It’s nearly summer, which means vacation time for many LGBTQ+ Americans. But where are LGBTQ+ vacationers heading? From beach towns to big cities, here are some of the top LGBTQ+-friendly destinations this summer. Provincetown, MA. Photo: Photo by Tyler Butler Provincetown, MA Often considered the ultimate gay beach town, Provincetown’s population grows from around 3,500 […]
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.
Posted inTop Stories
The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: May 2, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. On May 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a 400-page report titled “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria.” LGBTQ+ organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, Trevor Project and LPAC criticized the report as misleading and harmful to trans youth. Lambda […]
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LGBTQ+ advocates and organizations respond to HHS report on transgender youth
On May 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a 400-page reporttitled “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria.” LGBTQ+ advocates and organizations like Human Rights Campaign, Trevor Project and LPAC are condemning the report as misleading. In a Bluesky post, the Human Rights Campaign called out the report’s endorsement of ‘exploratory therapy,’ a […]
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Pride without partners: 2025 celebrations hit by funding cuts
Pride season officially kicks off in a month–but this year’s celebrations are already looking very different from what we’ve grown accustomed to. At many Pride celebrations—including those in New York City, San Francisco, and St. Louis—corporate sponsors, once ubiquitous, have begun pulling their support. In response to conservative backlash against DEI efforts and rising hostility […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: April 25, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ youth option on the 988 crisis line may be shut down Oct. 1, per a draft U.S. Department of Health and Human Services budget. The line launched in 2022 to support queer youth at higher risk for suicide. The […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: April 11, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. PEN America has filed a “friend of the court” brief urging the Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit by six Maryland parents seeking to opt their children out of lessons featuring LGBTQ+ themes. The organization argues the case threatens free speech, […]
Posted inPolitics
The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: April 4, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has begun mass layoffs, including cuts at the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy. In California, legislators have blocked two bills that would have banned trans athletes from playing sports in the state. […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: March 28, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order this week, halting the removal of transgender service members Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bear Bade and Master Sgt. Logan Ireland. Both are litigants in Ireland v. Hegseth and Talbott v. Trump, cases currently […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Doctor Jon Paul is here to help you love yourself in “Black. Fat. Femme.”
Jon Paul Higgins, Ed.D, is an educator, cultural critic, social justice leader—and now, an author. If you’ve spent any time on queer social media in the last few years, you’re likely already familiar with Higgins, also known as Doctor Jon Paul. But if not, the release of their debut book, Black. Fat. Femme: Revealing the Power […]
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Queer Lit Matchmaker: What to read after your favorite LGBTQ+ novel
Love a good queer read and want more where that came from? We’ve got you covered. Whether you’re still thinking about Evelyn Hugo or rooting for Nick and Charlie, here’s a lineup of books that bring similar feels—with fresh voices, big emotions, and LGBTQ+ stories that stick with you. If you loved “The Seven Husbands […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: March 21, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service members, calling it “soaked in animus.” One hundred seventy-five million dollars earmarked for the University of Pennsylvania is now being held back by the Trump administration. The university […]
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Hungary bans LGBTQ+ Pride, participants could be fined
This week, members of Hungary’s Parliament voted to ban any LGBTQ+ Pride events as part of its “child protection” legislation. Act LXXIX was initially passed in 2021 and received pushback from the European Union as well as the United States. In 2022, the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, referred Hungary to the Court of Justice over […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: March 17, 2025
Welcome to our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. On Monday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would review the constitutionality of Chiles v. Salazar, a case challenging Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy for minors. During a House hearing, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) repeatedly misgendered Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), sparking […]
Posted inTop Stories
U.S. Supreme Court to review challenge to Colorado’s conversion therapy ban
On Monday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would consider the constitutionality of Chiles v. Salazar, which would challenge Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy for minors. Conversion therapy refers to practices or treatments aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Major medical and mental health organizations like the […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: March 7, 2025
Welcome to our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. In his first speech to the joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump spoke about banning transgender women in sports and declared “our country will be woke no longer.” The Census Bureau has requested permission from the Office of Management and Budget […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Trailer drops for Hulu’s gay buddy comedy “Mid-Century Modern”
Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern, a new series about three gay middle-aged men who decide to live together in Palm Springs, finally has a trailer. Produced by Ryan Murphy and created by Will & Grace’s Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the series stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin. Lane, Bomer, and Graham play lifelong friends who, after the death of a dear […]
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Prioritizing LGBTQ+ mental health: Free virtual event on March 18
LGBTQ+ mental health challenges are at an all-time high. From rejection and trauma to political attacks and inadequate health care access, the community faces disproportionate struggles. In honor of LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week, News is Out is hosting a virtual event on March 18 at 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET to help you prioritize mental wellness. Tune […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: February 28, 2025
Welcome to our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. Over 2500 people showed up at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday to protest the legislature’s bill to remove transgender people from the state’s Civil Rights Act. The bill, which passed 35-15, will allow for discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment […]
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Michigan representative introduces resolution to overturn same-sex marriage
Michigan State Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, has introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Michigan now joins Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota in creating resolutions looking to overturn same-sex marriage in the United States. House Resolution 28 is […]
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The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: February 21, 2025
Welcome to our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. A week after references to transgender and queer people were removed from the National Park Service’s Stonewall Monument page, now a groundbreaking 2016 LGBTQ+ study has also been removed. San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the San Francisco Community Health Center join six other […]