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Judge halts California Chino Valley school district’s transgender policy amid state lawsuit
LGBTQ advocates say outing students without consent could put them in danger. By Kiara Alfonseca On September 6, 2023 A California judge has issued a temporary restraining order on what Attorney General Rob Bonta calls Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education’s “forced outing policy.” The policy would require schools to inform parents if a student…
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Federal judge restores part of Georgia’s law that had banned gender-affirming care for trans youth
By Shawna Mizelle On September 6, 2023 A federal judge on Tuesday restored the enforcement of a law in Georgia that banned licensed medical professionals in the state from providing patients under the age of 18 with cross-sex hormone therapy. Last month, a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth…
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Officials can’t interfere with local Tennessee Pride festival under anti-drag law, judge rules
By Jonathan Mattise On September 1, 2023 A federal judge has ruled law enforcement officials can’t use a Tennessee law that strictly limits drag shows to interfere with a local Pride festival this weekend NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal judge ruled Friday that law enforcement officials can’t use a Tennessee law that strictly limits drag shows…
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Senator appeared to suggest bipartisan bill would censor transgender content online
By Matt Lavietes On September 5, 2023 The Kids Online Safety Act, aimed at protecting children from harmful online content, has been endorsed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as by President Joe Biden. A co-sponsor of a bipartisan bill intended to protect children from the dangers of social media and…
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Canada issues warning for LGBTQ travelers in the United States
By Kiara Alfonseca On August 30, 2023 The warning cites laws and policies impacting the LGBTQ community. Canada’s travel advisory for visitors to the United States has been updated to warn LGBTQ travelers about laws and policies that may affect the community. “Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons,” the travel…
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Over 30 new LGBTQ education laws are in effect as students go back to school
By Jo Yurcaba On August 30, 2023 Students and teachers have to contend with a variety of restrictions on LGBTQ content and bathroom and pronoun use. Brian Kerekes, a high school statistics teacher in Florida, said he froze like “a deer in headlights” when a student asked him a personal question at the beginning of…
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Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law
By Carlos Ballesteros, Shannon Heffernan (WBEZ) and Amy Qin (WBEZ) On August 30, 2023 Phillip Merritt’s dementia is so advanced he’s lost the ability to speak. But with the help of his cellmates at Western Illinois Correctional Center, the 71-year-old still manages to get on the phone with his brother every few weeks. “He has…
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Avalanche of lawsuits accuse New York prison guards of sexually abusing inmates
By Chris Grabb On August 27, 2023 ALBANY – New York State is facing an onslaught of lawsuits accusing prison officers of sexually abusing adult inmates, litigation allowed under a new one-year window for survivors to sue, regardless of when the abuse occurred. A single Manhattan-based law firm, Levy Konigsberg LLP, is handling more than…
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There was a gun in a maximum security prison. Incarcerated people say it was left to them to secure the area.
By Eddie Burkhalter On August 24, 2023 It’s been eleven days since Derrol Shaw walked the hallways of William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility carrying a semi-automatic pistol, and the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has yet to publicly mention the gun or provide the public with assurances that whatever security failures led to the bizarre…
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