⚖️ HRC ANNOUNCES LAWSUIT AGAINST TENNESSEE’S ANTI-TRANSGENDER STUDENT BATHROOM BILL: “The common thread that ties our legal challenges together is our commitment to protect our community’s most vulnerable—children. The Tennessee law, which denies transgender young people the ability to use facilities consistent with their gender identity, is not only morally reprehensible but devoid of any sound legal justification and cannot withstand legal scrutiny,” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid, he/him). “Courts have time-and-again ruled against these dangerous and discriminatory laws and we are going to fight in court to strike down this one and protect the civil rights of transgender and non-binary young people. With our representation of two transgender kids today, we are sending a strong message of support for all transgender and non-binary children across the country— you matter, and your legal rights should be respected.” More from HRC.

A HISTORIC WEEK FOR TRANSGENDER ATHLETES AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS: “This was a historic week for transgender and non-binary athletes in the Olympics, showing once again that transgender athletes can and do participate at the highest level of sports without incident. As with all athletes, some succeeded in achieving their goals while others did not,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Regardless of whether or not they medaled, the transgender and non-binary athletes who have joined the world stage in this year’s Olympics have set an example of what trans and non-binary young people can aspire to, proving once again that representation matters and young people deserve role models in every walk of life. There’s nothing that transgender and non-binary young people cannot do, and that message was loud and clear this week. Congratulations to Quinn, Laurel, Alana, and Chelsea.” More from HRC.

“I LIVE IN FEAR AS A BLACK TRANS DAD -- THE SENATE CAN FIX THAT”: In a heartfelt op-ed, Camden Hargrove explains the need for the Equality Act to protect him as a Black transgender dad. “As a parent, I worry about my family being treated differently because I am trans--for instance, that the parents of my daughters’ classmates will say that their children cannot spend time at our home,” said Camden. “Even worse, I worry about being assaulted, attacked, or murdered while walking in my neighborhood or running errands.” More from The Daily Beast.

BIDEN TO NOMINATE OPENLY LGBTQ RABBI TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSION: Last week, President Biden announced plans to nominate Chief Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, spiritual leader of an LGBTQ synagogue in New York City, to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The commission seeks to defend religious freedom in the U.S. and around the world. More from Washington Blade, The White House and HRC.

📺 GET CULTURED

🏋️ LAUREL HUBBARD BECOMES FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER WOMAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OLYMPICS: Yesterday, Team New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made history as the first openly transgender woman to participate in the Olympics. Afterward, Hubbard thanked the International Olympic Committee, saying its commitment “demonstrated that sport is something that all people around the world can do. It’s inclusive, it’s successful and I think that’s just really fabulous.” More from Axios, Huffpost and Associated Press.

🥈 LGBTQ OLYMPIC THROWER RAVEN SAUNDERS WINS SILVER MEDAL IN SHOT PUT: Team USA shotputter and openly LGBTQ athlete Raven Saunders (@GiveMe1Shot) won a silver medal in shot put over the weekend. After winning, Saunders did an “X” protest at the Olympic ceremony in honor of all oppressed people. More from Outsports, Huffpost and NBC News.

WELCOME TO THE ‘GAY GAMES,’ AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE OLYMPICS, WHERE ACTIVISM IS ENCOURAGED AND EVERYONE’S AN ATHLETE: The 11th Gay Games will be held in Hong Kong next year. Tom Waddell, the creator of the Gay Games, saw this as an opportunity for visibility and inclusion. More from CNN.

🚲 HANNAH ROBERTS BACKFLIPS WAY TO OLYMPIC BMX FREESTYLE SILVER: Team USA’s Hannah Roberts (@hannah_bmx1) won a silver medal at BMX Freestyle’s debut at the Olympics. She scored 96.10, the first person to score over 90 in an Olympic competition. More from Outsports.

🎬 KEIYNAN LONSDALE SET TO STAR IN QUEER ROM-COM ‘MY FAKE BOYFRIEND’: Keiynan Lonsdale (@KeiynanLonsdale), who stars in Love, Simon, will be headlining a new queer movie expected to release June 2022. More from them.

🌍 GLOBAL EQUALITY

HOW NON-BINARY FILIPINOS RECONCILE THEIR IDENTITIES WITH THEIR LANGUAGE’S LACK OF APPROPRIATE TERMS: “It’s a little bit difficult to identify myself in Tagalog because I don’t think there are any specific words that equate to being non-binary,” said Nelson Agustín, a non-binary Filipino. “The closest would be the Tagalog word for gay, which is bakla.” More from CBC.

🏎️ VETTEL AND THREE OTHERS REPRIMANDED FOR NOT REMOVING LGBTQ RIGHTS T-SHIRTS BEFORE ANTHEM: Four Formula 1 drivers were reprimanded for failing to remove their ‘We Race As One’ t-shirts in time for the national anthem while competing in Hungary. This comes as Hungary recently passed anti-LGBTQ laws while athletes and many Hungarians alike continue protests against these anti-LGBTQ laws. More from Reuters.

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