“I decided to join my school’s GSA for support, for community,” Esmée Silverman, co-founder of the nonprofit Queer Youth Assemble, told EdWeek in 2023. “I undoubtedly made a decision that shaped my entire life by going to that group. They gave me hope. It gave me solidarity, gave me confidence and made me feel like […]
Category: Community
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Fad2Fresh vintage shop provides space for LGBTQ+ community connections
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal. Fad2Fresh is more than a vintage store—it’s a community third space. Alex Jones (pictured) and Abigail Millner have been part of the vintage community for years. Photo courtesy of […]
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LGBTQ+ advocate Eboné Bell on the importance of allyship
LGBTQ+ advocate Eboné Bell recently appeared on Comcast Newsmakers to discuss the importance of allies in the continuing fight for LGBTQ+ equality. Bell is the founder of Tagg Magazine and also a founding member of News is Out. Bell travels the country speaking on college campuses and to companies about LGBTQ+ issues, including how allies […]
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Planning your perfect Pride weekend
It’s Pride month, meaning cities nationwide have their parades, festivals and celebrations. Here’s a handy guide on preparing, dancing the day and night away and decompressing after the festivities. Gear up The “Leather Daddy Tee” by Hey Beefcake 2024 has been another complicated year for Pride. After the anti-LGBTQ+ backlash in 2023 to companies like […]
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Queer doulas make childbirth safer for Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people, but barriers remain
“You’re pretty much the plaster that goes over the cracks of the medical system.” That’s how Bonnie Silva, a full-spectrum doula based in New York City, describes the role of doulas and birth workers. For many people who are pregnant or have just given birth, the landscape of unknowns—the changes to one’s body, what the […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
“It was a do or die situation;” Queer Chicagoan creates skincare line as part of mental health recovery
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal. This story contains discussion of mental health issues such as suicidal ideation and attempts. When speaking to Tyris Manney, there are a few noticeable attributes— his brilliant smile, […]
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Queer community creates a respite for LGBTQ+ youth campers
If you’re looking for an affirming summer camp for your LGBTQ+ child between the ages of 12 and 17, look no further than Kindom Camp, which, under the direction of Pepa Paniagua and now Dr. John Leedy, has expanded to include four locations this summer: Texas, Illinois, Nevada and Indiana. Kindom was founded by local community […]
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From LGBTQ+ book bans to internet bans: A bipartisan attack on knowledge
“They had LGBTQ-inclusive books in every single classroom and school library,” Maxx Fenning says of his high school experience. “They were even working on LGBTQ-specific course codes to get approved by the state,” he said, describing courses on queer studies and LGBTQ Black history. No, Fenning didn’t grow up in Portland or a Boston suburb. […]
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Give Out Day 2024: A nationwide push to support LGBTQ+ organizations
Give Out Day kicks off this week and is the only national event specifically focused on raising funds for LGBTQ+ nonprofits across the United States. Organized by California-based LGBTQ+ organization Horizons Foundation, the month-long event provides an opportunity for LGBTQ+ organizations to engage with their supporters and gain visibility. This is especially crucial for smaller […]
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I research how people creatively express ‘queer joy’ online – here are three tips for trying it yourself
I am part of a research group looking at queer joy and the ways it is expressed online. We’re trying to establish ways to make more of it happen. Queer joy is a powerful emotion that sustains the fight for recognition and equality for LGBTQ+ people, especially in the face of challenges like gender-based violence […]
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A parent by any other name: What kids call their LGBTQ parents
One of the most frequent questions I’ve heard from prospective LGBTQ+ parents is “What should our kids call us?” I therefore began the Mombian LGBTQ Parental Names Project in 2011 to collect examples of our parental names. Here are just a few of the names — and the stories behind them — that more than 400 people […]
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NYC Pride gears up to celebrate a monumental month dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights, joy and unity
This year, the Heritage of Pride organization celebrates 40 years as custodians of the iconic New York City Pride March. Throughout the month, culminating in the June 30 parade and festival, the organization is poised to honor its legacy of advocating for equality and celebrating diversity with events designed to empower the queer community, particularly […]
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Largest U.S. survey of transgender individuals shows overwhelmingly positive results from gender affirming care
While transgender rights have become a key social issue for many Republicans in the leadup to the 2024 election season, a new study debunks a talking point that transgender people often regret transitioning. Early insights from the 2022 US Trans Survey have just been released and the results show a more positive picture of transgender […]
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Empowering LGBTQ+ students: $10,000 grants available for schools from It Gets Better initiative
It Gets Better Project has launched the third year of its “50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices.” initiative, offering grants of up to $10,000 each to middle and high schools across the United States. These grants aim to support “projects that uplift, empower and support the well-being of local LGBTQ+ students.” This effort is supported […]
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American Cancer Society report dedicates special section to LGBTQ+ health for the first time
The American Cancer Society recently released its “2024 Cancer Facts and Figures” report which for the first time, includes a special section dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. The new section addresses risk factors, comorbidities and unique challenges faced in receiving preventative care and additional stresses experienced by the community. According to the report, one in […]
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News is Good: Ali Krieger shines in SELF, queer representation in Davos and more
Recently retired soccer star Ali Krieger gets her time to shine with a profile in SELF. Krieger, a National Women’s Soccer League champion and World Cup winner, made headlines in 2023 for her very public split from former NWSL player Ashlyn Harris. In a new in-depth profile in SELF, Krieger gets to share her story, […]
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News is Good: An LGBTQ+ rural art show, queer opera at Kennedy Center and more
Our weekly column, News is Good, features 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 a few things we’re excited about this week. Art show featuring LGBTQ+ artists of rural America to open in Breckenridge, […]
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Climate crisis hits LGBTQ+ havens: Stories from Fire Island, Rehoboth Beach and more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report last week that showed 2023 was the hottest year on record in their 117 years of collecting this information. Scorching heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, unprecedented flooding in New England and freezing temperatures pushing the limits of Texas’ energy infrastructure to the breaking point – […]
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News is Good: “Queer to Stay” recipients, an LGBTQ+ district for Oakland and more
Our weekly column, News is Good, features 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 a few things we’re excited about this week. Human Rights Campaign and Showtime announce 2023 winners of the “Queer to […]
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News is Good: “Nyad” premieres on Netflix, a Sapphic art collection in Philly and more
Our weekly column, News is Good, features 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 a few things we’re excited about this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYks_-fPmaE Diana Nyad biopic premieres on Netflix. After spending time on the festival […]