Top Stories
Gay congressional candidate targeted in fake HIV smear campaign
A gay Democratic congressional candidate has been targeted in a smear campaign that falsely alerted people by text message that he can’t give blood because he is HIV positive. Shevrin Jones is currently in the running to replace Rep. Frederica Wilson, who is retiring, as representative for Florida’s 24th congressional district. Jones was Florida’s first out LGBTQ+ Black senator and, if he wins the seat, will become the state’s first out gay member of Congress. On 11 August, many voters received a text message ahead of the Democratic primary, claiming: “Shevrin Jones was denied to donate blood to Covid Survivor due to testing positive for HIV/AIDS because […]
Massachusetts vows to fund trans kids’ healthcare after Medicaid ban
Massachusetts has vowed to assume the full cost of gender-affirming healthcarefor transgender children and teenagers covered by the state’s Medicaid and CHIP programs if a new Trump administration rule takes effect this October. The federal rule, finalised Tuesday (11 August), would prohibit Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program funds from being used for gender-affirming healthcare for people aged 18 and under. The Trump administration’s Medicaid administrator, Dr Mehmet Oz, described the treatments as harmful and “sex-rejecting procedures” in a statement, while major medical organisations continue to support gender-affirming care as appropriate treatment for some transgender young people. The federal government currently covers around 50 per cent […]
NHS to roll out ‘life-saving’ meds to combat drug-resistant HIV
The NHS is going to prescribe a new medication to treat the minority of patients living with a drug-resistant strain of HIV, in a landmark move. Around 100,000 people have HIV in England. There is currently no cure, though the vast majority can manage the virus with medication which hugely reduces the viral load to an undetectable level, which means they cannot pass it on. For a minority, though, the virus has mutated and become resistant to medication readily offered. Now, the drug Lenacapavir will be offered to those at risk in the coming weeks – reportedly 92 eligible patients. That number is […]
Local News
Human Trafficking Awareness and Violence Against Women Forum Happens August 13
he Commission on the Status of Women warmly invites you to attend the Violence Against Women and Girls: Human Trafficking Forum on August 13, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at 575 Administration Drive, Suite 117C, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. This forum will explore the scope and impact of human trafficking and multiple forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and exploitation. It serves as a public forum to raise awareness and promote prevention of human trafficking and gender-based violence. The forum will bring together survivors, advocates, service providers, and community leaders to share testimony, examine systemic challenges, and highlight effective […]
Positive Images Social Saturday Happened August 8 at Healdsburg Beach
Join Positive Images and Sonoma County Regional Parks for a Rainbow River day at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach for swimming, and some fun in the sun on August 8th from 12-2pm This is an all ages, family focused event. For questions, please reach out to joy@posimages.org
Arts & Entertainment
Now at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol: “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World”
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the WorldOne Week Only Starts Friday July 24 3:50 pm & 5:45 pm If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself – and her readers – to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the […]
State News
Pro-LGBTQ Pharmacy Vandalized With Slurs
The Davis Vanguard reports: A family-owned Woodland pharmacy was vandalized early Monday morning, with a window smashed near pro-LGBTQ signs and anti-gay slurs painted across another window, prompting community leaders to raise concerns about a potential hate crime and an escalating pattern of online harassment targeting LGBTQ+ supporters in Yolo County. Corner Drug, a longtime Main Street pharmacy, disclosed the vandalism in a Facebook post Monday, saying the damage came after the business had publicly displayed its support for the LGBTQ+ community. “Early this morning the window of our family pharmacy was smashed and anti gay slurs were painted on them,” Corner […]
San Francisco named the world’s best city for LGBTQ+ life, but US cities are sliding
San Francisco has been ranked the world’s best city for LGBTQ+ life, though the study warns that American cities are slipping overall amid the political climate under Donald Trump. The finding comes from the 2026 Sexually Liberal City Index, compiled by adult entertainment platform Erobella, which scored 41 cities worldwide across four areas: sex-work law, LGBTQ+ life, reproductive health and adult lifestyle. San Francisco topped the LGBTQ+ category specifically, scoring 70 out of 100, ahead of Manchester on 62 and Cologne on 61. The city was praised for its enduring community infrastructure, from the Castro to its Pride traditions, and the […]
