Illinois state Sen. Mike Simmons the first openly gay Black individual in the Illinois Senate will head its Human Rights Committee, he announced. However, that will not be the only group he will be in. “I am thrilled
Author Archives: Dana Piccoli
Dana Piccoli is an award winning writer, critic and the managing director of News is Out, a queer media collaborative.
Dana was named one of The Advocate Magazine’s 2019 Champions of Pride. She was also one of Curve Magazine’s 2017 Pridelist for her work in LGBTQ media. Dana is an inaugural recipient of the Curve Award for Excellence in Lesbian Coverage.
Breaking down what’s going on with the New York Times and trans issues
The New York Times has been at the center of a controversy this week regarding their coverage of transgender issues. We break down what happened. Wednesday, Feb. 15, media watchdog GLAAD presented an open letter to the New York Times about their coverage of transgender issues. For years, LGBTQ+ advocates have expressed concern over the […]
News is Good: Footballer Jakub Jankto comes out, a queer horror series and more
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. https://www.instagram.com/reel/ComnhRVqKqz/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=1f047fed-1167-4855-aea8-f453b7dce354 Czech professional football player Jakub Jankto comes out […]
20 LGBTQ+-owned restaurants serving it up
A few months ago, we published an article about LGBTQ+-owned coffee houses and it’s still one of our most popular posts. We understand how important it is to support queer and trans-owned businesses, so we have a tasty treat for you. Here are 20 restaurants around the country, from vegan dishes in Orlando to classic […]
Nothing to cure: putting an end to so-called "conversion therapies" for LGBTI people
Strasbourg, 16 Feb. 2023 — “So-called “conversion therapies” continue to take place across Europe despite the profound and long-lasting harmful effects that these practices have on LGBTI people”, says Dunja
180+ journalists and NY Times contributors call out biased coverage of trans people
(New York, NY — Feb. 15, 2023) — Today GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is joined by hundreds of journalists, organizations
Feinstein, former SF mayor, won’t run again for US Senate
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein — who took office as San Francisco mayor in 1978 the day the late mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated — announced Tuesday she doesn’t intend to seek another term in the Senate next year.
Transgender girl’s murder sparks outrage across UK
The body of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey was discovered this past Saturday afternoon in the Linear Park in Culcheth, a small community located between the port city of Liverpool and metropolitan Manchester. She had been repeatedly stabbed and was pronounced dead at the scene by police and paramedics who responded. Ghey, who lived in Birchwood, Cheshire, […]
Wiener, Low introduce Prop 8 repeal amendment
After months of discussions, two gay California lawmakers on Valentine’s Day introduced a constitutional amendment to repeal Proposition 8, the state’s same-sex marriage ban that remains on the books despite being ruled unconstitutional years ago.
Ben LaBolt of Illinois to be first gay White House communications director
Ben LaBolt—a native of La Grange, Illinois and an alumnus of Middlebury College—is making history as the first openly gay White House communications director, according to an official press release. Kate Bedingfield, who has served as
Howard Bragman, veteran publicist and LGBTQ activist, dies at 66
Howard Bragman died Saturday, 13 days before his 67th birthday. With the media focused on the Super Bowl, the horrific earthquake in Turkey, and UFOs in American airspace, Howard’s death has been mostly noted in the entertainment trades with little attention paid to the significant decades-long behind-the-scenes impact he had on his beloved LGBTQ movement. […]
Sri Lanka government announces support for decriminalization bill
The government of Sri Lanka on Thursday said it supports a bill that would decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations in the country. “There is a private member bill initiated by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government MP and attorney Premnath C. Dolawatte,” Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry told the Daily Morning, a Sri Lankan newspaper. “The government […]
Lesbian Congressmember Craig ‘physically okay’ after attack in her D.C. apartment building
Lesbian U.S. Congressmember Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) is “physically okay” after suffering an attack Thursday morning in the elevator of her Washington, D.C. apartment building, according to a statement from her chief of staff.
News is Good: NJ library refuses to ban books, a transmasc super hero and more
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. New Jersey Library board pushes back against group trying […]
PASSAGES: LGBTQ activist, writer and therapist Dr. Charles Silverstein
New York City-based LGBTQ activist, writer and therapist Dr. Charles Silverstein died Jan. 30 of complications from cancer surrounded by family and friends. He was 87. Silverstein was born April 23, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York
Black and Brown LGBTQ community members to hold annual health symposium
In continued conversations about inequities in healthcare for Black and Brown, queer and trans people living with HIV, the organizers of Black and Latinx Community Control (BLCC) will hold their fourth annual symposium on Feb. 11, just a few days after National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This year the series of conversations will be held […]
EXCLUSIVE: Adam Schiff discusses Senate run and new bill protecting trans youth
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) spoke with the Washington Blade by phone on Thursday about his run for the U.S. Senate, the Republican party’s crusade against transgender Americans and a new bill he plans to introduce that would protect vulnerable youth in schools. Necessitated by Republican legislators’ invasion of students’ privacy to enforce anti-trans and […]
What you need to know about the Stonewall National Monument
In June 2022, it was announced that the Stonewall National Monument and Visitor’s Center would open in New York City, celebrating the work of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the Stonewall rebellion. Nonprofit Pride Live is overseeing the project and the monument will be the “first LGBTQ+ visitor center within the National Parks System.” Here’s some information […]
ELECTIONS 2023: Windy City Times interviews candidates
There is no official Windy City Times voting guide for the upcoming elections but Windy City Times has conducted the following candidate interviews. Come back to this page for more interviews to come. Incumbent 49th Ward
Ark. governor makes transphobic swipe during GOP State of the Union response
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered the Republican response to the State of the Union address late Tuesday night, beginning by asking her audience to “forgive me for not believing much of anything I heard tonight from President Biden.” “I’m the first woman to lead my state,” Sanders said, while Biden is “the first man to […]
