State Farm Abandons LGBTQ Book Distribution Program Following Backlash

Megan Barton Hanson is urging producers to launch an LGBTQ+ version of Love Island.The reality star – who came out publicly as bisexual after her split from Wes Nelson and before heading on Celebs Go Dating – has been vocal about the need for better representation on dating shows.Since splitting from Wes, Megan has been seen in two public female relationships, including Demi Sims and Chelcee Grimes. In April 2021, the glamour model said she would ‘definitely’ return to the hit ITV2 dating show ‘if there’s a gay season.’And Megan is making her desire known once again.‘We definitely need a fully LGBTQ+ Love Island cast one day… We need to speed this s**t up,’ she told Bustle.‘I got a lot of backlash on the show because I was a sexual woman. So, at the time, the last thing I would’ve felt comfortable doing was reveal that I like dating women as well. ‘I was afraid of being judged further,’ she added.In the past, it’s been speculated that producers had begun accepting applications from LGBT contestants. ITV commissioner Amada Stavri previously addressed: ‘In terms of gay Islanders, I think the main challenge is regarding the format of Love Island. ‘There’s a sort of logistical difficulty, because although Islanders don’t have to be 100% straight, the format must sort of give [the] Islanders an equal choice when coupling up,’ she added to RadioTimes.com.‘With our dating shows, such as The Cabins, there is much more sexual diversity.

KXAN on Sunday after attendees approved platform planks attacking the LGBTQ community. “It’s a small minority of people that are being un-Christian-like and spewing this hateful language.”In addition to Cargill, Log Cabin Republicans of Texas Secretary and LCR Austin Vice President David Garza, and LCR San Antonio President Mimi Planas also resigned from the state board.

Gay educator Willie Carver Jr., Kentucky’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, has officially decided to leave K-12 teaching behind.After 17 years of teaching, Willie Carver Jr. said that he has decided to leave the classroom and take a position in student support services at the University of Kentucky due to the homophobic and conservative conditions affecting public education today.Late last month, Carver spoke publicly about their hesitation to return to the classroom after the ‘21-’22 school year in the wake of the recent conservative focus on public school goings-on.“If I am, every few weeks, having to stop and undergo some sort of investigation over what’s happening in my class, I’m not going to be mentally able to do this work,” Carver told EdWeek.“Then what are my students seeing? A stressed-out, unhappy LGBTQ adult.

Facing a growing outbreak of the monkeypox virus, New York City health officials expanded access to a monkeypox vaccine on Thursday, offering it to a new group of people who may be at higher risk: men who have had multiple or anonymous male sexual partners over the last two weeks. New York City is the first American jurisdiction to broaden access to the vaccine beyond close contacts of people infected, following similar moves in the United Kingdom and Canada. Public health officials globally have been scrambling to craft an effective response to the outbreak, which has been spreading in dozens of countries since mid-May, particularly among networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

The Dorian TV Award nominees are here, representing honors bestowed by the country's top LGBTQ+ critics. BEST TV DRAMA Better Call Saul (AMC) Heartstopper (Netflix) Yellowjackets (Showtime) Severance (Apple TV+) Succession (HBO) BEST TV COMEDY 
 Abbott Elementary (ABC) Barry (HBO) Hacks (HBO Max) The Other Two (HBO Max) Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max) BEST LGBTQ SHOW
 Hacks (HBO Max) Heartstopper (Netflix) The Other Two (HBO Max) Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max) Somebody Somewhere (HBO) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) BEST TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES Dopesick (Hulu) The Dropout (Hulu) Midnight Mass (Netflix) Station Eleven (HBO Max) The White Lotus (HBO) BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW Elite (Netflix) Lupin (Netflix) My Brilliant Friend (HBO) Pachinko (Apple TV+) Squid Game (Netflix) BEST UNSUNG SHOW
 Better Things (FX) The Other Two (HBO Max) Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max) Russian Doll (Netflix) Somebody Somewhere (HBO) We Are Lady Parts (Peacock) BEST TV PERFORMANCE Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC) Kit Connor, Heartstopper (Netflix) Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere (HBO) Bill Hader, Barry (HBO) Lily James, Pam & Tommy (Hulu) Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix) Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets (Showtime) Amanda Seyfried, Dropout (HBO) Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max) Zendaya, Euphoria (HBO) BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCE Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus (HBO) Anthony Carrigan, Barry (HBO) Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus (HBO) Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (HBO Max) Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere (HBO) Janelle James, Abbott Elementary (ABC) Matthew Macfadyen Succession (HBO) Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets (Showtime) Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul (AMC) Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria (HBO) BEST TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE Beyonce’ “Be

the flailing streamer launched a new “reality” competition series called Snowflake Mountain, which purports to trick 10 entitled young adults into attending a wilderness camp where they’re stripped of their privileges and whipped into shape by a pair of “survival experts.”Related: Ricky Gervais’ new transphobic Netflix special has social media outragedRight off the bat, the show telegraphs what it wants us to think of its cast: That they’re a joke. In its opening minutes, we’re introduced to our “snowflakes”—who are largely people of color and/or queer individuals—and they’re shown to be whiny, lazy, overly sensitive, self-centered, and even *gasp* vegan.As Snowflake Mountain wants us to believe, these people have become such a burden to their families (naturally, they all still live home), that their parents duped them into attending a survival school boot camp, which will apparently teach them to grow up, be more responsible, and….

Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.

What is the importance of allyship? Does the community still need them? For years, many have claimed to be LGBTQ allies only to let us down with their vote, their words and their support. But what does it mean to be an ally and how can one really help? This week, Brian and Colman sit down with the incomparable Denise Lee to discuss what true allyship looks like and why it’s still vital to today’s community.

him wear that?” Jeanette simply responded, “Because that’s what she wanted to wear today.” She and Jazz then walked away with their heads held high.When the story went national, the Jennings family saw an opportunity to improve life for trans youth everywhere. So when Jazz was six, she and her mom sat for a national TV interview with renowned journalist Barbara Walters.

proposed rule impacting how Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination “on the basis of sex,” will be enforced — including protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination — in schools and colleges that receive federal funding.Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced the changes to the way the law is enforced on Thursday, which marked the 50th anniversary of passage of the landmark law. Under Title IX, schools can be denied federal funds if they are found guilty of discrimination, excluding individuals from certain benefits or activities, or allowing harassment to continue without disciplining perpetrators.Under the Biden administration’s proposal, LGBTQ students would be protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics, and schools that enable such discrimination could potentially lose federal funds.“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark law, our proposed changes will allows us to continue that progress and ensure all our nation’s students — no matter where they live, who they are, or whom they love — can learn, grow, and thrive in school,” Cardona said in a statement.The administration’s new rule would also change how schools handle sexual assault and sexual harassment allegations, marking a reversal from Trump administration rules that sought to avoid aggressively penalizing individuals accused of assault and harassment, on the grounds that they should be given a chance to defend themselves.

A post shared by Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes)Singer Darren Hayes has blasted Instagram for being “homophobic” after one of his photos was deleted for apparently being too gay (or something?) for the platform.The Savage Garden frontman shared a photo of himself, fully clothed, lounging in bed, with a naked man laying face down across him. He captioned the image with three hashtags: #HappyPrideMonth, #Homo and #Queer.NBD, right?Wrong!The image, which was taken by photographer James Reese, was almost immediately yanked down.

former U.S. President Donald Trump has branded Lightyear "one of the most disgusting and woke movies to ever be created."Nick Adams, who authored the book Retaking America, hit out at the Pixar animated film in a tweet that has sparked anger and debate on social media."Lightyear is one of the most disgusting and woke movies to ever be created," Adams tweeted.

A second bill relating to transgender issues now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom's signature. It would add California to the list of states that annually proclaim November 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance.Assembly Bill 1741, introduced by gay Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, would require the governor to officially recognize the date each year as a day of special remembrance in the Golden State. The event, started in 1998 by Bay Area Reporter Transmissions columnist Gwenn Smith, commemorates those transgender people lost to violence in a given year.One of the first states in the country to make the day an official yearly observance was Virginia.

Just an FYI – none of these films are sexually explicit, but some of them do get a little steamy, hence why they aren't all available to play on this page without heading onto YouTube.Hetero best friends and roommates, Jay and Alex, spend a whole day debating sexuality before deciding to try something new.Directed by: Sophie KargmanStarring: Justice Smith, Graham Patrick MartinWhen David returns home from college, he finds a hired hand named Brent kipping in his bedroom. Brent's the strong-and-silent type, and David can't help but by intrigued by his new roomie.Directed by: Tyler ReevesStarring: Cooper Stone, Damian Joseph Quinn, Lauren Elyse BuckleyTwo "straight" guys hook up on a whim.

21st Century President Act, now officially allows women and LGBTQ+ people to become president. The bill was passed by a voice vote.The same bill passed the House in the last Congress by a voice vote as well, the Hill reports.Tuesday's vote targeted part of the U.S. code that concerns threats to presidents, former presidents, and their "immediate family." The issue is that the code defines immediate family as “the wife of a former President during his lifetime, the widow of a former President until her death or remarriage, and minor children of a former President until they reach sixteen years of age.”The bill now strikes that wording and changes it to, “the spouse of a former President during a former President’s lifetime, the surviving spouse of a former President until the surviving 10 spouse’s death or remarriage.”The outlet notes that Hillary Clinton was the first woman presidential candidate of a major party, that Pete Buttigieg was a leading democratic candidate in the 2020 election, and that Kamala Harris became the first woman vice president with a second man.

The official trailer for the upcoming fourth Thor film, Thor: Love & Thunder, shows a character doing what so many of us have fantasized about: flicking away Chris Hemsworth’s clothes with a snap of the fingers. It’s so hard to watch someone else live your dreams. While the nudity was blurred out, fans are now speculating that this was only for the trailer, and Thor: Love & Thunder might give us our first Marvel butt (not counting the Hulk’s CGI butt).The moment marks the glorious return for Thor’s chiseled muscles, which looks to be a big part of his arc.

How do we find human connection and meaning in an increasingly isolated world? Author and poet Toni Mirosevich found peers on the Pacifica pier.On this week's Out in the Bay Queer Radio + Podcast, Mirosevich reads from her new book, "Spell Heaven and other stories." The collection, set in the fictional town of Seaview, reflects on getting "in with the out crowd" and other ways to find meaning and connection.Mirosevich dreamt up the pseudonym Seaview for the real town of Pacifica, just down the coast from San Francisco, and "Spell Heaven" mirrors her actual life. Her earlier book, "Queer Streets," is about moving there with her wife 30 years ago, before Pacifica became a lesbian haven of sorts.The book's narrator, like her, is a retired creative writing professor looking for meaning: "I saw a sign on a post down by the sea one day. It said 'I've lost something.

Rep. Lauren Boebert could soon be forced to shutter her gun-themed restaurant amid a dispute with her new landlord, and somehow, we expect the world to keep on turning.The antigay gun enthusiast recently told The Daily Beast she and her husband, Jayson Boebert, were caught off guard last week when their landlord informed them that their lease for Shooters Grill (not to be confused with Hooters) would not be renewed after the building changed ownership in May.Now the Boeberts will have to find a new location or call it quits.While the right-wing lawmaker didn’t explain exactly why they’re being kicked out, a source familiar with the deal said the property manager feels a ‘moral’ obligation to shut the restaurant down.County records show the building transferred ownership two days after the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Texas embarrassment Ted Cruz seems as terrified of Democrats as he is of sensible arguments and beard combs.The anti-LGBTQ senator appeared on Newsmax this week to warn of massive threats of violence from the Left in the wake of the upcoming Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade.Ted says when Roe is overturned, “We’re gonna see the Left lose their minds.

Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, Equal Pride.If you are a well-adjusted adult, you are heartbroken, horrified traumatized, and once again outraged at the latest mass shooting. In Uvalde, Texas, 19 children and two of their teachers were gunned down so viciously, so immediately, and so intensely that DNA had to be sought from some of the families to ID the victims.Jake Tapper of CNN wondered aloud during his broadcast May 25 if photos should actually be shown of the child victims where they lay. His question hung in the air of silence because, of course, he was talking to a camera.

Zack Sharf The 89er Theatre in Kingfisher, Oklahoma has come under fire after posting a warning about a brief gay kiss featured in Pixar’s “Lightyear.” A sign was posted on the window of the theater during the movie’s opening weekend warning moviegoers about the gay kiss and claiming the theater would “do all we can to fast-forward” through the scene. Kingfisher is located about 50 miles from Oklahoma City.As reported by NBC News, the warning post included the following message: “Attention Parents: The management of this theatre discovered after booking ‘Lightyear’ that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie.

The Through The Soil charity compilation series began in April 2021 and collected new songs from musicians around the world; acts like Spirit of the Beehive, Indigo De Souza, and Lily Konigsberg with proceeds benefitting the LGBTQ suicide prevention organization the Trevor Project. As the existential attacks against queer people in the United States grow in strength, the mission of Through The Soil continues to be a life-saving one.

The state's Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has appointed Casey Flores, 31, to the Virginia LGBTQ Advisory Board, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

Early set-up at Terminal 5 on June 23 (All images by Matthew Rettenmund)

As part of its celebration of Title IX, which has provided opportunities for generations of women and girls, the U.S. Department of Education has proposed changes to regulations for implementing this important law in elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities for public comment. As a federal civil rights law, Title IX protects students from discrimination in educational programs and activities financed by the federal government. The department said the proposed amendments will ensure that victims of sexual harassment, assault, or sex-based discrimination will receive crucial protections. An unofficial version of the changes can be found here."As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this landmark law, our proposed changes will allow us to continue that progress and ensure all our nation's students – no matter where they live, who they are, or whom they love – can learn, grow, and thrive in school," U.S.

Playdurizm will remind you: Be careful what you wish for.First-time feature director Gem Deger stars as Demir, a young man who wakes up next to an oinking pig in a strange, neon-hued home with no memory of how he got there. In a panic, he attempts to leave when he bumps into the strapping Andrew (Asutin Chun), a sexy screen idol who assures Demir he lives there with him and his girlfriend (Issy Stewart)… and their pig.Demir has fallen down the rabbit hole, but he’s got another hole in mind—one that distracts him from all the horrifying clues that point to how he arrived in this new reality in the first place.Related: A wannabe gay adult film star learns: Be careful what you swallow!Playdurizm‘s candy-colored world belies the film’s macabre nature, one that’s surely not for the squeamish.

Things aren’t looking so good for extreme right-wing activist Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as the January 6 committee’s investigation into the Capitol riot deepens.The committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, told reporters yesterday that the panel has been receiving “a lot of information”, including new footage of Donald Trump’s final months in office provided by documentary filmmaker Alex Holder, who interviewed several people in Trump’s orbit, including Ivanka, Jared, Don Jr., Eric Trump, and Mike Pence, in the weeks following the election.Related: It sure looks like Ivanka lied in her testimony to the January 6 committeeThompson also said that the committee has been working to arrange an interview with Mrs.

With Baz Luhrmann’s much anticipated film Elvis arriving in cinemas this week, renewed interest in the famed singer will no doubt follow. But it’ll take a certain kind of super fan to shell out the asking price for The King’s bedazzled jockstrap.While the item would no doubt be the talk of any Pride party, it’s safe to assume the hefty $37.5K price tag means the jock is more likely to stay safe and sound in its accompanying frame.

By: Nicole Lashomb*/Editor-in-Chief—Since the beginning of time, it’s conveniently been painted as the “woman’s fault.” It was Eve that ate the forbidden fruit. It was Mary Magdalene — who as history has revealed was one of the most trusted confidants of Christ and a teacher in her own right — that was painted as a prostitute to dismiss any type of relevance and influence she had in the early church. She was just a lost “sinner,” after all.

The hosts of the Us Weekly’s “Hot Hollywood” podcast break down the biggest news of the week, including our Saks Off Fifth and Phluid Project LGBTQ+ story of the week — Jennifer Lopez using gender-neutral pronouns to introduce child Emme.

Release date: June 7What it's about: Nora Hamilton is a screenwriter for a romance television channel, which means she knows the onscreen formula for love. But her real life isn't exactly wrapped up in a neat bow. When her husband leaves her and her kids, Nora channels her grief into writing a fantastic script — which then gets picked up, attaching former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, as a lead, which means he's filming at one of their set locations: Nora's home.

(Image via Fathom Events/Turner Classics/Warner Bros.)

The post Exclusive: Imani Lewis on the refreshing approach to queerness in First Kill appeared first on GAY TIMES.

North Oak Cliff is a second gayborhood with about the same number of LGBTQ-owned stores and restaurants in and around Bishop Arts as along Oak Lawn’s Cedar Springs Road. So it’s only fair for Oak Cliff to have its own Pride.

an out bisexual man who was the 2018 Democratic nominee in the race for Florida governor, has been indicted on 21 counts, including charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements.On Wednesday, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Gillum, a former mayor of Tallahassee, and a longtime associate and fellow Tallahassee resident, Sharon Lettman-Hicks.According to the indictment, between 2016 and 2019, Gillum and Lettman-Hicks “engaged in an on-going and evolving scheme to defraud by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent representations and promises that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.”Gillum and Lettman-Hicks then allegedly used third parties to divert a portion of those funds to P&P, a communications company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who then provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use.Both defendants have been charged with 19 counts of wire fraud, and Gillum is also charged with making false statements to FBI agents investigating the suspected fraud, according to a press release for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.If convicted of the charges against them, Gillum and Lettman-Hicks could face up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and 20 years for wire fraud.

Joel Kim Booster jokes with ET about the fact that several major projects of his have debuted in June.In fact, the month first kicked off with the celebrated release of the Hulu film, which he wrote and starred in, followed by two Netflix standup specials, and, before closing out with the debut of the hilarious Apple TV+ series , in which he plays a devoted assistant to Maya Rudolph’s character, Molly. Considering June is the month when so much LGBTQ-related content is released, Booster has been a part of some of the biggest, most notable and historic ones, more or less making him the unofficial face of Pride in 2022. “No one wanted it, but everyone’s getting it,” he jokes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 23, 2022 The following statement can be attributed Liz Seaton, Policy Director, National LGBTQ Task Force: CONTACT:Cathy Renna, Communications Director, National LGBTQ Task Force, 917-757-6123, crenna@thetaskforce.org The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives.

UK LGBTQ+-focused distributor Peccadillo Pictures has claimed that Amazon Prime Video UK is refusing to make Canadian artist and filmmaker Bruce LaBruce’s provocative dark comedy Saint-Narcisse available on its online store.

viral “Paparazzi” performance back in 2010, and farther still since publicly coming out in 2017.His works in recent years — his latest album Portraits and the Trophies EP especially — have an authenticity and emotionally maturity to them that are usually out of reach for people who lived the full child-star experience.Greyson’s romantic new single “Palladium” is out today, and with a new album and tour by the same name coming soon, there’s a ton to look forward to.We caught up with him to chat about the Palladium era, his current queer music faves, and the thirst-trapping lumberjack of his dreams.QUEERTY: I am so excited to talk to you today. I was actually at a Portraits [World Tour] show in Dallas where all the lights went out and we all sang “Good As Gold” together with just phone flashlights.GREYSON: Oh my goodness, yes! I remember that show. We were doing that tour before the album was out.

An Oklahoma movie theater that warned parents about a same-sex kiss (gasp!) in the Disney/Pixar film Lightyear and promised to fast-forward through the brief moment has decided to show the film in full after the plan was mocked online.A notice on the front door of the 89er Theater in Kingfisher, Oklahoma read: “Warning. Attention Parents: The management of this theater found out after booking ‘Lightyear’ that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie.”“We will do all we can to fast-forward through that scene,” it promised, adding: “but it might not be exact.”Do I expect more from Oklahoma? No, not really.

Harrison with Chris Nevehev on Keamu Island, VanuatuNow Harrison has grown into the type of role model he once needed. The noted author and academic has made a career of traveling to isolated regions to study and document endangered languages.

In response to a policy of the Biden administration that protects LGBTQ+ students from discrimination, a Republican senator is considering scrapping a bipartisan deal to extend school meal funding. As funding for the program expires on June 30, Democrats are scrambling to pass the bill and send it to President Biden before the deadline. Without this bill, millions of children face hunger and food insecurity.In contrast to previous attempts to extend the funds for a year, Republican leadership has not threatened to block these efforts this time, according to Politico.

Polyamorous activists are seeking to change Facebook’s relationship status options to provide an inclusive option for those in multiple people relationships.In a letter to Tom Alison, the head of the Facebook app, the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-Monogamy (OPEN) argued that the current relationship options on the social media platform were “arbitrary, exclusionary, and contrary to Meta’s core values,” referring to Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, Inc.In the three-page open letter, dated June 16, the members of OPEN’s executive board argued that the lack of display options for people in polyamorous relationships on the site erases their identity.“At best, this restriction perpetuates the erasure and marginalization of non-monogamous relationships; at worst, it harms non-monogamous users by perpetuating social stigmas around the validity and authenticity of their relationships,” the board members wrote in the letter.Facebook currently has 11 options for people who wish to disclose their relationship status: single, in a relationship, engaged, married, in a civil partnership, in a domestic partnership, in an open relationship, it’s complicated, separated, divorced, and widowed, reports the online magazine Xtra.Some have argued that those in polygamous relationships can use the “in an open relationship” status, but OPEN opposes this because this doesn’t allow for polyamorous people to “present their most authentic self on their Profile’ and contributes actively to “delegitimizing non-monogamous relationships.”According to OPEN’s board members, approximately 4-5% of adults in the United States currently practice some form of ethical non-monogamy, which refers to “a range of relationship practices

“WoW, Finally Enough Love.”The hush-hush show, which has barely been advertised on social media, is being hosted by World of Women (WoW) — an art collective dedicated to improving the visibility of female artists in the NFT space.Madonna — who recently launched her own controversial NFT collection which included a 3D model of her vagina — was only recently announced as a performer at the event, which is now sold out.The Material Girl teased her Pride performance on Instagram Stories on Wednesday night, without explicitly revealing where she would be appearing. “Are you coming to see mother and her children Thursday night, b–ches?” the “Papa Don’t Preach” songstress asked, adding several Pride flag emojis to her post.

For LGBTQ+ people in Ghana, it is not just their own rights and safety that are under threat because of their identity, their families, friends and acquaintances are also targeted by bigots, as activist Wisdom Kwame Bebli described. Wisdom was interviewed as part of the United Nations video campaign, Diversity in Adversity, which highlights and celebrates […]

GenderCool Project, an organization that promotes LGBTQ inclusion through speaking events, mentorship programs, consulting, and advising for parents of transgender children, to provide a collection of three books — A Kids Book About Being Transgender, A Kids Book About Being Transgender, and A Kids Book About Being Non-Binary — for libraries and community centers to put on their shelves. The book initiative was touted as an effort to “replace misinformed opinions” about transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming youth with positive depictions of the community in the hope of promoting positive real-life interactions between readers and LGBTQ youth they may encounter. The books in question are written promote the idea of inclusion and explain who LGBTQ people, especially transgender and nonbinary individuals, are.“The project’s goal is to increase representation of LGBTQ+ books and support our communities in having challenging, important and empowering conversations with children age 5+,” an email from Jose Soto, State Farm’s Corporate Responsibility Analyst, which was sent to all of the company’s agents in Florida, reads.

After right-wing backlash, State Farm Insurance discontinued any relationship with a project supporting the acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth.State Farm previously encouraged agents to donate books to Florida schools encouraging acceptance of LGBTQ youth. As part of a partnership with the LGBTQ+ advocacy group The GenderCool Project, State Farm corporate responsibility analyst Jose Soto states in an email on January 18, that agents across the nation can donate a three-book bundle to local teachers, community centers, or libraries.But the move came to light following the passage of the controversial "don’t say gay" law signed in March by Gov.

State Farm Insurance encouraged agents to donate books to Florida schools encouraging acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth. The move came to light following passage of the controversial don’t say gay law signed in March by Gov.