 

North Dakota - Gov. Doug Burgam signs law on May 8th to permit teachers and state employees ignore the used pronouns of trans students and coworkers. The law also mandates that teachers inform parents or legal guardians if their children identify as transgender and that trans students get approval from their parents to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity.

Texas - Bill to ban gender affirming care sent to Gov. Abbott. SB 14 passed the Senate 19-12 on May 17^th and would ban medically necessary care for trans and non-binary youth including puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Global Matters

China - LGBT Center forcibly closed by government.The Beijing LBGT Center was closed on May 16th by the Chinese authorities in a tightening crackdown on human rights organizations and the LGBTQ+ community. 

Cuba - Cubans celebrate legalization of same-sex marriage. Hundreds of LBGTQ+ Cubans and their allies marched through Havana on May 13^th to mark the adoption of same-sex marriage.

France - Attacks on LGBTQ+ people increases by nearly 30 percent. SOS Homophobie (SOS Homophobia) released data showing a 28 percent increase in physical attacks on LGBTQ+ people in 2022.

Japan - Ruling Party passes less affirming LGBTQ+ bill ahead of G7 Summit. On May 16^th, the leading Liberal Democratic Party of Japan approved a measure “promoting understanding” of the LGBTQ+ community but did not say discrimination would not be tolerated.

Russia - Russia fines Google for “LGBT propaganda”. A Russian court ruled that Google must pay $38,000 for failing to remove LGBTQ+-themed YouTube videos.

Spain - Government joins pro-LGBTQ+ Global Equality Fund. The organization provides funds for civil society organizations that promote LGBTQ+ and intersex rights around the world.

Taiwan - Taiwan legalizes adoption by same-sex couples. On May 16^th, the legislature approved a bill that allows same-sex couples to adopt children without requiring a prior familial connection to the children.

Media Matters

Big tech still advertising on Twitter despite rise in hate speech. Several of the largest tech firms have remained among Twitter's top advertisers this year — including Apple, Amazon and IBM — despite the rise in hate speech on the service as well as a wide range of incendiary tweets from owner Elon Musk. Many organizations have chosen to leave the platform in the last several months, including CenterLink.

D.C. oral transgender history project announced. The project is funded by a grant from Humanities D.C. and is focused on recording the stories of the trans community in the D.C. area.

Gio Benitez joins Good Morning America weekend co-anchor, announced on May 11th. Benitez, who is openly gay, has covered transportation news at ABC, including aviation during the pandemic, private space programs, and the auto industry. He has won three television news Emmy Awards, and joins current co-anchors Whit Johnson and Janai Norman.

Transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr proposes to girlfriend on May 5th at Missoula Queer Prom. Zephyr made national news when she was censured for speaking up for LGBTQ+ trans rights on the floor of the Montana state house where she is a legislator. Her fiancée, Erin Reed, is a trans activist and writer.

PFLAG National
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