GA Rep. Karla Drenner was elected in 2000 and made history as the first LGBTQ+ person elected to a state legislature in the South. Read her whole interview with the Advocate here ▶️

❤️ This month we’re honored to join with partners in lifting up why marriage matters throughout the South and across the country – check out www.WhyMarriageMatters.org to read research, polling, and facts about marriage, and explore stories from families who have been supported by marriage. 1/2

We’re sending support as we grapple with another SCOTUS move that harms trans, intersex & gender expansive people. The Court allowed the admin to enforce a policy requiring passport gender markers to reflect the sex on their original birth certificate apnews.com/article/trum...

This week’s elections prove that when candidates focus on the issues that really matter to voters– like healthcare, education, and the climate crisis, rather than attacking transgender people; they win. From Virginia to New York– anti-trans hate is a losing issue.

Hey NC folks! We are excited to announce the launch of a new tool from our Supportive Schools Program, designed to guide NC students, families, and educators in their efforts to create affirming classrooms free from bias and censorship. Check it out: buff.ly/ojEtdrT

A Tennessee county has tried and failed four times to ban library books that discuss transgender identity. The latest vote included Sumner County Library Board’s newest member, Riley Gaines. buff.ly/yD9ewTN

DURHAM: We’re having a free community event this Wednesday, Nov. 5th, from 7-10PM at Zeitgeist Gallery and Bar with great music, wonderful performances, delicious snacks, and a free drink on us 🗓️ RSVP, bring a friend or two, and spend a great evening in queer community with us: buff.ly/ibOuMta

Applications are open for our Southern Equality Research and Policy Center (SERPC) grant! We are looking for applicants who are interested in furthering research of LGBTQ+ people in the South. Apply today 📝 buff.ly/7lPCEgE

🌈 A TX church is facing backlash after painting its steps in rainbow colors. Critics have attacked them for simply embracing compassion and loving their neighbors. Read more ▶️

At CSE we are working to support vulnerable members of our communities who will be losing their SNAP benefits, and encourage everyone who is able to donate to your local food bank. Go to the link for a database of local food banks across the US: buff.ly/oWVQ2BK

Our next support group for caregivers of trans youth is coming up! The next virtual event will be held Sunday, November 9th. This is a space for caregivers of trans youth to gather in community, especially those who are navigating accessing gender-affirming care. Register: buff.ly/gJIW1Tg

Breaking: The administration will soon propose two federal rules, one prohibiting federal Medicaid and CHIP reimbursement for youth gender-affirming care, another barring hospitals that provide youth gender-affirming care from receiving Medicaid/Medicare funds. Read our statement: buff.ly/BL3wvdM

A federal judge has vacated a rule that protected transgender, and all LGBTQ+ patients, from discrimination in federal healthcare programs. We are deeply disappointed to see yet another rollback of LGBTQ+ people’s right to access healthcare.

We join with advocates + families in solidarity with immigrant communities and resist ICE’s horrific campaign designed to sow fear, panic, & division. In these stories of resistance, we see the strength and grit and love that we need to draw deeply on. buff.ly/0eeenwv

Update! A lot of folks in our community are feeling the impact of losing SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, so we will be giving away free grocery store gift cards at our Resource & Resilience Center this week. Cards will be available until supplies run out.

There are no LGBTQIA+ rights without the I. Intersex people, born with variations in their sex traits, are 2% of all people, but are so often erased. When our rights are under attack, intersex rights are too. Follow our friends at @interact.bsky.social to learn more about Intersex identity. 💛💜

There are no LGBTQIA+ rights without the I. Intersex people, born with variations in their sex traits, are 2% of all people, but are so often erased. When our rights are under attack, intersex rights are too. Follow our friends at @InterACT_adv to learn more about what it means to be Intersex. 💛💜

When the Trump Administration threatened to strip federal funding from schools that teach about gender identity or include transgender students in their policies, school districts and states across the country refused to comply– and won.

Several clinics in MA, including Fenway Health, recently announced that they will no longer provide gender-affirming care for youth under 19. The Trans Youth Emergency Project is here to help & is hosting a Town Hall with partners on 10/29 at 6:30pm to share more. RSVP: buff.ly/uT9jAjx

We’re having a costume encouraged 🎃Halloween Resource & Resilience Center on Oct. 30th from 11AM-5PM at 20 Oak Street! We have a ton of free offerings including lunch, chair massages, Tarot readings, multiple hair stylists/barbers, D&D & more. Learn more: buff.ly/H43bJhH

A new rule requires airlines to disregard “X” gender markers on passports, and input an “M” or “F” marker instead. Those with “X” gender markers on their travel documents are concerned about what this may mean for their ability to travel. buff.ly/UejLx4D

In Wake Forest, NC and across the country, escalating political attacks on LGBTQ+ people have cast a dark shadow over pride festivities. We are reminded that pride is and always will be a form of protest against those who would prefer our community go back into hiding. Read more: buff.ly/wKZ6fdX

Despite FL’s hostile political climate, Orlando-based poet & healthcare researcher Simran Chugani has found community & purpose. Now, they are running the 2025 NYC Marathon with Point of Pride to raise funds for gender-affirming care! Read more ▶️

In small towns across Kentucky, LGBTQ+ residents are finding home and community, even in places once thought too conservative to love them back. Read the stories of queer Kentuckians and how courage and care are reshaping the Bluegrass State 🌈 buff.ly/PAcXxfE

“What can we even say anymore?” Texas professors are being told to scrub gender identity and LGBTQ+ topics from their college courses, even for adult students, as community colleges bow to political pressure and unclear state laws. Read more ▶️ buff.ly/zS7Ix8k

Southern Equality Studios and CSE proudly present "The Reverb of Resistance" – a powerful night of music, drag performances, art, & solidarity featuring WNC performers. Join us on Oct. 24th from 7-9pm at Eulogy in Asheville for this one-of-a-kind showcase: buff.ly/loIfCzc

Fenway Health, a leader in LGBTQ+ health and gender-affirming care, has announced that it will stop providing gender-affirming care for patients under 19, the latest of over 20 clinics to do so. buff.ly/kzQ1vEv

Today, we honor the life and legacy of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a trailblazing trans rights advocate who shaped our movement for the better. Thank you, Miss Major, for spending your life fighting for a world where Black trans people can live, thrive, and find rest. buff.ly/xuAitgj

In Texas, a new law will fine public institutions up to $125,000 if they allow transgender people to use essential facilities like restrooms, locker rooms, and dorms that align with their gender. It’s important to note the fine will apply directly to institutions, not trans people.

Happy National Coming Out Day! 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ ❤️ Whether you are out and proud or still finding the language to understand your identity, just know that you are loved and our community is ready to welcome you. Learn more coming out resources from @trevorproject.bsky.social buff.ly/kZ9Eoo7

We are disheartened to see the Miami Beach crosswalk be removed due to the ongoing political pressures from the state of Florida. They can erase the crosswalk, but they will *never* erase our pride and resilience 🌈

The Trump Admin’s Executive Order to block trans & nonbinary people from getting passports is cruel + extreme – that’s why multiple judges have blocked it from going into effect. SCOTUS must reject Trump’s appeal & protect key access to identity documents. buff.ly/lP2UqOA

It’s Banned Books Week! Across the country, and especially here in the South, conservative policymakers are censoring our stories. Go to the link to see PEN America’s list of the top ten most banned books in the U.S.--we hope you add them to your reading list!

Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Chiles v. Salazar, a case that will decide whether Colorado and other states can continue regulating harmful and discredited mental health treatments like conversion therapy. Learn more: buff.ly/yC82kYX

Episode 6 of Trans Cookout is now streaming! In this episode, Holiday Simmons speaks with Kayla Gore, the founder of My Sistah's House and the Tiny House Project in Memphis, Tennessee. buff.ly/qp6SHaB

Amid a historic federal crackdown on trans rights, Americans are speaking clearly: They oppose bans on gender-affirming care.Majorities across key groups reject these cruel, unscientific attacks. Trans healthcare is essential healthcare. Read more: buff.ly/yxRvDZY

🌈✨ Thousands came together at Piedmont Park for the 34th Annual AIDS Walk Music Festival & 5K, raising an incredible $1 million for 12 local organizations providing HIV/AIDS prevention and care. The day was filled with music, joy, and community power. Read more about the impact ▶️ buff.ly/06cVg1l

Alabama’s new “What is a Woman” law defines gender only by anatomy at birth, erasing trans people from legal recognition + threatening their rights. Critics say it codifies outdated gender norms. Read more ▶️ buff.ly/iJn6wFd

We're hiring! We’re searching for a Special Assistant to the Executive Director. Apply by October 20th to be considered. Learn more and apply: buff.ly/rjRvLWs

Trans patients are fighting back against gender-affirming care clinic closures. A group of trans patients and their families have filed a lawsuit against UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, after the hospital ended gender-affirming care for youth. Read more: buff.ly/QTxglwQ

Reproductive rights are under attack in South Carolina–take action today! The state legislature is currently considering a total abortion ban that targets abortion providers with anti-racketeering laws, potentially exposing both doctors and patients to decades in prison. buff.ly/l3lgMTZ

Our next monthly support group for parents & caregivers of trans youth is coming up! The next virtual event will be held Sunday, October 5th at 6:30 PM EST. Learn more and register: buff.ly/pXfuwYg

Western North Carolina AIDS Project, the National AIDS Memorial, Campaign for Southern Equality, & Revolve Gallery are partnering to bring part of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Asheville! See the panels Dec. 1 - 13 at Revolve. Read more ▶️ buff.ly/nmjiyEO

1 year ago, we faced an unprecedented crisis – the impact of Hurricane Helene in Asheville & WNC, which put many of us in unthinkable circumstances, including the loss of life & ways of life. Read our new blog on bringing folks together after the storm: buff.ly/OAUSjg2

For Emma, choosing where to go to law school wasn’t just about tuition costs, it was about safety, dignity, and the right to exist. Read the full article to hear the stories of three trans individuals facing difficult decisions in the current climate. ▶️ buff.ly/KUFPSTT

Today, Gov. Abbott signed the bathroom bill communities in TX have been fighting for years. While conservative lawmakers are bent on pushing trans people out of public life, we are grateful to groups like TENT who are fighting for, and building community with, trans folks in TX. buff.ly/d1ngmXy

🏳️‍🌈 In defiance of a mandate erasing rainbow crosswalks and other street art, an Orlando restaurant turned 49 parking spots into a canvas. “Parking Space for Pride” drew over 1000 applications and allowed artists to express their pride, show visibility, and fight back. Read more:

We applaud the nine state attorneys general who are standing up for trans students amid attacks from the Trump administration. In a video from @nwlc.org, they pledge to continue their fight for the rights of transgender youth to be safe in school and access gender-affirming care.

In a bipartisan effort to restore much needed care to youth, The 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act has been introduced in the US Senate. LGBTQ+ need and deserve dedicated mental health support. Call your US Senator and tell them to support this lifesaving bill! Read more ▶️ buff.ly/tQlij70

Our next Resource & Resilience Center 🌈 is happening Thursday, 9/25 from 11AM-5PM. We’re gathering folks for great food, massages, haircuts, and more at our offices in Asheville to mark one year since Hurricane Helene and spend some time in community. Get the details 📆 buff.ly/zrPyNii