BERLIN — Dmitry Shapoval is a 24-year-old gay man from Ukraine who lives with HIV. He was working at an IT company’s call center and studying web and UX design in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in February when Russia launched its war against his country. Shapoval swam across a river and entered Poland less than […]
Author Archives: Dana Piccoli
Editor of News is Out
Posted inFrom Tagg Magazine
Both/And: Religious and LGBTQ+ identities can coexist
Faith and LGBTQ+ communities are largely considered oil and water – they don’t mix. After all, organizations like the Evangelical Family Research Council fervently oppose queer rights, and policies nationwide threaten LGBTQ+ rights in the name of religious freedom. Queer people raised in religious communities often have psychological trauma from being deemed unnatural and sinful. […]
Posted inEntertainment
A guide to summer LGBTQ+ film festivals
When the weather gets hot, there’s nothing like stepping into a frosty movie theater to check out new LGBTQ+ cinematic offerings. The coronavirus pandemic forced LGBTQ+ film festivals to adapt quickly in 2020 and 2021. While some canceled their seasons, other festivals, such as Outfest and Newfest, switched to a virtual format. While still dealing […]
Posted inFrom Philadelphia Gay News
Does Brittney Griner’s guilty plea mean conviction or release?
As her trial on drug smuggling charges continued on July 7, Olympic gold medalist and WNBA all-star Brittney Griner shocked the world with a surprise guilty plea. Griner has been in what the U.S. State Department calls “wrongful detention” since February 17. Griner’s Russian lawyers, Alexander Boykov and Maria Blagovolina told media that the guilty […]
Posted inFrom Washington Blade
Blade, DC Health to host town hall on monkeypox
DC Health and the Washington Blade will host a town hall to discuss monkeypox on Monday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at Eaton DC. Local medical and health officials will answer the audience’s questions regarding the uptick in monkeypox cases in the area, implications for public health and what this means for D.C. residents. Featured […]
Posted inFrom Tagg Magazine
The best and worst countries for LGBTQ+ travel
Since 2012, the international “gay guide” blog Spartacus has published the Gay Travel Index to rate 202 countries and regions and 50 U.S. states based on safety and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people. Criteria for countries include anti-discrimination legislation, transgender rights, and whether homosexuality is illegal, and Pride is banned. For those that are travelling internationally […]
Posted inFrom Bay Area Reporter
Editorial: Biden needs to bring Griner home
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner has been locked up in a Russian jail since February, when she was detained at an airport in the country after authorities allegedly found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.
Posted inFrom Washington Blade
Gay-owned pharmacy survived pandemic by serving without judgment
(Editor’s note: This is the third in a multi-part summer series of stories taking a closer look at how a group of diverse LGBTQ entrepreneurs survived and thrived during the pandemic. The series is sponsored by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. All installments in the series are available on our website.) LGBTQ seniors visiting […]
Posted inFrom Q Voice News
Monkeypox vaccine criteria for gay men expands in Long Beach, LA
Gay and bisexual men and transgender individuals taking PrEP are eligible for the monkeypox vaccine today in Long Beach and Los Angeles County, health officials said. Monkeypox vaccine eligibility also was expanded to include gay and bisexual men and transgender persons in two additional categories: Attended saunas, bathhouses, sex clubs, circuit parties, or sex parties […]
Posted inFrom Bay Area Reporter
Advocates rally to demand more monkeypox vaccines
LGBTQ and HIV advocates rallied outside the local offices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monday, July 18, to demand speedier monkeypox testing and an increased supply of vaccines.
Posted inFrom Washington Blade
Federal judge blocks guidance on anti-LGBTQ discrimination
In a ruling issued late Friday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee temporarily blocked the Biden administration from enforcing guidance on two federal statutes aimed at preventing discrimination against LGBTQ people. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Atchley blocked implementing the guidance which had been challenged by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert […]
Posted inFrom Bay Area Reporter
New SF DA fires LGBTQ prosecutor
New San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins wasted no time in assembling her leadership team and cleaning house, with one LGBTQ prosecutor stating that she was fired July 15.
Posted inFrom Washington Blade
Financial crisis prompts employees to close Casa Ruby
Casa Ruby, the D.C. LGBTQ community services center that provided transitional housing services for homeless LGBTQ youth and adults and support for LGBTQ immigrants, has shut down all of its programs after it lost most of its city funding, one of its few remaining employees told the Washington Blade. Tania Cordova, a Casa Ruby official […]
Posted inFrom Washington Blade
COVID isn’t the only epidemic — STIs are at a record high
The latest CDC numbers show that Washington, D.C. ranks 30th of all U.S. metropolitan areas in HIV transmissions and the same study showed 2.4 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across the U.S., with some STIs like syphilis increasing by 254 percent! And while COVID-19 has garnered the lion’s share of media attention, the new CDC report […]
Posted inNews
GLAAD reports failing grades for major social platforms regarding LGBTQ+ safety
As anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and hate continue to escalate online, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released its second annual Social Media Safety Index this week. According to GLAAD, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok received failing grades for not providing “LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression,” the report said. In May 2021, GLAAD released its […]
Posted inFrom Tagg Magazine
A guide to office attire for nonbinary professionals
Almost everyone knows what business-casual attire looks like for men and women. However, for nonbinary and gender non-conforming professionals, finding ways to fit into that dress code can be frustrating. That’s often because most companies still use gendered dress codes. So, how can you look and feel your best while complying with a dress code? […]
Posted inFrom Bay Area Reporter
Long-awaited hearing nears on SF LGBTQ cultural strategy
Six years after it called for the creation of a plan to preserve San Francisco’s LGBTQ cultural heritage, the Board of Supervisors is set to hold its first hearing on the completed document.
Posted inFrom Q Voice News
‘Looking for Lesbians’ art exhibit explores lesbian pulp fiction
The art exhibit “Looking for Lesbians” is influenced by the lesbian pulp fiction collection, and other materials, at ONE Archives that are related to lesbian literature in Los Angeles. The exhibit was created by Sarah-Joy Ford, a textile artist from Manchester, England, who also is the artist-in-residence at the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. […]
Posted inFrom Q Voice News
Monkeypox vaccine eligibility expands in LA but doses still scarce
Los Angeles County expanded access to the monkeypox vaccine today to some gay and bisexual men and transgender women, but the limited supply of doses means they will only be provided to high-risk residents who are contacted by the Department of Public Health. Photo: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash Los Angeles County expanded access to the monkeypox vaccine […]
Posted inFrom Washington Blade
Video to prevent LGBTQ+ bullying taken down in Florida schools
In another circumstance of Florida’s newly minted ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law’s negative impact, a 12-min training video aimed at teaching middle and high school students how to prevent bullying and support their LGBTQ+ peers in Duval County Public Schools has been removed from student access. Jacksonville Today journalist Claire Heddles reported Sunday that besides the video, the […]