Public opposition to sex work has been growing in Europe, despite more liberal policies in some countries. A study forthcoming in the Archives of Sexual Behavior shows that decriminalizing sex work does not necessarily lead to greater public acceptance, as reflected on a ten-point scale. While public attitudes in Spain did become more liberal after decriminalization in […]
Death penalty for sex crimes
Florida prosecutors announce that they are seeking the death penalty against an African-American child sex offender who had been punished for an earlier sex offense and was then found to have molested his girlfriend’s two daughters over a long period. A 2023 law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis makes this possible. A number of state […]
Ohio bill aims to limit public drag performances as “harmful to juveniles”
There’s a lot of bills baking right now in the Ohio legislature around LGBTQ+ livelihoods and rights. One recently introduced bill – House Bill 249 – if passed, could criminalize public drag performances. Editor Ken Schneck of The Buckeye Flame has put together a useful guide that explains several significant and recently introduced bills that […]
Planned Parenthood and its healthcare services in peril once again
Due to withholding of federal support Planned Parenthood has closed or is in the process of closing clinics located in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Utah, and Vermont. The non-profit intends to close over a third of its locations across Minnesota and Iowa alone. Planned Parenthood, which often gets caught in the crosshairs of […]
The “Nordic Model” is spreading to Scotland and sex workers are concerned
In Scotland it is currently legal to pay for sex, although related activities like running a brothel and loitering in public are in fact illegal. The Nordic model, as enacted in countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, aims to criminalize the purchasing of sex and decriminalizing the selling of it. A member of the […]
A small win for queer rights in conservative-led Italy
Italy’s Constitutional Court ruled recently that female couples who use in vitro fertilization (IVF) abroad can both be legally recognized as parents back in their home country, even for partners who are not the biological mothers. While this ruling does not change other laws under Italy’s conservative government, such as Italy’s current restricted access to IVF […]
The Trump administration showing more of their true colors
While discussing the administration’s justification to cut funding to universities on a Fox news segment, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tossed up some disturbing but not at all surprising word salad. She said that President Trump would prefer funds go towards the trades than “LGBTQ graduate majors” at Harvard. What exactly did she mean […]
Two more American corporate sponsors bite the Pride dust
We’ve been following in real time as corporate sponsors continue to withdraw their funding from Pride events. These latest American corporate casualties, Home Depot and Google, have now withdrawn their support of Pride Toronto. This is just another reminder of the close-knit nature of American and Canadian politics. Check out Muriel Draaisma and Naama Weingarten’s […]
Safety for queer and trans folk on social media platforms continues to decline
GLAAD, the LBGTQ Media Advocacy Organization, has released its 5th Social Media Safety Index (SMSI). In the words of GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, the SMSI “continues to be the leading analysis of anti-LGBTQ online hate, harassment, and disinformation, with a year-round program dedicated to protecting safety, privacy, and expression for LGBTQ people […]
Queers are skipping world pride due to detainment fears
World Pride launches shortly in Washington D.C. The festival, running from May 17-June 8 coincides with the 50th anniversary of DC Pride celebrations. This double-billing, combined with the threats to queer and trans visibility and rights from the Trump administration, has the potential to usher in a record number of participants. People may show up […]