Advocate newsletter 3/13/26

State legislatures have been busy this spring, passing a wave of LGBTQ+ legislation — much of it aimed at restricting queer rights. Idaho Republicans have passed a bill forcing doctors to out trans kids, Oklahoma legislators voted to block birth certificate changes for trans people, and Florida lawmakers passed a bill empowering the governor to oust local officials who support Pride.

But, a bright spot: Pennsylvania's statehouse has advanced employment protections for LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive workers, despite GOP objections.

In other news: An Advocate story from the 1990s was the genesis for a new documentary about the unsolved murder of a gay porn star. Read about how the film helped crack the cold case.

Until next time,

The Advocate team

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Orlando tears down ‘horrific’ Pulse sign. Survivor Brandon Wolf says it once meant safety

New documentary cracks 1990 gay porn star’s murder case

Former DOGE staffer says ChatGPT helped feds cancel grants mentioning ‘LGBTQ+’

Idaho Republicans pass House bill forcing doctors to out transgender kids

Florida Republicans pass bill empowering Ron DeSantis to oust local officials who support LGBTQ+ Pride

Oklahoma House votes to block birth certificate changes for transgender people & to ban Pride flags

Pennsylvania lawmakers advance LGBTQ+ protections despite GOP objections

Trump’s anti-trans SAVE Act saves no one and threatens everyone

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Advocate newsletter 3/13/26

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The Latest

Appointed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to run the office, Taylor Brown becomes the first transgender person in history to lead a New York City office or agency.

With his first of now two wins at the games, Jake Adicoff of Team USA becomes the first out gay man to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Paralympics.

A year after Iowa stripped gender identity from its civil rights code, Kim Reynolds signed a law barring cities and counties from restoring protections for trans residents.

The unsolved murder, dubbed the “gay Black Dahlia,” was cracked wide open by filmmaker Rachel Mason.

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told.

More For You

Most Popular

A civil rights group claims that backlash to the show's popularity has caused an uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ hate from fellow players and coaches.

These are some of his worst comments about LGBTQ+ people made by Charlie Kirk.

In Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, the legendary performer details descending into an impassioned, drug-fueled affair with the filmmaker during the filming of the 1977 movie musical New York, New York.

Jill Collen Jefferson, the founder of JULIAN, explains what happens when a transgender woman’s death is ruled a suicide and a community calls it something else.

The Republican-led legislation places the state increasingly out of step with the rest of New England on trans rights.

Conservative lawmakers are attempting to take away protections that some local governments have put in place to prevent discrimination against their LGBTQ+ citizens.