It seems as though every time I walk into work, set down my bags, have a quick45minuteyapsession,turnonmycomputer,andlogontomyfavorite news site, my computer is quickly bombarded with bad news. It soon becomesunbearablyoverwhelming,disheartening,andeveninfuriating.Inan effort to combat the horror stories-come-to-life, I’ve compiled a short list of somehappyandencouragingnewsfromaroundtheworld!
Consani
etefirsttranswomantoserveon the host committee of everyone’s favorite distraction from society burning down–theMetGala!
TheEuropeanParliament
has officially voted in favor of a measure that will ban conversion therapy after a 2024 petition gathered over 1.2 million signatures demanding the ban. The measure is now being passed to the EuropeanCommissionforresponse.
Colorado passedalawthatwillsealnamechanges for trans youth under 18 when they file for e, meaning the change will not f any public record and cannot tedthroughsearches
Sixqueerpeople were featured in Tim influential people of 2026, including Shannon Minter, Matthieu Blazy, Hillary Knight, Jonathan Groff, Keke Palmer, andAlanCumming
MayorMamdani
of NYC lowered the city deficit from $12 billion to $0 by taxing billionaires and cuttingbackcityspending.
OurbelovedAmerica introduced a resolution to the United Nationstodefinegenderas“referringto men and women” Ultima said it was “factually inc rejectedit!
readmoreaboutanyofthesestoriesorreadevenmoregoodqueer news, check out https://www.lgbtqnation.com/tag/good-news/! Let these stories serveasareminderthatallhopeisnotlostandwemaynotbefacingimpending doom after all. We have communities full of love, fellowship, and comradery in valuesandmustleanoneachothermorethanever.
CreativeSubmissions
We want to publish your creativity!
Hello reader!! Yes, I’m virtually pointing at you! We want to publish your creative pieces in our upcoming newsletters. Have a poem you’ve been working on? A painting you want to show off?
Comic strips? Short stories? Photos? We want it!
If you are interested, please read the submission guidelines below and submit your work by the 15 of each month. We look forward to reviewing your submissions =) th
Submission Guidelines:
Topics can vary, but please use your best judgment 2 submissions per person
Length for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction- 2 pages max
Visual art- 2 photos/images max
Submit your writing and art today: https://tinyurl.com/LGBTQCreativeForm
Northern Lights, Northern Lives
Local queer photographer and nature lover Jayme Drew of the All the Genders Photo Project (allthegenders.org) is launching their first book of photography, “Northern Lights, Northern Lives: A Spectrum of Gender Across Alaska and the Yukon.” This book documents Jayme's experience through the nature and personalities of the northernmost communities of our continent. Through thoughtful storytelling and portraits, Jayme’s work highlights how our experiences of gender, while interpretive and personal to the individual, can connect all of us, regardless of where we are from.
The Kickstarter (tinyurl.com/KickstarterNLNL) goal is to raise $12,00 between June 1st and July 2nd. The funds will help finish the editing and production of the book, cover shipping costs, and allow for the creation of super cool project merch. On June 28th at 7pm, Jayme will be hosting a queer book launch & virtual author event where they will answer questions, facilitate conversation around photography and gender, and read excerpts from the book. You can sign up for this event tinyurl.com/BookLaunch26
Excerpt from Website: “Northern Lights, Northern Lives: A Spectrum of Gender Across Alaska and the Yukon is a photography and storytelling project centering gender-diverse lives from northern regions. Started in 2023, this work brings together queer environmental portraits and personal essays from fifty LGBTQ+ people and allies through the lens of gender. Each journey is rooted in place, identity, and connection. This book is about starting conversations in a divided world. It's about expanding what we see and who we see through the lens of gender.
HIV IN ALL STAGES:
In Honor of HIV Long- In Honor of HIV LongTerm Survivors Day - Term Survivors DayJune 5th June 5th
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically CD4 cells, which help fight infections If left untreated, HIV can weaken the immune system and progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Although HIV remains a serious public health issue, advancements in medicine, education, and prevention have made it possible for people with HIV to live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Preventing HIV begins with education and access to healthcare resources. One of the most effective prevention methods is practicing safe sex through the use of condoms and regular communication between partners about sexual health Another major advancement is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV when taken consistently. Avoiding the sharing of needles and syringes is also critical, especially among intravenous drug users Public awareness campaigns, access to clean needle programs, and comprehensive sex education continue to play important roles in reducing new HIV infections.
Testing is another essential part of HIV prevention and treatment. Many people may not experience symptoms in the early stages of HIV, making regular testing extremely important. HIV testing can be done through blood tests, oral swabs, or rapid tests that provide results within minutes Early t
by Ari Julien (Xe/Xem) by Ari Julien (Xe/Xem)
https://lgbtlifecenter.org/testing/
By Alex Olive
The LGBTQ+ Pride flag is our community’s most recognizable symbol, but not many know how it became the icon it is today. The original Pride flag was commissioned by Harvey Milk in 1978. Milk was the first openly gay person elected to public office in the United States He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 after resigning from the Navy as a lieutenant junior grade in 1955 when he was officially questioned about his sexual orientation. Over the years, he became more involved with politics and progressive causes, including LGBTQ+ rights.
In 1978, Milk and other LGBTQ+ activists asked a locally well-known artist and seamstress among the drag and activist communities, Gilbert Baker, to create the first Pride flags.
Baker relied on colors to convey meaning about the community. His original concept included 8 stripes representing the following:
hot pink = sex red = life orange = healing yellow = sunlight green = nature
turquoise = magic and art indigo = serenity violet =the spirit of LGBTQ+ people
His ambitious project, however, succumbed to some environmental challenges The hot pink stripe was dropped due to a fabric shortage, and the turquoise stripe was dropped so that the flag could fit the dimensions needed on San Francisco light poles The results of these cuts gave us the well-known 6 striped version of the flag we know today.
The flags were revealed at the 1978 Gay Freedom Day event; an event that culminated in community in every way. Milk gave one of his most well-known speeches as the Grand Marshall, which encouraged people to come out He argued that taking pride in our identities would encourage others to accept us: “We are coming out to fight the lies, the myths, the distortions We are coming out to tell the truths about gays, for I am tired of the conspiracy of silence, so I’m going to talk about it. And I want you to talk about it. You must come out.” This rallying call occurred with the newly created Pride flags flying from the large flagpoles in United Nations Plaza.
The symbol has since outlived its initial creative purpose but maintained the spirit through iteration. After Milk’s assassination just 5 months later, the flag became a symbol of the community’s perseverance and was adopted more widely. In 2017, the Philadelphia City Council unveiled a new version that added a brown and black stripe to the flag in an effort to bring forward racial minorities within the community who were often relegated to the margins of multiple communities. Similarly, a nonbinary artist named Daniel Quasar iterated on the Philadelphia flag to add the colors of the transgender pride flag with the brown and black stripes in a chevron pattern to the left of the 6 original stripes. In 2021, Valentino Vecchietti, an intersex artist and activist, added the Intersex symbol to the inside of the chevron to signify the inclusion of intersex people within the LGBTQ+ community, again bringing attention to those who are most marginalized in our community and other communities.
No matter which version you fly, the Pride flag signals to others that you stand with the LGBTQ+ community. Coming out is a personal choice, but it is significant for you and those around you in many ways, which the Pride flag embodies in all its iterations.
See the various pride flags: https://www.hrc.org/resources/lgbtq-pride-flags
No, Trans People Aren’t The Reason You’re Losing Elections
By Jacob Evans
Immediately following former Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the November 2024 presidential election, a predictable surge of Monday morning quarterbacking arrived via prominent Democrats. New York representative Tom Suozzi declared the Democrats must “stop pandering to the far left” on trans rights. Massachusetts representative and Senate hopeful Seth Moulton remarked on how "Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone," followed by some offensive remarks on trans women in sports that I won’t even bother to repeat Most notably, California governor and possible presidential candidate Gavin Newsom appeared on the late Charlie Kirk’s podcast in early 2025, vehemently echoing the oft-repeated talking points about trans women participating in women’s sports
Newsom has since doubled down on these comments, vetoing a bill in October 2025 that would’ve required insurance companies to cover transgender people’s hormone therapy for a full year. Recently, he has drawn more fire from advocacy groups for asserting that Democrats must act “culturally normal” and stop “spending a disproportionate amount of time on pronouns ” I find Newsom’s attitudes to be especially disturbing; not only because he figures to be a well-funded, serious challenger to win the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, but that the governor of a state with one of the largest, vibrant, and historically significant LGBTQ populations is willing to embrace this completely false rhetoric.
First, let’s dispel this notion of the “culturally normal ” I do not find it normal to be obsessing over people’s genitalia, bathroom usage, and private medical decisions. One could assume that’s just my blue hair and pronouns talking, but actually, the majority of American voters agree with me. Polls have consistently shown that despite their prevalence in clickbait headlines, transgender issues are consistently ranked dead last in their importance to the average American voter. And yet, the president continues to release waves of anti-trans rhetoric, and close Trump ally Kevin Roberts- president of the Heritage Foundation and creator of Project 2025- has even called for an outright ban on gender affirming healthcare This has had a broad and unprecedented impact nationwide According to translegislation com, over 700 anti-trans bills made it to the floor of state legislatures last year, and over 100 bills have been brought to the federal level during this congressional session.
The message is clear: anti-trans discrimination is now a core tenet of Trump and the Republican party, despite its unpopularity with the public And in response to this, the Democratic party, the self-styled antithesis of all things Trump… wants to echo those positions and give them credence? The logic doesn’t back this strategy up, the numbers don’t back this strategy up, and any anti-trans messaging from Democrats is completely incoherent and antithetical to their attempt to position themselves as anti-Trump; and yet the endless waffling over pronouns and identity politics continues unabated
I’m not going to sit here and outline how Democrats can win elections That’s a piece for a different time and place, not a volunteer newsletter But I can tell them what WON’T win them any elections: punching down on the same vulnerable people as their opponents. I hope to see advocacy groups continue to press Democratic politicians on these regressive positions, especially as the 2028 presidential elections near LGTBQ folks are almost 10% of this country’s population, and we tend to be more politically involved than the average American. That sounds like a pretty important voting bloc to me. As such, it’s high time we start dictating the terms to our so-called “allies” in the Democratic party, and not the other way around.
by Shay
MEET OUR STAFF
Editor
Kyle Fillhart (He/Him)
is a local 757 trans man and volunteer editor for the LGBT Life Center volunteer newsletter He is also involved with the Hampton Roads Reproductive Justice League and trans advocacy group Men in Transition You can usually find Kyle running between Norfolk's queer bars and spaces, or hanging out at home making collage art with his husband and two cat babies.
Writer
Alex (They/Them)
is a professional writer from Atlanta, GA, where they started their LGBTQIA+ community work in 2016. Moving to be near their chosen family, they moved to the 757 hoping to make it home. They earned their PhD researching how people tell stories using technology and learning obscure grammar and tech lore. In their free time, Alex is learning to play roller derby and making playlists for every occasion.
Writer/ Game Creator
Shay Wilson (They/Them)
is a proud parent of two cats, a grant writer at a local nonprofit, and an amateur harmonica player After graduating last spring with degrees in Gender Studies and Writing & Rhetoric, they moved across the country from Utah to the South Hampton Roads area. Here, Shay continues to nurture their passions for writing, advocacy, video games, bad jokes, and spending time with their cats.
Writer Ari (Xe/Xem/Xyr)
is from Hampton Virginia and a parent of two Xe is passionate about xyr fiancé, community, and everyone having equality and equity to ensure a stable quality of life Ari loves Hampton Roads so much and spends a great amount of time riding buses, visiting libraries, and learning about every resource offered within the community.
Writer
Rowen (They/Them)
is a wetland scientist and aspiring juggler. They spend most of their time trying to paint while their cat spends most of her time trying to drink out of the paint water cup They are happy to be writing again and sharing space with queer community
Writer
Jacob Evans (he/they)
loves spending time with his husband and two cats When he isn't making pizza at his job, you can find him hiking, cooking, or watching sports. He enjoys writing about politics and culture
Designer/Writer
Sarah (They/She)
is a photographer, artist, and writer who enjoys getting out of their academic work and into creative ventures for local orgs Coming from the Mexican borderlands to the 757, they bring with them their passion for disability justice, harm reduction, abolition, and land back movements. They keep grounded (and busy) thanks to their partner, four amazing human children, and four feline fur babies.
OUR MISSION
LGBT LIFE CENTER IS A TRUSTED LEADER THAT STRENGTHENS THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES AND ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV THROUGH IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLNESS, SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY, AND PROVIDING TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.
