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Massachusetts Faith Leaders Speak Out

More than 175 clergy & lay faith leaders from across Massachusetts gathered at the State House for a public action combining prayer, moral witness & civic engagement in response to growing federal threats to immigrant communities & other protected residents in the Commonwealth. The gathering organized by Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN) in collaboration with other partners including Massachusetts Board of Rabbis & Prayers for Liberty came in solidarity with fellow faith leaders of the Faith in Action network in Minnesota & other states which have stepped forward with public prayer & leadership amid escalating federal enforcement actions. MCAN faith leaders stress this moment of witnessing Minneapolis calls for preparation, not panic & for leadership. Mark A. Nilson, Pastor of Salem Covenant Church in Worcester stated, "Each (of us) has been given the gift of life. Thus, when hate is unleashed, each (of us) has a moral imperative to honor, protect & safeguard any life that is threatened, terrorized or taken. There is no other option; there are no bystanders. Humanity is in it together, or we perish together." Participating in solidarity with Minneapolis clergy were Rev. Rebecca Bryan, First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist in Newburyport, MCAN Clergy Leader from MCAN affiliate Merrimack Valley Project (MVP), Pastor Emmanuel (Manny) Daphnis, Restoration Community Church & MCAN Clergy Leader from MCAN affiliate Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC), Rabbi David Jaffe, KIRVA, MCAN Clergy Leader from MCAN affiliate Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC), Rev. Aaron Payson, Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, MCAN Clergy Leader from MCAN affiliate Worcester Interfaith (WI), Sister Melinda Pellerin, Sisters of St. Joseph, MCAN Clergy Leader from MCAN affiliate Pioneer Valley Project (PVP - Springfield) & others. 
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Federal Court Blocks DOJ Subpoena

In a significant ruling protecting the privacy rights of patients & families U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin granted a motion to quash a Department of Justice subpoena demanding the medical records of families whose children received trans health care at Children's National Hospital. In her opinion Judge Rubin found that the DOJ subpoena "lacks a proper investigative purpose" & "appears to have no purpose other than to intimidate & harass" the hospital & families seeking established essential medical care for their children. The court determined the subpoena was "a pretext to fulfill the Executive's well-publicized policy objective to terminate & block” trans health care. The subpoena issued in June 2025 demanded highly sensitive information including patient names, dates of birth, social security numbers, diagnoses, clinical assessments & parental authorization forms. The court found this sweeping demand bore "no credible connection to an investigation of any statutory violation" & was "utterly unclear" in its purported purpose. Judge Rubin stated, "The Government has made improper use of a §3486 administrative subpoena to out [families] for receiving & their Hospital for providing, healthcare." The ruling emphasizes that patients have a constitutionally protected right to privacy in their sensitive medical records, particularly when the government cannot demonstrate a legitimate investigative basis for demanding them. Jennifer Levi, Senior Director at GLAD Law concluded, “When families fear their private health information could be exposed or used against them, they may delay or avoid seeking necessary medical care – putting children's health & wellbeing at risk. The court's decision protects not only the families who brought the case, but reinforces fundamental principles of medical privacy & limitations on government power that benefit all Americans.” 
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Kelley Robinson Joins Kettering Board

Kelley Robinson, HRC president has joined the Kettering Foundation board of directors. Robinson previously served as a Kettering Foundation senior fellow from 2024–25. Founded in 1927 by the American inventor Charles F. Kettering the foundation is committed to advancing inclusive democracies by fostering citizen engagement, promoting government accountability & countering authoritarianism. Sharon L. Davies, president & CEO of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation stated, "Few Americans are as eloquent or inspiring in their advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community as is Kelley Robinson. Defending the rights of others is her life's work & we look forward to her contributions & continued leadership as she steps into a new role on the foundation board." Kelley Robinson concluded, "I'm proud to join the Kettering Foundation board at a critical moment for our democracy & the movement for equality. Kettering's commitment to inclusive democracy & civic power is exactly what this moment demands & I'm ready to help advance the bold, people-centered leadership our country needs." Before taking the helm at HRC Robinson served as the executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund where she fought tirelessly for reproductive rights & defended the rights of all individuals. Her dedication to fighting injustice for society's most underserved populations has been a driving force throughout her career. As HRC president Kelley is the first Black lesbian woman to lead the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in the United States & as a mark of her influence she was named to the 2024 TIME100.  
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Stonewall National Museum (AUDIO)

This week I talked to Robert Kesten, President & CEO of Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded in 1973 the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library has grown into the largest lending library of its kind in America with more than 34,000 books & audio-visual materials. The archives also contain more than 6 million pages of documents & more than 2,000 objects of critical importance to our LGBTQ history. Rotating exhibitions, talks, lectures & films have attracted thousands to the Stonewall National Museum each year enriching the lives of countless others. Some of the upcoming events include their 4th annual Gala fundraiser where they will ceremoniously & historically induct architect, philanthropist & president of the Arcus Foundation Jon Stryker, retired Congressman Barney Frank & Grammy winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian into its nationally traveling “Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes” exhibition on February 21st. This fabulous fundraising event takes place at The VENUE in Wilton Manors, FL from 6P to 9P for a fabulous night of celebration with cocktails, dinner, conversation & community. Other events include Amazon Rising: The Legacy of Wonder Woman that runs now through February 17th & Sahara: NYC’s Lesbian Legacy that will be on display February 28th to April 5th. Also the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in partnership with the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame will celebrate the 2026 class of inductees recognizing the achievements & contributions of LGBTQ athletes, coaches, advocates & sports enthusiasts. I talked to Kesten about what he would like to accomplish at the Stonewall National Museum & his spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN  
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Celebrating Martin Luther King Day

Since 1986 we’ve celebrated Martin Luther King Day as a federal holiday. Now in 2026 it’s a bit bittersweet as America becomes more unrecognizable with each passing day.  With the unrest in our cities as the midterm elections approach we still haven’t been able to pass the Freedom to Vote Act & the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. How this will all play out will be written in the history books which is all so fragile as truth seems to be under the scrutiny of misguided interpreters. On this day let’s also remember pioneer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin who taught Martin Luther King Jr. strategies of nonviolence during the Montgomery Bus Boycott & reached international notoriety in 1963 as the organizer of the March on Washington. As the racial unrest continues in this country & it feels like everything we have worked for keeps sliding in reverse let’s keep the memory strong of Martin Luther King Jr. & Bayard Rustin. In 2013 President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor posthumously to Bayard Rustin. Walter Naegle who was Rustin's partner for the last decade of who died in 1987 stated, “Being black, being homosexual, being a political radical, that’s a combination that’s pretty volatile & it comes along like Halley’s Comet. Bayard’s life was complex, but at the same time I think it makes it a lot more interesting." I talked to Naegle in 2015 about what Bayard was really like, how they met & the importance of Rustin’s work especially in these challenging times. LISTEN    
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Save HIV Funding Campaign Update

BREAKING UPDATE: Reversal of SAMHSA Cuts, Potential Progress on Florida HIV Care & ADAP Crisis... With the unfolding public health crisis in Florida brought on by changes announced by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) & across America the Save HIV Funding Campaign has provided statements from its organizers & partner orgs addressing this crisis. Jeremiah Johnson, Executive Director, PrEP4All & Co-Founder, Save HIV Funding Campaign stated, “Visibility on these interrelated & simultaneous attacks will be critical to preventing a catastrophic return to the darkest days of the AIDS crisis. Those working to undermine HIV funding are not only showing inhuman cruelty toward people living with or vulnerable to HIV, but they are also being fiscally reckless. For every dollar invested in HIV prevention, three to seven dollars are saved.” Maxx Boykin, Manager, Save HIV Funding Campaign added, “We spent all of 2025 fighting massive proposed funding cuts from the House majority & now, as 2026 begins, the cancer is spreading. After the White House’s unprecedented decision not to honor World AIDS Day last month, we’re seeing a major federal agency scrap critical preventive services that disproportionately benefit red states, alongside a direct attack on people living with HIV from Governor DeSantis’ Department of Health. We are also closely investigating reports of other major funding disruptions across the United States.” Paul Samuels, Director and President, Legal Action Center concluded, “The cancellation of $2 billion in SAMHSA grants will directly impact the ability of organizations all across the country to provide critical substance use prevention, treatment, HIV & hepatitis, harm reduction, education & support services to people who need it most. It is a bizarre & extraordinarily harmful move from an Administration that has claimed to want to end the HIV epidemic & support rural communities that have been hit hardest by the opioid crisis.” 
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“Red Light Diaries” Announce Casting

The new scripted drama series “Red Light Diaries” created & directed by Micheal Ighodaro has announced that Dashaun Wesley (“Legendary”), Toni Bryce (“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”) & breakout artist Billy The GOAT have joined the cast. “Red Light Diaries” is a bold intimate drama about LGBTQ people of color living, loving & surviving in the shadows of stigma, HIV, faith & desire where secrets are currency, intimacy is dangerous & being seen can save or destroy you. The project was filmed on location across 6 global cities Lagos, New York, Atlanta, London, Lyon & Bangkok bringing together an international cast & crew to reflect the regional specificity of each story. Each episode functions as a stand-alone character-driven narrative grounded in the cultural, social & emotional realities of its setting. Director Micheal Ighodaro stated, “HIV has a way of flattening people into categories & outcomes. With “Red Light Diaries”, I wanted to pull back that veil — to see queer people of color, migrants & sex workers not through the lens of the virus, but through their intimacy, contradictions & resilience. The story begins with the human, not the condition.” Red Light Diaries is produced by Global Black Gay Men Connect & supported by an international creative team that includes award-winning screenwriters Noni Salma & Collins Akon & cinematographers Daniel Oshodin & Nouridine Zerhoun. Additional producers on the series include Joseph Adesunloye, Pamela Adie & Sebastien Rossi. Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) centers on lived experience to address structural inequities across HIV, human rights, migration & access to care. GBGMC operates at the intersection of culture & policy supporting local leaders & amplifying narratives that affirm the humanity & complexity of Black LGBTQ lives across regions. 
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Massachusetts Faith Leaders Speak Out

More than 175 clergy & lay faith leaders from across Massachusetts gathered at the State House for a public action combining prayer, mor...

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