US Representative Becca Balint of Vermont joined over 1,100 LGBTQ+ leaders, celebrities and influencers in signing a letter in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’s run for President. “The community is sending a message loud and clear: we are united in support of the experienced, tough, pro-equality Vice President Kamala Harris and will do everything it takes to defeat Donald Trump and JD Vance,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson.  “The hope and energy we are feeling right now is real. We have the opportunity to not simply vote against the Trump Proje ..read more

Despite the backlash currently threatening LGBTQ+ people in the United States, a new report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law indicates significant progress in the number of countries with LGBTI-inclusive laws and policies over time.   In 1990, 57% of countries around the world had few or no legal protections based on sexual orientation (SO), and 90% of countries had few or no protections based on gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics (GIESC). In 2023, the proportion of countries without legal protections based on [sexual orientation] had dropped to 30 ..read more

OUT Maine has received a grant from the Equity Fund of the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) to expand and strengthen the network of Gay, Straight, and Transgender Alliance (GSTA) programs in schools across Maine. “As queer youth discover who they are, they often face the risk of isolation o losing part of their community when they come out. The GSTA network help youth find healthy relationships and spaces where it’s safe and celebrated to be their authentic selves,” says Cassie Cooper, School Engagement Coordinator at OUT Maine. “This grant will help me travel across Maine to provide progr ..read more

[This article appears in the July/August 2024 print issue of Boston Spirit magazine. Subscribe for free today.] There are a few popular complaints that people have about politics. One is that politicians are inauthentic. Another is that a few votes won’t make a big difference.  Enter Emmett Soldati, who is ready to prove both counts wrong.  Soldati is no establishment New Hampshire politician. He’s in his thirties, he’s queer and he’s a proudly out business owner who made national headlines for being protested by religious zealots and neo-Nazis. But simply by being himself ..read more

Hate and intolerance has been on the rise across the nation and in the Commonwealth.  As a community, we seek refuge where we can feel safe and connected.  The First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Kingston was one of those places.  Early on the morning of July 4th, a man vandalized the First Parish Unitarian Church in Kingston.  He tore down Pride and Black Lives Matter Flags from the building, and set them on fire, which in turn, charred the building.  The vandal also destroyed 200 year old wooden shutters, smashed antique glass windows, and sprayed a fire ex ..read more

The Boston-based GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) last week announced Ricardo Martinez (he/him), current Chief Executive Officer of Equality Texas, as the organization’s incoming Executive Director beginning September 4, 2024. As CEO of Texas’ largest nonpartisan statewide LGTBQ+ political advocacy organization since 2019, Martinez has been on the front lines in one of the key battleground states in the current national wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation. Under his leadership, Equality Texas led advocacy efforts to defeat 96% of 140+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed during the 2023 state legisl ..read more

“John Duff is a name you might recognize from the internet or perhaps from his off-Broadway performances. As a niche internet celebrity, viral artist, and retired Broadway actor, Duff has carved out a unique space for himself in the entertainment world. Known for his sharp humor, musical talent, and innovative approach to performance, Duff is set to captivate audiences once again with his upcoming cabaret show, “Just John”,  that will debut July 19th & 20th & August 16th & 17th, at the Art House in P’town. “In Just John, Duff promises an hour-long spectacle that lay ..read more

Over 100 people gathered in downtown Bangor, Maine this past Sunday, July 7, to mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of Charlie Howard, a young man thrown from a bridge in a terrible act homophobia. Reports the Bangor Daily News: Howard, who was 23 at the time of his death, was thrown over a bridge on State Street into the Kenduskeag Stream by three teenagers, who were later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to detention at the Maine Youth Center. His death sent shockwaves through the community and galvanized a nascent Maine LGBTQ+ movement, including the formation of the Maine Lesbia ..read more

[This column, contributed by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), appears in the July/August 2024 print issue of Boston Spirit magazine. Subscribe for free today.] Doctors who care for transgender youth follow well-established standards developed through decades of clinical study. It is developmentally appropriate treatment requiring informed consent of parents, informed assent by the patient, and involving in-depth screening by a multidisciplinary care team.  Every major U.S. medical association recognizes this as safe, best practice, and the only proven effective car ..read more

In June the Rhode Island legislature passed, and Governor McKee signed, a law that will mean fewer people will get HIV. “An Act Relating To Insurance – Accident And Sickness Insurance Policies – Insurance Coverage For Prevention Of HIV Infection” (S.2255/H.7625) will ensure Rhode Islanders who can benefit from PrEP will have easier and more timely access to the form of PrEP that works best for them. This new law prohibits health insurance companies from requiring patients to make co-pays or meet a deductible in order to receive PrEP — including long-acting injectable PrEP — or any HIV pre ..read more