In April, Dominica became the latest country to decriminalize consensual same-sex conduct. A local court ruled that provisions banning “buggery” and “serious indecency,” understood to criminalize gay sex, were unconstitutional. The ruling is historic for Dominica because it finally cast off a colonial legal relic that had been an obstacle to full equality for sexual and gender minorities. But beyond this Eastern Caribbean nation, the ruling has important implications.
The Dominica ruling adds to a growing body of jurisprudence from the “Global South” that challenges the notion that decriminalization of same-sex conduct is “foreign,” “Western,” or “against national values.” This idea, sometimes used by authorities in the 64 countries that still make such relations a criminal offense, often ignores the demands of many local activists and stakeholders. It is also often used to scapegoat sexual and gender minorities. But today such rhetoric flies in the face of well-reasoned, human rights-based decriminalization rulings arising from Latin America and Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and Oceania that firmly establish that the decriminalization of same-sex conduct is a universal human rights imperative.
Some of the very early cases on decriminalization were indeed from the “Global North.” The European Court of Human Rights ordered the decriminalization of same-sex intimacy in cases arising from the United Kingdom (1981), Ireland (1988), and Cyprus (1993). The United Nations Human Rights Committee ordered the same for Australia (1994). Yet, the bulk of national-level jurisprudence decriminalizing same-sex conduct has come from countries outside of these regions.
In Latin America, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador’s Case No. 111-97 TC (1997) was an early example of national jurisprudence ordering the decriminalization of same-sex conduct. There, the court found that “homosexuals are, above all, holders of all the rights of the human person and therefore have the right to exercise them in conditions of full equality.” In recent years, five other Caribbean nations have decriminalized in landmark rulings: Belize (2016), Trinidad and Tobago(2018), Antigua and Barbuda (2022), Saint Kitts and Nevis (2022), and Barbados (2023).
The case of National Coalition for Gay & Lesbian Equality & Others v. Ministry of Justice & Others(1998) in South Africa was the first to decriminalize same-sex relations on the African continent. A concurring opinion in the case affirmed that the case occurs “in the context of evolving human rights concepts throughout the world” and “should be seen as part of a growing acceptance of difference in an increasingly open and pluralistic South Africa.” Recent decisions in Botswana (2019) and Mauritius(2023) further solidified this trend.
Meanwhile, courts in Asia and Oceania, including Fiji (2005), Nepal (2007), Hong Kong (2007), and India (2018), have also affirmed that the criminalization of same-sex conduct violates fundamental human rights. In the Indian ruling, which came after a protracted legal fight, justices held that the “role of the Courts gains more importance when the rights which are affected belong to a class of persons or a minority group who have been deprived of even their basic rights since time immemorial.”
The contributions made by courts in these varied parts of the world confirm that the continued criminalization of gay sex is not a niche issue that is the domain of “the West.” The rulings are context-specific and highlight how criminalization infringes upon the rights of sexual and gender minorities and their communities, including the rights to non-discrimination, life and security, family, housing, health, work, and education, and freedoms of expression and assembly. While rulings are multifaceted, these diverse courts have generally found that criminalization is draconian and erodes the rule of law for everyone.
There have been some legal setbacks, such as Uganda’s Constitutional Court upholding the Anti-Homosexuality Act in April and the dismissal of a constitutional challenge to “buggery” and “gross indecency” laws in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in February. But rulings upholding criminalization remain outliers, in part because of the strength and diversity of the decriminalization rulings. Findings such as that of the Uganda Constitutional Court, that legislators “know the sentiments of the people that they represent on the subject,” now appear painfully biased and myopic.
While courts play a crucial role, governments should not punt their legislative duties to the judiciary, especially since court cases can take years to litigate. Many governments around the world have passed legislation to decriminalize same-sex conduct, either explicitly to protect sexual minorities, or indirectly by implementing broader criminal law reforms. This has led to real progress. But what the rulings in a wide variety of countries make clear is that arguments about decriminalization being “Western imposed” are disingenuous and shield authorities from having to address substantive underlying human rights issues.
Instead of presenting straw-man arguments, authorities should stop using such rhetoric, heed the findings of courts around the word, and urgently recognize that the decriminalization of same-sex intimacy is essential for the equal advancement of human rights.
It’s June, and that means it’s time to celebrate Pride Month! Sonoma County Library honors Pride through our collections, events, and programs—celebrate this June and beyond with all the library has to offer! Join us for upcoming Pride Month events and learn more here.
Events for All
Crafting with Creativebug: Rainbow Painting(For Teens & Adults)Create bold images and celebrate Pride with Creativebug! Follow along with an art demo while learning about the history of Pride. Advance registration encouraged. At three libraries: Central Santa Rosa, Northwest Santa Rosa, and Cloverdale.
Queer Book Club(For Adults)Join us virtually to discuss this month’s read, Gideon the Ninth. Queer Book Club meets online on the second Wednesday of the month; registering for this event will sign you up for all 12 book club meetings!
Listening to Trans Youth(For Teens & Adults)Join us at the Sebastopol Library on Tuesday, June 18, at 6:00 pm for a community discussion on gender identity and understanding the transgender experience. This program will support, educate, and inspire anyone who attends.
Pronoun Keychain Kits(For Teens)Visit your library in June to pick up a free Pronoun Keychain Kit. Each kit includes letter beads, a charm, and a key ring. Kits are available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Limit one per patron.
Family is a Rainbow with Maya Gonzalez(For Kids & Families)Join us for a celebration of inclusion and creativity with Maya Gonzalez and their empowering book, The Gender and Infinity Book for Kids. For grades K-5.Maya Gonzalez is an award-winning children’s book artist, author, activist, publisher, and educator. Learn more here.
But wait, there’s more! Check out the full list of Pride Month events, resources, and more here.
All library branches will be closed Wednesday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. We look forward to seeing you when we reopen on Thursday, June 20!
Thank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit us online or in person at one of our branches. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here. Questions? Please call your local library or click here to send us a message. Mes del Orgullo en tu Biblioteca ¡Es junio y eso significa que es hora de celebrar el Mes del Orgullo! ¡La Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma honra el Orgullo a través de nuestra colección, eventos, y programas—celebra este junio y más allá con todo lo que la biblioteca tiene para ofrecer! Acompáñanos para los próximos eventos del mes y obtén más información aquí.
Eventos para Todos
Manualidades con Creativebug: Pintando el Arcoíris(Para Jóvenes y Adultos)¡Crea imágenes llamativas y celebra el Orgullo con Creativebug! Sigue paso a paso una demostración de arte mientras aprendes sobre la historia del Orgullo. Se recomienda inscripción. En tres bibliotecas: central de Santa Rosa, Northwest y Cloverdale.
Club de Lectura Queer (Para Adultos)Acompáñanos virtualmente para discutir el libro de este mes, Gideon the Ninth. El club de lectura Queer se reúne en línea cada segundo miércoles del mes; ¡al registrarte para este evento te inscribirás para las 12 reuniones del club!
Escuchando a la Juventud Trans(Para Jóvenes y Adultos)Acompáñanos en la Biblioteca de Sebastopol el martes,18 de junio, a las 6:00 pm para una discusión comunitaria sobre la identidad de género y el entendimiento de la experiencia transgénero. Este programa servirá como apoyo, educación e inspiración para quien asista.
Kits de Llavero de Pronombres(Para Jóvenes)Visita tu biblioteca en junio para recoger un kit de llavero de pronombres gratuito. Cada kit incluye cuentas de letras, un dije, y un broche para llavero. Los kits se proporcionarán por orden de llegada, hasta agotar existencias. Límite de un kit por persona.
La Familia es un Arcoíris con Maya Gonzalez(Para infantes y familias)Acompáñanos para una celebración de inclusión y creatividad con Maya Gonzalez y su libro empoderador, The Gender and Infinity Book for Kids. Para los grados K-5. Maya Gonzalez es una artista galardonada de libros inf
Despite years of progress toward inclusion and equality for LGBTQ+ Americans, a sense of safety at home remains elusive for many. By the end of last year, 75 of the 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country in 2023 had become law, and in 2022, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ Americans reached a five-year high.
With hate crimes rising and more anti-LGBTQ+ bills under consideration, it’s essential to monitor the state of safety across the nation regularly. That’s why we’ve created this ranking for the third year. To grade all 50 states and Washington D.C. based on how safe they are for LGBTQ+ people, SafeHome.org’s new scoring system includes both legislative analysis and hate crime data from the FBI. Here are a few of the key takeaways from our study:
Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Delaware all received A+ grades for LGBTQ+ safety based on their comprehensive pro-equality laws and low rates of hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people.
South Dakota, Florida, and Wyoming were the worst states for LGBTQ+ safety in the nation, earning F grades due to their high number of discriminatory laws and hate crime reporting rates. Florida’s ranking changed dramatically since last year when it had the 15th-lowest safety score.
Nearly 50% of states passed new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2023.
Hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people rose 10 percent between 2021 and 2022, and hate crimes against transgender people, in particular, surged 40 percent.
59% of LGBTQ+ people say their state’s laws help them feel safer, but 89% say federal action is needed to enshrine protections fully.
LGBTQ+ Safety Grades by State
SafeHome.org’s state ranking is unique from others. We based our grading system on the opinions of 1,000 American LGBTQ+ individuals. Based on their insights, we calculated how heavily different laws would weigh upon each state’s safety score: parenting freedoms, criminal justice rights, non-discrimination rights, youth protections, and health laws. Then, using information from the Human Rights Campaign, we tallied how many laws each state had in the above categories and weighted them based on their perceived impact on LGBTQ+ Americans.
This year, SafeHome.org researchers added a new factor to the safety “report card”: we determined the frequency of hate crimes committed against LGBTQ people in each state according to the latest FBI data.
https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/18042878/embed
Based on this new grading method, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Delaware ranked highest for LGBTQ+ safety according to our methodology, while South Dakota, Florida, and Wyoming scored lowest.
The Safest States for LGBTQ+ Americans
1. Rhode Island – Safety Grade: A+ (100)
Rhode Island had the highest safety grade in the nation due to its numerous laws protecting LGBTQ+ rights and its low incidence of hate crimes. It was notably one of only six states where every law enforcement agency reported crime data, and one of seven states that earned an A+, A, or A- in our safety analysis. The Ocean State has some of the most comprehensive laws in the country regarding LGBTQ+ health, safety, and family planning, including:
Foster care non-discrimination laws, which protect LGBTQ+ people wishing to participate in the foster care system as parents
Mandatory reporting of hate crime statistics
Anti-bullying youth laws, with explicit protections for LGBTQ+ youth
Laws that include transgender healthcare in state Medicaid programs
Rhode Island is home to the 12th-highest percentage of same-sex couples and was among the first 15 states to legalize gay marriage, which it did in 2013. Notably, in March 2024, the U.S. Senate appointed Rhode Island’s first openly LGTBQ+ judge to the federal court system.
2. New Hampshire – Safety Grade A+ (98.3)
New Hampshire boasts a wide variety of equality protections in its state laws and has one of the country’s lowest rates of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals. New Hampshire scored a bit lower than Rhode Island partly because its laws do not explicitly protect people from discrimination on credit applications based on sexual orientation, and the state does not have a law requiring mandatory reporting of hate crime statistics.
Lawmakers in New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage in 2010, making it the sixth state in the country to do so. In 2023, New Hampshire passed a bill that explicitly outlawed the use of someone’s sexual identity as a defense in a homicide case. Since 2013, 18 other states have adopted similar resolutions.
3. Delaware – Safety Grade A+ (98.1)
Delaware was one of the earliest states to legalize same-sex marriage in 2013, with the sixth-highest number of same-sex couples (per 1,000 households). The “First State” offers a comprehensive set of LGBTQ-friendly legal protections, including:
Laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity surrounding the use of surrogate mothers
Laws that protect people from conversion therapy
Bans on insurance exclusions for transgender healthcare
These protections, along with Delaware’s extremely low incidence of hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people, make it one of the safest states in 2024.
4. Alaska – Safety Grade A (93.5)
Alaskans elected their state’s first three openly LGBTQ+ legislators in 2022. Although they did not all campaign on LGBTQ+ issues, their presence aligns with their state’s general direction, as indicated by this year’s rankings. All three of these new legislators are sponsors of a bill currently under consideration that would add protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
While Alaska does not have quite as many legal protections for its LGBTQ+ residents as the states ranking above it and has a law that allows for transgender exclusion in sports, it does provide a relatively equal and safe environment. Alaska is also home to the country’s third-highest percentage of same-sex couples who are raising a child.
5. Hawaii – Safety Grade A (92.5)
Hawaii rounds out the top five safest states for LGBTQ+ Americans, thanks to its strong legal protections and low rates of reported hate crimes. Hawaii has a long legacy of being relatively LGBTQ+-friendly; in 1973, it became the sixth state to legalize same-sex sexual activity, and in 1993, it became the first state to formally consider legalizing same-sex marriage.
Hawaii’s LGBTQ+ legal protections include the presumption of a parental relationship for both parents with regard to any children born of that marriage and LGBTQ+ inclusive juvenile justice policies. It is also one of the 26 states that allow name and gender marker updates on both driver’s licenses and birth certificates and one of 19 states that have eliminated the “bias rage or panic defense for criminal acts,” a tactic used to achieve lighter sentencing when an assailant is motivated to violence by learning the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Worst States for LGBTQ+ Safety
1. South Dakota – Safety Grade F (46.8)
South Dakota has the unfortunate distinction of having the lowest LGBTQ+ safety grade out of all the states. Its legal landscape is more prone to anti-equality than pro-equality, and has a relatively high rate of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people. The few protections South Dakota offers to LGBTQ+ folks include non-discrimination laws regarding admission to colleges and universities, anti-cyberbullying protections, and laws prohibiting discrimination in surrogate parenting.
Anti-equality laws on South Dakota’s books far outweigh their equality-protecting counterparts. The list of such laws includes:
HIV and AIDS criminalization laws
Laws permitting discrimination in adoption and foster placement
Laws restricting transgender people from using gendered facilities in public schools
Bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth
Likely due to its unsafe atmosphere, the state is home to the second-fewest same-sex couples per capita, ranking in front of only its neighbor, North Dakota. In our previous ranking, South Dakota took the 45th spot on the list of safest states.
Despite the challenging circumstances, LGBTQ+ advocates are making progress in South Dakota. In early 2024, a transgender advocacy group successfully sued the state of South Dakota for discrimination, receiving a $300,000 reward and forcing the state’s governor to issue an apology letter.
2. Florida – Safety Grade F (47.5)
In the second-worst spot for LGBTQ+ safety comes Florida, which has one of the worst legal environments and ranked dead last in participation rates for law enforcement agency crime reporting. Last year, Florida was the 15th worst state in our ranking, but newer and harsher legislation contributed to its plummeting safety score.
In recent years, Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay law has received significant media attention, with much scrutiny surrounding its attempts to prevent students and teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity. A settlement reached in early 2024 clarified some of the specifics around the law that was passed in 2022 and remains in place today.
Additional anti-equality legislation on Florida’s books includes sodomy laws and laws that allow or require intentional misgendering of public school students. In 2023, Governor Ron Desantis signed a bill into law that limited drag shows in the state, which a Florida federal judge later blocked.
3. Wyoming – Safety Grade F (53.5)
Wyoming has few pro-equality laws on its books, a relatively high rate of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people, and an overall low rate of crime reporting. All of these factors contribute to its low grade for LGBTQ+ safety, which is significantly worse this year. Last year, Wyoming was the 19th-worst state in the country.
The state has only a few pro-equality laws or policies, such as those guaranteeing equal opportunity in adoption and foster care—but this only applies to sexual orientation and not gender identity. Wyoming also has transgender exclusions in its state Medicaid coverage. Overall, while Wyoming does not have as many anti-equality laws as some of the other states toward the bottom of the safety ranking, its dearth of pro-equality laws contributes to its laggard position.
4. Ohio – Safety Grade F (53.7)
Having passed a bill in 2023 modeled after Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, drawing condemnation from civil rights groups, it might not be surprising to see Ohio toward the bottom of the LGBTQ+ safety ranking.
The state has one of the highest rates of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals in the nation. Like Wyoming, Ohio has very few pro-equality laws on its books, though not so many anti-equality rules. However, the state’s laws include transgender exclusions in Medicaid coverage as well as HIV/AIDS criminalization laws. Since these types of laws regarding healthcare access were among the most important to LGBTQ+ people we surveyed, Ohio’s safety score was deficient.
5. Alabama – Safety Grade F (55.8)
At the fifth-worst spot for LGBTQ+ safety is Alabama, whose especially poor legal environment caused its dismal ranking. In 2024, Alabama considered expanding its own “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits teacher-led discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, but proposals to widen the scope to older students ultimately did not pass.
Other anti-equality laws on Alabama’s books include:
Bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth
Religious exemptions for professional training or practice
Laws permitting discrimination in adoption or foster placement
Are More Legal Changes for LGBTQ+ Americans on the Horizon?
So far in 2024, in addition to Florida’s affirmation of its “Don’t Say Gay” policy, a handful of states have restricted or affirmed limitations on listing one’s sex on driver’s licenses using a non-gendered category like “X” rather than “F” or “M.” Gender-affirming care for minors has also been under legislative scrutiny in several states. As of the end of April 2024, however, 20 anti-LGBTQ+ bills had passed at the state level, which would put the pace of enacting such bills below last year’s.
Looking ahead to November’s election, polling from progressive think tank Data for Progress indicates LGBTQ+ Americans prefer Joe Biden and the Democrats over the Republicans and their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. When he was in office from 2016-2020, Trump ushered in several changes considered to be attacks against LGBTQ+ rights, including rescinding the protection of transgender students, permitting discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples related to adoption, and banning trans military members from actively serving. He reportedly said he would ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the United States recognizes “only two genders.”
Everyone deserves to feel safe at home, and laws can help ensure personal security for all members of our communities. Substantial progress has been made across the grand arc of history for LGBTQ+ Americans, but as our rankings indicate, there is still far from a consensus view across the United States as to key questions and decisions related to equality under the law. For those who have a choice of where to live, these rankings offer a reference point for finding the safest location.
What is the LGBTQ+ State Safety Ranking?: Our Methodology
The Safety Ranking is based on a composite safety score comprising a law score and a hate crime score.
A “law score” was calculated based on pro- and anti-equality laws in each state. The Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) 2023 State Equality Index State Scorecards show a breakdown of each U.S. state’s pro and anti-equality legislation. We surveyed one thousand people who identified themselves as LGBTQ+ to determine how to weigh each of the legislative categories—parenting laws, hate crimes & criminal justice laws, non-discrimination laws, religious refusal & relationship recognition, youth laws, and health & safety laws. We calculated their law scores by adding up the legislation in each state and weighing them according to our survey. This survey was conducted in 2023.
Though we based the scores on more detailed questions in each category, we asked LGBTQ+ Americans generally about laws that promote equality and ones that damage it:
Which type of laws promoting equality are most important for your safety?
Percent of respondents
Non-Discrimination laws that forbid discrimination in employment, housing, etc.
49%
Health & Safety laws that uphold the rights of LGBTQ+ people to receive healthcare, insurance, etc
22%
Youth Laws that protect LGBTQ children through anti-bullying measures, bans on conversion therapy, and sex education
13%
Criminal Justice laws that require mandatory reporting of hate crimes, eliminate bias rage or panic defense for criminal acts, prevent police profiling
10%
Parenting laws that legally recognize same-sex marriage and parenthood in various scenarios
3%
Which type of anti-equality laws are most damaging to your safety?
Percent of respondents
Health & Safety laws allowing discrimination in healthcare
40%
Youth laws that restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ youth
21%
Criminal Justice laws that criminalize HIV/AIDS nondisclosure, consensual sexual activity, etc)
17%
Limits on Non-Discrimination laws
14%
Parenting laws limiting the ability of LGBTQ+ people in adoption, fostering, etc
3%
Religious Refusal laws that permit the denial of services or employment to LGBTQ+ people based on religious belief
3%
A “hate crime score” was also calculated based on an analysis of the incidence of hate crimes against any group falling within the LGBTQ+ umbrella. The 2022 FBI Uniform Crime Report’s Hate Crime Statistics Collection was used to count the number of relevant incidents in each state and divide them based on whether they happened in a rural or urban area. Note that the reported incidence of hate crimes versus the actual incidence rate may vary by relevant agency and, therefore, may not be a perfect representation of the actual hate crime landscape. Not every law enforcement agency in each state reported hate crime incidents to the FBI, which also factored into each state’s score.
We then calculated the number of rural incidents per 100k rural population and the number of urban incidents per 100k urban population. We then weighed those incident rates based on the percentage of the state’s populations that lived in rural and urban areas (e.g., urban incidents will be weighted higher in states with a higher proportion of their population living in urban areas), as well as the percentage of law enforcement agencies reporting data to the FBI in each state.
The hate crime score was normalized to the same scale as the law score, then multiplied by the percent of agencies in the state that contributed data to the FBI, penalizing states with low participation. The final LGBTQ+ safety score for each state is the average of these law and hate crime scores, and we assigned letter grades on a logarithmic scale to facilitate understanding of how well each state scored.
Napoleons in Manchester, England — said to be the oldest gay bar in Europe — has had its liquor license revoked. Authorities cited illegal workers, overflowing rubbish, blocked fire exits, and other violations as the cause.
The bar opened in 1941 and was long owned by renowned Manchester drag queen Fran Foo Foo Lamar. New owners purchased the property in 1972 and saw Manchester’s renowned Gay Village grow up around it, peaking in the 1990’s with dozens of venues and the area being nicknamed as Gaychester.
The original British version of Queer As Folk was set in Manchester and debuted in 1999.
Napoleons changed hands again in 2016, adding karaoke to the entertainment lineup and a late-night Chinese takeout restaurant.
The bar is currently owned by Napoleon HL Ltd., with company director Guixiang Liu registered as the designated premises supervisor, according to the BBC.
After testimony from Manchester authorities and the bar’s representative at a town hall licensing review hearing on Tuesday, council members voted to revoke the longtime bar’s liquor license.
An immigration raid at Napoleons on February 29 ended in the arrest of five workers and a £90,000 ($114,642) fine for the venue owners.
“It’s clear there’s a history of non-compliance and this has been compounded with these immigration offenses,” the council said in a statement about the many issues Napoleons failed to address over several years.
The neighboring Sackville House in the Gay Village complained of “overflowing rubbish which has attracted rats, pigeons and vermins” in a shared yard, which “has been the case for about two years.”
“The staff and customers have complained about the smell,” a representative from the historic house testified. “A generator was put in for five months and was on 24/7. It was moved in April. It was very noisy.”
A council licensing officer also reported internal “fire exits have been blocked” and workers’ inability to use and review required CCTV cameras and recorders at the site.
The representative for Napoleons said the issues — in addition to the immigration questions — have all been addressed. The representative said that revoking the bar’s alcohol license would “not be proportionate.”
“I think it’s fair to say in absence of the immigration offenses, [the Greater Manchester Police] would not be here,” Rebecca Lowe told the town hall committee meeting, referring to the police’s raid and testimony.
Napoleons denies that any of those arrested in the raid were working there at the time.
“We would say we are here prematurely and the revocation of the license in response to something that’s not yet proven. If the license is revoked and [the owner] loses months of trading which she cannot recover [from], that would not be proportionate,” a representative from the bar said.
Speaking of the revoked license, legal adviser to the panel Laura Raine said, “The committee considered all the options available for them today, but the main reasons are continuing breaches of conditions, illegal workers and a civil penalty notice, no management, clear lack of accountability, and a clear lack of training.”
During Pride Month, we celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community. We reflect on the progress we have made so far in pursuit of equality, justice, and inclusion. We recommit ourselves to do more to support LGBTQI+ rights at home and around the world.
For generations, LGBTQI+ Americans have summoned the courage to live authentically and proudly — even when it meant putting their lives and livelihoods at risk. In 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York, brave LGBTQI+ individuals protested the violence and marginalization they faced, boosting a civil rights movement for the liberation of LGBTQI+ people that has transformed our Nation.
Since then, courageous LGBTQI+ Americans continue to inspire and bring hope to all people seeking a life true to who they are. LGBTQI+ people also continue to enrich every aspect of American life as educators, entertainers, entrepreneurs, athletes, actors, artists, scientists, scholars, diplomats, doctors, service members, veterans, and so much more.
Advancing equality for the LGBTQI+ community is a top priority for my Administration. I signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act, which protects the marriage of same-sex and interracial couples. As Commander in Chief, I was proud to have ended the ban on transgender Americans serving in the United States military.
I signed historic Executive Orders strengthening civil rights protections for housing, employment, health care, education, and the justice system. We are also combating the dangerous and cruel practice of so-called “conversion therapy” and implementing a national strategy to end the HIV epidemic in this country.
We ended the disgraceful practice of banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood. We are doing this work here at home and around the globe, where LGBTQI+ community members are fighting for recognition of their fundamental human rights and seeking to live full lives, free from hate-fueled violence and discrimination.
But for all the progress, we know real challenges persist. Last year, as we celebrated Pride Month on the South Lawn of the White House, I had the honor of meeting survivors of the Club Q and Pulse shootings, which tragically took the lives of LGBTQI+ Americans.
Although my Administration passed the most significant gun law in nearly 30 years, the Congress must do its part and ban assault weapons. At the same time, families across the country face excruciating decisions to relocate to a different State to protect their children from dangerous and hateful anti-LGBTQI+ laws, which target transgender children, threaten families, and criminalize doctors and nurses.
These bills and laws attack our most basic values and freedoms as Americans: the right to be yourself, the right to make your own medical decisions, and the right to raise your own children. Some things should never be put at risk: your life, your safety, and your dignity.
To the entire LGBTQI+ community — and especially transgender children — please know that your President and my entire Administration have your back. We see you for who you are: made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support.
That is why I have taken historic action to protect the LGBTQI+ community. We are ensuring that the LGBTQI+ community is protected against discrimination when accessing health care, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice launched a safety partnership to provide critical training and support to the community, including resources to help report hate crimes and better protect festivals, marches, community centers, businesses, and health care providers serving the community.
The Department of Education and the Department of Justice are also addressing whether book bans may violate Federal civil rights laws when they target LGBTQI+ students or students of color and create hostile classroom environments.
Additionally, we are providing specialized services through the nationwide crisis hotline for LGBTQI+ youth who feel isolated and overwhelmed — anyone who needs help can call 988 and then press 3 to be connected to a professional counselor.
We are committing more resources for mental health programs that help families support and affirm their kids and are starting a new Federal initiative to address LGBTQI+ homelessness. We finalized new regulations requiring States to protect LGBTQI+ kids in foster care.
America is the only Nation in the world founded on an idea: We are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We have never fully lived up to that idea, but we have never fully walked away from it either.
This month, we recommit to realizing the promise of America for all Americans, to celebrating courageous LGBTQI+ people, and to taking pride in the example they set for our Nation and the world.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2024 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month.
I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQI+ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
As a reminder, Trump never issued a Pride Month proclamation. In 2019, he did post a single tweet, for which he earned massive blowback from the cult.
That’s a slogan used often to remind us of the origins of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, celebrated each June in the U.S. and many other countries. It’s used especially by those who feel Pride parades and festivals have become too corporate and not as political as they should be. But Pride Month and the attendant events endure, having survived pandemics, hostile politicians, and internal controversies. Here’s a look at why we observe Pride Month in June.
The short answer is Stonewall. But there’s more to Pride history than that.
As most reasonably informed LGBTQ+ people and allies know, a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, early in the morning of June 28, 1969, led the patrons to fight back, with riots in the area of the bar over the next several days. The Stonewall uprising is shrouded in myth and mystery about who was there, who threw the first brick, and so on. But what’s unquestionable is that the community showed it wasn’t going to take harassment and brutality lying down. It had shown that before, but Stonewall was the “Big Bang” that jump-started the movement at the end of a tumultuous decade, as historian Lillian Faderman wrote in Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement, published in 1994.
In 1959, drag queens and hustlers protested police harassment at Cooper’s Donuts in downtown Los Angeles, a popular gay hangout. In 1966, there were demonstrations and riots against similar mistreatment at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco. As patrons of the Black Cat Bar in L.A. rang in 1967, police raided the gay establishment, arresting those dressed in drag or kissing a member of the same sex. Gay Angelenos responded with multiple protests, and the Black Cat demonstrations led to the publication of a newsletter that became The Advocate.
The first annual observance in support of LGBTQ+ rights were the Reminder Day Pickets in Philadelphia. The demonstrations were held each July 4 from 1965 to 1969 at Independence Hall. Pioneering activists including Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny were involved in the protests. After Stonewall, organizers of the Reminder Day Pickets suggested commemorating that date in the last weekend of June. See Library of Congress footage of a 1968 Reminder Day event below.
The first Pride marches or parades observing the Stonewall anniversary came in 1970 in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Activists were encouraged by the turnout and began planning repeat annual events, and other cities soon took up the cause. Boston’s first one came in 1971, Dallas’s and Philadelphia’s in 1972, Seattle’s in 1974, Washington, D.C.’s in 1975, and on and on. Pride celebrations spread overseas too; London’s first was in 1972, Sydney’s in 1978, Montreal’s in 1979. The international WorldPride was first held in Rome in 2000; Washington, D.C., is hosting it this year.
Now Pride is observed in cities large and small, and not always on the Stonewall anniversary, for reasons of convenience and more. For instance, in Palm Springs, Calif., located in a desert area, June is too scorching for parades, so Pride is held in early November. Los Angeles and West Hollywood usually hold Pride in early to mid-June, and in other cities it happens in July, August, or later. Tokyo holds Pride in April, Rio de Janeiro in November.
A look back on the first gay pride parade in LAyoutu.be
Spreading Pride to a week or a month
Some cities began celebrating a Pride Week in the 1970s, sometimes with official recognition from political leaders. For instance, Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman declared a Gay Pride Week in 1977. Now mayors, governors, and more are declaring Pride Month.
In 1999, Bill Clinton became the first U.S. president to proclaim June as Pride Month — it was then dubbed Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Clinton was and is a Democrat; when Republican George W. Bush moved into the White House, he declined to recognize the month. When the next Democratic president, Barack Obama, took office in 2009, he began proclaiming LGBT Pride Month annually.
Again, with Donald Trump, a Republican president failed to declare Pride Month, although he sent out a tweet in 2019 calling for “solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation.” It amounted to “be grateful we don’t execute you,” as The Advocate’s headline noted.
Happily, with Democrat Joe Biden, Pride Month again has White House recognition. This year’s proclamation, issued Friday, declared June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month. “I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQI+ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high,” he wrote.
The burgeoning of Dyke Marches, Black Pride, and trans events.
As Pride celebrations spread, many women, people of color, and trans people became frustrated that they, like LGBTQ+ activist groups and society at large, were dominated by white cisgender men. So they not only fought to make general Pride celebrations more inclusive but founded their own.
The first Dyke Marches were held in 1993 in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Events centering queer women were held sporadically in cities around the nation before then, but they didn’t become continual occurrences. After 1993, many other cities began holding Dyke Marches.
Annual Black LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations have been held since 1991, with DC Black Pride being the first. These events are now in U.S. cities from coast to coast and in many other countries as well.
Trans people have often been marginalized even in the LGBTQ+ community, despite the importance of trans activists such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera to Stonewall and the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ movement. Trans people and drag queens have sometimes even been barred from Pride parades. So in the 21st century, trans marches have been organized in many cities, with San Francisco’s, which started in 2004, being most likely the largest and oldest.
Weathering storms
Since the beginning of Pride celebrations in 1970, the queer movement has faced many challenges, from hostile politicians and religious leaders to internal dissension. Pride parades in large cities are now big enough that marchers and onlookers can ignore any anti-LGBTQ+ protesters who show up, and in progressive areas, politicians are eager to participate in Pride parades and festivals, which certainly wasn’t always the case. The AIDS epidemic devastated the community, but Pride went on, and the fight against the disease birthed many fierce activists. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of numerous Pride events, but celebrations have come back strong now. And debates have raged about whether corporate sponsorship of Pride is a good or a bad thing and whether the participation of uniformed police is appropriate. These debates will undoubtedly continue to go on, but so will Pride — both for veteran activists and the new generations coming out.
Just in time for Pride, a new tour on Boston’s historic Freedom Trail highlights the history of the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
The Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour promises to reveal Boston’s history on marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as the lives and loves of some of the local community’s famed figures – including one world-famous actress and one Revolutionary War hero.
The Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour is roughly one mile long and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. The tour route is varied, going through parks and streets, and follows the larger 2.5-mile-long Freedom Trail.
The tour begins on the Boston Common next to the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial. Shaw was an abolitionist who raised and led the 54th, comprised of Black soldiers, into battle in the Civil War. The 1989 film Glory detailed the exploits of Shaw and the soldiers.
The first stop on the Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour is the historic Massachusetts State House. Completed in January 1798, the building is considered a classic example of Federal architecture and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Elaine Noble, the nation’s first out LGBTQ+ state legislator, served within its hallowed halls. Sworn into office on New Year’s Day 1975 by then-Gov. Michael Dukakis, Noble served two terms in the state legislature.
The next stop on the tour is the historic Park Street Church atop Beacon Hill. The church was founded in 1809 and the current structure opened its doors in 1810. Park Street Church provided an early platform for 19th-century activists to speak out against slavery. Abolitionist Edward Beecher, brother of early Black activist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin), became the church’s pastor in 1826. Fellow anti-slavery activist and noted author, publisher, and speaker William Lloyd Garrison delivered a speech in the church in 1829.
The tour’s final stop is the Old Corner Bookstore. The building housed the publisher Ticknor and Fields, which published such noted American titles as The Scarlet Letter, Walden, and TheMidnight Ride of Paul Revere.
The Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour runs on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 10:45 a.m., but only for June. Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $8 for children. You can learn more and purchase tickets at thefreedomtrail.org.
The National Park Service will allow employees to participate in celebratory parades and events in uniform, a departure from earlier memos to staff membersweeks before the start of LGBTQ Pride Month that effectively banned such uniformed employees from marching in public events.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland clarified the policy for Special Emphasis Programs — which includes programming about the LGBTQ community — in a memo to staff members Friday. She did not directly address Pride Month, which begins Saturday.
“I am directing Bureau leaders or their designated officials to determine how and when bureaus should participate in these externally organized events. This could include marching units in parades, booths at parades, events etc. This would allow employees to participate in uniform representing their respective bureau. This direction takes effect immediately,” Haaland wrote in the memo.
She added, “Bureau leaders or designated officials must apply consistent criteria for determining the appropriate nature of participation.”
The park service and the Interior Department shared copies of the memo in response to a request for comment. NPS added that it “is working on implementation guidance for parks.”
A previous department memo shared with NBC News asked employees to refrain from “participating in or attending any demonstration or public event wherein the wearing of the uniform could be construed as agency support for a particular issue, position, or political party.” While that memo did not directly address Pride Month, a follow-up Q&A document shared with NBC News said external Pride events were included in the policy.
The memo caused confusion in the department, according to park service staffers, because it appeared to be a departure from how the agency has previously enforced certain policies.
Haaland appeared to address the confusion in her memo, writing: “We have an obligation to implement policy fairly and equitably. My hope is that this direction addresses any implementation questions or confusion as we enter a number of Special Emphasis Months.”
NPS affirmed in a social media post last week that “National parks are for everyone” alongside an image of the Stonewall Inn, the site of a historic 1969 uprising in New York City that sparked the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The park service oversees the Stonewall National Monument, across the street from the bar.
The park service said in the caption that it celebrates “the contributions of LGBTQ+ Americans past and present, including our team of employees, partners and volunteers.”
“Drag is joy, but it’s under attack. Our very existence, our self-expression, our art — all of it is being threatened. And we’ve had enough.”
That’s the opening salvo of Qommittee, a group of drag performers banding together to protect and promote their art form, as it announced its formation ahead of June’s LGBTQ Pride Month.
“We’ve always had to fight tooth and nail for our place in this world,” the group said in a news release Wednesday. “But now, we’re also battling a tidal wave of hate — doxxing, harassment, death threats, armed protests, bombings, and even shootings.”
Qommittee consists of about 10 drag performers nationwide who have experienced, directly or indirectly, threats, harassment or violence related to their art form. One had a venue firebombed in Ohio; one performed at Club Q in Colorado Springs and helped victims the night of the shooting there that killed five people; and one worked at Club Q and at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where a gunman killed 49 people in 2016.
Qommittee says it hopes, among other things, to connect drag performers and communities lacking in local support to resources including legal aid and therapy. It may also help performers and venues navigate the business.
The group is already working to create dialogue between its members and local law enforcement agencies, organizers said.
“The Qommittee stands as a kind of a central hub for other communities across the country, the performance communities across the country, to find resources to help them, whether it is negotiating with venues or … helping defend against the many protests against drag shows that we’ve seen,” said Qommittee President B Williams, a drag king who performs in Washington, D.C., as Blaq Dinamyte.
In recent years, conservative activists and politicians have complained about what they call the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children by drag performers, often via popular drag story hours, in which performers read age-appropriate materials to children, or drag brunches, whose venues generally warn patrons of material unsuitable for children.
There is a dearth of evidence that drag performers harm children. Just last week, a jury awarded more than $1 million to an Idaho performer who accused a far-right blogger of defaming him by falsely claiming he exposed himself to a crowd that included children.
Still, the idea of drag as a threat has caught on as another form of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Opponents have even shown up to drag events with guns. At least five states have passed laws in recent years restricting performances in some fashion, but courts in some of them have put enforcement on hold.
As Pride Month approaches, it’s important to remember that drag is not just an art, but also an industry that fosters entrepreneurship and creates jobs, said community organizer Scott Simpson, who helped connect the members of Qommittee. The fans should get involved, too, he said.
“The time to really come together is now. The time to come together is when we’re having joyful moments together,” said Simpson, who also works for the unaffiliated Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “I mean, drag’s the revolution. And we want to keep the revolution going.”
The Iraqi government should immediately reverse the recently passed law that punishes same-sex conduct and transgender expression with imprisonment, Human Rights Watch said today. The law violates fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association, privacy, equality, and nondiscrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Iraq.
On April 27, 2024, Iraq’s parliament passed the anti-LGBT law as an amendment to the country’s existing “Law on Combatting Prostitution,” No. 8 of 1988. The new law punishes same-sex relations with a penalty of between 10 and 15 years in prison as well as allowing for a prison term between 1 and 3 years for people who undergo or perform gender-affirming medical interventions and for “imitating women.” The law also provides for 7 years in prison and a fine between 10 million Iraqi dinars (US$7,700) and 15 million dinars (US$11,500) for “promoting homosexuality,” which is undefined.
“The Iraqi parliament’s passage of the anti-LGBT law rubber-stamps the Iraqi government’s appalling record of rights violations against LGBT people and is a serious blow to fundamental human rights,” said Rasha Younes, interim LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch. “The law adds insult to injury for LGBT people in Iraq, who are already facing violence and threats to their lives.”
Though consensual same-sex conduct was not previously explicitly criminalized in Iraq, the authorities have historically used vague “morality” laws to prosecute LGBT people. The introduction of the anti-LGBT law follows months of hostile rhetoric against sexual and gender minorities by Iraqi officials, as well as government crackdowns on human rights groups. Previous proposed amendments to the anti-prostitution law would have imposed the death penalty for same-sex relations, but this provision did not appear in the final version.
The new law, which Human Rights Watch reviewed, equates same-sex relations with “sexual perversion,” which it defines as “repeated sexual relations between members of the same sex … if occurring more than three times.”
The new law also specifically targets transgender women. It allows for a prison term between one and three years or with a fine between 5 million dinars (US$3,800) and 10 million dinars (US$7,700) for “imitating women,” which it defines as “wearing makeup and women’s clothing” or “appearing as women” in public spaces.
The law prohibits hormone therapy and what it calls “sex change” based on personal desire, as well as any attempt to change one’s gender identity, punishable by prison terms between one and three years. The same penalty applies to any surgeon or other doctor who performs gender-affirming surgery. The law makes an exception for cases of people born with intersex traits, when a surgeon is performing an operation to “normalize” the sex characteristics into classical male or female aesthetics.
Iraq’s new anti-LGBT law builds on and reflects an increasing effort by anti-LGBT legislators to explicitly make same-sex relations and transgender expression a criminal offense. The immediate precursor to the law passed in April was a bill introduced on August 15, 2023, by Raad Al-Maliki, an independent member of parliament.
If passed in its original form, the bill would have punished same-sex relations with the death penalty or life in prison, punished “promoting homosexuality” with a minimum of seven years in prison and a fine, and criminalized “imitating women” with up to a three-year sentence. In introducing the bill, Al-Maliki said its purpose was to “preserve the entity of the Iraqi society from deviation and calls for ‘paraphilia’ [abnormal sexual impulses] that have invaded the world.”
The introduction of the 2023 bill in turn followed a proposed anti-LGBT law put forward by legislators in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In September 2022, members of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament introduced the “Bill on the Prohibition of Promoting Homosexuality.” Under the bill, anyone who advocates for LGBT rights or “promotes homosexuality” would face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to five million dinars (US$3,430). The bill would also suspend, for up to one month, the licenses of media companies and civil societyorganizations that “promote homosexuality.”
Although the bill was not passed, it was introduced amid a heightened crackdown on free assembly and expression in the Kurdistan region. On May 31, 2023, a court in the region ordered the closure of Rasan Organization over “its activities in the field of homosexuality.”
On August 8, 2023, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission issued a directive ordering all media outlets to replace the term “homosexuality” with “sexual deviance” in their published and broadcast language and banning use of the term “gender.”
Iraqi authorities’ continued attacks against LGBT people and activists violate their basic rights, including their right to privacy, free movement, free expression, assembly, and association, including on the internet, as well as their right to nondiscrimination and protection under the law. The abuses violate Iraq’s Constitution and international treaties to which Iraq is a party.
Unequal protection against violence and unequal access to justice are prohibitedunder international law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in its articles 2 and 26, guarantees fundamental human rights and equal protection of the law without discrimination. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, the international expert body that provides authoritative interpretations of the covenant, has made clear that sexual orientation is a status protected against discrimination under these provisions. Similarly, the Arab Charter on Human Rights, of which Iraq is a member, affirms these rights.
“Relentless abuses against LGBT people in Iraq, starting with the family and stretching into every aspect of their public life, not only results in the deaths but makes people’s lives unlivable,” Younes said. “The Iraqi government should immediately repeal the anti-LGBT law and end the cycle of violence and impunity against LGBT people.”
