Yesterday, Governor Newsom stated in a press release that he is dedicating over $140 million to keep statewide Planned Parenthood health centers running through the rest of the year until additional resources are identified. 

H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was passed in July and includes detailed notes on the congressional budget, including cuts to various federal agencies and programs. In section 71113 of the bill, federal funding is restricted against “prohibited entities” that provide health services like abortions. Organizations like Planned Parenthood were also blocked from receiving federal reimbursement for providing essential care services to patients enrolled in Medicaid or Medi-Cal. 

Planned Parenthood traces its roots to the early 1900s, where it began as a clinic providing birth control resources. Today, there are over 100 Planned Parenthood health centers across California alone, providing abortion services, STI testing and treatment, gender affirming care, birth control options, and other reproductive care services. It has been a lifeline for many in accessing affordable care and education around their reproductive and sexual health.

The effects of H.R. 1 have cut deeply into local communities. As reported by local advocates and government representatives, the neighboring Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC) had to eliminate a primary health care service line that provided over 10,000 patients direct access to services like cancer screenings, birth control, and prenatal care.

This recent investment by the state highlights California as a “reproductive freedom state,” Newsom said in a statement. “[This] latest investment continues to show our belief in protecting access to essential health care in times of distress.”

The governor’s next steps in this defense include working with other legislative leaders to identify more long-term solutions for 2026 that will allow Planned Parenthood clinics to continue operating. “While we know Trump and Republicans’ attacks on reproductive health care are escalating, we remain confident that our state leaders will continue to stand with Planned Parenthood patients and providers and ensure they have the support necessary to endure the persistent assaults,” said Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California president Jodi Hicks in a separate statement.

Before Fanny Lapkin became Captain of West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station in August, she was a longtime advisor and mentor for the county’s deputy explorer program: a training and career development opportunity for young adults interested in law enforcement. “I probably had eight or nine of — I call [them] my kids,” Lapkin told the Blade. When some of these mentees became deputies, she felt like a “mama.” Lapkin brings this nurturing approach to her leadership, where she hopes to build deeper community trust and humanize her staff members. “People have the misconception that we’re machines and that we’re robots. We are human beings,” said Lapkin. 

Lapkin first ventured into law enforcement as a college student, where a casual walk into the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station for volunteer credit led to a seven-year-long stint. As a volunteer, she assisted deputies, participated in neighborhood watch, and became involved with safety measures for local community members. “I fell in love with the job,” said Lapkin. She officially took on a law enforcement role in 1997 and was eventually assigned to the Santa Clarita Valley’s Sheriff’s Station, where she worked as a community relations deputy. 

In 2019, Lapkin began working at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, climbing the ranks as service area sergeant to service area lieutenant before her most recent promotion to station captain in August. Lapkin says that she and fellow station staff pushed for LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum for peace officer standards and training. 

In September 2018, AB 2504 was passed, which required the state’s commission on peace officer standards and training to develop training material around LGBTQ+ identity and create inclusive workplaces. In 2024, AB 2621 was chaptered into law, which required the commission to also create and implement instruction on hate crimes against specific groups, including LGBTQ+ communities. 

Today, Lapkin hopes to continue building trust with marginalized community members, especially LGBTQ+ individuals afraid to seek help through law enforcement. The Blade sat down with the captain to discuss her perspective and approach.  

How do you hope to foster effective relationships between the sheriff’s station and community members?

Honestly, [it’s about] being available, being present. Joining Neighborhood Watch, having that open communication, making sure that you know the residents, whether it be from our LGBT community or visitors. We make sure that our deputies have the necessary training to be able to deal with different community members, whether direct leaders, whether business owners, or public safety commissions. Being available for them — I think that’s the number one thing, is just making yourself available to have those conversations. 

Also, having that transparency — if something does happen, let’s talk about what happened. In some cases, we won’t be able to discuss for obvious reasons, but it’s having that open communication and making sure that our community feels that they’re safe and that their voice is heard.

It’s having the conversation: How can we come together to find a resolution for [issues]? People come from different directions to try and resolve a problem. So my thing is, everybody has a seat at the table. From being a volunteer to a deputy to moving up the ranks, I’ve always lived by that. I’ve had amazing mentors who have always had that open-door policy, [where] every community member has a seat at the table. Come and tell us what your concerns are, and we’ll tell you how we can fix them. There are going to be times when we cannot do something about it, because it doesn’t rise to the level of a crime. But we can tell you, without giving you legal advice, how you can try to resolve something. 

How have you seen community issues and safety shift since you started working in the West Hollywood Sheriff’s station in 2019? How do you hope to address all of these shifts?

2019 kind of put us all in a bubble. But again, it’s just having that open communication and making yourself available, going to local events, participating in outreach, and just making sure that our community members, whomever they are — our Russian community, our Jewish community, our LGBT community — that they feel that they’re being heard, that we listen to them, and we understand that each of them have unique needs. So it’s trying to understand that and fostering a great environment where they’re comfortable enough to come to us, whether it be telling us how wonderful our deputies are, or also telling us they didn’t like the service that they received. 

If I get a concern, [like] somebody saying, “Well, I don’t like the way this deputy handled the call.” I look at every single body-worn camera footage. I listen to the phone calls. And if it’s something that we could do better, we fix it, right? And if it’s something that maybe was misinterpretation…I tell [deputies]: take the extra two minutes to listen to our community, because you’re going to learn something by just slowing yourself down. 

Unfortunately, our patrol deputies are under tight constraints. We are understaffed. They are working the extra overtime, but…we’re not machines, we’re not robots. We’re humans. And sometimes, the human nature kind of steps in at times. But we have to make sure that we teach them how to find the balance.

What are the unique needs and challenges West Hollywood communities face today?

The challenge is just making sure that our community trusts us [and] that our community is comfortable enough to come to us when they have a concern, when they’re victims. Especially with the LGBTQ community or even our transgender community, they’re a little nervous about going to law enforcement, or they feel that they’re going to be victimized again. That’s one thing that [we see] as a priority. We want to make sure that they don’t feel that, and that they do feel that they’re being heard, and that their safety is one of our concerns. We don’t care whether you’re LGBTQ, transgender, Jewish, or Russian — we’re going to treat you equally. If you’re a victim of a crime, we’re going to assist you and help you. I think we just want to make sure that our community members feel that they can come to us and we’re going to advocate for them, [that] we’re going to be a good partner.

What are the active ways that you and the station are building that kind of trust, specifically with LGBTQ+ and trans community members? How can they have that open dialogue with you and the station to feel safer?

Because there was a need for our transgender community…we started with a quarterly meeting, but we moved them to every six months, where we have a meeting and we invite any member of the community to come in and sit down and talk to us. We included our California Department of Justice partners. We included the trans Latina community. Our LGBTQ commission came out. 

That’s something that we’re trying to figure out. What’s going to be the best time to have these open dialogues? It’s a town hall roundtable. Tell us what your concerns are, and we’ll tell you how we can fix them.

A new ad paints Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger “as extreme as it gets” because of her stance on transgender rights.

Restoration of America PAC, a collection of conservative groups, funded the 30-second spot. It claims that Spanberger supports allowing “boys to play girls sports and shower in girls locker rooms … naked,” “horrifying gender mutilation reversal,” and “irreversible sterilization of children.”

The ad then argues Spanberger “refuses to answer questions about this because she knows how evil it is.”

When asked if she would support a bill that would allow trans women to use bathrooms and to play on sports teams consistent with their gender identity, Spanberger told WSET in Roanoke last month that she would “support a bill that would put clear provisions in place that provide a lot of local ability for input.”

Spanberger is running against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican “morally opposed” to marriage equality, to succeed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Equality Virginia Advocates, an organization that works alongside Equality Virginia, aims to advance equality for LGBTQ+ Virginians through advocacy and public policy. Executive Director Narissa Rahaman described the ad as “poorly recycled scapegoating” pulled from the “Trump 2024 playbook.”

“We need leaders focused on combating the everyday challenges facing Virginians across the commonwealth, not manufacturing culture war issues to encourage discrimination against our friends, families, and neighbors who happen to be transgender,” Rahaman said.

Rahaman added Equality Virginia PAC’s recent data shows 71 percent of the Earle-Sears campaign’s digital ad spending has been dedicated to ads against trans youth.

Earle-Sears has previously aired ads that claim Spanberger is for “they/them, not us,” echoing messaging the Trump-Vance campaign used to target former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.

“The Virginia GOP is wasting millions villainizing a small part of the population while ignoring the real issues facing Virginians: unaffordable housing, rampant inflation, and federal job cuts,” Rahaman said.

Laurel Powell, communications director at the Human Rights Campaign, noted conservative groups have spent more than $230,000 on anti-trans ads in Virginia. She described the anti-trans advertisements as “dangerous, blatant lies created to exploit misinformation about the trans community.”

“Republicans are desperately trying to distract from their ongoing failure on issues facing Virginians — like the Republican-led government shutdown, the fallout from the disastrous tariff wars, and thousands of people being booted from their jobs to feed Donald Trump’s lust for political vengeance,” Powell said. “While they make life harder and more dangerous for transgender people, all Virginians are being robbed of the leadership they need and deserve.”

A Christian Newport University poll notes Virginia’s likely voters are focused on threats to democracy, inflation or cost of living, healthcare, and immigration as key issues for the upcoming election. The poll found likely voters said Spanberger would do a better job than Earle-Sears in handling trans-specific policy by 13 points.

Spanberger cosponsored and voted for the Equality Act three times, which would ban discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation in federal law. Earle-Sears, for her part, has previously misgendered state Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) — the first openly trans statewide lawmaker in Virginia — during a floor debate and has made inaccurate claims about trans people at school board meetings.

Spanberger currently leads Earle-Sears by a 47.5-45.1 percent margin, according to a poll from Trafalgar Group, although the lead is within the poll’s 2.9 percent margin of error. Election Day is on Nov. 4.

On Oct. 18th, a mosaic of Angelinos across generations and cultural backgrounds gathered outside of city hall as they proudly lifted handmade signs decrying President Trump and the current administration. This march was one of several rallies organized just within the city, and one of thousands others organized across the nation.

The protest was packed, with people standing nearly shoulder to shoulder as a number of local leaders including Black Women for Wellness Action Project policy analyst LaKisha Camese, TransLatin@ Coalition president Bamby Salcedo and Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, made rousing speeches and led passionate chants before the march began. Speakers like political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen did not hold back when they addressed the crowd. “[They are] so desperate to rebrand this thing as a ‘Hate America’ rally. But do you know what hating America looks like?,” asked Cohen.

Image captures by Blade reporter Kristie Song

“It looks like sending secret police accountable to no one into our cities…It looks like keeping the government closed because you are so hell bent on stripping away health care from 24 million Americans and trying to get their costs to double, triple or quadruple. So if you’re looking for the ‘Hate America’ rally, might I suggest the White House.”

Protestors cheered at the top of their lungs with each passing speech, and each clear and explicit denouncement of the current administration. “There’s no rally like what’s happening here in Los Angeles,” said Assemblymember Bryan. “This is where Black, brown, poor, indigenous, everyday people come together…Washington D.C. doesn’t care about us, and we know that. But, we care about each other, don’t we? We believe that health care is a human right, don’t we? We believe that housing is a human right, don’t we? We will stand up to authoritarianism, won’t we? Because when we fight together, what happens? We win!”

As people began to grow restless, the march finally began, taking them to a highway overpass.

As residents boarded a bus at Cesar E. Chavez and Broadway, they were halted by blocked roads as large congregations marched by. Transit riders looked on into the crowds, their faces mere inches from some of the passing protestors. Separated by a layer of window glass, one nodded along as protestors lifted their signs above their heads and chanted “ICE out of LA!” Some waved to people inside the stalled bus, inviting solidarity from those who weren’t marching alongside them.

When the road cleared, their calls could still be heard for a little longer.

This Monday, Governor Newsom issued a legislative update on over 150 bills that had passed legislation and were waiting on his decision on whether or not they would be chaptered into law. 11 of these bills advocated for queer community members, including their improved access to healthcare, more privacy rights, greater ease in changing their name and gender markers, as well as the expansion of adoption rights and the inclusion of two-spirit individuals into important funding and resource opportunities. 

Two were vetoed. 

AB 554: Greater access to HIV/AIDS preventative medicine (Vetoed)

First introduced in February, AB 554 was co-authored by local Assemblymember Mark González and San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney. Also known as the Protecting Rights, Expanding Prevention, and Advancing Reimbursement for Equity (PrEPARE) Act of 2025, the bill intended to expand patients’ access to various forms of FDA-approved HIV/AIDS preventative medication. It would have prohibited health insurance plans from subjecting these forms of medication to prior authorization, step therapy, or cost-sharing. It would have also required the state to reimburse local agencies for administering this medicine, alleviating the strain on small clinics to meet the demand of community members in need of PrEP. 

Though LGBTQ+ civil rights groups like Equality California rallied support for the bill, it was returned by the governor without a signature. In a veto memo, he wrote that he “wholeheartedly [supports] efforts to ensure affordable and accessible prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS” but questioned whether the bill would actually increase the affordability of and access to necessary preventative treatment. “By exceeding the cost-sharing provisions under the ACA [Affordable Care Act], this bill would result in increased costs to health plans, which would then be passed on to consumers.” 

In response, Assemblymember González wrote to the Blade about his disappointment. Still, he remains hopeful about the state of PrEP access. “I’m deeply grateful to Governor Newsom for his continued partnership and for standing with us in protecting access to PrEP through this year’s budget.”

SB 418: Stronger access to gender-affirming care without discrimination (Vetoed)

Authored by Senator Caroline Menjivar, SB 418 would have required a health care service plan to cover up to a 12-month supply of FDA-approved prescription hormone therapy and the supplies needed by an individual to self-administer this medication without being subjected to utilization management methods like prior authorization.

The bill was also intended to prohibit health insurers from denying a patient the ability to enroll in or renew their health insurance plans based on factors like sex characteristics, intersex traits, and gender identity. 

In late January, President Trump released a statement that the federal government would “not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.” As healthcare for trans, gender-expansive, and intersex (TGI) individuals becomes increasingly unstable under the current administration, SB 418 aimed to protect TGI community members and their ability to access critical and necessary hormone therapy and gender-affirming care. 

In the governor’s veto memo, he wrote that he was “concerned” about the bill’s limitation on utilization management methods. For him, it’s an “important tool [that ensured] enrollees receive the right care at the right time. Prohibiting this cost constraint strategy is likely to result in an increase in enrollee premiums to offset costs incurred by health plans and insurers.” 

For Senator Menjivar, this decision was “heartbreaking” as TGI individuals continue to face barriers to vital care. “SB 418 was the most tangible and effective legislative tool introduced this year to help TGI folks weather this political storm,” Menjivar wrote to the Blade. Still, she says that she is committed to continue fighting to secure health care access for TGI community members.

The vetoing of these two bills was a major blow for LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations and advocates. Equality California executive director Tony Hoang wrote about his disappointment in a recent press release. “These bills would have guaranteed that transgender people and their families could continue to access essential medications without disruption and that people at risk of HIV could obtain PrEP quickly and affordably,” wrote Hoang. “The Governor’s decision to veto these measures undermines California’s longstanding leadership in advancing health equity and protecting the LGBTQ+ community.”

But with these setbacks came a number of wins. Governor Newsom passed nine other bills advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. 

SB 59: Confidentiality protections for trans and nonbinary individuals

This bill, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, will ensure that when someone files a legal petition to change their name or their gender marker, these court records are kept confidential. Additionally, SB 59 will prohibit people other than the petitioner to post these confidential records online.

AB 678: Creating an LGBTQ+ inclusive council on homelessness

Created by Assemblymember Alex Lee, AB 678 will require the governor to build an Interagency Council on Homelessness that will form relationships between federal and state agencies with local, on-the-ground coalitions and nonprofit organizations that focus on working with unhoused communities. Together, they will work on creating strategies to end homelessness.

The bill also specifically requires this council to actively work with LGBTQ+ leaders and community members to ensure that the strategies it develops are inclusive and culturally competent. 

AB 1525: Restricting disciplinary action against attorneys on the basis of “sensitive services,” which includes gender-affirming care 

The California State Assembly’s Committee on Judiciary created this bill to prohibit disciplinary action against attorneys who receive, advocate for, recommend, or enable “sensitive services,” which include health care services for sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted illnesses, and gender-affirming care. 

AB 1084: Streamlining court processes for name and gender marker changes 

Created by Assemblymember Rick Zbur, AB 1084 aims to quicken the process and limit barriers transgender and nonbinary individuals face when filing to change their name and gender marker. The bill will require courts to issue orders within six weeks from when a petition is filed, and without a hearing. The bill will also prohibit others from being able to file an objection to a petitioner’s name or gender marker change.

SB 450: Protecting adoption rights for LGBTQ+ parents and families 

Authored by Senator Menjivar, SB 450 will allow queer parents from other states to claim parentage rights to their adopted children born in California. “The signing of SB 450 is a win for LGBTQ+ parents who want what every parent wants, the protection of their legal rights as the parents of their children,” Senator Menjivar wrote to the Blade. “SB 450 clarifies California’s longstanding jurisdiction for adoption proceedings, including confirmatory adoptions, in cases where the families no longer live, or never lived, in the state but the child was born here. This means LGBTQ+ families, who are weighing the options of potentially leaving an affirming state to a Red state for financial reasons, can at least now feel confident that decision won’t cost them their parental rights.” 

SB 497: Protecting right to gender-affirming care from out-of-state law enforcement

Authored by Senator Wiener, SB 497 is another bill focused on providing protections for transgender and nonbinary individuals. It will prohibit healthcare providers and service plans from releasing medical information related to gender-affirming care for a patient who is being pursued by out-of-state law enforcement officials. SB 497 would also generally safeguard against out-of-state subpoenas that would prevent a person’s ability to access gender-affirming care.

SB 590: Including chosen family members in paid family leave laws

Authored by Senator Maria Durazo, this bill would alter existing laws around paid family leave, which currently provides wage replacement benefits for up to eight weeks for workers who take time off work to take care of seriously ill family members. SB 590 will expand this definition of family members to include “designated” persons. For many queer individuals, their “chosen family” members are often just as crucial, if not more than, their blood relatives. This bill opens up the scope of what is considered a family member, allowing LGBTQ+ individuals wage protections if they take time away to care for these loved ones.

AB 1487: Expanding equity fund to include two-spirit communities 

Co-authored by Assemblymembers Dawn Addis and Mark González, AB 1487 will rename the existing Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund to the Two-Spirit, Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex (2TGI) Wellness and Equity Fund. This will enable the fund to grant financial support to organizations that serve two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal community members in a number of services, including: workforce development training, resettlement and social integration programs, youth outreach, healthcare support, and more. 

AB 82: Confidentiality protections for patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care 

Authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward, this bill will allow reproductive or gender-affirming health care patients and service providers who face violence and harassment because of their association with such care to request that state and local agencies protect the confidentiality of their identities and addresses. 

On Tuesday morning, a downpour loomed heavy over the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration as leaders and supporters from grassroots coalitions like Immigrants are LA and the TransLatin@ Coalition gathered inside Room 140C. They were present for a press conference with County Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Janice Hahn, who together co-authored a motion to proclaim a local emergency in Los Angeles County in regards to the federal government’s actions targeting immigrant communities. 

The press conference offered a moment of solidarity before the Board of Supervisors meeting happening immediately after, where the motion would be voted upon. “One of the grounds for declaring this emergency is that we can’t do it alone, and we know that county government cannot protect our residents alone,” Horvath told the Blade. “We need our cities to join with us. We need the state to join with us. That’s why declaring the state of emergency is so critical. That way, they know this isn’t business as usual. We need help.”

In the last four months, immigration operations and raids have become widespread in Los Angeles and throughout the country. In January, President Trump declared a national emergency targeting a “catastrophic immigration crisis” before issuing a proclamation “restricting the entry of foreign nationals” on the basis of national security in June. Three months later, the Supreme Court voted to pause restraining orders that would have limited immigration operations that, as advocates argued, violated civil rights.

In response to this, Supervisors Horvath and Hahn deemed it necessary to move forward with a proclamation of their own. But what does codifying and declaring a local emergency do?

“Clearing a local emergency allows the county to promulgate orders and regulations to provide for the protection of life and property,” explained Senior Assistant County Counsel Thomas J. Faughnan at the Board of Supervisors meeting. “It allows the county to request assistance from the state. It permits mutual aid to any affected area. It provides the county with certain legal immunities for emergency actions taken, and it permits the county to obtain vital supplies and equipment needed for the protection of life and property and the ability to require emergency services of county personnel.”

Supervisor Horvath also stressed that the declaration would allow local officials to accelerate various processes in locating and delivering support services to immigrant community members. “This is about action and speed. It means Los Angeles County can move faster. We can coordinate better. We can use every tool available to support and stabilize our communities,” Horvath said at the press conference. “Today, we declare an emergency — not from a place of panic, but from a place of purpose.” 

It would be several hours before the proclamation was addressed at the board meeting. Still, over 10 people were waiting to be patched through on the phone so they could voice their opinions. Over 10 more people waited in person, and 79 others submitted their public comments online.

Many residents who spoke voiced their support for the declaration, echoing the importance of providing protections to their immigrant neighbors. There were also a few individuals who expressed opposition and hesitation about the potential consequences of relief efforts. One person, who only identified themself as “Doreen,” opposed potential eviction relief that could follow the declaration’s passing. “I disagree with the consideration of an eviction moratorium for those who are vulnerable. I truly believe the Board of Supervisors is operating on emotions and retaliation,” said Doreen. “So you mean to tell me that you would like to bend the law to conform to those who are here illegally?” 

Amongst the five supervisors, there was general support for the declaration — but also some apprehension about what would come from it. “We see citizens and municipalities taking real, meaningful, tangible action against these federal agents being in their communities,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “Is there anything in this declaration that would empower us to take similar action?” 

While these actions can only become clearer with the passing of the declaration, other matters were clarified through this discussion. For one, the declaration will not lead to requests to the federal government for mutual aid. Additionally, the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause — which states that, if conflicting with one another, federal laws take precedence over state laws — will not hold up in the instance of illegal actions committed by federal agents during their immigration operations. 

After deliberation, the motion was passed, with the only “no” vote coming from Supervisor Kathryn Barger. This declaration of local emergency remains in effect until terminated by the Board of Supervisors, and a press release from Supervisor Horvath’s office states that county departments will be able to take “necessary emergency actions to protect and stabilize” impacted communities. 

The Blade will follow up with further stories as these emergency actions are developed and rolled out.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a nationally acclaimed organizer and activist for transgender people, the LGBTQ community, sex workers, and incarcerated people, died Oct. 13 at her home in Little Rock, Ark.

Her passing was announced by the Little Rock-based Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat and Historical Center, also known as House of gg, a transgender support and services center she founded in 2019.

“Miss Major – known as ‘Mama’ to many – was a Black, trans activist who fought for more than 50 years for trans, gender nonconforming, and the LGB community, especially for Black trans women, trans women of color and those who have survived incarceration and police brutality,” the statement announcing her passing says.

“Major’s fierce commitment and intersectional approach to justice brought her to care directly for people with HIV/AIDS in New York in the early 1980s and later to drive San Francisco’s first mobile needle exchange,” the statement says.

It adds, “House of gg was born out of her dream to build a center that would empower, heal and be a safe haven for Black trans people and movement leaders in the Southern U.S. – a space for our community to take a break, swim, enjoy good food, laugh, listen to music, watch movies, and recharge for the ongoing fight for our lives.”

A Wikipedia write up on Griffin-Gracy says she was born and raised in Chicago and came out as trans in the late 1950s. It says her parents were not accepting of her gender identity, prompting her to leave home at a young age and work for a while as a showgirl at the Jewel Box Revue theater in Chicago before moving to New York.

In a 2014 interview with the Bay Area Reporter, she said that after moving to New York in the 1960s she became a regular patron of the Stonewall Inn gay bar, at which trans women were known to gather. She said she was there at the time of the 1969 police raid that triggered the Stonewall rebellion when patrons fought police in the historic action credited with starting the modern-day LGBTQ rights movement.

Griffin-Gracy began work in community services, including services for trans women, after moving to San Diego in 1978, according to the Wikipedia write-up, and later performed home health care work during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. 

It says she moved to San Francisco in the 1990s and worked with multiple HIV/AIDS organizations, including the Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center. In 2004, she began work at the San Francisco-based Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) and later became executive director of the organization. The organization provides support services for trans, gender variant, and intersex people in prisons.

Shortly before traveling to Chicago in 2024 to attend the Democratic National Convention as an honored guest of the National LGBTQ+ Task Force Action Fund, Griffin-Gracy participated in an interview with the Washington Blade via Zoom from her home In Little Rock. Among other things, she told of her support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris against Donald Trump  in the 2024 presidential election.

“I plan on going to every place Trump goes and speak to the tender loving people in those places and tell them what a liar he is and how insane he is and that they just shouldn’t vote for him,” she told the Blade.

Among those praising Griffin-Gracy’s work and lamenting her passing was David Johns, CEO and executive director of the D.C.-based LGBTQ advocacy group National Black Justice Collective.

“Her pioneering work to center and uplift Black trans women, particularly those who have been incarcerated and faced police brutality, made space for the most powerful and most marginalized members of our community and set the foundation for the freedom work so many of us continue today,” Johns said in a statement.

“At a time when the rights and dignity of trans people are again under relentless attack, Miss Major’s life reminds us of what it means to persevere in the fight for equality that all LGBTQ+/same gender loving (SGL) people can live freely an authentically,” Johns said in his statement.” Her spirit  will continue to guide us as we fight for a world where every Black trans person can thrive and live a joy-filled life.”

An excerpt from the Blade’s August 2024 interview and profile of Griffin-Gracy follows:

Those who are familiar with Miss Major’s brand of activism might be surprised by her work with the Task Force Action Fund, her appearance at the DNC, and perhaps especially her commitment to criss-crossing the country to talk voters out of supporting Donald Trump and into supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s historic bid for the White House.

As shown in “Major!” the 2015 documentary about her life, and a 2023 memoir comprised of interviews with journalist Toshio Meronek called “Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary,” the activist’s foremost concerns have always been centered around providing for her trans brothers and sisters.

Her work on this front is never ending: [Griffin-Gracy’s assistant Muriel] Tarver gave the Blade a virtual tour of Miss Major’s property, which she has used as a refuge for trans folks who are free to stay and relax on the well-kept grounds, which are complete with a guest house and a pool.

Where she may have sidestepped electoral politics in the past, however, there is “so much happening to whereby you had to get involved in it now,” Miss Major said. “But before it was just — my community has suffered so bad for so long, so often, that you’ve got to do something to help them navigate the bullshit that goes on in the world.”

This usually means ensuring that basic needs are met. “And I don’t feel as if politics helps that,” she said, because “it’s got to be people and the relationships you build and what you build together with another person that makes it better.”

Miss Major added, “I want things to be better for all of us. You know, transgender and non transgender people.” And as society has begun to make space for those with non-cisgender identities, the backlash has been vicious. “They’re so afraid of opening up to us,” she said.

When it comes to political candidates, she said, “As an ordinary person, you know, I’m concerned about food and gas and clothing and shit like that. And, you know, who else cares about this? I need to know the person who’s in charge cares and is going to do something to alleviate the stress on me to get it.”

By the time President Joe Biden announced his decision to step aside on July 21 — well before that pivotal moment, Tarver stressed — Miss Major and the Task Force Action Fund were ready to spring into action.

“It was quite a service act that he did for the country,” Miss Major said. “Because I really believe that he could have gone further, but he just didn’t have what it took. And so when he stepped out and made her the nominee, he invigorated, and he poured such joy to this country, and hope, and belief that it can be done, that [Trump] can be stopped.”

“As we all heard about the potential for Biden stepping down and putting aside his personal and political interests for the sake of democracy, which is a pretty historical and brave thing, we all wanted to be ready to respond to what would happen,” Task Force Action Fund Communications Director Cathy Renna told the Blade by phone.

Issuing a joint endorsement of Harris was historic for both Miss Major and the Task Force Action Fund, Renna said. “We have not endorsed anyone since Jimmy Carter, which was shortly after our founding, right? So, we’re talking about almost 50 years ago.”

“We wanted a bold choice,” she said, “and we also understand what’s at stake in this election.”

Miss Major sees the contrast between the two candidates as clear and compelling; the difference between sanity and insanity, competence and chaos. “Do you want someone who lies to you? Or do you what someone who tells the truth?”

Trump spreads filth and disorder like the character from Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip who is perpetually surrounded by a cloud of dust and detritus, she said.

Harris, on the other hand, represents the future. “She’s breaking the ceiling. There’s a glass ceiling. And when she breaks through, she’s gonna go on,” Miss Major said. “And after this, something like 10s of 1000s of people are gonna go through that, too. It’s just going to be phenomenal.”

(Christopher Kane contributed to this report.)

On Saturday morning, a small crowd gathered at the top of the steps at West Hollywood Park, shading their eyes from an unrelenting sun as they flipped through materials that read “Defend Our Democracy” and “Yes on Prop 50.” West Hollywood mayor Chelsea Byers, as well as councilmembers John M. Erickson and Danny Hang, were joined by leaders and members from democratic advocacy groups like Stonewall Young Democrats, Bruin Democrats at UCLA, and Black Los Angeles Young Democrats for a canvassing session. 

The morning began with a sober confession from county assessor Jeff Prang. “I am really scared for our country right now,” he said at the event. “I do believe we’ve already gone over the tipping point…We can’t roll over and surrender when other states are cheating. Prop 50 is going to make sure that California is the leader in ensuring that we have a good chance of retaking the House next year. Hopefully, other democratic states will do the same.” 

Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, is on the ballot for California’s upcoming special election on Nov. 4th. The measure was created in response to Texas lawmakers’ plans to redraw the state’s congressional districts in order to secure five more U.S. House seats for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. As reported by the Texas Tribune in July, this decision to redistrict resulted from direct pressure from President Trump. 

Typically, new congressional district maps are drawn every 10 years after the national census is conducted. Texas’s decision to redistrict before 2030, when the next census was to be conducted, led to strong resistance to the ethics of this decision. Prop. 50 is, to many, a way to fight back. A “yes” vote on the ballot would allow California to temporarily redistrict state boundaries to make it easier to elect more Democratic officials in the midterms. 

Canvassing efforts, like the West Hollywood action this last Saturday, are one of a few methods advocates are using to inform and have conversations with local voters about the proposition and voting procedures. “What we’re doing this weekend and until November 4th is: we’re talking to people we hope and believe will be supportive of Prop. 50, identifying them [and] making sure they know how to vote, when to vote, what to do with their ballot,” said Jane Wishon, the 51st District Chair for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. 

Wishon walked attendees through a script to use when knocking on people’s doors. She passed out packets that detailed information about the measure, as well as specifics on mailing in ballots, checking voter registration, and locating ballot drop boxes. Wishon also offered advice on how to greet apprehensive strangers. “You especially want to be non-threatening at the door,” she instructed. “If you step back, they’ll step forward when they answer the door. Otherwise, if you’re right in their face, they’re going to hide behind the door…If you’re lucky enough to get them to have a conversation with you, please smile at everybody.”

Afterwards, attendees split off into groups and selected nearby neighborhoods using PDI Mobile, an app that allowed them to keep track of voters they had surveyed. The target for each group was 45 doors knocked on. Some arranged carpooling options while others, like Mark R. Edwards, headed for the nearest bus stop to find their chosen area. Edwards, who serves on the West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission, reflected on a previous experience while waiting. “I historically have not canvassed because I had such a weird experience when I [did it for the] first time in Westchester for a campaign. My response rate on the doors versus other people’s…indicated what was different about me. I’m a tall Black man,” Edwards told the Blade. 

When he reached a row of homes near North Fairfax and Orange Grove Avenues, barking could often be heard from inside while front doors remained unopened. In one instance, a person listed with an address on the app was no longer living there. After a long pause, Edwards would slip information about Prop 50 nearby, propping them up on slits in gates or on tables sat in gardens. But if the canvassing itself proved fruitless at times, the event still allowed attendees a chance to learn more about the election themselves, as well as mobilize together and spark up other ways to have more conversations with the people in their lives. Another canvassing session is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2nd.

In a new report published by the Williams Institute, a local research center focused on conducting studies around LGBTQ+ communities and public policy, analysts reviewed data from the 2023-2024 L.A. County Trans and Nonbinary Survey and concluded that transgender and nonbinary immigrants face significantly greater rates of unemployment and homelessness than trans and nonbinary Angelinos who are not immigrants. 

Created in partnership with the TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), an organization that works to defend and advance the rights of trans, gender-expansive, and intersex (TGI) community members, and co-authored by TLC president Bamby Salcedo, the report looks more deeply into the 98 trans and nonbinary immigrants surveyed from a broader pool of 322 respondents in the initial 2023-2024 survey. 

What were the key findings?

73% of the trans and nonbinary immigrants — and 80% of trans Latine immigrants — who were surveyed live at or below the federal poverty level, compared to 44% of trans and nonbinary non-immigrants surveyed. These numbers are not meant to pit these communities against one another, but rather to highlight the disproportionate amounts of poverty that trans and nonbinary people of color and immigrants face in the city.

39% of the trans and nonbinary immigrants polled also reported being unhoused, compared to 19% of the non-immigrant participants. 47% of the immigrant participants reported that they were unemployed, compared to 22% of non-immigrant participants. 

Another wide discrepancy is revealed in access to educational resources. 30% of the TGI immigrant respondents, including 41% of TGI Latine immigrants, reported having less than a high school or GED level of education, compared to 8% of non-immigrants. Nearly half of the trans and nonbinary immigrants surveyed reported that they were unemployed, and 30% reported that they lacked health insurance and thus delayed seeking necessary medical care over the last year.

“It is essential that these communities are included in county-wide problem-solving and policymaking,” said Salcedo, in a press release about the study. Last month, the Blade reported on the TLC’s launch of its TGI: Housing Initiative, a campaign that would allow the organization to work with the county’s affordable housing solutions agency, LACAHSA, to invest funds into homelessness prevention resources for transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex community members. TLC members advocated for the initiative at LACAHSA’s board meeting on Sept. 17th. There have yet to be updates on whether or not the agency will support the initiative. 

Another related Williams Institute report is set to be published later this month.

A lesbian comedian who performed at a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia has apologized.

Jessica Kirson joined Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, and dozens of other comedians who participated in the Riyadh Comedy Festival that began in the Saudi capital on Sept. 26 and is scheduled to end on Thursday.

Kirson performed on Sept. 29.

Saudi Arabia is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.

A U.S. intelligence report concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “likely approved” the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The Saudi government has also faced criticism over the treatment of women, migrant workers, and other groups in the country.

“On Sept. 29, I performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. This decision has weighed heavily on my heart ever since,” said Kirson in an exclusive statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “I like to express my sincere regret for having performed under a government that continues to violate fundamental human rights.”

She said she was “surprised” as “an openly gay person” to receive an invitation to perform at the comedy festival.

“I requested a guarantee that I could be openly out as a lesbian on stage and perform gay material. I hoped that this could help LGBTQ+ people in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued,” said Kirson. “I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that — to my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to talk about it on stage in Saudi Arabia. I received messages from attendees sharing how much it meant to them to participate in a gay-affirming event. At the same time, I deeply regret participating under the auspices of the Saudi government.”

Kirson in her statement to THR said she “donated the entirety of what I was paid to perform there to a human rights organization.”

She did not say how much the comedy festivals paid her, or the group to which she donated her fee.

“I made this decision because I want that money to go to an organization that can help combat these severe issues,” said Kirson.

THR notes Marc Maron, David Cross, and Atsuko Okatsuka are among the comedians who criticized the festival. Kirson in her statement said she respects her “fellow comics who have spoken out against” it.

“I recognize the concerns and criticism this has raised. I hope that this moment sparks dialogue about how we can use our platforms for good — to support people without a voice and to find ways to be less divided,” she said. “In the past, I’ve faced criticism for choices I’ve made, both on and off stage, and I rarely responded. This time, I felt I needed to speak up. I could not remain silent.”

Kirson ended her statement with an apology to her fans and others she has “hurt or disappointed.”

“I have a special relationship with my fans because of the vulnerable nature of my comedy and the trust they place in me as part of the queer community,” she said. “To my fans: I see you. I hear you. Your voice matters to me. I love you all, and I am genuinely sorry for making a poor decision that had repercussions I didn’t fully consider. I will take full responsibility for my actions and dedicate myself to making amends, so that my words and choices reflect the respect and care you deserve.”

The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.

Qatar, which borders Saudi Arabia, hosted the 2022 World Cup. Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the Middle East country.

President Donald Trump in May visited Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.