Michael Lavers
Jon Hoadley Loses Michigan Congressional Race
Jon Hoadley on Tuesday lost to U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). The Associated Press declared Upton the winner early Wednesday morning. Hoadley, the former president of the now-defunct National Stonewall Democrats, is a member of the Michigan House [...]
Downtown D.C. Storefronts Boarded up Ahead of Election Day
A growing number of businesses in downtown D.C. have boarded up their windows in anticipation of potential unrest after Election Day. The Washington Blade on Sunday morning recorded two videos near Black Lives Matter Plaza, which is immediately [...]
Monica Roberts, Trailblazing Black Transgender Activist, Dies at 58
Monica Roberts, a trailblazing Black transgender activist and journalist, died this week at the age of 58. Roberts' friend, Dee Dee Waters, in a video she posted to her Facebook page on Thursday confirmed Roberts passed away on Monday. A [...]
Rea Carey to Step Down as National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director
The National LGBTQ Task Force on Wednesday announced long-time executive director Rea Carey will step down in early 2021. A press release notes the Task Force's board of directors has unanimously chosen Deputy Executive Director Kierra Johnson to [...]
Fauci: Politicization of COVID-19 Pandemic is 'Really Unfortunate'
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday described the politicization of the coronavirus pandemic as "really unfortunate." "The politicization, the hostility, back and forth is something — I've been through multiple outbreaks over the last 35, 40 years as you [...]
Philippines President Pardons US Marine Convicted of Killing Transgender Woman
The president of the Philippines on Monday pardoned a U.S. Marine who was convicted of killing a transgender woman. The Philippine Star newspaper reported prosecutors' attempts to block Lance Cpl. Joseph Pemberton's early release from [...]
Federal Appeals Court Again Rules in Favor of Gavin Grimm
A federal appeals court on Wednesday once again ruled in favor of a transgender man who challenged his Virginia school district's bathroom policy. The American Civil Liberties Union in a press release notes the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of [...]
Chechnya President, Family Banned from Traveling to US
The State Department on Monday announced the president of Chechnya can no longer travel to the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement noted the State Department is "publicly designating" Ramzan Kadyrov under Section 7031(c) of the FY [...]
The State Department's Controversial Human Rights Advisory Commission Releases Draft of Long-Anticipated Report that Largely Omits LGBTQ Issues
The Commission on Unalienable Rights' 60-page report contains numerous references to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and religious freedom. The report refers to marriage rights for same-sex couples, affirmative action and abortion [...]
Sudan Repeals Death Penalty for Homosexuality
Sudan has repealed a provision of its Penal Code that imposed the death penalty upon anyone found guilty of engaging in consensual same-sex sexual relations. Article 148 of the Sudanese Penal Code from 1991 said anyone who is convicted of [...]
Activists Hold First-Ever Global Black Pride Event
Actor Billy Porter is among those who participated in the first-ever global Black Pride event that took place on July 10. Global Black Gay Men Connect organized the 12-hour virtual event — the First Global Black Gay Pride is a Riot — with the [...]
Poland's Anti-LGBTQ President Reelected
The anti-LGBTQ president of Poland won reelection on Sunday. The Associated Press reported Andrzej Duda defeated Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski by a 51.2-48.8 percent margin. The two men ran against each other in a runoff because they [...]