Orion Rummler

Health care for transgender adults becomes new target in 2023 legislative session

Lawmakers prefiled many anti-trans bills ahead of state legislative sessions — newly targeting health care for trans adults under 21 or 26 years old. Lawmakers in at least eight states used the last two months of 2022 to prefile anti-transgender…

Mental health of incarcerated LGBTQ+ youth is understudied — but new analysis shows kids are in crisis

Minnesota’s Student Survey shows high suicidal ideation and self-harm — pointing to a broader problem that needs to be studied. Existing research shows that LGBTQ+ youth are at a greater risk of disenfranchisement that will put them on the path to…

The hate hasn’t stopped, Club Q shooting survivors tell House lawmakers

Survivors recounted the horror they lived through — and tied what they experienced during the Club Q shooting to growing anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric. Matthew Haynes, founding co-owner of Club Q in Colorado Springs, says he’s witnessed several…

‘We don’t want to leave’: If Obergefell is overturned, LGBTQ+ people in the South will bear the brunt

For LGBTQ+ couples in southern states, love and their community support systems have anchored them in states without marriage equality safeguards. Justine and TJ Price-O’Neil traveled hundreds of miles north to marry in 2010. But their home state of…

‘We can’t take this for granted’: Black LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary leaders celebrate Brittney Griner’s release

Many describe a sense of kinship with the WNBA star incarcerated in Russia since February. WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner was freed from her incarceration in Russia on Thursday and is expected to be home by Friday, President Joe…

In the wake of the Colorado Springs shooting, two LGBTQ+ lawmakers talk policy priorities

Dominick Moreno and Leslie Herod talk about the importance of queer spaces and how they plan to prevent further attacks. Leslie Herod, the first out Black LGBTQ+ person elected to the Colorado General Assembly, spent a significant amount of time in…

Colorado Springs shooting brings even greater sense of devastation so close to Trans Day of Remembrance

The timing of the killings just before the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance gave LGBTQ+ people in the community and national advocates an even greater sense of loss — and urgency. LGBTQ+ advocates and lawmakers in Colorado feel numbness, anger,…

Two states have still never had an out LGBTQ+ person in their legislatures

This lack of representation persists even after a year in which out LGBTQ+ candidates ran and won up and down the ballot across the country — and two legislative candidates in Alaska made history. We’re making sense of the midterms. Subscribe to our…

No state has ever elected an out lesbian governor. These women just changed that.

We’re making sense of the midterms. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for election context and analysis. Tina Kotek is projected to win the close Oregon governor’s race, according to Decision Desk HQ, joining Maura Healey in Massachusetts as the only…

New Hampshire’s James Roesener becomes first out transgender man elected to state legislature

Roesener now holds the highest elected office that an out trans man has ever held in this country, according to the Victory Fund. We’re making sense of the midterms. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for election context and analysis. New Hampshire…

Massachusetts’ Maura Healey poised to become first lesbian governor in the U.S.

The current state attorney general easily defeated Republican Geoff Diehl, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Decision Desk HQ projects. We’re making sense of the midterms. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for election context and…

‘I have to go prove that we belong’: NYC Marathon sees surge in nonbinary runners

Sixteen nonbinary runners finished the NYC Marathon last year. That number nearly tripled for 2022's race. Forty-five nonbinary runners finished the New York City Marathon on Sunday, making it one of the largest nonbinary divisions racing as a…

Florida board of medicine bars gender-affirming care for some transgender youth

Transgender youths who are already receiving medical care can continue treatment, and some doctors may still be able to accept new patients. Florida has restricted gender-affirming care for trans youth after a vote from the state’s medical board on…

Republicans in midterm races are embracing anti-trans rhetoric like never before

It’s frequently tied to the idea of ‘parental rights’ and spreads incorrect information about what kind of care is provided to trans youth. *Correction appended. Iowa’s governor said knowing “boys from girls” was as vital as knowing the difference…

More than ‘Don’t Say Gay’: Proposed national bill is latest move in fight over LGBTQ+ rights

Over 30 House Republicans seek to ban federally funded institutions from promoting information about LGBTQ+ people that could reach children. How can The 19th best serve you? Take our survey to help our team continue to build an independent news…

How the results of Oregon’s historic three-woman race for governor could reshape the state

Abortion and LGBTQ+ rights in a deeply blue state could be impacted, as Democrat Tina Kotek is polling behind. While 19 states have never elected a woman governor, Oregon has elected two women to the job — including the current governor. Its next…

Monkeypox vaccines still aren’t reaching Black Americans

Vaccine access is just one of several disparities that leave queer Black men at a disadvantage in their ability to keep the virus at bay. Monkeypox virus (MPV) cases are continuing to trend down overall across the United States, but queer Black…

Judge upholds Florida’s ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care

The lawsuit challenging the state rule continues to proceed. A plaintiff’s family explains why they seek to overturn the policy, which applies to trans adults and minors. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Wednesday upheld Florida’s rule preventing…

Medical groups ask Justice Department to investigate threats against hospitals over gender-affirming care

Major medical groups want the DOJ to investigate threats against hospitals providing gender-affirming care for trans youth, sparked by online disinformation. Three major medical associations on Monday asked the Justice Department to investigate…

Health care for transgender adults remains legal, but states are quietly trying to limit access

Legal battles have kept policies and bills at bay, but advocates sense they are in a ‘never say never’ moment. As state-level restrictions and campaigns against gender-affirming care for minors have grown in scope and creativity over the past year,…