The Arcus Leadership Foundation has opened its application season for 2017 cohorts. Fellowships are open to early-stage executive directors of LGBTQ and allied non-profit organizations based in the U.S.
info: arcusfoundation.org.
Jazz Jennings, transgender star of TLC’s docuseries “I Am Jazz,” will take form as the newest play doll created by Tonner Doll Company. The 18” portrait doll was designed and sculpted by doll artist Robert Tonner. The doll will be available at speciality stores in July.
info: tonnerdoll.com.
The Williams Institute has reported that 94,700 LGBTQ individuals who worked in Tennessee lack statewide protections against ongoing employment discrimination, according to “Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Tennessee.”
info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.
The “Love is Love” anthology is being brought to library patrons by hoopla digital and is a collection of over 100 short graphic stories written and designed by more than 200 comics-industry-leading writers and artists, in addition to celebrities from across pop culture, in response to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. in June 2016. With a valid library card, patrons can use hoopla digital’s app or website to instantly stream or download this bestselling anthology, as well as over 600,000 eBooks, audiobooks, comics, albums, and movies.
info: hoopladigital.com/title/11811980.
Susan Sarandon is playing gay icon Bette Davis in Ryan Murphy’s “Feud: Bette and Joan” which will air on FX on March 5. The series also stars Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford.
info: fxnetworks.com.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has reported that the number of hate groups in the U.S. rose for a second year in a row in 2016 as the radical right was energized by the candidacy of Donald Trump. The data was gathered from the center’s annual census of hate groups and other extremist organizations.
info: splcenter.org.
Photographer Tom Atwood will release his book “Kings & Queen in Their Castles” in April. The series has been called the most ambitious photo project ever conducted of the LGBTQ experience in the U.S. For over 15 years, Atwood photographed more than 350 subjects at their homes nationwide (with over 160 featured in the book), including nearly 100 celebrities (with about 60 who appear in the book). Among those depicted are Meredith Baxter, Alan Cumming, Don Lemon, John Waters, George Takei, Alison Bechdel, Barney Frank, Don Bachardy, Billy Porter, Ari Shapiro, Arthur Tress, Michael Urie, Greg Louganis, Charles Busch, Kate Clinton, Dan Savage, Tommy Tune, Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan, Leslie Jordan, Anthony Rapp, John Berendt, Bruce Vilanch, John Corigliano, Anthony Goicolea, Elizabeth Streb, Michael Musto, Carson Kressley, Joel Schumacher, Christian Siriano, John Ashbery, Terrence McNally and Christine Vachon.
info: tomatwood.com.
The Provincetown, Mass. Board of Selectmen unanimously adopted a proclamation on Feb. 13 upholding the values of equality, inclusivity, respect and dignity. It vowed to build bridges, not walls. The city saw the Mayflower Compact drafted and adopted in 1620. It was also the location where the first U.S. same-sex marriage licenses were issued in 2004.
info: provincetown-ma.gov.
A joint modeling study by The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that for gay and bisexual men, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, along with testing for and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, can reduce not only HIV, but also some STIs, even in the presence of some reductions in condom usage. The findings were presented at the 2017 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Wash.
info: cdc.gov.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has thrown its endorsement to Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan in his bid for the council’s presidency due to his support of diverse neighborhoods.
info: victoryfund.org.
The Bisexual Resource Center in Boston, Mass. will celebrate Bisexual Health Awareness Month in March. Throughout the month, the center will partner with various LGBTQ+ organizations, including the BiCast, BiNetUSA, Bi Tennessee, COLAGE, GLSEN, the Movement Advancement Project, the National Coalition for LGBT Health and the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTI Health to feature statistics, resources and action across various spheres of social health.
info: biresource.org. bihealthmonth.org.
Equality Florida has applauded the passage of LGBTQ protections in Jacksonville, Fla. A Republican-majority city council approved citywide LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance. Afterward, the mayor, a Republican, said he would sign it into law.
info: eqfl.org.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the estimated number of annual HIV infections (HIV incidence) nationally, by transmission route, and by state from 2008-2014 in the U.S. The findings were presented at the 2017 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Wash. and highlight the nation’s progress in addressing the HIV epidemic, but also point to the need for continued HIV prevention efforts.
info: cdc.gov.
Richmond photographer Michael Simon has captured images of LGBTQ families at various locations through the Richmond, Va. area in his “One Love: LGBT Families” exhibit at the Valentine Museum, OutRVA reported. The exhibit “provides us with a great way to showcase to visitors the wonderfully diverse community that we enjoy here in the Richmond Region,” said Katherine O’Donnell, vice president of community relations at Richmond Region Tourism. “Through OutRVA, we’re spreading the message that the Richmond Region is a welcoming and diverse community. This exhibit helps us tell that part of the Richmond story in a beautiful, thought-provoking way.”
info: valentine.org. richmondisout.com. visitrichmondva.com.
The Point Foundation will open its scholarship application process on March 1 to help LGBTQ students transfer to a four-year degree program, the through its Community College Scholarship.
info: pointfoundation.org/communitycollege.
The Board of Directors of CenterLink announced that it has appointed Lora Tucker as the organization’s new chief executive officer.
info: lgbtcenters.org.
New York City Gay Men’s Chorus announced that El Coro Gay de Ciudad de México will be guest stars at Big Gay Sing, its annual sing-along extravaganza from March 24-26 at New York University Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
info: nycgmc.org.
The Seattle, Wash. LGBT Executive Director Roundtable has received support from 1st Security Bank of Washington. The group consists of 18-25 LGBTQ executive directors who meet twice monthly with a facilitator.
info: fabwa.com.
Businessman, magazine publisher, patron of the arts and philanthropist Salah Bachir has been named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Toronto, Canada.
info: afpnet.org.
The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus increased its membership from 53 members to 102 members this year.
info: victoryfund.org.
ClexaCon has announced that a portion of the proceeds from Cocktails for Change will benefit the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for economic justice, health, and representation equality for LGBTQ girls and women, with a deep commitment to racial and transgender inclusivity. ClexaCon unites LGBTQ women and allies to celebrate representative characters and stories, connecting thousands at the event’s party.
info: clexacon.com.
Equality Illinois announced its 2017 legislative agenda, a package of bills to advance the civil rights protections of LGBTQ Illinoisans in the criminal justice system, improve representation on public boards and commissions and assist transgender Illinoisans. The package includes banning panic defense, ensuring equal jury service, visibility on state boards and modernizing birth certificate changes.
info: eqil.org.
Frameline, an LGBTQ media arts non-profit, announced the expansion of its Youth In Motion program to 1,020 registered schools nationwide. Youth in Motion serves over 20,000 students in all 50 states through distribution of LGBTQ films plus professionally created curriculum at absolutely no charge.
info: frameline.org.
The Ford Foundation and AIDS United have provided support to 23 organizations in nine Deep South states heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS to fight the HIV epidemic by addressing the disparities and social injustices that fuel the epidemic. The initiative’s award was $1.4 million. By adopting an intersectional approach, Southern REACH grantees will advance the rights, health and dignity of people affected by HIV in their communities.
info: aidsunited.org.
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium, has opened the application process for the second annual Best-of-the-Best list of corporations in America committed to diversity and inclusion across all minority communities. Forty companies will receive the exclusive Best-of-the-Best Corporation for Inclusion designation in 2017.
info: nglcc.org.
Soulforce has announced the addition of Sara Green and Monica Carmean, co-chairs, and Jason Tseng and Larry McGuire to its board of directors.
info: soulforce.org.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has released its “Year in Hate and Extremism” report, featuring its annual count of hate and extremist groups in the U.S.
info: splcenter.org.
LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education has announced its third annual institute, slated for June 23-25 in Seattle, Wash., which is designed to support LGBTQ leaders who are looking to advance within higher education.
info: lgbtpresidentinst17.org.
The award-winning documentary “Kings, Queens, & In-Betweens” will have its theatrical release on March 3. The film focuses on the drag kings, drag queens and transgender performers in Columbus, Ohio. It will have its national VOD launch on March 7.
info: kingsqueensinbetweens.com.
The SF LGBT Center announced that it has launched #HireTrans, a mass transit PSA campaign aimed at encouraging employers to hire transgender workers.
info: sfcenter.org.
Outfest, the Los Angeles-based non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting LGBTQ media, announced its lineup for the 2017 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival which will be held from March 1-7.
info: outfest.org/fusion2017.
Shiloh Heavenly Quine, a transgender woman who is an inmate in California, has become the first incarcerated person to receive state-funded transgender care that includes gender confirmation surgery.
info: pbs.org.
GLMA shared that The Gerontologist released a special issue supplement entitled “Aging with Pride: National Health, and Sexuality/Gender Study.” The issue contains 10 articles focusing on topics such as resilience among HIV-positive older men, life events, and military services among transgender adults.
info: bit.ly/2lxoeoj.
A new study, “Incarceration Rates and Traits of Sexual Minorities in the United States: National Inmate Survey, 2011–2012,” by scholars at the Williams Institute found that sexual minorities are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates, and once incarcerated are more likely to experience mistreatment, harsh punishment and sexual victimization.
info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s sexual orientation has been attacked by a political action committee for Sheriff David Clark for U.S. Senate, The Huffington Post reported.
info: huffingtonpost.com.
Juana Mora Cedeño and Tamara Adrián will be the plenary speakers at World OutGames Miami 2017’s Global Conference on Human Rights.
info: outgames.org.
“BWOY” will premiere in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 31. The LGBTQ drama follows Brad O’Connor, who, after the death of his son, becomes entangled in a chaotic and passionate online love affair with Yenny, a young Jamaican man. It is produced by Breaking Glass Pictures. The company recently released “Fall,” which stars Michael Murphy and tells the story of an aging Catholic priest who receives a letter confronting him about a time he and a teenage boy spent together 40 years in the past.
info: bgpics.com.
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will hold its International Business & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. from Aug. 1-4. Early bird registration is available through April 15.
info: nglcc.org.
Young men who have sex with men (YMSM), particularly racial/ethnic minorities and youth living in socio-economically disadvantaged communities, are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic in the U.S. according to researchers at The University of Pennsylvania. By examining multi-level studies for evidence of how “geospatial indicators are associated with HIV prevention and care outcomes” for YMSM, a new study, “Geospatial Indicators of Space and Place: A Review of Multilevel Studies of HIV Prevention and Care Outcomes Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States,” proposes strategies to intensify prevention efforts in communities where HIV is heavily concentrated.
info: upenn.edu.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights, together with Ropes & Gray LLP and Arkansas attorney Cheryl Maples, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review an Arkansas Supreme Court decision denying equal treatment to children born to married same-sex parents.
info: nclrights.org.
InterPride has issued a call for contributions to its Solidarity Fund, which provides grants for emerging events and organizations around the globe. The deadline for 2017 is March 20. The fund’s goal is $20,000 and the campaign is open to InterPride members, friends and individuals.
info: interpride.org.
The 12th edition of TLVFest will take place from June 1-10 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The film festival is the only LGBTQ event of its kind in the Middle East.
info: tlvfest.com/tlv/he/en.
The Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch will be held on May 21 in Washington, D.C.
info: victoryfund.org.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study reporting that of the 1.3 million LGB U.S. high school students, 8 percent are five times more likely to experiment with hard drugs and are more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers.
info: cdc.gov.
National Geographic’s two-hour documentary, “Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric,” is available for viewing on National Geographic’s website.
info: on.natgeo.com/2kCSmOK.
On Feb. 6, Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymembers Todd Gloria and David Chiu joined people living with HIV, HIV and health service providers, civil rights organizations and public health professionals to announce a bill to modernize California laws that criminalize and stigmatize people living with HIV.
info: eqca.org.
The Global Forum on MSM & HIV has endorsed the “Consensus Statement on Risk of Sexual Transmission of HIV from a Person Living with HIV Who Has an Undetectable Viral Load.”
info: msmgf.org.
The Williams Institute estimates that there are over 75,000 LGBT students eligible for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act in the U.S. and over 36,000 have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status, including 24,000 who renewed in the program.
info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.