Daily newsletter 2/19

➡️ More than a decade after the Supreme Court declared marriage equality the law of the land, Tennessee Republicans are pushing a bill that would allow businesses and private citizens to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court has reinstated the U.S. military’s HIV enlistment ban, and the creator of Project 2025 has predictably moved from “protecting youth” to trying to ban gender-affirming care for adults.

Following up stories from earlier this month, Chuck Schumer has drafted a bill to protect Pride flags at national park sites like the Stonewall memorial, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is taking the latest Trump snub as a “badge of honor.”

Until tomorrow,

Christine Linnell
Social media manager, The Advocate

Tennessee bill lets businesses and people refuse to recognize same-sex marriages

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Queer couples may still be able to marry according to the law of the land, but the GOP is betting that its edges are still soft enough to cut.

Federal appeals court sides with Pentagon against science, reinstating U.S. military’s HIV enlistment ban

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“We are deeply disappointed that the Fourth Circuit has chosen to uphold discrimination over medical reality,” said Gregory Nevins, Senior Counsel and Employment Fairness Project Director for Lambda Legal.

Project 2025 creator wants to ban gender-affirming care for trans adults

Screenshot via PBD Podcast

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts recently endorsed taking gender-affirming care away from transgender adults.

Chuck Schumer drafts bill to protect Pride flags at national park sites like Stonewall memorial

Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

The legislation comes after Trump sought to remove Pride flags from sites including the Stonewall memorial.

Colorado’s Jared Polis embraces Trump’s national governors’ White House dinner snub: a ‘badge of honor’

CHET STRANGE/AFP via Getty Images

The gay governor and Maryland's Wes Moore, the only Black governor, were expressly not invited to attend.

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