LGBTQ news and entertainment
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: Reigning Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider (above) has made history again as the first woman to ever surpass $1 million in earnings. On Friday, Schneider’s total tally rose to $1,019,001. She is also the first openly trans contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Continue reading “News Round-Up: January 8, 2022”
Much of the LGBTQ political news being reported lately focuses on the spate of anti-LGBTQ bills being promoted and passed in Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country.
But it’s not all bad news everywhere.
This past Sunday, Nevada’s Governor Steve Sisolak attended the Henderson Pride Festival where he signed several pro-LGBTQ bills into law.
“It is so important that we bring these bills to the community, to this center to help you understand how important this is,” said Sisolak at the signing ceremony.
The event also served as the grand re-opening of the Henderson Equality Center.
I want to everyone from the @HendersonEQCtr for inviting me today and to everyone who joined us at their grand re-opening event where I had the opportunity to sign four very important pieces of legislation into law, #SB109, #SB237, #SB275, and #SB325. pic.twitter.com/wCIvMn1VLR
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) June 6, 2021
It’s a breath of fresh air to see legislation moving LGBTQ interests forward and not backward.
The bills passed during the legislative session and now signed into law are:
Senate Bill 275 modernizes Nevada’s HIV laws by repealing a provision that made it a category B felony for someone who tests positive for HIV to “knowingly or willfully engaging in a manner” that could transmit the disease.
The laws were first put in place in the early part of the AIDS epidemic and targeted gay and transgender people. The antiquated laws don’t reflect the advances in HIV medicine and science that has occurred in the past 20+ years. Nine other states are currently considering similar legislation.
Senate Bill 237 allows LGBTQ-owned businesses to be designated as minority-owned which opens up opportunities from local chambers of commerce.
Senate Bill 109 will require local governments that collect demographic information to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Gov. Sisolak said the new law will “ensure our government reflects our community. Representation matters.”
Today, I was proud to sign #SB109 into law. Sponsored by @Senatorspearman & presented in partnership with Andre Wade from @silverstateeq, this law requires local governments to collect demographic information related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, and gender expression. pic.twitter.com/LEYxWWDAwE
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) June 6, 2021
Assembly Bill 261 makes Nevada only the sixth state in the U.S. to include the contributions of LGBTQ people in history and civics classes.
The Silver State now joins California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and Colorado in making public education queer inclusive.
On the other side of the political spectrum, though, Tennessee and Montana have passed laws requiring schools to notify warn parents if issues of sexual orientation or gender identity are scheduled to be addressed.
Analysis from the Human Rights Campaign found that more than 250 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2021. At least 17 had been enacted according to an HRC report on May 7.
Responding to the pro-LGBTQ legislation passed this year in Nevada, GLSEN interim Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers said in a statement, “This year, we’ve seen record numbers of harmful anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country. But Nevada’s new law offers a powerful contrast and shows us that a better way is not only possible, but already in motion.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP1eX9Rjeum/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Donald Trump (photo: public domain/Flickr)
The president blamed the Democratic governor for forcing his campaign to abandon plans to hold an outdoor rally Sunday at Cirrus Aviation near McCarran International Airport and a Saturday rally in Reno, which was moved to an outdoor venue in Minden.
After failing to arrange alternative venues in the Las Vegas area, the campaign decided to hold the rally indoors at the Xtreme Manufacturing facility, owned by his friend Don Ahern, Trump said. “They canceled six different sites because the governor wouldn’t let it happen, all external sites,” the president said.
Henderson officials issued written and verbal warnings of compliance to the event organizers. Kathleen Richards, a spokeswoman for the city of Henderson, said in a statement “gatherings of more than 50 people in a private or public setting is prohibited.”
“If the governor’s directives are not followed,” she said, “the city may assess a fine of up to $500 per violation as well as suspend or revoke the business license.”
Sisolak was not targeting Trump in any way. Currently, no one is supposed to hold large gatherings of more than 50 people in Nevada. That’s the rule for everyone.
Sisolak clapped back in a lengthy thread on Twitter writing, “Tonight, President Donald Trump is taking reckless and selfish actions that are putting countless lives in danger here in Nevada.”
“The president appears to have forgotten that this country is still in the middle of a global pandemic,” added Sisolak.
Despite reports from his own White House, despite local officials in Southern & Northern Nevada reiterating to the venues the existing restrictions in State emergency directives, tonight, the President is knowingly packing thousands into an indoor venue to hold a political rally.
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) September 14, 2020
Early on in this crisis, when it came time to exhibit real leadership and make difficult decisions to protect the American people, he failed to develop a unified national response strategy.
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) September 14, 2020
Instead, he came into our State and blatantly disregarded the emergency directives and tough choices made to fight this pandemic and begin reopening our economy by hosting an indoor gathering that’s categorized as “high risk” according to his own CDC.
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) September 14, 2020
This is an insult to every Nevadan who has followed the directives, made sacrifices, and put their neighbors before themselves. It’s also a direct threat to all of the recent progress we’ve made, and could potentially set us back.
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) September 14, 2020
At a time when Nevada is focused on getting our economy back on track and protecting public health, the President’s actions this weekend are shameful, dangerous and irresponsible.
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) September 14, 2020