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45+ min ago (168+ words) Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center's Leah Rauch on making sure queer voices are remembered in a museum setting. LGBTQ+ narratives are being stripped from public memory just as attacks on queer and trans people surge. Why some museums refuse to let history repeat itself. Landesarchiv Berlin via Pink Triangle Legacies Project We all must learn to embrace discomfort and engage with history, both our own and that of our ancestors, and the history of those we perceive as far different from ourselves. Uncensored education that looks critically at the past has always been and will always be the core part of the museum's mission and a necessary part of the answer to repairing the world. Exhibition at the Illinois Holocaust Museum Leah Rauch (she/her) is the Director of Education at Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, whose mission…...

13+ hour, 45+ min ago (736+ words) Adm. Rachel Levine has called the deadnaming "petty," but her spokesperson had harsher words. When asked about the alteration, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told the aforementioned news outlet, "Our priority is ensuring that the information presented internally and externally by HHS reflects gold standard science. We remain committed to reversing harmful policies enacted by Levine and ensuring that biological reality guides our approach to public health." An anonymous HHS staffer told NPR that they considered the change "disrespectful," adding that it exemplifies "the erasure of transgender individuals by this administration." Upon taking office, the president issued numerous executive orders denying all federal recognition of trans people and kicking trans people out of the military for being selfish, dishonorable, deceitful, and undisciplined. Levine was the first out trans person to receive Senate confirmation. On October 19, 2021, became the first out trans'four-star officer'in…...

15+ hour, 45+ min ago (926+ words) Hundreds of queer political players recently descended on Washington D.C. This week in Washington, hundreds of LGBTQ+ power players gathered to flex their political muscles and assess the state of LGBTQ+ rights in America at the annual LGBTQ+ Victory Institute International Leaders Conference. As leaders strategize how to navigate a second Trump reign erasing LGBTQ+ rights, they also celebrated the achievements of the Biden administration, giving the former president the Chris Abele Impact Award. "President Biden has shown unwavering commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people can participate fully and openly in our democracy," said Evan Low, the new president and CEO of the Victory Institute in the group's announcement of the award. The group's board cited Biden's "historic leadership on LGBTQ+ equality" as reason for the honor. "From appointing a record number of LGBTQ+ leaders to reversing harmful policies and expanding civil…...

16+ hour, 59+ min ago (767+ words) By John Riley on December 7, 2025 @JRileyMW The Department of Justice has ordered prison inspectors to stop evaluating key protections created under the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) that are designed to prevent sexual violence against transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming inmates. As first reported by NPR, a newly disclosed memo says the change is part of an effort to revise PREA standards to comply with President Donald Trump's January executive order denying federal recognition for non-cisgender identities. According to the memo, detention centers undergoing PREA audits " including federal and state prisons, juvenile facilities, and immigration detention centers " will no longer be evaluated under the LGBTQ-specific standards meant to protect transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming inmates while the revisions are underway. This means auditors will no longer assess whether transgender inmates are housed according to their gender identity, whether those decisions are made…...

17+ hour, 45+ min ago (1047+ words) First, he tried to steal an election. Now, he's stealing the safety net for his wealthy pals. If one were to fact check all of Donald Trump's misstatements, exaggerations, lies, and redefinitions of established traditions before, during, and between his two terms as President of the United States, one would not have enough time to sleep more than two or three hours in a 24-hour period. From his hyperbolic claim, through his first term Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, on January 21, 2017, that "That was the largest audience to witness an inauguration, period," even after aerial views showed far fewer people upon the Washington Mall in attendance at Trump's inaugural ceremony compared with those of Barack Obama. Trump's'second'term is no different for this Misstater-(Lier)-in-Chief. As the lies continue piling up, as he attempts to grab more power and his wealth…...

19+ hour, 45+ min ago (1127+ words) A trans pastor who recently came out to her congregation in a spellbinding sermon has spoken out about the national attention she has received in the aftermath. "This is not what I was expecting to happen," Rev. Dr.Phillippa "Pastor Phil" Phaneuf, told Advocate of the incredible response to her impassioned speech, during which she assured congregants she was still the same person and that she's "not becoming a woman" but rather, "giving up pretending to be a man." Since then, she said she has received far more messages of love than hate. "I'm surrounded by loving kindness," she said. "The affirmations have been amazing." Among the many powerful moments in her announcement was her explanation of what would change and what would stay the same. While her appearance, voice, clothes, andpronounswill change, she said she "deeply, deeply" believes "that…...

21+ hour, 45+ min ago (855+ words) One commenter called her "a perfect example of what Christianity should be." Early childhood educator and YouTube phenomenon Rachel Accurso " known to her tiny fans as Ms. Rachel " posted a sweet message on Instagram this week to say that everyone is welcome in her classroom, including LGBTQ+ people. Accurso specifically names trans, gay, and nonbinary people, as well as people of varying political parties, religions, and immigration status. She ended the list of folks she welcomes with "people who hate me." She then added a comment about her own religion. "Also I'm Christian," she said, "and I feel in my soul and my prayers (and Jesus's example) no one is to be excluded." The post has garnered thousands of likes and comments. "How could we love you even more every day?" one person wrote. Another called her "a shining example…...

1+ day, 13+ hour ago (803+ words) All are welcome if you believe all should be welcome," she said. Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams recently declared that transphobes, among others with bigoted beliefs, should not feel welcome at her concerts. I've always said, all are welcome at our shows," Williams told Clash. But I don't want racists around, and I don't want sexist people around, and I don't want people there who think that trans people are a burden." Williams said that boundary is a hard line for me now." I hope it naturally happens that people who do harbour those harmful ideologies aren't going to feel welcome, because they're going to walk in the door and realize that the gang's all here, all banded together around something positive." She added, All are welcome if you believe all should be welcome" If you don't believe that, you're…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (1119+ words) Individuals and groups who put their lives on the line to defend the country are true patriots. True patriots are also those who speak out, stand up, and challenge our leaders, those who put their lives on the line by actively advocating for justice, freedom, and liberty through peaceful means. From the stars upon the CIA Memorial Wall; to the Tomb of the Unknowns; to the graves of our patriots across the world; to all the burials at sea; to our wounded warriors and our brave veterans; to our current troops who are placing their bodies on the front lines; and to the peacemakers, negotiators, and activists who have also put their lives on the line, I salute you all. If Congress had officially declared war on Venezuela and its president, Nicol's Maduro, whom the Trump administration has charged with…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago (603+ words) PLUS: A tennis player comes out and wigs for dogs Apologies to those who wanted an extra helping of Good News last Thanksgiving weekend " we all took off for the holiday, and so we didn't do our weekly roundup last week. However, we have lots of Good News to dish out this week, so we hope you're still hungry! Some tasty bits you might've missed: Did you hear that Los Angeles unveiled a special surprise for transit users during Transgender Awareness Month? Did you see parents who once struggled to accept their trans kids sharing what changed their minds? And how do you feel about these models who flaunt looks made from wool of gay sheep in an epic "I Wool Survive" show in Paris? The 21-year-old, 6'3" player, who's climbing the ranks of the men's singles circuit, came out on…...