LGBT youths are 1.5 to 2 times more likely than their heterosexual peers to be placed in the foster care system, according to a relatively recent report from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, a leading authority on LGBT issues. Nearly 20 percent of foster youths surveyed identified themselves as LGBT. These youths had a higher-than-average number of placements and a greater chance of being hospitalized overnight or treated for emotional issues. They were also more likely to end up in a group home or on the streets.
Read MoreWill Ireland Be the First Country Legalize Same-Sex Marriage by Popular Vote?
Today, Ireland may make history by becoming the first country to legalize same-sex marriage via popular vote. Considering the long-standing influence of the Catholic Church on Irish life and politics and the church’s continuing opposition to same-sex marriage, the referendum has a surprisingly high level of support: New polls suggest that voters support the measure, as do all four of Ireland’s major political parties. Last week, Taoiseach Enda Kenny (Ireland’s equivalent to a prime minister) took to television to urge voters to approve the measure.
Read MoreThere’s a Suicide Problem Among Transgender Youths—and We Need to Help
You’ve probably heard about Leelah Alcorn, the 17-year-old transgender girl from Ohio who committed suicide after being rejected by her religious family. But you may not know about Blake Brockington, the 18-year-old black transgender activist and prom king from North Carolina who killed himself earlier this year. In the last six months, at least seven transgender teens have killed themselves. Most have been youths of color. Those are just the young people we know about: The kids who were out, the ones who left notes
Read MoreMichelangelo Signorile Talks About the Future of the LGBT Movement
"I'm trying to make people focus on the fact that there's so much homophobic and transphobic bigotry still embedded within our culture—in addition to the fact that we have a slew of rights that we still have to win. Around the country, I started to see a sense of victory and finality—people using the word “inevitable” a lot. That breeds complacency and apathy. Marriage equality is just the beginning. I mean, in Oklahoma, they have gay marriage, and in the vast majority of counties nobody has gotten married, because if they get married, they'll be fired from their jobs tomorrow."
Read MoreFor Queer People, There’s Already 2016 Election Fatigue
"Usually, when I want to see people get hit while running an obstacle course, I binge-watch Wipeout, the popular ABC show. But as anyone on social media is certainly well aware, there is no escaping our country’s least-enjoyable reality show: America’s Next Top Presidential Candidate (until the Next One, and the Next One, and the One After That)."
Read MoreWhat an HIV Prevention Pill Means for the Future of Gay Sex
"We may be standing on the verge of a major drop in new HIV infections—the first since 1990. This begs the question: Who are we without the AIDS crisis? Even if all new infections stopped today, AIDS would be a constant throughout our lifetime. But the crisis—the cavalcade of deaths and new infections that has for so long seemed unstoppable—can be ended."
Read MoreThe Myth of Gay Progress
Here’s the truth: If you’re a gay person driving across America, your right to dignity is like a radio station fading in and out. In many areas, there is just a vast silence, or a blaring wall of static. At best, your basic humanity is somewhat written into law and is accepted by most people. At worst—well, I’m sure some Hoosiers could tell us horror stories.
Read MoreIs Gender-Neutral Clothing the Future of Fashion?
In London last week, Selfridges, the British department store, opened Agender, a three-story pop-up shop devoted to gender-neutral clothing. Billed as “a fashion exploration of the masculine, the feminine and the interplay—or the blur—found in between” and featuring more than 40 brands, Agender is an unprecedented investment by a major retailer in the idea of androgyny. But is it simply a seasonal marketing gimmick? Or does it represent a new element of the fashion industry’s future?
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