AN ADVOCATE FOR TRANS RIGHTS WITH A BRIGHT SMILE, HRC CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF KATHRYN “KATIE” NEWHOUSE: “Kathryn’s death is a tragedy and she should still be alive. Simply, the nineteen years she had on this earth were not enough. As a young Asian-American transgender woman, her passion for advocacy and learning about the world shined as bright as her smile,” said HRC Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative Tori Cooper (@MsToriCooper1, she/her). “We must work to protect transgender and gender non-conforming people facing abuse so they can safely live their truth and dismantle life-threatening systems of oppression.” More from HRC.

HRC DEMOTES FOX CORP. FROM CEI’S TOP WORKPLACE LIST FOLLOWING FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY OR TRANS’ BILL, LGBTQ ISSUES: Aryn Fields, HRC Senior Press Secretary (she/her) said in a statement, “Fox News has a history of sharing misinformation and disinformation about the LGBTQ+ community. We know from our own research, which we put out earlier this week, what their disinformation and misinformation mean for the LGBTQ+ community: perpetuating stigma and marginalization of transgender and non-binary people.” More from CNN and Deadline.

APPLE WIELDS ITS LOBBYING MIGHT AGAINST ANTI-LGBTQ+ LAWS: Apple has been quietly mobilizing its vast resources to lobby against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the country. Apple, whose CEO is an openly gay man, has deployed its lobbyists to oppose legislation that limits protections for trans and gay people or their families in Iowa, Florida, Texas and at least six other states. More from POLITICO.

LGBTQ+ STUDENTS ARE BEING TERRORIZED. FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY OR TRANS’ LAW WILL MAKE IT WORSE: In a detailed feature, Nico Lang (@nico_lang) tells the stories of LGBTQ+ students in Florida amid passage of the ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ law. One student said “If the “Don’t Say Gay” law remains in place, it would be difficult to keep educating fellow students on the struggles that LGBTQ people face.” More from HuffPost.

📍 IN THE STATES

THE FIRST TRANS STATE SENATOR TACKLES SPORTS BANS: In an interview, Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) said, “Taken all together, this is part of a national strategy … to distract from the broader problem they face of not having a meaningful agenda that speaks to people on the issues that they're facing in their lives. [The national Republican Party] instead is choosing to talk about issues from trans athletes to critical race theory that are meant to distract and divide the public because they have no ideas to tackle the big issues of our time.” More from POLITICO.

🗳 HRC ENDORSES TINA KOTEK IN HISTORIC BID FOR OREGON GOVERNOR: “Tina Kotek is a proven leader, a dedicated public servant, and has been a trailblazer even before her historic run for Governor of Oregon,” said HRC Interim President Joni Madison (@HRC_President, she/her). “Kotek’s record assures us she will continue her life’s work -- making a more just and equitable Oregon– when she is in the governor’s mansion.” More from HRC.

LGBTQ+ GROUPS SUE FLORIDA OVER SO-CALLED ‘DON’T SAY GAY OR TRANS’ LAW: More from Associated Press.

WHAT TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY MEANT FOR TRANS TEXANS THIS YEAR: More from 19th* News.

📺 GET CULTURED

IN WARSAW, A UKRAINIAN DRAG QUEEN TALKS ABOUT QUEER LIFE AND REFUGEES: More from Xtra.

🌍 GLOBAL EQUALITY

HRC GLOBAL DIRECTOR JEAN FREEDBERG PARTICIPATES IN RALLY IN SUPPORT OF LGBTQ+ UKRAINIANS: More from Washington Blade.

‘WE WANT TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE’: LGBTQ+ PEOPLE ARE LEAVING HUNGARY: More from HuffPost.

TRANSGENDER WOMEN IN PAKISTAN PROTEST AGAINST RISING TIDE OF VIOLENCE: More from The Guardian.

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