news, resources & commentary for and about lgbt youth & their allies
Recent stories about and affecting LGBT youth and their allies: • Magic Johnson's son E.J. has come out and received the support of his family. “Cookie [Johnson's wife] and I love E.J. and support him in every way," Johnson said in a statement. "We’re very proud of him.” • In less inspiring father-son news, Politico reports that Congressman Matt Salmon’s gay son "has defended his father’s opposition to gay marriage, saying that it has nothing to do with his dad’s … [Read more...]
Here are some of the latest news stories about LGBT youth and their allies: • Smith College's rejection of transgender applicant Calliope Wong, 17, continues to stir controversy. As mentioned in a previous LGBT Youth News Roundup, the women's college rejected Wong for not being "legally female." According to Reuters, Smith based its decision in part on Title IX, a law that bans sex discrimination in federally funded schools but exempts single-sex institutions. The college apparently is … [Read more...]
Recent LGBT-youth-related stories from around the web: The Boy Scouts and the Gay Ban: • Mother Jones has published an article about a new controversy over how best to interpret the results of a survey that the Boy Scouts of America sent to members, parents and scout leaders last year. The survey was sent before the organization revealed that it was considering a change to its national policy of excluding gays. And while the survey did not ask specifically about the gay ban, it did … [Read more...]
Here's some of the latest LGBT news related to and affecting youth: • Two Alabama high school students are trying to get an anti-gay Alabama statute off the books. The statute requires teachers in sex education classes to teach that homosexual conduct is a crime and that homosexuality is “not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public.” The students' petition is here. • The California Department of Education has released a new list of recommended reading for K-12 students; … [Read more...]
The latest LGBT news about and affecting youth: • An eleven-year-old from California has written to Chief Justice Roberts about the marriage cases pending before the Supreme Court. He talks about his letter in the video below. Earlier this month, we learned that a different eleven-year-old had sent a letter to all of the Justices about the marriage cases. Justice Sonia Sotomayor responded. • A new bill in California would allow students to use restroom and locker facilities, and to … [Read more...]
LGBT-youth-related stories from early and mid March 2013: • An Arkansas teen was kicked out of a school dance for wearing a dress. After receiving complaints about how the young man was treated, the school has said that in the future, "similar instances will be a handled in a different manner." More details and a video are available here. • The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has developed an online survey to learn more about troop leaders' feelings about the organization's discriminatory … [Read more...]
Here's some of the latest news about and affecting LGBT youth and their allies: • The school board in Lake County, Florida, is meeting to decide on new policies for student groups. The school district might ban all extra-curricular clubs in order to evade the legal requirement that it allow a gay-straight alliance (GSA) to meet. (If the school board allows any extra-curricular clubs, it's not legally permitted to discriminate against the GSA. It can ban the GSA only if it bans all other … [Read more...]
There's been plenty of LGBT-youth-related news this week: • Ellen Degeneres has spoken up for gay Scouts (see video above). • According to the New York Times, "[a] leak from inside the Boy Scouts of America last month about discussions on possibly ending the group’s national ban on gay members changed the debate itself by creating an impression that change was imminent"; the group hadn't intended for the discussions to become public. • An English study shows that bullying eases … [Read more...]
With a vote looming on the future of the Boy Scouts' policies on sexual orientation and membership, politicians, pundits, newspaper editorial boards, current and former Scouts, and others have weighed in on the proposed changes. Here's a sampling: • Current and former Scouts, leaders and supporters delivered 1.4 million signatures opposing the current discriminatory policies and supporting a change. (See the video above.) • A coalition of Scouts councils has asked the organization … [Read more...]
News from around the country and world: Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay" bill is back and worse than ever. • Devon Yaffe, a high school senior, produces a 90-minute video documenting the coming-out stories of ten men, ages 15 to 82. • Transgender teen skates with the hockey hero he named himself after. • German and European Union officials criticize Russian anti-gay bill. • School officials in a Washakie County, Wyoming, school district will allow an openly gay student to appear in the … [Read more...]
Morning of 1/27/12 - A teenager has complained about the allegedly poor treatment she received when testifying against marriage equality in New Zealand. Marriage equality may become a reality there by next year. ◊ Over 400 people came together for an HRC anti-bullying summit in south Florida. ◊ A Maryland Cub Scout pack has removed a gay-inclusive statement after pressure from its regional council. … [Read more...]
Evening of 1/24/12 - New Jersey teen comes out at school assembly. ◊ New study addresses challenges faced by young black gay men. ◊ James Franco talks about anti-gay taunting he faced in high school. ◊ The American Civil Liberties Union backs Florida middle-school student who is trying to start a gay-straight alliance. ◊ Office of student LGBT group gets vandalized at Boston College Law School. ◊ Australian Catholic school teacher says he was forced to deny help to a gay student. … [Read more...]
Morning of 1/19/13 - Eleven-year-old transgender youth accepts award. ◊ South African school offering "cure" for homosexuality faces investigation. ◊ New study documents challenges faced by LGBT youth coming out of foster care. ◊ Proposed Christian law school in Canada facing criticism over anti-gay rules. … [Read more...]
Midday 1/17/13 - GSA forming at high school after ACLU intervenes. ◊ The University of Cambridge is named the UK's gay-friendliest institution of higher education. ◊ Parent urges California district to defy state law on LGBT-inclusive curricula. ◊ LGBT-rights opponents in France claim marriage equality will harm children. … [Read more...]
Afternoon of 1/11/13 - Transgender teacher sues New York school that laid him off, alleging discrimination. ◊ Radio host links being gay to school shootings. ◊ Article in The Guardian looks at how sex education programs exclude LGBT youth. ◊ A London student is told to prove he's gay or face deportation to Senegal. ◊ Ke$sha talks to Seventeen Magazine about bullying and her sexual orientation. ◊ Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick swears in new members of the state's LGBT Youth … [Read more...]
Afternoon of 1/2/13 - Ugandan LGBT counselor arrested. ◊ Teenage lesbian attacked in Israel. ◊ West Hollywood clothing drive supports homeless LGBT youth. ◊ Welsh authorities criticized for failing to record anti-gay bullying. … [Read more...]
Evening of 12/27/12 - The Human Rights Campaign blogs about its work for LGBT youth. ◊ Florida students form Youth Pride Band. ◊ New study shows health disparities between heterosexual and LGBT youth in Chicago. ◊ Ali Forney Center releases video about homeless LGBT youth. … [Read more...]
Morning of 12/22/12 - Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation partners with LGBT and other groups on a bus tour to support youth. ◊ Transgender student now permitted to use men's restroom at school. ◊ Federal appeals court upholds firing of anti-gay university official. … [Read more...]
Morning of 12/19/12 - Parents say school mishandled events leading to gay son's suicide. ◊ Morehouse College to offer LGBT history course. ◊ Significant advances reported in investigation into 2009 shooting at LGBT youth center in Israel. ◊ East Auora, Illinois, school district caves to hate-group pressure; abandons effort to draft new transgender-inclusive policies; for earlier commentary, see this post. … [Read more...]
Marriage Equality Momentum in the U.S. and Abroad