Take Action

Join the team and help pass the Equality Act! There are millions of people like you who support equality, but the loudest voices right now are from people who do not want our LGBTQ+ loved ones to have equal rights. Your voice can make a difference. Join PFLAG’s #Fight4Equality to call, email, or Tweet your Senators every Tuesday or Thursday (or both!) to urge them to pass the Equality Act. You’ll get weekly reminders and all the tools and information you need to take action on the day you choose. Together, we’ll make equality for everyone, everywhere, at all times the law of the land! 

Register now for We Are the Change: The 2021 PFLAG National Convention. As as person committed to advocacy in support of creating a just and equitable world for all people--including our LGBTQ+ loved ones--you won’t want to miss this year’s all-virtual convention, taking place Friday, October 22nd through Sunday, October 24th. This year there are fewer sessions, each going deeper on critical issues, including legislative updates at the federal and state level. 

Visit pflag.org/wearethechange to learn more and register now!

Court Matters

Biden administration files suit against Texas over abortion ban. The Administration says the law, SB8, has "gravely and irreparably impaired women's ability to exercise their constitutional right to an abortion across the State" as it bans abortion after 6 weeks, before many people even know they are pregnant. A federal judge will rule on whether the law should be stayed, as per a Biden Administration request, on October 1st.

President Biden announces diverse slate of federal judgeship appointments. The President announced three new Latino candidates for the federal bench on September 8th as part of a larger group of nominees that includes several historic firsts. In addition, the President nominated the first Korean American woman to serve as a federal appellate judge and the second Black woman on the 9th Circuit.

President Biden nominates Vermont judge to become the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to serve on any federal circuit court. Beth Robinson, an associate justice on the Vermont Supreme Court, has been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Robinson was involved in Vermont’s passage of the first-in-the-nation civil unions law.

Aetna sued for alleged LGBTQ+ discrimination in fertility treatments coverage. Aetna’s policy requires same-sex couples to pay for fertility treatment out of pocket before becoming eligible for coverage. Couples that can try to get pregnant through heterosexual intercourse can receive coverage simply by representing that they have tried for six or 12 months.

Federal judge rules Charlotte Catholic High School violated in firing a substitute teacher for announcing same-sex wedding. The school argued it was exempt from federal employment protections against sex discrimination because it is religiously affiliated. However, the judge ruled the school was not protected in this case because the teacher in question taught non-religious classes.

Federal Matters

President Biden introduces vaccine requirements for 100 million Americans. The rules, which would apply to about 80M people, mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require employees to be vaccinated or test for COVID-19 weekly. The rules also require workers at healthcare facilities that receive federal funding for Medicare or Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, as well as employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government. PFLAG National is a partner in the White House COVID-19 Community Corps, which works with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to boost vaccination numbers. 

Senate Democrats introduce compromise voting rights bill. The bill, called the Freedom to Vote Act, would establish nationwide standards for ballot access, early voting, and vote-by-mail create a voter validation requirement which allows for many forms of paper and digital IDs. The Freedom to Vote Act also mandates that states follow specific criteria when drawing new Congressional district lines to reduce partisan gerrymandering.

Justice Department launches investigation into Georgia state prison system. The investigators allege extreme staffing shortages and a culture of violence and neglect, which has resulted in at least 44 inmate deaths by homicide since last year. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the inquiry was sparked by reports of prisoner-on-prisoner attacks, along with prisoner and staff assaults, including sexual abuse, on LGBTQ+ inmates.

President Biden issues proclamation for Hispanic Heritage Month. The proclamation noted Hispanic contributions to all aspects of American life and culture, including recognizing the work of the President’s four Hispanic Cabinet Secretaries. The President also stated that Hispanic equity is a priority of his Administration.

President Biden issues proclamation for National Grandparents Day. President Biden wrote “we celebrate the important role grandparents play in providing love, wisdom, and strength to their families” and acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic had been particularly devastating to seniors. Check out PFLAG’s new publication (English and Spanish versions available), “Supporting Your LGBTQ+ Grandchild,” published In partnership with our friends at SAGE, and with a foreword by longtime PFLAG supporter Dear Abby.

State Matters

California - Gov. Gavin Newsom prevails in recall election. The bid to recall the Governor failed on September 14th, with Gov. Newsom garnering a similar level of support to his initial election in 2018. A key issue in the recall was the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. California has one of the nation’s highest vaccination rates and one of its lowest rates of new virus cases.

Illinois - Trans woman killed in Chicago. Disaya Monaee, a 32-year-old Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Chicago, Illinois on September 6th. Monaee’s death is at least the 36th violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2021 and the third in Chicago. 

Iowa - Winterset High school students stage walkout in solidarity with fired bisexual teacher. Seventh-grade literacy teacher Lucas Kaufmann, who is openly bisexual, was placed on leave following a presentation about himself in which he said he was bisexual. State law prohibits employers from firing employees based on sexual orientation and gender identification, however Kaufman’s presentation was reported to the conservative Iowa Standard website, and he was subsequently placed on leave. Over 100 students walked out of class on September 7th in protest.

Texas - Salesforce announces relocation assistance to employees concerned about abortion ban. Salesforce told thousands of employees in a Slack message on September 10th that if they and their families were concerned about the ability to access reproductive care following SB8’s enactment, the company will help them relocate.

Governor Greg Abbott signs restrictive election bill into law. The law includes a ban on drive-through and 24-hour polling places, and adds ID requirements to vote by mail. Texas is one of at least 18 states that have enacted new voting laws since the November 2020 presidential election, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Virginia - Chesapeake School Board adds protections for gender identity and sexual orientation for students and faculty. The school board voted unanimously on September 13th to approve revisions to its current nondiscrimination policy to be in line with current state law, which requires policies to protect trans students.

Wisconsin - Republicans introduce “LGBT opt-out” bill. The bill would allow parents to opt their children out of any school program or course that relates to “sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression.” Governor Tony Evers’ spokesperson says the Governor does not support the bill.

Global Matters

Afghanistan - Taliban fighters lure gay man and abuse him. A gay Afghan man, Hanan, had been speaking to what he though was another man on social media who was promising to help Hanan find a safe way out of Afghanistan. Many LGBTQ+ people have been trying to flee Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Hanan agreed to meet the other man in Kabul, only to find Taliban soldiers. They raped and beat Hanan. Afghan LGBTQ rights activist Artemis Akbary predicts this tactic will be used again in the future.

Immigration Equality reports 80 LGBTQ+ Afghans have requested assistance in leaving Afghanistan. Canada is the only country that has specifically said it would offer refuge to LGBTQ+ Afghans. Immigration Equality, the Toronto-based Rainbow Railroad, and ILGA Asia are among the groups that are trying to assist LGBTQ+ people who remain in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

China - Volleyball athlete comes out publicly as a lesbian. Sun Wenjing released a photo of herself and her girlfriend despite widespread government censorship of LGBTQ+ content on social media and in traditional media. The announcement came on September 9, a date with double digits of 9 that is regarded by the Chinese as a symbol of eternity and often selected by couples to register their marriages. 

Germany - First out trans woman to serve in a German state assembly running for national parliament. This month, Tessa Ganserer, currently serving in the Bavarian state legislature, will be on the ballot for national parliament. However, voters will see her deadname on the ballot, followed by her name in brackets. Ganserer and other trans activists have fought against this and other bureaucratic hurdles which make name changes in Germany difficult for trans people. 

German government pays reparations to gay men convicted under anti-gay law. Paragraph 175 criminalized same-sex relations between men in 1871, but it was not strictly enforced until the Nazis took power. But even after World War II, both West and East Germany continued to enforce the law. A 2017 law allowed anyone negatively impacted by Paragraph 175 to receive reparations from the German government.

Poland - European Commission threatens funding cuts to five Polish regional councils over "LGBT-free" zones. On September 13th  the European Commission sent a letter to Polish regional leaders saying that extra funding under part of the bloc's COVID recovery fund would be put on hold pending the regions' responses to the Commission's concerns about “LGBT-free zones.”

South Korea - LGBTQ+ Korean youth experience isolation and mistreatment in schools, according to report. Human Rights Watch released a report on September 14th that showed LGBTQ+ students felt alone and unsure of where to go for support. The report featured interviews from students, teachers, parents, service providers, and advocates in South Korea. Students reported experiencing mistreatment in school, being excluded and ostracized, being targeted online, or being physically or sexually assaulted.

Spain - Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to chair meeting of Spainish commission against hate crimes following homophobic assault on a 20-year-old Spaniard in central Madrid. "Hate crimes must receive the highest social and political condemnation," government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said on September 14th. Rodriguez also asked parliament to accelerate a new bill on equal treatment and non-discrimination, which she said would address this kind of violence.

UK - UK names first LGBT business champion. Iain Anderson, executive chairman of public relations firm Cicero, pledged to focus on improving workplace equality at a small business level. The government had formed an LGBT advisory panel earlier this year, but this was disbanded after several members quit in protest of what they saw as the Government “dragging its feet” on LGBTQ+ rights legislation. 

Scottish Parliamentary Committee hears testimony on so-called conversion therapy. The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee heard testimony on September 7th from Tristan Gray and Blair Anderson, representatives of End Conversion Therapy Scotland (ECTS), which submitted a petition to Scottish parliament calling  for a complete ban on any conversion therapy which is a “directed attempt to change someone”.

Media Matters

Youtuber Nikki de Jager honors Marsha P. Johnson with Met Gala dress. De Jager, a Youtube makeup artist who is openly trans, paid homage to Marsha P. Johnson with her teal embellished gown and colorful headdress at Monday's event. She wore a tulle Edwin Oudshoorn Couture dress emblazoned with pink, red and yellow flowers featuring a bow on the bottom reading "Pay it no mind," Johnson's response to questions she received about her gender. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Aja comes out as trans. Aja announced on an instagram post on September 5th that her pronouns are she/they. She wrote that she battled gender dysphoria since 2018 and said “as of today I can feel comfortable to say that I am a drag artist again. My pronouns out of Drag will continue to be she/they.” 

Archbishop Carl Bean, singer of gay liberation anthem “I Was Born This Way,” dies at 77. Bean’s lyrics "I'm happy, I'm carefree, and I'm gay, I was born this way" helped make the song a disco hit in the US and inspired Lady Gaga's “Born This Way.” Bean went on to become an AIDS activist and founded a network of LGBT churches.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installs first openly transgender bishop. The Rev. Megan Rohrer was installed as a bishop in a service held in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral on Saturday. Rev. Rohrer will lead one of the church’s 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada.

First openly transgender mixed martial arts athlete since 2014 competed in an event in the United States. Alana McLaughlin won her MMA debut Friday night, beating Celine Provost via submission on the Combate Global prelims in Miami. A former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, McLaughlin is just the second transgender woman to fight in MMA. Fallon Fox, who was the first, was cageside watching McLaughlin.

Indian jeweler releases ad featuring trans model. The 96-year-old jewelry house, Bhima, released the ad which shows a loving family gifting their trans daughter jewelry in the lead up to her wedding. 22-year-old trans actor Meera Singhania Rehani is shown as an awkward teenager with facial hair slowly transforming into a beautiful, confident bride with the full support of her family.

Out LGBTQ+ athletes take home 25 medals from the Paralympics. The Paralympics, which concluded in Tokyo on September 4th, featured a record 36 out athletes. Five American paralympians medaled, including Monique Matthews in sitting volleyball, Asya Miller in goalball, triathlete Hailey Danz, and Kaitlyn Eaton and Courtney Ryan in wheelchair basketball. At least 20 other out LGBTQ+ competitors earned a medal in competition, according to Outsports.

Carl Nassib plays first regular season game, becomes first out gay NFL player to participate in a game. The Las Vegas Raiders won their game on September 13th against the Baltimore Ravens in part due to Carl Nassib’s overtime sacking of the Ravens’ quarterback. But, as LA Times columnist LZ Granderson notes, there was little fanfare to mark the historic occasion of Nassib’s participation in the game.

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,

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