Blythe del Kuzio

The death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager in Oklahoma, after a fight in school bathroom earlier this month has led to an outpouring of grief and anger among the LGBTQ community — and fresh attention to the climate of hostility faced by trans students in the state and beyond. Much remains unclear about the specifics of what happened to Nex, who was reported dead on February 8. On Friday, the Owasso Police Department posted  body cam footage  of Nex speaking to an officer in a hospital after the fight. Related: Police say nonbinary teen’s death was not “a result of trauma” LibsofTikTok posted a truly vile response. In the  video , Nex — dressed in a black t-shirt and cargo pants, their dark hair cut short — tells the officer “I got jumped” and that they didn’t know the three freshman girls who hurt them until that week. “They just decided to up and start messing with you?” the officer asks. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues a...

The Royal Mint has announced a limited edition £5 coin honoring the late singer George Michael. The commemorative coin features the former Wham! lead singer wearing his signature sunglasses. It also includes a snippet of lyrics from his song “Faith,” released after he left the band to embark on a solo career. Related: This George Michael tribute will wake you up to Poland’s fight for equality Even death threats won’t stop this couple from advocating for LGBTQ equality through viral music videos – and this time they brought 50 friends with them. One of the best-selling artists in the world, the gay icon came out in 1998. Global perspectives delivered daily Our daily newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Michael was arrested for performing “a lewd act” with another man in a Los Angeles public restroom shortly before coming out. British media had dunned him for years about his sexuality. The singer died a...

I don’t remember the first time I purged. But I do remember the relief – the cathartic feeling that made me want to do it again and again. I knew absolutely nothing about bulimia. Like the word “gay,” I wasn’t aware of its meaning in the early 2000s. As far as I was concerned, it was making me feel better, and I didn’t think it was harming me.  My eating disorder began at thirteen years old due to homophobic bullying at school. I became a target due to my mullet-like hair and squeaky voice. I also was not interested in “boy things,” so my classmates thought I might be “queer.” In an effort to protect myself, I would run out of lessons and find sanctuary in the boy’s toilets, as it was the only place I knew I wouldn’t be found. I’d lock myself into a cubicle and comfort eat the contents of my lunch box. Over time, these sessions evolved into binging, and then I would make myself sick.  Related: I wasn’t always proud to be a Black queer man. But one heart-wrenching m...

Daqua Lameek Ritter has been found guilty on all charges – including hate crimes charges – in the killing of a Black transgender woman identified in court only as Dime Doe. Ritter’s trial was historic in that it was the first federal hate crimes trial for a hate crime based on gender identity. “A unanimous jury has found the defendant guilty for the heinous and tragic murder of Dime Doe, a Black transgender woman,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear message: Black trans lives matter, bias-motivated violence will not be tolerated, and perpetrators of hate crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Related: Horrifying video shows men beating lesbian & trans women on the street The men who attacked them shouted anti-lesbian comments. Authorities believe that Ritter and Doe had a sexual relationship that his girlfriend and friends learned a...

With his victory in South Carolina on Saturday, Donald Trump is continuing his march toward the GOP nomination. But the media description of his win over the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley , as a blowout doesn’t do justice to how surprisingly poor a showing it actually was. Yes, Trump beat Haley by 20 points. The media variously described the results as a “ trouncing, ” a “ landslide ,” and “ overwhelming .” And that’s true when you look at it strictly from the perspective of a horse race that Haley had to win. Related: Sen. Dallas Harris is a martial arts master who co-founded Nevada’s LGBTQ+ caucus Here’s why she would rather fight Nikki Haley instead of George Santos. There’s no question that the results were humiliating for Haley. Her candidacy has always been a long shot, as the GOP disappears as a political party and emerges as a Trump cult. Trump won the endorsements of practically all the major politicians in South Carolina . Meanwhile, as much as Haley p...

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) blasted his party’s own House leader, anti-LGBTQ+ Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), for being no one’s first choice for the leadership position. “We went through five choices and Mike Johnson’s the fifth choice,” McHenry told CBS News. “He has not been around these leadership decisions. He’s had a really tough process.” Related: Mike Johnson eviscerated for distorting the Founding Fathers’ words to justify his extreme beliefs Kevin Kruse said Johnson’s been selling snake oil. And amidst a looming government shutdown and heated discussions about providing military aid to Israel and Ukraine, McHenry implied that Johnson is drowning. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our daily briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. “We’ve thrown him into the deepest end of the pool with the heaviest weights around him and trying to teach him how to learn to swim,” he said. “It’s been ...

New York Times  columnist  Pamela Paul argued in a  4,500-word op-ed  earlier this month that transgender health care procedures amount to “unproven treatments for children,” despite major  medical associations’ support  for gender-affirming care and the widespread view that it is lifesaving. The piece, which builds upon Paul’s record of  espousing anti-trans views  in the pages of the country’s most important paper, was roundly condemned by trans journalists over what they alleged was an argument rife with inaccuracies.   Yet for all the criticism it unleashed, or precisely because of that very criticism, conservative groups seized upon Paul’s piece to pursue anti-trans legal maneuvers. In Idaho, the Alliance Defending Freedom, the powerful conservative legal group known for its critical role behind the strategy that  overturned Roe v. Wade,  specifically cited Paul’s Feb. 4 column as evidence of the “ostracis...