Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent pronouncements on transgender athletes, aired on his new podcast “This Is Gavin Newsom,” have thrust him into a contentious national debate, revealing a stark departure from his previously staunch advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. In a conversation with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Newsom conceded that the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ […]
My first experiences in LGBTQ activism and advocacy go back to the Prop 8 campaign that successfully outlawed same sex marriage in California back in 2008. Here in California, Prop 8 was one of the defining political and social questions of that decade. I was in my mid-twenties and had only recently come out when
The Trump administration’s efforts to politicize the Department of Education escalated on Thursday with the unveiling of what critics are calling a “tip line” — an online portal encouraging students, parents, and school staff to report what it describes as “unlawful discriminatory practices” in educational institutions. According to the Department of Education (DOE), the submissions
Michigan’s first openly gay state senator, Jeremy Moss (D), warned that a newly introduced resolution condemning Obergefell v. Hodges, though legally unenforceable, signals a broader effort to challenge same-sex marriage rights. State GOP Representative Josh Schriver introduced the resolution Tuesday, calling the Obergefell ruling unconstitutional. He told Newsweek that his measure is a step toward
President Donald Trump clashed with Maine Governor Janet Mills at a White House meeting Friday over his threat to cut federal funding to the state for allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports. “We’ll see you in court,” Mills told Trump, who responded, “Good, I look forward to that. And enjoy your life after
Three Fresno Republican officials—Supervisors Nathan Magsig and Garry Bredefeld, and Sheriff John Zanoni—are aligning with Trump’s rhetoric while avoiding the full weight of his controversial policies. Trump’s hardline stances on immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) may not play well in the diverse Central Valley, but these officials are adopting his divisive language and
A Trans, Mexican-American woman in Fresno says her non-profit is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people of color to be their true selves amid the Trump administration’s anti-trans legislation. Lady Diana Feliz Oliva is the founder of Casita Feliz, or “happy little home.” She says her non-profit emphasizes celebrating one’s identity to the fullest extent
References to transgender and queer people were removed Thursday from the National Park Service website for the Stonewall National Monument, a site honoring the 1969 uprising that helped spark the LGBTQ+ rights movement. The changes follow President Donald Trump’s executive order redefining sex as strictly male or female. Words like “transgender” and “queer” were deleted,
In the spring of 2019, Kevin Gifford and Tucker Russell walked into an LGBTQ+ game night at Fresno’s Fig Garden Regional Library and unknowingly stepped into a life-changing role. Approached by organizer Jason Scott, they agreed to volunteer, never imagining how their involvement would deeply impact the local queer community. From fostering friendships to offering
Several years ago, during Trump’s first term I was talking to a friend about the Masterpiece Cake shop case (in which a baker was sued for refusing to provide services to same sex couples). This friend is not a Trump supporter, but also doesn’t follow politics that closely and wasn’t aware of the issues involved.
