The LGBTQ+ community is seeking answers after the death of 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict, who died following a fight at their school in Owasso, Oklahoma. Video footage showed Benedict being involved in a three-on-one fight after allegedly being harassed for their appearance. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have rallied in support, attributing the incident to systemic issues of discrimination. The school district is awaiting autopsy and toxicology reports to determine the cause of Benedict's death, while the community waits to see if charges will be filed related to the fight.
Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has instructed county tax collectors not to issue replacement IDs or driver’s licenses for transgender residents seeking to change the gender on their card, in line with a new policy that aligns with the state's current law requiring identification by sex at birth. This move follows recent legislation banning gender-affirming treatments for children and imposing restrictions for adults, prompting backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and concerns about potential discrimination and vulnerability for transgender individuals.
Dr. Jake Kleinmahon, a gay pediatric heart specialist in Louisiana, is leaving the state due to recently passed legislation that restricts LGBTQ+ rights. Despite Governor John Bel Edwards vetoing three bills targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, the Republican-dominated Legislature overturned his veto on a bill banning transition-related medical care for minors. Kleinmahon, one of only three doctors in the state specializing in pediatric heart conditions, feels that the discriminatory laws have made Louisiana a hostile place for families like his. He has accepted a position in New York and plans to move with his family by the end of the month. Kleinmahon's departure highlights the potential loss of talent and skilled professionals due to discriminatory legislation.
A teacher in Texas claims she was fired from a Christian school after attending a drag show at Hamburger Mary's. The school cited her attendance as not being "godly" and in violation of their moral standards. The teacher expressed shock and disappointment at the treatment she and another fired teacher received, stating they were treated like criminals. This incident follows a trend of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the US, with drag shows and transgender individuals being targeted.
The U.S. Supreme Court made several significant rulings, including expelling "Affirmative Action" in college admissions, rejecting the Biden student loan forgiveness program, ruling in favor of a Christian web designer's right to discriminate against LGBTQ customers based on free speech grounds, and receiving dissenting opinions from Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a well-funded right-wing legal organization, has been at the forefront of a nationwide effort to limit the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people in the US, all in the name of Christianity. ADF aims to overturn same-sex marriage, enact a total ban on abortion, and strip away the already minimal rights that trans people are afforded in the US. The organization is engaged in “a very strong campaign to put a certain type of religious view at the center of American life”.
The Human Rights Campaign has declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans in response to the surge in discriminatory legislation sweeping state houses this year. The organization has released a guidebook pointing to laws it deems discriminatory in each state, along with “know your rights” information and resources to help people relocate to states with stronger LGBTQ+ protections. The HRC is calling for action from people in power at every level of government and the business community to fight for LGBTQ+ rights with the same fervor as they’ve fought for abortion rights.
Republicans are using anti-trans messaging as a key strategy in their culture wars ahead of the 2024 election, with hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills being pushed by conservative lawmakers across the country. However, experts suggest that while this messaging may bolster the party's culture wars, it may not mobilize voters as effectively. Only 5% of voters named transgender issues as an issue motivating them to vote in 2022, according to exit polling from HRC.
