GBTQ immigrants top 1.3 million
The Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law reported findings from research that showed that 1.3 million adult immigrants in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ individuals.
info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.
MMAA supports review
The Modern Military Association of American said that it fully supports Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s issuance of a 90-day civilian-led, independent review commission on sexual assault and harassment in the military.
info: modernmilitary.org.
WAF seeks survey participants
We Are Family has issued a call for participants to take a survey to gather feedback from those who participated in a program or service offered by the organization. This is open to youth, parents, volunteers and GSA advisors. A giveaway of $50 Visa gift cards will be presented to 10 randomly selected individuals who complete the program assessment. Visit bit.ly/3kysAat to provide feedback.
info: waf.org.
Legal org launches national campaign
Lambda Legal has launched its ONE Lambda Legal grassroots campaign which is aimed at uniting volunteers across the U.S. with the goal of funding critical legal and policy work of the organization.
info: lambdalegal.org.
Chorus releases musical video
The Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus has created a YouTube musical video of love songs performed over the last three years. This was done as part of Valentine’s Day recognition. Watch it online at youtube.com/watch?v=o3xkQteL4yc.
info: tgmchorus.org.
PrEP users discontinue usage
A new study from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law found that a significant increase in familiarity with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among gay and bisexual men. However, one-third of gay and bisexual men who were taking PrEP discontinued use over a three-year period. The data was derived from the Generations Study.
info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.
Org supports Repeal Act
NMAC has issued its endorsement of the REPEAL Act. “The REPEAL Act will advance efforts to finally modernize laws surrounding those living with HIV/AIDS and, if enacted, will afford those Americans the right to privacy,” said Paul Kawata, executive director for NMAC. “We know that disclosure laws are rooted in an old model aimed towards punishing HIV-positive Americans. Those same laws create tremendous barriers for Americans living with HIV, including those serving in our Armed Forces. More importantly, these laws deter self-reliance health practices, which we know is the most effective way of stopping the spread of HIV,” Kawata added.
info: nmac.org.
Nightlife relief initiative launched
As a result of the challenges faced by COVID-19, GayCities has launched the GayCities’ LGBTQ Nightlife Relief Fund on GoFundMe to help save LGBTQ venues across the U.S. Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to help LGBTQ nightlife venues across the country stay afloat by offering financial support to their employees and paying for ongoing business expenses. Until the fund is depleted, donations will be paid out as one-time $500 matching grants to qualifying LGBTQ venues that include the hashtag #savequeervenues in newly created fundraisers or who already had an existing GoFundMe. Applications are available online at bit.ly/2Pgu5yB and criteria is available for review at gofundme.com/f/savequeerspaces.
info: gofundme.com/c/act/save-queer-venues.
HRC prez comments on Gallup Poll
A growing percentage of adults in the U.S. are LGBTQ identifying. In response, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David released the following statement: “This poll confirms what we have long known — that the LGBTQ community is powerful and a growing force in the United States, and around the world. Young adults, in particular, feel empowered to publicly claim their identities — a compelling finding and validation for the past generations of LGBTQ advocates who have long fought for full equality. As a growing percentage of the population comes out as LGBTQ, it only amplifies the need for the Equality Act to be passed through Congress swiftly and with bipartisan support in order to secure consistent and explicit anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across all areas of life.”
info: hrc.org.
RYE fellows named
The 2021 Rural Youth Empowerment Fellowship through Equality North Carolina has named its new class members for 2021. They are: Devin Green, a a transmasculine junior at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where he is a political science major (pre-law concentration) and a member of the Honors College. Devin’s project is dedicated to making the overall campus environment at UNC-Pembroke more inclusive by bridging the gap between campus administration and LGBTQ students; Beck Martens, a social worker and co-chair of the board of Youth Outright. Their project, «Unraveled,” will be an anti-racist educational programming for LGBTQIA+ youth in Western North Carolina that focuses on how racism and the ideology of white supremacy is the root of all oppression in the U.S. and is pervasive within LGBTQIA+ culture; and Cassius Guthrie, a Neurobiology student at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. His project focuses on building a more inclusive and accessible sexual education to supplement the current curriculum. This will be done by creating YouTube videos that center subjects that are often left out of the sexual education curriculum to give youth a better understanding of sex, identity and the intersections of the two.
info: enc.org.
Abortion ban blocked in S.C.
In response to the lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Greenville Women’s Clinic, a judge has temporarily blocked South Carolina’s dangerous six-week abortion ban.
info: ppsat.org.
Pride Link welcomes new interns
Pride Link in Upstate South Carolina has announced the names of its Spring 2021 semester interns. They are: Alexis Atkins, Marketing, a University of South Carolina Upstate communications student graduating in the fall; Helen Loazia, Outreach & Education, a USC graduate in marketing degree; and Grayce French, Fundraising & Program Development, a Clemson University Psychology graduate and Masters of Public Admin student at Villanova University.
info: pridelink.org.
Org names new ED
MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health and Rights has selected Andrew Spieldenner Ph.D., currently associate professor in the Department of Communication at California State University – San Marcos, as its next executive director.
info: mpactglobal.org.
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