Jefferson City, MO - October 4, 2024 - Yesterday, the two-week trial concluded in a lawsuit challenging Missouri's SB 49, a law banning transgender adolescents in Missouri from receiving gender-affirming medical care and banning Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming medical care for transgender people of any age. The law would penalize healthcare professionals who provide such care to minors by the loss of their medical licenses.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang following the news that Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 729, authored by Senator Caroline Menjivar, which will require large group insurance plans to cover fertility and infertility treatments including IVF as well as expand the definition of infertility to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ family planning experiences: "With increasing attacks on reproductive freedom and IVF across the country, we are immensely grateful to Governor Newsom for once again demonstrating that California is committed to ensuring that all people have the freedom to make personal decisions about their reproductive lives and futures. With Governor Newsom's signature, an estimated 10 million Californians will now have access to the full spectrum of fertility and infertility services, including IVF, and be given the opportunity to become a parent regardless of sexual orientation or relationship status.

In response to the alarming rise of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and actions across the political landscape, a groundbreaking coalition of 11 independent LGBTQ+ newsrooms has come together to form the Queer News Network (QNN). This initiative aims to provide in-depth and nuanced coverage of the 2024 General Election through an LGBTQ+ lens, ensuring that the voices and experiences of the community are at the forefront of political discourse.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. Equality California and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California are disappointed by Governor Newsom's veto of Assembly Bill 2442 by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur co-sponsored legislation that would have required the expedited processing of licensure applications for medical and mental health providers who demonstrate a commitment to 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 and across the country which is critical to their safety, health, and well-being.

In a newly released Washington Post article, author Hannah Knowles dives into Donald Trump's second-term agenda and the potential impact his reelection would have for the LGBTQ+ community. The article highlights that in his bid for a second term as president, Trump has called for numerous restrictions for LGBTQ+ Americans including removing all federal protections based on gender identity and limiting access to medically necessary, potentially life-saving medical care for the transgender community. The impact of a second Trump term would expand far beyond the doctor's office given his ties to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and his potential appointment of extremists judges, the consequences of Trump's election could result in a wide-reaching rollback of fundamental rights and freedoms.

WASHINGTON - September 23, 2024 The FBI today released its annual report looking back at hate crimes numbers for the prior calendar year and for 2023, the hate crime data relating to incidents targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community once again show disturbing, record-breaking numbers. 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.

WASHINGTON - September 19, 2024 Today, the nation's leading civil rights organizations, representing women, people of color, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community, issued a call to action to Fortune 1000 executives and board members to remain steadfast in their commitments to workplace inclusion and the inherent risks in abandoning decades-long best practices. Signers on the letter include the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, NAACP, American Association of People with Disabilities, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, UnidosUS, National Women's Law Center, National Urban League, the National Organization for Women, and other major civil rights organizations.

On October 1, the Pennsylvania Equality Project is launching a new survey about education and workplace discrimination. The new survey will run while the current Housing Affordability and Sustainability survey progresses. The discrimination survey will focus on issues related to intimidation, harassment, bullying, and other related behaviors in the classroom and the work environment. All survey responses will remain confidential. The survey is open to all Pennsylvanians in the LGBTQ+ community and our allies who have faced discrimination based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity issues. There are no age restrictions for this survey. Both the Housing survey and the Discrimination survey end on December 31, 2024. To take the survey, go to paequality.com and click on the Survey link at the top of the page. For more information, send an email to info@paequality.com.

WASHINGTON Trans and nonbinary teens face the same rites of passage into adulthood as everyone else does, and live far more relatable lives than anti-LGBTQ+ bullies would have you believe. That's the key message of "Daniel Really Suits You," the centerpiece of a new six-figure ad campaign from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that begins today in key media markets across the country. "Daniel Really Suits You" was produced in partnership with BRINK Media Group and Comic Relief US.