A bill expanding the restrictions of discussions of “gender identity or sexual orientation” in public schools was passed by the Alabama state House on Tuesday. According to ABC News, the law currently on the books prevents classrooms from kindergarten to fifth grade from “engag[ing] in classroom discussion or provid[ing] classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” The expanded version of the bill, HB130, would extend the same restrictions through ei ..read more

Staff at the Smithsonian Institution are concerned about the future of LGBTQ programming as several events featuring a drag performer were cancelled or postponed following scrutiny by House Republicans, according to emails reviewed by the Washington Post. In December, Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III appeared before a hearing led by GOP members of the Committee on House Administration, who flagged concerns about the Smithsonian’s involvement in “the Left’s indoctrination of our children.” Under questioning from U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Bunch said he was “surprised” to learn the Smithso ..read more

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday once again reiterated his criticism of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act upon release of the State Department’s annual human rights report. “This year’s report also captures human rights abuses against members of vulnerable communities,” he told reporters. “In Afghanistan, the Taliban have limited work opportunities for women, shuttered institutions found educating girls, and increasing floggings for women and men accused of, quote, ‘immoral behavior,’ end quote. Uganda passed a draconian and discriminatory Anti-Homosexuality Act, threatening LGBTQI+ i ..read more

For performer Marshall W. Mabry IV, who has lived in Atlanta most of their life, getting to be in the cast of the new Alliance production of “Fat Ham” is an absolute joy. The play, a Pulitzer Prize winner that played Broadway last year, is about Juicy, a Black Southern college kid who is queer and encounters the ghost of his dead father, who wants him to avenge his murder. Juicy is already dealing with his own issues, such as identity and loss, and now his plate gets much fuller on the day his mother is planning a barbeque. “The play is — to kill or not to,” Mabry said. “What is at stake? Will ..read more

Indigo Girls have never rested on their laurels. Even now, with a new documentary about them out and “Closer to Fine” an integral part of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” Emily Saliers and Amy Ray are taking time to headline the August 28 “Revival” event at the Fox Theatre. It’s a benefit that means much to both women. Hosted by Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin and featuring special guests, “Revival” will raise money to help to restore and preserve historic theaters in Georgia, as well as Fox’s educational programs. They felt honored to be invited, Saliers told Georgia Voice. “Kevn and Drivin N Cryi ..read more

This charging Aries with flaming red hair was born in Poland and grew until she reached 4’9” tall. Her tailor father and seamstress mother, unlike many Orthodox Jews, prioritized education for daughters. Precocious, Rose eventually learned to speak and write in four languages (English, Yiddish, Hebrew, and Russian). The family immigrated to the gritty tenements of the Lower East Side when she was five, joining the eventual two million Jews, Italians, etc. who landed there, largely to enter the garment manufacturing industries. Her father died when she was 10 and the four children went into an ..read more

Editor’s note: Lyons uses he/they pronouns. If you’re anything like me, you tend to take your impulsivity out on your hair. Whether you’re doing it yourself or going to the professionals, nothing feels better than a new hairstyle that looks as good as you thought it would. Hair has the power to completely transform, and it can be vital to affirming one’s gender. For someone seeking gender affirmation, a barber shop or hair salon can be the first stop. At least, it was for one transgender stylist. Lyons Parker-Shockley, a stylist at Cortex Hair Studio in Virginia-Highland, was inspired to go to ..read more

Delivering a keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality in Action event Friday, First lady Jill Biden warned former President Donald Trump is “a bully” who is “dangerous to the LGBTQ community.” Her appearance at the three-day volunteer and board gathering at the Sheraton Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., comes as part of the Biden-Harris reelection campaign’s “Out for Biden” program, which aims to “mobilize LGBTQ+ voters, communities, and leaders across the country.” “Today, this community is under attack,” Biden said. “Rights are being stripped away. freedoms are eroding. More an ..read more

Atlanta has been announced to be the host city for Global Black Pride 2024, the world’s first and only Pride event dedicated to Black LGBTQ communities worldwide. This is the second ever in-person Global Black Pride and the first held in the United States, making Atlanta the first American city to host. The event will be held from August 26 to September 2. “Atlanta proudly stands as the LGBTQ capital of the South and a champion for human rights, not only in our region but on a global scale,” Malik Brown, the City’s Director of LGBTQ Affairs, said in a statement. “We are honored to welcome the ..read more

The Food and Drug Administration is planning to lift its ban on sperm donations from men who have sex with men, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The report also says the FDA would simultaneously lift the ban on donations of other tissues and organs from gay and bisexual men. The Wall Street Journal report suggests that the FDA could put out a draft of the new policy for public comment by the summer, with a final rule in place by the end of 2024 or early 2025. Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the FDA would not confirm the Wall Street Journal story, bu ..read more