| | There are only 59 days left until Election Day. Here are some things you can do TODAY to help get out the vote. Become a Poll Worker By signing up to be a poll worker, you can ensure that all voters—including LGBTQ+ voters, voters with disabilities, voters who need language assistance, and voters who want to cast their ballot in person—have a positive experience at the polls. Voting by Mail/Absentee? If you plan to vote absentee or by mail, it is critical that you get your application in ASAP. Ten states begin mailing ballots to voters more than 45 days before the election: Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. To request an absentee or mail in ballot go to our Vote411 page and click your home state or check out your state’s Secretary of State’s website. To learn more about when your ballot will be mailed, check out this great resource from NCSL. Pledge to be a PFLAG Voter Join our Love Votes movement and take the pledge to be a PFLAG Voter. Then check out our Love Votes tools and resources to help folks register to vote, our educational tools like slide decks and flyers with voting rights info for all 50 states, PFLAG Academy online trainings focused on getting out the vote, and more resources to take action. |
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|  | | 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. Georgia - State Senate moves to further restrict trans participation in sports. The Georgia High School Association already bans trans women and girls from competing in sports events it sponsors. But Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is President of the State Senate, and others have said that law doesn't go far enough and want lawmakers to pass additional laws banning trans athletes from competing in 2025. Ohio - Lorain bans so-called “conversion therapy.” Eleven Ohio cities have banned conversion therapy on minors, including Cleveland, Akron, Columbus and Cincinnati, covering roughly a quarter of Ohio’s population. Virginia - Sweet Briar College announces policy barring admission for trans women. The policy, which was put in place by the college’s governing board, has been sharply criticized by both faculty and students. |
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| | | Members of Congress urge Supreme Court to protect access to medically necessary care. A group of 164 members of Congress, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan (WI-2), and Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), filed an amicus brief in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti, which will determine whether Kentucky and Tennessee’s gender-affirming care bans violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Many conservative leaders have filed a separate amicus brief also urging the Court to protect access to medically necessary care. Despite SCOTUS 2020 Bostock decision, discrimination against LGBTQ workers persists. According to a new report from the Williams Institute, LGBTQ employees who are out at work are three times more likely to report having experienced discrimination, and transgender and nonbinary employees, and LGBTQ people of color, are significantly more likely to report workplace discrimination. |
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| | | | | Netflix documentary Will and Harper drops trailer, premieres Friday, Sept. 27th. PFLAG National is proud to partner on the film with Netflix, which follows Will Ferrell and his best friend Harper Steele on a cross-country road trip following Harper’s transition. The film has received excellent reviews to date, and played to cheering crowds at numerous festivals. Sade’s First New Song in 6 Years Is a Tribute to Her Trans Son. The song is part of Transa, a new album which features many trans and nonbinary artists, including Sam Smith, Hunter Schafer, Perfume Genius, Clairo, and more. The album represents a “spiritual journey in eight chapters” and features 46 songs. Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff named 2024 LGBT History Month Icon. The Equality Forum, an international LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, designates a new “icon” for each day of the month of October, which is recognized as LGBTQ+ History Month. Naff is among this year’s recipients of the honor and will be celebrated on Oct. 13 on Equality Forum’s website. |
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