Support for those affected by Hurricane Milton

Our hearts go out to all those affected by Hurricane Milton. FEMA has compiled resources for those affected in Florida.

Love Votes

The stakes have never been higher for LGBTQ+ youth in the upcoming election, with a coordinated and extreme effort targeting the dismantling of public education and the stripping away of civil rights protections.

Join PFLAG National, GLSEN, Advocates for Trans Equality, and the American Federation of Teachers on October 16th at 8pm Eastern in a discussion about what’s at stake in November for LGBTQ+ youth, LGBTQ+ educators, and their families. Learn more and register today!

State Matters

Here is a sample of what’s going on around the country. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. You can share news from your state with advocacy@pflag.org for possible inclusion in a future newsletter. 

California - Marriage equality is on the ballot in November. Proposition 3 would remove language added to the California Constitution by Proposition 8 in 2008, which defined marriage as being between one man and one woman. 

Maryland - PFLAG Salisbury encourages community to get out and vote. Executive Director of Salisbury PFLAG, Mark DeLancey, emphasized the importance of state and local elections for issues like health care and education. 

Virginia - New license plate celebrates LGBTQ+ community, diversity. Diversity Richmond designed a license plate celebrating and raising the visibility of LGBTQ+ diversity. The Virginia-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit needs 450 applications to purchase the plate by January for the plate to become an official state option. 

Wisconsin - State Supreme Court to consider legislature’s power to block Governor’s executive orders. Governor Tony Evers sued legislative leaders over several orders and rules which the legislature has blocked. One of the issues the Court will consider is the Governor’s challenge to the “indefinite objections” raised by the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) that have prevented enforcement of state regulation barring so-called “conversion therapy.”

Court Matters

Supreme Court begins new term. The Court will hear cases concerning the President’s regulatory ban on “ghost guns,” pornography, and the challenge to Tennessee’s gender-affirming care ban.

Federal Appeals Court allows Florida to enforce gender-affirming care ban while case over legality of the law plays out. Attorneys representing a trans man and the parents of trans children asked the 11th Circuit Court to reconsider its August decision allowing Florida to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care. The Court rejected this request by a vote of 2-1.

Federal Matters

The Welcome Corps helps resettle LGBTQ+ refugees in America. President Biden has tasked human rights officials in the State Department with identifying refugees who face persecution either due to their sexual orientation or human rights advocacy. More than 60 countries have anti-LGBTQ laws on the books and thousands of people have fled persecution in those countries. The Welcome Corps sets up refugees with sponsors who help the refugees adjust to their new homes for at least three months.

Centers for Disease Control survey finds three percent of high schoolers identify as trans. The first-of-its-kind survey found that 3.3% of U.S. high school students identify as trans, and those students are disproportionately bullied and feel unsafe. 40% of trans students have faced bullying in school and more than a quarter said they skipped school because they felt unsafe.

Global Matters

Georgia - Parliamentary Speaker overrides President’s veto and signs anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law. The new law will ban Pride events and flags as well as gender-affirming care, in addition to nullifying adoption and marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Spain - Trans soccer team debuts in regional men’s league. The team, named Fenix FC, consists entirely of trans men and is the first all-trans soccer team to achieve federated status in Europe.

Media Matters

A Missouri teacher founded LGBT History Month 30 years ago. Rodney Wilson established LGBT History Month in 1994 while working as a teacher in Missouri. LGBT History Month is now celebrated in 20 countries.

Openly gay Episcopal minister to be reinstated. Rev. Harry Stock was defrocked 40 years ago after he and another man were joined in a holy union ceremony. He will be reinstated at an Episcopal church in Alexandria, Virginia.

Four teams forfeit matches to San Jose State women’s volleyball team after player is accused of being a trans woman. Utah State, Boise State, Wyoming, and Southern Utah have all forfeited matches with San Jose State following claims in a lawsuit that one of the women’s volleyball players is trans.

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

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser