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Union Members Support Trans Rights

The United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union have voted unanimously to take a vocal stand in solidarity with the transgender community. The vote taken at their biannual convening comes amidst a concerning influx of attempts across North America to limit, revoke & erase the rights & contributions of transgender people. Union members from UFCW Locals throughout the United States & Canada OUTreach Executive Board stated, “North America’s Labor Movement was founded on the principle that collective action is the ultimate tool to deliver justice. Guided by this fundamental truth since our chartering in 2013, it has been our singular focus at UFCW OUTreach to uplift & unite ALL working people, regardless of who they love, how they identify or where they were born. As trade unionists, we feel a deep sense of urgency to speak out in support of all transgender & gender non-conforming people in our shared fight for dignity & respect on the job. Labor unions exist to protect, support & empower anyone who wants to improve their working lives & that must always include our transgender brothers, sisters & siblings. We strongly condemn attempts at all levels of government to disenfranchise trans people by restricting their access to healthcare, criminalizing which bathroom or locker room they use & erasing their contributions to our communities. Rhetoric which seeks to demonize their existence & deny their basic freedoms has no place in our politics, in our workplaces, or in our Labor Movement... We will not be erased by the stroke of a pen & we will never go down without a fight.” 
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GLAAD Board Members Reality TV Ask

GLAAD Board members Peppermint & Frankie Grande together with a coalition of LGBTQ celebrities, advocates & allies have called on producers, casting directors & creators to embrace authentic, diverse LGBTQ representation across the Reality Television genre. Peppermint stated, “I think there needs to be an industry wide change, not just casting & I'll use my experience on The Traitors as an example…I wanted so desperately to be able to show the rest of the world, the rest of the audience, the rest of the viewership that trans people are just like anybody else. I think that really does reflect how a lot of trans people feel right now. I really would love for producers & people who create these shows to give people the opportunity to see the beauty in the relationships that trans people form. It's all about managing relationships & trans people deserve to be a part of the story. The world needs to see that & I think reality TV is a great place to do it.” Frankie Grande concluded, “It's the responsibility of casting directors, producers to make sure that there is inclusivity within our community represented on the show. Otherwise, we're a monolith. Otherwise, I am representing the entire queer community…There is a formula that has been in place for decades that is no longer working for our community. It is no longer representing the world & the people that are watching your shows.” Celebrity signers who joined to launch the open letter included Alan Cumming, Monét X Change, Bob The Drag Queen, Britney Haynes, Derrick Levasseur, Jazz Jennings, Elliot Page, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Christian Siriano & more. 
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PA High Court Affirms Parental Status

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued a major ruling protecting a lesbian mother’s parental status & affirming the recognition of legal parentage for children born through assisted reproduction. “A couples’ decision to have a baby together is often profoundly intimate & may not be so easily reduced to a transaction," stated the high court in this landmark decision establishing a legal standard. In the case Glover v. Junior the state Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that Junior had established legal parentage of the couple’s child & that their subsequent separation & divorce did not change the fact that Junior is her child’s parent. Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders stated, “Having a secure legal parent-child relationship is critical to a child’s wellbeing. Many hopeful parents across Pennsylvania – including many LGBTQ+ people – are building or seeking to build loving, stable families through assisted reproduction. With this decision the Court has not only, importantly, affirmed that Nicole Junior is a parent to her child, it rightfully advances application of Pennsylvania common law so that a child born through assisted reproduction isn’t stripped of a loving parent.” Shannon Minter, NCLR’s Legal Director concluded, “Children born through assisted reproduction deserve the same security and stability as other children. This decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will ensure that families created through assisted reproduction have clear protections & that lower courts have clear guidance about how to apply the law to these families.” GLAD Law & NCLR along with the ACLU, ACLU of Pennsylvania, Family Equality, Mazzoni Center, Philadelphia Family Pride & COLAGE filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case. 
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Rise Up NYC Pride ’25 Theme Revealed


NYC Pride | Heritage of Pride a longtime national leader in LGBTQ Pride organizing & advocacy has announced its official 2025 theme “Rise Up: Pride in Protest”. As our LGBTQ community faces increasing hostility & legislative attacks this year’s theme is a reflection of the Pride movement’s origins in protest & is a powerful call to action for our communities & allies to rally & march in defiant celebration, advocacy & solidarity. “Rise Up: Pride in Protest” meets the moment before us & honors the legacy of the first Pride March in 1970 which commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. I actually marched in the 10th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots & remember my fear of being outed back then & losing my job at CBS. Kazz Alexander, NYC Pride Co-Chair stated, “This year, more than ever, we acknowledge that Pride can be celebrated in many ways, but at the heart of our mission, we recognize that we must also remain steadfast in protest. The challenges we face today, particularly in this political climate, require us to stand together in solidarity. We must support one another, because when the most marginalized among us are granted their rights, all of us benefit. Pride is not merely a celebration of identity—it is a powerful statement of resistance, affirming that justice & equity will ultimately prevail for those who live and love on the margins.” Michele Irimia NYC Pride Co-Chair concluded, “In the face of increasing discrimination, we must continue to push forward. As New Yorkers, we know: Pride is resistance, Pride is activism & most importantly, Pride is for everyone. ‘Rise Up: Pride in Protest’ reminds us that the fight for equality is far from over.” 
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American Education Chainsaw Massacre

With his new executive order 47 has unlawfully attempted to dismantle the US Department of Education & pressures agency officials to violate the civil rights laws the agency is tasked with upholding. Dr. David J. Johns, CEO & Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) stated, “This executive order to dismantle the Department of Education is a direct attack on public education, democracy & the civil rights of all students. It is a calculated step in the agenda to dismantle public education, funnel taxpayer dollars into private school vouchers & eliminate protections for Black students, LGBTQ+ students, students from low-income backgrounds, students in rural communities & students with disabilities, leaving young people without the support needed to succeed. To be clear, the goal remains changing the rules of the game via policy & subsequent practice to further enrich a small group of extremely wealthy, mostly white men, at the expense of everyone else…” Melanie Willingham-Jaggers GLSEN Executive Director concluded, “Trump’s latest effort to circumvent Congress will have devastating consequences for children & communities. The U.S. Department of Education conducts essential business that sets our nation up for success by ensuring that federal civil rights laws are enforced & that schools are adequately funded to provide opportunity for every student. Donald Trump’s selfish campaign to rob children of their future to pay for tax cuts for billionaires is cowardly. He’s tried to scapegoat LGBTQ+ youth & the growing diversity of the next generation to enact a radical agenda that only benefits the few at the top. We stand united with students, educators, parents & communities in opposing this short-sighted effort to dismantle public schools & leave an entire generation of Americans without the resources & education they need to succeed.” 
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CDC HIV Prevention Division In Jeopardy

More alarming news out of Washington with the Trump administration considering the elimination of the CDC’s HIV Prevention Division & shifting its responsibilities within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). Dr. David J. Johns, CEO & Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) stated, “The administration’s attempt to dismantle the CDC’s HIV Prevention Division is not just reckless—it is a direct attack on Black people, LGBTQ+/same-gender loving (SGL) people & other marginalized people most impacted by the HIV epidemic. Defunding HIV prevention will undo decades of progress, forcing states to bear the financial burden of prevention & treatment programs while putting countless lives at risk. The CDC’s HIV Prevention Division has played a critical role in public health since the early 1980s, focusing on preventing new HIV transmissions. Programs like Let’s Stop HIV Together & Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE), which Trump’s first administration launched, were built on the simple principle that we cannot end HIV without focusing on the communities most impacted. Now, they are working to destroy the very initiatives they once championed. With game-changing treatments like PrEP available, we should be expanding access, not defunding the very programs responsible for providing life-saving education & resources.” Sarah Kate Ellis GLAAD President & CEO concluded, “Suggested cuts to HIV funding are disgraceful & wasteful. These cuts will result in more cases of HIV & end up costing taxpayers billions more in new health care costs. Remind your representatives to do their jobs: protect funding they appropriated. Speak out against illegal plans that go against proven strategies & resources that improve everyone’s health, safety & wellbeing. Together we can end HIV when we work to share accurate information & break down all barriers to prevention & treatment." 
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Federal Court Blocks Trans Military Ban

U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes issued a nationwide preliminary injunction in Talbott v. Trump that challenged Trump’s transgender military ban executive order brought by LGBTQ legal groups GLAD Law & NCLR. In her ruling Judge Reyes noted that “thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed—some risking their lives—to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them.” Judge Reyes held the ban violates equal protection both because it discriminates based on transgender status & sex & because “it is soaked in animus.” As Judge Reyes further held, “Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit & its conclusions bear no relation to fact.” Shannon Minter NCLR Legal Director stated, "The court acted quickly to shield our troops from the harmful effects of this irrational ban. It would have ended careers of dedicated transgender servicemembers & created personnel gaps, leaving others to fill critical roles. The ban's harmful impact & rushed implementation show that it was motivated by prejudice. Our plaintiffs include lifelong military personnel who served in combat in Afghanistan, come from multi-generation military families, & have received honors like the Bronze Star. This ban is unjustifiable & attacks brave servicemembers, recruits & families who sacrifice so much for our country." Jennifer Levi GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender & Queer Rights concluded, “The Court's unambiguous factual findings lay bare how this ban specifically targets & undermines our courageous service members who have committed themselves to defending our nation. Given the Court's clear-eyed assessment, we are confident this ruling will stand strong on appeal.” 
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