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01/06/2023

@wgacooper
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🌴 Florida Republicans are targeting LGBTQ+ lives...again. State Rep. Dean Black is proposing a law that would restrict people's listed sex on legal documents as their sex assigned at birth. The repercussions of the law could go beyond just a person's driver's license — for instance, advocates have pointed out that this could limit government reporting on violence against trans and nonbinary people. 🌴

🌞 There is some good news out of the Sunshine State, however. Some school districts are finding ways to still support students regardless of the state's notorious "don't say gay" law. Equality Florida is working with districts to facilitate the needed paperwork for students to go by their correct names and their pronouns as well as working with school districts to better understand the requirements of the anti-LGBTQ+ law.

A new study out of the University of Michigan found that bi men might take more risks than others. Genetic factors related to male bisexuality often mean more risk-taking and fathering more children, according to the study. The research team found that genes that form the basis of bisexual behavior could be connected to risk-taking. There are fears though that linking risk-taking to bisexuality may perpetuate false and harmful stereotypes about bi people and lead to discrimination. 🧬

💍 Virginia Democrats are looking to amend the state's constitution to abolish its ban on same-sex marriage now that the party has control of both the state assembly and senate. Marriage equality is law in the U.S., but language still exists in the state's constitution against it. State Sen. Adam Ebbin and Del. Mark Sickles, who are two of Virginia’s out LGBTQ+ legislators, filed resolutions to change that.

In other news:

Onward and upward,

Alex


Look, the answer!

Each week, The Advocate newsletter has a little bit of LGBTQ+ trivia. Tuesday, you'll get the question. Thursday, you'll get a hint. And Saturday, you'll get the answer.

This week's question was: What was the first state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation?

This week's answer is: Wisconsin! The state passed a law in 1982 that made it illegal for the state or private businesses to discriminate against someone in employment or housing due to their sexual orientation. It was a Republican governor who signed it into law. "I have decided to sign this bill for one basic reason, to protect one's right to privacy," Gov. Lee Dreyfus explained in his signing statement. "As one who believes in the fundamental Republican principle that government should have a very restricted involvement in people's private and personal lives, I feel strongly about governmentally sanctioned inquiry into an individual's thoughts, beliefs, and feelings."

Dreyfus continued: "Discrimination on sexual preference, if allowed, clearly must allow inquiries into one's private life that go beyond reasonable inquiry and in fact invade one's privacy."

Reply to this email with a recommendation for queer trivia and you may get a shout-out in a future newsletter!

@wgacooper
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