Court Matters

Trump pleads not guilty in classified documents case. The former President pleaded not guilty to 37 felony counts stemming from his alleged mishandling of classified information after leaving the White House. 

Lawsuit filed challenging Indiana’s “Don’t Say LGBT” law. HB1608, which would go into effect on July 1st, prohibits any instruction on human sexuality in grades K-3. The ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit on June 9th on behalf of Kayla Smiley, an Indianapolis Public Schools teacher, claiming that the law is written unconstitutionally broadly and vaguely.

Federal Matters

President Biden holds Pride event on White House’s South Lawn. The President announced a series of actions he would take to protect LGBTQ+ Americans, including naming a federal coordinator to address book bans being carried out across the country.

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.

Illinois - Gov. Pritzker signs LGBTQ+ protections into law. One new law will update existing rules governing foster care to make the system in Illinois more affirming for trans and non-binary youth. A second law the governor signed will make it easier for LGBTQ+ couples to marry.

Louisiana - Gov. Edwards promises to veto anti-LGBTQ+ bills. The Governor announced his intention to veto a ban on medically-necessary care for trans youth and a “Don't Say LGBTQ” bill in a press conference on June 8th, following the adjournment of the state legislative session.

Ohio - State House combines anti-trans athlete ban, ban on medically-necessary care for trans and nonbinary youth. The House Public Health Committee held a hearing on HB68, an anti-trans healthcare ban, on June 14th. During the hearing, substitute bill language was approved which inserted provisions contained in HB6, an anti-trans athlete ban proposal, into the text of HB68. The bill was then reported out of committee by a vote of 10-5 and will be considered by the full House.  

Bill to allow parents to opt children out of so-called “sexuality content” passes out of committee. HB8 passed out of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee on June 13th on a 7-5 vote, after the bill was amended to give parents the right to opt their children out of any lessons with “any oral or written instruction, presentation, image or description of so-called sexual concepts or gender ideology.”

Global Matters

Canada - Nine-year-old girl harassed at track-and-field event with anti-trans rhetoric. A 4th-grade girls’ shot put event in Kelowna, British Columbia was interrupted when two attendees began harassing a nine-year-old cisgender girl and her moms. The girl’s mothers reported the attack to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 

Iceland - Parliament passes so-called “conversion therapy” ban. The bill, which passed parliament without a single no vote, bans the discredited and dangerous practice from being used to attempt to change a child’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. 

Japan - House of Representatives passes bill to “promote understanding of sexual minorities.” The bill, which passed on June 13th, has been criticized for not doing enough to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Japan. 

Russia - State Duma advances law banning gender-confirmation surgery and other medically necessary care. The bill, which passed the first of three readings in the Russian parliament’s lower house on June 14th, outlaws "any medical interventions aimed at shaping a person's primary and secondary sex characteristics" as well as banning changing one’s gender marker on official documents. 

Uganda - Archbishop of Canterbury urges Anglican Church of Uganda to reject anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The Archbishop said the law’s harsh punishments for same-sex relations are contrary to Christ’s teachings. 

Media Matters

 

Garth Brooks states commitment to inclusiveness at his Nashville bar. The country music star confirmed that Bud Lite would be available at his Friends in Low Places Bar and Honky Tonk and said that he wanted to ensure everyone felt safe there. 

Alex Newell, J. Harrison Ghee become first nonbinary actors to win a Tony Award. Newell won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for their role in Shucked while Ghee won Best Leading Actor for their role as a jazz musician in Some Like It Hot. Ghee was in attendance at the PFLAG 50th Anniversary gala in March.

 

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

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