When it comes to a wealth of experience, subject matter expertise, and an interest in solving a complex problem, entrepreneur Amanda “Mandy” Ralston fits the bill. Her work offers a unique solution with the potential to improve people’s lives. “I don’t take myself that seriously, but I do take my ideas very seriously, and most […]
Category: Community
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News is Out to host virtual Project 2025 panel with special guests on 10/23
What is Project 2025 and how would it impact the LGBTQ+ community if it came to pass? Learn more about this controversial conservative playbook in a virtual discussion with News is Out and special guests Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (PA), Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis, Charlotte Clymer, Kevin Jennings (Lambda Legal), Janelle Perez (LPAC), Rep. Julie Johnson (TX) […]
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A brief history of National Coming Out Day
October 11 is National Coming Out Day, an LGBTQ+ holiday celebrated for the last 36 years. With renewed attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, events like National Coming Out Day are especially important. But what’s the history of this pivotal day in LGBTQ+ history? Keith Haring’s artwork used for NCOD. Photo: HRC Records […]
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Nico Lang’s book, “American Teenager,” shines a thoughtful spotlight on the everyday lives of trans youth
Early on in Nico Lang’s debut book, “American Teenager,” readers meet Wyatt, a transgender teen living in South Dakota. A sensitive and kind ballet student, Wyatt and his family open their hearts and home to Lang. Wyatt, who was 15 at the time of Lang’s interview, shares that he had to grow up fast as […]
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Breaking the silence: LGBTQ+ domestic violence too often overlooked
Myth: Domestic violence occurs only in straight relationships. Fact: Domestic violence occurs in LGBTQ+ relationships at a higher rate than the general population. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Williams Institute, about 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner. So have 26% […]
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Half of Black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV, despite highly effective preventive treatments − why?
At a pharmacy in Iowa, a 42-year-old Black gay man couldn’t find a medication he needed. The pharmacist, a white woman, told him they didn’t stock that medication. But while he waited to pay for his other purchases, he saw another customer place the medication he just asked for on the counter. “I felt really […]
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Connecting queer women and friends 35+ through social events and meaningful causes
At 47, Laura Young found it challenging to meet women her age, especially in the suburbs west of Chicago, where she lives. Taking matters into her own hands, she founded Sapphic Before Sunset—a social group focused on creating events for the 35+ queer community-last winter. With the slogan “mix, mingle & still get to bed […]
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What is the future of America’s gayborhoods?
For years, the LGBTQ+ community has carved out a collection of safe havens in the form of gayborhoods, or gay villages. These areas, usually populated and frequented by members of the LGBTQ+ community, serve as places where we can be ourselves, watch out for one another and live freely among friends and lovers. These neighborhoods […]
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Best colleges for LGBTQ+ students in 2024
As of 2020, nearly 17% of U.S. college students identified as LGBTQ+ Housing, healthcare, student groups and campus safety are important to LGBTQ+ students View the BestColleges list of the top-ranked LGBTQ+-friendly colleges in the United States College diversity initiatives have expanded their definition to include LGBTQ+ students. This is due to changes and improvements […]
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Scott Evans, Erin Reed and Lauren McGaughy to be honored by LGBTQ+ journalists association
The National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, also known as NLGJA, honors the work of journalists and media professionals every year with awards in categories such as Excellence in Blogging, Excellence in Political Writing and more. Special yearly awards are also presented to journalists who go above and beyond in their careers and coverage. Scott Evans, an entertainment […]
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The beautiful expanse of gender identities
What it means to be transgender has been discussed a lot in American society, yet so often actual trans voices have been and are being left out of the conversation. Many — including within the LGBTQ+ community — hold internal biases against gender nonconformity. Yet everyone has a gender identity, and being able to comfortably explore it adds […]
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Dragging voters to the polls: Drag PAC’s creation represents a larger culture shift
The 2024 election is gearing up to be a tense and difficult battle, drawing out activist groups who want to inspire folks to go to the polls. One of those groups is drag queens. As states around the country ban drag-related events and mount increasing attacks on transgender Americans, the creation of the Drag PAC—starring […]
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Trans entrepreneurs empower queer community through apparel
Length, width, fabric type, looseness or tightness — there are a number of reasons why a clothing item doesn’t work for a person. For trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals, ill-fitting clothes present another issue: causing, or exacerbating, gender dysphoria. With LGBTQ well-being in mind, two transgender entrepreneurs of apparel companies — Kylo Freeman, founder and […]
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Queer Cannabis: A guide to LGBTQ+-owned dispensaries and brands nationwide
Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in 26 states and U.S. territories. Voters in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota will also have their chance to vote for the legalization of recreational marijuana this November. The legal cannabis industry is on track to generate around 40 billion dollars in revenue in 2024. There are LGBTQ+ cannabis brands […]
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How Matthew Schueller and Michael Lindsay are creating a community-driven queer travel experience
Before he became one-half of a popular influencer and content-creating couple with close to a million followers on social media, Matthew Schueller was bitten by the travel bug in a unique way. He fell in love with an exchange student while in high school. “I never left the country until I graduated high school,” said […]
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Far from making their last calls, LGBTQ+ bars evolve to imagine a new world
Greggor Mattson put about 10,000 miles on his car during his long, winding pilgrimage to 300 LGBTQ+ bars across 39 states. Mattson, the chair of sociology at Oberlin College and Conservatory, embarked on this journey to research why LGBTQ+ bars all over the U.S. were closing, but the story ended up being more complicated—and hopeful—than […]
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Philly’s Paynter’s Platters gives back to the LGBTQ+ community
Paynter’s Platters is a Black and LGBTQ+-owned catering company largely servicing the Philadelphia area, with New Jersey roots. For owner Ryen Paynter, it’s all about family, sharing how his early experiences with food and love for those who surrounded him while growing up motivated his cooking journey. He discusses new opportunities he is seeking with […]
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LGBTQ+ social media platforms center on queer spaces, community connection
A gay man living in a rural area has recently come out of the closet and is looking for LGBTQ+ friends; a lesbian has moved to a new city where she hopes to find a local queer femme social group; a nonbinary person has started hormone replacement therapy and wants to share the changes they’re […]
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The rise of sober LGBTQ+ spaces
Bars have long been a key part of LGBTQ+ culture. They provide us with safe havens where we can be ourselves, fall in love and meet friends that often become family. They give us a place to rally and organize, to grieve and celebrate. Patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a queer bar in New York […]
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20,000 show up to support HRC’s “Out for Kamala Harris” virtual event
Since President Joe Biden announced he was no longer running for re-election on Sunday, July 21, there have been significant gatherings dedicated to supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. The first was a Zoom call for Black women voters, with an estimated 40,000 participants who raised over $1 million on Sunday. The following day, “Win with Black […]
