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Florida Expands “Don’t Say LGBTQ” Law

The Florida Senate has passed HB 1069 by a vote of 27-12 which now heads to DeSantis expanding last year’s bigoted “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law extending the complete ban on “classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity” through 8th grade. The Don’t Say LGBTQ expansion bill also revokes a parent’s right to ensure that school personnel address their child with the correct name & pronouns forcing schools to rely exclusively on a student’s sex assigned at birth. The bill will also dramatically accelerates book banning efforts in Florida allowing any person in a county to automatically remove a book from school shelves pending a lengthy review on the grounds of certain objections. Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida Public Policy Director stated, “The Don’t Say LGBTQ law has already caused sweeping damage across our state. It was wrong when it was adopted & expanding it is wrong now. Books are being removed, rainbows are being censored from classrooms & districts are refusing to recognize the historical contributions of LGBTQ people for fear of the Governor’s wrath. This expansion exacerbates the damaging impacts being felt by students & families in Florida. Parents should have the right to ensure their children are respected in the classroom. Our schools should be celebrating the diverse families that make up our communities, not erasing them. Shame on Governor DeSantis & lawmakers perpetuating a political crusade against LGBTQ Floridians.” HB 1069’s passage comes amidst an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ, anti-freedom bills that have been fast tracked by a GOP-led legislature acting as a rubber stamp for DeSantis’s agenda. 
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Aguilera To Headline NYC Stonewall Day

Pride Live has announced that Christina Aguilera, fierce LGBTQ ally & GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter will be the headline performer for Stonewall Day. This year's benefit concert will be held on Friday June 23rd in the Public Square & Gardens at Hudson Yards on Manhattan's West Side. Christina Aguilera stated, "I am excited to join Pride Live & Stonewall Day & be a part of this historic event. The community has supported & uplifted me throughout my career & I love showing up to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights & visibility. I'm honored to represent Pride Live at Stonewall Day 2023." The benefit concert will feature an all-star female lineup with Angelica Ross as host, Lina Bradford as resident DJ & performances by Mila Jam, BETTY & Mariyea. Angelica Ross added, "It's a privilege that Pride Live selected me to serve as host for this incredible event. Stonewall Day isn't just about visibility & the amplification of the LGBTQ+ community, it's also about transforming that visibility into equity & into agency over our bodies & our narratives." Ann Marie Gothard, President of the Pride Live Board concluded, "We're so excited to have Christina Aguilera & a female powerhouse of LGBTQ+ artists join us on this historic journey that is Stonewall Day. We're also thrilled to be partnering with Hudson Yards & continue the expansion & impact of Stonewall Day. As we get ready to embark on the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, the support we receive from partners like Hudson Yards is vital to further amplify our message & celebrate the LGBTQ+ community." 
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LGBTQ Lambda Literary Awards Event

The 35th annual Lambda Literary Awards (Lammys) will take place both virtually & in person on June 9th 2023 at The Edison Ballroom in NYC. The award ceremony recognizes the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world & the Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature. Lilly Wachowski will be receiving Lambda Literary’s Visionary Award for her lifetime of groundbreaking work. She is a writer, film director & producer most famous for creating The Matrix alongside her sister Lana. She is also known for Bound (1996), V for Vendetta (2005), Cloud Atlas (2012), Sense8 (2015) & Work in Progress (2019). Maia Kobabe will be receiving Lambda Literary’s Trustees’ Impact Award. Kobabe is a nationally renowned writer & illustrator. This year’s event will be hosted by River Butcher a Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor & writer. The Lambda Literary Awards fondly known as the Lammys were created in 1989 to garner national visibility for LGBTQ books which had established a foothold through a nascent network of lesbian & gay publishers & bookstores. Today the Lammys celebrate more than 150 LGBTQ writers across 25 categories & include several cash prizes for writers at all stages in their careers. Each June they come together in NYC to cheer on finalists & winners for their achievements. They’ve changed the structure of this year’s celebration & you can choose between cocktail seating & dining table style seating & dinner will be available throughout the awards. They’ll also have multiple open bars running the entire time plus there will be a VIP cocktail hour before & an incredible afterparty following the event. Ticket proceeds benefit Lambda Literary’s educational programs for LGBTQ young people & emerging writers & start at $50 for virtual & $150 for the in person event.
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Campus Pride Storytelling Campaign

Campus Pride has launched a new storytelling campaign centering on the experiences of LGBTQ college students including current students, recent alumni, campus faculty & staff are encouraged to submit stories about their own experiences. Shane Mendez Windmeyer Campus Pride Founder, CEO & Executive Director stated, “Sharing our stories has always been part of the fabric of Campus Pride. With this campaign, we are naming storytelling as a key strategy for movement building & inviting LGBTQ+ students to share the work that they are doing on campus & the challenges that they are facing. The work these young leaders, advocates & activists are doing on their campuses & in their communities is vitally important—both for the current generation of college students & for those who will follow them. By sharing their stories, we want to lift up their efforts & honor the courage they exhibit by working for change in a climate where LGBTQ people are under attack on and off campus.” Stories are powerful advocacy tools by providing a glimpse into the lived experiences of LGBTQ students & their stories help others visualize & understand the realities of campus life. Compelling narratives can move allies to take action & help to change the minds of people who have not thought of themselves as allies. At the same time current & prospective college students can be empowered & emboldened when they see themselves reflected in the stories of their peers & recognize that they are part of a larger story and community of changemakers. 
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Boston LGBT Networking Event (AUDIO)

This week I talked with fierce LGBTQ ally David Zimmerman, Publisher of Boston Spirit Magazine about the 15th Annual LGBT Executive Networking Night on May 17th in Boston, MA. This year's keynote speaker is Jonathan Knight the popular HGTV star & “New Kids On The Block” member. Knight is both a local & LGBTQ icon capturing the hearts of millions of fans with his incredible farmhouse renovations on HGTV’s “Farmhouse Fixer” & during his Grammy-nominated career in pop music with NKOTB. As keynote speaker Jonathan will share his story & celebrate his remarkable career. The evening promises to be a fabulous night of networking, mingling & making valuable connections with the Greater Boston LGBTQ corporate professional community & business leaders. The event takes place at the Marriott Boston Copley Place Ballroom from 6P to 9P. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights & build lasting relationships. There will also be a special presentation by the LGBT History Project on the history of the LGBTQ community in the region. The 15th Annual LGBT Executive Networking Night is an opportunity to network with other LGBTQ professionals & meet with over 50 exhibitors. Many of the attending exhibitors are hiring so if you are in the market for a new career be sure to bring business cards. There will also be fabulous free appetizers & a cash bar with your $15 cover (cash or check only) at the door. I talked to Zimmerman about what he hopes to accomplish with the 15th Annual LGBT Executive Networking Night & his spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN  
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Biden Challenges Tennessee Trans Ban

The Biden administration has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s ban on life-saving care for transgender youth. The Department of Justice is challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee’s S.B. 1 that was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee last month banning of age-appropriate, medically necessary gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Kelley Robinson, HRC President stated, “Today, the Department of Justice announced decisive action, recognizing what is at stake for transgender people’s lives in Tennessee & across the country. Rather than tackle any real issue at stake for Tennesseans, the legislature & Governor Lee decided to attack vulnerable youth who are at the mercy of politicians who think they know better than families, doctors & the greater medical community. Gender affirming care is life-saving care. Period. We appreciate that the Biden Administration is saying ‘enough is enough’ when it comes to attempts by Governor Lee & other Tennessee lawmakers to legislate transgender children out of existence. We applaud the DOJ’s announcement & will continue to work with President Biden and the rest of his administration to send a clear message that our community is not going anywhere.” The Department of Justice previously intervened in litigation challenging Alabama’s ban on gender affirming care for youth. A recent study from the Trevor Project shows that transgender youth with access to gender-affirming hormone therapy have lower rates of depression & are at a lower risk for suicide. Last month I talked to Emma Chinn, Special Projects Coordinator at Campaign for Southern Equality & a proud LGBTQ Tennessean about Tennessee’s aggressive attack on our transgender community & her spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN
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Florida Parents Seek Emergency Ruling

Florida families filed a motion challenging the state’s ban on medically necessary healthcare for their transgender children. They’re asking the court to halt the ban while their case proceeds. The seven parents told the federal district court that the policy unlawfully strips them of the right to make informed decisions about their children’s medical treatment & violates the equal protection rights of transgender youth by denying them medically necessary, doctor-recommended healthcare. The plaintiffs are represented by Southern Legal Counsel, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the National Center for Lesbian Rights & the Human Rights Campaign. Simone Chriss, Director of Transgender Rights Initiative, Southern Legal Counsel stated, “These bans are already having devastating impacts on Florida families. Transgender adolescents are being denied access to critical medical care & parents are being forced to sit by & watch their children suffer preventable harm. The Florida Medical Boards & Surgeon General have not only failed to fulfill their own duty to protect the health & wellbeing of transgender youth in this state, but they have also blocked the parents of those youth from exercising their fundamental right to do so." Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights concluded, “Florida has crossed a dangerous line by letting this ban go into effect. Parents, not the government, should be in charge of directing their children’s healthcare. The state of Florida is interfering with family privacy & decision-making and children & parents are suffering because of it.” Similar bans on established medical care for transgender youth have been blocked by federal judges in Alabama & Arkansas. 
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