Texas AG sues feds over pushback against state’s anti-trans actions

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is the leading defendant in a massive 80-page lawsuit by Equality Florida against the “Don’t Say Gay” law he signed this week. Roberta Kaplan, one of the nation’s top civil rights lawyers, who successfully argued the Supreme Court case that effectively overturned the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),  is the lead attorney on the case.“Florida House Bill 1557 (widely known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law) is an unlawful attempt to stigmatize, silence, and erase LGBTQ people in Florida’s public schools.

Amy Schumer is asking Kirsten Dunst’s fans to calm down about what was clearly a scripted comedy bit during Sunday night’s Oscars.

Obergefell v. Hodges, which overturned Kentucky’s ban on same-sex marriage, Davis implemented a policy of refusing to issue all marriage licenses.Citing “God’s authority,” she argued that her sincerely held religious beliefs prevent her from issuing licenses bearing her name and title to same-sex couples.But because she did not want to be accused of discriminating only against same-sex couples, she imposed a blanket ban on issuing any marriage licenses as long as her name and title were included on the form.Davis was eventually sued by four couples, both straight and gay, who argued that they were harmed by her refusal to issue marriage licenses.After defying a court order to allow her office to issue marriage licenses, Davis was jailed for five days for “contempt of court” — a development that earned her praise from Republican politicians and made her a celebrity in conservative circles.Davis was later sued by Ermold and Moore, as well as another gay couple, for “mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation and reputation damages,” according to WKYT.After seven years of drawn out legal proceedings, Bunning –- who was the judge that had placed Davis in jail for contempt of court — ruled last week that Davis had violated Ermold and Moore’s constitutional rights when she denied them a marriage license.“It is readily apparent that Obergefell recognizes Plaintiffs’ Fourteenth Amendment right to marry.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, US President Joe Biden’s nominee for the Supreme Court pushed back on questions about same-sex marriage and gender identity during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday.Questioning Jackson on the Supreme Court’s role in making policy, Cornyn asked, “When the Supreme Court decides that something that is not even in the Constitution is a fundamental right and no state can pass any law that conflicts with the Supreme Court’s edict, particularly in an area where people have sincerely held religious beliefs, doesn’t that necessarily create a conflict between what people may believe as a matter of their religious doctrine or faith and what the federal government says is the law of the land?” Republican Senators questioned Jackson on gender identity issues with an overtly transphobic line of questioning. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn asked Jackson about her definition of “woman.” “Can you define the word ‘woman’?”Jackson responded in a bewildered tone: “No, I can’t… Not in this context. I’m not a biologist.”Texas Senator Ted Cruz asked, “Under the modern leftist sensibilities, If I decide, right now, that I’m a woman, then apparently I’m a woman.

LGBTQ+ Walt Disney Company employees and their allies put on a “full stage” walkout Tuesday at various corporate locations across the U.S. to protest what they see as a “lame” and “inadequate” stance taken by the company and its CEO Bob Chapek to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida.

Maren Morris is still proud of her 2019 Playboy cover. The 31-year-old clapped back at critics about the sexy shoot, and responded to trolls via Instagram on Saturday, March 19. “Before I go into the next album era, I did @playboy in 2019 and got a lot of hate at the time, but I’m the proudest that I showed country female sexuality in its realist form here,” she wrote on a caption of one of the black-and-white images from the magazine, shot by Harper Smith.

Two transgender men and one trans woman have sued the state of Oklahoma over its efforts to block them from amending the gender on their birth certificates.The lawsuit, filed in federal court by Lambda Legal on behalf of Tulsa residents Rowan Fowler, Allister Hall, and a Creek County resident who chose to remain anonymous, using the initials C.R., alleges that the three faced intentional discrimination “on the basis of [their] transgender status” when they were barred from changing the gender marker on their birth certificate to align with their gender identity.The lawsuit names Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Keith Reed, and registrar of vital records Kelly Baker as defendants in the lawsuit.The prohibition on amending gender markers was imposed by Stitt after he issued an executive order banning the practice. Stitt issued the order in response to outrage from his fellow Republicans after the state’s Department of Health complied with a judge’s order and approved an amended birth certificate with a nonbinary gender marker.The original plaintiff in the case leading to that decision, Kit Lorelied, had sued after being denied the right to have their correct gender reflected on their birth certificate, as trans and nonbinary individuals are currently able to do in 17 states and the District of Columbia.Stitt has since urged the state legislature to ban “nonbinary gender markers” on vital documents — a proposal that is currently being considered by the state’s senate.

bill on March 8 that will protect transgender peoples’ rights to gender-affirming care.But there’s a catch: the legislation won’t take effect until July 1, 2060, more than 38 years in the future.The Gender Affirming Treatment Act (HB 2405) would “prohibit health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations” from excluding “gender affirming treatments” such as “cosmetic services when prescribed as medically necessary” in their coverage plans.The bill also specifically outlaws any medical discrimination on the basis of an individual’s gender identity.“The legislature finds that many transgender persons have experienced discriminatory treatment from health insurance providers when seeking coverage for gender affirming treatments,” the bill states in its opening sections. “While federal health care guidelines previously prohibited health insurance and health care providers from discriminating on the basis of gender identity, these protections have been largely rolled back.”The bill — in contrast to other governing bodies throughout the country — recognizes that the “arbitrary” refusal by medical insurers to cover gender affirming treatment is not “medically necessary” nor “evidence-based.” Additionally, the bill notes that transgender individuals denied such treatment are “at a higher risk of suicide and depression.”The bill passed the House by a vote of 49-2.

Jamie Lee Curtis is celebrating daughter Ruby on her birthday.

Lizzo hit out at Texas’ anti-transgender legislation and abortion policies in a keynote speech as part of this year’s SXSW festival at Austin Convention Centre.Legislation introduced last month in Texas defines gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth “child abuse”. The state’s governor Greg Abbott proceeded to advise medical professionals and members of the public to report to state authorities if transgender youth were receiving gender-affirming care.Additionally, Abbott called on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents who provided their transgender children with gender-affirming care.

Lizzo is speaking out against Texan laws targeting abortion and trans rights. 

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaLizzo slammed new Texas laws and policies that restrict access to abortion and target trans children and their families during a keynote conversation at SXSW on Sunday. The pop star, who grew up in Houston, said the controversial moves unfairly target women and the LGBTQ community. “I’m proud to rep Houston, but I’m not proud to rep Texas politics right now,” Lizzo said to loud applause.

executive order that directs law enforcement officials to investigate gender affirming medical treatments for transgender youths as a crime has grown loud and intense, with many demanding LGTBQ organizations condemn the order through significant action not just words.In an op-ed posted to SB Nation’s Outsports.com on Tuesday, March 1, Brittney Miller — 11-year veteran of the Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) and manager of the Puget Sound Pronouns — called for the 2022 event to be removed from Dallas and held in another city.Citing the fact that the GSWS has an “economic impact” of $5 to 7 million, Miller stated the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) should find a new host city in a different state to support the transgender community.Miller called the executive order cruel and explained how it criminalizes the mere existence of transgender people, but her most severe criticisms were reserved for NAGAAA itself.The organization, which Miller stated is one of the “largest governing bodies of queer athletes in America,” has yet to release a statement on the issue, a decision Miller believes is indicative of how the organization views its transgender members.“NAGAAA’s failure to release even a milquetoast statement shows we [the transgender community] are an afterthought to them,” she wrote. “If the trans community can’t count on them to stand up to bullies in the face of cruelty and intolerance, who can we count on?”She explained that the “wait and see” approach NAGAAA seems to be employing with the executive order should be abandoned, immediately.

Still at odds. After years of public drama, Samantha Markle filed a lawsuit against half-sister Meghan Markle, alleging the Duchess lied during her 2021 tell-all interview with husband Prince Harry.

Prince Harry has been seen wearing a cowboy hat as he attended a rodeo in Texas over the weekend despite his wife's animal rights activism.The Duke of Sussex, who taught his wife Meghan Markle a private royal tradition for her first meeting with the Queen, was seen at Stockyards Rodeo event in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday 5 March. In a photo obtained by several publications, including the Daily Mail, Harry could be seen dressed down in a casual outfit as he donned a grey-green T-shirt with a khaki-coloured cowboy hat as he enjoyed the show.The snap, which has since been deleted on the original account, was re-posted by Omid Scobie, who co-authored Finding Dreem, on Twitter.

Mark Ruffalo, 54, may be a successful actor, but his wife Sunrise Coigney, 49, is every bit as impressive as he is. The beauty and supporter of the star got married to him in 2000 and has led her own successful life and career over the years. Mark once admitted that their love story began when he was struggling and she is the one that turned things around for the better.

Prince Harry surprised many locals over the weekend when he was spotted at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas. In a photo posted to social media, the 37-year-old Duke of Sussex is seen talking to several people at the annual event while wearing an olive green cowboy-like hat, and a gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Cindy Reid, the secretary of the Stockard Championship Rodeo, posted the pic on Monday, writing, «Where was Prince Harry Saturday night? Oooooh, just hanging out behind the bucking chutes at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo!!! Loooove it!!! Thank you for the visit!!»Harry appeared to be on his own for the outing, with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two kids, Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 9 months, not pictured.A post shared by Cindy Reid (@cindyreid_stockyardsrodeo)This isn't Harry's only recent outing as he enjoys his new life in the United States. Last month, he attended Super Bowl LVI with his cousin, Princess Eugenie, at the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. «There's a lovely relationship there and I would imagine that it's an important relationship for Harry,» royal expert Katie Nicholl recently told ET of Harry and Eugenie.

Prince Harry is getting stuck in to American life.