Take Action

PFLAG National supports the Build Back Better Act, which will help all families thrive. The bill would expand pre-K for all 3- and 4-year old children; expand childcare subsidies, ensuring families pay no more than 7% of their income in childcare costs; and expand the ACA to include health insurance to people in states without expanded Medicaid, covering low-income people, seniors, and people with disabilities, including LGBTQ+ people, who might not otherwise be covered. Build Back Better is expected to come up for a vote in the House the week of November 15th, next week. 

Contact your Representative and two Senators--don’t forget to give them your address and tell them PFLAG sent you--and ask them to vote in favor of this important bill.

Court Matters

Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Texas abortion ban case. Oral arguments for two challenges to S.B. 8, which effectively bans almost all abortions in Texas, took place on November 1st. Arguments lasted almost three hours total, after which it appeared likely the justices would allow the case brought by a group of Texas abortion providers to go forward. 

Justice Beth Robinson confirmed to the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate confirmed Justice Robinson on November 1st by bipartisan 51-45 vote. She will be the first openly lesbian woman to serve on any federal circuit court. She was previously an associate justice on the Vermont Supreme Court and worked as a lawyer in the case that legalized same-sex marriage in the state.

Puerto Rican family who lost SSI benefits brings case to Supreme Court. Currently, the U.S. is allowed to withhold SSI benefits from U.S. citizens who live in Puerto Rico and other territories. The Aponte family lost their SSI benefits when they moved back to Puerto Rico from Florida, which a court of appeals ruled was an “invalid” practice. The case now goes to the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court considers whether case around post-9/11 surveillance of American Muslims can go forward. A group of Muslim men filed a class action lawsuit against the FBI, claiming they were discriminated against due to their faith. The government claims allowing the case to go forward would reveal “state secrets.”

Federal Matters

Congress passes bipartisan infrastructure bill. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed the House late on the night of November 5th on a bipartisan 228-206 vote. The Senate passed the bill over the summer and so it now heads to President Biden for his signature. The House also passed a rule for considering the larger Build Back Better bill, which is expected to be voted upon the week of November 15th. 

U.S. Navy christens ship named for Harvey Milk. Milk served in the Navy during the Korean War but was discharged after being questioned about his sexual orientation. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said the ship’s christening--as one of six named for civil rights leaders--helps “right the wrongs of the past” and shows a commitment to current and future LGBTQ+ service members.

President Biden issues proclamation for National Adoption Month. In a proclamation issued October 29th, President Biden declared November to be National Adoption month, saying “Every child deserves to grow up with a safe and loving family, with the care and support of their community.” Find out here how you can take action to get the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act passed. 

President Biden issues proclamation for National Native American Heritage Month. President Bident proclaimed November National Native American Heritage month on October 29th. In the proclamation, the President said “we celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present, honor the influence they have had on the advancement of our Nation, and recommit ourselves to upholding trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthening Tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal self-determination.”

The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys (CSSBMB) to hold its first public meeting. The Commission is a bipartisan group created by Congress in 2020, and will conduct a systematic study of the conditions identified as affecting Black men and boys, including homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, poverty, violence, and disparate income and wealth levels.

State Matters

Florida - Following deadliest year on record, PFLAG Tampa vigil will honor trans people lost to violence. Among those the chapter will honor is one of their own PFLAG family: 25-year-old Jenny De Leon, a member of PFLAG Tampa, whose body was found on November 2nd.

Tennessee - ACLU and Lambda Legal file federal lawsuit to overturn anti-trans sports ban. The suit was filed on behalf of a freshman student in the state who claims that SB228, which was signed into law earlier this year, prevents him from trying out for the boys' golf team at his school. SB228 requires public middle and high school students to play sports based on the sex listed on their original birth certificates.

Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott instructs state education officials to develop statewide standards preventing “obscene content in Texas public schools.” This order comes after Keller Independent School District removed Gender Queer: A Memoir, a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe, from one of its high school libraries after some parents raised concerns over the books’s graphic images. 

Virginia - Danica Roem wins reelection to the Virginia House of Delegates to remain the longest-serving out transgender elected official in the U.S. Roem was elected Tuesday to a third term representing District 13, located in and around Manassas. Roem was initially elected to the House of Delegates in 2017, becoming the first out transgender person to be elected to and seated in a state legislature.

Global Matters

Bulgaria - Presidential candidate participates in attack on LGBTQ+ community center. Boyan Rasate, a politician known for his strong anti-LGBTQ+ positions, has been detained for 72 hours and charged with hooliganism and infliction of an injury for his part in the attack on the LGBTQ+ Center in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital.

China - LGBT Rights Advocacy China announces it is disbanding. The group advocates for same-sex marriage and the protection of gay rights in China. The shut down comes as the government is cracking down on social activism.

Ghana - Anti-LGBTQ+ bill gets first public hearing in Ghanian parliament. Gay sex is already illegal in Ghana- punishable by up to three years in prison. But, the proposed bill would go further, lengthening the jail sentence for gay sex and forcing some to undergo so-called "conversion therapy."

Spain - Health minister signs order granting single women, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people access to fertility treatments. Fertility treatment is free in Spain, but the previous conservative government limited access to these treatments to heterosexual cisgender women who have a partner, forcing others to pay for private treatment. Health Minister Carolina Dias  signed the order reversing this policy and making fertility treatments inclusive of LGBTQ+ people and single individuals.

UK - LGBTQ+ Afghan refugees arrive in the UK. The refugees are fleeing the Taliban government which is actively persecuting LGBTQ+ people. The UK expects to accepts more refugees in the coming months.

Media Matters

Marvel movie Eternals banned from Arab Gulf states for inclusion of same-sex couple. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait have all refused to screen the film over a scene in which Brian Tyree Henry’s character Phaston kisses his husband Ben (played by Haaz Sleiman). Local censors in the aforementioned countries had requested a series of edits that Disney and Marvel were not willing to make in order for the movie to be screened in those countries. 

T.J. Osborne kisses boyfriend at CMAs. T.J., half of the country duo The Brothers Osborne, came out as gay earlier this year, becoming the first male artist signed to a major country label to do so. The Brothers Osborne won best vocal duo of the year at the awards ceremony. The singer said he hoped the moment would "show people that they also don’t need to hide."

Kal Penn comes out as gay. Penn, known for his role in the Harold & Kumar movies, came out publicly ahead of the release of his memoir, You Can't Be Serious. Penn announced he is engaged to his partner of 11 years, Josh and thanked his family and friends for their support.

Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal to star in new LGBTQ+ film, The History Of Sound. The story follows two young men who record the lives and voices of their countrymen during the First World War. The movie is based on the short story of the same name by Ben Shattuck.

LGBTQ+ staff quit BBC over anti-trans stories and hostile work environment. At least eight trans employees have left the BBC over the last year because of perceptions of bias in how the BBC covers trans issues. Recent articles such as “We’re being pressured into sex by some trans women” have led to a lack of confidence in the BBC among LGBTQ+ staff and listeners.

LGBTQ+ American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) adults found to have higher levels of mental health issues than non-LGBTQ+ peers. According to a study released last month by the Williams Institute, 42 percent of AIAN LGBTQ+ adults have been diagnosed with depression, compared to less than a quarter of non-LGBTQ Native people and just 6.7 percent of the general U.S. population. The study also found that AIAN LGBTQ+ adults are also more likely to engage in high-risk health behaviors like heavy drinking.

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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