Christopher Wiggins

Military veterans from the LGBTQ+ community have sued the Department of Defense for denying them honorable discharges and listing their sexual orientation on their service records.

Plaintiffs are seeking honorable discharges in a class action lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which would give them access to benefits such as healthcare services, academic tuition aid, and loan resources reserved for veterans who are in good standing when they leave the military, NBC News reports. 

Moreover, the plaintiffs are requesting that their discharge documents be amended to remove references to their sexuality. They claim the government is violating their privacy by providing information about their sexuality in such documents.

Several plaintiffs were dismissed under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which allowed gays and lesbians to serve if they remained closeted, their lawyers said. 

LGBTQ+ veterans and their allies have asked the U.S. government to automatically modify the discharge status of ex-service members following the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” under then President Barack Obama’s administration in 2011.

Despite an existing procedure by which veterans can request discharge status changes, Tuesday’s lawsuit contends it is onerous.

“The currently available discharge upgrade process is burdensome, opaque, expensive, and, for many veterans, virtually inaccessible,” according to the plaintiffs’ lawyers. “The process not only takes months or years but also requires veterans to prove that an error or injustice warrants updating their discharge papers to the very entity that caused the error or injustice, despite the Government’s own acknowledgment that DADT was discriminatory.”

The case declares that “the Government’s ongoing discrimination” against LGBTQ+ veterans will continue without DOD action. 

“Because of the circumstances and language of my discharge, which served as a painful reminder of the trauma I experienced, I was never able to proudly say that I served my country,” said U.S. Army veteran Steven Egland, one of the plaintiffs.

A federal judge in Arkansas temporarily stopped a new law in the state that would have authorized criminal prosecution of librarians and bookstores who provide juveniles with “harmful” materials, the Associated Press reports.

Judge Timothy L. Brooks enjoined the law, which would have constructed a new process for contesting library materials for relocation to locations not accessible by children. Former TrumpWhite House Press Secretary and current Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the measure earlier this year, with an August 1 effective date.

Libraries and booksellers would be chilled from carrying titles that could be challenged if they fear prosecution under the law, according to a coalition that includes the Central Arkansas Library System.

The judge also rejected the defendant’s motion to dismiss the case sought by state lawyers.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas praised the court’s ruling, stating that this law would have imperiled First Amendment rights without a preliminary injunction.

“The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties,” Holly Dickson, ACLU of Arkansas executive director, said.

It comes as lawmakers in conservative states force measures to make the ban or restriction of books easier. Last year, the American Library Association recorded the most attempts to ban or ban books in the U.S. in 20 years.

Laws have been enacted in Iowa, Indiana, and Texas restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them.

Florida’s extreme anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “don’t say gay” law, also remove access to publications.

There are 28 local prosecutors from Arkansas and Crawford County who are defendants in the case. The county’s decision to separate children’s books featuring LGBTQ+ themes is the subject of separate litigation.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas sued the Texas Attorney General and other defendants on Wednesday to prevent Senate Bill 12 from taking effect on September 1. It would ban drag performances in most public venues if permitted to move forward.

In the ACLU’s lawsuit, the group asserts that SB 12, which includes a ban on drag performances, violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and threatens Texans’ livelihoods and free expression. For artists and those who support them, the ban targets any performance that could be construed as “sexual” and imposes criminal penalties, including a year in jail. 

Many constitutionally protected performances could be censored by this law, such as touring Broadway plays and professional cheerleading routines or karaoke nights and drag shows, the ACLU said in a statement.

Among the plaintiffs represented by the organization are The Woodlands Pride, Abilene Pride Alliance, Extragrams, LLC, 360 Queen Entertainment LLC, and drag artist Brigitte Bandit.

Both LGBTQ+ nonprofits promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their communities. Two drag production and entertainment companies that have already been impacted adversely by the ban and an Austin-based drag artist who performs, hosts, and produces drag shows, join the case to comprise the plaintiffs.

“The Texas Drag Ban is stunningly broad in scope and will chill entire genres of free expression in our state,” said ACLU of Texas attorney Brian Klosterboer. “This law flies in the face of the First Amendment. No performer should ever be thrown in jail because the government disfavors their speech, and we are asking the Court to block this affront to every Texan’s constitutional rights.”

“Texas queens and kings from across our great state have been targets of threats and misinformation as a result of the anti-drag law,” Bandit, the drag artist, said. “We must reject their attempts to divide us and continue to come together in our truth and power to support each other as Texans should. Our community will not be used as a scapegoat or a distraction by politicians who do not know who we are or what we do. State leaders should focus on legitimate issues, not political stunts. I dream of a state that’s better for us all, no matter who we are, how we live, or who we love. Long live Texas drag!”

President of fellow plaintiff organization, The Woodlands Pride, Jason Rocha, noted the importance of the lawsuit.

“Censoring drag is censoring free speech,” said Rocha said. “The Woodlands Pride was formed to help amplify the voices and representation of all, specifically the LGBTQIA+ community. Drag is a symbol of expression, and the freedom to express yourself is quintessential to human nature. We know this ban is aimed specifically at our community. Our freedoms to exist, express, and speak are at stake.”

Increased representation and awareness of LGBTQ+ communities in entertainment, politics, and business seems to have increased anti-LGBTQ+ activism, according to a new report from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. As a result, right-wing extremists stepped up their attacks on LGBTQ+ people during Pride Month celebrations nationwide.

Researchers found a spike in anti-LGBTQ+ protests during Pride celebrations, including in historically liberal states like California. One in five demonstrations took place there last month, according to the group.

Aside from anti-Pride protests, ACLED also notes that many of these protests targeted drag shows and gender-affirming care. Most anti-LGBTQ+ events were reported in Texas, New York, and California, with 26 states and the District of Columbia reporting events.

The organization reported that in 2022 far-right extremists committed more than 300 percent more anti-LGBTQ+ acts than the previous year, which “strongly” correlates with subsequent violence against gays and transgender people.

Actors on the right who haven’t always agreed on their particular take on ideology have joined forces against a common enemy: wokeness.

As a result, white supremacists and neo-Nazis have joined forces with violent street thugs like the Proud Boys and Christian nationalist groups to target LGBTQ+ communities.

Nevertheless, this adverse reaction to the rise in acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, as emphasized by corporations like Target during Pride Month, may result in a backlash. Despite most Americans’ support for gay marriage, images of vigilantes deciding who can read library books may not sit well with them.

According to ACLED, about half of June’s anti-LGBTQ+ protests were countered by pro-LGBTQ+ demonstrators. In addition, the group found twice as many LGBTQ-friendly events as anti-LGBTQ+ events.

Governors across the country have taken part in GLSEN’s Rise Up campaign, releasing proclamations affirming the safety of LGBTQ+ youth in their communities.

Governors from Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Washington State vowed to protect LGBTQ+ youth. Local elected officials in California, Nevada, Washington State, North Carolina, and Florida also provided support for the campaign.

GLSEN is a nonprofit organization that works to create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students in schools. 

At least 15 mayors also joined the call in pledging to rise up for LGBTQ+ youth in their communities, a press release said.

“Attacks against LGBTQ+ youth have become more frequent and more vicious, and we can’t wait to take action,” said GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers. “We’re grateful for the leaders who have pledged to rise up in support of LGBTQ+ youth and policies that promote safe and inclusive schools.”

They added, “We stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth and supportive parents and educators across the country, and we’re never going to stop fighting for safe, inclusive, and affirming learning environments for all students.”

Despite Republican and far-right extremist attacks on educators and school systems that claim the institutions are sexualizing kids, GLSEN recently found that LGBTQ+ students rarely receive instruction in matters of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Attacks against LGBTQ+ youth have become more frequent and more vicious, and we can’t wait to take action,” said GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers. “We’re grateful for the leaders who have pledged to rise up in support of LGBTQ+ youth and policies that promote safe and inclusive schools.”

They added, “We stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth and supportive parents and educators across the country, and we’re never going to stop fighting for safe, inclusive, and affirming learning environments for all students.”

Despite Republican and far-right extremist attacks on educators and school systems that claim the institutions are sexualizing kids, GLSEN recently found that LGBTQ+ students rarely receive instruction in matters of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Researchers and experts in children’s development say that providing young LGBTQ+ people with spaces to discuss matters important to their identity significantly decreases the risk of suicidal ideation.

Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said, “Leaving no one behind requires a community approach and relies on all of us working together.”

He continued, “On behalf of the Moore-Miller administration and the people of Maryland, I want all young Marylanders in the LGBTQIA+ community to know that you are not alone and have my full support, always.”

Before he was elected, Moore toldThe Advocate that the rights of LGBTQ+ Marylanders would be at the forefront of his decision-making as the state’s first Black governor.

“On behalf of the people of Maine, I write this letter in support of GLSEN’s Rise Up for LGBTQI+ youth campaign,” Maine Governor Janet Mills also wrote in a letter supporting GLSEN’s Rise Up for LGBTQ+ Youth campaign.

“Schools in Maine — and all over the country — must be free of the violence of racism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, ableism, and all forms of systemic oppression,” Mills wrote. “To that end, we must do everything in our power to ensure that all students have an equal educational opportunity, free of bullying, harassment, and discrimination.”

Six women suing the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma for allowing a transgender sister to join its University of Wyoming chapter have responded to the sorority’s assertion that the lawsuit was frivolous.

In a response filed Wednesday, Jaylyn Westenbroek, Hannah Holtmeier, Allison Coghan, Grace Choate, Madeline Ramar, and Megan Kosar criticized Artemis Langford, the first transgender member of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Wyoming chapter. 

“It is unclear why — when a large man pushes his way into an all-female space — the women who object are the bullies,” attorneys for the six, Cassie Craven and John Knepper, contend in one of several filings, Cowboy State Daily reports.

These women “are labeled attention-seeking liars, an old playbook from our history when women call out the men who force themselves upon them and their privacy. But the times have changed. Women no longer must be silent victims to men who attempt to play by their own set of rules,” they wrote.

On June 20, Langford and the sorority asked Wyoming’s U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson to dismiss the suit, calling it frivolous and criticizing its bad faith effort.

The court lacks jurisdiction over the organization’s president Mary Pat Rooney, the sorority can adjust admission criteria according to the evolving understanding of gender, and the plaintiffs did not consult enough with the leadership before filing, the defendants claim.

The sisters’ lawsuit, Langford claims, is not only long and confusing, but it doesn’t have a rational reason for naming the sister. 

On Wednesday, the women suing asked the judge to allow all parties to remain in their lawsuit. The plaintiffs rejected Langford’s arguments, saying the lawsuit should include her name since the outcome could affect Langford’s membership.

They are not seeking monetary damages from Langford.

More than 145 Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters have accepted transgender women since 2015. According to the Kappa Kappa Gamma filing, its policy is similar to that of 25 other sororities in the National Panhellenic Conference, an umbrella organization for sororities across the U.S. and Canada, the Associated Press reports.

Those opposed to Langford’s induction could change the policy if most sorority members shared their perspective, or they could resign if “a position of inclusion is too offensive to their personal values,” a prior motion to dismiss by the sorority read. 

The June 20 court filing by Langford accuses the women of spewing “dehumanizing mud” and attacking transgender people. Aside from that, the inductee claims the complaint is too long and complicated for the court to handle, according to Cowboy State Daily.

Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise visit on Monday to the historic Stonewall Inn bar in Manhattan, where the 1969 uprising sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement and Prideevents worldwide. In doing so, she became the first sitting vice president to make a stop there.

Harris first saw Christopher Park, which is part of the Stonewall National Monument established by former President Barack Obama in 2016. The park sits adjacent to the bar and has been repeatedly targeted by vandals in recent weeks. Harris visited the monument with National Park Service Superintendent Shirley McKinney, who briefed and gave her a tour.

One of the bar’s owners, Kurt Kelly, and out TV personality Andy Cohen welcomed Harris when she made it to the Stonewall Inn.

“Gay Pride was yesterday, so I’m like, woo,” Kelly joked after embracing Harris and welcoming her to the bar.

“I get it,” she replied. “The morning after.”

As a small scrum of reporters and photographers and many joyful customers listened intently, Cohen asked Harris to “tell us something that we can be optimistic about this Pride season.”

According to Harris, the Biden-Harris administration will continue to support the LGBTQ+ community in the face of attacks by GOP state legislators and right-wing extremists.

“I look at these young teachers in Florida who are in their twenties, and if they’re in a same-sex relationship, they are afraid to put up a photograph of themselves or their loved one for fear they might lose their job. It pains me, but it also reminds me that we can take nothing for granted in terms of progress. We have to be vigilant. That’s the nature of our fight for equality. And so we’re up for it. And we are not going to be overwhelmed. We are not going to be silenced. We are not going to be deterred. We are not going to tire, [and] we’re not going to throw up our hands; we’re going to roll up our sleeves.”

She emphasized, “That’s how I feel about it.”

Kelly added, “To me, Stonewall means strength in numbers. Every time you put a rock on that wall, we become stronger and stronger and stronger. And you put your rock here today.”

Harris posed for selfies with patrons once the press had been ushered out of the bar. She hung out behind the bar for a short time, chatting with people there.

Harris briefly spoke to reporters as she was leaving the Stonewall Inn.

“This place represents a real inflection moment in this movement, which is a movement that is about equality, a movement that is about freedom, a movement that is about safety,” Harris said, noting the anniversary of the raid. “I’m here because I also understand not only what we should celebrate in terms of those fighters who fought for fundamental freedoms, but understanding that this fight is not over.”

She continued, “When I look at the fact that in our country we’re looking at somewhere around 600 bills being proposed or passed — anti-LGBTQ bills — book bans, a policy approach that is ‘don’t say gay.’ People in fear for their life. People afraid to be. To be! These are fundamental issues that point to the need for us to all be vigilant [and] to stand together.”

The Stonewall Inn was raided by police in the early hours of Saturday, June 28, 1969, as part of a pattern of harassment against LGBTQ+ establishments. A fight broke out instead of the patrons and allies dispersing. Six days of protests and conflict followed the raid and subsequent riot outside the bar, along nearby streets, and in Christopher Park. As one of the most significant catalysts of the movement’s dramatic expansion of protected rights, the Stonewall Riots are widely regarded as one of the most critical events in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1673492160178421761&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advocate.com%2Fgay-pride-parade%2Fkamala-harris-stonewall-visit&partner=rebelmouse&sessionId=8a89a73663321b9fe24e4af1b589336570cb726d&siteScreenName=TheAdvocateMag&siteUserId=21692297&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px

Her motorcade then took Harris to the Upper East Side for the 24th Annual LGBTQ+ Leadership Council Gala, a campaign reception benefiting the Biden Victory Fund. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, actress Rosario Dawson introduced Harris.

Harris declared, “Pride is patriotism!”

She said, “There is nothing more patriotic than celebrating freedom, which includes the freedom to love who you love and be who you are.”

Harris then spoke about her earlier visit to the Stonewall Inn.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1673438805888737280&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advocate.com%2Fgay-pride-parade%2Fkamala-harris-stonewall-visit&partner=rebelmouse&sessionId=8a89a73663321b9fe24e4af1b589336570cb726d&siteScreenName=TheAdvocateMag&siteUserId=21692297&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px

“I reflected on the determination and dedication of patriots like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson,” she said.

She also paid tribute to the late Jim Rivaldo, a political consultant who served as her campaign manager during her successful 2004 bid for San Francisco district attorney. Rivaldo was instrumental in Harvey Milk’s election to the city council in 1978.

Harris acknowledged Jim Obergefell, who was in attendance, for bringing the case Obergefell vs. Hodges, which established marriage equality nationwide in 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Monday was the 8th anniversary of the Obergefell decision.

“That progress is not inevitable. It does not just happen. It takes steadfast determination and dedication,” Harris said, “the kind of determination and dedication possessed by people like Jim Obergefell.”

Additionally, Harris acknowledged Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and gay California Rep. Robert Garcia, who were all in attendance. She also celebrated the election of two lesbian governors: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotec, who were not at the event.

She warned, however, of the current political climate and promised her and President Joe Biden’s support in the fight against the backsliding of LGBTQ+ rights nationwide.

“These extremists dare to ban books by LGBTQ+ authors or those that have LGBTQ+ characters. Book bans in this year of our Lord 2023,” she said, exasperated. “Imagine!”

Harris continued, “As we are clear-eyed about this moment, let us all see also the larger context in which this is happening because this fight is not only about teachers in Florida or young people in Tennessee. This fight is on all of us because when you attack the rights of any American, you attack the rights of all Americans.”

As the country approaches another presidential election in 2024, Harris outlined the Republican approach.

“Let’s be clear about where this is headed,” she said. “These extremists have a plan to push their agenda as far and as wide as they possibly can. Their blueprint is to attack hard-won rights and freedoms state by state: to attack the right to live as your authentic self, to attack the right to vote, to attack the rights of workers to organize, to attack the right to make decisions about one’s own body.”

Harris responded to those developments with one resounding message.

“Here’s the thing,” she said. “I have news for these extremists. We’re not having that!”