The OutLook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. A federal judge has blocked three Trump-era executive orders that threatened to defund LGBTQ+ and HIV-focused nonprofits. The ruling halts attacks on DEI efforts and transgender rights while the case moves forward, protecting organizations that provide life-saving care nationwide. North Carolina […]
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
GLAAD report sounds alarm on Hollywood LGBTQ+ representation backslide
GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index 2025 report was released today and the media watchdog is sounding the alarm after two consecutive years of decreases in inclusive films and a reduction in screen time for LGBTQ+ characters. This is the 13th year for the annual report which examines how LGBTQ+ characters are portrayed by major movie studios. […]
Posted inNews
The queer inbox: LGBTQ+ newsletters that keep you in the loop
Newsletters are having a moment. Fifty-eight percent of creators say it’s their top content format, and it’s easy to see why. Readers get exactly what they want, curated and delivered straight to their inbox. At News is Out, we’ve got our own newsletters, and so do all our partner publishers. (You can sign up for […]
Posted inNews
The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: June 6, 2025
The OutLook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. The White House says President Trump has “no plans” to recognize Pride Month in 2025, breaking from past Biden-era acknowledgments. Instead, the Trump Administration announced it will recognize June as Title IX Month, “commemorating women and celebrating their struggle for, and […]
Posted inNews
The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: May 23, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. The Republican-led House narrowly passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which now includes expanded restrictions on federal funding for gender-affirming care and rolls back insurance coverage requirements, potentially increasing out-of-pocket costs for transgender patients. Now the bill heads to the […]
Posted inTop Stories
New report offers strategies to fund inclusive housing for LGBTQ+ seniors
A new report from the Milken Institute, in partnership with SAGE, outlines five financing models to address the growing need for affordable, LGBTQ+-affirming elder housing in the United States. According to the report, the number of LGBTQ+ adults aged 65 and older is expected to rise from 1.1 million today to over 7 million by […]
Posted inTop Stories
The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: May 16, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. The federal government has removed gender identity questions from key crime surveys, cutting off vital data on violence against LGBTQ+ people. Ohio Republicans blocked LGBTQ+ advocates from testifying against anti-trans language in the state budget, silencing concerns over harmful provisions. Republicans’ […]
Posted inTop Stories
Tariffs hit hard, but queer-owned brands push back with transparency and community
At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in January, his administration quickly followed through on his promise to increase tariffs on U.S. trading partners. It began in February with a 10% tariff increase on all Chinese imports and a 25% increase on steel and aluminum products. Since then, tariffs have been escalating between […]
Posted inTop Stories
GLAAD Report: Major social platforms fall short on LGBTQ+ safety in 2025
GLAAD has released its “2025 Social Media Safety Index” evaluating seven of the country’s largest social media platforms on how well they protect LGBTQ+ users. The platforms assessed—Facebook, Instagram, Threads (Meta), TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat—were scored based on their LGBTQ+ user safety, policy transparency, enforcement and protections against harassment and disinformation. No platform […]
Posted inTop Stories
The OutLook: LGBTQ+ politics & policy: May 9, 2025
The Outlook is our weekly roundup of political issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump-Vance administration to move forward with its ban on transgender people serving in the military while ongoing legal challenges continue. At an April 30 school board meeting in Tabernacle, N.J., about 40 people […]
Posted inTop Stories
From Coast to Coast: LGBTQ-friendly places to visit this summer
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 […]
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 […]
Posted inTop Stories
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 […]
Posted inTop Stories
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inTop Stories
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. […]
Posted inTop Stories
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 […]
Posted inTop Stories
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 […]
