Pride season may be largely in the rearview mirror, but Equality California is gearing up for a busy fall. On August 3–4, we’ll convene our annual LGBTQ+ Leadership Summit in Sacramento, bringing together LGBTQ+ elected and appointed officials from across California to discuss the challenges facing our communities, develop strategies for the future, and hear from distinguished leaders, including former U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler.

Just one week later, we’ll return to the state Capitol for our final Leadership Academy of the year. This special Gender Equity Edition will help prepare lesbian, bisexual and queer women, as well as transgender and nonbinary people, to run for office and serve their communities.If you’re interested in applying or know someone who’d be a great fit, learn more!

To read more stories, join our mailing list, and sign up for the weekly Equality Brief, visit eqca.org/equalitybrief.

• Governor Newsom Signs Budget That Includes Funding for Trans Healthcare, Uncompensated Care, LGBTQ+ Centers:
  On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a pro-equality budget that specifically seeks to preserve access to healthcare for transgender Californians in addition to monies for Uncompensated Care and LGBTQ+ community center support. With the federal government threatening to withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals and providers that offer transition-related care, Equality California and a coalition of civil rights, LGBTQ+ and healthcare organizations had lobbied for $26 million to set up a state pathway for such care. Read our statement alongside reactions from our coalition partners, as well as our list of thank-yous to the legislators who championed our ask.
  
• 6-3 Supreme Court Ruling Lets Transgender Athlete Bans Stand:
  The conservative majority court ruled on Tuesday that state bans on transgender girls participating in school sports do not violate the Constitution, and may be enforced. However, as disappointing as the ruling is, the decision was limited to the specific questions before the Court and does not resolve broader questions about protections for transgender people. Schools and states can continue to adopt inclusive policies that ensure every student is treated with dignity and respect. Read our statement here.
  
• California AG Releases Hate Crimes Report; LGBTQ+ Numbers a Mixed Bag:
  On Monday, July 6, California AG Rob Bonta’s office released the 2025 Hate Crimes in California report, tracking hate incidents throughout the state. While overall reported hate crimes decreased by 3.4%, and those with a sexual orientation bias fell by more than 35%, anti-transgender incidents saw a 23.4% increase. There is absolutely no place for hate in California. Transparent and accessible data is a critical part of understanding where we are and how we can end hate crimes in our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta.
  
• Merck Enlists Seven Drugmakers for Generic Version of New PrEP Drug:
  Pharmaceutical company Merck has announced that it will license seven generic drugmakers to produce a low-cost alternative to a new PrEP medication, alimatravir. The move is meant to make stockpiles of the drug available pending the anticipated positive outcome of two late-stage clinical trials occurring next year. UNAIDS reported 1.2 million new HIV infections in 2025; efforts to decrease transmissions have taken a hit in the wake of Trump administration decisions to pull American funding from global HIV/AIDS initiatives.
  
• Trump HHS Department Ends Rule Protecting LGBTQ+ Foster Children:
  The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary RFK, Jr., has formally rescinded a hard-won Biden era rule that protected LGBTQ+ foster youth throughout the placement and reunification processes. The rule ensured that LGBTQ+ foster children would be placed in affirming homes, help them report mistreatment, request alternate placements, and prohibit so-called conversion therapy. LGBTQ+ foster youth are overrepresented in the system due in part to family rejection and fears for their safety. LGBTQ+ minors are also less likely to be reunified with their families of origin, adopted, or placed permanently with relatives.
  
• Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Parental Rights Case Next Term:
  The conservative majority Supreme Court will take up a case in its next term involving parental rights and the ability of youth to access certain services independent of parental consent. The lawsuit, International Partners for Ethical Care v. Ferguson, brought by a Chicago-based Christian nonprofit, challenges Washington state laws that allow minors to access shelter services, mental health and gender-affirming care without parental consent. The Ninth Circuit Court had refused to hear the case, stating the parents lacked standing because none of their teenagers had actually run away and sought state shelter.
  
• Pete Buttigieg Targeted by False CPS Report, Resulting in Temporary Parental Separation:
  After a false anonymous complaint was filed against Buttigieg accusing him of putting his children at risk, the former Secretary of Transportation and Presidential candidate was separated from his children temporarily while law enforcement and CPS completed an investigation. After the report was determined to be false, Buttigieg and husband Chasten were reunited with their 4-year-old twins Gus and Penelope. On his Substack, Buttigieg wrote about what he called “every parent’s nightmare,” noting he believed it was no coincidence that the events transpired during Pride Month.
  
• Federal Judge Questions Pentagon on Blatant Double Standard Around Testosterone:
  Judge Ana Reyes, currently overseeing a legal challenge to the Trump administration’s transgender military ban, ordered the government to address Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recently-announced “testosterone screening and treatment” policy and explain how it is any different from hormone therapy prescribed to transgender servicemembers. At the heart of Reyes’ order is the fundamental question: Why can testosterone be treated as a “tool of health and readiness” for cisgender troops, but serve as “evidence of unfitness” when prescribed to transgender men?

STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Equality California’s priority sponsored legislation continues to move through the legislative process. As we come out of summer recess in August, we will update you on the status of these critical LGBTQ+ bills. To view our entire 2026 state legislative package, visit eqca.org/legislation

UPCOMING EVENTS

Our premier event of the year, the Los Angeles Equality Awards, is happening on Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 6:00-10:00 PM at the gorgeous Fairmont Century Plaza. And this year, we’re making Monét moves — Drag Race All-Stars winner, comedian, actor, and presenter Monét X Change will serve as emcee! We’ll also honor Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur with the Equality Leadership Award. More details will be announced soon, but tickets are on sale now! Don’t miss out!

Between caring for his newborn and running the popular GYM Bar WEHO sports bar, Jonathan Cottrell is also juggling his campaign for West Hollywood’s city council in the upcoming November general election.

Cottrell, who has lived in WeHo for over a decade, is running on a campaign of increasing government trust, neighborhood safety, and more affordable housing.

He is running because he believes in a government that “listens, acts with compassion, and works for all people,” according to his campaign website. 

“I’m a software engineer by trade, so I love big ideas, taking big swings, and I think that pragmatic approach that I bring to my work can carry over,” Cottrell, 36, said. 

Cottrell has been involved with the city in various ways over the years. Since March of last year, he’s been on the public facilities, recreation and infrastructure commission. Alongside being a business owner, he’s also a renter and helps run his HOA.

“Through the course of all those things, I’ve gotten to know the people that work at City Hall, the staffers, the council, the agencies that are county-run like fire, sheriff’s office, the health department,” Cottrell, 36, said. “All that together, I’ve gotten to see what works great about our city, but also what we can improve.”

He hopes to improve the city’s government trust by increasing transparency and accountability policies and building them up.

“If we have easy-to-use, transparent technology, that doesn’t require you to drill down through PDFs and download things and search and find dates of disclosures that exist within our government,” Cottrell said. “If we have systems where things aren’t buried in endless files, that’ll increase government trust.”

He hopes to increase this “lack of ease of accessibility” that bars people from knowing where to go to find city government information.

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Prioritizing community safety is another big goal of Cottrell’s.

“As a bar owner and restaurant owner, I see it every day, all the issues we have,” Cottrell said.

Some issues he’s seen include street fights, an increase in the unhoused population, and recent issues like the waterline burst that led to a large sinkhole. He said issues like these “affect the whole community.”

If voted in, he’d like to focus on recruitment and retention of West Hollywood’s law enforcement, which he says will improve safety of the neighborhood.

He’d like to increase the number of deputies in the city and “find a path to increase public safety and better night shifts that are permanent.”

“I’d like us to increase our investment in public safety, but in a way that actually increases being safe and feeling safe,” he added. “We need to beef up the budget but also use those dollars wisely and make sure that they are actually providing safety on our blocks that we can feel.”

In 2022, West Hollywood voted to cut the sheriff budget, replacing four deputies with unarmed security ambassadors.

Since then, the budget has continued to increase sheriff and protective services (one category) and public safety budgets. In 2022, these two groups’ costs were around $22 million. By fiscal year 2028, the projected budget for public safety and sheriff and protective services is just shy of $40 million, according to WeHo’s two-year city operating budget.

WeHo’s serious crimes dropped more than 13% in the first half of 2026, according to WeHo Times, despite increases in auto thefts, shoplifting, and burglaries in residential areas.

“$40 million may seem like we’re spending a lot, but it is a smaller budget than some of our neighbors,” Cottrell said. “Increasing it will allow more presence on the street and, for example, a permanent night shift that is there at the high-risk times, at high-risk places.”

Housing and affordability in WeHo remain a common topic for many city council campaigns.

For Cottrell, a focus for long-term fixes for the city’s housing shortage is imperative.

“We need to continue to have a great housing policy here, a decade of rent control policies that were implemented by people that founded the city,” Cottrell said.

He thinks there’s a way to increase economic opportunity while also addressing the affordability crisis that impacts renters, homeowners, small businesses, and workers.

“I really believe we have to be bold about where we’re going, but also very thoughtful and strategic about how we get there,” he said. 

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He hopes that with a city full of creatives and the city’s reputation for being unique, some solutions can be found.

“In addition to our rent control and rent stabilization ordinances, I think we can get more creative about looking at creative zoning, such as light industrial residential,” Cottrell said. “I picture, say, an artist who lives and works in their studio, but also part of the space can be a gallery.”

“There’s actually a lot of spaces in West Hollywood that could be mixed-use, where we need to figure out what is the path to make that viable,” he added. “We have to continue being very thoughtful in our approach, but we can also shoot for the stars.”

Investing in more creative housing options will lead to vibrancy and growth in economic opportunity for WeHo, he said.

“Let’s invest in our people, invest in our community, and be innovative,” Cottrell said. “I have a lot of excitement for the future. There’s a lot of scary stuff happening federally, but let’s build a gold standard for the country for what a city can be in the modern world.”

For more information, head to Cottrell4Weho.com.

Florida may elect two Black gay Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives this year—and one of them is in one of the most complicated races in the nation, due to the state’s redistricting.

In addition to Shevrin Jones in Florida’s 24^th Congressional District, Elijah Manley is seeking a seat from the state’s 20^th Congressional District. It’s a majority minority, plurality-Black, heavily LGBTQ+ and heavily Democratic district in the southeastern part of the state. The district is centered on Broward County and includes several areas with high concentrations of same-sex couples, including Fort Lauderdale’s Victoria Park neighborhood and suburbs such as Wilton Manors and Oakland Park.

But because of redistricting by the state’s Republican-led government, a longtime Democratic congresswoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is running in the 20^th District instead of the 22^nd, where she lives (members of the House don’t have to live in the district they represent, just the state). Wasserman Schultz currently represents the 25^th District, but changes to the map put her in the 22^nd District, which is Republican-leaning, hence her decision to run in the 20th. The 20^th District has long been represented by a Black Democrat, and that has led to criticism of Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run there, as she is white. Redistricting is threatening Black representation in several states, plus Florida’s redistricting reduced the number of safe Democratic congressional districts from eight to four.

Also, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned the 20^th District seat this year, is running to reclaim it. She resigned after her fellow representatives found her guilty of ethics violations, and she faces criminal charges of stealing federal disaster relief funds and directing them to her 2021 congressional campaign. She has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

Into this mix comes Manley, along with two other Black candidates: Dale V.C. Holness, a former Broward County mayor, and Luther Campbell, a.k.a. Uncle Luke, from the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew. The Democratic primary will be held August 18, and given the makeup of the district, the winner will most likely go on to beat the Republican nominee in November.

“We need fresh ideas, a new generation of leadership, not just career politicians,” Manley, a 27-year-old middle school history teacher, told LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters. That doesn’t mean pushing out all older elected officials, but the nation would benefit by putting younger people with bold stances into the mix, he said.

“I think people are tired of the same old thing,” he said. “They want people who are going to fight back.”

He became deeply concerned about the future of the U.S., especially its young people, after the 2024 election, he said. He thought the Democratic leadership wasn’t meeting the moment, and that inspired his congressional run.

But Manley had run for office before. When he was just 19, he ran for the Broward County School Board, and later he ran for the Florida House of Representatives. He didn’t win either time, but he’s glad to have had the experience. Also, in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, he became active in the March for Our Lives movement for gun control.

He says his combination of lived experience and his positions on the issues make him the best candidate in the race. His family lost everything in the financial crisis of 2008, and they were homeless for a time. He’s confronted racism and homophobia. “I understand discrimination,” he said. “I’ve experienced it firsthand.” He’s held working-class jobs and is a survivor of sexual assault.

“I refuse to believe that to serve in government, you have to have this elite profile,” Manley said. “In Congress, we need people who’ve been through some stuff.”

He denounces the Trump administration’s hostility to diversity, equity, and inclusion. That’s played out in the Department of Defense—something that hits close to home for him, as he participated in Navy Junior ROTC in high school—and elsewhere in the federal government.

“All this talk about DEI comes down to they hate progress,” Manley said. To the current administration, being pro-DEI and being “woke”—aware of inequities and willing to fight them—is a bad thing, but certainly not to him, he said. “I’m completely for woke and completely for DEI,” he noted.

The diversity of the U.S., he added, has helped it understand and aid other countries.

Some of that aid has been taken away now, with the destruction of the U.S. Agency for International Development at the hands of onetime Trump ally Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “I have talked to dozens upon dozens of federal workers … I’ve seen the federal government fire them and treat them like garbage,” Manley said. Restoring humanitarian aid would be one of his priorities if he’s elected, he said.

Among Manley’s other priorities are health care reform, including Medicare for all; investment in public education, including universal pre-kindergarten and child care; civil rights measures, including the Equality Act; criminal justice reform; support for Ukraine; a two-state solution in Israel; and abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), replacing it with a more humane immigration policy.

To accomplish this, “we’re going to have to use the power of the purse the same way Republicans do,” Manley said. That includes not voting for budgets that defund health care, housing, and other necessities, he said.

In addition, “we need to be willing to impeach and remove people from office who aren’t following the Constitution,” he said. Among them would be Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, federal judges, and even Supreme Court justices such as Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. He would love to have seen Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem impeached, he said, but Trump fired her before that could happen.

He is for expanding the Supreme Court—nine justices aren’t enough to represent the entire country, he said—and for expanding the number of federal court circuits.

Another priority is the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has stalled in Congress. It’s named for the late, esteemed congressman and civil rights activist, who was honored over the July 17-19 weekend in a series of events called the Weekend of Action. Manley counts Lewis as one of his heroes. “I miss him every day,” Manley said. “His spirit just blew me away, and it still does.”

While the 20^th District is unlikely to elect a Republican, one of the GOP aspirants recently made headlines with his homophobia. Rod Joseph told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “You cannot be born gay. That’s impossible biologically.” He claimed that people are often turned gay by being sexually abused.

“He’s wrong and ignorant,” Manley said. “I love when Republicans use science to justify their bigotry, and it never works out. It’s not going to work in this district.”

Manley has received some high-profile endorsements. One is from Congressman Ro Khanna of California, who called Manley “the only progressive in this race” and one who “understands this district’s economic struggles firsthand, as an educator who works with its kids and who grew up homeless after his family lost their home in the global financial crisis.”

Other endorsers include the Florida Young Democrats, College Democrats of America, Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, and Peace Action.

However, Equality PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus—which is made up of LGBTQ+ members and allies—has endorsed Wasserman Schultz. It cited her record of supporting Florida’s working families and “defending fundamental freedoms.” She has consistently had perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard.

But Wasserman Schultz failed to win the endorsement of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. When the caucus met recently, she received 53 percent of the vote and Manley 40 percent—but it takes a two-thirds majority to get the endorsement.

Earlier in the race, there was talk that some of the Black candidates might drop out so the electorate would coalesce behind one, but that hasn’t happened, and Manley doesn’t think it will. “Everybody has the right to run,” he said.

As the primary approaches, he said, “I feel pretty strong. I feel I’m getting my message out there.”

This is a cross-post from Karen Ocamb’s LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters Substack.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have codified a ban transgender servicemembers in the military.

The bipartisan vote was 212-217.

The NDAA is for the 2027 fiscal year and sets policies for the Defense Department programs and activities and the national security programs of the Department of Energy.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) proposed the amendment on July 21. It stated that all personnel are required to serve in accordance with their biological sex, citing military readiness and discipline.

Human Rights Campaign Senior Director of Government Affairs Jennifer Pike Bailey stated that she is grateful for the bipartisan vote that rejected President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “dangerous and discriminatory policy that has kicked brave transgender servicemembers out of the military and weakened our national security.”

“Everyone who meets the same rigorous standards should be able to serve their country. We should honor that patriotism, particularly in this moment where we are witnessing brave servicemembers making the ultimate sacrifice for our country, instead of ending their careers and politicizing their existence. We’re grateful that a permanent extension of this ban failed, and we will keep fighting to reverse this senseless policy,” Bailey said.

Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, stated that he and his members put in countless hours of work to kill the amendment.

“When Americans know they or their families are going to be targeted by or not supported by the military, that leads them to avoid signing up to serve or staying in the service — making it harder to keep the ranks of the armed services full and our nation safe. My colleagues in the Equality Caucus and I will continue working to prevent these attacks on our servicemembers and their families from becoming law,” Takano said.

According to the Congressional Equality Caucus, two other bills could potentially be passed that would also target the transgender community, both of which were proposed by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).

The first was a bill that would have prohibited gender-related medical care under TRICARE and to prevent TRICARE from covering certain gender-related medical procedures and treatments, which was approved in a vote of 219-208.

The second was a bill that would have prohibited male participation in female sports at DoDEA schools. DoDEA schools are Department of Defense Dependents Schools, which is a network of primary and secondary schools.

The amendment was approved in a vote of 221-203. 

Uncloseted Media published this article on July 16.

By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON | On Sunday, the office of Lindsey Graham reported that the Republican senator and Trump ally from South Carolina died “from a brief and sudden illness.” The office said that the preliminary cause of death was a rupture of his aorta due to a hardening of his arteries.

Since then, many folks in the LGBTQ+ community, including a large number of Uncloseted followers, have — for better or worse — celebrated the senator’s death. When we posted the news on our Instagram page on Sunday, our followers commented:

• “Maybe he rest in hell”—this one got 194 likes.
• “She made sure to wait until Pride was over.”
• “And just like that the world is a better place.”

These responses are fueled by allegations that the senator lived as a closeted gay man while supporting policies that would roll back LGBTQ+ rights. In 2006, he voted in support of a constitutional amendment that would have restricted marriage to only being between one man and one woman. After gay marriage became legal across the U.S. in 2015, he said “I am a proud defender of traditional marriage.” And in 2022, he told CNN he would oppose the Respect for Marriage Act and later reiterated that states should decide the issue of marriage.

Outside the Washington rumor mill, there wasn’t much evidence that Graham could be gay until 2020, when adult video performer Sean Harding wrote on Twitter that “There is a homophobic republican senator who is no better than Trump who keeps passing legislation that is damaging to the lgbt and minority communities. Every sex worker I know has been hired by this man. Wondering if enough of us spoke out if that could get him out of office?”

Harding followed up with another post, writing “If you’d be willing to stand with me against LG please let me know,” and, “So far I have two individuals who would be willing to go public and support my claims. Anyone else?”

A few days later, another anonymous sex worker came forward and made similar allegations.

But after that, there was silence, with some believing these sex workers were slapped with non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). And while at least one lawyer took to Twitter saying that he’d “be more than happy to read the NDAs and look for loopholes. For free!” nobody else came forward.

That is until earlier this week, when author Jesse James Rose posted to her Instagram that Graham had paid her for sex work prior to her gender transition. Rose wrote that “Most of you know him as the homophobic senator from South Carolina but to me he will always be the man who paid a twinky pre-transition college student a fat stack of cash to do unspeakable things to him in a hotel room while he wore red lingerie.”

This dynamic has created a complicated question for LGBTQ+ people: Is it appropriate to posthumously celebrate the death of a man who railed against our community and used his position of power to make our lives less equitable and less safe? Is it even more fair to criticize him if he was living a secret queer life?

Or should we go high and give his track record on LGBTQ+ issues a positive spin now that he’s no longer with us?

In a time where social media feels like a breeding ground for angertainment, I’ll admit that the immediacy of the response to his death at first felt intense.

At the same time, I knew I didn’t want to send thoughts or prayers to a man who tried to rip my rights away.

If the alleged NDAs that Graham handed his sex workers were legitimate, they likely evaporated after his death. So now really may be the first time people can speak their truth and offer an accurate window into the absurd hypocrisy between Graham’s public and private life.

For that, I think it’s fair game to speak candidly about the story he may have worked hard to muzzle while he was here.

The U.S. military will begin testing and treating service members with hormone therapy despite banning similar medical care for transgender service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that troops ages 30 and older will be subject to annual testosterone screenings, while younger service members will have the option to voluntarily opt in. Some troops may then be recommended for hormone therapy, he explained in a video posted to social media.

“Under the supervision of our world-class medical professionals, warfighters age 30 and older are going to be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessment,” Hegseth said in a video posted to X, captioned “The High-T Department of War.”

This push to test testosterone levels, as the hormone is commonly referred to as “T,” runs counter to current medical guidelines. Physicians are generally advised to discuss testosterone therapy only with men who have symptoms consistent with low testosterone and documented low hormone levels on two separate blood tests.

Testosterone is a vital sex hormone that all humans naturally produce. It helps regulate muscle mass, bone density, and sex drive. In men, it is primarily produced in the testicles, while in women it is produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands.

Natural testosterone levels in men decline with age and have long been associated with issues such as erectile dysfunction, low libido, mood changes, and weight gain. However, experts continue to debate whether these conditions should routinely be treated with testosterone therapy.

Hegseth’s announcement aligns with other actions taken by the Trump-Vance administration — including efforts by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — to make testosterone therapy more accessible for men, particularly those assigned male at birth.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration proposed easing prescribing restrictions on testosterone gels, pills, patches, and injections following a December advisory panel that recommended reducing regulatory hurdles to expand access to testosterone therapy.

Currently, FDA labeling specifies that these medications are approved only for men with hypogonadism, a medical condition that causes abnormally low testosterone levels.

The announcement came as a shock to many LGBTQ+ advocates because Hegseth and the Defense Department have cited the use of hormone therapy by trans service members as justification for their dismissal under President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.“

The Pentagon continues to pursue implementation of the trans military ban as litigation proceeds. As a result, many trans service members have had their gender-affirming medical care halted, even as similar hormone therapy is now being expanded for cisgender service members. Under the executive order, the military currently disqualifies individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria and has begun formal administrative separation proceedings for trans personnel.

SPARTA Pride, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization made up of trans service members, veterans, and their allies, issued a statement to the Los Angeles Blade following Hegseth’s announcement.

“If hormone therapy helps warfighters perform at their best, then it cannot simultaneously be used as evidence that transgender service members are unfit to serve,” said Kara Corcoran, executive director of SPARTA Pride. “The same class of evidence-based medical treatment cannot be characterized as readiness-enhancing for one group and readiness-destroying for another.”

The legal fight over trans military service remains ongoing.

On June 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that trans service members already serving in the military could continue to do so, while allowing the armed services to continue refusing to enlist new trans recruits.

The Blade reached out to the Pentagon to ask why cisgender service members could receive hormone therapy while trans service members could not, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

by Karen Ocamb and Trudy Ring

After an historic and expensive July 4^th fireworks display capped Donald Trump’s self-indulgent commemoration of America’s 250^th birthday, voters are now watching state races explode into political pyrotechnics as Democrats fight to win majorities in Congress and Republicans plan to keep buying power.

With the midterm elections just over three months away and several primary races still undecided, most pundits predict the decline in Trump’s approval ratings will result in Democrats winning the House, if infighting doesn’t turn off voters.

Democrats’ dream of taking the Senate, however, turned into a nightmare with the scandalous Graham Platner debacle in must-win Maine. Energized party leaders hope to put on a Master Class in democracy as they pick a new candidate before July 27.

The hike to Senate victory is still steep. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage – meaning Democrats must win 8 of 11 competitive races, including defending seats currently held in Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Georgia, for a net gain of four seats.

LGBTQ+ people intent on reversing Project 2025’s prolific erasure might focus on lesbian Rep. Angie Craig’s race in Minnesota.

With the retirement of Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, The Cook Political Report’s out guru Amy Walter labeled the open seat “likely” Democrat but with only a +3-point advantage.

New York Times Polling data reporter Alex Lemonides notes that “Trump lost Minnesota by four percentage points in 2024, and Minnesotans have not sent a Republican to the Senate since the 2002 midterms, so a Republican win in the general election would buck the trend.”

But this whole election cycle is about bucking trends. With so many Democratic Socialists defeating Establishment candidates, “socialist” is no longer a slur, forcing Trump to switch to the old Cold War charge of Communist!

In Minnesota, Bernie Sanders-backed candidate Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is out-polling Craig, a more centrist Democrat who flipped a battleground House seat in 2018. Their primary is on August 11.

Republicans are salivating over challenging Flanagan for her administrative role in the scandal that forced Gov. Tim Walz to forgo a third term and deal with widespread fraud in social programs.

Former NBC’s Sunday Night Football sideline reporter and current political podcaster Michele Tafoya has a built-in “bro” audience. The announcement of her Republican candidacy was featured on ESPN.com.

“As Minnesota’s senator, I will clean up the system, fighting corruption, ending the fraud, and protecting your tax dollars,” Tafoya said. “I will protect what’s fair and safe, standing with our law enforcement officers, deporting dangerous criminals, and keeping female sports for female athletes.”

Craig responded quickly. “Trump’s hand-picked candidate just jumped in the race for US Senate,” she said on social media. “Minnesota needs a Senator who will stand up and fight for our state – and we know it won’t be MAGA Michele.”

Craig tells LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters that she has been happy to represent Minnesota’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2019. Now she wants to represent the entire state as a U.S. senator.

“The state of Minnesota has been so good to me and my family,” says Craig, who chose to move to the state because it would accept her family.

Craig grew up in a mobile home park in Arkansas, one of three children of a single mother. She worked her way through the University of Memphis, earning a degree in journalism, and became a reporter with the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

She has a long history of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, including her own. In the late 1990s, while living in Tennessee, Craig and her then-partner, Debra Langston, adopted their first son, Joshua. Under Tennessee law at the time, only one of them could be recognized as an adoptive parent; Craig was listed as Langston’s roommate.

The birth mother wanted the couple to have Joshua, but her parents intervened, seeking to adopt him. The courts had to decide if Langston and Craig were “fit” parents. One appellate court judge objected to the boy being raised by “open, practicing lesbians,” but his two colleagues disagreed, and Langston and Craig won the precedent-setting case in 2000, albeit with lots of caveats.

“The issue in this case is not whether the members of this court approve the homosexual lifestyle or the adoption of children by homosexuals, but rather whether the adoption of this child by this prospective parent is in the child’s best interest. As in any adoption case, the determinative issue was and remains what is in the child’s best interest,” wrote Judge Alan E. Highers in his opinion concurring with the majority in ruling In re: ADOPTION OF M.J.S. in the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

By then, Craig was working in corporate communications for Smith & Nephew, a multinational maker of medical equipment, and the couple had another son, Jacob, born to Craig through alternative insemination. She and her family moved to London, where the company was based, in the early 2000s. They returned to the U.S. in 2005; Craig went to work for another medical equipment company, St. Jude Medical, in the suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul. She later said it was the least lucrative job offer she had, but she took it because she knew the area was welcoming to LGBTQ+ people.

Craig and Langston separated in 2006, and Craig married Cheryl Greene in California in 2008. They have four sons and three grandsons, with a fourth on the way. Greene is a former middle school teacher still involved with youth programming.

Craig worked for LGBTQ+ equality within her company and for statewide marriage equality in Minnesota. She also fought against an anti-marriage equality constitutional amendment in 2012, which voters rejected. The state legislature passed a marriage equality bill the following year that Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law.

In 2016, when she ran for Congress in Minnesota’s 2^nd District, a Republican stronghold for more than a decade, she told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press that the fight for custody of Joshua gave her strength.

“Whether I win or lose on Election Day, I know that that won’t be the hardest thing or the biggest challenge that I’ve ever faced,” said Craig, then 44. “When you get up every day and wonder, ‘Am I going to (still) have my child the next day?’ you get pretty good at being focused on the big picture.”

“I’ve always talked about my family openly” on the campaign trail and in office, Craig, Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, tells LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters. Often at events in her district and around the state, she’ll meet someone who mentions they have an LGBTQ+ family member, she notes. She finds that if she listens to constituents and addresses what’s important to them, her identity isn’t an issue.

What Craig has addressed for constituents includes health care costs, such as capping the out-of-pocket cost of insulin and limiting overall out-of-pocket drug costs for people on Medicare. These came from a bill introduced by Craig and became provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. She also wants a public option for health insurance, an increased child tax credit, and she introduced a bill to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits.

In a June 19 SurveyUSA poll, Minnesotans say their single most important issue is inflation (39%) and cost of living, followed by health care, immigration, gas prices, and the war in Iran.

But immigration may soon jump to the front as more information leaks out about ICE agents shooting and killing Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday morning, July 9. Homeland Security says the father, with no criminal record, driving to work, ignored verbal instructions and tried to ram their vehicle. ICE shot him in self-defense – the same excuse ICE used on January 7th, 2026, when an ICE agent killed nonviolent protester Renee Good. In both instances, video footage proved ICE lied.

Also caught on tape was Craig’s angry confrontation with Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer on the House floor the day Renee Good was killed after Emmer supported ICE on social media. The story and her response went viral.

But Craig continues to be criticized for voting for the Laken Riley Act, named for a woman who was killed by an undocumented immigrant. It allows for undocumented immigrants to be detained or deported if they are simply accused of crimes, even nonviolent ones. Critics say she has never apologized – but she has.

In a commentary for The Minnesota Star Tribune in May, Craig wrote, in part:

“The text of the bill did not include the word deportation. I made the difficult decision to vote for it. Democrats like Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff — leaders I deeply respect — all came to the same conclusion.

But as I stood side by side with protesters on the streets of Minneapolis and opposite dozens of armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Whipple Federal Building after Renee Good’s killing — and again after the killing of Alex Pretti — I couldn’t help but question whether I made the right call last year… It’s also become clear that supporting any bill that gives ICE new authority in this administration was the wrong decision. And I regret my vote.”

“What happened under Operation Metro Surge was horrific,” Craig tells LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters. The U.S. can secure its borders in a humane fashion while providing a path to citizenship for undocumented people, those brought here as children, and others, she adds.

On LGBTQ+ rights, Craig says the Equality Act has been a huge priority of hers in the House and would remain so in the Senate.

Since 2019, Craig has introduced The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act that “would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or marital status in those programs, prohibit the use of federal funds for so-called ‘conversion therapy’ and create a resource center for LGBTQ+ foster and adoptive youth within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families,” according to a press release.

Another priority is passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named for the late civil rights activist and longtime congressman. “I was lucky enough to serve with John Lewis,” she says.

Additionally, Craig supports campaign finance reform. The recent Supreme Court ruling that further loosened restrictions was “just another blow to our democracy,” she says. She supports limits on Supreme Court terms.

On foreign policy, she condemns Trump’s war of choice in Iran. “The administration has had zero strategic objectives,” she says, adding that the war has caused “tremendous economic damage,” such as the spike in gas prices.

And though Craig supports a two-state solution to the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians having their own state, her campaign does not accept direct donations from AIPAC’s political action committee — the pro-Israel group held fundraisers for her before her Senate announcement – another point exploited by primary opponent Flanagan.

On gender-affirming care for trans youth, Craig says politicians should not interfere with decisions made by young people and their parents. Regarding trans girls and women in sports, she says the matter is best handled locally—and that local conversations can foster understanding.

But Craig has had a strong public reaction to federal transphobia. After that, Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Markwayne Mullin introduced the Protect Women’s Sports Act in December 2020. Craig released the following statement:

“As a lesbian woman, I am no stranger to prejudice and intolerance — but this legislation is beyond the pale. Plain and simple, the Protect Women’s Sports Act is transphobic — and this type of discrimination has no place in the halls of Congress. Especially at a time when the transgender community is suffering from a tragic rise in suicide rates and experiencing a surge of transphobic violence, such a bigoted and appalling effort is simply unacceptable. Queer and transgender women must stand together in the face of intolerance — and I am proud to do so today by emphatically denouncing this narrow-minded and hateful legislation, which is harmful not only to transgender women but to the LGBTQ Community at-large.”

Craig has been endorsed by prominent LGBTQ+ groups, including Victory Fund, the Human Rights Campaign PAC, Equality PAC, and LPAC. She has also been endorsed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, plus many nationally known political figures, such as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Flanagan has the endorsement of Sen. Smith and her predecessor, Al Franken, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and, from outside the state, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, among others. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and the state’s governor, Tim Walz, so far haven’t made endorsements.

“I’m ready on day one” to serve in the Senate, says Craig, noting her four terms in the House, her substantial career before going into politics, and her two votes to impeach Trump. “If we can take the House and Senate, we can put a cap on this administration.”

This is a cross-post from Karen Ocamb’s LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters Substack.

Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has died, and what he has left behind is a power vacuum for his U.S. Senate seat — and within the Republican Party.

The South Carolina senator had been a major part of Republican politics up until his Saturday death at his home in Washington, reportedly of an aortic dissection related to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Graham has been a fixture in government at both the state and federal level. He began his political career in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1992, representing the Palmetto State’s 2nd District before eventually moving to the federal government.

He moved up to Capitol Hill after his 1994 run for the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2003 he stepped across the rotunda to the Senate in 2003 following the retirement of longtime U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond.

He consistently opposed LGBTQ+ rights while alive.

He voted against the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act, saying the decision should be left up to state governments, and the 2013 Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

With Graham’s sudden passing, the Republican Party is scrambling to find a replacement who can advance both its goals and those of the president as Republicans’ supermajority in the federal government begins to shrink.

Among those reportedly in the running is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the highest-ranking openly LGBTQ+ federal official in American history and fifth in the presidential line of succession.

Bessent, a South Carolina native, was formerly a supporter of the Democratic Party and donated to several Democratic presidential candidates before switching parties in 2017 following Trump’s election in 2016. He later donated $1 million to Trump’s 2017 presidential inaugural committee.

On Sunday, Bessent was also fielding calls from people asking him to run, according to a person familiar with the communications. A person close to Bessent told Politico that he is not interested in the seat, saying he is happy in his role as Treasury secretary, a position he has long wanted.

The Los Angeles Blade reached out to the Treasury Department for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.

One of the most anticipated and widely discussed names for the vacant Senate seat is Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.

Evette is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and has gone as far as criticizing Republicans for not supporting the conspiracy theory that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Trump also endorsed her gubernatorial campaign, though she ultimately lost to her now-boss, Gov. Henry McMaster.

McMaster has a long history of opposing LGBTQ+ rights.

During an October 2022 gubernatorial debate, McMaster said that if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Obergefell v. Hodges, he would enforce South Carolina’s preexisting law banning same-sex marriage. In 2022, he also signed legislation requiring student athletes from elementary school through college to compete on teams corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificates.

Other names reportedly being considered include U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who has had a contentious relationship with LGBTQ+ issues during her time in Congress. She began as a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, becoming one of the few Republicans to publicly support the Respect for Marriage Act, before making a complete about-face as transgender issues became a central part of the Republican Party’s political strategy.

As part of that strategy, Mace introduced a resolution to ban trans women from using female restrooms in the U.S. Capitol, a move she acknowledged was in direct response to the election of U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first out trans person elected to Congress.

In a November 2024 post on X, Mace wrote: “We support gay marriage, and voted for the Respect for Marriage Act twice. However, if you think protecting women is discrimination, you are the problem. We don’t care if you’re trans, if you have balls we don’t want you in the women’s bathroom.”

Two other names being floated are U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who represents South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District, and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, who represents the state’s 5th Congressional District.

Trump recommended Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, should serve as the state’s temporary senator in a post on Truth Social on Monday.

“This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” Trump wrote on his social network.

The scramble comes as Republicans hold increasingly narrow majorities over Democrats in both the Senate and House, potentially complicating efforts to advance Trump’s agenda. That agenda includes continuing the war in Iran, securing Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general, and adding $350 billion in defense spending to the SAVE America Act — a controversial proposal deemed a “Jim Crow 2.0” among voting rights advocates.

McMaster is expected to announce Graham’s interim replacement on Monday at 4 p.m. ET.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died suddenly on Saturday.

The South Carolina Republican’s office in a statement said Graham, 71, “passed away from a brief and sudden illness.” The Washington Post reported first responders responded to Graham’s Washington home on Saturday and transported him to a local hospital.  

Graham had been in the U.S. Senate since 2002.  

The close Trump ally was running for re-election. Graham died a day after he returned to the U.S. from Ukraine.

Speculation over Graham’s sexual orientation persisted during his tenure.

The Los Angeles Blade will update this story.

Count on “the people” to determine how they wanted to celebrate the 250^th birthday of the United States of America during the July 4^th weekend. For those not fixated on FIFA World Cup matches or Taylor Swift’s wedding to Travis Kelce or CNN’s Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper getting drunk waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square marking the historic Independence Day, FOX News breathlessly covered poster-boy-for-pomposity Donald Trump as he took a massive South Dakota stage against the backdrop of Mount Rushmore, where he hopes to mount his own visage.

Mount Rushmore is internationally famous as the backdrop used by director Alfred Hitchcock in his 1958 film “North by Northwest.” One Hitchcock scholar described the acclaimed movie in which villain James Mason chases Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint over recreations of the granite presidential faces as “a comic thriller about mistaken identity, political depravity, sexual blackmail, and ubiquitous role-playing.”

The weather also added drama for 4,800 fans who secured tickets through an online lottery. “A nearby lightning storm Friday afternoon pushed people indoors before the programming started, with hundreds cramming into the memorial’s cafeteria,” the South Dakota Searchlight reported. “Thunder, hail, and heavy rain continued for over an hour.”

After Trump’s speech, California-based Pyro Spectaculars, with a $700,000 contract, produced a fireworks show to The Village People’s gay anthem “YMCA.”

Trump evoked a hell storm of his own, warning about “a resurgence of the communist menace in our land,” resurrecting his Red and Lavender Scare closeted gay McCarthy era mentor, Roy Cohen.

“Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty,” Trump said, apparently alluding to the recent primary victories of Democratic socialist candidates. “It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or even 9/11.”

AP fact check: linking Democrats to communism is “inaccurate.”

Trump’s penchant for an “alternative facts” Orwellian spin that demands loyal acceptance of a lie suggests this is his new gauntlet for the midterms. “Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” he declared. “It’s death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil.”

In his Mount Rushmore speech, Trump “was sharpening a line of attack that the White House has started to use to head off a newly insurgent progressive wing of the Democratic Party that appears to be resonating with liberal voters,” the New York Times reported. “He said the word ‘communism’ so many times, you might’ve thought the Cold War was still on.”

Trump also asserted that Republicans will “not lose an election for a hundred years” if they end the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, which would require anyone attempting to register to vote to prove U.S. citizenship and show identification at the polls. He wants to choose who votes, flipping the democratic principle of having voters choose their own leaders and representatives.

For America’s 250^th birthday, Trump has shifted from talking about kings and dictators to comparing himself favorably to other American presidents, especially George Washington. As CNN noted in 2019, during an April 2018 tour of Washington’s home with French president Emmanuel Macron, Trump reportedly remarked on Mount Vernon and Washington: “If he was smart, he would’ve put his name on it. You’ve got to put your name on stuff, or no one remembers you.”

This Washington comparison is also familiar. “I don’t know if you knew it, but he actually ran his business simultaneously when he was president,” Trump said during an October Cabinet meeting. “George Washington was actually considered a very rich man at the time. … George Washington, they say, had two desks. He had a presidential desk and a business desk.”

Trump cited Washington again in his March 2025 State of the Union speech. “In fact, it has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency — it’s our presidency — is the most successful in the history of our nation. And what makes it even more impressive is that, do you know who No. 2 is? George Washington. How about that? I don’t know about that list. But we’ll take it.”

Experts disagree. On Feb. 18, 2024, Justin Vaughn and Brandon Rottinghaus said their Presidential Greatness Project poll ranked Trump last.

“Trump,” the scholars wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “maintains the position he held six years ago: dead last, trailing such historically calamitous chief executives as James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson. In that and other respects, Trump’s radical departure from political, institutional and legal norms….puts him behind not only Buchanan and Johnson but also such lowlights as Franklin Pierce, Warren Harding and William Henry Harrison, who died a mere 31 days after taking office.”

Given Trump’s tantrums over aerial photos showing low attendance for his big 250 State Fair address, one wonders if splashing his name and image on buildings, money, and other “beautification” projects, currently projected by Forbes to be roughly $162.5+ million – plus the “vanity” $1.4+ billion ballroom – might be his middle finger to critics. Might his ultimate goal be replacing Washington DC’s name with his own?

Trump raked in a $2 billion haul last year, according to a 927-page financial disclosure report showing how he and his family “reaped huge financial rewards in 2025 through his money-losing Trump Media venture and a separate cryptocurrency firm called World Liberty Financial, even as routine investors suffered vast losses,” the New York Times reported July 1. “He also amassed hundreds of millions through deals that involved foreign governments or corporations with agenda items pending before the Trump administration.”

Meanwhile, the federal government debt as of July 5 is $39.46 trillion or $115,625 per American, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Washington warned about potential despots like Trump. Sarah Pruitt’s 2020 analysis of Washington’s Farewell Address, the first version of which was written by his friend and protégé Alexander Hamilton, concludes that the retiring president focused on three themes: 1) the Importance of unity; 2) The ‘Worst Enemy’ of Government: Loyalty to Party Over Nation; 3) Danger of Foreign Entanglements.

Shirking the nation’s common interest could engender a “spirit of revenge” and prompt the rise of “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men” who would “usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterward the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion,” Washington cautioned.

The Constitution’s system of checks and balances and separation of powers prevented despots or groups from taking control of the government. And the system also allowed for change through laws or constitutional amendments rather than by force.

Washington urged unity above all. “The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations,” he wrote. “You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels, and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and successes.”

In their survey, the presidential scholars said their assessments “are driven not only by traditional notions of greatness but also by the evolving values of our time.”

That emphasis on common interests and shared values was represented on July 3 by New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, an inspirational Democratic Socialist, who delivered remarks commemorating America’s 250th Fourth of July birthday while sitting at George Washington’s desk, surrounded by recently naturalized American citizens.

“Two hundred and fifty years presents a rare opportunity for more than 340 million people to turn together — both towards one another and towards ourselves, to take measure of who we are as a nation. When we look at America, what do we see?” he asked.

“The truth, my friends, is that America is exceptional because here, nothing is fixed into place. The frontier may be closed, we may have walked on the moon, but the work of fulfilling the values first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence — that work endures, my friends, and it belongs to us all. It belongs, too, to our newest Americans, those standing here with me today,” Mamdani said.

“Patriotism has never been about pretending our nation is without flaws,” he said. “Patriotism is every act of righteous dissent, it is every march led under the heavy sun, it is every protest held a decade before its time. It is precisely because we love this nation that we will not leave it. After all, who loves America more than those who have sacrificed so much to make it free?”

The real celebrations of America’s 250 anniversary came from regular grassroots folks like the thousands organized by AIDS Healthcare Foundation and representatives from 50 coalitions for their “We the People March for Freedom” in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on July 3. Gov. Ron DeSantis missed the patriotism. He was at Mount Rushmore with Trump.

The marchers were encouraged to bring signs with messages about issues that matter to them, such as the war in Iran, affordability, which Trump called a “hoax,” and housing, which he calls “a yawn”.

Longtime AHF friend, labor leader and activist Dolores Huerta, Haitian American activist Santra Denis, Healthcare advocate Alecia Tramel-McIntyre, Gen Z activist Maxx Fenning, and AHF President/CEO Michael Weinstein all participated in a rally and marched through downtown Fort Lauderdale, culminating in another event with a powerful musical performance by award-winning gospel artist Erica Campbell.

Florida is of particular importance to AHF and other HIV/AIDS activists. Recently, AHF and coalition members won a strong pressure campaign against the state, requiring DeSantis to restore ADAP funding to his state budget, though other serious issues remain.

“This victory belongs to our whole coalition, the clinicians, providers, and people living with HIV who told their stories at real personal cost,” Esteban Wood, Director of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs at AHF, said in a press release. “We led this fight together. For months, it was a promise. Today it is the law, and people can finally breathe.”

In a recent hour-long Zoom conversation, Michael Weinstein and I talked about Trump’s obsession with communism; Michael’s long association with Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders; how the issue of income equality crosses all lines; opposition to corporate politics expressed by young Democratic Socialists; and comparing the possibility of their influence and pull to the pull the Tea Party had on the Republican Party.

Michael also gives his take on the political scene and disapproval of Trump – in Part 1, along with strong comments on Gaza, immigration, race, and Texas political star James Talarico.

In Part 2 of our interview here, Michael and I talked more about politics, HIV/AIDS, and AHF. I’ve been covering AHF since the late 1980s, when the nonprofit was AIDS Hospice Foundation While AHF is now a global $3 billion healthcare organization with 10,000 employees (for which they won a Forbes Award as one of America’s Best Large Employers, #98), Michael’s through-line from the Lavender Left until now is his deep commitment to helping those in need. At the end of our conversation/interview on the cusp of this historic moment, I asked him what freedom and independence meant to him.

MW: “Well, on a personal level, it means being able to be all of who I am – a senior, a gay man who’s married to another man, a history thinker. I’m an activist on a societal level.

I still get goosebumps when I drive by the Capitol, when I see the Lincoln Memorial. When I reflect on so many American heroes.

We are very imperfect, right? But that’s humanity. We have a choice between the angels of our nature and the sub-basement of our nature. It’s up to us individually and collectively to bring out the best in us.

And I have found the individual protests, which I usually go to in my neighborhood. I don’t go to the one downtown. I go to the one in Hollywood – and seeing that mix of people with their homemade signs and seeing the people honking and all that – it’s a tonic.

Sometimes I argue with my family members who are… I describe them as: left, very left, and extremely left – more or less. It’s my extended family, too, [with] a couple of conservatives thrown in there, but not much. We don’t have to worry about arguing at family gatherings. But sometimes I have to say to them, ‘I like living in the California bubble’….

So, it’s all about keeping the promise, right? The promise isn’t fulfilled. But it’s about aspiring to keep the promise.

And if I just reflect on LGBTQ and AIDS issues, America stepped up to bring treatment to the world. Nobody else did that, besides us.

When I think about the movement for LGBTQ rights, we were the spearhead of that.

I think about the Women’s Movement. I think about the Civil Rights Movement – we’ve both lagged behind but also been the tip of the spear.

And so, I’m American, through and through. And I’m an Angeleno. This is my fate, for better or worse. I’m gonna make the best of it….

Sometimes when I’m talking to progressive people, I have to say, ‘I have a simple definition of being a progressive: I want to help the most people in need with the things they need the most.’

I think part of my evolution from being a far lefty to where I am now is – it was a point at which I gave up on ideology. I said – that is not the answer. The answer is how to help….

This is so extreme [now]. I mean, this makes the Pharaohs and the Gilded Age look like child’s play. It’s not sustainable. It’s not going to continue this way. It can’t continue. You can’t have this many people so disenfranchised. It will change. The pendulum does swing.

And it will.”

Watch the full interview with Michael Weinstein.

This is a cross-post from Karen’s LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters Substack.