This blog originally appeared at NBC NEWS.

A proposed bill sought to limit transgender individuals’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms in public facilities, including university dormitories.

Mississippi’s Republican-led Legislature has decided not to proceed with final votes on two bills aimed at restricting the legal recognition of transgender individuals.

The bills quietly died after House and Senate leaders couldn’t reach an agreement on compromise versions before the Monday night deadline. Lawmakers were preoccupied with addressing several other complex issues at the time.

One bill aimed to limit transgender individuals’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms in public buildings, such as university dormitories. The other sought to define sex as determined at birth, asserting that “there are only two sexes, and every individual is either male or female.”

The House and Senate had previously approved distinct versions of both bills. To proceed, the Republican-majority chambers would have to reconcile and settle on a unified version of each bill before they could be presented to Republican Governor Tate Reeves.

In 2021, Reeves enacted a law prohibiting transgender athletes from participating on girls’ or women’s sports teams. Last year, he also signed a measure prohibiting gender-affirming hormones or surgeries for individuals under 18 years old.

The Mississippi proposals were part of a broader trend seen in state legislatures nationwide, where Republicans are pushing for restrictions on transgender individuals’ access to gender-affirming care, restroom facilities, and participation in sports, among other issues.

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

“The LGBT center was one of the main reasons I chose to attend this university.”

The University of North Florida (UNF) has closed its LGBTQ+, intercultural, interfaith, and women’s centers to comply with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2023 law banning publicly funded universities from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The LGBTQ Center, which had been open for 18 years, closed just seven days before graduation. It is one of several queer centers at state schools that have shut down since DeSantis signed the law.

In a message to students, UNF’s now-closed Office of Diversity and Inclusion stated, “Associated physical locations and communication methods are no longer in active operation. We extend our deepest gratitude to every student who supported and engaged with this office throughout the years. It was an honor to have been a part of your UNF journey.”

The LGBTQ Center closed its doors on April 26. Student workers packed up rainbow flags and a bin of free clothing, binders, and accessories. Doyle Tate, an assistant professor of psychology at UNF who researches LGBTQ topics, took the center’s artwork depicting a giant rainbow Osprey, UNF’s mascot.

In January, UNF announced the closure of the office and centers to comply with the anti-DEI law. The law categorizes DEI programs as those that classify individuals based on race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and promote differential or preferential treatment based on such classification.

“I’m currently safeguarding it in my office until Florida stops its crusade against DEI on college campuses and the LGBTQ Center hopefully reopens one day,” Tate told OutSFL.

When signing the law, DeSantis stated, “DEI is better viewed as standing for ‘discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination,’ and that has no place in our public institutions. [DEI] has basically been used as a veneer to impose an ideological agenda and that is wrong… If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to Berkeley, go to some of these other places… You don’t just get to take taxpayer dollars and do whatever the heck you want to do and think that’s somehow OK.”

Critics of the law argue that it will hinder efforts to recruit students and educators, as well as shut down courses that examine gender inequality, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and racial injustice.

The statement appears to be clear and informative. It reassures employees that their jobs are secure despite the closures of the DEI office and centers, and it indicates that efforts are being made to find alternative roles for affected staff members within the university.

The sentence effectively communicates the reaction of UNF students to the closure of the LGBTQ+ Center, highlighting their protest against the decision. It provides context about the students’ actions and the location of the protest, offering insight into the level of concern and engagement within the student body regarding this issue.

“Having the center meant finding friends and gaining knowledge about my gender and sexual orientation,” said Lissie Morales, a student at UNF, in an interview with WTLV. “Seeing the turnout warms my heart because it shows how much people care, especially about the LGBT Center, which was a significant factor in my decision to attend UNF.”

The closure will undoubtedly affect UNF’s reputation as a champion of diversity within the university community. Previously recognized as one of the most LGBTQ+-inclusive campuses in the state by Campus Pride, UNF may see its standing impacted by the closure of the LGBTQ+ center.

In 2023, Florida Atlantic University shuttered its DEI centers, and the University of Florida in Gainesville followed suit in March, terminating 13 full-time DEI positions and discontinuing 15 administrative appointments, as reported by the Independent Florida Alligator.

The quote effectively captures the sentiment that the anti-DEI law reflects Governor Ron DeSantis’s agenda of censorship and surveillance, as expressed by Carlos Guillermo Smith, a former Florida House Democrat and advisor to the state LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Florida.

Smith criticized the Board of Governors for failing to intervene and instead, he asserted that they blindly followed Governor DeSantis’s political agenda, which he described as centered on censorship.

DeSantis additionally approved the state’s “Stop WOKE Act,” barring schools and businesses from providing educational initiatives on racism and gender-based discrimination. However, the law is currently under review by a court due to concerns about its potential infringement on constitutionally protected free speech rights.

Federal Judge Mark E. Walker, who halted the enforcement of the Stop WOKE Act last year, characterized the law as “positively dystopian,” noting that it “formally prohibits professors from articulating disapproved perspectives in university classrooms while allowing unrestricted expression of opposing viewpoints.”

The quote from Judge Mark E. Walker effectively captures the essence of the law’s restriction on academic freedom. It highlights the condition that professors are only permitted to express viewpoints sanctioned by the state, thereby illustrating the law’s infringement on intellectual liberty.

“We’re gonna end it on day one … the whole thing is crazy,” Trump said on a Philadelphia talk show.

On Friday, the Republican nominee stated that if elected president in November, he would overturn President Joe Biden’s transgender protections “on day one” of his administration.

Trump made the statement during an appearance on Kayal & Company, a right-wing radio talk show in Philadelphia.

“The world is like a cuckoo’s nest right now,” he remarked, alluding to concerns such as “men playing in women’s sports” and other transphobic sentiments.

Cohost Dawn Stensland broached the subject of “biological boys” in girls’ locker rooms, citing the Biden administration’s recent enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs.

The rule, slated to take effect on August 1, stipulates that sex discrimination encompasses discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It highlights, among other measures, the rights of transgender and nonbinary students to use their preferred pronouns and access facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity. Numerous states led by Republicans have either filed lawsuits contesting the rule or declared their intention not to enforce it.

“We’re going to put an end to it on day one… the whole thing is crazy,” Trump stated, reassuring Stensland that parents concerned about transgender students in locker rooms need not worry. Throughout his presidency, Trump frequently criticized transgender rights and implemented numerous anti-trans policies.

Trump did not explicitly reference the specific rule, but he discussed Biden’s implementation of transgender protections via executive order and stated his intention to issue an executive order to overturn them. Biden did issue an executive order on his first day in office in 2021, stating that the federal government would not tolerate workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Additionally, he directed agencies to ensure that federal anti-discrimination statutes covering sex discrimination extend to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby safeguarding the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.

The comprehensive Title IX enforcement rule issued by the Department of Education stemmed from this directive. Unlike executive orders, the federal rulemaking process is lengthier but allows for a more thorough and inclusive approach.

Regarding transgender individuals in school athletics, the recent Title IX regulation doesn’t tackle this issue. The administration has introduced a separate Title IX proposal indicating that outright prohibitions on transgender participation are impermissible, yet transgender athletes could be barred from gender-specific sports under specific circumstances. LGBTQ+ advocates have condemned the proposed regulation, arguing that it could facilitate discrimination.

Trump will be hosting a rally on Saturday in Wildwood, N.J., which is located close to Philadelphia.

This blog originally appeared at ADVOCATE.

The retailer, which has nearly 2,000 locations across the United States, will now stock Pride products in only about half of its stores.

Target has reduced its LGBTQ+ Pride Month merchandise in some stores this year, according to Bloomberg.

The retailer, which operates nearly 2,000 locations across the United States, will only stock Pride products in about half of its stores, sources close to the situation told Bloomberg. The company is determining which stores will carry the merchandise based on recent sales data. All products will still be available online.

A Target spokesperson stated, “Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round.”

The retailer has celebrated Pride Month every June for over a decade with a collection honoring the LGBTQ+ community. In May of last year, Target began removing some Pride items in certain locations after threats were made to their employees’ safety, a company spokesperson told The Advocate.

“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” they said. The behavior ranged from confrontations between customers and workers and items being thrown, to bomb threats or direct threats against employee safety.

Target CEO Brian Cornell later defended the decision to pull products, telling CNBC in November that employees faced “very aggressive behavior,” including threats, destruction of merchandise, and disruptions in the cashier area. Some customers escalated the hostility by yelling at employees and threatening to “light product on fire” within the stores.

Bloomberg’s recent report did not mention employee safety concerns but instead cited financial motivations behind the decision. Target reported a 5 percent drop in sales from April to June compared to the same period the previous year, attributing the decline to the backlash.

The Target spokesperson expressed optimism for improved second-quarter sales this year but did not provide further details. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson responded with a statement, saying, “Target’s decision is disappointing and alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, risking not only their bottom line but also their values.”

“Pride merchandise carries significance. LGBTQ+ individuals reside in every corner of this nation, and our presence is undeniable,” she emphasized. “With LGBTQ+ individuals representing 30 percent of Gen Z, companies must recognize that community members and allies seek businesses that demonstrate wholehearted support for the community. This entails visible demonstrations of allyship.”

This blog originally appeared at TRUTHOUT.

An LGBTQ advocate emphasized the importance of President Biden ensuring that states adhere to the law.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, at the time a gubernatorial nominee for Arkansas, delivers a speech during the America First Agenda Summit at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on July 26, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

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Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared on Thursday that the state would refuse to adhere to a federal regulation aimed at safeguarding the rights of transgender students in schools nationwide.

Sanders issued an executive order on Thursday, reiterating Arkansas’ stance to uphold the ban on transgender students accessing bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity and to restrict teachers from using correct pronouns for transgender students without written parental consent. “To Joe Biden and the federal government, our response is clear: we will not comply,” Sanders declared during a news conference.

Arkansas is rebuffing the regulations unveiled by the Biden administration in April, which prohibit discrimination grounded in sexual orientation or gender identity.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson expressed in a statement that the new rules would significantly impact LGBTQ+ youth, allowing them to enjoy the same educational opportunities as their peers, such as attending dances, using restrooms safely, and authentically sharing their life experiences. Robinson urged school administrators to take immediate action by implementing anti-bias, anti-bullying, and harassment programs to ensure the cessation of misgendering and cruelty toward LGBTQ+ students, thereby guaranteeing an education free from discrimination for every student.

This regulation formalizes a 2021 guidance from the Education Department that instructed schools to interpret federal law to safeguard LGBTQ students from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and marks the reversal of a Trump administration policy that rescinded Obama-era guidance which directed schools to permit transgender students to use facilities corresponding to their gender identity.

“This revised rule serves as a reminder of the original intent of Title IX for over fifty years: to guarantee students a safe environment free from abuse, harassment, and discrimination as they pursue their education,” Robinson remarked.

Sanders’ directive aligns with similar actions taken by several other states, such as Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, and Nebraska, instructing schools to disregard the rule. Many of these states have initiated federal lawsuits to contest the regulation. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration seeking to halt the rule, while Republican attorneys general in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho are mounting a separate legal challenge. Additionally, the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative organization, has filed its own lawsuit against the rule.

An estimated 280,300 transgender youth reside in states where laws have been introduced or implemented to limit their access to gender-affirming medical treatments, participation in sports, and use of sex-segregated facilities or pronoun recognition, according to the Williams Institute. The ongoing debates surrounding these anti-transgender bills have a detrimental impact on the mental well-being of 86 percent of transgender youth, as per a 2023 survey conducted by The Trevor Project.

“This regulation marks a victory for the transgender community and represents significant progress in safeguarding trans youth,” stated Allison Chapman, an LGBTQ legislative researcher, to Truthout. “The Biden administration must ensure that states adhere to the law’s directives.”

Delegates voted overwhelmingly, 692 to 51, in favor of removing the ban.

Today, the United Methodist Church made a historic decision to repeal its ban on LGBTQ+ clergy, with an overwhelming majority of delegates voting in favor of inclusivity.

At the General Conference of the church, delegates voted 692-51 to remove the ban, according to the Associated Press.

Upon the announcement of the vote, applause filled the convention hall, and some LGBTQ+ advocates were moved to tears.

The delegates also approved a measure that prohibits penalties for clergy who officiate same-sex weddings and protects those who decline to perform them from facing repercussions.

There is also anticipation for an upcoming vote on whether the church should replace its Social Principles document, which currently states that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching” and defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

The Methodist Church has been gradually progressing towards LGBTQ+ inclusivity. In November 2023, 261 congregations in Georgia departed from the church, citing its perceived lack of anti-LGBTQ+ stance as a reason.

In 2019, The United Methodist Church’s General Conference declared that congregations could depart from the denomination until the conclusion of 2023 “due to conscientious objections regarding alterations in the guidelines and provisions of the Book of Discipline concerning homosexuality practice, or the ordination or marriage of openly practicing homosexuals, as determined and ratified by the 2019 General Conference, or the decisions or inactions of its regional conference on these matters thereafter.”

The United Methodist News Service reports that since the 2019 announcement, 7,286 congregations, which is more than one in five, have been authorized to disaffiliate from the denomination. In 2023 alone, over 5,000 of these disaffiliations occurred.

Conservatives who departed from the denomination have established the Global Methodist Church. This group holds the belief that “human sexuality is a gift of God to be affirmed within the legal and spiritual covenant of a loving and monogamous marriage between one man and one woman.”

Pol’ Atteu was hospitalized for two days following the assault, suffering from a concussion, a fractured shoulder, bruises, and various other injuries.

In September 2019, during a charity fashion show in Los Angeles, gay fashion designer Pol’ Atteu was violently assaulted by a man upset that his daughter was not selected to participate. Now, five years later, justice is being served for Atteu.

Atteu was hospitalized for two days following the assault, suffering from a concussion, a broken shoulder, bruises, and various other injuries. His assailant, Jesus Rodolfo Zepeda, was arrested, but due to COVID-19-related jail protocols, he was released shortly afterward.

The attack occurred backstage at Saint John’s Cathedral in Los Angeles during a fashion show organized by the couple to support Make-A-Wish. The event was even documented on their reality TV show, “Gown and Out in Beverly Hills.” Zepeda’s nine-year-old daughter had been excluded from the show by Atteu.

This week, Zepeda received a five-year prison sentence for the assault, with additional probationary terms and strict supervision. Any minor violations during probation could lead to immediate imprisonment. Furthermore, a 10-year protection order has been issued for Atteu and his husband, Patrik Simpson.

Atteu and Simpson feel that the justice system initially failed to recognize the attack as a hate crime, despite the repeated homophobic slurs used by Zepeda during the assault. However, the system eventually acknowledged it as such.

“Atteu expressed his dissatisfaction, stating in an interview with The Advocate, ‘I don’t feel justice was served. We couldn’t reach a resolution, and although I understand the constraints of the law, it didn’t offer me protection or assistance.'”

Atteu emphasized the significance of the courts acknowledging it as a hate crime. He stated, “It was crucial for us to highlight this and ensure that it was officially recognized as a hate crime, which it was.”

The recognition of the assault as a hate crime by the courts held significance for the couple beyond legal implications. It served as a stance in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, which frequently faces challenges when navigating the criminal justice system.

Atteu and Simpson aim to leverage their experience to support other LGBTQ+ individuals facing similar challenges, advocating for streamlined processes that spare them the lengthy legal battles they endured.

“I hope to advocate for others and provide insights into the process, guiding them on the necessary documentation and where to seek the support they require,” Atteu expressed.

Conservative attorneys general have accused President Joe Biden of jeopardizing the safety of cisgender girls by implementing policies aimed at creating safer environments for transgender children in schools.

Additional states have joined in lawsuits against the Biden administration regarding its updated Title IX regulations, which require protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ students. The total number of states involved in legal action against the administration now stands at 14.

Recently, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia teamed up to file a joint lawsuit against the administration. They were joined by the Independent Women’s Network, Parents Defending Education, Speech First, and the Independent Women’s Law Center. Concurrently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced a separate challenge to the new regulations.

Currently, Tennessee is spearheading a legal challenge against the new regulations, with support from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia joining in the lawsuit. Additionally, attorneys general from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Idaho have filed a separate lawsuit against the Biden administration’s rules.

The recent regulations interpret Title IX, a statute prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational settings, as extending legal protections against anti-LGBTQ+ school policies. The rationale behind this interpretation is that discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity inherently involves considering sex, echoing a legal argument employed by the Supreme Court in its 2020 Bostock v. Clayton Co. decision regarding workplace discrimination.

These regulations mean that any educational institution receiving federal funds cannot discriminate against LGBTQ+ students. This may impact states and school districts with policies that involve outing LGBTQ+ students to their parents or prohibiting trans students from using bathrooms aligning with their gender. Additionally, these rules could provide students encountering discrimination with avenues for legal recourse in federal courts.

During a press conference, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) cited the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as he outlined his stance on discriminating against trans youth.

“The law, Title IX, has protected women for 50 years,” Skrmetti stated, as reported by The Tennessean. “It is a law… built around the idea of men and women, sex binary. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted, enduring differences between the sexes necessitate things like separate bathrooms, separate locker rooms, separate living facilities, separate sports teams. This is something that our law has recognized for decades.”

The rules, however, do not propose the elimination of single-gender spaces. Instead, they mandate schools to include all individuals identifying as boys in boys’ spaces and all individuals identifying as girls in girls’ spaces.

Skrmetti argued that under the rules, “a boy can enter a girl’s locker room at a school, and if a girl expresses discomfort with his presence, she may face investigation and potential penalties for violating civil rights. The new rules are entirely inconsistent with the text of Title IX, and their adoption violates the United States Constitution.”

In a press release, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) asserted that the rules will “ultimately prohibit schools from distinguishing between males and females in athletic and educational opportunities,” placing women at an unfair disadvantage and compelling boys and girls to share facilities like bathrooms, locker rooms, dormitories, and even overnight accommodations during school trips.

He also stated that it is designed to “federally coerce schools into indoctrinating students in gender identity theories popular among progressive parents but that ignore science.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) asserted on X that President Joe Biden is “abusing his constitutional authority to push an ideological agenda that harms women and girls and conflicts with the truth.”

“We will not comply,” DeSantis continued, “and we will resist Biden’s harmful agenda.”

Fifty-three conservative parent organizations, led by Parents Defending Education (PDE), signed a letter asserting that trans inclusivity “poses a serious threat to the safety and opportunities of women and girls and infringes on students’ First Amendment rights” by mandating the use of correct pronouns for trans and nonbinary students, even against their wishes.

The letter also accused the Biden administration of catering to “a small yet vocal group of extreme activists.”

The new rules, slated to take effect on August 1, will nullify numerous anti-transgender policies established during the tenure of former President Donald Trump. Throughout his administration, Trump opposed the legal interpretation that laws prohibiting discrimination “based on sex” also prohibit anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, especially in educational settings. In 2017, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued guidance asserting that Title IX did not safeguard LGBTQ+ students, shortly after she and Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded guidance from the Obama administration that stated otherwise.

The Biden administration had pledged to introduce the newly revealed rules by January, but the Department of Education cited a delay in their release, attributing it to an unprecedented volume of over 240,000 comments submitted during the 30-day public response period for the new rules.

While conservative backlash has ensued, LGBTQ+ organizations have celebrated the announcement, although they also assert that more measures are necessary.

The National Women’s Law Center issued a statement that both celebrated and criticized the newly unveiled rules, acknowledging, “As we celebrate this milestone, we recognize that this regulation does not go far enough in making the law’s protections clear for all student-athletes.” Joining in the statement were 22 other organizations, including LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG National, and the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Representative Mark Takano (D-CA), who is openly gay, expressed, “The Education Department and Biden Administration showed real courage today, delivering on a long-held promise to ensure that the federal government does more to protect all Americans—especially LGBTQ Americans—from discrimination. This groundbreaking rule is a major victory, but we still have much to do. We need to enshrine and expand its protections by passing the Equality Act because for too many Americans, their rights and protections depend on the zip code they live in.”