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Responsible Coverage of the 2024 DNC Must Include LGBTQ Voices and Issues

The 2024 Democratic National Convention begins tonight in Chicago, and will run through Thursday, August 22. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to accept her party’s invitation for President of the United States, and Gov. Tim Walz will accept the nomination for vice president. The convention will also include an array of party notables, the unveiling of the party platform, panels and meetings, and an address by President Joe Biden.

GLAAD is releasing a fact sheet for reporters covering the Democratic National Convention and historic nomination of Harris. 

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her) says, ”LGBTQ people are a growing, visible and impactful voting bloc, and our fundamental freedoms are under attack and at stake in this election. Reporters must include LGBTQ voices in campaign conversations. Our issues and concerns are America’s issues: the right to make our own health care decisions; to be safe at school, work and in our communities; to read the books we want and that reflect our lives and history; to belong and be welcome just as we are. GLAAD research shows when news stories accurately include LGBTQ people, acceptance and safety expands. Media covering the convention and campaign beyond must include LGBTQ Americans and the stakes that deeply affect us, our safety, and everyone’s future.”

Facts to include in your coverage:

  • LGBTQ voters made the deciding difference in the 2020 election and are poised to do so again in 2024. More than 1 in 5 Gen Z Americans (ages 18-26) are out as LGBTQ, the most out generation in history. Nearly 30% of Gen Z women are LGBTQ.
  • GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance Study shows supermajority support for LGBTQ people, though support has dipped in the last year and Gen Z is increasingly a target for harassment and discrimination:
    • 80% of non-LGBTQ Americans support LGBTQ equal rights, down from a record high of 84% one year ago
    • 95% of non-LGBTQ Americans believe schools should be safe and accepting for all youth
  • 93% say children should be taught to appreciate and accept people as they are
  • 70% of Gen Z LGBTQ adults report discrimination based on their sexual orientation
  • GLAAD is tracking the pro-LGBTQ record of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, here.
  • GLAAD has also documented the pro-LGBTQ record of Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
  • The Biden-Harris administration has been the most pro-LGBTQ presidency in history, with nearly 350 moves to include and protect LGBTQ Americans. GLAAD’s ongoing Biden Accountability Tracker is here.
  • GLAAD polling shows LGBTQ registered voters are highly motivated to vote, with 94% indicating they are definitely (83%) or probably (11%) voting this year.
  • GLAAD polling shows 53% of both registered and likely 2024 voters say they would oppose “a political candidate [who] speaks frequently about restricting access to health care and participation in sports for transgender youth.”
  • GLAAD polling shows all categories of voters overwhelmingly agree that “Republicans should stop focusing on restricting women’s rights and banning medical care for transgender youth and instead focus on addressing inflation, job creation, and healthcare costs.” 94% of LGBTQ voters, 76% of registered voters, 76% of likely 2024 voters, and 82% of swing voters (those who have voted for candidates in both parties) agree.
  • 2023 election returns in Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio show that voters supported pro-equality candidates over candidates who targeted transgender people in their campaigns.
  • GLAAD has documented the records of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on the top issues for LGBTQ voters: the economy (Harris, Trump), abortion (Harris, Trump), climate change (Harris, Trump), public safety (Harris, Trump), and education (Harris, Trump).
  • Abortion is an LGBTQ issue. LGBTQ people can and do get pregnant and need reproductive health care. Many of the same states with abortion bans also have enacted bans on transgender health care even though the care is supported by every major medical association as safe, effective and lifesaving.
  • GLAAD’s ongoing documentation of Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ record is available on the Trump Accountability Tracker, here.
  • Throughout Trump’s presidency, his administration argued to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people at work, at school, in health care and housing access, when trying to buy a cake and trying to adopt
  • Trump nominated three anti-LGBTQ justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who went on to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. The decision was backed by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, who said the landmark LGBTQ equality decisions Obergefell (marriage equality), Lawrence (private same-sex relationships), and Griswold (private decisions about contraception) should also be “reconsidered.” Trump’s Supreme Court nominees have ties to anti-LGBTQ groups including Family Research Council and anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who had written the Bostock decision expanding civil rights protections to LGBTQ workers (over Trump administration objections), wrote the decision in 303 Creative, a 26-page opinion about a legal dispute that never existed, and websites that do not exist, at the behest of anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom on fully fabricated standing.
  • Though Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, the blueprint for authoritarian takeover of the government created by the anti-LGBTQ Heritage Foundation, his runningmate wrote the foreword to an upcoming book by Heritage’s president. Multiple people and groups behind Project 2025 have direct ties to Trump and his former administration.

Best Practices for Campaign Reporters:

  • Stories about or that mention LGBTQ people should include LGBTQ voices.
  • In stories specifically about transgender people, seek and include a transgender person.
  • Prioritize facts, expertise and LGBTQ lived experience over candidate and campaign opinion in your reporting. For example, any discussion of transgender health care must note this care is supported by every major medical association (30+ statements here).
  • Review and report a candidate’s LGBTQ record and support from anti-LGBTQ groups. Ongoing documentation is available on candidates, other public figures, and groups via the GLAAD Accountability Project.
  • Avoid shorthand descriptions of political conversations about LGBTQ people as a “culture war.” This dehumanizes marginalized people as a “side” and allows politicians to escape accountability for creating and fueling the “war.” Descriptors like this add to voter apathy. Focus reporting on the policies, the people directly harmed or helped, and the candidates proposing them and their LGBTQ history.
  • Be factual and clear in your language: “(candidate name) has proposed policies expanding access to health care for transgender people that is supported by every major medical association.”
  • Include greater context: 500+ anti-LGBTQ bills were proposed in state legislatures through 2023. This is a broad scale, coordinated attack against LGBTQ Americans, targeting health care, book bans, curriculum and conversation bans, sports bans, and bathroom bans. Inform your readers and viewers about this larger pattern of LGBTQ animus. Note how health care and drag ban bills have been blocked in multiple states and district courts as unconstitutional and discriminatory, and how voters across the country have rejected so-called “parents’ rights” groups that push book bans and discriminatory policies against LGBTQ students, families, and teachers.
  • When discussing “battleground” states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona, note that voters in the most recent elections rejected anti-LGBTQ extremist candidates who sought to ban books and conversations about LGBTQ people, or supported lies about the 2020 election. Moms for Liberty-affiliated candidates in Wisconsin were defeated in 20 of the 28 school board elections
  • Report connections between anti-LGBTQ extremism and other extremism: states proposing bills targeting mainstream health care for transgender people have also enacted and proposed the most restrictive bans on abortion (including Florida), and denied and denigrated fair elections. Lawmakers in Nebraska passed a bill both banning health care for transgender youth and abortion after 12 weeks. Texas lawmakers proposed more than 140 anti-LGBTQ bills last year as it also targeted women and health care providers over reproductive care and enforced draconian laws.
  • Report the impact of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies, specifically for LGBTQ youth.

Additional resources:

  • GALLUP: 6% of U.S. adults are out as LGBTQ, including 20% of Gen Z, the most out generation in history.
  • GALLUP: 69% of Americans support marriage equality including a majority of Republicans.
  • GLAAD: 80% support equal rights for LGBTQ people.
  • GLAAD Media Reference Guide: terminology and 20+ topic areas to learn about and accurately report on LGBTQ people
  • Medical Association Statements Transgender Health Care: 30+ statements from every major medical association and world health authority, across specialties and patient lifespan, supporting health care for transgender people. Health care for transgender people is mainstream care with widely held consensus of both the medical and scientific communities.
  • Factsheet for Reporters Covering Transgender Health Care: what to know about transgender health care and how to responsibly include trans voices in your coverage.

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GLAAD Reflects on the Legacy of Talk Show Host and Ally Phil Donahue After his Passing

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88-year-old beloved talk show host and writer Phil Donahue sadly passed away last night. Donahue, who was best known for his iconic talk show Donahue,made waves for nearly 3 decades with groundbreaking and diverse guests featured on the show.

An outspoken ally, Donahue hosted the first ever GLAAD Media Awards in 1990. In addition to hosting, Donahue won an award and was named Media Person of the Year for “his continued excellence in coverage and support of gay and lesbian concerns.”

Donahue and wife Marlo Thomas went on to attend countless GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies, aiding in the organization’s mission to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people. Donahue was honored again in 2009 with a special recognition award.

On Donahue’s passing, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis stated:

“Phil Donahue was one of GLAAD and the LGBTQ community’s earliest and loudest champions. In the 1980s, he revolutionized coverage of LGBTQ people and our stories on his popular daytime talk show, prioritizing fairness and accuracy when misinformation and homophobia were rampant in the media. Using his platform to elevate the personal, human story at the heart of so many issues including HIV, coming out, trans equality, women’s equality and even facilitating the first ever marriage for a same-sex couple to be broadcast on television, Donahue will forever be remembered as a trailblazer for equality and LGBTQ representation on TV. At a time when other notables were hesitant to even speak on LGBTQ issues, Donahue hosted the first ever GLAAD Media Awards in 1990, where he was honored as GLAAD’s Media Person of the Year. GLAAD also recognized his long-time allyship and legacy by giving him a Special Recognition Award at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2009. Our condolences and gratitude go out to his wife and tireless LGBTQ ally Marlo Thomas, as well as his family, friends, and everyone inspired by his hugely successful career as a storyteller and television changemaker.”

Donahue, which aired from the late 60s until 1996, was pioneering in its inclusiveness. Donahue spoke with everyone from politicians and religious leaders to civil rights activists and members of the LGBTQ community.

In 1990, Donahue hosted the first ever same-sex wedding to premiere on U.S. television. The ceremony featured a live studio audience and Donahue even gave the married couple Michael Marlowe and Wayne Watson the opportunity to field questions from the audience and over the phone to talk about their experience as Black, gay men.

Prior to this, in October of 1981, Donahue hosted an episode titled “Are Gays Born This Way?” In the episode, Donahue facilitated an open conversation between live studio audience members and guests Alan Bell, Ph.D. (author of “Sexual Preference”) and Lawrence Hatterer, M.D. (Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell University) about this topic generally found too taboo to discuss at the time.

Donahue has been dubbed by many as the King of Daytime Talk. Fan and friend Oprah Winfrey stated in 2002 that, “If there had been no Phil Donahue Show, there would be no ‘Oprah Winfrey’ show. He was the first to acknowledge that women are interested in more than mascara tips and cake recipes — that we’re intelligent, we’re concerned about the world around us, and we want the best possible lives for ourselves.”

The two spoke in 2002 about his decision to include his first gay guest on the show in 1968. “I was terrified,” he told Oprah. “Terrified?”

He went on to explain, “If you don’t understand those feelings, then you don’t understand homophobia. There’s a reason for the closet. As the years went by after that show, I got involved in gay politics. And through my activism, I began to realize what it must be like to be born, to live, and to die in the closet. I can’t even imagine it. Gayness is not a moral issue, yet no institution on earth has promoted homophobia more than the church. That’s what’s so ironic about the scandal in the Catholic Church. Here you have the most homophobic institution in the world with the largest closet of homosexuals.”

This groundbreaking 1968 episode was the first time countless Americans saw an out LGBTQ person on live TV.

In 1979 Donahue made headlines again when he featured “an interracial lesbian couple who have had a child by artificial insemination” on the show.”

Donahue was also the only talk show host Nelson Mandela was willing to speak with immediately following his release from prison.

Other notable guests on the show included Elton John, Gloria Steinem, Cher, Gregory Peck, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Dolly Parton, Muhammad Ali, and many more.

Donahue’s work received critical acclaim, earning him 9 Daytime Emmys and 21 nominations as well as a primetime Emmy for his special Donahue and Kids.

Donahue is remembered by his millions of fans, wife Marlo Thomas, and 5 children. Countless friends and fans have taken to social media to remember the talk show legend.

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Rep. Robert Garcia believes “radical” queerness & compassion can help win the 2024 election

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Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) understands the stakes of the upcoming election. He immigrated to the U.S. at age 5, became a U.S. citizen in his early 20s, tackled the COVID-19 epidemic as the youngest and first out LGBTQ+ mayor of Long Beach, California, and—after the virus killed both his mother and stepfather—became the first out gay immigrant ever elected to Congress. Now Garcia is surrounded by some Republican legislators who believe COVID-19 was a hoax, immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” and that LGBTQ+ people don’t deserve legal protections.

About a month ago, Garcia was all in on the campaign to re-elect President Joe Biden. He supported Biden’s 2020 campaign as one of the first out LGBTQ+ people to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. In April, he helped launch a national initiative focused on rallying LGBTQ+ voters and volunteers behind Biden, and while many Democrats called on Biden to step down following his lackluster June 27 debate performance, Garcia wasn’t among them.

But a lot has changed over the last month. Biden dropped out of the presidential race on July 21 and immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. Garcia quickly expressed his support for Harris — a fellow Californian — noting that he served as her campaign co-chair during her candidacy for president during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

Barely two weeks later, Garcia cheered Harris’s selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her running mate, calling him “a home run pick” and adding, “He’s a former teacher and veteran and understands Congress. He has a strong record standing up for working families. Let’s go Harris-Walz because we are not going back!”

“It’s sad to see what’s happening in so many states in the South and Texas and so many other places,” Garcia told LGBTQ Nation about the wave of Republican legislation trying to roll back protections for LGBTQ+, reproductive, and immigrant rights. “And it’s really unfortunate that [these places] send representatives to Congress that can really impact all of our rights.”

With a conservative Supreme Court willing to overturn the court’s past decisionsupholding the rights to contraception and same-sex marriage, “We’re in a really dangerous moment for the community,” Garcia said. “Which is why we need to be very honest and focused on pushing really hard, winning the White House, on flipping the house and making sure that we do everything we can organize in these states.”

Luckily, Democratic enthusiasm has skyrocketed since Harris replaced Biden. According to gay election data analyst Nate Silver, Harris currently leads Trump in five critical swing states.

But history shows us that polls are anything but certain. In 2016, data indicated a promising victory for then-presidential nominee Hillary Clinton just before her shocking loss to Trump despite winning the popular vote. 

For his next term, Trump has promised to outlaw gender-affirming care for trans youth (with prison time for anyone complicit in the act), deny federal funds to any hospital or doctors that offer gender-affirming care, and roll back all Biden administration policy protecting trans students “on day one” of his presidency. With the aid of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, Trump has also promised a nationwide ban on trans student-athletes, a federal law recognizing only two genders, prosecution of schools with LGBTQ+-inclusive policies, and the end of all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (DEI) that encourage the inclusion of non-white, women, and queer individuals.

Trump is also targeting undocumented immigrant families, and it’s an issue Garcia cares deeply about. Trump has also promised to conduct the largest domestic deportation of immigrants in American history (including individuals who have “anti-American views,” which is worrying since he considers racial justice and anti-fascist protestors to be “terrorists”); to reinstate his Muslim travel ban; to end the 125-year-old U.S. right to birthright citizenship; and to terminate the Department of Education.

“It’s really important that we tell people that we can’t be hopeless, that we have to fight back, and we can’t just allow them to steamroll us and to take our rights away.”Rep. Robert Garcia

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“I have met with folks that are really, really scared,” Garcia said. “I think it’s important to recognize that people are scared, that people are concerned at the same time. I think it’s really important that we tell people that we can’t be hopeless, that we have to fight back, and we can’t just allow them to steamroll us and to take our rights away.”

“It’s really important that we are aggressive and that we fight back, that we bring the fire,” Garcia added. “This is not a moment where we should be, in any way, holding back our punches. We’re going to be punching back really, really hard, and especially when you have nut jobs like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert who are impacting our community and who… are insulting LGBTQ+ families almost every day in Congress.”

Garcia has exemplified his willingness to fight back against the likes of Trump, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and their ilk in Congress.

He has said that Greene “obviously has no business being in Congress and is completely, in my opinion, a traitor to the country,” noting that she supported the Trump-inspired January 6, 2021, insurrection to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election. He has called out hypocritical Republicans for ignoring the Trump family’s numerous (and possibly unethical) foreign business deals while Trump was in the White House; he also led efforts to kick out now-former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) for his dishonesty and financial misdealings.

Garcia has compared Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric to Hitler’s, saying, “His imagery, the way he supports white nationalism, the way he supports white supremacy, and those kinds of comments are completely offensive to immigrants and hopefully to all Americans in this country.”

For Garcia, the fight over immigrant rights remains particularly personal and important. When he was sworn into Congress in January 2023, he swore on a copy of the U.S. Constitution and three meaningful personal items: a photo of his mother and stepfather, who he had recently lost to COVID, his citizenship certificate, and an original 1939 first-issue copy of a Superman comic from the Library of Congress. Superman is himself an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as a child and fought for “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow.”

Trump’s plan to deport 11 million undocumented people — despite his use of immigrant labor at his properties — would break up law-abiding immigrant families who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S. for decades. Not only would the U.S. lose about $100 billion a year that they pay in taxes, according to Mother Jones, but the agriculture, construction, and hospitality industries, which largely rely on immigrant labor, would all take a massive hit.

“We came here when I was a young, young kid, and I grew up like a low-income family, a lot of good families, and it was a struggle and tough, but we all became citizens… very grateful and very patriotic Americans,” Garcia said. “And I certainly believe that other kids should have the same opportunity that was given to me to earn my citizenship.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=PGvjV1XFNbE%3Ffeature%3Doembed

“It’s important, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, to know that we all have shared struggles,” Garcia added, “and for us to have empathy and understand the humanity of migrants and of immigrants: that they are also LGBTQ+ migrants trying to flee oppressive countries or places where they are hurt or not accepted. There are areas where those issues intersect…. And I think it’s important for immigrants to support gay issues and vice versa.”

Garcia also knows that tomorrow may not look certain for LGBTQ+ people either, both domestically and abroad. But as a Congress member, he has shown what it means to fight for queer rights in the Capitol.

He has urged the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to protect LGBTQ+ people and allies from extremist attacks during Pride Month, co-sponsored bills to restore benefits to LGBTQ+ military members discharged under the now-repealed ban on out service members, and to prevent anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in jury selections. He also recently criticized Republicans for repeatedly trying to insert anti-LGBTQ+ provisions into annual military budgets.

“Congress needs more radical homosexuals. I’m proud and openly queer, and we have 10 members of Congress that are gay — we need a lot more.”Rep. Robert Garcia

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For Garcia, “fighting back” not only means voting, though he acknowledges its importance — it means using influence to persuade and organize with others.

“Be vocal, be unapologetic, if you’re able to, with friends and family. Push and do what you can with organizing, volunteering for a campaign, and donating. There are a bunch of ways of organizing, and obviously, the work can happen any place,” Garcia said. “If you work at a school, there’s ways to organize. If you work at a healthcare system, there’s ways to organize. There’s a passion of community in every place, in every type of workplace.”

Garcia’s own means of organizing and persuading has included turning his House speeches into viral moments that raise his profile online. In fact, earlier this year, he won the “The Most Likely to Trumpet His Own Thirsty Award” in Politico‘s second-annual Thirsties Awards, an honor for “the members of Congress who have worked the hardest — at getting attention.”

In addition to his jaw-dropping comments against Greene, Trump, and others, he once gave an impassioned tribute to singer and LGBTQ+ ally Beyoncé to commemorate the end of Black History Month and the start of Women’s History Month. He is an unabashed fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race and even joined an audience of 100 people to screen the Season 9 premiere of Drag Race All Starsat the Motion Picture Association near the White House last May.

For Garcia, these moments aren’t just about expressing himself, creating a viral moment, or raising his online profile. He sees it as an important part of the political process, too.

“When I try to incorporate pop culture and other things that I like, I know sometimes reaches a different audience,” Garcia said. “We have to learn how to speak to an entire audience, and we have to learn how to communicate to folks that maybe don’t follow politics.”

Garcia’s approach has made him a rising star in the Democratic Party, and he said he’s working hard to help elect other out and proud LGBTQ+ politicians, like Sarah McBride, who would become the first trans member of Congress out of Delaware, and Emily Randall of Washington who would be the first Latina lesbian in Congress.

“Congress needs more radical homosexuals,” Garcia said. “I’m proud and openly queer, and we have ten members of Congress that are gay — we need a lot more. We need a lot more folks that are aggressive, that stand up for the community: They’re going to talk about trans rights, health care, and the attacks on our community, and be proudly open while doing it.” 

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Project 2025’s horrors keep getting exposed on tape

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A secretly recorded conversation has exposed the dangerous and far-reaching plans being laid out by Russell Vought, a central figure behind Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s plan to reshape the federal government in a potential second term for former President Donald Trump in his image. 

The Centre for Climate Reporting, which conducted the undercover investigation, revealed how Vought and his conservative allies are preparing a comprehensive set of executive orders, regulations, and policies aimed at implementing a radical agenda that poses a direct threat to LGBTQ+ rights.

Related: Project 2025: A blueprint for the oppression of LGBTQ+ Americans

The meeting, held in a luxurious Washington, D.C., hotel suite, was attended by two undercover journalists posing as wealthy donors interested in supporting Project 2025. Vought, the former head of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump and now president of the Center for Renewing America, which he founded, outlined the secretive second phase of Project 2025, which conservatives are hiding from the public to avoid scrutiny, according to the report.

CCR reports that Vought described his think tank as “the Death Star,” a reference to its powerful role in drafting the most extreme elements of Trump’s potential policy agenda. He revealed that his team is working on what he termed the “largest deportation in history,” aiming to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, a move that would also serve to dismantle multiculturalism in the United States. Trump has celebrated this notion, and Republicans celebrated the concept of mass deportations during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. Vought said the plans were top secret and would be shared only with Trump’s transition team to avoid exposure through the Freedom of Information Act.

The project aims to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people, dismantle gender-inclusive policies, and erase the progress made under the Biden administration. Project 2025 emphasizes a commitment to transforming America into a Christian nation and implementing a form of Christian nationalism that seeks to impose a rigid Judeo-Christian value system on the entire country.

Related: Creepy Project 2025 video tells Americans to ‘spit out’ gender-inclusive language ‘before we choke on it’

The CCR’s investigation also uncovered that Vought and his colleagues are preparing for the possibility of mass protests in response to their policies, including the use of the military to suppress dissent. Vought dismissed concerns about legal restrictions, such as the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the use of federal troops in domestic law enforcement, suggesting that Trump could bypass these laws to maintain order.

The CCR revelations come on the heels of training videos from Project 2025, obtained by ProPublica, which show former Trump officials mocking gender-inclusive language and dismissing the legitimacy of transgender people. These videos, as reported byThe Advocate on Wednesday, are part of a broader strategy by right-wing extremists to normalize discriminatory practices within the federal government.

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Florida’s official tourism site removes ‘LGBTQ Travel’ section

Florida’s official tourism website quietly removed a landing page for the state’s LGBTQ-friendly travel destinations sometime in the past four months.

The website for the state’s tourism marketing corporation, VisitFlorida.com, had an “LGBTQ Travel” section that no longer exists, according to archived versions of the site viewable on the Internet Archive. The landing page previously featured blog posts and videos related to the state’s gay-friendly beaches, Pride events and LGBTQ road trip ideas.

“There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities — a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance,” the landing page used to read. “Whether you’re a couple seeking a romantic getaway or a modern family searching for kid-friendly fun, here are some LGBTQ-friendly destinations for you, throughout the Sunshine State.”

The link where the LGBTQ Travel page had been (https://www.visitflorida.com/things-to-do/cultural/lgbtq/) now directs users to a general “things to do” landing page. It is unclear exactly when the landing page was removed, but it was available as recently as April 19, according to the Internet Archive. It is also unclear why Visit Florida, a nonprofit created as a public-private partnership by the Florida Legislature in 1996, removed the landing page and who was behind the decision.

The website does continue to provide travel information for destinations specific to other minority groups, including Black and Hispanic travelers.

Visit Florida did not immediately return a request for comment.

Visit Florida's LGBTQ page in 2021
The deleted LGBTQ Travel section of VisitFlorida.com can be seen in this Internet Archive screenshot from Sept. 21, 2021. Internet Archive 

Rachel Covello runs OutCoast, a travel blog that promotes Florida as an LGBTQ-inclusive destination. Covello, a lesbian who lives in St. Petersburg, said the “LGBTQ Travel” landing page has existed on Visit Florida’s website since at least 2021. She said she first noticed that the landing page was missing last month.

“It really feels like we were just erased in a way,” Covello said.

“We want LGBT people to come here, we have really cool places to highlight and showcase,” she added.“But when the state-run platform removes any trace of us being in Florida, it sends a pretty strong message to our travelers, to our community in Florida.”

Not all references to LGBTQ people or LGBTQ-friendly places have been removed from the site. For example, if one types “LGBT” in the site’s search function, five results pop up, three of them for venues described as “LGBT Friendly.”

Maryann Ferenc, a small business owner who served as the chair of Visit Florida from 2017 to 2018, said there was a lot of LGBTQ-related travel information on the site during her time, including information about suggested itineraries and recommended beaches. She questioned whether stripping the site of its LGBTQ Travel section and other LGBTQ-related content s was a smart business move.

“To be a great tourism community, you need to be open and welcoming. That’s the basics of hospitality, right?” she said. “When I was chair, we talked about, ‘Could we be No. 1 in hospitality? How could we measure being the most hospitable state in the Union?’ This certainly wouldn’t qualify for that.”

Ferenc added that diversifying the state’s tourism industry was one of her main objectives when she led the organization.

“All of our diverse markets are important to us getting all of the business that is our fair share of the statewide, national and international tourism market,” she said. “It’s important that we have that diversity, not only because of the amount of money that will be spent by a diverse market, but by the diverse places in which that money will be spent.” 

The removal of the LGBTQ Travel section from VisitFlorida.com is the latest in a yearslong effort to restrict queer history and the expression of LGBTQ identities in the state.

Since 2021, Florida has enacted legislation to limit the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in its public schools, to limit the ability of trans minors from accessing transition-related health care or from participating on school sports teams and to defund diversity programs at Florida colleges. 

In recent years, Florida lawmakers also unsuccessfully attempted to limit drag shows, an artform that has decades-old roots in the LGBTQ community. Some of the state’s schools have also voluntarily removed or banned LGBTQ-related books or books with queer characters. 

Just last week, New College of Florida tossed hundreds of books in the trash, with many of the discarded titles appearing to be related to LGBTQ issues, race and women’s rights.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis notably waged a yearslong legal battle with Disney, which has a massive corporate footprint in the state, after the company came out against the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Disney settled with the state this year.

Last year, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, and the statewide LGBTQ nonprofit Equality Florida issued a travel advisory detailing the risks of traveling to the state and citing “the devastating impacts of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community.”

A recent survey of 2,300 LGBTQ Americans by the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association found that 52% of respondents indicated hesitancy or outright refusal to travel to Florida due to anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in recent years. However, about 66% of respondents also said that they would be willing to visit LGBTQ-friendly cities within states that have anti-LGBTQ laws. 

In 2017, within days of former president Trump’s inauguration, his administration similarly scrubbed nearly all mentions of LGBTQ people and issues from the websites of federal agencies and the White House. 

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Art For Life Begins August 22

The 38th. Annual Art for Life fundraiser kicks off Aug. 22This year the event will be a hybrid event as the auction will be up online along with a Gallery Showing at the Santa Rosa Arts Center. 

This event is not just about art; it’s about making a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need. We invite you to join us and become a part of this incredible cause by registering to bid on stunning artworks that will be up for auction.

IMPORTANT DATES
Gallery ShowThursday, August 22 – Sunday, August 25th.Santa Rosa Arts Center 312 A Street, Santa Road Gallery Hours: 11am-3pm 

ONLINE AUCTION
Opens online Thursday, August 22nd. through Tuesday, August 27th at 8:00pm
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Democrats release national platform, promising end to anti-transgender violence

The Democratic Party has released its official national platform for 2024, just in time for the start of its national convention, which begins today in Chicago, Illinois. The platform contains a section on “LGBTQI+” issues and also mentions the community and related issues in other sections, including those covering gun violence, the judiciary, education, and racial equity.

“This election will decide whether the next generation of Americans has more rights and freedoms than past generations or fewer,” the platform states. “Trump and Republicans are already ripping away Americans’ hard-won freedoms. Reproductive freedom, freedom from hate, freedom from fear, the freedom to control our own destinies and more are all on the line in this election.”

The LGBTQI+ section noted that Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, reversed “Trump’s un-American ban” on transgender military members, has aimed to protect LGBTQ+ children and parents in the adoption and foster care systems, has helped protect gender-affirming care, has implemented a strategy to end the HIV epidemic, opposes anti-LGBTQ+ book bans, established a task force to combat address online harassment, promoted international LGBTQ+ human rights, and ended the “disgraceful and discriminatory” ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. It also mentioned that Biden has signed several executive actions to lessen anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in housing, employment, health care, education, and the judicial system.

The section also notes that Trump seeks to repeal the Affordable Care Act—which prohibits LGBTQ+ discrimination and denial for pre-existing conditions—and that Trump has appointed judges who oppose same-sex marriage and have sided with businesses to reject LGBTQ+ customers.

“When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of a restaurant for being gay in the afternoon, something is still wrong,” the platform states.

The platform then pledges to pass the Equality Act, a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal anti-discrimination laws. The platform also pledges to prohibit anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination among federal government contractors, to ensure that federally-funded senior programs are LGBTQ+-inclusive, and to ban conversion therapy for queer youth.

“Trump is running on an extreme plan to punish doctors who treat transgender youth and to ban gender-affirming care, and his MAGA Republican allies have pushed a tidal wave of extreme anti-LGBTQI+ bills in statehouses across the country,” the platform accurately states. “Democrats will vigorously oppose state and federal bans on gender-affirming healthcare and respect the role of parents, families, and doctors– not politicians – in making health care decisions.”

The platform also pledges to end violence against transgender Americans, especially Black and brown transgender women, and to prioritize the investigation of hate crimes against trans and non-binary people.

LGBTQ+ mentions & issues elsewhere in the Democratic National Platform

In the section entitled “Violence Against Women,” the platform says that Biden is “keeping students safe on campus by restoring and strengthening protections under Title IX, including explicit protections for LGBTQI+ students.”

The “Judges” section notes that Biden has appointed many out LGBTQI+ judges as well as others who “represent the diversity of the American experience.” It then says that Trump has appointed far-right judges and that the next president could appoint “one, two, or more new Supreme Court justices who will determine what freedoms Americans have – or lose – for the next 30, 40, or even 50 years.”

Its plank on education opposes “the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education.” Such schemes are a major aim of anti-LGBTQ+ Christian conservatives.

“Public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate,” the platform states. “And we’ll continue working to increase accountability at charters, holding them to the same transparency standards as public schools.”

The plank on gun safety also mentions mass shootings at “dance halls and nightclubs,” a possible reference to the deadly mass shootings at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub and Club Q in Colorado Springs. 

While the platform pledges to institute mandatory background checks for all gun purchases, red flag laws, and a national ban on assault weapons, it also notes that Trump has told families devastated by gun violence to “get over it” and has bragged about “doing nothing” to restrict firearms during his presidency.

The criminal justice plank notes that Biden pardoned LGBTQ+ military service members who had received less than honorable discharges “just for being themselves.” 

The plank of “racial equity” states, “Where MAGA extremists are politicizing our classrooms, banning books, and trying to erase history, we are fighting back, including by appointing a federal coordinator to address the threat these bans pose to students’ civil rights.”

The platform also states, “No one should be in jail for using or possessing marijuana.” While it calls for cannabis to be rescheduled, and for people convicted for possession or use to be released with expunged criminal records, the platform neither calls for national decriminalization nor for legalization.

Its plank on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza says that Biden has called for a ceasefire for Palestine to return all hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel while maintaining humanitarian relief for displaced and suffering Palestinians. The plank pledges for a peace deal that will help Gaza rebuild and create a Palestinian state that does not allow Hamas to re-arm itself.

However, the plank does not pledge to end the U.S. supply of weapons to Israel, a major goal of pro-Palestinian protestors. Some pro-Palestinian voters have warned that their support could help ensure a Democratic electoral victory or defeat.

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Gay man freed from Qatar after being “honey-trapped” by police in Grindr plot

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A gay man from Britain who was jailed in Qatar after being entrapped by the police has finally been permitted to leave by Qatari authorities and has returned to the United Kingdom after months of imprisonment in inhumane conditions.

Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a gay man who has British/Mexican citizenship, was arrested in February 2024 in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Aviña was a former employee of Qatar Air Lines. He was convicted of drug possession in a so-called “honey trap.”

Aviña said he responded to fake messages on Grindr that were actually sent by the police. 

He was lured to a location in Doha, where the profile he was messaging with said would meet other gay men, he says. In Doha, the police were waiting to arrest him. The police say they found methamphetamine in his apartment during the arrest, which Aviña says they planted there.

He was jailed on February 4, and was given a suspended six-month prison term and a fine at Al Sadd Criminal Court in the capital city of Doha in June.  

While jailed, Aviña was deprived of antiretroviral medication that he needs as an HIV-positive man. He was also forced to sign documents pertaining to his imprisonment that were written in Arabic, which he does not speak, without a translator. He said that he was forced to identify which contacts in his phone were his sexual partners, and subjected to “psychological torture.”

Aviña’s family and LGBTQ+ rights advocates around the world launched a campaign for him to return home, which was finally successful this week. 

The X account @QatarFreeManuel announced yesterday, “At this moment Manuel flies free and dignified towards London! We are grateful for the unwavering support in this fight for justice. There is no doubt that ‘solidarity is the tenderness of peoples.’”

A statement posted on the accounts reads, “Manuel and his family thank you for your tireless support in this emblematic struggle against injustice, against homophobia and in favor of human rights for all people. But, as the saying goes, the struggle goes on, it is not over, and it will not end until there is justice for all people. Manuel’s case, and all the cases we have defended, teach us that only organisation, solidarity and courage can change this world and its injustices.”

Aviña himself spoke about his release, saying, “Although I welcome the fact that I can leave the country, I still condemn the unfair trial I have been subjected to and the torture and ill-treatment I endured during my preliminary detention.”

“I urge the UK and Mexican governments to raise concerns with the relevant Qatari authorities about the unfair trial and the violations of due process,” he added.

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Out Sen. Tammy Baldwin to face anti-LGBTQ+, anti-choice GOPer Eric Hovde in November

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Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin will face far-right Republican Eric Hovde, a wealthy banker endorsed by Donald Trump, in the November 5 election after both won their primaries Tuesday.

Baldwin, who has been a senator since 2013, was unopposed in the Democraticprimary. She served in the U.S. House from 1999 to 2013 and was a Wisconsin state legislator before that. A lesbian, she was the first member of the LGBTQ+ community to be elected to either chamber of Congress while being out from the get-go; others, such as former U.S. Reps. Barney Frank and Jim Kolbe, came out while already in office.

Hovde won the Republican primary easily over Charles Barman, a construction manager, and Rejani Raveendran, a nurse and midwife. With 95 percent of the vote in, Hovde had 86.3 percent of the total to Barman’s 7.4 percent and Raveendran’s 6.3 percent.

Hovde had sought the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2012 but lost the primary to Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor and a Cabinet member under President George W. Bush. Thompson then lost to Baldwin in the general election.

Hovde is anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion, and he has made comments disparaging single mothers and nursing home residents. In the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin, he endorsed and contributed to Baldwin’s unsuccessful Republican challenger, Leah Vukmir, who supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. He has said that being transgender is “insanity” and has opposed allowing trans youth access to gender-affirming health care and to the restrooms and sports that comport with their gender identity.

“We don’t allow our children to drive an automobile until they’re 16. … We don’t allow our young people to vote until 18. We don’t allow our young people to drink alcohol until 21. And yet we’re allowing children 11, 12, 13 … to be transgender. Do you realize the highest rate of suicide in our country today are young people that went through a transgender?” he said at an event this year, presumably meaning some sort of gender-affirming care, in response to a question from a leader of the anti-trans group Gays Against Groomers. The truth is, the suicide risk is high for young LGBTQ+ people who are not accepted by their families or who are sent to conversion therapy.

He has accused Baldwin of earmarking federal funds “for a transgender-affirming clinic that doesn’t even tell parents that they’re doing that, with their own kids.” In reality, the funds are for mental health services for young people experiencing homelessness.

He has said he wanted to see Roe v. Wade overturned and has claimed to oppose abortion in all circumstances, although this year he endorsed exceptionsfor pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or that threaten the life of the pregnant person.

He once said low-income people who can’t get food assistance are just “another sob story,” and he has said that children “born out of wedlock” are on “a direct path to a life of poverty.” This year, discussing supposed election fraud, he said that “almost nobody in a nursing home is at a point to vote.” He said he understands nursing homes because he is a lender to them. He is the founder of H Bancorp and is a real estate developer as well. He divides his time between California and Wisconsin.

“Eric Hovde is an arrogant opportunist looking to grab at power and influence wherever he can find it for the sake of his own ego,” said a statement from Jared Todd, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Votes PAC. “He has shown time after time that he’s completely out of touch with Wisconsin voters. Attacking transgender people, stripping Wisconsinites of their reproductive health care choices, and proposing nothing to make Wisconsinites better off is not a winning agenda. Wisconsinites, including the state’s 1 million Equality Voters, will reject Hovde’s bigoted elitism at the ballot box and reelect Tammy Baldwin, a champion for Wisconsin families who puts their needs first.”

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As Mpox Numbers Rise, Officials Encourage Awareness, Vaccination

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Cases of mpox are increasing in LA County, and it is important for residents of Los Angeles County to take precautions against this contagious disease.

Spread by personal contact, mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is continuing to present as a sexually transmitted infection. Seventeen more cases have been reported by July 25th this year than had been reported by July 25th last year.  (73 vs. 56 Year-to-Date reported cases).

Given the jump in cases since last year, officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health(Public Health) are urging residents to take precautions and reduce the risk of spread.

Sonali Kulkarni, Medical Director for Public Health’sDivision of HIV and STD Programs, said only 51% of the overall at-risk population for mpox has received the 2-dose regimenof the JYNNEOS vaccine, formulated to prevent transmission and reduce symptoms of infection. And of that population, only 22% of persons living with diagnosed HIV have received both doses.

Since its initial surge nationally in 2022, mpox has disproportionately affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Vaccination against mpox has shown to be protective against symptomatic mpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re seeing a slight increase in cases relative to last year locally and nationally. Over the last six months, we have seen an average oftwo cases per week, but in the last 3 monthswe’ve seen 3.5 cases per week.There’s a lot of room for improvement in the at-risk population to vaccinate against mpox and prevent further cases. The vaccine is now available commercially and available at different sites, including public health clinics and mobile outreach teams, community clinics, and pharmacies.” Kulkarni said.

JYNNEOS is a two-dose series vaccine available at Public Health’s STD clinics or at any walk-up Public Vaccinating site. Ideally, the vaccines will be taken 1 month apart. The mobile outreach team will be on site at community events and festivals in the Los Angeles area to administer the first or second vaccines.

“We don’t anticipate mpox going away completely, but it’s something people should be aware of, so they know to take precautions and recognize symptoms,” Kulkarni said.

“Mpoxcan be spread easily through touch. If you know you are going to have more physical contact with people, especially with increased social activity this summer, it’s important to consider getting vaccinated against the disease,” Kulkarni said.

Symptoms of mpox can range from mild to severe and appear in the form of a rash that may look like bumps, pimples, blisters, sores or scabs, anywhere on the body. Other flu-like symptoms may appear such as fever, chills, exhaustion, head or muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.

If you are experiencing symptoms, it’s important to seek guidance from your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Cover all areas of the rash with clothing, gloves, bandages and wear a mask to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Avoid aggravating the rash by touching or scratching it — to reducethe chancesthat it will become infected.

“Generally, people who are healthy can expect lesions to improve on their own over the course of three to four weeks. We recommend most people are treated for the symptoms they are experiencing — fever reduction, numbing medications for mouth lesions, pain relief. For people who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed, or have other vulnerabilities, this can be a really serious infection,” Kulkarni added. 

For more information and to schedule an mpox vaccine appointment near you, visit myturn.ca.gov or call the Public Health Info Line at (833) 540-0473, 7 days a week 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

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