Latest news with #anti-LGBTQ
Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
She wanted more spaces in Chicago for queer women to build deep connections with each other — so she made her own social club.
When Aderinsola Akeju saw an ad on social media for an all-female slumber party, the former boarding school student was excited for the opportunity to fulfill a wistful dream. But instead of snacks and late-night conversations, the party felt more like a rave she could find anywhere, she said. Disappointed, the 22-year-old decided to throw her own slumber party with friends complete with drinks, games and karaoke. 'I had never felt so euphoric and happy about hosting something,' Akeju said. That night inspired a broader vision, but it was not until she received $10,000 a grant from the Human Rights Campaign's 'Queer to Stay' program last December that she went all in with her idea. Now, Akeju, a retail store director, regularly organizes intimate gatherings for queer women, especially queer women of color, through her social club Pink Sappho. Pink Sappho is part of a resurgence in Chicago of spaces dedicated for queer women. Tracy Baim, a journalist who has covered the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago for more than 40 years, said that there are more spaces for queer women today than there were at any point in her career. 'Coming out of COVID, it feels like there was just an explosion of both full-time bars and pop-up parties and other types of social events out there, specifically targeting lesbians in nonbinary and gender non-conforming folks,' Baim said. Baim noted multiple factors driving this increase, including a more openly queer population in the U.S., a longing for more in-person socializing after COVID and a new wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment. 'I think coming out of (the pandemic), as people want community, and we have more forces fighting against us again, like we did in the '80s, there's this resurgence of anti-lesbian, anti-queer behavior out there. So sometimes being with like minded folks can be a safe haven,' Baim said. Pop-up parties and social clubs for queer women in particular seem to be growing in popularity in recent years, said Kristen Kaza, co-founder of the pop-up group Slo 'Mo. 'Queer pop-up parties are so many different things, but it is taking over a space and reclaiming it, making it ours from who we are inviting to the space to the programming and who we're featuring,' Kaza said, emphasizing that this pop-up model has been particularly popular with queer women in the absence of brick-and-mortar spaces dedicated to that demographic. Kaza said that such pop-up groups have been around for a long time. One of the most popular pop-up party groups in Chicago, Executive Sweet, ran for decades and started as a way to create welcoming spaces for queer women of color who found themselves discriminated against in white-owned lesbian bars. What is different now, Kaza noted, is that following the pandemic more young people are taking it upon themselves to make the pop-up parties and social clubs — and they're getting creative with the spaces they're making. Pink Sappho is an example of just that. Akeju said that for her, she felt that events for queer women were too centered on nightlife and clubbing. Rather, she wanted a social group that was focused on building genuine relationships and education. 'A lot of stuff happens at night, but even straight people want to connect with people without having to go to a club,' Akeju said. 'We don't need another club, that's cool to have. We can have a banging party, but we need education.' Kelsie Bowers, an ambassador for Pink Sappho, also emphasized that finding social clubs made for Black queer women can be particularly difficult. In her experience, many social spaces are not necessarily created with Black queer women in mind, and she also said they tend to be focused more on nightlife. Once President Donald Trump took office for his second term, Bowers felt an increased urgency to be around more people like her and build the kinds of spaces she'd felt were missing from her life. 'Around the time that Trump got in office, I just realized the immediate threat that that posed, not only to my community as a lesbian woman, but also as a Black woman,' Bowers said. 'I reached out to (Akeju) and I was like, 'Hey, I want to do whatever I can do right now for my community, because I can't just sit and watch all of this go down.'' No two Pink Sappho events are exactly alike, but there are three pillars that are always touched upon in some way at every event: authentic connection, wellness and sex education. Some things you may find at a typical Pink Sappho event include complimentary drinks — usually champagne — upon entry, venues with elegant architecture, an 8-foot long charcuterie board and games designed to spark friendship or ignite a new romance. It may seem simple, but it is that type of community building that Bowers sees as crucial to navigating the next four years. 'We want to build community. We want to make sure that we have community for our people, that they know that this is a space for them, that they can feel safe and that they can feel relaxed and we want a place for us to be able to connect,' Bowers said. 'It's really affirming to see us come together.' It's the kind of space Tyara Whitted was looking for. The 23-year-old attended her first Pink Sappho — a Juneteenth happy hour — event Wednesday. She would go out to queer-friendly neighborhoods such as Boystown, but found herself longing for more spaces with people that share her experiences. 'I just kind of realized that the gay spaces that I want to occupy are the ones that also identify with me, not just like queer-wise, but also racial-wise,' Whitted said, who attended Pink Sappho's Juneteenth Happy Hour Wednesday evening. It was just the kind of event she was looking for. 'We do occupy the nightlife, and it'd be nice to mix it up where we can occupy the brunch life, the afternoon life,' Whitted said. 'I'm getting older. I rely on CTA. Sometimes I don't want to be out that late trying to find that connection and sometimes the connection I want to find isn't at a club — it's at a fun, low-key event.'
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Budapest mayor defies police ban on Pride march
Hungarian police banned the Pride march citing anti-LGBTQ laws, but Budapest's mayor vowed the event will proceed as a city-organised protest. (FILES) People take part in the LGBTIQA+ Pride Parade in Budapest on July 23, 2022, in memory of the Stonewall Riots, the first big uprising of homosexuals against police assaults in New York City on June 27, 1969. Hungary police said on June 19, 2025 that they have banned the country's main Pride march from taking place in Budapest on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Ferenc ISZA / AFP) Hungarian police on Thursday banned the country's main Pride march from taking place in Budapest on June 28 but the capital's mayor defied them, vowing it would still go ahead. Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban returned to power in 2010, Hungary has passed a series of laws which have been criticised at home and across the European Union for curtailing the rights of the country's sexual and gender minorities in the name of 'child protection'. 'The police, acting within their authority over public assemblies, prohibit the holding of the assembly at the aforementioned location and time,' the police said on their website. Police said the ban was necessary under recent legislation that bans the promotion of same-sex relationships to under-18s. They said any appeal against the decision must be lodged with the central European country's supreme court within three days. Budapest's liberal Mayor Gergely Karacsony vowed to hold the gathering despite the ban. He said the police decision had 'no value' because the march did not require official authorisation anyway, as it was an event organised by the city council. ALSO READ: Centre for Contemporary Islam calls out Muslims for hate speech over gay imam Hendricks 'Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on June 28 as a city event. Period,' he wrote on Facebook. On Monday he had announced that Budapest city hall would organise the march in an attempt to sidestep the recently adopted law. In mid-March, the Hungarian parliament passed a bill aimed at banning any gathering that violates an anti-LGBTQ law adopted in 2021. The 2021 law prohibits the 'display or promotion of homosexuality' to under-18s. Pro-LGBTQ protests In its decision published on Thursday, police said that the march 'by its very nature cannot be held without the representation' of people belonging to the LGBTQ community and that under-18s could be present along the route. 'If it cannot be stated with absolute certainty that the display is not taking place in the presence of persons under 18 years of age, the assembly would be in breach of the ban,' the police said. Hungarian lawmakers in April overwhelmingly backed constitutional changes that strengthened the legal foundations for banning the Pride march. ALSO READ: Free State man sentenced to 15 years for raping lesbian neighbour The government said the annual event could be held at an enclosed location like a stadium, out of sight of children. The conflict over the Pride march has already sparked protests in Hungary. Thousands of people blocked bridges in the capital, demanding the ban be repealed. Several members of the European Parliament have said they will attend the parade. European equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib is also due to attend the march, as are ministers from several European Union countries, the organisers said. Attendees risk a fine of up to 500 euros ($570), which the Hungarian authorities say will be channelled into 'child protection' projects. Police may use facial recognition technology to identify them. NOW READ: Nearly 2 000 LGBTQ couples wed as Thai same-sex marriage law comes into force – By: © Agence France-Presse
USA Today
2 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
'Cruelty over care': Transgender care advocates blast Supreme Court
'Cruelty over care': Transgender care advocates blast Supreme Court Show Caption Hide Caption Supreme Court will hear case about bans on gender-affirming care for minors A case involving a law in Tennessee that restricts puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors will be heard by the Supreme Court. Scripps News Organizations and advocates for transgender youth blasted the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on June 18 that upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Advocates said the high court's decision was a major blow to transgender rights and medical organizations that have endorsed gender-affirming care for minors. The decision came about five years after the court ruled that transgender, gay and lesbian people are protected by a landmark civil rights law barring sex discrimination in the workplace. In the Tennessee case, the high court said that preventing minors from using puberty blockers and hormone therapy does not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The Tennessee House Republican Caucus cheered the ruling as a "proud day for the Volunteer state and for all those who believe in protecting the innocence and well-being of America's children." The Tennessee Equality Project, an advocacy group that fights anti-LGBTQ legislation, said in a statement that the organization was "profoundly disappointed" by the high court's decision. The decision further erodes the rights of transgender children, their families and doctors, the group said. "Gender-affirming care is proven to save lives," the group's statement said. "Major medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, support gender-affirming medical and psychological care because it saves lives and improves mental well-being." Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, said the Supreme Court chose "cruelty over care." "This decision upholds a dangerous and deeply unjust law that strips families of their rights, criminalizes love and support and puts the lives of young people at risk," McGuire said in a statement. The decision means transgender adolescents who live in states that restrict gender-affirming care could have difficulty accessing such care, said Lindsey Dawson, associate director for HIV policy and director for LGBTQ health policy at KFF, a health policy nonprofit. Dawson said 25 states have gender-affirming care bans in effect, though only Arizona and New Hampshire ban gender-reassignment surgery. Some transgender youth who live in states restricting care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy might choose visit states without such bans. However, that option wouldn't be an option for transgender youth and their families who lack the financial means to travel for care. "If you are minor who needs access to this medically necessary care, you simply can't get it if you live in one of these states," Dawson said. More details: Supreme Court to weigh key transgender care case: What's at stake for minors Trump administration targets transgender care The decision comes as President Donald Trump's administration has targeted other aspects of transgender care. After taking office, Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. would not "fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support" gender-affirming care. In April, the federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid told states not to use Medicaid funding to pay for gender-affirming care for minors. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the federal agency will stop paying for gender reassignment operations or hormone treatments for those under 18. A 2023 study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found gender-affirming surgeries were most popular with young adults. More than 25,000 people ages 19 to 30 received these procedures from 2016 through 2019. Fewer than 8% of patients − a total of 3,678 − were 12- to 18-year-olds. Contributing: Maureen Groppe,
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
X sues New York over social media disclosure law
Elon Musk's X sued the state of New York on Tuesday over a law requiring social media sites to detail how they moderate hate speech, extremism, misinformation and other types of content on their platforms. X argues the law, which is set to go into effect Thursday, violates the First Amendment by compelling companies to disclose 'highly sensitive and controversial speech.' 'The law thus impermissibly interferes with the First Amendment-protected editorial judgments of companies such as X Corp. to remove, demonetize, or deprioritize such speech on their platforms,' the lawsuit reads. The measure, known as the Stop Hiding Hate Act, requires social media platforms to publicly post their terms of service, as well as to submit a report to the New York attorney general about their moderation of hate speech, racism, extremism, radicalization, disinformation, misinformation, harassment and foreign political interference. Companies are subject to fines of up to $15,000 a day for failing to comply with the law. Musk's social media site, which he bought as Twitter in 2022, contends the reporting requirements are a 'carbon copy' of provisions of a California law that were blocked in court last year. California ultimately agreed to drop the provisions as part of a settlement with X. New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D) and assemblymember Grace Lee (D), who sponsored the measure, argued Tuesday that it does not infringe on social media firms' First Amendment rights and instead requires 'narrowly-tailored' disclosures to help consumers decide between platforms. 'We were proud to sponsor the Stop Hiding Hate Act, in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, because social media companies, including X, are cesspools of hate speech consisting of antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia and anti-LGBTQ bias, yet those platforms have consistently failed to inform the public about their policies regarding hatred and misinformation,' they said in a joint statement. 'We're confident that the court will reject this attempt by X to use the First Amendment as a shield against providing New Yorkers with much needed transparency around their conduct,' the lawmakers added. New York has passed several measures in recent years taking aim at the potential harms associated with social media platforms. Last June, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed into law a bill requiring platforms to restrict addictive feeds for kids. State lawmakers also approved a measure Tuesday requiring warning labels for social media platforms. The bill now heads to Hochul's desk for signing.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Surprise Departure Deals Blow To Slim GOP House Majority
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) is leaving Congress before the end of his term, a move that will narrow the GOP's already-slender majority in the House. The chair of the House Homeland Security Committee announced in a statement released Monday he was moving to 'an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up.' He did not reveal the position. Green is an Iraq War veteran who in 2003 interrogated captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and who, as a Tennessee state senator, in 2017 withdrew his nomination as then-President Donald Trump's pick for Army Secretary following the resurfacing of anti-LGBTQ remarks. The lawmaker had been due to stand for reelection in 2026 but will now leave, he revealed, once Trump's controversial so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill' returns from the Senate and has been voted on again in the House. Green voted for Trump's signature spending and taxation bill when it was initially passed by House lawmakers 215 votes to 214, last month. His retirement from Congress means the House GOP will only enjoy a slimmer seven-seat majority (219-212) until an election to decide his replacement is held in the months after his official departure. Trump wants to his bill to be passed and signed by the Fourth of July. Tennessee's 7th congressional district, which Green has represented since 2019, has voted Republican since 1983. Green did announce his retirement from Congress in February 2024 but later retracted it. Trump Reveals What's Next For That Tesla He Bought From Elon Musk Hillary Clinton Exposes Trump's Narcissistic Motive For Sending Troops To LA Karoline Leavitt Squirms Over Maria Bartiromo's Blunt Question About Elon Musk
