Philadelphia has become a safe haven for trans people seeking gender-affirming healthcare.
On Tuesday (17 October), mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order at City Hall, giving anyone who goes to the state access to treatment.
The executive order prohibits the local government from using any resources to assist states seeking to investigate or punish people for providing or receiving gender-affirming care in the Pennsylvanian city, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ahead of signing executive order 4-23, Kenney said: “We won’t help those who seek to discriminate against trans people.”
Sultan Shakir, the president and executive officer of the Mazzoni Center, a not-for-profit LGBTQ+ health care provider in Philadelphia, said patients visiting the centre want to be treated in a way that allows them to live their authentic lives.
“Today’s executive order also sends a message that we respect and value our medical providers here in Philadelphia,” Shakir said.
Other Democratic-led cities have adopted similar protections for trans people.
Rise in anti-trans bills
In June, New York City mayor Eric Adams signed executive order 32, which not only guarantees access to gender-affirming healthcare, but also prohibits prosecution of those who seek it.
It comes as many Republican-led legislatures restrict access to gender-affirming care.
Max and Sasha are just two of the many LGBTQ+ people who have joined the mass exodus fleeing Russia to avoid violence, discrimination and war.
Now, the queer Russian-Ukrainian couple are left with the scars of living under Vladimir Putin’s repressive regime.
Putin’s obsession with rejecting what he sees as Western “degradation” has led to Russia toughening anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in recent months. At the same time, the Kremlin has clamped down on free speech, human rights and dissent as the war in Ukraine drags on.
Max and Sasha fled Russia this time last year. They joined the hundreds of thousands of people trying to find safety in other countries bordering the huge nation.
They made it to the the Latvian border, hitching a ride with a stranger.
When the queer couple got to the crossing, guards confronted them, demanding to know why they were leaving Russia.
Unable to reveal their real reasons, they had “full-on panic attacks just trying to hold back tears” as they waited hours to be let them through, the pair tell PinkNews.
“When we got there and we gave our passports, the guard looked at Sasha’s, and he was like: ‘I can’t see the visa, so what are you doing? What are your plans? What are you thinking? What are you doing there?’” Max, who is Ukrainian, recalls.
“We were like: ‘There are some people waiting for us there’. We were trying to say at least something. You’re completely stunned… we were standing there trying not to cry because they took our passports.
“We were like: ‘What next? What are they doing with our passports? They’re not letting us go’.”
A growing number of people, like Max and Sasha, have left Russia via land border crossings into other countries. (Getty)
Several countries – including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Finland – have put in place measures to restrict the entry of Russian citizens, limiting the chances for people to use them as safe havens.
At one point, the border guards let Sasha, who is Russian, through but said that Max couldn’t join him. However, the couple knew they had to stay together so they regrouped in Russia and used “some other ways to cross the border”.
‘The scariest thing was that people were delusional about Russia’
Eventually, they made it into one of the Baltic states and began the process of applying for asylum. But they encountered difficulties with access to resources because of their differing citizenships, given the ongoing war.
Max feels he has a “lot of privilege as a Ukrainian” because he can travel, and it’s “easier” to find a job. Sadly, he can’t share that same level of support with Sasha because the pair aren’t married yet.
The LGBTQ+ community in Russia has faced a growing crackdown by authorities, which has only increased in ferocity since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Getty)
The queer couple’s asylum application was initially denied because the person reviewing it argued that it’s merely “hard” for gay people in Russia – refusing to recognise the very real abuse LGBTQ+ people face.
“The arguments were: ‘It’s hard for gay people in Russia, but you did go to work. You did finish at school’,” Max explains.
“We were basically going around the streets, pretending we are someone who we are not. No matter how [hard] we try, people always figure everything out.
“We were standing near a subway station and hearing a guy talk to his wife like: ‘Oh my God, you won’t believe it. I’m standing next to the most disgusting f*****s. Come save me. They’re gonna rape me right now’. People don’t understand that it’s not possible to get any proper help.
“At [one] point, we were shot at. There were four guys passing us by in a car. They stopped to ask if we’re f*****s, and we said ‘no’. They said: ‘We saw you guys kiss’. We weren’t kissing.
“When we were talking about this in our [asylum] interview, they were like: ‘Why didn’t you go to the police?’ It’s pointless, you’ll leave the police station feeling worse.”
Sasha and Max, who have since been granted asylum after appealing the first ruling, say that people react with shock when they discover the true level of discrimination and violence LGBTQ+ people face in Russia.
“I think the scariest thing was, when we arrived, that people were delusional about Russia,” Sasha says. “They don’t know anything, what happens there and how it happens, which also affected our case.
“They don’t understand that, if you go to the police, you can be assaulted or even killed there, and no one will know. People have no idea what it is like… I was so scared after all that, that while being [in the country that last year], I wouldn’t go out of my house because I was so scared of people, men specifically.”
Anti-LGBTQ+ ideology has been a central axis of political propaganda in Russia over the past decade
Sasha and Max still feel the impact of the Russia’s oppressive anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which have led to hate and violence on the streets. As they put it: “You left Russia, but Russia never left you.
“It’s been a year, and when we got the asylum status approved, it was a relief, but I did not feel safe,” Sasha says. “It’s still hard for me to get out of the house. I’m still wearing a hat outside when I dye my hair.
“Yes, I understand that I don’t live in danger any more. I’m not in Russia. A rational part of me knows I’m not there, and it’s not as scary as I think it is outside [and] I can express myself with clothing more.”
It’s been a year since Max and Sasha fled anti-LGBTQ+ persecution in Russia, but Sasha says it’s “still hard for [him] to get out of the house”. (Getty)
Anna-Maria Tesfaye, the co-founder of LGBTQ+ not-for-profit organisation Queer Svit, says many LGBTQ+ people think they can “leave this bulls**t behind” when they flee Russia, but they realise they are still “mentally” trapped in the country’s politics of terror.
“You finally have the ability to think because you’re not in Russia any more,” she says.
“You don’t need to do anything, then it hits you. You understand that maybe you’re out of Russia, but you’re in Russia mentally. A lot of people understand that it’s probably post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Max and Sasha say they still “scan every corner [and] every street” for “scary-looking people” and the police because of their Russian experiences.
The pair are feeling a “little more freedom” in their new home, but it’s still difficult to live fully in the moment given the hate they endured.
A group of trans and non-binary activists have filed legal claims against Florida’s bathroom ban in an effort to brand it “unconstitutional.”
The Center for Constitutional Rights announced on Friday (29 September) that Six activists and a feminist group had, with help from legal counsel, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against Florida’s bathroom ban.
If passed, the restraining order would allow plaintiffs and other members of the community to use the bathroom while protesting against transphobia at the National March to Protect Trans Youth in Orlando on 7 October.
Trans woman and member of the organisation Women in Struggle, Melinda Butterfield, said that the protest is “long overdue” and that the order would allow it to go ahead without fear of prosecution.
She reportedly plans to fly to the state on 2 October where she will spend the week helping to prepare for the march. During that time, she will have to use the women’s bathrooms, risking arrest, but is scared to do so for fear of being confronted for simply using public facilities.
“The State of Florida believes it can eradicate the lives and identities of trans, gender nonconforming, intersex, and queer people through numerous pieces of legislation,” attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights, Zee Scout, said in a statement.
“This law is an unconstitutional reaction to the growing acceptance of these communities.
“This state cannot erase viewpoints that it dislikes. It cannot force people to accept its idea of sex and gender… It cannot demonise these communities by referring to them as ‘demons,’ ‘mutants,’ and ‘imps’.”
Florida lawmakers passed the bill banning trans and non-binary people from using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity in May where it was signed by Republican state governor, Ron DeSantis.
the bill’s passing marks yet another to be approved at a state level in the US since the beginning of 2023, with at least 568 anti-trans bills being introduced across 49 states in America.
The Transgender Rights Initiative director at Southern Legal Counsel, Simone Chriss, said that it was another “politically-motivated manoeuvre” in a “relentless” attack on trans Floridians.
“SLC denounces the state’s weaponisation of fear and misinformation to strip away the rights of [transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex] Floridians under the guise of protecting others.”
Laphonza Butler, the woman chosen by governor Gavin Newsom to replace late senator Dianne Feinstein, will make history as the first Black lesbian to serve openly in Congress.
Butler, a Democratic strategist and advisor to vice president Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, will be the only Black female senator to currently serve in Congress and only the third in US history.
She will also be the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the chamber.
Newsom described Butler as a staunch leader who will represent the state “proudly” in Senate and “carry the baton left” by Feinstein in fighting for “all Californians in Washington DC”.
“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to vice president Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” Newsom said.
“As we mourn the enormous loss of senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for – reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence – have never been under greater assault.
“Laphonza will carry the baton left by senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington DC.”
‘A champion for increasing women’s representation’
Laphonza Butler is the president of EMILY’s List, where she was the first woman of colour and mother to lead the political action committee focused on electing Democratic pro-choice women to office.
Butler is set to complete Feinstein’s term, who died Friday (29 September) at the age of 90 after serving in the US Senate from 1992 until her death.
“Throughout her career, Laphonza Butler has been a strong voice for working families, LGBTQ rights and a champion for increasing women’s representation in politics,” Padilla said.
“Governor Newsom’s swift action ensures that Californians maintain full representation in the Senate as we navigate a narrow Democratic majority. I look forward to working together to deliver for the people of California.”
US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has caused uproar among the public after describing being transgender as a “mental health disorder.”
The comment, which came during Wednesday night’s (27 September) second GOP debate, completely disregards official guidance from all major medical and mental health associations.
As transphobic rhetoric continues to sweep across the United States, it was likely that the topic of LGBTQ+ rights was going to crop up at some point during the presidential election run, but those tuned into the debate were disgusted to hear the Republican candidate’s views.
Candidates were asked their opinions on the contentious parental rights debate, which has seen a growing number of school districts debate whether to introduce policies that would inform parents if a student goes by a gender identity that doesn’t match the gender on their birth certificate.
When it came Ramaswamy’s turn to speak, he said: “Transgenderism, especially in kids, is a mental health disorder… It is not compassionate to affirm a kid’s confusion. That is not compassion, that is cruelty.”
This comment directly contradicts guidance from the American Psychiatric Association which says diverse gender expressions “are not indications of a mental disorder.”
The Republican candidate also made baseless claims that a lack of a parental notification policy in schools would increase the risk of suicide among young people.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have warned that introducing parental notification policies would be more likely to put young people at risk, particularly if their parents are not supportive of their wishes to transition.
Ramaswamy then claimed to have spoken with two young women who said they regretted undergoing gender-affirming surgeries and promised the “ban genital mutilation and chemical castration.”
In fact, it is incredibly rare for gender-affirming surgeries, when made available to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, to result in feelings of regret.
According to a 2021 review of 27 studies involving almost 8,000 teenagers and adults across Europe, the US, and Canada who had gender-affirming surgeries found that an average of just one per cent expressed regret.
Those tuned in to the debate were devastated to see baseless anti-trans rhetoric being spread on such a public platform and took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn Ramaswamy and other candidates who expressed similar beliefs.
“We will stand up for trans people every day,” commented one viewer. “Absolutely disgusting to hear Vivek Ramaswamy call it a mental health disorder.”
Both Tennessee and Kentucky have been given the go-ahead by a federal appeals court to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors.
Earlier in 2023, both states passed legislation to restrict a number of rights for transgender youth, including access to gender-affirming care.
Both were challenged in court by the families of transgender children in each state and the American Civil Liberties Union, who had argued that bans on gender-affirming care discriminated on the basis of sex.
Bans on gender-affirming care have been upheld in both states. (Getty Images)
On Thursday (28 September), the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to honour both states’ appeals, allowing the restrictive bans to go ahead, Reuters reports.
In both states, these bans will prohibit medical providers from treating transgender minors with gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormones and, in rare cases, surgery.
Gender-affirming care for minors has been backed by all major medical associations, including the American Medical Association (AMA) which reaffirmed this summer that they “unequivocally support the health and welfare of people who identify as LGBTQ+, which includes trans and gender diverse people seeking and undergoing gender-affirming care.”
Such treatment can often be life-saving for people suffering from gender dysphoria, and young people will be put at serious risk by having their access blocked.
Despite the overwhelming evidence in favour of gender-affirming care for minors, Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote in his ruling: “This is a relatively new diagnosis with ever-shifting approaches to care over the last decade or two.
“Under these circumstances, it is difficult for anyone to be sure about predicting the long-term consequences of abandoning age limits of any sort for these treatments.”
A crowd of people, many of whom are young, gather to protest the passing of SB 150 on 29 March 2023 at the Kentucky state capitol. (Getty)
Judge Sutton was joined by Judge Amul Thapar in his vote to allow the bans to go ahead.
In opposition was Judge Helene White, who had argued that neither Tennessee nor Kentucky should pass “constitutional muster” or “intrude on the well-established province of parents to make medical decisions for their minor children.”
Commenting on the ruling, the ACLU of Tennessee said: “This is a devastating result for transgender youth and their families in Tennessee and across the region.”
“Denying transgender youth equality before the law and needlessly withholding the necessary medical care their families and their doctors know is right for them has caused and will continue to cause serious harm. “
Meanwhile, the ACLU of Kentucky said in a separate statement: “Today’s decision is heartbreaking for trans youth across the state. It ignores evidence from medical experts & the trial court who agree that this care is necessary, effective, appropriate, & banning it undermines parents’ right to direct the upbringing of their children.”
“No one should have to decide between their health care and their home.”
Both ACLU chapters pledged to take further action in defence of their clients and the rights of all transgender people in their respective states.
Controversial US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is planning a second attempt to launch in the UK, four years after closing its first restaurant following a backlash by LGBTQ+ rights campaigners.
The Atlanta-based chain, whose founders have notoriously anti-LGBTQ+ views, is reportedly set to launch a new UK outlet in early 2025 and hopes to expand to five sites within two years.
The project could cost the company around $100 million (£80.5 million) within the next decade, as part of the new attempt to capitalise on the UK’s customer base.
It first tried to establish a branch in Reading, in Berkshire, in 2019, but was forced to announce – just eight days later – that it would end its lease after six months following criticism from LGBTQ+ activists.
The chain’s founders, the Cathy family, have long been the subject of immense criticism over their donations to anti-LGBTQ+ groups, including Exodus International, which promoted so-called conversion therapy before its closure in 2013.
In 2021, Chick-fil-A chief executive, Dan Cathy, reportedly donated a huge amount of his $8 billion (£6.4 billion) net worth to groups such as the National Christian Charitable Foundation, which funds organisations designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, as well as bankrolling legal cases aimed at stripping queer people of their rights.
When asked about his conservative Christian views, Cathy admitted he was “guilty as charged”, adding that he believes in the “biblical definition of the family unit”.
Independent food-sector analyst, Peter Backman, told the Financial Times (FT) that the UK is likely to be less open to engaging with the brand due to its historical evangelical Christian stance.
“Successful restaurants, being very personal businesses, try to align their culture as much as possible with that of the customers they serve,” he said, adding that, when so few Britons identify as Christian, this would be “a challenge”, given Chick-fil-A’s “very strong, religious ethos”.
According to polling data from YouGov, 39 per cent of Britons do not believe in any sort of God or spiritual power compared with 28 per cent who do. Forty-six per cent of Britons do not believe the UK is a Christian country, while 34 per cent believe it is.
Additionally, as of June 2023, 77 per cent of Britons think that same-sex relationships are just as valid as heterosexual relationships.
A source close to the company told the FT that the chain’s religious policies, including closure on Sundays for religious reasons, would apply in the UK.
The company is hoping to move past the incident in 2019 and work to “positively influence the places we call home”, said Joanna Symonds, Chick-fil-A’s head of UK operations.
“This will be the same for our stores in the UK,” she added.
US vice president Kamala Harris is embarking on a university tour to encourage young people to fight for their “fundamental rights and freedoms”.
The White House announced on Thursday (7 September) that Harris will be touring universities in an effort to mobilise students on key issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, as well as encouraging students to register to vote.
The Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour will take President Joe Biden’s VP through key swing states including Georgia, North Carolina and Nevada – states which could prove critical for the Democrats in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
According to the White House, the month-long tour will focus on “key issues that disproportionately impact young people across the country, from reproductive freedom and gun safety to climate action, voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and book bans“.
Harris’ tour will also focus on historically Black universities, as well as community colleges and apprenticeship programmes.
“This generation is critical to the urgent issues that are at stake right now for our future,” the vice president said in a statement.
“It is young leaders throughout America who know what the solutions look like and are organising in their communities to make them a reality.
“My message to students is clear: we are counting on you, we need you, you are everything.”
Harris is the first female vice president in US history, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president – and the first sitting VP to march in Pride.
Condemning a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced in America in 2023, Harris said: “There are over 600 bills being proposed, anti-LGBTQ+ bills … people are afraid to be themselves, these are fundamental issues that point to the need for us all to be vigilant, to stand together.”
Bulgaria has been ordered by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to establish a legal framework acknowledging same-sex relationships.
On Tuesday (5 September), the ECHR in Strasbourg ruled in favour of same-sex couple Darina Koilova and Lilia Babulkova, whose marriage in the UK was not recognised in Bulgaria, Balkan Insight reported.
Although the ruling does not mean Bulgaria must legalise same-sex marriage, the country is obligated to create a legal framework that recognises and protects same-sex couples.
“What is essential in this ruling is that, even though there is no specific deadline to implement the framework, the state is required to go through this process and in collaboration with the Council of Europe,” lawyer and human rights activist Denitsa Lyubenova, whose team represented the couple, told Balkan Insight.
Babulkova and Koilova have fought a seven-year legal battle to have their marriage recognised in Bulgaria. The pair have been together for over 14 years, and got married in the UK in 2016.
In 2017, the municipality of Sofia declined to recognise the couple’s marriage, as the country’s constitution defines marriage as an act between a man and a woman.
In 2020, after a lengthy legal battle, the couple filed a complaint against Bulgaria, claiming a violation of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which protects the right to respect for private and family life.
In its ruling, the ECHR found that Bulgaria violated the rights of Babulkova and Koilova by not recognising their marriage.
“It is clear to the Court that to date the Bulgarian authorities have taken no steps to have adequate legal regulations adopted with regard to the recognition of unions between persons of the same sex,” the ECHR wrote in its decision.
In addition to this case, the couple is reportedly pursuing legal action at Sofia City Court to have Koilova’s surname changed.
While the ECRI report praised Bulgaria’s progress on issues such as supporting refugees and fighting antisemitism, it claimed Roma and LGBTQ+ people in the country were “the main victims of public expressions of hatred and prejudice”.
The ECRI added: “Hate speech against these groups also came in recent years from high-level politicians.”
The new owner of two historically pro-LGBTQ+ bars has come under fire for making a number of donations to the Republican Party, totalling nearly $10,000.
A former employee of The Union Cafe and Axis Nightclub, two LGBTQ-friendly establishments in Columbus, Ohio, called out new owner Michael Purdum for contributing thousands of dollars to Republican Party officials.
Nicholas Elkovitch detailed the accusations in a Facebook message on 25 August, following his dismissal after nearly nine years of working in various roles at both establishments, including as restaurant manager, promotions director and entertainment booker.
He said that several other senior members had also been dismissed following Purdum’s purchase of the businesses.
In 2022, Purdum, who owns the Old Bag of Nails restaurant group, purchased Union Cafe and Axis Nightclub.
Alongside allegations that the new owners would turn the pro-LGBTQ+ businesses into “Republican-owned” spaces, the former employee also shared a number of screenshots that detail Purdum’s donations to local and national GOP groups.
Among the donations are a set of payments to Republican Ohio attorney general Dave Yost from 2018 to 2021 totally at least $7,000, as well as $500 to the Republican National Committee in 2012, and $500 to former US speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, in 2011.
Gingrich has made a number of anti-LGBTQ+ remarks in the past, including a tirade in 2021 in which he claimed president Joe Biden was “attacking” anti-LGBTQ+ pundits by waving Pride flags at embassies.
“They will never be the pro-gay, pro-trans, pro-Black spaces they used to be because it might negatively impact the view of their fish-fry pubs in the suburbs,” Elkovitch wrote.
“What was once a PROUD gay-owned space, is now a Republican-owned space that must ask permission to defend its own community.”
In a statement provided to the Columbus Dispatch, Union Cafe and Axis Nightclub executive manager, Joey Steward, refuted the allegations made against Purdum and the newly acquired businesses.
“The goal since the acquisition of the two venues has been to maintain the business operations and enhance the culture of being a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQIA+ staff and community.
“One way we have executed this goal is by maintaining staff continuity as evidenced by the leadership team expansion in adherence with our philosophy of promoting existing staff members from within these two venues.”
Responding to the backlash following Elkovitch’s post, the Union Cafe shared a statement on Instagram saying that it wished to “set the record straight”.
“Michael Purdum has made occasional contributions to Republican candidates over the years, all of which were done prior to the purchase and involvement with these two venues,” the statement read.
“Union Cafe and Axis Nightclub provides donations to LGBTQIA+ organisations, entertainers, and individuals throughout the year.
“Michael Purdum is, and will continue to be, a dedicated ally to our community and is committed to maintaining these venues as safe spaces.”
