Court Matters

SCOTUS rules that a Catholic social services agency in Philadelphia can refuse to place foster children with same-sex couples. The unanimous ruling was decided on very narrow grounds, holding that Philadelphia’s treatment of Catholic Social Services (CSS) violated the agency’s constitutional rights because the City’s foster care contract had a mechanism for allowing individualized exceptions to its non-discrimination policy that it did not grant to CSS. The court did not recognize a general constitutional right to discriminate based on religious beliefs. Governments may continue to enforce non-discrimination requirements so long as they do so consistently and uniformly. You can read PFLAG National Executive Director Brian Bond’s statement on the ruling here. 

SCOTUS dismisses challenge to the Affordable Care Act. The Court ruled 7-2 against certain states and the former Trump administration, which sought to invalidate the law, saying that the challengers lacked legal standing. 

DOJ joins lawsuit against Arkansas and West Virginia over anti-trans legislation.  The DOJ said the athlete bans in both states and Arkansas’ healthcare ban, which passed in this year’s legislative session, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal funds.

Federal Matters

Juneteenth (June 19th) becomes a federal holiday. Juneteenth celebrates and reflects upon the proclaimed emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in Texas on June 19th in 1865, following Union soldiers arriving in Galveston to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation signed in 1863. President Biden signed on June 17th the bill creating the federal holiday, saying, “This day doesn’t just celebrate the past. It calls for action today.”

Department of Education declares that transgender students are protected under Title IX. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona said in an interview, “Students cannot be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.” The Education department used the Supreme Court’s ruling last year in Bostock v Clayton County as the basis for its Title IX decision. 

President Biden names US Special Envoy for Global LGBTQ Rights. The White House announced on June 25th that it has named Jessica Stern as the next special U.S. Special Envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad. The Special Envoy position was created in 2015 and was vacant since 2017. 

Vice President Harris hosts LGBTQ+ roundtable at the White House. The roundtable was held on June 23rd in recognition of Pride Month. VP Harris touted pro-LGBTQ+ work the Biden Administration has taken, noting that “there’s a lot of work to be done” in terms of LGBTQ+ issues, including passage of the Equality Act. 

VA to offer gender-affirming surgery to veterans for the first time. VA Secretary Dennis McDonough said the VA rule change allows “transgender vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side.” The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) estimates there are more than 134,000 transgender veterans.

Bill introduced to apologize for unjust firing of LGBTQ+ federal employees. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are the primary sponsors of the Mattachine Society-led resolution, which would acknowledge and apologize for the systematic firing of at least LGBTQ+ 100,000 service members between World War II and 2011, along with thousands of foriegn service and other federal employees. PFLAG National is an endorser.

State Matters

Florida - Fort Lauderdale Mayor criticized for labelling car accident during pride a "terrorist attack". After a truck drove into two people at Fort Lauderdale’s Pride Parade, Mayor Dean Trantalis claimed without evidence that it was an act of terrorism towards the LGBTQ+ community. The incident was later shown to have been an accident. 

Kansas - North Kansas City councilman compares LGBTQ+ people to pedophiles, satanists. Councilman Wesley Graves made the comments less than two months after his election. His fellow councilmembers have called for his resignation.  

Louisiana - Gov. Edwards vetoes trans athlete ban. The Governor said in his veto statement that "discrimination is not a Louisiana value, and this bill was a solution in search of a problem that simply does not exist in Louisiana."

Virginia - Fight at Loudon County School Board meeting over trans student rights. The school board ended the public meeting after parents who were against the school district’s implementation of a policy to allow trans students to use their preferred names and pronouns failed to observe decorum. A fight broke out between members of the public, and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested two people. 

Wisconsin - Milwaukee opens new LGBT center. The center will offer counseling, adult and youth programming, alcohol and other drugs programming and services, and a name-change clinic.

Global Matters

Canada - Conversion Therapy ban passes House of Commons. The conversion therapy ban passed the House 263 to 63. The American Medical Association has condemned the practice as "harmful and ineffective." The bill now goes to the Senate.

Hungary - Anti-LGBTQ+ education bill passed by Hungarian parliament. The law, passed on June 15th, would prohibit any scholastic content that is deemed to promote or accept homosexuality. This law is one of many passed under Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s premiership to target LGBTQ+ Hungarians.

Another anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed Hungarian Parliament on June 15th prohibiting minors from viewing any content that promotes gay or transgender people or same-sex sexual intercourse.

Italy - Vatican formally opposes anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes bill in Italy. The Vatican sent a diplomatic note to the Italian government arguing that the proposed law would violate the “concordat” that provides the framework for its relationship with Italy. Benedetto Della Vedova, an Italian foreign ministry undersecretary, called the letter “heavy interference.”

Poland - Huge LGBTQ+ Equality March in Poland Capital, Warsaw. Thousands of advocates showed their support for LGBTQ+ equality in Poland’s Pride march. This was the largest Gay Pride Parade in all of Central Europe since the pandemic.

Media Matters

Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End, Carl Nassib, Comes Out as Gay. Carl Nassib, 28, publicly came out on Instagram during Pride Month, pledging $100,000 to the Trevor Project. Nassib is the first active NFL player to come out and has had the top-selling NFL jersey on Fanatics since the day of the announcement. 

Washington Spirit soccer player comes out as a transgender man. Kumi Yokoyama, forward for the Washington (DC) Spirit soccer team and member of Japan’s national soccer team, came out as a transgender man. His disclosure coincides with a robust debate in Japan over LGBTQ+ rights. 

First out trans Olympic athlete to compete in women’s weightlifting event. New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard will compete at the Olympics in Tokyo in the category for women over 87 kg, about 192 pounds. Hubbard said "I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders.”

"Sesame Street" features a family with two dads married to each other for the first time. The show aired an episode the week of June 14th called "Family Day" that features a married gay couple of two dads with their daughter. A dad named Frank, played by Alex Weisman, and a dad named Dave, played by Chris Costa, along with their daughter Mia, played by Olivia Perez, join a party for Big Bird in the episode.

The PFLAG National Advocacy, Policy, and Partnerships Team is always here to support you with your work, so please don't ever hesitate to reach out to us for assistance.

Yours in PFLAG power,

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser