MATTHEW SHEPARD’S MOM RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
Judy Shepard, the longtime LGBTQ+ activist and mother of anti-gay hate crime victim Matthew Shepard, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom last month.
Shepard received the award, the U.S.’s highest civilian honor, from President Joe Biden at the White House along with 19 other recipients, reports LGBTQ Nation.
Shepard has been fighting for LGBTQ+ rights for over 20 years. She and her husband, Dennis, were propelled to the forefront of the movement after their son Matthew was brutally beaten and left for dead in an act of horrific anti-gay violence that drew national headlines in 1998.
NEW BIDEN POLICY PROTECTS LGBTQ+ FOSTER YOUTH
LGBTQ+ children and youth in the child welfare system have a much better shot of being placed in a supportive foster care home thanks to a new Biden administration policy, reports LGBTQ Nation.
On April 20, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services finalized a new rule requiring state and tribal child welfare agencies to ensure that “all foster care placements must be safe and appropriate for all children—including LGBTQI+ children.”
FBI ISSUES WARNING ABOUT THREATS AGAINST PRIDE EVENTS
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued a warning about possible threats from foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) during Pride month.
The public service announcement stated that FTO threats are “compounded by the current heightened threat environment in the United States and other western countries,” and notes that many FTOs have previously used “anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and targeted LGBTQIA+ related events or venues for attacks.”
Pride officials are working with law enforcement agencies around the country to ensure everyone’s safety.
TARGET SCALES DOWN PRIDE MONTH COLLECTION
Target has announced that it will only sell their Pride Month collection in select stores after suffering a backlash and boycott last year during the 2023 Pride season, reports ABC News.
The company says that instead of offering their Pride Month collection merchandise across all stores, they will be “offering a collection of products including adult apparel and home and food and beverage items, curated based on consumer feedback. The collection will be available on Target.com and in select stores, based on historical sales performance,” the company said in a statement on their website.
AETNA TO PROVIDE EQUAL FERTILITY COVERAGE FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE
In a historic win for the LGBTQ+ community, Aetna reached a settlement last month with a group of plaintiffs alleging medical discrimination in their fertility coverage, reports LGBTQ Nation.
The insurance company is paying out $2 million to the members of the class action lawsuit, as well as restructuring how they cover fertility for queer couples moving forward. This marks the first big step toward ending fertility-based medical discrimination for LGBTQ+ couples.
