| | Victory in Michigan! After hours of testimony, Michigan’s State Board of Education approved new state health education standards—its first update since 2007—by a 6–2 vote. The revised standards expand objectives related to LGBTQ+ relationships, gender identity, and other essential areas of student health and well-being. Throughout the process, Board members also faced waves of harmful rhetoric and misinformation, yet remained committed to evidence-based, inclusive education. PFLAG members and supporters in Michigan sent nearly 300 messages to the Board, chapter presidents from Detroit and Plymouth testified, and five chapters joined PFLAG National in submitting written comments in support of the updates. See our statement below: “PFLAG National and PFLAG Michigan chapters in Detroit, Great Lakes Bay Region, Manistee, Monroe, and Plymouth/Canton applaud the State Board of Education for adopting inclusive updates to the Michigan Health Education Standards Framework. LGBTQ+ youth are facing growing challenges in schools from outside actors—from book bans to classroom censorship to efforts to erase their identities. The Board’s decision to strengthen lessons on inclusion, mental health, consent, and decision-making sends a powerful message of respect and support for LGBTQ+ students and their families. We are deeply grateful to the Board members for their leadership, and to our PFLAG chapter members in Michigan whose advocacy helped make this important vote possible.” —Katie Blair (she/her), PFLAG National Vice President, Advocacy |
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|  | | 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. California - State Supreme Court upholds law protecting LGBTQ+ nursing home residents from discrimination. A state law protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ nursing home residents, including forbidding nursing home employees from misgendering transgender residents, was unanimously upheld. The justices rejected a free speech claim challenging the law, holding “The pronouns provision constitutes a regulation of discriminatory conduct that incidentally affects speech.” Colorado - Outgoing Douglas County School Board members debate anti-trans athlete ban. On November 11th, the outgoing members of the school board held their last meeting, during which they debated – but did not vote upon – an anti-trans athlete ban. The proposed ban was a key part of the platform of the school board candidates who lost election to the board on November 4th. Georgia - DeKalb County police officer investigated after confronting transgender woman for using the restroom. Sasha Swinson was at the library during the early voting period on October 20th. She used the women’s restroom and as she exited the restroom, a police officer stopped her, misgendered her, and told her it was “obvious” she should not be using the women’s restroom. Swinson contacted library officials following the incident, who then filed a police report on Swinson’s behalf. The police department confirmed that its internal affairs unit is investigating the incident. Maine - St. George votes to follow Maine Human Rights Act, allow trans athlete to play basketball. The town of St. George debated whether to continue following the Maine Human Rights Act, specifically whether to allow a transgender girl to play on the town’s recreation department-run girl’s basketball team. Colin Hurd, deputy counsel for the Maine Human Rights Commission, spoke during the meeting and testified that blocking the girl from playing basketball would be illegal. The town voted 3-2 to continue following the state’s inclusive athletics requirements. Maryland - Salisbury removes rainbow crosswalk. Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor stated that the crosswalk removal was required under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations put in place by the Trump administration that ban “political” messages on streets and roadways. Tennessee - Secretary of State orders “age-appropriateness review” of library books. Secretary of State Tre Hargett sent a letter on October 31st letter requesting that public libraries in counties around the state “undertake an immediate age-appropriateness review…of all materials in your juvenile children's section.” Hargett specifically instructs librarians to “identify any materials that may be inconsistent with Tennessee age-appropriateness laws, in violation of any federal law, including President Trump's Executive Order…” Virginia - Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi names Equality Virginia Executive Director to her transition team. Hashmi, who will be sworn in on January 17th, named Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman to her transition team. |
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| | | Supreme Court declines to review case challenging landmark same-sex marriage decision. The justices declined to grant certiorari to a petition from former Rowan County, Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, who was jailed and fined for contempt of court after refusing a court order to perform a marriage for a same-sex couple. Davis unsuccessfully challenged the fine, asserting First Amendment rights that were in conflict with the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. Legal team for transgender teenager from West Virginia files arguments challenging state’s anti-trans athlete ban. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of West Virginia, Lambda Legal, and Cooley LLP filed their arguments challenging West Virginia’s 2021 law banning trans women and girls from women’s and girls’ sports on behalf of Becky Pepper-Jackson, who was prevented from participating in her school’s track team. PFLAG National is joining Transgender Law Center on an amicus brief. Transgender veterans sue Trump Administration for denying them their retirement benefits. A group of 17 transgender veterans of the Air Force and Space Force, represented by GLAD Law, filed a lawsuit against the Administration on November 10th, arguing they were stripped of pensions and healthcare benefits to which they were entitled, having each served at least 15 years in the armed forces. Openly transgender TSA officer suing Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The suit accuses the department of sex discrimination for implementing a policy which prevents openly transgender security officers from performing security screening pat-downs. Trump signs bill to end government shutdown. The law funds the government through January, with some departments funding through the end of the fiscal year in September. The approval and signature of the government funding bill ends the longest shutdown in history, lasting 43 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructs diplomats to consider obesity, chronic illness as reasons to reject visa applications. Secretary Rubio is broadly interpreting the federal government’s “public charge” rule to instruct visa officials to reject visa applicants who are obese, have cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the guidance is part of an effort to reduce spending on noncitizens. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) vote to ban medically necessary care for trans and nonbinary people at Catholic hospitals. The directive, adopted during a USCCB meeting in Baltimore the week of November 10th, reads: “Catholic health care services must not provide or permit medical interventions, whether surgical, hormonal, or genetic, that aim…to alter the fundamental order of the human body in its form or function.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84. Cheney served as the Representative for Wyoming, Chief of Staff to President Ford, and Defense Secretary under President George H.W. Bush before serving as Vice President under President George W. Bush. Cheney publicly supported same-sex marriage by 2013 after his daughter, Mary, came out as a lesbian; however, he and Mary Cheney did not publicly oppose President Bush’s attempt to ban same-sex marriage via constitutional amendment in 2004. |
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| | | Kazakhstan - Parliament passes law banning “LGBT propaganda.” The lower house of Parliament unanimously passed the law on November 12th and now heads to the President for his signature. The law bans so-called “LGBT propaganda” online and in media, mandating up to 10 days in jail for repeat offenders. Netherlands - Rob Jetten set to become first openly gay Prime Minister. Jetten’s party, Democrats 66, narrowly won the parliamentary elections on October 31st. Jetten will have to form a coalition government with other parties, but he is expected to become the country’s first openly gay Prime Minister, as well as the youngest Prime Minister in history. |
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