LGBTQ+ pride on display at Central Illinois parades, concerts, movies and more this June
Central Illinois pride month events begin with events in Danville and Monticello on Saturday, June 3.
Tag: LGBTQ
Illinois moves toward gender inclusivity as others move away
Illinois lawmakers passed a trio of bills that would update existing laws to be more gender inclusive and add protections for LGBTQ marriages. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he will sign them.
LGBTQ book bans have spiked nationwide. Where do Decatur school board candidates stand?
One candidate running for Decatur school board said he supports age-restricting books with LGBTQ characters.
Indiana lawmakers advance ban on all gender-affirming care
An Indiana bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, passed the state Senate public health committee 8-3.
‘Equitable restrooms’ bill advances in House
Bill calls for setting standards for multi-occupant, all-gender facilities.
New law allows Illinoisans to change sex on birth certificate without doctor’s affirmation
Illinois becomes 12th state, 1st in Midwest, to allow self-attestation
A Chicago private school defends LGBTQ sex ed after right-wing viral video
CHICAGO – An elite Chicago private school tightened security and disabled its Twitter and Facebook accounts after a video of its dean of students secretly recorded by a conservative group went viral on Wednesday. The video captures the dean talking last week about a visit to Francis W. Parker School by an LGBTQ health organization to
Mother, friends, performers among dead at Colorado gay club
The five people who were killed at a gay club in Colorado are being remembered as loving parents, enthusiastic performers and longtime patrons who cherished Club Q as a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ community. They came to Colorado Springs’ preeminent LGBTQ establishment on Saturday evening and were met with tragedy when a
Gay bar shooting suspect facing murder, hate crime charges
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The man suspected of opening fire at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs is being held on murder and hate crimes charges. The charges surfaced in online court records Monday, two days after the attack that killed five people and wounded many others. The charges were preliminary, and prosecutors had not
Urbana church remembers Colorado club shooting and transgender violence victims
URBANA – The deadly mass shooting at a Colorado nightclub was on the minds of Urbana churchgoers as they remembered transgender people who were violently killed. Nearly 50 people gathered Sunday night at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign. The vigil was already scheduled to remember transgender people murdered within the last year but had extra
Colorado Springs shooting: The official injured toll climbs to 25
Updated Sunday at 3:50 p.m. At least five people were killed and 25 others were wounded after a gunman opened fire at an LGBTQ club called Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Police said a 22-year-old suspect is in custody. Here’s what we know so far: Police say at least two club patrons fought with the
The Lavender Newsletter founders resurrect 1980s queer newsletter for modern-day audience
URBANA – Two members of Champaign-Urbana’s LGBTQ+ community are rebooting a newsletter initially published in the 1980s. Sophie West and Jada Fulcher said they were inspired to create the newsletter in June after seeing an Instagram post from the Urbana Free Library showcasing the library’s archive of The Lavender Praire News, a 1980s newsletter for
Pride Fest celebrates C-U’s LGBTQ+ members, unites community
URBANA – For Uniting Pride board members and city residents, the organization’s annual Pride Fest provided an important safe space in the community for its LGBTQ+ members. This year’s week-long Pride Fest lasted from Sept. 24 to Oct 2, with programming featuring nearly 20 events, including a Pride parade and vendor’s fair on Oct. 1.
At CPAC, Rep. Mary Miller backs controversial bills, impacting LGBTQ community
While addressing CPAC, one of the largest conservative conferences in the nation, Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland) defended her 2021 bill, “Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act.” She described it as having two benefits: “To ensure that our girls have opportunities in athletics, and that we protect our girls in their private spaces.” Nikita Shepard
LGBTQ farmers often go unnoticed. But their perspective may help reshape agriculture
There aren’t any definite numbers about how many farmers belong to the LGBTQ community in the U.S, but many are making a point to become more visible in their rural communities. COGGON, Iowa — Growing up on her family’s farm in Coggon, Iowa, Shae Pesek couldn’t envision being able to have the life she wanted