LGBTQ rights

Maryland Senate approves legal protections for gender-affirming care

By Brian Witte, Associated Press

The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 33-13 on Tuesday for the measure that would provide the same legal protection offered by the state for abortions.

Some states seek to deny transgender and nonbinary people’s rights by legally defining sex

By Andrew DeMillo, John Hanna, Associated Press

At least 13 states have proposed bills this year that seek to narrowly define sex or gender as binary.

Communities hold vigils for nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died after school bathroom fight

By Associated Press

Vigils took place across the nation on Friday and Saturday for an Oklahoma teenager who died the day after a fight in a high school bathroom in which the nonbinary student claimed to be a target of bullying.

After Nex Benedict’s death, LGBTQ+ Oklahomans vow to ‘not let the hate take over’

By Adam Kemp

While many details around the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict remain unknown, what has become clear for those within Oklahoma’s LGBTQ+ community is they do not feel safe.

Alabama lawmakers advance legislation to define man and woman based on reproductive anatomy

By Kim Chandler, Associated Press

Supporters say it gives necessary guidance to the courts in interpreting existing laws. Opponents say it would further erode the rights of transgender people in Alabama.

Greece legalizes same-sex civil marriage in landmark parliamentary vote

By Nicholas Paphitis, Associated Press

Greece has become the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex civil marriage, despite opposition from Church officials.

Greek lawmakers debate a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriage, narrowly supported by public

By Derek Gatopoulos, Associated Press

If approved, the bill would grant same-sex couples full parental rights but not allow male partners to seek children born in Greece through surrogacy.

Activist sees ‘new beginning’ after Polish state TV apologizes for years of anti-LGBTQ propaganda

By Vanessa Gera, Associated Press

An LGBTQ rights activist in Poland says he believes it's a "new beginning" in Poland after a host on state television apologized on air for the homophobic propaganda aired by state media for years.

Ohio backs off proposed restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for adults

By Geoff Mulvihill, Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press

Transgender people and their healthcare providers feared the original rules would have left thousands of patients scrambling to find care — and facing health risks in the meantime.

Move to strip gender identity from Iowa’s civil rights law rejected by legislators

By Hannah Fingerhut, Associated Press

Iowa lawmakers have declined to advance a bill that would have stripped "gender identity" from the state's civil rights law. The proposal has been floated in recent years without success.