Category: LGBTQIA

Federal appeals court rules that there is no inherent right to alter one’s sex on a birth certificate.

This blog originally appeared at ABC NEWS.

A federal appeals court panel has ruled that Tennessee does not unconstitutionally discriminate against transgender people by not allowing them to change the sex designation on their birth certificates.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal appeals court panel ruled 2-1 on Friday that Tennessee does not unconstitutionally discriminate against transgender people by not allowing them to change the sex designation on their birth certificates.

“There is no fundamental right to a birth certificate recording gender identity instead of biological sex,” 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote for the majority in the decision upholding a 2023 district court ruling. The plaintiffs could not show that Tennessee’s policy was created out of animus against transgender people as it has been in place for more than half a century and “long predates medical diagnoses of gender dysphoria,” Sutton wrote.

He noted that “States’ practices are all over the map.” Some allow changes to the birth certificate with medical evidence of surgery. Others require lesser medical evidence. Only 11 states currently allow a change to a birth certificate based solely on a person’s declaration of their gender identity, which is what the plaintiffs are seeking in Tennessee.

Tennessee birth certificates reflect the sex assigned at birth, and that information is used for statistical and epidemiological activities that inform the provision of health services throughout the country, Sutton wrote. “How, it’s worth asking, could a government keep uniform records of any sort if the disparate views of its citizens about shifting norms in society controlled the government’s choices of language and of what information to collect?”

The plaintiffs — four transgender women born in Tennessee — argued in court filings that sex is properly determined not by external genitalia but by gender identity, which they define in their brief as “a person’s core internal sense of their own gender.” The lawsuit, first filed in federal court in Nashville in 2019, claims Tennessee’s prohibition serves no legitimate government interest while it subjects transgender people to discrimination, harassment and even violence when they have to produce a birth certificate for identification that clashes with their gender identity.

In a dissenting opinion, Judge Helene White agreed with the plaintiffs, represented by Lambda Legal.

“Forcing a transgender individual to use a birth certificate indicating sex assigned at birth causes others to question whether the individual is indeed the person stated on the birth certificate,” she wrote. “This inconsistency also invites harm and discrimination.”

Lambda Legal did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment on Friday.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement that the question of changing the sex designation on a birth certificate should be left to the states.

“While other states have taken different approaches, for decades Tennessee has consistently recognized that a birth certificate records a biological fact of a child being male or female and has never addressed gender identity,” he said.

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John Deere & Co. retracts diversity policies, following Tractor Supply’s lead

This blog originally appeared at CBS NEWS.

John Deere joins a growing list of major American companies retracting diversity policies amidst conservative criticism.

The manufacturer of John Deere tractors and other agricultural machinery announced on Tuesday that it would cease participation in “social or cultural awareness” events. Additionally, the company will review its mandatory training materials to ensure they do not include “socially motivated messages,” according to a statement posted on social media by the Moline, Illinois-based company.

This decision follows a similar move by retailer Tractor Supply, which recently ended its corporate diversity initiatives. These actions highlight the increasing pressure on companies to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The announcements come amid a conservative-led online campaign, marking another episode in the ongoing debate over the effectiveness and fairness of policies designed to promote organizational diversity and inclusivity.

For decades, many U.S. corporations, colleges, and other organizations have adhered to DEI principles. These ideas gained significant traction four years ago following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. In response to his death, numerous companies committed to strengthening their DEI efforts to make their workforces more racially and culturally representative.

The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end affirmative action in college admissions has further galvanized the efforts of conservative and anti-DEI activists to push for the elimination of such policies in the workplace.

“War on wokeness”

Leading the charge against both John Deere and Tractor Supply on the platform X, conservative political commentator and filmmaker Robby Starbuck hailed John Deere’s announcement as “another huge win in our war on wokeness.” However, he deemed the company’s measures insufficient and urged them to fully eliminate their DEI policies.

Last month, Brentwood, Tennessee-based Tractor Supply went a step further by abolishing all of its DEI roles and goals. The company also vowed to stop submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

Starbuck, a 35-year-old Cuban American, told The Associated Press, “It’s not lost on me my kids would benefit from this stuff,” but he opposes hiring decisions based on race, DEI initiatives, employee resource groups that focus on non-professional activities, and any policies that, in his view, incorporate social issues and politics into company culture.

“People should go to work without feeling compelled to conform to specific behaviors to be acceptable to their employer,” Starbuck said.

Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, described John Deere’s decision as “disappointing,” calling it “a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business.”

National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd, Jr., called for the resignation of Deere CEO John May and a boycott of the company on Wednesday. He stated that John Deere “continues to move in the wrong direction” regarding DEI and has “failed to show its support” for Black farmers since NBFA’s founding.

The organization also pointed out that John Deere’s announcement came a month after the company agreed to pay $1.1 million in back wages and interest to 277 Black and Hispanic job applicants following the Labor Department’s allegations of hiring discrimination.

Last month, Target announced it was reducing the number of stores carrying Pride Month-related merchandise after the retail chain faced “confrontational behavior” that had threatened workers’ safety the previous year.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Drag Show Ban

This blog originally appeared at AP News.

The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday, a federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a pioneering Tennessee law that imposes strict restrictions on drag shows. This decision overturned a previous lower court ruling that had found the statute unconstitutional and had partially blocked its enforcement.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Friends of George’s, a Memphis-based LGBTQ+ theater company that filed the lawsuit, did not have the legal standing to challenge the law.

Friends of George’s had argued that the law would adversely impact their productions, which include “drag-centric performances, comedy sketches, and plays” without age restrictions. However, the appeals court concluded that Friends of George’s was not at risk of breaching the 2023 law because their performances were not deemed “harmful to minors.”

The law, passed last year with backing from the Republican-controlled Tennessee Legislature and Governor Bill Lee, does not explicitly mention “drag.” Instead, it redefines adult cabaret to include “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors,” categorizing “male or female impersonators” alongside strippers and topless dancers.

The justices noted that the Tennessee Supreme Court had narrowly defined what constitutes “harmful to a minor” as material lacking “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for a reasonable 17-year-old.”

“FOG has not alleged that its performances lack serious value for a 17-year-old. In fact, it asserts the opposite. A member of FOG’s board admitted that its shows ‘are definitely appropriate’ for a 15-year-old and would ‘absolutely’ have artistic value for a 17-year-old,” the ruling stated.

Friends of George’s has not yet responded to requests for comment on the decision.

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California’s public schools are now prohibited from forcibly outing queer students

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

“LGBTQ+ students across California can breathe a sigh of relief,” stated one LGBTQ+ organization, following the passage of this groundbreaking law.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has signed a pioneering law banning forced outings in state public schools.

The SAFETY Act prohibits school district policies that mandate educators to inform parents if their child requests to use pronouns or facilities different from the gender assigned at birth.

The law, which takes effect immediately, also protects teachers and administrators from retaliation if they choose not to follow district directives to out queer students to their parents. Additionally, it provides funding for resources to assist parents and families of queer students in having supportive conversations about their identities, ensuring that these discussions occur in a way that makes the children feel safe and respected.

The SAFETY Act — Support Academic Futures & Educators for Today’s Youth — passed the state Assembly in June by a vote of 60-15.

Forced outing policies have proliferated in California since 2023, with more than a dozen school districts implementing rules to notify parents and guardians of students who identify as trans or a gender different from the one listed on their birth certificate.

“The very personal decision for a student to come out should be on their own terms to whoever they choose to share that information with when they are ready,” said the bill’s author, San Diego Assemblyman Chris Ward (D), in a statement. “Teachers should not be the gender police.”

“In California, LGBTQ+ students — like all students — have the right to a safe and welcoming school environment,” Becca Cramer-Mowder with ACLU California Action said in a statement.

“With the Governor’s signature, our state becomes the first in the country to ensure protections against forced outing in school are clearly enshrined in statute,” she added. “LGBTQ+ students and their families deserve to decide on their own terms when and how to have conversations about coming out.”

Eight red states have enacted legislation mandating schools out trans students, while another five have passed laws promoting parental notification, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

In California, the policies have become a lightning rod, particularly in conservative inland areas of the state.

In April, a defiant conservative majority on the board of the Murrieta Valley Unified School District in Riverside County voted to ignore an order from the state to rescind a parental notification policy. A packed audience in the ruby red district cheered the result when it occurred.

Similar battles are being waged in other Riverside County school districts, including Temecula and Chino, both hotbeds of “parental rights” activism.

“We will continue to stand strong, linked arms all over California, to ensure the government does not infringe on parental rights — period,” Chino Valley School Board President Sonja Shaw said earlier this year.

A state investigation in Murrieta was prompted after two teachers filed a complaint. One was filed by 6th and 7th grade teacher Karen Poznanski, who is also a district parent with a nonbinary child.

“This policy, whether enforced or not, hindered our LGBTQ+ students from living authentically,” Poznanski told The Los Angeles Times. “Moreover, it not only compromised their privacy and dignity, but also perpetuated harm and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals and their families.”

In a statement, the state LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality California said, “We are grateful to Governor Newsom for demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community by signing the SAFETY Act into law. Over the past year, more than a dozen extremist school boards across California have considered or passed these harmful policies that openly discriminate against transgender students and prevent them from safely being themselves at school.”

“The SAFETY Act could not be more timely or necessary, and LGBTQ+ students across California can breathe a sigh of relief following today’s action by the Governor,” the statement continued. “LGBTQ+ youth across California can now have these important family conversations when they are ready and in ways that strengthen the relationship between parent and child, not as a result of extremist politicians intruding into the parent-child relationship.”

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Festivals, in response to DeSantis’ targeting, pledge to forego funding in exchange for restored arts funding

This blog originally appeared at TAMPA BAY TIMES.

The governor singled out the two Fringe festivals when vetoing $32 million in statewide arts and culture funds.

On Thursday, the Tampa and Orlando Fringe festivals issued an open letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, formally offering to forfeit their approved grants for the 2025 fiscal year. The nonprofit International Fringe Festival of Central Florida was slated to receive $102,629, while Tampa’s festival anticipated significantly less at $7,909.

In return, the festivals requested that the governor support a legislative reversal of his $32 million veto on arts and culture funding.

This proposal follows DeSantis’ recent justification for vetoing arts funding statewide last month, where he specifically cited “sexual” content at festivals in Orlando and Tampa. DeSantis pointed to playwright Christen Hailey’s production at Tampa’s Fringe Festival, titled “Captain Havoc and the Big-Titty Bog Witches.”

During a news conference on June 27, DeSantis remarked, “You have your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sexual festival where they’re doing all this stuff.”

The nonprofit clarified that Florida taxpayer dollars do not directly support artists. “Artists earn their income directly through ticket sales. In fact, 100% of an artist’s advertised ticket price is paid to that artist,” Fringe producers stated in an open letter to the governor. “Instead, taxpayer dollars help cover office expenses, ADA accommodations, and staff salaries.”

The approved funding for Fringe Festivals represented only .002 percent of the vetoed $32 million, a comparison Fringe leadership likened to “canceling Florida’s entire sports industry based on an objection with one player on one team.”

As of Friday, DeSantis’ office had not responded to two emails requesting comment.

Looking ahead, Fringe intends to reapply for state grants in future years. “The idea would be to forgo it this year, but then through collaboration and dialogue, foster a deeper understanding of the arts,” said Tampa Fringe producer Trish Parry.

According to Parry, alongside the show “Captain Havoc and the Big-Titty Bog Witches” on the festival webpage was a comedy performance titled “Florida Fever Dream.” This show featured a political cartoon depicting DeSantis riding an alligator wearing Minnie Mouse ears, with a pile of burning books in a campfire behind him.

“So that might have helped to stir things up, particularly against Tampa,” said Parry. “I’m sure you could find a show at Orlando Fringe with a title like ‘titty’ or something similar. I’m just certain that the ‘Florida Fever Dream’ show probably didn’t help matters.”

Both producers from Orlando and Tampa are hopeful to reconcile with DeSantis. They have extended invitations to him, his family, and his aides to attend their festivals in 2025 in hopes of fostering understanding.

Fringe producers wrote, “We ask that you reciprocate by welcoming and hosting us in October or November 2024 so that we can build bridges of understanding and deepen your familiarity with the benefits of arts & culture investments, thus empowering you to be an impassioned advocate.”

DeSantis has yet to RSVP.

Contributions to this report were made by Lawrence Mower.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/breaking-news/2024/07/12/fringe-festival-tampa-arts-funding-veto-florida/

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Key Updates on Anti-Trans Legislation: Recap of Events from July 8-12

This blog originally appeared at THEM.

The following weekly digest is authored and curated by the Trans Formations Project, a grassroots nonprofit committed to monitoring and raising awareness about the ongoing crisis of anti-trans legislative efforts across the United States.

Editorial Focus: Project 2025

What does Project 2025, an ultraconservative initiative under a Trump presidency, reveal about its stance on trans individuals? The project’s blueprint, known as Mandate for Leadership, provides the rationale behind many of the anti-trans legislative measures tracked by TFP. This extensive manifesto advocates for goals such as eliminating comprehensive sex education (62, 477), limiting rights for trans employees (584-585), curtailing or banning gender-affirming care for minors (345), and imposing further restrictions on speech and expression (5).

This week, we have categorized and analyzed the primary anti-trans objectives within Project 2025, segmented by section.

Executive Actions and Anti-Trans Legislation in Project 2025

Idea: “[T]he primary purpose of consolidating political power is to undermine the family. Its aim is to substitute people’s natural affections and loyalties with unnatural ones” (4).

Goal: Remove “the terms sexual orientation and gender identity (‘SOGI’), diversity, equity, and inclusion (‘DEI’), gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights…” from all federal rules, agency regulations, contracts, grants, legislation, and regulations (5).

Goal: Replace Biden’s Gender Policy Council with a Domestic Policy Council to “eliminate… the new ‘woke’ gender ideology, which promotes ‘gender affirming care’ and ‘sex-change’ surgeries for minors” (62).

Civil Rights (especially pages 582-585)

dea: “During the Obama and Biden Administrations, every facet of labor policy was utilized to promote race, sex, and other classifications, often discriminating against conservative and religious viewpoints, including pro-life perspectives.”

Goals:

  • “Limit the application of Bostock’s sex discrimination protections to sexual orientation and transgender status specifically in hiring and termination contexts.”
  • “Revoke regulations that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and sex characteristics.”
  • “Instruct agencies to concentrate their enforcement of sex discrimination laws on the biological binary definition of ‘sex.'”

Education (especially pages 333-346)

Idea: “There is no scientific or legal justification for redefining ‘sex’ as ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ under Title IX.”

Goal: “Restore the Trump Administration’s Title IX regulation, emphasizing that ‘sex’ refers to a biologically defined fact recognized at birth; and enhance protections for faith-based educational institutions, programs, and activities.”

Idea: “Federal lawmakers should prevent public school employees from keeping information about a child secret from their parents.”

Goal: “Prohibit educators from using a name other than the one listed on a student’s birth certificate or using a pronoun different from the student’s biological sex without permission from the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s).”

Health & Human Services

Idea: “Permitting parents or physicians to ‘reassign’ the sex of a minor constitutes child abuse” (5).

Goals:

  • Enact a federal Parents Bill of Rights (345).
  • Cease Medicare coverage for gender-affirming surgeries.
  • Eliminate discrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the Affordable Care Act (475).

Military (104)

Idea: “Gender dysphoria is inconsistent with the requirements of military service.”

Goal: “Revoke policies permitting transgender individuals to serve in the military.” Note: This objective gained momentum recently in the Senate Armed Services Committee report on the 2025 Military Funding Bill, which includes provisions preventing the Department of Defense (DoD) and its insurance plan from funding gender-affirming surgeries for service members and gender-affirming care for their minor dependents.

The Things We Won

Yale Law School and Yale School of Medicine recently collaborated on a report criticizing the Cass Review, authored by Dr. Hillary Cass in the U.K., which evaluated National Health Service (NHS) guidelines on gender-affirming care. The NHS cited the Cass Report in its recent decision to restrict puberty blockers for transgender minors. Additionally, conservative Indiana lawmakers referenced the Cass Report in IN SB0480, a law banning gender-affirming care for minors enacted last year.

The Cass Report concluded that “there is not a reliable evidence base” to recommend clinical interventions for transgender minors. The Yale review highlighted several critical issues with this conclusion, asserting that the Cass Report “obscures key findings, misrepresents its own data, and misapplies the scientific method.”

Federal prosecutors are currently investigating Dr. Eithan Haim for leaking confidential transgender patient files to conservative journalist Christopher Rufo. Outrage over these documents significantly contributed to the passage of TX SB14, a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Formerly employed by Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Dr. Haim claims whistleblower immunity, alleging exposure of “illegal gender surgeries” on minors.

The hospital contends that all care provided was lawful and accuses Dr. Haim of jeopardizing patient and physician safety by leaking the documents. Dr. Haim has garnered broad support from conservative media and politicians. Ryan Patrick, son of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and former U.S. Attorney during the Trump Administration, will represent Dr. Haim in the ongoing legal proceedings.

Read more.

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Texas Supreme Court upholds state ban on gender-affirming care for minors

In Austin, the Texas Supreme Court has upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, dismissing arguments from parents that it infringes on their rights to seek medical care for their transgender children.

In a decisive 8-1 ruling issued Friday, the all-Republican court upheld a law effective since September 1, 2023, making Texas the largest of over 25 states to enact laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Many of these states are facing legal challenges, with the U.S. Supreme Court recently agreeing to hear an appeal concerning similar bans in Tennessee.

The Texas law prohibits transgender minors from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries, despite medical experts’ consensus that such surgeries are rarely performed on children. Children already undergoing banned treatments must cease them in a medically appropriate manner.

“The Legislature made a permissible, rational policy choice to limit available medical procedures for children, given the nascent understanding of gender dysphoria and its treatments,” the ruling stated, defending the legislative authority to regulate medical practice.

Lambda Legal, a civil rights organization for LGBTQ+ individuals, criticized the decision, asserting that it undermines parental and medical decision-making in favor of political interference.

The lawsuit against the Texas law argued it severely harms transgender teens by denying them crucial medical care recommended by physicians and parents. While a lower court had deemed the law unconstitutional, it remained in effect pending the state Supreme Court’s decision.

This legislative trend reflects broader challenges to transgender rights, extending from healthcare to participation in sports and access to public facilities. As restrictions increase, families often face the burden of seeking necessary care out of state due to local shortages.

The Texas law, signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, has sparked significant controversy and activism, including protests during legislative sessions by transgender rights advocates.

Medical organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics support gender-affirming care for youths, emphasizing its role in alleviating gender dysphoria and promoting mental well-being. Despite opposition citing concerns about irreversible decisions, medical experts emphasize the benefits supported by research and clinical experience.

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Judge’s Order Significantly Broadens Restrictions on Biden’s Enforcement of New Rule Protecting LGBTQ Students

This blog originally appeared at NBC NEWS.

Republicans contend that the rule is a tactic by the Biden administration to permit transgender females to participate in girls’ and women’s sports teams.

Kansas high school students, family members and advocates rally for transgender rights in Topeka on Jan. 31.

By The Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. — A federal judge in Kansas has blocked the enforcement of a federal rule that expands anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ students in four states and various other locations.

U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled on Tuesday, suggesting the Biden administration reconsider whether enforcing the rule is “worth the effort.”

This ruling is the third of its kind in less than three weeks but is more extensive, affecting Alaska, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming, which challenged the rule. It also impacts a Stillwater, Oklahoma, middle school involved in a lawsuit and members of three groups supporting Republican efforts to roll back LGBTQ rights nationwide: Moms for Liberty, Young America’s Foundation, and Female Athletes United.

Judge Broomes, appointed by former President Donald Trump, ordered these groups to list the schools their members’ children attend so those schools also don’t have to comply with the rule. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who argued the case for the states, said this could affect thousands of schools.

Watch more: https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/transgender-students-navigates-florida-s-anti-lgbtq-law-213790277943

The Biden administration rule, set to take effect in August under the Title IX civil rights law of 1972, aims to prohibit sex discrimination in education. Judge Broomes’ order will remain in effect through the trial of the lawsuit in Kansas, with the judge indicating that the states and three groups are likely to prevail.

Republicans have argued that the rule is a tactic by the Biden administration to permit transgender females to participate in girls’ and women’s sports, a practice that is banned or restricted in Kansas and at least 24 other states. The administration has clarified that the rule does not apply to athletics. Opponents of the rule have also framed the issue as protecting the privacy and safety of women and girls in bathrooms and locker rooms.

Watch more: https://www.msnbc.com/ana-cabrera-reports/watch/supreme-court-to-hear-case-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-213550661957

Besides Broomes, two other federal judges issued rulings in mid-June blocking the new rule in 10 additional states. The rule aimed to protect LGBTQ students by expanding the definition of sexual harassment at schools and colleges and adding safeguards for victims.

Like the other judges, Broomes deemed the rule arbitrary and concluded that the Department of Education and its secretary, Miguel Cardona, exceeded the authority granted by Title IX. He also determined that the rule violated the free speech and religious freedom rights of parents and students who reject transgender students’ gender identities and wish to express those views at school or in public.

Broomes stated in his 47-page order that it is up to the Biden administration “to determine in the first instance whether continued enforcement in compliance with this decision is worth the effort.”

Broomes also expressed concerns that non-transgender students’ privacy and safety could be compromised by the rule. He referenced an Oklahoma middle school student’s statement that “on some occasions” cisgender boys used a girls’ bathroom “because they knew they could get away with it.”

“It is not hard to imagine that, under the Final Rule, an industrious older teenage boy may simply claim to identify as female to gain access to the girls’ showers, dressing rooms, or locker rooms, so that he can observe female peers disrobe and shower,” Broomes wrote, reflecting a common but largely debunked narrative from anti-trans activists about gender identity and school accommodations for transgender students.

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Jury Convicts Blaze Bernstein’s Killer of Murder and Hate Crime Against LGBTQ+ Community – LGBTQ Nation

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

The courtroom erupted in cheers as Woodward’s conviction was announced.

Samuel Woodward (left) was arrested on suspicion of homicide in the death of Blaze Bernstein (right).
Photo: Orange County Sheriff’s Department

During the three-week trial, Samuel Woodward, convicted of murdering gay, Jewish student Blaze Bernstein, was found guilty of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement. Despite attempts by Woodward’s attorney to portray the killing as a spontaneous, irrational act, the jury remained unconvinced. The hate crime verdict prompted audible cheers throughout the courtroom, which the judge had to quiet down.

Woodward is scheduled to be sentenced to life in prison without parole on October 24th.

Bernstein’s family rejoiced at the verdict.

“This ruling brings us great relief, knowing that justice has been served and this dangerous individual who took our son’s life will no longer pose a threat to anyone else. We can now move forward knowing that he can’t hurt anyone else,” said Blaze’s mother, Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, in an interview with NBC News Los Angeles.

In a statement, Blaze’s family expressed their sentiments: “No verdict can bring Blaze back. He was an exceptional human being—a humanitarian with so much potential ahead. We will forever miss his wit, kindness, intelligence, and the myriad talents he possessed as a scientist, artist, writer, chef, and son. There will never be another like him, and his potential will forever remain unrealized and unshared.”

Woodward’s attorney, Ken Morrison, acknowledged his client’s guilt in an interview with ABC News: “I admitted from the outset that my client was guilty of a serious, violent homicide. However, it’s important to recognize that there are different degrees and types of homicide.”

Blaze was murdered by Woodward during Blaze’s visit to California. The two had been classmates and had agreed to meet up. During their conversation at a park, Woodward attacked Blaze, fatally stabbing him 28 times in the darkness.

“After killing Bernstein, burying his body, and cleaning up the scene, Woodward texted a friend, ‘Hey man, life is good,’” revealed the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

During the trial, Woodward described feeling overwhelming anger, which led to the relentless stabbing. When asked by his defense attorney how many times he had stabbed Bernstein, Woodward replied, “No.”

Discrepancies emerged in Woodward’s testimony during the trial compared to statements he made in 2018 shortly after the crime. Initially, he claimed Blaze had briefly left and returned, attempting to kiss Woodward, which supposedly triggered the attack. In his trial testimony, however, Woodward alleged Bernstein had groped him while intoxicated and threatened to distribute compromising photos online.

No evidence supported Woodward’s claims. Conversely, evidence from both men’s phones contradicted his account.

Woodward failed to mention during his testimony that he had previously relocated to Texas to train with the neo-Nazi hate group, Atomwaffen Division. This group advocates for violent, militia-style actions targeting minorities, including LGBTQ+ individuals.

At the time of the murder, Woodward possessed over 100 pieces of extremist content on his phone, laptop, and social media accounts, including racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic material.

In the months leading up to the murder, Woodward had sent violent messages on Grindr, posing as “gay curious” before using derogatory language and advocating violence and death against gay men. Two weeks before the murder, he posted a photo of a bloody knife on Snapchat with the caption, “Texting is boring, but murder isn’t.”

“Hate has no place in Orange County,” emphasized District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Woodward stands as a stark reminder of our commitment to safeguarding vulnerable members of society from violence fueled by hatred and fear, not as a figure to be admired by other hate groups.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker, speaking to ABC News, expressed relief for the Bernsteins: “I’m incredibly happy for the Bernsteins because this has been an agonizing process. Woodward had his bags packed, was already in contact with Atomwaffen members about leaving the area, and thought he could get away with it. It’s only by the grace of God that the rain came and led to the discovery of Bernstein’s body.”

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The megachurch led by a pastor closely associated with Trump settles a case involving allegations of covering up sex abuse.

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NEWS.

The church reportedly delayed a police investigation and then harassed a member after her child was sexually assaulted.

Gateway Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Southlake, Texas, has reached a legal settlement concerning allegations that five church pastors and a youth leader covered up a child sexual assault perpetrated by another church member. The pastors reportedly failed to report the assault to law enforcement or the child’s mother, delayed investigating the incident, and subjected both the victim and her mother — devoted church members — to punitive measures.

This settlement follows the recent resignation of Robert Morris, the church’s founder and a former member of Donald Trump’s evangelical executive advisory board. Morris stepped down shortly after publicly acknowledging that he had molested a 12-year-old girl during his tenure as a 20-year-old pastor.

In August 2020, an unnamed mother filed a recently settled lawsuit on behalf of her daughter. According to The Christian Post, both frequently attended worship services, church-sponsored functions, and participated in various ministries. The alleged sexual assault by an unnamed church member took place around March 14, 2018, at the member’s residence.

The recently settled lawsuit, filed in August 2020 by an unnamed mother on behalf of her daughter, detailed concerning allegations involving Church youth leader Logan Edwards. Edwards reportedly learned of the assault from conversations with the alleged assaulter and two other young church members, as stated in the lawsuit. Despite this knowledge, five church pastors — Kelly Jones, Rebecca Wilson, Samantha Golden, Mondo Davis, and Sion Alford — allegedly took no legal action. They reportedly spoke multiple times with the accused member and their parents but did not file a formal complaint with child protective or law enforcement agencies, nor did they inform the victim’s mother about the alleged assault.

“When the mother discovered the assault, she reported it to the Haltom City Police Department,” the lawsuit stated. Subsequently, the pastors allegedly engaged in efforts to conceal, distort, and discredit the assault accusations during the police investigation. This purported concealment, according to the lawsuit, allowed significant evidence of the alleged criminal assault to degrade, hampering law enforcement’s ability to conduct an accurate investigation.

Additionally, church leaders purportedly encouraged Gateway members to ostracize the minor’s mother and removed her from ministries where she had served diligently. As a result, the mother and daughter reportedly experienced profound shame, embarrassment, and emotional distress.

Although the lawsuit sought damages ranging from $200,000 to $5,000,000, the church settled for an undisclosed amount on April 18. The church emphasized it admitted no liability and settled solely to “buy peace,” according to a public statement.

Previously, the church reportedly settled a 2016 lawsuit involving allegations that church leaders destroyed video footage showing a boy sexually assaulting another in the church’s child care program, as reported by WFAA.

Last month, Gateway Church’s founder, Robert Morris, publicly admitted to molesting a 12-year-old girl on Christmas night in 1982 when he was 20 years old and staying with her family. Morris, who was married with a young son at the time of the molestation, is now 62 years old. He resigned shortly after his admission garnered national attention.

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