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Equality Forum LGBT 2024 Icons (VIDEO)

Equality Forum is kicking off their annual LGBT History Month celebration Tuesday October 1st by acknowledging 31 LGBT icons. George Chauncey, Yale University Chair of the History Department stated, “LGBT History Month sends an important message to our nation’s teachers, school boards, community leaders & youth about the vital importance of recognizing & exploring the role of gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people in American history." The 2024 LGBTQ Icons are: Ron Ansin, Philanthropist & Activist, Laphonza Butler, First Out Black U.S. Senator, Maki Carrousel, Japanese Transgender Actor, Desmond Child, Award-Winning Songwriter, Margaret Chung, First Female Chinese American Doctor, Christian Cooper, Write & Birder, River Gallo, Intersex Filmmaker & Activist, Robert Garcia, Congressman, Rob Halford, Heavy Metal Musician, Jeanne Hoff, Transgender Trailblazer, Susan Love, Breast Health Pioneer, George Michael, Grammy Winning Pop Superstar, Kevin Naff, Washington Blade Editor, Fabian Nelson, Mississippi State Representative, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Renowned Conductor, Robyn Ochs, Bisexual Activist, Pat Parker, Poet & Activist, Mark Pocan, Congressman, Herb Ritts, Photographer, Beth Robinson, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, Richard Schneider, Editor & Publisher, Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber, Social Justice Activist, Jackie Shane, Transgender Singer, Ari Shapiro, NPR Host & Performer, Sam Smith, Grammy Winning Singer Songwriter, William Dorsey Swann, Pioneering Drag Queen, Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Activist, Diana Taurasi, WNBA Superstar, Colton Underwood, Athlete & TV personality, Luther Vandross, Grammy Award Winning Singer & Joel Wachs, Warhol Foundation President. Each day of October a new Icon is featured with a video, biography, downloadable images & other resources. Equality Forum coordinates LGBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives & presents the largest annual national & international LGBT civil rights summit. WATCH  
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Newsom Vetoes Advance Trans Care Bill

California Governor Newsom has vetoed Assembly Bill 2442 that would have required the expedited processing of licensure applications for medical & mental health providers offering gender-affirming care within their licensed scope of practice. A signature on AB 2442 would have built on California’s long-standing nationwide leadership on LGBTQ rights by significantly improving access to care for transgender individuals in California & across the country which is critical to their safety, health & well-being. Tony Hoang Equality California Executive Director stated, “We are deeply disappointed in Governor Newsom’s decision to veto AB 2442, which would have helped to ensure that the Golden State remains a safe haven for transgender people and their families across the country. As more states enact draconian healthcare bans, California has seen an influx in transgender youth & their families traveling to our state seeking such care & resources. Understandably, this has strained an already overburdened provider network in California. AB 2442 provided a common-sense solution — expediting licensure for those providers with a demonstrated commitment to offering gender-affirming care — to strengthen California’s existing provider network & protect access to care for out-of-state patients. We are grateful to Assemblymember Zbur for championing this important measure. We remain committed to ensuring that transgender people in California & across the country can access the essential health care they need.” As of August 2024 nearly 40% of transgender youth in the U.S. are living in 26 states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care. Some states such as Oklahoma, Texas & South Carolina have even considered banning care for transgender adults. 
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Newfest LGBTQ Film Festival 36th Year

The 36th edition of Newfest NYC’s LGBTQ Film Festival takes place in person from October 10th through October 20th in theaters throughout Manhattan & Brooklyn & will also be available to stream virtually throughout the United States on NewFest’s on-demand platform October 10th through October 22nd. Now the largest LGBTQ film festival in the United States NewFest36 will include more than 140 new queer features, shorts & episodic projects plus special legacy screenings. David Hatkoff NewFest Executive Director stated, “On the cusp of a historic election, the LGBTQ+ community is, once again, at a moment where we need to show up for ourselves & each other. As the largest queer film festival in the country, NewFest takes the responsibility of providing a safe & joyful space for queer audiences to celebrate queer stories very seriously. In our festival’s 36th year, we are thrilled to share films that inspire empathy, delight, discovery & connection & a lineup that honors the incredible diversity & creativity of the LGBTQ+ community.” Nick McCarthy NewFest Director of Programming concluded, “This year’s expansive lineup is a bold testament to both the future & legacy of queer cinema. We’re thrilled to showcase a marvelous mix of groundbreaking new films & amplify the landmark queer filmmakers that blazed trails before. From modern rom coms to compelling nonfiction to genre delights, this year’s inclusive & sterling slate proves our community’s far-reaching experiences & stories cannot be boxed in. We’re so excited to gather artists & audiences as we celebrate this evolution & envision the magical future of queer cinema together at the 36th edition of the festival.” 
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New Book Frontlines Trans Youth Crisis

As the U.S. Supreme Court is about to address laws that ban trans youth from accessing life-saving healthcare a new book “Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories & Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth” has been published. Adam Polaski, Communications & Political Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality & one of the authors of the book stated, “This book was a labor of love for the Campaign for Southern Equality staff, with team members contributing at every level & community members from all walks of life trusting us with their stories. We are honored to bring this book into the world as a tool to educate the public, illustrate the immense challenges that trans youth, families & advocates are facing & motivate all of us to get involved in the work to ensure that every young person, especially those most marginalized & targeted by cruel political forces, can live with dignity & respect.” Alexis Stratton also one of the authors of the book concluded, “There is so much political noise about transgender young people, which enables & even encourages the public to look past the very real, long-lasting harms that legislative attacks are causing for transgender youth & their families. Our mission with Trans Kids, Our Kids is to center, elevate & amplify the voices of the people who are grappling with the fallout – the parents & family members, the doctors & attorneys, the advocates & above all, the young people themselves. Our book introduces extraordinary & diverse people who bring to the forefront not only the fear & pain that the trans community is experiencing but also the ways that we are finding joy & supporting each other through this crisis.” 
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FBI Reports Spike In LGBTQ Hate Crimes

In a new FBI report attacks based on gender identity is up 16% from the prior year, attacks based on sexual orientation is up 23% with race & ethnicity-based hate crimes remain the largest category with more than 1 in 5 hate crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias. Even as violence in the nation overall is continuing to drop reports of hate crime incidents targeting people for their sexual orientation or gender identity are rising. Kelley Robinson, Human Rights Campaign President stated, “Every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer person in this country should be free to live their lives without fear that we’ll be the target of a violent incident purely because of who we are & who we love. Unfortunately, the latest FBI hate crimes data shows that even as public acceptance of LGBTQ+ people continues to grow & overall crime continues to decline, hate crimes against us are not yet showing signs of subsiding. Make no mistake, politicians who spread disinformation & demonize our lives are contributing to this violence. This trend needs to end. LGBTQ+ people need full non-discrimination protections in law, nationwide. All law enforcement agencies must commit to fully reporting data on hate crimes in their communities & politicians & community leaders across the country need to stop lying about our community & inciting hatred against us. We must turn the tide so that LGBTQ+ people can feel safe everywhere.” The FBI’s report noted that there were 2,402 recorded incidents relating to an alleged victim’s sexual orientation in 2023 up from 1,947 the year before & 547 relating to an alleged victim’s gender identity compared with 469 the year before.
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LGBTQ Family Equality LA Impact Gala

Family Equality is honoring the fabulous Tony-Award-winning actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson & his husband Tony-Award-winning producer Justin Mikita with the 2024 Family Equality Visibility Award at their LA Impact Gala event on Saturday September 28th at Citizen News by Mother Wolf in Los Angeles, CA. They're also honoring the founders of LA-based The Rainbow Book Bus Eric Cervini & Adam Powell with the 2024 Family Equality Murray/Reese Family Award. The Rainbow Book Bus recently gave away 8,000 books to kids, parents, teachers & LGBTQ centers as part of their cross-country tour. Alexis Kantor, Interim President & CEO of Family Equality stated, “Our Los Angeles gala is not just a celebration of our work, but a moment to unite as a community & elevate the voices of those who are creating positive change for LGBTQ+ families. We are delighted to honor the advocacy & visibility of Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Justin Mikita as activists & philanthropists who also happen to be gay parents & at a time when LGBTQ+ books are being banned in schools & libraries across the country, we honor the impact of The Rainbow Book Bus in sharing & telling the stories of LGBTQ+ characters and families.” The evening will also feature show-stopping performances by Debby Holiday, Angel Bonilla & David Hernandez who are set to bring their powerful voices & stage presence to the star-studded event. The LA Impact gala raises vital funds to support Family Equality’s mission to advance legal & lived equality for LGBTQ families through federal & state policy work, education & resources & community-building programs & events. 
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Film LGBTQ Representation Decreases

In the 12th annual edition of GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) the study found that only 27.3% of films tracked were LGBTQ inclusive which is down from last year. Also Transgender representation in film was found to be “alarmingly low” as majority of proposed anti LGBTQ legislation targets transgender people & healthcare. Megan Townsend GLAAD Senior Director, Entertainment Research & Analysis stated, “This year’s study found a significant & concerning decrease in representation of transgender characters & stories, down from 12 titles to just two & one of those films was blatantly transphobic. We know that less than 30% of American adults personally know someone who is transgender, therefore they may be more susceptible to lies & misinformation about trans people spread by anti-transgender politicians & activists. But we also know that ‘portrayals in entertainment media’ is one of the strongest positive influences on people’s attitudes towards trans people, according to GLAAD’s 2024 Accelerating Acceptance study, so telling authentic stories by & about the trans community is crucial at a time when a record number of anti-transgender bills are being introduced & passed. The GLAAD list, a curated list of the most promising unmade LGBTQ scripts, is a great place to start for studios looking to develop titles and hire writers who can tell nuanced, compelling & diverse stories about people who are transgender.” GLAAD’s SRI new report centers its research & analysis on 10 studio distributors examining films released in the 2023 calendar year January 1st to December 31st in the United States. 
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Sean Dorsey Dance 20th Anniversary

Celebrating two decades of groundbreaking artistry Sean Dorsey Dance kicks off their 20th Anniversary Home Season September 19th to 21st at Z Space in San Francisco, CA. For the first time in Sean Dorsey Dance’s entire history the company will revisit & perform excerpts of audience’s favorites from the last 20 years. This powerful retrospective program will feature 2 decades of their award-winning artistry with works including Lou (2009) based on the lifelong diaries of trailblazing transgender activist Lou Sullivan & excerpts from The Missing Generation (2015) & The Secret History of Love (2012) both based on oral histories Dorsey recorded with LGBTQ elders across the US. These 3 works comprised an award-winning trilogy that the company has performed & toured in more than 25 cities across the US. These dances are powerful explorations of human experience featuring Dorsey’s signature fusion of full-throttle dance, luscious queer partnering, theater & intimate storytelling. Highly physical, accessible, rooted in story & danced with precision & guts with deep humanity Dorsey’s work has boldly created new space for transgender & LGBTQ voices in contemporary dance. Sean Dorsey Dance’s 20th Anniversary Home Season is performed by Becca Dean, Sean Dorsey, Brandon Graham, Héctor Jaime & David Le with Lighting Design by Clyde Sheets. Costume Design by Krystal Harfert & Tiffany Amundson & Technical Director Emily Paulson with Assistant Stage Manager Jessi Barbe & Sound Operator Jules Indelicato. Original music is composed by Jesse Olsen Bay, Anomie Belle, Storm Miguel Florez, Alex Kelly & Ben Kessler. Z Space is a wheelchair accessible theater with accessible seating for all shows & all attendees are to wear a KN95 mask at all times while in the building except for during the September 21st post-show gala reception. 
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Senate Judiciary Hate Crime Committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking on hate crimes in America Tuesday September 17th. GLAAD has submitted a public comment & data on anti-LGBTQ incidents across the United States. Sarah Kate Ellis GLAAD President & CEO stated, “The path to a safer future for all Americans necessitates that we act now to stem the tide of hate crimes & hate-fueled violence. We are committed to uplifting the voices of LGBTQ people & all others impacted by this hate –& we urge you to join us in this fight.” GLAAD also provided data for the committee on the dramatic rise of anti-LGBTQ incidents in the US. Anti-LGBTQ incidents in the US rose 112% year-over-year according to GLAAD’s data between June 2022 to June 2024. These incidents resulted in at least 21 deaths & 160+ injuries including the mass shooting at Club Q & the tragic deaths of Lauri Carleton, O’Shae Sibley & Nex Benedict. Over 30% of all incidents were specifically motivated by hate targeting our transgender & gender non-conforming community. The data also includes hundreds of violent attacks, death threats & acts of vandalism aimed at the drag events, schools, libraries & healthcare facilities that offer safe spaces for LGBTQ people. The Senate hearing comes one week after the Department of Justice announced the arrest of 2 leaders of the Terrorgram Collective a transnational white supremacist accelerationist group which solicited members to commit attacks including the deadly mass shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia resulting in a fatal knife attack near a mosque in Turkey & planned attacks on US energy facilities & other “enemies of the white race.” 
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Provincetown Tennessee Williams Event

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is celebrating its 19th season September 25th to 29th in Provincetown, MA. The opening play will be The Glass Menagerie on Wednesday September 25th that Williams wrote partially at The A House in Ptown. Live performances of festival plays include Something Cloudy Something Clear, Suddenly Last Summer, Green Eyes, Flight (adapted from a short story by Williams) & Tennessee Rising a play about Tennessee Williams. There will also be a screening of In the Room Where He Waits a gay horror film from Australia inspired by The Glass Menagerie. Marcy Feller, President of the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival Board stated, “The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival is coming around again, on Thursday - Sunday, September 26 - 29 with an opening preview performance of The Glass Menagerie on Wednesday September 25. On Saturday & Sunday the 28th & 29th, as part of A Supply of Summer, I will have the pleasure & privilege of incarnating the remarkable Valeska Gert, a German-Jewish dancer & avant garde performer who fled the Nazis & came to Ptown where she befriended Tennessee Williams. I hope you will buy your tickets for this event & 6 live Williams’ plays, plus a new queer, supernatural film inspired by The Glass Menagerie” I had the pleasure & honor of meeting Tennessee Williams when I wired him for sound at WCVB-TV in Boston where he appeared on the “Good Day Show” back in the 1970’s. He was wearing his trademark seersucker blue & white suit topped off with a fabulous fedora hat a memory I’m fortunate to have etched in my mind forever. 
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Colorado Law Will Protect LGBTQ Youth

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Colorado’s law prohibiting conversion therapy for minors is valid as a regulation of medical professionals’ conduct. Chris Stoll, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights stated, “We are extremely pleased with today’s decision, which allows Colorado to continue protecting its LGBTQ children & adolescents from the dangers of conversion therapy. These discredited practices, which falsely promise to be able to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, have been rejected as unsafe by every major medical & mental health organization in the country. The Tenth Circuit has joined numerous other federal courts in affirming that states can require licensed mental health providers to comply with professional standards prohibiting these harmful & unnecessary practices.” Nadine Bridges, Executive Director of One Colorado added, “We are delighted that Colorado's youth will remain protected from conversion therapy. Research has shown that conversion therapy can cause increased rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, homelessness, self-harm & suicide. LGBTQ+ youth are especially at risk, as are families who are misled into believing these dangerous practices can 'prevent' their children from being who they truly are.” Mathew Shurka, Born Perfect Co-Founder & Chief Strategist concluded, "Born Perfect applauds the Tenth Circuit for ensuring that Colorado can continue to protect youth from the dangers of conversion therapy. Advocates & survivors like me are getting the reassurance we need, that every child is Born Perfect." Twenty-five states & over 100 localities have laws or administrative policies protecting youth from these practices or preventing the expenditure of state funds on conversion therapy. 
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Court Blocks New Hampshire Trans Ban

A federal court has issued an order blocking enforcement of a New Hampshire law that bans transgender girls from playing on school sports teams while plaintiffs Parker Tirrell & Iris Turmelle case proceeds. The court ruled that HB 1205 discriminates against transgender students in violation of Title IX & the U.S. Constitution. The judge ruled that “HB 1205, on its face, discriminates against transgender girls,” & that it “is not even a close call.” The ruling goes on to say, “The stigma & humiliation that comes from such treatment of a child at the hands of the State is substantial & irreparable.” Parker Tirrell stated, “I just want to go to school like other kids, play the game I love & hang out with my friends. I’m really happy this decision means I don’t have to let my team down for the rest of the season.” Henry Klementowicz, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU of New Hampshire concluded, "Today’s court order is a positive step forward in restoring access not just for Parker & Iris but every child in the Granite State who has a right to equal opportunities at school guaranteed under the law. Laws that aim to exclude, single out & discriminate against transgender youth have no place in New Hampshire & we are happy to see the court recognize how unconstitutional & harmful they are." The families of Parker Tirrell & Iris Turmelle are represented by ACLU of New Hampshire, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders & Louis Lobel, Kevin DeJong & Elaine Blais at Goodwin. 
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Court Blocks Arizona Trans Student Ban

The Ninth Circuit unanimously affirmed a trial court decision blocking enforcement of Arizona’s law that bans transgender girls in public schools from playing on any girls’ teams. The case was brought by 2 transgender girls receiving medical treatment for gender dysphoria the medical term for the distress experienced when a persons’ innate sense of their gender does not match their birth sex. The trial court considered extensive expert testimony from medical experts who explained that the plaintiffs in this case do not have any athletic advantage over other girls & ruled that Arizona’s law sweeps far too broadly. Helen Doe, Mother of Plaintiff Jane Doe stated, “Today’s ruling from the 9th Circuit is a relief for our family. With this ruling, our daughter can continue to play with her friends, make new friends & experience all the benefits that school sports have to offer.” Kate Roe, Mother of Plaintiff Megan Roe added, “Megan is over the moon & immensely relieved to learn of the court’s decision allowing her to play the sport she loves on the team that has always welcomed her as one of their own. Having watched her blossom across the last season as both an athlete & a young woman, her dad & I are deeply thankful to the whole legal team that has fought so hard for her basic right to play ball on the team where she so clearly belongs.” Rachel Berg, Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights concluded, “We are pleased with the Ninth Circuit’s ruling today, which held that the Arizona law likely violates the Equal Protection Clause & recognizes that a student’s transgender status is not an accurate proxy for athletic ability & competitive advantage”. 
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Out of Sight Out of Murder In Boston

Boston’s The Footlight Club, America’s oldest community theater kicked off its theatrical season with a must-see adaptation of Fred Carmichael’s “Out of Sight...Out of Murder” directed by Kayte Duren. Performances run now through September 21st at historic Eliot Hall in JP at 7A Eliot Street Boston, MA where shows have been presented every year since 1877. “Out of Sight...Out of Murder” stars Johnny Esposito as Peter Knight who is grinding out a murder novel in an old mansion where another author was murdered years before. A weird electrical storm effects a cosmic snafu & his characters come to life. There's the lovely ingenue, the trusty butler, a feisty character woman, a dauntless hero, a fascinating "other woman” the always pregnant serving girl & the wily lawyer waiting for midnight to read the will. As Peter loses control of his characters murder follows & other murders come since the culprit is amongst the characters. This stellar cast also includes Emma Walker, Adam Johnson, Sophie Pels, Jenna Schlags, Cassidy Guimares, David Brown, Juliette McClendon & Jamie Alley. Tickets are a steal for this fabulous night of theatre with adults $25, seniors, students & children under 18 $22 & members free. The Footlight Club continues to sustain its mission to present the best in non-professional theater to a broad-based audience & to preserve & maintain Eliot Hall originally built in 1832 the hall was slated for demolition by the time the club’s members purchased it in 1889 as a community resource. Upcoming plays for its 2024-25 season include, “Bright Star”, “Yellow Face” & the musical “Prom”. 
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Bushwig 2024 LGBTQ Drag Festival

Bushwig is one of the biggest gay drag festivals that takes place September 7th & 8th at The Knockdown Center 52-19 Flushing Avenue in Queens, NYC  attracting over 4,000 visitors. The event brings together a gathering of hundreds of drag stars for 2 full days & nights to remember. Dance, be free, make love & rejoice in togetherness with this big beautiful LGBTQ family. Everyone is welcome & visitors to Brooklyn or Queens can expect drag queens everywhere in glittering beards & sidewalk-engulfing hyper-couture dresses, stomping through the city on stilts & in 10″ platform shoes & all manner of chunky heels. Bushwig showcases drag on the fringes with performers who push the boundaries of what a queen can look like or do on stage. It serves as a messier more avant-garde & frequently more thrilling antidote to RuPaul’s polished world. Brooklyn artists Trust & Horrorchata founded their drag festival in 2012 as a smaller scale Wigstock celebrating local talent. Artist Paco May stated, "I am thrilled to bring this installation to Bushwig, a festival that so perfectly aligns with the spirit of my work. The velvet polka dot portraits will hopefully get the crowd gabbing about who is who to bring it all back to the roots in Brooklyn & hopefully touching them a little bit, too.” Since its debut the festival has expanded internationally becoming an annual staple for the drag community. The program features daylong drag performances & DJ sets. It’s been known to highlight rising city queens. Bushwig is serving up two full days of Non-Stop Drag, Live Music, DJs & Dancing spread across 3 different stages & a dance zone with more than 150 performers. Enjoy Shopping, food & drinks, Icons, legends, looks, stunts & shows. 
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Ava DuVernay Leads Banned Books Week

Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay has been named honorary chair for Banned Books Week 2024 that takes place September 22nd to 28th. DuVernay will be joined by youth honorary chair Julia Garnett a student activist who fought book bans in her home state of Tennessee. DuVernay stated, "I believe that censorship is the enemy of freedom. By banning books, we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from the past & to envision a braver future. Books have the power to open minds & build bridges. This is why certain forces do not want the masses to engage with books. They fear progress & growth in new, bold directions. For this reason, Banned Books Week is vitally important. It is a celebration of our right to access varied voices & to engage with ideas that challenge & champion us. I am honored to be selected as honorary chair of Banned Book Week for this election year & I stand with my fellow readers, fellow writers & fellow advocates around the world who refuse to let voices be silenced." DuVernay is the groundbreaking writer, director & producer behind acclaimed films & television projects such as Selma, 13th, Queen Sugar, When They See Us & One Perfect Shot. She is an Academy Award nominee & winner of Emmy, BAFTA, NAACP, GLAAD, Critics Choice & Peabody Awards. Banned Books Week founded in 1082 has drawn attention to attempts to remove books & other materials from libraries, schools & bookstores. The theme for Banned Books Week 2024 is “Freed Between the Lines” an observance of the freedom we find in the pages of books & the need to defend that freedom from censorship. 
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Supreme Court Trans Health Ban Update

In Kentucky parents of transgender children & a wide array of civil rights groups have weighed in as the Supreme Court prepares to hear U.S. v. Skrmetti the challenge to Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for transgender adolescents. The families are plaintiffs in Doe v Thornbury a challenge to a similar law in Kentucky & are joined by SAGE, National Trans Bar Association, LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York, Mazzoni Center, Americans United for Separation of Church and State & Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF). They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders & Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Corey Shapiro, Legal Director at the ACLU of Kentucky stated, “The parents challenging these laws have seen firsthand the positive impact appropriate medical care has had on their children’s wellbeing & the detrimental health impacts their kids experience without it. Denying these treatments to transgender youth who need them is not only unlawful, it is heartbreaking for parents. We are proud to represent these Kentucky families & will continue to fight for their right to make decisions for their families without government interference.” Shannon Minter, Legal Director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights concluded, “Families, not the government, should make decisions about medical care. These bans target youth whose doctors have determined they need this care & whose parents have made informed decisions about what is best for their own children.” As a result of this discriminatory treatment transgender youth are unable to obtain the only effective treatment for the severe distress caused by gender dysphoria. 
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Gloucester Trans Teen Brutally Attacked

A transgender teenage boy was badly beaten by a large group of other teens in Gloucester, MA. Many of the attackers are on the Gloucester High School football team. The 16-year-old Jayden Tkaczyk stated, "One second, I was having fun, the next second, I was on the ground getting my face stomped & beat up. They were just saying the F slur over & over & over as they were punching me & stomping me.” He is recovering from a broken bone in his face, nerve damage, a head injury & bruises all over his body. Jayden's mother Jasmine Tkaczyk added, "This has always been my worst fear as a mom of a trans teen, getting that phone call that your son is in the hospital for getting beaten up." Mass Equality stated, “Mass Equality was horrified to hear of the brutal beating of a transgender Gloucester teenage boy, by members of the Gloucester High School Football team on Friday night. With compassion, we extend our heartfelt thoughts to the student, their family & everyone touched by this loss within the community & beyond. Mass Equality has been in direct contact with the victim’s family & will be working, alongside our partner organizations to provide support. We will also work with the schools & community in Gloucester to ensure that they have the resources that they need to combat hate & violence & demand accountability for the actions of those who were responsible for this attack. Violence against the LGBTQ+ community has been on the rise across the nation & in Massachusetts. Per the Department of Justice, hate crimes motivated by gender identity more than doubled between 2020 & 20221 & nearly doubled for those based on sexual orientation.” 
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Provincetown Swim For Life 2024 Events

Celebrating 37 years as a community tradition the Provincetown Community Compact is presenting their annual Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla fundraiser. First on Friday September 6th there will an optional swimmer’s orientation at 1P & a kayak orientation at 2P & at 8P there will be a celebration of Life Concert at the UU Meeting House at 8P. Then on September 7th swimmers will swim 1.2 miles along the East End shoreline from Breakwater Hotel at 716 Commercial Street that begins at 2:20P & a half mile swim from the Town Landing at Atkins Lane also starting at 2:30P. There will also be a fresh water swim in Wellfleet’s Great Pond on September 7th beginning at 9A. Jay Critchley, Director of The Compact stated, “We are thrilled to be back at the town’s spectacular waterfront park & welcome swimmers, kayakers, volunteers, safety boaters & our fans from across the country.” The Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla fundraiser has raised over $6M for AIDS, women’s health & the community. Over 100 volunteers are invited to assist on land & sea including kayakers. There will be Watch Parties for the public along the shoreline to cheer on the swimmers & the famous Mermaid Brunch will be catered by Far Land Provisions with the world-traveling Zoe Lewis providing the music. Walkers are also invited to participate with a walk along the beach route & Commercial Street & the public is invited to share this post-Labor Day tradition along the shore & greet swimmers at the finish line where there will be food, beverage & entertainment. Swim Design Graphic by Tim Convery 
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Massachusetts LGBTQ Healthcare Act

The Massachusetts House & Senate have approved LGBTQ inclusive language in House Bill No. 5033 “An Act to Improve Quality & Oversight of Long-Term care” & sent it to Governor Healey’s desk to be signed into law. This will help LGBTQ older adults & older people living with HIV in long-term care facilities. State Senator Jehlen stated, “I vividly remember testimony at one of our LGBT Aging Commission hearings. A family in western Massachusetts could no longer care for their transgender aunt & could not find a single nursing home that would admit her. Finally, they found one & that nursing home ironically put her in a converted closet.” Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis added, “LGBTQ+ seniors have spent their lives fighting for the social equality & legal protections that many of us now benefit from. Many of them were pioneers is this struggle, losing partners & friends at the height of the AIDS epidemic, while also fighting for our very right to exist publicly & proudly in our families, our schools, our faith communities & in our halls of government. The stories of LGBTQ+ seniors being forced back into the closet or mistreated in their golden years are simply unconscionable. I am grateful to House and Senate Leadership, along with all my legislative colleagues, for including this vital language that I worked on with Senator Jehlen in the final version of this bill.” In passing the LGBTQ Long Term Care Bill of Rights as part of the LTC oversight legislation Massachusetts joins four states California, New Jersey, New York, Oregon & the District of Columbia which have similar LGBTQ Long Term Care Bills of Rights.
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