Court Matters

Federal Appeals Court throws out suit by cisgender female athletes challenging trans-inclusive athletic policies. The appeals court ruled that the four cisgender high school girls in Connecticut who brought the suit lacked standing and that their argument that competing against trans girls put them at a disadvantage was unfounded. The opinion noted that all four plaintiffs had won several competitive events, even when competing against trans athletes.

Openly trans attorneys admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. In a historic ceremony, 10 attorneys, all openly transgender, were sworn in to be a part of a distinguished group of lawyers allowed to practice before the Supreme Court.

Federal Matters

President Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law. Thousands of LGBTQ+ people, families and allies, including PFLAG families and PFLAG National staff, attended the signing ceremony for the bill, which will protect same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level. 

Senate passes omnibus funding bill with bipartisan vote. The $1.7 Trillion spending bill, which passed the Senate on December 22nd with a vote of 68-29, funds the government through Fiscal Year 2023, averting a possible shutdown. It also includes aid to Ukraine and provisions updating the Electoral Vote Count Act in an attempt to avoid the events of January 6th in the future. 

House Oversight Committee holds hearing on anti-LGBTQ+ violence and extremism. Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) dedicated the session’s final hearing to hearing from organization leaders and survivors from Club Q and Pulse to point out anti-LGBTQ+ state actions and rhetoric fueling targeted violence. 

Former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III to serve as Special Envoy to Northern Ireland. President Biden announced Congressman Kennedy’s appointment on December 19th.

State Matters

DC - Mural honoring trans woman unveiled. Ms. Earline Budd, a black trans woman, DC resident, and longtime advocate for trans women and about HIV in DC, is depicted in a new mural on H Street by DC artist Shani Shih.  

Kentucky - Representative pre-files two anti-trans bills. Rep. Bill Wesley (R- Ravenna) pre-filed  both bills, one of which would ban trans students from using bathrooms which conform with their gender identity, while the other would ban non-binary gender markers on any state documents. 

New York - Protest against a drag queen story hour leads to arrests. Two protesters were arrested after breaking into the apartment building of a New York City councilman who helped organize the drag queen story hour at a local library. 

New York appeals court rules Yeshiva University must recognize student pride group. The court rejected the university’s argument that they should be granted an exception to New York City’s human rights law, holding that the law is generally applicable and neutral. 

Texas - AG Ken Paxton requested list of Texans who have changed their gender on their drivers licenses in the past two years. The behind-the-scenes request came to the Texas Department Public Safety (DPS) in June, who advised Paxton’s office that the data they requested could not be accurately produced and therefore was not provided. No reason for the request was given by the Attorney General’s office. 

Vermont - Openly trans state representative gets engaged at Respect for Marriage signing ceremony. Taylor Small, Vermont’s first openly transgender lawmaker, got engaged to her partner of nearly four years, Carsen Russell, just moments after the RMA was signed into law.

Global Matters

Barbados - High Court strikes down law banning same-sex relations. Barbados is the third Caribbean country to overturn such laws this year, which were created during the colonial era. 

Chile - Trans activist murdered. Claudia Diaz Perez was found dead in her home in Cartagena. Police are investigating her death as a homicide and possible hate crime. Diaz was the president of an organization serving trans elders in Chile.  

India - Four same-sex couples ask Supreme Court to recognize same-sex marriages. The Court decriminalized sexual relations between people of the same-sex in 2018, but the LGBTQ+ community in India still lacks the right to marry. 

Poland - President Duda vetoes anti-LGBTQ+ education bill. The bill would have limited sex education and anti-bullying classes in Polish schools. The President cited letters he received opposing the bill in his veto message. 

UK - Scottish court rules in favor of inclusion of trans women on public boards to improve gender balance. The Court held that the Scottish government’s interpretation of the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act of 2018 to include trans women in the definition of “woman” was valid, rejecting a challenge by a group called “For Women Scotland”.

Media Matters

Former MLB pitcher comes out and announces engagement to his partner. T.J. House, who pitched for the Cleveland Indians (now called the Cleveland Guardians) and the Toronto Blue Jays, came out publicly in a Facebook post. House is the third former MLB player to come out.  

Sally Field plays affirming mother of a gay son in Spoiler Alert. PFLAG National is partnering on this film, in which Field—also the mother of a gay son in real life—plays the mother of a gay man. 

Cambridge dictionary adds trans inclusive definition of “woman.” The dictionary defines “woman” as “an adult female human” or “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.” 

IOC announces new rules for transgender athletes ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics.  Rather than basing eligibility on hormone levels, the IOC ruled that they will leave the final eligibility criteria decision to each sport’s governing body expected to consider ethical, social, cultural, and legal factors before making decisions.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler’s nephew responds to her tearful plea that the House of Representatives reject the Respect for Marriage Act. Andrew Hartzler supports the RMA and writes about growing up as a gay man in a conservative family and the importance of guaranteed protections for the LGBTQ+ community. 

LGBTQ+ stories prominently featured in first Children’s and Family Emmy Awards. “Heartstopper,” an LGBTQ+ teen drama, won numerous awards, along with many other LGBTQ+ centered stories.

PFLAG National 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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