Blythe del Kuzio

In a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ couples in South Korea, a high court in the nation has ruled that spousal coverage under the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) should be applied equally to both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ couples. It’s the first time the legal status of same-sex partners has ever been recognized in South Korea. Related Stories Spain passes landmark gender recognition law The new legislation also makes Spain the first country in Europe to offer paid menstrual leave. The decision came about due to a lawsuit filed by couple So Sung-uk and Kim Yong-min, who argued that they should be entitled to the same spousal insurance benefits the country grants to heterosexual couples even though same-sex marriage is not yet legal in South Korea. While So and Kim could not legally marry, they had a wedding in 2019 after having lived together six years, according to the Korea Herald. In 2020, they registered with the NHIS, Kim as the policyholder and So as the depende...

Mika, pop superstar of the early 2000s, has recently opened up about the homophobia he experienced at the hands of the music industry. The “Grace Kelly” singer was known for his joyful, flamboyant, and exuberant sound, and the artwork associated with his music was bold, bright, and colorful. As such, reporters regularly harassed him about his sexuality. Related Stories How a famous pop star & a lot of love helped a bullied teen become a mental health visionary Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” found Acosta’s ear at a moment when perpetual bullying drove him to the brink of suicide. The singer came out as gay in 2012, but he faced anti-gay remarks well before then. Speaking with i news, the Beirut-born singer who grew up in Europe said he remembers Americans saying that they’d love to play his music but it was too gay. “I think you wouldn’t be able to get away with some of those comments and articles today,” he said. “I was accused of being brazen, but I think it was br...

No one questions where Storme DeLarverie was on the 27th of June 1969; she was at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar where she may or may not have thrown the first punch when police raided the bar. She claimed she did to her friend Lisa Cannistraci. Whether or not she was the person then attacked by police is also unclear, but she was certainly there and witnessed the protests that sparked the modern gay rights movement and are commemorated every year in New York during Pride week. DeLarverie cut quite a figure for decades. She dressed androgynously and carried a gun, stalking the streets of lower Seventh and Eighth Avenues to protect lesbians from violence or discrimination. For this, and more, she is still remembered and revered by those in the LGBTQ+ community but few today know her whole story, even if they recognize her face. DeLarverie was born in 1920, the daughter of a black servant and the master of the house in New Orleans. According to an interview she gave in 2001, because of...

A Republican state senator in Florida has introduced a bill that would require businesses that cover gender-affirming care to also cover the costs of someone who chooses to de-transition. Companies who pay for employees to travel to other states to receive gender-affirming care would also be required to cover de-transition procedures. The bill would leave companies on the hook to cover de-transition care even if someone no longer works there. Related Stories Trans activist injects testosterone in front of board at hearing to protest trans health care ban He then shouted, “Trans liberation today, tomorrow, and forever.” Calling it the “ Reverse Woke Act ,” state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R) said the bill protects people from being “used as political pawns to advance a leftist agenda for the Governor of California.” Ingoglia was likely referring to how California Gov. Gavin Newson (D) signed a bill in September that made the state a sanctuary for families seeking gender-affir...

Marianne Williamson is a longtime author on spiritual issues, a teacher, and an activist who has written 14 books, served as an interfaith pastor, and established several community service organizations. She also ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 and the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Marianne Williamson At a Glance Location: Washington, D.C. Position sought: U.S. President Current position: Author, teacher, and activist Party affiliation: Democrat Race/ethnicity: White Gender identity: Female LGBTQ+ ally: Yes Social Media Facebook: Marianne Williamson Twitter: @marwilliamson LinkedIn: mariannewilliamson2020 Instagram: @mariannewilliamson Personal website: marianne.com Biography Williamson was born into a Conservative Jewish family as the youngest of three children in Houston, Texas, in 1952. During her 20s, she studied theater and philosophy at Pomona College in Claremont, California. She later took classes at th...

My struggles with depression date back to early high school. When writing about it at 15, I described “him” as a beast who devours your soul and leaves behind a shell. It’s been some time since I’ve truly sunk into its darkest depths—exercise, emotional maintenance, sleep, nutrition, and maintaining social connections have all helped to keep it in check. And yet loss, relationship endings, and reading the news all threaten to re-trigger it at times. Related Stories Chella Man on how art & chosen family helped him take on depression As a Deaf, trans, Jewish, and Chinese-American public figure, Chella has learned a thing or two about depression. I know that I’m far from alone. Several sources report that 8.5% of the U.S. population suffered from depression before 2020, with that number tripling during the pandemic. According to the Boston University School of Public Health, that number climbed to one in three during the pandemic. LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to s...

Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, often reminds folks that with so much at stake every election for LGBTQ+ Americans, “there is no such thing as an off year.” For Black LGBTQ+ people who continue to face rampant homophobia, transphobia, and racism, that could not be more true. In 2023, we can make real inroads in state and local government, from state legislatures to school boards. Across the country, exceptional Black LGBTQ+ leaders are stepping up to run for public office. Here are some of the candidates running this year. Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago Provided Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot In 2019, Lori became the first Black out LGBTQ+ woman ever elected to a major U.S. city. Since her historic election, she’s undertaken an ambitious agenda of expanding opportunity and inclusive economic growth across Chicago. She led the city through the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic with tough, fair leadership. In her role, she has been a p...