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A grant helping to fund a study on the potential health risks posed by synthetic menstrual hygiene products was revoked after being flagged for including transgender men.The $600,000 grant, “Farm to Feminine Hygiene: Enhancing the Textiles Lab for Research, Extension, and Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching at Southern University,” was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2024.It sought to “address the growing concerns and issues surrounding menstruation, including the potential health risks posed to users of synthetic feminine hygiene products,” according to the project’s documentation, which was publicly filed on the USDA website.

Jerusalem Post.But some victims have chosen not to report the attacks, making it more difficult for police to track down and arrest offenders.The Aguda has urged victims to file complaints with police to alert authorities to an ongoing problem and prevent further violence.The Aguda and the Israel Internet Association have issued warnings to Grindr users in the Haifa region, advising users against meeting with individuals who refuse to share updated photos or phone numbers or engage in video calls. They are also telling users to be cautious of profiles without photos or where images appear to have been altered, and to block and report any suspicious profiles.The organizations are advising users to only meet in well-lighted, public locations, and inform friends or family of their location and meeting details in advance.

Women don’t cruise, says Lane Moore, they “pine.”“Of course, of course, some women cruise!” the bisexual comedian known for her show Tinder Live! With Lane Moore laughs. “I don’t want to speak for everybody, but I think for me, I respectfully pine.

House Bill 675, sponsored by Rep. Caleb Hinkle (R-Belgrade), which sought to ban drag performances and Pride parades in Montana.Hinkle previously sponsored a ban on public performances of a “sexual nature” that was specifically intended to target drag shows and Drag Queen Story Hour-type events (even if they do not contain sexually explicit content).The ban was was struck down by a federal judge as unconstitutional in 2023 on the grounds that it was likely to be enforced against not only drag performers, but “any person who falls outside traditional gender and identity norms.”In his most recent version of the bill, Hinkle included a provision to allow private individuals to sue drag performers for $5,000, plus damages and attorney’s fees, if children are exposed to or attend a drag show — rather than relying on the government to enforce the law against performers.Hinkle’s bill described drag performers as adopting a “hypersexualized” persona, often incorporating “sensual dancing, provocative costuming, striptease, and adult humor” in their acts.Zephyr pushed back against that characterization, as well as past comments from Hinkle describing transgender identity as a “fetish based on crossdressing.”“At its very core, drag is art,” Zephyr said.

recent directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that would permanently ban transgender athletes from entering the United States for athletic competitions if they have identity documents with a gender marker that does not align with their assigned sex at birth.It also aligns with an executive order from President Donald Trump declaring that the federal government will only recognize two sexes — male and female — based on a person’s assigned sex at birth.It comes on the heels of a bill introduced last year that banned transgender residents from changing the gender marker on their drivers licenses or birth certificates to align with their gender identity.This year, Republican lawmakers have introduced a separate bill to ban gender-affirming care for all individuals, including adults, after successfully passing a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth two years ago.If passed, the bill could prove problematic for transgender individuals who have had some of their identity documents changed to reflect their gender identity.Moreover, regarding private employers, anybody seeking to have their gender identity recognized at work could be prosecuted under the law. Callie Butcher, the founder of Butcher Legal Group, a Dallas law firm that serves the LGBTQ community, told the Houston Chronicle that while she doesn’t believe Oliverson’s bill will pass, it is consistent with other bills introduced in Texas seeking to erase transgender identity and restrict freedom of expression.

This is Gavin Newsom, in which he seeks to interview “the biggest leaders and architects in the MAGA movement.”In the episode, Newsom interviewed conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, executive director of the conservative youth-focused Turning Point USA.Newsom asked Kirk what advice he would give to the Democratic Party.“Get better ideas, governor,” Kirk replied, before railing against transgender inclusion in sports, specifically a transgender high school athlete who won the triple jump event at a California track and field invitational.“You, right now, should come out and be like, ‘You know what? The young man who’s about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports — that shouldn’t happen,'” Kirk said. “You, as the governor, should step out and say, ‘No.'”“I think it’s an issue of fairness,” Newsom replied.

resolution states that the Board of Regents finds that “it is inconsistent” with the university’s core values, including respect for others, to allow special event venues on the university’s campuses to host drag shows “that involve biological males dressing in women’s clothing, wearing exaggerated female make up and/or exaggerated prosthetics meant to parody the female body type, and that are: open to the public; involve sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct; and involve conduct that demeans women.”The resolution claims that drag shows are likely to “create or contribute to a hostile environment for women” in violation of Title IX’s prohibitions on sex-based discrimination and involve “the mockery or objectification of women.”The resolution cites President Donald Trump’s executive order recognizing only two sexes, based on biology, which prohibits federal funds from being used to “promote gender ideology,” and a directive from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordering state agencies to comply with Trump’s order.It also asserts that allowing drag shows to take place on university campuses violates that order.The resolution, adopted unanimously by the board, will likely spark a First Amendment fight over whether the ban on drag shows infringes on students’ free speech and freedom of expression.Historically, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi and East Texas A&M University have hosted drag shows, with the university’s main College Station campus hosting “Draggieland,” an award-winning drag event that has been held annually.By passing the resolution, this year’s Draggieland event, initially scheduled for March 27 at the Rudder Theatre in College Station, is now imperiled.

a pair of executive orders from President Donald Trump seeking to criminalize the provision of gender-affirming health care to transgender youth.U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson, of the District of Maryland, granted a preliminary injunction to the families of several transgender young adults and adolescents whose access to gender-affirming care was disrupted by Trump’s orders.

me as a candidate when I was 20 years old for City Council, back in 2004,” the former California State Assemblymember says.“I lost that first election, but Victory was there for me to help pick me up, catch me, and push me right along. I ran the next cycle, and I was successful at 23 years old.

revised its policy to comply with Trump’s executive order, replacing references to a student’s “gender” with sex. It removed principals’ authority to make a final determination regarding a student’s sex and allowed a school to determine it (presumably based on the gender marker on school records and birth certificates, although the policy lacks specifics).The PIAA’s policy also requires schools to consult with school solicitors to ensure they are complying with the order and keeping transgender athletes from competing on teams that don’t match their assigned sex at birth.The Philadelphia school district, however, said it will continue to comply with its own transgender student policy, known as “Policy 252.”The policy allows students to be addressed by gender-affirming pronouns, access facilities that align with their gender identity, and participate in school activities, including physical education classes and intramural sports, based on their gender identity.It discourages district staff from adopting gendered practices, such as requiring one graduation gown for females and another for males.

Playbill cover of Broadway’s newest musical, Redwood.Over the course of two intermission-less hours, Menzel — who is also the show’s co-conceiver and collaborator — plays Jesse, a stereotypical high-strung New Yorker who belts songs, drives from Manhattan to California, talks excessively about grief, experiences flashbacks and memories of her deceased son, Spencer (Zachary Noah Piser) fights with her wife, Mel (De’Adre Aziza), and befriends two tree scientists, charming them in song with the following request:I can hold a tree pose/I can do a downward dog/’Cause I did yoga once at my old synagogue/and I don’t have a fear of heights/I work out all the time/So what I’m really trying to say is: Would you ever let me climb?Obviously, the scientists, Finn (Michael Park) and Becca (Khaila Wilcoxon), enjoy botany more than clever lyrics. Reluctantly, Jesse’s wish is granted.

Paris is Burning on PBS.“I had a group of friends that I talked about it with, and they were very anti-ballroom,” he recalls. “So one day, I was at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, and a guy walked up to me and started talking with me, and he invited me to an event and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll come.’“I thought it was just a regular club on 28th Street.

Jeff Herrity arrived at art late in life. The Fairfax native was working in “corporate America” when, at the age of 48, he decided to pack it in and enroll at Washington’s famed Corcoran School of Art. “I was like the afterschool special,” he laughs.

Last Breath, a spare but riveting disaster drama about the frantic effort to rescue a diver stranded at the bottom of the North Sea.Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Peaky Blinders breakout Finn Cole are saturation divers Duncan, Dave, and Chris, tasked with repairing trans-ocean oil pipelines on the sea floor. Along with several other three-man crews, they work off of the dive support vessel Tharos, which, on this mission, has to sail into a storm.The ship’s captain Jenson, portrayed with steely resolve and just a hint of nerves by Cliff Curtis, is fairly new to this operation, where just about everyone else on board has history.

2016 RAND Corporation study, commissioned by the Pentagon, that found allowing transgender members to serve openly had no negative impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness.In the February 26 memo, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense states that individuals who have been diagnosed with, or exhibit symptoms of, gender dysphoria “are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.”Service members who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or have attempted or requested to transition through hormone therapy or surgery are disqualified from military service and will be discharged within the two months.All discharges will be honorable, except in rare cases where an individual’s service record merits a lower designation.Some transgender individuals may be considered for retention, on a case-by-case basis, if they can demonstrate that there is a “compelling government interest” in retaining them that directly supports “warfighting capabilities.”To qualify for such a waiver, a trans service member must have remained consistent in their assigned sex at birth for 36 consecutive months and that their gender dysphoria has not impeded them from completing their mission. They must also prove that they never attempted to transition and have continued to adhere to standards of dress and grooming consistent with their assigned sex at birth.

At Apple’s annual meeting on February 25, an overwhelming percentage of shareholders rejected a proposal to scrap the tech giant’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.The National Center for Public Policy Research, a right-wing think tank that has been leading the charge against DEI policies in the corporate sphere, submitted a proposal demanding Apple scuttle its DEI programs and initiatives.NCPPR frequently claims that DEI initiatives are inherently racist, discriminating against whites, males, and other groups by elevating racial minorities and members of historically marginalized groups.In an effort to convince corporations to drop DEI, the organization has argued that keeping pro-diversity programs places them at greater risk of lawsuits from individuals, contractors, or suppliers who may claim to have been victims of discrimination.Apple countered the proposal with a statement saying it has an active oversight effort to avoid lawsuits. It argued that the proposal inappropriately restricts the company’s “ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies.”Shareholders ultimately defeated the NCPPR proposal, with 8.84 billion votes against it and only 210.45 million votes in favor of it.While Apple discloses diversity data about its employees, the company says it has not set targets or quotas.

Defying an executive order from President Donald Trump, a federal judge blocked the U.S. Department of Justice from transferring 12 transgender female inmates to male prisons.The Bureau of Prisons was slated to relocate the inmates to comply with a Trump executive order stating that the U.S.

The Guardian instructs visa officers to enforce a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows the United States to refuse entry to any visa applicant who commits identity fraud or misrepresents who they are.Unlike regular visa denials, anyone violating that section can be permanently refused entry to the United States, effectively constituting a lifelong ban.“In cases where applicants are suspected of misrepresenting their purpose of travel or sex, you should consider whether this misrepresentation is material such that it supports an ineligibility finding,” the directive from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reads.The directive comes in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.While signing the order, Trump directed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to deny visas to “men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes” during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.Trump also pledged that Rubio would tell the International Olympic Committee that America “will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”Transgender athletes are already a rare occurrence due to the small percentage of the population that they comprise globally.

Associated Press.Prosecutors and defense lawyers for the men said they accepted the sentence and will not appeal it.Indonesia is a majority-Muslim country, but only Aceh province currently enforces a version of Sharia law. As a result, more than 100 people are publicly caned each year.Additionally, the province instituted a criminal code that forces even non-Muslims to abide by Sharia law, with penalties for so-called “morality” offenses.

first imam to publicly come out as gay in 1996, was shot dead in South Africa on February 15 in what appears to be an ambush. Eastern Cape provincial police confirmed that the 58-year-old was killed in a possible targeted hate crime.According to police, Hendricks and a driver were inside a gold Volkswagen T-Roc SUV in Bethelsdorp when a silver Hilux double cab stopped in front of the car, blocking its way.

Constellations explores myriad possibilities in the intersecting lives of lovers Roland (Tony K. Nam) and Marianne (Dina Soltan).