Take Action

Call Your Senators

Folks who don't believe LGBTQ+ people should have rights are flooding Senate phone lines with their ugly rhetoric. (In fact, it's happening at every level of government.) PFLAGers, don't let their voices be the only ones lawmakers hear! Tell your Senators TODAY to support the Respect for Marriage Act! -- And set a reminder to keep telling them! It is critical that the Senate follow the House’s lead, but we can't take their support for granted.
 

Fight Censorship

We're seeing it everywhere: actions to undermine our schools, our local governments, and our neighborhood values. From book bans to school board protests and recalls, people are using LGBTQ+ students as political pawns. PFLAGers can fight back, not with fists, but with BOOKS! Sign up to host a "Read With Love-In" -- peaceful demonstrations that bring neighbors together to show that inclusion and learning are greater than fear and exploitation. Visit pflagnation.al/RWL-InSignUp.

Court Matters

Federal judge rules West Virginia Medicaid must cover gender-confirming surgeries. U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers ruled that denying coverage of gender-affirming surgeries through Medicaid violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, the Affordable Care Act, and the Medical Care Act. He also certified the lawsuit as class-action, enabling anyone seeking gender-affirming medical procedures to be covered by Medicaid. 

Federal judge rules Catholic employer must provide health insurance for same-sex partner. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake ruled that the Catholic Relief Services violated federal laws against sex discrimination by denying health insurance benefits to the male spouse of a gay employee. She said that the religious exemptions to federal discrimination laws do not apply in this case because the man’s job as a data analyst is not part of the organization's religious mission. 

Human Rights Campaign files lawsuit against Tennessee’s anti-trans bathroom law. The lawsuit was filed against the Tennessee Department of Education and the Wiliamson County Board of Education on behalf of an eight-year-old girl and her family. The girl has been prohibited from using the girls’ bathroom since full-time in-person schooling returned. The family’s hope is that the bathroom ban will be struck down.

Federal Matters

White House response team gives press briefing addressing the Monkeypox outbreak. On August 11, the Administration declared MPX (Monkeypox) a national emergency, which released funds that could be used to combat the spread of the disease. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the newly appointed MPX response deputy coordinator, met with LGBTQ+ media outlets due to concerns about responsiveness expressed by organizations. Learn more about MPX at PFLAG.org/MPX

The Department of Education has made temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to make it easier to get credit for previous federal school loan payments that otherwise would not qualify for forgiveness. Sign up now to participate in the upcoming PSLF Day of Action on August 24th; the program runs until October 31st.

State Matters

In the last year, we’ve seen a marked rise in anti-LGBTQ+ action in state and local governments. Many states are introducing legislation targeting trans youth, and local schools and libraries are being pressured into censoring LGBTQ+ history and stories. Visit pflag.org/protecttranskids to take action against anti-trans bills in your state today. 

Want to take action and not sure where to start? Please contact Patrick Cochran, Advocacy and Policy Engagement Senior Coordinator.

Florida - Ban on gender-affirming care for Medicaid recipients goes into effect August 21st. The state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration will enact a new rule banning transgender residents from using Medicaid to pay for gender-affirming care. The American Academy of Pediactrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the U.S. HHS have all recommended gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, counter to the statements of Florida’s healthcare agency. 

Collier County Public School District puts warning labels on LGBTQ+ books. The Southwestern Florida school district placed labels on books that say “Advisory notice to parents” in capital letters and included a statement indicating that the book contains material that some community members think is “unsuitable” for students. The labels have been placed primarily on books dealing with race and LGBTQ+ themes. 

Private religious school granted exception to USDA nondiscrimination policy for school meal funding. The Grant Park Christian Academy sued the Biden Administration over a new LGBTQ+ inclusive policy tied to federal funding for school lunches. The Administration granted them a religious exemption, and they will continue to receive funding for free meals for the upcoming school year without the requirement to follow the federal LGBTQ+-inclusive policy. 

Massachusetts - Boston Children’s Hospital targeted by anti-LGBTQ+ activists. Hospital staff have faced a wave of hostile internet activity, phone calls, and harassing emails, including threats of violence following a disinformation campaign from online accounts making claims, such as  youth under 18 receiving hysterectomies. In a statement, the hospital said “Boston Children’s is proud to be home to the first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program in the United States.”

Michigan - Patmos Library defunded over inclusion of LGBTQ+ books. In a public referendum, nearly 62 percent of residents voted against renewing the library’s tax millage, removing about 84 percent of its funding. The campaign to defund the library was led by an extremist group upset over the inclusion of LGBTQ+ books on the shelves. Other local residents started a GoFundMe to raise the extra money to save the library, and so far they have raised over $150,000 to help keep the library open. 

Attorney General joins coalition against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 16 other attorneys general from states across the country in filing an amicus brief against Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education Act,” stating that the law seriously threatens vulnerable LGBTQ+ students. 

Minnesota - Leigh Fink may become state’s first openly transgender legislator. Following her win in her primary. Finke is expected to win the general election in November. Only eight openly transgender people currently serve in US state legislatures. 

Pennsylvania - Governor Wolf signs executive order combatting so-called conversion therapy. With PFLAGers among invited special guests, Gov. Wolf signed the executive order on Tuesday, August 16th. It directs state agencies to promote “evidence-based practices” in for LGBTQ+ youth and ensures that state funds, programs, contracts, and other resources cannot be used to provide or support so-called conversion therapy. 

Vermont - Becca Balint poised to be the state’s first openly LGBTQ+ federal representative. Balint won the Democratic primary for Vermont’s House seat and is favored to win in November. This would make her the first woman and first LGBTQ+ lawmaker to represent Vermont in Congress.

Global Matters

Colombia - Gustavo Petro takes office as first leftist president. Petro pledged during his campaign to fight violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and to implement policies that affirm gender identity and sexual orientation. He also named Néstor Osuna, an openly gay man, as Colombia’s new justice minister. 

France - Government to create LGBTQ+ ambassador role. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the new LGBTQ+ ambassador position to “campaign for the decriminalisation everywhere of homosexuality [sic] and trans identity.” 

Germany - Soon-to-be-proposed law to ease name-change procedures for transgender people. The Self-Determination Act would allow trans adults and minors older than 14 with parental permission to change their gender and first name once a year without medical reports or a court order. It also states that people can be fined for disclosing a name-change without consent. 

Uganda - Authorities suspend LGBTQ+ rights group. Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) is an LGBTQ+ rights group and friend of PFLAG that has been active since 2004. The Ugandan government suspended the group’s activities, saying that it is an illegal entity and lacks needed documentation to continue its work. Although the group applied to register as a company, it was declined due to its “unsuitable” name, which was upheld by a judge. They filed an appeal and are currently awaiting judgement. PFLAG National is working in coalition to rectify this injustice.

United Kingdom - Anti-LGBTQ+ violence on the rise. Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes have more than doubled in the past five years across the UK. Activists say that the increase is due to the stigmatizing narrative around monkeypox and the public transphobia from the media and government. 

Scottish law goes into effect entitling people to free menstrual products regardless of gender. The Period Products (Free Provision) Act went into effect on August 15th and states that councils and education providers must legally provide menstrual products to all people who need them, regardless of age, gender, or income. The act uses gender-neutral language, explicitly including transgender and non-binary people who menstruate.

Vietnam - Government calls on medical workers to end LGBTQ+ discrimination. The Vietnamese government made an official statement last week that being gay is not a disease and urged medical professionals to be respectful of gender and sexual orientation.

Media Matters

Attempts to censor curriculum increased in 2022. A study by PEN America found that “educational gag orders”- restrictions on the teaching of certain topics- increased 250% over 2021. Censorship attempts in 2022 were also found to be more punitive and more LGBTQ+ focused than in other years.  

Report finds that anti-LGBTQ+ social media content has significantly increased since passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. The Human Rights Campaign and the Center for Countering Digital Hate warn that the anti-LGBTQ+ narrative currently circulating amongst extremist politicians and their allies has caused a surge of over 400% in homophobic and transphobic content on social media. 

UK’s national LGBTQ+ museum features exhibit on queer Muslim history. The exhibit is part of the museum’s first show entitled We Are Queer Britain and includes an extensive collection of art, history, and artifacts from Imaan, the world’s longest-running LGBTQ+ Muslim organization. 

Woman who inspired Madonna’s character in A League of Their Own comes out at 95. Maybelle Blair, who inspired Madonna’s character “All the Way Mae” in the 1992 film A League of Their Own, was promoting the TV reboot when she opened up about her sexuality at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. Blair says that many of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players were gay in real life. 

Angelica Ross will be the first openly transgender actress to play Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. Ross will assume the role in her Broadway debut for eight weeks starting on September 12th. Most well-known for playing Candy on Pose, she will join a groundbreaking group of openly trans performers in principal roles on Broadway. 

Two male flamingos in England raise abandoned chick. Zookeepers held the egg in an incubator and then gave it to Hudson and Blaze, the same-sex bonded pair, to hatch. The flamingo dads took turns sitting on it until it hatched. Same-sex flamingo pairs are not unusual, and the Whipsnade Zoo has even had three birds coupling a nest as a trio. 

Brandi Carlile launches radio show featuring LGBTQ+ artists. The show will air on the first Wednesday of every month at 2pm on The Spectrum, with Carlile and her wife, Catherine, curating the music. It will focus on LGBTQ+ artists and allies, with music and interviews from influential queer musicians.

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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