1+ hour, 8+ min ago (1246+ words) The inaugural Black Queer Visionaries Summit was "not about reacting to struggle, but rather a proactive and intentional gathering." It may come as a surprise to people living outside of the American South that the majority of LGBTQ+ Americans reside in this region. Ask any LGBTQ+ person living in the coastal U.S. their thoughts about the experiences of queer people in deep red states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, and their reaction is likely to be a combination of fear and sympathy. Sure, some queer people flee the South for more politically and socially progressive states. But others remain and commit themselves to creating a future that is welcoming and affirming of all people, especially Black queer folks who still choose to call the South home." "The creation of BQVS was our declaration that we have always been here, and we…...

3+ hour, 8+ min ago (1383+ words) Trans girls' future in school sports may rest upon whoever succeeds Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor's race in California is heating up as multiple candidates from both parties vie to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in January 2027. Transgender rights figure prominently in a campaign colored by Newsom's own evolving position on the issue. The term-limited governor and all-but-declared candidate for president in 2028 is charting a serpentine course around the demands of trans rights activists and those voters who are open to a populist Democratic message but alienated by a "woke culture" weaponized against the left by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. Newsom shocked many supporters when he agreed earlier this year with Charlie Kirk, a guest on Newsom's podcast (months before the young MAGA conservative influencer was killed), that trans student-athletes competing against girls was "deeply unfair.I think it's an…...

19+ hour, 8+ min ago (1812+ words) I'm ready to confront the reality of this shocking family secret. Of all the readings of fiction my high school English teachers assigned to me, the one that has stuck in my mind, haunting me over the past 60+ years, is "A Rose for Emily" by the great Southern writer William Faulkner. The short story takes place in Faulkner's fictional town of Jefferson, Mississippi, in the correspondingly fictional county of Yoknapatawpha. Faulkner uses the technique of telling the story in the third person through an anonymous narrator, which increases the tension and mystery surrounding the events portrayed. The story begins with the narrator recalling Emily Grierson's death as many of the town's residents attended her funeral in her once refined and grand home, which had fallen into disrepair. While alive, Emily had not permitted any of these folks to enter the…...

21+ hour, 8+ min ago (891+ words) "hell yeah I love Public TRANSit," said one delighted rider. Trans Angelenos got a side of public support this month to go along with their Thanksgiving meal in the form of transit passes commemorating Transgender Awareness Month in November. A limited-edition Transit Access Pass (TAP) from Los Angeles" Metro features the pink, white, and baby blue colors of the transgender flag, rendered in a ribbon pattern that dances across the wallet-sized card. One happy transit user wrote via Threads, "DUDE my best friend went out of his way and got me this limited edition transgender awareness LA Metro card!! now i get to use my trans transit card every time I visit home!!! im so happy " In a press release touting the commemorative card, LA Metro described Transgender Awareness Month as "a time that aims to uplift transgender and nonbinary…...

23+ hour, 8+ min ago (955+ words) For parents of color, advocating for their kids means fighting both transphobia & racism. Rainbow in Black wants to help families through it all. "There are questions that you don't even know to ask because you don't know what you don't know," Chukumba tells LGBTQ Nation. "You don't know what to do. You don't know where to go. You don't know who to call." "I recognize that it's entirely possible for people to just be oblivious," he says. "But then there is an intentionality behind people's behavior, where they think: We don't have to respect your wishes because you're Black, and Black people know that. We know what it is for a person to look at you and decide they're not going to do what you ask because you're Black." Chukumba co-founded Rainbow in Black with two other parents of trans…...

1+ day, 1+ hour ago (835+ words) Three gay icons," one social media user cheered after seeing Bailey dance with Bert and Ernie. Wicked: For Good star Jonathan Bailey stopped by Sesame Street recently for a dance party with longtime male roommates Bert and Ernie, and LGBTQ+ fans have been eating up the queer subtext. The clip, posted to the long-running children's educational show's social media accounts on November 18, finds the out actor cutting a rug with Ernie as his grouchy roommate" Bert tries to read. But apparently Bert is a big fan of the Bridgerton and Fellow Travelers star, who was recently named People magazine's first-ever out gay Sexiest Man Alive. Is that Jonathan Bailey?" the star-struck, unibrowed Muppet, Ernie, asks. We're dancing through life, Bert!" Bailey says, referencing his character's big number in Wicked. Bert quickly joins in on the fun, joking that Bailey has…...

1+ day, 3+ hour ago (760+ words) The U.S. government will no longer commemorate December 1 as World AIDS Day, the State Department recently notified its workers. The U.S. has commemorated the international observance annually since 1988, including every year of the current president's first term. An email to State Department workers notified employees and grant recipients not to publicly promote the day "through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging" nor to use U.S. government funds towards any World AIDS Day observances, The New York Times reported. The email said employees and grantees could still mention various anti-HIV programs and attend World AIDS Day events. The email also reportedly said that the current U.S. government's policy is "to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day." However, the current president has signed proclamations for various awareness days and other commemorative observances. World AIDS…...

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (829+ words) After three consecutive years of failing to pass a ban, Florida is trying yet again. For the fourth year running, Florida representatives have introduced bills hoping to ban Pride flags from government buildings and schools. Despite previous bills failing every year before ever receiving a floor vote in the past, Florida politicians are once again pushing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the hopes that this time it will be different. "Floridians deserve leaders focused on solving real problems, not weaponizing government to erase LGBTQ people from public life," Saunders added. "We've defeated this bill before, and we will defeat it again." The Florida Pride flag ban is a pre-file for the 2026 legislative session, making it one of the first anti-LGBTQ+ bills for next year. Identical copies of the bill were submitted to both the Florida House (H.B. 347, introduced by State Rep. David Borrero)…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago (881+ words) November 2025: Parents of trans kids: A force to be reckoned with "I could feel how I had failed my child," said one mom of a trans son. In a partnership with filmmaker Brooke Sebold, LGBTQ+ advocacy organization PFLAG has launched a five-episode video series called I Changed My Mind. Each short documentary film focuses on a single story that examines understandings of LGBTQ+ identities and the space needed for someone's opinions to evolve over time. "Stories have the power to challenge assumptions, build bridges, and inspire change," said Sebold. "This series brings to life the deeply personal transformations that can happen when people are willing to listen, reflect, and open themselves up to love." Through the real stories told in the I Changed My Mind series, PFLAG hopes it can help people "embrace empathy and step into authenticity." While political…...

1+ day, 23+ hour ago (783+ words) We asked parents of trans youth to share what the world doesn't understand about their kids. They had a lot to say. Stories of anti-trans vitriol dominate the media, which makes it easy to forget just how many folks out there give endless love and support to the trans people in their lives. Every day, hundreds of thousands of parents across the country fight with all their might to provide their trans kids with love, hope, and a community of support. They fight to shield their kids from pain and to make them feel proud of who they are. The'November Issue'of'LGBTQ Nation'celebrates the incredible parents uplifting their trans children at one of the most challenging times in history for the community. It highlights the passionate, furious, and exhausting behind-the-scenes work these unsung heroes do to give their kids the lives…...