ICYMI

On Wednesday, January 6th, PFLAG National Executive Director Brian Bond shared the following message in light of the day’s events:

Like you, I am watching the events unfolding in our nation’s capital today. I want you to know that this is as upsetting and horrifying to all of us at PFLAG as it likely is for you and your families. While I firmly believe we will come out of this a stronger people, I want to be clear: I believe these are acts of treason and terrorism.

I speak on behalf of PFLAG to thoroughly condemn today’s violence. These actions were undertaken not to build up, but to tear down. And we cannot ignore glaring differences between the treatment of Black Lives Matter protestors seeking justice and the treatment of the violent insurrectionists who today stormed the U.S. Capitol to undermine our democracy. The people attacking the Capitol building are not protestors, and the disparities in how they were received are glaringly clear.

This is a scary time, and might very well continue to be for months to come. I am angry—we should all be. I urge all of you to take care of yourselves and each other, while continuing to safely stand up for our values and our country. We are an organization born out of advocacy and action for justice, this is what we do; PFLAGers are uniquely suited to rise to this moment.

As a glass-half-full person, I pray and believe that leaders and people who care about this country (some of whom have been complicit or silent) might also rise to the occasion.

Yesterday, PFLAG National joined dozens of LGBTQ+ organizations in calling for the removal of Donald Trump as President, effective immediately.

COURT MATTERS

Thanks to SCOTUS Bostock decision, lesbian couple in Missouri settle lawsuit brought against retirement community that refused to let them live there. The lawsuit filed by Mary Walsh and Bev Nance, together since 1978, was initially dismissed on the grounds that LGBTQ+ people aren't protected by the Fair Housing Act.

Court rules LGBTQ+ people can get domestic violence protections in North Carolina. Through a ruling by the N.C. Court of Appeals on Dec. 31st, the state now joins every other in the U.S. now that LGBTQ+ people can no longer be prevented from getting domestic violence protective orders.

FEDERAL MATTERS

Trump-supporting insurrectionists storm U.S. Capitol on January 6th. LGBTQ+ organizations condemned the siege and call for Trump's removal from office; see the ICYMI section for the PFLAG National statement, as well as the unified call for removal.

Biden-Harris Electoral College win ratified by Congress after mob storms U.S. Capitol. Finishing their work shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7th, lawmakers ratified the Electoral College win by President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris in a 306-232 vote tally announced by Vice President Pence.

Three senior law enforcement and protection chiefs for Congress step down. The Chief of the Capitol Police, House, and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms resigned.

DOJ eyes undoing some protections for marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. The Department of Justice is aiming to roll back some protections for minorities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, potentially impacting LGBTQ+ people, women, and people with disabilities.

Trump Administration quietly erases LGBTQ+ protections in adoption and health services. On Jan. 7th while focus was elsewhere, HHS officially issued a final rule, nixing regulations barring federal grantees from discriminating against LGBTQ+ people, including in adoption services. Obama administration regulations barred discrimination among HHS grantees with respect to sex, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.

State Department holds groundbreaking on the new U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Highlighting the deepening ties of friendship that undergird the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, ground was broken for a new chancery building for the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi that will remain on the existing 28-acre site in New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave.

STATE MATTERS

California - Woman threatens to bomb Catholic school for publishing same-sex wedding announcements. Sonia Tabizada of San Jacinto left voicemails threatening terrorism against D.C.'s Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School.

District of Columbia - D.C. police chief nominee has record of LGBTQ support. Veteran D.C. Police official Robert J. Contee III, who Mayor Muriel Bowser nominated on Dec. 22nd to become the city’s next Chief of Police, has a long record of understanding and support for LGBTQ-related issues. He is, according to openly-gay, retired D.C. Police Lt. Brett Parson, “...the right person at the right time for MPD and policing nationwide.”

Georgia - Two Senate seats held by state’s first Black and first Jewish Senator. Rafael Warnock and Jon Ossoff had historic wins as the first Black and first Jewish senators, respectively, from the state. Warnock defeated Kelly Loeffler, the sponsor of the state’s anti-transgender bill and active opponent of trans rights.

North Carolina - Lesbian couple refused by wedding venue. Kasey Mayfield and Brianna May of Winston-Salem planned to marry in 2022 but were denied use of a wedding venue due to their sexual orientation. They have urged people to write to local lawmakers about the importance of nondiscrimination legislation for LGBTQ+ people.

South Carolina - Openly LGBTQ+ Sheriff Kristin Graziano envisions new era of policing as she takes office. After she made history by being sworn in as the first elected female sheriff and first openly LGBTQ+ sheriff in South Carolina, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano spoke of a shared vision to restore trust between communities and law enforcement.

GLOBAL MATTERS

Global - Senior faith leaders call for global decriminalization of LGBTQ+ people. The UK government backed an event with more than 370 faith leaders from 35 countries calling for the end to criminalization of LGBTQ+ people and a global ban on conversion therapy practices.

France - French government official comes out as gay; promises to visit LGBTQ+-free zones in Poland. French Minister for European Affairs Clément Beaune publicly came out and promised to support LGBTQ+ communities in Poland struggling under the current right-wing populist government.

Greece - Greece Appoints First Ever Openly Gay Minister. Nicolas Yatromanolakis makes Greek political history as he will become the country’s Deputy Minister for Issues of Contemporary Culture. He will work in the Culture and Sports Ministry, under Lina Mendoni, who remains in her post after the reshuffle.

India - Two trans women win election in historic moment for LGBT+ visibility in India. The two women have won local elections in their villages in India in an incredible history-making moment. Both were elected to the gram panchayat – a form of local government operating in villages in India – on Wednesday, December 30th.

Japan - 38% of LGBT people in Japan sexually harassed or assaulted. The survey of LGBT people was conducted by Yasuharu Hidaka, a professor of social epidemiology at Takarazuka University.

Poland - Krakow authorities are the country's first to fund an LGBTQ+ shelter despite governmental hostility. The shelter offers temporary housing and behavioral health counseling for up to 12 homeless LGBTQ+ people.

MEDIA MATTERS

Ruby Corado announces plans to ‘step down’ in 2022. Longtime transgender activist Ruby Corado, the founder and current executive director of the D.C. LGBTQ+ community services center Casa Ruby, announced on Monday in a Facebook posting that she plans to step down as Casa Ruby’s leader around the middle of 2022.

Fenway Institute issues a new report about concerns of the aging LGBTQ+ community such as COIVID-10, including people with HIV. The report highlights several key themes identified in 2020 and inspired an open letter to openly transgender Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, asking her to lead in addressing LGBTQ+ community medical mistrust.

Teenager-directed gay adoption drama tells true story of LGBTQ+ couple and their child – ‘the world’s strongest family." Producing the film was a huge undertaking for Ran Yinxiao, who wanted to explore the difficulties sexual minorities face in starting a family in China, where same-sex marriage and adoption are not yet legal and LGBTQ+ filmmakers are censored.

AMC Reportedly Developing LGBTQ+-Led Walking Dead Spinoff. The Walking Dead flagship series is winding down, but AMC plans to expand the post-apocalyptic franchise in countless other directions, including one that is LGBTQ+-led.

ITV’s ‘lockdown Love Island’ The Cabins will include same-sex couples and queer contestants. With Love Island off the cards this year due to the pandemic, ITV2 is debuting a new format which sees paired-up singletons move into a cabin together for 24 hours (sans social distancing), before being given the choice to pair up or check out on The Cabins.