Here is a sample of what’s going on around the country. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. You can share news from your state with [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future newsletter. Alabama - State library agency proposes policy banning youth from accessing books that positively depict transgender people. The Alabama Public Library Service filed a code change to the Legislative Service Agency on August 29th that would define “any material that promotes, encourages, or positively depicts transgender procedures, gender ideology, or the concept of more than two biological genders” as inappropriate for children under 18. California - Student athletes at Santa Rosa Junior College file Title IX complaint. Three student athletes filed the complaint, alleging one of the women’s volleyball players is trans and that her presence on the team violates the Administration’s interpretation of Title IX. District of Columbia - Marker honoring openly gay former slave installed near DuPont Circle. The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation installed a marker honoring William Dorsey Swann, an openly gay Black D.C. resident and former slave who advocated for LGBTQ+ rights in the late 1800s. Swann is credited with pioneering Drag culture, and is recognized as the first person to identify as a drag queen. Iowa - State to pay $85,000 in settlement to trans students. A group of trans students and leaders of Iowa Safe Schools – an LGBTQ+ advocacy group – were prevented from using bathrooms matching their gender identities at the Iowa State Capitol in March 2020. The group sued in 2022, arguing the incident was sex discrimination, sexual harrassment, and unlawful retaliation. The state has settled with the group out of court, and will pay them $85,000. Michigan - Corewell Health discontinuing medically necessary care for trans and nonbinary youth. Citing “serious risk of legal and regulatory action,” Corewell Health announced it would no longer provide puberty blockers or hormone therapy to trans and nonbinary minors. Ohio - Nationwide Children’s Hospital to cease providing medically necessary care for trans and nonbinary patients. The change in policy goes into effect on September 26th, and includes patients over 18 and those already receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The hospital’s statement said "The hospital will be working with affected patients to end their prescriptions, always with patient safety as a top priority." Texas - UT Austin to cease providing hormone replacement therapy to students. The university’s campus clinic had been providing hormone replacement therapy to transgender students, but the school announced it would cease providing this medication. In a statement, the university wrote that “To ensure continuity of care, UHS notified current patients that this line of treatment will wind down this fall as patients transition their care to other providers.” Texas A&M professor fired, dean demoted following classroom dispute over curriculum. A student objected to Professor Melissa McCoul teaching that there are more than two genders, which the student claims is in conflict with Trump’s executive orders as well as her religious beliefs. McCoul responds by saying she has the right to teach the lesson and the student has the right to leave. Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III fired McCoul, revoked administrative duties from the department head, and demoted Mark Zoran, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. McCoul has appealed the firing and is exploring legal action. | 
