Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revise for the 2025-26 budget proposes to eliminate two major initiatives from the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity: the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) and the Gender Health Equity Section (GHES). 

The move would rescind funding which has already been awarded through existing contracts with nearly 70 community-based organizations across the state, with nearly 40 of those organizations being in Los Angeles. 

“These cuts come at a time when LGBTQ communities are already facing national rollbacks, from Medicaid slashes and  cuts to bans on gender-affirming care and shrinking access to mental health services,” said Dannie Ceseña, MPH, Director of the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network. “With trauma mounting from political attacks, California should be leading, not cutting lifelines. Slashing nearly half of the Office of Health Equity’s budget, the only state office specifically dedicated to addressing health disparities, breaks trust.”

Earlier this year, L.A. County’s Department of Public Health sent a notice to 39 organizations across the county, alerting them of the termination of over $19 million in Centers of Disease Control and Prevention funding, effective May 31. 

The Trump administration released a budget proposal for 2026, where $3.59 billion would be cut from the CDC — which currently handles 90% of all HIV prevention funding on a federal level.  This includes the elimination of millions of dollars worth of funding for community-based healthcare providers in Los Angeles, such as the LA LGBT Center, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Equality California, Trans Latin@ Coalition and others. 

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also moved to eliminate the CDC’s prevention division as part of the plan to restructure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Due to the widespread budget cuts coming from all levels of government, healthcare providers are now urging state legislators to allocate over $60 million from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program rebate fund to supplement and sustain the HIV prevention programs for the next year. 

Healthcare providers like the LA LGBT Center have expressed their concerns and have sounded the alarm for the serious repercussions this budget cut will have on the progress that has been made over the past 30 years. 

“We are sounding the alarm: Los Angeles County’s decision to eliminate HIV prevention services now is a direct threat to public health. It will fuel a surge in new HIV transmissions, deepen existing health disparities and saddle the county with far greater long-term costs,”  continued. “We demand that the Department of Public Health and the Board of Supervisors immediately reverse these reckless terminations and honor their contractual funding commitments.” 

The proposed cuts include cutting grants from programs that were created with explicit legislative direction and funded by the Legislature in previous budget cycles. These include programs supporting health equity, LGBTQ foster youth and access to reproductive healthcare. 

The grants fund grassroots mental health services, trauma-informed care, peer support and capacity-building in underserved regions and communities too often overlooked by mainstream systems.

“If the County has truly lost federal funding at a level that warrants terminating all HIV prevention contracts, its leadership should be working overtime with the State, elected officials, and community partners to secure emergency support and fill the gap,” said Joe Hollendoner, CEO of the LA LGBT Center. Instead, last week’s actions revealed a troubling lack of commitment to HIV prevention—and to the very communities most at risk for the virus.”

Ending the HIV Epidemic, a statewide coalition advocating for funding to eliminate health inequities, end HIV, STI, viral hepatitis deaths and substance overdoses in California, is pushing for state legislators to allocate around $60 million in the state’s fiscal budget for next year, toward sustaining HIV prevention programs across the state, including L.A. County. 

“In this critical moment, California must double down, not retract, its efforts to advance health equity and reduce health disparities,” said Jodi Hicks, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

Cuban lawmakers are reportedly poised to consider a proposal that would allow transgender people to legally change the gender marker on their ID documents without surgery.

Cubadebate, a government-run website, on May 11 referenced the proposal in an article about an International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia march in Havana that the National Center for Sexual Education organized.

Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban President Raúl Castro who spearheads LGBTQ issues on the island, is CENESEX’s director.

Cubadebate notes the National Assembly in July will consider an amendment to the country’s Civil Registry Law that “for the first time would allow citizens to determine the sex on their identification cards without the need for a court order or gender assignment surgery.”

Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, and Malta are among the countries that allow trans people to legally change their name and gender without surgery.

Cuba’s national health care system has offered free sex-reassignment surgery since 2008, but activists who are critical of Mariela Castro and CENESEX have said access to these procedures is limited. Mariela Castro, who is also a member of the National Assembly, in 2013 voted against a measure to add sexual orientation to Cuba’s labor code because it did not include gender identity.

The Cuban constitution bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other factors. Authorities routinely harass and detain activists who publicly criticize the government.

While global powers negotiate with Iran’s regime under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to curb its advancing nuclear program, the oppressed LGBTQ+ community is building and operating a secret underground network to resist state-coerced sex reassignment surgeries. 

These surgeries, mandated for gay and lesbian people as a state-sanctioned alternative to execution for homosexuality, are part of Iran’s penal code that criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations. The network provides safe houses, forged identification documents, and covert communication channels to protect members from government raids and imprisonment.

Precise data on LGBTQ+ people prosecuted in Iran for resisting state-coerced sex reassignment surgeries over the past decade remains elusive, as the regime’s opaque judicial system obscures such cases under vague charges like “corruption on earth” or “sodomy.” NGOs, including 6Rang, report that thousands of gay and lesbian Iranians face pressure to undergo surgeries to avoid execution for same-sex conduct, with resistance often leading to arrests or harassment for violating gender norms.

Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani and Elham Choubdar, two prominent activists, in 2022 were sentenced to death for their social media advocacy, charged with “corruption” and “human trafficking,” though their convictions were overturned in 2023. Similarly, Rezvaneh Mohammadi in 2019 received a five-year sentence for promoting “homosexual relations,” a charge hinting at resistance to the regime’s heteronormative mandates.

Arsham Parsi in 2003 escalated his clandestine fight for Iran’s LGBTQ+ community by launching Voice Celebration, a secret Yahoo chat group where 50 queer Iranians, using aliases, exchanged coded messages to evade the regime’s surveillance. Operating like operatives in a shadow network, participants shared text messages about human rights and survival tactics, knowing a single breach could lead to torture or execution. Parsi, then 23, orchestrated the group’s encrypted communications, building a virtual lifeline that connected isolated individuals across the country until his cover was nearly blown, forcing a desperate escape in early 2005.

Parsi in an exchange with the Los Angeles Blade revealed a defiant undercurrent in Iran, a movement too elusive to be called traditional resistance yet pulsing with covert rebellion against the regime. 

The state’s relentless push to force gay men into coerced surgeries — marketed as a “solution” to their sexuality — seeks to erase their identities through enforced conformity. Parsi, steering the International Railroad for Queer Refugees, disclosed how queer Iranians fight back with clandestine measures: Underground education to counter state propaganda, discreet psychological support to fortify resilience, and encrypted networks to forge secret alliances. These efforts, veiled to evade regime detection, dismantle the state’s narrative with every hidden signal and guarded connection.

“We are working to create a true grassroots resistance by empowering people to understand their identity, seek safe alternatives, and reclaim their agency despite the oppressive context,” said Parsi. “The Iranian regime’s policies are built on denial of sexual orientation and a forced alignment with a binary gender model.” 

“Rather than recognizing gay, lesbian, or bisexual individuals, the system pressures them — particularly gay men — to undergo irreversible surgeries in order to be legally tolerated,” he added. “This systemic violence creates deep psychological harm and compels many to resist, even quietly, to protect their truth. The lack of legal recognition and the threat of arrest, harassment, or blackmail fuels the underground defiance we see today. It’s not only resistance for survival — it’s a rejection of state-imposed identity suppression.”

IRQR, guided by Parsi, for nearly two decades has operated as a lifeline, orchestrating daring escapes and running a covert network for Iran’s hunted queer community. 

Parsi said his work relies on secret, encrypted channels — meticulously managed to avoid detection — to funnel at-risk individuals to safety, smuggle life-saving information, secure hidden safe houses, and deliver emotional support. Every operation faces threats not only from the regime’s security forces but also from Basij militia operatives who masquerade as queer individuals to infiltrate networks, heightening the peril for those marked by their identities.

Black-clad Basij militia members respond at the first signs of defiance; tearing through crowds on motorcycles with batons and guns at the ready, poised to crush any challenge to Iran’s regime. These paramilitary volunteers, bound by fierce loyalty to the Islamic Republic, serve as the state’s enforcers, their plainclothes operatives slipping into dissident networks to root out the defiant. 

The Basij fill queer Iranians with dread; their so-called morality patrols and digital traps stalking those who dare to exist outside the regime’s rigid norms.

“Their goal is not only to gather intelligence but to undermine, divide, and cancel the work of activists and organizations like ours,” said Parsi. “This divide-and-conquer strategy is designed to break solidarity and generate mistrust.” 

“We have seen numerous cases where trusted circles were compromised by these informants, and it has made our work — and survival — even more complex,” he further noted. “Despite this, we persist. Through our underground connections, we have helped thousands of queer Iranians seek safety, community, and ultimately, freedom.”

Parsi told the Blade that international support — through funding, advocacy, policy pressure, or amplifying his stories — can significantly strengthen his work to protect Iran’s persecuted queer community. He emphasized IRQR operates with limited resources, making global solidarity essential to improve outreach, enhance safety measures, and respond swiftly to those in need. Parsi underscored such support brings visibility to the crisis in Iran, reminding those at risk they are not forgotten while exerting pressure on a regime that thrives on silence and fear.

One of the things that Parsi’s underground network offers is online workshops that educate queer Iranians about how they can remain beyond the regime’s reach. 

He said these sessions, designed for safety and accessibility, encompass peer support, mental health education, digital security training, and guidance on refugee pathways. Parsi explained the workshops give vulnerable Iranians the tools to navigate persecution, defy state surveillance, and pursue escape, exposing the resilience of a community under relentless scrutiny.

“Due to the high risk of persecution in Iran, traditional protests are not feasible,” said Parsi. “Instead, acts of resistance take quieter forms — like anonymous storytelling which are just as powerful in building awareness and connection within the community. While discreet, these activities help create a sense of solidarity and empowerment among queer Iranians.”

Parsi, undeterred by Iran’s unyielding regime, asserted with measured confidence that while underground acts of defiance — living authentically, supporting one another, resisting forced medicalisation — may not shift policy overnight, they are already improving lives. He stressed these quiet rebellions that queer Iranians stage challenge the regime’s narrative of shame and invisibility, forging a resilient foundation for future change. Each act, Parsi emphasized, dismantles the regime’s grip, offering hope to those navigating a landscape of relentless oppression.

“At IRQR, we view each life saved, each network built, and each truth spoken as a small but powerful act of resistance,” said Parsi. “These are the seeds of future liberation. Over time, as they multiply and gain visibility — locally and internationally — they will help reshape the landscape for queer Iranians.”

ILGA Asia Executive Director Henry Koh said queer Iranians’ underground resistance is a powerful assertion of bodily autonomy and self-determination. He described it as a deeply courageous act in a regime where visibility invites immense personal risk, from arrest to execution. 

When asked by the Blade if the Iranian regime’s punitive measures against openly queer people fuel underground resistance, Koh responded unequivocally. 

“Absolutely,” he said. “The climate of criminalization and repression leaves little safe space for queer people to live openly. This forces many into secrecy or underground networks as a means of survival, resistance, and mutual support. Such conditions are not only unjust but also profoundly harmful to the well-being of LGBTIQ+ individuals.”

“It is important to distinguish between affirming gender-affirming care and any form of coercive medical intervention,” he added. “When states or authorities mandate medical procedures as a condition for recognition or safety, it constitutes a grave violation of human rights. Gender identity is deeply personal, and no institution should override an individual’s self-defined identity.”

The Chilean Chamber of Deputies on May 15 approved a report that recommends the immediate suspension of a program that provides psychosocial support to transgender and gender non-conforming children and adolescents and their parents.

The 56-31 vote in favor of the Investigation Commission No. 57’s recommendations for the Gender Identity Support Program sparked outrage among activists in Chile and around the world. Six lawmakers abstained.

The report proposes the Health Ministry issue a resolution against puberty blockers, cross-hormonalization, and other hormonal treatments for minors, regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The report also suggests Chilean educational institutions should not respect trans students’ chosen names.

The report, among other recommendations, calls for a review of the background of all minors who are currently receiving hormone treatments. The report also calls for the reformulation of hormone therapy guidelines and sending this background information to the comptroller general.

Report ‘sets an ominous precedent’

Frente Amplio Congresswoman Emilia Schneider, the first trans woman elected to the Chilean Congress and a member of the commission, sharply criticized her colleagues who voted for the report.

“Today in the Chamber of Deputies the report of hatred against trans people was approved; a report that seeks to roll back programs so relevant for children, for youth, such as the Gender Identity Support Program; a program that, in addition, comes from the government of (the late-President) Sebastián Piñera,” Schneider told the Los Angeles Blade. ”This is unacceptable because the right-wing yields to the pressures of the ultra-right and leaves the trans community in a very complex position.”

Schneider noted “this report is not binding; that is, its recommendations do not necessarily have to be taken into account, but it sets an ominous precedent.” 

“We are going backwards on such basic issues as the recognition of the social name of trans students in educational establishments,” she said.

Ignacia Oyarzún, president of Organizing Trans Diversities, a Chilean trans rights group, echoed Schneider’s criticisms. commented to the Blade. 

“We regret today’s shameful action in the Chamber of Deputies, where the CEI-57 report issued by the Republican Party was approved in a context of lies, misinformation and misrepresentation of reality,” Oyarzún told the Blade. “This only promotes the regression of public policies and conquered rights that have managed to save the lives of thousands of children in the last time.” 

Oyarzún added the “slogan ‘children first’ proves to be an empty phrase without content used by those who today promote measures that push to suicide a significant number of children for the fact of being trans.”

The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, a Chilean LGBTQ+ rights group known by the acronym Movilh also condemned the approval of the report, calling it “transphobic” and accusing the commission of omitting the opinions of organizations and families that support the current policies. 

Movilh notes lawmakers approved both the Gender Identity Law and Circular 812, which promotes respect for trans students’ rights, within the framework of an agreement with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

“The text of the approved report is scandalous, because it seeks to take away the access to health to trans minors, including denying them the psychosocial accompaniment that also includes their respective families,” said María José Cumplido, executive director of Fundación Iguales, another Chilean LGBTQ+ advocacy group. “Likewise, it attempts against school inclusion, since it intends to eliminate something as essential as the use of the social name in educational spaces. In short, it takes away rights and freedoms to trans people, especially to minors.”

Cumplido, like Schneider, pointed out that “although its content is not binding, we will be alert to the political and legislative consequences that it may produce and we will continue working to avoid setbacks with respect to the rights of trans people.”

The report’s approval reflects a global trend that has seen neighboring Argentina, the U.S., and other countries reserve policies for trans and nonbinary young people. The Peruvian Health Ministry recently classified gender identity as a mental illness, and lawmakers have passed a law that prevents trans people from using public restrooms based on their identity.

Experts and human rights activists warn the suspension of Chile’s Gender Identity Support Program and other programs could adversely impact the mental health of trans and nonbinary children who already face high levels of discrimination and are at heightened risk to die by suicide.

“We will defend the Gender Identity Support Program and the right to exist of trans children and youth across the country,” said Schneider. “I want to reassure the trans families of our country that we will not rest until our rights are respected and that we can continue advancing because there is still much to be conquered.”

BBGRL, formerly known as Dom, is an upcoming ethereal pop artist and visionary behind BBGRL Club — the femme-forward collective that aims to celebrate sapphic joy through music, performances and futuristic self-expression. Her pop sound blends synths, intimate vocals and Y2K nostalgia to build a unique experience for her audience.

BBGRL Social Club was born out of the idea that there needs to be more events for lesbians and sapphics in the City of Los Angeles. A city well-known for its vibrant and populous queer and trans community, struggles to make space for the many sapphics that inhibit the metropolis.

West Hollywood is home to a plethora of queer bars that are really open to all, but are locally known to cater more specifically to the gay male community. Whether it’s because of their male go-go dancers, beefy boy bartenders, or open restroom design for urinals and very few stalls, WeHo is very much for the gays. 

Now, we’re in 2025 and Dominique ‘Dom’ Buggs, libra, set out to be one of the few sapphics in Los Angeles to make space for the first letter of the acronym. Though there are a few other event spaces that do host consistent sapphic-centered nights, BBGRL, formerly known as Dom, wanted to make sure there was a space that not only welcomed, but centered the BIPOC baddies. Dom is from Mexico City, but is also half Black, so creating spaces like this is her personal mission. 

“[The goal] was to make a space where they could belong because I have been living in West Hollywood for many years and I really know there is a huge need for more authentic places that are actually inclusive to people from all walks of life, but that specifically center [sapphic]  people,” said Dom in an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Blade. 

Emerging ethereal pop artist BBGRL interacts with the crowd during her debut night at WeHo’s Roosterfish on May 3, 2025.

(Photo credit to David Tran and Jocelyn Perich)

Even now in 2025 there are very few spaces that consistently cater to the sapphic community. At the start of 2025, there were only two. Only a few months into the new year and The Ruby Fruit — a sapphically-inclined wine bar in Silverlake — closed its doors due to what the owners say were financial circumstances beyond their control. The only other sapphically-centered space is Honey’s at Star Love. The bars opened around the same time, but Honey’s is an eccentric and charming place owned by queer, Black, women. 

Though there are very few other spaces that are intentional about making space for lesbian or sapphic nights, there are a lot of event organizers who take up the space on one night of the week or month. 

At Little Joy Cocktails in Echo Park, “Butchona” has one day a month to bring in all the lesbianas and butchonas who dress like their tíos — but better. At Bar Flores, there is a “The World is our Oyster” night, whose crowd tends to lean on the sapphic side. 

Last December, Roosterfish opened in West Hollywood, now adding itself to the list of brick-and-mortars making has made the space for sapphic events like BBGRL.

“This is my first time performing original music in West Hollywood period — but in a long time too,” said BBGRL. “I’m very excited to share a little bit of what I’ve been working on for some years.” 

BBGRL says that spaces like this are very necessary right now because of the social and political attacks on the LGBTQ community. 

“I’m really trying to build something that is memorable and something that really brings people together during these times where we really, really need unity.” 

During the social event’s debut night at Roosterfish in West Hollywood, BBGRL performed some of her music and invited long-time friend Niña Dioz to perform as well. 

“We are comadres and we both realized that we both had so many dreams about moving to L.A. and two years later in 2015 we both made the move and ended up being neighbors in Hollywood,” said BBGRL. “We formed a very special friendship that is really rooted in what reminds us of home — which is our community. Eventually she became my family.” 

Niña Dioz performs in West Hollywood on May 3, 2025. (Photo credit to David Tran and Jocelyn Perich)

After Niña Dioz returned to living in Mexico, BBGRL says it hit her hard, so their return to Hollywood to perform alongside BBGRL meant that much more to this dynamic duo. 

Carla Reyna, better known as Niña Dioz, is a nonbinary, queer hip-hop artist from Monterrey, Mexico. Over a decade ago, they stepped into a rap scene overly-saturated by male rappers within a culture that is also notorious for ignoring and sidelining women, trans and gender nonconforming people. Niña Dioz says they continue to fight the mainstream and make space for themselves and their homegirls. 

“I’m super excited to be here performing with my homegirl, BBGRL,” said Niña Dioz in an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Blade. 

Niña Dioz says they are also excited to be working on new music to be released at the end of May. 

“I’m just excited to release new music,” said Dioz. “I took a few months off but it’s a song with Lenchanter. She sings chanteos (which is a slang term used in reggaeton music for fast and rhythmic lyrical music) and she is big in the queer, ballroom scene in Mexico City.” 

Niña Dioz says they are also excited to be releasing a new house music track right in time for Pride month. 

“I’m doing a lot of collaborations with artists from Latin America so you’re definitely going to be hearing from me this year,” they emphasized. 
The event will be hosted monthly in West Hollywood and will feature other performers, as well as guest DJs from the sapphic scene. At this event, the line-up included well-known sapphic DJ Amandita, who immaculately brings the vibes at every event where they play their bops but to keep up with the next lineup, follow BBGRL on Instagram.

BBGRL’s next show will be on June 11 at The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles.

El 17 de mayo se conmemora a nivel mundial el Día Internacional contra la Homofobia, Transfobia y Bifobia, recordando la eliminación de la homosexualidad como enfermedad mental por parte de la Organización Mundial de la Salud en 1990. Sin embargo, esta fecha también se ha convertido en un espacio de denuncia ante la violencia estructural e institucional que sigue afectando a la población LGBTQ+ en muchos países, incluido El Salvador.

Este año, la marcha conmemorativa del 17 de mayo en San Salvador fue más reducida que en ocasiones anteriores. Decenas de personas se reunieron para alzar su voz a pesar del temor creciente entre quienes integran la diversidad sexual y de género. 

Las amenazas no son nuevas, pero sí más frecuentes en el contexto actual. 

Activistas, colectivas y organizaciones de derechos humanos denuncian que el gobierno de Nayib Bukele ha profundizado un discurso y una práctica anti-derechos. Para muchas de estas personas, la visibilidad se ha vuelto sinónimo de riesgo.

Desde la Asociación ASPIDH, Valeria Mejía, coordinadora de monitoreo y evaluación, expresó que “a inicios de 2025, el presidente Nayib Bukele y su gobierno oficializaron una postura anti-derechos, profundizando las amenazas estructurales contra los derechos humanos en El Salvador”. Alegan que esto ha generado retrocesos concretos para la comunidad LGBTQ+.

Mónica Hernández, directora ejecutiva de ASPIDH, ha sido enfática en sus declaraciones. 

“Se está silenciando a las organizaciones defensoras de derechos humanos a través de amenazas o restricciones legales”, afirmó. Y exigió al gobierno restituir los mecanismos que protegían a la población diversa.

Una de las luchas históricas aún sin respuesta es la aprobación de una ley de identidad de género. Actualmente, las personas trans no pueden modificar su nombre y género en sus documentos legales, lo que las expone a tratos humillantes en hospitales, centros educativos, juzgados y otras instituciones públicas.

La falta de una legislación que apoye a las personas trans sobre su identidad de género sigue siendo una afectación, por lo que sufren discriminación institucionalizada, en hospitales, centros educativos, juzgados, entre otros, donde suelen enfrentar trato discriminatorio o negación de servicios por no coincidir su identidad de género con sus documentos legales, mencionó una vocera de la Mesa por Una Ley de Identidad.

En la marcha de este año, las calles no se llenaron como en otras ocasiones. El miedo a la criminalización fue evidente. 

“Los agentes del CAM me dijeron que con este régimen me podían acusar de ser pandillera solo por ser trans y andar tatuada”, declaró una participante, temblorosa, al Los Angeles Blade.

A pesar del temor, hubo presencia. Algunas organizaciones de base y colectivos de clase trabajadora mostraron su solidaridad. Entre ellas, el Movimiento por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos de la Clase Trabajadora, quienes acompañan el caso de Carolina Escobar, una mujer trans despedida injustamente del ISDEMU.

Escobar también estuvo en la marcha. 

“Hay que permanecer unidas las minorías, yo estoy acá a pesar de que he sufrido persecución por parte de la Policía Nacional Civil, por dar seguimiento a los casos de despidos injustificados del ISDEMU”, comentó.

La analista política y activista Bessy Ríos de la organización De La Mano Contigo no se mostró optimista con el panorama. 

“Hay que prepararse para el peor de los escenarios y crear redes de apoyo entre nosotros”, recalcó durante la jornada conmemorativa.

La colectiva feminista también acompañó la marcha y compartió con otros colectivos mensajes de unidad. 

“En tiempos difíciles, es cuando debemos unirnos más”, dijo una joven activista con una pañoleta verde en su rostro.

La represión no solo se percibe en las calles. Desde hace meses, muchas organizaciones LGBTQ+ han denunciado bloqueos al financiamiento internacional que sostenía proyectos de apoyo, atención psicológica y asesoría legal. Sin esos fondos, la lucha se vuelve más cuesta arriba.

Además, la anunciada Ley de Agentes Extranjeros —todavía en discusión— amenaza con imponer un impuesto del 30 por ciento a las donaciones provenientes del extranjero. Esto pondría en jaque a decenas de ONG que trabajan directamente con poblaciones vulnerables, incluida la diversidad sexual.

La consigna en esta fecha ha sido clara: la lucha no se detiene. Incluso con menos recursos y bajo amenazas, quienes se organizaron para conmemorar el 17 de mayo lo hicieron con la firme convicción de que los derechos humanos no se negocian.

Desde las pancartas hasta las intervenciones públicas, el mensaje fue contundente: el Estado salvadoreño debe cesar toda forma de discriminación hacia las personas LGBTQ+ y garantizar políticas inclusivas que aseguren su acceso a la salud, la educación, la justicia y el empleo.

En cada paso, se entretejía el recuerdo de quienes ya no están, y el deseo ferviente de un futuro distinto. 

“Marchamos por quienes no pudieron llegar hoy, por quienes tienen miedo, por quienes ya no están. Seguiremos exigiendo respeto y dignidad”, expresó una activista.

On Friday, May 30, WeHo Pride and OUTLOUD will kick off the weekend full of festivities with a free WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night outdoor concert. 

WeHo Pride and OUTLOUD Music Festival have come together this year featuring a lineup of LGBTQ performers and LGBTQ-focused programming for all ages. 

The kick off event is free, but requires an RSVP to secure the complimentary tickets and registration for tickets officially opens on Friday, May 16 at 10a.m. The headlining performer will be Maren Morris, a GRAMMY award-winning, singer-songwriter who came out as bisexual during Pride month last summer and released her fourth album earlier this month. 

The OUTLOUD Music Festival will continue on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1, with a two-day concert experience spotlighting a dynamic lineup of LGBTQ+ artists including Lizzo, Remi Wolf, Kim Petras and Paris Hilton — all set to perform on the mainstage. Lil Nas X was also set to perform, but has been taken out of the lineup due to health issues. 

The SummerTramp stage will have Honey Dijon as the headliner, and feature sets from Horse Meat Disco, salute, Meredith Marks, Brooke Eden, and others. The Saturday and Sunday concerts are not free and do require tickets to be purchased in advance. 

“WeHo Pride Weekend is nearly upon us. Hosting WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night at OUTLOUD with free-entry tickets is more than symbolic — it’s a declaration that equality and inclusion matter,” said Chelsea Lee Byers, mayor of West Hollywood. “In West Hollywood, we celebrate queer lives and artists. At a time when LGBTQ communities face a surge of attacks across the country, West Hollywood remains committed to raising visibility and vibrantly celebrating our community. I’m so proud that the City of West Hollywood stands firm in the fight for LGBTQ rights and creative expression. I hope to see everyone out on Friday Night at OUTLOUD!”

WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night at OUTLOUD will begin at 6p.m. on Friday, May 30. The free WeHo Pride Street Fair will then take place on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, beginning at noon. Both days will feature live entertainment, drag performances, activities and dyke-tivities such as the Dyke March and Women’s Freedom Festival on Saturday, taking place at the WeHo Pride Community Stage. 

“This event is all about showing up, celebrating loudly, and creating space for queer joy and none of it would be possible without the incredible support from the City of West Hollywood,” said Jeff Consoletti, founder and executive producer of OUTLOUD. “We’re beyond grateful to have our partnership extended through 2030 and can’t wait to keep building something unforgettable together year after year.”

Weekend and single day passes are on sale now. 
For more information, visit the OUTLOUD Festival website.

California Congressman Robert Garcia on Wednesday asked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the well-being of a gay asylum seeker from Venezuela who the U.S. “forcibly removed” to El Salvador.

The gay Democrat during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing asked Noem whether Andry Hernández Romero is “alive” and whether “we can check and do a wellness check on him.”

“This individual is in El Salvador, and the appeal would be best made to the president and to the government of El Salvador,” Noem told Garcia.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Congressman Robert Garcia (@reprobertgarcia)

The Trump-Vance administration in March “forcibly removed” Hernández, who asked for asylum because of persecution he suffered due to his sexual orientation and political beliefs, and other Venezuelans from the U.S. and sent them to El Salvador.

The White House on Feb. 20 designated Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, as an “international terrorist organization.” President Donald Trump on March 15 invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which the Associated Press notes allows the U.S. to deport “noncitizens without any legal recourse.”

Alvaro M. Huerta, director of litigation and advocacy for the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a Los Angeles-based organization that represents Hernández, said officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection claimed their client is a Tren de Aragua member because of his tattoos.

The Washington Blade on April 17 reported Hernández was sent to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, a maximum-security prison known by the Spanish acronym CECOT.

Garcia, along with U.S. Reps. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), and Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) last month met with U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador William Duncan and embassy staffers in San Salvador, the Salvadoran capital. The lawmakers did not visit CECOT, but Garcia told the Blade that the embassy agreed to ask the Salvadoran government to “see how (Hernández) is doing and to make sure he’s alive.”

Pope Leo XIV’s election has sparked global reactions, but his appointment has struck a deeper chord in Peru.

The now-pontiff served for years as bishop of Chiclayo, a city in northern Peru. For LGBTQ+ leaders and activists in the country, Leo represents a figure who, while unlikely to overhaul church doctrine, could signal a shift towards a less hostile and more open Catholic Church.

“The fact that the new pope lived and served pastorally in Peru is no small thing,” said George Hale, director of Promsex, an advocacy group that is based in Lima, the Peruvian capital. “Leo XIV is deeply familiar with inequality, abuses of power, popular religiosity, and the pain of a society scarred by classism and exclusion. His support for victims of the Sodalitium scandal showed a courageous figure willing to listen when others remained silent.”

The Sodalitium of Christian Life, a Peruvian Catholic lay group implicated in cases of sexual and psychological abuse against minors, became one of the church’s worst scandals in Latin America. Leo’s direct involvement in sanctioning those responsible — and his central role in the group’s eventual dissolution — was widely viewed as a sign of his commitment to reform from within.

Former Congressman Alberto de Belaunde, one of Peru’s few openly gay political figures, also welcomed Leo’s election, describing his trajectory as “good news within the Vatican.” De Belaunde emphasized Leo’s time at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, where he served on the university’s assembly as the church’s representative.

“Unlike other pontifical universities, the PUCP is progressive and diverse,” De Belaunde said. “Monsignor Prevost always demonstrated a remarkable ability to dialogue and showed respect for differing views. That speaks volumes about both his intellectual and pastoral approach.”

The question still remains: How much could the church change under Leo’s papacy when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights?

“Sometimes, even just a change in tone makes a difference,” De Belaunde noted. “I grew up under the influence of Pope John Paul II and Bishop Cipriani, both known for confrontational rhetoric. When the pope says things like ‘Who am I to judge?’ — it doesn’t change doctrine, but it humanizes the discourse. And that matters.”

De Belaunde specifically referred to Pope Francis’s 2013 comments about gay priests. (The Vatican’s tone on LGBTQ+ and intersex issues softened under Francis’s papacy, even though church teachings on homosexuality did not change.)

“There are very conservative factions within the church, outright enemies of our rights,” said Congresswoman Susel Paredes, who is a lesbian. “But there’s also space for love of neighbor, as Jesus taught. Even if Pope Leo XIV were to chart a path toward full inclusion of LGBTQ people, resistance would remain. These things don’t change overnight.”

Paredes also highlighted Francis’s legacy — especially his vision of a synodal church. The Argentine-born pontiff who died on April 21 was Leo’s direct mentor.

“Pope Francis spoke of a church where ‘everyone, everyone, everyone’ walks together without distinction,” she said. “Leo XIV was already part of that vision when he worked in some of Peru’s poorest areas. That gives us hope and reason to watch his papacy with expectation.”

Activists, however, are clear-eyed about the limits of symbolic change.

“He (Leo) doesn’t appear to be a hostile figure,” Hale said. “But he’s not pushing for radical reform either. He won’t lead the fight for same-sex marriage or trans rights. But his more humane tone — his closeness to those on the margins — can help de-escalate hate speech, especially in a country like ours.”

Hale also pointed to a recent gesture from the new Leo that raised concerns: His public support for the Peruvian bishops’ statement opposing a court ruling that granted Ana Estrada, a woman with a degenerative disease, the right to die with dignity through euthanasia.

“By endorsing that statement, he reaffirmed official doctrine. And while he may be compassionate, he’s still aligned with traditional positions on some key issues,” Hale said. “That’s why we insist: We’re not expecting a revolution, but a shift in tone matters.”

Peru does not recognize same-sex marriages, and transgender people lack legal protections. Expectations about Leo’s papacy remain measured because church rhetoric remains a roadblock to civil rights.

“Rights are granted by laws, and the separation of church and state must remain fundamental,” said Paredes. “That’s where progress happens, in secular legislation.”

“Yes — it’s a breath of fresh air to have a pope who doesn’t slam the door shut, who has walked with Peru’s most excluded,” she added. “That gives us encouragement to keep going.”

Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica died on Tuesday. He was 89.

Mujica, a farmer, was a member of Tupamaros National Liberation Movement, a leftist guerrilla group that carried out bank robberies and bombings and kidnapped politicians and businessmen in the South American country during the 1960s and 1970s.

Mujica spent nearly 15 years in prison. The right-wing military dictatorship that governed Uruguay from 1973-1985 tortured him and held him in solitary confinement for a decade.

Mujica in 1989 joined the Movement of Popular Participation, a party that is part of the Broad Front, a leftist political coalition. Mujica was Uruguay’s president from 2010-2015.

Laws that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples and legalized abortion took effect in 2013 and 2012 respectively. Mujica in 2013 also signed a law that legalized recreational marijuana in Uruguay.

Mujica earlier this year announced he would not undergo further treatment for esophagus cancer that had spread to his liver. The AP notes he died in his small house outside of Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital.

“With profound pain we announced that our friend Pepe Mujica has died,” said Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi, who currently leads the Broad Front, on X. “President, activist, guide, and leader. We are going to miss you very much, dear old man. Thank you for everything that you gave us and for your profound love for your people.”

Esteban Paulón, a gay congressman in neighboring Argentina, celebrated Mujica as a “guide” for “Latin American progressivism.”

“He made humility, honesty and austerity his hallmarks,” said Paulón on social media.