Blythe del Kuzio

A new study out of Sweden appears to show a link between taking testosterone as part of gender-affirming care with changes in the immune systems of transgender men. As Scientific American reported, scientists studied a small group of 23 transgender men between the ages of 18 and 37 over the course of 12 months. Their goal was to see how taking testosterone would affect participants’ vulnerability to viral infections and autoimmune diseases, which have been shown to differ in men and women. As the outlet notes, men tend to be more vulnerable to viral infections, while women are more prone to autoimmune diseases, though it is unclear whether genetics, hormones, or other factors account for that difference. Related Senators ask Biden officials to remove barriers to testosterone access Testosterone is currently classified as a Schedule III controlled substance, which makes it harder to obtain. As part of the Swedish study, researchers took blood samples from all 23 trans men befor

Boston’s only lesbian bar has finally opened its doors. After decades of having no lesbian bar to call its own, Dani’s Queer Bar announced via a post on Instagram that they were open for business starting Thursday, September 12, from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Related Chappell Roan dominated the VMAs. Here are her 5 top moments. From the red carpet to the stage, Chappell Roan was the center of attention last night. The bar’s opening has been highly anticipated since last spring, when the bar posted, “excited to share the transformation of this extremely old space into something new!” Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In an update shared on Instagram in July, manager Thais Rocha said that while the bar is “ready to go,” ongoing delays caused by their architect have kept the doors closed. “He’s kind of held us hostage in terms of what

I would like all of those who are cynical or fed up with the U.S. electoral system, where our options are either to vote for candidates from the two major political parties (Democrats or Republicans), to vote for candidates in the smaller parties who have little to no chance of winning nationwide, or not to vote at all, I was once where you are. I turned 21 years old on May 27, 1968, and was authorized to vote for the first time because, back then, the legal voting age was 21. However, at the age of 18, I, my friends, and classmates were old enough to be eligible to fight and die in Vietnam: a war that I actively protested and worked vigorously to bring to an end. Related White people must take responsibility for dismantling white supremacy in America They say the U.S. is a land of immigrants — so why do whites act like they own the place? Many like me viewed the war as a blatantly criminal, illegal, and as an unjustified invasion and occupation that brought misery and death to

In a truly pathetic attempt to reach out to the coveted Gen Z demographic, Robert D. Kennedy Jr. and social media celebrity Amber Rose have teamed up to make what will surely go down as MAGA’s cringiest video outreach ever. One X user reposting the clip simply typed, “No.” Related MAGA pundit upset that queer ‘slut’ Amber Rose called for unity & diversity at RNC Walsh feels Trump is a victim by having to listen to someone express support for him In the ill-fated attempt at “cool” (set in a kitchen), Rose asks Kennedy and an unidentified bystander, “Hey guys, wanna shake?” Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today The two men respond by gyrating awkwardly, “getting down” to a scratchy beat — Baauer’s 2012 song “Harlem Shake” — for what seems like days. The Harlem Shake became a brief viral video trend in 2013. Rose finally throws up her hands and explains,

After a federal judge allowed a transgender teenage girl in New Hampshire to rejoin her school’s soccer team for the fall while the lawsuit against the state’s transgender sports ban continues, another school district has stood up for trans youth and permitted a trans athlete to play on her school’s soccer team. Maëlle Jacques, a junior at Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton, New Hampshire, has been the goalie for the girls’ varsity soccer team at her school since last fall, but it was up in the air whether or not she was going to be able to play. On Tuesday, New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) reported that Jacques’s appeal to play on the soccer team was successful. Related Federal court overturns transgender sports ban calling it “the essence of discrimination” Trans kids can participate in school sports in Arizona because of the ruling. In July, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed H.B. 1205, also known as the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” into law. This legislation pr

A recently released analysis of data on transgender name changes in the U.K. reveals “intriguing trends and patterns” in how trans people approach the “deeply personal process,” according to the U.K. Deed Poll Office . In the U.K., a deed poll is a legal document that proves a change of name. While the U.K. Deed Poll Office is not a government agency, the privately owned document provider has, according to its website, helped more than 136,000 U.K. citizens change their names for a fee in its eight years in business. Related Queer Colorado legislator sponsors bill to require schools use students’ preferred name Failing to call a trans student by the correct name would be considered discrimination. According to the office, whether or not to maintain a connection to their deadname is a top consideration for trans people seeking a name change. But their data showed that a majority of trans individuals do not choose a name beginning with the same first letter as their deadname. Of

In the past few weeks, approximately  50 million  K-12 kids across the country started a new school year. In my family, my girls were so excited about new backpacks and making new friends. Last week, I dropped them off and, like every morning, told them I love them and that I hope they have a good day. Just a few hours later, I saw the news: The first school shooting of this school year happened in Georgia, leaving two teachers and two 14-year-olds dead. Related Why is the U.S. more lax on gun laws than on peaceful protests? If students were openly carrying during their campus protests, the NRA would have likely petitioned university officials to stay away. In 2024, there have already been  at least 139 incidents  of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 42 deaths. It is heartbreaking beyond belief to think of the indescribable grief parents face when their kids don’t come home. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the

Three days after Donald Trump’s disqualifying performance at his debate with Kamala Harris on Tuesday night , cracks in the facade of his crumbling campaign are exposing bitterness, division and despair among his most ardent supporters. The Republican nominee can thank Laura Loomer for a lot of it. Related Marjorie Taylor Greene doctors pic of Lindsey Graham holding a Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light Graham said some of Greene’s words were “irresponsible.” She did not respond with calm reason to prove him wrong. Loomer, an avowed 9/11 conspiracy theorist who has spent years hurling homophobic slurs and antisemitic tropes from her internet perch, has until now been a fringe figure only vaguely associated with the Trump campaign. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today But in recent days, the 31-year-old conservative influencer has filled a vacuum left by the former pr

A coalition of religious leaders in Colorado gathered on Tuesday to endorse a ballot measure that would remove language in the state constitution banning same-sex marriage. Although same-sex marriage is legal in Colorado since a 2014 state supreme court decision ordered clerks in the state to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality in all 50 states a year later, leaders worry that the right-dominated Supreme Court may change that, as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggested was possible in his opinion regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade . Related Donald Trump promises conservative Christians a “task force” to protect their “religious liberty” He said immigrants are taking away Christian conservatives’ “voting powers.” Amendment J seeks to enshrine marriage equality in the state constitution by removing a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2006, which defined marriage as only between a man and a

This week, we at LGBTQ Nation asked you, the readers , what issue you want the Harris-Walz campaign to talk about more: housing and care for LGBTQ+ elders, the possibility of the Supreme Court turning back LGBTQ+ rights, bans on gender-affirming care for transgender people, and free speech issues, including book bans and “Don’t Say Gay” laws. Your answer was resounding. Over half of the votes in our poll were for the Supreme Court option, with the rest nearly evenly divided between the other three. The Supreme Court has been the source of several major advances in LGBTQ+ rights over the last two decades, including extending the Equal Protection Clause to include gay and bi people ( Romer v. Evans in 1996), ending sodomy laws ( Lawrence v. Texas in 2003), federal recognition of marriage ( United States v. Windsor in 2013), marriage equality in all 50 states ( Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015), and employment discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people ( Bostock v. Clayton Co. in 2

The Quest Club , an LGBTQ+ bar, is shutting down after the Birmingham City Council voted on Tuesday to withdraw its business licenses following a double homicide that occurred at the Quest in May. The decision follows months of heated debate about whether or not the club should stay open, with The Quest saying they will be filing a temporary restraining order in order to keep the doors open, reported AL.com. Related Gay conservative pundit says immigrants will rape Taylor Swift after she endorsed Kamala Harris He said the rapists would be Venezuelan. Don Sparks, who has owned The Quest for over five years, wants the bar to stay open. He blames loose gun laws, not the club, for the shooting. “You can buy a gun and carry it, but you can’t buy a pack of cigarettes,” Sparks said. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The shooting happ

source https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/09/google-trends-decides-who-won-the-2024-presidential-debate/

In Paris on Thursday, two women were found guilty of libel for spreading a false rumor that French First Lady Brigitte Macron was born a man and is living as a transgender woman. The pair will pay €13,500 (about $15,000) in fines and damages. The conspiracy theory claimed that Brigitte Macron was really her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, and that he had transitioned to a woman who became the wife of the French president. Related MAGA pundit Candace Owens claims French President Emmanuel Macron was raped by his husband Macron is married to a woman. Brigitte Macron’s brother was present at the trial. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The claim was made without proof by a self-described independent journalist and the host of a YouTube channel in a 2021 video posted to the platform. Conspiracy theorists spread the false claim across the internet and

Christopher Cole — a gay 15-year resident of the predominantly Republican and white town of Watertown, Connecticut — and his husband received a racist and homophobic typed letter last Friday afternoon mentioning their Democratic yard signs and the rainbow flag hanging in his front yard. Later that night, a group of men came onto his property and stole their signs and flag. Police say they may never be caught, but Cole—a longtime out community activist—isn’t intimidated. In fact, he and his husband have already replaced the signs and flag and have received an outpouring of support from the community, local news, and their congresswoman. Related Cowardly vandals urinated on queer family’s Pride flag & ran away The entire hateful incident was caught on camera. The aforementioned letter—sent by someone calling themselves “Americans that care”—referenced yard signs that Cole and his husband had in their yard in support of the Democratic presidential ticket, Vice President Kamala

Conservative commentator and former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly yelled, “Eff you, Taylor Swift” and accused the pop star of wanting to sterilize children and chop off their body parts after Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president . On The Megyn Kelly Show , the titular host noted that Swift’s Instagram endorsement said, “I think [Harris] is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate [Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz], who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.” Related Trans activists outraged over major study questioning the benefits of gender-affirming care The Cass Review flies in the face of most American medical guidance, and activists are terrified of the repercussions. “Oh my God,” Kelly said on her broadcast before repeating right-wing lies about Walz. “So t

A former assistant principal in Denver, Colorado named Corey McNellis has had his lawsuit reinstated against the Douglas County School District for firing him in 2020. The district terminated him after he used his Christian beliefs to attack a play about gay hate crime victim Matthew Shepard. An appeals court reinstated his lawsuit against the school. “We are not persuaded Mr. McNellis has alleged any facts that, if true, would constitute direct evidence of discrimination,” wrote the unanimous panel of three judges on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “But we conclude Mr. McNellis has alleged facts that, from circumstantial evidence, ‘give rise to a reasonable inference of discrimination’ based on his religion.” Related School official denounced Matthew Shepard play for making Christians look bad. Now he’s suing. Assistant principal Corey McNellis was worried about “how the Christian religion comes across in the play” about Matthew Shepard’s death. The court’s decision m

The night before his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump joined a nationwide “prayer call” sponsored by a Washington-based Christian group in support of the former president. As in his sputtering debate performance, on the call, Trump blamed America’s woes on a “flood” of “millions and millions of illegal aliens” entering the country. Related Court sides with Catholic school that fired a guidance counselor because she’s married to a woman The decision expands a rule allowing religious institutions to fire employees for their personal beliefs. For the Christians praying for Trump, he said an effort by Harris to naturalize these “criminals,” “mental patients,” and “rapists” – his words – would come at Christians’ expense. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today “Every day, she is flooding our country with millions