LGBTQ

Rights groups and lawyers in Nigeria say the West African nation's law enforcement authorities are using the country’s same-sex prohibition law to target the LGBTQ+ community while ignoring abuses against them.

The event started in 1996 and is the world’s second-oldest Black LGBTQ+ Pride.

From a block party in New York City to a movie screening outside of Denver, groups across the U.S. have found ways to merge Pride month and Juneteenth celebrations.

Balls are safe places for Black and brown LGBTQ+ people to be free from the constraints of the outside world.

Corktown Health is opening the first LGBTQ+ affirming nonprofit dental clinic in Michigan with support from the Delta Dental Foundation.

This list provides links and information to support, healthcare, legal resources, and more for LGBTQ+ people and allies.

Movie Nights in the D will return to Campus Martius Park next month for a summer of free movies under the stars, the Downtown Detroit Partnership announced Wednesday.

Ugandan lawmakers have passed a new version of an anti-gay bill to remove a clause which appeared to criminalize identifying as LGBTQ.

A prominent leader of Uganda’s LGBTQ community says he is worried about becoming “homeless,” describing anguished calls by others like him who are concerned for their safety after the passing of a tough new anti-gay law.

Hundreds of people attended the Lapeer District Library board meeting Thursday after the county prosecutor raised concerns about a book in the public library’s collection.

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Thursday that will permanently outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the state.

Gov. Tim Walz has signed an executive order protecting the rights of LGBTQ people from Minnesota and other states to seek and receive gender affirming health care.

Police in Kenya are investigating the death of a local LGBTQ activist whose body was found stuffed in a metal box.

North Carolina drag performers and LGBTQ community members fear for their safety after an attack on the electrical grid in Moore County left tens of thousands without power for several days.

The Livonia City Council rejected a proposed ordinance to extend protections for its LGBTQ+ members.

Radina, who was elected to the city council in 2020, will be the first openly gay mayor pro tem in the past 20 years.

In the mostly conservative city of Colorado Springs, Club Q has long been a go-to spot for members of the LGBTQ community — a safe space where many felt they could just be themselves.

There are many reasons to criticize FIFA for the way they’ve handled the Men’s World Cup that is about to begin in Qatar, and at the top of that list is that they chose to have it in a nation with egregious human rights violations.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office says a former employee posted anti-LGBTQ comments on the department’s official Twitter account.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department has a mystery on its hands as someone has hijacked the department’s official Twitter account and has decided to tweet anti-LGBTQ content to an actress.

It has been a controversial issue in Dearborn, and Monday, the school district addressed what it plans to do with several books deemed inappropriate by some parents.

Across the country, LGBTQ+ candidates broke barriers Tuesday as part of a new generation of politicians elected to office. In a historic first, LGBTQ+ Americans were on the ballot in all 50 states, a record 678 candidates.

An embattled western Michigan library targeted by residents opposed to LGBTQ materials on its shelves has lost most of its funding with the latest failure of the renewal of a property tax millage.

Hundreds of people packed a Dearborn school to passionately discuss banning six books some say are inappropriate for school-age children.

After an angry crowd shut down Monday’s Dearborn School Board meeting, the district is moving the continuation of the discussion to a larger venue for Thursday.

Several hundred people have joined an LGBTQ pride march in Montenegro that was held amid strong opposition from the influential Serbian Orthodox Church in the small conservative Balkan country.

Hundreds of people have gathered in Montenegro for a protest led by the Serbian Orthodox Church against holding an LGBTQ pride march this weekend.

A house cat in Farmington Hills has literally grown its way right into the record books.

U-M in Ann Arbor has been named one of the top 40 schools in the country for having an inclusive and safe LGBTQ-friendly campus.

Kerrytown's newest business, North Star Lounge, is set to open on Saturday at 301 N. Fifth Ave.

A committee was formed to review library books in Dearborn schools, which caused a battle over books in the city, specifically on what should and should not be on the shelves. It’s an issue in communities across the country and getting heated.

According to the American Library Association, 2022 is on track to see a record attempt at banning books at public libraries, universities, and schools which is why librarians in Royal Oak are bringing awareness to book bans with a riff on a Rock and Roll concert shirt.

Thousands of opponents of a pan-European LGBTQ event planned for this week in Belgrade marched through the Serbian capital on Sunday despite an announced ban of Europe’s largest annual gay gathering.

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for an LGBTQ group to gain official recognition from a Jewish university in New York, though that may not last.

Entertainment at the event includes drag storytime, a kid’s zone, a bouncy house, a drag show and belly dancing.

Social media sensation JoJo Siwa will be honored by the LGBTQ education group GLSEN next month for her anti-bullying and advocacy efforts.

Two Metro Detroit universities are being recognized for having some of the most LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices in the state.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, join Ann Arbor YMCA for its intergenerational LGBTQ+ Family & Friends Dinner Dance between 5-8 p.m.

A 35-year-old man from Indiana was sentenced on Wednesday on charges that he targeted members of the LGBTQ community in Metro Detroit.

A western Michigan library faces an uncertain future after a flap over LGBTQ material on its shelves led to the failure of the renewal of a property tax millage that funds most of its budget.

The Michigan Supreme Court said that the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s sexual orientation.

Pressure is mounting on a French government minister to quit over comments stigmatizing homosexuality and LGBTQ people.

Getting our teenagers to talk about their feelings is difficult, especially if they’re struggling. But checking in on our children’s mental health is vital, and if they won’t talk to us, then where can they go where they might feel comfortable sharing?

Community members are demanding action Monday night after a Berkley City Councilman opposes the city’s upcoming pride block party, saying he holds deep religious beliefs that homosexuality is wrong.

As we all know, June is Pride Month, and it’s a time for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and celebrate being out and proud.

The Motor City Pride Festival draws more than 40,000 people to Downtown Detroit.

Have you ever had dreams of starring in a Broadway show and singing your heart out to hundreds of people in a packed New York theater?

June 1 marks the beginning of LGBTQ Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

If you are looking to celebrate the month, check out these events happening around Michigan.

Michigan political leaders, police, and prosecutors are speaking out and pushing for change to protect the LGBTQ+ community.

The Michigan Supreme Court is being urged to overturn key decisions and extend the state’s anti-discrimination law to gays and lesbians.

Florida House Republicans have advanced a bill to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, rejecting criticism from Democrats who said the proposal demonizes LGBTQ people.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a Colorado web designer who says her religious beliefs prevent her from offering wedding website designs to gay couples.

A new study says that LGBTQ representation on TV series has grown along with the footprint of streaming services.

Emmy-nominated “Pose” star Michaela Jaé “Mj” Rodriguez will be honored at the GLAAD Media Awards.

France has a new law that bans so-called conversion therapies and authorizes jail time and fines for practitioners who use the scientifically discredited practice to attempt to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said it is committed to ensuring LGBTQ+ families feel welcome and valued as foster and adoptive parents.

A federal judge in Michigan has tossed a lawsuit brought by two gay corrections officers, ruling some of their discrimination claims weren’t sufficiently proven and that statutes of limitation barred others.

Considered to be the first openly gay man in Michigan, Toy’s lifetime of tireless advocacy has impacted the Washtenaw County LGBTQ community in countless ways.

Police violence is among the myriad challenges that LGBTQ people experience in Tunisia, and observers say officers who can dispense beatings with impunity are becoming increasingly brazen.

If the Supreme Court decides to overturn or gut the decision that legalized abortion, some fear that it could undermine other precedent-setting cases, including civil rights and LGBTQ protections.

The Michigan Supreme Court won't hear the appeal of an LGBTQ-rights ballot committee that contended officials wrongly disqualified tens thousands of signatures it submitted for an initiative to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, and for many LGBTQ+ Americans, there are many reasons to celebrate their Pride.

Between construction and COVID, Motor City Pride is back after 15 months.

Just like Kesha said in her hit song “Tik Tok,” well, “the party don’t start till I walk in,” and that goes for her Kesha Cruise that is setting sail in 2022.

Between 1-5 p.m., families can enjoy the annual LGBTQ+ pride event in the gymnasium of the downtown Ann Arbor YMCA branch.

Liliana Reyes and Jeynce Poindexter work to help other women in Metro Detroit through the Ruth Ellis Center and at the Trans Sistas of Color Project.

The Michigan elections board has declined to certify an LGBTQ-rights ballot drive because it didn't submit enough voter signatures.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel made history as the first openly gay person elected to a Michigan statewide office.

A woman from Ann Arbor became the first openly gay person in the country to be elected to political office 47 years ago.

California has added five more states including Florida to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community.

President Joe Biden is celebrating Pride Month at the White House, a reflection of the growing stature of the LGBTQ community at the highest level of government.

As we all know, June is Pride Month, and what better way to celebrate the rainbow flag than listening to some music made by those in the LGBTQ community?

Las Vegas Raiders football player Carl Nassib made history Monday when he became the first active NFL player to come out of the closet.

It’s Pride Month!

The COVID pandemic has led to a dramatic rise in death by suicide for young people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Affirmations, an LGBTQ+ community center in Ferndale, is making some changes.

The group will operate under the UAW Constitution’s standing committees on Civil and Human Rights. UAW President Rory L. Gamble believes that the formation of the group was long overdue.

For years, Ferndale has been the epicenter of Pride Month events in Metro Detroit.

Michigan Human is partnering with the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit to support both the LGBTQ community, as well as animals that are in need of finding a forever home -- all at the same time.

Midwest Regional Youth Poet Laureate and Ann Arbor native, Faye Harrison, is in the running for the National Youth Poet Laureate award.

Caitlyn Jenner's Republican campaign for California governor has elicited angry reaction from some members of the LGBTQ community.

Caitlyn Jenner's Republican campaign for California governor has elicited angry reaction from some members of the LGBTQ community.

A new exhibition in downtown Ann Arbor translates University of Michigan research into art.

More than 400 companies __ including Tesla, Pfizer, Delta Air Lines and Amazon __ have signed on to support civil rights legislation for LGBTQ people that is moving through Congress.

Ann Arbor councilman Jeff Hayner (D-Ward 1) has been stripped of all Council committees through the end of the year.

Arizona lawmakers have approved changes to sex education laws that make them some of the strictest in the nation when it comes to teaching about LGBTQ issues.

On Wednesday, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit issued a Prosecutor’s Office’s Directive on respecting the gender identity of transgender, intersex and gender-nonconforming community members.

The percentage of regularly seen LGBTQ characters on streaming as well as prime-time broadcast TV and cable during the 2020-21 season fell. Prime-time broadcast fell to 9.1% after reaching an all-time high of 10.2% last season. GLAAD's report, “Where We Are on TV,” found that 70 out of 773 series regular characters on broadcast scripted prime-time TV were LGBTQ. The group found good news on the second request in the latest study — over half of LGBTQ characters on cable television were people of color, meeting GLAAD’s challenge. The advocacy group noted that nearly half of all LGBTQ representation in prime-time scripted cable is seen on just three networks — FX, Freeform and Showtime.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Jim Toy Community Center announced Tuesday that the doors of its physical office space, located at 319 Braun Court, would close at the end of January. Jim Toy Community Center has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the expenses of the volunteer-run nonprofit. If you can, please help by contributing to the GoFundMe Campaign to ensure a vibrant and active countywide #LGBTQ resource center exists in the future. After the Jim Toy Community Center board of directors meeting in December, Joe Schoch was elected as board president in 2021. He is replacing Travis Radina, who was elected as an Ann Arbor City Council member representing Ward 3 in November.

DETROIT – The Nasdaq stock exchange is seeking U.S. authority to require more diversity in the boardrooms of Nasdaq-listed companies, or for those companies to explain why they can not. The proposal filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, if approved, would require all companies listed on the exchange to publicly disclose consistent, transparent diversity statistics about their board of directors. It would require most Nasdaq-listed companies to have, or explain why they don’t have, at least two diverse directors. This includes having one board member who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as either an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ. Foreign companies and smaller reporting companies would have additional flexibility.

While most Americans continued awaiting the presidential election results, history was silently being made in Delaware. Sarah McBride, 30, made history on election night by becoming the first openly transgender person to be elected to the state Senate in U.S. history. “I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too,” McBride tweeted Tuesday night after the election was called. McBride is a former spokesperson for the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign and also became the first trans person to speak at a major political convention. McBride will represent parts of Bellefonte, Claymont and Wilmington, the state’s largest city.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Starting Friday, members of Ann Arbor’s LGBTQ community and their families can take part in the Y’s new Out to Swim program. Taking place between 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Fridays, the dedicated swim time was created in response to requests from LGBTQ youth. It offers a welcoming space and opportunities for community members to socialize, according to a release by Ann Arbor YMCA. “At the Ann Arbor Y, we strive to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, income, faith, sexual orientation or cultural background has the opportunity to live life to its fullest,” Ann Arbor YMCA President and CEO Toni Kayumi said in the release. Kayumi said a dedicated swim time was discussed when the Y’s leadership team asked local LGBTQ youth about equity and inclusion programs they wanted at the Ann Arbor organization.

LOS ANGELES – An online channel devoted to women in the LGBTQ community is launching with shows including a pandemic-set romantic comedy and a paranormal drama. The channel debuts Thursday as part of Revry, a digital platform that offers free, queer-focused programming, including the 24/7 Revry News channel. “I’m overjoyed to offer a free, living and breathing space for queer female stories to be seen across the world,” Revry co-founder LaShawn McGhee said in a statement. Now called OML, it's become “a tentpole brand for the lesbian and queer female communities,” McGhee said. OML has expanded its female-driven content and outreach to a larger audience, a goal that will be enhanced by its partnership with Revry, OML founder Shirin Etessam said in a statement.

MANILA – Pope Francis’ endorsement of same-sex civil unions drew mixed reactions Thursday in the Philippines, Asia’s bastion of Catholicism, with a retired bishop saying he was scandalized by it while an LGBT group welcomed the pontiff’s remarks with relief. President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said the Philippine leader has long expressed support to same-sex civil unions but added it needed to pass through Congress. Retired Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said he “had very serious doubts about the moral correctness” of the pontiff’s position. He said it ran against long-standing church teachings, which explicitly permit only the union of man and woman whether in civil, legal or church sacramental unions. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte has long supported same-sex civil unions and the papal endorsement may finally convince legislators to give their approval.

Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, and for many LGBTQ+ Americans, there are many reasons to celebrate their Pride. National Coming Out Day has been celebrated for 32 years now, and it’s an important reminder on just how far the queer community has come since earlier times. There was an entire generation of LGBTQ Americans who had live inside the closet because of laws and discrimination. So if you’re proud to be out and want it to shout it from the rooftops, tell us about it below! If you have advice for people still in the closet struggling with their identity, maybe offer some advice, and tell us how your life has improved since coming out.

I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter himself, was the first star to make a statement on the matter. His thoughts were long, but to many “Harry Potter” fans, his words were very comforting. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that.”Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, tweeted out in support of the trans community. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.

iStock/Rikke68The Supreme Court today will hear three cases regarding LGBTQ employee rights. Jason Carr will host a live discussion at 11:30 a.m. -- watch here:Here are the key points:Supreme Court taking up LGBTQ rightsThe Supreme Court will decide whether LGBTQ employees are covered by existing discrimination laws. Lower courts have remained divided on whether the law covers sexual orientation and gender identity. The Court will be asked to interpret the word "sex" in Title VII, and whether is covers sexual orientation and gender identity. After Bostock decided to join a gay recreational softball league, the county fired him for "conduct unbecoming a county employee."

BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (CNN) - A New Jersey mayor called the LGBTQ rights movement "an affront to almighty God" at a town council meeting and warned that people who support "unrighteous laws" will be held accountable. Barnegat Township Mayor Alfonso Cirulli, a former assistant principal, began Tuesday by condemning a state law that requires LGBTQ-inclusive material be taught in public school. He said, "There is no hate or bigotry intended here," and that his comments did not represent the Barnegat Township Committee. Fuscarino said, however, that Garden State Equality has a "great working relationship" with the Barnegat school district and called Cirulli "an outlier." In a statement posted on its website, superintendent Dr. Brian Latwis wrote that the Barnegat Township School District would comply with state guidelines.