Latest news with #Stonewall
Fast Company
4 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Bridging the LGBTQ+ wealth gap
In many ways, the world is a much friendlier place for members of the LGBTQ+ community on this, the 56th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, than it was a lifetime ago. But that doesn't make navigating American life while queer any less frightening. In addition to the federal government making overt attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, many of the same invisible barriers that kept the LGBTQ+ community impoverished a lifetime ago are still at work today. Financial marginalization may seem like small potatoes compared to fighting for the right to exist, but the unacknowledged systems keeping the LGTBQ+ wealth gap in place are the same systems working to erase queer history. Illuminating these hidden financial systems is the first step toward bridging the wealth gap. The problem: family estrangement Gay and lesbian young adults are 86% more likely to report estrangement from their fathers than their straight counterparts, according to a 2022 National Institute of Health study, and a recent U.K. survey found that 46% of LGBTQ respondents between the ages of 18 and 25 are estranged from at least one family member. Estrangement is painful enough, but it can also put queer kids at serious financial risk. LGBTQ+ youth have a 120% higher risk of experiencing homelessness compared to the general population. But even if coming out doesn't completely sever the familial relationship, it can change family dynamics, including financial expectations. In the 2023 LGBTQI+ Economic and Financial (LEAF) Survey, 38% of those surveyed said they lost the option of relying financially on their families after coming out. This leads to things like a significantly higher likelihood of carrying student debt into adulthood and more than double the rate of bank overdrafts compared to the general population. The early loss of direct financial assistance may be the most obvious obstacle to LGBTQ+ wealth building, but Dr. Jenna Brownfield, a queer Licensed Psychologist based in Minnesota, suggests looking at the less clear-cut financial barriers that come with estrangement. 'It's more than just passing down wealth,' Dr. Brownfield says. 'It's also the knowledge of how to navigate finances. If you don't have a relationship with an older family member to demystify and guide you through things like insurance and taxes, you're left to learn that on your own.' Unlike learning how to change a tire, roast a chicken, or apply a perfect smoky eye-shadow effect, it can be more difficult to find reputable and trustworthy financial information on YouTube or TikTok—and the lack of this knowledge really hurts anyone who falls afoul of Lady Luck or Uncle Sam. The work-around: chosen family Parents have been cutting off their LGBTQ+ kids from time immemorial, and the queer community has responded by creating a culture of chosen family. Leaning into the cultural legacy of multigenerational queer friendship and found family is an excellent way to help bridge the financial knowledge gap. Though discussing money is typically a taboo topic for discussion, openly sharing hard-won money skills with the younger generation is an excellent way to fight back against marginalization. The problem: lack of access to healthcare Approximately 17% of LGBTQ+ adults do not have any health insurance, which is a major improvement over the 34% of queer adults who were uninsured in 2013, just before the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. But having insurance doesn't necessarily equate to receiving care. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that LGBTQ+ adults faced higher rates of discrimination and unfair treatment at the doctor's office compared to non-LGBTQ adults. Queer adults were also more likely to report going without needed mental health care because of affordability or accessibility. But even finding a caring doctor in network doesn't guarantee affordable healthcare, especially for transgender individuals: 82% of LEAF survey respondents who received gender-affirming care reported spending some money out of pocket. Nearly half (46%) of those respondents spent $5,000 or more, while 33% spent at least $10,000 of their own money. But whether it's paying out of pocket for affirming care or avoiding the doctor because of cost (or bad experiences) until the only choice is the emergency room, cutting the LGBTQ+ community out of healthcare becomes another invisible financial drain. The work-around: medical allyship The American system of health insurance doesn't really work for anyone, but it seems to make a special effort to work especially badly for marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community. While there is very little that cishet friends of queer folks can do about the obscenely high insurance copays and deductibles, a friend can potentially ride along to doctor's visits. There are two good reasons for roping a friend into a doctor's appointment. First, since LGBTQ+ folks are more likely to face discrimination and unfair treatment in healthcare settings compared to straight patients, the presence of a friendly ally may mitigate any awful behavior on the part of the medical team. Second, making doctor visits an outing with a friend increases the likelihood of actually going and getting necessary preventive care. That will lead to better health and financial outcomes. Dr. Brownfield has also seen other ways that cishet allies have stepped up to help with the high cost of LGBTQ+ healthcare. 'Prescription hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help with perimenopausal symptoms would be covered differently by my insurance than they would for a trans woman getting the same exact prescription,' she says. 'As legislation changes, I'm seeing work-arounds where cis women or cis men are securing an HRT prescription and providing it to their trans loved ones or trans folks in their community.' Unfortunately, this kind of workaround means the patient doesn't have a medical professional to collaborate with for proper dosage. Dr. Brownfield emphasizes that prescription swapping is the direct and hazardous result of legislating care. 'When gender-affirming care becomes illegal, its use doesn't go down–but its safe use does,' she says. The problem: mortgage discrimination As of 2019, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that same-sex couples were 73% more likely to be denied a mortgage than heterosexual couples. There has not been a follow up to this study in the past six years, but homeownership among the LGBTQ+ community remains lower than it is among straight, cisgender adults: 49% of queer adults own a home, compared to 64% of the U.S. population as a whole. Getting shut out of home ownership is a great way to cut LGBTQ+ wealth building off at the knees. A primary residence is a typical U.S. homeowner's most valuable asset, accounting for about 45% of their household net worth, on average. The work-around: shared housing 'Informal shared housing is something that's happened in the queer community for decades,' Dr. Brownfield says. 'Especially for youth and young adults. There's often like a house mother and everyone shares resources and responsibilities, but it's all done informally.' While this kind of setup probably won't land a sweet, low-cost mortgage loan—it's unlikely the shared housing is anything other than a rental—it can be an inexpensive way to live with friends while saving money toward home ownership or other goals. Making the invisible visible Neither the financial obstacles facing the LGBTQ+ community nor the creative work-arounds to overcome those barriers are news to queer folks. But for those of us who might put away our allyship when retailers set out the next seasonal display, it's important to remember that systemic issues occur year-round, and not just while the rainbow flags are flying.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pride Month photos show celebrations in communities around the world
Wrapped in multicolored flags and waving protest signs, revelers across the globe have gathered throughout June for Pride events — a monthlong celebration of the LGBTQ community that also symbolizes an ongoing fight for equal rights and inclusion. The roots of Pride Month stretch back to June 28, 1969, when a police raid on New York City's Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, led to several nights of clashes with the bar's LGBTQ patrons and others, which became known as the Stonewall Riots or Stonewall Uprising — a demonstration that's now considered the start of the LGBTQ rights movement. Marches took place in Manhattan, Chicago and San Francisco to mark the anniversary of Stonewall the following June, and, over time, it became an annual event in more and more cities. Pride Month first gained federal recognition in 1999 from then-President Bill Clinton. Pride marches and festivals have been taking place throughout the month in different parts of the U.S. and around the world, and New York's 2025 Pride march, honoring the legacy of Stonewall, is scheduled for Sunday. Here is a look at some of the events from Washington, D.C., to Kathmandu and beyond. People march in the L.A. Pride Parade on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The 25th Anniversary Kentuckiana Pride Festival Parade was held on June 21, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. / Getty Images A heart-shaped sign with the colors of the Pride flag is seen near the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, on June 25, 2025. JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images Bella Bautista, a trans woman, attends the World Pride Parade on June 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Jacquelyn Martin / AP Participants ride motorcycles during the 2025 L.A. Pride Parade on June 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. / Getty Images Activists and allies marched for equality in the Motor City Pride Parade in Detroit on June 8, 2025. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Spectators along Clarendon Street watch the Boston Pride Parade on June 14, 2025. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images People march down Boylston Street at the Boston Pride Parade on June 14, 2025. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images A motorcyclist and passenger zoom through the streets of Solvang, California, for the city's 2025 Pride and supporters of the LGBTQ community participate in a Pride walk in Kolkata, India, on June 22, 2025. Bikas Das / AP The Coliseum in Rome during the city's Pride parade on June 14, 2025. Antonio Masiello / Getty Images A demonstrator holds a sign that says "Make Love Not War" at the Equality March in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 14, 2025, where participants advocated for LGBTQ rights in the country. It was Kyiv's first Pride march since the Russian invasion. Andrew Kravchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images People wave umbrellas to form a monumental rainbow-colored flag in Zocalo Square as they take part in the LGBTQ+ Pride parade in Mexico City, June 22, 2025. Mariana Hernandez Ampudia / REUTERS Marchers carry rainbow flags at the Kentuckiana Pride Parade at Waterfront Park on June 21, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. Sarah Anne Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images The annual Pride Parade in Athens, Greece, on June 14, 2025. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images In Athens, a 2025 Pride parade attendee carries a sign that reads "Trans Rights Are Human Rights." Antonis Zouridakis/NurPhoto via Getty Images A 2025 Pride procession passes the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, Poland. The march brought together thousands of advocates for LGBTQ rights in a country where marked intolerance toward the community is largely attributed to the church's cultural influence. Aleksei Fokin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images In Bosnia, the LGBTQ community and allies wave Pride flags and signage at Sarajevo's annual Pride parade on June 14, 2024. ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images Attendees of the 7th Nepal Pride Parade wave carry a rainbow flag while marching through Kathmandu, Nepal, on June 14, 2025. Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
When dressing in drag could get you arrested
In 1962, dozens were arrested at a drag and trans ball in New York City under laws criminalising gender nonconformity. The event, now largely forgotten, reflected growing tensions between LGBTQ communities and police - tensions that would erupt later that decade at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Trans books for toddlers are an outrage
But let's move away from the brazen attempts to brainwash little children for just a moment and settle down in the story corner for today's educational tale (with apologies to Eric Carle), The Very Publicity-Hungry Campaigner. One day a tiny and very publicity-hungry campaigner, who wanted to be a big deal, hatched a plan to recruit pre-school allies. He had guessed, quite rightly, that toddlers were the only demographic likely to believe his guff that anyone can change sex if they just pop on a frock and get furious about pronouns. On the first day, The Very Publicity-Hungry Campaigner gobbled up one publishing deal. On the second day he wrote two books explaining that girls who play with trains are probably boys and boys who like pink should be taken to a doctor and diagnosed as transgender. On the third day, The Very Publicity-Hungry Campaigner bullied women writers who did not agree with his crackpot notions. On the fourth day he slapped a great big Stonewall Award sticker on a book about a sister becoming a brother. On the fifth day, he ate a wheelbarrow of oranges and threatened to cancel anyone who said they were not the only fruit. Then on the sixth day, he disseminated a library of kids' books in which gender transitioning turned out to be the twinkly secret of a happy-ever-after. On the seventh day, he devoured every last scrap of bonkers gender ideology he could find and disappeared off to digest it. Some time later, The Very Publicity-Hungry Campaigner emerged looking like an extra from RuPaul's Drag Race and announced he was now a biological woman. The Very Publicity-Hungry Campaigner banged on about his lived experience (of about a week). It was tempting to get very cross indeed. But then the Supreme Court decided that references to 'sex', 'man' and 'woman' in the Equality Act referred to biological sex and after that, nobody cared what he said, safe in the knowledge it was now illegal for him to manspread in the ladies' changing room or beat women to a pulp in the Olympics. The End. If only it were. I thought we were done with all this nonsense – Martine Croxall we salute your eye roll at the witless term 'pregnant people' – and I for one have no desire to give Very Publicity-Hungry Campaigners any more of the attention they so desperately crave. Fighting dirty But new research into the publishing industry carried out by UK pressure group Sex Matters and its US equivalent, SEEN in Publishing, has revealed that a 'shiny, sparkly world of trans identities' is being promoted to young readers, with 'many aimed at toddlers'. Now that really is fighting so dirty I have to speak up: how dare publishers literally mess with little children's minds in this way? Here in north London having two mums is commonplace, two dads is no biggie; small kids aren't that interested in their parents' sexual preferences, they are interested in being loved, nurtured and protected. Growing up is hard enough work, which is why it's utterly immoral to draw toddlers, who haven't even mastered the potty, into the adult world of human identity politics. What next? Assisted dying and late-stage abortion? At this age, most of our collective offspring still believe Paw Patrol is real and the moon follows them home, for pity's sake. Sowing the seeds of doubt about their biological sex is outrageous, indefensible and, let's be honest, exceedingly creepy. Let our littlest citizens learn tolerance, fairness (yes even to women) kindness (ditto) and consideration. But they also deserve to know they have the right to ask questions and press for answers – anathema to the militant trans lobby who prefer to shut everyone down in case they bring up uncomfortable truths like biology. This new audit of the publishing industry found that of 21 publishers surveyed, a fifth of their output on transgender-related products was targeted at children, leading the report to raise concerns that the message in the early-reader books was often that becoming transgender will 'resolve bodily hatred and create enduring joy in the form of 'trans euphoria''. Crikey, if that were the case we'd all be at it. But it's not. Take a look at the shouty trans forums online and I've got to say that enduring joy doesn't feature nearly as often as spittle-flecked misogyny.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Pride Parade Marches On: Loud, Proud And Unbought
The LA Pride Parade on Hollywood Blvd. on Sunday, June 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Los Angeles Times via Getty Images With Pride Month concluding, the LGBTQ community has seen brands such as Target, Visa, Walmart, Amtrak, Boeing, Citi, Nissan and Pepsi pare their donations and sponsorships. The cuts resulted from risk assessment by corporations responding to political pressure after the Trump administration halted federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Still, the parades have continued, some say with a renewed sense of fervor and purpose. 'The corporate exodus that has sent Pride organizers scrambling for alternative funding sources could be a blessing in disguise, paving the way for more meaningful celebrations,' said Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci in her article, 'The End of the Rainbow.' 'Queers in big cities are already hosting massive events with minimal operating costs and no sponsors,' Cauterucci continued. 'They're called Dyke Marches, and they run on volunteer labor, community fundraising, and a lot of nerve.' Protesters wave a giant LGBTQ+ flag as they take part in the annual Pride parade in Chisinau on June 15, 2025 / The Pride March in the Republic of Moldova. (Photo by ELENA COVALENCO/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Observed annually in June, Pride Month commemorates the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ rights movement. The Christopher Street Liberation Day March, held on June 28, 1970, marked the event's first anniversary in New York City. The event was also celebrated in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. This year's New York City Pride March will be held on June 29—it's among the world's largest. The theme, 'Rise Up: Pride in Protest!', harkens back to Stonewall's origins, when demonstrators fought back against a police raid. The New York City event will also hold Youth Pride on June 28, a 'block party-style, queer-affirming celebration of LGBTQIA+ youth and their families and allies,' according to the event website. People stand outside Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center during the 2024 NYC Pride March. (Photo by) Getty Images 'At a time when trans youth are under attack, we're honored to kick off Youth Pride with a Rise Up Rally to Protect Trans Youth co-led by our incredible partner and 2025 Grand Marshal Trans formative Schools.' Not all corporations have cut associations with Pride Month. Not surprisingly, upscale clothing lines are largely on board. The 2025 Levi Strauss & Co. campaign, 'Meet You In The Park,' enlists musicians, chefs, artists, and entrepreneurs to help roll out its Levi's Pride collection, parade sponsorships and donations to organizations. Calvin Klein's 'This is Love' clothing collection includes a denim jacket with rainbow stylings. Two young women pose with rainbow flags during the 22nd edition of the Taiwan LGBT+ Pride parade. (Photo by Alberto Buzzola/LightRocket via Getty Images) LightRocket via Getty Images Diesel and the Tom of Finland Foundation have teamed up for their fourth annual Pride collection. It includes the Finnish artist's works of masculinized homoerotic art, and 'polaroids from the foundation's parties and events, come to life on genderless pieces,' states the Diesel website. Selections include t-shirts, underwear and hoodies. Participants revel during the 2025 EuroPride Parade in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) Corbis via Getty Images Hotels Host Live Shows And Art Exhibits Avani Hotels & Resorts, a brand with properties in over 20 countries, has chosen five locations to celebrate Pride. On June 7, Avani+ Riverside Bangkok hosted a 'Drag Up The Past' event, paying tribute to queer musical artists. The hotel is also hosting a Pride Month art exhibition through June 30. Also in Bangkok: the Avani Sukhumvit and Avani Ratchada have hosted events. The hotel brand will close out the month with music, fashion, and live shows on June 28 at its Avani Chaweng Samui property in Koh Samui, Thailand, followed by a drag gourmet event on June 29. Avani's Amsterdam and Milan properties are also taking part. "Pride isn't just a celebration, it's a celebration of progress,' says Rebecca Hall, Avani's PR and communications director. 'At Avani, we support every person's right to be seen, loved and celebrated exactly as they are.' Rounding out the year, Pride celebrations are being held in Toronto (June 26-29), which is Canada's largest such festival, Madrid (June 27-July 5), Taipei (October 25-26) and Johannesburg (October 25), among others. Participants revel during the 2025 EuroPride Parade in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) Corbis via Getty Images This year, EuroPride was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from June 14-22. Tens of thousands from across Europe gathered in the coastal capital for the parade, the week's highlight. EuroPride is hosted by a different European city each year. Amsterdam will host EuroPride 2026, and Turin (Torino in Italian) will host in 2027—'a loud signal to the Italian government' given recent pushback against LGBTQ rights, according to the European Pride Organizers Association. The northern Italian city captured more than half of votes, with the UK's Gloucestershire coming in second. 'Pride organizations from across Europe have sent a strong message to the Italian government led by Georgia Meloni, that the rollbacks on LGBTI+ equality and human rights must be stopped,' stated the European Pride Organizers Association.
