Take Action

Tell your Senators: Vote YES in support of The Equality Act. In his State of the Union address this week, President Biden named The Equality Act as a priority to sign into law. This elevated moment lets us join him to call for its passage in the Senate. We are about to reach a year milestone since the Senate hearing was held on March 17th, which featured PFLAG Board member Edith Guffey, a national faith leader and the parent of a trans nonbinary child, as one of only five witnesses. We need you to contact your Senators and tell them that we’re still fighting for Senate passage and for them to vote in favor of this critical piece of legislation. We need to make sure Senators hear from us--people who care about LGBTQ+ equality– saying we urge them to take action NOW. Even if your Senators have committed to vote yes, call them, email them, and tweet them your thanks; they need to know that the majority of people in this country support protections from discrimination. Help get the Equality Act across the finish line and take action NOW!

Court Matters

President Biden nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court Justice. If approved, Judge Kentanji Brown would be the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and the first Black woman to hold the office

SCOTUS to consider “Remain in Mexico” policy. The Trump-era border policy that requires migrants to await asylum hearings outside the US was partially reinstated in December due to a lower court order. At the request of the Justice Department, the Supreme Court will hear a case brought against the Biden administration by Texas and Missouri for its reversal of the policy. 

SCOTUS to rule whether web developer can deny service to LGBTQ+ couples. A Colorado conservative Christian woman who designs websites, including wedding websites, has sued for an exemption from legal requirements that would require her to serve same-sex couples. She is appealing her case after losing in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. 

Maryland governor announces historic nominees for Appellate Courts, including first openly LGBTQ+ Chief Judge of Special Appeals. Governor Hogan announced nine judicial appointments to Maryland’s Appellate Courts, including the first Latinx, first Asian American, and first openly LGBTQ+ person appointed to the courts. 

Appeals Court orders en banc hearing for Florida transgender bathroom case. The lawsuit was filed in 2017 on behalf of a transgender student who was being required to use a gender-neutral, single stall bathroom or the girl’s bathroom, which did not match his gender identity. After a three-judge panel ruled in favor of the student, the federal appeals court vacated the ruling and has decided to have an en banc hearing on the case, where all the judges on the court participate.

Biden administration states support for trans students’ bathroom rights in Florida. The Biden Administration is calling for the Atlanta Federal Court of Appeals to uphold the decision of the lower court in favor of equal protection under Title XI for transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identities.

Federal Matters

President Biden strongly condemns Texas Gov. Abbott’s order calling for child abuse investigations into parents of trans kids. The statement was released on March 2nd with a list of actions that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it would take to protect trans youths and their families in Texas against a recent directive from Gov. Greg Abbott that calls on the general public and “licensed professionals” to report the parents of trans minors if it appears the children are receiving gender-affirming medical care. The President called the order “government overreach at its worst,” and added that “Affirming a transgender child’s identity is one of the best things a parent, teacher, or doctor can do to help keep children from harm, and parents who love and affirm their children should be applauded and supported, not threatened, investigated, or stigmatized.”

Biden calls for Senate action on the Equality Act and expresses support of trans youth in State of the Union address. In the State of the Union speech, President Biden expressed support for the Equality Act and spoke explicitly in support of transgender kids and their parents and against anti-transgender state bills. Take action to support the Equality Act here!

State Matters

Alabama - Transgender bathroom ban bill passes State House. The Alabama House approved a bill that would prevent transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. It now moves to the State Senate.

Alabama Senate passes bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors. The bill, called the “Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act,” would make gender-affirming medical care for minors illegal and establish criminal penalties for medical professionals and parents who offer them. The bill will now be considered by the House of Representatives.

Florida - Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill passes in Senate committee, moves to floor vote. The bill would prohibit discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and bars discussion that is not “age or developmentally appropriate” in other grades. The amendment that would have required schools to out students to parents was removed prior to passage. PFLAGers have been actively participating in this advocacy. 

Iowa - House passes transgender sports ban in K-12 and college girls’ sports. The bill would ban transgender women and girls from competing in girl’s sports in both K-12 and post-secondary institutions. It will now be considered by the Iowa Senate.

Missouri - ACLU of Missouri sues school district over book ban. The ACLU of Missouri will be presenting the case on behalf of Wentzville students to stop the district from removing books by and about LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups. If your district is proposing book bans, our #ReadWithLove Campaign can help! 

Montana - ACLU of Montana files brief challenging ant-LGBTQ+ bill. The ACLU of Montana, LAMBDA Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Center for HIV Law and Policy filed an Amicus Brief with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals arguing that individuals who have consensual sex with a same-sex partners should not be required to register as sex-offenders. 

New Jersey - Appeals Court reverses ruling requiring transgender man to announce name change in newspaper. The NJ Appeals Court unanimously supported a transgender man who wants to keep his name change private. A judge in Mercer County ruled that the man had to disclose his name change and “dead name,” or name previously legally given him, in a newspaper and refused to seal court records to protect his privacy. The appellate panel unanimously decided to overturn the decision of the lower court, citing privacy and safety concerns associated with publicizing name changes. 

New York - NYC mayor appoints anti-LGBTQ+ pastors to top Cabinet posts. Mayor Eric Adams has already appointed two pastors, Rev. Erick Salgado and Pastor Gilford Monrose, with histories of anti-LGBTQ+ statements and might also appoint another anti-LGBTQ+ pastor, Councilman Fernando Cabrera. 

New Mexico - New state bill would ban “queer panic” defense in court. The bill would prevent people from using the defense that they acted violently due to their surprise about the gender, sex, or sexuality of their victim. 

Ohio - Proposed state bill would prohibit gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth. The Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act would prohibit certain medical coverage for trans and nonbinary youth. I would no longer allow healthcare workers to provide medical procedures, hormone blockers, or cross-sex hormones to trans youth and would require counselors to disclose gender-related discussions witht their child in therapy.

Pennsylvania - Philadelphia DA report shows high prevalence of LGBTQ+ domestic violence. Due to the recent number of LGBTQ+ domestic violence cases, the DA’s office is consulting their LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee about how to provide better resources for members of the community experiencing domestic violence and intimate partner violence. 

Texas - Governor asks citizens to report parents who support their trans children for child abuse. In the wake of several state bills seeking to ban gender-affirming care for LGBTQ+ youth, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has issued a directive to report parents who support their trans children in receiving gender-affirming care for child abuse. A judge in Travis County granted a temporary restraining order on March 2nd, halting an investigation into one family with a trans teen. Later that same evening, President Biden strongly condemned Gov. Abbott’s order, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services released a list of actions families in Texas can take to protect themselves. 

Record number of out LGBTQ+ candidates run in Texas election. There are 54 out LGBTQ+ candidates running for positions from seats in the Texas House of Representatives to benches on district and county courts. 

Utah - Bill moves forward requiring trans youth to gain committee approval to participate in sports. The Utah House passed the bill, which would restrict trans participation in sports by requiring trans students to appear before a commission who would evaluate the students’ eligibility to participate in sports on a case-by-case basis based on physical attributes like BMI, bone density, and hip-to-knee ratio. 

Wyoming - Trans sports ban bill moves forward in Wyoming Senate. The bill would restrict transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports at the high school and college levels.

Global Matters

In light of the unprovoked attack on Ukraine by Russia, we are moving these items to the top of our Global Matters section. Having worked with PFLAG families in Ukraine, our hearts are with all families in that part of the world. It’s undeniable: LGBTQ+ Ukrainians fear consequences of Russian invasion. While LGBTQ+ people lack anti-discrimination protections and the right to same-sex marriage in Ukraine, conditions for the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine have slowly improved over the last decade. Many fear a reversal of these gains should the Russian government take over, given Russian President Putin’s record on LGBTQ+ rights.

Australia - Prime Minister supports trans athlete ban. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has come out in support of a bill proposed by Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler which would allow sporting groups to exclude transgender athletes from single-sex sports.

India - Tamil Nadu bars police harassment of LGBTQ+ people. The Province’s government recently amended police rules to ban police harassment of LGBTQ+ people and their allies. This decision was made after the Madras High Court heard a case from a lesbian couple reporting harassment by police officers against themselves and other activists supporting them. 

India bans so-called conversion therapy. The National Medical Commission of India has declared it a prosecutable offense for a doctor to engage in so-called conversion therapy. 

Kuwait - Anti-trans law overturned by constitutional court. The law criminalized “imitation of the opposite sex” and was found to be selectively enforced to prosecute transgender people. Kuwait’s constitutional court overturned the statute, arguing it violates Kuwaitis’ right to personal freedom.

Mexico - LGBTQ+ activist gets first non-binary gender marker on birth certificate. Fousto Martínez, LGBTQ activist and law student, is the first person in the country who has received a non-binary gender marker on their birth certificate after winning a constitutional appeal lawsuit.

Trinidad and Tobago - Jowelle De Souza sworn in as Trinidad and Tobago’s first openly transgender Senator. Animal rights activist and beauty salon owner Jowelle De Souza has become Trinidad and Tobago’s first openly transgender Senator, filling in for Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial while she is ill.

Media Matters

PFLAG National launches #ReadWithLove. The campaign aims to highlight the power that reading a wide range of books has on helping children develop critical thinking skills. With nearly 10M people reached on launch day, a number of influencers and celebrities highlighted #ReadWithLove on social media including George Takei. Additionally, the American Library Association elevated the campaign calling it, “The perfect message for this year's #ReadAcrossAmerica Day celebration.” Learn more at pflag.org/ReadWithLove. 

Coming later this month: Taking the Long Road Home, a new short film from PFLAG National. A young, queer, Black Panamanian filmmaker takes a journey of faith and discovery with Black spiritual leaders from diverse backgrounds. Through conversation and contemplation, each leader—two trans, one gay, one queer, and two straight, cisgender parents of a lesbian daughter—shares their own personal story of cultural, societal, spiritual, and personal challenges as they work to create spiritual homes for themselves and others. 

LGBTQ+ representation in television reaches record high. Almost 12% of characters on primetime scripted shows in the US this upcoming season are LGBTQ+ characters. GLAAD’s annual Where We Are on TV Report found that 92 series regulars for the 2021-2022 primetime season are LGBTQ+, which is a record high. 

LGBTQ+ groups blocked from marching in St Patrick’s Day Parade on Staten Island. The Richmond County St. Patrick’s Day Committee has denied permission to the Pride Center of Staten Island to participate in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 

First Fellowship designed for LGBTQ+ content creators in film and television announced by Open Television. The Black-owned, trans and nonbinary majority streaming platform has centered LGBTQ+ stories, is now providing a national fellowship aimed to provide community, industry networking, and educational opportunities for non-white LGBTQ+ creatives. 

Study shows income and education gap between LGBTQ+ women and straight women. A new study by the Utah Women in Leadership Project shows that LGBTQ+ women are almost twice as likely to be in the lowest income bracket as straight women.

Flyers host annual Pride Night. Claiming that “hockey is for everyone,” the Philadelphia Flyers hosted their annual Pride Night during their game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Players James van Reimsdyk and Scott Laughton are both ambassadors for the You Can Play Project, which champions the inclusion and safety of LGBTQ+ players, coaches, and fans in all sports.

Eliot Page will discuss trans identity in upcoming memoir PAGEBOY. Elliot Page’s memoir will be released in 2023 by Flatiron Books, and will discuss his trans identity, mental health, and his experience in Hollywood. 

Seven percent of Americans now identify as LGBTQ+ according to new poll. According to a recent Gallup poll, 7.1% of US adults identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

In Case You Missed It. . . 

Parents: Claim ALL of Your Child Tax Credit and Use Free Tax Filing Resources

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the White House just re-launched an appealing, easy-to-use website: ChildTaxCredit.gov. Several new features help you file taxes and access the remainder of the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) or the full amount of the CTC as tax filing season begins and runs through April 18th. 

Get help filing your tax return for the Child Tax Credit using free filing tools

This website helps you:

• Find out if you are eligible to receive the Child Tax Credit.
• Get the Child Tax Credit.
• Understand how the 2021 Child Tax Credit works as you file in 2022.
• Understand that the credit does not affect your federal benefits.

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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