The New York Times’ trans coverage has been the subject of strong controversy for the last few years, with the newspaper itself making headlines for how its stories platformed anti-trans groups instead of real trans individuals. Author and trans activist Riki Wilchins set out to chronicle that phenomenon. In Wilchins’s new book, Bad Ink: How The […]
Category: News
Posted inCommunity
Panel of LGBTQ+ experts highlights concerns over Project 2025
This week, News is Out hosted a live virtual panel event, “Project 2025: The Impact on the LGBTQ+ community. The event was moderated by Dana Piccoli from News Is Out and Christopher Kane, senior politics reporter at Washington Blade, provided a comprehensive overview of Project 2025. They were joined by special guests Chasten Buttigieg, Rep. […]
Posted inCommunity
HRC releases latest Congressional scorecards: Who scored the highest…and lowest?
This week, the Human Rights Campaign released its annual Congressional Scorecard. The scorecard is a tool used to assess the voting records of members of Congress on issues related to LGBTQ+ rights. It tracks how senators and representatives vote on key legislation affecting the LGBTQ+ community, such as anti-discrimination protections and transgender rights. According to […]
Posted inSports
Exploring LGBTQ+ visibility in the WNBA: Players, partners and Pride
The WNBA finals were in full swing, and the lesbians were playing to win. In a stunning upset, the Minnesota Lynx team beat the New York Liberty 95-93 in overtime in game one of the WNBA finals on Oct. 10. It was a nail-biter as the Lynx flipped a 15-point deficit into an amazing turnaround […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
How local LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-ran media organizations are at risk, and what is being done to help
A 2023 report from Northwestern University found that local news deserts are occurring at an alarming rate. There are 204 counties in the United States without a local media outlet, and 228 U.S. counties are currently on a watch list for losing theirs out of 1,562 counties with only one local news source. This includes newspapers, […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Why LGBTQ+ spaces beyond bars matter: Connecting without the crowds
I’m lucky enough to live in a city with multiple gay bars. From the Pride Stairs of Woody’s to the drag shows of Missy B’s, Kansas City has a bar for every type of queer person out there. Or, so I’ve heard. The truth is, I’ve never been to any of them. Admitting this can be a little […]
Posted inTop Stories
New report reveals 73% of LGBTQ+ centers face rising threats amid anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric
A new report by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and CenterLink reveals that LGBTQ+ community centers across the U.S. are facing increasing threats and harassment, much of it driven by anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric. According to the 2024 LGBTQ Community Center Survey Report, 73% of the LGBTQ centers surveyed reported experiencing anti-LGBTQ threats or harassment in […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
Queer tech firm CEO takes a nonlinear approach to autism diagnoses
When it comes to a wealth of experience, subject matter expertise, and an interest in solving a complex problem, entrepreneur Amanda “Mandy” Ralston fits the bill. Her work offers a unique solution with the potential to improve people’s lives. “I don’t take myself that seriously, but I do take my ideas very seriously, and most […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Video games with powerful LGBTQ+ representation you should try
LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream gaming is fairly new, but games with queer themes have always existed. Throughout the last decade, dozens of games have been released that include gay, lesbian, and trans characters, among other identities. Today we’re bringing you a compilation of the most impactful queer stories you can experience in video games, complete […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
National efforts to preserve LGBTQ+ history gain momentum with Demuth Foundation
When Abigail Baer arrived at the Demuth Foundation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania six years ago after being hired as its executive director, she discovered visitors to the historic residence and studio of the late artist Charles Demuth left without learning much about the celebrated master watercolorist. One detail about his life that largely went unmentioned was […]
Posted inTop Stories
News is Out to host virtual Project 2025 panel with special guests on 10/23
What is Project 2025 and how would it impact the LGBTQ+ community if it came to pass? Learn more about this controversial conservative playbook in a virtual discussion with News is Out and special guests Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (PA), Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis, Charlotte Clymer, Kevin Jennings (Lambda Legal), Janelle Perez (LPAC), Rep. Julie Johnson (TX) […]
Posted inTop Stories
Corporate America’s embrace of LGBTQ+ rights shaped history. What’s next for allyship?
Special to News is Out from the LGBT History Project. “The evolution of a company’s policies and branding and reputation is a lifelong work-in-progress,” said Bob Witek, a pioneering LGBTQ+ business leader and communications strategist. Concepts like DEI are mainstream today, and advertising to LGBTQ+ customers is commonplace — but neither were the norm thirty years […]
Posted inCommunity
A brief history of National Coming Out Day
October 11 is National Coming Out Day, an LGBTQ+ holiday celebrated for the last 36 years. With renewed attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, events like National Coming Out Day are especially important. But what’s the history of this pivotal day in LGBTQ+ history? Keith Haring’s artwork used for NCOD. Photo: HRC Records […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Revisiting “Friends”: The show’s complicated relationship with LGBTQ+ issues
Friends trampled its competitors in the Neilson ratings throughout the 1990s and 2000s and ushered in a new era of non-family-oriented sitcoms. Centered on six pals in their late 20s to early 30s, the NBC phenomenon hugged audiences tight with relatable storylines about living young and having fun in New York City. 30 years after […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Nico Lang’s book, “American Teenager,” shines a thoughtful spotlight on the everyday lives of trans youth
Early on in Nico Lang’s debut book, “American Teenager,” readers meet Wyatt, a transgender teen living in South Dakota. A sensitive and kind ballet student, Wyatt and his family open their hearts and home to Lang. Wyatt, who was 15 at the time of Lang’s interview, shares that he had to grow up fast as […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Trans artist Nonamey finds community, inspiration in Portland
San Francisco has the first-ever Transgender District, the Office of Trans Initiatives, a designated month to honor trans history, and the status as a sanctuary city for trans and gender-nonconforming people, but there’s another trans-embracing metropolis on the West Coast: Portland. It’s where multimedia artist Nonamey calls home. “It’s the city where I feel, in […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
Lesbian software developer seeks to preserve lost LGBTQ+ history
Up until the early 2010s, if you searched “Babe Ruth” in the Baseball Hall of Fame, nothing would pop up. To find information on the greatest baseball player of all time, you would have to search “Ruth, George Herman.” That is the way online archival systems were set up and there was a clear problem […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
15 films and tv series about LGBTQ+ history and where to find them
While LGBTQ+ history is rich, it’s often not taught or widely known to a mainstream audience. Much of our history is hidden in the annals of archives or through oral tradition. How can we look to the future when we remain unclear about our past? This history month, we’re examining how our stories have been […]
Posted inCommunity
Breaking the silence: LGBTQ+ domestic violence too often overlooked
Myth: Domestic violence occurs only in straight relationships. Fact: Domestic violence occurs in LGBTQ+ relationships at a higher rate than the general population. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Williams Institute, about 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner. So have 26% […]
Posted inHistory
Biden’s acknowledgment of LGBTQ+ History Month ‘consequential’
President Joe Biden signed a letter acknowledging Equality Forum’s LGBTQ+ History Month launch event held on Sunday, writing that, “by celebrating stories of bravery, resilience and joy, your example inspires hope in all people seeking a life true to who they are.” Malcolm Lazin, Equality Forum executive director, said Biden’s letter is “consequential.” He noted […]
