Growing up in Chelan, Susan Little knew early being gay was unacceptable in her small town. In today’s StoryCorps Northwest, Susan and her wife Marianne Patton talk about those early days, and how much has changed for gays and lesbians since they fell in love 35 years ago. Continue Read More
A federal judge has put Idaho’s controversial transgender athletics ban on hold. The injunction will allow Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye to review the myriad constitutional questions surrounding the law, which bans transgender women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. Read More
Two new laws went into effect in Idaho recently that target transgender residents. The enactment comes on the heels of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision in June, which greatly expanded LGBTQ rights. Continue Reading New Laws Restricting Read More
The support came in the form of a court filing submitted by the U.S. Department of Justice, saying a federal judge considering a lawsuit challenging the ban should conclude that the law does not violate the U.S. Constitution. Read More
The Supreme Court says the federal ban on discrimination "based on sex" also applies to gay, lesbian, and transgender employees. Continue Reading Supreme Court Delivers Major Victory To LGBTQ EmployeesRead More
Dozens of advocacy organizations and hundreds of athletes are asking the NCAA to move college sports events out of Idaho in response to a state law that bans transgender women from participating in women’s sports. Continue Reading Read More
Trump has reversed Obama-era protections that prohibit discrimination in health care based on gender identity. Critics warn the rule could harm a vulnerable group — LGBTQ people — during a pandemic. Continue Reading Transgender Health Read More
Netflix and DreamWorks Animation have rebooted the classic 1980s cartoon She-Ra: Princess of Power. The new version updates characters from the old show to reflect a more diverse audience for kids. Continue Reading In Read More
Gov. Brad Little signed the bill Monday, March 30, with no explanation for his vote — governors occasionally, but do not always, post transmittal letters outlining their decision. No letter was posted. The most hotly debated education bill of the 2020 legislative session, House Bill 500 would ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. Read More
Washington has joined a growing coalition of states that are banning what are known as "LGBTQ panic" criminal defenses. Advocates say these defenses have resulted in reduced or shortened sentences in cases of violence against LGBTQ people. Now, both houses of the state Legislature have passed a bill that prohibits the use of those defenses. Read More
The Idaho Attorney General’s office says a bill that would ban transgender women from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity could be “constitutionally problematic” and “likely vulnerable to a court challenge.” Read More
Kennedy Catholic High School President Mike Prato was placed on leave following the "forced" resignations of two teachers who were open with administrators about their same-sex engagements. The Archdiocese of Seattle sent out a memo Tuesday afternoon announcing Prato's leave. Read More
On Feb. 12, the Idaho House Education Committee gave its initial approval to a bill designed to keep transgender students from competing in girls’ sports. That means the bill could come back at a later date for a full hearing. Read More
A group of leaders from the United Methodist Church announced a plan Friday to split the Protestant denomination over its beliefs on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. Continue Reading United Methodist Church Announces Proposal to Read More
From smartphones to LBGTQ rights, here are some of the most memorable ways in which the world has changed over the past 10 years. Continue Reading From Tech To Society, How We’ve Changed In A DecadeRead More
The dictionary publisher lauded the singular they Tuesday, noting that the tiny word has enjoyed important new uses in an English language that otherwise lacks a good gender-neutral alternative. Continue Reading Merriam-Webster Read More
The Google-owned company has faced scrutiny in the past for failing to protect its users from harassment. It announced new policies Wednesday in an attempt to address the criticism. Continue Reading YouTube Announces New Read More
The tiny independent film became a critical and box office hit by introducing mainstream audiences to a transgender hero. It fictionalized the true story of the brutal murder of Brandon Teena. Continue Reading 20 Years Later, ‘Boys Read More
Jones grew up black, gay and isolated in Texas. He chronicles his wobbly path to self-affirmation in the raw and eloquent new memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: Saeed Jones’ Read More
LGBTQ Washingtonians have had job and housing protections since 2006. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear three cases October 8 over anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ employees. Continue Reading LGBTQ Employees Are Read More
Recorded after a traumatic period in the singer's life, Gloria Gaynor's disco hit quickly found its true audience: LGBT communities, survivors of domestic violence and others pushed aside by society. Continue Reading American Read More
Researchers have long hoped to find out if genes contribute to sexual orientation. A new study of genetic data from thousands of people hints there may be some link, but it's still far from clear. Continue Reading Search For ‘Gay Gene’ Comes Read More
Friday a panel of judges ruled that in denying a transgender inmate gender confirmation surgery, the state violated the Eighth Amendment. Continue Reading Court Says Idaho Must Provide Gender Confirmation Surgery To Transgender Read More
Twiggy Pucci Garçon got her start competing at drag balls — now, she's the runway routine choreographer for the FX show Pose, which celebrates ball culture in New York City in the '80s and '90s. Continue Reading ‘Pose’ Choreographer Read More
The Supreme Court is throwing out an Oregon court ruling against bakers who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court Refers Oregon Same-Sex Wedding Cake Case Back To State Read More
New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill admitted police actions were "wrong" during the Stonewall riot, a landmark in the LGBTQ rights movement. Continue Reading NYPD Commissioner Apologizes For ‘Oppressive’ 1969 Raid On Read More
In a unanimous decision Thursday, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld its earlier decision against a Richland florist who refused to sell wedding flowers to a gay couple. Continue Reading Washington Supreme Read More
In her U.S. debut as Don Giovanni, Lucia Lucas became the first known trans person to sing a principal role on an American opera stage. Continue Reading ‘They Know That I’m The Real Deal’: Transgender Read More
A federal agency issued a proposed rule Friday that rolls back Obama-era protections for transgender patients. Advocates for transgender people say the rule leaves them vulnerable to discrimination. Continue Reading Trump Read More
Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Christopherson is a thoughtful songwriter with a powerful sense of perspective. Continue Reading Don’t ‘Erase Me’ Says Quinn Christopherson In Winning NPR’s 2019 Tiny Desk Read More
Texas legislators are considering a bill that would allow professionals to deny service to people based on religious beliefs. Critics say the law would sanction discrimination against LGBT Texans. Continue Reading Business Leaders Oppose Read More
The court is poised to decide whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to sexual orientation and gender identity, along with factors such as race, religion, sex and national origin. Continue Reading Supreme Court Read More
A new HBO show takes on the life of Anne Lister, a real-life British landowner of the 1830s whose voluminous coded diaries detailed her extensive — and sometimes open — love affairs with women. Continue Reading In Read More
Lady Gaga's 2011 megahit has been praised as inclusive and criticized as exploitative. But there's a little history to the song's origins that isn't often discussed. Continue Reading American Anthem: How ‘Born This Way’ Was Born Read More
Bayard Rustin's legacy as a leading figure in the civil rights movement is little known today, even among many history buffs and within the LGBTQ community. His homosexuality cost him that visibility and was considered by some as a hindrance to the movement's success. Read More
It's not the first time that the administration has asked the Supreme Court to intercede in the appeals process. Continue Reading White House And DOJ Ask Supreme Court To Fast-Track Ruling On Transgender Military BanRead More
Unlike past census forms, the questionnaire for 2020 will include response categories for the relationship question that make a distinction between same-sex and different-sex couples. Continue Reading 2020 Census Will Ask About Same-Sex RelationshipsRead More
'Love, Simon' is only the latest in a surprisingly long line of films that have explored what it's like to come out in high school. Here's some of the smaller, quirkier films that paved the way. Continue Reading Before ‘Love, Simon’: Read More
A bill to ban the controversial practice of trying to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQ people is making its way through the Washington Senate. It considers so-called "conversion therapy" for people under 18 "unprofessional conduct” for health care providers. Read More
JON CONNELL / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/Y72KTAT6 Listen The state of Washington may soon follow Oregon and California and allow a third gender option on birth certificates. The proposal would let… Continue Reading Washington State May Read More