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 […]
Category: News
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 inDigital Equity Lab
Out in Tech is supporting queer people in the technology sector
Almost any job today requires knowledge of technological skills from things as simple as sending emails to coding complex programs. Yet for members of the LGBTQ+ community, it can feel like there is an absence of inclusive tech spaces. The nonprofit Out in Tech is seeking to remedy this by creating a community of LGBTQ+ tech leaders […]
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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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Cuts to HIV funding and health services could hit LGBTQ+ communities hard
As the second Trump administration rolls back LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, some of his early decisions could prove to be an indirect hit to already marginalized members of the community. The federal government recently terminated millions of dollars in grants towards HIV-related research. The Trump administration is also considering eliminating the CDC’s HIV prevention division, […]
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Health care is a weighted issue for LGBTQ+ people
Health care is a weighted issue for LGBTQ+ people. Due to income disparities, particularly for lesbians, bisexual and trans women and people of color, access to health care and essential services is often limited. Among queer and trans people, cancer is more prevalent, HIV is more prevalent, autoimmune disease is more prevalentand substance abuse is more prevalent. Another issue which is rarely […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Lesbian Visibility Week 2025 kicks off with a slate of events
Lesbian Visibility Week USA kicks off on Monday, April 21 and this year’s theme is “Celebrating Rainbow Families.” Powered by Curve Foundation, a nonprofit championing lesbian and queer women’s stories and culture, the week-long celebration includes events like the release of the 2025 Curve Power List, National Lesbian flag raisings, panels and a short film […]
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Pope Francis, who changed Catholic approach to LGBTQs, dies
This article originally appeared in Bay Area Reporter. Pope Francis, who made the Catholic Church less hostile toward LGBTQ+ people, died Monday in Rome. He was 88. For most of his life, he was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and at the time he was elected the church’s 266th pontiff, he was the cardinal archbishop of Buenos […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
LGBTQ+ Business Bootcamp aims to uplift and guide queer entrepreneurs
With the Trump administration’s harsh rhetoric and policies coming into effect, it’s a difficult year to be queer or a business owner. Kristina Wynne hopes to alleviate some of that. Now entering its sixth year, the Illinois LGBT Chamber of Commerce LGBTQ+ Biz Bootcamp aims to lift up and prepare LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs for a successful […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Indigiqueer artist Tricia Rainwater digs deep into personal, cultural histories
In one of her Instagram posts, multimedia artist Tricia Rainwater stands inside a picnic shelter at Cadron Settlement Park in Cadron, Arkansas. She wears a red plaid dress and black laced-up boots, with some of her tattoos visible on her legs and left hand. Her long, dark hair frames her face, and large hoops hang […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
Finding an ally in AI
With the increased use of AI technology in everyday life, people have been raising concerns about inclusivity and safety. LGBT tech, a national nonpartisan group, is advocating for the community by creating AllyAI, the first certification for AI systems to ensure bias is identified and mitigated against LGBTQ individuals. LGBT Tech was founded by Chris Wood […]
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Explore LGBTQ+ history, culture and nightlife in Portland, Oregon
To say that Portland supports the LGBTQ+ community may be an understatement. Oregon’s largest city, with a population of 630,000, goes out of its way to honor the community. Portland became the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, in 2008, narrowly beating out Houston by a year for that […]
Posted inHealth
Trauma fuels vulnerability to disordered eating in the LGBTQ+ community
The queer community has proven its resilience repeatedly in the last several decades. But experts warn that continual exposure to trauma has made the community especially vulnerable to eating disorders and disordered eating. Research has consistently found that LGBTQ+ adults and adolescents experience eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors more frequently than their heterosexual and […]
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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, […]
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National resources for trans and gender diverse communities
The Trump administration has launched a series of executive orders and other initiatives restricting the rights of the transgender community since taking power in January, targeting military service, affirming healthcare and participation in sports. Though many executive orders are being challenged in court, it’s an uncertain time for a community that feels threatened. Despite the uncertainty, […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Building queer community through bicycles
Fairmount Bicycles, a queer-owned bike shop focused on social justice through their programs and partnerships, began when its owner, Shelly Walker, rode from her home in West Philadelphia to Kensington. Before she arrived at the warehouse where she and a friend sold bicycles, she took in the sights of dense, vibrant Fairmount and wondered where […]
Posted inHistory
Chinese only introduced a feminine pronoun in the 1920s. Now, it might adopt a gender-inclusive one
Including pronouns in introductions, your email signature or your social media bio may seem like a minor detail. Pronouns are just small words we use in place of names all the time. But, like names, pronouns have personal significance. They say something about who we are. Trans, nonbinary and gender-diverse people face many issues more […]
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 inDigital Equity Lab
Could AI bolster mental healthcare for LGBTQ+ BIPOC youth?
Content Warning: This article discusses topics related to mental health challenges, systemic inequities, and suicide rates among marginalized communities. If you find these topics distressing, please prioritize your well-being and seek support as needed. The mental health challenges of BIPOC and queer youth continue to grow, yet existing support systems often fail to meet their needs. […]