Civil rights leader David Mixner brings stage work to L.A. and San Francisco in June

LOS ANGELES – Author, political strategist, civil rights activist and political firebrand  David Mixner will bring his audience right onto his metaphorical front porch in his theatrical tell-all, “Oh Hell No!,” coming to Los Angeles and San Francisco next month. Once named by Newsweek as the most powerful gay man in America, Mixner is a…

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Commentary: Why we should be concerned about the recent ‘intentionally spreading HIV’ case

Tuesday, Thomas Miguel Guerra was sentenced to six months in jail. If that doesn’t concern you, it should. The developing narrative is that Guerra hid his status from a partner as a step toward intentionally, and with disturbing delight, infecting his partner with HIV. According to NBC 7 San Diego, Judge Katherine Lewis, who delivered…

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First international study on homophobia in sport released

On the one year anniversary of Michael Sam being drafted to the NFL (May 10), the world’s first international study on homophobia in sports has revealed widespread discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) Americans. Of particular note, given Sam’s story and ongoing debate around whether his career was impacted by homophobia, the study found gay male…

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New US report: Women are more likely to experience poor mental health, but less likely to die from heart disease and breast cancer, than a decade ago

WASHINGTON– New data released Thursday by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), as part of its Status of Women in the States: 2015 series, finds wide disparities across the states and among racial/ethnic groups when it comes to women’s health and safety. IWPR graded each state and the District of Columbia on Health & Well-Being…

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Anti-LGBT Texas lawmakers set to vote in an attempt to stop marriage equality in the state

Tuesday, the Texas House of Representatives is expected to vote on HB 4105, a last ditch effort to try to stop marriage equality in the state as the Supreme Court considers a case that could lead to nationwide marriage equality. Prohibiting state or local employees from recognizing, granting, or enforcing a same-sex marriage licence or…

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Asm. Chiu’s Equal Protection for All Families passes first committee

Thursday, AB 960, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D—San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California, passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The committee voted unanimously to pass the bill, which now moves to the Assembly Floor for a vote at the end of May. The bill would update California’s assisted reproduction laws to help…

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Grammy-nominee Mary Lambert joins SAMHSA’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

WASHINGTON — Singer/songwriter Mary Lambert joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in commemorating Thursday’s 10th anniversary of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. The national event, Strengthening Communities by Integrating Care, highlighted strategies for best supporting the needs of…

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Gay youth bullied more than straight youth, Boston Children’s Hospital study reports

BOSTON — A new study, published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine and led by Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, chief of General Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, shows that sexual minority youth (youth who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual) are more likely to be bullied and victimized than their peers. “What really stands…

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UPDATE: Assurant Health Insurance reverses decision to stop covering Truvada as PrEP

A day after the news broke that Assurant Health Insurance would no longer cover the drug Truvada as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent contracting HIV, the company has reversed that decision. Mary Hinderliter, Assurant Health vice president of communications emailed LGBT Weekly today with the following statement, “We are reversing our decision and will be…

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