London – The Guardian reports that the children of same-sex couples fare just as well, if not better, than those of heterosexual couples, research has shown. While data on so-called “sexual minority families” is limited, the UK’s Office for National Statistics recorded 212,000 same-sex families in the UK in 2019, a 40% rise since 2015. The number of same-sex parents rose from 4,000 in 2010 to 12,000 in 2013. A new study backs up previous research, concluding that a child’s development has little to do with their parents’ sexual orientation or gender identity. “Contrary to many concerns, our review found […]
Protest over 32 anti-LGBTQ Commonwealth nations
London – Forty, mostly African, LGBT+ protesters shouted “Stop Commonwealth homophobia” as King Charles and Commonwealth leaders arrived at Westminster Abbey March 13th for the annual Commonwealth Day service. They were demanding the repeal of anti-LGBT+ laws and “protection, not persecution.” Thirty-two out of 56 Commonwealth member states criminalize same-sex relations, in defiance of the “toothless” Commonwealth Charter. Seven have life imprisonment. The protest coincided with Uganda’s legislators proposing a vicious new Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It is one of the most repressive laws in the world. Today’s protest was supported by Out & Proud African LGBTI, African Equality Foundation and the […]
Uganda Parliament passes gay death penalty bill
Kampala, Uganda – Alex Bollinger reports for LGBTQ Nation that Uganda is moving to pass a bill allowing the death penalty for being gay and making even identifying as LGBTQ+ a crime, and the White House has come out against the bill. “We have grave concerns with the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act – AHA – by the Parliament of Uganda yesterday and increasing violence targeting LGBTQI+ persons,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “If the AHA is signed into law and enacted, it would impinge upon universal human rights, jeopardize progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, deter tourism […]
A Joyful Noise at DC’s Ford’s Theatre
Shout Sister Shout! tells the story of rock ’n’ roll’s Black godmother by Chuck Duncan Anyone familiar with music history, particularly the advent of the rock era, is sure to know that Elvis Presley is the King of Rock and Roll. What a lot of people don’t know is that Elvis’s musical style was not initially his own – it was something he honed into his own, as did many others of the time, such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. Their style of music grew out of the blues, jazz, and gospel of Black musicians that white audiences […]
Trans Health Equity Act Passes Maryland Senate
Governor Moore says he’ll sign The Trans Health Equity Act has passed in the Maryland Senate and was heading to governor Wes Moore, who has said he will sign the bill. “We should not be asking any Marylander to validate their humanity. We should not be asking any Marylander to try to justify their humanness,” Moore told the LGBTQ+ Caucus on March 21st. The legislation would expand Maryland Medicaid benefits to cover gender-affirming procedures. “This is monumental progress for such an important bill,” FreesState Justice said in a statement. “We are proud to be part of the coalition of advocates […]
Mother suing school and those who bullied son over suicide
York County, Pennsylvania – A mother in Pennsylvania is suing her town’s school district and six students over bullying she says led to her 15-year-old son’s suicide. Zachary Kirchner took his own life in the basement of his family home in southeastern York County, Pennsylvania in April 2021. He had told classmates he wanted to kill himself. His death followed years of harassment by students and neglect by school administrators in the Red Lion School District, according to the lawsuit filed by Kirchner’s mom, Hope Amspacher. “Student defendants relentlessly harassed, belittled, and broke down decedent by telling him to ‘Kill […]
Minor-league baseball player comes out
Chicago – Although scant attention was paid to the announcement by American press, the UK LGBTQ website Gay Times recently reported a story about a team member of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, a White Sox-owned Single A Team player who recently announced he’s gay. “This may be my most personal thing I ever share, and it’s that I’m proudly and happily part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Anderson Comas posted to his Instagram account on February 19th. The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are owned by the Chicago White Sox and identified as a Single A Team, which is more or less a […]
My Path Has Changed
Welcome back to Trans Lives. It’s been a while since I have written to you all and I miss you. COVID really put a damper on life for us all. In December 2021, after having all my shots including my booster, I still tested positive with COVID. My time with COVID was very mild and I tested negative after a week. The question I ask myself lately is whose path will I follow, mine or God’s? Well, that question has been answered, and I know whose path I will follow. I feel life’s journey and sometimes is never the way […]
How Life Insurance Can Make Life Easier
Hints for neatening up one of life’s loose ends Life insurance. The very mention of the term conjures up images of smooth-talking salesmen and glossy brochures. The truth is that life insurance is about security. It provides a financial cushion to those closest to you so they can carry on seamlessly after you are gone. Life insurance can also make administering your estate easier, saving your loved ones time, money, and a lot of stress. The simplest policies pay a lump sum upon your death. This money can be enormously useful in settling your affairs. For example, proceeds from the […]
Why I was an Awful Jimmy Carter …
… in my high school mock election As a high school junior in 1976, I was selected to play former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter in our mock presidential election. It taught me a lesson in politics – and the performative nature of candidacy – that is as true today as in the assembly hall of my Louisiana school nearly 50 years ago. My parents thought I should do my homework on Carter before the school event. They drove me to the local Carter for President headquarters where a campaign worker not much older than me offered an enthusiastic overview of […]