LAMBDA LEGAL TO SUE OVER ORDERS ON LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
Lambda Legal, the LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group that succeeded in fighting executive orders issued during President Donald Trump’s first term, promised last month to challenge his latest moves rolling back protections for transgender and nonbinary U.S. citizens, reports Law360.
Lambda Legal condemned various executive orders Trump issued on his first day in office following his inauguration. He reinstated a ban on transgender people serving in the military, instituted a policy that the government will only recognize male and female sexes and rolled back broad protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination.
STATES SUING OVER ORDER SEEKING TO OVERTURN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit on last month to stop President Trump’s executive order that seeks to eliminate birthright citizenship, reports CBS News.
The lawsuit by 24 states, including California, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, claims Trump’s initiative violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which the federal government has long interpreted to mean that those born on American soil are citizens at birth.
COUPLES SCRAMBLED TO TIE THE KNOT BEFORE NEW ADMINISTRATION
Three Unitarian churches in Rochester, New York, came together last month to host the Big Gay Wedding event, a free opportunity for LGBTQ+ couples, many of whom are fearful that marriage equality will be in jeopardy under the new administration and rushed to get married before inauguration day.
The event was hosted by the First Universalist Church of Rochester, the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua and bolstered by donations of cake, photography, and flowers from local vendors.
TREVOR PROJECT REPORTS SURGE IN CRISIS SUPPORT CALLS FOLLOWING INAUGURATION
The Trevor Project’s classic crisis services—phone, text, and chat—saw a 33 percent increase in volume last month, the day Trump was sworn in as president, compared to weeks prior. The next day, volume was up 46 percent compared to typical daily rates in the previous weeks, reports the Advocate.
The volume increase follows a record-breaking 700 percent increase observed across the Trevor Project’s crisis lines on November 6, the day after the presidential election. The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
TRANS ACTOR KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN RECEIVES OSCAR NOD
History was made last month with the announcement of the 97th Academy Award nominees. Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of Emilia Pérez, has become the first transgender actor in history to receive an Oscar nomination in an acting category.
This groundbreaking achievement adds to the film’s remarkable success, as Emilia Pérez has garnered a record-breaking 13 Oscar nominations, surpassing any other foreign language film in history. Gascón, a 52-year-old Spanish actress born in Alcobendas, recently received further recognition as a 2024 Out100 honoree.
