Category: LGBTQIA

Ireland will pay you $90,000 to move to a beautiful island home

This blog originally appeared at CNN Travel.

CNN Travel aims to provide comprehensive coverage and assistance for various travel-related topics and concerns. They offer guides and articles to help readers navigate different aspects of travel, such as tipping etiquette, choosing currency options for card payments, and providing a roundup of the week’s news. Whether you need practical advice, travel recommendations, or the latest updates, CNN Travel aims to provide reliable information to meet your vacation needs.

Inis Mór is the largest of Galway’s Aran Islands, off Ireland’s west coast.

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.

Irish island homes

New opportunities are afoot for those dreaming of fixing up a rural idyll far from the chaos of modern life. Ireland has just announced a scheme to revitalize more than 20 of the idyllic islands that lie off its western seaboard, including Inis Mór, whose breathtaking landscape you might recognize from the Hollywood hit “The Banshees of Inisherin,” as well as 10 Irish-speaking Gaeltacht islands.

Increased grants of up to €84,000 (nearly $92,000) will soon be offered to people willing to refurbish vacant or derelict homes and then live in them, with Vacant Home Officers now on the case to identify eligible properties. Would-be islanders should be aware that while there are no restrictions on who can buy property in Ireland, owning a place doesn’t guarantee you the right to live there. The government website has the latest deets on the Our Living Islands policy and the existing refurbishment scheme.

Airplane seats

Plus-size travelers are hitting out at “discriminatory” and inconsistent airline policies that often mean they are forced to buy additional seats. Travel influencer Jae’lynn Chaney is calling for more standardization, telling CNN Travel, “At the bare minimum, we need every airline to have a policy that tells people of size how to navigate their airline.”

And in China, Hainan Airlines has faced a backlash after imposing weight restrictions on flight attendants.

Australian airline Qantas has revealed what economy seats will look like on its upcoming record-breaking 19-hour flights between New York and Sydney. The airline promises that its specially designed Airbus A350s will offer passengers more legroom and space to move around the cabin compared with standard flights.

And if the very thought of that is making you a bit crampy, check out our video with five tips on avoiding pain during a long flight.

Our animal friends

A young bear was spotted enjoying a swim alongside beachgoers in Florida on June 11, before hitting the shore and taking off. Woodlands are of course a bear’s usual habitat, and the National Park Service has these safety tips if you encounter one, including not pushing “a slower friend down.”

City leaders in Paris are trying to find out if there’s a way for humans and rats to live peaceably alongside each other. No news as yet on whether that includes rodents living under chefs’ hats à la “Ratatouille.”

If cohabitation with birds is more your thing, our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have put together a beginner’s guide to bird-watching. Here’s what you need to know.

click here to see full blog: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/travel-news-ireland-homes-grants/index.html

Texas governor signs bill to ban DEI offices at state public colleges

This blog originally appeared at CNN Politics.


As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, there have been discussions and debates regarding the banning of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at state public colleges in Texas. However, I do not have information on the specific details or the status of any bill related to this topic being signed by the Texas governor.

It’s important to note that legislation and political developments can change over time, and it’s advisable to refer to the most recent news sources or official statements for the latest information on this matter.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks after signing a bill at the Texas Capitol in Austin on June 6, 2023.

(CNN) – As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, it seems that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at public colleges and universities in the state. The bill, known as SB 17, was passed by the state legislature with supporters arguing that DEI efforts promote racial profiling and that cutting funds for such programs would save taxpayers money. Critics of the bill have raised concerns about discrimination and the potential impact on attracting diverse students.

According to the information provided, SB 17 prohibits higher education institutions from establishing or maintaining DEI offices and also bans mandatory diversity training for students and employees. However, it is important to note that the bill does not restrict academic instruction related to race and diversity, and there are exceptions for equity measures required by court order or federal law.

Please note that this information is based on the details provided, and it’s always advisable to refer to the most recent news sources or official statements for the latest updates on this matter.

click here to see full blog: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/15/politics/greg-abbott-texas-dei-office-ban-colleges/index.html

Death Star Bill aimed at expanding state authority signed into law

This blog originally appeared at KHOU 11.

Proponents of House Bill 2127 say the bill is aimed at reining in city and county leaders that exceed their authority.

House Bill 2127, also referred to as the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, has generated both support and opposition. Supporters of the bill argue that its purpose is to establish consistent regulations across the state, which would contribute to maintaining a thriving Texas economy. They believe that uniformity in regulations would facilitate business growth, attract investments, and simplify compliance for companies operating in multiple jurisdictions.

However, opponents of the bill express concerns that it could have unintended consequences and potentially restrict the authority of local governments. They argue that local communities should have the autonomy to address specific issues that are relevant to their region, such as noise complaints, drought restrictions, and labor rights. Limiting local governments’ ability to create regulations tailored to their unique needs and circumstances may be seen as undermining local democracy and impeding their ability to address local concerns effectively.

The debate surrounding House Bill 2127 highlights the tension between statewide consistency and local autonomy. Balancing these competing interests is a complex task, as policymakers strive to strike a balance between statewide economic considerations and the ability of local governments to respond to local challenges and protect the interests of their communities.

click here to see full blog: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/texas-death-star-bill-hb-2127/285-799570c5-5add-47c7-988e-bc034c36f7d2

Greg Abbott signs law banning diversity offices in Texas higher education

This blog originally appeared at Support The Guardian.

The governor signed the bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion offices in addition to another codifying tenure restrictions.

Greg Abbott’s office argued that DEI programs ‘push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others’. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed SB 17, a bill that will effectively ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and initiatives in higher education institutions across the state. The new law mandates the closure of DEI offices in state colleges starting from January 2024. It also puts an end to activities that promote certain groups of individuals over others based on factors such as race, ethnicity, and gender.

Furthermore, the bill prohibits job applicants at Texas universities from making diversity statements, and it prohibits mandatory DEI training for any purpose. This legislation reflects a shift in the state’s approach to DEI efforts within the higher education system.

The impact of this law is a matter of ongoing debate. Supporters argue that it promotes equal treatment and prevents preferential treatment based on certain characteristics. On the other hand, critics contend that it undermines efforts to address systemic inequalities and promote diversity and inclusion within academic institutions.

It’s important to note that this law specifically applies to higher education institutions in Texas and does not have a direct impact on DEI initiatives in other sectors or within private institutions.

“Education is the greatest equalizer in our nation, and Texas is home to world class and innovative colleges and universities. The decisions we make for higher education today determine our Texas of tomorrow,” said the Republican state senator Brandon Creighton, who introduced the bill in March.

https://b6e53c7903577bf8e8ff2aa208e47325.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

“Now that these bills are law, institutes of higher education are better equipped to prepare the next generation of leaders, and keep Texas the economic engine of the nation,” he added.

Creighton went on to explain that what sets the bill apart from other proposals is “that the legislation delivers strong enforcement with mandates to return Texas colleges and universities to their core mission: educate and innovate”.

He condemned DEI offices, saying that they have “failed to make progress advancing or increasing diversity”.

click here to see full blog: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/14/new-texas-bans-law-diversity-offices-state-higher-education

This cis woman and her disabled child were ousted from a Kansas library bathroom due to anti-trans ban

This blog originally appeared at Reckon.

In a concerning incident in Kansas, a cisgender woman and her disabled child were reportedly forced to leave a library bathroom due to the implementation of an anti-transgender bathroom ban. The incident highlights the impact that such discriminatory policies can have on individuals who do not fit the narrow definitions imposed by these bans.

Karen Wild and her son Ellis Dunville. Photo courtesy of The Wichita Eagle (Michelle Zenarosa)

On May 20, a woman in Kansas was instructed to leave the restroom for helping her disabled son.

Karen Wild is the mother to her son Ellis Dunville, who is on the autism spectrum, has a seizure disorder and is nonverbal. Part of her weekly routine is visiting the Wichita Public Library to meet up with Dunville’s grandmother, who helps Wild take care of him.

This incident comes weeks after the state signed SB180, which is informally known as the “Women’s Bill of Rights”. The law is intended to “ensure current protections for women’s spaces are not eroded,” said Republican Rep. Brenda Landwehr during the House Committee hearing on Mar. 31.

click here to see full blog: https://www.reckon.news/lgbtq/2023/06/this-cis-woman-and-her-disabled-child-were-ousted-from-a-kansas-library-bathroom-due-to-anti-trans-ban.html?fbclid=IwAR3O01yCO1cAjKxjLWFWcbq3LBQNV_bofvnD8feA8srrPyh9StenclFBTgI

Protesters brawl as Southern California school district decides whether to recognize Pride Month

This blog originally appeared at AP News.

GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — Protesters briefly scuffled and punches flew Tuesday as a Southern California school district decided whether to recognize June as Pride month.

Conservative groups and LGBTQ+ rights supporters protest as police try to maintain order outside the Glendale Unified School District offices in Glendale, Calif., Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Several hundred people gathered in the parking lot of the district headquarters, split between those who support or oppose teaching about exposing youngsters to LGBTQ+ issues in schools. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)

Several hundred people gathered in the parking lot of the Glendale Unified School District headquarters, split between those who support or oppose exposing youngsters to LGBTQ+ issues in schools.

Some opponents wore T-shirts emblazoned with: “Leave our kids alone.”

It was the same slogan used by some demonstrators last Friday outside Saticoy Elementary School in Los Angeles to protest a planned Pride assembly.

As in Glendale, police officers had to separate groups of protesters and counterprotesters who came to blows.

Across the nation, Pride month celebrations are kicking off amid rising backlash in some places against LGBTQ+ rights. Community parade organizers, school districts and even professional sports terms have faced protests for flying rainbow flags and honoring drag performers. While some Republican-led states are limiting classroom conversations about gender and sexuality and banning gender-affirming care, some Democratic cities and states are seeking to expand LGBTQ+ rights and to honor the community’s contributions.

click here to see full blog: https://apnews.com/article/glendale-school-district-pride-month-protests-fighting-adcb1e4f9051256a4f35fb3174137229

Federal judge freezes Florida gender-affirming care bans

This blog originally appeared at Axios Tampa Bay.

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a pair of Florida bans on gender-affirming care for three minors while a legal challenge plays out, arguing that both are likely to be found unconstitutional.

Protesters in support of abortion rights and trans rights gather during a speech by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Aug. 21, 2022.

Why it matters: U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, a Clinton appointee, wrote that “gender identity is real” and agreed with the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state that gender-affirming care is “medically necessary.”

  • The lawsuit asserts that the bans violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause by singling out trans minors. Three Florida families asked the court to freeze the bans while the lawsuit is reviewed, saying their children had immediate medical needs.
  • Hinkle said that both of Florida’s bans represent a “purposeful discrimination against transgenders.”

Between the lines: A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told Axios the ruling applies only to three trans children seeking immediate access to such care, who are plaintiffs in the case. “Florida’s law otherwise remains in effect,” press secretary Jeremy Redfern said.

  • Yes, but: While narrow in scope, Simone Chriss, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the judge’s opinion “sends a really, really clear message that what the state has done here is politically motivated, predetermined and unconstitutional.”

State of play: Florida prohibited health providers from offering gender-affirming care to minors with a first-of-its-kind rule issued by the state’s medical board and recent legislation that DeSantis signed into law.

  • The law not only criminalized care for trans people under 18, but added restrictions for adults seeking such care.
  • While the injunction doesn’t address the adult restrictions, lawyers for the plaintiffs are planning to ask the court to block them, said Chriss, director of the Transgender Rights Initiative at the Florida-based Southern Legal Counsel. That could mean adding an adult trans Floridian as a plaintiff in the suit.

Details: “The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes that clear,” Hinkle wrote in his opinions.

  • Hinkle also said the defendants — including Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, members of the medical board and other state officials — had contradictory views of trans people, noting that they both acknowledge that trans people exist and say trans identity “is made up.”
    • “Any proponent of the challenged statute and rules should put up or shut up: do you acknowledge that there are individuals with actual gender identities opposite their natal sex, or do you not? Dog whistles ought not be tolerated,” Hinkle said.
  • The judge said that “[t]he overwhelming weight of medical authority supports” gender-affirming care and “not a single reputable medical association has taken a contrary position.”
  • Hinkle said that the parents who are challenging the bans can better evaluate the benefits and risks of treating their trans children than the state: “I find that the plaintiffs’ motivation is love for their children and the desire to achieve the best possible treatment for them. This is not the State’s motivation.”

What they’re saying: “My husband and I have been heartbroken and worried sick about not being able to care for our daughter in the way we know she needs,” said one of the plaintiffs, who is identified as Jane Doe and has a daughter named Susan.

  • “Today my entire family is breathing a huge sigh of relief knowing we can now access the treatment that we know will keep Susan healthy and allow her to continue being the happy, confident child she has been,” Doe added.
  • The legal groups that represented the plaintiffs called the ruling “a powerful affirmation of the humanity of transgender people, the efficacy of well-established, science-based medical care.”
  • A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Ashley Moody did not respond to requests for comment.

Zoom out: The Florida lawsuit is one of many filed in various states that have adopted bans on health care for trans minors.

click here to see full blog: https://www.axios.com/2023/06/06/judge-blocks-florida-transgender-health-care-ban

U.S. Judge Blocks Florida Ban On Trans Minor Care In Narrow Ruling: ‘Gender Identity Is Real’

This blog originally appeared at Huff Post.

Judge Robert Hinkle issued a preliminary injunction, saying three transgender children can continue receiving treatment.

Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaks during a campaign event, June 2, 2023, in Lexington, S.C. A federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a new Florida law that bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, ruling Tuesday, June 6, that the state has no rational basis for denying patients treatment.

In Tallahassee, Florida, a federal judge, Robert Hinkle, has issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking portions of a new state law that prohibits transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers. The judge ruled on Tuesday that the state lacks a rational basis for denying this form of treatment to transgender patients. As a result, three transgender children involved in the lawsuit can continue receiving the treatment they need.

The lawsuit challenges the law that was signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The law, which bans the use of puberty blockers for transgender minors, was enacted shortly before Governor DeSantis announced his run for president. The injunction means that the law’s enforcement is halted for now, pending further legal proceedings and a final decision on its constitutionality.

This ruling highlights the ongoing legal debates surrounding the rights and healthcare access for transgender individuals, particularly minors. It reflects the court’s recognition of the importance of gender identity and the need for medical treatments that are considered essential by healthcare professionals in supporting transgender youth.

The case will continue to be litigated, and the final outcome will determine the future of the Florida law regarding the use of puberty blockers for transgender minors.

click here to see full blog: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/transgender-health-florida-judge-blocks-ban-minor-care_n_647f6b38e4b091b09c3554a7

In uncommon trend, blue states laws to protect rights from the red states

In an uncommon trend, blue states are enacting laws aimed at protecting rights and freedoms that are being threatened in red states. These laws serve as a response to conservative policies and legislation enacted in more politically conservative areas. Blue states are taking proactive measures to safeguard issues such as reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and environmental protections, creating a stark contrast between progressive and conservative states. This trend reflects the ongoing ideological divide and the states’ efforts to uphold and advance their respective values and priorities.

Uganda Signs Tough Anti-Gay Law, With Death Penalty In Some Cases

This blog originally appeared at Huff Post.

The legislation has been widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s president has signed into law tough new anti-gay legislation supported by many in this East African country but widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad.

The statement refers to the signing of a bill by President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda. The bill mentioned in the statement is not specified, but based on the context, it appears to be referring to an anti-gay legislation that was signed into law in Uganda in the past. The specific details and provisions of the bill would need to be clarified for further information. However, it is mentioned that the version signed by President Museveni did not criminalize individuals based on their LGBTQ+ identity, which was a concern expressed by campaigners who opposed an earlier draft of the legislation. It is important to note that laws and their specific provisions can change over time, so it’s recommended to refer to the latest information or news sources for the most accurate and up-to-date details.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL BLOG: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/uganda-anti-gay-law_n_647487e9e4b0b4444c7a49b8

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑