Latest news with #L.G.B.T.Q.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow N.I.H. to Cut D.E.I.-Related Grants
The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to allow the National Institutes of Health to cancel millions of dollars in grants linked to diversity initiatives. In the emergency application, lawyers for the Trump administration asked the justices to block a ruling by a federal judge in Boston. In June, Judge William G. Young of the Federal District Court of Massachusetts had declared some of the administration's cuts to the N.I.H. 'void and illegal.' Judge Young, a Reagan appointee with 40 years of experience as a federal judge, had accused the Trump administration of prejudice against L.G.B.T.Q. people and of racial discrimination in targeting hundreds of grants that supported research into topics such as gender identity and equity in health care. The judge said that during his career, he had 'never seen government racial discrimination like this.' In March, the Trump administration began to cut N.I.H. grants that focused on research on health equity, racial disparities, vaccine hesitancy and maternal health in minority communities, sometimes by scanning for certain terms. A coalition of Democratic-led states, researchers and unions, led by the American Public Health Association, had brought legal challenges to stop a raft of cuts at the N.I.H., arguing that they endangered scientific progress. The justices have not called for a response from the groups challenging the Trump administration cuts.
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Supreme Court Requires Schools to Allow Opting Out From L.G.B.T.Q. Stories
Public schools in Maryland must allow parents with religious objections to withdraw their children from classes in which storybooks with L.G.B.T.Q. themes are discussed, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday. The vote was 6 to 3, with the court's liberal members in dissent. The case extended a winning streak for claims of religious freedom at the court, gains that have often come at the expense of other values, notably gay rights. The case concerned a new curriculum adopted in 2022 for prekindergarten through the fifth grade by the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland's largest school system. The storybooks included 'Pride Puppy,' an alphabet primer about a family whose puppy gets lost at a Pride parade; 'Love, Violet,' about a girl who develops a crush on her female classmate; 'Born Ready,' about a transgender boy; and 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' about a same-sex union. At first, the school system gave parents notice when the storybooks were to be discussed, along with the opportunity to have their children excused. But school administrators soon eliminated the advanced notice and opt-out policy, saying it was hard to administer, led to absenteeism and risked 'exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them and their families to social stigma and isolation.' Parents of several faiths sued, saying the books violated the First Amendment's protection of the free exercise of religion. The books, their complaint said, 'promote one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning and focus excessively on romantic infatuation.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
A Legal Gamble
For years, the L.G.B.T.Q. movement racked up a slate of legal victories around marriage, military service and employment rights. But a political backlash has been brewing, and yesterday brought a profound setback: The Supreme Court ruled that states can bar doctors from providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors who identify as transgender. It wasn't inevitable. The Supreme Court case turned on a particular argument: The plaintiffs, including three young Tennesseeans, said that when the state stopped them from taking these medications, it violated their constitutional rights. But the case was a legal and political gamble. It was rooted in uncertain science and contested ideas about sex and gender that most voters didn't grasp or support, Nicholas Confessore reports today in The Times Magazine. The Biden administration, the A.C.L.U. and L.G.B.T.Q. groups threw their weight behind the case, United States v. Skrmetti. It was 'one of the biggest mistakes in the history of trans activism,' Brianna Wu, a trans woman who serves on the board of Rebellion PAC, a Democratic political-action committee, told Nick. In today's newsletter, I asked him to explain why. This case is the legal culmination of a larger cultural movement. What is that? Many L.G.B.T.Q. activists believe that gender identity should supplant older understandings of biological sex in the public sphere. In their view, one that emerged in recent decades from academia and left-wing political circles, people have the right to determine their own gender. And that determination should guide what appears on your driver's license, what bathroom you use, what sports team you join. That goes for children, too. When did that idea take hold? Efforts to implement these concepts as federal policy took shape during the Obama administration. Next, in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that employees could not be fired for being gay or transgender. Activists believed that gave them a firmer legal basis to seek expanded protections for gender identity. The Biden administration instructed federal agencies to interpret old civil rights laws against sex discrimination to include the newer concept of gender identity. Then came the backlash. I remember an ad in the closing days of the 2024 presidential campaign that said Kamala Harris was 'for they/them' and that Donald Trump was 'for you.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
04-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
I Think My Son Is Gay. Should I Talk to Him About Coming Out?
I am the mother of two delightful teenage boys in the throes of navigating all the challenges that youth brings. Over the past few years, it has become evident to me that my younger son is most likely gay. I believe I am the only person in the family to have noticed his interest in rainbow flags or his outrage at injustices to the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community, among other, subtler, indications. I've always thought it quite unfair that only those who fall under the L.G.B.T.Q.+ umbrella have the onerous burden of 'coming out.' Last summer my son weathered the heartbreak of a dear friend, likely a crush, moving away. For Valentine's Day, a female classmate asked my son out, and he turned her down. His life is getting increasingly complicated. I don't want to push him to come out before he's ready, but I'd love to be able to have honest conversations about some of what he's going through. My question is: Should I wait and let him come out when he's ready, or is there a way I can save him the trouble? What is the most thoughtful way to approach this? — Name Withheld From the Ethicist: I get why you want to spare him the awkward dance of coming out, but for many young people, it's a way to claim an identity on their terms. (For many parents, in turn, it involves pretending that the declaration comes as news.) Pressing fast-forward could leave him with the sense that he has lost a measure of agency — that a big moment has been pre-empted. It could also make him feel exposed or rushed. There are all sorts of ways that you can indicate your loving acceptance and reassure him that you'll be a soft place to land. Indeed, I'm sure you've already done so. When he's ready, you'll be there — arms open, heart steady, no script needed. Readers Respond The previous question was from a reader wondering whether to disclose the toxic products used on the shared lawn when selling a condo. The reader wrote: 'I am hoping to sell my condo. I live in a homeowner's association that still uses many toxic landscaping products. … Several residents have worked over the past two years, without success, to change the association's landscaping practices. What is my obligation to disclose these harmful products to prospective buyers, especially those with young children and pets?' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
National Park Service to Close Dupont Circle in Washington During Pride Event
The National Park Service will close the park at Dupont Circle, a gathering place for the city's L.G.B.T.Q. community, during a major Pride Month event this weekend that is already grappling with cancellations and pulled corporate sponsorships. The event, WorldPride, is an international celebration of the L.G.B.T.Q. community that is held each June in a different city. Washington won the bid for this year's edition, which began in mid-May and runs through Sunday, in 2022. The Park Service will fence off the Dupont Circle park during WorldPride celebrations from Thursday to Monday as a 'public safety measure,' said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the agency, in a statement first shared on Monday. The statement cited 'a history and pattern of destructive and disorderly behavior' in the park during previous Pride celebrations, including vandalism of the park fountain in 2023. The last WorldPride event in the United States, in New York City six years ago, was largely peaceful. 'Five million people, and there was almost not a single incident,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the time. The Park Service said it was closing the park in response to a request from Washington's police force, and that the closure was in line with President Trump's executive order in March to protect historic national monuments. Some L.G.B.T.Q. residents and at least one elected official responded on social media by calling on Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is set to march in the city's Pride Parade this weekend, to open the park. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
