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NewFest Pride LGBTQ Film Event

NewFest NYC’s leading LGBTQ film & media org has announced the full lineup for their 4th annual NewFest Pride film series. The 5-day festival event kicks off LGBTQ Pride Month from May 30th to June 3rd both in person in NYC & streaming featuring a mix of premieres & conversations, virtual screenings & social events. David Hatkoff NewFest Executive Director stated, “It’s no accident that this year’s NewFest Pride starts on May 30th it’s part of our not-so-secret mission to celebrate Pride 365 days a year. We can’t wait to provide a space for the community to come together for bold new films & series, thought-provoking conversations & joyful social gatherings. This moment calls for celebration & resistance & we intend to offer opportunities for both in equal measure.” Nick McCarthy NewFest Director of Programming concluded, “We’re delighted to celebrate highly anticipated films from TIFF, Sundance & SXSW making their triumphant New York Premieres & to launch the World Premiere of the evocative & textured “Haze” from NewFest alum writer/director Matthew Fifer. We look forward to filling our venues with magical queer energy as we greet returning artists, welcome new folks to the NewFest family & share unapologetically authentic, genre-expansive & multilayered LGBTQ+ stories in such a dynamic space at NewFest Pride.” NewFest Pride will showcase over 10 highly anticipated feature films & series including the New York Premiere of Fire Island documentary “A House Is Not A Disco” which will open the festival, the World Premiere of psychological thriller “Haze” & an advance screening of the Sundance crowd-pleaser “My Old Ass”. The line-up includes films & series from & starring Elliot Page, Julio Torres, Aubrey Plaza, Dakota Johnson, Trixie Mattel, Fawzia Mirza, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Brian J. Smith, Molly Gordon & Tig Notaro. 
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South Carolina Transgender Medical Ban

The South Carolina Senate voted to pass H.4624 a broad intrusion into medically necessary healthcare for transgender South Carolinians. The bill bans medically necessary healthcare for transgender youth under the age of 18 in South Carolina including puberty blockers, hormone therapy & surgery. It also prohibits public funds & Medicaid from being used to cover the cost of transition-related healthcare for transgender people of any age which could result in providers of gender-affirming care who receive public funds to restrict care & will impact transgender people insured through the state employee healthcare plan. Chase Glenn, a leader in the SC United for Justice & Equality Coalition & Executive Director of Alliance for Full Acceptance stated, “Transgender South Carolinians are loved, accepted & supported in every corner of the Palmetto State. The Senate’s decision to pass the healthcare ban today is cruel, unnecessary & will do nothing to make South Carolina better for all of us. 71% of our friends, neighbors & loved ones resoundingly believe that the government should not interfere in gender-affirming care decisions for minors if parents are involved in the care. Lawmakers have gone against the will of the people in moving forward with this bill & those who voted to rip away this life-saving medical care will be held accountable at the ballot box.” The bill now heads to the House of Representatives which passed the bill in January for concurrence since multiple amendments were passed. Advocates across the state are making a final appeal to House members urging him to reject this attack on medically necessary care. 
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PFLAG Gender Spectrum Community

PFLAG National has announced that beginning May 20th parents & caregivers of transgender & gender-diverse children who had found support through the nonprofit Gender Spectrum can once again connect in community through PFLAG National. This new partnership comes on the heels of Gender Spectrum’s announcement of its closure last September. PFLAG National’s Gender Spectrum Parent Community is the most recent addition to the PFLAG Connects Communities program that launched in 2021. Brian K. Bond PFLAG National CEO stated, “For years, whenever a family with a gender-diverse child or teen attended a local PFLAG chapter support meeting, we would also introduce them to our friends at Gender Spectrum. So, when this trusted partner announced they were closing, there was no hesitation. PFLAG National needed to ensure families with transgender, nonbinary & gender-diverse children continued to have wraparound support. It was also critical that we launch the PFLAG Connects: Gender Spectrum Parent Community in time for June & Pride Month. Joining these kinds of support meetings is one way love takes action & it tells a gender-diverse kid that their parents’ love takes pride.” Stephanie Brill Gender Spectrum Founder concluded, “Gender Spectrum has been a source of community, education & support for parents, families, educators & providers who love, support, teach & provide care for gender-diverse youth since 2006. In September 2023 we made the very difficult decision to close our doors. When our friends at PFLAG National heard the news, they reached out & proposed partnering with us to make our most essential services available to a bigger & wider network of people across the country.” PFLAG Connects Communities program also hosts community-specific monthly virtual support meetings for Asian American/Pacific Islander, Black & African American, Latino & Military families. 
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New Federal LGBTQ Workplace Policies

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated longstanding guidance on workplace harassment to align with the 2020 Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. This means that sex-based harassment which is already prohibited under federal law includes mistreatment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This will provide our LGBTQ community with better legal protections against instances of physical assault due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, forced outing, intentional misgendering & even workplace policies denying them access to a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility consistent with their gender identity. Kelley Robinson, HRC President stated, “Workplace harassment can so easily be devastating to LGBTQ+ people, whether it comes from managers or peers or others on the job. This mistreatment can vary greatly & it’s especially prevalent in the form of intentional misgendering or deadnaming for transgender & nonbinary people. Combined with the difficulties that many LGBTQ+ people have in finding employment, members of our community can feel trapped in cycles of harassment with no options to get away from it. This new EEOC guidance should make it clear to all employers: they have an obligation to provide a workplace free from harassment for all employees – without exception.” Workplace harassment & discrimination are major concerns for members of our LGBTQ community. Research shows that U.S. employees are 4.5 times more likely to want to work at a company if it publicly supports & demonstrates a commitment to expanding & protecting LGBTQ rights. On the flipside research shows that more than 52% of Gen Z & millennials who were dissatisfied with their employers that didn’t support workplace equality leave their job within 2 years. 
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Victory For Transgender Medical Care

Kicking off the week with good news for our Transgender community. First the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered North Carolina & West Virginia to end their discriminatory exclusions for coverage of gender-affirming medical care for transgender people in both states. Then the Kansas House voted to sustain Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of SB 233 which would have banned critical, medically necessary health care for transgender youth. Ezra Cukor, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Senior Counsel stated, “To be denied coverage for life-saving health care simply because you are transgender is degrading & humiliating. Trans people only want to get the same coverage for their health care needs as their co-workers. The court saw how blatantly discriminatory & wrong North Carolina’s policy was & found that the state employee health plan broke federal law & we are delighted with this outcome.” Plaintiff Shauntae Anderson, a Black trans woman & West Virginia Medicaid participant added, “West Virginia’s denial of medically necessary care just because of who I am was deeply dehumanizing. I am so relieved that this court ruling puts us one step closer to the day when Medicaid can no longer deny transgender West Virginians access to the essential healthcare that our doctors say is necessary for us.” Kelley Robinson HRC President concluded, “Today was a needed relief for many Kansas families who have been facing the unthinkable possibility of having to flee their communities & their state so that their child can get the health care they need. Make no mistake, today was a win for young Kansans – a win made possible by the unwavering voices of transgender youth, their families, communities across the state & Governor Kelly, who remains committed to making Kansas a state for all.” 
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Girls In Wonderland 23rd Year (AUDIO)

This week I talked with Alison Burgos about the 23rd anniversary of Girls In Wonderland that takes place May 30th through June 3rd in Orlando, Florida. Girls In Wonderland was founded in 2000 by the trio Amy Alonso, Yesenia Leon & Burgos the women behind Pandora Events. This powerhouse lesbian event production company from South Beach has created & produced some of the hottest LGBTQ soirées & music festivals in the US. In a little over 2 decades the iconic event has become a force on its own with over 10,000 attendees coming from near & far representing all colors of the rainbow & taking over a 700-room resort. The event brings together some of the most influential LGBTQ artists, celebrities, athletes, influencers & changemakers nationally including Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig, Fortune Feimster & Chante Wayans to name a few. This year’s event kicks off with a Welcome Happy Hour on Thursday May 30th from 6P to 8P for a mix & mingle with live music by Deb Hundseder followed by the Traffic Jam opening party with special guest DJs Pat Pat, Dlux & Zehno. Friday begins with the Wet Pool Party with Chloe Star performing live, followed by Citizen Jane performance at the L-Lounge Happy Hour & then comedian Kristin Key takes the stage who has appeared at The Improv & TV series Last Comic Standing & Bring the Funny. Friday concludes with Snow Tha Product performance & then the Afterhours Afterglow Party. There will be more epic pool parties & fabulous events throughout the weekend. I talked to Alison about what she hopes to accomplish with Girls In Wonderland this year & her spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN  
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Ann Hampton Callaway Finding Beauty

Broadway & cabaret legend Ann Hampton Callaway is kicking off her "Finding Beauty: Inspired Classics & Originals” tour on May 1st at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH before heading to Boston to perform at Scullers Jazz Club on Saturday May 4that 7P. Callaway who was recently inducted into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame says her new show is comprised of classics from her songwriting inspirations- Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Paul Simon & many more. Ann stated, “I will perform my critically acclaimed one-woman show, ‘Finding Beautify: Inspired Classics & Originals’ & I can't wait to return to Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club & then Boston’s premiere jazz club, Scullers, to perform one of my most personal shows to date. I share stories & great songs by the artists who inspired me to become a pop/jazz singer/songwriter, as well as original songs from my latest CD, which debuted at number 1 on iTunes Jazz. The fresh takes on songs by Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor & more are both rousing & moving & I’ve selected the true highlights of my popular new CD ‘Finding Beauty: Originals Volume 1.’ I promise a feel-good night of music that touches the heart & uplifts the spirit!” After her New England gigs Callaway is headed to the Arts Garage in Delray Beach, FL May 17th & 18th then on to the Purple Room Supper Club in Palm Springs, CA over Memorial Weekend & Myron's at The Smith Center Las Vegas, NV May 31st before performing at sea on the sold-out Brand G Cruise of Norway & Iceland. 
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