South African LGBTQ organizations have condemned the tragic murder of a lesbian couple in Dambuza near Pietermaritzburg on Aug. 27.

Reports indicate the couple — Nombulelo Thandathina Bixa, 28, and Minenhle Ngcobo, 22, — were shot dead by Ngcobo’s ex-boyfriend who was reportedly not happy with her recent relationship with Bixa. 

Bixa was laid to rest on Sept. 5. Ngcobo was buried on Sunday.

ILORA, an LGBTQ rights organization, says the couple’s murder has left their families, friends, and the broader community in profound grief.

“We stand in solidarity with all those who are mourning and call for justice for our fallen siblings,” said ILORA. “Together, we must continue to fight against the violence and hatred that threaten our lives and communities.”

Uthingo Network, another LGBTQ rights organization, said the couple’s death was a horrific incident that could have been averted, noting Ngcobo’s ex-boyfriend had been harassing them and ignored a protection order.

“This brutal act highlights the deep-seated homophobia and violence that persists in South Africa, especially in rural areas where LGBTI+ individuals are often marginalized and under protected,” said the group in a statement. “The systemic lack of awareness and understanding in these communities contributes to an environment where such hate crimes can occur frequently and with little consequence.” 

“The fear of further victimization often silences those who seek justice, perpetuating a dangerous cycle of violence and impunity,” added the Uthingo Network.

The Uthingo Network also said it is calling for urgent and comprehensive action at all levels — including more vigorous enforcement of hate crime laws, training for police officers on LGBTQ issues, and community-based education programs to challenge harmful prejudices. 

“Uthingo Network urges the government, civil society, and individuals to stand together against all forms of hatred and violence, working towards a future where no one is targeted for who they are or who they love,” said the group.

Gay man killed outside his home on Aug. 18

Xolani Xaka, a 32-year-old gay man from Gqeberha, was murdered outside his home on Aug. 18.

A family representative said Xaka heard noises at the gate of the home he shared with his uncle. He went to investigate, and three men confronted him, repeatedly stabbing him until he was dead.

The three men fled.

“LGBTIQ+ people should not have to live in fear of discrimination and deadly violence simply because of who they love or their gender identity,” said OUT Civil Society Engagement Officer Sibonelo Ncanana. “We call on the authorities to act with urgency to arrest and prosecute the men alleged to have callously taken another queer life.” 

Ncanana said no arrests have been made, even though authorities continue to investigate Xaka’s murder. A motive remains unclear.

Crimes against LGBTQ South Africans remain prevalent, even though the country is the only one in Africa that constitutionally recognizes rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and President Cyril Ramaphosa in May signed the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act. Activists say homophobic and transphobic religious and cultural beliefs contribute to continued attacks against LGBTQ South Africans.

Steve Letsike, a lesbian who won a seat in the South African National Assembly earlier this year, on June 30 became the country’s deputy minister of women, youth and people with disabilities. Activists are hopeful she will work to raise awareness for the need to protect LGBTQ South Africans.  

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a lower court’s decision that blocked enforcement of an Arizona law banning transgender girls from playing on public schools’ sports team that correspond with their gender identity.

Then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, in 2022 signed the law.

The Associated Press reported the parents of two trans girls challenged the law in a lawsuit they filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson, Ariz., in April 2023. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Zipps on July 20, 2023, blocked the law.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, appealed the ruling to the 9th Circuit. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes is not defending the law.

A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit unanimously upheld Zipps’s ruling.

“We are pleased with the 9th Circuit’s ruling today, which held that the Arizona law likely violates the Equal Protection Clause and recognizes that a student’s transgender status is not an accurate proxy for athletic ability and competitive advantage,” said Rachel Berg, a staff attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, in a press release.

NCLR represents the two plaintiffs in the case.

SERBIA

Thousands of people marched through the Serbian capital on Sept 7 in what organizers are calling the largest Belgrade Pride yet. The march went off peacefully under the protection of a heavy police presence, a marked contrast to previous years that have seen the march threatened or canceled due to violent anti-LGBTQ protestors.

This year’s Pride marchers were demanding that the government pass laws to expand LGBTQ rights, including a long-promised same-sex partnership law and a law to facilitate legal gender recognition.

The march route took participants past the Serbian parliament, where organizers read out a list of demands and an unidentified participant hung a rainbow flag from an office window.

“Politicians, with political will, could easily fulfill the demands. Of course, it is also important that these laws are then applied,” Goran Miletic, one of the Pride organizers, told media.

A civil union bill has been under discussion by the Serbian government since 2019, under former Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who is openly lesbian. But after years of consultations, President Alexander Vucic announced in 2021 that he would veto the bill if it passed parliament. While consultations have continued, the bill has been effectively stalled since then. 

Serbia is also required by the European Convention on Human Rights to provide some legal recognition to same-sex couples.

Serbian European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic attended the Pride event and told media that the government is still considering civil union legislation, though she offered no timeline to implement it.

“The issue is protecting the rights of various citizens, which must be equalized with the rights that we all have,” Miscevic told media at the event.

Belgrade Pride was first celebrated in 2001 with a march that was attacked by right-wing organizations, leaving more than 40 people injured. After several failed attempts to hold a second parade, the next Belgrade Pride was held in 2010, which led to street battles between police and anti-LGBTQ protestors, with more than 100 officers injured and more than 250 arrests. Pride was banned by authorities in 2011 and 2012, before being revived in 2014.

In 2022, Belgrade was due to host EuroPride, but authorities denied permits at the last minute, citing security concerns, and only a shortened march was held.

ALBANIA

A conservative member of the Albanian parliament is stirring up a homophobic controversy over a third grade language textbook that depicts a wizard in a rainbow robe on its cover.

The controversy was first kicked up by right-wing commentator Auron Kalaja, who posted the cover of the textbook “Gjuha Shqipe” on Instagram with a caption directing parents to “reject this book.”

“What is the meaning of the rainbow and its colors on the cover of the most beautiful subject?! Will this creature holding a magic wand change the children’s minds so that the latter ones change sex or … ?!” Kalaja wrote.

Tritan Shehu, an MP from the right-leaning Democratic Party, claimed that the textbook was an attempt by the government to “deform” children, in a Sept. 6 Facebook post. 

“The cover of the official text of ‘Gjuha Shqipe’ for children is a cynical insult on children, their development, their future and their vision for life and family,” he writes. “A child appears there and on top of that a ‘man’ with a beard wearing a dress of ‘rainbow’ colors, dancing barefoot like a woman!!! Here we are not dealing with coincidences, but with a strategy of the regime, dangerous gender for sexual orientation in the new female age.” 

While the comments have stirred up outrage in the predictable circles, the book’s publisher Albas backed the design in a statement, noting the book has been used in schools for eight years without any complaints from parents or educators.

Albas’ statement explains that both the rainbow and the wizard relate to stories contained in the textbook.

“The tendentious and discriminatory interpretations, the more they spread on social networks and in the media, the more they deepen the crisis we are going through as a society, damaging the mental health of children,” Albas’s statement reads.

GEORGIA

The government got one step closer to passing its draconian anti-LGBTQ “propaganda” law last week, as the bill secured passage at second reading in parliament. A final vote is scheduled for Sept. 17.

The ruling Georgian Dream party introduced the bill this summer, drawing swift condemnation from Western allies. Analysts believe the government is using the bill to foment division among the opposition ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for late October.

The bill, inspired by similar legislation passed by Russia in 2013, would ban any gathering, product, or educational program that “popularizes” LGBTQ people or identities, bans gender-related care for trans people and legal recognition of their gender, bans any legal recognition of same-sex couples, bans adoption by same-sex couples, and bans any marriage by non-heterosexual or non-cisgender people. 

The passage at second reading was strongly condemned by the European Union in a statement.

“This package undermines the fundamental rights of Georgian people and risks further stigmatization and discrimination of part of the population,” the statement reads. “The EU calls on the Georgian authorities to entirely reconsider this legislative package.”

Georgian Dream has taken an increasingly authoritarian and anti-Western stance in recent years, positioning itself and its patron Russia as a bulwark against liberal and inclusive European values that it portrays as promoting LGBTQ rights.

This turn has come despite the public’s overwhelming support for EU membership, and the government’s stated goal of joining the bloc. The country was given candidate status last year, but recent anti-democratic actions have led the bloc to threaten to suspend its candidacy.

Earlier this year, Georgia passed a “foreign agents” bill, requiring any organization that receives funding from abroad to register as an agent of a foreign power or face stiff fines and sanctions. Critics said the law, also inspired by a similar Russian law, was an attempt to silence and discredit opposition groups, the media, and civil society organizations.

Several Eastern European countries have adopted or considered “LGBT propaganda” bills recently. Lithuania and Hungary both have laws banning promotion of LGBTQ issues to minors on the books, though Lithuania’s has been ruled in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. A similar bill has been proposed in Slovakia. 

HONG KONG 

NGOs serving the LGBTQ community have faced deep cutbacks in funding from the government over the past year, putting services and events the queer community relies on in jeopardy.

The Hong Kong Free Press reports that groups like Gay Harmony and PrideLab have had to cut back staff and resources in the wake of surprise cuts to grants they have received from the government.

That’s led the groups to cancel HIV awareness and outreach programs, and the annual Pride Market.

These groups had received money from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau’s Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) funding scheme since 1998. Between 2018-2023, CMAB had allocated funding to between 18 and 24 organizations, with a budget of HK$1.3 million (approximately $170,000). But for the current fiscal year, that’s dropped to 10 organizations from a budget of just under HK$700,000 (approximately $90,000).

Compounding the damage, the CMAC also allocates funds to three anti-LGBTQ organizations that promote conversion therapy — New Creation Association, Post Gay Alliance, and the Hong Kong Psychosexual Education Association.

Additionally, the city’s AIDS Trust Fund has also drastically reduced funding to LGBTQ organizations.

Hong Kong’s queer activists say this reflects an overall shift in attitudes from the city’s government. 

While previously, the Equal Opportunities Commission attended LGBTQ events in support of the community, the EOC has announced it no longer considers it “suitable” to engage in activities in support of possible legislation on banning anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

The situation in Hong Kong has become complex for LGBTQ people, since Beijing has moved to exert greater control over the former British colony. 

NGOs are reluctant to accept funds from foreign governments, lest they be branded a potential national security threat. Public demonstrations and Pride events have also become more difficult to plan and receive approval for. 

Democrat Lisa Middleton is the first openly transgender person elected to a non-judicial office in California and is currently running to represent the 19th Senate District in a tight Inland Empire race.

She is one of more than 21 out LGBTQ candidates running for a U.S. congressional, state Senate or state Legislative seat in 2024.

As a longtime leader of the LGBTQ community, Middleton works to protect and advance civil rights. She serves on the Equality California Institute’s board of directors and would become the first openly trans person to serve in the California State Legislature.

Middleton began her transition 30 years ago, but her reputation in politics, fraud investigation and governance started long before. Middleton, 72, is the former mayor of Palm Springs after serving as mayor pro tempore from 2020 to 2021 and then becoming the first openly trans mayor in California, succeeding Christy Holstege in December 2021.

Middleton is the child of blue-collar union workers.

In addition to supporting LGBTQ rights, she also supports projects such as renewable energy using wind and solar, stating that these are win-win solutions that help labor workers and combat climate change.

Middleton is running against GOP Latina Rosilicie Bogh, 52, a former elementary school teacher, school board member, and realtor.

Bogh has publicly opposed bills that boost gender-affirming health care services and protect trans children and their families from being criminalized for seeking treatment in California.

Bogh has also abstained from voting on gay marriage rights in the state constitution and recognizing Pride Month.

She gained attention earlier this year when she stood up to oppose a law that protects educators and school staff from forcibly outing trans children to their families.

Assembly Bill 1955 went into effect earlier this summer after getting support from Gov. Gavin Newsom and backlash from Elon Musk, leading him to withdraw X and SpaceX from California.

The race for this seat is stimulated by newly redrawn district boundaries that now include thousands more registered Democrats.

The new 19th Senate District now spans from Coachella Valley to the San Bernardino Mountains and from the San Jacinto Valley to the High Desert, including highly visited places like Big Bear City, Joshua Tree, and Palm Springs.

The redrawn district includes San Bernardino County, which has Republican strongholds, but also includes the more liberal areas of Riverside County and Palm Springs, totaling around half a million voters.

A Report of Registration released earlier this summer shows that the district is now nearly even in terms of Republican and Democratic support, with 35 percent and 36 percent respectively.

In the March primary election, Bogh won 54 percent of the vote, while Middleton secured 46 percent.

In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump won the district by a narrow margin.

Both candidates are trailblazers, so who will win over the majority vote in the upcoming election that is only 57 days away?

Both candidates say they’re avoiding culture war clashes to focus on bread-and-butter issues.

For Middleton, the bread-and-butter issues are protecting reproductive care, fixing roads, creating jobs, increasing neighborhood safety, demanding accountability for taxpayers, and building housing to address homelessness.

Middleton markets herself as a neighborhood advocate who provides “common-sense solutions” to the region’s challenges.

Her track record includes working as an auditor for California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund, working her way up to becoming senior vice president of internal affairs and serving as chair of California’s Fraud Assessment Commission.

Her goal in the Legislature is to eliminate wasteful spending of tax dollars.

As mayor of Palm Springs, Middleton led the city’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by helping small businesses reopen and creating well-paying jobs.

Prior to that, Middleton was appointed to the Board of Administrators of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), which aims to build health and retirement security for California’s state and local school employees. Currently, she serves as chair of the Finance and Administration Committee and vice chair of the Risk and Audit Committee.

Middleton married her wife Cheryl, a now-retired nurse, in 2013, shortly after moving to Palm Springs. Together they have two children who are educators.

Middleton was also included in the 2016 Pride Honors Award at Palm Springs Pride, receiving the Spirit of Stonewall Community Service Award.

Organizations like Planned Parenthood, Reproductive Freedom For All California, National Union of Healthcare Workers, California Women’s List, and others support Middleton.

A list of openly LGBTQ candidates on the California ballot can be found below:

U.S. House of Representatives:

• Congressional District 16: Evan Low
• Congressional District 23: Derek Marshall
• Congressional District 39: Mark Takano
• Congressional District 41: Will Rollins
• Congressional District 42: Robert Garcia

California Senate:

• Senate District 3: Christopher Cabaldon
• Senate District 11: Scott Wiener
• Senate District 17: John Laird
• Senate District 19: Lisa Middleton
• Senate District 25: Sasha Renee Perez
• Senate District 31: Sabrina Cervantes

California Assembly:

• Assembly District 24: Alex Lee
• Assembly District 47: Christy Holstege
• Assembly District 51: Rick Chavez Zbur
• Assembly District 54: Mark Gonzalez
• Assembly District 57: Sade Elhawary
• Assembly District 58: Clarissa Cervantes
• Assembly District 60: Corey Jackson
• Assembly District 62: José Solache
• Assembly District 72: Dom Jones
• Assembly District 78: Chris Ward

In a speech Saturday night at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner, Minnesota governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz discussed how he came to know the Shepard family when working in Congress to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

“When the final vote was coming up in the House, it was going to be close,” he said. “I walked through the House floor, through the tunnels, from the Longworth House Office Building over to the Capitol, and I made that walk with Matthew’s mom, Judy Shepard, and the sheriff who found Matthew’s body tied to that fence post in Wyoming, and I remember walking with a mother who lost her son and hearing the sheriff tell me the only place he wasn’t bloody was where the tears ran down Matthew’s eyes.”

“I watched a mother and the unbelievable pain that I couldn’t even fathom, to lose a child this way, walk with her head held high to make sure that none of the rest of us ever have to get a call from someone,” Walz said.

The governor invited the crowd to applaud for Judy and Dennis Shepard, who were in attendance, adding that the room was full of “heroes” like them who had, in ways both big and small, endeavored “to make people’s lives a little bit easier.”

Walz began his speech by highlighting the many ways in which Vice President Kamala Harris has fought “every single day on the side of the American people,” relentlessly working to expand rights and protections for the LGBTQ community throughout her career and promising to build on this legacy if she is elected president in November.

“As the DA of San Francisco, Vice President Harris took one of the toughest stances in the nation against hate crimes,” he said. “She led the fight against the hateful gay and transgender panic defense.”

Walz continued, “she went on to become the attorney general of the largest state in the country, and the moment it arrived, to defend marriage equality. And she threw her whole self into that fight. You know Kamala Harris. She doesn’t just pick these fights when she talks about it, and this is the thing to keep in mind: All she does is win. All she does is win.”

“As a U.S. senator, she fought hard for the Equality Act, introduced a bill to make sure you had access to PrEP, and as vice president, and I say this, it is not a stretch, and the facts are there, this is the most pro LGBTQ+-administration in American history,” the governor said.

“She helped President Biden pass the landmark Respect for Marriage Act requiring every state and territory to fully honor same sex and interracial marriage,” Walz said. “She helped stop the ignorant and Byzantine practice of banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood.”

Harris has worked to improve mental healthcare for LGBTQ youth, he added, and “she made human rights for LGBTQ+ individuals around the world a top priority in this nation’s foreign policy” while working with the president on “historic executive orders protecting folks from discrimination.”

Walz then turned to his own record, beginning with his career as a schoolteacher and football coach before his election to Congress. He said, “some of my students, and this is in the late 90s, we’re concerned about an uptick in bullying amongst the gay lesbian community in our school.”

When one of those students, who was in the audience Saturday, had asked him to serve as faculty advisor for the gay straight alliance club, Walz recalled, “I said ‘absolutely.’ I understood what it meant to be that older, strange, white guy” standing up for the school’s LGBTQ students in such a public manner.

In 2006, when running for Congress as a Democrat in a deep-red district, “I was in a state that advanced same sex marriage for a decade,” Walz said. “But I knew I was right, and I ran on a platform that supported equality.”

The notion that he won despite taking pro-LGBTQ and pro-choice positions is misleading, the governor said — he won because of those reasons.

Walz then detailed how he fought for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, operating under the maxim that “you don’t get elected to office to bank political capital so you can get elected again” but rather “you get elected office to burn political capital to improve [people’s] lives.”

As governor, he said, the “first thing we did is we banned conversion therapy,” and throughout his first and second terms in office, “we protected the transgender community.”

“We banned banning books,” he said, pushing back against efforts to target and remove content with LGBTQ characters and themes, a preoccupation of Republicans including the 2024 GOP presidential and vice presidential nominees Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

“This is what these folks are focusing on, spending all their time, like reading about two male penguins who love each other is somehow going to turn your children gay,” Walz said, setting up a contrast between the Democratic and Republican tickets.

The other side believes “the government should be free to invade every corner of our lives, our bedrooms, our kids’ schools, even our doctor’s office,” Walz said, and they have laid out a “playbook” to make that happen with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s governing blueprint for a second Trump administration.

“This Project 2025 that’s out there to restrict freedoms, demonize this community, bully vulnerable children, the message is simple from all of us, and here in about 59 days, you’re going to get a chance to send that message: leave our kids the hell alone.”

Walz then pivoted to Trump’s ban on transgender military service members. “We’ve had thousands of brave transgender troops, decorated warriors, who served this country. When Donald Trump was commander-in-chief, he belittled them and he banned them from service. Thankfully, President Biden and vice president Harris rescinded that stupid, bigoted policy.”

He added, “If you want to serve this nation, you should be allowed to, and what we should do is respect that service. They should not get incoming fire from their commander-in-chief, attacking their basic dignity, humanity, and patriotism. And I will say this, I didn’t serve for 24 years in this to have those guys diminish another troop’s service.”

“We’re not going back to the discrimination,” Walz said. “We’re not going to force our children into situations where they become suicidal. We’re not going to continue to demonize people because of who they are, and we’re not going to continue to allow people in this country to go hungry or to be shot dead because we don’t make decisions that can improve that.”

On September 5, 2024, downtown Los Angeles witnessed a significant protest against Proposition 34, a controversial ballot measure set to appear on the November ballot in California. The demonstration, which reportedly drew nearly 400 participants from AHF, union members from Unite Here Local 11, and advocates from the Coalition for Economic Survival, centered on opposition to the California Apartment Association (CAA) and its support for Proposition 34.

The Protest

Activists, renters, and union members gathered outside the CAA’s regional headquarters, braving scorching heat to voice their concerns. The protest, which organizers claim spanned an entire city block, featured demonstrators carrying signs with slogans such as “The rent is too damn high,” “CAA stay out of my healthcare,” and “Housing is a Human Right.”

Michael Weinstein, president and co-founder of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), addressed the crowd, expressing satisfaction with the turnout and confidence in their cause. “We are up against billionaires who have unlimited resources, so we have to have the people mobilized and working to contact their friends, family, and neighbors,” Weinstein stated.

The Controversy Surrounding Proposition 34

Proposition 34 has become a focal point of debate in California’s ongoing housing crisis. The measure, supported primarily by the CAA, has been characterized by its opponents as a retaliatory move against AHF’s advocacy for rent control.

Susie Shannon, Campaign Manager for Yes on 33 and No on 34, described Proposition 34 as a “revenge ballot measure” by the CAA, which she says represents “billionaire corporate landlords.” Shannon emphasized the broad coalition opposing the measure, stating, “It is so important that voters join with the more than 300 protesters out today, more than 100 elected officials, and more than 75 organizations in saying yes to 33 and voting no on 34.”

The Broader Context

The conflict stems from a larger debate over rent control in California. AHF, which reports being the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization with 2.1 million patients in care globally, is sponsoring Proposition 33. This measure aims to remove California’s rent control ban and give local communities more authority to stabilize rents.

Proposition 34, if passed, could potentially strip AHF of its nonprofit status and affect its medical licenses. AHF argues that this could damage its healthcare work in 47 countries around the globe.

Protesters claim that the CAA gathered signatures for Proposition 34 by misrepresenting how AHF generates its revenue. However, it’s important to note that these allegations have not been independently verified.

Media Coverage and Public Opinion

The protest organizers cite several major news outlets, including the LA Times, Cal Matters, KQED, San Francisco Chronicle, and Associated Press, as having characterized Proposition 34 as a “revenge” measure. However, it’s crucial to consider that different media outlets may have varying perspectives on the issue.

Housing Affordability for Seniors and Vulnerable Populations in Los Angeles County

To better understand the context of the rent control debate, it’s important to consider the financial realities faced by vulnerable populations, including seniors and LGBTQ individuals, in Los Angeles County.

According to recent data:

• The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles County is approximately $2,100 per month as of 2024.
• The median household income for seniors (65 years and older) in Los Angeles County is about $54,000 per year.
• This means that the average senior household would need to spend nearly 47% of their annual income on rent alone for a typical one-bedroom apartment.

Housing experts generally recommend that households spend no more than 30% of their income on housing costs. The gap between this recommendation and the reality for many seniors in Los Angeles County underscores the financial strain that high housing costs can place on older residents.

The situation is often more challenging for LGBTQ seniors:

• It’s estimated that there are approximately 65,000 LGBTQ seniors living in Los Angeles County.
• Studies indicate that LGBTQ seniors are more likely to live on fixed incomes compared to their heterosexual peers. In Los Angeles County, it’s estimated that about 60% of LGBTQ seniors rely primarily on fixed incomes such as Social Security or small pensions.
• LGBTQ seniors also face higher rates of housing insecurity and are more likely to live alone, which can exacerbate financial challenges.

These statistics highlight the intersectionality of age, sexual orientation, and economic vulnerability in the housing crisis. LGBTQ seniors, particularly those living with HIV/AIDS, represent a population that organizations like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) aim to support through their healthcare services and advocacy for affordable housing.

It’s worth noting that these figures represent averages and estimates; individual situations can vary significantly. However, they provide important context for the ongoing debate over rent control and affordable housing measures like Propositions 33 and 34.

Supporters of rent control argue that such measures are necessary to protect vulnerable populations, including seniors and LGBTQ individuals, from being priced out of their homes. They contend that without such protections, many long-term residents, particularly those on fixed incomes, could face displacement.

Opponents, however, maintain that rent control can have unintended negative consequences for the overall housing market. They argue that such measures (e.g. rent control) might discourage new housing development and investment in existing properties, potentially exacerbating the housing shortage in the long term. Advocates from AHF cite the cities of West Hollywood and Santa Monica—which both have longtime existing rent control ordinances in place—as examples of the fallacy of the argument that rent control would discourage new-development.

Opposition Viewpoints

While the protest and its organizers present a strong case against Proposition 34, it’s important to consider opposing viewpoints:

1. Supporters of Proposition 34 argue that it’s about accountability, not retaliation. They contend that nonprofit organizations engaging in significant political activities should be subject to closer scrutiny.
2. Some critics of AHF question whether a healthcare organization should be heavily involved in housing policy debates, suggesting it may detract from their primary mission. However, AHF started as a housing provider as that AIDS Hospice Foundation, often providing the last homes many people living with HIV experienced at one of its three AIDS hospices in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In addition, AHF and many other national and international health organizations increasingly recognize that stable housing is a vital social determinant of one’s health and wellbeing, particularly for people with chronic conditions as well as elderly people.
3. Opponents of rent control, including many economists, argue that such policies can lead to reduced housing supply and quality in the long term, potentially exacerbating housing affordability issues.
4. The CAA and other property owner groups maintain that rent control measures can unfairly burden landlords and discourage investment in rental properties.

As the November election approaches, the debate over Propositions 33 and 34 is likely to intensify, reflecting the broader tensions surrounding housing affordability and healthcare in California. Voters will need to carefully consider the arguments from both sides before making their decision at the ballot box.

This weekend, the heat isn’t the only thing taking over Los Angeles. NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is hosting its convention in Hollywood. This weekend is slated to be the biggest and most attended conference NLGJA has ever seen.

The NLGJA conference is hosted annually in a different city, focusing on uplifting and supporting LGBTQ journalists who have often been overlooked in newsrooms across the U.S. This year it’s in Los Angeles at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, right off the famous Hollywood Boulevard. The conference has an extensive range of events including networking meetings, panel discussions with LGBTQ media giants and workshops, all designed to aid LGBTQ journalists.

The mission of NLGJA is to “advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues” and “promote diverse and inclusive workplaces.” NLGJA has worked toward this mission since 1990, when Leroy F. Aarons founded the association.

Los Angeles last hosted the conference in 2003, the year discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity expression became state law. It was held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel that year and attendance included more than 500 journalists from around the nation.

The city has a vibrant gay scene — West Hollywood (often referred to as WeHo) has more than 40 percent of residents identifying within the LGBTQ community, holds the record for the earliest lesbian publication in the U.S. with Vice Versa in 1947, and hosted the first Pride parade in the U.S. (alongside New York and Chicago.)

This year has a long lineup of convention speakers touching on multiple themes. The lineup includes actors Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Zachary Quinto, who will talk about their upcoming projects; CNN national news correspondent David Culver to discuss accurate social media reporting; Los Angeles Times reporter Tracy Brown to dissect pop culture reporting; and many more.

The conference talks cover a wide variety of topics, but all center around maximizing coverage of LGBTQ communities in traditional and new age media. Other key topics include how and why outlets need to diversify newsrooms as well as how to properly cover the ongoing and nuanced fight for transgender rights in America.

Besides professional talks, the conference offers LGBTQ journalists a way to strengthen their community, much of which is achieved outside the conference halls. One way the conference does this is by hosting a “night OUT” at a local gay bar where discussions of journalist-source relations, how to navigate being the only queer person in the newsroom, and what to say to allies when they begin to encroach on unfriendly rhetoric are just some of the topics that can be heard from attendees.

In addition to talks and community building, the conference is giving out awards to LGBTQ journalists who have made significant contributions to the coverage of LGBTQ issues in the past year. Awardees include popular social media journalist Erin Reed, the Texas Newsroom’s Lauren McGaughy, “Journalist of the Year” Steven Romo and many more.

This conference is crucial for the ongoing professional development of LGBTQ journalists, providing a unique opportunity to connect with peers, share experiences and gain insights from others within their community.

For more information, visit NLGJA’s website at www.nlgja.org.

Ysabel Jurado, 34, a lifelong community member of Highland Park, and openly out candidate, is running against current Councilmember Kevin De Leon for Council District 14, the most powerful city council in Los Angeles County. 

Her campaign slogan is ‘Ysabel For The Community.’

Earlier this year, Jurado made history in the primary, using her perspective as a historically underrepresented person in the hopes of bringing new leadership to the district after De Leon was called to resign in 2022, following a scandal. 

The live voting results earlier this year highlighted Ysabel Jurado at 24.52%, with 8,618 votes, while De Leon fell behind by nearly 400 votes, with 23.39% in the primary. 

Jurado is a tenants rights lawyer and housing justice advocate from Highland Park who has built her reputation in the community with support from social activist Dolores Huerta,  L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis. 

“I’m the daughter of undocumented immigrants, a public transit rider, a former teen mom, and a working class Angeleno who has navigated the challenges of poverty. I have held the line on countless strikes and defended truck drivers against the same wage theft my father faced,” said Jurado in her candidate statement.  

De Leon secured the second spot and will go head-to-head against Jurado in November. Jurado rose to the top of the polls, while her opponents spent more money on their campaigns, including De Leon. Miguel Santiago raised the most money for his campaign and also spent the most to secure support. De Leon came in second with both money spent and money raised. While Jurado came in fourth in the amount of money spent and raised for her campaign. 

Jurado is running to become the first queer, Filipina to represent CD-14. Among the list of issues she aims to tackle while in office are; homelessness, climate action, safer streets and economic justice that uplifts small businesses. 

“I will bring the institutional knowledge of a legal housing expert and the lived experience of a queer, immigrant-raised, working class, woman of color – a battle-tested representative for and from the community,” said Jurado. 

Though this is her first time running for office, she has already made it as far as political pioneer Gloria Molina in 2015. 

De Leon might be facing an uphill climb after he was caught saying homophobic, racist and anti-sematic remarks in a leaked audio recording that rocked his political career. Even President Joe Biden called for his resignation. 

The conversation that rocked L.A politics is said to have started because of redistricting plans and gerrymandering. According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, De Leon had his hopes set on running for mayor of Los Angeles. Since the audio was leaked, protests erupted, calling for his resignation. De Leon continued in his position after an apology tour and is now running against Jurado on the November ballot. 

The recording of a conversation between De Leon, Ron Herrera, Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo. 

Jurado’s statement on her campaign website calls out the leaders of CD-14 that betrayed the communities in the district. 

“Between FBI raids, backroom gerrymandering, racist rants, and corruption charges, our needs have been chronically ignored,” says the statement. “City government has failed us. We deserve better.”

If she wins, she would join a progressive bloc of leaders in city council that include Nithya Raman, Hugo Doto-Martinez and Councilmember Hernandez. The leadership would have a pendulum swing toward city affairs that has not been seen before. 

CD-14 covers Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Boyle Heights and parts of Lincoln Heights and downtown L.A., which includes skid row and other points of interest. 

Those points of interest make CD-14 seats particularly difficult when it comes to dealing with polarizing issues like homelessness and street safety measures. 

According to the latest demographic data by L.A City Council, 61% of the population is Latin American, while the second highest population is white, at 16%, followed by Asian, at 14% and Black at 6%. 

If elected, Jurado aims to tackle homelessness in a district that has one of the highest unhoused populations in the city. 

Jurado is now gearing up for the November election by continuing to campaign at various events across Los Angeles, including ‘Postcarding with Ysabel,’ at DTLA Arts District Brewing and The Hermosillo.

A group of 164 members of Congress filed an amicus brief on Tuesday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to defend transgender Americans’ access to medically necessary healthcare as the justices prepare to hear oral arguments this fall in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

Lawmakers who issued the 27-page brief include House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.), House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (Calif.), U.S. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), along with the caucus’s eight co-chairs and 25 vice chairs. Ranking members of the powerful House Judiciary and House Ways and Means Committees, U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-N.J.), were also among the signatories.

The case, among the most closely watched this term, will determine whether Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, along with a similar law passed in Kentucky, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

In their brief, the lawmakers urge the Supreme Court to treat with skepticism “legislation banning safe and effective therapies that comport with the standard of care” and to examine the role of “animosity towards transgender people” in states’ gender affirming care bans.

“Decisions about healthcare belong to patients, their doctors, and their families — not politicians,” Pocan said. “The law at issue in this case is motivated by an animus towards the trans community and is part of a cruel, coordinated attack on trans rights by anti-equality extremists. We strongly urge the Supreme Court to uphold the constitution’s promise of equal protection under the law and strike down Tennessee’s harmful ban.”

“For years, far-right Republicans have been leading constant, relentless, and escalating attacks on transgender Americans. Their age-old, discriminatory playbook now threatens access to lifesaving, gender-affirming care for more than 100,000 transgender and nonbinary children living in states with these bans if the Supreme Court uphold laws like Tennessee’s at the heart of Skrmetti fueled by ignorance and hate,” Markey said.

“Transgender people deserve the same access to healthcare as everyone else,” said Nadler. “There is no constitutionally sound justification to strip from families with transgender children, and their doctors, the decision to seek medical care and give it to politicians sitting in the state capitol. I trust parents, not politicians, to decide what is best for their transgender children.”

Pallone warned that if Tennessee’s ban, Senate Bill 1, is “allowed to stand, it will establish a dangerous precedent that will open the floodgates to further discrimination against transgender Americans.”

“Unending attacks from MAGA extremists across the nation are putting trans youth at risk with hateful laws to ban gender-affirming care,” said Merkley author of the Equality Act. “Let’s get politicians — who have no expertise in making decisions for patients — out of the exam room. The court must reject these divisive policies, and Congress must pass the Equality Act to fully realize a more equal and just union for all.”

Also filing an amicus brief on Tuesday was the Gender Research Advisory Council + Education (GRACE), a trans-led nonprofit that wrote, in a press release, “Skrmetti is critically important to the trans community because approximately 40 percent of trans youth live in the 25 states that have enacted such bans.”

The group argued laws like Tennessee’s SB 1 are cruel, discriminatory, and contradict “the position of every major medical association that such treatments are safe, effective and medically necessary for adolescents suffering from gender dysphoria.”

GRACE’s brief includes 28 families “who hope to share with the court that they are responsible, committed parents from a variety of backgrounds who have successfully navigated their adolescent’s transition.”

“These parents sought medical expertise for their children with diligence regarding the best care available and input from experienced physicians and mental health professionals and they have seen firsthand the profound benefits of providing medically appropriate care to their transgender children,” said GRACE board member and brief co-author Sean Madden.

“Left unchecked, this may start with the transgender community, but it certainly won’t end there,” added GRACE President Alaina Kupec. “Next it could be treatments for HIV or cancer.”

An unidentified male suspect on Aug. 4 threw a baseball-sized rock into a large glass window located next to the main entrance door of the Human Rights Campaign’s headquarters building at 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W., according to a D.C. police report.

The report, which lists the incident as a misdemeanor crime of Destruction of Property, provides a description of the suspect but does not say whether anyone witnessed him breaking the window. It says police received a call for the destruction of property at the eight-story tall HRC building at approximately 2:15 a.m.

“At 0212 hours [2:12 a.m.], Suspect 1 approached the outside perimeter of 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, NW at the Human Rights Campaign building and threw a baseball sized rock at a window next to the door to the building,” the police report says. “The window received significant damage causing multiple cracks from the base of the window to the top of the window,” it says.

“Suspect 1 then walked away from the location heading eastbound on Rhode Island Avenue NW wearing a white t-shirt, tan baseball cap, black pants, black and white shoes while carrying a dark colored bookbag,” the report concludes.

D.C. police reports for this type of crime almost always state whether one or more witnesses were present at the time the crime was committed. The fact that no witnesses are mentioned in the report while a detailed description of the suspect is given suggests that police had access to a video recording of the incident taken by a security camera on or near the HRC building.

The report also states that the incident has not been classified as a suspected hate crime.

In response to a Blade inquiry, D.C. police spokesperson Paris Lewbel said he was reaching out to police officials who know something about the incident, but he did not provide additional information as of Wednesday morning, Sept. 4.

In response to a request by the Blade for comment from HRC, including whether HRC provided police with video footage of the incident, HRC spokesperson Jarred Keller said he was reaching out to HRC officials for information about the incident. But he also did not provide a response as of Wednesday morning.

The Blade learned about the HRC window-breaking incident a little over a week ago, more than two weeks after it happened on Aug. 4, through a tip from an HRC volunteer.

On its website HRC says its headquarters building, which first opened in 2003, “provides ample workspace for HRC’s staff of more than 150,” also houses HRC’s Equality Center, a meeting and event space available for rent, as well as the HRC Media Center, a multimedia production facility.

“This building is an important symbol for all who visit the nation’s capital – a constant reminder to our LGBTQ+ community, as well as anti-LGBTQ+ activists, that HRC will not stop until the LGBTQ+ community is ensured equality,” a statement on the website says.