Protester.io launched its campaign to take down the White House’s website whitehouse.gov on inauguration day, Jan. 20. On that day, hundreds of thousands of Americans are going to Washington, D.C. to march in protest of the inauguration of Donald Trump. Millions more around the country will be joining the cause from home. For those who cannot make it to the nation’s capitol on inauguration day, one can still participate by occupying whitehouse.gov online.
info: protester.io. whitehouse.gov.
On Dec. 31 in Fort Worth, Texas, a judge issued a court order which barred the enforcement of an Obama Administration policy which sought to extend anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act to transgender health and abortion-related services, Reuters reported.
info: reuters.com.
Squirt.org has found chemsex, also known as Party and Play (PNP) or drug-fueled sex, is prevalent with 30 percent of survey respondents admitting that they have engaged in the activity.
info: squirt.com.
An article published by The National Law Journal by NHeLP Board member Donald Verrilli, Jr., and Executive Director Elizabeth G. Taylor regarding the effort in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is available to download in PDF from the NHeLP website. “Americans deserve to have the president-elect and the Republicans in Congress tell them the truth about what will happen to them after the ACA is repealed,” Verrilli and Taylor wrote. “And they deserve it now, not after their health care has been stripped from them.”
info: healthlaw.org.
Soulforce has released a video explaining what it means when it is said that the organization’s collective mandate is to “sabotage Christian supremacy.”
info: soulforce.org.
“My Sister Is So Gay” will premiere on Jan. 22 and stars Loni Anderson. It is distributed by tellofilms.
info: tellofilms.com.
The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation is soliciting submissions for its 2017 Playwriting Competition, beginning March 1. All works must be based on, or inspired by, history and must concern LGBTQ life. There is no entry fee. Prizes are: first prize, $3,000; second prize, $1,500; and honorable mentions, $500. Prizewinners will be announced before the end of the year.
info: aabbfoundation.org.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported the first homicide of a transgender/gender non-conforming person in 2017. Mesha Caldwell, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Canton, Miss. on Jan. 4.
info: avp.org.
Equality California has called on the LGBT community and allies to support Planned Parenthood.
info: eqca.org.
A statement issued by Philip F. Anschutz, owner of AEG said, “Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news — it is all garbage. I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation. We are fortunate to employ a wealth of diverse individuals throughout our family of companies, all of whom are important to us — the only criteria on which they are judged is the quality of their job performance; we do not tolerate discrimination in any form.”
info: aegworldwide.com.
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a new global marketing and advertising campaign on Jan. 9 featuring three transgender models, and will become the world’s first destination to use transgender models in mainstream destination advertising.
info: broward.org.
Kiehl’s Since 1851 has announced a partnership with multi-JUNO Award-winning Canadian performers Tegan and Sara. This association will allow customers and fans across the country to support The Tegan and Sara foundation, whose mission is to ensure that the youth of the LGBTQ community in Canada feels comfortable in their skin, regardless of socio-economic circumstances or cultural background; and have access to the right resources through their school or community.
info: kiehls.ca.
In light of the unprecedented threat to LGBT civil rights represented by the incoming Donald Trump Administration and 115th Congress, Equality California announced that it has hired its first national policy director, veteran political strategist Valerie Ploumpis. Ploumpis will lead Equality California’s legislative and administrative programs in Washington, D.C.
info: eqca.org.
GLSEN released state snapshots from the most recent national school climate survey on U.S. middle and high schools.
info: glsen.org.
White supremacist Milo Yiannopolous, notorious for his misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and racist rants, announced he had signed a $250,000 book deal with the Simon and Schuster imprint Threshold Editions, Lambda Literary reported. It added, “While publishers undeniably have the right to acquire and profit from any book they wish, they also bear an essential responsibility to promote civil discourse and reject hate speech that is often a precursor to violence. Even as publishers tout the diversity of voices they publish, they should not enable the work of a writer whose diatribes bludgeon women, transgender people, queer people, people of color, or anyone else.”
info: lambdaliterary.org.
The February/March issue of the The Advocate, “Time to Panic: Being LGBT in Trump’s America,” looks ahead at America in the age of Trump. “What should we do when America — the standard-bearer of freedom — elects an anti-LGBT demagogue? Panic, yes. Then fight like hell,” the publication said. Following the 2016 Presidential election, Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen turned to LGBT advocate Larry Kramer for guidance on turning despair into action.
info: advocate.com.
The Gentlemen’s Foundation, an organization that works to positively impact the lives of gay men of all ages throughout America, said it was saddened by the recent remarks and outlash made from the pulpit by Pastor Kim Burrell against the LGBT community.
info: thegentlemensfoundation.org.
A new survey by luxury LGBT-friendly travel company OutOfOffice.com has shown that LGBTQ travelers plan to set their Out Of Office memo almost three times more in 2017 than their straight counterparts and are likely to be happier as a result.
info: outofoffice.com.
InterPride is now accepting submissions for Educational Programming for the 2017 InterPride AGM and World Conference.
info: interpride.org.
OutServe-SLDN applauded President Obama’s action in reappointing Brenda “Sue” Fulton to another term to the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy and appointing Bridget D. Altenburg to her first term.
info: outserve.org.
Eight-year-old Joe Maldonado was kicked out of Cub Scouts because of his status as a transgender boy. Scouts for Equality stated, “We are deeply saddened by the actions of the BSA. Only a little over a year after their historic policy change allowing gay Scouters, we’re seeing the BSA begin to discriminate on the basis of gender identity.”
info: scoutsforequality.org.
On Jan. 7, Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders cut the ribbon on an eight-bedroom transitional house for homeless LGBTQ youth between the ages of 18 and 24 in Washington, D.C.
info: smyal.org.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) kicked off 2017 with new leadership on its board of directors. At its December meeting the board voted in Richard J. Yurko as the new president, Joyce Kauffman as the vice president, Darian Butcher as the clerk, and David Hayter as the treasurer. Yurko replaces Dianne Phillips, who served as board chair for the past five years, and who will remain on the board.
info: glad.org.
DatingBackend Inc.’s has launched its TSScene dating website especially for transgender individuals.
info: tsscene.com.