Blythe del Kuzio

source https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/09/nigerias-queer-population-facing-impossible-decision/

Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central’s satirical news program The Daily Show , recently announced he’s resigning. While it’s unclear when exactly he will exit the show (and who will take his place), LGBTQ fans will remember the many times that Noah stood up against bigotry and showed allyship. Here are seven such moments. When he mocked North Carolina’s transphobic bathroom bill When North Carolina passed its 2016 bathroom bill banning trans people from using facilities matching their gender identity, Noah joked about the state’s possible loss of $2 billion in federal funding over the law. “There is no one I would not let use the bathroom for $2 billion,” he said. “I would be your bathroom for $2 billion. I would literally let you pee on me for $2 billion.” He also mentioned that most public bathrooms have much bigger issues to deal with than trans people. “For starters,” Noah said, “there’s pee everywhere. That’s a bigger problem… And how come that automatic toilet always fl...

A federal court of appeals has ruled yet again that former Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis – who refused to provide marriage licenses to gay couples after marriage equality was legalized – does not have qualified immunity. Qualified immunity protects government officials from personal liability for violating someone’s rights, unless they are in violation of “clearly established” constitutional rights, as the Supreme Court case of Harlow v. Fitzgerald decided in 1982. Davis already lost her plea for qualified immunity in the case several years ago. The most recent opinion stated that because the plaintiffs proved that Davis “violated their clearly established right to marry,” the ruling that says she is not entitled to qualified immunity stands. The court affirmed that “the basic facts of this case have not changed” and that “we again affirm the district court” in deciding that “Davis is still not entitled to qualified immunity.” Davis’s refusal to grant the marriage lice...

On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill protecting transgender youth and their families fleeing prosecution from states that criminalize gender-affirming care. “In California we believe in equality and acceptance,” Newsom said in a signing statement. “We believe that no one should be prosecuted or persecuted for getting the care they need — including gender-affirming care. Parents know what’s best for their kids, and they should be able to make decisions around the health of their children without fear. We must take a stand for parental choice.” Laws attempting to ban medical care for transgender minors “demonize” the transgender community and are an act of hate, Newsom said. S.B. 107, authored by out state Sen. Scott Wiener (D), prohibits courts and attorneys in California from enforcing subpoenas requested by other states pursuing criminal prosecution of families seeking gender-affirming care for minors in California. The new law also bans healthcare provider...

“Representation matters.” Celia Israel – an out lesbian legislator in Texas who is now running for mayor of Austin – returned to this idea often in a conversation with LGBTQ Nation. Israel, a founding member of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, arrived at the Texas State House as a representative for northeast Austin in 2014. “Our first legislative session was the stupid bathroom bill, which got national attention.” From there, she said, it was all downhill. “The last legislative session in 2021, it was the worst legislative session that any of us had ever seen. We made it easier to get a gun. We made it harder to vote. We did not fix the grid. Lord knows, we’re one of those states that refused to expand Medicaid. And we had three special sessions on voting rights and on telling trans kids you can’t wear a goddamn basketball uniform right now. It was horrible.” Now Israel is poised to become the first Latina woman and first out LGBTQ person to serve as mayor of her adopted hometown, t...

“I know this is new to you, but I’ve dated a lot of women. This is just par for the course. This is the risk you’re taking,” Carmen Maria Machado’s lover tells her in In The Dream House , after fighting off a drunk man who’d nearly accosted her on the street. According to the CDC, the rates at which lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience sexual violence are higher than straight people. Their studies cited the higher rates of poverty, stigma, and marginalization that LGBTQ people face as contributors to the higher incidences. Lesbians especially are subject to greater risk, given the pornification and objectification of our lives. As a queer woman, I have my own long list of incidents involving harassment at the hands of cis men. Back in college, I once sat with my head against my then girlfriend’s shoulder on a sidewalk bench when suddenly we heard a click, and a guy yelling “Sweet!” By the time I’d processed that he had snapped a picture of us with his phone, he and his four...

Robbie Pierce, the husband of Advocate Editorial Director Neal Broverman, has the internet cracking up with his epic response to a child repeating homophobia he heard at home. “A random unattended 7yo at the park told me and my son that gay people are the devil and are going to hell,” Pierce wrote. “My son scoffed, but the boy said it was true because God said so.” “I told him parents made up God to make their kids do what they want. His eyes got so big.” In a later tweet, Pierce justified his response succinctly: “I’m sorry but if you teach your kids to hate I’m going to teach them to disobey you.” I'm sorry but if you teach your kids to hate I'm going to teach them to disobey you. — Robbie (@Robbiepierce) September 29, 2022 People chimed in with support for Pierce. “Unattended children will be given life lessons that you may not approve of.” — Val (@NecromancerProb) September 29, 2022 yea that honestly could be extremely liberating and helpful to the...

A Louisiana man has pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping as part of a gruesome plan to murder gay men . Chance Seneca, 21, admitted to using a gay dating app in June 2020 to meet then 18-year-old Holden White. He then drove White to an isolated house where he forced the teen into handcuffs at gunpoint and attempted to kill and dismember him to satisfy his “homicidal urges.” Seneca faces life imprisonment, as well as additional federal hate crimes charges. In March 2021, Seneca was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of hate crime with attempt to kill, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, attempted kidnapping, obstruction by destruction of records, and two counts of kidnapping. According to an affidavit, unsealed at the time, Seneca admitted to luring White to his father’s home in Lafayette, Louisiana on June 20, 2020 as part of a detailed plot to kill and dismember the victim. Seneca told an FBI agent that he had ordered a knife, ice pick, ...

Today is the last day to vote in LGBTQ Nation Heroes 2022 . So go vote! We’d love to hear what you think about this year’s nominees. Our editorial team put together a lineup of  40 people and groups who we consider heroes  from the past year across eight categories. The nominees are LGBTQ people or close allies  who have done heroic work in a variety of fields  and highlight what it means to be on the right side of history. You can vote once per device today, and then voting will be closed for the year. Winners will be announced next week. This is also a chance to read about the nominees. The best part about  LGBTQ Nation’s  Heroes is learning about the nominees, so take some time to read about them before voting. Read about them here: LGBTQ Nation Hero of the Year Celebrity who made us Proud Social Media Hero Good News Hero Hero who Stood Up with Dignity Hero Defending the Children Sports Hero Political Hero source https://www.lgbtqnati...

When the caretaker of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Yardley, Pennsylvania arrive to the church grounds on Tuesday, they found that someone had torn the church’s rainbow Pride flag off of its sign and smeared it with feces. The church contacted the police. Though the flag has since been replaced, the vandalism is part of a pattern of anti-LGBTQ vandalism at the house of worship, which police are now investigating. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that yesterday our St. Andrew’s Pride flag was destroyed,” the church announced in an Instagram post. The post noted that the flag was only mounted upon the church’s sign after the repeated theft and vandalism of the church’s Pride lawn signs proclaiming “All Are Welcome.” “I wish I could say that this particular act of vandalism is an isolated incident – but it’s not,” the post continued. “This is happening at a time when our community is increasingly aware of our Pride signs and people are telling us of their appreciation fo...

Out Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI) has introduced two bills to establish an LGBTQ history museum in Washington, D.C. The announcement comes as LGBTQ History Month is about to begin. “As our community faces unprecedented attacks and attempts to erase our history, we must preserve and protect our stories for future generations,” Rep. Pocan said in a press release . “It is vital to remember our collective past – particularly when certain states seek to constrain and repeal existing rights by passing bills that harm LGBTQ+ youth and our community at large. Let’s tell these stories, and honor the many contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to this nation with a museum in Washington, D.C. I look forward to the passage of this legislation and to visiting this museum in the near future.” The first bill establishes an 8-person commission that would have eighteen months to develop a fundraising plan, assess the feasibility of creating the museum, and determine if the museum should be par...

More than 10 years after the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT), the 1994 law that banned gay and bisexual service members from serving in the military, a publicly released historical study has found that conservative fears about repealing the law were unfounded. The 196-page study, started in 2012 and published in 2021, was commissioned by the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: the heads of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The study found that repealing the ban had no negative impact on military readiness, effectiveness, or unit cohesion, despite worries to the contrary, Military Times reports . In a December 2010 Senate vote, eight Republican senators crossed party lines to repeal the ban in a 65-31 vote. Four days later, President Obama signed the repeal into law. The next year, the DOD created a Support Plan for Implementation of the repeal. The full repeal went into effect on September 20, 2011. It turned out repeal didn’t disrupt the military at all ...

Out actor Ian McKellen seemingly dismissed criticism that straight actors shouldn’t play gay roles earlier this week. During a Q&A after a special 25th-anniversary screening of the 1997 queer Holocaust drama Bent held by the British Film Institute, the 83-year-old star praised Clive Owen’s performance as Max, a gay prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. “Nothing wrong with that performance,” McKellen, who was joined onstage by the film’s director Sean Mathias and playwright Martin Sherman, told the audience. “For those of you who think only gay people should be allowed to play gay parts.” McKellen, who appeared in a supporting role in the film, originated the role of Max in the 1979 production of Sherman’s play on London’s West End. It’s unclear what prompted the actor’s comments, but he was clearly referring to the growing opinion that more LGBTQ roles should be played by actual LGBTQ actors. Following high-profile casting controversies in recent years involving cisgender ac...

In Atlanta this week, the first queer Muslim elected in the state of Georgia came out for a second time — as nonmonogamous. Liliana Bakhtiari, 34, who won their seat on the Atlanta City Council for the 5th District last November, acknowledged publicly for the first time that they’re in a nonmonogamous relationship with two women they live with. Bakhtiari has been with their first partner, Kris Brown, for 10 years. The two kept quiet until now about the third member of the group, Sarah Al-Khayyal, whom they met two years ago. “I’m in love with two wonderful people,” Bakhtiari told NBC News . Bakhtiari and Brown met at a gay bar in Atlanta in 2012, and the now-council member was upfront immediately about their aversion to monogamy. It was new territory for Brown. “I was like, ‘That’s cool with me,’” said Brown, 33, a campaign consultant and fundraiser. “It was the first time that I had been with anyone who didn’t want to be monogamous. For me, it was kind of a relief as well to be ...

A pediatrician running for Congress as a Democrat in South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews, is speaking out after her opponent – incumbent Rep. Nancy Mace (R-NC) – accused her of supporting “child abuse” and gender-affirming surgery on young children. The attacks have led to threats and forced her to take unpaid leave from her job at Jenkins Children’s Hospital and increase security. Mace, who has a history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, posted a video to social media that shows Dr. Andrews holding a small card with the words “Protect trans kids” and the transgender flag. On top of the picture, words scroll by: “SEX CHANGE SURGERY. PUBERTY BLOCKERS. GENDER CHANGING HORMONES. FOR CHILDREN?! THAT’S NOT PROTECTION. THAT’S CHILD ABUSE.” In another ad, Mace accuses Andrews of pressuring the state government into allowing gender-affirming care for children and “pushing hospitals to administer gender-changing hormones to children as young as four-years-old.” Hormone replacement therapy is not given ...

The Log Cabin Republicans, like large swathes of the GOP, embraced Donald Trump and everything he stood for. Now the group of conservative queers is endorsing Sarah Palin in her bid to become Alaska’s sole member of the House of Representatives. The organization has defended Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law by comparing its opponents to pedophiles , opposed landmark LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation, and has repeatedly been soundly rejected by the Republican Party. The group has targeted Chasten Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s husband, in an effort to portray him as an effete gadfly. Chasten Buttigieg is a former elementary school teacher and he was an outspoken critic of the Florida law. The radicalized organization has also compared LGBTQ people to child molesters, saying queer teachers are trying to “groom” and “indoctrinate” young kids. After spending the past few years decrying LGBTQ equality and denigrating the “leftist” community in general and transgend...

Perry Greene, the husband of anti-LGBTQ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), has filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage. According to court documents obtained by The Daily Beast, Perry Greene describes their marriage as “irretrievably broken” and says that they have been separated for some time. “Marriage is a wonderful thing and I’m a firm believer in it,” Marjorie Taylor Greene said in a statement. “Our society is formed by a husband and wife creating a family to nurture and protect. Together, Perry and I formed our family and raised three great kids. He gave me the best job title you can ever earn: Mom. I’ll always be grateful for how great of a dad he is to our children. This is a private and personal matter and I ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.” The filing asks the court to keep documents under seal, saying that the divorce proceedings will contain “sensitive personal and financial information.” Marjorie Taylor Greene's husband, Perry, has file...

The Roseburg Public School District in Oregon has had to debunk a web hoax started by an angry Facebook post that claimed that its schools were accommodating students who dress up, act like, and identify as animals. The hoax began as a photo posted last Tuesday on Facebook by a person named Doug Coffman, The News-Review reported . The photo showed a person with a leash around their neck kneeling while another person held the leash and petted their forehead. The now-deleted post received over 800 comments in just eight hours. Some of the commenters threatened to go to schools and assault students. In the original post, Coffman wrote, “This is the bulls**t my kids have to see at school!!! Kids identifying as furry’s!! I am so pi***d and sick and tired of this BS!!!” “Furries” are a subculture of people who dress up as animals (usually in mascot costumes). Right-wingers have increasingly used the term to refer to anyone who dresses up like an animal or pretends to act like one. In...

Herschel Walker, Georgia’s Republican Senate nominee and a former NFL player, recently voiced his belief that trans kids will not get into heaven. “When I get to heaven, I want the Lord to recognize me,” he said at a rally on Tuesday in Calhoun, GA. “Because I can tell you right now, they’re telling the young kids in school, you can be a boy tomorrow even if you’re a girl.” “But I want the young kids to know, you go to heaven. Jesus may not recognize you. Because he made you a boy. He made you a girl. Why are we talking about things like that?” Walker also spoke out against trans athletes participating in sports as their lived gender. “They’re trying to tell you right now that this is normal. But I’m here to tell you this is not normal,” he said. “Let’s get men out of women’s sports.” He also said, “I know what a woman is. It’s written in the Bible. She’s from the rib of a man…A man can’t get pregnant. I don’t know why they’re even talking about that.” Herschel Walker defined ...

Author JK Rowling took to Twitter earlier this week to once again air her anti-transgender views. This time the target of her ire was a U.K. charity organization Mermaids , which provides support for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse young people and their families. On Monday, Rowling shared a recent anti-trans story published by U.K. newspaper The Telegraph in which an anonymous adult posed as a 14-year-old seeking information from Mermaids. “@Mermaids_Gender’s Chair of Trustees recently gave evidence under oath that Mermaids is ‘not a medical organisation.’ Now an investigation reveals they’re advising kids on puberty blockers and providing binders to underage girls without parental consent,” Rowling tweeted. . @Mermaids_Gender 's Chair of Trustees recently gave evidence under oath that Mermaids is "not a medical organisation." Now an investigation reveals they're advising kids on puberty blockers and providing binders to underage girls without pare...