Chris Johnson
DOD Unveils Plan to Initiate Trump Transgender Policy on April 12
With court orders barring President Trump from enforcing his transgender military ban out of the way, the Defense Department late Tuesday unveiled its plan to make the policy a reality, announcing it would begin April 12. A 15-page memo signed [...]
Equality Act Returns — with House Democrats in Majority
Optimistic about the prospects of enshrining a prohibition on anti-LGBT discrimination into federal law with a new Democratic majority in the U.S. House, Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation known as the Equality Act to make that [...]
Pete Buttigieg makes pitch to LGBT voters in bid to become first out gay president
It's pronounced "Boot-a-judge." That was the first thing South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg cleared up for the Washington Blade in response to questions about his 2020 presidential run in a Jan. 31 interview. Buttigieg, a Rhodes scholar and [...]
New Agreement Ends Litigation Against Masterpiece Cakeshop
Masterpiece Cakeshop — famed for its case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court after its owner refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple — has reached a new agreement with the State of Colorado to end subsequent litigation against him. As [...]
In First, Transgender Troops Testify about Military Service on Capitol Hill
A hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday became a veritable tale of two cities as transgender troops testified about their commitment to military service while Trump administration officials sought to explain why they would seek to deny them from [...]
Pence Backs Trump Global Initiative to Decriminalize Homosexuality
Vice President Mike Pence backs the newly announced Trump administration global initiative calling on nation's to decriminalize homosexuality, a spokesperson for his office told the Washington Blade on Wednesday. The global initiative seems aimed at [...]
Exploring Pete Buttigieg's Path to the White House
Pete Buttigieg would make history if he becomes the first openly gay Democratic presidential nominee — and his path to the nomination may depend on whether the LGBT community supports him in his pursuit. The mayor of South Bend, Ind., last week [...]
South Dakota Leads the Way in Anti-LGBT Bills for 2019 Session
As legislative sessions continue across the country, South Dakota is leading the way with anti-LGBT bills through its recent advancement of a 'Don't Say Trans' bill — but at least 78 anti-LGBT measures have been introduced in other states. The South [...]
HHS Lays Out Details for Trump's Plan to Confront HIV/AIDS
Top officials in the Department of Health & Human Services laid out details on Wednesday of President Trump's plan to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, asserting "significant new resources" would be in the upcoming budget request for domestic [...]
Transgender Troops to Attend State of the Union as Trump Pursues Ban
As the Trump administration pursues a transgender military ban, at least four lawmakers have invited transgender people with records of military service to attend to President Trump's State of the Union address in the House chamber in protest over [...]
Babs Siperstein, Pioneering N.J. Trans Activist, Dies at 76
Barbra "Babs" Siperstein, a transgender Democratic activist in New Jersey who's credited with taking a lead role in pushing a pro-trans state birth certificate law for her state, died over the weekend at age 76, according to local media [...]
White House Mum on Trump's Anti-LGBT Meeting With Ginni Thomas
The White House remains silent on President Trump's reported meeting with anti-LGBT activist Ginni Thomas, the spouse of conservative U.S. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, despite objections from LGBT rights advocates who say the meeting was [...]