Welcome to our weekly column, News is Good, where we feature positive news about the LGBTQ+ community. Too much of what we see in mainstream media coverage focuses on the challenges we face and not the celebrations. Here are five things we’re excited about this week.
Griner returns to the game
Professional basketball star Brittney Griner has signed a year-long deal to play with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season. Griner will play her first game as with the Mercury May 19 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Griner returned home in December 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange orchestrated by the Biden administration after spending 10 months imprisoned in Russia.
Minnesota House votes to ban conversion therapy
The Minnesota House has voted to ban conversion therapy for minors in the state. The Democrat-led House voted 81-47 to ban the harmful practice on children under 18 and vulnerable adults. Democrats currently hold a majority in both the House and Senate and hopes are high that the bill will easily pass both chambers.
Rebel Wilson is engaged
Congratulations to Rebel Wilson and her now fiancée, Ramona Agruma. Wilson posted an image of Agruma posing with her engagement ring and kissing on her Instagram after popping the question at Disneyland. Wilson came out in June 2022 and recently played a queer character in the film, “The Almond and the Seahorse.”
LGBTQ scholarship at Lake Superior State University
Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie announced this week that it will begin offering the “Rodney S. Hanley and Sara Gunhus-Hanley LGBTQ+ Endowed Scholarship” to an exemplary LGBTQ+ student beginning in 2023-2024. The scholarship is the first of its kind at the university and will reward students who are active in the LGBTQ+ community.
World Pride kicks off
World Pride 2023 officially kicked off in Sydney, Australia this week with a concert featuring Australian and worldwide talent, including headliner and LGBTQ+ ally Kylie Minogue. News is Out is in Sydney to bring you highlights of the festivities on our social channels. (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)