LGBTQ
As drag shows go ‘mainstream,’ some red states look to restrict them
Drag performances used to be found mostly in the confines of nightlife venues such as clubs and bars. But drag has stepped into the daylight, with elaborately costumed and made-up performers appearing at library readings and kid-friendly brunches, and a newfound visibility for gender-bending entertainment and self-expression. “Drag now versus 15 years ago is like […]
?‘Adult-oriented business’ bill advances in Kentucky legislature, foes call it ‘anti drag’
A House committee on Tuesday advanced a Senate bill to regulate “sexually explicit” performances hosted in “adult-oriented businesses” which opponents have labeled as “anti drag.”? Members of the House Veterans, Military Affairs & Public Protection Committee voted to approve the latest version of Senate Bill 147, sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield. The Senate passed […]
Kentucky attorney general among those warning Maine not to enact medical shield law
Kentucky’s Russell Coleman is among 16 state attorneys general threatening legal action if Maine enacts a law shielding its medical providers from penalties for providing reproductive and gender-affirming care to residents of other states. The Republican attorneys general assert such a law would be “extraterritorial bullying” and “could also trigger a rapid tit-for-tat escalation that […]
‘Adult-oriented’ businesses would be subject to new restrictions under bill approved by Senate
FRANKFORT — A bill placing new restrictions on “adult-oriented” businesses, which opponents have blasted as “anti-drag,” passed the Kentucky Senate Wednesday 32-6.? It can now go to the House for consideration.? Senate Bill 147 prohibits “adult-oriented” businesses from being located within 933 feet of a child care facility, children’s amusement establishment, school, park, recreation? facility […]
‘This year’s anti-drag bill’ on its way to full Senate
FRANKFORT — A Senate committee on Thursday approved new restrictions on “adult-oriented businesses” that opponents describe as “this year’s anti-drag bill.”? Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, filed Senate Bill 147 in late January, saying it was “not intended to impede on any First Amendment rights of free speech, nor to impose limitations on reasonable access to […]
Religious liberty bill worries LGBTQ advocates who say it targets fairness ordinances
FRANKFORT — A bill backers say is meant to strengthen religious freedom in Kentucky but which opponents say will weaken fairness ordinances in the state passed out of a House committee Wednesday despite bipartisan concerns.? After an hour of debate, the House Judiciary Committee approved the measure 14-6.? Rep. Stephanie Dietz, R-Edgewood, joined Democrats in […]
Democrats file bill to undo Kentucky ban on some medical care for trans minors
FRANKORT — Two Kentucky Democrats filed a bill Thursday seeking to undo a law that bans gender affirming medical care for transgender minors.? Senate Bill 150 passed the general assembly in 2023. Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed the bill, but the Republican supermajority overruled his veto, and the bill became law.? As a result, Kentucky […]
School clubs for gay students meet uneasy future under Kentucky’s anti-LGBTQ law
OWENTON — During a school-wide club fair in this northern Kentucky town, a school administrator stood watch as students signed up for a group for LGBTQ+ students and their allies. After the club sign-up sheet had been posted, students wrote derogatory terms and mockingly signed up classmates, according to one of the club’s founders. The […]
Cameron joins 16 state attorneys general to oppose federal protections for LGBTQ foster youth
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is leading a coalition of 17 state attorneys general — including Kentucky’s outgoing AG Daniel Cameron — in fighting a proposed federal rule intended to give LGBTQ kids greater protections in foster care. The proposed rule reflects misguided federal policy, illegally intrudes on state authority and risks violating the free […]
Kentucky ACLU appeals to U.S. high court for transgender minors’ medical care
The Trevor Project, which aims to end suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, also has trained counselors available around the clock. Reach them at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/, or by texting START to 678678.? The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday filed a petition for a certiorari asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn an […]
Kentucky’s ban on transgender medical care for minors headed to U.S. Supreme Court, ACLU says
Kentucky’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the 2023 law banning certain gender affirming medical care for transgender minors.? This comes more than a month after the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to keep Kentucky’s ban on treatments like […]
Class action lawsuit seeks to halt enforcement of anti-trans law in Lexington public schools
A class action lawsuit against Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron and the Fayette County Board of Education argues that students’ constitutional and privacy rights are violated by a new anti-trans Kentucky law and asks the court to block its enforcement in Lexington schools.? Senate Bill 150, enacted by the legislature earlier this year over Democratic […]