Top Stories
Macron gives human rights role to senator who campaigned against gay marriage in France
France has appointed a new human rights ombudsman who spent years opposing the very rights he is now tasked with defending. Right-wing senator François-Noël Buffet was narrowly approved as the country’s Défenseur des droits on Tuesday, with lawmakers backing Emmanuel Macron‘s nominee by 43 votes to 39. The Défenseur des droits is an independent watchdog responsible for defending citizens whose rights have been infringed and ensuring equal protection under French law, a key institution for LGBTQ+ people, migrants and other minorities. Buffet took part in protests against same-sex marriage in 2013, when France legalised it, and in 2021 voted against extending medically […]
Ohio teachers train colleagues to navigate anti-LGBTQ+ classroom laws
During a time when Ohio’s Republican majority is seeking to reshape the state’s public education system, Youngstown-area middle school teacher Erica Putro was surprised to find her colleagues knew little about anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that would completely change how they interact with queer students. Few of her peers knew much about Ohio House Bill 8 (the “Parents’ Bill of Rights”), which requires schools to out transgender students who “identify as a gender that does not align” with their original birth certificate’s gender marker. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week. […]
Florida book ban forces libraries to weigh up ‘nuclear option’ of removing fiction
The ramifications of Florida’s book ban laws may be reaching new heights, as evidenced by a discussion on book moderation in a Florida school board meeting. During a 16 June Clay County School Board workshop, published to YouTube, district leaders openly discussed “nuclear options” for dealing with the constant flood of book challenges, including closing high school libraries altogether or stripping them down to nonfiction only while they carefully review books for content deemed unsuitable for students. “There doesn’t seem to be an effective moderate option,” the district’s chief academic officer, Rodger Dailey, told board members. “The options on the table are kind […]
Local News
Wake Up Sonoma Meets with Sonoma Valley High School Superintendent About Pride Flag Removal
On July 22, Board members, David, Josette and Lisa met with Superintendent Jason Sutter, who continues to be invested in listening to the community, hearing us out, and working within his role and capacity. Below is a summary of our meeting.He has scheduled the presentation of two possible flag policies for September. This will give the Superintendent time to work with administrators, staff, and students to develop the draft policies. He would also be surprised if the issue is fully resolved in September. Board policies often require multiple revisions, and because two drafts will be presented to the Board, the […]
Benefit Show for Undocufund Featuring Angry Aztecs, Rascuaches, and more!
P.U.R.R.-Punks United in Real Resistance-Moira Scar+ Skye Lagenhahn are throwing a Super Stacked Benefit for Undocufund on 7/31 – all ages P.U.R.R.-Punks United in Real Resistance (Moira Scar+ Skye Lagenhahn) are throwing a Super Stacked Benefit for Undocufund on July 31st at Barrelproof Lounge Featuring: MC and Drag by Kochina Rude!Music by: Come hungry because Tacos el Gran Mac will be serving up yumminess! You will want to Get $um Raffle tickets bcz the Prizes are Sooo Damn Cool!! —we will post more info soon!! Please Tell EVERYONE to Come Out and Support This Essential Organization!!! UndocuFund organizations operate to provide direct […]
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
When San Francisco “went absolutely bonkers” over a gay vigilante group
“Nothing disgusts me more than a f**got on the sideline.” So said the Rev. Ray Broshears, the collar-clad leader of the Lavender Panthers, a gay vigilante group enlisted by Broshears to combat attacks on gay and trans people in San Francisco during the 1970s. Broshears aggressive tactics and publicity-seeking gained the group some mainstream headlines and probably account for its prominent place in the history of the “Gay Liberation” movement today, when other community-based responses to police harassment and gay-bashing have been lost. The controversial and self-styled gay “reverend” was a master at provocation. “I believe in confrontation politics,” Broshears […]
California budgets $26 million to protect access to gender-affirming care from federal attacks
In a win for trans people, their families, and healthcare providers in the state, California has passed a new budget that includes funds to protect gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare from federal funding interference. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the budget, which was the result of extensive lobbying from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, including TransFamily Support Services. “This historic investment will help keep care accessible, support the providers doing this lifesaving work, and remind trans young people that California will not abandon them,” said Kathy Moehlig, director of TransFamily Support Services. The 2026-27 budget sets aside $26 million to support gender-affirming care access […]
