CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - November 29, 2023 - The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) sent a demand letter today on behalf of All Rainbow and Allied Youth (ARAY) and PFLAG Port Charlotte urging the School Board of Charlotte County and Superintendent Mark Vianello to end the district's discriminatory ban on books with LGBTQ+ characters and content.

Des Moines, Iowa - November 28, 2023 - Lambda Legal, the ACLU of Iowa, and the law firm Jenner & Block LLP filed a lawsuit today in federal court to block provisions of SF 496, the sweeping Iowa law that seeks to silence LGBTQ+ students, erase any recognition of LGBTQ+ people from public schools, and bans books with sexual or LGBTQ+ conten

In a year marked by a surge in anti-human rights backlash, the LGBTIQ community has found itself at the forefront, defending its rights and dignity. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for mainstream media to cover events like Outright International's OutSummit 2023, which is coming up on the 4th of December 2023 in Washington, DC. It's a hybrid event, so anyone from anywhere in the world can reserve their seat. This conference serves as a solution-driven platform, providing a wealth of resources and stories that must be told thoughtfully. Media outlets can play a pivotal role in amplifying voices, fostering understanding, and promoting positive change

(Tallahassee, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia-- Nov 27, 2023) Today, Lambda Legal, Southern Legal Counsel (SLC), National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Florida Health Justice Project (FHJP), and the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a lower court ruling that struck down Florida's anti-transgender rule and statute that banned coverage for evidence-based, widely accepted gender-affirming medical care for all of the state's transgender Medicaid beneficiaries.

LOS ANGELES - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) mourns the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter who, together with her husband United States President Jimmy Carter, was a lifelong champion in the human rights movement.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - This year for the first time since Out Leadership began publishing the State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index five years ago, the nation's overall average score on LGBTQ+ equality dropped -1.14 points. The net negative rating for the country is largely due to over 500 anti-equality bills introduced at the state level this legislative cycle.

WASHINGTON - November 15, 2023- The Republican leadership of the House of Representatives has been forced to cancel an expected floor vote on an extreme budget bill that funds the Department of Health and Human Services and other departments due to the bill's severe restrictions on access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.

This year has been unprecedented and difficult for LGBTQ people, their families, and their allies. Throughout 2023, MAP has been tracking opponents' tactics - all going back to their broader goal of erasing LGBTQ people from the fabric of society. In a six-part report series, MAP brings together what may feel like disparate one-off efforts to roll back protections or pass a harmful law, but are really part of a coordinated, strategic effort on the part of our opponents.