LGBTQ Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Blue And Red States See Milestone Wins For LGBTQ Candidates

By NWPB News November 4, 2020

U.S. Rep.-elect Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., celebrates with New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, N.Y.-34, after speaking at a Protect the Results rally on Nov. 4, 2020. Jones and Ritchie Torres became the first openly-gay Black members of Congress. Both New Yorkers will enter Congress in January. CREDIT: Kathy Willens/AP

The landmark wins came not in only blue but also red states such as Tennessee, where Republican Eddie Mannis, who is gay, and Democrat Torrey Harris, who identifies as bisexual, won seats in the state House to become the first openly LGBTQ members of that legislature.Read More

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Flamer’ Offers Real Hope — Not Just Rainbows — To Queer Kids

By NPR News October 24, 2020

Flamer by Mike Curato. CREDIT: Holt Books for Young Readers

Mike Curato's new young adult graphic novel Flamer follows a teenager struggling with self-hate and all the different parts of his identity — being a Catholic, a Boy Scout, and being gay.Read More

Pope Francis Calls For Same-Sex Civil Union Law In New Documentary

By NPR News October 21, 2020

Pope Francis attends a inter-religious ceremony for peace in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, in Rome, on Tuesday. Gregorio Borgia/AP

"What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered," the pope said in an interview in the film Francesco, which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.Read More

‘Dust Off Your Wings’: Tiny Desk Contestant Britton Smith On Pride And Potential

By NPR News October 12, 2020

Britton Smith, of the band Britton & The Sting, entered the Tiny Desk Contest this year with the song "Blackstronauts."

Smith entered the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest with his band Britton & The Sting. He says "Blackstronauts" is about finding joy: "I want us all to put on our freedom suits and fly together," he says.Read More

StoryCorps Northwest: From A Small Town, The Early Days For LGBTQ Rights And Falling In Love

By Sueann Ramella September 9, 2020

Growing up in Chelan, Susan Little knew early being gay was unacceptable in her small town. In today’s StoryCorps Northwest, Susan and her wife Marianne Patton talk about those early days, and how much has changed for gays and lesbians since they fell in love 35 years ago.Read More

Federal Judge Puts Temporary Hold On Idaho Law Barring Transgender Athletes In Women’s Sports

By NWPB News August 18, 2020

Chris Mosier, the first known transgender person to qualify for an Olympic trial, joined protesters in Boise, Idaho, to push back against legislation targeting transgender residents. CREDIT: James Dawson/Boise State Public Radio

A federal judge has put Idaho’s controversial transgender athletics ban on hold. The injunction will allow Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye to review the myriad constitutional questions surrounding the law, which bans transgender women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ sports.Read More

New Laws Restricting Transgender Rights Take Effect In Idaho

By NWPB News July 6, 2020

Two new laws went into effect in Idaho recently that target transgender residents. The enactment comes on the heels of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision in June, which greatly expanded LGBTQ rights.Read More

Trump Administration Files Support For Idaho Law Barring Transgender Women In School Sports

By NWPB News June 20, 2020

The Idaho House of Representatives chamber in February 2020 before voting to pass a bill banning transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports in school settings. The Trump administration is supporting Idaho's new law banning transgender women from competing in women's sports. It's the first law of its kind in the nation and the U.S. Department of Justice backed it in a court filing on June 19, 2020. CREDIT: Keith Ridler/AP

The support came in the form of a court filing submitted by the U.S. Department of Justice, saying a federal judge considering a lawsuit challenging the ban should conclude that the law does not violate the U.S. Constitution.Read More

Supreme Court Delivers Major Victory To LGBTQ Employees

By NPR News June 15, 2020

Transgender activist Aimee Stephens sits in her wheelchair outside the Supreme Court on Oct. 8, 2019, as the court holds oral arguments in cases dealing with workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. CREDIT: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court says the federal ban on discrimination "based on sex" also applies to gay, lesbian, and transgender employees. Read More

After Idaho Transgender Ban, Athletes Ask NCAA To Move Tournaments Out Of State

By NWPB News June 13, 2020

Chris Mosier, a Team USA athlete and transgender activist, kneels as he listens to speakers at a rally at the Statehouse on Tuesday, March 3 against Idaho’s HB500 banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.

Dozens of advocacy organizations and hundreds of athletes are asking the NCAA to move college sports events out of Idaho in response to a state law that bans transgender women from participating in women’s sports.Read More

Transgender Health Protections Reversed By Trump Administration

By NPR News June 12, 2020

Roger Severino, who directs the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services, has long argued that "sex discrimination" protections in the Affordable Care Act aren't meant to encompass protections for transgender people. CREDIT: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Trump has reversed Obama-era protections that prohibit discrimination in health care based on gender identity. Critics warn the rule could harm a vulnerable group — LGBTQ people — during a pandemic.Read More

In ‘She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power,’ True Strength Is In Being Yourself

By NPR News May 17, 2020

In the final season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the rebellion faces an invasion from Horde Prime and his alien clone army. CREDIT: DreamWorks/Netflix

Netflix and DreamWorks Animation have rebooted the classic 1980s cartoon She-Ra: Princess of Power. The new version updates characters from the old show to reflect a more diverse audience for kids.Read More

Idaho Gov. Brad Little Signs Bill Banning Transgender Women And Girls From School Sports

By NWPB News March 30, 2020

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signs into law legislation to make the overdose reversal drug naloxone more readily available. CREDIT: Keith Riddler/AP News

Gov. Brad Little signed the bill Monday, March 30, with no explanation for his vote — governors occasionally, but do not always, post transmittal letters outlining their decision. No letter was posted. The most hotly debated education bill of the 2020 legislative session, House Bill 500 would ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.Read More

Washington Lawmakers Ban ‘LGBTQ Panic’ Defense Based On Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation

By NWPB News February 26, 2020

Washington State Capitol CREDIT: BRIANHE / WIKIMEDIA

Washington has joined a growing coalition of states that are banning what are known as "LGBTQ panic" criminal defenses. Advocates say these defenses have resulted in reduced or shortened sentences in cases of violence against LGBTQ people. Now, both houses of the state Legislature have passed a bill that prohibits the use of those defenses. Read More

Idaho Attorney General Says Proposed Transgender Athlete Ban Could Be Unconstitutional

By NWPB News February 25, 2020

The Idaho state flags hangs in the rotunda of the statehouse in Boise

The Idaho Attorney General’s office says a bill that would ban transgender women from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity could be “constitutionally problematic” and “likely vulnerable to a court challenge.”Read More

Head Of Seattle Catholic School Placed On Leave Amid Protests Following Ouster Of Gay Teachers

By NWPB News February 25, 2020

Nicolas Velasquez, 17, holds a rainbow flag during a walkout to protest the departure of two LGBT educators on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, at Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien. "I don't think that it's okay that this is happening now," Velasquez said. "I want to be the change that I want to see."

Kennedy Catholic High School President Mike Prato was placed on leave following the "forced" resignations of two teachers who were open with administrators about their same-sex engagements. The Archdiocese of Seattle sent out a memo Tuesday afternoon announcing Prato's leave.Read More

Idaho Rep., A Former Basketball Player And Coach, Seeks To Bar Transgender Girls In School Sports

By NWPB News February 13, 2020

Rep. Barbara Ehardt outlines her “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” designed to ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports. The House Education Committee introduced the bill Wednesday. CREDIT: Sami Edge/Idaho Education News

On Feb. 12, the Idaho House Education Committee gave its initial approval to a bill designed to keep transgender students from competing in girls’ sports. That means the bill could come back at a later date for a full hearing.Read More

United Methodist Church Announces Proposal to Split Over Same-Sex Marriage

By NPR News January 5, 2020

A Pride flag flies below the U.S. flag last year in front of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, Kan. Charlie Riedel/AP

A group of leaders from the United Methodist Church announced a plan Friday to split the Protestant denomination over its beliefs on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. Read More

From Tech To Society, How We’ve Changed In A Decade

By PBS Newshour December 31, 2019

Two women take a selfie while marching in a Pride parade in San Francisco, California June 28, 2015. CREDIT: Nouvelage/Reuters

From smartphones to LBGTQ rights, here are some of the most memorable ways in which the world has changed over the past 10 years.Read More

Merriam-Webster Singles Out Nonbinary ‘They’ For Word Of The Year Honors

By NPR News December 24, 2019

A search for the word they on Merriam-Webster's website turns up definitions for the personal pronoun, which saw a massive spike in lookups this year over last. Several months ago the dictionary added a definition for its 2019 Word of the Year that classified it as a functioning nonbinary pronoun. CREDIT: Jenny Kane/AP

The dictionary publisher lauded the singular they Tuesday, noting that the tiny word has enjoyed important new uses in an English language that otherwise lacks a good gender-neutral alternative.Read More

YouTube Announces New Anti-Harassment Policy To Fight Racial, Gender, LGBTQ Abuse

By NPR News December 12, 2019

YouTube announced changes to its anti-harassment guidelines. The company has faced criticism in the past for failing to enforce its rule. CREDIT: Danny Moloshok/AP

The Google-owned company has faced scrutiny in the past for failing to protect its users from harassment. It announced new policies Wednesday in an attempt to address the criticism.Read More

20 Years Later, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ Still Inspires Admiration And Debate

By NPR News October 21, 2019

Hilary Swank (left) and Chloe Sevigny starred in Boys Don't Cry, a fictionalized portrayal of the transgender youth Brandon Teena (played by Swank). Getty Images

The tiny independent film became a critical and box office hit by introducing mainstream audiences to a transgender hero. It fictionalized the true story of the brutal murder of Brandon Teena.Read More

BOOK REVIEW: Saeed Jones’ Eloquent Coming-Of-Age Is Hard To Read — And Harder To Put Down

By NPR News October 10, 2019

Jones grew up black, gay and isolated in Texas. He chronicles his wobbly path to self-affirmation in the raw and eloquent new memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives.Read More

LGBTQ Employees Are Already Protected In Washington State, No Matter What SCOTUS Rules

By Paige Browning October 8, 2019

The Trans Pride Seattle march crosses Broadway Street on Friday, June 22, 2018, near Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill. CREDIT: Megan Farmer/KUOW

LGBTQ Washingtonians have had job and housing protections since 2006. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear three cases October 8 over anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ employees.Read More

American Anthem: ‘I Will Survive’ Saves Marginalized People A Spot On The Dance Floor

By NPR News September 25, 2019

Gloria Gaynor originally recorded "I Will Survive" as a B-side, but swiftly after its release in October 1978 it became a worldwide hit. CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Recorded after a traumatic period in the singer's life, Gloria Gaynor's disco hit quickly found its true audience: LGBT communities, survivors of domestic violence and others pushed aside by society.Read More

Search For ‘Gay Gene’ Comes Up Short In Large New Study

By NPR News August 29, 2019

Researchers looked for genetic variants linked to sexual behavior in new genetic research that analyzed DNA from donated blood samples from nearly half a million middle-aged people from Britain who participated in a project called the UK Biobank. CREDIT: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Researchers have long hoped to find out if genes contribute to sexual orientation. A new study of genetic data from thousands of people hints there may be some link, but it's still far from clear. Read More

Court Says Idaho Must Provide Gender Confirmation Surgery To Transgender Inmate

By NPR News August 23, 2019

Court orders that the state of Idaho pay for gender confirmation surgery for Adree Edmo, a transgender inmate who was incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, pictured above.

Friday a panel of judges ruled that in denying a transgender inmate gender confirmation surgery, the state violated the Eighth Amendment.Read More

‘Pose’ Choreographer Creates A Safe Space — On The Runway

By NPR News July 12, 2019

Indya Moore walks the runway as Angel in the FX series Pose. Michael Parmelee/FX

Twiggy Pucci Garçon got her start competing at drag balls — now, she's the runway routine choreographer for the FX show Pose, which celebrates ball culture in New York City in the '80s and '90s.Read More

U.S. Supreme Court Refers Oregon Same-Sex Wedding Cake Case Back To State Courts

By NWPB News June 17, 2019

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington where the justices ruled that the government can detain certain immigrants without bond hearings. Susan Walsh/AP

The Supreme Court is throwing out an Oregon court ruling against bakers who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Read More

NYPD Commissioner Apologizes For ‘Oppressive’ 1969 Raid On Stonewall Inn

By NPR News June 7, 2019

A man walks past New York's Stonewall Inn, site of the 1969 uprising considered the birth of the LGBTQ movement. CREDIT: Mike Segar/Reuters

New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill admitted police actions were "wrong" during the Stonewall riot, a landmark in the LGBTQ rights movement.Read More

Washington Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Against Florist Who Declined To Serve Same-Sex Wedding

By Anna King June 6, 2019

In a unanimous decision Thursday, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld its earlier decision against a Richland florist who refused to sell wedding flowers to a gay couple.Read More

‘They Know That I’m The Real Deal’: Transgender Baritone Lucia Lucas Makes Opera History

By NPR News May 30, 2019

Lucia Lucas, with cast mate Hidenori Inoue, in a dress rehearsal for the Tulsa Opera's 2019 Don Giovanni production. Shane Bevel Photography/Tulsa Opera

In her U.S. debut as Don Giovanni, Lucia Lucas became the first known trans person to sing a principal role on an American opera stage.Read More

Trump Administration Proposes Rule To Reverse Protections For Transgender Patients

By NPR News May 25, 2019

Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights, announced Friday a new proposed rule rolling back anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients. Those protections had been written in 2016 but enjoined in court. Jacquelyn Martin/AP

A federal agency issued a proposed rule Friday that rolls back Obama-era protections for transgender patients. Advocates for transgender people say the rule leaves them vulnerable to discrimination.Read More

Don’t ‘Erase Me’ Says Quinn Christopherson In Winning NPR’s 2019 Tiny Desk Contest

By NPR News May 17, 2019

Quinn Christopherson is the winner of the 2019 Tiny Desk Contest. Ash Adams/Courtesy of the artist

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Christopherson is a thoughtful songwriter with a powerful sense of perspective.Read More

Business Leaders Oppose ‘License To Discriminate’ Against LGBT Texans

By NPR News May 6, 2019

Mike Hollinger of IBM joined a group of business leaders at a news conference on the steps of the capitol in Austin, Texas. The business leaders oppose the so-called religious refusal laws currently under consideration in the Texas legislature. Susan Risdon/Red Media Group

Texas legislators are considering a bill that would allow professionals to deny service to people based on religious beliefs. Critics say the law would sanction discrimination against LGBT Texans.Read More

Supreme Court Will Hear Cases On LGBTQ Discrimination Protections For Employees

By NPR News April 22, 2019

The court is poised to decide whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to sexual orientation and gender identity, along with factors such as race, religion, sex and national origin.Read More

In ‘Gentleman Jack’ The Story Of Anne Lister As ‘The First Modern Lesbian’ Swaggers Off The Page

By NPR News April 22, 2019

A new HBO show takes on the life of Anne Lister, a real-life British landowner of the 1830s whose voluminous coded diaries detailed her extensive — and sometimes open — love affairs with women.Read More

American Anthem: How ‘Born This Way’ Was Born Into The LGBT Pedigree

By NPR News January 30, 2019

Lady Gaga's 2011 megahit has been praised as inclusive and criticized as exploitative. But there's a little history to the song's origins that isn't often discussed. Read More

In Newly Found Audio, A Forgotten Civil Rights Leader Says Coming Out ‘Was An Absolute Necessity’

By NPR News January 7, 2019

American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, pictured in 1964, as spokesman for the Citywide Committee for Integration, at the organization's headquarters, Silcam Presbyterian Church in New York City. CREDIT: Patrick A. Burns/New York Times Co./Getty Images

Bayard Rustin's legacy as a leading figure in the civil rights movement is little known today, even among many history buffs and within the LGBTQ community. His homosexuality cost him that visibility and was considered by some as a hindrance to the movement's success.Read More

White House And DOJ Ask Supreme Court To Fast-Track Ruling On Transgender Military Ban

By NPR News November 24, 2018

It's not the first time that the administration has asked the Supreme Court to intercede in the appeals process. Read More

2020 Census Will Ask About Same-Sex Relationships

By NPR News March 31, 2018

Unlike past census forms, the questionnaire for 2020 will include response categories for the relationship question that make a distinction between same-sex and different-sex couples.Read More

Before ‘Love, Simon’: Coming Out And Coming-Of-Age At The Movies

By NPR News March 19, 2018

Billy (Alex Lawther) and Blah Blah Blah (AnnaSophia Robb) in 2018's Freak Show. CREDIT: IFC FILMS

'Love, Simon' is only the latest in a surprisingly long line of films that have explored what it's like to come out in high school. Here's some of the smaller, quirkier films that paved the way.Read More

Ban On ‘Gay Conversion Therapy’ Could Make Progress In Olympia This Year

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa January 11, 2018

A bill to ban the controversial practice of trying to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQ people is making its way through the Washington Senate. It considers so-called "conversion therapy" for people under 18 "unprofessional conduct” for health care providers.Read More

Washington State May Allow ‘X’ Gender Designation On Birth Certificates

By Austin Jenkins December 4, 2017

JON CONNELL / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/Y72KTAT6 Listen The state of Washington may soon follow Oregon and California and allow a third gender option on birth certificates. The proposal would let […]Read More