LGBT+ Texas lawmakers Celia Israel, Jessica González, Erin Zwiener, Mary González and Julie Johnson (Equality Texas)
Five out Democrats in Texas have formed the first LGBT+ caucus in the state’s legislature.
The five lawmakers came together to launch the first official LGBT+ caucus, which will fight for equal rights in the traditionally-conservative, Republican-controlled state.
The LGBT+ caucus will be chaired by state representative Mary González, who was only the second out lawmaker in Texas history when she was elected in 2012.
She will be joined by all of the state’s other out lawmakers—Celia Israel, who was elected in 2014, as well as Jessica González, Julie Johnson and Erin Zwiener, all elected in 2018.
The group has an uphill battle on the state legislature, where the Republican Party has held a majority since 2003.
Speaking to the Dallas Morning News, LGBT+ caucus chair Mary González said the group would have a “intentional and strategic agenda” to bring about progress in the state.
Noting the increased representation for LGB women in the chamber, she added: “If you would have told me that we would have five LGBTQ members in the Texas Legislature, I would have never believed you. And all women, and all in the House.
“I say this all the damn time. If you’re not at the table, then you’re on the menu.”
The newly-elected Erin Zwiener, who is bisexual, added: “It’s important that those of us who are members of the LGBTQ community stand together to make sure that all Texans are treated fairly.
“I’m glad Mary and Celia have some more company.”
In another unlikely sign of progress, the Texas Capitol flew a flag in “solidarity” with transgender Texans, after a request from the mother of a 10-year-old trans boy.
Democratic Rep. Donna Howard honoured the request, flying the Texas state flag for the occasion.
She told the Dallas Morning News: “My policy is to assist these requests so long as they are not discriminatory.
“I was honoured to help Amber do so in recognition of the inclusion of trans Texans and the fact that our representative government truly represents all Texans.”
The Texas Republican Party continues to be dominated by anti-LGBT views.
A self-ID law that allows transgender people to change their legal gender has come into effect in California.
Parts of California’s Gender Recognition Act, which was passed in October 2017, came into effect on January 1.
The law allows transgender and non-binary people in the state to submit paperwork to update the gender listed on state ID cards and driver’s licences without having to go through a medicalised application process.
Trans people can self-identify in the gender categories “of male, female, or nonbinary,” with California becoming one of the few states to permit recognition of non-binary people.
According to The Guardian, an estimated 54,600 people are expected to take advantage of the reforms in the first year, “self-certifying” their gender.
Trans Californians welcomed the change.
Genderqueer Google employee Alon Altman live-tweeted their experience of “self-certifying” their gender as non-binary via the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Altman said: “I’m glad that finally non-binary people are recognized, that we exist.”
Nazanin Szanto of Oakland told the Guardian: “It’s the very beginning of a way larger fight. Non-binary people have been here forever … Now, we’re getting recognition. We’re getting a chance to live slightly more authentically.”
A previously-enacted portion of California’s Gender Recognition Act also allows trans people to update their birth certificate.
Although no medical evidence is required, applicants “have to submit an affidavit attesting, under penalty of perjury, that the request for a change of gender is to conform their legal gender to their gender identity
and not for any fraudulent purpose.”
Because federal law only permits the genders ‘male’ and ‘female,’ people recognised as non-binary in California will not have their chosen identity recognised on documents issued by the US federal government, including Social Security cards, passports and green cards.
Self-identification has become the international standard for modern gender recognition laws, with a number of European countries adopting self-ID legislation.
Malta, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland and Belgium have all adopted the self-ID system of gender recognition.
Similar proposals are under consideration in the UK, but a groundswell of opposition to the plans could stop self-ID coming into effect.
Media columnists have claimed the proposals will make women’s facilities, including shelters and changing rooms, unsafe by permitting transgender women.
Tweets from Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and Sarah Silverman using anti-gay slurs are under the spotlight after a row over comic Kevin Hart.
Musician and actor Nick Cannon called out the trio in the wake of a row involving Kevin Hart, who quit his role as host of the 2019 Oscars last week when a series of homophobic tweets resurfaced.
Hart sent tweets attacking “fags” as recently as 2012, while in his 2010 comedy tour he said: “As a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”
The star is far from alone in having used anti-gay slurs, however, and Cannon highlighted tweets from three white female comics who had used the same language in the past.
Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and Sarah Silverman were called out by Nick Cannon over ‘faggot’ tweets
In a 2012 tweet, Trainwreck star Amy Schumer wrote: “Enjoy skyfall fags. I’m bout to get knee deep in Helen Hunt #thesessions”
Chelsea Handler, who hosted Netflix talk show Chelsea, wrote in 2010: “This is what a fag bird likes like when he flexes.”
Wreck-It Ralph star Sarah Silverman sent a 2010 message that reads: “I dont mean this in a hateful way but the new bachelorette’s a faggot”
Nick Cannon pointed out the messages from Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and Sarah Silverman
Sharing the messages, Cannon wrote: “Interesting🤔 I wonder if there was any backlash here…”
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Sarah Silverman responded to the faggot tweets controversy
Neither Amy Schumer or Chelsea Handler have responded, but Sarah Silverman shared a Twitter thread from a gay author Greg Hogben responding to Cannon, writing: “Thread❤️.”
In the thread, Hogben wrote: “Do you remember the first time you saw someone get punched in real life? There was no sound effect ‘thwack’ like in the movies. The victim probably didn’t do a perfect movie stuntman roll. Could you feel the violence behind it? Recognize the malicious intent to inflict injury?
“That’s what homophobia feels like to me. I can feel the violence. I can feel the malicious intent.”
— Greg Hogben
“That’s what homophobia feels like to me. I can feel the violence. I can feel the malicious intent.”
He added: “There’s been a trend of LGBT allies being accused of homophobia recently… the thing is, a lot of gay guys [don’t] take offence to these comments, because we didn’t feel the violence or malicious intent behind it. Because we knew they were jokes. Because we knew these people were LGBT allies.”
The thread shared by Sarah Silverman pointed out that she, Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer are all long-time LGBT+ allies who helped fight for equality and fundraise for LGBT+ charities.
Hogben added: “We knew the history and backgrounds of these women. They used their massive platforms to help us long before marriage equality. And continue to do so.
“I can’t say the same for Kevin Hart. I can’t find a history of helping at-risk LGBT youth. To be honest, his tweets and his stand-up gig saying he’d ‘do anything not to have a gay son,’ made me bristle. In short, it *felt malicious*.
“I appreciate Kevin Hart’s apology and think it’s great that he’s ‘evolved and grown,’ but I don’t think there’s much of a comparison in your tweet. So while I understand your attempt to ‘both sides’ this issue, I hope you can see why some gay men don’t see it the same.”
Saturday Night Live comic Michael Che defended Kevin Hart
The spat comes after Saturday Night Live comic Michael Che defended Kevin Hart.
Speaking on SNL on December 8, Michael Che said: “Also if Kevin Hart isn’t clean enough to host the Oscars than no black comic is.”
Alluding to convicted sex offender Bill Cosby, he added: “The only black comic who’s cleaner than Kevin Hart is booked for the next three to ten years.”
Transgender Miss Universe contestant Angela Ponce has said that her victory would send a message to the contest’s former owner, US President Donald Trump.
Angela Ponce is set to represent Spain in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant, which is set to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 17.
Her participation is particularly poignant as the contest was owned by Donald Trump until 2015, when he offloaded the business in the run-up to his run for president.
Speaking to TIME, the 27-year-old Miss Spain said: “I’m showing that trans women can be whatever they want to be: a teacher, a mother, a doctor, a politician and even Miss Universe.”
Addressing the Trump administration’s anti-transgender actions, Ponce said her victory would be an important symbol in a contest many still associate with the leader.
“If they give me the crown, it would show trans women are just as much women as cis women.”
— Miss Spain Angela Ponce
She said: “More than a message to him, it would be a win for human rights. Trans women have been persecuted and erased for so long.
“If they give me the crown, it would show trans women are just as much women as cis women.”
Ponce added that she would still have competed in the contest if she had been allowed to when it was owned by Trump.
Transgender Miss Universe contestant Angela Ponce said she wanted to “give a lesson to the world of tolerance and respect towards oneself and towards others.”
The beauty queen said: “I would. I like to think that most people who don’t understand me, it’s not because they’re bad people.
“It’s because no one taught them about diversity. What you don’t talk about doesn’t exist—even though trans people have been here since there were people on earth.”
The contestant has had a long road to the pageant, competing in 2015’s Miss World Spain contest, only to find out the rules barred transgender women.
She said: “It wasn’t easy… I found out on the day of the competition that their rules didn’t allow a transgender woman to win. It crushed me.
“I had to go on and perform, and it felt horrible. But after I got to the Miss Universe final, Miss World changed their rules too. I changed the rules.”
Ponce, who lives in the Spanish city of Seville, wrote on Instagram after her win: “My goal is to be a spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but also for the entire world.”
Miss Universe Canada faced legal action in 2012 when model Jenna Talackova was blocked from competing for being transgender.
NHS services for transgender people in the UK are near breaking point, experts have warned a parliamentary committee.
The UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee today published submissions to an inquiry into LGBT healthcare, revealing the high level of concern about access to gender-related services.
The NHS has struggled to keep up with a surge in demand for services at gender identity clinics, with trans people often facing lengthy waiting times for appointments and treatments as backlogs spiral out of control.
The Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) warned that “specialised gender services is growing exponentially,” adding that “excessive waits result in acute stress, self-harm, suicidality and resort to self-medication.”
“The wait for trans related hormone treatment or surgeries is in multiple years, not months.”
GIRES warned that failing to meet the demand would be a “grave mistake,” while LGBT+ charity Stonewall added: “It is vital that NHS England set out a clear plan to increase capacity and reduce waiting times to gender identity services.”
Notts Trans Hub said: “The wait for trans related hormone treatment or surgeries is in multiple years, not months, and there are not enough surgeons nationwide with the experience required. More need to be trained up urgently to keep up with referral rates.”
The inquiry also took submissions from members of the public, nearly all of whom spoke about their own experience of waiting times for transition-related services.
In one submission, Andrea Wyatt explained that she was referred to a Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) in July 2015, but did not receive her first appointment until July 2018, three years later—only to be told to seek a second opinion before joining the years-long waiting list for surgery.
She added: “It’s been a traumatic three years [with] no real support from the GIC clinic. I believe the long waiting times is direct discrimination and the NHS has failed to provide adequate medical care and treatment.”
Another person wrote: “Waiting times are now over two years. Without two appointments it is impossible to get and diagnosis of gender dysphoria which allows simple hormones treatment.
“Hormones are regularly given to cis women by GPs but for trans people we are having to wait over 28 months to get a prescription.
“This is then followed by approx. another two years before gender surgery can be accessed. This leads to increased mental harm due to frustration and being totally out of control of the treatment pathway.”
Another trans person who is still waiting for a GIC appointment wrote: “I was informed there was an 18 – 20 months wait to get my initial appointment, and this would be followed by a further 18 months wait to see a doctor. I’ve since been informed that these times are likely to have increased. This is extremely distressing and has led to having to seek alternative help.”
Other trans people told the inquiry they had to travel hundreds of miles to GIC appointments
Services for transgender children are also plagued with a growing backlog. Charity Mermaids said there was currently a waiting list of up to 18 months for children referred to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), compared to a statutory NHS target of 18 weeks.
Mermaids added: “Waiting times can subject a young person to distressing bodily changes that can lead to an increased risk of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation.”
“Untreated gender dysphoria caused a crisis in our child’s life and in the life of our family.”
One parent of a transgender son wrote: “Waiting 12-18 months for an initial appointment is a disgrace.
“The pressure on children who have finally declared they are trans, but are then placed in limbo is too high. Often young people have fully socially transitioned before their first appointment, as my son did, and it makes the initial ‘are you trans’ discussions with GIDS too little too late.”
Another member of the public wrote of their teenage daughter: “Untreated gender dysphoria caused a crisis in our child’s life and in the life of our family.
“She was so distressed she was regularly self-harming. She had angry outbursts and smashed things in the house, sometimes having to be physically restrained. Waiting times have to be shorter than this so that families can get help faster.”
MPs to make recommendations for transgender healthcare reform
NHS England previously said it will carry out a review of adult gender identity services in England in 2019.
Many of the respondents called for the de-centralisation of treatments away from the over-burdened gender clinics, allowing GPs to provide treatment to trans people while they face lengthy waits for appointments.
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Maria Miller MP, said: “Our inquiry was launched based on statistics showing that the healthcare needs of LGBT people are not being met effectively.
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Maria Miller MP (CARL COURT/AFP/Getty)
“The sheer variety of evidence submissions we’ve received lay bare the stark inequalities in outcomes between LGBT groups and the wider population.
“The evidence suggests the NHS is not delivering and there appears to be a perception that the healthcare needs of LGBT people are deemed ‘less important’.
“As we now head into the next stage of our inquiry, we will consider the issues brought to our attention before producing a report with recommendations about what more needs to be done to improve access to health and social care for all LGBT people.”
Russia has violated LGBT+ people’s human rights by banning Pride events, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled on Tuesday (November 27).
The case was brought by Russian LGBT+ activist Nikolay Alexeyev and six others, who alleged that they have been systemically denied permissions to hold Pride events in cities across Russia. They listed 51 occasions on which permission for events were refused.
Authorities frequently cite the country’s 2013 gay ‘propaganda’ law, which bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientations” in order to block the events, though the denials in the case dated from 2009 to 2014.
“The applicants suffered unjustified discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.”
European Court of Human Rights
Ruling against Russia, the court found that “the ban on holding LGBT public assemblies… did not correspond to a pressing social need and was thus not necessary in a democratic society.”
The November 27 ruling also found that “the applicants suffered unjustified discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, that that discrimination was incompatible with the standards of the Convention, and that they were denied an effective domestic remedy in respect of their complaints concerning a breach of their freedom of assembly.”
A view taken on August 1, 2010 shows the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. (JOHANNA LEGUERRE/AFP/Getty)
It added that the complainants “suffered unjustified discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation… incompatible with the standards of the Convention.”
The court ruled that the treatment violated Articles 11 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect freedom of assembly and freedom from discrimination.
Although Russia is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, the international court has little power to enforce the ruling in Russia.
In June 2017, the court ruled that the law also “reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia.”
The judges concluded that the law breached European treaty rules on freedom of expression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, 2018. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty)
“The very purpose of the laws and the way they were formulated and applied in the applicants’ case had been discriminatory and, overall, served no legitimate public interest,” the Strasbourg-based court said.
“Indeed, by adopting such laws, the authorities had reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia, which was incompatible with the values of a democratic society.”
LGBT+ people in Russia face human rights violations
It was alleged in September that Russian police are refusing to investigate extreme homophobic hate speech—because they claim gay people are not a valid social group.
Anna Plyusnina, who is a legal adviser at Yekaterinburg LGBT Resource Centre, alerted the police to extremist messages posted online advocating violent attacks on gay people.
However, anti-extremism police officers told her no action would be taken because the messages were “not addressed to any group of people on the grounds of ethnic, racial, religious, or social identity.”
Research carried out by independent Russian polling agency the Levada Center found that 83 percent of respondents consider it “always reprehensible” or “almost always reprehensible” for two adults to have gay sex.
This marks a drastic increase from 1998, when just 68 percent found it unacceptable, and 2008, when 76 percent found it unacceptable.
A donation is made as a Salvation Army bell ringer works outside a store (Tim Boyle/Getty)
The Salvation Army has warned members not to discuss their opposition to LGBT rights in public.
The religious charity, which has been dogged for years about its discriminatory approach to LGBT+ people, put out a warning to members in the US ahead of the Christmas season.
The guidelines, published by Fox News pundit Todd Starnes, warn Salvation Army volunteers to stay away from discussing “hot topic issues like LGBTQ Marriage” after an “increased number of complaints regarding comments made on social media by Salvation Army officers and staff.”
The group warned that officers and staff “must not take part in organised action in support of causes or movements,” describing controversy as a “threat to our reputation, our fundraising efforts, and ultimately our ability to serve people in need.”
The Salvation Army has a history of LGBT DISCRIMINATION
The evangelical-dominated organisation, which pulls in most of its funding across the Christmas season, has a record of LGBT discrimination that has previously led to calls for shoppers to boycott it.
In February 2018, the Salvation Army in Australia called for a broad ‘freedom to discriminate’ law.
In a submission to an Australia government inquiry, the Salvation Army advocated for legal exemptions from anti-discrimination laws for people and businesses who “hold, express or act on [beliefs about]… marriage, sexuality, gender and family.”
A donation is made into a Salvation Army red kettle (Joe Raedle/Getty)
The New York City Commission on Human Rights launched action against the Salvation Army in 2017, due to alleged discriminatory policies at four substance abuse centres in the city.
The commission found that one of the centres completely refused to accept transgender patients, with other centres insisting that transgender people would be housed according to their gender assigned at birth, rather than their actual gender identity.
The charity confirmed the guidelines are genuine.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army said: “The Salvation Army is highly visible during the Christmas season – a blessing that allows us to spread the gospel and support those in need.
“The heightened prominence also means that any, and all, Army representatives could be subject to controversies which might distract from our purpose: to serve in His name, without discrimination.
“The guidelines are a reminder to personnel that we must stay focused on our mission during this politically-charged time. As stewards of donors’ dollars, and soldiers of service, we must use every opportunity possible, including social media, to share the love of Christ.”
The Trump administration has quietly gutted transgender rights guidance for federal employees, telling agencies to treat people based on “biological sex.”
ThinkProgress reports that revisions were made to public guidance on the website of the government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to remove transgender rights protections.
The previous guidance, drawn up under President Barack Obama, instructed federal agencies to “review their anti-discrimination policies to ensure that they afford a non-discriminatory working environment to employees irrespective of their gender identity or perceived gender non-conformity.”A revision apparently made in the last week removed all mention of the words “transgender” and “gender non-conforming” while inserting language to effectively reverse several of the inclusive policies.
The new guidance states that employees in gender-specific roles should be treated “in accordance with the individual’s biological sex,” where the previous materials said they should be treated as their preferred gender.
Guidance that directed employers to move away from “gender-specific dress and appearance rules” have also been changed to now state that agencies are “encouraged” to enact “policies [that] require employees to follow dress and appearance rules consistent with the professional standards of their occupation.”
The webpage also erases sections on the “core concepts” of gender identity and gender non-conforming identities.
The OPM webpage now states that agencies should update their diversity and inclusion policies “with the plain meaning of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
The reference to the “plain meaning” of the Civil Rights Act contradicts the widely-held Obama administration stance that civil rights laws banning discrimination based on sex also outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Trump administration has previously argued in court that the section should only be applied to direct gender discrimination.
The changes appear to substantiate reports of a leaked memo from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) setting out a new anti-transgender stance across the administration.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on October 22, he confirmed: “We’re looking at it. We have a lot of different concepts right now.
“They have a lot of different things happening with respect to transgender right now. You know that as well as I do and we’re looking at it very seriously.”
Asked if he would protect the LGBT+ community, he responded: “I’m protecting everybody.”
When a reporter told the leader that “transgender Americans say you’ve given up on them,” Trump replied: “You know what I’m doing? I’m protecting everybody. I want to protect our country.”
A new report has shed light on the horrific epidemic of violence against transgender people in the US, ahead of the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation report, released on November 19, looks at the high levels of violence against America’s transgender community, who are disproportionately more likely to face violent attacks than the general population.
The report, titled “Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America in 2018,” found that at least 22 transgender people have been murdered in the US so far this year.
The actual number may be higher, as there is no official data collection on crimes against trans people, and monitors frequently have to rely on LGBT+ community sources.
“We must address the root causes of violence to make our communities safer for everyone. It is unacceptable that transgender and gender-expansive people are killed simply because of who they are.”
Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The report included some shocking statistics about the murder victims.
82 percent of the identified victims were transgender women of colour, while 55 percent of the deaths occurred in Southern states.
Research also found that 74 percent of identified transgender murder victims were misgendered (referred to using their birth gender) or deadnamed (referred to using their birth name) in initial police or media reports surrounding their deaths.
File photo. Candles mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Many police forces across the US still insist on using the name or gender listed on the victim’s ID in reports, even when it is several years out of date, while local news organisations are frequently both reliant on official police channels for information, and lacking in expertise on transgender issues.
Experts say the practice can cause significant harm to police investigations during the most critical phase, because people with information may only know the victim by their chosen name, and because misgendering fosters mistrust of police within the transgender community.
HRC calls for action On Transgender Day of Remembrance
The report states that in addition to direct hate-motivated violence, the systemic discrimination faced by transgender people in education, employment and family life can push them into circumstances such as as sex work where they are more likely to face violence.
It notes: “Transgender people face devastating levels of discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
“These barriers are even higher for Black transgender people, who have double the unemployment rate of all transgender people, and four times that of the US general population.
“With limited access to workplaces that are affirming and inclusive, transgender and gender-expansive people are put at greater risk for poverty, homelessness and involvement with criminalised work.
“Together, these factors put transgender people at an increased risk of violence and danger.”
HRC called to address the root causes of violence make communities safer. “It is unacceptable that transgender and gender-expansive people are killed simply because of who they are,” the report stated.
It added: “For far too long in our society, transgender people—and especially transgender women of color—have faced blatant discrimination and severe violence simply for being who they are. In order for this to change, we must all take action to dismantle the barriers that dehumanize, delegitimize and endanger transgender lives.”
What is Transgender Day of Remembrance?
The report comes ahead of the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, an annual day of remembrance for trans murder victims across the world.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was first held on November 20, 1998, following the murder of Rita Hester, a transgender African-American woman in Massachusetts. Organised by volunteers from the transgender community, it has since grown into an international commemoration.
Vigils are held across the world to mark the day, at events where the full list of victims is read.
Transgender people take part in a candle light vigil for the Transgender Day of Remembrance in Bangalore on November 20, 2015. (MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP/Getty)
A list of transgender murder victims published by the Remembering Our Dead Project includes 310 known victims in the past year.
HRC President Chad Griffin said: “On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we join together to mourn the lives lost to hate and violence this past year and rededicate ourselves to the urgent action that this epidemic requires.
“From anti-trans employment and housing discrimination to systemic racism, we must recognize the intersecting factors that influence, motivate and embolden the violence that plagues so many within the transgender community — particularly Black and Latina transgender women.
Griffin added: “White, cisgender men like me have a unique responsibility to support our transgender siblings in combating this violence, and join fully in the work to achieve equality for every person in the LGBTQ community.”
Supporters of the transgender community in Taiwan light candles during the Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2014. (SAM YEH/AFP/Getty)
Jay Brown of HRC Foundation said: “At least 128 transgender people—the vast majority transgender women of colour—have been killed [in the US] in the last five years.
“But most people can’t even name one victim—one human being who left behind family, friends and a future. We must do better.
“Solidarity means showing up, speaking out, saying their names and steadfastly working to change the realities that conspire to put transgender people at risk of violence. We can do better.”
Cars drive through Times Square. The logo of the ‘No Gays Allowed’ ad campaign(Mario Tama/Getty)
A billboard bearing the message “NO GAYS ALLOWED” has been installed in New York City’s iconic Times Square.
NBC reports that the billboard, which reads “NO GAYS ALLOWED” on a blank white background, was installed on Tuesday and is set to remain in place until February.
Despite the outwardly homophobic message, the Times Square billboard is not what it initially seems.
The Times Square ad unit was actually placed as a protest against legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a shadowy ultra-conservative body that has brought several cases seeking to undermine LGBT+ anti-discrimination protections across the US.
