South Carolina is driving queer students away
South Carolina is an increasingly hostile place for queer people to live, especially trans youth and their parents. According to OutLeadership, the Palmetto State is one of the five worst states in the nation for LGBTQ+ people. In the fall of 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of a youth identified as…
Parental rights at risk
If you are not the biological parent of the child you and your same sex spouse had together and you haven’t done an adoption, you are at risk, even if you are on the birth certificate. Although not a North Carolina case, look up Oklahoma Wilson and Williams v Vaughn. It is heartbreaking. A similar…
LGBTQ+ youth organizations and support in the Carolinas
Every LGBTQ+ young person deserves access to affirming spaces where they can find support, build community and be themselves. This guide highlights some of the organizations, community centers and PFLAG chapters serving LGBTQ+ youth and families in North and South Carolina. Whether you’re looking for a support group, mental health resources or family support, these…
Trans families sue SC over law blocking gender-affirming care
House Bill 4624 was signed into law by SC Governor Henry McMaster on May 21. Credit: Facebook In opposition of a recent ruling that bans gender-affirming healthcare in South Carolina, transgender residents are suing the state to stop the new law. Signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster on May 21, House Bill 4624 prevents…
Two LGBTQ+ organizations file Title IX Complaint against Moore County Schools
After the removal of a children’s book featuring gay parents, Moore County Schools is facing a Title IX complaint filed by two groups — PFLAG Southern Pines and Public School Advocates. The complaint alleges the school system violated students’ rights by “targeting LGBTQ+ content for censorship and removal from instruction, from the classroom and from…
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education
The search for an LGBTQ-friendly college remains difficult
For nearly two decades, LGBTQ+ students looking for a college could turn to the Campus Pride Index for something most college rankings didn’t provide: a way to evaluate how welcoming and safe a campus might actually be for them. Launched in 2007, the free database evaluated participating colleges on more than 50 measures across eight…
arts & culture
Outer Banks Pridefest celebrates 15 years
Outer Banks Pridefest is celebrating 15 years of Pride on the beach with a weekend of drag, live music and LGBTQ+ community Sept. 11–13. The weekend begins Friday, Sept. 11, with the Out at Sea Sunset Cruise aboard the Crystal Dawn. The cruise departs Pirate’s Cove Marina at 5 p.m. for a two-hour trip around…
hiv
Trump ends direct HIV prevention grants
The Trump administration is ending direct federal funding for dozens of community-based organizations that provide HIV prevention services, instead redirecting those funds to state and local health departments. Earlier this month, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it will not renew approximately $46 million…
