Openly gay, College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn was a progressive Democrat rising star – with over two decades of support for environmental causes, marriage equality, and civil rights – before he resigned upon his arrest on March 2nd, 2023, facing charges for collecting and reposting allegedly illegal sexually-explicit images of boys he’d found on the internet. Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisah Braveboy crafted indictments that threatened the former mayor with 360 years in prison. Wojahn has been locked up in the county jail since his arrest. Usually defendants caught simply possessing and sharing illegal internet images – most of […]
Black lesbian files federal wrongful termination suit
Pottsville, Pennsylvania – A Pottsville African-American lesbian filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in federal court last month, claiming she was fired from her job as a nursing assistant after using female pronouns to refer to her life partner during a workplace conversation. “Jane Doe” filed suit in the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Saber Healthcare Group on September 28th. She’s seeking in excess of $150,000 in damages. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani, based in Scranton. A jury trial has been requested. In September 2022, Doe, 25, began working for Saber as a certified […]
Carl Nassib, first out active NFL player, is eager to help
Tampa Bay, Florida – Carl Nassib is the first openly gay active NFL player. In 2021, as a defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, he made headlines by coming out after five seasons in the pros. Nassib was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to a family of football enthusiasts. His father played at the University of Delaware. His older brother played in the NFL. Nassib excelled in high school sports, lettering in football, basketball, and track and field. His love of athletics and exceptional success fueled his dream of one day playing professional sports. At Penn State University he […]
Lesbian bar target of arsonist
San Diego, California – Gossip Grill, a queer women’s bar in San Diego, was targeted by an arsonist at about 12:30 a.m. Friday, October 20th,, according to a post on social media. By about 1:45 that afternoon, according to NBC 7, police had a suspect in custody. NBC 7 reports that police found the suspect, 38-year-old Ryan Habrel, near the scene Friday afternoon and arrested him on charges of arson to a commercial structure and the use of an accelerant. Police said the investigation is ongoing but that there is no indication so far that the fire was a hate […]
The Bridges of Madison County at Signature Theatre: Love is Always Better
A sweeping musical romance of desire and sacrifice based on the best-selling novel. Now playing at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA for 6 weeks only, August 8-September 17, 2023.
3. Tickets and information at SigTheatre.org
North Dakota wages war on LGBTQ+ communities
Bismarck – Emily Chudy writes for PinkNews that North Dakota legislators have been widely criticized for passing a record-setting ten anti-LGBTQ+ bills in one day. The state senate passed all ten bills on April 3rd, with eight now headed to the desk of North Dakota’s Republican governor Doug Burgum, where they will either be signed into law or vetoed. Two have been returned to the state’s House of Representatives after having amendments added. The raft of horrifying legislation includes bans on trans students joining sports teams that match their gender identity, sweeping bans on gender-affirming healthcare for young people, and […]
Church holding drag event firebombed, but little damage
Chesterland, Ohio – Chanetlle Billson reports for PinkNews that police were called at around 1:00 p.m. on March 25 to a report of arson at the Community Church of Chesterland, where a Drag Queen Story Time event was due to take place. Officers found a crude, home-made Molotov cocktail bomb had hit the church, resulting in damage, along with minor scorching to the exterior. A sign had also been vandalized. The attack came as the church planned to hold the drag event, hosted by marketing and communications company The Fairmount Group. President and chief executive of The Fairmount Group, Mallory […]
Community Overload: Too much of a bad thing
I’ve had trouble lately expressing how I feel. Well to be honest, I am very overloaded by what is happening to my community. My editor finally sent me an email asking what’s up. My problem is I feel beat down. Because every time I turn on a radio or TV it’s full of hate against the transgender community. I never thought I would come out, much less end up in a war for the survival of people like me. The right of our very existence is at stake. This has been extremely draining. Even pushing me somewhat back into my […]
Breaking Free From Self-Doubt
“Internalized stigma” – I hear that phrase a lot in the spaces I frequent. I hear it so often I think it’s become a buzzword. Why do I feel bad? Internalized stigma. Why are you down on yourself? Internalized stigma. Why can’t this or that person get out of their own way? Internalized stigma. There’s very little commentary on what Internalized stigma is, just that we are having reactions to it. So … let’s define it. Overcoming internalized stigma Stigma is negative stereotypes and attitudes about a specific group of people. Internalized stigma (or “felt stigma”) is when we take […]
All About Pronouns: A guide to the perplexed
What are pronouns? Pronouns are words we use to refer to someone in the third person. Examples include they / them, she / her, and he / him. What does gender have to do with pronouns? In the English language, pronouns have historically been gendered, meaning they convey information about the person’s gender, whether that information is accurate or not. For many of us whose identity sits outside the binary or whose gender does not align with sex assigned at birth, being called by the wrong pronoun is uncomfortable and sometimes hurtful or traumatic. It’s important to not make assumptions about […]