Top Stories
US To Revoke Visas Of 200,000 Asylum Seekers
The Associated Press reports: The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges. Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents […]
“Tired but undeterred”: A Smithsonian curator refuses to let this administration erase queer history
In the 200s AD, the Roman emperor Elagabalus was known for dressing in women’s clothing and requesting to be called “Lady” instead of “Lord.” In the mid 1600s, Queen Christina’s decision to abdicate the Swedish throne rather than marry a man fueled rumors that she was attracted to women. But would Elagabalus have identified with the modern definition of trans? Would Queen Christina have called herself a lesbian? It’s impossible to know. One of the major challenges with queer history is how we attribute our current understanding of gender and sexuality to people of the past, who might not have […]
Librarian Fired For Opposing Book Bans Wins $275,000
The Arkansas Advocate reports: A central Arkansas county agreed this week to pay $275,000 to the former library director who was fired after speaking against local conservatives’ push to limit children’s access to books. Saline County announced Thursday it had reached a settlement with Patty Hector, who had been the county library’s executive director when she was fired in October 2023. County Judge Matt Brumley’s firing power came from an ordinance approved by the all-Republican quorum court, which previously urged Hector to move books with “sexual content or imagery” out of children’s reach. Hector alleged in her 2025 legal complaint that her […]
Local News
New limited-edition T-shirt Collection Supports Amor Para Todos
My distributor has officially launched a limited-edition line of T-shirts featuring my original artwork. It’s been a long process getting everything ready, and I’m thrilled that it’s finally here. The artwork is inspired by the enduring fight for justice and the promise of the 14th Amendment, an important reminder that the pursuit of equal protection under law, dignity, and belonging for all Americans is alive today in the midst of the challenging times we find ourselves living in, and that the freedoms we hold as citizens are not something we take for granted but principles we must continue to defend […]
Support Positive Image’s Queer Library
I mean who doesn’t love reading! Because I know I do! Getting lost in a new world, a new story, and meeting new characters. Or diving into deep and rich history about our ancestors, our motherland, and significant periods in times. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit our center and browse our Queer Library, come take a peak! We have over 900 books available for FREE for our community to check out and take home or enjoy while hanging out at the center. While we have a myriad of books available in English, we would love to expand our Bilingual and Bicultural […]
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
Four suspects beat California man while shouting anti-LGBTQ+ slurs, police say
Police in California are investigating the assault of two men in Sacramento’s Lavender Heights district. One victim said four men beat him while shouting anti-LGBTQ+ and racist slurs. Joseph Sais said the beating that left him bloodied on the street was especially painful because it happened in an LGBTQ-friendly area of town. “How can this happen here?” Sais told news station KCRA. “How can this happen in a space where it’s for us? It’s for queer individuals to come feel supported.” Sacramento police told news outlets they received reports of an assault around 1 a.m. Last Sunday near 20th and […]
Equality California Condemns Final CMS Rule Blocking Medicaid and CHIP Funding for Transgender Healthcare
Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized a rule ending federal Medicaid funding for both medically necessary care for transgender youth under 18 and federal Children’s Health Insurance Program funding for youth under 19. The rule is scheduled to take effect October 13, 2026: “Today, the Trump administration finalized a cruel and discriminatory rule that blocks federal Medicaid and CHIP payments to providers for medically necessary healthcare for transgender young people, putting their access to care at risk. This is a […]
