‘Made by Raffi’ — a new book to support children who are perceived as ‘different’ gains attention

A new children’s book by Craig Pomranz, Made by Raffi, has been released and is gaining a lot of attention. Inspired by a true-life incident, Made By Raffi is the story of a little boy who likes to knit and sew — at first he is teased for his hobby, but in the end he becomes…

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A history lesson: Looking back on marriage rights in the Supreme Court

The Culture Wars are really over. Most Americans believe gay people should marry, abortion should be legal, contraception readily available. So, what is a lost culture warrior to do? Americans also believe in religious freedom.  So, the answer is to recast yourself as defending religious freedom.  After all, you can’t trump a civil or privacy right with a political…

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Caitlyn Jenner found the ‘Champion Within’

Early in her 1996 motivational book Finding the Champion Within, Olympic Gold Medalist Caitlyn Jenner expresses her devotion to “My lovely wife, Kris.” “When we met on September 10, 1990, my life had lost direction,” Jenner writes. “But it’s amazing what one person can awaken in another.” Finding the Champion Within: A Step-By-Step Plan for…

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Miami’s first Transart festival celebrates transgender talents

MIAMI — In its continuing mission to operate as a PACE (philanthropy, arts, culture and education) hotel and support marginalized and underserved communities, The Betsy-South Beach presents Miami’s first Transart festival (June 11-30) in partnership with Unity Coalition/Coalción Unida, TransMiami and the LGBT Center, Miami Beach. Showcasing the talent, vision and possibilities within the transgender…

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Combatting growing Hepatitis C epidemic impeded by coverage policies

WASHINGTON — With mounting evidence that many public and private health plans are deliberately rationing care for Americans with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), those on the front lines in fighting viral hepatitis and HIV/AIDS have urged lawmakers to overturn state Medicaid and managed care policies that discourage testing, add prior authorization requirements on clinicians,…

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Air Force announces move that could lead to open transgender service

In a surprising development Thursday, the U.S. Air Force announced a move that could eventually lead to open transgender service. The director of the Air Force Review Boards Agency, rather than local unit commanders, must now approve the removal of a transgender individual from the Air Force. “Neither gender dysphoria nor self-identification as transgender is…

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HRC calls out transphobic Pittsburgh Post-Gazette column

WASHINGTON – Today, in light of a national outcry about a deeply transphobic column published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on June 4th, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s Director of Research and Public Education Jay Brown, himself a former Pittsburgh resident of 6 years and a transgender man, wrote to the paper’s executive editor David Shribman…

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As Alabama’s legislative session ends, zero anti-LGBT bills advance

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Despite various discriminatory anti-LGBT bills being considered and debated over the past few months, the Alabama Legislature concluded this year’s legislative session on Thursday without a single piece of anti-LGBT of legislation becoming law.  In addition, a handful of pro-equality bills that would have added explicit new protections for LGBT Alabamians were…

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Presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee belittles plight of trans community

While Fox News pundit, Arkansas ex-governor and two-time presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee continues to score cheap political points with a base accustomed to his pithy, but frequently cruel, commentary on many social issues of the day, the uncomfortable reality it that many of those views represent a sizable share of the American population. And a…

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Chris Ward kicks off campaign for San Diego City Council District Three

Chris Ward has kicked off his campaign for San Diego City Council to represent the Third District, announcing a number of significant endorsements one year from the election. “For years, I have been working to improve our community – by walking our streets, talking with neighbors, and collaborating with our leaders,” said Ward.  “As a…

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