About Me
LGBTQ Community Excluded From Data
Night Of A Thousand Judys Yearly Event
Out Film CT Celebrating 35 Years
LGBTQ API Movement Virtual Event
New York Bill Addresses LGBTQ Elders
Rev. Nicole Garcia’s New Role (AUDIO)
This week I talked with Reverend Nicole Garcia about her new role as Faith Work Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force. Nicole is an ordained minister of Word & Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). She firmly believes that her experience as a transgender & Latina seminarian has prepared her for this new position at the Task Force to help bring all denominations of our community together. This comes at a time when LGBTQ people are under attack with hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills pending across state legislatures & 7 states have passed laws banning transgender women & girls from competing in sports teams consistent with their gender. Just 4 years ago there were 41 expressly anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the country & today we are dealing with a barrage of over 300 bills rooted in hate. Then there are states like Arizona, Texas & Alabama moving to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Not to mention other states following Florida's lead which passed the "Don't Say Gay" bill & are eyeing restrictions on teaching LGBTQ topics in schools. Though President Biden has stated that the onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans & their families is simply wrong nothing has been done nationally to stop these malicious bills that are spiritually & physically dividing our country by radical rightwing conservative politicians & religious leaders preaching hate from their bully pulpits. I talked to Reverend Garcia about what she hopes to accomplish at The Task Force & her spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN
South Carolina Anti-Trans Law (AUDIO)
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed H.4608 an anti-transgender bill that restricts transgender students from participating in school sports in middle school, high school & college. Ivy Hill Executive Director of Gender Benders & Community Health Program Director of Campaign for Southern Equality stated, “It pains us to see lawmakers in South Carolina & now the governor, ignore the voices of thousands of South Carolinians including parents, medical providers, students, faith leaders & transgender people ourselves who expressed loudly & clearly that this bill will harm young people in our state. Transgender youth are not a threat to fairness in sports & this law now needlessly stigmatizes young people who are simply trying to navigate their adolescence, make friends & build skills like teamwork & leadership, winning & losing.” Dr. Elizabeth Mack a board certified pediatric critical care physician & pediatrician in Charleston concluded, “As a born & raised South Carolinian, it is my expectation that our state’s elected officials make decisions based on evidence & listen to our state’s experts. We must not play into fear or treat some of our most vulnerable community members our transgender young people like political pawns. Transgender youth face higher rates of bullying, mental health issues & even suicide than their non-transgender peers, which we sadly see routinely in pediatric ICUs. This bill tells a population that is already at risk, ‘We do not support you,’ & I am devastated to see it pass. We must protect our future – our young people.” Last month I talked to human rights activist Amberlyn Boiter about making this country safe for our transgender community & her spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN
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LGBTQ Community Excluded From Data
Despite recent strides there remains a persistent lack of routine data collection on sexual orientation, gender identity & variations...

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