Politics · Jul 16
New Hampshire governor blocks anti-trans restroom measure for fourth time in two years
Kelly Ayotte said the bill was too broad and likely to spark litigation as Republicans said they would try again in 2027.
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Politics · Jul 16
Ossoff presses Trump intelligence nominee over 2020 election refusal
At a confirmation hearing, Jay Clayton declined to say Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential race, drawing pointed criticism from Sen. Jon Ossoff and renewed scrutiny of election denialism inside Trump’s nominees.
Law & Courts · Jul 16
Federal judge weighs whether FBI Pride-flag firing lawsuit can move into discovery
David Maltinsky, a gay former FBI employee, is urging a Washington judge to let him obtain internal records and testimony as his discrimination case against the Trump administration proceeds.
LGBTQ Rights · Jul 16
Missouri groups warn prisons against cutting gender-affirming care for trans inmates
Community organisations, a state lawmaker and faith leaders say at least two incarcerated trans people were removed from prescribed medication after Missouri officials signaled they would not enforce a court ruling.
Politics · Jul 16
Jordan Wood says ICE should be abolished as Maine Senate race sharpens after Biddeford shooting
The Maine Democrat tied the fatal ICE shooting of a Colombian man to broader questions about accountability, while also arguing that Susan Collins’s LGBTQ+ record can be used against her in November.
Politics · Jul 16
Don Lemon says he is serious about a presidential run
The former CNN anchor said he has begun thinking through the logistics of a campaign and wants voters, not big donors, to drive it.
History · Jul 16
Ohio drag troupe honored with state marker after years of fundraising for HIV and LGBTQ+ groups
The Rubi Girls, a Dayton drag troupe that has raised more than $3 million over four decades, received an official Ohio historical marker despite a cut to federal funding for LGBTQ+-related markers.
Politics · Jul 16
House Republicans mock transgender pregnancy in hearing on medical education and DEI
At an Education and Workforce Committee hearing, GOP lawmakers repeatedly fixated on “pregnant people,” drawing pushback from a UCSF dean and renewed scrutiny of anti-trans rhetoric.
Politics · Jul 16
Treasury reveals Trump dollar coin design as legal questions linger
Scott Bessent shared the new commemorative coin image for the nation’s 250th anniversary, even as federal law generally bars living people from U.S. currency.
Law & Courts · Jul 16
Idaho lawsuit keeps disputed trans restroom accusation in the spotlight
A Boise High School student’s mother says the claim was false, while a separate lawsuit now seeks damages and has revived debate over Idaho’s stalled restroom law.
Politics · Jul 16
Tillis retirement gives Democrats a new opening in 2026 Senate math, WSJ says
The Wall Street Journal editorial board argues that Donald Trump’s attacks on Thom Tillis helped create a more competitive Senate map for Democrats. The fallout also reaches health policy, with the GOP megabill still carrying Medicaid and transgender care provisions after a parliamentarian ruling.
LGBTQ Rights · Jul 15
Why trans solidarity cannot be left out when LGBTQ+ communities are under pressure
A Transgender Strategy Center leader argues that the current funding crisis and political attacks are exposing old fault lines inside the broader queer community.
Media · Jul 15
Jesse Watters insists vasectomy would make him “less of a man” during Fox News exchange
The Fox host volunteered that he has not had the procedure after a discussion about college costs on The Five, then rejected Jessica Tarlov’s point about vasectomies and masculinity.
Politics · Jul 15
Pentagon launches testosterone screening program after arguing trans care was too costly
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled annual testosterone testing for service members 30 and older, with replacement therapy available when military doctors recommend it.
Law & Courts · Jul 15
Justice Department backs Premera in appeal over transgender surgery coverage ruling
The Trump administration is asking the 9th Circuit to overturn a decision that said the insurer’s limits on gender-affirming care violated the Affordable Care Act.
Law & Courts · Jul 15
University of Kansas warns transgender employee after women’s restroom complaint
Siobhán Kirchstein says she has used the women’s restroom on campus for years and has no intention of following Kansas’s bathroom law.
News · Jul 15
Trump administration formally withdraws Biden-era foster care protections for LGBTQ+ children
The move erases a 2024 rule that would have required federally funded child welfare agencies to better identify safe placements for LGBTQ+ young people.
Sports · Jul 15
Supreme Court ruling on trans athletes raises alarms over wider civil liberties
ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio says the latest decision on school sports could do more than shape transgender rights, as Guardian reporter Sam Levin discusses the case’s political fallout.