Out Sen. Shevrin Jones Breaks Down in Debate Over 'Don’t Say Gay' Bill

Yahoo! News notes.Greene followed that by smearing the whole Democratic Party in an appearance Tuesday on Dr. Gina PrimeTime, a show on the far-right outlet Real America’s Voice. “The Democrats are the party of pedophiles,” she told host Gina Loudon.

In 2009, feeling a need for an event to balance the Transgender Day of Remembrance, the inaugural Transgender Day of Visibility was held. The event was held this year on March 31 and provides a way to celebrate living transgender people.

In its second year the UCLA Center for LGBTQ Advocacy, Research, and Health is expanding its work into myriad focuses of inquiry, from HIV and mental health to substance use issues. It is also conducting trainings about LGBTQ health for medical professionals and others interested in learning about the topic.The center, also known as C-LARAH, has formed a partnership with the Los Angeles LGBT Center to work co-jointly on research projects.

Ahead of her state's Democratic Party primary May 17, Oregon U.S. House candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner is swinging through the Bay Area this weekend to attend several fundraisers for her campaign.

Even in retirement San Francisco police Lieutenant Lisa Frazer will forever be remembered as the Castro's beat cop. Out as a gay woman within the department, she patrolled the city's LGBTQ neighborhood for close to a decade starting in 1999."Some of my best times in my job was as the Castro beat officer," Frazer recalled in a recent phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. "I loved my job.

Of course Fox News would announce its hiring of Caitlyn Jenner on Transgender Day of Visibility. The trans former Olympic gold medalist and Republican California gubernatorial candidate in last year's recall election made her first appearance as a contributor that same evening — March 31 — on her pal Sean Hannity's program. Jenner, part of the Kardashian clan, is not a spokesperson for the LGBTQ community, and to her credit, she hasn't claimed to be one.

In recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility March 31, Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Admiral Rachel Levine of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services welcomed six transgender and nonbinary youth and their families to the White House, along with advocates from national rights organizations.

A photo on the Instagram for Rash, the Brooklyn gay bar, shows some of the damage caused in an arsonist walked in, poured gasoline on the floor and set it on fire. Two people were injured.

A post shared by The Cuff Complex (@thecuffcomplex)First up on our list is a Seattle institution for the LGBTQ+ community. Established in 1993, The Cuff is one of the oldest spots in the city for queer kiddos to dance, laugh, sing, and gallivant.

In what sounds like a psychological-horror spin on Meet the Parents, a Reddit user said that his boyfriend’s mother shunned him after meeting him for the first time, tried to get him to dump his boyfriend, and told lies about him to her son.In a post on the r/AskGayMen forum earlier this month, the Reddit user—let’s call him John—said that he had just gotten a call from his boyfriend’s mother, whom he met a few weeks prior. “His mum phoned me and told me that this was just a phase for him [and] said I should let him go so he can get back to his ‘normal life,’” John wrote.Then the mom hit John with a long list of flimsy rationales:She told me that I was the only boy he’d ever been with (untrue, we did the discussion about previous partners), he was in a relationship with his childhood sweetheart (untrue, we’ve met, and she thinks we make a great couple), he was only interested in my money because they come from a much poorer background (I don’t care about this, and it’s probably untrue, as he only found out about my real wealth a few weeks ago), he was just experimenting, he didn’t really want me, he wanted someone to look after him and I can’t do that.”On top of that, this misinformed mom told the John that the boyfriend assumed that his family would accept John because the John is Christian—and added that the boyfriend was wrong about that.“I was a bit taken aback [by] the call, and now [I] don’t know what to say to my boyfriend about the call,” John added in his post.

Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek announced Disney will be pausing all political donations in the state of Florida following a week of significant criticism of the company's initial silence on the Florida Legislature's "Don't Say Gay" bill.The company's lack of response to the bill, which would ban discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in some public school classrooms, sparked an intense backlash against Disney, internally and externally, prompting Chapek to shift to a public stance, calling for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to oppose the bill.DeSantis then called out the entertainment titan for its ties to China, accusing the company for criticizing "parents' rights" but continuing to work in China despite knowledge of the human rights issues in Xinjiang regarding Uyghur Muslims.After statements of apology to Disney's LGBTQ employees, Chapek released an internal memo on Friday further stating that the company would be pausing all political donations in Florida, affecting many of the politicians who had previously received money from the company.Several Disney donations were made to key co-sponsors of the bill, and in total, the company gave $253,850 to senators who voted to pass the "Don't Say Gay" bill.Donations made only for the 2022 general election go back to January 1, 2021, and records reviewed by Newsweek showed that Disney donated at least $33,000 for state Senate races and more than $98,000 in state House contests.Other primary GOP figures who have received donations from Disney included DeSantis, who received $50,000 from Disney Worldwide Services Inc., according to the Florida Division of Elections.Ashley Moody, Florida's attorney general, was given $25,000 from Disney during the 2022 general

The Hollywood Reporter. “Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights.

ABOVE: Boz flashbacks.

criticized for not immediately and publicly condemning the legislation. The company has also donated at least $250,000 to Florida Republican senators who voted to pass the bill."I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community.

Anti-gay and anti-trans bills have been sweeping the country lately, and Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which would prohibit teachers from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity under various circumstances, regardless of their own families or identities — has been causing a particular uproar.

“Texas sues to prevent losing federal funds over its investigations of trans children’s families” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

“don’t say gay” bill, similar legislation was filed in the Georgia State Assembly.A bill (SB 613) filed by Georgia state Sen. Carden Summers tackles both the teaching of "critical race theory" and the treatment of LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom.  In a single bill, the legislation places restrictions on a wide variety of topics that Republican lawmakers have targeted in legislatures across the country.Regarding LGBTQ+ issues, the bill suggests educators have “inappropriately discussed gender identity with children who have not yet reached the age of discretion."“Such a focus on racial and gender identity and its resulting discrimination on the basis of color, race, ethnicity, and national origin is destructive to the fabric of American society,” the bill reads.Should the bill pass, it would restrict how such topics can be addressed by teachers.“No private or nonpublic school or program to which this chapter applies shall promote, compel, or encourage classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the student,” the bill states.That’s the language that appeared in early drafts of Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill.

Former Trump spokesperson Stephanie Grisham continued her book/rehabilitation tour this week by appearing as a co-host on The View.During a conversation yesterday about Florida’s homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which is currently on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, Grisham mentioned that her teenage son recently came out as gay and that he once told her he was “ashamed” that she worked for Donald Trump.Related: Melania didn’t give AF when staffer was fired and escorted out of White House for being on Grindr“This one is personal to me,” she said during the roundtable discussion.

Disney's silence on Florida Legislature's "Don't Say Gay" bill, CEO Bob Chapek announced that the company is taking a public stance on the matter and that he has personally called Governor Ron DeSantis to oppose the measure.During Disney's annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Chapek took time to address the controversy before the question-and-answer period, saying, "While [the company has] been strong supporters of the community for decades, I know that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill.""I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families," the CEO said. "The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address them."Disney has faced widespread criticisms since Chapek declined to condemn the bill, which would ban discussion of "sexual orientation or gender identity" in Florida public schools, earlier this week.On Wednesday, Chapek said that the company had chose not to publicly address the bill in favor of working "behind the scenes" with lawmakers with whom the company has long-standing ties."We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle," the CEO said during the meeting.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDisney CEO Bob Chapek said Wednesday the company is pledging $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations protecting LGBTQ rights following backlash to the company’s initial quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, as well as a report that the company has given money to all of the bill’s sponsors. Chapek, who is taking his first public stance against the bill, says he will also be meeting with Republican Gov.

ABOVE: Seasons of lust.

through Chasten Buttigieg's criticisms, it's led to a staunch debate and a series of protests and walkouts by Florida students, civil rights groups, and faith-based organizations.Proponents of HB 1557 and SB 1834 — the House and Senate versions of the bill — argue that if passed, they would restrict inappropriate conversations about sex in classes. As it heads to the desk of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who has signaled he will sign the legislation into law, we break down the facts. What does the bill actually say?Since first being submitted, the "don't say gay" bills have had 37 amendments with only two passing.

the Parental Rights in Education bill was passed by the Republican-controlled state Senate on Tuesday, having previously been passed by Florida's House of Representatives on February 24.Addressing the bill hours later during Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, Cohen, 53, branded the move "one big dog whistle" that is "scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community.""Before we wrap up tonight, I want to address some personally disturbing news coming out of Florida," he said, before explaining the controversial bill, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign it into law."I have a few things I want to say about this," Cohen told the audience. "First to Florida Republicans, you're pretending to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

The Florida Senate has passed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” on Tuesday, March 8.In a 22-17 vote, the Republican-controlled Senate approved the bill. It will now go on to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. If a school district is suspected of violating this law, parents would be able to sue.During the debate, Democrat Shevrin Jones, Florida’s first openly gay senator, tearfully said to his colleagues, “To those who think you can legislate gay people away, I’m sorry.

ABOVE: Bendy! (Be sure to flip through the slides.)

ABOVE: I think I've captured the spirit of the day.

Senate and is widely expected to be signed into law by GOP Governor Ron DeSantis—sparked national condemnation from LGBTQ advocates who say the bill will further harm young members of the community and punish students who mention anything related to sexual orientation or gender identity.Disney, which operates its theme park Walt Disney World near Orlando, has come under scrutiny for making political donations to key co-sponsors of the bill.Disney donated at least $253,850 to the senators who voted to pass the bill. The donations were made through the company's various subsidiaries including Disney Destinations LLC and Disney Photo Imaging LLC.The donations included $5,500 to Senator Dennis Baxley, who introduced the bill, according to data from the nonprofit OpenSecrets, which tracks political donations.Senate President Wilton Simpson, who voted for the bill, received $21,500 in donations from Disney.

The creator of Disney’s The Owl House is speaking out about the company's failure to take a stance against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Freshman Florida Republican state Senator Ileana Garcia is facing calls for resignation after standing on the Senate floor Tuesday morning and declaring her support for the dangerous and possibly unconstitutional “Don’t Say Gay” bill by falsely declaring, “Gay is not a permanent thing, LGBT is not a permanent thing.”

Ron DeSantis after it was passed by the state's Legislature on Tuesday.Supporters and sponsors said the bill is written to stop teachers from teaching kindergarteners through third graders about sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Florida Legislature has passed the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill and sent it to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign.The Florida Senate on Tuesday morning voted 22-17 in favor of the bill. Republicans Jeffrey Brandes and Jennifer Bradley joined Democratic senators in voting against it.Tuesdays' vote came after the Senate rejected a series of amendments offered Monday.

Florida’s Republican-controlled Senate has passed the widely controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill by a vote of 22-17, bringing it one step away from becoming law.

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill faces mounting criticism as it continues to advance in the Florida Legislature and appears headed to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, but one company with strong business ties to the state — despite professing to support the LGBTQ community — has declined to denounce the legislation to the growing disappointment of its many fans.

HB 1557 seeks to ban the discussion of LGBTQ topics mainly at the primary grade level. However, it will also limit discussion when “not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students”.One of those to speak yesterday was the state’s only out, gay Senator, Shevrin Jones.

Ron DeSantis's press secretary caused a stir on Friday with controversial tweets taking aim at critics of the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill.Introduced in the Florida state legislature last month, the "Don't Say Gay" bill would require schools to inform parents if their child identifies with an LGBT orientation, even in cases where the information would lead to "abuse, abandonment, or neglect" of the child. It would also prohibit the teaching of certain gender identity and sexual orientation topics.Since its introduction, the bill has faced severe backlash, particularly from left-wing and progressive voices.

Ron DeSantis, who supported the legislation. DeSantis previously said that the bill was actually about preventing sex-ed in classrooms with young children, saying: "Do you really want them being taught about sex?"A number of protesters urged Disney, which has numerous properties in the state, to speak out against the legislation.Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who is the grandniece of company founder Walt Disney tweeted on March 3: "When laws are being passed that are this hateful and dripping with prejudice, there is no neutrality. Not saying anything is saying a lot.

Tweet out your support with #LetFreeFloridaSayGay pic.twitter.com/C2a55Zmxal— David Hogg ? (@davidhogg111) March 7, 2022In it, the students chant “We say gay” in protest of the bill, which would prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, or in any grade if it is “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”Here’s another video, shot by student and protest organizer Will Larkins:WE SAY GAY pic.twitter.com/XJkQJzAer5— Will Larkins (@ProudTwinkie) March 7, 2022Opponents of the bill argue it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face higher rates of bullying and increased suicide risk compared to their straight, cisgender peers.Related: DeSantis press secretary tweets vile take on ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and the Internet just can’t with herThe walkouts come as the state Senate prepares to discuss the legislation. It already passed in the state House, and Gov.

Florida TV station WTVJ. He had been under investigation following complaints that he hired and promoted individuals by what the station called an “improper minority-first approach.”Scirotto formerly served as the assistant chief in Pittsburgh.

Florida’s first openly-LGBTQ state senator choked up and was momentarily unable to speak as he described his personal experiences growing up gay, during debate over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

A copyright lawsuit has been filed against pop singers Sam Smith and Normani over their 2019 hit track "Dancing With a Stranger."

Related: ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill is passed by Florida’s HouseThe bill prohibits any discussion about sexuality or gender between kindergarten and third grade “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Opponents argue it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face higher rates of bullying and suicide risk compared to their straight, cisgender peers.Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is gay, called for Pushaw’s resignation.“DeSantis’ spokesperson openly accused opponents of #DontSayGay of being ‘groomers’— aka PEDOPHILES,” Smith tweeted. “Bigoted attacks like this against LGBTQ people are the worst of the worst.

Protests and calls for a boycott continue to grow following the revelation that Disney donated to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which seeks to curb discussions of LGBTQ topics in schools, and which was recently passed in the House and is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Orlando Sentinel reports. And it appears it will continue to fund them.The bill would ban classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in grades where it is not “age-appropriate,” a rather vague definition, and opponents say it would harm LGBTQ+ students and teachers. It has been passed by the Florida House and is pending in the Senate.

Jack Petocz, the student who organized a statewide school walkout and protest against Florida Republicans’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill has been suspended indefinitely, reportedly for handing out pride flags, which he says school administrators confiscated.

Florida have organized class walkouts on Thursday to protest the proposed “don’t say gay” bill under consideration by the Florida Legislature after an image spread on social media calling for students and schools to participate in the statewide action. A student at Colonial High School in Orlando, Dariel Cruz Rodriguez, shared footage from a protest held at the school.

ABOVE: “Mom, I am on a magazine cover!”

Chicago Tribune.Smryniotis alleges in the suit that the district’s top attorney, Timothy King, and then-superintendent Michael Kelly told Smryniotis that they had wanted another suit by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans against the Park District after Lightfoot removed Columbus statues from Chicago to be settled “as soon as possible.”He says he then negotiated with the Italian American group’s lawyers to reach a deal. They eventually made an agreement to have a statue featured at the annual Columbus parade last fall.King approved it, hoping to make good with the Italian Americans, the Tribune reports.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made remarks at the University of South Florida. Of the remarks, what has gone viral is a short clip of DeSantis chiding a group of students, that had been staged as a photo opportunity behind him, for wearing masks."You do not have to wear those masks, please take them off," DeSantis told the gathered students that were all wearing masks. "Honestly, it's not doing anything and we gotta stop with this [pandemic] theater.