Take Action

Californians: 

Contact your representatives and tell them to vote YES on the SAFETY Act! AB1955, the SAFETY Act, will ban harmful forced outing policies in California schools and ensure that parents and educators have the resources they need to support LGBTQ+ students. The State Senate has heard your calls and they passed the bill! Now, let’s keep up the pressure by urging your state representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and vote YES!

New Hampshirites: 

Tell Governor Sununu to VETO anti-LGBTQ+ bills! The legislature passed several harmful bills, including an anti-trans athlete ban and a “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” bill. Tell Governor Sununu to protect LGBTQ+ kids and VETO these bills!

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.

Colorado - State Supreme Court to hear case concerning Christian baker who refused to make a cake celebrating a gender transition. The baker, Jack Phillips, previously had a case before the Supreme Court over his refusal to bake a cake celebrating a same-sex marriage.

Florida - Parent of trans student athlete says enforcement of athlete ban ruined her daughter’s life. Jessica Norton’s daughter withdrew from school and enrolled in virtual school for her own safety after she was outed as a trans member of the girls’ volleyball team. Norton, who works at her daughter’s former high school, is also facing termination.  

New York - Vandal destroys rainbow flags at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. Authorities say someone took down 160 flags lining Christopher Park in New York’s West Village, part of the National monument dedicated to the LGBTQ equality movement.

The New York City Council proposes extending IVF coverage to gay male employees. The city council’s LGBTQIA+ caucus to change the the requirement for city employees to show documentation of infertility - which excludes gay men- in order to have IVF covered under the city’s healthcare plan.

Utah - Legislature votes to ignore Biden Administration’s Title IX rule. In a special session, the legislature approved a resolution saying the state would not follow the Administration’s Title IX rules, and would continue to enforce its anti-trans bathroom ban.

Court Matters

Supreme Court upholds gun restrictions in domestic violence cases. In an 8-1 ruling, with only Justice Thomas dissenting, the Court upheld a federal law that prohibits people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from having firearms.

Club Q shooter pleads guilty to 50 federal hate crime chargesAnderson Lee Aldrich, who killed five people and injured 19 others at Club Q in Colorado Springs in 2022, is likely to be sentenced to multiple life sentences for the hate crimes plus a total of 190 years on gun charges and other counts.

Federal Matters

President Biden announces executive order to shield undocumented spouses of American citizens from deportation. The new policy would allow noncitizens who are married to a U.S. citizen and have been in the country for at least 10 years, as well as their children, to apply for permanent residence without leaving the U.S..

Federal judge blocks April 2024 Title IX rule. On June 16th, a federal judge in Kentucky blocked President Biden's administration from implementing new protections for LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in schools and colleges based on their gender identities in six states that challenged the federal rule as unlawful.

More gay and bisexual men donating blood. Early data shows that the end of the blanket blood donation ban for gay and bisexual men encouraged more blood donations from them. PFLAG National advocated strongly and testified to the FDA to end the discriminatory  lifetime ban and from restricting by community and instead evaluate by sexual behavior, including all communities.

Global Matters

France - President Macron criticized for anti-trans comments. Macron accused the New Popular Front, an alliance of parties on the political left, of promoting “completely crazy things, like going to the town hall to change your sex.” The comments were condemned by New Popular Front members and some of Macron’s LGBTQ+ supporters. 

Thailand - Senate passes marriage equality bill. Should the King approve the bill, Thailand will become the first country in Southeast Asia to allow same-sex marriages. 

Ukraine - LGBTQ+ soldiers march for queer rights. Ukrainian military personnel and their supporters marched in central Kyiv to demand partnership rights and other protections, highlighting their service to their country in its war with Russia.

Media Matters

 

Marlon Wayans releases photos from Pride Month photoshoot. Wayans has been open about his support and acceptance of his transgender son. His journey to understanding his trans child is a major theme of his new Prime Video stand up special, “Marlon Wayans: Good Grief.”

 

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

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