A federal judge has indefinitely blocked Trump’s transgender military ban, calling it discriminatory and unsupported by fact. The ruling spares thousands of trans service members from being discharged and deals a major blow to Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ agenda. With the administration expected to appeal, the future of transgender military service remains uncertain. This decision, however, marks a significant victory for equality in the armed forces.
The trans-inclusive Vagina Museum in London, renowned for addressing stigma around gynecological anatomy and advocating LGBTQ+ inclusion, recently surpassed its £60,000 crowdfunding target within three days, Pink News reports.
Notably, the museum faced backlash from author J.K. Rowling, who criticized its support for trans rights on social media. Despite the controversy, the museum’s commitment to inclusion remains unwavering, with founder Florence Schechter affirming its stance on embracing trans and nonbinary individuals.
This week, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that under Articles 16 and 5(1)(d) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Hungarian authorities must correct “inaccurate” personal data concerning gender identity held in public registers “without undue delay”. It also ruled that the accuracy of that data couldn’t be based on whether people have had medical or surgical gender-affirming care .
Trans Texans say broad disenfranchisement is the intention and raw animus the driving force behind a pending bill from Republican state lawmakers that would enshrine into law a state policy barring trans people from amending the gender on their birth certificates.
“Proponents of legislation like this are aiming to mandate cruelty through bureaucratic systems, putting trans people in danger and making it harder to exist in Texas,” said Landon Richie, policy coordinator for the Transgender Education Network of Texas and one of several witnesses who denounced the measure at a hearing this week.
Test your knowledge with our Banned Words crossword puzzle, featuring just a small selection of the many terms this administration wants to disappear. Because no matter how hard they try, our words—and our stories—aren’t going anywhere.
UK: Are trans teens safe in NHS BDD services? In early October 2024, the head of the NHS’s only specialist service for children and young people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) spoke at an anti-trans conference.
Hospitals across the United States are facing criticism for continuing controversial intersex surgeries while halting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, following an executive order by President Donald Trump. The January 28 order bars doctors from providing gender-affirming care to individuals under 19, threatening to cut federal funding for noncompliance.
Although the order is not yet in effect due to legal challenges, several hospitals have already paused such care.
Intersex advocates highlight the hypocrisy of these actions, as many of the same hospitals continue performing non-consensual surgeries on intersex infants and children. These procedures, aimed at “correcting” sex variations, often have irreversible consequences, including infertility, loss of sexual sensation, and psychological trauma.
Despite condemnation from organizations like the United Nations and Amnesty International, no federal or state laws currently prohibit these surgeries.
Conversion therapy refers to a range of practices aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. These practices are based on the false premise that being LGBTQ+ is a disorder that needs to be “fixed.”
Major medical and psychological organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), widely condemn conversion therapy as harmful and ineffective. Research has shown that it can lead to severe mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
Many countries and U.S. states have banned or restricted conversion therapy, especially for minors, due to its harmful effects.
New guidelines released by the medical societies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland strongly advocate for gender-affirming care for transgender youth, countering claims that Europe is retreating on such treatments. The 400-page document, developed by 26 medical and psychotherapeutic organizations, highlights the necessity of gender-affirming medical measures, including puberty blockers, for young individuals experiencing persistent gender incongruence.
The guidelines also critique the UK’s Cass Review, which has been used to justify restrictions on transgender care
