Special To BTL
Mississippi Governor Signs First Anti-Transgender Bill of 2021
By Phillip Van Slooten Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law on Wednesday a bill banning the state's transgender student-athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. Jace Pierce, a 35-year-old trans man who was [...]
LGBTQ Activists in Myanmar Join Protests Against Military Coup
By Michael K. Lavers and Victor Maung LGBTQ activists in Myanmar have joined the growing protest movement against the Feb. 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her democratically elected government. Min Khant Zin, a drag queen who works at a gay [...]
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's 'Death to Asylum' Rule
Washington Blade Staff Report The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order on Friday blocking, in its entirety, a Trump administration rule that would have made it virtually impossible for [...]
Va. GOP Committee Censures Congressman Over Officiating Same-Sex Wedding
By Parker Purifoy A Virginia county Republican committee on Dec. 12 voted unanimously to censure outgoing Congressman Denver Riggleman, saying he betrayed the party's values after he officiated a same-sex wedding. In their resolution, the Appomattox [...]
Final Vote on Switzerland 'Marriage for All' Bill to Take Place Friday
By Philip Van Slooten Switzerland's Federal Assembly on Friday will vote on a marriage equality bill that passed in both chambers on Dec. 9. The Swiss Green Liberal Party first introduced the "Marriage for All" legislation in 2013. Scheduled votes [...]
Elliot Page Comes out as Transgender, Non-Binary
By Parker Purifoy Oscar-nominated actor and star of Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy" Elliot Page, came out Tuesday as transgender and non-binary in a message posted to his social media accounts. "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer," [...]
BMA to Name its Restrooms for John Waters After Donation
Washington Blade Staff Report The Baltimore Museum of Art announced Wednesday that iconic gay director John Waters has donated 375 works from his personal art collection to the museum. In exchange, the BMA will rename its restrooms and the rotunda [...]
Mia Mason Loses to Anti-LGBTQ Maryland Congressman
By Parker Purifoy Mia Mason has lost her race to unseat U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) in Maryland's 1st congressional district. The Associated Press called the race for Harris around 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday with under 40 percent of the vote counted. [...]
Rep. Dan Kildee's Call to Action: The US Senate Must Pass the Equality Act
By Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) In 2013, I had the privilege of standing on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as the High Court announced its decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, paving the way for a marriage equality decision [...]
It's Time for Congress to Protect all Americans
By Tom Nelson and Linda Karle-Nelson A response to Archdiocese of Detroit throws out 2 LGBTQ Catholic groups When we discovered our calling in life was to minister to others through our Catholic faith, it took a specific focus on inclusivity for [...]
The 2020 Census is Complicated for the LGBTQ Community, but it Counts
By Glenn D. Magpantay By now, everyone should have received a mailing from the U.S. Census Bureau to get counted. I have complicated feelings about the census. While the census is critically important to ensure a fair allocation of funding for [...]
Transgender Legal Group Releases Coronavirus Guide
By Michelle Siegel The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund has prepared a free online guide, available in both English and Spanish, for transgender and non-binary individuals attempting to navigate life during the coronavirus [...]