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 […]
Category: Top Stories
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 inTop Stories
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 […]
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 inTop Stories
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. […]
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 inTop Stories
News is Out expands: Welcoming 6 new affiliates to our groundbreaking LGBTQ+ media collaborative
News is Out, the groundbreaking LGBTQ+ media collaborative, is proud to welcome six new affiliate members. This expansion strengthens the collaborative’s mission to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and ensure equitable, community-centered journalism across the country. The six new affiliate members are: The Buckeye Flame (Ohio) Between the Lines/Pridesource (Michigan) Lookout (Arizona) OutSFL (Southern Florida) QNotesCarolinas (Carolinas) Watermark Out News (Central Florida) “The […]
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 […]
Posted inTop Stories
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inTop Stories
Dr. Mimi Hoang on bisexual+ mental health, visibility and community support
57% of queer American adults identify as bisexual, the most common LGBTQ+ identity marker for Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z alike. With each subsequent generation, more individuals statistically identify as bisexual, with 15% of Gen Z reporting this identity. The particular challenges for this community are nuanced, and Dr. Mimi Hoang, known professionally as […]
Posted inHistory
What we can learn from the Lavender Scare of the 1950s
While most people are familiar with the “Red Scare” of the 1950s, the Lavender Scare was a lesser known but equally dangerous part of this period. During the Red Scare, federal workers were interrogated, fired, and some, including Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were even executed with the justification that the government was rooting out communist spies. The full extent […]
Posted inTop Stories
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 inArts and Entertainment
How Thailand’s TV lesbian romances captured a global audience
While dramas about male same-sex romance (known as “boys’ love”, or BL) have been popular in Asia since 2010, “girls’ love” (GL) dramas are only now seeing a meteoric rise in popularity – and they are coming out of Thailand. On January 23 2025, Thailand became the first country in south-east Asia to legalise same-sex […]
