https://www.advocate.com/rss.xml en https://assets.rbl.ms/32874384/origin.png https://www.advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/advocate-nl-6-15-26 Hello folks, Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez, back in your inbox, hoping you all had a great weekend!

We'd like to kick this week off with a powerful opinion piece from Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer, reflecting on religion and the LGBTQ+ community.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:21:11 EDT Edgar Ramirez https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/advocate-nl-6-15-26 https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/ohio-drag-queens-speak-out For most of her career, Nina West watched drag move steadily toward the center of American culture.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:12:59 EDT Christopher Wiggins https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/ohio-drag-queens-speak-out https://www.advocate.com/news/microsoft-pride-profits-trump-admin This story was originally published by Uncloseted Media, an LGBTQ focused investigative news outlet.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:55:07 EDT Hope Pisoni https://www.advocate.com/news/microsoft-pride-profits-trump-admin https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trumps-track-record-lgbtq-issues This story was originally published by Uncloseted Media, an LGBTQ focused investigative news outlet.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:43:51 EDT Nico Dialesandro https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trumps-track-record-lgbtq-issues https://www.advocate.com/news/people/sj-joslin-lawsuit-dismissed A federal judge in California dismissed a lawsuit brought by a park ranger who was fired after helping fly a transgender Pride flag at Yosemite National Park.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:34:04 EDT Jacob Ogles https://www.advocate.com/news/people/sj-joslin-lawsuit-dismissed https://www.advocate.com/news/ufc-fighter-yells-michelle-obama-is-a-man-at-trump-s-birthday-spectacle This story originally appeared on Them.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:32:07 EDT Mathew Rodriguez https://www.advocate.com/news/ufc-fighter-yells-michelle-obama-is-a-man-at-trump-s-birthday-spectacle https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/kamala-harris-the-abbey-surprise Former Vice President Kamala Harris spent part of Pride Month visiting a place that has long served as both a sanctuary and stage for LGBTQ+ Americans.]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:38:21 EDT Christopher Wiggins https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/kamala-harris-the-abbey-surprise https://www.advocate.com/opinion/faith-leaders-lgbtq-rights-opinion There are moments in public life when a community must decide who it is—truly, unapologetically, without flinching. The release of Sacred Worth, Shared Freedom by the Lavender Interfaith Collective (LInC) is one of those moments. Sacred Worth, Shared Freedom is a bold, multi-faith statement and call to action affirming the inherent dignity of LGBTIQ+ people and urging communities, leaders, and institutions to defend human rights, expand democratic freedoms, and stand in courageous solidarity against all forms of anti-LGBTIQ+ violence and discrimination. It is not simply a statement; it is a line in the sand drawn by people of faith who refuse to let fear have the final word. I write as one of them.]]> Sun, 14 Jun 2026 07:00:01 EDT Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer https://www.advocate.com/opinion/faith-leaders-lgbtq-rights-opinion https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/maine-judge-blocks-anti-trans-initiative On Thursday, a Superior Court judge upheld the block of a referendum on transgender athletes from its November ballot, according to Maine Public.]]> Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:27:03 EDT Desiree Guerrero https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/maine-judge-blocks-anti-trans-initiative https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/breaking-news-6-13-26 Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]]> Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:43:35 EDT Edgar Ramirez https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/breaking-news-6-13-26 https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-abandons-lgbtq-veterans The Department of Veterans Affairs has ordered health facilities nationwide to eliminate gender identity-based initiatives and strip the LGBTQ+ designation from a network of medical coordinators created to help LGBTQ+ veterans navigate care, according to an internal memorandum obtained by The Advocate.]]> Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:24:42 EDT Christopher Wiggins https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-abandons-lgbtq-veterans https://www.advocate.com/opinion/moving-home-taught-me-democracy Having spent half my life in the most liberal city in the U.S. and half my life in one of the most conservative, I’ve learned an important lesson: how Americans talk to each other is as important as what they say. ]]> Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:00:02 EDT Tom Shepard https://www.advocate.com/opinion/moving-home-taught-me-democracy https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/ken-paxton-james-talarico-trans-issues Republican Ken Paxton was quick to publicly denounce his fellow U.S. Senate candidate, Democrat James Talarico, for apparently changing his stance on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, according to the Austin American Statesman.]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 20:31:04 EDT Desiree Guerrero https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/ken-paxton-james-talarico-trans-issues https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/advocate-nl-6-12-26 Hello folks, Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez back in your inbox to close out Week 2 of Pride Month.

What's usually a celebratory time for the LGBTQ+ community, today marks 10 years since an extremist gunman walked inside Pulse, a gay Orlando nightclub at that time hosting Latin Night, killing 49 people and leaving 58 injured.

May we never forget those whose lives were tragically cut short.]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:17:19 EDT Edgar Ramirez https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/advocate-nl-6-12-26 https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-name-removal-kennedy-center On Thursday, the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees made a sudden decision to appeal U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s order to remove Trump’s name from the Washington, D.C. cultural center’s exterior by Friday, June 12. Cooper said his reasoning for the ruling was that the name change did not go through the proper legal processes, stating that “Congress gave the center its name, and only Congress can change it.”]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:43:49 EDT Desiree Guerrero https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-name-removal-kennedy-center https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/breaking-news-6-12-26 Ezra Acayan/Getty Images]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:20:10 EDT Edgar Ramirez https://www.advocate.com/newsletter/breaking-news-6-12-26 https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trans-military-ban-class-filing The legal battle over President Donald Trump's transgender military ban is entering a new phase that could determine whether the challenge proceeds on behalf of a handful of plaintiffs or thousands of transgender service members nationwide.]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:15:11 EDT Christopher Wiggins https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trans-military-ban-class-filing https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/bruce-blakeman-new-york-antigay A Republican candidate seeking to govern one of the nation's most influential states is facing growing criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and Democratic officials over his ties to politicians and activists who have opposed marriage equality, supported restrictions on LGBTQ+ visibility, and made remarks condemned as homophobic.]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:22:00 EDT Christopher Wiggins https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/bruce-blakeman-new-york-antigay https://www.advocate.com/news/san-francisco-gay-bars-privacy The use of facial-scanning technology at several San Francisco gay bars has angered many in the LGBTQ+ community. At locations often frequented by people who are not publicly out, the notion of tracking patrons' whereabouts in the very havens sought for privacy raises many alarms.]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:59:17 EDT Jacob Ogles https://www.advocate.com/news/san-francisco-gay-bars-privacy https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/sarah-mcbride-state-of-firsts Days after drawing a standing ovation at the Equality PAC National Pride Gala in Washington, Delaware’s sole congresswoman, Sarah McBride, is preparing for another milestone. Friday is the nationwide theatrical release of the documentary State of Firsts, which captured her historic campaign to become the first out transgender member of Congress.]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:45:01 EDT Christopher Wiggins https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/sarah-mcbride-state-of-firsts