Blythe del Kuzio

Elliot Page is set to bring Brooklyn’s queer history to life via an upcoming virtual reality (VR) experience. The out trans actor has signed on to be an executive producer on a new VR series based on author Hugh Ryan’s 2019 nonfiction book When Brooklyn Was Queer , according to Variety . Related: Activists celebrate new Washington state law requiring LGBTQ+ history in schools The new inclusive curriculum will be introduced during the 2025–2026 school year. Precise details on the project are scarce, but like Ryan’s book , the series will take viewers on a journey through the New York City borough’s queer history from the mid-19th century to the present, highlighting poet Walt Whitman’s early days as well as the stories of lesser-known figures like drag kings Ella Wesner and Florence Hines, Black lesbian Coney Island dancer Mabel Hampton, and others. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. ...

A two-year legal battle between Disney and the state of Florida has concluded with a settlement agreement between the entertainment company and the Gov. Ron DeSantis -appointed board of the company’s special tax district. The feud began when Disney spoke out against DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. The governor publicly expressed his decision to punish the company for its opposition by ending its decades-old special zoning agreement and stripping Disney of its control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District surrounding Walt Disney World. Disney then pulled a fast one on DeSantis and  reached a last-minute agreement with the previous board  to allow the company to maintain much of its autonomy. Related: Ron DeSantis and Libs of TikTok’s Chaya Raichik are fighting on social media The Florida governor accused the anti-LGBTQ+ influencer of spreading lies for clicks. The settlement acknowledges that plans created by the previous board are not valid, an a...

In honor of  Women’s History Month , we’re highlighting some of the many incredible LGBTQ+ women of both the past and present, women who overcame unimaginable obstacles to change the world. “I hate bullies. I just hate bullies,” transgender activist Alejandra Caraballo tells LGBTQ Nation. “I was bullied a lot as a kid, I was called a f***ot.” This difficult past fuels Caraballo’s unwavering dedication to fighting for trans rights. “I’m a trans Latino woman, I have a shared identity with so many of these folks. I just want to help and make sure they can live a life as good as anyone can.” Related: LGBTQ+ women are often discouraged from running for office. They’re doing it anyway. But along the way, they face a myriad of obstacles that gay and bi male candidates more easily avoid. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Daily * Weekly * Good News * Caraballo wor...

An author continues to fight back after multiple school districts tried to censor him from using the word “gay” in a presentation about his book that included a gay character. Last August, Award-winning author Marc Tyler Nobleman was visiting Sharon Elementary School to discuss Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman.  The book tells the story of Bill Finger, who never received credit for his role in creating the iconic superhero. During his talk, Nobleman merely mentioned that Finger’s son Fred was gay, which led school officials to freak out and send an apology email to parents. Related: LGBTQ+ women are often discouraged from running for office. They’re doing it anyway. But along the way, they face a myriad of obstacles that gay and bi male candidates more easily avoid. The district asked him to omit the fact from the rest of his presentations. At first, he obliged but he eventually couldn’t take it anymore and quit. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe ...

Two recently published research reports published by The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) say that Black transgender youth are more likely to be suicidal and are more likely to experience discrimination from both family and their white LGBTQ+ peers. The Trevor Project survey revealed that 21% of its Black transgender, nonbinary, or questioning respondents reported having a suicide attempt in the past year, over double what was seen for their Black LGBQ cisgender peers. Over half (51%) of the Black transgender, nonbinary, or questioning respondents considered suicide in the past year, compared to 32% of Black LGBQ cisgender youth. Related: 6 Black queer women changing the face of American politics Black queer women have long been at the forefront of important social movements that have expanded our country’s vision for who belongs. The Human Rights Campaign report reveals that over 78% of Black transgender and gender-expansive youth have reported rac...

Developers in New York City’s always-turbulent real estate market often find themselves looking for a second act, and gay Republican developer Ian Reisner is doing just that. His attempt, however, is also a quest for redemption from the LGBTQ+ community. The 55-year-old, scandal-ridden hotelier announced last week that he’s making a second run at developing a gay hotel on West 42nd Street in Hell’s Kitchen, in the same space where he opened his Out NYC Hotel to great fanfare in 2012. That venture shuttered in 2016. Related: California’s capital city is the latest to stand up to Texas’ anti-trans crusade Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been thwarted again. Reisner told the New York Post he’s in talks with a European boutique hotel to operate the low-slung, 103-room building at 510 W. 42nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues and plans to open in September. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at h...

A group called Love Lives in Seekonk (LLIS) sought to educate their small Massachusetts town about LGBTQ+ issues while building support for queer youth in schools. But soon after the group formed, another resident established a similarly named group to mock them. That resident has since accused LLIS and its supporters of being pedophiles and suggested that violence awaits them if they continue their advocacy. Some residents of Seekonk, Massachusetts (population 15,700), were angered in late March 2023 when Mildred H. Aitken Elementary School advertised its annual Boy’s Choice mother-son dance with an ad welcoming all boys, students who identify as boys, and non-binary students. Related: Small town Pride organizer forced to flee state after “groomer” group targeted him Alex Keen wanted to show support for his local LGBTQ+ community. Now he’s afraid to even enter his home. After right-wingers shared the ad’s wording on social media accounts, the school district received ...

As state legislative sessions come to a close, many are on their seats wondering how LGBTQ+ rights are going to fare in their home states. Across the country is a mixture of gender-affirming care bans, anti-discrimination bills, and legal battles, especially over transgender rights. This week is no exception, as the following stories reveal what exactly is going on with LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Wyoming’s governor recently implemented a full ban on gender-affirming care for minors. This is expected to detransition countless youth in the state. ( LGBTQ Nation ) Also from Kansas, the state legislature passed a bill that would require websites to need identification to view specific content, including “acts of homosexuality.” This bill will be going to the governor’s desk. ( The Advocate ) New Hampshire’s House of Representatives approved House Bill 1205, which would ban transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports teams. The bill will move on towards the state Senate. ...

Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads — has failed to enforce its own policies against anti-transgender hate posts, including posts made by high-profile political influencers and media outlets, according to a newly released report from the LGBTQ+ media advocacy group GLAAD. GLAAD cataloged numerous posts referring to trans individuals as the slur “tr***y” as well as “mentally ill,” “satanic,” “sexual predators,” pedophiles,” “terrorists,” and “perverts,” The Washington Post reported . One illustrated image showed a group of people stoning a trans-identified person to death; another showed a masked person holding a gun standing on top of a demon painted in the colors of the transgender flag. Related: Meta has made over $1.6 million from ads for the Daily Wire’s heinous anti-trans film Meta has long been criticized for failing to enforce its anti-hate speech policies. Other cataloged posts said that trans people seek to “sexualize, sterilize, an...