Xtra News Flash

God’s gender, anti-trans legislation, Pauli Murray in your pocket, Hungarian court drama and the Super Bowl

Here are 5 queer and trans news stories we’re tracking: Feb. 10

By Maddy Mahoney

Education

Parental rights champions in Prince Edward Island want to strip trans kids of their right to privacy

A petition and a resolution are circulating questioning the need for queer- and trans-affirming guidelines in schools

By V.S. Wells

Politics

As conservatives attack trans people, does Joe Biden still have our backs?

OPINION: In his 2022 State of the Union address, Joe Biden told trans kids, “I will always have your back.” In this year’s speech, the president was silent on trans issues

By Katelyn Burns

Activism

Trans activists celebrate legal victory in Hong Kong

The verdict comes after a five-year legal battle for the right to change gender markers on IDs without undergoing full gender reassignment surgeries

By Eve Cable

Education

Alberta’s new ‘free speech reporting’ requirement for colleges and universities stokes fears in the LGBTQ2S+ community

The announcement comes after the University of Lethbridge cancelled a controversial speaker

By Kevin Maimann

Homophobia

Vancouver couple targeted on commuter train in the wake of anti-LGBTQ2S+ hate surge

Jamie Pine says he experienced homophobic harassment online after releasing a video of the incident on TikTok

By Jackie Richardson

Activism

Meet the coalition of advocates fighting for Missouri’s trans youth

In the state with the most anti-trans legislation proposed this year thus far, families, school communities and even rabbis are banding together

By Sophie Hurwitz

History

Learning local queer history helped me reclaim my right to public space

After an incident of homophobic harassment, learning about my local park’s LGBTQ+ history gave me the confidence to keep going out for daily walks

By Rosen Pitman-Wallace

Identity

Thanks to new legislation, it’s significantly easier for trans people to change their gender markers in Finland

The process no longer requires that trans people have surgery or a psychiatric assessment

By Claire Forth

Xtra News Flash

Celebrating more inclusion on ‘The Sims,’ anti-trans bills killed in Virginia and Finland’s gender update—just a few of the stories we’re tracking this week

6 news stories impacting LGBTQ2S+ folk today

By Maddy Mahoney

Mental Health

The passing of transphobic laws increased internet searches for ‘suicide’ and ‘depression,’ study finds

The study also found that when a transphobic bill was defeated, the number of searches on those topics decreased

By Diamond Yao

Reproductive Health

Gay man sues Health Canada over discriminatory sperm-donation policies

The court case comes amidst a nationwide sperm-donor shortage, which has left many Canadian queer families, single women and people experiencing infertility in the lurch

By Emma Bainbridge

Violence against LGBTQ2S+

Brazil recorded 242 violent LGBTQ+ deaths in 2022

During Bolsonaro’s final year as president of Brazil, researchers say a queer person was killed every 34 hours in the South American country

By Denio Lourenco

Politics

No, Conservatives, you aren’t being discriminated against

OPINION: Conservatives are trying to protect political belief on human-rights grounds, betraying the whole reason human rights protections exist

By Dale Smith

Trans Health

The ‘Utah-style compromise’ is dead

OPINION: In recent years, legislators in the state have occasionally shown compassion on LGBTQ2S+ issues. Utah’s recent anti-trans bill shows that empathy has run out

By Katelyn Burns

Identity

German parliament centres LGBTQ+ experiences on Holocaust Memorial Day for the first time

The remembrance comes after years of campaigning from activists

By Jackie Richardson

Politics

Tennessee rejects HIV funding over inclusion of trans rights, abortion groups

Experts say the state could experience a major outbreak as a result of the funding loss

By Cassandra Kislenko

Media

When it comes to anti-trans bills, how much panic is too much panic?

ANALYSIS: Constant legislative attacks are damaging trans people’s mental health. How do reporters inform the public without telling them they’re doomed?

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle