Tag: LGBTQ+ rights

CBP Enforces Binary Sex Codes and Enhanced US Passport Validation in APIS

Read more at Greenberg Traurig.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued updates to the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) requirements that may affect business travelers and airlines. These changes, implemented in response to Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” issued in January 2025, introduce enhanced validation requirements for passenger data submitted by commercial air carriers.

Key Changes Overview

Sex Field Requirements: Effective Oct. 14, 2025, CBP systems will only accept “M” (Male) or “F” (Female) in the sex field of APIS transmissions. Any other characters will result in an “X Response-Insufficient Information” error, requiring airlines to resubmit the passenger data with corrected information.

U.S. Passport Format Validation: Starting Oct. 6, 2025, CBP will implement stricter validation for U.S. passport numbers transmitted through APIS.

Implementation Timeline

  • Sept. 17, 2025: Testing environment (EDU) available for sex field validation changes.
  • Sept. 24, 2025: Testing environment available for U.S. passport format validation.
  • Oct. 6, 2025: U.S. passport format validation goes live in production.
  • Oct. 14, 2025: Sex field validation goes live in production.

U.S. Passport Number Format Requirements

Valid U.S. passport numbers must follow one of these formats:

Option 1: Numeric Format

  • Nine numeric digits
  • Must have a numerical value of 4XXXXXXXX or higher

Option 2: Alpha-Numeric Format

  • Nine characters total
  • First character must be A, X, Y, or Z
  • Followed by exactly eight numeric digits

The leading alpha characters indicate passport type:

  • A: Regular passport
  • X: Diplomatic passport
  • Y: Official passport
  • Z: Service passport

Impact on Business Travel

Employer Considerations:

  • Review travel policies and booking procedures with travel management companies;
  • Ensure corporate travel booking systems capture accurate passenger information;
  • Brief frequent business travelers on the importance of providing exact passport details; and
  • Consider potential delays if incorrect information requires resubmission.

Employees Considerations:

  • Double-check that passport information matches exactly what is on the physical document when booking travel;
  • Verify that airlines have the correct sex designation as listed on the passport;
  • Allow additional time for potential rebooking if passenger information errors occur; and
  • Ensure the U.S. passport number format is valid if traveling on a U.S. passport.

Carrier Responsibilities

Airlines remain responsible for comparing travel documents passengers present with the information transmitted to CBP. Airline carriers must ensure accuracy in all APIS data submissions, including traveler sex designation and passport number formatting.

Practical Considerations

  1. Document Verification: Provide passport information exactly as it appears on travel documents.
  2. Sex Designation Accuracy: Ensure the sex designation transmitted to CBP matches exactly what appears on passports, regardless of personal identification.
  3. Passport Updates: Consider whether passport updates may be necessary to ensure smooth travel.
  4. Early Booking: Complete travel bookings in advance to allow time for any necessary corrections.
  5. Travel Management: Work with experienced travel agencies familiar with APIS requirements.
  6. Communication: Ensure clear communication between travelers, booking agents, and airlines regarding exact document details.

Special Considerations

Document Inconsistencies: If travelers’ passports contains a sex designation that differs from their current identification, airlines must still transmit the information exactly as it appears on their passport documents. CBP systems will only accept the “M” or “F” designation that matches travel documents.

Non-Binary Passport Designations: Passports issued with “X” or other non-binary markers will be rejected by CBP systems, requiring resubmission with valid documentation showing “M” or “F” designation.

Passport Updates: Travelers experiencing documentation inconsistencies may wish to consult with the relevant passport issuing authority about available options for updating travel documents.

Takeaways

The implementation of these changes may cause initial adjustment periods. Business travelers and employers should work closely with their travel management companies to enhance compliance with these new requirements. Providing accurate and complete travel documentation remains essential for efficient international travel.

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Philly to open LGBTQ+ visitor center in the Gayborhood ahead of 2026 events

Read more at the Philly Voice.

Philadelphia’s tourism agencies are planning to have a queer-friendly information center that will highlight LGBTQ+ events, restaurants and businesses to visitors coming to the city during a busy 2026. 

The Philly Pride Visitor Center, operated by the Philadelphia Visitor Center and Visit Philadelphia, will open at 12th and Locust streets in the Gayborhood in January. Organizers said it will help travelers who are here for the World Cup, MLB All-Star Game and numerous celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The center will offer itinerary planning, ticketing, travel advice and souvenirs from queer-owned businesses. It will also feature exhibits on some of the city’s queer history, including the first LGBTQ+ sit-in at Dewey’s restaurant in 1965 and the Annual Reminders demonstrations outside Independence Hall from 1965 to 1969. The historical content was curated with community input in partnership with Mark Segal, founder of Philadelphia Gay News. 

“Our city helped launch the fight for representation in media, shaped national policy, and created safe, visible spaces for our community,” Segal said in a statement. “Now, with the opening of the Philly Pride Visitor Center, Philadelphia proudly honors that legacy and reaffirms its commitment to those who call this community home.” 

Visit Philadelphia said it was one of the first supporters for creating the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in New York City, which was the first queer institution of its kind in the National Park System. Leaders said they’re eager to bring this support back home. 

“For more than 20 years, Visit Philadelphia has worked to show LGBTQ+ travelers that they belong here,” said Angela Val, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia. “This new center gives visitors and residents a place to connect with Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ history, discover affirming businesses and see how this city helped shape a national movement. It is both a resource hub and a testament to Philadelphia’s role in advancing LGBTQ+ rights.” 

Visit Philadelphia and the Visitor Center said that the move is both an investment in its values and reflective of the strong support from queer tourists.

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How the Caribbean Is Becoming More Welcoming to LGBTQ+ Travelers

Read more at TravelAge West.

In July, St. Lucia’s courts struck down laws that criminalized consensual same-sex relations, mirroring similar 2022 rulings that eliminated discriminatory laws in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St. Kitts and Nevis.

These developments represent major advances for English-speaking Caribbean islands, which have long carried some of the most discriminatory laws in the Western Hemisphere. It’s also good news for LGBTQ+ travelers, according to travel advisor Scott Wismont, founder of Rainbow Getaways.

“This evolution means we now have a much broader portfolio of destinations we can confidently recommend,” he said. “We can better guide clients to places where they will feel safe and celebrated.”

Reason to Celebrate

Resorts in St. Lucia were among the first in the tourism sector to praise the recent ruling.

“This year’s St. Lucia Pride carries such profound significance, marking the first since this historic shift toward equal rights for the LGBTQ community,” said Benjamin DiCosta, vice president of marketing and communication for Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences. “To witness the pride flag raised officially for the very first time in St. Lucia was a powerful and moving moment.”

Other St. Lucia hoteliers echoed positive sentiments.

“We have always welcomed LGBTQ+ travelers at both Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain,” said Karolin Troubetzkoy, executive director of marketing and operations at both resorts. “We wholeheartedly welcome St. Lucia’s recent step to decriminalize same-sex relations. It’s a meaningful and long-overdue development that reinforces the message of inclusion and respect.”

A Region in Transition

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are a holdout from the British colonial era, notes Thomas Julian, partner and head of Caribbean programs at Holborn Assets, a global financial services company with LGBTQ+ people among its clients.

“These laws, as are all the anti-LBGTQ laws in the Caribbean, are artifacts of the colonial era and are seldom, if ever, enforced,” he said. “However, the fact that they are still on the books is a travesty to justice, society and humanity. My hope is that now that these countries are moving forward and modernizing legislatively, they will do so policy-wise as well, and permit LGBTQ couples and families to apply together via their respective passport programs, which are what I sell.”

Mark Brantley, the premier of Nevis, is among the tourism leaders praising recent progress.

“The colonial-era laws criminalizing same-sex relationships were struck down by our courts as unconstitutional, a ruling that brings Nevis into alignment with both our values and our laws,” he said. “Across the English-speaking Caribbean, and particularly here in Nevis, there is a clear and prevailing sentiment of welcome for all travelers.”
Dean Fenton, U.S. director of tourism for Antigua and Barbuda, strikes a similar tone.

“Antigua and Barbuda proudly welcomes all travelers, including those from the LGBTQ+ community,” he said. “While same-sex marriage is not yet legally recognized, symbolic ceremonies are celebrated on the island, and many of our hotels and resorts are well-versed in providing inclusive experiences.”

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, meanwhile, issued a statement confirming its goal of celebrating “diversity in all its forms” and its pride in being “a place where all visitors are welcome” — an attitude reflected in events such as Cayman Pride, which takes place every June, and the destination’s legal recognition of same-sex civil unions, which provide benefits similar to those of marriage.

Inclusivity as a Competitive Advantage

Decriminalization is an important step. But even after recent court rulings, Caribbean destinations still vary widely in terms of legal protections and rights for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors; not all recognize LGBTQ+ marriage or offer anti-discrimination protection, for example.

Some have a longer record of inclusivity than others, such as Puerto Rico, where same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption are legal and anti-discrimination legislation is in place. Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization, even maintains a detailed LGBTQ+ travel section on its website. 

“Puerto Rico has a vibrant LGBTQ+ culture that is not only visible but celebrated,” said José Arana, group marketing director for Discover Puerto Rico. “This is setting an example for the region, showing that when destinations embrace equality, they create an environment where all travelers feel welcome.”

Queer-friendly islands enjoy a distinct advantage in the tourism sector, he adds.

“Destinations that prioritize inclusivity have a clear competitive edge because they are opening their doors to a broader audience,” he explained. “Moreover, destinations that are safe and welcoming for LGBTQ+ travelers are often safe and welcoming for everyone, including women and solo travelers, making them more appealing across the board.”

May-Ling Chun, director of tourism for St. Maarten, agrees.

“Inclusive destinations certainly benefit from appealing to a wider potential customer base, and we recognize that being welcoming to LGBTQ+ travelers is both a reflection of our values and a strength in today’s competitive tourism market,” she said. “While every nation in the Caribbean has its own cultural context, there is an increasing recognition that inclusivity is essential for both social and economic growth.”

Aruba, Curacao and St. Barts also rank high for inclusivity, with same-sex marriage among the legally protected rights. Hoteliers in those destinations showcase their welcoming attitudes in a variety of ways. Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino, for example, is accredited with the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA).

In Aruba, Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort has hosted pride events.

“By embracing diversity and welcoming every guest, Aruba not only gains a distinctive advantage, but also reaffirms its promise to be a place where everyone feels at home,” said Jurgen van Schaijk, the hotel’s owner and managing director.

Acceptance of diversity is rooted in the public mindset in St. Barts, according to Alexandra Questel, president of the St. Barts Tourism Committee.

“St. Barts’ commitment to inclusivity isn’t just a policy; it’s part of our culture and way of life,” she said. “That openness resonates with visitors, whether they identify as LGBTQ+ or simply appreciate destinations that celebrate diversity.”

The Role of Travel Advisors

Travel advisors play a crucial role in guiding LGBTQ+ clients toward positive Caribbean vacation experiences, notes Wismont of Rainbow Getaways.

“Many clients view the Caribbean as a singular, homogenous destination, unaware of the vast differences in cultural norms, legal frameworks and local attitudes from one island to the next,” he said. “This is precisely where the expertise of an advisor becomes indispensable. We curate an experience that aligns with their need for safety and acceptance.”

Even in destinations such as Jamaica, where male same-sex intimacy is still illegal, it’s possible to find a welcoming, upscale experience, according to Wismont.

“The case of Jamaica is more complex,” he said. “While the country as a whole has a challenging reputation, we have seen an encouraging trend of resorts making an explicit commitment to being safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ guests.”

Among the queer-friendliest hotels in Jamaica is Round Hill Hotel and Villas, according to Wismont. Josef Forstmayr, the hotel’s managing director, agrees about the island’s positive momentum, as evidenced by his involvement in local hotel associations and the Jamaica Tourist Board.

“That shows I’m not being marginalized just because I happen to be gay,” Forstmayr said. “It speaks volumes about the open-minded thinking of the political directorate — as long as you don’t put them on the spot when it comes to public opinion. That’s where we fail.”

The ability of hotels such as Round Hill to provide a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ travelers underscores the need for effective staff training. Forstmayr says diversity, non-discrimination and non-harassment is addressed early on with new hires.

Alaia Belize, an Autograph Collection property in Belize, takes a similar approach.

“We believe that true hospitality means creating a space where every traveler feels safe, celebrated and completely at home,” said Maria Novelo, marketing and communications manager for the hotel. “We are proud to carry forward a culture of inclusivity that welcomes LGBTQ+ guests with the same warmth and respect we extend to all.”

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GOP candidate claims firing people for being gay ‘is not discrimination’ in Virginia governor’s debate

Read more at the Advocate.

In a combative and chaotic debate Thursday nigh, in Norfolk, Virginia, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for governor, declared that opposing marriage equality and allowing employers to fire people for being gay “is not discrimination,” igniting a firestorm that has reverberated through Virginia politics and beyond.

The statement came during the only scheduled debate between Earle-Sears and Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term member of Congress. The event, held at Norfolk State University and broadcast by TV station WAVY, was frequently interrupted by Earle-Sears’s outbursts, prompting moderators to repeatedly ask her to stop speaking over her opponent. “Please don’t interrupt,” one moderator said after Earle-Sears cut into Spanberger’s answer. Another warned, “Ms. Earle-Sears, we’re not going to be able to get to as many topics if we keep having to give Ms. Spanberger time.”

Spanberger, who leads in most polls, calmly cited Earle-Sears’s long record of opposing LGBTQ+ rights, including her refusal to support marriage equality or workplace protections for queer Virginians. “My opponent has previously said that she does not think gay couples should be allowed to marry,” Spanberger said. “She’s also said she thinks it’s OK for someone to be fired from their job for being gay.”

Before Spanberger could finish, Earle-Sears interjected, “That’s not discrimination.”

The remark drew immediate backlash online. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, condemned the comment. Sam Lau, one of the organization’s spokespersons, said, “Yes, Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears, that is indeed discrimination. Vote for Abigail Spanberger.”

The Democratic Party of Virginia called the debate performance “atrocious,” and state Sen. Louise Lucas, who attended the event, wrote that Earle-Sears “took a page out of Donald Trump’s debate playbook — interrupt, interrupt, interrupt — anything to avoid real answers or substance.”

Even some Republicans criticized the lieutenant governor’s behavior. Former GOP U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock said Earle-Sears “demonstrates her bigotry once again,” noting that she “wouldn’t stop babbling and talking over everyone when it wasn’t her time.”

Following the debate, the Spanberger campaign released a statement emphasizing Earle-Sears’s “decades-long, extreme record of opposing marriage equality and equal rights for all Virginians.” The campaign cited her opposition to bipartisan legislation protecting marriage equality that even Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed, noting that she left a handwritten note on the bill stating she was “morally opposed.”

“Virginia families deserve better than a leader who refuses to protect their rights under the law,” Spanberger said in a statement. “The Lieutenant Governor last night showed Virginians that she is more focused on dividing people than solving problems. No company wants to grow in a state where the Governor excuses discrimination and supports firing workers because of who they are. Her comments tell businesses and families that Virginia is closed to the talent, investment, and innovation that keeps our economy strong.”

Democratic National Committee spokesperson Albert Fujii released this statement: “Winsome Earle-Sears is too extreme for Virginia. Her homophobic comments at last night’s debate are disqualifying and prove once again how out of step she is with Virginians. Virginians deserve a leader who will ensure Virginia is welcoming and affordable to everyone — and that champion is Abigail Spanberger. The DNC will keep fighting tooth and nail to ensure Abigail Spanberger wins big in November — the stakes could not be higher.”

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Texas governor calls for removal of rainbow crosswalks, calling them a safety issue

Read more at NBC News.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for the removal of rainbow crosswalks and other symbols of pride from public roads across Texas, saying they pose safety concerns and misuse taxpayer dollars.

“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said in a statement Wednesday.

He directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure all cities and counties “remove any and all political ideologies from our streets” within 30 days. Any city that does not comply, he said, could risk the “withholding or denial of state and federal road funding and suspension of agreements with TxDOT.”

“To keep Texans moving safely and free from distraction, we must maintain a safe and consistent transportation network across Texas,” Abbott said.

Advocates say the rainbow crosswalks in Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood have always been privately funded.

“No taxpayer dollars were used. We didn’t want to access those funds, even if we were able to,” said Valerie Jackson, chair‑elect of the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.

Jackson said the project was funded through private donations and community events such as wine walks. She added that organizers worked with Texas Department of Transportation and the City of Dallas to ensure the designs met state safety standards.

“We agree with the governor and the administration that public safety is paramount, and we would not move forward with this project and the experience that we’ve had over the last five years by endangering people,” Jackson said.

Annise Parker, the former Houston mayor and one of the first openly LGBTQ mayors of a major American city, said she was “surprised that the governor has so little to do that erasing rainbow crosswalks has become his priority.”

“I trust that businesses and individuals across Texas will proudly display rainbow flags in response and continue to focus on real issues,” she told NBC News.

Parker is currently running for Harris County judge.

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Massachusetts foster parents lose license after refusing to sign gender affirming policy: “We simply can’t agree to go against our Christian faith”

Read more at CBS News.

A couple from Woburn, Massachusetts has lost their license to foster children after they refused to sign a gender affirming policy form from the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Lydia and Heath Marvin have three kids in their teens, but they have fostered eight different children under the age of 4 since 2020. Their most recent foster child was a baby with complex medical needs who stayed with them for 15 months.

“Our Christian faith, it really drives us toward that. James says that true undefiled religion is to care for the fatherless,” said Heath.

The couple said they were prepared to care for more foster children until DCF pulled their license to foster in April.

Foster parents cite religious beliefs

That’s because the Marvins refused to sign the agency’s LGBTQIA+ Non-Discrimination Policy because of their Christian faith. Starting in 2022, the policy said that foster families must affirm the LGBTQIA+ identity of foster children.

“We asked, is there any sort of accommodation, can you waive this at all? We will absolutely love and support and care for any child in our home but we simply can’t agree to go against our Christian faith in this area. And, were ultimately told you must sign the form as is or you will be delicensed,” Lydia said.

The Marvins appealed the loss of their license, but lost. They’re considering their options but two other Christian foster families are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed by the Massachusetts Family Institute and Alliance Defending Freedom against DCF.

The lawsuit alleges the policy forces parents to “accept[ ] a child’s assertion of their LGBTQIA+ identity”, “address[ ] children by their names and pronouns,” and “support[ ] gender-neutral practices regarding clothes and physical appearance.”

“There is a speech component and also a religious liberty component to the lawsuit,” said Sam Whiting, an attorney with the Massachusetts Family Institute.

Letter from Trump administration

Last week, the Trump administration sent a letter to DCF, addressing the lawsuit and specifically mentioning the Marvins.

“These policies and developments are deeply troubling, clearly contrary to the purpose of child welfare programs, and in direct violation of First Amendment protections,” wrote Andrew Gradison, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.

LGBTQ+ advocates argue the policy was developed to protect kids. Massachusetts foster parents also receive a monthly stipend.

“The state has an obligation to children to make sure that they’re safe and well protected. And foster parents, they’re not parents. Foster parents are temporary. They’re a stop gap to make sure children can safely go back to their families of origin,” said Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders.

Data collection by DCF is poor but a report by the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ youth suggests that roughly 30 percent of foster children in the state could identify as LGBTQ, similar to data collected in California and New York.

The Marvins argue that DCF has been flexible about child placements in the past for a number of reasons.

“We would love and care and support any child but if there was an issue where we knew that we would have a different position than DCF, we would just be open and talk to them about it,” Heath said.

A DCF spokesperson said in a statement to WBZ-TV, “The Department does not comment on matters related to pending litigation.” 

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Library director fired over LGBTQ+ books gets $700,000 from Wyoming county

Read more at the Washington Post.

Librarian Terri Lesley said she endured years of “pure hell” fighting to keep embattled books on the public library shelves of Gillette, a deeply conservative coal town in northeastern Wyoming.

After getting fired, Lesley fought two more years alleging public officials wrongfully terminated her for refusing to bow to their demands for censorship — all while being threatened, failing to find another librarian job and suffering so much stress she lost sleep and hair.

Now, the 62-year-old’s legal fight is over. On Wednesday, Lesley, who worked for Campbell County Public Library System for 27 years, including 11 as executive director, agreed to settle her federal lawsuit against Campbell County, the county’s library board and several officials for $700,000. In a 78-page complaint filed in April in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming, she accused them of helping to wage a years-long campaign to bully her into removing books about race and LGBTQ+ people from the library. After she refused, she said they fired her, which led to her lawsuit.

“I wanted to take a stand on it and try to put up a barrier from it happening to other librarians,” Lesley said Thursday in an interview. “I thought, ‘If I don’t do this thing, it’s just going to keep happening.’”

Campbell County, the county’s public library board, county commissioners and the lawyers who defended them against Lesley’s suit did not respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post. In court filings, they denied Lesley’s allegations and said she was fired because of “concerns with her performance,” not in retaliation for engaging in constitutionally protected activity. They described her lawsuit as “an improper run-on narrative combining fact, fable, self-praise, and a self-heroic, tale.”

The controversy in Campbell County happened amid a larger movement to target content available in public libraries around the country, particularly those aimed at children and having to do with race, gender or sexual identity. For years, the number of “book challenges” — efforts to remove or restrict access to books — remained flat. But in 2021, challenges spiked 1,300 percent to more than 3,900, according to American Library Association data. They increased each of the next two years to more than 9,000 in 2023 before falling to about 5,800 last year.

School libraries experienced the same thing during that stretch, leading the free-speech nonprofit PEN America to declare book censorship in the United States “rampant and common” and “unprecedented in modern times.”

“Not since the 1950s McCarthy era of the Red Scare has censorship become so entrenched in schools,” the group said Wednesday in a news release, referring to the period when anti-Communist paranoia intensified to a fever pitch.

Campbell County was part of the first wave of the “book-banning craze engulfing the country” in 2021 when several residents demanded county commissioners and library board trustees censor young adult and children’s books with LGBTQ+ content, according to Lesley’s lawsuit.

Those critics denounced books such as “This Book Is Gay” and “Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness” as pornographic, obscene or racist. When Lesley resisted pressure to transfer such books out of the young adult and children’s sections or remove them from the library altogether, they targeted her for roughly two years, threatening her and accusing of criminal activity and endangering children, according to her lawsuit.

Instead of defending Lesley from that “campaign of fear and hate,” two county commissioners and four library board trustees allegedly joined it. In doing so, commissioners and trustees alienated LGBTQ+ people and propagated the hateful ideology that they are “dangers, abnormal, unwelcome, and their voices should be suppressed,” the suit states.

Over the next two years, Lesley kept resisting attempts to remove or restrict various books with LGBTQ+ themes, saying at library board meetings that doing so constituted censorship and violated the First Amendment, the suit states. Several lawyers agreed with that legal interpretation, which they shared with board trustees and county commissioners, according to the suit.

At one library board meeting, one of Lesley’s critics held up a sign that read “[Campbell County Public Library] Knowingly Encourages SEX for Minors and that’s a crime,” the suit alleges.

Amid the controversy, the American Library Association in March 2022 announced Lesley had won the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award that recognizes “notable contributions to intellectual freedom and demonstrations of personal courage in defense of freedom of expression.”

Over the next five months, four of five library board members were replaced by county commissioners with ones more inclined to remove or restrict LGBTQ+ books, the suit states.

In July 2023, the library board voted to terminate Lesley.

“Their actions not only devastated Ms. Lesley professionally and personally, but also undermined the very mission of [the library system] and inflicted harm on the broader community,” the suit states. “For this, they must be held responsible.”

Lesley said she continues to be harmed by officials’ actions. More than two years after being fired, she hasn’t gotten a job in her field. A resident of Gillette since the second grade, she’s unwilling to move. She sought remote work in the field that wouldn’t require face-to-face interactions with patrons, but none of her efforts panned out.

Still, Lesley said she doesn’t regret standing up for what she believes was right, even if she’s paid a heavy price. She said she hopes the $700,000 settlement — more than five times what the county paid her annually — deters officials elsewhere from meddling with which books go on library shelves and where.

“They’ll see what happened here and maybe reconsider going down that road,” she said, with a pause, “is what I’m hoping for.”

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57% of LGBTQ+ people have made major life changes since Donald Trump’s election: report

Read more at the Advocate.

Life for LGBTQ+ people has gotten worse since Donald Trump was elected for a second term — and they’re been forced to make major changes to protect themselves.

Since the November election, the majority (57 percent) of LGBTQ+ people — including 84 percent of transgender and nonbinary people — have made significant life decisions, according to a new report from the Movement Advancement Project. This includes considering or actually moving to a different state, considering or actually finding a different job, attempting to update legal name or gender markers on identity documents, and crossing state lines to receive medical care.

While nearly half of all trans people (43 percent) and one quarter of all LGBTQ+ people (25 percent) have considered moving to a different state, only 9 percent of trans people and 5 percent of all LGBTQ+ people report they’ve actually moved since November.

Part of what is forcing their hands is the increased discrimination and violence against queer people, as 60 percent of LGBTQ+ people, including 82 percent of trans and nonbinary people, report that they or an immediate family member have had at least one negative experience related to being LGBTQ+ since the November, 2024 election.

Trans respondents reported these experiences nearly twice as often as all LGBTQ+ respondents, with 56 percent saying they or an immediate family member have been discriminated against due to being LGBTQ+, and 53 percent saying they have been harassed online.

Six in 10 LGBTQ+ people say they are worried about the impacts of Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies on them or their families. For trans people, the number is nine in 10. Trans people are also significantly more likely to say they are “very worried,” with 60 percent agreeing compared to 36 percent of all LGBTQ+ people.

“As political attacks on LGBTQ people by federal, state, and local governments continue into the future, it is likely that these impacts will only accumulate,” the report concludes. “While the survey illustrates some of the many ways LGBTQ people are taking action to protect not only themselves but also their broader community, it is vital that people beyond LGBTQ people join in these efforts to protect their LGBTQ neighbors, friends, and family members, and to stop the ongoing attacks on LGBTQ people.”

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7 million queer elders are coming. These 21 LGBTQ+ retirement communities are ready.

Read more at LGBTQ Nation.

An estimated 3.6 million LGBTQ+ people over the age of 50 live in the United States, and by 2030, that number will grow to 7 million. Despite those growing numbers, LGBTQ+ older adults continue to face inequities in health care, housing, and economic security due to discrimination and stigmatization from legislators, elder care workers, and medical professionals, as well as a lack of access to culturally competent healthcare and gender-affirming care.

Because all of these factors contribute to higher rates of depression, dementia, and chronic health conditions among queer elders, the need for queer-inclusive senior housing is rising. As such, the need for dedicated LGBTQ+-affirming retirement communities is more than a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Why inclusive senior housing matters

The aforementioned inequities are compounded by the fact that LGBTQ+ seniors are twice as likely to live alone and four times less likely to have children than their heterosexual peers, creating an even greater reliance on supportive housing solutions. This lack of traditional family support, combined with a lifetime of stigma and discrimination, can make aging especially isolating.

According to SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders), LGBTQ+ seniors in elder care facilities have been denied the right to share a room with their partner, pressured to hide their identities, or mistreated by staff unfamiliar with queer lives. The fear of going “back in the closet” in a care facility remains a real and painful possibility.

Inclusive retirement communities aim to address these challenges by:

  • Ensuring cultural competency training for staff: including the use of affirming language and pronouns; asking respectful and open-ended questions about relationships and family; understanding why LGBTQ+ people might not want to disclose their identities; and acknowledging the unique economic, social, physical, and mental healthcare needs (and relationship styles) of aging queers.
  • Creating environments where residents can live openly and authentically: Providing awareness training to help facility staff recognize and minimize implicit biases in themselves, their professional colleagues, and other facility residents; teaching community members how to respectfully engage with LGBTQ+ people; and providing various opportunities for LGBTQ+ residents to seek support.
  • Building spaces for social connection and belonging: Creating community events and opportunities to express and explore queerness through socializing, learning, and artistic engagement; providing a mediator, counselor, office, or ombudsman to assess/address any LGBTQ+ community needs; understanding how isolation and discrimination can uniquely affect queer seniors.

These factors are critical for both the mental and physical health of older LGBTQ+ adults.

LGBTQ+ retirement homes across the U.S.

While the number of communities remains relatively small compared to mainstream options, there are now dedicated LGBTQ+ senior housing developments and retirement villages in multiple states. Here are 21 around the United States:

Many of these developments include independent living, assisted living, or affordable housing options —reflecting the diversity of financial and medical needs among LGBTQ+ elders.

Alternatives to dedicated LGBTQ+ retirement communities

Not every queer elder has access to a specialized retirement community, but there are other options:

  • LGBTQ+-friendly senior living facilities: More mainstream retirement communities are adopting anti-discrimination policies, staff training, and LGBTQ+ resident programming.
  • Nonprofit support: Organizations like the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and SAGE connect seniors with inclusive housing and care resources.
  • Inclusive cities: Urban areas with strong LGBTQ+ networks — such as San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia — often provide supportive social services and affirming healthcare options, especially through their queer community centers or others elder care services.

Looking ahead

The U.S. is on the cusp of a demographic shift. By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be over the age of 65, and that includes millions of openly LGBTQ+ adults. Ensuring they can age with dignity requires policy changes, cultural shifts, and investment in inclusive housing.

LGBTQ+ retirement communities represent one part of the solution. They offer safety, visibility, and belonging at a stage of life when many people need it most. But expanding access — through both dedicated communities and wider adoption of affirming practices in mainstream senior housing —remains essential.

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20-year-old targeted by MAGA for political beliefs and trans identity

Read more at LGBTQ Nation.

A student activist at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge says her arrest at a campus public hearing was a targeted attack based on her political views, and alleges police became menacing when they learned she’s transgender.

Gabriela Juárez, 20, was swarmed by campus police after she exceeded her allotted speaking time of three minutes at a campus presidential search forum last week.

At least a dozen other students leapt from their seats in support of Juárez as LSU cops dragged her from the room, Louisiana Illuminator reports.

Six other students were charged with misdemeanors and released from the campus police station after they blocked the police car taking Juárez away.

Juárez was charged with resisting arrest and “interference with educational process,” which is a felony. She was taken to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

All of the students involved are members of the LSU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society. The group claims Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) is secretly steering the process to hire the university’s next president to align with the governor’s far-right, Trump-inspired political agenda, while disenfranchising campus leaders, faculty and students. 

Several students at the forum wore T-shirts with the slogan “No MAGA President.” 

LSU cops initially referred to Juárez as “she” or “her,” the activist said in an interview, but began treating her differently when she shared her legal name. Then they turned hostile and referred to her as “he” and “him,” she said. 

At the parish prison, Juárez was strip-searched and forced to stand naked while officers discussed where she should be kept.

“They said to the officer, ‘I have someone here who is bottom parts male but up top fully female,’” Juárez recounted. “And so they had no idea what to do with me.” 

Juárez said she was put into a cell by herself and given a women’s uniform, along with a warning she’d be sexually assaulted anywhere else. Other cops interrogated Juárez about her gender and loudly referred to her as a man, she said.

Juárez said she was denied the opportunity for a phone call after her arrest, but fellow SDS members were able to post a $1000 bond to obtain her release late the same night.

The meeting that led to Juárez’s arrest was chaotic.

She and six other members of SDS made public comments, eviscerating the 20 search committee members and calling them illegitimate.

Several made profane comments, including Juárez, who alleged the only criteria for serving on the committee was to “be a millionaire and suck off the governor.”

“Don’t f**king touch me,” Juárez shouted as the first LSU cop grabbed her arm. 

“Am I being detained?” she shouted as two officers dragged her out of the room and fellow SDS members shouted down cops and committee members in her support.

“Shame on you!” they shouted after Juárez was removed. Those students were also ejected from the meeting.

Outside, as her fellow SDS members and other students shouted and aimed their phones at officers, Juárez was searched, handcuffed, and placed in the back of an LSU Police cruiser.  

Juárez says she was targeted.

“In a moment where they are actively cultivating a panic around the presence of Latinos and the presence of trans people, and especially transgender women,” Juárez said, “I do believe that that – combined with the fact that I have a high profile on campus – led to them wanting to make an example out of me, and wanting to intimidate me specifically, and to use me as a show of force to scare other students into being silent.”  

The 20-year-old has political enemies, she said.

In September, Juárez was called out by the Louisiana Republican Party, which demanded that LSU discipline the activist for comments critical of slain conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk.

Juárez shared an Instagram story that referred to Kirk as a “world famous fascist” with the caption “rejoice.” 

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