May, 2023 News (60 Articles with 45,287 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for May, 2023 Celebrating at Trans Day of Visibility in Perry Square on March 31. Photo by Michael Mahler.
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
Category for this issueCalendar & Upcoming Events
Calendar of Local GLBT Events |
|
 |
|
Local and Regional News
14th Annual Penn State Behrend Drag Show
Returning after a three-year hiatus due to COVID, Penn State Behrend's Gender and Sexuality Equality Club (GASE) presented the 14th Annual Drag Show on April 14. Pittsburgh performer and Behrend alumnus host Lola LeCroix performed with Anna Steezia, Calipso, Kat De Lac, and Shari Turner. Behrend health organizations tabling at the event included the counseling center, health, and wellness center, and off-campus health organizations Adagio Health and Central Outreach Wellness Center. Loca print and tv media covered the event, and a photo of the event made the front page of the Erie Times-News. The audience enthusiastically enjoyed the performances, and GASE looks forward to continuing the event.
Erie's Queer Happy Hour at U Pick 6 Public House on April 5
On April 5, 2023, NW PA Pride Alliance held their second Erie's Queer Happy Hour at U Pick 6 Public House, 4575 W Ridge Rd, Erie, PA. There were wonderful conversations and terrific food. NW PA Pride Alliance will continue hosting Erie's Queer Happy Hour on the first Wednesday of each month and Meadville Happy Hour on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Trans Day of Visibility Walk Around Perry Square on March 31
On March 31, 2023, TransFamily of NW PA held its second annual Trans Day of Visibility Walk Around Perry Square. Local media covered the event, and elected officials and candidates attended. Organizers discussed the importance of trans people being visible in the face of increased legislative attacks on their dignity.
Welcoming Geauga Co. church firebombed for hosting drag queen story hour
Federal prosecutors charged Aimenn D. Penny, 20, after he firebombed a Geauga County church that was scheduled to hold a drag queen story hour. On March 25, Penny attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland in Chesterland Ohio, using Molotov cocktails. Nobody was in the church at the time. Chesterland is 20 miles east of Cleveland.
Erie Queer Community Food Drive benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank
The Erie Queer Community hopes to help those with food insecurity on Saturday, May 13, as they collect food and donations at Central Outreach Erie, 3104 State St. Individuals will be able to drive up, and volunteers will be on hand to help unload their donations. Pasta and sauce, as well as canned goods are encouraged, and any nonperishable or dry goods would be accepted too.
TransFamily of NW PA Adds Meadville Meetings
TransFamily of NW PA has added Meadville meetings on the second Saturday of the month at 2 PM at Empowerment with Grace, 941 Federal Ct Ste 104, Meadville, PA 16335. Empowerment with Grace is in the old post office building across the street from Julian's Bar & Grill. The entrance is on the side of the building. TransFamily continues to hold Erie meetings on the 4th Saturday of the month at 2 PM at Crime Victim Center, 125 W 18th St, Erie, PA. Please note that TransFamily will skip the Meadville and Erie meetings for June because of Pride. Email the group at transfamilynwpabod@gmail.com or on their Facebook page, or at https://transfamilynwpa.org/
Voters Guide
Candidates for Erie County Council and Erie City Council were asked about their positions on LGBTQIA+ issues. Remember to vote in the May 16 Pennsylvania Municipal Primary election!
Community Spotlight #5: Penn State Behrend GASE (The Gender and Sexuality Equality Club)
Trigon, as it was originally called, was founded around 1992 by Dan Ester, a student at Behrend. In 2017, the name was changed to GASE (The Gender and Sexuality Equality Club). The mission remained the same to provide a safe space for exploration and expression of one's gender and sexuality without judgment and to foster a healthy environment on campus for all people of all genders and sexualities.
B. Proud at Jamestown Pride Fest
St. Luke's Church and the Episcopal Dioceses of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania, in collaboration with The Chautauqua County Mental Health Association, are pleased to announce B. Proud as the Opening Speaker for Jamestown Pride Fest (JPF). Her slide lecture will occur at St. Luke's Undercroft, North Main and 4th Streets, Jamestown, New York, on Friday, June 9, at 6:30 pm.
Artifacts on Tenth Has Memories of the Past For Your Home
Looking for memories of the past to enhance your home? Try Artifacts on Tenth, 301 West 10th Street, Erie, PA 16502.
Warren County Pride Display at Warren County Visitor's Bureau 2023 Event Fair
Warren County Visitor's Bureau invited board members from Warren County Pride to create a display for show and to present at the Warren County Visitor Bureau's 2023 Event Fair on April 12, 2023, at the Warren County Visitor's Bureau on Rt 6 in Warren! Warren County Visitor's Bureau included the fourth annual Warren County Pride Day and dozens of other featured area events. Thank you, WCVB!
NW PA Pride and Whee! Studios helping to show your PRIDE!
We are getting close to the start of another Pride season in NW PA and the NW PA Pride Alliance has once again partnered with Whee! Studios for the 2023 Pride apparel that can be purchased today at NWPAPride.org, or at the Erie and Meadville Pride Fests. Available this year will be shirts in both pink and black, along with tank tops and hoodies in black.
"Just Talk About It" Advance Care Planning Forum Supporting the LGBTQIA+ Community on May 11
UPMC will present "Just Talk About It" Advance Care Planning Forum - Supporting the LGBTQIA+ Community on Thursday, May 11. There is an 11 AM and also a 4 PM session. The in-person sessions will be at UPNC Health Plan Neighborhood Center, 6401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh PA, 15206. Both session offer a virtual participation option. A panel discussion will include experts from faith-based, legal, clinical, psycho-social, and community perspectives.
McDowell High School Drama Club presents The Prom April 27-29
McDowell High School Drama Club is proud to present The Prom at the Little Theatre at McDowell Intermediate High School, 3320 Caughey Road, Erie PA 16506. Tickets are $10, and performances are April 27 at 7 PM, Friday, April 28 at 7 PM, and Saturday, April 29 at 2 and 7 PM.
Goodell Gardens celebrates 2nd Annual Trail Run
EDINBORO - Participants in the 2nd Annual Tree Hugger Trail Run will be the first to experience new and improved trails at Goodell Gardens & Homestead. Slated for Saturday, May 6, the 2nd annual trail run/walk supports the public garden, arboretum, and community gathering space located in Edinboro.
PA House Committee to Vote on LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Protections This Monday!
ACTION ALERT: On Monday, April 24th, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee will be voting on LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections! We need all Pennsylvanians to contact their legislators in support of this urgently-needed law. For more information on the legislation and its supporters, visit pavalues.org.
Suicide Prevention Resource and Training
Because healthcare workers can't be everywhere when a problem arises, people learn CPR, First Aid, and how to make a 911 call to reduce physical injury until help arrives. In much the same way, suicide prevention resources, virtual trainings, and the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline all give people the skills necessary to assist a person in a mental health crisis.
Full Spectrum Community Outreach GoFundMe for new LGBTQIA+ Center in Mahoning Valley
We have great news from Full Spectrum Community Outreach. We are in the process of purchasing a new space for Our LGBTQIA+ Center in Mahoning Valley/Youngstown OH. This space comes with a separate property that will be turned into the valley's first LGBTQIA+ transitional homeless shelter. Currently, the closest friendly shelter is over 40 miles away. The wait lists are long, and if you grew up in the valley, you're forced to either leave or go to a shelter that does not support you. The center receives more than 5 calls a month from clients needing housing support, and sadly we have no 100% safe place to send them. That will change once this space is purchased.
Upcoming PurpleOne Training on April 13 - Dynamics of Domestic Violence, the Impact on Victims and Bystander Intervention
From Safe Journey: This training is a great way to help victims of domestic violence throughout Erie County.Statistically, 1 in 4 women, 1 in 7 men and 1 in 4 children will be victims of domestic violence. In Erie County there are potentially 56,000 victims. Our next upcoming PurpleOne Training for Thursday, April 13th, 2023 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Participants must individually register and attend to receive a certificate. Register by going to https://purpleone.org/.
Deadline for May 2023 print edition (issue #330) of Erie Gay News is Satuday, April 15, comes out Tuesday, April 25! Includes Voters Guide for May 16 Primary!
For the next Erie Gay News (issue # 330, cover-dated for May 2023), please send in-person and online events, news items, and other info for late April 2023 and beyond by Satuday, April 15. We expect that the next edition will come out on Tuesday, April 25. Please note that this issue will include our Voters Guide for the May 16 Municipal Primary Election!
Erie Sisters and Brothers Annual Cabin Fever Weekend
Erie Sisters and Brothers hosted the annual Cabin Fever on February 24-26, 2023, at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel and the host hotel's Bayfront Grille in Erie, PA. Another excellent turnout made this event very successful. Unlike the Lake Erie Gala, which is held annually in November, this event is just a time for members of the LGBTQ+ community to gather and socialize. A few took this opportunity to explore the local Erie area.
Entertainment and Travel
All An Act Theater Presents: What is Susan's Secret? May 5 - May 21
What is Susan's Secret? By Michael Parker & Susan Parker will be presented by All an Act Theatre, 652 West 17th Street (17th & Poplar Street) Erie, PA 16502, from May 5 to May 21. Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 3 PM. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
PACA presents: SPOOKS by Richard Boler, Directed by Richard Davis Apr 21- May 7
It's 1986, and mad dogs are terrorizing Erie's eastside. The Skowronski sisters have gathered for a blessing of the family home, but... A ghostly presence disrupts the ceremony and demands an airing of the family's "horrible secret". The sisters' dilemma: Just exactly whose horrible secret, is it?
Political, Activism and Legal
PA House Votes to Approve LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Legislation
HARRISBURG, Pa. - May 2, 2023 - In a 102-98 vote this afternoon, the Pennsylvania House voted to advance HB 300, which is legislation that would provide nondiscrimination protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. PYC manages the leading public support campaign backing the bill, Pennsylvania Values, and has been in the state Capitol working with legislators towards the vote. HB 300 now heads to the Senate.
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Law that Bans Critical, Medically Necessary Care for Transgender Youth
WASHINGTON - April 26, 2023 - The Justice Department today filed a complaint challenging Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a recently enacted law that denies necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are. The complaint alleges that SB 1's ban on providing certain medically necessary care to transgender minors violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The department is also asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1, 2023.
Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic, National Women's Law Center Release Toolkit On Latest Title IX Guidance
CAMBRIDGE, MA - April 25, 2023 - The Biden Administration has issued a proposed rule that affirms that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972-commonly referred to as Title IX-secures the rights of transgender, non-binary, and intersex students to play school sports free from blanket discriminatory exclusions. Following the Administration's proposal, the Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic and the National Women's Law Center released a toolkit with background information on Title IX and information on how members of the public can support the positive aspects of this new rule while continuing to push for explicit protection from discrimination for all transgender, non-binary, and intersex student athletes.
PA House Judiciary Committee Vote to Approve LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Legislation
HARRISBURG, Pa. - April 24, 2023 - This afternoon the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee voted to advance HB 300, which is legislation that would provide nondiscrimination protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. PYC leaders were present for the vote and had helped organize LGBTQ Pennsylvanians from across the state to attend the committee meeting.
Missouri Man Sentenced for Hate Crime in Attempted Murder of Teen Because of His Sexual Orientation
WASHINGTON - April 20, 2023 - A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for committing a hate crime by shooting a local teenager eight times in an attempted murder that was motivated by the victim's sexual orientation.
Equality California on Rep. Tom McClintock's Anti-Immigration 'Border Security and Enforcement Act of 2023'
WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 19, 2023 - Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang in response to Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) introducing H.R. 2640, the Border Security and Enforcement Act of 2023, which would make it much harder for immigrants to seek asylum in the US and reinstate previous provisions enforced during the Trump Administration: "The United States has always served as a beacon of hope for immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families, including those who are LGBTQ+. Until our nation has a just and functional immigration system, we do not have full and lasting LGBTQ+ equality. Undocumented LGBTQ+ people and those seeking asylum face tremendous negative effects on their social well-being for being members of two marginalized groups.
Parents Demand Action from Penn-Delco School District to Address Harassment and Threats Against Student
Philadelphia - April 11, 2023 - The Dhillon Law Group has sent a letter to the Penn-Delco School District on behalf of the parents of a Northley Middle School student, demanding that the district take action to address harassment and threats made against their child's life by other students.
National LGBTQ Legal Groups Condemn Missouri Action Barring Healthcare for Transgender People
April 13, 2023 - Today, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued an Emergency Rule regarding the medical treatment of transgender people. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued the following statement. As national legal groups who represent LGBTQ people and their families in every state across this country, we condemn the lawless action of Missouri's Attorney General in purporting to bar essential medical care for both transgender adolescents and adults.
MAP Report Reveals the Growing Extremism of Efforts to Eliminate Medically Necessary Care for Transgender People in the U.S.
Bills to ban best-practice medical care for transgender people are growing in number, growing in scope, and growing more extreme, according to a report released today by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP). The new MAP report, LGBTQ Policy Spotlight: Bans on Medical Care for Transgender People, provides the most comprehensive look to date at the sweeping attempts to ban and restrict medical care for not only transgender youth-but also transgender adults. Just last week, Missouri became the first state to effectively ban medically necessary care for both youth and adults.
National LGBTQ+ Task Force Responds to House Vote on HR734
Washington, DC - April 21, 2023 -In an unprecedented move yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass HR734, which would bar transgender girls and young women from participating in student-athletic programs of their choice. This is the first specifically anti-Trans bill to pass at the Federal level.
Heartfelt Home Healthcare Services Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit With EEOC
ERIE, Pa. - April 13, 2023 - Heartfelt Home Healthcare Services, Inc., a Pennsylvania home healthcare provider, will pay $20,000 to a former employee and take significant steps to prevent future discriminatory treatment of its employees to settle a pregnancy and disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
New Hampshire Must Continue To Reject Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
CONCORD, NH - April 13, 2023 - Today, the Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic (the Clinic) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) jointly celebrate the New Hampshire House of Representatives' rejection of HB 619, a bill that would have banned transgender youth from receiving essential medical care, as well as HB 10 and HB 417, which would have stifled LGBTQ+ students' education and defined life-saving medical care for transgender youth as "child abuse." The Clinic and GLAD now call on the New Hampshire House to reject SB 272, a so-called "Parental Bill of Rights" recently passed by New Hampshire Senate which would harm student privacy and could result in LGBTQ+ students being forcibly and unsafely outed to parents or guardians.
Human Rights Campaign Condemns North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for Signing Two Anti-Transgender Sports Bans into Law
Bismarck, ND - April 13, 2023 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, condemned North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for signing into law two bills banning the participation of transgender student-athletes in school sports. HB 1249 will explicitly prohibit transgender students from playing school sports consistent with their gender identity, while HB 1489 will extend this discriminatory approach to collegiate sports - contrary to decades of NCAA policy. They were advanced by the legislature on April 3, along with eight other anti-LGBTQ+ bills, creating an unprecedented slate of anti-equality legislation passed in a single day.
NEW REPORT: Biden Continues to Fall Short on LGBTQ+ Representation in the Federal Judiciary
Washington, D.C. - As President Biden continues to fulfill his key commitment to diversify the federal judiciary with picks from a range of racial, gender, ethnic and professional backgrounds, a new report released today by Lambda Legal finds that despite the progress, the president continues to fall short in appointing LGBTQ+ nominees. The report asserts that while there has been a 0.6% increase in LGBTQ+ judges on the federal bench since last year, the LGBTQ+ population of the U.S. has increased, creating a more significant gap in LGBTQ+ representation from our reporting last year.
HRC Applauds Maryland Governor Wes Moore for Signing Trans Health Equity Act into Law, Legislation Requiring Equitable Access to Gender Affirming Care
Annapolis, MD - April 10, 2023 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, commended Maryland Governor Wes Moore for signing into law SB 460, also known as the Trans Health Equity Act. The historic legislation, advanced recently by the state legislature, will require the state's medical assistance program, or Medicaid, to provide coverage of gender affirming care to program enrollees beginning January 1, 2024.
Lambda Legal Replies to Biden Administration Proposed Title IX Rule
(Washington, DC, April 6, 2023) - Today the U.S. Department of Education released a proposed Title IX rule concerning participation by transgender youth in school sports programs. Lambda Legal Senior Attorney and Director of Lambda Legal's Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project Sasha Buchert released the following statement: "This proposed rule includes critical recognition of the importance of participating in sports for transgender youth and shows why 100% of the state bans are invalid. We are concerned about whether the proposed rule can properly eliminate the discrimination that transgender students experience due to the pervasive bias and ignorance about who they are. These students must have full and equal chances to participate because participation in athletics provides many long-term benefits for young people, including important health benefits, and chances to develop leadership skills, discipline, and self-confidence. Given the importance of the opportunity to participate in athletics to students' educational experience, we look forward to submitting comments and working with the administration to further remove those remaining bigotry-based barriers to full and equal participation by transgender youth."
US Supreme Court Rejects West Virginia's Effort to Deny a 12-Year-Old Trans Girl Her Right to Play
WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 6, 2023 - The United States Supreme Court has rejected an effort by West Virginia's Attorney General to block a 12-year-old transgender girl from continuing to participate in school sports with her peers along a 7-2 vote.
Human Rights Campaign Denounces Kansas Legislature for Overriding Governor Laura Kelly's Veto of Bill Banning Transgender Students from School Sports
Topeka, KS - April 5, 2023 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, condemned Kansas legislators for voting to override Governor Kelly's veto of HB 2238, a bill banning the participation of transgender student-athletes in school sports. This is the third discriminatory sports ban that lawmakers sent to Governor Kelly's desk. Even though there are just three transgender students competing in school-related sports in Kansas, lawmakers continued to promote misinformation and fear surrounding transgender people throughout their time pushing the bill.
ACLU Sues Indiana Over Ban on Health Care for Transgender Youth
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - April 5, 2023 - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Indiana today filed a lawsuit on behalf of four transgender youth and their families, as well as a doctor and health care clinic, challenging an Indiana law that prohibits health care professionals from providing or even referring transgender young people for medically-necessary health care. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that Senate Bill 480 violates the U.S. Constitution on multiple fronts, including the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In addition, the lawsuit claims that the law violates the federal requirements of the Medicaid Act and the Affordable Care Act, because it prohibits essential medical services that would otherwise be authorized and reimbursed by Medicaid.
Human Rights Campaign Celebrates Historic Pro-Equality Victory in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race
MADISON, WI April 5, 2023 - The Human Rights Campaign - the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization - congratulated HRC-endorsed candidate for Wisconsin's Supreme Court Janet Protasiewicz on her historic election victory in a bellwether race that has generated significant national attention, and which will have important and lasting implications for LGBTQ+, voting, and abortion rights. Protasiewicz's election victory over her opponent Dan Kelly - a Trump-endorsed former Supreme Court justice who has opposed LGBTQ+, voting, and abortion rights - means that Wisconsin's Supreme Court will now swing from an anti-equality majority to a pro-equality majority in a state at the center of the 2024 presidential election.
BREAKING: Florida Senate Passes Extreme Gender-Affirming Care Ban
Tallahassee, Florida - April 4, 2023 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, condemns the Florida Senate for advancing Senate Bill 254, an extreme, unprecedented attack on transgender people, their health care, and the families and health care providers who care for them. The bill is a gender-affirming care ban that would also strip parental rights from parents who support their transgender children.
HRC Condemns North Dakota Legislature for Advancing a Total of 10 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills in a Single Day, Setting a Record of Rampant Hate Targeting the Community
Bismarck, ND - April 4, 2023 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, rebuked North Dakota lawmakers for passing a total of 10 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, setting a record for the highest number of legislative attacks targeting the community in a single day this year. This slate of hate advanced yesterday when the North Dakota Senate passed ten bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ North Dakotans.
Health
Is Mpox Sexually Transmitted?
Last summer, men who have sex with men in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States saw an outbreak of a communicable disease that beforehand was seen mostly due to travel from Central or West Africa. Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, is part of a family of viruses that cause disease in both humans and many types of animals. Smallpox is an example of a poxvirus that no longer exists in nature. Mpox on the other hand surged in 2022. Over 98% of new confirmed cases have been in locations that have not historically reported mpox before the current outbreak that began last year. The U.S. made up 34.9% of all confirmed cases globally, as Pennsylvania had the 7th highest number of cases at 2.85% of the total national mpox infections. Living in a global society that is very mobile means the spread of communicable diseases can happen quicker and more often than ever before.
HIV/AIDS Awareness Walk on May 15
The Erie County HIV Task Force invites everyone to participate in the 6th Annual HIV / AIDS Awareness Walk on Monday, May 15. We will meet at the stage in West Perry Square, 575 State Street, Erie PA at 5 PM. We will walk around North and South Park Row circling Perry Square and everyone is encouraged to wear red to help raise HIV awareness. PA Thrive Partnership is providing on-site HIV testing. All ages are welcome and the event is child and pet friendly. (Please be prepared to clean up after your own pets.) People participating as organizations are welcome to represent their group/organization. If you don’t wish to walk the entire route, you are welcome to join us at any point along the sidewalk around Perry Square.
Science Held Hostage: PrEP4All Exposes Big Pharma's Efforts to Delay Innovative, Lifesaving COVID-19 Research in Investigative Report
New York, NY - April 18, 2023 - The Biden Administration's "Project Next Gen" initiative for new pandemic-focused vaccines and treatments could be delayed by months or even years by pharmaceutical companies that will not make current SARS CoV-2 vaccines readily available for pre-clinical and clinical research, according to PrEP4All. This is the conclusion from the advocacy organization's new report, released today, titled "Science Held Hostage: How Pharma is Using mRNA Vaccine Contracts With Government to Delay Future Innovation." The publication details how pharmaceutical companies are using language from contracts inked in the earliest days of the pandemic as an excuse for delaying access to their vaccines. The report also reveals that US government funding is being used to purchase generic versions of Pfizer's mRNA vaccine for use in pre-clinical research.
PrEP Advocates Convene Virtual Town Hall Responding to Braidwood v. Becerra
Thursday, April 6th, 2023, New York, NY- Hundreds of HIV prevention advocates nationwide convened on Tuesday to discuss the implications of Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling in the Texas Braidwood v. Becerra case that could impact access to PrEP and other preventive health interventions for millions of Americans. The ruling states private insurers are no longer required to cover certain preventive care services under the Affordable Care Act, including PrEP.
Red Cross and PEANUTS: Be Kind, Give Blood or Platelets in April
[April 3, 2023] - April is National Volunteer Month, and the American Red Cross is celebrating the millions of people who volunteer to give blood, platelets and plasma throughout the year. This month, the Red Cross and PEANUTS are joining forces as a reminder that it's cool to be kind and help save liv
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
A New Pennsylvania
Last week, the Fairness Act was introduced into the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. I've seen this scenario many times before, but this time, there's hope. Pennsylvania's Fairness Act is similar to the Equality Act in Congress. Both legislations have one thing in common: they have both been introduced and re-introduced numerous times over the years to no avail. Year after year it seems almost like whiplash. The legislation is introduced but never goes anywhere. When one hurdle is passed, another one stands in the way. But there are now some promising signs in Pennsylvania.
True Colors of Stonewall
Imagine if you could go back to Stonewall the first night of the riot. What do you see? Red, brown and black. That's my answer to anyone who asks me what the inside of the Stonewall looked like before that infamous raid on that now famous night in 1969. It was inexplicable to me why those colors were in my memory. That changed a few weeks ago, when during an emotional visit to 51 Christopher Street, the memory of that building and the memory of that night returned to me and helped me realize why those colors were front and center in my mind when it comes to Stonewall. More on that in a moment.
Contests
Enter to win Homo Novus
Enter to win Homo Novus by Gerard Cabrera. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, May 19, and Friday, June 9.
Enter to win Sweetheart DVD
Enter to win Sweetheart DVD! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, May 16, and Tuesday, June 6.
Enter to win I Thought You Love Me
Enter to win I Thought You Love Me by MariNaomi. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, May 12, and Friday, June 2.
Enter to win How We Won the War for LGBTQ Equality: And How Our Enemies Could Take It All Away
Enter to win How We Won the War for LGBTQ Equality: And How Our Enemies Could Take It All Away! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, May 9, and Tuesday, May 30.
Enter to win The Souls of Queer Folk: How Understanding LGBTQ+ Culture Can Transform Your Leadership Practice
Enter to win The Souls of Queer Folk: How Understanding LGBTQ+ Culture Can Transform Your Leadership Practice! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, May 5, and Friday, May 26.
Enter to win Queer Heroes of Myth & Legend!
Enter to win Queer Heroes of Myth & Legend! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, May 2, and Tuesday, May 23.
Enter to win 365 Gays of the Year!
Enter to win 365 Gays of the Year! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, April 25, and Tuesday, May 16.
Miscellaneous
LGBT Community Survey - Let your voice be heard and enter a drawing to win $100!
Please share your experience and opinions by participating in the 17th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey. For over a decade, this survey has provided free data to help non-profits, universities, and organizations better understand and serve the LGBTQ community. The report will be published on the CMI.info website for free download on approximately August 15. Previous surveys have had over 45,000 participants from 150 countries! The survey should take 12 to 15 minutes to complete.
Videos
Photo Galleries
Advertisers
Volunteers
